ZUNE users had a nasty New Year shock. This Wednesday on New Year’s Eve, some owners booted up their Microsoft Zune music player and found their device frozen.

It seems that the Zune’s internal clock had trouble with the 366 days in 2008 – a leap year. The Zune froze in its own rigid logic where there can only be 365 days in a year.

If the Zune were in an old-fashioned sci-fi flick, it would keep bleating “Does not compute”.

Party animals who did not touch their Zune on New Year’s Eve – the 366th day – were spared. Folks who needed a continual feed of music for every waking moment weren’t so fortunate.

But all went well. The cure was simple. Drain the battery and then fully recharge the Zune.

Fortunately, The problem hit only the 30GB model which would not fully boot up. There are more than more than three million Zune sold since Nov 2006 when it was first launched according to an Associated Press report. Capacities range from four to 120GB. In Singapore, not many Zunes are sold here.

You would expect devices like MP3 players, smart phones, home wireless networking and even laptops to just work. Like a TV – switch it on and everything works.

Most consumers are not geeks who are creatures that get their kicks tweaking their gear for the last gram of performance or making one-of-a-kind creations.

But, honestly, even partial geeks – like tech writers – tire of having to get devices to work as they are supposed to do. Never mind doing undocumented tricks.

This is not something monumental like the unbelievably silly Y2K fiasco. But – come on – surely the lesson should already have been learnt!

You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll? Sorry, Twisted Sister - Microsoft just did – fortunately only for a day.

reply

I GAVE my younger sister my old laptop for Christmas. Despite about my re-gifting nature aside, she was happy that it had Wi-Fi and a DVD burner and was pre-loaded with a bunch of software like Microsoft Office and anti-virus programs.

But the thing that made her the happiest was that it was running on Windows XP.

After almost two years of using Windows Vista on her desktop, she still can't get used to the resource-draining and system-resource-heavy Vista operating system. Like many around the world, she prefers its predecessor, Windows XP.

If it's not due to user preference and demand, why else would Microsoft recently extend the shelf life of XP to May next year, from its original Jan 2009 deadline, itself a date that has been extended several times, since Vista's debut in 2007? 

But if you look at the May 2009 deadline for XP, it seems a perfect time for the company to launch its latest Windows 7 OS.

Short of admitting Vista's faults outright at the Professional Developer's Conference (PDC) in October, Microsoft explained that the upcoming Windows 7 takes a back-to-basic approach to its operating system. 

Most of the upgrades to Windows 7, or rather changes, unveiled at PDC, made an impression to the audience, myself included, and the only bad news was that Windows 7 was only coming out in late 2009.

Those few more months won't be enough to convince users that Vista is worth the effort and unless it is prepared to extend the kill-date for Windows XP again, why can't Microsoft bite the bullet and release Windows 7 already?

It's not as though there is a tight veil of secrecy surrounding Windows 7, which offers touch screen interface, more network connectivity features and is less system hungry. Steven Sinofsky, senior vice-president of Windows and Windows Live presented his copy of Windows 7 at PDC, running on a netbook. The product cannot be secret any more when several hundreds of us attending PDC saw the software at work. 

Copies of Windows 7 beta are expected to be made available at CES 2009 (Consumers Electronics Show) next month (Jan) and if you know how to, beta kits for Windows 7 are already being traded on Bit Torrent file-sharing sites.

And the best news Microsoft is really happy about is that early reviews for Windows 7 are glowing compared to Vista. I have been using it since October and even though it was an earlier release, I found it simpler, faster and more intuitive. 

If not for the fact that I was told the copy I was using is a beta unit, nothing about it (from any annoying limitations or pop-ups) identify it as lacking in any features.

Given that 2009 is the year analysts are predicting the rise of the smaller netbook, there is no doubt that Windows 7 will be a boon for Microsoft. So the earlier it releases the new program, the better for Microsoft and its users.

Because let's be honest – do we really want to continue using Windows XP, a software that was made in the last millennium and released way back in 2001?

I don't think so.

reply

APPARENTLY, sharing your devotion to games like World of Warcraft (WoW) and EverQuest with a headhunter isn’t necessarily the best way to score a new job. 

Earlier this month, a technology reporter recounted a conversation between himself and a recruiter friend on gaming message board F13, in which the latter said a client had told him to avoid candidates who play WoW. 

