PRESSED FOR TIME

IOS 5 coming?

2011-09-26T13:44:00.001+08:00

Are you, like me, anxiously waiting for the IOS 5 update to finally be available in iTunes for the iPhone, iPad and iPod? Apple has always said the latest feature-rich update will be available in the Fall, so I'm hoping October will bring some pleasant surprises. In case you haven't heard about what's to be expected in this upcoming update...here's a recap:

http://www.apple.com/ios/ios5/features.html

Which feature are you most looking forward to??

The power of visuals

2011-08-21T02:01:00.000+08:00

Somebody emailed me a link to this video (Thanks, David!) recently, and I really enjoyed it because of its creativity in using visuals (in this case, cartoons) to present a point of view about the rather serious subject of capitalism.

I wanted to share it with you here as well. Hope you like it!

Malaysia vs Liverpool highlights

2011-07-18T23:21:00.000+08:00

Thanks to our friends at Harian Metro Online :)

NST Live coverage of July 9 2011

2011-07-13T11:23:00.000+08:00

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=2437e60645" >July 9 crackdown</a>

I've got time....NOT

2011-05-28T20:47:00.000+08:00

OMG...It's been a while since my last posting hasn't it? That can only mean one thing (No, I wasn't hospitalised, or imprisoned, or forgot my password) That's right, things have really gotten busy at the office (really, I swear!)

So while I have a few minutes to spare on a Saturday, here's a quick update of what's been happening.

1. I got an iPad2 after all. My wife supported the move, partly because it meant the iPad that was only a month or so old would be handed down to her. We lined up for close to 4 hours on the first day the iPad2 was on sale. We chose to go to Machines at Sunway Pyramid. Met some nice people in that 4 hours. :) Verdict? I'm enjoying the iPad2 so far. Best parts? With an adapter it can connect to HDTV and projector, and Garageband app. I'll post one of my compositions soon (promise!)

2. NST launched its iPad app (see? Told you I was busy) on April 18. We reached No1 free app, then dropped (how to beat all the cool game apps, come on) to 30 something. Then moved up again into top 10, now we're somewhere in the teens. There're alot of questions out there about the app (I can tell...) like why doesn't it have all the content, how are articles chosen, why download time differs, how do I get back to library, etc) Drop me a message in the comment box and I'll try to help you out with them. :)

3. As part of a wider group effort, the NST website will be undergoing a revamp soon (which means I'll be even busier!) and we've taken into consideration alot of the comments readers have been giving in various forums (focus groups, facebook, email, etc). It involves switching to a new CMS (content management system) that gives us more flexibility with design and content. So look out for that!

Ok. That's all I can say now. Will update more news in the next posting. Till then, stay happy.

To iPad2 or not to iPad2......

2011-03-16T23:27:00.000+08:00

Okay, I confess. I was slow to get on the iPad bandwagon. So slow, in fact, that I finally decided to get one a few weeks before the big show by Steve Jobs to introduce the iPad 2. That's right, I'm one of those guys who paid a few hundred bucks more for the iPad before Apple decided to slash prices after the iPad 2 was launched.

The old iPad....my iPad

But that's all good. It's actually a little deja-vu because the same thing happened when I got an iPhone 3GS (soon before the iPhone 4 arrived...I was a lot earlier with the original iPhone, snapping up one of the unlocked, jailbroken models at a local telco shop before they officially arrived on Malaysian shores)

Does anyone remember the iPhone 3G? How many people actually have one now? I would guess not as many as the iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4. That model is like a little hiccup in the evolution of the iPhone, when you think about it. Almost like it was rushed to meet expectations of Apple-lovers yet not having all the cool features that Jobs' tech team developed in the lab.

I feel the same way about the iPad 2. Sure, it's thinner, lighter and has a camera. But I can't get rid of this feeling that something's missing. I think others feel the same way, like this review below by Macworld (the guy seems more excited about the smartcover than the iPad 2 itself!)

One feature I do find attractive though is the iPad 2's ability to, via bluetooth, share the data connection of your phone (which acts as a wifi hotspot). The catch is, it only works with an iPhone 4. (To iPhone 4 or not to iPhone 4....that's another topic but you can guess what I think about that)

Call it sour grapes if you want, but I'm going to stick with my iPad for a while.....

In the meantime, here's another review of the iPad 2. I should warn you though...it's not what you expect :-)

What is it about birds.....

