Hussein in Hangman's Noose

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/30/hussein/index.html

O $ P $

Going to hang Pig's Head le.
Still pending $1,100.
Not even 50% is bank-in to my account.

How to dual-boot Windows XP and Windows Vista

I am going to do it myself in this coming week.
http://www.lifehacker.com/software/windows-vista-beta/windows-vista-beta--how-to-dualboot-windows-xp-and-windows-vista-179906.php

Merry X'MAS !

Going to Clear My Sch Fees By Next Week

Shiok man!
All my school fees debt is going to be cleared by next week before end of year 2006!

It is going to be record breaking! It is going to take me less than a year to clear.

Fauxto... like photo.

Create and edit your picture files online for free!
Another innovative product.
http://www.fauxto.com/

PayPal Integration Completed

Finally PayPal integration is completed and this marks completion of my freelance project, excluding some initial support should there need to be any changes.

I can finally catch some sleep :)

Fast Typing Skills Training

See how fast you can type.

To play, type the name of the enemies you see and then hit RETURN.
I am ranked 38th (Difficulty level: Medium).
Username is hongjun
http://cognitivelabs.com/word_shoot.htm

Hokkien man trying to take a photo

Summary of Blogs Mentioning EditGrids

Just so happen to find the below link and realize my blog is mentioned!
The reason as to why my blog is mentioned is because I actually quoted "EditGrid" as one of my entries previously. The below link actually points correctly to my previous post - http://hongjun.blogspot.com/2006/08/gsheet-google-spreadsheet-and-writely.html.

Internet is so threatening. No one can hide anything once something has posted live on the Internet.

Check it out!
http://www.editgrid.com/tnc/cliff/Summary_of_blogs_mentioning_EditGrid

How to login to an expired Windows

Thought this is an interesting article
http://tomorrowtimes.blogspot.com/2006/12/how-to-login-to-expired-windows.html

Microsoft SQL vs Oracle

Have a look at a paper written by David Litchfield.
Do also take a look at the pdf files posted in the below link as well.
http://blogs.technet.com/security/archive/2006/11/27/microsoft-sql-vs-oracle-david-litchfield-comparison-paper.aspx

Knoppix 5.0 OS

I finally finished downloading 600 over MB of files yesterday.
Had a try on this bootable OS on a CD-ROM and realized I almost forgotten how to use Linux!
It has been almost 2 years since I used a Linux.

Overall Rating: Good

Interview On Myself

hongjun joined Experts Exchange (EE) in Sep 1999, and has been a long time contributor in the ASP topic area. He has also achieved over a dozen other topic areas to reach the 1,000,000 point level, so we asked him what keeps him going.

How did you first find Experts Exchange?
Well, I first get to know Experts-Exchange during my poly days. A friend of mine introduced EE to me when we were stucked with some C Programming logic.

First EE question asked by me: Simple scanf question (C Programming)

What made you start answering questions?
Ever since I asked my first question, I often rely on EE to get quality and prompt replies to my technical questions.

Few months later, I realized there are some questions out there where I can also provide my assistance. I realized the need to give back to the community and to share knowledge.

First EE question answered by me: string requires char type but how to add all entries and get total? (C++ Programming)

What do you get out of answering questions?
In short: Knowledge
When I attempt to answer questions, I actually go through the process of looking for solutions all over the place. Through this process, I begin to know where to get the right solution at the right place at the fastest time. I also get to know a problem can be solved by many different methods and which is truely the most efficient and effective.

I must admit my bookmarks database is rather huge.

EE Profile
http://www.experts-exchange.com/M_237966.html
http://www9.brinkster.com/hongjun/ee/ee-profile.asp

Free Wireless@SG

News
http://www.ida.gov.sg/idaweb/marketing/infopage.jsp?infopagecategory=&infopageid=I3967&versionid=3

iCell Network
http://www.icellnetwork.com/

QMax
http://www.qmax.com.sg/wirelessatsg/index.html

SingTel
http://home.singtel.com/wirelessSG/wsg_index.htm

Coverage
http://www.ida.gov.sg/idaweb/marketing/infopage.jsp?infopagecategory=factsheet:wireless&versionid=1&infopageid=I3929

Knoppix 5.0

This tool is fantastic! One can use this for both good and bad.
Good - Learn Linux
Bad - Hack into one's Windows and copy out the entire harddisk contents.

http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html
http://linux.softpedia.com/get/System/Operating-Systems/Linux-Distributions/KNOPPIX-Live-DVD-2621.shtml

Got Myself A Free Book

I just got myself a free book by raising my hands and answering a question in a seminar.
It took me 3 tries on 3 separate questions before they finally gave me that book.

Book Link from Amazon (Cool right)
http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Microsoft-ASP-NET-Core-Reference/dp/0735621764

Search Engine With Visual Effects

Yet another innovative idea (But I don't really like this idea)
http://www.pagebull.com/

Today is VS and SQL 2005 1 Year Birthday

Today marks 1 year birthday for Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and Microsoft SQL Server 2005.
On 29th Nov 2005, these 2 products were officially launched in Singapore.

Hacking Email: 99 Email Security and Productivity Tips

Everyday, and some not everyday tips, on how you can keep your email safe and secure.
http://www.itsecurity.com/features/99-email-security-tips-112006/

Microsoft Windows Vista Wallpapers

http://www.brajeshwar.com/archives/2006/11/microsoft-windows-vista-wallpapers/

Will you stay in India?

If given a chance to go overseas for work for 6 months, will you agree to it?
If the place to attach to is India, Pune, will you?

Albert Einstein Quote

"When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity."

Statement Of Attainment (1)

I just got my certificate for the below
ES-WPS-1CRM0 COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
- OPERATIONS LEVEL

This certificate is issued by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA).

STB offers free shuttle service from Johor Bahru to attract tourists

It is going to benefit Malaysians.
Free shuttle + rebates and discounts at major departmental stores
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/242660/1/.html

We Live In Singapura

Very funny.
Don't forget to watch the youtube equivalent too!
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/43025356/

Find out who gives away your email address with Gmail trick

When you give your email address to a website, you hope that they don't sell or trade your address to a bunch of spammers. Well if they do, here is a simple way to see what sites are responsible for what particular piece of email. This requires you have a Gmail account.

If your Gmail login name was username@gmail.com and you went to samplesite.com to fill out a registration form, instead of just entering username@gmail.com as your email, enter it as username+samplesitecom@gmail.com instead. When Gmail sees a "+" in an email address, it uses all the characters to the left of the plus sign to know who to send it to. In this example it would still send it to username@gmail.com.

Now whats cool is if you search Gmail for username+samplesitecom, you will see all massages that were sent to that email address.

To see who is responsible for sending a specific message click the Show Details link and you will see the complete address.

http://www.hedir.com/introduction/about17942.html

BlueScreen Screen Saver v3.2

Brought to you directly by Microsoft TechNet
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/Miscellaneous/BlueScreen.mspx

Vista's Pros and Cons

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=272182&intsrc=hm_list

How I Celebrated My Birthday

8th Nov 2006 - My 25th Birthday.

All was planned by Regine and my job was just to follow.

We met at HarborFront MRT at around 7pm before heading to Bugis.A small hint from her was that dinner would be near Fortune Centre. I was left making guesses on where would be the place for dinner. I have no idea. We finally reached a place which till now I don't even know what is the name of the restaurant. There wasn't any sign of any signboard nor name of the restaurant written on the menu. I would grade the restaurant highly for their ambience.

After we finished our main course, we were served with ice cream and brownie (both were heart shaped) by one of the waiters. On top of the brownie was a lighted candle. This arrangement was preplanned and well-timed. I appreciate Regine's effort for this planning.

We left for home early after the dinner because we still need to work the next day. Oh ya.. I got a birthday card, a bear (she also has got one), and a wallet from Regine as my birthday gift. I love all of these gifts.

8th Nov 2006 - A memorable Wednesday.

Happy 25th Birthday To Myself

I am a quarter century years old.

