Waze: Navigating traffic the social way

While searching for an alternative navigation program, I came across an app called Waze.  Aside from having a navigation program, the software comes with a social aspect where everyone helps with reporting traffic conditions.  When you're in the car or even just commuting, leave the program on and it automatically tracks where you are using GPS as well as your travel speed.  Other users can then see what roads are slow moving and avoid them.

Users can also post reports like police, hazards or just let people know traffic conditions using a shout out or even chat. Users can also help update the system by adding roads to the map when its not complete.  From the desktop, users edit the map by adding and editing road or correcting the traffic flow like one-way roads or insert U-turns slots.

Security-wise, the system allows users to remain anonymous and there is nothing that allows one to track anyone in particular.


Though the traffic status function is similar to the MMDA traffic reports app for Android and on the Iphone, it is not limited to just the 9 major thoroughfares.  The MMDA has their twitter account which allows people to post updates but its not as easy to just look at a map and see red line indicating slow moving or heavy traffic.  The disadvantage though is the number of users out on the streets at anytime of the day.  Now if there are more people using this, then it could make travel life easier for everyone.

The app is available for Android, the Iphone, Blackberry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile.

Reasons Why Professional Photographers Cannot Work for Free

Here is something for our dear photographer friends.  This is somewhat similar to the previous article on why we should never fix a computer for free.

A standard response for requests for free photography by Tony Wu. Check out the site of Tony for some fantastic underwater photographs.

Reasons Why Professional Photographers Cannot Work for Free

5 Reasons why you should NEVER fix a computer for free.

I always have friends or relatives call and ask about their computer problems.   Its ok if they are online since we have a remote access software that allows us to remotely control their computer.  But more often than not, I tell them to bring it over since its impossible to see what they are doing wrong or what is wrong with the unit and they could not explain it properly.

Found this good article as to why one should never fix a computer for free.

Now the question is what should be my asking price...

MSN access problem and POP3

Its rare that I use my hotmail or live email accounts.  Kept it for testing purposes only.  And while trying to do some tests today, I had problems with getting on to its webpage.  The following error comes up:

Its a good thing I don't use this as my main email account.  We have gotten used to relying everything being online.  I'm using IMAP for all my email access since it is the most convenient specially with our network.  This makes me think that I should be enabling my POP3 mailbox again.  On the other hand, if the server is down, I probably won't even be able to download through POP3.  

I did a test and setup a POP3 account on Thunderbird and it was able to download the mails.  It seems the problem is more of web-based rather than the mail server.

Its good that Windows Live provided a POP3 access.  But what if this happens to Yahoo?  Unless you're a paid customer, you don't have any POP3 access as an alternative.