2011-03-02T10:05:00.000+08:00

Tiny Wings Screenshot

Do you have an iPhone, iPod, or iPad? If you do, then chances are you've also downloaded and played Angry Birds, which for quite some time reigned as the Number 1 ranked paid app on the US iTunes store, and perhaps in other countries as well.

The game became so popular and addictive that it has become part of popular culture, appearing in contemporary programmes like Glee, and spawning numerous spoofs and comedy skits which are also popular on YouTube.

A few days ago, however, Angry Birds was toppled off the top spot by...well...another bird.

Tiny Wings is about a bird that can't fly because of the small size of its wings. We help it gain flight by folding the wings as it slides down hillslopes of colourful striped islands, letting it gain speed and take off on the upslope....all the while accompanied by cute music and cuter bird sounds.

The game costs 99 cents on iTunes.

Read CNET UK's review of the game HERE.

I've downloaded it and yes, it's addictive and fun. Give it a try :))

Pressure to meet changing needs

2011-02-19T20:39:00.001+08:00

Steven Covey

AT a motivational talk earlier this week based on the thoughts of leadership guru Stephen Covey, the speaker traced the four major shifts in human civilisation, from being a hunter/gatherer to an agrarian society, followed by the industrial era and now the knowledge economy.

As a result of these shifts, it is no longer enough to tell someone to do something "because I am your boss and I told you so".

To unleash someone's full potential today, a manager or leader needs to fulfill their needs in terms of body, heart, mind and spirit. Whether they realise it or not, human beings don't just need to live (body). They also need to love (heart), to learn (mind), and to leave a legacy (spirit).

This principle applies not only to a corporation or organisation, but is also relevant on a personal and social level.

The ongoing unrest spreading through parts of Africa the Middle East, I believe, can be traced to a deficiency in one or more of these basic needs.

Rising unemployment and low wages impact people's livelihood directly: "How do I put food on the table to feed myself and my family?"

Authoritarian governments and restriction of liberties can push people into a corner when they feel they cannot express an opinion or participate in civil discussion of things that affect them.

They feel no connection to their leaders' vision, and as a result will not contribute towards society, or worse, rise up against everything their leaders stand for. As we've seen on the streets of Cairo, Bahrain and Libya, these uprisings can turn tragically violent.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned earlier this month that social unrest could get worse as global inequalities worsen. Global unemployment remains high, and 400 million youths are expected to join the workforce over the next decade.

"We could see rising social and political instability within nations - even a war," IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said in one report.

By forcing a change in government, protesters hope that the next person in charge will take steps to fulfill their needs - create jobs, pay them higher wages, give them more freedom, which will help them better contribute to their societies.

This will be a top priority for whoever takes over from the leaders brought down by these street demonstrations, especially if they don't want to suffer a similar fate.

But as events in Egypt have shown, people can also be impatient, and with advances in technology and greater connectivity through the Internet and social networking, organised resistance is easier and faster to establish than ever before.

Change can happen, but it will be a race against time.

The Spit Heard Around The World

2011-02-15T22:44:00.002+08:00

Did you hear about the Tiger that spat on the green?

It's disgusting enough to do it in public, but to do it in front of millions of people and in a sport that's supposed to put a premium on gentlemen conduct...tsk tsk tsk.

If you haven't, the story is here, and you can watch the video of it over and over again below. You can listen to what the commentator had to say about it too.

Selamat Menyambut Maulud Nabi

2011-02-15T01:30:00.000+08:00

O Allah, bless our Muhammad and the people of Muhammad;

As you have blessed Abraham and the people of Abraham.

Surely you are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.

O Allah, be gracious unto Muhammad and the people of Muhammad;

As you were gracious unto Abraham and the people of Abraham.

Surely you are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.

Understanding a teenager's mind (a.k.a. the most difficult puzzle in the universe)

2011-02-12T11:49:00.000+08:00

If you're expecting this post to give you an answer to that question, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Actually, I just want to add to the confounding dilemma faced by parents with teenage children. And I'm curious to know if my experiences are shared by others in my age group. Here goes:

Case#1

Why is it they wait until that exact moment when you are half-awake, walking out to the car to drive them to school at 7.20am with 5 minutes to spare before prefects waiting at the gates start taking down names, to hit you with one of these gems: "By the way, dad....I need an extra 10 bucks for a buku kerja sejarah (tahap satu prestasi cemerlang pasti berjaya series...or something like that)." And the big brother adds "Yeah, me too."

