PRODUCT REVIEWS (Useful and Stylistic Accessories)

I had to travel to Brooklyn, New York during the Memorial Day Weekend.  It was because I attended the wedding of my daughter, Traci, and Jason Myles Goss.   As in all my travels, I brought with me my iPAD and iPhone together with all the useful accessories to these devices.   Since this was the wedding where I was the father of the bride, and that meant substantial exposure to  many people (wedding guests), I decided to add style to utility re the accessories for my gadgets. 

Fortunately, a few days before our departure, I received some products that I found to be very functional, of good style, and hip.

WOODCHUCK Case for IPAD 2

I have several cover cases for my iPAD.  I received them also as sample products for review by attending the International CES in Las Vegas and the MACWORLD in San Francisco.   The Woodchuck case is different in several ways.  One, it is made in America compared to the others which are made in foreign lands.   Two, it is made of recycled wood and plastic.  Three, they look durable, beautiful, and, as described by the manufacturer “highly customizable”.   Four, as what the company did to my iPAD Woodchuck case, the company laser engraved what I had wanted onto the wood backing – “Personal Property of Benjamin G. Maynigo”. (See the picture).

Amidst its patent usefulness and beauty, the case looked very simple and easy to install.  What I really find attractive, other than what the product brings, is the fact that they are using recycled materials and they are made in the United States.  It is also about loving nature and bringing jobs back to America.

Purchasing one, two, or more for your own use or gifts to friends and relatives would actually be helping in the mission of job creation.

I recommend that our readers buy the case either for iPAD, iPhone or other mobile devices.

POWEROCKS’ TAROT and MAGIC STICK

There were several events leading to the actual wedding ceremony of my daughter, Traci.  Almost everybody, especially the younger generation consisting mostly of the “Digital Natives” were continuously using their smart phones or tablets – talking, emailing, skyping, browsing, taking pictures, updating, tweeting, and doing other social media activities.  Of course, sooner or later, their devices would reach a “low bat” situation.

I knew this. That’s why I went prepared.  My chosen power banks were from Powerocks – Stone 3, which I reviewed earlier; TAROT; and MAGIC STICK.  Because of their portability, I always brought the last two to all the social events.

TAROT and MAGIC STICK were hits at the wedding events.  When I lent the MAGIC STICK to my daughter Tanya, not only did she recharge her own iPhone but started recharging the others’ devices as well.  It was very useful.

I chose to keep the TAROT for myself placed in a cardholder together with my credit and business cards.  It served me well.  I never had to worry being placed in a “low bat” situation.

TAROT

This is the world’s thinnest portable power bank.  Being ultrathin, it is designed to fit in a wallet, pocket, or small purse to provide an emergency charge for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices quickly and safely when away from a power source or outlet.  It provides emergency power whenever you leave the house or when travelling to charge your phone or device so you’ll never miss a call, lose power during a meeting, or be without your device when on the road.

It weighs just 1.79 oz, with measurements of 3.5” (length) x 2.1” (width) x 0.28” (height). It has 1500mAh capacity.

Priced at $34.99, I think it is worth buying.  I highly recommend it!

MAGIC STICK

Rechargeable, Portable and Lightweight!

This extended battery is small enough to easily fit in a purse, briefcase, and backpack, even in the palm of your hand.  It is a lightweight but very powerful battery as I have proven only recently.  It is perfect for work, vacation and everyday on the go.  It has a modern slim, sleek, and stylish design.  

Many who used it during the wedding are planning to buy it!

So should you!

Building a 21st Century Government

This year’s joint FOSE-GovSec (Government Security) was one of the most fruitful and most productive government-related conferences I have ever attended. This is because it was informative, educational, relevant, and well attended and efficiently as well as effectively managed.

I know whereof I speak because I have attended most of these conferences at the Washington Convention Center since their inception.  Having registered as a member of the media, I was given the opportunity to access almost all the sessions and Keynote Addresses. In previous conferences, I focused on attending the expo portion – visiting the booths that I thought were launching or promoting new technologies relevant to government users and even public consumers.   In recent years, because of the opportunity afforded the media, I decided to attend some interesting Keynote Addresses and sessions that were informative and educational.

The efficient and effective management of the entire event by 1105 Media's Government Events Group and the media support by the PR firm Connelly Works should be credited for this very successful affair. 

Impressive speakers delivered the Keynote Addresses.  The speeches by General Stan McCrystal, Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel, former REDSKINS Quarterback Joe Theismann, and Futurist and Technology Strategist and Trends Forecaster Daniel Burrus drew full-packed audiences – in fact, standing room.

Senator Carper spoke of how we should look ahead and build a 21^st century government.  Daniel Burrus provided a futuristic outlook as he discussed “how technology would enable the government to be more efficient and effective.” The E-Gov of the Future at work!

Joe Theismann “discussed effective leadership skills and encouraged leaders to empower employees by letting them take risks and perform outside of their comfort zone.”  Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel discussed current federal technology initiatives to a group attended mostly by federal employees.

