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Sunday, July 19th, 2009
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4:29 pm - Hack your Apple TV 2.4
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For a long time, I've been resisting the urge to upgrade my Apple TV to version 2.4 of the firmware. That's because I watch videos that don't necessarily come through iTunes. As such, anything that removes the hacks that I've already applied would be very unwelcome.
But as luck would have it, after accidentally pressing the "Update Now" button, I was forced to re-hack my Apple TV. It took some research and trial-and-error, but I've pretty much succeeded in "restoring" my Apple TV to its hacked glory.
Over at Mocca's "Techie Monster" tribe, I provided a recount of my experience with hacking my newly upgraded Apple TV, "Hack your Apple TV 2.4". Hopefully, I help to reassure any other upgrade-wary Apple TV user as well!
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Technorati tags: Apple TV, hack, television
current mood:  geeky
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| Saturday, July 18th, 2009
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3:21 pm - Discovering gems in old mail
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I've just spent the last hour clearing three months' worth of mail that had been piling up on my desk. While I didn't find any long-lost love letters, I found that most of my mail consists of:- bank statements
- credit card bills
- insurance policy notices and receipts
- investment statements
Yes, very boring stuff. But I did also uncover the following gems:- a one-month-old cheque for an insurance policy - which I need to find out why I received anyway
- a three-month-old cheque from Google Adsense - and my first ever cheque from them! How could I miss this???
- a reminder for my dental appointment next week - whew! Luckily I found this now.
- (while strictly not being postal mail, but it was buried at the bottom of the pile) my long-lost Kinokuniya book vouchers... that expired three months ago!
I guess it would serve me well to go through my postal mail more regularly from now on...
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Technorati tags: postal mail, snail mail
current mood:  okay
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1:04 am - The Lab: Targus USB Hub for Mac
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A long time back, I was given the chance to try out one of Targus' Mac-targeted products, a USB hub for notebooks. With its rubber exterior and four USB ports, it's designed for maximum connectivity while ensuring that it can survive the hard knocks of mobile usage.
Over at Mocca's "Techie Monster" tribe, I've written a review of this computer peripheral, "The Lab: Targus USB Hub for Mac". Did I give it the thumbs up or thumbs down? Read on to find out!
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Technorati tags: accessories, Targus, USB hub
current mood: blah
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| Monday, June 29th, 2009
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1:00 am - Michael Jackson and me
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My first memory of Michael Jackson was when he had won his Grammy for the "Thriller" album. My family had then bought the Grammy Awards cassette tape, a collection of 20 (I think) of the winning songs from the year. Two of those songs were "Beat It" and "Billie Jean". And they were so good that my sister and I added them to our own mixtapes. (And yes, I'm that old!)
Then, for a moment, I stopped listening to his songs because I learned that he was a Jehovah's Witness and his albums supposedly made use of "backward masking". But as I grew older and more discerning, I came to enjoy his songs for what they were: fun, little ditties that got me dancing (though I don't dance).
It was also around this time that I became a big fan of his song, "Heal the World", for its strong message of hope. Through some reason, this song came out at the time that Superman died in the landmark Superman #75 comic. As a result, when I hear the song or read the comic, I'm reminded of the other.
I don't remember when, but I remember being amazed at his music video, no, short film for his "Bad" album, in particular, the segment for "Smooth Criminal". The part when he and his dancers leaned forward at an impossible angle harkened back to his other slick dance move, the legendary Moonwalk, which I never failed to perfect.
A few years back, I finally decided to put down some good money for his "HIStory" album. It was a collection of his hit songs, and listening to it was like taking a trip down memory lane.
And this is what I'll remember the King of Pop for. Not his bizarre antics or his ever-changing appearance or his criminal trials. Like many fans, I'll remember him for his music. My parents' generation had Elvis Presley, we'll have Michael Jackson.
RIP Michael Jackson.
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Technorati tags: death, memorial, Michael Jackson, tribute
current mood:  sad
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| Sunday, June 28th, 2009
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11:44 pm - Review: "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"
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I finally managed to watch "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen". This was after it had been out in theatres for about half a week, enough time for the bad reviews to pile up and influence my expectations of the movie. And, sad to say, those negative reviews were spot-on. Michael Bay has really made a mess of the franchise.
