Friday, February 16, 2007

Real PCs and a Real Internet

We're excited about two developments in the technology arena, something that will affect all consumers and help to improve our lives.

First, is the empowerment of our youth and office workers through a genuine low-cost PC initiative, and second, are the concrete moves to create a real Internet in the Philippines.
The PC4All initiative is a result of a review of the failed PC ng Bayan initiative of 2005.

Wheareas the older PC ng Bayan was an ugly commodity PC loaded with expensive commercial software, the new PC4All is a sleek compact unit loaded with free, industry-standard, open-source software.

With a price of P25,000, the 2005 PC ng Bayan was little more than a thinly disguised attempt to sell expensive technology, and inappropriate commercial software, to poor teachers, cash-strapped schools, and starving students. Nakalimutan na ang konsiyensiya para lang kumita, and the resulting PC ng Bayan wasn't even cheaper than commercially available PCs.

At a mere P10,000, the 2007 PC4All complete with operating system, office software, web browser, monitor, keyboard, and mouse, is a genuine endeavor to improve technology access in schools, teachers, students, and government offices.

Credit goes to CITC head Ramon Sales, whose private sector experience has been invaluable in identifying critical issues and crucial directions for Philippine IT Policy.

More importantly, the PC4All runs on open source software, and compatible open source applications, providing opportunities for students to study, analyze and build upon the openly available source code.

The Philippine Software Industry Association ambitiously proclaims that it will employ 100,000 programmers in 2010, up from 14,000 in 2006, so the education system better ensure that today's students have access to open source computer code for study and practice.

Beyond education, employing the low-cost PC4All in government offices will make it easier to adopt technology driven solutions for e-governance. Using a Web Browser, government agencies can update records, and the people can check on their accounts and filings with government via the Internet.

The second exciting development is the move, spearheaded by the Department of Science and Technology's Advanced Science and Technology Institute, to create a real Internet in the Philippines.

As it is, our Internet is a mere branch of the real Internet. When a user accesses another user on a rival network, the data travels all the way to the United States where the real Internet is then back to the country on a nother cable to the rival network.

Having a real Internet means that all the Internet Service Providers and all the major users are interconnected locally, and not dependent on a fragile cable off Taiwan. Ever since that cable broke on December 26, Internet access has been spotty, and the latest pronouncements are that it won't be fixed until February 21st.

PLDT says they didn't plan for redundancy because such events only happen once every one hundred years. Technology failures also happen rarely, around once every several hundred thousand hours, but that doesn't mean that responsible businesses should ignore the need for back-ups and failsafes.

Imagine if your bank told you one day that your account has been wiped out because their system failed and they didn't have a back-up “because these kinds of things only happen once every one hundred years.” In the future, would you rely on that bank?

The problem with the hundred year argument is that failures can happen at the worst times, just when we need it most, such as during an earthquake, a time of war, or other calamity.

Better redundancy, fault-tolerance, and lower cost of Internet access is the goal of the PHOpenIX, a joint project of DOST-ASTI, Globe Innove, Cisco Systems, and the international organizations Packet Clearing House of the US and Consulintel of Europe.

PHOpenIX is a non-profit cooperative operation. Members of PHOpenIX share operating costs and bandwidth among themselves, and invite others to join them through their website.

ISPs and heavy bandwidth users, such as call centers and call center property developers are encouraged to hook up with PHOpenIX and share their bandwidth in exchange for better Internet performance and reliability.

Previous telco-run Internet exchanges where really just repackaged Internet subscriptions that rendered independent ISPs vulnerable to price-squeezes. It did not serve its purpose because all the bandwidth still originated from the owner of the Internet exchange (and that infamous cable off-Taiwan).

Looking ahead, a truly cooperative PHOpenIX provding redundant, reliable Internet nationwide opens doors of opportunities: Outsourcing in provincial areas, and server farms for the rest of the world maintained by local IT engineers.

Another benefit is that ISPs would be inclined to encourage customers to contribute to the Internet, not merely use the Internet, in order to boost their inbound traffic. Business users would be encouraged to provide services, and ISPs would be inclined to lower the prices of business Internet subscriptions, as more inbound traffic into their network improves their standing among peers in the Internet Exchange.

