ben

Dell S2715H Sound from built in Speakers - Equaliser Settings

2017-05-21T13:28:00.000+08:00

I recently moved my Mac Mini to a new table and connected a Dell S2715H monitor via HDMI. The table has limited space and I wasn't able to move the desktop speakers I had been using on my Mac. Hence, I had to make do with the built-in speakers on the Dell S2715H monitor. The built-in speakers sounded horrible.

In a desperate attempt to alleviate myself from audio torment, I started to play around with the iTunes equaliser settings. Turns out you can get reasonably acceptable sound from the built-in speakers. After much tuning, here are the settings I have set on iTunes.

Equaliser settings for the Dell S2715H monitor (using iTunes equaliser)

So if you do have this nice 27 inch full HD monitor and do not like the sound coming from the built-in speakers, perhaps you can try these equaliser settings. These should also work if you are on a Windows PC and using the same monitor.

Revell SnapTite TFA Resistance X-Wing Fighter Build, Review and Weathering Tips

2016-05-29T17:13:00.000+08:00

Star Wars is seeing a revival starting with The Force Awakens movie. Currently, it is under Disney and it seems that Disney has increased the number of licenses for merchandising. Woe be to collectors but blessings for the rest. We get a lot more variety and choices! One of the iconic vehicles from the new movie is the new X-Wing. Officially, it is a Incom T-70 X-wing fighter. It seems like an evolutionary upgrade of the Incom T-65 X-Wing fighter seen in the original trilogy. In the new movie we see the new X-Wing under two paint schemes. The black-orange one flown by Poe Doramon and the blue-white version flown by everyone else. Revell makes both these versions with sound effects. I saw them on Amazon and bought both. Here is the review of the blue-white Revell SnapTite Build & Play Star Wars Episode 7 Resistance X-wing Fighter.

The standard Revell box opens on its sides. The front shows a dramatic picture of the X-wing coming in low over waters in a surprise attack on Takodana. It says that it is for ages 6+, for skill level 1 (which is the lowest for Revell kits) and takes 1/2 hour to build. It has Action Sounds and is a SnapTite kit (no glue needed).

The back contains a lot more information of the kit. The top shows what Skill Level 1 means.

One good thing about Revell is that it shows the parts of the model at the back. We see that there are 18 parts and they are all prepainted.

The features of the kit is presented here. You get moving S-foil wings, front retracting landing gear, removable main landing gears, opening cockpit and sound features. There isn't any stand unfortunately. And no pilot - which is a shame.

This is how the kit is packed inside the box. There are two plastic inserts that hold the pieces separate in the box. It is a good design as the pre-painted parts do not rub against each other when it is being transported. The smaller parts are packed in plastic bags and placed in the recesses of the plastic inserts. An instruction sheet is included.

The instruction is printed on a single sheet of paper - it is after all a fairly simple build. I will be building this with some simple weathering using some fast methods. Here are my tools for weathering this kit as I build it.

This shot was taken after I finished the kit. The weathering was done with:
1) Sharpie Fine Point - Grey: For smearing over large surfaces
2) Sharpie Ultra Fine Point Grey: For smearing over small surfaces
3) Gundam Marker GM02 Grey Fine Line: For fine grey panel lines
4) Copic Marker Multiliner Ink Pen, 0.03mm Tip, Black: For fine black panel lines

The first parts are the S-Foils. I weathered them before putting them together. Panel line them and randomly shade some grey using the Sharpie markers. Before the Sharpie dries up, use your finders or a piece of cloth and smear it across the surface of the kit in the direction of airflow. This streaks the grey paint across the surface like any real liquid would.

Next up is the bottom fuselage and the cockpit. The cockpit is the sound module and BB-8 is the switch. I used grey to bring out the details of BB-8. As I've mentioned - no pilots.

Take note to put in the landing gears and canopy before closing the fuselage halves. The upper fuselage and cockpit were weathered, panel lined and put to together. The intakes and engines were also weathered and fixed in place. Fairly straightforward, the fit is amazingly good with almost no noticeable gaps and without the need for any glue!

One problem with the Revell SnapTite kit is that the magnetic flashback suppressors on the four KX12 laser canon were oriented in the wrong direction. The bottom one in the above picture shows the original laser canon. The laser canons are made of a hard pliable plastic. I took a risk and twisted it about 180 to 270 degrees while keeping an eye on the plastic to make sure it did not snap into two. The plastic slowly twisted back and stopped about 90 degrees from the original. After two or three twists to urge it along, the laser canons were oriented correctly. These were slightly weathered and fixed in place.

It builds up to quite a nice size. The simple weathering enhances the kit quite a bit - the surface details are not so obvious without the weathering and panel lines. I'm quite satisfied with this kit. Although I would have liked a pilot to be included - if you deploy the S-Foils it is in flight with a pilot! Unless BB-8 is piloting it... This kit is larger than the Bandai 1/72 TFA Resistance X-wing. There is no scale given for the Revell kit but it should be about 1/57 scale (21.8cm long), from what I can guess.

