The LG KS20 Smartphone: A Review

I've been using the LG KS20 regularly ever since I received one during the LG KS20 launch party held last month. The KS20 is LG's first Windows Mobile 6 Smartphone in the region. I'm a big fan of LG. In fact, my all time favourite mobile phone is the LG Shine which I'm currently using. And like the LG Shine, the LG KS20 is built for style and elegance.



The LG KS20 is powered by Windows Mobile 6 and integrates the latest in connectivity and productivity technologies in a compact and slim device. The one obvious thing that you will notice about the LG KS20 is that it looks similar to the beautiful LG Prada phone. I understand that the chassis of the KS20 is modeled after the Prada. Ah good choice LG! So lookswise, the LG KS20 is a stunner. I love its black and silver surface and its slim and sleek body. At only 12.8mm thin, it is definitely the thinnest Windows Smartphone I've used.



The LG KS20 has a 2.8” LCD flat touch screen with an intuitive touch system that users can navigate and input instructions with a stylus as well as with their fingers. The touch screen responded well even when used with my fingers.



One of the best thing about the LG KS20 is its tool bar at the bottom of the display which is pretty handy. The icons are big enough for anyone to use their fingers to launch some of the LG KS20's basic operations like internet, email and phone.

The LG KS20 features a full complement of multimessaging and multimedia functionality that you would expect from a Windows Smartphone. You'll find push email, instant messaging, video calling, an inbuilt FM radio and a full complement of office productivity applications from Microsoft, such as Outlook, Office, and Windows Live for Windows Mobile. You can also sync with Microsoft Exchange out-of-the-box, create and edit Word and Excel documents, as well as view PowerPoint presentations. I like!

When it comes to internet surfing, the LG KS20 is a joy to use thanks to its unsurpassed flexibilities in wireless connectivity options with its built-in WiFi and support for HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) wireless broadband at speeds of up to 3.2Mbps. I've tried logging into my Wifi network at home and other hotspots outside and I encountered not much problems when surfing my favourite blogs and other websites.

The LG KS20 also comes with a 2 mega pixel camera with flash. Its Schneider Kreuznach autofocus lens is a gem. I reckon it is the same lens that is used in the LG Shine. 2 mega pixel may not be a lot to most people but I think the LG KS20 like the LG Shine, takes very good photos and it especially excels when it comes to close up photography as you can see from these shots I took.





The video quality of the LG KS20 is also pretty acceptable. Here's a clip I took of the LG Shine using the LG KS20.

Full feature list of the LG KS20:

* Video Telephony: 2.0 Mega Pixel + VGA videoconferencing Camera
* 3.6Mbps HSDPA Capability
* Full-Touchscreen and 2.8” Wide Flat LCD Screen
* Natural Handwriting Recognition
* Internet Environment: Windows Mobile 6/Windows Live/Windows Media DRM Playback
* MMS/Push E-mail/Java/WAP2.0
* Bluetooth 2.0 / MP3 Player
* MicroSD External Memory
* 128MB Internal Memory
* FM Radio

And specs:

* Radio Bands: HSDPA (3.6Mbps), WCDMA, Tri-band (GSM/GPRS/EDGE)
* Display: 240 x 320(QVGA), 2.8”, 262K TFT-LCD
* Dimensions: 99.5mm x 58mm x 12.8mm
* Talk Time/Standby Time: 4hr/400hr
* Battery: 1050mAh
* Weight: 92.5g

Overall, I think the LG KS20 is a good attempt by LG to create a new line of stylish Windows smartphones. I love the sleek beauty and the reliability of the phone. The battery life is also excellent. I'm not a heavy user so therefore I did not have to charge the phone daily. But there are some complains. The startup time could have been faster. I timed it at around 25 secs. I would also prefer if there's a touch keypad to input text that is more finger friendly. The default one by Windows is best used with a stylus. Also, I find that getting out my sim card from the phone really takes some finger acrobatics and the stylus is also difficult to pull out at times.

Previously:
Bloggers at the LG KS20 Launch
LG KS20: The Unboxing Pics

More jobs or more jobless in Singapore?

Are there more jobs or more jobless people in Singapore? I was editing for Topix earlier today when I came across two stories about Singapore's current employment situation.



Channel NewsAsia as usual, is very optimistic. It says more jobs were created in early 2008. Hooray! Oh, but wait...



CNBC carrying a report by Reuters, paints a bleak picture. It says that the jobless rate in Singapore has risen and may climb further.

So which is it? More jobs or more jobless? Argh! I'm confused.

Star Wars R2-D2 Collection

Dustin Roberts bought a few display cases and shelves from IKEA and fixed them in the computer room of his house to display his cool R2-D2 collection. Ok, I want to be his best friend. Video here.

Robots by Lockwasher

Dude used spare parts found in his garage, workshop and studio to make these cute robots. Great example of recycling aye! On how one can create these beauties, he says, "Start collecting a bunch of old, funky metal items. Once you've got a big enough pile just grab a large interesting piece from the pile and drill/grind/cut and attach other stuff to it. Stop when you think it's cool...easy!"

Nuclear Nightmares: 20 years since Chernobyl

Haunting photos by Robert Knoth, who together with reporter Antoinette Jong documented the impact of nuclear radiation in four regions of old Soviet Union. The people featured in these photos have to cope with birth defects, cancer and face the fear that their defective genes may be passed down to their kids.

Today's Singapore News

Fewer Singaporeans scrapping their cars now
Singapore Jobless Rate Rises, May Climb Further
HIV infections hit record in Singapore
Nokia opens Singapore's largest online music store
Singapore groups to push for maids' day off
ASEAN students pick Singapore as top place to work
SMRT to roll out 'green' bus fleet
Singaporeans to receive first Growth Dividends on Wednesday
Free ice-cream attracts 7,000
21 HFMD cases required hospitalisation last week

Read them all at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.

Retro Tin Robots by Hideo Shibahara

Inside the house and factory of Hideo Shibahara, a famous Japanese designer who makes nostalgic and classic tin robot sculptures. Shibahara who worked previously as an accessory craftsman, collected tin toys from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Inspired by them, he began to create his own tin robots several years ago.

Ed Bing Lee's Delectables

These knotted artworks by Ed Bing Lee are just so amazing. I swear that if I didn't know they are made of linen, cotton and polyester, I would have eaten them all. His burger, cupcakes, ice cream, pie and hotdog all look so yummy!

How to dye your hair using Kool-Aid

With all those cheap DIY hair dying kits easily available in shops nowadays, I wonder why would some people still want to dye their hair using Kool-Aid. Crikey! From WikiHow:

1. Mix two packs of unsweetened Kool-Aid with about twice as much conditioner as you use normally in order to make a pasty mix.

2. Dampen your hair.

3. Smear Vaseline on your skin near your hairline so you won't get a colored forehead or ears too! Also, to avoid getting the dye on your pillow, wrap your head in plastic wrap, or an old shower cap, then cover your head with an old ragged towel. Then apply mixture to your head.

4. If you're doing tips or highlights, use a highlighting wand and wrap the dyed sections in tinfoil.

5. Leave the dye in for 9-10 hours if you have dark hair, or 4-5 hours if you have blonde hair.

6. Rinse out when you are done.

Retro Beauty Advertisements

This sensational collection of beauty ads found in old magazines reminds me of how fun fashion was back in those good old days. And of course, how can we not forget about those hairdo?

(Thanks Fionn)

Lava Lamp Shot Glasses

These Lava Lamp shot glasses are so cool. Just add liquid (preferably your favourite alcohol) and multi LEDs flash through red, blue and green lights. Lights go out when the glass is empty. Makes drinking shots so much fun aye.

(Thanks Mr Big)

Watch Google Me The Movie

It all started when Jim Kileen googled his name. Google Me is a documentary film by Jim Kileen, starring 7 guys named Jim Kileen. The documentary has been selected for the 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival. Interesting. Why didn't someone think of this idea for a film before?

Most Annoying Song Ever

Here's a scientific attempt to create the most annoying song ever. Go listen to it. From Wired:

Komar & Melamid and David Soldier's list of undesirable elements included holiday music, bagpipes, pipe organ, a children's chorus and the concept of children in general (really?), Wal-Mart, cowboys, political jingoism, George Stephanopoulos, Coca Cola, bossanova synths, banjo ferocity, harp glissandos, oompah-ing tubas and much, much more. It's actually a fascinating listen, worthwhile for the opera rapping alone.