Unfortunately for me, I had spoiled myself by reading the comic adaptation first. As a result, I had already known just how bad the storyline was. Even in the comic, Sam Witwicky came across as the whiny boy who refused to grow up yet got handed every responsibility in the world. Optimus Prime appeared less heroic than in the first movie. The major plothole about why the Fallen hadn't discovered the tomb of the Primes when he had millenia to search Earth was never explained satisfactorily. And all of the other robots, whether Autobots or Decepticons, were relegated to second-stringers next to their human counterparts.
Also, the new robots didn't make a difference at all. With more characters, one would expect a diversity of relationships and sub-plots. The only one that I thought would've been cool would be to see some robotic romance between Ironhide and Arcee. However, given Bay's disdain for the female robots, this was a dream that would never be realised.
Instead, Bay's favourites, the Autobot twins, were given too much screen time for their usefulness. As the other negative reviews had pointed out, they were the worst characters ever to make it to the big screen since "Star Wars"' Jar Jar Binks -- and I thought Jar Jar was quite tolerable! In contrast, the twins were just irritating. I hope someone does an edit of this film and calls it "Transformers: Absence of the Twins".
But removing the twins would still not do justice to the "Transformers" part of the title. The story was just nonsensical from the start. Like the attack in Shanghai. After two years of fighting huge robots, you'd think that the Autobots and U.S. Army would have a better idea of containing the fight. (Or maybe not, given how events have unfolded in Iraq.) And the final battle between Optimus Prime and the Fallen, where supposedly only a Prime could kill the Fallen? It seemed like after two punches, the Fallen just basically, well, fell. What the...?!
Even Devastator, the mother-of-all-bad-ass robots, was reduced to a bumbling gorilla for the most part. Where was the menacing robot who terrified the $#!+ out of the Autobots in the cartoon movie? And -- BIG SPOILER -- he was the robot with the testicles!!! DAMN YOU, MICHAEL BAY!! I had wanted to buy the Constructicons toy set (if it ever sees the light of day), but I've changed my mind now. I'd rather lay my hands on the classic green-and-purple ones and reclaim my innocent childhood.
Devastator's transformation, though, was rather cool, especially seeing as how it seemed like he forced the other Constructicons to merge with him. If only it had been shot in a wider persepective or a bird's eye view, so that the audience (and us fan boys) could really grasp the enormity and awesomeness of the combination.
Alas, for a "Transformers" movie, the robots were just pitiful. All except Soundwave. His voice was just... creepy and menacing at the same time. Almost like in the cartoon, but more bad-ass. Too bad he was seemingly absent (or indistinguishable from the other robots) during the final climactic battle.
Okay, and Jetfire too, when he made his entrance with his clarion call, only because it had a swashbuckler feel to it.
Not that his presence would have made a difference, I think. The humans would've still smashed the Decepticons. Yup, the humans, not the Autobots. I thought that this was a "Transformers" movie? Why were the humans doing all of the fighting? And as one would colloquially ask, "Bombs don't need money, is it?" There were too many explosions, enough to distract you from the absence of a storyline.
And if explosions weren't enough, Bay filled the movie with fratboy humour that would be better suited to a "National Lampoon"-type movie. Like the testicles scene. Or the university filled with sex-starved sluts in every nook and cranny. Or the guy caught with his pants down next to another passed-out guy. Or a robot humping Megan Fox's leg (poor Miss Fox!). I was particularly concerned about the reactions from the parents who had brought their preteen children. Parents, this is not a children's movie. It's rated PG - Parental Guidance, and believe me, you'll need to provide a lot of guidance!
This was just a terrible, terrible movie. This is one for the gutter. Now excuse me while I rewatch the cartoon movie and remember how the death of Optimus Prime was treated with so much dignity that children cried when they saw it.
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Technorati tags: review, Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
current mood: disappointed
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| Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009
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11:47 pm - Facebook is everywhere in APAC, right? Well, almost.
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Over at the company's blog, I wrote an article, "Facebook is everywhere in APAC, right? Well almost." The topic came about while doing some research about the usage of social network services in the region for a project.
I think we'd all like to think that Facebook is the only social network service that we should care about due to its immense reach. But the thing I like to remind myself about Singapore is that we're a very Western influenced country, unlike the rest of the region. As a result, though we follow the U.S. and European trends, our neighbours may not.
Read on to discover what I learned about Facebook and other social networks in APAC!
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Technorati tags: APAC, Asia Pacific, Facebook, social networks, XM Asia Pacific
current mood:  busy
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| Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
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12:36 am - Review: "Monsters vs Aliens"
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Thanks to omy.sg, I had the opportunity to catch a preview of "Monsters vs Aliens" on Monday night. Unfortunately, due to last minute delays, I had missed the first 10 to 15 minutes of the film.
