"We want to make the internet experience as smooth and worry-free as it can be. Super Surf was designed with that in mind: Giving our customers unlimited and convenient access to theinternet content and websites that they love. Now with Super Surf for BlackBerry Max, we are upping the ante and letting them go anywhere they want in cyberspace, no holds barred. We encourage all our BlackBerry users to upgrade their surfing experience with Super Surf for BlackBerry Max," shares Martha Sazon, Head of Globe Postpaid
While Super Surf for BlackBerry gives you unlimited access to most websites on the internet, there's a small handful of sites that require you to switch on a separate internet connection before you can browse them. The moment you do that, you get billed an additional Php 5 for every 15 minutes of web browsing using your BB phone.
If you're wondering why this is so, it is because some content-rich websites may not be optimized for a handheld device like your beloved BlackBerry; if you try to browse them, you'd have to switch to regular internet access to get the best experience.
But those days are gone because Globe is finally launching Super Surf for Blackberry Max, a new service that allows every BB user to go just about anywhere you want to go on the web. With Super Surf for BlackBerry Max, there's virtually no bounds to what you can do online: Email, surf the net, chat with pals via BlackBerry Messenger and even stream your fave videos on your BlackBerry phone.
Open to both Globe postpaid and prepaid BlackBerry lovers, Super Surf for BlackBerry Max is just P 1500 a month or P300 for 5 days, and will be available till August 18, 2010.
Super Surf for BlackBerry Max works great with Globe's array of BlackBerry unit offers, like the top-of-the-line, celeb-favorite Blackberry Bold 9700 and the undeniably cute Blackberry Curve 8520, the back-to-school starter model which comes in ruby-red, snow-white and classic black.
Globe's Super Surf for BlackBerry Max is also a great add-on to the stellar array of My SuperPlan offers, which means that My SuperPlan customers who own a BlackBerry can easily and instantly upgrade their surfing experience by choosing and asking for Super Surf for BlackBerry Max plan.
Your MAXed-out Super Surf experience is just a click away! Register via text by sending BB MAX 300 (5 days) to 8888, for 5 days of unlimited browsing on your Globe BlackBerry handset. Or if you'd rather go with the full 30-day service, you may just text BB MAX ON (30 days) to 8888.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wireless phone service for individuals without mobile phones?
Smart Communications, Inc. has launched a new wireless telephone service under its lower-end Talk ‘N Text brand, aiming for people who do not own cellular phones.
The “Barangay Phone” service will allow subscribers to load mobile phone prepaid credits for as low as P3.00 for a three-minute call, the mobile unit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said in a statement.
“Individuals who need to use any Talk ‘N Text Barangay Phone anywhere in the country just need to buy the micro ‘bucket’ load at denominations of P3.00 for a three-minute call, P6.00 for a six-minute call, or P12.00 for a 12-minute call to any number within Smart’s network of over 42 million subscribers nationwide,” the company said.
The wireless phones, worth P3,000 each, will be distributed through sari-sari stores and “high-traffic” locations such as public markets or transportation terminals, as well as market vendors.
“The Talk ‘N Text Barangay Phone may be used by individuals who need to make a call either to a landline or a mobile number, but don’t have their own personal cellphones,” the company said.
Smart Communications chief wireless advisor Orlando B. Vea said the firm was expecting to boost the “value-based” proportion of the brand, which now counts over 17 million subscribers.
The “Barangay Phone” service will allow subscribers to load mobile phone prepaid credits for as low as P3.00 for a three-minute call, the mobile unit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said in a statement.
“Individuals who need to use any Talk ‘N Text Barangay Phone anywhere in the country just need to buy the micro ‘bucket’ load at denominations of P3.00 for a three-minute call, P6.00 for a six-minute call, or P12.00 for a 12-minute call to any number within Smart’s network of over 42 million subscribers nationwide,” the company said.
The wireless phones, worth P3,000 each, will be distributed through sari-sari stores and “high-traffic” locations such as public markets or transportation terminals, as well as market vendors.
“The Talk ‘N Text Barangay Phone may be used by individuals who need to make a call either to a landline or a mobile number, but don’t have their own personal cellphones,” the company said.
Smart Communications chief wireless advisor Orlando B. Vea said the firm was expecting to boost the “value-based” proportion of the brand, which now counts over 17 million subscribers.
Wireless phone service for individuals without mobile phones?
Smart Communications, Inc. has launched a new wireless telephone service under its lower-end Talk ‘N Text brand, aiming for people who do not own cellular phones.
The “Barangay Phone” service will allow subscribers to load mobile phone prepaid credits for as low as P3.00 for a three-minute call, the mobile unit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said in a statement.
“Individuals who need to use any Talk ‘N Text Barangay Phone anywhere in the country just need to buy the micro ‘bucket’ load at denominations of P3.00 for a three-minute call, P6.00 for a six-minute call, or P12.00 for a 12-minute call to any number within Smart’s network of over 42 million subscribers nationwide,” the company said.
The wireless phones, worth P3,000 each, will be distributed through sari-sari stores and “high-traffic” locations such as public markets or transportation terminals, as well as market vendors.
“The Talk ‘N Text Barangay Phone may be used by individuals who need to make a call either to a landline or a mobile number, but don’t have their own personal cellphones,” the company said.
Smart Communications chief wireless advisor Orlando B. Vea said the firm was expecting to boost the “value-based” proportion of the brand, which now counts over 17 million subscribers.
The “Barangay Phone” service will allow subscribers to load mobile phone prepaid credits for as low as P3.00 for a three-minute call, the mobile unit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said in a statement.
“Individuals who need to use any Talk ‘N Text Barangay Phone anywhere in the country just need to buy the micro ‘bucket’ load at denominations of P3.00 for a three-minute call, P6.00 for a six-minute call, or P12.00 for a 12-minute call to any number within Smart’s network of over 42 million subscribers nationwide,” the company said.
The wireless phones, worth P3,000 each, will be distributed through sari-sari stores and “high-traffic” locations such as public markets or transportation terminals, as well as market vendors.
“The Talk ‘N Text Barangay Phone may be used by individuals who need to make a call either to a landline or a mobile number, but don’t have their own personal cellphones,” the company said.
Smart Communications chief wireless advisor Orlando B. Vea said the firm was expecting to boost the “value-based” proportion of the brand, which now counts over 17 million subscribers.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
DepEd declares ?all-out-war? vs Jejemons
THE Department of Education (DepEd) has declared an “all-out-war” against the emerging “Jejemon” subculture, saying that it will degrade the standards of the country’s education system.
“Not only that Jejemon language is not pleasing to the eyes, it has also destroyed years of achievements of the DepEd in pushing for better education quality,” said Education Secretary Mona Valisno.
She added that younger generations were having difficulty in spelling words, both in Filipino and English, because of such practice, which has significantly altered the construction of words through text messages.
Valisno said she will come up with a new DepEd order, encouraging school officials to promote and to teach proper spelling and pronunciation of words among primary and secondary students.
Likewise, the official appealed to the public to not emulate “Jejemons” and encourage them to write correctly the words in their text messages to avoid degradation of the Filipino and English languages.
Valisno cited as an example from her grandchildren whom she sternly warned not to send her Jejemon text messages.
“I told them (grandchildren) you send me one of those text messages I won’t answer or even call you,” she added.
The term Jejemon is a portmanteau of the terms “jeje” (the equivalent of the “hehe” expression”), and “Pokémon”, a popular animated series.
Numerous anti-Jejemon fan-pages calling themselves “Jejemon-busters” have since emerged on popular social networking site Facebook and are used as platforms to ridicule the said subculture.
“Not only that Jejemon language is not pleasing to the eyes, it has also destroyed years of achievements of the DepEd in pushing for better education quality,” said Education Secretary Mona Valisno.
She added that younger generations were having difficulty in spelling words, both in Filipino and English, because of such practice, which has significantly altered the construction of words through text messages.
Valisno said she will come up with a new DepEd order, encouraging school officials to promote and to teach proper spelling and pronunciation of words among primary and secondary students.
Likewise, the official appealed to the public to not emulate “Jejemons” and encourage them to write correctly the words in their text messages to avoid degradation of the Filipino and English languages.
Valisno cited as an example from her grandchildren whom she sternly warned not to send her Jejemon text messages.
“I told them (grandchildren) you send me one of those text messages I won’t answer or even call you,” she added.
The term Jejemon is a portmanteau of the terms “jeje” (the equivalent of the “hehe” expression”), and “Pokémon”, a popular animated series.
Numerous anti-Jejemon fan-pages calling themselves “Jejemon-busters” have since emerged on popular social networking site Facebook and are used as platforms to ridicule the said subculture.
Friday, May 14, 2010
ABS-CBN Reveals GMA's Chroma-Key Technology Used in Fake Hologram
In a report that suggests that GMA duped the public into believing that holographic technology was used in their coverage of last Monday's elections, ABS-CBN's TV Patrol World disclosed that GMA merely employed rather primitive Chroma-key effect to create fake reporter holograms.
In stark contrast, ABS-CBN used Virtual Presence -- one of the many possible executions of Augmented Reality technology.
What's Virtual Presence?
Virtual reality (VR) is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate places in the real world as well as in imaginary worlds. Most currentvirtual reality environments are primarily visual experiences, displayed either on a computer screen or through special stereoscopic displays, but some simulations include additional sensory information, such as sound through speakers or headphones. Some advanced, haptic systems now include tactile information, generally known as force feedback, in medical and gaming applications. Users can interact with a virtual environment or a virtual artifact (VA) either through the use of standard input devices such as a keyboard and mouse, or through multimodal devices such as a wired glove [via Wikipedia]
In stark contrast, ABS-CBN used Virtual Presence -- one of the many possible executions of Augmented Reality technology.
What's Virtual Presence?
Virtual reality (VR) is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate places in the real world as well as in imaginary worlds. Most currentvirtual reality environments are primarily visual experiences, displayed either on a computer screen or through special stereoscopic displays, but some simulations include additional sensory information, such as sound through speakers or headphones. Some advanced, haptic systems now include tactile information, generally known as force feedback, in medical and gaming applications. Users can interact with a virtual environment or a virtual artifact (VA) either through the use of standard input devices such as a keyboard and mouse, or through multimodal devices such as a wired glove [via Wikipedia]
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Holograms, graphics, and gimmicks galore in ELECTION 2010
Well, we did it! Despite the last-minute glitches, the strong opposition, and the inevitable birth pains, Philippine elections have finally stepped into a new age. However, that's not the only thing that took a monumental step up as TV coverage of the national polls also did a complete 180.
The 2 biggest networks in the country, ABS-CBN and GMA-7, have literally raised the bar when it comes to overall presentation by using new, never-before-seen special effects on Philippine TV.
Holy holograms!
