Google Analytics GA4

Monday, October 11, 2010

The Excellence [story]

Today, one of my working colleagues forwarded me a story.
Hope you will like this story. I personally like the teaching of this story very much. I have to thank you my colleague, my friend, Melvyn Yeong, for forwarding this meaningful story to me, and I am here to share this story to more readers.

*********
A German once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up,

"We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage." The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked. "There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work. "Where are you going to install the idol?"

The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked... The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I will know it."

The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not.

"Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency...
*********

Monday, October 4, 2010

Dancing Air Hostess on Cebu Pacific Air [Video]

This is one of the very entertaining safety procedures demonstration I have ever seen on airline.
Dancing air hostess...! Yes, please watch the video clip.


Reference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqh8e2KYIrU

Sunday, October 3, 2010

3D animation of how IUI works

IUI stands for Intrauterine Insemination.
It is an Artificial insemination, or AI, a process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or NI.

Video speaks clearer than words.
This is a nice video of explanation and illustration of IUI.



References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_insemination
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCdIiLLF0vw

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Friday, September 17, 2010

Recall of Garmin nüvi GPS Devices [updates]

I have been thinking if there's any reported case for this issue, and I just come across this article. It said there have been 9 report cases of battery overheating, but there's no injury reported. That means battery-on-fire has not been seen. It's good Garmin reacts quickly to this before worst case appears.
Following are some updated details i captured from http://www.oyetimes.com/news/canada/5951-recall-of-garmin-nuevi-gps-devices

Product Name: Garmin nüvi GPS Devices

Full Product Description: 
This recall involves the battery in certain Garmin nüvi models of GPS devices, which were manufactured by a third party supplier. Affected batteries are found in nüvi devices with model number 200W, 250W, 260W, 7xx and 7xxT (where xx is a two-digit number). The model number, as well as the serial number, can be found on a label on the back or bottom of the nüvi.

Only some of the affected model numbers have the recalled battery.

Hazard Identified: The battery can overheat, posing a fire hazard.
There have been 9 reports of the battery overheating in the United States.
Neither Garmin nor Health Canada has received any reports of incidents or injuries relating to the use of these products in Canada.

Corrective Action: 
Consumers should immediately examine their Garmin nüvi GPS device for the model and serial number (on back or bottom label). If the device has one of the affected model
numbers, consumers should stop using the device and visit the nüvi battery recall website or contact Garmin for further instructions.

Number Sold: Over 19 000 units of the recalled Garmin nüvi have been sold at various retailers across Canada, including Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores.

Time Period Sold: The recalled products were sold from October 2007 to August 2010.

Manufactured in Taiwan.

Manufacturer: Garmin International, Inc. of Olathe, Kansas

References: 
http://www.oyetimes.com/news/canada/5951-recall-of-garmin-nuevi-gps-devices 

How to Log Into Fabook Chat - Facebook Chat

This is a good sharing for those who wants to chat through Facebook Chat on their mobile phone...Some steps to follow to login...

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Monday, September 6, 2010

nüvi Battery PCB Recall [Notice]


To everyone who owns/carries Garmin GPS,
Please take note of this battery recall by Garmin for models:
  • nüvi 200W, 250W, & 260W
  • nüvi 7xx (where xx is a two-digit number) 
Garmin is voluntarily recalling certain nüvi devices that contain a specific battery that was manufactured by the battery supplier within a limited date code range. Garmin has identified potential overheating issues when certain batteries manufactured by the third-party battery supplier within a limited date code range are used in certain Garmin nüvi models with a specific printed circuit board (PCB) design. It appears that the interaction of these factors can, in rare circumstances, increase the possibility of overheating, which may lead to a fire hazard. Although there have been no injuries or significant property damage caused by this issue, Garmin is taking this action out of an abundance of caution.

You can determine your nüvi model number by looking at the label on the back or bottom of your nüvi.

The recall can be read at https://my.garmin.com/rma/recallLanding.faces
Please click here to view the Garmin nüvi® Product Safety Recall Letter.

Regards,
I am one of Garmin GPS owners too. So, I am replacing the battery.

Safety comes first.

Monday, August 30, 2010

A Nutty Honda Accord driver/owner

Black Honda Accord 2003 model, number P??9221 or P??9211 (Can't really recall the exact number), in Penang, Malaysia. I think you are nuts. Without any reason while stopping in the middle of slow moving traffic, you just showed me your beautiful middle finger and scolded me "Fuck You". I can hear that clearly even with my windows closed. I can only smile and laugh at your nonsense acts. What on earth triggered you to do that to me. We were totally from different roads entering that road. I am on my normal flowing straight road if you want to argue. You are inserting into my way. I don't mine that anyway. I hope you received my message telling you that you are nuts. Use your brain, dude, if you have one. You are not young. 30s I believe from your look. Your action is telling the world that you are immature. You are lucky that you did that to me and not those who will react vigorously in some ways that will cause you injuries. Behave yourself, friend. I think you don't even want to be my friend. Otherwise you won't perform such acts. Ask yourself first do you care your life? If not, go jump down Penang Bridge. Better still jumping from Komtar top floor. Remember NOT to wear any safety gear, OK? Sayonara.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Tekken [Movie Trailer]

Tekken has been a popular fighting video game from NAMCO. And now it's in the form of Movie...

Street Fight x Tekken [Video Game]

Street Fighter fans, and Tekken fans...I guess some of you (and me) might have been thinking of how would it be to have fighers from Street Fighter vs Tekken fighers. Here you go...CAPCOM vs NAMCO...Street Fighter x Tekken...





I think, it's a great production... Playing should be great too...
The game will be released for PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Xbox 360. This will be the first time ever for the great fighters from two great fighting games to compete with each other. Don't forget that they are also from two different producers, CAPCOM and NAMCO. However, it's said that there will be two different platforms released by its respective producers. One with CAPCO style "Street Fight x Tekken" and one with NAMCO style "Tekken x Street Fighter".
The release date is not known as of now.

References:
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/MarvelDaGreatest/news/?a=20581
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3180566
http://www.eventhubs.com/news/2010/jul/24/ono-announcements-comic-con-2010/

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Nice Automotive Aerodynamics Demonstration [Video]

Automotive design can be as complicated as aviation design. To date, an important part of the design is the aerodynamics. I went to search for some references on aerodynamics simulation, and I find this video to be quite interesting. It's a nice Aerodynamics demonstration, showing some body line alteration which can affect wind flow dramatically. I do have interests in aerodynamics, but I am no aerodynamics engineer and so may not understand clearly how wind turbulence changes with object shapes. Aerodynamics is an interesting subject of studies.

