Finally figured it out...

Seriously after being used to code in HTML or ASP using Notepad back then during the previous Dot.com boom, it has been awhile since I actually did some coding or even played with HTML. I am such a slacker.

Finally figured out how to edit my blogspot template and added my very own Cbox! Does Cbox mean chat box? Ah crap...

Ok that's enough for a 5am wake up pee call, time to get back to sleep before another day at work...Will try to blog on the Slingers game I just came home from earlier..the wine is so good..or I mean the WIN is so good..hahah

Sunday blooooody Sunday!

Sunday mornings are the happiest in the morning and saddest in the night. Happiest cos I get another weekend after a late Saturday outing and saddest when damn it's Monday tomorrow.
So as I drive down towards East Coast Park for a morning of workout and sea breeze, with U2 blasting in the background going "Sunday ..bloody .. Sunday..", its going to be a great day...
Strapping my blades up as I waited faithfully for my lazy friends to get here, I made my way to Bedok Jetty which has always be a stopping point for a view I will never fail to appreciate.

Check out the 3 tone sea...

After a teaching session to my friends..I made my way down to Parkway for a Sunday-test-of-patience-time. Was signing up for another broadband deal with Singtel as I decided to cancel the slow Starhub service I have been getting. Despite the 8mb free upgrade, I am getting only a max of about 300kbps as my friends who have switched over are getting 800kbps. As I get older...I realised time is something I cannot afford to waste. So indeed I need a faster car and some kick ass faster broadband connection. But here I am queuing a freaking 1 and a 1/2 hour to get some service, and damn the connecting service isn't immediate, I have to wait about 4 days to get it up. And wait another week to get the service guy over, so I decided to bring the set back on my own and fix it up myself in 4 days time.

After all that waiting, and working out in the morning, now its time for some fat gaining chillout session with the buddies as KP is celebrating his annual malt aging day. He is as usual the 1st to cross those numbers followed by Kun which is next week.
With great pizza and lots of beer, 7 darksides and another 2 wonderful Brewerkz complimentary jugs for the birthday boy; we enjoyed the Australian Tennis Open match where Djokovic went up against unseeded Tsonga. He played well but eventually lose in 4 sets to Djokovic who earlier broke Federer's streak of 10 straight Grand Slam finals in the semis.


What fine beer with tennis watching to savour.

Time for some birthday cake cutting as bought by Jase and his boo who faithfully went down to Fullerton to get the cake but it has indefinitely been closed and we have to settle for a Bakerzin cake instead. We'll try again next week for Kun's birthday.



Enjoying the chocolate "cigar".
Man we getting old...soon it will be my turn..damn it!

Nokia N810 trial review in finer details

Pictures blatantly stolen from Nokia website, too lazy to take pics.


When I first got the Nokia N810 last week for trials, my first impression of the product was that it was a looker. I was impressed with the device for having touch screen with a thumb keyboard that slides own from the device and a built-in GPS receiver.
Though it is smaller than the predecessor N800, it is still not really a pocket fit. That's partly due to the 4.1in screen. I do not previously used an N800, so I can't comment on the difference. So its purely a first time usage review.

I was impressed with the form factor that Nokia has placed the buttons around to make it more user-friendly and more attractive. The directional pad is placed to the left of the keyboard on the sliding panel. The menu button is right below the directional pad. The escape and home buttons are on the front of the device, that flushes along the left side. The round power button is at the top center, with a sliding lock added to the right of the power button. To the left of it are the zoom buttons and the full-screen button. So there are lots of hard buttons around to improve the user experience.

The headphone and power adapter jacks are located on the right side of the device just beneath the stylus. The one thing which is not user friendly is the stand, which blocks the USB port and memory card slot when closed. And this makes removing the battery cover a hassle. The USB port is not the usual miniUSB, so that's another cable to bring along on business trips. I do not understand why they can't just make it universal.

The N810's external memory card slot is designed for MiniSD and MicroSD cards rather than standard SD cards which I was hoping to dump my old unwanted SD card in there to boost the small memory it has onboard. It has a primary Flash storage of 256mb for the maemo Linux-based OS2008, with another insufficient 2Gb of built in secondary flash memory.
With Nokia offering N95 8Gb or N81 8Gb, I would expect at least an 8Gb for the N810 to be able to store at least some music and movies to be able to bring along on business trips. A good point to note is that the 128Mb DDR RAM is good enough to load fully my Facebook profile with all the applications at hand which I cannot perform on the N95. It is even sufficient to do minor photo or picture editing before uploading it on Flickr or my blog. But the embedded webcam resolution is insufficient to take decent pictures, and is more apt for video conferencing.



