iPhone 3GS (Import Version) – Hong Kong Street Price for Import Version

[Updated: 30 June 2009] Wow, the prices jetted back up this week.  Latest 16GB version going for HK$8,398 (US$1,076) and HK$9,668 (US$1,239) for 32GB (available from http://www.cheaphk.com, TEL:3488-4804 FAX:3007-3425)

[24 June 2009] Two days, what a difference it made.  With the influx of imported iPhone 3GS, the prices dropped drastically today.  The 16GB version of iPhone 3GS is faring HK$5,500 (US$705) whilst the 32GB at HK$6,800 (US872).

[23 June 2009] They’re here in Hong Kong, just 3 days after the offical launch in US, the iPhone 3GS 16GB import version finally made it here.  Take a wide guess on the price tag……

HK$8,500 (US$1,090) for 16GB version….ouch.

CNET Asia Community Blog Entry – Bare Essential of Safety from Air New Zealand

My new entry over at CNET Asia Community Blog is up. This week’s entry, “Bare Essential of Safety from Air New Zealand”. Click here for the full read.

On 20 June 2009, Air New Zealand staff bared all in the name of safety.

Web Wednesday v.26 @ Volar – 2 July 2009

Topic: “Ben 10: creating a new multimedia cartoon empire“, interview with Benjamin Grubbs, Regional Head of Interactive Media for Turner Entertainment Networks Asia (owners of Cartoon Network Asia).

The night kicks off at 6:30pm and ends around 9:30pm, there will be an entrance fee of HK$100, unless you’re a bona-fide student, in which case it’s HK$50. This includes one complimentary drink. All other drinks are at Happy Hour prices. 10% of the receipt will go to a children’s charity.

Venue: Volar, Basement, 38-44 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central.

You can sign up here: http://is.gd/yBxr

Source : Web Wednesday Hong Kong

Street Price of Nokia N97 – Hong Kong

Been getting a lot of queries regarding the street price of the Nokia N97 in Hong Kong.  Here’s what I found out so far on the best deals for both the import and local versions.

Import version

HK$4,800 (US$615) from iMobile (Tel: 23818171, Fax: 23818172)

Local version

HK$5,230 (US$670) from www.beerbeered.com

Will update more along the way.

CNET Asia Community Blog Entry – Global Blogger Survey Results

My new entry over at CNET Asia Community Blog is up. This week’s entry, “Global Blogger Survey Results”. Click here for the full read.

Underground 81 @ The Melting Pot – 4 July 2009

Image from Underground

Independence Day is coming up this Saturday and what’s better than going out partying and listening to some awesome band sound, Underground is this weekend at The Melting Pot, head on down and catch some vibes.  For more info on the artists, head over to www.undergroundhk.com.

Source – Underground

Video Review – iPhone 3GS vs Nokia N97: Browser Comparison

Well, think you have enough with the iPhone 3GS reviews, hmm… me too.  Always love those comparison videos where they pitch one phone against another.  Be it on the UI, the media player or the browser, always fun to check them out.  This vid from therevivedone features the duel between the Apple iPhone 3GS and the Nokia N97, bet you can tell that the iPhone wins out without even watching the vid given the processor, but nonetheless a nicely done vid, enjoy.

Source – therevivedone

HK71Green Manifesto

There has never been a time like now, when we free people had so much freedom of speech. There has never been a time like now, when freedom of speech are suppressed and crushed under totalitarian regimes, from Iran to China.

Luckily, technology helps, like Iran: Twitter had maintain a lifeline to protesters on their Green Revolution, while video streaming allow the world to witness the conflict. Good citizens in China had make use of technology and develop techniques to penetrate the so called “Great Fire Wall of China”, allowing communication and information flow to continue. However, with the increasing pressure for control from totalitarian regimes everywhere, freedom of speech online is at greater peril than ever before.

And, don’t think this is far away from you. What is happening to Iranians and Mainland Chinese can happen to you and me. The cutoff of most internet services to and from Iran now, can happen here. The introduction of Green Dam on computers in China can happen here, if our lousy government decide to give in to conservative pressure and licence the software, all in the name of “protect our children from filthy online content”. Even the filtering on the “Great Fire Wall of China” can happen here, if we are not vigilant.

In 1946, Martin Niemöller said:
===
First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.
===

It rings true to this day. Why speak out for online freedom of speech? Because we still can, and we have moral obligation to speak out while we can. Because helping Iranians and Mainland Chinese are just like helping yourself. Walk with us on July 1st in protest against oppression of Freedom of Speech, wear green garment to show our support to Chinese and Iranians, who sacrifice their freedom and lives for the greater good.

Defend Information Freedom, Promote Democracy and Human Rights. The fight starts from your computer. Be the change you wish to see in the world! We will see you at the Victoria Park, on July 1st, 3 p.m.!

Official Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/pages/-HK71Green/97967773855
Official Twitter handle: http://twitter.com/hk71green
Website: http://hk71green.com

Extracted from HK71Green, come support them.

The Sims 3 Review

Image from theSims3.com

Sims, the one gaming dynasty that won’t give in, and EA delivers in the newest Sim game, Sims 3. Will this game live up to it’s predecessor’s reputation, or will it be a most likely forgotten chapter in the history of the Sims?

One positive note in this game is the newly improved neighborhood mode, where players can just zoom in and out of their houses and into the new neighborhood view, without tolerating long transition screens when the Sims move from one building to another. This function also allows more versatility in movement for Sims since with the open roads and bird-eye view mode, the car rides just seem a lot more interesting. The lots in the game also seem more blended into the environment, where in Sims 2 each house was like an isolated area from each family this game offers more freedom in relation to the transition from house to neighborhood.

