Category: My Good Life

Categories
Travel Blog

You Should Know By Now We Love Fraser’s Hill

Two pretty hilarious pieces of conversation to share (and the link to our photo album is at the bottom of this entry).

When we arrived at the lobby of Smokehouse hotel at Fraser’s Hill, Henry greeted us warmly.  Like he did the last time.  “It is good to see you again,” I said.  “Me too,” he replied, “Your hair was longer then.”  I stopped and thought: It could well be.  Long or short, is subjective.  I smiled and said, “Certainly.”  He then looked at my car parked in front of the hotel and said, “What happened to your Porsche?”  My Porsche?!  And he continued, “And you were staying at our cottage, yes?”  Cynthia threw a funny look at me and I had to change the topic quickly.  Before Henry blurted out loud whom I was holidaying with.  Or the I who he thought I was.  If Cynthia was my new date, that would have been a disaster.  Don’t you think?

The second piece of conversation happened inside our hotel room.  How it happened, please don’t ask.  Accidentally, I have poured a sizable lump of hot wax onto my brand new phone.  So much so that I thought the front screen would melt, its case would melt.  If so, my heart … would melt.  OK, it took me a long time to take out the wax.  A very long time.  If you don’t believe me, feel free to pour some hot wax onto your phone the next you …

Anyway, after the act, Cynthia smiled at me and asked, “Did the hot wax manage to turn your phone on?”

Ha ha ha … very funny.

*     *     *     *     *

Whenever I announce to my friends that I am driving to Fraser’s Hill in Malaysia, 9 out of 10 would say, “Again?!”, with that look of what-is-so-great-about-Fraser’s-Hill or shouldn’t-you-go-somewhere-exotic-instead.

In a way, Fraser’s Hill is not a destination.  It is a journey too.  Cynthia and I love road trips.  Destination seldom matters.  It could well be Kuala Lumpur (which we did stop over) or Cameron Highland (which we did consider).  Had our holiday been longer, we could end up in Penang instead.  For a short trip, Fraser’s Hill is a good destination, a familiar destination.  Familiar destinations have their merits.  For one, we know what to expect, where to go, and what to do.  And we enjoy lazing in the garden of Smokehouse reading books, playing Scrabble, or doing stupid things like trying to create a photo like the one below.  We have drawn quite a crowd, at night, mostly Westerners.

Ya, that was fun.

PS. To view our photo album (33 pictures), please click here.  Enjoy!

Categories
For the Geeks

Targus Laptop Bag And Mouse!

Has it come across to you that some brands are there but you are not noticing them and when you start looking, they are everywhere?  Out of the blue, I have received a request to try out the Targus products.  I seldom try out anything without knowing if it is good.  Coincidentally I was in the Funan IT Mall and all of a sudden, I saw Targus brand everywhere!  The laptop bags look stylish and of good quality.  So I replied: Sure, hit me with a backpack please!

And inside the bag, there is a mouse.  What a nice surprise!

Now, back to the laptop bag.  I have recently used it for our Fraser’s Hill trip (more photos to share, I promise).  It is surprisingly light, soft, comfortable to the shoulders, and it is built with water resistance materials too.  Don’t take my words for it.  Visit a store and check out the bags.  It is great for everyday use.  And if something more formal is what you would prefer, they have other ranges for just that.  I have quite a few formal laptop bags.  So I picked the casual sporty one instead.

It is said that Targus is the world’s top-selling laptop computer cases and accessories maker, renowned for quality and style.  I have to admit that the mouse (picture above) does look stylish, small enough to carry around, and its battery life is supposed to last for 15 months.  What impress me most is the tiny USB receiver.  I can practically leave it attached to my laptop all the time.

The recommended retail price of the backpack is S$119.90 and as for the mouse, S$49.90.  You may wish to check out its range of products here.

Categories
For the Geeks

Norton 360 Version 4.0 – Are You Well Protected? Need A Little Tuneup?

