David's Geeky Thoughts

New Office Slang

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 06:36:00 +0000

If you find yourself using more than ten of the following geek-speaks on a daily basis, pat yourself on the back for you're a certified-geek :)

404 - Someone who is clueless. From the Web error message, “404 Not Found,” which means the document requested couldn’t be located. “Don’t bother asking John. He’s 404.”

Adminisphere - The rarified organizational layers above the rank and file that makes decisions that are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant.

Alpha Geek - The most knowledgeable, technically proficient person in an office or work group. “I dunno, ask Rick. He’s our alpha geek.”

Assmosis - The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard.

Batmobiling - putting up emotional shields. Refers to the retracting armor that covers the Batmobile as in “she started talking marriage and he started batmobiling”

Beepilepsy - The brief siezure people sometimes suffer when their beepers go off, especially in vibrator mode. Characterized by physical spasms, goofy facial expressions, and stopping speech in mid-sentence.

Betamaxed - When a technology is overtaken in the market by inferior but better marketed competition as in “Microsoft betamaxed Apple right out of the market”

Blamestorming - A group discussion of why a deadline was missed or a project failed and who was responsible.

Blowing Your Buffer - Losing one’s train of thought. Occurs when the person you are speaking with won’t let you get a word in edgewise or has just said something so astonishing that your train gets derailed. “Damn, I just blew my buffer!” (Synonym: “Head Crash”)

Body Nazis - Hard-core exercise and weight-lifting fanatics who look down on anyone who doesn’t work out obsessively.

Bookmark - To take note of a person for future reference. “After seeing his cool demo at Siggraph, I bookmarked him.”

Brain Fart - A byproduct of a bloated mind producing information effortlessly; a burst of useful information. “I know you’re busy on the Microsoft story, but can you give us a brain fart on the Mitnik bust?” Variation of old hacker slang that had more negative connotations.

CGI Joe - A hard-core CGI script programmer with all the social skills and charisma of a plastic action figure.

Chainsaw Consultant - An outside expert brought in to reduce the employee head count, leaving the top brass with clean hands.

Chip Jewelry - Old computers destined to be scrapped or turned into decoration. “I paid three grand for that Mac and now it’s nothing but chip jewelry.”

Chips and Salsa - Chips = hardware, salsa = software. “First we gotta figure out if the problem’s in your chips or your salsa.”

CLM (Career Limiting Move)- Used by microserfs to describe an ill-advised activity. “Trashing your boss while he or she is within earshot is a serious CLM.”

Cobweb - A WWW site that never changes.

Crapplet - A badly written or profoundly useless Java applet. “I just wasted 30 minutes downloading that crapplet!”

CROP DUSTING - Surreptitiously farting while passing thru a cube farm, then enjoying the sounds of dismay and disgust; leads to PRAIRIE DOGGING.....
Cube Farm - An office filled with cubicles.

Dead Tree Edition - The paper version of a publication available in both paper and electronic forms.

Dilberted - To be exploited and oppressed by your boss, as is Dilbert, the comic strip character. “Damn, I’ve been dilberted again! The old man revised the specs for the fourth time this week.”

Dorito Syndrome - The feeling of emptiness and dissatisfaction triggered by addictive substances that lack nutritional content. “I just spent six hours surfing the Web, and now I’ve got a bad case of Dorito Syndrome.”

Egosurfing - Scanning the Net, databases, etc., for one’s own name.

Elvis Year - The peak year of popularity as in “1993 was Barney the dinosaur’s Elvis year”

Flight Risk - Used to describe employees who are suspected of planning to leave a company or department soon.

Generica - Fast food joints, strip malls, sub-divisions as in “we were so lost in generica that I couldn’t remember what city it was”

Glazing - Corporate-speak for sleeping with your eyes open; a popular pastime at conferences and early-morning meetings. “Didn’t he notice that by the second session half the room was glazing?”

Going Postal - Totally stressed out and losing it like postal employees who went on shooting rampages

GOOD job - A "Get-Out-Of-Debt" job. A well-paying job people take in order to pay off their debts, one that they will quit as soon as they are solvent again.

Gray Matter - Older, experienced business people hired by young entrepreneurial firms trying to appear more professional and established.

Graybar Land - The place you go while you’re staring at a computer that’s processing something very slowly (while you watch the gray bar creep across the screen). “That CAD rendering put me in graybar land for like an hour.”

High Dome - Egghead, scientist, PhD

Idea Hamsters - People whose idea generators are always running.

Irritainment - Entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying, but you find yourself unable to stop watching them. The O.J. trials were a prime example.

It’s a Feature - From the old adage, “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.” Used sarcastically to describe an unpleasant problem you wish to gloss over.

Keyboard Plaque - The disgusting buildup of dirt and crud found on some people’s computer keyboards.

Link Rot - The process by which web page’s links become obsolete as the sites they’re connected to change or die.

Meatspace - The physical world (as opposed to the virtual) also “carbon community” “facetime” “F2F” “RL”

Mouse Potato - The online generation’s answer to the couch potato.

Ohnosecond - That minuscule fraction of time during which you realize you’ve just made a terrible error.

Open-Collar Workers - People who work at home or telecommute.

Percussive Maintenance - The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.

Perot - To quit unexpectedly. “My cellular phone just perot’ed.”

Plug-and-Play - A new hire who doesn’t require training. “That new guy is totally plug-and-play.”

Prairie Dogging - When something loud happens in a cube farm, causing heads to pop up over the walls trying to see what’s going on.

Ribs ‘N’ Dick - A budget with no fat as in “we’ve got ribs ‘n’ dick and we’re supposed to find 20K for memory upgrades”

Salmon Day - The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to get screwed in the end. “God, today was a total salmon day!”

Seagull Manager - A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, shits over everything and then leaves.

