Sunday, November 30, 2008

Sydney Christmas Parade 2008

The second Sydney Christmas Parade promises to be bigger and better this year. More floats, more giant balloons, more dancers, celebrities, and cartoon characters. The parade starts off around 11:30am around Circular Quay, traveling two kilometers down George Street, and finishing at Tumbalong Park for Santa's Village around 2:30pm.

At 12 noon, I'm still at Rhodes Phoenix having yum cha with the family. By the time GF and I got to the city, the parade has already passed by and on their way to Tumbalong Park. Since we're near QVB anyway, GF went shopping at L'Occitane and bought a few Christmas presents for her Dad. Then we went to Chinatown's Capitol Square to buy an 8GB USB stick, which we later crammed full of Chinese movies, MP3s, and ebooks for a personal touch. At Tumbalong Park, we visited the information booths that are still there. Most of the floats are already gone or in the process of being dismantled. Oh well, better luck next year.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Birthday Bash with a Quantum of Solace

KC's kids are celebrating their birthdays today. GF and I went to their grandma's place for their birthday bash. Surprisingly, we were the first (adult) guests to arrive. Some of the kids are already trying to best to destroy the jumping castle. Food selection was relatively small (for a Filipino party), but pretty good. The guy who did the pancit canton used to work at Max's Restuarant in Manila. No wonder it's delicious. We stayed around for the chocolate fountain, the big smiley birthday cake, and the piƱata party game.

After that, we watched Quantum of Solace, Daniel Craig's second outing as Bond 007. I still like Casino Royale better. Director Marc Forster focused too much on the action scenes instead of focusing on the plot. By the end of the movie, I still didn't get why people were doing what the did? Too many things happening at the same time with no central theme. And why would somebody build an eco-friendly hotel right in the middle of the desert. And why would you fill it with explosive gas? Just so Bond can blow it all up? Bah! If you haven't seen this movie yet, then don't. That's a quantum of solace for you.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Handel's Messiah at Our Lady of Dolours Church

The Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and Choir is performing Handel's Messiah tonight at Our Lady of Dolours Church in Chatswood tonight. The last of their concert season for this year. GF and I got there early and got a parking spot right beside the church. Had dinner at this basement Chinese restaurant that her family frequents. Food must be really good because she felt comfortable and chatty enough to share her secrets with me. I was not the same person ever since. :-)

The concert was ok. Acoustics of the church was great, but I'm not really familiar with the piece. The only part I know is the Hallelujah Chorus, courtesy of Mr. Bean. Everybody stood up during that section, as is the common practice. It was said that King George II started the tradition. Was he so moved by the performance? Did he suddenly feel the need to stretch his legs? No one knows.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Non-Movie Weekend

Supposed to watch Welcome to the Sticks (Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis) at St. Leonards Park as part of Helga's European Film Festival. It was cloudy and windy and started to drizzle a bit, so we decided not to go. Went to Westfield Burwood instead for Rocknrolla. Movie starts at 6:45pm. Had early dinner at Something Sweet. By the time we finished our meal, it was just past movietime. Gave the movie a pass and went back home.

On Sunday, we're supposed to watch The Orphanage at Hurstville. Went to Elica's house blessing at Ropes Crossing in the morning. GF had so much fun chatting (and eating), we decided to stay. Went to Kamayan later at Rooty Hill to buy some takeaway. Because it was already late in the afternoon, we only managed to get embutido and relyenong bangus.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Nybble Issue No. 205

N Y B B L E   M O N T H L Y   N E W S L E T T E R
A Free Ezine about Anything Tech and Everything Else
2008.11.14 Issue No. 205

The mobile office has truly come a long way. My colleagues and I were driving along the freeway to a town 85 kms. away when we got a call from our client. They want us to join a conference bridge. Sure thing. What we used: a Nokia E65, a Pop-Port to a 3.5mm audio connector, and an audio cable to the car stereo's aux in port. By pressing the mute button at appropriate times, I was hoping the customer wouldn't know we're not in the office. Next, they wanted us to log on to the network and implement some changes for them. No problem. What we used: a Lenovo T61, an Optus Wireless Broadband USB dongle, and an inverter to power the laptop from the car's 12V port. By connecting to the Internet, then using a VPN to the intranet, it's as if we're in the office. All throughout the road trip, our voice and data connections never dropped. By the time we got to the parking lot at Terrigal, we've edited some configuration files, restarted processes, and restored service. Mission accomplished.