DIY Power-Window [Video]

Are you looking for a low-cost power-window for your car? Here you go...a great DIY idea for you... :-) If you can take it :-p

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Honda CR-Z [Video]

I think, this is another nice hybrid car from Honda. Nevertheless, it's more a two-seater one.
Not bad. Quite an attractive Honda Hybrid.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Nobody - Transformers style "Wonderbots"

This is one of the very good robotic programming I have ever seen.
I wonder how long does it take to program these robots to dance so synchronized to the song.
I want Nobody Nobody but...you... :) Dancing Robots.
Good job to the creators. Great ones.




By the Seoul National University of Technology RnD.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Thursday, June 3, 2010

What is ICE? [Emergency]

Today I received another interesting forwarded email from a colleague, again. It's quite a useful one, with a recommendation on how to save important phone numbers in your mobile phone books so that they can be easily identified during emergencies. It's recommended by paramedic.

"""""""""
We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends.

If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn't know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) Campaign

The concept of "ICE" is catching on quickly. It is a method of contact during emergency situations. As cell phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name "ICE" ( In Case Of Emergency).

The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn't know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as "ICE."

For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference!

Let's spread the concept of ICE by storing an ICE number in our Mobile phones today!

Please forward this. It won't take too many "forwards" before everybody will know about this It really could save your life, or put a loved one's mind at rest .

Remember:-
ICE will speak for you when you are not able to.
"""""""""

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Whom to blame?

Happened to cross through this website, and it has a good quote of thoughts.
I like below quote:

Whom to blame?

If you are looking for someone to blame then its your bad mood that should be blamed. Its your fears, you lack of control and your worries that should be blamed. Its your life problems that caused you such emotions that should be blamed. Its your helplessness and lack of life skills that should be blamed and not the other people.
I am not asking you to stop blaming people but i am just asking you to find the real things that should be blamed and then deal with them.

Reference:
http://www.2knowmyself.com/Blaming_others 

Sunday, May 9, 2010

ได้อะไรจากถังที่แตกร้าว

ชายจีนคนหนึ่งแบกถังน้ำสองใบไว้บนบ่าเพื่อไปตักน้ำที่ริมลำธาร

ถังน้ำใบหนึ่งมีรอยแตก

ในขณะที่อีกใบหนึ่งไร้รอยตำหนิ และสามารถบรรจุน้ำกลับมาได้เต็มถัง

แต่ด้วยระยะทางอันยาวไกล จากลำธารกลับสู่บ้าน

จึงทำให้น้ำที่อยู่ในถังใบที่มีรอยแตกเหลืออยู่เพียงครึ่งเดียว

เหตุการณ์ทั้งหมดนี้ดำเนินมาเป็นเวลา 2 ปีเต็มที่คนตักน้ำสามารถตักน้ำกลับมาบ้านได้หนึ่งถังครึ่ง

ซึ่งแน่นอนว่าถังน้ำใบที่ไม่มีตำหนิจะรู้สึกภาคภูมิใจ ในผลงานเป็นอย่างยิ่ง

ในขณะเดียวกันถังน้ำที่มีรอยแตกก็รู้สึก อับอายต่อความบกพร่องของตัวเอง

มันรู้สึกโศกเศร้ากับการที่มันสามารถทำหน้าที่ได้เพียงครึ่งเดียวของจุดประสงค์ ที่มันถูกสร้างขึ้นมา

หลังจากเวลา 2 ปี ที่ถังน้ำที่มีรอยแตกมองว่าเป็นความล้มเหลวอันขมขื่น

วันหนึ่งที่ข้างลำธาร มันได้พูดกับคนตักน้ำว่า

' ข้ารู้สึกอับอายตัวเองเป็นเพราะรอยแตกที่ด้านข้างของตัวข้า
ทำให้น้ำที่อยู่ข้างในไหลออกมาตลอดเส้นทางที่กลับไปยังบ้านของท่าน '

คนตักน้ำตอบว่า ' เจ้าเคยสังเกตหรือไม่ว่ามีดอกไม้เบ่งบานอยู่ตลอดเส้นทางในด้านของเจ้า
แต่กลับไม่มีดอกไม้อยู่เลยในอีกด้านหนึ่ง
เพราะข้ารู้ว่าเจ้ามีรอยแตกอยู่ ข้าจึงได้หว่านเมล็ดพันธุ์ดอกไม้ลงข้างทางเดินด้านของเจ้า
และทุกวันที่เราเดินกลับ ... เจ้าก็เป็นผู้รดน้ำให้กับเมล็ดพันธุ์เหล่านั้น
เป็นเวลา 2 ปี ที่ข้าสามารถที่จะเก็บดอกไม้สวย ๆ เหล่านั้นกลับมาแต่งโต๊ะกินข้าว
ถ้าหากปราศจากเจ้าที่เป็นเจ้าแบบนี้แล้ว ... เราก็คงไม่อาจได้รับความสวยงามแบบนี้ได้ '

คนเราแต่ละคนย่อมมีข้อบกพร่องที่เป็นเอกลักษณ์ของตัวเอง

แต่รอยตำหนิและข้อบกพร่องที่เราแต่ละคนมีนั้น

อาจช่วยทำให้การอยู่ร่วมกันของเราน่าสนใจ และกลายเป็นบำเหน็จรางวัลของชีวิตได้

สิ่งที่ต้องทำก็เพียงแค่ยอมรับคนแต่ละคนในแบบที่เขาเป็น

และมองหาสิ่งที่ดีที่สุดในตัวของพวกเขาเหล่านั้นเท่านั้นเอง

มองโลกหลายๆ ด้าน เพราะคนเราไม่ได้มีแต่ข้อเสียเท่านั้น

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

New Garmin nüvi 3700 Series

Alright, Garmin has come up with another new series of Nuvi(s).
This time, it's thinner, and more portable.
It's 9 mm thick.
It looks almost the same as the iPhone's outlook.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Never Gave Up

Another meaningful story going round email forwarding...
***
One day a young lady was driving along with her father. They came upon
a storm.. The young lady asked her father what should she do?
He said, "keep driving".

