My Universal knowledge and ideas towards things that I see in life whether in Living, Dead and Matter. Life for a living thing is unique yet ironic. One mostly do not get what they wanted but with hope and determination, everything will fuse into one thing for a purpose.
New beginning, or should I say a new start of a new year half. It’s already been a painful experience, but today I’m going to blog out many Many MANY things in one go. Hopefully I will maintain my blog more this time. Due to many current events that happened to my life, I’ve grown a bit. Not to say much because the world is still a tough place to live. I’m not bragging much on it, but it is.
APRIL 09
Computer Issue:
The beginning of the worst months of my life. My HDD (Hard Disk Drive) died on me. Curse you Seagate!!! I’ve been so bad luck in HDD’s ever since the beginning of my life with computers. First Western Digital, next Maxtor, then now Seagate? I hate these companies that are BIG at making HDDs but fail to make the durability of the HDDs.
I know that Maxtor was bought over by Seagate. And now the worst became the worstest… (Pardon my English here) I did have an experience of my Maxtor HDD failed on me 2 times, even after service!!! The first time is my HDD completely stopped. But I was able to recover half of the data. Then I sent it to servicing, after a month later, the HDD came back with a little bug inside. Now that HDD is placed under my computer table, at my Kuching home, left there unattained for it to rust and maybe next spring cleaning, I’ll try to rescue it. See if it works again.
Western Digital failed on me once too… That was when I’m using that little bugger to store my works inside it. Having it lost gave me a freaking panic!!! Good thing my friend was there to help me rescue the data for the first time. Then the next few incidents with Maxtor was routine work.
Although your burial is not as USD1.4 Million expensive, I’d rather toss you into the can and keep the casket… Enough with the Hard Disk Drives!!!
Work:
Darn, it’s been tougher month this month too… I can’t believe that my boss actually raised the bar till I can’t work properly. Toughest challenge here is to make myself even better. Because I’m not an art student to say for first, I admit I still have problems drawing people figures so perfectly that they resemble the Vitruvian Man’s scale… I can’t just become like Akira Toriyama in one night!!!
My friends told me that I’ve improved so much already. I’m not sure. It seems that I wanted to be better, I just don’t know how. Haih…
MAY 09
Myself:
This month I learnt a lot emotionally. First off, a string of bad luck fell upon me, and I am sorry for those who I made upset. I’m sorry that I was selfish enough to disregard everyone’s feelings. I just can’t think right and it was my fault. I’m sorry things didn’t happen they way it should be. I’m sorry ya?
Mostly people will think what is going on here, I would like to remain it private for the best.
Computer Issue 2:
I’ve been using Ubuntu since my HDD failed on me. Seems like there is no signs of life for my HDD now. All sign points to dead. My reference data are all gone, songs, movies, videos, idea references, texts, information, photos, all… gone to the depths of oblivion if it wasn’t for that wretched Seagate. Now all I have is a 4GB Pendrive envo USB to get my system running again.
I’ve been using Ubuntu 9.04 Jackalope on my EEE. It runs smoothly since I’m not running any other software other than Firefox 3 (That keeps crashing), Pidgin Messenger (A very nice multi-IM client), and some video and music playback softwares. Most notably VLC after installing it.
I had to create a virtual USB that can boot the Ubuntu Live CD, then install it into the 4GB pendrive. And after installation, voila! A temporary usable OS in a stick. Yes, In a stick, pop it and lock on! The only thing I can complain on is the only 1GB of space left for me to use.
JUNE 09
Gaming Industry:
First off, Nintendo. It’s been a good run for Nintendo after their launch. With the success of the Wii and DS lines, they are indeed “printing” their own money out of these products. Introducing new ways of gameplay to consumers is the next best thing. But sadly their throne is about to be taken away by some of the new gameplay methods made by the “other people”. Only the new Nintendo Wii Motion Plus is introduced.
The Wii Motion Plus will add more sensitivity in tracking. Being even more responsive than the Wiimote. That is pretty a good step, I hear many people complain about the lack of accuracy when using the Wiimote. But anyways, there is a glove that holds the Wiimote and Motion Plus together, it enhances the grip of the Wiimote also but it made it fraking UGLY!!
There is another new addition to the controls. Introducing, Wii Vitality Sensor!!!
