Reasons Why My Next Phone Will Be A Windows Phone

I have this habit of going for something that is not mainstream. Example: people are buying
Samsung
,
HTC
,
iPhone
,
Sony
 smartphones. But I would buy
CSL
,
Lenovo
 and
Lumia 800
 back then. I have this feeling that I can’t shake off.

To me, it’s not the brand that matters, it’s how you make it work.

If I want the best of the best, I will be just like my best buddy
Ronny
who looks for devices that has the highest specifications regardless of brand. But not me. I bought the CSL Spice a few years back because it’s cheap and yet the hardware specification is on par with
HTC Desire HD
 (back in 2010/2011). What I did with it was that I rooted it and I installed custom ROM in it such as
CyanogenMod
. I managed to turn something simple and cheap into a very fast and responsive device. That’s what I like to do.

But my best purchase among all the “unknown” devices was my old Nokia Lumia 800 running the old Windows Phone 7.5 OS. Not many of my friends uses a Windows Phone. In fact, none of my friends were using it. They saw it, they played with it, they liked it, but they won’t buy it.

The reason is obvious. While Android and iOS offers tons of apps available to install, Windows Phone offers only about 30% of the total apps as compared to what Apple App Store offers. They don’t have Instagram at that time, other apps are incomplete and YouTube is non-existent in Windows Marketplace.

But that was 3 years ago. Now it’s a different story.

With the recent launch of the
Windows Phone 8.1 OS
, things are looking bright and sunny for WP devices. The 0.1 addition to the previous 8.0 version brought in tons of improvements. Although the small number in version, the difference is huge. The hardware that comes with the device itself is also getting better.

Android based devices has been getting all the high-end specifications. To me, it’s because the consumers are pushing the phone to its limit and demanding more power so that they can run power hungry apps.

It is somehow not the case with Windows Phone devices. 1GB of RAM is more than enough to run the WP8.1 OS without any lag. I’ve known this for a long time. Any WP device uses very little memory and would dump the cache and data when you close an app. Hence why it will run very smoothly even though you only have 512MB of RAM on some of the older devices.

I have listed a few reasons below why a Windows Phone will be my next phone.

Live Tiles

This is what made Windows Phone different from the rest, and the most obvious difference. Apple’s iOS uses good looking icons, Android has widgets and Windows Phone has Live Tiles.

What it does is that it should more than just icons. You can check out messages, notices and email notifications displayed on the Live Tiles itself. The new WP 8.1 version does it even better. The Live Tiles are now supports background images and the icons can be semi translucent so that you can see the beautiful special effects. It is what made the Windows Phone even more beautiful.

As you can see, the Live Tiles can have it’s own background and you can also customize how it was to look like. All the tiles can be re-sized to your liking.

The first time I use my Lumia 800, I find it a little bit awkward in the beginning. I thought I have to learn a whole new OS on how to use it. But as soon as I switch the phone on, everything is simple. It is so easy to use that I kinda mastered it within less than half an hour. One thing for sure, I love the responsiveness.

One Drive

Sure, iPhone have their iCloud for your to store data online. But
One Drive
 is more open so that you can use it with any other devices that you have. The integration with multiple devices is very welcoming. Say if you have an Android phone and a Windows phone, both can use the same account in One Drive and sync photos or documents from both devices.

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Of course we can do this with other 3rd party apps such as Dropbox and Box but this one comes preloaded in the OS. Plus, you get about 15GB of extra space in your One Drive when you purchase a new Windows Phone. I already have 50GB, so after this I can add it up to become 65GB. Nice.

Consistency

In this context, I meant consistency in all the devices in terms of interface and functionality. Ever since the release of Windows 8 (desktop computer OS), the interface has been streamlined to look similar with Windows Phone OS so that users can easily adapt to the new Windows environment. So technically, you can now use your PC, laptops, Windows OS based tabs and smartphones, all the same way.

You can also sync and use a single account across all your other devices. This is becoming the norm for Windows (mobile) environment. That is why your life will be simpler from now on because you don’t need to re-learn everything at once. All the same now, well, similar.

Cortana

Who? Well, Cortana is Microsoft’s answer to Siri and Google Now. What made it different and somewhat better than Siri and Google Now is the ability to learn everything new about you on daily basis. Cortana will learn your favourite type of food and where is the nearest restaurant that serves your favourite dish. What it does is that it will ask you a few sets of questions as you bond with your phone, asking you what you like to do and what kind of music you prefer. It is Cortana’s way of getting to know you.

Google Now can learn your location and where you always hangout but that’s about it. Cortana will tell you can things that is going on around you, without you asking. And the name “Cortana”, sounds way cooler than Siri…right?

Better Camera

Let’s face it. The first thing we’re going to look at when buying a new phone is the camera, right? There are cheaper phones out there with better camera but none can match the camera technology made by a Windows Phone. The camera software itself is beautifully done.  The interface is easy to use and the functions are more professional like. Plus, there are so many other cool extras that comes with it.

Many camera software makers are trying to mimic the overall interface of the WP camera software. Most of them don’t do well.

Best of all, most of the higher end Lumia series Windows Phone is equipped with an Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) for better shooting in the dark. With OIS, you don’t have to worry about blurry images at all. The technology of OIS in smartphones was first introduced by the Lumia 920. From then on, many other manufacturers are pushing their devices to be equipped with the same technology.

Conclusion

It’s not that I don’t like Android OS or iOS for that matter. Trust me, I have been an Android user for as long as I can remember but I always love to adapt to new things. To me, Windows Phone is not a new thing because I used to own a Lumia 800 which I loved. Reason I sold that one off was because the OS is stuck at version 7.8 and no further upgrade is available. Version 8 and above uses a totally different programming platform so my old Lumia 800 couldn’t support it.

One concern that most consumers have about a Windows Phone is the availability of the popular apps. 3 years ago, the Marketplace don’t have much to offer. Today, there are tons of popular apps being added. They don’t have Instagram back then, they have it now. Few hundreds, if not, thousands of apps are being added daily. And the number is still growing rapidly.

Now is the right time to make the shift to a Windows Phone environment. I know that I will be saving some cash for my next upgrade, and it will definitely be a Windows Phone.

Like this article? Share it with your friends. Leave a comment if you have any and thank you for reading.


Sad Reality As A Freelance Artist

After watching this short animated video, I can very much relate to my life as a freelance digital artist/graphic designer/photographer. We (freelancers) spent countless hours sitting in-front of our computers trying to learn some or new graphic techniques, not to mention spent so much money buying our equipments so that we can have a tool to work with.

For my photography, naturally the equipments are not cheap and we have to spend long hours for proper fundamental training and learning process. Some of us photographers may be talented but our skills need a long time to master the art of “getting it just right”. That process will take years to develop and it’s not like it grew on trees where we can just pick it.

I had clients who would say, “you only taking pictures…what’s so difficult about it and expensive?”.

The time I spent with you taking the photographs is expensive, my gears are expensive and also my traveling expenses are expensive. But in reality, the price that I quote is following the standard as by any other photographer. I will always follow the standard price because I do not want to spoil the market. So don’t go and tell me that RM100 is more than enough to cover a 4-hour company dinner event even for a “shoot-and-burn” package. Sadly, there are “newbies” who are willing to take the offer for a quick buck. Because of these newbies, clients are no longer willing to pay according to the standard price.

On the side note, we are known as freelancers. But that
does not
 mean we work for free…or cheap. We respect you as a client, please respect us (freelancers) the same way.

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Thank You Line

A few weeks ago, Line (the Japanese chat app similar to WeChat) was giving out free McD vouchers to its users. What they did was giving you a total of 10 days to use the app and each day they will give you a tick. Once you’ve got all 10 ticks, you will receive the RM10 McD voucher. Well, although it’s not much but hey, it’s not easy to get someone to give you RM10 voucher just like that. So, thank you, Line+ Corporation. Also not forgetting, I got a free sundae cone for the first tick, and a free Chatime drink for the 5th tick. Both were redeemed almost immediately.

Yep…they send it straight to my house via snail mail.

Well…it’s better than nothing. I am grateful that I receive something free once in a while. Doesn’t happen often.

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Down and Out

The reason I was delaying some of my blog posts is because I was hospitalised because of my chest pain. At first I was suspected of a mild heart attack which in turn means “
Angina
“. Yes. My heart was not feeling good at all and I suffered a minor chest pain and difficulties of breathing at one point.

All happened when I was driving home in my colleague’s car. The sudden chest pain and breathing problem caused me to stop by the side of the road. Then I asked my colleague to take over the wheel and send me straight to the nearest hospital, University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC).

It was rather havoc at that time. With traffic jams everywhere, I don’t know whether I can get to the hospital on time. But I know a few shortcuts that we can avoid most of the jams along the way. True enough, we managed to get to the hospital within less than 10 minutes. Upon arrival, I was put on a stretcher and the emergency team pushed me straight to the ER.

I was in stable condition. I felt better when the doctor gave me GTN to ease the blood flow. In the end, I was admitted to the cardiology ward for a total of 5 days.

Good news came about a few days after I’ve been warded when the doctor did a stress test to see if there’s any blockage in my arteries. From the test results, they have concluded that my heart is actually fine. No blockage or whatsoever. So what caused the pain? More results came about and the doctors felt that it may be a case of
Pericarditis
 instead.

The symptoms for Pericarditis is exactly the same as Angina or mild heart attack. I was relieved nonetheless to learn that Pericarditis is treatable.

I was discharged from the hospital after the 5th day feeling grateful and knowing that I will be fine. Alhamdulillah.

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Note to self (and to my readers): Please take care of your health and start eating healthy. You only have one heart, use it well. In my case, I’m thankful that it’s nothing major.