Cars began to pull over to the side, the storm was
getting worse. "What should I do?" the young lady asked.

"Keep driving" her father replied.

On up a few feet she noticed eighteen wheelers were pulling over also.
She told her dad, "I must pull over. I can barely see ahead. It is terrible out here
and everyone is pulling over."

Her father told her not to give up just keep driving.

Now the storm was terrible but she never stopped driving and soon she
could see a little more clearly.

After a couple of miles she was on dry land and the sun was out. Her
father said, "now pull over and get out of the car."

She said, "but why now?"

He said, "get out look back, at all the people that gave up and are still in the
storm. You never gave up and now your storm is over.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

My contribution is forgotten

Some people are just forgetting that I am paying for their enjoyment every month. If this amount of my contribution is not observed, or other words being ignored and not being treated accordingly, I would have been more happy to rather pass this amount to those unfortunates who at least I know they will utilize it meaningfully and not disappointing me; rather than paying to nonsense meaningless activities, which in fact act as knives stabbing my heart for no reason.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

What's wrong with eating too full?

I am not sure how accurate it is, but received from a friend of mine through forwarded emails.
Just for reference then...
****
What's wrong with eating too full?
Take time to read this mail. You will appreciate that you received it and read it.

Don't overeat and don't encourage your family members and friends to overeat
- unless you wish to shorten their healthy living and perhaps die younger!

An interesting article about eating too full....in today's Dr Lee Newsletter Issue:
"The more you eat, the sooner you die. The lesser you eat, the longer you live." This is what Dr Lee always says in his health talk. He also mentions, "Eating too full causes all sort of health problems such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, etc."

Why eating too full is so harmful to your health? What can you do about it?

Mice experiment
To see how eating habit affects life span, a professor from University of Texas did an experiment on mice.
For the first group of 100 mice, he let them eat without any restriction, just like a buffet meal. The second group was fed only 60% full. And the third group was given food without restriction too. But this time, he reduced protein content to half. After 2.5 years, guess how many mice were still alive out of 100?
* First group (eat without restriction) - only 13 mice was alive. Opsss...
* Second group (eat 60% full) - 97 mice was still alive. Only 3 mice died.
* Third group (eat without restriction with protein cut half) - 50 mice still alive.

What can we learn from these results?
Firstly, eating too full is really harmful to your body. Secondly, eat 60% full if you want to live longer and healthier. Thirdly, taking too much protein is harmful to your body too. We don't need so much protein after all.

Overworking body
Imagine having a small family car. Instead of using it for short travel between home and office, you use it for long distance travel between different cities every day. Instead of using it 1 hour a day, you use it for 10 hours a day. Instead of driving at 70 km/h, you always speed up to 170 km/h, hitting engine's red line.

Can you estimate your car life span? Do you expect having various problems with your car after a short time?
Driving your car at high speed for a long time is like always eating too full. You force your body to always work at its red line.

Do you know that digestion is the most demanding work for your body? Think about the organs involved such as your mouth, stomach, liver, pancreas, duodenum and intestine. Think about the length of digestive tract from your mouth to intestine.
Eating too full zaps up much of your body energy for digestion. Otherwise, this energy may be used for other purpose such as enhancing your immune system.

Do you realize you become very tired easily after a big meal? That is the sign of your body working hard to digest all the food you take in.
If you eat an extra bowl of noodle, your pancreas has to produce extra insulin hormone to process the extra carbohydrates you take.
Your liver, stomach and intestine also have to produce extra enzymes to digest and process specific nutrients from that bowl of noodle.
Therefore the more you eat, the harder your body has to work to process it. Of course, we must eat to survive. But we don't have to eat that much!
If you drive your car slowly and handle it gently, you can use it for a long time. But if you always floor the accelerator and drive like a rally driver, you know the consequence on your car life span.

Side effect of eating
Your car engine burns fuel to move your car and bring you to anywhere you like to go. As a result, the engine produces exhaust smoke which is toxic. It must be dispersed out from your car. Similarly, your body cell burns nutrient for energy to survive. In the process, it produces free radicals. Since free radical is toxic to your body, it has to be neutralized and expelled.
"Just metabolizing food especially fatty and carbohydrate- rich fare causes the body to produce free radicals, which attack cells and can promote the development of chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes and cancer," says Ronald L. Prior, Ph.D.
Of course, your body can control free radicals in small quantity. But the more you eat, the more free radicals your body produces. Without adequate control, these free radicals easily attack your body cells and eventually cause all sort of diseases.

Good eating habit
After knowing the harmful effect of eating too full, what's your choice?
Do you want to live longer, just like the second group mice in the experiment?
Or do you want to risk ending your life earlier, just like the first group mice?
If you wish to live longer, here are some tips you can follow:
1.. Always eat until 70% full. Do not exceed 80% full. You may want to stop eating when you feel slightly full.
2. Avoid having buffet style meal which makes it harder to control how much you eat. Instead, prepare the food you want to eat in a plate. After finishing it, don't add anymore food.
3. Leaving the dining table earlier may prevent you from picking some extra food to eat.
4. It is always a good idea to prepare lesser food in the first place. Some people are afraid of having not enough food for everyone. Actually, lesser food is beneficial for everyone..In a restaurant, order in small amount first. You can always add in some extra order if necessary. But if you can get by with the original smaller order, that's great.

Remember this: You have higher chance of overeating if you serve more food on the table. You have better chance of not overeating if you serve less food.
5. Avoid stuffing your fridge with ice cream, chocolate or other dessert. You cannot eat what you do not have.
6. When someone prepares a big plate of food for you, look at it first. Ask yourself, "Do I want to stuff it all into my stomach?"
If your answer is no, just put aside some food to another empty plate first. After finishing your food, look back at the extra food on that new plate. Say to yourself, "Phew! Luckily I didn't stuff that portion into my stomach."
7. When you get too hungry before your meal time, just take some fruit instead of heavy meal. The tendency to overeat is very high for modern people. Do you know most monks only eat twice a day?
They wake up at 4am, meditate and say their prayer. Later they have their simple breakfast at 7am. Before 12pm, they have their lunch. That's all for them. They eat no more after that. No tea break. No dinner. No supper. They still look strong and energetic.
Of course, we don't have to eat like them. But it reminds us we can eat less and stay healthy. So remember to eat only 70% full if you want to stay healthy.