Avid readers may recall that not too long ago, I have written an article on Norton Internet Security 2010.  I am happy to hear that Norton continues to be light and secure, does not require much tweaking (“set and forget” is their design philosophy), and in this new Norton 360, it has a new reputation service, improved anti-phishing, improved scanning performance, a new download insight, web-based access to backup files, as well as improved startup manager.  To be honest, my previous Norton installation seems very fast and safe in my book.  I can hardly feel the difference for this new product, which is great of course.  Still fast, still safe.  It better be!

What are improved, I observe, are the PC tuneup function and the online backup option.  For the technologically inclined, PC tuneup may not be crucial.  But for someone like me who is a regular PC user, PC tuneup is a great place for me to (1) decide which are the programs I wish to run at start-up and in what priority, (2) clean up my file system including registry, (3) optimize my hard disk (defragmentation), and (4) run a diagnostic report on everything I wish to know about my computer – from hardware to software.  And I can say it with conviction PC tuneup has helped me a great deal.  My computer startup time has improved.  Seems to run faster too.

Online backup is an interesting feature.  Norton 360 v4.0 comes with a 2 GB online storage.  You can back up your Document directory or any directory in your file system securely online.  And restore if need to.  It does take some time for the first backup to complete, especially if you have a large backup set.  At home, I have a Network-attached Storage and an external backup device permanently attached to my computer so, this online backup service may not be something that I rely solely on (no harm having extra backup, having said that).  I can imagine that if you do not have a regular backup, this online backup can be useful.

Of the many great features that Norton products have, one of my favorite ones is Norton file insight (see below with file name masked).  Whenever I download an executable from the Internet, Norton prompts me on how trusted this file could be.  And based on the insight, I can make an informed decision on whether or not I shall risk running it.  One time, while I was downloading the latest video driver from ATI website, Norton warned me that the file may not be trusted as not many users have downloaded that and it was very new.  It turns out that that version of the file was corrupted.

I have got asked a lot how much the Norton products that featured in my website cost.  For this particular one, the suggested retail price is SGD 129 for the three PC license.

Categories
For the Geeks Game Reviews

Kasumi Goto From The New Mass Effect 2 DLC – A Brief Review

Does this digital game copy of the new Mass Effect 2 mini-expansion worth US$7?  Read on to find out.

I am a big fan of BioWare’s DLC (downloadable contents).  They are often of the right length (read: not too time consuming) and are rewarding to play.  Recently, BioWare has run into quality issue with the Dragon Age franchise and hence, I have stopped buying.  Not until they get their acts together and patch up the game.  Mass Effect, is another story.

“Kasumi – Stolen Memory” is the first DLC (with a file size of close to 1 GB!) outside the Cerberus Network.  The Cerberus Network licence worth US$15 in value and most retail copies I believe come with it.  Does it mean that this is the end for “free” downloads?  I don’t know.  Back to this new DLC, for the price of a movie ticket, it took me about 2 ½ hours to complete.  That includes reading the new codex, going through the conversation options, and admiring all aspects of the game including standing by the hillside looking at the breathtaking scenery of the sea.

For those who have started or planning to start a new game, Kasumi the enigmatic master thief can be a good squad member option.  Kasumi is distinctly different from the existing members because she can go in stealth and near one-shot the enemies from their backs.  Almost like a rogue class in some role playing games.  Because of that, most of the time I have no clue where she is when we are in combat and I have to pay attention to her voice cues.  My character is a Vanguard so that seems to complement the play style (up close and personal).  Too bad, I have already completed the game.  It would be fun to continue grouping with her to develop the synergy.

Half of “Kasumi – Stolen Memory” is non-combat in nature, which is a breath of fresh air from the majority of the loyalty missions.  My only slight grievance is that this DLC does not seem to be challenging enough and I have encountered a bug in the final boss fight (the boss despawned and the mission got stuck).  Also, conversations with Kasumi inside the Normandy is similar to Zaeed (from the Cerberus Network), very one-way in nature.  Other than that, “Kasumi – Stolen Memory” is a beautiful DLC – both in graphics and storyline.  And if you are like me, who are just one level under the cap, completing “Kasumi – Stolen” will shoot you all the way to the level cap of 30.