And then, when you in your groggy state-of-mind hand them that extra 10 bucks from your wallet and get back to the urgent mission of sending them to school before they get a demerit, the younger one adds "Actually the teacher said can pay next week....but I nak bayar cepat."

Do you get the irony? On they one hand, they appear to have kept in mind the teacher's instructions, deadline for payment and such details stored somewhere in their mental filing cabinet, PLUS have the foresight to plan to pay ahead of the deadline....BUT somehow decide to hit you with this surprise sucker punch when you are in a state of mind that you need to check that you don't start the car with the key to the front door grill. Couldn't they tell me the night before? Last week? What if I didn't have the 20 bucks to spare? (yes, it's happened before!)

Either the teenage mind slips between states of organisation and chaos in a matter of seconds, or the surprise attack was actually planned from the very beginning. Both are equally troubling.

Case#2

This happened just today (Saturday).

I wake them up at 6.45am. "Get up, boys...you have to go to school today right? (they didn't tell me about it, by the way....their mom did...it's for the school's Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) birthday celebration)

The younger one replies: "Yeah...we have to be there 8.30am...the teacher gave us a letter"

Me: "Ok then, get up and get ready. Call me when you guys are ready to go"

At 8.10am, the younger one walks into the room and says "We're ready" and I notice he's wearing his white shirt, green pants school uniform. I walk downstairs and his older brother also has his school uniform on.

Me: "Kena pakai school uniform ke? How come not baju melayu?"

Younger one: "Adam said last year they wore school uniforms"

Adam makes no verbal response to that statement, so I take that as his support that it's true.

Me: "Ok then, let's go"

As we enter the car, I hear the younger one mutter under his breath "Kalau kena pakai baju melayu nanti macamana?" to his brother. I didn't hear any reply. I should've been paying more attention.....

True enough, we approach the gates of the school and ALL we see are boys in baju melayu. No one is wearing school uniforms, as far as we can tell.

Me: "See? They're all wearing baju melayu!"

The younger one: "Ohhhhhhhhh"

So we turn around, speed back home for them to change, with me nagging along the way "How come you guys can't remember these details? You don't pay attention, that's why....Show me the teacher's letter when we get back"

Of course, they can't find the teacher's letter anywhere...and we don't have time to look for it because once they change it's time to rush back to the school.

One remembers that there's a note from the teacher, but not where he put it, or much of the important details (like what to wear). The other (who probably got a note from his teacher as well) had no information to share other than LAST YEAR they wore school uniforms. I really should've been more alert to the signs....

That's all I can say for now. I have to get ready to pick them up at 12.30pm....according to the younger one, of course......

So I better give myself a half-hour window either way...he could call any second now......

There's always an ON/OFF switch...somewhere

2011-01-29T12:43:00.000+08:00

A few days ago, on January 27, I put this up as my facebook status:

"It's amazing how sometimes human beings seem so arrogant...believing they are untouchable, that the freedom and power they have will always be there...when all it takes is for someone to simply hit the OFF switch."

It was a general comment, from which some of my friends immediately thought of politicians or corporate figures in positions of power. Other comments even viewed it on a spiritual/religious nature. Let me tell you where the idea for that statement actually came from.

It was after reading an article in the NST titled "Bloggers against move to control online content" which appeared on January 26. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against bloggers or the individuals mentioned in the article.

What the article did was remind me of the all too-familiar perception that the Internet is a borderless, all powerful entity that should not and could not be controlled, curtailed or restricted in any way. "Leave it to its own devices, and it shall regulate itself" is another common mantra. Some people, I think, believe that the Internet is eternal (i.e. will last forever). Sounds a little blasphemous don't you think?

My intention was to remind people that all it took was for someone to flick the master switch off. How difficult could that be? As the case in Egypt showed, not that difficult after all. And what would be the outcome if this happened on a bigger scale? What if it was a global shutdown (intentionally or accidental)? Doomsday-like?

Did you know that in the US, the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act gives the president an Internet "kill switch"? Is that the next "weapon of mass destruction"? And if the US has that capability...will others strive for it as well?

Discussion on this subject is already one of the top topics on the popular reddit, with more than 2,000 comments or likes the last time I checked.

So you see, it's entirely plausible for someone to control/disrupt the Internet. In fact, it's practically guaranteed to happen again. The question is, are we ready for it when it does?

Lessons from Dhaka stock market turmoil

2011-01-23T02:12:00.000+08:00

The recent sharp drop in share prices on Bangladesh's stock exchange and the riots that followed are stark reminders of the dangers of excessive volatility and the need for good investor education.

