HaroldChia.com

Blog, portal owners must reveal identities: Najib- My Thoughts…

2013-06-13T23:21:00.001+08:00

Source: http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20130613-429419.html

By R. Sittaparam
New Straits Times
Thursday, Jun 13, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia will not emulate Singapore's move requiring blogs and news portals to be licensed, but will instead opt for self-regulatory measures that make it necessary for blog and website owners to reveal their identities, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

He said in handling the challenges of a mature nation, the government would ensure social media practitioners are more responsible in disseminating information.

He was speaking at the Malaysian Journalists Night 2013 and Malaysian MPI-Petronas Media Awards 2012 here last night.

Najib said the government would study the proposal for blog and news portal owners to provide information about their identities in their websites.

"No more anonymous writers, as is practised now. This is to ensure that information presented isn't considered libel (fitnah), which can jeopardise unity. It is also to ensure that writers are responsible and accountable for what they write."

He said the authorities would take action against owners of blogs and portals who failed to do so.

Najib said under the Communications and Multimedia Act and MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantees, there would be no filtering of the Internet.

However, through the implementation of self-regulatory measures, action would be taken against blog or portal owners who spread false and slanderous information, he added.

"The government, for instance, will not move to license news portals, as what has been done in a neighbouring country.

"However, to safeguard national harmony, the government will enforce laws to ensure that anyone attempting to create factionalism using race, religion, language or try to belittle the royal institution or subvert the democratic parliamentary system, will face action."

He said the country's media and news organisation landscape had evolved tremendously, with print and electronic media being complemented by online media.

"Media democracy and the freedom of expression have become a reality. We have witnessed the full use of new and traditional media in the 13th General Election."

Najib said the dissemination of false, slanderous and provocative information that incited hate in social media, which was prevalent during the polls by those who called themselves journalists, did not benefit anyone.

"This will bring a negative effect to the country's future, if it is allowed to persist."

He said it was undeniable that issues of democracy and freedom of speech were being debated by the people, which had resulted in a never-before-seen consequence called the "butterfly effect".

"The demand for freedom of speech is not only due to globalisation, but is also stimulated by greater access to the Internet and improved socio-economic and education status.

"Freedom of speech is important and will bring positive effects to the country's development, but any information presented to the masses must be accurate."

Najib said he believed that the key to success was for the people to reflect and ask themselves whether freedom of speech was suitable for their identities as Malaysians and moral values.

"It is not wrong to disagree and have different opinions. However, do we need for such differences to create distrust among us, which is against our culture?

"For democracy to function, the people and media practitioners must hold firm to their moral values."

Najib said differences in opinions must be within people's identities as Malaysians, and they must not allow it to make them distrustful.

He said being a developing country, Malaysia must also be creative and innovative in managing these new realities as the middle class had become more assertive in its demands for more discussions on government policies.

Najib urged media practitioners to highlight important issues such as unity and development, and that freedom of speech must be practised ethically and responsibly. "The people's voices and opinions are crucial in our aim to be a developed nation by 2020."

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

My Personal View

I am against this ruling. Why should we have to register and reveal our true identity? To reveal ourselves to spam, identity thefts and so on? This is crazy.

If you really want to go after those that posted racial remarks (mostly by Pro-BN Cyber Troopers) go ahead. There are many ways to do that. You can track the IP usage to ISP, and from ISP to their office/household.

You can get cooperation from web/blog hosting company to help you trace. You can also trace from cybercafes.

Having bloggers to register our identity is just crazy. I will not support this.

20130530 Brunei Oceanic Quest OWD Certification & Leisure Dive Trip

2013-06-06T14:14:00.001+08:00

Hello again. Yet another dive trip completed successfully. This time our dive group consist of 7 OWD learners and 9 Leisure Divers. 1 OWD didnt manage to complete her dive course due to her unable to grasp the “Mask Clearing”. Others was successfully certified and 3 leisure divers got their Nitrox certification as well.

In total we did 9 dives. wanted to do additional 2 dives on the first day but was unable to because of bad weather.

Went to my favourite WW2 wrecks and a new dive site i have not been to before, IceBox. We were even “interviewed” by a TV crew from Hong Kong on why we chose to dive in Brunei.

The food was REALLY REALLY GOOD.

Enough said… here’s some photos.

MEALS

Meals from Airasia

Kuala Lurah Malaysia (Sarawak) - Brunei Border Town

ok… i’ll come back with more food later.. here’s some photos taken underwater.

Cuttle Fish EGG!!

Burrowed Blue Spotted Stingray

Videos

Burrowed Stingray

Cute Pufferfish

Beautiful Bubbles

Cuttle Fish / Sotong

Moray Eel

Throttle Body Cleaning for 2012 Ford Fiesta 1.6 Sport Ti-VCT Automatic

2013-05-06T12:57:00.001+08:00

Its been awhile since there was any DIY projects on my side.

Recently my car’s fuel consumption has increased and car is not as smooth as before at low speeds. idle RPM also increased slightly.

Verdict after cleaning throttle body- much smoother ride… gear shifting at lower speeds improved a lot.. no more jerking.. overall rpm drop slightly. fuel consumption i will have to wait until i finish my full tank. (jst pump to full). however from what i feel and see, it will improve as well. i feel as if im driving a brand new car!

here is my step by step guide.

Step 1: Obviously buy a throttle body cleaner. I got mine at PH Auto in Seapark, PJ. RM22.50

Step 2: Locate Throttle Body

Step 3: Unscrew the air intake “hose”. you can use either Philips or flathead screwdriver.

Step 4: This is the throttle plate. notice the edges there is black dirt? thats the stuff u want to remove.

Step 5: Spray the throttle cleaner liquid around the edges of the throttle plate.. aka butterfly plate.

