tentang download limit reached

well.. not yet. i still have a little over 170MBs left till 5th of Sept. omg i hate download caps..

i was so used to unlimited bandwidth broadband and i think almost everyone from my country would have a hard time getting used to internet caps too. when i first came here, i had to literally study what 'caps' is. and what happens when i go over the limit. even then i didn't realize my billing actually starts on every 6th day of the month.. and i once had to pay $80 on top of the $40 monthly that i signed up for.

now i have learnt my lesson and will have to minimize internet usage till 6th sept. visit blog, reply msgs, check emails.. and maybe login to facebook once a day. i am not happy T_________T

cya on 6th Sept 2009 everyone and 'selamat hari merdeka 2009' to all Malaysian. today we celebrate our 52nd anniversary of independence ^_^

merdeka!
merdeka!!
merdeka!!!

tentang 15Malaysia - The Son by Desmond Ng

a drama that addresses the issue of racism in Malaysia. it is slow and short, brief almost. it acknowledges that racism lingers and sometimes a threat in malaysia's multi-racial community (because i heard everyone is a little bit racist) but i think the coolest thing is the director's choice of how to tell the story.

i find myself initially wondering why cant every dad be like his dad? later as everything is digested i realize i really like the father character. the actor made a very good job, and the writer and director made a very good character.

'The Son' is one of my favourite short in 15Malaysia. simply brilliant. thanks Desmond Ng for making a cool short with a serious issue and very good lesson

view 'The Son' here.

tentang 15Malaysia - Halal by Liew Seng Tat

if you like 'Ujang' style humour, Halal is a funny short about what 'Halal' means.. but not everything about what is considered halal.

the script is actually very well done.. but sadly the subtitle is the direct opposite. i believe whoever translated it might have made a too literal translation for some words that make certain things sound weird and have a misleading meaning. example:

2:10-ish
script (malay) - "..cara penyembelihan yang dilarang di dalam Islam."
translation - "..illegal slaughtering methods from Islam's perspective."

i am no linguist and am not trained to translate scripts/dialogues. but i do think the word 'illegal' is a strong word and implies a different meaning. i believe the sentance better translates to 'incorrect way' or simply 'is not right'. people dont get punished if they slaughtered chickens the wrong way.. the meat just becomes not halal and should not be consumed by muslims.

some may say the short is unfunny.. maybe its just because a lot of people dont like to joke about religion and race. it is considered 'sensitive issue'. maybe sometimes we shouldnt be too sensitive and have a laugh together. it is after all a comedy.. an informative one

uh.. what a long post :P. neway enjoy Halal here.

tentang 15Malaysia - House by Linus Chung

another pretty good short on 15Malaysia.com. love the whole feel it has, it kinda makes me miss my childhood days busying myself with homeworks and trying to be cool instead of right :P

although a lot of the characters are potrayed in a very very cliche way, the thing that bothered me most is in the classroom where the kids spoke different languages.

that scene where 'P.Seni' which is Pendidikan Seni (Art Class) is written on the blackboard.. most of the kids generally speak english.. except for the malay kid. do city kids learn 'P.Seni' in english? i come from a 'kampung' school so we all speak malay except for english class. so maybe nowadays, city kids speak english all the time huh? whatever it is.. it kinda makes me feel old.. and me no likey that feeling >_<

enjoy the video here

tentang Starcraft2 Engine Demo

this video makes me feel like wanna learn to be a game modder. i know there's this one place here in Adelaide but i dont have the money for that >_<. back to the video.. it shows the capability of the starcraft2 engine.. not the graphics side (bacause everyone knows blizz is awesome and they make awesome graphics) but the Custom Map part. using the Map Editor, players can make new maps (obviously), make new units, make a FPS style game, and even make that Raiden style games (that 2D plane shooter). OMG!

tentang 15Malaysia - The Tree by Amir Muhammad

almost all of Amir Muhammad's works that i've seen have been provocative, bold and in-your-face documentary style films. this time.. 'The Tree' is consistent with his style, but with a very different, brilliantly simple, subject matter. how Islam views a simple humble tree

to an average muslim like me, the short kinda sounds like the sermon we hear at a mosque on a normal friday prayer. a bit monotonous, if i just had a big lunch, i could probably fall asleep (accidently.. honest!) but it is something good to listen to and good to reflect upon.

some might view it as too religious. i'd say they're not mature enough for this. listening to a muslims perspective on something doesnt make you a muslim. hey if i (im straight btw) listen and agree to a gay guy's opinion on potatoes doesnt make me gay at all right?

view the short here ^_^


and.. next up is 'House' by Linus Chung to be released on 24 Aug 2009

5 Reasons Why I Will Not Visit Your Blog Again

my take on this issue.. top 5 list of things not to do on your blog. the view of a guy blogger who tries to visit as many blog a day, as quickly as i can, with least downloads possibble.


