NOTICE of Blog transfer over to WORDPRESS

THANK YOU for visiting my Blog.


With effect 8 Jul 2010 - I have move my blog and all its contents to :


http://leemn.wordpress.com


You are most welcome to visit my new site. 


Have a nice day


Regards


Benny Lee MN

iPAD : Saving files from iPAD

When you receive an email with attachment, the iPAD do not have an option for you to save the attachment. You can only view it . There are 2 ways you can save your attachment. In both methods, you can easily transfer your file out to your desktop. 

EASIEST : Use ReaddleDocs ( cost US$ 4.99 ) - it is a good buy

ReaddleDocs is a revolutionary document viewer, file manager and attachment saver for iPad.
It can catch documents from any source you can imagine: PC or Mac computers, web sites, email attachments, iDisk, Dropbox and other online file storages and even iPhones. All files are saved to your iPad locally so you can enjoy reading them anywhere!

ReaddleDocs features outstanding PDF viewer that:
✚ opens large PDFs
✚ supports full text search
✚ has text reflow mode
✚ handles PDF links and outlines
✚ opens password protected documents
✚ extracts text from the PDFs

★ Copy files From Mac or PC via Wi-Fi
Any Mac OS X, Windows XP/Vista/7 computer can connect to the iPad running ReaddleDocs and operate it like a wireless flash drive. No additional software is required.
★ Read Office Documents
ReaddleDocs' built-in viewer supports PDF, MS Office (Word, Excel and Powerpoint) and Apple iWork files. To read documents from other software like MS Project, Visio or OmniGraffle simply print them as PDF files and copy to ReaddleDocs.
★ Save Email Attachments
Forward email with attachment to your unique Readdle Storage mail-in address and save it to your device using ReaddleDocs. Or download files directly from IMAP/POP3 enabled mail servers.
★ Share Files With Your Friends
Email files directly from ReaddleDocs. Or even transfer documents between the iPads.
★ Transfer files to iPad with or without Wi-Fi
ReaddleDocs supports transferring files to your device using both EDGE or 3G network. Just upload your documents to Readdle Storage using regular Internet connection and instantly access them from the ReaddleDocs.
★ Save Documents From the Web
Use built-in web browser to find and save files from the Web directly to your device. Save whole webpages with images to read them offline.
★ Access iDisk, Dropbox, GoogleDocs And Other Storages
ReaddleDocs allows you to download and upload files from MobileMe iDisk, Dropbox, GoogleDocs and other services. If you use more than one online storage, ReaddleDocs will handle all of them. Even some home NAS drives are supported.

CHEAPER OPTION :

You can easily save files to your DropBox account from your iPad.  All you need is a free DropBox account and GoodReader. GoodReader is a file management system for the iPad, and cost only US$0.99.

Most files on the iPad, including email attachments, can be opened in GoodReader. Once you have your file in GoodReader, select “Manage Files” on the right side of the app and select the file you want to move. Notice the options to Cut(Move) or Copy? Select the one you want.

Once you select the file you want to move, a green dot will appear next to the file name, and scissors will appear below the file name if you chose “Cut” instead of “Copy”:

Next you want to select “Connect to Servers” on the right side of the GoodReader app. Here you can connect GoodReader to your DropBox account.

Select DropBox, and the list of folders and files you have in your DropBox account will appear in a new window with an option to “Paste” at the bottom right of the new window:

Select “Paste” and the file you selected in GoodReader will be pasted in your DropBox account and available on the DropBox website and any device you have DropBox installed on.

The file then appears in your DropBox account:

iPAD : Transfer files from Mac using Netatalk

Netatalk lets you transfer files between iPad and your Mac wirelessly

WiFi MUST be enabled on both Mac and iPAD

This procedure can ONLY works on Jailbreak iPADs. You can refer here for the steps for Jailbreaking.

1. Download the zip file from Nettalk and run it on your Mac.

 http://netatalk.sourceforge.net/

2. On your iPAD, download Netatalk v 2.0.4-7 on Cydia. Install the program on the iPAD.

3. After install, Open Cydia -  Select Sections/Networking - click on Nettalk : Select the option " Connection How to MAC " . Just follow the 3 screeen instructions listed " FIND, CLICK Connect and LOGin.

4. Under Finder on your Mac, you will see the iPAD as a shared device. 

5. Click “ Connect As ” button to logon as another user. 

6. You’ll be prompt to enter name/password. Type “root” or “mobile” for name and “alpine” for password. Then click “Connect”.