First seen on CNN during the 2008 US presidential elections, GMA-7 claims to be the first local channel to make full use of holograms. They contracted the services of Vizrt (the same guys who made the CNN hologram) to pull off the gimmick. It was successful, but on the whole, it just feels like a high-tech novelty. ABS-CBN, on the other hand, also had their own holographic technology, although they used it more for graphics rather than reporters on the field.
The war of war rooms
We were really surprised to see that both channels invested a lot in their war rooms/news centers for this election. Both studios were enormous, to say the least, and used dozens, if not hundreds, of computers and LCD screens. GMA even had a revolving platform for the news anchors while ABS-CBN boasted a humongous touch-screen TV where they showed tweets and status updates from their followers online.
Enticing imagery
We've gotten pretty used to seeing computer graphics on TV, but the 3D images we saw yesterday (and are still seeing now) are definitely a cut above the rest. They're more animated and have more depth than the usual, albeit still far from the ones seen on CNN and BBC. With a little more hands-on use, however, we're sure our graphics artists will be able to master the art in no time.
Other networks
ABS-CBN and GMA-7, however, aren't the only 2 channels that covered the elections. We have to give credit to the other networks that upped their game. Net25, in particular, broadcast their coverage in HD (ISDB-T channel 49), a feat that neither of the big 2 undertook. NBN4 used a gigantic LED billboard as backdrop, and TV5 remodeled their broadcast center by plastering the background with numerous LCD TVs.
Good sign
As far as we're concerned, these high-tech advances prove that given the chance, the country's best can stand toe-to-toe with the best of the world. We're hoping that the strive for excellence continues way beyond election season because ultimately, it's the Filipino people who will win.
Of course, we have to stress that despite the flashy imagery, the heart and soul of news coverage is still the content, so we have to extend our kudos to the reporters, producers, and crew who made it all possible!
The 2 biggest networks in the country, ABS-CBN and GMA-7, have literally raised the bar when it comes to overall presentation by using new, never-before-seen special effects on Philippine TV.
Holy holograms!
First seen on CNN during the 2008 US presidential elections, GMA-7 claims to be the first local channel to make full use of holograms. They contracted the services of Vizrt (the same guys who made the CNN hologram) to pull off the gimmick. It was successful, but on the whole, it just feels like a high-tech novelty. ABS-CBN, on the other hand, also had their own holographic technology, although they used it more for graphics rather than reporters on the field.
The war of war rooms
We were really surprised to see that both channels invested a lot in their war rooms/news centers for this election. Both studios were enormous, to say the least, and used dozens, if not hundreds, of computers and LCD screens. GMA even had a revolving platform for the news anchors while ABS-CBN boasted a humongous touch-screen TV where they showed tweets and status updates from their followers online.
Enticing imagery
We've gotten pretty used to seeing computer graphics on TV, but the 3D images we saw yesterday (and are still seeing now) are definitely a cut above the rest. They're more animated and have more depth than the usual, albeit still far from the ones seen on CNN and BBC. With a little more hands-on use, however, we're sure our graphics artists will be able to master the art in no time.
Other networks
ABS-CBN and GMA-7, however, aren't the only 2 channels that covered the elections. We have to give credit to the other networks that upped their game. Net25, in particular, broadcast their coverage in HD (ISDB-T channel 49), a feat that neither of the big 2 undertook. NBN4 used a gigantic LED billboard as backdrop, and TV5 remodeled their broadcast center by plastering the background with numerous LCD TVs.
Good sign
As far as we're concerned, these high-tech advances prove that given the chance, the country's best can stand toe-to-toe with the best of the world. We're hoping that the strive for excellence continues way beyond election season because ultimately, it's the Filipino people who will win.
Of course, we have to stress that despite the flashy imagery, the heart and soul of news coverage is still the content, so we have to extend our kudos to the reporters, producers, and crew who made it all possible!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Facebook glitch exposes chat messages
Facebook on Wednesday temporarily shut down its online chat feature after a software glitch let people's friends in the online community see each others' private chat messages.
For a "limited period of time" chat messages and pending friend requests could be made visible to friends, according to Facebook.
For peeks at the usually walled-off information Facebook users had to manipulate a "preview my profile" feature in a particular way, according to Facebook.
"When we received reports of the problem, our engineers promptly diagnosed it and temporarily disabled the chat function," a Facebook spokesman said in an email response to an AFP inquiry.
"We also pushed out a fix to take care of the visible friend requests."
Chat was back in action for most Facebook users by 1900 GMT and it was expected to be working across the website "shortly."
"We worked quickly to resolve this matter, ensuring that once the bug was reported to us, a solution was quickly found and implemented," the Facebook spokesman said.
The software glitch struck as the world's top online social-networking service is increasingly scrutinized regarding the privacy of members.
Slightly more than half of adult users of social networks have posted "risky personal information" such as birth dates or children's photos to profile pages, according to a Consumer Reports survey titled "Social Insecurity."
The survey indicated that 23 percent of Facebook's users "either didn't know that the site offered privacy controls or chose not to use them."
Last week, four US senators expressed concern to Facebook over recent changes to the social network that they say compromises the privacy of its more than 400 million users.
In a letter to Facebook co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, the senators said they were concerned that personal information about Facebook users is being made available to third party websites.
They also said the Palo Alto, California-based Facebook should make sharing personal information an "opt-in" procedure in which a user specifically gives permission for data to be shared.
The letter was signed by Democratic senators Charles Schumer of New York, Al Franken of Minnesota, Michael Bennet of Colorado and Mark Begich of Alaska.
Senator Schumer has urged the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to look into the privacy practices of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking sites and to issue guidelines on the use of private information.
Facebook on April 21 rolled out a series of new features including the ability for partner websites to incorporate Facebook data, a move that would further expand the social network's presence on the Internet.
Facebook vice president of global communications, marketing and public policy Elliot Schrage has been adamant that online privacy is taken very seriously at the company.
"These new products and features are designed to enhance personalization and promote social activity across the Internet while continuing to give users unprecedented control over what information they share, when they want to share it, and with whom," Schrage said.
For a "limited period of time" chat messages and pending friend requests could be made visible to friends, according to Facebook.
For peeks at the usually walled-off information Facebook users had to manipulate a "preview my profile" feature in a particular way, according to Facebook.
"When we received reports of the problem, our engineers promptly diagnosed it and temporarily disabled the chat function," a Facebook spokesman said in an email response to an AFP inquiry.
"We also pushed out a fix to take care of the visible friend requests."
Chat was back in action for most Facebook users by 1900 GMT and it was expected to be working across the website "shortly."
"We worked quickly to resolve this matter, ensuring that once the bug was reported to us, a solution was quickly found and implemented," the Facebook spokesman said.
The software glitch struck as the world's top online social-networking service is increasingly scrutinized regarding the privacy of members.
Slightly more than half of adult users of social networks have posted "risky personal information" such as birth dates or children's photos to profile pages, according to a Consumer Reports survey titled "Social Insecurity."
The survey indicated that 23 percent of Facebook's users "either didn't know that the site offered privacy controls or chose not to use them."
Last week, four US senators expressed concern to Facebook over recent changes to the social network that they say compromises the privacy of its more than 400 million users.
In a letter to Facebook co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, the senators said they were concerned that personal information about Facebook users is being made available to third party websites.
They also said the Palo Alto, California-based Facebook should make sharing personal information an "opt-in" procedure in which a user specifically gives permission for data to be shared.
The letter was signed by Democratic senators Charles Schumer of New York, Al Franken of Minnesota, Michael Bennet of Colorado and Mark Begich of Alaska.
Senator Schumer has urged the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to look into the privacy practices of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking sites and to issue guidelines on the use of private information.
Facebook on April 21 rolled out a series of new features including the ability for partner websites to incorporate Facebook data, a move that would further expand the social network's presence on the Internet.
Facebook vice president of global communications, marketing and public policy Elliot Schrage has been adamant that online privacy is taken very seriously at the company.
"These new products and features are designed to enhance personalization and promote social activity across the Internet while continuing to give users unprecedented control over what information they share, when they want to share it, and with whom," Schrage said.
ABS-CBN,GMA will use Augmented Reality in Elections Coverage
ABS-CBN,GMA will use Augmented Reality in its coverage of the 2010 Elections.
Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmentedby virtual computer-generated imagery. – Wikipedia
The basic idea of augmented reality is to superimpose graphics, audio and other sensory enhancements over a real-world environment in real time. Next-generation augmented-reality systems will display graphics for each viewer’s perspective. – How Stuff Works
If you’ve watched Iron Man 1 and 2, its what Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) used an augmented reality system.
I’m excited to see this happen!
Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmentedby virtual computer-generated imagery. – Wikipedia
The basic idea of augmented reality is to superimpose graphics, audio and other sensory enhancements over a real-world environment in real time. Next-generation augmented-reality systems will display graphics for each viewer’s perspective. – How Stuff Works
If you’ve watched Iron Man 1 and 2, its what Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) used an augmented reality system.
I’m excited to see this happen!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Poll watchdogs fear high-tech cheating
Two election watchdogs warned Thursday that the May 10 elections could be the target of high-tech cheating after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) admitted that there was no more time to check the contents of 76,000 newly configured flash cards.
Election watchdogs Transparentelections.org and Automated Elections System Watch said the new flash cards being configured by poll machine supplier Smartmatic-TIM should be subjected to public scrutiny, particularly by IT people.
IT expert Augusto Lagman of Transparentelections.org said the machine vendor, or an erring programmer hired by the company, can easily pad and shave votes through the flash cards.
“You can do dagdag-bawas (vote padding and shaving) with that.You can give instructions [to the flash cards or the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines]. It’s just like a computer, that’s why you have to trust the administrators and the vendors”
Alfred Pascual of AES Watch said his group warned the Comelec about the possibility of high-tech, massive cheating in the automated election system because of the time constraints imposed on the poll body to prepare for Monday's elections.
“We have highlighted that the flashcards are the most vulnerable in this elections. [We should] check what’s in the flash cards. What if there are pre-recorded images in the flash cards?” he said.
He said that aside from an audit of the configuration of the flash cards, concerned groups should also be allowed to witness or physically monitor the cards when they are installed to avoid switching.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez on Thursday said the new programmed compact flash cards, which experts said can be a tool for high-tech vote padding and shaving, would not be open to the public for scrutiny.
“The configuration should be open to the public at some point, but right now, I don’t think there will be enough time to show it anyway,” Jimenez
Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM are racing against time to configure 76,000 flash cards by Friday morning or just 3 days before the May 10 national and local automated elections.
Comelec ordered a nationwide recall of all flash cards of the PCOS machines after the machines failed to read votes cast for local candidates during field testing on Monday.
Pre-programmed cheating
Pascual, meanwhile, rejected a proposal to postpone the elections to give Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM more time to fix the glitches. “To give more them more time would mean giving them more time to probably commit more errors,” he said.
He said that from the start, his group had noticed that Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM were doing a “trial-and-error” approach in the automation project.