DO NOT WASTE. ORDER ONLY WHAT YOU CAN AND WILL EAT, NOT EXPECT OTHERS TO

FINISH FOR YOU!
****

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

How to become a Formula 1 Designer/Engineer

I think this is a good piece of reference to those planning/interested to become Formula 1 engineer. It's been written since SEPTEMBER 2, 1997. BY PETER WRIGHT


http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ft00273.html

****

SEPTEMBER 2, 1997

BY PETER WRIGHT

Of the many millions of people around the world who follow Formula 1 motor racing, a tiny percentage are sufficiently inspired by it to pursue their technical interests into a career in the engineering side. Thirty years ago, when I applied for a job at BRM, the Chief Engineer, Tony Rudd, warned me that it was a risky path to follow and that I would be better off to join one of the large engineering companies such as Rolls Royce Aero. Engines. However, I wanted to be in Formula 1 too much and was prepared to take the risk of working for a small company in the unstable world of motor racing, and he finally agreed to take me on. Today the situation is different; motor racing employs thousands of designers and engineers from all disciplines, and offers one of the best careers in a shrinking market for mechanical engineers.

How does a young, technically orientated boy or girl, inspired by the sound of a high revving racing engine, or by the artistry of Schumacher controlling a wayward Ferrari, go about reaching the peak of motor racing design or engineering - Formula 1? What sort of education and experience is needed to get on to the first rung of the ladder? What specialisation's are most sought after? How did those who are now at the peaks of their careers start? The answer to the last question does not provide much direct guidance:

Patrick Head (Williams) joined the British Navy.

John Barnard (McLaren/Ferrari/Benetton/Arrows) worked on production machinery for making light bulbs.

Gordon Murray (Brabham and McLaren) designed machines for making plastic containers.

Rory Byrne (Benetton and Ferrari) was an industrial chemist.

Eric Broadley (Lola) was in the building trade.

Gary Anderson (Jordan) was a mechanic.

Nigel Bennett (Penske) was studying to become an architect.

But, all of them designed, built, tuned and raced specials in their spare time. Their day jobs funded their hobbies until this passion for racing cars took over and launched them upwards towards Formula 1 and Indy cars.

In the days when these men started in racing, it was still possible for one person to understand, and hence design, a Formula 1 car or engine. He could take any part of the vehicle, look at it and understand how it worked - or did not work. Keith Duckworth designed the Cosworth DFV, the most successful Grand Prix engine ever, virtually single handed. Today it takes a team of designers and engineers to create the technical "tour de force" that is a modern Formula 1 car. No single person can possibly understand all of it - aerodynamics, composites, electronics, control systems, materials, combustion, lubrication, transmissions etc. Specialists engineers research and develop each aspect and multi-discipline designers create the whole. The Chief Designer's or Chief Engineer's job is to guide and co-ordinate this team of experts towards realising a carefully optimised concept. He must be able to discuss details with the CFD or FEA specialist, and be able to interpret the mass of data from the car and engine. Most of all he must take all the inputs and information and make critical decisions, i.e. he must direct and manage the whole technical side of the business.

The leading Formula 1 teams have expanded their design, engineering and R&D departments in the last decade, as the requirements have expanded and large budgets have been acquired to finance them. They may be as large as 100 persons, covering all aspects of engineering:

Designer - Mechanical - Engine

- Chassis and suspension

- Transmissions

- Systems

- Models

- Composites

- Electrical

- Stress

Race engineer

R&D Engineer - Aerodynamics - Wind tunnel

- CFD

- Structures

- Vehicle dynamics

- Electronics

- Materials

- Hydraulics

- Control systems

- Data systems and analysis

- Engine

- Safety

- Testing and test rigs

Production Engineer - Machine shop

- Composites

- Assembly

- Quality control

- Planning

It is not just the teams that employ large engineering departments. Engine manufacturers, tyre companies, fuel and lubricant companies, the FOCA TV organisation, TAG-Heuer, and all the specialist components suppliers such as carbon brakes, clutches, electronics, data systems etc have significant motorsport departments to support Formula 1 and the other major series.

With such a large and diverse set of technical disciplines involved in all forms of motor racing, it is difficult to generalise about what educational path an aspirant should follow in order to best prepare him/herself for a career in top level motorsport.

The personal attributes needed by an aspiring Formula One designer or engineer are:

Knowledge

Understanding

Experience

Creativity

Ability to work hard consistently

Attitude

They cannot all be gained by education. However, the wrong education can negatively impact any one of these characteristics, reducing the natural level possessed by an individual.

With technical knowledge increasing almost exponentially, much of education is tending to concentrate on the gaining of knowledge at the expense of understanding. A recent survey of undergraduates entering British universities set a fairly simple trigonometry problem for them to solve. More than two thirds of them were unable to calculate the correct answer as they did not know the formula, and were not equipped with the understanding of trigonometry to enable them to work it out from first principles. We are flooded with information and facts via books, multi-media and the Internet. It is important to know how to find and interpret these facts, but it is not so essential to remember them as it is to understand them and their limitations. All too often the CV's of job applicants list all the CAD and CAE software that the person knows how to use, but this merely tells the interviewer how many courses they have been on. Details of software written by the applicant would tell much more about their understanding of the subject involved. Of course, just as a draughtsman used to have to know how to use drawing instruments and how to dimension and tolerance a component, the designer of today must be conversant with CAD and CAE. However they too are just drawing instruments, in the wrong hands they will generate bad designs. A good designer, who has never used CAD, is better than a bad one who knows all the CAD systems. Converting a good designer to CAD is a matter of attending an appropriate course, and practice. Converting a bad designer into a good one is probably impossible.

For this reason it is not really important which technical subjects are studied at school and university, as a person who has a good understanding of the basic technical subjects i.e. maths, physics and chemistry, will be able to learn the essentials of a particular specialist subject and apply his or her fundamental ability to understand a wide range of topics. Rory Byrne did not learn much about aerodynamics or suspension design while studying chemistry, but this did not stop him becoming one of the designers with the best understanding of what makes a Formula 1 car fast.