Step 6: slightly push the plate and spray at the edges of the plate. To be honest, this is not the correct method as you might damage the spring or cause confusion in the ECU. best way is to leave engine switched on (NOT STARTED) and have someone press on accelerator to turn the plate. but since i did this all myself… i just pushed the plate.

Step 7: let the oil react with the dirt for about 1 minute or so.. then wipe it off using a clean cloth.

THATS IT!!

Do note that immediately after doing this, it will be very difficult to start your engine. first time i start it died on me.

2nd time u start, press on accelerator while u start your engine. once started rev it for 2 seconds… after that the engine will remain unstable for awhile at idle (it is burning the excess oil u used to clean throttle body)

after 1 minute car is stable.

thats it. DIY completed in less than 5 minutes. and that includes the time i used to take photographs

this is the OBD2 reading after cleaning throtte body. sorry didnt think of taking one BEFORE cleaning.

Disclaimer, i will not be held responsible for any damage caused by this DIY. Do at your own risk. If you are uncomfortable with doing this, get a professional to do it for you at any car workshop or service centres.

20130513 NAUI Open Water Certification Course at Tioman Reef Divers

2013-03-19T12:31:00.001+08:00

Dear All, another year has passed since we dived in Tioman. My sister was planning to learn how to dive at tioman with another dive centre when i intercepted her and recommended Tioman Reef Divers instead, which is considered by many as one of the best dive centres in Tioman (NAUI).

So we went to Tioman Reef Divers. I volunteered to drive and she pay for my meals.. hehe.. i don’t mind at all.

Route (TO)

Initially we planned to take LEKAS highway then Route 11 but because we had to pick up my sister’s diving buddy (also new learner) the GPS routed us to ELITE highway and then NSE and exit at senawang. From Senawang join up to Route 11 and all the way to Kuala Rompin where we stayed a night at Hotel Seri Malaysia.

This is the route taken, distance travelled 332km, at average speed of 28km/h (i didnt realize average speed is so slow… LOL… not much traffic… but on highways i maintained speed not exceeding 120km/h

Route (Return)

This time when we reach TG Gemuk Jetty at 8am the next day, we were told the ferry leaves at 11am (WTF? the ticket i booked was 830am!) anyhow, was told the next ferry from mersing is at 10am… which is still acceptable compared to 11am… so we travelled to mersing jetty… and was immediately allowed to board the 9:00am ferry (thats odd.. was told it was 10am?)

Anyhow, here is our return route. we stopped by Kuala Pilah for dinner.

We used the same route as the one we came. Total distance travelled 420km with average speed of 5km/h… ok… i know whats wrong now. the time is a bit haywire because i merged the Tg Gemuk –> Mersing route in the return route resulting in 3days journey… thus the super low average speed.

OK.. having said all those… Lets start off with some scenery…

Neemo

Barracuda

White Banded Sea Snake

Rays, Lion Fish & Flounder Fish

Sea Cucumber and its… ummm… you know la…

Spanish Dancer & School of Parrot Fish

MISC… me at Treadmill Underwater

NAUI Scuba Diver Certification Course

(Watching the videos. at this stage they are… ????? extremely confused)

Meals

Satisfied & Happy Students [Most Important]
Disclaimer: Some photos used here is taken by Akemi of Tioman Reef Divers.

An Actual Boat Dive at Renggis, Tioman Island with the new NAUI Scuba Divers

20130126 Diving in Sipadan with Seaventures

2013-01-31T06:59:00.001+08:00

OK.. here is my report on my dive in sipadan island and its surrounding islands such as kapalai and mabul.

I am writing this blog entry directly from seaventures dive rig. Really windy here and i am really enjoying writing this blog entry with all the strong winds.

Travel

First we flew with AirAsia from LCCT to Tawau, and from there a taxi to tawau town and spend a night there.

Then next day morning at 7am Seaventures arranged their van to pick us up from hotel to go their dive centre at semporna before proceeding to go jetty. From jetty direct speed boat to Seaventures Dive Rig.

Dive 1 (Day 1)- House Reef (Orientation)

This dive is basically an orientation and refresher dive for us. a short 20 minutes dive around the house reef (Under the dive rig) for us to get to know the house reef in case we want to do any optional additional dives (unlimited free, but depending on your surface intervals) at the house reef.

Here is some photos taken at house reef.

Dive 2 (Day 1)- Mabul Paradise 1

This is a nice dive.. but lots and lots of rubbish.. look at the amount of trash i took back with me using the rubbish mesh bag compliments from Scuba Amigo..

Saw sea horse, NEMO EGGS!! Mandarin Fish…

Dive 3 (Day 1 Night Dive)- House Reef

Night Dive.. first time went night dive with a DM.. but just dont get out from the rig area will do.

Not difficult to navigate.

Dive 4, 5 & 6 (Day 2)- Sipadan

Muahahahahaaa.. SIPADAN ISLAND.. saw even more stuff… have a pictures speak a thousand words.. have a look at what i saw..

here is a video of bumphead parrot fish going into formation…

Here is a closeup of Jack Fish vortex with a small reef shark trying to blend in but got chased away :)

Puffer Fish happily feasting on something..

Dive 7 (Day 2 Night Dive)- House Reef

2nd Night Dive.. this time we saw lion fish, leaf fish, crabs, and a half eaten fish..

Dive 8 (Day 3)- Kapalai

Dive 9 (Day 3)- Lobster Wall

Dive 10 (Day 3)- Pahlawan Reef

A very enjoyable dive indeed.

Dive group: Me, Kenneth, Julie, Yim.