“What is happening is that Filipino voters are becoming unwilling participants in this very expensive experiment. I call this a heuristic exercise, a trial and error exercise,” Pascual said.
He said that when the Comelec awarded the automated project to Smartmatic-TIM, the contract specified that voters can just place a simple X mark with a pen or a pencil on the ovals corresponding to the candidates’ names.
He said Smartmatic-TIM failed to meet the specified mark since voters are being advised to fully shade the ovals for their votes to be counted by the PCOS machines.
Pascual said he could not understand why Smarmatic-TIM failed to identify the latest glitch since they have already conducted a number of field tests and mock elections.
He said that with all the glitches, the Comelec should reconsider a proposal to hold a parallel manual counting of the votes.
Jimenez, for his part, admitted that Comelec has not prepared for a total manual count because they are only prepared for a 30% manual count as part of their contingency plan.
“It can be done, yes. That is up to the en banc to decide, but right now there is no reason for that,” he said, when asked if they are preparing for a 100% manual count.
Election watchdogs Transparentelections.org and Automated Elections System Watch said the new flash cards being configured by poll machine supplier Smartmatic-TIM should be subjected to public scrutiny, particularly by IT people.
IT expert Augusto Lagman of Transparentelections.org said the machine vendor, or an erring programmer hired by the company, can easily pad and shave votes through the flash cards.
“You can do dagdag-bawas (vote padding and shaving) with that.You can give instructions [to the flash cards or the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines]. It’s just like a computer, that’s why you have to trust the administrators and the vendors”
Alfred Pascual of AES Watch said his group warned the Comelec about the possibility of high-tech, massive cheating in the automated election system because of the time constraints imposed on the poll body to prepare for Monday's elections.
“We have highlighted that the flashcards are the most vulnerable in this elections. [We should] check what’s in the flash cards. What if there are pre-recorded images in the flash cards?” he said.
He said that aside from an audit of the configuration of the flash cards, concerned groups should also be allowed to witness or physically monitor the cards when they are installed to avoid switching.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez on Thursday said the new programmed compact flash cards, which experts said can be a tool for high-tech vote padding and shaving, would not be open to the public for scrutiny.
“The configuration should be open to the public at some point, but right now, I don’t think there will be enough time to show it anyway,” Jimenez
Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM are racing against time to configure 76,000 flash cards by Friday morning or just 3 days before the May 10 national and local automated elections.
Comelec ordered a nationwide recall of all flash cards of the PCOS machines after the machines failed to read votes cast for local candidates during field testing on Monday.
Pre-programmed cheating
Pascual, meanwhile, rejected a proposal to postpone the elections to give Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM more time to fix the glitches. “To give more them more time would mean giving them more time to probably commit more errors,” he said.
He said that from the start, his group had noticed that Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM were doing a “trial-and-error” approach in the automation project.
“What is happening is that Filipino voters are becoming unwilling participants in this very expensive experiment. I call this a heuristic exercise, a trial and error exercise,” Pascual said.
He said that when the Comelec awarded the automated project to Smartmatic-TIM, the contract specified that voters can just place a simple X mark with a pen or a pencil on the ovals corresponding to the candidates’ names.
He said Smartmatic-TIM failed to meet the specified mark since voters are being advised to fully shade the ovals for their votes to be counted by the PCOS machines.
Pascual said he could not understand why Smarmatic-TIM failed to identify the latest glitch since they have already conducted a number of field tests and mock elections.
He said that with all the glitches, the Comelec should reconsider a proposal to hold a parallel manual counting of the votes.
Jimenez, for his part, admitted that Comelec has not prepared for a total manual count because they are only prepared for a 30% manual count as part of their contingency plan.
“It can be done, yes. That is up to the en banc to decide, but right now there is no reason for that,” he said, when asked if they are preparing for a 100% manual count.
Smartmatic Employee: There Isn?t Enough Time to Fix the PCOS Machines
According to an employee of Smartmatic, there simply isn’t enough time to get the PCOS machines ready for the May 10 elections.
Said Smartmatic employee is one of a handful tasked to pull out the faulty memory cards for replacement. By his own estimation, it will take him four to five days (driving around) to visit all the machines within his area of responsibility, with one trip requiring 12 non-stop hours on the road. The 2010 elections are 5 days away.
The employee has requested for a helicopter, because there is simply no way for him to get the job done in time for May 10 through his current mode of transport. After pulling all the faulty software cards, the employee will have to forward them to Manila for reconfiguration/repair, wait for them to return, and then personally make the trip back to the precinct machines to reinstall them.
Last Minute Rush
The last-minute rush to get the machines working begs a very reasonable question: why was this so-called “final phase” of testing conducted on the last week before the actual elections? For such a large-scale implementation like a nationwide automated election system, these problems should’ve appeared and been dealt with a few months ago. It’s not unreasonable to assume testing was possible with dummy data, right?
Should the Elections be Postponed?
One of the stated objectives of the automated election system was to cut down on the possibility of cheating. Election returns would be transmitted electronically through secure channels, eventually to the Congress for canvassing. The relative security of this process argues for postponement.
Yet at the same time, fixing the machines may take days, or even weeks. There’s no guarantee that the fixes will work properly; in fact they may cause new glitches that need to be dealt with. Are we willing to postpone elections to June 2010 at the very least?
Perhaps come May 10, we may find ourselves reverting back to completely manual elections. Whatever the case, the COMELEC and Smartmatic should work to resolve issues with the PCOS machines as soon as possible. Whether or not the 2010 elections will be automated, the taxpayers’ investment of 8 billion pesos demands the creation of a working system, for the upcoming elections, or subsequent ones.
Said Smartmatic employee is one of a handful tasked to pull out the faulty memory cards for replacement. By his own estimation, it will take him four to five days (driving around) to visit all the machines within his area of responsibility, with one trip requiring 12 non-stop hours on the road. The 2010 elections are 5 days away.
The employee has requested for a helicopter, because there is simply no way for him to get the job done in time for May 10 through his current mode of transport. After pulling all the faulty software cards, the employee will have to forward them to Manila for reconfiguration/repair, wait for them to return, and then personally make the trip back to the precinct machines to reinstall them.
Last Minute Rush
The last-minute rush to get the machines working begs a very reasonable question: why was this so-called “final phase” of testing conducted on the last week before the actual elections? For such a large-scale implementation like a nationwide automated election system, these problems should’ve appeared and been dealt with a few months ago. It’s not unreasonable to assume testing was possible with dummy data, right?
Should the Elections be Postponed?
One of the stated objectives of the automated election system was to cut down on the possibility of cheating. Election returns would be transmitted electronically through secure channels, eventually to the Congress for canvassing. The relative security of this process argues for postponement.
Yet at the same time, fixing the machines may take days, or even weeks. There’s no guarantee that the fixes will work properly; in fact they may cause new glitches that need to be dealt with. Are we willing to postpone elections to June 2010 at the very least?
Perhaps come May 10, we may find ourselves reverting back to completely manual elections. Whatever the case, the COMELEC and Smartmatic should work to resolve issues with the PCOS machines as soon as possible. Whether or not the 2010 elections will be automated, the taxpayers’ investment of 8 billion pesos demands the creation of a working system, for the upcoming elections, or subsequent ones.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Comelec: Machine testing can drag until election day
Election machine manufacturer Smartmatic and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) revealed the possibility of the final sealing and testing of election machines dragging until election day on May 10.
Originally scheduled 3 to 7 days before the election day (from May 3 to 7), the sealing and testing was delayed after the compact flash (CF) cards of the vote counting machines experienced glitches during mock polls in various localities on Monday.
Some CF cards were found to have configuration errors, hence the failure of some precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to accurately read and appropriate votes. Smartmatic halted the nationwide testing since then.
Smartmatic Asia president Cesar Flores told reporters on Wednesday that they have started with the production of CF card replacements. The testing and sealing of machines has since been moved to Thursday until morning of Monday, election day.
Around 76,000 CF cards were recalled and will be replaced with properly-configured cards. Smartmatic, however, purchased 62,000 brand new cards only. Flores explained that the remaining 14,000 will come from recalled cards that will be recycled. Those that won’t undergo recycling will be burned.
Smartmatic expects to finish today configuring around 25,000 new CF cards, which will immediately be shipped tonight. Production of the remaining 51,000 cards is expected to be finished from tomorrow until Friday morning.
Flores said that the cities of Makati, Marikina, and Parañaque, and some areas in the province in Batangas will receive the replacement cards and proceed with the sealing and testing by tomorrow. For other parts of the country, however, replacement cards are expected to arrive and be tested by Friday.
Given the new timeline, arrival and replacement of these new cards can happen as late as Monday morning, just before the election hour starts. Polling precincts are scheduled to open at 7 a.m. on election day. The boards of election inspectors are reporting for work at 6 a.m.
“We have a tighter schedule, that's the reality of this new development,” Flores revealed. He gave assurances, however, that they are always prepared with backup plans.
Comelec commisioner Gregorio Larrazabal said that they were able to get support from the Air Force and the business sector in terms of logistics. He reported that businessmen committed 10 to 13 helicopters, while the Air Force committed "all their air access."
As for the new schedule, he said that the extension for sealing and testing is still in line with the election automation law, which requires sealing and testing before the machines begin with its official operation.
“Even morning of May10, it could still be done. What's important is that all machines will be tested before the elections,” Larazzabal said
Originally scheduled 3 to 7 days before the election day (from May 3 to 7), the sealing and testing was delayed after the compact flash (CF) cards of the vote counting machines experienced glitches during mock polls in various localities on Monday.
Some CF cards were found to have configuration errors, hence the failure of some precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to accurately read and appropriate votes. Smartmatic halted the nationwide testing since then.
Smartmatic Asia president Cesar Flores told reporters on Wednesday that they have started with the production of CF card replacements. The testing and sealing of machines has since been moved to Thursday until morning of Monday, election day.
Around 76,000 CF cards were recalled and will be replaced with properly-configured cards. Smartmatic, however, purchased 62,000 brand new cards only. Flores explained that the remaining 14,000 will come from recalled cards that will be recycled. Those that won’t undergo recycling will be burned.
Smartmatic expects to finish today configuring around 25,000 new CF cards, which will immediately be shipped tonight. Production of the remaining 51,000 cards is expected to be finished from tomorrow until Friday morning.
Flores said that the cities of Makati, Marikina, and Parañaque, and some areas in the province in Batangas will receive the replacement cards and proceed with the sealing and testing by tomorrow. For other parts of the country, however, replacement cards are expected to arrive and be tested by Friday.
Given the new timeline, arrival and replacement of these new cards can happen as late as Monday morning, just before the election hour starts. Polling precincts are scheduled to open at 7 a.m. on election day. The boards of election inspectors are reporting for work at 6 a.m.
“We have a tighter schedule, that's the reality of this new development,” Flores revealed. He gave assurances, however, that they are always prepared with backup plans.