Categories
Diary

We Love To Play Scrabble

Board games, do people play these any more these days?  Computer games, console games, Facebook games – it seems to me that board games have faded into things of the past.  We watch movies more often than watching plays on stage; listen to music from our sound system more than attending live performances.  Think about how often we play board games these days.  And how often would someone born today play board games as they grow up.

As often as we watch plays on stage, attend live performances, I guess.

In a way, looking at the generation I come from, I am straddled between a world of board games and a world of electronic games.  When I was young, there was no such thing as computer games.  I had boxes of board games and I love playing them.  With whom?  My dad seldom played games with me, except the Chinese strategy ones that I was no match to him.  Still do not.  My mother at times played dice throwing type of games with me, mainly because my sister was often too young to play with me.  Four years of age gap, it means a lot in the realm of board gaming.  To me that is.  My sister was not buying it.  Still does not I reckon.

Electronic game has its rich entertainment value.  And in many instances, it is more convenience to play, has better variety, and can be played alone.  Those seem to be what we value today.  Even more so than not so many years ago.

Maybe it is not electronic games versus board games any more.  Passive entertainments such as television channel surfing, YouTube surfing, Facebook surfing, have become favorite pastime for perhaps you and me?

Cynthia and I love road trips to destinations that have no or little television and Internet access.  We often bring along Scrabble with us, something that can easily fit into the car.  And we keep a score sheet for all the games we have played.  With whom and where.

Speaking of games, over the weekend, I have attempted to design a game that is education in nature.  Something to do with learning Spanish.  I have tried to dig deep into my dusty closet where I have abandoned my computing skill not too long ago (I think one technology year is ten physical years).  Creating an electronic game, something I could have done quite easily years ago, is a no go.  Instead, I am thinking of creating a simple board game.

What would that look like?  Nothing elaborate or ground breaking.  I am badly in need of some motivation, something fun to practice my Spanish.  Keeping it simple, so as to speak.

PS. Photos are taken on a 5 minutes interval while we were playing Scrabble inside one of the living rooms of Smokehouse hotel at Fraser’s Hill, Malaysia.

Categories
For the Geeks

Nokia N900 – Revamped, Simplified, With The Power To Deliver

This Nokia N900 I am using means real business and I am not kidding you.  The improvement on responsiveness and overall user interface, the power of multitasking and the ability to open multiple full website simultaneously, this beast is everything that a Nseries user would hope for.  I have read a good number of positive testimonies for this phone.  Is this for you?  Read on to find out more on what this phone is and is not.

Overview

On the evening when I received my unit, I vividly remembered one line the Nokia presenter said: Why use a mobile site [with limited functionalities] when you can open up a full site?  It is so true.  Mobile sites or mobile applications that are there because full websites are too taxing for most of today’s smart phones are things of the past.  N900 is one big step towards what mobile computing is to be.  With 1GB application memory (256MB RAM, the rest is virtual) and up to 10Mbps 3G data connection, I can open up multiple websites and applications at ease, and at the same time.  Tired of waiting for a site to load?  Toggle to another site or do something else, just like what you would do in your desktop environment.

N900 comes with 4 desktops that are fully customizable (see below slides for screenshots).  It has a full QWERTY keyboard and a CTRL key that the Nokia community has been asking for.  You can now do copy, paste, undo and more!  N900 has the same touch screen size as N97 (3.5″) but with an even better resolution (800 x 480 pixel).  It plays video beautifully (all my friends love it).  Its touch screen is resistive.  It works well with your nails or the supplied stylus for precise navigation.  If you come from a cold country, you don’t need to take off your gloves to use the touch phone.

