Why I post like crazy.

Why am I publishing posts after posts like crazy?

Well, perhaps I'm schizophrenic. [ooo.... big word..]

But I choose to do them as and when I like!

Ok, fine, it's to inflate the number of posts I get in December 07 as compared to December 06.

And Yes, I need to inflate [ah, the irony] viewership or this blog is not worth my effort!

ok, i know there's, like, at least 1 reader out there...

Are you reading this? If you are, then probably it's a post-apocalyptic world. [hey, the ice age was an apocalypse] [ooo... another big word!]

Ok, enough bantering. Just tag my tagboard when you're here. Comment on my banner! Heck, mock me!

Addiction...

I am addicted to Apple's Wireless Mighty Mice.

I am addicted to BBC.

I am addicted to Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Creams.

I am addicted to Marvel-related stuff.

I am addicted to iPods.

I am addicted to Razr2s.

I am addicted to low hygiene standards.

I am addicted to not touching holiday homeworks.

I have major addiction problems.

Addiction| They are harmful...

new banner!

hope you like it!

What's with October?

I seem to post 2x as much in October of each year. Look at the Archives!

[pimping parts of my blog... how cheap of me...]

08| New Year's Resolution AND Predictions

I realised that having 3 different posts talking about the future is very tedious when reviewing.
Hence, this year, I decided to combine all those crap and put them all in one single post. It's like an entire A Cappella group singing in the same G major! how delightful!

Let's start things off easy for me. the easy thing to do is...

My predictions

Apple will release iPhone in Singapore on M1.

Sony's PS3 will get a refresh.

Refer to Apple predictions for Macworld. [12 points there.]

In Heroes Season 3, Sylar will kill Nathan Petrelli [or try to.]

there will be 10 new Mac Games from the major publishers in 2008 [EA, Ubisoft, Valve, id]

Somebody will become my enemy. It's not betrayal. Did i get you? Good! you're paying attention! now comes the New Year's Resolution!

I may need to remove the tagboard once. On each blog that I have.

My New Year's Resolution

I shall get 5 A1s for my O Level

I shall do badly for CA1, especially for Chemistry.

I shall make more enemies than I have now in school.

I shall NOT make new friends in 2008.

I shall join minimum 2 study groups gatherings in 2008

I shall try to apply to go somewhere outside Singapore for my post-OLVL studies

I shall go to 4 different countries in 2008, even though it's my OLVL year

I shall CONTINUE to blog during my OLVL study period!

I shall watch 2 NC-16 movies next year. [hey, Heroes Season 1 DVD was NC-16, and besides, my 16th birthday is next year.] [HA! to the Dec-bies!]

I shall ace English Oral.

I shall survive choir performances. [morning assembly, Musical, etc.]

I will make sure the other PA guys respect Melvin.

if that plan backfires, I will make sure somebody else takes over.

I guess BenSee isgetting pissed with me. That's gonna need a fix.

For the first time in 10 years, I will go back to Indonesa to celebrate Chinese New Year with the family.

I will eat a total of 3 pints of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream throughtout 2008.

I shall get my blog on the "Blog of Note" list!

and my photo [1 of] will be marked as an "Explore" Picture

I'm no longer buying anymore iPods. Nor iPhones.

I may buy a gaming console. think PSP...

I may get a Blu-Ray player to call my own...

I shall make around 300 posts in 08

I will change the blog skin 3 times.

I will not get the things I put on the wishlist

I will leave Singapore for the UK or US or AU by 2009.

About the last resolution...
It's not confirmed yet, but I may leave Singapore for a different pre-university system. I may take the SATs in the states, I may take the As in the UK, I may do something else different in Australia, maybe IB, but It's quite unlikely that I will continue to study in Singapore. Ya, I guess I did say I want VJC, but my parents seem kind of unhappy with me being in Singapore with my guardians, or me alone in an apartment. either way, they prefer me in the States or UK. or AU. Oh well...

Erm, no, it's not goodbye yet. don't "sayonara" me yet. like I said, it's not confirmed.-

small stuff!

My A380 [S$6.90 from Toys 'R' Us @ VivoCity.]
next to an iPod Touch. [16GB, S$628 from EpiCentre during SiTex 07]


Branding everywhere?
Motorola Razr2 V8, [Rp 3,900,000 from Dusit Mangga Dua]
iPod Touch [again]

reply to bun-zai/ [via choir blog. in case he edits my post, at least it's safe on da ron files.]

//to all...

////just to clarify,

`I like Bohemian Rhapsody...

`I love Queen/ [the  original singer of the song...]

And I didn't know nobody here listens to Top100 iTunes songs except me, apparently...

like, hello? Kanye West? that guy ripped off Daft Punk...

Geez, Ben...

k. geek-talk over.

while my bro's gone...

I get to play with his tech toys!!!

Firstly, i need a game console...

He gave me 2 options: his PS3, or his Wii.

Wii it was, then. [he didn't have any Blu-ray discs...]

then, I saw some other peripherals.

Apple Mighty Mouse, or Apple wireless keyboard?

Mighty, duh?!

Yes, I'm weird.

p.s.: I have an A380. Anyone wanna see it? I'll post a pic if anyone requests it...

Link: Hopes & Dreams for SY2007

For Academic Studies...