Comelec commisioner Gregorio Larrazabal said that they were able to get support from the Air Force and the business sector in terms of logistics. He reported that businessmen committed 10 to 13 helicopters, while the Air Force committed "all their air access."
As for the new schedule, he said that the extension for sealing and testing is still in line with the election automation law, which requires sealing and testing before the machines begin with its official operation.
“Even morning of May10, it could still be done. What's important is that all machines will be tested before the elections,” Larazzabal said
Voting machines fail, 76,000 memory cards to be replaced
Now, it can be told officially. The tests produced weird results.
This sent embarrassed officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and its partner, Smartmatic-TIM, scrambling to save the historic computerized balloting on May 10 by recalling 76,000 compact flash (CF) cards that are in the heart of the counting machines.
“We didn’t expect this to come out, but we are responding on time,” Cesar Flores, spokesperson for Smartmatic-TIM, at a nationally televised news conference said.
Flores blamed the glitches, which first surfaced in two precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines last month at the start of advance overseas voting in Hong Kong, on “human error.”
“We are taking all measures to remedy this,” Flores said, just five days before the May 10 national and local elections.
“We are optimistic that there will be no failure of elections,” said Commissioner Rene Sarmiento. “We are taking all measures to remedy this.”
“I will not be honest if I will say that my confidence has not been diminished because, as I said, what will happen next?” said Henrietta de Villa, chair of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), the Comelec’s citizen’s arm.
In mock elections on Monday conducted by the Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM in six towns in Occidental Mindoro, votes for presidential candidates Manny Villar and Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III were counted for Gilberto Teodoro Jr. of the administration party, according to the Nacionalista Party (NP).
This prompted supporters of Villar led by his NP spokesperson and senatorial candidate Gilbert Remulla to rush to the Comelec office in Manila to file a complaint.
Automated cheating?
Remulla showed to reporters a tally sheet from the PCOS and a manual count.
“There were five votes for Villar, five votes for Aquino, but when it came out (in the machine), there were no votes for Villar, no votes for Noynoy and 10 votes for Teodoro,” Remulla said.
“Is this automated cheating?” he asked, adding that the inability of the machines to properly count the votes in the mock elections proved persistent talk of a failure of elections.
Comelec officials reported that in tests in three far-flung towns of Cuyo, Magsaysay and Brooke’s Point in Palawan province, the machines only read portions of the ballots containing the names of candidates for national races, according to the Inquirer’s Southern Luzon Bureau.
Similar problems occurred in tests in the provinces of Bataan and Pampanga.
Flores said that the eleventh-hour glitch surfaced Monday during testing and sealing of machines in 50 to 100 precincts to show that the automated election system is working and has no malicious data.
Cards to be replaced
He said the problem was in the flash cards, equivalent to the SIM card in cell phones.
Although the company has no final numbers on defective compact flash cards, it is moving to replace the memory cards for all the 76,000 PCOS machines already sent to regional hubs for field distribution, according to Flores.
Present at the news conference were representatives from the Comelec Advisory Council (CAC) and its technical evaluation committee, and Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., one of the co-chairs of the Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Elections.
The wrong tallies stemmed from the memory cards, Flores said.
He noted that the cards contained wrong “instruction” regarding the local ballot face that caused the PCOS machines to give “contradictory” readings of the names and the votes for the local contests.
Officials said the PCOS machine read the races for the national posts correctly.
Precinct-specific cards
Each PCOS machine contains a compact flash card which has the details on the specific precinct. It has the number of voters per precinct and the names of the candidates vying for local posts, among others.
For the ballots, which are precinct specific, to be read and recorded correctly, the program inside the card and the software inside the PCOS machine must work together.
During the printing of the ballots, the spacing of the local ballot face was adjusted to double space from single space, the formatting used for the national contests.
This change was not included in the compact flash card, Flores said. As such, the PCOS machine read the local ballot face as if it had a single-space format, causing the machine to wrongly allot votes to certain candidates or skip other names.
“The flash cards inside the PCOS were not able to locate certain candidates to positions,” Flores explained.
“For some reason, the configuration was telling the machine that the second row visually is actually the third row,” he said. The next row was read as a “blank space,” he said.
Who’s to blame?
Although there had been several mock elections and the PCOS machines were tested before they were dispatched, the problem was not discovered until Monday, Flores said.
He said that the ballots used in the mock elections and in the warehouse testing had different faces from the ballots that would be used on May 10.
Flores blamed the Comelec for the snafu, saying the poll body did not want to use real ballots to test the PCOS machines. The Comelec was authorized to print no more than 50.7 million ballots, the number of registered voters.
Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said Smartmatic-TIM had 20,000 flash cards on hand, which they had started to configure with the right instructions.
The company has also ordered more memory cards from local and overseas suppliers, he added.
Flores said the problem was “surmountable.” Correcting the instruction on the memory cards is “easy,” he said, adding that the challenge the company and the Comelec face is on the delivery of these cards to the precincts.
‘It will be done’
Although the schedule was “tight,” Flores said the company would be able to change the compact flash cards starting Wednesday night.
“It is a tight schedule but it can be done and it will be done,” he said.
As of Tuesday, the Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM had yet to finalize the delivery of the replacement cards.
Larrazabal said the Comelec was devising a procedure for the orderly recall of the flash cards to allow for an inventory. He said the Comelec would probably destroy the defective cards recalled.
Pending the replacement, the Comelec and Smartmatic canceled the testing and sealing of the PCOS machines.
Flores said the operation would resume on Thursday and Friday. Machines that will not pass the testing and sealing will not be used on May 10, he said.
New round of tests
Under the law, the testing and sealing operation of the PCOS machines is scheduled three to seven days before the elections.
“The machines from Tuesday will be tested again on Thursday. Some on May 7. All machines will be tested before Election Day,” Larrazabal said.
CAC chair Ray Roxas Chua said he did not expect defective memory cards to cause delays in the last-minute election preparations.
“We are not sugarcoating this. This is definitely a setback, but one that is not insurmountable,” said Chua, who is also information and communications technology secretary.
De Villa said she had received several calls and text messages from volunteers reporting problems with the PCOS machines in Pasay, Parañaque, Makati, Pasig and Las Piñas, and Batangas and Mindoro.
“Most of the complaints were PCOS failure, PCOS did not count, PCOS counted national (votes for national candidates) but could not read the local, all candidates for mayor except one,” De Villa said.
Problem can be fixed
She said that the Comelec had vowed to fix the problems. She expressed confidence in the automated polls and disagreed to proposals to hold a total manual count of election results. “It will just be confusing,” she said.
“And how can you validate a system with a process that is also corrupted? We wanted to automate because we were so unhappy with the manual system that has been corrupted, so why are we validating a new system with a corrupted system?” De Villa told reporters.
In the provinces, officials said unexpected problems arose during the testing and sealing of the vote-counting machines, prompting the suspension of their distribution. They said the Comelec office in Manila had sent instructions that technicians would be sent instead to fix the problems.
In San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, acting election officer Perlita Villanca told local radio dzVT that the testing and sealing of the PCOS machines had been deferred. PPCRV volunteers reported that in Magsaysay, Sta. Cruz and Sablayan towns, the machines did not count votes for a congressional candidate.
In San Fernando, the Comelec recalled PCOS machines in Central Luzon after 95 percent of some 700 units used in tests in Pampanga and Bataan failed to count votes for local candidates.
Officials said the distribution of machines in Cebu, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga del Sur, in Region IV, composed of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan had been ordered suspended.
Comelec Director Juanito Icaro said the advice from the Comelec national office was only “to stay put” and technicians would be sent instead.
This sent embarrassed officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and its partner, Smartmatic-TIM, scrambling to save the historic computerized balloting on May 10 by recalling 76,000 compact flash (CF) cards that are in the heart of the counting machines.
“We didn’t expect this to come out, but we are responding on time,” Cesar Flores, spokesperson for Smartmatic-TIM, at a nationally televised news conference said.
Flores blamed the glitches, which first surfaced in two precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines last month at the start of advance overseas voting in Hong Kong, on “human error.”
“We are taking all measures to remedy this,” Flores said, just five days before the May 10 national and local elections.
“We are optimistic that there will be no failure of elections,” said Commissioner Rene Sarmiento. “We are taking all measures to remedy this.”
“I will not be honest if I will say that my confidence has not been diminished because, as I said, what will happen next?” said Henrietta de Villa, chair of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), the Comelec’s citizen’s arm.
In mock elections on Monday conducted by the Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM in six towns in Occidental Mindoro, votes for presidential candidates Manny Villar and Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III were counted for Gilberto Teodoro Jr. of the administration party, according to the Nacionalista Party (NP).
This prompted supporters of Villar led by his NP spokesperson and senatorial candidate Gilbert Remulla to rush to the Comelec office in Manila to file a complaint.
Automated cheating?
Remulla showed to reporters a tally sheet from the PCOS and a manual count.
“There were five votes for Villar, five votes for Aquino, but when it came out (in the machine), there were no votes for Villar, no votes for Noynoy and 10 votes for Teodoro,” Remulla said.
“Is this automated cheating?” he asked, adding that the inability of the machines to properly count the votes in the mock elections proved persistent talk of a failure of elections.
Comelec officials reported that in tests in three far-flung towns of Cuyo, Magsaysay and Brooke’s Point in Palawan province, the machines only read portions of the ballots containing the names of candidates for national races, according to the Inquirer’s Southern Luzon Bureau.
Similar problems occurred in tests in the provinces of Bataan and Pampanga.
Flores said that the eleventh-hour glitch surfaced Monday during testing and sealing of machines in 50 to 100 precincts to show that the automated election system is working and has no malicious data.
Cards to be replaced
He said the problem was in the flash cards, equivalent to the SIM card in cell phones.
Although the company has no final numbers on defective compact flash cards, it is moving to replace the memory cards for all the 76,000 PCOS machines already sent to regional hubs for field distribution, according to Flores.
Present at the news conference were representatives from the Comelec Advisory Council (CAC) and its technical evaluation committee, and Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., one of the co-chairs of the Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Elections.
The wrong tallies stemmed from the memory cards, Flores said.
He noted that the cards contained wrong “instruction” regarding the local ballot face that caused the PCOS machines to give “contradictory” readings of the names and the votes for the local contests.
Officials said the PCOS machine read the races for the national posts correctly.
Precinct-specific cards
Each PCOS machine contains a compact flash card which has the details on the specific precinct. It has the number of voters per precinct and the names of the candidates vying for local posts, among others.
For the ballots, which are precinct specific, to be read and recorded correctly, the program inside the card and the software inside the PCOS machine must work together.
During the printing of the ballots, the spacing of the local ballot face was adjusted to double space from single space, the formatting used for the national contests.
This change was not included in the compact flash card, Flores said. As such, the PCOS machine read the local ballot face as if it had a single-space format, causing the machine to wrongly allot votes to certain candidates or skip other names.
