Vide-Yo | Keeping You Informed

ACTA will kill online privacy and civil rights (Video)

2012-01-26T11:02:00.002+08:00

Now that the SOPA fever has died down.. Let me remind everyone that there is another more dire bill coming up in the European Union and this is the one to watch. This bill will not only destroy the web, but also the individual, you and me. It is called the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). The supposed reason behind ACTA is similar to SOPA, to protect intellectual property. It was first drafted in 2008 and has gained many signatures including from Singapore on 1 October 2011.

Now this is what ACTA does:
1) forces Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as Singnet and Starhub to scan and track every single data packet to and from every internet user.
2) any counterfeiting of copyrighted materials detected will allow the ISPs to deny internet service to the user
3) furthermore, the ISP is required to inform the publisher of said copyrighted material, who will then decide if the user will be charged in court

You may think you're safe but wait.. ACTA gives permission to all ISPs to monitor every single user. Everyone will be under constant surveillance. There is no more privacy, every single website you visit, facebook posts, tweet, youtube video, etc etc, will be under scrutiny. ACTA grants so much power that even if you were to buy a single MP3 song online and transfer over email or MSN to a friend, BOTH you and your friend will be prosecuted.

Some examples that will get you prosecuted under ACTA:
1) Sharing copyrighted material online, through MSN, Skype, Dropbox, etc.
2) Uploading copyrighted music, videos or homemade videos with copyrighted music on video sites like YouTube, Facebook video, etc
3) Quoting a line out of a copyrighted song, novel, newspaper article, etc.

NO ONE IS SAFE

If you had thought SOPA is bad, ACTA is worse. SOPA only has the power to shut down websites that are suspected of copyright infringements. ACTA attacks websites AS WELL AS goes straight to the individual, removes privacy and freedom of speech by constant surveillance. Like SOPA, ACTA also allows censorship of audio, video and text. Governments that signed ACTA can leverage its power to censor anything it desires such as politics. This results in the individual losing their civil rights. Any offenders can be prosecuted. What this means that in future elections such as the General Elections 2016, government critical tweets, facebook and blog posts can be censored.

This is just a very quick summary of what ACTA is about, there are many more underlying regulations that will be enforced. It also does not help that further discussions on the bill are kept secret. Bills such as SOPA and ACTA are favourable to governments since it can be used as a weapon. SOPA may have been denied after last week but ACTA has gained momentum and quietly.. As of now, countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the United States have already signed the bill. The bill will be negotiated after 31 March 2013 by the European Union. If the bill should pass, get ready to be very afraid.

PS: We can't do anything since Singapore has already signed it. We just have to wait till next year to find out the future of our online privacy and civil rights. In the meantime, all we can do is keep each other informed.

iPhone 4S Siri and Samsung Galaxy S2 Voice Talk.. (Video)

2011-10-18T11:28:00.000+08:00

Just some thoughts on the new iPhone 4S Siri. While many people are won over by the new iPhone 4S personal virtual assistant, it should be noted that there have been similar apps and implementations on Android phones at least a year earlier. Voice recognition technology is nothing new but it is now set to gain huge momentum with Apple joining the race and popularising it.

With smart phones and PDAs (personal digital assistants) merging, people have been using their phones to perform countless tasks. It soon made sense that the phone is sort of like a personal assistant to you. However, unlike a real assistant, you can't just talk to a phone and tell it what to do, at least until the last couple of years. Apple has introduced Siri on the iPhone 4S and Samsung has made Voice Talk on the Samsung Galaxy S2, both of which can take your commands and perform tasks for you. Meanwhile, Google has Voice Actions for its Android OS.

Here's the introduction video on Siri for iPhone 4S by Apple.

Clearly Siri is an advanced voice recognition tool implemented by Apple. Although Apple did not came out with the technology (they bought the Siri company back in April 2010), they certainly improved it drastically and integrated it well with the iPhone, allowing people to perform tasks such as web searching, sms-ing, writing notes, emails and more on the phone just by speaking to it.

While Siri is only available for the iPhone 4S (a key feature for drawing more sales), there have been similar apps like Vlingo on Android for years. Google Android has also introduced Voice Actions last year, where you can tell the phone to call, send sms, do map navigation, web search and more. But one thing that Voice Actions disappoints is that it does not "talk back" to the user, making it less than pleasant to use. Most people would like a human touch like vocal response, after all, you would like an assistant to at least reply when you give an instruction.

However, mobile phone companies like Samsung has also experimented with the idea of a talking personal virtual assistant by having it integrated into their latest phone, the Samsung Galaxy S2 with Voice Talk, which by the way came out four months ahead of iPhone 4S, and sparking a growing interest in voice recognition technology.

I have embedded 3 demo videos of the Voice Talk in action.

Voice Talk on Samsung Galaxy S2 - go to 1:03 for demo.

Another demo of Voice Talk on the Samsung Galaxy S2

A more comprehensive demo of Voice Talk

Based on what we have seen so far, Samsung's Voice Talk can answer your questions and perform tasks for you and talk back to you. One thing that sets it apart from Apple's Siri is that it can be voice activated by saying "Hi Galaxy", whereas you have to long press the home button on the iPhone 4S to activate Siri. There is also an option to turn on "Driving Mode" where the user can control the phone solely by speech, without ever having to touch it. Very impressive. Siri may lack such functions, however, Apple takes it a step further by actually having artificial intelligence. Siri has the ability to understand what you are actually saying and come up with various yet appropriate responses. There is no more need to memorise specific words or commands for the program to understand.

Of course, both implementations are not 100% perfect and they still fumble when they cannot recognise the voice due to accents, languages or the environment. However, given that voice recognition is the direction we are heading, it wouldn't be long before these hurdles will be overcome. There have been lots of research and developments done on voice recognition and the results are unimaginable, but they are still out of reach of the consumers.

It is welcoming to see companies like Google, Apple, Samsung, Vlingo and even Microsoft pushing such technology to the consumers. While Apple now has the upperhand with an advanced Siri, Google is reportedly throwing their own version in Android Ice Cream Sandwich, which will debut on 19 October 2011 (tomorrow!). How will the future of "talking to electronics" turn out?

One thing for sure, our phones will be able to make us laugh..

Funny Siri Answers 1

Funny Siri Answers 2

New Trailer: The Avengers

2011-10-13T18:27:00.001+08:00

Title: The Avengers

Date Released: 1st May 2012 (Singapore)

Synopsis: When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

"Read more" for the trailer and a trailer analysis clip from IGN to find out who the enemy is!

The Avengers Trailer

The Avengers Trailer Analysis

Note: The main enemy is Loki (Thor's brother). So looks like the bulk of the movie will be about Thor confronting his brother, yet again. How did he survive the fall in the latest Thor movie and how did they come back to Earth after having their portal destroyed is beyond me. I did not read the comics so I have no idea. But no matter, I believe this is going to be an explosive movie. All the previous Marvel movies have led up to this Marvel superstars show.

New Movie Trailer: Red Tails

2011-08-06T14:25:00.001+08:00

If you know who George Lucas is, you'd want to watch this movie. If you haven't, you'd want to watch too when you realise that he's the mastermind behind LucasFilm's very successful Star Wars series. We pretty much have not heard much from him recently until now. He is back to produce Red Tails, a World War 2 movie about African American pilots battling their enemies and race discrimination back home. This movie is about dogfighting and features some really impressive visual effects. Feel excited now? "Read More" to view the trailer.

Release Date: Estimated 19 January 2012 (Singapore)

Note: This being a George Lucas' LucasFilm production, the visual effects job naturally went to Industrial Lights and Magic, the best visual effects studio in the world. And I can say, based off the trailer, the visual effects are just fantastic.

Red Tails Trailer:

Source: YouTube

Coming Soon: John Carter (Video)

2011-07-29T16:05:00.002+08:00

Title: John Carter

Release Date: 7 March 2012 (Singapore)

What's with that weird symbol you say? What's so important about this "John Carter"? Beats me. But look at that small word above the J and O. It's "Disney". So being a Disney movie and with a title card looking this awesome, it could only mean 2 things - this movie will have sword fighting (think Pirates of the Caribbean) and it will rock so hard that people will start dressing up like the lead characters again.. Right? Right...? "Read More" below to check out the trailer.

Synopsis: Civil War vet John Carter is transplanted to Mars, where he discovers a lush, wildly diverse planet whose main inhabitants are 12-foot tall green barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, who is in desperate need of a savior.

PS: At least there's sword fighting but I don't think people will start dressing up like John Carter after all. Lol.

Source: YouTube

New Music: Rebecca Black - My Moment (Video)

2011-07-27T17:29:00.000+08:00

Rebecca Black is back with her second song, My Moment. Overall, I find this song much better and easier to listen to than Friday. She sings better here, similar to many pop songs that you hear on the radio nowadays. Strangely enough, this video has received over 412 000 dislikes compared to 231 000 likes as when I first viewed it.. I kind of like the song.. Listen to it and judge for yourself. :)

"Read More" to view the video.

Source: YouTube

Coming Soon: The Amazing Spider-Man (Video)

2011-07-23T09:12:00.000+08:00

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Release Date: 5th July 2012 (Singapore)

On July 20, 2011, the world was given a glimpse of The Amazing Spider-Man movie, nearly a year ahead of its release. 2 theatrical trailers were released. Confused about whether this movie is a new deal or a sequel to the last 3 Spiderman movies? "Read More" to view the trailer and find out more about the history of the movie.

The last Spiderman movie was just shown in 2007 and it only took 5 years for a reboot of the movie. Wondering why? Here's a quick not-so-boring background explanation.

Sony Pictures, who wanted to milk the spiderman series as much as possible cause that's how they make easy money, had plans for a Spiderman 4 and even had their greedy sights on a Spiderman 5 movie. However, the original Spiderman movies' director, Sam Raimi, couldn't agree with Sony Pictures on the plot's creative development. Basically that means how the movie story should be told. Raimi, eventually have had enough, told the Sony Pictures execs to F off and quit, taking Tobey "Spiderman" Maguire and Kirstin "Mary Jane" Dunst with him, thinking that Sony is screwed about making a Spiderman movie without Spiderman.

Sony and its partner, Columbia Pictures, said "meh, we can easily find replacements" and hired a new cast and crew. Too stubborn to let the cash-raking spiderman die and instead of continuing the series with the new crew, which would turn out utter rubbish to see a sequel where Peter Parker is played by a different actor, Sony decided to reboot the series as The Amazing Spider-Man. It's also confirmed that this would be the first in a new series.

NB: This movie is not a retelling of the first 3 movies, they are a new story altogether. The focus will be of Peter Parker developing his super powers. Plus there's no Mary Jane in this one.. :(

Teaser shot of Andrew Garfield as the Amazing Spiderman

Teaser poster

Source: YouTube.com

New Movie Teaser: The Dark Knight Rises (Video)

2011-07-19T11:38:00.001+08:00

The Dark Knight Rises is the last film in the Batman trilogy by director Christopher Nolan and continues to star Christian Bale as Batman. It is stated for a July 2012 release. The trailer below is only a teaser, no actual story is revealed. "Read More" to view the teaser.

The Dark Knight Rises teaser poster

The Dark Knight Rises Teaser:

Source: YouTube

New Movie Trailer: Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows

2011-07-14T22:16:00.000+08:00

Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are back after two years to star in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.
"Read More" to view the trailer.

Singapore Release Date:
15 December 2011

Synopsis:
Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty.

Trailer:

Note:
The trailer for Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows uses the exact same music as the first movie trailer. The song is Unstoppable by ES Posthumus. =)

Sherlock Holmes Trailer:

ES Posthumus - Unstoppable

Source: YouTube

New Movie Trailer: Puss In Boots 3D

2011-07-03T12:50:00.001+08:00

People familiar with Dreamworks' pet series Shrek will be delighted to know that one of its characters, Puss In Boots is getting his own spin-off film, which chronicles the events that lead up to Puss in Boots meeting up with Shrek. Called Dreamwork's Puss In Boots, the film has been teased since April and will hit the screens at the end of 2011. "Read More" to check out the trailer.

Singapore Release Date: 24 Nov 2011

Teaser Trailer:

Theatrical Trailer:

Source: YouTube

New Movie Trailer: Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol (Video)

2011-07-02T16:44:00.003+08:00

The fourth movie of the Mission Impossible series is debuting this December and the trailer is finally released. Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt. One of the producers is JJ Abrams, by the way, one of my favourite directors. "Read More" to view the trailer.

This movie will be released in Singapore on 15 Dec 2011.

Here's the synopsis according to IMDB:
"The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name."

Trailer here!

Source: YouTube, IMDB

How first-person shooter games look like in 2011. Hint: It's about the guns.

2011-06-23T00:18:00.003+08:00

With the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3 2011), the largest annual gaming convention, just over, a new wave of games were released and this is where we get to catch a glimpse of the next generation of games and/or notice some jarring trends.

Cracked.com did the latter and have made a quick graphic to highlight one particularly outstanding trend in recent First-Person Shooter games. "Read more" to check out the image.

Spot the similarities? All the games shown here are the future FPS games.

As shown, the First-Person Shooters games have been moving towards a similar style of aiming down the gun sights. The aiming-down-the-sights mechanics have been popularised by big games such as Call of Duty, and have since been copied over and over by pretty much all the shooters games out there now and what's there to come.

While I admit it makes the game more realistic, I hate that the gun actually covers up to a quarter of the screen, adding unnecessary difficulty of spotting your enemies. Gone are the days of a simple crosshair with full unobstructed view whilst aiming. Instead now, you get to appreciate the details on the back of your gun while you pop your targets with bullets, cause you know in games, its all about the graphics now..

Source: Cracked.com

New Movie Trailer: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (Video)

2011-06-18T21:54:00.004+08:00

With just a month left till the premiere of the very last Harry Potter movie, no clips or images have been shown yet and fans are awaiting impatiently for glimpses of the final movie.

Wait no more, for Warner Brothers have just released the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 yesterday. Read more to view the trailer.

This is it, the trailer for the 8th Harry Potter movie, a full decade since the Sorcerer's Stone debuted in 2001.

Enjoy.

Edit: Oops. This is actually the second trailer that was released. The first one was released back in April 2011. I actually posted it on my facebook but I had forgotten about it (probably cause it received little attention then when the Harry Potter season was still 3 months away). So anyway, here's the first trailer.

Source: YouTube

New Movie: Real Steel

2010-12-28T10:35:00.003+08:00

I feel that Transformers is getting a bit old. The 3rd installment of the movie is coming out on 1st July 2011 but I'm hardly excited. However, this movie, starring Hugh "Wolverine" Jackman, looks more captivating. Like Transformers, it also features robots fighting each other. It is set to debut in Oct 2011.