An impressive note is there is an ambient light sensor which is located above the webcam which supposedly automatically adjusts screen brightness and keyboard backlighting!
I managed a short post about the N810 for my blog before my fingers start getting tired. Notably the keyboard has control key which allows shortcuts, and the layout is QWERTY but without a number row to cut down on the space usage. The keyboard is rather sensitive, and might need a bit of time getting used to, as I keep double typing without the proper feedback I would expect.
I prefer using the software keyboard and handwriting methods of text entry for short notes.
Perhaps the most attractive thing on the N810 appearance would be the notification light that flashes in various colors to indicate certain events.

The use interface looks simple and elegant but with just 2 themes available, it is quite lacking, but we can change the background wallpaper with our own pictures. Hope to find more themes available online if I had more trial time. The status icons in the notification area are minimalist and are mostly white located at the top right which is easy on the eye.
But disappointingly, the trial set does not come with Chinese language support as well as Chinese keyboard support. I guess there should be some Chinese support package available but the trial period is too short for the hassle.
Even downloading the updated OS2008 which is about 120mb and the various programs such as Skype is not available on the trial set.
With WiFi 802.11b/g, I was able to easily access Wireless@SG at many locations. With the integrated microphone we can actually make free Skype calls from the device. But unfortunately, there was a lack of video support in Skype, which makes the webcam virtually useless.
Watching YouTube on N810 is a little laggy, losing frames all the time, not sure if its due to the Wireless connection or the device itself. But still good enough to watch though.
The videos playback on the N810 with the sample videos appear to be smooth with surprisingly good sound via the speakers. I paired my Sony bluetooth headset to listen to the mp3s, it is decent, almost the same quality as my N95.

I was able to send fairly big files and pictures from my mobile to the N810 quickly, but the storage quickly ran out due to the limited storage space.
There are still not much free applications available for the N810 and the limited trial period did not allow me to try out other Linux applications from being installed on the N810.
Lastly would be the GPS and Maps function I would try. With such a big screen, it would be nice to hook it up in the car and navigate around Singapore. The on screen zoom functions are quite handy, and using fingers to control the Maps is easy. Holding a stylus while driving would be quite difficult. However, the application is quite different from the Nokia Maps loaded in N95, and connecting to the GPS takes quite a while.

Conclusions on the N810 would be that as it is not really a mobile phone though we can make Internet/VOIP calls from it, it is sufficient as a web browser, email, media player. But more storage space is preferred, and with many other devices competing in this market, it would be advantageous if more office applications are available to replace PDAs completely with this device. For now the similarly Linux based Asus Eee PC looks rather attractive as well.

Slingers let one slip away...revenge for the Taipans....(and the jumbo board is MS Windows based!)

The Singapore Slingers vs Cairns Taipans game started off well for the Singapore
side. But it was a single man who brought the Slingers to their knees. #4 Dwyane Vale shot a blistering 16pts in the 4th quarter to tear apart the lead Slingers had built over 3 quarters. He never missed a shot. Unlike my previous half crap review, I was less distracted as Jaymee sits a good 50m away in the Ratemyturban.com corporate box instead.

It started with Slingers leading early in the 1st quarter. At the 5min mark, we have led 18-10, where teamwork was evident with quick passing all around. 1st quarter ended with a high note with Helms having a follow up layup in the dying seconds, bringing the score to 30-19. The Slingers look energised with lots of ball movements and great defense. It seems like Slingers was going to repeat the win over Taipans in Cairns.

But Taipans wasn't going to make things easy. Starting the 2nd quarter, the score was 34-21, but within 4mins, a 12-3 run ensued. Taipans cuts the lead to 4; 37-33. Slingers was having difficulty with the offense, with Rod having drawn his 3rd personal foul late in the 2nd quarter. Things do not bode well for the Slingers with Shane #7 missing 2 FTs to end the half. Mike #23 was still doing fine, topping all scores at 17pts.

