its been a week since ( http://goo.gl/L88oV ) so thought i'd share some of my impressions and experiences with the #galaxys3 so far.

note. i've decided to use the phone as is for at least 3 months, so no third party launchers, root, or custom roms. (update) for a HTC One XL review and discussion, visit Andrew Melder at http://goo.gl/lhAv2

build. it is big and long, but doesn't feel like it at all. unlike many others (it seems), i actually like the design. the curves are just right, and it seems like +Samsung Mobile has focused more on the ergonomics of the phone, because it feels absolutely comfortable resting in my hands.

its thin and light, slim and sexy (hey, just like me) but not too light that i have to go "oh frack, did i forget my phone again". and slim enough that when kept in my pants, she doesn't take the spotlight away from my uhm .. other bulge.

battery. uuh-maay-ziing. i've not used her as i always do so far, what with playing around with the settings and stuff. but add that to my daily g+ surfing, synching of 4 email accs && Google (full) && Whatsapp, ~5min Person Of Interest clips, ~5min calls to Singapore, ~30mins of Flipboard, ~10mins of Whatsapping, and ~3hrs of music .. i still end up with an average of 14hrs discharge with 4hrs screentime at 7%.

screen. pentile issue? well i don't go around using her with a magnifying glass. i can read (my tiny font setting) text without the need to squint. Paul Pierce still looks like The Truth in the browser. and my wallpaper of Hayley Williams still displays her orange hair as orange, red lipstick as red.

although, my brightness setting is set to always 40% (my Nexus S was always on 10%). in the sun, i can still read pretty clearly, but at certain angles, i do find the need to shade it with my hands sometimes.

but overall, no major dramas with the screen really. while the OneX does seem to have an amazing screen, the S3's is honestly not the worse.

buttons. the power and volumes are placed perfectly. i was initially afraid it might have been closer to the top of the phone, which would make it difficult for me to reach with my thumb (power) on such a big phone. but no, i can easily reach it without the need for any thumb or finger gymnastics.

physical home button. i love it. makes using the camera feel so much easier without accidently pressing on the non camera buttons. and it needs to be pressed hard enough that i never accidently unlock the screen when she's in my pockets.

more importantly though, the button gives me a point of reference when in the dark or low light.

earphone jack. don't like it at the top. i have her top side down in my pocket so i can easily reach her and use only my elbow as the main fulcrum. now, if i have earphones plugged in, it has to be top side up in my pants, making me apply some wrist action whenever i whip her out. that's too much work for a lazy old man like me.

notification led. there's red green blue and white. love how it looks hidden when not lighted. but one issue is - i can't seem to get it to work for g+ notifications.

camera. i won't go into details since there's plenty of reviews out there. but its quick to load. fast to snap. and the editable setting shortcuts to the left is handy. some sample shots can be found at http://goo.gl/FmZmA and http://goo.gl/WNPVJ

one thing though. you can't mute the shutter sound (or at least decrease the volume). not sure if its the law in Australia (it is in Asia) but i'm hoping there is a way without the need to root.

front facing camera. i joined a hangout the other night with her and +Andrew Melder was immediately impressed with it. so you just have to go by his word on the quality. ( http://goo.gl/BpOgB )

video recording. the recorded audio doesn't sound too good. but picture-wise, i'm pretty happy. best feature for me is the ability to trim a video (when in the gallery). i used to use VidTrim. but now, i'm happy to stick with the one that comes installed.

video player. love how with auto rotate disabled, you can still switch to landscape mode on playback with a simple press of an on-screen icon.

pop-up play. surprisingly useful. initially thought it would be too gimicky, but hey, lunchtime breaks watching POI clips while catching up on external emails is productive for me.

music player. the interface, i like it. the widget, meh. sound quality is amazing (to my ears) and having an equalizer is awesome. the included earphones are surprisingly good too. unfortunately, no music widget in lockscreen (but yes in notification) and i wish there was an official way to connect to my google music account to this player.

touchwiz. i surprised myself by actually liking this new cut down version, despite having a sense of an inconsistent overall experience.

i can hide apps in the drawer, and order them to my liking - a plus for muscle memory. spacing between icons (and dock and homescreens) is pretty big, but now being used to it, i quite like it cos it does seem much easier to scroll through busy homescreens, and allows me to utilise the space below the dock to scroll (the homescreens, not the dock). but i wish there was a setting to disable the infinite scroll and allow wallpaper scrolling.

folder image is butt ugly, and bloody annoying to create. plus, items in the folder gets re-organised after heavy use of an app like Flipboard (when the system clears memory and the screen re-draws for a second)

update. the items in a folder also seem to get re-organised if you reboot the phone

hate the bubble SMS conversations. i would have preferred it clean and plain. you can change the bubble type and colour though (from a list) but they all look the same to me .. ie. ugly.

having the toggles in the notification is a biggup for me. i've always used the Notification Toggle app, but not anymore now. although, one thing i don't like is everytime you pull down the bar, the toggle starts from the right end and animates back to the left - wish there was the ability to disable this, and to also organise and add/remove toggles.