Have an answer, comment, suggestion, or violent reaction? Send them my way by clicking on Reply or join nybbletalk@yahoogroups.com to discuss a topic. If you think Nybble is good enough, do tell the techie road warriors about it. Thanks.


_________TABLE OF CONTENTS_________
* Robotic Plants from Korea
* Breaking the 1000mph Land Speed Record
* Cancer-Fighting Beer
* Aussie Electric Vehicle Network
* Cancer-Busting Robot
* NY Driver's License with RFID
* Likeable Links
* Questionable Question
* Quotable Quote
* Trivial Trivia
* Laughable Laugh

_________ROBOTIC PLANTS FROM KOREA_________
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200810/200810160007.html

The robot research laboratory at Chonnam National University has developed a robotic plant that has humidifying, oxygen-producing, aroma-emitting, and kinetic functions, like a real plant. It is 130 cm tall and 40 cm in diameter and consists of a pot, a stem, and five buds of a flower reminiscent of a rose of Sharon.
The "plant" responds in various ways to stimuli from outside, such as approaching persons, music or light. When a person comes within a 40 cm radius of the flower, its supersonic sensor perceives the approach, the stem bends towards the person, and the buds come into full bloom. When the person leaves, the plant returns to its original state. If a person's voice becomes louder than a certain level, the flower buds will come into bloom, and the stem shakes slightly to suggest a greeting. When the room lights up, the buds open and close, and when music is played, the plant dances.

_________BREAKING THE 1000MPH LAND SPEED RECORD_________
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7685049.stm

The British team that claimed the land speed record in 1997, taking a car through the sound barrier for the first time, is planning to go even faster. RAF pilot Andy Green made history in 1997 when he drove the Thrust SSC jet-powered vehicle at 763mph (1,228km/h). Now he intends to get behind the wheel of a car that is capable of reaching 1,000mph (1,610km/h).

Known as Bloodhound, the new car will be powered by a rocket bolted to a Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine. The team-members have been working on the concept for the past 18 months and expect to be ready to make their new record attempt in 2011.

The 12.8m-long, 6.4-tonne Bloodhound SSC (Super Sonic Car) will be expected to travel faster than a bullet fired from a handgun. Its 900mm-diameter wheels will spin so fast they will have to be made from a high-grade titanium to prevent them from flying apart. The car will accelerate from 0-1,050mph (1,690km/h) in just 40 seconds; and at its maximum velocity, the pressure of air bearing down on its carbon fibre and titanium bodywork will exceed 12 tonnes per square metre.

_________CANCER-FIGHTING BEER________
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9117656

A team of researchers at Rice University in Houston is working to create a beer that could fight cancer and heart disease. The team is using genetic engineering to create a beer that includes resveratrol, the disease-fighting chemical that's been found in red wine.

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin had noted that adding small doses of resveratrol to the diet of middle-aged mice significantly slows their aging and keeps their hearts healthy. (Resveratrol is a natural component of grapes, pomegranates and red wine.) They added that giving high doses to invertebrates extends their life spans, and high doses also stave off premature death in mice fed a high-fat diet.

The Rice research group came up with the idea of adding resveratrol to beer during a casual conversation about potential projects to undertake. The students are now in the process of developing a genetically modified strain of yeast that will ferment beer and produce resveratrol at the same time. The team turned to the Saint Arnold Brewing Co., a craft brewery in Houston, for some good beer-making yeast to use. In general, the addition of the resveratrol shouldn't affect the taste of the beer, since the chemical is odorless and tasteless. The modified yeast strain could one day be sold to breweries where beverage companies could make their own disease-fighting beer.