Start of the 3rd quarter,Taipans took their first lead 44-43, but it was shortlived as Slingers started tightening the defense and increased their offense in the subsequent 2 possessions; bringing back the lead 49-44. At the 7 min mark, Janev #21 had a hard foul which took him out of the game for awhile. He was playing well throughout the game, and his absence was felt. Back to back 3s on both sides brought the game to 56-53. The tight game could be felt by the fans as tension grew on the court. Ratemyturban.com corporate box lightened the situation with their usual funny signboard which reads "You shoot like my grandma" or "Miss LAH" during Taipans free throws, distracting them, causing some missed shots! Janev came back in for the game and scored the next 9pts to end the 3rd with Slingers up 69-62.


Start of the 4th, the jumbo board had a technicality which caused the screen to go blank, and Bill Gates can be faulted for! It had to be rebooted which revealed the Microsoft Windows XP as the operating system for the board. By the time the board rebooted, the score was 76-70 with both sides hitting 3s. Helms had 23pts while Rod was having difficulties scoring, only had 8pts. Shane at this point was perfect from the 3pt line, hitting 2-2. From this point forth, the tide turned as Taipans managed to shut Slingers out. 4th quarter 7min mark, Taipans took the lead again 78-76. A lead they will not relinquish, they rained down 3s and the score was 84-78 within minutes courtesy from Dwyane #4's hot hands. From being up 6, to down 6, Slingers started to feel the heat and desperation shots ensued. Slingers went on to missing the next 2 crucial possessions. With 2mins remaining, Taipans were up 91-82 as Rod was making bad 3pt shots in hope of cutting the lead. Helms with better luck cut the lead to 6pts 93-87, as he shot a big 3. With 1min left, Slingers panicked, unable to score, they went on to playing the fouling game.

Which spells an impending end to the game, and its time to enjoy the free wine..Chilean Merlot..hmmm


As Taipans scored on the free throw line, we failed to make any shots and the game ended 99-87. A disappointing end as we led most of the way, the energy which started the match faded away, unsure if it's due to poor fitness, or bad coaching. I often feel that if the game is already in the bag, a lack of motivation or proper calls by the coach, he could be letting the game slip away, allowing the opponents to run away with it. And that is the coach's responsibility.



Thanks Nic for the game ticket, pity he wasn't around to see a nice warmed up crowd we had today.
Oh by the way, interesting to note, again, for the Million Dollar Shot promotion during the 4th quarter timeout, the lucky spectator didn't get lucky, he missed all 3 attempts!! hee hee... And did anyone hear the milliondollarshot question? I could have swore I didn't hear the emcee say it out. So I am clueless to what the question is and thus unable to provide any answers, but to anyone who has better hearing than me, please post the question if you do not know the answer, I should be able to provide some hints.

Oh and I do not have a big ass camera like Jase and Jean, so head down to their sites for nice pictures of the game.

Box Scores

1st blog entry using a handheld device!

I was asked to review the new Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, and I am now trying my hand at how easy this might be using Wifi and typing with the typepad for an entry. It is difficult for long entries when pictures have to be edited for postings(there isn't any editing software preloaded).But i guess short entries like this would be good. Check back later for more pics and reviews as i play more with its Linux environment!

Go Slingers! starstrucked against the Hawks -13 Jan '08

Ok I admit, for a moment I thought I was a jinx to the slingers..2 of 2 matches attended, and they lost..but hey there are probably many other factors they have lost - like bad coaching! hahah..anyway that's another story. The match against the Wollongong Hawks has turned out to be different. (In case you do not know where is Wollongong, because I didn't! - Wollongong is Australia's most liveable regional city located just south of Sydney)

Ok another admission, I wasn't really concentrating on the match for a good 2 quarters of the match. Because the girl I have been idolizing since I first saw her on a mag cover over 10 years ago was sitting like 2m away from where I was!! Jaymee Ong is so babelicious!! In case you do not know who she is (Ok my buddy never saw her before - but now that I have OPENED his eyes, he does agree that she's hot!) here's a picture of her. I was starstrucked or actually dumbstrucked.








Ok, so 3rd quarter where I managed to focus on the match, Slingers was up 73-59. Grizzard and Helms were doing well, they were shooting quite reasonably. But Hawks was not doing too well defensively, allowing many inside shots and 3 pointers from our guys.

We had a huge crowd tonight, partly due to the fact it was AIA family night.

