Mr. Haxa Does The Blogs

Nokia E71: First Impression Review

yes, it is RM1,950. Ii tested the e71 yesterday at KLCC.. it's so nice --- i love it. it's the 'ferrari' of nokia running at 396Mhz 110MB internal memory -- package include 2G mini-SD card, the camera is 3.2Megapixel. yes, this one has 2 camera one for 3G video call and the rear camera has LCD flash!

physically the unit is steady - good built in -- less plasticky and real estate area has been reduced compared to e61i design to make it both one-hand and two-hand operable.

3g+3.5g+quadband+wifi connectivity really kick iPhone in the rear. steve jobs can make fun of earlier e61 slower speed, but this one will make them reinvent iPhone!

Nokia truly listens to e-series fan by increasing e71 multimedia capabilities!!! enterprise users want some entertainment too!!! it is bluetooth 2.0 so u can use a2dpd and they finally getting rid of their proprietary connection to 2.5mm RCA earphones!!!!!!

the unit also comes with GPS built in! and have the Google Map pre-installed.

e71 drops Blackberry as their Mail for Exchange is getting better to manage multiple e-mail accounts.

Symbian S60 3rd Edition is the force to be reckoned with in this saturated hardware-driven smartphone market. What will stand out is the platform that is open for developers. iPhone development kit has just been released - so it's pretty immature. Google Android keeps getting delayed. MS Mobile 6.0 is pretty much imitating iPhone on the touchscreen part.

hehe -- although i am crazy about this phone, I will have to be rational on timing to buy this phone as my e61i still not one year old!

Wisdoms from Special Library Conference 2008 (SLib 2008)

Great people talk about ideas,

Average people talk about things,

Little people talk about other people.

 

- Puan Siti Zakiah Aman, Ex-Director General of National Library (Malaysia)

FYIFV = F#@k You I Am Fully Vested

" What happened to the many Googlers whose ideas are rejected? Once their share options are fully vested they consider leaving.

The same phenomenon changed Microsoft in the 1980's, when allegedly T-shirts popped up saying FYIFV "F#@k You I Am Fully Vested").

Already some are going to even "cooler" start-ups, such as Facebook or Twitter"

The Economist, September 1st-7th 2007. Article: Briefing Google, Page 58.

DiGi vs.CELCOM

Technosexual

Definition:
Men who get excited with new technologies or new functionalities and have strong sense of aesthetics.

Source:
Death by PowerPoint: A Modern Office Survival Guide , Michael Flocker 

Nine Books For Reading

DSC_0523a, originally uploaded by haxa.

Nine books I've recently purchased that I've read half through or haven't started at all. Here are some notes and previews:

1. Veronika Decides to Die
Perhaps this is one of Paulo Coelho's most depressing novels.

2. The Truth About Markets: Why Some Nations are Rich, but Most Remain Poor
Another economic book I bought to understand market economy and the have vs. have-not. Author: John Kay.

3. Seeing What's Next: Using the Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change
Clayton Christiansen co-authors with Anthony and Roth after his groundbreaking innovation theory in disruptive innovation from his successful book, The Innovator's Dilemma.

Part I of this book focuses on how to use theory to do your predictive analysis. in Part II, the authors applies these theories to predict the next changes in education, aviation, semiconductors, health care, corporate and country strategies, and telecommunications.

4. The World Is Flat: The Globalized World in The Twenty-First Century
Thomas Friedman definitely has got a lot to say about the flatteners that are flattening the globalized world. A great book to read to understand the current and future trends in economics and technologies. Lots of discussion on the emergence of new economic forces, India and China.

5. Death by PowerPoint: A Modern Office Survival Guide
Go read this book and you'll definitely identify your colleagues to the different characteristics Michael Flocker describe in this hilarious yet useful guide.

There are some useful descriptions of corporate lingo (e.g. circle back, engineering synergy, bridging synergy, drill down, mandatory fun), politics (perception,reality), etiqutte (e-mails, presentation), and others.

6. Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Skeptical Muslim
I'm still in the first couple of chapters in Ziauddin Sardar's memoir of journey in Islam in the late 20th century and the new millennium. I'm still at the part where Sardar left the Tabligh group with Sister Sofia and returned home.

I can't wait to continue finishing this exciting book as Sardar tells his stories and views from his extensive travels to Iran, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Turkey to name a few.