Today's Singapore News

* ERP rate for BKE gantry to go up by 50 cents
* Student wins contest to include Berlin Wall in Bedok park
* China coffee-shop waitresses: No sleaze please, we're Chinese
* FairPrice extends 5% discount to end-July
* A Different Kind of Homework for Singapore Students: Get a Date
* Singapore requires ‘cooling off’ period prior to liposuction
* Small school buses may need to install safety belt system
* HFMD cases hit record high of 1,466 last week, more centres to close
* First M18 game hits stores in Singapore
* Singapore fears maid exodus to Hong Kong, Taiwan

Read them all at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.

Star Wars Posters from Japan

The folks at Starwars.com selected 10 cool Japanese Star Wars posters that have distinguished themselves from the thousands that have been printed for the Star Wars saga. My favourite is this Episode 1 manga poster.

Fujiwara's Diner

Japanese dude takes photos of the food he eats everyday and posts them to his Flickr photoset. I love Japanese food and looking at his photoset is making me damn hungry. Thank god, it's lunch time!

(Thanks hoshi)

Portable Cellular Phone Booth

The Portable Cellular Phone Booth is perfect for those of you who want some privacy while talking on your mobile phone in public. It is a retractable phone booth that is carried on your back and can slide up and over your head to completely isolate you from society.

(via MAKE)

A Visit to Beijing's Penis Restaurant

The Guolizhuang Restaurant in Beijing serves dishes that are made from the private parts of deer, snakes, yaks, horses, seals and ducks. Penis and testicle dishes anyone? From Spiegel:

Ox penises are sliced along the side and bent into little stars. Lucy uses chopsticks to dip one into the hotpot of chicken broth, dates, and lychees. Then the meat is doused in soy- or hot sauce. The consistency and taste are a little like a bitter piece of calamari.

The second course, called "Henry's whip," is much more delicate and sweet. It's sheep's penis on a stick, covered in a sheath of mayonnaise and sweet cheese. It's called "Henry" because it's prepared in a Western style, Lucy says.

Some of the specialties are expensive: A yak penis costs €179, while a hotpot with 10 different penis-and-testicle selections served on an attractive, four-sided plate tower with little statues of animals will set you back €89. For particularly discerning palates, the menu also offers deer and sheep fetuses (€36 and €9, respectively).

A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell

Watching "A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell", a movie made in 1991, reminds of those vintage B grade stop-motion flicks but only ten times worse. The movie's plotline revolves around a young woman who finds herself in a fight for survival against mutant cavemen, dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals in a post-Armageddon world. Experience the sheer awfulness of the movie here (preview only). To watch the film in full, you have to download Veoh TV.

llustrated children's book about marijuana

It's Just a Plant is not a book that you would want to read to your children everyday. It is an illustrated children's book about marijuana! The book follows the journey of a young girl as she learns about the cannabis plant from a diverse cast of characters including her parents, a local farmer, a doctor, and a police officer.

Souvenirs

Souvenirs is an ongoing book project by photographer Michael Hughes who travels the world and takes photos of touristic locations with various souvenirs held up cheekily in front of the camera.

Insects disfigured by nuclear radiation

Cornelia Hesse-Honegger has collected, studied and painted insects that have been disfigured by the radiation of the Chernobyl disaster, nuclear power plants in Switzerland and other contaminated areas found in Europe and United States.

Boing Boing's Untitled 1

An empty post on Boing Boing by Mark Frauenfelder- untitled and unwritten - currently attracts 265 comments and has been favourited 263 times! Boing Boingers are a crazy bunch of people.

One of the comments say:

"I like Mark Frauenfelder, he posts nothing and doesn't afraid of anything"

And there's even a poetry:

"Mark sought a moment of quiet
The comments created a riot
Ne'er missing a beat
They turned up the heat
And dared Mark to try and deny it"

Soviet Lemonade Labels

Dude crisscrossed the whole Soviet Union to collect lemonade labels. Most of his collection came from the railroad yards where he would find empty bottles of lemonade left behind by passengers in trains. Amazing collection!

(Thanks CHARL'S)

Flowing Pixels and other Street Art

A Flickr photoset of street art found mostly in New York and also Miami, Montreal, and Washington DC. The most impressive in the photoset is this Flowing Pixels.

Malaysian Snack Attack

Joe Distafano got three chefs to join him in trying out some of Malaysia's popular snacks such as Kickapoo Joy Juice, Twistees BBQ Curry and Muruku Ikan Popo. Not surprisingly, they love most of them. Ha! Me too.

(Thanks Popagandhi)

Wanking is good for you

I wonder why I didn't blog about this sooner. Researchers say that regular masturbation can help men reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. Yup. Wanking is good for your body after all. From BBC:

The researchers suggest that ejaculating may prevent carcinogens accumulating in the prostate gland.

The prostate provides a fluid into semen during ejaculation that activates sperm and prevents them sticking together.

The fluid has high concentrations of substances including potassium, zinc, fructose and citric acid, which are drawn from the bloodstream.

But animal studies have shown carcinogens such as 3-methylchloranthrene, found in cigarette smoke, are also concentrated in the prostate.

Dr Giles said fewer ejaculations may mean the carcinogens build up.

"It's a prostatic stagnation hypothesis. The more you flush the ducts out, the less there is to hang around and damage the cells that line them.

So guys, don't forget to flush, flush, flush them out regularly, ok.

Record-breaking Mentos and Coke eruptions in Belgium

A few months ago, I was thinking of organising an event where thousands of people would gather and drop Mentos into their bottles of Diet Coke. I thought it would be a spectacular sight to see all those Diet Mentos and Coke eruptions and I'm sure it would be worthy of worldwide media attention and a place in the record books. But it seems that the Belgians have beaten me to it. Damn.

(Thanks Daniel Richard)

New budget airlines names itself after the abominable snowman

Fly Yeti is a new low-fares airline operating from Nepal to the Indian sub continent, China, South East Asia and the Middle East. I would be tempted to fly an airline named after the famous abominable snowman - who wouldn't aye?- but too bad I am seriously afraid of low budget carriers.

(via Popagandhi)

Today's Singapore News

* JB Jeyeretnam wants DPM Wong Kan Seng to resign
* Online Google searches reflect offline buzz in Singapore
* Singapore movie shortlisted for Golden Palm at Cannes Festival
* Cabbies' earnings up despite initial fears
* Singapore women know little about causes of cervical cancer
* Sharp hike in kindergarten fees
* Teachers in Singapore join cleaners as outbreak toll rises
* May 24 is Singapore's family day
* Singapore's new media masterplan will focus on talent
* Singapore TV fined $11,000 for "pro-gay" scene

Read them all at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.

Global warming makes me sleep naked

I thought I was the only one who think that the nights have been getting extremely hot here in Singapore. Last night on Twitter, Mr Miyagi also complained that the weather is hot. So hot that it is giving him a frikkin' headache and making me sleep naked. Damn aircon not working. Argh! I hate global warming.

Modernist Stamps

Here's a collection of modernist stamps by Iain Follett in the January 2008 issue of Monograph, a monthly publication which showcases a personal project or body of work.

A computer cluster in a IKEA Helmer cabinet

Dude wanted a render farm that is cheap and not too noisy, to speed up his 3D computer rendering jobs at home so he decided to make one himself using a IKEA Helmer cabinet as a computer case!

The Right Result

How would the Premier League table look like if the referees got all the key decisions right? The Right Result League Table shows you the positions of all the Premier League football teams the way things ought to be. Each week, the Right Result panel selects the key injustices that happen during the Premiership matches, applies the strict rules of the game to them and passes an impartial judgment on whether or not questionable decisions should stand.

NASA Astronaut Recruitment

It's not to late for those of you (Americans only, damn it!) who want to be an astronaut with NASA. It will accept applications for its 2009 Astronaut Candidate Class through July 1, 2008. Quick. Go apply. Can go to the moon. From NASA:

The open positions are for astronaut candidates to train for tours of duty on the International Space Station, the largest human spacecraft ever built. It is also the site for research that will prepare NASA for future long-duration human missions to the moon and other destinations. The Constellation Program is responsible for building and operating the next-generation vehicles that will carry astronauts to the space station and the moon.

Applicants must meet physical standards and educational requirements, which include a bachelor’s degree in engineering, math or science and at least three years of experience in one of these fields. Teaching experience, including experience at the K-12 level, is considered to be qualifying experience; therefore, educators are encouraged to apply.

The open positions require extensive travel on Earth and in space. Possible destinations may include, but are not limited to, Texas, Florida, California, Russia, Kazakhstan, the International Space Station and the moon.