A nice, fun and simple build with sound effects - I think it is worth the price. Took me slightly over an hour or so to complete with the weathering and photo taking. Quite a bit cheaper than the Bandai and larger in size.

Ok, here are the links to the kit and the various weathering tools used in this build:
1) Revell SnapTite Build & Play Star Wars Episode 7 Resistance X-wing Fighter

2) Sharpie Fine Point - Grey: For smearing over large surfaces

3) Sharpie Ultra Fine Point Grey: For smearing over small surfaces

4) Gundam Marker GM02 Grey Fine Line: For fine grey panel lines

5) Copic Marker Multiliner Ink Pen, 0.03mm Tip, Black: For fine black panel lines

Star Wars:The Force Awakens First Order Snowspeeder review

2016-04-16T11:25:00.001+08:00

The Star Wars: Force Awakens First Order Snowspeeder is a vehicle that saw very little screen time in the movie. It's the vehicle that Finn and Rey used to get to another part of Starkiller base to set the explosives. There was supposed to be a Snowspeeder chase scene but was deleted in the movie release. You can watch that encounter in the deleted scenes of the Blu-ray release. The vehicle is a called a Light Infantry Utility Vehicle (LIUV) and is built by Aratech-Loratus Corporation. It is more commonly referred to as the First Order Snowspeeder.

This toy comes with a First Order Snowtrooper Officer with a orange shoulder pauldron, he is armed with a Sonn-Blas Corporation F-11D Blaster Rifle with an extended buttstock and an assault backpack. Articulation of this character is quite limited. The elbows and knees do not bend. The wrists and ankles do not rotate.

The vehicle itself seats 2 - a driver and a vehicle commander. It has a retractable front landing strut that can be extended or retracted. Extending it will allow the vehicle to stand on three of its lowest points. This gives the vehicle the appearance of it floating off the ground. It also includes a Sonn-Blas Corporation FWMB-10 Heavy Repeating Blaster on a stand. The stand can be mounted on the vehicle. It is oversized and not really to scale with the vehicle. It fires a spring-loaded projectile. Disney/Hasbro should have included an alternate to-scale weapon for older toy collectors.

Here are some shots of the vehicle. I've added a First Order Snowtrooper as the driver. I notice you can slot the blaster between the steering column and the side of the vehicle. A couple of weapons storage mounts would have been great!

If you get the Space Mission Poe Dameron and the Space Mission Resistance Trooper, you get parts to build a poded twin blaster cannon. You can actually mount this to the weapons stand. Doing so, you will get a nice twin blaster which looks more in scale with this vehicle.

This looks like a remote weapons station which you can fire remotely. However, I think the forward visibility would have been compromised.

Here is how I mounted the twin blaster cannon to the stand. The pistol grip of the twin blaster can fit onto the hole with some stretching.

Here is the standalone twin blaster if you add the stand part that comes with a First Order TIE Fighter Pilot.

The First Order Snowspeeder looks great posing with General Hux and another Snowspeeder!

Hope you enjoyed this review. The silver colour of the Snowspeeder allows it to look in place in different environments. I love movie and these collectable toys are great fun!

Right, here are all the different toys used to in this review, except the Sandtrooper!

The First Order Snowspeeder itself:

First Order Snowtrooper and General Hux:

Parts to make the twin blaster weapon. The stand (TIE fighter pilot) is optional if you are mounting it on the vehicle. Poe gives you the parts for the 2 sides of the rounded pod. The twin blaster comes with the Space Mission Resistance fighter. I felt that the rounded pod looks more "complete".

Mi Air Purifier Review

2016-03-19T23:27:00.001+08:00

The Mi Air Purifier is a China made air purifier made by Xiaomi Inc who is known more for their affordable Android smartphones. Their designs are clean and simple and appeal to the current generation of consumers. You can say they blatantly copy Apple's design philosophy. Look at this 2013 launch video and 2016 launch video for their smart phones. Currently, they make a wide range of consumer products (including this Ninebot Mini Segway type of device) and there seems to be no stopping this behemoth in churning out all kinds of gadgets. I've owned a couple of their phones and powerbanks and find them very user friendly and easy to use. Really value for money. My main phone is still the iPhone 6 Plus, however.

Ok, so recently, Xiaomi decided to sell their Mi Air Purifier through our local supermarket chain, NTUC. NTUC sells these for S$279 which is $20 cheaper than Xiaomi's RRP of S$299. I decided to get it as it covers quite a good volume and is networked enabled. So here is a review of the Mi Air Purifier.

Unboxing

The Mi Air Purifier is sold in a plain cardboard box, much like their smartphones. There were no handles or cut-out holes to grab, which is a shame because it was quite heavy and the sides hard to grab. I balanced them on my shoulder for the most part.