Siliwood - The coming convergence of movies, interactive TV and computers; also “Hollywired”

SITCOMs - What yuppies turn into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids. “Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage”

Square-Headed Spouse - Computer

Squirt the Bird - To transmit a signal up to a satellite. “Crew and talent are ready...what time do we squirt the bird?”

Starter Marriage - A short-lived first marriage that ends in divorce with no kids, no property and no regrets.

Stress Puppy - A person who thrives on being stressed-out and whiny.

Swiped Out - An ATM or credit card that has been used so much its magnetic strip is worn away.

Tourists - Those who take training classes just to take a vacation from their jobs. “There were only three serious students in the class; the rest were just tourists.”

Treeware - Hacker slang for documentation or other printed material.

Umfriend - One with whom one has a sexual relationship; as in, “this is Dale, my...um...friend.”

Under Mouse Arrest - Getting busted for violating an online service’s rule of conduct. “Sorry I couldn’t get back to you. AOL put me under mouse arrest.”

Uninstalled - Euphemism for being fired. Also: decruitment.

Vulcan Nerve Pinch - The taxing hand position required to reach all the appropriate keys for certain commands. For instance, the warm re-boot for a Mac II computer involves simultaneously pressing the Control key, the Command key, the Return key and the Power On key.

WOOFYS - Well Off Older Folks.

World Wide Wait - The real meaning of WWW.

Xerox Subsidy - Euphemism for swiping free photocopies from one’s workplace.

Yuppie Food Coupons - Twenty dollar bills from an ATM.

Source: OfficeSlang

Acer Aspire 5551AWXCi

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 03:26:00 +0000

I've got myself a brand new notebook recently, not exactly recently as it was almost a month ago. Was too busy and has no inspiration to blog about it earlier. No wait, I was busy playing around with the new system, haha... It's an Acer Aspire 5551AWXCi, with additional memory upgrade. It took me almost two weeks to perform systems migration, configuration and optimization. It's high time I made the switch as there were dozen of new computer technology being introduced already - Intel Centrino Duo Mobile technology, DDR2 memory architecture, Serial ATA drive architecture, PCI Express graphics architecture, Intel High Definition Audio architecture and CrystalBrite TFT LCD technology, to name a few. Note that Intel Centrino Duo Mobile technology itself is a collection of three separate technologies - Intel Core Duo processor, Mobile Intel 945 Express chipset and Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network chipset.

It's very tempting to have and be able to utilize what new technology has to offer. Wanted to wait for the official release of Microsoft Windows Vista before making the jump but the roadmap seems a bit unpredictable at times with delays/re-schedules. By the way, Windows Vista is in pre-Release Candidate milestone now and should be available for consumers in first quarter of 2007, I hope. For now, am sticking with Windows XP SP2 Home Edition, with the occasional Linux boots (Ubuntu 6.06 and Knoppix 5.0.1).

OK, enough on the techs and specs. Onto the experience... With the 16:10 widescreen and high definition audio (coupled with an external Altec Lansing audio systems), watching widescreen DVD movies at the comfort of my bedroom is extremely delicious and pampering. Having widescreen means I have more viewing estate and can do much more with less effort. The superfast-and-appears-to-be-two Core Duo processor and new 3D graphics processor proves to be a time-saver in rendering 3D graphics in POV-Ray and OpenGL. Overall, running any application is so much fun these days with the increased productivity. Wireless (Wi-Fi G) network connection is fast and sturdy at 54Mbps. Was at 11Mbps using Wi-Fi B last time. Also, the built-in 5-in-1 (SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro, xD) card reader made my external 9-in-1 card reader useless. Before I forgot, its physical is sleek, slim and the metallic silver and black finish is aesthetically pleasing.

My ex 2.5 year-old Acer TravelMate 291XCi got no love from me anymore as it has been demoted (from personal notebook) to family notebook since early August and be seated at the living room now, along with the family desktop PC. It has served me well but being an electronic device, it's subjected to constant threats from the new models that pop up every other day. Nonetheless, I'll still be taking care of it. As of today, I'm administering three notebooks, a desktop PCs and two Pocket PCs at home, and all are networked via the Linksys WAG354G Wireless-G Home Gateway that I got not long ago. I won't be surprised to see more devices being introduced into our home. Bring it on!

New Motorola RAZR-Inspired Mobile Phones

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 18:03:00 +0000

Gosh... I think it's high time for me to part with my baby, the Motorola RAZR V3 BLK. It's gonna be a bitter-sweet experience - sweet on the self-satisfaction but bitter on the credit card :)

Motorola KRZR K1
The elegant MOTOKRZR is where slender and thin become one. The ultimate fashion statement, the ultra-sleek MOTOKRZR takes the iconic design of the MOTORAZR phone to a new plane of innovation. A solid piece of glass on the front provides a high-gloss luster that balances the velvet-like soft touch finish on the back. The matching Motorola H601 Bluetooth headset brings advancements in talk time, sound clarity, upgraded finishes and laser-etched graphics.

Motorola KRZR K1m
The CDMA version of MOTOKRZR combines premium craftsmanship, precision detailing and elegant finishes to deliver a truly luxurious mobile package. It appeals to the tech-savvy with advanced features for premium wireless connectivity, entertainment, multimedia and location-based functionality, plus you can create your own mobile soundtrack with the touch-sensor music controls, integrated music player and music-on-demand services.

Motorola RIZR Z3
Slide open impressive features. Matching the slim silhouette of MOTOKRZR, the MOTORIZR's innovative slider design optimizes on-the-go imaging with its expansive landscape display, 2.0 megapixel camera and programmed point-and-shoot keys. The matching Motorola H800 Bluetooth headset debuts with a unique sliding mechanism that replicates the MOTORIZR.

Motorola RAZR V3xx
Featuring the perfect blend of broadband-like speed, dynamic multimedia capability and cutting-edge design, the MOTORAZR xx is the ultimate combination. One of Motorola's premiere HSDPA devices, this compact entertainment machine boasts download speeds as fast as 3.6MB per second.