N900 is built using a new operating system: Maemo – a Linux based open source platform.  Improvements can be made by the passionate developers – for profit or not, without the wait for Nokia to make it happen.  The MSN plug-in for the Instant Messaging function is a good example.  Developed by the community, available free for the N900 users.


Screenshots taken by me (feel free to mouse over and pause)

First Look

What Nokia has done – from what I observe after first week of usage – is to revamp the product offering by focusing on what the majority needs.  Functionalities such as dictionary, Chinese character input, message reader, audio recorder, content search, converter, and podcasting seem to have dropped.  If you have not heard or seldom use any of these functions, it probably does not matter to you.  What we have gained in return comparing to previous Nseries models are:

  • A sleek full web browser powered by Mozilla technology (we can now open new window!).
  • Innovative zone in and out of a web page by touching any part of the screen and circulate in clockwise or anticlockwise direction (no, you don’t need to use two fingers on the screen like some other phones).  For existing Nokia users, double tapping on the screen not only toggle between normal view, zone in view, but also page-width view.
  • Internet Radio has returned (missing in N97)!
  • Easy management of Internet connection (oh yes, no more trying to configure destinations and different modes of connection in different applications).
  • Integrated chat and voice-over-IP (Skype, Google Talk, Jabber, SIP, and Ovi by default, MSN by community and more to come I bet).
  • Improved user interface with animation (OK, that is more for perception management on waiting time but hey, since every other smart phone is doing that …).
  • Much improved Media Player with (finally) an analog volume control.
  • Enriched notes function with style formatting.
  • Thumbing through the contacts by groups of ABC, DEF, GHI, and etc. (in portrait mode only).  If your hands are free to pull out the keyboard, you can still type the name of the contact, as in N97 etc.
  • Control over 3G, GSM, and dual network mode (see later section as it comes quite useful for me).
  • A data counter to track network usage.
  • Simplified profile setting – General and Silence profiles with the option to turn on or off vibration, ring tone selection and volume.
  • RSS Feed.
  • Control-Z, C, X, V  for undo, copy, cut, and paste.  Control-O and S to open and save items.  And … Control-Shift-P for taking screenshots!  I bet there are more shortcuts beside these.  Somewhere.
  • 4 fully customizable desktop areas.

While I truly love these enhancements made by Nokia, I have the following observations to share.  Again, some may matter to you, some may not.

  • N900 operates in the 3G frequency bands of 900/1700/2100 instead of 900/1800/2100 like N97.  And because 1700 is not supported by SingTel (I have called to confirm that they only support 900/1800/2100), there may be locations that the 3G connection is not as good as your old Nokia phone (note: to be fair, not all smart phones in Singapore supports all three bands).  For me to get a more stable data connection, I manually select the network mode of 3G and GSM if need to.  Having said that, most of the time I leave the setting to 3G.  When the 3G works (which is often), the speed is fast.
  • Music that you have purchased and downloaded from Nokia Music Store cannot be played in N900.  It is not a Comes With Music device either.  Nokia has to implement the DRM on the new operating system.  I am unsure when, if ever, this will happen.
  • Maps in N900 does not have voice navigation, like the current Nseries phones.  We have to wait for Nokia to port that over to the new phone, if and when.
  • While much of the improvement made to the Media Player is good, working with playlist seems tedious.  And there is no repeat track function nor equalizer as well.  No way to send the tracks via Bluetooth.  Can I live with that?  Sure I can.
  • MMS is currently not supported.  I sure hope that it is in the road map for the upcoming patches.
  • N900 is relatively bulky, and heavy (181g).  But that does not bother me as I need the computing power.
  • N900 is power hungry.  There has been discussions that in the next patch, power consumption will be improved.  As of now, for heavy users like I, it is best to keep it charging whenever possible.  Again, that does not bother me for what N900 is capable in doing.

