security threat by the numbers

did you know:

• online ads are 182 times more likely to deliver malicious content than pornography sites?
• ... and that online shopping is 21 times riskier than counterfeit software sites?

just some interesting snippets :)

hey, i can 'see' you from here! :)

i have been so occupied with work and all, just haven't had the time to sit down and update my blog in the past month or so. what started out as a bid to show a friend that i can keep at this for more than three months, has over the years, taken on a life of its own and became a personal little outlet to vent, to share my little mundane snippets, excitements and stories with people near or far, friends and strangers alike.

i was just checking around and scanning my site for any new features, and noticed that my ClustrMap (yes, that small little rectangular map on the right navigation bar, right under the 'visitors around the world' subheader) is now spotting some yellow dots too.

technology and its features just keep improving and getting better and more advanced each day. see, now as you are reading this on your computer screen (or perhaps your smart phone), i can spot you right there on my ClustrMap - in real-time... that tiny little yellow dot, yes! that's you! :)

there's even a small table recording the date, location and estimated time of the recent visitors to my site... so cool, erh? :)

has anyone used Skype via CallByText on your iPhone?

i was just surfing around for some information on Skype and stumbled upon this site called CallByText. it claims to allow you to make phonecalls via your Skype account even when you are not connected to the internet. sounds too cool, isn't it?

but has anyone actually tried and tested this?
does it really work?

here's how it supposedly works:

 

it's free, it offer good savings, and there's even have a free app for iphone users, what's there not to like about it? so i tried downloading the app onto my phone, and went on to register myself for a free account. i got all the way through to the email verification part, and then i stopped and decided to just drop the whole idea.

so you see, this site that claims to be "not affiliated with Apple Inc. nor with Skype" actually asked for my Skype login and password as part of the registration process? oh no no no! that is one big security compromise! as attractive the thought of being able to access Skype calls without internet connection is, i just don't agree to the idea of providing my Skype login access to an unauthorised third-party.

not even the fact that CallByText was listed on CNET download.com, and its mediocre presence on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter could convince me to do otherwise. on the contrary, after giving it some thought, the realisation that this service has been around since october 2010, yet hasn't quite taken off or garnered warm response or reviews... made me all the more skeptical of it.

don't get me wrong, i so look forward to the day when i can make Skype or some form of  VoIP calls without relying on my data plan or WiFi access - that would be too good to be true. but for now, without positive reviews and affirmation from the general target audience out there, i shall not risk it... and will just continue to pay for my international calls or enjoy my Skype-to-Skype free calls via the internet / data plan :)

1 day only - Apple store lunar new year specials (Singapore and selected countries only)

deck yourself out in all things Apple this lunar new year.
don't miss this one-day special promotion, only at the Apple Store (Singapore and selected countries).

hurry down to your nearest store now, or check out www.apple.com.sg - remember, reduced prices only on 14 jan 2011! :)

the Internet acronyms test - what is your score?

how well do you know your Internet acronyms? :)

in this day and age where anything most things quick, easy, shortcut are associated with better efficiency, we find ourselves bombarded with an ever-growing list of acronyms everywhere we go. ok, i'm not referring to the almost gibberish text-message-style abbreviations or slangs such as 'dunno', 'i luv u', 'wer r u', 'nmd abt tat ger who bot ur reserved makeup, more stks wil cum in tml', 'wat wer u tinking', 'i tot i saw u der'... *shudder* or the informal chat style short forms such as LOL, ROFLMAO, BRB, IDK, IIRC, IMHO, TMI...

what i'm talking about here are the common, universally recognised Internet (or tech) acronyms that we use so often in our daily lives that we wouldn't even stop to think twice about. so short, so quick, used so easily, that we probably didn't even realise that we didn't know what they stand for in the first place.

so, let's try this quick little test.. see how well you fare (without cheating) ;)

ps: this list is by no means exhaustive, i'm just listing those at the top of my mind. please feel free to add on in the comments too.

1. WWW
2. URL
3. HTML
4. HTTP
5. FTP
   
6. RSS
7. DOS
   
8. SMS
9. MMS
   
10. PDF
11. MP3
    
12. JPEG
    
13. GIF
14. EPS
15. SEO
16. CSS
    
17. API
18. CMYK
19. RGB
    
20. ATM
21. bonus: IBM
    - yup, the company that recently messed up DBS ATMs islandwide

(scroll to the end of this post for the answers)

inspirations and resources:

• (Hubspot) Glossary: 24 SEO Terms Marketers Should Know
  
• (About.com) Internet for Beginners: Glossary of Internet Abbreviations
• (About.com) Web Design/HTML
• Abbreviations.com
  

(scroll further down for the answers)








answers:
(1) world wide web (2) uniform resource locator (3) hypertext markup language (4) hypertext transfer/transport protocol (5) file transfer protocol (6) really simple syndication (7) disk operating system (8) short message service (9) multimedia messaging service (10) portable document format (11) moving picture experts group-1 (MPEG-1) audio layer 3 (12) joint photographic experts group (13) graphics interchange format (14) encapsulated postscript (15) search engine optimisation (16) cascading style sheets (17) application programming interface (18) cyan, magenta, yellow, key black (19) red, green, blue (20) automated teller machine (21) international business machines

wait no more, SMS a cab

this is certainly not a new service (launched since april 2008), but i've only recently started using this and only then realised what a breeze it is SMSing a cab. so now i'm a convert :)