Since 2007, the Dhaka stock exchange has been outperforming almost all the world's markets, gaining by as much as 410 per cent over the period. It grew 83 per cent in 2010.

This "easy money" attracted banks, corporations and individuals to invest substantially in the stock market, which drove up the value of shares further.

There was no significant improvement in economic fundamentals to justify the share price surge, however, but no one dared call for restraint (or it went unheeded) when times were so good.

Individual investors, meanwhile, had grown in number from about 50,000 in 1996 to 3.2 million, many of whom only started investing in shares last year.

By the time Bangladesh's central bank stepped in to restrict banks' exposure to the stock exchange, share prices had started to fall.

On January 10, the Dhaka index fell 8.9 per cent, prompting a halt in trading and major street protests. It is believed that the government, fearing a political backlash, pumped funds into the market the next day, leading to a record one-day rise of 15 per cent.

Respite was shortlived, however, and the Dhaka index has lost more than 29 per cent since early December.

On Wednesday, regulators introduced a circuit breaker mechanism, which was triggered on that day itself, and again after 5 minutes of trading on Thursday morning. Frustrated investors took to the streets.

Cars were vandalised, furniture and tyres burnt and roads blocked. Some protestors gathered in front of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) building and demanded the resignation of the finance minister and the central bank governor.

In what looks like a knee-jerk response, SEC investigations led to the suspension of six brokerage houses for 30 days due to their aggressive selling. Their managing directors and chief executive officers were also stripped of their official duties and responsibilities for the period.

Throughout this roller-coaster ride, the cardinal rule that share prices should reflect the fundamentals of the company was obviously ignored. Fundamentals means going back to basics - to look at the company's cash flow, assets, debts, and track record, among others.

Another missing element was adequate programmes and education to help individuals make wise investment decisions.

Anyone investing in the stock market should be aware of not only the attractive rewards possible, but also the potential risks. They also need tools and skills to assess where, when, and how much to invest, or if in fact they should be investing in the stock market in the first place.

These are lessons that Bangladesh's growing retail investors and market regulators will have learned from their current stock market turmoil, but also serve as a useful reminder for other capital markets as well.

Apps, China, and the Playboy Mansion

2011-01-01T00:48:00.000+08:00

THE tail end of 2010, like the years before, was not short of predictions for the year ahead. Pick any topic - politics, showbiz, economics, technology or sports - and there was bound to be an expert ready to peek into their personalised crystal balls.

I didn’t happen to have one at the office, so I did the next best thing. I read what others believed would happen in 2011 and chose my favourites based on three questions:

Could it happen?
Wouldn’t you like to see it happen? and
Isn’t that weird?

First, the Wall Street Journal’s prediction that applications (or Apps) for smartphones and tablets will shift towards corporate needs compared to mainly games and entertainment currently.

“AT&T, business-software developer SAP AG and other companies are working on apps that can help their employees track sales, monitor systems or check-out customers without being tied to their stations,” the journal writes.

Some Malaysian airlines, banks, and media houses have already launched apps for the iPhone and iPad that make it easier for consumers to use their services. More companies will likely follow in 2011, and the apps will grow in sophistication.

Speaking of the iPhone, I also like Bloomberg columnist Matthew Lynn’s prediction that 2011 will be the year when the Apple Inc backlash starts.

“We used to think International Business Machines Corp was sort of sinister. Then it was Microsoft Corp. But which business today has far too much power, is run by control freaks and puts profits before principles? That’s right. The world’s third-biggest company, measured by market value, is about to discover that the line between cool upstart and ugly monopolist is a very thin one,” he writes.

One of the factors that could support this theory is the rising competition against Apple’s range of sleek products and operating system, coming from the likes of Samsung, Motorola, RIM, and Google.

Another factor could be growing displeasure among many consumers over Apple’s exclusive (and expensive) offerings, especially when they are still burdened by the global economic slowdown and cheaper alternatives are available elsewhere.

Where many of the world’s products are mass produced at competitive cost, though, remains China, which could start to flex some of its economic muscle in 2011.

A former Malaysian diplomat to China I met a few weeks back lamented that in some areas, China has grown so big that two market-changing scenarios are likely to emerge.

First, that mass production will always take priority because that’s where the money is. If you’re going to make something in China, you had better make alot of it. The downside, however, is that smaller or niche buyers will find it more and more difficult to secure supply.

Second, as China cements its position as a major producer/supplier of parts and completed products for the world, it is only a matter of time before it starts to dictate its own terms, set standards for the industry and ultimately change market dynamics drastically.