There are not many science or engineering subjects that are not relevant to motor racing, one way or another. Even biology can lead to sports medicine or human factors research. At the moment, atomic physics and cosmic science are not involved, but you never know�

The quality of a degree or other qualification is important. The institution where studies take place should have a long term reputation for producing quality engineers and scientists. The qualification standards achieved will reflect the effort and dedication of the student. Since the mid-1980's Williams have been employing designers and engineers with good degrees. It is with this sound raw material that they have built up the top technical organisation in Formula One and the quality of their cars reflect this.

The first language of motor racing is English. This does not mean that in order to work in a team such asFerrari it is not beneficial to be able to speak Italian. However, in any discussion or meeting between people from a number of different countries the language used will inevitably be English, and any participant not able to follow the discussion will be at a serious disadvantage. Conference proceedings and technical papers on motor sport topics are normally published in English. Anyone intending a career in motor sport must have a reasonable command of English, especially technical English, in order to be able to integrate with other people in the teams he works for. Some European countries, with a minority language such as Dutch, educate their children from a young age in a number of languages. The result of this education is that they are able to find work almost anywhere in the world.

When it comes to seeking someone for a particular specialist post, applicants with either a Masters Degree - which does reflect understanding and innovative thinking - or relevant experience will be the ones of most interest to the employer. After understanding, experience is the most important attribute. Many complain that they cannot get into motorsport without experience, but that they cannot gain experience without having a job in racing. Not true. Schools and universities that provide opportunities to become involved in real, practical, competitive, automotive projects are numerous. These projects, allied to the right academic courses, combine practical experience with theory, giving meaning to much of the course work. A competitive element sorts out those that like to work under pressure from those less suited. Formula SAE, which has been running since 1981 in the USA involving numerous American universities and thousands of engineering students, is a perfect example of an initiative that is producing many excellent racing car designers and engineers.

(Note: I am sure there is a suitable Japanese example of a University based, automotive competition that could be included here.)

Gaining experience outside college is mostly a test of initiative. Motorsport is broad enough and deep enough to provide many opportunities for those prepared to take them and those who will make sacrifices. All of the top designers, mentioned earlier, gained their experience by becoming involved in racing one way or another and at whatever level they could find. They "just did it", either at their own expense or for no remuneration. If the right qualities are present in an individual, they will be spotted eventually and someone will offer to pay for them.

The lower formulae in motorsport, leading up to Formula 1, vary in the experience they can provide. Some have fairly free technical regulations and provide opportunities to innovate in the design and development of the cars and engines. Unfortunately they are becoming rarer and are being replaced by the one-make formulae such as F3000. These formulae have almost no technical freedom and hence provide limited experience for designers, but they do teach race engineers the precision and discipline necessary to this job well. Karting is not just a school for drivers, it is also a good starting place for enterprising racing engineers, as all the fundamentals of motorsport engineering are there, in their simplest mechanical form.

The old apprenticeship system was not wrong - it imbued young engineers with a feel for materials, processes and the reality of making things work, that generally enriched them as designers and engineers. For example, an engineer who wants to become involved in composite design would benefit enormously from a period spent making composite tools and parts. The Jordan car reflects the years Gary Anderson spent as a mechanic - building assemblies and rebuilding them until they worked properly. His cars are wonderfully practical machines.

If you know what area of motor racing engineering you want to work in, then go and learn it from the ground up. The best designers can make every part they design, with their own hands.

Becoming involved in motorsport at any level starts the development of a network of contacts, many of whom rise up and spread throughout the sport. This network provides information about jobs that become available, usually long before they are advertised, and is a source of technical intelligence from other sections of motor racing.

Getting to the top in motor racing requires a great deal of hard work. Because it is a competitive activity means that there is never any reason to stop work - if you do a bit more there is a chance you will beat the person who has all ready stopped work. While the rewards can eventually be considerable for those who succeed, both financial and in terms of life style, it is more a case of long hours and little compensation on the way up. To be prepared to slog away, far from the well equipped factories, luxury hotels and glamour, requires a passion for the sport and the technology involved. This attitude to cars and racing is essential if a young designer or engineer is to survive long enough to rise through the ranks to Formula 1 or another of the top racing series. Detecting the right attitude is a major factor when interviewing potential designers and engineers - or indeed any potential employee. Colin Chapman used to say that in order to assess an applicant for a mechanic's or a designer's job, it was not worth bothering to ask them lots of questions - designers tend to be poor communicators anyway - just look in either the mechanic's tool box or inspect some of the designer's drawings. This would tell you all there was to know about the applicant's attitude, and his or her ability to do their job.

Two of the best young engineers I have employed did not respond to advertisements, instead they sought me out with the claim that they had decided they wanted to work for Lotus, and what could I give them to do. As long as they earned enough to live, they were not interested in how much they would be paid. Both developed into highly skilled and motivated R&D engineers, making big contributions to Lotus. Within five minutes of meeting them it was obvious that both of them were the sort of people Lotus wanted working for the company; after that it was just a question of finding them something to do to get them started.

Formula 1 is expanding at the moment. The top teams are recruiting designers and engineers. If you do not mind hard work under pressure, and are stimulated by seeing the fruits of your labours being put to the test within a few weeks or months of inception, this is a good career. Even if you do not contemplate being involved in motor racing for your whole working life, it is an environment that provides a wide range of contacts in related fields. It is also now recognised that successful motor racing engineers possess most of the qualities needed in all forms of engineering, engendering the right attitude towards problem solving and getting things done.

If you really want to be a racing car designer or engineer, go for it! I can guarantee you will not be bored.

****

Reference:

http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ft00273.html

http://www.grandprix.com/index.html

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Hajime Restaurant [Thailand] - Robot waiters/waitresses

A high-tech restaurant to be marked as another point of interest to visit in Bangkok, Thailand.
This is the first restaurant in Thailand implementing automated robots to serve customers.
The owner, Lapassarad Thanaphant, invested about 30 million Baht (about $930,000.00) for this robotic systems/devices into her Hajime restaurant.
This cool restaurant has just been opened on April 1st, 2010. Yes, it's an April fool day, but the opening is not a fool.
Its location/address is kind of hard for me to find out, but at last i found it.
It's address is: (I hope I am not wrong)
HAJIME ROBOT RESTAURANT
บริษัท JMAX MONOPOLY จำกัด เลขที่ 97/2 ซ.นาคสุวรรณ ถ.นนทรี กรุงเทพมหานคร 10120
It's at Monopoly Park community mall in the Rama lll Road area of Bangkok.
Here's the video showing the hospitality robot able to serve food and dance as well!


