Before I get to the root cause, let me explain why I went to open up the back cover. One fine day, the SSD of my drive just happens to “disappear”. There was literally no warning signs or any symptoms that the storage had any issues. I was just turned on the Macbook, and while it was loading the few starting apps the computer just hanged.

My goodness was that a scary time as well. So that explains why I opened up the back cover as with everything computer related, a shutdown and restart or in this case plug out and replugging it back in can sometimes cause miracles. And thankfully the SSD indeed was detected once again after replugging it in (I hope that is the only problem… can’t really afford buying a new laptop at this point of time).

While I was trying to close back the back cover, I realize that it was almost an impossible task. I needed to force the cover down, causing it to warp a little so that I can get access to the holes for the screws to go in. Wait a minute… this isn’t right. I took the cover back off and looked again. Hold up, what is this? The batteries looked like they just had a buffet and they overate to the point where they’re about to puke. I went to Google it up and indeed the batteries were bloated, very bloated in my case.

I went online then to immediately source for a battery and thankfully with the power of China and the internet, OEM batteries are readily available with international shipping. I did my research to see if it was easy to replace it by myself as well. I didn’t want to spend too much time on it and apparently there are many people claiming that it was pretty straightforward. The only difficult part was the removal of the battery due to the double sided tape that holds the battery in place.

The rest of the work is pretty damn straightforward. Simply peel off the double sided tape for the new batteries and slot it back in. Insert back the screws that holds the circuitry of the battery and that’s it. Yes I do know the “proper” way of doing things is to remove everything including the motherboard and all the other components. That said, the reason why people sometimes do that is because of using some liquid compound to dissolve the glue that is sticking the battery onto the chassis. I did it the manual way where I used dental floss to try “slice” the tape apart (didn’t really work that well and I resorted to using my hands to pry the batteries when I can get a firm grip onto the battery that is). At the end of the day I’m glad that everything works!

I spent roughly a total of 2 hours to get everything done. 1.5 hours were probably used trying to pry the old battery apart. I have yet to test the performance of the new third-party battery yet but soon time will tell.

On another note I am now trying to fetch a decent price on this Macbook, I’ve been wanting to upgrade to a newer version for quite some time already… And yes if you’re wondering I do list down all the conditions the Macbook has been through when I’m selling it. It is a dilemma to me whether or not it is worth spending the cash for an upgrade. I only need my Macbook for iOS development (which is far and few in between) and whenever I need to go out to meet clients for whatever activities… Ah to spend or not to spend… the age old modern day first world problem.

I’m glad everything is over and everything turned out just fine. I must say even after so many years this Macbook still performs pretty damn well. The software side of things (Mac OSX) certainly help it go a long way.

Retail does not have to die, it just have to reinvent itself and cater to the newer age of audiences. With the rampant invasion of eCommerce, you can basically buy everything online through the web or a mobile app, you just need to know what is ecommerce in order to do this. Retail is getting expensive especially in countries such as Singapore. Revenue can barely cover the cost of rental expenses, let alone staffing costs.

Retail should not just be the selling of products; it should be the selling of an experience.

The most compelling reason for physical retail is the experience. Take for example shopping for clothes and accessories, having the ability to actually put on the items before committing to a purchase is one of the pulling factor for buyers.

Habitat (by Honestbee) is innovating the way you shop for groceries. Shopping for food is one thing that should be done physically, especially when buying fresh produce. However, online shops (like Honestbee themselves) are promising fresh products and allowing consumers to buy all kinds of food products online. Habitat offers much more than just shopping for groceries.

It is, like what I have been harping on throughout the entire post so far, the experience of shopping for groceries that is reinvented here in Habitat. The whole concept of buying your food, consuming them there and then, chilling around and just enjoy looking and admiring the beautiful displays of food all around you is simply magnificent. Shopping for groceries does not have to be a chore at the Habitat. For those of you who want it quick and easy, you can also simply purchase your items beforehand through their mobile app and go there to collect.

Collection is done in this “high-tech” fashion manner where if you’re shopping there you will first have to pass your shopping cart into this “automated” belt thing and when your items are packed and ready for collection, you go to the collection area (pictured above) and scan your pass in the Honestbee app. These robotic shelves will then come forward and bring your purchased goods to you all packed and ready to go (same if you order in the app and then go there to collect).

The process seems to be much more stream-lined and there is no “queue” per say. The whole idea is that while waiting for your items to be packed you can go enjoy the rest of the area with your family and friends.

For those who are in Singapore be it a resident or a foreigner coming for a holiday, do give it a visit even if it is for a short while. Besides, you can simply take a bus from Vivocity, experience Habitat and then go back and go on with your day!

The way I managed to get a hold of this client is kind of a weird story by itself. To put it short, it was an answer to a call for developers in the most unlikely of forums (basically a forum that didnâ€t deal much with such programming, freelancing or software development etc.). I met up with the client and we went through the details and I confidentially told him the price that I was looking for (a price that I have severely underestimated the time required and overestimated my own abilities, pretty much what you will hear in the top 10 mistakes to avoid when freelancing). In fact, the client still wanted less, but I said no (phew!). I got the job. My first freelance job. Exciting!