In Summary

N900 is one great phone that Nokia users (especially Nseries users) would love.  And it is growing on me.  It is clear that Nokia has taken the suggestions from the user community and implemented them into this new phone.  Because N900 is built on an open platform, I have high hope that the developer community will help to take this phone and the future Maemo (or MeeGo?) devices forward.

Perhaps I am the minority here.  I truly hope that Nokia will one day give us the option to activate any of our Nokia phones to be a Comes With Music phone (surprisingly not many of my friends know about this unlimited music download service).  Quite possibly the best service Nokia has provided for the selected models.  I wish that N900 has a Comes With Music option, something I miss most from my N97.

Note: Recommended retail price for N900 is S$999.

Categories
For the Geeks Game Reviews

Dragon Age: Origin – What A Journey!

90 hours, I have poured into this game.  This has to go into my personal record of one of the longest enduring gaming journey in the category of anything-but-world-of-warcraft.  I seldom complete games these days.  50 odd hours into Mass Effect 2, I thought I was obsessive.  90 hours into Dragon Age: Origin, I reckon I could have read Iliad or Odyssey perhaps once.

You know how I am like when I get excited about something.  Of many whom I have talked to – strangers and friends alike – some are into role-playing games (better still, Baldur’s Gate), just like Dragon Age: Origin, waiting for that one final push to jump down the cliff.  Yes buddy, think no more.  I’ve jumped.  Now it’s your turn.  Some have no clue what this game is about.  Like my mother.  One evening she tapped onto my shoulder and asked, “Is this a game?  It looks like a movie.”  I took off my headset and replied, “Yes mom.  Computer gaming has certainly progressed since the day you and dad got me that Apple machine when I was a teen.”  Some come from the world of Mass Effect and ponder if they would too love this franchise.  And some have completed the game, like I do, and are eying on the expansion Dragon Age: Awakening, like I do.

In Short …

… Dragon Age: Origin sets in the fantasy backdrop of human and elves, dwarves and golems, dragons and dark magic.  The beauty of gaming versus reading or watching a fantasy story is that you get to shape the story the way you want it to be, within the framework provided.  You decide the beginning: a noble or a commoner.  You decide the role you want to play: front-liner or supporter.  You decide how the world should be explored, how to influence the people around you.  There are sub-plots that keep on distracting you, that you may choose to ignore.  And finally, a multitude of endings that you have to decide based on the little things you have done along your journey.  Some gamers may prefer a clinical approach in researching online prior to what is to come in order to shape an outcome that they want.  As for me, I prefer to shape my story according to my own decisions, even if there are sacrifices to be made along the way.  Bearing and living with the consequences is part of the game.

Game Play

Coming from the action role-playing game background (like Mass Effect franchise), I was apprehensive if I would find the frequent game pausing to issue commands to four party members a turn off.  Neverwinter Night turned me off.  Curiously, this game does not.  Though, when I showed it to Cynthia, she went “eeeewwww” because she swears by the real time game play of World of Warcraft.  I guess the reason is that not every encounter requires us to pause and strategize.  And if we do pause, it has to be something extraordinary that can turn the game to our advantage.

Another thing that took me a short while to get used to is that the conversation options chosen by the main character (a.k.a. you) are not read-out-loud.  Like Mass Effect.  Some say Mass Effect is an exception.  I could also loop in The Witcher (by the way, the sequel is in the making) to argue my case.  In any case, the conversation in Dragon Age: Origin has much depth and in a way, I am glad to click my options through.

The Things I Love Most

Character development is one.  It is memorable and you get to hate and love certain characters, love and even more in love with others.  Both the indoor and outdoor scenes are beautiful to look at.  The control is smooth (not sure how the console players can live with only two sticks and that many buttons on the controller though) mapped nicely to recent popular games of similar genre.  The learning curve is steep but one can persevere by trying out different strategies.  The game mechanic appears simple with three distinct classes – warrior, rogue, and mage.  But with different deployment of skill set and specialization, a rogue can play like a hunter and a mage can play like a priest or a warlock.  Lots of reading within the game of course, in the form of codex.