#5
Animation Overload
by animations.. i mean moving images (gifs, flash ads, autoplay flash videos, etc). if only there is a button to freeze-frame all the animations. it is annoying when u're trying to have a light read but all this things are moving on the page. worse.. some blogs took the time to make sure ALL images on the blog is animated. even their signature have twinkling stars!!!


#4
Great Wall of Texts
i'm no book worm.. and when i read, i'll probably read word by word. i dont like missing some parts and assume what happens on those parts that i skip. so wall of texts will take too much of my time and i kinda find it inefficient to spend too much time reading something thats unimportant to me.


#3
Ads Takeover
everytime i visit a blog with too much ads, i'll wonder what the blogger really is trying to do. if the answer is blogging.. then make it look like a blog and not like the classifieds page of a newspaper. if u wanna sell stuf.. go be a salesperson. i believe good blogs have a good balance of ads and content.

note: exception for those blogs that sell stuff.


#2
Autoplay Annoyance
mainly.. music. but sometimes videos autoplay too. i know i can pause it.. but it will still buffer/load. it is such a big offence to me that the moment i realize theres other audio playing on my computer, i'll instantly click that 'X' button. if i remember which blog it was.. i'll remember not to visit it again. if i dont, that means that that blog was uninteresting AND annoying. grats!


#1
Massive Image Uploaders
worst offender.. even for a photography blog. please resize the pic.. by doing that, the filesize is decreased making the blog's loading time faster. uploading a huge pic only allows cheap, bad intentioned people to copy the images, print it out and make money out of it without u knowing it.


some things that people normally view as 'bad ethics' in blogging that doesn't bother me much include :
- camwhoring (i find it entertaining :P)
- dark (or loud) background colours/images
- last update is 12 months ago
- boring blog titles
- grainy/blurry image posts

tentang Playstation3 Slim - announced

as of yesterday, the rumoured Playstation3 Slim is now a reality as Sony announced the Slimline model of the Playstation 3 will be available by September 2009. those leaked pictures are real. omg i really dont like the box. the console's design i think is allright. but the box.. @_@



the new console will have a 120GB hard drive and functions (mostly) the same as the old 'fat' Playstation3. i dont have a PS3 so i dont really understand all that talk about Linux OS talk. apparently with the new Slim u cant install another OS or something. i hope someone would kindly explain the need of that other OS to me kthx :P

the playstation3 (or PLAYSTATION 3) does not only get a slim model, it is also gets rebranded. the PS3 Slim gets a new logo and gone now the spiderman font. i always thought that was a bit uncool. the body is not shiny like the 'fat' PS3 instead it will have a matte finish like the PS2. i think it kinda makes the PS3 look less sexy and cool. its like being downgraded from a Hummer H3 to a Honda Jazz.. still cool but not as menacing

the price will drop from USD399 to USD299.. a massive 100 bucks cut. that is cool. best news ever. when it first came out it was USD599. good news indeed.

more details on the announcement at GamesCom here (gamespot.com)

tentang 15Malaysia - Chocolate by Yasmin Ahmad

i decided to check my facebook account for the last time before i go to bed and discovered :-

15malaysia Chocolate is opened. Net is very slow. Please buffer before viewing. Make sure you watch the 'Making Of'. Its our tribute to Yasmin.

'cool' i thought.. checked it out straight away at the 15Malaysia website (link)



the story is short.. really short. it is one of those shorts that probably make you go 'what..? thats it? bla.. bla..'. precisely what the director wants.. to make viewers think. think what Yasmin Ahmad is trying to say and make your own conclusion. we are so used to tv where we are fed with every single detail. but stories like this, to me, kinda makes me realize what kind of person i am from how i judge the issue in the story

Chocolate reminds me of all those Yasmin Ahmad's Petronas ads.. the time when it all started. with slow, almost boring (but a short like this is too short to get bored with) grey environment.. but with touching moments. she always had this ability to put very subtle messeges in her works. Malaysia will miss a great talent like her.. well.. i know i do.

do watch the making of Chocolate video. the link is on the same page.. scroll down and look under 'More'. eh.. might aswell give youthe link =D view video here.

tentang 15Malaysia - short films

i only heard of it today when all this posts and tweets suddenly appeared about 15Malaysia. i actually ignored it thinking it is another one of those government related thing. i remember thinking 'whatever happened to 1Malaysia? now we have 15???'. i have no problem with the government or opposition and what they say and all.. but i just dont like reading about politics. but thanks to post from Simple White Tofu that i discovered i was so wrong.

check out the website:


