chel's world - technology overload

Back to blogging!

2011-10-09T06:26:00.000-07:00

Hello to all bored readers if who happens to be randomnly diverted here...

Its been too long since I have posted here! I am still into gadgets mind you...

And I'm currently composing this blog from my iPad2...

Since my last post I have acquired a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7" (which unfortunately got stolen at Tomas Morato), an iPad2 and an iPhone4...

Along with it are numerous accessories which I deem uber necessary to power a gadget freak like me...

I shall blog about them, make reviews and convince you to get them!

Disassembling an iPhone

2010-08-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

**WARNING - YOU RISK BREAKING YOUR IPHONE IF YOU TRY TO OPEN IT!**

(lol i broke my lcd screen! hahaha fortunately the lcd is long due for replacement anyway)

So you might ask.. WHY in the world would I want to open my iPhone?!?! Well, I was bored.. I got bored of opening and putting back together my PSPs.. then someone said why don't I open an iPhone!

As they say, idle hand's are the devil's tools... hahahaha turns out.. as easy as those videos or tutorials to open an iPhone.. its really tricky! And I should have really done a lot more reading and watched more videos before opening it!

Here are some pictures before I go on to give you a few tips in case you decide to open your iPhone.. or you need to repair it.

So now for some tips:

1. When separating the top from the bottom part, use a suction cup! Prying it open might ruin the rubber around the top part! (Watch demo here)

2. Don't lose the TINY screws!!!!

3. When removing the LCD.. be really careful!! I broke mine after I stuck the flat head screwdriver trying to pry it open!

4. Once you manage to pop the iphone open.. be really careful not to break any ribbon/cables near the earpiece!

Hmm what else.. oh yeah DON'T OPEN YOUR iPHONE til you've done your reading and research!!

PS: when the new LCD comes I will muster up the courage again to try and disassemble the iPhone completely, just like what I did with the PSP!

Reading E-Books on your iPhone

2010-08-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Gone are my ebook reading days from my PSP... (i read the entire Harry Potter Series on my PSP

How awesome was it when I found Twilight in the app store! (I like twilight.. so sue me lol)

With the Twilight Series on the go - I managed to read the 4 books in like days! When i was on the bus.. bored at meetings.. on the train.. while doing my "business".. practically wherever i can bring my iphone to..

So i loved reading on my iphone! After the 4 books.. i was like now what? I had other ebooks as PDF and I was too lazy then to find a way to convert them to a readable version on my iphone.. and thus i stopped reading (and just re-read the 4 books over and over again)..

Yesterday, my gf asked me to download a whole bunch of ebooks for her.. and i really wanted to read them! But i wanted them on my iphone! So a few google searches later.. and TADA!! (ok onto the tutorial for I blabber too much!)

How to read PDF ebooks on an iPhone without Jailbreaking?

Imma do this tutorial so you don't have to worry about jailbreaking or breaking your iphone for that matter lol!

1. Install Stanza from the App store - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stanza/id284956128?mt=8
2. Convert your PDF to EPUB using this link: http://epub2go.com
      a) Upload the PDF to epub2go.com
      b) It will convert the pdf to epub (might take some time)
      c) Enter your email address
      d) Open your email using your iphone and click on the link that they send.
3. The epub book will be automatically added to your library!

So go ahead and open that ebook in your iphone!

Why convert it to epub when iPhones/iPod Touch can open pdf's anyway?

Well I find it so much easier to read an epub ebook! Coz I can have bookmarks, it remembers the last page I read, I can resize it without having to scroll back and forth, I can change the background (white on black or black on white).. and it doesn't crash as much!

So now I have all my ebooks on the go!!

Here are some places where you can get free ebooks:

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

Btw, you can download ebooks directly to your iPhone as well through Stanza!

Happy reading!

Disassembled PSP

2010-08-15T00:56:00.000-07:00

Or should I say PSPs... since I have two! lol

I decided to open my PSPs for the following reasons:

1. Fat PSP - broken! pandora's battery wont revive it.. thought it disconnect the UMD drive.. but still no cigar :(

2. Slim PSP - it wont charge my battery! so thought id test out the yellow thingy.. it works.. so I'm guessing its the fuse.. but I can't find my soldering iron!