As a result, the film felt much shorter than expected. When the final credits came scrolling up, I realised that little more than an hour had passed. In fact, by the middle of the film, I had a funny feeling that this was going to be a short film.
Yes, it's animated. Yes, it uses modern computer graphics instead of the old animation cels. Yes, it's in 3D. And yes, it has some big name voices. But if those were budgetary excuses to make a short film, then I'm sorely disappointed.
But first, I have to say that watching a 3D film was quite an enjoyable experience! Firstly, the glasses provided by Cathay Cinema were quite well designed for comfort, even for a person wearing spectacles. And the 3D effects were very well done, especially in the battle scenes, when it felt like debris was being littered all over the cinema hall. The first time that happened, I nearly wanted to raise my hands to shield myself! Haha, that would've been a very suah ku moment.
Unfortunately, the 3D experience was just a glossy finish. With underdeveloped characters and a penchant for slapstick humour, especially embodied in the buffoon of a president, there wasn't much to like in "Monsters vs Aliens".
The story was a simple one: girl gets strange powers, girl is confined with other strange creatures, US government uses said creatures to defend Earth from an alien attack, girl embraces her powers and becomes a hero. But then, this is a kids' show, so the story has to be kept as simple as possible, you know, unlike that of an old man who flies his house UP to distant lands with balloons.
But then, my expectations had already been lowered even before watching the film, because this is a Dreamworks picture. To me, that meant that it wouldn't have the same level of enjoyment that I get from Pixar films. For some reason, Dreamworks cartoons have always seemed a bit more... adult.
I don't mean this in terms of the level of violence or language (and there's no on-screen nudity either, obviously). Rather, it's the type of jokes that were used. I felt that adults would have been better able to appreciate the funny moments than the children. Which is ironic, since "Monsters vs Aliens" is a cartoon, i.e. targeted at children. Sure, there are the usual sight gags, weird characters and odd body shapes. But those somehow just weren't funny or endearing enough to lift the film.
Here's a very telling anecdote: the adults and children in the audience laughed at different moments of the film. The adults enjoyed listening to the retro "Beverly Hills Cop" theme and caught the relationship jokes. But the kids laughed most loudly when a male character said the word "very" many times. Ideally, I think the filmmakers would want everyone to laugh at the same time and share the humorous moment together.
Or maybe I'm just wrong. After all, I'm an adult, what do I know about children entertainment? Maybe "Monsters vs Aliens" really is a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very enjoyable show for those in primary school.
Aside: this time, moviegoers not only got to keep the card stock movie ticket, but also a brochure on Cathay's 3D cinema experience and a set of "Monsters vs Aliens" stickers of Bob. Yay!
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Technorati tags: Monsters vs Aliens, review
current mood: blah
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| Thursday, April 30th, 2009
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9:40 pm - Review: "Star Trek"
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Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship "Enterprise"... and those voyages start right here! Thanks to omy.sg, I had a golden opportunity to watch the much-awaited "Star Trek" one week before its premiere in Singapore -- and the rest of the world!
Some caveats first: I'm a fan of Star Trek, having watched almost every episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Star Trek: Voyager", "Star Trek: Enterprise" and nine of the previous 10 movies. So I more-or-less know my Star Trek mythology. But I'm not a hardcore Trekkie, so don't debate with me about warp drives and transporter technology.
With that aside, you don't need to know the Star Trek lore to enjoy this movie. By itself, it stands well as an action-drama-comedy-science fiction feature film. It tells the story of how Kirk went from a smart aleck flirt looking for the next fight to a mature and capable leader of the flagship of Starfleet. Along the way, we meet the other members of the legendary crew, particularly Spock, Dr "Bones" McCoy and -- in an interesting character twist -- Uhura. (I never knew Uhura could be so sexy -- or that she lip-locked with a key crew member!)
JJ Abrams, best known for "Alias" and "Lost", has done an admirable job in making "Star Trek" approachable to the general audience. There is enough science to keep the Trekkie sated, yet not overwhelm the average Joe.
In place of the emphasis on science, "Star Trek" treats us with a strong and thought-provoking storyline about consequences and the tapestry of life. Unravel one thread, and history can change forever. Hardcore Trekkies would know what I mean from what was shown in the trailer. For the rest of us, it's explained cleanly, clearly and simply.