Target To Hit 3000 By End of 2006

I am short of 175 questions to hit 3000 total questions answered for EE.
Got to work harder from now on.

OT Today

Today is my first OT since 2 months ago.

Google's SearchMast Update

Google's another version of innovative search engine is updated again.
It now includes Wikipedia search as well.
http://www.searchmash.com
http://hongjun.blogspot.com/2006/10/searchmash-new-google-search-site.html

Windows Live Messenger 8.1 Beta

New Features:

• Redesigned, smarter contact cards give you more data about and easier access to your friends
• Your display name, status and personalization roam with you to any computer
• Try PC-to-phone calling with two free calls to virtually any phone in the world*
• Better server performance
• Automatic updates
• Improved sign-in performance

http://ideas.live.com/programpage.aspx?versionid=39014087-6c05-4de9-98ac-b37d7ccd5617

Online file conversion with Zamzar

http://www.lifehacker.com/software/conversions/online-file-conversion-with-zamzar-211968.php
http://www.zamzar.com/

8 Simple Rules For Developing More Secure Code

1. Habit #1: Take Responsibility
2. Habit #2: Never Trust Data
3. Habit #3: Model Threats against Your Code
4. Habit #4: Stay One Step Ahead
5. Habit #5: Fuzz!
6. Habit #6: Don't Write Insecure Code
7. Habit #7: Recognize the Strategic Asymmetry
8. Habit #8: Use the Best Tools You Can

http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/06/11/SecureHabits/

Freelancing

I have been having quite a bit of constant freelancing projects for the past month or so.

One of them "Woodward-partners" is completed with Regine
http://www.woodward-partners.com/dev (Note it is under some modification by another developer).

The second one is Dell-Privilege. But I stop working halfway due to some poor project management by the Business Analyst
http://www.dell-privilege.com/

I have one new project coming along but it is still under negotiation between the Business Analyst and the client to close the deal. Once again, I will work with Regine again.

Just another excuse to stay together.

Windows Vista Mail

Windows Mail is the successor to Outlook Express.

Windows Mail builds on the foundation of Outlook Express, adding a variety of new features designed to make your e-mail experience more productive and fun, while helping to reduce and annoyances such as phishing and junk e-mail.

http://www.lifehacker.com/software/windows-vista/screenshot-tour-windows-vista-mail-210915.php

CNET 10 Biggest Downloads

All time favourite by download counters.

1. Napster
2. ICQ
3. Netscape Navigator
4. Adobe Flash
5. Quake
6. Adobe Photoshop
7. Ad-Aware
8. WinZip
9. iTunes
10. Winamp

http://www.download.com/1200-12840_4-5167296.html?tag=dir

It's Me!!!

Netvibes Halloween Theme

Blog Entry
http://blog.netvibes.com/?theme=halloween

To apple theme
http://www.netvibes.com/?theme=halloween

To remove theme
Go to settings control panel to change theme

Bring killed tabs back from the dead (Firefox 2.0)

I think I love this feature but I am still reluctant to give up Internet Explorer 7.0
http://slackermanager.com/2006/10/bring-killed-tabs-back-from-the-dead-firefox-20.html

Dream of Multitabs Tabs for Search Engine?

Try yet another innovation
http://www.twerq.com

We’re Google. So Sue Us.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/23/technology/23google.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Standard Chartered Bank 2FA

http://www.standardchartered.com.sg/notice_2fa.html

UOB 2FA

http://www.uobgroup.com.sg/2FA/index.html

Internet Banking in Singapore

2FA stands for Second Factor Authentication. With 2FA, you are better guarded against online crimes such as Trojans and phishing attacks.

By next year, all banks will need to be equiped with this new security feature. Already, I am using this 2FA with MayBank. I would say MayBank is the pioneer to kick start this new technology. Very soon, DBS Bank will follow suit too!

MayBank 2FA (Live And Compulsory)
http://info.maybank2u.com.sg/banking_services/e_channels/2FA/index.htm

DBS Bank 2FA (Still in the process of sending out the devices to customers)
http://www.dbs.com/sg/personal/ibanking/news/

Top 10 open source Windows apps

http://www.lifehacker.com/software/open-source/geek-to-live-top-10-open-source-windows-apps-208909.php

Toolkit to Disable Automatic Delivery of Internet Explorer 7

IE7 was released to the general public few days ago. What many do not realize is that it is being sent out as a high priority automatic update to Windows XP SP2 users. So many/most users are likely to update like it or not. It could lead to problems for some unknown reason if IE7 is running on a computer causing some legacy system not to function. In any case there is a tool to block the automatic update for IE7 this tool can be found here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=4516A6F7-5D44-482B-9DBD-869B4A90159C

NTU Student survey

IE7 vs Firefox 2: The memory usage showdown

http://www.lifehacker.com/software/ie7/ie7-vs-firefox-2--the-memory-usage-showdown-208908.php

Internet Explorer 7 is OUT

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx

IE7 Won't Default to Live Search in Vista

People are having red eye.
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/10/ie7-wont-default-to-live-search-in.html

Flapjax Simplifies AJAX Development

Another technology to learn but I don't have the time.
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2031880,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594

Install Vista, Buy Graphics Card

No money to buy new PC.
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71947-0.html

Google Hacking + Google Proxy

I think i am going to create a Windows GUI for this purpose when I am free.

Turn Google into Napster 2000
http://www.marcandangel.com/2006/10/13/turn-google-into-napster-2000/
http://www.ironlab.org/projects/findmusic.php

G2P Beta
http://g2p.org/

Why Green Tea Helps to Lose Weight

Recent studies show that green tea can help greatly in the process of losing weight. It does it by increasing the body's metabolism. If consumed regularly, it can help you burn as much as eighty calories extra. In a year, that’s about 8 pounds; you lose that much just by drinking, even without diet and exercise.

To further enlighten you as to how green tea works, read on below:

Green tea slows down the absorption of fats and regulates glucose. The same substance, cathechin polyphenol, restrains the transition of glucose into fats. By doing that, experts believe that green tea is an effective glucose regulator. It effectively prevents insulin spikes and slows the rise of blood sugar after every meal. Insulin, as specialists agreed upon, promotes the storage of fats as it deals with the body’s blood sugar.

Green tea has the ability to reduce appetite. Because green teas have regulating effects on the blood sugar, people who drink it are observed to eat food as much as 60 percent lesser than usual. This particular hypothesis was proven when green tea was injected into laboratory rats for experimentation. Researchers believe that it has the same effects on humans.

Green tea is a good alternative to coffee. If you drink tea instead of coffee in the morning or throughout the day, your body gets fewer calories in the long run. The sugar and the cream included in your daily cappuccinos add inches and bulges to the waistline. But with green tea, instead of accumulating fats, you are actually reducing its build up.

Green tea affects the bodily systems positively. A parallel research about green tea brings forward its overall effects in the body. The systems benefiting from it include cardiovascular, respiratory, circulatory, nervous, urogenital, immune, lymphatic, and musculoskelatal systems. With this, green tea shows to have a very broad effect on the body. Only a few types of food can boast of this characteristic.

Extracted from
http://uncommonbody.blogspot.com/2006/10/why-green-tea-helps-to-lose-weight.html

8 Internet Explorer, Firefox Features That Matter Most To Businesses

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=193302751&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All

New SQL Truncation Attacks And How To Avoid Them

Really interesting article.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/06/11/SQLSecurity/

Survey: Microsoft IIS 6 Ahead of Apache

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2029153,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594

Google Docs and Spreadsheet

http://docs.google.com/

All Singaporeans to enjoy free wireless broadband access in public areas for 2 years

Cool!
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/234742/1/.html

Google Picks Up YouTube for $1.65 Billion

The rumours for the past few days prove to be true.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2026753,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121

Google in Talks to Buy YouTube

This is a strategy by Google. Money can move the world for Google.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2025574,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121

Pen Spinning

SearchMash, a New Google Search Site

SearchMash is a low-profile site created by Google, that mixes Google Search with Google Image Search and adds some interesting features.
http://www.searchmash.com/

I sort of quite like this search site. It's simple and fast.
To see it in action, do a search or go to http://www.searchmash.com/search/sun+yan+zi directly to see how it actually works.