7. A Perfect Spy
After watching The Constant Garderner, I thought I should read John Le Carre's books. I haven't started on this book although I bought it few months back.

8. Everything Bad Is Good For You: Why Popular Culture is Making Us Smarter
You know this is a good book social commentary book when Malcolm Gladwell calls it 'Wonderfully Entertaining'. Steven Johnson will convince you that popular culture is making us more intelligent.

I like the chapter where he explores the multi-billion gaming industry - e.g. what makes people spend lots of money buying cheat sheet and spend hours of times getting from one level to another in video/PC/online gaming.

9. Making Globalization Work
I read Joseph Stiglitz's Globalization and Its Discontents during my MBA days and I'm a big fan of his ideas. Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize-winning economist lays out the process of reforming globalization after his widely accepted analysis (promise and perils) of globalization in his earlier book.

Lens Buying Addiction (LBA) & List of Lenses for DSLR

Thank you Mun Kit and Aik Leong for helping me developing the following list of different type of lenses. I definitely need this list as reference for future lens purchases.

For reviews of different lens by different brands and range, go to http://www.photozone.de/ and click the Review tab. Have fun!

Since, we are on the topic lens purchase, you might want to read more about LBA (Lens Buying Addiction / Lens Buyers Anonymous). If you follow the forum thread on the LBA link, you'll also find out on LSA (Lens Stacking Addiction / Lens Selling Addiction)!

1. Wide-angle zoom lens:

• 12-24mm, 10-22mm, 10-17mm
• building, landscape
• 10-17mm is fish-eye

2. Wide-angle prime lens:

• 14mm, 20mm, 28mm,
• fixed focal

3. Macro lens:

• 60, 105, 70
• flower, insects, portrait

4. Standard zoom lens:

• 17-70mm, 17-50mm, 16-50mm, 17-55mm, 28-75mm
• all-round photos, street photograph, and to replace standard D40x kit lens

5. Long zoom lens:

• 18-200mm, 18-250mm, 55-200mm VR
• travel (to compromise for frequent lens changes or light travel)

6. Standard prime lens:

• 15mm, 35mm, 50mm
• portraits, landscape, street photography

Nature's Beauty @ Bukit Jambul

Made my way hiking up the Bukit Jambul this time ;-) View more photos from Bukit Jambul hiking on this set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/haxa/sets/72157600171130649/


DSC_0204, originally uploaded by haxa.

The Tiara at Queensbay Mall

My Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/haxa/

DSC_0156, originally uploaded by haxa.

My New Camera - Nikon D40x and New Flickr Page

  DSC_0105 
  Originally uploaded by haxa.

I remember Najah commented on my photos from our bloggers' meeting, she'd say that it's the wrong camera - hehehe. So, after almost five years using Sony Cybershot P8, I am ready to learn something new and step up on learning DSLR camera!

By the way, Happy Birthday to Najah who's turning 32.

My good colleagues, Mun Kit and Frashad push in getting DSLR is also another reason. These guys talk cameras, lenses, dpreview, PMA show at breakfast, lunch, and our afternoon coffee time!

So, on my trip to KL last couple of days back, celebrating Labor day and Wesak Day holidays, I made a visit to Sungei Wang Plaza looking for camera shops. I found out that there are six TARITA shops carrying different camera and videocam brands. After checking few shops, I finally made my purchase - the Nikon D40x.

I choose Nikon D40x after reading good reviews on photo review sites, its good price, good camera built, great specs, and need I mention that Nikon D200 is the camera those cool forensic cops use on CSI (I know, it's not D40x)! But what a brilliant product placement!

So, the shop gave a crappy camera bag and I had to get a new one. Frashad was kind to take me out to Click 'and' Snap shop in Komtar and I got myself the blower, UV-filter, and a Lowepro bag. And now I'm broke but it's all worth it! There's a high learning curve for me as this is my first SLR experience and yes, I plastic wrapped my Nikon D40x manual because I know I will need it so often for references.

Enjoy my photos on my Flickr page. Seriously, after using Flickr I totally understand why it is so famous among photographers. The interface provides you with the software experience asif you are in a desktop environment! In fact, this blog entry is written from Flickr which provides seamless interoperability with multiple blogging systems/providers.

Here' my Flickr page link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/haxa/
Or you can click on the Flickr badge on the top left of this blogs to view my photos.