The Temples of the Techno-gurus

(Originally published in Filipinas Magazine, February, 2008)

Industry analyst Tim Bajarin at his office at Creative Strategies, Inc.

Filipinos are such tech heads that they are always carrying the latest cellphone and digital camera models.The digital lifestyle spawned a tsunami of websites dedicated to the tech world.

Yuga Tech
(www.yugatech.com)
Though this site was mentioned before (Filipinas, March 2007), you cannot have an article about Filipino technology blogs without Abe Olandres’ yugatech.com.

Olandres is a tireless blogger, well-known organizer and technology advocate. A netrepreneur who also owns plogHost, he also co-founded the Philippine Blog Awards.

Because of Olandres’ popularity, yugatech.com has grown into a portal which simplifies topics and links before you jump into Olandres’ world. The blog is a plethora of Filipino technology news and nitpicks. A Google search done on any Pinoy-related topic leads one to Yugatech. By using Wordpress, Yuga (Olandres’s nickname) manages to keep his blog easy to access. Other multi-post blogs suffer from overdesign, meaning there are too many links, icons and Internet tool goodies (such as counters, search bars and ad links for the blogger to make money from posting something s/he loves).

Cell Phone 9
(www.cellphone9.com)
Cell Phone 9 by Jayvee Fernandez chronicles our fascination with wireless technology. Besides reviewing the latest cell phones from famous brands like Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericcson and Blackberry (including imitations, such as the Nokla), the blog also talks about peripheral technology, such as digital cameras, laptops, software for mobile devices, and accessories for your cell phones (cute leather bags for your cell phone?). The blog also covers hobbies that tech heads may be into, such as video games.

The site itself is well organized and cleanly designed (very minimalist). Each post is tagged for easy referencing. Post categories and links can be easily accessed on the right hand side. However, as the category list gets longer, the author should sub-categorize or someone should invent an easy “go-to scroll” function.

Leon Kilat: Cybercafe Experiments
(max.limpag.com)
Winner of the 2007 Philippine Blog Awards’ best technology blog, Leon Kilat has a personal style in its posts. The author, Max Limpag, gives a first hand experience on how to use a Sony Ericcson K850i phone or using DocSyncer with Microsoft Office and Google documents. Limpag, a copy editor for Sun Star Cebu, blogs with a tactile feel.

The links are simple, not over-categorized. If you need to find something, just use the search bar.

Pinoy.Tech.Blog
(www.pinoytechblog.com)
Pinoy.Tech.Blog is a group-managed technology blog led by Abe Olandres. Group-managed blogs ensure a continuous on-topic flow of information without having to rely on an individual for content. Team members just jump in and post. The site also features prominent bloggers, such as Germany’s AnP of pinoyexpats.org and Anton Diaz of “Our Awesome Planet” (anton.blogs.com).

The blog has a more manageable categories link than those on personal blogs, which tend to go overboard with dozens of links. It also has a forum for visitors to post reactions or connect with each other. This blog feels more like website than a blog.

Technology Outlook for the Year
Before you, young bloggers, claim to have invented the Internet, give thanks to Silicon Valley guru Tim Bajarin (Filipinas, May 2005), a Fil-Am industry analyst whose advice is sought by every major computer company, including AMD, Apple, Dell, Intel and HP. Bajarin’s efforts spawned the laptop technology that enables you to create your blogs. I visited his office in Campbell, California once and his receiving area is like a museum. He writes regularly for Technology Pundits (www.technologypundits.com) and PC Magazine. Here is his list of predictions for 2008 (for more details, visit http://www.technologypundits.com/index.php?article_id=462 or http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2241562,00.asp):

1. Smart phones get smarter and gain market share (the iPhone and new competitors get “more processing power, better functionality and connections to more wireless networks”).

2. Flash-based laptops arrive (the column was posted at the end of last year and the ASUS eee and Macbook Air have been launched recently).

3. The introduction of the “basic PC” (to create affordable computers such as the XO-1 laptop and ASUS eee).

4. Social networks are targeted by botnets (your Myspace and Facebook accounts will be at further risk to identity thieves).

5. Smart phones become targets of viruses and identity thieves (the existence of malware for the iPhone was made public last month).

6. Social networks catch on with corporate users (LinkedIn is the Facebook of career networkers, both sites will “attract more corporate users”).

7. Little screens get video (more video content for your cell phone “media snacking”).

8. Corporate IT and users demand green PCs (saves companies money, helps the environment).

9. Apple will gain significant new market share (Apple has grown beyond the Mac and have launched the iPod and iPhone. It dropped “Computer” from its corporate name last year. Vendors will probably include more Apple products on their shelves).

10. Tech spending in the U.S. could slow down because of “economic concerns tied to the mortgage crisis and a potential crisis related to credit card lending”.

If you have a website that would interest Filipinos, please send the links to r.virata@filipinasmag.com.