HP mini 210 Vivienne Tam Edition

My friend want to get a notebook, asking for my opinion. I take this chance to look at the notebook available now, especially the HP mini series.

I heard from the Internet, some people give good comment to HP mini 311, but seems like 311 is no more available in Malaysia here, the distributor only selling HP mini 210.

HP mini 210 Vivienne Tam edition.

There is a special HP mini 210 Vivienne Tam edition catch my eyes. HP did came out with a Vivienne Tam edition after they release the HP mini 1000 series, it is a bright red color netbook. I suppose this 210 VT edition is the second netbook that Vivienne Tam design (just the front cover pattern) for HP.

Vivienne Tam is a famous Chinese fashion designer at New York. She has her own brand, Vivienne Tam.

The 210 VT edition is just RM200 higher than the normal edition. HP mini 210 selling at RM1399 and 210 VT edition selling at RM1599. The VT edition came with 2Gb memory (expandable to 4G according to the HP sales person, I have not confirmed that), 320Gb hard disk (normal edition is 250Gb). Just for RM200 you get a better spec and Vivienne Tam design.

I heard that HP want to become like Apple, more sexy. I am not into fashion, but this Vivienne Tam netbook looks cool. Too bad is still Windows when you switch it on, not so cool now.

Apple iPhone 4 Friday Press Conference

Yes, is about iPhone antennagate. Apple has a press conference about the iPhone 4 antenna issue. Seems like the complains on the Internet has put a lot of pressure on Apple and Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs spend some time to explain, the iPhone 4 antenna is not a specific or unique smartphone issue, it only affected a very small number of users, BUT Apple cares about everyone of their customers, so they look into the problems and provide some solutions.

I am more interested on what Apple offer for the iPhone 4 antenna issue:

Apple gives free bumper for iPhone 4.

1. iOS 4.0.1. New OS patched, fix the signal bar display algorithm. Current signal bar display method may not shown the actual signal strength.

2. Free bumper case. A free bumper case to be given out to every iPhone 4 customer (wow!). Refund for those who already bought a bumper.

3. Refund. If customers are still not happy with it, they can ask for refund.

This is a good PR, Apple has shown their great concern on their users and customers.

Taiwan should learn from Malaysia on WiMax experience

Taiwan TCA (Taiwan Computer Association) made a press release in response to Intel closing down their WiMAX development department, and may focus on LTE.

Intel CEO Paul Otellini will visit Taiwan in October to reiterate Intel commitment to WiMAX technology. TCA Chairman J.T. Wang's statement urge Intel continue support WiMAX because wireless technology is potential and WiMAX is 3 years ahead of LTE.

Intel will not given up any opportunities when the direction of the wireless technology is not clear yet. I believe that Intel already know where they are heading to. Intel will denied drop WiMax support, they still can support WiMax by paying more attention on "lips service".

Taiwan should learn the WiMax experience from Malaysia. You may be very surprise that Malaysia has a good start in WiMax technology and few years ahead of other countries including Taiwan.

Be it a successful or fail case in Malaysia's WiMAX, it will be a very good experience.

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The following is a re-write (not translation) of the same content of this blog in Chinese characters.

針對英特爾拆分 WiMax 部門，外界解讀為英特爾淡出 WiMax ，加碼 LTE 。台灣電腦公會理事長王振堂發出新聞稿，正式向英特爾抗議。主要內容為目前 WiMax 領先 LTE 數年，希望英特爾投入資源助台灣發展 WiMax 。而英特爾執長會于八月來台時，會對業界說明英特爾對無線上網科技的動向。（新聞 新聞 中時電子報）

英特爾不必對外宣稱放棄 WiMax 。科技發展一日千里，在 LTE 尚未成熟前，市場還有許多的變數。不過英特爾拆解散 WinMax 部門，經已說明英特爾看淡 WiMax 發展。

台灣在近這一年來才大力發展 WiMax 科技，我認為此路難行。馬來西亞早在數年前投入 WiMax ，筆者在一年半前就使用 P1 提供的 WiMax 服務。台灣當局應該來馬來西亞取經，學習那來西亞的 WiMax 經驗。

Apple call press conference on Friday

Apple going to have a press conference this Friday, most likely will be related to the iPhone 4 antenna and signal issue.

