Snapshots of Malaysia

Here is a video and some photos I took on my travels in Malaysia over the past year.

For this video, I took fairly short clips because my previous computer had less than 10 Gb free space to store all my media files, but this is no longer a limitation. In future videos, longer segments will be more common.



As for the photos, I picked those with striking colours and patterns... plus some with a touch of curious.

I try not to feature photos of regular touristy attractions - because, as you know, they have been photographed millions of times.












Public hand wash (May 2010) - Johor Bahru












Motorcycle park (May 2010) - Johor Bahru












Sculpture (May 2010) - Johor Bahru












Bus number 666 (Jun 2010) - Larkin












Gazebo (Jun 2010) - Kota Tinggi












Raw latex (Jun 2010) - Kota Tinggi












Street football (Jun 2010) - Kota Tinggi












Melaka Sentral (Jun 2010) - Melaka












V formation (Jun 2010) - Melaka












Viaduct (Jun 2010) - Melaka












Menara Taming Sari (Jun 2010) - Melaka












Colourful trishaws (Jun 2010) - Melaka












Old propeller (Jun 2010) - Melaka












Rusty musket (Jun 2010) - Melaka












Ornate bridge (Jun 2010) - Melaka












Jonker Walk (Jun 2010) - Melaka












Use Malaysian rubber (Jun 2010) - Melaka












Berjaya Times Square (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur












Maybank (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur












Muzium Negara (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur












Sultanate of Malacca (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur












Communist hat (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur












Demolishing Pudu Prison (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur












Petaling Street (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur












Petronas Twin Towers (Jul 2010) - Kuala Lumpur












Parit Waterfall (Aug 2010) - Cameron Highlands












Giant vegetables (Aug 2010) - Cameron Highlands












Double helix (Aug 2010) - Cameron Highlands












Strawberry (Aug 2010) - Cameron Highlands

Unlike in my previous photo galleries, I've decided not to mention the brand and model of the cameras used for these pictures, since it doesn't really matter.

Suffice to say that they were not SLRs and no tripods were used for any of the above shots. That's right, they were all handheld.

Please tune in next time for a media-rich, day-by-day account of my recent journey to Japan!

Planes And Trains

I've been travelling a bit in the past year, and thus I have accumulated so many hundreds of photos and videos that I'm not sure where to start.

Stay tuned for a more substantial series of blog entries soon, but for now, here are some videos about the transportation I took during a short trip to Kuala Lumpur a couple of months ago.

Enjoy!

Flying from Singapore to KL



Taking the KLIA Ekspres



Taking the Aerotrain at KLIA



Return flight to Singapore

Scientist, Programmer and Prostitute

The year was 2003.

PhD student Brooke Magnanti was living a double life. In the midst of making corrections to her thesis, she was unable to find a job in science and running out of money to pay rent.

So she became a part-time computer programmer... and prostitute.

For 14 months she worked as a high-class call girl in a London escort agency. She wrote about her sex work experiences as an anonymous blogger in the "Belle de Jour" blog, which led to a series of successful books and even spun off a TV show.

Today, she is a research scientist in developmental neurotoxicology and cancer epidemiology at St Michael's Hospital in Bristol.

Until two days ago, practically no one knew of the true identity of Belle de Jour.


Why is Fresh Brainz interested in this story?

Apparently she was also an experienced science blogger before she turned to prostitution. So boys and girls, what did we learn today?

1. Science blogging is not enough to pay rent.

2. Part-time computer programming is not enough to pay rent.

3. Sex work is enough to pay rent.

4. Science blogging + Sex work = Sex blogging

Crystal clear.


Would you like to know more?
- Belle de Jour: Diary of a London Call Girl
- British scientist unmasked as call girl Belle de Jour (Reuters)
- Belle de Jour blogger unmasks herself as 'big mouth ex-boyfriend' looms (Guardian)

More, More, Not Enough, Still Not Enough

If you like the webcomic "Cyanide and Happiness", you may like their latest short video:





As some guy once said: "Success is a menace. It fools smart people into thinking that they can't lose."

Some William guy.

IT Show 2009: Under $200 Deals

The IT Show 2009 just opened a few hours ago, and as usual Fresh Brainz was there to quickly scan through some of the best deals so that you can zoom in on the gadgets that you most desire and decide if it's worth the hassle to go down there.

Let's start with a quick overview of the exhibition!















IT Show 2009 is held at Suntec City Level 1 - 6 and is open from 12 - 15th March from 12noon - 9pm daily.















This time 'round the companies come out in full force to attract shoppers. There is even free coffee for making purchases using certain bank cards.















And let's not forget the resident DJ!















Though only tangentially related to IT, camera accessory companies are quite prominent this year.















