//Sub/Corpus Blog

Sears: Now shipping to Maldives ...

2012-02-05T10:50:00.000+05:00

Hello.
Sears is now shipping to Maldives. Its good to see more online shops shipping to Maldives.
I usually shop on Amazon, but not everything on Amazon can be shipped here to Maldives.
I herds Macy's now ships to Maldives, too. Good stuff.
Laterx.

BurstSpeed: Speed when you need it the most ...

2012-01-20T21:02:00.001+05:00

Hello.

Internet has become an integral part of our daily life. We use the internet to consume all sorts of information from catching up on our daily news headlines, connect with our family and friends, listening to music or watch videos.

Though the usage pattern may differ across a wide spectrum, its a given that almost everyone spends a fair amount of time on the internet everyday. While everyone wants the best internet connection with breakneck speeds, most of us settle for the lower home plans with limted speeds and allowances. There is nothing wrong with home plans. I've been using a home plan for several years now and I'm quite happy with it. It has been stable, reliable and quite speedy most of the time.

However, there are times when I wish my internet was a bit faster for at least a few hours. There are certain days when I would be more than happy to pay for higher speed internet. Like the days when I upload lots of photos and videos to share with my family abroad. The days when I'm backing up my files to a cloud-based service, days when I'm downloading an update for my current operating system.

A quick google search showed me that this service does exist in other countries. SpeedBurst, BurstSpeed, TurboBoost, PowerBoost, different internet service provioders call the service different names, for obvoius reasons, but it basically serves the same purpose. It gives you more speed when you need it the most.

A "burstable" internet service is one that allows you buy a certain amount of bandwidth, usually on a prepaid model. In theory, it essentially enables you to utilize higher speeds without paying for the bandwidth you do not use.
It is a service that increases Internet speed temporarily when your online activities require higher speed Internet than usual. This service is cost-saving and supports the heavier usage of Internet. You can request for the extra speed for certain periods from your service provider.

I wish we had a smiliar service in Maldives. I would gladly pay for a such a service. What say you?

Laterx.

The first rule of the Synonyms Club ...

2012-01-19T01:11:00.002+05:00

The very first rule of the Synonyms Club is that you do not in any circumstance talk or,

1. Babble: enthusiastic or excessive talk, or meaningless sounds or nonsense words;
to talk in this manner
2. Back talk: a disrespectful response; to respond disrespectfully
3. Backchat: see back talk, badinage, and gossip
4. Badinage: light, witty talk
5. Banter: see badinage, with a connotation of good-natured teasing or arguing; to engage in such talk
6. Barb: a hurtful and/or critical comment
7. Blandish: see cajole
8. Blandishments: see cajolery/cajolement
9. Blarney: nonsensical talk
10. Bluster: boastful or threatening talk; to speak boastfully or threateningly
11. Cackle: see chatter (verb only)
12. Cajole: to persuade with soothing or flattering remarks
13. Cajolery: talk with the intent to persuade
14. Cajolement: act pertaining to cajolery
15. Causerie: see chat (noun only)
16. Chaff: see badinage; also, to tease good-naturedly
17. Chat: an idle or inconsequential conversation; to engage in such talk
18. Chatter: quick, extensive, and/or aimless talk; to talk in such a manner
19. Chin music: see chat (noun only)
20. Chinwag: informal talking; to talk informally
21. Chitchat: see badinage
22. Circumlocution: evasive or verbose talk
23. Comment: an opinion or observation; to say something of this type
24. Confab: see chat (also, a formal meeting)
25. Confabulation: see chat and confab (also, something made up)
26. Confer: to exchange opinions or seek advice
27. Conference: a meeting, or an event consisting of presentations and/or meetings
28. Confess: to admit to a thought or action considered improper or shameful
29. Conversation: a talk between or among two or more people
30. Converse: to speak back and forth with one or more people
31. Crack: an uncomplimentary comment; also, to quickly say something, as when spontaneously telling a joke pertinent to a situation
32. Dig: see crack
33. Discuss: to engage in serious talk
34. Discussion: a serious talk
35. Dish: see gossip
36. Double-talk: intentionally confusing or ambiguous language, or talk that is at least partially meaningless; to engage in such talk
37. Fast-talk: to persuade or influence by deceptively authoritative and/or flattering speech
38. Flibbertigibbet: see gossip
39. Gab: see chatter
40. Gabfest: talking consisting of gab
41. Give-and-take: an exchange of ideas or comments
42. Gossip: see chat, with an additional connotation of talk or talking about the personal lives of one or more other people (also, someone who engages in such talk)
43. Jangle: see chat
44. Jaw: see chat
45. Jest: a humorous or mocking statement; to make such a statement
46. Natter: see chat
47. Negotiate: to talk in order to reach an agreement
48. Negotiation: a talk in which the speakers seek to reach an agreement
49. Palaver: a discussion or conference, especially one between unequal participants, or deceptive speech, or see chat; to talk idly, try to persuade or deceive, or come to terms
50. Parley: see confer, with the possible connotation of talk between antagonists to agree to terms to cease hostilities; to engage in such talk
51. Patter: quick or monotonous speech, as in delivering a humorous speech or in rote delivery of prayers; to speak in this manner
52. Pillow talk: romantic talk, such as would be engaged in while the speakers are in bed
53. Pleasantry: polite, inconsequential talk, or see banter and jest (nouns only)
54. Quip: a spontaneous observation or response; to say something of this type
55. Raillery: see banter and jest
56. Rap: see chat and patter
57. Recital: public delivery of read or memorized material, or of details or answers
58. Recitation: an official or ceremonious recital
59. Recite: to deliver read or memorized material, or details or answers
60. Remark: a statement of judgment or opinion, or a reference to something notable; to comment in this manner
61. Repartee: an exchange of clever, witty statements, a single such response, or skill in talking in this manner
62. Schmooze: see chat, with the connotation of one conducted so as to gain personal or professional advantage; to talk in this manner
63. Small talk: see badinage
64. Spit: to talk about things or opinions a listener disagrees with or disapproves of
65. Straight talk: frank, straightforward talk
66. Sweet nothings: flattering talk intended to charm a potential or existing romantic partner
67. Sweet talk: talk intended to persuade, or to endear oneself to the speaker; to engage in this kind of talk (the verb form is hyphenated)
68. Table talk: informal talking such as that heard during a dinner party
69. Tete-a-tete: an intimate or private talk
70. Waggery: see banter and jest
71. Wisecrack: a clever or sarcastic comment; to make such a comment
72. Wordplay: witty, playful talk
73. Yack: to talk at length
74. Yammer: to talk relentlessly, or to complain
75. Yap: excessive talk

about the Synonyms Club. There is no second rule!

Wataniya: Please fix your mobile internet ...

2012-01-14T06:54:00.000+05:00

Hello.

Here in Maldives, none of the telecom companies offer an unlimited mobile data plan, unless you buy a blackberry from Wataniya, which in essence is not a very attractive deal as it is for most people.

As most telecom companies around the world, both Dhiraagu and Wataniya offer tiered rather than unlimited mobile data plans.

I used to subscribe to Wataniya MobileNet 149. I paid MRF 149/- each month for 60MB of data. When Dhiraagu introduced their GB Pack for MRF 160/- per month, Wataniya scrambled to offer a similar (or a better) deal, and around a month later launched their MobileNet 159 package. I was to pay MRF 159 for 1.1GB of data each month. That sounded like a good deal to me, only MRF 10/- more to get about 18 times more mobile data than I used to. I jumped onboard and subscribed to this new package the very first day.

The first few weeks were good. Wataniya mobile net almost always worked. However, few months in, I started getting disconnected quite often and had trouble re-connecting. Now its worse. You have to be lucky if you could even connect to the internet in the daytime in general and especially in the working hours. It still works as used to to if you try in the early mornings. Very early morning, like around 3am to 7am.

I'm not the type who abuses a service. Surely, not the services provided by my Telcom. I have been with Wataniya for around 3 years now. I pay my bells on time. I've never activated my free numbers, nor have I activated my friends and family discount numbers. I have never fully used my 1.1GB allowance. Not once. I'm almost always around the 400MB mark. Since I can't use mobile data as I want to, I've been using WiFi most of the time. This defeats the purpose of actually subscribing to a mobile internet package.

Also, I've been having trouble sending and receiving text messages from Australia. I've called up Wataniya and brought this matter to their attention several times. Its been more than a year since I filed an official complain with them, and I've called them numerous since then to remind them about it. The matter is yet to be resolved. This is bad!

I'm seriously thinking to switch back to Dhiraagu. The only thing that's holding me back is Wataniya offers an a very good IDD add-on. If Dhiraagu offers such an IDD add-on, I'll switch to Dhiraagu in a heartbeat. There is only so much one can do to support the underdog!

Wataniya, Whatever you are doing wrong, fix it, and be quick about it.

Laterx.

USPS: Delivery time to Maldives ...

2012-01-09T09:37:00.001+05:00

Hello.

I've been ordering some stuff from Unites States lately. Every time I tell someone that I've placed an order, they ask me about the shipping methods I go with and delivery time frame.

Since shipping charges will very much depend on what you order and shipping weight, the delivery time remains almost the same for most of my orders. I do not use Fedex or DHL. I use the cheapest shipping available, that is United States Postal Service.

I mostly shop on Amazon.com but I'm sure most of the online shops would let you choose if you want USPS Express Mail service, or the standard Priority Mail International Parcels. I have tried out both of them and I share the details below:

Service Type: USPS Express Mail International Parcels

Delivered, November 28, 2011, 1:59 pm, MALDIVES
Addressee not available - Will attempt delivery on next working day, November 27, 2011, 3:45 pm, MALE, MALDIVES
Arrival at Post Office, November 27, 2011, 1:29 pm, MALDIVES
Customs clearance processing complete, November 27, 2011, 1:25 pm, MALDIVES
Customs Clearance, November 27, 2011, 1:18 pm, MALDIVES
Processed Through Sort Facility, November 27, 2011, 11:15 am, MALDIVES
Processed Through Sort Facility, November 23, 2011, 11:16 pm, ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)
Arrived at Sort Facility, November 23, 2011, 11:15 pm, ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)
Shipment Accepted, November 22, 2011, 8:53 pm, BROOKLYN, NY 11256
Electronic Shipping Info Received, November 22, 2011

Service Type: USPS Priority Mail International Parcels

Delivered, January 8, 2012, 10:59 am, MALDIVES
Addressee not available - Will attempt delivery on next working day, January 05, 2012, 9:59 am, MALDIVES
Arrival at Post Office, January 04, 2012, 10:23 am, MALDIVES
Customs clearance processing complete, January 04, 2012, 10:23 am, MALDIVES
Customs Clearance, January 04, 2012, 10:21 am, MALDIVES
Processed Through Sort Facility, January 04, 2012, 10:20 am, MALDIVES
Processed Through Sort Facility, December 29, 2011, 6:10 am, FOREIGN CENTERJERSEY CITY NJ 099
Arrived at Sort Facility, December 29, 2011, 6:09 am, FOREIGN CENTERJERSEY CITY NJ 099
Depart USPS Sort Facility, December 14, 2011, KEARNY, NJ 07032
Processed through USPS Sort Facility, December 14, 2011, 5:53 am, KEARNY, NJ 07032
Accepted at USPS Origin Sort Facility, December 14, 2011, 2:56 am, POUGHKEEPSIE, NY 12603
Accepted at USPS Origin Sort Facility, December 14, 2011, 2:55 am, POUGHKEEPSIE, NY 12603
Electronic Shipping Info Received, December 14, 2011

Express Mail costs only around USD 5/- more than Priority Mail but as you can see above, it is way more faster.

Hope this help you make an informed decision when choosing a shipping method for your orders from the United States to Maldives. Needless to say, these details are for shipments for myself in recent months. Your mileage may vary, but I guess, not by much.

Laterx.

Facebook Groups: Seriously ... WTF ???

2012-01-06T22:12:00.000+05:00

Hello.

I have been on Facebook for a long time. I might not be as active as some of my friends, but I do maintain an active account nevertheless.

I have always had issues with Facebook. This is a not a Facebook bashing post. I have done it enough on Twitter as I went along. I'm sure you've heard some of the horror stories.

Facebook isn't all that bad, they do good things sometimes. If I really think hard for a few minutes, maybe I can think of something good to say about Facebook.

When Google+ arrived without much fanfare, Facebook scrambled to give the controls over to the users and they did roll out some cool features. I like Google+ and I think Facebook did too little too late.

Anyways, the problem I'm having now is with Facebook groups. I have searched around in the account settings and privacy settings, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to stop people from adding me to groups. Most of these groups are stupid and I want no part of it. You know you have come across a few groups like that too, right?

We All Support "X" as (Upper North Province) President:
I may even support this guy, but I'm not from that area and I can't vote for him even if I wanted to.