Before you open your PSP, here are a few tips that might help you:

a) WASH YOUR HANDS!
b) Make sure you have all the tools required! (Philips 000 and Torx T2 screw for some slim PSPs)
c) Have a clean table to work on, have a place for your screws so you don't lose them!
d) Take a picture of each layer or screw placements so you don't get confused which screws go to which hole.
e) Be very careful when handling the LCD! Geez no one tells me how fragile these things can be!
f) IF IT AIN'T BROKEN - DON'T OPEN IT!

**side note: my keyboard is takin the piss.. when I press enter it goes up instead of down! WTH!**

So here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

PSP Fat after removing the LCD and metal housing:

Completely disassembled PSP Fat

PSP Slim and Fat - Chopped up!

One lesson I learned today tho.. don't fix something that ain't broken! and that will come in my next post!

Oh oh.. only do this if you're PSP is out of warranty.. and you know how to replace parts.. google and youtube helps! Ebay and dealextreme.com offers cheap parts!

IF you want to try here are some links for you to follow:
**I shall not be held responsible if you break your PSP! and no I don't repair PSPs!**

Open a Slim PSP: http://www.acidmods.com/forum/index.php?topic=18858.0

Open a Fat PSP: http://www.llamma.com/PSP/repair/complete_psp_disassembly.htm

My Other Disassemblies (Links to follow when done):

1. iPhone
2. NDS Lite (coming soon!)

Back to blogging!

2010-07-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

And so after a longgggggggggggggggggggg hiatus I am now back to my gadgets.. or should I say gadget?

I have stopped playing my PSP and DS for now.. I have shipped my PS2 and WII to my gf in the philippines (coz i'll be moving there soon)..

I am now in New Jersey... at home.. bumming.. keeping me company is my 13" macbook pro and my almost 2-year-old iphone 3g..

So...

I shall continue on with this blog.. more focus on getting the most out of your iphone and your macs...

Stay tuned!!!

Sabbatical Leave!!

2009-12-10T21:44:00.000-08:00

I am going on a Sabbatical Leave soon!!! This means i'll be able to catch up with technology again!!

I miss....

my iphone
my psp
my nintendo ds lite
my wii
my ps2
my powerbook
my macbook pro
my netbook

Theres.. like so much things I want to do!!!!!! so 2 months!! I'd be burying myself in reading tons of tutorials and simplifying them for you!

:D :D until next time thennnnn!!!

VOTE FOR EARTH!!

2009-03-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

VOTE FOR EARTH THIS MARCH 28, 2009 SATURDAY!!

SWITCH OFF YOUR LIGHT FOR 1 HOUR!!!

How to play .pbp files on PSP aka install demos on 4.01 firmware psp

2009-03-11T02:17:00.001-07:00

Here's a quick tutorial on installing demos... hehehe they work for all PSP (modified or non-modified)

Try with this: Worms Open Warfare 2 Demo (Click to download)

Installing Demo Games on Your PSP (Works on ALL PSP)

1. Download Demo to your computer (eg: Desktop)

2. Right-click on the file and extract the file.

3. Once extracted, the folder will be named “ULXXXX”, and inside the folder will be an EBOOT.pbp file. **IMPORTANT: DO NOT RENAME THE FOLDER, OTHERWISE THE GAME WILL NOT WORK!**

4. Plug the PSP into your computer using the USB cable. On you PSP, go to SETTINGS – USB CONNECTION, then click X. Your memory stick / PSP should appear in “My Computer”. **NOTE: PLEASE FORMAT YOUR MEMORY STICK IF YOU HAVEN’T DONE SO (Settings – System Settings – Format Memory Stick). So that you will have the same folder structure as below.**

5. Copy the “ULXXXX” Folder into ms0:\PSP\GAME

6. It should now appear in your PSP. You can download lots of DEMOs, until then, I hope that Dark_Alex will be able to crack TA88V3 or the PSP3000!

for more PSP game demos, just google PSP DEMO CENTER

How Scammers pass their PSP as modified..

2009-01-14T20:58:00.000-08:00

UPDATE! After I posted on how I got scammed by Gamesquarez / Gamesfactoryz I have received numerous calls and text messages saying they have been scammed into buying a NON-MODIFIED, UNMODIFIABLE PSP..

