It's Not Me, It's The Coffee Table

Apakah Zaman Kini?

2010-12-27T16:46:00.002+08:00

Dulu ada zaman purba, zaman ais, zaman batu. La ni, zaman Che Det, zaman Proton dan zaman water filter.

Tapi yang nak sembang ni, pasal weols orang moden, zaman Raja Network (networking) Sosial. Tinjau2 skit, nampak gaya ada satu collision Big-Bang, bukan Big-Ben yang London Bridge Is Falling Down tu ya, tetapi big-bang yang tercetusnya di antara manusia kategori baby-boomers, generasi X, Y mahupun generasi upcoming, Z. Dan letopan Big Bang ini semua berlaku di Taman Facebook.

Ya, lebih tepat, inilah zaman Facebook. Dulu kala, hanya generasi Y mengamalkan kaedah social networking melalui Friendster apabala. Generasi X hidup dalam zaman kedekut SMS dan beli kad Raya. Kini, semua rojak 1kuali.

Anyway, zaman FB ni, rupa2nya penggerak satu teknologi. Sebagaimana porno penggerak daya maju internet dan rasuah penggerak daya maju politik, begitulah Facebook penggerak daya maju dunia telefon pintar. Kita guna terma 'smartphone' lah ya. Geli bila sebut telefon pintar.

Demi FB, tetiba BlackBerry jadik famous. Diorang pun terkejut. Rupa2nya, sistem diorang yang bisnes-sentrik sesowai sangatlah untuk membela Tamagochi masa kini yang dikenali sebagai Facebook ini. Bermulalah orang meng-update status via BlackBerry bagi setiap suapan harian, anak pandai la, anak sakit la, suami balik lambat la, baby berak la.. letih saya.

Ini merupakan satu oportuni yang hebat. Nokia kata, kalau aku letak tulisan Facebook, mesti laku fon aku. Tapi depa lupa, takat fon boleh berFB, kalau takdak data plan, tarapapapa la Cokia oi.

So si BlackBerry ni pun suka la pasal depa punya sistem siap dengan data plan, bang. Pastu siap discover keindahan instant messaging. Then email pulak. Peh, senang hidup siut kalau ada BlackBerry nih. SMS? Zaman kartun Thundercat tu bang.

Pastu mai la hat lain. iPhone la, Android la. Etc etc. Tapi kalau takdak data plan, hampeh jugak la. Bagaikan letak air-con di rumah, tapi pasang kat 32'celcius pasal nak sep duit. Atau ada komputer kat rumah, tapi takde internet. Aaa, contoh kedua lebih senang nak faham.

Kembali ke landasan, dari segi teknologi dan ekonomi, sebenarnya terdapat banyak pengaruh positif dari zaman Facebook ini.

Pertama, lebih ramai orang menjadi hensem dan smart kerana dulu Nokia, sekarang smartphone. Dari sudut sosiologi, ini positif.

Kedua, perbalahan tanpa vokal yang lebih efektif. Ya, dengan teknologi smartphone, perbalahan atau pergaduhan tanpa vokal yakni SMS akan lebih efektif melalui penggunaan instant messaging. Ini adalah kerana IM lebih cepat dan mempunyai banyak emoticons. Cuma saya hairan kenapa emoticon middle-finger masih belum dicipta. Mungkin ianya susah dari segi teknikal. Tapi itulah gesture yang sering manusia gunakan semasa penggunaan telefon.

Ketiga ialah email. Email ni, kalau difikir masak2, amatlah berguna. Disinilah surat cinta atau surat ugut boleh dikrafkan secara creative. Di dalam zaman Facebook dimana smartphone digunakan, secara tak langsung akan menjadikan lebih ramai manusia kembali mengaktifkan email Yahoo-nya yang telah sekian lama bersawang akibat terlupa password. Dan di zaman Facebook, penggunakan nickname semakin berkurangan dan lebih ramai menggunakan nama betul. Jadi Oleh kerana email dipaparkan di profile page, lebih ramai akan menginsafkan email address mereka seperti dari iamagayboy@yawoo.com kepada idrismatsemah@yawoo.com.

Keempat, perkara seperti 'i know what you did last raya' bukan lagi satu statement yang mensuspenkan. Kerana, sememangnya I KNOW what you did last Raya. Siap post photo album pun. Apatah lagi status update "oh taik, aku terlanggaq orang". Tapi ada contoh2 yang lebih baik dari ini.

Kelima, tandas yang lebih bersih. Ya, amat pelik tapi benar. Penggunaan smartphone di zaman Facebook telah menyebabkan lebih banyak penfokusan terhadap kebersihan tandas, terutamanya cermin kerana disitulah kelahiran kebanyakan profile picture. Dari segi kesihatan, ini amat baik kerana mampu mengurangkan kadar penyakit berjangkit.

Keenam, meningkatkan keyakinan diri. Dari sudut saikologi, menurut Dr. Idris Mat Semah, merangkap Tokoh Saiko Zon Taiping, smartphone di zaman FB ini boleh menjatikan diri individual melalui kaedah statement dan posting gambar yang ntah apa2 dengan niat untuk memprojek diri seperti mencapai tahap kasta tertinggi. Hmm, apa la Dr. Idris nih dok cakap, saya pun tak faham. Lupakan saja point keenam ini.

Ketujuh, teknologi nano yang power. Syarikat seperti ARM telah berjaya mencipta processor yang amat power dalam pakej yang amat kecil. Imagine, 1.5Ghz dalam mesin sekecil telefon bimbit? Dulu saya main game Doom guna komputer processor 133Mhz, siap kata "wow, smoothnya!". Tapi nak download gambar Samantha Fox memang slow. Dengar cerita, BOM cost 1Ghz processor untuk iPhone 4 ialah USD10 sekeping. Peh. Hebat dan murah.

Panjang juga saya menaip ya. Guna Blackberry la katakan ehem. Setakat disini sajalah blog kali ini. Terima kasey, babai.

Tips For Healthy Living, As Told By My Roomie's Dad

2010-09-23T13:08:00.001+08:00

For the past 3 days, I was admitted into a hospital for my back injury. My roomie, Ethan, was admitted for fever. A young guy, 28 years old.

His dad, early 60s, would come to visit him every now and then. Very nice guy. He gave some tips on staying healthy, so I want to share it you.

After 40, your body is no longer the same. Your mind might be the same, but not the body. So, first thing first, lower down your stress level. Keep the blood pressure on check. Don't gamble or bet. Or even play shares. That'll keep you away from a stroke.

Next, your eating habit. Lower down seafood stuff such as crab, prawn, oyster and the likes. That'll keep you away from stones.

Next, your bowel and digestion system. Coffee and choco drinks, reduce. And eliminate gas drinks such as Cola and such. Drink lots of plain water and barley. This is one way to reduce risk of kidney problems.

Next up, just reduce your cholesterol intake. Rice, white bread, potatoes, donuts, those are carbo stuff. Reduce. Oats for breakfast, that's recommended. Ways to reduce risk of diabetes and heart related problems.

If you're overweight or under, no problem. Just keep a steady check on your food. Its a bit too late to work the flabs out of the abs. So, forget about it. As long as you're eating right, you're on the right track.

Sent via BlackBerry

2010-07-12T12:38:00.000+08:00

Latest on my WordPress:

iPhone Apps Review: Streaks $1.99. A stylish way to know how screwed you are.

BlackBerry, I miss you.

2010-07-10T17:24:00.006+08:00

I have come to a conclusion that a BlackBerry is one of life's necessity, a close fourth, right after clothes. This enlightenment came just after my blackberry crashed. And to think that I was bitching about it being a dinosaur in the iPhone era.... I had to learn, as usual, through the hard way.

Let me share, now that I'm badly missing the Berry, on what features I miss the most. Needless to say, the basic telephony features tops the list. Second, is definitely the instant messaging features. Third is the emails. And fourth is the camera.

Well, actually I miss the camera more than the emails. Anyway, I definitely do not miss the games. And when I'm out of the house, I don't really care about internet browsing via wifi. The last thing I want is for the Berry to be out of juice.

Now, would I feel the same assuming I'm using an iPhone? Well, I'm sure a lot of iphone users can answer that coz life without iPhone is quite common due to it's short battery life. But if I think logically, if the iPhone is used for games and internet browsing most of the time, if it's out, I'd probably just get a book.

BlackBerry is for convenience. iPhone is to waste time, in style. Generally speaking.

But would it mean I'm not getting the iPhone 4? Of coz not!! I'm still putting my sight and a little bit of my pay on the side every month for it. Who needs books when they can have an iPhone - the stylish time wasting machine.

But what I'm saying is, BlackBerry is just wonderful. The convenience it contributes to your life is just marvelous. Its hard to make a u-turn once you Berry yourself.

Would I be comfortable with 2 devices in my pocket? I have a few choices. Start wearing baggy pants... or get a handbag. I still have a few more months to think until the iPhone 4 gets here.

2010-07-10T17:24:00.002+08:00

Latest on my WordPress:
Which Android Phone To Choose From?

2010 World Cup, go Malaysia!

2010-07-10T17:08:00.001+08:00

Last night, all of a sudden, in the wake of German's masterclass mauling of Argentina, my wife asked me with a very serious face, "why do you support France?"

As usual, as a person who ALWAYS have a reason (or a scapegoat) for almost anything (yes, I know, I need help), I would like to share my reasons.

And please, ready yourself for the most deep rooted thought process rationalization. Hopefully, it could even help most people out there who are still walking in circles feeling lost, to finally choose a team to support for World Cup.

As a person who comes from a footballing nation that excels in village tournaments, I have the privilege to choose any country to support. And since my fellow countrymen who are directly involved in the World Cup are confined to just being the fourth officials, I can even change the teams I'm supporting during play.

But on every World Cup, I always start. by supporting France. Ask me who I'd support for 2014 World Cup... France of course. I'll tell you why later.

Typically, ladies chose which team to support by analyzing which football player appears in the People magazine most often. Players who are dating celebrities would add more weight to this already heavy analytical brain activities, that sometimes need to be hasten as it occupies the processing power of the brain to think about how to lose weight, while chomping off biscuits over coffee.

Generally speaking, of course. For me, I'm just happy that my lovely wife just stopped at "Why France?" and not continue with, "Is it because of Beckham?".

I'm not going to say I like France because of their passing game, their flair or showmanship of skills. Because in fairness, a lot of other teams do that too; Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Spain etc.

I chose France because of the country itself. It's policies on world peace and environment are exemplary. They are good friends of the West and East. They are friends of the Muslim world despite being a stronghold nation for Christianity. On top of that, my name has a close similarity to the Eiffel tower.

I'd not support Serbia because of their genocide stunt.

I'd support Chile, Brazil and Argentina because on top of their beautiful game, they party so much that they don't have time to cause nuisance to the world.

I don't support England because I have already spent so much on merchandise and satellite TV for the English Primier League. But as a nation, I hate it when they second US for war stuff. I can't think of anything that ties England with peace. Think Gandhi, Apartheid, Ireland, Mad Cow Disease and Frankie Goes To Hollywood. I can never support England knowing the damage they have caused my country. Their divide-and-conquer policy was solely responsible for the nation's imbalance and racism to this very day. But in recent time, I'm not so fond of them being USA's cheerleader for destruction.

But I'd support USA.

I love that country. The people (minus the rednecks) are great. Most of all, I love Apple, McDonalds, Facebook and Hooters. And the fact that, few hundred years ago, someone pulled a practical joke on them by giving them the book of 'Football 101' upside down, where even to this very day, they still play foot-ball with their hands, USA have come a long way to finally resist the temptation to wear make-up and tights and catch the ball with their hands and run towards the goal in tights. Have I mentioned that they actually wear tights? Actually, for that alone, I'd support USA.

I support Netherlands because the Dutch Lady chick gave me a lot of happy times when I was a spud.

I definitely support German for their massive use of the letter Z. This letter has been underutilized and ignored in almost all language. This shows that they are a caring country.

I can go on... but I think I should stop now. And I also I think I have to stop eating funny looking mushrooms.

Sent via BlackBerry

I'm not contactable via phone....

2010-07-05T01:44:00.003+08:00

This is an amazing experience. After 3 years of using a BlackBerry, I'm stuck with no phone. My Berry suddenly went bonkers and died on me.

Its a totally different feeling. I was just on Facebook via iPod Touch and was just about to send a status update that almost sounded like a suicide note:

I'm no longer contactable via twitter, instant messaging, Facebook and emails. I will also no longer be updating my blogs, forums and responding to your flickr messages. ....till I get my phone fixed.

And I was thinking, hey, wait a minute! I can still do all that with my PC! So, I deleted my post.

That's what a BlackBerry can do to you. It makes your life so convenient that you almost forgotten about how other people are doing it.

Now, I have to rely on my laptop to do all that. It's such a pain and a real waste of time. I just wanna get my Berry back and live 'normally'.

More Beijing Pictures

2010-06-27T05:04:00.001+08:00

I'm trying out a different app for uploading this blog. It's called Blogpress for iPhone. Let's see how this one goes.

Beijing 2010

2010-06-27T04:49:00.001+08:00

I went to Beijing last month. It was a family vacation. And we loved it. Beijing was marvelous. Here are some piccas.

Update: Dang it. I can't upload more than 1 picture using this iPod Touch app. I'll update when I'm back on the desktop.

My Last Blog Here...

2010-02-24T23:03:00.007+08:00

Update 28th June, 2010
I Just Realized That I Can't Leave My Lovely Blogspot. So, I Am Back. But, I've Decided To Maintain Two Blogsites. This Site Will Remain True To Its First Intent: A Venting Machine. The WordPress, Will Be My Tech Site, Where I Will Blog On Material Stuff... Stuff That I Can't Take With Me When I'm Dead.

I've decided to do a GIANT change today. As the world evolves where everything's going MOBILE, I realized that I need a blogging host that can give me flexibility to blog while on-the-go, via mobile devices.

So far, it seems that only WordPress is offering (free) apps to do that, be it from iPhone or BlackBerry. Not only that, the mobile version of WordPress's blog on an iPhone is simply gorgeous.

So, "It's Not Me, It's The Coffee Table" has migrated to WordPress.

But... being a devotee to Blogger, I've decided to keep my Blogger account...
1) As an archive of my senseless blogging since 2005...
2) And also just in case I decide to come back.

So, I'm not importing my old blogs to WordPress. The blogs in Blogger stays. And in WordPress, tt's going to be a fresh start, blogging from Ground Zero.

Anyway, thanks so much for all these time.

Blogger, I love you. And will always love you. And I will always be looking out for the day that I'll be blogging back with you :-)

Wishlist for iPhone 4th Generation

2010-02-17T01:50:00.006+08:00

The iPhone 4g is rumored to be released this year. I'm a huge fan of iPhone and am seriously hoping that they'd come up with a version that will eventually free me from my obsessive need of a BlackBerry to function in this world.

iPhone has gone thru 3 cycle of evolutions. The 3rd gen, dubbed as 3GS, which many thinks S stands for Sex, is the closest iPhone to beating a BlackBerry as a communicator. They've started to 'push' mails, FB and other stuff now. But of course, 'close' is still very, VERY far actually.

iPhone's strong point lies in being an savvy Internet device, a mind-boggling gamepod and a rich multimedia machine. Even the highest-end BlackBerry could not get a sniff of these.

But, the fundamental of a phone is as a communicator. For battery sucking applications such as internet, games and multimedia, or GPS, it's always a better idea to use stand alone dedicated devices as the last thing a person wants is a dead phone. At that moment, even the lousiest Nokia will look like a million dollar diamond.

People who are proud that their phone is a wonder phone that can even cook a pancake will always sound like a moron when he approaches you to borrow your phone due to flat battery. These features are actually meant to be used as a time-waster. Not a replacement for a PSP, GPS or netbook.

But reality check, since men don't carry handbags thus we only carry 1 device at one time, it's always been my wish to have an iPhone with a BlackBerry connectivity. So, I hope the iPhone 4G would be the one.

But being practical, Apple only needs to have these on top of it's already brilliant capabilities:

Interchangeable batteries. Either that or a fusion powered battery cell that will last for 120years.

One handed operation interface. For example, some buttons are at bottom, and some at the top. The scattered buttons are hampering one handed operation.

Better keyboard layout. I hate that 2-second brain freeze everytime I need to add a symbol or a number. And I hate that frequent accidental pressing of caps lock button. iPhone sucks at keying in. Period. We can't even customize the Autotext function!

Multi tasking. The biggest killer. Fix this.

Better instant messaging. Sorry, I think this is the biggest killer. For now, we prefer third party solutions to IM. But it still can't group IM. In fact, it has so many shortcomings, I can't describe in 1 blog. So, I'm just shaking my head on this.

Anyway, my battery is running low again. Good thing I have my BB. But I love Apple products. So, i'm really wishing for the 4G.

But another alternative is, instead of Apple cracking their head to meet my demands ;-) maybe RIM needs to perfect their devices. And seriously, there's not much for them to do;

1) Include their QWERTY devices with multi-touch screen

2) Popularize their App Store (and make it available WORLDWIDE!)

