Technews

EVERY MONDAY October 3, 2011

D3

Annalyn S. Jusay

Business lessons
ubby and I just had an awesome steak dinner at a five-star hotel this week. The dinner for two would have cost us a minimum of US$100 if we had taken our dinner in another time, when buying through the internet wasn't yet at its prime. Instead, we paid only $40 for our Prince Albert Rotisserie meal complete with the exemplary service of a captain waiter and a piano romantically playing in the background. Hubby previously paid for our meal with a single click on his laptop through Deal Grocer, one of the leading group buying sites in the Philippines. The phenomenon of online group buying - where merchants slash the prices of their products or services in exchange for a guaranteed minimum number of buyers - is certainly something no one would have imagined happening five or ten years ago (although a check with Wikipedia shows its origins as early as 2000). It is actually just part of the bigger picture with the countless number of people also selling on Multiply, Sulit, eBay and other sites. This doesn't include the fact that having a Facebook or Twitter page is almost de rigueur for any brand, big or small, these days. All these just boost our perception that there is no better time to go into the online business than NOW. Perhaps, am one of a few who are still harboring ideas of launching

Couple of new devices keep power-gobbling gadgets in check

their online biz (my seven year-old blog notwithstanding). However, being an observer, I can suggest a few things for those who want to take a shot at being netrepreneurs: Branding is key. By this, we mean having an online business name that is as attractive as much as it is easy to remember. Your logo itself must easily catch the eye and consider the minutest details like the font and color combination used. If your branding is upscale, be sure to associate yourself with an upscale group buying site when it's time to do a promotion. Your message is the medium. If you are going to have your own business domain name, make sure it is easy to remember as well. A website is just not there for display, make sure you reply to comments and track your stats. Installing a plugin like Google Analytics will help you keep tabs on your visitors, your most-read pages and what they are searching on your site. Make sure your site is user-friendly and a Buy Now button is accessible and placed prominently, otherwise it's useless. Build your list. In this age of social media, there's no harm in having the most number of friends on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (to name just a few!) Treat mobile phone numbers and email addresses like gold and if you have a budget, an email/autoresponder service like Aweber is handy. lectronics and appliances waste a lot of energy when theyre plugged in but not being used. Theres even a term for all that wastevampire power. A home entertainment center in standby mode, for example, can draw as much electricity as a refrigerator. A range of new devices offer to help you manage this problem. The latest is ThinkEcos Modlet, a gizmo little bigger than a wall wartstyle plug that packs enough brains to continuously monitor the energy usage of any device plugged into it. ThinkEco claims the Modlet can reduce a households overall energy consumption by 6 to 10 percent. Via an interface on a desktop computer or mobile device, a homeowner can shut off Modlet-connected devices and set on-off schedules for them. The devices are controlled wirelessly through a short-range wireless standard called ZigBee thats designed for home automation. A Modlet communicates with a users computer wirelessly, through a USB dongle, doesnt require a smart meter, and can operate independently of a computer. It will arrive in big-box stores and a major online retailer sometime in October.

Its functionality and price$45 for a Modlet, or $50 for a Modlet and USB connectormake the Modlet a hybrid between full-on home automation and a simple timer switch. Simpler devices already on the market, such as Belkins Conserve, consist of power strips and individual plugs that can be switched off manually (or put on a timer) in order to stop devices from drawing power when they dont need it. General Electric is rolling out a more sophisticated energy-management system, in which a device called the Nucleus acts as the hub of a homes energy-management features. The Nucleus is a three- by four-inch computer that plugs into any wall outlet. It can connect wirelessly with a homes smart meter (if it has one), and with compatible appliances, providing a user with the same information that utility companies receive. As with the Modlet, Nucleas information is available on a desktop computer or a mobile device, and via the Web. But unlike the Modlet, it can also tap into the existing energy management capabilities of smart appliances, such as dishwashers, dryers, and other

ZigBee-equipped large appliances. GEs technology is still in trials with consumers in a handful of states, where its being offered by utilities as part of demand response programs. These programs allow the utility to selectively reduce the power consumption of customers devices when the grid is under an especially heavy load. While the target markets of GE and ThinkEco have considerable overlap, for now ThinkEco is taking a more consumer-first approach. However, its biggest impact could be in the office, says ThinkEco cofounder Mei Shibata. In the office, its nobodys job to [think about energy use]its not my job to turn off my lamp even though I should, says Shibata. (NYT)

TxVia Philippines expands services, moves into high-tech BGC offices

xVia, Inc., a leader in transaction processing technology for emerging payments and financial services, has announced the opening of a new facility in the Philippines. The office, located in Bonifacio Global City, is equipped with state of the art technology and facilities for TxVia's Contact Center, Back Office and Information Technology operations.