Michael Jackson's and Akon's Hold My Hand song was actually completed a year before MJ died

2010-12-13T18:16:00.004+08:00

Michael Jackson may have passed away in late June 2009, but it seems that the late King of Pop is still producing hits even past his death. The latest single from Akon and Michael Jackson, Hold My Hand, has only just been released on radios and is very popular. Contrary to belief, "Hold My Hand" is actually a 2-and-a-half year old song. It was completed in June 2008, a year before Michael Jackson died.

A quick search online would uncover the "Hold My Hand" story. Michael Jackson was working with many musicians the few years leading to his death. In particular, he was collaborated more with Akon. They recorded "Hold My Hand" in June 2008. Interestingly, the song leaked onto YouTube, with videos of the songs appearing on June 30, 2008. Apparently the YouTube managed to remove all the videos containing the song. I did a quick search and the earliest video I could find was uploaded on Dec 4, 2008. (Video below)

I didn't find out what happened to the song since then and why it is only released recently when it is clearly completed, based on the video below. After Michael Jackson died in 2009, the news reported that some of his uncompleted music would be completed and released. Many people would therefore assume that "Hold My Hand" is one of those songs that was completed after his death. In actual fact, the song was only unreleased. Regardless, MJ fans should still appreciate his music, no matter when it was done.

Starbucks to sell wine and beer, age limit rules apply, jacking up of prices to follow

2010-12-04T11:49:00.001+08:00

Starbucks has started selling wine and beer in their flagship store in Seattle, USA. It's an experiment to try to draw a bigger evening crowd. The 40-year-old coffee franchise is one of the largest coffee chains in the world. It is also the first to introduce "premium prices" for a regular cup of coffee and the idea that you can drink large amounts of coffee at any time of the day.

Currently, the big green giant reported that most of its customers patronise before 2pm and that it is also losing out to its competitor despite numerous efforts to stay at the top. Therefore, in an effort to draw a bigger evening crowd, Starbucks is going to start selling beer and wine. It is a move that will help people to "relax" after work. Starbucks fans need not worry as the stores will be re-designed to look more like a modern bar, with dim lightings than the current traditional coffee store look. At the moment, only the flagship store in Seattle is trying out this new approach - selling coffee in the morning and alcohol from evening onwards - and if successful, Starbucks will expand this venture to the rest of the world.

As always, there are some drawbacks to such a move. Starbucks has always been associated with coffee and a move into the alcohol business may not be beneficial to its name. Also, there will be age limit rules if they decide to sell here in Singapore. It is not clear how they would enforce the age-limit if they wish to attract every age group. Underaged teens can no longer tell their parents that they'll be hanging out at Starbucks per se. Students should not be allowed to study there, or at least once it reaches "happy hour", though I've yet to decide if this is a pro or con. It is possible, too, that tipsy customers may get rowdy and create a scene in a Starbucks outlet, further ruining the image of Starbucks as a place to chill out.

However, from a consumer's point of view, this means that wine and beer are much more easily accessible, though coming from Starbucks, it is likely the prices will be sky high. In the end, it is a very high risk maneuver for Starbucks but it is worth a try.

PS: I can't embed this but you can view a quick
YouTube video: CBS -Starbucks Baristas to Bartenders.

Sources:
1) The Week - Starbucks' Gamble on Beer and Wine, Will it Work? (Oct 20, 2010)
2) The Week - Starbucks: Changing Baristas to Bartenders (Video) (Oct 19, 2010)
3) The NewsFeed - From One Addiction To The Next (Oct 19, 2010)
4) Yahoo! News - Starbucks Adds Beer and Wine To One Store's Menu (Oct 19, 2010)

New Music: Shayne Ward - Gotta Be Somebody (Video)

2010-11-29T20:30:00.004+08:00

Shayne Ward released this single early November 2010. It's actually a cover of Nickelback's Gotta Be Somebody back in 2008, which I absolutely loved ever since I first heard the song on the radio. While I like some of Shayne Ward's songs, I very much prefer the original Nickelback's Gotta Be Somebody to Shayne's cover. There's no denying that Shayne Ward has an fantastic voice, but for some reason, he chose to go with a deliberately over-processed electronic voice in this one, very evidently present when he sings the first line in the song. This ultimately disappoints fans.

Overall, the song is rather high-pitched, a very big contrast against the low Nickelback's version. Shayne's version is still great, with energy and a catchy beat, but it is just not as powerful as the original. It should be out on Singapore radios in the coming weeks.

Shayne Ward - Gotta Be Somebody (2010)

Nickelback - Gotta Be Somebody (2008)

New Music: Rihanna ft Eminem - Love The Way You Lie (Part 2)

2010-11-21T00:13:00.001+08:00

When I first heard "Love The Way You Lie" by Rihanna and Eminem a couple months back, I sort of have a feeling that there would be a follow up because of the way the song ended. Now it looks like there indeed is a continuation. Rihanna and Eminem have returned with part 2 of the hit song. This time, the song is slower and emotionally more intense than the previous, with Eminem really venting his anger out in his rap. Expect this song to hit local radio in the coming few weeks.

New Movie Trailer: Green Lantern (Video)

2010-11-20T23:58:00.004+08:00

Come 2011, yet another comic book character is hitting the giant screen. Just a couple months back, at Comic Con 2010, . the Green Lantern movie was officially announced. Among comic book fans, a Green Lantern movie is highly anticipated, proven by the loads of fan-made Green Lantern movie trailers found on YouTube (admittedly, some are pretty impressive).

So DC Comics and Warner Bros have teamed up to bring what the fans wanted. Here's the official debut of the Green Lantern movie trailer. Hit the main post for the trailer.

Titanic 2 is neither a sequel or a good movie (video)

2010-11-18T22:21:00.003+08:00

There are some movies that should be made and others not. Unfortunately Titanic 2 is of the latter. While its name may fool people to think that it is a sequel of the 1997 James Cameroon's Titanic, this movie is of no relation to that most successful blockbuster of the 90s. The movie was released in August 2010.

The story goes like this. The Titanic went down in April 1912 after striking an iceberg whilst on its maiden voyage. And 100 years later, on April 2012, some smart company decided it was a great idea to recreate the ship, name it Titanic 2 and sail its maiden voyage on the same day, same time and along the very exact same route. Unfortunately, in the middle of the journey, global warming caused the Arctic icecap to breakaway, which sent a tsunami filled with icebergs heading towards the Titanic 2 (surprise surprise). Needless to say, the icebergs hit the ship and sank it. That's really all to it.

Just how bad is this movie? An average rating of 2 out of 10 from 1357 voters should suffice to say. I haven't watched this show though I've caught bits of it on YouTube, thanks to a very kind person who decided to upload the entire movie. I've watched the trailer and it was already enough to put me off. It is very obvious that the film is a low budget production. Apparently, many people felt the same way. The trailer below has over 3300 dislikes vs 600 likes. Judge for yourself and leave your comments below.

You can follow the links below if you want to read more.

Sources:
1) Internet Movie Database (IMDB)
2) Wikipedia

She-Hulk crashes into Marvel vs Capcom 3: FTW, the latest in a line of unexpected characters (Video)

2010-11-17T18:11:00.002+08:00

The Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds developers have been slowly releasing teaser videos of their characters and gameplay every now and then ever since it was announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) this year. The latest video features the official debut of She-Hulk.

The Marvel vs Capcom game series is well known for its huge variety of playable characters from the Marvel comic books and Capcom range of franchises. While most of the characters are insanely popular, more often than not, there will always be a few relatively unknown and/or unexpected ones that make an appearance. Some of which includes Dante from Devil May Cry, Frank West from Dead Rising, the Okami Fox from Okami, etc. Now, She-Hulks joins the ever growing list.

Not being a Marvel comics fan, I don't know who She Hulk is. In fact, I've never heard of her before. But she does look similar to the Hulk, who's also covered in green skin and wears purple pants. Ok, I'm feeling too lazy to go read up more about her, though I do know that she is a lawyer. Also, I definitely can't deny that her combos in MVC3:FTW are wicked. Check out the video below for clips of her moves.

Watch your head... And hands... And legs as you enter the ETAF Automatic Door (Video)

2010-11-14T15:28:00.001+08:00

Doors can be as simple as a piece of wood and a handle or as complex as the ETAF Automatic Door. This door consist of 35 rows of 5cm metal bars that are split down the middle. No matter what size you are, the ETAF Automatic Door will always fit.

The ETAF Automatic Door has infrared sensors just before the door, which measures the size of the person and/or object that wants to pass through, make some calculations and slides the corresponding bars wide enough for that person to pass through.

While this door certainly makes you feel like you're entering a spaceship, it also means you have to stand still for a second for the sensors to register your body, calculate and open the door for you. On top of that, you have to make sure you have more or less the same body profile as you pass through the door as the sensors do not update continuously. Regardless, this is a pretty cool door design.

Article Source: Trendhunter

Study: Hypertexting and Hypernetworking teens more likely to engage in drugs, sex and alcohol

2010-11-12T14:43:00.000+08:00

The American Public Health Association just recently published the results on a study performed by researchers from the Case Western Reserve University with 4257 local students. What they found was that teenagers that hypertext and hypernetwork are more likely to engage in sexual activities and consume drugs and alcohol, with the majority of them being female minor students.

According to the researchers, hypertexting is sending more that 120 sms-es a day and hypernetworking is spending a total of more than 3hours on any social network sites a day. From their study, they found that 1 in 5 students are hypertexters and 1 in 10 are hypernetworkers. Interestingly enough, they have linked that to the increase in tendency to try out sex, drugs and alcohol, presumably from the higher exposure from "communicating" more. These teens are also more likely to be obese and/or have eating disorders. They also had more stress and suicidal thoughts, sleeping disorders and are less secure. The results also show that younger female students form the majority.

Nevertheless, there was some good news as almost 1 in 4 do not send sms or social network at all and these people are generally in better health. However it is stated in the research that the correlation between hypertexting, hypernetworking and health might not even exist.

It should be noted that these results are from research done on American students, it may not be an accurate benchmark for Singaporeans, but it is a concern nonetheless. From what I see, Singaporeans are more or less following American trends, so it won't be much of a surprise if a similar study in Singapore will yield an equivalent or more dire result.

Personally, I feel that technology is a good thing, it helps you to live life more conveniently and comfortably. But too much of a good thing is a bad thing and one should know the dangers of embracing technology. Technology has blurred the line between good and bad so much so that it's difficult to discern between what's good and what's bad without having to enter some form of conflict. It does not help that corporations are throwing too much choices in our face, making it even more difficult for us to control ourselves, such as unlimited sms and free-roaming data plans to ensure that we are always connected and dependent on the internet. Ultimately, technology is here to stay and will evolve further, the only thing we can do is discipline and educate ourselves.

Article: Ars Technica
Original Source: American Public Health Association

3D designs are everywhere, but not everything is made in 3D

2010-11-09T12:37:00.000+08:00

In a world where computer generated images (CGI) can easily be found on every advertisements and posters, it is easy to assume that if a picture looks too "nice and clean" to be real, it had to be made in 3D. The picture as shown looks like lots of other phones poster out there. The difference is that it is not made in 3D at all, what you are seeing is a real photo and not a computer generated image of a phone.

Almost every product you see in advertisements, ranging from cars to cleaning products to computers and phones and even fast food are made in 3D. While 3D is the standard to produce anything with relative ease, there are some who would still prefer a manual and more practical method.

Serial Cut Studios is one of them. It is a company based in Madrid, Spain. Serial Cut Studios doesn't make use of 3D software to create a "3D" product advertisement, instead relying on a simpler and more hands-on method, literally. They use paper crafts. So a typical Serial Cut advert would be made with paper, lit up in a studio and photographed. Really simple method with an awesome realistic result. So even if you don't use or don't know how to use 3D, a bit of imagination and ingenious thinking will still get the job done.

Source: Serial Cut

Creative Releases Their Creative Ziio Tablets

2010-11-06T19:05:00.001+08:00

Ever since the Apple iPad went on sale and created a new market, big and small companies alike have tried to bring their own version of the tablet computer into it. Ranging from S Korea's Samsung and their Galaxy Tab and LG Electronics with their Optimus Tablet to Taiwan's ASUS and their EeePad to Canada's Research In Motion and their BlackBerry PlayBook and many many more. And now the latest to join in the tablet market is Creative from Singapore and their range of Ziio Tablets.

**Skip 2 paragraphs down if you want to read about the tablets only =) **

Creative, internationally known for their X-Fi audio technology, has been quietly releasing some products recently such as their range of wireless speakers. Anyway, I support our local electronics company. I've owned their Zen, Zen X-Fi mp3 players, X-Fi 5.1 external soundcard, 5.1 speakers, an Aurvana earphones and Vado HD 2nd Gen pocket cam. So far, I find that their X-Fi audio technology still beats everything out there, the mp3 players put out better sounds than any other mp3 players, even the widely-popular iPod. A quick search will show you that many people think the same way. Also, their Vado HD pocket cam, is small, powerful and wins over the competing brands. Its recording quality, while more or less the same now as when it was released in 2008, still beats the "advanced" iPhone 4 HD video-recordings. I was generally happy with Creative products for their balance of price, build quality and functions and am always excited to look out for their new products.

However, on the gadget-front, this company hasn't been doing too well recently. I liked their mp3 players simply cause of the good audio and also cause they're still making button-operated ones, which is important to me since I tend to interact with my mp3 players in my pocket or without having to look at it. Then came along their Zen X-Fi 2, their first mp3 player to be fully touchscreen and trying to follow in the footsteps of the successful iPod Touch. While the audio is still great, the user interface is not responsive and a pain to use. That disappointed me. Creative has just tried to step into the touchscreen gadgets arena and failed.

Creative Ziio Tablets in 7in and 10in forms

Alright, back to the tablets, which is the main point of this post. Lol. So just last week, Creative UK has announced the new Ziio tablets. These came in the white 7in and the black 10in versions. These tablets are powered by Andriod 2.1 but are currently only wifi enabled, which means no access to the Andriod Market. Unless these devices are upgraded to Andriod 2.2, it's a feature that won't be seen on Ziio.

Besides the size, both version on Ziio have common features:

1) Creative own ZiiLABS processor

2) Both available in 8GB or 16GB versions

3) 1 front-facing VGA camera and mic for video calling

4) Resistive touchscreen (no multi-touch), with embedded stylus

5) X-Fi technology

6) Built-in speaker

7) Accelerometer

8) WiFi-enabled

9) Accessible to Creative ZiiStore for apps and games

10) Expandable memory via microSD cards

11) HDMI-out for displaying HD videos on TVs

While many are quick to say that resistive touchscreens do not offer multitouch, as opposed to capacitive ones like those used on smartphones nowadays, I personally think that multitouch is not a necessary feature. If you had used a touchscreen phone before the age of multitouch, you would have known that. You do not need multitouch to swipe a page left or right, to type on the keyboard or zoom in or out. What matters is proper implementation of the user interface. The only reason for multitouch is for the games, which the Ziio is clearly not intended for.

