Fred's Daily Rants

New Blog For The PC Enthusiast

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:16:00 +0000

There is a new blog out which I created for PC related matters. If you are a PC enthusiast, check out this blog:

http://pctorque.blogspot.com/

Burning Movies to DVD

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:21:00 +0000

The different formats that video files come in can be mind blogging at times. These include avi, divx, xvid, mov, mkv, flv , mpeg-1, mpeg2-, mpeg-4, nsv, dvr-ms, tivo, ts, ifo, vob, asf, wmv, realmedia, rm, rmvb, ogm... phew!

Like many people, I wished that there is just one standard format, but it is not the case. So what do you do when you have downloaded movies in for instance, avi format, and want to burn them to a DVD to watch it in the comfort of your living room?

My journey began trying out big names all-in-one DVD burning solutions such as Nero 8 and Roxio Easy Media Creator 10, but did not get a satisfactory result from them. Nero 8 now requires you to purchase seperate plugins for different purposes, and is bugged with errors, and Roxio is not user friendly to me as well, and I ended up wasting a lot of DVDs and time encoding attempting to burn movies, only to end up in failure.

Next, my journey brought me to source for other simpler solutions. I have tried many, including DVDflick, but was disappointed at the quality of the final video output. Then, I found my solution. It is called ConvertX to DVD. This is a much simpler DVD burning solution package that encodes different video formats to DVD and burns it as well. Although it is not as fancy as others I have tested, the encoding is fast, it has enough settings for the important options, I can squeeze in 4 full length movies to a DL DVD-R, and you can create a simple menu as well. The output quality is great, and audio is in sync, and it gets the job done well. You want something that works without the fancy dressings, this is for you.

The following is a demo from youtube:

Evo X vs STi Video Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:43:00 +0000

Adopting a Husky

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:27:00 +0000

If you would like to adopt a husky in Singapore, please bear in mind that you have to live in a private property. Please click here to find out what is available.

Dog Grooming in Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:15:00 +0000

Dog lovers exist even in the tiny island of Singapore. Yes, is it any surprise? Well, as part of dog ownership, sooner or later you got to hit the groomers, unless your dog is one with short fur, or a skinned dog.:)

Personally, I have tried many, some good, some not so good. As a personal note, I hate groomers which cage dry the dogs. I think it is inhumane, and have caused death in the past. Would you like to be locked up in a cage and have a warm fan being blown at you? I guess not, and why would you put your dogs through it? Simple question-simple answer.

After many experiences, I finally found a groomer which is pretty good, and their cuts are reasonably priced as well. They even have a pick up service, which I find really convenient. Their description of services is as follows:

Basic Grooming: Cleaning of ears, cutting nails, bath, expression of anal glands, blow dry, clearing of fur under pawpads & sanitary clip.Charges starting from $25 depending on the size of your dog.

Full Grooming: Cleaning of ears, cutting nails, bath, expression of anal glands, blow dry, clearing of fur under pawpads, sanitary clip and clipping/ shaving/ styling to your liking. Charges starting from $45 depending on the size of your dog.

Their contact number is: 64743115. Give them a try.

I'm Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:34:00 +0000

After a long absence from doing some regional project works, I am finally back to base and can start blogging again. To all of my friends out there, thanks for reading my blog, and hope to catch up with you all soon.

Cheers!

My Xbox Live Gametag

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 02:30:00 +0000

Having recently acquired my Halo Xbox 360 console through a promotion (meaning it's free) :), I am a pretty new gamer to the Xbox collection of games. If you would like to, feel free to add me as friends to your Xbox Live.

My gametag is as follows:

Review of Xbox 360 Messenger Kit - Chatpad

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:17:00 +0000

"Chatting with friends and family on Xbox LIVE® and Windows-based PCs is easy using the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit. This device easily connects to any Xbox 360 controller and provides easy to use chat capabilities while maintaining gameplay functionality in one easy-to-hold device. The Messenger Kit includes a Chatpad and Xbox 360 Headset."

The chatpad is an add-on accessory for the xbox 360 controller. It clips on seamlessly to the standard controller without a hitch, and it makes you realize how great the design of xbox accessories really are. Integration is key here.