Separate Facebook Messenger App Explained

Some of us hated this. When it was first announced that we need to install a separate app for Facebook Messenger on our mobile devices, most of us were complaining about it. Those some people somehow prefer to chat right from the Facebook app itself. To me, I prefer to use the separate app because it’s easier. But at times I do use it from the main app.

Recently, there was a live Q&A session with Mark Zuckerberg and he gave a short explanation on why we need to use the separate Facebook Messenger app.

Read his explanation below:

I’m grateful for hard questions. It keeps us honest. We need to be able to explain clearly why what we’re thinking is good. Asking everyone in our community to install a new app is a big ask. I appreciate that that was work and required friction. We wanted to do this because we believe that this is a better experience. Messaging is becoming increasingly important. On mobile, each app can only focus on doing one thing well, we think.

The primary purpose of the Facebook app is News Feed. Messaging was this behavior people were doing more and more. 10 billion messages are sent per day, but in order to get to it you had to wait for the app to load and go to a separate tab. We saw that the top messaging apps people were using were their own app. These apps that are fast and just focused on messaging. You’re probably messaging people 15 times per day. Having to go into an app and take a bunch of steps to get to messaging is a lot of friction.

Messaging is one of the few things people do more than social networking. In some countries 85 percent of people are on Facebook, but 95 percent of people use SMS or messaging. Asking folks to install another app is a short term painful thing, but if we wanted to focus on serving this [use case] well, we had to build a dedicated and focused experience. We build for the whole community. Why wouldn’t we let people choose to install the app on their own at their own pace? The reason is that what we’re trying to do is build a service that’s good for everyone. Because Messenger is faster and more focused, if you’re using it, you respond to messages faster, we’ve found. If your friends are slower to respond, we might not have been able to meet up.

This is some of the hardest stuff we do, is making these choices. We realize that we have a lot to earn in terms of trust and proving that this standalone messenger experience will be really good. We have some of our most talented people working on this.

There you have it. Basically the idea is to separate the timeline and messages. Both are different and serves different purposes. We first use Facebook during the early days (before Messenger) to share our status updates and post interesting things on the Timeline, not for messaging or chatting. That is the main purpose of the main Facebook app. Hence why Facebook created the separate Messenger app to make it easier for us to chat with our friends. Simple enough? What do you think?

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November Rain, December Fall

So many things happened these part few months for me. Most of the things are rather heart-breaking.

I have not been able to blog recently. I have many pending reviews that I have yet to publish. I have another phone to review but that will have to wait as well. In-fact, I have lots of things to blog about. But this blog post will sum up as the reason on why I delayed on my posts.

From the beginning of November up to the current date, things are pretty down for me. First one was in the beginning of November, actual date was 31st October but I will refer that here as early November. That was when I had my first mini “heart attack”. Initially it was diagnosed as unstable angina. All the symptoms were pointing to heart attack so I was admitted to the hospital for 5 days. I was discharged after 5 days but 4 days later, a second attack took place and I was admitted again for another 5 days. This time I went through some of the necessary tests such as stress test and echo cardiogram. I passed with flying colours. Doctors then concluded that the cause of my chest pain is due to pericarditis, which is an inflammation on the surface of the heart which also has the same symptoms as angina.

I’m thankful for that. Thankful that I don’t have any blockage or anytime serious. But I have to watch what I eat from now on because the third attack came again about a week ago. This time I refused admission, but I comply to them when they request that I stay at the hospital for a night for monitoring. I will go for a CT angio scan to see whether the problem is really serious or not because it happened again after a whole month.

Apart from my physical heart condition, it got hurt emotionally too. Two things happened that broke my heart into pieces. One is relationship, the other is the passing of my beloved father on 11th December 2014. I will not talk about my relationship because that is something I should be able to cope up with. But the story about my father is something I feel that I would love to share.

My father was my biggest fan, my biggest and most loyal supporter. Not forgetting my biggest financier as well when it comes to my early career in bowling. I started bowling at the age of 11. Dad would bring me to the nearest bowling alley in Holiday Villa club located not far from our house in Subang Jaya. I was then spotted by one of the national coach, Mr Allan Lee, who happens to be there while I was bowling. He said that my talent in bowling will go far and he invited me to join his youth programme under the National Sports Council flag. So I did. And from that moment onwards, my dad became my biggest fan and supporter.

During my career being an upcoming young bowler, my dad has spent countless of hours to make sure that I have all the training that I can get. Not to mention all the money he has spent on me which includes game fees, travel cost, bowling equipments and tournament fees. He sees all this as his contribution for my better future as a bowler. And it did not go to waste. I won my first tournament, which is actually a men’s event instead of a youth event at the age of 14. I was then included in the Malaysian National Youth Squad at that age, and I was the youngest among all.

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My career went on a very fast pace. All thanks to my dad who would bring me to as many bowling alleys as we can so that I am trained to adapt to different types of environment and lane conditions. Thing is, those bowling alleys were not just those in the Klang Valley but we went all over the Peninsula Malaysia to look for a bowling alley. At the most, we even went to Singapore to test out the lanes and also to compete in some international tournaments on the island such as the famous Super Classic at Orchard Bowl and also the Santa Claus Open at Victor’s Superbowl. I was only 15 then. But my dad went through so much so that I can train myself to be the best bowler in the country.

And then thing went downhill for his business. But he still want to see me excel in my bowling career. He never stop supporting me and even went through loans so that I can compete in tournaments. I continued on as a national bowler until I was 23. That was the end of my national career. But my dad never gave up. It does not matter to him if I’m no longer in the national team. I can still continue bowling on my own. He would follow me to wherever I go. Even during his most difficult times, he will not miss an opportunity to watch me compete in any tournament. I think he has spent countless money and time for me especially during my 12 years bowling career.

He was my biggest fan, my biggest supporter. I’m sad that during the last few years, all he wanted to do is to watch me throw the ball again. He didn’t get that chance to see me play for the very last time because he fell sick suddenly and his health condition deteriorate too fast. I should have invited him to watch me compete in a tournament last August. But he lives too far from the bowling alley that I don’t want to trouble him to drive that far and at night. But yeah, I knew that was one of his final wishes, to watch me bowl for the last time.

Newspaper clip on their attempt travel to Mekah.

My dad and together with my mum also made an
attempt to travel to Mekah, Saudi Arabia by land
 in their 16 year old Mitsubishi Pajero. But their journey was short-lived because they were unable to enter China, one of the countries that my dad would love to visit. They went off on their journey during the month of Ramadhan in 2013. But they managed to come back from two months after they left. If only they are able to enter China, they would have been in Mekah by now. But fate has it that they were meant to come back. [
Facebook page
]

On 11th December 2014, he left us peacefully in his sleep at 7.20am. It was the saddest moment of my life because I have lost my biggest fan and supporter, a loving father and a great mentor. I love you dad. Rest well. Al-Fatihah.

2014 is a sad year for all of us Malaysians, and it had to end the last two months with more sadness on my end. And for 2015…bring it on!


Eyes On Archos 50 Diamond – Octa Power

CES2015 is currently ongoing in Las Vegas. There are some fine new gadgets and cool inventions being announced every hour followed by the respective press conferences. Some people I personally know are there at the event (lucky them) covering the event for their own tech blogs or magazines. But there is one product that caught my attention during its launch yesterday.

Most of us may not know the brand name
Archos
, but I know that they made some awesome Android based
gaming console
 before this which looked similar to Sony PSP. That was how I got to know Archos before this. And now in Las Vegas, Archos revealed their new mid-range 4G enabled Android smartphone which I think is worth the try.

Most of my friends would know me by now that I would only use a phone for a maximum of only 6 months. After which I will sell it off to purchase a newer model or try a different type of Android phones. In this case, I may consider the new Archos 50 Diamond smartphone. Why? Read on…

I like to try something new. I will always try the unknown or less famous brands like for example, Lenovo, before they got famous for selling cheap smartphones. I have used a Spice (CSL) brand phone as well, whereby the internal components are similar to the high-end devices at that time but not many people know about it. So for me to tryout this Archos 50 Diamond smartphone is something that I’m used to, like exploring the unknown.

Why I would love to get myself this Archos 50 Diamond? First of all, it looks good. I will ignore the yellow colour as what the picture sample shows. I will always go for black or white instead.

Second thing is the hardware. It uses the new 64-bit enabled
Snapdragon 615
 Octa-core which is based on big.SMALL architecture with the speed of 1.7GHz for the big quad-core and 1.0GHz for the small quad-core. It also comes with 2GB of RAM which is sufficient enough for any devices running on Android KitKat or Lollipop. You will also get 16GB of internal space and it is expandable with an external SD card up to 128GB. The graphics are being rendered by Adreno 405 GPU clocking at 550Mhz for a liquid smooth gaming experience.

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It comes with a full HD IPS display at 1920 x 1080 resolution and 440ppi. The 5-inch screen is at my favourite and most optimum size for a smartphone display. I don’t like my phone screen to be too large somehow. So 5-inch screen is good for me.

Now the camera on this Archos 50 Diamond is something that I’d like to see. The main shooter is 16-megapixel and the front shooter is 8-megapixel. It is said to be able to produce good quality photos in low light, but that has to be tested first. Need to see the review on that later on. The camera shoots video at the maximum HD resolution at 1080p with 30fps.

This device is also dual SIM enabled. Now what’s better than having a dual SIM capability? How about dual SIM LTE enabled device! Yes, as I understand it, the Archos 50 Diamond supports LTE connectivity on both SIM. How cool is that? Fine, the LTE network in Malaysia is not that good yet but I do get some awesome full signal around places that I frequent. So far I have no problem with my LTE network (thank you
Maxis
). To support the LTE network, we need a bigger battery. The Archos 50 Diamond comes with 2700mAh battery capacity that can last you the whole day with a full charge. That’s good enough for me.

