Digital downloads vs physical media: How will developing countries keep up?

There was an article on Engadget.com today making note of EA – Electronic Arts CEO saying: “When people think of games, they traditionally think, in the U.S., of what sells on the Xbox, the PlayStation, and the Wii, and they forget about all these online services that are out there… if you add all that stuff up, it’s almost half the industry now. It’s about 40 to 45 percent. Next year it’s likely to be the larger share of theRead more

Twitter downturn? Nah, it’s just me, methinks. aka Twitter’s future in 2010.

A funny yet predictable observation: I’ve been too busy these past few months to utilize Twitter in the same way as I did last year, and noticed a few things: 90% of the people I used to converse with on a daily basis 12 months ago no longer communicate with me, nor I with them (nothing negative, just factual). I spend perhaps 70% less time on Twitter currently than I did last year – hmm, correlation perhaps? The statement “YouRead more

In Boracay for a week!

We’re on the stunning island of Boracy, Philippines for the next week, soaking up the sun and enjoying sand as white and powdery as baking flour. Having survived a frantic, fast-paced 3 months in Manila, it was time for a much needed break. After a dozen or more trips to my beloved Bali, it’s tough not to make comparisons to such a magical place. However, with only 8 hours of experience in Boracay, I can confidently admit the beaches hereRead more

7 years of blogging: The Java Jive turns 7.

This month marks the seventh year of this blog. A tremendous amount has changed in these seven years, and through it all, I’ve kept this old thing running – something I never envisioned in 2002 as a naive, fresh-off-the-plane expat. In many ways I supposed I’ve “grown up” in front of anyone who has followed this blog; writing styles have changed, perspectives altered, and life experiences have dramatically morphed my views of the world. The archives aren’t functioning ideally atRead more

Flooding Videos from Makati, Manila – Sept. 26, 2009 – Tropical storm, Ondoy

I managed to take some video clips of the Manila flooding as a result of the tropical storm, Ondoy. These videos were taken in Makati, Manila near Jupiter and Makati Ave. I used my Canon 5D2 to take the videos, but had to reduce the quality from 1080p to YouTube resolution. This last video was filmed by another Twitter contact elsewhere in Manila. As I was posting this, a large power transformer or power line just blew up 1/4 ofRead more

Manila flooding September 26, 2009

Manila is experiencing torrential rains and the Makati area is flooding quite badly. From my high rise, I can see many cars attempting to drive with water up to the top of their windows, and others ‘swimming’ in the waters – literally floating without any ability to steer. I’ve just taken photos and video with my Canon 5D mk II. I’ll be posting the video soon, but here are a few photos taken from a much lower vantage point:Read more