But you may wonder, why would you need a chatpad on a console made for gaming? Well, there will be instances where you need to enter text, for instance on the xbox Live dashboard, or sending short messages to friends, or simply chatting online by entering some text. You can do without the chatpad by manually entering each letter and symbol using the standard coontroller, but it is painfully slow. The chatpad is a welcome addition to solve this problem.

What is great about the chatpad is that, it does not need any batteries to run it, instead, it draws power from your controller itself. You have a full keyboard style array of buttons on the chatpad, with keys larger than standard PDA phones, which makes clicking on the right keys a breeze. The buttons even light up with a white illumination, which makes entering text in the dark possible.

The package comes with a wired headset which you can connect to the audio jack at the bottom of the chatpad. Everything about the chatpad is great, and the only thing that is bad is that, it adds some weight to your controller, which makes the controller tiresome to hold after long hours of gaming. All in all, it is a highly recommended accessory.

Two Exciting New Honda Concepts To Be Unveiled At Tokyo Motor Show, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:38:00 +0000

•CR-Z hybrid sportscar concept breaks cover
•Funky ‘gel body’ fuel cell project revealed

Two striking new concept models will make their world premieres at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show later this month. The Honda CR-Z is a lightweight, two-seater sportscar equipped with Honda’s petrol-electric hybrid IMA powertrain. PUYO is a fuel cell vehicle designed to provide fun for both the driver and his or her surroundings.

Treo 500V - A Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:16:00 +0000

The new Palm 500V is the latest in the Treo lineup from Palmone. When fans of the Treo asks for a new Treo design, this is not what they meant. Obviously, Palmone is not listening intently. Design is not ground breaking, and the screen looks too small for a truely innovative PDA phone.

That being said, let's take a deeper look at the phone. It runs on WM6, which may be a time for celebration for many. It opens up the oppoetunity for users to run the many WM enabled applications, and even local GPS software such as MapKing that used to be out of reach for Palm users. This is especially true for Asia, although in the USA and Europe, you have a wider range of options as far as GPS softwares go.

Glancing at the face of the 500V, you will notice that the querty keypad is a carry over from the 700 Treo series, which isn't a bad thing. Size of the keys itself is exactly the same as the 750V, and takes some getting used to if you are a new user to Treos.While a lot of other PDA phones are adopting the minimalist design without a full keypad, it sure is good news for the rest of us who like the ease and speed of typing with a full querty keypad.

The 500V is smaller in size than the 750V, it has grown more compact. In fact, it is the thinnest Treo to date measuring 110 x 61.5 x 16.5 mm. Being a Palm, the ease of use of the WM6 system is there, it gives it a customized look compared to other WM6 phones. One hated feature that this phone left out is threaded messenging. It gives your sms a threaded chat feel to it. Why on eath will Palm leave such a trademark feature out?

The 500V is a 3G phone, but leaves out HSDPA and no wifi as well. While we see other pda phones come with more features by the day, Palm always leaves something out that keeps the Treo user a little disappointed. It will be great to see wifi and HSDPA in a new phone like this. Internal memory is 256MB with a microSD expansion slot. It should really include 1GB of standard memory by the rate new phones are today. It has a 2MP camera, but with no flash and no autofocus. There isn't a front camera on this phone as well.

As usual, this Treo is a disappointment in terms of its feature set. Users' expectations of today's hot features have been ommitted. Unless you are a die hard Treo user, you may want to give this one a miss.

Honda Stream From Kah Motors - A Good Buy?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:39:00 +0000

If you are at all familiar with the Singapore car market, you will probably know that the MPV segment is a hot one, and demand is high. With increasingly new needs of space, seating capacity and in-car entertainment, it is not difficult to see why.

Now that the local authorized distributor "Kah Motors" is bringing in their own 1.8L model of the Stream, it sure does give the parallel importers some heated competition. But is it a good buy? Let's take a look at the specs. There are 2 models being offered by Kah Motors. Both are a 1.8 L model of the same car, only differentiated by the option of a sunroof. Both are rated at 103kw and 174Nm of torque. Detailed specs can be viewed here.

The standard model lists at SGD$80,000, with a top up of SGD$2000 for the sunroof.

Now this is where it gets interesting. The parallel import model, the 1.8 L RSZ model Stream, a top of the line model lists for exactly the same price at SGD$80,000. What you get on top of the standard Stream are features like paddle-shift, HID headlights, Aero kits, sport suspensions. To me that is worth at least SGD$3000 more.