Once connected , you will see " Connected as : root " if you use "root"

You can now  just drag and drop files onto the iPad. 

NexusOne with Android 2.2 Outperforms iPhone 4

Source : JohnHaller.com

Ars Technica just did a review of the much-anticipated update of the Nexus One to Android 2.2 (Froyo) and the peformance improvements have been quite good. They ran the typical speed tests in the browser including the Google V8 benchmark and the Sunspider benchmark. The big surprise was that the Nexus One now bests the just-released iPhone 4 in these same tests by a very wide margin: over a 3x better score in the V8 benchmark and nearly twice as fast in the Sunspider benchmark.

Google V8 Benchmark Version 5 (Higher Score Is Better)

Device                                 Score
Nexus One (Android 2.2)    287.0
Nexus One (Android 2.1)    65.0
iPhone 4                                83.4
iPad                                       101.0
iPhone 3GS*                          49.3
iPhone 3G*                            23.0

* Note: The iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G scores are using version 3 of the Google V8 benchmark which seems to run about 15% slower than Version 5 due to the fact that both devices failed to run version 5 of the benchmark.

Sunspider JavaScript Benchmark, In Seconds (Lower Score Is Better)

Device                                 Score (in Seconds)
Nexus One (Android 2.2)    5.8
Nexus One (Android 2.1)    14.3
iPhone 4                                10.9
iPad                                       10.1
iPhone 3GS*                         14.2
iPhone 3G*                            41.4

Conclusion :
Android 2.2 (Froyo) yields some big performance improvements for Android devices due to the new Just In Time compiler built-in. The latest incarnation of the open-source Android OS allows the 6-month-old Nexus One to outperform the just-releases iPhone 4 running iOS4 by a significant margin in both the major browser benchmarks. The Android 2.2 update should yield similar performance improvements on other devices like the Motorola Droid and HTC Evo, making Android phones an even better bet than before.

Sources :
Ars reviews Android 2.2 on the Nexus One (Page 5)
iPhone 4: the Ars Technica review (Page 9)

iPAD : Alternative browsers to Safari

Safari the browser on the iPAD is disappointing. It doesn't provide tabbed browsing, and tapping any link opens a new window that must be loaded prior to viewing. Once you select a new link, the previous pages are not available to view and you need to use the back button to view it , losing your current view. Unlike the browser on the desktop, previous pages are not cache in a History page which you can search for past webpages visited. You cannot even email out any website page link to others. So I have been scouting round and found these 2 browsers which are better alternatives - there are not perfect but at least offer more features.

Here are reviews of 2 alternatives which I have tested : Life Web Browser and Atomic Web Browser

Life Web Browser
Developer :
http://www.itsabouttimeproducts.com/Life
Price : US$ 1.99

This browser is designed just for the iPad. It does not  attempt to mimic the features of a desktop browser like Firefox but instead tries to add new twists that take advantage of the iPad’s unique features. Life Browser eliminates the concept of tabs entirely and operates with a swiping mechanism similar to Cover Flow. 

Imagine being able to swipe through your favorite websites on your iPad the same way you swipe through pages in iBooks. That’s what Life Browser for iPad does and more. While you're looking at the home page in Life, you'll notice the edges of two other pages, one to the left and another to the right. To navigate to these other sites, you can use the left / right arrows at the bottom of the page (which conveniently have the name of the sites on them), touch one of the edges (this works well when you're holding the iPad in both hands), or swipe right or left using four fingers. You swipe through sites as if you are swiping through pictures in iPhoto.

Other Key Features:

-  It’s easy to add and remove a website with the plus key and minus key at the bottom. You can also swipe pages using the labeled button keys at the right side bottom.

- Because Life Browser can guess where you may go next, it pre-loads pages to the right and to the left. That way, they’re ready when you are.The "side pages" are loading while you're looking at a page. When you're ready to move to one of your other favorite pages, they're already loaded and ready to view. Want to view a page in full screen mode with no buttons or the address bar? Tap the full-screen button at the bottom of the screen to toggle full-screen viewing on and off. 

- The Q (queue) button is another powerful feature.  It makes it easier to load up lots of websites and to read them without reloading. Tapping the “Q” button makes every link you tap queue up below the current page. Users then can page up and down between these pages, each of which load in the background while the current page is being read.  When you're ready to start reading, tap the up and down arrows at the top of the page to move through the stack. Most of the time those pages will already be downloaded and ready to view

-Favorite Sites are identified and saved automatically for future use

-Advanced multi-touch features recognize a variety of gestures. One finger can scroll through sites, two fingers can zoom in and out, three fingers go backward and forward in the history, four fingers move between open windows.