“The flash cards inside the PCOS were not able to locate certain candidates to positions,” Flores explained.
“For some reason, the configuration was telling the machine that the second row visually is actually the third row,” he said. The next row was read as a “blank space,” he said.
Who’s to blame?
Although there had been several mock elections and the PCOS machines were tested before they were dispatched, the problem was not discovered until Monday, Flores said.
He said that the ballots used in the mock elections and in the warehouse testing had different faces from the ballots that would be used on May 10.
Flores blamed the Comelec for the snafu, saying the poll body did not want to use real ballots to test the PCOS machines. The Comelec was authorized to print no more than 50.7 million ballots, the number of registered voters.
Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said Smartmatic-TIM had 20,000 flash cards on hand, which they had started to configure with the right instructions.
The company has also ordered more memory cards from local and overseas suppliers, he added.
Flores said the problem was “surmountable.” Correcting the instruction on the memory cards is “easy,” he said, adding that the challenge the company and the Comelec face is on the delivery of these cards to the precincts.
‘It will be done’
Although the schedule was “tight,” Flores said the company would be able to change the compact flash cards starting Wednesday night.
“It is a tight schedule but it can be done and it will be done,” he said.
As of Tuesday, the Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM had yet to finalize the delivery of the replacement cards.
Larrazabal said the Comelec was devising a procedure for the orderly recall of the flash cards to allow for an inventory. He said the Comelec would probably destroy the defective cards recalled.
Pending the replacement, the Comelec and Smartmatic canceled the testing and sealing of the PCOS machines.
Flores said the operation would resume on Thursday and Friday. Machines that will not pass the testing and sealing will not be used on May 10, he said.
New round of tests
Under the law, the testing and sealing operation of the PCOS machines is scheduled three to seven days before the elections.
“The machines from Tuesday will be tested again on Thursday. Some on May 7. All machines will be tested before Election Day,” Larrazabal said.
CAC chair Ray Roxas Chua said he did not expect defective memory cards to cause delays in the last-minute election preparations.
“We are not sugarcoating this. This is definitely a setback, but one that is not insurmountable,” said Chua, who is also information and communications technology secretary.
De Villa said she had received several calls and text messages from volunteers reporting problems with the PCOS machines in Pasay, Parañaque, Makati, Pasig and Las Piñas, and Batangas and Mindoro.
“Most of the complaints were PCOS failure, PCOS did not count, PCOS counted national (votes for national candidates) but could not read the local, all candidates for mayor except one,” De Villa said.
Problem can be fixed
She said that the Comelec had vowed to fix the problems. She expressed confidence in the automated polls and disagreed to proposals to hold a total manual count of election results. “It will just be confusing,” she said.
“And how can you validate a system with a process that is also corrupted? We wanted to automate because we were so unhappy with the manual system that has been corrupted, so why are we validating a new system with a corrupted system?” De Villa told reporters.
In the provinces, officials said unexpected problems arose during the testing and sealing of the vote-counting machines, prompting the suspension of their distribution. They said the Comelec office in Manila had sent instructions that technicians would be sent instead to fix the problems.
In San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, acting election officer Perlita Villanca told local radio dzVT that the testing and sealing of the PCOS machines had been deferred. PPCRV volunteers reported that in Magsaysay, Sta. Cruz and Sablayan towns, the machines did not count votes for a congressional candidate.
In San Fernando, the Comelec recalled PCOS machines in Central Luzon after 95 percent of some 700 units used in tests in Pampanga and Bataan failed to count votes for local candidates.
Officials said the distribution of machines in Cebu, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga del Sur, in Region IV, composed of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan had been ordered suspended.
Comelec Director Juanito Icaro said the advice from the Comelec national office was only “to stay put” and technicians would be sent instead.
Vote machine glitch heightens election fears
Fears that national elections in the Philippines next week could descend into chaos grew on Tuesday after authorities said they had detected a major technological flaw with vote-counting machines.
The Commission on Elections admitted it now faced a race against the clock to replace memory cards for 82,000 machines that are to be used in the country's first attempt at a computerized tallying of ballots.
"We are not sugar-coating this. This is definitely a setback," said Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ray Anthony Chua, who is part of the commission's advisory body.
Chua and other officials said a "human error" had resulted in the memory cards, which carry software telling the machines how to read the ballots, being configured incorrectly.
They said the mistake was only picked up on Monday when full-scale testing began.
The election commission officials insisted that the faulty memory cards could be replaced in time for the May 10 polls and that the automated process would succeed.
But the embarrassing episode fueled widespread concerns across all sides of politics that the computerized vote-counting experiment could prove to be a failure with extremely dangerous consequences.
"Our confidence in the elections commission has been shattered," said Gilbert Remulla, spokesman for presidential candidate Manuel Villar.
"What appears now is that there is basis to believe there is a spectre of failure of elections hanging over us."
Presidential frontrunner Benigno Aquino, who has been warning for weeks of problems within the automated election process, said Tuesday's announcement showed his concerns were justified.
"We have said it before and we are saying it again: we are wondering why the Comelec (elections commission) is not meeting its obligation under this election to make sure that it is a clean, clear and credible process," he said.
More than 50 million voters will go to the polls to choose a new president, as well as thousands of lower-level government positions.
The government decided to introduce a computerized system in an effort to shorten the vote-tallying process from a few weeks to a few days, and to minimize cheating that has plagued previous elections.
However critics of the system have said it is too complicated for the developing Southeast Asian nation of more than 7,000 islands, and that a parallel manual count should be carried out.
Bobby Tuazon, policy studies director at the Center for People Empowerment and Governance, said he doubted whether there would be enough time to correct the problem.
"This will raise doubts about the winners and results. This will just increase fears among the public," said Tuazon.
An election lacking in credibility could lead to a dizzying range of chaotic scenarios, including people taking to the streets in support of presidential candidates who may lose but challenge the result.
Security analysts have also said an elections failure could lead to a power-grab by elements within the military loyal to President Gloria Arroyo, who is required by the constitution to step down on June 30.
Arroyo's critics have accused her of secretly plotting to try and stay in power, and that an election failure would suit her ambitions.
A spokeswoman for Joseph Estrada, who surveys showed is tied for second alongside Villar in the race for the presidency, also voiced concern.
"It is ironic that poll automation, which is supposed to secure the sanctity of the ballot, is now the very threat to the electoral process," Estrada spokeswoman Margaux Salcedo told AFP.
Salcedo repeated Estrada's call for a parallel manual count. The government has said it does not want a manual count as that would sow further confusion.
The Commission on Elections admitted it now faced a race against the clock to replace memory cards for 82,000 machines that are to be used in the country's first attempt at a computerized tallying of ballots.
"We are not sugar-coating this. This is definitely a setback," said Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ray Anthony Chua, who is part of the commission's advisory body.
Chua and other officials said a "human error" had resulted in the memory cards, which carry software telling the machines how to read the ballots, being configured incorrectly.
They said the mistake was only picked up on Monday when full-scale testing began.
The election commission officials insisted that the faulty memory cards could be replaced in time for the May 10 polls and that the automated process would succeed.
But the embarrassing episode fueled widespread concerns across all sides of politics that the computerized vote-counting experiment could prove to be a failure with extremely dangerous consequences.
"Our confidence in the elections commission has been shattered," said Gilbert Remulla, spokesman for presidential candidate Manuel Villar.
"What appears now is that there is basis to believe there is a spectre of failure of elections hanging over us."
Presidential frontrunner Benigno Aquino, who has been warning for weeks of problems within the automated election process, said Tuesday's announcement showed his concerns were justified.
"We have said it before and we are saying it again: we are wondering why the Comelec (elections commission) is not meeting its obligation under this election to make sure that it is a clean, clear and credible process," he said.
More than 50 million voters will go to the polls to choose a new president, as well as thousands of lower-level government positions.
The government decided to introduce a computerized system in an effort to shorten the vote-tallying process from a few weeks to a few days, and to minimize cheating that has plagued previous elections.
However critics of the system have said it is too complicated for the developing Southeast Asian nation of more than 7,000 islands, and that a parallel manual count should be carried out.
Bobby Tuazon, policy studies director at the Center for People Empowerment and Governance, said he doubted whether there would be enough time to correct the problem.
"This will raise doubts about the winners and results. This will just increase fears among the public," said Tuazon.
An election lacking in credibility could lead to a dizzying range of chaotic scenarios, including people taking to the streets in support of presidential candidates who may lose but challenge the result.
Security analysts have also said an elections failure could lead to a power-grab by elements within the military loyal to President Gloria Arroyo, who is required by the constitution to step down on June 30.
Arroyo's critics have accused her of secretly plotting to try and stay in power, and that an election failure would suit her ambitions.
A spokeswoman for Joseph Estrada, who surveys showed is tied for second alongside Villar in the race for the presidency, also voiced concern.
"It is ironic that poll automation, which is supposed to secure the sanctity of the ballot, is now the very threat to the electoral process," Estrada spokeswoman Margaux Salcedo told AFP.
Salcedo repeated Estrada's call for a parallel manual count. The government has said it does not want a manual count as that would sow further confusion.
New glitch halts deliveries of PCOS machines
The deliveries of the remaining Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines in several parts of the country have been suspended after a new glitch was discovered during Monday's testing in some areas in Luzon.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec), after meeting with poll equipment supplier Smartmatic-TIM executives, issued the suspension and recall order after receiving numerous reports that the machines failed to read the votes for local officials and did not match the manual count conducted by the Board of Election Inspectors.
In Zamboanga City, poll watchdogs said the problem might be a sign that the elections on May 10 will not be as flawless as Comelec had projected.
Ari Regino, provincial coordinator for the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), said they earlier warned Comelec about this technical problem.
They are also worried that there is too much "human intervention" in the delivery of the PCOS machines.
Regino said the integrity of the machines, if pulled out again from their polling centers, may be affected. This will also affect voting during Election Day.
Francis Arroyo, vice chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), said that if problems continue, there should be more than just one citizens' arm who should be allowed to observe on the day of the testing. This is to make it more transparent.
Darren Torres, the archdiocese's PPCRV coordinator for Zamboanga City, said testing of the PCOS machines should be done ahead of time so that Zamboanga City will not suffer the same problem as that experienced in Luzon.
He noted that after the machines arrive in Zamboanga City, they will be delivered from the hub to other provinces and islands, which means it will be difficult to replace them in case glitches are discovered 3 days before the elections.
In Negros Occidental, several vans loaded with PCOS machines returned to the warehouse in Bacolod after the Comelec's suspension and recall order was given.
The PCOS machines in the vans were in the process of being delivered to the cities of Cadiz, Sagay and La Carlota when the teams escorting the vans received the order to return to Bacolod.
