Bring your Google Maps for overseas travel- without incurring overseas data charges

Wonder how to use Google Maps offline while overseas without incurring overseas data charges? Watch this brief walk-through showing how it could be done.

Surface Pre-order gone live!

I just received the email notification from Microsoft that pre-order for Surface starts at 9am, Pacific Time!

Screenshot of the email. Are you pre-ordering?

pre-order link: http://www.microsoft.com/Surface (it has gone live!)

Wise words from a Wise Man

Wise words from a wise man.

Image Source: FaceBook pages


Perhaps compassion is the most crucial part in
sustainability. Compassion that embraces all living things, be it man or animals, and love the whole of nature for its beauty. A non-judgmental love of all beings. One without the need to label and tag values. We love our family without any need for reasons, don't we?

A Man built his own mechanical hands

A chinese man built his own mechanical hands by himself. And he's not an engineer. It's not just a shape of a hand but a hand with design and mechanics which he developed himself. His self-made mechanical hands' fingers could even automatically open up to grasp things such as holding a cup. It's a remarkable feat that he could create the hand on his own.









Bionic vs Mechanics

I have a bit of debate here. The YouTube video mentioned "bionic" hands. What's the definition of bionic?

Merriam Webster's Definition:

Definition of BIONIC

1

: of or relating to bionics

2

a : having normal biological capability or performance enhanced by or as if by electronic or electromechanical devicesb : comprising or made up of artificial body parts that enhance or substitute for a natural biological capability<a bionic heart>

Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/bionic

Well... It doesn't help right? So which is the key word? in 2a, it seems to be normal biological capability/performance plus electronic/electromechanical. So without both, a creation is not considered "bionic".

But looking at 2, the key words seem to be "artificial body parts", "enhance", "substitute" and "natural biological capability". So an artificial body part is bionic need not be electronic/electromechanical in nature, as long as it can enhance or substitute the natural biological capability?

But what constitutes enhance/substitute "natural biological capability" is debatable... Does anyone has a clear definition of the term?

What's with the cool car? Get chauffeured everyday!

What's with the cool car? Get chauffeured everyday!

What's with the cool car? Get chauffeured everyday! 

What happens in an Internet Minute?

"What happens in an Internet minute? Today, the number of networked devices is equal to the global population. By 2015, the number of networked devices will be twice the global population."
- Intel

Android OS surges to dominace, were we surprised?

Image source: wallpaper4me.com

 
IDC released its quarterly smartphone OS report for 2Q2012 yesterday. Not surprisingly, Android and iOS accounted for 85% of all smartphones shipped in the second quarter of 2012 (2Q12).

Chart: Worldwide Smartphone OS Market Share, 2Q 2012Description: Tags: Author: IDCcharts powered by iCharts

It is not surprising to find that Android has a market share of 68.1% of new smartphones shipped during Q2 of 2012, given that Android has many mobile partners loading the OS. Just to name a few- Samsung, LG, HTC, Motorola and Sony Ericsson are all global smartphone makers.

Not surprising. But why?
1.) Variety of Choices
These companies have already launched many flagship smartphones such as Samsung S2, Samsung Galaxy Note, various versions of HTC One, LG Optimus 3D etc. Compared to Apple, there are many models with enhanced technical capabilities at once for consumers to choose. Not forgetting that this also means a wide range of prices for consumers to choose from. The manufacturers are also creating lower end smartphones to increase their market share. This inevitably helped Android to surge in market share.
2.) The Hardware War between Phone Manufacturers
These manufacturers are pushing the technical specifications with each flagship phone launched. For example, LG was the first company to launched a dual core smartphone with LG Optimus 2X, then launched a Optimus 3D with 3D image capabilities. Dell launched a 5" Dell Streak. Samsung uses the AMOLED and Super AMOLED screen. Samsung also launched a 5.3" Galaxy Note with S Pen (stylus) function. HTC partnered Beats Audio to boast a phone with good audio quality. Not forgetting that these manufacturers are also pushing the pixel intensity of the screens and the energy efficiency of the hardware (battery remains an importrant issue for smartphone users especially with data usage). This competition pushes each of these companies to keep on improving the hardware capabilities so as to garner more market share. Invariably, this helps improve the market share of Android.
Having said this, hardwares of each phone models are increasingly similar.
3.)  Interface
Android allows the manufacturers to tweak the user interface. This is something good for the manufacturers. A company could provide a hardware that might not be available by another company, thereby giving it an advantage. However, unless the customer is a tech geek, these things are hidden and not easily understandable to most consumers. Now, the interface makes a difference in creating "impression" on the customers as this is what they see when they first on the phone. How nice is the interface? How user friendly is it?
But a word of caution- not all interfaces are a good selling point. Some interfaces have been known to draw irks from users. I won't name the interfaces here, just google and you shall find them.

