More Gadgets!

Santa Steph brought me some long waited gadgets from KL during recent trip.

The super cool Philippe Starck PH-1055 LED wrist watch! This is a free gift from the kind lady. The model is a bit out dated but I used to admire it in front of the Fossil counter in KLCC which was priced above RM500 but I am such a ngiaw fella to buy things at normal price. Thanks to Steph's cousin for the 50% super deal.

Samsung Spinpoint M series HM120JC 120GB external hard disk. I forgot how much I paid for this 100 grams gadget, a lump sum amount of money was given to the woman but no change was given back.

Was actually on a sweat testing the hard disk just a moment ago. Thought I got a faulty unit as it was detected but couldn't find it on my computer. The Samsung website was such a crap with all the useless FAQs. Struggling for the tech idiot but good thing about internet - I found the solution immediately on this Tek-Tips website :)

More spending on the DSLR system. Bought the Korean made (again) Dicain VG-1 vertical grip for RM450. It cost about GBP85 in UK to buy it directly from Korea via eBay. The VG fits the A100 body very well and it really helps as I always like to take pictures in vertical composition. However, the only slack part is on the battery slot where the battery can't fit in smoothly.

Finally it's the long waited Tamron SP 90 F/2.8 Di. A legendary lens since decades ago which is good for macro 1:1 life size photography and also a bright lens for portrait shots. It costs me RM1,380 from Keycolor in Mid Valley KL but it's a real value for money purchase. A same range used Minolta 100/2.8 would have cost around GBP300-350 on eBay UK.

A quick test on the lens, love the sharpness and excellent creamy bokeh!

10 Years of Mobile Phones

Today mobile phone is not only a tool to make phone calls, text but has already diversified into many other functions like camera, MP3 player, organiser etc.. and to some people it's something to show off their status.

Can you imagine how it has developed from 10 years ago? It has been more than 10 years for myself as a mobile phone user.

My first mobile phone was an ancient Motorola 8200, it was when my sister switched to the once popular Startac and gave it to me as a gift, when I was still a student in uni.

Don't play play, it was considered one of the most slim phone during that time but it was really a basic phone, text messaging wasn't even common back then.

Students are often spending without thinking much as they don't realise how hard it is to earn money. Soon I changed to an used Nokia 6110, lighter, younger, although it has a big thick antenna which nobody will wants it today. It was a very user friendly phone that made me think I won't go back to Motorola again.

However, the once beloved 6110 broke down not long after, forcing me to buy my first new phone Nokia 3210, bought it in Singapore, finally no more antenna, it's solid and heavy and is an extremely useful weapon if you get into fights.

[edited 20/4/07] how could I left out the Nokia 6510?? The once perfect phone which followed me for almost 3 years until it was really really really outdated, when everybody starts using phones with colour screens and polyphonic ringtone... Quite an embarrassment when exchanging numbers with chicks.. Esther had laughed on it for a long time.. and Steph text me after a few dates asking me to send it to museum..

After being a Nokia user for many years and many months of survey, I finally decided to switch camp and bought my first colour screen phone, Panasonic VS6, not a popular model but I really like it. It still has the best 16 millions display in the market, very good quality and the interface is as easy as Nokia. That was when I start playing with picture MMS to flirt with Steph.

It's very different for the mobile phone market in UK where you get a new phone with a mobile contract. I got my first phone in London, a Sony Ericsson W810i, the best that I ever had, love the music quality and everything with it! Guess I will keep it for a very long time.

I got the Motorola RAZR V3i for the 1,000 minutes off peak contract and it is basically free if I don't use beyond the limit. It's a very nice slim flip phone but I still don't like Motorola, struggling with the user interface even after months using it. Sold it on Ebay last week for GBP65, before it becomes a piece of junk. Back with my VS6 which I feel more handy with.

I certainly won't get a Blackberry like most other working class do in UK, checking emails everywhere. It's a tool which is designed to save your time but ends up locks up your freedom.

So what will the mobile phone industry becoming like, for the next 10 years?