Making their appearance for the first time are companies selling devices for saving electricity bills. I guess the green technologies are starting to enter the mass market.



















NOT making their appearance for the first time are the hot babes hard at work distributing pamphlets and free smiles to the thronging crowd (and appreciative photographers).

Here's a "dark" angel at a booth in Level 6, complete with black, feathery wings and looking... erm... not particularly intimidating.

There is a "light" angel running around somewhere too. They don't seem to hang around the same place at the same time.

Perhaps if you forced the two angels together, the whole Universe will explode at the speed of light! :p



















In contrast, these two Casio babes seem rather happy to be so close together.

Men like women who are happy together, especially Japanese twins.

“姐姐！”

“妹妹！”

Oops... wrong century!*



















Also making their usual repeat appearances are the huge numbers of visitors. Despite the economic downturn, the crowds don't seem any thinner than in previous years.

Watching hundreds of people pour into the exhibition halls via escalators remind me of conveyor belts in a factory - a factory where people exchange pieces of paper and plastic for boxes of metal and plastic.

Take invoice, pay money, collect gadget, redeem free gift, go. Next!

Take invoice, pay money, collect gadget, redeem free gift, go. Next!

Take invoice, pay money, collect gadget, redeem free gift, go. Next!

Take invoice, pay money...

Super efficient!

So now - here's the list of some great buys under $200 (and netbooks under $700). As usual, please remember to do your own research before spending your hard-earned cash on these tasty deals.

**********

Digital cameras

I'm glad to see that there are more under $200 budget cameras than before. In particular, Sony has slashed the price of its Zeiss-lens W120 to a nifty S$199 (perhaps someone there has been reading Fresh Brainz?).

Unfortunately, Canon and Casio did not offer any cameras at this price level, although the Canon PowerShot A480 comes pretty close at S$219.

As usual, Fresh Brainz provides lens data such as focal lengths (35mm-film equivalents) and focal ratios - crucial information usually missing in sales pamphlets.















Brand: Fuji
Model: J15
Location: Level 4, Booth 8130
Summary Specs: 8.2 megapixels, 3X optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD
Lens: 38 - 113mm (film equivalent), f/2.8 - 5.2
Price: S$179











Brand: GE
Model: A735
Location: Level 6, Booth 6551/6655
Summary Specs: 7.0 megapixels, 3X optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD
Lens: 36 - 108mm (film equivalent), f/2.8 - 4.8
Price: S$139

Brand: GE
Model: A1030
Location: Level 6, Booth 6551/6655
Summary Specs: 10.1 megapixels, 3X optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD
Lens: 35 - 105mm (film equivalent), f/2.8 - 4.9
Price: S$189



















Brand: Nikon
Model: L16
Location: Level 4, Booth 8218
Summary Specs: 7.1 megapixels, 3X optical zoom, 2.8-inch LCD
Lens: 35 - 105mm (film equivalent), f/2.8 - 4.7
Price: S$199















Brand: Olympus
Model: FE 20
Location: Level 4, Booth 8111
Summary Specs: 8.0 megapixels, 3X optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD
Lens: 36 - 108mm (film equivalent), f/3.1 - 5.9
Price: S$198












Brand: Panasonic
Model: DMC-LZ8
Location: Level 4, Panasonic booth
Summary Specs: 8.1 megapixels, 5X optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD
Lens: 32 - 160mm (film equivalent), f/3.3 - 5.9
Price: S$199



















Brand: Ricoh
Model: R5
Location: Level 4, Booth 8335
Summary Specs: 7.2 megapixels, 7.1X optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD
Lens: 28 - 200mm (film equivalent), f/3.3 - 4.8
Price: S$99



















Brand: Samsung
Model: ES10
Location: Level 4, Samsung booth
Summary Specs: 8.1 megapixels, 3X optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD
Lens: 38 - 114mm (film equivalent), f/2.8 - 5.2
Price: S$199















Brand: Sony
Model: W120
Location: Level 3 Concourse and Level 4, Booth 8210
Summary Specs: 7.2 megapixels, 4X optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD
Lens: 32 - 128mm (film equivalent), f/2.8 - 5.8
Price: S$199

**********

Printer/Scanner Combos

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the price of printer/scanner combos have dropped below $200, especially the Xerox WorkCentre 3119 laser printer/scanner which can be had for a mere S$159.

Excellent tools for the home office or a small business.











