After 12 hours, Entrecard is still down. I get the following message displayed across the monitor: "Serious error - We have a bug in our software, an automatic report has been sent to our developers and more whips are being applied as we speak. We apologise for the inconvenience."

For bloggers that depend on Entrecard's service to promote their site, this means the longer it is down the less drops they can do and, consequently, less traffic to their blogs and sites.

Entrecard suffers an outage usually at least once every six months, but they are usually lightning quick in putting back everything in order again. Hence, nobody really made a big deal out of it. However, this time around, there were no advisories or notices and it is taking the Entrecard management a long time to fix all the bugs in the system.

I wonder if the Entrecard team attempted to roll out some new codes, or if something was destabilized as a result of getting more and more traffic over the months. The last time I checked there were over a thousand blogs listed on Entrecard and that number keeps growing steadily.

In the meantime, I have to brace myself for a possible radical drop in the number of my site's visitors. I hate to admit it, but my sites (all 5 of them) are still too reliant on Entrecard for visits, but it is a quick easy way to get initial visitors to see your site and share what you write.

I have told readers in my other blog that Entrecard was one of the quickest and easiest ways to build a network of bloggers that you can meet and eventually collaborate with. Hopefully, that will still hold true once the system is back online and proper attribution is restored.

While the Entrecard team is trying to bring everything back in order, is it possible to ask that they also weed out all those sites with no widgets?

UPDATE
About 5 hours after I posted the article above, Entrecard came online. However, I noticed that there are some more things that needed major fixing. For instance, the drops you will be making will not be reflected on the drop inbox of the beneficiary blog. Maybe there is a lag or something, but one thing is clear: You cannot expect a drop back or reciprocity at this time.

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Entrepreneurs can now focus their attention on their core expertise of growing and expanding their businesses. BPI ExpressLink (ELink), the Internet-based cash management solution of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), has made its worry-free cash management solutions available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

This new direction coincides with ELink's 10th year of delivering quick, automated and secured cash management services to its corporate clients. It enables businessmen to track and reconcile their payables and receivables, and monitor their account balances anytime, anywhere using the Internet. With ELink, entrepreneurs can pay suppliers, bills, employee payroll and government obligations with just one click.

BPI' executive vice president and head of the Corporate Banking Group Alfonso Salcedo Jr. said the cash management solution delivers its core services to clients who need to constantly improve efficiency and reduce costs.

"Clients do not have to spend too much time in managing their cash flow as ELink simplifies this task. This is in line with our philosophy of making it easy for our clients to manage and grow their business," Salcedo said in a statement.

The security set-up of ELink includes the use of encryption technology and a minikey, which generates a client’s electronic signature. These additional security features are on top of the usual user IDs and passwords, which allow business owners to enjoy the convenience and efficiency of Internet banking in a secure manner.

BPI, through subsidiary BPI Family Savings Bank, has been increasing its focus on the SME market as the corporate sector has been relatively “silent.” Corporates are extremely liquid, and has opted to tapped the capital markets for its requirements.

On the other hand, the SME and the consumer market had been expanding on strong economic fundamentals. The need for credit is just as important as knowing how to manage it.

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Depositors and the banking public should be aware about the new regulations on checks and check clearing issued by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

One of the regulations classifies a check as "bounced" if it is backed by insufficient funds. Banks are likewise ordered to immediately disregard the check "subject to applicable penalties and handling charges."

BSP Circular 705 likewise states that stop payment order (SPO) will not be entertained, or considered, unless the instruction is placed or relayed on or before the day of the deposit or presentation of the check/s subject by an SPO.

All banks are also required to return unfunded checks no later than 7:30 A.M. of the following banking day after checks are deposited or presented for clearing.

The Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) president Aurelio Montinola III said that the new BSP mandate is expected to oblige bank account holders to manage their checking accounts properly and to a large extent discourage the issuance of checks not sufficiently funded or not funded at all.

