I use multiple computers, one at home (Mac) and one at work (PC). Both are laptops, both I own, both I leave in their respective shrines. I take them out when needed, but put them back right after. So clearly as a Firefox user, Google Browser Sync was a God-send. Well, until Firefox 3 came along. For some reason, Google isn't updating GBS for Firefox 3.0 anymore. So, upgrade to Firefox 3 or stick with GBS? I finally took the plunge when I found out about Mozilla's Weave. I hasitated a bit because it was an early prototype. Essentially it's the same good service: syncronise bookmarks, passwords, form data, history, and cookies. All encrypted on a central server. I don't recommend services such as Foxmarks and others that only sync your bookmarks. Seriously, if you already use del.icio.us, syncing bookmarks isn't too big a deal. What I really wanted is to remember sites I visited at home, and continue on them at work. And passwords too. I trust my browser a lot. =) So if you were looking for a replacement to GBS, Weave is a good alternative. It has worked well so far... all 15 mins of it... and I think Mozilla has done a great service to the community to pick up where Google left off.

Today I sent this page from SingTel to the office following the 3G iPhone's hype from last night. It was done in good faith that SingTel was making an effort to reach out to those who want to reserve themselves a 3G iPhone in Singapore. But instead of enthusiasm and excitement, I heard complaints. Not of my mass email, but of SingTel's silly website. For once I thought SingTel was ahead in customer service and marketing providing the excited public with a simple website to order a 3G iPhone instead of the crazy queues that wrap around the block in the US. I thought wrong. You still have to go down to the SingTel shop to confirm your reservation. Yes, confirm. If I was going to queue at the shop, I might as well be getting the darn iPhone! Incredible, SingTel has successfully evolved backward in customer service and marketing making it more inconvenient to get an iPhone. From the main page, you click "Yes" and you get this form. No where does it say that you need to go down to the shop until you click "Next". When you're done with the form, instead of a "Thank you, your reservation is done", you get this: Yup, welcome to SingTel's online world where you still have to get your bum down to the offline shop. Maybe I should just get one from Australia since I'll be there over July 11. Singapore is on the "coming soon" list.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKaWLP2-ngI] This short video of Microsoft's founder, Bill Gates, was taken last month at the 16th World Congress on Information Technology 2008 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Although this isn't the first time a life-size hologram was used to deliver a speech, it was the closest to home. I think this is a great technology with amazing implications. How many of us get to see our heroes in the flesh? The closest I've gotten to real heroes of technology would be at the recent talk by Vinton Cerf, and on another occasion where Cisco's CEO John Chambers came to Singapore and spoke on a government-led platform. But beyond talks, what about rock concerts, product launches, religious preaching? This is important for a small country like Singapore. There isn't much incentive for the best and brightest to visit our shores, we have a small population, and a small addressable market, but among the smallness, there are eager fans who would watch every TED Talk video, stay up for the WWDC 2008 keynote, or even fly to the UK to watch their favourite football club. Holograms could make a difference. Of courses today's holograms are pre-recorded. But one day I'm sure they'll be live. As least it'll be handy till we figure out teleportation.

If you haven't tried Plurk, you should. Its like Twitter, only messier. In fact, with only 13 friends since I started a day ago, it's getting a bit too much to track all the plurks and replies to plurks. I discovered by accident an easier way to manage Plurk making it more Twitter-like. Plurk has a mobile interface at http://www.plurk.com/m/ where it lists all plurks in a Twitter-like form. Although it's created for the mobile browser, you can open it in Firefox or your favourite web browser too. But I found that the best way to use it was to place it in the sidebar. I use Firefox and this is how you do it:

• Go to http://www.plurk.com/m/
• Click Bookmarks > Bookmark This Page...
• Save the bookmark where you like and name it as you see fit
• Click Bookmarks > Organise Bookmarks...
• Right-click on your Plurk bookmark
• Click Properties
• Check Load this bookmark in the sidebar
• Click OK

Now click the bookmark and you should see it open in a sidebar like this: Now it's more widget/app like and you don't have to keep a whole tab open for it. I'm sure it works in other browsers' sidebars too, but here's the Firefox way.

Two weeks back I was on a panel at the PR Academy's conference discussing "new media". Unlike the barcamps and unconferences we social media folks are so fond of, this conference was done old skool with a government Minister as the guest-of-honour and panel mates that were my father's age. I was the only "digital native" on the stage throughout the day-long conference and the general sentiment toward new media was approached with mixed feelings. A commenter mentioned to me that other than my optimistic self, it was "very much doom and gloom and what will become of our beloved printed press". The panel I was on was made up of two senior newspaper editors, a publishing consultant, an engagement consultant, and me. At one point during the panel a question from the floor asked the obvious, but realistic, question if the new (digital) media will kill the traditional (mostly printed) press. The answers that came back was to the effect of "yes, but we're trying new things". That's not surprising at all. In fact, as far back as 1998, there's been talk about print dying and even current stats are proving that the prediction is true. Even the pron industry can't cut it with print. Who else can survive? That was my logical sentiment as well. But after the conference I started thinking about the development of technologies on a whole and now I'm beginning to feel otherwise. As Internet technologies improve together with screen technologies that make it easier for all of us to consume digital content (think Kindle), so does print technologies and recycled paper give rise to cheaper print media. Amazon has offered print-on-demand for a while now, and I imagine all books will be available in PoD one day. In fact, the PoD model mixed with new media is a potent platform for new innovations. David Sifry's new start up, Offbeat Guides, is doing just that compiling up-to-date information from the web and compiling them into printable PDFs. But then again, maybe not all print is doom and gloom just yet. According to Chris Anderson, if you give out your newspaper for free, it can grow! Looks like our media future is going to be a hybrid one.