Comptine d'un autre été L'après midi

This masterpiece is beautiful and sad at the same time. A little touching too.

TuneWiki Demo

TuneWiki demo on the Android emulator. Cool!

Amazing Robot Man

Robert Murraine performing in the "So You Think You Can Dance" audition. This guy is so good. He got flexible moves. Awesome "Robot Man".

SingTel has confirmed to launch iPhone 3G on 22 Aug

Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel), Southeast Asia's largest telecoms firm has confirmed will launch Apple third-generation (3G) iPhone in Singapore on 22 Aug 2008 (next Friday). I just received an email from SingTel with the subject "It's coming on 22 August 2008!". Here is an excerpt of the email:

Get ready, the Apple iPhone 3G hits our shores on 22 August!

Thanks for your patience; we will be bringing in both the 8 and 16GB versions with your choice of black or white.

At this stage we have not announced pricing, I will share it with you very shortly...

From blog: I.Z. Reloaded: Online Refreshments

This is an update to a post I did two days ago. According to 3 sources that I talked to yesterday, the iPhone 3G will be available in Singapore on August 22. There's more! Singtel customers can get the 8GB or the 16GB iPhone 3G for $0 upfront on one of the more expensive data plans (only on a 2 yr contract) while customers choosing the cheaper plans will have to pay a monthly fee for their data plans in addition to a monthly fee for the handset. Singtel may also be planning to give away free browsing (unlimited data) on all its iPhone 3G plans for the first month.

Singtel will reveal its iPhone 3G data plans and will make its August 22 launch date announcement next week and those of you who had made your iPhone reservations on the Singtel website will also receive more details via email sometime next week.

Just for your info, out of the three sources mentioned above, two of them revealed the date as August 22. The other simply say that Singtel customers will be among the first in Asia to get the iPhone 3G while interestingly pointing out that Bharti Airtel in India and Globe Telecom in Philippines, both invested by Singtel, have announced that they will sell the iPhone on August 22.

Update: It's confirmed and that means I was spot on! Singtel says it will launch iPhone on August 22!

According to The Straits Times:

SingTel will continue taking online reservations till 17 Aug 2008 (this Sunday). Those who have already made online reservations at SingTel's website will get first dibs on the iPhone. SingTel CEO, declined to say how much the device will cost or associated price plans customers will have to sign up for in order to get the iPhone, but customers can expect the iPhone's price to be 'subsidised'.

MediaCorp RAWclipx Beta Launch

Finally, MediaCorp RAWclipx moved into public Beta testing on podcast.sg. RAWclipx is a new online service to showcase never-before-seen videos of Singapore celebrities like Fiona Xie and Joanne Peh. RAWclipx is powered by ASP.NET 2.0, SQL Server 2005 database and Silverlight 1.1 for rich media streaming experience. RAWclipx is utilizing the User Generated Content (UGC) platform which is the same as the one being used in several other MediaCorp TV microsites such as SuperMummy, BeatBox 2007, Campus Yummy Hunt, SuperBand, The Showdown and so on. RAWclipx is developed by the web team in MediaCorp Pte Ltd (formerly known as MediaCorp Technologies). With just only 2 front-end developers, 2 back-end CMS developers and a web designer, it took them just less than 2 months to turn the idea to a real service. Congrats and good job to my fellow co-workers there. I am really proud of the team there.

This site unique feature is those videos can be downloaded to mobile devices. This site provide three different video download formats. Furthermore, this service allow members of the public to upload their videos. For your information, MediaCorp will upload up to 15 new videos on this site every week.

Here is an excerpt from the official media release issued by MediaCorp Corporate Communications:

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Caldecott Broadcast Centre? Where do you go for downloads of cool clips, or to upload your own to share with other Singaporeans?

Well, look no further than RAWclipx on podcast.sg which will be launched on July 28th to feature a smorgasbord of video offerings.

RAWclipx on podcast.sg will feature juicy off-air content, backed by MediaCorp’s immense star and media power.

Here’s a sampling of offerings:
i. Photo shoot images from MediaCorp’s wide variety of magazines
ii. Your favourite radio DJs in their studios and celebrity interviews
iii. Out-takes from your favourite TV shows
iv. Newscasters and reporters off camera
v. Unreleased footage of exclusive events such as the FHM Girl Next Door party

“We will have our own paparazzi; a spycam roving reporter sussing out what happens in between takes; what the stars wear and don’t wear; what they do; all the saucy details never before seen or heard,” said Timothy Goh, Vice President New Media Business and Customer Relationship Management.

The content will be refreshed every week and it promises surprises and the unexpected. But that is not all. Everyone can be part of the action and upload their “Aha” moments onto RAWclipx on podcast.sg.

"We embrace user generated content and want as many people as possible to upload and share...your fun, wacky moments... your singing debut...your school concert; upload and be part of this new exciting community” added Timothy Goh.