-Wish to get top in 2 subjects [Physics, Math.]
-Wish to get top 10 this year. last year was a bad year for me. [yay!]
-Wish to know more about psychology [erm, yay? you learn something new everyday...]
-Wish to pass HCL tests and get a B3/A2 for 普通华文 'O'水准考试 2007. [barely., O lvl pending...]

For Physical Fitness...
-Wish to be able to pass 2.4
-Wish to be able to do 1 pull-up / chin-up by April / May
-Wish to Pass NaPFA

For CCAs...
-Wish to fix the conflicts in choir... mainly Paul-BenSee, ShawnChui-EThan
-Wish for Choir as a whole to get a Gold
-Wish for PA to be more disciplined and "popular" amongst the teachers.
-Wish for Silver again for this year's Math Olympiad competition
-Wish to participate in a Photography Competition
-Wish to get my photo displayed somewhere in school... (maybe Ms Seah's homeroom>?) [choir concert poster!]
-Wish to "vandalise" Miss Gan's Music Rm., but please Miss Chua in d process and give Ernest and I an A for d Art Vandalism project. (Miss Chua gave the instruction... We, Ernest and I, do the orders... Miss Gan gave the green light...)
-Wish to do Psychotheraphy on someone from any CCA.
-Wish to teach Psychology by linking to a psychology 101 page such as this one (the link i provided is where I get all my psychology information from for now...).

Looks like half, i guess...

LOL, expiry dates...

From: Happy belated B'day to...

"Ernest (20 December)

Happy B'day, Ernest! As a b'day present, I'll stop calling u names... including "ernie"!!!"

That's one year ago...

Well, Ernest, your birthday this year has past...

ERNIE!!!

Review| Predicitions for 2007

Link: My Predictions for '07...

1. Sony will look really cool in 2007. [oh contra re...]

2. Blu-ray + HD-DVD multi-burners and readers will appear. [yes. LG!]

3. New MacBook Pro with Blu-ray.
4. Bit Torrent will be a way of LEGAL distribution. [sort of.]
5. the rumoured Apple iPhone will be called iChat Mobile. [no. still iPhone.]
6. OS X Leopard, a 13.3" MacBook Pro (metallic), a Mac Mini with independent GPU, a Widescreen iPod, iChat Mobile, iTV and an iSight will ALL be released on MacWorld.
7. When i mentioned iSight, i mean an Apple Digital Camera with a memory card and stuff. (Apple no longer sells iSight cameras, so reuse the name!)
8. The iPod lineup will be all flash-based by the holiday season.
9. Microsoft will sue Apple. Apple will sue Adobe. Adobe will sue Microsoft. Why? beats me, but it IS a prediction!
10. Wireless-N devices will start appearing, but adoption rate will be slow.
11. SED TVs will really appear in 2007, during the holiday season.
12. Google will work with Linux. on what? I don't know. [Android.]
13. Google will reopen "Google Ask" service, but in a different form, name, and function.
14. XBOX 360 - New model with HD-DVD, larger HDD, HDMI.
15. PS3 - New Unit by 2008. Slimmer design, more cores / less heat (it's one or d other), more RAM, dual HDMI (as in earlier rumours), more HDD space, lighter weight. and SMALLER box.
16. CD and DVD sales will rise. iTunes sales will rise. everything else will fall.
17. AMD will overtake Intel with a new processor.
18. PSP2?
19. Nobody remembers the Origami PC by Microsoft.
20. Windows Vista will only be something people upgrade to because their current systems are slow.
21. Terabyte Hard disk drives by July.
22. Steve Jobs will announce his retirement date... and it will be after Bill Gates retire.
23. Wi-Bri will fade. Wireless-USB will be a successor to the Bluetooth.
24. Google will face competition... and trample them all!!!
25. There will be 5 hosts on the BOL podcast next year.

F5F5!!!

2007 Resolution review.

link: "New Year's Resolution Final Version"

-i shall watch more youtube 

[i did]
-i shall upload videos to the internet somehow... be it vlogs or youtube. 

[i did. Physics project, Art trip video, Esmond's video]
-i shall survive sec 3 life. 

[i barely did]
-i shall install XP MCE 2005 on my Mac, despite Vista's existence. 

[didn't]
-i shall buy no more than 10 albums in 2007. 

[2 furtado, 1 feist, 1 timbaland, 1 agapella, 1 kanye west, 1 mika, 1 Aly & AJ, 1 Natalie Imbruglia, 1 James Blunt, 1 KT Tunstall. that's 11. whoops!]
-i shall watch more tv thanks to my tv tuner.

[SEA Games counts, right? no? oh darn.]
-i shall get someone a birthday present for once.

[erm... Ernest?]
-i shall make more video calls and less smses instead.

[never happened.]
-i shall get cable tv from starhub. no more free-to-air channels for me. btw, i love BBC.

[never happened.]
-i shall watch BBC.
[watching]

-i shall try to ensure a silver for SYF.

[YAY!]
-i shall get a red iPod Nano. PRODUCT ( RED )

[half of it. iPod nano? yes. RED? no.]
-i shall visit Apple Centre 10 times in 2007.

[yup.]
-i shall go out during the weekends for leisure 20 times (or more), without my guardians for once.

[not 20, but enough for this to pass by my definition]
-i shall get a B3 minimum for 'O' Level Chinese Language Exam.

