Legs of chair

Legs of chair
Originally uploaded by Gremlink.

While attending a corporate session, I found a different angle to look at a chair. Looks a bit like drumsticks to me.

Signs that election is coming up...

On the SPUG forum, there's a thread that's ongoing which takes a funny look at signs that the general election is coming in Singapore. Here're some of the points as of writing. Funny stuff...

1. You get a note in yr HDB letterbox informing you that yr MP is coming to visit.. after an absence of almost four years

2. Smiley faces of rubbish collectors knocking on ur doors and unsolicited offering help, even though nothing probably get done.

3. Everything will be promised (without a target date, notably lift upgrading program)

4. Buangkok MRT station will open

5. Ministers suddenly become very open to opinions

6. When MPs or Ministers start to signal they gg to retire and then got some1 will broadcast he got 10+ potential female candidates, only to deny making such statement the following day.

7. When some1 will announce there is still many good years left but neber say for who

8. The LTA is repaving & repainting some of the roads. Noticed that signs of such activities are increasing. Gf commented that maybe election is coming....

9. When TP pretend neber see u speeding. And even if stop u also greet u nicely, give u a gentle verbal warning but when turn back only bang his own chest.

10. When there is newer version of New Singapore Shares.

11. When carpark auntie (and mata uncle see point 9) stop being so fastitious with issuing parking/traffic summons.

12. When suddenly bus frequencies go up.

13. When newspapers go over time into writing glowing CVs in 2 full page articles for MPs (especially new ones), complete with picture of kissing babies, shaking hawkers' hands, being garlanded by residents, family photos, interivews with long lost classmates, etc.

Dungeons & Dragons in libraries

The role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons have been previously marginalised by many and was thought to be, among other things, satanic and only for geeks and freaks. Oh how things have changed. These days, D&D is looking to be played in public libraries in the US and the company currently holding the rights to the game, Wizards of the Coast, has developed a program called "The Afternoon Adventure with DUNGEONS & DRAGONS" which will help librarians to start gaming sessions in libraries.

What was once unacceptable is now acceptable. The geeks and freaks will inherit the earth...

Cool sounding Shure e4

So, I've used the Shure e2c. It's a pretty sweet sound isolating earbuds that almost blocks out ambient noises, especially when I'm listening to my music and podcasts on the underground train. So when my e2c met an untimely death, I'm at a lost. I totally can't use any other headphones as their sound can't compare to the e2c. I even bought a Sony MDR-EX51 as a substitute, but it was so unacceptable that I went back to my Koss plugs and sold the Sony.

Today, my new Shure e4 arrived in the mail. It's simply amazing. Ordering the plugs on the Internet is certainly more affordable than buying it from the local shops. I ordered the e4 rather than the white e4c because I'd rather use a grey headset than broadcast to the world that I have an iPod with a white earbuds. The sound of this baby is crystal clear, but I think some burn in is required. The fit in the ear also needs some getting use to, since I've been using the e2c for some time. I'm looking forward to further using the e4 and swim in sweet sound heaven!

Internet Filtering in Singapore

There is a study which you can find on the Net conducted by the OpenNet Initiative on the extend of Net filtering, i.e. censorship in Singapore. Here's quoting the conclusion of the report.

Singapore’s state-mandated filtering of Internet sites is quite limited. Our testing found only six pornographic sites, one illegal drugs site, and one fanatical religion site blocked, and each of these sites could be reached in at least some of our tests. Only six sites were blocked in more than one-third of our tests, including five pornographic sites. We believe that these six sites are those most likely targeted for deliberate blocking by Singapore. Moreover, similar content is readily available at other, unblocked sites. Thus, the state’s technological Internet censorship is minimal, reflecting the MDA’s professed symbolic commitment to preventing access to this type of material.

However, ONI’s legal and background research demonstrates that Singapore uses other, non-technological measures to prevent online posting of and access to certain material, particularly that related to political groups other than the People’s Action Party and to religious and ethnic conflict. The threats of extremely high fines or even criminal prosecution as a result of defamation lawsuits, imprisonment without judicial approval under the Internal Security Act, and police monitoring of computer use may deter users in Singapore from creating or obtaining access to potentially objectionable material. Thus, Singapore’s filtering regime for political, religious, and ethnic material is primarily low-tech, yet nonetheless potentially effective.

So, it seems that the Internet environment is quite free, but not as free as you would imagine, if you know what I mean.

The Xbox 360 Biopsy

It's amazing what those homebrew modder folks can do. The guys at SmartXX got their hands on some Xbox 360 Xenon Development Kits and, well, simply dissected the units. If you're interested in the bones and guts of Microsoft's next-gen console, head over there to see all the gory details.

The best hacker/computer movies

Sometimes, computer and computer users are not presented accurately in movies. Still, computer/hacker movies are fun to watch. This list looks at some of the raddest computer-related films. On the list include Hackers (unrealistic but high in cool factor), Swordfish (quite lame except for the Halle Berry bares it scene), The Thirteen Floor (computer noir at its finest), and Ghost In The Shell (cyberspace + anime = kiss ass philosophical action). Some of the films in the list that I've yet to see include Lawnmower Man and Pirates of Silicon Valley (really want to see this just for how Bill and Steve are portrayed).

read more | digg story

Mac Freeware blog

Freeware is the best! This blog looks at free stuff for your Mac and sometimes, the best things in life ARE really free.

read more | digg story

See animation on your iPod Photo

Do you know that on your iPod Photo, you can quickly scroll through the photos? Because of that, you can actually create animation that's based on the technique that's similar to flicking pages quickly and hence seeing the animation. This site called iPodscrubs has a collection of such animations that you can install on your music player. Interesting and fun...
Link

Musings on Singapore's Anti-piracy policy

I've previously posted links to the recent blog posts that ripping MP3s from CDs that you own are illegal. Yes, when you buy CDs, under the Singapore law, you can't transfer the tunes to your MP3 players. So, your MP3 players are essentially paperweights... well, in a sense.