What’s Next?

From my research, Dragon Age: Awakening is the largest DLC (downloadable content) to date.  Despite the price tag that is comparable to the original game, it will likely to take nowhere near to 90 hours to complete.  Much faster.  But if you are already a fan, shouldn’t you dive into Awakening right now?  It turns out that for the PC gamers, you may be better off to wait for a bit due to reported game crashes caused by the latest patch 1.03 that you must apply in order to play the expansion.  Some gamers suffer more than their fellow PC gamers.  And for the console gamers, there are still in-game issues that may worth the wait to see if the developer BioWare is going to do something about them.  When in doubt, check the BioWare forums.

Personally, I wish the experience was as epic as the one with Mass Effect 2.  Unfortunately the experience was somewhat ruined due to the bad patch I have applied towards the end of the journey (if you are still playing the original game and if you could, stop at patch 1.02a).  Game modding is a powerful tool, given to the community.  But to rely on the community to fix some of the game issues using mods is just too strange for me to accept.

So what’s next?  When all fails – and if BioWare doesn’t get the game fixed – we can always look forward to Diablo 3, can’t we?

Categories
For the Geeks Game Reviews

Of The Three Add-Ons Of Dragon Age: Origins

While I am still far from completing the game Dragon Age: Origins (20% progress on 35 played hours), last evening, I have completed the three add-ons of this epic dark fantasy – a spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate.  If you are interested to find out if any of these add-ons worth your money, when the ideal time to begin these quests is and in which order, you have come to the right place.

Depending on the edition of your copy, the game may come with one or even all of these premium contents.  For me, one is free and I have to purchase the other two.  At present, I do not know if there are means to reinstall these paid contents in the future (like Mass Effect 2).  I surely hope so.  Some gamers comment that the add-ons are too short taking only a couple of hours to complete.  Considering how lengthy the original game is and how much these add-ons cost, I can understand the general sentiment.  However, since the price of each add-on is similar to a movie ticket or two, I have no qualm.

“The Stone Prisoner” (USD 15), that comes with the newer game edition, should be the first one to tackle as soon as you are comfortable with some basic combat techniques and crowd control mechanism.  You should complete this add-on at the early stage of the game so as to gain access to a new companion.  Shale is a golem and he (or it?) hits hard, works well as a tank too.  “The Stone Prisoner” probably ranks high on puzzle solving but not too much on story and combat.  The area is rather small and it does not take long to finish.  The most tangible reward from this add-on?  Shale of course.  His dialogs can be hilarious at times too.

“Warden’s Keep” (USD 7) is perhaps the best Dragon Age add-on I have seen.  It is rich in story and combat.  And you get to unlock a new class specialization as well as abilities.  On top of that, you have access to a party stash if you wish to extend your inventory space.  That stash is the only place in the game – officially of course – you can stash your items (for a free stash made by one BioWare developer, click here for my forum post).  Some complain that you have to travel to the castle to interact with your stash.  But it is merely a click on the world map and so far, I have not been held back from any random encounter while travelling to the castle.  The stash is right outside the castle some more.  What’s there to complain really?  As in when it is a good time to visit the castle, I would suggest visiting it when your warrior (or if you are not, one of your companions) has a buffed strength of 30.  You will then be able to use the set item (massive gear).  One word of advice: pay attention to all the details, including the Codex.  If not, you may miss some great loot!

I have a mixed feeling towards “Return to Ostagar” (USD 5).  The area is large, as it is a revisit to the original starting area that is locked after you have completed the prelude.  The combat is not particularly hard (maybe by then I have one of the best tanking gears in Dragon Age?).  Not too much on the story or puzzle solving.  The cut scenes are not as fascinating as “Warden’s Keep”.  But, you get to recover the King’s armours and weapons and more, recruit the dog if you have missed that out during the prelude, and perhaps seek some closure of where the prelude has ended.  You will need a buffed strength of 36 in order to wear the King’s set (another massive gear).  And if I have that buffed strength, wouldn’t I wish to equip the Juggernaut set (require 38 strength to equip) found in the Brecilian Forest instead?  Personally, I wish there is a set item for the rogue or mage class instead, from any of these add-ons.