3) Enrich the internet browser (see iPhone's Safari)

Just 3 minor tweaks for RIM, and waLLa! PERFECTION!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Marsha's Joy

2010-02-11T22:56:00.001+08:00

Not everyone has a someone other than their parents, worthy enough to be called a parent. Marsha is very lucky to have found someone to love and be loved.

Old Habits: iPod Touch

2010-02-09T00:27:00.005+08:00

I have a very bad habit. Everytime before i travel, I'll buy something. Something that I made myself to think that it is a necessity.

In my latest pre-travel shopping, I torture myself thinking that I need to bring along either a netbook or an MID. Something I don't have.

And in the end, I bought an Apple iPod Touch. And to skip to the good part, i think its worth every single ringgit!

iPod Touch is basically an iPhone without the phone and camera. But it gobbles up any iPhone apps which does not use 3G/GPRS. It even looks like an iPhone!

And why I said it was worth it? I actually used it, well.. after i had to snatch it from Sara or Marsha, to perform value-added stuff which helped my travelling!

I used it to look for a shop, understand the surrounding roads via map, calculate the forex, jot down important notes and to perform web check-in with the airlines.

And on other time, there were web browsing, games, youtube, emails, facebook and tweeting.

And all that were done via a device no bigger than an average phone. Of course, I had to rely on WIFI to be connected, but nowadays, most hotels or deli would have that.

Someone asked me, why didn't I buy an iPhone instead? Well, this device is just around RM1000. And iPhone is between RM2500 to RM3000. If I had that much money to spend, I'll probably buy one. Furthermore, I just bought a new phone to replace my aging 3year old device.

Well, anyway, iPod Touch gets my thumbs up. I've always liked iPhone. I think it's a techno marvel. And therefore I knew I would love the Touch. Its no multi-tasking communicator like a BB. But for everything else (especially multi 'tabs' for Safari).... iPod Touch (or iPhone) is just simply brilliant!

Sent from my iPod

The Unwritten Rules of Pictionary

2010-01-30T18:18:00.001+08:00

#1: Increase your hearing and seeing sensitivity like a hawk or a cat. Chances are, your opponent will cheat at every chance they get.

#2: During All-Play, appoint a judge for each team. Without one, both teams will cheat.

#3: Appoint time-keeper from the opposing team. Coz the playing team will cheat at time keeping too.

#4: No mirror, even TV nearby. The reflective surfaces will be used for... yup, cheating.

#5: Snap a picture to record your position on the board. Chances are, your marker might be moved by the opponent without you knowing. For some ODD reasons, sometimes to an advanced position too.

#6: Ensure your todlers are wearing diapers. They will be ignored for the next 5-8hours.

#7: Make pre-arrangement to purchase or rent a house in another area or district. Just in case your house is torched down by angry neighbors.

#8: Have a team name. Do not use acronym. It could be misleading eg. L is chose for 'Leader'. The opposing team will, for some ODD reasons, think that its for 'Loser'.

#9: When your team member catch the other team cheating, just play along and support your team member. Even though you're not sure. After all, teamwork is key.

10#: Don't upload your Pictionary drawings in Facebook for it might be humiliating. On second thought, that's exactly the point! Load it! And don't forget to tag!

Sent via BlackBerry

You Know You're Addicted to Pictionary When...

2010-01-26T21:35:00.003+08:00

FIVE: You'd quickly grab ALL the pencils and memo pads you see during your meetings at the hotel.

FOUR: You start to think about how to draw every 6th word you hear e.g. the ball was out of court... COURT!

THREE: You called you mom to ask for cooking recipes so that you can invite your friends over and force them to play.

TWO: Ikea pencils look very tempting.

ONE: School night? What school night?

BlackBerry vs. iPhone, why is it an argument in the first place?

2010-01-21T23:17:00.002+08:00

These are 2 very different animals.

BB is a communicator. It connects you via push e-mail, IMs, Facebook, Twitter and everything that connects. And BB is not so much about the phone unit itself. It's MORE about the BlackBerry service. Each unit is 'served' by a BB server that pushes information. As for now, there is NO competition for BlackBerry.

iPhone, is... a phone with lots of features. That's it. It's a great multimedia and gaming tool. And it oozes with superb user-interface . But its no 'communicator' like a BB. It does not have a server working for it.

So, the real argument is actually iPhone vs Nokia something2 or.. vs Sony Ericson something2. Never a BB.

A person who NEEDS a communicator, just grab a BlackBerry.

A person who needs a device to play games, watch videos etc, would consider iPhone.

It's clear cut that these 2 are very different. But, as profit making organizations, Apple would LOVE to have iPhone with BlackBerry capability. And RIM would LOVE to have iPhone's user-interface and features in its BlackBerry.

As email and social-networking becoming more popular, convergence is inevitable. It's just a matter of time.

Ask me anytime, perfection is having BOTH iPhone and a BB. If only Apple strikes a deal with RIM to have BB connectivity in its iPhone...

Why BlackBerry?

2010-01-08T14:31:00.006+08:00

Here we go again, in a round-about adventure, the Coffee Table syle.

With BB, you're connected. You're logged in. You're IN the network.

With any other phone, you need to log-in to get connected.

At that juncture, BB is definitely the better option. But the problem is, it comes with a price. So, the question now: is it worth paying for BlackBerry service for such minor difference?

But on the other hand, if you use a normal phone and always 'log-in', you WILL be charged for data usage. And if you SMS like Instant Messaging and a big MMS user, at the end of the month, the amount could be MORE than paying for BB service.

Of course, if you live in Starbucks, there's no argument. The accumulation of money for BB services spent in a year is quite ridicioulous when you have WiFi and can be connected for free.

But from economics standpoint, someone IS paying for the WiFi. Be it in a form of coffee, fuel and time to drive to a WiFi point or monthly subscription. So, let's put the WiFi argument to the side and wait for the day when we can have WiFi signal emitting from our wrist-watch. So, in today's reality, to stay connected most of the time, we HAVE to use GPRS.

So, I guess, the cost of BB service is justifiable. But another question: Do we 'NEED' to be always 'connected'?

Tricky question. Mainly coz it's bounded by social norm. Still remember saying, "Bah, I don't need a cellphone, there's public phone all over."

So, to say we don't need to be "always connected" is a bit short-sighted. One day, we might have to swallow back our words. At the end of the day, human need and behavior are always bounded by social norm and economic power.

The social norm (or 'trend') in Malaysia is that the convenience of IM and e-mail in everyday life is slowly overtaking the limitations of SMS and MMS. VoIP too is catching on. All of these uses data network.

In the name of connectivity, people are already ditching their desktop for laptops to netbooks. The only logical trend is toward your cellphone. And that's where BB is already giving the solution.

But the wave will catch on only when the difference between 'stay connected' vs. 'need to log-in to be connected' will be of significance.

In a world where people don't give a crap, you must always keep it interesting.

2010-01-03T23:59:00.007+08:00

How To Take A Great Photograph?

2010-01-03T01:42:00.002+08:00

2 words: Compose It.

Yup, the only way to make a beautiful image is; to stage it. Something like studio work. You visualize an image and try to replicate it. If your visualized image is OMG. Then chances are, you photo will be OMG too.

If you notice, we don't even talk about the camera. Because, in reality, the camera can’t compose a image. Yes, it’s true, even the most Nikon of camera can’t do it. It’s just a tool. It’s not a magic wand. Only YOU can create an image and compose it via photography. The Operator.

Before photography was invented, an image had to be drawn by hand. These artists would have a subject to draw and paint. And they were quite pissed when Kodak came up with a tool that captures an image in a blink of an eye. But my point is, historically, an image - drawn or photographed – are usually either physically or imaginatively staged, be it weeks of preparation or a matter of seconds.

The only problem with staged image is, some are too fictitious. But if you browse Flickr, imaginative images are better accepted. Mainly because, people respond better to beautiful images, even if it's staged. It's art creation.

But if you're type who feels that studio work is a big fat bluff. That it's not 'real' and does not capture the 'emotion', yada yada. Then you're not being fair to these artist.

Images that represents 'truth', 'timeliness', 'accuracy' and 'realism' is actually not photography. That's photojournalism; capturing emotions and the 'right moments'.

Parents will bring their camera to their child's concert or a travel. That's not something that you can 'stage'. You snap based on how the event unfolds. And in the end, you'd view the pictures as how you saw and experience it. That's photojournalism.

Having said that, I guess most of us are are basically photojournalist, not photographers. So, the next question is: how to be a great photojournalist?

2 most important ingredients: the 2 Fs --- FAST shutter speed and FAT aperture. A photojournalist needs a fast tool. A studio photographer does not need these as much. They have studio lights and stationary subjects. But a photojournalist has subjects that runs around and not entirely within their control. Sounds familiar!

Photographer or photojournalist, just like any artist, you still need some form of pre-work. Before any photo is taken, you’ll need to decide the speed, aperture, the angle of the view, the focal length, the subject placement, the foreground and background. If you just pick up the camera and snap, you’re not an artist. You're just a picture taker.

Good night.

2010 Football, it has never been this promising!

2009-12-29T13:53:00.004+08:00

EPL has never been this interesting. It has NEVER been this tight. Especially in the past 3 years where MU and Chelsea has been so dominant. Now, almost ALL teams are equal.

If there’s 1 person that’s responsible for this revolution, it’s Ronaldo. Thank you for moving out from EPL. Your absence has balanced-out the power across all 20 teams on the table. The world is now at Yin-Yang.

Now, almost every team has a star equal to other team’s star. While I always think Chelsea will probably win the EPL this season with Drogba being a dominant force, the African cup will again balance things up.

But, other than Ronaldo’s absence, why are all the other team doing well? Why is Heskey playing like he’s 5 years younger? Or Rooney like he’s 5 years older? I think there are a few other reasons.

One key influencing factor is 2010’s World Cup. Everybody wants a go at it. So, everyone is playing doubly hard.

Another factor is, the past 3-5 years were development years for the smaller teams. Yes, the past 3-5 years has been nothing but Chelsea and MU punching and kicking the smaller teams. So, within their small little training camps, while wealthy investors pouring in the juices, they've been learning new karate moves. So, now - it's time to show what they've learnt.

But, let’s be real. Chelsea is already there. They have the belief, hunger and maturity. It’s only for them to lose. MU will shadow them as they cope life without Ronaldo. Arsenal, the team who never lies down dead, will also be there. That’s top 3.

Let’s talk a bit about Arsenal. Player by player, it’s like looking at your hometown U-21 team. I seriously can’t get into Wenger’s mind on this. Averagely, they are short too. But these boys have been sending out powerful messages. Always looking like a trophy winner of tomorrow, but sadly, never today. For the past 3 years, I dub Arsenal as the miracle team. Notice that without Bendtner, they can’t play long balls? And without Clichy, we can’t attack from left wing? So flawed, yet so entertaining. And their win-lose ratio is right up there with the big boys. They don’t buy stars. They create stars. Marvel stuff.

Anyway, 2010 is an interesting year for football. EPL is like never before. Champions League is heating up. And World Cup is coming up. Will we see another ‘head-butting’ action? I sure hope so.

Which Camera?

2009-12-10T10:35:00.011+08:00

I think we're back to the photography age when there were dozens type of films on a rack. In the old days, there were full-format, medium-format, square-format, 30, 40, 80, 60, 100 series, 35mm, 8mm films etc etc. In fact, Wikipedia needed 27pages to describe all of the formats.

But, average Joes all over the world used the most popular type, which is the 35mm film. It's rectangular. And it's cheap.

Fast forward to the digital age, replacing the films is the IMAGE SENSOR. And we're kinda replicating the exact scenario of having multiple sizes / formats. Right now, as I know, there are already 6 to 7 sizes of image sensor.

1) 1/2.3" (approx.) used by compact cameras

2) 1/1.7" (approx.) - advanced compacts

3) 4/3rd - SLRs, Rangefinders

4) APSC - most SLRs

5) Full Frame* - Pro-grade SLRs, Rangefinders

6) Med Format - specialized SLRs

*similar size to 35mm film where the sensor is 35mm long too.

Size comparison between image sensors.

The simple analogy is that, the bigger the sensor, the bigger the camera is, but the better the image quality. So, if you're serious on upgrading the quality, simple rule #1: go for bigger sensor.

The compromise to image quality comes in when you need portability as SLRs are just huge and heavy. If cost is of no issue, a full-frame Rangefinder will fit the bill. It's small, light, quiet (see Leica M9) but packs higher image quality than the King of SLR, Nikon D3X. But unfortunately, cost is usually the issue.

But good thing is, currently, there are makers who are trying to slim-down the camera form-factor without slimming the image sensor. Notably Panasonic & Olympus (using 4/3rd sensor in a compact camera form) and Leica X1 (using APSC in compact form).

Reality check: The mass market wants portability AND quality images. And Panasonic GF1 and Olympus E-P2 hits the spot. But currently, they are being sold at premium cost as makers are trying to recover the development cost. In comparo, an entry level SLR with bigger image sensor e.g. APSC, is twice cheaper.

Remember that SLR has gone thru the same cycle. An entry level SLR used to be RM4K in 2007. Now it's selling at half of that price! So, I think, over time, the price for 'portable and light SLR-quality camera' like GF1 will drop... but don't hold your breath in 2010.

Canon S90 vs Panasonic LX3

2009-12-08T22:35:00.008+08:00

www.neutralday.com

This is a very interesting race. It's one of those classic Schumacher vs Mika Hakkinen.

These 2 camera models are very special. It's a category with not much competition. These are 2 compacts with bigger balls than the rest of the pack.

It has full manual override control and a slightly bigger image sensor. It is also the ONLY 2 compacts that comes with fast f/2.0 aperture lens at wide open that are less than RM1.6K.

So, the big question is: Schumy or Mika?

My vote as of now is the Panasonic LX3. Mainly coz, if you're buying it, it's as good as buying a Leica D-Lux 4. And that says a lot. Another reason is that amazing lens. It starts at an unbelievable wide angle range of 24mm at f/2.0 and locks up 2.5x zoom later at f/2.8!

Lens to lens, the Canon S90 can't touch the LX3's Leica technical growl. For example, at the end of S90's focal range, the aperture drops to f/4.9. Yucks! But being a newer model, it trumps on user interface, especially the yummy 2 ring controls.

And why is Canon G11 not part of this list? Tho earmarked as Canon's flagship compact, G11 is undoubtedly ugly, chunky and can't go any better than f/2.8. Boo!

If you're a Canon fan, get the S90.

If you're a Leica fan but can't afford one, get the LX-3.

Either way, you can't go wrong.

Kenapa saya pilih Siti?

2009-11-19T00:32:00.006+08:00

Ramai orang tanya, kenapa Siti?

Suka-hati aku lah, jawapan standed aku.

Tapi, bila Mak aku pun tanya.

Aku terpaksalah bagi risen2nya.

Ish, ekceli... nak stat pun susah.

Tapi... tengok mata dia pun, dah cukup.

Ok lah, sepet sikit.

Tapi aku mmg suka yg sepet2.

Bodi dia, jgn cakaplah. Solid molid!

Tonggek pulak tu. Suka aku.

Tapi takkan nak kata kat Mak aku camtu.

So, aku kata lah aku suka dia pasal dia tu OK.

Cermat, bukan pisau cukur.

Jenis, bulan2 bagi duit, OK dah.

Mak kata 'baik2, jangan lepas 'sain', lain pulak citer.'

Tak kesah lah Mak. Janji aprof!

Ekceli, aku tak suka dia mekap2.

Tapi, mana2 aku pergi dgn dia,

...mesti orang tangkap usya. Tension aku.

Hari tu, aku dah tension sangat...

Aku selamber je raba bamper dia depan orang.

Ha! Usya la puas2!

Sori, sori.

Eniwei, aku sudah cintan sama dia.

Ni, aku ada tangkap sikit gambar dia senyap2.

Eh, tapi, jangan forward pulak gambar nih!

Pasal nampak sikit spotlait dia.

Honda Siti 1.5

Book Review... the professional way

2009-11-03T23:27:00.012+08:00

Book reviews are fun. Especially if you're doing it the Coffee Table way. All it takes is a little time and a shallow mind. Here's my Top 5 Round up of my FIRST EVER book review.

Number 5: One Day by Nicol David.

Sometimes I think I have six sense. I know that this is a totally brilliant book by just looking at the cover. Buy!

Number 4: The Flipside by Adam JJackson.

A great mystery book. Recommended for quick reading. Just flip it and you'll find some opportunities at the back cover. Of coz, you can't really see it. Coz it's hidden... ahh, the mystery. Buy!

Number 3: Jane Evanovich by Finger Lickin' Fifteen.

Another great book cover. I rate this highly because of 2 things: (1) It's 20% off (2) The author's name is Finger. Definitely a buy!

Number 2: Nick Hornby by Juliet, Naked

Picturing a hot naked author did not whatsoever influence my ranking. It was the wicked FONT that won my heart. Check out the long tail of the 'Y'. Swervyly cool. Anything with a font like that... buy!