Body Aching Shiok After California Fitness Workout

I had a workout at California fitness last Wednesday and today.
The feeling was good.

Wednesday - Attended "Body Combat" class and I would say the workout was quite tiring but fun. Afterwhich, I went for the static stations.

Saturday - Attended "ABT" and "Body Combat" classes. Both were demanding on lower body and abs muscles. Tiring but fun.

Peter Crouch Scissor kick - What a Goal

Google Calendar - Creative Additions

http://www.google.com/intl/en/googlecalendar/new.html

Enjoy SMART$1,500 In Dining Privileges With Our Compliments

http://www.uobgroup.com/pages/promotions/promo_smart1500.html

Google Has the Largest Number of Dead and Old Pages

http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/09/google-has-largest-number-of-dead-and.html

Xabi Alonso Wonder Goal

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=7032316303141404085

Waiting for Time to Pass

I am waiting..

Toshiba Recall Faulty Notebooks Batteries

Toshiba Battery Exchange Program Information
http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_dtlView.jsp?soid=1482876

TOSHIBA Battery Check Utility for Windows XP
http://cdgenp01.csd.toshiba.com/content/support/downloads/batterycheck_en.exe

Web-Based Calculator

Below worth trying

Google Calculator - http://www.google.com/help/calculator.html
Just try to search for 1+2+3*4 and you got the answer straight!

Yahoo Instant Search - http://instant.search.yahoo.com/
Note: There is no need to hit Search button. Just type and result will be shown.
Some queries to try:
* time in Paris
* weather in Boston
* convert 100 pounds to yen
* convert 5 kilograms to pounds
* sin(pi/3)

Programmer's day

The day has past
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmer's_day

Some Windows Tips

Why windows takes so long to start up.
http://www.intelliadmin.com/blog/2006/09/why-windows-takes-so-long-to-start-up.html

Why Windows takes so long to shut down.
http://www.intelliadmin.com/blog/2006/07/why-windows-takes-so-long-to-shut-down.html

Where Is My Drive?

I cannot find it.

10 Programming Languages You Should Learn Right Now

In order to increase your employability.

1. PHP - Did a freelance before
2. C# - Did a freelance before
3. AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) - Tried during my free time before
4. JavaScript - Being using it since v1.0
5. Perl - Never tried before
6. C - Mainly console based and UNIX shell scripting
7. Ruby and Ruby on Rails - Never tried before
8. Java - J2EE / SE / Servlet / JSP
9. Python - Never tried before
10. VB.Net (Visual Basic .Net) - Answered some questions in forum

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2016415,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594

Gone are the days of Visual Basic 6.0 and ASP.

Try Windows Vista RC 1

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/preview.mspx

Browser Wars: The Saga Continues

Ever since Netscape took on Mosaic in 1994, companies have been duking it out for domination in the browser marketplace. We relive the biggest and best of the great browser battles.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=193000623&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All

Don't forget to view image gallery
http://www.techweb.com/tours/www/www_3.jhtml

Parking Idiots in Singapore

Cannot believe my own eyes
http://parkingidiots.blogspot.com/

[Took it from Jeffrey's Blog]

Microsoft's Windows Live Search Goes Gold

But it is still showing beta on url when I do search.
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,2014656,00.asp?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535

7 Days In September

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5683397065827145077&sourceid=docidfeed&hl=en

张信哲 - 做你的男人

Microsoft Office 2007 Add-On for PDF/XPS

Microsoft removed it the first time and then removed it after Adobe sued them.
Now, they made it as an add-on instead.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=4d951911-3e7e-4ae6-b059-a2e79ed87041&displaylang=en

Windows Vista Cheat Sheet

That's an extremely high specification for Windows Vista.
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/09/windows-vista-cheat-sheet.html

Six Good Reasons to Jump Ship

I highlight number 3.

1. You know it's not your fault
2. The change will allow you to progress along your desired career path
3. A stagnant workplace
4. You've made a bad move
5. The new workplace offers something you can't refuse
6. You want a culture change

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2013523,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594

Google VS Yahoo

Search and match first 100 results of Google and Yahoo
http://www.langreiter.com/exec/yahoo-vs-google.html

See results from Google and Yahoo side by side
http://www.gahooyoogle.com/

I am faster than LifeHacker

I posted "Gmail Keyboard Shortcut" 2 days before LifeHacker.com posts his.

My post
http://hongjun.blogspot.com/2006/09/gmail-shortcuts.html

LifeHacker Post
http://www.lifehacker.com/software/gmail-tips/gmail-keyboard-shortcuts-198605.php

Matsushita Recalls 6,000 Notebook PC Batteries

Yet another laptop battery problem
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=192501696&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All

ChaCha.com Debuts Human-Driven Search Site

Sounds cool but I have problem trying it out.
It's quite slow for me.
http://www.chacha.com

Microsoft Research Group Shot

Cool program
http://research.microsoft.com/projects/GroupShot/

Gmail Shortcuts

It has been there since Day 1 Gmail Beta was launched but I believe not many are using it.
Of course I myself has always been using it because I prefer to use keyboard if possible.
http://evhead.com/hodgepodge/gmail-shortcuts.html

My Search Result

All got me on the first page

Windows Live Search
http://beta.search.live.com/results.aspx?FORM=IE7&q=hongjun&mkt=en-us

Google Search
http://www.google.com.sg/search?hl=en&q=hongjun&meta

Yahoo Search
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=hongjun&fr=FP-tab-web-t500&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8

Lycos Search
http://search.lycos.com/?query=hongjun

Altavista Search
http://www.altavista.com/web/results?itag=ody&q=hongjun&kgs=1&kls=0

AOL Search
http://search.aol.com/aolcom/search?encquery=92d050cfdcc801c4&invocationType=aolcomsearch&ie=UTF-8

IceRocket Search
http://www.icerocket.com/search?tab=web&q=hongjun

Windows Media Player 11 Beta 2

Looks rather cool.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.mspx

Firefox 2.0 Beta Out

Download link
http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/2.0b2/win32/en-US/Firefox%20Setup%202.0%20Beta%202.exe

My sign is Sword in Chinese Horoscope

Got my prediction from Superfate Fortune Management.

◎Your life is represented by the lucky sword, courageous and organized. You can make a fortune with your creativity and justice. You like well-behaved and wise people. With your leadership ability, you can break through any dissatisfying situation. ◎

Your characteristics, subconscious, and behavior modes, according to your fate and destiny, are represented by the sword. You are a bit bossy and dominating, but have leadership ability.

You are capable and talented, with a great sense of justice and righteousness, and willing to help others for the sake of justice. Like a sword, you are able to cut through a difficult or unsatisfactory situation and eventually change your fate and destiny. You may hurt yourself carelessly with a double-edged sword if you are too aggressive and pressuring people around you. You may be dominating with your appearance, but have a loving heart to protect the weak with a sense of justice and fairness.

However, a good sword needs to be molded and sharpened, so those that cannot pass the test and process only become scrap iron. Being determined and unafraid of the challenges, not blaming others, and learning and growing are the essential elements to become a respected leader. You like intelligent people with artistic talent and dislike hypocrites. You admire those who are willing to sacrifice and dedicate themselves to others with a sense of justice. As long as you pass the challenge and test, your entire life will be unaffected by any storm or blocked by any obstacle to become a winner.

◎Health Analysis: The function of your respiratory system is weaker.◎

According to your destiny analysis, the function of your respiratory system is weaker, and you have had minor problems like allergies, runny nose, cough, cold, chest pain, diarrhea and constipation when you were young. But over age 40, additional care of your respiratory system is needed, or it may lead to nasosinutisis, asthma, bronchopneumonia, bronchitis, intestines polyp and proctitis. Therefore, you should avoid fatigue and smoking, maintain a stable, regular lifestyle and schedule, and sleep and wake early in order to protect a congenitally weaker respiratory system.

