Hangover On The First Day of 2010?

Too much partying on new year's eve and having hangover the next morning? Well you are not alone. Many people from the rest of the world reported to have the same effects today.

Interestingly, while I was trying to post a comment on my friend's Facebook status today, the CAPTCHA tool had to check if I had a hangover or not, if not it wouldn't let me post that comment. But luckily I passed the check as I did not drank that much last night.

Anyhow, Happy New Year everyone!

Today, Google homepage features a doodle of their logo as a barcode to mark the anniversary of its invention in 1948 by Bernard Silver.

For more crazy Google doodles, check out this page.

Ubuntu 10.04 is Lucid Lynx!

Updated: Lucid Lynx is scheduled for a release on April 29th, 2010. Check out this page for more information.

Mark Shuttleworth, the person who founded the Ubuntu Foundation which started the Ubuntu operating system project, has recently announced at Ubuncon 2009 (hosted at Atlanta Linux Fest 2009) that the next Ubuntu 10.04 will be named as Lucid Lynx! Check out the video below.

On the side note: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" will be out on Sep 29th, 2009.

It's been almost more than 1 year since I've switched to Ubuntu for my work and many other things (e.g. surfing, movies). Win XP is only for the occasional PC gaming. Although adapting to a completely open source environment is not 100% smooth, but it has many rewards. My work productivity has increased, and I don't have to worry about viruses that attack Windows PC.

Via Ubuntu Facebook Group

Video:

Skype Version 2.1.0.47 (Beta) for Linux is Out!

This may probably be old news, but still it's worth a post. Linux users who have used Skype on their Linux distributions should probably know that the last version that the developers at Skype have released was 16 June 2008. That version was 2.0.0.72, and this was more than 1 year ago. Linux users have been patiently waiting for the next version of Skype for linux to come out, which was suppose to fix many bugs and issues. About a month ago, they have finally released Skype 2.1.0.47 Beta for Linux. If you have not upgraded your Skype, what are you waiting for? Get it now =)

If you have been using Skype on Windows, you may have noticed that it is better than its Linux counterpart in terms of features. Nevertheless, the Linux version is still pretty much stable on my Ubuntu, and it works well for me for calls and text chat.

Here's some of the new stuff for Skype 2.1 Beta:

• Skype's SILK codec for outstanding quality with negligible bandwidth usage,
• HQ video support,
• PulseAudio support,
• SMS send support (*Sending SMS requires available Skype Credit),
• Contact groups,
• Contact labels, or tags, for easier contact organization,
• Chat window improvements (typing notification, message editing, s/geeky text/replacement/, new emoticons),
• Nicer contact list with mood messages and video capability icons,
• Nicer tray icon.

For full details, visit the Skype Release Notes page here. We hope to see the next stable release of Skype for Linux soon, hopefully not too long. Anyhow, great job guys!

Linux Skype developer Berkus debunks some myths and answers some questions here on the new release.

Other links:
Skype For Linux Developer Zone

It's All Part of The Plan

We managed to get tickets for 'The Dark Knight' at GSC Summit USJ tonight at 9pm, with THX of course. Thanks to Terry and the guys.

It's all part of the plan.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (時をかける少女)

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is yet another featured film for GSC's Japanese Film Festival 2008, which is an animated cartoon or simply anime. The synopsis (from ANN):

When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to, quite literally, "leap" backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.

This anime was adapted from a Japanese Novel written by Yasutaka Tsutsui, which was way back in 1965 and had already been made into live action dramas, tv-series and films. Probably those who like anime should watch this.

Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad (東京タワー〜オカンとボクと、時々、オトン〜)

If you know me well enough, I do not always watch Hollywood blockbusters or mainstream films which are meant for making lots of big money. I do like to watch the independent and locally-made movies. Also, I'm a big fan of foreign films, especially those that come from the European region.

GSC is having its Japanese Film Festival again this year, and this time it's from the 17th to the 21st of July in KL (GSC Mid Valley and 1 Utama) in their GSC International Screens section. This time around, they are showcasing 12 Japanese films.

One of the film is called 'Tokyo Tower', and here's what the summary of the film says (taken from JFF):

Masaya has always taken his mother for granted. After graduating from high school, he successfully enters an Art University in Tokyo, a place he always dreamed to be. Leaving his mother behind, he squanders his life in Tokyo and eventually finds himself with an enormous debt. One day, he receives news that his mother has been diagnosed with cancer. Getting his act together, Masaya finds himself a job and invites his mother to live with him in Tokyo. After 15 years of separation, they rekindle their intimate relationship; filling the tiny apartment with love, happiness, smiles, and Mum’s delicious homemade recipes.