There were several workshops, sessions and very interesting education and live technology demos.  The number could actually overwhelm an attendee like me who wanted to watch, witness and listen to them all.

Management (1105 Media and Connelly Works) resolved this by archiving the Keynotes and sessions at a FededTV URL accessible to attendees and members of the media like me.

I now have sources of materials worth writing about for a long period of time.   Whether it is about policy, technology or management, these materials cover many of my favorite subjects, namely: Cyber security, Cloud and Virtualization, Mobile Government, Records and Information Management, Big Data and Business Intelligence.

There were exhibits that interested me.  I intend to follow up by communicating with the owners in the very near future.

Whether you are a federal, state, local and private sector enthusiast, it would be interesting to be aware of these technologies as I intend to write about them.

I look forward to the next year’s FOSE and GovSec!

Traci Manglapus Maynigo - Jason Myles Goss Wedding Photos

Bride (Traci) with Parents (Ben and Tina Maynigo)

Cocktails before Reception at the Green Building

Bride and Father doing a Duet, "Island in the Sun"

Fr. Vic A. Maynigo with Fleur Rabara and Euleen Torres.

 Hidden is Nelly Rabara

Groom (Jason) and Mother (Debbie Goss) Dance

Jason and Traci at the Rehearsal Dinner
with Bob Goss (Groom's father), Claudia and Groom's Man

Parents of Bride (Tina and Ben) 

Start of the Matrimonial Ceremonies

Jason and Traci doing a Duet (Original)
written and composed for the event

Groom (Jason) waiting at the altar

Expo for Government Technologies

I finished my first day at the FOSE as I write this article.  I realized that attending the FOSE also gives me access to 3 other conferences being held simultaneously at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center.  GovSec Conference is one of them that caught my attention. All share the same Keynote Speakers.

After registering at the Press Room and obtaining my badge and conference materials, I reached the first Keynote Speech being delivered by General Stan McCrystal.  He was the former Commander of the U.S. International Forces in Afghanistan.  He talked about the current state of global and military affairs as well as the security challenges that America is facing. He was quite impressive.

Immediately after was the ribbon cutting and opening of FOSE, GovSec Exhibit halls and the other expos. Education sessions also started.  I decided to check out the exhibits first since I was already at the hall anyway.

There is APP Arcade and FOSETV.  Both at the sessions and at the Expo the cutting-edge apps were demoed, displayed and discussed by technology leaders and experts.  I intend to write about them after the conference.

Since the event is basically the annual gathering of government and industry representatives, I was as happy to learn with them the emerging technologies, policies and best practices in government information technology (IT).

I always had the impression that many of the new technologies were always tried and tested in the government first before their commercialization.  This is true for those whose creation or invention were made possible by research grants.  The military, which spends enormous amounts in security-related products, technologies, and researches, is a good example.  Many of the products exhibited at the GovSec expo are related to Home Security.

The Government Printing Office (GPO) demonstrated its new 3D Printing machine. I was impressed and excited watching the demonstration.

I also enjoyed the demo on the expertise of dogs in detecting people carrying undesirable materials such as bombs or some other weapons.

My original plan was to visit booths and attend sessions that deal with mobile and cyber security.  I have started implementing the plan and hope to write about the new technologies and some of the amazing products in later columns.

I was very interested in a couple of products that dealt with portability, mobility, and encryption when I was visiting the booths.  With tiny memory devices such as USB or tiny external hard drives, they basically allow you to bring your entire PC with you through the mini devices.  The entire contents including software that you have in your PC are in there in your pocket.

I have 2 more days to go.  I hope to visit all the booths and attend the sessions as I originally planned.

The Keynote Speaker for the second day is Joe Theisman, former Washington Redskins Champion Quarterback. He is scheduled to talk about “Managing to win”.  I think I can miss this one.

Technology Sharing in Government

Having been credentialed again as a member of the media to cover FOSE 2013, I am now busy preparing to attend it with great interest. The largest and most comprehensive Government Technology event, it is being held on May 14-16, 2013 at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center, with access to Chinatown and the National Mall.

With the nation’s capital, Washington, DC, as the site FOSE has been attracting for many years now a “diverse mix of government workers, members of Congress from every state, foreign emissaries, lobbyists, petitioners and protestors.”

If you need it, it will be there. They call it a “one-stop shop” for products, technologies, solutions and services dealing with the government especially in the field of Information Technology.

Expected to attend and connect with one another are more than 8,000 government technology professionals, about 250 exhibiting companies, foreign emissaries, and some pre-selected members of the media. I hope that the Philippine Embassy is represented because of the important and very relevant sessions and new technologies exhibited and discussed at the event.

Aside from the exhibits at the Expo, there are several topics and/or tracks that are offered to attendees. Among them are: Big Data and Business Intelligence; Cybercrime and Cyberterrorism; Cloud & Virtualization; Cybersecurity; Mobile Government; Project Management; Future Government Technology Leaders; and Government Tech Talks.

While I am interested in ALL the topics, time and human limitations prevent me from attending all. As of this writing, I intend to cover Mobile Government and Cybercrime & Cyberterrorism more intently. I will try to arrange having access to the other presentations when uploaded online usually a few days after the event.