The research team is looking to enter their so-called BioBeer in the annual International Genetically Engineered Machine competition next month in Cambridge, Mass.

_________AUSSIE ELECTRIC VEHICLE NETWORK_________
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5il6f9UKjXLMrq0sQ-Ccd8vh5VANA

A US firm called Better Place unveiled plans to build a massive one-billion-dollar (667 million US) charging network to power electric cars in Australia as it seeks cleaner and cheaper options to petrol.

Better Place, which has built plug-in stations for electric vehicles in Israel and Denmark, has joined forces with Australian power company AGL and finance group Macquarie Capital to create an Australian network. Under the agreement, Macquarie will raise one billion dollars to build electric-vehicle networks in the country's largest cities -- Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane -- while AGL will power the system with renewable energy.

Under the plan, the three cities will each have a network of between 200,000 and 250,000 charge stations by 2012 where drivers can plug in and power up their electric cars. In addition, 150 switch stations will be built in each city and on major freeways, where electric batteries can be automatically replaced in drive-in stations similar to a car wash. Under the scheme, drivers will pay to recharge their cars through various power supply agreements similar to mobile phone contracts. Drivers can pick a plan and rate that best reflects their car use.

Franco-Japanese automaker Renault-Nissan and General Motors are both planning electric cars to debut in the next two years.

_________CANCER-BUSTING ROBOT_________
http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2008/10/10/News/Robot.Will.Be.Able.To.Detect.Destroy.Breast.Cancer.Cells-3481447.shtml

Mechanical engineering professor Jaydev Desai from the University of Maryland has spent the past year and a half developing a robot that can perform biopsies and destroy tumor cells all in one session, making the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer less time-consuming and more accurate than ever before.

After a tumor is located on an MRI, the robot will perform a biopsy of the breast while the patient is inside the scanner. This way, the doctor who controls the robot can see where the tumor is located during the procedure. (Since the robot is made of titanium and stainless steel, it's not affected by the MRI's magnetic field.) If the biopsy displays cancerous cells, the robot will then insert a probe into the breast until it reaches the tumor. The probe will then burn the cancer cells until they are destroyed. This entire process is conducted while the patient is inside the MRI scanner, so the doctor controlling the robot can more specifically target the cells. With the robot, the three months between mammogram and treatment can be reduced to a hospital visit and the cancer can be stopped before it spreads.

Desai and his team have built only a preliminary model so far. The final version of the robot will take about four years to complete. Then, the robot will have to go through FDA approval, follow guidelines and prove it makes a big difference before it is widely used.

_________NY DRIVER'S LICENSE WITH RFID_________
http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/tuesday/news/ny-nylice165845220sep16,0,5665783,print.story

New York becomes the 2nd US state, after Washington, to offer licenses that can be shown at the U.S. border instead of a more expensive passport.

The optional license will include a picture and radio frequency identification tag that can be scanned to verify a person's identity. The tag will not contain any personal information - only an assigned number. The enhanced driver's license will satisfy the land and sea requirements, which take effect June 1, 2009, but not for international air travel.

The optional license will include a picture and radio frequency identification tag that can be scanned to verify a person's identity. The tag will not contain any personal information - only an assigned number that would be meaningless except to Homeland Security agents. Drivers, though, should be prepared to offer a stack of identifying paperwork when they apply for an enhanced driver's license - in addition to the old license, a birth certificate or other proof of U.S. citizenship, their Social Security card and two proofs of New York residency, such as recent property tax bills or credit card statements. The documents will be scanned for authenticity, a step that will add 10 to 15 minutes to the application process. All of the licenses are produced in Albany and mailed to drivers.