Upon opening the box, you are presented with a pictogram showing the location of the various contents. Flipping up the internal cover, you are presented with the instruction manual in a embossed section of the Styrofoam. The manual says, "Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen", which would normally put a smile on anyone's face. I was not exactly in the mood for this as I had just had an unpleasant encounter with a dear friend of mine. But nevertheless, let's press on.

Removing the top Styrofoam, we see the Mi Air Purifier itself, covered with a synthetic cloth cover. This cloth cover fits the air purifier snugly and covers it from top to bottom. I am using as a dust cover when I am not using the air purifier over a period of time. So do not discard it yet.

Here is the Mi Air Purifier from different sides. The air intake is from the bottom front and two sides. The back portion is the panel opening to access the air filter. The back also contains a WIFI reset button and the air quality detection unit (from what I read, it is from Sharp).

Opening the back panel, we see that the power cord is stored there for transportation. Remove the power cord and we can access the sealed air filter. The air filter is locked into position via a lever at the bottom.

Usage

I installed the Mi Air Purifier where my old Honeywell Air Purifier was located. This was an air-conditioned room with closed windows and doors. The footprint is smaller but this is a taller air purifier. The unit lights up in green when the air quality is good.

The unit can sync over WIFI to a smartphone running the Mi Home app. Here I have it installed on a Xiaomi smartphone. The phone passes the WIFI setting to the Mi Air Purifier and then when the air purifier is connected via the internet, the smartphone syncs to it. The Mi Air Purifier reported PM2.5 count to be 14 (I assume the unit of measure to be the common μg/m³). I had a particle counter which measured air around the output of the Mi Air Purifier. It indicated the PM2.5 to be 8μg/m³.

This was lesser than the measurement I made in the living room with open windows. That reading for PM2.5 was 38μg/m³. About 3 times higher. I guess this shows that the air purifier was indeed cleaning up the air in the enclosed room.

After running the unit for about 20 minutes, the PM2.5 reading for the room reading with the air purifier dropped to 5μg/m³.

I initially tried using Mi Home on iOS on my iPhone 6 Plus with no luck. However, with the Xiaomi connected, I just logged onto the same account on my iPhone the next day and the Mi Air Purifier showed up. In practice, I notice that the app would sometimes loose synchronisation with the Mi Air Purifier (true for both the Android and the iOS app). This was probably the only thing I found annoying about the air purifier.

Size

Compared to the Honeywell Air Purifier it was replacing (due to the difficulty in getting replacement filters over here), the Mi Air Purifier takes up less footprint but is taller. In terms of design, I prefer the Mi Air Purifier, as it looks clean and simple.

Conclusion

I really like the design of the Mi Air Purifier. The form is clean and simple. It is a straightforward and basic air purifier without ion generators. It is relatively cheap at S$279 and is able to cover quite a volume. The replacement filter is also cheap at RRP S$39.90. The app (when synced) is a good add-on feature to have an idea of the air quality.

Revell's Star Wars™ The Force Awakens Millennium Falcon

2016-03-06T18:40:00.001+08:00

I bought the Revell Star Wars: The Force Awakens Millennium Falcon from Amazon a couple of weeks ago while online shopping. This is cheaper and slightly smaller than the Bandai's 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon. From what I gather online, this Revell kit is around 1/160 something scale.

The kit comes in a nicely printed cardboard box with a picture of the Millennium Falcon with the new rectangular radar sensor, indicating that it is the new Millennium Falcon from The Force Awakens movie. It says that it is suitable for Ages 6+ (yes, I qualify!), Skill Level 1, and takes 30 minutes to built (verified to be about right). It also indicates that it has action, sound and lights! You don't get that on the Bandai kit.

The back of the box shows what Skill Level 1 means, the parts list and the features of the completed kit. No glue, no paint and no tools are deemed necessary to complete this kit! It also shows some other kits of the series that you can collect.

Here are the parts out of the box. The pieces are all nicely cut out by Revell - there are no sprues/runners to cut these parts from, like most model kits. The 2 main halves of the ship are nicely held in place within the box with 2 clear plastic inserts (seen on the left side of the picture). These prevent the painted halves from moving about and getting scratches on the paintjob. The plastic insert also holds the blue tinted transparent Hyper Drive of the Falcon (blue strip on the right). A single sheet of instruction is included. The smaller pieces of kit are wrapped in a plastic bag. The electronic piece responsible for the light and sound is separate from these parts.

Building the kit was pretty straightforward - add parts to bottom half, add the 2 side hatches, add light and sound module, add parts to top half and finally put the 2 halves together.

The side hatches both have some holes on one side. From what I gather, these help to transmit sound from the electronic module. However, the instructions did not indicate should these 2 holes oriented to the top or bottom of the craft. I decided to place them at the top.