Furthermore, a PHOpenIX linked ISP in Mindanao may consider links (via cable or microwave) with counterparts in East Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, or to Papua New Guinea, Guam, and Australia to the East, strategies a dominant Manila-based telco is not likely to consider.

Imagine Technology Embracing Lives.

The catchy marketing slogan is nice, and when it's the cornerstone of a corporate social responsibility that touches the heart it's even better!

Launched in 2003, Samsung's Digital Hope has awarded over US$1.65 Million to 38 organizations in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Australia, benefitting over 600,000 youth and persons with disabilities.

Bridging the Digital Divide is the goal of Digital Hope, winning it the coveted PRISM Award in 2005 for best Corporate Social Responsibility Program.

With two categories, Digital Hope supports programmes that either assist people living with disabilities to lead richer lives through technology or help the youth to achieve their dreams through the use of technology to improve their lives and their community.

Creativity and innovation are the main criteria for selection:

  • Does the project creatively and innovatively use information technology as a means to promote or develop the lives of the youth or disabled?
  • How does the project impact the quality of life of a significant number of people?
  • Is the project sustainable to provide long-term benefits for the youth?
  • Does the target group adopt ownership of the project, thus contributing to its sustainability?

For 2006, The Knowledge Channel for youth education, and ATRIEV (Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired) are Digital Hope's Awardees chosen by a selection panel composed of Margie Moran-Floriendo of the Women's Commission on Mindanao and Habitat for Humanity, Paulo BenignoBam” Aquino of the National Youth Commission, and Paolo Manzano of Hardware Zone Magazine.

The urgent need to improve the quality of education is the driving force behind the Knowledge Channel. Founded in 2000 by Rina Lopez Bautista, it is the first and only educational channel in the Philippines reaching 1,699 public schools in 57 provinces and millions of viewers on cable television.

Samsung's Digital Hope grant money will be used to develop three components of the Knowledge Channel's operation:

  • Programming--the acquisition, production and airing of fourteen hours of instructional videos anchored on the DECS' grade school and high school curriculum;
  • Access—providing the Knowledge Channel through cabling in cooperation with local cable operators or via satellite in remote areas; and
  • Support programs--teacher guides, and training & evaluation programs.

KCFI applied for and was awarded two million pesos by Samsung for this endeavor. In addition, Samsung will be providing dozens of television sets to schools for receiving the knowledge channel.

Beyond these three components, the Knowledge Channel also works with grant money from the US AID for Madrasa (Muslim-based) teaching programs in 150 schools in Mindanao, with a special focus on Peace education & conflict resolution combined with practical livelihood education.

To reach non-school audiences, the Knowledge Channel is provided free to hundreds of cable operators, and in remote areas and depressed communities, schools are encouraged to offer their viewing facilities to adults and out of school youths on weekends.

“Helping the Blind See Through Computers” is the focus of ATRIEV (Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment).

Founded in 1994 by blind computer experts, ATRIEV is supported by the Overbrook School for the Blind in Philadelphia, USA, the Nippon Foundation of Japan, and Christofel Blindenmission (Christian Blind Mission) of Germany.

Its local partners include the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the STI Foundation, with whom it has developed five-month computer training programs for the blind.
Education in adaptive computing is its main offering, through ATTRAC (Adaptive Technology for Training, Resource, and Access Center), which provides preparatory courses for secondary and technical education for the blind. ATRIEV's technology relies on the use of computerized voice software that reads out items on the screen, together with touch typing skills that eliminate the need for visual inputs while operating a computer.

Upon completion of the courses, ATRIEV's beneficiaries can enrol in regular schools, and seek employment in numerous industries. With ATRIEV, blindness no longer is a handicap to a bright future.

Julius Serrano, is ATRIEV's first blind computer science graduate, finishing in 2005 and winning multiple awards and recognitions along the way: “Best in Systems Analysis and Design” in 2002, “Best Programmer” in 2004, and the “Manuel Villar Excellence Award for IT Students” in 2005.

Doc Mike is Asia's first blind medical transcriptionist, with a better than 98% accuracy score. Today he works for Total Transcription Solutions, Inc., who says he performs as well as his sighted peers.

