Finally, after so much troubles for the past 2 week, I can be properly aroused now… just by holding Nokia N900 in my hands!!

My lousy Nokia 5230 camera really doesn’t do justice to N900’s 267 ppi resolution. It’s really amazingly sharp. Higher pixels per inch (ppi), the more information they can represent, and hence the clearer and sharper the picture.

For comparison, Apple iPhone 3GS: 165 ppi, Nokia N97: 210 ppi, HTC HD2: 217 ppi, Motorola Droid: 265 ppi

I am quite busy at the moment and don’t have a decent camera to do justice to its beauty so I shall wait till I go back to Miri for a proper ‘N900 photoshoot’.

For now, I’ll just share some screenshots I took with the sexy beast. I will do a proper review later after I am done playing with it.

Menu in N900

Status bar for N900, you do all the settings for internet connection, turn on/off bluetooth, profiles, IM status, and volume. More options by installing widgets/applications. Like that ‘screenshot’ button was added after I installed this ‘Load applet’ application.

N900 dashboard showing 5 running applications (er well somehow I actually only running 1 app – web browser, but total 5 of them haha! But you get the idea. All the running applications will be shown when you click the blue icon on the top left)

Bookmark area for the super awesome Maemo web browser

I’ll make a bold call, N900 is the best browsing device so far 😉 Same browsing experience given by computer at a smaller scale. The web browsing experience is closer to what it’s like using a computer at home than other phones.

The map is showing my actual location, in the dog’s mouth. Haven’t really test it.

N900 music player. Quite amazing. I was fiddling with its internet radio last night. N900 has a FM transmitter too. Not yet try 😛 I need to find enough songs and video to fill up its 32GB internal storage 1st..

That’s if for now. I will come back sharing more good times and bad moments with the N900. Have a great weekend beautiful people!

ps: Flying back to Miri tonight!! I can’t wait!

Tags: 267 ppi, Application, Best Mobile Browsing Experience, Dashboard, gadget, Internet Tablet, Maemo, Menu, Mobile, Multitasking, Music Player, N900, Nokia, Review, Screenshots, Teaser, Web Browsing

Another rambling post.

This is to answer few questions by friends especially after I posted my ordeal with the customs yesterday. Many friends commented in my Facebook Notes and asked me in Yahoo Messenger, Gtalk, MSN, Twitter these few questions:

“All these trouble for WHAT again?”

“Why do so much since its just a trial unit? Send it back la. Wasting money only.”

“Aiyoh.. is it worth all that trouble just to test the product?”

Well you get the idea. My friends were asking me why would I want to do ‘so much’ and why I need to ‘trouble’ myself to such extent just to get a trial device which I need to return back later. And also, why I need to waste my money paying for this and that just to get the clearance.

Money. Well, WOMWorld Nokia has agreed to pay for all the related charges so I don’t have to pay any, but that is beside the point.

The point is, you guys are asking the wrong question. The question should be;

‘Why this particular customs officer makes it hard for me just to get a trial device?’

‘Why he created so much troubles and unnecessary problems just for ONE TRIAL device?’

My dear friends seemed to suggest that the best solution is to give in. Sorry but I have to disagree. If by giving in to such ridiculous request is a solution, then indirectly I am helping to keep this kind vicious cycle in perpetual. We always blame the system every now and then but we choose to do nothing when given the chance to do so.

And why is the tendency to blame the victim eh? Just like how some people blame rape victim for walking alone, dressing sexily or provocatively etc, snatch victims for bringing the handbag, walking on the wrong side of the road or just being ‘careless’?

Well I may not be exactly a victim here, more like a disgruntled customer/citizen wanting to be treated fairly but you get my point on ‘blaming the victim/helpless’ mentality prevalent among some Malaysians.

Allow me to sidetrack a bit and touch on a favourite topic among Malaysians. Corruption. Since I have so many comments directly or indirectly hinting the possible element of corruption in my dealing with the customs, I think it is only fair for me to write a little bit on that.

Malaysians love to paint the many enforcement units as a corrupted bunch of scums. To be fair, Malaysians also play a big part in making them as such. We are guilty if we bitch about the system and do nothing when given the chance but keep feeding the system, indirectly or directly.

The analogy is simple. If I ask and you don’t give, there is no deal, right? Morality is relative here, who is more guilty – the giver or the taker – is up for debate the point is both are guilty of the act. It is a vicious cycle and people are making their decision to keep it in existence with every actions they would take without them realising it or not.