Motorola RAZR maxx V6
Take it to the max. That's what Motorola did with this amazing HSDPA device. Blending cutting-edge design and the power of high-speed connectivity with download speeds as fast as 3.6MB per second, the MOTORAZR maxx satisfies the appetite of even the most demanding multimedia customer. With high-end finishes that include a futuristic blend of metal and glass - and touch-sensitive music keys that illuminate - the MOTORAZR maxx comes to life in your hand.

Motorola FONE
Style, technology and affordability unite. MOTOFONE combines Motorola's award-winning design sensibility with smart features and easy functionality. The company's thinnest phone yet at just 9mm, its flat keypad, colors, innovative materials and finish processes combine to make a device that's beautiful and affordable for everyone around the world.

Motorola RAZR V3i DG (Dolce & Gabbana)
MOTORAZR V3i DOLCE & GABBANA unites the elegance and unique design of Motorola V3i with the individual style and attitude of DG. Anodized aluminium surface reflects your impeccable taste. Fabulous MP3 ring tones, video clips, screensavers, games and more.

Motorola SLVR L7 (Pink)
MOTOSLVR combines superb performance with cutting-edge features, all within the sleek design of one of the slimmest phones around. It's amazing how something so thin can still be so reassuringly sturdy. MOTOSLVR is a mobile marvel sheared to a sophisticated 11.5 mm thickness. Don't just make a call - make a statement. Now available in pink!

Source:
- Motorola - Motorola Showcases New Mobile Devices Line-Up
- infoSync World - Motorola Unveils KRZR, RIZR & RAZR MAXX Handsets
- Engadget Mobile - Motorola

Linksys WAG354G

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 13:44:00 +0000

Got myself a brand new Linksys WAG354G Wireless-G ADSL Home Gateway yesterday, replacing the still-working (but with a minor kink) SMC 7401BRA ADSL Barricade Router. The Linksys people coined it "The All-In-One Solution for Internet Connectivity". As of today, I've connected a desktop PC (Ethernet), two notebooks (Wi-Fi) and two Pocket PCs (Wi-Fi) simultaneously at home. FYI, it's capable of connecting up to 4 Ethernet and 32 Wi-Fi devices. Love it for its slim, sleek look and silver color. Oh, did I mention it has no nasty antenna? :)

On the serious note, here are some security precautions that I got off the user guide to make wireless networking as safe and easy as possible. Please keep the following in mind whenever setting up or using the wireless network.

- Change the default SSID
- Disable SSID Broadcast
- Change the default password for the Administrator account
- Enable MAC Address Filtering
- Change the SSID periodically
- Use the highest encryption algorithm possible. Use WPA if it is available. Please note that this may reduce your network performance
- Change the WEP encryption keys periodically

Security Threats Facing Wireless Networks
Wireless networks are easy to find. Hackers know that in order to join a wireless network, wireless networking products first listen for "beacon messages". These messages can be easily decrypted and contain much of the network's information, such as the network's SSID (Service Set Identifier). Here are the steps you can take:

Change the Administrator's Password Regularly
With every wireless networking device you use, keep in mind that network settings (SSID, WEP keys, etc.) are stored in its firmware. Your network administrator is the only person who can change network settings. If a hacker gets a hold of the administrator's password, he, too, can change those settings. So, make it harder for a hacker to get that information. Change the administrator's password regularly.

Service Set ID (SSID)
There are several things to keep in mind about the SSID:

- Disable Broadcast
- Make it unique
- Change it often

Most wireless networking devices will give you the option of broadcasting the SSID. While this option may be more convenient, it allows anyone to log into your wireless network. This includes hackers. So, don't broadcast the SSID.

Wireless networking products come with a default SSID set by the factory. Hackers know these defaults and can check these against your network. Change your SSID to something unique and not something related to your company or the networking products you use. Change your SSID regularly so that any hackers who have gained access to your wireless network will have to start from the beginning in trying to break in.

Media Access Control (MAC) Addresses
Enable MAC Address filtering. MAC Address filtering will allow you to provide access to only those wireless nodes with certain MAC Addresses. This makes it harder for a hacker to access your network with a random MAC Address.

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) Encryption
WEP is often looked upon as a cure-all for wireless security concerns. This is overstating WEP's ability. Again, this can only provide enough security to make a hacker's job more difficult. There are several ways that WEP can be maximized:

- Use the highest level of encryption possible
- Use "Shared Key" authentication
- Change your WEP key regularly

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
WPA is the newest and best available standard in Wi-Fi security. Two modes are available: Pre-Shared Key and RADIUS. Pre-Shared Key gives you a choice of two encryption methods: TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol), which utilizes a stronger encryption method and incorporates Message Integrity Code (MIC) to provide protection against hackers, and AES (Advanced Encryption System), which utilizes a symmetric 128-Bit block data encryption. RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) utilizes a RADIUS server for authentication and the use of dynamic TKIP, AES, or WEP.

Implementing encryption may have a negative impact on your network's performance, but if you are transmitting sensitive data over your network, encryption should be used. These security recommendations should help keep your mind at ease while you are enjoying the most flexible and convenient technology available today.

The Da Vinci Code

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Tue, 23 May 2006 14:20:00 +0000

Discerning the truth in (and fun of, hehe...) The Da Vinci Code... ;)

Curtin University of Technology Dean's List Award

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 16:21:00 +0000

Yup, I was awarded the Curtin University of Technology Dean's List Award again for all the units that I took last semester (Semester 2, 2005) - Introduction to Operating Systems 101, Introduction to Programming Environment 152 and Software Technology 152. It felt so great and encouraging as I also got the same award back in Semester 1, 2005. My deepest gratitude to my wonderful lecturers - Mahmoud Jazzar, Johannes Herrmann and Terence Tan. Also, congratulation to my partner in crime, Roger Lau on his Dean's List Award.