Some phones will come with their brand’s user interface (UI) or “launchers”. For example, Samsung has Touchwiz, HTC has Sense and OPPO has ColorOS. These launchers are known to carry bloatwares which in time will slow down your smartphone if you don’t know how to maintain it (ie: cleaning junks, cache, etc..). Good news about the Archos 50 Diamond, it comes without any launchers. What you will get is the purest Android experience, similar to Moto X/G and Nexus brands. Without any launchers, your device will run smoothly as how it should.

The Archos 50 Diamond is expected to be in retail before February. I don’t know whether it will be available here in Malaysia or not but I’m hopeful. Retail price is rumoured to be around RM900.

Source of info:
Archos.com


Hidden Vegetarian Cafe in KL

My title is a little bit off because this is actually a coffee joint that serves vegetarian food. But since I came here for the food, I choose to name the title as “Vegetarian Cafe”.

This will be a quick post on a good food and cozy place that I recently found in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Nicely hidden within the bustling city just off of Jalan Tun Razak, lies a small (and almost hidden) cafe that serves good vegetarian food. And their coffee is to die for.

RGB & The Bean Hive is located on Jalan Damai, off Jalan Ampang near the (now closed) old Al-Rawsha and Al-Andalus arabic restaurants. If you’re familiar with the area, then you won’t get lost.

From the outside, it looks like someone’s house so you might wonder whether you should just walk up their front door or not. But as you get closer to the door, you can smell the strong coffee aroma. That’s when you know that you’re in the right place. It may look empty from the outside, but it’s cozy on the inside.

They serve only vegetarian food here at RGB & The Bean Hive. But how good is it? I can tell you now, it’s really good. I’ve only tried two dishes and I can assure you that both are good. They even have vegan cakes here. But their coffee is the best.

I ordered a pasta dish one Friday noon and I was not disappointed. The texture and taste are spot on. The portion is just enough to fill up my empty stomach. At least I didn’t feel hungry again later in the evening, so to me…that’s a good sign.

They have many other dishes at RGB Cafe like sandwiches and rice. But honestly, I wish to try their sandwich the next time I eat lunch there. It looks huge and appetizing. Too bad I didn’t get the chance to take more photos of the place and food. No worries, I’ll be going there again and I shall take more photos and blog about it one more time.

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I can tell you one thing…RGB & The Bean Hive is a very cozy place to chill after a good meal. I can probably fall asleep at one of their comfortable couches. Plus they have a fine section where you can just sit and read a book…and no one will bother you while you take a sip on their aromatic coffee and indulging a slice of their cake. Yumm…

Want to check them out? Here are the details:

RGB & The Bean Hive

35 Jalan Damai, Off Jalan Ampang,

55000 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03 – 2161 1329

Business hours:

10:30am – 6:30pm (Mon – Fri)

10:00am – 6:00pm (Sat – Sun)

You can check out their Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/RatherGoodBeans


New Xiaomi Flagship Launched – Mi Note

The new
Xiaomi
 flagship has been
announced
. We bid a warm welcome to Mi Note. And so far it’s looking really good.

The launch of the new Mi Note is still on-going at the time of writing this article. So I will be adding more photos from the launch event as the data comes in. So far, the specs that I’ve gathered for the Mi Note are as follows:

– Snapdragon 801 Quad-core processor

– Adreno 330 GPU

– 3GB of RAM

– 13MP Sony camera with Optical Image Stabilizer with dual tone LED flash

– HiFi quality audio system

– Dual LTE SIM support

– 5.7″ full HD display 1920 x 1080 at 386ppi

– 3,000 mAh battery

– Curved 3D Gorilla Glass 3

[gmedia id=8]

Besides the new flagship Mi Note, Xiaomi has also announced the higher spec flagship known as Mi Note Pro. This baby packs a really good punch on the specs. You guys can check it out from the graphic below.

The Mi Note Pro is made for those who thirst for more power in their smartphone. And the specifications in this baby is really high. It is probably the first Snapdragon 810 device being announced this year so far and I’m sure more to follow.

Check out the official videos below too.

More update to come.

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Nokia HERE Beta – Ohsem Offline Map

I bet some of you owned a GPS device like Garmin or Papago before. Prior to smartphones that was equipped with a built-in GPS, we would depend on the actual standalone GPS devices to find our way through the city or when we’re out-of-town. But now is the era of a modern world. Even the cheapest Android phones can be used as a GPS device. We now have Google Maps, Waze, Sygic, On-The-Go and many other free and paid GPS apps for the smartphone. But the latest addition by Nokia called HERE Beta (which is still in beta) made its way to the Android platform.

I had a Lumia smartphone before. And the GPS & map function on the Nokia is excellent. You can use the map free of charge and best of all, you can use the map offline without any internet connection…same goes with the new HERE Beta for Android.

Once you’ve downloaded the app from the Play Store, you can have the option to download the full map according to the country you’re in. Naturally, I installed it on my phone and downloaded the full map for Malaysia. To my surprise, it is very much updated. The GPS locks in quickly and accurately. I am able to locate myself in mere seconds. To look for destinations are simple. Key in your destination like “KLCC” if you’re looking for a specific building or “Jalan Telawi” if you’re looking for the road and it will list out the destination and also surrounding area of interest.

I did a test on the app and see how it works. I keyed in my destination as Wangsa Walk and list of other places also appeared on the list. One awesome function that HERE Beta has over other (free) map apps is the ability to search for destinations while being offline. This will be very useful if you’re out of data or while you’re in another country without a phone line or WiFi. Google Maps can also be saved offline but you won’t be able to search for places of interest while being offline. So to me, HERE Beta appeals to me heck of a lot more. But I do love Google Maps too. So I have both installed on my phone…oh…and Waze too.

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Take a look at the screenshots from the thumbnails below. I have locked my destination as Wangsa Walk and as you can see, the app shows the route and some other details along the way. It’s quite similar to the other GPS devices, so nothing special here. But if you’re online, it can also show the traffic conditions.

[gmedia id=10]

Another awesome feature that I like from HERE Beta is the 3D surrounding buildings. This function also appears in the standalone GPS devices and also some of the other GPS apps on Android, but this is entirely free. That is the main reason I’m loving the HERE Beta. All because it is 100% FREE to use. And the functionality and ease of use made it my go to GPS (not that I need it though). Yeah, my friends calls me the “walking GPS” because I know my ways around. Then why do I use a GPS app? For the fun of it. LOL. Actually I can easily find out some short-cuts by referring to the app. I’m curious like that.

Would I recommend this app to my friends? Yes! Definitely. It’s so easy to use and the winning criteria it has over the standalone GPS thingimajig is being totally free. Go get a cheap Android smartphone and have HERE Beta installed to have a cheap alternative GPS device for your car. You can use it if you’re on foot as well. It will suggest the shortest route to your destination if you’re walking. But to walk from PJ to Wangsa Maju is ridiculous. I think HERE Beta will suggest you to take a bus instead.

Want to give HERE Beta a try? Go ahead and download it from the
Play Store
 now.


Ohsem Cook – Beef Goulash

At times when I’m not too busy looking at technology and gadget stuffs, I filled my time with another hobby of mine…cooking! I can’t remember when I started to love cooking but I remember it began way back since I was a child. I have cooked many things since then and most of the methods are still used to this day. One of my favourite dishes is Beef Goulash. This recipe is self thought and I’ve been using the same recipe since.

There are so many method and recipes for any goulash meals. I came up with mine after watching Asian Food Channel when they were showing a show on cooking beef with tomatoes. I used most of the common ingredients for beef goulash but I also added a few of my own.

Goulash is a soup or stew made with meat, (mostly beef is used) onions and the most defining ingredient; paprika. You can also add , potatoes, root vegetables, and for seasoning sometimes wine, bay leaf, caraway or thyme.

Without delay, here’s my recipe and my way of cooking this awesome beef dinner.

Ingredients:

200 grams of lean beef or beef block cut into cubes

Two tablespoon of flour

Salt & pepper to taste

Two tablespoon of powdered mixed spice, mixed in half cup of warm water

2 cans of tomato puree

1 bottle of tomato ketchup

3 pcs of bay leaf

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 celery, diced

2 fresh tomatoes diced

3 tablespoon of sugar

Chopped parsley

2 pcs of potatoes, diced

Half tablespoon of dried mixed herbs

3 tablespoon olive oil

First, what I do is mixed the meat cubes with the two tablespoon flour, dried mixed herbs and salt/pepper to taste. Heat up the olive oil in a medium size or large cooking pot, add in the chopped onions, stir until it all soften a little bit and then add in the beef cubes. Stir evenly and let it cook a while for about 7 minutes on medium heat. Then add in the mixed spice that has been mixed with half a cup of warm water. Stir up evenly again until it starts to boil.

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When it starts to boil, add in the tomato puree and a cup of water. At this point, add in all the other ingredients such as the diced carrots, cerely, potatoes, bay leaves, tomatoes and half bottle of the tomato ketchup. Yes….half bottle. You’d be thinking by now that, wow…that’s a lot of tomatoes. I’d say yes…I can add more if I like. Bring everything to boil and then add in 3 tablespoon of sugar. Give a taste and make sure you taste sweet and sour at the same time. It should have that really strong tomato taste. thick and sour. By adding the tomato ketchup and sugar, it will have some sweetness added into it as well.

Let it all simmer on medium-low heat for another half-hour. The beef will be tender by this time. Keep stirring occasionally. As final touch, add in the chopped parsley for that last minute twang (as how Jamie Oliver puts it).

Scoop it out and put it in a nice plate or bowl. You can either eat it on its own or with some nice garlic bread. Or you can add it to your favourite pasta like spaghetti or linguine. Most of all, enjoy!


