Apparently, the fact that Apple is already selling the 4th Generation of iPod Nanos didn't stop consumer protection agencies in Korea from investigating the faults of the 1st Generation iPod Nanos. In response to 4 complaints filed between December 2008 to June this year on 1st Gen iPod Nanos that overheat and swell, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards has sent a request to Apple for aggressive collection of faulty units with Lithium Ion batteries made by Chinese manufacturer, ATL. Apple has responded to the request by issuing a recall.

[photo courtesy of Yahoo News]

Enter your email address to subscribe to TechPinas:

Microsoft has just promoted former Windows Live Engineering Group Head and 20-year Microsoft veteran, Steven Sinofsky, as the new Windows Division President. This is after his exemplary contributions to the development and upcoming release of Windows 7, Microsoft's new Operating System.

“Steven Sinofsky has demonstrated the ability to lead large teams that deliver great products. The work he and the team have done in getting ready to ship Windows 7 really defines how to develop and ship world-class software,” shared Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “He is a perfect fit to lead the Windows group.”

Enter your email address to subscribe to TechPinas:

John Salvatierra from Quezon City emailed us this inquiry yesterday:

"Dear TechPinas, I want to be an MCP but I have no idea just how I could be one. Please help me. Thanks!"

Hi John! I've always wanted to post an entry about Microsoft Certification process in the Philippines but the idea often gets lost in my mind with all the current gadget buzz. I'm not an MCP myself and I'm also interested to know more about it. Thanks for the inquiry! Anyway, here's the little that I know about the MCP process (and as such, it is always best to get in touch with Microsoft for more detailed info):

First, let's get down to basics:

What is an MCP? [via]

Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) broadly refers to all Microsoft, certifications. But it can also refer to an individual who completes any exam within the program (subject to some exclusions).

The MCP program offers multiple certifications, based on different areas of technical expertise. To attain these certifications, a candidate must pass a series of exams within the program. The current generation of certifications are Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS), Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD), Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), the Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA), Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE).

Popular previous generation certifications (Previous generation certifications are still supported) include Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) and Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA).

OK, that's pretty straight-forward. But basically, an MCP (the person) is someone who knows his Microsoft stuff really well and has been certified by Microsoft for being so.

What's the basis for the certification?

The certification is given to someone who was able to pass a Microsoft Certification Exam based on any area of technical expertise.

Getting Started:

1. Choose a Certification

As mentioned above, there are different kinds of Microsoft Certification. Which one do you need? Do you need certification to be a Technology Specialist or an Application Developer? Remember that you can choose more than one. Choose the one/s that you really need.

2. Find the Right Training and Take Microsoft Courses

You can do this online or offline. There are available e-learning courses and e-reference libraries that you can avail of on the internet. Or you may choose to enroll in an actual MCP course and get classroom training. Explore your options HERE.

3. Take the MCP Exam?

Again, you can do this online or offline. If you want to take on online, visit this SITE. If you are in the Philippines and you want to take the test offline, you may get in touch with Prometric via 1-800-1-611-0126 for a complete list of all official testing venues in the country. What about testing venues outside the Philippines? Visit this SITE.

IMPORTANT: Read Exam Policies HERE. Off hand, keep in mind that the MCP exam is a Timed exam. So use time wisely in answering questions.

What are the exam formats?

Microsoft Certification exams include various formats and question types, which are applied on a per-item basis to accurately evaluate the candidate's knowledge and skills.

Formats might include:
Case study format
Simulations
Virtual labs
Question types might include:
Multiple-choice questions
Hot-area questions
Active-screen questions
Drag-and-drop questions
Build-list and reorder questions
Microsoft is continually introducing innovative testing technologies.

4. Get exam results:

For online testing:

You will receive notification of your pass or fail status immediately upon completing your exam. In addition, you will receive a printed report that provides your exam score and feedback on the skills measured. The exam provider will forward your score to Microsoft within five working days of your test.

For offline testing:
Get in touch with your testing center for release schedule of exam results.

5. Pass the exam and become an MCP!

What are the benefits of being an MCP?

Earning a Microsoft Certification not only helps you stay current with the latest Microsoft products and platforms, it demonstrates your specific job-related experience and technical problem-solving skills.

[The bonus?]