Interview with Magic: The Gathering artist Jesper Ejsing

Here's an interview with Jesper Ejsin, one of the many talented artists who are responsible for the beautiful illustrations on Magic: The Gathering cards:

I sometimes use models for reference on poses or hands or light. Sitting in a studio with a lot of fellow artist makes the whole thing a lot easier. When doing the picture for Changeling Titan I asked my friend Emil Landgreen for help and he posed for me with a lamp almost in his face. (See picture.) I really didn't need him to look stupid, but it was revenge for last time I had to pose for him. He made me dress up in a skirt as a model for a female elf. He ended up mailing the photo of me dressed up all girly, posing with the hips sexy and all, to one of my editors. She now has it hanging at her office. Now I pose for most of the girls on Emil's covers. I wonder why?



My least-known trick is to use an airbrush, but only with water in it. No paint. I use it to vaporize the wet parts while painting to keep it from drying to fast. That way I can work with several and large areas of paint at the same time and mixing them together.

Why I will never have a girlfriend

Dude gives a cogent, scientific, non-self-deprecating argument for why he will never have a girlfriend. It was a paper he wrote when he was in university. From nothingisreal:

This is a question that practically every male has asked himself at one point or another in his life. Unfortunately, there is rarely a hard and fast answer to the query. Many men try to reason their way through the dilemma nonetheless, often reaching a series of ridiculous explanations, each more self-deprecating than the last: "Is it because I'm too shy, and not aggressive enough? Is it my opening lines? Am I a boring person? Am I too fat or too thin? Or am I simply ugly and completely unattractive to women?" When all other plausible explanations have been discounted, most fall back on the time-honoured conclusion that "there must be Something Wrong™ with me" before resigning themselves to lives of perpetual chastity.

Not the author, though. I, for one, refuse to spend my life brooding over my lack of luck with women. While I'll be the first to admit that my chances of ever entering into a meaningful relationship with someone special are practically non-existent, I staunchly refuse to admit that it has anything to do with some inherent problem with me. Instead, I am convinced that the situation can be readily explained in purely scientific terms, using nothing more than demographics and some elementary statistical calculus.

Oh btw, he is accepting applicants to be his girlfriend here. Good luck ladies. Yes, only real ladies please.

Lego Boba Fett and Darth Vader costumes

There are lots of Star Wars character costumes out there but none like these two made by Simafol. He used Lego to make his Boba Fett and Darth Vader costumes. And yes, they are wearable!

(Thanks Mr Big)

Japanese anatomical charts and other ephemera

This site has a collection of Japanese anatomical charts and other ephemera that includes military history scrolls and picture books. Some of the anatomical charts may have scary images such as this one but I think most of them are beautiful.

(via Ectoplasmosis)

Kids named 6 new colours for Crayola

If you ask kids to name the new colours for your crayons, coloured pencils and markers, then it is inevitable that you will get names such as Awesome, Best Friends, Happy Ever After and Bear Hug. Not the most ideal names for your new colours aye, Crayola?

Japan's Urinal Elephants

The Urinal Elephant is a robot that can automatically clean and scrub toilets in Japan and will surely put a lot of old uncles and aunties who work as toilet cleaners out of jobs.

Today's Singapore News

* Singapore PM says top home ministry officials not responsible for security lapses
* Singapore's most-wanted still at large two months after escape
* SBS and SMRT to spruce up bus fleets
* Singapore's jaywalk central: boon or bane?
* Some childcare centres ordered shut because of HMFD
* Pick up new passport? Book a date online
* Singapore Named Best Asian Seaport For 20th Time
* SingTel unveils simulator that replicates Singapore's F1 race
* F1 race expected to generate tourism receipts of about S$100m
* S'pore March inflation rises 6.7% - 26-yr high

Read them all at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.

Aliens are out there but they are dumb

World reknown British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawkings says that life in other parts of the universe must exist but they are probably dumber than us. From Daily Mail:

During his speech at George Washington University, Professor Hawking speculated on the reasons why mankind has failed to detect any signs of alien life.

He offered three possibilities: that life of any kind is very rare in the universe; that simple life forms are common, but intelligent life rare; or that intelligent life tends to destroy itself quickly.

"Personally, I favour the second possibility - that primitive life is relatively common, but that intelligent life is very rare," he said.

"Some would say it has yet to occur on Earth."

Reuters says Mas Selamat escaped without trousers!

I'm sure by now most of you may have heard or read about how Mas Selamat escaped from the fortress that is the Whitley Road Detention Centre. The Committee of Inquiry (COI) on his escape concluded that he climbed out of the toilet window and limped his way to freedomland. Great! Blame it on the toilet window. So very Singapore. Read the executive summary of the findings here (in pdf). Watch the News 5 report here and here and an interactive timeline of his escape here.

Ok, I know some of you won't believe the government's story but it is definitely better than claims of Mas Selamat using black magic, Mas Selamat accidentally killed under custody or Mas Selamat escaping down the toilet bowl.

I was curious to find out how news agencies especially the foreign ones would report on this latest news about Mas Selamat so I went looking around and I found this headline used by Reuters:



Mas Selamat escaped without trousers! Look it's scary enough having a dangerous man like Mas Selamat on the loose but without his trousers? Damn that makes it a whole lot scarier. Good one, Reuters! I think the headline is really funny and definitely much better than the CNN one that I reported in February.

Also read:
Mas Selamat Postcards
Play "Where's Mas Selamat?" Picture Game

CNN sells headline t-shirts

CNN has decided to sell t-shirts using some of its weird/funny news headlines. Could it be that CNN is struggling with its advertising revenue that now it has to think of other creative ways to make more money? But whatever the reason is, the person in CNN who came up with this idea should be given a pay raise or a promotion. I think it's brilliant. CNN T-shirts! Who would ever thought that a giant news company like CNN will be selling t-shirts?

On its homepage, just look for the latest news section and if you see a headline with a little t-shirt icon next to it, that means the headline is available as a t-shirt. According to the FAQ, headlines that can be bought as t-shirts are available as long as the headlines stay in the latest news section. What a pity because I would really like to order this headline as a t-shirt.

Star Wars - Muppets Connection

The excellent Muppet Wiki lists the many connections between Star Wars and Jim Henson's The Muppets. From Muppet Wiki:

* Footage from a Star Wars space battle is used in a montage of film clips at the beginning of The Muppets Go to the Movies.

* Muppet Babies has evoked Star Wars on many occasions. Baby Gonzo borrows Nanny's camcorder and makes a Star Wars parody in the 1984 episode "Gonzo's Video Show". Another first season episode is titled "From a Galaxy Far, Far Away", although that episode's plotline is actually a reference to E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial.

* A more elaborate Muppet Babies spoof occurred in the 1990 episode "Muppet Babies: The Next Generation", with Baby Gonzo as Gon Zolo, Baby Fozzie as Fozz-Wocka, Baby Animal as Yodie and Animal Vader, Baby Scooter as R2-D2 and Baby Skeeter as C-3PO. Footage from Star Wars has also been used in other episodes, for example, when a character opens a door to reveal a threatening danger. A clip of a TIE-fighter chasing an X-Wing can also be seen in the opening credits of each episode.

Lee Kuan Yew on Twitter and Facebook?

In an interview with IHT in January, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was asked, "Does the Internet bring a bombardment of ideas that can affect traditional values?"

He replied, "This is the big problem. You have only got 24 hours in the day and 10 to 12 hours of effective work. Since the recount, I haven't been able to read a book — even though I've been given a few which are interesting. You just don't have time."

Now I know how he spends some of his time - on Twitter! Yup, Lee Kuan Yew or someone pretending to be him (ha, it has to be) is on Twitter and even Facebook!

His bio on his Twitter page reads: "Inventor of Singapore, Genius, and all-round awesome man."

On one of his tweets, he complained about his lack of fans on Twitter: "wth? I only have 26 followers?! what happened to the rest of the 4 million +!?!?? knn."

So come on Singapore, follow the great LKY on Twitter and don't forget to give him a poke on Facebook as well.

(via theory.isthereason)

Today's Singapore News

* Info shows that Mas Selamat still in Singapore
* Investor confidence in Singapore unshaken despite Mas Selamat's escape
* Officers responsible for Mas Selamat's escape to be disciplined
* Three critical factors led to Mas Selamat's escape
* War on killer litter: Town council and HDB vary tack
* Singapore not imposing price controls despite rising food prices
* Faster journeys for bus commuters
* Is Geylang boom town or cowboy town?
* Blow for Virtual Map: Contentious maps on website to stay offline
* Singapore's GIC says global recession, crisis likely

Read them today at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.

Retro phone handset for your mobile phone

I am interested to see people's reaction when someone answers his mobile phone using this retro phone handset. It plugs into most standard 2 1/2-millimeter cell phone headset jacks, including all LG, Blackberry and Motorola phones.