There's a saying that all disease starts from the mouth, which means many human diseases are related to food. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, food can be divided into gold, wood, water, fire and earth (concept of the five elements). You seem to prefer the spicy flavors in food like spicy hotpot and Sichuan dishes, which means your cells are filled with too much gold element. This negatively affects your health, fortune and career, so we suggest you try different foods to balance your diet and nutrition, which leads to harmony in life and a balance of yin and yang based on the five elements. In addition, if you have recently felt unlucky or things were not going smoothly, then you are probably affected by bad spirit, which caused bad luck. The best solution is not to eat meat and fish for a period of time until the bad spirit goes away. The bad spirit tends to stay with those who eat meat and fish, and also chicken, duck, green onion, garlic, leek and other spices, so a vegetarian diet can help change your luck.

◎Health Analysis: Your cardiovascular function is weaker as well.◎

your cardiovascular function is weaker as well, which caused minor problems like pimples, mouth and tongue sores when you were young. But over age 40, your cardiovascular function requires additional care, or you might have major problems such as blood pressure problems, hem sterone problems, unusual heart rhythm, eye pressure problems, and other abnormal functions leading to heart diseases, stroke, or loss of vision. Therefore, it's very important for you to maintain a stable schedule for your life, avoid fatigue, and, most importantly, do not to stay up overnight. If possible, have a blood test and electrocardiogram periodically and pay more attention if there's any family history of hereditary palatine canal system and cardio diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, apoplexy, cerebral hemorrhage, myocardial infarction, etc. Try to eliminate iced and cold drinks in order to avoid losing your vitality.

According to your destiny analysis, your spirit and the physical strength tend to be weaker than others with less energy. Your friends can often play, dance, or study all night without any sleep, but only one night without sleep makes you extremely tired and weak. You don't like running or outdoor activities, have poor sleep quality, and tend to be more emotional and sentimental.

If you want to change your destiny and fate, you better sleep before 23:00, and five minutes of sun every morning, but avoid the strong sunlight between 12:00~15:00. You will sense a major change and difference if you are persistent. If you are able to develop the good habit of sleeping and waking up early, it will completely change your fate and destiny with better health, more wealth and happiness coming into your life.

◎You are willing to be devoted, dedicated and sacrifice for a relationship. Your love is full of romance, so to be your companion is to be blessed with love and happiness. But when the passion cools down in romantic love, many problems emerge, which require your tolerance and wisdom to overcome.◎

In romance, according to our analysis, you are easily attracted to someone you admire in your heart, but you often end up empty-handed because it's quite difficult for both parties to fall in love at first sight. Generally speaking, women do not have deep first impression of you, so they need time to discover your inner beauty. You, however, tend to like a person at the first sight, but not after a period of time. Therefore, if you are still waiting for a good romance, try to show your inner beauty by doing more activities, establishing better habits, and socializing with more people. This way you can express your inner beauty naturally all the time, which makes your romance go more smoothly.

In the journey of life, your romantic or marriage partner might be introduced by relatives and friends, or through matchmaking. You tend to be inexperienced in love, unable to express yourself, and do not know how to actively pursue someone without being too sticky or giving up easily. You have opportunities but are afraid to get hurt, so eventually it is not easy for you to have the spark of love. If you are still seeking your love partner don't rush because someone nearby likes you, so as long as you pursue the relationship sincerely, the happiness is yours.

◎Career and Wealth Analysis: You know how to make money, but it is not easy for you to hold onto your money.◎

According to your destiny analysis, you know how to make money, but it is not easy for you to hold onto your money. Your life is more philosophical, so you are not stingy with yourself, family or friends. You spend what you have even when you are financially tight, and are generous when you are financially comfortable. Because of this, it's not easy for you to save your money. In addition, you maybe convinced easily by friends to make some financial investments that cause you to lose money. You like to make many friends, so you easily lose money if you cannot evaluate risk or reject people when they approach you for investment. You will spend most of your wealth doing things you want to do throughout life because you consider only money spent as the wealth actually owned by you. Afterwards, you will not bequest much to your descendants.

How to Fix GMail Login Problems & Increase GMail Speed

Gmail loads rather fast for me because I always use https://mail.google.com/mail since Day 1!
So I knew it all along :)

http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/08/gmail-hacks-to-fix-login-problems-some.html

Gmail Skins for FF Users

Gmailskins adds the following features:

1. Change the colour/skin of your inbox.
2. Integrate your google homepage alongside your inbox. This allows you to view weather reports, rss feeds, news headlines, flickr recently added, google calendar module etc from your inbox.
3. Easily insert images from your Picasa web album in to your emails
4. Insert smileys/emoticons and images in to your emails.
5. Insert HTML tables and other complex HTML in to your emails.
6. Make the navigation (Inbox, Starred, Sent Mail, etc) horizontal.
7. Fix the navigation in place so that you don't have to scroll to the top of the page to see it.
8. Zebra stripes on mailbox - pretty!
9. Change the attachment paperclip (on inbox) to an icon indicating the type of attachment.
10. Hide various page elements (invite panel, page footer, your email address from the top right of inbox).

http://gmailskins.mozdev.org/

Google Books

Google has just launched Google Books search. From there, you can even search and download full version of an entire book! However, full version is only limited to non-copyrighted books or some out of print books. Shakespeare's books can also be found.
http://books.google.com/

Results from the 2006 Desktop Linux Survey

I am surprised RedHat and Mandrake are ranked so low.
http://desktoplinux.com/articles/AT5816278551.html

Pluto Fate

Pluto gets demoted: Planet decision is Goofy
http://www.rep-am.com/story.php?id=11821

All About Pluto (Past)
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/pluto.htm

Online Information Technology Training

Professional Online Training Videos available 24/7/365.
http://itdvds.com/

Google Apps for Your Domain (Google Corporate Package)

Now you can offer private-labeled email, IM and calendar tools to all of your users for free*, so they can share ideas and get things done more effectively. You can design and publish your organization's website, too. It's all hosted by Google, so there's no hardware or software for you to install or maintain.
https://www.google.com/a/

It sounds good but will it work out? What I know is that several universities have signed up for the package. Time will tell if a corporate decides to use this option.
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/08/google-launches-corporate-package.html
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/08/why-corporate-google-office-wont-be.html

Web Developer Extension

Worth installing it.
http://chrispederick.com/work/webdeveloper/

IE 7 Release Candidate To-Read

What's new in Internet Explorer 7?
* tabs
* feed reader
* better CSS support (including CSS2)
* security (phishing filter, protected mode in Vista)

Download Link
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.mspx

Internet Explorer 7 Quick Reference Sheet (Cheat Sheet)
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/attachment/715071.ashx

Add-Ons for Microsoft Internet Explorer
http://www.ieaddons.com/default.aspx?cid=home&scid=0

50 Common Interview Q & A

http://bhuvans.wordpress.com/2006/08/19/50-common-interview-qa/

Intel Wi-Fi update is memory vampire

This post is especially for Intel ProSet 10.X users. Those who had read my previous post http://hongjun.blogspot.com/2006/08/intel-prosetwireless-software-local.html and had applied security patch for Intel ProSet would need to apply another patch.

A new problem affects the Intel PROSet software version 10.5. The PROSet software accompanies Intel's drivers that run the company's wireless hardware on PCs.
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33947

Gmail Has An Audio Player

Cool feature
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/08/gmail-has-audio-player.html

Why Google Talk Will Be the Best Instant Messanger

No one is using Google Talk AFAIK in my circle of friends.
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/08/why-google-talk-will-be-best-instant.html

Finally Back to Web Development

It seems like I am going to touch Web Development again :)
I miss it.

Test Internet Explorer 7 Without Installing It

This is for those who feel installing a Beta is killing his PC.