i'm sure all of us have had the experience of waiting endlessly in the taxi queues during peak hours in town or in the CBD area on a workday; sometimes calling for a cab on a rainy Friday evening and being put on hold for over 20 minutes without any luck. my worst experience was calling the CityCab hotline for 20 minutes without any luck, and when i finally managed to get to an operator, they put me on hold for so long that the line got cut off on its own, and so it's back to square one in the end *sigh*

anyway, i'm not saying Comfort Delgro's SMS-a-cab guarantees you a taxi at all times, but it sure beats having to call and wait for eternity before getting to speak to an operator, especially during those dreadful peak hours. to start, all you need is either the taxi stand number, the fastcall pin code, the exact address or postal code of your pick up point, then send an SMS to "71222" with the following details (in the exact format):

so far, all my SMS-a-cab experience have been pretty good. prompt reply within minutes (even when it's a reply that said "We're sorry all our cabs are fully occupied in your area, please try again later"). i've also been going around strongly recommending this to my friends.. hmm.. perhaps when everyone starts using this service, the response rate may dip :P

SMRT green campaign = fail whale?

my colleague pointed this out today.
check out SMRT's latest "SMRT is Green" campaign.

i wonder if the agency behind the web design meant to put some pun on this.. but i just can't figure how "fail whale" can imply anything good for the campaign.

those of you who are on twitter, do you see the uncanny resemblance to twitter's "fail whale" too? lol :) hmm... so weird.

21 june: get Apple iOS 4 for your iPhone

come 21 june, watch out for the new iPhone operating system - Apple iOS 4.
existing iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G and iPod Touch will get a free upgrade on the handset.

read more on ZDnet.com.au.
looking at the list of new features... i am most looking forward to getting 'multitasking':

"at long last, we'll be able to run multiple apps — including third-party apps — at the same time."

yay! glad it's finally here! *happy dance*

ps: while you upgrade the OS, give your iPhone a mini makeover too.
download some fancy icons or wallpaper to go with it ;) browse iphone toolbox for more.

inspired by butterfly lovers, for butterfly lovers...

i love butterfly motifs, and i LOOOooVVEeee this too! a dreamy mix of vibrant butterfly prints on soft golden hues, complete with a golden keyboard and matching wireless mouse... this is simply made for me! lol.

a pity this vivienne tam edition is only made for the HP mini 210 "digital clutch". if this came in notebook (not netbook) specs., i might actually be interested in getting one :)

according to HP, this pretty creation was inspired by the Chinese classics "The Butterfly Lovers" 《梁祝》.. aww... beautiful but tragic love story:

"Reflecting Tam’s spring 2010 collection, the netbook design is inspired by the classic Chinese love story, “Butterfly Lovers,” a beautiful tale of freedom, romance and inspiration. Integrated directly into the netbook’s lid using HP Imprint technology, the design is as durable as it is stunning. The HP Mini 210 Vivienne Tam Edition also comes with a Butterfly Lovers desktop theme that includes an animated butterfly start menu, custom Vivienne Tam icons and three wallpapers to coordinate with the design."
(4 March 2010 press release)

quick glance

• price: S$999 (Singapore); US$599 (USA)
• screen: 10.1 inch display
• thickness: less than 1 inch
• weight: 1.22 kg / 2.69 lb
• hard drive: up to 320Gb
• battery life: 5.5 hours (3-cell)
• OS: Windows 7 Premium
  
• processor: Intel Atom N450

get yours in Singapore stores from april 2010 onwards, or pre-order from Amazon now.

recap: if you'd like, take a look back and check out the earlier 2008 edition HP-vivienne tam digital clutch too.

cozycot app for iPhone

cozycot has launched an iPhone app.
i've just downloaded it to show my support... shall try it out soon ;)

how to suck at facebook

lol.. this is funny!
you gotta click through and take a look..
then have some laughs.. and ponder over it.

i'm sure there are many such "culprits" out there..

- the gamer
- the event coordinator
- the desperate marketer
- the horrible photo tagger (we all shudder at this, don't we?) ;)
- the rash (lol.. stalker!)
- the quiz taker
- the passive aggressor
- the infant profile
- the filterless

are you guilty? :p

coke-powered phone, anyone? ;)

technology is advancing so rapidly, there really isn't anything that we can positively say "it's not possible" anymore :)

check out this really cool theory - coke-powered mobile phone.

in essence, here's how it works:

"The concept is using bio battery to replace the traditional battery to create a pollution free environment. Bio battery is an ecologically friendly energy generates electricity from carbohydrates (currently sugar) and utilizes enzymes as the catalyst. By using bio battery as the power source of the phone, it only needs a pack of sugary drink and it generates water and oxygen while the battery dies out." (Chinese designer, Daizi Zheng - via mashable.com)

if this takes off, looks like we'll soon be refilling our phones at convenience stores, vending machines, supermarkets.. with all sorts of soda drinks (i think it would look pretty cute with pink soda in it :P). maybe then, we won't just have regular coke, coke zero or pepsi twist.. we may also find coke apple, root beer nokia, black berry sprite... i'm sure the soda drinks manufacturers will be happy.

i'm just wondering, how will we keep the ants away from our phones?

a 2010 new year gift to myself :P

hehe.. a little New Year's splurge to pamper myself - or rather - my iPhone ;)
check out the new Winnie the Pooh "outfit" for my black iPhone - S$39 thin PVC wrap from takashimaya #B1 counter.

i know, it's not cheap.. that's why it's a splurge :P
it's just so pretty, i couldn't resist.. now i can't stop looking at the back of my phone *lol*..