After about 30 minutes (or less actually), the kit is done. It is pre-painted and it does look good! Panel lines are detailed and if you want, a nice weathering wash would bring out more details. As it is, it already looks good.

The cockpit is painted black so there isn't any details at all. The gun turrets rotate but do not pivot up/down. The rectangular radar sensor rotates. The landing gears can retract and extend.

The light and sound module is activated by one of the exhaust vents at the back (centre bottom one). The light effect is a nice blue glow simulating the Hyper Drive! You get the movie effect sound too.

The landing gears extend and retract with a nice click. There are 5 landing gears to hold the Falcon up. You can see the nicely detailed bottom of the Falcon in these shots.

Overall, I had great fun putting this kit together. There is very little you can go wrong with this kit. Perhaps some care should be taken when pushing in the landing gears in case you break them. The parts are sturdy and seem to be able to hold up to a bit of play. I think it is great value compared to the Bandai kit (I may still get it to try out and if I do, will compare it to this kit). The finished kit looks nice and is already painted so it is really hassle free to build. Hope you enjoy this little write up on this kit. I am a Star Wars fan and this is really one of the easiest kit I have completed.

Shure 215K Sound Isolating Earphones

2016-02-28T23:40:00.000+08:00

I've had the Shure SE215-K Sound Isolating Earphones with Single Dynamic MicroDriver for over a year now and it has been quite an impressive performer. Here's a short review of this interesting product that has provided me with some peace and quiet at my workplace.

What's in the box?

The SE215-K comes in a sturdy white and cyan colored box with a window showing the translucent blue earphones.

Included in the box is a pouch; a small plastic bag containing - extra foam tips in different sizes and a cleaning tool; and the Shure SE215-K earphones.

The SE215-K earphones

The SE215-K comes with translucent blue housings. You can see the drivers and circuits under good lighting. I found them very pleasing to the eye.

The cleaning tool is used to dig out any ear wax that may have accumulated on the inside of the foam tips after some use.

In my usage for over a year, I have not had the chance to use the cleaning tool as my ear does not really have a lot of wax.

The cable swivels and is removable - just carefully pull it out. The connectors appear to be gold plated.

To reconnect just firmly push it back in until it clicks.

The Fit

These earphones hook onto your ears in an unconventional way. There is a stiff wire that curls around the top of your ears while the foam tips expand into your ear, sealing out any outside sound. Compared to an active noise cancelling earphones, these actually do quite a good job of blocking out any sound. I use these in the office and it does block out a fair amount of office chatter, especially with some music playing. These are very comfortable once you get them on. They do take a little time to put on because of the way it hooks around your ears. So if you need to take them off often while using them, you will find it quite frustrating.

The Sound

These have a fair amount of bass in them. I found the bass tight and not overwhelming. Instrument separation was ok for an earphone. Sound stage was surprising good for an earphone. I find myself using these more then my Creative Aurvana In-Ear3 (which I still keep at my workplace) despite the more elaborate way of putting them on.

Conclusion

The SE215-K is quite worth the price I paid in terms of comfort and sound. I did find putting them on and taking them off to be quite a hassle. They sound good connected to my iPhone 6 Plus without any external amplification which means I don't have to bring about an extra bit of gear. The included pouch is quite handy for keeping the oddly shaped SE215-K with the stiff wire/hooks. It has replaced the Aurvana In-Ear3 which I had been using previously.

Software Development in the 21st Century

2012-06-08T12:00:00.001+08:00

Attended a talk - Software Development in the 21st Century, by Martin Fowler yesterday evening. It was great to catch up on some of the new practices and innovations that are being adopted in the area of IT. One interesting point is the differences in strategic versus utility projects. Typically, packaged software are good for utility projects but does not give an organization a competitive edge. It's basically what "the other guys" have. Custom systems and software are usually more suited to strategic goal and tend to be higher risks but would give an organization a competitive edge. This also reminded me if the blue ocean red ocean strategies. This, the status quo or what "the other guys" are doing is usually not gonna reaping benefits.

New iPad (2012 version) - What's cooking Tim?

2012-03-26T23:27:00.001+08:00

When the new iPad was launched earlier this month, I immediately got one. I was in the market for another iPad. The new graphic processors and retina display swayed me to get this over the iPad 2.

The iPad performed wonderfully for a few days and then suddenly it decided to flicker its bright LED backlight intermittently.

iPad broadway LED lights

This became a constant problem as the screen became too bright to work on. It almost looks like a broadway stage if you turn it on its side. The set was deemed unusable and I returned it.

Soon after, I started reading about the excessive heat from the new iPad. There is even a picture of an iPad frying an egg. While I had my iPad, I did notice that it was warmer than the old iPad 2 but it was not so obvious if you have installed a back cover. There was also a case of dropped synchronization from my colleague when he tried to sync with a PC.