(Thanks Eric)

Blogger discovers book that copies his work

Darren Di Lieto found an illustration book published in Hong Kong that plagiarizes his blog and the work of dozens of other artists. From Apefluff:

The book is available online and in book stores and every image in it has been stolen from my community website and the websites of the illustrators featured - with the interviews being the backbone of the publication. Before anyone asks - the internet is publicly accessible not public domain, copyright still applies...

Personally this has hurt me as I’ve spent the last three years building the archive of Artist interviews on the LCS. But what has really made me angry is that all that work included in the book has been stolen from the illustrators involved with some of them even being credited for work that is not their own.

(via Drawn)

Food Products: Packaging vs Actual Content

Interesting study of 100 different food products by comparing the look of the products as shown by the packaging with the actual contents inside the packaging. As you would have expected, most of these food don't really look like their packaging appearance.

Inside stuffed toys that talk and dance

Matt Kirkland wonders if there is a fascinating robot underneath the fur of stuffed toys that sing, dance, light up or talk back so he takes off all the fur and stuffing to reveal what's really inside those toys.

The Impossible Art Of Li Wei

Chinese artist Li Wei takes photos of himself hanging in mid-air or with his head buried in all sorts of places. He says that his work is genuine stuff - with no strings attached! Really crazy stuff!

Convert your photos into old Japanese photos

With a click of a button and some web magic, you can turn your photos into authentic looking vintage Japanese photos. Try it out here.

Beer-pouring robot

The Asahi Beerbot is a beer-pouring robot that stores and refrigerates 6 cans and has a programmable male, female or custom voice. I can see it becoming my best friend at home. Too bad it's sold out.

When the Internet is gone

In the latest episode of South Park, the citizens of South Park wake up and find the internet is gone. Now that's really scary. Watch the Over Logging uncensored episode here.

Googolopoly

Googolopoly is an unauthorised version of Monopoly where the goal of the game is to use Google shares to buy as many properties as you can without landing in the deadpool and losing your stock. Kinda reminds me of the Blogpoly Singapore edition I did 3 years ago.

Body-Technology Interfaces

Becky says, "I've been working on a project where I knit sweaters to go from gadgets to your body. They're supposed to be a fun commentary on how attached and concentrated on technology we are, and to highlight the lack of movement that happens when we're engrossed in our laptops, keyboards, PDAs, etc." Her Flickr set here.

Gamer's Racing Cockpit Setup

This is the ultimate dream of any racing game fan. Dude builds an awesome simulator racing cockpit complete with his G25 wheel, a seat that cost $400 and a cool gamepad. I can see myself sitting on it for hours and hours everyday.

(Thanks Mr Big)

Today's Singapore News

1) 100 identified so far as potential PAP candidates
2) This Fashion caught in legal battle over $250k debt
3) Singapore says favours subway rail link to Malaysia
4) Banks poaching home loan customers with sweet offers
5) HDB supply of completed new flats hits all-time low
6) New masterplan launched in Singapore to boost infocomm security
7) Stressed Singapore welcomes happiest person
8) Medisave top-up for elderly aged 81 and above to rise by S$100
9) Octogenarian to challenge Singapore political elite again
10) Home-schooled kids on the rise

Read them all at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.

New X-Files movie gets lame title

The upcoming X-Files movie has finally received its long awaited title. I was expecting something close to "The X-Files: Attack Of The Crazy Werewolves" but 20th Century Fox decided on "The X-Files: I Want To Believe". Err, lame isn't it? From AP:

The title is a familiar phrase for fans of the series that starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents chasing after aliens and supernatural happenings. "I Want to Believe" was the slogan on a poster Duchovny's UFO-obsessed agent Fox Mulder had hanging in the cluttered basement office where he and Anderson's Dana Scully worked.

"It's a natural title," Carter said in a telephone interview Tuesday during a break from editing the film. "It's a story that involves the difficulties in mediating faith and science. `I Want to Believe.' It really does suggest Mulder's struggle with his faith."

"I Want to Believe" comes 10 years after the first film and six years after the finale of the series, whose opening credits for much of its nine-year run featured the catch-phrase "the truth is out there."

Oh well, I don't really care about the title but I do want to believe that this movie will be much better than the first one. I really, really want to believe .

Previously:
A Set Visit to the X-Files Sequel
X-Files 2 to be shown in Singapore on July 31
The X-Files Vancouver Press Conference
X-Files 2 Werewolf Disinformation
X-Files 2 Teaser Trailer and Release Date

Soapylove

Debbie makes an assortment of popsicle shaped soaps in wonderful styles and fragrances. They look so real, cute and yummy that I feel like having a bite on them wishing that they are not soap. Check out her Flickr photoset here and here.

(Thanks Shy)

The World's Hideous Doll

The World's Most Hideous Doll stands about 16" tall and is made of firm, painted foam. The doll is a baby with two heads. One head is relatively normal, while the other is your standard-issue demon-spawn creature from Hell. I'm going to have nightmares with this thing lying in my bedroom.

Illustrations by Eamo

Influenced by American underground comics of the 60s and Japanese manga, Australian artist Eamo paints subject matter that is distinctly Australian, provoking a nostalgic feeling of the land downunder. Now why I can't ever draw like this?

(via Recogedor)

The Milky Way galaxy suspended in a glass cube

A 3D model of the Milky Way, with the Solar System positioned in the exact center of the glass cube. A laser was used to etch around 80,000 of the stars in the Milky Way, using three-dimensional data from the Japan’s National Astronomical Observatory. Beautiful!

Contender Asia gag order on the media is crap!

Straits Times writer Tay Yek Keak wrote in the papers yesterday saying that he can't tell you who's the winner of The Contender Asia because of a ridiculous gag order imposed on those from the media who attended the final match at the Indoor Stadium last Saturday. But I can.

Everybody, the winner is Thailand's Yodsanklai Fairtex! Quick, go tell your father, mother, sister, brother, grandpa, grandma, friends and relatives ok.

The Contender Asia is a reality-based television series that follows 16 aspiring Muay Thai middleweight fighters from 12 countries as they compete in a series of outdoor challenges and sanctioned matches. It is a production of local media company, Imagine OmniMedia in association with Mark Burnett Productions.

The media were invited together with around 6000 people to the Indoor Stadium on Saturday night to witness the final fight between Yodsanklai and Aussie John Wayne Parr. The producers insisted that the media sign a non disclosure form not to reveal the winner. This gag order will last until April 24. The finale will only be shown on AXN on April 23. Now tell me if that's not the most ridiculous thing you've heard.

I think the producers should be shot. They invited journalists to witness their great spectacle but these poor folks can only report on the outcome of the match some 12 days after watching it. WTF! The producers might as well get the entire 6000 people at the stadium to sign the non disclosure agreement too because I'm sure they will be telling their friends, etc about the match and the winner.

Journalists from traditional media like Mr Tay above can complain all they want but if they really think that the gag order makes everybody look stupid then they should not have attended the finale if the producers insisted on the non disclosure agreement. Why sign the ridiculous agreement just so that you get free tickets to watch two men fighting each other? Traditional media people have no balls. They should just boycott the finale. I doubt bloggers will sign such a thing if they were invited as part of the media. I'm sure we bloggers will just give the producers a good fark off!

For the record, I was invited to watch The Contender Asia Finale but I decided not to go. Not because I had to agree to the stupid gag order but because I was never a big fan of the show in the first place and more importantly, I cringe everytime I see and hear the host Jaymee Ong. Sorry but I think she sound as if she's breathing in helium all the time.

For clips of the final match between Yodsanklai and John, click here, here and here and for a report, read this. Take that stupid Contender Asia producers!

Japanese Ikea Train

I think this is a brilliant marketing idea by Ikea. The Swedish furniture giant converted the Kobe Portliner Monorail into a moving showroom to promote its new retail outlet launch.

Kalashnikov alarm that is guaranteed to scare away burglers

Afghan inventor Hanif Molavizadeh, an unemployed electrical engineer, makes his own home burglar alarm using a Kalashnikov rifle. Once an intruder triggers the alarm's motion detectors , it will set off a song-like warning. An automated voice then warns him on his cellphone that there is an intruder. He can then remote-fire the Kalashnikov attached to the wooden box of his alarm. If that doesn't scare away burglars, I think nothing will.