15Malaysia is actually a damn cool idea. a great effort to raise the level of Malaysian films and our attitude (and interpretation) towards shorts and indie films. congratulations to everyone who is involved with 15Malaysia.

what it is is a compilations of shorts made by Malaysian directors such as Amir Muhammad, Tan Chui Mui, Woo Ming Jin, and the late Yasmin Ahmad. shorts are released one every 2 to 3 days begining with Ho Yuhang's Potong Saga on August 17th 2009. i personally cant wait to watch Yasmin Ahmad's Chocolate scheduled to be released on the 19th.. which is today ^_^



the first short,Potong Saga, is hilarious. i laughed my head off watching this. i didnt remember who that guy was until i read Justin Hee's post about this. it is that dude who made that Negaraku rap few years back lah. LOL thanks Justin.

also, check out the 28Malaysia project. a 'sub-project' where anyone can make their own short and get it featured on the 15Malaysia website. interested? read the instructions here

NOTE: i am confident most of the shorts will have subtitles. so dont worry about language barriers mkay

tentang Transformers Animated - short stories

i have been watching TFA lately and i kinda like it. i remember when the series first came out i hated the new designs. it is too different.. too cartoony.. the shape is all weird. so i never even bothered to check it out.

and when i got that Megatron from my wife for my birthday, i finally decided to watch it. turns out.. it is actually really fun to watch.

so here's some short animations that, if i am not mistaken, comes with the Transformers Animated - Transform and Roll Out (DVD).. i think i got the right vids :P

"Evel Knievel Jump"


"Career Day"

update PSPgo - hardware walkthrough video

here is a video from IGN.com.. basically tells you the specs and stuff about the PSPgo (so its PSPgo not PSP Go). but the video shows more details of where all the buttons are. pretty cool.



^_^

EDIT - the 5.70 Firmware update (from PSPextreme.com)

* Network Update is now listed as System Update.
* Video Settings will not have the first four UMD-related toggles.
* System Settings now has a "Your Birth Date" option, and a
"Display Panel Close Option" toggle, which allows you to set
it to either "Standard" (goes to a clock graphic) or "Enter Sleep Mode".
Also "Battery Information" seems to be gone, as do UMD-related options,
but there's a "Format System Storage" option in addition to the usual
Memory Stick format option.
* Power Save Settings loses the "Backlight Auto-Adjust" option.
* New "Bluetooth Device Settings" entry, which consists of a toggle for
switching Bluetooth on and off and a "Manage Bluetooth Devices" entry.

tentang Coldplay - Strawberry Swing MV

saw this music video one that new digital channel on tv. GO! is pretty fun to watch so far. anyway i thought the video is pretty cool. love how simple the idea is. its kinda like that Target advertisement i posted before. here's the music video :- Coldplay - Strawberry Swing

tentang PSP Go

another playstation related post :D. yes i am a big fan of playstation.



anyway, this is almost old news.. but i wanna post it anyway. Sony announced on E3 last June that a new version of PSP will be released in October 2009 (America and Europe). the PSP Go is not the PSP-4000 and is not gonna replace the original PSP. the model will be PSPN-1000 so i guess it's gonna be its own 'subclass'. and it will

what it is is a more compact, lighter version of the PSP. the function seems generally the same.the bottom part slides out (i hate slides and flips >_<) to reveal the controls and it wont have the UMD drive, instead it is equipped with a 16GB internal memory where you store the game you'll have to download. the Memory Stick slot is still there but it will use the M2 (the smaller sized MS).

another difference is the PSP Go will be equipped with Bbluetooth and WiFi. cool? yeah but not so much. you can connect to bluetooth devices like earphones and as another way to connect to another PSP for co-op play. it can connect to the Sixaxis or Dualshock3 PS3 controller but.. i dont know if i would enjoy that. the PSP Go is not that big and besides the PSP already have its own controller right? well if you have a special mounting for the psp maybe that will work




among the specs :-
* Approx. 128 x 16.5 x 69 mm (width x height x depth)
* Weight: 5.6 ounces (including batter)
* CPU: 333MHz
* 64MB memory
* 3.8-inch display (480 x 272 resolution)
* Built-in stereo speakers and microphone
* 802.11b WiFi
* Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
* USB 2.0
* Memory Stick Micro slot
* Analog video out
* 16GB storage

speakers and mic? hmm.. it could almost be a mobile phone huh? :P. and lastly.. the PSP Go will also be available in white


more specs and details here (scei.co.jp)

tentang Playstation3 slim rumour

i actually just heard of this last week. this rumour seem to have been around since May. there were (really dodgy) pictures of it floating around on the net. now they say that maybe all this will be official on August 18 at GamesCon. well i hope the rumour is true.