Reliving My Childhood – Games From The 80s

Do you know that you can now play nearly 2,400 MS-DOS games for free right from your browser? Yes, that’s right. Even the good old first edition of Prince of Persia is available to play…for free!

I stumbled upon the said website earlier and I can’t help myself but to play with some of my childhood favourite games such as Prince of Persia, Spy vs Spy and many more. I have yet to explore the whole list myself. But I know that I will definitely have such a fun time after this.

Previously back in the 80’s, I need a floppy disk to play the game on my old MS-DOS system at home. Start up the PC, insert the floppy disk and let it run straight from the disk. I bet the kids nowadays don’t even know what a floppy disk is. But to me, those were the fun days.

The website I am talking about is actually an online archive site but I can point you straight to the MS-DOS games page
over here
. You can thank me later when or IF you’re done playing your nostalgic game(s). Have fun.

Source:
TheVerge.com

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Saygus V2 – The Phone That Sets The Bar For 2015

I know not many people have heard about this phone, unless those who followed the recent CES2015 in Las Vegas really closely. We are seeing tons of flagship phones coming up in 2015 with the likes of Samsung, HTC, Sony, Apple, Motorola and many others. But there is an (almost) unknown phone maker who quietly produced a device which now becomes a benchmark for the big players to follow.

Introducing the
Saygus V2
 Android smartphone. The phone that has all the bells and whistles of a flagship phone…plus many more.

Let me reveal a little bit of the key specifications that this baby has.

First up, it is (probably) powered by a
Snapdragon 801
 2.5GHz quad-core CPU with Adreno 330 GPU. It has 3GB of RAM to back all the processing power. It has a 5-inch full HD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution and 445 ppi, protected by the latest Corning Gorilla Glass 4.

The most prominent specification that this monster has is the built in ROM space, which is 64GB of on-board memory and here’s a bonus…TWO MicroSD memory card slot which each supporting up to 256GB of data. The Saygus V2 was announced as a media phone which will be most suitable as a gaming and multimedia platform.

Then there is the camera. We have only been seeing some fixed focus front camera by some unknown phone makers out there. Oppo did a good job with the N series like having a rotating camera. But how about having a 21-megapixel rear camera with Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS), and 13-megapixel shooter up front also with OIS? Awesome. Crazy? Yes…but awesome. I’m sure this is going to be an excellent selfie camera. Vain people kindly take note of this. It also comes with a dedicated camera shutter button as well.

With all that awesome hardware, it need something to make it last the whole day too. With its 3100mAh battery, it will power through the day with ease. It also comes with a Wireless Qi Charging Built-inPower Saving Chip. That may help to reduce power usage even more.

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Other fun things that it has are the Harman Kardon speakers for some good sounding vibes, IR (infrared) transmitters to help you with some remote control devices, biometric fingerprint side scanner, NFC, LTE, root access (for developers), IPX7 rating waterproofing technology (submerge in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes) and many others that most 2014 flagships doesn’t have.

As a conclusion, this is the phone that sets the bar really high for some of the big players to follow. If the price is right, I’m sure that most of the gadget and Android freaks (like me) will find the Saygus V2 a good grab.


WhatsApp From Your Computer

Good news to those who love chatting on
WhatsApp
. You can now chat on WhatsApp from your computer!

I know many of you are using WhatsApp on daily basis. But when you’re in the office, you are glued to your computer 3/4 of the time and if you’re chatting on your phone, your boss may not like it. So to avoid being scolded for using your phone most of your office hours, you can now use your computer to chat on WhatsApp and also act like you’re doing your work. Cool eh?

There is a catch to chat on WhatsApp via your computer. You only can use Google Chrome. Also, this function isn’t available for iPhone yet. Too bad for iPhone users.

“Today, for the first time, millions of you will have the ability to use WhatsApp on your web browser. Our web client is simply an extension of your phone: the web browser mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device — this means all of your messages still live on your phone,” WhatsApp stated.

Now to chat from your computer, simply head over to
http://web.whatsapp.com
 and scan the QR code given with your phone. Instructions are given and it’s pretty easy to follow. Once you’re connected, start chatting away.

This topic is currently trending on
 Twitter
and
Facebook
. And I’m sure by now many of you have starting using the new function. Have fun.

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Another Attempt For Project365

I’ve been doing this since 2009, if I’m not mistaken. But I failed to finish the whole 365 photos during my previous attempts. This year, I’m starting it up again beginning February 1, 2015 instead of January 1. Better late than never I suppose.

Taking one photo a day is not as easy as it seems. This time around, I’ve came up with a theme for each month so that it would be easier for me to have a “target” when I go out to look for my subject(s). Then again, I may not follow the theme because then I would have no freedom to snap other potential or interesting subjects that came about at that moment. That put me in a dilemma, whether I should be candid or should I follow the theme.

Having said that, I had some loyal followers back then when I was doing this project in 2009. They were looking forward to my photos almost on daily basis. They loved my spontaneity in capturing my subjects. Candid shots are my usual. I love outdoors, I love shooting people and street photography is one of my favourite although my forte is portrait/modeling. At times I would go for close-up shots or macro, things that we may take for granted or went unnoticed.

I will cover most that I possibly can this time around. However, I won’t be carrying my Nikon D90 with me all the time so most of my photos will be taken with my MotoG 2nd generation phone.

I have already set up an
album in Flickr for my 2015 Project365
. I will be posting all my photos in Flickr this time because Facebook will reduce the photo quality and size to save bandwidth. Do head over to
my Flickr account
 to view my photos and follow my progress.

Thanks for visiting.

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Malware Attack?

This is the first time ever that I saw this warning on my site. I don’t know what happened and I don’t know how it got there, but apparently my website has been flagged to contain Malware(s).

I don’t remember installing anything malicious within the last few weeks and months. It has been running quite well without a glitch. So for the malware error message to appear suddenly is a shock to me. My site has been down and site visitors has declined over the past few days. It’s sad to see something that I’ve built to crumble just because of a single malware glitch. It’s not easy to build a fan base for a blog site and it seems that the site traffic has certainly slowed down.

Meanwhile, I found out something. I do have an advertisement running on my site by
Exabytes
. The Exabytes marketing team advised me to remove their ad script for the time being because they have been receiving the same problem. So I guess that may be one of the cause of the malware error. I have now removed the script from my site and hopefully things will run well from now on. But the lost of visitors and traffic really hit the pain spot. That one the other hand, I have to build again. Maybe from scratch.

Now I have to give some time for the web crawlers to “declare” my site once again to see whether it is still going to be flagged as malicious or not. That may take a long time. If I’m lucky, it may only take a few days.

Bummer…

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Jolla Announced Their New Tablet

I have been looking at other alternatives to Android and IOS for sometime now. Lately, I have my eyes on the new BlackBerry Classic. Going back to BlackBerry will be a good one because I miss the physical keyboard on the device. No doubt that the new BlackBerry Classic caught my attention. I’m also looking at Windows based phones and also Ubuntu Touch because hey, it’s something different.

Now back to Jolla. Last year I blogged about the release of their new Sailfish OS based smartphone which have yet to reach our shores. Now. they have introduced a new member in Jolla family during the recent Mobile World Congress 2015 event in Barcelona, Spain.

Say hello to Jolla Tablet.

This new beautiful tablet caught not only my attention, but is also one of the main attraction during the MWC2015 event. Having won the Best Tablet of MWC15 Award, this device is set to wow everyone else.

Jolla Tablet’s Sailfish operating system will be unlike anything you’ve tried before. Once you try it, you’ll never want to go back. Independent and powered by open source, change whatever you like, whenever you like.

Powered by 64-bit Intel quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM, it runs smoothly without a twitch. It also comes with an ample internal space with 32GB or 64GB variants and MicroSD card space as well. So you can save lots of data, photos and videos on this tablet and don’t have to worry about storage space. Speaking of photos, it also comes with a 5-megapixel front camera and 2-megapixel rear camera. The super clear IPS display is sized just under eight inches at 7.85″ with 2048 x 1536 resolution and 330 ppi.

In my opinion, this tablet looks stunning. I was watching the video about this tablet earlier on and I can tell that the device will be easy to use. From the movements (or animation) point of view, it seems really smooth and fluid.

Besides running its own native apps, Sailfish OS has the capability to run Android apps. You can continue using your favourite apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as downloading all the latest ones via the Jolla Store and other Android app marketplaces. If an app doesn’t exist, you can always make it.

Best of all, it can run any Android app without much hassle. So finding an app to use is a no problem. Like for Windows Phone OS, some people do not want to make the shift because of the limitation of not having their favourite app available in Windows Marketplace. You don’t have to worry when you use Jolla Tablet. All Android APKs are compatible. That’s a major plus point.

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By the way, here’s the video that I saw earlier…

Will this tablet be in your purchase list? Will it be a big hit this time? What do you think of the Jolla Tablet? Let me know in the comments. Cheers.


Top 5 Smartphones In My List For First Half of 2015

Another year, another few selections of smartphones that I would see as a potential device worthy to be a good purchase. Although my list is a simple one, but I have looked through all the specifications and I feel that my top 5 list of smartphones for the first half of 2015 is a good guide for those who are looking to buy a new smartphone.

One of the criteria that I look for in a smartphone for 2015 is the ability to support 64-bit systems. That is a major plus point because 64-bit based OS will run faster, more stable and better memory management. Take a look at iPhone 6. With only 1GB of RAM, the phone still runs smoothly without any glitch or lag. The OS is built so well that it uses little memory that caused smooth scrolling. It is also built on a 64-bit system.

