When What I Really Need Is Just A Player (And Not Storage).. WD TV HD Player

When I first read about the WD TV HD Player about 2 months back in lowyat.net, I was completely psyched. At last, someone was considerate enough to think about the masses. For most of us, we already have our own external hard disk packed with photos, music and videos downloaded from the net. To buy a standalone media player that requires us to buy an additional external hard disk would definitely make the hole in the pocket bigger.

The 2 main criterias that makes me drooling over this stuff are:

1. It has HDMI and Optical outputs, which means I can connect the HDMI directly to my LCD TV and the Optical to my Home Theatre.
2. It has 2 USB ports, which means I can just connect anything with USB (with mass storage driver) to the player. No internal memory required.

After I read about this player in T3 last week, I decided to search at LYN forum and I found out that many people have already purchased this unit. Local pricing is around RM400 which I think is quite acceptable. I remember looking for a hard disk player with HDMI output a few months back and if i was not mistaken it was around RM600 without the hard disk. But, maybe the price has gone down now because obselete is such and understatement in the gadget world. A gadget you buy today may cost 20-30% less in a months time making you feel like pulling all the hair on your head for being an early adopter. Sigh.. I really am speaking from experience hehe..

Eventhough there is an HDMI output from this media player, I don't think I will be enjoying any HD content streaming to my LCD TV because I don't have any. All my TV Series and movies are not of HD format. Some are so bad that it gets pixelated whenever I played from the DVD on my home theatre but who cares. As long as I can just sit back and relax on the couch using the supplied remote control (and do not have to sort the DVD disk ever again), I am a happy man.

I don't think I will be requiring this player anytime soon. The Jakarta trip and the new house have really taken it's toll on me I think haha. But, when the time comes (and hopefully the price goes away down), I will surely get this player or any other hard disk player from other manufacturer. Hey, it's a cruel world in the gadget world out there..

What I Love Most About... Indonesia

I've always been ready to answer this question once the Jakarta and Bandung trip ended. The 10 days trip from Christmas evening to 3rd January is the longest trip I ever had. We spent 2 days in Bandung for some serious shopping and continued the frenzy in Jakarta until the very last minutes at the airport to finish off the Rupiah we had in hand.

Back to the question again, my firm answer will be the musical culture of the people of Indonesia. Full stop.

I just love it there. Being an avid fan of Indonesia music, I thought that my trip to Jakarta would be incomplete if I were not able to attend any gig by any of the big names like Dewa, Ungu, Peterpan, Nidji, Kerispatih etc etc. It turned out that almost every Indonesian can sing, and they sing really well too.

The duo who performed at The Peak in Bandung was the best gig I've ever been to. Not that I've been to many gigs, but this duo consisting of a singer, with voice comparable to the vocalist of Letto, and a guitarist can play accoustic really well. It was there when I first heard the song Demi Cinta from Kerispatih and I immediately fell in love with the song. It is sad that the singer could only remember the song Isabella by Search when he knew we were from Malaysia. What the... that song was from the 90s or was it late 80s I can't remember. Another embarassing moment was that the Malaysian team (my table) failed the sing-along task badly. We really did bad as compared to the Indonesia team consisting of the cigar roller and the waiter. Haha.. they got all the time to practice because the work there at the restaurant :p

Have you ever been to a Kelantanese stall by the road side where you can enjoy almost free live music? I guess not. Back there in Indonesia, live performances are everywhere and they expect you minimal cover charge for as low as Rph 2000 (RM 0.60). Seriously, I enjoyed the live music while having my bebek goreng (fried duck) and nasgor bhakti/nasi goreng . The songs they played are sometimes alien to my ears, reminding me that the Indonesian music scene are much bigger than what managed to find it's way to our shores.

Other than that, the original CD prices for Indonesian artist are also very cheap as compared to Malaysia. I managed to grab the OST of Laskar Pelangi for as low as Rph 35000 (RM 11) and another compilation by Ari Lasso consisting of 1 CD and 1 DVD for only Rph 50000 (about RM 16). The low prices are due to the vast market for the Indonesian artist as the population of Jakarta itself is more than 8 million people. However, the low prices of the CD could not deter the production of pirated item. The latest home made compilation of hit songs would cost you Rph 15000 (about RM 5) a piece. This is a bit more expensive than the direct copy of original album which would usually cost around Rph 10000 (about RM 3). I came back home with 5 original CDs and 5 ahem CDs, I can't help myself.

It would be unfair if I say that the music culture are all good to the ears. I am thankful that the sing-along-karaoke performer are no where to be found in Malaysia. I was having my roti bakar at Warung Pak Eddy (a must when you're in Jakarta) when the performer equipped with a small radio strapped across his chest sung his heart out to the latest tunes by Ungu. Actually he was not singing, it was more mumbling lazily if I can recall and it was not a delightful performance. So I only tipped him Rph 1000 (RM 0.30) hehe.

Now that I am back in Malaysia, I'm gonna miss the live performance while mengopi at the mamak stall. How I wish I can go back there hehe..