I bet I can find 1,000,000 people who hate Manchester United:
I bet you can, but I'm not one of them. I am just indifferent about soccer on TV.

World of 7-Billion:
I know. So what can I do? I don't think it something I want to celebrate. Leave me out. Thank you.

Various Dhivehi island/atoll news website groups:
So you slapped on -live behind your island name and made a local news website? Good for you. Well I don't want to read it, and I definitely dont want to be on a Facebook group promoting your hatred, one way or the other!

Free The Kimboo:
This may be the first ever Maldivian group I was invited to. I was invited by primary0. I think every social network thereafter had some group or petition to free the Kimboo. On second thought, I think I'll stay in this group just for the heck of it.

After a little Googling, I found out that I actually have no control whatsoever on who adds me to groups or what groups I'm added to. If I don't want to be in a group, my only option is to go to that group and manually leave the group. This is infuriatingly stupid!

Talk about Facebbok and giving users the control of their content and delivery. Sucks!

Laterx.

Earthrise: It is unimaginably beautiful ...

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000+05:00

Hello.

I don't really know where I got this picture from, but it has been sitting on my Desktop for a long time.

I think this is an absolutely awesome picture. I admit that perspective may be a little bit distorted, but if a picture could ever convey a message, this picture sure does! For me, it conveys a powerful, expansive and a beautiful message.

This one image says so much about us as a species, us humans, about our ambitious ideas, long journeys, successful endeavors, proud achievements and accomplishments.

It also tells a lot about our hunger for knowledge, ability to learn about the unknown and how little we know about our selves and our yet undiscovered universe.

I hope we will keep looking. I hope we will adapt. I hope we never quit!

Laterx.

NetworkedBlogs: Syndications errors …

2012-01-03T11:00:00.000+05:00

Hello.

I've been using NetworkedBlogs to syndicate posts on this blog to Facebook and Twitter. I set it up about a year ago I think. It has been working just fine up until last week.

I don't know what went wrong, but I've been receiving syndication failure notification emails from NetworkedBlogs. This happens with almost every other post on this blog. Some posts get through just fine. That makes me think that I've actually not messed up the feed settings and am thinking it could be a something went wrong on their side.

When I visit NetworkedBlogs and go to syndication page, it tells me:

Authentication error blocked publishing recent posts!
This error is resolved now, and future posts will publish as usual. It's listed for reference only. No further action required.
When you change your Facebook password or permissions settings, Facebook may revoke publishing permissions, which causes syndication to stop. Visiting this page renews these permissions, so you're all set. This error message will disappear after the next post gets published successfully.

But surely it didn't get resolved, and my posts are not being published successfully.

Has anyone of you been experiencing this with NetworkedBlogs lately? Did you manage to fix it? If so, please let me know. Thanks.

Laterx.

Wall ad for a bespoke tailory ...

2012-01-01T14:27:00.001+05:00

Found this advertisement near the SinaMalé flats.
Heard that many women are setting up their own businesses these days.
Am told there are loan schemes targeted only at businesswomen.
I think this is great. The days of stay home wives are over?
Maybe not, but things are looking better.

Malé.
Maldives.

Good bye 2011! Hello 2012 ...

2011-12-31T15:39:00.000+05:00

"What can be said in New Year rhymes,
That's not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go,
We know we dream, we dream we know.
We rise up laughing with the light,
We lie down weeping with the night.
We hug the world until it stings,
We curse it then and sigh for wings.
We live, we love, we woo, we wed,
We wreathe our prides, we sheet our dead.
We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,
And that's the burden of a year."

May happy times and warm memories brighten your new year.
Have a great year. Happy New Year.

Before the walls came down ...

2011-12-30T15:43:00.000+05:00

This is the entrance to Maafannu ward cemetery.
The walls came down to about halfway earlier this year.
They said our youngsters were using the compound for doing illegal stuff.
And that they were disturbing the dead. And not showing respect.
Well, now that the walls have come down, lets see how that goes.
I'm skeptical, but I do hope it goes better.

Malé,
Maldives!

The yellow crane ...

2011-12-28T11:00:00.000+05:00

Saw this noisy machine passing by my house.
This is the view from my third floor balcony. Its pretty big!
Could not capture as much detail as I wanted to. Should try harder.

Malé,
Maldives.

Budget.mv: This is beyond stupid !!!

2011-12-25T12:00:00.000+05:00

Hello.

Why does our National Budget website have a section to create your own avatar using 31 programme budget icons? I have no vague idea!

I can understand if this was on a private or a commercial website marketing a product or a brand. I might even understand this on Tourism Portal website using unique Maldivian icons to make an avatar which might appeal to a foreign visitor.

I don't know about everyone on the internet, but I would usually visit a government website when I need to look up current and accurate information or when I need historical data for a research project. I visited the Ministry of Finance website to have a look at our National Budget. I wanted to see how much the projected national revenue was and how it has been sliced to be spend on health, education, transport and infrastructure projects among others.

While looking at the budget, I did find some ambitious projects while huge sums of money have a been allocated to highly controversial and still hotly debated projects. I guess that will always be the very nature of every annual national budget of any given country.

However, during no time that I spent on that website did I have the slightest inclination to upload my photo and make an avatar to use on any social network. I don't really know where to begin to tell someone how inappropriate this is. I think its highly unprofessional for an official government website.

But thats just me, your mileage may vary. So, go ahead, give it a shot if you so want. In the mean time I'll visit the Health Ministry website and try to find an online game you can play while you wait for them to activate our free health insurance!

Laterx.

Marsh land in Kulhudhuffushi ...

2011-12-24T14:30:00.000+05:00

Some say its marsh land. Some say its a body of water. Some say its fresh water, others say its brackish water. Whatever they say, This is a beautiful place. I went there one afternoon and it was very peaceful. A must visit if you are in the area.

H.Dh. Kulhudhuffushi,

Maldives

Abandoned: Back to nature ...

2011-12-23T15:09:00.000+05:00

From where I come, I will return.
Just a stone's throw away from the last house on the main road, an old abandoned truck is being claimed back by nature. Half of it has already gone! I'm told this is one of the first trucks to be brought on to the island for the harbor project.
I wanted to do an HDR of this, but I didn't get enough time set up a tripod and take multiple shots. I should have! Next time, maybe.

H. Dh. Kulhudhuffushi,
Maldives.

Children's park at Kulhudhuffushi ...

2011-12-22T11:53:00.002+05:00

Children playing in an elevated play house at a small children's park.
Malé needs to get more of these children parks soon. We need them more than ever now.

H. Dh. Kulhudhuffushi
Maldives.

iTunes: Thanks for the free stuff …

2011-12-13T05:54:00.000+05:00

Hello.

I have said it before and I'll say it again. I am not crazy about iTunes. Its one of the most unresponsive piece of software I use on my Mac. Maybe, I'm not using it right, maybe I'm not using it enough, I don't know. But that doesn't mean I won't use iTunes, I will. Especially when they give me free music, videos, apps and more.

I don't exactly know when I started checking out the free stuff they offer on iTunes, but I'll tell you this; some of the songs and stuff iTunes offers for free are really good. Free is not always crappy.

Problem is, they keep the free stuff up for a limited time only. Mostly, a week or so. After that, you got to pay for it.

So its important that you check iTunes regularly for free stuff. Thats easier said than done. However, I did find some blogs that help you find free stuff on iTunes. They keep their blogs updated with all the latest offers in all iTunes markets. They all pretty much have the same information, so subscribing to one of them would probably get you all you need.

Here are the links to those blogs:
Free iTunes Donwnloads
iT’S Free Downloads
US iTunes Free Downloads

Also, if you are in dire need to update your music collection, check out SPIN magazine. They come out with free playlists on iTunes about once a month, I think its called the LSTN series. Just head over to SPIN website and grab the code. Make sure you redeem it and download the playlist from iTunes before it expires at the end of each month.

If you know or use anything free like SPIN playlists to get your music, please do let me know in the comments. I would like to check them out. Free is always good!

Enjoy your music.

Laterx.

The Dark Knight Rises: The legend ends ...

2011-12-11T11:10:00.001+05:00

Looks great!
Goosebumps!
Stoked!
In the meantime, enjoy the wallpaper.

Sin tax: Heavily taxing our smokes ...

2011-12-10T11:20:00.000+05:00

Hello.

Rant mode: ON

Cigarette prices have increased dramatically over the past week. Today I paid more than double the price last week for a pack of Camel Blue. Yep, no more Camel Lights!

Smoking is injurious to health. Though there is a continuous debate about the risks of passive second hand smoke, the general consensus among us all is that cigarette smoking puts you and other around you at risk. I believe so too.

There is absolutely no doubt, cigarette smoking is a prominent public health concern in the Maldives, especially with almost 50% prevalence rate in youth demographic. Health Ministry officials must be planning and working on clever ways to deter smokers, or so I assume. I assume, because I've not seen many anti-smoking campaigns in the country. Except to periodically increase excise tax of cigarettes.

It seems our government is on a tax spree these days. They are taxing anything and everything, so there is no reason why cigarettes should not be taxed, especially when tax money is used to build, run and maintain public services — including health facilities. Sin tax for the betterment of the country? Sure!

Simply put, if you are responsible for paying the hospital bills (read: Madhana, national insurance plan) for a group of people, you will want them to refrain from damaging their health. That is a no brainer. Though some people advocate that the government should not try to be the moral compass for smokers, I personally believe that, the government has every right to help the citizens stay healthy.

However, I vehemently disagree with the method employed by the government to curb cigarette smoking. Doubling or tripling excise taxes and thus exponentially increasing the retail price of cigarettes feels lot less like a Government initiative to discourage smoking but more like a callous effort to balance the national budget.

This is the Government we are talking about and I don't suppose we need to tell them that cigarettes are addictive in nature and that addiction plays an important role in the decision making and purchasing process of smokers. Any regulation that limits smoking or freedom of smokers will be met by stark criticism.

Every society on this planet has its vice. Maldives being a muslim country, the only legal vice we can afford to indulge in is smoking. Drastic changes in prices of an addictive product like cigarettes may actually have unintended consequences. Off the top of my head, here is what comes to mind.

Craving will triumph price. It won't reduce the number of smokers. Smoking is addictive. Price elasticity of demand does not apply to cigarettes. An increase in cigarette prices has had nil to little impact in consumption. Cigarettes remain price inelastic. A price increase has never diminished the number of smokers in a community. However, there is some indication that it may deter potential smokers who light up for the first time. This is the only group of people who will respond to a price increase.

Cheap cigarettes will flourish. This may actually make people smoke more. We all want to smoke fresh top brand cigarettes but when you can't afford the premium, you settle for cheap sub-standard products. Used to smoke Camel Lights? Now you will smoke Lucky Strike from Sri Lanka, Dunhill from Indonesia and Marlboro from China. Cheap cigarettes will flood the market. This will again put existing smokers at more risk. Not good.

Smuggled and contraband cigarettes. Cheap cigarettes for everyone and a decrease in government revenue. If there is enough demand for a product or service, someone will surface somewhere to provide just that. When onerous taxes are levied on cigarettes it will induce smuggling and open up the market for illicit traders to cater for consumer demand for cheaper cigarettes. This will push the trade underground and off the books. Total tax-paid industry volume of cigarettes may decrease. Not good.

Increase in crime rate and corruption. If you can't afford to feed your addiction, you are bound to make hasty decisions which might involve participating in illegal activities. Criminal networks that specialize in cigarette smuggling and street vending operate more comfortably in small countries with high cigarette tax but lack proper monitoring controls. Also, the level of tobacco smuggling tends to rise with the degree of corruption in a country. Naturally.

If the rationale of this sudden increase in excise tax is to reduce smoking amongst the population, that is a sadly misinformed and unfortunate decision. Personally, I think the only way to significantly reduce cigarette consumption in the country is through early preventive education starting from childhood. Price alone won't change anything, not with smokers.

The average politician may think that a staggering price increase may make Maldives slowly and diffidently quit smoking. I think not, it will just make us go more broke!

That enough ranting. Now I need a Dunhill Light.

Rant mode: OFF

Laterx.

Desktopography: Got some good stuff ...

2011-12-06T23:44:00.001+05:00

Hello.

It goes without saying that these days, one has to spend a lot of time in front of a computer. Be it work, play or both.

I spend a few hours on my laptop everyday and I have this bad habit of saving my current and no so current projects on my Desktop. As it happens, I get to stare at my Desktop more than I want to. I never could break the habit of organizing my Desktop files, but did manage to pick up on changing my Desktop wallpaper in a desperate effort to make my Desktop look better.

I know people who are obsessed to change their Desktop backgrounds everyday. Hell, I know people who use special programs to automatically download and change their Desktop backgrounds everyday. I am much too lazy. I don't change my backgrounds months on end.