The start was filled with huge issues. I clearly told the client that I can only work with a specific language and a set of tools. Can you guess what went wrong? The client gave me an environment that did not support the language I was coding in and the tools that I needed to use. He even asked me if there were any “workarounds”. I mean, you could give me a few months for me to pick up another programming language and the different frameworks I suppose. You see, this was the start of the hell that I could clearly foresee from that point.

That problem alone made me spent over a week of time doing nothing but troubleshooting; trying to set the environment right for myself. I mean, that didnâ€t make any sense at all. It isnâ€t my fault, I should be able to just walk away and say thanks for being smart by agreeing to hire someone that is totally not fit for the job (I mean it is basically like hiring a Chinese translator and asking him to translate Arabic for you, not the translatorâ€s fault I donâ€t think). I went on over and beyond the valleys to ensure that the project can go on. This went on throughout the entirety of the project.

From just coding the app into full publication of the app, teaching them about how publishing works in the different mobile ecosystems etc. etc. I mean, I guess going the extra mile makes sense, but this is practically going the extra country if you were to ask me. What irked me is that the client was someone that claimed to have technical expertise and industry experience. It really makes you think and wonder how someone can so blatantly boast such technical capabilities but have nothing to show for.

This went on and on with all the “minor” changes that was asked of me. Whenever I explained that the change was quite the major change (e.g. needing to restructure the database tables) he would be like “I understand, what is the workaround”. It didnâ€t make sense at all in all his replies. Nevertheless, I stood firm for some things that I clearly did not have the capacity to cater to and then gave a few more miles (or countries) to cover the rest, just hoping and praying that this hell will finally end.

The project finally ended (I think.). It was one hell of an experience and something that, well, would help me in my future projects. It is a start I suppose but hey, freelancing was never my main job (at least I hope not. I still dream of launching that one app that earns me thousands a day from millions of users.) On the bright side, my expectations have been set so low that no hotter temperatures of hell can disturb me (I hope).

Not everyone who laughs is happy. Some people smile to hide their pain. Never assume that someone who seems happy is not hurting. Maybe they need someone to look through the laughter and smiles, and see that they are hurting inside.
~Bryant McGill

I smile, I laugh, I put on a front because I find no need to trouble the people around me with my troubles, worries and problems. Everyone has their own shit to deal with. Only when I absolutely need help will I then voice it out. Is this healthy? I’m not exactly sure.

[photo credits: Hernán Piñera]

The first time ever did I experience such weather in Singapore. While it rained all day all night and resulted in flash floods around the country, the temperatures were perfect. My room, for once in my entire life reached to mid 20s (slightly above).

How much lower can it get? pic.twitter.com/820uqVQZLG

— Lee Qixian (@swiftpolar) January 13, 2018

My room, without turning on the air conditioner, will never reach such temperatures. In fact, 26.5 with my computer (a.k.a a heater) is really cold. The first ever “winter” I ever experienced here. It lasted for a week plus and now it is all back to normal.

https://twitter.com/swiftpolar/status/954205190588022784

Indeed, it was fun while it lasted.

[photo credits by Samuel S via flickr]

Everyone has their own limits. Push it a little and you’ll be fine. Push it a little too far and that’s that.

[photo by Pablo Fernández via flickr]

I still don't understand why the computer doesn't boot up the very first time. It boots perfectly fine the second time though.

— Lee Qixian (@swiftpolar) January 23, 2016

I always had to restart the computer half way through before being able to successfully boot into Windows. Today I learned that it was Window’s brilliant recommended option to enable “fast startup” that is causing all the issues. For all of you out there facing a booting up problem, disable “fast startup” and test again.

This can be found in Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Power Options\System Settings or simply search Power under Control Panel and you will find it. On the left menu you will then have to click on “Choose what the power button do”. You will then see the extremely recommended awesome brilliant option called fast startup, disable it.

I upgraded my computer to Windows 10 slightly after its release. My computer faced this startup problem after I upgraded. Thank you Microsoft. Thank you Windows 10. Thank you to myself for finally finding out how to fix this annoying issue.

I learn so much more and gotten much more comfortable with the tools and frameworks that is now a staple in my development stack. It feels good to have a deeper understanding of what is going on and having more knowledge of the topics at hand certainly allows me to figure things out faster and more effectively.

Many of my friends and family members asked what is next for me. I always replied, freelance, YouTube and just randomly releasing applications on the app stores and on the internet. I will definitely need a concrete plan and metrics to track to ensure that this one year will not be wasted by any means. I will be publicly posting it here and updating it to track my very own progress throughout the year. Stay tuned for it!

On another note, if you have something that needs coding and development, do feel free to reach out to me!

I am looking to take a less than normal route for graduates. I do not know if this is going to be the dumbest mistake or the smartest move I will have made in my lifetime. I do not intend to look for a “job” per say. I have done my time interning at very different companies. A tech giant, and a money filled private bank. Both gave me a sight into the life of office based work and while the prospects of a high and stable income is certainly exciting, the work is not.

I will pen down my exact plans and objectives before the end of the year. I have given myself a year to explore this way of life and job and hopefully I will be determined enough and persevere to the very end, hopefully to see myself happy and satisfied.

[photo credits: Luftphilia via Flickr]