How to Install Papago M9 for Android with Malaysia Map

2012-12-24T00:00:00.001+08:00

ok.. i previously posted guides on how to install garmin on old symbian OS and papago X5 on android.. and now, here is how to do so to install papago M9 on android devices.
I tested this and it works on my Unrooted Stock ROM Samsung Note 2 International version (N7100) running on Jellybeans 4.1.1
First thing first, you need to download this 2 files.
File 1: WinRAR to extract the files because i used WinRAR to compress the files.
http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm
You do not need this if u know how to extract RAR files.
File 2: Program Files.
[Link Removed]
File 3: Map Files (updated to MFM 5th December 2012 map data, latest version at the time of this guide writting)
http://www.mediafire.com/?qt2monusjz6zawa
Step 1 : extract File 2 and File 3
Step 2 : Copy the map (The entire “MFM-PPG-X8-X9-121205” folder from File 3) into NaviSEA\Maps (From File 2)
Step 3 : Copy the entire folder NaviSEA into the root directory of your android phone’s internal storage (root not meaning rooted phones, but the base of the internal storage)
Step 4 : Browse to the NaviSEA directory from your phone. you can use the “my files” application or other 3rd party file explorer application such as root explorer (which is the one i used)
Step 5 : Run the application Navitotal! M9SEA.apk.
You might need to allow the phone to install from non-market apps. To do so, go to settings –> Security->Unknown Sources
thats it. if you find the screen funny you may want to install the second file, M9SEA v2.0.apk
do note, that for my phone, the resolution is a bit out, such as the screen shot below:

You will need additional resolution files. for example, in my case, the Samsung note 2 which uses resolution of 1280x720 and 720x1280. You can get the resolution files here: http://goo.gl/tmROh

Thats it! if you ever need to update your map, just go to http://www.malfreemaps.com

Hari Raya Dive 2012 @Tioman with Tioman Reef Divers

2012-08-21T10:48:00.001+08:00

Its been 2 years since i last dived in Tioman, and decided to try a new route driving to Tg Gemuk (Tioman Jetty), via LEKAS Highway, then through Senawang, Kuala Pilah, Bahau and finally Rompin (Pahang) where we spent a night at Hotel Seri Malaysia Rompin (before going to Tg Gemuk Jetty)

Total Distance : 397.70km, Traveling Time: 6 hours 38 minutes and 9 seconds.
Average Speed: 60km/h.

We wanted to go Mersing to purchase some sea salted and dried sea products, which Mersing is famous for, thus we took the kluang route.

Total Distance : 415.1km (and this distance is to PJ, not from Shah Alam which the “to” route covers).
Traveling Time : 9hours 10minutes 3seconds, Average Speed : 45km/h

OK.. having said all that, I’m very excited to show all of you these photos..

SPANISH DANCER! There is a video of this one at the bottom of the page.

Disclaimer : This puffer fish is already puffed up when we saw it. We do not know who harrassed it or was it just shocked to see or torch lights (Night Dive). Anyhow, there is a video of this fish at the bottom of this blog.

There is a video of this squid at the bottom of this blog. Disclaimer : This squid was not harassed. it was feeding when we found it.

Next, some scenery underwater..

Next, FOOD…

And finally, some videos!

Puffer Fish.. Disclaimer: It was already puffed when we saw it. We did not harass it.

Spanish Dancer…

Cuttle Fish

Hermit Crab.. really cute one..

Ford Fiesta 2011 HB Rear Car Seat DIY MOD to make it more comfortable

2012-07-21T15:50:00.001+08:00

Hello everyone..

I am proud to present all of you on my latest DIY for my 2011 Ford Fiesta 1.6 HB Rear Seat Head Rest.

I am not sure about you guys, but i find the car seat head rest really uncomfortable, and received complaints from family and friends.

Initially, i just simply removed the head rest.. after awhile, friends commented it is also not comfortable without a head rest.. So after a week of planning, and 5 minutes of my time.. i completed the DIY.

Here is what i did.

Step 1: Remove the cover. It is just a simple clip there.

Step 2: Pull up the cover to reveal the sponge

Step 3: Cut the bottom sponge away. Be careful not to cut too high as there is a metal piece inside. i cut around 60mm or 6cm.

Step 4: Pull back the cushion cover and place it back to the rear seat. Then adjust it to a comfortable height.

VIOLA! thats it!!

201207 PC Fair

2012-07-15T02:12:00.001+08:00

Here we are again.. Another PC Fair.. A good chance for me to practise photography before my upcoming 2 wedding dinner photo-shoot.

But to be honest, i am rather disapointed with this PC Fair event. not only has the exhibitor reduced, most of the big players is not present.. Also, the usual “PC Guru” is missing.. and compared the previous PC Fair i attended in 2011, the models or promoters is reduced to 10% of its former glory.

I did not see Asus, Intel and many more.

Anyhow, here is the few photo i manage to shoot.

This is really amazing.. the guy is sketching the lady’s portrait on Samsung Note, with what he is sketching displayed on the TV.. VERY impressive.

First time see Ricoh at PC Fair.. about time too..

Diving in Brunei- With Oceanic Quest

2012-05-23T21:17:00.001+08:00

May 17th, 2012.. here we go again.. another dive trip. this time, to Brunei.

As usual went with my dive buddies, Julie Lee, Lena Lee & Kenneth Sia.

To be honest, i never heard of Diving in Brunei, and was pretty much sceptical about it.. saw them at a booth during MIDE, saw great awesome photographs.. and the dive instructors told us 2 things and that convinced me.
1. Its still pretty much a virgin site and most people never even heard of brunei as a country for diving. Thus, fish is more curious about you, and tend to be friendly and not swim away unless you get too close.
2. World War 2 Wrecks! American Wreck and Australian Wreck.. around 30 meters.

And i am not disappointed. I am trully trilled and enjoyed my stay there.. except some minor hickups regarding weight belts, which both the partners apologized..

Here is the link to their website, if anyone’s interested. http://www.oceanic-quest.com/

Now, regarding my photographs, Instead of having my photos listed out one by one.. i’ll just list them out categorized

ow, timeNudibranch & Other Close Up or Macro Shots..