[pending.]
-i shall be an amateur counsellor.

[FAIL]
-i shall change my email address.

[FAIL]
-i shall move away from friendster permanently.

[yup. on FaceBook. sort of.]
-i shall spend S$300 on iPod accesories in 2007. (in 2006, i spent $250 on the Altec Lansing speakers, Silicone case, battery packs, radio remote and charger)

[nope.]
-i shall keep my 5G iPod in great condition.

[ya right.]
-i shall keep my MacBook Pro in great condition.

[yup]
-i shall not buy any new iPods released in 2007. (i can still buy a Nano 2G)

[FAIL. i bought 2.]
-i shall buy music from iTunes.

[hey, i did! OK Go's free treadmill thingy track!]
-i shall join a photography competition.

[did. failed. but i joined!]
-i shall remain a geek.
[lame resolution.]

-i shall be mocked at. (this is easy)

[again, lame resolution.]

-i shall switch to Starhub mobile soon. (Singtel service is good, but not enough)

[erm, 2008?]
-i shall come up with my idea of solutions to political situations that arise on my blog. nobody will care or listen.

[sort of.]
-i shall blog more. blogging appears to have a positive impact on my vocabulary.

[sort of.]
-i shall blog in chinese more often.

[sort of.]
-i shall blog in bahasa melayu / bahasa indonesia more often.
[once.]

-i shall star a vlog.

[FAIL]
-i shall drink more choya.

[i just did. Christmas party 2 days ago. 1 shot glass!]
-i shall drink sparkling drinks in 2007.

[Big Gulps galore!]
-i shall NOT top any subjects anymore. that's plain childish competition.

[oops.]
-i shall not make a crude joke like the resolution i mentioned just before this one.

[lol...]
-i shall pass NAPFA. my hands are somewhat wider right now.

[erm... i don't get the second part of that resolution.]
-i shall not be sarcastic at all.

-ok, i shall try to avoid sarcasm.

[was i sarcastic this year? I think i avoided it quite well this year. proud of you, Ron!]
-i shall remain girlfriend-free for the next 2.8 years. (JC1: i shall learn more about female peers and JC2: I shall choose to like someone)

[one year down, 1.8 to go.]
-i shall forget 2006.

[true...]
-i shall suffer from amnesia.

[huh? where am i?]

Passed: 26.5/42

YAY!!! I passed 2007!

[k, that was retarded.]

my Christmas wishlist.

I don't ask for much this year.

I just want a Motorola Razr2.

could be a V8. could be a V9.

And I think I'm getting it soon...

i hate it when quek is right...

see picture.

red arrow = my house.

yellow arrow = sea.

scale is at bottom left corner.

see for yourself.

blogging from the airport

For once, I don't need to takE out my laptop just to blog at the airport. And now, they have wireless@sg here.

anyway, thanks for all the well-wishes. [not as if I'm going off the grid.]

going back to indo tomorrow...

well, choir concert's finally over...

i'll be leaving for indo tomorrow afternoon...

see ya in SG on Jan 1st! [or 2nd]

ya, ill be gone only for one week... instead of the usual 1.5 mths...

can't wait till after Olvl...

can't get guitar hero? hanbell hero!

Handbell Hero"

it's guitar hero for the christmas season... when you can't get "Guitar Hero", yet christmas songs are supposedly "in"...

blogging at macdonalds at toa payoh

I'm out w/ bensee n raymond. Alone.

K. Sounds cliche, but I'll explain.

Bensee went to cut his hair. Raymond went to do something (I really forgot.)

I was joking to raymond that if I were a Heroes character, I may be like peter petrelli. I absorb others' abilities. Like, nwadays, I am more amnemic, like raymond, but I am starting to improve my running and swimming, like ms gan and my dad in the respective sports.

Oh, I met with lots of ppl today. There was ms chua xin yuan. She was walking around citylink mall when we met her. Bensee was like panting like crazy and pointing at her to attract her attention. LOL.

Then, we went to esplanade. Turns out agapella was performing at esplanade concourse at 6.45pm today and tomorrow. When we watched the performance, we mat ms gan and cherie, the bride whom we performed for last year.

Bought gifts for saints choir gift exchange. Must say, I'm glad luke suggested this exchange thing. A great chance for ppl to bury whatever hatchet they may have amongst each other.

Btw, happy birthday ernest quek!!!

Blogged on an iPod touch.

how I blog on an iPod touch faster than on a PC or Mac

iPod touch has essentially a keybord which you don't have to waste energy pushing down. Just touch and go. Really smooth. Really fast. As long as I don't use commas. On my mac, not only am I slowed down by a conventional mechanical keyboard, but I'm also distracted by idiots who cannot tell that my purpose of being online is to just update my blog, if not do some really important stuff involving communication (hey, I never said I was antisocial or really lifeless).

I like the iPod touch a a typing device. That was why I insisted on typing an attendance list on my iPod touch than on a t9 keypad of a nokia phone. It's easy, by this is easier.

Don't just get a mac. Get a $649 Internet-to-the-toilet device. And an iPod. And a smooth youtube browser. And a basic calculator. Did I mention a video iPod?

Props to bensee.

if bensee never existed, you won't get catchy one-liners like "ben see can't see".

He's an awesome teacher in essential life skills. Such as debating, getting perfect pitch by becoming partially deaf (just like himself), and by utilizing reverse psycology to retrieve an object back, such as a mobile phone which he will hide and claim to not have.