-Instead of text representing a bookmark, a thumbnail image of the site is saved and used as a bookmark. The makes recognizing a remembering a good site easier and more intuitive

-A single URL address bar and a Google search bar complete with auto-suggestions. Google suggestions will appear underneath the address bar. 

-Emails can be sent with a simple tap of a button.  You can share a page with someone without leaving Life Web Browser by tapping the email link button.

Some weakness :

- The pre-loading feature can cause a lot of the Ipad’s memory to be used up quickly. This can cause the application to start lagging and the system to slow down noticeably. Additional problems arise with saved sites. Some pages are not able to be cached or saved for future use during a browsing sessions. 

- Bookmarks are not easily transferred to the Ipad from another browser such as Safari.

- In some cases, links that worked fine in Safari wouldn’t activate in Life Browser. The developer is looking into this. 

- As Life Browser is doing some page loading in the background, it can sometimes seem not as responsive as Safari. 

Official Video :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNOZrP7Cr9U&feature=player_embedded

Links :
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/17/first-look-life-a-web-browser-optimized-for-the-ipad/
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/life_browser_for_ipad_swipes_through_websites_like_a_book/

Atomic Web Browser
Developer : Rich Trautvetter
Price : US$ 0.99

Atomic Web’s main attraction is tabbed browsing. Atomic Web handles tabs like a desktop browser, displaying them directly underneath the address bar. When you press and hold on a link, a contextual menu allows you to open the page in a foreground or background tab. Switching between tabs is instantaneous — a huge relief given that Safari sometimes has to reload pages if you stray for too long.

Tabbed browsing isn’t Atomic Web’s only advantage. There’s also full screen browsing, find in page, multi-touch shortcuts (two-finger swipes with customizable actions), support for a couple dozen search tools, private mode, an ad blocker and customizable colors.

However when you quit the browser, it has to reload all your pages again next time you start up, even if you set the browser to preserve all open tabs after quitting.  Even worse, your navigation history (forward and back buttons) resets. What this means is that Atomic can’t be used seamlessly: without saving the user state upon exit, no amount of functionality in the world can help it compete with Mobile Safari, which is always running and always remembers what you were doing when you exited.

Atomic makes the same mistake as Safari in that it treats the location bar and search bar as distinct when it could be merge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0Ame439tJo&feature=player_embedded

Links:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/194488/atomic_web_a_better_ipad_browser.html
http://www.cultofmac.com/quick-review-atomic-web-browser-for-ipad-iphone-has-tabs-adblock-offline-mode-and-more/38244
http://ipadthoughts.net/2010/04/15/recommended-atomic-web-browser/

The NutGraph " Found in Conversation" with Tony Pua, Khairy and Nurul Anwar

On 20 June 2010, The Nut Graph kicked off its first Found in Conversation event titled Creativity and Innovation in Politics. Around 80 guests attended the Sunday evening event at Leonardo’s Dining Room and Wine Loft, Bangsar, which was the venue sponsor.
At the event, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua and Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Nurul Izzah Anwar spoke on current political issues and innovative practices within their parties. The conversation among the politicians and with the audience was moderated by The Nut Graph co-founder and editor Jacqueline Ann Surin.

 

FOR those who missed it,  the 15 part videos is now available to view at :
http://www.thenutgraph.com/talking-about-political-change/
Each video is about 5 - 6 mins .
Contents of the videos :

1. Political landscape post-2008
Nurul Izzah and Khairy answer the question about what it will take for politicians or a political party to survive the next general election.

2. Pua, Nurul Izzah and Khairy talk about the changing demands of voters post-2008, and how that has affected their role and the role of their parties.

3. On structural reforms
Khairy talks about changes within Umno and what’s needed.

4. Pua talks about reforms and challenges within the DAP.

5. Khairy explains capacity-building measures within Umno.

6. On the Pakatan Rakyat (PR)’s successes and challenges. Both Nurul Izzah and Pua respond to a critical question from the floor about what the PR has done since they were voted in in 2008.

7. On women
Nurul Izzah talks about the challenges women face.

8. On women within the party structure. Khairy admits that the odds are stacked against women in Umno, while Pua says the DAP has a more open structure.

9. On political futures
Pua and Nurul Izzah talk about the state and future of the PR as an alliance.

10. Can the PR convince the rakyat that it is capable of governing? Why won’t it set up a shadow cabinet to demonstrate its seriousness and capability? Nurul Izzah and Pua field a question from the floor and respond to a challenge from Khairy.