On a separate note, one of my favorite lecturer (also Head of Computer Science and Technology), Johannes Herrmann will be going back to Australia to do his PhD. Wish he can still be here guiding us in our quest to conquer Microsoft or Google and brainwash all Engineering, Science and Technology students to take on Linux (haha...). Gonna miss him lots and Johannes, if you're reading this, all the best and make us proud :)

And now, aspiring for even more awards...

Dell Axim X51

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 05:10:00 +0000

I've just got myself a new Pocket PC a couple of weeks ago - the Dell Axim X51, replacing my still-new HP iPAQ h4150. One of the major factor for getting the new toy is the new Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system as well as better hardware specification. No wait... I think it's more of a indulging myself to a lavish gift for my birthday (erm, that was like almost 3 weeks ago?). If you're a Pocket PC enthusiasts (or PDA in general), you might find these excellent resources of help and interests:

- MyPDACafe - Malaysian PDA enthusiasts site
- Pocket PC Thoughts - International Pocket PC enthusiasts site
- AximSite - Dell Pocket PC-specific enthusiasts site

Motorola RAZR Z

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 10:12:00 +0000

Here's another incarnation of the ever-popular Motorola RAZR series slim mobile phones - the RAZR Z - a RAZR with the slider form factor. I think it looks more of SLVR series than RAZR series. Currently only available in Korea. Let's hope it'll be available in Malaysia soon (along with the cute Korean models too, hehe...) :)

Source: MobileBurn - Motorola Launches RAZR Z Slider

Merry Christmas 2005 & Happy New Year 2006

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 08:49:00 +0000

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! And here's a nice Christmas song (got it from MyPDACafe) to get us into the festive mood. Do pump up the volume and get jiggy with it :) Click Me!

Upcoming Motorola RAZR V3 Series

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 11:39:00 +0000

So many RAZR phones, so little time (and money). Here are the upcoming Motorola RAZR V3 Series, to be available in Q4, 2005. Note that RAZR V3c (variation of RAZR V3i) is for CDMA networks only. God, these RAZR babies look delicious and sexy! A perfect Christmas gifts for both guys and girls :)

More info...
- Motorola RAZR V3 Pink
- Motorola RAZR V3 Blue
- Motorola RAZR V3i
- Motorola RAZR V3c
- Motorola RAZR V3x

Quality E-Mail Forwards

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 10:02:00 +0000

I'm sure everyone receives a fair amount of forwarded e-mails from friends (or strangers we met online every other day) on a daily basis. One or two is OK but it could easily get out of hand in sheer volume. Then it gets pretty annoying and nasty - especially when it's dumb and serves no purpose (not even a laugh or two). It's totally not worth the extra mouse clicks! But this particular e-mail forwards caught my attention and made my day. I reckon it deserves a mention:

Motorola RAZR V3 BLK

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 09:40:00 +0000

Guess what? I've got a new toy - the Motorola RAZR V3 BLK. I have the black version (in case your didn't realize BLK means black), replacing my 9-month old Nokia 6260. Most of my friends were shocked when I told them I'm gonna get a Motorola phone cos it's the brand that I would least likely to get my hands on. I have always based my mobile phone purchases on the operating system, features, flexibility and user-friendliness. Physical and aesthetic comes after that. With that, most of my phones are of Nokia.

For the past couple of weeks, I have come to realize that I've been lugging around a "brick". Although Nokia 6260 is one the most full-feature and flexible phone out there (my reason for getting it in the first place) but I hardly utilize it to its fullest potential. On average, I use less than 25% of its features - mostly making/receving calls, messaging, alarm and the occasional picture/video captures. I absolutely didn't use the PDA-feature of the 6260 as I have a dedicated HP iPAQ h4150 Pocket PC for all my Personal Information Management (PIM) stuff. Plus, it didn't go well with my pants as it tends to give a bulgy look on the thigh. Am tired of thick and heavy phones already. A mobile phone should be just a mobile phone and not a phone-PDA hybrid. Digital gadgets convergence can sometimes be messy, nasty and pain-in-the-ass.

And now, I based my mobile phone purchases on physical and aesthetic, then only operating systems, features, flexibility and user-friendliness. The most obvious reason for getting the new RAZR V3 BLK is the physical and aesthetic - extremely slim (slimmest in the world so far) and light. If looks could kill, then this one is worth dying for. The body construction is very solid with anodized aluminium and nickel-plated copper alloy sheet for keypad. The menu system and imaging system are way more responsive than the 6260 and has better screen (262K vs. 65K) and speaker system - MP3/MIDI ringtones are clear and crisp. The external display allows viewing of information without opening the flip. It has the iTAP word completion feature, which I think is better and more intuitive than T9 in Nokia phones. The cool features I like about the phone are the messaging system that shows the sender name/number when a message arrived, has a bigger viewable caller picture (on external screen as well), beeping reminders if I have new unread messages and the ability to password-protect any application. Now I can lock out the messaging menu so no prying eyes (right, my dear close friends?) can scour my sometimes-too-hot-to-handle messages, haha...

Happy moments aside, RAZR V3 BLK does have a few quirks. Apart from having less features, the one thing I'm not comfortable with is the level of user-friendliness - in terms of navigation, editing and information. The recent call system is not as detailed as the 6260 - no dedicated missed call menu and tracking of messages sent (quantity and from/to whom) There is no easy way to install themes/skins and I heard it requires messing around with some ROM flashing tools. The phonebook design is a bit weird as multiple numbers of the same person are not displayed on the same view page but spans across multiple pages per number. Messages typed half-way are not saved automatically when accidentally exited the messaging menu (or closing the flip) and it cannot organize messages into folders. Also, it has only a meagre 7MB built-in memory and has no support for external memory card. And don't get me started on the category (caller group in Nokia) ringer ID for calls and messages - it was somehow not as what I expected it to be.