And finally, for the stranger predictions of 2011, I turned to the likes of Craig and James Hamilton-Parker, self-proclaimed “Britain’s best psychic couple”; and noted Toronto-based psychic Nikki.

Between them, they claimed to had predicted the Pakistani floods, rising oil prices, Tiger Wood’s divorce and the mine disaster in Chile. My top 5 picks from their collection:

George Clooney will get married;
A gold rush will occur in Hawaii;
Liverpool will win the FA Cup;
Hillary Clinton will win the Nobel Peace Prize; and
The Playboy Mansion will burn down.

Happy New Year everybody!

New Media Superpowers

2011-01-01T00:37:00.002+08:00

LIKE the Cold War of the past, new superpowers have emerged in the New Media landscape and are poised to stamp their authority even further in the year ahead. Two of them - Google and Facebook - influence societies and cultures by their sheer size and reach, while the third - WikiLeaks - epitomises the power of information.

The California-based Google is one of the world's most dominant brands, and has a near monopoly of web search and online search advertising. It owns YouTube, Blogger, and with a market value of US$190 billion, has bought up smaller companies at will to enter new markets and expand its digital empire.
Google has moved into operating system and application software, mobile telephony, email, web browsers, maps and video. It is also building the world's biggest digital library of books and visual materials.
In 2010, Google was mired in a controversy over censorship in China, and has also come under increased scrutiny from anti-trust authorities in both the US and Europe.

If you don’t appear on a Google search, you don’t exist in the Internet. Whatever appears higher in a Google search result, meanwhile, will have a bigger impact on the perception of the particular subject - whether it is a product, person, corporation, politician, holiday destination, government, or even an entire nation.
A new field of study called Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) was created to learn how to become more prominent in search results, crucial for anyone seeking to reach the public, because Google is where most people go first on the web.

Where Internet users spend more time, however, is in social networking sites, and this is where the next superpower - Facebook - is the clear leader with more than 500 million users.
Created by Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard University six years ago, Facebook is now ranked second in worldwide traffic. Zuckerberg himself is worth an estimated US$6.9 billion.
In regional Internet markets, Facebook penetration is highest in North America (69 percent), Middle East-Africa (67 percent), Latin America (58 percent), Europe (57 percent), and Asia-Pacific (17 percent).

According to Lou Kerner, a social media analyst with Wedbush Securities, social media is an increasingly important part of how to reach people and is a growing part of every marketer's budget.
"You do not want to fight Facebook, you want to embrace Facebook and leverage Facebook because this is where people are going to sped increasing amounts of time," he said in a recent article.
In some countries, courts have recognised notices and summons posted on Facebook as legally binding, and employers have been known to fire staff over posts made on the network. It has introduced new words like "facebooking" and "unfriend" into the English language.
Everyone from schoolchildren to heads of state, TV shows to political parties, and even police and criminal syndicates are on Facebook. It can be used for either good or evil, but is certainly a force to be reckoned with.

Facebook has spawned peculiar spin-offs like PleaseRobMe.com, which collects status updates from Twitter and Foursquare that indicate a person is away from home.
Facebook's role in the political process, meanwhile, reinforced how popular and powerful the social network had become, especially for young people, to interact and voice opinions. Over one million people installed the Facebook application 'US politics' to take part in debate groups organised around specific topics, register to vote and message questions.
Facebook has shut out Google from most of its content (a Google search will only reveal if a person has a Facebook profile, and nothing else) and these two superpowers will likely clash again in 2011 with plans to introduce the @facebook.com email service (to rival Google's Gmail?) and "Facebook Questions", which lets members ask questions and get answers from other members (like a search engine).

But if it's secrets you want, look to the third new media phenomenon of the year - WikiLeaks.
Created by Australian Internet activist Julian Assange, the non-profit WikiLeaks gained notoriety in April when it posted a video from a 2007 incident in which Iraqi civilians and journalists were killed by US forces. In July, it released the Afghan War Diary, a compilation of more than 76,900 secret documents about the war in Afghanistan.
It has won a number of awards for its exposes, including the Economist magazine New Media Award, and Amnesty International's UK Media Award. In May 2010, the New York Daily News listed WikiLeaks first in a ranking of "websites that could totally change the news".

