tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33207822026552629922024-03-14T13:18:34.011+06:00ThimphuTech.comTechnology, food and happiness in BhutanBoazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.comBlogger491125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-78266518788987907692018-01-31T09:06:00.000+06:002018-01-31T09:11:38.735+06:00The Strava heat map and trekking in BhutanOnline data privacy is a major concern for consumers and governments alike. This week the fitness app Strava, used by millions to track their sports activities, released a global "heat map" showing how their users move about. The heat map quickly became a hot topic for security experts, as the map can be used to identify secret military bases around the world. Governments around the world are nowBoazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-81788530328855499912014-11-19T08:44:00.005+06:002014-11-19T10:17:36.985+06:00Can Lantern be useful in Bhutan's schools?Launched in 2013, the Sherig Collection is a free, offline set of educational resources for all schools in Bhutan. The resources can be loaded on a 32 GB pen drive or an external hard drive. It does not require internet, and can be installed on any Windows machine. Content includes Wikipedia, Khan Academy, and many other resources tailored to the Bhutanese curriculum.
In the last couple of Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-26890282470026288442014-11-07T12:36:00.000+06:002014-11-07T12:36:13.608+06:00@KuenselOnline Publishes a Correction. What about @BBSBhutan?
Three days after we first wrote about the mis-reporting of Bhutan's Ease of Doing business ranking, the Kuensel published a correction on its front page. Kudos to the newspaper for taking responsibility and informing the public.
Hopefully BBS will soon follow suite.
Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-37607728439194345192014-11-02T08:30:00.002+06:002014-11-02T12:04:22.733+06:00Is it Really Easier to Do Business in Bhutan?Creating an environment conducive to businesses is a top priority in Bhutan. The private sector is where jobs are created. That's why the World Bank's annual Doing Business report, which includes the famous Ease of Doing Business ranking, is a yearly ritual that businesspersons, investors, decision makers - and the public - are watching carefully. The report for this year was published Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-68216534018932549992014-08-31T10:36:00.000+06:002014-09-17T17:58:22.347+06:00Turn off annoying Facebook feature, save money and bandwidth
In case you are using Facebook - and in Bhutan, who isn't?- you may have noticed an interesting change in your news feed in the last few months: as you scroll through the feed, videos posted by friends start to play automatically. The videos play silently (thank goodness for that!). Clicking on the video will turn on the audio. In the ever constant battle among the media companies to get Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-68308067244711658812014-08-25T13:58:00.002+06:002014-08-25T19:31:43.857+06:00Dzongkha smells like "incense burning under a starlit sky"I first wrote about the Dzongkha perfume in 2011. I recently bumped into "Perfumes: The A-Z Guide" at the local library. This is a fat perfume "bible" which contains reviews of (almost) every perfume on the planet. I was happy to see that "Dzongkha" got a raving four-star review!
Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-67893985734744302282014-06-27T20:26:00.000+06:002015-01-29T12:32:20.502+06:00Farewell, Bhutan (K2 #87)When I first landed in Paro six years ago, little did I know that 2008 would turn out to be an auspicious year that would be remembered in Bhutanese history as a year of tremendous events and tectonic changes: His Majesty, the 5th Druk Gyalpo, was crowned; the first ever elections for the national assembly took place; a democratically-elected government began ruling; and the constitution was Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-89977916773593009622014-05-17T20:57:00.000+06:002014-06-12T20:57:49.301+06:00Getting Hacked (K2 #86)Question of the Week
Why are so many Bhutanese websites being hacked?
— Chimmi P., Mothithang
Answer
Dear Chimmi,
In the last few years, it seems that almost every website in Bhutan underwent surgery by knives of hackers. From RGoB’s main portal (www.bhutan.gov.bt) to BOB, T-Bank, BICMA, RCSC, DPT, Royal Bhutan Police, DrukNet, tour operators, schools... you name it! Now for the news - good Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-69035773266062575372014-05-12T09:50:00.002+06:002014-05-12T09:50:24.952+06:00Google not Showing Doodles in Bhutan. Why?Two months ago, on March 8th, 2014, the world celebrated International Women's Day (IWD). On that day, as it sometimes does, the official Google home page logo was replaced with a "Google Doodle", a fun and interactive logo designed especially for that occasion. Millions of users around the world enjoyed the logo and the video that came with it (click here to see that doodle; read more Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-46828332221055670172014-05-03T20:49:00.000+06:002014-06-12T20:53:18.280+06:00Being there (K2 #85)
Question of the Week
I discovered that Facebook only allows changing a Page’s name if you are in the United States. How can I do that without leaving Bhutan?