Anemone Fish / Clown Fish

Shrimps.. Crabs.. Urchins.. Star Fish..

Schools of Fish..

Corals

Unique Fishes (Lion Fish, Stone Fish, Razor Fish, Trumpet Fish, Puffer Fish, etc..)

Shipwreck Photos, including live AA gun ammo from WW2 shipwreck

Videos..

Fish at American Wreck

Barracuda at American Wreck

Fish Highway

My New Ride.. Ford Fiesta Sport 1.6L Ti-VCT

2012-04-22T22:21:00.001+08:00

Here it is.. my brand new ride.. The Ford Fiesta Sport 1.6L Ti-VCT Chili Orange..

Before I proceed with the actual photographs of my Chili Orange Fiesta, here’s the spec.

And the Extended Service Plan is REALLY GOOD..

Here’s my car herself..

I am SUPER satisfied with this car.. and i absolutely LOVE driving her.. if you ask me, this is the best “value for money” and much better than local cars.. HIGHLY recommended.

Papago Z1 On the Road Review..

2012-02-28T22:49:00.001+08:00

Ok.. so I have been using this beautiful Papago Z1 for 5 days now.. here’s what i have to say.

Before I start, let me explain a little bit of my background with GPS.. i first started to use GPS on my Nokia N95 smartphone, using Mapking, and eventually Garmin Mobile XT. i even wrote a guide on how to install MapKing and Garmin Mobile XT previously.

I then upgraded my phone to Nokia 5800, with obviously Garmin Mobile XT, and occasionally Nokia Maps. It was around this time i bought myself the Garmin Nuvi 205w when i was on vacation in Taiwan. So, yes, I am rather pro-Garmin guy and only recently got my hands on Papago devices. Having only Garmin 205w to compare the device with, i will be making comparisons here and there..

For those who are new to my blog, here’s my post on me unboxing the unit..
http://www.haroldchia.com/2012/02/unboxing-papago-z1-south-east-asia.html

OK.. lets start with the device.. Start up time is rather slow.. about 7 seconds, compared to my obsolete Garmin 205w. Next, SATELITE LOCK IS SOOOOOO SLOOOWWW… and i am not talking about initial lock.. even this morning, 5th day of using this papago in same area, took 30 seconds to get a satellite lock! it will normally take my garmin 205w longest 10 seconds to get a lock.

In my opinion, this is where Papago looses out to Garmin.. even loosing to a 3 year old Garmin Nuvi 205w.. Device Start up and satellite is VERY important for a GPS unit.. but papago isnt that bad.. it is slow, but still way faster than most of the CHINA GPS branded units out there..

Next.. the interface.. I must say.. Papago has a very different interface compared to Garmin.. Papago is more.. umm.. matured.. compared to cartoon-ic garmin.. but it depends on personal taste.. some likes papago interface some prefer garmin.

Although i prefer to cartoon interface, i simply love this screen.. has everything i need on display.. estimated time of arrival, distance remaining, travel time remaining.. u get this too in garmin, but only 1.. u have to choose which one you want..

papago with junction view..

Some other screens..

“Travel Computer” & “POIs Nearby”

Another version of “junction view”

Ok.. overall, the Papago is comparable to Garmin.. it has some pros and cons.. However, to me, besides satellite lock and boot up time, the MOST IMPORTANT THING, is the mapset.

Garmin uses Malsingmaps (MSM) where-else Papago uses Malfreemaps (MFM). Malfreemaps is by far much better than Malsingmaps in terms on POIs and new area availability (MFM maps covers much more areas compared to MSM)

MFM does have maps for garmin.. but garmin does not allow junction views to be enabled on non MSM users or non South East Asian Garmin unit (i’m using taiwanese unit.. it is so much cheaper there).. so it really sucks.. i have been using MFM on my garmin for a long time, but no junction view..

so here i am, using papago.. happy to have the more up-to-date MFM map and junction views on my unit..

Papago Z1 is a great unit.. and the mapping community behind the map is great and supportive.. (http://www.malfreemaps.com).. i would say, i do not regret buying this GPS PND.

Unboxing the Papago Z1, South East Asia Edition

2012-02-25T21:45:00.001+08:00

It has been a great day! I saw a promotion on the internet, the a promotion (Pre-launch) to purchase the new Papago Z1 at RM488, instead of it’s RRP of RM599. If anyone’s interested, here is the link:
http://www.m3shoppe.com/m3gps/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&product_id=9654&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=26

Before i start, here’s the promotion brochure.

And, here is the specifications..

Processor : SiRF Atlas-V, ARM11 500MHz Dual Core CPU
Memory : 128Mb DDR2 RAM, 4Gb Flash
OS : Microsoft Windows CE 6.0
Display : Touch Screen, 5” TFT LCD, 480 x 272 pixel
GPS : SiRF
Antenna : Patch Antenna
Battery : 1,500mAH Rechargeable Li0Polymer Battery
Car Charger : Input 12V DC, Output 5V, 1.5A
Dimension : 130 x 85 x 15 mm
Weight : 194g
Car Mount : YES
Memory Slot : Micro SD

What is in the Box?

1 x Unit of PAPAGO! Z1
1 x Vehicle Suction Mount
1 x Car Charger
1 x USB Cable
1 x User Manual
Preloaded with PAPAGO! X9 Navigational Software, 5 country maps including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia

Alright, here’s the condition i received it.. via GD Express. i had the parcel delivered to my office..

Nice, they even wrapped it with bubble foam..

OK.. here is the items included in the box.. just as they said on the website..
1. Car suction mount- checked.
2. Papago Factory Backup Disk + Digital Manual in CD- checked.
3. USB Cable- checked.
4. Car Charger- checked.
5. Warranty Card- checked.
6. Quick Start Guide- checked
7. Stylus- checked (although i have no idea where to slot this in, on the PND.. there isnt any “hole” for the stylus
8. PAPAGO Z1 PND- checked.