To bring that story to life, action and humour are weaved neatly so that there is no let-up in the movie's pace. Whether it's good ol' fist fights or a free-fall space dive or Dr "Bones" McCoy chasing after Kirk to administer injections, there's something to keep you entertained. And humour was put to good use to reduce the tension at key moments while helping the audience build a stronger affinity with the characters.
Like any good movie, it is the characters who make you relate with the story. Almost everyone is likable, which could be sickening to the average moviegoer, but to the Trekkie, you'd know that that's exactly how Star Trek founder, Gene Roddenberry, would've liked it. Sure, Spock delivers some serious whoop-ass on Kirk, but it is their strong camaraderie that defines the movie.
Unfortunately, I thought that the show focused too much on Kirk. I'm sure it was supposed to play out as a buddy movie between Kirk and Spock, but perhaps that aspect was trimmed to keep the movie lean and tight for non-Trekkies. As a result, you are left with the certainty that both Kirk and Spock would become the best of friends, but you also wish that that bond could have been depicted more strongly.
Another bit that left a bitter taste in my mouth was the whole plot. Without revealing too much, I think I can safely say that whatever we Trek fans knew before is not true any more. Just throw it out of the window. The unraveled tapestry has led to a whole mess of threads. Like the movie's tagline says, "The future begins". That is so true, it's scary. But I guess a reboot was necessary to keep the mythology fresh and exciting for a new generation.
Special effects-wise, well, this is "Star Trek", so we are treated to fantastic visuals. I especially enjoyed the creative use of light and sound. In the all-white Enterprise, the bright lights were surprisingly not very blinding. But the little flashes of light that peeked at the corners made the set seem even more futuristic. And that saying about you can't hear a scream in space? That was driven home almost deafeningly in the opening act and some of the later scenes.
But even if you take away the fanciful lights and sounds and the iPod-like sets and the loud explosions, you're still left with a very good, watchable movie. Star Trek has definitely returned to form, and ready to boldly go where it's never gone before!
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Technorati tags: review, Star Trek
current mood:  enthralled
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| Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
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11:03 pm - MTV show, "College Life" + alma mater = nostalgia!
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I've just discovered this show by MTV, "College Life". A few freshman are given cameras to record their new lives in college. And which college would be a better setting than the University of Wisconsin-Madison!
I watched the first episode and it was fantastic! It brought back all of my memories from 10 years ago! (Wow, it's been that long!) Views of State Street, the tiny college dorm rooms, the parties, the people...
There was even a short scene in the Underground Textbook Exchange! I remember that! That was the second book store to buy and sell textbooks, and everyone was so glad for the Underground because it broke the University Book Store's monopoly. Yeah, that was an awesome trip to see the store, even for a minute.
The best part is: I can actually watch the episodes online -- legally! Which is good because it hasn't started showing in this part of the world and I have no idea what MTV Asia's programming schedule is (I rarely watch it). So far, I haven't encountered any geographic restriction for the shows, which means that I can savour more nostalgia through the streaming episodes there. Yay!
I didn't have a chance to go to Madison the last time I was in the United States, so this is the next best thing for me. It's always enjoyable to see the ol' town. Unfortunately, MTV seems to focus too many scenes on State Street and the Capitol and not enough on the rest of the city or campus. I hope more of these show up in later episodes. There's more to UW and Madison than just State Street!
On Wisconsin!
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Technorati tags: College Life, MTV, nostalgia, UW-Madison
current mood:  nostalgic
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| Monday, April 20th, 2009
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12:19 am - Save 1-4 cents per bus journey!
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On April 1, the two major public bus transport operators, SBS Transit and SMRT Buses, reduced their trunk service fares by two cents across the board, while also increasing the transfer rebate to 50 cents. This was, of course, greeted to great cheers from the bus-traveling public, especially after years of fare increases -- and corresponding profit increases.
But how would you like to save a few cents more? More specifically, you can save between one and four cents per trip. It's possible and entirely acceptable! This isn't a hoax. I've tested it on several trips since the fare changes came into effect, and have managed to achieve the savings. And you can do it too!
(Aside: Gosh, I sound like a spammer/telemarketer/TV advertiser!)
First, you can get these savings only if your original fare is $1.11 or less. That works out to a distance of about 19 bus stops. (The bus stop that you board the bus counts as one.)
Second, you need to pay for your fares with an EZ-Link card. In that way, you qualify for the 50-cent transfer rebates -- a HUGE factor in getting your extra savings.
