PhilNITS Review Course **

PhilNITS* Foundation shall be hosting an FE Review Course for all IT professionals, teachers and students, to be conducted by the PhilNITS Society in their offices in Makati, Cebu and Davao. For Davao, this will be handled by a veteran Trainor/Lecturer of the PhilNITS Society, Mr. Aloysius L. Torres (with PhilNITS-FE Certificate No. 2003-0037).

The review courses are designed for beginners and/or experienced IT professionals who want to pass the PhilNITS FE exam. There are two tracks of the Review Courses to choose from.

For more information, please feel free to call Ms. Joy Alferez, Davao Office, at telephone no. 227-9448

Grab this opportunity and outwit IT Engineers and have the IT Advantage. Prove your competence and be certified with PhilNITS. See this ad for more details.

* - Exam sites and Foundation offices based at Makati, Cebu and Davao.
** - offer available in Davao City only

Homer Simpson in CSS

o

o

o

o

(

O

O

O

\

L

(

O

O

O

O

O

\

L

(

O

|

|

\

\

|

|

\

\

\

\

(

(

8

o

o

o

(

(

8

o

o

o

o

)

)

b

o

O

o

o

o

o

o

o

)

b

o

O

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

/

/

/

•

•

•

•

•

_

_

_

•

•

•

C

C

O

(

-

My officemate showed me this picture of Homer Simpson. What you see above might be just a typical photograph of Homer. But as soon as you will see the disection of this image, you might be impressed of how the artist (Román Cortés) of this "image" made and composed this. This image was created in full CSS! For those HTML/Web newbies, CSS is used to make your webpage appear better and impressive. The power of Cascading Style Sheets enables you to arrange and customize the layout in a very flexible way. And like what this guy here (Román Cortés) did, he placed the powers of CSS to its limits. By looking at this closely, it uses letters, symbols and numbers to be able to form one masterpiece; Homer Simpson. Like what a reader has stated:

o + o + o + o + ( + O + O + O + \ + L + ( + O + O + O + O + O + \ + L + ( + O + | + | + \ + \ + | + | + \ + \ + \ + \ + ( + ( + 8 + o + o + o + ( + ( + 8 + o + o + o + o + ) + ) + b + o + O + o + o + o + o + o + o + ) + b + o + O + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + / + /+ / + • + • + • + • + • + _ + _ + _ + • + • + • + C + C + O + ( - + CSS = HOMER !!

Note: This might only give desireable results on the following web browsers:

• Internet Explorer 5.5, 6 y 7
• Opera 9
• Firefox 2
• Safari 3

Román Cortés also made a CSS version of George Bush.

Linux hails and MAC goes down the drain in CanSecWest hacking contest

I was waiting for a work order at the office while I was browsing over some forum sites. It was just recently last March 26-28, 2008 that CanSecWest held its annual PWN2OWN contest. The name of the game is simple. Any registered attendee of CanSecWest 2008 can participate as a contestant. One contestant, one machine and hack at least one, if not, all machines running in different operating systems. You hack the machine, and you own the machine. Basically, you "pawn" and you "own".

Here are the contest rules:

1. There are three target platforms all set and installed with typical client and user configurations. Once you are able to hack it, you get to keep it. These are the target:
• VAIO VGN-TZ37CN running with Linux Ubuntu 7.10
• Fujitsu U810 running with Vista Ultimate Edition SP1
• MacBook Air running in OSX 10.5.2
  
2. Each of these machines contains a special text file that holds the procedure in claiming another set of prize/s.
3. In the contest's three-day duration. Target machines are set with higher security level. First day involves hacking only with the operating system. Then moving to the second and third day, more applications will be installed on these target machines to increase its potential security level.
4. The contest was not used to exploit the performance of these platforms in terms of security. This was just to guide the vendors and buyers by addressing the vulnerability of these platforms.

Throughout the whole duration of this contest and with over 400 participants, two (2) persons emerged to successfully pawn these machines with one laptop each. These are in the name of Shane McCauley and Charlie Miller winning the MacBook Air and Windows Vista respectively.

MacBook Air was hacked first in this contest with just two minutes upon the start of the contest. This was done by utilizing some loopholes that the hacker found within the Safari Web Browser. Every thing was set in the first day and was successfully hacked on the second minute of the second day after applying user interaction with an email opened in Safari.

Second hacked was the Vista Ultimate Edition SP1. It was in some hours after the start of the second day when Vista's system was successfully dominated. It was through the Java software installed in the system. It was some in flaw of the Java-Windows combination that allowed this attack to succeed.

And the last man or the last "system" standing was the Linux System having been surviving multiple attacks from 400 hackers. There were some bugs found in the Ubuntu Linux operating system but the attendees did not want to work in making the exploit code for such bug.

With this, I leave you with your own critiques in lieu with these operating system platforms. It might impress or it might depress.

More detailed information can be found on these links:
http://cansecwest.com/post/2008-03-20.21:33:00.CanSecWest_PWN2OWN_2008
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=393788#393788
http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/08/03/28/0126221.shtml

They say MACs are virus free. I don't think so.

