I found it strange that so many people do not know about it yet, but you can actually call 1-800 numbers using a free Skype account! Of course you can also do this using a landline, but there may be instances where you would like to place a call using your computer:

1. International calls are disabled or locked by a PIN# and you do not know the unlock code
2. You want to record your call
3. You want to do a conference call with another Skype user
4. It is easier for you to connect a headset to your computer than to reach for the phone, in which case you may be a geek
5. You simply prefer to do things over the “Intarweb” with a “computar”, in which case you are a geek

Here’s a sample screenshot of a call that I just made using my free Skype account:

Happy calling!

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Radiohead is just too awesome. What time scale is this on? 15/8? It takes real skill to play, even Phil (the drummer) can be seen counting from time to time to keep up with the beat.

Technorati Tags: radiohead, 15 step, video, in rainbows, music

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So I went to Cebu to celebrate Sinulog this January 2008. Maybe I’ll write a full post of my experience soon but in the meantime check out my photos.

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I never strive to be better than anybody but myself.
There will always be someone out there better than me,
But against myself I will always be the best.

Dennison Uy
December 26, 2007

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He was found naked and unresponsive by the floor beside his bed by the housekeeper. There were pills found in the vicinity, leading majority of news sources to speculate that he died of drug overdose. On the other hand, he supposedly was sick with pneumonia at the time. Whatever the cause of his death, there is no denying that he was one brilliant and talented actor, and that at 28 he was just too young to die.

Rest in peace, Heath.

Links to news articles:

• ABC News: Heath Ledger dead
• CNN: Actor Heath Ledger dies at 28

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Having studied UI design for my Masters degree, I never realized how important design principles were until I started applying them into my work. Principles such as guiding the eye, whitespace, usability, and typography all have a very important role to play in every design project. So, I am happy that I ran into this article over at PSDTuts.com that outlines and provides illustrations for 9 principles of good web design. These are general principles which, back in the day, we were taught to apply in print design:
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“The world’s thinnest notebook”. This is what Apple claims its latest tech toy to be. Having a dimension of 12.8′ (width) x 8.94′ (depth) x .76′ (height) (or 32.5 x 22.7 x 1.94 cm), this 3.0 pound (1.36 kg) notebook really does give new meaning to the term “notebook computer”. Time and time again, Steve Jobs and his team has proven that the mantra “less is more” applies very well to industrial design and make for very sexy and very cool products.

It is also reasonably priced, retailing at $1799 you get a small, light machine that packs a lot of punch: Intel 1.6GHz Core2 Duo processor, 80GB hard drive space, an LCD screen capable of supporting up to 1280×800 resolution, and the all new super shiny Mac OS Leopard X, among other things. What more can you ask for?

My only gripe is that it does not come with an Ethernet port so the user ends up having to rely on WiFi for internet connection — which is fair enough given the purpose of the machine is to be ultra portable, but an Ethernet port would have been nice as a backup. On second thought, forget the Ethernet port. Steve Jobs is a mad genius. Hail, hail.

As parting word when I first heard of “MacBook Air” I was going to come up with jokes but then I saw it and was somehow speechless.

Top notebook manufacturers Sony, HP and Dell were reportedly working on equivalents, dubbed the Sony VAIO “Feather”, HP Pavilion “Paper”, and the Dell Inspiron “Tissue”. Representatives from the three companies refused to comment on the naming convention.

… so I came up with this.

Technorati Tags: apple, macbook air, notebook, laptop, computers, technology, macintosh, tech toys

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When programming I always go for elegance and this method of e-mail obfuscation suggested by Roel Van Gils is probably one of the more elegant solutions that I have come across. It involves a bit of work, but, done properly, can instantly provide site-wide e-mail obfuscation.

The basic idea is to utilize PHP’s output buffering feature to parse the HTML file and replace all e-mail links with innocent-looking hyperlinks to a secondary validation page or a contact page thus stopping bots from harvesting your e-mail.

For regular users that have JavaScript turned on, the e-mail address is de-obfuscated and replaced with a regular clickable email link, though I am not sure why anyone would want to do that when form mail is so much better (I hate how mailto links will launch an external e-mail program).
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Anything worth living for is worth dying for.
But what is worth living for?
That which only death can make eternal.

Dennison Uy
December 2007

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2007 was a great year for the music industry, with good releases left and right, a resurgence of supposedly retired musicians, and awesome albums from the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Kid Rock, and Avril Lavigne. Anyway, without further ado, here is my own personal list of top albums released in 2007:

• 
  Radiohead - In Rainbows (quite possibly the best album of all time)
• 
  The Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist
• 
  Korn - Untitled
• 
  Maroon 5 - It Won’t Be Soon Before Long
• 
  Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
• 
  Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion
• 
  Ben Harper And The Innocent Criminals - Lifeline
• 
  The White Stripes - Icky Thump
• 
  Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High
• 
  Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
• 
  Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
• 
  Timbaland - Timbaland Presents Shock Value
• 
  Dolores O’Riordan - Are You Listening?
• 
  James Blunt - All The Lost Souls
• 
  Kanye West - Graduation
• 
  Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

I was originally planning to do a writeup of each album, but music, like art, is very personal and the best ones definitely need no explaining.

While I realize that most of the albums listed are rock albums, it should be noted that there were many great releases in all genres by artists like Tori Amos, Rihanna, Norah Jones, KMFDM, Paul Van Dyk, Chemical Brothers, Atreyu, Cartel, T-Pain, 50 Cent, Motion City Soundtrack, Foo Fighters, Rascal Flatts, Marily Manson, Mandy Moore, The Eagles, Serj Tankian, Amy Winehouse, just to name a few. I restricted my list to albums which I felt were very well made.

Check out my Last.FM profile to see what I’m currently playing.

Technorati Tags: Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, Korn, Maroon 5, Arcade Fire, Mika, Ben Harper, Fall Out Boy, Linkin Park, Nine Inch Nails, Timbaland, Dolores O’ Riordan, James Blunt, Foo Fighters, 2007, best albums, music, roundup

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