BEFORE I start blabbering again let me remind you first of The Chernobyl Virus which activates on April 26. Last year we saw many countries--including the Philippines--hit by this virus. Let's not do a sequel of this horror movie, shall we?

Chernobyl attacks the hard disk and flash BIOS of computers running Windows 95 or 98, and since I bet most of you are smart enough not to have migrated yet to Windows 2000, I assume some of your systems are still prone.

On with our story.

Most of you out there--especially the cybersquatters and aspiring dotcom netpreneurs--probably know that "whois" is a program cum search engine which searches the database of domains registered on the Internet. To find out if a certain domain is already taken by your competitor or your next-door neighbor, you perform a "whois" query.

Well, this week I'll be starting a "whois" of my own, but this one talks about people and companies in the IT industry.

For example, "whois" this Asian with a Western name who registered the domain name of a big computer company? I don't know how he was able to do it, considering the supposedly strict anti-cybersquatting measures being taken by domain name registrars nowadays. Still, this person was able to get away with it. What he'll do with the domain, or what the big computer company will do to him, we'll find out in a few weeks or so. Could this be another PLDT vs Gerry Kaimo in the making, albeit in a larger scale?

And, "whois" this group of Filipinos setting up their own domain registrar on the web, promising one-year registrations of top-level domain names below $35 (around $27?)? Sorry, guys, but I already get mine for $12.50 a year from someone else. Still, I hear these guys are gonna offer more than domain name registration--going well into hosting, site development, e-commerce implementation and others.

And, finally, "whois" this new group of netpreneurs who struck oil (the venture capitalist type of oil, that is)? I hear they're making beautiful music nowadays, having hit paydirt after only a few months of operations. What can I say? Congratulations to you guys, I really wish I could say more. . .

Ever heard of www.quios.com? We featured the site here in Infotech about three weeks ago, and since then I've heard many satisfied users checking the site out. Quios allows you to send text messages or SMS for free to various carriers in the world using a GSM network, including our very own Globe Telecom and Smart Communications. Problem is, last week, for some reason, text messages from Quios to Globe have been blocked. Tried it myself, and was getting the hang of texting using my keyboard and all 10 fingers instead of using the cell phone keypad and one sore thumb. And then I got this message:

"Your Q-Message to (number) was blocked by the receiver. If this is a Philippine carrier, we are temporarily unable to send messages. We apologize for any inconvenience."

What gives here? Are Globe and Smart blocking text messages from Quios? I know these two carriers value their SMS service and make tons of money out of it, but blocking such a worldwide, generic service on a universal platform such as the Internet is really despicable. Say it ain't so, Globe and Smart people. Next thing you know these guys will come out with their own Internet services in their own websites where you can text via the web--for a fee, of course.

Geez.

Good thing there's another such service on the web similar to Quios. I've been using this one for about a week now, but they only allow three free text messages per day. But if I tell you about it here in Infotech like we did with Quios three weeks back, we might find their service to local GSM networks blocked also, like what they did to Quios. So, sorry, you have to find out for yourselves what the URL is.

Which brings us to Dialpad (www.dialpad.com) and Hot Telephone (www.hottelephone.com). Dialpad and Hot Telephone allow you to call people abroad for free using voice over IP.

Before, we used to have particular software like Freetel which had to be installed on both sending and receiving PCs (equipped with mics and headphones, of course) for us to talk to each other via the Net. Now, with Dialpad and Hot Telephone, only the calling party has to be on the web since the party being contacted will receive the call on his or her telephone unit, not via the computer.

It's quite obvious how this may affect local carriers with international gateway facilities.

The question is: How long will Dialpad and Hot Telephone continue to be used before the country's favorite telephone monopoly steps into the picture and spoil this wonderful technology, the same way text messaging via Quios was put to an end?

And so it's official. Darren Lockie is no longer chief of Microsoft Philippines. In his place is Richard Francis from Malaysia. We welcome Richard and bid adieu to Darren. Wherever you are, Darren, I want you to know that I had my head shaved, too. No kidding.