Camera shy

If there's one gadget I want to own now that would be a security camera. Aside from the obvious, my reasons are simple: I want to know what's going on outside my place without me stepping out, and I want to know what my pets are up to when I do step out. I'm super sensitive to noise which makes me to frequently answer the door unnecessarily just because I heard a sound. If I could just fix an unobtrusive, inconspicuous camera at the doorway, that would save me a lot of trouble checking who's at the door, if any.

I used to subscribe to Smart Communication's MobileEye service which comes with a SIM, a cute wireless camera that looks like a spaceman's headgear, and a 3G mobile phone. It was a novelty I enjoyed using for awhile. I remember I could check on my pets even while I was driving. The camera has a tiny green bulb that lights up when it connects to my phone. That and the slight noise the camera creates when it pans to different directions are enough to get my cats curious. Several times they approached and inspected the camera (oblivious to the fact that I could see them up close on my phone) and decided it's a toy that must be knocked over. While their silly cat antics at times cut the connection, those didn't have anything to do with the overall state of the service. Based on my experience, MobileEye's video streaming tend to stagger and controlling the camera remotely using a mobile phone also contributes to the delay. In addition, the video calls could drop a lot which is not good on prepaid. I stopped using it after a few months and went back looking for an alternative.

Recently, I've been exploring an open source option that will allow me to use a simple webcam that will capture only movements and store the images on my computer. It's a work in progress but I am very clear with what I need, and that would be:

- an affordable, no-frills, all-weather webcam, preferably wireless
- has clear and far-range view, preferably with night-vision feature :)
- can store captured images in details yet in small file sizes viewable online



In the photo is the BrickHouse Security 017-CAM4-USB that sells for $399.95 which got everything I want and more. All its four wireless cameras can be viewed simultaneously and remotely on any PC in four way split screen mode, or just view one in full screen mode. The cams have up to 800 feet range and can capture color surveillance video on a single USB receiver that gets recorded directly on a computer. I'm pleased to note that this baby is wireless and could do its job in three settings: motion-activated, scheduled or continuous recording. It's a bit of a stretch based on what I need but I like it, and sometimes that's reason enough to justify another geeky purchase that makes you look silly on the outside but happy inside. And with this camera, who could accuse me of being camera shy? :)

Laptop bag

I got one bag too many, including give-away computer bags in different styles which I mostly give away, too. What I like are big shoulder bags like the Louis Vuitton monogram canvas in the photo, which I think can hold my laptop really well, but not before making my wallet lighter. Heck, the tag price of this bag will probably make me pawn my notebook and defeat the whole idea. When fashion is used for technology or vice-versa the associated cost becomes stifling. Good thing my geeky side is stronger than my "kikay" side (which is always subdued as it is) or I'll be obsessing about this bag for weeks. But I'm really constantly looking for that perfect laptop bag and it doesn't help that laptops' form factors keep on changing.

Buffalo (portable) Soldier

The reggae song Buffalo Soldier is one of the biggest hits of the late Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley. It was about the US soldiers that fought for survival in the Indian wars. It's a song that now keeps playing in my head as I do a smooth backup of all my files from my notebook to my new Buffalo 320gb portable hard drive. I need this "soldier" to fight for my notebook's survival which is already choking on all the data it contains. Not only is it a life saver, my Buffalo portable hard drive is also cute in its ruby red case. :)

Tech R Us

It's been said that we are what we eat.

For people who practically eat and breathe technology, their choice of hardware, software and websites, for example, probably speaks volumes about who they are.

The rise of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter offers a new way of self-expression, which, like it or not, can lead to some self exposure. Millions of people around the world have zealously extended their extroverted nature in cyberspace through these sites.

But there are also those who are just as passionate about not joining social networks. That, too, tells something about holdouts who will join Facebook only when pigs fly.

I am among the so-called Facebook and Twitter holdouts who simply don't find the whole idea all that fascinating. Last time I checked, Facebook and Twitter had 350 million and 44.5 million members, respectively. In a world with 6.8 billion people, how does that make me a holdout?


Even in the choice of social networking sites to join, personal tastes come into play. I dislike the ones where narcissists get together along with those who believe sharing what they had for dinner is productive. I try to find social networking services that are interesting without gobbling up my privacy and time.

For example, I keep a two-year old account in a hardly-heard social networking site called Shelfari which is focused on books. It doesn't matter to me that the site isn't popular; peer pressure is not reason enough to sign up. By the same token, not all businesses should be on Facebook or Twitter just because some companies are there.

Pick the social networking sites that will be useful to you beyond just keeping in touch. E-mail can do that job. Shelfari pulled me in because I love libraries and it lets me build a virtual library of books that I own -- read or unread. Shelfari is also a good tool to discover what new books are out there so I'll know what to look for the next time I find myself in a bookstore. And because I have a virtual library, I also can easily view an inventory of my books even when I'm not home so there's no risk of buying a second copy, unless it's a signed one.

Like all social networking sites, Shelfari also recommends connecting to other members, so it can become an online book club of sorts. I'm not too keen on this, as I don't care much about discussions that could spoil a book for me.

Meanwhile, I also just joined Dopplr, a travel related social site that I hope would finally help me make sense of my personal travel journal that has become far too disorganized over the years.

Again, individual tastes and needs plus personal finances, can also explain why we gravitate towards certain gadgets. For example, some people love netbooks because they're extremely portable and more affordable than full-sized notebook PCs, while some prefer basic mobile phones because smartphones exceed their requirements and probably also their budgets. As for me, my love for books makes me want to have my first e-reader soon and download legally free e-book titles that I like. I used to read classics from my old PDA until it died on me.

How about you, what technology characterizes you?