I would like to have a feel of the Ziio when it reaches Singapore, but as of now, I'll just have to contend with the following 2 videos. From what I can see, HD video playback is very smooth, even when it is connected to the TV. The host even had a go at Angry Birds on the Ziio and performance was surprisingly good. I say that because of the flop Creative had with touchscreen on the Zen X-Fi 2. However, the interface is quite laggy when navigating through the apps, but that's sluggishness is due to the Andriod 2.1 and not cause of the processor. I do hope that it will upgrade to 2.2 soon and clear that up.

The Ziio is by no means an iPad-killer, but it will satisfy the needs of people who wants a cheap and yet powerful AV (audio-video) device without all the fuss of multitouch or apps or games. A device that's purely for consuming content. I, for one, am one of those people who are looking out for just such a device that allows me to watch videos, surf the net and read view PDFs comfortably. And I'm glad that Creative is the one doing it. By the way, the Ziio is mostly made of plastic, so it's also very much lighter and comfortable to hold in the hands for extended periods of time.

At a starting price of only SG$359 for the most basic Ziio, it's already half as cheap as the cheapest Apple's iPad which goes by about SG$650, without contract, and much more affordable. It even provides features that the iPad doesn't have such as the front-facing camera and a much more common mini-USB connection port. This is yet another Creative device that I'm looking at. I hope they don't disappoint me again.

Update (7/11/10): I just realised that the 7in version is natively portrait and also looks very similar to the Samsung Galaxy S. However, the 10in is natively landscape; its buttons are position along the longer side of the tablet. The 7in outputs video in 720p while the 10in outputs in 1080p.

Source: Creative SG

VLC App finally shows Apple how videos should be played on the iPhone/iPod Touch and why you should get it!

2010-10-30T11:54:00.003+08:00

Applidium, the company which brought the widely popular, play-it-all VLC Player to the iPad has finally made a version for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The new version supports more video formats, which is the base of the popularity of the player and a much faster decoding process. It was a surprise to the fans since it was thought so that this app would not make it through Apple's ultra-strict apps-approval process. The number one issue is that this app is a direct competitor of Apple's native Videos app on the iPhone/iPod Touch.

So when the news broke out that the app is finally approved on 25 Oct 2010, the world rejoiced. Including me. ^.^

The new VLC Player App is able to play most video formats and has a faster decoding process. It is only available for iPhone 3GS, 4 and iPod Touch 3G and 4G.

I bought an iPod Touch 3G in July this year. I usually stay clear of Apple products but I decided to splash out extra money to get one for a few reasons, the main reason being the convenience of watching videos on the go, especially on my way to school. Previously, I used to watch videos on my PSP Phat aka PSP 1000. While it was sufficient for me, I didn't like the bulk and weight of it and that I had to convert the files to an MP4 format. It was just so troublesome.

I was enticed by the large screen and thinness of the iPod Touch. Unfortunately, I haven't been thorough in my research on the video playback. After I bought it, I realised that while the audio/music app was nicely streamlined, the videos app was an absolutely pain to use. Video conversion was still needed before transferring the video onto the iPod and the onboard conversion-process in iTunes was useless. Furthermore, the video had to be specifically supported by Apple's Quicktime before it can be converted. So no MPG or MKV or other popular formats. Therefore I had to download converting software and therein lies another problem, most of these softwares do not convert into the proper aspect ratio. Letterboxing for widescreen videos are not automatically added, thus making the videos stretched. Eventually I managed to find one that could mass-convert videos with letterboxing, but the converted videos have errors most of the time.

Additionally, the video app on the iPod Touch has no sorting methods at all. At all. I have like 250 videos in my videos app now and the only way to sort the videos is to rename them individually before transferring as they only appear alphabetically. The video filenames also do appear in full, which is a problem when I have a few videos in a series with the same title except towards the back. For example, The Simpsons S16E03 - xxxxxxx. The app would truncate to The Simpsons S16.... So if I had episodes 1-22 from the Simpsons Season 16, I would see 22 video files with the same name. Truly irritating. There's also no way to sort the newest added video other than look at the green dot to indicate if it's been viewed or not.

To make matters worse, there are no substitute video player apps on the AppStore as Apple does not approve apps which "replicate functions" with other apps, as stated in the app-approval guidelines. In other words, they don't want any app to compete with their own. So in the end, I just gave up on watching videos on the iPod.

All hope seems lost but suddenly, the VLC Player app surfaced on 25 Oct 2010 and I immediately went to download it. I admit I was a bit suspicious that the king of video player has been toned down to get approved. Boy was I wrong and what can I say, it truly is a play-it-all video player, even on iDevices. I need not convert my video files anymore. What a relief! AVIs and MKVs now play smoothly. Transferring videos is as easy as drag-drop-sync. Now that VLC is on my iPod, I can chuck the Apple's video app away into oblivion. Although there is no sorting options too, at least I can see the full names of the videos and the time needed to convert the files are gone. That itself is a huge convenience to me already and I am finally using the iPod Touch for the reason I bought it in the first place. Also within 2 days of its release, the app is among the top 3 most-popular apps in the AppStore. That shows how many people hated the Apple's video app.

Conclusion: DOWNLOAD THE VLC APP NOW!

NEW MIX! DJ ManFred - Fireflies and Airplanes (Music)

2010-10-19T10:11:00.003+08:00

Features SHINee, SNSD, Miss A, Katy Perry, Flo Rida, Lil Jon, Timbaland, B.O.B., Owl City, Cascada, Ke$ha, Taio Cruz, Jay Sean and many more!

I didn't quite like the last mix I made, Shake Mix and Bake. It's not the songs, but rather the overall feel of the mix, I felt that lots of the transitions were shabbily done. So, I set about to create this mix to try again. Once again, I added a few korean songs to some requests. If you would like me to mix a song of your choice, let me know in the comments below. Thanks. =)

If the song above doesn't load, go here to listen.

Tracklist for "Fireflies and Airplanes"

1) Lil Jon ft Kree - Give It All You Got
2) Owl City - Fireflies (Remix)
3) B.O.B ft Hayley Williams - Airplanes (Remix)
4) Train - Hey Soul Sister (Remix)
5) LMFAO ft Hyper Crush - La La La (Remix)
6) Taio Cruz ft Ludacris - Break Your Heart (Remix)
7) 3OH3 ft Ke$ha - Blah Blah Blah
8) Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
9) SHINee - Lucifer
10) SNSD - Run Devil Run
11) Miss A - Break It
12) Timbaland ft Katy Perry - If We Ever Meet Again (Remix)
13) Katy Perry ft Snoop Dog - California Gurls (Remix)
14) Cascada - Evacuate The Dancefloor
15) Hyper Crush - Ayo
16) Flo Rida ft David Guetta - Club Can't Handle Me
17) David Guetta, Akon, Kid Cudi - Sexy Bitch vs Day N Nite (MashUp)
18) Lil Jon ft LMFAO - Shots (Remix)
19) David Guetta ft Fergie, Chris Willis, LMFAO - Getting Over You
20) Jay Sean ft Nicki Minaj - 2012 (Remix)

Megapost: Windows Phone 7 Makes A Hot Debut! (Lots of Photos) [Updated 10:15am SGT, Lots of videos too]

2010-10-12T01:47:00.008+08:00

After building lots of anticipation of Windows Phone 7, Microsoft has finally debuted their new WP7 OS and phones on Oct 11, 2010. There have been images and videos of phones bearing the WP7 OS since the official announcement of it earlier in Feb this year. Not to be confused with Windows Mobile OS, Window Phone 7 is set to take on the smartphone world.

Windows Phone 7

Microsoft may have been leading the smartphone OS many years ago with Windows Mobile. However, the new generation of smartphone OS which are touch-operated, heralded by Apple's iPhone has slowly pushed Microsoft out of the picture. Even though Microsoft has upgraded the WinMo platform to a more finger-friendly 6.5, the Redmond company just couldn't catch up with Apple's iOS and the fast rising Google's Andriod. Not wanting to give up, Microsoft announced in early 2010 that they are developing Windows Phone 7, leaving many wondering if they can really pull it off. Many leaks and teases were dropped in the period leading to the official debut on Oct 11, 2010. Impressions have been really good and praises were given for the slick and fresh minimalistic user interface, the silky smooth animations and deep integration with Microsoft Office, Hotmail and XBox-Live. However, limited information was made know and many questions about this amazing new OS were left unanswered, until tonight.

By the way, the images I used below are all captured and edited on my own while watching the keynote live via streaming off Microsoft's website. The stream is of a variable quality, so some of the images were captured during hi-quality broadcast and others during the low-quality, thus some of the images are sharper and some are fuzzier, pardon that. =)

The windows phone 7 homescreen, scrolled from top to bottom, picture left to right.

So right off the top, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer formally introduced the Windows Phone 7 platform to the world. Microsoft has already signed deals with many top phone companies, such as HTC, Samsung, LG, Dell, Asus and others, to bring WP7 to you. During his keynote, he has unveiled 9 WP7 devices that will be available to consumers soon. Microsoft has also gathered telcos around the world to exclusively sell WP7 phones when they are available. If you look closely at the list the Microsoft has shown, you can clearly spot SingTel. =)

Above: The 9 windows phone 7 devices that will be on sale soon
Below: A list of companies that are collaborating with Microsoft to bring WP7 to you. SingTel is among them.

So a quick tour of the Windows Phone 7 experience, or based on what I can remember. It's been about 2 hours since I watched the keynote and I can forget things quite easily, so bear with me. Haha.

2 pictures above depicts the WP7 homescreen. Each square is called a "Live Tile" where information for that tile, if any, is constantly updated and reflected there. Unlike other phones out there, almost anything can be put on the homescreen, such as SMS notifications, Emails, individual contact card, a facebook feed widget, photo slideshow, weather display, apps and almost everything imaginable. The colour of the tiles, or rather the colour theme can be changed as you can roughly see in the 9 phones picture above. Unfortunately the background have to remain black, but that's only for the homescreen as you will see soon enough.

A repeating theme that you will see with all the apps are that to view a different screen, the user will have to simply flick the screen left or right, instead of pressing any physical or soft buttons.

People Hub

A contact card, flicking the screen left and right reveals different information about the contact.

Windows Phone 7 has a different way with dealing with contacts. Instead of just an app showing contact information, Microsoft has made it into a hub where you can view all sorts of information related to that contact. Being called People Hub, it is a place where you can find anything you want with your friends.

When you launch the People hub, it starts simple, showing a whole long list of contacts arranged by alphabets and with their corresponding profile pictures. Selecting any contact will take you, with a nice transition animation of course, to the contact card where you can find all the personal information such as phone number, email, address, website and any other information you have stored. For each contact, you are given the option to link the contact to any social network available, such as Facebook and Twitter. Doing so will allow you to flick the contact card screen to slide it to the left, which will reveal the What's New screen where all the status updates and tweets for that current contact. Pretty amazing. And what's more, the phone will automatically take the profile picture from either Facebook or Twitter and use it for the contact card image. Very useful!

Music+Videos Hub

Music + Videos hub, where you can listen to music and view videos

Next is the Music+Videos hub. In here, you can use Microsoft's popular Zune player to play music, much like Apple's iPod player. As expected, you can browse the music according to songs, artists, albums and playlists. In addition, you can also view videos in this hub. Video apps like YouTube are able to integrate here so that all the video needs are presented simply in this one hub. The hub will feature a "music and video history" list that will show you what you have recently played and allows you to view them again at a touch, without having to go through all the menus. If you subscribed to video or audio feeds through the integrated apps like YouTube, there's even a screen where some new and recommended videos are listed.

Microsoft Office 2010

Microsoft Office integration and Pictures hub

WP7 also offers really deep integration with their new Microsoft Office 2010. The phone allows you to take quick notes with OneNote, which is the homescreen for the Office hub. All the other programs such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint are also in the Office hub, which allows you to view and edit the documents on the go. You can choose to save the documents on the phone or in the Microsoft cloud so that you can access the document on any computer through the internet without having to plug the phone in and transfer. It's much handier that way. Also, a bonus feature is that you can run Powerpoint slideshow directly on the phone with all the transitions. Yup, that's not made up, it was demo-ed there live with a WP7. And with the correct cable, you can even connect to a projector and set up a slideshow, all from the phone. Say goodbye to lugging a laptop the next time you have a business presentation to do. Just whip out the phone, connect to a projector and you're all set!

Pictures Hub

Next is the Pictures hub or basically a photo-viewing app, but with a difference. What set this apart from other phones is that you can link the Pictures hub to a Facebook account or other photo-sharing websites. So besides just viewing photos on your phone, swipe the screen to the side and you're presented with photo feeds from Facebook. That's all too convenient. Anytime you want to view your own photos and/or Facebook photos, just need to start up the Pictures hub and everything will be there. No more do you have to open both the photo and Facebook apps separately. You can also upload the photos to Facebook through the Photo hub. Simply put, anything you want to do with photos, you can do it in the photo hub, though I'm not too sure about photo-editing just yet.

Camera

Ok, the next, which I don't have any photo of, is the camera function. The camera quality and megapixel count will differ from phone to phone, but all will use the same camera app. The camera is similar to all other phones and offers touch-to-focus. You can switch the camera on by pressing the shutter button on the side of the phone or launching the camera app. Start up time is impressive at about 2-3 secs from app-launch to photo-taking ready. When the photo is taken, the snapshot slides to the left and out of the screen while the camera is ready for another shot, similar to an iPhone camera, except that the iPhone camera has a pretty jarring bar at the bottom of the screen to display previous snaps and that takes up precious screen space that you will need to use to help frame the next shot that you want to take.

If you want to view the previously taken photos, all you have to do is just swipe the screen to the right and the photos on the camera roll will slide in and you can see all the photos taken thus far, not just the ones taken in this session. You can also choose the display style as just plain or with a film-strip look. A small but visually appealing move.

From the video below, you can see that the camera app allows you to make very detailed adjust to suit your photography needs. All settings like ISO, Shutter Speed, Exposure, Metering, Resolution, HDR, WDR, Panorama, Scene Modes and many other adjustments can be made directly in the app.

Email Hub

The email app and calendar (black screen)

One must-have app for business users out there is the email app. Simple and easy to use, you know how it is, flick the screen left and right to view message categorised in different ways. The email app is easy to set up with Hotmail and uses all their features. Furthermore, the email app can sense appointment timings and other events and automatically update it to the calendar app if you instruct it to. Quick and convenient with no fuss. To add even more intelligence, the phone will let you know if the new appointment clashes with any other booking for that same time slot. As you can see in the screenshot above, the black screen is the calendar app. The left column shows the booked time slots and the right shows the new appointment that clashes with the current bookings.

Maps App

The Maps app, zooming out shows the map, zooming in enough shows the satellite view.