Samsung keyboard. its not Swype, but similar, and pretty simple to use. but its predictions are a little .. funny. and i hate not having that "instant" ability to add your own words to the dictionary.

motions. its cool, but i find myself struggling to perfect some motions, especially the swipe palm for a screenshot. maybe i just need more practice.

smart stay. works well, but the eye icon is kinda Supernatural scary. don't seem to work in the dark though.

s voice. gimmick. i disabled it. may try it one of these days when i'm bored, lonely, and ran out of money to call any sex chat lines.

and finally (this is becoming longer than i wanted to) ...

the Google+ app. with a much much bigger screen now, i thought i can finally see more of a single post in the stream view. but no. its still two lines of text overlaying a badly rendered thumbnail image. </sarcasm>

so there. my impressions of the S3. would i recommend her to anyone? i would, but again, its all down to personal preference. my advice is to still have a play and feel with your own hands before you make your decision.

feel free to ask questions about her, or if you have any tips for me

·!¦[• ® •]¦!·

sometime in February 1979 ..

Rizal, where's fish?
fish sleep.

this. is a very famous phrase in my family, a simple exchange between my mama and myself.

being the first child of my parents' generation (both were the eldest too), i was very popular amongst my family, and hence, every single one of my aunts and uncles know this phrase, and still remembers it till this very day.

i (obviously) cannot remember it at all. but after [ http://goo.gl/WgFST ], i decided to go through some old family albums i have with me. and my oh my, imagine how excited i was when i came across the photo that captured this famous exchange.

it was big. and long. but soft on the hand. so i stroked it gently, and it came to life. i went into immediate ecstacy. it was love at first touch.



Samsung Galaxy SIII

you are definitely the droid i have been looking for

sorry ..

but I could not resist the urge any longer. after surviving yesterday's cravings, I thought how awesome am I to still have the discipline.

unfortunately, no. I'm still as weak as ever. and I gave in today. oh well, time for some self reflection ..

.. with the help of some MSG! yum yum ...

every single morning, without fail, it will happen, in the city. you know, the ...

two people walking in a rush, both thinking "no shit. we're on a collision course. evasive action!" and both proceed to change course ..

.. only to realise at the last minute that both chose the same evasive route and still almost hit each other.

i don't normally have Lontong for dinner.

but its home cooked, specially made by my aunt, so .. time to tuck in!

a good home cooked chicken curry ..

is when you have it for dinner one night, and then still want it for breakfast the very next morning.

the sad view from my office, earlier today, while the Perth g+peeps were meeting up in the park ...

but on a brighter note, at least i managed to afford myself a new bluetooth keyboard (with accompanying numpad), which i'm using to type this entry in.

i use an android powered mobile phone. i love how i can customise its look and feel to suit my needs and style.

i don't own any apple products. i find them too overpriced and overhyped. and i hate how "everyone" has one.

i use a windows 7 desktop for my work. it makes it easy for me to show and explain how-to-do's to my non tech savvy clients.

so what am i?

an android fanboy? no.
an apple basher? no.
given up on my linux? no.

i'm simply someone who uses the right technology to suit his budget, needs and situation.

just back from Hunger Games with +Haroon Malik . meh. not hungry for the next 3 movies

my early dinner on this cold mundane monday

homemade laksa.

i still have not found the perfect laksa (to my taste) in Perth. so when i mentioned it earlier to mama, she decided to cook some, the way i like my laksa to be.

yum yum thanks mum.

i'm still so not used to in-ear earphones. although the one thing they do pretty well is clean my ears out .......

ps. this #galaxys3 supplied earphones are surprisingly pretty good. though i wish the controls allowed me to skip next track, instead of just pause and volume control.

OMG OMG OMG !!!

i can't believe no one in my (main) circles mentioned this yet, but it looks like high resolution google contact photos have been updated!

i've tested on one contact, sync up, removed and re-added my account, sync down, and wala .. it works!

finally. after so many years of waiting, and even recently bitching about it again [ http://goo.gl/n2Xsf ], its resolved. DND me tonight. i've got pretty pictures of you peeps to (re)upload.

waffles with +Stanley Nugroho, +Nathan Brennan, +Tan Swee Huat , while looking back and laughing over the good old days ..

dear friends,

my birthday is in about a month's time. you now know what to get me this year. thank you in advance.

http://geektyrant.com/news/2013/3/9/badass-iron-man-nikes.html

i don't think some people here realise that ..