It is easy to see that the RSZ is going to be a better buy, a better value for money, unless you are a really loyal client of Kah Motors. Servicing wise, you need not worry too much, there are plenty of good places to service your Stream.

Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:15:00 +0000

If you are at all familiar with today's console gaming, then I am sure you will agree that online game play is an important component. To be able to enjoy multiplayer gaming with friends and people around the globe just adds that replay value of your existing games.

That is why most people who owns an xbox 360 wants to go Live - Xbox Live. To be able to do so, apart from having an Xbox Live account, you have to have an internet connection. If you have your router sitting next to your Xbox 360, you are lucky, just plug it in to have a direct connection.

However, like a lot of us, the modem and router might be sitting in another room, while your Xbox console is in the living room. Then you need to go wireless. The wireless adapter from Xbox is a neat little package for you to connect to Xbox Live. It is small in size, and made especially for the xbox 360, so you know it will work. As you can see from the picture above, there isn't anything much to the design at all. Just the body, a stubby antenna, and a USB connector. Pretty neat. I like it not only because it looks simple and neat. The setup is easy too.

To set it up, just power up your Xbox 360, plug the wireless adapter in, and you are ready to go. It even clicks into place at the back of the xbox. Look how neat it is. Very thoughtful design and integration.

If you have a security enabled wireless network, no problems too. You can go through all the settings on your xbox itself. Simplicity and efferctiveness is what this product is all about. In short, if you want to go wireless, you can't go past this little gadget.

Windows Live Messenger (MSN) Error 1603

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 04:06:00 +0000

It came to my attention that some of us are experiencing problems with MSN messenger. And when attempted to reinstall or upgrade to a later version, it returns with an error code 1603. It does not allow you to reinstall, and you are ended up with your MSN messenger not working.

After trying loads of other solutions, I only found this to have solved the problem. Check out the link here.

The Dawn of High Definition

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:38:00 +0000

You've heard the marketing chatter, but in this article, we show you what high-definition capable hardware and content can offer you. Read on as we show you what's it like to watch movies, play games and capture videos, all in HD. Trust us, you will never want to turn back to standard definition after reading this.

read more | digg story

N-Gage returns from the ashes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 02:41:00 +0000

Nokia's game-centric mobile phone never quite caught on, but this time the mobile phone giant has a new approach to rope in the video game generation. The N81 goes into landscape mode for mobile gaming.Mention "N-Gage" to gamers and you will probably elicit a few snickers.

read more | digg story

2007 Toyota Rav 4 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 02:34:00 +0000

Before I start, the above is a fun commercial of the Toyota Rav 4. :)

Okay, now let's get down to business. The reason why I decided to do a review on this SUV is because of the fact that, it has become a very popular car, and over the weekend when I visited the showrooms, I was amazed at the fact that they were all sold out, with no fresh stocks for 2 months at least. Not even a demo car. Now, that is a feat!

The Toyota Rav 4. Year 2007. What is different? On first sight, you will notice that it is much longer than the previous model. It fact, it has a long wheel base measuring a wheelbase of 2660 mm. It looks like a grown up RAv 4, more luxurious and sophisticated. I think SUVs are heading that direction. Look at the CRV, same direction. The Rav 4 now measures 4600 mm in length, 1855 mm in width and and stands 1730 mm tall.

The car comes with Active Torque Control 4WD, which adopts an electronically controlled coupling for the front and rear differentials, and decides how much torque is split between the front and rear wheels. This means that road conditions are continuously being monitored to switch between 2WD and 4WD mode. It saves more fuel than a full time 4WD system, and seems the logical way to go.

Powering the Rav 4 for the Asean model is a 2.4l VVT-i engine, which produces 125kW of power and 224Nm of torque. The transmission is still a 4-speeder, and I think they should give it a 5-speeder as most competitors already do. Nevertheless, the drive is much more refined than the previous model. Minimum turning radius of the car is 5.3m, which is acceptable for a car of this size.

For safety, the Rav 4 comes with 4 wheel disc brakes with the front vented, coupled with ABS with EDB (Electronic Brake Force Distribution). This is helpful in distributing the brake force between the front and rear wheels under slippery conditions, and resulting in less brake locks. It even comes with hill start assist, which will help hold the car on a slope to prevent roll backs when you switch from your brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Of course on top of this, you have your usual airbags and crumple zones.

