Whackiest Sign

This morning I was reading news at Sky news and I came across some very interesting pictures. The pictures shows the World Whackiest Sign. Here is the website: http://news.sky.com/skynews/picture_gallery/0,,91251-1318059,00.html.

Enjoy!

New Watch!

Since I left my G-Shock in Malaysia last February, I was looking for a new watch for myself. I was wandering in the city centre and finally I have decided to buy Seiko watch during a sale. I got 25% discount from the retail price. Here's the watch:




Well, it is a choronograph watch so it has stopwatch, alarm and other functions which is a typical Seiko watch. This is my second watch and the G-Shock is the first one I bought back in year 2002. Hm...nothing much to say..going to use my watch now...hehe.

Do Re Mi?

As I was cleaning my room today I've found out that I bought few musical instruments in the past four year in Belfast. The reason I bought it to kill some of my time. Instead of just playing computer games and watching dramas, this was the third entertainment option I have. Well, let me show you my collection:

from top: fife flute, flute and violin.

I remembered I bought the flute back in year 2005 and the fife flute in 2006. The last instrument (violin) is bought in January 2008. Well, that is like one instrument per year..haha. I was more familiar with flutes but not violin. I've played flute since secondary school when I was in the Boys' Brigade marching band, so I have no difficulty in playing them. However, I have no idea how to play violin yet I bought it, why? Well, I was attracted into playing violin when I was on a trip to Prague on December 2007. My friends and I went to watch an opera in the Prague's state opera house. The show's name is Rigelleto. It was a very, very nice show presented with a combination of ochestra instruments and singing by the actors on the stage. I was impressed by the coordination and also the music from the show especially from the violin section. That's why I was thinking of buying a violin and learn myself. Well, it was kind of difficult to learn yourself and until today I still cannot play a proper sound...haiz. I guess I need to look for someone to teach me...haha.

Moon Jar!

I have been wandering around this tiny city twice this week to look for any interesting news to post. Unfortunately, nothing special to talk about. Instead, I have something to show you guys and easily found in my room. I have bought a special kind of jar called the Moon Jar (a new version of Sun Jar). This jar is not for storing cookies or sweets, instead it is used to store sunlight and turn it into moonlight....haha...confused? Well, this is what stated on the box.

Ok, let me explain in a simpler way. This jar is actually consists of a normal jar stuffed with photocell, rechargable battery, photodiode and a blue led. Very simple structure right? The main purpose of this jar is to store the sunlight energy and keep it in the rechargable battery for night use. Here is the picture of the moon jar.

Sorry about the badly made name at the right hand corner. My computer still haven't install with any photoshop software yet. So in the mean while please bear with it...haha. The next picture is the photocell and photodiode.

If you carefully observe, you can see the photodiode (6 0'clock direction) and the switch at 12 o'clock direction. The stripes are the photocells. The last picture shows the reason for buying this jar.

It is quite cool if you turn it on at night. Since a photodiode is used, this item is very sensitive to light. If you turn on the switch, it will automatically turn on the light is your room is dim enough. It is actually quite an interesting item and that's why it attracted me to buy it. The manufacturer's name is even more interesting. It is called SuckUK, which is a very odd name. Anyway, that's all that I would like to say. I'm not sure whether you can buy this in Malaysia but I think it will be quite expensive. I bought this for around £16. I guess this will be a nice present for friends...haha.

Back in action!

Its been a very long time since I stopped posting in this blog...hm...about 9 months. Life is getting tough with my current daily works. Everyday I have to go to school to do my experiments, recording results, interpret results, solving problems and optimisation. So, I have no idea I have blogging..haha. Every monday morning I have to go for 2 hours meeting from 9am-11am. Most of the time I have to listen to other people presentations and sometimes I have to present my own works. The worst day should be on every wednesday, why?..because I have to finish my weekly report or sometimes together with presentation slides to show my both supervisors on Thursday. I think my weekly life is full with meeting and report writing...haiz. Well, what I can said about my supervisors? I can said they are questions type supervisors with plenty of "tricky" questions ready for you to answer but well that's what PhD is all about. I have uploaded a silicon wafer coated with a layer of tungsten for those who is interested to know how does a silicon wafer looks like. I think enough for my bored student life here, I need to change the course a bit.