when you comment on a public post, its still public for all father mother son to see. and when that post has an attached location, everyone with access to the Nearby can read it too.

meaning its easy for the rest of us to see your trail of only commenting on the ladies, with the obvious mentality of using g+ as a dating site. and when we view your profile, its all the female of the species in your circles, with little circling back.

normally it doesn't bother me, cos it provides the rest of us with a sideshow to laugh at. but, when you're circling the girls from my Perth peeps, obviously from a previous post of mine where i mentioned them, i sit up and take notice enough to warn that ..

you better not be creeping and trolling any of my Perth peeps.

i was going ..

frack yeah. can it be? please be an official S3 JB

and damn was i excited while staring hopefully at the android getting electrocuted.

but unfortunately, no Jelly Bean. but hey, so glad I flashed the UK (unbranded) firmware and now being 2 updates ahead of the Australian (unbranded) firmware.

update: definitely addresses some bugs, and added minor feature tweaks. and new camera firmware confirmed too - dial *#34971539# to check camera firmware. but i seem to have WiFi dropout issues though.

on the way to work, on this public holiday.
this is how the streets of Perth City looks like ...

lol. my first cut in ages, after helping +Haroon Malik move the fridge and washing machine to his new place.

i feel like a man again ...

when you love your nephew as much as i do, you'll understand how there's no limit when it comes to buying toys as gifts or presents.

other than my bank account of course

so what better toy to get for my nephew this festive season, than the Kre-O Transformers Optimus Prime construction set [ http://goo.gl/HQfVd ]. its on clearance at [ http://goo.gl/zJSqE ], has 542 pieces, 3 in 1, fits the normal Lego pieces, and .. its Optimus Prime. 'nuff said.

but why 2 sets you ask?

well, you didn't think i'd allow for a situation where my nephew has cooler toys than me did you ...

nothing else to do in perth on a Monday morning except to queue for the Dick Smith specials ...

is it just me who wishes for giant sizes of Yakult?

i mean, gone in 60 milliseconds. seriously. why you no sell big big size ...

my first S3 shuffling on this public holiday in Perth where most people are probably still sleeping while i'm busy cursing and swearing at Transperth's public holiday timetables

for my last foodie post of this holiday, i present you rojak char kway. used to love them when i was younger, but totally forgotten about it since i moved to Perth.

but second SIL ordered this the other day for lunch at the Ayer Rajah Food Centre. i tasted it, and like .. oh i'm so having this every time i'm back in Singapore next.

avengers shuffle ...

client business meeting lunch.
chicken rice, middle eastern style.

lately, i'm sure you would have come across many social media "experts" writing about google's new unified privacy policy & fb's timeline, especially regarding privacy. and honestly, i find it to be scare mongering.

if you think having an online presence and maintaining 100% privacy is possible in this day, you must be from another world. but i don't wish to enter into another debate. what i'll do is list the following links you should be using to maintain your google account

your google dashboard
https://www.google.com/dashboard/

3rd party & app-specific authorisation
https://accounts.google.com/IssuedAuthSubTokens

connected (to your google) accounts
https://profiles.google.com/connectedaccounts

liberate (download) your data
https://www.google.com/takeout/

RESHARE:
tomorrow will be exactly 4 months since i fell in love with her.

while i admit i cheated a little (flashed the stock unbranded UK firmware), everything else is as stock as possible - no custom rom, no root, no third party launcher. i'm surprised myself, to be honest, that i lasted this long with stock, and still liking it that way.

i'm also glad i did not rush to flash the official JB OTA Poland firmware the other day, cos its looking like Samsung is "using them as beta testers". many who flashed it (LIB), had to revert back to the final leaked version (LI8).

anyways, its also a public holiday tomorrow in Perth. but its a state holiday, meaning i still have to work. so time to fire up the Transperth website ..

.. and curse and swear at the public holiday timetables.

Reshared text:
it was big. and long. but soft on the hand. so i stroked it gently, and it came to life. i went into immediate ecstacy. it was love at first touch.



Samsung Galaxy SIII

you are definitely the droid i have been looking for

cheese fries

its on the menu in the KFCs in Singapore, and the image explains it all. i only found out about this late last night, after all these years making an annual trip here and not knowing about it.

i have so much cheese and fries to catch up with ...

my first time in Malaysia in ten years!

it was an impromptu decision. being a last minute thing and with the Chinese New Year weekend, I could only get my bus ticket at Larkin, Johor.

could only grab some donuts before the bus ride. and 4 hours later, I was in KL waiting for the trains to start service so I could get to my grand aunt's place.

pretty tired now, so a quick nap before I go rediscover KL. have to say, so far, its way different from life in Perth ..

final Friday this Singapore trip. but lazy to head down for breakfast, nor cook a proper home one.

so ended up with boiling some sweet potatoes instead. and I have no regrets.

oh my god it actually happened!

earlier, none of the UWA kids rang the bell to alight at the main bus stop, so the driver just drove past.

in fact, the driver actually drove so slowly, as if to wait for someone to ring the bell. but no one did, until someone finally realised she wasn't stopping, and tried to quickly ring.