What's next?
Look out for Windows Mobile! Windows has a strong corporate base. This link could be a point for which Windows could regain its foothold in the smartphone market.

Environmental Impacts?

I'm having a bit of dilemma here. It's good that phone manufacturers are pushing the energy efficiency of their phones, this means more usage time for less energy. However, the speed with which the new models of phones get released worries me. This, to a certain extent, will entice consumers to replace their phones more frequently- meaning more phones are changed before their "life expectancy" is up. Although the used phones are usually sold as pre-owned phones, it might to a certain extent create unwanted waste. Imagine an increase of pre-owned phones in the market. What will happen next? Most probably this would mean that the price of pre-owned phones will drop, which means people are more likely to buy a new "pre-owned" phone and perhaps discard their current phones. This would mean wastage.

Hmm... Where to get the balancing point?

Why typing @[4 :0] will get you “Mark Zuckerberg”? How do you do the same to get your name?

I have received comments about my blog post on @[4:0] = Mark Zuck. Sorry folks, I have not posted replies or explained about that.

Well. I managed to find out the reason, information and the history for it. :)

Why?

1.) Each of our FB account is tagged to a number. That’s the profile number. Note that not too long ago, FB allowed users to change their profile page (the page where visitors first view your information) to a ‘vanity’ name. That is- a customized name. For example, www.facebook.com/Zuck.

2.) With this changes, it does not mean that your profile number goes away. It is still there.

3.) So when we type @[4:0], we get Mark Zuckerberg. Why is that so? This is because Mark’s FB profile ID is 4.

Now you must be wondering why did the FB creator chose 4 instead of 1? Haha. This is because he used numbers 1-3 initially to test FB; and the profiles no longer existed.

Now we come to the question- can we type @[our profile number:0] to get our names? Yes, you can. But this begets the question- you have changed your profile page to a vanity name, how do you get the profile number?

Finding your FB profile number

There are 2 ways:

1.) https://graph.facebook.com/ method.

Go to https://graph.facebook.com/(type your FB vanity name in the “username” here, without the brackets). For example, https://graph.facebook.com/zuck is where “zuck” is the profile name for Mark Zuckerberg’s profile page http://www.facebook.com/zuck.

You should see something similar to the following:

{

   "id": "4",

   "name": "Mark Zuckerberg",

   "first_name": "Mark",

   "last_name": "Zuckerberg",

   "link": "http://www.facebook.com/zuck",

   "username": "zuck",

   "gender": "male",

   "locale": "en_US"

}

The "id": "4"- 4 is the ID number .

2.) FB Profile Method

Go to your profile page and move your mouse over your profile image. You should see a link url that comes out at the status bar of your browser.

For example: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.11111111111.11111.123456&type=1

The number behind the third dot is your profile ID. In this case, “123456” is the profile ID.

The @[your profile number: 0] “formula”

So if you type @[profile number: 0], you will get the person’s name. J

Reference Sources:

·         http://www.facebook.com/help/community/question/?id=2229031

·         http://ubisoft.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/14875/~/what-is-my-facebook-uid-and-how-do-i-find-it%3F

·         http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-06-01/tech/29973999_1_facebook-user-mark-zuckerberg-social-network

·         http://www.ehow.com/how_8337127_facebook-account-serial-number.html 

Windows 8 delivery : 26 Oct

ZDNet reported that Windows 8's delivery date is 26 Oct.

www.zdnet.com/windows-8s-delivery-date-october-26-7000001158/

An Expert View on Nuclear

Peter Lam

Image Source: InsideClimate

A quick summary of interview of Peter Lam, Nuclear Expert, on his thoughts after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster. 

He was a firm believer in probabilistic risk assessment but after the disaster, changed his views on the importance of accident probabilities—a key tenet of America's nuclear safety policy.

Peter Lam spent 20 years in private sector, 18 years as an administrative judge at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is a retired nuclear engineer with 110 published judicial decisions and more than 70 technical papers in industry journals and company publications

Summary:

• Probabilistic planning vs Deterministic planningThere is a difference in probabilistic planning and deterministic planning.Deterministic [risk assessment] is saying, to the extent possible, one should preset a lot of parameters for how to design, manufacture, install, operate and maintain the plant. (ie. Planning around known, foreseeable parameters)Probabilistic is, 'outside of these predetermined parameters, there's something we have not thought about.' (ie. Planning around unknown, less probable events)=> Both are necessary in planning.
• Talk to the people on the ground.They will tell you things which did not get appropriate attention.
• Whistle blowers programme are necessary

Link to the full article here.