I NOW KNOW HOW THEY CAN PASS A NON MODIFIABLE PSP TO BE A MODIFIED PSP.. I CONFRONTED MIKE OR JAMES OR WHATEVER THEIR NAMES ARE ON THE PHONE (FROM GAMESQUAREZ)..

AND THIS IS SOMETHING I SHOULD HAVE WORKED OUT BEFORE!

I will try to create a video on how they work this scam.

Their Banter:

"This PSP is modified, see I will show you.."

Gets the unit from you, inserts their memstick, goes to games -> memory stick and voila! There are games there! They will ask you to play and you will test and things like that..

And you'll be like "Oh, I played from the memory stick so it must be modified"

You handover your money, you get your psp.. and the moment you walk out without checking the actual firmware - you become a lost statistic of people scammed by Singaporean gangsters.

The Lie:

PSP is not modified at all. So now you ask: "But I was able to play from the memory stick, how come when i downloaded/borrowed my friend's memstick it didn't work?"

Because what you played was an EBOOT File!! Its a .pbp format file. And those are OFFICIAL DEMOS released by Sony!!! It looks and plays like the real thing, but you not having the luxury of time to continue testing the unit, you will never see that its actually just a one level demo!!

Basically, EBOOTs or .pbp files are packed game files commonly used by Sony to distribute their Demos. These files go into ms0:/PSP/GAMES (where ms0 is your memory stick), and they work on official firmware.

EBOOTs were also released by hackers for emulators, homebrew apps and PSX games but these only work on CUSTOM FIRMWARE or otherwise called modified/hacked/m33 firmware PSPs.

SO... How do you avoid this scam?

CHECK THE PSP SOFTWARE VERSION (i am not talking about PSP-2000 or 2006 or whatever).. But in July 2008, Sony started releasing unmodifiable PSPs worldwide!

HOW TO CHECK THE PSP SOFTWARE:
On the PSP, go the following:

SETTINGS - SYSTEM SETTINGS - SYSTEM INFORMATION

If it says X.XX M33-X then its modified

If it says Version 4.01, then it NOT modified.

So, go and be knowledgable before buying a PSP! (Don't tell me that I did not warn you!)

Thanks for reading!

Pinoysg is back!

2009-01-14T20:56:00.000-08:00

Hehe yeah its up :P

Pinoysg is currently down.

2009-01-05T21:56:00.001-08:00

Due to hardware problems, we are experiencing downtime and our host provider is still currently working on it.

Pasensya na po sa mga pinoysg.com users!

chel

Nintendo DS Lite - My New Toy

2009-01-05T20:22:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to ALL!!

Santa came late.. but I'm glad he still remembered me.. I just got a new Nintendo DS!!

It's ice blue, comes with DSTT flash cart and 2gb micro SD!!

Wooohoo!

I just got an iPhone.. NOW WHAT??

2008-12-22T06:25:00.001-08:00

"I just got an iPhone.. Now what??"

So you just got an iPhone, and suddenly your like.. “WTF! this is a worthless piece of crap!!” Well, calm down. Firstly, its not worthless and its definitely not crap. So that’s why I’m writing this article so that you may fully maximize the power of your iPhone!

The are quite a few steps involved before you can fully unleash the power of your iPhone, so be patient, go slow and most of all – DO NOT PANIC if something goes wrong (we can always fix it). I will post separate tutorials later.

Numero Uno – Jailbreak your iPhone
Jailbreaking your iPhone will enable you to install third party apps and ehem apps if your too cheap to buy it off the App Store.

You can follow these tutorials provided by iClarified:
How to Jailbreak Your iPhone With QuickPwn (Mac) [Updated 2.2]
How to Jailbreak Your 2.x.x 3G iPhone Using QuickPwn (Windows)

Step Two – Install SSH
1. Install OpenSSH on your iPhone via Cydia – this will enable you to access your iPhone files (which is not very straight forward plug and play – unless you have iPhonebrowser or Fugu or whichever – forgiveness is sought to those technologically challenged, but I will try to make my tutorials as simple as I can possibly get it.. I digress)
2. Install BossPrefs via Cydia – this will enable you to turn on SSH on your iPhone.
3. Install Cyberduck or WinSCP on your computer – this is the application we will use to access your iPhone via SSH. (FYI – SSH (Secure Shell) Shell is a network protocol that allows data to be exchanged using a secure channel between two networked devices.)
4. Replace mobileinstallation file on your iPhone so that you can download and install ehem apps.