I swear I could see her (driver) grinning.

she did stop at the next one, which wasn't far. but oh my, this just made my morning!

one of my mates in Singapore, grounded by the wife, forced to do Iron Man duties ...

dear Social Life. it has been a good run. but unfortunately, we have to break up. yes, i admit. its someone else. Diablo3 her name is. i've been seeing her for awhile now, behind your back. its been weighing heavily on me, but with me and her having a special date this weekend, i decided i need to make a decision to call it quits with you.

please forgive me. but i know those words would not heal your wounds. so if it makes you feel any better, i am more than happy to continue our relationship at a much slower pace, till it fades out by the 15th of May.

to follow on from my previous post [ http://goo.gl/silMp ] ..

this is my Transformers Masterpiece MP-2 Ultra Magnus figure. yes, some will say its a white Optimus Prime, but i'd like to think this would be how Ultra Magnus would have looked liked if that idiot Hot Rod had not "stolen" the Matrix from him.

i've hated Hot Rod (Rodimus Prime) since young, and after again watching the 1986 Transformers Animated Movie earlier today, i still hate that idiot.

Ultra Magnus would have made a better Prime, the original series would have lasted forever, and Michael Bay would have made a truer version of a Transformers movie .......

more info on the MP-2 [ http://goo.gl/xyyc0 ]

i decided on takeaway Roti Prata for breakfast this morning. but goodness i never realised how much the prices have risen.

normally when i'm on holidays in Singapore, my cash flows out like i'm playing Monopoly. but for this trip, i had to be more calculative.

so fracking hell was i surprised that a kosong prata was a dollar each, and its like the standard price in Singapore these days, compared to the 40 cents that i can remember!

but oh well. at least the prata still tastes as good, especially with the fish curry.

oh. i almost forgot my obligatory flight photos post. here's one that was taken about 15 mins after takeoff from Perth International Airport on Wednesday arvo.

brother and sisters, stick together

this is a quick snap using a mobile camera. its of my nephew and nieces, walking home, holding hands, after yet another long day in humid Singapore. a simple photo that won't be winning awards anytime soon, but it spoke a thousand words to me.

i love my nephew and nieces. and i miss them so much.

cool hand me downs ..

when my nephew was born, i used to regularly find the best and coolest kids clothes i can find, for him. and kids being kids, they out grow them clothes pretty quickly.

yet i still buy them whenever i come across any cool stuff, knowing that my mama has a very strong tradition of hand me downs, hence my nieces, and hopefully, my youngest brother's kids in the near future, can still have them.

but i never realise how uhm .. "extreme" this family tradtion is, till i was scaning my old photos [ http://goo.gl/714qx ] and came across this photo of me, taken in 1979, with a t-shirt my youngest niece is still wearing on a regular basis!

well done for having the balls and passion to stand up for what you felt was wrong/right.

the world needs students like this. rock on .. dude.

I'm sitting at my usual bus stop. same time. as always. but Google Now just gave me a card detailing the time and route to go home, instead of to work.

maybe Google know better and I should follow its instructions ...

happy Monday y'all

chomp chomp.

chapati. meet kemah. and make love in my mouth. nescafe will be here soon to complete this simple after breakfast before lunch threesome.

Madini Food Stall
this really is the best chapati in town. i'm always here everytime i'm in Singapore. but if you've not tried it yet, head on down quick cos word is, buildings in this area are to be torn down soon, to make way for new establishments. so this stall and the food centre may no longer be here after.

this is simply a courtesy posting to say that i'm still alive and kicking ... and busy with work.

that is all.

+G+ LeapYear 2012 - Day in the life of G+

good morning Perth! what better way to start your day by enjoying the cool morning breeze, coffee and some tim tams.

hope everyone have a good day ahead!