RAWclipx on podcast.sg will be different from most other UGC sites in that it allows for easy downloads onto mobile devices. It also offers RSS feeds and enables the public to comment on, and forward the clips. more.

In my own opinion, this is going to change the game in Singapore media scene forever. Forget about the Odex case. Check out why by referring to an analysis done by HubPages "Downloading unedited RAW videos in Singapore".

First Facebook User Fined for Creating Fake Profile

The Financial Times reported that “a British businessman has been awarded £22,000 in damages from a former school friend who created a fake profile of him on the website.”

It is very common to see user creating fake profiles of other people on Facebook since the platform is open out to public four years ago. From now on, users may want to think twice before doing so as this could result in a large fine.

Singapore Announces Ported Creative Commons Licenses

Excerpt from the official press release, slated for July 27, 2008 release:

San Francisco, CA, USA and Singapore City, Singapore — July 27, 2008

Today Creative Commons Singapore announces the completion of the locally ported Creative Commons licensing suite. In close collaboration with Centre for Asia Pacific Technology Law & Policy (CAPTEL), the Creative Commons team in Singapore, led by Associate Professor Samtani Anil and Assistant Professor Giorgos Cheliotis, adapted the licenses both linguistically and legally to Singaporean national law. The Creative Commons licenses, now ported to 47 jurisdictions, enable authors, artists, scientists, and educators the choice of a flexible range of protections and freedoms in efforts to promote a voluntary “some rights reserved” approach to copyright.

The Singaporean Creative Commons licenses, available soon online, will be celebrated today in Singapore City at the International Symposium on Electronic Art. The event will also feature a panel, organized by CAPTEL and Creative Commons Singapore, to introduce the audience to key copyright issues in the digital age and also share tips for creators and users to avoid common pitfalls in the field of copyright law.

The panel will, in addition, explain the aims and philosophy of the Creative Commons initiative and the specific nature and uses of the Creative Commons licensing suite in Singapore. Stanford law professor and Creative Commons founder Lawrence Lessig will address the audience to commemorate the completion of the licenses.

Following the event, the CC Singapore team hopes to initiate a series of educational talks to explain the philosophy of Creative Commons and the practical ways in which users can implement the licenses.

Project Lead Samtani Anil adds, “We also believe the launch of the Singapore CC licenses will lead to a better appreciation of the ambit, contours, and limits of the existing copyright regime in Singapore in relation to the sharing and dissemination of culture and the advancement of innovation. This, we believe, will sensitize various stakeholders to the avenues that are open to them to share their works in accordance with their wishes and needs.”

The CC Singapore team is supported by team members Assistant Professor Warren Chik, Vinod Sabnani, Tham Kok Leong, Lam Chung Nian, Harish Pillay and Ankit Guglani.

Facebook is rolling out the new profile design

According to the Facebook Developers blog, this week, Facebook will begin rolling out the new profile design to users on an opt-in basis. Every user may not see it at first, but they’ll keep extending the rollout to more users.

All Facebook apps developers should update their applications, and have them ready before the preview launch, because users will want to see the application within their new profile experience.

Facebook currently plan to launch the new design to all users one to two weeks after the rollout begins. Facebook will give developers at least 24 hours notice before the final switch occurs.

To get a quick-look at the new layout, log in to your page and then go to http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php. Not only does it look different, it also works differently. Check out this post on how Facebook's platform changes will affect you.

Nice Short Film: Comptine d'un autre été L'après midi

Google's Second Life killer?

Google has BETA launched a new service today called Lively, a browser based virtual world add-on that lets users create and customize avatars and worlds, interact with other users, and generally have a richer social interaction than is offered by GTalk.

This isn’t yet a full Second Life competitor. There’s no single world, for example, where users can move around. But it’s easy to see Google evolving this into a single online world. And then, of course, selling advertising into it.

Xcerion Internet OS/3 (XIOS/3)

This is one of the possible model of web based desktop/OS derived from cloud/utility computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) concepts.

Xcerion called it the world's next free operating system! The video is a demo of new revolutionary collaborative Internet operating system that is delivered as a free service over Internet, capable of synchronizing data between different clients and building real applications in a web browser that works on- and offline. Using XIOS/3 applications can be built in XML in weeks instead of years compared to traditional desktop technologies. Limited beta program started on 30th September 2007. Cool marketplace for finding and publishing applications will follow as well as many applications. See http://xcerion.com for more information and signing up for a beta account. Xcerion slogan is "Software should be free".

This is really cool technology which I think it could be the next big thing in the market.

Metal Gear Solid Theme - Eminence Orchestra

This is intense! They turned an amazing techno/military style song into an equally amazing epic orchestra performance with a chorus 2 boot. Hail to this performance.

Crude Oil Price Up Again?

Is this a matter of market pundits selling US dollars to buy oil to hedge risks?

