Microsoft Kin 2 focuses on social networking

I've managed to find time to take a look at the Microsoft Kin 2 that was launched recently. No, I don't have a Kin 2 with me, but I saw a Youtube video on it. The Kin is based on the newest Microsoft Phone 7 and other than having a 8MP camera, this phone is really all about social networking. If you only call, SMS, or social network, this phone should suit you.

From what I can see from the Youtube video, the cool thing about it is that it's very visual. You see the person's face, tap on it and you can either call, SMS, or access that person's Facebook page. It seems like there's connections to Facebook, MySpace, and Windows Live.

As all the status updates are live and all pictures are stored in the Microsoft cloud, I believe there'll be an issue if you use it in reality, at least in Singapore. Your phone will lag because like it or not, Singapore's 3G or Edge signals are VERY slow. So far, I've never gotten a download speed more than 1.5Mbps. My average speed is usually about 0.7Mbps. Good?? Yeah right.

I won't know how Kin will react to such slow speeds but my guess may be that you may find your phone starting to lag with every touch because it's trying to get a connection to update all you status feeds. My guess though.

Below is the video of a demo on Microsoft Kin 2. Enjoy.

CNA and iToday iPhone Apps are poorly designed!

Recently I've been quite pissed off by the 2 iPhone apps. One look and you know that the people who designed / tested the apps did not test it while moving around. Try accessing the apps in an area with poor reception and if you're lucky, you'll see a "Getting news categories" status bar. If you're unlucky, the app will crash on you. Reason behind it? Most probably the designers did not take into account what happens if they are unable to get a connection or the connection is slow. Do you need so much time to get news categories? I don't think so. I believe that the apps did not even try to catch any exceptions.

For CNA, the app will even freeze for no particular reason after loading. The app was much more responsive before the update. I'm not sure what did they do to it but the app has definitely become more unusable after the update. Whoever who tested the app should test it using non-3G. Testing it using WiFi is a big no no. Remember. The iPhone is portable, WiFi isn't.

If you want to take a look at good news apps, take a look at Bloomberg and ST app. They are much more responsive than those 2 apps. I especially like the Bloomberg app. There is even an indicator if the app is unable to get a connection and you can continue reading the articles that you have downloaded previously.

Now, that's a good app.

Why the figures show HDB is affordable

I find it very amusing that the newspaper keeps highlighting this topic when it does not answer the main concerns.

Based on my recollection, I've not recalled any violent protest against the price of the a new HDB flat, obviously not taking into account Pinnacle@Duxton, Toa Payoh, and similarly good location HDB flats. High prices for HDB flats at a good location is understandable but some people compare a normal HDB flat to one that is built 20 years ago. 20 years ago, you still can buy something with 10 cents.

Therefore I find it very amusing that the figures for a new flat has been used to counter the argument that HDB is affordable instead of using HDB resale figures.

Now, a typical HDB 4-room resale flat can cost at least $400,000. Your household will need to earn at least a combined income of $7,600 to fund the monthly mortgage payment purely by CPF, assuming that you have made minimum downpayment and paying over a period of 25 years. I've got the figures by playing around with the calculators at HDB website. Is that affordable? I've not even taken into account that once you're above the age of 35, your contribution rates to the CPF OA account will start to decrease. You can refer to the table here for the CPF contribution rates.

I'm not looking at BTO HDB flats for a very simple reason. Not all of us can afford a private apartment or condominium. Do you know how super unromantic a guy can be if he proposes by asking "Do you want to apply for a HDB flat" ? And there's a big assumption that the couple is willing to wait at least for 3 years for the flat to be built, provided that they get a queue number that is in the 2 digits range. Has anyone taken a look at the recent queue numbers for the BTO exercises?

And they are wondering why the birth rate is so low.

Involving People

I quote from a Chinese Proverb:

Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.

不闻不若闻之，闻之不若见之，见之不若知之，知之不若行之，学至乎行而止矣

Finally a shortcut to Suntec City!

Went to do a little exploration this week using Circle Line and thank goodness that now, there's finally a shortcut to Suntec City!