Anyway, on the "Snowburn" blog, the author has posted his own views on this... Interesting views, but I'm still not convinced.

Alternative to Star Wars Galaxies

If you're not keen on the official Star Wars MMORPG called Galaxies, there's actually an alternative called Star Wars Combine. It's a free massively multiplayer online role-playing simulation game based on the Star Wars Universe. It's developed by amateurs and uses a top down view. And it's free, of course.

read more | digg story

The 29 Healthiest Foods on the Planet

Health freaks listen up! The following is a "healthy food hot list" of the 29 food that will give you the biggest nutritional bang for you caloric buck, as well as providing other health benifits. Good read for general knowledge too if you want to watch out for your diet.

read more | digg story

Bittorrent resource

Digg has a link to a page that will be heaven for Bittorrent users, with links over 500 sites containing torrents and other clients. Useful for those who know.

read more | digg story

Best Tech shows on the Internet

There are very few, almost none, good tech-focused TV shows on real TV. So what's a tech-savvy guy to do? Get them from cyberspace of course! This link will show you which are the 15 best free downloadable tech shows currently available on the Internet. Go get your tech TV fix now!

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China's method of dealing with online game addiction

Becoming addicted to online games? If you're living in China, the government has come up with a way to help you beat your gaming addiction.

The Chinese Government unveiled a new system Tuesday to prevent individuals from playing online games for more than three consecutive hours, which must be installed for every online game in the country.

"This timing mechanism can prevent young people from becoming addicted to online games," Kou Xiaowei, Deputy Director of the Audiovisual and Internet Publication Department of the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP), said during a press conference.

Maybe they're come up with something for TV addicts, book addicts, net addicts, and whatever form of addictions there are out there.

The economics of "piracy"

Cory Doctorow on Boing Boing has responded to an interesting article that looks at how some piracy allow for more net revenue to vendors.

The only exception I take to Chris's argument is the idea that some "copy-protection" (DRM) technology can reduce downloading. The thing is, if I want to download a song instead of buying it, then all I require is a search tool and a copy of that song that someone, somewhere has cracked. It doesn't matter how strong or weak the DRM is on the copy that I choose not to buy -- all that matters is how much resource one cracker, somewhere in the world, was willing to devote to breaking the DRM. The first copy may be very expensive, but all subsequent copies are free.

Interesting reading.

Violence in games translate to real life... yes or no?

Frankly, I'm really getting sick of all these questions on whether violence in games does or does not translate into real life violence. One week, you've a study saying nay to this and that there are no evidences to link games to violence. Then another week, you've another party claiming yes to the link. This new report is reported in Washington Post and can be found in the link below.

Research indicates exposure to violence in video games increases aggressive thoughts, aggressive behavior and angry feelings among youth, the association said in a statement issued Wednesday. In addition, the APA statement said, this exposure reduces helpful behavior and increases physiological arousal in children and adolescents. ...

So, is games violence and real life violence linked? Who knows? My take is that games are just tools. And like the saying about guns, games don't kill, people do. I just want to play my game and have some fun, even if it contains violence.

Straits Times caught the podcasting bug...

There you go... the mainstream media in sunny island Singapore has actually caught the podcasting fever and has started a podcast. Unlike the SDP one, this is an actual podcast complete with RSS feed. So, it's true blue podcasting for you eh? At least they got the tech right. The first few podcasts are all about the National Day rally. Most of the files are reproduction of PM Lee's rally speech. Nothing really interesting there. I'd rather listen to Adam Curry than the PM Lee speech again... once is enough, I reckon.

Anyway, what is more interesting is the upcoming podcast where some journos will analyse the Rally. Wonder what they are gonna say... Also, I doubt this podcast will be a long term thing, probably it's only for the National Day Rally.

On other podcasting front, Dr Chee actually went on The Pilot'n'Jo show for an interview. I've it loaded on my iPod but have not heard it yet. Wonder if he's gonna say anything silly, like he did on his own "podcast" on the SDP website. Not that he actually said humourous stuff, but his arguments are just plain "funny", if you know what I mean. A video of that will be up soon too. Can't wait...

Ripping CD illegal in Singapore?

This blog post by loupgarou shows what a whole load of crap the copyright stance employed by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore. The reponse to the poster's questions are not quite "intellectual".

Q. How do I know whether the songs in my computer or MP3 player are legal?

A. If you didn't buy it from a legal site like Soundbuzz, it is probably
illegal. Plus, when you buy a CD, the rights only apply to the CD; this means you cannot rip songs out and make them into MP3s for your player. Generally, it's advisable to check the terms and conditions of use before you make a copy of the songs.

What a whole lotta bull! This essentially makes everyone with an MP3 player a potential criminal. Intellectual property is a huge farce it seems if that's the stance...

What's like in the Singapore Public Service...

Ever wonder what it's like to work in the Public Service in Singapore? Well, working for the Public Service is actually serving a greater good. I mean, it's all about helping the nation, serving the people, the government, yadda yadda right? Well, that's true, but there's a darker side to the Public Service, dark not in the sense that it's shady, but a side one would not reveal publicly.

This blog called "Scholar I am not" actually pokes fun at that dark side. It's a humourous look into the workings of the nation state's Public Service. Quite a fun read, especially if you are in the situations described.