Step Three – Create a Free iTunes account.
You can follow these steps given by Apple themselves:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2534

Download a free App from the App Store (eg: Fring). Sync your iPhone with iTunes, making sure that you sync all Applications.

Step Four – Downloading Ehem Apps

You can get them from www.appulo.us. Just download the app that you want to your desktop (or whichever folder), once complete, double click the downloaded app, it will automatically open in iTunes.

Sync Applications.

And TADA! Now you will have full access to Ahem apps hehe

Wait, wait.. what about other useful things I can do with my iPhone? You can see the popular packages when you click Cydia – and read about them there. But here’s a few of my favourites:

Bite SMS – from Cydia – enables you to forward sms, delete individual sms rather than the entire thing.
Offline Maps – from Cydia – enables you to store google maps without accessing the internet or 3G.
MxTube – a youtube downloader
Cycorder – from Cydia – enable you to take videos using your iphone
Fring – from App store – free – ultimate Instant messaging platform – enables you to login to your YM, MSN, ICQ, Google Talk, AIM all at the same time
Categories – from Cydia – put your apps in folders
Winterboard – from Cydia – Change your theme, background, customize baby!
SwirlyMMS – from Cydia – not free, but can be cracked – to send MMS.

Erm that’s all for now.. for more questions you can post them here:
http://www.pinoysg.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16640

Wii Games!

2008-12-22T05:47:00.000-08:00

Here are my Wii Games!

1 Alone in the Dark
2 animal crossing city folk
3 bomberman land
4 Brothers in Arms: Double Time
5 Brunswick Pro Bowling
6 call of duty: world at war
7 castlevania judgement
8 Cooking mama
9 Cooking mama 2
10 crash mind over mutant
11 de Blob
12 Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
13 elebits
14 excite truck
15 facebreaker ko party
16 final fantasy fables chocobo dungeon
17 Godfather black edition
18 Guitar hero Aerosmith
19 Kung Fu Panda
20 line rider 2 unbound
21 luxor pharaohs challenge
22 manhunt 2 uncensored
23 Mario and sonic goes to Olympics
24 Mario Kart
25 mario supper sluggers
26 monkey ball banana blitz
27 monopoly
28 my sims kingdom
29 naruto clash of ninja revolution 2
30 Naruto Shippuden Gekitou Ninja Taisen EX 2
31 nba live 09 all play
32 Order Up
33 Pool Party
34 prince of persia rival swords
35 rapala fishing frenzy
36 Rayman raving rabbids 1
37 rockstar games table tennis
38 sam and max
39 Samba de Amigo – downloaded
40 scarface the world is yours
41 SimCity Creator
42 ssx blur
43 star wars: force unleashed
44 starwars the clone wars
45 tales of symphonia dawn new world
46 tomb raider underworld
47 Wario Land: Shake it
48 Warioware smooth moves
49 Wii Sports
50 wwe smackdown vs raw 09

Year End..

2008-12-21T20:21:00.001-08:00

Woohoo! And that's another year gone.. ALMOST..

I apologize that I have not posted here for a while.. I've been busy lately.. acquired new gadgets hahaha so I've been doing a lot of research.. downloading and all that jazz..

so anyway.. here's what I've been busy with:

Wii - since I got it modified, i got me some games and well they take forever to acquire and start playing..

iPhone - got a new iPhone - so new places to explore!

PSP - with the scammers on the loose here in Singapore, I've been busy answering people's questions at Pinoysg.com and trying to come up with tutorials for them

Nintendo DS - I don't have this yet, but I want one!!

Well, I hope to get back to posting here - as you might notice I have no sense of organization, I just post whatever comes to mind..