Dr. Yoshiro Nakamatsu

Source:  http://www.tofugu.com/2011/04/20/inventor-nakamats/ 

Dr. Yoshiro Nakamatsu (or Dr. Nakamats as he is widely known), world's most prolific inventor, has over 3000 patents to his name (source: NYT article in 1995). Dr Nakamats said that he dives underwater to create higher level of invention in his mind. He reasons that lack of oxygen makes better creation from the brain. Just a caution, oxygen is much needed for the human body to work well and lack of oxygen is dangerous for the human body. 
He also said that no music is the most ideal condition for invention.


Well, I think the ideal situation for creativity and innovation differs for each person. The most important thing is to find your own ideal spot/condition that will help you spark creativity and innovation.


View the interview video here:

Dr Nakamats Interview

For a list of his inventions, visit this website (http://www.tofugu.com/2011/04/20/inventor-nakamats/)

It's Official: Google Nexus 7 Launched

It's Official: Google Nexus 7 Launched.

@[4:0] = Mark Zuckerberg?

Saw this post in FaceBook. It was rumoured that typing "@[4:0]" in any comments would show "Mark Zuckerberg" when you send the comment.

I have tried it and it works! Try it in FaceBook!

Image source: FaceBook

 

Web surfing patterns could reflect mental well-being

Web surfing patterns could reflect mental well-being.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/opinion/sunday/how-depressed-people-use-the-internet.html?_r=1&#38;pagewanted=all

Can Technology Solve Cities' Problem? An Opinion by Brent Toderian, President of the Council for Canadian Urbanism and Vancouver's former Chief Planner

An opinion by Brent Toderian,Vancouver's former Chief Planner (2006-12) and President of the Council for Canadian Urbanism.

Print your own 3D items, anyone?

The 3D printing technology is kicking up a storm recently, with more materials added.

An example of 3D printed limited edition jewellery. 

Photography: Atelier Ted Noten. Image Source: Wikipedia

So... What's 3D printing?

Wikipedia provides a good explanation of what's 3D printing- "3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. 3D printing is achieved using additive processes, where an object is created by laying down successive layers of material. 3D printing is considered distinct from traditional machining techniques (subtractive processes) which mostly rely on the removal of material by drilling, cutting etc.

3D printing is usually performed using a materials printer, and since 2003 there has been large growth in the sales of these machines. Additionally, the cost of 3D printers has gone down. The technology also finds use in the fields of jewelry, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries, education, geographic information systems, civil engineering, and many others."

Simplistically speaking- it's making a 3D item on your own, with a 3D printer that is the size of a desktop printer (Hmm... a Laserjet).

A video showing the process of 3D printing:

What does it mean for you and I?

I checked out some of the options available. It seems that the cost of 3D printers are not exuberantly high. A simple 3D printer should cost about USD2000 to 3000- about the price of a high end laptop. The size of a 3D printer, as you would have guessed, is about the size of a desktop printer. Meaning, it won't take up too much space in your home.

With this not-very-expensive price, 3D printers would allow customisation of items. Imagine designing your own phone covers and jewelleries? Ha. However, before you think that this is really easy, you need to first create the 3D virtual data using AutoCAD or similar software such as Google SketchUp. If you are replicating an object, use a 3D scanner to scan the object before loading the resultant data into a software.

Some of the things which perhaps could be done with a 3D printer.

• Prototyping3D printers could be used to create prototypes/models for testing purposes. Just to see if it's fits or whether parts work together.
• ModellingYou models enthusiast out there- yes, you could draw your own characters and create the real models! Imagine creating your own character and then making a real model! (Pardon me, i'm not a model enthusiast. If I made a mistake in this comment, do let me know. :))Links: http://blog.makezine.com/2009/02/12/3d-printed-character-model/
• Education
  
  Compared to visualising anatomy, planets or other curriculum topics in a virtual environment, teachers could potentially create a real model and bring it to the classrooms. Well, that is, if the models are not already available.Perhaps the better use is to make a model that is local context and which is not available internationally. For example, a small model of Bukit Timah Hill in Singapore showing the biodiversity in the area etc.

• Phone Covers??
  Can we make our unique phone covers? Oh yeah. That should be a possibility.
• Medicine
  In the field of medicine, researchers are developing ways to lay down layers of cells to make artificial organs.
  There's also possibility that doctors could use CT scans to generate realistic organs before surgery.