Yes, now you are going to be playing games with your pulse! Imagine a game that you uses your pulse to control many things!!! Or the game needs you to cool down in order to escape from horrifying in game death!!! Many people thought that Nintendo is starting to lose their magic and came out with something very rash! Well, investors may go WTF?! Nintendo lacked introduction to the application of that device in gameplay… The only gameplay I can see for it is like for the Wii Fit. Which Ironically is a hit, but an exercise device? I’d rather go out in the blazing sun!
And also, new games for Wii and DS. Only one game caught my eyes dearly. That game was THE BEST JRPG game I’ve ever played in a Gameboy. With awesome gameplay, puzzles, story and treasures!!! YESH!!! Treasuresssss… The game that I’m talking about only had 2 series, a prequel and a sequel. Now, back with another hit but in the DS this time,
I will have you Golden Sun DS, I so damn will…
Now Sony. It’s been a blast seeing Sony still can maintain it’s place after notable games started to become multiplatform. Games like Grand Theft Auto 4 and Final Fantasy 13 already ported to multi consoles. And developers really getting a pain in the arse trying to develop games for the PS3. Seems like there is a new hardware to ‘keep’ things alive. Introducing, the motion sensor by PS3.
Yes, it looks like a thing with a glowing golf ball stuck on top of it. Anyways, the tracking is 1 to 1 tracking, meaning it won’t be so irresponsive when swinging that thing all around the place. Sadly, that thing is not the final design. Seems like Sony likes to tease people with odd controllers, even the PS3 banana controller!!! good thing they stick to the old normal controller design.
As you can see… The movement is absolutely gorgeous! Perfectly made for REAL HARDCORE GAMING EXPERIENCE for the PS3. The input method is actually tracking the whole thing wirelessly and with Sony PS3’s EYEtoy, It looks good! I hope Sony really can pull new hardcore gameplay into life.
I almost forgotten about this little fella. Introducing a new line in the PSP family.
This is actually a redesign of the PSP line. They made this PSP UMDless… Meaning there won’t be the disk you need to pop into the player. How do you play the games then? Download them via the PlayStation Network. It will have internal memory of 16GB for those downloadable data. Movies, Music and also Games in one tiny little thing. Many people wanted another analogue stick. Maybe Sony’s waiting it for something else. (PSP2?)
But the winner of all this E3 is not Sony or Nintendo… You betcha…
Microsoft is going pretty far fetched this time and it win many people’s hearts! Firstly, I’d like to talk about Alan Wake.
Sorry for the poor video Quality… If can, watch this video in a new window by clicking on to the YouTube logo and remember to click HQ.
Alan Wake, a game that is made by Remedy (The team that brings you Max Payne series). The game took a LONG time for the developers to make it to people’s houses. It’s pretty lame that it took much development just to make the game look like that. I hope the storyline is good enough to beat GTA4. The game is a good concept. Same as many horror games like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and also Fatal Frame, this is made by Westerns… I hope it brings the Stephen King out to creep people out. (No, it’s not based on any works by Stephen King…)
The other thing I want to talk about gaming is. I bet most people already knew about it…
Microsoft Project Natal
What is Natal? Project Natal is actually Microsoft’s version of motion tracking and this beats the hell out of Nintendo and also Sony. Why? It’s full body motion tracking, including voice recognition, 3D depth vision (because it has 2 cameras), and also facial recognition.
This is the most advanced technology being made for households. There are many uses to Natal, (I’ll cover that on my Microsoft post soon) Movies, Games, Music… It’s basically changing how a household would become in the next few years. Gaming consoles is not just for gaming anymore. With many people synching it with the internet. The future is starting to appear one by one. It’s really nice to live in this era where technology changed so fast. And Microsoft’s vision has made that happen with the risk of the first Xbox. It’s not just a concept unit. People really started to make things for Natal!
This is an actual game! Just not in stores yet. Talk about AI in the future. A personal avatar inside your living room, talking to you, reminding you. It’s basically a TV version of Tamagotchi. Good for lonely people who lives alone. (Otaku’s may rejoice after Japanese companies start to abuse this project for something… Else…)
With that, I end this post on gaming. The future is here.
(There is a special post for Michael Jackson soon after this post…)
JULY 09
Now with many research, I ended up with Sama-sama, together, with Samsung! A new brand in my lists of good products. I was aiming for Hitachi, but Samsung is there for my rescue and so as my wallet’s. I formatted the HDD with a USB Pendrive. Yes, A pendrive. I never formatted a PC with a pendrive before. Usually I’d just pop in the CD and let it run like the wind! It was tough learning things for the first time, but after a while IT’s ALL GOOOOOOOD!!!
