Freeware >>>

How many pirated softwares installed in your home PC?

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My home PC still got five pirated softwares, some of them are video editing softwares. Still actively looking for open source or freeware to replace them.

1. Video capture software with sound recording from the source feature unlike the open source, CamStudio. Sound recording from speaker in my CamStudio is still not working. I believe this issue is related to sound card configuration.

2. Video splitter and joiner. Freeware SolveighMM AVI Trimmer may be able to replace these two since most of my video files are in AVI and WMV format. Still evaluating SolveighMM AVI Trimmer for its stability.

3. Video watermarking. Still looking for freeware alternative.

Category: Freeware | Tags: | 28/06/2011
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New gadget :: 20-Year LED Lightbulb

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Philips Introduces 20-Year LED Lightbulb That Won Top DOE ‘L-Prize’

Dutch electronics giant Philips introduced their award-winning 20-year LED lightbulb to U.S. markets on Sunday and is working with suppliers to cut the 10-watt bulb’s current $50 price tag in half over the next year, the Associated Press reports.

The bulb’s public debut comes after years of development and winning last year’s “Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize,” a competition launched by the U.S. Department of Energy to develop alternative sources of lighting. One of the stipulations of the competition was that the bulb be sold for $22 or less in its first year on the market.

But even at that price, LED lights faces serious competition from $1 incandescent lightbulbs and CFLs (compact-fluorescent bulbs), which normally retail for around $5 and can last for up to 10,000 hours, according to TreeHugger.

Philips says the cost of the LED lamp is easily offset by savings: if consumers use the bulb for four hours daily, they can save $8 per year on electricity, or about $160 over the bulb’s lifespan, the Associated Press reports. And the LED bulbs are less toxic to the environment because they don’t contain mercury vapors.

The company said in a press release earlier this year that “If every 60-watt incandescent bulb in the U.S. was replaced with the 10-watt L Prize winner, the nation would save about 35 terawatt-hours of electricity or $3.9 billion in one year and avoid 20 million metric tons of carbon emissions.”

The transition from incandescent bulbs to energy-saving alternatives is already underway thanks to legislation such as 2007′s Energy Independence and Security Act, which banned 100-watt incandescent bulbs and provided a timetable for phasing bulbs with lesser wattage out altogether. From 2014, all incandescent bulbs using 40 watts of electricity or more will be banned in the U.S., according to the Washington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/23/philips-twenty-20-year-led-lightbulb-prize-department-of-energy_n_1445780.html

Category: Hardware | Tags: , | 24/04/2012
Hardware >>>

New gadget :: Penveu interactive whiteboard device

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This new gadget may be an viable replacement for expensive electronic whiteboard sold in the market.

Penveu is what the company calls an “interactive whiteboard in a box.” At $500 (for the education market), and $700 for businesses, the device is a small, handheld tool that comes with the functionality of a mouse, and which can write (digitally) on any surface, from almost any distance. It can write in different colors, erase, and highlight anything in a presentation. Based in part on technology previously used for satellites, cruise missiles, and smart bomb navigation, Interphase calls the device “rocket science in the palm of your hand.”

Each Penveu contains a high-speed camera, 12 accelerometers, three gyroscopes, and three magnetometers, all so that it knows where it’s pointing. The image shown on the screen or TV, or on the wall (from a projector) has more than 200 targets embedded on it, and the camera in the device can see them, honing in on specific pixels, allowing the user to write or draw right where they want, from anywhere in a room.

Category: Hardware | Tags: | 18/04/2012
Freeware >>>

Freeware :: DrivePurge

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DrivePurge is a freeware application for system and drive cleanup.

The most important features are:

  • DrivePurge seeks and removes unneccessary files and user tracks of more than 750 applications and system components.
  • Found files and Registry entries can be individually selected or deselected.
  • DrivePurge can search in whole drives or in selected folders for files or file types.
  • DrivePurge is portable and runs on USB devices.