Stepping inside the car, you will notice a nicely improved interior. The dash is not too overly cluttered, and everything is within easy reach helped by the excellent driving position. You will find various convenient storage compartments as well. The meters look great. Being Optitron Meters, they are nice and bright with a tinge of Lexus influence. This is a good sized family car, with big enough front and rear seats, plenty of legroom, what more can you ask for?

One of he things I like best about this car is that there is ample rear leg room being a long wheel base car. I have driven some SUVs before, and being almost 6 ft tall and having long legs, the rear passengers always have very little legroom left. This is not a problem with the Rav 4. I have seen similar SUV models and the Rav 4 is tops in this department. Also, the rear seats can be folded to provide a huge storage area. If you are looking for a spacious SUV, the Rav 4 deserves a look at least.

Nokia N95 8GB Release Specs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:50:00 +0000

Nokia Asia released pre-launch info on the 8GB N95. Appearance wise, it looks almost identical the the current batch of N95s, except for a slight difference of the buttons on the front fascia. More info on the appearance and release specs can be viewed here.

Gameshop - A Website Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:39:00 +0000

Today's website review is on a gaming products website known as Gameshop. It is an online store based in Singapore that offers games on various platforms and PC related items.

Although they have a physical address, they do not operate as a retail store where you can just walk in and buy your games. It is strictly an online store, meaning, you can only make your orders online.

The good thing about this store is that, they are extremely up to date with the latest releases of games, and this puts even the bigger local stores to shame. Whatever I cannot find in the local stores, I can get it here. Also good it that they provide free delivery for local orders at least, and delivery is fast, and most items are received within 24 hours. You can even choose your desired delivery time slot, which I think is simply great!

I think customer service is important in any type of business, and I am glad to say that they are most eager to answer any questions that you may have. Very friendly staff, a plus point here. So, is everything good? Obviously, there is always two side to a coin isn't there?

Well, their prices are not the cheapest out there. I can often find cheaper prices at some of the local stores, but not by much. For instance, PC games can be bought at $1 cheaper elsewhere. A Razer Tarantula keyboard can be bought at $10 cheaper elsewhere. So yes, price differences varies with different products.

All in all, I still recommend it for it is one of the better local online game stores out there.

Review of Vaja i-Volution case for Nokia N95

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 04:56:00 +0000

When I got the press release of the new i-Volution case from Vaja, of course I am keen to take a closer look. Afterall, being a past customer of Vaja in the past, I am very happy with the high standards of quality this company offers, despite the high price and often 1 month waiting time, although for this particular case for the Nokia N95, it only takes 10 days.

As a owner of the Nokia N95, it is quite obvious by now that there aren't a lot of cases available on the market for it, mostly for the fact that it is a slider phone, which makes it more difficult to design one. Taking a closer look at the i-Volution, you will see that the design is simple, covering only the back of the phone with cutouts for the camera and side buttons. This is a let down, as the most important part of the phone, being the front with the screen is left exposed with nothing at all.

Even though Vaja can offer a palette of colours in customizations, it will not be an ideal case to get, as it offers minimal protection for the front of the phone. A more recommended alternative will be the Noreve Case.

Mitsubishi Galant Fortis

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0000

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation announces the market launch of the Galant Fortis*1, a new style sedan, at affiliated dealerships throughout Japan today. Powered by a 2.0-liter engine, two- and four-wheel drive Galant Fortis models carry a price tag ranging from 1,785,000 yen to 2,436,000 yen. (SUPER EXCEED and SUPER EXCEED NAVI PACKAGE trim levels are due to go on sale in late October.)

Galant Fortis is the first new sedan introduced by the company in Japan in seven years.Galant Fortis has been developed to a product concept that called for "a global sporty sedan that delivers high and well-balanced levels of safety, comfort and environmental performance." Development was aimed to create a new sedan distinguished by: a design that immediately identifies it as a Mitsubishi Motors sedan and gives expression to the feel, the purposefulness and the stable road stance associated with the sedan body style; and by a quality of handling and response and the particular flavor of ride that define the Mitsubishi Motors brand.