Third, you must be willing to transfer buses, because that's how you can get your 50-cent rebates. In addition, you cannot transfer to the same bus service, e.g. don't transfer from service 63 to service 63. If you transfer between the same service, you lose your 50-cent rebate!
With those three points in mind, here's how to get your savings:
1. Save one cent
First bus journey: no more than 69 cents in fare, or about seven bus stops.
Second bus journey: no more than 91 cents in fare, or about 12 bus stops. (You should reach your destination by then.)
Total fare = $0.69 + $0.91 - $0.50 (rebate) = $1.10
Original fare = $1.11
Savings = $1.11 - $1.10 = one cent!
2. Save three cents
First bus journey: no more than 69 cents in fare, or about seven bus stops.
Second bus journey: also no more than 69 cents in fare, or about seven bus stops. (You should reach your destination by then.)
Total fare = $0.69 + $0.69 - $0.50 (rebate) = $0.88
Original fare = $0.91
Savings = $0.91 - $0.88 = three cents!
3. Save four cents
First bus journey: no more than 69 cents in fare, or about seven bus stops.
Second bus journey: also no more than 69 cents in fare, or about seven bus stops.
Third bus journey: again, no more than 69 cents in fare, or about seven bus stops. (You should reach your destination by then.)
Total fare = $0.69 + $0.69 + $0.69 - $0.50 (first rebate) - $0.50 (second rebate) = $1.07
Original fare = $1.11
Savings = $1.11 - $1.07 = four cents!
(There's no method to save two cents. At least, none that I'm aware of!)
Personally speaking, I'm sure that the bus operators had realised before implementing the fare changes that commuters would be able to save the additional few cents with these methods. But I think they also determined that commuters would be too lazy to make so many transfers, so there would be no need to recalculate the base fares.
But now that you know, it's time to stick it to the man! Deny SBS Transit and SMRT Buses your four cents!
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Technorati tags: bus fare, SBS Transit, SMRT
current mood: geeky
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| Saturday, April 11th, 2009
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3:22 pm - Tweet (Twitter)! Tuesday: a tweet recap
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The first Tweet! Tuesday SG was held on 31 March. Though it was the day before April Fool's, what transpired was certainly no prank! Instead, attendees were treated to a presentation on what Twitter (and micro-blogging, in general) was about, and attempted to glean some information about its usage in Singapore and the region. Laurel Patworth, a social media marketer from Australia, also presented her two cents' worth on the micro-blogging and social media scene.
Upon arriving, Kelvin Lim had said that he had quoted something from my post about the non-agenda for Tweet Tuesday, so I eagerly awaited for it. (It was the "stand-around-and-talk-while-eating-free-food session" line.)
But more happened that night as well. So, in Twitter fashion, here's what I twittered about during the night:- Leaving for #TweetTuesdaySG now. Somehow, I don't think I'll be the last. Oh, and I'm going empty-handed too *bad karma* #sgtweet 6:43 PM Mar 31st from web
- About 50 people at #TweetTuesdaySG. It's the eating/drinking/socialising phase 7:30 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
- Tweet Tuesday SG starts now with an intro of what this is #sgtweet 7:42 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
- Somehow I didn't get the survey. Hmm... #sgtweet 7:42 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
- Intro to microblogging and Twitter #sgtweet 7:46 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
- Twitter vs Plurk, haha. #sgtweet 7:51 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
- Question time about Twitter, Plurk, and microblogging. The questions sound familiar... #sgtweet 7:54 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
- Discussion about corporate and government use of Twitter #sgtweet 7:57 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
- @claudia10 demoing SplitTweet #sgtweet 7:58 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
- Done with the formal presentation #sgtweet 8:03 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
- Laurel Patworth @silkcharm is speaking now #sgtweet 8:15 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
- Viral is the antithesis of social media? Hmm... #sgtweet 8:40 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
- Back to the socialisation phase of Tweet Tuesday #sgtweet 8:50 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
- @mhisham says there's only one can of Carlsberg left - and lots of Tigers! #sgtweet 9:11 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
- Leaving The Sail now. Not bad for a first event of Twitter Tuesday #sgtweet 9:32 PM Mar 31st from mobile web
(Note: the "correct" Twitter hashtag is #sgtweet, not #TweetTuesdaySG, though the former has been messed up by including any tweets about Singapore.)