I noticed there is a warning sticker on the PND, asking me to let it charge at least for 10 minutes before i first use it.. SOOOO.. alright, plugged in the unit into my PC’s USB slot and let it charge..

Thats all for now.. more on actual usage and a review of its X9 interface..

Thaipusam, Batu Caves, Malaysia, Year 2012

2012-02-07T18:39:00.001+08:00

I have spent the half of yesterday, thinking should I go to Batu Caves or should I not, just for the sake of taking photographs of devote hindu disciples pay their respect to their god.. SO finally.. i decided to go, with a good friend of mine.

Woke up at 530am, met up with friend at 6am, had breakfast at McDonalds and made our way to Batu Caves.. Reached there around 650am, there was a big jam there.. ALREADY.. THIS EARLY.. manage to secure a place to park my car on the fly over bridge about 5 minutes walk away from the temple.

So here is some of the photographs i shot..

Now.. for those taken with my 2nd camera, my faithful Point and Shoot.. for wide angle photos..

And finally.. THIS.. had a free “cold sample” before i called it a day and left..

Now.. want to share a photo with all of you.. sometimes, i feel ashamed to be called a photographers, because of these in-humane, in-polite and no respect for religion photographers.. the poor dude was carrying such heavy thing.. and needs to sit for a rest.. the moment he sits down.. FUIYOH.. all this idiots rush to him to shoot.. poor guy.. it must have been painful.. This is why photographers is banned in so many places.. because of these guys..

And then on my way out, i see 3 police tow trucks happily towing cars away.. odd, because you do not see them towing away cars at certain places of worship and during certain time and certain day.. and FRU unit on standby..

And next.. videos..

Thaipusam Video 1

Thaipusam Video 2

Thaipusam Video 3

Thaipusam Video 4

How to Root Motorola Razr after Updating to 65.1.21.XT910.PSHAsiaRetail.en.03

2012-01-25T10:36:00.001+08:00

Note: This is ONLY for XT910 variants. Flash at your own risk. If you brick the phone, it is a risk you have to bear. We will not be held responsible. DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Reference: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1457622
Reference: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1347767
Reference: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1341578
Method by: almstag (XDA-Developers Forum)

This is what happened to me.. i purchased a brand new Motorola Razr XT910.. and soon after that, before i even rooted the device.. i did the OTA update.. BIG MISTAKE.. turns out the new firmware 65.1.21.xt910 cannot be rooted.

So the only way, at least as I am writing this guide, is to downgrade, root, protect root, and revert back to 65.1.21.xt910.

So here is a guide from almstag, of XDA-Developers forum, which is the guy who’s post helped me root my phone.

First, you will need some files.. download these in advance.

1. Moto Helper
http://www.motorola.com/staticfiles/Support/Experiences/Global_Drivers/MotoHelper_2.0.53_Driver_5.2.0.exe

2. RSD
http://www.datafilehost.com/download-70528f54.html

3. Fastboot File: Download SPDREM_U_01.6.5.1-73_SPU-11-PASS-10_SIGNEuropeAustraliaEMEA_USASPDRRTGB_HWp2b_Servi ce1FF_fastboot.xml.zip
http://www.multiupload.com/T012AX9PKH

4. ROM for Razr Asia Recovery
http://www.multiupload.com/8XIEU8V4QY

5. Root Files (DooMLoRD_v4_ROOT-zergRush-busybox-su.zip)
http://www.mediafire.com/?sdkqc4jjt2o6iq5

6. Razr Bootstrap Recovery
http://www.mediafire.com/?3b8ka26kk2zpw5l

Lets Start with Downgrading via Fast Boot
OK.. currently there is no Fastboot for 65.1.21.XT910.PSHAsiaRetail.en.03, so we are going to do, is to flash Europe’s Fastboot file 651.73.23.xt910.retail.en.eu to your phone.

Step 1: Flash the 651.73.23.xt910.retail.en.eu to Your Phone
1.1 Boot your phone into AP Fast Boot Mode
Switch off your phone, then hold to the power key + Volume Down + Volume Up
You should get something like this

1.2 Connect your phone to your PC Via USB cable
1.3 Flash the firmware into your phone

Step 2: Root your phone..
2.1 Extract the Root files you downloaded earlier (DoomLord)
2.2 Enable debugging mode on your phone
Go to Settings->Applications->Development->[Tick USB debugging]
2.3 Connect your phone to PCl
2.4 Set USB connection to “Charge Only”
2.5 Run the “Runme.bat” from Doomlord’s file
2.6 Thats it.. your phone is now rooted.

Step 3: Bootstrap Recovery
3.1 Install Razr Bootstrapper (APK) to your phone.
You will need to copy this APK file to your phone’s SD card
3.2 Copy the Razr Asia Recovery.zip to your phone’s SD card
3.3 Run Razr Bootstrapper
3.4 Select “Bootstrap Recovery”
Superuser will prompt for permissions
3.5 Select “Reboot Recovery”
3.5.1 The phone will reboot into Clockworkmod Recovery
3.5.2 Select “Install zip from SD Card”
3.5.3 Flash the software
If you are unable to complete this step, please skip to the last part.. because i encounter “installation aborted” error

Step 4: Preserve your Root
4.1 Install from market Voodoo OTA Rootkeeper
4.2 Backup the Root
4.3 Unroot
4.4 Install the 65.1.21.XT910 update (OTA)
4.5 Use Voodoo OTA Rootkeeper to restore root

DONE~!

Ok.. now for the difficult part. What if you encounter problem at step 3. I encountered installation aborted error message. No matter how many times i try, i still get that error message.

Thanks to almstag from XDA-Developers forum, he taught me what to do.