Atty. Jessie Suarez, the provincial election supervisor, said 20% of their machines are already in the polling precincts of Negros Occidental. Most of the machines were still in the warehouse ready for delivery when the Comelec issued the suspension and recall order.
In Butuan City, ranking officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) met with Comelec Region-10 officials on Tuesday in response to the suspension and recall order.
They discussed how they will remove 3,624 flash cards from their machines and deliver them to Smartmatic-TIM in Manila.
Atty. Maria Dulce Banzon, assistant regional director for Comelec Region 10, told reporters here that the flash cards need to be replaced. The replacement flash cards would be tested on May 7, she added.
Banzon, apparently unaware of the gravity of the problem, told reporters: “We are on track. We will be ready on May 10.”
The Commission on Elections (Comelec), after meeting with poll equipment supplier Smartmatic-TIM executives, issued the suspension and recall order after receiving numerous reports that the machines failed to read the votes for local officials and did not match the manual count conducted by the Board of Election Inspectors.
In Zamboanga City, poll watchdogs said the problem might be a sign that the elections on May 10 will not be as flawless as Comelec had projected.
Ari Regino, provincial coordinator for the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), said they earlier warned Comelec about this technical problem.
They are also worried that there is too much "human intervention" in the delivery of the PCOS machines.
Regino said the integrity of the machines, if pulled out again from their polling centers, may be affected. This will also affect voting during Election Day.
Francis Arroyo, vice chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), said that if problems continue, there should be more than just one citizens' arm who should be allowed to observe on the day of the testing. This is to make it more transparent.
Darren Torres, the archdiocese's PPCRV coordinator for Zamboanga City, said testing of the PCOS machines should be done ahead of time so that Zamboanga City will not suffer the same problem as that experienced in Luzon.
He noted that after the machines arrive in Zamboanga City, they will be delivered from the hub to other provinces and islands, which means it will be difficult to replace them in case glitches are discovered 3 days before the elections.
In Negros Occidental, several vans loaded with PCOS machines returned to the warehouse in Bacolod after the Comelec's suspension and recall order was given.
The PCOS machines in the vans were in the process of being delivered to the cities of Cadiz, Sagay and La Carlota when the teams escorting the vans received the order to return to Bacolod.
Atty. Jessie Suarez, the provincial election supervisor, said 20% of their machines are already in the polling precincts of Negros Occidental. Most of the machines were still in the warehouse ready for delivery when the Comelec issued the suspension and recall order.
In Butuan City, ranking officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) met with Comelec Region-10 officials on Tuesday in response to the suspension and recall order.
They discussed how they will remove 3,624 flash cards from their machines and deliver them to Smartmatic-TIM in Manila.
Atty. Maria Dulce Banzon, assistant regional director for Comelec Region 10, told reporters here that the flash cards need to be replaced. The replacement flash cards would be tested on May 7, she added.
Banzon, apparently unaware of the gravity of the problem, told reporters: “We are on track. We will be ready on May 10.”
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
New glitch halts deliveries of PCOS machines
The deliveries of the remaining Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines in several parts of the country have been suspended after a new glitch was discovered during Monday's testing in some areas in Luzon.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec), after meeting with poll equipment supplier Smartmatic-TIM executives, issued the suspension and recall order after receiving numerous reports that the machines failed to read the votes for local officials and did not match the manual count conducted by the Board of Election Inspectors.
In Zamboanga City, poll watchdogs said the problem might be a sign that the elections on May 10 will not be as flawless as Comelec had projected.
Ari Regino, provincial coordinator for the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), said they earlier warned Comelec about this technical problem.
They are also worried that there is too much "human intervention" in the delivery of the PCOS machines.
Regino said the integrity of the machines, if pulled out again from their polling centers, may be affected. This will also affect voting during Election Day.
Francis Arroyo, vice chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), said that if problems continue, there should be more than just one citizens' arm who should be allowed to observe on the day of the testing. This is to make it more transparent.
Darren Torres, the archdiocese's PPCRV coordinator for Zamboanga City, said testing of the PCOS machines should be done ahead of time so that Zamboanga City will not suffer the same problem as that experienced in Luzon.
He noted that after the machines arrive in Zamboanga City, they will be delivered from the hub to other provinces and islands, which means it will be difficult to replace them in case glitches are discovered 3 days before the elections.
In Negros Occidental, several vans loaded with PCOS machines returned to the warehouse in Bacolod after the Comelec's suspension and recall order was given.
The PCOS machines in the vans were in the process of being delivered to the cities of Cadiz, Sagay and La Carlota when the teams escorting the vans received the order to return to Bacolod.
Atty. Jessie Suarez, the provincial election supervisor, said 20% of their machines are already in the polling precincts of Negros Occidental. Most of the machines were still in the warehouse ready for delivery when the Comelec issued the suspension and recall order.
In Butuan City, ranking officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) met with Comelec Region-10 officials on Tuesday in response to the suspension and recall order.
They discussed how they will remove 3,624 flash cards from their machines and deliver them to Smartmatic-TIM in Manila.
Atty. Maria Dulce Banzon, assistant regional director for Comelec Region 10, told reporters here that the flash cards need to be replaced. The replacement flash cards would be tested on May 7, she added.
Banzon, apparently unaware of the gravity of the problem, told reporters: “We are on track. We will be ready on May 10.”
The Commission on Elections (Comelec), after meeting with poll equipment supplier Smartmatic-TIM executives, issued the suspension and recall order after receiving numerous reports that the machines failed to read the votes for local officials and did not match the manual count conducted by the Board of Election Inspectors.
In Zamboanga City, poll watchdogs said the problem might be a sign that the elections on May 10 will not be as flawless as Comelec had projected.
Ari Regino, provincial coordinator for the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), said they earlier warned Comelec about this technical problem.
They are also worried that there is too much "human intervention" in the delivery of the PCOS machines.
Regino said the integrity of the machines, if pulled out again from their polling centers, may be affected. This will also affect voting during Election Day.
Francis Arroyo, vice chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), said that if problems continue, there should be more than just one citizens' arm who should be allowed to observe on the day of the testing. This is to make it more transparent.
Darren Torres, the archdiocese's PPCRV coordinator for Zamboanga City, said testing of the PCOS machines should be done ahead of time so that Zamboanga City will not suffer the same problem as that experienced in Luzon.
He noted that after the machines arrive in Zamboanga City, they will be delivered from the hub to other provinces and islands, which means it will be difficult to replace them in case glitches are discovered 3 days before the elections.
In Negros Occidental, several vans loaded with PCOS machines returned to the warehouse in Bacolod after the Comelec's suspension and recall order was given.
The PCOS machines in the vans were in the process of being delivered to the cities of Cadiz, Sagay and La Carlota when the teams escorting the vans received the order to return to Bacolod.
Atty. Jessie Suarez, the provincial election supervisor, said 20% of their machines are already in the polling precincts of Negros Occidental. Most of the machines were still in the warehouse ready for delivery when the Comelec issued the suspension and recall order.
In Butuan City, ranking officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) met with Comelec Region-10 officials on Tuesday in response to the suspension and recall order.
They discussed how they will remove 3,624 flash cards from their machines and deliver them to Smartmatic-TIM in Manila.
Atty. Maria Dulce Banzon, assistant regional director for Comelec Region 10, told reporters here that the flash cards need to be replaced. The replacement flash cards would be tested on May 7, she added.
Banzon, apparently unaware of the gravity of the problem, told reporters: “We are on track. We will be ready on May 10.”
Vote machine glitch heightens election fears
Fears that national elections in the Philippines next week could descend into chaos grew on Tuesday after authorities said they had detected a major technological flaw with vote-counting machines.
The Commission on Elections admitted it now faced a race against the clock to replace memory cards for 82,000 machines that are to be used in the country's first attempt at a computerized tallying of ballots.
"We are not sugar-coating this. This is definitely a setback," said Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ray Anthony Chua, who is part of the commission's advisory body.
Chua and other officials said a "human error" had resulted in the memory cards, which carry software telling the machines how to read the ballots, being configured incorrectly.
They said the mistake was only picked up on Monday when full-scale testing began.
The election commission officials insisted that the faulty memory cards could be replaced in time for the May 10 polls and that the automated process would succeed.
But the embarrassing episode fueled widespread concerns across all sides of politics that the computerized vote-counting experiment could prove to be a failure with extremely dangerous consequences.
"Our confidence in the elections commission has been shattered," said Gilbert Remulla, spokesman for presidential candidate Manuel Villar.
"What appears now is that there is basis to believe there is a spectre of failure of elections hanging over us."
Presidential frontrunner Benigno Aquino, who has been warning for weeks of problems within the automated election process, said Tuesday's announcement showed his concerns were justified.
"We have said it before and we are saying it again: we are wondering why the Comelec (elections commission) is not meeting its obligation under this election to make sure that it is a clean, clear and credible process," he said.
More than 50 million voters will go to the polls to choose a new president, as well as thousands of lower-level government positions.
The government decided to introduce a computerized system in an effort to shorten the vote-tallying process from a few weeks to a few days, and to minimize cheating that has plagued previous elections.
However critics of the system have said it is too complicated for the developing Southeast Asian nation of more than 7,000 islands, and that a parallel manual count should be carried out.
Bobby Tuazon, policy studies director at the Center for People Empowerment and Governance, said he doubted whether there would be enough time to correct the problem.
"This will raise doubts about the winners and results. This will just increase fears among the public," said Tuazon.
An election lacking in credibility could lead to a dizzying range of chaotic scenarios, including people taking to the streets in support of presidential candidates who may lose but challenge the result.
Security analysts have also said an elections failure could lead to a power-grab by elements within the military loyal to President Gloria Arroyo, who is required by the constitution to step down on June 30.
Arroyo's critics have accused her of secretly plotting to try and stay in power, and that an election failure would suit her ambitions.
A spokeswoman for Joseph Estrada, who surveys showed is tied for second alongside Villar in the race for the presidency, also voiced concern.
"It is ironic that poll automation, which is supposed to secure the sanctity of the ballot, is now the very threat to the electoral process," Estrada spokeswoman Margaux Salcedo told AFP.
Salcedo repeated Estrada's call for a parallel manual count. The government has said it does not want a manual count as that would sow further confusion.
The Commission on Elections admitted it now faced a race against the clock to replace memory cards for 82,000 machines that are to be used in the country's first attempt at a computerized tallying of ballots.
"We are not sugar-coating this. This is definitely a setback," said Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ray Anthony Chua, who is part of the commission's advisory body.
Chua and other officials said a "human error" had resulted in the memory cards, which carry software telling the machines how to read the ballots, being configured incorrectly.
They said the mistake was only picked up on Monday when full-scale testing began.
The election commission officials insisted that the faulty memory cards could be replaced in time for the May 10 polls and that the automated process would succeed.
But the embarrassing episode fueled widespread concerns across all sides of politics that the computerized vote-counting experiment could prove to be a failure with extremely dangerous consequences.