To go to the area near the Suntec Convention Hall, alight at the Esplanade MRT station. To go to the area near Carrefour within Suntec, alight at the Promenade station. The Promenade station is also the nearest station to Millenia Walk. Both have sheltered walkways so there's no need to worry about the rain. :)

No more squeezing at City Hall MRT and walking down the long route to Suntec. Yeah!

Inflation is up 1.6%

These are the Singapore inflation rates for 2010:
January: 0.2%
February: 1.0%
March: 1.6%

Transport and Education & Stationary are once again leading the charge, rising by 10.1% and 2.2% respectively year on year. Housing costs continued the downward trend by decreasing 0.7%. Food inflation surprisingly was quite stable. Has Singapore finally learned her lesson and diversified her food sources? Seems to be so.

Looking at the COE prices, I won't be surprised that inflation for April may even shoot up to 4% year on year. Transport inflation will be through the roof and inflation may be affected due to the volcanic problem that may cause shortages in goods and services, therefore driving up the prices temporarily.

Distance Based Fares from 3 Jul 2010

The write-up in the newspaper for the distance based fares sound quite confusing but to the end user, it can be summarised to this: All commuters will be charged a fare according to the total distance traveled, on the bus, LRT and MRT from 3 Jul 2010.

Currently, you'll have a rebate of 50 cents whenever you transfer from a bus to bus, or bus to rail or vice versa. From 3 Jul 2010, your EzLink card will be smart enough to know that you're transferring and calculate the total distance you have traveled and charge you accordingly. The air-con bus and non-automatic train fares are now also the same. Most importantly, the feeder buses will only charge a flat rate.

The same transfer rules applies. However, do note the following transfer rules:

• You must transfer to your next public transport within 45 minutes of alighting
• Distance based fares only applies within the first 2 hours of the start of your transport journey
• Distance based fares will not apply to buses of the same number
• You can make a maximum number of 5 transfers within the first 2 hours of your transport journey
• Single entry and exit allowed for rail

I was puzzling over the last point but I guessed that it may mean that the transfer rebate only works once when you're transferring from bus to MRT/LRT within the first 2 hours. That would mean that distance based fares will not apply for the last stage when you're transferring from bus to train to bus to train. My guess is that the multiple transfers are more for buses.

Refer to Annex A Pg 5 of the news release by LTA here for more information on the fares.You can also refer to the Transitlink current transfer rules here.

Below is also an example of a journey from 3 Jul 2010:

iPhone 4G revealed!! Accidentally.

Seems like there was some exciting news yesterday. Gizmodo has gotten their hands on the iPhone 4G! This iPhone 4G really looks like the real thing. You can read more about their story and details in their website here.

Nobody did a stripdown of this baby but it would seem that the battery looks a bit bigger than the current iPhone. Is the A4 chip inside? Hmm...

Bad news is that it is using the micro-SIM card, which is similar to what the iPad 3G requires. None of our 3 telcos are using the micro-SIM card. No iPhone 4G / iPad for Singapore? Again?

Anyway, enjoy the video below of the first look at the iPhone 4G!

Things to note for iPad iWork Pages and KeyNote

I believe many users foresee the iPad as being the device that would allow us to update documents on the go. However for some reason, Apple has neglected to highlight a few important points for iPad iWork Pages and KeyNote. When you edit the document and save it in your iPad (the original will be retained and a new copy will be saved), the app will actually strip off certain information from the document itself, sometimes even while importing.

For iWorks Pages, note the following:

• Footnotes and Endnotes are not imported.
• Documents using page layout are converted to word processing with text wrap. Linked text boxes are separated, retaining text, styles, and placement.
• 3D charts are converted to 2D charts. Chart data is retained and editable.
• Changes tracked in an imported document are accepted and comments are not imported.
• Tables of Content are converted to regular text.
• Grouped objects are ungrouped. Styles, order, and location are retained.
• Tables that span more than one page are split into separate one-page tables.
• All links other than weblinks are removed.