The enhanced license, which like the current licenses will be valid for up to eight years, will cost about $80, compared with $50 for a basic license and $100 for a new passport.

_________LIKEABLE LINKS_________
Media-Convert
http://media-convert.com/
100% free online file conversion

7 Important Fitness Tips for Web Workers
http://www.dumblittleman.com/2008/10/7-important-fitness-tips-for-web.html

Block Posters
http://www.blockposters.com/
Create large wall posters from any image for free!

14 Simple Ways to Super-Charge Your Brain
http://www.dumblittleman.com/2008/06/14-simple-ways-to-super-charge-your.html

_________QUESTIONABLE QUESTION_________
What is bated breath? I think I might have it, and I'm worried. Can my dentist help?

_________QUOTABLE QUOTE_________
Age does not protect you from love, but love to some extent protects you from age.
~ Jeanne Moreau ~

_________TRIVIAL TRIVIA_________
How is a penny different from other coins?
Other than its color, the penny is the only coin currently minted in the United States with a profile that faces to the right. All other coins the silver dollar, half dollar, quarter, dime, and nickel all feature profiles that face to the left.
Source: Arcamax Trivia

_________LAUGHABLE LAUGH_________
Q: Did you hear about the unique platypus?
A: He was unlike all the otters.
Q: Did you hear about the robbery in the laundry room?
A: Two clothespins held up a pair of pants.

_________DOWNLOADABLE DOWNLOAD_________
DivXLand Media Subtitler
http://www.divxland.org/subtitler.php
SubDownloader
http://www.subdownloader.net/
Fast and Easy Subtitle Downloader
Fast Copy
http://www.ipmsg.org/tools/fastcopy.html.en
MKN TaskExplorer
http://www.mkn-software.de/en/software/desktop/taskexplorer/

That's all for this week. Nybble is and will always be a work in progress. Please do send me your comments and suggestions on how to improve Nybble. Just hit the reply button to you know, reply.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Hairspray at Brett Park

Hairspray is one of GF's favourite movies. We've watched it on the theatre. We've watched it on cable TV. I believe she has watched it on DVD. She even has the soundtrack CD. Now, she also wants to watch it on open-air cinema. If I didn't know better, I would say she has a crush on that Zac Efron guy.

Organized by Communities by Communities, Cinema at the Park is showing Hairspray at Brett Park, Henley Marine Drive.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2008

Now on it's 12th year, the Bondi Sculpture by the Sea is again back from Oct. 16 till Nov. 2. GF and I drove down on its last day to view the sculptures. Still a lot of people from Bondi Beach all the way to Tamarama. With some of the sculptures, I get this feeling that I've seen them before. Same concept, different execution. Or same sculpture but with a little modification.

On our way back to Bondi Beach, we noticed that everyone is looking out to sea. Following their gaze, we can see a lifeguard inflatable raft moving about. Thinking it's a shooting for Bondi Rescue, we stayed around and watched. Then we saw it. A black lump coming out of the water, followed by a forked tail. Further away, another one. WHALES! First time I've seen one. Quite close to the shore, too.

After Bondi, it's off to Leichhardt for dinner at Bar Italia. Spaghetti Bar Italia for GF, Fettunicni Amatriciana for me. Almond gelato for dessert.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Movie 2008.11.01 - Burn after Reading

More like Burn after Watching. What could've induced me to watch Burn after Reading, given that there are other good movies around, I can't really recall anymore. Was it the interesting and funny movie trailer? Was it because of the collective involvement of Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and John Malkovich? Of was it because it was written and directed by the Coen Brothers? (Not that I've seen anything good from them.)

In any case, that's one and a half hours of my life wasted. Agree, there were a few LOL moments, but as with most moviegoers, I'm after an entertaining coherent whole. And that's where the movie fails. The characters are inept and unbelievable. GF said she felt "disturbed" after watching the movie. Hopefully that Japanese dinner afterwards calmed her nerves a bit.