"It is always good to exercise prudence when writing checks," Montinola said.

The new circular instructs that all checks classified as of check and other cash items (COCI) will only be conducted from two in the wee hours of the morning to 7:30 A.M. on the clearing day immediately following the original date of pesentation of the COCI to Philippine Clearing House Corp. (PCHC) and Regional Clearing Centers (RCC).

"The new BSP mandate is expected to oblige bank account holders to manage their checking accounts properly and to a large extent discourage the issuance of checks not sufficiently funded or not funded at all. It is always good to exercise prudence when writing checks," the BAP president added.

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Three years ago, the Philippine Government was aggressively pushing for the cultivation of jatropha curcas (tuba-tuba) as a source of renewable fuel. This was considered a good move because Goldman Sachs cited jatropha as one of the best candidates for future biodiesel production. The plant, which produces golf-ball-size fruits that contain oil, can be grown in any kind of soil. And it does not need much water and fertilizer.

In a country with little public support for agricultural production and modernization, the importance given to biodiesel production was considered a crucial policy shift that could revitalize the dying sector.

Leading the campaign for the propagation of jatropha in the country is Philippine National Oil Co.-Alternative Fuels Corp. (PNOC-AFC), which tied up with the military to set up a 500-hectare nursery in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija. In Mindanao, the corporation is looking at some 1.2 million hectares as its main hub for jatropha production.

To know more about the potential offered by this little known plant, here are some facts for possible investors and entrepreneurs:

1. Potential of Jatropha as an energy crop?
   
   Jatropha has great potential to grow on lands that are not productive for food crop. If inter-cropped with Castor, income and oil production starts from first year itself. Jatropha yields oil in smallest time frame as compared all other trees.


2. What are the advantages of Jatropha cultivation?
   
   It can be done on fallow lands, requires less amount of water and yields oil in 3 years.


3. What are sustainable models of Jatropha cultivation?
   
   It can be planted in fields of size ranging from 1 to 10 acres for one farmer to 1,000 acres for large plantation companies. Income will be proportionate to size of field.


4. Jatropha nurseries, Clonal propagation?
   
   Jatropha Saplings are generally prepared from Seeds. These can also be produced from branches. Hybrid and Clonal varieties are also available.


5. Seedlings and cuttings of plantation?
   
   Tree grown from seeds have a tap root, which helps in droughts and cyclones. It can collect water from deep soil and anchors the tree. Cuttings do not have tap root, but seeds are obtained much earlier.


6. Commercial nurseries: plans and costs?
   
   These are done in Green / Net Houses. The production cost of sapling is higher. Individual farmer produces saplings in field, which is much cheaper.


7. Controlled environmental chambers?
   
   It helps as initial growth of saplings. It is good and more saplings survive well in fields.


8. What is the configuration of Plantation?
   
   Jatropha is planted in 3 X 3 meters square configuration. This allows us to plant 400 plants per acre or 1,100 plants per hectare. Castor is planted as intercrop for first two years.


9. Can contract farming be done in Jatropha Plantation?
   
   Contract farming works well where the supply is much more than demand and the processing machinery is expensive and processing is difficult. It is not the case in Jatropha. Farmers may sell it to someone offering higher price than the contract price.


10. Which are the oil seeds best suited for BioDiesel manufacture?
    
    These are Jatropha Curcas, Pongamia Pinnata, Mahua, Castor, Simarouba, Kokam etc. Jatropha Curcas, Pongamia Pinnata and Mahua are plantations which give non edible oil. Castor is a 6 month crop which gives non edible oil and is grown as intercrop within Plantations. Simarouba, Kokam is a plantation which gives edible oil.


11. What is the yield from 1 hectare of Jatropha / Castor Plantation?
    A farmer can get 2.5 tons of Castor seeds in first and second year and 2.5 tons of Jatropha seed from third to fifth year. A farmer can get higher yields after 5 years. Jatropha will yield seeds for 40 to 50 years.


