I was checking and updating my WordPress blogs earlier when I saw this message that ShoutMix free chat box is “currently” unavailable.

I clicked on the link and I was directed to this page where Snecx Tan, the owner and creator of the chat box service ShoutMix, shared, through an open letter, that they can no longer continue the free service because it is no longer sustainable.

They said they’ve tried everything and wouldn’t want to impose popup ads like their competitors (they could only mean CBox, right? ). This was actually the main reason why I switched from cBox to ShoutMix – no annoying popup ads.

Most of the bloggers I know have a chat box on their sidebars where they get to quickly respond to their blogs’ visitors. I find it a convenient way for those who are not familiar with the commenting system to send me messages (though I would prefer they use the contact page since there’s a form they can use and my email address is also posted there).

Now, upon searching for an alternative for ShoutMix, the closest I got was cBox. I’m not willing to shell out $0.99 per month for a chat box I don’t really use as often as my email. But, if you’re one of those who use it a lot, then I recommend you upgrade.

Alternative Chat Box Plugin for WordPress Users

For WordPress users like me, there’s actually a cool plugin you can setup on your sidebar and it’ll be your very own chatbox. It uses your commenting system, but it will be setup as a sidebar widget. It’s WP Wall.

I used it on a client’s site. I liked the fact that I can completely change how it looks. I implemented it as a message wall and it’s now displayed on the main contents part of one of the pages on their site instead of the sidebar. Here’s how it looks like:

Oh, how I love WordPress!

You can fully customize CSS file wp-wall.css to your liking. Plus, it’s updated real-time, meaning you don’t have to refresh the page to see the new messages. You can see IP address of the poster, the time they posted the comment on your dashboard so you can easily moderate them too. Cool, eh? These options were for premium or pro plans on ShoutMix so it’s great that they’re available for free from WP Wall.

I’ll be setting this up on my other blogs (Update: I just implemented this at the footer section of this blog). I wish I can find something like this on my Blogger blog.

Found any alternative for ShoutMix you’d like to share with me? Feel free to leave the links in the comments section.

ShoutMix should remove the misleading message that the free plan is “currently unavailable” since they’re no longer offering it for free. It should read “free plan is no longer offered”.

Over a week ago, I was invited to the launch of 5 new Canon PIXMA photo printers. Being a Canon printer user myself (I currently have 2 in my computer shop), of course, I didn’t pass up the chance to find out what’s new.

First off, let me tell you why I am a Canon printer user. It’s all about the printhead. I love the fact that if the head fails, I can easily replace it without having to take all the parts out or without needing to replace the whole printer completely. This is extremely important for a business like mine where they take on the challenge of printing a ton of documents weekly. Most of my customers print their resumes in multiple copies (in preparation for applying to various ERP Jobs probably), photos they got from Google for their research or assignments, etc. My Canon printers don’t just save me money, but they make me more efficient ‘cause they’re heavy-duty compared to other printers I’ve tried.

Here are the 2 Canon printers I use:

I am IN LOVE with my Canon PIXMA MX416 printer. It’s a scanner, copier, fax machine and printer in one! Plus, you can send print jobs to this baby wirelessly! Cool, eh?

I got rid of my old all-in-one printer because I needed a copier that can handle long or legal-sized paper / documents. This printer has a feeder at the top so you can use it for copying those long documents or if you don’t want to manually open the scanner’s cover for every document you’re copying. Just leave them all on the top feeder and wait.

This other printer I own, a Canon IP3680, is no longer available in the market the last time I checked. It’s a photo printer and have been really good to me. Now, I use it primarily for document printing because it no longer feeds photo paper properly, probably after moving it around during typhoon Pedring.

But, this printer has delivered to its promise. After a couple of adjustments with the color settings, it printed out photos just like how I see them on the screen. I wish to buy a new  photo printer very soon so I can achieve that photo print quality again.

Anyway, going back to the launch event of Canon’s new printers, Allen Chang, marketing manager of Canon, proudly shared with us that the brand have grown since 2007. They are now leaning towards products that are environment-friendly and energy-saving, but still with sleek features such as high-definition quality and even wireless printing. These were the new PIXMA printers that were introduced to us that night:

Canon PIXMA MP287

It’s a very compact all-in-one (AIO) printer. The design reminds me of my old AIO printer from a different brand, but I love Canon’s because of the texture and overall look. I love black, that’s why.