At last check, crude for July delivery traded as high as $139.12 a barrel in electronic trading on Globex Friday (US time), the highest intraday price for a front-month futures contract on record.

Contributing factors: Talks about a potential Israeli attack on Iran combined with a slide in the U.S. dollar.

And here's how Abdullah will handle the oil problems in the country, the so-called 4 Quick Fix..

BY THE WAY... TV Smith has a friend who points to MakeMoney.com that makes the rebates-by-engine-cc scheme so sweet.

15 ways to reduce fuel spendings

BY THE WAY... Are biofuels, like corn-based ethanol, new villains that drive food prices up and exacerbate world food shortages? Food for thought.

BY THE WAY... Spiralling fuel cost hikes are plunging airlines into a tailspin. Route cuts, aircraft redundancy and job losses are imminent.

BY THE WAY... In the East, Qantas says sayonara to Melbourne-Tokyo route.

BY THE WAY... Budget carrier Jetstar will end its service from Cairns to Osaka and Nagoya.

BY THE WAY... In the West, Continental Airlines is to shrink to survive record fuel prices.

BY THE WAY... After the kneejerk responses -- and the temporary blip -- how are Malaysians back home reacting to and coping with the latest fuel hikes?

BY THE WAY... The Abdullah Administration is launched into damage control mode, trying to justify why the fuel price should be immediate and not psyche-prepared for August as hyped previously.

BY THE WAY... Inflation, stagflation, then global recession? Not really in that particular order nowadays.

BY THE WAY... Here's a survival kit from TV Smith... of course your driving habits will end with differing mileage.

BY THE WAY BY THE WAY... New iPhone will launch in Singapore partnered with Singtel. The Real Cost of the iPhone 3G according to Singtel http://tinyurl.com/6y844l

Pink - Dear Mr Bush

I love this song. It really tells what's going on!

4 months of continuously rollercoaster ride

It's been a rollercoaster ride for the past 4 months. Finally I got some free time to follow-up all my social networks. I have not touch any of these networks due to my other higher work & life priorities. Sometimes, I wish I have the time to spare for this. I have tried my best to manage myself & my time but it's difficult when you have several projects up to 3 running concurrently at the same point of time. Now, with all these had settled down, I could finally spend some time on every little things I have on hands. I am really tired but satisfied. Phew!

Firefox 3 sets to release on 17 June

Mozilla will release the next version of its Firefox browser, Firefox 3 on next Tuesday, 17 June and attempt to set a Guinness World Record for software downloads. This attempt is part of a campaign "Download Day" asking users to download Firefox 3 on the first day it is released to set world record for the largest number of software downloads in 24 hours.

Currently, Mozilla make available online Release Candidate 3 (RC3) of Firefox 3 for free download. To web developers outside there like me who is working on compatibility testing, you can follow this guide on how to have Firefox 3 and Firefox 2 running at the same time

Long holiday break

I am currently having my long holiday break. Today is my 7th day in Malaysia. Though it is only my 7th day here, I felt so sick with so many things going on in this country. Everyone here is talking about the RM2.70 oil price hike, living cost up, etc. What the heck is going on with the government? Really pity those low income group of people. How can I help duh...

Melacca trip with my colleagues

I spent 3 days in Melacca (a state in Malaysia well know with its pre-historic charm) with my colleagues. This is my fourth time visiting Melacca. We started our journey on Saturday morning from Johore Bharu (JB). Joining us is one of my colleague from Batu Pahat which is a district not far from JB. He is our so-called car "driver". There are all together 5 of us out of which 2 are originated from Melacca. We reached Ayer Keroh Toll Plaza around 10.30am. Then, we drop off the ladies in Batu Berendam & we proceed to Cheng to drop off our stuffs in my friend's house.

Where do we visited? Saturday, afternoon: We went to Jonker Street to sample the best laksa & chendol in Melacca for our lunch. After lunch, we walk & shop around Jonker Street. Then, we went to Mahkota Parade & the new Dataran Pahlawan mall.

Saturday, night: We went to the old Newton hawker center to take our dinner. After dinner, we went to MBO cinema planning to watch Superhero movie only to found out all screens & seats fully booked. Sigh! Wrong timing due to Malaysia's supreme ruler (YDP Agong) birthday & school holidays. We changed our plan to Mori Cafe in Bukit Beruang (opposite of Multimedia University). Over there, we hangout & had several rounds of card games. Guess what type of card game. Hihihi...

Sunday, morning: Sleep zzzZZZ.

Sunday, afternoon: Joined my friend's family for Ba-Chang (Dumpling) festival lunch. After lunch, I go over to my sister's house near MITC & Universiti Teknikal Malaysia while the rest of my friends heading back to Singapore.

So, I stayed overnight in my sister's place. The next day morning, I took the domestic bus heading back to my hometown in Shah Alam.

Merry Christmas

Wish you & your family a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.
Enjoy this video greeting card. If you want, you can view the full version here.