Mobile Government

It is expected that the use of smart phones and tablets will become the common method for conducting the business of government. The mobile devices are new ways for government agencies to communicate with citizens.

I understand that FOSE will “provide insights on technology trends, case studies, and leading practices on planning, implementation, and benefits realization.”

I am particularly interested in the sessions that deal with the following topics:

1. The Architects of the Digital Government
2. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) – Bringing My Commercial Technology to Work
3. Security – What Are The Threats and how Do We Stop Them?
4. Mobile Applications – Using Mobility Better the Mission
5. Mobile Acquisitions – Challenges and Opportunities
6. Mobile Integration – Putting the pieces of Mobility together for the Enterprise.

Cybercrime & Cyberterrorism

We must all remain knowledgeable, vigilant and prepared to counter the terrorist threat to our nation’s physical and economic security. This is why I intend to spend more time in the sessions that deal with the following topics:

1. Social Media Security: Leveraging Social Networking While Mitigating Risk
2. You Drop the (Cyber) Bomb on Me: A Primer on Cyber Warfare Tools & Techniques
3. The Evolving Role of Cyber
4. BYOD Security
5. Case Studies on the Use of Electronic Social Media in Political Dissent
6. The BYOA (Bring-your-own-App) Floodgates Have Opened & the Government Must Learn to Swim
7. Chinese Espionage: How US Organizations Fail in Protecting Intellectual Property (And Ways to Remedy the Problem)
8. The Cyber and Data Security Rules of the Road

Under the sessions on Cybersecurity is the topic Current Threats and Attacks – Case Studies. It is also one that I would like to cover while attending the event.

I will write my impressions on some, if not all, of the topics I mentioned above in my subsequent columns/blogs. This way, knowledge is shared and would make my readers equally empowered.

DAGDAG-BAWAS (ADD-SUBTRACT)

Dagdag-Bawas is a famous term in Philippine elections. It means Add-Subtract in English. It is also a process used by election cheaters.

Example:

No. Of Voters in a particular precinct:                  390

No. Of Votes obtained by Candidate A:               230

No. Of Votes obtained by Candidate B:               160

Rule: Total number of votes of all candidates should be equal to or should not be more than the total number of voters in a particular precinct.

Total number of Votes obtained:  230+160 =   390

Dagdag-Bawas:

Operator/Supporter for Candidate B conspiring with election personnel cheats by adding 100 to Candidate B’s total and subtracting 100 to Candidate A’s total.

Results reported:

No Of Voters in a particular precinct:                   390

No. Of Votes obtained by Candidate A:               130

No. Of Votes obtained by Candidate B                260

On its face, it’s in order because the total number of votes obtained by both candidates’ equals the number of voters in the precinct. Of course, there was Dagdag-Bawas.

Mental Math – Addition and Subtraction

I gave the above example to show the importance of Arithmetic especially Mental Math even in elections in a democratic country like the Philippines. Elections are about numbers. Politics is not just Addition. It is also Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division. It is therefore an advantage for voters and/or supporters to be proficient in Arithmetic or even better in Mental Math.

ADDITION – Left to Right

Mentally, we normally read numbers from left to right. So, to calculate or add mentally, it is better to process it also from left to right.

Examples:

(a).

                        102

            +          204

            +          451

            +          222

            _________

Answer:        979

Mental Steps:

Step 1: Mentally add the hundreds (100s): 100+200+400+200 = 900

Step 2. Mentally add the tens (10s):                    50+20 =                70

Step 3. Mentally add the single digits: (1s)        2+4+1+2 =             9

Step 4. Mentally say: 900…70…9.                                                979

(b)

                        5120

            +          1235

            +          2423

            +          1221

                        ____ 

Answer         9999

Mental Steps:

Step 1: Mentally add the thousands (1000s): 5000+1000+2000+1000 = 9000

Step 2: Mentally add the hundreds (100s): 100+200+400+200 =              900

Step 3: Mentally add the tens (10s):                    20+30+20+20 =               90

Step 4: Mentally add the single digits (1s):        0+5+3+1 =                           9

Step 5: Mentally say:           9000…900…90…9                                     9999

SUBTRACTION

Subtracting from 1,000

Example:

(a)  1000 – 846 =

Answer: 154

How: To subtract a large number from 1,000 you can use this basic rule: subtract all but the last number from 9, and then subtract the last number from 10:

Step 1: Subtract 8 from 9 = 1

Step 2: Subtract 4 from 9 = 5

Step 3: Subtract 6 from 10 = 4

Answer: 154

Subtracting by Adding instead of borrowing

Example:

(a)  124 – 57 =

Answer: 67

How:

Step 1: 124 – 60 = 64

Step 2:  64 + 3 (60-57) =

Answer:        67

These are just few mental math tricks that I thought would motivate the young to like Math. These tricks actually help sharpen even the mind of the aged too.

I will give more examples in subsequent column/blogs. I will also provide some references to learn more of them.