This conversation has since spawned dozens of follow-up articles from sites like the BoingBoing to the Times of London. 

Many of the biggest fans of these games are, unsurprisingly, indignant over the alleged discrimination. 

What may be surprising, however, is the number of gamers who have acknowledged that there is basis for such employer behaviour, going by their own gaming experiences. 

For many of us who grew up playing games like WoW, EverQuest and their ilk, the heart of the issue – that hardcore gamers who play all night and then surf gaming sites in the office often don’t make the model employees – really isn’t a huge surprise. 

This doesn’t apply to everybody, of course. 

I’m sure there are some truly casual online gamers who play 20 minutes a day from the time they click “sign-up” to when they hit the “quit” button - although I’ve yet to meet such a player in 15 years of online gaming. 

And yes, there were periods when I was playing far too much myself – making me a less-than-ideal candidate for operating heavy machinery or calculating complex mathematical formulas. 

Do I regret this? 

Well, I certainly could had used the time I spent collecting magic swords and gold improving my Mandarin or exercising. 

But it wasn’t all wasted time, and studies have shown that online games like these can teach skills from leadership to project management. 

Well, I don’t know about leadership and project management, but my computer skills definitely went up several notches trying to learn how to play MUDs (multi-user dungeons, the text-based predecessor of online games like WoW). 

More recently, I learned something of the psychology of stock market trading, via playing the virtual economy in games like EverQuest 2, to the point that my character was, for several months last year, the fifth richest character on his server. Hopefully, this learning will translate to real life gains in the stock market IRL (in real life). 

But the most important lesson I learned while dragon-slaying is self-control. 

I’ve gone to the addiction abyss and hurled myself in - and managed to climb back out again. 

That day - over a decade ago today – was when I finally realised how addicted I was and quit for good.

"For good" didn't last very long, however, and I eventually picked up gaming again. 

But online games had lost the strangle-hold they had over me. 

And I suspect the lessons I’ve learned from that episode will stand me in good stead when confronted by other lures life throws at me.

Read the full report on employers attitude towards gamers by Chua Hian Hou, Level 72 Templar, in The Straits Times today.

reply

MACWORLD has always been a journalist’s haven. Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, never fails to give a spellbinding performance every year as he gives an update on how key Apple products performed and his famous "one more thing" in which he announces the sexy new gizmos that tingles the entire industry.

In the last seven years that I’ve attended Macworld in San Francisco, I’ve always been mesmerised by Jobs’ showmanship. Heck, it's another keynote at a trade event but no one in the tech industry delivers a speech with the panache of a Steve Jobs.

In his trademark black turtleneck shirt, Apple groupies would sit enthralled as he talked for about 90 minutes on all things Mac, iPod and iPhone. And of course, the jibes against Microsoft and Windows.

A gaunt looking Steve Jobs at Apple's Worldwide Developer's conference in June 2008 at Moscone Centre, San Francisco.     Source: Grace Chng

I’ll miss Jobs. Dare we say it: Is he dying?

In 2004, he suffered from prostate cancer and much later he had surgery. But he appeared in the next two Macworlds looking well. However, at this year's event, he was at his best but boy, did he look thin. At Apple's Worldwide Developer’s conference in June this year in San Francisco when he unveiled the iPhone 3G, his gaunt look and bones-sticking-out of his black turtleneck shocked me and my Lianhe Zaobao colleague, Ng King Kang.

Is he sick, we wondered? Repeated questions posed to Apple spokesmen from Asia brought us no answers. Their responses were barely believable: He was well. He just had an infection and was recovering, hence his weight loss. He's a vegan, hence his thin looks.

After the event, the whisperings about his health emerged. Even a rumour that he had died circulated on the Web. And talk about succession planning at Apple began. Just three weeks ago, Fortune ran a cover story on who would succeed Apple if Steve Jobs exited the scene. To date, Apple has refused to come clean on Jobs' health.

Does his absence portend of new things? Is Apple preparing for an era without Jobs? It certainly looks like it’s managing Jobs’ exit and grooming a new executive team who will be responsible for future new product announcements.

The ever secretive Apple will not say. Any news Apple doesn’t want made public stays secret. Only a coterie of the Jobs’ closest executives know what’s on his mind. Absolutely no one knows anything. Certainly none of my friends in Apple Singapore is any wiser.