"Our confidence in the elections commission has been shattered," said Gilbert Remulla, spokesman for presidential candidate Manuel Villar.
"What appears now is that there is basis to believe there is a spectre of failure of elections hanging over us."
Presidential frontrunner Benigno Aquino, who has been warning for weeks of problems within the automated election process, said Tuesday's announcement showed his concerns were justified.
"We have said it before and we are saying it again: we are wondering why the Comelec (elections commission) is not meeting its obligation under this election to make sure that it is a clean, clear and credible process," he said.
More than 50 million voters will go to the polls to choose a new president, as well as thousands of lower-level government positions.
The government decided to introduce a computerized system in an effort to shorten the vote-tallying process from a few weeks to a few days, and to minimize cheating that has plagued previous elections.
However critics of the system have said it is too complicated for the developing Southeast Asian nation of more than 7,000 islands, and that a parallel manual count should be carried out.
Bobby Tuazon, policy studies director at the Center for People Empowerment and Governance, said he doubted whether there would be enough time to correct the problem.
"This will raise doubts about the winners and results. This will just increase fears among the public," said Tuazon.
An election lacking in credibility could lead to a dizzying range of chaotic scenarios, including people taking to the streets in support of presidential candidates who may lose but challenge the result.
Security analysts have also said an elections failure could lead to a power-grab by elements within the military loyal to President Gloria Arroyo, who is required by the constitution to step down on June 30.
Arroyo's critics have accused her of secretly plotting to try and stay in power, and that an election failure would suit her ambitions.
A spokeswoman for Joseph Estrada, who surveys showed is tied for second alongside Villar in the race for the presidency, also voiced concern.
"It is ironic that poll automation, which is supposed to secure the sanctity of the ballot, is now the very threat to the electoral process," Estrada spokeswoman Margaux Salcedo told AFP.
Salcedo repeated Estrada's call for a parallel manual count. The government has said it does not want a manual count as that would sow further confusion.
Defective data cards for poll machines recalled
Comelec suspends testing of PCOS machines
Smartmatic-TIM has recalled all defective compact flash cards of precinct count optical scans machines Tuesday, following the reported problems encountered in several machines across the country.
Smartmatic-TIM Asia Pacific president Cesar Flores told a press conference that testing of all PCOS machines has also been suspended until Thursday.
Flores said that these compact flash cards encountered problems on the “configuration,” which was a “human error.”
“There were some compact flash cards that carried mistakes on the configuration file and, therefore, the PCOS was not able to locate correctly to which candidates certain positions were. This is random,” Flores said.
Flores further explained that “wrong instructions” were loaded into these problematic compact flash cards, leading to problems discovered during the testing and sealing process, just a few days before Monday’s nationwide balloting.
Flores noted that the errors and the problems only came out during the counting for local positions. This, he explained, was because candidates for local elections have double spacing on the ballot format.
“Why is it [the problem] only happening in the local and not on the national ones? As you can see, this is a local ballot, and the local ballot has double-spacing. So what's going on is if you mark the first row, it will be read correctly. But for some reason, the configuration is telling the machine that the candidate that is here on the second row is actually on the third row so it will read this candidate as a blank space,” he said.
“It's a human error,” Flores added.
While Smartmatic-TIM and the Commission on Elections have yet to determine how many of these compact flash cards were being recalled, Flores said, “We're actually preparing a plan as if we have to replace all of them.”
The replacement compact flash cards would arrive by Wednesday.
"It is a tight schedule but it will be done. It can be done," Flores said when asked if schedule permits, with less than a week to go before election day on May 10.
Despite criticisms and fears by several groups, Flores assured that there would be no cheating with the automated elections.
“Many people were banking and saying that this system could lead to massive fraud or cheating because you could not verify it. But this is actually what we did, the BEIs (board of election inspectors) were able to check if the system was counting correctly and they will do again once we send the new cards. They will redo the testing and sealing and they can verify if the system is counting correctly,” Flores said.
“This is the pre-verification of the system and the post-verification is the one that will be done through a random manual audit after the elections. We have always maintained that this is an auditable system that you can always count and compare the results through a manual count and check against the electronic results,” he added.
For his part, Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said that the Comelec has ready contingency plans in case of problems with the PCOS machines come election day.
“We have back up plans, contingency plans, and of course we have said in the past that 30 percent would serve as a back up for manual purposes,” he said.
Smartmatic-TIM has recalled all defective compact flash cards of precinct count optical scans machines Tuesday, following the reported problems encountered in several machines across the country.
Smartmatic-TIM Asia Pacific president Cesar Flores told a press conference that testing of all PCOS machines has also been suspended until Thursday.
Flores said that these compact flash cards encountered problems on the “configuration,” which was a “human error.”
“There were some compact flash cards that carried mistakes on the configuration file and, therefore, the PCOS was not able to locate correctly to which candidates certain positions were. This is random,” Flores said.
Flores further explained that “wrong instructions” were loaded into these problematic compact flash cards, leading to problems discovered during the testing and sealing process, just a few days before Monday’s nationwide balloting.
Flores noted that the errors and the problems only came out during the counting for local positions. This, he explained, was because candidates for local elections have double spacing on the ballot format.
“Why is it [the problem] only happening in the local and not on the national ones? As you can see, this is a local ballot, and the local ballot has double-spacing. So what's going on is if you mark the first row, it will be read correctly. But for some reason, the configuration is telling the machine that the candidate that is here on the second row is actually on the third row so it will read this candidate as a blank space,” he said.
“It's a human error,” Flores added.
While Smartmatic-TIM and the Commission on Elections have yet to determine how many of these compact flash cards were being recalled, Flores said, “We're actually preparing a plan as if we have to replace all of them.”
The replacement compact flash cards would arrive by Wednesday.
"It is a tight schedule but it will be done. It can be done," Flores said when asked if schedule permits, with less than a week to go before election day on May 10.
Despite criticisms and fears by several groups, Flores assured that there would be no cheating with the automated elections.
“Many people were banking and saying that this system could lead to massive fraud or cheating because you could not verify it. But this is actually what we did, the BEIs (board of election inspectors) were able to check if the system was counting correctly and they will do again once we send the new cards. They will redo the testing and sealing and they can verify if the system is counting correctly,” Flores said.
“This is the pre-verification of the system and the post-verification is the one that will be done through a random manual audit after the elections. We have always maintained that this is an auditable system that you can always count and compare the results through a manual count and check against the electronic results,” he added.
For his part, Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said that the Comelec has ready contingency plans in case of problems with the PCOS machines come election day.
“We have back up plans, contingency plans, and of course we have said in the past that 30 percent would serve as a back up for manual purposes,” he said.
Monday, May 3, 2010
ELECTION 2010: Google invites you to 'Map Your Precinct'
Google is inviting Filipinos across the country to map their voting centers via a "Map Your Precinct" tool that will help voters get to their assigned polling station on Election Day, May 10, 2010. The "Map Your Precinct" campaign relies on the volunteer efforts of Filipinos who are encouraged to tag the locations of the voting centers they are familiar with on Google Map Maker, Google’s online map-editing tool. The tool can be accessed athttp://ping.fm/S7INd
“As we saw during Typhoon Ondoy, updated digital maps can be very helpful in a variety of humanitarian situations," said Dan. "Now that election season is upon us, what better way to extend Google’s mission of organizing local information and making it useful to Pinoys than to involve the community in tagging voting centers on Google Map Maker. By helping voters find and get to their correct voting centers on May 10, our aim is to help reduce confusion on where to vote, especially since your voting center may have changed from previous years."
Using the tool is as simple as dropping a pin on the correct location of the voting center on a map. After clicking on the "Find your precinct" button, users will be taken to a page where they can click on the "Help others find Precincts" link. They should input the name of the city where they are registered to vote. The site will then display the voting centers located in that city. Users should click on the name of the voting center they want to map, and then after the map expands, zoom into the map to find and verify the location of the voting center. Users can then click on the correct location to drop a pin, and then click the "Submit" button at the bottom. No technical expertise is required. The tool automatically aggregates input from users contributing the same information, which will go through the Google Map Maker peer moderation process.
Because of precinct clustering, many Filipinos still don't know where they'd cast their votes come judgment election day. (Need proof? Some of our readers think we're the Comelec.) Good thing big ol' Google has again come to the rescue with its Map Your Precinct tool.
Map Your Precinct is powered by Google Maps. It relies on volunteers to pinpoint the exact location of where they will cast your votes so they can help the confused find their voting centers.
Helping is an 8-step process:
Go to Google's Find Your Precinct page.
Click on the Find Your Precinct button.
Choose Help Other Find Precincts.
Enter the city or municipality you know best. That should show you the list of polling stations in the area.
Click on the voting center you want to map.
After the map expands, zoom into it to find and verify the center's location.
Click on the correct location to drop a pin.
Choose Submit.
Easy, right? But of course, there's a peer moderation process to check if the user-generated locations are correct.
Your help is needed
Helping is as easy as ABC
The Map Your Precinct tool was started by Dan Delima, a Filipino Google engineer based in Tokyo, Japan. According to him: "As we saw during Typhoon Ondoy, updated digital maps can be very helpful in a variety of humanitarian situations. Now that election season is upon us, what better way to extend Google's mission of organizing local information and making it useful to Pinoys than to involve the community in tagging voting centers on Google Map Maker. By helping voters find and get to their correct voting centers on May 10, our aim is to help reduce confusion on where to vote, especially since your voting center may have changed from previous years."
“As we saw during Typhoon Ondoy, updated digital maps can be very helpful in a variety of humanitarian situations," said Dan. "Now that election season is upon us, what better way to extend Google’s mission of organizing local information and making it useful to Pinoys than to involve the community in tagging voting centers on Google Map Maker. By helping voters find and get to their correct voting centers on May 10, our aim is to help reduce confusion on where to vote, especially since your voting center may have changed from previous years."
Using the tool is as simple as dropping a pin on the correct location of the voting center on a map. After clicking on the "Find your precinct" button, users will be taken to a page where they can click on the "Help others find Precincts" link. They should input the name of the city where they are registered to vote. The site will then display the voting centers located in that city. Users should click on the name of the voting center they want to map, and then after the map expands, zoom into the map to find and verify the location of the voting center. Users can then click on the correct location to drop a pin, and then click the "Submit" button at the bottom. No technical expertise is required. The tool automatically aggregates input from users contributing the same information, which will go through the Google Map Maker peer moderation process.
Because of precinct clustering, many Filipinos still don't know where they'd cast their votes come judgment election day. (Need proof? Some of our readers think we're the Comelec.) Good thing big ol' Google has again come to the rescue with its Map Your Precinct tool.
Map Your Precinct is powered by Google Maps. It relies on volunteers to pinpoint the exact location of where they will cast your votes so they can help the confused find their voting centers.
Helping is an 8-step process:
Go to Google's Find Your Precinct page.