So while I am a heavy Mac user and am rather committed to the Apple ecosystem; I will be waiting for production of the new iPad to stabilize and for any other issues to surface before I get another iPad. So, if you have a new iPad, please test it fully to ensure that it is in good working condition. I am currently back on the old iPad 2.

Grado Prestige Series Model SR60i and HD414 pads (reverse quarter mod)

2011-06-01T22:30:00.002+08:00

Back in 2009, I bought a Grado Prestige Series SR60i Padded Headphones. Since then, I have been enjoying the great Grado sound. The original Grado S-Cush pads eventually wore out and I bought a pair of Grado L-Cush pads ("holey pads" - donut shaped pads for Grados) as a replacement. After some time, these pads were also worn out (bits of black sponge started to crumble off).

So, I got a pair of Sennheiser HD414 yellow ear pads. These are known to fit the Grado SR60i. The stock pads do fit the Grado SR60i but because they are closed pads (like the original Grado SR60i comfy pads), the sound is not so "open". Hence, I decided to open them up with the so called "reverse quarter mod".

Sennheiser HD414 pads are packed with this label

The reverse quarter mod refers to taking an American quarter and using it as a guide to cut a hole in the HD414 pads. The "reverse" part refers to using this newly cut hole to stretch over the Grado cans. It is "reversed" in the sense that you are using the "ear side" of the pads on the cans and the original hole now sits on your ears. Do take note that you do not turn the pads inside out.

Since I am from Singapore and do not have an American quarter on me, I used a Singaporean 50 cents coin as it is almost the same diameter.

Place the Singaporean 50 cents (or American quarter) on the inside of the HD414 pads and use a sharp knife to cut around it

You will end up with something like this

Here's how it looks like with the center part removed

Take this pad with the new hole facing the Grado SR60i cans...

...and stretch them over the cans. Don't worry, the pads are quite stretchy. Remember, use the 50 cents (quarter) hole to stretch over the cans.

All done. Enjoy your funky yellow coloured Grado!

So far the Grado with HD414 pads are sounding great. The HD414 pads are softer and get less hot than the original Grado pads. They are also lighter and seem to have more air in them (more porous). I hope they last a little longer. They do cost less than the Grado pads. Hope you enjoyed this guide.

Grado Prestige Series Model SR60i and HD414 pads (reverse quarter mod)

Lego City Space Moon Buggy 3365

2011-04-20T20:08:00.001+08:00

Bought this recently at a local department store. Its a moon buggy and an astronaut. The six wheeled vehicle reminds me of an old sci-fi TV series which I watched as a small boy - Space 1999! Here are the pictures!

The minifig comes with a cap and a spacesuit. The spacesuit is mounted on the moon buggy when not in use. He is wearing the cap at the moment.

Probably back in Houston testing the moon buggy. The buggy has a radar dish mounted high.

The back of the moon buggy has a foldable armature with a saw like device attached. It is meant to be used for gathering moon rock samples.

Testing the sample rock extractor.

Spacesuit on! It looks quite baulky and the booklet seems to suggest this is similar to the actual moon landing spacesuits. Urm... nah!

With spacesuit on and driving the moon buggy!

Quite a neat little set. The spacesuit looks kinda big. I may modify this somewhat as it looks quite plain at the moment.

Lego Ninjago - Ninja Ambush 2258

2011-04-18T19:00:00.003+08:00

"As part of his training to become the Spinjitzu Master of Fire, Kai is sent into the bamboo forest by Sensei Wu to protect the Golden Scythe. Hit the button to launch a surprise attack on Bonezai before he steals it!"

Saw this are Carrefour and hey... ninjas! Cool ninja! In Red! The official marketing tag line is pretty cheezy. Bonezai indeed! On to the pictures!

Here is the bamboo forest ambush prop. You can see the Golden Scythe on the right. That red tab would have given away the trap easily before Ninja Kai can fly.

Red ninja Kai! He looks intense and ready to slice!

Minifigs are not very poseable. But Kai manages to get by....

Here's how the ambush works. In reality, flight distance is limited and Kai will tumble all over the place.

Bonezai looking quite happy with a battle axe.

Ambush sequence! You can see Kai emerging from the bamboo trees and hacking Bonezai to a million pieces. Zai removes his ninja mask and you can see a scar right across his left eye.

Red Ninja Kai - Front

Red Ninja Kai - back

Here's Kai posing in front of our world travelling photojournalist.

"Great job Kai. The world owes you for removing Bonezai!"

Lego Rebel Trooper Battle Pack 8083

2011-04-17T16:12:00.004+08:00

Picked this up some time back and fixed it up. Its quite a good set with 4 minifigs from the Star Wars Hoth setting. These minifigs are Hoth Officer (1), Hoth Rebel Troopers (2) and Zev Senesca (1) in an orange flight suit ready to pilot a Snowspeeder. A vehicle is included, although it does not seem to be from any actual Star Wars movie or its related fictional world except Lego. On to the pictures!