There was the usual halftime entertainment of Hummer RC car driving, but for AIA night, they had employees and even policy holders come up to shoot free throws! The best shooter was actually the General Manager of AIA, who shot a free throw quite nicely. The other 20 odd people were not so lucky, only a couple of guys got it in and won some prizes.

I think every game night, there should be sponsors! Because then Slinger fans will get these plastic balloon bangers to heighten the atmosphere that was lacking in the previous matches. Unlike in the NBA games, where many sponsors from Burritos to Gatorade advertises throughout the game. For example, if the score was above 100 points, free Burritos was given for every meal purchased. I thought that would have been great if Brewerks gave 20% off if Slingers had won...

Or perhaps Tiger Beer would sponsor these plastic bangers by selling cheap beer filled in them! You would put the straw in and drink the beer, and when finished, we can blow them up and use them! Suggestions coming from an alcoholic!



Anyhow, 4th quarter scoreline at 80-68, Slingers still up by double digits. We have continued to press in and apply full court pressure. Unlike against the Perth team, we seem to be more energetic and the Hawks does not seem to have any sharp shooters. Perth Wildcats had in the previous game (Winning 124-87), able to capitalized on our weaker defense from tired legs resulting from full court press and launched repeated 3 pointers (~60% 3PFGs 14/24) which were demoralizing as well as distracting, as our players will also try to shoot 3s to try to catch up (we tried and ended up with 3PFGs 9-22). Looking at the Slingers' roster, besides Mike Helms, we do not really have pure shooters(by the way we only made 3PFG 9-19 in this game).

Talking about shooting, 4th quarter timeout session - Milliondollar Shot promotion of having a lucky fan shoot from half court, 3 point line and free throw line. And with much glee, for past 2 games, no one won anything yet! Well I have - $500!! Though I still could not stomach the thought that I missed the 3 pointer which could have won me an LG 32in LCD TV for my PS3! Damn...and in any case you want to take part in the million dollar shot, click on the link and take part in the quiz, which the question for the match against Hawks is -"What is Rod Grizzard's jersey #"

Resuming the game, at the 1min 30secs mark, we actually had our lead cut down to 8 points 105-97. Hawk's Franklin was doing all the damage inside the paint and driving to the hoops. At one stage, he was blocked to the floor and I was yelling "stay down!". Oh another digression, Jaymee rocks as a basketball fan..she can really root for the Slingers, getting off her chair and screaming out cheers and boos. This is one perfect girl for any basketball fan! (unfortunately she does have a good looking beau sitting next to her~ sob but i do wish her happiness)
Coming back to the game, we wrapped up winning the Hawks - Final Score 113-102.
Coincidentally the top 3 scorers of the night were Helms (28 pts), Grizzard (23 pts) and Hawk's Franklin (28 pts) - the Black game ; the undeniable truth that white men can't jump or Singaporeans must stay on the bench!

Boxscores and Rod's jersey number can be found here --> Boxscore

Won some $kerching$ from shooting a free throw

Hmm..didn't really want to blog on this 'cos its actually more embarrassing than being proud winning $500 bucks from nailing a free throw in the indoor stadium.

But hey, it isn't everyday you get to shoot in the indoor stadium in front of thousands of people and you get the whole sg blogging community there to cover the event!

Anyway the embarrassment came from missing a three-pointer which could have net me a LCD TV!! The embarrassment came from the fact that I have a good 75% average from behind the three point line! But hey I was drunk on free beer compliments from Nic and Jason (who invited me as his Boo was ill.

Anyway met a lot of cool new friends there...
Instead of putting their names, they shall be represented by their blogs:

http://precious-living.com/
http://blog.simplyjean.com/
http://blog.alicecheong.com/
http://www.sheylara.com/
http://zeited.livejournal.com/
http://vandalin.blogspot.com/
http://www.sabrina.sg/
http://www.misscel.com/
http://www.daphnemaia.com/
http://arzhou.com/
http://nadnut.liquidblade.com/

And they have sufficient coverage on my bad shooting! So go read theirs instead.
Check out Jase's version of it "DC comics style"


And if you want a shot at winning a million instead of $500... go for it!

I had my shot at it..but hey I am still training for the final chance at it..
a million bucks man...how to miss? ooh by the way ..some hints to the answer for the tonight's game is my favorite number and can be found in my url!!

Tonight will be the 1st game for 2008.
Doubt I will get another chance!