Auto-complete in your command prompt

Ever tried to type in a long directory name and wish that you're able to auto-complete it? Actually this feature has been there for some time but few people know it.

Just go to the command prompt (e.g. run: cmd), and type out: cd\ |Tab| (e.g. cd \Pro|Tab|)


Using the key will help you scroll forward all the different directory names. Use shift |Tab| to scroll backwards.

That's it. For your information, the above also helps you auto-complete any filename within the directory you're in too. Have fun.

So are we going to get S$3,000 every budget year?

It seems like there was nothing new being mentioned in the rally. Measures such as S$3,000 to S$4,000 of benefits, top-ups and bonuses have already been explained during the budget talk and debate. However, this does not resolve our problem. We are still slowly being priced out of our country because these benefits are not recurrent.

I have written a post here on my thoughts on this topic. We do not only encounter this cost of living issue last year. It is every year and if you look at the past history, you can count how many times Singaporeans were given payouts. In fact, I remember a certain budget year where the goodies mostly went to businesses. Seems like businesses are treated much better than citizens.

Like I have mentioned in my previous post, this kind of payouts should be a recurrent fixture every year if the GST is really meant to be redistributed out to Singaporeans. If not, then I do not see these payouts as a solution to our problem.

iPad 2 available in 11 countries including Singapore on 29 Apr 2011

Seems like the iPad 2 was released in Japan today and it is finally coming to Singapore tomorrow! The prices are as follows:

Storage	Wifi	Wifi + 3G
16 GB	S$668	S$848
32 GB	S$798	S$978
64 GB	S$928	S$1108

The iPad 2 will also be launched as planned on Friday in Hong Kong, India, Israel, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Inflation is up 5%

These are the Singapore inflation rates for 2011:
January: 5.5%
February: 5.0%
March: 5.0%


Transport and Housing are once again leading the pack, rising by 13.4% and 7.1% respectively year on year. The inflation for Transport has reduced once again although the price of oil is still high and inflation still remains elevated across the board. The effect on inflation may be muted due to the constant strengthening of the Singapore dollar. Housing inflation has most probably increased due to the increase of the electricity tariffs.

As expected, the inflation level has not changed much compared to February. This month's inflation however may be lower due to the housing rebates given out from the budget, but my estimate is still around 4%. Relatively high.

Do not worry about what may never happen

I quote from Benjamin Franklin:

Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.


Simple quote, but yet hard to achieve. Maybe due to my line of work, I always worry about things that may happen. Rightly so because the projects I deal with are not of small amounts. However, I should try not to let it affect my personal life.

Keep in the light and look at the troubles that came, not those that may come.

Foreign workers can help to create how many jobs?

My wife and I are quite different in terms of our thinking and sometimes, our debates and discussions can have very interesting outcomes. We were discussing about the workers that are hired by IM Flash in Singapore.

According to IM Flash Singapore, they are employing 1,200 workers, of which six in 10 are Singaporeans and permanent residents, while four in 10 are foreigners. In the technician and manufacturing jobs, two-thirds are foreign workers, but in the managerial and professional positions, two-thirds are Singaporeans and permanent residents.

However, the question is how many managers and professional positions can there be in a company? If you're talking about a highly efficient company that also uses automation in its work, I won't be surprised if the ratio of managers to employees can be about 1:15. Seriously, I would think the ratio would be higher for a high-tech company such as IM Flash, but I'm also taking into account professionals.

Let's say we're using the above ratio, that means there would be about 80 managers/professional positions among the 1,200 people, of which only about 54 are Singaporeans and permanent residents. How many of the 54 are Singaporeans, and not permanent residents? What is the breakdown of the 720 Singaporeans and permanent residents being employed? I find it quite hard to believe that many are Singaporeans, especially in the technician and manufacturing jobs as we have been producing many graduates.

Without the actual numbers, I can only use assumptions and I don't think my assumptions are that far off. After all, how many managers will such a high-tech company need?

Efficient MRT systems owned by the government

To add on to the post here about the efficiency about government owned MRT systems, I did a little digging and realised that other than Taipei, 2 of the other MRT systems that I admire, namely Tokyo and Hong Kong, are both also majority owned by the government.

The Tokyo Metro is 100% owned by the Japan government (about half of which is owned by Tokyo), while the MTR Corporation that runs the MTR line in Hong Kong is 76% owned by the government of Hong Kong. Do note that the MTR Corporation has also won big in the Metro awards, and mainly on the awards that count.

Therefore, I do not really understand why Singapore can't do the same. It's quite obvious that the duopoly situation in Singapore is not improving the MRT service levels at all.

The new iOS for this June 2011?

Seems like someone from Vietnam has gotten hold onto a white 64GB iPhone with a slightly different iOS. Based on what I've seen in the videos, this is the key summary of changes:

• Multi-tasking on the iPhone (double-tap on Home button) will now be similar to how you open multiple websites in Safari. However, does that mean there will only be a maximum of 9 background apps?
  
  
• The search bar seems to have shifted to the multi-tasking screen.
  
• A new pop-up screen design for creating app folders within the iPhone.

However, I did notice from the videos that Springboard was installed which means that the iPhone has been JB. There is a possibility that someone has added these custom features into the current iOS. Personally, I think it doesn't make sense for the search bar to be at the multi-tasking screen.

Personal opinion. I think this is a fake.

Anyway if you're interested, below are a couple of videos in Vietnamese on what I've mentioned above.

The famous 27 year old girl is now parked under Marine Parade GRC

After the widespread disapproval of the youngest candidate to be fielded for this election, I'm surprised that she is still in the list of candidates and parked under the Marine Parade GRC no less (although it's not confirmed until nomination day).

A democratic election is meant to represent the will of the people, the citizens. After widespread disapproval, I would expect that the party to withdraw the candidate and give her greater exposure so that she will be ready for the next election. To put her under a GRC helmed by the SM after such widespread disapproval from the citizens, is the party telling us that our opinions mean nothing to them? Furthermore, I think this is the first time in my memory that there is such widespread disapproval of a candidate even before the elections. Did we have such widespread disapproval when Dr Amy Khor and Dr Lily Neo were elected? Not that I remember.

Seriously if she is that good, why don't someone nominate her as a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP)? Show and prove to us that she is that good and she should have no problems in the next general election.

Is this the message that the party wants to send to all the citizens? Our opinions don't matter? The feedback from the ground is just to be noted, and not to be action upon? Actions speak louder than words and so far, this is the message that I am getting.

Worrying gets you nowhere

I quote from Glenn Turner:

Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.


Worrying may be a natural instinct for all of us, but this should not stop us from taking steps to resolve the issue. Focus your energy elsewhere as worrying really gets you nowhere.