For iWork KeyNote, note the following:

• Recorded or Embedded audio is not imported from Keynote presentations.
• Grouped objects are ungrouped. Styles, order, and location are retained.
• Presenter Notes and Comments are not imported.
• 3D charts are converted to 2D charts. Chart data is retained and editable.

So for all those people who foresee yourself editing a version of a document and sending it to someone else for inputs/comments, think again. The iPad is not meant for that purpose. A pity though...

Believe in reason

I quote from Buddha:

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books.
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.
But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.

The basis of humanity (area in bold).

Early Reviews of the iPad Case, Wireless Keyboard and VGA Adaptor

Found some early reviews of the iPad Case, the Apple Wireless Keyboard and the iPad Dock Connector to VGA adapter by ZDNet. One thing I learned from the videoes is to take note of the description of the items when you're getting it from Apple Store. It'll most probably do exactly as it is being described. No more, no less.

Review of iPad Case

Official Apple iPad Case Review from Off The Broiler on Vimeo.

Review of Apple Wireless Keyboard on the iPad

Apple Bluetooth Keyboard with iPad Review from Off The Broiler on Vimeo.

Review of Dock Connector to VGA adapter

iPad VGA Adapter Cable Review from Off The Broiler on Vimeo.

11 stations in Circle Line is now opened!

Later in the morning, the 11 stations from the Circle Line will be opened. They are Dhoby Ghaut, Bras Basah, Esplanade, Promenade, Nicoll Highway, Stadium, Mountbatten, Dakota, Paya Lebar, MacPherson and Tai Seng. I've never explored that side previously. Now with Circle Line, maybe I'll go to that area more often. I guess there are people there now hard at work for the opening. Wish them all the best!

Below is a map that I found for the full circle line from Circle Line Discovery. For some weird reason, the map is not updated at PublicTransport@SG.

Worry about business competitiveness? Yeah right

The labour movement has today highlighted that the CPF for employers should be raised from 14.5% to 16%, which is the long term average that the government is aiming for. However, companies are worried about business competitiveness and whether the turnaround is sustainable.

First of all, turnarounds are NEVER sustainable. If they are, there won't be a downturn in 2000, 2003 and 2008-2009. Turnarounds are sustainable if your business is agile enough to adapt to the environment. How do some companies continue to make profits (I'm not talking about banks) from 2007 to now? Look at the annual reports of some companies and you can find a handful increasing their revenue and profits during this period.

Increasing of CPF decrease their business competitiveness? Then high bonuses to the bosses and upper management doesn't dent business competitiveness? Just today, I think I saw the CEO of Singtel purchasing about 900,000 lots of Singtel shares. Is it purchase or part of the payment package? That's like about 2.9million. Enough said.

There is never a good time to increase any wages. It's how your business adapt to this change.

Someone has finally understood that backward compatibility is important!

It took Google long enough to understand that the key to iPhone's success is quite simple. In my opinion, there are 3 simple reasons:

1. Backward compatibility of iPhone OS upgrades so that developers need only worry if they are making use of the new features of the new OSes.
2. Standardisation of screen size for AppStore related apps so that developers can concentrate on the functionality.
3. Free and simple to use IDE.

Google may have finally caught on the first point. I find it amusing that there are so many different versions of the Android OSes and they are not easily upgradable by the handset owners because they have added layers on top of it that may break if the OSes are upgraded. Google's solution? I heard was to stop developing new versions quickly. I find that 4 versions in less than a year is rather extreme, especially when you're talking about an operating system. However this will not resolve the Android fragmentation problem which I have highlighted way back in November here.

The fact that Android OS is open source will prohibit the AppStore from being as successful as the Apple Appstore for the simple fact that the developer who is developing the application will need to target certain phone(s) so as to maximize the features that are being developed. Different handset owners adding layers on top of the OSes doesn't help the cause. In fact, I'm not surprised if certain apps will not work on the mentioned Android OS due to this "layer" added on top. It doesn't help that the Android OSes wasn't designed to be backward compatible in the first place.