#G+LeapYearDayProject

RESHARE:
ok. as touched as i am with this HUGE influx of random people circling me ( before public i had an average of 3 per week. now its average 5 per day ) maybe cos they find some of my public posts interesting, please note that i will not circle you back immediately. in fact, i will not circle you randoms back at all if you are not even sharing a single post with me (unless we've interacted before)

and to help you understand who what when where how i circle back, here is a simple algorithm i came up with. feel free to share it out and use it yourselves.

note
i really don't mind the random circling, considering i'm not some well known guy or celebrity. but my contacts are simply getting to big to be easily managed. so i hope you understand if i don't circle back, especially when there's not a single post shared out with me. besides, even if i don't circle you back, you will still have easy access to my public posts on your stream.

if( addMe() == random ) {
-- if( sharePost() ) {
---- readPost();
---- if( is( interesting ) ) {
------ add();
---- }
---- else {
------ pfft();
---- }
-- }
-- elseif( !sharePost() ){
---- checkProfile();
---- if( is( realLifeFriend ) ) {
------ if( i.like ) {
-------- add();
------ }
------ else {
-------- pfft();
------ }
---- }
---- elseif( is( family ) ) {
------ slapForehead();
------ scanOldPostJustInCase();
------ add( circle(Family) );
------ doubleConfirm( circle(Family) );
---- }
---- else ( is( G+erWithPriorInteraction ) ) {
------ random( currentMood( add() ));
---- }
-- }
-- else {
---- if( isARealLifeHotChick ) {
------ echo " wtf are you waiting for? ";
------ add( circle(yeahRightIWish) );
---- }
---- else {
------ random( currentMood( add() ));
---- }
-- }
}

Reshared text:
erm. i'm not an actor. i'm not a star ( urgh remember the song? ). i'm no celebrity. i'm not famous. i'm poor and i don't drive. and obviously .. i'm not like the best looking mangkuk on g+.

so what gives? why all the sudden random adds of me?

me now old man. i've lost track of the countless +ing i've done on other random plusies, whose pluses were simply too good for me not to click on the +ing button. and its from there that we "continue the relationship" by circling each other.

i am kinda touched if randoms circle me because of something i plused or posted. but it would really help if you could also +1 the post or comment so at least i know you existed before circling me.

but if not, i may still circle back if you look interesting enough, although for now, if you wanna be included in my .. uhm .. g+ social circle .. make sure you at least have some interesting plus shared out with me

update
lol. ok. if you circled me because we personally knew each other in the past, please private+ me a message to remind me. like i said. i now old man. poor memory ...

I'm missing instant noodles so much that I suddenly find myself debating with my brains if I should go grab a box of Indo Mie later on the way home from work ...

chicken porridge at KFC.

it may sound and look 'cheapo', but frack i say its really bloody awesome. coupled with a cappuccino (which is unfortunately not that good) as a set, its a simple hearty breakfast to last you till at least 10am.

woohoo it's raining !
oh wait. its not ...

update
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/13800643/burst-water-main-causing-havoc-in-cbd/

HTC One X !! but .. <sadface>not for me</sadface>. its for +Stanley Nugroho

i was really tempted to get it too, after having a play with it. but somehow managed to hold myself back, to give myself the opportunity to compare with the new galaxy first before deciding on my next droid.

enjoy the phone mate!

new (temporary) open display set up.

woke up early this morning to put the final touches to my completed Interlink Spawn. and since i still had time after, i decided i may as well rearrange my display. its not perfect yet (the set up) and i still need to properly dust off the old toys.

but at least it looks pretty presentable at the moment.

see last night's post at https://plus.google.com/112147446066393414735/posts/UGSPiJidwZe for more details.

back in perth. it was a full plane. 5 different flights squeezed into one tiny Qantas plane. so i could not stretch my legs. but at least the girl sitting next to me was cool enough for a good decent chat.

i'm still feeling soo tired after 2 naps and a lunch meeting. and i got shitloads of work to do, with one major deadline tomorrow.

welcome back to perth, me. welcome back to reality. and don't ask me why i'm having this song on repeat at the moment ...

Rizwitherspoon shuffle ...

so. I just read about this Amy Cheong over on that other network.

what a fucking shame such people still exists in this day and age.

(update-1) http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/ntuc-assistant-director-apologises-racist-comment-20121008

(update-2) apparently, she's been fired.
http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC121008-0000057/NTUC-staff-fired-for-insensitive-comments-made-on-Facebook

(update-3) police report lodged.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1230117/1/.html

hosting a wedding reception from 11am to 8pm on a Saturday is no joke. my legs are still hurting, feet are sore, tummy still burning, and throat still dry.

i fell asleep at about 2am the previous night, but woke up at 5am yesterday morning to sort out more stuff. the whole morning was just rush here, rush there. and patching up last minute issues, left right center.

but it all turned out pretty well in the end. my brother looked happy. our relatives were all enjoying themselves. and more importantly, the guests sounded like they were very happy with the whole affair.

i've still not even looked through my own photos and videos yet. but here's one of us3bros snapped by my uncle.