12. Can the oil be used as it is in Power Generating Station?
    
    In Power Generating sets, oil is burnt at high temperature (100o C or higher), at which viscocity reduces considerably. Any unit generating 1 megawatt or higher can burn the oil directly.

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Small and medium enterprise owners know that a trade show exhibition booth can be a valuable element in their company's success. If they can capture the attention and interest of their targeted customer group, they have the perfect opportunity to educate them on the benefits of their product or service.

Hence, it is important for their personnel deployed in the trade show displays to see and speak to as many of their potential customers as possible, without making anyone feel rushed or like a number. Industry experts recommend that these staffs should first determine the identity of the person with whom they are speaking - including the company they represent and their position (and likely their decision-making ability).

If the person is not in a decision-making position, it is best the skilled staff to get the conversation to a polite end as quickly as possible. If the prospect is in a decision-making position, they should focus on learning more from her or him than on talking themselves. They should also try to keep control of the conversation by guiding it along quickly, so that each exchange lasts less than five minutes.

It is not as easy as others portray them to be. Managing a business booths in trade shows and social events takes a lot of patience because this is the time to learn everything about the prospect's needs.

To help pull off a huge success and ease the pressure of ensuring that no major operation will go wrong in these business events, Camelback Displays, Inc.™ offers a viable solution.

After helping more than 16,000 since 1999, Camelback Displays, Inc.™ is aware how difficult it is to choose the right tools and equipment required for a successful exhibit and what is needed inside exhibit booths.

A booth can be an excellent source of sales inquiries. It can demonstrate to customers the products or services that they may need and they can immediately get instant inquiries from the technical staff operating it. It is also at these booths that they can follow up on their request.

Camelback Displays, Inc.™ offers all styles of truss for lighting, displays trade shows, concerts, special events and more. Since they represent all major suppliers, they offer every type of system including aluminum and steel trusses.

They also offer pipe and drape, which is usually preferred at several venues to make trade show booths because of their inherent characteristics, and a full line of logo floor mats for indoor or outdoor displays.

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To facilitate exporting of services rather than of people, policy interventions must be aimed at honing skills needed by local business.

This is a policy advocacy of Dr. Romeo Reyes, visiting Research Fellow of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and Consultant of the EU-assisted Trade Related Technical Assistance Project 2 (TRTA2).

Reyes argued that the government needs to work closely with the private sector, particularly with the academe to align the skills of our graduates with the needs of local business.

This is one policy remedy that Reyes advocated to curb the export of people and facilitate the export of services.

Of the four modes of trade in services, the Philippines notably registers strong presence in mode 4, the movement of natural persons or simply the export of people.

The country has yet to exploit the three other modes, such as exporting of services via information technology (mode 1), having foreigners come to the country to avail of domestic services (mode 2) and getting multinational companies to invest in the local service sector (mode 3).

This policy imperative to match skills with local industry needs is also supported by the findings of the studies commissioned by the Philippine Services Coalition, another EU-funded undertaking, to assess the global competitiveness of the country’s services sector, such as health and wellness, maritime, education, accounting and engineering, among others.

Based on said studies, it appears that the country’s prospects for trade in services is rather far-fetched as local firms experience shortfall in the supply of qualified workers.

As cited in one of said studies, one of the major challenges faced by the accounting sector is the deterioration in English proficiency of the graduates.

The business process outsourcing (BPO), a key income-and job-generating sector, also complained about the deterioration in the quality of graduates.

While there are around 600,000 students enrolled annually in business administration and related courses, only a small fraction of these would qualify due to poor English communication skills.

A study on Philippine educational services cited that the deterioration in the quality of graduates only reflects the shortage of masterally-qualified instructors and professors and the ill-designed college programs.

Said paper underscored the need to revise the accounting program, which has 60 percent coverage on general subjects, with no courses that address BPO, no apprenticeship before taking the Certified Public Accountancy (CPA) examination, and no post-graduate program in accountancy.