It looks like a normal heartwarming drama, and if you plan to watch this you need to bring a tissue box along with you in case. Watch the trailer below.

Let's Put A Smile On That Face!

Look out! He's a fanboy!

Call us fanatics, fanboys, or simply fans, we're no doubt going to make 'The Dark Knight' our best film of this year. It's hopefully going to score 10 out of 10 on my rating scale. I myself don't really qualify 100% as a Batman fanboy, unlike my friend Terry here. But I'm really pumped up to see this film on the silver screens next week. And what do fanboys do while waiting for their favorite movie to be released on 17 July? They indulge/amuse themselves in fanboism. Here are a few basic things you can do if you can't wait for Batman:

1. Use Blogs, Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon, Twitter or any other Web 2.0 app. to write about it. Express your enthusiasm in your writings.



2. Use Photoshop (or GIMP) to make your photo/face to look like as though it's been vandalized by The Joker. Why so serious?

3. Buy a Dark Knight themed t-shirt. I really bought this t-shirt below, from the US (thanks Terry for sourcing). A fanboy plus point: Wear it on the premiere of Dark Knight in the cinemas.



4. Buy and read Batman graphic novels. Study the subject of Batman, increase your knowledge on it. Terry has bought a lot of them.

5. Watch 'Batman Begins' over and over again on DVD.

6. Talk and have deep discussions with your friends on Batman over at the dining table or mamak stalls.

7. Go to GSC's website and try to email them to ask whether do they have advance booking/sales of 'The Dark Knight' movie tickets. Terry really did email them, but sadly they didn't have advance booking/sales for this show.

8. Get some Batman collectibles.

9. Get a Batman or Joker costume and wear it on the premiere of Dark Knight. But I doubt that there would be people doing it. The Batman fan-base here is not really that strong, compared to Star Wars.

10. Last but not least, joker-ize your pets. Note: Please do it on Photoshop/GIMP, not marker pens and lip-sticks!



This is not really a comprehensive list. I'm out of ideas already. Any thoughts?

This post is dedicated to Terry, for his hard work of getting the tickets for us. Hats off to Terry!

And yes, I haven't given up blogging about movies yet. I still watch movies almost every week, so there's always a reason to blog about it.

Re: Titoonic games and their dumb approach to hire talents

In response to ShadowFox's blog post, Britt, our director, has written a lengthy reply in the comments area. Britt has also given the green light for me to post this up, to clear up any misunderstandings about the games competition and also Titoonic's approach in looking for talents.

We're even inviting him to drop by our office to have a cup of coffee and talk to us!

UPDATE: ShadowFox replies again...

-----------------------------------------------------------

Dear Shadowfox,

As the director of the Danish chapter of Titoonic, I feel I must respond to your comment about our upcoming event in Kuala Lumpur.

Off course I do not agree to most of your comments.

However, when I read through your comments I understand that you can get the impression, if you do not know Titoonic as a company.

We have the best intentions when we ask people to participate in a workshop before we hire them.

First of all we want to see how people work creatively.

Are they capable of working with others? Or do they have huge egos so they prefer to work solo? Can they come up with creative solutions quickly? Can they work independently?

We also want to evaluate people’s social skills, as it is important for us to hire a group of people, that actually likes to bee around other people, and that are capable of having a social life with their colleagues. That’s crucial if you want to create a creative environment where people can develop their skills and competencies.

To invite people to a workshop also gives the participant the opportunity to see how we work and what values we honor. Not to mention to actually meet some of their future colleagues, before they decide if they are still interested in working for us.

We care a lot about our employees and we want them to feel comfortable also when they are at work.

It is important for us that our employees have a good balance between work and life in general. You couldn’t be more wrong when you assume that we want to be a sweatshop. We rarely have people working more than the average 8 hours pr day (Mon. to Fri.) and if they do, we often give them the extra time off at another time.

Do have in mind that we are not asking people to sign a contract just because they are coming to the workshop. We even compensate some of their expenses and give them the opportunity to win a prize that I myself would find valuable. You may be so privileged that it’s not a problem for you to buy those prizes yourself, but where I come from it is a fairly reasonable prize. There might be a cultural difference here that I am not aware of, and I apologize if that is the case.

All that in mind I really think that we are doing an effort to evaluate people thoroughly. And even giving the ones a chance that might not have a shiny CV but still would be excellent flash people. Everyone needs to be given a first chance to prove their worth before they can have that shiny CV that opens doors.

For the record we are still looking at people’s resumes. That’s why we ask you to send it in when you register for the workshop.

However it is my experience that if you are only having interviews with people and looking at their resumes, it is the easiest thing to claim, that you are creative and good at teamwork, instead of showing it!

