Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Creative Finance
Slide show about creative financial in house loan. Hope you will like it, and if you found any mistake or you will like to discuss about it, please feel free to leave a comment.Nick
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Interneet Speeds and Costs Around the World
via cache.gawker.com
How much it cost MBPS in Malaysia?
Telekom Malaysia Steamyx 1Mb Package = RM 88 = USD 26
Third world Speed, Third world service, and what you paid is even higher than the First world price.
If you wonder the Malaysia rank in Internet speed, it is No. 89. Average Speed: 1.93Mbs
Monday, October 26, 2009
Dude Drops His Kindle 2, Convinces Amazon to Replace it and Pay Him $200 For His Troubles [Balls]
Behold, the power of a scary-sounding letter from a lawyer! Paul dropped his Kindle 2 and it broke. Amazon wanted $200 to replace it. Instead, they replaced it and gave him an additional $200. Damn, son!
Seriously, how badass is this letter he sent to Amazon?
Paul Gowder
[Address omitted]August 12, 2009
Amazon.com Inc.
Legal Department
1200 12th Avenue South
Suite 1200
Seattle, WA 98144-2734Dear Sir or Madam:
On June 21, 2009, I purchased an Kindle 2 e-book reader from the Amazon.com website. I purchased this device based, in substantial part, on the expectation that it would be reasonably durable. In particular, I expected that it would be approximately as durable as is ordinary in the consumer electronics market.
Amazon.com advertises the Kindle 2 on the basis of its durability. Notably, Amazon.com displays a "drop test" video on the web page for this product. That video displays the device being dropped twice from thirty inches onto what appears to be tile. That video displays a fall with sufficient force that the device visibly bounces, and deliberately creates the impression that the device will function after impacts similar to that sequence of drops.
Despite those representations, the Kindle 2 is far less durable. On July 26, 2009, I dropped a messenger bag containing the device onto the sidewalk, from approximately two feet above the ground. It was dropped only once, and the messenger bag absorbed enough of the shock that nothing else in the bag, including a Macbook laptop, suffered any damage whatsoever. (Unlike the drop displayed in Amazon.com's video, for example, nothing actually bounced.) Moreover, there was no visible damage on the exterior of the Kindle 2. Nonetheless, the Kindle 2 became completely unusable, with over 50% of its screen no longer able to display any text.
I called Amazon.com support and was told that, because of the accidental drop, you would not be willing to supply a replacement device under warranty. You did, however, offer to sell a new device at a discount, for $200.00. I took advantage of that offer under protest, and explicitly reserved my rights to bring a claim against you based on the unreasonable fragility of the device and the misrepresentations in your advertising. It is that claim that forms the subject of this letter.
I am prepared to offer an immediate settlement of my claims against Amazon.com for a payment of $400.00. That sum represents the $200.00 replacement fee I paid plus $200.00 to compensate me for the diminution of utility and value of the device as well as of the e-books I have purchased for that device, in light of the fact that the replacement device, too, can be expected to be far more fragile than advertised and prone to destruction under the slightest stress. This offer expires thirty days from your receipt of this letter. If you do not accept this offer, I intend to bring suit either individually, or, if I decide it is warranted, as representative for a class of similarly situated plaintiffs. At that time, I will seek the amount noted above, plus punitive damages under the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act, Cal. Civil Code §1750 et. seq., costs, fees, and such other monetary damages as provided for by law, including without limitation Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §17200 et. seq., the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, and other relevant law.
Also, you have demanded the return of the broken device as a condition to the unreasonable discounted replacement offer which I accepted under protest. Your agent has informed me that you will charge my credit card for the full price if the broken device is not returned to you. I am considering seeking a protective order placing that device in the custody of the Court pending litigation. However, should I instead return the device, you are hereby notified that it is evidence in the anticipated litigation to which this letter refers. Should you modify, destroy, or resell the broken device, I will ask the Court to treat that as deliberate spoliation of evidence and make adverse inferences as appropriate.