References:
http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20100402/samurai-robots-serve-humans-hajime-restaurant-thailand/
http://dvice.com/archives/2010/04/odd-restaurant.php
http://treesforourking.opm.go.th/job_detail.php?page=21&job_id=93725
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/specials/nationphoto/show.php?id=2&pid=8999

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Car Hire Purchase Calculators - [Malaysia]

Many people told me that when you buy a car by installment; by taking bank hire purchase, you are bond to a fixed amount of loan plus interest. That means, you will have no point to make early settlement since its interest won't be reduced. However, few months ago, I just found out this saying is wrong.
Few months ago, I went to a car showroom to have a look at their newly launched model. I was kind of interested, and went deep into negotiation to trade in my current car. They helped me check with the bank for the amount required for early settlement, and it turned out to be quite an amount lower than my current left over loan.
Yesterday, while surfing through net, I happened to come across this website which provides few interesting
calculation tools.  
So, if you ever wonder how much will it be the early settlement for your car hire purchase, here's the webpage for you to input your car loan amount, interest rate, installment period, and it will calculate for you:  http://www.autoworld.com.my/v2/tools/loan_settlement.asp
You will also notice on top of the webpage, there are few other tools such as Car Insurance Calculator, Road Tax, Loan Payment Calculator, etc.
I think these are important tools for car owners and to-be owners.
(I am not sure if this is applicable to other countries, as this website is mainly for Malaysia.)

Reference:
http://www.autoworld.com.my/v2/tools/loan_settlement.asp

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

BURNT BISCUITS

A very meaningful story reflecting how to think of life.
(quoted from a forwarded email)
BURNT BISCUITS......>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.

On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school.

I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!" You know, life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults - and choosing to celebrate each others differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship! "Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own.

" God Bless You..... Now, and Always....So Please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burnt one will do just fine.!.!.!.!

And PLEASE pass this along to someone who has enriched your life... I just did!

SOYA BEAN - Pros & Cons & Directions

Quoted from a forwarded email. 


SOYA BEAN
All of us know that soyabean drink  provides good protein to our body... but many of us don't  know that there are certain days we should avoid drinking it.

Soya bean drinks are best  consumed on hot sunny days when the sun is strong. The  soya milk will give lots of nutrients to the body as the body is able to absorb the protein well.

However, avoid the drink when the weather is cloudy or raining.. Taking  the drink in those weather, the body will not be able to  take in the protein and will result in a disease called  'GOUT' or 'high acidic urine' due to the high protein  residue in the body, after a long run.

This disease  will cause pain to your knee joints and it will only be in control when you control your food intake of proteins and  medication. The pain is unbearable and usually you will  have no idea what you have taken to cause the pain.
Food  like soya beans, anchovies, broccoli, spinach, peanuts, & n esp animal organs ( i.e. pork liver)  etc will have to be avoided to prevent the pain from attacking.

So  my friend, pass this to your family, relatives and friends to keep an  alert on the pros and cons of soya bean milk and when it  is to be taken and to be avoided....

Drinking Tea is healthy

I'm not sure if these are true, but it's worth to share. I received this information through email forwarding. 

Are you drinking the right tea?
1. People who use their 'brain' to work or students who study hard  day and night.
--- Should drink  more Chrysanthemum Tea.
2. People who need a lot of  body energy to work or those people who exercise a lot  everyday.
--- Should drink Wu Loong  Tea.
3. People who travel on a bike or work in dirty  and polluted places.
--- Should drink Green  Tea.
4. For people who like to sit down all day long  and not do anything, even exercising
--- Must drink Green Tea and Flower Tea.
5.  People who smoke and drink a lot of alcoholic drinks.
--- Should drink more Green Tea.
6. Carnivore ( i.e.  people who must eat meat at least once a day, or feel  sickly)
--- Try to drink some Wu Loong  Tea.
7. People who go to the washroom too often or  not often enough.
--- Should drink more Honey  Tea
8. People with high cholesterol and high blood  pressure.
--- Wu Loong Tea,  Green  Tea.
9. Those who work with computers  everyday.
--- Need to drink a Lot of Tea (any tea will  do).
Whenever you are working with the computer, you  should make some tea. Drink it when you are  free.

Drinking Tea is healthy, it can protect and  prevent the harmful
Ultraviolet light from harming us  (when using computer).

Furthermore, it can also relief us when we are tired and help make our body feel fresh  again.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