He's a jerk.

December... a slow month...

by now, i think you should have realised, judging from how I seldom update my blog with posts. All the good stuff occurs before thanksgiving. then, the earth comes to a standstill. well, not really. it's just a time when people start buying and buying. Not fun for the lifeless people like me who do nothing but to talk about the stuff that happens.

by the way, a warning to potential iPod touch / iPhone users. Typing on a normal 10" keyboard may feel a bit different after a while.... Man, does tactile plastic keys feel weird or what.

Anyway, I haven't gotten any orders of choir concert tickets [well, from those who ordered via me, anyways.]. If anyone wants to go for our concert, please do not hesitate to sms me! then, I'll call you on how I'm gonna get the ticket to you! then, I'll probably have to o to your house or we can meet somewhere to make the payment. it's $12 per ticket.

K, back to the tv for me. bye.

The touch| an awesome Internet device for the toilet

blogging from my toilet while listening to nelly furtado and doing my business. Talk about multitasking.

Anyways. It's raining at this time (6AM). Supposed to be running today (choir prac) but I wonder how...

Concert tickets, anyone???

P.s. I hit 21 WPM in the iPod touch typing test. Not bad for a non-tactile keyboard, eh?

Dock.

I was wondering...

Normally, I place my dock on the bottom...

but recently, I moved it to the left...

and I often turn on hiding...

Anyway, I was wondering...

Where do you place your dock?

and do you set it to hide?

magnify?

It's a 'Mac user'-only poll...

Predictions for MacWorld Expo 2008

Macworld Conference and Expo begins 14 January 2008. The Steve Jobs Keynote will be on that day.

So here are some of my predictions for what Steve Jobs / Apple may be announcing on keynote day...


1. Mac Tablet Reader AKA MacBook mini [the tablet]
It's out there. the rumours are everywhere. to quote Nike: Just Do It.
These things will have multi-touch 10" screens,
run on 32GB and 64GB SSD / 80GB to 160GB HDD [think iPod Classic].
it'll NOT have a slot for DVDs / CDs.
Est. Price: S$949

2. Refreshed MacBooks + MacBook Pros
Intel is releasing new processors in January. Apple normally follows suit with new laptops notebooks.
Oh, Apple purhased new 13.3" LED-backlit screens. Think LED-backlit MBs. Bright!
And also, Intel GMA X3100. upgraded Graphics!
Same prices as present.

3. iPhone w/ HSDPA: Preview ONLY
This will come out at the end of next year, but Apple must get FCC approvals first. So why not announce it here and now first?
HSDPA, 2nd camera, but maybe some features they can preview now...
[think iPhone firmware 1.1.3 or 1.1.4: video recording, voice memo, voice commands]
Est. Price when iPhone is out in SG much later next year: S$699

4. iTunes 8
Rip your DVDs @ US$3.99 per DVD.

5. Mac Mini + Apple TV fusion
both products were dying anyways, so why not fuse them? Mac nano! [SSD, no CD/DVD again]

6. Partnership with Activision-Vivendi for new Mac Games
they did it with EA. Now move along! Activision is merging with one of the most popular developer for the Mac, Vivendi. [they do WoW, the "only" game on a Mac]

7. Return of the NBC
Maybe on iTunes.

8. Mac Pro update.
New Intel Xeon Hi-K Metal Gate processors, new CTO for the Graphics [think ATi HD2600 PRO], new Hard Drive option [1TB x 4 = 4TB!], new CTO option for BD-R/BD-RW!

9. BD-R
Available as a CTO option on Mac Pro [ref. no. 8], on MacBook Pros, on iMacs. Screw Mac nanos and MacBooks.
est. price difference for upgrade from SuperDrive to BD-R: S$500

10. Apple TV: literally
a 50" 30" iMac. Comes with wireless keyboard + mouse and Front Row remote. oh, built in TV tuner. and yes, it has Blu-Ray.
Est. Price: S$6,600.00

11. Cinema Displays
still up to 30", new prices, no more 20", iSight intergrated.

12. Revenge of the QuickTake
A camera! duh. a video camera. iPhone-like design. or maybe a new iPod Touch with camera. [bummer.]



You know what, that number 12 was retarded. I'm changing it to this number 12 below...



12. One More Thing: Steve Jobs: CEO no more...
Bill Gates' final CES keynote is in 2008, Steve has beated Bill already. now, rest, retire, let someone else take over!
Steve has helmed Apple as CEO since 1998 [the iCEO thing doesn't count. Neither does the pre-1990s thing] 10 years is a long time. let someone else take over! Phill Schiller or Tim Cook could take over. EDIT: Rumours has it Jony Ive is the next in line.

Freaky happenings...

It's December!!!

It's, like, the friggin final month of the year!!!

Anyway, I've been encountering out-of-the-ordinary stuff recently...

Let's start with yesterday.

Yesterday, I was taking the MRT from Changi Airport to City Hall via Tanah Merah, after fetching my parents to the airport.

When the train left Expo and was going towards Tanah Merah, the train accelerated, and then decelerated before coming to a complete halt, just around 20meters away from Expo. Then, not long after [around 10s], the train left as per normal. However, just as the train is in between Expo and Tanah Merah where there's the slopes and different tracks thingy, the train came to a halt again. for 3 whole minutes! Everyone on the train was like, "err... ok... wtf is going on?" Anyway, that's the first odd happening.