Very truly yours,
Paul Gowder
And here's Amazon's response:
Pretty awesome. Just goes to show that if you put your somewhat-unreasonable request in an official-looking form and also threaten to sue, big companies will be happy to toss a token amount of money your way to make you go away. [Consumerist]
Send an email to Adam Frucci, the author of this post, at adam@gizmodo.com.
via feeds.gawker.com
It is always good to be a consumer who know your right.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Slashdot Comments | Engineers Tell How Feedback Shaped Windows 7
I get the impression that the Windows 7 launch is a lot like seeing an old girlfriend suddenly show up on your doorstep wanting to get back together. She's had some work done, apparently: stomach stapling to take off some of the weight, breast augmentation, and a radical nosejob to make her look as much like your current girlfriend as medical science will allow.
She's pretty, of course, almost too pretty. She still wears far too much makeup and carries that desperate look in her eyes. The fragrant haze around her is the perfume she overuses to mask the scent of failure.
But standing there in that low-cut top, you'd almost forget for a moment what a psycho she was- how she used to shut down in the middle of a date and forget everything you were talking about and how she was only happy when you were buying her things. You'd almost forget about carrying around her legacy baggage or those nights when, for seemingly no reason at all, she would simply stop speaking to you and when you asked what was wrong she'd just spit a string of hex code at you and expect you to figure it out.
You complained about her for years before finally deciding to get rid of her, and here she is again. Though, somehow she seems like a completely different person now.
"I'm up here," she says when she catches you staring at her chest.
Tempted though you may be, you know that over time she'll get bored and slow down on you just like she always does. And then you'll be right back where you started: trapped. She keeps you by convincing you that you don't have a choice. You're just not smart enough for one option or rich enough to afford the other.
"But I'm different now," she says, batting her eyes innocently. "I've changed."
Indeed she has. Apparently, she's really into Cabala now or something like that. It's helped her discover loads of untapped potential in herself. But it also means that you'll have to buy all new furniture to fit with her understanding of feng shui. That's not the only change she has in store for you. The minute you let her move in, she'll have a new alarm system put in that succeeds only in preventing your friends from coming over on poker night.
She doesn't love you, but she doesn't hate you, either. The truth is that she couldn't care less one way or the other. She's here because she doesn't want to be alone. Like all human beings, especially those well past their prime, she wants to feel wanted and, after a string of lost jobs and bad investments, she needs a place to stay.
But all in all, she's OK. She's a seven. She'll do, I guess.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Your First online store
One of my friend asked me about the online store I had started since September, 2009. She is thinking to start one herself.
So, when she ask for advise on How to start your own online store, I make this for everyone else. Your comment and feedback are utmost welcome!Sunday, October 18, 2009
Bird killed by us...
via chrisjordan.com
The trash - specially plastic , end up in the stomach of the sea bird and kill them.
Here is the work from Gyre.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Dyson、Fan without wings!
ニュース
Dyson、“羽根がないのに風が出る”扇風機を発表
DysonのAir Multiplier扇風機は従来の扇風機のような羽根はなく、流体力学を利用した独自の技術で空気の流れを増幅する。
2009年10月13日 16時47分 更新Dysonは10月12日、「羽根のない扇風機」を発表した。
同社の「Dyson Air Multiplier」は従来の扇風機とは違って羽根がなく、土台に輪を乗せたような形になっている。
従来の扇風機は、羽根が空気を切ってしまい、空気の流れが不均衡になる点が問題だった。Dysonの技術は流体力学を利用した独自の技術で空気の流れを15倍に増幅し、毎秒119ガロンの空気をスムーズに流すという。
この扇風機は土台の部分に組み込まれたモーターを使って空気を吸い込み、その空気を飛行機の翼のような傾斜がついた輪から送り出す。空気が輪から出るときに、その気流に周囲の空気が引き込まれて、空気の流れが増幅され、空気が一定して途切れなく流れる。
Dysonは、この扇風機は羽根がないため安全で手入れが簡単だと述べている。上部が重く簡単に倒れることもある従来の扇風機とは違って、傾けることもできるという。
Dyson Air Multiplierは10インチと12インチのモデルがあり、価格はそれぞれ299.99ドルと329.99ドル。カラーは10インチモデルがブルー＆アイアンとシルバー＆ホワイトの2種、12インチモデルがシルバー＆アイアンの1種。米小売店やDyson.comで販売の予定。
[ITmedia]
Copyright© 2009 ITmedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
従来の扇風機
Dyson Air Multiplier
輪の断面図
via itmedia.co.jp
New technology in Fan!