List of Ham Radio Callsign Prefix

Prefix, Country, Area (Europe, Asia, North and South Americs, Oceana, Africa) 
1A, SMO Malta (Eu)
1S, 9M0 Spratly Is (As)
3A Monaco (Eu)
3B6, 3B7 St Brandon (Af)
3B8 Mauritius (Af)
3B9 Rodriguez Is (Af)
3C Equatorial Guinea (Af)
3C0 Pagalu (Af)
3D2 Conway Reef (Oc)
3D2 Fiji (Oc)
3DA, 3D6 Swaziland (Af)
3V Tunisia (Af)
3W Vietnam (As)
3X Guinea (Af)
3Y Bouvet (Af)
4J, UD Azerbaijan (As)
4L, UF Georgia (As)
4S Sri Lanka (As)
4U ITU Geneva (Eu)
4X Israel (As)
5A Libya (Af)
5B Cyprus (As)
5H Tanzania (Af)
5N Nigeria (Af)
5R Madagascar (Af)
5T Mauritania (Af)
5U Niger (Af)
5V Togo (Af)
5W Samoa (Oc)
5X Uganda (Af)
5Z Kenya (Af)
6W Senegal (Af)
6Y Jamaica (NA)
7O Yemen (As)
7P Lesotho (Af)
7Q Malawi (Af)
7X Algeria (Af)
8P Barbados (NA)
8Q Maldives (As)
8R Guyana (SA)
9A Croatia (Eu)
9G Ghana (Af)
9H Malta (Eu)
9J Zambia (Af)
9K Kuwait (As)
9L Sierra Leone (Af)
9M2, 9M4 Malaysia (As)
9M6, 9M8 East Malaysia (Oc)
9N Nepal (As)
9Q Zaire (Af)
9U Burundi (Af)
9V Singapore (As)
9X Rwanda (Af)
9Y Trinidad (SA)
A2 Botswana (Af)
A3 Tonga (Oc)
A4 Oman (As)
A5 Bhutan (As)
A6 Arab Emirates (As)
A7 Qatar (As)
A9 Bahrain (As)
AP Pakistan (As)
BV, BU, BW Taiwan (As)
BV9, BQ9 Pratas Is (As)
BY China (As)
C2 Nauru (Oc)
C3 Andorra (Eu)
C5 Gambia (Af)
C6 Bahamas (NA)
C9 Mozambique (Af)
CE Chile (SA)
CE0X San Felix (SA)
CE0Y Easter Is (SA)
CE0Z Juan Fernandez (SA)
CE9, KC4, VK0 Antarctica (An)
CN Morocco (Af)
CO Cuba (NA)
CP Bolivia (SA)
CT Portugal (Eu)
CT3 Madeira Is (Af)
CU, CT2 Azores (Eu)
CX Uruguay (SA)
CY0 Sable Is (NA)
CY9 St Paul Is (NA)
D2 Angola (Af)
D4 Cape Verde (Af)
D6 Comoros (Af)
DL Germany (Eu)
DU Philippines (Oc)
E3, ET2 Eritrea (Af)
E4 Palestine (As)
EA Spain (Eu)
EA6 Balearic Is (Eu)
EA8 Canary Is (Af)
EA9 Ceuta (Af)
EI Ireland (Eu)
EK, UG Armenia (As)
EL Liberia (Af)
EP Iran (As)
ER, UO Moldova (Eu)
ES, UR Estonia (Eu)
ET Ethiopia (Af)
EV, UC Belarus (Eu)
EX, UM Kyrgyzstan (As)
EY, UJ Tajikistan (As)
EZ, UH Turkmenistan (As)
F France (Eu)
FG Guadeloupe (NA)
FH Mayotte (Af)
FK, TX New Caledonia (Oc)
FM Martinique (NA)
FO French Polynesia (Oc)
FO0 Austral Is (NA)
FO0 Clipperton Is (NA)
FP St Pierre (NA)
FR Reunion (Af)
FS, FJ St Martin (NA)
FT_Z Amsterdam (Af)
FW Wallis, Futuna Is (Oc)
FY French Guiana (SA)
G, 2E, GX England (Eu)
GD, 2D, GT Isle of Man (Eu)
GI, 2I, GN N. Ireland (Eu)
GJ, 2J, GH Jersey (Eu)
GM, 2M, GS Scotland (Eu)
GU, 2U, GP Guernsey (Eu)
GW, 2W, GC Wales (Eu)
H4 Solomon Is (Oc)
H40 Temotu (Oc)
HA Hungary (Eu)
HB Switzerland (Eu)
HB0 Liechtenstein (Eu)
HC Ecuador (SA)
HC8 Galapagos Is (SA)
HH Haiti (NA)
HI Dominican Rep (NA)
HK Colombia (SA)
HK0 Malpelo Is (SA)
HK0 San Andres (NA)
HL So Korea (As)
HP Panama (NA)
HR Honduras (NA)
HS Thailand (As)
HV Vatican (Eu)
HZ Saudi Arabia
(As) I Italy (Eu)
IS Sardinia (Eu)
J2 Djibouti (Af)
J3 Grenada (NA)
J5 Guinea Bissau (Af)
J6 St Lucia (NA)
J7 Dominica (NA)
J8 St Vincent (NA)
JA Japan (As)
JD Ogasawara (As)
JT Mongolia (As)
JW Svalbard (Eu)
JX Jan Mayen (Eu)
JY Jordan (As)
K, W United States (NA)
KG4 Guantanamo Bay (NA)
KH0 Mariana Is (Oc)
KH1 Baker, Howland Is (Oc)
KH2 Guam (Oc)
KH3 Johnston Is (Oc)
KH4 Midway Is (Oc)
KH5 Palmyra, Jarvis Is (Oc)
KH5K Kingman Reef (Oc)
KH6, AH6, NH6, WH6 Hawaii (Oc)
KH7K Kure Is (Oc)
KH8, AH8, NH8, WH8 Am Samoa (Oc)
KH9, AH9, NH9, WH9 Wake Is (Oc)
KL, AL, NL, WL Alaska (NA)
KP1, NP1, WP1 Navassa Is (NA)
KP2, NP2, WP2 Virgin Is (NA)
KP4, KP3, NP3, WP3 Puerto Rico (NA)
KZ5 Canal Zone (NA)
LA Norway (Eu)
LU Argentina (SA)
LX Luxembourg (Eu)
LY, UP Lithuania (Eu)
LZ Bulgaria (Eu)
OA Peru (SA)
OD Lebanon (As)
OE Austria (Eu)
OH Finland (Eu)
OH0 Aland Is (Eu)
OJ0 Market Reef (Eu)
OK Czech Republic (Eu)
OM Slovakia (Eu)
ON Belgium (Eu)
OX, XP Greenland (NA)
OY Faroe Is (Eu)
OZ Denmark (Eu)
P2 Papua New Guinea (Oc)
P4 Aruba (SA)
P5 N. Korea (As)
PA Netherlands (Eu)
PJ2, PJ4, PJ9 Neth Antilles (SA)
PJ5, PJ6-8 St Maarten (NA)
PY Brazil (SA)
PY0F Fernando de Noronha (SA)
PY0P St Peter, St Paul Rocks (SA)
PY0T Trindade, Martin Vaz Is (SA)
PZ Surinam (SA)
R1FJ, 4K2 Franz Josef Land (Eu)
S0 Western Sahara (Af)
S2 Bangladesh (As)
S5 Slovenia (Eu)
S7 Seychelles (Af)
S9 Sao Tome, Principe (Af)
SM Sweden (Eu)
SP Poland (Eu)
ST Sudan (Af)
SU Egypt (Af)
SV Greece (Eu)
SV5 Dodecanese (Eu)
SV9 Crete (Eu)
SY Mt Athos (Eu)
T2 Tuvalu (Oc)
T30 West Kiribati (Oc)
T31 Central Kiribati (Oc)
T32 East Kiribati (Oc)
T33 Banaba (Oc)
T5 Somalia (Af)
T7 San Marino (Eu)
T8, KC6 Belau (Oc)
T9, 4N4 Bosnia (Eu)
TA Turkey (Eu, As)
TF Iceland (Eu)
TG Guatemala (NA)
TI Costa Rica (NA)
TI9 Cocos Is (NA)
TJ Cameroon (Af)
TK Corsica (Eu)
TL Central African Rep (Af)
TN Congo (Af)
TR Gabon (Af)
TT Chad (Af)
TU Ivory Coast (Af)
TY Benin (Af)
TZ Mali (Af)
UA Russia (Eu)
UA2 Kaliningrad (Eu)
UA9, UA0 Russia (Asiatic, As)
UK, UI Uzbekistan (As)
UN, UL Kazakhstan (As)
UR, UB Ukraine (Eu)
V2 Antigua (NA)
V3 Belize (NA)
V4 St Kitts, Nevis (NA)
V5 Namibia (Af)
V6, KC6 Micronesia (Oc)
V7, KX6 Marshall Is (Oc)
V8 Brunei (Oc)
VE Canada (NA)
VK Australia (Au)
VK0 Heard Is (Af)
VK0 Macquarie Is (Oc)
VK9L Lord Howe Is (Oc)
VK9M, VK9Z Mellish Reef (Oc)
VK9N Norfolk Is (Oc)
VK9W, VK9Z Willis Is (Oc)
VK9X Christmas Is (Oc)
VO Newfoundland (NA)
VP2E Anguilla (NA)
VP2M Montserrat (NA)
VP2V Br Virgin Is (NA)
VP5 Caicos Is (NA)
VP6, VR6 Pitcairn Is (Oc)
VP8, LU_Z Falkland Is (SA)
VP8, LU_Z S. Georgia Is (SA)
VP8, LU_Z S. Shetland Is (SA)
VP9 Bermuda (NA)
VQ9 Chagos (Af)
VR2, VS6 Hong Kong (As)
VU India (As)
VU7 Nicobar Is (As)
XE Mexico (NA)
XF4 Revilla Gigedo (NA)
XT Burkina Faso (Af)
XU Cambodia (As)
XW Laos (As)
XX9 Macao (As)
XZ Burma (As)
YA Afghanistan (As)
YB Indonesia (Oc)
YI Iraq (As)
YJ Vanuatu (Oc)
YK Syria (As)
YL, UQ Latvia (Eu)
YN Nicaragua (NA)
YO Romania (Eu)
YS El Salvador (NA)
YU Yugoslavia (Eu)
YV Venezuela (SA)
YV0 Aves Is (NA)
Z2 Zimbabwe (Af)
Z3, 4N5 Macedonia (Eu)
ZA Albania (Eu)
ZB Gibraltar (Eu)
ZC Cyprus (As)
ZD7 St Helena (Af)
ZD8 Ascension Is (Af)
ZD9 Gough Is (Af)
ZF Cayman Is (NA)
ZK1 Cook Is (Oc)
ZK2 Niue (Oc)
ZK3 Tokelau Is (Oc)
ZL New Zealand (Oc)
ZL7 Chatham Is (Oc)
ZL8 Kermadec Is (Oc)
ZL9 Campbell Is (Oc)
ZP Paraguay (SA)
ZS S. Africa (Af)
ZS8 Marion Is (Af)