Another criteria is the ability to support LTE network. I see that LTE is getting more important for us on daily use. We want faster internet and less downtime. LTE in Kuala Lumpur has good coverage. I can be in a secluded area on the outskirts of KL and still can receive LTE network. So it’s all good if you’re using it within Klang Valley.

No more delays, here are my top 5 list of smartphones that are worthy of buying.

#5 – Moto G 4G (2015)

Image source: desigadgets.com

This is my personal phone. The one that I’m currently using. Well…close enough. I’m using the Moto G 2014 Edition without the LTE support. So this is potentially a replacement phone for me. Why? Because it’s
Moto G
.

Tell you the truth, this is one heck of a good phone. The specifications can be considered low for today’s usage. Powered by Snapdragon 400 and only 1GB of RAM, but because it doesn’t come with “bloatwares”, it runs smoothly. And after I receive the Lollipop update, it works even better. The LTE version has been upgraded a little bit. It now comes with 16GB of space (instead of 8GB) and Android Lollipop out-of-the-box. So if you’re planning not to spend too much on a new phone, this is a good phone to buy. Price should be around RM700.

#4 – HTC Desire 820

Image source: blog.htc.com

First time that I have a HTC in my list. The
HTC Desire 820
 is another good potential performer for the first half of 2015. I have this one in my list because the price is not that expensive and it supports both LTE and 64-bit system.

The Desire 820 is using a Snapdragon 615 with
big.LITTLE architecture
 and comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of space inside the phone. Supports up to 128GB of microSD card too. Needless to say, this phone also caught my attention by its beautifully designed exterior. It looks stunning. Price is around RM1,199.

#3 – BlackBerry Classic (Q20)

Image source: Crackberry.com

What, you may ask? Yes. It’s a BlackBerry. No I made no mistake by adding it in my list. And yes, it’s still exist. Now I’m gonna tell you why I have this in my list.

I have used a BlackBerry during its peak era. I love the keyboard and it’s so much easier to type on it. It was the clickaty-clickaty-clack sound when typing that made it a trademark by us BlackBerry users. After most of the other smartphones emerges (Android and iPhone), users started making the shift out from BlackBerry and they prefer the touch screen interface. And with tons of cool apps available on Android and iPhone, they left BlackBerry for good.

Honestly, this is my top most possible purchase of 2015. I’m shifting back to BlackBerry. This
BlackBerry Classic
 has bigger screen than the Q10, it feels more solid, it’s faster and has smoother operations, and most of all…it supports Android apps. You can now install any Android APK to sideload with the BlackBerry Classic (or any other BlackBerry 10 OS based phones). On the other hand, there is also the Amazon App Store that comes with the phone so you can also install any Android apps from there. It runs on Snapdragon dual core 1,5 krait CPU and with 2GB of RAM. You also got 16GB of space with support up to 128GB microSD. Camera has been improved with 8-megapixel and the ability to shoot a full 1080p HD video. I could have listed the full touchscreen version of the BlackBerry like the Z30 or the Z3 here. But I won’t. Why? It’s the keyboard man…the keyboard. Price is around RM1,599.

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#2 – Lenovo Vibe X2 Pro

Image source: TechNave.com

The new
Lenovo Vibe X2 Pro
 is another beautifully designed phone. It is due for launch sometime in April 2015 and I expect it to be a hit. The Vibe X2 however, is already on the market. The differences between the Vibe X2 and the Vibe X2 Pro are the CPU (Mediatek true-octa core for Vibe X2 and Snapdragon 615 for Vibe X2 Pro), screen size (Vibe X2 is 5″ and X2 Pro is 5.3″), camera (both are 13-megapixel but Vibe X2 Pro has 13-megapixel front camera with autofocus, only 5-megapixel on Vibe X2 and no autofocus) and there’s no expansion slot for Vibe X2 as oppose to 128GB microSD ready for Vibe X2 Pro.

I expect the Vibe X2 Pro will be a hit because of the design and the LTE + 64-bit system ready. The design appears like it comes in three layers of colours. It’s very slim too, so it is nice to hold. It’s a phone for selfie lovers, all thanks to the 13-megapixel front camera. Lets not forget the autofocus capability on the front camera too. Expected price: RM1,299 (RM999 for Vibe X2).

#1 – Asus Zenfone 2

Image source: PhoneArena.com

First time ever that Asus get on top of my list. For a good reason too. It is the first ever Android smartphone that comes with 4GB of RAM. But many other phone makers are coming up with 4GB of RAM already, but Asus is the first to announce it. Expected launch date is March 2015.

This (rather) large 5.5″ screen
Asus Zenfone 2
 is one of those phones that shouts “buy me now”, and I would reply “shut up and take my money”. I’ll tell you why later on. But first, some basic specs. It is powered by a 64-bit ready quad-core Intel Atom processor, 4GB of RAM (although they also have a 2GB variant available), LTE ready, 16/32/64 GB storage space options and up to 64GB external microSD. Also comes with an improved 13-megapixel camera with dual LED (dual tone) flash. The specifications in this Zenfone 2 are quite a good and can be a good contender to challenge the upcoming flagship phones by other phone makers. But, here’s why I would buy it. It is actually priced quite low. The estimated selling price for this phone is USD$200. That’s only about RM700 (depending on currency exchange) for this high-spec Android phone. That is why this Asus Zenfone 2 is on top of my list this time.

Honourable Mentions

I do have two other phones in mind that can be a great phone to use in 2015. But because of the market, I don’t know whether the other two phones will be made available here in Malaysia or not. But nonetheless, both of them are worth mentioning. They are
Saygus V2
 and
Archos 50 Diamond
.

You can read my opinion about these two phones from the links below:

Saygus V2 – The Phone That Sets The Bar For 2015

Eyes On Archos 50 Diamond – Octa Power

Conclusion

That’s the end of my personal opinion on top 5 smartphones worth buying for the first half of 2015. The Moto G will remain as my personal best option if you’re looking for something simple and cheap. The HTC Desire 820 is a beautifully designed Android phone that won’t break your bank that much. BlackBerry Classic is for those who used to love BlackBerry at one point, and that it is now worth to buy because of the Android app support. Lenovo is starting to make some good looking phones already and after acquiring Motorola, Lenovo is gaining grounds. Finally, Asus is making a good move on making a high-spec device with a relatively low price to gain some new fans.

So I hope my list will help you to make some decisions on your next smartphone purchase for the first half of 2015. Thank you for reading.

Note:
I list the smartphones that not many people have heard of or being overlooked at. If you notice, I don’t list out the mainstream devices made by the tech giants such as Samsung, Apple or Sony. Reason being, most of their phones are in my opinion, rather overpriced. Except for BlackBerry because of the keyboard man…the keyboard.


Voice Calls On WhatsApp Now Activated

Earlier today, my best buddy Ron asked me whether I can make calls using
WhatsApp
 or not. I said no because I don’t see any call icon anywhere in my WhatsApp. So then he tested and gave me a buzz. True enough, WhatsApp voice calls are now active to all users.

If you have updated your WhatsApp to the latest version and did not see any call icons, simply ask someone who already has that function activated to give you a call. After that you will automatically see the new interface on your WhatsApp which includes the call icon.

The interface is pretty simple. You will now see 3 tabs at the top of your WhatsApp screen which says Calls, Chats and Contacts. In calls, it shows you all your recent calls, incoming and outgoing plus the time and date. In the Chats tab, is the usual WhatsApp chat window. Finally you can now access the Contacts easily from one of the 3 tabs at the top.

So this is how it would look like when someone calls you. Call quality is pretty good without any lag. It would be good to have a fast and steady internet connection for any of the voice over IP devices anyway. From the moment when WhatsApp made this voice call available for all, I have been receiving calls from my friends simply because they wanted to try it out.

So what are you waiting for? Go and try it out. Remember, make sure you have the latest WhatsApp updated to your phone. Cheers.

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DirectD Gadget Mega Store Opens Along Federal Highway

I’m sure many of you have heard about this mammoth sized mobile gadget store opening along the Federal Highway by now. Many of you may have catch a glimpse of this building while driving along the highway as well.
DirectD
, the well known telecommunication and mobile phone distributor has opened their 6th outlet on 30th March 2015 to reshape and redefine the shopping experience for mobile devices.

I have been going and referring to DirectD for as long as I can remember back in 2013 when I want to make any mobile phone purchases. No doubt, their prices are cheaper than normal retail price, which is why people are flocking the outlet by the hundreds on daily basis.

The grand opening of the mega store was a huge event. I would say, it opened with a bang. Traditional Lion Dance after the ribbon cutting ceremony by the invited VIPs, and the grand tour for the media soon after.

So what’s on display here? Most of the major international brands like Acer, Apple, Asus, HTC, Huawei, Intel, Lenovo, LG, Meizu, Microsoft (and 365), Samsung, Sony and Xiaomi are displayed on the table for you to play with. There are hundreds of devices available. And that’s only on the ground floor.

You can tell from the picture that the place is indeed, huge. You will feel like a little boy in a candy store if you’re a tech geek (like me).

On the second floor, you have a wide selection of more than 1,000 different types of accessories to choose from. They even have a service centre, payment counters, credit facilities and other telecommunication services by Maxis, DiGi and U-Mobile. Oh, and the whole building has free WiFi for you to use…anytime.

The new DirectD Gadget Mega Store will be an iconic landmark that reshapes the way consumers shop for their desired mobile devices and accessories – Esther Kwan, Group Financial Officer.

I had a great time “playing” around with the phones on display. Like I said, I too felt like a small boy in a candy store. I can’t keep my hands off from at least touching the displayed phones.

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And when the door finally opens to the public, they all came flocking in. There were at least 200 people waiting outside wanting to check the place out. At least for a good half an hour or so, I get to roam the building before the crowd came in. This I have to thank DirectD for inviting me as a media guest.