Back to the complicated, troublesome customs procedures I need to go through to get my N900. Did I ask for, or want to have such complicated procedures, troubles and problems to go through just for a trial device? Who creates the problems and troubles in the 1st place? Did I not comply to the necessary requests and yet was given a hard time by the officer?

Of course, given choice I would just sleep at home and let it go. Hell I would not go to work if I am given the absolute freedom and liberty to choose. But, I need to. I am fighter, I would like to think as such. It is a waste of my good education *cough cough* if I don’t put it to good use. We should do our little bit of fights and not letting bullies trampling us with no resistance at all. Keeping silence, is not always the best option. It is only apt for me to share these wise words to decribe political apathy;

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out–

because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out–

because I was not a socialist;

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out–

because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out–

because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me–

and there was no one left to speak out for me.

(A popular poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemoller)

To be honest, it is actually not so much a trouble for me to make few calls, surfing some websites, checking up the related acts and procedures and then explaining things in a understandable language so that the relevant people can weigh in my side of the story and judge things as it is.

Thank you my good friends for the concern. I love you people and I also expect more of myself. 😉 And I think I just killed more people with the length of this post. Reading is good for you, people~!

ps: With my awesome negotiation skills *grins*, who knows I may get the device after I trial it?

Tags: Customs, Fighting the system, Friends, Malaysia, Me, N900, Pastor Martin Niemoller, Poem, Ramblings, Rants

A very long rambling post.

So if you are  following me on Twitter or reading my Facebook status updates for the past few days, you must have noticed my ramblings about getting customs clearance for my N900.

9 days have passed since I wrote my previous post and I haven’t get a chance to hold the sexy beast in my hands. When I wrote my previous post, the device was already in Singapore. It reached Kuching on the next day – 30th November 2009 which is also *cough cough* my 27th birthday. *throws confetti*

I received a call from DHL Express in the afternoon informing me that the N900 was denied clearance because of the lack of necessary documents. So for anyone out there who needs to know;

1. For any telecommunication device to be imported into Malaysia, the importer/recipient must first apply for the permit of import/license as specified in the Customs Act. This is apart from the usual customs duties, taxes etc. And for telecommunication devices, the license/permit application is made to the Statutory Body called SIRIM Berhad.

Actually it is best for you check with customs beforehand if you want to import anything from the oversea or anyone is going to send you anything from oversea on the paperwork required. I admit my mistake for not doing the necessary paperwork even though I clearly aware that WOMWorld Nokia is sending me a trial device which in this case needs a permit to bring in.

My excuse? I was not quite sure whether WOMWorld Nokia would send it for real at that time. (And also hoping for some sort divine interventions for the shipping to be smooth all the way hehehe)

Back to the story,  so I applied and paid RM100 for the permit. It was all done within one and a half day, thanks to the very efficient SIRIM Berhad officer. Originally the permit amount is RM200 but I stressed that the device is not belong to me and it is only for trial purpose so I was given the RM100 discount. SIRIM Berhad is so generous. *weak smile*

2. Now, if you bring in things (intentionally or unintentionally – ignorance is not an excuse under the law) without permit, that is considered as an offence. You’re violating the Customs Act 1967 (revised 1980) and can be penalised for that.

So I was informed beforehand by a DHL Express agent when the N900 was stuck in customs that I would need to apply for SIRIM permit and pay a certain amount of penalty, minimum RM100. Imagine my horror when I was told I need to pay RM1200 for the penalty. Niaaaaaaaamaaaaaaaaaaaah!

DHL Express asked me to liase directly with the customs officer after they failed to explain my situation to him – it’s a temporary export, trial device etc. So I called up the officer, which I shall not name for now (yet) and talked to him.

We had a very long chat and even though I explained my side of the story and everything, he refused to change his decision. When confronted with such ridiculous amount to be paid when it’s only a temporary import, he brushed it off and quoted the ‘Section 135 – Penalties for smuggling offences’ to maybe intimidate me. He said customs has the right to penalise me up to 10 times or even 20 times of the custom duties amount based on the declared package value.

The N900 package was declared at 400 GBP – roughly RM2240 and the custom duties is about 10-15% = RM224 to RM336. He told me he was being generous to compound me only about 5 times the custom duties.