it does seem what sony would do anyway. playstations always have a slimmed down version. the Playstation became PSOne.. Playstation2 became Playstation2 Slim and even the PSP have a slimmed down model the PSP Slim. so why not PS3 Slim? its just a matter of time isnt it?

neway.. read more of it here (Yahoo!Tech) or here (Gamespot.com)

tentang Target Ad - "Every Colour You Can Dream Of"

my wife and i love this ad. it is cool. and fun! saw it on tv and just thought i'd share with everyone ^_^

tentang cyber attack on Twitter

blog hopping yesterday was pretty annoying. some sites wont load properly and some wont load at all. i had a feeling it had something to do with twitter. and as it turns out.. it did.. sort of.

then the news came out today. Twitter.com went offline for hours and Facebook, LiveJournal and Youtube and probably more servers out there were disrupted because of a massive, coordinated cyber attack.

what i heard (from multiple sites and blogs) is that the Russians were behind it. i think that is one example of generalization.. because of the source came from Russia so we accuse all of them? pfft! we need to put more thought in our writing people.

these are only what i read on the net. and as we all know.. not everything on the internet is true.

neway im glad twitter is back online now. im dont tweet so much.. im just not that kind of guy i guess. broadcasting my every move is almost the exact opposite of what i'd do. twitter for me so far is for getting weather forecast and news bits from malaysia and south australia without having to view their sites.

read more of the news here (AdelaideNow)

tentang Tekken 6 videos, rants

oh i miss playing games with friends. MMORPGs, fighting games, or just watch a friend play RPG or RTS games. now i limit myself to simple.. low spec games that doesnt need too much commitment such as WoW or RO.

now i'm still playing Patapon 2 and Tekken 5 DR on my PSP. oh i sound so geeky

Tekken 6 Trailer


neway.. i'm a huge fan of Tekken series. played it since Tekken 3 because back then the graphics were considered top notch. my friends and i would sometimes go to this cybercafe (they have Playstations for hire.. per hour) and played Tekken 3. button mashing were still fun since that we were all noobs

fav char to play is Yoshimitsu. yeah laugh.. that sword isn't there just for show ya know. and second fav is Lei.. because his movements all tricky.

neway.. Tekken 6 is coming out this year. i'll look for details later when i have more time.

E3 Trailer

tentang Dissidia : Final Fantasy

who have never heard of Final Fantasy? Square Enix (wiki) have made (i think)14 installations of video games (+lots more spinoffs and sequels and prequels i lost count) and 2 movies and an anime series. Dissidia Final Fantasy is another video game coming out and is one of the most anticipated games of 2009.

Dissidia Trailer:


E3 Trailer:


the last final fantasy i played was FFX (the one with yuna) and the only FF that i finished is FF9. for FF7 and FF8 i played till the last boss and failed miserably. at one point.. i realized that FF series are almost the same thing all over again.. with updated technical specs and new characters. the characters are awesome i have to admit.. but gameplay wise.. generally still the same.

but Dissidia is different. it is classed as a fighting title.. like tekken i guess. Dissidia is a gathering of FF characters and besides versus mode (i dont know if they made up their own cool term for that), other modes include story mode and pursuit battle that sounds really cool. so now we can play as our favourite characters, Cloud or Tidus or Yuna or whatever, but not like how we used to. no more turn based battles. no more waiting.

reviews from the Japanese release is looking good. they praised the many unlockable contents (100+), the ease of control, graphics (thats not unexpected), cool modes, and well.. lets just say reviewers are smiling and enjoyed the game.

the English version is scheduled to be out in August 2009. wait.. thats this month. cool!

heres a preview (if you're interested to see in game battles) check out this video by GameTrailers.com:

tentang Ponyo (English)(2009)

normally i hate re-dubs. i always prefer to read subtitles. i think when a film/movie/video/whatever is translated, there's something missing. the acting and the dialogue sometimes dont match and kinda feels weird. but that's just my opinion.. i'll post the English trailer here as well.

English Trailer


Japanese Trailer (no-sub)


a new film by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki ^______________^. he's the founder of Ghibli Studios who made Totoro, Grave of the Fireflies (sad sad story), Howl's Movign Castle, and many many more awesome animated films. if you have not seen any of those movies i mentioned, i highly recommend you to check it out.

Ponyo is about this fish girl thing who runs away from her home and was rescued by a boy who vowed to protect her forever.

John Lassater (Toy Story, Cars, and basically producer of all Pixar's animated films) is the executive producer of Ponyo (English version) and the film stars Cate Blanchett, Noah Cyrus, Matt Damon, Tina Fey and Frankie Jonas.

Release dates :
Japan - July 19, 2008
United Kingdom - April 2010
United States & Canada - August 14, 2009

more clips (Japanese Version Commercials)

thanks Top 5 July Droppers

thanks guys ^_^