11. Khairy takes on a question from the floor about whether Umno needs to lose power in order for it to change. He argues that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is a reform-minded leader, and that it is important for Najib to know that he has support to push his reform agenda.

12. On education and the arts
Nurul Izzah and Pua talk about what their respective parties and the PR are doing to support education and the arts.

13. Khairy takes on the question: “It’s not the amount of money that the government puts aside for the arts. It’s where it’s going. And I think that’s the problem. It’s not going to the right places. And it’s going to a lot of mainstream [stuff], basically, at the moment, which needs to change.”

14. On creativity and innovation in politics
Pua and Khairy speak concretely about the one creative and innovative thing their parties have done since 2008.

15. Nurul Izzah says PKR’s most innovative act was her father Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s call for the New Economic Policy (NEP) to be revamped so that affirmative action is based on need. Pua agrees that Anwar took a political risk, and that his consistent call to revamp the NEP was what convinced him that Anwar could be an alternative prime minister. Khairy agrees that Anwar has been consistent on this point, but argues that Anwar has it easier than Najib in bringing about such a change.

Link :
http://www.thenutgraph.com/khairy-yes-umno-can-change/

iPAD : Watching unsupported video formats

The 9.7-inch high-resolution screen makes iPad perfect for watching HD movies, TV shows, podcasts, music videos, and more. However, the video formats supported by the iPad are relatively limited compared to the number of formats available on the market. Below are video formats that are actually supported by iPad device:

iPad Supported Video Format
H.264 video (up to 720p, 30 frames per second; main profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats)
MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats.
Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format . 

You can use various software to convert your movies - example my favorite freeware is  "Handbrake"  which I find it simple to use.  There are better and more specialized software with editing features and it costs around US$ 20 to US$40. However the disadvantage of using such software is the time needed to convert the videos is terribly long . A typical 1.5 hour movie ( eg in avi format ) will take about an hour plus. I have given up using such software and has found a FREE and FAST solution to watch my collection of movies/videos in other formats ( mainly avi ) on the iPAD.

The solution is AIR VIDEO. I use the free version as it is sufficient for my use. You can upgrade to the paid version with more features. Just download this app from the Apps Store.

The whole process to convert a typical movie of 1.5 hour length takes only about 20 minutes and the conversion quality is very good.

The shot below shows a screenshot on my iPAD after I have converted the 2 movies. You can watch the movie while it is being converted or after conversion on this screen itself. As I find the screen is only about 2/3 of the original screen, I choose to " Add to iTunes".  The converted movies will appear in the Movies folder in iTunes. Just sync your iPAD and the movies will appear in the Videos app.

Using AIR VIDEO v 2.2.4 to watch video files : 
Video Streaming 
 Air Video can stream videos in almost any format to iPAD . You don't need to copy your videos to the device just to watch them.
Live Conversion
If the videos in your collection are not in format supported by iPad, Air Video will convert them on fly*. You don't need to wait until the entire video is converted. You can start watching it almost immediately!

Features : 
- Videos that can not by directly played by iPad can be easily converted - mp4, m4v, mov, avi, wmv, asf, mpg, mpeg, mkv, 3gp, dmf, divx, flv. DRM protected videos as well as proprietary codecs are NOT supported.
Live conversion allows you to play videos without having to convert them upfront.
Requires firmware 3.0 or newer and sufficiently powerful computer.
Option to convert entire video before playing it (offline conversion)
Files converted offline can be put to conversion queue
Adjust quality, zoom and resolution for each video individually
Select audio stream (language)

Setting Up Air Video
You need to download and install Air Video Server.
Once the server is running, add folders that you want to share. If you have videos in your iTunes playlists, you can also share those playlists.

If you have been running Air Video Server before the window will not open. You can access it using Air Video Server icon in menubar (on Windows the icon is in system tray).


Using Air Video
In Air Video on your iPad add your computer to server list.

After the server is added you can browse its folders.

Links :
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/air-video-watch-your-videos/id306550020?mt=8#
http://www.inmethod.com/air-video/features.html

Browsing speed of iPHone 4 vs iPhone 3Gs

The following video by Obama Pacman compares the browsing speed of the iPhone 4 against the older iPhone 3Gs ( firmware 3.1.3 ) under the same 3G network.
- Both on 3G with WiFi turn off
- Links open in new browser window

Left : iPhone 4 , Right :  iPhone 3Gs ( on 3.1.3 )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V2rhMnncZQ&feature=player_embedded


Result: In almost all the tests, the iPhone 4 was much faster in Web browsing even though iPhone 4 is rendering 4 times the pixels on its high resolution Retina display.