1. Download this stock ROM
http://www.4shared.com/zip/K5sSRyU7/RAZR-651_73-spd-ird-12.html

2. Make a folder on your ext-sd and name it “clockworkmod”

3. Go to clockworkmod, and make a new folder inside it, named “backup”

4. Extract the downloaded 6.5.1_73-spd-ird-12 into the backup folder (ext-sd\clockworkmod\backup)

5. Run Razr Bootstrap on your phone and go to recovery

6. Scroll down into “backup & restore”

7. Restore 2011-12-23.11.43.29

8. After complete, wipe cache, and then reboot.

DONE! you can now proceed with step 4.

Papago X5 SGMY for Android (Tested on Motorola Droid Razr- Ginger 2.3.5)

2012-01-20T21:00:00.001+08:00

Root NOT Required.. did this on my phone, and it is not rooted.
Hey guys.. Having the opportunity to use this great GPS application (was installed on my phone by the phone shop, i must say, it makes a very good back up GPS navigation software if my primary GPS device have problem..
But one day, me and my itchy hands, went to perform a hard reset on my phone.. and i had to install everything from the scratch. Good learning curve too.. after spending several hours looking through the internet, and combining several tricks from different sites, i came up with the best method i have so far..
Sorry i didn’t make this guide with images to make the installation easier.. i have yet to find a suitable screen capture app on Android that doesn’t require root.. I do not want to root my device and expose it to potential system failures and malware attacks.
Tools & Software RequirementDisclaimer: this guide is written for Ginger 2.3.x devices. It may or may not work for other devices. Do so at your own risk. Do not come to me if you damage or brick your phone by following this guide.
Step 1: Download this file from the net:
1.1. Papago X5 for Android.zip [Link Removed]
1.2. Papago X5 for Android.z01 [Link Removed]
Copy both this file into the same folder, and extract the contents from Papago X5 for Android.zip
Step 2: Determine your Android Device Screen Resolution. For example, my Motorola Razr Screen Resolution is 540X960. (if you do not know your device’s screen resolution, go to your manufacturer’s website and search for the screen resolution.
Step 3: Go to the folder where you extracted the “Papago X5 for Android.zip” file.
3.1. Go to the folder \NaviSEA\Organic. You will see there are many folders with different screen resolution.
3.2. If your screen resolution is not stated there, find one that matches it exactly, and ‘copy-paste’ it within the same folder. It should come out something like “480X854 - Copy” and rename it to your screen resolution. For my case, it is 540X960.
Remember, choose the nearest resolution folder and make sure the resolution is smaller than your screen resolution.
3.3. Do the same thing for the folders within CHT, EN, IND, MY.
Step 4: From your phone, go to market (or some call it Google Market).. and download the software “Spareparts+” and install it on your phone.
Step 5: In your phone’s settings, make sure you enable the option to install applications from others source other than market.
Step 6: Connect your Android to your PC via USB cable, for me i used PC mode, and copy the folder “NaviSEA” and the file “PAPAGO_X5SEA_0806_WWEMarket.apk” into the root of your SD Card.
Step 7: Disconnect your android device from your PC. Use any “file explorer” softwares out in market.
Step 8: Browse to the root of your SD Card and run the “PAPAGO_X5SEA_0806_WWEMarket.apk” file. DO NOT RUN THE APPLICATION JUST YET.
Step 9: Run “Spareparts +” which you installed in step 4. Under Compatibility Mode, Tick it and restart your phone.
If it is already ticked, untick it, restart your phone. Then tick it again.
Step 10: Go to the PAPAGO X5 from apps, and run it. it should be able to run.

Note 1: If the application exit on its own, then go back to spareparts and untick the compatibility, and restart phone again.. then run papago x5 to see if it works.
Note 2: If the application complaints something about resolution, that means you did not do step 3 properly.. go and do it properly.
DONE~! Enjoy your Papago X5.

AND, yes, i am aware that the screen looks abit odd.. this is because papago X5 is a rather old navigation software for android, and not meant to be used in the more modern android devices with larger screens.. thus it looks weird. You can however install the later versions, but i never tried it. Papago X5 works well and it is perfect as a back up navigator.
I might come out with a guide to update the map later on.. when i have the time..

Malaysia Today..

2011-12-12T09:13:00.001+08:00

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Putra_Mosque_3370297490_e805040863.jpg

Malaysia is a multiracial country with Islam being the official religion, with approximately 64% of its population Muslims..

In the early seventh century, Arabian traders including the “Sahabas” preached in Malay Archipelago, Indo-China and China, but was not widely accepted. Islam was brought to Malay Peninsula by Indian Muslim traders in the 12th Century, where the first Malay Ruler, Sultan Muzaffar Shah the first, converted to Islam after being introduced to it by Indian traders. Even the first sultan and founder of the Malacca state, Parameswara was converted to Islam after marrying a princess from Pasai (currently part of Indonesia) and changed his name to Sultan Megat Iskandar Shah.

Malaysians were generally a harmonious community with tolerance among religions such as Buddhist, Christians, Taoist, Sikhs, and many more..

But recently, the Islamic religion became more and more aggressive with less tolerance to other religion..

Although Islam on itself is not a bad religion, it teaches us all to be kind to each other, compassionate, to pursue science and technology.. to be tolerant towards other religion and culture. But it is the followers that are bringing havoc, and their deadly interpretation of the Quran (the bible for Muslims).

I would not touch on Islam activities outside of Malaysia, just by looking at Malaysia, there are people throwing Cow heads at Hindu temples (Cow is considered holy to Hindus), demolishing Hindu or Buddhist temples just to build Islamic Mosques at the same grounds. There is even cases where Buddhist temple have to use the Islamic symbolic “Onion shaped roof” in their temple or risk being demolished in Klang, Selangor.

Where is the tolerance that the religion teaches?