And two more that were tweeted later:- #Singapore city skyline from the 44th floor of The Sail. http://bit.ly/SYAo7 Missing one integrated resort tower due to incorrect overlap. 12:08 AM Apr 1st from web
- Turns out that I did receive the #sgtweet survey. This is what happens when I check my email and Facebook inbox once a day! 12:25 AM Apr 1st from web
In the end, Kelvin remarked that it had become another "talk cock" (or "tweet cock") session. Ah well, I guess you can't stray far from that.
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Technorati tags: micro-blog, Plurk, Tweet Tuesday, Twitter
current mood:  hopeful
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2:39 pm - HBO Asia blogger event: "True Blood"
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On 26 March, the folks from HBO Asia invited a group of bloggers and their friends to a party at Ink Cafe Bar at Swissotel. The event was to launch the Asian premiere of the HBO series, "True Blood". There were about 10 of us, a nice cosy number, and what followed was unlike any film premiere that one would expect.
As soon as I arrived with my friend, we were "ambushed" at the entrance to take a photo to resemble the "True Blood" poster. They provided the fake vampire teeth and red ink to simulate blood, but essentially all I needed to do was to curl my tongue up at the lip.
Food consisted of typical posh bar-type snacks, served continuously to us by the waitresses. But the drink of the night was a special concoction called -- no surprises here -- "true blood". I don't remember the ingredients, but it was essentially an alcoholic mixer with red colour from the cranberry juice. It was nice and sweet and could become a delectable staple at any bar.
And to highlight the importance of the drink, there was a contest to see who could make the best "true blood". Three bloggers gamely took on the challenge.
We were then shown a montage of clips from the Season 1 episodes, like a "here's what you missed" recap. So without watching the show, I know pretty much all about it. Which doesn't mean that I'll watch it in its entirety, since I don't subscribe to the MAX channel.
(MAX is the new Cinemax. Its new positioning is as a male-oriented HBO-like channel. So expect things like action films and "HBO Wrestling".)
We were also introduced to an online game, "Fang Fighter". It's a Flash game where you have to fight vampires across three levels. Finish it and you can enter a contest to win an iPAQ or HP Mini 1000. Ooooh... Personally, I found the game interface to respond too slowly, i.e. after I pressed a button, my character responded after a second or so. During that time, the opponent could have delivered a lethal blow. I've already commented about this to HBO Asia. I hope they can fix this before the 7 May contest deadline.
To wrap up the evening, we were treated to the first few episodes of "True Blood". Although it's yet another vampire show, this one focuses on the relationship between a vampire man, Bill, and metahuman girl, Sookie, played by Anna Paquin. Their relationship is made more complicated as the vampire society attempts to integrate with human society, thanks to the invention of the fake human blood, "True Blood". It's like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" with its supernatural themes and personalities, but without the slashing and teenage angst. And probably worlds apart from "Twilight".
I have to say that this is one of the more fun blogger events that I've been to. Instead of the usual networking and eating, this one -- with its drink-making game -- made the night seem more friendly. Perhaps that's the difference in blogger events organised by techies versus media-types. Of course, it helps that we got to watch a free show too!
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Technorati tags: blogger event, HBO, True Blood
current mood:  relaxed
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1:56 pm - The new chapter
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Okay, so I haven't quit blogging. APRIL FOOL'S! That last entry was written on April 1, which I'm sure was a dead giveaway to my 10-or-so readers.
Still, it was quite a pain to stay away from blogging for a week (to give more credibility to the farce). I realised that there are indeed things that are better left blogged than micro-blogged. I'll still be twittering and plurking and all that, but I'm not giving up on my blogs anytime soon.
Like Eminem and his new album, I'm back into the blogging groove!
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Technorati tags: blogger, April Fool's
current mood: geeky
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| Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
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11:58 pm - The final chapter
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It's been almost eight years since I started blogging. But over the last few months, I realised that I'm more comfortable updating my life with 140 characters or less. Yup, I've been hanging out at Twitter and Plurk way more often than LiveJournal. With this realisation, I've decided to make the fateful decision and quit blogging.
My change in behaviour shouldn't come as a surprise anyway. It just takes less time and effort to update my status or post a random message than to sit down and think long and hard to compose a readable blog entry.
And anyway, looking at my blogs' stats, my 10 readers or so won't be missing much if I quit blogging. As it is, they've had to put up with my intermittent blog updates. And just to prove how low key my blogs have become, even Google Alert no longer lets me know that there's new content in my blogs.
