Camsdcute’s Lair

Archive for the ‘News’ Category

It’s summer time, and it’s expected that temperature will rise as we approach April and May. If you would go out in the middle of the day, chances are, your wrinkle eye creams or any cream you use for that matter could be wiped out by your perspiration. Yes, we are experiencing the hottest period of the year now.

Due to the climate pattern known as El Nino, a lot of countries are experiencing extreme drought that are causing damages. Crops are getting dried up. Fish kills are happening on fish ponds. Dams that are supposed to be the main source of water for irrigation and household are way below their normal levels. Brownouts are also experienced by different areas.

Truly, all the blame cannot be pointed at the government because this is a natural phenomenon. Obviously, man may have contributed something for this dry spell. But, everyone is asked to help in any way by conserving water and energy.

He’s not searching for some weight loss diet supplement or just merely surfing the internet.

Banker David Kiely has been an internet sensation after he was seen looking at Miranda Kerr’s naked photos while at work, switching between his work windows and the model’s pictures – all of these broadcasted live.

Based on some reports, the banker was not fired – thanks to a petition to save his job, signed by numerous people including Miranda Kerr herself.

Size is not always an advantage. Obese folks look for quick weight loss diets to solve their weight issues. The biggest boxer in each weight class is seldom the champion that division. The biggest car or plane may not be the fastest and most cost-efficient.

Such concerns apply to large companies too.

For the past weeks, Toyota has been recalling cars worldwide. This is primarily due to safety concerns raised by a lot of customers. Recently, Toyota’s President Akio Toyoda acknowledge that the company is facing crisis, and he apologized for the massive recalls related to defective car parts. This even affected one of their most acclaimed models – the Toyota Prius.

Regardless of what solution Toyota can make, I think that the recent problem will make a big impact on their overall image. It may be the forerunner in the car industry during the recent years, but problem such as this could cause a downfall in the coming years.

Known for its majestic buildings and landscapes, Dubai is again on its heels to claim another landmark – the Burj Khalifa which stands 828 metres (2,717 feet). Despite the recognized financial problems that the emirate is facing, as proven by the recently lost jobs and debt issues, they were able to proceed with creating the world’s highest building, which was reported to be constructed using desert sand. The structure has 200+ floors, with only 160 inhabited, and the remaining floors are set for different services.

Last November 1, 2009, it was published that the top 29 BPO companies in the Philippines posted a total of $2 Billion in revenue. These companies are providing call center services, HR and F&A outsourcing, IT outsourcing and others.

The top 29 BPO providers and their corresponding 2008 revenues are as follows:

1. TeleTech Customer Care Management Philippines Inc. (P8.1 billion);
2. Convergys Philippines Services Corp. (P8 billion);
3. eTelecare Global Solutions Inc. (P7.9 billion);
4. Sykes Asia Inc. (P7.5 billion);
5. Aegis PeopleSupport Inc. (P5.7 billion);
6. CT Marketing Services Inc. (P4.3 billion);
7. Telus International Philippines Inc. (P4.2 billion);
8. HSBC Electronic Data Processing Philippines Inc. (P4.1 billion);
9. Sitel Philippines Corp. (P3.7 billion);
10. Telephilippines Inc. (P3.6 billion);
11. Deutsche Knowledge Services Pte. Ltd. (P3.2 billion);
12. IBM Daksh Business Process Services Philippines Inc. (P3.2 billion);
13. IBM Business Services Inc. (P2.9 billion);
14. Sutherland Global Services Philippines Inc. (P2.5 billion);
15. JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A. Philippine Customer Care Center (P2.4 billion);
16. Dell International Services Philippines Inc. (P2.4 billion);
17. SPI Technologies Inc. (P2.3 billion);
18. Advanced Contact Solutions Inc. (P2.2 billion);
19. ePLDT Inc. (P2.1 billion);
20. Apac Customer Services Inc. (P2.1 billion);
21. Cyber City Teleservices Philippines Inc. (P1.8 billion);
22. Sitel Customer Care Philippines Inc. (P1.8 billion);
23. Parlance Systems Inc. (P1.7 billion);
24. ePerformax Contact Centers Corp. (P1.6 billion);
25. Synnex-Concentrix Corp. (P1.4 billion);
26. West Contact Services Inc. (P1.2 billion);
27. Vision-X Philippines Inc. (P1.1 billion);
28. Genpact Services LLC (P1 billion);
29. ePLDT Ventus Inc. (P1 billion).

Source : http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20091101-233415/Top-29-BPOs-post-2-billion-in-08-revenues

I was shocked to read the news in Inquirer.net today about the wife of well-known ABS-CBN news anchor Ted Failon (real name is Mario Teodoro Failon Etong). Trinidad Arteche Etong was declared brain dead by the police. According to the news article, the incident is not yet confirmed as suicide because of inconsistencies in Failon’s statements. If established that Failon is accountable in this incident, it will be a huge blow to his image and career.

More details to be found on this article. Do you think he’s guilty?

I was browsing through the Inquirer website today and was surprised about the news that Microsoft is shutting down its Encarta business. This was confirmed when I visited the Encarta’s FAQ page. Some people believed that the reason is that it lost in the competition, primarily against Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that offers updated contents since users are allowed to create, revise and refine entries.

Here are some excerpts from Encarta:

On October 31, 2009, MSN® Encarta® Web sites worldwide will be discontinued, with the exception of Encarta Japan, which will be discontinued on December 31, 2009. Additionally, Microsoft will cease to sell Microsoft Student and Encarta Premium software products worldwide by June 2009

Why are these Encarta Web sites and software products being discontinued?

Encarta has been a popular product around the world for many years. However, the category of traditional encyclopedias and reference material has changed. People today seek and consume information in considerably different ways than in years past. As part of Microsoft’s goal to deliver the most effective and engaging resources for today’s consumer, it has made the decision to exit the Encarta business.

Microsoft’s vision is that everyone around the world needs to have access to quality education, and we believe that we can use what we’ve learned and assets we’ve accrued with offerings like Encarta to develop future technology solutions. In doing so, we feel strongly that we are making the right investments that will help make our vision a reality.

I was saddened by this news because Encarta significantly helped during my school years. But then, I understand Microsoft’s decision. I myself do not visit or browse Encarta anymore. My younger friends and relatives who are still in elementary and high school prefer the internet for free research, rather than using books or a CD-based encyclopedia.

Here are some of the encyclopedias that I used before.

Encyclopedia Books
These are the traditional encyclopedias usually sold by house-to-house salesmen. I remember years back how proud my mom was when she bought our own set.  Some of these are still available on eBay and Amazon books section.

World Book Encyclopedia

Encyclopedia Britannica

Childcraft (I consider this as encyclopedia for kids)

CD/DVD
This was my primary source of research works when I was in high school and I used the copy-paste-edit process then.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encarta Encyclopedia

Online Encyclopedia

Wikipedia – Today’s Encyclopedia. Need I say more?