Things get worse when Politicians start to use it for leverage in their political career.. Do they not see, using the Religion card and the Racial cards, will bring in-stability to the country? From what i read from local news, online news, I can see there are more extremist in Malaysia now compared to 10 years ago.. and even more so compared to my father’s days in the 60s and 70s.

Is Malaysia trying to mimic Indonesia, in their famous blood bath riots? Indonesia has learned it’s lesson and is now growing fast.. And Malaysia is becoming more and more backward..

The arrogance of the ruling party is appalling.. Trying everything to secure more votes in the upcoming election.. Dirty tactics such as attacking the opposition leader’s son using a photo of a foreign chess champion which is widely distributed on the internet. Come on, do you think we are dumb?

What makes me sad, is our Prime Minister can’t seem to keep his deputy prime minister in control.. the DPM keep making racist remarks and later call for tolerance in the society. The Prime Minister himself trying to improve his image with Facebook accounts, iPhone application and even the 1Malaysia concept, meant to bring harmony and better tolerance among culture and religion, but says the opposite things during UMNO assembly. Publicly showing his snake tongue.

There are photographs and other reports of the ruling party allowing large numbers of illegal immigrants to become citizens of Malaysia, YES, citizens and not PR holders.. as long as they vow to vote for ruling party in the next election. This has been practised for many years in east Malaysia (look at the number of Philipina in Kota Kinabalu) and you will understand. Now this is being practised in West Malaysia as well.

Even Muslims from Indonesia, upon registering, becomes BUMIPUTRA immediately.. the chinese, indian and other ethnic races has been in Malaysia for so many years, some even 4 or 5 generations, was not offered Bumiputra, but those new immigrants are granted just because they embrace Islam as a religion.

All this is never published by mainstream media, which is controlled by the ruling parties. Where is the freedom of speech?

The last time Malaysia held a rally, the famous “Bersih 2.0”, the ruling party came down on it really strong, having closing almost all major highways and roads leading into the city centre for a week! a week before the rally.. why? there certainly isn’t any reason for the road blocks, perhaps 1 day before, but not 1 week, causing havoc and heavy jam on the roads.

Police permits was not issued, but was later issued to similar rally by Islamic groups and an extreme racist organization, which ought to be put in jail by ISA a long time ago for inciting racist remarks and provoking racial riots.

To be honest, I do not have much faith in the opposition ruling the country, i even voted for the ruling party in the last election, based on the performance of the representative in my residential area. But looking at all these recent developments, I have lost ALL faith in the ruling party and will not hesitate to give the opposition a chance to prove itself. It can’t be worse than it is today, with all the corruptions that is draining the country’s reserves dry.

Look at the states run by opposition, they have mass reserves in the bank in just 2 years from last election.. Being able to have reserves and projects to improve the lives of people within the state, this means a lot compared to other states ruled by ruling party, with less projects but reserves getting less and less.. Where is the reserves going to?

There are cases where GLCs which is supposed to breed cows, end up investing in Condominiums in Bangsar. True, the investment may be a good investment, but the point is, the organization is meant to breed cows, which is far from achieving their targets. I would understand them spending to bring in experts in bovine breeding, or in improving their facilities, but certainly not property investments, posh cars for the directors.

Why not let the opposition have a go with the Country? They did a good job in states, I am sure they can do so in the country as well.

Note: This is purely my thoughts and I am not linked to any political party or religion. I am just an Ordinary Citizen of Malaysia, voicing his concerns.

First Trip with Colleagues.. Taipei, Taiwan Part 3..

2011-11-19T11:25:00.001+08:00

OK.. next.. Morning breakfast.. cannot resist.. must eat this.. Oyster Noodles!

Next, we went to the Gangster’s Paradise in Taipei, 万华! and lets start by the famous 龙山寺

龙山寺

Psst psst.. There are cute girls too..

Next, we went to Taipei 101!! We walked our way through the shopping markets that interlinks with Taipei 101..

And of course from time to time, we are on the surface..

Finally, we arrived.. Taipei 101!!

Taipei 101

To be honest, I am getting tired of detailing our trip.. here’s some remaining photos

Saw a police Operation? I wonder who they are raiding..

More coming.. stay tuned for Part 3.. and the final part..

First Trip with Colleagues.. Taipei, Taiwan- Part 1

2011-11-07T22:49:00.001+08:00

Hello.. This is my first vacation trip with my new colleagues from Panasonic..

And our first destination, is to Taipei, via Malaysia Airlines..

Upon landing, we proceed to catch a bus from Taoyuan International Airport (桃园国际机场), to Taipei City. Came down at 承德路 before catching Taxi to my grandparent’s house in 三重市.

Grandpa's House

Our first dinner in Taipei.. YangChun Noodles (阳春面) and Shui Jiao (水饺)

at San Chong’s Night Market (三重夜市)

三重夜市

Next.. BREAKFAST!

Next, we continued making our way to the bus stop to catch a bus to taipei bus station.. along the way, we saw this notice for filming.. if only i am here earlier, could have kepoh and shoot..

Next, we reach taipei bus station.. GIRLS, CHECK THIS OUT!! can buy ur makeup here.. there is at least 5 vending machines here with different type of make up!

And toilets is very clearly indicated.. there is an arrow on the floor every 10 meters..

First up.. 中正纪念堂

中正纪念堂

Also met some very interesting tourist from other countries.. Philippines?

Some american tourist, me taking photographs with Stanley..

The guard that doesn’t move..

The whole team..

More coming…

A Very Happy Day..

2011-10-16T00:37:00.001+08:00

It has been a GREAT day today, seeing 2 very dear friends of mine, tying the knot and beginning their next stage of life.