The picture you see here is the current Desktop background on my laptop. Got it free from Desktopography.

I went from Landscapes to Gothic to semi-nude girls. Movie posters to pictures I took while out and about to default OS X Backgrounds. Having a liking to dark abstract these months.

What does your background look like and where did you get it from?

Laterx.

A creative writing workshop with Ashok Ferrey ...

2011-11-30T17:54:00.001+05:00

Hello.

About a week ago, I attended a one-day creative writing workshop organized by National Center for Arts of Maldives and Open Mind Workshops based out of Colombo. The workshop was hosted by Mr. Ashok Ferrey, one of the best English Language writers in Sri Lanka. He has three published books and is about to publish his fourth.

I was not supposed to be attending the workshop. I wasn't the least bit stoked about attending a lecture where almost everyone in the seminar hall could write circles around any tripe I could ever write.

I just went there in the morning to help out my friend Simon in arranging the whole thing. When Simon asked me to join in for a few minutes and listen to what this Ashok guy had to say, I reluctantly sat down hoping I could sneak out unnoticed when the attendees break out for morning tea. I was sleepy and I wanted to go home!

Ashok started the workshop informing us that he is old fashioned and that he would not have any slide shows or visuals up on any screens and he'd just use pen and paper. I chuckled silently at this and started mentally planning the shortest and safest route to the exit.

Half hour in to the lecture, after the introductions, Ashok started talking about and pointing out things that I didn't even know I did when I sat down to write something. Ashok had some insights about all the stages of the lengthly process of writing and he patiently dumbed it down and shared it with us. I was hooked.

He talked about professional writing techniques. How to tap in the the inner voices in our heads, how to control it and turn it on and off on demand. He told us it is a trick that every writer should try to master, and that some would master it sooner than others. I'm sure I'll be the last person to master this, if I ever do. Perhaps because listening to voices inside your head and trying to interact with them is, in my book, a good working definition for insanity. With a febrile imagination like mine, I'd definitely try this technique very carefully.

Ashok went on to explain how we should properly plan out our writing, how we should write something, bury it, and return to work on it after a few days. Ashok explained to us how we should break down our work to short manageable paragraphs, how we should try and describe people without using adjectives and how we should try to limit the commas we use in our writing because they have a tendency to slow the reader down.

I really enjoyed the workshop. After the Q&A session towards the end of the day, I stood in line to purchase his books. I picked up Colpetty People and The Good Little Ceylonese Girl, both collections of short stories. I also stood in line to get Ashok to autograph my books. It was a good day and I was one the last to leave seminar hall. I had an enlightening and fun time!

A well planned and well executed creative writing workshop can elevate your work exponentially. You can take away a lot from these kinds of workshops to help you improve your writing skills. I'd definitely recommend any of Ashok's workshop to any of my friends who wants to improve their writing. Be it journalism, magazine articles, business letters or novels.

If you think I've become slightly better at getting my point across to you in this blog, all thanks to Ashok. If not, I must have dozed off in class again. I really need to stop doing that.

Laterx.

PS: Ashok Ferrey is a pseudonym.

Ordered: KODAK PLAYSPORT Zx5 video camera ...

2011-11-28T23:44:00.001+05:00

Hello.

So it has been a few months since I've been thinking about getting myself a small video camera. Not a big HandyCam type, but the small home movie type.

I have been researching this for a bit now and it seems there are only three good options available to me for the amount of money that I want to spend. The GoPro series, the Flip Series and the Kodak Zi8. The latter has been in active development and had a few recently upgraded models available.

The GoPro was a bit expensive and was designed for extreme sports and fast action recording. Surprisingly, The Flip wasn't available anywhere and I read somewhere that the company has gone belly up. So, the only real choice for me was the Kodak models.

Kodak has a few models available right now but what I had a good look at was the KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera. It looked good and the specs were nice enough. FULL HD 1080p recording. HD 720p@60fps for fast action recording. Dustproof, shockproof and waterproof down to 10feet. I read a few only reviews, watched a few YouTube videos reviews and I was sold.

So last week I got on the internet and ordered myself the KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera Zx5. I went for the BLACK version. Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals were in full swing. I crashed the party as well and got a steep discount. Good timing I guess.

My camera has shipped and is on the way here now. Can't wait to get my hands on this and shoot some baby videos. Looks like I can do exactly that later this week.

Processed Through Sort Facility, November 23, 2011, 11:16 pm, ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)
Arrived at Sort Facility, November 23, 2011, 11:15 pm, ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS)
Shipment Accepted, November 22, 2011, 8:53 pm, BROOKLYN, NY 11256
Electronic Shipping Info Received, November 22, 2011

Also, I guess now I need to familiarize myself with some video editing software. Come to think of it, I have never even opened up iMovie, ever. Not once.

would appreciate if you could point me in the direction for home video editing. Nothing fancy, just trimming and adding audio tracks and stuff. Thanks.

Laterx.

Sentiments about the concept of liberty ...

2011-11-25T04:46:00.001+05:00

Hello.

Seems America is waking up. This is good. Check out this poem.

In Arlington we lay to rest
our bravest and our very best.
We send our children off to war
defending what we soon ignore.

“You’re free to worship,” so we say.
“But if you’re muslim, go away.”
Is this what they were dying for:
Intolerance, and nothing more?

Must one be christian to obtain
the liberties that we proclaim?
These soldiers died for liberty.
They didn’t die for bigotry.

So look upon this hallowed field,
not only crosses are revealed.
For you’ll see stars and crescents too.
They also sacrificed for you.

In Arlington we lay to rest
our bravest and our very best.
They knew what they were dying for.
It’s something that we can’t ignore.

Words of a soldier, written by Joe G. A 27-year veteran of Strategic Air Command, United States Armed Forces.

Sad to say that sometimes, the converse it true too!

Laterx.

Contemplating Disqus comment system ...

2011-11-23T06:37:00.001+05:00

Hello.

Just a quick note to tell you that, I'm contemplating installing Disqus commenting system on this blog. It seems, Blogger is not showing up comments as it should, there are signing in problems, and I've been told by people on twitter that they have tried commenting on this blog, but the comments just disappear after submission. Well, that is not good. Not good at all!

Disqus seems like a good alternative anti lets you manage comments from multiple blogs in one central location. This is going to be a real time saver. The one killer feature Blogger lacks is the ability to reply to comments from the admin panel. Disqus lets me do this and lot more. Also, I have been hearing a lot of good things about Disqus lately, a lot of high profile people are implementing Disqus commenting system on their blogs. I take this as a good sign, I don't want to make the switch and learn that the service is going away soon.

Disqus is importing all my Blogger comments to its database as I write this post. Check out the blog, see if you like the new commenting area, leave a comment, tell me what you think.

The one caveat I have with Disqus is that, it is trying to do more than what is necessary, too many features, and the commenting area looks a lot busier than what I am used to. Distraction?

Anyway, let us see how it goes.

Laterx.

Dear Google, I'm not in Australia !!!

2011-11-22T08:40:00.001+05:00

Hello.

This started happening recently. Google thinks that I'm in Australia.

Google.com redirects to Google.au instead of Google.mv and this terribly annoying. I don't really know how or why this happening. But I know for a fact that I'm not in Australia. I'm in Maldives.

I tried going to Google.com/ncr and saving my settings, but that doesn't help if I quit and relaunch my browser.

Google says:

Bookmark http://www.google.com/ncr. This is an alternative web address for Google.com that always takes you to Google.com without redirecting you.

Google, you are not detecting my location correctly. Not even close. Please fix this. Thanks.

Laterx.

Camel Blue: Limited Edition Box ...

2011-11-19T01:02:00.001+05:00

Hello.

Shameful exploitative advertising or shrewd corporate schemes. Branded marketing or a nauseating advertising campaign. Whatever they are labeling this, I for one, quite like the new design Camel came up for Camel Lights Cigarette packs! I think its pretty cool!

I hear that the new designs that have hit the local stores have sparked a small controversy. Haters going to hate, but I kind of like the limited-edition pack Camel Blue they are rolling out. I think the design is visually appealing and quite hip. I like it!

I'm not promoting smoking. I am not saying its in any way a healthy choice. All I'm saying is I like what Camel have done with the box.

Anyone know why they rolled out this Limited Edition? Any special occasion we don't know about?

Laterx.

TextEdit: Here’s to the crazy ones ...

2011-11-14T11:51:00.000+05:00

Hello.

I've been on a Mac for several years now and have been using TextEdit as my "go to" word processor. Its simple, clean and quite powerful for normal day to day text editing requirements. At least for me it is.

Few weeks ago, I noticed the TextEdit icon and wondered if there was any actual readable text on the TextEdit icon. I thought it was probably some random unintelligent text made to look like a typical letter. The though has been bugging me since then but I never got around to finding it. Today, I got the chance and did some Googling. What I found was a pleasant surprise.

The Mac OS TextEdit icon contain an actual letter. Not just a letter, but a very nice poem from Apple's "Think Different" advertisement campaign. It reads:

Dear Kate,

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. But they have no respect for status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vivify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things.

Take Care,
John Appleseed

I know John Appleseed is fictitious name akin to John Doe that Apple uses in their advertisements, but who is Kate?

Seems Apple has actually puts some good thought behind their icon designs. Cool, huh?

Laterx.

Shockwave Flash: Why won't you just die?

2011-11-12T19:14:00.001+05:00

Hello.

I used to be a true fan of Opera. However, I now use Google Chrome as my main browser. If Chrome gives me any problems, and only then, would I fire up Safari. I have come to like and depend on Chrome very much.

Recently, Chrome has been giving me some troubles. It becomes unusably slow. I have to quit the application and start all over again. This used to happen when I've been using the browser for a few hours or more. Lately, the problem has been more frequent.

I did some Googling and found out that it what you call a memory leak and Shockwave Flash plug-in is to blame. Now that I've found the culprit, its time for me to again Google how to solve this problem.

I can't just disable flash on my desktop. If I did I wouldn't be able to watch YouTube or any other flash videos on websites, right? Also, isn't flash going to die soon? Aren't we all switching to HTML5 or something? Well, at least thats what I keep hearing.

So, how do you fix this in Chrome? Some help would be appreciated.

Laterx.

The Batmobile: Which one is your favorite ???

2011-11-11T17:27:00.001+05:00

Hello.

The Batmobile. Every kid's dream car. Every man's fantasy ride. You have to admit, it is one smoking cool car!

The Batmobile is the automobile of DC Comics superhero Batman. The car has evolved along with the character from comic books to television and films. Kept in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is a gadget-laden vehicle used by Batman in his crime-fighting activities.

The Batmobile has gone through a lot of changes over the years since I started reading Batman comics when I was kid. One after the other, The Batmobile has progressively become more tough, more high-tech, more sleek, more bad-ass and a lot more weaponized! The latest iteration of the The Batmobile, the Tumbler, looks wicked cool and completely different and unique from any other Batmobile we have ever seen, and we have seen a few over the years in comic books, cartoons, games and live action films.

Here is a picture illustrating the history of The Batmobile. Take your pick!

Everyone has their favorites, and my favorite Batmobile yet is the version Michael Keaton drove in Tim Burton's Batman movie which came out in 1989, That was one good movie and the car was pretty amazing! For me, there has never been a Batmobile to beat this one.

I know that this version looks less tough, less bad-ass, less high-tech, less military, less intimidating, less practical and maybe even less realistic than the current Tumbler Batmobile and I don't really know why I like this better than others. Maybe because it was damn sleek, darkest black and dead silent. All in all, pretty gothic looking and awesome!

What is your favorite Batmobile? Seems, everyone has one!

Laterx.

Found it !!! The answer to life's problems …

2011-11-09T22:51:00.001+05:00

Hello.

Vicks VapoRub. This medicine, this ointment, this is the stuff that cures everything. I mean everything. I shit you not!

I'm sure you've used it for something when you were a kid. I am sure it was passed down to you by your parents. I'm sure they would've told you that it worked miracles. I'm almost certain that you would've agreed.

When I was a kid, Vicks VapoRub was used to as cold medicine, cough medicine, for headaches, body pain and all other life's ailments. Whatever was wrong with us physically, the solution was always Vicks VapoRub. It was like a little magic formula. It may not cure anything, but we sure felt that it does! So, smelt it, sniffed it, rubbed it and sometimes, even ate it.

Every household had it. It was like they never ran out of Vicks VapoRub at home. And the best part is, everyone is eager to share it. There is no way someone would say no if you asked they for some Vicks VapoRub. I don't know why!

Lately, I have had to buy a few of these bottles. So I did a little bit of research on it.

I first thought that Vicks from India but turns out its actually an American Product now and its sold globally. Vicks say their VapoRub can help cure cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, chest congestions, aches, pain, and fever. There have been only few studies done on Vicks VapoRub, but they say it actually does help.

