http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2011503,00.html
These days, nobody should be using non-in-ear earphones anymore. Their quality is generally low and audiophiles squirm at the sight, or sound of them. In ear earphones are good in audio quality and they also block out unwanted noise from outside. While some people say that blasting sounds directly at your eardrums is no good, I would say having in ear earphones allow one to hear their music at a much lower volume compared to normal earphones. I've seen so many people listening to music so loud on the train or bus that I can hear from 5 metres away. Can you imagine how loud the sound must have been channeling onto his eardrums? People up the volume of their player mainly because they cannot hear their music due to ambient noise. Therefore in ear earpieces are the way to go to protect your eardrums. Of course if you still want to set your volume at half of the maximum when using in ear earpieces, then your eardrums are really at your own foolish mercy.
PS. There are lousy in ear earphones as well.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Rambling: Coding
It's 1.48am and I'm coding right now.
University life is tiring. So tiring. I think I have way too much commitments. But it's okay. At least I'm not shortchanging myself.
Back to coding...
University life is tiring. So tiring. I think I have way too much commitments. But it's okay. At least I'm not shortchanging myself.
Back to coding...
Friday, August 20, 2010
Interest(ing): What is a PhD
http://gizmodo.com/5613794/what-is-exactly-a-doctorate
Interesting view point on the definition of a PhD, and so accurate and true.
Interesting view point on the definition of a PhD, and so accurate and true.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Tech Speak: Google Fights Again, This Time Against Oracle
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9180703/Google_calls_Oracle_lawsuit_baseless_vows_to_fight_it?taxonomyId=13
Oracle has just acquired Sun Systems, and with it its Java Technology. I myself just found out that Google's mobile operating system, Android, runs on Java. Now Oracle is pointing fingers and lawyers at Google.
And it's no surprise that Google says "Bring it on." Java is an open source programming language and Google did nothing wrong using it. If Oracle pushes for its lawsuit, that would mean it wants to close up the open source technology. It should do well to learn from Apple's failing example of not advancing towards a more open web. (ie. Apple's refusal to include Flash into OS X and iOS, and Flash's primary objective is to provide a programming tool for multiple platform, thus a more open web)
It does not matter whether Google wins this lawsuit or not. Oracle would have the entire technosphere frowning on them.
Oracle has just acquired Sun Systems, and with it its Java Technology. I myself just found out that Google's mobile operating system, Android, runs on Java. Now Oracle is pointing fingers and lawyers at Google.
Google infringed Oracle's Java-related intellectual property "knowingly, directly and repeatedly," Oracle said on Thursday in a statement about the lawsuit, which it filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco.
And it's no surprise that Google says "Bring it on." Java is an open source programming language and Google did nothing wrong using it. If Oracle pushes for its lawsuit, that would mean it wants to close up the open source technology. It should do well to learn from Apple's failing example of not advancing towards a more open web. (ie. Apple's refusal to include Flash into OS X and iOS, and Flash's primary objective is to provide a programming tool for multiple platform, thus a more open web)
It does not matter whether Google wins this lawsuit or not. Oracle would have the entire technosphere frowning on them.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Brain Storm: Catching Game
A really important and close friend left last night. A bunch of us went to see him off. Frankly, its not like he's not coming back. And its not like he's going for all 4 years. A full year, its neither long nor short. Yet, all of us could feel it. There's gonna be a gap. Somewhere in our lives there will be a hollow spot for a year.
But that's reality. People come and go. New paths open up. Choices are made. Life goes on. The only thing we can do is to hugz hugz kiss kiss before separation, and make that promise, to go back into our catching game. I'll catch up with your life, and you with mine, someday, soon.
I feel a little lonely tonight. Do you?
But that's reality. People come and go. New paths open up. Choices are made. Life goes on. The only thing we can do is to hugz hugz kiss kiss before separation, and make that promise, to go back into our catching game. I'll catch up with your life, and you with mine, someday, soon.
The catching game. A never ending game where you attempt to catch your friend while he attempts to catch you as well. This game usually lasts a lifetime if the friendship is strong. This is the only game where the saved game will never get deleted.
I feel a little lonely tonight. Do you?
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Review: iPhone 4 (taken from Digital Life 4/8/2010)
The good news - reports of the iPhone 4 having massive issues with reception and dropped calls in the United States are not as common in Singapore, as local telcos have pointed out that a stronger mobile network here alleviates the problem.
The bad news is, Apple's latest toy does suffer from receoption issues to a certain extent, compared with other phones.
Holding the phone with your left hand will cause the signal bars to drop gradually, as covering the lower-left corner of the slim device with your palm affects its antenna.
