Category: Text News

US technology giant Amazon.com Inc. has opened its first customer service center in Cebu City, Philippines with over 300 jobs that will increase by another 1,000 by the end of the year.

Globe myBusiness, the enterprise group of Globe Telecom, says it is now empowering local business owners engaged in food, hospitality, and related services with information, tools, and opportunities to create perfect destinations.

A research by PayPal claims that social media channels are no longer just networking platforms but have become digital marketplaces, where merchants and consumers buy and sell goods and services.

Russian researchers from Kaspersky Lab said they discovered multiple security vulnerabilities in popular smart cameras that are frequently used as baby monitors, or for internal home and office security surveillance.  Kaspersky Lab said in a... Read More | Share it now!

Globe Telecom has announced its latest product offering called SuperDuo, which is an upgrade to its Duo service.  In a text message from 8888, Globe said: "You can upgrade your Duo to SuperDuo to enjoy unlimited calls to any Globe or Touch Mobile nationwide, on top of your Duo subscription for only P499 for 30 days."

It said: "Just text DUO OFF to 8888 to deactivate your Duo and text SUPERDUO<area>ON to 8888 to register to SuperDuo. 

Globe Telecom and Research In Motion (RIM) launched in the Philippines the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone in the Philippines. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone will be available from Globe starting October 1, 2009.

The new BlackBerry Curve 8520 introduces an innovative touch-sensitive trackpad, which makes scrolling and selection smooth and easy for a great navigation experience. It is also the first BlackBerry® smartphone to feature dedicated media keys, smoothly integrated along the top of the handset, giving customers an easy, convenient way to control their music and videos. 

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. or PLDT has introduced a new technology that makes watching TV over the internet easier and more satisfying. Through PLDT Watchpad, myDSL subscribers can watch TV shows, films, and more over the internet. Available channels now include National Geographic, Cartoon Network, Pinoy Box Office, CNN, Animax Mobile, CNBC, and GMA 7, with more coming soon.

Best experienced starting with myDSL Plan 1299, Watchpad is available for free to all myDSL subscribers nationwide. Subscribers have to register at www.pldtwatchpad.com to get their username and password.

PLDT Customer Sales and Marketing Group Head Eric Alberto said PLDT Watchpad is a fitting demonstration of synergy in the PLDT Group made possible by a partnership with Mediascape, the media partner.

Despite the protests from several groups, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and its private sector partner Stradcom Corp. will proceed with the implementation of the radio frequency identification (RFID) project for vehicles this year.  "We are going to get the approval of the National Telecommunication Commission for the project," Mr. Vince Dizon, Stradcom vice president for public relations, said during a consultation with various transport groups at the main office of the LTO in Quezon City last week.

Before this, the NTC had threatened to confiscate the RFID units that the LTO plans to install on all vehicles in the country, saying these gadgets need to be approved by the government regulator.  The project involves the use of RFID tags or microchips that pick up and send signals as well as proximity readers that transmit signals to the tags.  LTO chief Arturo Lomibao said the project allows electronic verification of vehicle identity and data, which would enable the LTO to detect colorum and out of line  public utility vehicles.

The National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) has assured that it will begin implementing the new billing system for mobile voice calls by the first week of December, ahead of the Christmas season when the volume of communication usually doubles.  "This is expected to benefit the 75 million mobile phone subscribers during the Christmas season," NTC deputy commissioner Douglas Mallillin said.

Mallillin said that while the mobile phone operators were asking for another delay in the implementation of Memorandum Circular No. 05-07-2009 until January 31, 2010, he said the telecom providers have been given enough time to prepare for the switch in the billing system.  The circular set at six seconds per pulse the maximum unit of billing for the cellular phone calls of both postpaid or prepaid subscribers.  Currenctly, subscribers are charged P6.50 per minute of call.

Smart Communications has partnered with banks to offer various mobile banking services.  Recently, Smart launched with the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) a new service that will allow bank clients who are also Smart subscribers to do a wide range of bank transactions through their mobile phones.  The product called BPI-Smart Full-Mobile Banking is a huge upgrade for BPI clients who are Smart subscribers since balance inquiry transaction was previously the only function that can be used through the key-based mobile banking facilities. Now, they cannot only balance inquiry but also do fund transfers, bill payments, Smart prepaid airtime reloading and Smart Money reloading.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Smart president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno said they see bright prospects for mobile commerce in the Philippines.  “As the country’s leading telco, we have adopted the fundamental strategy of providing relevant communication solutions and mobile security infrastructure to our partner banks. We are confident that this partnership with BPI, the country’s pioneer in electronic banking, will result in an expanded, more secure, and more convenient mobile banking experience for millions of Smart and BPI customers,” Nazareno said.