The whole world is addicted to Vicks VapoRub and they think it works wonders. Myself included.

Laterx.

Nexus S: Rooted and ready to go places ... :)

2011-11-09T06:12:00.000+05:00

Hello.

Several weeks after I got my Nexus S earlier this year, a friend installed CyanogenMod 7.0 on it. I really did enjoy using CyanogenMod on my Nexus S. I thought it was faster and much more customizable. The features I used the most were the quick access controls available on the notification panel. It was much better than installing and using a power strip widget on the homescreen.

However, few weeks back, I ran in to some problems. The widgets just wouldn't load. It just started giving me "problem loading widgets" error. I was really busy at the time, and didn't have much time to figure out what was going on. So I installed Google stock Android 2.3.6. on the spot.

Since then, I've been trying to get the phone rooted. The main reason, maybe the only reason, why I wanted to root my phone was that I could install some of the apps I wanted to run. Apps like, Blogger, Twicca and some more. These were apps I use frequently and almost daily. It was a pain to get on the internet and search for APK files for those apps from some underground or warez websites. Also, even if I did install the apps, I couldn't update them and had to go online to find APKs of later version. As you can see, that gets old really fast!

After doing some research on how to get my Nexus S running Google stock Android 2.3.6, I hit this page. I'm not a real techie, but I do know how to follow instructions if they were written simple enough for a 12 year old to understand.

I had my phone rooted in a few mins.

Here are the steps if ever you want to root your nexus S. It works on all variants of Nexus S and Nexus 4g.

1) First, you will need to turn your Nexus S off. Then, power up your Nexus S by doing this: while holding down the Volume Up Button, hit the Power button until you see the bootloader menu come up.

2) Next, connect your Nexus S to your computer via a USB cable.
For Windows, you will need to install ADB drivers.
For Mac and Linux, you will not need any drivers, it should be recognized automatically.
Since I'm on a Mac, I didn't need the aforementioned ADB drivers.

3) Next, download nexussrootnew.zip: Unzip the]is zip file and you should get a folder named “nexussrootnew”.

4) Copy over the whole nexussrootnew folder into your hard disk’s root directory such as c:\nexussrootnew for Windows and similar in Linux or Mac.

5) Open up a command prompt by typing “cmd” under Start->Search Programs and files.
Then type “cd \nexussrootnew” to browse into the directory in Windows. For Linux and Mac, should be similar to “cd /nexussrootnew“. I opened up Terminal on my Mac.
Then type “fastboot oem unlock“.
(For Mac, replace fastboot with ./fastboot-mac and for Linux, replace fastboot with ./fastboot-linux).

6) You should see a screen asking you to “Unlock bootloader” like shown below:
Select “Yes” using Volume Up button and hit the Power Button.
(You should see that “LOCK STATE” says “UNLOCKED”, meaning your Nexus S is rooted).

7) Now, having a rooted phone means nothing if you don’t have Superuser app to make rooted apps run so let’s go do that next.
Type:
fastboot flash recovery recovery3101.img
(For Mac, replace fastboot with ./fastboot-mac and for Linux, replace fastboot with ./fastboot-linux.)
Next choose “Recovery” using Volume buttons and hit the Power button to enter recovery.

9) Next choose “Mounts and Storage” and hit the Power button.
Then choose “mount USB Storage” and hit the Power button.
This will turn your Nexus S into USB disk drive mode. Copy over the file SuperUser.zip file from the nexussrootnew folder into your Nexus S.

10) Next, hit the Power button to get out of USB disk mode and choose “Install zip from sdcard” and hit the Power button.

11) Then choose “Choose zip from sdcard” and hit the Power Button.

12) Then choose the “SuperUser.zip” and hit the Power Button. This will install the Superuser app and you can reboot your phone.

Once you reboot your Nexus S, you should find a “Superuser” app in the menu.

Congratulations! Your Nexus S is now rooted!

You can test our your root powers by installing root-only apps like Market Enabler or a Screenshot app.

Enjoy!

Laterx.

iTunes Plus: lets switch it on and see ...

2011-11-05T00:09:00.001+05:00

Hello.

I may prefer using a Mac. I may love using Mac OS X. I may think Apple as a company has some good products out. Some of you may have even labeled me a Mac evangelist. Yet, they do have stuff I just don't enjoy using.

For one, I loathe iTunes!

I think iTunes is slow and bloated. And it updates with minimal changes the day Apple release any product or a product update. So, I try to stay away from iTunes as much as possible. However, thats not quite as easy if you are on a Mac.

I mainly use iTunes to play my music and catch podcasts. Even then, I have iTunes running minimized and in the background. I use the omnipresent menu bar controls to interface with iTunes and play my music. I like it that way. You never even have to see iTunes at all.

The last time I opened up iTunes, there was an link to iTunes Plus. I didn't know what it was so I clicked on it thinking it would tell me more. Well, it did, kind of. It showed me the above screen. I wish it did gave some kind of options whether I wanted it or not. It didn't, but I guess I do want my music to sound better. Here is what Apple says about iTunes Plus.

iTunes Plus is the new standard on iTunes. iTunes Plus downloads are songs and music videos available in our highest quality 256 kbps AAC audio encoding (twice the audio quality of protected music purchases), and without digital rights management (DRM). iTunes Plus music can be burned to CD as many times as you need, synced to any AAC-enabled device (such as iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV), and played on any Mac or Windows computers you own.

Apparently, iTunes is now re-downloading all my purchased songs in double the bit rate and all my music has apparently been upgraded to sound way better. I wouldn't know. Not with these cheap earbuds I use.

I used to have a good pair of Sennheiser earbuds. They were pretty awesome, until it literally started to come apart. I think now would be a good time for me to do a little bit of research and invest in a decent pair of headphones. What do you recommend?

Laterx.

Addu Convention Center: Place looks good !!!

2011-11-03T21:18:00.000+05:00

Hello.

This right here, is the brand spanking new Convention Center in Addu Atoll. Its almost complete and I hear they are just finishing up the landscaping around the building now. I also heard that they are trying to get the building somewhat Leed certified. That's a first! Good work, people!

Whatever some people are saying about it, I personally think it came out pretty good. I like it. I really do.

This convention Center is being built to host the 17th Saarc Summit. Maldives, especially Addu City and Fuvah Mulak, is gonna play host to the eight summiters from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and us Maldives!

If all goes well and according to plan, the 17th Saarc Summit is going to put South on the map and boost their local economies. From what I can gather from all the coffee table talk, their economies are doing quite well right now.

I wish our southern friends all the best. This may be the first time you are playing host to an international delegation or this calibre. Do your best and make us proud!

We do appreciate the money, effort and sleepless nights spend by you Southerners in preperation of this event. We know you have worked hard for this and we wish you good luck!

My only real concern here is that I am not sure what the City is going to do with that building after the Summit is over. I am sure Addu City will find a way to montize a facility like that and not let it get run down. I would hate to see a place like this go to waste!

Laterx.

I am not sure who took the above photo. I think I saw it on Twitter. If anyone knows who took that photo, shoot me an email or send me a mention on Twitter. I will see to it that s/he gets proper credit. It is a nice photo!

This must be some really good milk !!!

2011-10-30T20:03:00.002+05:00

Hello.

Me and a friend went to have breakfast at the carnival area.
I had black tea. My friend ordered a milk tea.
When the bill came, milk tea was 6 times more expensive then black tea.
Makes you wonder what kind of milk they use and how much of it to make one cup of tea.
Must be some seriousy good milk, don't you think?
I'll just stick to my black tea for the time being, I think.
Unless I can have something other than ridiculously expensive premium grade cup of milk tea.

Also, what if someone ordered a Chai with with spices like pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves milk and honey?

Laterx.

If your website does this, then damn you !!!

2011-10-23T10:34:00.000+05:00

Hello.

A quick not to say that if anyone of you have a website that displays a pop up or something like the above, be nice to your visitors and just remove it!

Wait, don't get me wrong. Its not that I want to take away even a bit of ad revenue from any websites I visit. I do not mind ads that are not obstructing the content I want to read.

However, this in my face every time I visit the website is unforgivably annoying, counter productive and cheap. Its also hard to close that darn box on a mobile device!

I don't know much about marketing, but if I had to guess, I'd say you are losing a lot of visitors by showing ads or sign-up boxes like that before anyone gets to your content.

I just want to maybe consume the information you've published. I'm not going to like you on Facebook. Am not going to tweet about your website or sign-up for your newsletter. I haven't even got to your website yet, so please, stop asking already!

Laterx.

Kiefer Sutherland's The Confession ...

2011-10-19T20:56:00.002+05:00

Hello.

Saw a Web Series a few days ago. It was good. Let me tell you a bit about it.

The Confession is an online-only series. Each episode of The Confession is five to seven minutes long. The whole series is just 10 short episodes.

The series stars Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer from 24? What? How can you ever forget 24?) as a very-good-at-what-he-does Hitman and John Hurt as an old priest with conflicting beliefs.

On a snowy Christmas eve, the Hitman visits a Priest at his church and explains to the priest that he has a kill order for later that night but forces the priest to listen to his confession by telling the priest that he will start killing the people in the church if the Priest does not listen to his full confession.

The story features flashbacks of the hitman showing what he does best while telling the priest how he came to visit him, climaxing with a pretty good twist!

Its a brilliantly scripted series and its amazing how engaing the short series turned out to be. It was really good.

I've shared the complete series here so you can download it easily.

Check it out. I think you'll like it.

Laterx.

Superman dead? A sad day indeed ...

2011-10-19T15:07:00.000+05:00

Beaten to death by a girl.
His cousin, in his own town.
A sad day indeed.
I'm sure he is not really dead, but how many times have they killed Superman now?

Metropolis, somewhere around East Coast, United States of America

Now … Get 50GB from Box.net for free for life !!!

2011-10-17T23:36:00.000+05:00

Hello.

I've always shared here with you whenever I got to know about good online file storage services.

I've written on this blog about Upload Robots, Dropbox and quite recently about Minus.

I've had a Box account for a few years now. It gave me 5GB of free space to start with. But last night, I got to know that if your create a new account on Box with an iOS device or log on to your existing Box account with an iOS device, you would immediately get 50GB of space for free, for life!

That is good news for iOS guys, but what about us with Android devices? Well, I tried with my Google Nexus S, and guess what, nothing happened. Android users have been miserably left in the cold for this one. I don't know why, maybe Box wants compete with iCloud.

So, I did what everybody would do in a situation like this. I borrowed a friend's iPhone4, logged on to my Box account, and bam! I now have 50GB for free for life. I can use it however I please.

Remember, Box.net is only running this until *December 2nd* this year, and you don't have to have an iOS device to use the free space. If you are on Android or using any other platform, just ask a friend to let you use his/her iOS device to log on to your Box account just once or to create an account on Box. Thats it, you will not need the iOS device anymore.

What are you waiting for? Back up your files now! Enjoy your free space!

Laterx.

Twicca: The best Twitter app on Android ...

2011-10-17T13:40:00.000+05:00

Hello.

What Twitter app do you use on your phone?

Everyone has their preferences when it comes to apps they use on their portable devices. Its quite natural that you've your own set of reasons to use a particular app for doing something on your phones or tablets. There are thousands of apps on the market and they pretty much do the same thing. So, I think, it all boils down to just personal preference. Nothing more.

When I had my Nokia E71, I swore that Gravity was the best twitter client for the Symbian OS. It had its shortcomings but it was the best I ever got to use. I even coughed a bit of my hard earned green to buy it. That must have been the only app I ever bough the whole time I had a Nokia.

Since I got my Google Nexus S in January this year, I've tried almost all popular twitter apps available for Android OS. I've tried the official Twitter app. Tried Seesmic, TweetCaster, TweetDeck and even Plume. I didn't like any of them. Then I stumbled upon Twicca,

Twicca is a full featured twitter client for Android phones. It is highly customizable and has very good plug-in support. I love how I can set color labels to specific people and view most photos in-line. Also, The user interface is beautifully simple, and I kind of like the dark theme. Its nice.

If you have an Android phone, check out Twicca. Its a pretty neat twitter app. I'm sure you'll like it, just give it a go. Its free!

Laterx.

Trying to do the lobster thing ...

2011-10-17T08:46:00.001+05:00

Attempting indoor barbecue with all precautions.
Trying to grill a lobster. Did not turn out too well.
Guess I need to learn a lot about shell food.
I had a just a tiny bit, it didn't taste bad.
They say it could have tasted a whole lot better.
Maybe next time!

Malé, Maldives.

Installing iOS5 ... don't do it if you don't know how ;)

2011-10-14T01:15:00.001+05:00

A friend almost bricked his iPhone trying to install iOS5 on his Apple iPhone 3GS.

… and I am a proud father !!!

