Are we too connected? Here’s an excerpt from my INQ7 Infotech @Play column piece:

I’M sure many of you have felt this way. Maybe you’ve been antsy because you haven’t been able to connect to the Internet while traveling, and find yourself wondering if you’ve missed any important e-mail. If no one has called you up on your mobile phone or you haven’t received an SMS, you might check your phone to see if it’s broken or if you’re in a dead spot.

Welcome to the digital age and a new set of anxieties, where we might actually be ending up too connected to each other and the flow of information.

Yes, sometimes SMEs really don’t have money, but even when they do they might not be making IT spending a priority.

Here’s an excerpt from my INQ7 Infotech article:

PULAI DESARU BEACH, Malaysia –Think small and medium enterprises (SMEs) don’t have the budget for information and communications technology solutions? Not so, says Anthony Lim, managing director for Asia Pacific of web application security firm Watchfire Corp. Sometimes it’s not a question of lack of money, but of not making IT a priority.

Lim recounted an amusing anecdote of how he was recently in China to try to get an SME client to purchase a firewall solution. He pointed out that many owners of SMEs actually have the money to spend on luxury items such as flashy cars, watches, jewelry and, yes, the unofficial Asian business SOP of having karaoke sessions with clients, whether potential or existing ones.

I featured Pinoy Cosplay on my CNET Asia tech blog. Check it out. 

Congratulations to CNET Asia for winning two awards at the first MediaConnect Asia Technology Journalist Awards. CNET Asia won for Best Technology Media Website, while CNET Asia’s Philip Wong won for Best Product Reviewer.

Congratulations also to Leung Wai-Leng of Straits Times’ Digital Life (Singapore) for winning as Best Gaming Journalist. Wai-Leng won an Xbox 360 and 7 Xbox 360 titles, woo-hoo!

The awards night was held on July 21 at the Pulai Desaru Beach in Malaysia, as part of the ITJourno Asia Forum 2006.

Kudos to all the finalists in the Best Gaming Journalist category. All four finalists, by the way, are members of the Asian Gaming Journalists Association, including Alex Villafania of INQ7.net (Philippines), Jaczie Lo of GameAxis (Philippines) and Blake Hoo of GameAxis Malaysia.

Congratulations too to AGJA members John Nieves of Gadgets (Philippines) and my fellow CNET Asia tech blogger Vishnu Mahmud of Jakarta Post. John was one of the finalists in the Best Product Reviewer category, while Vishnu was a finalist in the Best Consumer Technology Journalist category.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Best Technology Media Website
Winner: CNET Asia

Best Technology Industry Title
Winner: South China Morning Post

Best Business Technology Title
Winner: MIS Asia

Best Consumer Technology Title
Winner: PHOTOVIDEOi
Highly Commended: PC.com Malaysia & PC Magazine Singapore

Best Technology Industry Journalist
Winner: Jennifer Tan, Reuters

Best Business Technology Journalist
Winner: Stefan Hammond, Computerworld Hong Kong
Highly Commended: Stuart Biggs, South China Morning Post

Best Consumer Technology Journalist
Winner: David Wilson, South China Morning Post

Best Product Reviewer
Winner: Philip Wong, CNET Asia
Highly Commended: Farihan Bahrin, Tech3c

Best Gaming Journalist
Winner: Leung Wai-Leng, The Straits Times, Digital Life