Part of the speed increase is due to the faster Apple A4 processor , another factor is the new HSUPA support in iPhone 4. That means in supported areas, iPhone 4 will have up to 60% faster downloads and up to 500% faster uploads. This test result is likely to have reflected both these factors.
MacRumors, running benchmark tests, found the iPhone 4 processor to be 31% faster than the 3GS using Geekbench 2.1. The iPhone 4 came in with a 2.514 score across routine tests like memory allocation and view drawing, easily beating the 3GS at 2.298. Both were tested under iOS 4.

Anwar Ibrahim on CNN Connect the World

Anwar Ibrahim appeared on this softball interview on CNN-International's Connect the World program on Friday, July 2nd, 2010.
Questions on what he would do if he were the Prime Minister, his stand on Shariah Law and what reforms he would bring to Malaysia.
Just view it with an open mind - after all, it's just political talk. We see these from both sides = the ruling coalition and the opposition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1NokK6BMW4&feature=player_embedded#at=234


Links:
http://www.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/connect.the.world/
http://connecttheworld.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/22/future-connector-anwar-ibrahim/

Zaid Ibrahim calls for open probe on Raja Petra and Bala

Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/pakatan-rakyat/7645-zaid-calls-for-open-probe-on-rpk-and-bala

6 Jul 2010 : PKR leader Zaid Ibrahim, accusing Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak of being afraid to face blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) and private eye P Balasubramaniam, has challenged the government to conduct an independent and open investigation to determine RPK's guilt and Balasubramaniam’s credibility.

He said he was sure the two would return to Malaysia to defend themselves if the government would guarantee their families’ safety and their immunity from detention under the Internal Security Act.

“The truth is that Najib is afraid of these two human beings,” he said in his latest posting on myzaidibrahim.wordpress.com under the title Comedy a la P. Ramlee, which is translated below:
“At first, we heard PM Najib saying he was confident the police would arrest Raja Petra; but the police have not done anything in 12 months. And Khairy (Jamaluddin) is right; Raja Petra is always seen in public in London and Manchester. Hundreds of Malaysians know this, and I have even met him. So don’t tell me the police don’t know. Impossible.

It is the same thing with Bala. He is in London too. Next week, he will go to Paris to meet French investigators.

But the Malaysian police are not interested in meeting these two. Why?

(Home) Minister Hishammuddin (Hussein), MP Zahrain (Mohamed Hashim) and Utusan Malaysia seem to be more interested in my friendship with Raja Petra. The question is: Why is there no action against Raja Petra if he has done wrong? Tell the public what wrong he has done. Has a warrant of arrest been issued against him? No, as far as I know. So, if Raja Petra has done nothing wrong, why can’t I watch a football match with him?

The truth is that PM Najib is afraid of these two human beings. That’s why they have had to put up an act. They had to say Raja Petra was in Brisbane, Australia, or wherever. In fact, they knew all along where Raja Petra was and where Bala was. The police even met Bala in Bangkok. But they keep playing dumb.

What the people want to know is why these two have not been openly investigated.
PM Najib said we must not believe Raja Petra; but we must not be too ready to believe PM Najib either.

So, let us have an independent and open investigation, with an assurance to the two men that they will not be detained under the ISA. I am sure they will return to Malaysia to defend the statements they have made. And if it is found that they are liars who have brought shame to the nation’s leader, then punish them. That would be the way a good reformist leader would act; he wouldn’t keep play acting and using the police and the press to cast aspersions on other people.

I have to stop here. Going to Holiday Villa London in an hour’s time to see Bala. Nothing important. It’s just that since the police and MACC are afraid to meet Bala and Petra, it’s now up to my friends and I to treat them to ice kacang.”

How to setup an USA account to download Apple iTunes Store Music/Videos/Apps

If you live outside the USA then you’re probably aware that not all iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad  apps are available in your country’s store. This can be pretty annoying when you read reviews about great apps only to find out you can’t access them. Don’t worry though, because there is a simple trick within iTunes that lets you register for a US iTunes account without using a credit card. By entering a fake US address you can fool the system and complete the registration. Here’s how it’s done:

1. First, make sure you’re signed out of your iTunes account. Click the flag that appears in the bottom-right corner of the screen in iTunes and select the US Store from the list that appears.