To run Internet Explorer 7, you need Windows XP SP2.
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/04/test-internet-explorer-7-without.html

Interesting Google Articles

When Will You Run Out Of Gmail Storage Space?
I will run out of space on Sunday, March 01, 2026
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/08/when-will-you-run-out-of-gmail-storage_01.html

Hide Spam Counter In Gmail
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/07/hide-spam-counter-in-gmail.html

Create an Email Blacklist in Gmail
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/08/create-email-blacklist-in-gmail.html

Anonymizing Google's Cookie

If you use Google, and you accept its cookie, you should give some thought to the implications, both good and potentially bad : this page tries to help you do that, together with an easy way to anonymize it without missing out on its benefits.

http://www.imilly.com/google-cookie.htm

Yahoo! Mail in OE Look

Yahoo has announced a beta version that has an OE-like interface. No more checkboxes, and it even includes a preview pane, drag-and-drop and RSS feeds to go along with the 1GB of storage. It isn't available to everyone yet, but you can get on the waiting list.

What's New With Yahoo! Mail
http://whatsnew.mail.yahoo.com/

all-new Yahoo! Mail
http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/

I kinda like the interface.
BTW, I personally experimenting it now!

How to Detect Lies

Watching facial expressions in order to determine whether a person is lying might just save you from being a victim of fraud, or it could help you figure out when somebody's being genuine. Jury analysts do this when assisting in jury selection. The police do this during an interrogation. A lie detector of course does this, but is a little heavy to carry with you. Therefore, you have to learn the little facial and body expressions that can help you learn to recognize a lie from the truth.

http://www.wikihow.com/Detect-Lies

Microsoft To Offer Free Vista Upgrade

Microsoft has teamed up with PC vendors to promote the delayed Vista OS by offering PC buyers worldwide a free upgrade coupon, as a way of encouraging them to buy a Vista-capable PC as early as possible, according to market sources, citing information leaked from Taiwan-based PC makers.

http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Computing/Desktop_PCs?Article=/Computing/Desktop%20PCs/E2L7F3Q5

Friend's Technology Blog

Check it out!
http://jeffreylynn.blogspot.com

Definition of Leap Years

If the 4-digit year is not evenly divisible by 4, it is not a leap year.

If it is evenly divisible by 4 and also evenly divisible by 100, it is not a leap year — unless it is also evenly divisible by 400.

Therefore:

• If it is evenly divisible by 4 and not evenly divisible by 100, it is a leap year.
• If it is evenly divisible by 4 and is also evenly divisible by 400, it is a leap year.
• If it is evenly divisible by 4 and also evenly divisible by 100 and also evenly divisible by 400, it is a leap year.
• However, if it is evenly divisible by 4 and also evenly divisible by 100 and not further evenly divisible by 400, then it is not a leap year.
  

1600 was a leap year. 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years. 2000 was a leap year.

From [http://www.willmaster.com/blog/perl/Calculate_Leap_Years.html]

25 Sites We Can't Live Without

I only visit a few - Amazon, Blogger, Google and LifeHacker
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1222769,00.html

Super Band Recap

迷路兵Fans Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMyq6gwRr_Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig0KWKEzIuc

J3 Fans Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtdN-OzYw78

OS in Flash

I wonder how was it done in Flash!
Impressive minus sometimes it can be quite slow.

http://desktoptwo.com/

MSDN is now FREE

Download MSDN Library May 2006 Edition now for free
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=373930CB-A3D7-4EA5-B421-DD6818DC7C41&displaylang=en

Google Rank Experiment

Kinda cool.
Am going to try it next time.
http://blog.xsive.co.nz/google-rank-experiment/

ScatterChat

ScatterChat is a secure instant messaging client designed for non-technical users who require secure and anonymous communications. Our typical end-users include human rights and democracy advocates operating in hostile territory. ScatterChat is also a valuable tool for anyone requiring secure communications.

It is based upon the Gaim software, provides end-to-end encryption, integrated onion-routing with Tor, secure file transfers, and easy-to-read documentation.

ScatterChat's security features include resiliency against partial compromise, immunity from replay attacks, and limited resistance to traffic analysis... all reinforced through a pro-actively secure design.

http://www.scatterchat.com

Introducing CCleaner

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less that a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! :)

http://www.ccleaner.com/

Resigning Microsoft Developer Cites 'Paralysis' In Windows Live Effort

Something must be wrong isn't it?
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=191900556&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All

Conserving Battery Life (Tips for Laptop Users)

Great for those who are confused with "Standby" and "Hibernation" mode.
This article explains it quite simply.
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/raskin/703

Microsoft to Tighten the Genuine Advantage Screws

I uses Original Windows XP Professional, IE 7 Beta 3 and Microsoft Office 2007 Beta.
All are original and I am safe.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2001329,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121

Virgin Air Adds In-Flight Text Messaging

These airlines are getting really creative in getting passengers. No wonder SIA is falling behind in terms of service standards. If I remember correctly reading from the Today's Papers, SIA is ranked behind Thai Airlines and Malaysian Airlines. SIA needs to buck up.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2000683,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121

Mac OS X Versus Windows XP

See for yourself.
http://www.xvsxp.com/finalscore/

But my vote still goes to Windows (Because I don't know how to use Mac).
I have got a lame excuse.

Attention to Hon Yr Engineering Students

Engineering students interested in RFID related projects please read below article. One day you may challenge the world.

Computer hackers get lesson on cloning passport, cash card tags
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/technologynews/view/223487/1/.html

IE 7 Detect My Blog As Phishing Website

Oh my god!

My Top 10 Best Products (Aug 06)

All Products Listed by Ranking

1. Experts-Exchange IT Solutions Collaboration Site
2. Mozilla Firefox Web Browser
3. Google Gmail Web Mail
4. Google Calendar Online Calendar
5. QuickPost Experts-Exchange New Question Auto Notification
6. Windows Live Messenger Internet Messenging
7. NetVibes Personalized Page (Web 2.0)
8. Google Search Engine
9. Microsoft Office 2007 Office Package
   
10. Internet Explorer 7 Beta 3 Internet Browser
    

Previous Rankings
http://hongjun.blogspot.com/2006/03/my-top-10-best-products.html (2 Mar '06)
http://hongjun.blogspot.com/2006/01/my-top-10-best-products-renewed.html (6 Jan '06)
http://hongjun.blogspot.com/2005/12/my-top-10-best-products-of-2005.html (19 Dec '05)

IE 7.0 Beta 3 VS Firefox 2.0 Beta 1

Emphasis is on RSS.
http://lifehacker.com/software/internet-explorer/internet-explorer-7s-superior-feed-handling-192023.php
http://www.lifehacker.com/software/top/firefox-20-beta-1-screenshots-186687.php

It seems like IE 7.0 is at the top of the world in this aspect. Firefox needs to double up.
Just in case someone interested in doing a RSS feed, watch this video
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdntv/episode.aspx?xml=episodes/en/20060629IE7WV/manifest.xml

Google warns of malware in search results

Another first by Google.
Good job.
http://lifehacker.com/software/malware/google-warns-of-malware-in-search-results-192201.php
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2006/08/malware-warnings-on-google-search.html

The Annual Library Book Sale

Attention all book lovers!

LIBRARY BOOK SALE 2006
12 – 13 August 2006
9.30am – 8pm
Singapore Expo Hall 4A
Free Admission

http://events.nlb.gov.sg/booksale/

Defend Your Code with Top Ten Security Tips Every Developer Must Know

http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/02/09/SecurityTips/

Stop SQL Injection Attacks Before They Stop You

http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/04/09/SQLInjection/

Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software Local Information Disclosure

Summary:
A security vulnerability exists in the Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software (PROSet application) because of insecure usage of shared memory allowing a person having access to the user's computer or malicious software installed on the user's computer to obtain access to users' wireless network security information.

