Today, 23^rd of October 2010, Filipino Linux users around the world can now download and use the first release of the Philippines Unicode Keyboard Layout, officially launched during the Philippines Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat Release Party.

What is this all about? Simple: being able to type the characters that Filipinos use, especially the ₱eso sign and ᜊᜌ᜔ᜊᜌᜒᜈ᜔ (Baybayin) glyphs that has been available for use since Unicode 3.2 (March 2002). Other characters are: Ññ, ©, ®, ™, ¢, ¥, ¶, Pahilís (acute diacritic), Paiwà (grave diacritic), Pakupyâ (circumflex diacritic), Ng̃ (the shortened form of nan͠g), and many more.

How about Windows users? You will have to wait more or less 2 weeks, it will be usable for Windows 7, Vista, and XP; both 64-bit and 32-bit installations. It is now available for download.

Without further ado, here are the steps to get you started with using our very own Unicode Keyboard Layout.

Google, the largest search engine today (and the “Microsoft” of the cyberworld), is slowly deploying IPv6 across their sites. But even if you are already connected to IPv6, you will still not get an IPv6 Google.

Why? Their current IPv6 implementation is currently in its testing phase. All IPv6 access must come from a reliable network that they have to pre-approve, this is the Google over IPv6 project.

IPv6 or Internet Protocol version 6 is the answer to our IPv4 problem. What problem? By 2011 or 2012 (according to estimates), there will be no more IPv4 addresses left. This means that, anyone with a need to have a static IP address will not be able to get any for their project or service.

When this day comes, someone must start finding IP address owners who does not really need a static address and give it to someone who needs it seriously. We may even see owners starting to sell their extra IPs at a price far more expensive that what it is worth today.

Today was the Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope Release Party for the Philippine Local Community (LoCo).  The Filipino Linux and Ubuntu enthusiasts gathered together for three hours and discussed different topics about Ubuntu and Linux!

It was fun and a memorable one for me since this was my first Ubuntu Release Party.  I met interesting people, from KDE lovers (I’m a GNOME, yes, a Gnome! :p ) to programmers (developing Ruby-on-Rails applications using Ubuntu not Mac) to writers (we might show up in a major publication, watch out for it).