A Set Visit to the X-Files Sequel

Lucky dude visited the set of the new X-Files movie. Damn, it looks like it's going to be a werewolf flick after all, or maybe not. From Shock Till Your Drop:

The entrance to Playland directs one past a roller coaster - the same one used by James Wong (another X-Files alum) for the opening of Final Destination 3. But where I'm heading is to the ice rink, that's where the crew is working today. Inside it appears the converted rink has been bisected, most of the action is predominantly occurring around a faux house facade garnished with the foliage. "This would be Mulder's house," co-writer and producer Frank Spotnitz informs us, greeting ShockTillYouDrop.com by the porch. He's enjoying the warmer environs here after shooting for three weeks in sub-zero temperatures north of Whistler in Pemberton. "It matches the real house [located in Fort Langley] which is supposed to be somewhere around the Washington D.C. area in the movie." For Spotnitz, the realization of another X-Files case, "has been a dream. I didn't think it was going to happen - after six years, negotiations, working on the story."

Previously:
X-Files 2 to be shown in Singapore on July 31
The X-Files Vancouver Press Conference
X-Files 2 Werewolf Disinformation
X-Files 2 Teaser Trailer and Release Date

Today's Singapore News

1. $20,000 back if your bank goes bust
2. World's highest apartment rents: Singapore at number 9
3. NETS says there is no shortage of CashCards
4. Singapore monetary policy criticized
5. Behind the scenes at the Whitley Road Detention Centre
6. S'pore's first coral nursery blooms a year after it was started
7. Singapore biomedical sector grows fourfold
8. Online hawker-food price guide to deter profiteering
9. Singapore to enjoy full mobile number portability from 13 June
10. Parking in Marina area? These signs can help

Read them all at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.

Mum's 1968 school yearbook redrawn

Dude redrew his mother’s entire high school yearbook from 1968 - that's over a thousand heads! He then published the project as a book called Excelsior 1968, a high school yearbook for the fictional Bristol County Secondary School in the fictional Staedtler, Ontario.

(Thanks GeekGod)

Star Wars Urban Photography Mash-Up

Wow! French photographer Cedric Delsaux photoshops various Star Wars characters into his stunning photos of modern day urban locations. The lighting and setting make these photos look damn real.

(Thanks Mr Big)

Refacing.. erm, defacing the US Dollar

Take a couple of US dollar notes, use a pen or some colour markers and get your creativity flowing on the faces of the US Presidents. This is Emo Lincoln on the US$5 note. The genius behind this calls his Flickr set Refacing Government Tender. Ha! Shouldn't it be defacing? I like to see someone do this to our Singapore moolah.

(via Straydog Scraps)

Star Wars Lego Chess Set

Dude made this incredible Star Wars Lego chess set featuring Luke and Leia as the King and Queen of the Light Side versus the Dark Side led by the Emperor and Darth Vader. I thought the idea of using the R2D2 units as pawns is really cute. More here.

(via Mefi)

Tetris + Arm Wresling = Tresling

Mix Tetris with arm wrestling and you'll get a two player version of the popular falling-blocks puzzle video game called Tresling. I'm not so sure how it works but I think you and your opponent will arm wrestle to control your Tetris pieces. Judging from the video on the site, it sure looks fun to play.

(via Engadget)

Free open source first person shooter game

I've been following the development of Nexuiz for two years now and I decided today to finally download it and give it a try. Nexuiz is a free open-source first person shooter that runs on Windows, Linux and OSX. It is a fast paced 3D deathmatch game project created online by a team of developers. I've just spent half an hour playing it and I must say that for a game that doesn't cost me anything, it really kicks ass big time. Go download it!

Ten Thousand Cents

I blogged about The Sheep Market last month which is a collection of 10,000 sheep created by online workers using Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Now here's another similar project but this time thousands of individuals were asked to paint a tiny part of the US$100 bill without knowledge of the overall task. Called Ten Thousand Cents, its aim was to create a representation of the US$100 bill. A cool video of how it works here.

Using Google Maps to tell a story

The 21 Steps by Charles Cummings is told by following the story as it unfolds across a map of the world via Google Maps! The 21 Steps is part of We Tell Stories, Penguin's most ambitious digital project in which it challenged some of its top authors to create new forms of story that is designed specially for the internet.

Today's Singapore News

1. Video games in Singapore to carry rating classification by end of April
2. Slew of events to add buzz to Singapore's first F1 race
3. Singapore social escorts: Lifestyle is not glamourous
4. Pirated past exam papers now sold on CDs
5. DPM Jayakumar urges S'poreans to keep perspective on Mas Selamat's escape
6. Singapore inflation to stay near 26-year high
7. 'Smart shelf' to locate books at National Library
8. Longer queues for free food in wealthy Singapore: charities
9. Dengue cases still on the rise
10. S$3 billion of benefits to be given out to 2.4 million S'poreans in 2008

Read them all at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.

The Multari handheld Atari game console

Dude made the Multari, a portable Atari 2600 with 32 built-in games, housed inside a sleek vacuum-formed styrene plastic case with a 5" LCD. And the best thing about the Multari is that there are no big cartridges to carry around!

(Thanks GeekGod)

Supernatural paintings by a Peruvian shaman

In the Peruvian Amazon, shamans drink the powerful plant hallucinogen Ayahuasca to get visionary experiences and some of them like Pablo Amaringo paint their supernatural visions. Great! Talented shamans painting when they're high! Just looking at his paintings make me wanna drink the Ayahuasca too and experience the Ayahuasca Otherworld myself.

Tom Hodges' Star Wars

I'm in love with this gallery of Tom Hodges' drawings involving the Star Wars universe. Link goes to his flash website. Unfortunately there's no direct link to his Star Wars gallery. Just click gallery and then Star Wars. His drawings are amazing and I can see why he was commissioned to do lots of official Star Wars artwork.

Old Comic Book Ads

Here's a Flickr photoset of vintage ads from old comic books. This one is an ad from Hubba Bubba bubble gum that teaches kids how to gumfight. Remember kids, your size is not important.

Help build the world's tallest monster

The World's Tallest Monster is an online collaboration effort initiated by Stefan G Bucher that invites anyone to create a small portion of the monster's body and ultimately help it grow. You just need to draw on the template provided and email it back to him.

51 famous robots on one T-shirt!

I want this t-shirt! The silhouettes of 51 different robots from film, television, books, toys and one from a famous classic rock album printed on a t-shirt available for men and women. I'm ashamed of myself. I can only identify 8 robots on the t-shirt.

100 Super Nintendo games in 10 minutes

100 Super Nintendo games in 10 minutes made by the same dude that gave us 100 Atari games in 10 minutes.

The PS3 Laptop

Ben Heck turned his 60GB Playstation 3 into this ultra cool PS3 laptop, complete with a 17-inch LCD HDTV screen, HDMI-DVI connection, a built-in keyboard, USB ports, stereo speakers and headphone jack.

Star Wars 1942

Star Wars action figures made to look like that they came from the WWII era. Here's Luke Skywalker as a WWII fighter pilot with his light saber of course and wearing an orange jumpsuit, parachute, chest pouch and removable helmet and goggles.

Old Atari Games Catalog

Hugues Johnson says, "A friend of mine was moving and found some old Atari product catalogs buried in a box somewhere. He passed them on to me because he figured I was nerdy enough to care about them. He was right. These were standard pack-ins with Atari cartridges in the early 80s. This was a golden era when game boxes and advertisements had lavish artwork to compensate for the blocky graphics." Here are his scans of the 1981 and 1982 Atari product catalogs.

Dude sells his Twitter account on eBay

Andrew Baron of Rocketboom is selling his Twitter account (and followers) on eBay. So far 21 people have bid for his account. The current bid at at US$405! Auction ends in 9 days. From eBay:

I really love my Twitter account but I feel like I haven't been using it the way I want to. Quite honestly, I feel sorry for all of my followers because they wind up with my tweets in their timelines and I haven't been able to utilize the medium the way I want to. I also participate in another Twitter account over on Rocketboom so I'm thinking I'll post more over there and start up a new account to do what I want to do next.

It would be silly to just delete this account I have here, especially if there is someone out there that had like interests and had something to say or wanted to get involved in some relevant conversations. In terms of monetary value, I have no expectations or needs at all so I decided not to put a minimum bid on this. Whatever will be, will be.

The winner of this auction gets my account with all of my followers. The account is in my name now, but the winner of the auction can pick any other name that's available on Twitter for the transfer. For example, you could have http://www.twitter.com/x where x=any name thats not already taken. You can change it yourself at anytime too, one of the cool features about Twitter settings.

So basically it's like getting a new account with your own name, but having a pre-installed audience.

The first sign of value to most people would be the number of followers I have (the audience size). At the beg. of this auction, there are 1397 followers and I am actually quite proud of the actual quality of these followers, moreso than the number. Feel free to explore everyone to see who's there.

Also, as with any dynamic group, there is obviously risk. My followers could jump ship at anytime. There is no guarantee on this part. People will come and go, thats just the way it is. Whether you represent a company, a group or just yourself, this group will not want to be sold to, Im sure. The successful winner will share a reciprocal value with the followers.

