Tuesday 31 March 2009

Have I ever mentioned?

I'd like to acknowledge my friend Bobby in doing this over and over again.

1) Give glum smile

2) Ask a friend 'Have I ever mentioned to you? I wish I was smart'

Repeat the cycle

Onward.

Monday 30 March 2009

Shudder and shake

I don't get it....

I have this very uncanny feeling, and I can't shake it off.

Probably nothing is going to happen. Probably its just going to be fine, but I don't know.

My heart is racing. My senses are heightened.

My mind is going to blow soon.

I don't want to imagine. Don't want to think about it.

The waiting is the worst part.

Wednesday 25 March 2009

UoTrip meeting #2

Here are some pictures from our planning this evening


Here's Zhanjiang and Weilin

















Jay here smiling while Weilin frantically searches for accomodation

















I'm taking a picture of people taking a picture of the whiteboard!





















Not too bad for an evening of thinking and google mapping..
I'm getting more and more excited as we keep on planning! It sounds like it will really be a blast!

WOOHOO!

Sunday 22 March 2009

Reconfigure

My consciousness is rewiring itself, or whatevernot you want to call it..

The catching up on sleep has been good, because I actually feel that my body is taking things better. I don't like the side effects of the medication though.. Feels like it makes me drowsy..

Hopefully I can just finish the work I've been putting off.


Oh! I now have my first beginnings of a camp committee.

Being sick sucks

I'm lying in bed blogging from my phone.. i managed to get my e63 to link up with my router..

Being sick sucks.. I really don't mind feeling feverish and shivering under my blanket but coughing every few minutes feels horrible.. Cause your throat just keeps feeling worse..

Anyhow, the worst is over, the fever has mostly subsided and I'm still up not because of my cough, but because i took a nap in the evening already..

Still quite sad to miss the hike. Ah well. There will be Grand Canyon..

Thursday 19 March 2009

Great Experiment

Great One's experiment is so great that it takes both lab demonstrators on duty, and a lab tech to combine their powers to assist him.

















(Lab demos are the first two on the left. Chen Ming is 3rd from left. Lab tech is rightmost.)


Actually it reminds me of Moses holding up his arms while the Israelite army fights on.

Monday 16 March 2009

Tech haul

After braving 5 hours at IT Show 2009 in Suntec City, I have the following loot.

Optics
A digital camera: Fujifilm Finepix F60
A pair of binoculars: Bushnell Falcon 7x35mm

Communications
A mobile phone: Nokia E63

Camera price was typical, but the Bushnell cost was $68 and the E63 cost was $98 with 2yr plan..

Not too bad I'd say..

Thursday 12 March 2009

What happens when you study too much?

If you understand this joke, you ARE a geek.












Acknowledgement: Picture taken from xkcd.com

Phone sex(iness)

Despite what the header seems to suggest, I am just considering a new phone..

I am deciding between a Nokie E71 or a E63.... I really like the inbuilt connectivity, namely the 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Both look really good, but they have to be. Glenn considers me the device-introducer. I have a reputation to consider.

I know they both look almost the same, but there are quite a few differences..


First and foremost, the E71 is more expensive, selling for more than 100 bucks above the E63.


And this part is ripped off from some website someplace..

Here are the differences between the budget E63 and the high-end E71:

* The E63 has a colored plastic shell versus the E71’s metal one. The front is a metallic-finish, whilst the back cover is a soft-touch finish - both attract far few fingerprints than the E71’s.

* The E63 is nearly identical in dimensions to the E71 except for the depth - the E63 is around 1.5 times the depth of the E71.

* The E63 has a 3.5mm jack on top versus the E71’s 2.5mm jack on the side. This appears to be the first E-series to have a standard headphone socket - something normally saved for N-series.

* The E63 has no side buttons for volume or voice recording. It’s also missing the E71’s IR window.

* The E63 has a revised keyboard layout, adding a ‘/’ button on the lower row, shortening the space bar.

* The E63 appears to have a slightly smaller dimension screen although it is the same 320 by 240 pixels as the E71.

* The E63 lacks internal GPS.

* The E63 does not support HSDPA data.

* The E63 has the same 110 meg internal memory, but is shipped without an additional memory card (although a slot to add one is present).

* The E63 has a 2MP camera versus the E71’s 3.2MP and has a fixed focus.

* The E63 adds a flashlight function that allows the camera’s LED flash to be used as a torch.

* The E63 lacks the E71’s faux-leather slip case.

And here's the key business features still present in the E63:

* WiFi
* 3G (there had been some rumours this was 2G only)
* Microsoft Exchange sync via MailForExchange
* Expandable memory
* Fast operation and stable S60 3rd Edition FP1 OS
* Pre-installed QuickOffice
* E-series security and encryption functions
* Huge 1500mAh battery

The most important differences here for me are that the E63 allows a 3.5mm output (thats the usual earphone connector we see). This means I can just throw in a huge micro sd card and i carry/charge one less device, which is my mp3 player.

But the E71 has A-GPS!!! I know its probably useless for most purposes.. But.. its.. a... GPS... device........ The tech side of me is struggling.

Oh yes. And the colours for the E63 are far less appealing than the E71 colours. That counts too.

I just have to make sure that it doesn't lag. Those of you who have seen me use my trusty N70 will know that it works like a truck. It will probably do a whole host of things, but it will take years. Hopefully the new Eseries will be a turbocharged 5-tonner.

Comments? Maybe i should hold a poll..

Wednesday 11 March 2009

Things to buy

The plan is to fly to LAX, go to the Grand Canyon for a few days, then punch our way NORTHEAST from the SOUTHWEST corner of the US, and get to Toronto where UoT is.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

But anyhow, I'm going to start shopping soon... I'll need a

1) Camera
2) Binoculars (small ones for the Grand Canyon trip)
3) a good hat
4) maybe a huge sturdy backpack
5) a GPS?
6) a pair of walkie talkies? (The comms person in me is really tempted.)

Suggestions are welcome!

All hail to my sister, President of OCF Flinders for her divine gift to this nondeserving brother. I will use it with cautious heed, keeping in mind the reasons it was bestowed.

Tuesday 10 March 2009

Influx

Hahahahaha...... Its very strange how things all work out...

Sunday 8 March 2009

Hard Disk fail

CRAP my hard disk just suddenly went unresponsive!

Going to get it fixed.

ELEMENTAL DON'T DIE ON ME YET.

Thursday 5 March 2009

Summer Programme

I don't believe I managed to get it!

unbelievable.. And I seriously thought I wasn't going to be able to go overseas and use Science Faculty money haha..

The other unbelievable thing is that my other 3 year 3 physics major friends also got their application accepted, and we're going to be flying off to Toronto together!

Thats simply amazing.. and I guess reality won't really sink in until i'm actually on the plane with my friends, being scared to be in a plane (nasty fear of heights, you have to understand), and finally landing in some weird place with not-so-humid air.

P.S. you guys may only see this post a bit late.. I realise i only feel comfortable posting when I feel that people aren't going to use anything I write.