The workshop is a way of getting to know each other a little bit better, before we decide to work together. That way we hopefully are not wasting each other’s time.

I would also like to say, that Titoonic is one of the bests and most experienced companies in our field in Denmark, and we are proud of what we are making! We do projects for some of the most important and experienced companies in and outside Denmark, and have a track record I myself are proud of.

Also, it would not be unfair to ask people to produce a small flash game in two days where I come from. But that might, again, also be a cultural difference, and accept my apology again if that is the case.

I am a bit concerned that you have got the wrong impression about Titoonic and our intensions of having a workshop.

Let me invite you out for lunch this week and let’s have a chat about the game development environment in Malaysia. As we are new here, we certainly could learn something from you. And I am quite interested in hearing your point of views.

I would also like to hear something about what do you dream of, and what your ideal working environment looks like? Maybe I could learn something from you, about how people from Malaysia prefer to work?

You are also welcome to come by the office for a cup of coffee and meet the team here, so you can see how we work.

My best regards

Britt Bargfeldt

Director Titoonic A/S

n00b!

A few weeks ago, I received a forwarded email from a friend about Bill Gates from Microsoft giving out money if you forward the mail again to all your friends.

Waitttttttttttttttt, isn't this a very long ago email hoax which I've seen before? It was waaaaaay back in the year 2002 or 2003 (I could not recall) when the email was circulated around. If I can remember clearly at that time, I did not send the email to any of my friends, because by then I wasn't a n00b on the internet anymore. I can tell it was a hoax.

I really have nothing much to say about this friend of mine. Probably he was blinded by the words and promises of money. I'm very sure he's been on the internet for quite some time now. But then again, probably he's still a n00b in some ways. He still lives in the stone age of Internet.

Friends, I have no problem in receiving forwarded emails, provided that they are interesting to read and you don't forward them on a daily basis. But if you mail this, you will be awarded "n00b of the year award" instantly!

Nowadays, you can always google things up to check it. Always check it before you forward any suspiciously funny mails.

I wonder if in this age of Web 2.0, someone would start a new email chain, saying that Sergey Brin and Larry Page from Google would pay you $100,000 if you forward this to your friends. Any takers?

Spread Information Like A Virus

16 years of using computers, I have never seen a worm spread like wildfire such like the Blaster Worm, which almost attacked every computer running on WinXP in my campus hostel last time. As long as you're using that OS and connected to the network, you are bound to get infected!

If you wanted to spread certain information that you wanted everyone to know, just like a virus/worm that goes around networks of people, how would you do it? Can you do it with speed and efficiency, and also reaching to the right people? Yes indeed you can, with the right tools. I would certainly use the web, besides viral marketing.

I need to spread word on the Titoonic Games Garage which my company is organizing, and it is suppose to be held next week. Time is short, and I've thought about how I would spread the information around. It's a tough job, because you need to reach out to the right people as well, especially because I'm looking for specific people to join this event (flash people). Here are a few ideas:

1. The local forums, such as Lowyat.net. It's a very useful site. I've managed to sell my old 2nd hand junk there, a lot times.
2. My blog.
3. Instand Messaging. No, I did not actually mass-forward to all my friends. I've just specifically IM'ed a few I know are quite reliable sources and tap into their network of friends.
4. Facebook, Twitter, Digg and other social networking sites.
   
5. Email forwading. You can call it SPAM.
6. Word of mouth.
   

The last resort which I've thought of is to advertise on some famous local blogs. Kennysia.com. I wonder whether Kenny would allow it without charging me? =)

Introducing Titoonic Games Garage 2008

Titoonic invites all talented independent game developers, game designers, artists, Flash gurus to join us for a 2-day game design and development competition where you build your own complete Flash game from scratch. Participants will be grouped into teams of 2 individuals ( 1 programmer + 1 artist ) that will work together over the weekend to create their own Flash game. After the competition, we will invite selected individuals to further discuss the possibility of becoming part of the Titoonic Malaysia team.

Objective:
We want to discover talented Flash developers and artists with the final goal of hiring for Titoonic Asia. Therefore we see it as a necessary premise to sign up, that you would like to work for Titoonic Asia in the future.