RESHARE:
perth summer 2013
walking to work and back
nothing has changed

Reshared text:
during summers in perth, i am a ninja.

i hunt down the shady spots to walk in.
no matter how small or little the shade is.

silent. deadly.
slim and sexy.

i am a perth summer ninja.

i just discovered Ellie Goulding.

got stuck with some animation (jQuery) last night, googled, and somehow found my way to her. got her Lights album, and its a surprisingly good listen. i wonder though if she has an album of her live or acoustic performances.

oh and my work? not a problem. good music while coding always help to quell all issues.

dinner preparation for tonight .. sambal fish (if you can call it that)

all prepared by mama, I just err .. supervised. not sure of the ingredients but I believe it involved some pounded chillis, blended onions et al, some kind of cube stock, grated coconut, and plenty of love.

now, its just letting it sit till dinner time, and then we need to decide to fry it, or chuck it in to the oven.

during summers in perth, i am a ninja.

i hunt down the shady spots to walk in.
no matter how small or little the shade is.

silent. deadly.
slim and sexy.

i am a perth summer ninja.

I'm sitting at my usual bus stop, panting and sweating.

it looks like its that time of year again where my daily walk to the city, to get to work, becomes a 2 in 1 keep fit session.

a power walk session + kungfu slap practice

oh. but of course. I have to thank my kungfu sparring partner .. The Fly

I admit that it may creep some people out. but it really is important that I walk behind them when I'm running late for the bus.

because it allows me to get into their slipstream, slingshot past, and increase my chances of catching my bus ...

i do get sick of the (almost) same traditional Malay food being served at most relatives' houses we visit.

but sometimes you do get served with such "specials".

look +Heather Bailey and +Kristina Sestan . i'm thinking of you both with every bite. oh yummy ...

earlier today, during a work break, i posted a limited entry ( http://goo.gl/2zPPF ) when i saw the supernatural mobile parked in the parking lot. i was really wondering why the Winchester brothers would be here.

but then i got home, analysed my photos, and realised why. they must have been trying to go after the #HawkJump, whose been popping up across the globe at the same time ...

in the office now and I'm panting.

left home a few minutes later than usual. but with plans to stick to my usual bus schedule, I had to walked at a much quicker pace.

everything was going fine until I saw my bus from afar and had to run for it. bloody hell, of all the days for the 102 to choose to arrive earlier than scheduled.

so now, these old man legs are a little sore, and I'm still panting. but I did learn one thing from this.

I run for the bus like a pansy ..

deep fry chicken briyani takeaway lunch.

not sure if you can tell from the photo, but the amount of rice they gave me is more than any quantity i've ever had, both here and in Perth!

and the oiliness, oh-em-gee. it even went through the packaging. i most definitely need my gym membership after this holiday.

but its all yum nonetheless. and had no worries finishing it.

"they're just a bunch of pansies"
"all hail the new york giants"

chuckles. Madagascar. never fails to make me laugh, no matter how much i've watched it.

anyways. its been a lazy saturday, and even managed to stay away from the computer as much as i possibly can. not sure to go to bed or finish up my old skool Transformers series.

but whatever it is, good night world ...

RESHARE:
we're running a special for christmas.

Reshared text:
Green Canteen 2012 Christmas Special.
Visit us at http://goo.gl/NniAi to make your purchase.

ba weat grana weep mini bon

its amazing how to this very day, me and my brothers still use our favourite cartoon quotes, in our everyday lives.

for example, just last week, my younger bro had a very important job interview, with plenty others vying for the same position. and all i could say to him was ..

don't worry. all you need is a little Energon, and a lot of luck

and during the recent Eid (Hari Raya) in Singapore, when i had to carry something really heavy, both my brothers went ..

we'll help you. lifter beam .. on

so. i think from now. i'll spread this "love" for old cartoon quotes, and greet everyone on g+ with this universal greeting ...

satay.
the only way I know how ..

many many.

its a quick stop over on the way home from a day trip to Kuala Selangor, which was a pretty rural location.

despite the heat, i would have loved to explore more of the area. but the bus back to Singapore is tonight.

this place will definitely be in my sights, next holiday.

this is my grand aunt. she is 74 years old, and have been driving since 1958.

but she still weaves through the KL traffic at high speeds with such ease that she'd easily school most of the bogans I see on Perth streets.

oh, and she's an immediate niece of Yusuf Ishak. yeah, my family's minor claim to "fame" ..

growing up a Teban Gardens kid, i never fail to visit the Ayer Rajah Food Centre every time i'm holidaying in singapore, at least twice.

this was dinner earlier at my favourite stall #49 ... beefsteak goreng, mutton soup with bread, mutton chop.