I had the pleasure of seeing CW glancing at KW from time to time in the office, when KW first join. Took him awhile before he gathered the courage to introduce himself. I can remember it very clearly, it was in my hotel room, during Ricoh’s Service Ambassador Meeting in Kuantan. At that time, almost everyone was in my room drinking beer, eating peanuts. KW was playing UNO with us. I noticed CW glancing at her from time to time, then finally taking the courage to sit down by the bed to introduce himself to her, which was followed by a romantic stroll on the beach and mountain tracking the next day.

After the event in Kuantan, in the office, i can still remember CW finding reasons to be near KW.. taking up call avoidance just to be near KW (Call Avoidance Desk is very near KW’s desk)

To be honest, when I first joined Ricoh, I do not like CW. I found him to be a Mr. Know-it-all.. But after a few weeks, I found that he is a great guy, knowledgeable in his field and willing to help people when they need assistance.

KW on the other hand, for some reason, from the moment she joined Ricoh, i found it very easy to talk with. She became my listening ear as I release all my frustration when my relationship with my ex is not going smooth, and when I was thinking of how to tackle girls (my current girlfriend). I can still remember seeking your advice on what to give her..

Together with William, we had some great memories.. having lunch together almost everyday, and not to mention DOTA sessions at burger king, McDonald's, William’s house, CW’s house, KW’s house and also my house. These are really sweet memories, of which I will always cherish.

To CW & KW, I wish both of you, only the very best. Congratulations!

Scuba Symphony Facebook Underwater Photo Contest- September 2011

2011-10-02T17:52:00.001+08:00

Hey Guys!

For the first time, I have won something on the Internet for Photography.. Although I only got a Consolation Prize, the feeling is still good.

The competition is organized by Scuba Symphony, via Facebook, the “Scuba Symphony Facebook Underwater Photo Contest- September 2011” with the theme ‘Clown Fish’.

There is a total of 6 entries, 1 got the 1st prize while the other 4 got the consolation prize.. I know.. almost everyone got a prize.. but the feeling is still good.

I just sent the organizers the High Resolution photo for verification. I wonder what is the consolation prize..

For this photography competition, participants post their photograph on the facebook page, make a donation to “Project Aware” (any sum will do) and the photograph with the most “LIKES” will win.

There is one participant which went out of their way to publish a touching story on why she wants to win this competition, which generated a lot of “LIKES”.. i’m not complaining, because her photograph is really nice.

But there is another participant which actually cheated by creating lots of “FAKE” accounts just to “LIKE” his photograph, and to win the competition. He succeeded in winning.. It is sad the organizer didn’t look into the issue of the cheating.. However, the organizer did comment saying from next month’s competition onwards, they will be the ones to judge the photographs and not through “LIKES”.

Alright, having said that, this is the photograph I entered into the competition.

This is the First Prize Winner’s Photograph:
Yes, the one with the ‘cheat to win’ guy.. WaiSang Ooi

Here’s the other winning entries:
The one with the 2nd most votes, Sharmine Lee

Next, Davide Lopresti’s entry.. Personally, my favourite. I seriously think this is the best photo among all participants..

Next, Steven Sim. The photo is rather good as well..

Lastly, the entry that didn’t win anything.. (perhaps because he did not make the required donation to “Project Aware”.

Disclaimer: All photographs used here is not my photographs, except for the first photo. All Rights remain with the respective Photographers.

Here is the link to the competition FACEBOOK page..
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=229369407077037

My MANGO UPDATE!!

2011-09-28T07:10:00.001+08:00

This morning, I received 3 Updates! Not 1, but 3!

This is rather interesting and very exciting!

Update 1: ‘Update for Windows Phone 7 for ISV beta (7720)’

After that the phone went on to search for Additional Updates:

Then it found it.. Update 2: ‘Mango ISV beta Bundle: Cleanup’

and just as i was getting happy, a 3rd UPDATE!!

It is simply AMAZING!

Currently, my phone information is as below:
Model: LG LG-E900
Carrier: OPEN
Software: Windows Phone 7.5
Total Storage: 14.94 GB
Available Storage: 7.31 GB
OS Version: 7.10.7720.68 (previously i was on 7712)
Firmware revision number: 1.0.6.10
Hardware revision number: 1.0.0.0
Radio Software version: 1.0.6.10
Radio Hardware version: 0.3.5.0
Bootloader version: 1.5.1.0
Chip SsOC version: 0.30.2.0

WhatsApp for WP7 is close to come.. Beta Version Available..

2011-09-23T11:45:00.002+08:00

After waiting for some time now, whatsapp is confirmed here.
There is also leaked beta which some people grabbed it from its private beta (download only made available to selected few..
Here’s some screen shots of it on WP7..

Note: This is not my photo.. took it from the web (www.mobiletechworld.com)
After using the beta for a few days, besides being laggy (its still beta, what do you expect?), the toast notifications and live tile works great! really looking forward to its full release in marketplace.
For those who can sideload apps, you can get the XAP file here: http://www.mediafire.com/?xnmxhktj6sk46w9

Videos taken at Perhentian Island, Underwater..

2011-09-11T16:52:00.001+08:00

Fimbriated Moray

Brownstripe Snapper.. why is it brownstripe? beats me.. looks yellow to me.. according to reef fish ID book, its brownstripe..

Perhentian’s Famous 3-legged Green Turtle..

Hari Raya & Merdeka Day Dive- Perhentian Island.. yet again..

2011-09-06T07:20:00.001+08:00

Here we are again, Perhentian Island. Can’t get enough of diving for myself..

Here’s some photographs I shot..

Mombasa Lionfish Fimbriated Moray

Long-Beaked Coral Fish

OKAY, at this point, im getting lazy to ID all the fish.. so here is the rest of them..

Nudi Branch..

Anemone Fish (aka Nemo or Clown Fish)

Green Turtle

Our Dive Master attacked by Titan Triggerfish..

Others…

Overall, damn enjoyable..