Where to download? http://www.gaijin.at/en/dldrivepurge.php

Category: Freeware | Tags: | 27/03/2012
Hardware >>>

Five reasons you should not buy Asus products! Don't tell me I do not warn you.

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Latest updates:

1 Jan 2012: Asus Malaysia Customer Service head has responded positively after my email fired to Asus CEO yesterday. I will meet up with him when I send in my netbook for repair.

3 Jan 2012: Asus replied online inquiry after one week.

3 Jan 2012: Stanley was trying his best to resolve this small matter, but the super slow internet speed in Asus service center for downloading drivers is wasting my time (About three hours are wasted for non-value added activity).

6 Jan 2012: The netbook was reset to default setting after its touch pad driver restoration failed.

I deem this case is closed. Asus is still having a bright future because its CEO cares about voice of customer.

This is my after sales service rating for a few computer manufacturers I deal with for last 10 years.

No 1: Dell Computer with 5/5. The customer service is professional and replied to inquiries within 24 hours during working days. Dell send in technician to customer site to repair and troubleshoot PCs.

No 2: Asus Computer with 3/5. Asus is having a convenient service center in Low Yat, and they have to improve poor processes.

No 3: NEC with 2/5 because it only has service center in Prai Penang.

No 4: Acer with 1/5. Acer took six months to replace my notebook LCD.

Their hardware quality and reliability can be found here >>>

1. The product quality is poor.

My Asus 1015PX netbook keyboard is having jumping cursor issue. The problem is random, and I have difficulty to repeat it when I send it for repair.

My suspect is my plams incidentally touching/rubbing the over sensitive touch pad. The bloody hell is there is no way I can disable the touchpad by [Fn][F3] or disable it via Elan driver.

All function keys are not working.

2. Asus does not honor 2-year warranty extension after online registration.

I had registered my netbook online within a week of purchase, Asus never replied the registration was successful or not and whether the warranty extension is granted or not unlike Canon.

3. Asus online and offline customer services are poor and suck.

Do not expect any reply within 48 hours, you should be happy if Asus does reply you after 48 hours.

I have talked to a few Asus customers, and realized that Asus customer service is worst than any Malaysia GLCs.  

Case 1: A Malay guy has to visit Asus service center for five times before his phone casing was replaced.

Case 2: Another Malay guy also has to wait for two months for LCD replacement.

Case 3: A service staff member switched off his handphone, but still asking a lady customer called his handphone.

I asked them how to disable touchpad, unfortunately they do not know how. They even claimed that the touchpad driver in my netbook is missing, but when I asked back how on earth a touchpad can work without a driver.

Asus service technician was hiding in the back room and refused to answer me face to face.

His innovative solution is reformat and reinstall Windows in my netbook. I almost uttered “fxxx your asshole” on the spot. Since I can manage my emotion well and also feel no point scolding these people working in the field who have no say in the management matter.

4. Asus Malaysia customer center is packed with angry customers.

I have to wait for 1 hour 15 minutes before my turn to hand in my netbook for troubleshooting. The front counter staff members are helpful, but its technical personnel are having attitude problem with poor technical knowhow and knowledge.

5. New service center address is not updated in its website.

Asus has moved its service center to Low Yat Plaze on 28 December 2011, but it never updated new center info in its website. I only noticed  the center was shifted to Low Yat after I visited SPS Plaza.

My action plans are:

- I decided to bring back my netbook and told them that I will write a complaint to Asus CEO directly.

Done

- Post a free write-up in my blog about Asus poor quality and service.

Done

- File the case in the consumer tribunal for faulty netbook if a first repair is not properly carried out.

Cancel

Of course I will not buy Asus product in future unless all other computer manufacturers are wound out for business.

Asus is suck! These are five reasons you should not buy Asus products, don’t tell me that I do not warn you in advance.

Category: Hardware | Tags: , | 30/12/2011
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