Movie 2010.10.31 - Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Michael Douglas' comeback movie. After eight years in the slammer, Gordon Grecko is released from jail. First things first. He fools investment whiz Jake Moore (Shia Lebouf) into fooling his daughter Winnie (Carrie Mulligan) into signing away the $100M he put in a trust fund for her back to him. He rebuilds his empire and brings down the guy who put him in jail. Now that he's got his mojo back, he regains his conscience and tries to make it up to Winnie and Jake and his future grandson. With lots of money, all is forgiven.

As usual, Michael Douglas steals the show, and Shia Lebouf is left looking like a rookie. Nice cameo from Charlie Sheen.

Home Buyer & Property Investor Show

Been a while since we came down to the city. With free tickets to the Home Buyer & Property Investor Show, we took the opportunity to visit Darling Harbour.

The expo is pretty much the same as last year. Most of the booths are hawking investment properties never-heard-of suburbs. Some even offer rental guarantees.Heck, for the price of one apartment in Sydney, you can buy five rental properties in the US with a return of 15% or more.

The deals are so good, I'm surprised I haven't signed any contracts yet.

Just next door is the Trading and Investing Expo. Even less interesting for someone who's too busy to trade shares and play with foreign currencies anymore.

Ten-Year Anniversary

My manager sauntered down the corridor, went in my cubicle, and casually handed me a plaque celebrating my 10 years of service with the company. I also get a MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art) perpetual calendar designed by Gideon Dagan and made in China. It's a perpetual calendar because you have to mark the day and month yourself, every single day of the year. That'll remind me how time flies.

Movie 2010.10.16 - The Informant!

I'm not sure what to make of this movie. At first glance, it's quirky, it's smart, it's funny, it's offbeat. Feels like a long-running joke, and you're just waiting for the punchline. Then it became too long. The storyline started getting off-tangent. When the punchline came, it wasn't what you were expecting and it wasn't funny.

This is supposedly a true story of how top executive Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) became an informant of the FBI, who was investigating ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) for price-fixing with Japanese and Korean lysine producers. Turns out that Mark was trying to get rid of the other executives at ADM, so he can become president of the company. Arrests were made using the secret video recordings Mark made during meetings. The ADM executives are not gonna take this lying down. Mark was found to have embezzled around $11 million in company funds through shell companies. For this, he lost his whistleblower immunity, and went to jail. During the trial, we find out that he might have bipolar disorder and is a compulsive liar. Serves him right.

Nybble Issue No. 223

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
2010.10.14 Issue No. 223

My personal information management system has always been a mess. I have to-do lists (text files) on the laptop when I'm at work, and on my phone when I'm mobile. And they're not synched with each other. I also have to-do lists on my dedicated PIM software, online at RememberTheMilk, and lately on Google Tasks. Again, there's no easy way to synch them all up. I use text files because they're easy to edit. I use the PIM software because I can everything see in one place. I like Google Tasks because it integrates with Google Calendar and GMail, but it doesn't support recurring tasks. That's what I use RememberTheMilk for. I've also got RTM integrated with GMail. The only downside is that you can only access the tasks when you're online. And that's why I'm now using TiddlyWiki, specifically the mGSD variant, formerly known as MonkeyGTD. It's not an app. It's not an online service. It's just one HTML file that you download to your PC, and edit/save via your browser. Neat, huh?

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 GTD fans about it. Thanks.

_________TABLE OF CONTENTS_________
* Russian Military Uses Inflatable Weapons
* Ultra-Sensitive Microphone
* Hair-Washing Robot
* Computer Beats Human at Japanese Chess
* Paper Li-Ion Batteries
* Oil-Absorbing Robots
* Likeable Links
* Questionable Question
* Quotable Quote
* Trivial Trivia
* Laughable Laugh

_________RUSSIAN MILITARY USES INFLATABLE WEAPONS_________
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11511886

Defense budget a little tight this year? Follow what the Russians are doing - use inflatable weapons. They look just like real ones: they are easy to transport and quick to deploy. From tanks to S-300 rocket launcher to MiG fighter jets to entire radar stations - you name it, the Russians have it. The decoys are a hundred times cheaper than the real thing, which means Moscow will save a lot of money by blowing up its own weapons.

These state-of-the-art stand-ins are among the most advanced military decoys in the world. What they lack in firepower, they make up for in flexibility: they are light and can be deployed quickly to deceive the enemy. They are also very realistic. They are made of a special material that tricks enemy radar and thermal imaging into thinking they are real weapons. The inflatables are stitched together at a former hot-air balloon factory.

