When Facebooking your life to colleagues is not the best option

I am not sure what the outburst of emotions about work and life is about today. for those who don't know what I am talking about: i have just blurted out my entire life right from my primary school to my current work situation. It's not exactly ideal if you ask me. Not when those colleagues you have added on are reading whatever you have to say and still put on a straight face when you work the next day. Can you imagine the eyes and the knowing nods that will probably take center stage when you bump into each other tomorrow, like a shared secret that is a moving ready to explode in conversations about "Ben said this and that" kind of sentences. I think i will take a few days off. Haha

iPhone 4 in Singapore experiences little "death grip" incident

Image by A7design1 via Flickr

You can be sure Singaporeans eagerly take up the challenge to demystify the claims that the  US counterparts have - the infamous Apple's iPhone4 antennagate. They experimented the gorgeous phone with different telcos - M1, SingTel and StarHub - and posted their videos on YouTube. So it really goes down to service provider and the location you are at. I am using Samsung Pixon 12 and I must say the "death grip" is so often I want to smash it.

Straits Times' Digital Life editor, Grace Chng, validated those experiments below. She wrote in the Straits Times today (29 July 2010): "I gripped it tightly and watched the signal strength drop to one bar as I approached basement 3. I made a call, it went through, the conversation was clear."

So there you go...

Here are some of them:

SingTel




StarHub




 Another SingTel user but with zero signal!!

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CNA's poll reveals less interest in YOG

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29 July 2010 - With 17 days more to the first Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore, the local news agency, Channel News Asia (CNA), posts a poll on its website and uncovers a startling find - 90% (n=2137) are not interested in the YOG. With $387 million reportedly spent on the Games, residents in Singapore are feeling less than excited about it. Despite engaging youths from primary to universities, it appears lukewarm even before the Games makes its debut on 14 August.

Here are some screen captures taken from CNA (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/polls/index.php?id=494&ranid=1060) at 10.30PM, 29 July 2010.

Source: CNA website

Source: CNA website

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Passwords Overload

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It's amazing that I can still remember the numerous password combinations for different websites, personal pin number and my birthday. Ok, maybe the last one is a bit far-fetched. But you see, life has become so complicated that I might just forget about everything and be left helpless. Just recently, I was asked to change my password for my office account. And I do have this habit of starting a chain reaction of changing passwords across all my accounts. It's all about getting used to the complexity of remembering them.

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A 'generation in peril' in China

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I was intrigued by this idea quoted by Clarissa Oon in The Sunday Times today. The Internet can spawn independent thinkers or be used to violate the right to free speech or privacy, she quoted a Shanghai Professor Zhu Dake. I mean, seriously, Singaporeans are not used to free speech in traditional medium and the Internet has given that amount of anonymity power to individuals. Are you going to take it back?  There has always been a battle between authoritative control and citizen oppression here. Even with the constraints laid out by law, we are trying hard not to step onto the unknown bounderless markers. So reading this "generation in peril" article about China makes me think about this struggle. China and Singapore have commonality, besides the obvious Chinese population dominance; both countries' leaders may have the same mentality of discipline. Prof Zhu was quoted, "the freedom offered by the Internet has been abused" by citizens. Seriously?!

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iPad-ified

My iPad!!!!

Now that I have secured the prized iPad and pretty-ing it with the best case I could find, I don't really know what else to do with it. Sure, there are lots of applications I could download.  But then do I have all the time in the world to enjoy these apps? Perhaps I would indulge in a game or two. Not to mention the various tricks you could master from the Google world who would tell you every possible "how do I do this" questions you post on its search engine. I am pretty amazed. That's if I can get my lazy ass to learn how it works.

Here in Singapore, we are also snipping away our SIM card to make it work on iPad. One trick I learnt from my dear friend is you have to align the "lines" on the SIM card to the reader in order to activate the 3G network. I suppose these are the "contact lines" on the SIM card itself. It is tough for me to explain but if you google it, there are quite a number of detailed explanations. For reference, you could read this one. Remember the three lines must be about the same distance and don't over cut it. I have to say you need quite a number of trials to get it right. But the trouble is worth it.

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My Malaysian roots

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I have always been proud of my Malaysian roots. My mum is Malaysian and she has 12 other siblings. Although I have not met most of them nor my cousins and their children, I am always delighted when some of them visit us. My mum always reminisces the good old kampong days where she will travel by bicycle to the next state or to the nearby South China Sea and river to catch fish. I heard Ikan Patin was very popular then. My mum used to live in Temerloh. I vaguely remember taking a train to Kuantan and then a car ride to Temerloh. And I vomited a lot. I recall the undulating terrain as the cause. That was probably the only time I was there. It was shortly after my mum's mother passed away.

In a way, I am glad that Malaysia is doing much right recently - from their flood preparedness to saving the corals and giving university graduates training. I believe that is the right way and I am proud of them but they could definitely do more.

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iPad lands in Singapore

Image via Wikipedia

It's epic. iPad is finally landing in Singapore. Going on sale on 23 July at 10am, Apple fans will likely queue for the magical plate. Technically, you need not purchase an iPad with a plan in Singapore; noting the lack of support from local telco providers to bundle iPad with their plan. It could be good news. Unlike in Japan where you need to subscribe to a Softbank broadband plan to purchase the iPad. This will come in handy for travellers from nearby countries to purchase one and use it in their country.

According to iStore.com.sg, M1 offers the most attractive plan for heavy users who do not want contractual commitment. Priced at $39.48 monthly, this M1 plan has unlimited data usage and no registration fee. It also boast the highest upload speed of up to 2Mbps. Looks like we have a deal.

So who is queuing overnight now before the authorised Apple stores open at 10am?

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