Principal product features are as follows:Galant Fortis achieves a global standard in living space with a wider and taller body without any undue stretching of overall length. With its wider track the packaging reconciles the requirements of stable handling and response with its excellent maneuverability that stems from a minimum turning radius of 5.0 m. Read more here.

Phones that work around the world

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 03:37:00 +0000

If you are planning to travel frequently but want to stay in touch at all times, GSM phones are probably the best bet. As different frequency bands are used in various countries, the rule of thumb when buying a phone for traveling is to look out for handsets which are either triband (GSM 900/1800/1900) or quadband (GSM 850/900/1800/1900).

read more | digg story

Leadtek Introduces the WinFast PX8400 GS TDH Silent

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 02:14:00 +0000

Leadtek unveils the WinFast PX8400 GS TDH Silent, a new entry level graphics card aiming to deliver noise free quality images.Leadtek Research Inc. today takes pride in the launch of a brand new entry-level graphics card, WinFast® PX8400 GS TDH Silent.

read more | digg story

Microsoft Reclusa Gaming Keyboard Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 13:41:00 +0000

The Microsoft Reclusa - a gaming keyboard released by Microsoft in a joint venture with Razer. If you are familiar with gaming PC accessories, then you will need no introduction to Razer. But why would you consider the Reclusa when there is the option of Razer's Tarantula gaming keyboard? For one, there is the price. The Tarantula retails for SGD$179, while the Reclusa is a cheaper alternative at SGD$110. Then let's take a look at the Reclusa.

On first sight when you open up the box, you will notice the keyboard is jet black in colour with a removable hand rest, which is padded and has a nice touch to it. You will also notice that this keyboard has quite a large footprint, and it is a wired one.

Therefore, you have to have enough desktop space to let this keyboard sit on. Being wired is supposedly to offer better response for gaming.

Examining it closer, you will see that this keyboard has a nice visual feel to it, with blue backlighting for the keys.

A gamer's trademark, especially if you have a blue Razer mouse, it will fit the theme nicely.

However, if you do not like the backlighting, you cannot dim it down or turn it off. It is there, whether you like it or not. This is not such a big deal. There are a few nice touches to this keyboard besides the gaming aspect of it. The USB is gold plated, there are two USB ports left and right of the keyboard (which I really like), and there is a nice compartment for for cables underneath the keyboard. Very thoughtful design, and it works well.

This being a gaming keyboard spots quite a few features such as low latency keys for superior gaming response, two 360 degree jog dials on each side, four programmable buttons for common tasks, six programmable hotkeys, and on the fly profile management. All these have one goal, and that is to make your gaming experience easier and more complete by offering user customizations.

All in all, I feel that it is a value for money gaming keyboard, but not without its flaws. As a personal take, I would save up and get the Tarantula from Razer instead.

2007 Toyota Camry Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:25:00 +0000

The Toyota Camry, a mid sized family sedan that needs no introduction. It is a bit like your favourite bike that you have owned for years. You know that there will be no surprises, and you know that it will work in getting you there. But there is something different for the 2007 models.

First off, look at the new styling. It has a much bolder face than before. Perhaps, it is an effort to stray away from the bland styling of the previous generation Camry. Whatever it is, I think it creates a more agressive stance, with the front nose design sloping downwards. It is very much in tune with the latest design trends. A hint of Audi and Alfa Romeo if your imagination is good.

The rear looks neat as well, inspired by design from the Lexus IS250, and it spots an integrated boot lid. Nothing revolutionary here, but it looks good as a whole package. Similar themes flow into the interior design. You get a roomy and well appointed interior, the usual storage compartments, a gated gear shift and even some"simulated wood trims". Nothing to shout about, but nothing to complain about.

The local models are available in 2.0L and 2.4L. The main difference with the 2.4L is that, you get 5 speed automatic instead of 4 speed, and 167bhp instead of 147bhp. Oh yes, you do get 224 Nm of torque instead of 190 Nm. Equipment wise, they are virtually identical. The car rides well over road bumps and on highways. However, this is no Lexus, so expect some road noise especially when crusing on highways.

i-mate Ultimate 6150

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 08:39:00 +0000

We've all played some form of that game where two photographs are put side by side, and you try to find five differences within a short time. That's the feeling we got when looking at the image of the i-mate Ultimate 6150 beside the 8150 model. In this case, it isn't particularly hard to spot the differences.

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