Well, I can't say if I'm absolutely satisfied with my new RAZR V3 BLK as I'm still new to the Motorola world and still learning/discovering their system. Since day one of having the new phone I'm like, "Nice, this is cool" or "Damn, why it didn't have that feature". But I do love the attention of people turning their heads on me whenever I pop it out. Plus, it's "pants-friendly" and aesthetically superb. Heck, I can't even feel I'm carrying it in the pocket! Yes, it is that amazing!

As mentioned earlier, I still a newbie in Motorola phones, both hardware and software wise as I'm too used to Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones already. I think this is my first purchase of Motorola phone ever, but I did play around with friend's Motorola phone before. If you have any tips and tricks for RAZR V3 BLK, do feel free to leave a comment here.

Updates @ 11 Oct 2005:

Note that the missed call entries are listed in the "Received Call" menu. Connected (received) calls are marked with a tick whilst missed calls don't. And it stores only 10 entries combined.

In the "Messages" menu, the sent messages are stored in "Outbox" sub-menu. What I don't like about "Outbox" is that it lists each message entries with the message content instead of phone number or sender name, as per Nokia/SonyEricsson. Takes me additional button presses to go thru menu and options to find out whom I sent a particular message to and it's a pain that I have to do it for each messages. Luckily, "Inbox" has the option to switch between name/phone and message content.

I miss Nokia's little feature that tracks total messages sent and the detailed "Communication Log" that lists all incoming/outgoing voice calls, data calls and messages in one convenient menu. Also, the ability to view multiple numbers/details of a particular person in a single page. In spite of the flaws in feature, I still like my new RAZR V3 BLK for its aesthetics... for now...

Do bear in mind that it's based solely on my personal experience and your mileage might vary. For more information, tips/tricks and discussion on RAZR V3, go to MyPDACafe's Motorola RAZR V3 discussion

Xerox Phaser 3121

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 07:49:00 +0000

A new laser printer has just joined our household - the Xerox Phaser 3121. If you noticed earlier in my blog, we already have the Xerox Phaser 3115. Reason for the new addition is that Phaser 3115 "sort of" died on us around middle of last month when I desperately needed to print a 55-page assignment and was rushing against time. We do have a spare Epson Stylus C63 bubble-jet printer but it was a hassle to unpack and setup, not to mention the slow and lower quality printouts. In the end, I had the assignment printed at the university and it costed me a fortune.

Anyway, when I got home, dad showed me the new Phaser 3121. I was delighted. Phaser 3121 has the exact physicals and specifications as the Phaser 3115 except that it prints slightly faster (17ppm vs. 14 ppm). I have the habit of keeping my system updated with the latest software/patches/updates and so off I go to the Xerox official site for the updated printer driver. The driver available at the site is the same as the one bundled in the package CD, dated 2 July 2004.

By the way, it turned out that the Phaser 3115 hasn't gone bad yet - it's just the toner catridge that went south. Now we have two laser and a bubble-jet printers at home.

Curtin University of Technology Dean's List Award

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 05:30:00 +0000

Gonna make this short and simple - I was awarded the Curtin University of Technology Dean's List Award for Top Scorer of Software Technology 151. My deepest gratitude to my lecturer, Waseem Ahmed. Also, congratulation to my classmates - Lee Thoong Ching, Calvin Chieng, Olga Darnasia and Lim Yung Hui on their achievement. Damn happy and now aspiring for more Dean's List Award... :)

2nd Pioneer Auto and Audio Show 2005 (Part 2 of 2)

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Sun, 14 Aug 2005 09:00:00 +0000

Warning: This section of the blog contains tons of photo. Proceed with caution (and broadband connection)...

More photos of the 2nd Pioneer Auto and Audio Show 2005. By the way, the last photo of the black Honda Civic wasn't in the exhibiton or contest. It was parked nearby and I thought the headlamps were cool and so I snapped it :)

2nd Pioneer Auto and Audio Show 2005 (Part 1 of 2)

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Sun, 14 Aug 2005 08:46:00 +0000

Warning: This section of the blog contains tons of photo. Proceed with caution (and broadband connection)...

Went to the 2nd Pioneer Auto and Audio Show 2005 with my friends yesterday around 2:30PM after lunch. The exhibition and contest was held at the Boulevard Hypermall (Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia by the way, if you're an international reader) outdoor car park. If you haven't notice, Boulevard Hypermall has the biggest outdoor car park for shoppers. And I read somewhere that it's the also biggest shopping mall in Sarawak. Have I mentioned parking is free? The weather was quite forgiving and cloudy, probably due to haze anyway.

I'm not sure how many categories were contested for but it was broken down to two main categories of four-wheelers and two-wheelers. Majority of the contestants were from Miri and our neighbouring country, Brunei came in second. The rest were scattered around Sarawak (Bintulu, Sibu, Kuching, etc).

In the four-wheelers category, the "Auto" section, there were "Best Modified National Car" and "Best Modified Imported Car" titles up for grabs. I like cars with hydraulic-powered doors, like the one that comes default with most Lamborghini. Also, good and matching body kits and stickers really brings out the cars' aesthetics.

The "Audio" section had the cars sorted into three separate groups and contested according to their specifications (fly-weight, light-weight, heavy-weight) and "Best Audio System" titles were given for each of the groups. Some of the cars have really serious audio systems! Their rear passenger seats were removed to make way for customised audio systems and fiber speaker boxes. Few even have LCD screens and PlayStation installed. Man, talk about heavily-pimped ride!

Well, I'm more of a 'car-guy' so with that said, I have no clue on how the two-wheelers category are contested. I guess it would be something like the "Auto" section of the four-wheelers category. Also, I didn't take any bike photos so if you happened to be a biker, please don't hate me :) For all it's worth, I did snap a photo of this small, cute mini sports bike.