Here's the set assembled. The vehicle fits on figure while the rest go on foot. There are enough weapons for each of the figures. The visor of the Rebel Troopers can be fitted over their heads or over their eyes. The Hoth Officer spots a moustache. All of them seem to look rather grim.

Here is a side view of the vehicle. There is a pair of cannons mounted and its intended for the driver to be the gunner as well. There is a bin in front of the cannon which I suppose a droid count be fitted for navigation control.

Another view of the vehicle. You can see that the missiles can be launched by pushing the tail end until they snap loose and fly - for a short distance.

Hoth Officer, trooper and Zev looking grim. The rebel base was eventually attacked and overrun by Imperial AT-AT and the ruthless Stormtroopers.

Rebels ready for action! One of the rebel trooper has his visor down and sports a rifle with scope.

It is possible to reconfigure the vehicle to allow a driver.

In this configuration, one trooper drives while another can focus on targeting the imperial scum. Zev can be seen leaving the stronghold to grab a Snowspeeder.

Another look at this new configuration.

Update: Apparently, the vehicle is called a Rebel Laser Ice-cutter and was used in the rebel Echo Base on Hoth. It appeared in one scene along with the Snowspeeders in the hanger. The Ice-cutters were used to cut out Echo Base from the ice. There was supposed to be a scene where Wampas attacked the base and which Luke manned one of these Ice-cutters to shoot down the Wampas. You can read more about it over here: Rebel Laser Ice-cutter

Arrakis - Dune - Desert Planet

2011-02-13T00:36:00.004+08:00

Apparently, if you did a google image search on "Dune desert planet", you will get to see the above space painting which I did in 2007 on the first page! Wow! I should do more space paintings!

Anyway, I did enjoy the sci-fi novel Dune and have since reread it several times. One of the best and most epic sci-fi.

More Apple iPhone 4 & my free apps

2010-08-29T19:40:00.004+08:00

After posting my previous iPhone 4 post on free apps, I have added a few more free ones!

Genius Scan : A camera for recording documents like a flatbed scanner.

Vint Shift : A camera with tilt-shift lens simulation.

Morelomo : A camera with lomo effects.

Runkeeper Free : Helps keep track of your running.

X Invasion 2 Lite : Nice little flight simulator.

Grammar Jammers Primary Edition : Teaches basic grammer.

Multitask Apps

I've also discovered that double clicking on the big iPhone 4 front bottom button will show all multitasking programs running in the background. You can quickly switch between them. To kill them you just have to hold it long enough until it shakes. To get back to your apps page, just click the button again.

Create folders

To create your own folders just hold the apps icon till it shakes and then pull it together with another icon to form a folder. The phone will suggest a folder name which you can change.

My Halo Collection

2010-08-29T09:44:00.004+08:00

My Halo collection!

With Halo: Reach coming out soon, I have gathered most of my Halo collection here! Am looking forward to launch date on 14 September 2010!

Halo: Reach

2010-08-27T08:39:00.004+08:00

Updated: Added a new clip introducing Noble Team!

Apple iPhone 4 & my free apps

2010-08-21T00:38:00.020+08:00

Currently using an Apple iPhone 4 and keeping the Omnia 2 for GPS and as a spare phone. The "grip of death" seem to be a little overly hyped and I have not had any dropped calls so far. Maybe because Singapore is saturated by 3 phone companies broadcasting their signals. Most of the time its full bars and the worst I got was 2 bars of signal strength.

My son loves playing games and reading children books on it. I must admit, one of the reasons for getting this phone was to keep him entertained while I am driving or on the Internet.

Here's what I have installed on mine - all free:

Gorillacam : Adds some cool features to the camera like self timer, timer lapse, digital anti-shake, bubble level, grid and 3 shot burst mode!
Facebook : Direct link to facebook for updates including photos
iBooks : Read and buy ebooks
The Straits Times : Keep up with the local news
Channel News Asia : Keep up with the local news
New York Times : Keep up with world news
Razor TV : Local Internet TV
Hungry Go Where : Food guide
Stanza : Read ebooks, epub, pdf, txt, cbr, etc. Even allows you to load your own ebooks from your hard drive - through iTunes!
Carparks SG : Real time car park lot information
Traffic Cam SG : Keeps track of local traffic
Comic Touch : Adds comic touches to your photos including speech bubbles!
Adobe Photoshop Express : Yup, a mini Photoshop app! Free!
Windows Live Messenger : Who would have thought.... Microsoft Messenger
Runkeeper : App for running. Keeps track of distance covered
Angry Birds Lite : Good game, up to 12 levels free!
Cooking Mama Lite : Simple game for the wife and kid
Puzzle Bobble Lite : Classic game
Read Me Stories : 7 free stories.
Update: It expires after 7 days too.
Ice Tycoon : Game in which you serve ice cream to different customers
Feed Me! : Educational game with 2 free stages. Free stages covers the alphabet, number series, simple math, simple logical problems, associations. The kid loves it.
Update: If you click on any of the Buy options, it gets stuck there if you don't buy it. You can delete and re-sync it back to "reset" it. Its cheap though, so I may buy it one day.
Can Shooter : Game in which you throw cans into a bin
Little Bella's - I Close My Eyes Lite : One animated story
Tap Tap Revenge 3 - Game which looks a little like guitar hero
Asphalt 5 Free - Car racing game

I switch to Airplane mode when I pass the phone to my kid to play. Here's how: Settings - Airplane Mode - On.