Description:
A security vulnerability has been identified in Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software 7.x, 8.x, 9.x, and 10.x (PROSet application), which could be locally exploited by malicious users or software to obtain Wireless network security information such as WLAN pre-shared WEP key (all PROSet versions) and user authentication credentials (only PROSet 9.x and 10.x versions). This flaw is due to insecure usage of the shared memory.

Visit below link for more information
http://support.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/sb/CS-023066.htm

Gsheet - Google Spreadsheet and Writely

I have been trying out on EditGrid and it is really powerful and impressive.

I wonder how Google fare in this field. I am giving it a shot.
http://www.webprohost.nl/gsheet/index.php

Top Ten Reasons Why People Quit Their Jobs

http://newsletter.logoworks.com/index.php/top-ten-reasons-why-people-quit-their-jobs/07/31/2006/

Silent Mobilisation

It's a boring Saturday

Back from Bangkok Trip (22nd-25th Jul 2006)

Bought quite a lot of things.

Microsoft Establishes 12 Principles for Windows Development

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1991316,00.asp

Working Now

Making entry at work.
OT yet again.

Big Shit to Clear

我的天。 When will it be over?!?!

World Cup Stats

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats?league=fifa.world&lpos=wcnav&lid=gn_sn_fifa.world+stats&cc=4716

10 ways to personalize your PC

1. Change your language settings
2. Personalize a screen saver
3. Choose your sounds and volume
4. Customize the speed of your mouse
5. Change your desktop appearance
6. Customize your taskbar layout
7. Set your default Web page
8. Choose your Windows Views
9. Customize your browser size
10. Give each family member a login
    http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/personalize.mspx

7 Timesaving Computing Tips

1. Travel Light Using Remote Desktop
2. Maintain Your Computer with Automatic Updates
3. Keep Undesirable Ads at Bay with Pop-up Blocker
4. Improve Readability with ClearType
5. Customize the Places Bar
6. Increase the Destinations Available from the Send To Menu
7. Find Items on the All Programs Menu More Quickly
   http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=5143116
   

4 Ways to Speed Up Your Computer's Performance

1. Free Up Disk Space
2. Speed Up Access to Data
3. Detect and Repair Disk Errors
4. Protect Your Computer Against Spyware
   http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/getstarted/speed.mspx

Ronaldinho, Parreira blamed back in Brazil

Brazil had won 11 successive games at the World Cup finals since losing 3-0 to the same opponents in the 1998 final.

France also knocked Brazil out of the 1986 World Cup on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the quarter-finals.

Brazil just couldn't defeat France.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=373099&campaign=rss&source=soccernet&cc=4716

Make XP Like Windows Vista

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/pcs/the-poor-mans-windows-vista-no-upgrading-necessary-182597.php

OT Again

OK.. This week I did 2 OTs in total. It seems like it is impossible not to work OT.
2 OTs is still considered little as compared to last few weeks.

Way to go.

No OT This Week

I am trying my best not to work OT this week.
I am setting a record!

One More Week Has Past

Time really flies.

Tomorrow is Monday

Again

Microsoft Office 12

Finally, I am using the new Microsoft Office 12
Worth trying.
http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/beta/getthebeta.mspx

Get Ready for Windows Vista

Not unless you satisfy the minimum system requirement.
I don't have the luxury to try it.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/preview.mspx

C Shirt Design

This is awesome!
Source code is in the form of letter C and when run, the result is in also in the form of letter C!
http://aib.ftuff.com/get.php?page=C_quine

Who Do You Think Am I?

Got this email from a stranger.
Who do you think am I!!!
You think I will help you!!!
If you need help, at least write politely.

---
Hi,

I am working on a script, right now it's a function and a bunch of subroutines.

All together the script is about 2000 lines long.

How long would it take you to convert it to a class?

I think the further development would go much quicker if I had this as a class to work with and keep adding all functionality I have
in mind.

Please let me know what you might need from me to give me better idea and hopefully to get started on this?

thanks,
ark
---

Tiring Work

Getting more and more stressful.

Eat and Watch Today

Ate French Toast with peanut butter today at JB City Square with Regine.
We then watched "The Da Vinci Code". Frankly speaking, I don't really understand the plot.
We then shop around a while before we had Nasi Bryani and Tom Yam bee hoon at "Sedap Corner".

Ate so much today.

Windows Media Player 11 Beta Is Out

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/default.aspx

Windows Vista Capable and Premium Ready PCs

This is ridiculous
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/capable.mspx

Happy Birthday to EE

I have been there for more than 6.5 years!
Long Live EE!

20 Questions About Windows Vista

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=187202174&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All

Gmail Photo Is Up For Me

And I have uploaded 1 photo!
Google rocks.

Cool Gmail New Feature

We can add photo for contacts (soon for me but it could be already being possible for some)
http://mail.google.com/mail/help/about_whatsnew.html

World Cup Virus Season Kicks Off

Erm.. I think I have a similar excel file like this in my Co's PC. Hope there is no virus.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1959401,00.asp

Mac Could Get Infected at Boot Camp

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1947242,00.asp

Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE) 5

J2EE 5 is out
http://java.sun.com/javaee/5/index.jsp

Sun lives up to its name in incrementing their version number without any sense. There's much confusion especially to those new Java entrants. I shall not discuss further.

Security Threats Rising For Apple Macs, Report Shows

It's Apple Macs' turn
http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=187200464

SG Rally

AMK Photo Up
Really so many people
http://sgrally.blogspot.com/

IE7 Search Box Fuels Google-Microsoft Rivalry

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=187002355&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All

Problem In New NS Portal

My email to them.

Hi,

I just attempted a first login to the new NS portal. I must admit the overall experience is quite pleasant if I were using IE browser. However, the surfing experience of the ever-growing number of Firefox users should be taken care of.

There one obvious problem I see when using Firefox 1.5.

1) Navigational menu does not work well. On hover on any of the child items of the top menu, the collapsed menu does not stay. It makes my navigation experience impossible. To get around with this problem, I actually have to get to the homepage or the site map in order to find my destination link.

Please resolve this problem ASAP because the reputation of NCS is at stake. Thanks and hope everyone will have a pleasant surfing experience in this new NS portal.


Regards
Loh Hon Chun

Labor Day in US

My history lecturer in NUS told me US don't celebrate Labor Day on 1st May. This is because of the Red Scare. They celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday of September instead.

Return of the Browser Wars... Literally

http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/monkeybites/index.blog?entry_id=1467960
http://explorerdestroyer.com/

Microsoft Smokes Out Office Pirates

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=187001960&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All

Quick Certificate Printer

Came about this website.
http://www.senteacher.org/wk/certificates.php


The internet is really about anything

Polling Day Holiday

POLLING Day next Saturday will be a public holiday as Singaporeans go to the polls to cast their votes in Singapore's 11th General Election.

Those who have to work on Polling Day are to receive a day's pay or given another day off, said the Manpower Ministry.

And workers whose day off falls on Polling Day are entitled to a day-off-in-lieu or one day's pay, its statement added.

The ministries said companies should treat Polling Day in the same manner as any other public holiday, as given under Section 35 of the Parlimentary Elections Act.

More details are available at the website www.mom.gov.sg/lrd/faqs


Extracted from The Straits Times Saturday April 29, 2006

I Need To Vote

Who would I vote? I already have the answer after some serious consideration and assessment from the daily Today paper and the news. I better not discuss too much relating to election issues to avoid clashing with the law.

Voting is COMPULSORY. Voting is SECRET. And Voting is FIRST time for ME.

My area is AMK.

Dial-Up Remote Uploading = Yawn

Doing dial-up to Madras, Cebu, Bombay, Russia, etc... Doing upload and remote install made me irritated. Damn slow. Slow but then at least all understand English.

Taipei uses leased line and so will be fast but... These Taiwanese people don't want English! They request for Taiwanese Bopomofo Chinese! Made my coding difficult. Environment wise can also be so tricky. Hope all these areas turn out well.