Here's a list of cars that were in the exhibition and contest, as far as I can recall:

- BMW: *not sure of which series*
- Daihatsu: Move
- Honda: Civic, Integra, Jazz
- Hyundai: Coupe
- Mercedes: *can't recall the model but it was a 4x4*
- Mitsubishi: Galant, Evolution/Lancer, Pajero
- Perodua: Kancil, Kelisa, Kenari
- Proton: Iswara, Saga, Satria, Wira
- Toyota: Corolla, Echo, Liteace, RAV4, Vios

Did I miss out anything? Please do leave me comments if you have any info on the 2nd Pioneer Auto and Audio Show 2005. Anyway, enough of the talking and feast your eyes with some cool rides...

Panasonic DMC-FZ5

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Thu, 07 Jul 2005 10:38:00 +0000

My order of new digital still camera - Panasonic DMC-FZ5 arrived yesterday. Man, it's so much smaller/lighter than I thought. Oh well, pictures in the catalogues can sometimes be misleading. Got myself a separate Neutral Density (ND) filter lens too. Heard it's good for taking bright scenery shots.

Actually, I wanted to get a digital video/still camera but after series of discussions over at MyPDACafe - Recommendation for Digital Video/Still Camera, I gave up and opted for a dedicated digital still camera instead. Thanks to 'Maniac' and others for their excellent advice.

The package comes with a meagre 16MB SD card. At maximum resolution (5.0MP, fine), it stores only 5 photos. Geez... those people at Panasonic are so stingy one. Gonna get a separate 256MB or 512MB SD card soon. And why didn't I think of getting it when the package arrived? I also don't know. Maybe I'm too hyped up and wanted to go home quickly, get the battery fully charged, going through the manuals and fooling around with my new toy :) Yes, some people think it's weird but I do really go through every single manuals/documentation/CDs that come with anything that I bought, particularly high-tech gadgets. Oh ya, also my Honda Civic car as well *_*

Talk about battery and charger - the package comes with a charging dock. Meaning, I must manually take out the battery and charge it using the charging dock. How inconvenient! Was hoping that it comes with a direct charger (sold separetely) plus the charging dock. Don't they realized almost all tech gadgets comes with direct charger these days?

Update @ 10 Jul 2005: Got myself a new Transcend 80x 256MB SD card and also a Multi-Coated (MC) lens today. *sigh*... Been spending too much money already :"( Am going for 10 days vacation in Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi from 11 Jul 2005 till 20 Jul 2005. Gonna do lots of shopping, clubbing and hanging out at the beach. Can't wait!

Technical details of Panasonic DMC-FZ5
Excellent guide on digital video/still camera

7 New Nokia Mobile Phones

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 10:09:00 +0000

Gosh... So many upcoming new Nokia mobile phones - 7 of them. Guess it's one of those days again where a mobile phone upgrade is inevitable for me. Hello new mobile phone and goodbye hard-earned cash! And my current Nokia 6260 is only 6 months old (well, almost). My wallet (credit cards) gonna suffer a big one in the 3rd/4th quarter of 2005 just to quench my thirst for new tech goodies... Geez... Me and my expensive hobby... *_* I think I would fall for any girls who would buy me one of these new Nokia babies, haha...

More details:
Nokia N-Series - N91, N90, N70
Nokia 6060
Nokia 6111
Nokia 6270
Nokia 6280

Videos:
Nokia 6060
Nokia 6111
Nokia 6270
Nokia 6280

Notice the brand new Nokia Series 40 User Interface of the Nokia 6060, 6111, 6270 and 6280 in the videos. Sleek, bubbly, cute and friendly :)

Official Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 Screenshots

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Wed, 11 May 2005 12:15:00 +0000

Feast your eyes with official screenshots from the latest version of Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0. Must get myself a new Pocket PC now! ;) More official screenshots...

Angels at Work (Part 2 of 2)

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Sun, 24 Apr 2005 08:33:00 +0000

Most of the charity organizations lack supports and commitment from the community – be it financially or in terms of services rendered. Malaysian Red Crescent Society (Miri Chapter) is no stranger to manpower shortage. The organization doesn’t have that much of a fund to hire people to work and depends almost entirely on volunteers. The team’s willingness to volunteer themselves in helping them to organize the Inter Unit First Aid Competition 2005 was timely as to cushion the difficulties that the organization faced every now and then. Although it might not seem a lot of effort to the community at large but I guess the phrase “every little help, helps” best describe the community service done by us.

I must say I’ve learnt a lot from participating in this community service. In this event, team work is crucial and although I’ve been elected as the Team Leader, I’ve blend in well with the rest of the team members as well as the Red Crescent Society (Miri Chapter) committee members. Tasks are segregated equally and delegated to members in accordance with their capability and interests. I’ve assured others not to be afraid of approaching me or voicing out their concerns should there are anything that needs to be addressed. Working with different groups of people, irrespective of age, background and race has made me a better team player. It has definitely fostered a better understanding and relationship among each of us. A project would not be as meaningful and might be a failure should there is no teamwork involved, even with a good leader.

The community service has made me a more compassionate person. I’ve always believed that not matter how bad a person is, there is always a compassion hidden somewhere in their heart. It is up to us to search for that little compassion in them and help it grow. One of the ways to achieve this is through public awareness. The Inter Unit First Aid Competition 2005 is timely and it can really open up doors to compassion in us.

What’s good is a compassion person if there’s he/she is not proactive? Everyone is compassionate but most of us are passive and afraid of doing things, even if it’s the right thing to do. For example, if we came across road accident, how many of us would actually stop and lend a helping hand? Most of us wanted to help but are afraid of commitment. Taking the first step is always hard. The service has taught us to be more proactive. We must be confidence and bold in taking the first step. It is never wrong to help others. For us to be proactive or passive is not much of an issue but for those in need of our help in critical situation, it could mean life or death, gratitude or disappointment.