Tech pets

My fascination with pets extends to their battery-operated versions. Here are two examples of my tech pets: a barking/tail wagging/walking Pluto which I got from Hong Kong Disneyland, and an iCat MP3 speaker that also meows, lights up, twitches head and ears and wiggles tail that I got from Changi Airport in Singapore.

Spring and Winter

After days of spring cleaning I am still only 75% done. I have unearthed a chest full of cables, plugs and wires. I also dug up old, old gadgets that I feel sorry to throw away but they just don't have a place anymore in today's Web 2.0 world. How sad that they don't even have USB connectors. It'll be eternal winter for these old friends of mine. :(

When sleeping becomes a game

Some count sheep to fall asleep, I play games.

I usually take my Nintendo DS Lite and mobile phones to bed so I could play any game I like until I get sleepy. The games I play vary from something that don't require much brain such as blowing up similar bubbles or jems and stacking up condo floors, to something that can be so cerebral it hurts such as Scrabble for masters and Sudoku in evil level.

It seems counter productive, I know, because while my eyes and hands get tired from playing, my brain, on the other hand, becomes wide awake. However, the satisfaction of finishing a very challenging level is so relaxing that it's guaranteed to soon put me to sleep...happy.

But puzzles and board games or even the whodunnits genre are not my undoing. It's the heart-pumping adventure games that can make or break my sleep. Zelda and Lara Croft for the DS are two adventure games that have stolen lots of sleeping hours from me. Diner Dash, though not really a game of adventure in the full sense of the word, also got me so hooked until I've become master in all levels. Something about the game's strict requirement for methodical execution (read: OC) to reach the goal appealed to me immensely. From there it was easy for me to get addicted on other Dash games by Playfirst. However, because most Dash games only run on notebook PC which I don't want to use in bed, they don't count as my sleeping aids.

Then came along Guitar Hero on Tour for DS. It's been around for sometime but I only got my own set a couple of months ago. By no stretch of the imagination can I be a rock star so, for me, a game like this is quite amusing to say the least.


I own a real guitar but it's more a symbol of my dilettant nature than anything for I learned to play only few and simple pieces. If only playing the guitar is as easy as typing or hitting few button keys...like in Guitar Hero for DS!

Ha ha, now I can play numbers by Smash Mouth, Nirvana, Rick Springfield, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stray Cats, The Doobie Brothers, etc. Talk about shortcuts. Although it can never replace real guitar playing, Guitar Hero on Tour for DS lets me kid myself. In other words, it's as real as it could get for non-musicians like me and I can pretend to be a rock star in the privacy and comfort of my bedroom at night where I can shout "ROCK ON!!!" to raise my score.

But as with a real guitar, my pinky struggles to reach certain guitar strings, which would be the blue button in the case of the Guitar Hero. Otherwise, I find the Guitar Hero on Tour for DS a very nice product, from the packaging to the careful inclusion of accessories that include a guitar pick, a hand grip and some cool stickers.

Now how's that for some "rock-a-bye baby" before I sleep? :)

iRest my case

In department stores, home depots and major supermarkets today, it's getting common to be approached by teams of sales personnel egging you to sit in one of their massive massage chairs or prop your legs in something that looks like Terminator's knee-high boots that will massage your feet and calves. I have been intrigued by these contraptions but have repeatedly declined the "free trial" offers by the persistent sales people who seem to be stalking me everywhere I go.
But at Rustan's Department Store late this year while waiting for a table lamp I bought to be boxed, I was asked to take a moment to relax in one of their massagers. For the lack of something better to do, I relented. What happened next was total bliss.

I never thought those full-body massage chairs and the foot-and-calf massagers could be so heavenly. I don't like their girth and shape (storage problem comes to mind), but I've forgotten all about that as I sunk into one of those over-sized, leather-upholstered massagers. I felt like I don't want to get up already and would have fallen asleep if the massage chair I was using was not in full public display.


You see I experience calf pain every now and then. The right medical term, I think, is RLS for Restless Leg Syndrome (a.k.a tired legs syndrome) which attacks at night when the person is about to wind down to sleep. People who have this disorder experience unpleasant feelings such as creeping, crawling, pulling, itching, tingling, burning, aching, or electric shocks in their legs.


I, fortunately, don't feel any of those severe pains. My calves just feel tired and heavy -- a bit like cramps but not painful -- and propping them high up on a pillow helps relieve the unpleasant feeling. I usually know I might get the tired leg syndrome by bedtime if, during the day, I've been on my feet for a long stretch of time. It's perhaps a blood circulation issue or cramps, but what I know for sure is it goes away after stretching, heat application or a massage. This is why I keep a bottle of efficascent oil (extra strength) and a tube of L'Occitane Cream Gel for Tired Legs in my bedroom drawer.

Soon after the Rustan's episode I succumbed to buying one of those massage gizmos, but not the full chair or the feet and calf combo because had I bought one of those, no massage would relieve the pain in my credit card.

I downsized to a massage back cushion from iRest because I thought I could use it when my back aches from sleeping in the wrong way or from long drives. But, more importantly, I can use it as an alternative pillow where I'd prop my sore calves.

The iRest massage back cushion claims to relieve muscle sores, enhance blood circulation, improve metabolism and "rejuvenate". Inside the cushion is a twin kneading heads that serve as the massager. Your job is to simply plug it and situate whatever part of you is aching perfectly against the kneaders for an optimized massage.


Unlike the high-end full-body chair and the feet-and-calf models, the massage cushion is a one-trick pony with no buttons to be pressed for different types of massage settings. But that's okay...for now. At P2,999, I have something handy to massage my calves, not to mention it's portable and easy to store. So,with that iRest my case.