I really love my Galaxy S3, especially the gorgeous screen. apparently, so do my little nephew and nieces ...

with their chocolate, sweets, and whatever else sticky stained fingers.

oh my poor screen.

my type of girl?

uhm, at this age .. not exactly opposites, but not exactly alike either. i suppose as long as we get along fine, she's my type.

although, if you're someone like

Lily Serna [ http://goo.gl/uCZNY ]
Karen Tso [ http://goo.gl/KtLc3 ]
Yalda Hakim [ http://goo.gl/jywLW ]

or you are them, then i'll come running to you instead ... <grins>

last night, we had our first perth circle meet-up at the Aviary. it was good to put faces to some names, and meeting others in person. but we kept it a small group, since the original idea was to welcome a fellow circle member - who would be making the move from Scotland to Perth in a few months time - and did not want to overwhelm them.

and based on the success of last night, plans are already in motion to have a bigger (and better organised) g+ perth circle meet-up soon. i'm definitely looking forward to it.

ps. we managed a shuffle post - http://goo.gl/oPjmq - coincidentally a few metres from the bus stop where it all began!

the Galaxy S4 event. so many S Functionalities. some cool. some meh. but very disappointed there's still no S Hole funtionality, where i can string my old Hello Kitty lanyard to the phone so i can hang the phone around my neck.

i miss those days ..

its Ipoh's Corner now.

my second visit here. but their Claypot Briyani still not available. most likely from this Friday though.

oh well. this will do for tonight.

pussies don't hail cabs.
pussies ride em on top ..

being primarily a CSS guy, color colour coordination in real life is important to me.


and I need new cool shoes too ...

good morning Perth. hope everyone is having a good day so far at work. i'll be thinking of ya'll while i spend today at the zoo. and ... oh wait, be right back. looks like someone is eyeing my coke ...

me and +Haroon Malik couldn't finish the samsun and kusbasi pide ...

this is my new backpack. its not just any backpack, but the most expensive bag i've ever bought. seriously.

its been ages since i go around carrying a backpack, until only recently, when i felt more comfortable carrying a backpack over a messenger bag, with my Zenbook in tow.

so i figured i needed a new one since its been such a long time since i bought any kind of bag, i settled on this one, despite it having a price tag way beyond my limit (for a bag).

but its a really cool bag. so i'm happy .. i think.

here's more info (and better photos) of the bag - http://rushfaster.com.au/product/booq/mamba-shift-15-laptop-backpack-black/6859/

ps. this was actually my original target, but its just waaay to expensive - http://rushfaster.com.au/product/booq/boa-flow-m-dslr-15-laptop-backpack-black/4068/

here are some test shots from my S3. i will add more photos if and when i take more shots.

note:
- shots taken with 3.2mp at 2048x1536 so that it gets uploaded here as is
- front facing camera uses the full 1.9mp
- only 2 video settings. so full resolution version is compressed
- mostly auto settings used cos i'm a camera noob

today's 33.8°C home time shuffle. brought to you by the equally hot samsung galaxy s2, powered by android

the eldest brother, video taping the younger brother, silat greeting the youngest brother, for the wedding entrance to the bride's abode ..

.. accompanied by the malay cultural kompang group banging away and making a racket that should be worthy of an amy cheong rant.

don't you wanna dance. say you wanna dance. don't you wanna dance

good morning perth!

yup, for some strange reason i'm extra bubbly this monday morning. i feel the need to dance. i hope y'all feeling as good as me. have a great week ahead!

you know its just one of those days when your chocolate doesn't melt in your mouth. nor in your hands.

no.

it melted way before you could enjoy it, while being stored in your bag ...

Claypot Briyani

the signature dish of Ipoh's Corner has finally been officially launched. i trialed their "beta" version the other night, and if that was anything to go by, this is an amazing dish!

but don't take my word for it. you should go try it yourselves!

photo taken from their FB page

in the whole Star Wars timeline, does anyone know if Jar Jar Binks was still alive during the original movies? I mean, if he was, wouldn't it be awesome to bring him back in the expected next Star Wars movie ...

so that we can have him killed in the first five minutes? I would clap and rejoice if it happens.

i feel the need to re-organise my display sets (and wipe the dust off them). so thought i'd snap some photos first, to remind me of their positions.

and i still need to sort out shelves for the ones in the storeroom (the unopened ones), but still have not found the time to do so.

plus, with my favourite set, the 6 piece Interlink Spawn collection. to open and fix them up or to leave them as is, that is the question ...

because i can no longer tolerate the latest g+ android app, which has absolutely soured my g+ mobile experience these past few weeks ...

ps. Incoming Stream actually still works!

Megan Fox as April O'Neil in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (movie) reboot? - http://screenrant.com/ninja-turtles-reboot-megan-fox-april-o-neil/

pfft. seriously? what a joke. i mean, we all know who the better choice would have been ...

April O'Neil .. as April O'Neil.

(update) in case there are those confused by the photo .. no, its not Megan Fox. its April O'Neil, dressed as April O'Neil at the San Diego Comic Con '11.