2011-10-13T15:34:00.002+05:00

Hello.

There comes a time in everyone’s life, at least there should come a time, where we begin to question our heading in life. A time to snap out of the complacency of today and contemplate towards what we want for tomorrow.

For me, expecting a baby was an exciting and somewhat scary prospect. However, once he arrived safely and seeing him for the very first time, I was filled with such strong instincts to protect, nurture and love the tiny being that all the feelings of stress, confusion and apprehension that I felt before quickly and mysteriously vanished and I was left with nothing but anticipation, excitement and pride.

Must have been a paternal thing, I almost felt like that my brain had just been naturally and instantly re-wired to prepare me as a new parent.

It was a very emotional and hugely rewarding experience, and a truly joyous occasion.

Friends and family were so generous with their well wishes and support I was often at loss of words to say what will truly convey my appreciation. So here is one for you - thank you for your advice, support and all the lovely baby gifts. Thank you very much!

Welcoming the baby into the world was one of the most special and wondrous times of my life. From the moment he was born, he became the focus of each and every thing I did, each and every conversation I had. He is now the center of my universe, everything revolves around him. It an amazing feeling!

Also, now that he is home, sleeping like he should be, I am responsible for providing him with everything he may ever need and make all the decisions pertaining to him in anyway.

Am I scared? Yes! Am I happy? Very!

Now that I'm a parent, this blog may or may not cover some baby topics and parental rants. I feel that I should give a heads up to my readers, so here it is!

Laterx.

Barbecue: Potatoes over the grill ...

2011-10-10T02:45:00.000+05:00

A photo from a barbecue I was invited to a few days ago.
It was at the beach and it was fun!
Among many other things, I learned that aluminum foil retains heat for longer than you'd think.
I am guessing these will be done now :)

Hulhumalé, Maldives.

Goodbye, Steve ... you'll be missed !!!

2011-10-06T10:48:00.001+05:00

Hello.

Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011.

You were a man with an extraordinary vision. You were almost single handedly responsible for the huge come back apple made last decade. You were a great CEO and gave us world class computers and magical gadgets. Somewhere in there, you also managed to make Apple one of the most successful technology company on the planet.

As a Mac evangelist, you will definitely be missed. You will continue to be in our machines and gadgets, memories and backups. Goodbye, Steve.

Laterx.

Google Music Beta: Sign-up from outside US ...

2011-10-02T09:20:00.000+05:00

Hello.

I just signed up for Google Music Beta and have been using it for a few days. Its awesome and works fine outside US. Its a neat idea to have all your music available to you where ever when ever you want to enjoy your music.

So what really is Google Music Beta? Well, in their own words:

Music Beta is a new service from Google that gives you instant access to your personal music collection without the hassle of wires or syncing. Add your music collection and listen on the web or any compatible Android device.

You can upload your own music collection, that is music you have on your computer to Google (up to 20,000 songs) and listen to your songs on any computer or Android device. Now you can take your music where ever you go! Sounds nice, right? Feel like checking it out? Thought so.

As with most new Google services, Music is in Beta testing, by invitation and available for US residents only. That's not good news for us living outside US. So, lets see how we can get around that for now.

There are few ways to dupe Google to think that you are in the US. You can us an American VPN like Hotspot Shield or a Free Web Proxy like Hide My Ass.

I used a different approach. I headed over to proxy list website to find an American Proxy and temporarily reconfigured my Firefox proxy settings. You may have to try a few proxies out before you find a working American proxy which supports all HTTP standards.

On Windows you can change Firefox proxy setting by going to Tools > Options > Options > Options > Advanced > Network > Settings.

If you are using Firefox on a mac, go to Preferences > Advanced" > Network" > Configure how Firefox connects to the internet > Settings.

I used the above proxy to sign up to Google Music Beta.

It's a good idea to check if you have an American IP address before trying to request or sign up for Google Music Beta. You can check your IP address easily by visiting www.whatismyip.com.

Now, using the proxy server to pass off that you are in US, head over to music.google.com, sign in and request an invite.

It may take a few days, but when you do get the invitation email from Google (or if a friend invites you) make sure that you complete the sign-up process while masquerading that you are in US. If you don't, your sign up will fail.

When you are done with sign-up, you are set. You don't need the proxies anymore. You can utilize the service like any other regular web service.

I have 6 more invites left for Google Music Beta. Comment in your email address if you want an invite.

Enjoy Google Music Beta! It's free, for now.

Laterx.

Hitting it up at the Farmers Market ...

2011-09-25T23:40:00.000+05:00

Hello.

I’ve been hitting the local Farmers Market quite frequently for a few months now. Exploring, learning, and shopping at the Farmers Market has been something that I've wanted to do for a long time, but I guess it took me a few years to really get into the habit.

Farmers Market (or local market, as its popularly known here) is a public place where farmers and growers interact directly with buyers and other members of of the community. It's become an important service in most cities, where farmers can make a decent profit by selling retail and buyers have access to fresh locally grown produce. Farmers Markets are critical for the survival of small family-owned farms and preservation of the agriculture oriented island communities across the country.

Yes, some items may be slightly pricier than what you'd pay at your local grocery store, but if you think about the quality, flavor and freshness you'll totally agree to spending a bit more. Besides, a lot of stuff is also cheaper and still of higher quality and freshness, especially what is in season. The last time I went there Papaya was in season and being sold at MRF 5/- a Kilo. I bought a few, naturally.

By shopping at the Farmers Market I get to buy locally grown fresh fruits, vegetables and stuff while doing my bit to support local commerce and agriculture. Local farmers work pretty hard and I think they need all the help that we can give.

My local Farmers Market is situated at the busy marine drive near the old Fish Market area. On my first visit the market looked like a busy, loud and chaotic place with people shouting indiscernible stuff at each other and laughing at their inside jokes. I had no clue what they were saying. I remember I was overwhelmed by the scene, especially seeing buyers who possessed almost a cult-like knowledge of exactly which stall they wanted to go to, what they wanted to buy and where all the bargains are at. I almost felt like a trespasser, it was definitely not a very inviting place.

Fortunately for me, it was a just a phase, it soon passed. Now I feel quite confident shopping at Farmers Market. I can never be as good as some people I know or who I see there regularly, but I don't think I will be lost in the crowd anymore either.

My local Farmers Market has recently been cleaned up, renovated and reorganized. Its quite family friendly now and I've seen kids enjoy their outing there. If you have never been to your local Farmers Market, I sincerely suggest that you check the place out. You might find some stuff that you have always wanted to try but not normally available at your favorite grocery store. You might even discover something that you like that you've never seen or tried before. Who knows, you may even enjoy shopping there.

See you at the Farmers Market!

Laterx.

Outlander: A terribly underrated movie ... ?!?

2011-09-21T13:50:00.000+05:00

Hello.

Seen any good movies lately? What are some good movies you've watched recently? Its been ages since I've watched anything recent that was worth blogging about.

I've actually started watching movies that came out few years back. It seems re-watching a movie a few years or even months later can totally change the view you held of a movie. You might end up truly liking a movie that you didn't enjoy before. Its weird, but it does happen sometimes, especially if you watch a decent copy of a movie.

I remember watching Outlander when it came out back in 2008. I didn't think much of it then. Am not saying I hated it, just that I didn't think it was a really good movie then.

I watched it again a few days back, in full HD glory, and it turned out to be a brilliant movie. Kind of makes me think why I didn't like it the first time I watched it. I don't know.

The film begins with a spaceship crashing in to Norway, in the year 709 A.D, the era of Vikings. The lone survivor of the crash, Kainan, is taken prisoner by the Vikings. Soon, mysterious disappearances and brutal deaths take place around the Viking settlement and Kainan, tell them an alien creature called the Moorwen is responsible. Initially and understandably so, the Vikings seem hesitant to believe his story, but soon the intergalactic space traveller join forces with the vicious Viking sword fighters to trap and kill the beast.

The movie sports a great cast. James Caviezel as Kainan the space traveler from a far-off world, Sophia Myles as Freya the daughter of the king and Kainan's love interest. It also stars Jack Huston as Wulfric, the young short-tempered Viking warrior, Ron Perlman as Gunnar, the burly leader of the enemy Viking warriors and John Hurt as Rothgar, the king.

James Caviezel was perfect as spaceman adjusting to Viking way of life and Sophia Myles was beautiful and graceful even as a Viking. I remember she was amazing in Hallam Foe, another movie you might want to check out if you haven't seen it yet.

I don't know why Outlander did so poorly in the box office, but I really liked the movie. I think its a very good movie, and is terribly underrated by most movie critics.

Have you seen Outlander? I would like hear your thoughts in the comments.

Laterx.

Have you read all Tintin comics yet ???

2011-09-17T06:46:00.000+05:00

Hello …

Today I saw the trailer for the upcoming movie The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn and I have to say, it looks pretty darn interesting. I think its going to be huge.

I wrote here before about reading Adventures of Tintin comics when I was younger and reading them again recently. As kids, me and my friends tried collecting all Tintin books. None of my friends were able to collect them all, and neither did I. There were always a few titles missing.

Times have changed since when we were kids, and now, every Tintin comic ever published is available for download on the internet. I list below all the titles I found online. You can easily download the PDFs here if you ever want to read any of the Tintin comics.

01. Tintin in the Land of the Soviets [PDF, 33.5MB]

02. Tintin in the Congo [PDF, 25.7MB]

03. Tintin in America [PDF, 13.9MB]

04. Cigars of the Pharaoh [PDF, 16.8MB]

05. The Blue Lotus [PDF, 15.7MB]

06. The Broken Ear [PDF, 16.5MB]

07. The Black Island [PDF, 17.1MB]

08. King Ottokar's Sceptre [PDF, 16.1MB]

09. The Crab with the Golden Claws [PDF, 14.2MB]

10. The Shooting Star [PDF, 15.1MB]

11. The Secret of the Unicorn [PDF, 14.8MB]

12. Red Rackham's Treasure [PDF, 15.8MB]

13. The Seven Crystal Balls [PDF, 15.5MB]

14. Prisoners of the Sun [PDF, 16.1MB]

15. Land of Black Gold [PDF, 15.8MB]

16. Destination Moon [PDF, 16.5MB]

17. Explorers on the Moon [PDF, 16.1MB]

18. The Calculus Affair [PDF, 16.2MB]

19. The Red Sea Sharks [PDF, 16.4MB]

20. Tintin in Tibet [PDF, 17.0MB]

21. The Castafiore Emerald [PDF, 16.7MB]

22. Flight 714 [PDF, 18.8MB]

23. Tintin and the Picaros [PDF, 18.0MB]

24. Tintin and Alph-Art [PDF, 15.0MB]

25. Tintin and the Lake of Sharks [PDF, 9.8MB]

26. Tintin in Thailand [PDF, 2.9MB]

27. The Freelance Reporter [PDF, 2.0MB]

28. Tintin and The Mysterious Visitor [PDF, 1.4MB]

29. They Explored the Moon [PDF, 2.1MB]

30. The Voice of the Lagoon [PDF, 5.3MB]

Here is the link to my Tintin folder at Minus. You can browse through all the covers with descriptions and download any and as many you want.

Hope you enjoy the comics. I know I did. Good times!

Laterx.

Minus: An impressive file storage service ...

2011-09-15T04:07:00.001+05:00

Hello.

Heard about Minus, yet?

I'm big on backing-up my files. I've had hard drives die on me before, I've had a few hard drives fail on me without any kind of warning. I hope it hasn't happened to you yet, but I'm sure you have heard these stories before from your friends. Its not a pleasant experience to have your hard drives fail, nor is it any fun to lose your precious data. Since my last hard drive suddenly died on my a couple of months back, I've been backing-up my files online as fast as my limited internet connection allows me.

So why back-up online you may ask? Well, redundancy! First, I think big name companies offering "could storage" can do a better job of keeping data safe than you or me can ever think of doing. Also, there are other factors to consider, like offsite data storage, security, reliability, easy setup, process of backing up, automation and the list goes on. I don't know about you, but I seriously don't think I can ever keep on top of all these. I want to spend more time creating my data and less time backing-up and safe guarding my data, so personally, I think online storage is the way to go. I hear people saying, the future is in the cloud, and slowly but surely, I'm beginning to see their way of thinking.

The most important aspect of online storage for me is access to my data from anywhere in the world, at home, at office, while away on vacation, a business trip or even on the cell phone! The ability to access my data and the comforting thought of having it just a few keystrokes away, eliminates a lot of hassles, problems, and delays. You never know when you would be asked for a copy of that document. When you would want to show someone that picture. When you might need a copy of your identity card or passport to submit with that form you need to fill out.

I have previously written about Upload Robots and Dropbox. Now, let me introduce you to a relative newcomer on the cloud storage and file sharing scene, Minus.