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Techno gadgets displayed at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas usually flop more often than they pop. This year's show, however, delivered many products that are bound to make a difference for years to come.

Microsoft provided a sneak peek at a radical new version of Windows, Verizon showed the first consumer gadgets for a wireless network that's faster in many cases than wired broadband, and many manufacturers showed tablet computers with the potential to give Apple's iPad a run for its money.

The show itself, the largest trade show in the Americas, was back in high form, after two lean years. A pre-show estimate put attendance at more than 126,000 people, and the crowds pointed to attendance well above that, but perhaps not as many as the 141,150 people that showed up in 2008.

Here are the can't miss developments from the show, which ended on 9 January 2011:

1. Tablets
   
   Touch-screen tablet computers crowded the show, as brand names large and small showed off a slew of devices meant to compete with Apple Inc.'s iPad.
   
   From a hardware standpoint, companies touted features that the iPad doesn't yet have, such as front- and rear-facing cameras for video chatting and taking high-definition videos and the ability to operate over wireless carriers' new and forthcoming high-speed networks, together known as 4G.
   
   As for software, the upcoming Honeycomb version of Google Inc.'s Android software seemed a popular choice. Many of the tablets unveiled — such as the Xoom from Motorola Mobility Inc. — will run Honeycomb, which is more geared toward tablets than current versions of Android, which has its roots in smart phones and their smaller screens.
   
   Some tablets shown will run the Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 7 PC software, though. And the business-focused 4G PlayBook, which comes from BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Inc., runs RIM's own software.


2. Verizon's First Consumer 4G Devices
   
   Verizon Wireless lit up its 4G network in December, with limited coverage but unsurpassed data speeds. The network uses fresh, uncrowded spectrum and is designed from the ground up to carry data, resulting in connections that in many cases beat the speed of DSL lines and cable modems. (In the long run, with more people on the network, Verizon expects download speeds to average 5 to 12 megabits per second, comparable to non-premium cable modems.)
   
   For now, only plug-in laptop modems can take advantage of it, but at the show, Verizon showed off smart phones from Motorola, LG Electronics Inc., HTC Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. set to arrive in the first half of year, along with two tablets.
   
   However, Verizon promptly stole its own thunder by inviting journalists to a second press conference on Tuesday in New York, less than a week after its big reveal in Las Vegas. It's widely believed that Verizon will announce that it will start selling Apple Inc.'s iPhone, now available in the US. exclusively through rival AT&T Inc. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that this is the case.
   
   AT&T is building its own 4G network, and plans to have it up and running this summer. In the meantime, it indicated at the show that it's starting to call its 3G network "4G."


3. Windows Running on Cell Phone Chips
   
   The computers looked half-finished, with exposed components, and ran what looked like plain vanilla Windows 7. Under the hood, though, these computers had components that signal a seismic shift for Microsoft and the PC industry.
   
   Instead of running on processors from Intel Corp. or Advanced Micro Devices Inc., the mainstays of Windows PCs for three decades, these computers were running on cell-phone-style chips based on designs from ARM Holdings PLC. That could mean laptops and tablets with longer battery lives, and give Windows a better chance of gaining a foothold in the emerging world of tablet computers.
   
   Apple Inc.'s hit iPad tablet runs on an ARM-based chip, which is part of the reason it can last 10 hours on one charge. Microsoft didn't say when an ARM-based version of Windows might be available, but indicated that it's at least a year away.


4. Intel and AMD Strike Back
   
   Intel and AMD, whose processors are the "brains" of PCs, unveiled new chips with significant design changes, in part to help them hold off threats from tablets and smart phones. The idea is to make traditional, low-cost computers using their chips more competitive with the mobile devices.
   