In November, WikiLeaks began releasing what it said were US State Department diplomatic cables. The contents include numerous unguarded comments and revelations which have so far embarrassed the US and threatened to sour ties between countries and leaders.
In retaliation, WikiLeaks was hit with denial-of-service attacks, kicked off servers in the US and France, and lost major revenue sources when companies like Amazon.com, PayPal, MasterCard, Visa Inc, and PostFinance severed ties.
But over a thousand mirror sites have sprung up since then, and supportive activists and hackers have attacked sites of companies that oppose WikiLeaks as part of Operation Avenge Assange.
No wonder some US lawmakers want to classify WikiLeaks as a "foreign terrorist organisation" and cliam that it "presents a clear and present danger to the national security of the US".
But if they thought the WikiLeaks exposés in 2010 rattled and shocked politicians and governments, expect to see more in 2011.

Assange, who once spoke at a Hack In The Box conference in Kuala Lumpur, told Forbes magazine that he was planning another "megaleak" for early in 2011, which would involve "a big U.S. bank".
His lawyer, Mark Stephens, was more ominous, telling BBC that WikiLeaks had information it considers to be a "thermo-nuclear device" which it would release if the organisation needs to defend itself.
This time, WikiLeaks will not be alone.
Assange's former colleague, Daniel Domscheit-Berg, who left the organisation due to internal conflicts in September, is already setting up a rival called Openleaks.org.
Other whistle-blowing sites will likely follow.

A sweet victory for all

2010-12-30T03:18:00.001+08:00

What a hectic Wednesday it turned out to be.

From the moment fans started arriving to the Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta and the pictures from NSTP photographers there started to come in, the momentum started building.

By the kick-off, all eyes were on the TV sets in the office, yet also monitoring other news coming through. More pictures were coming in and put up, not only on the nst websiste but also on our facebook fanpage.

With the penalty saved, it was clear that facebook was going to be the fastest and best way to get the news across to readers, and they were clearly appreciative, as the record number of impressions, likes and comments showed.

As the final whistle blew, then came the race to get the results out to SMS subscribers, online to the website, followed by the link in the facebook fanpage.

Next came more pictures, this time showing the joyous celebrations from all walks of Malaysians across the country, from Jitra, Seremban, Kuantan, Malacca, Dataran Merdeka, and even the homes of the national team players' families. These too, went up on the website and facebook.

And just when you thought it was over, word started going around of a public holiday being announced to commemorate the win. As Wednesday came to a close, official confirmation came and this too was sent out to our readers and fans.

In the end, it was the wonderful emotion, pride, and affection that showed through every picture and each comment that made it all worthwhile.

Congratulations to the Malaysian team, coach, officials, and fans. And thank you, for letting us be a part of this victory.

The name is Assange....Julian Assange

2010-12-08T11:27:00.000+08:00

When I first heard about WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange, my initial reaction was "Wow...This is cool!"

Initially, I thought he was just an idealistic pro-freedom of information activist, seeking to expose wrongdoings by those with position and power. Then it turns out he was a legendary hacker himself, having started at the age of 16 under the name "Mendax".

His involvement in helping release documents supplied by a military officer is reminiscent of those Out-In-The-Cold John Le Carre novels where the protagonist finally gets revenge on his evil former 'masters' by exposing and making public their secrets.

Even as the police of several countries close in on him, Assange manages to launch an 'insurance scheme'...sending out most of his documents over the Internet in encrypted form and available to practically anyone, yet accessible only by inserting the keyword that will be delivered 'in case something happens to him'.

Wanted for questioning on suspicion of sexual offences allegedly committed in Sweden, Assange was arrested by the London Metropolitan Police on Dec 7 2010 after a voluntary meeting. Assange has said that the accusation against him is a "set-up" arranged by the enemies of WikiLeaks.

He remains in the custody of London police...for now. He might be extradited to Sweden for the sexual offences charge, or to the US for the leak of classified diplomatic cables. Both charges will be difficult to stick.

Assange is worth more to any government as an "asset" (spy-speak again) than a liability. If the information he leaked now is damaging, imagine what he'll be able to get in the future. It was reported that he began hacking into US government files years before WikiLeaks was even set up.

Whoever Assange ends up being a 'friendly party' to, could either have the upper hand of potential access to the secrets of other nations and/or the technical superiority to withstand attacks by other hackers.

It will be interesting to see how this story develops.

Russia, Qatar to host World Cup

2010-12-03T00:32:00.000+08:00


Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (L), Fifa President Joseph Blatter (C) and Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov pose with the World Cup following the announcement that Russia and Qatar will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on December 2, 2010 at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich. AFP PHOTO

Congratulations to Russia and Qatar on being selected to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively.