So, with so many companies to choose from why Minus.com? What sold me was individual file size (2GB) and bigger free space when you sign up. You get 10GB of free space to start with when you sigh up, compared to 2GB from Dropbox and 4GB from Upload Robots.

Minus may be a new, but I like what they have done so far. They have made uploading as easy as drag and drop. Their user interface is simple, intuitive and very user friendly.

Also, they have this new social feature so you can "follow" your friends on Minus, letting you know if they have shared or uploaded anything. I think it's pretty nice.

Give Minus a try, It only takes a few seconds to sign up and start uploading files. If you sign up using my referral link, we both will get 1GB of bonus space for free.

And remember, back-up, back-up, back-up! I'll go now and try practicing what I preach.

Laterx.

This service needs to go mobile ... now !!!

2011-09-13T08:39:00.001+05:00

Hello.

So, you are riding your bike, wind in your face, probably enjoying the ride rather than being stuck in traffic. Suddenly, you feel that your bike is becoming a bit hard to maneuver and it starts to wobble. You dread to think, what are the odds of getting a … and bam, realization hits, you have got a flat! Every rider's nightmare. As lucky as you are, your luck is going to run out sooner or later. Mostly, Moore's law plays out really well in these situations, and your tires blows out at the worst possible moment!

This happened to me a few days ago. I was out to run some errands at 8 in the morning. I felt that it was getting difficult to pick up speed and negotiate turns. I felt something was not right, but did not exactly know what, so I looked down and checked my front tire. It was OK. After trying for a few more minutes I stopped and checked my rear tire. I had a flat. Darn it!

As incredulous as it may seem, I was stranded near the carnival area with no repair shops nearby, and I had no cell phone on me. It was so early in the morning and I've planned to be out for 15 minutes, tops, I had left my cell phone at home. Stuck so far away from home, with no way to call for help, I weighed my available options, there were none!

So, with the rising sun behind my neck, I started to push my bike to the closest place I knew, a row of repair shops on a narrow lane behind ADK Hospital. I was kind of relieved it was not the front tire that blew out, that would have made it more pushing the bike more daunting a task, may be even a bit treacherous.

Anyway, I made to the shop in about 15 to 20 minutes, and as luck would have it, it was too early in the morning, and all of the shops were closed. I asked around and found out that they opened around 9:30. I thought against waiting there for more than an hour, so I parked my bike, and walked home. Later that morning, I took the bus, went to the repair shop, and had my bike fixed in less than 20 minutes. Cost me MRF 145/-. Apparently, they don't do patching anymore, they just replace the inner tubes.

So, it got me thinking, wouldn't it be nice if we had a number to call in situations like these. Something like a towing, bike repair, road assistance service? Wouldn't that be great?

I don't know if a service like this exist in Malé, but I do know that this service is available in Addu and Fuah Mulak. I have used the service myself in Addu a few years ago, when I some how managed to puncture my tire riding on the famous Link Road. I called a number advertised all over town and two guys came on a motorbike with all the necessary tools. I had my tire patched up and my bike ready to go in less than half hour. I think that time it cost me MRF 25/-.

If this service is available in Addu and Fuah Mulak (and probably other atolls) I wonder why it is not available in Malé, with more vehicles on our roads, and seemingly more hazards on our roadways? Also, how about an insurance policy to cover unfortunate incidents and unplanned expenses like these? I'd definitely buy such insurance! Wouldn't you?

Your thoughts?

Laterx.

Goldies: To keep or not to keep ... ?!?

2011-09-04T15:09:00.001+05:00

Hello.

I grew up in a home where pets, lots of them, were the norm, but it’s been ages since I’ve had a pet. Mostly because I've been living in rented spaces for the last several years and most of my landlords tend to frown upon at the idea of having pets in the building.

Anyway, I’m back home now, and I thought, I wanted a pet. I wanted to learn and enjoy the responsibility that comes when one gets a pet. Also, I needed some kind of interior decoration piece in my living room to try and make it a bit more homely and inviting. So I made up my mind to start small and get a simple Goldfish bowl. Could be a great starter kit, I thought? Also, the Feng Shui of it didn't sound bad either. the goldfish symbolizes wealth and prosperity in ancient Chinese culture. Am not Chinese, but that can’t hurt, right? One more thing, it is said that having an aquarium in the house helps in the relaxation process, I don’t know, I can’t confirm that!

So, I headed out to my local pet store and bought a medium sized Goldfish bowl, two Goldfish and a packet of food pallets. Cost me around MRF 300/-. Not bad, eh? I came back and set them up in my living room right next to my cactus plant.

It looks good! Visitors to my place seem to enjoy it, especially kids. Kids love feeding the fish.

But here comes the messed up part, some people I know don’t like Goldfish being kept in a bowl.

Friend: You shouldn’t keep fish in a bowl.

Me: Say, what?

Friend: You should never keep fish a bowl, especially Goldfish. It’s not healthy.

Me: They look pretty healthy to me.

Friend: No, seriously, you shouldn’t keep Goldfish in a bowl. It’s not healthy, they will not have enough space to swim around and they will not have enough oxygen. Also, the bowl will get dirty pretty quickly and that will harm the fish. Fish in a bowl are never happy. It's animal cruelty!

Me: What are you on about? Goldfish bowls are the most popular pets. Every other kid has a Goldfish bowl at home. Also, can you imagine a pet more iconic than a goldfish in a simple glass bowl? If it was animal cruelty, don’t you think PETA would get involved? I’ve never heard of PETA going after Goldfish bowls! I’m not killing a crocodile for leather, nor m I skinning a bear for fur, I just keep a fish in bowl! I don't seem the harm in it.

Friend: It’s basically the same thing. It's animal cruelty.

Me: Bro, I feed them and clean the bowl regularly. They are well cared for.

Friend: Doesn't matter, you should never keep fish in a bowl. Do you have any HD movies I can copy?

That was several weeks ago, and I am still keeping the fish. I feed them a pinch of pallets and flakes regularly. I make sure they gobble it up in under a minute so I don't overfeed them. I clean the water every 3 days, and scrub the bowl every other week. The fish look OK, they seem happy.

I can understand one's dismay towards irresponsible pet owners, but what I don't understand is advancing a holier-than-thou ideology that large-scale heinous crimes committed against animals is morally equivalent to keeping a pet at home. Thats hypocrisy, and I find it amazing what people are ready to believe after reading a slogan on a brochure from an animal rights organization.

What do you think? Should I get advanced aquarium system with a bed filters and oxygen pumps just to keep two Goldfish, or would that be an overkill?

Laterx.

Blogger, where is my "Edit HTML" button ???

2011-08-29T01:40:00.000+05:00

Hello.

So have you noticed the new Blogger dashboard lately? It looks really polished and more organized, don't you think? I like it.

If you have been following this blog, you'd have noticed that it keeps changing every now and then. Nothing wrong with that, right? Well, it keeps changing mainly because I keep messing with it all the time. It seems I can't make my mind up on what I want this blog to look like. I even tried learning some basic HTML just to mess with this blog. As you can tell, that didn't go as planned.

Anyways, few days ago, I was thinking about widening the blog post area a bit to better display the images in the blog. I got some time today, logged on to Blogger, and guess what, I couldn't for the life of me find the good old "Edit HTML" button anywhere on my Blogger dashboard. Well, that sucked.

So, naturally, I did some googling and it seems the new blogger in draft doesn't have the "Edit HTML" button anymore. Google also told me there is a clever way to bring it back if you really wanted to.

Here is how. I can confirm it works for now.

- Log on to Blogger and got to Layout option.

- Notice the highlighted are in the URL? Now edit the URL, instead of "blogger.g" change it to "html". Hit return.

- There you go, you have the good old familiar layout with "Edit HTML" button.

Now you can play around with your blog as much as you want, but back up the old one, just in case. Hope that was helpful. Happy HTML editing. Blog away.

Laterx.

New!!! Gmail offers free SMS chat …

2011-08-15T12:50:00.003+05:00

Hello.

Have you noticed a "Send SMS" button on Gmail lately?

At first I thought it was something related to Google Voice, which is not available in my my part of the world. GV is totally useless to me, so I thought this SMS thing would never work in Maldives, but I tested it out anyway, and guess what, it seems to works perfectly well for local Wataniya subscribers.

So what is it? I did a little googling and it turns out its a two way chat system. Google allows Gmail users to send text messages from inside Gmail to a contact's mobile phone. The contact can then reply to the text message as one reply to a regular text message, and it shows up on my Gmail chat window. Nice!

How do you do it? Well, I think its an experimental feature on Gmail, so you have to first head over to Gmail labs to enable it. Go to Settings -> Labs -> enable SMS features.

It has been sometime since I have been requesting Wataniya to provide a way to let us send text messages to Wataniya subscribers from my desktop, something like WebSMS that Dhiraagu offers. Wataniya came short, but now, I can use Gmail to send text messages and I don't even even have to sign in to another service. Good stuff!

If you need more information about how this service works, here is the link to the official Google SMS help page. Give it a read.

Sending SMS from Gmail.

It is interesting to note that, currently there are about 20 countries on the list that support this service, and Maldives is on the list. Good going Wataniya and thank you!

Now log on to Gmail, and send some text messages! :)

Laterx.

Calculating mileage for my Honda Wave S ...

2011-08-10T11:17:00.001+05:00

Hello.

Being the curious type, I often wondered what kind of mileage I can get with my old Honda Wave S. With petrol prices sky rocketing (it has gone up 6 times so far this year), so I really wanted to know.

I set out to do a little experiment to calculate the fuel consumption of my bike. I am sure there will be more scientific and much more accurate methods to calculate a bike's fuel efficiency. I describe below the method I went with.

Step one. Log odometer reading with a full tank.
I filled the tank up to the brim. According to my bike's specification, my fuel tank capacity is 3.71 liters. I managed to pump around MRF 55/- worth. To log in my reading I took a picture of my odometer. It read 38,638.2 Kilometers.

Step two. Ride!
I rode the bike as I normally would, checking the odometer every now and then, and keeping an eye on my fuel gauge. On the 9th day, low fuel indicator started blinking. I wanted this test to be as accurate as possible, so I had to ride until the I completely ran out of petrol, but what if my bike runs out of petrol in the middle of main street? I rode out and bought a half liter PET bottle of petrol and kept it in my U-Box for emergency refilling.

Step three. Log odometer reading with empty tank.
On the 10th day, while coming back home from IGMH, my bike choked, stalled and died. I took a picture of the odometer again. It read 38,776.0 Kilometers. Lucky I had some emergency fuel supply, eh?

Step four. Arithmetics.
Previous odometer reading = 38,638.2 Kilometers.
Current odometer reading = 38,776.0 Kilometers.
Fuel tank capacity = 3.71
Using this data, you can calculate:
Distance traveled since last fill = 137.4 Kilometers.
Fuel consumption usage = 37.14 Kilometers per Liter.
Fuel direct expense = MRF 0.44 per Kilometer.
Fuel fill expense (full tank) = MRF 60.06.

My milage turns out to be 37.14 Kilometers per Liter, thats about 2.7 liters per 100 Kilometers.

My fuel consumption is 37.14Km/L while Honda claims 56 km/L for 125 cc fuel injection type. A difference of more than 60 percent.

This sucks!

There are a few things to be taken in to consideration here. First, I could not find the official mileage for Honda Wave S. The one I'm comparing to is Honda Wave S fuel injection type engine.

Second, for marketing reasons, Honda may have given the highway mileage. Fuel efficiency in urban environments tends to be much lower.

Anyway, my bike's performance seems to be really low. I need to service my bike more often and be more regular about it. Also, I think I need to read some fuel economy tips on this automobile sites and club forums!

Laterx.

Shooting from an elevated position ...

2011-02-21T07:05:00.000+05:00

Nazee shooting some pictures for a calender.
He wanted to shoot from an elevated position.
Maybe he wanted a better angle on the circle below.
This was the best we could do given the circumstances.
Photo came out alright, I guess.

Malé, Maldives.

Follow me at 20:45 ...

2011-02-21T07:03:00.000+05:00

A banner inviting us to a religous sermon.
I like the name come up with for these sermons.
I think I saw one named "HellFire".
This one is named Follow Me or Obey Me.
Banner doesn't say who though.

Malé, Maldives.

Looking up a wind chime ...

2011-02-21T06:56:00.000+05:00

You know what that is?
It the worms eye view of a wind chime made of sea shells.
Sounds good? It does!

Malé, Maldives.

Carbon Neutralization ...

2011-02-21T06:55:00.000+05:00

Nice retro motor bike.
I have seen a few of the on the streets lately. Could be a fad.
But could also be an attempt at attaining nationwide carbon neutralization.
I'd like to think so

Malé, Maldives.

Guardian Frog ...