The Maps app in WP7 is exactly what you will expect. You can view maps and search by locations. The WP7 will function like a GPS and direct you to the destination turn by turn. As a bonus touch, when you're zoomed out, you will see the map and directory, however, zooming in close enough will change your view to a satellite view with the road names overlaid on it. Nothing much to say besides that.

WP7 Apps

Some of the apps on demo. From left, U-Verse AT&T, IMDB and eBay.
All of them sport the same user interface to maintain familiarity and intuitiveness.

Of course, any phone nowadays count on the apps to enhance the experience and WP7 is no different. With about 2000 apps developed already, there's a new world waiting when the first WP7 hit the stores. While 2000 may seem like a small number compared to the 250,000 on Apple's AppStore and the 90,000 on Google's Market, I don't think you need 20 Facebook apps or 15 YouTube apps. Regardless, once the WP7 starts selling, the appcount will definitely pick up. All the apps on WP7 conform to the same style of displaying photos, videos and information on the screen. Menu screens are navigated by flicking left and right and there are almost no screen buttons. This is to ensure that the apps stick to the same interface design as the WP7 so that it will feel familiar and is easy to use. From the screenshots I see above, the style is definitely unique and very pleasant on the eyes. The video below will show you the "appstore" or Windows MarketPlace. Looking great too.

Games Hub

The Games Hub pages.

The last feature that Microsoft is betting heavily upon is the integration with XBox Live. WP7 will be able to support some of the XBox games and also shared leaderboards and avatars. This essentially makes the phone an extension of the Xbox console. If done properly, they may just attract the millions of Xbox Live users in the world to consider getting a Windows Phone 7 to enhance their gaming experiences. Furthermore, games graphics and performance on Windows Phone 7 phones are looking good. The games are able to utilise the built in accelerometer to enhance gameplay. With quite a good lineup of games, WP7 is set for mobile gaming too, behind Apple's iPhone and Google's Andriod powered phones. Also announced by Microsoft is the partnership with Electronic Arts (EA) to develop games for the WP7, some of which will also find their way to full-fledged games on the Xbox.

The Sims 3 (top and middle), Illio and Milo (bottom)
Both games are fully rendered 3D.

The video just above shows some of the games that are already developed for the Windows Phone 7 platform. Big names like Guitar Hero and Bejeweled can be found. With Microsoft also a game developer, one can expect some great games from the software giant. At around 1:02, you can see CarneyVale, which is a Singapore-produced game.

Conclusion

Microsoft has shown that with Windows Phone 7, they are still able to compete in the smartphone market. They have brought in a fresh new user interface, that may wow some and disappoint others. However, they have also shown that touchscreen phones can offer a fantastic experience based on a properly designed and functional operating system.

Animations are plentiful on this OS, but so far, I haven't seen so much as a lag in any of the phones that have been demo-ed. Many of the animations are small and subtle but the overall effect is visually stunning. What results is a brilliant balance of visuals and performance.

Unlike Andriod phones, these WP7 phones are to conform to Microsoft's list of hardware specifications before they are allowed to run the WP7 OS. What this means is that you can expect all WP7 phones to run alike, smooth and without hiccups. As the software for all the phones are the same, what will differ is the hardware. Vendors are free to add on additional features that will improve the experience of the phones. Samsung has made their Omnia 7 and Focus phones with their acclaimed Super AMOLED screen and HTC has added a slide out Dolby Surround speakers for their HTC Surround. LG has made a side slideout keypad for their phone and Dell has a bottom slide out keypad for their Dell Lightning.

HTC Surround with their side slide out Dolby Surround Speakers

Samsung Focus with its Super Amoled screen

In case you have the feeling that these phones will be extra expensive, the HTC Surround and Samsung Focus have been announced to be selling for US$199.99. That's equivalent to about SG$270, with contract. It's still cheaper than the Apple iPhone 4. With a polished OS, more features and at a lower selling price, I say that Windows Phone 7 may just be a formidable opponent to the iOS and Andriod platforms.

NB: For some reason, WP7 does not support "cut and paste" function at the moment but Steve said that there are plans to enable that via an update when 2011 rolls in shortly.

NEW MIX! DJ ManFred - Shake Mix and Bake (Music)

2010-10-06T11:58:00.005+08:00

Features Super Junior, Hyun A, 2NE1, Justin Bieber, Akon, David Guetta, Wonder Girls, Katy Perry, Adam Lambert, Ludacris, Agnes, Taio Cruz and more!
Track Duration : 42 min 50 sec
If the music widget above doesn't load, just refresh the page. Otherwise, listen to it here.

I just made a new mix. Unlike all my previous mixes, I decided to mix in some korean songs for fun cause I thought they sounded nice. Feel free to listen and download the mix above. If you like the mix or want to hear a particular song in my next mix, let me know!

Full track list below:

1) Akon ft David Guetta and Clinton Sparks - Take A Chance
2) Example - Kickstart
3) Wonder Girls - Nobody
4) Usher ft Pitbull - DJ Got Us Falling In Love
5) Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me
6) Katy Perry - California Gurls
7) Adam Lambert - If I Had You
8) Hyun A - Change
9) 2NE1 ft Lil Jon - Fire
10) Super Junior - Bonamama
11) Taio Cruz - Dynamite
12) Will.I.Am ft Nicki Minaj - Check It Out
13) David Guetta ft Michele Belle - Read Your Mind
14) Taio Cruz ft Ke$ha - Dirty Picture
15) David Guetta ft Chris Willis - Louder Put Your Hands Up
16) Agnes - Release Me
17) Justin Bieber ft Ludacris - Baby
18) Katy Perry - Teenage Dreams

Facebook To Start Hi-Res Photo-Sharing, It's About Time!

2010-10-02T10:11:00.003+08:00

Facebook is a great social network. It allows you to share photos and videos. While video sharing is adequate, I find that the photos is the exact opposite. Although Facebook allows you to upload high-resolution photos, it downsizes them to a 720pixel high photo, meaning at a lot lower resolution.

It may not be a bother to many people, but it does bother people like me who want to share and appreciate hi-res photos. This has led people turn to other photo-sharing sites such as Flickr and Picasa to satiate their need for ultra high definition photos. Finally, Facebook has listened and now allows people to share high definition photos. Just how high? They've kindly provided images to illustrate their new system. Although the photos will be very large in size, I believe that the display size will still be the same as now, but with the option to zoom in on the photo for its full glory.

Facebook will now support very high-res photos

Also, Facebook improves the viewing interface of photos with a new lightbox style that you will see on many websites, such as STOMP, where clicking an image will lead to a white box expanding over a dark background to display the photo. One benefit of this is that you no longer have to load a new page everytime you want to view a new photo. Instead the lightbox widget pop out and you can view photos and even albums without ever leaving the page. As only the photos and the comments will refresh, you can browse through photos much faster.

Facebook promises a more comfortable photo-viewing with this method. Although I myself always wanted photos against a dark background, I'm a little apprehensive of this lightbox style as I find it a little annoying if it is not implemented properly. The Facebook blog also included a screenshot to give a preview.

The new lightbox style will show a popup photo display.

Also, Facebook has promised to update their uploading and tagging system. When uploading photos, the new uploader will allow you to choose between uploading at standard or high resolution. Also, tagging is improved and it will allow the user to tag multiple images at once, making it even more convenient to share photos over this giant of a social network site.

The new uploader allows you to choose between standard and hi-res.

Finally, Facebook says that it will slowly roll out this new photo display over the coming weeks, so let's just see how things work out. Good things may just come to those who wait. ^.^

Source:

Facebook Blog

Samsung Galaxy Tab Promo Video Released, Pokes Fun At iPad's Lack of Flash (Video)

2010-09-24T15:47:00.002+08:00

Since the iPad was announced, there were plenty of imitators that released their own version of the tablet, running either Windows 7 or Andriod. However, none of them was as hyped up as the Samsung Galaxy Tab. There are supposedly two sizes available, 7in and 10in, but the 10in is not being released yet.

Anyway, with the release of the 7in Galaxy Tab coming very soon, an official promotional video has been released. Obviously trying to show that it's better than the iPad, Samsung just had to poke fun at the iPad's lack of features, I suspect partly in revenge for the accusations Apple shot at Samsung a few months earlier.

While the iPad is basically nothing much than a bigger and more glorious iPod Touch. Its hardware is rather simple and functionality is limited to the apps that can be created on it. Where the Galaxy Tab shines is the smaller and more portable size, 7 inch is easier to hold with one hand and its lighter. To add more features than the iPad, it can browse the web in its entirety with Flash enabled, take photos, do video chat and even stream video to watch on a nearby TV. Since it runs Andriod OS, it's open to the over 80,000 apps on the Andriod Market.

To me, a big plus is that the 7in size is a good balance between comfort, portability and convenience. Based on the video too, it looks like it's more comfortable to use than an iPad, although I find that the iPad might be better at playing games, though that's not I will plan to use the Galaxy Tab for if I had one.

Need An Extension Cord? How About Pulling Out The Powerpoint Instead?

2010-09-19T17:15:00.002+08:00

We've all encountered and hated that the powerpoints sockets are always just barely out of reach when we need them the most. The usual drill thereafter is that we either mutter some vulgarities and fetch an extension cord or just grumble and move nearer to the powerpoint. If both aren't possible, then a big sigh of disappointed, probably followed by more cursing. The team at Yanko Design (Japan), however, had a different approach. So instead of being verbally provocative, they provoked their brains. The result, why not build an extension cord into the powerpoint itself?

By making the powerpoint extend-able, there is no more need to go into a frenzy whenever your laptop battery is out of juice. Simply pull out the powerpoint from the wall socket, plug in your laptop AC unit and everyone's happy. Probably the only thing that the person will be unhappy about is to get out of the chair and pull out the powerpoint, but that's not the fault of this invention anyway. Check out the pictures below, taken from the Yanko Design webpage itself.

An example of a use of the invention. I've encountered the exact same scenario depicted.

Source: Yanko Design

"Michael Jackson The Experience", Minus The Glitter Glove, Plus The WiiMote (Video)

2010-09-18T01:06:00.002+08:00

Game companies will do anything for money, especially when it comes to exploiting a celebrity (think Hannah Montana). Now that Michael Jackson has passed on and his legacy is very much alive, Ubisoft was quick to take advantage and made a MJ-dancing video game for the Wii. Check out the trailer in the main post.

While the trailing is actually quite impressive, reminding me of the "This Is It" movie trailer, I have a strong inkling that the game is going to be quite thrashy. I wouldn't criticise the graphics, given the limitations of the Wii. With that, I would say the visuals are not too bad, though MJ looks a bit.. erm.. gay? However, I doubt playing the game will make you feel as accomplished than if you were to say, learn the real dance moves. I know I'm being mean, but there are much better ways to appreciate MJ than to dance unnaturally while grasping a wiimote.

Non-Newtonian Liquids, They're Much Cooler Than The Name Suggests (Video)

2010-09-14T01:05:00.003+08:00

Newton, especially in physics, is an important word. The father of physics and the SI unit of force. Issac Newton is so respected in the physics world that his name is synonymous with physics itself. While generally everything in the world obeys the laws of physics, there are always some that don't. In this case, non-newtonian liquids.

A non-newtonian liquid is one that is liquid in nature but behaves like a solid. There are lots of examples out there, including shampoo, tomato ketchup, paint and even our blood. I'm not really a scienc-ey person, ever since I graduated from junior college four years ago. So, I shall let the video below do the explanation. It's kind of like Mythbusters style, except that its on a much lower budget and is somewhat quite entertaining too. And like this post, its from G4TV too. Haha.

Source: Wikipedia - Non-Newtonian Fluids, G4TV

NewsDay iPad App Ad, Shows That An iPad Can Indeed Be Used For Everything (video)

2010-09-11T20:59:00.001+08:00

Apple iDevices are always touted as being able to do everything, even to the point of saying "there's an app for everything". NewsDay, a newspaper app on the iPad made this interesting advert to show that the iPad can really be used for everything. The only drawback is that the device may not work as intended after that. "Read more" to view the video.

Source: Engadget.com

Megapost: LG's World's Thinnest TV and Optimus 7 + Some Info About OLED and WP7 (Video)

2010-09-05T16:52:00.001+08:00

LG is usually not the first name you think of when you talk about mobile phones and televisions. But that doesn't mean that they are not trying to be ahead of the curve. At the ongoing IFA Consumer's Electronics show in Berlin, they have unveiled some new products and technology, including a prototype Windows Phone 7 and the world's thinnest OLED TV.

World's Thinnest OLED TV (2.9mm Thick)

When you talk about thin televisions now, Samsung's LED TV or Sony's Monolith TV are the few that will pop to mind. Technology in TV sets has always been improving, from Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), to Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), to Plasma. More recently, they have evolved to Light Emitting Diode Backlit (LED) to achieve thinner displays with a high contrast ratio, of which Samsung is the forerunner.

Samsung LED Backlit TV, it's already as thin as it can get

However, there was also another technology quietly sitting in the background. It's called Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED). It offers the very good colour reproduction, the best viewing angles and highest contrast ratios among all current technologies. It is also the thinnest and is very flexible, in the literal sense of the word. Check it out in the video below.

While OLED is already in widespread use in electronics nowadays, the main drawback of it is the high price when it comes to bigger screens. Thus it hasn't been heard of in current television sets, though there were some shown by Sony a couple years back at about 5mm thick but those were only about 11" wide and cost a few thousand (wow!).

Sony's 11" OLED Display at 5mm thickness

Now LG Electronics have revealed their newest TV that uses OLED technology. It is only a prototype, unfortunately. Regardless, it is an amazing TV set to behold. It is the world's thinnest at only 2.9mm thick! You can see it in the video below. The viewing angles are just wonderful, images can be seen the moment you can see the screen. And the colours are deep and rich. No price has been put on it or whether it will go into mass production soon, but it's such a beautiful TV.

LG Optimus 7 - A Windows Phone 7

As mentioned above, LG is not one of the first companies that comes to mind when talking about smartphones. They did try, if you remembered, with the LG Cookie and LG Arena. Ultimately, LG can make a good phone but their user interface and OS just simply do not offer a nice experience. Today, almost every new smartphone has at least a 1Ghz processor, good graphics capabilities and multitouch screen. But what sets them apart are the interfaces and operating systems. There are currently iOS, Andriod, Symbian, Meego, Windows Mobile 6.5, Blackberry OS, WebOS, Bada OS, etc, each with their own design and features.

There is a new, highly anticipated operating system, due to release later this year. That is Windows Phone 7, not to be confused with Windows Mobile OS. It is an entirely new operating system developed by Microsoft and offers a fresh new way to integrate your lifestyle into a phone. The interface is totally unlike what we've seen in iOS or Andriod. Various demo videos have surfaced on YouTube and the OS is currently looking very sleek and professional and smooth running.