Looking back, because I have started to collect the Juggernaut set as early as when my warrior reached level 9, the armour reward of the add-ons does not seem to be that attractive.  If I am going to reroll another character, I would dive into these add-ons as soon as I can.

Categories
For the Geeks

Experiencing Free Navigation And More

When my mother first saw how my phone assisted me to navigate from Wheelock Place to The Big Splash on the road, she couldn’t believe her eyes.  Hearing that all we need is the free satellite signal from above us even in the absent of mobile signal is enough to add that into her list of fascination on how technology has advanced.  From my new rice cooker that has the options to select the type of rice and how soon we want to eat, to the TV system that … think about it, what happens to those good old days when you select what you want with a click of a button?  Or two?  I can only imagine how fascinated I would be in the not so distant future.

Recently, it was announced that Nokia’s Maps – branded as OVI Maps – would come with free navigation for selected phone model.  You can also plan your trip on your PC and synchronize the bookmarks with your phone.  I am happy to hear that N97 is one of them.  Yesterday, I gave it a try, mainly because I had a genuine need.  The first thing I have noticed is the new menu (see below).  It took me a brief moment to download the guide (I chose British female voice!) and to log onto OVI Maps using my Nokia ID (not mandatory but it is nice, as you will read later).  And it was good to go.

The map is on 3D and it rotates as I navigate (see above).  In theory, there is no need for me to see the screen.  But because at times the Global Positioning System (GPS) signal is lost, I may miss a turn (and the phone is smart enough to do re-routing almost instantly).  So for best result, I reckon it is good to mount the phone somewhere at the windscreen and see where is your next turn, which is what drivers do for their GPS devices.

So, why is there a need to log onto OVI Maps?  For the simple reason that you can now synchronize your bookmarks with your OVI account in the Internet.  This is powerful.  Because I may discover a new eatery place or a place of interest anywhere in the world, save the GPS data onto my phone for future use, and I can synchronize with my OVI account and continue to access this location for my future Nokia phones.  Or I can share my locations on Facebook, via OVI Maps.

Another powerful feature is the ability to plan my trip using the computer.  I have used Google Maps.  And I am surprised by the user interface of OVI Maps.  The transition is smooth.  And overlay onto the different map modes (such as landmark etc.) is the real time traffic condition.  At one glance, I can tell where are the areas that I shall avoid, if so I wish.

Route planning in OVI Maps is a breeze.  Alternative routes are displayed and can be selected with a click of a button.  I have no complain about OVI Maps for now, except that there are locations that I cannot find using OVI Maps in the Internet but able to find via my phone.  To be fair, I can’t find these locations in Google Maps neither.  Below is a screenshot of how, in theory, I can plan my route from my home to the Botanic Gardens.  The deeper purple route from A to B is the optimized route.  The red thin line along the highway CTE indicates that heavy traffic at that segment is expected.  And the route in light purple is an alternate route via the highway.  There is a third one also in light purple overlaid with the highlighted one for the shortest route in case if you wonder why the routing near the destination is a bit confusing.  Selecting different mode – shortest route, fastest route, and optimized route – will highlight the route accordingly in deep purple.

In summary, despite the occasion lost of GPS signal during my first navigation experience, as a free service that bundled with selected Nokia phones, it is certainly one feature that Nokia users should cheer about.  Imagine no more getting lost when you are overseas and in town.  Looking at how far the maps function has progressed since the early days of Nokia putting maps onto their phones, I am keen to see what the near future will bring.

PS. I may try to mount the phone to the windscreen to see if the GPS signal strength can be improved.

