This is interesting. For P1,799/month for 24 months, you get to own a Netbook inclusive of 60hours of wireless internet per month. That’s P799 Internet Plan, P1,000 monthly amortization for the laptop.

In essence, it is a purchase of hardware and internet subscription bundle, where the hardware is subsidized by the internet service provider.

Here’s the complete press release below.

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kay aga aga, kamukha ni Aga

Smart Bro-Ready Asus EeePC with Internet Plan 799

SMART launches BRO-powered netbooks for mobile broadband fans

[18 March 2009] From the company which offered SMART Bro Prepaid, the country’s first prepaid wireless broadband service, comes a new product designed to be the perfect companion for highly mobile and increasingly tech-savvy individuals.

Leading wireless services operator Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART), through its wholly-owned subsidiary SMART Broadband, Inc. (SBI), just launched the country’s first netbook with built-in, high-speed broadband connectivity, powered by SMART Bro.

SMART Bro wireless broadband modems now come embedded on units of the Asus Eee PC™ 904 GO, one of the newest models from the Taiwanese PC maker’s trend-setting line of ‘netbooks’ – or small but full-featured laptops that are built primarily for computing on-the-go.

The built-in SMART Bro modem and the SMART Bro data SIM that comes with the bundle allow the Asus Eee PC™ 904 GO to connect wirelessly to SMART’s nationwide HSPA network, offering fans of mobile broadband a complete, ready-to-run Internet experience in an all-in-one device, right out of the box.

HSPA is the latest evolution of the GSM technology, and is likened to having the high-speed, cable broadband experience delivered right to a mobile device.

The SMART Bro-powered Asus Eee PC™ 904 GO is available via the Plan 799 monthly subscription, which comes with up to 60 hours of Internet access, at speeds of up to 2 mbps in key cities in the country. Usage in excess of 60 hours will be charged P10 for every 30 minutes.

Initial cash-out for the 24-month subscription is P1,000 for the laptop plus P799 for the first monthly service fee, for a total of P1,799. The same amount goes for the monthly fee for the package. Interested subscribers may apply for the plan at selected SMART Wireless Centers in Metro Manila.

“As we innovate and offer more and more services under our mobile broadband portfolio, we hope to advance our ‘Internet for All’ agenda, to bring the benefits of broadband Internet to the grassroots,” said Orlando B. Vea, Chief Wireless Advisor of SMART.

Smart Bro Inside - Netbooks with built-in Wireless Internet connection

[end of press release]

For Smart Bro Inquiries

• http://www.smart.com.ph/smartbro
• Contact customer care at *18888 from your smart Cellphone or 02-6727277 using a landline
• Visit any Smart Wireless Center

Last December, I met up with PSI friends in Baguio. Our conversation covered our latest updates, breakthroughs, ideas, businesses etc.

Then Tito Kokoy Reonisto asked me a technical question. Tito Kokoy owns a couple of businesses including a hotel in Baguio, Baguio Tepeyac Hotel – Chalet Tepeyac.

He shared that many of his hotel guests ask for an Internet connection at his hotel. This is useful for personal use and also very import for use by conferences or meetings.

Tito Kokoy shared that they couldn’t get a DSL Internet line in his location. And the local cable internet service doesn’t have enough subscribers in the area for them to lay-out a line to reach Tito Kokoy’s location either. I think they tried Dream Satellite, but didn’t get the results they wanted.

They tried the Smart Bro (fixed canopy antenna) but the afternoon fog in Tepeyac prevented them from getting a good and steady line-of-sight to the nearby cellsite which is pre-requisite to an internet connection.

I asked him if he has a good cellphone signal at the Hotel. He said they do have a good cellphone signal. So I gave him my recommended solution.

Bite size personal Internet via GSM Modem

I told him that he could get GSM Modems to rent out to his hotel guests. (not sure though whether this is within fair use of the service).

For example, the Smart Bro Plug It was going at P2,500 back then (it’s currently at P2,000 these days). Tito Kokoy can get, say, 10 units of the Smart Bro Plug It and have it rented out for P250 a day, then sell Smart Bro Load so the guests can manage their own Internet usage.

Smart Bro Plug It

Family size Internet via GSM WiFi Modem

Back then, I had heard of the GSM WiFi Modem which receives the Internet signal via GSM and re-distributes it via WiFi. But the device wasn’t easily available over-the-counter in computer shops.

But with the release of the Smart Bro Share It, things are simpler for Tito Kokoy now. He can install the Smart Bro Share It in various hotspots within his hotel. Guests can access Internet via WiFi.

Not bad, huh?

Smart Bro Share It WiFi Router

Is the service good?

I have a standard reply here (and it’s not because I’m from Smart).

Is the service good? It depends on your location.

A friend, Clint, Texted me one time asking me if Smart Bro will work well in Antipolo. I told him it really depends on where he’ll use the Smart Bro service.

If he’ll use it inside a cave in Antipolo, I can assure him he won’t get much internet juice.

Among other things, your geographic location as well as the infrastructure around you will determine whether you have a good GSM signal and, thus, a good Smart Bro Internet signal.