(Thanks manu)

Today's Singapore News

1. Few entries by young MPs on PAP blog
2. New anti-smoking drug launched in S'pore
3. How fugitive Mas Selamat might be surviving in Singapore forest
4. Glue-sniffing making a comeback in Singapore
5. 2 new 'deadly' illegal sexual enhancement products found
6. Retiring Singapore cops are in demand in New Zealand
7. SingTel aims to speed up surfing by six times
8. CordLife opens cord blood facility in Singapore
9. Rice a small part of bills at FairPrice
10. Singapore fines cable firm for ad with lesbian kiss

Read them all at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.

Ice cream that looks like a willy

My mate Tania posted this photo on my Facebook Super Wall. It shows someone holding on to two ice cream that look like a willy. I wonder if it's a photoshop work but it really does look yummy, oops I mean disgusting.

Nintendo Wii Peeing Game

Super Pii Pii Brothers is a virtual peeing game for your Nintendo Wii. Strap on the belt harness and insert in your Wiimote. A series of toilets are presented on screen and the challenge is to tilt your body to control a never-ending stream of pee. Get as much pee in the toilets as you can while spilling as little on the floor as possible.

Japanese Star Wars Meal

Japanese chef Toru Komuro who is also a big Star Wars fan, shows off his culinary skills with his Star Wars meal - different kinds of Japanese food made to look like Star Wars vehicles, Anakin, lightsabers, Yoda and Ewok.

60s n 70s Adult Movie Posters

Nice collection of adult movie posters from the 60s and 70s. Despite their x-rated theme, these posters are very sleek and stylish and till today, their designs provide a rich source of inspiration and reference for creatives and social scientists. I've browsed through the gallery and I find most of the posters very tame but there are one or two that could be unsafe for work. Enjoy!

(Thanks xXx)

Is this a real alien?

Last month, a video appeared on YouTube of an alleged alien autopsy that makes the famous Roswell alien autopsy video look like a child's play. The person who posted it claimed no responsibility for the creation of the video and said he had no knowledge of it's origin.

After watching this video, I think the alien is a fake. It looks a little too tiny for an alien. I mean if we are to believe that this thing comes traveling from the far reaches of space in a high tech flying machine, we must assume that it is highly intelligent and thus require a big brain. Look at it. This alien has a brain that is smaller than the length of my little finger! Don't think it is that capable of building and flying space ships for sure. And also check out its face. It has too much a human feature.

Alice In Wonderland Pop Art

The folks at L.A. Pop Art used texts from the first four chapters of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to make this Alice In Wonderland poster which is actually a recreation of one of John Tenniel’s vintage works of art found in the original novel. They are also planning more Alice posters that will encompass the entire Carroll novel!

Japanese Girls with Giant Beasts

Drawings of cute Japanese girls cozy up with giant beasts in front of Mount Fuji - I like!

(Thanks Lord Kimbo)

London's Tube Garrage Offices

A theatre company in London has an old and unused carriage from one of London's famous underground trains as an office! These tube garage offices are the brain child of Village Underground, a charity that supports new small companies. They convert old Jubilee Line carriages into work spaces for creative start-up businesses.

(Thanks Sir Thomas)

1950's - 1970's Advertising

Here's a cool Flickr photoset of various graphic design, illustrations and printed artwork found mostly in old advertising annual catalogs. This one on the left is a poster of Marilyn Monroe by Japanese artist Tadanori Yokoo done in 1969.

Watch the original Twilight Zone

Dude posted all the episodes from the original Twilight Zone series (1959–1964) on YouTube. What a classic! I was too young to watch the original series but I enjoyed watching the series that was later produced in the mid 80s. They really scared the shit out of me.

Ceramic cups that look like crinkled plastic cups

These ceramic cups are crinkled to look like a plastic cup that has been crushed and thrown away. They are available in a "life-size" version and a mini version. I want them for my kitchen! Oh, and this "I Am Not A Paper Cup" Ceramic Cup too.

Is this the best drummer in the world?

LastxLight says, "my Dad's friend who works at a TV studio found this after this group of Koreans rented out the studio for their music video and probably other stuff that i am unaware of. anyways, he plays it at every staff Christmas party and this past Christmas the party was at our house. after having seen the video i decided that it was too funny to keep to myself so i asked my Dad's friend and he gave me a copy to put on YouTube.

So, in all honesty, i have no idea who these random Korean musicians are or what their names are lol. but the facial expressions of this drummer are priceless...not to mention that left hand drum stick twirl that he does throughout...and i'm pretty sure it's from the early 90's hahaha!"

I've been playing drums for many years and I admit that I have on occasions got out of control but never like this Korean drummer (video above). I bet he was on some drugs.

StartUpers!

There are plenty of job websites out there but I think none comes close to matching the funkiness and geekyness of StartUpers, a jobsite for innovative startups. Check out the panic button. Brilliant!

Japanese Bug Fights

The rules of the Japanese Bug Fights are simple. Two bugs to a fight, they fight until one dies, the survivor will be declared the winner and no outside weapons allowed in Bug Fights. Ah, the wonders of Japanese TV.

Today's Singapore News

1. Singapore's first farm resort in Lim Chu Kang to offer villas
2. Govt may ease entry of new bus operators
3. As rice stocks swell, concerns grow over space and consumer reaction
4. Dry season expected in Singapore in third quarter
5. SingTel to upgrade its wireless networks in 2-3 years
6. NAFA: More than a poly for the arts
7. SMRT wins international award for "Best Passenger Experience"
8. Shorter wait for trains soon
9. Motorists getting round the new ERP gantries
10. Singaporeans surprised by results of first customer-satisfaction survery

Read them all at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.

Philosophy Action Figures

Famous philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato and Descartes as action figures. Now the greatest minds of all time come with great bodies to match! Each action figure also has a funny fact sheet listing its powers and weaknesses. Someone should make these into real toys.

(Thanks Lord Kimbo)

Mas Selamat Postcards

I grabbed this Mas Selamat postcard from one of those ZoCard racks over the weekend. These Mas Selamat postcards have been out since middle of March. Zo Media, the company behind the free ZoCards produced more than 10,000 postcards with the photos of Mas Selamat and a police notice printed on them. They even have a cyber Mas Selamat postcard for those of you who find it too much of hassle to snail mail a Mas Selamat postcard to your friends.

Previous:
Limping Bangladeshi mistaken for Mas Selamat
Play Where's Mas Selamat Picture Game
Be a part of the Great Singapore Search
CNN's unflattering headline for Singapore

Boxpunx

If you're into paper toys, then I'm sure you will fall in love with these funky characters (with their tongues all sticking out) in Jason Harland's Boxpunx series. They are free to download. Jason's blog is here.

Flash Paper Plane Designs

Christian Lowe's cool flash work shows you how to fold 5 paper plane designs that will have the other kids in your block fill with envy.

(Thanks Robb)

Inside The Plastock Room

Plastock is the 3D embodiment of vintage stock art made by the design firm Charles Spencer Anderson. The firm collected tens of thousands of old plastic toys, charms, game pieces, models, etc and customised them with paint and frankensteining techniques before photographing and then photoshopping them. Kirk from Secret Fun Blog got a chance to get inside the room where they keep all those Plastock toys. Lucky dude!

IZ Reloaded is on Reuters... oops... Rueters

It's an honour to be featured on Reuters... oops... I mean Rueters but I didn't know that I'm that dangerous. Really. From Rueters:

From this seemingly insignificant exposure, iz reloaded spread death quickly and efficiently throughout the town and expanding beyond state borders. Days later, the deaths have swept across the globe. Scientists believe iz reloaded is an international issue and it should be treated as a very serious problem. "Nothing can prevent future deaths. We now know, iz reloaded will kill everything." Dr. Rathburg stressed.

Exposure to iz reloaded causes about 1.6 million deaths in adults in the United States each year, according to the World Health Organization, and this number doubles each year.

"This iz reloaded is a horrible death. There's no doubt, iz reloaded will kill us all." Rathburg said as he burst into tears.

Wanna be featured on Rueters too? Just replace the "iz.reloaded" in "iz.reloaded.willkillusall.com" with your name. The page will also feature your Flickr photo if it's tagged with the same name. Cool!

(via Lancerlord)

Blog till you drop?

I think The New York Times has run out of ideas for quality stories so they decide to run one about blogging related deaths. From NYT:

Two weeks ago in North Lauderdale, Fla., funeral services were held for Russell Shaw, a prolific blogger on technology subjects who died at 60 of a heart attack. In December, another tech blogger, Marc Orchant, died at 50 of a massive coronary. A third, Om Malik, 41, survived a heart attack in December.