And to further prevent in-game purchases: Settings - General - Restrictions - In-App Purchases - Off. Your have to turn it back on for things like iBook because its considered and in-app purchase. I leave this off by default.

Its been a fun phone so far. I've also linked my office email to this. Its a pity I cannot open Word or Excel documents unless I purchase an app. Yes, 50 emails waiting...

Hasbro Star Wars AT-ST Legacy Collection

2009-10-11T21:34:00.019+08:00

Hasbro released a new All Terrain - Scout Transport (AT-ST) as part of the Star Wars Legacy Collection. This new release is closer to the movie AT-ST. One omission is the hind leg support which in the actual studio model appears to be a metal spring. The wire support around the top of the AT-ST is also of a different shape. However, this AT-ST has a full range of articulation and for the first time, you can pose it in a squatting position, which is probably the position for boarding the AT-ST. There is also enough room inside the AT-ST for 2 figures to sit side by side. The view ports can also be opened. An AT-ST driver is included with this toy. You also get another set of chin turrets that fire projectiles (not shown in these pictures). The Hasbro AT-ST cost S$89.90 and is a little expensive.

AT-ST in squatting position. Figures from left - Sand trooper, Lt Janek Sunber (from the Janek Sunber & Amanin Comic Pack), & AT-ST Driver (included in this toy). The bottom of the AT-ST almost touches the ground with its the 2 bottom armour plates in this position. You can also pose it with its legs closer to the body and at a lower height which makes it very compact - a great way to store this toy.

Side view of the AT-ST in squatting position.

AT-ST driver aboard the AT-ST. The entire top (including the hatch) can be opened for 2 figures to be seated inside.

AT-ST squatting at a higher position.

At-ST at full height

This AT-ST is scaled quite nicely with the 3 3/4" figures.

The AT-ST is one of the taller Hasbro toys in the 3 3/4" range.

Close up of the AT-ST driver

Halo ODST ~ Launching soon...

2009-09-07T01:54:00.003+08:00

For all fans of Halo...

Gundam Fiesta Visit 1

2009-09-05T01:42:00.013+08:00

I visited Gundam Fiesta 2009 on Friday after work. The exhibition took up less space than I expected. There was a series of static display panels showcasing the history of Gundam from the beginning. The history of Gundam is also available online at:
OficialGundam.com
Gundam Wiki

I have been a fan of Gundam eversince my childhood days. Gundam was never shown on local television but I remember the cheap plastic models sold in my neighbourhood stores. These were relatively cheap for a schoolboy (relative to Star Wars Kenner figures of course). I remembered fixing them up unpainted and wondering what the anime was like. It was much later when I rented the Gundam OVA anime video tapes that I realised the actual story. Of course, when the internet came about, a whole lot of information on Gundam was made available. Of the entire Gundam universe, I am particularly fond of the Universal Century (U.C.) based stories. Gundam is credited to be the first anime to depart from the old "revenge" style giant robot stories with a monster a week. Instead, it presented a very long story about Amuro Ray (pilot of the prototype RX-78 Gundam) and the crew of White Base (a prototype mobile suit carrier).

The timeline of the first Gundam TV series was the year U.C.0079 and this was followed by Gundam Z and Gundam ZZ which showed events after that first series. Later releases were divided between those that deviate from this timeline or those that keep to the original timeline. However, central to all these releases was the idea of Newtypes.

All I had was my Nokia 6220 Classic; nevertheless, here are some shots of the event.

Main entrance of Gundam Fiesta 2009

RX-78 Gundam (Pilot: Amuro Ray)

MS-06 Zaku II (Pilot: Char Aznable)

History of Gundam Anime

Odaiba, Japan, 1/1 scale Gundam (life size in other words)

A life-sized foot print of the RX-78 Gundam was on display to provide a sense of scale

A model of the Odaiba Gundam

The first Gundam ainme - Mobile Suit Gundam

Mobile Suit Gundam Zeta

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the pocket

Gundam RX-79 NT-1 from War in the pocket

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memories

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team

I believe these are the master wooden models for making the metal molds

The metal molds for injection molding

Prototype produced by Stereo Lithography; done with a kind of 3-d printer

Raw plastic

The first Gundam model

It's cool that they brought in these

A model of Bandai's injection molding factory

SD Gundam done in the Sanguo style. These are SD Gundams depicting characters from the Chinese novel The Three Kingdoms.