Number 1: Ro.Stone by Mariah Carey, Weezer & More

Oh, this is a great book. It's got a huge collection of stories plus healthy diet recipes and tips for dandruff care. Plus it's foldable! This book is really great. Buy!

Megan who was on the cover? Nah, I'm too professional for that gimmick. So, congratulations, Ro.Stone!

1Malaysia is not something new

2009-10-28T23:40:00.013+08:00

Actually, 1Malaysia has been around for the past 20 years. It's just that, only lately, the Gov has decided to put a name on it. Apasal? Tak percaya ka?

We all know that the identity for a country is its language. Tamil is the identity for India, Mandarin for China, English for Sallehland and Bahasa Melayu is for Malaysia. But 1Malaysia is a concept of uniting all those and others into 1. And that would basically means having 1 language of its own.

So, to prove that 1Malaysia has been around for the longest time, ladies and jantanmen, presenting... the B1... or Bahasa 1Malaysia!

1) Tong-tong | To share.
Our forefathers believed that this came from a Chinese word. Whatever lah, as long as it sounds fun. There are those from the big town who prefer to use English to 'jaga' status, but being 1Malaysia, so they say... (see next word)

2) Share-share | as above.

3) Tani | Drink session.
A word popularized during the samsu-haram era. It innocently means, 'let's have a drink.' But of coz, with its origin in mind, it has the widest scope and might confuse people over the venue and drink selection as it can be from a teh tarik stall to a make-believe Cognac made from coconut.

4) Mapley | Teh tarik stall.
A direct tribute to the person who created 'teh tarik', Encik Maplei Tanimalai. Anyway, saying "jom - mapley - tani" is way cool than "mari ke gerai minum".

5) Jom | Ayuh, or let's go!
Used to perfection (see example at no. 4), this word managed to trick all the smart asses in TV3 to think that it's a proper vocab from the dictionary. This word is used extensively. Some believe that it will slowly 1Malaysianize and replace the word 'bye'.

6) Tapau | Takeaway
Extremist would want this to be spelt Da-bao. But it would sound too much like the guy from Pasukan Badminton Negara China. By the way, tapau is used by all from the rich to the cheap.

7) Brader | Dude!
Some thought it came from the English word 'brother'. What were they thinking?? Of coz it's 100% pure Malaysian, just like oksigen. Anyway, used by the whole nation as a reference to men.

8) Boss | Sir
Only in Bolehland. This, ironically, is to describe the mutual respect that every man in Malaysia have towards every other man in Malaysia. You call the Mamak 'boss'. You call the Bangla guy 'boss'. You call your dad 'boss'. Your boss calls you 'boss'. Everyone is 'boss' in the 1Malaysia.

9) Kak | Ma'am.
While the English refers all ladies as 'Ma-am' to revert politeness, Malaysian calls them 'Kak' to up-a-level by making them feel young and somewhat available. However, variations are used to stress the 2 elements; such as Kak Long, Kak Chik, Kak Oi, Kak Hhang and etc.

10) Syiok| To express pleasure.
Syiok is good. You know it when you need to use it. If it's really good, then its 'manyak syiok'. You just know it.

11) Chun | Great!
The 1Malaysia vocab goes as far as importing a word from Japan. Though this one is believed to be Chinese, just that no Chinese has heard of it. But used expansively by 1Malaysia to good effect to descriptively describe 'chunness'. If the food is good, you say 'chun!'. If not so good, you look down but still say 'chun!' to the missus. If your friend just bought an iPhone, you say 'chun!'. And it goes on and on... *to fade...

12) Giler | To the max! (Part 1)
To express maximusness. This is like ajinamoto to cooking. It's used to enhance every word. For example: 'Chun' is beautiful. But 'chun giler' is Megan Foxyful.

13) Kaw-kaw | To the max! (Part 2)
Malaysians love to exaggerate. Everything is 'meletup'. Even when ordering a cup of coffee, they want it 'exegarrated'. But saying exagaratted is as hard as it is to spell it. So... kaw-kaw it is. For example; "raining cats and dogs" means heavy downpour. But "raining cow-cow" means "downpour kaw-kaw".

I think, the list goes on and on. But before I end, the most common identity for a 1Malaysian is the 'lah' word. If you hear a man ending every sentence with a 'lah', that's the 1Malaysia DNA barcoded on the tongue.

So I hope it's enough to prove that 1Malaysia has always been around and not such a new thing after all.

Jom.

English Premier League Snippets

2009-10-18T11:44:00.007+08:00

Courtesy of http://gunnerblog.com

It's Week 43 and we've seen EPL going on for a max of 9 games now. As of the results now, it looks like we're going for the most exciting season for the longest time. For the past 10 - or 12 years, it has always been MU and Arsenal or MU and Chelsea. And of coz, flashes of the 'Big Four'.

But this season, the title race is as open as the ovulation process. Any of the current top six could make it there. Where previously it was the case of who wins the most, this season is about who loses the least.

In such early stage, we've seen Chelsea & Arsenal losing twice. ManU lost and drew once while ManCity lost once and drew twice. Villa and Spurs lost twice and drew once, edging Liverpool who already has lost 4 times. Even then, wins by Chelsea and ManU were hardly convincing. Definitely not a scene we're used to for the longest time.

So in this situation, where all teams were almost technically & motivationally 'equal', the team who has the strongest 'character' will win the title. And the most important person in the team who is responsible for that will be... the manager.

To me, this season is set to be very different.

This season, it's all about the manager.

Google Chrome

2009-10-17T11:09:00.017+08:00

http://www.onecomics.it

I recently downloaded this. Sebelum download, I was thinking, how can this be better than Firefox? Lepas download.... damn. Google Chrome is blazing fast... macam lalat!

I'm not sure of the security features. Pasal salah satu kelebihan Firefox is the features to protect you. Hopefully Chrome is somewhat similarly designed.

Impression Day 1:
Wow. Very fast! And I love the simple outlook.

Impression Day 2: updated 18/10/09
It's amazing that you can just 'search' by typing at the same place where you type the URL . So far, all other functions that I use from Firefox is present in Chrome. Beginning to really like this metal.

Impression Day 3: updated 20/10/09

OK. I'm sold. I was a pinch close to downloading Chrome into my company's laptop... but didn't. Anyway, back at home, to sum up, when asked 'Make Google Chrome as your default browser?', I clicked YES.

Oh, trivia! Ever wondered where Google got the idea for the logo?

http://dailycontributor.com

Note: I don't use Microsoft IE because it's crap, so no Chrome comparo.

80% Of Twitter Broadcasters R Narcissists!

2009-10-16T12:42:00.018+08:00

http://www.fastcompany.com

Previously, I blogged about Twitter. I said that it's not a micro-blogging tool. Rather, it's a self-broadcasting tool.

There are 2 types of Twitter broadcasters. Organizations and individuals. For organizations, the tweets are of the latest buzz, news, promotions and etc. For individuals, the tweets are about... well, that person.

Now that the hype is gone, I know that I suck at tweeting. My tweets are boring.

I'm much more of a 'twittee'. The recipient of tweets.

I love reading tweets. Armed with a Blackberry (and TweetDeck for my Desktop), I receive latest local and global news via Twitter by following Newsweek, Staronline, KL News and etc. I get the latest score and news on football via Skynews, EPL, Arsenalmania etc. I even get daily dosages of tips on parenting and Blackberry, as well as dirty jokes, daily chillies and many more info via Twitter too.

So, to me, Twitter rocks. In between meetings, I'll be on my phone reading the hundreds of tweets that keeps my on top of the latest buzz. And it's FREE!

Ahh... isn't life sweet with a Blackberry? *free ad for BB hehe*

Anywayyyyy, tho Twitter is good (for me), it has its share of criticism. And its mainly due to unwanted broadcasting from spamming-organizations and boring-uncreative-spamming-individuals.

In fact, an interesting read from Fast Company (the oh-so-cool lifestyle and business magazine), says that 80% of Twitter broadcasters are narcissists, y'know, those 'me! me! me!' kinda people.

I for one, find the article to be very true. I'm saying it coz I think at times, I'm contributing to that 80%. And the regular squint-eye look I get from the missus, followed by a soft murmur that sounds like 'nasisis', probably confirms that.

But as a twittee, the remaining 20% are feeding me with good information. And as long as I lift a leg up from that spamming 80%, I'm vroom-vrooming all the wayyy with Twitter. Rock on!

Link to Fast Company here.

Link to Wikipedia on narcissist here.

A Compact With A Big Heart: Leica X1

2009-10-13T10:38:00.013+08:00

This baby has a sensor BIGGER than Canon 50D!

http://www.photographyblog.com

Following the breakthrough trend of digital imaging in 2009, things are looking to be more interesting than ever.

The current kapow! as I've mentioned before, is making the mirrors in SLR looking like a disgusting piece of useless junk. The tech of feeding images direct on the sensor 'live' has evidently made us rethink of how imaging tool should look like.

The interesting bit is, who's bold enough to redefine it?

Most traditional camera makers are... well, traditionalist. What keeps them selling is their heritage. And they would not be willing to risk losing that by offering groundbreaking breakthroughs. As such, their approach will always be baby-steps of improvements as well as keeping up with the current needs by deploying existing available technologies.

So, the answer to above is: makers that has NOTHING to lose.

Enter mediocre or niche manufacturers. Makers such as Olympus, Panasonic, Leica and Sigma in particular. For 2009, they are truly the leaders in redefining how future cameras SHOULD look like.

A Small Man, With A Big Heart (and no mirror to speak of too)

Sigma was among the first to put this principle to the mass market. In a compact form factor, they deployed a DSLR sensor. But due to exploration stage, the DP1 had a lot of rough edges. But, it was a step in a special direction. Their forthcoming DP2 is set to be a success.

Olympus followed suit armed with their existing 4/3 technology. With ques from the classic PEN series, the E-P1 was a phenomenal success. Panasonic too joined the fray and produced the awesome GF1 (earlier, there were G1 and GH1).

And the next maker to join the party is one that makes my heart melt. Leica, a niche imaging specialist, has produced a truly special compact camera with a 1.5x DSLR sensor.

Go to www.dpreview.com for more images!

I'm planning to get the GF1 next year. And the Leica X1 probably... ermm... in my dreams.

Kulim Di Serang

2009-10-03T16:19:00.003+08:00

Ya, berita gempar. Kulim diserang.

Perkara ini sebenarnya telah berlaku secara perlahan-lahan sejak beberapa tahun lagi. Namun, berbekalkan dengan radar canggih tahun 70-an, ianya tidak disedari oleh para pemimpin kita.

Sejak setahun lalu, serangan ini telah menjadi amat jelas. Namun, perhatian kita semua telah dikaburi oleh mekanisme kerajaan seperti Enjin Pangkabur Rakyat CSL (Chua Soi Lek) dan pengulangan melampau iklan MyeG.com.

Apa yang haram-jadahnya ialah, semua ini ialah penyerangan red-carpet. Yakni berpunca dari sikap pemalas dan tidak endah rakyat pemimpin-pemimpin.

Sungguh sedih walaupun rakyat telah membayar segala jenis cukai di bawah matahari seperti pendapatan, tanah, jalan, tingkap, pintu, jamban di samping eksais kereta (atau dikenali sebagai subsidi rakyat untuk kerajaan), tol lebuhraya, duti servis dan RM1 untuk setiap borang kerajaan yang bernilai 5sen.

Memang Bolehland betul, dari ertikata; Boleh Blah!

U-turn kembali ke topik, secara khususnya, pemimpin telah gagal untuk melakukan tanggungjawab asasnya, yakni memastikan kebersihan demi rakyat. Dan ini telah melemparkan red-carpet untuk penyerangan sejenis spesis terhadap Kulim; iaitu LALAT.

Maintenance sistem kebersihan sampah, longkang dan kawasan terbiar amatlah sedih mendayu-dayu bagaikan kisah hidup Zaiton Sameon. Ntah-ntah, sistem pun takde.

Jika tanggungjawab asas pun gagal, yang lain tak tahu lah. 1Malaysia konon. Kedah Maju podah! 2020 prak!

Secara logik, jika kebersihan prak, kesihatan pun prak. Kesihatan prak, hospital pun prak. Hospital prak, kadar kematian dan ponteng sekolah dan kerja pun prak. Productiviti prak, pelaburan asing pun prak. Dan kadar jenayah terus naik bagai nak rak. Wawasan 2020 ntah kemana, 1Malaysia ntah kemana. Time tu, dah habis profit taking, BN pun dengan happynya handover negara ke BA.

Saya melihat kadar kenaikan lalat dan kualiti iklan MyeG sebagai indikator bahawa negara menuju kemusnahan.

Jadi, jika pemimpin boleh menyedarkan diri dari keadaan mabuk duit dan kuasa, dan menjalankan tanggungjawab asasnya, mungkin ada peluang untuk Malaysia menjadi sebagai sebuah negara yang dihormati bukan kerana kemegahan sintetik materialnya seperti KLCC, Litar F1 dan Sunway Lagoon, tetapi kerana mentaliti rakyat dan pemimpinnya.

Bey Bey Emm (BlackBerry Messenger): The Painful Truth

2009-10-02T00:09:00.004+08:00

That's how the Indonesian call it, BBM, short for BlackBerry Messenger. Its an IM service exclusively for BB users. But however cool it is, I still think it's very primitive.

And compared to YM, Windows Live Messenger or Google Talk, BBM is a freaking dinosaur.

Why?

One HUGE mother reason. PIN. That is the defining method to recognize a particular user. For example, my name is Iffil. And for you to add me in your BBM, you have to know my PIN, which is XXXXXX.

And the sad part, PIN is device dependent. So if I change device, say I upgrade my aging BB to a newer model, I'd have a different PIN. And I'd lose all of my BBM contacts. And my contacts will lose me.

In fact, if I sell off my old device, someone else will be walking around with my old PIN (wth?).

In comparison to YM, for example, I can log-in into any computer in this world via my username or email, and I will still have my contact list, intact.

So, for BlackBerry, please change your BBM system. Let us log-in via our BlackBerry email account, which is NOT device dependent. Using PIN is sincerely... plain stupid.

Ketsana Tropical Storm

2009-09-30T10:43:00.005+08:00

First of all, my sincere condolence to all of the Philippines and Vietnam people who are affected from this trenchant storm.

Sometimes, an event like these, reminds us of just how small the world is. And just how bad it can be if Mother Nature is pissed.

Philippines are often thought to be far away from West Malaysia. Yet, just as the tropical storm Ketsana hit them, it’s very apparent that we are just a pinch away from each other. Right now, as I write this, a weird weather looms Kulim.

The raining pattern is totally different here. Weird actually. It rains mega heavily for a few minutes, then stopped totally. Like TOTALLY. Then it rains again after a few minutes or hours. This is the second day, on my count.

So far, there are ZERO headlines on this from our politicians. I think there should be a heads-up of some sort. We know very well that Ketsana has moved from Philippines to Vietnam. And we've already could see the weird pattern here.

So, just to be safe, even in Malaysia, if I live in a land-slide prone areas, I’d get the heck out. At least until Ketsana is totally gone.

3rd Oct 2010 update: The weather in Kulim has been very stable and quiet for the past two days. It's a tremendously good news.

The similarities between Super Mario and Schumacher

2009-09-22T20:15:00.006+08:00

What are the similarities between these two? A lot actually.

If you've played Super Mario before, you'll know that its easy to get eaten by those dreaded winged turtles and the Italian-eating plants with laser guns. And it will take more than 20 attempts to clear a level.

But the funny thing is, once you've cleared a level, it will only take you just 1 or 2 attempts to do it again.

You could say that the vast difference is due to the the learnings you've taken during those tries. But that's actually just the tip of the iceberg.

The real reason is actually the "psychological confidence" that you've gained during each 'little battles' to clear a level. Or you can simply call it the 'X-FACTOR'.

In short, those who have NOT won those little battles, does not yet have the x-factor.

In this sense, its easy to see why Schumacher is a champ. Since he's won on almost every circuits, his winning rate will keep inreasing so long he uses his winning experiences as a foundation. And that's not something that everyone else has. The x-factor.

So, this is why champions will repeat their wins. Frederer keeps winning Slam after Slam. Man United, league after league. Muhammad Ali. The Williams. Tiger.

Aston Villa, Blackburn, Spurs and Everton are great teams. But why can't they break into the top 4 or even win the league? Simply because they have yet to acquire the x-factor. That's exactly what they need to build first. On top of spending £100million on new players.

Unity, Merdeka & Politics

2009-09-20T18:18:00.002+08:00

Written in conjunction of 31st August, tapi terlupa nak post ;-)

Unity is when everyone is looking at the same big picture and saying 'yes, let's do that!'. The big picture is a 'vision'. So, as long as there is a 'vision' that everyone agrees and commits to, there is unity.

Abroad, Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech and Kennedy's Lunar vision were 2 great examples of a vision that brought unity.

During those moments, there were no talk of differences. The whole nation would see everyone talking to each other about a common topic. Everyone was united.