2. Browse to a free app you want to download from the US Store and click on the Free button. You’ll now be asked to sign in or register. Click on the Create New Account button.

 3. After clicking Continue and accepting the terms and conditions, you’ll be invited to create a new Apple ID. Enter an email address (separate to the one for your existing iTunes account), password, verification question and date of birth.

 4. Click Continue again. Now you’re prompted to provide a payment method. However, the option we’re interested in here is the None radio button. Make sure this is checked then go on to enter a US address. Of course, you’ll probably have to make one up - the best way is just to use any adrress associated with restaurant, hotel, retail outlets, etc. Just google - find any place , note down its address and just modified the address - important to keep intact is the postcode, town name

 5. Now check your email and click on the verification link. iTunes will open and you can sign in with your new account details. Hey presto, you’re in the US Store and can start downloading free apps from here! To access your new US account on your iPhone, simply go into Settings, then Store and sign out of your existing account. Then sign back in using your new credentials (don’t worry, the existing apps you’ve installed won’t be affected by doing this). Now you can enjoy all the benefits if having a US iTunes account!

Source:
http://en.onsoftware.com/how-to-set-up-a-us-itunes-account-from-another-country/

M'sian Bar Council President Ambiga Sreenevasan USA award not well publicised in Malaysia

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and first lady Michelle Obama present give away Secretary of State's Award for International Women of Courage to Malaysia 's Ambiga Sreenevasan (Malaysian Bar Council) at the State Department in Washington
 
Source: http://www.indianmalaysian.com/sound/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2021
12 Mar 2009 : Malaysia bar council president Ambiga Sreenevasan , an ethnic Indian, is one of the right women who recieved the prestigious "women of courage" award from Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in USA.
Sreenevasan has been at the forefront of the civil liberties movement in Malysia. Malaysian women's bodies have hailed Sreenevasan's award a recognition in the international arena for taking a firm stand on national issues such as judicial independence, gender equality and good governance.
Chew Mei Fun, then  MCA Wanita chief had said Sreenevasan was a "living proof" and her efforts " should not only be viewed from a gender's perspective as a woman, but as a Malaysian individual who champions justice and equality"

Source :
http://malaysiadigest.blogspot.com/2010/04/ambiga-sreenevasan.html
The shame of it all that we should be so proud (and are) of our own Malaysian receiving an international award like this, but the Malaysian government and press don't see it as important enough to publish it in our local dailies! It was only published by The Star and THE SUN but rather small and hidden in the inner pages.

WHY???...BECAUSE SHE WEARS A SAREE.

Never mind if they don't publish in the papers......lets circulate ........
This Picture Made It To the Pages of India Times but not in our own papers!

Senator Ezam wants action against MalaysiaKini and The Star over reports about palace's workers plight

 2 Jul Malaysiakini  : Senator Ezam Mohd Nor has called on the Home Ministry to probe both Malaysiakini and Star over news reports concerning the plight of foreign workers at the construction site of the new palace in Kuala Lumpur. After his visit to the construction site, he said " their reports are anti-Malay and anti-Istana (anti-palace). The reports (portrayed) the palace as if it was being built upon the tears of the people."

Who is Senator Ezam Mohd Nor ?
He was the Former PKR Youth chief  who was also Anwar Ibrahim political secretary in the late 1990's. He left PKR in 2007 and rejoined UMNO a year later. Actively campaigning against Anwar,  in May 2010 he was "rewarded" as a  senator.

I was shocked when I read about his call for action against MalaysiaKini and The Star. I refer back to the said articles and I do not see any direct or innuendo on " anti-Malay" or "anti-Istana". The report only touch on the plight, mistreatment of workers and the building's safety. Some workers had claimed their salaries were not paid for months. The reports NEVER mention that the king himself is responsible for paying any of  the salaries. Neither is the King responsible for hiring those illegal foreign workers.

If the reports are wrong,  the Ministry of Labor, the district MP, NGO's or even opposition MPs can investigate.