What is known is that Jobs, a vegan for decades, does not travel out of the US very much. News reports have him visiting China but then which CEO hasn’t done this? He has spoken at a few Tokyo Macworlds where he and the Apple brand have a strong following.

The only time Jobs came to Singapore was not when he was with Apple Computer as it was called then but when he was the CEO of NeXT. He had founded NeXT a computing firm in 1985 after he was forced out of Apple by John Sculley, the CEO he had brought in to steer Apple.

His forward team came to recce Singapore to check out the suitability of the sites. They also checked if there were vegan food available for Jobs is not a meat eater. He came in May 1990 and enthralled the by-invitation only crowd who attended the public talk at the World Trade Centre, which has since been demolished for the the new Harbour Front office tower.

Canon Japan who had about 16 per cent stake in NeXT, organised the visit and boy, was it difficult for them. Jobs was picky. First there must be vegetarian food, then the hall must be filled. At no time must there be an empty seat. So Canon had their executives waiting along the aisles. When someone got up for a toilet break, a Canon guy would fill his seat!

But whether at the WTC here, Moscone convention centre in San Francisco or at the Jacob K Javits convention centre in New York, Jobs is very much revered. Appel groupies travel from far and near to hear him speak and even take pictures with him if they could!

Journalists love Jobs. His stories were made headlines. The Stevenote - as his keynotes were known - would start at 9am. It would be a really early day for journalists. We queued from 6.30am so that we can get a good seat. Every 15 minutes, the queue moved a few steps forward.

Journalists would queue as early as 6.30am for a good seat to watch Jobs speak.     Source: Grace Chng

At 8.40am, the doors to the halls would open and at 8.50am the stampede begins. Journalists brush aside each other to rush to a seat with a good view - which is usually some 20-30 rows away from the stage.

Reserved seats are only for senior Apple executives, business partners and selected journalists like David Pogue of the New York Times and Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal. The rest of us mortals only see life size figure of Jobs on the jumbotron screens.

Stevenote would begin sharp at 9am, ending round about 10.30am. Stories from the wires would start to appear from 11am and Jobs' face would be on every TV news channel that night and the next. His face would hog almost every newspaper around the world for the next couple of days.

It's exciting for journalists to cover Jobs. He makes interesting copy. But I'm certain that there'll be stories arising from Apple. His absence will certainly continue to fuel more speculation on Apple's future. Significantly, Apple will have to hold its own event to announce new products. I look forward to these events.

But the pilgrimage I make every year to Macworld in San Francisco will end come Jan 6 for it will be the last time Apple gives the keynote presentation at this annual conference and expo of all things Mac. It has been one great ride.

reply

'WHO throws a shoe? Honestly!'

Well, one Iraqi reporter did. His target being only the most powerful man in the United States.

When a shoe, Manolos or not, goes flying in the direction of an important figure, you would expect a certain degree of outrage.

Not in this case.

The last time a bizarre attack was launched on a US president - a swimming 'killer rabbit' (yes, huh?) threatened Mr Jimmy Carter - the public was bemused.

The aggression against Mr Bush however, has generated amusement more than anything.

In Ten Reasons the George Bush Shoe Attack Was Completely Awesome, New York Magazine wrote: 'No other world leader could have dealt with that situation with the same humour and quick reflexes.'

Ditto the quick reflexes.

It's hard to believe the Bush that displayed such dexterity, is the same one that choked on pretzels, concussed, and then woke up with a bruise on his cheek.

Kudos to Mr Bush not just for dodging with such agility, but for the remarkable composure and good nature displayed afterwards. He made light of the incident, joking that he saw attacker Muntazer al-Zaidi's sole, and FYI, he wears a size 10.

When a sound was heard aboard the plane during an impromptu press conference aboard Air Force One, he quipped: 'The other shoe just dropped.'

Netizens are finding various avenues to take the joke further.

Can't get enough of the sight of a ducking Bush? Perhaps this gif will help.

Source: IGN.com message boards

Or maybe you think you would've taken a better shot.

Test your pitching skills with flash games - Bush Shoe Throw Game, Can You Throw A Shoe at Bush?, and Sock and Awe - that allow you to, uhm, step into the shoes of Muntazer.

Many wouldn't mind being him, at least for that moment, it seems. More than 1,700 Facebook members have joined the group "I'd Throw A Shoe At G.W. Bush If I Could". It's one of up to 200 groups, some in support of the shoe flinger, that have sprouted thus far.

