Home Haiku

Insect bites on me
Waking up with sticky skin
This is Malaysia

Out-of-tune piano
Bad connection internet
No doubt this is home

Long chats with fam'ly
Calls from old college buddies
Why I'm here, you see

Yes, I'm home in Malaysia. =D

Microsoft to Purchase 300 iPads for Employees

Microsoft announced the purchase of 300 Apple iPads for some of their employees in a move that shocked the world, 31st March.

The Redmond-based company had been very strict about its employees using rival products, especially those from Apple, whose iPods and iPhones became the newest must-have gadgets of the century.

Employees are instead encouraged to use a Windows Mobile-based handset. A Microsoft-branded media player called Zune also gave Microsoft employees no excuse to resort to iPods. Founder Bill Gates even went as far as banning his family from using any Apple products.

But all that is about to change. Although Microsoft have been working on a tablet of their own, christened the "Courier", which (among other innovations) features two touchscreens, it seems like their rival's newest internet tablet, due to be released this Saturday, is too irresistible even for them.

"Microsoft had had tight rules when it comes to using rival products. After two decades, it is clear that... (we) have lost many talented engineers and programmers to rival companies because of these rules. They are our biggest assets in the company -- we need them happy to keep them," Li Beipian, a spokesperson for Microsoft commented, Wednesday.

"We did strong in the 90s. We hope for the best but expect the worst."

Despite Microsoft's revolutionary Windows Operating Systems, the company have lost significant market share in recent years. Windows Vista was badly received and its browser, Windows Internet Explorer is steadily losing its position as the world's favourite to Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, especially after European Internet Explorer users start seeing the browser ballot screen, which allows them to download alternative browsers easily. Google's announcement of their own Operating System, Chrome OS, further put Microsoft's future into question.

According to Microsoft, some of the employees receiving the iPads are working on the Microsoft Courier tablet itself. When asked whether this increases the risk of implementing patented features of the iPad to the Courier, Li said it "actually reduces it, as developers with iPads are more aware of the features of the iPad than those who don't".

One of the employees who is on the receiving list of Apple's newest gadget commented, "This has never happened in Microsoft before. It is certainly a signal of a significant turning point in the company's history. With any luck, this move may help us outdo the iPad with our Courier."

The WiFi version of the Apple iPad will be available in selected countries this Saturday, while 3G versions will be rolled out later this month.

Source

Cmc: Floppy Disks

Fact 1: You would need a crate to contain Windows 7 if it came in 3.5" floppy disks. The crate would measure about 0.5m on all three dimensions.

Fact 2: Getting a version of Windows without Internet Explorer bundled would save you some 10 diskettes or so.

Fact 3: Assuming a maximum reading speed of 1Mbps (125kBps, typical maximum speed of 3.5" floppies) and 0 diskette-changing time, one would need about 9 hours to install a 3.5" Floppy copy of Windows 7 on a computer.

How We Changed Technology

And how technology changed us.

Ambigrams! 3

Note: High resolution images of some of the following photos are available. These photos are marked with [HiRes] tags in their captions. Click on the photos to view their higher resolution images.

Didn't expect to see another ambigram from me after my last one? Well not me, but I surely didn't see one coming so soon.

My last ambigram described in that post is this.

[HiRes] The last ambigram, featured in Ambigrams! 2 post.

I was so pleased with this ambigram that I edited it further.

[HiRes] Version 2. Notice the redid halo.

Even after reaching V2, I was still interested in pushing GIMP a little further. This is the result.

[HiRes] Version 2.1, my current Linux wallpaper. It's called "desktop background" instead of wallpaper in GNOME, actually.

And I was finally satisfied.

But less than a week after that, I designed yet another ambigram. I volunteered to design an emblem (or banner) for my team in a game called Utopia, and one day, when I was bored in class (again), I started doodling our team name.

[HiRes] The first draft. Note how I tried to match the different letters of the two words on the top left corner, and the designs I considered for the final letter (e upright, s reflected).