I still feel that everyone has missed the important point of standardisation of screen sizes. Based on my limited experience in mobile programming, screen size matters a lot to the developers, especially if the intention is to create games. Apple has worked around it by using scaling so that the current iPhone Apps will work on the iPad. However, this does not fix the fact that the app is not designed for such a large screen estate and usability will be impacted. That is why I'm certain that the next iPhone will not have a smaller screen size.

Another point is the process of creating an iPhone App. Creating iPhone Apps is quite easy compared to the other mobile technologies I have dabbed a little in (J2ME, Visual Studio anyone?) previously. From what I heard from my friends, creating Android apps is a pain, and yet you have to deal with the Android OS fragmentation problem.

I guess Google has a lot of problems to fix. That's life.

Do you need an iPad if you have an iPhone?

My opinion, no. Apple has restricted iPad Apps to be available only in the United States and you're only able to download the iPad Apps if you have a US credit card and a US iTunes account. Looking at the oversized iPhone/iPod Touch Apps on the iPad, the cost isn't really justified.

That goes to show that what I've previously predicted in this post is accurate. The apps make all the difference in the world and as I haven't got a chance to see any iPad Apps in action, I guess my vote is a no. An iPhone suits me just fine, not to mention that the weight is significantly lighter than the iPad. But then again, I don't have a vision problem. I can read a document just fine on the iPhone and I have no need to edit or present documents on the move. :)

In fact, all the ideas I have for the iPad seems to come from the business angle, not the consumer angle. Oh well. Anyway, I heard that InterContinental Hotel is going to use the iPad for their concierge staff, as I have predicted as one of the uses in this post here. More will come soon. I will not be surprised if RWS and MBS are interested in the iPad too.

Unhappiness and Expectations

My quote:

Unhappiness is the result of the negative difference between expectations and reality.


I've been overtaxed recently and somehow random thoughts started popping into my head every now and then. Based on my experience, unhappiness usually comes about when something did not occur as expected.

I doubt there is any way to avoid such expectations but I think one must recognise that the most important part is to review the process of why things did not happen as expected. Unhappiness is normal but try not to let it overwhelm you. Why make your day bad because of an expectation problem?

Yeah I know. Easier said than done. Time to try to make myself happy.

iPhone OS roadmap confusing? Or is it due to the A4 chip?

I was quite surprised today that nothing was mentioned about the A4 chip for iPhone OS 4.0, and that there are going to be 2 separate launches for the iPhone OS 4.0 (one in June and the other in the fall for the iPad). This doesn't make any sense to me because from the product point of view, it seriously does not make sense to have 2 different versions of iPhone OS 4.0, one for the iPhone and the other for the iPad.

Unless of course Apple is not telling us everything, which is quite usual for them. I can only think of 2 reasons why the iPhone OS is used for both the iPhone and iPad:

1. The A4 chip is using the same ARM processor calls used in the iPhone, so a separate branch is not needed; or
   
2. There is going to be another version of the A4 chip specifically just for the iPhone.

In any case, I find it very confusing to have 2 different versions of the iPhone OS 4.0 for 2 different types of product.

Read about the multi-tasking feature of the iPhone OS 4.0. If you have read my post here about what I felt about existing multi-tasking capabilities available in the iPhone OS 3.0, then you'll  find that all Apple is doing is to automate this process so that it is available for every application on the iPhone. My guess is that it'll leverage on the existing APIs on the saving of states for the app. If you have not done anything, it'll just restart the application for you automatically when you switch (my guess).

Of course for the iPhone OS 4.0 APIs, there will also be new APIs to take advantage of selective processes that they'll allow to truly run at the background. One example that was shown is that now you'll be able to play music at the background from any application that takes advantage of that API.

I guess more news will be released closer to June. I hope by that time, the roadmap will be clearer. The news released so far however points that the iPhone OS 4.0 will be compatible with the iPhone 3GS (esp. multi-tasking). Good news for existing owners.

2 different versions of iPhone OS 4.0? Weird used of versioning.