Categories
Diary

Can You Steal A Parking Lot?

When resource becomes scarce is when our true color reveals, true or false?  One can talk about the beauty of humanity when people are getting what the majority are having.  But strange behaviors emerge when we have to compete, especially when the rules are not well established.  What am I talking about?  The stealing of parking lots.

Stealing?!

I first read that phrase on the front page of our national newspaper.  Someone was stomped, accused of parking lot stealing, and has his or her face / car photographed and published on the Internet.  What is Stomp?  Quote unquote: Asia’s leading citizen-journalism website with user-generated material.  The website can be found in here.  Personally, I am not that into Stomp, as I have yet to be convinced that citizen-journalism has a consistent high quality that I can value when it comes to news reading.  And if bloggers can be sued in Singapore for defamation, would stompers face the same risk?  Or they have gained immunity because the pictures are hosted with our national newspaper in the Internet space?  Whichever, I would rather not see my face featured in Stomp.  That brings forth the second part of this entry.

*     *     *     *     *

Over the years, the shopping mall Thompson Plaza has retained its popularity, amongst the dwellers of the neighborhood, including my family.  Over the years, car ownership in Singapore has increased.  How I wish we could be like our neighboring country Malaysia that when the demand is up, a new mall can be built right next to the old one.  Double the capacity, double the parking lots.

Parking in Thompson Plaza has become increasingly time consuming, especially during peak hours.  Rather than going round and round inside the car park basement hoping to find an empty slot, I often wait patiently in one area for one.  At times, there could be two or even three cars waiting in the same area.  There is no first-come-first-serve when it comes to which of the cars in waiting get the first available lot.  There is no clear demarcation of which are the lots belongs to which ‘waiting bay’.  For me, I often give way to those who have come first, or those who are closer to the empty lot.  Seldom do I confront other drivers unless it is an act of bully, which I have encountered several times in the past.  I do not get out of the car and scream at other drivers like some do.  I make sure that I drive into the lot before it is taken, if I feel that I have waited for my turn.

One fine day, as I was heading to my usual waiting area, inside the Thompson Plaza car park, I was stuck in a peculiar situation.  Behind my car, one car was leaving the lot.  In front of me, there was a car in waiting blocking my way.  All that car needed to do was to move forward a little bit, let me pass, and take up the parking lot.  My intend was to wait for another lot since someone was here before me.

All of a sudden, the car in front sped away, disappeared.  And I was presented with an empty parking lot.  I looked in front and there was no car waiting.  I looked at the back and there was no car behind.  I waited a bit, nothing happened.  Naturally, I drove into the lot, and parked.

Out of nowhere, someone was honking furiously.  I looked through the windscreen and saw a lady driver furiously screaming at me, rudely gesturing at me.  Wow, what’s going on?  It turns out that she was the driver in front of me and had – I suppose – decided to drive one big round through the car park in order to let me pass.  I was not pleased with her attitude but surrendering the lot to her seemed like the right thing to do.  And so I drove out of the parking lot and waited for another one.

Looking at the rear mirror, I could tell that she was still angry at me.  A few days later, when I read the headline on the newspapers, I secretly hoped that it was not I who was stomped.  If so, I may consider suing someone for defamation – for the fun of it since it seems like the in-thing to do in Singapore these days.

*     *     *     *     *

Near my home, there is a food center.  At times, the parking lots can be fully occupied.  One time, a small lorry drove past me who was in the waiting, did a U-turn, and there we were, facing each other, eying on the same set of lots.  And I wondered: How is it going to be?  Me or him?

As the story turned out, a lot became available near to the lorry.  And I was expecting it to be taken, even though I had been waiting for quite a while.  Just my luck.  Some days you have it, some days don’t.  Contrary to my expectation, the lorry driver hand-signalled me to take the lot instead.  I was in gratitude, surprised – or rather grateful – that there is still beauty in humanity when resource seems scarce.