— Namgay Zam, Thimphu
Answer
Dear Namgay,
Facebook’s policy is annoyingly discriminating against non-Americans, but luckily – as is often the case – there’s a workaround. First, how do the folks at Facebook know your location? Whenever Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-1782257133662600142014-04-19T16:54:00.000+06:002014-04-21T16:55:22.192+06:00Broadband Leakage (K2 #84)Question of the Week
My broadband account gets depleted very quickly. How can I check what the problem is?
— Aby T., Thimphu
Answer
Dear Aby,
Internet in Bhutan has rapidly evolved from being a luxury toy for occasional usage to a necessary utility used on a daily basis. With such usage, your broadband Internet bills can therefore add up rather quickly. Prepaid broadband costs about Nu Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-41198434814659608782014-04-18T11:37:00.002+06:002014-04-24T15:24:40.253+06:00Luxury mineral water brand @VEENWaters operating in Bhutan?
I was rather surprised to learn that VEEN, a luxury mineral water brand from the far-away land of Finland, will soon be starting a bottling operation in Samste, exporting Bhutan's water to India:
"The company will now be introducing two new variants - VEEN Still and VEEN Classic. VEEN Spring will be bottled from Samste, Bhutan ... The source, which VEEN purchased in November 2013, has a flow Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-88010114733557090792014-04-18T10:41:00.004+06:002014-04-19T10:56:11.787+06:00Biodegradable plates available in Thimphu
Biodegradable plates and bowls manufactured in Chuzugang from the areca nut palm tree (with the help of SNV Bhutan) have finally hit the Thimphu market. We happened to notice them in Sharchhogpa Tshongkhang on Norzin Lam, on a shelf behind the cash register. They are sturdy, visually pleasing and environment friendly.
PS: In addition to plates and bowls, there are also Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-1051082210001681092014-04-14T13:43:00.000+06:002014-04-17T13:32:13.594+06:00The benefits of a Dzongkha Typing Tutor: DzType 2.0 (Beta) releasedWith the growing reliance on computers for authoring documents, filling forms, writing essays, articles, books, etc., knowing how to type has become an essential skill. How does one learn how to type? You can take a course (IT classes at schools or courses at IT training institutes), or you can teach yourself.
Typing software (also called typing tutors or typing trainers) are a useful tool to Galit Shmuelihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119270323184007583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-24389670047993560442014-04-05T16:51:00.000+06:002014-04-21T16:51:37.258+06:00Detachment and Liberation (K2 #83)Question of the Week
I feel that Facebook is bad for me and I want to delete my account. How do I do that?
— Facebook addict
Answer
Dear Facebookaholic,
There’s a small but growing trend of people quitting Facebook. Some are worried about their online privacy. Many find that using the social network depresses them. Yet others are worried that they spend way too many hours chatting or Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-39963159207359800002014-02-15T11:28:00.000+06:002014-03-11T11:31:00.696+06:00Domain Ownership (K2 #82)Question of the week
How can I find the real owner of a website?
— T. Dorji
Answer
Dear T. Dorji,
Indeed, website ownership is often more than meets the eye and some detective work might be needed. Start by visiting the website. If the website has an “About us” or “Contact us” page, the answer to your question might appear right there. Some website owners, however, do not provide that Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-11041103748420567832014-02-15T11:05:00.000+06:002014-03-11T11:08:09.749+06:00Here, there and everywhere (K2 #81)Question of the Week
I bought the Galaxy Grand Duos smartphone but found out that it does not work in Bhutan. What can I do? Will it help if I “root” the device?