Other bloggers complain of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders, exhaustion and other maladies born of the nonstop strain of producing for a news and information cycle that is as always-on as the Internet.

To be sure, there is no official diagnosis of death by blogging, and the premature demise of two people obviously does not qualify as an epidemic. There is also no certainty that the stress of the work contributed to their deaths. But friends and family of the deceased, and fellow information workers, say those deaths have them thinking about the dangers of their work style.

Crikey! Time for me to quit blogging. Not! Put it this way. Any job that involves you to work in front of the computer for hours and hours without proper meals and enough sleep will one day take your life away. Seriously. It's just crazy for the New York Times to use the deaths of the two bloggers and link them to blogging.

Come on, blogging isn't deadly, neither is excessive blogging but like in any job, you must learn how to take care of your health. It's when you don't put in a good amount of time to rest and exercise and have a well balanced and healthy diet, will you then have a heart attack or a massive coronary.

The two bloggers mentioned in the NYT article did not die from blogging. They died because they probably did not lead a healthy lifestyle - something that most of us (bloggers or not) have a problem practicing in our daily stressful and hectic lives.

Retro Music Center plays turntable, radio, CDs and cassettes

I spotted this really cool nostalgic wooden music center after my lunch at Turf City yesterday. It has a turntable, AM/FM radio, CD player and cassette player. It's for sale at only $190! I would have bought it if it can also play MP3s.

The McDonald's Corset

Looking at this picture of the McDonald's Corset makes me hungry for... errm, a packet of french fries! Ahem. Unfortunately, the McDonald's Corset is not available with a Happy Meal purchase. It is made by those guys at Limebarb.

(Thanks Mr Big)

The Simpsons in Manga

Someone drew the characters of The Simpsons in manga. I like how Lisa looks with that funky hair of hers and Homer looks just like how Homer should be - fat, bald and not too good looking.

Human Tetris

This Human Tetris looks like a lot of fun. Video was made by Fabbricaria, an Italian Non-profit organization. Cool sound effects too.

Today's Singapore News

1. Teen sex infections likely to hit new high in Singapore
2. S'pore scores 'better than average' for customer satisfaction
3. S'pore company starts scholarship scheme for troubled teens
4. Streetdirectory.com will stay alive
5. Businesses in Toa Payoh brace for impact of new ERP gantry
6. Most shows at fashion fest filled to the max
7. Money set aside to help Singapore's needy with rising food cost
8. Singapore censors say four films banned from film festival
9. Romantic spat threatens to dent Singapore hopes
10. Singaporeans are kiasu, kiasi and now complacent?

Read them all at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.

Hummer made of losing lottery tickets

Artists Adam Eckstrom and Lauren Was glued their US$35,000 worth of losing lottery tickets onto a cardboard and wooden replica of a Hummer H3. They named their work Ghost Of A Dream. Nice one.

(Thanks Rickie)

Tandem Umbrella

Now that it's raining more than ever, know that we'll still have each other, you can stand under my umbrella, you can stand under my umbrella, ella ella, eh eh eh, under my umbrella, ella ella, eh eh eh...

Japanese Two-Way Pictures

Nice collection of joge-e aka Japanese two-way pictures made of woodblock print that can be viewed either right side-up or upside-down, featuring faces of deities, monsters or historical figures.

Around The World In 80 Days Book Covers

The English, French and German book covers of Jules Verne's Around The World In 80 Days. And here's the book to read online.

(Thanks Sir Thomas)

Marriage proposal is patented!

Some crazy dude is patenting a method and instrument for proposing marriage to an individual. I've been reading his patent application and I don't understand a thing! From US Patent and Trademark Office:

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved method of proposing marriage to an individual. The method of proposing to an individual generally comprising the steps of meeting the individual; exchanging names with the individual; dating the individual (not necessary); drafting a government document having a proposal to marry the individual incorporated therein; and showing the government document to the individual. The government document may be a patent application. The patent application may claim the method by which the proposor will make a marriage proposal to the individual. The proposor could then use the method claimed in the patent application to propose to the individual. The patent application could be the actual marriage proposal.

Cristiano Ronaldo makes you sick

Ian Holloway writes in his column about the phenomenon that is Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United:

There was something in the papers about Ronaldo having his teeth done and waxing his chest - well you can wax whatever you like when you're as good as that!

Next thing you know he'll be setting a trend by waxing one half of his head - everyone would be doing it. I've beaten him to it, though - I've waxed both sides of mine!

The kid makes you sick. He looks the part, he walks the part, he is the part. He's six-foot something, fit as a flea, good-looking - he's got to have something wrong with him.

Hopefully he's hung like a hamster! That would make us all feel better!

36 goals in all competitions this season, including 26 in the Premier League! I'd be shocked if he doesn't win the World Player of The Year award. This guy is like from another planet!

Today's Singapore News

1. Could Singapore be the Next Major Fashion Week?
2. Jurong to be transformed into a Lake District for business and leisure
3. Neighbourhood watch deals with cardiac arrests
4. Business as usual when $40m Orchard makeover begins end April
5. Popular online map website down for days after losing appeal
6. Supermarkets re-stock as rice sales pick up
7. Singapore not affected by rice shortage
8. More changes planned for MediShield
9. S'pore to unveil plans for Youth Olympic Games next week
10. Ah Long Pte Ltd is biggest Singapore release in Malaysia

Read them all at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.

Victorian Freak Shows

The British Library has a gallery of posters and ads of exhibitions of live human curiosities also known as freak shows that appeared in travelling fairs, circuses and taverns in England during the Victorian era.

How to make your own bra

This online bra making class teaches you how to make your own bra - everything from finding your size to common fitting problems. No, I'm not going to make one!

The Chocolate Peanut Butter Gallery

I love The Chocolate Peanut Butter Gallery which has now become my favourite website! Why? Because it features stuff with chocolate and peanut butter, two of my most loved ingredients! I can't keep my eyes off this delicious looking cupcake found on the site. There's a recipe too. Great! I'm going to ask someone to bake some for me.

(Thanks Shy)

Facebook vs Asia's Top Social Networks

Interesting Q&A with Benjamin Joffe, Managing Director at +8* about the performances of Asia's top social networks as compared to Facebook. From ReadWriteWeb:

Q | Facebook has enjoyed the media spotlight for over a year now, but it is still far from ruling the world. As Asia is said to be at the forefront of communities, what are the services that dominate there?

A | It is interesting to see that Facebook has almost no presence in the three markets we cover: China, South Korea and Japan. In China, QQ dominates by far with 300 million active accounts, Cyworld has close to 20 million in South Korea while Mixi has 14 million in Japan.

Q | Those are pretty big figures for subscribers. Even so, Facebook has a good portion of them globally and is losing money. Are the Asia social networks making money?

A | One thing to keep in mind is the addressable population: QQ only deals with China, Cyworld addresses seriously only Korea, Mixi is only in Japan. Corresponding penetration rate among Internet users are: 150% for QQ, 57% for Cyworld, 15% for Mixi. It becomes even more interesting when realizing all three are largely profitable. Notably, QQ had 523 million USD in revenues in 2007 and 224 million operating profit, with only 13% coming from advertising! This is more than Facebook's total revenues. Moreover, Facebook was still losing money last year (and likely this year).

LG 42LB7RF HDTV: A Review

It's been roughly 5 months since the LG 42LB7RF HDTV was first delivered to my place courtesy of the LG Blogger Review Program and the TV has been sitting pretty in the living room and entertaining me ever since.



The LG 42LB7RF comes packed with features like full HD picture quality, 1920x1080 resolution, 10000:1 contrast ratio, 2 HDMI 1080p input, PC Plug and Play setup, a 178 wide viewing angle, XD Engine, full HD Processing without Down-Scaling, Intelligent Eye Pro and many more.



The back and side panels allow you to connect all sorts of equipment to the LG 42LB7RF. You can connect up to 2 HDMI appliances. HDMI or High-Definition Multimedia Interface is a compact audio/video connector interface for transmitting uncompressed digital streams. A HDMI cable connects digital audio/video sources such as a set-top box, a Blu-ray Disc player, a personal computer, a video game console, or an AV receiver to a HD TV so that you can enjoy the full HD image quality from the source. For me, I connected the Playstation 3 (with a HDMI cable) to the TV which acts as my game console, my Bluray DVD player and also as a good tool for me to surf internet on the TV. Hooray to the PS3!

Besides the 2 HDMI inputs, there's also a RGB/Audio input, Audio/Video Inout, AV Output, Antenna Input, 2 Component inouts, Variable Audio Output, RS-232C Input, S-Video Input and Audio/Video Input.