Number 2: as I was saying, I went to City Hall, coz I wanted to go to HMV. It's @ CityLink Mall. CityLink Mall had some sort of a blackout. All their yellow/white incandescent [i think?] lights went off for a moment. However, during the "blackout", the lights in all the shops and the blueish fluorescent tube lights at the ceiling above the escalators were still on. Weird, huh?

P.s.: Props to HMV for still stocking older 'pop' music albums like
'Whoa, Nelly!' and 'FolkLore' by Nelly Furtado and
"Speak For Yourself" by Imogen Heap.
HMV was the only store that still stocked these titles. Other shops, like CDRama [cheap, but not very good inventory], Borders [messy catalogue], That CD Shop [weird stocking method] didn't have it. HMV rocks!!!


Oh, btw, I forgot to say, on the day I bought my iPod Touch, I bought a Sennheiser CX300 in-ear headphones. Tested it on the train, on my guardians, in the toilet, and on my bed. it's comfortable, it's got awesome sound quality, nice bass, great-enough sound isolation [better than my PX200], but the cable is too short, too springy, and makes an irritating sound when the cable moves. Oh, the hissing sound from the headphones is irritating, too. Rating from me:

iPod earphones: 5/10
Sennheiser PX200: 7/10
Sennheiser CX300: 8/10

blogging on an iPod touch

yes, I finally bought an iPod touch. Feels really good to type with, and fast and accurate too. Really loving it so far. Too bad it isn't an iPhone. Can't make phone calls with this thing, now can I?

Anyway, we still have tickets for our choirs concert. Please support us by buying tickets and coming to our concert.

P.s. My parents are in SG, and my mom just had a surgery. Hence I couldn't blog the past few days. Will make it up soon.

Choir Concert Tickets!

Hey everyone!

Erm, just wanna let you guys know, we still have tickets for the choir concert on December 22nd. Details are here, again.

22 Dec 2007
20 00h
YMS Auditorium, 54 Waterloo Street [nearest MRT station: Bugis]
$12.00


yes, it's $12 per ticket, and it starts at 8pm. If you'll be around town at that time, do come and support us! It'll be a fun night. We'll have a guest performance by Crescent Girls' Secondary School Choir.

Oh, do spread the news around, of the choir concert! Thanks!

[if you want to reserve tickets, please contact me by email with your name, number of tickets requested.
Please use "Choir Concert Ticket" as the Subject.

ron_liong@hotmail.com]

Duncan, read this: 3 laws, and there's more...

In response to Duncan, I found three laws & legislations regarding competitive telco market in Singapore. There's more, but I'm letting you guys figure them out yourself. I'm not a law school student.

I understand there's loopholes in the laws below, and that there's a revision next year [it's every 3 years.]. But heck, I don't see any yet. Good luck, Apple.

--------------------

Telecom Competition Code 2005
4.2.1.3 Duty to Provide Unbundled Telecommunication Services

A Dominant Licensee must provide telecommunication services on an unbundled basis. Specifically, the Dominant Licensee must not require a Customer that wants to purchase a specific telecommunication service, as a condition for purchasing that telecommunication service, to also purchase any other telecommunication service or non-telecommunication service or equipment. However, the Dominant Licensee may offer Customers the option of purchasing a package that contains multiple telecommunication and non-telecommunication services or equipment.

Link: http://www.ida.gov.sg/doc/Policies%20and%20Regulation/Policies_and_Regulation_Level3/TCC/TCC_2005.pdf

--------------------

IDA Telecom Competition Guideline
3.2.3 Other Types of Conduct That May Constitute an Abuse of Dominant Position
(c) Tying. Licensees may provide Customers with the option of purchasing separate telecommunication services and equipment in a single package. Such packages, which may be offered at a reasonable discount, often benefit Customers.

However, Sub-section 4.2.1.3 of the Code provides that a Dominant Licensee must not require a Customer to purchase any other service of equipment as a condition for purchasing a specific telecommunication service. In addition, a Dominant Licensee may abuse its dominant position where it requires a Customer that purchases a telecommunication service that is not subject to effective competition to purchase other services or equipment, especially if those services or equipment are subject to a greater degree of competition. Such requirements, even if offered as an option, may foreclose competition in a significant portion of an otherwise competitive market. "

Link: http://www.ida.gov.sg/doc/Policies%20and%20Regulation/Policies_and_Regulation_Level3/TCC/IDA_Telecom_Competition_Guidelines.pdf

--------------------

TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT (CHAPTER 323)
7. UNBUNDLED NETWORK SERVICES
7.1 Unbundled network services (‘‘UNS’’) are telecommunication network services that Facilities-based and Services-based Licensees need to have cost-based access to in order to provide a competing telecommunication service. IDA will find that telecommunication network services are UNS if the services:

(a) are technically or operationally required to provide a competing service; and
(b) cannot be self-provisioned, or obtained from a source other than the Dominant Licensee, at commercially reasonable rates.

