Absurd patent case?

It seems to have died down. When months ago a company claiming to be a Singapore company started sending letters to webmasters of local websites demanding payment for the image linking codes they use. Quite absurd too and it shocked the WWW world. They smell fishy from day one when such code are freely in use and these fishes out of no where start to ask for payment and claimed that they own the codes. This fish even hide under as a Singapore company when they are registered in Australia. So if they think people are stupid to believe it is a Singapore company, we could easily find out who they really from. Most people think it is a replay of the Odex case. These people only knows to use lawyer letters to frighten people. In this case, it is even absurd to have someone asking for payment on a common internet language code that is in use by everyone in the world. So what will be next? Someone asking to pay up for JPG files?

new search engine

A new challenger for Google. Google is the No.1 search engine on the internet followed by Yahoo. Now a new engine name Cuil is claiming to be biggest, smartest and fastest. Not everyone can have the claim easily without the world casting doubts. This is because the company is being run by former star engineers from Google. So now with such star powers from a newcomer, what would Microsoft do now that they have another competitor.

strange air violence

Air violence on a UK plane. And the culprits are two women on a drunken rampage. So don't the plane have air marshals? If they have it in US planes what about planes of other brands? One woman was reported using a vodka bottle as a weapon trying to club air cabin staff. Imagine them being men.... it would be worst. If there are stationed security staff they would be able to handle the women easily. Tough luck for the two women.

music label start fanbase

Alantic Records starts a fanbase online so that the fans could connect to their favourite artists when they use their computer. So this is similar to youtube or those other video sites where you could watch the music videos. The difference is that watching from the label's fanbase is official. It is something like an official fan site I guess. How would it be taking off would be early to say but it might work if they have enough artists to do it. Not for me. My favourite artist isn't from this label so it isn't for me.

odex team with mediacorp

Odex, after the incident that left in its wake a fumming anime community here now is back teaming with mediacorp. Aren't they always been showing their shows on mediacorp all the time? I guess too long out of the news they want to get some publicity. So does that mean people will still buy odex stuff? I doubt so. The recent comic convention I saw the odex booth basically no people inside. Maybe one or two kids but that is it. Beside their booth is quite empty. So now they hope people will subcribe to mediacorp's pay tv to watch those odex shows? I wonder how many will really do it? I can see that all over local forums people are still not forgiving them.

Local studio shove creativities down the drain

National Day is coming. TV is now blasting us the ads for NDP. As usual but this time, they got in the headlines, for the wrong reasons. Someone spotted something about the ads and post on websites and also sent to newspapers. The ads have been seen as copy cats from other ads owned by other companies. Even though those other ads copied were foreign and never being shown on local TV, the likes of Youtube on the broadband age let everyone to anyone to watch almost anything. The local studio that creates the clips fail to provide originality and creative at all. Some says you get what you pay for peanuts. Others say they waste tax payer money producing such cheap products. Does the similarity on these ads pave way for any copyrights issue, even if the ads were changed? It could since ordinary people could see them so similar. The creator did not change enough. And the reply from those in-charge just put aside the issue. There goes for respect of others creative rights and properties.

Last match isn't last at all

The National Stadium is the icon where Singaporean knows. Many sport events, especially soccer and National Day celebrations held there. I myself was there as a student and during my national service to do my part for the event. So now they are going to tear down the building to make way for something else, I believe the new MRT line. The authority had given its last match at the stadium. Then here is the twist - the last match then wasn't last. They have another match with some oversea team. I remember some people complained and wrote to Straits Times on what the last match they paid dearly turned into not exactly last. So from the announced last match then till now, there was a few matches. And now another one. So as long as the stadium still stands, don't ever believe that is the last match. It ain't over till its over. Too much last match just doesn't make anyone to believe anymore.

Superman Return so so only

I have just watch the show Superman Return. I would say it is nothing impressive. Instead the starting part is draggy and makes me sleepy. Why is it so? The start is full of talks and no action. Superman is suppose to battle some super villains. There you have him saving people from accidents, disasters and robberies. I give it the worst since Christopher Reeves' Superman. At least in Superman 2 and Superman 4, you have Superman battles evil Kryptonians (yes, Superman is not the only Kryptonian left) and Nuclear Man. While these villains are cheesy, they gave Superman a run of his muscles. The new Superman Return have a equally lousy ending. So in the end he save the day as usual. But the plot and story is a turn off. I rather pick up a copy of Superman comic. At least you get to see him start knocking costume villains instead of talk and no action. I am not looking forward a sequel. Until WB start to do it right, it is better for them to use the fund on some other show.

Happy ending yet?