This educated chap definitely have higher perception and interpretation beyond my understanding on the written word than me ! How he can link contractors not paying wages to the workers as an attack on the Malay institutions, and being anti-Malay or anti-Istana is a puzzlement to me.
Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I find his remarks stupid, illogical to the point of being nonsensical and an attempt to have cheap publicity. I shudder to think that we have a person with such lines of thought and reasoning as one of the country's legislators.
No ! He is not dumb. He is in fact smart as he is stirring up unnecessary racial issues as a means to possibly please his master - another Ibrahim Ali in the works?  He takes on the role of the " bad guy" and giving Najib the chance to exploit it to act as the "good guy" in promoting his 1Malaysia vision. I view his action as just another political ploy to garner  UMNO and Malay's support. Being newly appointed as Senator barely 2 months, he just want to remind all of his presence in Parliment.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin had rightly told Ezam off saying the controversy involving unpaid foreign workers at the new palace construction site should not be turned into a racial issue.
SUHAKAM , the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia wants to conduct its own investigations over the allegations of abuse and late/unpaid salaries. Suhakam Commissioner, James Nayagam, said he viewed the case seriously and was willing to meet the workers to verify their claims. Similarly he said “Ezam should get his facts right before commenting on the matter. Please look at the issue and find out the actual situation at the site. This is about seeking justice for the workers and finding out the truth and has got nothing to do with the royalty or being anti-national...Highlighting the plight of these workers is not only to bring justice to the foreign workers but also to ensure that the contractor delivers a good job and the palace is built properly for the royal institution,”.  He said Senator Ezam Mohd Nor had blown the issue out of proportion when he accused Malaysiakini and The Star of being “anti-national institutions and against Istana Negara.”
Tenaganita president, Irene Fernandez, agrees with Nayagam and said  Ezam’s accusation was an absolute nonsense.

Ezam the jerk, should be charge and place under ISA arrest as he'd committed  high treason of stirring up racial sentiments unnecessary.

Adobe Flash 10.1 now enabled on iPAD ?

Demo of various games requiring Flash on the iPAD. The video looks good and it'd be great when released after the bugs are sorted.
This was enabled through a mobile plugin called Frash by Jailbreak developer Comex.

http://www.iphonedownloadblog.com/2010/07/04/frash/

iPhone 4 Antennae problems - lack of coating ?

Another possible cause - some sets were not coated ? Another sign of poor quality control : excerpts from http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/07/02/claims.maintain.apple.had.bad.production.run/#ixzz0sjbQbWqG


A tentative rumor largely gone unnoticed has raised the possibility that the iPhone 4's reception problems may have been caused by production issues. At least this and one other report claims that Apple support representatives were told there was an issue with a coating meant to prevent accidentally bridging the antenna but which wasn't present on all units.
While room for doubt exists, the rumors would potentially explain the inconsistent behavior of the glitch. Some customers have had few or no issues regardless of where they use the phone, while others have had signal problems even in known good areas.

International Conference on Breaking the Gaza Siege in Kuala Lumpur.

Source :
http://bigdogdotcom.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/pgpo-conference-breaking-the-seige/
http://rockybru.com.my/2010/07/breaking-siege-of-gaza.html
Notice Issued by Perdana Global Peace Organisation (PGPO) on 3 July, 2010:

International Conference on Breaking the Gaza Siege  in Kuala Lumpur.
Date : 9 Jul 2010
Venue : Putra World Trade Center : Dewan Tun Razak Hall 1
Time : 9 am

Excerpts :
Entrance is free and open to the public. The public is however advised to come early as seats are limited though there is ample standing room.
If there are any enquiries, please contact:
03-88858965 (Maizatul – maizatul@perdana.org.my)
03-88858960 (Noorinsun – noorinsun@perdana.org.my)
019-3843913 (Dr Zulaiha Ismail – zul@pop.jaring.my)
019-9100090 (Shamsul – shamsulakmar@gmail.com).


The siege on the Gaza Strip since 2007 is a sad tale of of atrocities and cruelties inflicted by the Israeli Government on Palestinians.
Last month, a group of activists from different countries, colours and creeds, joined hands to form the Freedom Flotilla and sailed across the Mediterranean to challenge the siege on Gaza.
The Israel Defence Force ( IDF )  attacked the civilian ship resulted in the murder of nine activists and injured dozens more. After forcefully boarding the ships of the flotilla, they commandeered them to the Israeli port Ashdod and then imprisoned the activists.
The IDF repeated their act a few days later on the MV Rachel Corrie, another member of the Freedom Flotilla . Again, the Rachel Corrie was forcefully commandeered to Ashdod. It is believed that the Rachel Corrie was spared the violent, armed aggression of the IDF due to the international spotlight on Tel Aviv following murders of the activists on Mavi Marmara.
It is against these backdrops that the Perdana Global Peace Organisation (PGPO), a principal partner in the Freedom Flotilla, decided to hold an international conference to recount what had occurred on the Mavi Marmara and Rachel Corrie.