_________ULTRA-SENSITIVE MICROPHONE________
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/10/super-microphone-picks-out-single-voice-in-a-crowded-stadium/

Norwegian physicists Morgan Kjølerbakken and Vibeke Jahr have developed a super-sensitive eavesdropping device called the Audioscope. They explain how it works. "If we correct the audio arriving at three microphones then we have a signal that is three times as strong. Doing the same thing with 300 microphones can make a single conversation audible even in a stadium full of sports fans."

Audio from all microphones is stored in separate channels, so you can even go back and listen in on any sounds later. Want to hear the whispered insult that caused one player to lose it and attack the other? You got it. Catching taunts from foul-mouthed players is one application, but Audioscope could be used for more sinister purposes, too. Deployed at public gatherings, the super-mics could be zoomed in to eavesdrop on conversations between suspicious persons, or pretty much anyone the cops want to listen in on.

_________HAIR-WASHING ROBOT________
http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/article/362074/panasonic_unleashes_16-finger_hair_washing_robot/

Panasonic has developed a hair-washing robot that uses 16 electronically controlled fingers to give a perfect wash and rinse. The robot appears to be about the size of a washing machine. Users sit in a reclining chair and lean back to place their head in the machine's open top. Two robot arms guide the 16 fingers, which have the same dexterity as human fingers, the company claimed. Sensors scan the person's head to measure its shape and assure that just the right amount of pressure is applied when washing and rinsing. The machine also remembers each person's head shape and preferred massage course so a repeat wash and rinse is as good as the first.

The robot was developed to assist caregivers in hospitals and health-care facilities and is the product of a Panasonic program that is developing robotic technology for health care and welfare services. The prototype was unveiled in Tokyo at the International Home Care & Rehabilitation Exhibition, which ran from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.

Panasonic hasn't provided a launch date for the robot. An obstacle to their commercialization likes in the lack of safety standards and liability laws concerning robots that interact with humans.

Clarification is needed on such issues before the robots could become products, but guidelines could be published in Japan as early as 2012.

_________COMPUTER BEATS HUMAN AT JAPANESE CHESS_________
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2010/10/computer-makes-the-winning-mov.html

A computer has beaten a prefessional human player at shogi, otherwise known as Japanese chess, for the first time. Although IBM's Deep Blue beat Gary Kasparov way back in 1997, this is a bit different. Western is a relatively simple game, with only about 10123 possible games existing that can be played out, while shogi is a bit more complex - offering about 10224 possible games.

The Mainichi Daily News reports that top women's shogi player Ichiyo Shimizu took part in a match staged at the University of Tokyo, playing against a computer called Akara 2010. Akara is apparently a Buddhist term meaning 10224, and the system beat Shimizu in six hours, over the course of 86 moves.

In 2005, the Japan Shogi Association introduced a ban on professional members playing computers without permission, and Shimizu's defeat was the first since a simpler computer system was beaten by a (male) champion, Akira Watanabe, in 2007. NHK reports that the JSA will conduct an in-depth analysis of the match before it decides whether to allow the software to challenge a higher-ranking male professional player.

_________PAPER LI-ION BATTERIES_________
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/88/i38/8838notw7.html

Researchers from Stanford University managed to fabricate ultrathin rechargeable lithium-ion batteries onto a single sheet of paper, resulting in highly flexible and lightweight portable power sources. This achievement may provide an integrated power solution for the developing field of paper-based electronics and lead to applications in "smart" packaging and radio-frequency sensing.
This paper battery is made by coating a solid support with a thin film of carbon nanotubes and depositing a film of a metal-containing lithium compound on top of the nanotubes. These double-layer films are then deposited on both sides of the paper. In that design, the lithium layers function as battery electrodes and the nanotube films serve as current collectors. The paper is the electrode separator and also serves as a mechanical support.

The new batteries, which are just 300 µm thick, are thinner and more flexible, and they exhibit higher energy density and other electrical advantages, compared with other types of thin batteries. Battery performance did not degrade over the course of a 300-cycle recharging test.

_________LIKEABLE LINKS_________
EndlessSubtittles
http://www.endlesssubtitles.com/
Edit and sync subtitles the easy way

Khan Academy on a Stick
http://mujica.org/khan/

InstaPaper
http://www.instapaper.com/
Save interesting web pages for reading later

Dramastyle
http://www.dramastyle.com
Watch Korean, Japanese, Hong Kong drama and movies

_________QUESTIONABLE QUESTION_________
heard that 3 out of 4 people make up 75 percent of the world's population. What about the other 1 out of 4?

_________QUOTABLE QUOTE_________
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
~ Buddha

_________TRIVIAL TRIVIA_________
How many words are in Green Eggs and Ham?
Dr. Seuss wrote "Green Eggs and Ham" after his editor dared him to write a book using fewer than 50 different words.
Source: Arcamax Trivia

_________LAUGHABLE LAUGH_________
What did the Buddhist monk say to the hot dog vendor?
"Make me one with everything."
<but wait, there's more>
The vendor makes the hot dog, and the monk gives him a twenty, which he pockets. The monk, after waiting for a moment, asks for his change. The vendor looks at him and says, "Change must come from within."

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.

Cheap PS2 Hardware

To think that I spent weeks looking for an affordable EyeToy USB camera on eBay. If you know how, you could've gotten one *including* the EyeToy Play 2 disc for only $7.

I went to EBGames and bought Play 2 for $7. The guy asked me if I have the camera. Thinking this is another cross-sell, and I do already have an EyeToy, I said yes. Went back home only to find out that I already have Play 2. What I'm after is the original Play. Went back to EBGames the next day to return it. A different guy asked me if I have the camera for the game. Again, I said yes, I have my own camera. Oh, the games come with the camera, the guy mentioned. Hmm, is that so? Anyway, I found Play for $4, and asked for the camera. This time, the camera is not included. Bummer.

So I went back to the bargain bin, and looked around for Buzz! titles. If you read the item codes carefully, it actually tells you if hardware is included. For my efforts, I got a Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz game disc plus FOUR Buzz controllers for only $18. Not too shabby.

The Hillsong Experience

First time to attend a Hillsong Church service. Church is a bit misleading because the place is more like a convention centre. We were there for a dedication service for a friend's twins. We asked around and were told that we must be mistaken because there's no dedication scheduled for today. Apparently, there was some kind of miscommunication. We later located the harassed mom, who's trying to make things happen. Good thing the Hillsong guys agreed to add in a short dedication to their regular service.

We walked in the auditorium and was amazed by its size and the number of people attending the service. What's even more surprising is the availability of a parents' room complete with changing table, microwave oven, curtained booths for breastfeeding, and a flatscreen TV showing a live feed of the service. We stayed in the parents' room the whole time as baby needs a feed, then sleep. Also, I don't think he can handle the loud volume inside the auditorium.

Movie 2010.10.09 - Flashbacks of a Fool

Some people might like this movie, but not me. It's long and tedious and simple. In this movie, the fool is a washed-out movie star played by Daniel Craig. After being dumped by his agent, he takes a swim in the sea and has this super-long flashback.

When he was a teenager, he was seduced by his sexy neighbor - a mum with a little daughter. While they were in bed, the little girl was playing with a live mine on the beach, and got blown up. Joe blames himself for her death and skips town. Now he comes back, three days late for his best friend's funeral. What's interesting is that the widow used to be his crush. He was supposed to have his first date with her, but he was late, as he was in bed with the yummy mummy and he showed up full of love bites.

Back in his mansion, he writes a check to the widow, and starts to rebuild his career anew.

Movie 2010.10.07 - Everybody's Fine

About time Robert de Niro stopped doing comedy roles and do what he does best - drama. In this movie, he plays a retired widower who decides to visit each of his four kids, when they couldn't make it for a weekend reunion.

Against the doctor's advice (due to his health problems), he took the train to New York to his artist/painter son's apartment. As David is not around, he moves on to ad executive Amy and his grandson Jack. Things looks fine on the surface, but Frank senses an undercurrent of uneasiness. Amy seems very busy, so he leaves the next day to visit Robert, who's a percussionist and conductor wannabe. Robert also doesn't have much time for his Dad 'coz he's rehearsing with the orchestra, who's leaving town tomorrow. So Frank goes to L.A. to vist his younger daughter Rosie.

Thing are looking up this time. Rosie, who is a dancer at the casinos, fetches Frank in a limousine, and they go back to her expensive apartment. Instead of going out to that expensive dinner, the stayed in and took care of a neighbor's baby. The next day, Frank takes a flight home. Having missed his medication, Frank suffers a heart attack. He wakes up in a hospital with three kids around him. He knows all of them are keeping things from him, but given his present condition, he didn't take it too hard. Then he finds out that David died of a drug overdose in Mexico, and that's when he breaks down.

Movie ends with the whole family enjoying a Christmas feast at Frank's place.

Movie 2010.10.02 - The Last Airbender

Special effects not so bad. Movie plot boring. Too much monologue/dialogue. It's by M. Night Shyamalan - what do you expect?

There are four nations - Air, Earth, Water, Fire, who live in harmony with the Avatar maintaining the peace. The Avatar is the only one capable of bending all four elements. A hundred years ago, he disappeared. Now he's back.

The Fire Nation decides to attack the Water Nation. Lucky for the latter, the Avatar is around. He conjures up these gigantic swells, so the Fire Nation ships flee. That should've been the end of the story, but the producers want a sequel, so the Fire Lord asks his daughter to hunt down the Avatar in the next movie.