Another situation that brings unity is during a sports event or God forbid, at times of war. *that said, never underestimate the influence of sports on patriotism*

So, as mentioned, a shared vision where everyone agrees on, brings unity. So long there's an objective that everyone wants to march to, you'll have unity.

Coalition between 2 political parties will not bring unity. Talking about unity will not bring unity too.

Malaysia needs a vision. Not an idealistic pretentious sort. A true vision that will change the quality of Malaysian life. Coz the truth is, we all truly do not know where the country is heading.

Other nations, even Thailand and Indonesia, are slowly overtaking us. Let alone Korea and Taiwan, that were once inferior to us.

We were once an agro based nation. Transiting to an industrial based nation back in the 80's brought huge unity. Step 2 was to be an IT-based nation, but political scene took the centre stage and India overtook us. Now what?

Our politicians who were entrusted to steer the country forward, unfortunately has stopped all works for the country and people, focusing on political matters only. And it has been going on for quite a while.

Japan were unified and worked on becoming the huge nation of the world. Their vision was so strong that it even became part of their culture. It basically explained why even a corporation like Toyota has a 300 year plan.

I doubt that our leaders have anything like that in mind other than winning the next election.

Until Malaysians can answer a simple question "where are we heading to now?", I don't think we will ever be united and progress.

Pretend, pretend, pretend

2009-09-20T18:05:00.003+08:00

Have you ever pretended to be someone you're not? If your answer is no, you're probably pretending.

We live in a world confined with laws, guidelines, cultures and social etiquettes. On most times, our creative expression will always be limited.

Still think that you're not pretentious?

Remember during your courting days? Laughing at jokes you didn't find funny? Or the time you pretended that it was not you who just farted?

For adults, most pretendings are done in the office. You mostly pretend to 'care' for your colleagues. You even pretend that you care for your company's market share more than your salary's increment. And most often, you pretend to agree to your boss when you think his idea is crap.

Another classic is the time you pretended to 'love' your in-law's cooking and said "Sedaaaap". Need I go on?

Our true self is usually exposed to our mom and spouse. Now, to these 2 persons, we're as transparent as a glass house. Maybe that's why it is with these 2 that we really 'let loose'.

So, in a day, more than once, we do pretend to be someone we're not. By abiding to social norm and cultures , pretentious keeps the world in order.

So if someone says "Why worry what people say about you... unless you're pretending"; just say "Heck yeah, my whole life is about pretending!". Coz if you don't pretend, that means you're perfect. And we know that other than Nabi Muhammad SAW, nobody's perfect.

So, let's keep our feet on the ground

Sent via BlackBerry

Nokia Netbook? Nokia? Netbook?

2009-09-08T13:50:00.004+08:00

Sara has been bugging me for a netbook. So, saya yang menurut perintah, went for the hunt. And I was certain that I wanted the N280 Atom powered HP netbook.

Until I saw Nokia's press release. Click here at nokia.com

Nokia, after 25years in the handphone market, enters the PC market without losing its pizzazz in design and innovation. A potential giant killer. Confirm, saya mahu.

Some ask, worth the wait? How does 12hr battery life sound to you?

Eating Pork

2009-09-06T00:45:00.005+08:00

Interesting fact on pigs is that they are very smart. More clever than dogs and horses. They are also omnivores, just like humans. In fact, they have the same digestive system as humans. Even their heart valves could be used as replacement for human's heart valves.

But even then, Jews and Muslims are forbidden to eat pork. In fact, swine is considered unlawful and impure by all prophets, including Jesus. These prohibitions were mentioned in the Qur'an as well as in the Bible (book of Leviticus, Deuteronomy & Isaiah).

But religion directive aside, based on logical reasoning, it's easy to rationalize why any humans should NOT eat pork.

Number one, the reason pigs were created. Every living form has its functions within life's ecology system. Pigs were designed to be nature's rubbish incinerator. It's a poo-eating machine. Even in a clean breeding facility, by nature, they'll still enjoy clearing their own as well as their friends 'excreta'.

With that in mind, pigs by nature, have excess fat as well as having thousands of worms. Some of them (e.g. Taenia Trichuriasis) has ovas that will not die even under normal cooking heat. These 'eggs' will travel into the blood stream and cause some serious slow damage to whatever organs it lands on.

So, it's not news that eating pork can cause no less than seventy different types of diseases.

With over breeding, it's actually no surprise that the world will constantly suffer from deadly epidemics originated from pigs. The latest ebola and swine flu are a huge reminder why pork is bad and was never designed to be eaten.

God mentioned it. Science verified it. But, sadly, most people love eating pork too much to let it go and chose to be ignorant.

So, lets just get used to the seasonal epidemics.

Another Micro Four Third: Panasonic Lumix GF1

2009-09-05T15:34:00.007+08:00

I've always loved Panasonic. All of the fans, air-conds, water-heater, rice cooker, oven-toaster in my house are Panasonic. When it comes to compact cameras too, I think Panasonic rocks. That basically explains why I've owned 5 Panasonic compacts with current being the FT1.

Anyway, after Olympus released their Micro 4-3rd, E-P1, the next event that I was waiting was Panasonic's respond to it, being another Micro 4-3rd manufacturer. And after a few months waiting, on Sep 2nd, 2009, they announced it; the Panasonic Lumix GF1.

Here are some pics I chedok from dpreview.com. My first impression: Lovely. Not as beautiful as E-P1, but much more macho. And the pop-up flash is a winner.

Will I buy it? Not yet. Mainly coz I'm not really sure how the absence of body-stabilizer will fare on the 20mm prime-lens. But it will definitely be under my radar screen!

2009 Camera Breakthroughs

2009-08-28T16:34:00.007+08:00

Gearheads in the photography world must be very happy. Within a matter of months, there have been so many ground breaking releases that will ultimately set the pace for future photography.

First up, the drop dead gorgeous Olympus shook the world with its mirror-less SLR called E-P1. And the fact that they designed it oh-so-beautifully, taking cues from the iconic PEN series, makes this one of the most beautiful prosumer camera there is in the market. Mirror-less SLR was first released by Panasonic few months earlier, but it’s nothing as gorgeous as this. The highs from this camera is the ability to take SLR-quality pics, without the SLR bulk and attention. The lows, well, actually only one; the lack of pop-up flash. So, in short, dang! A winner!

But more profound, is the announcement of new DSLR line-ups from Sony. Since 2008, Sony has been redefining the DSLR market. And no one can deny their influence in creating the sub-RM2K entry level segment when the cheapest entry level DSLR was then at sub-RM4K. Lots of people must thank Sony for this.

And here they go again. With the introduction of A850, Sony is again causing headaches amongst the camera manufacturers by introducing a sub-RM7K full-frame DSLR where traditionally, it has always been in the sub-RM10K bracket. Full-frame is the term used to categorize a DSLR that dons a sensor that’s the same size as the traditional 35mm film. What’s going to happen from this point onward is that, other manufacturers will get back on their drawing board and squeeze their cost down to compete in the same segment. And all in all, the consumers will benefit. Ah, what a wonderful capitalism world.

Another breakthrough is Sony’s upcoming A500/550 model where it will come with an Auto-HDR feature. I can tell you just how much this feature will redefine photography. Wiki up HDR and learn about this. Currently, HDR can only be done via post-processing. Even though this feature has already been embedded in some high-end point-and-shoot, having this in an SLR is truly remarkable.

H1N1, relax... it's just another virus gone amok episode

2009-08-02T22:36:00.010+08:00

Taken at Hong Kong just about a week ago. Funny
thing, no such check when entering US.

It's easy for anyone to have their say on this. But my thoughts are always more for the people who are infected with it.

So, I will always play down its impact. Rather than scaring them that they'll die, I will always say that it's just a flu and that they will eventually recover. I think that's the right attitude that everyone and news tellers should have. Well, at least, that's what we can do to show support to those who are infected.

And the best part of this is; I'm right. The mortality rate of H1N1 one of the lowest in comparison to other airborne pandemics. It has 98% recovery rate. Out of 1.5K cases in M'sia, to date, there are only 6 death.

To the 240,000 infected people around the world, don't be disheartened by the dark side of it. Often, it's more sensationalized than it should be. Fact is, people die everyday, even from normal flu or fever. It's just that, it never made it to the prints.

Oh, and don't ever feel damned. It can happen to anyone.

WHO expects a full vaccine by end of '09 though there are reports that it's readily available now, with pigs being the first in line.

Pigs... if only it's being used for farming needs rather than cutlinery needs, the world will have lesser problems.

Now that the vaccine is on its way, H1N1 should STILL be taken seriously more so for it's financial and productivity impact, not so much for it's mortality impact. The way it's managed should be done positively. The theme should be: Hey, relax. It's just a flu. You'll soon be back kickin'!

Again, to those who are infected, please ignore the death notes. It only weakens the mind. Think about the 98% recovery rate. Beef up your mind. Have faith. Believe. You WILL recover.

Michael Jackson: The Greatest Comeback

2009-07-29T23:09:00.017+08:00

Well, I guess, he can rest in peace. His wish for a one-off comeback has actually became his GREATEST comeback. Not only the >30yr olds are reciting his lyrics, even 5yr olds are singing to it!

Fact is, my first ever music album was MJ's Thriller album. This was a big deal coz at that time, a cassette was $12.90. And being consistently either 2nd or 3rd last in class, I had no reason to persuade my dad to buy one for me, other than being consistent.

But, since I looked stupid, it was easy to come up with a muka seposen to con my dad to buying it for me... I mean, who can resist a sad AND stupid face, right?

Anyway, I got the cassette and I promised him to start doing some school work. Eventhough it turned up that my dad listened to the cassette more than me.

In that little cassette, there's an instruction on how to do the moonwalk. That little booklet was always in my back pocket, alongside my yellow comb. Of coz, after some beatings, it usually landed on my big bro's pocket (yes, along with the comb), but it was that lil' booklet that taught me the moonwalk.

Picture courtesy of Azrena's magazines.

O well.

MJ; you have just made a comeback that even the Beatles could only dream of. Not just coz you have funky synthesizers in your music, but more for the lives you have touched with it.

That little moment in that little music store in Penang, where I got that cassette with that little moonwalk booklet, is probably one of the biggest moment of my life. I could never forget that moment, holding on to that cassette... with the face and all.

Dude, it was great knowing you (not that he can hear me, but please just play along, this is a closure for me) and thank you very much for the 'gifts' you've given me.

Heal the worrrld... *sob sob*... make it a bedda plaaaacceee.... *sob sob*... for youuu and for meeee... and the entire human race.... *bubye dude!*

Welcome to the Twitter Age (What is Twitter?)

2009-07-11T11:10:00.009+08:00

Smthng just happnd to me. My spellng has gone all wrng. Ths is life on earth; post-twitter age. So, the questn now is: xctly wht is TWITTER? Y izt such a rage tht evn Oprah is ridng on da wave?

Truth is. I really dnt knw. Wht I knw is tht I keep lookng up on my bb evytme it tweets. And tht is actually evry few mins of my livng life.

If u ask me wht do I get frm a twttng, I'd say, "less idlng time". Oh, and "bettr utlztn of my rm120/mth unlmted data plan".

Wld my life be any dffrnt w twtr? For now, defntly not. Its jus anthr additn 2 life's sprficial values. But, in the near future; lets jst say, once my kid has grown into a teenager, i'd wnt her on twtr 24x7. & she nds 2 twt on her evry sngle move. W attchd pic. As long s she does tht, i'd forgv her 4 her rpttve errors in spllng.

Some say twtr is micro-blogging. Sm say its anothr way to sms. Sm evn say twtr is just anthr fb sttus updte. I'd say, twtr is "self-brodcstng".

Jst lke a radio sttn, it brdcsts its pgm based on wht the sttn is all abt. & if u missd the brdcst, it wnt b replyed. Twtr is xctly like tht. But its an indvdual brdcst. If u miss a twt, u'd mssd it. Thts it. & 4 evry brdcst, the airtime is just 140letters at any 1 time.

Intrstng bit abt it is tht.. unlike radio sttn, twtr is intrctve. On this note, my dfntn of twtr has grwn to "intractv self-brdcstng". I convrse w my wife & frens on twtr. I got evry update on Wimbldn & EPL on twtr. I even get live-feed frm the local nwspapr on d latst news! N since its a brdcst, evry1 on the same 'freqncy' can 'c' the tweets or feeds. Whch can b annoyng (in a gud way) yet invitng at times.

Y twtr now? Not ystrdy? Well, it wont wrk ystrdy. Coz ystrdy, internet was only for porn. N mobility was just anthr science fction. Today, we've come to an age of 2.4Ghz, blckbrry, MIDs, netbks & free bloggng. Tho moblty is not yet on full swng, those w blckbrry (whch is moblty at its best) will testify tht they can c the bnfts of twtrng.

MID = mobile internet devices, btw.

So twtr, as simple as it seemed, works today. & its destned to b quite a way of life. I see tht it needs some fine-tuning, w spam n stuff, but just like how diamnds like frndstr were cut into a fine jewel like fb, twtr will b going thru a few evolutns until it bcomes part of a human culture. Till then, pls value the fine crft of spellng. Coz itll b gone soon :P

On Frederer, again (The Greatest Evah!)

2009-07-06T21:31:00.004+08:00

This would probably be my last blog on Abang Frederer. Well, at least until the next Slam. But, now that he's a record holder of the most Slam titles, the question of "Is Frederer the greatest ever?" should be put to rest.

To me, he's da man. Holding on to top spot for 237wks takes a lot of discipline and self belief. Especially you have the likes of young strong players lurking on the rear mirror. Of the top 5 longest #1 rank holder of all time, he's the only non-American. In fact, him being Swiss is also a testament of how great he is, coming from a country not known to produce great tennis player.

Being one of the only 3 (in the open era) male singles player to ever won on all 4 Slams is also a testament of how awesome this brader is. Even the great Sampras have never won all 4. The other two are Rod Laver of the 60's and Agassi of the 90's.

And the sucker punch is; he doesn't even have a coach. In the Wimbledon finals, Roddick was an altogether new player. And reason #1; he's got a new coach. Nadal, Murray and almost the rest of the pros have a squadron of coaches, therapists and physicists. Not Frederer. Read here or Read here.

When Rog performance took a blip in 2008, people went like "seee, i told u that u need a coach!". But that statement came in after 4years+ at #1. And now, he's back at the top spot and still, without a coach or mentor. This guy comes up with strategies and tactics himself! Gila!

And to top it up, in '03, he founded the "Roger Frederer Foundation" that focuses on helping the disadvantaged. And with him being an active humanitarian such as UN's Goodwill Ambassador and UNICEF, we all should be happy to have such a champion.

So, a record was broken yesterday and I want to be part of history by blogging about this great man. With all time record of 15 Slam titles, his mastery in tennis should never be question. Do you notice that his power backhand swing is by using just 1 hand, not both hands? How kewl is that?

Enough from me. I'm biased anyway. Let's hear out what the rest of the pros or sport commentators think about him. Click here to bbc.co.uk blog.

Wimbledon '09

2009-07-06T01:35:00.008+08:00

Roger Federer won a record 15th Grand Slam after beating Andy Roddick in an epic fifth set 5-7 7-6 7-6 3-6 16-14. (bbc.co.uk)

I followed thru almost every game, one with Frederer in particular. So with it over and out, from Monday onwards, I can now get back to my usual slumber routine at 10.30pm.

But before that, apart from Star Sports Channel, it was great following the event coverage thru Twitter @wimbledon. The guys at the end of the keyboard, or keypad, whatever, have done a stupendous job keeping the tweets interesting & fulfilling. The picture feeds were great. The RTs (retweets) from Serena, fans, whoevers, were like SMSes from friends.

For a game like tennis, where watching full-match replays is psychotic & suicidal, its great to get uplifting news, quotes & feeds via Twitter.

To Roddick & Frederer, it was a great 5-match finals. In the end, Frederer is da man. Even at the declining age of 28, he has again shown the world why he is such a living legend.

A world record of 15 Slam titles.

And still serving.

Why its Frederer over Nadal yada yada?

2009-07-03T18:10:00.010+08:00

Frederer, with his 90's boy-band hairstyle, showing off his immense kung-fu
chop-style move without even looking at the ball. Picture from Wikipedia.

I'm very technical.
And my reasons are based on logical explanations.

Frederer, 28, held the #1 spot for a blistering 237weeks.

Nadal, his closest competitor is 23 yrs old. He's been #2 for a frustrating 160 weeks under Frederer's shadow. On Aug'08, Nadal took the #1 spot away from Frederer.

But is Nadal worthy enough to overshadow the great Frederer? Just think:

Frederer, at 28, is probably past his best and Nadal, 5 years younger, is rightful to grab the #1 spot. But, after '09 Wimbledon, Frederer might reclaim the #1 spot again.
So, the argument is: If Nadal is even as good as Frederer, why can't this bicep-pumping 23yr old defend his #1 spot against a 28yr old for even a year? Mind you, 5yrs difference is mega huge in this sport.