Link: http://www.ida.gov.sg/doc/Policies%20and%20Regulation/Policies_and_Regulation_Level3/TCC/RIO_Requirements.pdf

--------------------

IDA is the InfoComm Development Authority, the governing agency for Telcos, amongst other things, in Singapore. They have, in the far past, fined M1 for locking Nokia phones with their own SIM card, making the only opponent then, SingTel, unable to be used on the phone. Although the SIM slot in iPhone is accessible, it still has bundling.

What I'm trying to say is that IDA has a "don't mess with me or get your ass whipped and lose in the market" kind of power. [look where M1 is now. Number 3. Last place.] So, when iPhone comes to Singapore, it's going to be an interesting show. Just wait & see.......

can you say "del.icio.us"?

my del.icio.us

I'm gonna start posting links to my del.icio.us, specifically what I'm watching on YouTube, Google Video, and other sites. Just check it out!


oh, I do recommend you guys try del.icio.us, too. intergrates very well with Safari, but I'm sure it will, too, with IE, Firefox, Opera, and Netscape.

ill on Black Friday...

it's a sign. it's a conspiracy!

anyway, i was ill yesterday, which was Black Friday.

no, im not being racist.

Black Friday is typically the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving Day.

It's typically the day when stores are crowded, and online stores are loaded with orders.

It's basically the shopping event of the year.

And there's a few good reasons for that, too.

Firstly, people like to buy Christmas gifts on Black Friday. It's after Thanksgiving, It's before Christmas. perfect combo!

Secondly, it's Friday. People are gone from work, and they unwind on Friday evening. one way is to shop.

Thirdly, the biggest reason, is the Black Friday discounts. Check out the MacBooks on Apple's online store. they're going at US$101 off.

yes, is said US$.

that's because it's a US-only event.


bummer.


im still having a fever. hope things will come down by next week...


P.s.: if I appear to be behaving oddly, forgetting names, or acting gibberish, well, it appears I am turning amnesic.No joke here.

Still in Camp... part deux.

i learnt the word from a blog which someone labelled as "Bryant's blog". quite a few people. and when i went to find the meaning of the word, i found out it meant 'part 2'. that's how i grow smarter. lol. [k, i sound like some PSA spokesperson]

anyways, it's bath time. waiting for someone else to guard the room so that I can leave for the toilet, assured nothing will go missing. [we're not alone. apparently, the SYFC peeps are camping here. didn't see ben lan, though.]

really bored...

really...


oh, something interesting happened today.

just now, before breakfast, mrs charles walked past our 'barrack' of C4-09 [Mrs Huang's homeroom.] the room was in a terrible mess, and so were our hairs, but she smiled at us as she walked past.

then, when breakfast came, she walked past again, and she saw us eating in the homeroom. a bit awkward, but she said "this is the only time you get to eat in a classroom, eh?" in a pretty cheeky manner. who knew she had a sense of humour, and not a sarcastic one for that matter?

btw, the school is in a mess. that's it. no more words from me.

not saying why, or in what way. speculate!

Still in Camp...

yes, im still @ camp. nope, im not typing this during my animation orkshop [it doesn't start till 10am later in the day.]

im bored...


strangely, i had 6hrs of sleep, broken up in a 4h-2h config. watched some horror movie in between. tiring day ytd. today's amazing race, but fortunately[or unfortunately], i have animation workshop + the art prelim studies meeting thingy.

o well.... the male toilet next to the library @ 4th floor is now a female toilet for the visitors of some function going on in the hall... it's for kindergarten principals.

heh. what would I know?

PA Camp next 3 days, Art Olvl PW Prelim studies & Animation wkshop

Next 3 days...

Nov 20: PA Camp

Nov 21: PA Camp, Animation workshop, Art O level PW Preliminaries study meeting

Nov 22: PA Camp, Animation workshop

So, sayonara, blog-o-sphere!

Songza. Check out the playlist.

I got to this site thanks to Tekzilla. It's a site that enables you to simply search for songs or videos, play them, add to a playlist, and embed the songs individually. I wanted to move to Songza, but since it didn't allow me to embed playlists, I guess I have to use screenshots. so here it is!

Check out Songza!

Note: this is a playlist. it's not a chart. just some tunes I'm currently jazzing to. The "currently playing" track is the featured track in my playlist. And yes, the playlist is in chronological order of play, not in any random order. It's how i want the songs to transition.

Politics. Space. Al Gore. It's Matchbox Twenty.

Matchbox Twenty - Let's See How Far We've Come

It's got everything that I care about summarised in one video. Politics, Musicians, Live Earth, US Elections 08, Space Travel, guitar smashing. Yup. all checked.

Nelly Furtado - Crazy

Originally sung by Gnarls Barkley, Nelly Furtado really made the song deeper and much more 'emo' [in a good way] with this "live' acoustics cover of the song. A different side from Loose...

enjoy!

500th post, and i'm glad to say my prediction was right!

Singapore's MobileOne phone operator eyeing iPhone
...Singapore's MobileOne phone operator is also announcing it is in talks to bring the iPhone to Asia.

From:http://www.9to5mac.com/iPhone-singapore-43623455




...In addition, M1 is in discussions with Apple Inc. to bring the iPhone to Asia....

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Technology/Singapores-MobileOne-phone-operator-eyeing-acquisition-targetsApples-iPhone/2007/11/13/1194766670047.html


What did I say earlier about M1?!

Hong Kong!!!

yes, I'm in Hong Kong now... couldn't get th einternet running on my Mac, since my bro's laptop is stuck to the LAN port... free internet in this hotel rm!