I originally designed it curved, but immediately realised the challenge in mirroring a curved surface using a computer (I normally snap a photo of my designs to digitise them). I then redrew the design, this time straight. I could simply reflect the ambigram before curving it digitally, if at all.

[HiRes] The many drafts after the first.

As mentioned, I normally take a photo of the drafts and do fine editing with GIMP. But the whole process took too long that night and I got fed up. The result wasn't too satisfying too. This obviously isn't the professional way of doing it -- painting with brush and paper is simply easier than pixel-by-pixel editing. I knew I had to try something else.

So I stripped the entire design down to consist only of horizontal and vertical lines, curves (all of a single common radius), and one single diagonal, shown at the bottom right of the picture above. I then digitally drew a long horizontal line, a vertical line, and a single curve, which were easy. Then, referring to my draft, I copied the lines and curve, pasted them, and arranged them into a digital version of the ambigram. For the diagonal, I simply copied a horizontal and rotated it.

Not long after that, this came out.

[HiRes] Version 1.

I wasn't really happy with it that night. I thought the words were illegible, the design too digital and the lines too solid. But until I obtain the required skills and tools to produce more professional-looking ambigrams, this may be the best I could do. I posted it to Flickr and informed my team mates about it and went to bed.

The next day, I received feedback from my team mates -- while they weren't exactly crazy about it, they accepted it more readily than I did. After taking another look at V1, I changed my view on the design. It wasn't so bad after all -- all of the letters were quite convincingly transformed, even the harder ones (except perhaps the first L of the second word), and both words can be read quite effortlessly. The reflection was simple, but iPhone-ish classy. They were reasonably long words, and I didn't have a say on them (someone else decided on them) which made the achievement even greater.

I then gave it a makeover, coming up with several different images with slight tweaks.

[HiRes] Version 1.01. By skewing the reflection, I turned it into shadow instead.


[HiRes] Version 1.02. Gave it a white second layer because I thought the text of V1.01 was a little hard to read.


[HiRes] Version 1.03. Toggled the colours of the front and back layers for more contrast.

And finally, I can rest my pen (or mouse, more like), for V1.02 and V1.03 look real good for my standards. So good that if it were designed by someone else my age, I would have seen him as a genius.

Version 1.02 in the Utopia game.

OK, I don't see myself publishing new ambigrams again, at least for the next couple of months.

Or so I think for now.

Ambigrams! 2

Note: High resolution images of some of the following photos are available. These photos are marked with [HiRes] tags in their captions. Click on the photos to view their higher resolution images.

I designed a few ambigrams when I first came to UK.

I no longer create ambigrams, but there happened to be one more ambigram I'm particularly fond of which was designed after the Ambigrams post in September 2009.

[HiRes] The first draft. The bottom half is the flipped image of the top.

This is the first draft of the ambigram. I was very satisfied with it, despite the fact that, being hand-drawn, the left and right halves aren't exactly mirror-match of each other.

I then drew another one, featured on the letter I sent home to mum.

Second draft. This appeared on the letter I sent home to mum in October. Notice the grid lines I drew to help achieve better match between the two halves.

This photo was taken before it was done. However, I never got to finish my work -- my marker pen inconveniently ran out of ink. In the end, mum had to get my unevenly shaded version of the ambigram, which is worse than the second draft.

Then I took the second draft and edited it in GIMP, the open-source photo-editing software.

[HiRes] Final version of the ambigram. Derived from the second draft. Slightly shorter and fatter, however, to make horizontal strokes thinner.

I assure you that this version is completely symmetrical -- I only redid the left half, which is then copied, flipped, and overlapped with the right. Only the words "FLIP" and the big red seal weren't mirrored.

Funnily enough, editing the ambigram with GIMP took much more time than designing the ambigram itself. And, Beyonce's Halo was playing when I was tinting the golden circlet.

Whether you like (or even able to see what word it is at all) the ambigram, I don't care. It is my favourite so far, and I've rarely spent this much time with any single piece of artwork other than Chinese calligraphy.

If you do like it, thanks very much! If you don't, well, at least you know you can expect few more (if at all) from me anymore.