I perfectly understand I have committed an offense and I should be penalised for that but RM1200 compound is just ridiculous especially when it is just a trial device, which I can only play for few weeks before sending it back to WOMWorld Nokia.

I then asked the officer to provide me the necessary ‘black and white’ for me to inform WOMWorld Nokia and ask whether the company will bear the costs on my behalf. But he told me if he issues the compound, I would need to settle it within 3 days or customs would seize the item. WTF?! He was not being helpful at all and I was quite disheartened at that time so I just thanked him for everything and I would see what I could do to solve this problem.

By then I already decided I would reject the shipment and ask it to be sent back to WOMWorld. Maybe do it properly when given another chance at it in the future. So I wrote a long letter to WOMWorld explaning the situation and thought that awas it, end of the story.

Somehow, I was really annoyed and angry being treated that way so yesterday afternoon I looked up Royal Malaysian Customs Department website and found some contact numbers and call them up. I managed to talk to a very senior customs officer in charge of the import/export department and asked for his opinions and advices. He seems to understand my predicament and ensured me this can be settled in a more pleasant way and gave me a personal number of one customs officer to call.

I asked him, “This customs officer is in charge of Kuching?” which he replied “Not only Kuching, he is in charge of Sarawak”. So I called up this high ranking officer and found out he was on vacation but still answered my call anyway and told him my story.

To cut the story short, he promised to talk to his subordinate and clear this matter for me. He even called me in the evening around 7pm to tell me he already clarified the matter with the previous ‘not-so-friendly-and-reasonable’ customs officer and said I can go and collect my package anytime.

Then this morning, I called up the ”not-so-friendly-and-reasonable’ customs officer again. He didn’t sound very happy obviously because for each questions I asked, he answered in a short one liner – Ah. Okay. Hmm. Umm. He didn’t say no to my request and only ‘aye aye’ when I told him I that DHL would go and collect on my behalf. Then I called up DHL and asked them to make the necessary arrangements for me.

So I thought, finally I can get my N900 to play with and even tweeted about it. Then I received a call from DHL saying the officer still refused to clear my package and tried to call me but couldn’t get me. I was in a meeting and I didn’t get any missed call so I told DHL to tell the officer to call me again.

The ”not-so-friendly-and-reasonable’ customs officer called me up and then said he will only release the item if I go to see him personally. This is because, the ‘instructions’ from his boss is to hand it to me personally so that he can explain to me on ‘how things work’.

So I have no choice, I have to make a quick stop at his office this Thurday on my short trip to Kuching. I hope I can get my N900 by then. N900, almost there!

Thank you for reading. I bet most of you drop dead after the 3rd or 4th paragraph 😉

Tags: Bureaucracy, Customs, Customs Acts, Device, DHL Express, Handphones, Kuching, Malaysia, Mobile Phones, N900, Pain in the ass, Penalty, Permit, Ramblings, Rants, Sarawak, SIRIM, Telecommunication

Wednesday December 2, 2009

College student duped into having sex with ‘medium’

By ZALINAH NOORDIN

KUALA LUMPUR: A 20-year-old college student who sought a medium’s help to end her streak of bad luck ended up having to sleep with the man.

She approached the medium, known only as master Choy, in April on the recommendations of her friends as she was worried about her well-being.

The 50-year-old medium told her she would not be able to get rid of the bad luck unless she had sex with a married man.

After some persuasion from the man, who is married, the girl agreed to have sex with him.

“He told me I had to sleep with a married man to get rid of all the bad luck,” she told a press conference at the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department here yesterday.

Before having sexual intercourse, the medium told the girl, who is pursuing a degree in nutrition at a college, to strip naked and pose for some photographs.

She realised that she had been cheated a few months later when her luck had not changed and worse, she had contracted a sexually transmitted disease from him.

She went back to the medium and threatened to expose him but he slapped her and warned that he would post her nude photographs on the Internet.

The girl claimed that the medium issued a death threat against her should she decide to lodge a police report.

“I am getting a lawyer now to file a case against him,” she said.

MCA Public Services and Complaints Depart­ment head Datuk Michael Chong advised the public to be wary of bogus mediums.

What kind of dumbass college students we have nowadays? Not sure about the suing part. She consented in the 1st place, how to press charge? Rape? *rolled eyes*

And talk about dumb, this is pretty dumb too. No different from the people stepping on cow head that you condemned, idiots!

ps: World AIDS day yesterday – 1st December 2009. Get some education!

pss: Good advise there Mike Chong. Aren’t most of the ‘mediums’ bogus? *snickers*

3 days ago, I received an email from a random person. The email header is ‘Would you want to trial an N900?’ At first, I thought “haha, scam!” but then as I read and  clicked the link given, the offer seems like a legit one.

The person was writing on behalf of WOM World / Nokia, which I then found out is a Nokia sponsored company when I checked the website.

N900, a beautiful beast! (Source: Nokia)

Still quite skeptical but thinking ‘hmm, this is a very interesting offer, why no give it a shot?’ To cut it short, I asked some questions, expressed my interest, was given a trial agreement which I filled up and the next thing I know, I received an shipment notification email!

I was tracking its shipment for the past few days and I am so-excited-I-can’t-wait-to-hold-this-baby-in-my-hand!! *salivate* *drool*

The package is on its way! Wheeee!!

So stay tune because I will write more in depth about Nokia N900 phone/internet tablet in my coming posts! Expect more photos this time around as I already ehem, booked my awesome photog buddy- RasMhd Pemicu Amatur for the unboxing session!

ps: I feel lucky. Do you?

Tags: gadget, Mobile, N900, Offer, Photo, Video, WOMWorld Nokia

Greeting from Lahad Datu!

Sorry for the short absence from this blog. When was the last blog post? November 13th lol! Today is November 26th, so almost 2 weeks without any blog post. What a lazy brooger!!

I’ve been busy (ehem this time it is for real) adjusting my life in Lahad Datu for past one week. Just came here last week and been busy since. Taking over people’s job halfway is not fun at all.

Scratching my head figuring out the reports, calculations and what not, people on top chasing you to produce something when you have yet to warm the seat you’re given, and to top that need to hear complaints and gossips of what happened when I was not here from the subordinates. Managing people is the number one pain in the ass job.

People don’t like to be managed. We’re always some sort of rebels at heart, launching perpetual wars against this world with some self serving causes only our own self can identify with. Probably that explains the messes this world is in, the never ending conflicts among humans, the slow and painful destruction of this pretty world with our disastrous way of life. (Shit did I sound normal?)

Lahad Datu is truly a cowboy town. Among the things you’ll notice when you set foot to this little town are:

1. 4WD vehicles zooming here and there. I think maybe out of 10 vehicles on the road, 8 of them are 4WD vehicles.

2. There are many car wash centres. Business is good, thanks to the dirty road and probably the nature of works these vehicle owners are involved with. Most are working at the plantations, construction sites, factories, shipyards and seems like there is mud everywhere. It is as if Lahad Datu is one big construction site. Cleanliness doesn’t seem to be top in the list of concerns here. Wait till I get you some photos at the fish and chicken market next time. Ehe!

‘Rainforest’ of palm oil trees

3. Food is a bit expensive for a relatively quiet and small town. 3 persons, breakfast with milo, tea, coffee and two plates of fried mee = RM15. A plate of fried mee will cost you RM5. ‘Economy’ rice will cost you between RM5-Rm8.

Let’s see if I can compile a ’10 things about Lahad Datu’ you should know list for my blog eh? I had the chance to make a short trip down Tawau last Sunday to check out awesome town. the chicks. I heard the chicks down there are worth checking out. Amber Chia is from Tawau. I was hoping to see chicks with juicy, plump lips like her (but hopefully not talking Engrish like her)

Met up with a uni friend, went around the town and bought some local snacks. Got this ‘ Keropok Amplang’ – ball shaped crackers made from mackerel and shrimp fillet at Tawau main market.

Hmm, it does look like some funny pills…

Crispeeeeyyhhh! Nom nom nom..

Spent one afternoon in Tawau then came back to Lahad Datu. 1-2 hours drive, depends on how awesome you’re on the road. Driving around this part of the world is quite ‘scary’.

Life here is seriously boring. After work, stay at home reading books, listening to the radio and online from my mobile. Facebooking and Tweeting lah, what else? Internet connection at my place sucks.

Er, that’s another reason I don’t blog 😛 Well, at work surely I cannot blog when I have things to attend to. (tee hee hee..) I can’t even online properly from my mobile using Celcom Broadband, what more to try on the netbook. Boo!! I can only online using DiGi, although slow but at least consistent. And surfing using mobile, it’s considerably fast.

For the past week, I slept before 11pm, woke up around 6am. That’s a sign I am getting old. Ask Suituapui what time he sleeps? *chuckles* I guess that’s it for now. Till the next boring update~!

ps: Am going to celebrate my 27th birthday here in Lahad Datu. -.-|||

Tags: Amplang, Celcom, DiGi, Lahad Datu, Life, Photos, Places, Rambling, Sabah, Tawau, Travel, Work

Warning: Spoiler!

Watched 2012 last night. Didn’t plan it in advance, Ras only asked me in the evening to join him and Luk for movie at 8pm. When we reached there, the seats  for 8pm show were sold out. Then we decided to watch the 10pm show but only after much deliberations.

The reason was because there were no better seats to choose from, with only the 2 rows at the front left. Luk and I didn’t want to sit at the front rows. We walked away from the counter but after much coaxing from Ras, I let in and Luk had no choice but to follow us back to the ticketing counter .

In the end, we decided to do this.

Only those seats with colour were available, together with the 1st and 2nd row from the screen. I sat at the red seat, Luk at the dark blue seat and Ras at the green seat. Initially, I jokingly asked Luk to seat at the yellow seat, me at the red seat and Ras at the light blue seat and that would be fun LOL!

So, have you ever been to movie with bunch of friends but end up sitting scattered around? Last night was my first time. Not referring to my sexual experience, duh! Wait, I’m a virgin at heart and mind.

What about 2012? Let me see. The special effects effects are incredibly awesome. You want to see kick ass, awesome explosions? 2012 has atomic bomb like  explosion, better than any explosion you get in Die Hard installments, Armageddon, The Rock, GI Joe etc. You want earthquakes? Let’s send California sinking into the sea, shall we?

Fires everywhere, tsunamis flooding India, China, Japan. Even Mount Himalaya and Everest Peak are not spared from the gigantic waves. More people get killed in this movie alone than all the end of day movies combined. Yes, I kid you not. 2012 kills gazillion people without breaking a sweat and as usual, the hero and his family will survive against all odds, on cue for a happy ending.

The storyline sucks. If you’re looking for a reasonable perspective, don’t watch the movie. It offers none. In fact, it is kinda ridiculous, I’m going to offer some senseless  ‘morals of the story’ and ‘conclusions’ on my own after watching the movie.

1. Money talks. It pays to be rich and connected. It helps you to get somewhere and in this movie, to get your ass saved. Heh, locally, that is how it works, too. Or if you don’t have the dough, you have to be lucky. F*cking lucky not just lucky lucky.

2. Chinese are great builders, they can do crazy things with ridiculous deadline. And they care about their families, a lot. Oh ya, never say no to your grandmother if you’re Chinese.

3. Indians are the smartest people on earth and they always speak English in a very Indian way. Now how come that Tibetan Chinese speaks good English lol

4. Russians love fast cars, they talk in a very deep voice. Any Russian can do a voice over for Vin Diesel if he is having a bad sore throat. And Russians treat women like garbage.

5. The last president of the United States of America is black. And he has a hot daughter.  Why the president in the movie always has a hot daughter?

6. The person with the inside scoops, the one with conspiracy theories which later proven true is always a crackpot. And crackpot always don’t shave.

7. Hero always has dysfunctional family. Overly stressed by Hollywood films, dramas. Cliche!

8. The world consists of just G8 countries. Ha! Ha! Ha! Oh ya, and Brazil. Eh, how come China is in? Oh, refer point 2.

9. Flying a plane is an easy feat, when you’re in a desperate situation.

10. Where ever the hero goes, disastrous trails follow closely behind. Literally. But not too close, just close enough for him to get away..

11. A lot of assholes can afford to fork out 1 billion Euro.

In my unworthy opinion, 2012 is just  another doomsday movie. *yawn* Now, go get your ticket and sit for 2 hours to watch the entire continents destroyed!

ps: Couldn’t help but noticed some cinema goers are really fucking scums. Sit at your seat, follow the number written on your ticket, asshole! And fucking keep your phone in silent mode. Who cares if you have the coolest ringtone in town if you are an uncivilised fucker.

Tags: 2012, Cinema, Funny, Miri, Movie, Photos, Review, Sarcastic, Spoiler, Storyline, trailer