What about the environment?

1.) Resource Management- A dilemma

• Increasing demands for materialsThere's possibility that the advent of 3D printing might cause issues with resource management. The world is already grappling with resource scarcity. If 3D printing is affordable and wide-spread, there might be increasingly use of personalised, home-based printing of items. This would create a consumer market demand on resins and materials, thereby complicating the already tight resource scarcity. Would these cause more items to be made and therefore more resources used (and perhaps also lead to less resources used for mass production due to drop in demand?)?
• Recycling and Reusing Materials
  On the other hand, could we use 3D printing to reuse/recycle old materials? Would it be possible to break down unwanted items into component materials and then make them into new products using 3D printers?
• Less Wastage
  Traditional manufacturing practices usually uses 'subtractive' processes that mostly rely on the removal of material by drilling, cutting etc. Since 3D printers use the 'additive' process where layers upon layers are added to 'print' (well, construct) items, it could potentially save resources wasted in the manufacturing process.
  Also, if a part of your device/machine is spoilt, perhaps you could simply print the part. Could this save you the carbon footprint for buying the part since you can make it locally?Links: http://advantage-environment.com/framtid/industrialization-at-home-rise-of-the-3d-printer/
  http://www.myofficeportal.org/saving-the-environment-through-3d-printing.htm

2.) Pollution

Would the materials cause pollution? Compared to factories who are regulated by government agencies and require compliance in managing pollution during the production process, would the 3D printing process cause pollution issues? Perhaps there is a need to regulate the materials that could be supplied for 3D printers to ensure that it does not cause pollution.

3.) Public Health

Are the materials safe for use? Would it affect our health? Would non-regulated potentially harmful materials make its way into our homes?
This would possibly require regulation and checks to ensure that materials for 3D printers are safe- much like the standards for materials used in food manufacturing and toys etc.

Attitude Matters

I have many questions about the potential impact of 3D printing on our environment. But still, there are some basic principles which we could adopt if we are to ensure a balance of needs, wants and sustainability.

1.) Make/Buy only What You Need

This is the basic idea in sustainability. Make/Buy only based on what you require, rather than making things you want but not really necessary.

2.) Protect Yourself

Only use materials which you know are safe for health. At least, until the regulators set a standard and regulate the materials available.

The not-so-good aspect of 3D printing

Well. Crooks. According to PC World, they could use the device to replicate your keys. your cards and whichever items small enough to be fabricated. That's a nightmare! PC world also stated sources mentioning that a rifle magazine was printed that could hold 5 rounds of ammunition! This is crazy! We don't want guns going round the world and live in fear always. Not that the magazine seemed durable enough for use, but this is a possibility.

Links: http://www.pcworld.com/article/241605/criminals_find_new_uses_for_3d_printing.html

More Understanding Needed
The 3D printing technology is still at nascent stage. More understanding on the potential impacts needs to be studied so that we can make this emerging technology an environmentally sustainable one.

More links on the topic:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2394720,00.asp

The blog post reflects the personal views of the author and is not representative of any organisations.

Making Games Architecture Sustainable after the Games

A good effort by the London Organising Committee of the Olympics and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to mandate that the only permanent sports facilities that would be built were those for which there was a demonstrated long-term need. Other facilities are supposed to be shifted from Olympic requirements to community use requirements. This step not only provide the necessary venues for the Olympic Games but also frees up the resources (eg. construction materials and land) after the games. The community also get to enjoy the scaled-down games facilities after the games.

Does that open up the possibility that smaller countries such as Singapore could host the FIFA World Cup or Summer Olympics Games?

Check out the design of 3 such venues which allowed such approach to be adopted at this link.

Image source: Wikipedia.

Wanna unlock your phone? Show your face!

Just loaded my Samsung Galaxy Note with Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 and discovered a new feature- Face Recognition Technology to unlock your phones.

Here's how to set up the face recognition unlock phone function.

J3QQMJ4ZZ7BX

Looking to purchase a PC/Laptop? Remember to ask if there is an option to upgrade to Windows 8. Microsoft Announces Availability of Windows Upgrade Offer.

From Microsoft Website:

REDMOND, Wash. — June 1, 2012 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of the Windows Upgrade Offer for consumers purchasing a qualifying new Windows 7 PC. The Windows Upgrade Offer provides consumers who buy an eligible Windows 7 PC the option to purchase a downloadable upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for an estimated retail price of just $14.99 (U.S.) during the time of the promotion, which will be redeemable when Windows 8 is generally available. The Windows Upgrade Offer is just the first of many consumer offers that will roll out in conjunction with the general availability of Windows 8.