PS. This image is currently my desktop background.

Richard Clayderman

Richard Clayderman has always been my favourite (music) artist, since I was a wee little boy.

For those who don't know him, he's a French easy-listening pianist. His CDs were the first original Audio CDs I bought with my own pocket money. And I didn't just buy one, I bought a whole bunch of them!

One thing I like about Richard Clayderman is the way he took me around the world. He played hundreds and hundreds of songs of different genres -- classical, blues, jazz, pop, you name it, he's got it.

However, one word of warning -- he has his own ways of interpreting the songs he plays! You'll be surprised to find your childish nursery rhymes turned into romantic ballets in Richard Clayderman's hands.

I love his songs so much he gave me quite a bit of influence in my musical education. When I was younger, I enjoyed playing his songs by ear (it is hard to find scores) on the piano. Last year, I played his version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town and uploaded it to Youtube for Christmas. But don't judge Richard Clayderman based on my playing -- let me remind you again that rocks, and I suck!

So naturally, when I was tagged to answer a few questions (understatement, eh?) with song titles from just ONE artist, I instantly chose Richard Clayderman.

Answering them won't be easy though. I have more than 300 of his songs in my playlist and looking for the cheekiest answer can be rather challenging. And I'm not supposed to repeat an answer!

And here goes the questions, enjoy! Or not.

---

Pick your artist
- Richard Clayderman

Are you male or female?
- A Man After Midnight

Describe yourself
- Blue Eyes (yeah, right!)

How do you feel about yourself?
- Over the Rainbow

Describe where you currently live
- Vivaldi's Four Seasons

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
- Waterloo

Your favourite form of transportation
- My Way

Your best friend is
- Money, Money, Money (haha, not really true, but not bad!)

Your favourite colour is
- Love is Blue

What's the weather like?
- Yesterday

Favourite time of the day?
- Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called?
- I Have A Dream (just one?)

What is life to you?
- Another Day in Paradise

What is the best advice you have to give?
- Take That Look Off Your Face (I wanted to write Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, but that's the same song as A Man After Midnight, my answer to the second question)

If you could change your name, what would it be?
- Prince of the Rising Sun

Your favourite food is
- People (cannibal!)

Thought for the day
- We Are The World

How would you like to die?
- All By Myself

Your soul's present condition?
- Sea of Tears (whoa, that bad?)

Your motto?
- The Winner Takes It All

---

That's it! I'm not tagging anyone, but feel free to answer these questions if you like.

Richard Clayderman FTW!!!

Ambigrams!

Note: higher resolution copies of the following pictures are available by clicking on them.

An ambigram is a typographical design or artform that may be read as one or more words not only in its form as presented, but also from another viewpoint, direction, or orientation.

Ambigram. (2009, September 25). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 00:33, September 25, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ambigram&oldid=316030198

I started school recently. And got bored in class. So I drew these ambigrams that can be read upside down.

I started off with a simple three-letter-word -- ENG. It turned out quite well!

The bottom half's a 180 degrees rotated copy of the top.

Then I tried to make one of my name. The ENQ turned out quite well, but the W and I are disastrous.

Then I tried a longer word -- engineering. It wasn't real good, but I am quite happy with it.

I then tried my name again, this time my family name.

And again.

I have to say, they look more like alien writings to me.

My final ambigram (as of today) is of the word "pointed".

Looks more like "painted", huh?

The lesson of the day? STOP DOODLING AND CONCENTRATE IN CLASS.

PS: If you're interested in ambigrams, take a look at Robert Petrick's designs.

Cmc: Jedi Sword-Swallowing

Obviously the light sabre can't replace the sword in every occassion.

Cmc: Spyder - Male Black Widow

Sometimes when I get bored during lectures, I tend to scribble and doodle on my notes. Let me show you one of my doodles.

Your life, or me? You know you can't have both!

Thank goodness I'm human! I get to have both!

Became a fan of stick figures, thanks to xkcd.com! Did this lousy pic in less than 30 secs