O2 Xda mini

Is my last day working before Chinese New Year, call some friends who never read email. Amy don't know who I am, can't recognize my voice, and no such number recorded on her phone. She is having some problem with her Xda (mini) phone, always need to reset (as usual), and send for repair many times, so lost all numbers.

The Xda look like a well design phone, but with some flaw. It take more than 30 minutes to load few hundreds (thousands?) into the list box, but since it can't display all item on a small display screen, why does it take such a long time?

Color BlackBerry

Dinner at Andrew and Tiffany's place. Andrew show me his new gadget, a color BlackBerry.

Yes, many executive and director like to use BlackBerry to read their email, anywhere and anytime, even in the toilet. BlackBerry is a user friendly device, especially its roller button at (right) side, easily operate by single palm.

Just read from website today, NTP Inc. sue RIM (Research In Motion Ltd.) for a major patent infringement, may cause RIM close down its US business.

Invalid time zone

I went home with LRT today, why? I left my car key in the office.

I am browsing Kennysia.com in the office before I left. Kenny Sia is so funny, I only take a better look at his blog today, seem like he is a popular blogger.

Albert came back to the office five minutes after he left, because he left his car key in the office. He ring the telephone in the office, because he couldn't came in, seems like the electronic lock is having some problem. He says, "Luckily you are still here." I am the only one who still in the office.

I stay until almost 8pm, and suddenly feel like leaving and go for a dinner. I make sure I shutdown my PC, off the lights, before I leave, unfortunately I forgotten to bring my car key too, only found out after I lock the door.

I tried a few times, the device is showing, "Invalid time zone" and the door is still lock. Finally I decided to walk to LRT and go home with public transport today.

Disney buy Pixar

Just heard from a friend talking about Pixar, after read from a Steve Jobs book yesterday night. Today I heard the news, Disney is going to bought over Pixar for USD 7 billion, this will make Steve Jobs be the single largest shareholder in Diney. The deal is waiting for approval.

This will help Apple computer moving to digital media business.

Link:-
Jobs to scoop $3.5bn as Pixar board approves Disney takeover, telegraph.co.uk
Disney, Pixar rumors abound in Hollywood, macnn

Jack Ma

狂人馬雲

Jack Ma 就是馬雲。若你不認識馬雲，現在應該好好地認識他了。馬雲是中國阿里巴巴網站的創辦人兼執行長（執行官），據說阿里巴巴是全球最大的 B2B 網站。大部份的網站都是 B2C 或是 C2C 網站，就連美國也沒有把握把 B2B 網站做好。

在許多人的眼中，個子廋小的馬雲是狂人，一如美國矽谷的埃利森 (Larry Ellison) 。早期馬雲從事互聯網行業的時候，許多人還當他是騙子。的確， 馬雲的樣子有點像壞人，更重要的是當馬雲成立了黃業網站，那個時候的中國還沒有互聯網，根本無法將網站推銷出去，別人只把馬雲當騙子。



一九九九年，馬雲帶著一筆創業基金到北京創辦商務網站，結果鍛羽而歸，幾乎傾家蕩產。最後還是回到杭州基地，湊足人民幣五十萬元創立阿里巴巴網站。阿里巴巴網站成立了六年，前幾年沒有盈餘到現在每天營利一百萬，未來還要做到每天繳稅一百萬的目標。現在阿里巴巴佔中國 B2B 網站九成份額。馬雲說，「我就是拿望遠鏡也找不到對手！」。

阿里巴巴在二零零五年最大的一筆交易是與中國雅虎的合併。雅虎將中國的所有業務，包括門戶網站與搜尋技術併入阿里巴巴，另外雅虎再注資十億美元，而取得阿里巴巴四成股份。外國媒體把此舉報導成中國雅虎併購阿里巴巴，而馬雲則很堅持地說是阿里巴巴收購雅虎中國。

雅虎進入中國七年，對中國市場不熟悉，發展不大，所以最後才會選擇與阿里巴巴合併。馬雲則說，雅虎在中國犯了七年的錯。由於阿里巴巴不像搜狐或百度在美國那斯達克上市，以這次雅虎注資十億美元，估計阿里巴巴至少值四十億美元。

...

Life continue...

First time in history in Apprentice show that I watch (in season 4 week six), Donald Trump fire all 4 members who went in to the boardroom, because it was the worst perform ever in Apprentice. Instead of pushing up the sales, but drop by 34 percent.

"You're all fired."
"Go home... go home."

After four of them left, Trump just says, "Life continue..."

Media Player development stop on Mac

According to the announcement made by Microsoft, will no loger update or develop new version of Microsoft Media Player for Mac OS.

This decision sounds resonalble for Microsoft. Microsoft Media Player is free, and their user base on Mac OS is small (about 4 percent). Apple's software is competing (direct or in-direct) with Microsoft's product, from media player (QuickTime, Windows Media Player) to office suite (MS Office, iWork).