Windows Phone 7. It's homescreen features "Live Tiles" which shows you important information on the go.

Many big companies have already signed on with Microsoft to bring this WP7 into the market when it is released. Among them is LG. The Optimus 7 is a prototype Windows Phone 7 that they are showcasing in IFA 2010 right now. Interestingly, Dell is also joining the smartphone industry and came up with some cool looking phones, including a Windows Phone 7 phone. You can read about it in my earlier post here.

LG Optimus 7 Phone

I am not too sure but I think Microsoft do not allow Windows Phone 7 phone makers to skin their devices, unlike Andriod, so there is not way to distinguish one WP7 phone from another. The only way is to provide native apps to their phones to enhance the experience. What LG has done instead is to make their devices work with one another. For example, this LG Optimus 7 allows you to stream photos and videos from the phone to a pair LG TV via DLNA wireless technology. It is not really a new thing but LG has made it more fun by introducing "flicking" gestures. You can view the photos on the phone and if you like what you see and want to share with everyone in the room on a big screen TV, simply flick the photo off the screen to the TV and the TV will display the photo. Pretty neat huh? It can also be done with videos and looks really interesting. Check the two videos below to see it in action.

Technology-wise, LG Electronics has shown that they are not too far behind in the smartphones and television race. They have shown some innovative ideas and will not be overshadowed by the larger companies like Samsung.

James Cameron Talks About His 3D Camera and Re-Release of Avatar (Video)

2010-08-26T23:24:00.000+08:00

Director James Cameron had a guest appearance on G4TV's internet series, Attack of the Show, on which he talked about his 3D camera rig and the re-release of Avatar Special Edition.

I like watching G4TV's Attack of the Show as they usually review gadgets and talk about tech stuff, all put together in a very interesting and humourous presentation. I especially like Kevin, the main host, for his very witty and funny remarks.

This time, AOTS invited director James Cameron to talk about his 3D camera rig, which he developed himself over the last 7 years and the re-release of Avatar Special Edition. As such, he admitted that he personally filmed most of the hand held shots. While this camera is certainly not light, needing 2 men to lift it up, James has had no problems operating it and even shows how comfortable he is with the camera in different positions. All in all, it's a wonderful piece of technology. I find James Cameron to have good humour too, thereby making this episode really funny and one of the best I've seen so far.

Portal 2 Intro Gameplay Video Surfaced; Darker, Creepier Than The First Game [Video]

2010-08-25T19:58:00.003+08:00

Portal 2, the sequel to the wildly popular Portal, has been announced back in June and will be released in 2011. I can't wait for this game, absolutely enjoyed the puzzle solving in the first game. Few videos on the game have surfaced since June, but most of them were demos on the new features in the game.

Today, Valve has released an actual gameplay video to showcase the quality of the game. And also to tease eager gamers, like me. The video features the introduction scene of the game, a full 3 mins of gameplay. It seems like this time, the game is set in a darker tone with a more intense atmosphere, much creepier than the original. Watch the video in HD to get the best effect. ^.^

Photoshop Can Do Wonders, Even Cook Food For You [Video]

2010-08-25T10:32:00.001+08:00

In the world of design and multimedia, learning how to harness the power of an image editing software like Photoshop is a must. Photoshop can do just about anything, from drawing to painting and visual effects.

But that didn't stop Stephania Rota from using it to cook food, with a bit of creativity of course..
And a camera. She created this superb video for a competition organised by Adobe. Naturally she got lots of positive feedbacks (otherwise I wouldn't be featuring on my blog!), though I'm not too sure if she won or not.

For those who have experienced the UI of Photoshop before, you'd definitely appreciate the efforts she put in to make the video as accurate as possible to the real thing. Although the work draws inspiration from Photoshop, it seems ironic that Photoshop was not used at all in editing this video.

Manfred 2.0 Will Be Right Back (In A Few Days)

2010-08-22T09:48:00.002+08:00

Hi all. I'm busy with my work these few days, so I'll not be posting as frequently as the past few weeks. Anyway, thanks for viewing my blog. As of this writing, I've have had past 200 views in nearly a month. It's the most I've had so far since I started my blog 2 years ago, or rather, since I started updating my blog regularly since June. Haha. I'd never imagine that my blog would even have so many views.

Since most people are logged in to Facebook while surfing the net, my blog included, I've added Facebook "Like" and "Share" buttons and Facebook commenting system within each post page. I hope you click the the "Like" button if you enjoyed reading the post. Don't worry, the "who and who liked this post" part is PRIVATE, so only the names of people who are friends on your Facebook will appear and vice versa. Otherwise, it would appear as "Manfred and 3 other people liked this".

Also, for the Facebook comment form after each post, you can choose to log in with your Facebook account to post a comment or comment anonymously, by not logging in. You can also check the option to have your wall reflect your comment post. ie "Manfred has commented on so-and-so post." You can discuss about the post or write random stuff or ask me questions there, I'll reply duly. If you don't see the commenting form below the grey Comments sub-header, simply refresh the page until it appears. =)

So check back on my blog once in a while to look out for updates! Please interact with my blog, it would be nice to see who are reading my blog. You can give me any feedback on my tagboard too! ^.^

This Razor Blade Can Cut Hair, Straight Down The Middle! (Video)

2010-08-18T23:51:00.001+08:00

You've always seen cartoons showing that a blade, be it axe, sword or knife, is so sharp that it can split a strand of hair in half. However, in reality, such a sharp blade doesn't exist... Until now.

GFD, Germany, a leading company in the field of micre-structure diamonds has developed the Diamaze PSD (Plasma Sharpened Diamond). The blade takes advantage of the extreme hardness of diamond to create an outrageously sharp cutting edge. It is so sharp that it is now possible to actually slice hair down the middle.

Watch the video below for proof. The blade actually slices the hair more than 5 times! Just as you thought human hair is already so thin, watch it being sliced multiple times.

Microsoft Adaptive Display Keyboard - Now You Can Look At Photos While You Type In True Multitasking Style (Video)

2010-08-14T10:41:00.002+08:00

This Adaptive Display Keyboard is only a prototype and won the Unified Structured Inventive Thinking (USIT) Student Innovation Contest. It is said to be an extension to the monitor, with a strip of touchscreen above the keys. The thing is that each individual keys are also displays and can be changed.

Why should you care? Because it is just too cool. Check out the videos after the break to see why you would want one connected to your desktop computer.
The touchscreen above the keys basically act as a platform to launch applications. If I'm not wrong, it can also be used to control opened tabs, acting like a taskbar or something. I'm not too sure about that.

What's cool is really the keys, each keys have displays and are adaptive. For example, if you change the language of the keyboard, the keys will update to show the characters of that language. Also it shows you hot keys, like if you were to hold the Windows key, the pre-defined keys will reflect the actions it will do. For example, the M key will show "minimize all", the "P" key will show "projector", etc.

The keyboard is really just a large screen with buttons. Thus, for customising fanatics like me, images can even be added to the keyboard, functioning somewhat like a "keyboard wallpaper". Now that's interesting!

Of course, like every piece of tech, a video demo is always much more entertaining and informative than a paragraph of technical terms. The first video is a general introduction to what the keyboard can do and the second is a more detailed demo, if you're still interested.

Jump to 1:15 if you feel like skipping what the guy has to say. =P

Source: Engadget, YouTube

Dyson Air Multiplier, A Cool Bladeless Fan (Video)

2010-08-13T09:56:00.000+08:00

Every now and then, there'll always be a new take on an existing product. Usually it'll be better and more efficient than the original. But the Dyson Air Multiplier takes the good old electric fan to a stunningly high level.

James Dyson wanted to make a new kind of fan that takes up less energy, more cooling, cleaner and quieter. He did not like the fan blades that "chops" up the air that buffets your face. Thus he came up with this Air Multiplier. It performs the same function as a fan, without the blades. It is called an air multiplier simply because whatever air the fan outputs, the resultant breeze will contain up to 15 times the amount of air in a steady stream. It is easier explained by watching the video below.

Because the fan blows air in a steady stream, the breeze is described as similar to an air-conditioner blowing at you. I'd pretty much like to try it but will have to wait till it's released next year. It however comes at a rather expensive price of a few hundred dollars, though that's the price to pay for a very innovative piece of tech.

Bonus: The following video shows Dyson engineers having fun with the new air multiplier. It also demonstrates how the the air flows when using it. Enjoy.

We Have 5 Senses, Right? Yes... But...

2010-08-10T12:00:00.000+08:00

It's been commonly understood that we all have the 5 senses: Sight, Hearing, Taste, Touch and Smell. This has been brought forth by Aristotle back in the BC years. However, scientists have said that the human body is so complex that these 5 senses aren't enough to describe what it can do...

Nowadays, it is accepted that the human body has between 9 - 20 senses, depending on how you want to define what a "sense" is. For the body to have a "sense", it has to have a sensor that is specifically made for that function. For example, there are sensors (rods) in the eyes that can detect light and give us the sense of sight. And these sensors can only detect light and nothing else. However, in the eyes, there are other sensors, like cones, that detect colours and only colours. Therefore, you can see that the Aristotle's five senses are very general.

It has been agreed that the minimum number of senses that the human body has is 9. These are Sight, Hearing, Taste, Touch, Smell, Thermoception, Nocieption, Equilibrioception and Proprioception. Thermoception is the sense of heat, nocieption is the sense of pain, equilibrioception is the sense of balance and proprioception is the sense of where your limbs are spatially.

The following are some of the other "senses":

Hunger
Thirst
Pressure
Itch
Tension
Stretch
Magentoception (magnetic fields)
Time (debatable)

A Fireworks Machine Gun? Ultimate Coolness! (Video)

2010-08-09T16:32:00.001+08:00

What do you get when you mix fireworks and a machine gun together? This group of guys decided to do just that. You'll find the answer out in the video below.
They bought 500 roman candles fireworks, each containing 30 fireworks shots, tied them all together and lit them up at the same time. What resulted is a huge barrage of 15 000 multi-colour fireworks. Although the fireworks volley was over in only a couple minutes, I must say that it does make an interesting video. Pretty much sure that it'll be so much more exciting to see it in person. If only Singapore allows fireworks.

A Turntable and A Camcorder = Lots of Interesting Hidden Animation! (Video)

2010-08-09T12:56:00.001+08:00

If you like optical illusions, you've probably have heard of the zoetrope before. Zoetropes create the illusion of movement through rapid spinning of the images and viewing through slits, designed to give a strobe like effect and the perception of motion...
This guy decided to modernise the zoetrope, using UV lights and a camcorder, with a lower frame rate. The result is a whole lot of cool futuristic looking animations with a very simple set up.

Ultra Cool Light Projection DJ Mixing (Video)

2010-08-08T09:49:00.006+08:00

When you see a DJ spinning, chances are there are 2 turntables, a mixer and a whole lot of wires. And maybe an Apple laptop. This DJ apparently has moved on with times, abandoning all that heavy set up for just a glass panel with a projected image of a virtual DJ mixing software. Needless to say, it is touch operated. Is this the future of DJ-ing? Watch the video and see for yourself.

Video after the break.

Brilliant "Light Warfare" Video, Takes Light Painting To A Higher Level (Video)

2010-08-07T00:38:00.003+08:00

Light painting, or drawing with light while leaving the camera shutter open, is gaining popularity due to cheaper DSLR and compact cameras with manual shutter controls. There are many stunning light painting photos available on the net. There are, of course, some people who decided to take it another level and do light painting videos. However, since you can't get the light painting effect without leaving the camera shutter open for at least 1 second per frame so that you can draw an image (something impossible on a video cam), the only way to do a light painting video is painstakingly take many photos and combine them into one video. It's tedious, it's tiring and demands a lot of patience, not surprising then that there are only a handful of such videos..

I chanced upon this video, whose creators decided to illustrate a battle using light painting. I must say, it's really well done. In the behind the scenes, they did mention that they took about 480 photos. And I think they did it all in a night. Really impressive results, with matching sound effects. Take a look in the video below. You may want to check out more videos from this user, he has really good visual effects videos. ^.^

Michael Jackson's Anti-Gravity Lean (Video)

2010-08-06T00:30:00.007+08:00

I grew up to Michael Jackson's music. And I like his music, but I especially loved his dances and performances. He's just so innovative in his dancing. He popularised group synchronised dancing, before that, there was very little group dance routines where everyone is dancing in sync. He has also pioneered many iconic dance moves in his performances, such as the moonwalk, robotic dance and the anti-gravity lean, which in my opinion, is the coolest....

It all started when he made the music video for Smooth Criminal, one of my favourite songs. There is a particular scene when a group of dancers, led my MJ, leaned, unassisted to the side up to an impossible 45 degrees. Back then, I was still young and was super amazed at it. But now, I read that it was done by hooking up wires during the shot, enabling them to lean outrageously. Thus was born the anti-gravity lean or more well known as the Smooth Criminal Lean.

However, as MJ did his live concerts, he wanted to perform the exact dance routines on stage as in his MVs and that included the Smooth Criminal Lean. He didn't want to use wires as that would interfere with the dancing and will take too much time to set up. After some brain racking, he decided to have some sort of pins on the stage and use modified shoes with a catch to hook on to the pins. All he needed to do is slide his shoe onto the hook, perform the lean and dismount. Seems simple enough but the effect is totally amazing, especially when seen live. Watch it in the video below, i think the lean in 1:35 is the best lean ever. Just so you know, the routine goes that MJ and co are dancing, when a guy comes out with a dynamite, dances around and "throws" the dynamite to cue them to do the lean.

A compilation of Michael Jackson's anti-gravity lean. Aka Smooth Criminal Lean.
Leans are at 0:25, 1:08, 1:38, 2:04.

I so miss MJ and his fantastic performances..

Use 3D Glasses To View in... 2D? (Video)

2010-08-03T11:33:00.002+08:00

With all the rage about 3D displays and glasses these days, it took a while before someone realised that you can use the 3D glasses to share 2 different shows on a screen at the same time.

As 3D TVs are being rolled out to consumers, people with the technical know how can actually modify the accompanying Active Shutter glasses such that a pair of glasses can view only the left eye image and another pair to view only the right eye image. In other words, you can have Ben 10 cartoon and Death Race movie showing on the same screen together. With one pair of glasses, your cuddly 10 y.o. cousin can watch the harmless Ben 10 cartoon, while you have the other pair of glasses and be able to enjoy all the blood and guts and human slaughtering of Death Race at the same time, with only 1 TV. Of course, without glasses on, all you'll see on the screen is a huge mess of colours. There is also no 3D effect as you're only taking in a left/right view.

Video after the break...

But then again, it is one thing to be able to watch 2 shows on the same screen. However, there's still the issue of the audio. How will the audio from each show be transmitted to the correct viewers?

See True 3D Without Glasses!