RANDOM.. yes

Merry Christmas! hahahaha

Gamesquarez - Far East Plaza - SCAMMERS

2008-11-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

i just had a harrowing experience from them..

they did not deliver what theyre supposed to.. i was buying a nintendo wii @ $399.. last sunday MIKE that same MIKE was the guy whom we spoke with..

so heres the story:

Sunday, November 23:

Went around far east plaza looking for a wii.. they posted that $399 thingy for the wii.. mike said that its for the US wii sport, unmodified.. so i said fine.. then he said that he has no stock and he still has to order and so we said when will it come in?

he said most probably wednesday - november 26, but to be safe go back on thursday..

the catch: i had to put a $100 deposit..

november 27 - thursday.. we gave him a call to check if the wii has arrived.. well surprise surprise - no US wii yet.. he offered a japan set or a korean set, which we rejected of course since that is not the deal.. i told him to get one or refund my deposit.. and he said his boss will try to get one by friday - november 28 at 4pm..

november 28 - friday.. gave him a call and he said still could not get a US wii, hence he said his boss has agreed to give a korean set, modified without wii sports at $399.. and for all the hassle of going down to their shop and talking to that idiot mike - i agreed to get the korean modified set

and so i went to their shop after work.. no boss there.. no mike there.. only terry was attending the shop..

here comes the confusion and argument and more confusion..

i went down to the shop hoping to collect a wii.. any wii at $399..

was informed by terry (the only guy there) that the set is not modified..

so i said, well mike informed me to come down and collect the korean modified set..

so terry called his boss, and passed the phone to me.. the BOSS - FRED - is the same f*cker who scammed members from my online community - if i have only known it was the same asshole.. but anyways.. fred doesnt know what the f*ck hes talking about..

one second he was saying the set is korean.. the second hes saying its modified.. then its not modified.. then finally he said that it was a US set NOT modified! then he was like how would i know if its a US set?

I WAS LIKE DUH! AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WII IT SAYS THE MODEL (KOR).. (fyi - i already own a wii- a US wii)

and he kept on insisting that its a US wii and he said go test it when it turns on its in english.. so i said ok plug in the damn wii then and let me test it..

so in the process of trying to open it terry called fred.. then terry said that fred was coming down to far east with a US wii and come back at 930..

and i said thats fine thats the deal i will come back at 930 to get the us set..

so came 930.. there was no fred no us set.. and terry said that boss agreed to sell the korean modified set but now i have to top up $399!

i was pissed off i just want my $100 back.. but they wouldnt give it due to company policy bullshit..

so in the end i just settled for their goddamn 8gb sandisk - which is a fake by the way and a screen protector.. i know im on the losing side but i wasnt gona leave that shop empty handed!
so dont ever go to GAMESQUAREZ

WHERE NOT TO BUY WII, PSP AND PS3 - GAMESQUAREZ !!!!!

BEWARE OF THESE CONTACT NUMBERS:

FAR EAST PLAZA #03-32B

CALL Mike @ 97260304 for detail NOW!

=[* GameRZonE *]=
new package now online!!!

Call :Eric 97260304

Red Army Club-

Call James 83390076 for enquiry

FRED

Most Common Things Conmen Say When Selling a PSP

2008-09-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

So have you ever been pulled into Sim Lim and Lucky Plaza in search of good psp deals?

Unfortunately, those two places are notorious for cheating, overcharging, bullying and all sorts that ain't right if your in the sales industry.. most recently the beating up of a guy >>> Violence at Sim Lim

However, shops in those places remain open as more and more tourists are being conned.. And those so called salesmen.. or what most people prefer to call them - "Ah Bengs" - will talk and talk and talk until your so confused and blur.. you don't know what's happening.. u hand over your cash or credit card without fully realizing what you buying.. and usually the buyer ends up paying more than what they bargained for..

well enough talk (i tend to digress).. here are the most common things conmen say when selling a psp that i've come across.. i will also blog on asking the right questions when buying a psp..

ugh.. at this point i assume that you have already agreed on a price and they would go on saying these things to try and charge u more:

Most Common Things Conmen Say When Selling a PSP

The Lie: "Charger is not included, battery is not included, adaptor is not suitable for use in Asia.. Must buy this charger, this battery, this adapter.."