An event has even been created: the "National Shoe Throwing Party to Send off President Bush!". Confirmed attendees stands at a measly 12 though.

If you don't advocate violence but still want to make a point, "How to mail your shoe to Bush" which claims to be a 'serious project', might just be the group for you.

'This Holiday Season, give your sole to Bush,' and 'give... from the bottom of your SOLE!', reads the group description.

Creator Corey John Scott of Northeastern University calls on members to demonstrate their unhappiness over Mr Bush's foreign wars by 'giving him the boot, shoe, slipper, or stiletto of your choice'. The White House accepts gifts from the general public.

While we're on the topic of gifts, you might also want to cap this historical moment.

What better way, than with an "I Threw My Shoes at George W Bush" t-shirt?

reply

LESS than two weeks ago, Roy Keane decided enough was enough. After 100 games in charge of Sunderland Football Club, the man who turned an unfashionable northeast club into a “box office”, walked away from football.

Fans and critics alike have blogged, phoned into radio stations, conducted philosophical discussions over a pint at their local pubs, each expressing his two cents worth on the matter.

There is no need for another opinion to be jettisoned into cyberspace, to defend the actions of a man that lives on his own terms, or to condemn him for his failings.

What did strike me however, was the manner in which Keane announced his decision to chairman Niall Quinn. The Telegraph called him “a manager of the 21st century” and his choice of a text message to indicate his resignation perhaps best exemplifies this moniker.

The first Short Message Service, or SMS as it is better known, was sent by Englishman Neil Papworth to his friend Richard Jarvis on 3 December 1992. It read “Merry Christmas”.

16 years later, SMS has become thoroughly ingrained into our culture. We use it for everything – from advertising to socialising to queuing at hospitals. Commercially, SMS is a profitable business too. It is a multi-billion dollar industry, given the sheer volume of SMS sent from mobile phones across the globe.

In 2004, the Asian region totalled 176 billion SMS sent. This year, the Philippines leads the way in terms of usage, with the average user sending 755 messages each month. Compare this with China where the monthly average is just over 100 messages.

Keane the player was of the traditional school, where hard graft and dogged determination were valued above all else. He enjoyed confrontation, welcomed it like an old friend.

Keane the manager however, is a man of modern times, embracing the faceless quality of technology. Rather than greet conflict again, he preferred to text it.

reply

IT DOESN'T take a rocket scientist to predict that the American IT market has come to a full stop, after the recession reared its ugly head globally. Already, research firm IDC has forecasted that infocomm technology spending in the US will fall from 4.2 per cent per annum to 0.9 per cent in 2009.

In Asia-Pacific, IT will slowdown from 9.5 per cent to 5.8 per cent or US$196 billion (S$296 billion) in 2009.
Most of the growth will be in emerging markets like China and Vietnam where businesses would need IT to cut costs and reach customers more effectively, said IDC’s analyst Mr Claus Mortensen, who focuses on emerging technologies research.

Another major forecast from IDC is that netbooks or the ultra-mobile PCs – those small notebook computers with screens of 10-inches and less – will have its last gasp this festive season.

For gift buyers, it is the newest thing to give loved ones, children and friends instead of the tried and tested presents like iPods and digital cameras, said IDC’s senior manager of Asia/Pacific Personal Systems Research.

However, netbooks are likely to lose popularity even though they are affordable at $800 or less each.

As consumers’ wallets shrink, they’re likely to give netbooks a miss, preferring to squeeze out a few more hundred dollars to get full-featured notebook computers.

Netbooks’ disadvantage is that they’re small and good for email but not for intensive computing tasks like spreadsheets and gaming.

Stephanie Gwee is an intern with Digital Life

reply

GOOGLERS are relaxed at work.

When I visited Googleplex, Google's headquarters in California - about a 50 minute train ride from San Francisco - people walked around in sweatshirts and bermudas. 

Much as been written about the free food there - it's good too - and the free flow of soft drinks, beverages and water. But did you know that there's free laundry too? 

I was perplexed. I mean who would want to drag their dirty clothes to the office? Yes the provision is free, but underwear and all?

The Google engineers appreciate it though. They say the office self-service laundry saves them trips to the commercial laundry shops. 

No need for their own detergent either. There's even free detergent, special wash for sensitive clothes, plastic baskets for collecting the dry clothes and tables for folding t-shirts, bermudas, jeans and others.