2010-07-31T00:58:00.009+08:00

Ever since the success of Avatar, 3D has been gaining a lot of hype. Everything is now coming out in 3D, from movies to games, from TVs to laptops and even handheld consoles like the Nintendo 3DS, due out next year. No matter what hardware or software is used, the main objective is to provide the user with a feeling of depth. Currently, there are a few methods (Real D, Dolby 3D, Active Shutter, Polarisation, Anaglyph, Autostereoscopy, etc) used to give the viewer the 3D effect. However, they either rely on special viewing glasses or in the case of autostereoscopy, a special screen.

A "Real D" 3D glasses, which are used in Shaw Cinemas here in Singapore.

A "Dolby 3D" glasses, used by GV and Cathay. It is heavier and not as comfortable to use as the Real D one.

But did you know that there is a type of 3D that can be viewed on your monitor or screen right now? That requires no special glasses at all?

And it can offer true 3D images with depth and can be viewed at any angle to the screen. It has been around for more than 10 years too. I am talking about the stereogram, better known as Magic Eye, the company that made it famous.These stereogram images are generated by computer and the hidden 3D image can be viewed using two methods, either keeping your eyes parallel or crossed. The perceived image can be described as popping out of the screen and feels as if you can just reach out to touch it.

An example of a stereogram. This one uses random computer generated dots.

Click here to see the actual 3D image.

I've attached an image here to try. To see it, first look at the image. Then slowly relax your eyes and let it go out of focus, or you can try looking into a distance beyond the screen. When your eyes are relaxed and not focusing on anything, look at the image below, keeping your eyes out of focus. Tada! The image is popped right out of the screen and you can see true 3D! =D

I've seen these images lots of times in my younger days. But it was only about 6 years ago that I finally managed to get the parallel technique right and can view the 3D images in all the wonderful depth that it was meant to have. Since you have to relax your eyes and let them go out of focus for the parallel method to work, there is no doubt that viewing these images are very soothing and relaxes you. Good for de-stressing. The best thing is that you don't need any special equipment and can view it anywhere, whether on the bus, in school or at home, and on anything, such as phone screen, monitor or paper. Try it for yourself! ^.^

Medal of Honor Trailer ft Linkin Park (Video)

2010-07-29T10:38:00.003+08:00

The Medal of Honor franchise has now moved into the modern warfare era, first started by Call of Duty and later followed by Battlefield. Now M.O.H. usually has a sub-title to differentiate their games, but this time, they're just putting this game out as Medal of Honor. Why? Maybe they're trying to move away from their past games. I don't know.

Well anyway, this is their feature trailer. It is set to The Catalyst by Linkin Park, one of my favourite bands. I'd say the trailer is nicely set to the music and seeing the gameplay footage makes me kind of want to play this game. ^.^

Video after the break.

Java Tea Party App for iPhone and iPad

2010-07-28T21:30:00.001+08:00

Java Tea Party is an application for both the iPhone and iPad, which allows the two devices to interact with each other. While it may seem interesting, the use for this app is mostly for novelty purposes only, and I bet you'll only play with it a couple of times before the fun wears off. Let's hope that this app is free cause I think it is kind of redundant. Lol.

Watch the trailer above for some laughs.. Their expressions are just so priceless. Hahaha.. I really wonder how some people can act in commercials for such products.

It Is Legal To Jailbreak iPhone

2010-07-28T20:10:00.004+08:00

If you have recently heard, the Library of Congress has very recently reviewed issues pertaining to DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act), which makes it an offence to temper with the digital locks set in electronics, such as DVDs and phones.

Every three years, the Library of Congress would review complaints about the system. And one of those issues is about jailbreaking the iPhone. Apparently, after explaining to Apple about the "4 requirements" to be protected by copyright laws, it is found out that Apple's locking down of the phone has nothing to do with copyrighting and protecting sales, but merely as to protect their digital eco-system. Also, jailbreaking attempts have only altered around 50 bytes out of the 8,000,000 bytes of iPhone's copyrighted code, or 1/160,000, which makes it legal.

Their final shot is that when a smartphone has locked out applications that can be operated on it, due to disapproval from the App Store, jailbreaking the iOS such that it allows the usage of that application is considered "fair use" and it is not against the copyright act.

All in all, the Library of Congress has made it legal to jailbreak the iPhone, based on the current jailbreak iterations. Sounds quite far-fetched isn't it? Read more here.

Here's a joke about this issue. It shows Microsoft Bill Gates consoling Apple's Steve Jobs. It's really funny. Hahaha.

The Buyer's Remorse Effect

2010-07-27T11:08:00.001+08:00

There's this effect in life called the Buyer's Remorse Effect. Basically, it is the feeling of regret after buying something. The effect is usually stronger when the product in question costs more. There are a few reasons for feeling the regret. One is that you realise that the item you bought is not worth the money or at a wrong price, especially knowing that there are better and cheaper alternatives or that there is a newer model coming up. Another is that you have impulsively bought the item. The third is that you know that you have been persuaded into buying the item when you previously had no intentions of getting. The fourth is that you have bought something that is not acceptable to the people around you. And lastly is that you simply bought the wrong product.

There are a few ways that people who regret their purchase tend to do. One way is to simply renounce the purchase and return it for a refund. Another is to accept the product as it is and use it to the fullest. And the last and most destructive is to fool yourself into thinking that the product is indeed the best and start to belittle people around you.

An example would be that you have bought a gadget that is significantly more expensive than other brands. Therefore, you think that because it is more expensive, it should be better. However, after buying it, you realise that there are actually better gadgets with more useful features and at a much lower price. The positive, and harder, approach is to simply admit that "hey, I didn't do my research properly, I made a mistake in buying this. It's my own fault" The negative, and more common, approach is to try to justify your purchase by discounting the arguments and tricking yourself into thinking that the naysayers are ignorant and just jealous of your spending power and your premium product. You start saying that the product you bought is actually the best and anyone who disagrees is wrong. Worse, this attitude may actually cause you to strain relationships with people close to you. Although this is a scary thought, it is actually happening more frequently that we think.

Cockroach Candy

2010-07-26T21:58:00.000+08:00

I came across this article about strange candy. Apparently, Fear Factor made this candy shaped and coloured like a cockroach. From what I read, the cockroach wings are crunchy icing and the body is soft gummy. So it will feel like you are really munching on a cockroach, except that it doesn't taste like a real one would. But still, yuck!

The Pokemon Scene That Admitted 700 Children To Hospital

2010-07-25T22:53:00.002+08:00

I suddenly remembered this. Close to 10 years ago, I was all crazy over the pokemon TV shows. Then one day, there came news that there was an episode shown in Japan, featuring Porygon, that caused 700 children there to experience seizures. This prompted Singapore to ban that episode and I never got to see Porygon!!!

Back then in 2001, there was no YouTube or any widely used video streaming sites to find that episode. And I only had ADSL internet connection, making it difficult to stream high quality videos even if I could find it. Well anyway, with the wonders of YouTube. I managed to find that clip.. =)

Turns out, it is only a short scene in the movie, where Team Rocket launches some missiles at Porygon and Pikachu came out and thundershocked them. For some reason, the artists decided to flash red and blue screens rapidly for that particular thundershock effect. It only lasted about 5 seconds, but it still hurts the eyes.

I've included the clip below should you wish to view the flashing screens. As far as I know, this video is recorded on a lower frame rate, so the flashing effect is actually less intense. The flashes from the original episode was at 12 times per second. So I doubt you'd get a seizure by watching the clip below, though you may feel uncomfortable. But if you really want to, watch in full screen, high quality and bring your eyes closer to the screen. =P

**The flashing scene begins at the 15 seconds mark.**

If you would like to read more, here's some kids science website comments on it.

BlindType - It's Difficult To Type Wrongly With This Keyboard

2010-07-23T13:33:00.001+08:00

This is BlindType, a soft keyboard for iOS and Andriod device.

What's so great about this keyboard is that it is able to correct your inaccurate typings even if none of the letters you type is correct. And with that ability, you can type extremely fast on a touchscreen. The software even allows you to type anywhere on the screen (even at an angle), with an option for the keyboard to adjust to your thumbs' position after every word in both position and scale. There's even a setting where you can type without any keyboard visible on the screen. And you may be thinking, how is that even possible? That's where the video comes in. Watch and be stunned at how accurate this keyboard is. =)

Apple is the Best, in Software Insecurity..

2010-07-22T12:22:00.003+08:00

This graph shows that Apple was in second place until 2010, when it jumped to number 1.

Most people will tell you that Apple computers have the least crashes, viruses and errors than Windows PCs. That conclusion is true, many years back. The counter by PC-lovers was that Apple supposedly had a much smaller user base, therefore less people reported errors and less virus authors targeted Macs. Mac-heads then said that it was a baseless argument. Well it turned out that it could have been true after all.

Welcome to present time, when more and more people adopted the Macs for their advertised system stability, ease of use, no viruses, etc etc etc.. And guess what. New research has been done and now look at who is the leader in all the key areas it was supposed to be strong enough for a Windows user to switch to the Mac. So if you've people coming to you and saying that Macs are the best, this is the article you would want to show them. The arguments that they will use against Windows PCs are now defunct. Just in case you don't want to read the actual article, it also says that Apple is the leader and Microsoft stands in third position. Kind of funny that Windows, with a huge user base (~70%), is actually behind Apple with a much much smaller user base (~20%).

Regardless, I would still agree that Apple products have the good looks, both hardware and software. But functionality-wise, there's really not much advantage over Windows, no matter how much better they look.

ArsTechnica Source Link

Religion Resulted From Astrology?

2010-07-22T10:10:00.000+08:00

**This video is not easy to watch if you are weak in faith**

This video is trying to prove that most religions comes directly as a result of astrology. While it is compelling to believe it, we must also remember that there is more to Christianity than what is said here. And it is really coincidence that the stars happened to be related to religions. It only seems reasonable because the author has twisted the words to fit his hypothesis and presented in a very convincing way, totally bypassing a lot of evidence that disagrees with the notion.

"Singapore Car crash manfred!!!!"

2010-07-21T23:42:00.000+08:00

Alright, this is just creepy.. I happened to be surfing YouTube videos to search for clips to use for a video project when I encountered this video titled, "Singapore Car crash manfred!!!!". For a quick moment, my heart just dropped. Lol. I have had a car accident way back in Dec 2008. So the first thought that came to my mind is "who recorded my accident..?" Turns out that the video is nothing in relation to my accident.. Whew.. So coincidental that another Manfred in Singapore also had a car accident. O.O

The Chicken Came First!

2010-07-17T21:27:00.002+08:00

It's a popular debate: "Did the chicken or egg come first?"

The answer is the chicken came first, according to some British researchers from the universities of Sheffield and Warwick I do not know what motivated them to try to answer the question but apparently, they found that the egg could not have come first because the shell could only be produced by proteins found in a chicken. Therefore, the chicken must have been around first to lay the first egg, thus putting this age-old conundrum to rest.

Check out the source if you really want to read about the scientific stuff and the protein that makes the eggshell.. The Chicken Came First

The "Perfect Handshake" Formula

2010-07-17T13:42:00.003+08:00

Ok, this is not a joke. Scientists of the University of Manchester were hired by Chevrolet as part of some PR training workshop and they came up with this formula as a guide to perform a "perfect handshake". But honestly, a handshake is just a handshake. LOL. If you have some free time, feel free to decipher the formula below. Have fun! =P

PH = (e² + ve²)(d²) + (cg + dr)² + π{(4< s >2)(4< p >2)}² + (vi + t + te)² + {(4< c >2)(4< du >2)}²

Where (e) is eye contact (1=none; 5=direct) 5; (ve) is verbal greeting (1=totally inappropriate; 5=totally appropriate) 5; (d) is Duchenne smile - smiling in eyes and mouth, plus symmetry on both sides of face, and slower offset (1=totally non-Duchenne smile (false smile); 5=totally Duchenne) 5; (cg) completeness of grip (1=very incomplete; 5=full) 5; (dr) is dryness of hand (1=damp; 5=dry) 4; (s) is strength (1= weak; 5=strong) 3; (p) is position of hand (1=back towards own body; 5=other person's bodily zone) 3; (vi) is vigour (1=too low/too high; 5=mid) 3; (t) is temperature of hands (1=too cold/too hot; 5=mid) 3; (te) is texture of hands (5=mid; 1=too rough/too smooth) 3; (c) is control (1=low; 5=high) 3; (du) is duration (1= brief; 5=long) 3.

The Chronicles of Narnia - Voyage of the Dawn Treader

2010-07-16T15:52:00.001+08:00

Coming out 9 December 2010.

The official trailer of the Chronicles of Narnia - Voyage of the Dawn Treader was released a couple of weeks ago and already I'm all excited to go watch the movie. I admit I've not read the story books or anything, but I don't need that to enjoy the movie when it comes out.

**Warning: Geeky stuff below**
I really love the trailers for the Narnia series, especially the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe one. However this trailer really struck me because, unlike the Prince Caspian trailer, used the same elements, which I absolutely loved, as the first one. From now on, I'm only talking about the similarities between the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe trailer and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader trailer..

The title animations such as "This Christmas", etc etc, used the same fly in style with snow background and a small flare right at the end when it sets in. Also, the end title reveal where they show the movie title, uses the same music as the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe trailer title reveal. The format is also the same for both trailers, with Aslan roaring before the title flies in and the Narnia logo is constructed, followed by the subtitle twirling in by the individual letters..

I also like Aslan's voice.. Really cool. Haha. Yup, if you had read thru all that, I think ur expression would be (O.o)

How iPhone 4 Makes People Ignorant

2010-07-16T15:15:00.004+08:00

Barely 3 weeks since the iPhone 4 officially launched in the US, users have already been plagued with numerous problems when using the phone. The most prominent being that the phone reception is mostly unstable when held in the most common way. Since this phone builds the antenna around the body, unlike other phones in the market now, when held as you would a normal phone, your hand would disrupt the reception, thus causing the signal to drop drastically. While most people would think, "nah, it can't be that bad", I would say do a little google search about this issue. It is that bad that even an influential gadget website, Consumers Report, straight up recommended people NOT to get an iPhone 4.

However, with all these problems, the iPhone 4 has sold over 2 millions devices already, however, at least 1.7 million were sold within the first week of launch, meaning that the reception problem wasn't widely reported yet. Regardless, most people nowadays go wild when they hear an iPhone and think of it as if it's the best phone ever made, at least this year. There are many comparable phones out there released earlier this year that have already surpassed the new iPhone 4, namely HTC EVO 4G, Samsung Galaxy S and Motorola Driod X. The video below, though funny, actually shows how a typical person can be easily influenced into thinking that the iPhone 4 is the best phone even though it is, in reality, an already outdated phone when it was released.