Some of the other bloggers were there to witness the opening ceremony as well. I only know three of them such as
Eric Lee
,
Vernon
 and
Caroline
. Sorry Vernon, can’t really see you in this photo bro. Blocked by the cute amoy in green striped dress.

So there you have it. The grand opening of a well-known gadget shop along the Federal Highway. Their shop in SS15 Subang Jaya is still operational of course. With 4 shop lots (plus one upper floor) available now, you can still get your gadgets whenever you’re in Subang Jaya.

Meanwhile, do visit the new mega store. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Address:

DirectD Gadget Mega Store

Lot 11, Jln 51A/219, Petaling Jaya.

(next to Mazda service Centre, same row with Avon and Hong Leong bank, along side Federal Highway)

[gmedia id=15]


Elephone: A Phone That Boots Up Windows 10 And Lollipop

Everything that is coming out from China nowadays are getting better and better. But sometimes weird and sometimes awful. But on the better part, is something that the tech giants like Asus or Samsung won’t be able to do. And that is to have a dual OS boot system on their smartphones.

Introducing a new smartphone by Elephone, a high-spec device that can boot up two operating systems in one device. Not only that, it boots up the latest of the two. You can have a choice of booting up to Android Lollipop or Windows 10 OS. Cool eh?

Elephone is the brand name, but there’s no such model name for the phone just yet. But the specifications are spectacular.

There will be two versions of this phone. First, there will be a 64-bit MediaTek version which does not support the dual OS boot while the other is using an Intel Atom chipset that supports dual OS boot. So with this, we can easily tell which has the higher specifications.

The camera on the MediaTek version is using a 21MP IMX230 type of camera, while a Sony IMX230 20.7MP camera is offered for the dual OS boot device.

Both has the same screen size at 5.5″ and with 2560 x 1440 resolution. That is currently the highest screen resolution for a smartphone. Also, both comes with a huge 4GB of RAM for great memory handling. With all that power hungry hardware, it needs a large battery to power up the device. So the battery is said to hold more than 3,800mAh of juice.

While all that sounds awesome, we won’t know whether the device will be made available here in Malaysia but if it does, it may gain some huge fans over here (I’m one of them).

Now we just have to wait and see.

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LG G4 Gets Exposed With Arched Leatherback

Another flagship is about to make its debut. LG has been quiet throughout the big events such as the CES and MWC, only introducing the LG G Flex 2 during the former event. But coming this April 28 launch, LG will be releasing its latest flagship, the long awaited LG G4.

While waiting for the launch date, LG did a little tease by releasing some leak photos of the G4 to get us all excited. Yes, even I am excited about the new G4.

It will feature a beautiful arched leatherback cover which is rumoured that you can customise the colour. But from the leak photos, there are many colour options to choose from. The back cover is slightly curved. But unlike the G Flex, the phone itself is not curved.

The screen display will be the same size as the LG G3 at 5.5″ with IPS Quantum Display at 2560 x 1440 resolution. LG G4 is also confirmed to come with an external MicroSD storage capability and a 3,000mAh removable battery. It may be the last by any of the flagship devices to come with such setup.

It is also confirmed that the camera will come with an f/1.8 aperture camera which will absorb better light in the dark. At 16-megapixel, the camera will put the LG G4 as one of the best camera on a  smartphone after the launch.

The camera function comes fully loaded with professional settings displayed on the camera app interface. So to all you manual configuration users out there, this will be a good device to have.

However, there’s no confirmation on the chipset yet. Rumour has it that it uses the new Snapdragon 810 chipset with 3GB of RAM. But it would be great if we can have it at 4GB of RAM.

Now we have to wait for the official launch of the new LG G4 in order to know the full specifications. That will be another 2 weeks from now, more or less. In the meantime, check out more of the leaked photos of the G4 floating all over the internet at the moment. I don’t have a link but you can Google it. It’s everywhere!

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Trailer Leak: Batman vs Superman – Dawn of Justice

Now this is something we don’t get to see everyday. But this is also something that most of the comic geeks are looking forward to. A
video leak
 for the Batman vs Superman – Dawn of Justice got leaked all over the internet today and all I can say is…awesome!

The leaked video shows the amazing metal armour worn by Batman when he goes against Superman. The visual graphics are great and as usual, any Batman movies showing Gotham City is usually night time. So don’t expect to see everything bright. Also, the leaked video is taken using a handheld camera but you won’t have a hard time watching it. Everything is crisp and clear.

Go ahead, have a view at the trailer video below.

Awesome? Now we all have to wait until mid 2016 to catch it in the cinema. Meanwhile, Avengers’ Age of Ultron is coming up next week. Are you excited yet? I definitely am.

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Lily – A Drone That Will Follow You Around

GoPro
has always been the choice for action videographers and those selfie stick users. Sure, no doubt that it takes awesome looking video and still images. But you still rely on the “monopod”, as what they call it, to take a selfie wherever you go. Imagine if you don’t need a “monopod”.

Drones has been around for a while. You can also attach a GoPro camera on the drone to snap a picture or shoot a video, and some comes with a built-in camera as well. With that, you can take a selfie from a further distance way above your head. Good for group selfies. But you still need someone to control the drone remotely.

Meet “Lily”, described as the first throw-and-shoot camera. It is an action camera built into a smart drone that will follow you wherever you go while shooting you from above. May it be HD video or still photos, Lily will cover you from every angle.

It comes with a tracking device where you can either place it in your pocket or in a waterproof case that you wear on your wrist. The tracking is done with GPS and computer vision in order to follow you. To start recording, all you have to do is simply throw Lily into the air. It will then hover above your head and start recording.

The tracking device also act as a microphone. So when Lily flies high above your head, you can record your voice to narrate the video and sync with Lily.

It’s capable of capturing 1080p HD video, slo-mo at 720p, and 12-megapixel still shots. It has a built-in lithium-ion battery offering 20 minutes of flight time on a 2-hour charge, and has an IP67 waterproof rating, meaning it will work fine up to one meter underwater.

While being in the air, Lily can speed up to 40km/h and flies 5 feet above your head, although it can also fly up to 100 feet if you need it to. Lily is also waterproof. It will be a great companion while having fun at the beach. However, if it comes in contact with salt-water, be sure to rinse the motors thoroughly.

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The price is listed as USD$999. You do have to pay high price for something so cool. I don’t mind having Lily around. But only 20 minutes of flight time on a 2-hour charge is too little for me. One hour flight time would be great. I’m sure the makers of Lily will come up with an upgrade for that.

Meanwhile, check out the video below to see Lily in action. I think it’s really cool. Know more about Lily
here
.

News source:
PCMag.com


MSMW2015 Best Gadget & Technology Blog

After blogging for more than 10 years, I finally received my highest honour as a blogger. I started blogging in 2003 during the early days of Blogger.com and LiveJournal.com. During the time, I was blogging almost on daily basis and shifted from Blogger platform to WordPress self-hosted websites. I lost a few data along the way, then I stopped blogging, and then start again, then stop again and finally I rebooted my blog known as Ohsem.me and that blog address stays.

With that being said, I won one of the most prestigious award in Malaysian blogging arena recently. It is my biggest honour to be voted as the Best Gadget & Technology Blog during the Malaysia Social Media Week 2015 (MSMW2015). I am lost for words actually. But I am very thankful to the judges for their votes.

Now I definitely won’t stop blogging and will pursue this hobby of mine for as long as I can.

Here are the full list of the blog award winners:

Best Foodie Blog :
www.squallcuisine.com

Best News Blog :
cgkaunseling.blogspot.com

Best Gadget and Technology Blog :
www.ohsem.me

Best Gossip and Entertainment Blog :
www.spinorbinmusic.com

Best Lifestyle Blog :
www.akupenghibur.com

Best Comics Blog : tiada pemenang

Best Photography Blog :
tarmizishukri.com

Best Shopping Blog :
www.telekung.com.my

Best Sports Blog :
www.motorsportroom.my

Best Travel Blog :
timetravelafif.blogspot.com

Congratulations to all winners.

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Ramadhan and Long Absence

First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my muslim friends a Happy Ramadhan and Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

I know I have not been able to blog for a long time due to my ongoing new business that I’m addicted to at the moment. Not that I will completely stop blogging but when I do have some free time, I will definitely add an entry here just like what I’m doing right now.

This won’t be a long post. This is just an update to let my readers know why I haven’t been blogging these past few months. Establishing a new business can be tedious and it took tons of my time away but it is worth it. I have been planning this for the longest time and only recently I am able to lift it off the ground. But of course my passion for blogging never fade away.

I do have a couple of phone reviews to publish soon. I’m currently reviewing the new Microsoft Lumia 640 and another one coming up soon which is the LG G4. Be sure to check back here in near future for my reviews on the said devices.

Meanwhile, there will also be more reviews and product introductions in my Vape On category. This category will be based on anything about vaping. I wish to educate some of the non-believers about electronic cigarettes where some people are looking at it as having a negative impact on health issues. Truth be told, vaping is way more safer than smoking the regular cigarette. So check out my Vape On category to learn more about the benefits of vaping.

Until my next post (whenever that will be), do come back to this site regularly to check on my updates. Again, salam Ramadhan to all. Eid Mubarak!

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Sneak Peek – BlackBerry Venice

It’s been a long time since my last post in this website. I have been very busy with my new business until I don’t have the time to even be online. Alhamdulillah, my business is going on great thus far and I’m happy with what I’m doing. But my passion for blogging is still strong and I don’t think I will ever give up writing.

With that being said, today I wish to write about the upcoming new
BlackBerry
 Venice phone that is going to be powered by Android.