When I Shouldn't Have Judged the Book Phone By it's Cover

When I first read about the Nokia E71 a few months back, I never really bothered to dig deeper about it. To me, it was just one of those phones by Nokia, crammed with all the latest technologies but lacking in actual purpose.

I was more interested in the BlackBerry Bold. Touted as the best ever BlackBerry by crackberry addicts, the shear design of the Bold is undeniably bold. But, the thought of the monthly suscription to the BlackBerry services, plus the unlimited data packages to make full use of device made me think twice. Then, came the day when I finally got to hold the Bold. All my excitement turned to ashes. The size is just too bold to be true (to the pocket). I can never fit in in my jeans.

After I played around with my friends' (yes.. 3 of my friends own it) Nokia E71, I was completely amazed by the overall built and regretted my ignorance. It is bolder in a few areas compared to the BlackBerry (at least to my specifications).

1. The dimension is super slim. The thickness is about the same as my Motorola V9 making it friendlier to jeans.
2. The material used screams "executive, elegant, slick, cool" and the list goes on. My only worry is that the back cover is a fingerprint magnet.
3. The in-the-box package is generous. Nokia decided to play bold and give away 2GB memory card, a cool leather case and strap (both unnecessary to me) beside the usuals (charger, USB cable, manual etc)
4. The seemingly small keyboard (at least to my standard) is mind bogglingly easy to use even to people with large fingers. Yes, I won't be able to use both hands to type in messages but one hand operation is easy and manageable.

Then came the Nokia E63 aka the poor man's E71 for lacking HSDPA (but still maintaning the slower 3G) and GPS and also a smaller 2MP camera. It comes in cooler shades having a blue and red casing in plastic covers. I seriously wouldn't mind the downgrades because I won't be using GPS and I am done from surfing for movies showtimes (on Maxis official portal) from my phone without having the unlimited data package. The charges are unbelievably ridiculous for text only (almost no images) content.

Sadly, then came the day when I finally got to bold hold the actual unit at Sg Wang Plaza even though it is yet to be released in Malaysia officially (surprise.. surprise). Surprisingly, the plastic cover, as compared to E71's stainless steel body, doesn't bother me much. What turned me off was the fact that being stripped of some functions from it's sibling, the E63 somehow managed to gain size in the thickness division. I am still puzzled to the moment I am typing this entry. Furthermore, the price quoted is just RM200 cheaper than E71, what the...

As much as I love the Bold and dream of a slimmer (if not cheaper) E63, I guess I'm back to square one.. E71 please forgive me for my prejudgement..

When Hype Is More Than Happening..

Here I am browsing the Net thru WiFi from a coffee shop in my hometown in Segamat during the Aidil Adha long weekends. I was hoping to get a decent connection at my parents house here (at least an EDGE connection) but I was disappointed by GPRS instead.

What amazes me is that the even the Segamat town is nowhere in the Maxis 3G coverage area. A quick check on my phone showed that only EDGE connection is available. I can accept the fact my parents house is not in the Maxis 3G coverage because it is sorrounded by rubber tress and stuff but the lack of coverage at the town area is unacceptable.

I can still remember having a video call with a friend of mine when I was in Pulau Perhentian last year. For God's sake, the island is in the middle on an ocean but still they bother to give it a 3G connection. Yes, I understand that Pulau Perhentian is a tourist attraction and there are many tourist on it all year long. But hey, Segamat can also be considered a tourist attraction if you ask me. We got the best durians in the whole of Johor, We got lots of people coming from all over the country to buy cheap textiles at the Jakel Store.

So, it seems that all the hype by all this telcos are just too good to be true. Maybe the government should step in again like what they did in the last few years to make sure more areas are covered by cell phone. This time they should make sure mobile surfer like me and many others are covered wherever we roam via 3G coverage. How can we all live without facebook, can't we?

But, I think Celcom does have a 3G connection here. So kudos to the fake yellow man in rain coat. Or should I follow you? hehe

Wouldn't It Be Nice If..... Gadgets Are Able to Comunicate Effortlessly?

Wouldn't it be nice if gadget are able to communicate effortlessly..?

I could not wait for the days of the cables to be over. I have a set of drawers dedicated just for all the cables for my all the handphones I used to have (Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson), MP3 players (Ipod Classic, Ipod Nano, Samsung), digital camera (DSLR and compact), video camera, external hard disk, earphones, handsfree headset, chargers and the list goes on. Even though everything is tucked away in their respective compartments, I still have problems finding them at times.

I can't wait for the day when I can..

1) Stream a video I just downloaded from the net to my LCD TV wirelessly.
2) Brag about the holiday photos I took on my camera at a friend's house without using a single cable on their Plasma TV. It would be nicer if the sideshow includes a background song too.
3) Challenge my friends on a game I am playing on my PSP on the big screen TV without the clutter of cables which could cause a possible tripping hazard.Hazardous to both human and gadget.

I could go on and on but I know it's too much to ask for now.