They used this on me back in 2005 when the PSP first came out..I don't know if they still use this now, haven't encountered it in a while..

The Truth: A basic standard PSP package (out of the box) includes PSP console, 1 battery, 1 charger, 1 manual.. no more no less.. the charger is multi-volt, meaning it will work at 110-220V.. the only difference would be the shape actual thing you plug into the wall.. (I will post some pics if I'm not lazy :P)

The Banter: "Oh this PSP is China/Japan/US/, do you want a US/Japan/Australian/, but you have to pay $$$.. Because this is one is better etc..

Reality Check: Most, I say most, PSP's are all made in China - no matter what - with a few exceptions genuinely made in Japan.. so what's with all the country differences? A Japan PSP (code: PSP2000 will talk about PSP codes later on) will have a Japanese manual, an American/US PSP (code: PSP2001) will have an english manual.. Also the only difference is language selected during initial setup.. A European PSP also has Go!Messenger while others have none.. but this can be easily overcome with a simple tweak on a modified PSP (yes yes later later I will explain more)..

They all give the same functions therefore I do not see why a US psp or a Japan psp would cost more than the other.. this is nothing but a con to get more money out of you..

The disgusting: "Oh look, your PSP is so slow the modification has eaten up so much RAM we have to put in more RAM.. this would cost you $200 more"

The truth: There is no such thing as RAM for PSP.. when a PSP is modified, the user will be given an option to the change the CPU Speed Settings with a few touches on a button.. This option was made available so that we can overclock the PSP and overcome any lags when playing certain games.. However, the conmen has used this to trick newbies into thinking that there is something wrong with the PSP..

For the newbies - if a person claims the PSP is slow and needs more RAM.. he has changed the CPU processing speed from default or 266mHz to 10mHz.. (I will post a video tutorial and comparison later)

To increase CPU speed of PSP press the following buttons on the PSP:

Press Select (if nothing happened press Home)
VSH Menu will come out.. Check the XMB CPU Speed.. press left or right until it shows default and the psp will be back to normal..

=========================

Anyway, I will post more later when more come to mind.. as this post has been in draft since a month ago!

Un-modifiable PSP

2008-09-02T23:48:00.000-07:00

It's confirmed, the unmodifiable PSP is here in Singapore..

Last week I tried to modify a PSP but to no avail..

So I hope dark_alex will be able to crack this one!

Wiiiiiii!!!

2008-09-02T23:42:00.000-07:00

Woot! I am back! (well since last week)..

I was in Manila for 5 days.. the night before my flight I spent like 3 hours at the salon and 3 hours shopping for pasalubong.. on my way home I realized that I have lost my laptop! luckily I just left it at the salon (phew).. i got home that night started packing 6 hours before my flight.. I put the wii in and out of my luggage so many times coz i couldn't decide if I should bring it..

finally at the last moment I stuffed it in my messenger bag and off I went to the airport..

My second day I brought it to EYO at V-Mall greenhills - 3rd floor.. there were loads and loads of people! I was afraid my wii couldn't be modified coz I updated it to version 3.3.. lo and behold 1 hour later.. i was a proud owner of a wii.. for just PHP2,200! It would cost me $160 here in Singapore and they said it will take like 1 week..

So anywayz, i bought some *ehem* games.. and it works!!

It's time to wiiiiiiii!!!

Going to Manila

2008-08-21T15:25:00.001-07:00

I haven't blogged coz I've been preparing to go back to Manila.. u know work and all that crap!

So I will be back on Tuesday.. hopefully with a modified wii! :D :D

I love the Whole World!

2008-08-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

I am a certified Discovery Channel addict.. National Geographic channel.. history channel.. crime and investigation.. and reality zone (too bad they ceased airing in Asia).. that's were i usually get my ideas..

so anywayz.. if you watch discovery channel.. i am currently addicted to this ad.. the one the goes.. I LOVE THE WHOLE WORLD!! BOOM TIYAYA BOOM TIYAYA! (or they say boomdeyada)-- but in the philippines theres a kids song that goes:

sasara ang bulaklak, bubuka ang bulaklak, dadaan ang reyna pakembot kembot pa.. boom tiyaya boom tiyaya boom ye ye!