Reference:
http://everything2.com/title/Ham+Radio+Callsign+Prefix

Friday, February 12, 2010

Encyclopaedia of mathematics [Google Books]

I was searching for some online encyclopaedia websites, then happened to see this big mathematic ebook.
Can't avoid sharing it here.
It should be useful for those mathematics freaks. Anyway, I haven't gone through the ebook yet. So, I am not sure how good it is.
Enjoy reading...

Reference:
http://books.google.com/books?id=WzbzxytdAuUC&lpg=PP1&ots=iUggIAvUx4&dq=encyclopaedia&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Hero rescued van from being hit by train

He is the man...He is the Hero...!
I sincerely respect his bravery.
He has saved several lives.

Hero pushes truck off train track @ Yahoo! Video
If not mistaken, this happened in Argentina.
Salute. 

Monday, February 8, 2010

The Online Books Page

Think of reading, think of going to book shop. Oh...it could be to Library as well.
However, what if you are lazy to walk out the door?
This question leads me to type "online book" into google search box.
The first site in the results list is:
The Online Books Page
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/

It's a cool website that I would like to recommend to anyone who's looking for an online source of books. Nevertheless, it's free.

Happy Reading...

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Parrot AR.Drone - For iPhone and iPod Touch


This is an interesting toy for the iPhone and iPod Touch users.
It's a serious toy...
It's called the AR.Drone.
Developed by Parrot.
It's the first quadricopter that can be controller by iPhone and iPod touch.
Reality video game...

What you are seeing now is a guy holding a wireless remote controller, controlling a flying craft.
You will also notice flight-like display at the right-bottom corner of this image.
To explain this, the guy in gray is seeing another guy in white through his controller. The controller is displaying live video captured by the flying craft.

Here you go, seeing two guys controlling the AR.Drone competing with each other. They surely have an assigned mission to defeat the opponent. The mission is only known by the highly ambitious guys here.


This is the AR.Drone. But it won't function completely without a controller.


and this is the controller...installed with AR.Drone controlling software, communicates with the AR.Drone in real time, with capability to display live video captured by the AR.Drone.


Interested?
Make sure you have an iPhone or an iPod first, then get one AR.Drone to have fun with the concept "When video games becomes reality".

You can watch videos showing the AR.Drone operating with iPhone/iPod here.



Reference:

LED headlight - Design [video]

This video shows the exploded view of the true LED headlight apply on an Audi car.
The low beam, as well as the high beam, are shined upfront with 3 LEDs in the headlight.
New headlight technology, with well known power saving and long lasting properties of the LEDs.
The whole headlight is equipped with only LEDs, and no other types of lighting.
It's been some times for the challenge to make LEDs as powerful as halogen or HIDs.

Reference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQb9jswcD8k
http://www.carpictures.com/vehicle/08L4H195304252.html

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Google Management

How many Google users actually know the people, the management of Google?
Google has provided a page with such an information. Click here to view.

Here  I quoted the important people of Google onto my blog here for those who might want to have a straight view over here (as of January 14th, 2010):

Board of Directors
Operating Committee
Key executives by function:
  • Kent Walker, Vice President & General Counsel
  • David Lawee, Vice President, Corporate Development
  • Megan Smith, Vice President, New Business Development, and General Manager, Google.org
  • Megan Smith, Vice President, New Business Development, and General Manager, Google.org 
References: