Before upgrade to Windows Vista..

Seriously, think twice before u upgrade, o consider open, secure and free alternative Linux OS. Out of so many Linux distribution, I strongly recommends Ubuntu Gusty.
Here why:

• Needs goods reasons why Linux is better OS compare with Windows> looks here.
• It just work - Upon installed, ubuntu detected my all my devices, and install drivers correctly, this include my media card, wireless network, video, usb, and etc.
  
• Dell start selling PC/notebook with Ubuntu pre-installed, other vendor like Lenovo will follows soon.
• If u impressed Windows Vista offer "Wowo wow"3D desktop effect, well, looks what Ubuntu Gusty + Compiz offer:

• Linux could run Windows applications such as MS Outlook, PhotoShop, IE, even MSOffice (If u really really have to, but do consider use open office..) either via Wine (A windows emulator), or via Windows XP vmware image. User could create an empty OS image using VMware server (Free), and install Windows XP (Using legal Windows XP licenses, off course), and install applications on the vm image created.
  

Seriously, do u really have to upgrade to Windows Vista, post your doubts on my comments page, I am more happy to help here

[Blog Action Day] - Watch Planet Earth

Ops, I suppose to post a blog on saving our planet earth at 15-Oct-2007 for Blog Action day, and I forgot about it.. , shit...I am getting old...:-(

Anywhere, since I am not very good about environment statistic, political issues on green effort, and how we could really help, I link up few environmentalist's blog for ur reading:

• Cleantech Blog
• These come from trees Blog
• Environment Action Blog
  

For me, my suggestion is simple. Go and get Planet Earth Series from BBC, (rent it, purchase it, or steal it from ur friend), spend a weekend, and watch it together with your family. I personal guarantee u will amaze and appreciate how beautiful our planet earth is.


Then, just think that, most of beautiful scenes or animals we seen from the series will probably disappear in 1-2 years time...shouldn't we all do somethings to preserve our beautiful lands...

[Google Idea] SMS Protect Me

Last month, a 8 years old girl was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered. Till now, our police still trying their very best to looks for the monster. Almost every month, there always a news about a girl being kidnapped, rapped, or worst being killed. I am shocked when and where the accident happen, it happen while the victims taking late bus home, jogging early morning at public park, waiting to be pick up by friend, or taking car from shopping mall car park, and normal routine u and me are doing every day. I feels sick and upset when reading this kind of news.. What is going wrong with our world? what have happen to our soul? I am constantly thinking how technology could help to prevent his kind of situation, and this is how I come out the idea of SMS protect me service.

Here how it work.

1. First, user needs to register themselves via a portal, given their contact detail, and group of 5 emergency contact numbers (User relative and friend).

2. Upon registration, user are given a pair of PIN number, one number is use for protect me event registration (see below), one PIN number is use for emergency.

3. When user feels unsafe at any place at any time, he/she could register a protect me event via SMS, with the format of [user pin] [event's detail] [event duration]. Here are few examples:

   • I waiting my friend to pick me up at office building A, and my pin code is “1234”, I will key in “1234, waiting friend at Office Bulding A, Gate 2, 20 minutes”

   • I am taking a cab back home at late night, “1234, taking cab number WEB1023 home, 30 minutes”

   • I am going to take my car from public car park, “1234, taking my car at Shopping Mall Apple, car park at floor B2, bay 92, 10 minutes”

4. User send in the protect me event to a local service center number, system will registered the event

5. When event expired, system will sends user confirmation SMS to end the protect me event

6. To reply, user have to key in their pin number, follow by “yes” to end the protect me event, or “extend 10 minutes” to extend the event.

7. If system didn't received user's confirmation after certain retry, system will send alert SMS message to his/her configured emergency contact numbers, if user's Telco provider provide Location base services, system will find user location, and alert his/her friend about user location.

8. The emergency number is use when user are in danger, thus is in short and easy to send, user are just require to key in the emergency pin number, with any detail if needed, and send to the local service center number, system will straight away notify user friend and family.

9. The emergency number is also useful when user force to terminate a protect me SMS event, thus, instead of using user given pin to end the event, user could always use their emergency pin to indicate they are in real danger.

Some possible options on extending the services

• Integrate with local police patrolling system.

• Partner with insurance company, user are charge per protect me SMS event, in case on any unwanted incident happen, user are insured.

• Integrate with Phone GPS syetem.
  

So, what do u think? do share me your thoughts on the comments page, stay tune for my next idea.

PS: As always, if anyone (perhaps Yahoo Inc.) find these ideas interesting and wants to further build up those ideas, do drop me an email.

[Survey] Are we depends on MSN/Yahoo Messganger too much?

I just discovered that many of my team members like to communicate with each other over MSN, even they just sit beside with others!
Out of curiosity, I pull one of them in my office, and ask them why, and here are their "official" reasons:
a) Keep it low - They don't wants to bother other people, and prefer quiet conversation.
b) Audit log - They could record the conversation
c) Is the "in" things, and I belong to older generations..

Wow, the third point actually hurt me..but I tend to not agree with the first two points.
First, I believe verbal communication is far more effective than typing words in the chat windows, one can't simply shows his/her emotion or body languages over MSN (Although some will argue of using Smiley icons is as effective as our body language). And two, we are team mates, why we like to record our conversation? To protect ourself?

I am lost here, can't imagine what will happen 5-10 years later? Do I have to SMS my Son for dinner, even he is just upstairs playing computer game?

We are living on a very unfriendly world..

My post about Car Pool idea created a lot of heated discussion. Couple of my friends commented that although, in general, they like my idea. they do concern about security, question like "what if car pool partner is a crazy person, or a rapist", or "how could I trust my Car Pool Partner if we never meet before", and etc.

This has strike me a lot of thinking, and wonder what's happening to our world?
I still remember when I was young, I always go out and play with my neighbor's kid for hours before dinner time, and most of time, out of our parent's vision. We always go back on time for dinner, and Mom/Dad seldom question us where we went, how's our school, as long as we finished our homework before bed time.

I remember back then, where there 's not Astro (Our Boardband TV provider), we always pass our rental Hong Kong TV series video tape to each other, and returned our tape just before the due date. My mom always exchanges food with my neighbor, and we always "pijam" (i.e borrow) things from each other. When there is new people move into our area, we always go and help, and that always ends with a welcome tea party.

I can't recall there is many crimes back then as compare today. Now, kids always closely monitor by their parent. I hardly know my neighbor, and people in general, just don't open their heart easily as compare to the pass. What's has change?

It's is due to all the media (TV, news paper, radio, internet) like to cover bad news then good news? Or people in generally poorer as compare to past, and hence the increase of crime rate?

I have no idea...could anyone enlighten me?