   The new designs promise to make computers better at doing graphics-intensive tasks and playing video. Intel and AMD are doing this by putting graphics capabilities, historically handled by a separate chip, on the same silicon as the computer's main, general-purpose processor. That means data move more quickly.
   
   An added benefit is longer battery life, an important quality if these chips are to be competitive with those used in tablets. With the functions on the same chip, the power the parts need to talk to each other is reduced.


5. 3-D TVs With Cinema Glasses
   
   Last year's big new thing in TVs, 3-D, didn't catch on as manufacturers had hoped. One problem might be the bulky, expensive, battery-powered glasses the sets need. This year, LG Electronics Inc. is trying a different take on 3-D, with light, inexpensive glasses of the kind used in movie theaters.
   
   Vizio Inc. already sells one such set, and Samsung Electronics Co. said it was working on similar technology. In LG's and Vizio's version of the technology, the screen resolution is halved, but not everyone will notice. The flickering effect sometimes produced by the battery-powered glasses is missing, and the lighter glasses also don't darken the image as much.


6. Free TV On The Go
   
   TV broadcasters are adding signals to their towers that are designed to be picked up by portable gadgets such as small TVs, laptops and cell phones.
   
   It's unclear how interested the public will be in this technology. An earlier attempt at broadcasting subscription-based TV signals to gadgets failed for lack of interest. But gadget makers including Audivox and LG are forging ahead, providing consumers with an array of "Mobile DTV" gadgets this year. They range from portable TV sets to plug-in antennas for the iPad.
   
   A big obstacle for the technology is that cell phone carriers aren't interested in selling phones with Mobile DTV receivers.


7. High-Speed Color Printing
   
   It's not often that a new printing technology comes along. After all, both inkjet and laser printing have been with us for decades. Now, a startup called Memjet promises a significant twist on inkjet printing. The technology allows a desktop printer to spit out one page per second in color, at low cost.
   
   Instead of having a print head that moves back and forth across the page, it has a head that's stationary and spans the whole page. The printer should be on the US market this year through an undisclosed partner, priced around US$ 600.

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It is already a known fact that with the popularization of broadband network, playing online-games has become one of most popular behavior. It is­ the latest and the most convenient form of entertainment available for the whole family, regardless of income status.

Online games enabled people to connect with each other across time and space. It also fosters the formation of social networks and personal communities. By providing spaces for social interaction and relationships beyond the workplace (or school) and home, online communities and virtual environments have the potential to function as new third place similar to pubs, coffee shops, and other hangouts.

However, not all things in the online gaming world is rosy and sweet. In the world of online casinos, authorities suspect that money laundering takes place. They think it is being used as a front to take and transfer funds from players not protected by regulatory legislation.

In the United States, online sportsbooks often launder money to get around U.S. law, but still abide by their licensing requirements, which in effect protects the bettors from unfair treatment. For U.S. bettors, however, they have no recourse if something bad befalls them, which is precisely why it is important for American citizens to only gamble at reputable online establishments accepting U.S. funds - not just any online casino claiming to accept U.S. bettors.

It is no wonder then that many visit and get their information from Online Casino Bluebook before they enter the online casino gaming. It­ is really an online casinos review site which list down online gambling sites that accept USA players from all American states with No Restriction.

The list provided by the site include online casinos that offer large bonuses, welcome bonuses and free no deposit bonuses. It also has a list of a­ll types­ o­f casi­no­s g­ames lik­e all po­k­er­ c­asin­o­, C­ar­ibbean­ g­o­ld­ c­asin­o­, c­lub UK­ c­asin­o­, c­lub US c­asin­o­, silv­er­ d­o­llar­ c­asin­o­, slo­t­ st­an­d­ c­asin­o­, among others.

The important thing about Online Casino Bluebook is that it does not support any attempt of owners of to disguise their financial transaction so that it appears to be involved in a legitimate and legal enterprise. It may hurt several online casinos and sportsbooks, but it helps protect the American economy and bettors from unscrupulous individuals and companies.