2011-02-17T19:00:00.000+05:00

A ceramic guardian frog looking over a friend's aquarium.
I remember most of us had pets when we grew up in the late 80s.
But now, the city is so congested that there is no more room for indoor hobbies.
Every available space in our home is being turned in to a small apartment or flat.
Miss those time when we had room to run around and play soccer on the streets!

Malé, Maldives.

Don't Just Wear, RéWear ...

2011-02-16T15:00:00.000+05:00

A rather uniquely named clothing shop in Malé.
I like what they are trying to do hear. creating their own brand and promoting it.
Nice concept.

Malé, Maldives

Single Purpose Window ...

2011-02-15T10:27:00.000+05:00

I am assuming these are expatriate labor quarters. The living conditions in these quarters are really bad, almost inhumane. But still, the owner and operators make a nice profit due to lack of regulation to avert these type of business practices. Perhaps, a better mechanism to monitor them may help.

Malé, Maldives.

Tourist City ...

2011-02-14T13:00:00.000+05:00

Tourist to Maldives mostly stay in resort hotel islands away from the city.
Most of the resorts nearby offer half day tour to the capital city. It normally called Malé excursion.
Tourist come around in the afternoon, do a little bit of sigh seeing and shopping, and leave before sundown.

Malé, Maldives

The Missing Lock ...

2011-02-13T11:59:00.000+05:00

We live in a time where people lock and double lock doors.
And they thought painting the gates bright blue would keeps the punks out? I don't think so.
Hope they don't have any valuable stuff inside there.
Would hate to see them being stolen and and end up in the black market!
Yes, there is a black market for stolen good.
You didn't know? Really? Hmm ...

Malé, Maldives.

Hollow Blocks ...

2011-02-12T11:21:00.000+05:00

Hollow blocks. What walls are made of.
One of the few local industries supplying construction material to builders.
I remember these being made in Malé, but most of these business have now shifted to Hulhumalé or Villingili.

Nothing they Don't Sell ...

2011-02-11T15:45:00.000+05:00

A local computer shop in capital Malé. Seems they sell all brands and everything under the sun.
However, if you really need an a HDMI cable or a Memory Stick Pro reader and go to them, they would most probably be out of stock. Best option would be to eBay it.
Story of our lives.

Malé, Maldives.

Tea Times !!!

2011-02-10T10:30:00.000+05:00

What time is it? Apparently, it is Tea Times.
A colorful food stall, with an Indian theme I guess.
Short eats are great at Tea Times!

Malé, Maldives.

I Don't Know What This Is ...

2011-02-10T10:00:00.000+05:00

I looks very familiar, but I am not sure what this is.
It resembles something I saw in an Ad for a detergent.
Anyone know what this is?

Malé, Maldives.

The Main Road in the Morning ...

2011-02-09T10:00:00.000+05:00

This is Majeedhi Magu, the main road of the capital city.
Seems pretty peaceful in the early mornings.
Give it a few hours and you would not enjoy being on this road.
You would not want to walk. You would not want to drive.
Its that busy

Malé, Maldives

Locked ... And Double Locked ...

2011-02-04T12:22:00.000+05:00

This shop must be in very "active" area of town.
But what about if someone breaks the door or windows?
This can't be the only way in if someone is really determined.
But I guess, you can take other precautions, like may be there is security around, eh?

Malém Maldives.

The Lincoln Lawyer …

2011-02-04T10:44:00.001+05:00

Hello.

Most of you may have already read some of Michael Connelly's work, he is quite famous. But I have to admit that, even though I have heard about him before, I have never read any of his books previously. Not one.

The Lincoln Lawyer is a legal action thriller. The story's protagonist is Michael "Mickey" Haller, a Los Angeles Defense Attorney who works out of the back seat of a Lincoln car. He is quite well known in his circle, mostly because of his list of unusual clients, ranging from motorcycle gangs to drug addicts. It is implied that he will defend anyone if he gets paid right. Most of his clients claim they're not guilty, but Haller is never sure he has ever seen a client who is truly innocent.

While working on a few other cases, Haller gets called on by a rich real estate family to defend Louis Ross Roulet, who has been arrested for badly beating up a girl he met in a bar. Haller gladly takes the big-money case, knowing fully well that a rich client can be a difficult client. To make it worse, Roulet's mother and her lawyer keeps a close eye on Haller.

Haller soon realizes that Roulet's case is not only risky but dangerous as well, and Haller soon finds himself in a deadly game that he doesn not want to play.

The story is gripping, fast and well paced. Also, you learn a bit about the law and a lot about how prosecutors and defense attorneys work the law. It is almost educational.

If you like Grisham's work, you will love Michael Connelly, and this is supposed to be one of his best books. I used to be fan on Grisham, that is before I got tired of style and stories. Connelly offers a refreshing change.

When I started the listening to the audiobook of The Lincoln Lawyer, I did not know that this was the first of a series. Caught a lucky break there. Now, I can continue with the other books in the series easily. I have grown to like Haller as a character I can relate to.

This book proved so good, that they are making a movie based on the book. You can see the movie trailer here on youtube.

Soon, I'll find the time and listen to the rest of Haller series.

Laterx.

Dollar Transaction ...

2011-02-01T09:44:00.000+05:00

A guy buying US dollars from an expatriate lady near Majeedhi Magu ATM.
Maldives is in crisis; shortage of foreign currency.
It has become almost impossible to buy US Dollars from the banks.
If you want to buy a few hundred dollars and you are in no rush, you can most probably buy them off friends who work in the tourism sector who gets paid in US Dollars. Buying rate probably would not change.
If you want a few thousand, you may have to go deep a bit and buy it on the black market. Buying rate would definitely be higher.
Sad situation.

Malé, Maldives.

In to the storm ...

2011-01-29T19:31:00.000+05:00

A plane takes off in to the cloudy stormy sky.
One of the planes from the biggest sea plane operation in the world, Maldivian Air Taxi.
Maldivian Air Taxi and competing Trans Maldivian Airways ferries tourist to and from resort hotel islands and Malé International Airport.
Most of the planes rides are less that 40 minutes.

Villingili, Maldives.

Jog station: Tuning in slowly ...

2011-01-28T20:57:00.000+05:00

Hello.

After months of procrastination, I have taken up going jogging again. Need to get back in shape and lose some weight.

The frequent coffees that we Maldivians keep having everyday is making us carry a few extra kilos. It kind of creeps up on you. So, the last few years, I have tried my best to do some form of exercise, be it jogging, swimming or going to the gym.

First, I tried the gym, but soon realized that it was not for me. I can not seem to stick to the schedule and I did not want to pay the monthly fees if I cannot make it to the gym on time for every session. I have heard that gyms give you huge discounts if you pay for 3 months or more, because statistically, you are not going to show up for all sessions, if at all!

Later, I tried swimming. I went to go to the track area behind STELCO. When I started, I was just clumsily dog paddling across the track. After a few months I learned how to streamline my body, how to keep my head just below the water level and breath by turning my head sideways. Managed to learn all this by watching Total Immersion videos on YouTube. However, I was not able to practice these techniques for long. The track area where everyone in the island goes swimming got so polluted that I started getting rashes. My doctor made me stop when I got my second ear infection. That track area is heavily overused and miserably under-maintained. Not to mentioned all sorts of oils they keep dumping around there.

My latest attempt at exercising is jogging. Actually, I used to go jogging quite regularly about two years ago. I stopped because people kept telling me that swimming would be twice as effective than jogging. Now that swimming is out, I am back jogging, and this time around, I plan to stick to it. One good thing about jogging is that I can listen my "motivational" music when jogging, it kind of gives me the extra boost I frequently seem need. It is nice.

I jog around the outdoor cricket pitch in front of the sports complex. Back in the day, I could easily do at least 11 laps. Nowadays, I can barely do 9, that is on a good day. I am trying to slowly increase my lap count to 13. May be add a lap every week or so. I have it on good authority that 13 laps around the pitch is equivalent to one round around the whole islands of Malé. That is around 5.2 Kilometers. The general idea here is that these runs should whip me back in to shape in no time. I am hopeful, but it is not going to be that easy or that soon. It never is.

I am also contemplating the purchase of some kind of monitoring device to keep track of my runs and workouts. I am researching Nike+iPod and Adidas MiCoach. I want to keep a record of my runs and analyze it in a visually appealing fashion. Those health websites have some good looking graphs showing all sorts of information which I probably will never need, but they sure look good.

Though I have to admit that swimming got me the best results, I am going to keep up jogging. It would be nice if anyone of you decides to takes up jogging, or any form of exercise. Our blogger friend and personal trainer is of the opinion that exercise is good for us. He is usually right about these things.

Laterx.

Old man B&W ...

2011-01-26T18:18:00.000+05:00

Ibrahimbé, a talkative oldtimer I met in Villingili.
He is in Villingili seeking medical attention. Villingili is a satellite of the capital Malé, and the biggest hospital in the country is a few short minutes by boat.
He liked to talk about the past, what it was like growing up in a secluded island community in a far away atoll in Maldives. How life was back then, how girls were, how ladies were treated, and how ladies treated their men. All interesting stories.
I wish I had more time to chat with old man, but I had a ferry to catch.
Maybe we will meet again.

Villingili, Maldives.

Empty Lane ...

2011-01-25T08:36:00.000+05:00

Early morning.
A deserted lane. Must follow the arrow.
We shall see where it leads us! :)

Malé, Maldives.

The all new Blue Bloods …

2011-01-24T15:40:00.001+05:00

Hello.

Several days ago, a friend introduced to me to Blue Bloods. Not the book, but the TV show. I have watched the first few episodes, and I have grown to like it very much.

Blue Bloods is a bit different from other police procedurals I have seen lately. It does not have over the top technology or animated laboratory works. It does not have dialogue scripted with seldom used police jargons to attempt a sense of reality. What is does have however, is a good cast headed by Tom Selleck, hard grit and a good amount of valor.

The show revolves around the Reagan family. Dad, Tom Selleck is Police Commissioner of New York. His sons Danny is an NYPD detective and Jamie is a rookie police officer fresh out of the academy. Daughter Erin is an Assistant District Attorney. Together they work to make a difference and put the bad guys away, while trying make sense at the dinner table, which does not always go as planned.

As this is the start of the show, a few plots are being set up across the season. While the family is mourning the loss of their brother in an undercover operation, FBI wants to recruit Jamie to investigate a secret club in the Police Force called the Blue Templar. Apparently, the some of the Reagan family are members of the club. Erin is going through a hard divorce and learning the ropes as a single parent. Their grandfather, who was the former police commissioner, now retired, watches over the family and advices them based on his numerous decades of service to the fine city of New York.

Danny does not always stick to the book or rules, but his heart seems to be in the right place. He walks a fine line. His talk, routines, and "enhanced interrogation" techniques makes me think about Jack Bauer. A little too much, actually.

It is a good show. A fresh police drama with a good cast, good dialogue and a few good action scenes. Recommended.

Laterx.

Maldives Monetary Authority ...

2011-01-23T08:34:00.000+05:00

Maldives Monetary Authority, the central bank of Maldives.

The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) was established on 1st July 1981, and is endowed with the regular powers and obligations of a central bank under the mandate provided by the MMA Act (1981). To this effect, the MMA issues currency, regulates the availability of the Maldivian rufiyaa and promotes its stability, licenses, supervises and regulates institutions in the financial sector, formulates and implements monetary policy, and advises the Government on issues relating to the economy and financial system in order to foster an environment conducive to the orderly and balanced economic development of the Maldives.

Malé, Maldives.

Morning Briefing ...

2011-01-22T16:34:00.000+05:00

A foreman talks to a group of construction workers under a tree, in the shade.
Construction business is on the rise, making semi-skilled workers and laborers flock to Maldives to find work.
The problem has grown worse, as some recruitment agencies becoming part of international human trafficking rings.
The government has acknowledged the problem, and are seeking ways to deter the influx of foreigner laborers seeking employment in the country.
There are regular checks conducted by Maldives National Defense Force on proper employment permits and work visa in the country now.

Malé, Maldives.

Malaysian Airlines ad ...

2011-01-19T15:26:00.000+05:00

A Malaysian ad over at Majeedhi Magu and Maaveyo Magu junction. Busy area!
These billboards called Tri-Visions which are able to display 3 ads by rotating their panels, are quite popular now.
Especially in busy roadway near traffic lights.

Malé, Maldives.

Nescafé Latte ...

2011-01-17T13:40:00.000+05:00

Drinking coffee has become the favorite pastime of Maldivians. International brands sell the best I hear.
No meeting, no date, nothing gets by without coffee.
Coffee shops are springing up all over the capital city, and a few in outer atolls as well.
You have something to discuss? Anything? Business? Personal? Romantic? Political?
"Call me for a coffee, we will talk".

Malé, Maldives.

Bottle on the beach ...