The second video is a test done by ifixyouri.com to see how the Apple's proclaimed 30-times-stronger than plastic screen hold up when being dropped. As shown in video, regardless of whether the road has much debris or the phone wasn't dropped properly, etc etc.. One thing is for sure, that the supposedly "very resilient screen" breaks as easily as any other smartphone out there.

"Understanding GIRLS"

2010-07-08T22:36:00.000+08:00

"What the heck did I just watched?"

This will be your reaction after you check out this video, supposedly to teach you a bit on understanding GIRLS better. While some minute parts of it kind of make sense, the overall video is actually quite pointless. Her humour seems like the teenage kind of comedy videos that we see so rampantly these days, sadly isn't really very engaging. Well, at least she had fun making the video.

New Music: Iyaz - So Big

2010-07-05T12:31:00.000+08:00

One of my favourite RnB artist, Iyaz, is back with So Big. I really feel that his voice has a kind of uplifting feeling, especially so when you're feeling a bit down. You just feel more cheerful after listening to his songs.

Motorola Driod X Preview: Huge Powerful Phone

2010-06-16T12:23:00.000+08:00

Here is a sneak peek of the new Motorola Driod X, successor to the popular Motorola Driod. These days phones have larger and larger screens, with the largest seen on HTC Evo 4G and Samsung Galaxy S at 4 inches, diagonally across. Then comes the Motorola Driod X at a HUGE 4.4 inch screen.

But enough about the screen, what's good about this phone? The phone is running Andriod 2.1 with a modified version of Motoblur, Motorola's solution to integrating social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter into one place. It has a 8MP camera and records 720p videos.

The guys at Engadget did a quick review of this phone. Their feedback is that this phone is by far one of the snappiest phones around, with the apps and keyboard loading almost instantly, comparable with the iPhone. Transitions are very smooth and the multitouch screen is responsive and tracks the fingers very accurately, among the other Andriod phones around.

By far, this phone is quite promising. I'm not too sure if Singapore will see it, but its good to see that Motorola is coming back strong into the smartphone market.

Nintendo 3DS Announced. Very impressive!

2010-06-16T01:47:00.010+08:00

Nintendo unveiled their latest handheld device. Its to feature their venture into the newest trend, 3D. At their E3 press conference, the Nintendo 3DS is shown for the very first time to the world. It was such a special moment that it was lifted onto the stage on a shiny pedestal, complete with smoke and lights. And who else was there to introduce it but Nintendo's CEO, Satoru Iwata.

Ok. So basic specifications about the new Nintendo toy.
Features include:

Similar design to NDS XL, 2 screens
A large, 3.53 inch, 800x240, autostereoscopic 3D non-touch top screen (don't need glasses)
A smaller 3.02 inch touch screen for the bottom.
1 front facing VGA camera like NDSi
2 outward facing VGA cameras to take 3D photos
Collapsible stylus
New analog stick above the D-Pad.
Depth slider control to adjust the 3D view or turn it off
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Backwards compatible with NDS titles
and many more...

As Nintendo explained, they basically combined technologies from both the Wii and NDS and the new 3D, into one handheld device. The 3DS has an improved graphics chip to take on more visually demanding games, and I think also to supplement the 3D. With the 3D screen, the 3DS allows you to watch 3D movies on the go, with companies like Disney, Warner Bros and Dreamworks already pledging support for the 3DS.

And of course, there's the games. Logically, the games cannot be demo-ed on the big screen (for obvious reasons). But Nintendo has assured us that many big name companies have already started developing games for the 3DS, to ensure that there are already a sizeable library of games to purchase when the device goes on sale later in the year. By the way, you can turn off the 3D if you want and view it as a normal 2D screen.

Just to get you excited, these are some of the games that are publicly announced at the press conference.

DJ Hero 3D
Assassin's Creed Lost Legacy
Final Fantasy
Kingdom Hearts
Metal Gear Solid
Resident Evil Revelations
Fifa
Madden
Nintendogs + Cats

And these are some of the companies that are currently developing games for the 3DS.

Activision
Hudson
EA
Harmonix
Square Enix
Konami
Capcom
Ubisoft

Thus, looking at what's to be offered, I would say that the Nintendo 3DS has a huge potential in the gaming world. It currently allows you to play almost all kinds of games, both 3D and 2D, utilising the d-pad, analog stick, touch screen, accelerometer and gyroscope. That's a lot of possibilities for game developers. If all goes well, this is the device that would revolutionise handheld gaming yet again. Nintendo is out to prove that they are still strong in the gaming world.

PS: I'm guessing that you may start to see many iPhone games migrating over to this 3DS as this provides the same functions as the iPhone (with the touchscreen, accelerometer and gyroscope), except with more physical controls and a 3D screen. However, many games are free to download on the iPhone. Not too sure if it will still be free for 3DS. Nonetheless, those are only casual, on-to-go games, which is not what Nintendo is really aiming for.

Metal Gear Solid Rising - Amazing New Cutting Mechanics

2010-06-15T11:05:00.003+08:00

At E3 2010, Konami's Hideo Kojima, known for his Metal Gear Solid franchise, revealed the latest installment, Metal Gear Solid Rising.

He explained that in this game, the gameplay is moving away from the stealth elements that the series is famous for. However, to make the action make interesting, a new physics and offense mechanic has been developed. And that is cutting mechanics. You will wield an all powerful katana and you can choose how you want to slice your enemies and environment. What makes this new is that for the first time, you can choose exactly which angle you want to slice and the victim actually falls apart. Instead of me trying to explain, just watch the trailer video below. Haha. You'll love what you see, if you're into these games, that is.

Microsoft Kinect (aka. Project Natal)

2010-06-15T02:20:00.002+08:00

Xbox controller-less motion control is officially announced at E3 2010. It used to be called Project Natal when it was unveiled last year at E3 2009. It is now called Kinect. It has a rotatable camera to detect your movements and a microphone for voice controls.

With Kinect, you can control the menus by simply raising your hands or by speaking. Some examples of voice controls, to pause a video playing, say "Xbox, pause", to resume, say "Xbox, play", to stop the video, say "Xbox, stop. Sounds futuristic? But it works, as shown in the E3 2010 demo. You can also do video chatting and the camera will track your body so that if you move out of the frame, the camera will pan along to keep you in the frame.

Kinect comes with a few games, such as Kinect Sports, Kinect Joyride, Kinect Adventure and etc. Looking at the demos, I would say that Kinect is quite responsive and can register movements very well. Playing Kinect games would require the gamer to move the whole body, this will encourage players to be more active when playing games. And in my opinion, these kind of motion control games are more suited to family titles and fun-filled games. Most of the games unveiled for Kinect are mostly fitness-related and family fun games, which Nintendo Wii has already done, except that its in high definition now. I wonder how hardcore games like first person shooters and realtime strategy games would work with Kinect but we shall keep an eye for such demos. So far, Kinect has been demo-ed for driving, running, yoga, hip hop dancing, light saber swinging, etc.

**Edit** Forza (racing game) was quickly demo-ed to show how Kinect is used to add interactivity into the game. For eg, you can "walk" around a virtual car, like at a car show room, by leaning left and right.

Controller-less motion control is a first in the world and we hope that Microsoft will do a good job. The games, however, may not be so original since we have seen many similar games on the Nintendo Wii. The only selling point for these games is that they are in high definition. Kinect will officially go on sale in Nov 2010.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 MTV Trailer

2010-06-15T01:56:00.008+08:00

The MTV release trailer of the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 will come out on 18 Nov 2010.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 will come out in July 2011.

FYI. The first Harry Potter movie, The Sorcerer's Stone, came out in 2001. Could it be a coincidence that the last movie is to come out in 2011? So that the Harry Potter series comes a full ten years? Or is it that the studio just wants to prolong the excitement? Regardless, the Deathly Hallows movies look set to create an epic ending. Its definite must watch for both of them.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

2010-06-15T01:42:00.003+08:00

Can't wait for this movie to come out. Watched all 3 of the previous ones. ^.^

New Music!

2010-06-14T23:28:00.012+08:00

Hi! These are some of the music that I think are worth a listen. They are mostly hip hop/club music. I'll pick songs that new and might catch on. On top of that, I'll try to pick songs that are not released on local radio, otherwise, that's what the radio is for, isnt it? =P

NB: Clicking on the song names will lead you to the youtube video of that song. If there are any broken links, just let me know. =)

Posted: 14 June 2010
1. Taio Cruz - Dynamite **HOT**
2. Katy Perry ft Snoop Doggy Dogg - California Gurls **HOT**
3. B.O.B. ft Hayley Williams of Paramore and Eminem - Airplanes (Part 2)
**Not On Radio**
4. David Guetta ft Leah - Sexy Bitch (Female Version)

Posted: 23 May 2010
1. Charice ft Iyaz - Pyramid **HOT**

2. Charice - I Love You **Not On Radio**

3. Shontelle - Impossible

4. Chris Brown ft Ester Deans - Big Things

Posted: 18 May 2010

1. Chipmunk ft Esmee Denters - Until You Are Gone

2. Taio Cruz ft Ke$ha - Dirty Picture

3. The Black Eyed Peas - Rock That Body

4. Taio Cruz ft Ludacris - Break Your Heart (Remix) **Not On Radio**
5. Christina Aguilera - Not Myself Tonight

Posted: 14 May 2010

1. Britney Spears - Telephone **Not On Radio**

2. Flo-Rida ft T-Pain - Zoosk Girl

3. Git Fresh ft Flo-Rida - Arch Your Back **Not On Radio**

4. Shakira - Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)

5. Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Pussycat Dolls - Down Boy **Not On Radio**

6. David Guetta ft Kid Cudi - Memories

NB: I copied this over from my Facebook profile tab and I shall continue updating here. To view future posts, just click on Music link from the View By Categories on the top right menu.

Updated TOL Blog Layout

2010-06-13T20:57:00.011+08:00

I finally came around to updating the TOL blog in its appearance. Was trying out the new template designer and decided to come up with a new header too. Took me a couple hours to get this effect cause I've never tried it before. Was trying to copy the Harry Potter title effect.. Hehe.. Everything was created from scratch, except the stone-y texture.

Click on the photo to go to the Testimony Of Light blog.

Updated: 14 June 2010

Here's the screen shot of the Harry Potter movie title. This movie trailer was only release just a while back, although the trailers have been using this effect for the last few movies..

Dell Phones and Tablets

2010-04-22T11:15:00.009+08:00

Dell has announced or leaked out quite a few phones and tablets. They may be late in the smartphone race but I would say that the phones are looking really cool with the slim form factor and their customised Stage UI and now with the new Flash 10.1 for mobile phones, you can watch videos on the phone. Most of the phones and tablets will be out towards the later part of this year. This may just make me want to switch back to a touchscreen phone. ^.^

Dell Streak Tablet

Andriod 2.1 OS

7" and 10" versions

Dell Looking Glass Tablet

Andriod 2.1 OS

7" Display

TV Tuner

4GB RAM

Expandable Storage up to 32GB

1.3MP Camera

Dell Lightning

Windows Phone 7 OS

4.1" OLED Display

5MP Camera

Flash 10.1 enabled

8GB storage

Dell Thunder

Andriod 2.1 OS

Dell Stage UI

4.1" OLED Display

Flash enabled for videos

8MP Camera

Dell Flash

Andriod Froyo OS

3.5" Display

11mm Thick

5MP Autofocus Camera

Up to 64GB MicroSD Storage

BlueTooth 3.0

800MHz Processor

Dell Smoke

Andriod Froyo OS

2.8" OLED Display

12mm Thick

Dual Mic Noise Cancelling

5MP Autofocus Camera

Samsung Phone Multitasks 62 Apps

2010-04-12T18:43:00.005+08:00

Multitasking seem to be the topic nowadays for phones, especially since iPhones can now multitask with the new iPhone OS 4.0. Earlier this year, Palm Pre Plus came forward with their WebOS and showed the world that their phone can handle 50 apps running simultaneously.

Just as we're wow-ing at that feat, along came Samsung and the i8910 HD (Omnia HD), with a little help of a custom ROM, managed to blow everyone away with a stunning 62-apps multitasking with only 256MB RAM.. And the best part is that the phone is still running relatively smoothly, considering that 62-apps are running, when at the moment most phones and even computers cannot even run properly with this number of programs open and the iphone can't even open 2 apps at the same time.

Watch a demo here.

3D Movies at Singapore Discovery Centre

2010-04-04T11:31:00.002+08:00

I went to watch Clash of the Titans in 3D at the Singapore Discovery Centre.
Why?
1) $7 ticket everyday, compared to $10 - $12 at GV and Cathay.
2) 5 storey-high screen
3) Most comfortable 3D technology (RealD compared to Dolby 3D)
4) Empty cinema
5) Free parking
NB: Only Shaw Lido and CCK and Singapore Discovery Centre, uses RealD tech to showcase 3D movies in Singapore. Unlike GV and Cathay, which uses Dolby 3D, RealD uses circular polarisation to bring out the 3D effects, so the 3D glasses are much lighter and more comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and the images are not dimmed too much.

The 5 storey-high screen. I’m at the 3rd floor seat.

The 5 storey-high screen. I’m at the 3rd floor seat.

The 3D glasses. A little worn out though but doesnt affect the view much.
At the end of it, I say its worth the money to watch a full length 3D movie at SDC cause of the reasons above, although the projection was slightly dimmer than I thought was comfortable. The cheap $7 ticket for a 3D movie, regardless of which day you watch, is really attractive. But of course, with that amount of money only, don’t expect top notch quality stuff, though it decent enough for most people. The only drawback I say is that you cant book tickets in advance, but the cinema is rarely half full anyway.
http://manfredseet.tumblr.com/post/494737466/cott3dsdc

Tumblr

2010-03-31T20:42:00.003+08:00

In addition to my Facebook, Twitter and Blogger accounts, I'm now on Tumblr.

It's a cross between Twitter and Blogger. It allows "following" and "tweets" like twitter and blogging, video and photo sharing like blogger. Tumblr has nice and simple themes and handles micro blogging very well..

So... I'm goin to ditch Twitter and leave Blogger for long posts, everything else will be on Tumblr. ^.^

http://manfredseet.tumblr.com/

Biggest Show Ever?

2010-03-16T09:53:00.001+08:00

Have you noticed that after every IT SHOW, PC SHOW, COMEX or SITEX, the news always report it as the biggest show ever or made record sales?

Well, I did, for the past few times. And I wondered why is that so, more so about the increase in sales profit. I believe it is because the items being so are more expensive now. So even with the same number of consumers, it is these consumers who are spending more money to buy the things they want, thus the increase in sales profit after every show.

Eg. Just 2 years back, people wouldn't dream of buying a laptop dedicated to gaming and would buy cheap value for money notebooks and netbooks. However, these days, gaming laptops are everywhere and people are willing to spend $4000 - $5000 for it. So the sales are increased.

Impatient Taxi Driver?