Recognizing the competency of the Philippine workforce, and based on our overwhelmingly positive experience over the previous year since TxVia began operations in the Philippines, we've decided to significantly expand our operations, said Matthew Nyren, Senior Vice President of Managed Services. TxVia commenced operations in the Philippines on October 2010, initially providing Customer Service, Risk Management and IT Helpdesk services. With the launch of the new

facility those services are being expanded to include Software Development, Quality Assurance testing and a variety of other disciplines. TxVia Philippines is now located in its airy, spacious loft at 26/F Piccadilly Star Building, Bonifacio Global City. It is currently seeking resumes from qualified applicants with Software Development, Software Testing, Financial Services and Contact Center experience. For more information, contact them at phjobs@txvia.com.

Blogging makes or breaks you

Glenn Richmond Ong

Human Revolution
eus Ex: Human Revolution is the third installment from the series and serves as the prequel for the award winning Deus Ex from the year 2000. The series itself has been made famous by the tremendous amount of game-changing choices, both moral and practical. With it coming out from the dust, will it still deliver the old fun and excitement from a decade ago? Or will it just be bogged down by the games of today? Deus Exs story is set in the near future where human disabilities are made irrelevant by the infusion of mechanical augments. Players play as Adam Jensen, an ex-cop turned security chief tasked to guard one of the top human augmentation corporations in the world. The introduction opens with a tour around the corporations laboratory, with its scientists excited about a breakthrough research that is about to be unveiled. But the excitement is then replaced by horror as the lab is

destroyed by terrorists. The assault left Adam in near death with most of his body torn and crushed. Bent on uncovering the secrets behind the attack, the corporation revives Adam with most of his body parts replaced by mechanical prosthetics, making him a super soldier. The game lets players experience the unique Deus Ex journey by blending together RPG and FPS shooter elements. The game is mostly played in a first-person perspective and changes only to a third person view when climbing ladders and taking cover. Inventories, quest logs, and other RPG elements are also taken into account in game. Because its Deus Ex, freedom is given to the player on how he wishes to accomplish the mission, as the game itself says, The obvious may not be the best option. Missions take course in different places such as Detroit, Singapore, and Shanghai. The RPG element of Deus Ex comes from the games intensive quest and leveling system. (Jose Gamaliel Felongco)

Blogging has gained so much popularity in the recent years, because of the opportunities it can give to authors and online writers. However, a blogger should realize that it is not just about the writing, the attending of events, and the earning of money. Blogging can make or break you. Admittedly, one of the best things of being a blogger and attending media events is meeting new people and gaining new experiences. It is when you can get out of your personal shell and tell your life story to people in a setting that is outside the realm of the Internet. Sometimes its fun, but at times, it can be very shady. I have heard and learned of both positive and negative stories from several trusted bloggers and public relation officers whom I have met personally. Lets start with the positive ones. While blogging may not be a professional job one intends it to be, writing well-thought, helpful articles and making your name

known online can get you a real corporate job sooner or later. I have heard of some people who have landed a job, because of how they deal with people in live events and how they present themselves appropriately through their writing. Meanwhile, some bloggers choose to not go into corporate work and remain as freelance writers. However, because of their works quality and brilliant pitches to companies interested in digital campaigns, they eventually made a name for themselves and in fact were able to build their own companies to specialize on such services. Moving to the more controversial part, these are the malpractices bloggers usually do that really breaks them. There are a number of bloggers who show inappropriate behaviors in and out of events. A few I can name are the following: (1) coming to the event very late, almost end of the program; (2) get-

ting lootbags and freebies then leave pronto; (3) sending representatives without prior permission; (4) simply copying and pasting the whole press release on their blogs; or worse, (5) stealing products from the event. These kinds of bloggers eventually lose credibility and trust from fellow bloggers and PR agencies. Whats left for them, then? a bad name and reputation not just for themselves, but also for the rest of the bloggers. This is exactly why some traditional media men do not respect bloggers in general. It is because of these select bloggers who show disrespect to themselves and the people around them. Are we just going to wait until the blogosphere totally loses the trust of people? If youre a blogger, examine and assess yourself. Is your blogging making you or breaking you? Got anything to add? Email glenn@glennong.com or tweet @ GlennOng