The LG 42LB7RF doesn't only look good on the outside but it is performs very well as a HD TV. It's XD Engine tranfers low resolution analog image to higher resolution HD image. So watching a normal TV channel without any HD with the LG 42LB7RF actually makes the image much better than it actually looks but the quality still ain't full HD of course - you will still a HD source to view true HD quality image.

So in order to test how good the LG 42LB7RF is, I was eager to try out Channel 5's free HD channel but after fixing the the Channel 5 HD setup box and the antenna, I realised that I could not receive the Channel 5 HD signal. I found out later that the signal is not available in my location. Darn it.

Looks like I have to depend on the PS3's Bluray DVD player now. So in went a Bluray DVD of Spiderman 3. Wow! Spidey never looked this good. The quality is spectacular. The image is sharp with very high contrast. The foreground seems to have this pop-out effect which is really amazing. The black levels although not superior than some of LG's competitors, is still good enough to deliver details. I had to manually adjust the Picture's contrast, brightness, colour, sharpness, tint, and the XD Engine's Contrast, Colour and Noise Reduction to get the optimum performance out of the LG 42LB7RF. The TV does comes with four preset settings, Intelligent Eye, Dynamic, Standard and Mild, all of which should be good enough for the casual viewer.

Here's a video I took of Spiderman 3 played on the LG 42LB7RF.



The sound quality of the LG 42LB7RF is very good thanks to its SRS Trusurround XT surround system which delivers a realistic 3D listening experience and LG’s proprietary Dimple Speaker design which provides clear and powerful sound at any volume. I thought with the LG 42LB7RF, the sound I get is like I'm watching movies in the cinema and I definitely love my movies and shows on TV to be loud and clear. Sorry neighbours.

The LG 42LB7RF also makes a great display for playing games. Playing Fifa 2008 for example on the PS3 is really far more enjoyable when it is hooked to the LG 42LB7RF. The image quality is really, really good and it gives me an impression of watching a real live football game in the stadium. No wonder I'm hooked to playing Fifa 2008.



Overall, I think the LG 42LB7RF HDTV is a commendable effort by LG to produce a high quality and affordable HD TV. I would have preferred more HDMI slots and a deeper black level but I guess one can't ask for too much.

Internet video stars make it to Southpark's latest episode

Internet video sensations like the Tron Guy, Numa Numa, Star Wars Kid, the Cute Sneezing Panda and others fight it out - and I really mean fight - in the latest episode of Southpark, Canada On Strike. Go watch it. Damn funny.

Mustafa cashiers help you withdraw money

I have never come across this in Singapore until yesterday when I followed my buddy to Mustafa Shopping Complex.

When we were paying at the cashier, he told the lady that he also wanted to withdraw $20. I looked at him shocked. I thought you can only withdraw money from banks or ATMs.

My buddy said someone told him that anyone with an ATM card can go to the cashiers at Mustafa to withdraw money from their bank account. So he decided to try it out yesterday.

The cashier lady swiped his ATM card on the NETS machine before telling him that there will be a 30 cents charge and then handed him $20 from the cash register!

Here's the receipt.



As you can see, she charged him a total of $20.30. The 30 cents is the cashback fee.

What is this cashback fee? Is this legal? I did a little checking with NETS and apparently it is.

NETS Cashback is a value-added service that allows the customer to withdraw cash from any participating outlet. The amount withdrawn will then be directed into the customer's bank account by the next working day.

Ah interesting. Anyone know of any other NETS Cashback participating shops? I think this is a great service especially when you can't find a nearby ATM to withdraw some cash.

GNR's Appetite on Zane Lowe's Masterpieces

Tune in to BBC Radio 1 (you can also listen to it online LIVE) on Friday morning from 2 am (Thursday 19.00 hrs in UK) to hear Appetite for Destruction, the classic rock album by Guns N Roses in full, gaps and all, as they were meant to be heard - along with exclusive interviews from the band and the people that have been influenced by them. This is part of Zane Lowe's Masterpieces, a special show on BBC 1 where they play albums that have altered the musical landscape at the time of their release - works of genius, albums that people really care about.

Drinkuppussy

Taken from this lovely Flickr photoset of posters for live music shows.

Steampunk Darth Vader Mask and Chest Plate

Dude is selling a steampunk Darth Vader mask and chest plate on eBay. He modified a normal Darth Vader mask bought in Disney World by carving out details to make it look brass-like and adding several tacks to simulate rivets. He then added a WWI style helmet spike which is actually a ceiling fan pull chain. The chest plate was made from a shadow box frame and a bunch of cannibalized clock, and other device parts.

(Thanks GeekGod)

Today's Singapore News

1. Marina Bay Floating Platform to hold football matches
2. No simple solutions to food price hikes
3. First part of growth dividends on April 30
4. Former detainee: It's hard to break out of Singapore’s most secure detention facility
5. First signs of housing market slowdown in Singapore
6. Thai rice 'too expensive' for Singapore stalls
7. Neverending closing down sales exposed
8. Australian pilot fined for intrusion into Singapore airspace
9. PM Lee still looking for his successor
10. Motorola to stop Singapore mobile phone production

Read them all at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.

Japanese Thomas the Tank Engine

Dude has a lot of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends episodes in Japanese on his YouTube channel. Go watch them all. I remember reading Thomas storybooks when I was young and I love him to bits!

Spike's Star Wars ad campaign

Several pics of the outdoor ads for Spike TV's Star Wars promotion in the US. More here. I thought this one is really funny. So that's why Annie turned to the dark side. Spike is showing all six Star Wars episodes in chronological order starting this Friday.

10 Downing Street goes Web 2.0

If you think only kids and geeks use Twitter, then think again. The office of the British Prime Minister is also twittering! No it's not an April Fool's Day joke. From Downing Street:

We've had a couple of people ask that question. This twitter channel is not an April Fool, it's real.

And they are asking for suggestions on how they should use their Twitter. From Downing Street:

We welcome comments on how you think we should be using this channel. Keep the ideas coming.

Hmm, how about getting Gordon Brown himself to use it and let the world know what he is doing? I know he is a very busy man but he could be the first PM in the world to use Twitter. Imagine him putting on his suit to get ready for an important meeting with a foreign head of state and one hand twittering on his mobile: "Damn I'm late. Again. Suit getting a bit too tight for me. Need to lose weight." LOL. That would be something aye.

Besides being on Twitter, the British Prime Minister's office also has a Flickr account! Looks like everyone is going Web 2.0 these days.

Mad Magazine Fold-Ins

The Mad fold-in drawn by Al Jaffe, is a feature found on the inside back cover of every Mad magazine since it was introduced in 1964. The New York Times pays homage to Al's work with this cool interactive gallery of some of the popular Mad magazine fold-ins.

(Thanks Larry)

Rate My Poo

Rate My Poo is the most disgusting site I've seen in a quite awhile. People send in pics of their poo and you get to vote for the best poo. Urgh. Makes me wanna puke out my lunch.

(Thanks Mr Big)

Old and New Science Fiction Posters

I've been spending some time browsing this very impressive collection of sci-fi movie posters which has everything from the classic ones like this How to Make A Monster movie poster to the very latest like the new Batman Dark Knight poster.

Previously: Classic horror and sc-fi movie posters

Exclusive: Singtel WILL launch iPhones on 08.08.2008

I've received several scoops from an insider working in Singtel about the firm's iPhone rumours. The iPhone is REALLY coming to Singapore but not in September.

This screenshot of Singtel's iPhone teaser website which is now under construction according to him, shows the date of the iPhone launch in Singapore!

My source also told me that Singtel will offer the 8GB and new 16 GB iPhone models - both are 3G enabled! He said that they are still working out the pricing details.

And check this out, on the launch day itself, Singtel will be giving away 88 iPhones FREE at one of their hello! shops starting from 8.08 am. Expect a long queue when that happens.


Update: 3G iPhones are available for reservation now at hello! stores

Today's Singapore News

1. Singaporean spends $700,000 on her body
2. Finding a parking lot in CBD will soon be harder
3. The Mas Selamat Escape: Is the Internet-savvy generation making light of a serious issue?
4. Shops, importers try to minimise impact of soaring rice prices
5. Caller ID shows 999? It's not the police, it's a fraudster
6. 60 diabetics in SGH trial to protect kidney with TCM
7. Singapore promising feast of technology for its F1 night race
8. F1 trackside hotels see good demand for rooms
9. S'pore home prices slow after record year
10. More women opting for caesarean births in Singapore

Read them all at Topix Singapore News, edited by yours truly.