Apart from moral values earned, the event also taught us living skills, particularly on how to react in an emergency situation and also the knowledge in first aid. These skills will definitely come in handy should we were to face an emergency situation where the lives of ourselves or others depend on whether we can react appropriately and apply first aid techniques. I’ve been to proper first aid course before, organized by Malaysian Red Crescent Society (Bintulu Chapter) and this event served as a refresher course for me.

For me, doing community service is because it’s a requirement and it is best described as an instrumental moral value – means for other mean. But along the way of performing the service, I’d had second thoughts. I have actually wanted to do it now because I want to do it. The smiles and gratitude of the people that I’d helped has opened up my eyes. Now I know the true meaning of intrinsic moral value – it is an end; it is a satisfaction and happiness. It’s really amazing that the little things that we do can touch the lives of many people.

Angels at Work (Part 1 of 2)

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Sun, 24 Apr 2005 08:21:00 +0000

Angels at Work

Lecturer / Adviser: Azlin Hj Alwi

Team Leader / Chief Editor: David Lee

Editor: Sia Hsiao Ee

Research and Presentation Team: David Lee, Roger Lau

Editorial Team: Sia Hsiao Ee, Lee Chieng Tze, Christy Wong, Yeo Jia Yu

The team was unanimous that I should be the Team Leader and I agreed to lead them in the community service group project. Being the Team Leader of “Angels at Work”, I’ve sub-divided the team into two teams of Research and Presentation Team, and Editorial Team. Micro-managing two separate smaller teams instead of one huge team have proved its worth and efficacy. The old cliché of “divide and conquer” has been put into good practice in executing our project. As part of Team Leader’s responsibilities, I was to manage and oversee the operation and synchronization of the team in the project. The roles of each team sections and members as well as the team’s schedule shall be discussed in the group report.

Apart from the leadership roles, I’ve been assigned to the Research and Presentation Team, along with Roger Lau in the project. My role was to lead the team in conducting field research on community service that we can perform as well as the charity organization that will benefit from it. After the research, I was to present the project proposal to all team members. Then I shall approach the lecturer, Miss Azlin Hj. Alwi and seek her consent and advice in executing the community service.

Roger Lau and I met up personally with the person in charge of the charity organization except for the Department of Environment, of which our lecturer has helped us with in corresponding with them. Amongst the charity organization that the Research and Presentation Team approached and community services that the team can perform were as detailed below:

Department of Environment - cleaning and beautification services around the city

Lion's Club - old clothes and toys collection for the needy in rural areas

Home for the Aged - assist them in their upcoming events, organize games for the aged, and day-care services

Malaysian Red Crescent Society (Miri Chapter) - assist them in organizing the "Inter Unit First Aid Competition 2005", making bandages, and sorting out the storage facility

Sunflower Centre - assist them in organizing the "Special Olympics", participate in their daily activities, paint job for the chairs, and raise fund by collecting recyclable materials (newspaper, plastic)

After a thorough discussion, the team agreed to participate in the “Inter Unit First Aid Competition 2005” organized by the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (Miri Chapter) on Sunday, 17 April 2005. I called up the person in charge of the event, Mdm. Lui Yee Lan to confirm our participation. She was delighted to have us all for the event and then enlighten us with information pertaining to the event. I relayed the information to the rest of the team members after that.

I was in charge of transportation too as some of the team members are outstation students. We arrived at the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (Miri Chapter) headquarters at 8:00AM on the event day (Sunday, 17 April 2005). The actual event started in 9:00PM but I told the team to come an hour earlier so that we can do some research on the organization such as their history, mission, roles, services and others. The extra time was also used for brief interview session with some of the committee members.

While we were there, Mdm. Lui Yee Lan introduced us to some of the key committee members of the event and I introduced them to our team. Mr. Johnny Lawai was the Chairman, Mr. Vincent Sim was the Vice-Chairman as well as Mdm Tye Yuik Chun and Mdm. Norashikin Nordin being the committee members. We were told that we would assist them throughout the event. Mr. Vincent Sim, as our advisor for the day, and I discussed on the tasks to be done and then I informed the team.

For the purpose of the event itself, I divided the team into two separate teams of Operation Team and Administration Team. The roles of each team sections and members shall be discussed in the group report. Being the Team Leader of the event, I was to manage the team as a whole, synchronize the operation of the two teams and liaise with the organization committee members. Also, I was part of the Operation Team, along with Roger Lau, Alan Sia and Lee Chieng Tze. My roles in the Operation Team were to set up the stage for the competition, seating arrangement, crowd control and photography. Overall, all the tasks were relatively easy, except for the crowd control part. It appeared to be slightly difficult due to the fact that there were a lot of people in the competition hall – committee members, judges, reporters, contestants, students and other volunteers. Nonetheless, I managed to keep the crowd under control with help from other team members as well as the committee members.

At the end of the event at 4:00PM, we approached the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (Miri Chapter) committee members and expressed our gratitude for giving us a chance to participate in the Inter Unit First Aid Competition 2005. The committee members thanked us for the assistance rendered and look forward in seeing us again in participating in future events.

Before the team called it a day, I initiated a brief discussion on the event itself, tasks that each of us had done earlier and also delegating new tasks to each team members for proposal and discussion in the upcoming team meeting.

Happy Valentine's Day 2005

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 14:18:00 +0000

Ya, that's right - today is Valentine's Day, love is in the air and I don't have a girlfriend to spend it with. And no, I'm not desperate for one either. Spent the whole morning and afternoon with a friend and we had Japanese lunch. The waitress at the Japanese restaurant thought we were couple and offered us the Valentine's Day Japanese set special. Both of us were like, "Erm..." and told her that we're just friends and ordered some normal Japanese set. That was funny.