I gave him a rule of thumb. Use your high-end phone to check your signal, whether you’ve got GPRS, 3G, Edge, HSDPA or HSPA. If you’ve got a good 3G, edge, HSDPA or HSPA signal, you can expect your Smart Bro Internet to work well in that same location.

It does matter, though, whether there are other Smart Bro users in the area getting their signal from the same cellsite you’re getting your signal.

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Baguio cool air tickles my hair

Smart Bro came out with it’s latest product, the Smart Bro Share It WiFi Router.

The device is a GSM WiFi modem that receives the Smart Bro Internet signal and re-distributes it via Wireless Fidelity.

Smart Bro Share It is the newewst Smart BRO broadband internet product that allows you to share your broadband access to the other computers in your home network via the WiFi technology or wired LAN! The Smart BRO Broadband router is a small device that you can purchase over-the-counter at any Smart Wireless Center or through the accreditted Smart Bro Resellers.

What’s it for? The product is targetted for households. With one Smart Bro Share It device, multiple WiFi-enabled laptops will be able to access the Internet.

Usable range is around 30 meters which is good for a studio house up to a big house with around 3 or 4 rooms.

This will work well in our Baguio home. I usually connect in Baguio using Plug It, but couldn’t share my connection with my brother’s laptop.

Smart Bro is also a solution I would recommend to my friend Tito Kokoy for his hotel, Chalet Tepeyac in Baguio (story tomorrow: Internet Access Solution where there isn’t any).

From the Smart Bro flyer

How much will it cost to avail of the Smart Bro Share It?

• One-time Router Fee: P2,5000
• 1st Month subscription fee: P999
• Total initial payment: P3,4999
• Monthly Service Fee: P999

Rate per use

• Free 90 hours per month on actual per minute charging
• In excess of the Free 90 hours, you will be charged P0.35/min

Documents needed to apply for Smart Bro Share It:

• Application Form
• Proof of Identification
• Proof of Address (Billing Statements)

For Smart Bro Inquiries

• http://www.smart.com.ph/smartbro
• Contact customer care at *18888 from your smart Cellphone or 02-6727277 using a landline
• Visit any Smart Wireless Center

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share the info wealth

We dropped by Goodah at Tandang Sora, Quezon City last week.

Aba aba aba!! What is dis?! Asenso na ang Goodah! Erkondisyon! At ano ito?! May WiFi pa!

Hahahaha! It was fun seeing the technology adoption of what used to be (still is in most branches) a karinderia.

Take a look, WiFi hotspot at Goodah…

Closed-circuit Television at Goodah:

More info

Goodah is beside the SEAOIL gas station along Tandang Sora between Himlayang Pilipino and Tierra Pura (yes, I know, mahaba yun, pero di ko na alam kung paano ko pa made-describe yung location na yun).

Visit the Goodah website

Related links:

• Google search: CCTV, Closed-circuit television, WiFi, Carinderia , Goodah

I was at Bolinao (see Bolinao photos here) last year. When it was time to pay, we couldn’t use our credit cards because the resort didn’t have a credit card terminal, sometimes known as a Point of Sale Machine, Credit Card swiper or in jologs terms, “kaskas”.

The cashier explained that they had just recently received their telephone line (a wireless phone) and that their application for the credit card POS was still pending.

I was thinking those wireless POS machines could come in handy in a place like this where phone lines and internet infrastructure isn’t as solid as in the main cities.

I had seen a wireless POS terminal at a Canada restaurant. But that one was wirelessly “connected” to its home-base within the restaurant.

Here is a wireless Credit Card POS used by PSI to collect seminar investments.

This one connects wirelessly via the GSM network, I’m told. It accepts Mastercard, Visa, American Express and JCB. It’s a machine administered by BDO and Equitable-PCI bank.

There’s a little charge (around 10%) that goes to the bank to process the payments. But for the convenience of the merchant, it’s worth it.

It’s a lot better than having a collection of POS machines for each bank or each credit card type, just like they used to have in some malls. Here’s what they have in Makati Med emergency room, a collection of POS machines:

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strike a POS, there’s nothing to it

I wrote about Smart Link back in 2006. It is a service targetted for Filipino Seamen that allows them to make calls through a satellite phone wherever they are in the world, over land or over seas.

I found this poster at SM Baguio and was glad to see that Smart Link is very much alive. They have prepaid cards available at SM customer service desks. Prepaid card are available in denominations of P300, P500 and P1,000.

The prepaid cards can be purchased by a seaman while he’s here in the Philippines. Another way to do it is for the seaman’s family to purchase the card and send the PIN code to their relative at sea.

See the Smart Link website of Smart for more details >>. You can even get a Smart Link unit for free (Smart Link Fleet Program).

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syokoy

I’m at Rockwell now, connected to the Internet via Wigo, a free WiFi service.

First time I tried out Wigo was in Dec31, 2007. I think back then they hadn’t officially launched the service publicly yet.