Event Details:
The game design tournament will be held from 27th to 29th June 2008 at:

Vedel IT Services Sdn Bhd
Level 13, KUB.com
(Megan Avenue 2, Block D )
No 12, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Schedule:

27 June:
05.00 pm: Welcome and introduction to Titoonic team members & getting to know all participants
05:30 pm: Briefing on game design tournament – creation of teams
06:00 pm: Begin concept & proposal development
07:00 pm: Submission of proposal

28 June
08:30 am: Breakfast
09:15 am: Briefing for daily agenda
09:30 am: Begin development
12:15 pm: Lunch break
01:00 pm: Resume development
04:30 pm: Tea Break
04:45 pm: Resume development
06:30 pm: Progress report
07:00 pm: Wrap up for the day

29 June:
08:30 am: Breakfast
09:15 am: Briefing for daily agenda
09:30 am: Begin development
01:30 pm: Final Touches
02:00 pm: Development ends
02:15 pm: Lunch break
02:30 pm: Judging Begins
03:00 pm: Tournament Results
04:00 pm: Wrap up and have brief discussion with selected individuals

Theme:
To be announced during the briefing.

Enrollment:
To enroll, include the following details:

> Name
> I/C Number
> Address
> Contact Number
> Email
> Using your own hardware / laptop
> Resume / Curriculum Vitae

Please send in your resumes via email to: cma@it-malaysia.com / siv@it-malaysia.com or contact us Christina/Sivakamy at 60(3) 2161 3986. Only shorlisted candidates will be notified. Deadline for enrollment is 25th June 2008.

Prizes:
First Prize: 16 GB iPod Touch to be awarded to the best performing individual.

2 x Runner-up Prizes: 8GB iPod Nano to be awarded to the best performing team or the top 2 performing individuals.

Specifications:
Minimum resolution: 300×300
Maximum resolution: 800×600
Must include sounds and music. You may bring your own sound effects and music library if you have any.

Important Note:
Food and beverage provided throughout the event. Transportation allowance will also be given to shortlisted candidates.

*Titoonic reserves to rights to change contest details without prior notice.

Who Let The Dogs Out?

This is my first post ever since I've abandoned my blog for more than a year. Also, this is my first post which isn't about movies.

Last week, I've discovered that dogs aren't so cute when they're after you. This was a troubling issue which had been bugging me for a few days. Nearby my house, lived a stray brown female dog which was quite aggressive, and will bark and chase after people if it sees them close by. I'm pretty sure that the dog has no particular owner, because there's no collar on it. It lives temporarily in a house nearby, and hangs out with another dog which I think has an owner. In the mornings I've been chased by that darn dog twice, but it wasn't so bad at all. The dog was not serious in chasing and it stopped halfway after I walked away from it. Sure, it wasn't serious but I was pretty annoyed by it. There was definitely a chance for it to really launch an attack if it wants to. It even tries to cross the busy road to go after you across the road if you walked past it. That darn dog!

I finally decided to call the enforcers. No, not the cops, but the "animal-enforcers" from MPSJ. I checked the MPSJ website and found a section called "Kawalan Kacau Ganggu" which is related to my problem. What? I thought "Kawalan Anjing" would be a more appropriate title. So the website says: "APAKAH YANG TIDAK BOLEH DILAKUKAN OLEH PEMILIK ANJING ?" (Translation: What dog owners cannot do?)... "Membiarkan dan melepaskan anjing merayau di luar kawasan premis pemunya" (Translation: Letting the dogs roam freely outside the owner's house)... "Anjing yang berkeliaran tanpa terikat dan bersarung mulut (berlesen atau tanpa berlesen) akan ditangkap sekiranya operasi sedang dijalankan tanpa sebarang notis amaran" (Translation: Dogs that roam around freely without being chained/restricted by the owner, with or without a dog license will be captured without notice). Pretty neat! Since if Browny has no owner and he runs around freely barking and chasing after people, the authorities will definitely OWN the dog.

MPSJ is quite efficient. After calling them to file a complaint, a week later (which is today) they've managed to capture the stray dog. Reaching home from work, I discovered that Browny wasn't at his "home" today. I've also received confirmation letters from them saying that a stray dog had been caught. Probably Browny found a new home at the dog pound. Well, I do hope he's safe there being locked up.



This is the final verdict. Wild dogs shouldn't be let roaming around, because they grew up in the wild without owners and proper training. They could pose a danger towards people. Even if Browny had an owner (I doubt so, cause there's no collar and it is not a common breed) they should have not let it run around carelessly.

Finally, here's an informative section which I've found from the "Kawalan Kacau Ganggu" section from MPSJ's website. Did you know that there are certain aggressive breeds of dog which you cannot keep and it's against the law to rear them? Here's a few of them:


Japanese Tosa


American Pitt-bull Terrier


Japanese Akita Inu

No offense to dog lovers/owners, but if you are going to rear a dog, please choose a less aggressive breed to put in your house. Even though it might not look scary enough to fend off buglers, but it can serve as a natural alarm. If not, I might be scared to enter your house.

Why not get a cute Beagle instead?



But for the moment, I'll keep a cat first if I have my own house. Cats are cute. Cats are also funny creatures.



Read also: Dangerous Dogs Act 1991