Click on the Find Your Precinct button.
Choose Help Other Find Precincts.
Enter the city or municipality you know best. That should show you the list of polling stations in the area.
Click on the voting center you want to map.
After the map expands, zoom into it to find and verify the center's location.
Click on the correct location to drop a pin.
Choose Submit.
Easy, right? But of course, there's a peer moderation process to check if the user-generated locations are correct.
Your help is needed
Helping is as easy as ABC
The Map Your Precinct tool was started by Dan Delima, a Filipino Google engineer based in Tokyo, Japan. According to him: "As we saw during Typhoon Ondoy, updated digital maps can be very helpful in a variety of humanitarian situations. Now that election season is upon us, what better way to extend Google's mission of organizing local information and making it useful to Pinoys than to involve the community in tagging voting centers on Google Map Maker. By helping voters find and get to their correct voting centers on May 10, our aim is to help reduce confusion on where to vote, especially since your voting center may have changed from previous years."
Saturday, May 1, 2010
LG announces Cookie Ultima, Pop & WiFi
LG today showcased three new additional handsets in their popular Cookie line — the Cookie WiFi, Cookie Ultima and the Cookie Pop.
The LG Cookie Ultima (LG GT505) has a 3-inch screen (240×400 pixels), 5-megapixel camera, WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1, 3G/HSDPA 3.6Mbps, GPS and stereo FM tuner. The Cookie Ultima is now out with a retail price of Php10,990.
The LG Cookie WiFi (LG KM555) has the same screen size and resolution as the Cookie Ultima and also has WiFi 802.11 b/g, FM tuner and Bluetooth but no 3G (just EDGE) nor GPS. The Cookie WiFi will retail for Php9,990.
Lastly, the LG Cookie Pop (LG GD510) is the smallest and most compact among the Cookie series. It’s got no WiFi or 3G connectivity (just EDGE) and just Bluetooth and stereo FM tuner. The COokie Pop will retail for Php7,990.
Among the three handsets though, the Cookie Pop got my attention when LG said it comes with an (optional) solar panel at the back for battery charging. Now that’s got to be the first handset to have that feature available here in the Philippines.
The LG Cookie Ultima (LG GT505) has a 3-inch screen (240×400 pixels), 5-megapixel camera, WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1, 3G/HSDPA 3.6Mbps, GPS and stereo FM tuner. The Cookie Ultima is now out with a retail price of Php10,990.
The LG Cookie WiFi (LG KM555) has the same screen size and resolution as the Cookie Ultima and also has WiFi 802.11 b/g, FM tuner and Bluetooth but no 3G (just EDGE) nor GPS. The Cookie WiFi will retail for Php9,990.
Lastly, the LG Cookie Pop (LG GD510) is the smallest and most compact among the Cookie series. It’s got no WiFi or 3G connectivity (just EDGE) and just Bluetooth and stereo FM tuner. The COokie Pop will retail for Php7,990.
Among the three handsets though, the Cookie Pop got my attention when LG said it comes with an (optional) solar panel at the back for battery charging. Now that’s got to be the first handset to have that feature available here in the Philippines.
15 Things to Remember on May 10 2010 Automated Elections
Since this is the first automated elections the country is having, it's going to take some adjustment and adaptation on the part of voters, and extra knowledge/information is sure to help anyone heading to the polls on May 10, 2010.
1. The ballot is very, very sensitive to marks, ink, H20, stains, scratches, folds, sweat, etc. If, say, you have grime on your hands, or your hands are wet, or your sweat drips onto the ballot, the PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scan) Unit will not read it. So, keep your hands very clean before voting. That is why the indelible ink will be put on your finger after you're done voting, and not before, and why you will be given your ballot in a folder, a "Ballot Secrecy Folder", so that you can lessen the actual handling of the ballot with your hands.
2. Shade the egg-shaped hole beside your chosen candidate fully (you will be provided with a marker). Don't check, line, X, dot, or half-shade it, because the PCOS Unit will not read it. Try not to go beyond the lines also (well, not too much).
3. There will be a barcode going around the ballot. If this is marked, even scratched, in any way, the ballot will be spoiled. If anyone else handles the ballot, watch them well, in case they intentionally scratch the barcode with a fingernail to prevent your ballot from being counted.
4. You will have four tries to put your ballot through the PCOS Unit. You can put it in forward, backward, front side up, back side up, whichever, but only four tries. If after the 4th try it doesn't read properly, goodbye ballot.
5. You will get one chance to have your ballot changed if you don't like it. When the officials first hand the ballot to you, inspect it right away. If you see any folds, scratches, or marks, you can ask for a change.
6. Bring a list of your chosen candidates on a piece of paper so that you won't spend too much time filling out the ballot. If you make your decisions on the day itself without a list, you could spend a long time filling it up.
7. Watch the readout on the PCOS Unit when you insert your ballot into it. If successful, it'll read: "Congratulations! Your ballot has been scanned." If not, it'll say why (improper shading, etc.). Get that "Congratulations" message before leaving to make sure your vote is counted.
8. Bring an ID (Voter's ID is best, but if you don't have one, driver's license, passport, etc. any valid ID with your address and preferably a photo is all right) to present to the BEI (Board of Elections Inspector). If you can find out beforehand through your barangay, also get your Voter's ID number, precinct number, and your sequence number (the number beside your name in the voter's list). This will speed up your voting process.
9. The ballot you are given will only be readable by one specific PCOS Unit. In other words, only one machine will be able to read your ballot, because it's pre-registered there, so when you're ready, line up at the proper machine. Don't line up at the wrong machine; your ballot won't be read, and it may spoil your vote.
10. Polls open on May 10, 2010, at 7 a.m. and end at 6 p.m.
11. With the use of PCOS Units, we will know the winner of the elections in 5 days. Otherwise, the PCOS Units will allow for a manual count since all votes will be recorded inside the machines (let's hope it doesn't come to that, because it's going to take the usual weeks and weeks to finish the count).
12. The PCOS Units have internal batteries that can last 16 hours in case of power outages. Since the voting period only lasts 10 hours, there's a 6 hour buffer. But still, let's hope for no brownouts on May 10, 2010.
13. The PCOS Unit will print out the vote count in what looks like a very long cash register receipt (whose print will last for 5 years, he said), which will be put into a sealed box that'll be sent to the Comelec for proper counting. Also, the PCOS Unit will count the number of voters who are voting based on the ballots inserted into it, so again, watch the screen on the machine to make sure of voter count, as well as other important messages.
14. Vote only the exact number you should vote for. So, vote for only 1 president, 1 vice president, 12 senators, 1 party list, 1 mayor, 1 vice mayor, 1 member of the House of Representatives, etc. (the limit will be there on your ballot as a "Vote for not more than ____"). If you vote for more than the stipulated number, that particular portion of the ballot is spoiled. You may, however, vote for less (as in, if you can't find 12 worthy senatoriables to vote for, it's all right to vote for less than 12).
15. Of course you'll also be asked to do the usual signing of forms and marking of thumbprints.
For any questions, you may approach your Barangay Captains, or the Comelec officials. I hope they will be able to answer questions well.
1. The ballot is very, very sensitive to marks, ink, H20, stains, scratches, folds, sweat, etc. If, say, you have grime on your hands, or your hands are wet, or your sweat drips onto the ballot, the PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scan) Unit will not read it. So, keep your hands very clean before voting. That is why the indelible ink will be put on your finger after you're done voting, and not before, and why you will be given your ballot in a folder, a "Ballot Secrecy Folder", so that you can lessen the actual handling of the ballot with your hands.
2. Shade the egg-shaped hole beside your chosen candidate fully (you will be provided with a marker). Don't check, line, X, dot, or half-shade it, because the PCOS Unit will not read it. Try not to go beyond the lines also (well, not too much).
3. There will be a barcode going around the ballot. If this is marked, even scratched, in any way, the ballot will be spoiled. If anyone else handles the ballot, watch them well, in case they intentionally scratch the barcode with a fingernail to prevent your ballot from being counted.
4. You will have four tries to put your ballot through the PCOS Unit. You can put it in forward, backward, front side up, back side up, whichever, but only four tries. If after the 4th try it doesn't read properly, goodbye ballot.
5. You will get one chance to have your ballot changed if you don't like it. When the officials first hand the ballot to you, inspect it right away. If you see any folds, scratches, or marks, you can ask for a change.
6. Bring a list of your chosen candidates on a piece of paper so that you won't spend too much time filling out the ballot. If you make your decisions on the day itself without a list, you could spend a long time filling it up.
7. Watch the readout on the PCOS Unit when you insert your ballot into it. If successful, it'll read: "Congratulations! Your ballot has been scanned." If not, it'll say why (improper shading, etc.). Get that "Congratulations" message before leaving to make sure your vote is counted.
8. Bring an ID (Voter's ID is best, but if you don't have one, driver's license, passport, etc. any valid ID with your address and preferably a photo is all right) to present to the BEI (Board of Elections Inspector). If you can find out beforehand through your barangay, also get your Voter's ID number, precinct number, and your sequence number (the number beside your name in the voter's list). This will speed up your voting process.
9. The ballot you are given will only be readable by one specific PCOS Unit. In other words, only one machine will be able to read your ballot, because it's pre-registered there, so when you're ready, line up at the proper machine. Don't line up at the wrong machine; your ballot won't be read, and it may spoil your vote.
10. Polls open on May 10, 2010, at 7 a.m. and end at 6 p.m.
11. With the use of PCOS Units, we will know the winner of the elections in 5 days. Otherwise, the PCOS Units will allow for a manual count since all votes will be recorded inside the machines (let's hope it doesn't come to that, because it's going to take the usual weeks and weeks to finish the count).
12. The PCOS Units have internal batteries that can last 16 hours in case of power outages. Since the voting period only lasts 10 hours, there's a 6 hour buffer. But still, let's hope for no brownouts on May 10, 2010.
13. The PCOS Unit will print out the vote count in what looks like a very long cash register receipt (whose print will last for 5 years, he said), which will be put into a sealed box that'll be sent to the Comelec for proper counting. Also, the PCOS Unit will count the number of voters who are voting based on the ballots inserted into it, so again, watch the screen on the machine to make sure of voter count, as well as other important messages.
14. Vote only the exact number you should vote for. So, vote for only 1 president, 1 vice president, 12 senators, 1 party list, 1 mayor, 1 vice mayor, 1 member of the House of Representatives, etc. (the limit will be there on your ballot as a "Vote for not more than ____"). If you vote for more than the stipulated number, that particular portion of the ballot is spoiled. You may, however, vote for less (as in, if you can't find 12 worthy senatoriables to vote for, it's all right to vote for less than 12).
15. Of course you'll also be asked to do the usual signing of forms and marking of thumbprints.
For any questions, you may approach your Barangay Captains, or the Comelec officials. I hope they will be able to answer questions well.
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