"Forty-three percent of survey respondents report salary increases as a result of Microsoft Certification."
– Redmond magazine 2006 survey of Microsoft IT professionals compensation

There you go! Kinda rough intro to the MCP process -- I hope you find this helpful.

If you want to learn more about Microsoft Certified Professional training and testing procedures, visit the Microsoft Learning website.

[via]

Enter your email address to subscribe to TechPinas:

It's official, Google Chrome OS will be available for public consumption by the second half of 2010.

Here's a section of the Google Chrome OS press release written by Sundar Pichai, Google's Vice-President Product Management and Linus Upson, Google Engineering Director:

It's been an exciting nine months since we launched the Google Chrome browser. Already, over 30 million people use it regularly. We designed Google Chrome for people who live on the web — searching for information, checking email, catching up on the news, shopping or just staying in touch with friends. However, the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web. So today, we're announcing a new project that's a natural extension of Google Chrome — the Google Chrome Operating System. It's our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be.

Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.

It's all about cloud computing, baby! But yes, we'll have to wait 'til 2010 to find out what exactly this OS can deliver.

Enter your email address to subscribe to TechPinas:

I don't know if you noticed it when you opened your Gmail account this morning, but the little BETA tag on the Gmail logo is already gone!

That's right! Gmail is Beta no more! (which goes the same for other Google apps like Docs, Calendar, and Talk) And it's already up at Wikipedia:

Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007. Over 100 million users have opened Gmail accounts. The service was upgraded from beta status on July 7, 2009, along with the rest of the Google Apps suite.

Cool, cool.

Enter your email address to subscribe to TechPinas:

Macles has just reported that Acer is repackaging the rather handsome Aspire One 751 netbook to become a full-fledged ultra-portable notebook. (Learn more about Netbook vs. Notebook HERE.)

Acer Aspire Timeline 1810T will don Aspire One 751's case and LCD screen but will ship with an Intel ULV processor and other specs typical to Timeline series:

Intel ULV SU3500 1.4GHz processor, which is at least twice as fast as any current Intel Atom processor. Or the Intel GS45 Express Chipset, with integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics core and hardware accelerated decoding of HD video. Unlike other chipsets commonly used in netbooks it supports up to 4GB of RAM.

Other features and components: HDMI, S/PDIF, Gigabit LAN, Intel 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN, optional 3G and optional Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support. Not to forget 8h battery life. Windows Vista Home Premium is pre-installed, with the option for a free upgrade to Windows 7 once it's released in October.

Just how much it would cost after the innard-update remains to be seen.
[via Macles]

Enter your email address to subscribe to TechPinas:

Anyone who is familiar enough with Sony's long history of gadget releases knows that Sony products are: 1. Always Beautiful and 2. Almost always Expensive

Engadget Japan has just released an aesthetics video of Sony's first ever Netbook venture, the Sony Vaio W - and let me tell you, Assumption # 1 definitely holds true. Here are some glam-grabs from the video:

Yes, I know that HP's new netbooks look HOT, to say the least. But - I think, based on these photos alone - Sony Vaio W clearly blows all of them other netbooks out of the water, looks-wise.

Now, regarding Assumption # 2 (Sony products are almost always expensive.) -- that remains to be seen as Sony hasn't announced the pricing for this baby yet.

UPDATE! UPDATE! Sony has just announced the going price of Sony Vaio W! Get this: $499 (or around P24,000+/- before taxes and with current conversion) !! Just right for a netbook! Great! Shipping starts in August.

CHECK OUT SONY VAIO W's BASE SPECS HERE.

[screen grabs are from a video courtesy of Engadget Japan]

Enter your email address to subscribe to TechPinas:

"[It's a] race to the bottom."

Remember that statement made by Mike Abary, Sony's US SVP of Information Technology Products Division handling the Vaio, on the current Netbook trend? Well, look who just announced a full-fledged netbook:

That's right. Sony has just announced Sony Vaio W , the company's first ever netbook release (but apparently, only because they insist that Sony Vaio P is an ultraportable notebook or UMPC and far from being underpowered). Like so many other netbooks, it ships with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor and 1GB of RAM. It runs on Windows XP OS and dons a 10.1-inch screen with a quite unique 1366 x 768 resolution often seen in HDTVs.

Sony hasn't disclosed its price and projected release date just yet.

Enter your email address to subscribe to TechPinas: