Macbook Pro 17" Unibody 2009

MacBook Air

The official advertisment of the MacBook Air posted on YouTube. Currently on sale at the 2008 IT show (Suntect Convention Centre) but no promotions for this particular model. Sigh. You are unable to bring home this baby anytime soon as only pre-orders are available. Torn between the MBA (MacBook Air) & the MBP (MacBook Pro) 15" model. Relatively small price difference between the two but vastly different features serving slightly different functions.

Nevertheless, going to wait until the next revision of the MBA before making decision. In the meantime, PB G4 still working fine, so can't bear to sell it off or send it to lappy heaven so soon.

Murphy's Law at work. When you want something to die real soon so you can get another model, it works just fine & you get sentimental about throwing it away, giving it away or selling it. When you really need something, it dies on you.

It is time to disregard Murphy's Law & focus on the Law of Attraction instead. At lease it is more optimistic.

Ja neh!!!

Nikon D70

iMac 20 inch

Nope, this is not my new computer even though after using it for a few times, I'm seriously considering changing to iMacs after my present pc has reached the end of her useful life.

Aeon bought this & when I went to Yuri's house, all my attention would be on the computer instead of anybody else. Ha. It is simply a work of art, to be able to fit everything into such a slim chassis, with all the Power Supply Units, Mother Board, hard disk, etc. If you have seen the inside of a typical PC, you would be more amazed than me.

Some specificiations of the Imac as available at the time of posting. 24 glorious inches sounds really attractive. With the new Intel processors, I can install Windows & use virtualization software to have the best of both worlds on the same Desktop.

Time to start svaing money!!!

Ja neh!!!

iPhone

I do not really care about the downside of it or whatever people say about it. I just want to get my hands on this ASAP!!!



It has just been released in US!!! First look.

Ja neh!!!

Hewlett Packard ink cartridges

My ink cartridges have been giving me problems lately so it is time to make another dreaded trip down to the HP Service Center located at 438A Alexandra Road. It is pretty far away from Tampines so I drove down this morning, hoping to replace my cartridges. They refused to work when I turn on the printer one fine day (this has happened a few times previously) & it prevents my printer from operating unless I replace them with a new cartridge.

Waited for close to 50 minutes as it was a crowded Saturday afternoon. Seems like there is a lot of problems with HP products as the Service Center is perpetually crowded. Just like Nokia, which is far far worse than HP because there are so many Nokia Service Centers spread across the tiny island of Singapore & they are still crowded. While waiting, I helped myself to the free coffee. I initially wanted MIlo but only hot water was dispensed. Gosh, there were so many people that Milo powder ran out & nobody had the time to replenish it. Seems like there is free Wifi available for those to work while wait for their queue number to appear. I spotted two power sockets for those energy-zapping lap toasters.

Finally, my number 1074 (anybody going to buy 4D???) appeared on the screen & I quickly went to the counter in case they thought I was not there & skipped my turn. This malay dude served me & told me that even though my photo ink cartridge was still relatively full (they weigh each one & compared to the net weight of the cartridge only) & defective, they cannot replace it because it has passed it's expiry date.

K#N%N@B&C(C*B %&&%%$##@@!!@%%#@$$# !!!

Who the XXXX set such a XXXXXXX idiotic protocol? A new cartridge down the drain just because it has expired!!! So folks, those of you who have such perishables, do check your cartridges to make sure they are not passed their use-by date.

The world is full of assholes who think of such rules to inconvenience & piss off the consumers. Be careful.

Ja neh!!!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX 01

A little short write up on the background of this award winning camera, extracted from the following website.

The original FX7 was announced in July 2004 and went on to be one of the best-selling cameras of the year thanks to its winning combination of cool styling, compact dimensions, big screen and image-stabilized Leica lens. This, the fourth incarnation (the FX7 was followed in fairly rapid succession by the FX8 and FX9), is on the face of it another minor facelift, but it does offer something still pretty unique in a camera in this class - a true wideangle zoom, covering a useful 28-102mm (3.6x) zoom range. It is, in fact, the world's smallest camera with a 28mm lens. Other changes (detailed below) include a high sensitivity mode (offering sensitivities of up to 1600) and a new 16:9 widescreen movie mode. What we haven't worked out yet is why it's the FX01, not the FX10 (I suspect a typo early in the production process that was too expensive to fix).

Some of the main features of the camera include the following:

• 6.0 effective megapixel CCD
• 28-102mm equiv. (3.6x) Leica DC Vario-Elmarit optical zoom
• 4x digital zoom
• Advanced Mega Optical Image Stabilizer
• New 16:9 840x480 pixel 30fps movie mode
• 2.5-inch, 207,000 pixel LCD with high viewing angle option
• 16 scene modes
• New High sensitivity mode (ISO 800-1600)
• Venus Engine PLUS
• Color options: Silver, Black, Pink, White.

Ja neh!!!

iPod Shuffle, now available in colours

Apple products are always evolving & it is really really hard to keep up. Since I will be busy with work, I guess it is more prudent to adopt a wait & see attitude while I try to find back the leisure time I use to enjoy.

Ja neh!!!

Samsung D900 (Ultra Slim Edition 12.9)

Samsung's official press release

This mobile phone is really slim, & has a nice feel to it, however it's size might turn out to be it's own weakness. I personally find it amazing Samsung has managed to fit so many functions into such a small chassis, but in my pudgy hands, it does feel a little too fragile for me to use it without feeling self-conscious & without the nagging feeling I might break it if I apply too much pressure. This feeling is most evident when I SMS with it.

There is no radio!!! &^%$#@%%

The file management system is simply comfusing. How should I put it? A modern mobile phone will have both internal memory in the form of flash memory built into it somewhere, & also expandable memory in the form of memory cards such as Menory Stick Pro Duo or Micro SD cards. For the case of my SE K750i, all the pictures are stored in 1 folder, with a lttle icon at the side to tell me whether it is in the internal memory (aka "phone") or expandable memory (aka "card"). In the Samsung, there is a seperate option in the menu called "memory stick" & this is where the confusion begins. Assume I have 10 of each (pictures, videos & songs). If I enter the "memory stick" option from the pictures directory, I might not see that I have 10 videos & 10 songs. It could be seen if I enter the "memory stick" option from videos instead. It is so confusing, I do not know what I am trying to say. You need to see this for yourself.

There is no way I can save the pictures or videos I have taken directly into the memory stick. It has to go into the internal memory first. Hence I am severely limited by the relatively small (compared to a 1gb micro SD card) internal memory. I need to manaually move content to the memory stick to make way for new material coming in. This is both fatal & fundamentally insane.

It takes forever to transfer files from the "phone" to "card"!!! My great-great-great-great grandmother can write faster than it, with her hands tied behind her back.

Picture quality is decent although when I take photos, this mobile phone does not give me the same level of confidence in my phone's camera to make the pictures turn out right. Despite the reasonably good quality, it still pales in conparison to the SE K800i. Your should see the K800i in action in poor light conditions. Absolutely smashing!!!

Video quality on the other hand, & on the highest setting, if one of the best I have seen so far in a mobile phone. It is on par with the Nokia N73 in this aspect & this coudl be the saving grace of Samsung's UltraSLim 12.9, only to be let down b their own inflexibility of not allowing us to by-pass the internal memory.

While you can set mp3s to be your ring tone, caller ring tone (so that when your Significant Other calls, you will know it him / her) or alarm tone, you cannot set it to be your sms tone, which can be done in my K750i. %$#@@**!%%^

Nevertheless, I have enjoyed using it & will give it 7 stars out of 10 for its overal performance & package (personal rating hor!!!).

Ja neh!!!

Little Dot II+ Amplifier Tube

No idea what to talk about in this post. I am an absolute outside when it comes to amplifiers & speakers & anything in between, behind them, on top of them, around them or next to them.

Just enjoy the nice pictures & maybe someone can enlighten me on this mysterious area.

Ja neh!!!

Sony PSP vs Nintendo DS / DS Lite

As some of you might have realized by now, I have the pleasure of choosing from 2 of the world's most popular handheld gaming consoles whenever the gaming bug bite me. There also has been talk of how DS is kicking PSP's butt. Well, go here to get the low down on what's what & what's not between these 2.

How expensive is it to develop a game for a game platform?

* Last year in Japan, the average cost to develop a game for the Sony PS2 is $1.2 million.
* For the Sony PSP, it's only $541,000.
* But for the Nintendo DS, the average cost is a measly $342,000.

Now compare these numbers with some familiar facts.

* The PSP came out and sold for about $250 ($249 or so), while the DS came out at $149 or so.
* New games for the PSP cost around $50. New games cost about $35 for the Nintendo DS.
* Nowadays, you can find bargain bundles. A PSP bundled with a game (usually a "not-so-popular" game) can go for around $199. But a DS bargain bundle goes for about $149.

In terms of price, it seems like Nintendo is the way to go.

But the PSP is a powerful multimedia device. It's a technological heavyweight. Those strengths will help explain these facts:

* Last year, Nintendo exported only 7.34 million DS units while Sony exported more: 11.36 million PSP units.
* Within Japan, Nintendo did amazingly well: Nintendo sold 4.25 million DS and DS Lite units. Sony sold 2.61 million PSP units in Japan last year.

Does this mean the Japanese go for price? While the rest of the world (especially the USA and Europe) are more likely to go for expensive technology? Maybe.

Is this important? Well actually. I don't care about it one bit. Why? Because all this talk of "PSP pwns Nintendo DS sucks" and "PSP suxxorz LOL bye" doesn't change the important things. Gaming is on the rise. This is according to a report released by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association or CESA (it makes a report every year about the state of the Japanese console game industry; the sales figures in this article came from their report).

Total worldwide gaming sales (both hardware and software) have grown since 2004 because of the DS and PSP. They resurrected the dying handheld market, and in the process, they rekindled interest in gaming (for example, people who would never have bought a console found it easier to buy the affordable handheld units, and now that they realize how much fun they're having, they're waiting for the next-gen consoles).

So, after all the spamwars and flamewars and all the forum hating, both the DS and the PSP are to be thanked for this healthy upsurge in gaming sales. This is a sign that we should all hold hands. Can't we all just get along?

Ja neh!!!

Game console war, Uuufoooo!!!

Seems like the war of the video games console is heating really unexpectedly since the launch of the new console of the "Wii" console from Nintendo. Personally I do believe the fight was between Sony's Playstation & Mircosoft's Xbox but now with an old warrior having found new vigour, things are stafting to get exciting. It doesn't really affect me directly because I own a handheld console, but the more popular a console is, the more companies want to write games for them, & the more companies want to write games for them, the more popular will be the console, simply put. So it's kind of like a Catch 22 situation. Handheld consoles are indirectly affecte by the success of the parent console. So I'm going to root for Sony.

LOS ANGELES: Gamers gave Nintendo's new "Wii" video game console a hands-down victory over Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 at the premier video games trade show that ended in Los Angeles.

The innovative motion-sensing Wii controller and games that shied away from blood-and-guts action won praise, while the latest PlayStation met with unenthused satisfaction.

Hard-core and novice video game players crammed into Nintendo's warehouse-sized Wii pavilion and waited in a perpetual line outside.

At the nearby PlayStation 3 exhibit at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), there was little wait to play on Sony's yet-to-be-released console.

"If that line would ever go down, I sure would want to try it," Teresa Holt, 28, of Texas said, nodding toward the Wii pavilion after finishing a PlayStation game.

A random survey of PlayStation 3 gamers revealed that most thought the scenes were more realistic and the machine faster than its predecessor, but not worth the wait or the whopping price Sony planned to charge.