I encountered some of the Wigo sales people in January 2008 and they didn’t like it when they found out I was “Ka Edong”. Grrrrraaar! :-)

Today, I’m using a friend’s laptop to access Wigo. It installed fine. And the grammar is better . It took me a few attempts, logged-off then logged back in before I finally got through to the Internet.

So now that I’m connected to the Internet through Wigo, I check my email and find this message from “support@wigo.ph” support@wigo.ph:

Important! Please click here to activate your account.
By clicking the link above, you have full access to WIGO’s privileges, such as free WIFI, hot offers and deals from our sponsors.

If you can’t click on the sentence labeled “Important!” above, you can also activate your account by cutting and pasting (or typing) the following address into your browser.

http://cportal.wigo.ph/activate.php?email=myemailaddress@mail.com

Policies: Please remember that your use of WIGO shall be subject to WIGO’s Terms of Use

Please update your email address whenever it changes so we can help with any account access issue. Or, sign in to WIGO, go to Account Information, click Edit button, and you will be able to change your alternate email address(es).

Do not reply to this message.  

Huh? That’s weird. I’ll disregard this message – It’s probably an old validation process which they’ve changed. (How could I have activated my account immediately after signing up unless I could access the internet via Wigo?)

Anywayyyyyy, Wigo keeps an advertisement bar open while you’re connected to the WiFi hotspot. It’s always visible on top of any other window you have. Well, that’s what we get for the free service.

It’s all good, not a bad bargain. And the Internet speed is okay. Looking good, Wigo. I wonder where else there’s a Wigo hotspot.

Do you want a Wigo hotspot at your cafe, school, restaurant or other commercial area? Contact Wigo and apply for a Wigo Hotspot .

Cheers, Wigo! Let’s go!

Related links:

• Wigo on Pinoy.Tech.Blog
• Wigo on Inquirer
• Wigo.ph

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Weeeeee

Smart upped its Smart Bro service once again.

Now the Smart Bro plug-anywhere Internet service is available via pre-paid.

From Yugatech:

The Pre-Paid Kit for Smart Bro Mobile 3G is available for Php4,500, one-time. That includes the USB dongle, the SIM card and a 30-peso free load (that’s one and a half hours of free credits).

The pre-paid kit can be re-loaded with Smart Bro pre-paid cards worth Php100 and Php300. You cna also use e-Load to top up your account for as low as Php30 from any of the local e-Load stations (i.e. tiange)

nge)

Magaling, magaling, magaling . I’m sure many people will like the fact that this service is:

• Highly mobile – The dongle fits in your pocket
• Versatile – you can use it with any computer
• Easy entry – no monthly subscription, no requirements for subscription, just need P4,500 to purchase the dongle
• Easy access to Internet time load – you can just load internet time whenever you want to use it, at any of 1 Million smart loading stations. — This is key!

The most attractive feature is being able to load for Internet time through any of the 1Million Smart Loading stations. It takes advantage of the wide network of tiange’s, sari-sari stores, “free-lance” loading people nationwide, gives the loading stations an additional product to “sell”.

I think more and more Smart (and PLDT) can use this strategy of adding more pre-paid loading services in their loading stations. This was the same key feature that I took note of when Smart and PLDT brought together their services under one card.

Again, as for the quality of service, I couldn’t say whether Smart will have a highly satisfactory service. They haven’t had a stellar reputation, especially in a market that demands outstanding service more and more.

I say, take this to the next level. Use those 1Million Smart Loading stations to sell (and buy!) Smart Money! C’mon, let’s have it, break free from the accessibility barrier of m-commerce!

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e-load mo na!

Right, I know the title is weird. I’m finding this phenomenon weird as well and I don’t have an explanation for it yet.

So let me explain.

This morning, I did some work at at a free wifi cafe along Session Road (Cafe Zola). Ten minutes before my battery went zilch, I opened up my Gmail on Internet Explorer. It displayed around 25 messages. I also opened Thunderbird which I configured to download all my Gmail so that I could reply to emails offline and just send them away next time I connect to the Internet. Then my laptop when into hibernate with the wifi still on, Internet explorer still showing my Gmail inbox, and my Thunderbird still on halfway through the 100 mails it was downloading.

This afternoon, I turned on my laptop and there was my Internet Explorer. I knew there were no WiFi hotspots where I was, but what the heck, I clicked on one of my new Gmail messages from my Inbox in Internet Explorer. And the new message was displayed! Huh?! Where did that come from? How did Gmail display my message on Internet Explorer while i’m offline?

I was able to read the message. I know I couldn’t possibly send a reply offline, so I use thunderbird to store outgoing messages (for sending later on). I was able to archive messages via Gmail in Internet Explorer.

Not all Gmail messages in my Inbox can be opened. Sometimes it says “Unable to reach Gmail. Please check your internet connection and try again.” I just click okay and try opening another message. Some messages open.

This is a mystery to me, so far. I wonder if Internet Explorer or Gmail keeps a cache of new un-opened Gmail messages.

Has anybody had a similar experience? Care to explain, so that I can replicate this phenomenon of Checking Online Gmail Offline?

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Perplexed with guys at googleplex