Globe Telecom launches Anti Text Spam Campaign.

"Pre-selling condo in Global City, Taguig! We offer no DP, 0% interest!"
"Interested in getting a cash loan? Get as much as 500K, no collateral, no cash out easy approval!"
"Congratulations, your sim number won Php 1M! Call this number to claim your prize."

I only like spam if it comes from a can. :)

Sounds familiar? These are but one of the many text messages that I've encountered throughout the years. They're spam messages - unsolicited, come from unfamiliar numbers, and often times annoying.

Is there a way to avoid receiving spam messages like these? Apparently, there is.

Globe Telecom launched a campaign to address continuing proliferation of unsolicited promotional materials sent through short messaging service or text messages, commonly known as text spams, which many subscribers find to be annoying and bothersome.

"To help reduce, if not eliminate, text spams, the telecommunications provider has put in place several channels through which subscribers can report text spams", said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Head of Corporate Communications.

Subscribers may report via the Globe website through Talk2Globe Chat (http://chat.globe.com.ph); send a message through Globe Contact Form (http://globe.com.ph/talk2Globenow) and by tweeting @Talk2GLOBE on Twitter. Subscribers can put in the number, the exact message, and the time and date the text spam was received. "Numbers that are reported to be source of text spams are first sent warnings and those that are persistent source of text spams are deactivated from the service", Crisanto said.

How to block spam messages on your Android device.

While the company takes utmost care in safeguarding data, records and documents gathered in the process of conducting business, subscribers should also take caution in writing down any personal information including mobile phone numbers. “Anyone who has access to numbers can create a database. Collection of numbers can come from registration to events and websites, prepaid loading from sari-sari stores, to text validation of mobile apps, and more. Major sources can be mobile marketing companies, app and web developers, load merchants, private and public establishments as well as through mobile generator programs,” she said.

Globe Telecom also disputes an online report that telcos sell customer numbers to database marketing companies. “Our valued subscribers can rest assured that we treat customer numbers with utmost confidentiality in line with the company’s security policy,” Crisanto emphasized. “We are aware and take note that spam text messages continue to cause inconvenience to many of our subscribers We want to assure our customers that we are committed in our drive against text spams,” she added.

How to block spam messages on your iPhone.

Many subscribers complain of getting an average of 5 to 10 text spams a day. Spam messages are usually sent by prepaid numbers as they are untraceable and are easily disposable. Spammers also don’t need to specific numbers to send spam messages to as they make use of USB GSM modems and they spam number ranges.

The National Telecommunications Commission had previously issued a memorandum circular prohibiting any unauthorized broadcast messaging services. The memorandum provides that any individual or business entity who wants to send broadcast messages needs to register first with the NTC for authorization. Legitimate text blasts approved by the regulating agency are properly identified and do not carry 11-digit numbers.

Compare Mobile Phone Insurance.

The increasing number of people searching for mobile phone insurance online is simply unbelievable. With brands like Protect your Bubble and Gadget Buddy all offering insurance policies including loss and accidental damage cover, finding the right company to insure our mobile phones has become a task in itself.

Whilst searching online today looking for mobile insurance for my new phone I found a comparison site offering nothing else other than mobile insurance - Mobilephoneinsurancecomparison.com.

I found the site fairly easy to navigate, the home page has a compare your handset button which directs you to a page with a number of mobile phone brands including Blackberry, iPhone and Samsung.

The next stage is to select the value of your phone, I chose £400 -£500 and then pressed the next button in order for a comparison table to appear, a few seconds later a long list of insurance companies were in full view.

Fantastic I thought, a simple list with prices and details of insurance cover. The companies I had seen advertising on TV were on the list as were a couple of insurance companies I had never heard of. It only took a few minutes and I had made my choice. £5.99 a month, full cover including loss and accidental damage. On direct debit, I'm covered from today. (One of the sites didn't cover me until 30 days). Vodafone wanted to charge me £14.99 a month. Big saving...yipee!

Like me, If you are looking for insurance for a mobile phone or want to check to see if you can make a saving on your current insurance provider, give this site a look— mobile phone insurance comparison.

Note: This is a guest post.

Hello Baby, Hello, Brio!

In this day and age of fast-paced technology where all sorts of high-tech toys and gizmos are abundant, and where toddlers learn their nursery rhymes from tablets and Android applications, it's nice to know that there are still classic, old-school toys available in the market today.

Hello Baby is a London-based online nursery and baby shop that sells such toys. Founded in 2007 by Trevor Ginn, Hello Baby believes that toys should be fun and educational. Hence, they provide a wide-range of toys - from the modern to the traditional - that keep the little ones amused and help develop their senses.

This Brio Race Car is a perfect example.

Made of wood and lead-free paint, this race car is perfect for toddlers to play with, and still suitable for my son's age. (Yue is three, by the way.) Simple as it may look like, this traditional toy racer can provide hours of entertainment as it enhances the imagination and develops eye-hand coordination of your child.

In Europe, Brio toys are a common sight in preschool classrooms and childcare centers. The brand has become a household name with their quality lead-free toys and eco-friendly children's products.

Although the £6.19 price tag may be expensive for some, to me this is still better than those cheap plastic toys that may be laden with lead, mercury, and other toxic chemicals. When it comes to my son, his safety comes first.

And for someone who learned how to operate an iPhone at 24-months old, and has unlocked almost all of the stages in Angry Birds, it's amazing how much the little man enjoyed this simple toy. He loves it so much that he even takes it to bed with him!

The Brio Race Car comes in four colors - green, red, blue, orange. Hello Baby ships worldwide, terms and conditions apply.

*Product was sent free of charge for review purposes. Thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.