Some people suggested that Apple should recall iPhone 4, some said shouldn't. I think they should have an option for disappointed customers, with terms and conditions. I think most people will not return their iPhone 4, even given the choice.

iPhone 4 has sold out 1.7 millions in first 3 days. I don't care about the exact figures and how it was calculated. The message here is Apple sold out a lot of its new iPhone 4.

I agree the idea that iPhone is more for fun. The person who saying it actually means, iPhone is more for surfing Internet, playing games, to show off, or any other purposes. I doesn't mean iPhone can not be used for business.

For customer facing iPhone 4 antenna issues, Apple should gave the customer a solution, or return it back and get other phones. For me all other phones have issues here and there.

I don't own any iPhone and I have no plan to get an iPhone 4 yet. If I have an iPhone, I will not regret of owning it. Just my personal opinion.

iPhone is everywhere in Singapore

iPhone is everywhere in Singapore. Even in Malaysia, more and more people is getting an iPhone, "Everyone is getting an iPhone, so do I".

iPhone is not perfect, but no doubt iPhone is very good smart phone. iPhone is not expensive when you compare it with other high end smart phone.

With new iPhone 4 introduced by Steven Jobs. Mobile network operators should expect to sell more iPhone. Since iPhone 4 is not yet available in Singapore and Malaysia, the telcos further lower down the price for iPhone 3G and 3GS to warm up for iPhone 4.

First is Digi, slash price for iPhone package. Follow by Maxis, lower down prices for iPhone 3GS. If you are a heavy user, willing to signup a 24 months contract, you will get very good deal.

The promotion is till end of July because we expect iPhone 4 will be available in August.

RM90 for iPhone 3GS looks like a good promotion.

iValue Plans	iValue 1 RM100/mth		iValue 2 RM155/mth		iValue 3 RM250/mth
Contract period	24 months	12 months	24 months	12 months	24 months
iPhone 3GS 32GB (RRP RM2990)	RM1990 RM1790	RM2090	RM1690 RM1290	RM2190	RM1090 RM490
iPhone 3GS 16GB (RRP RM2490)	RM1590 RM1390	RM1790	RM1290 RM890	RM1790	RM690 RM90
iPhone 3G 8GB (RRP RM1990)	RM990	RM1390	RM590	RM1390	RM490

I predicted that iPhone 4 will be selling around SGD 1,000 (one thousand Singapore dollar) without contract in Singapore. For Malaysia is about RM 1,700 to RM 2,500 (Malaysia dollar) with contract.

Will you pay for iPhone 3GS now? Or wait for few months, top up another few hundreds to get an iPhone 4? An iPhone 4 which came with a brand new design, better hardware and software, like camera with better photo quality, FaceTime video call, high resolution retina display, and the new Apple A4 CPU which should be supported for another few years time.

Is really a tough decision for the telcos who selling iPhones now. When to start selling iPhone 4? Pricing for iPhone 4?

SUN, Openstep and Display Postscript

Do you like the Mac OS X desktop graphic user interface? I like it. It was based on Display Postscript technology which has been developed for years since the day in NeXT computer.

Sun cooperate with NeXT during the 1990s on a slim down version of NeXTSTEP operating system, which later name as Openstep. The Openstep take out the OS kernel and focus on Objective-C runtime library (also know as NS framework, where NS stands for NeXTStep or Next/Sun), compiler and Display Postscript. Unfortunately Sun later lost its interest in Openstep and move to another object oriented technology--Java, which developed by Sun.

Personally I prefer Java as the object oriented programming language. As a newly design programming language, it was well defined and clean, easy to use and easy to understand. The advantages of using object oriented design is, the code and object can be re-used easily.

Java was compiled into bytecode, which is portable to different CPU architecture (write once run everywhere). Bytecode normally runs slower than native code (program compiled by traditional programming language like C, Objective-C...), is worth to sacrifice performance in return of portability. It is very important in today’s software platform strategy because we already have different CPU architecture like PowerPC, Intel, ARM, SPARC etc.

In my opinion, there are two important things about Openstep:

1. Display Postscript. With new display and printing technology like scalable font (eg. True-type font, can enlarge without sacrifices quality), bitmap-base window system looks a bit outdated. With Display Postscript, easier for application to display content on display devices or application windows with different size.

2. Portable framework to different CPU architecture, that mean endian-free. Mac OS (and iPhone OS, now iOS 4) has been ported to PowerPC (from Motorola), Intel, ARM and Apple A4 cpu. I believe Sun has contributed their part while working together with NeXT to port Openstep to Solaris (Sun operating system).

