Cellphone maker Nokia announced on Monday that it has plans to buy digital map maker NAVTEQ for $8.1 billion. Filipinos probably have never heard of NAVTEQ, but probably have heard of Google Maps which is one of its key customers.

Now by Nokia acquiring NAVTEQ, it has access to digital maps created by the company and could also bring GPS navigation with NAVTEQ technology to the forefront. The Philippines, which is one of its largest market due to the texting phenomenon, may finally enjoy this feature.

Filipinos love their cellphones, and the possibility of Nokia offering such service to the Philippines is there.

Heck, I don’t mind texting keywords to such service to know where to get my chocolate fix at Max Bremmer (pssst, it’s at Greenbelt 3)

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The two futures of mobile media entertainment in the Philippines and the world:

Mobile TV is set to take off in the Philippines in the later part of this year, but the following must be done so it will have a broader reach:

Output to TV/HDTV:
A universal device must be made so any cellphone that has DVB technology in it can be output to TV/HDTV. Some of the middle class Filipinos have bought HDTV, but of course there are no good unless they can watch HDTV broadcast on it, with DVB there’s that possibility.

Cellphone networks to be the new cable companies:
I’m paying a service to watch my TV but in the future, I want whatever I watched on my cellphone to be easily accessible too when I get home. And thus, if ever they get the output to the TV thing working, cellphone companies will become the new cable companies.

P2P Cellphone Router:
Each cellphone will become somewhat like a wireless router. A common wireless network for those who are willing to share their net access. Internet access penetration in the Philippines is not that high. But cellphone is. So being able to share the net access to whoever is willing share will hopefully expand the internet access in the country.

WiFi+3G+Skype
Ever heard of Skype? You can anyone for free in the world as long as they have an account with Skype. The problem right now with Skype is somewhat you’re next to your PC and/or with your WiFi router. Well with access to WiFi spots and 3G this will hopefully change.

Flash Lite
You’ve seen the impact of user generated videos by sites like Youtube, Google Video and Metacafe, etc., demand for such videos will continue. By having Flash Lite technology in the cellphone will you watch such sites. Of course we also want to be able to record directly from our cellphone to upload it to such sites.

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Jeffrey Ambrose writes, The Philippines - Searching for Solutions, which takes  the reader to a little journey of the Philippines past, present, and the future of the country.

The Philippines

Searching for Solutions

After centuries of colony status, has this nation’s independence met expectations?

Source: The Real Truth

Manila, Philippines – Arriving at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the capital of the Philippines, a visitor from North America cannot help but notice its clean, but dated, interior. Its lobbies, concourses and service areas appear to have not been updated since construction in 1981, and a new terminal that was started in 1997 remains incomplete, much to the consternation of taxpayers. Although there are air conditioning vents in the ceiling, they appear not to be functioning. On a late night in May the temperature at the baggage claim felt to be around 27ºC (80ºF), accompanied by clinging humidity.

The 20-minute taxi ride to Makati City, the burgeoning financial district of Metro Manila, takes passengers past stores and restaurants with simple hand-painted signs, many housed in raw, unadorned concrete walls and corrugated metal.

Arriving in Makati, a stark disparity emerges. High-rise luxury condominiums and five-star hotels tower above trendy eateries. Shopping complexes rival those of American or European cities, with exclusive brand names such as Prada and Burberry lining the storefronts. However, even in these upscale surroundings, when entering a hotel lobby all visitors pass through a metal detector under the eye of several armed guards.

This short journey encapsulates many aspects of the Philippines today: the wide gap between upper and lower classes—a chronic frustration with government inefficiency—concerns with terrorism—a blend of cultural influences—and a level of progress that, while not on par with the poorest of nations, still lags behind a number of Asian countries.

So what is the current state of the Philippines? And will the near future be an echo of the past—or are new and better chapters ahead?

(more…)

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