ugh again i digress.. so i decided to make it my ringtone! hahaha i love discovery channel!!

if you have no idea what im talking about here's the video:

Lyrics used in the commercial

I love the mountains
I love the clear blue skies
I love big bridges
I love when great whites fly
I love the whole world [Les Stroud]
And all its sights and sounds
Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da
Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da
I love the oceans
I love real dirty things [Mike Rowe]
I love to go fast
I love Egyptian kings
I love the whole world
And all its craziness
Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da
Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da [Richard Machowicz]
I love tornadoes [Joshua Wurman]
I love arachnids [Bear Grylls]
I love hot magma
I love the giant squids
I love the whole world
It's such a brilliant place
Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da [Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage]
Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da [Stephen Hawking]
Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da
Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da
Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da

What is XMB Menu?

2008-08-12T22:48:00.001-07:00

Often times, I will be giving instructions to people to change or check certain settings on their PSP and refer to XMB menu..

A picture paints a thousand words.. here's what an XMB menu looks like:

Basically it's the main menu of the PSP.. where u can scroll left and right..

From the XMB Menu you can browse through the following:

Settings - Photo - Music - Video - Game Network

Its also called VSH screen, main screen, main menu, psp menu.. whatever, its the state of an idling psp lol...

My PSP Games

2008-08-11T00:07:00.000-07:00

I have about 70 gigs of games.. but have only played maybe 10% of them.. I've been trying to add to my collection tho..

here for your viewing pleasure: (or something else :D).. i plan to put this in an excel file, with the sizes shown.. or something..

Latest Games:

NBA08 Live
Hellboy
Need For Speed Prostreet
God of War

Virtual Tennis World Tour

PS1 Games:

Crash Bandicoot 3
Metal Slug

I also have a GBA Emulator - with 1 mario rom.. lol

Beijing Olympics 2008 Opening Ceremony

2008-08-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

So it has come.. Beijing Olympics 2008.. August 8, 2008... 080808.. opening ceremony.. I was at Starbucks, Plaza Singapura, hosting the 23rd Coffee EB for Pinoysg.com ahehe

As I stood in the space in front of Starbucks, I heard loud cheers and clapping from the otherside..

then i saw about a dozen people or so seated in front of Starhub televesion screens.. watching the opening ceremony.. some were PRC workers (I believe) coz there were clapping loudly when China came out during the athlete's parade.. It's like when I see them at sengkang mrt sitting in front of that vcd shop watching chinese drama or whatever..

so nwayz fast forward.. i reached home at around 12am.. turned on the TV.. and TADA! there was a replay on starhub channel 1.. so started watching.. it was awesome! i liked the dancing painting.. the block of people going up n down.. no idea how to describe it.. and was hoping to catch Team Philippines during the athletes parade..

unfortunately the long day came down upon me.. and missed the athletes' parade completely..

There's like a 2 second clip of Team Philippines with Pacquiao leading the way on youtube.. (i wouldn't even know it was pacquiao coz the quality isn't that good)..

Anyway.. here's the youtube video for Team Philippines in Beijing Olympics 2008 Opening Ceremony:

Enjoy! (not my video)

Violence in Sim Lim Square, unit # 02-76

2008-08-08T00:34:00.000-07:00

Note: This was taken from Pinoysg.com forum. This did not happen to me, but I'm putting it here so that it won't happen to you too:

Source: Click Here

Fellow kabayans, I just want to warn everyone to AVOID going to unit # 02-76 in Sim Lim. They are grotesque scammers that has the tendency to be physically violent to customers. I was one of their unfortunate victims. Their signboad says 'Evolution Gaming LLP', but as I was researching on the net, they apparently regularly change their store name. They used to be called MH Electronics, or Mobile House Electronics. And a neighbouring store that's unit # 02-72 also used to be 'Evolution Gaming'. They were also called 'Compact Camera'. I've read a lot of complaints from that store too.