Krissy Bisda lost her sight at age twelve. Not discouraged by potential employers who saw her diability more than her ability, Krissy trained at ATRIEV and with the help of the foundation she now works at Teletech solutions, which has an active equal opportunities employment program.

JR is a graduating student in computer engineering at STI, but his unique musical skills reveal an equally promising future in digital music.

Already self supporting as a composer of ringtones, musical jingles, and songs, JR uses computers and electronic keyboards to compose and create soulful music.

Move over, Stevie Wonder! JR captivates the audience with his soulful voice and self-arranged musical compositions.

For more information on ATRIEV, visit their website (maintained by their blind webmaster) .


Technology has many uses, but imagine a world where technology helps people with disability lead richer lives, and helps further the education of the youth. With Samsung's Digital Hope Program, it's not that hard to imagine...

Gasp!

Been feeling heavy lately?

Listless and without energy? It's in the air.

As the cold winds from China's winter drift overSouth East Asia, it creates a blanket over our cities that lock inlocal pollution, creating a choking smog hanging over the cities.

You can see it when you look out the window in the morning, and you can feel it when you breathe. It's a phenomenon known as thermal inversion, which stalls the normal process of convection that drawspollutants away from the cities.

Unfortunately, there is already precious little we can do about it.

We already have the clean air act, which has helped reduce pollutionfrom private cars, but we still have the choking diesel fumes fromjeepneys, trucks and busses, and choking fumes from oil burningtwo-stroke motorcycles--long since outlawed in other countries.

The World Bank estimates that for Metro Manila's population of 9 million, 1,300 deaths, 45,000 emergency room visits, 11 million restricted activity days, 35 million respiratory symptom days, at a cost of over Five Billion Pesos are due to the negative health effects of Air Pollution.

Extrapolating this data to our country's other major cities, and the cost of air pollution is a staggering P21.5 Billion Pesos. We already have Clean Air Laws in place (which have resulted in a decrease in the previously high levels of lead in the air), and a recently passed bio-fuels bill, but the combination of economic growth,increase in number of vehicles, lack of political will to reform the transport sector, and seasonal meteorological phenomenons mean we'll just need to find ways to cope.

Air filtering devices are widely available, from costly HEPA certified filters, which remove even pathogenic bacteria from the air, to more affordable particulate filters which remove suspended particles from the air.

The World Health Organization says the suspended particulate levels in Metro Manila are dangerously high, something that in annoyingly obvious when dusting shelves--not just of dust, but that slimy oily film that covers most household objects.

The first step in coping with the air pollution is to get a good,reliable air filter. HEPA filters are the best, with prices to match,but even the more common filters will result in a large improvement in home air quality. Ensure that the device is matched to the size of the room you'll most frequently use it in.

If you use airconditioning, install a micropore filter, such as 3Ms Filtrete over the airconditioner's regular filter. An airconditioner's regular filter is designed to protect the airconditioner, not the quality of the air you breathe. 3M's Filtrete, with it's micropore fiber traps many particles that would otherwise get into your lungs.Maintaining an environment of clean air at home will help you sleep andrelax. If you've frequently awoken with mild headaches, your home's air quality may be the cause.

There are similar air filters for your cars, and many modern cars already have these filters built-in. Either way, it's important that these filters be regularly maintained, but competent technicians, notsome neighborhood hack who "fixes" it by removing the air filter.

Of course, you can do your share to minimize your contribution to air pollution by ensuring that your car, stove, and other fuel burning devices in your household are well maintained.

For households with known asthmatics and elderly residents, a standby medical oxygen kit is a worthwhile investment, as is a home nebulizer. Like a fire extinguisher, you'll never know when you'll need these, but when you do, it may save lives.

For your own health and those of your loved ones, try to schedule a trip to a less polluted area at least once a week, whether it is a visit to the seaside, nearby Sta.Rosa or Tagaytay, or north toPampanga. A good multivitamin and extra vitamin C will help maintain respiratory immunity, as will eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

Many of us have no choice but to live in this polluted city, and there is already precious little we can do to reduce the pollution level. The best we can do at this stage is protect ourselves and ensure that our home environments are, at the very least, still livable.