Similar to Linux, MAC, or what we commonly know as the Apple Macintosh Computers/Laptops, are said to be virus resistant. But just recently was the outbreak of the Newton MAC Virus. See this video for yourself. (no audio)



Now everything's really "falling"! ;)


PS: To all MAC users, it's not really a virus. hehe. It's was just for fun in line with April Fools. You can read this article about the Newton Virus.

PGO is looking for layout artists!

Philippine Global Outsourcing, formerly IDS Media, is in need of layout artists and web developers. Capture humanity in human resource. Be one of the best layout artists and developers with Philippine Global Outsourcing. To know more about Philippine Global Outsourcing, you can visit their official website at www.philippineglobaloutsourcing.com.

Note: *This demand is available only within Davao City.

Real artists do not make wallpapers

Here's a new deviation I've uploaded into my DeviantArt account. This phrase have been very common over the Graphics and Arts industry. I've decided to make a version of my own. There are two brushes used in this Digital Art. All of which ary courtesy of some users within DeviantArt. I have been composing Digital Art Works with color details. Now, this is the first time I've created my first B&W design.

Hope you enjoy this art. You can download this if you want. Just visit my DeviantArt profile thru jreflores.deviantart.com. I have more art works there.

DeMolay turns 89

Just recently last March 18, 2008, millions of members of the International Order of DeMolay cordially celebrated the Founding Anniversary of this Youth Organization. In the Philippines, various chapters in the National Capital Region celebrate this occasion with an overnight party with their members gathered in one venue.
In Mindanao, particularly Davao City, it's only DeMolay chapter, the Feliciano Iñigo Chapter, celebrated the anniversary of this youth organization with amusement and enthusiasm. As the tradition continues, this anniversary is celebrated with a motorcade and tour around the City of Davao. Of course, this is participated with various brethren both members of the FIC and other visiting brothers from different chapters in Mindanao, specifically Region XI.
Moreover, after the slight city tour bustling with the city's traffic, the members stop at a charity residence in Juna Subdivision in Davao. The FIC members stopped over the Missionaries of Charity and donated one sack of rice for this charity institution. Afterwhich, they continued until they have returned to the Davao Masonic Center.
With this momentous event, the members, not only from FIC, but also those from all over the world, joined in fellowship in commemoration of this day. With the 89 years of the Order's existence, we continue the doings of the martyred hero whose name we have taken upon our lips. As members of this great order, we value and practice the great teachings and ideals that we have based our lives to be worth living for.
On this 18th day of March of the year 2008, we continue the 89 years of making the "idea" stronger which has been started by the "man" and the "boy" has coined and organized. God bless the purposes of the Order of DeMolay.

AdDU SCB Exit Conference 2007

After another whole school year round of challenges in the academe and extra-curricular lives, the 2007-2008 SAMAHAN Central Board Officers completes their term and brings it to a formal close with the SAMAHAN Exit Conference. This event was held within the Ateneo de Davao College premises last March 18, 2008.
With lots of fun games and team building activities, the Incoming and Outgoing Officers of the SAMAHAN Central Board enjoys and brings the excitement in this activity. For a complete academic school year, the incumbent officers of SCB served and brought about the the students the responsibility that they ever had to do. Some Ateneans might say that these officers are worthless of their positions and offices, but never did they know what truly it is being inside the Central Board. They may have failed to pursue their individual interests "for" the students, but as I see mi co-officers, they truly deserve to be commended of trying their hard to please and bring to the students what they have been working hard for.
To all the outgoing officers, CONGRATULATIONS for a work well done. And to all incoming officers, GOD BLESS and ahead lies a challenge that is waiting for you.

PS: Click this link for more pictures from this event.

My Graduation

Finally, after four years of enduring Mathematics, Programming, and Computers, I have finally graduated. For over four years of my homestead in my alma matter, I have left a legacy that I know that is worth of achievements in my study. I'm quite frustrated of not receiving any honors at all, but at least I'm happy of receiving some other special awards.

• Blue Knight Award - Who could not receive this if you have been in the Ateneo for over 14 years! And for the 14 years that my family have kept paying the school, it's only a certificate that I can get from being so loyal. huhu.. *sigh*
• CS Division Award - Out of the 40 or so students who are graduating from the Ateneo Computer Studies, I'm really happy that my division has chosen me to receive this award. For the active participation and time that I have rendered to the division in my four years in college, it has all paid off with this award. Thanks to CS Div. *wink*
  
• Most Outstanding ITE Student for Region XI - This is also another special award that PSITE (Phil. Society of IT Educators) has given me. Out of the thousands of CS, IT and IM students in Region XI, I, together with a student from UIC and another student UM where the three lucky recipients of this award.

Amidst all the hardships and difficulties I have experienced in my college life, I'm just happy having endured and surpassed all of it. I'm just so happy that I have finally graduated. :)

My Japanese Name

After all the pain staking days of trying to learn the Japanese language, I now have my Japanese name written.

here's my name.

ジェシュルン　レイ　フロレス