Free Book by 37Signal - Getting Real
Getting Real
Here are the 16 chapters and 91 essays that make up the book.
Introduction chapter 1
- What is Getting Real?
A smaller, faster, better way to build software
- About 37signals
Our small team creates simple, focused software
- Caveats, disclaimers, and other preemptive strikes
Responses to some complaints we hear
The Starting Line chapter 2
- Build Less
Underdo your competition
- What's Your Problem?
Build software for yourself
- Fund Yourself
Outside money is plan B
- Fix Time and Budget, Flex Scope
Launch on time and on budget
- Have an Enemy
Pick a fight
- It Shouldn't be a Chore
Your passion — or lack of — will shine through
Stay Lean chapter 3
- Less Mass
The leaner you are, the easier it is to change
- Lower Your Cost of Change
Stay flexible by reducing obstacles to change
- The Three Musketeers
Use a team of three for version 1.0
- Embrace Constraints
Let limitations guide you to creative solutions
- Be Yourself
Differentiate yourself from bigger companies by being personal and friendly
Priorities chapter 4
- What's the big idea?
Explicitly define the one-point vision for your app
- Ignore Details Early On
Work from large to small
- It's a Problem When It's a Problem
Don't waste time on problems you don't have yet
- Hire the Right Customers
Find the core market for your application and focus solely on them
- Scale Later
You don't have a scaling problem yet
- Make Opinionated Software
Your app should take sides
Feature Selection chapter 5
- Half, Not Half-Assed
Build half a product, not a half-ass product
- It Just Doesn't Matter
Essentials only
- Start With No
Make features work hard to be implemented
- Hidden Costs
Expose the price of new features
- Can You Handle It?
Build something you can manage
- Human Solutions
Build software for general concepts and encourage people to create their own solutions
- Forget Feature Requests
Let your customers remind you what's important
- Hold the Mayo
Ask people what they don't want
Process chapter 6
- Race to Running Software
Get something real up and running quickly
- Rinse and Repeat
Work in iterations
- From Idea to Implementation
Go from brainstorm to sketches to HTML to coding
- Avoid Preferences
Decide the little details so your customers don't have to
- "Done!"
Decisions are temporary so make the call and move on
- Test in the Wild
Test your app via real world usage
- Shrink Your Time
Break it down
The Organization chapter 7
- Unity
Don't split into silos
- Alone Time
People need uninterrupted time to get things done
- Meetings Are Toxic
Don't have meetings
- Seek and Celebrate Small Victories
Release something today
Staffing chapter 8
- Hire Less and Hire Later
Add slow to go fast
- Kick the Tires
Work with prospective employees on a test-basis first
- Actions, Not Words
Judge potential tech hires on open source contributions
- Get Well Rounded Individuals
Go for quick learning generalists over ingrained specialists
- You Can't Fake Enthusiasm
Go for happy and average over frustrated and great
- Wordsmiths
Hire good writers
Interface Design chapter 9
- Interface First
Design the interface before you start programming
- Epicenter Design
Start from the core of the page and build outward
- Three State Solution
Design for regular, blank, and error states
- The Blank Slate
Set expectations with a thoughtful first-run experience
- Get Defensive
Design for when things go wrong
- Context Over Consistency
What makes sense here may not make sense there
- Copywriting is Interface Design
Every letter matters
- One Interface
Incorporate admin functions into the public interface
Code chapter 10
- Less Software
Keep your code as simple as possible
- Optimize for Happiness
Choose tools that keep your team excited and motivated
- Code Speaks
Listen when your code pushes back
- Manage Debt
Pay off your code and design "bills"
- Open Doors
Get data out into the world via RSS, APIs, etc.
Words chapter 11
- There's Nothing Functional about a Functional Spec
Don't write a functional specifications document
- Don't Do Dead Documents
Eliminate unnecessary paperwork
- Tell Me a Quick Story
Write stories, not details
- Use Real Words
Insert actual text instead of lorem ipsum
- Personify Your Product
What is your product's personality type?