So I'm quitting blogging. Instead, I'll be devoting my energies to nurturing my ever-growing Twitter and Plurk readership. I'm sure the 20 followers there would appreciate my new-found devotion and help me grow my readership further.
April 1 - the day Yuhui's LiveJournal died. Long live Yuhui's Microblogs!
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Technorati tags: blogger, quit
current mood: optimistic
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| Monday, March 30th, 2009
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6:04 pm - I use this: Apple TV
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When I bought my new full HD TV, I knew that I'd need something else to be able to enjoy the high-definition experience. And since most of my media files were on my computer, I also needed something that would let me watch those shows on my TV.
Enter the Apple TV. It's a media device that connects to both my TV (via HDMI cable) and Mac (via wireless network) that lets me enjoy the best of both worlds. Setup and syncing were a breeze, allowing me to enjoy my shows without much pain.
(The only downside appears to be some HDMI handshake issue between my Samsung TV and the Apple TV. My current workaround is to unplug the HDMI cable, then replug it back.)
Read my review at Mocca's "Techie Monster" tribe, "I use this: Apple TV", and find out what else I've come to enjoy from this sleek, simple device.
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Technorati tags: Apple TV, HD, HDMI, high-definition, television
current mood: pleased
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| Saturday, March 28th, 2009
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6:23 pm - Tweet (Twitter)! Tuesday: what's the agenda?
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While the focus this weekend is on Social Media Breakfast (or dinner, as the case may be) and its tie-up with Earth Hour, I want to take a moment to ponder about another "social media" event that's coming up. It's called "Tweet! Tuesday" and this Tuesday's one will be the first in Singapore.
My first encounter with Tweet! Tuesday was through a Facebook event invitation from Kelvin Lim. He later messaged me that there was no specific presentation for Tweet! Tuesday. That made me remark that it could become another stand-around-and-talk-while-eating-free-food session.
Which was what Social Media Breakfast has been like until recently. The danger for Tweet! Tuesday then is that there would be nothing to differentiate it from any other "social media" event, and it might devolve into nothing more than a gathering of like-minded people.
Of course, I don't think Tweet! Tuesday is supposed to be another "talk cock" session. The Facebook event's description stated simply:Join us for Tweet! Tuesday and find out what's the fuss over Twitter, Plurk, Jaiku and other micro-blogging services and learn /discuss how experts are using them. That makes it sound like its focus is on so-called micro-blogging services and probably their impact on the local social media scene.
I went in search of other Tweet! Tuesdays to see if other countries/cities had similar events. Though none were found, I did locate Twitter Tuesday, which is probably what Tweet! Tuesday is based on. Apart from looking like a spam site, there was no "About" page there that explained what Twitter Tuesday was about. But from the site's contents, I got the impression that it was about how people and organisations are using or can use micro-blogging as part of their online mix, and the tools that would help them.
Assuming that that is the direction for Tweet! Tuesday, I suggest the following:
- assume that attendees are familiar with Twitter and/or micro-blogging services (since I suspect that the "usual suspects" will be in the invitation list)
- ask them why they use a particular service, e.g. Plurk instead of Twitter
- what have they used micro-blogging for
- likes/dislikes about micro-blogging
At this point, I doubt it's necessary to discuss the various tools that are available. Instead, getting the answers to the above questions could lay the foundation for deciding the agenda and direction for future Tweet! Tuesdays.
And let's not make it another "talk cock" -- or "tweet cock" -- session!
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Technorati tags: Tweet Tuesday, Twitter Tuesday, Twitter, Plurk, micro-blog
current mood: optimistic
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| Friday, March 20th, 2009
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2:05 pm - RIP: Natasha Richardson
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Stage and movie actress Natasha Richardson died on 19 March 2009 from a head injury, which she suffered during a skiing lesson. She was only 46 years old.
I had known her mainly as Mrs Liam Neeson, i.e. the wife of the film actor. I also knew that she came from an acting pedigree. Her grandfather, mother and sister are/were actors, and I'd seen her sister, Noely Richardson, in the TV series, "Nip/Tuck".
But it is the film, "The Handmaid's Tale", where I came to know of this woman. I had rented this movie at the spur of the moment some years back. I was actually looking for something to pass the time, so I picked up this DVD, read the box, then brought it home to watch. Her performance there was quite good and made me feel deeply for the trials that her character had to go through.
It was only later that I read the book on which the film was made that I realised how complex her character and situation really were. Natasha Richardson was able to make her character extremely approachable to an audience that was unaware of the original story. And that is how I'll remember her.