2011-01-16T15:18:00.000+05:00

A bottle on the beach. No, there was no message in the bottle. I checked, thoroughly :)
These things do get people excited, eh? Must have been all those romantic novels and movies.

Villingili, Maldives.

Relocated:: Moving homewards …

2011-01-16T14:39:00.000+05:00

Hello.

Happy New year! I know, its a bit late to wish you a Happy New Year, but better late than never, right?

Actually when everyone in the world was celebrating new year, I was busy moving. It is not the best time for a move, I know, but these things cannot seem to be scheduled in your favor! When you got to move, you got to move!

The last week of December and the first week of January was a whirlwind of activities. I had no idea we had accumulated so much stuff over the past years until we started to pack it all. Sourcing empty boxes, categorizing stuff, sorting and packing. The sound of masking tape being unrolled was almost a constant background noise in our homes. Someone was always packing something. The final move was on December 31st and January 1st. Bad timing. Yes, tell me about it!

There was no way that all our old stuff would fit in to our new place, so we had to discuss the fate of each and every piece of furniture we owned. We had to part with several items, and that was, as always, a difficult decision. The furniture you have kind of grows on you and its always disappointing to see it go. Unless of course you get a way better piece to replace it.

After 5 truckloads, 3 to our new place and 2 to the yard, we had everything in our new place. Setting up the new place was easier than I thought, and we had some help. Luckily, everything we wanted here fit almost perfectly. That was a relief, to say the least. All the utilities and services has also been relocated and activated including cable TV and internet.

After living in rented spaces for almost a decade, coming back home felt really good. Lot of stuff has changed in my neighborhood. People have changed, buildings demolished and rebuilt. The old timers remember us, and fondly talk to when we meet on the street. They are as friendly and caring as I remember, asking us how we are, telling us how they missed us, and asking about our family members and how they are doing. Though I have managed to reconnect with some of my childhood friends, most of the people living on my street are unfamiliar to me. To them, I am the newcomer to their neighborhood. It seems around here, even parking spaces have to be earned! Mostly by repetitive usage.

The old mosque, which was a landmark and a favorite hangout when we were kids, has also been rebuilt. It is much bigger now and three stories high. There is no garden and sandy compound anymore. Every square inch has been built upon, and the devotees still overflow on the streets, and way past my door! I have to walk not towards the mosque, but away from the mosque, when I attend Friday prayers!

Now that I am home, life has taken a new turn. Priorities and responsibilities has changed. I am still trying to settle in, but it is good to be back home. Elated!

Laterx.

Yellow building ...

2011-01-15T14:51:00.000+05:00

A yellow building in my neighborhood, interesting design, don't you think?
Due to space constraints, most of the building are designed with small space living in mind, and hence has little to no aesthetic appeal.
However, lately, there have been a trend to make those concrete structure a little pleasing to the eye. At least from the outside.
Mostly with choosing good color combination and good quality paint.

Malé, Maldives.

Comforting ...

2011-01-11T12:57:00.000+05:00

A grandma comforts her grandson.
I saw them at the beach in Villingili taking in scenery and enjoying the cool afternoon sea breeze.
Very touching.

Villingili, Maldives.

Maldives Finance Offices ...

2011-01-10T10:00:00.000+05:00

Maldives Finance stuff.
Most of the finance related government offices have been moved to this building, Which was formerly Ministry of Finance and Treasury.
Ministry of Finance and Treasury, Auditor General's Office and Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA).
I'm guessing the new Tax office will also moved here soon, since we are going to be taxed June onwards.
I actually do support the tax bill.

Malé, Maldives.

Golden Sky ...

2011-01-09T14:46:00.000+05:00

A slow boat, probably carrying cargo and passengers to inhabited island, silhouetted against a golden sky.
Can anyone tell me the name of the island in the background? Its Villingili, right?

Malé, Maldives.

STO building ...

2011-01-08T14:20:00.000+05:00

The headquarters of State Trading Organization. One of the oldest companies in the Maldives.

Back in 1964, a fully state-funded business was set up by the Maldivian government with one key mission: strengthening national food security. The main task of this company, then named Athireemaafannu Trading Agency (ATA), was to purchase and import essential food items in bulk to be distributed nationally via local traders and ATA's own retail outlets. ATA expanded to become STO and along with its diverse portfolio of businesses today, STO continues to fulfill this important national responsibility as a top priority.
STO has diversified in to other sectors of business, competitively trading in construction materials, consumer electronics, home appliances, medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, and a range of high quality supermarket products.

STO group, with its subsidiaries, JVs and associates, is a national leader in business. It has significant and focused interests in petroleum, cooking gas, construction materials (including cement and roofing material), medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, home appliances, electronic items, supermarket products and insurance. The company is geographically diverse with operations and developments throughout Maldives and operations in Singapore.
This has been achieved by direct procurement and distribution as well as forming joint ventures to effectively trade in areas where it presents greater opportunity. STO maintains strong government ties, making it their trading partner of choice.

Malé, Maldives.

Fly fishing ...

2011-01-06T14:03:00.000+05:00

A fly on a some drying fish.
Its a Maldivian thing. We have smoked dried fish, sun dried fish and salted fish among others types.
We even export them, but not as much as frozen Maldive tuna. thats more popular.

Malé, Maldives.

Wataniya building ... Flagship store ...

2011-01-03T11:43:00.000+05:00

Wataniya, the second telecommunication company to start operation in Maldives.
I switched from Dhiraagu (the only Telecom provider in Maldives before Wataniya) to Wataniya over a year ago. Its been pretty good.
And Wataniya may not be as popular as Dhiraagu among the younger crowd, but Wataniya definitely has better packages.

Malé, Maldives.

A shady lane ...

2011-01-02T11:46:00.000+05:00

Living in a congested concrete jungle, it is a pleasant surprise to find and walk along a shady street like this.
There have been several past and active programs to plant trees on side of roads since early nineties.
Only a few project were run long enough for the trees to actually mature, and some roads do look good with tall trees lining the sidewalks.

Malé, Maldives.

Graffiti Corner ...

2011-01-02T11:43:00.000+05:00

The rebels without a cause? Teen angst? Raging hormones? I don't know.
I even saw a graffiti which read "If graffiti is a crime, let God punish us".
Let me tell you something guys, God is more concerned about sinners than criminals!

Malé, Maldives.

X marks the spot ...

2010-12-31T11:53:00.000+05:00

Practicing with black and white filters.
Found this at back of a parked car collecting dust.
I don't know the make or model of the car. If you do know, let us know.

Malé, Maldives.

Kids on the beach ...

2010-12-31T03:26:00.000+05:00

Was a cloudy and a windy day, but at the end the day gave us a very colorful sunset.
Kids playing on the beach while parents enjoy the colors of the sunset and cool sea breeze.

Villingili, Maldives.

Oxidated Outdoor Light ???

2010-12-29T14:48:00.000+05:00

An outdoor light succumbs to extended exposure to saltwater spray.
Found this light installed on the fascia of the roof overlooking the sea at Lily's Coffee Shop.
Surprisingly, it still works just fine.

Malé, Maldives.

Everyone seems to want Jelly ...

2010-12-29T14:40:00.000+05:00

A store called Jelly selling candies and special kid friendly drinks.
This place is popular spot for kids and families on weekend, especially in the evening around dusk.

Malé, Maldives.

Hot Sauce ... by Coca-Cola !!!

2010-12-25T13:34:00.000+05:00

Must be a brand new product by Coca-Cola company.
Or someone at the table must have been bored out of his/her mind.
Must have been the slow service or something.

Malé, Maldives.

The speakers story ... what is good ???

2010-12-24T21:30:00.000+05:00

Hello.

I have had this Yamaha TSS-10 5.1 Home Theater System for a few years now. It is a good system and I have enjoyed many movies and songs on it.

Here are the main features:
• Decoding of Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby Pro Logic II (Movie/Music) for stereo sources to 5.1-channel sound
• 32-bit, high precision, high sound quality DSP LSI (YSS-938 Yamaha original LSI)
• SILENT CINEMA for headphone surround sound enjoyment
• Remote control unit
• High sound quality spruce cone driver for 5 satellite speakers
• Yamaha’s unique YST for powerful bass response (subwoofer)
• Angle adjustable satellite speakers for optimum positioning
• Two optical digital input and 2-channel analog terminals
• Magnetic shielding allows placement near a TV (all speakers)
• Slim, vertical standing amplifier.

You can find more information here and here.

It is not top of the line, but good for a living room or a bedroom.

However, I've had it with 5.1 systems and wires running across and all over the room. I am now thinking of getting myself a good 2.1 system. Hence I have listed my Yamaha TSS-10 5.1 Home Theater System for sale in iBay.

Give me a call if you are interested in buying it.

Since, I am "downgrading" myself to a 2.1 system, I went to Bose show room at Reefside to have a look an available option. I was surprised (and a bit annoyed) that almost all sub-7,000 Rufiyaa Bose system suck really bad. I mean seriously, I am no sound engineer, but my years old Yamaha sounds pretty good compared to Bose systems in the range. I am not saying this just because I am selling my Yamaha, I just was bit let down by Bose. Maybe I was expectation for Bose was a bit high when I walked in to that shop.

I am going to go to Island Music and check out the JBL systems there. I am sure they will sound better than Bose. They have to.

If you have any suggestions or recommendation for a good 2.1 speaker system, please let me know. Thank you.

Laterx.

Edit :: 27/12/2010 11:54
Yamaha TSS-10 5.1 Home Theater System has been sold out and marked same on iBay.com. Thank you.

Please don't burst with stuff ... :P

2010-12-20T05:18:00.000+05:00

Double burst!
Bursting with flavor, bursting with health.
Who wants to burst with flavor? Who wants to burst with health?
Not me. I don't think its a good ad. My personal opinion.

Malé, Maldives.

Blogger: Turning on Mobile Templates …

2010-12-18T03:50:00.000+05:00

Hello.

Today, I logged on to Blogger to see a pop-up asking me to turn on mobile templates. I did not know what it was exactly, at the time, and I was in a hurry to get something done. I clicked cancel, and moved on.

Later, when I thought about it, turning on mobile templates sounded like a pretty good idea. Especially since I get occasional visits on my blog from mobile devices like iPhones.

So what does mobile templates do? Well, not much. It simply optimizes the blog to display it better on mobile devices with smaller screens. Apparently, when using mobile templates, pages will load faster because of minimalistic design with less graphics, and use less data, a good thing when surfing the web on an a cellular connection.

When I came back to Blogger to turn mobile templates on, I had to drill down a bit in settings to find the option. To save some of you a few minutes, here is how to do it.

From Blogger Dashboard, go to 'Settings' tab and find 'Email & mobile' menu. Under the 'Mobile Template' part, click 'Yes. On mobile devices, show the mobile version of my template.'. Scroll down and click 'Save settings'. If you want to have quick look at how your blog would look like in mobile view, you can preview it before saving the settings.

Hope this helps someone out there who uses Blogger/Blogspot.

Laterx.

Big One: Dexter season 5 finale ...

2010-12-16T08:35:00.000+05:00

Hello.

It seems like only a few days ago that I wrote here, all excited, about Dexter season 5 was about to begin. Last night I watched the "Big One" season finale. It was a amazing and gripping season. Season 5 was great, I really liked it.

Dexter was great, juggling the role of single parent and knife-wielding vigilante serial killer. The way he protected a victimized girl, the way he opened up for her, spilling all his secrets, and later taught her the secrets of the trade and teamed up with her was great. I liked them as team. Too bad that did not last. Guess this vigilante is not getting a sidekick, and is destined to roam the world alone. I did not like Dexter evolving, starting to show normal human emotions. He is supposed to psychopath, disconnected from all human emotions. That is what rationalize his "activities". It will be hard to root for a normal human serial killer, no matter who he kills.

I admit I was not fan of Julia stiles, but that may be changing. She was spectacular playing the the victimized girl, Lumen. I am guessing this is her frost TV role, I may be wrong. I liked how Lumen starts broken bad, but manages to pick herself up, learned the ropes fast, to take revenge on people who hurt her. Something like a modern day avenging angel. Her relationship with Dexter was like healing process for his wife'e brutal murder. And I think it worked out great, too bad Lumen had to leave. I think she deserves her Golden Globe Award nomination for this.

Johnny Lee Miller was creepy as hell as Jordan Chase. It was a good performance. I have not seen Johnny Lee Miller since Aeon Flux and he always reminds me of the movie Hackers. Though the tick-tock thing went a bit far, I liked him giving all those life lessons even at the last moment. He is no Trinity killer, not by a long shot, but he was OK.

So does Deb know about Dexter and what he does? What was she saying to Dexter when she said "all is over for you"? I personally do not think she knows what Dexter is up to, thought in the novels she knows very early on.

This was good season of Dexter. It was shot, but a good ride. Cant wait for season 6.

Laterx.