Another positive thing about the game is maintaining most of the features from Sims 2 but introduce them in a completely different style. Careers in Sims 2 were just drive to work, work, end of work. Now in Sims 3, you have more sub-choices to choose during your work time, such as slacking off, meeting your co-workers and the good-old suck up to the boss. Another concept greatly introduced is the relationships bars for making friends. In Sims 2, you could literally make someone go from an acquaintance to being your best friend in 1 day in game time. Now the bar moves at a more steady rate, no more 10 day friendships.

The sexual content in this game has not changed much from the previous games. Kissing and such is kept at an appropriate level in the game, not much references in the game are made towards sexual content. Violence in the game is also kept the same, with no physical confrontation more than hidden fights and pokes.

The one thing that this game lacks is an attractive environment that would draw the user completely into the game. The graphics just aren’t that amazing, not the graphics that make you feel you are inside the game, right in the shoes of the very Sim you are controlling. Compared to the environment in the Sims 2 game, the graphics look a little more roughed than the skin and environment of the previous game.
Evaluation:

Graphics: The graphical engine is Sims 3 is nothing to be amazed with, but with a game riding on this much reputation and expectations of an excellent Sim game, the graphics are a disappointment.

Gameplay: The new neighborhood mode keeps gameplay streamlined instead of enduring long loading screens. The gameplay now also allows more decisions to be made in the Sim’s lives, making the player feel more involved with their Sim’s lives than before.

Sexual/Violence content: For a Sim game, the Sims 3 offers no new progressions in romantic areas and the violence in the games are still just two Sims going at it in a big cloud of dust that covers everything.

New features: Sims 3 literally takes the old game and turns everything new and exotic by using the exact same features. The new relationship bars and the increased interaction with the Sims and outside environments feels as if the player is inside the screen.

Overall, this is an extraordinary game, one that is worthy to live up to the reputation of the “Sims” franchise, with every new generation bringing something new to the table. Needless to say, Sims 3 is the one that has truly shocked and awed.

Final Grade: A-

Apple Released MacBook Air SMC Firmware Update

On Monday, Apple released the new MacBook Air SMC Firmware Update which adds compatibility for the latest service replacement batteries.

For more information, please visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2368.

Source – Apple

TEXT100 Global Blogger Survey

TEXT100 is launching their global blogger survey results tonight and I am happy to be sitting on their panel discussion for the related findings.  If you happened to be in the neighborhood, come on over and check it out.

Date: 25 June 2009

Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm

Venuw: Lenovo Hong Kong Ltd., Function Room 1&2, 23/F Lincoln House, Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Hong Kong

For more info, check out TEXT100’s site.

Adobe Releases Photoshop Lightroom v2.4 and Camera RAW 5.4

According to Adobe, the following were updated for Lightroom 2.4

• Additional camera support for several new camera models including the Nikon D5000 and Canon EOS 500D (Digital Rebel T1i)
• Several corrections for issues introduced by previous Lightroom 2 releases which includes the following -

1. Web galleries with a Collection Title of six characters would not export or upload
2. The crop aspect ratio could revert to the last selected ratio even when reset to original
3. The crop aspect ratio in Quick Develop could be lost after a crop adjustment
4. The crop aspect ratio lock could be lost after an orientation switch
5. Images could preview incorrectly when imported using the MTP/PTP USB protocol
6. Sony .ARW files may not have been recognized by Lightroom’s import dialog
7. The Japanese language configuration of Lightroom on Mac OS X 10.5 could fail to switch to the print module if the HP B9180 was set as the default printer
8. Metadata options that are intended for use were dimmed incorrectly when exporting DNG files
9. The Japanese language configuration of Lightroom on Mac OS X was missing a shortcut for “Zoom Out”
10. Several translation and shortcut corrections were made for the eight additional languages introduced with Lightroom 2.3

For details and download link, go to Adobe’s download page, link here.

As for Camera RAW 5.4, a number of new cameras were added to the update. One thing to note though is that the Camera Raw 5.4 plug-in is not compatible with versions of Photoshop earlier than Photoshop CS4. Hmm…..

For the full read on the Camera RAW 5.4, check out the readme link here.

Hong Kong – Mac OS X Snow Leopard Up-to-Date Program

Image from Apple

This from Apple Hong Hong,

Mac OS X Snow Leopard refines the elegant Mac OS X user experience with lots of little touches and performance improvements that will make using your Mac even more enjoyable. It also includes a few big foundation technologies designed to tap the power of today’s computer hardware and provide a strong base for innovation. If you’ve purchased a qualifying computer or Xserve on or after June 8, 2009 that does not include Mac OS X Snow Leopard, you can upgrade to Mac OS X Snow Leopard for HK$80.*

This program ends December 26, 2009. Your completed order form must be postmarked or faxed within 90 days of the date of your purchase of a qualifying computer or Xserve (described in this offer) or by December 26, 2009, whichever is earlier.

Expected Product Availability: September 2009

Source - Apple Hong Hong

Three Hong Kong is Updating all iPhones 3G with MMS

Just received a SMS from Three Hong Kong saying that they will activate my MMS account before 26 June.  The SMS also stated that iPhone 3.0 OS will be ready for download for locals in Hong Kong from 1am onwards on 18 June 2009.  WOOT.