“A virtual private network (VPN) is a computer network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure such as the Internet to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organization’s network. It aims to avoid an expensive system of owned or leased lines that can be used by only one organization” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VPN

This connection allowed me to go to restricted websites like www.nimbuzz.com and camfrog. It also allowed me to somehow fake my geographical location by using an IP addres that is not from my current location.

For starters and those people who can’t afford to pay for VPN, you can search for Expat Shield or Hot Spot Shield but the drawback is it displays lots of advertisement every time you visit a website. If you don’t like pop ups and advertisement then you have to purchase a VPN access from known VPN providers like AceVPN and StrongVPN. The cost depends on the plan that you want to buy. Mine is AceVPN Premium which allows me to browse the internet with no restriction for $7 ($5.95 for the service and $1 for the paypal charge).  This subscription doesnt allow me to use Peer to peer downloads though.

Anyway, I think that’s it for now.

By the way, I found another site that allows you to send and receive messages in Skype. i got this from their forum but its not for free.  See below how it works.

For send a SMS to a Skype user :

Write the word skype folowing by a space
Write the skype username of the recipient, following by a space
Write your text

Send this message to the number +41762203200

Example :
To send the text : “Call me please” to a Skype user nammed alanwood write the following text on your mobile phone:

skype alaindufour Call me please
Send this SMS to the number +41762203200
Your SMS will be transmitted as chat message on the Skype software on your recipient.

Toshiba A200 Series

Its been a long while that i’ve been working on this Toshiba Satellite Pro A200 and I can’t get it to work. Apparently it doesn’t connect to any type of network connection (wireless, LAN, Dialup). I think I’ve exhausted every solution there is but  seems like none of them worked. Right now,  I wan’t it reformatted to see if the fresh copy of operating system will end my suffering.

Anyhow, I tried to install Windows XP Sp2 however I wasn’t successful because the installer cannot find the storage media or the disk. Guess ill just gonna have to make an costumed CD with Nlite. .

The main reason why the installer cannot load the driver for SATA types hard disk.  I got one solution from the internet where all you have to do is to turn on/off the SATA compatibility mode in BIOS and it should do it.  My luck is not going too well to my surprised that this laptop’s bios doesn’t have that feature.  So the last resort is to make a custom installer with the SATA driver injected on it.  Thanks to a Driver Backup utility i was able to extract the SATA driver from the laptop and I will be burning the Disk.

Hostage Taking Over (photo taken from Google images)

The hostage taking crisis today in Quirino Grandstand got media’s full attention from all local channels. Its like someone jammed all the TV signals and suddenly all you see is the hostage taking coverage.

Today i think the Media did not help at all in resolving the crisis. Its like they even put more wood on the fire specially when they covered the arrest of the hostage taker’s brother.

I also think that in this kind stories, the Media people should know how to distance not exposing details that might affect the operation of our authorities. I think some reporters are doing this because they want their  networks get distinction from international award giving bodies for journalism.

I think the Philippine media is abusing its right of freedom of speech. Its funny that our is more powerful than of the local authorities. It’s like everyone is afraid of them. Which shouldn’t be the case.

I’m just thinking aloud. I just hope that we learned something after this incident.

Cool Water

 I went to a local cologne shop here in Jubail City not to long ago with tito Tom and bought this thing. I was so excited because this is the first time that i will be buying myself a cologne since i came here in Saudi Arabia. I was told by the shop guy that this is authentic so i took it and paid for it without second thoughts. After using it in few days, i realised that it  wears off to soon. It was late when i learned that what I bought was a replica or something, they say this is original its just that they mixed some water on it making it not so pure.

I’m not buying there again.