At night, I went out with my cousin for some light dinner at KFC. While we were eating, suddenly this KFC waiter came approaching the two of us with a camera and asked if he can take our pictures for Valentine's Day. We were like, "What?!" and then explained to him that we are cousins. The waiter blushed and apologized to us. If only you guys can see his expression, haha... Damn funny and pitiful. God knows what they'll do with the pictures if we were really to allow him to take it. Maybe they'll use it for their KFC's cutest Valentine couple poster? Hahaha... Yes, my cousin is cute.

Geez... Can't a guy go out with a girl without being mistaken as a couple? Oh, here's a nice quote that I heard over the radio a couple of days ago - "Gravity cannot be held responsible for people falling in love" :)

Happy Chinese New Year 2005

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 07:44:00 +0000

Happy Chinese New Year! For the Chinese, it's the beginning of the Rooster year. Got lots of relatives to visit for today and tomorrow. Anyway, click here for some Gong Xi Fa Cai fun :)

w.bloggar 4.0

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 09:29:00 +0000

My favorite blogging tool - w.bloggar - has been updated to version 4.0 (4.00.0191, to be precise)!

What's new?

*** Release v4.00.0191 *** 11/01/2005 *** Version 4.00
ADDED....: Support to DearDiary.Net
ADDED....: German (Germany) language
CORRECTED: Fixed editing post problems with TypePad;
CORRECTED: Added workaround to a WordPress 1.2.2 issue;

*** Release v4.00.0190 *** 06/01/2005 *** Version 4.00
ADDED....: Support to the advanced MovableType options: Extended Entry, Excerpt, Keywords, Multiple Categories, TrackBack and more;
ADDED....: Support to Multiple Categories to blogs that uses metaWeblog API;
ADDED....: New "Add Account" wizard to make easier setup new accounts;
ADDED....: Ordered and Bullet List options to the HTML menu and toolbar;
ADDED....: New supported tools: Nucleus 3.0, Wordpress, SquareSpace, b2evolution, Blog:CMS, UBlog, .Text, BlogWare and Xaraya;
ADDED....: Option to toggle the XHTML compliance to the tags;
ADDED....: Option to change the interface language;
ADDED....: New option to allow user to set the toolbar Blog List size;
ADDED....: Now is possible to ping not only Weblogs.com but Technorati, blo.gs and ping-o-matic when a post is published;
ADDED....: Pasting a formatted text is now converted to HTML tags;
ADDED....: A new option at Edit menu to allow Paste as Plain Text;
ADDED....: New fields: Class, VSpace and HSpace on Insert Image Window;
ADDED....: Option to edit the generated tag after the FTP upload;
ADDED....: Import and Export w.bloggar accounts and settings;
ADDED....: New menu View where you can show, hide the toolbars and status bar;
ADDED....: New Paragraph option on HTML menu and toolbar;
CHANGED..: The .post files are now stored on a xml format;
CHANGED..: The concept of a single default draft file is not used anymore, now you can save to multiple .post files;
CHANGED..: The Settings window was split in two: Options (with general app settings) and Blog Properties (with blog settings)
CHANGED..: The *.xml and *.chg files are now stored at the user´s Application Data folder;
CHANGED..: The HTTPS option at Account Properties now changes the default port to 443 when checked and 80 when unchecked;
CHANGED..: The tray icon now is always visible if the "Minimize to Tray" option is selected;
CHANGED..: Now any option that would change the edit area will show up a message box to ask if you want to save the current post;
CHANGED..: The Recent Posts window now can be resized and maximized and it´s position and size are now saved;
CHANGED..: The list at the Recent Posts window now displays the Title of posts (when available) instead of the date/time;
CHANGED..: All Accounts and Settings are no longer stored on Windows Registry, now it's saved on a xml file;
CHANGED..: More Text and Preview options moved from Tools menu to View menu;
CHANGED..: Updated Blogger.com CMS.ini settings, now the service API uses HTTPS;
CORRECTED: Overflow error when a port greater than 32767 was set;
CORRECTED: Save & Publish template to Blogger accounts doesn´t use anymore the deleted "blogger2.publish" method;
CORRECTED: The HTML toolbar no longer disapears when a post is published or is opened to be edited;
CORRECTED: The integration with RSS tools such as FeedDemon or SharpReader now works fine;
CORRECTED: The Default button at Blog Properties window now correctly restore the CSS field default value;
CORRECTED: Some minor bugs and interface enhancements.

Miri Autoshow 2005

noreply@blogger.com (DaViD_BRaNDoN) — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 08:28:00 +0000

Went to Miri Autoshow 2005 with friends last Saturday. It was held at the parking lots of Miri Indoor Stadium. There were lots of heavily modified cars and some motorcycles. I felt as if I was in one of those scenes from "Fast and Furious" / "2 Fast, 2 Furious" movies where street racers gather and exhibit their hot-wheels before the actual race. Most of them are from Miri and some are from Brunei. Almost all the cars has serious body kits and high-end audio systems while a few has gaming and video systems. Let me recall some of the cars that I saw that night:

   - BMW
   - Daihatsu: Move
   - Ford: Ranger
   - Honda: Civic, CRX (Del Sol), Integra
   - Mitsubishi: Lancer, Pajero
   - Nissan: Skyline
   - Perodua: Kancil, Kelisa, Kenari
   - Proton: Iswara, Perdana, Saga, Waja, Wira
   - Toyota: Altezza, Corolla, Liteace
   * and then I saw this pink-pearl colored hybrid car with Proton Perdana front-end and Honda Civic back-end!

There were also exhibition booths from car dealers like Toyota, Ford, Perodua and car accessories stores. Trophies and prizes were awarded for best modified car (general), best modified car (local) and best modified motorcyle (did I missed out any categories?). But I didn't stay long enough for the prize-giving session.

Anyway, here are some pictures taken that night using my Nokia 6260. And yes, I'm a bit of Honda fan, particularly Civic (cos I'm driving one) :)

More pictures, courtesy of:
- soulfly at Zerotohundred
- lightning69 at Lowyat