“We’ve seen a great interest in Windows 8, especially given the availability of the Windows 8 Release Preview this week, and yet we know many consumers want a new PC now,” said Tami Reller, chief marketing officer and chief financial officer of Windows at Microsoft. “The Windows Upgrade Offer gives people the flexibility to purchase the new Windows 7 PC they need today, with the knowledge they can easily get Windows 8 when it’s available.” 

This program begins tomorrow in 131 markets including the U.S. and Canada and is available for consumers buying new Windows 7 PCs that are preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate and include a matching and valid OEM Certificate of Authenticity. The Windows 7 PC must be purchased new during the eligibility period June 2, 2012–Jan. 31, 2013, and redeemed before the program expiration at the end of February 2013. Consumers who register for the Windows Upgrade Offer will be able to download Windows 8 starting the day it is made available generally. The upgrade can be installed on any eligible and compatible Windows PC and comes with 90 days of support from Microsoft. 

More information on taking advantage of the Windows Upgrade Offer can be found by visitinghttp://www.windowsupgradeoffer.com. More information about Windows 8 is available athttp://windowsteamblog.com.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Some information relates to a prerelease product, which may be substantially modified before it is commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx. 

Click here for direct link.

Machine that turns used Office Paper to Toilet Paper on-site

This is an interesting idea. Not sure how much water it uses though.
The machine looks huge. Maybe it can be part of a building/commercial complex. Tenants could send in their shredded paper and redeem the toilet rolls based on the amount of shredded paper they contribute.




Or a shop could come up with a commercial idea to collect shredded paper and allow customers to earn some points to pay off the toilet rolls they need.

Temporary architecture may be the way for mega events

Temporary architecture may be the way for mega events

Illustration by Wen Hwee, 2012

Imagine constructing mammoth buildings for an once-off mega event such as Olympics and World Cup. The cement, concrete, wood, metals, adhesives, transportation (air, land and sea), resources need. This could be a huge amount of resources expended and possibly wasted if the building is not fully utilise after the event is over.


Most mega events will attract millions of people to flock to the area/country. This creates stress in accomodation and transportation for the weeks/ month that the event is held. One way to meet such challenges is to build the infrastructures needed. But again, this brings up the question of whether such a move is sustainable in the long run. Oh well, one could argue that this would create jobs for that period and improve the economy.
Are there other ways that could be adopted to meet the demands of the events and also be more environmentally friendly?


Saw reports about "temporary architectures". Temporary architectures are buildings and units that are not permanent in nature. They could include temporary arenas, hotels etc.


What I could think of as benefits of such structures include:
1.) Meet Temporary Needs of the Events
The architecture could meet the demands of the event that would usually peak during the events but decline after the event. Jobs and projects are still created to construct such temporary buildings.
2.) Environmentally Friendliness
It might be more environmentally friendly if such architectures could be designed to use minimal resources. Once the event is over and demand declines, there is no need for such architectures. If the architecture is temporary, then there is no need to waste resources maintaining a building that is no needed.
Better still, if all the resources of the temporary architectures could be transported to another event for use to construct other temporary architectures.
3.) Returning space to the city.
Space in the city is occupied by the temporary architecture only for the duration when it is needed. Citites are getting increasingly crowded (especially Asian cities) and space is usually considered a 'luxury' in cities. By returning the land to the city council after the event is over, it could be go back to the city planning and meet future needs.


I'm not an architect by training. Do share your thoughts and comments on the topic.


A link to a report on London Olympics Temporary Basketball Arena. 

Germany's Day in the Sun: Solar Hits 22 GW Mark | Renewable Energy News Article

Germany seems to be moving faster towards its renewable energy aim.

Germany's Day in the Sun: Solar Hits 22 GW Mark | Renewable Energy News Article

BBC mistake video game logo for United Nations Security Council symbol

A gentle reminder to verify information gathered from the web before using. Read the news report here.

Unboxing Samsung Galaxy Note

Unboxing video of Samsung Galaxy Note which I recorded.

Power paradox: Clean might not be green forever - environment - 30 January 2012 - New Scientist

Could alternative energy affect the climate while providing alternative sources of energy at the same time?

Would it bring about unforeseen effects?

Do we know enough of the technology we invented to use it responsibly? Do we know enough of the world to know how to manage our lives in a sustainable and responsible manner?

Power paradox: Clean might not be green forever - environment - 30 January 2012 - New Scientist