i-Sobot sophisticated Robot !

I-Sobot, the smallest fully bipedal Guinness award robot ever produced. 17 custom servo motors, in-built gyro sensor for balancing, voice-activated sensor, speaking vocabulary of 200 words and phrases.

Most of the joints are assembled with allen keys. A strange sight is how it balances without falling and the way it pick itself up after lying face down or up. It does on the floor somersault too. Impressive smart device.

I've ordered from Hong Kong and it flew over within few days by paypal. Mostly by credit card secure mode. It costs a hefty US$245 with freight. Nevertheless, it gives me a few hours of custom walking and maneuvers. The boxed set comes with rechargable Recyclo AAA x 3 batteries and charger. Surprisingly the volt is 1.2V and the manual does not recommend using alkaline 1.5V (New batteries measured with multi-meters are generally higher).

Around Kitchener Complex near Lavender MRT, there is a Rotor Specialist who does sale of RC planes, helicopters and even robots. They are quite professional and slightly mercenary as well. I did patronized them few years back and had lots of flight training on my own with my chopper E-Sky. At the least now I can hover at whatever position and land where I need. Spare parts are lessons for me to buy. I will show in my next blog the series of helicopters that I had.

Back to the picture, the number of robots that Rotor have are generally expensive with digital transmitters. Servos costs a bomb. A lucrative export business for them targeting on professionals and aviation teams including experts oversea in India. Even on military flight schools or teams.

Panasonic Toughbook Favourite Notebook Given Away!

My Panasonic Toughbook CF-T1 (PIII-800mhz) is finally retired and gone for good. I have given to a client in exchange for his believed fragile bracket in the IBM Thinkpad 380 repaired by me. His model is Pentium III-300mhz with 64mb increased to 128mb including changed slim cdwriter replaced by me 1 year ago. His fragile body broke at the sides and I helped putting epoxy and painted with black permanent marker to conceal which was reasonable to my thought. The bracket I must admit it was not damaged by my own hands. How can I, being a gifted service man destroy it without any valid reasons and having it being in serviceable conditions? How can I let him believe when he insists? I would rather let him win this time. It is not the first time my heart allows but for quite a few times I would rather take a step back to see them win or so called "having" temporary joy.

However, I was surprised at his response that he considered ugly. He points his colleagues would laugh at his laptop because of this plight. I offered to replace him with my own and succeeded pacifying him. Anyway, the panasonic reconditioned laptop was purchased at reviewed friendship price and the USB is 1.1 (12mbps) throughput which is slow. Nevertheless, the unit is super small and light-weight having made in Japan with precision. I had spent night till morning taking out the 2.5" notebook Toshiba drive and reloading win98 followed by windows xp. No money I get in return but a mistake and an expensive lesson I've learnt.

The morale of the story points I should not let believe that the client will accept what I believe will be good for them. What rights do I have to decide what they should do when their saliva is different, their colour is different, their body is different and smell too. I should give them a choice to decide. It will be proper.

It is my memorable mistake. I could have given the notebook to those in need.

Ironman Tough Flexi Guy

Ironman night movie. It was an impressive effects scene. Gripping direct storyline. I do admire the lead character for his daring and brillant research or inventions. Although he is a bit flirtish at the start, the involvement of the destruction created by his own sale of inventions led to his wake in his directions. To protect and save mankind from the misuse of technological weapons. In many scene occasions, he appears as a hero rescuing hostages and families. A heart worth of gold that shines at all times.

Robert Downey Jr. who poses as Stark in the advanced equipment weaponry developer proves himself as a devoted genius in all the daring works that none can compare. Impressive holograms, fireworks and advanced motors with valves were demonstrated in the act. Climate and environmental control plays a part in the development of strong sophisticated material equipment. A movie mixed with mild humor and women whilst in serious commotion.


How about one day you know you could fly like a F16 or supersonic stealth plane and maneuver with tactical control? Can you believe in yourself and improve with each day to be the best of all time?

A blockbuster movie worth seeing and much to ponder about...

Mobile PDA Wars 2008

With mobile PDA at war between giants, who will emerge as the most hot seller in terms of price and stability? Many recommend HTC and Dopods compared to O2.

I have been using Benq P50 (2nd Pic) since one year ago and it serve me well during those periods amidst the contact and data loss due to unstable "English" firmware. In the end, I flashed and reprogrammed into "Traditional" chinese ROM from Taiwan. The local Asia Singapore ceased the support even with emails perhaps due to unresolved much queries. The initial OS is Windows Mobile 2003 & the unit looks like Blackberry Pushmail Edition with the qwerty keyboard. Imagine the frustration when the battery goes sudden off and you are lost at the juncture of receiving important calls, making notes or making decisions.. And the calls to the service support further infuriated your mind and make your blood boils.

Years ago, I was using O2 mini the silver edition and it was impressive for the size. But as being a businessman, I had the habit of selling and buying improved products. Indeed, products depreciated in prices with time and the support gets diminished. It is saddening that a good item dies when there isn't further publicity or funding for the support. Or it can be due to lack of technological expertise to handle problems.

On my birthday, I had a new O2 Zinc from my spouse. On the initial startup, it appears fine until it jams more frequent. Starhub staffs were quite fast in pushing soon obsolete pda phones until the next Starhub promotion with O2 Atom. Nevertheless, not even the taken over company MWG for O2 and Starhub realized that the phone can be revived by proper firmware. It is in hand with their discretion of whether the product lives or attain more commercial profits. It is again disappointing that the kind of "ART" don't mix well with "Business". Too much "Art" makes one a pauper when the originator does not know how to blend and be flexible.

I was quite frustrated when going around the bush that fateful day drive to Jurong and to Orchard area for O2 support when they (MWG) points their technicians do not deal with clients direct and it takes a week for the lead return. The Malay girl at the counter was quite smug in holding me for the wait while she talks on the phone about 10mins. Finally on my return home, I search the forums and successfully reprogrammed custom ROM base into Mandarin Chinese from China. Apparently, I can say China does have a wide group of expertise to challenge and handle problems. Even for hackers and classified programmers for commercial reasons. The overall function improves leaps and bounds on zero or less "Hung" issues. The query and conjuring jurisdiction is how many can read and write proper Chinese or in other native languages?

I have tried Video 3G calls and it is impressive. I do wonder when is my next change, perhaps next year? The statistics of Asia changing mobiles are more frequent than ever and this marks the turnover of a huge market trend. Will the merger of companies like Benq Siemens or other likewise produce better products and lasting support? Time will tell. People change, system change. And the route is dependent on environmental and market factors other than the "intranet structure" reasons.

Different Prices but Same Product in a Different Perpective

I was reviewing dress sale on ebay of sellers in the same trade. Both of the same material but different descriptions were posted on 2 candidates malely, the female and the male. For instance, the lady who wore and does snapshots had more bids and money than a man who wore the same uni-dress. The above pictures depicts a lady in curve publicity whereas the man posed in macho atheltics style.

Question: Who are the consumers who will decide which to go for? Having first the criteria to go for the look and second on the prices. Lastly, the trustworthness of the product and seller.

Ironically, on my further emphasis, the lady who shoots post pictures of the wear fetched US$ 80 including freight for the successful sale than the man who sell US$25 (or even not at all) when their costs are around US$8 to US$10. So does the lady worth much more than a man? More like Mars and Venus story, comparing which species have more brains in different situations. So who will you buy if you are either kinds? On the price or the looks for the same product?