12 tips for better e-mail etiquette

1. Be informal, not sloppy.
2. Keep messages brief and to the point.
3. Use sentence case.
4. Use the blind copy and courtesy copy appropriately.
5. Don't use e-mail as an excuse to avoid personal contact.
6. Remember that e-mail isn't private.
7. Be sparing with group e-mail.
8. Use the subject field to indicate content and purpose.
9. Don't send chain letters, virus warnings, or junk mail.
10. Remember that your tone can't be heard in e-mail.
11. Use a signature that includes contact information.
12. Summarize long discussions.
    

Extracted from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX012055341033.aspx

Working Late Once Again

AGAIN!

Working Late

It seems to be a norm.
Cannot believe a shipping company can have so many development to do!
Lucky this company can claim OT and taxi fee (only if one works at least till 10:30pm).
So tiring...

Ah Dear JIAYOU!!!

JIAYOU DU SHU!!!

Work Like Hell

I am working like hell.
Everyday work till so late.
Life is tough

Help protect your personal information with strong passwords

Learn ways to protect your personal information with strong passwords.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/privacy/password.mspx

To check how strong your password(s) are, refer to
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/privacy/password_checker.mspx

Working is tiring

As titled.

Google Calendar: be afraid Microsoft, be very afraid

http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/3917/106/

JobsDB New Job Notification

I did it 6 months ago.
http://www9.brinkster.com/hongjun/jobsdb/

If it fails to work one day, this just means JobsDB has change their page structure. Good luck to those graduating this semester.

PS Carrefour Sale

Bought a book on ASP.NET Web Security at $5
Bought total 4 CD wallet at $1 each

Computer Warehouse Clearance Sale

Event At Suntec Singapore
http://www.suntecsingapore.com/calendar/popup_event.pl?event_id=1593

Welcome to Academic Live Search

Ideal especially for researching purposes. At least this time Microsoft got it before Google.
Thumbs Up!
http://academic.live.com/

How I Work: Bill Gates

http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/30/news/newsmakers/gates_howiwork_fortune/index.htm

Court Records Reveal Adware Firm's Hardball Tactics

Post here basically for future reading.
No time for now!
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=184430318&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All
(Reserved for weekend reading)

EZ-link services goes online for better customer service

Lame... Waste Money!
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/technologynews/view/202595/1/.html

Welcome ryancys

Welcome ryancys, my Experts-Exchange mate, back working in Singapore. Guess we can meet up for lunch one of these days.

SgDotNet Talk

Ya.. I actually attended a talk on "Web Parts" and "UML" last Thursday. The talk on "Web Parts" was by Maung Maung (MVP for Security). Sharepoint was introduced. I am IMPRESSED with the power of Sharepoint with SmartPart. I guess http://www.live.com is most probably created that way.
It was held Microsoft. That was my 2nd time there.

Interview: Microsoft's Database Guru

I still feel MsSQL is easier to use.
As for enterprise, I think SQL Server 2005 has addressed this issue. Even SQL 2005 reporting services is competing Crystal Reports.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=184429838&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All

Google's Eric Schmidt Told a Lie In 2002

From http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,81685,00.asp

PC World: So you don't want to be the next Yahoo?

Schmidt: What we do is search. Yahoo is a portal with a myriad of specialized services. What Google does is sufficiently limited. It's not really targeted at what Yahoo or AOL is trying to do. Our business strategy is not to compete, because we want them as customers.

Update

RCL is a different working environment as compared to WPH. RCL is more corporate and the environment is a LOT LOT LOT quieter. You don't normally see people joked and cracking lame jokes. On average, people there are in their late 30s. Thought chinese make up the majority, there are quite a number of Burmese.

The nature of work is also different. It is mainly on web programming at WPH while it is mainly on component-based programming at RCL.

Long Time No Blog

It has been quite some time since I last blog.

Blogspot Comment Feature Used Instead

Due to sabotage by an anonymous, I have switched to blogspot's comment feature instead of the haloscan's. With blogspot, I can perform moderation.

Internet Explorer PNG Transparency Hack

This is an interesting find.
http://solweb.no/?postid=39

This is a bug in Internet Explorer 6.0 and below. Internet Explorer 7.0 has confirmed this PNG transparency bug is addressed.
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2005/04/26/412263.aspx

All along, I thought it may not be possible for this particular image. PNG supports 256 levels of transparency where GIF only supports one. Turning a PNG with an alpha channel that doesnt reach %100 transparency into a gif would look just like the PNG without the alpha channel. And turning a PNG with an alpha channel that does reach %100 transparency into a gif would result in a halo around the image. Not only that but PNG supports thousands of colors where gif only supports 256. My recommendation to fellow EE experts thus is always "Convert to GIF".

Still, GIF and JPG are still the 2 picture formats being supported by all browsers. If you don't see the transparency (without applying the hack), this means the browser you are using doesn't support PNG files with alpha channels. IE for windows doesn't, IE for Mac does, iCab for Mac does, Netscape 6 does, Mozilla does, and Firefox does.

Dictionary Suggest

My 2nd AJAX mini application - Dictionary Suggest
Try it out and you should know what the mini app does.
I will improve on the functionality whenever I got the time.
http://dev.wph.com.sg/users/hj/dictionary/

New Phase of Life

3 months in Web Professional House is short but then memorable. I have decided not to extend my contract and move on to another company, RCL Feeder. Colleagues at WPH are all nice people. They are a group of young people and some even younger than me! We blast music at work, talk loudly, listen to gossip, etc.. On my last day of work, they gave me a Waterman black ballpoint pen, and a nice tie. I am so touched.

I know RCL will not be that vibrant. Nevertheless, it is going to be another experience for me.

TARGETED to A Unrespected Barbarian

That barbarian has made insulting posts to my shoutbox twice giving reasons that I have used hongjun for my blogspot. Because of this, IT is unable to use hongjun for ITS blog name.

Just too bad!

Google Zaps Official Blog by Mistake

Kinda careless of them
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,125232,00.asp

Google Beta VS MS Beta

http://www.google.com.sg/intl/en/options/ VS http://ideas.live.com/

Microsoft And Eclipse: A Showdown For Ajax Leadership

Another setback for Microsoft
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=183702803&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All

Climbing Back Up Slowly

Ranked 112 overall. I doubt I will never be able to get back to my best 51st position again. 100 or better is my target

SPH's Job Search Portal - ST701

ST707 Website
http://www.st701.com/

Though the name of the website may sounds meaningless, all job seekers do visit the site for job hunting, at the same time don't bother to ask yourself how on earth the name ST701 was chosen. I see the name stupid.

MyHeritage Face Recognition

I used 2 of my photos and did a celebrity match. Below are the rendered results.
http://www34.brinkster.com/hongjunwap/ee/pic.gif

Reference
http://www.myheritage.com/FP/Company/faceRecognitionFlash.php

Microsoft mulls rushing out IE patch

http://news.com.com/Microsoft+mulls+rushing+IE+patch/2100-7349_3-6053961.html

Some Updates

Attended Angela Chang's concert in NUS on last Thu (2 days ago). I would say the concert was not very well organized. Outdoor, no air-con, no chairs, too short a concert, blah blah blah... Just too bad there wasn't enough tickets for yesterday's (Fri) NTU concert.

Paging Using AJAX

Rocks! One should try out.

Worker's Party Come

I hereby invite Worker's Party to drop by Ang Mo Kio and contest in the coming General Election. I want to cast my first divine vote!

911 Video

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7772696530684663669&q=loose+change

Google Love / Hate

25 Things I Love About Google
http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/060313-161501

25 Things I Hate About Google
http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/060313-161500

Still At Work

At this hour, I am still at work!

Result to Below Q

Chances are the below set of equations can be solved but the variables will not yield a unique value. In fact, there are infinite solutions to it.

(3) - (2):

20a + 20c = 4
=> (1)

So, in essense, you have only 2 equations, and three variables. So this set of equations has no unique solution. Hence, the set of solutions (a, b, c) can be:
(0.1, 0.15, 0.1) or (0.5, 0.05, -0.3), etc...