No double Java is a very good object oriented technology, the language itself is well defined and Java program can run on different CPU architectures and operating system, but the Java GUI is not well accepted and deployed.

There is a Java Desktop System (JDS) released by Sun, but don’t be cheated by the name itself. The JDS is base on Gnome desktop, Gnome is an open source desktop environment written in C and not Java. Java is included as part of the system in JDS but not the major part as the desktop display.

Sun has developed similar technology like Display Postscript in mid 80s, even before it works together with NeXT. The implementation is call NeWS (Network extensible Window System), but it was not well accepted by the market.

Apple has made a lot of enhancement on Display Postscript and make it into today’s Mac OS X desktop. Since Apple can integrate X11, Display Postscript, NeXTSTEP (Openstemp) runtime and Java together into Mac OS X, Sun should be able to integrate Solaris, Java, X11 and Display Postscript technology together. Unfortunately an advance windows system never exist in Sun Solaris operating system until today.

Promote yourself during World Cup time

There are many ways to promote yourself at anywhere, anytime.

FIFA World Cup 2010 is another good chance to promote yourself (and your website), like Larissa Riquelme, a football fan from Paraguay. Her signature is placing a mobile phone inside her breast.

Paraguay football fan, Larissa Riquelme.
Originally uploaded by Digi_shot

Originally uploaded by bollymeranaam

Larissa and her photos at the World Cup match was reported by International media, sometime she was referred as the 'World Cup Girl". I can't do that simply because I am not at South Africa right now (smile!).

Larissa's blog.

Digi cut iPhone package price

Digi has just lower down their iPhone package price, as low as RM60 per month. Digi claimed they are the most affordable iPhone package, you can check the information here.

New Digi iPhone package, as low as 60 per month.

If you compare Digi iPhone 138 (which cost RM90 now) with Maxis iPhone iValue 1 (RM100), Digi plan looks much cheaper and more attractive. Maxis iPhone iValue came with 333 minutes free call, 100 SMS (Maxis to Maxis), 500Mb data. Digi iPhone 138 offer 450 minutes, 400 sms and 3G data.

If you are not heavy user, you can choose Digi iPhone 88 for RM60 only. Digi has unlimited access to Internet, just drop to a lower bandwidth when data access quota reached, so you will never exceed your budget. Maxis has a choice of 12 or 24 months. Digi only came with 24 months plan, which I think is too long, because there is an new iPhone release every year. I believe Maxis will adjust their iPhone package sooner or later.

If you ask me which package for me now? May be I will choose Digi iPhone 138, it cost 90 per month, and choose the iPhone 3G 8G for RM290. Since iPhone 4 is not available locally now, I just trade some functionality for pice, I just need to surf Internet and install a few applications. I will install the latest iOS 4, it might be slower a bit, but hp it will last for a year or two.

There are different package for different need. There must be a package which suits you, be it Digi or Maxis. Two years contract is really a bit too long for me.

iPhone World Cup App 2010

Unbelievable, Brazil 1:2 lost to Netherlands in today quater-finals match, FIFA World Cup at South Africa.

In year 2006 FIFA World Cup, I have blog how to get match result from here and here. Some website may not even exist after 4 years time.

If you are lazy, you can just search the result from google search:

Google FIFA World Cup 2010 result.

Steve Jobs told you, users don't search for information, users use iPhone application to get information. Maxis has an FIFA World Cup 2010 application available for download for free.

Maxis World Cup 2010 iPhone app.

The information may not updated in real-time, and they should pay more attention on design the user interface on a limited display. It is a free iPhone app that worth to take a look at it.

You don't have to listen what Steve Jobs told you. You just have more choices now, web or application.

iPhone 4 came with iOS 4 and iBooks

You may not find a lot of books available on Apple iBooks store, but there are some free books available, like Winnie the Pooh and Wuthering Heights.

iBooks - Wuthering Heights.

The iBooks application already available at App store, but it doesn't work with iPhone OS 3.x or earlier. There might be someone who told you that you have to get an iPhone 4 to have iBooks, but it is not true. You can upgrade the OS to iOS 4 if you are using iPhone 3G or 3GS, I already tried that, is easy.

For sure if you get an iPhone 4, it already came with iOS 4, and you can just download iBooks. It just sounds much easier for some people.

So, enjoy your iBooks on iOS 4.