My predictions: Nadal will lose his #1 rank after '09 Wimbledon. Frederer will keep competing until probably 2010 and then retire. By then, Nadal would be happy that he'd have Frederer out of the picture. But, just as he wants to stay at the top spot, 22yr old Andy Murray will snatch it away from him. And come 2010, Murray could very well be the worthy successor of the great Frederer.

Why Murray will be the next greatness? Coz, just like Frederer, he doesn't make that Sharapova's constipating 'uuurrghh!' sound on every shot. Like Nadal does. So, go Murray GO!

Like I said, I'm very logical.

My first blog on Frederer was back in 2007 entitled Darth Frederer. Read it here.

BlackBerry, no added sugar. Just plain natural sweetness.

2009-07-03T00:13:00.010+08:00

http://www.airtimemanager.co.uk/news/

Life is sweet. I love RIM.

RIM is the maker of Blackberry. And Blackberry is sweet.

This will be another countless blog on Blackberry. A blog which I never bother to count. Coz its just so sweet.

As hippie as I sound, life is sweet with a Blackberry.

Ok. Over la.

The reason why I'm so Cloud 9 is because I just updated the firmware of my aging, old, calar-balar, comot, huduh and outdated 8310. See the pic at the top, guess which one is mine XX

Fact: My '07 BB looks just horrible against the Curve 8900, Storm or Bold. And while it serves its purpose as a 'dewa komunikasi', it still lags in terms of features.

But recently, RIM has announced a firmware upgrade for its older models. From profitability point of view, I can't see the view nor the point. But from customer relations, let's just say, RIM, I love you.

What OS ver4.5 offer from ver4.2 is mind-blowing. Especially when its free.

For example, 2 functions that I use extensively during my Nokia days were the voice recorder and video recording. Both absent from my 8310. Sob, sob.

Well, not anymore! :-)

And on top of that, my oldie baloney now has the exact interface of a Bold and Curve 8900. And if I can find the neon-looking theme, it would even look exactly like them!

*Send via BlackBerry* <-- another 'over' statement

Cell Phones Galore, how can one follow?

2009-06-30T00:36:00.007+08:00

I just realized that I’ve lost track on cell phones. What I know is that people are no longer looking at Nokia and Sony Ericsson. There’s Samsung, LG and HTC too.

Prior to this, my ignorance has made me to believe that there are only 3 phone makers worth mentioning in this world; RIM’s Blackberry, Apple’s iPhone and Nokia.

It’s easy to follow a Blackberry coz it only has 3 existing models. iPhone only has 1. And Nokia has its series such as N, E, MusicExpress and etc. So, it’s very easy to follow.

But, when it comes to Samsung, LG or even SE, I simply can’t follow. There’s Magic, Snap, Omnia, Pixon, Touch, Touch Pro, Touch Here, Touch There. There’s even a model called Hero!??

It's quite obvious that these great competitors are making a fortune playing the mini-me game. Y'know, that "U buat, then baru I buat, just like you". But I sure hope they would not make the classic Nissan mistake (overlapping range of products) and lose money more than could actually make.

Coz, in the Red Ocean world, we do need these makers to keep RIM and Nokia firmly on the ground, producing cheaper and better solutions.

I’m actually NOT a tech geek. But in this case, it’s just too obvious, don't you think?

To iPhone, or to Blackberry? That is the question | SUMMARIZED VERSION

2009-06-23T23:35:00.021+08:00

http://www.shinyplastic.com/

My previous blog was written in Microsoft Outlook and posted via email. The format is horrible. So, in fairness, I'm summarizing it here in a non-psychotic manner.

The key for making the right decision is mainly on your priority of usage. Because, in essence, iPhone and BB are totally different animals. But if you biggest priority is making calls and SMS, with a strong need for voice clarity, stop reading further and get the Nokia 1100 for RM99.

OK, let's start. Here goes.

www.flickr.com/photos/rustybrick/1552267014/

If connectivity (such as MMS and email) is your priority, BlackBerry* it is. And if you happen to be a huge Facebook, Twitter and Instant Messaging fan, then you can stop looking. BB is definitely your thang.

If multimedia (such as picture browsing, video playback & music) is your biggest priority, then iPhoneis the better bet, all 16Gb of it. BB can still be a good companion but this is where the iPhone edges.

If gaming is your priority, stop reading this and get a PSP. But if you think you'd look uncool talking to your PSP, get the iPhone. DON'T even consider BB.

If internet is your middle name, such as Abdel Internet Kareem, iPhone is for you. Browsing via BB is OK, just like any Nokia, actually.

In summary:
For active-connectivity = Any Blackberry
For multimedia = (1) iPhone (2) Blackberry Storm only
For gaming = iPhone
For internet = (1) iPhone (2) Blackberry Storm only

OK, step back a little and think. With the "either this or that" argument, we know now that the perfect phone is actually; an iPhone with Blackberry connectivity. BB Storm was quite close, but without WIFI, it can't even touch iPhone.

Now that we know the 'perfect' formula, a strong performer like Nokia should be in the thick of it. They should try to genetically create an iPhone-BlackBerry device and call it Nyonya Berry 8310. And they should not be discouraged by the China-made imitation called Nyanyok Berry Love.

Since I'm using a BB, I'd say, BB is da bomb. Memang the very best one. Manyak syiok. Apa iPhone?? Itu budak kici punya.

But if I'm given an iPhone, I'd say that passive-connectivity is sufficient for me. And that the UI, internet and entertainment experience from my iPhone will make me go "Apa Beri-beri? Itu primitif punya kotak ah??".

http://taralconley.wordpress.com/

*BlackBerry WITH BlackBerry Internet Service. Which comes with extra cost such as RM120 per month for unlimited data plan from Maxis. I heard DiGi and Celcom is cheaper. BB without BIS is as good as a RM99 Nokia phone, in technicolor.

To iPhone, or to Blackberry? That is the question.

2009-06-23T17:35:00.004+08:00

Hearing woeful wolfly cries of “Should I get an iPhone or a Blackberry?” is becoming quite as common as to the "roti canai or nasi lemak" question we hear everyday. So, being a geek, perhaps my 2kupang view will help the crying wolves.

*Disclaimer: This blog was written in a record time of 8mins. So please forgive me for its lower-than-usual quality or work.*

	A good blackberry	Iphone 3g	Hands down winner
Communicator (email, sms, instant messaging)	Hands down. Bb is da bomb. But it comes with rm120/mth commitment for unlimited data plan. In short, IM or email will no longer be confined to being online on a pc. This is truly mobility at its best.	No push email. That means, you need to be hooked up to a gprs or 3g to be able to ‘download’ email or be connected. And itll suck up big momma batt life if youre ‘online’ most of the time.	BB
User interface	I love the trackball. But the interface is plain jane simple.	Iphone’s UI is to die for. Imagine showing off the pics from ur future dslr via iphone, by just flicking ur figgy.	Iphone
As an imaging wonderpiece	Nothing to brag here. It shows off pics like any other phone.	See above.	Iphone
As a video wonderpiece	I like the fact that you can just drag a video into a bb and view it. ok, so not all format can be viewed, but its hassle free. Screen is so-so.	The screen is the size of Buckingham palace. But I think the vid has to go thru the apple s’ware to get there first. And I heard it might get lost along the way.	A draw
Internet browsing	With bb server connected to you all the time, you’re the hottest king of the net. Waiting for the bus, or pooping has never been so productive. But it uses bb browser, which will reformat the page to a mobile friendly face.	Chances are, you’d buy an iphone with a data plan. So, internet browsing will be a boom. You get full desktop internet brwsng exprnce. And combine tht with its screen size and UI, if u ever get hit by lightning, chances are, you were browsing at that time.	Iphone
Internet entertainment	OK. This is tricky. Just what the heck is internet entertainment. To me, its just.. well, watching videos or playing games. Don’t expect anything from bb here.	Ah… a dedicated youtube apps. Full wide screen. Nothing is better than this. And games? Aplenty. Pooping will never b the same.	Iphone
Twitter	Loads of app for tweeting from a bb. I use uber twitter. And its really cool. I don’t even need a twtdeck with it. and as a bb device, I’m twtable 24x7. how cool is that.	Theres tweetdeck apps for iphone. It’s as cool as the desktop version. But, u need to be in a wifi area or be connected to gprs/3g for it to work. So, you’re not twtable 24x7, and might miss out adam lambert’s fart experience.	Bb
Games	Bb for gamer? Get real.	Ok, imagine yourself holding the iphone like a steering wheel, going thru the st of paris in a mini. Thts iphone.	Iphone
Music	Surprisingly, bb is quite an audiobox. I use mine to fill the gym with music. Tho juno soundtrack is hardly a workout music. I hate the fact tht to go to next track, Ive to press N, and previous trck ‘P’. so stupid.	Theres an ipod built into an iphone. Really. I’m serious.	Iphone
Outlook synch	Mine bb is so screwed up tht I cant use btooth to synch. And even with the usb cable, every now and then, I have to reset something. Other thn tht, it synch up very well. Calendar, address book, notes etc.	I heard that synch-up with outlook is a bit problematic. But I don’t really know. so, I’m giving it the benefit of a doubt.	Draw
Facebook	Ahh.. my 62yr old auntie is on fb. So, if u don’t hv one, u must be more thn 62yr old. Bb app for fb is incredibly super. Every conteng on your wall, you’d get a notication to your bb, realtime. Need to log in and wish someone hppy bday? Do it thru bb. The app makes fb much more meaningful. But then again, with such lightning response to every comment, ppl might thnk you’re an fb addict. But its actually from the bb.	I hate the part where when viewing pic using iphone fb app, the captions will be ON the pic. Not below it. so, ended up, you’d rather go to fb via safari than its fb app. Plus, u don’t get realtime notification like a bb.	bb

*UPDATE*

Another point that I miss is: Using your BB or iPhone (thats loaded with huge megawatts of data plan) as a modem for your shiny Netbook or Laptop.

In this case, the iPhone wins hands down. iPhone can be used as a modem. Therefore, if you're on unlimited data plan, you'd hv a 2in1 device. But sadly, BB cant be used as a modem, therefore confining its data plan on BB services only.

Shrunkenstein: What We Can Learn From Nikon D5000.

2009-06-16T22:35:00.020+08:00

The world is getting smaller. Gone are the days when you travel 3months for 3000miles just to see your long lost cousins. Now, you just add them in Facebook.

Despite my introduction only has 4.5% relevance to my title, the irony is, SLR cameras too are getting smaller. It's ironic coz... even with small bodied DSLR, lenses are unlikely to be smaller. So, why make them smaller???

Olympus lauded their 'pocketable' E-420 model. And when scrutinized further, what those smart Japanese meant was; pocketable in a "jacket"... duh! And of coz when mounted with a pancake lens... duh!

Smart Japanese.

Anyway, back to the topic. The trend nowadays is, developing smaller-sized DSLRs. The cash-cow is the entry-level models. Sony has 3 models, Canon has.. duh, I lost count... Nikon has 2 and Olympus has 3. The question is, why make them smaller when the lens will always be big?

Well, the analogy is simple. With prices spiraling down, the race between DSLR makers are on capturing the most migrates of compact camera to the DSLR world. And I guess, the Japanese has got smart socio-scientists to tell them that most of them are either ladies or humans with small hands. And so, the make it smaller.

I seriously think there is a fatal flaw in this analogy. In 5 years time, these newbies will be developing ergonomics problems. Why? Well, in the quest to capture better pictures, newbies will buy better lenses. Better lenses must still confide with the laws of optics. Therefore, the better it is, the bigger and heavier it must be. And same goes with flashes. Now imagine, a cutie small DSLR mounted with a 70-200f/2.8 lens with a gobsmack flash thrice bigger than the camera. I smell neck-pain and frozen-wrist.

So, instead of spending million-hours of Japanese thinking power to reduce the size of a DSLR, think of a different way to attract the newcomers. Stick to an "acceptable" size and load it up with features that no photographer needs, like MP3, loud speakers, text messaging, twibble etc etc. In addition, give it some colors to differentiate the ladies and the menses (that didn't sound right).

Always think: the lenses will always be big. So why bother making smaller DSLR.

I have a special reference to a particular brand that, in my opinion, has gone overboard. Sony's latest entry level models looked great. But in the bid to make it smaller, they've taken off some critical buttons and features. The overall design might be appealing to newbies but half way thru it's life cycle, it'll create tension and frustrations.

Nikon has done a great job with the D5000 model. They created a small DSLR loaded with a hellava features. But, it's just way too small. Poor pinky finger wont have any place to rest.

So, dear smart Japanese, DSLRs aren't just for Japanese. It's for the whole world. So, please don't make it too small.

At the end of the day, it's great that manufacturers are challenging the status quo by producing exciting form factors for DSLR. I applaud that. But I wish, in the bid to do so, critical functions should NOT be removed. Olympus E-620 and Nikon D5000 are both fine examples of "get 'em smaller and better" and should be supported.

Lastly... dear smart Japanese at Olympus - your E-P1 ROCKS!

Lowepro Fastpack 350

2009-06-02T21:58:00.008+08:00

When I got back home from work, he was already there. Sitting on my sofa, making himself comfortable. I was quite surprised. I would have thought that he'd come on the next day. It's okay, I guess. He was still in his rain coat.

I put on a smile and said, "Hey Fastpack! What a surprised!". He acted cool and said, "Yeahhh, there was an earlier flight, so I took that one."

I was a bit thirsty, so I told Fastpack that I'd grab a drink in the kitchen. Then he said, "it's ok, I'll follow ya." Ok. He took off his raincoat and followed me.

"Whoa!", I said. "You're all dressed up! Jacket and all." "Nah", he said. In my heart, I couldn't believe just how big he was. He looked really good in the tux. "So, how was the flight?". "Well..." And he went yada yada yada, while taking off his coat.

I looked at him from the corner of my eye. He looked really impressive. Black seemed to go well with him. He could have chose the blue or red shirt, but I think black suits him best. Then he asked me, "Have you told them yet? About me coming and all..?" I said, "I think it's best if you told them yourself." Alrighty, he said.

I gathered up the bunch. Everybag was there, except Crumpler 6M Home, he was upstairs. I presume he already knew what was coming. Fastpack 350 introduced himself and told them about everything. About him being the most capable to carry both the lappy and DSLR on my upcoming biz trip to the US, and that they're not coming this around. I just sat there, watched them and listened.

Then something weird happened. Just as Samsonite was explaining to Fastpack 100 and Crumpler 2M Home about how this is actually good for the boss (aka ME), that this is the best for the boss (aka ME), I saw Fastpack 350 CHECKING OUT Samsonite from behind!!! OMG!!!

Another mannequin shot

2009-05-17T23:11:00.004+08:00

... and actually, looking thru my photo
collection, I have lots of these...

Arsenal 1, Chelsea 4

2009-05-11T09:59:00.003+08:00

A home defeat. A heavy one too. Pah.

I love watching football. And so, I love the EPL. I used to be a Liverpool fan ever since in Standard 1. But since 2000, I kind of steered more to Arsenal. I love their style of play. I love their flair. It's almost like watching the Globe Trotters playing football.

Playing beautiful attacking football guarantees a place in a fan's heart. But, unfortunately, it does not guarantee victory. It has been 4 years since Arsenal won a trophy. But I doubt that the seats at Emirates will decline. The ability to play beautiful football is, in a way, the best win for a fan. It might sound overly philosophical but it works for the millions of Arsenal fans across the world.

Right now, there's not much to do other than to look at the next season. The boss and the players would have to think very hard. In all fairness, that's the hardest thing to do. Because in a way, while they need to 'change', it is their football style that has been winning the fans.

Dell Making The World's Thinnest Laptop??

2009-05-09T13:03:00.003+08:00

Dell Adamo vs Apple Macbook Air?

iA (ISO Anonymous)

2009-04-22T15:58:00.005+08:00

Facilitator: Let’s hear from Iffil. Come on now, son.

*clapping from the crowd*

Iffil: Hi there. My name is Iffil. And *pause* I’m an ISO addict. *clapping*. Ehem *clear throat* it’s hard for me to do this. But, I guess, with the economy being bad and stuff, lately, I managed to control the damage.

Participant: What got u here, bro?

Iffil: Well *pause* it all started a few years ago. It was a Minolta. I mean, like… I really loved her. But she just won’t do it. I tried to make her do it. I told her, “Babe, I need you to go higher than ISO80, my pics are all blurry”. But she… she just refused. Sometimes, she did 150, but.. yea… sometimes. Anyway, the cravings went on and on and on for years. And I’m just… *pause* I’m… well, I spent a lot money flinging.

Until I met another. Sony. She’s... she's incredible. I mean, she’s a beauty. A bit of a size, y'know, an SLR. *woooo (from the crowd)* My moments with her *big momma! (a shout from the crowd)* ...yea.. *smile*, my moments with her were marvelous. She did everything I asked for. Wonderful ISO400. Beautiful. And she could do it all day long.

Participant: Well, then you should be happy, dude.

Iffil: Well, I thought I was. Until *deep thought* ... until I saw how others were doing. Don’t get me wrong, I still love my Sony. But, dude… everyone was doing ISO800. Even 1600! So, I talked to her, asked her to do the same. She told me, “OK, but you might not love me anymore if I do it”. I said, nah. I’d love you for anything. *deep pause*

Facilitator: Then what happen, son?

Iffil: Well, she was right. I couldn’t look at her the same anymore. Her ISO800 and 1600, well… was quite bad. I could live with the 800… really... but 1600… it was hard for me to take. *pause*

And then, it happened again. I started to look at the others. Its wrong, I know. But, I did that. I just… did that. I stop coming back early. Always had a reason. And I kept looking at others. The net, magazines, shops… you name it.

Participant: Did you replace her?

Iffil: I dunno. I mean, I want to. But I just couldn’t. Deep down, I still love her. Life is good when she’s doing ISO400. So, I’m just staying put. But.. the agony. I’m still looking at others. Y’know, those Nikons, Canons… dammit. I just can’t stop looking.

Facilitator: But, you have to remember, that sometimes, ISO ain’t everything.

Iffil: Yea, I know, I know. I mean, yea, if I’m sticking to what I have, I actually have a lot. I should be happy. I know. But.. yea… I think *pause* I’m just gonna chill out with my baby. Rediscover our moments y’know. Snap a bit more with her.

Facilitator: Yes, exactly. And we’re sure that, once you could find those “moments”, something to laugh at, or share, you and your baby will be just fine. OK, everyone, that’s a wrap now. Let’s take a group photo at ISO1600.

My Photography Portfolio

2009-04-20T17:14:00.004+08:00

In an attempt to proof that my writing skill is multi-lingual, I'm writing this one in Malay. Ehem *clear throat*.

Setelah lebih setahun saya membawa barangan SLR yang amat berat lagi bagak dan berlagak hampir ke semua pelusuk dunia, termasuklah Queensbay dan Gurney Plaza, amat sesuai masanya untuk duduk diam sekejap dan imbas kembali apakah yang sudah dicapai-kapai setakat ini.

Seni fotografi amat lah unik. Tapi, tak lah 'uni'. Cuma unik. Ianya unik kerana ianya 'uni'versal. Dan untuk mendalaminya, tak perlu pergi ke 'uni'versiti. Unik kan?

Fotografi digital, jika diimbas apa yg di baca di dalam majalah RM9 di tingkat bawah Carrefour itu, merupakan seni menangkap imej masuk ke dalam memori kad. Sedikit seperti di cerita Ben 10. Cuma seni ini, tidak memerlukan kuasa2 jahat.

Minta maaf jika saya tergelincir landasan.

Setahun telah se-sudah. Dan se-telah dilihat kembali gambar2 seni yg telah diambil, ternyata, tidak lah se-seni se-perti di se-sangka kan. Jika dirumuskan melalui 2 perkataan: Gagal Sekali! *gunakan intonasi komentutur bolasepak Melayu untuk kesan yang lebih kuasa*

Diimbasi, koleksi saya cumalah, jika tidak gambar keluarga, gambar bunga atau gambar pemandangan nusantara belantara. Gagal sekali. Dimanakah gambar2 ber-irama-kan skill seperti aksi sukan? Aksi kaku seperti dipaku? Aksi model melampau? Atau aksi lukisan cahaya kebaya? Gerakan irama ('panning')? Aksi tak sedar diri (candid)? Dan gubahan air dangdut (water sculpture)?

Ish ish... sia2 saja meletihkan otot membawa kamera SLR. Jika ditanya kaum nubi di forum, perasaan koro pasti menyelubungi. Kebaikan yang boleh diharapkan cumalah dengan memastikan bahawa nama siber yang didaftarkan di forum itu, langsung sekali tiada kaitan dengan nama sebenar. Sebagai contoh, jika bernama Abu Bakar, pastikan nama siber adalah panaz dan ganaz seperti Need4Spit atau Kukukurakuraku, dan jangan sesekali berkaitan dgn nama sebenar, seperti Ashburn.

Sekali lagi, maafkan saya kerana tergelincir landasan.

Gerak ke hadapan, azam tahun 2009, saya rasa amat sesuai jika saya mengfokuskan diri nyata ini untuk melebarkan portfolio fotografi saya. Sebagai contoh, walaupun saya tidak mengemari seni mikro, saya masih perlu mencubanya, demi untuk membaloikan pengorbanan ringgit dan hinggit terhadap barangan SLR saya. Sudah pasti, di dalam melakukan aksi yg tidak serasi pada perinsip, ini mungkin akan menyebabkan tekanan darah meningkat tetapi bak kata orang lama; Hidup untuk Makan, Bukan Makan untuk Hidup. Eh..

Namun, perjalanan ini pastinya akan menjadi menarik dan tertarik kerana ia akan menelanjangkan saya ke alam baru. Dan ianya mungkin juga akan memberikan satu realisasi baru terhadap seni fotografi yang berahi dan serba unik ini.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2009-04-03T03:13:00.011+08:00

Marsha always come up with weird stuff. Like yesterday, I was waiting outside the Nike store in Gurney Plaza. Marsha and Sara in the store. When I turned around, I saw this:

Marsha, ON THE PLATFORM, IN THE GLASSROOM, OVERLOOKING THE PUBLIC, jadi mannequin for Nike.

So, sometimes, I wonder, where this kid get funny ideas like that. Coz I really think that we are 'good' parents. Anyway, after Gurney Plaza, we went to chill at the beach. And suddenly, my question was answered.

Conclusion: See title. Case closed.

Guan Eng: Penang has eradicated hardcore poverty

2009-04-01T10:43:00.007+08:00

After a long spell, finally - a headline that made me happy.

Poverty has always been the Achilles' heel of Malaysia. Where most known population of Malaysia has been enjoying modern infrastructures, good paying jobs, donuts and Ikeas, it's always mind-boggling that even after 52years of political and economic stability, we still have fellow Malaysians living without electric and water supply. On that point, our leaders, no matter how smart they were or how well they've turned this country to being acceptably successful, have greatly failed.

When all around we hear billion dollar projects that will inherently make the rich richer, we rarely hear talks of genuine efforts to eradicate poverty. Until yesterday, that is.

Just after a year in power, the Penang State Goverment has boldly announced that they have devised a mechanism to eliminate hardcore poverty. And to much praise, it was learnt that this has always been one of their topmost agenda when they came in power. I guess, being freshmen, they are fundamentally strong over the objective of a goverment. Something that probably BN has forgotten, eh?

Guan Eng, fitting to his stature, said something smart too:

Even though it is difficult (on eradicating poverty), including facing bankruptcy, I am more willing to have the state becoming bankrupt to help the poor and be burdened than to be bankrupted by corruption."

This is Mandela stuff. Anyway, if you're wondering how the mechanism works, here are some links.

The Sun Newspaper
The Malaysia Insider

Which Camera Bag For Leisure Travelling?

2009-03-25T15:06:00.007+08:00

Come this Apr’09, I’ll be celebrating my first year as a DSLR user. If you’ve seen my Flickr, I probably have nothing much to shout. But one thing that I can share after a year of lugging 3kgs of DSLR equipments around, I’ve finally found the PERFECT camera bag for leisure traveling.

But before sharing, let’s level-set the definitions. Leisure travel, for me is, going somewhere far for anything BUT a photography outing. E.g. vacation, business or visit. For these reasons, luggage space is usually limited and prioritized for the missus’ shopping runs or souvenirs. Meaning, photography equipments need to be minimized. So, the usual equipment for me is: a camera body with a lens attached to it. A mini tripod. And a flash unit (for that just-in-case moment). Since Apr’08, I’ve had 4 camera bags. Bought, tried, tested; on 4 traveling occasions.

First up is a Bagman Snapshot Trekka (I think). For my 6-day Hong Kong trip, this bag protected my gears very well. It has so much space; I could easily bring along 4 additional lenses if I had them in the first place. Side pockets meant that the tripod gets to follow me everywhere. And if I’m a workaholic, I could even slot in my laptop into it, adding a further 10kg to lug around. Fortunately, I’m not a workaholic. In short, this is one versatile bag. But it’s not perfect. The bag’s compartment config slows down the in-out camera movement. It’s big and looks like a laptop bag, which is bad, coz laptops are quite a popular among snatching-scumbags. Verdict: It fits all of your gears. And at RM250, it’s super value! But major turn-off: Taking out the camera is too much work for me. So, bye-bye Bagman.

Second bag is a Crumpler 2 Million Home; a sling bag that fits nothing else but a DLSR with a lens attached. I took this little piggy to my 5-day Krabi vacation. This is a uni-purpose destination, where most of your living moments, you’re wet. So, I had to keep my back available for a multi-purpose knapsack, for all those towels, extra baju and wet stuff. Though I was limited to be going around with just 1 lens (which is OK, coz I only have 1 lens anyway), this bag was superb. When you spend most of your time in the sea, you don’t’ really miss your tripod or flash unit. Verdict: This is a keeper.

Third bag is also a Crumpler. This time, it’s for my 20-day Oregon trip and due to the lengthy duration, I needed a bag that could fit more gears, along with my passport. So, I brought along a Crumpler 5 Million Home; a sling bag that fits a lens-attached camera with a vertical grip, a flash unit and an extra lens. It has compartments for filters and extra memory cards too. By now, I think it’s quite obvious that I’m into funky looking camera bags that DON’T look like a camera bag. And nothing is funkier than a Crumpler. Anyway, if you have a huge camera, likes to be discreet and prefers to travel light; this bag is the right one for you. So, verdict: A keeper, especially if you're into sling bags.

And lastly, the last draw. After much researching for the ‘perfect’ bag, I decided to try on Lowepro’s Fastpack 100 for my 10-day Indonesian trip. It was a tough decision between this and Fastpack 250, but I was adamant not wanting to look like I’m carrying a laptop, especially in Indonesia. So, Fastpack 100 it was. This is a very small back-pack bag that only carries a lens-attached camera and an extra lens. It has a top compartment big enough for a flash unit or a Gorilla-pod, among other stuffs like tickets, passports, hand-blower, cleaning solutions, extra batteries or memory cards. But of course, with my back occupied, I could not carry a knapsack. The biggest selling point is that, the fact that I can draw out my SLR in a matter of seconds, means I rarely miss out shooting opportunities. Verdict: A keeper.

So, there you have it. 1 year, 4 bags, tested on 4 different travels. And in the end: 2 is a keeper.

Old and New Town... and Resolution

2009-03-01T17:47:00.007+08:00

OK. At this point, I disgust myself. One of my '09 resolution was to 'up' a level, and blog at least twice a month. That's really ambitious, considering my '08 target was once a month. We're talking about a 2x improvement here, my friend! 2x! It was a GIANT leap... which I obviously failed on the 2nd month of the year :P

Anyway, we met an old friend the other day. We were supposed to have coffee at Old Town White Coffee. He's from out of town, so we had to give him directions. Until he called and asked, "eh, you said Old Town or New Town??". I was like, "err... Old Town la. Why? Got New Town, meh???" And true enough, just a few doors away from Old Town... was a DIRECT competitor, with not much imagination...

Happy Chinese New Year!

2009-01-27T13:42:00.005+08:00

Wishing all Chinese a wonderful prosperous new year ahead :-)

Top 10 Must-Avoid Travel Destinations

2009-01-22T19:39:00.004+08:00

Here's a list done by Costas Christ, Editor of Global Travel, for Peter Greenberg's Don't Go There! book. Here we go, brace yourself:

1) Cancun, Mexico
2) Santorini, Greece
3) Orlando, Florida
4) Kuta, Bali
5) Dubai, UAE
6) Myanmar
7) Antartica
8) China Beach, Vietnam
9) Costa Rica's Over-developed Coast
10) Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Of course, the editor gave a brief justification on why these were chosen. Read more about it at NatGeo website.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T11:22:00.002+08:00

OK, first of all, I DO feel guilty for not making an internet wish during Awal Muharram, which marks the NEW YEAR in Islamic calendar. That was just on the 29th Dec. So, I guess I missed it.

Then all of a sudden 31st Dec came in. And again, I missed this one. Today is the 1st day of '09, so it is kinda late to say, "Have a happy new year."

Good thing being a Malaysian, I have another chance to greet people with New Year wishes. And that would be on the Monday of Week 5 - Chinese New Year.

Having said that, I have 5 more weeks to come up with new year resolutions. Anyway, for those still feeling the vibe of New Year, be it Awal Muharram or 2009; HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU! May the new year bring better health and wealth to all of you :-)

A snippet on Penang

2008-12-24T10:19:00.005+08:00

When we travel to another country, we somewhat dress like how they dress. For example, you go to Stockholm. It's cold there. Everyone wears winter clothing. So, you wear those too. Or if you go to Africa, you'd wear those khakis.

Yet somehow, when it comes to Penang, most people got it wrong. It must be that somehow, it's embedded to them that Penang people goes around in parios or bermudas (only). If it's the Europeans thinking that way, that's 1 thing. But funny thing is, Malaysians, e.g. from KL, seem to think that way too!

But I guess, it shows just how open and unique Penang is. Penangites just could not care less if you walked in a 7E shirtless. Or goes about the night market in parios. Now... try doing THAT in KL!

Hobbies.... & Children

2008-12-17T22:44:00.006+08:00

The thing about hobby is that, it changes. You can say that it follows the wind. But if there's anything that'll break the wind, it's your kids. Yes, those pesky little beings that walk all over you, slap you for no good reason and shout at you for thinking they said 'tummy' when what they said was actually 'gummy' even though they pronounced it 'tummy'.

So, a question to the humans who feed these little human-looking tornadoes, can you actually 'make' time for your hobby?

For an average working family guy, weekend is the best time to work on a hobby. Heck, I look forward to it every working day. But the thing about these tired-less merciless machines are, they talk.. and very loud too. Just as you take the first breath of weekend, they say, "Space Chimps!!!!"... right at you ear.

Well, basically this explains the dusty guitar, bass, ukelele collection that I have. Not to mention rusty radio controlled gears. And a stamp collection book (sshhh!).

Hobby-bearing future daddys, until your kid is about 10 or old enough to join your hobby, I heard those zipper bags can keep your gears free from fungus.

But the funny thing is, the missus's hobby seems to be unaffected. Maybe it's God's way of repaying their painful labor ordeal. Either that or those little tazs are not really into handbag collecting...

Dec's Blog! 11/12 hit rate! Not bad!!

2008-12-12T14:58:00.005+08:00

As usual, during worktime, I browse pictures in Flickr.

But before I start on my routine monthly head-banging dunnowat2write tasteless blogging, let's be clear on 1 thing: I am NOT a 'pro' photographer. I'm just one of those guys who loves viewing things from idiotic angles but does not have enough RAM in the brain to store the image longer than 20seconds. Hence, me + camera.

Anyway, here's my thought on photography. I know you don't care. But, so do I.

I think, the real essence of photography is capturing the moment. Not just an image. It does not have to be sharp. Or with perfect color rendition. It's about re-living the split-second moment every time you view it. Not many pictures have this 'mojo'. It has to be effective. It has to 'move' you.

I tagged a few photos from flickr as my favs. And when i view those again, it moved me again and again. And these pictures are not over the world sharp or with spot-on colors. My measuring stick on an image has always been the same when I view images from NatGeo mags. The good ones are those that gives out that magical feeling that made me go "Wow! How the heck did this guy do it??!!".

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjasha/3095086459/

The Cheapest Hello

2008-11-20T15:30:00.005+08:00

Something that I wanna share. I think most people out there already know but,hey, I need to blog something for November (Remember? My '08 resolution was to blog at least once a month - what is life without sharing, right?).

Anyway, how much do you think a 38minute long-distance call from USA (Oregon) to Penang (fixed line) would cost? USD40? USD30? Nah... USD0.86. Yes, that's a mere USD0.021 per minute. How?

Well, Skype of course! OK, so I'd looked like a moron talking to a laptop. But Sara, on the other end, was on a fixed line phone. And the clarity and quality could not be better. If I call her on her cellphone, it'd be USD0.058 per min. Well, sometimes, the line gets a bit noisy and breaks a lot, but not always. Just hang up and try again.

If you are not comfortable talking to a laptop, use the earphone. Or better yet, buy one of those USB-connect Skype phone.

Surprisingly, SMSing thru Skype is a bit high. It's USD0.097 per SMS. But it's cheaper comparatively speaking. And another thing, you can even set caller ID when calling someone. Cool huh.

At times like this.... go CHEAP!

What's up with this Blackberry thingy?

2008-11-01T02:54:00.003+08:00

I kept bumping onto people who gives me lines such as "Is that a Nokia? A what-berry? Why didn't you get a Nokia?" So, I figure, maybe its time I share about what's a BlackBerry. A phone is a device to talk and text. On default mode, it's on 'voice' connection mode. A BB, is a device to talk, text, instant msg, email & internet. On default mode, it's on 'data' connection.

The only next thing that's on full time data connection is e.g. a PC that's on internet connection. And that PC is connected to a server e.g. Streamyx. Similarly, a BlackBerry device is connected to a server too. And that's the BlackBerry server.

Having said that, that would mean that, to enable the 'BB Service', be ready for an extra RM55 a month commitment. And an appropriate data plan is critical to go with it. A BB device without BB service would mean that it will be just a talking brick. At this juncture, a 40series Nokia could possibly be a better choice.

With a PC, you're only ONLINE when you're in front of your PC. But with BB, that acts like a PC, you're ONLINE as long as you have your phone turned on. So that explains why I'm always ONLINE on my Live Messenger, Yahoo! and Google Talk.

Happiness vs Materialistic

2008-10-14T21:38:00.002+08:00

I'm not really sure about this, but I kinda have this theory that happy people basically does not need much. And unhappy people, well, they 'need' more than what they need.

Happy people is basically a bunch of mentally 'satisfied' humans. Who thinks that they have more than enough slices of 'life's' cake. They might not have a Ferragamo or a Milan holiday but could not care less about it. They are basically happy with their life, alongside their loved ones. And if they DO have a mansion in Monte Carlo and a luxury yacht, well, to them, it's a bonus and they would LOVE to share it with anyone.

In other words, they don't need that much to be happy. No gizmos nor branded stuff nor lifestyle to brag. The basic bare necessities of life are enough to move them along life.

Unhappy people on the other hand, needs more than life's bare necessities. They go around thinking that they NEED that over-the-top handbag or designers shoes. And at the back of their mind, each purchase will 'make' them happy. It's uncommon that unhappy people brags more about their life than 'normal' people. Be it that it's done discreetly or openly, it gives them satisfaction to feel 'higher' than other people. And that very little happiness counts a lot to them.

*Now, bragging discreetly is a very interesting topic - perhaps it's a blog of its own. Stay tune!

Back to this; I've seen couples who seemed so quiet and simple, who doesn't talk much about themselves but rather, listens more; are usually more happy than others. And to me, that is the ultimate measurement of confidence and success.

I've also seen couples who talks so much and 'bragging discreetly' all the time, would confide more with their friends than their loved ones. That, to me, is a measurement of trust (or the lack of it) and unhealthy relationship between 2 people.

I think I'm steering off the topic here. But, basically, to be happy, you don't need much. Just having someone to love, be it your family or your partner. That's enough.

Money makes thing easier. But does not bring happiness.

Sidetrack:
There was one time someone asked Sara, "Is it OK, after you've married, that the wife to have a close male friend, coz he's like the bestest of friend since forever?"

Sara just replied, "If that guy is the bestest of friends, why the heck didn't she marry him in the first place?? Your hubby is SUPPOSED to be your bestest friend. Period."

No Friend-friend

2008-10-06T15:35:00.003+08:00

Today, I've canceled my Friendster subscription. Nothing personal here. Just that, I rarely go into it and the notifications are killing my Inbox. So, from now on, there's only Facebook as my virtual community network.

Thank U BERRY much!

2008-09-30T10:30:00.006+08:00

Pak Chik (Sara's uncle) just gave me his Blackberry 8310 coz he just got the latest BB (Bold 9000). I'm sure to write my thoughts on it soon.

So, Pak Chik (the most rugged Dato' ever), thank you berry berry much. Errmm... you still using your iPhone?

A Brief Outlook on the SLR World

2008-09-27T00:27:00.003+08:00

The SLR world is now on a race.

Before '06, it was a marathon.

Just like Arsenal and ManU from '99 to '06, traditionally, there were only 2 main players; Nikon and Canon. These are probably the most arrogant competitors of all. While they set the pace for the SLR industry, they also control the price.

They are so arrogant that they somewhat ignored their lesser sister industry; the point+shoot (PnS) world. When competitors came in, did Canon and Nikon took out their armor and fend them off? Nope. Coz, to them, SLR is the Holy Grail and they have its secret well guarded.

But little that they knew that the PnS world would turned up to be a good training ground for future SLR player. New players came in and, with intense competition, brought out tremendous amount of innovations while keeping the price lower and lower.

Consumer electronics giant such as Panasonic, Samsung and Sony, came up with bright, colorful, affordable and smart PnS cameras. They've made huge leaps in image quality and even old boy like Canon seems be to stamped all over.

Panasonic came up with Image Stablizer. Sony with 3" touch screen LCD. Minolta with its telescopic lens. Samsung with cheap huge megapixies. All with hi-def video + audio recording. And what did Canon and Nikon do? They stuck with their boring tin colored designs.

It's obvious that to Canon and Nikon, the PnS industry is just a Carling Cup. The real crown is the SLR world. That's the Premier League.

But, the law of progression is inevitable. As Panasonic and Sony has got a strong grasp in the PnS business, they next have their eyes on the Premier League. And if Canon and Nikon think this is just a small boy in a marathon, little did they know that this boy is also Japanese and has got lots of training.

For almost 50 years, there have not been such a massive innovation from the SLR industry. Titanium bodies and kevlar shutters were used decades ago. It's an ancient technology. The biggest innovation was that it went digital and introduced LCD to playback the captured images. Casual improvements were focused on image quality. That's all.

For traditionalist such as Nikon and Canon, they mainly serve industry standard professionals. And to cater to non-pro enthusiasts, they shaved on features from their top models, hence coming up with lower-range models. And for photo hobbyists, they'll skimp down more features and give them an empty box that looks like an SLR that comes with a hole to mount the lens. That's their modus operandi.

PnS users still draws a solid line between their small wonder to an SLR. The argument is; why go for a something that's a size of a gorilla when their PnS has 10x more features. Well, that's until the subject of image quality comes in.

For cameras, image quality is all about light control. And it gives its final bounce on a sensor. This is where it makes a difference. The bigger the sensor, the better it is. And SLR's sensor makes PnS sensor looks like a microbe.

But, if you think about it, that's about the ONLY thing that separates these 2 worlds. If a PnS can give an image with a quality of an SLR, wouldn't that be the greatest camera ever? This is when the chilly wind blows on Canon and Nikon.

Sony wants a piece of that lucrative Premier League. Just like Ambrahamovic, Sony bought over Konica Minolta and germanized all of the SLR know-hows. Re-branding a loser name such as Kohneeka MeenOLtah to Sony was probably the best decision ever. And coupled their innovations from the PnS world, such as Live View, Digital Range, tilting LCD and image processors, it took them just 2 years to capture a huge chunk of the SLR market from the traditionalists. In fact, they took MORE than Pentax, Olympus and Fujifilm combined, even though these are the SLR old boys.

Sony did not stop making a storm in the entry level market. They carried on with a highly successful mid-range model. And topping it off with a pro-range model that had Nikon & Canon stumped for words. And the biggest ammo of all: Sony also revolutionized a new pricing range for SLR.

Sony did something very different from Nikon and Canon. They give almost ALL of the available features that you'd find from a PnS to their SLRs. Very different from the tradionalists where their approach was to shave off features from the higher level models to create a lower level model.

Of course, just like Arsenal and ManU, there are supporters who'd stay ignorant to all these. To them, everything that Canon or Nikon does is the 'right' thing, and Sony or other makers does nothing but making bad decisions. Little that they realise (or ignore to realise) that it is Sony that's setting the pace in the SLR world right now and Nikon and Canon are actually scrambling not to be left behind. Obvious truths are:

1) Sony came up with Live View.
Now ALL of Canon and Nikon's new model have Live View.

2) Sony came up with Digital Range in its entry level model.
Now, C & N is following suit.

3) Sony created sub-RM2K SLR.
Now C & N too has entered that market.

4) Sony came up with a >20MP full frame mid-size camera.
Now Canon is following suit with it's 5D MII. And rumors has it Nikon will up it's D700 (D4?) to have >20MP too.

Now, if Canon and Nikon is the leader, why are they scrambling to follow Sony, who has just been in the market for 2years?

Now, Canon and Nikon are trying their best to gain back thier position as SLR's technology leader. And they're doing it by stooping low and learning from the PnS world, hence the introduction of Video Recording and Face Detection.

But, overall, this is a good thing for the consumers :-)

My Useless Answer to: Why DSLR?

2008-09-20T01:07:00.005+08:00

OK, so I've only started getting intimate with a DSLR for 5months. And so I AM a little premature to be writing about it. But... so what? I've nothing else to blog. It's either this, or something political. Or worse still, the global warming of financial turmoil. What'll it be, muchacho?.... Good choice. DSLR it is.

OK. Why DSLR? Why lugging a 2-tonne dinosaur when you can have DigiPet in your pocket, right? Simple answer: which one is funner? OK, it's 1am.

Quality bra. Quality. The sensor does most of the work. And the bigger it is, the better the quality is. Period. So, get a DSLR with huge sensor size. Despite what "Dear Rhonda" says; size does matter.

You choose your destiny. Yup, in line with the Jedi tag line, DSLR gives you lots of option for manual control. Which can be bad, actually. But hey! You get to choose your own destiny! What could be funner?

Models are programmed thru their in-born DNA to 'respond' to DSLR. This is mother nature, so don't ask. What's important; is that you get the license to brag about your pictures of the Japanese GT babes to your 'compact camera' buddies.

So, this is "Why DSLR?". Have a good day :-)

Related link: My Useless Guide to Compact Digital

Blogist, Blogology, Blogedia, Blogmenta etc

2008-09-17T06:14:00.005+08:00

I thinking of a new term to spike the word 'blog'. While that's definitely just my excuse to waste time and add more credit-hours to the subject 'My Life's Unproductive Time", I'm doing this cause, in Malaysia, the word "blogger" has been turned into a "bad word" by the Government.

"Bloggers" as my current Government wiki-ed it, are just a bunch of nothing-doers who gets a kick from making poisonous unfounded controversial articles with intention to put the nation into disarray aka 'speaking up'.

So, therefore, for the time being, until the word "blogger" can be associated with "something positive", I'm calling blogger "blogologist".... or "Blogist", sounds better? No? What about "blogalist"? Or "Blogadee-Blogadaa"? No? "Blogiatric"?

My Brief 3rd Qtr Review of '08

2008-09-09T00:46:00.004+08:00

08 (pronounced 'o ate')

This year, in a nutshell, is very weird. There are so many ups and downs. So, I'm giving it a mixed 3rd-quarter review.

My country is on a brink of a turmoil; politically and economically. Yet, it's a peaceful as it always has been, and there's a high sentiment of new and brighter hope.

For my family; it's a year where I had another episode of back-pain and Sara had her cyst removed - yet, we've been to more holidays than ever before.

Myself: I'm gone deeper into the photography world than ever before by joining the SLR wagon. Yet, it does not give me that adrenalin that I get from racing RC cars - which I've quit.

One of the best thing so far: Facebook. I've basically got back in touch with lots of old friends.

Baddest decision of the year so far: Going for Maxis 3G Broadband.

But this one has only 'down' and no 'up':

Earth: Ecologically, things are not getting any better. And seriously, I'm worried for my kid's future than ever before.

But anyway, I truly hope it has been a great year for you so far
:-)

It's September!

2008-09-09T00:09:00.003+08:00

OK, it's the 9th month of the year. If you have not looked back on how you've done for '08, now's the best time to do it. Now, let's see...

... hmm... I haven't done much, have I? Hmm....

Marsha's Blogspot?

2008-08-30T01:12:00.008+08:00

Well, ja!

She had this space since 05 actually. I'm basically using it as the homepage for my home PC. She only needs to click on the shortcuts I created for her. So if you have any recommendation to great educational or fun/games websites for kids her age, please do share in the comment box. Thanks!

http://marshamia.blogspot.com/

Marsha's 1st Day @ School

2008-08-30T00:21:00.013+08:00

Yesterday, on the 29th, Marsha stepped into a new world. She went to school. By today's standard, she probably started very very late at 3yrs 9mths (she'll be 4 in Nov). But I guess, living in Kulim, it's not that bad. I know for sure that if I'm in KL, this is a good way of making people's jaw dropped straight down to the floor.

But the fact is, most parents made their kids start school early mainly because of these 2 reasons (1) Kiasu and/or (2) No one to take care of them while the parents are at work.

For me, well, even though I'm kiasu, I'm also very lazy. So that basically cancels out my kiasu club membership. And Marsha has the BEST bibik any kid could ever wish for; one that treats her like her own child.

So, were we pushed into a situation to send Marsha to school earlier? Of course not. But few weeks ago, when we heard that she spelled her name as R-A-C-X-G and answered A-B-R-X when we asked her what's her favorite number, well... you get the point.

Oh, how did she do on her first day of school? Guess! Remember that we're talking about a brat who's been THE queen of the house. And who does not do too well in the 'sharing' business being the only kid in the house.

She did OK-lah. She jumped out of the car, wore her back-pack and said bye-bye without even looking at me just as she entered into the kindee's compound. The teacher told us to stay and fetch her back in an hour, being her first day and all. But we just drove away. And only came back to fetch her 2.5hours later. Somehow, we knew she'd HAVE to be OK. Especially coz earlier, we told her; "You go to school, we buy you a pink scooter."

Bribery works.

Side topic a bit...

2008-08-23T18:16:00.004+08:00

I've never included national nor political issues in my blog. Mainly coz I don't have any interest in it. But I just have to mention that having a young fool (coincidently named SaiFOOL) sworn by the name of God about his perverted relationship with a 61 year old ex-DPM televised on national airwaves is way too disturbing, especially for parents. It also shows how low is the mentality of the ruling government. More disturbing is that, this has turned lots of honest parents in Malaysia into liars when they were asked by the children "papa, what's liwat?".

Oh, liwat? Err.. it's err, u'know... coming to meeting late and stuff...

Che Det

2008-08-23T17:41:00.004+08:00

I'm not such a fan of politics but every now and then, there's one blog that I will go in and be mesmerized. And that blog is Che Det's. http://www.chedet.com/

Don't Eat in Toilet!

2008-08-21T01:23:00.004+08:00

We've heard that line so many times when we were kids. But go up to Queensbay 3rd floor ... you PAY to eat in toilet!

I'd never set foot in that restaurant ever!

Krabi '08

2008-08-19T08:51:00.004+08:00

I just wrote a travelogue on my latest adventure in Krabi just a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I wrote it in Facebook and is not accessible to everyone. If you're interested to know about it, let me know!

Weird

2008-08-18T23:47:00.005+08:00

I was walking with Marsha at Gurney Plaza few months ago and then SUDDENLY, she became giggly and asked me to take a photo of her with this mannequin. I'm not sure if the mannequin or Marsha was weird.

You think you know why she wanted this taken? Beats me.

'Middle' Life Crisis

2008-08-18T16:01:00.004+08:00

Being the middle person is no fun. But in life, that is ONE role that you can't escape. Like a house on fire, there'll be one guy who connects the hose to the hydrant. Another guy at the end of the hose. And the middle guy comes in if the hose broke into 2.

The guy at the hydrant called the shot. The middle guy will be all drenched and tired. The hero (or zero) is the guy who held the hose. The middle guy COULD turn around the situation and be the hero by pointing the broken hose to the burning house. But he'd be working with a shorter hose which could bring failure as well.

So there you go. Life.

You can see this everywhere. On the football pitch, in you family, in your organization, business, everywhere! So, the question is: which one is you?

My take is - anywhere but the 'middle' :-)

U think u know me?

2008-08-11T17:37:00.000+08:00

After more than 10 years of marriage, I’m still in the process of getting to know Sara. And I don’t think it’s due to me being a slow learner. But I think God created a human with millions of faces. And it changes every second. And frankly, I love the experience of getting to know her.

I’ve never met a person who stopped changing; physically nor mentally. Sometimes you’d see a man of steel goes down to tears at the lost of his mother. And values change too. At one point where we thought tattoo was cool, at a later point in life, we think it’s stupid. Our values will change as we get more mature and wiser. And nobody is mature or wise enough.

By the way, I really think that one of the best ways to really know a person is by going through a crisis. Be it death (of pet or loved ones) or an economic breakdown or even UP-turn – these are just some examples where you can really ‘know’ a person and the maturity and values that he/she carries.

So, if you think you know someone. Think again. Coz most of the time, you’ll only see the ‘cover’.

It's not my fault......

2008-08-11T17:35:00.003+08:00

Opss. I just realized that I didn't blog in July. I made a resolution for '08 that I'd blog at least once a month and I failed :-(

Blame it on Facebook.

Marsha Loves To Draw

2008-06-07T02:14:00.003+08:00

Inspiration from Sungai Kuala Kangsar.

Even during camping (during '08 CNY), she finds some time to draw.

PDA pun jadilah. As long as can draw.

While waiting for food.

In a shopping mall's fitting room???

While waiting at the hospital.

On a blackboard...

... that's easily transported anywhere in the house.

Snow White movie is SCARY!

2008-05-29T14:23:00.004+08:00

Who could not have loved Snow White? She’s da babe. And Marsha is nuts about her. But interestingly, she could not bring herself to watch SW’s movie. After about ~8mins of watching, she’d switched off (without pressing ‘stop’, as usual) the DVD player and walked away. I asked her why and her reply was “it’s too scary”.

Now, think about it. We’ve all watched SW, right? (Don’t tell me I’m the only guy watching it). But why is this 3.5yr old kid said it’s ‘scary’? Iffil Mia gets down and dirty and investigates…

1) Her name.
Nothing wrong with ‘Snow’ and ‘White’. But her name was inspired from the blood that spilled on the snow under a very dark night. And this happened when her mum pricked herself with a hellava big needle, where she said (upon seeing the blood), “I wish upon a daughter whose lips are as red as the blood and hair as dark as the night”. Darn. This alone sent a shiver throughout my guts. This is dark voodoo stuff. Luckily she did not get a son.

2) Her mother DIED mysteriously.
And she got herself a wicked stepmother, who incidentally became a dark voodoo Queen. Correct me if this is wrong as I was not particularly paying attention, but if it’s true, this is downright disturbing.

3) The freaking mirror talks!
It’s not the cutie-mutie kind like Mrs. Pot or Lumiere of Beauty & the Beast. This is a scary looking dark-voodoo magic mirror, with smoke and all, that talks back to you. Is this an appropriate sight for kids? SW should be tagged as 18PL.

4) The Queen hired a killer.
I mean, specifically she said, “I want you to kill her!” And not just that, she even said, “I want you to bring back her heart!” And the reason: coz SW is ‘fairer’ than her. How sickening is that? For a kid to be watching this, this is downright brutal! Is should be tagged 18SG as well.

Well, I stopped investigating there and then. Snow White is bad for kids. She’s da babe no doubt and Marsha still adore her, but her tale should be altered, like 100%.

Happy (Pls Fill in the Blank)!

2008-05-11T23:07:00.003+08:00

2 beautiful occasions to blog here.

1 is: 9th May was our 10th Anniversary. Yes, TENTH! It's amazing that 10yrs have flown by so quickly. To think that I've been procrastinating about putting on braces. Had I put it on many years ago, I'll be blogging at this moment with perfect teeth. Anyway, 10 yrs passed by with lots of life's ups-and-downs and a whole lotta rounds-and-rounds. And I'm so blessed with having Sara by my side for the ride. It's funny, after 10years; I've grown to love her so much more than before. The analogy is simple: First I loved her as a friend. Then as a friend and a wife. Then as a friend, wife and a mother to my kids. She's perfect in my every sense. *mushy mushy* Oh, which reminds me, I've not made a kenduri or a gathering to celebrate this milestone yet. Will do it soon.

2nd 'happy' is: Today is Mother's Day! Even though this is just another day created by florist all over the world, as I age, I've began to appreciate these type of 'days'. So, on behalf of Marsha, I took Sara for a Seafood dinner. Then I tapau the leftovers for my mum, who's staying with me, while bibik (Kak Hindun) is on sabbatical. Hmm. The 'tapau' part doesn't sound right. But, then again, my mum is not the 'happy mothers day' kinda person. But, she knows how much I love her... right, mum? :-)

Click! Snap! Ting! Sap! Blitz!

2008-04-17T18:07:00.006+08:00

Whatever sound it makes, the objective is very simple: capturing the moment. I love cameras and taking pictures. And when it went digital, it became much easier and affordable.

I jumped into the digital bandwagon back in ’03 with a Minolta Dimage Xi. It’s got 3.2MP (wah!), telescopic lens (uuhhh!) and 3X zoom (drooool!). It was ahead of time back in ’03. And it was a whopping RM1700 with a 256Mb card (gulp!). Since then, I changed camera every year. Last week, I made a huge leap. I jumped into the SLR bandwagon. I’m still unsure if I made a right choice or not, but let’s see how it goes for the next few months.

So, this particular blog is mainly a tribute to all the cameras I’ve owned and to the world of ‘point-and-shoots’ that I will look down from now onwards *hehe*.

’03 Minolta Dimage Xi
Thank you for the beautiful moments. You’ve taken lots of Mariam’s picture, and for that, I’m keeping you forever. I just wish I can get a replacement battery for you.

’04 Panasonic FZ2
You’ve introduced me to Image Stabilizer and Aperture F2.8. And with your 12x optical zoom, you’ve also introduced me to voyeurism. You’re an amazing camera.

‘05 Panasonic FX7
Your design is a classic. But unfortunately, you were just a bridge to the next generation of LCD, wider lens and better battery technology.

’06 Panasonic FX9
You’re basically an FX7 Mark II. Yet you’re so flawless. But I had to let you go to satisfy my hunger for wide-angle lens. Sorry.

’07 Panasonic TZ3
10x optical zoom in a compact shell --- ahh, the world of voyeurism just a snap away (kidding!). Thank you for your priceless wide-angle views. But, you’re just too noisy at ISO100 and I can’t bear that at all. But, anyhow – you’ll remain as the best all-rounder I’ve ever gotten.

’08 Sony Alpha DSLR-A350
An entry level DSLR no doubt, but beggars can’t be choosers. I love you for your live-view features and the lovely quality pictures you take. Plus I can now shoot at ultra high shutter speed and in low light conditions. I just wish I have better artistic taste when taking one.

*update on June'08
I bought a Fujifilm F100fd. Yup, another point and shoot. And guess what, it's once heck of a camera. I sold it just a month after that, mainly coz I found that I hardly used it. And I wanted to buy another lens for my SLR. But anyhow, I'd really recommend this camera.

*update on May'09

Guess what, I bought another compact: Panasonic FT1. I realized that I needed a compact since I always seem to leave my DSLR at home. I bought this because I was getting ready for a trip to Perhentian Island. This camera is waterproof and shockproof. Noise level is tolerable up to ISO200. But for its durability, highly recommended!

*update on May'10

Hours before my travel to Beijing for a vacation, I bought myself an Olympus EP2. It was an expensive unit, bundled with a 17mm f/2.8 lens + filter, an EVF, extra battery and an 8Gb SD card. Noise level was OK all the way to ISO1600. This camera is WICKED!

A reminder of things to come...

2008-03-24T18:58:00.003+08:00

June '07 (2yrs 7mths)

Mac, PC, Leopard, Vista, Lust, Hype and Love (the illustrated version)

2008-03-16T23:50:00.003+08:00

Picture taken right after assembly. Yes, I tried so hard to hide the hideous bundled speakers. Btw, have since changed to Logitech's cordless keyboard and mice, which happens to bring along a story. See, at only ~RM80+, it seemed like a good choice. But lepas pasang, cuba taip sikit, dammit, there's NO place to rest the palms. What's more, there's no ON/OFF button for the mouse, which basically means, you can play lifesaber using the mice anytime.

These texts are meant to just summarized the picture, but turned up to be a blog entry. I'll keep it discreet. Another new addition, I bought a PC camera. Also Logitech. Now, on top of my glossy piano black wide screen, I have a ping pong ball looking at me. It made sense while I was at PC Depot, selling at RM88 in comparison to Microsoft's Rm268. But, times like this make me wish I would've bought the iMac instead.

Mac, PC, Leopard, Vista, Lust, Hype and Love

2008-03-07T01:08:00.005+08:00

It was a long struggle. I was undecided between a Mac and a PC. This was probably somewhere back in Aug'07, when I realized that Sara has not been reading any of my emails.

Just about a little more than a year before that, I sold off my desktop PC. We were all relying on my 'free but restricted' corporate laptop. It was given free to me to use, but highly restricted. I don't even have Yahoo! Messenger on it. And it even ran a 'Corporate' licensed Skype version, which was deprived of cool emoticons.

Anyway, other than Sara's illiteracy on the concept of Instant Messaging, it was clear that I needed to buy a computer for the house. My instant choice was a Mac. Superb design. Practically virus-free. All made more amusing with its Mac-PC internet ads. I wanted it. But the forum buzz was that the new all-alu Mac and Leopard OS will be out somewhere in Oct'07. Goodie, I had 2 months for further research.

I started to play buddy with Apple's software. I downloaded the Windows version of Safari and iTunes. I started to fiddle with my sister's MacBook and spent more time adventuring my brother's Mac. I struggled.

See, back in '04, I had a Palm T3 PDA. At its time, it was THE PDA. It was ahead of time. Windows Pocket PC was a rookie. Or so I thought. Until a friend got a Toshiba PPC. It blew my head off to know that the bloody PPC could actually multi task! And what's more, there was so much more adjustability that I could play around with. Yes, Palm was uber-friendly, but it was just not me. In short, I sold off the Palm within 2 weeks and got myself an IPAQ 4150, which is still functioning well today and is of necessity to Marsha's boredom.

I know there's a lot of Apple fan out there, in fact, I'm one of them too. Just a fan. When iPod was the craze, my simplistic logic got the worse of me and I failed at running iTunes software. So, I never bought an iPod. And bought a Windows friendly 30Gb Creative instead.

When the new Leopard Mac was released, I was first to stick my butt in an Apple store. It was lovely. Mac 20" was selling at RM5.6K with protection plan. I immediately sold some of my stocks, ready to fund it. I returned to the shop a few times to play with it. Damn. It was a struggle each time. Though my friends were mighty impressed when I played some video stuff on the demo machine, courtesy from my time with my siblings' Tiger OS, I was actually sweating my brains out to comprehend Apple's interface. Damn Windows, you've brain-washed me to the last noodle.

Vista was out around that time too. Windows were not too shy to show once again that, what they lack in Apple's innovation, they thrived in creative-duplication. They wanted to be a Leopard. They wanted to be a Mac. And just like the Palm and PocketPC dilemma; Vista was a much familiar sight to me. And it's much cheaper too.

So, the headaches ended by end '07 when I decided that I was not ready for a Mac yet. I finally bought a Vista PC in Jan'08. It was an Core 2 Duo Acer Mac Mini wannabe in iPod piano black. It's got 1Gb RAM - which, I'd like to stress here - is not enough to run a Home Vista. I soon upgraded it to 3Gb, and it's just lovely now.

In my denial state of mind, I dressed up my PC like a Mac. I bought a Samsung Crystal-Brite 22 incher and Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse. I even reduced the Microsoft factor by using Firefox, instead of IE. 3 months on, I'm beginning to love this machine.

Just now, I dropped by Apple store again, to check out the 32Gb iPod Touch and Macbook Air. And when I shouldered over to check out a 20" Mac; the love was gone. There was not a minute of lust on it anymore. My Vista turned up to be the best choice for me and my hommies. And I even managed to keep RM1K in balance too.

Man, this is probably the longest blog I've written in a long while. And, I know, you skipped almost everything and is reading this line. So, I'll save you the time and state my point here: If you're running Vista, 1Gb RAM is NOT enough.

14th February; a very special day

2008-02-16T06:48:00.003+08:00

This is a very special day for me. It was 6pm in the cold Oregon winter back in 2005. Just as I was about to log-off from my office, an IM came in from a friend; “Mariam dah takde” (“Mariam is gone”).

I just froze. Mariam was my 2yr old baby, whom I missed so much during my travel, and was just 1 wk away until I’m back in M’sia. I broke down terribly. I took the first flight out but it was a long 36hr journey back home. The load was made heavier as 3-quarter of my luggage was nothing else but the clothes and shoes I bought for Mariam. These stuff, I’d lay them down all over my hotel's room, every single night and smiled to myself, imagining just how cute Mariam would look like in it. It was a long tough journey.

Back in M’sia, it was early morning of 15th February. Sara had a motherly instinct and decided not go to work. And when Mariam peacefully departed, she was in her mother's loving cuddle. Hundreds of people came moments later, only to find Mariam, still in Sara’s cuddle. It was hard to let go. And it was Tuesday. The day I was born.

I reached Malaysia on Thursday morning. Sara fetched me at the airport, with only 3mth old Marsha to keep her company. She didn’t want anyone else to be there. And when we met, it was our moment. We just hugged and did not speak a word. At that moment, deep inside, I still had a tint of denial. I still wish this whole thing was a dream. That was 3 years ago. And we still miss her terribly.

We love you so much.

Buffalaxed!

2008-01-17T01:43:00.000+08:00

Check out Buffalax's vids over in Youtube (just do a search on 'Buffalax'). All the while, it was English, duh!

2008... and still blogging actively...

2008-01-04T00:20:00.001+08:00

OK, maybe not as 'active' as some people, but in comparison to >80% of bloggers who mysteriously went AWOL after 2 posts, I'm doing great. It's hard to believe that, in the world where there's no such thing as a 'free lunch', Blogger has let me use their space for free for more than 2 years. Thank you, Mr Blogger. I'm very sure Mr Blogger despises me. I'd probably be the kid with the black tee and torn jeans. What Mr Blogger doesnt know is that, I'm the good guy. My blogs are clean and boring. Blogs like these must always be kept free. It'll make people stop reading blogs and get back to work. ......

Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR, sincerely from me, me wife and me kid! May 2008 brings better luck to you. *pls ignore Marsha's angry expression, inside, she's happy, really*

One Liners

2007-11-30T16:27:00.000+08:00

We noticed that Marsha is tall now. She can now reach the medicine box in the fridge. We noticed this when she said "eee, ubat pink tak shedaapppp".

I just realized that I look very gay in my Skype profile pic. That explains the IMs from strangers.

I'm updating these one-liners coz I got calls for not updating my blog. There, it's updated now.

Satisfying 60,000 Fans

2007-10-26T13:07:00.000+08:00

Last Tuesday's match between Arsenal and Slavia Prague will definitely go down in my book as a 'very special' match. Though Arsenal demolished the travelling opponent by 7 goal margin, all 60,000 fans, both Arsenal and Prague, in the stadium, went back home in a special magical disbelief and emotional state of mind - they all know that they've just witnessed the best football match of the year, or for many more years to come.

Well, don't just take my word for it, read on...
http://blogs.reuters.com/soccer/2007/10/24/awesome-arsenal-restore-faith-in-beautiful-game/

Space, Gravity, Mars & Malaysian Astronouts

2007-10-11T00:38:00.000+08:00

As we are enjoying our self-greed to pollute Earth and bring it to its death, a simple solution for life’s continuity is simply to pack-up and head for Earth 2.0. And with Mars being the perfect match to earth’s geology, a hijra’ must be planned. But it’s a long journey, about 200 years of travel, hyperspace or not. And naturally, the list of ‘things to do’ needs to be prepared.

First of, can we live for 200yrs without Gravity?

Gravity is THE most important thing on earth. Water, fire, earth and wind mean nothing without gravity. Our muscles, brain development and 5 senses are all developed in existence with gravity.

Astronauts lost huge masses of muscle when in G zero. By the 4th year in G0, the bones get so brittle; it’ll break into pieces as soon it hit gravity. So, list of ‘things to do’ #1 – emulate gravity in the mother ship.

Now, can we give birth without gravity? They tried with quail eggs. It didn’t hatch in space. So, for a journey where we’d expect our children’s children to make it to Mars, this is not looking good. Then they tried with mice too. Took the pregnant ones into space for few weeks, bring it back to earth for delivery – and guess what – the little newbie mice’s brain could not recognize orientation. So, even if we could find a way to deliver babies in G0, we gotta fix this, mainly to avoid our offsprings from failing the Martian’s sobriety test. So, that’s “things to do” #2.

Hmm, the list goes on and on; like the space suits, cosmic radiation, psychological effects, human conflicts and etc… but just the 2 items above already causing the brainiacs in MIT headaches.

Anyway, hip-hip hurrah for our Malaysian astronaut, Sheikh Muszaphar. Note to your grandchildren: Next stop; Mars.

http://www.angkasawan.com.my/blog/

Darth Federer

2007-09-08T17:51:00.003+08:00

The Roddick-Federer game was just mind-boggling. There was Roddick; obviously on juiced-up steroids, serving at Mach 5 and putting his best performance ever. And there was ice-cold Federer; dressed all black aka Darth Federer, soaking the pressure with ease and simple changed gear to close the game. I remember telling myself at that moment; “this is just unreal”. And finally, I found an article (URL below) that unfolds the flabbergastation: Federer is not human.

Read it here (http://tennisworld.typepad.com/tennisworld)

Four current top 10 players -- Fernando Gonzalez, James Blake, Tommy Robredo and Nikolay Davydenko (Federer's semifinal opponent) -- are a combined 0-34 against Federer.

Wednesday, Roddick tried landing 71% of his first serves for the match and a remarkable 81% in the second set. He tried committing zero double faults and just 24 unforced errors over three sets. He tried holding serve and avoiding even a single break point through the first two sets. He tried taking good, calculated chances at the net and hitting as crisp and authoritative a backhand as we've seen from him. He even tried wearing black.

Hail, maybe this "Federer" started out as an idea in the mind of some Sega Genesis game designer, but the algorythms just got out of hand and he leaped across the Great Divide like some character out of a Philip K. Dick novel.

Beyond that, do you ever notice that this so-called "Roger Federer" has perfect hair that never seems to get mussed or out-of-place - the dude looks like one of those pictures your local barber has tacked up all around his mirror, hoping you'll be hoodwinked into dropping an extra Jackson on the full "I want to look like I'm in a boy band!" look.