Amazing voice - I Will Always Love You

Wow. This guy from Taiwan, Lin Yu Chun is amazing. His voice is super high and I believe this is the original pitch. The most astonishing part is that he seems to be using mostly real voice. I used to love singing girl's songs but I stopped because I could never hit their pitch and the song loses it's originality if I play around with the pitch (the kick is no longer there).

Below is the YouTube video.

Will the iPhone OS fragment?

The iPad launch has confirmed that the iPhone OS is now fragmented to 2 different versions. One is for the iPod Touch/iPhone OS (v3.1.3) and the other is for the iPad (v3.2). These 2 are based on different processor chips so I assume that the back-end architecture would also be slightly different.

However, the point is whether does it make sense for them to continue fragmenting the OS. If Apple intends to fragment the OS, they could very well call it iPad OS 1.0 instead of iPhone OS 3.2. I have previously did product development for a single product that runs on 2 different databases in 2 different languages, and it's a nightmare to maintain the different branches and features. Therefore, my take is that for the sake of maintenance, the iPhone OS will not fragment.

My guess is that due to the iPad's launch date, they have rushed out the iPhone OS 3.2 specifically for the iPad, while at the same time continue adding some features to the iPhone OS for the iPhone/iPod Touch that will be launched at a later date. It doesn't really make product sense to have a iPhone OS 3.1.3 and another iPhone OS 3.2. After all, it's still quite some time till June for iPhone OS 4.0.

Coming iPhone OS 4.0, the new iPhone/iPod Touch will most probably run on the Apple A4 chip. This will allow Apple to merge the 2 branches into 1 branch for easier maintenance of the code base. Till now, there's no news of the strength of the iPad battery so I can't say for certain if it's using the same battery as the iPhone 3GS. If the iPad's battery is bigger than the iPhone, there may be some degradation of battery life for the iPhone 4G. Knowing Apple, they'll rather put a slower A4 chip in the new iPhone to lengthen the battery life if that is the case.

However, since the new iPhone OS 4.0 will be running on the new Apple A4 chip, that would also sound the death kneel for development for the iPhone 1G to iPhone 3GS. They would most probably just maintain it to rectify any security breeches. iPhone OS 3.2 may end up being the last version for iPhone 1G to iPhone 3GS.

For iPhone 4G, other than the Apple A4 processor chip, I guess wireless N should also be in the pipeline, although I seriously doubt that LTE will be in. Instead, I suspect HSDPA+ may be included to support speeds of up to 42Mbps. Contrary to whatever the Singapore telcos are saying, I do not think LTE will resolve the 3G problems that we're currently having. We're having bad connections because we do not have enough base stations. Period. The new LTE will also most probably run on the 1900 and 2100 MHZ spectrum so I doubt there'll be any improvement in signal strength.

I guess we'll know something about iPhone 4G by this Fri, Singapore time.

iPhone OS 4.0 sneak peak because of the launch of Microsoft Pink phones?

Seems like Apple and Microsoft are at it with each other again. After rumours of a Microsoft event on Apr 12 on the supposedly launch of the Microsoft Pink phones, Apple has announced an invitation-only event on April 8 for a special preview of the iPhone OS 4.0. Obviously, they are trying to make sure Microsoft has a hard time launching any mobile phones. Judging from the early sneak peaks of Windows Phone 7, it just looks like a phone that copies the features of the iPhone and Android. Windows Phone 7 even copied the early iPhone's capability of not having cut, copy and paste.

Regardless of the rumours, I still feel that Apple will not enable multi-tasking on the iPhone. iPad maybe but not the iPhone. The screen estate is too small for any effective multi-tasking. For efficient battery life utilisation, push notifications and saving of states are still the best ways for multi-tasking on the iPhone.

I guess we'll know more about the rumoured iPhone OS 4.0 come Fri Singapore time.

Innovate from outside to inside

Recently I was reading about innovation and one of the interesting perspective was on how to approach innovation. Very often when consultants look at a business process, they'll usually look at how a staff will do their work (looking at the inside), but few will ask why is the work the being done and where does the input come from (looking at the outside).

When you look at the business process from the "outside" to "inside", sometimes you'll be able to resolve issues such as correctness of information given and reduction of support calls. Sometimes, people may collect the information "just in case", but doesn't realise that the amount of information collected puts people off, and introduces errors which results in a delay in completing the business process.

One must remember that all the business processes exists due to a need. The business process that accompanies it should resolve this need, and not complicate it. Sometimes by looking at the process from the "outside" to "inside", business process may be streamlined to bring about greater efficiency and accuracy.

Stop, Think, Say

I quote from Dorothy Nevill:

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment


I believe that's always the problem whenever we have conversations either in the business or personal settings. Sometimes we tend to be excited about a certain topic that is in discussion and we say things that somehow flow with what you're saying, but not with the facts. This may or may not lead to a confrontation.

It's not always beneficial to reply immediately. Just remember 3 words whenever you're replying in a conversation. Stop, Think, Say.

iPad First Look

Updated 6 Apr 2010: Added another link to a full review of the iPad

Found a CNet Video of a first look at the iPad. As expected, many websites are increasingly using HTML5 so that their websites can be seen on the iPad and iPhone. However, they'll need to encode the video using H264 I guess. One way of driving standards? You can also take a look at the review by CNet.com here and here.

Take a look at the CNet video below.

The eventual demise of wet markets in Singapore

The recent news of Sheng Shiong raising the rentals of the wet market stalls is of no surprise. The evidence is everywhere that these kind of small market stalls will soon be a thing of the past.

The reason is very simple. Property prices in Singapore are going sky high with no signs of abating. For all properties in Singapore, we have to pay a property tax that is a certain percentage of the property value (more if it's commercial in nature). Therefore, for anyone that owns the property, they'll need to raise the rental to cover this increase in cost. Furthermore, electricity rates are going up.

The writing is on the wall that wet markets will soon be a thing of the past because it becomes extremely difficult for them to maintain that competitive edge against the big supermarkets. Previously, the newspapers have also did a survey and found that most of the wet market products are more expensive than our big supermarkets. The reason is also very simple. Big supermarkets have economies of scale and are able to get lower prices mainly due to their size of purchases and flexibility in arranging their products.

You will find this phenomena not only in Singapore but elsewhere all over the world. Small shops are increasingly driven out by big stores due to this fundamental reason. You can delay the inevitable by retaining the wet market but sooner or later, the stall holders will find themselves price out of the market. They are unable to match the pricing by big supermarkets.

That's sadly the fact of life.

iPad's launch depends greatly on the Apps available in the AppStore

Updated 4 Apr 2010: iWorks suite able to sync documents to the computer using iTunes 9.1

I have taken a look at the iPad features list and frankly, I'm not sure on how it can meet everyone's big expectations. In my opinion, the success of iPad will hinge on the applications that will be launched on the same day.

The reason is very simple. Based on the features list, the list of default out of the box applications will be almost similar to the iPhone. The difference would be that the applications were re-written to take advantage of the bigger screen size, and there's an additional Videos app. The iWorks suite for iPad would need to be purchased separately for USD9.99 each (Pages, Numbers, Keynote).

Even then, based on the description of the iWorks suite, I'm not terribly impressed by it. The main reason is because based on the brief description write-up, the only way to access documents in the iPad through the iWorks suite is through e-mails and iWorks.com beta site. Translated, I did not find any indication of a storage space within the iPad, or any indication of being able to read office documents from any other source other than what I have mentioned above. Only photos could be read from a SD card reader that is compatible with the iPad. I was hoping that iWorks could make use of the SD card reader for the iPad to edit a document for example. However, no sign of such write-up.

This reason alone would prevent widespread adoption of the iPad. I've read some articles even touting that the iPad will replace a laptop. This I have to disagree. The iPad doesn't really make that cut yet, on paper that is. No news on when it'll come to Singapore. I can't even test it even if I wanted to.

Update 1: Just read that the iWorks suite for the iPad allows you to sync documents to the computer using the iTunes v9.1. Apparently, there's a File Sharing option that's available in this new iTunes. All you need to do is to choose the export option in the iWorks suite and you'll be able to see the document from iTunes.