If you are indoors, 40 seconds is all it takes for the bars to fall from five to one. You do not even have to hold it tighitly, to mimic an actual Death Grip, as it is commonly called.
Outdoors, the bars do not fall but as soon as you have overhead cover, be it seated in a restaurant or on a bus, the bars start dropping.
However, voice calls are barely affected. When bars fall from five to one, calls can still be made, in fact, the bars do climb back up once a call is connected.
Issues with calls occur when reception at a location is already weak to begin with. Covering the antenna further reduces the weak reception and both incoming and outgoing calls cannot be made.
Outgoing calls will stall and incoming calls will not connect. If you happen to move from good reception zone to a weaker one while on the line, be prepared to lose that call.
This happened to me at a supermarket in Serangoon. the call started off well but about a minute after I stepped into the supermarket, i lost the other party. Without the Death Grip, the phone alternated beween two and three signal bars.
The bigger problem, though is with data connectivity. A reduction in the signal bars greatly hampers the download speed of the phone.
Whether I am downloading apps from the App Store, checking my email or refreshing my Twitter application, I noticed onger load times with a lower number of signal bars. Often, a server error display will pop up.
As I am right-handed, I always hold the phone with my left hand. The moment I hold the phone with two fingers at the top and bottom, the bars climb up and downloads are restored. Aside from the reception issue, Apple has delivered a well-made device. The retina display is extremely sharp and it is easier to read small fonts compared to iPhone 3GS.
Battery life also lasted longer. With push email, games and constant Twitter updates, the 3GS barely lasted eight hours. The iPhone 4 clocked 10 to 12 hours before I needed to plug it in.
Although video calls are not new, Apple's new FaceTime feature- which allows video calles to be made across Wi-Fi between two iPhone 4 devices - is pretty impressive.
White the phone will not indicate if the other party is on Wi-Fi, you can easily switch to FaceTime mode during a regular call. Voice pick - up is sharp even if you hold the phoneaway from you.
The rear camera has also been upgraded to a 5-megapixel one, which allows for video recordings of up to 720p.
When used with a flash, colours do appear unnatural, displaying a brighter red or orange hue.
Verdict: A phone should fulfil its basic functions of making calls, so you have to decide if the apps and better design really justify the iPhone's price tag.
The bad news is, Apple's latest toy does suffer from receoption issues to a certain extent, compared with other phones.
Holding the phone with your left hand will cause the signal bars to drop gradually, as covering the lower-left corner of the slim device with your palm affects its antenna.
If you are indoors, 40 seconds is all it takes for the bars to fall from five to one. You do not even have to hold it tighitly, to mimic an actual Death Grip, as it is commonly called.
Outdoors, the bars do not fall but as soon as you have overhead cover, be it seated in a restaurant or on a bus, the bars start dropping.
However, voice calls are barely affected. When bars fall from five to one, calls can still be made, in fact, the bars do climb back up once a call is connected.
Issues with calls occur when reception at a location is already weak to begin with. Covering the antenna further reduces the weak reception and both incoming and outgoing calls cannot be made.
Outgoing calls will stall and incoming calls will not connect. If you happen to move from good reception zone to a weaker one while on the line, be prepared to lose that call.
This happened to me at a supermarket in Serangoon. the call started off well but about a minute after I stepped into the supermarket, i lost the other party. Without the Death Grip, the phone alternated beween two and three signal bars.
The bigger problem, though is with data connectivity. A reduction in the signal bars greatly hampers the download speed of the phone.
Whether I am downloading apps from the App Store, checking my email or refreshing my Twitter application, I noticed onger load times with a lower number of signal bars. Often, a server error display will pop up.
As I am right-handed, I always hold the phone with my left hand. The moment I hold the phone with two fingers at the top and bottom, the bars climb up and downloads are restored. Aside from the reception issue, Apple has delivered a well-made device. The retina display is extremely sharp and it is easier to read small fonts compared to iPhone 3GS.
Battery life also lasted longer. With push email, games and constant Twitter updates, the 3GS barely lasted eight hours. The iPhone 4 clocked 10 to 12 hours before I needed to plug it in.
Although video calls are not new, Apple's new FaceTime feature- which allows video calles to be made across Wi-Fi between two iPhone 4 devices - is pretty impressive.
White the phone will not indicate if the other party is on Wi-Fi, you can easily switch to FaceTime mode during a regular call. Voice pick - up is sharp even if you hold the phoneaway from you.
The rear camera has also been upgraded to a 5-megapixel one, which allows for video recordings of up to 720p.
When used with a flash, colours do appear unnatural, displaying a brighter red or orange hue.
Verdict: A phone should fulfil its basic functions of making calls, so you have to decide if the apps and better design really justify the iPhone's price tag.
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