In the mean time, I am thankful I can enjoy all my tunes in my Samsung YP-T10 MP3 Player wirelessly on my my Samsung HTX-810 Home Theatre system via Bluetooth. Sometimes when I think my 2GB player is not enough, I would pair my laptop to the home theatre and listen to the music I've collected over the years. There were also times when my friends come over, they too love to pair up their handphones with the home theatre for some music sharing. Is that cool or what?

I believe the technology is already there, it's just a matter of time before a clutter free world will arrive.. Insya-allah

The Lenovo S10 vs Samsung NC10 Dilemma

I am so confused. The race for the netbook market is so intense that I am not able to make up my mind on my next netbook. Yeah, I know I just purchased a laptop about a month ago but I really think a netbook would be great for surfing and blogging. Now that I am subscribed to the Maxis 3G service, I would love to have a 10" netbook so that I would not suffer from shoulder ache lugging that 14' laptop around.

When the first netbook saw the light of day about a year ago, I was among the first in Malaysia ( I think) to get my paws on the Asus EEE PC 701 from MTCS at The Pavillion. During that time, I was constantly on the go as I need to travel to site every week. I can still remember the stares I got every time I turned on the EEE PC at airports, in the airplanes or even in the ERL for writing my reports (or pretending to write one hehe). Sigh.. those were the days haha. Now, netbooks are so common as more manufacturers are joining the race to dominate the market.

About 2 weeks ago, I was so sure that I was going to get the Lenovo S10 to replace my Asus EEE PC 701. I loved the 701 for it's portability, the ultra fast start up thanks to the SSD and the super compact charger. But I have to admit that the 7" screen is not enough for me. Other that that, the keyboard are too cramped for my big boned fingers.

In terms of specifications, the Lenovo S10 is about the same standard as other 10" netbooks from MSI or Asus. However, the clean retro Macbook-ish design stole my heart. And there is also an Express Card slot onboard, none of which the other competitor has. Yeah.. I know, I would not be using the Express card anyway as my 3G modem is USB. It's just one of those nice-to-have features so that I would have something to brag about against my rival MSI or Asus competitor hehe. But, there are reports on the net that this netbook has some heat and the battery life issues

Then, the Samsung NC10 joined the race. This 10" beauty from Samsung still sports the standard specs for netbooks, Intel Atom N270 processor and 1GB RAM but there is no Express Card slot. But, it comes with a 6 cell battery as standard and is getting lots of good review on the net. It is reported to be able to run on Wifi for about 5-6 hours, that amount of juice would last me a whole night of surfing and blogging. But, the problem is Samsung Malaysia does not distribute their laptop here. So I am not sure how the warranty would be like if I were to purchase this netbook from the net. I managed to find a seller in lelong dot com who sells the NC10 at less than RM1800. Tempting as it is, I am still contemplating whether I should go for it or just settle for the Lenovo S10.

I am so confused, Sigh..

My new Acer Aspire 4930G

I was spending the long weekend at my bro's house in Shah Alam last week when my cousins and I decided to go to Digital Mall PJ to buy some ahem DVDs. Little did I know that the supposedly less-than-50-ringgit trip ended up with a boom, and a big hole in my pocket.

Since none of the titles excites me, I decided to browse around one of the laptop shops. The need for a new laptop surfaced because my 3 years old Asus failed me and the cost of replacing the mother board is equavalent to any of those 10" netbook like Asus EEE pc and Acer Aspire One.

My first option when buying a new laptop will always be Asus but it usually costs more than any other brand with the same spec (putting Sony Viao and anything in the same class aside). When I laid my hand on the Acer Aspire 4930G, I immediately fell in love with it because of the Nvidia 9300M GS (256 MB of dedicated DDR2 VRAM) and the HDMI port. Yup, I don't have such high expectation but I guess the processor will do me just fine for basic Photoshop and killing the time playing Command & Conquer and DOTA. So now I can't wait to play CnC on my 32" Samsung LCD TV hehehe.

Apart from the HDMI port that attracts me, the price is also quite reasonable. For RM2999 (recommended retail price, how much the final price will depend on your negotiation skill), it is almost the same price for the Dell Studio Hybrid (with Bluray drive) that I almost ordered 2 weeks ago. But with the Dell I will need to connect it to my LCD TV since it doesn't come with a monitor. Plus, the Dell also doesn't have any dedicated graphic card for reasonable 3D gaming (even my Aspire 4930G could not handle Crysis and Call of Duty). However, the asthetic value of the Dell is so high that it will blend in perfectly with your LCD TV. Sigh.. I almost get carried away with it's cool factor that I was blinded by it's disabilities. Yes, I am a sucker for cool gadgets.

Now, the first big task for the new laptop is the post production job for my first High Definition movie from the Bali trip. I am not sure if the 2.0Ghz processor with 2GB RAM is capable of HD video processing but I guess I have to try to find out. If it's too hard for the laptop, maybe I will have to convert the video files to a more manageable format. But that does defeat the whole purpose of me having a HD camcorder haha. Yeap.. I am such a sucker for cool gadgets