The solution can be expressed in the form of:

a = 1/5 - c
b = 1/8 + 1/4 c
c is real

Solve This Set of Simultaneous Equations

Challenge yourself!

4 = 20c + 20a
10 = 80b - 20c
14 = 20a + 80

Apple: 'Don't expect Mactels to run Vista'

MacTel is an interesting term.
http://software.silicon.com/os/0,39024651,39157103,00.htm

Memo Outlines Microsoft's Plans

A must read especially for Microsoft fans.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2006/tc20060310_143230.htm

Looks Interesting

I came across this article and I thought it is interesting enough.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/teamsystem/reference/technotes/profiling_windows_apps/perm_profiler.aspx

Microsoft unveils new mini-PC as CeBIT high-tech fair opens

This is the Origami I mentioned days ago.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/technologynews/view/197062/1/.html

Windows Live Beta

Thumbs Up! It is a serious contender to Google.
http://www.live.com/

Sign Guestbook Problem

I would like to apologize that sigining of my guestbook is not possible at the moment due to an unexpected bug. There is already 74 entries without any problems and I am surprised to realize a bug now. Thank you amit for reporting.

I will try to rectify the problem as soon as possible whenever time permits.

Ideal for MsWord Beginners

The author of this site shared with EE experts yesterday and I thought it would be helpful to share with everyone. By the way, the author is a MVP for Microsoft Word.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/index.html

I have long wanted to share my knowledge by posting it live somewhere but I never have the time to do it.

My To-Do List (But never going to be done)

1. Post articles on ASP / VB tips and techniques.
2. Make a CMS application for dynamic web creation and content population. For this, I have a clear picture as to how to go about doing it but I simply don't have the time.
   

Google Is Going Places

It was a dream to work in Microsoft but now, Google is going to be the other dream employer for IT professionals. It is so often that Google release yet another competing product.
Google, ABC team for Net, mobile news
Google Mobile Home

Poor pupils in secondary school also need breakfast

I AM happy to learn that the Government is giving $1 a day to each child from a poor family for breakfast ('MOE to pick up tab for needy pupils' breakfasts'; ST, Feb 27).

Why not extend this assistance to pupils in secondary school too? Take Chong Boon Secondary School for example. It has poor pupils and one had only tap water for breakfast ('So poor she drank water for breakfast'; The New Paper, Jan 11).

Gwendolen Lim Whay Lee (Ms)


Extracted from [ http://www.straitstimes.com.sg/forum/story/0,5562,375135,00.html ]


I sometimes don't eat breakfast just to save money.

Chomp Chomp Treat

I gave a treat yesterday to a total of 7 people (including myself) at Serangoon Gardens Chomp Chomp yesterday evening. These 7 people are my family members and girlfriends. I ordered 2 small-sized stingrays, 1 medium-sized hot plate tou fu, 1 large-sized gai lan, 7 chicken wings, 40 satay sticks and sugar cane drinks. They cost a total of $77.40.

I hope the varieties and quantities are enough for all.

Pre-Employment Medical Checkup

I went for my pre-employment medical checkup with X-ray yesterday at OUB Centre Raffles Medical Group. All results turned out fine.

Microsoft's Origami Is A 'Lifestyle PC'

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1933481,00.asp
http://www.origamiproject.com/

I Hate This

I hate people who are not appreciative at all when I have offered my service to solve a problem. There is no word of "Thanks" or whatsoever. If you don't know the rules of this world then don't get out of this place.

My Top 10 Best Products

All Products Listed by Ranking

1. Experts-Exchange IT Solutions Collaboration Site
2. Mozilla Firefox Web Browser
3. Google Gmail Web Mail
4. QuickPost Experts-Exchange New Question Auto Notification
5. Visual Studio .NET 2003 IDE .NET 1.1
6. Visual Basic 6.0 IDE for Visual Basic 6.0
7. MSN Messenger 7.5 Internet Messenging Program
8. Google Search Engine
9. Meebo Web-based IM
10. MSDN Library Microsoft Technologies Documentation

Previous Rankings
http://hongjun.blogspot.com/2006/01/my-top-10-best-products-renewed.html (6 Jan '06)
http://hongjun.blogspot.com/2005/12/my-top-10-best-products-of-2005.html (19 Dec '05)

Microsoft says better than Google soon

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=1674746

In Case You Lost Your HP

For the very absent-minded people (See Below)
http://www.lostmobile.org/

But I will wait for the Singapore Goverment to come out with their database. I ain't going to try the service by a third party.

Feb Is A Short Month

Total 28 living days or 20 working days say it all for Feb 2006.

Savings Ratio (Feb 2006)

23.36%

Microsoft unveils the Vista versions

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/84236/microsoft-unveils-the-vista-versions.html

Pity Tammy

I pity Tammy of NYP. She is innocent.

NUS graduates get jobs faster, earning higher pay

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/195334/1/.html

Income Requirement For Credit Cards

IMO, I feel if MAS must lower the income requirement for credit cards, then $24K is the minimum. At the moment, $30K is the limit which I feel should be the floor and must not be decreased further.

An article for reading
http://www.straitstimes.com.sg/storyprintfriendly/0,5578,373638,00.html

Men Are From Mars & Women Are From Venus Workshop

I attended the Men Are from Mars & Women Are from Venus Workshop yesterday. This workshop was organized by SDU (Social Development Unit). NUS, NTU and SMU also took part in this workshop. The Student Union of the 3 respective universities were tasked to invite undergraduates to register for the workshop. Regine registered on my behalf.

Registration fee for the workshop was $5 which I find really worth the money. I belive this workshop cost more than that without the 2 tea breaks, 1 lunch buffet, and 1 best-seller book from Andy Gray. The workshop was held in the Grassroots' Club near Yio Chu Kang MRT Station from 9am - 6pm.

I was rather shocked to see there weren't as many people as expected. The MPH was only 1/3 filled. Many came as a couple but there were some who came alone - mostly guys. My "entourage" included my elder brother and her girlfriend, Wenjun and Beryl, Regine and myself.

The workshop was full of fun and interaction. Throughout the duration, we listened to the 2 speakers who gave valuable pointers and relevant real-life examples, watched videos, and carried out discussions and completing the workbook. They had made use of visual aids, audio devices and hands-on exercises to impart their knowledge. As to how they did that, I thought it was too difficult for me to write them down here.

I have been to countless seminars, talks and workshops but I have never been to one that is as interactive as this one. I give 10 out of 10 for this workshop.

I Am a Martian

Therefore, I constantly seek ways to acheive something.
http://www9.brinkster.com/hongjun/ee/ee-profile.asp
http://www9.brinkster.com/hongjun/ee/hongjunAnswers.html

Google Launches Page Creator Web Publishing Tool

http://www.axcessnews.com/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=8308

'Fare cheats' take more than one seat

BECAUSE public transport operators lose significant revenue to fare cheats, a new law was passed recently to fine or imprison them.

Actually, these cheats are trivial compared to passengers who blatantly occupy an extra seat by putting personal or bought items there. They close their eyes, oblivious to other passengers even when the bus or train is packed.

Not placing the items on the floor deprives other commuters of an available seat. Sometimes, the items may contain wet, dirty or smelly matter like seafood which may soil the seat and make it unusable until it is cleaned.

The worst case is when a bus passenger stretches his legs across to touch the opposite facing seat. These are the 'super' cheats. One passenger can then 'occupy' four seats (with his legs creating a barrier to two other adjacent seats).

[http://www.straitstimes.com.sg/storyprintfriendly/0,5578,372814,00.html]

Big Mistake

My colleague asked if someone could write a script to do a net send on somebody infinitely just to disturb that person. I said okay and wrote a simple script. It works but I accidentally set it to broadcast to every single one in the domain, including the boss.

I think everyone would need to press more than 100 times to close the net send message. I will never do something so stupid as this again.

StateStitch 2005

http://www.consonica.com/Products/StateStitch.aspx