Malaysia, hopefully, will be a developed nation by 2020 and can put in a competitive bid for the 2026 World Cup.

In the meantime, those planning to watch the games live better start saving now.

To see which countries lost out in the bid to host the World Cup, go HERE.

2011 - Year of the Aliens?

2010-11-27T11:29:00.000+08:00

Are you a fan of movies about aliens or alien invasions? I like sci-fi movies. Here's a quick update of a couple of alien-related movies coming out next year.

Daniel Craig of James Bond fame stars in this action sci-fi which I suspect was born from asking the question : "What if aliens visited earth during the time of cowboys and indians?"

Watch the trailer HERE.

If this movie does well, what's next... Cavemen & Aliens?

Next we have Battle: Los Angeles 2011, which is your typical military vs alien invasion epic with incredible special effects and cool music (Ne-Yo is one of the stars). The trailer is HERE.

Push for innovation needs more bite

2010-11-27T10:30:00.001+08:00

INNOVATION is often thought to mean the introduction of something new. It is not.

In fact, innovation is a process that renews something that exists, a change in thought process for doing something, or the useful application of new inventions or discoveries.

Here's one novel way to differentiate between innovation and invention - "Invention is the conversion of cash into ideas. Innovation is the conversion of ideas into cash".

Innovation is also considered a major driver of the economy when it can lead to new products and increased productivity. Because of this, the factors that lead to innovation are also critical to policymakers.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last year declared 2010 as Malaysia's "Year of Creativity and Innovation", a launching pad of activities and events aimed at mobilising the nation to be part of the innovation momentum.

According to the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) roadmap, "Malaysia has not managed to propel itself into the ranks of higher-income nations. Instead, nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea are widening the gap between themselves and Malaysia. This is a phenomenon economists refer to as the middle-income trap".

In 2007, Malaysia was ranked 34th in The Economist's Innovation Performance Index, compared to Japan (1st), South Korea (15th) and Singapore (17th).

The New Economic Model (NEP) report also warned: "The policies and strategies used to achieve the current state of development are now inadequate for the next stage of development" and "there is a serious risk that the economy may regress if fundamental changes are not made".

This is where innovation comes in.

In the public sector, measures such as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) are aimed at instilling a culture of innovation in civil service.

In fact, all organisations can innovate (i.e. change processes to either do something better, or derive more benefits from existing processes). These include schools, universities, local governments, universities, and industries.

In his message for the Islamic Innovation Carnival 2010, Najib said innovativeness should be a way of life for Malaysian society, and should be more practical to ensure it was easily accepted by people from all walks of life.

The question is, how?

Read more: Push for innovation requires more bite http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/wknotey/Article/#ixzz16Ritgcln

Towering Message To Deliver

2010-10-23T15:50:00.000+08:00

The apparently growing opposition to plans by Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) to build a 100-storey skyscraper as part of the Warisan Merdeka integrated project is a classic example of what can go wrong when information is either badly presented or poorly received.

Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, when announcing the project in his 2011 Budget speech on October 15, said the landmark, which will be developed by PNB, is to be completed by 2020.

The project would comprise a 100-storey tower, the tallest in Malaysia, and would retain Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara as national heritage. The total project cost is RM5 billion, with the tower to be completed by 2015.

Within minutes after the speech, the Opposition picked on the mega project, calling it a waste of funds. Put the money to better use by building more schools, improving rural infrastructure, and helping the needy, they said. It would affect returns from PNB unit trusts, others echoed.

Suddenly, in their eyes, Warisan Merdeka became a government-funded project. It wasn't. It was PNB's, and PNB is not in the business of building schools or upgrading roads and electricity supply.

Similarly, a facebook group - 1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower - was set up (it is not immediately clear by whom) and has more than 92,000 fans as at 5pm yesterday. The project is also a hot topic on blogs and Internet forums.

PNB had a press conference on October 20, five days after the budget, where we came to know that the project would also have a shopping complex and condominiums, and that the tower itself would cost RM2.5 billion to RM3 billion. The RM5 billion figure included other components of the development, and also factored in improving infrastructure in the area.

Its president and group chief executive Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman is confident that Warisan Merdeka will create spillover benefits. For starters, it will generate about 5,000 jobs in the development stage, and boost property prices in the area.

He said PNB has the capability to finance the project through internally-generated funds, and as an investment house, would seek to optimise returns from the development. It expected to yield returns of 8-10 per cent.