The international conference will feature, among others, Yildirim Bulent, head of the Turkish humanitarian relief organisation, the Insani Yardim Yakfi (IHH), Denis J. Halliday, former assistant secretary-general of the United Nations, Derek Graham, head of the MV Rachel Corrie team, Dr Hasan Huseyn Uyzal who was on board the Mavi Marmara and helped treat the injured, Palestinian judge Dialdeen S. Madhoun who is head of the Palestinian committee of war crimes documentation, and, of course, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, a leading figure in opposing Israeli consistent and systematic genocide of Palestinians.

The conference is expected to conclude with a clear plan on measures and efforts to be undertaken in challenging the siege and eventually putting an end to it.
These measures and efforts will be formulated based on the inputs, views and ideas put forth and shared during the conference.
The closing address will be delivered by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

2nd iPhone 4/iPAD meetup at KLCC Starbucks

Date : 2 July 2010 @ 6 pm till 9 pm
Location : Starbucks - KLCC

I attended the above function - reached there about 7 pm and left 830 pm. About 20+ enthusiasts attended. Most of them were in their twenties to thirties. I guess I am only one of the few older chaps around. Quite a few were curious about these new gadgets and just wanted to have a look and feel of the new iPhone4 and iPads. I'd presumed all of them were "racun" or poisoned by us that night. I'm pretty sure they'd be unable to sleep that night thinking and fretting over their buying decision.
We're quite well behaved and not so boisterous as expected - if not will sure kena " throw out" by Starbucks guys.

It was basically a meetup to discuss, share opinions , programs demo and mini sale of some accessories. As this was the second meetup after a month, the enthusiasm and emphasis was more on the new iPhone 4 . I noted most of those who came are already quite knowledgeable about the iPAD. These were some of the highlights of the night :

- New owners showing the new iPhone 4 : most obvious was the retina display - just in one word " gorgeous". I compare it with my Google Nexus and I'd rate the iPhone4 a score of 10 against the Nexus a score of 8. I remember seeing 4 or 5 units of the iPhone4 on display.

- Demo of iPhone4 video conferencing aka FACETIME. Quite impressive though is only limited thro WiFi and capable only between iPhone4 and iPhone4. Perhaps by next year with a software upgrade, it can be done through 3G ; Steve Jobs had hinted this during his keynote address.

- Accessories display.
For the iPAD - Jadu Skadoosh iPad Stand and ElementCase Joule Anodized iPad Stand. Both are excellent, very classy looking ( read " expensive" )  and well make . I prefer the Skadoosh as it appear more stable. However it cannot fit my iPAD which was in a leather case. I have read from Jadu's website the newer version ( my God it costs US100 bucks versus US$60 for the older version ) has a wider slot and could fit iPAD with cases. However it can fit well on the iPAD with those silicon protective case. A member was actively promoting sale of the Apple original leather case for RM 180 - a good price I'd say compare to retail which I remember was about above RM 200. Incidentally there were many models of iPAD on show - 16 GB, 32GB and 64 GB ( with and without 3G ).

- iPhone 4 accessories : Apple case aka bumper, screen protectors. The bumper is a recommended must have as it will improve the phone reception as it acts as a insulating layer between the fingers and the metal edge antenna - well that's what Steve Jobs said. Apparently here in Malaysia, we don't seem to have such a serious problem.

- Novatel Wireless MiFi : good for those who got the iPAD without 3G. I was told the display unit costs nearly RM1000 !!! What a shocker - cheaper alternative around RM600- RM700. Some cheapo China makes perhaps RM300 ?? Anyway this is of no use to me as my iPAD his 3G enabled.

- Member Beavis68 had a sharp scissors on hand and was on standby to help anyone FOC who needs their standard sim card cut down to micro-sim size.  I'd say he displayed great skill and the cut out cards were great and all the sides were straight and well trimmed . Compared to my own cutting of the Digi simcard which was uneven and some edges not straight ; anyway it still works great on my iPAD , just need to forget about the aesthethics of it.

- Demo and sharing info of programs on both iPhone4 and iPAD ; iMovie demo on  the iPhone4. Quite few games demo on iPhone but I did not followup on it as I have no interest in games.

My thanks to stringfellow who'd organized this meetup. The discussion of this meetup is at :  http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1470748
The excellent photos above  in this post are from fellow forum members smashpOp , MangO , and azrinarizz  : many thanks to them for allowing me to post it here.

These are some of my shots on  my ancient 10 year old 3 mxp camera :

Comparing my Google NexusOne screen with the iPhone4