Bought some of these limited editions - will probably be back for more when they are released next week

Lego Airplane Mechanic 7901

2009-09-04T01:37:00.012+08:00

Here's a little Lego set that I like. Its the Airplane Mechanic from the City theme range. You get quite a lot of tiny pieces of tools including a drip and an oil can (not in these pics). The jet engine should be similar to one of the passenger airplane sets. The design of the jet engine looks like a typical commercial jet turbofan.

Overall view of the set. The jet engine can be hoisted up using the ball-jointed hook.

Close up of the jet engine on the hoist. The turbofan blades can rotate and come in a metallic black color.

Another angle of the jet engine and the smiley mechanic.

The tools are stored on a rack.

A dolly is supplied to wheel the jet engine around.

Removing the compressor fan, you can see right through the jet engine.

Grado Prestige Series Model SR60i

2009-09-02T23:48:00.016+08:00

Bought a pair Grado Lab Prestige Series Model SR60i headphones for those times when I cannot blast my speakers. These are retro looking headphones but are often rated highly by various sources - just do a Google on Grado SR60i. Made in Brooklyn, New York.

They cost S$120 (excluding GST) in Singapore. I bought them from Jaben Network, Adelphi. The shop is run by a bunch of friendly folks who allow you to sample various headphones and headphone amps. After trying out both the SR80 and the SR60i, I found the SR80 sounded pretty powerful and has a wider feeling but not much different from the SR60i. I decided to get the SR60i as I found the sound to be "good enough" for my ears and save a few dollars - $50 to be exact.

Now, I am at home playing my collection of music and the clarity is amazing! The bass is punchy without sounding muddled. They fit well on my head and I found the full sponge to be comfortable. I can listen to this all day! I'm loving these headphones and would highly recommend them.

My wife loves them too. I wonder if I need to get another just so we won't fight for em.

The box is rather big but flat.

The box is sealed and opens like a flat cake box. You find the headphone with its thick soft cable, 3.5mm gold plated jack-plug and 6.3mm gold plated adaptor, foam padding and warranty sheet.

The retro looking can.

How it looks like out of the box. Looks old school but sounds amazing!

Canon EOS 7D officially announced!

2009-09-01T14:53:00.005+08:00

Its announced! Here's dpreview's hands on of the Canon EOS 7D.

DP review hands on of the Canon EOS 7D

I'll have to read this in detail. It sounds really promising!

Added a few more links:

Image Resource

Canon Special Site

It really looks promising. Some of the features that are great are:
1) New macro compensation of accidental movement toward / away from focused subject - i.e. 3 plane IS - up, down; sideways; in, out.
2) New 19 point cross sensor AF
3) New pentaprism viewfinder that is 100%
4) Wireless flash
5) Dedicated RAW / JPG button
6) Great HD video options - 1080p24 included as well as 720p60
7) 18 megapixels with no apparant increase in noise - which gives you more option of reducing apparent noise by reducing it to a lower resolution if you choose to
8) Cheaper than the EOS 5D Mk2

Gundam Fiesta 2009 in Singapore

2009-08-31T21:22:00.005+08:00

For the first time in Singapore, Bandai will release some of the Gundam models in Singapore on the same date as in Japan. From 2 Sep 09 to 14 Sep 09, a series of exhibition and events will celebrate Gundam's 30th Anniversary. Yes, we do not have a live sized RX-78 Gundam like in Odaiba, Japan, but this comes a little closer I guess.

Link to official Gundam Fiesta website:
Gundam Fiesta 2009

Some highlights that are of interest to me are:
1) 1/60 Injection Machine Model - a model of the machine that makes all the Bandai plastic models

2) HGUC new releases such as the 1/144 HGUC RX-79(G) Gundam The Ground War Set - great for building dioramas as such

3) 2009 SG Gundam Image Girls wearing Gundam Costumes (5,6,12,13 Sep 09) - hmmm... I wonder what these are like

4) Meet Kawaguchi Sensei - a professional modeller

I'll probably pop by one of these days to check it out. Probably grab a few HGUC kits and the Injection Machine Model.

Canon EOS 7D rumours

2009-08-30T17:59:00.002+08:00

Some leaked pictures of the new Canon EOS 7D has appeared on the internet. Exciting times if these are true. What got me excited are the following new features:
1) 18 megapixels
2) Dual DIGIC IV
3) 8 fps
4) New eight-directional double cross central AF point, total 19 cross AF points
5) Full HD video

If these are true, then we would have a speedy and accurately focusing Canon DSLR. Very tempting to upgrade to this new DSLR.

Neutral day rumour

Canon Rumours