It’s also very affordable. For only Php 3,495, you get a fully-functional all-in-one printer for you to scan, copy and print your documents.

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Last week, my bro Ken and I (of Certified Foodies) were invited to the launch of HTC‘s latest phones that will be exclusively offered by Smart, an industry leader in telecommunications here in the Philippines as part of their partnership to bring in the most advanced smartphones to-date.

At the announcement party of the partnership between SMART and HTC in Opus Restaurant and Lounge, Resorts World, they revealed and introduced us to the new HTC smartphones that surely will satisfy any social networking or mobile internet addict out there (like us!).

Four new HTC phones were featured that star-studded night. They were the HTC Desire S, HTC Wildfire S, HTC Sensation and HTC ChaCha. All these phones and other selections offered are equipped with the unique and intuitive interface HTC Sense.

With that feature, it’s pretty easier to view your friends’ social network updates since you can all view them in one screen, the Friend Stream. They also mentioned that these phones can help you not miss any more calls. Well, that feature, I definitely need.

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Last June 13th, Dell Philippines launched the new additions to their family of laptops. With their partnership with Intel, the top brand when it comes to reliable processors, these Dell laptops surely will give us users better security and mobile computing experience.

Dell’s new laptops for 2011 aim to suit every user’s needs. From professionals who need both mobility and desktop computing to those who must have a more rugged laptop for their business needs. They even have options for the stylish laptop users out there.

Here are some of their features that were shared to us during the launch which the Dell Philippines executives are extremely proud of:

• Chiclet and spill resistant  keyboards – With the chiclet design, it’s easier to type on these laptops. Plus, you no longer have to worry about accidental spills on your keyboard as they won’t get into the circuitry.



• Backlit keyboard – This option is available for those who usually work in the dark, like me.
• Enhanced fingerprint reader for added security
• Multi-gesture touchpad

L-R: Country Managers Ricky Lopez and Chris Papa, and Brand Manager Alvin Go

Out of all the laptops they unveiled that night at Robot Restaurant and Lounge in Makati City, this is my favorite – the Dell Vostro 3000 series.

With the durability, cutting-edge design and the 12 hours of battery life (on select models), I know this one’s for me! It’s available in 13-, 14-, 15- to 17-inch forms. It’s packed with the latest Intel 2nd generation Core I Series processors.

The Dell Vostro 3000 series laptops are perfect, I say, for those who meet or communicate with people online for business, like, take for instance, virtual assistants. With the voice-enhancing technology SRS Premium Voice Pro software and a full HD webcam (except for the 13-inch), you surely would have no sound or picture quality issues for online meetings or collaborations.

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First off, let me tell you about Point Blank. It’s the newest First Person Shooter (FPS) game here in the Philippines, brought to us by IP e-Games, the company behind popular online games such as RAN Online, CABAL, Dragonica, Granado Espada and Runes of Magic.

If you’re not familiar with what an FPS game is, example titles of this genre are Counterstrike and Quake. Basically, you control an avatar and you get to use weapons (guns, knives, etc) to kill enemies. You navigate through maps and perform the mission for the game you joined in.

Point Blank was developed by a Korea-based gaming company Zepetto. This game is currently one of the top online games globally, most especially in Indonesia, Thailand and Russia.

Being a long-time player of Counterstrike and another FPS game, I got pretty excited when we were invited to the Point Blank bloggers meet-up where they announced upcoming updates in-game. It was our first time, Ken and I, to play the game. My bro’s pretty hooked on Crossfire, but was open to trying out this new FPS.

Well, guess what, he enjoyed playing it so much that we couldn’t even talk to him! When we got home, he got pretty excited and installed the game right off the bat. Here’s a photo of him playing past 2am.

Now, how does this game compare with Crossfire? I actually had my customers at my shop test it out. I was only supposed to install the game on 2 computers first, but after some customers started playing, they all begged me to put it on all the computers. Fine!

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