Remember when I blogged a few months ago that I really love BlackBerry devices? One of it is the new
BlackBerry Classic
 (Q20) which I really love and can run any Android apps on the sideline. This time, I am really looking forward to the new BlackBerry Venice and see how it can perform in the market.

First of all, the BlackBerry Venice will run on full Android OS but fully customised to have the full BlackBerry look and feel. It will be a slider phone, with the physical keyboard is well hidden beneath the large screen. The on-screen keyboard looks very similar to the physical keyboard so you won’t feel awkward when switching from the physical to the on-screen keyboard.

For the specifications, it is said to run on Snapdragon 808 chip with 3GB of RAM, QHD display and 16MP main camera. No other detailed specifications just yet, but that has got me excited for the launch of this device.

To know more, go and Google up BlackBerry Venice and you can read about it from other websites. When you see the leaked pictures on this device, it will get you excited as well.

Check out the leaked GIF image of this device from the tweet below by @evleaks.

.
@halfnibble
 More of an “Android Maya job,” innit?
pic.twitter.com/4Fhll0Bfv0

— Evan Blass (@evleaks)
August 19, 2015

Hope I got you excited enough to be on a lookout of this baby in future.

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Vape Review: IPV D2 – The Cili Padi of Mods

This will be the first time I will be reviewing about vaping products here in my blog. As you may have noticed, I do have a category called “Vape On” whereby it will be my specific section on this subject. I do blog ohsem stuffs. So this includes technology on any products including electronic cigarettes.

Vaping is quickly picking up its pace in Malaysia especially for those who wishes to quit smoking and finding a safer alternative to smoking. Vape itself is completely harmless. Contrary to popular belief, it will NOT cause cancer or do any harm to your body. That is the message that we, vaporians (as we called ourselves) are trying to relay to the masses. But often the media will say otherwise…of course.

Anyhow, this article is for those who are above 18 years of age and we do not condone selling or promoting electronic cigarettes to minors.

Back to my review.

Introducing the new and currently the hottest selling mod in Malaysia at the moment, the IPV D2 by
Pioneer4You
. If you’re wondering why I mentioned “Cili Padi” in the title, this mod does seems like it.

Don’t be fooled by its size. This small and often referred as cute mod packs a punch when it comes to producing strong firing power to the atomizer. With the lowest wattage at 7 watts, it goes up to a high of 75 watts. It has the most advanced
YiHi chipset
 to date and it also comes with
temperature control
.

The body is made of aerospace grade 6061 aluminum that can withstand high heat and is extremely durable. With its small size, it is also very light and easy to hold. The solid built on this mod brings up the premium feel to it.

The battery cover is very easy to open. Simply slide the cover downwards to reveal the battery compartment. The cover will snap back into place when closing. The nylon strip made it easy to remove the battery from the compartment.

The maximum wattage is 75 watts on this IPV D2

When switched to temperature control, the display will show in joules instead of wattage. Notice that the voltage now reads as Fahrenheit.

These setting may sound like gibberish to those who don’t know anything about vaping but to those who vapes, this is pretty normal.

The IPV D2 is best matched with UD’s Goblin Mini atomizer. Imagine two cuties combined, it becomes a really cute mod and atomizer setting. The IPV D2 also comes with a silicone sleeve for extra protection against scratches and dust.

Pictured above is the D2 with Goblin Mini setup, with and without the silicone sleeve.

As you can see, the D2 and Goblin Mini combination fits well in my hand and it’s really small. This is my current favourite and I will keep using this setting for a long time.

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My take on the IPV D2 is that it is a “Cili Padi” mod. Small and powerful. It has a solid built for something so small. The silicone sleeve compliments the mod really well and gives me the extra grip. As for the firing power, on 20 watts is similar to my
HCigar HB40
‘s 25 watts. Meaning I don’t have to fire up higher wattage to get the same output. Also means I can safe battery span a little bit.

The temperature control also works fine when using a nickel wire setting in the atomizer. It’s pretty easy to switch from wattage mode to joules mode from within the system menu.

Here is the simple rundown on the IPV D2 as well as the specifications:

The IPV D2 by Pioneer 4 You is the newest temperature control mod. It is a sophisticated product evolved from the IPV Mini V2. It’s attributes include being smaller than the one before at as well as much lighter. With an output power at a range of 5W-75W and 5 Joules- 75 Joules. Voltage range s between 1V- 8V while current range is 1Amp- 25Amp. This product calls for one 18650 battery. The IPV D2 will be available in the color black initially but will eventually also be available in silver as well. Also, if you are looking to go the extra mile to customize your mod; silicone covers will be sold separately to fit this unique device. The silicone covers will be available in multiple colors including: Blue, Pink, Yellow, Red, White and Black.

Specifications:

Output power Min. 7 watts, Max. 75 watts

Output power Min. 5 Joules, Max. 50 Joules

Output Voltage Min 1V, Max 8V

Output Current Min. 1A, Max. 25A

Standard Atomizer Resistant Min 0.20Ω, Max 3Ω

Joules Mode Atomizer Resistant Min. 0.05Ω, Max. 0.3Ω

Temp. Limit Fahrenheit Min. 200F, Max. 580F

Temp. Limit Centegrade Min. 100C, Max. 300C

Input Voltage Min. 3.2V, max. 4.5V, Typical 3.7V

Input Current Min. 1.3A, Max 30A

USB Charging for batteries ? Yes

Protection:

Reverse Polarity Protection

Output short protection

Low resistance protection

Battery low voltage protection

Temperature overheat protection

That’s all I have for now about this wonderful vape mod. To know more, you can check out
Dragon Cloud (Vape Shop)
 and follow their Facebook page. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram too at “DragonCloudVape”.

Call/WhatsApp to 016 319 1717 for more info or drop by at their shop in USJ 21, directly opposite of Main Place shopping mall.

Map/Directions:

https://goo.gl/maps/Pi8GE


Review: Huawei G8 – Awesome Mid Ranger

It has been a while since I review any phones. Again, my schedule has been in a topsy turvy since late 2015. But I will not leave my blogging hobby behind. Slowly but surely, I will be back. And here’s my review of the new
Huawei G8
 phone.

I received this new phone in mid December 2015. So after a month or so of using it, I can safely say that I really enjoyed the whole experience.

Friends did asked me why I chose
Huawei
as my new brand to use. Answer is simple. Huawei is picking up really fast as one of the leading smartphone maker in China and a fast raising brand worldwide. Actually, Huawei is already widely known anywhere in the world, not just for smartphones but also for other technology devices.

I was contemplating between Huawei G8 and the new Honor 7. After long consideration, I opted for the G8 instead. No regrets at all.

The Huawei G8 is a great smartphone. Having a mid-high specification with a mid-range price. The 5.5″ display is just right and the display resolution at 1080 x 1920 (401 ppi) is fantastic. For a mid-range phone, the G8 doesn’t feel like one. With the solid aluminium body, the G8 feels and looks premium. This, in my opinion, should be the way to go for new upcoming smartphones. It’s relatively cheap, but doesn’t feel cheap. A good plus point for the G8.

The aluminium finish on the sides and back feels great. I don’t really fancy the sharp edged or squary type of design. This is another reason why I choose the G8. It has a rounded corners that makes the phone looks smooth and well rounded. It comes with a built-in 3000mAh battery that can last me for one and half day. In my usage experience, I can use the phone with normal browsing and social media for a whole day until I went to sleep at night. And still have enough juice to last me until noon the next day. Another good plus point for the G8.

What I love most about the G8 (and many other new Huawei phones), is the fingerprint scanner at the back, just below the camera module. Scanning my fingerprint only takes about 0.5 seconds. As soon as I placed my finger on the scanner, it turns on and logged me in. Awesome feature.

Lets not forget about the camera. The camera comes with 13-megapixel, f/2.0, 28mm, autofocus, OIS and dual-LED (dual tone) flash. 28mm lens means I can take a nice clear wide angle view. The low aperture and OIS feature made this phone awesome to shoot at night or in low light area. The noise level is not that obvious, but still can be seen depending on the ISO level that you set. The front camera is 5-megapixel with f/2.4 aperture. The front facing camera captures at equal awesome quality.

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Here are the sample photos taken with the G8.

Taken outdoor during high noon. It looked a little bit washed out due to the post-processing of the camera software. But still looks good nonetheless.

This picture is taken around 7.30pm when the light is low. Noise level is not that obvious and kept at a very minimum.

More photos can be found at my Facebook album name,
Daily Shots of 2016
, where all the photos are taken using the Huawei G8.

The G8 is powered by Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor with big.LITTLE technology. Snapdragon 615 has proven to me to be reliable and quick. The phone doesn’t overheat and is very snappy. Supporting the Snapdragon 615, is the massive 3GB of RAM. I honestly think that the RAM in every new smartphone should have at least 2GB. 1GB of RAM is now considered insufficient, to me at least. I opted for the 32GB of space variant as oppose to the 16GB because the latter comes with only 2GB of RAM. So now I can finally have a huge space to download more apps and games (although I’m not really into smartphone games). And I have a 64GB external memory card as an additional space for photo and video storage. More than enough for me.

Dual SIM feature is available on the G8 and both SIMs can support 4G network. However, if I want to use the dual SIM feature, I have to remove my external MicroSD card because it shares the same slot as the SIM card. Anyway, I don’t need to use the dual SIM feature.

Here are the full specifications of the Huawei G8.

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 – 1.5GHz quad core + 1.2GHz quad core processor.

GPU: Adreno 405

Display: 5.5″, 1080 x 1920 at 401 ppi density.

OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop, planned upgrade to 6.0 Marshmallow.

Memory: 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage.

Main Camera: 13 MP, f/2.0, 28mm, autofocus, OIS, dual-LED (dual tone) flash.