With its 20-gigabyte disk drive, the PlayStation 3 that Sony intended to sell for 499 dollars in the United States was a "crap version" that self-respecting gamers won't settle for, said Jeff Sobol, an independent game publisher from Canada.

Sony's loaded 60-gigabyte model will sell for 599 dollars when the systems are released late this year, according to the Japanese company.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 is already on sale in the United States for 299 dollars or 399 dollars with a hard drive.

The tricked-out PlayStation 3 "wasn't that big of a jump over the Xbox 360" made by US-based Microsoft, Sobol said.

In the Wii pavilion, players blurted superlatives with giddy delight.

"Sweet," one fellow chimed as he and a friend ogled motion-sensitive Wii controllers that came in "Zapper (gun), Nunchuk, Classic" styles.

"Awesome," Matt Callaway said after he and Jaap Tuinman finished playing video tennis by swinging Wii controllers like rackets.

"I'm psyched; it's exciting," Tuinman said. "It's something I could play with my wife."

Nintendo heralded the system as "disruptive" technology intended to revolutionize video game playing and lure new players to games by making the controls less intimidating.

"It's really fun," said Kappei Morishita. "I like it, and I'm in my forties. The current games get too complicated. This is back to basics. I could play with friends at a party."

Nintendo was coupling Wii with game software it hoped would appeal to "casual players" such as Morishita. Among the video game offerings will be "Brain Age" mind-tests, orchestra conducting, and hospital surgery.

Nintendo will also roll-out a version of its popular cult game, The Legend of Zelda, made for Wii. Zelda was among the games people got to try.

Ubisoft of France designed an action game, "Red Steel," to arrive at market alongside Wii.

Nintendo had yet to reveal the Wii's price, but it was rumored it would cost less than PlayStation 3 and be on par with XBox 360.

"It is very unlikely Sony will take the lead going forward," said Hiroshi Kamide, an industry analyst with KBC Securities in Japan.

"The logical choice is to buy Nintendo, and the price point is good. Microsoft and Sony will tie."

Industry analysts at E3 agreed that "at the end of the day, it's all about the games" and not the consoles.

"People buy machines to play games," said Anita Frazier, an entertainment industry analyst with NPD Group in the United States.

"I know several hardcore gamers who say they will get all three, because of the content on each system."

Console makers routinely capitalize on winning game franchises and tie games to popular films, television shows and comics. They understand that hooking a player on exclusive games often hooks them on their consoles.

"Metal Gear 3 is the only reason I would buy PlayStation 3," gamer Raphael Phillips said as he finished trying out the new console. "If I had my choice, I'd play it on an Xbox 360 because it costs less."

The Xbox 360 hasn't swept the global market and sales have suffered from supply problems, said David MacQueen, an analyst with Screen Digest in Britain.

Britain is the largest European video game market and the third largest in the world, MacQueen said, noting "Brits really love new gadgets, and then lose interest quickly."

"The Xbox is not grabbing the Europe market," MacQueen said. "In Japan we can see why it was called the Xbox 360 -- it looks like that was the number of units it sold."

The above article was lifted off Channelnewsasia.

"Fight-toh Fight-toh, Ufooooo!!!

Luxor

Brief discription of the game

My mum, my sis, Michelle & I wwere walking along Citylink Mall (is that what you call the underground shopping alley just outside City Hall MRT Station?) when we saw a booth selling stuff like speakers for your mp3 players & games. It was on offer, so we decided to give ourselves a little treat. We bought Luxor which is extremely similar in concept & form to Zuma, the other shooting game in which you control a tribal frog in the middle of the screen & you rotate him to "spit" out coloured balls to form chains of 3 or more similar colours to make them disappear. Oh well, I've installed it on my Mac & now I'm hooked. Crap. Hahaha. Yes, there are some great games for Mac too!!!

Ja neh!!!

Pool on the V3

Mobile phone for the Saints, pool for the masses.