Pricing and Signup chapter 12
- Free Samples
Give something away for free
- Easy On, Easy Off
Make signup and cancellation a painless process
- Silly Rabbit, Tricks are for Kids
Avoid long-term contracts, sign-up fees, etc.
- A Softer Bullet
Soften the blow of bad news with advance notice and grandfather clauses
Promotion chapter 13
- Hollywood Launch
Go from teaser to preview to launch
- A Powerful Promo Site
Build an ace promotional site that introduces people to your product
- Ride the Blog Wave
Blogging can be more effective than advertising (and it's a hell of a lot cheaper)
- Solicit Early
Get advance buzz and signups going ASAP
- Promote Through Education
Share your knowledge with the world
- Feature Food
They're hungry for it so serve it up
- Track Your Logs
Study your logs to track buzz
- Inline Upsell
Promote upgrade opportunities inside the app
- Name Hook
Give your app a name that's easy to remember
Support chapter 14
- Feel The Pain
Tear down the walls between support and development
- Zero Training
Use inline help and FAQs so your product doesn't require a manual or training
- Answer Quick
Quick turnaround time on support queries should be a top priority
- Tough Love
Be willing to say no to your customers
- In Fine Forum
Use forums or chat to let customers help each other
- Publicize Your Screwups
Get bad news out there and out of the way
Post-Launch chapter 15
- One Month Tuneup
Issue a major update 30 days after launch
- Keep the Posts Coming
Show your product is alive by keeping an ongoing product development blog post-launch
- Better, Not Beta
Don't use "beta" as a scapegoat
- All Bugs Are Not Created Equal
Prioritize your bugs (and even ignore some of them)
- Ride Out the Storm
Wait until knee-jerk reactions to changes die down before taking action
- Keep Up With the Joneses
Subscribe to news feeds about your competitors
- Beware the Bloat Monster
More mature doesn't have to mean more complicated
- Go With the Flow
Be open to new paths and changes in direction
Conclusion chapter 16
- Start Your Engines
A few closing thoughts
- 37signals Resources
Translations
- Arabic
- Chinese
- Croatian
- Czech
- Dutch
- French
- German
- Hungarian
- Italian
- Japanese
- Norwegian
- Polish
- Portuguese-BR
- Portuguese-EUR
- Romanian
- Russian
- Slovak
- Spanish
- Swedish
Note: Some translations are incomplete. Contact us via email if you'd like to help translate Getting Real into your language
This is interesting. Specially for those who make a web apps.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
For all my doctor friend - 美之施術: 銀座整容醫生私札記
via eslite.com
A very interesting book for you. A diary from Ginza's Plastic Surgical practotioner .
The life style and sweet & sour of it.
Google removes The Pirate Bay home page from search results | Web Services | Macworld
by Mikael Ricknäs, IDG News Service
File-sharing site The Pirate Bay is once again in the crosshairs of copyright owners. Google has removed the site’s home page from its search results in response to a complaint it received under the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
A search for “The Pirate Bay” Friday turned up a message at the bottom of the first search-results page that said: “In response to a complaint we received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed 7 result(s) from this page. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaint that caused the removal(s) at ChillingEffects.org.”
The complaint was filed by Destined Enterprises, which in the past has helped the adult-entertainment industry battle online piracy, according to other filings at ChillingEffects.org.
The removal was noted by former Pirate Bay spokesman Peter Sunde who wrote in a Twitter message, “Ok, someone from Google can please reply: why is ‘thepiratebay.org’ (the frontpage) removed from your index?”
Google doesn’t have any further comment on the removal other than what’s available at ChillingEffects.org, according to a spokesman.
However, Google hasn’t completely removed the file-sharing site from its search results. It still returns a link to a page that lists a number of content types, including movies, TV shows and music. There is also a link to the Pirate Bay blog.
The battle between The Pirate Bay and copyright owners is currently being fought in court in a number of countries, including Sweden, Denmark, Italy, and Norway.
The operators of The Pirate Bay are scheduled to be back in court on Nov. 13 for a hearing in the Svea Court of Appeals in Sweden. In April they were found guilty of of being accessories to crimes against copyright law.
- Recommend? 3 YES 3 NO
- 16 Comments
via macworld.com
Sunday, October 4, 2009
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