Googlers work out at work too. There's a gym which is mighty useful since many commute to Mountain View from San Francisco or other suburbs. For those who want to swim, there's a swimming pool. Volleyball? Sure, join the mid-afternoon game.

What's unusual, though, is that for the tired and stressed, there're massage services available. There's even a hair salon but this is a paid service. 

According to Google's PR lady, these free services are for the employees' convenience so that they don't have to worry about rushing off to do these errands or paying for such basic amenities, all of which frees them to focus on work.

Because Googleplex is a sprawling complex - there're 20 buildings in Mountain View - communal bicycles are provided. In the lobby of each building are bikes and a basket of blue helmets. Anyone can hop on a to a bike, put on a helmet and cycle to his meeting in a building further down the road.

The uniqueness of Google-town is not restricted to just the physical environment either.

Building 43, where the co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are located, is a designated "green building" with recycled carpets, sustainable wood and recycled blue jeans used for sound-proofing. Offices are also built in such a way that the sunlight cuts straight into the building. No lights are needed, thus saving electricity. 

Next door in building 42, where CEO Eric Schmidt sits, is Charlie's Cafe named after ex-Google chef Charles Ayer who used to cook for the band, Grateful Dead. Every Friday, Schimdt, Page and Brin hold a townhall meeting here to take questions from staff. Important meetings are broadcast live to global offices via the Internet. 

Apart from being known as the company that dominates the search industry, Google also screens potential employees rigorously. Interviews can number as many as 20 and can take a whole day - and the questions are famously not typical.

Singaporean Lim Yew Jin, who's a software engineer and who joined Google about a year ago, had to go through two phone interviews after he submitted his application form. He was flown from Singapore - where he was working at NUS - to the US where he was interviewed from 9am to 2pm non-stop. Interviewers tested his expertise and problem solving capabilities. He was encouraged to write his answers - usually equations and mathematical formulae - on a white board.   

Any engineer who wants to be a recruiter must inform HR and what area of expertise they have. HR will then call them up when necessary. I read about it in a message on the back of the toilet door. 

In just one visit, I could tell Googlers behaved, worked, played and interacted with each other in a culture all their own. It's why so many talented people have been attracted to work there.

It's quirky and not for everyone, but there must be a lesson in here for other companies!

reply

BELT tightening by Singapore consumers will result in PC sales slowing down to about 2 per cent to 3 per cent next year, down from double digit growth of about 15 per cent last year, said a Gartner report.

Consumers will forsake desktop PCs for notebook computers which is good news for vendors like Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer, Lenovo and Toshiba.

The buzz in the PC market this year was the rising popularity of small notebook computers with screens that are 7 inches and less - called netbooks or ultra mobile PCs (UMPCs) - and which cost between $500 and $900.

First introduced by Asus, the size was soon followed by other vendors like MSI, Acer, Konisha, Dell, Lenovo and HP.

But Gartner isn't sure that UMPCs will continue to be popular next year.

They're not full fledged notebook computers, it said, adding that people use it more for e-mailiing purposes rather than applications like writing long reports or crunching year-end financial numbers.

Contrary to Gartner, we think that UMPCs will continue to be popular because of price. At below $1000 it is certainly attractive especially for women executives. They are small and light enough to slip into tote bags without straining any shoulder.

In the Asia-Pacific region outside of Japan, PC sales are expected to expand by about 13 per cent said Gartner, fuelled by growth in developing countries like Vietnam and Philippines.

On the whole, it is desktop PCs that will see sales drastically dropping. Growth is expected to be in the negative 5.2 per cent this year and about 4.4 per cent next year, said Gartner.

Telcos on the other hand will see sales remaining steady. After all, Singapore consumers are tied to their telco contracts. With handsets heavily subsidised by the telcos, consumers aren't likely to break their contracts just to switch to another provider offering a cheaper package. Breaking contracts are expensive because if they do, consumers will have to pay for the full cost of the handsets.

So for certain segments of the IT industry, there's light at the end of the tunnel even as the financial turmoil continues.

reply

"THE dog looks much cuter in 3D."

This simple statement from my wife after catching Disney's latest animated feature, Bolt, in 3D, sums up why folks will be flocking to catch movies in 3D, not just here but around the world.

Wednesday's inaugural 3DX film festival here, in which Bolt had its world premiere, might be Hollywood's way of reaching an international audience, but really, all Hollywood needs to do is get audiences to catch a 3D movie just once.