RIP Natasha Richardson, 1963 - 2009
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Technorati tags: death, Natasha Richardson
current mood: sad
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| Sunday, March 15th, 2009
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12:33 am - Review: "Watchmen"
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After uncountable years of "production hell" and many, many months of hype (even from the "300" trailer), "Watchmen" finally appeared on the big screen to great expectations and high hopes. Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, it has ranked as one of the most eagerly awaited film adaptations by the legion of comic book fans.
So did "Watchmen" succeed? It's difficult to answer that question. If you were looking for a superhero movie a la "X-Men", "Superman" or even "The Dark Knight", then you would have been very disappointed with "Watchmen". If you wanted a faithful frame-by-frame adaptation of the graphic novel, then you would be very satisfied. And if, like me, you were looking for something in between, then you would leave the cinema hall with a bittersweet taste in your mouth.
To understand this feeling, you need to understand the graphic novel. Alan Moore had written "Watchmen" as an exposition on the state of superheroics back in the 1980s. So-called "dark" superheroes were becoming very common, for example, a planet-juggling Superman had been throttled back into a person who was more comfortable being "normal". 'Watchmen" took this sentiment and ran with it, extrapolating it to what seemed like a logical -- if somewhat terrifying -- conclusion.
On top of that, the format of a graphic novel allowed Moore to express his ideas with words. The graphics provided by Gibbons were there simply to support Moore's vision. Take away the images and the story would still be profound, though its impact would be lessened. And that's the problem with the film adaptation. In recreating the comic book frame-by-frame, it also left intact a lot of exposition.
This was most noticeable in the film's conclusion. Like Commissioner Gordon's monologue at the end of "The Dark Knight", Ozymandias explanation of why he did what he did seemed to be very unnecessarily long. I felt that it should have been tightened, with more emphasis on visuals and action. As a film instructor once said, film is not watching a group of "talking heads".
As a result, the majority of the audience that had been unexposed to the graphic novel would feel extremely unsatisfied with the movie. This is in spite of the excellent actors and fight scenes and graphic effects. In all of those departments, "Watchmen" excelled greatly. Unfortunately, it lacked in the one area that was most important to any movie.
It's been said that the "Watchmen" comic could not be adapted to the big screen. I don't think so. Certainly, I feel that two-and-a-half hours is still not enough to present "Watchmen" satisfactorily. The problem is with the format. This movie is an example of how what works in one format, i.e. print, does not necessarily work well in another, i.e. film. Unfortunately, Zak Snyder, the director, could not have done anything else if he wanted to remain faithful to the material and the fans. There's just no easy way out of these two demands.
And so, we have a film like "Watchmen". It's faithful, reverent even to the graphic novel. And yet it still couldn't succeed the way it should've.
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Technorati tags: Watchmen, review
current mood: satisfied
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| Thursday, March 12th, 2009
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12:22 am - Google's interest-based advertising is a turn-off
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Google has long claimed that its motto is "Don't be evil". But with its latest development, I can't help feeling that it's sliding quickly down a very slippery slope. That's because Google now allows advertisers to target their ads according to visitors' web histories, or what it calls "interest-based advertising".
For example, if I view a lot of Nokia-related sites, then I could be presented with more Nokia ads. Or if a friend visits sites about diving, then he may see ads about diving trips.
The first question anyone should ask is: "How does Google collect all of my previous website visits?" I've attempted to answer how Google may be able to know which websites I've visited. Of course, it's all speculation at this point.
But that shouldn't stop privacy advocates and conspiracy theorists from complaining hell and high water about this new advertising development.
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Technorati tags: AdSense, advertising, Google, marketing, privacy
current mood: distressed
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| Friday, March 6th, 2009
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12:21 am - REACH sent me another packet of tissue!
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Oh my goodness! I wonder what's going on at REACH, the Singapore Government's agency of choice for online engagement and feedback.
Yesterday, as a token of appreciation for completing a survey, I received a packet of tissue paper in the mail. Today, as a token of appreciation for updating my particulars, I received another packet of tissue paper.
Actually, when I saw the familiar envelope with the familiar padded feeling, I had a funny feeling that I'd find a familiar "thank you" gift. And true enough, I retrieved a packet of tissue paper.
Is REACH overflowing with tissue paper? I hope someone can shed some light on this phenomenon!
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Technorati tags: REACH, reward, tissue paper, government
current mood: uncomfortable
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