100mm silicon wafer coated with tungsten film.

Life here are indeed quite boring and I have been here for nearly four years, so you can imagine how dull I am. Luckily apart from my daily school life I still have some leisures time. Every week I will have at least once or twice badminton games with my friends or sometimes I will go for swimming. I am still working as a part-time waiter every Saturday in the same Italian restaurant which I have been working there for the past four years (3 years and 9 months to be exactly). Although I have no problem supporting my daily expenses through my grant and from lab demonstrating, I still feel that working there can release some stress from my study. Haiz...I think I am like an old guy, so long winded...haha.

Hm..I don't have anything to blog further in this topic. I guess I have to work harder to look for more interesting topics in the next posting. I guess Nkwai will be very surprise to find out I have blog again...haha.

New webcam! Logitech QuickCam® Ultra Vision

Four days ago, I was surfing the amazon website to look for any gadgets that is worthy to buy. In the same time, I was looking for a webcam because I was thinking that I might use it to communicate with my family members without calling them. At first I was thinking to buy creative webcam, so I look in creative website and found this "Creative Live! Cam Optia AF". The stylish design and the 2 megapixel sensor captured my interest in this model. However, most of the reviews said that this webcam does not really worth the price it offer. The best feature is the parental locking system but I don't really need this feature anyway. So, I start to look for other brand and I think logitech is not bad.

From logitech website, I found this webcam QuickCam® Ultra Vision. Most reviews said this product is really worth the price and it also has a stylish design, comparable with creative webcam. This webcam used 5 lens-system or what they said as precision glass lens which can offer twice the image clarity compared to other webcams. It has a true 1.3 megapixel sensor with RightLight™ 2 Technology. I have tried this features and it really helps a lot especially when your room is too dim. It will automatically adjust the light accrodingly. Although this camera only has 1.3 megapixel but the image is still very clear. Most reviews said that any video higher than 1.3 megapixel will make the image jitter due to the bandwidth required to transmit the video. So, I still sticked with 1.3 megapixel. I also have a integrated microphone, embedded with echo and background sounds cancellation system. It also can be used as digital camera which can be used to capture up to 4 megapixel picture. With all these features, I finally made up my mind and bought this webcam from amazon for £67.70. Although it is very expensive but worth the price. However, I was surprise to found out that it is more cheaper than malaysia. I checked the lowyat webby and it cost RM559 but mine only cost about RM470.

The received package.

The stylish webcam with the usb cable...hehe.

Mount perfectly on my laptop monitor.

With this webcam, I can use it to show my handsome face to girls through messenger...hehehe... just jokking. Anyway, if you guys/girls want to chat with me using the video mode just message me. Well, that's all I want to say. c u guys in messenger.

Life is full with options.

Its been ages since I posted my blog, well i think it is nearly 2-3 months. I have been busy doing my MSc project and also doing some part time jobs. So my brain is congested with loads of things. Now, 2 weeks after I submitted my final report I am be able to continue my blog.

Life is really full with options. Each path leads you to different ways of life and change your future. Last month, my project supervisor asked me whether I am interested to study a fully funded PhD course. Well, it is quite difficult to decide because if you go on you will need to spend another 3 years in the school. If you decline, you may found difficult to find such offer in the future. However, I still accept the offer and go for it because I think it is a good opportunity to do what I am interested on. Oh right, I am interested in research and development.

Only on this tuesday, my supervisor told me that the grant is approved and I can commence my PhD study anytime soon. When I received this news I am quite happy but in the mean time I few like kinda bored to continue for another 3 years in the same university. However, I think this doesn't really matter if I am ready to go for it. Right, my research topic will be on germanium manufacturing on sapphire. This topic is very interesting because up to now no university in the UK is doing the research on topic. So it is a very good topic to talk on but in the resources will be limited.

So I am currently waiting my PhD study to start. In the mean time I am doing some part-time jobs to get some money for future europe trips...hehe. Well, that's all I can say this time. Hope I remember to post another one next week...haha.

Cheerio!