In the latest happening, Mr Icahn managed to make a truce with Yahoo. He and three of his recommended candidates will have a seat on the board. Analysts gave their view as the best result Icahn can have. If he go along with Microsoft trying to have a proxy fight, he might not win and maybe dummped by the software giant in the losing battle, if such event do happen. Now that their differences aside, it remains to be seen if Yahoo and Icahn can really hold hands and happily ever after continues on. And what will be the Google deal? Hopefully, in the long run, Yahoo will remains what it is, without anyone trying to force a sales here and there. They have the right to go for what is best.

Best damn Transformers book!

If you are a hardcore transformers fan, you should get yourself a copy of The Ark vol. 2! Why is that so? Because this book showcase the Japanese characters in their animated cel. You don't see many books dealing with Japanese Transformers do you? Even if you do, they are mostly drawn for it. This book shows you the cel, what you see on TV is what is on the book. Better rush down to your comic shop before they sold out!

charity mismanagement fisco

So here it is, after the NKF saga now they are doing it to Ren Ci. But then you can't compare NKF to Ren Ci. NKF have all these donation shows on TV. Mr Durai, the person behind the saga was a businessman doing nothing but to suck in cash from the outside world. He is the monster then. But the Ren Ci saga is different. The man of the saga is Venerable Ming Yi. He is a monk by the way. So why is a monk in charge of money mismanagment? Being a monk shouldn't even be in charge of any decision making. So is he a monster? I don't think so. He perform stunts on the donation show, which is much less on TV than NKF. He did his part to get donations. Now due to the stooges around him messed up, Ming Yi and his merry men, so far only two persons, being brought to court. Hopefully people should remember the good deed he have been doing before decide on his future.

Irritating advertistment next

Sometimes now, that Starhub advertistment hasn't been shown. Probably the Starhub promotion is over. That is still no excuse to be flooding our screen with it. Right now, I get to see this Raintree ad quite a lot. Althought not as floody as that Starhub ad, this Raintree ad is as irritating too. Because it is long winded, and I guess their aim is to make people take note of their achievment. They have achieved, to make notice them as much an annoyance on TV. It is draggy and the soundtrack is loud. With no competitors around, and a backing by the only monopolised media company, they are it. No need to show off the stuffs through the years.

crowded street

It was a rare moment I get to walk on the street around Raffle Place during noon. The place was over crowded with people. Also crowded with constructions. Must be the ERP that causes everyone to abandon their cars. So now the problem spreads to the public transport like buses and MRT. Every MRT that arrives are packed to the door. Same with the buses and buses are as usual slower to arrive. Now they even intend to adjust the bus fare due to the rising cost of fuel. So if that is the case whay is there continue the sales of cars? You stop people to use their cars but offer cars for sale. That is crazy man.

Yahoo rejects another MS bid

Carl Icahn have hold hands with Microsoft to try to get Yahoo to sell part of itself to Microsoft again. Also Mr Icahn will replace the Yahoo executives with his own fans, including Yahoo's co-founder Jerry Yang. Yahoo rejects the deal. The google deal would be less risky than Microsoft's. I am glad Yahoo remains out of Microsoft's hands. While the numbers doesn't quite reflect positive on Yahoo, I still uses their search engine and applications whenever possible. Somethings just doesn't work when they are part of Microsoft.

Talk to your cat

I saw this book at the big bookstore at Vivocity today. Kind of interesting. Gave you some facts and some interesting stories about cats. It even have a small section on how to know what your cat is thinking. While we all hear meow all the time, if you listen carefully, the meows sound different. The author even have a small table on what the cat speaks. It also have a story on ghost cat. So now we know cat have ghost. Creepy.

iPhone Problems

The recent launch of the new Apple iPhones was widely anticipated by consumers. However probably due to a mass activation process, most of the phones are unable to be activated. The new phone comes with 3G and requires the telco to activate the phone before you can use. Something like registering your Windows XP with the software code on the sticker that stuck on your computer. So with more than thousands of registrations at the same time, I am not surprise the network will be unable to take it. As usual the blame game is there. Some Apple employees claims the telco involved was the cause while the telco claims the problem started at Apple. So does that mean getting the older model of iPhone will be safe? No. The older model was affected too since it uses the same way to register. The best solution is to wait until the craze for iPhone died off. Else you just purchased a useless phone that you are unable to use and the parties involved can't or won't do anything further to help you.