I hate Acer keyboards... sheez...

anyways, u'll try to snap some photos when possible. didn't bring my DSLR, but i brought my video camera, just for fun. My dad wanted me to go for some cosmetics exhibition here...

by the way, i think we need a petition to overhaul the economy class seats. 17" width seats, seriously? i can't even bend up my legs, and that living hell cost me S$600? You gotta be kidding me. Even the Airport Express trains here are way better, and that cost HK$100. And the MTR / MRT here? HK$4! economy class sucks! let's push for 20" seats! that's not even a lot. my TV is way larger than that. [my tv = 24". My MacBook Pro = 15.4". These are diagonals, of course, but think about it. what about yourself? you deserve better in the skies, coz if something happens to you in mid-sky, nothing can be done! right?]

anyway, enough of the economy class rant. i always dreamed of sitting in business class. yes, i never wiped my buttocks on those leather seats before. the closest experience was Valuair. but that was Valuair. still not 20". only 19".

k. gotta sleep. sayonara!

new chart for the moment.

i must say, as we get into the end of the year, it's getting much harder to choose songs which make to the chart.

Anyway, here's the list. [also available under "Featured" as a music playlist]

1. Kanye West - Stronger
2. Matchbox Twenty - How Far We've Come
3. Mika - Grace Kelly
4. Colbie Caillat - Bubbly
5. Kanye West - Homecoming
6. Nelly Furtado - Explode
7. Mika - Love Today
8. Timbaland & Fall-Out Boys - One and Only
9. Mika - Relax, Take It Easy
10. Britney Spears - Gimme More
11. Mika - Lollipop
12. Kanye West - Good Morning (Introduction)


_singing_out_____|

short trip.

I'm flying off to Hong Kong tomorrow evening. But, i'll be back on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, I won't be blogging again.

Never mind, because this is your chance to catch up w/ what I've been blogging thus far [for those who haven't been reading.]

and for those who have, I'm going to start a series of polls on the side. Just have fun fooling around with the polls!

k. gtg set up the polls now. bye!

random shots of people.

from people i know, to some guy in RKS Adams or UG,

from those who know me, to those who don't,

from those whom i like to hang out with,

to those i just can't be bothered with.

these are people.

randomness!

damn moore's law...

ren yuan, i think you'll hate moore's law too.

Apparently, Intel's gonna release products which are lead-free, silicon-replaced, and faster. Hafnium is gonna replace silicon as the next big thing in processors. 45nm, Hi-K Metal Gate mobile processors by next year form Intel. Well, i'm only gonna get a new laptop between 2011 and 2013 [yes, im a confirmed mac user for a couple more years. no regrets. only regretted not moving to the Mac earlier.], so i can't wait to see where Intel's going in the next 4 years...

k, i am back from gibberish mode.

23 episodes. all conquered. in 3 days... [spoiler alert]

yes, Heroes is awesome. and i finished watching it. Firstly, i must say, Niki / Jessica [the alter-ego girl] is really pretty [and hot. k, im underaged. it's official.]. besides that, I have spent the last 3 days finishing all 6 DVDs. never thought I would finish...

I gave the tip on the "appropriate order" of watching the DVDs below. refer the previous in-determined post.

I'm gonna watch the whole thing again! w00t! sorry, zexun, raymond, john, and chen lin, the dvds are mine.

All 44-minute-long 23 episodes of Heroes, plus the 73-minute Pilot.

Bye!

Again!






[kidding, really. the last time, i kid thee not. this time, i am kidding.]



p.s.: Sylar didn't die in Season 1, and make sure u watch the last episode till the CREDITS, not when they show an open manhole cover [looking like a film canister] which had a cockroach on it and saying "End of Volume one]. Keep watching. You'll see Hiro. oops.

Review: "Heroes"

This is a call to everyone: watch "Heroes". It's not an ordinary show. It's amazing. It's awesome. It's got twists, suspense, VFX, and sound engineering written all over it.

TV never looked this good before. Seriously. It's filled with suspense, twists, unexpected happenings, and surprises. It's an eye-opener, it's a shocker, and it's cool.

Plus, the Japanese guy in the show was involved in the Video effects, too. He's an awesome, cool guy. Geeks rule!

Anyway, watch it tonight on Channel 5, 10pm to 12mn. And if you plan to buy / borrow / get your little paws on "Heroes" the DVD set, I recommend you watch Disc one first, then move to Disc 6 and watch all the extras EXCEPT the 50 deleted scenes. after which, you watch the rest of the set and then the 50 deleted scene. remember to watch the pilot as well. You'll see a different twist even though it feels the same as disc one. Trust me. watch it. you can fast forward, but don't miss any new bits in it. No spoilers here, but it has something to do with the Jihad terrorists and radiation. freaky, i tell you....

My rating for Heroes: 10/10. It's that good. Never seen anything worth watching as much as Heroes.

P.s.: My progress: I watched the whole of Disc 1, 2, and 6. Yes, i saw the deleted scenes. bad idea.

I feel awesome!

talk about shopping therapy!

Bought a couple of stuff...

The most exciting shopping spree I ever had!

why?

Well, let's see.... Starting from the least exciting. Mika's "Life in Cartoon Motion" is finally mine.

Then, I have Kanye West's album, "Graduation", and with the album, came a handphone pouch which contained some really old-skool shades. oh, inside the album: entry for 2 to MoS. Wonder if MoS allow entry for teens...

Finally... [drum roll] HEROES SEASON 1 on DVD!!!

i know i posted before that i wanted the HD-DVD version, but hey, HD-DVD is not accessible to me yet. so for now, DVD! and btw, it's not cheap. 6 DVDs, $79.99. OUCH! but I now have a way to waste time while in Singapore till 23DEC.


k, bb. no more blogging till I finished watching all 6 DVDs. bye!




[kidding.]

Personal clarifications and confessions.

I just want to make a confession, as well as to clarify a specific misunderstanding that I had since Sec 1.

The Confession:

I often try to act independently of others because of my stinkin huge ego. Very often, in groups projects, I like to do stuff my way, or use my own resources. I remember, when I was doing an MWOS project in Sec 1, I refuse to use photos taken by others. I kept insisting on using mine. And I did for 90% of the MWOS video. So I guess I have a huge ego... heh.


The clarification:

I don't back-stab, I don't think it's right, I don't think it should be done. I think it is cowardly to insult someone without the presence of the person. In fact, I think insulting a person in the person's face is also rude, and I know I'm guilty of criticizing.


OK. that's all. By the way, what album should I buy?
-"Graduation" by Kanye West,
-FolkLore" By Nelly Furtado, or
-"Life in Cartoon Motion" by MIKA?
-or something else?


and p.s.: I updated my wish list, incase nobody realised [i bet nobody realised. my blog's viewership is zero, from what i notice...]

Nelly Furtado - Explode

I found this video while I was channel-surfing through Joost. They just made a "Nelly Furtado" channel, featuring some of ther Music Videos from the last 2 albums or so. That was where I saw this really cool music video, which, for once, mixes cool cartoons with a great cinematic camera angles and awesome beats. I love the way the silhouettes are done. See if you agree with me.

Explode!

The Corrs Code

I'm inspired by the guy who decoded The Last Supper's hidden hymn.

Hence, i'm going to make sentences using lyrics from songs by the corrs, with the help of the shuffle feature in iTunes and a tracklist of songs by The Corrs. Here we go! RANDOMNESS!


"Give me a reason"
"Oh, Peggy Gordon"

"Go on, leave me breathless!"
"Hey you're too true to be good"

"I had visions like no other, so romantic, you'll discover"
"This boy is cracking up"

"Well, who am I to keep you down?"
"Only when I sleep."

"Don't let yourself go"
"You've been keeping me warm"

"The Heat of Summer Sunshine"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah"
"Coz we're so young"

"Heaven know no frontiers"
"Would you be happier?"

"I'm hoping to love you like we do, forever"
"borrowed heaven"

Tracks: [in order of appearance]

"Give Me A Reason", Best of The Corrs
"Peggy Gordon", Home
"Breathless", Best of The Corrs
"Humdrum", Borrowed Heaven, twice
"Old Town", Home
"Dreams", Best of The Corrs
"Only When I Sleep", Best of The Corrs
"Everybody Hurts", Best of The Corrs
"Summer Sunshine", Borrowed Heaven, twice
"So Young", Best of The Corrs
"No Frontiers", Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection
"Would You be Happier", Best of The Corrs
"Angels", Borrowed Heaven
"Borrowed Heaven", Borrowed Heaven

Buying a MacBook Pro? go to Hong Kong!

Yes, if you live in Singapore, and you plan on buying the MacBook Pro, and you have a day [or a few] to spare, why not go over to Hong Kong to purchase your new toaster MacBook Pro?

Not only will you save money, but you get to get out of the country for once!
Why? Coz it's cheaper in Hong Kong!

Let me do the Math for you.

Let's say I want to buy the higher-end 15" MacBook Pro. That's the one with
-2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
-2GB RAM
-256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
-160GB 5400rpm HDD

Singapore Price tag: S$4267.00, inclusive of GST, or S$3,987.65, for those who will benefit from GST refund.

The similar model from the Apple Online Hong Kong store: HK$ 19,200 [no tax applies].
HK$ 19,200 = S$ 3,555.69, which is just S$100 more than the lower-end 15" MacBook Pro model.

But you'll be saying: Getting to Hong Kong cost money, too!
Yes, indeed it does. but how much money is that?

For this, I checked with PriceLine.com.sg. To save money, one probably wouldn't want to check in at a hotel. so let's try to book for a one-day round-trip ticket on Cathay Pacific for 21 Nov 2007, pretty close to the High-season.
Ticket cost: S$601, including taxes.

Grand total:
S$601 + $3555.69 = $4156.69

Savings: $4267 - $4156.69 = $110.31

but of course, you may have wasted $110.31 worth of time in the process as well, since the flights are 3h 45 min each way, then you have to wait in the terminal, then there's 4 road trips: home-airport, airport-shop [unless you want to shop at the airport shops. they have shops there, though the prices should still be the same.], shop-airport, airport-home.

it's a hassle, but if you need to save a hundred smackeroos, I'ld do it. Besides, you could go to HK disneyland for a vacation! money well-spent!

more Daft Punk!

[Ms Gan, if you're reading this, check out the A Cappella video above! *HINT HINT!]


And of course, Kanye West has his song, "Stronger"!