And no, this is not me falling for the spiel coughed up by the likes of Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, Walt Disney Motion Pictures president Mark Zoradi or Jon Landau, producer on James Cameron's high anticipated 3D movie, Avatar.

They had their say at the event but it was Bolt who sealed the deal, with his realistic puppy dog eyes and stroke-me white fur, and just about seemingly popped out at me throughout the film.

Unlike traditional 3D flicks which required the paper glasses with blue and red filters and caused headaches, the new 3D is more than just about glasses and digital technology.

3D films, which previously caused headaches and nausea, are making a spectacular comeback and are likely to become the future of cinema, thanks to digital technology, Hollywood studio moguls said.
Source: AFP

It's the very fact that there are no longer the cheesy, in-your-face antics of yesteryear's 3D. In 3D horror, bets are that the killer will throw something at the screen, creating the illusion of having something coming at your face. Action films will have flying debris zipping towards you, while Sci-Fi ones will see flying machines rushing at you and.... well, you get the picture.

The interaction between 3D films and audiences was about the scare factor, of making you feel as if you are in the present in the movie. The latest 3D films deliver just that, without the gimmick. Not to say that future 3D movies won't use the same cliches, but as least part of Hollywood is learning.

The new 3D landscape focuses on enveloping the viewers and absorbing them into the setting, but does not wear the viewer down like a bad headache.

Imagine yourself dreaming, where you are aware of your surroundings, but can do little to affect it. While Bolt does his "Zoom zoom" trick (you just have to watch the movie to see it) - weaving at top speed in between vehicles -  you feel the exhilaration of running alongside the dog.

But even in the quiet moments as he ponders his return to his owner Penny, or when his buddy Mittens reveals the heart wrenching circumstances in which she became homeless, there is the conscious effort made in holding back your hand and not try to reach out and touch the poor animals.

Bolt, Penny, Mittens et al are not really in the cinema hall, but they definitely make their presence felt.

The same happened when Katzenberg previewed two short clips from next year's Dreamworks Animation flick, Monsters vs Aliens. More than just watching a simple cartoon, the 3D effect cradles the viewers at the peripheral, giving a close-up on the action.

The only disappointment I had after the movie was the realisation that there aren't too many 3D movies slated till next year. I cannot help but wonder if, under the right direction, if upcoming movies like The Day The Earth Stood Still or Twilight, would make good 3D movies.

Then again, it's not as if there are enough 3D halls here to screen them all.

reply

UP UNTIL two years ago, I left my home wireless network unlocked. 

It wasn’t by accident either. 

I had simply thought it would be a nice, neighbourly gesture, since I live on a second floor apartment that overlooks the children’s pool. 

This meant my network should be in range of parents there keeping an eye on their kids at play. 

Might even keep those cute girls in bikinis sun-tanning there longer… I kid, I kid. 

But there were people there every weekend with their notebook computers open, and I’m sure some made use of the free Internet I offered. Watching them from my window gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling. 

Then, in 2006, I covered the trial of then-17-year-old Garyl Tan, accused of illegally tapping his neighbour’s wireless network. 

Overwhelmingly, the reaction online was: Tan did nothing wrong, people who did not secure their wireless networks are “asking” others to use them. 

Later that same year, the police raided the homes of seven users for downloading music. 

This created another online uproar, with many pro-file-sharing users recommending that those who want to continue downloading music and other materials do so using someone else’s network, to make someone else their fall-guy. 

Several days after those recommendations began appearing online, I removed my wireless network.  

I got the message: Few, it seem, are likely to have any sympathy for those who do not lock up their WiFi. 

Since then, there have been more reports of crooks abusing unlocked WiFi networks to commit crimes, and many hacking and file-sharing sites recommend using such networks to pin the blame on someone else. 

Now, I’ve no issue with people that want to flame their bosses online, post naked pictures of an ex, download Quantum of Solace, hack some video game account to steal magic swords or run Nigerian scams. 

These events happen all the time anyway, as anybody who spends any time online would know, and I could not care less. It's their business, and who am I to judge their actions anyway? 

But leaving my WiFi open means that I might get caught in the crossfire if their boss, ex – or worse, the police – decided to take action.  

And while I would probably be able to clear myself eventually, it’s certainly trouble I can live without. 

So call me chicken, but no thanks. 