Sony Ericsson K800/K790

Specifications for the Sony Ericsson K800/K790

Band : UMTS 2100MHz (K800), GSM 900/1800/1900MHz or GSM 850/1800/1900MHz Data : EDGE (K790) or UMTS (K800) Size : 105mm x 47mm x 22mm Weight : 115g Battery Life : 350 hours standby time, 2.5 hours UMTS, 7 hours GSM talk time Main Display : 262k color TFT LCD, 240x320 pixel resolution Sub-Display : N/A Camera : Yes, 3.2 megapixel with auto focus Video : Video capture/playback Messaging : MMS/EMS/SMS Email : Yes Bluetooth : Yes Infrared : Yes Java : Yes (MIDP v2.0) Polyphonics : Yes Memory : 64MB on board memory, Memory Stick Micro (M2) expansion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Ericsson_K800

http://www.sonyericsson.com/spg.jsp?cc=sg&lc=en&ver=4000&template=pp1_1_1&zone=pp&lm=pp1&pid=10407

Yeah, Sony Ericsson has just announced the launch of a few more models of mobile phones & they really got me excited. Imagine a candy bar form factor mobile phone with a footprint not too far off my present SE K750 & with so much more features packed into it!!! 3.2 megapixels!!! It's almost like having a real camera in your mobile. When I got the SE K 750, i was elated with the picture quality & the functionality of their wonderfully-designed mobiles. I guess they have one-upped on themselves & achieve such a major breakthrough. Nothing compared to Samsung's 7 (SEVEN!!!) megapixel camera mobilt with 3x (THREE TIMES!!!) optical (BLOODY OPTICAL!!!) zoom, but I personally feel SE mobiles are much more comfortable to use than their korean counterparts. I have used Ericsson (before they merged with Sony's handphone department), Motorola (back in the Startac days), Nokia (a few models, not just one), Samsung (which was also my first camera handphone), & presently, SE. So I do know a little of what I'm talking about when it comes to user interface.

Must save money!!! Must resist urge to buy new handphone, especially when the K750 is still in good working conditions (the joystick sometimes give me problems & the urge to just smash the phone onto the concrete floor). Sigh

Ja neh...

Preferred PC housing

Powerbook

My sister's new lappy

My sister went out & got herself a new lappy so she can surf the net & watch her dramas in the confort of her own room. Well, it's quite a good deal, with a 100Gb hard-disk. Wow, it was just like yesterday when it was something to boast about if your lappy came with a 6 Gb hard-disk!!! Can you imagine having only 6Gb for your songs & stuff??? It can't even fit in the anime that I serve... Gosh, we have indeed come a long way... From the days of the dinosaurs & compters that fill an entire room. Can use the lappy to watch television too, but I haven't figure out how to do it exactly.

Ja neh!!!

AppleCare Protection Plan

The AppleCare Protection Plan extends the complimentary coverage on your Mac to three years of world-class support. The plan includes expert telephone assistance, onsite repairs for desktop computers,* global repair coverage for portable computers, web-based resources, and TechTool Deluxe from Micromat - all for one economical price.

Every Mac comes with 90 days of telephone support and one year of service coverage at an Apple-authorized repair center. By purchasing the AppleCare Protection Plan with your Mac, you can extend your coverage to three years.

The AppleCare Protection Plan covers your Mac, as well as an AirPort Card, an AirPort Base Station, and Apple RAM purchased for your Mac. Power Mac and PowerBook customers can also enroll one Apple display for coverage, provided the Mac and display are purchased together.

Because Apple creates the computer, the operating system, and many built-in applications, the Mac is a truly integrated system - with vastly superior support. Just one phone call can help resolve most issues with your Mac. The AppleCare Protection Plan provides support for Apple hardware, the Mac OS, and Apple applications, including iCal, iDVD, iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes, AppleWorks, and QuickTime.

The above information can be found on the following website:

www.apple.com.sg

Ja neh!!!