— Samten Dhendup, Sr. Survey Engineer, NLC
Answer
The Galaxy Grand Duos model that is sold in India supports the 3G bands of 900, 1900, and 2100. The bands used for 3G by Bhutan’s operators are 850 and 2100. Thus, wherever 850 is used (Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-12240390981670632582014-02-01T10:52:00.000+06:002014-03-11T10:56:52.925+06:00Social engineering (K2 #80)Question of the Week
Is it true that Google Apps is more secure than our current email systems?
— C., RGoB
Answer
Lots of resources are often invested in securing computer systems. We recently read about the government’s plan to use an online service called Google Apps to store and manage email and documents for civil servants. It was mentioned that one of the benefits of using this system is Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-11260224855329014962014-01-18T10:47:00.000+06:002014-03-11T10:48:26.081+06:00Permanence, impermanence (K2 #79)Question of the Week
How do I recover emails that were permanently deleted a few months ago?
— Samden, Chhukha
Answer
Dear Samden,
All three popular online email services - Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail (now called Outlook.com), and Google Gmail - allow you to recover recently-deleted messages. This is similar to the Recycled folder on Windows. Gmail keeps deleted messages in the Trash folder for Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-49155425367017051712014-01-04T10:37:00.000+06:002014-03-11T10:42:41.538+06:00The True Cost of Printing (#78)Question of the Week
I am looking for a cheap way to print at home. Which is cheaper, inkjet or laser printers?
— Mukul, Thimphu
Answer
Dear Mukul,
Need chilies? With a 3D printer, you justhit the print button.
Trick question! Inkjet printers are, in general, cheaper than laser printers. They can also print in colour, unlike the cheap black-and-white laser printers. If you are looking Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-59858236503047520362013-12-21T10:18:00.000+06:002014-03-11T10:21:57.792+06:00Protecting teenagers (K2 #77)Question of the Week
How do I make sure that my two teenage boys do not venture into inappropriate websites?
— Craig, Thimphu
Answer
Dear Craig,
The Internet is a fantastic invention. Left without supervision, however, curious children can easily venture into dangerous zones either intentionally or accidentally with a few mouse clicks. During the recently-started winter vacation, some Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-75755388661373233702013-12-07T09:45:00.000+06:002014-03-11T09:46:25.071+06:00The Hour of Code (K2 #76)Question of the Week
I want to learn programming in C++ and do not have any previous knowledge of other programming languages. What do you suggest?
— Mukul Dixit, Thimphu
Answer
Dear Mukul,
Learning a programming language - also known as coding - is not only fun, but an important skill. More than a way to land a high-end IT job or make a living writing mobile apps, it also provides many Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-36595727396965544582013-11-28T14:46:00.001+06:002013-12-15T21:18:38.717+06:00Bhutan's 3G band: the saga continuesI have written before on the questionable selection of the 850 MHz for use with 3G in Bhutan, instead of the more consumer-friendly 900 MHz which is used in India and other SE Asian countries. Recently, Kuensel reporter Gyaltshen K. Dorji ran a comprehensive story on this topic, An iffy 3G-frequency choice?, in which I was quoted.
Representatives from Bhutan Telecom, TashiCell, and BICMA Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-12590478534929693682013-11-23T09:39:00.000+06:002014-03-11T09:40:54.608+06:00100 Free Units (K2 #75)Question of the Week
The government is giving 100 free electricity units to domestic consumers in rural areas. How many appliances can I use for free?
— Tshomo, Dagana
Answer
Dear Tshomo,
I think you are right. No one explained what these energy units are and what they can be used for. Let’s take a look at how these units are computed. The story starts with watts. Each electrical Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3320782202655262992.post-86007057559343168492013-11-20T11:03:00.004+06:002013-11-20T11:22:46.240+06:00Broadband use in schools detrimental for grades
Internet is a powerful tool. It has to be managed carefully, especially when it comes to children. It is the opinion of this blog's authors that simply throwing technology at school students - whether it is tablets, OLPCs, or a fast Internet connection - is often not helpful. Even worse, it can have a negative effect on learning and socializing. A recently published paper by three Boazhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03233346649566261050noreply@blogger.com0