2010-03-09T02:20:00.004+08:00

Yesterday, I was walking from Sultan Plaza towards Suntec City with the Testimony of Light group. We came to this junction, between Victoria Street, Beach Road and ECP. The traffic light was red and we waited. As soon as it turned to green, we began to cross the pedestrian crossing. Less than 10 secs later, a Union Gas cab that was turning honked at us.

It was unbelievable. That was the ultimate impatient taxi driver I've come across. Honking at us while we just started to cross the road and even though the green man wasn't flashing yet. And mind you, we were walking at a normal pace. It wasn't as though we were strolling and taking a long time to cross.

Question: Have you encountered any disgraceful taxi driver? Leave your answer in the comments.

Are The Misfortunes of Others For Your Entertainment?

2010-03-07T19:25:00.007+08:00

"What would you do if you see someone who is going to walk into a puddle of spilled drink on a marble floor?"

Today, I was at Suntec City with the Testimony of Light group. We were on the third floor in the My PLAYGround section. While my friends were busy playing with the soft toy "claw machines", someone spilled what I believe was some chocolate bubble tea sort of drink all over the marble floor. Now, that corridor had many people walking pass it.

Now, any humane person would know to warn passer-bys that the floor is slippery and to watch their steps. But there were two mid-twenties looking ladies, presumably from the neighbouring shop, who stood by a pillar, which was 3 meters away from the puddle, and just watched as unsuspecting people walked and slipped. Thankfully, none of them fell.

As much as it is bad enough that they stood and watched, I even overheard these two ladies, if I would still call them ladies, talking about and seemingly predicting which person would slip and fall. Such anti-social behavior. As much as we try to deny it, such people do exist around us. And it's a pity that they are more plentiful than we expect.

The least we could do is to not be like them.

Question: What is your opinion of such people? Leave your answer in the comments.

McDonald's in 3D

2009-10-27T11:08:00.015+08:00

**click on the images to view them in detail**

Lat week, I went out to Little India with my friends for a photo-hunting outing. In the evening, we went to the newly opened City Square Mall for a meal. Stopped by McDonald's because they wanted ice cream. While sitting there, I drew inspiration from the nice clean look of the restaurant. Thus I thought of recreating the scene in 3ds. Took some reference shots of the bar stool-like chairs as I felt those were the more difficult to create.

This is my first time recreating a more complex scene since I started self-learning 3d a couple weeks back, so it's quite a challenge. And I took a whole day with it as I was still not very familiar with the max interface. Haha. Anyway, the first image above is not a photo, but what I've created. Hard to believe right? I myself was pretty much surprised at how realistic it looked even though I used very simple methods to create it. Below are a few images of some of the behind the scene stuff.. None of them are photos too. The only photos are the 2 reference shots I took above. Lol.

A clean render, without any materials applied.

My first try at creating the Mac's table

Creation of the tables with the bar-stool chairs and basic lighting

Simple wallpaper, made using photoshop

It is really satisfying to be able to make nice cool stuff so easily with 3ds max. Haha. I shall look for more things to recreate (that are within my abilities now of course!). And for the time being, I played around with my scene a little more and got the 2 images below. The good thing abt 3d creation is that you can slot your name anywhere you want. Like me, below. Lol. Hey, designers also can have fun ok..

To view my earlier works, visit my picassa account at
http://picasaweb.google.com/generationm88

Thanks!! ^.^

Good O' D50

2009-10-12T23:05:00.003+08:00

This term.. I have a module on photography. Everyone in class has bought or upgraded their DSLR within 2009, including my teacher. I'm the only one with an older, lousier and discontinued Nikon D50. It's 4 years old and counting.

My camera cannot compete with the new models in terms of the colours and contrast of the photos, due to the older technology of my camera sensor. Newer DSLRs have features such as video, faster continuous photos, Live-View mode, a larger screen, larger ISO range and a much better CMOS sensor. They easily trump my D50 in almost every aspect.

But as everyone says, it's not the camera but the photographer. It doesn't matter if other cameras effortlessly beats mine. The D50 is the first DSLR I ever had. I've kept it in (relatively) good condition. It served me on many occasions without fail. In short, I love it very much. I'm proud of it.

Time To Continue

2009-10-08T23:13:00.003+08:00

After a long break, I think I have a bit more motivation to carry on with this blog. I have lots of reasons to believe that no one ever comes to my blog already. But I don't mind. Lol.

I came to do designing for my degree because I didnt like academic studies. Yes, serious. And when I started school earlier this year, I thought I have finally left my past behind. Not that I want to or have anything to hide. But more specifically, I didn't like what I studied in JC. I took computing, that is, programming and webpage design and databases and etc. Needless to say, I failed horribly... Nah, just joking. I passed my A Levels. But honestly, I passed horribly. Had a C. And that partly was responsible for my attitude towards studying academic subjects.

Six months into my design course, I come face to face with my worst subject (not Chinese this time, just this time) yet again. But this time, I'm taking on HTML, CSS, PHP, MySQL and APACHE. And I thought design does not have anything to do with programming. But somehow, thanks to my computing background, I find it easier to understand the class. Maybe good things come to those who wait.. Actually, that last line had nothing to do with my situation but I just thought it seemed appropriate (and cool).. But whatever.

It's Been A While..

2009-05-27T19:50:00.002+08:00

It's been exactly a month since I posted on this blog. While I am quite lazy to update, seeing how I have to sign in and write, I blame most of my absence on Facebook. After being introduced to Facebook, which previously was something I refused to join, I slowly found that it was much more interesting than I thought, comparing to the all so boring friendster.. Thus, I spend more time on Facebook and more occupied there to think abt blogging.

Luckily, nowadays, I find that Facebook is getting boring. So I may continue to blog here.. Unless I'm feeling too lazy and/or have nothing to say. Lol. The only thing I like abt Facebook now is that I can control who I want to view my uploaded videos, rather than uploading here where it is free for all and also close to none visit my blog at all. So for now, I will use Facebook mainly as a place where I upload my works, photos, special effects videos and other random videos that I made.

This blog is reserved for the other nonsense.. Haha.

VFX

2009-04-27T21:08:00.004+08:00

I wanted to take up visual effects when doing my degree. However, now as I'm studying in Raffles Design, I'm currently taking up interactive media design cuz it's the only path to taking a degree in animation and visual effects in the school. But right now, what I'm learning is kind of not in my interest. ie. Graphic design.. Photoshop.. Illustrator.. I'm done with static jpegs man, gimme some video, mpegs, avi, mp4, mov work!!

Sadly, that will have to wait.. Sometimes I feel quite disappointed that I have to wait 2 years before I will get to learn abt what I really enjoy doing. So well, patience. Have to learn to make good images first before you learn to make good videos. Kind of like learning to walk first before you run. Lol.. But I already can run.. Heh!

In the meantime, I shall just make my videos as a hobby, to quench my insatiable thirst to working with videos.. Btw, I want a HD camcamera! Haha. Maybe a Creative Vado HD will suffice..? ^_^

TOL Blog Designer

2009-04-21T12:22:00.003+08:00

I think I'm more or less the official blog designer of TOL's blog. But I don't mind, at least I have something to do or else I'll feel so awkward to be in a group and yet not be active. Lol..

IHM TOL Blog - http://ihmtol.blogspot.com/

Don't be surprised if you see similar design elements down at that blog.
Can't expect much from the same designer for now. Haha.

Finally Started School

2009-04-14T11:41:00.002+08:00

Ok, I finally started school yesterday. Had my first day of lessons since I finished my A's couple years back. Lessons in RDI are fun. Yup. My tutor's from Columbia. He's fun and cheerful. Even from one session yesterday, I can tell I'm going to enjoy learning from him. Haha.

Classes are combined with the previous semester students. That makes our class abt 20 people strong. And I'm the only Singaporean there. Feel like a rare species. Lol. But nevertheless, it's fun. Get to meet people from different places and appreciate their ideas.

Currently I'm still quite free. Only need to go school on 3 days. Mondays are full day while Tuesdays and Thursdays are afternoon days. But that means more time for more homework. Lol. Until then, the remaining days are still my free days.

There are students in class that are only 16 years old. And I'm one of the oldest there, even though I'm 21. Haha. How I wish I could be like them, studying for degree at that age. But it's ok, I'm the only one that went thru A levels, though it doesnt seem like it's significant at all. Haha. But hey, I have one more cert than them. Lol, trying to console myself. Anyhow, I'm sure to have fun there.

Finally Gambit is Here!

2009-04-07T23:34:00.004+08:00

I've watched the previous 3 X Men movies. And I must say I was actually quite disappointed with the characters. Yeah, sure you have the big names like Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Prof X, Jean Grey, etc.. But they always seem to miss out on one, intentional or otherwise.. And that is my favourite character.. Gambit!!

And now there is X Men Origins Wolverine. And of course, making his debut on the big screen for the very first time is Gambit. Yay! Ok, the show isn't released yet and I'm dying to watch it, keeping my eyes wide open to spot Gambit. But by what I've seen in the trailer so far, he has quite a role in the action scenes. Yes! The actor had better portray Gambit properly. Lol.. Loved the way he shoots the cards instead of throwing them like in the cartoon.. And how he Cajun Strike the ground which explodes in purple light.. =D

Here's how badly I like Gambit..

Lol.. I just wish I could charge the cards like he did.. =P

My "Dream" Phone

2009-04-02T21:54:00.007+08:00

I was so bored today. I set aside some time to open up photoshop and think.

"So what could I design today? Hmm.. Why not make something with just simple shapes?"

And the iPhone came to mind, simple in design, yet captivating and elegant. Thus, I set off to design miPhone. Lol. Yeah, that's lame. Anyway, I didnt come out with a name so I'm not that lame after all. Oh, I added call buttons, much alike the Nokia 5800. I really like coloured slits for call buttons. Lol.

I think I can do better than this phone. Just need more time. Haha.

Lazy To Blog

2009-04-02T21:49:00.002+08:00

Lol.. I'm feeling very lazy to blog nowadays.. Spending too much time on other websites. But anyway, I wonder how many people actually view my blog, apart from those who are active in my tagboard thing. Haha.

So, school is starting for me soon. I can't wait for that. 1 week more to go! Raffles Design. Here I come! *zooms*..

Shitty Video

2009-03-01T20:11:00.002+08:00

Hi.. I made a video abt my thoughts abt the word "shit". Lol. It's made out of fun. So don't take what I've said seriously. I also posted this on my Facebook account.

My voice and accent still sounds a little weird. But I'm still practising. Lol. Also the entire video was only done in a day, so excuse the rough animation too. Btw, everything was done by me. So it's not very professional. Regardless, enjoy!

'Errors' on Facebook is actually a virus!

2009-02-28T12:31:00.003+08:00

If you've recently been receiving messages on Facebook that says so and so are having problems viewing your profile, don't be too quick to click on the link. Chances are that it is a virus. I posted this article which was on yesterday's newspaper, Fri 27 Feb. But I didn't realise Facebook photos can't be zoomed in. So I put it up here to for the benefit of those who want to read it. Haha.

Click on the pic for a larger view.

My Most Listened To Music - AudioCast 1 (Full)

2009-02-20T08:19:00.003+08:00

Hey, this my first ever audiocast!

This audiocast is about me introducing some music and speaking my mind.

Ok, I created it just for the fun of it. But anyway, apologise for the poor audio quality. It's cuz I only have an old mic which cannot pick up my voice very well. Well, at least the songs sounds good. LOL.

This is the original version, abt 32 mins in length. Listen to it and leave comments so that I can improve. Thanks and enjoy.

Credits

Music Used:
1) Flo Rida - Low
2) Flo Rida feat Timbaland - Elevator
3) Flo Rida feat Will.i.am - In The Ayer
4) Flo Rida feat Sean Kingston - Roll
5) Flo Rida feat Keyshia - Right Round
6) Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Right Round
7) 50 Cent feat Justin Timberlake - Ayo Technology
8) Milow - Ayo Technology
9) Jackie Boyz - Zero Gravity
10) Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You
11) Leona Lewis - I Will Be
12) Lesley Roy - Unbeautiful
13) DJ Earworm - United States of Pop 2008

As for the picture in the video and the remix at the intro and outro, those were created by me.

5 Mins Illusion Challenge

2009-01-28T22:38:00.002+08:00

We've all seen stage magicians doing their magic before. Some of them have really long "stories" and others have almost none. However, what is the most number of complete illusions that can be done in 5 mins? Here is Hans Klok to show you.

Sticky Notes

2009-01-28T22:33:00.002+08:00

Sticky or Post It notes.. Small pieces of coloured paper which can be stuck anywhere. They can be used as reminders, notes, memos, bookmarks, etc. But have you ever used them for entertainment? LOL. Watch this video. Absolutely fantastic.

EepyBird's Sticky Note experiment from Eepybird on Vimeo.

New Facebook Account

2009-01-26T20:47:00.003+08:00

I finally set up a Facebook account because of Daniel. Keep persuading me to set up one. So I eventually succumbed and just created one last night.

Now I have to go thru the long process of having to customise my profile page. Such a daunting task that I just left it as it is. Until I can muster my courage to move the mouse and tap away on the keyboard, Manfred's Facebook account will just be a big blank page. I did upload my display picture though. Yay! =P

Happy Chinese New Year 2009

2009-01-26T20:32:00.002+08:00

Let me start off by wishing one and all a very Happy Chinese New Year 2009!

It's the year of the Ox or bull. So let's grab the bull by its horn and hold on tight for this unpredictable year. May God bless this year and keep all my friends and family safe from harm, healthy and happy.

Just a nice random post here. =)

New LG Watch Phone

2009-01-17T20:49:00.005+08:00

Talk to the hand... literally. LG has recently unveiled a new Watch Phone. Basically, it's a digital wrist watch and a phone combined.

Some features:
- LCD Backlit Colour Touchscreen
- Phone with Touch Keypad
- Built in Speaker
- Built in Microphone
- SMS
- Music Player
- Wrist Watch
- Bluetooth 2.1

*Not a comprehensive list of features but you can read up more about it online.*

I think it's interesting to have a watch double up as a phone. But I wouldn't want to be caught talking to my hand in public whenever a call comes. I can pretty much imagine others looking at you and thinking, "eww, look at that dude, still so childish, trying to be cool and acting as if his watch is a phone". Which also reminds me of Power Rangers, where the rangers communicate with their base via the watch. So stupid. Thankfully the watch phone supports bluetooth so you can connect and talk via a bluetooth headset. However, no-one is going to wear a headset 24/7. So mostly, I may just use a regular phone for calls.

On the plus side, I think having a watch that can blast music is a nice feature. I wouldn't mind having such a device. And yeah, that's about what I can say about this watch phone now. According to LG, it should be for sale later this year. So look out for it.

Meanwhile, here's the demo video for the LG Watch Phone at Consumers Electronic Show 2009 (CES 2009).