Brand: Brother
Model: DCP-145C
Location: Level 4, Booth 8305
Type: Inkjet printer/copier/scanner
Print rate: Up to 27 ppm (monochrome) 22 ppm (colour)
Price: S$98

Brand: Brother
Model: DCP-185C
Location: Level 4, Booth 8305
Type: Inkjet printer/copier/scanner
Print rate: Up to 30 ppm (monochrome) 25 ppm (colour)
Price: S$148

Brand: Brother
Model: MFC-235C
Location: Level 4, Booth 8305
Type: Inkjet printer/copier/scanner/fax
Print rate: Up to 25 ppm (monochrome) 20 ppm (colour)
Price: S$188

Brand: Brother
Model: MFC-3360C
Location: Level 4, Booth 8305
Type: Inkjet printer/copier/scanner/fax
Print rate: Up to 25 ppm (monochrome) 20 ppm (colour)
Price: S$188



















Brand: Brother
Model: DCP-7010
Location: Level 4, Booth 8305
Type: Laser printer/copier/scanner
Print rate: Up to 20 ppm
Price: S$198















Brand: Epson
Model: TX400
Location: Level 4, Booth 8115
Type: Inkjet printer/copier/scanner
Print rate: Up to 34 ppm (monochrome) 34 ppm (colour)
Price: S$124

Brand: Epson
Model: TX100
Location: Level 4, Booth 8115
Type: Inkjet printer/copier/scanner
Print rate: Up to 26 ppm (monochrome) 14 ppm (colour)
Price: S$98

Brand: Epson
Model: TX200
Location: Level 4, Booth 8115
Type: Inkjet printer/copier/scanner
Print rate: Up to 34 ppm (monochrome) 34 ppm (colour)
Price: S$128

Brand: Epson
Model: Office TX300F
Location: Level 4, Booth 8115
Type: Inkjet printer/copier/scanner/fax
Print rate: Up to 31 ppm (monochrome) 15 ppm (colour)
Price: S$198















Brand: Xerox
Model: WorkCentre 3119
Location: Level 4, Xerox booth
Type: Laser printer/copier/scanner
Print rate: Up to 18 ppm
Price: S$159

**********

Netbooks

Also known as mini-laptops or ultra-mobile PCs, these computers are so popular that many major manufacturers, even the venerable Lenovo, now produce powerful netbooks at an affordable price.















The netbook craze started just over a year ago with the advent of the Asus Eee PC, which has now diversified into an entire range of products.















Brand: Asus
Model: Eee PC 900HA
Location: Level 4, Booth 8310 & 8405
Storage: 160GB HDD
Price: S$648

Brand: Asus
Model: Eee PC 701SD
Location: Level 4, Booth 8310 & 8405
Storage: 8GB SSD
Price: S$398















Brand: Lenovo
Model: Ideapad S10
Location: Level 4, Booth 8358
Storage: 160GB HDD
Price: S$649















Brand: MSi
Model: Wind Netbook U100 (Pink)
Location: Level 6, Booth 6641
Storage: 160GB HDD
Price: S$699















Brand: Toshiba
Model: NB100-A101
Location: Level 4, Booth 8143 & Level 6, Booth 6101
Storage: 160GB HDD
Price: S$639

**********

Multimedia gadgets

In this category the most spectacular price drop is the portable GPS device which is now available for only S$199!




















Brand: Mio
Model: C230
Location: Level 6, Booth 6641
Type: Touchscreen GPS unit
Price: S$199















Brand: LG
Model: DP-450-P
Location: Level 4, LG booth
Type: Portable DVD player
Price: S$199











For these digital photo frames there is a 50% discount for the second piece if you buy two of them.

Brand: Aigo
Model: F5007
Location: Level 6, Booth 6461
Type: 7" Digital Photo Frame
Resolution: 800 x 600
Price: S$199

Brand: Aigo
Model: F5003S
Location: Level 6, Booth 6461
Type: 7" Digital Photo Frame
Resolution: 480 x 234
Price: S$139

Brand: Aigo
Model: F5005
Location: Level 6, Booth 6461
Type: 8" Digital Photo Frame
Resolution: 800 x 480
Price: S$199

**********

Other Cheap Deals

Of course, you can also find many other accessories that are going for far less than $200 at the show.

Here are some of them:















Speakers...



















Memory cards...















More memory cards. They're really cheap nowadays.

In addition to the great deals at the exhibition, there are also some... ahem... extremely big-ticket items for sale.

They are...

... you've guessed it...















... the BAZOOKAS!

$12,649?!??

This Sigma APO 300-800mm f/5.6 EX DG HSM is obviously there only for display purposes.

Heh, if I had twelve-K to plonk down for a bazooka, I'd rather go to a quiet showroom and have a nice cup of tea with their manager than to squeeze my way through a labyrinth of trampling feet and an obstacle course of wayward elbows.


Would you like to know more?

A previous computer fair:
- COMEX 2008: Under $200 Deals

*If you watched enough Chinese period dramas you would know what that means...