I might be less neighbourly now, I might not get that warm and fuzzy feeling anymore. But at least I won’t be collateral damage either. 

reply

AS ANY air traveler can attest: The process of getting through airport customs and security is a slow and painful process.

No liquids are allowed into and through the United States; in some places, you have to take off your shoes and run them through the X-ray machines; and everywhere these days, laptops have to be removed and scanned separately from your carry-on luggage.

So it was just a matter of time before several laptop bag makers try to speed things up with a newfangled product: Bags that eliminate the need to remove the laptop from the bag.

However, I'm disappointed to say the bags don't seem to work.

I don't mean that they don't do what they were designed to do. I mean, the staff manning the security points negate the value of such bags.

Basically, all airport staff around the world have been trained to ask travellers to remove their laptops from the bags. Naturally, it's far easier to follow that one simple blanket protocol, rather than try to remember which bag models allow computers to be left inside without compromising security.

To be fair, I tried this out using a Targus Corporate Traveler Laptop case, which has been approved by the Transportation Security Administration in the US.

Flying out of Tom Bradley International Terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport two weeks ago, the lines getting into the boarding gates snaked along the duty free shop and into the check-in counters.

And at the end of the line, there was a security officer checking boarding passes before passengers encountered another queue to scan their carry-on bags. At the end of that line, yet another security officer shuffled passengers to one of several branch-offs with the X-ray machines.

The problem is, before branching off into the smaller lines, several security officers were already shouting to everyone: "Please remove your laptop from your bag and place it separately on a tray!"

Upon hitting these lines, no staff member was available to explain why one's laptop bag is so special that the device can remain inside. There I was, standing barefoot before the machine and looking around when I spied a security staff from another line relegating a bag that had already been scanned back to the beginning of the machine queue.

The owner obviously was made to remove his laptop from the bag. He hadn't done so in the beginning and was caught by the X-ray machine.

Okay, now, my turn.

I could've easily spent three seconds unzipping the bag and removing the laptop, or risk getting "caught".

I took the risk.

Fortunately, no one said anything as I donned my shoes and scurried away.

But I would be lying if I said my heart wasn't beating rapidly. I had to cool down, in case my nervousness was interpreted as more than just trying to sneak a laptop through the machines.

So there you have it: Leave your laptop inside at your own risk because it is not convenient to speak to the staff and tell them that yours is a special laptop bag. And if you can be bothered to speak to the staff to identify your new bag, just take out your laptop already?

After all, it does not get any easier at other airports either. At Changi Airport, I had to explain to the security officer that the bag was special and she made a choice to let me though. She could have easily insisted that I remove the laptop.

During both stopovers at Tokyo Narita International Airport on my way to LA and back, the sweet Japanese security ladies told me, in well rehearsed English, to remove my laptop. When I tried to explain the nature of my special bag, all I received were blank looks and was told, again, "Please remove all laptops."

So I did.

To sum up: The bags might be designed to work, but in such situations, it all boils down to airport security and how they react. Even if you get the bag to work in the US, international travelers might not receive the same treatment at other airports. Perception of danger, language barriers and the crowds might prompt security officers to just follow their guidelines.

Next time, I'll save myself the angst and just take my laptop out of my bag!

reply

SINGAPORE Airlines' plans to charge extra for roomy economy-class seats is good news for road warriors who have to hammer away on their laptops even when flying.

They can now pay to guarantee comfort if they haven't had much luck before with such seats (like those on the exit rows), apparently assigned to those who asked for it first. Anyway, what is an extra US$100 for a return trip compared with what they had paid for the ticket?

That's one way to look at it assuming that the booking system is transparent and the seats will not be blocked for premium customers like they used to be.

Putting a price tag on what used to be free will price frivolous contenders for limited exit row seats out of the competition.

This way, economy-class business travelers can have a higher chance of getting the much-needed legroom to work on their laptops. No more having their knees trapped and laptop space violated when a passenger reclines his seat.

It's a small price to pay to lock in your preferred seat and feel you're in control for once.

Such control is especially important since flying no longer offers a hiatus from being connected to the office. Commercial airlines are allowing passengers to yak on their cellphones in mid-air and have in-flight e-mail access from 8,000 feet above ground.

Taking a step farther, SIA should also offer a discount to passengers who opted for middle seats rather than aisle or exit row seats.

After all, didn't SIA say the extra fees for more legroom are not a money-making ploy?

