Free SMS from Google's Gmail to Sun and Smart Networks

Do you know that you can call any number (landline or cellfone) in US or Canada using Gmail for free? I'm not sure but I think they started to offer this last year. They have extended the same offer now. Isn't that cool? I wrote a short post on my other blog. Or you may check the details here.

Just  few days ago, I stumbled upon a blog from Gmail that they are now offering free text messages or SMS to cellphones here in the Philippines. It is limited for now to 50 messages and only within the Sun and Smart networks, but they have a standing offer with other telcos to open up their network to Google. Also, while they only offer 50 free messages initially, they said it can be replineshed once anyone you texted replies to you. See details here.

That's just so cool.

Firefox 4 versus Chrome

Ang dalawang kinababaliwan ko ngayon: Chrome and Firefox
Which do you think is better?

Like almost everyone else in the PC world, I started with Internet Explorer. Then, when Firefox was introduced, switched. And of course, because Google rules/will rule the world, I immediately switched to Chrome when they rolled it out.

But a few days ago, I started checking Firefox again -- the Firefox 4 version. And I have to admit, I'm satisfied with the speed and the cool plugins and other add-ins they offer. So, just yesterday, I told myself, I'm leaving Chrome and reuniting with Firefox. But I guess it was a decision done in haste.

I noticed that Firefox has crashed yesterday much more than the total instances when my Chrome crashed. :-( I made the decision to reunite with Firefox when I was using my 3.1 Ghz PC (my work PC). And now that I am using my 1.6 Ghz machine (I know... Hehehe), I guess it can't cope with the many process and heavy memory hogging of the Firefox 4.

The solution to this is simply to use the Chrome when I'm using a slow PC, and the Firefox when I'm using a faster one. But that's just, ahmm, not right. Hayyy...

So, now, I am officially moving back with my Chrome. Nothing can beat Google.

What is push e-mail?

I know a lot of readers know already what push e-mail is. Wait -- I don't have a lot of readers here. :-) But anyway, I was trying to make a post about push e-mail but realized that some would actually ask what push e-mail is. So, let me try to put it in as simple terms as possible.

If you checked Wikipedia, it would say:

Push e-mail is used to describe e-mail systems that provide an always-on capability, in which new e-mail is actively transferred (pushed) as it arrives by the mail delivery agent (MDA) (commonly called mail server) to the mail user agent (MUA), also called the e-mail client. E-mail clients include smartphones and, less strictly, IMAP personal computer mail applications.

First, the concept of "pull" e-mail

To understand it better, it would probably be better to compare it with the traditional or conventional e-mail setup where the orientation is "pull" instead of "push". You see, when an e-mail is sent to your address/account, it will be stored first in a server (either in your ISP's server or in a web-server if the e-mail is server based). For example, if you have a Gmail account, any new e-mail sent to you will be stored first in Google's servers. It will remain there until you actually login to your email account, after which, your e-mail client (Gmail) will fetch that new e-mail from the Google's servers and will be made available to you (almost instantaneously) for you to read. What you did is that you logged in to Gmail to "pull" any new e-messages sent to you.

And now, push versus pull

Push email has the capability to "push" new messages from where it came from directly to its client as soon as it arrives. This does not require you to login to your client anymore and collect or "pull" your message. It's almost the same as a text message or SMS -- you receive them through your client (or in this case, your smart phone0 as soon as they are sent. Again, you don't need to login to your client to pull any new messages -- new messages are pushed to you. There. :-)

I think the most successful device which was able to utilize this is Research In Motion's (RIM) Blackberry. If you have a Blackberry, chances are, you are availing of its push e-mail technology.

Alright, next time, I can write my push e-mail post. Plus Nokia. Plus Smart Telecommunications. And of course, plus Google Apps.

The Internet will either help you... Or ruin you

I just made a short post on my other blog about a certain writer named Carmen Pedrosa. She wrote in a respectable paper (I'm not sure though if this will still be the case after her article) about a certain study from Harvard saying the Filipinos are the most gullible people in the world. Here's a screenshot of her article:

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=669903&publicationSubCategoryId=64

I would not dwell how irresponsible she is for not doing careful research (or she was "not able or [does] not question information), but look at how Internet probably has ruin her career. We all know that one of the powers of the Internet is its capability to guarantee freedom of information/expression. And with this, everyone can just post anything in minutes without censorship. The Mosquito Press just did that. But note that The Mosquito Press is a satirical publication.

It uses invented names in all its stories, except in cases where public figures are being satirized. Any other use of real names is accidental and coincidental. Mosquito Press is not intended for readers under 18 years of age. - http://mosquitopress.net/faq

People should be very careful about quoting information from the Internet. We cannot just advocate for a body or commission that will censor the Internet (for one, because it is impossible) because its not being censored is the source of the Internet's success. So, on our part, we should do our best not to believe everything we read from different blogs and web sites. You do not need to do extensive research before you seriously believe a web site's report, but you should start to doubt your source when it asserts,

Filipinos scored 1,344,399 points, placing it first, ahead of the Trojans of 12th Century BC, who scored 1,086. “The gross Trojan Gump Index was higher than Filipinos’, but it was offset by the fact that the Trojans are a dead civilization,” said Dawson.

As I've said in the title, the Internet will either help you or ruin you. You should strive to become intelligent enough so that the latter will not happen to you.

Switch to Gmail

Google is the best company in the world... Gmail is the best e-mail provider. :-) I remember the time when having a Gmail was a privilege only to some people who were invited by people who have Gmail account. You still remember that year?

Gmail started with 2 GB of free storage. That was a WOW then! I think Yahoo! Mail only offers 500 MB before. Now, Gmail offers 7 GB of free e-mail storage plus some more in their Docs and Picasa Web Album. IAnd I told myself, who would be needing 7 GB of e-mail storage? Hehehe. I guess I made that statement very prematurely. Because as of now I am actually a proud owner of 27 GB storage of e-mail/Docs/Picasa storage.

So, if you are still using other e-mail clients, I suggest you switch now. You can't just find a better deal than Gmail. And if you are worried about the old mails and contacts that you have, fear no more as Google has introduced more email providers from where you can seamlessly import those information towards your new Gmail. Check this out, hehehe:

Gmail makes email easy and efficient. And maybe even fun.
With Gmail, you’ll get lots of storage space, less spam, fast search and lots more.
-- http://mail.google.com/mail/help/switch.html 

If you are using any of the e-mail providers below, you can easily switch to Gmail.

• aol.com.br
• hotmail.es
• hotmail.it
• hotmail.co.jp
• Kimo.com
• live.jp
• yahoo.es
• yahoo.cn
• yahoo.com.cn
• yahoo.com.hk
• yahoo.com.sg
• yahoo.com.tw
• yahoo.co.jp
• yahoo.it

Check this blog post as well: Switch to Gmail. Did I just sound as if I am a Gmail salesperson?