Nikki Griffin and April O'Neil interview by G4 at SDCC 2011 Comic Con in HD

this is my first saturday back in perth.

after three weeks on holiday, staying with mum and having glorious morning food like egg prathas, chapatis, home made kacang pool, etc ..

my breakfast looks so .. bland and lame.

when a +Google+ post has a location attached, it appears in the Nearby stream. and when that post gets reshared, the location of the original post is locked to it, hence the reshared post will also appear in the Nearby stream, no matter which part of the world you reshared the post from.

which is cool.

but not when the post gets reshared multiple times. cos 99 posts in the Nearby stream and a non reshare ain't one .......

I'm still waiting for the day where the bus driver wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, and just drives past the main UWA bus stop because all the UWA students think it's uncool to ring the bell to alight ...

i love my stock Android, especially 4.0+. but i do agree, some features definitely needs to be included in the stock versions, if Android is ever going to sway more of the iMasses over to its side.

i agree with the five listed here, but i also wish for the ability to change individual icons (subset of theming i suppose) ...

i have at least 7 different hats, and i take every single one of them off to salute all the teachers of special kids.

i personally know how difficult it is to not just look after normal kids, but teach them the basic things like how to talk and walk. so you can imagine the special care and extra patience needed for special kids like my niece.

so again. my major respect to all you teachers of these special kids, not just at the place my Supergirl Princess attends, but all around the world.

HTC One day 2, lunchtime.

for those that may be wondering, I can confirm that the standard USB OTG works with the H1. the only issue I have is the mount and unmount notification, which seems to be missing.

smartphone polygamy ..

my new HTC One boldly smiling for my current GS3.

(edit) does anyone know, or can confirm, if the billing will only begin for the new contract when i activate the SIM card? note - its a plan from the old 3 to Vodafone.

update: regarding point one, new android app version 2.1.1 is out. it does seem to have fixed most of the issues i wrote about. but inconsistencies still linger with the auto refresh of views - refresh of notifications is still a 2 step process

those who've been following me will know i've been in bed since yesterday. and not being able to do much, its inevitable i'm on g+ most of my waking hour, with my android mobile. and i've noticed 2 things i just need to get off my chest - which i understand some may not agree with - and crawl to my desktop to write this up.

one
-----
i really dig the new UI of the app. in fact, i've loved the g+ app since day 1, and my first visible post (http://goo.gl/QkbRI) here was about it. but i really am hating the UX of this latest version.

i won't delve into the technical details

having to constantly do a refresh and still not see latest updates, especially in comments, is annoying. i still see old posts of plusies i've circled back, appearing in my incoming stream. and at times, my streams don't even load older posts.

and then, there's the +1 of posts in the stream view (not post view). i hate how after performing a +1, it seems to "refresh" the view, and many a times, it scrolls back up, as oppose to previous versions, where you stayed where you were.

but the worse is the notifications. having a "2 step" process to refresh is annoying - click to open then click to refresh. but i personally feel if g+ insists on this process, then having it on top is definately wrong. its not consistent at all with the whole "android experience".

true us android users should be used to having that pull down notification bar. but isn't the pull down an action only perfomed when you receive notifications? (this is not taken into account any apps you may have that can be activated through the notifications)

note that g+ notifications != notifications in android notification bar

i personally find the g+ mobile app notifications "view" to be the most important feature. but since g+ has decided it to be a 2 step process to refresh the latest notifications, then i feel it should go back to being below the screen. afterall, the bottom of the android interface is where all the "important" actions are. i mean heck, its where the dock is by default.

two
-----
i still see many users going "g+ sucks cos none of my friends are onboard yet". to these people, i think its about time you open your mind and learn to embrace something new that's not called facebook (or twitter).

if you want your friends, stick to fb. email them. or in fact, use your mobile to ring them up to chat or have a real conversation. cos i'm pretty sure that's what a mobile phone can still do.

g+ is all about meeting new people, forming your own community, sharing and exchanging information, hangout with +Carmelyne Thompson or simply enjoy the many good photos shared out by people like +Trey Ratcliff

hell, you can even start learning to write proper words and form meaningful sentences again, since you are not bound by a character limit like twitter.

so if you're ready to explore a whole new experience, forget what its like on those other social networks, especially facebook. more importantly, you do not need your friends to enjoy g+.

look for interesting people to circle in and spice your stream. don't know who to add? check out the many circles shared by the likes of +Christina Trapolino

my head is starting to spin

back to bed. i honestly rarely fall sick. but when i do, it takes quite awhile to recover. so goodnight all ...

note to self - book a seat on the right of the plane for all future day flights between PER to SIN.

cos unfortunately, no good photos this time round from the flight. but, for the sake of my own obligatory flight photos tradition, this was the best I could muster this flight ..