Cap vs Cap

Yes you have seen it. Marvel finally released a Captain America vs Captain America. After all in comics, we get to see heroes fighting their own self. It can't be possible right? In real world, no. In a comic storyline, it happened many many times. For this case, one of them isn't the original Captain America. Which means, Captain America isn't fighting himself, but rather fighting someone assuming him. So what is so excited about it? This exciting part, is that currently, Steve Roger, Captain America's real name, was supposed to be dead, critically injured and locked up. In which ever case, there was a funeral issue few months back. So he was dead. Is he back then? Go buy the comic and read.

prorgamming woes

Ever learnt to do programmings? I have tried many programming languages from the DOS days to present. The likes of Basic, Turbo Pascal, Cobol, Batch commands to present day AutoIT, Visual Basic. Now I have one more language to add, Applescript. Yes I do use the Apple computer system and their Applescript is good but there is a flaw. Not on the software but the usage. They have the online guides but the guides are useless. I have been struggling with the text field and search on the internet I haven't found any solutions yet. Anyway I shan't waste time on it. Maybe one day I might know the secret in usage but right now I am moving on. To another language? No. I am going to create some applications with Applescript - without the useless text field and check boxes and other hard to use craps....

water safety

As the recent accident in the water sport, it was strange that there is no proper SOP on water safety. SOP is Standard Operating Procedure. So let say if you are a non swimming and you need to be involved in activity at a water area that you cannot stand in it, wouldn't it be dangerous if you ever be in the water? Now that the event had happened and even led to a death, people starts to question and parties involved keep giving the no comment reply. It is time the authority should put down some rules on water safety. Even if you are a swimmer doesn't makes you safe. 

Solar System is not round

Most of us would know that the Solar System is round, in a sense the Sun is the center while the planets and other objects rotates around the Sun in a circular orbit. Well, at least until now some reports that according to two spacecrafts travelling far away in deep space, reports that the Solar System is not round. So what is the reason? I am unable to explain it since I am only an novice astronomer. You could try your luck at space.com where you get to read reports and hopefully answers that are simple to understand.

Dialet speaking shows

Some local productions have dialet speaking dialogs. So does that mean authority on media have relax on languages involving dialets? Mandarin was the key language aim to merge everyone when communicating. But the elderly have problem speaking Mandarin. Now that movie can have some part of dialets why not allow cantonese dramas? Perhaps we have not reach that stage yet. They could allow dual sound like those Japanese and Korean shows. Don't think they will do it because everyone will switch to listen to the dialet portion. So it seems it will be a longer way to go for dialet TV.

TV repeats

So having watched Lord of the Rings on three Saturdays, Mediacorp is going to show more long hours repeated shows. Troy, King Arthur, Alexander the Great. They have been shown before on TV now we are being fed the repeated shows again. The show will dragged long hours including long winded advertistments. Miss the days when Mediaworks was still in operation. There were competition and each will put on good shows instead of repeats.

Selfish travellers

A recent letter to a newspaper wanted to make it able to penalised people who do not give up their seats. Such a thought is selfish. So what makes them the right to have the seat? The basic rule is the first come first "sit" logic. So if you can't get a seat be grateful you get to stand - comfortablely. Meaning the train is not packed that you have to be standing body to body. So if you are sick or pregnant you should be taking a taxi instead to ensure you get to sit. Everyone pays the same fare and everyone have a chance to grab seats everytime someone alights. Do not complain if you can't get one. It is not a criminal offense. Other then the lack of moral value, no one is harmed. You put yourself in harm's way when knowing you have difficulity travelling standing. Such people are the selfish complain bums that get rebuked from netizens when they complains to stomp website.

Fare cheats fined. What about lousy service providers?

So officially anyone caught cheating their transport provider will be fined or jailed. So it is a universal fact that if you don't go with the rules you will pay for it. While everyone agrees about that fact, what about the fact that these providers are not doing their part to improve? All we get to hear or read when someone complains, about their silent treatment to feedbacks about bad services, will only recieve a generic reply that they will blah blah blah the same usual nonsense about looking into it or improve it but will take time. As usual some will provide facts and figures, that who would care about it when the real world faced by gruntle people don't match the facts. So when passengers get overcharged, they are penalised by taking time off to go to some far away ulu location to claim their money, only which they pay more to travel there. Bus drivers late or buses are always packed because they only have one to go around. Slow buses, trains as well drivers bullies students without any apologies. All these are always in the news and forum. And I can see that fare increment is coming in the near future........ again.

Facing a DJ

Unexpectedly, I got to meet with Suzanne Walker. Yes, she is the DJ. I was suppose to fix her password problem on the computer. She is the same chirpy person like you heard on radio. Somehow while they are good at spinning the turn tables or the CD racks, they kind of stuck with a computer. I believe it would be the same to everyone else. Not everyone is multi skilled. Give me a turn table I might make it turn if I am lucky. And no, I don't mean making the table turn. So I wonder if I would have luck to meet other DJs. :-)