Anyway, here's what happened. My girlfiend and I went to Sim Lim to buy a PSP. I know, it was quite stupid of me to go there for a PSP. It's all over the net that the last place to buy a PSP is in Sim Lim. I went anyway, thinking it's "not gonna happen to me" (i was dead wrong). So we went to different shops to ask for prices. The prices we got were 360, and 340.. complete with all the necessary stuff like battery, 4G card, cable, case, and modification. When we got to unit # 02-76 (Evolution Gaming LLP), they quoted us $308. That was too cheap.. but it was almost 9pm and I was just tired and wanted the PSP. So I said I'll take one. The sales guy was friendly. He's tall, fat, and had a lot of pimples on his face. He took our money and said he'll modify it in front of us. After the so-called modification, he showed the PSP to me... and it was lagging! He said the modification took much of the RAM and it needed an upgrade, and that we had to pay $200! Holy sh*t... and while he was selling the upgrade to me, he kept calling me 'my friend...'. That was just annoying. I said we don't have that kind of money, and we'd like to get our money back. From here, things got ugly. The store owner (tall, skinny, and also had a lot of pimples) started shouting at us, saying just take the PSP, the we're wasting his time, etc. And another guy tried to talk to us,this short little guy with glasses, squeaky voice, introduced as the store manager. He tried to explain about the upgrade. But we've heard enough. We just wanted our money back, and we were not leaving. Finally they said we could have our money back, but since the PSP has already been modified, we should pay the GST (wtf!). After much debate, I just said fine.. if that's what it takes to just leave this place, then ok. So they gave us our money, less gst (that's $21 - not bad, but still hurts). We were so pissed leaving the store. I decided to take a photo of the store premises so I could have a 'souvenir' for the event. Suddenly, this little guy with glasses (store manager, they say) started to slap me in the face! (I'm not sure if it was a slap or a punch.. looked like a punch, felt like a slap) He also shoulted at me with his small squeaky voice. I prepared to hit back, aiming at his small face.. but suddenly I see this tall lanky guy running from the store carrying a metal stool. And the fat pimply guy who tried to sell the PSP also came out running towards us too. The little guy's got backup! So now there's 3 of them, and one of me. I remember thinking, if I fight back, this is going to get ugly for me. But then, the short guy took a plastic chair and continued to hit me, as well as this tall guy with the metal stool! Unit # 02-76 Evolution Gaming LLP is situated at the corner of the floor. The beating continued until we reached the escalator. They hit me on the face, the arms, and body. My girlfriend was just shouting 'please stop!'. Suddenly they demanded for me to delete the photo.. i had no choice but to comply. After deleting (they continued to hit me by the way), Sim Lim security came in the scene. The little guy gave me one last hit on the body with his reliable plastic chair. After that, security called the police. The police came to talk to me, then went up to talk to the store owner (tall pimply guy). The guys that attacked me where no longer there (of course). We went to the police station, I gave a statement, they gave me a medical form, we went to the hospital to document the scratches I obtained from the attack. The police said that they were going to launch an investigation about it.

So now here I am writing about it. The net has got loads of warning stories like this about the scamming happening in Sim Lim. Let this be an additional story about it. I haven't actually read about any violence happening, so I think this is the first.

Reading up on the net, here's a few more stories/complains about unit #02-76 / Evolution Gaming LLP for scamming and bad service.

This one is when they were still called Mobile House Electronics Pte Ltd (signboard MH Electronics):
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/showthread.php?t=1696186

Here's another one about #02-76 where they have bad attitude:
http://talkback.stomp.com.sg/forums/archive/index.php/t-10687.html

Here's another one about Evolution Gamming LLP:
http://imcomplicatedyetsosimple.blogspot.com/2007/12/scammer-from-sim-lim.html

And another one for Evolution Gaming LLP:
http://forums.gameaxis.com/showthread.php?t=1476878&highlight=Sim+lim+square

And another yet one... "Extreme Lousey Service in Sim Lim Sqare". This time it's in #02-72 but still called "Evolution Gaming LLP" (it's either they like exchanging signboards, or its the same owner):
http://forums.gameaxis.com/showthread.php?t=1482761

Here's another on #02-72, but it's no longer called "Evolution Gaming".. This time their signboard says "Compact Camera":
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/showthread.php?t=1793609

And another one on #02-72: http://sgforums.com/forums/2535/topics/313622

So I guess # 02-76 and # 02-72 exchange names, and has the same modus operandi. Everyone beware of these shops!