Microsoft and Apple computer are parners and rivals for long time. Microsoft is a major application developer for Mac OS at the beginning, and later develop Windows operating system base on graphic user interface just like Mac OS. In 1997, when Steve Jobs came to Apple computer, he start new partnership with Microsoft. Microsoft start new development of IE (Internet Explorer) browser and Microsoft Office on Mac, but when Apple develop its own Safari browser, Microsoft stop its IE development on Mac.

Steve Jobs just announce at MacWorld 2006, a new 5 years contract with Microsoft to continue develop Microsoft Office on Mac OS. Unlike the media player, Microsoft Office is not free for Mac.

Mac OS X users can user Flip4Mac (a QuickTime plugins) to play Windows Media File format through QuickTime player.

Link:-
Microsoft to Stop Developing Media Software (for Macs), yahoo.
Microsoft to Phase Out Windows Media Player for Mac, technewsworld.com

Upgrade TnGo card

I heard from radio few days back, Touch 'n Go user need to upgrade their card before 15 January 2006, this is to tighten the security of the card. Seems like Touch 'n Go didn't do a good public announcement for the upgrade, many card owners didn't know about the upgrade, and doesn't know what to do.

If you doesn't know what is a Touch 'n Go card, is just like a cash card with credit to pay for tolls, car park fees, train and bus fees.

Some people told me, the card will be automatically updated when you top up your credit, but not through ATM (like Maybank) machine. Some people told me, you need to request the counter to do the update while top up your credit. I was confused.

I tried to call the Touch N Go office for the pass two days during office hour, but there is no one pick up the calls. I go the their website, but don't find much information about it, but I found their e-statement services, which you can register for free (since October 2005) using the card serial number.

I have register an account, and waiting for the its reply, hope is not like their telephone services.

Google founders buy Boeing 767

Old news, is last year november, but I didn't notice. The Google founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page bought a Boeing 767-200. According to Larry Page, they bought the plan themselves, and not through Google company. (check here)

Google duo bought boeing 767

The two Google co-founders worth about 10 billion (each), live a normal life style like many others, live in apartments near Palo Alto and driving Toyota Prius (a hybrid car). The funny thing is, according to some website, Boeing 767 is one of the most fuel-consuming planes.

Link:-
Google founders' heady purchase, News.blog
Google founders both drive a Toyota Prius, BBC
Google duo's new jet is a Boeing 767-200, post-gazette.com
Google-Boys lashed over purchase of Boeing 767, quepasa.com

Network Computer again!?

Scott McNealy (SUN Microsystem) says 'Network is the computer', team up with Larry Ellison (Oracle Corp.) bring out the idea of Network Computer in 1995, it will be thin client base on Java technology. May be is just not the right time yet in 1995, is not much network application available and broadband is not that popular.

Is 10 years later, McNealy and Ellison joking on the network computer, during a Sun-Oracle partnership slides show. Ellison says, let Google do it, they (Larry Page and Sergey Brin) are young and foolish. It sounds more like a compliment than criticise for me. Larry Page and Sergey Brin have good experience in clustering low end computer, so they may like the idea of a simple computer device.

There is a lot of rumors around, Google is going to make their own PC (Google cube). A thin client like network computer may suit them. Google has a internet service (searching) used by many of the internet users out there, Google has other products like gmail, google talk which is not heavily base on software or hardware but the services and internet broadband.

There are news reporting Google could be eying on unused fiber-optic network. Google is interested to provide (free) WiFi services, they have proposed free WiFi services in San Francisco, later setup internet cafe style booth in London's Heathrow Airport.

May be this is still not the time yet, but it will not be a surprise, Google will provide a device like network computer.

Link:-
Sun-Oracle partnership, CNet news

Mac on Intel comes true

Steve Jobs announce Intel Core Duo Macs on Macworld Expo (San Francisco 2006, video). Is much more (6 months) earlier than apple announce for the delivery date of Intel Mac.

e-calligraphy software

My friend send me this link a few days back. I just visit the website today, Tam Kang university develop a chinese calligraphy software -- e-calligraphy, not for writing recognition, but for display art.

This software technology is usefull on PDA, because most PDAs are without keyboard input, but use hand writing, even though it doesn't help to recognize character (like x-stroke), but it will improve the display while writing on PDA device.

Unfortunately can't download the software, can not try.

How to package OS X software

Make OS X package using the package maker, is just as easy as 123, only one problem, after install I can't uninstall it using OSXPM. My current version is 1.x, there is a newer version 2.x, may be that works better.

The following shows the steps on how to create os x software package, I use startool (just replace with hello world) as an example. You can tried the OSXPM (an open source software), to create os x package.

1.
$ make stage/bin stage/share/man/man1
$ cp drawfeed stage/bin/.
$ cp drawfeed.1 stage/share/man/man1

2. run os x package manager, in
/Developer/Applications/Utilities/PackageMaker

3. Descriptions, you know how to do it.

4. Files, just put in the stage directory in Root field

5. Info
Default Location is /usr
Authorization Action is "Admin Authorization"

6. Create package, then is done.