Front Camera: 5 MP, f/2.4, 22mm

Video: 1080p @ 30fps

Battery: 3,000mAh

Conclusion.

If you’re thinking of an upgrade that won’t bust your pocket but at the same time gives you a premium feel, you can consider the Huawei G8. The Honor 7 is not a bad choice either but I prefer the G8 because of the rounded corners. The G8 is priced around RM1,500. To me the premium feel of the aluminium body is what made the G8 stands out among the other brands.


All Of Batman vs Superman Trailer Edited Into One Chronological Footage

We all seen the trailers for Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. There are a few trailers for the most anticipated DC movie and I have seen them all. But when we look at those trailers, we can’t really make up the storyline nor the sequence of what comes first and what comes next. Trailers often made to get us excited for a movie release with all the key points being shown.

But one guy by the alias
M1llion
 managed to mash up all the Batman vs Superman’s Dawn of Justice trailers into one lengthy footage in chronological order. M1llion successfully made the trailer more understandable with how it all began and so on. But after watching the “Supercut” trailer, I realised that most of the plot in the movie was revealed making it almost a huge spoiler.

Nevertheless, the Supercut trailer is so much fun to watch. All the scenes from the trailer footages mashed up seemingly, thanks to the editing skills by M1llion. He (or she?) made the entire 9 minute 45 second trailer feels like a short movie.

Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice is directed by Zack Snyder and will be theaters worldwide on 25 March 2016. That’s just a little over a month to go. Dawn of Justice will kickstart the whole DC Extended Universe and I’m so looking forward to that.

Below is the said supercut video. Enjoy!

Batman vs Superman

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Hidden Quaint Nyonya Restaurant in Bangsar

Note: Straits Food Company is no longer in business.

I came across a hidden gem recently while I was driving around in Bangsar. A quaint restaurant in a corner along the back alley of Bangsar Utama caught my eyes. From the outside, it look like an old kopitiam. I was curious to know what kind of dishes they serve. It was still early in the morning, right after Bangsar dwellers clocked in for work. During that time it was empty. I told myself that I must check that place out since my tummy was growling begging to be fed.

I’m glad I did.

This quaint restaurant is relatively new. So it’s not so quaint at all. But the setup and deco made the place feel nostalgic. I remember the time when I used to travel with my parents to Taiping or Teluk Intan, stopping by at some old kopitiam. This place feels like that. Nostalgic and old, yet new.

Straits Food Company is located along the back alley of the main road of Bangsar Utama. Finding the place can be a challenge at first. But I’ll give you an easy hint. Drive along Bangsar Utama main road heading towards KL Sentral. On the left, there will be a junction right before the Klinik Pergigian Bangsar. Turn in and you can see the restaurant at the back corner.

As I sat down at the table, I was warmly greeted by the staff who presented me with the menu. Looking at the menu, I came to realise that this is a nyonya restaurant. Great! I love nyonya food.

You can sit el-fresco style if that’s your fancy. But the sun was shining bright and it was a little bit warm so I decided to sit inside instead.

My choice of breakfast food that day was Nasi Lemak with Ayam Goreng Kunyit, Pai Tee and Teh Tarik.

I can tell you this. The nasi lemak taste just like how I remembered as when I was much younger, eating at an old kopitiam somewhere back in time. Have you ever had something that so good, you immediately felt like you travel back in time or teleported to a certain place or a certain time? Yeah. Something like that. The “lemak” in the nasi lemak is scrumptious. The sambal is just nice. And the ayam goreng kunyit? Crunchy and tasty. They made it as simple as they can. Sometimes, being simple is way better.

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The pai tee is not to be missed as well. I haven’t had a good pai tee in a long time. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Don’t forget the chili sauce to go with it. Definitely a must try at Straits Food Company.

Teh tarik is a must while having a good breakfast meal. And the teh tarik here is wholesomely delicious. I would say that this is one of the most “kaw” teh tarik out there. I love the teh tarik at the restaurant in Sunway Pyramid Megalanes, but this is a very good match to that. Not so sweet, just yummy kaw.

All that hearty breakfast was so good. Especially having it at a quaint looking restaurant. The ambiance is nostalgic. I said it once and I’ll say it again, nostalgic.

Oh. They also have these old style “biskut” in a huge tin for you to munch on. Most of it are the ones you had when you were a lot younger. You’ll recognise most of it when you see it for yourself.

Other than the old skool style nasi lemak, you can also have a bowl of nyonya laksa and chicken pongteh with white rice. Both are highly recommended as described in Foursquare by those who have tried it. Of course I will try it on my next visit. I have a few other dishes that I want to try. I’ll try the Malacca style popiah, mee goreng sejuk, otak-otak and cendol drink to wash it down.

Now then. If or when you’re in Bangsar area and feeling hungry, be sure to check out Straits Food Company. You can either Google for the location or search for it in Waze. But my landmark for you is the Klinik Pergigian Bangsar.

Address:

Straits Food Company

No.2 Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, Bangsar Utama, Kuala Lumpur.

Open daily, 10am-10pm


Pre MWC2016 – LG Stylus 2 Announced

Photo from androidauthority.com

MWC 2016 is coming up next week in Barcelona Spain. But LG has already made an announcement on the upcoming new LG Stylus 2 smartphone with a slight improvement from the first Stylus edition.

The LG Stylus 2 is an entry-level stylus enabled smartphone with a huge 5.7″ 720p screen size. When I say entry level, I really mean entry level with the competitive price range. This can be a good competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy Note smartphones that also comes with a stylus pen. Unlike most stylus pens, the stylus that comes with the LG Stylus 2 will have a nano-coated tip which supposedly offers higher accuracy.

Specifications for the Stylus 2 are mostly what you can find in an entry level smartphones. Comes with 1.2GHz quad-core processor, which I’m assuming the Snapdragon 410 and 1.5 GB of RAM. The storage space will come in 16GB of space and expendable via MicroSD card. As for the camera, it comes with 13-megapixel main shooter and 8-megapixel front camera. The Stylus 2 supports LTE/4G network and have a huge 3000mAh battery to last you for a whole day. Comes in three different colours, white, titan and brown. Best thing about it is that it comes with Android Marshmallow 6.0 on top of LG UI.

“LG Stylus 2 provides both the big screen and premium notetaking functions of a premium large phone at a price of a mid-tier phone,” said Juno Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “This device is another example of our commitment to the mass-tier segment where there is so much opportunity for growth and creativity.” – LG Press Release

We can only know more about the new LG Stylus 2 after the MWC 2016 official launch and spec update. With the huge 5.7″ screen and latest Android Marshmallow OS, the device will be among the contender for the best entry level smartphone for this year. Until then, we shall wait for it.

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Sony VIAO Phone Biz Announced

Nokia (now Microsoft) has been making Windows phone in the Lumia line for a very long time now. HTC also has their own version on Windows Phone OS for a few years. Now Sony came up their own version of Windows 10 phone in their VIAO line.

The new VIAO Windows 10 phone, also known as VIAO Phone Biz is aimed at business users and supports the Windows 10 continuum desktop mode.

Photo from GSMArena.com

Most of the Lumia series comes in plastic casings that doesn’t feel premium, the VIAO Phone Biz however comes in a sleek silver finished aluminum build. So if you’re looking for a new Windows 10 based phone, this will look really sleek in your pocket.

The VIAO Phone Biz comes with a Snapdragon 617 chip and 3GB of RAM. Although the chipset is a medium range CPU, running Windows 10 on it is a snap. Windows OS has been known to run smoothly even on low specs. But should run much snappier on the VIAO Phone Biz.

The screen is 5.5″ 1080p with LCD display and the camera shoots up to 13-megapixel at the back and 5-megapixel front camera. Comes with 16GB of internal memory but can be added more via external SD card.

Photo from Engadget.com

The VIAO Phone Biz will be released in Japan sometime in April and I do hope they will make it available in other parts of the world especially in Malaysia simply because my itchy hand would wanna play around with it. No news on the Malaysian price yet but tentatively it will be priced at USD$430.

If only Windows apps is as vast and widely available as Android and IOS, I will definitely use it.

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Turn Your Old Computer Into Chromebook

We have heard about
Chromebook
for some time now. Basically it is an OS that is based on cloud computing and all you have to do is log into your Google account, and that’s it. But you must have an internet connection in order for it to work.

Chromebooks are easy to use, have virus protection built-in, and keep going with a long-life battery, so you can, too. Chromebooks give you the best of Google. Gmail, Maps, Docs and pics safely stored in the cloud.

Now if you have an old (or new) PC or laptop laying around doing nothing, you can turn your computer into a Chromebook with CloudReady.

So what is CloudReady?

CloudReady is an operating system that is based on Chrome OS. But it has the added benefit that it can run on an older computers, essentially turning them into Chromebooks. It is built mainly for schools to be able to re-purpose old computers and avoid sluggish machines while saving money.

Those who are thinking of using this service at schools, have to pay about USD$59 per machine but it is bundled with Google Management console enrollment. While the free home version doesn’t come with the bundled software. So that means you won’t any support by Google.

Chromebook, or in this case, CloudReady has its limitations such as the need for an internet connection in order for it to work. However, CloudReady is making it simpler by having a dual-boot capability so you can have both Windows OS and Chrome OS in a same computer. When you boot up your computer, you have an option to either boot into Windows or into Chrome OS. Guess what? You can also install it inside a Mac machine with dual-boot as well. Cool eh?

If you’re a tech geek like me, you may want to give it a try. You can
check whether your laptop is compatible
 with CloudReady or not. While most are compatible with dual-boot option, some computers are not compatible. If your computer is in the list, just head over to
CloudReady website
 and download your Chrome OS.

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I’m definitely downloading it and will give it a try. I will review about it as soon as possible, that if my old laptop is in the compatibility list.