Running XP again, with 160GB Samsung HDD. I’m so damn happy now.
Now let us swoosh back in time again…
DOWNLOADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!
Work:
I think it’s time I get a proper job and i think it’s best to change temporarily. It’s actually nothing much but I’ve decided that this is a good change. I can’t even keep my comic job because it is so unstable. Suddenly you meet the standard, the next it was raised till higher up! Talk about sudden changes. I’ve had it with people messing up my plans. This is not what I’ve expected and I’m getting tired of topping myself. I do want to have this job as my career, but it’s best to stabilize my own life first before I jump into the bandwagon again if I know what’s good for me.
I’m so looking forward to this new job. It seems challenging, facing people everyday and selling magazine subscriptions to them. It will be a good change and I’ll fight hard for this to earn back what I have lost for all those time up till now.
Anyone wants a magazine subscription? I can toss you a pretty nice deal! (More on that next month… ) I’m so FREAKING excited over this job. I hope I get to see the rest of Malaysia with this job. : )
Books:
Nuff said… I’m getting this book!
And that’s all I can update for now. Next up? Microsoft or Michael Jackson?
I didn’t know about Cisco until I watched Heroes… But then, I’m still confused what Cisco is. So I went to Cisco’s website to know what it’s all about.
Cisco, a company that makes networking possible all around the world, branching its service not only on connecting us to the world, but to make it possible to surf safely at the comforts in the office and at enterprises. Basically, they are the digital plumbers that make pipes to flow the computer data for out daily internet use.
Cisco products don’t reach Malaysia you say? I know that my friend’s University is using Cisco’s products and software to run the WiFi connection. Neat! Then there are big enterprises using Cisco’s Security Systems to keep surveillance on buildings etc. I wondered how big Cisco is, and it is damned big.
I came across Cisco’s website featuring a learning based website that teaches people about the importance of networking now. Sorry, this is not about MLM but about computer networks… Cisco is providing Cisco certification on many levels of networking. There is a hierarchy for those levels starting from Entry, Associate, Professional and Expert.
I’m basically a nooB at making internet connections via WiFi, LAN or even WLAN! So I put myself to learn things that basically that will be at good use in the future. I decided to find more information about the Cisco certification.
I never have seen how complex and delicate a job as a certified networking engineer could be! I thought it was just some cables stuck up onto some hidden wall pulled by mice and all are connected to a long server. It was more to that. I found out that most companies uses Cisco networking systems because of their excellence and jobs like these, learning from the outside might cost you. But Cisco is providing their Cisco certification. Just imagine, what I learn can be applied to their systems!
Entry and Associate levels make small to middle networking systems for businesses and offices. Not only I get to learn how to make this networking works, I get to learn to plan a efficient networking system for a building! Of course if the level is higher, the bigger the networking will be. And I’m not talking about providing Internet access points or WiFi connections also. Filtering data packets for unwanted data like viruses, company classified information, or even a leak to the upcoming Heroes episodes! (Okay, that was a pun…)
What does a Cisco certification provide? I’ll tell you, IT is very important in our lives now. If you see it in a small scale like us normal consumers, we only see a router and a modem at home to connect us to the world. But we still have threats coming like Viruses and Trojans. Home internet is easy to setup. When it comes to a bigger scale like setting up 50 floors of wires and networking, a modem and router will immediately turn an egg into smoke. Once a network is infected with a virus, thousands of computers will be infected and business will be delayed… Just like the Blaster Worm that infected thousands of computers in 2003… I remember that time I was still at Form 4.
Now IT is growing as fast as it could. I hope I can get a Cisco certification. The career opportunities of having this knowledge are priceless and might worth it in the end.
I’ve been haXXed before, in l337 (leet a.k.a Elite) terms, HaXX0r means hacker. Then I’ll make HaXX means hack then! Kekekeke…
Today’s blog topic will about hacking, I wonder if most people out there know what hacking means. Hack in Wikipedia terms means:
a modification of a program or device
I just crop that for easy understanding…
I know most people are unaware of the dangers in the Wicked Wide Web. Most people only knew about virus, virus, viruses and the solution to that problem is only anti-virus… It’s been common for normal users are being unaware of the major threats that lie in the web. It may be fun to surf ‘those’ websites but most people just don’t know what lies behind.
You got AIDS!
Mostly to the new generation kids, Hack can be related to a game called .hack. It’s a nice RPG game but kids who have internet access can either get your own computer into trouble or your personal information being stolen without a thought. It’s best to teach your kids about internet safety without having them learning it the hard way.
dotHACk the game
Ironically, kids knew more than us in the Cyberage, one ex-student of mine is quite daring and very keen to hacking. These days kids learn how to hack software, emails, online service accounts and the list goes right through. Children mostly think things are suppose to be for free and doing hacking is also fun, I don’t blame them because I was a kid too. But it’s best to know one owns limits before it breaks over the border.
It is hard but it is a phrase they’ll go through…
Here is a list of the main cyberhaXXs I’ve known or experienced over my lifetime.
Email account hacks…
The worst of them all. I remembered the day I went online to check my mail and have been shocked with NOTHING inside!!! All my precious Love mails are gone! All the funny forwarded mails, the Account activation emails, Account username and password emails, Recipe emails, and not to mention my love letters! @I#2%!4!&38 etc.
That was then… but now…
Lesson learned: Save all those emails that you need. Especially those love letters…
PASSWORD changes
Usually a prank or we can seriously connect this to Identity theft. Ever since the Email incident I have, I got a password change on one of my internet forum account. I was so damn pissed off that I couldn’t sign in to a forum I usually go to when I was young. I’ve emailed the admin to reset my password but it took a whole freaking year until the admin checks the emails. Lazy forum admin… Odd enough password changes are normal. Hackers change your password and never really did anything. Finally everything is sorted out and I got my account back.
Done without looking
I know that passwords are easy to hack. They can do it with a touch of a button and a few minutes. The worst is for us using SIMPLE words as passwords! Not until I learned something from good old TechTV (defunct, combined with G4TV)
Make passwords using alphanumeric format.
Eg. iknowwhatyourarethinkingnow1337
Make passwords that you only know that people rarely know.
Make passwords that uses capital letters and also small ones (If you know where to make them big and small).
Eg. FrIEnDsTerStyLe
If you are concerned with your security, make one like this…
iLuvC0ldpl4yVlVoDaAHF2008 (I Love Coldplay Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends 2008)
To sophisticated in my standards. The password is random made…
Money Come, MONEY GONE!!!!!
This was the worst!! It was more of a scam that I joined and cost me a lot of money lost. I can say till hundreds during my teen years. I’m not easily fooled by the Nigerian Scam Email. It was too good to be true. The ones I was into was HYIPs or known as High-yield investment programs. These programs usually ‘guarantee’ you 100% or 200% payouts within a few weeks time. They will create ‘virtual’ account to stimulate you to invest money inside and watch it grow. Then payouts will be given to you to make you invest more. When the HYIP site is getting popular, they will instantly become a closed site. Then many people will be frustrated through time. So did I back then.
The worst of all was those earn FREE money scams which they want you to subscribe to get emails of endorsements! Most of them are usually spam/junk mail that links to a Virus… sometimes a serious one.
Lesson learned: There are ways to earn money online but it is hard to earn money using money in the internet. Online investments? Sorry, not interested of losing money and getting my computer formatted for the 10th time.
Website Defacements
It means a change of the actual page layout to something else… Disturbing or Taunting. I remember a friend of mine had his Friendster’s account defaced. His profile said something like: Your Friendster profile is being hacked… Go to Hell!!!. It was creepy to read that but with a little JavaScript placed on the page, the whole page can be redirected to some other things that will harm your computer. I remember featured at LYN, some websites in Malaysia are getting Defaced and hacked into.
Reset your password now! Emails…
These are known as Phishing scams. Yes, related to what it is called, Fishing… These hackers sends out emails regarding of your Paypal, Bank, or other internet related websites. Usually they will ask you to change your password. Their email will contain a link to the ‘fake website’ where what you see is the actual web URL/link.
These can be disguised my making the actual text and the actual link different. For example, the email shows you this link:
I’ve got these emails. MANY of them telling me to change my password through the links ‘they’ provided. The best tactic to prevent this is to go to the actual website my typing the url or the ACTUAL and NOT FAKE website and check if they made announcements on the matter.
Better safe than sorry…
Identity Theft
This is a story I read at a Gadget blog at Gizmodo.
CCTV shots of the incident
Apparently some hackers hacked ATM machines to gain credit card information of innocent people. Then they will use those innocent people’s credit card numbers to buy stuffs etc.
Eventually these things are not happening at our country just yet but if it does, it would be a pain in the arse to have it on us won’t it?
The fact is that people lack internet security, but in fact the threat is not just in the Cyberworld, but our living lives are also filled with normal scams and frauds. But mostly with technology, hacker’s works are easier done.
Yes, I do fear sometimes to the threats of the internet. That’s why I know a lot but technology is advancing as you read this blog. We must get updated on time to know what’s going on in the world or we will still be drooling over the Nigerian Scam.
There are a lot of ways to learn how to prevent all of these and I can’t tell you all I know… Good thing there is a Complimentary Workshop on Cybersecurity held in Malaysia. I wish to learn more on Cybersecurity as well to protect myself from being harmed online or offline. It is better to know more about it than knowing nothing at all. We live in a changing world, and there are bad bad evil villains who want to conquer the world. Or at least your bank account savings, or your email account, or just your name…
Ok, I was going to submit my work to the office today. It was cold and I only had 2 hours of sleep. Ben woke me up because his keys were lost and I need mine to go out today.
I went back to a little sleep right before my alarm went off. I woke up and boiled some water for shower. During the shower, the bucket filled with warm water was tipped of balance and most of the water is poured.
BAD SIGN NO. 1
As the time was approaching for me to go, someone called me. The comic editor told me that the appointment was postponed due to a blackout in the office.
DOOOOOOM!!!!
Sienz… I was hoping that I could go there today. Then I stayed home for a while, I was planning to go buy something to cook for lunch and plan for the new comic. Suddenly my stomach started to feel uncomfortable. It was bloating and I kept burping…
BAD SIGN NO. 2
As I was price surveying and shopping, I came across cheap stuffs which I will buy other days. But the whole shopping went worst when my stomach started to fight back with gas coming out. I felt like I wanted to puke. I took my time to get some fresh veggies and some meat for lunch. Tomato from Cameron had a price hike and I couldn’t stand the uncomfortable stomach ache. I bought a can of softdrink and a sachet of Eno Ginger fruit salt for later.
Went home and instantly cook the meal. While drinking the can of Pepsi Twist.
Good thing there was rice from last night. I cooked more for this morning but I ran out of time to cook it, so I plan to leave it till noon to eat it when I was back from the office, but ironically it was canceled.
I have not taken meat for the past week and I only taken veggies, veggies, fried rice, fried rice, porridge, fried rice, etc… I remember having fried rice for the past few days. It tasted good at the beginning, but the more of it makes you bored and scared of it… Now I’m damn scared of having fried rice again… with soy sauce…
The simple meal I made. Ben called me to open the door for him, so I waited for him to join along with me. Since my appetite was being blocked by my stomach… And the Pepsi Twist managed to sooth some gas off through my throat.
I wonder how the kids at my old workplace are doing? Especially the one I cared the most… I hope they are all fine. (While I’m sick here and do nothing but work all the time… Grr…) I damn miss Kuching.
Ben came home and told me a few stuff on my sickness while we were having lunch.
1) Sleeping in odd times, eg. usually sleep at night, suddenly sleep at day.
I’ve been doing so because of work. Working at night and sleep at day. I suddenly felt like becoming a vampire. That caused my stomach to ‘wake up’ at different time zones. Although I’m still awake, the stomach might be ‘resting’. I’ve been like this for the past few days.
2) Stomach bloating because of the gas inside.
This is because of the sleep time error… Got to correct that today… Or else I’ll remain sick.
3) Take ginger tea to sooth the pain. or Eno.
I already bought it, Ginger flavoured too..
I need to make sure I don’t skip a WHOLE night on work and sleep at morning again. I must sleep at night… Or else I will really become a vampire and fly back to Kuching.
Ben told me to take the Eno after lunch and try not to eat fried or oily stuff… (as opposed to the fried nugget and sausages above, I did another boo boo…)
It was been a Hellofaweek… I need to focus on my work in day and sleep at night. Take more veggies other than having rice only. Drink more water and focus more on work. I’ve been off key on work lately too…
I’ve been up for the Apple’s WWDC08 conference with Vin on Tuesday morning at 1 a.m. We listened to the streaming live audio from the convention. Although noisy and loud, it was worth the listen to it. Live from San Francisco and the thrill is to know about the Iphone 3G, the new Iphone.
Lastly, my sick face…
Do I look sick to you? My hair is longer now… Plan to have it cut in next year. Let’s see how my hair grown till the end of the year. If I’m tired of it, I’ll snip it off at the salon here. Damn expensive leh…
So soi one, Then Wednesday is my bad day.
but Friday isn’t! Friday is my Fantastic day!!! W00t! Submit my artwork on that day!! Laters…