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Amid increasing concern about the effects of climate change, the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation, Inc. (CFIF) signed up for a project that aims to help manufacturers of furniture, fashion accessories and gifts, decors and houseware become sustainable.

The project, dubbed the SMEs (small and medium enterprises) for environmental Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency (SMART) Cebu, is funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development under the EU Switch Asia Program. It is implemented together with the business membership organizations of the creative sectors, CFIF, the Cebu Fashion Accessories Manufacturers and Exporters (Cebu Fame) and the Cebu Gifts, Toys and Housewares (Cebu GTH).

The project, which runs for three years, promotes clean production, development of environment-friendly products and tapping green markets in Europe and Asia.

It’s ultimate goal is to help Cebu manufacturers improve their competitiveness and contribute to a greener environment for Cebu.

Under the project, CFIF hired two nucleus counsellors (NCs) who are tasked to meet companies and find out their needs. The NCs will serve as the member-companies liaison to their business management organization (BMO) that will, in turn, develop strategies to address the needs of the member-companies. Thus, the work of the NCs also serves to strengthen the BMO.

At the end of three years, SMART Cebu aims to capacitate BMOs-CFIF, Cebu FAME and Cebu GTH-to promote and effectively channel sustainable consumption and production; develop an effective marketing strategy to book sales of green products from Cebu; and promote cleaner and more efficient processes in the production of home and lifestyle products in Cebu.

The project, through the BMOs, intends to offer advisory services on sustainable consumption and production, business matching events, tailor-made trainings and skills enhancement and expertise on improved production processes. It also wants to help companies realize savings through improved use of resources, like water and electricity.

The project is implemented by Sequa GmbH with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines as coordinator.

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Aiming to increase economic engagement in the Asia-Pacific region, the United States highlighted its priorities when it hosts APEC in 2011.

The announcement was made during an informal preparatory meeting of APEC Senior Officials in Honolulu, where President Obama will host APEC leaders in November 2011.

The United States emphasized the importance of accelerating growth and creating jobs across the region by addressing specific concerns for improving the trade and investment environment.

As APEC host in 2011, the United States will prioritize concrete initiatives that build a "seamless regional economy" by achieving outcomes in specific priority areas, including:

1. strengthening regional economic integration and expanding trade;


2. promoting green growth; and


3. expanding regulatory cooperation and advancing regulatory convergence.

At the meeting convened at the historic East-West Center in Honolulu, US Senior Official Kurt Tong and his team proposed several policy areas for APEC officials to focus on in 2011. In addition to discussing how to organize the meetings for results-oriented outcomes, the United States explained that it will work with its partners to ensure the organization and its leaders remain relevant and accountable.

"In 2011, APEC is tasked with strengthening economic integration by working to define, shape, and address the next generation trade and investment issues that should be included in 21st century trade agreements in the region, including a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP)," said Tong. "This will contribute to eliminating non-tariff barriers to trade and preventing new barriers from emerging."

he U.S. official also suggested that "APEC should adopt policies and regulations that foster innovation and promote the use of information and communication technologies, and advance structural reform objectives in APEC economies."

"APEC has pledged to work to promote green growth and help our economies make a successful transition to a clean energy future. The United States aims to advance APEC’s work to address barriers to trade in environmental goods, including non-tariff measures related to advanced technology demonstration products, such as vehicles, as well as remanufactured and recycled goods," Tong added.

"Addressing barriers related to technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment requirements is essential to lowering the costs of doing business and strengthening regional economic integration," Tong concluded.

The United States also announced that Michael Froman, President Obama’s deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs, will chair the formal APEC senior officials’ meetings during the U.S. host year.

APEC officials will meet throughout the year in the United States. They will converge in Washington, D.C. for their first meeting in March and again in Big Sky, Montana in June. Their final preparatory meeting will take place in San Francisco in September. Finally, the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will be held in Honolulu in November 2011.

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