Warning: Clever new tricks to steal money. Read this!
Having several friends whose money was stolen related to Internet and communication tricks, I would like to share details of two such events, hoping that this information will help others not to become victims of similar fraud.
The “hotel attacked” trick
A friend of mine in Phnom Penh, who travels from time to time internationally, lost US$4,000 – well, first his friends lost this, bacause they wanted to help him; now they have to see how to share the damage. I am on his Internet mailing
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The Future of the Khmer Language on the Internet
The Mirror, Vol. 15, No. 709
The Internet – specially the two Social Networks of Facebook (more here) and Twitter (more here) – brought hundreds of millions of people world-wide in new ways into special relations of – mostly public group – communication. Both networks have also thousand of active participants in Cambodia.
Recently, there was also a discussion started about the fact that many people in Cambodia use Romanized Khmer on these networks - “Urgent!!! We have to promote the usage of Khmer Unicode, or else the Khmer language will disappear and Romanized Khmer will replace our language in the cyberworld.”
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Technical Ministry Staff Challenges Higher Authorities
Since a couple of weeks ago, there was confusing and contradicting information about Internet accessibility in Cambodia – not in general, but as a result of interference and censorship. Some web sites, critical of the government, were not accessible.
There were several confusing aspects:
- The blocking did not happen at the same time at all Internet Service Providers [ISPs], so it could not be – as initially and unofficial claimed - a technical problem at the source; there were widely different explanations
- "We do not know what happens"
- "We don't block anything"
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Free Open Source Software at “FOSS Asia”
The Mirror, Vol. 15, No. 701
I have been a supporter of Free Open Source Software – FOSS – for several years, and in 2010, I learnt so much more about how FOSS could be used in order to help tackle copyright issues of software and even more, of an important sector of a developing country like Cambodia, such as education. So, I grabbed a chance to join the FOSS Asia event which took place in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam from 12 to 14 November last year.
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The Subscription Function for The Mirror – Some Technicalities
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 689
Until the end of the month of August 2010, The Mirror was published daily – though sometimes with some delays related to technical problems, or because I was traveling and could not accomplish things in time. We had to discontinue to produce daily English translations from the Khmer press for financial reasons with the end of August. But the fact that we had a regularly increasing number of visits per month (starting with zero at the beginning of 2007 and up to and over ten thousand earlier in 2010) and letters of interest from readers were an encouragement to continue in a new form.
Phnom Penh as Radio Paradise
With all due respect to those who toil at Phnom Penh's LOVE FM station, it's not a radio station I or many of my friends care to listen to for the music, Anglo males in their mid-fifties clearly not being their primary target market.
Fortunately download speeds have increased in Cambodia enough to make internet radio a viable option for the music lover of any age. And the radio apps available for the iPhone have made me an absolute convert to internet radio. The multitasking capability of IOS 4.0 means I can listen to internet radio AND use the iPhone for other time-wasting activities simultaneously.
The Influence of the Internet on Cambodia
The Mirror, Vol. 14, No. 684
During the weekend a week ago – 25 and 26 September 2010 – the third Barcamp was held I Cambodia: a meeting of mainly young computer enthusiasts, with 941 registered participants. It was a self-organized meeting, organized by 40 volunteers – no big business or NGO or government agency achieved this, but enthusiasm and dedication of many individuals made it possible.
UDATE: First Cambodian Space Ship launched, Mission accomplished
UPDATE: Launch was successfull, See more impressive pictures from the balloon rising into the sky over Cambodia into the space.
It might be a bit late, but due to travel and connections issues I could not find the time for this review. The headline might be a bit misleading: Of course there is no space ship, but actually something is leaving Cambodia into the outer space. It looks like a weather balloon, and it is supposed to launch today depending on a Go from the builders.
Phnom Penh guide for BarCamp Phnom Penh 2010 international participants
Barcamp Phnom Penh (25 and 26 September this year) attracts visitors from around South East Asia and beyond. If this is your first visit to Phnom Penh, below are some pointers that might be useful.
Airlines and getting there
If you are in South East Asia, the best way to get to Phnom Penh is via the budget airlines. You can get these for around 150to 200 USD.
AirAsia (From Malaysia and Thailand)