Squatting in my cousin's study desk

Yes, yes, yes… this TechnoMaria hasn’t even updated this supposedly tech blog to the latest WordPress version. Then, again, I might decide to wait it out until WordPress 3 is finally released so I’d only have to do one upgrade.

Why wait out for WordPress 3? Because Mashable points out these 5 Most Important New Features of WordPress 3:

1. Custom Post Types
2. Menu Management
3. Custom Taxonomies
4. New Default Theme
5. Multi-Site

The most exciting or practical features for me are the Custom Post Types and the Multi-Site Features which I can use for my own blogs and blogs and sites of my clients. I also like the idea of being able to select my own username upon installation.

How about you? Are you excited to try out WP3?

Oh, speaking of WordPress, WordCamp is coming to the Philippines once again. And Avatar Media is organizing this thing on October 2, 2010. Save the date.

Image Source: Mashable

Are you…

• 16 – 20 years old?
• Internet savvy?
• Good-looking?
• A person who wants to make a difference?

If you answered YES to all those questions, then you might just be the next member of the PLDT MyDSL Watchpad Crew! You can hang out and be among the youthful Watchpad endorsers such as drift king Alex Perez, movie stars Rhian Ramos and Isabel Oli, and TV stars Steph Henares, Viktor Aliwalas, and Gino dela Peña. And you can win a laptop and one year of FREE PLDT MyDSL subscription plus P100,000!

Yes, these are the perks of being part of the PLDT MyDSL Watchpad. So if you want to win these prizes and enjoy one of the fastest internet connections in the country, follow these three simple steps:

1. Log in to http://www.pldtwatchpad.com/watchpadcrew/default.aspx.
2. Fill up the online application form.
3. Upload a video on why you want to be part of the Watchpad Crew.

Hurry up because you only have until April 15, 2010 to submit your entries. For more information, log on to http://www.pldtwatchpad.com.

And if the account owner didn’t block you or didn’t change his settings, you can even ask anonymously. Hello there online stalkers! HAHA!

It’s a fun, quirky way to get to know people more, embarrass them, pick their brains out, or even get new blogging ideas.

You can also opt to have your answers posted on your Facebook account.

Ria on FormSpring

Cignal Digital TV

Cignal Digital TV is here. Well, it has been here since July 2009 but it has only been launched to members of the press and the New Media in Davao City just today.

For affordable rates, Cignal provides a quality viewing experience that includes eight of the top channels in high definition.

Cignal Rates

Meanwhile, the Cignal Digital TV Satellite Kit costs a one-time fee of P4,700 and a monthly subscription fee of P390. It has 21 channels inlcuding CNN, AXN, ETC, and 2nd Avenue. Cignal TV is targeting some 2.5 million ABC households who are not yet served by cable providers.

And there’s also a Cignal Combo Bundle which costs a one-time fee of P6,500 and a monthly subscription fee of P1,290.

Cignal TV Team and Partners

It’s a truly exciting offer for those who want a quality TV viewing experience.

PlurkThemes.com not only offers Plurk themes and lay-outs, it also offers a one click installation process that makes it easy for the uninitiated install their chose theme. And if you have a creative side, you may also send in your own design.

Meanwhile, be a fan of local blogging, search engine and tech guru, Andrew dela Serna. He is the creator of THE Filipino Search Engine, Alleba, the creator of the Daily Top Ten Plug In, and the administrator of many other blogs and sites. He is also cute and single. He’s my cousin, btw.

Samsung has opened another concept store in Davao City. The Samsung Concept Store at GMall is dedicated to home entertainment systems and home appliances.

On display were giant Slim Fit and LCD television sets that made me green with envy. Don’t know a lot about home entertainment systems but the ones on display at the Samsung Concept Store were good enough for me to want one. The LCD sets were much more expensive than the Slim Fit ones though. (Don’t know the difference, really.) So I think I’ll aim to buy the Slim Fit tv set instead.

Another thing that caught my eyes were the odd-shaped MP3 players. Kinda nifty-looking, didn’t get the chance to try it though. They also had some cute-looking flash drives that I would maybe buy one of this days, if I need one.

The thing that really made me go wow was this…

For the record, I don’t like doing the laundry (or most other house chores for that matter)… but this washing machine was just sooo damn beautiful. It’s the Samsung WF-7652S8 6.5 kg Washing Machine. I looove the color, and it has an LCD display.
Plus it has the germ-fighting Nano Silver technology. Ok, whatever, I don’t really care. It’s just so pretty. Call me weird, but I was obsessing over this thing while I was in the store.

For more home gadgets, geekery, and entertainment, visit the Samsung Concept Store at the 3rd floor of the the Gaisano Mall of Davao, JP Laurel Street, Davao City.

A few weeks ago, the UP ITTC and UP SITF invited me to speak at the Philippine Youth Congress in Information Technology (Y4IT), and my topic is WordPress. Easy, right? I thought so.

But I was challenged to step up and install my own self-hosted WordPress blog so I can fully understand how easy it is to do it. Why? So I can speak with authority, from my own experience during the Y4IT. I sure don’t want to embarrass the people who invited me by being inept. I want to give my best talk, using the best possible resources and doing the best research I could.

I’m not much of a gadgets and tech girl, but I get by. This installation of my own self-hosted blog, and the maintenance of it will challenge me to learn more, know more about IT stuff which will help me with my blogging and other online work.

Thanks to Y4IT for this challenge!