This has been PNB's policy with all its investments over the years, and its track record speaks for itself.

We also learnt that PNB had been planning to develop the land since 2004, conducted annual reviews, and decided that now was the right time to do it. Clearly, this wasn't a flight of fancy hatched up one night just to boast as some people perceive it to be.

While it's obvious some people got ahead of themselves in shooting down the plan, it is also fair to say that not all questions raised about the project were immediately and adequately addressed.

In the days to come, there could well be legitimate concerns about Warisan Merdeka and PNB's role in it, particularly on the part of its more than nine million unitholders, and Malaysians in general. The government, too, needs to clear up remaining confusion and scepticism about the project's benefits.

Let's hope the message gets across better next time.

NST Live with Khairy Jamaluddin

2010-10-23T15:48:00.000+08:00

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=2741ffe7da" >Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin</a>

Umno General Assembly, October 21 2010

2010-10-21T22:50:00.003+08:00

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=9d0d2ee3f5" >Umno General Assembly</a>

Big bucks in toon town

2010-09-19T00:14:00.000+08:00

Sonic the Hedgehog, Transformers, Upin and Ipin are not always just about fun and games. In reality, there's lucrative money to be made in the animation business.

According to MSC Malaysia, the global creative industry (which encompasses video games, visual effects and animation) is valued at US$200 billion or RM750 billion in 2010.

Which is why HELP International Corp Bhd's recent announcement that it will introduce in January next year a course that focuses on animation production is certainly welcomed.

The course will be conducted by experts who have worked with big names from Hollywood such as Dreamworks and Pixar, which produced popular films like Avatar, Shrek and the Toy Story trilogies.

Students will also complete their internship at one of the reputable animation studio houses in Los Angeles prior to their graduation.

Malaysian animation has come a long way over the years.

One of the animation industry pioneers, self-taught animator Hassan Abd Muthalib, in his 2006 paper "From Mousedeer to Mouse: Malaysian Animation at the Crossroads", traces back local animation to the Sang Kancil cartoons by Filem Negara Malaysia.

That project started in 1963, was completed in 1978, and screened in 1983.

Since then, Malaysia has already produced animation feature films (Silat Lagenda in 1998), 3D animation films (Geng: Pengembaraan Bermula) and Animated TV series (Lat's Kampung Boy, Upin dan Ipin, and Saladin).

Local film producers have also started to incorporate more visual effects in their movies.

MSC Malaysia, through its Animation Creative Content Centre (MAC3), is doing its part to provide technology and resources, develop talent, and offer funding to budding and passionate content developers.

Through a RM80 million Co-Production Fund, MAC3 hopes to help fund high-quality, international co-production projects in the fields of animation and games.

"This will in turn lead to the employment of 600 people over the next two years, who will be involved in content creation and production," MSC Malaysia says on its website.

Yet challenges remain, says Hassan, as there is not enough support for local animation coming from local TV stations and viewers to push Malaysian animation to a higher level.

This is a shame, as there is still a lot of potential to develop local content that will not only promote and preserve Malaysian culture and history, but also find a market in the region and globally.

Some examples that come to mind include video games with a Malaysian identity (Legend of Hang Tuah, Sepak Takraw, Badminton), and more TV animated series (Malaysian historical figures, folk heroes, or teenagers struggling with every day challenges of growing up).

The way kids today can memorise the dialogue for an entire episode of Spongebob SquarePants, it is plausible that information presented in an entertaining animation format will have far greater impact on our youth than trying to force them to read about it in plain text.

How to Stop Snoring

2010-08-24T00:46:00.000+08:00

It happened entirely by accident, but I think I've found a solution to help people who snore in their sleep.

(Do people snore anywhere else other than when they're sleeping? Did I just state the obvious? Anyway, back to the topic at hand...)

Like I said, it happened by accident. One night I borrowed my youngest son's small bolster pillow and ended up having the best night's sleep I can remember in a long time.

I used it again several times after that (like any experiment, you need to duplicate tests under similar and different conditions to prove a theory), and the results were consistent. Witnesses also confirmed that snoring was indeed minimised to almost zero.

So if you too, suffer from snoring or know someone who does and he/she is disturbing your sleep...why not give a bolster a try. Here's some quick tips from my experience:

Use the short bolster (less than 2ft-long)
It has to be semi-firm (not too hard or too soft)
Rest your head only on the bolster. Don't use it with another pillow

Good luck, and you're welcome to share your success stories (I hope).