Read Karamjit Kaur's blog entry: Too much of a stretch?

reply

THE iPhone launch in June 2007 created headlines in the US. Thousands of eager fans queued outside AT&T - Apple's iPhone telco partner - stores through the US on June 29 when the device made its debut. 

Almost a year later, when the iPhone 3G hit the shelves, there was a lot of anticipation. Thousands of people had snapped up the handset. 

So I'd thought that the US would have plenty of users. I mean, if I do just an eyeball survey, I should be able to see four out of 10 cellphone users using the iPhone. 

Not so on my trip to San Francisco last week. More people had a Blackberry. Every free minute they had, they were scrolling for their e-mail messages. 

Even among the 25 journalists from Europe, Australia and New Zealand, only one had an iPhone. Most had Blackberrys, a couple toted Nokias and the rest Motorolas. 

Mind you, it was only a casual observation.

In its latest quarterly results, Apple said during the first quarter of iPhone 3G availability - between June and September 2008 -  6.9 million units were sold, exceeding the 6.1 million first-generation iPhone units sold in the prior five quarters combined. 

Altogether, Apple has sold over 12 million iPhones, more than the 10 million unit target Apple's leader Steve Jobs had set when he first announced the device in January 2007. 

It must be that the majority of the iPhones was sold outside of San Francisco and overseas. Maybe that's why I saw so few of them.

reply

IT STARTED innocently enough: I was picking up items from the Virgin Megastore in Los Angeles and handed over my credit card to process the transaction.

But what transpired next made me wonder if one credit card can truly be relied on.

The Virgin clerk slid the card through his machine... And repeated it again after 30 seconds. He then handed me back my card and said that the transaction could not go though.

My first thought that afternoon was that I maxed out my limit during the last few days in LA but a few sums in my head confirmed that I was nowhere near the ceiling. The next horrific thought was that somehow, somewhere, my credit card got skimmed and some fraudster was shopping for high-end items on my account.

I immediately asked the staff to give it another shot and he was nice enough to do it. Hey, maybe the photo ID I handed over to verify my identity stated that I was not American, and he definitely would not recgonise the Singapore bank logo on the black card, but I could tell that he recognised the American Express logo and was giving the familiar brand another chance.

A minute later, he twirled his computer monitor over and I could read what he saw on screen during the last two attempts – "Card Rejected. Do Not Honor". To his credit, he did not whip out a pair of scissors on my card. 

This time though, shame overwhelmed me together with the fear that was already there. As I paid for my purchase with another credit card, I flipped over my black card and started dialing the 24-hour Singapore number on the other side. Something was amiss and I wanted to get to the bottom of it. 

It did not matter that it was past 3am in Singapore and I knew I was going to be chalking up a huge overseas bill dialing a local number. But hey, here was another interesting experiment to test - would a 24-hour hotline be busy at 3am (Singapore time)?

Apparently, it was and the reason I know is because the automated voice recording informed me that the line was receiving high call traffic (at 3am Singapore time?) and I had to wait for the first available operator to be available. 

I pressed on and was kept on hold for a good 10 minutes before a live person spoke to me. After explaining my situation, she explained that, at the point of my transaction, the bank was undergoing a system update which prevented my purchase from going through.

"But it only lasted a minute and you can start using your card again," she said.

No apologies were given, and no assurances were provided that my credit card details were safe and no one tried to use them without my knowledge. Because really, isn't that the first thing that pops to mind when your credit card is rejected and you call the hotline?

Naturally I perservered and she finally did a check for me, noting that my last transaction was over 15 hours ago, one that I thankfully recalled making. But surprisingly, the bank lady told me that the details of the transaction were not available and she could not tell me the retailer that I last dealt with. Somehow, the update excluded details of my most recent transaction.

So to sum up: I had a credit card that did not work for less than a minute (or so she said) and when I called up (from overseas) to check, I was put on hold for 10 minutes. When I finally got through, I was given no assurances and had to press on for more details before I could hang up feeling satisfied that my money was safe.

Hey, now that I think about, maybe this was why there was high call traffic then – other card holders were calling asking about the same thing.

Chances are, the window in which my card could not be used was a fluke occurrence, but I think the bank could have done a better job in maintaining its efficiency and more importantly, assure worried card holders that they weren't victims of fraud.

But more importantly for consumers, never ever rely on just one credit card. 

Can you imagine if it stopped working for just one minute?

reply