the.blog @scwleung

Oh…woe is I.

Well, not really. My woes have long since passed and I have since continued on with my life. Afterall, there really is no time allotted in my life to dilly-dally with these trifles things.

Still, some of you remember my mild outburst on the venerable Visage Tome last week along the lines of “Screw You, Apple. Screw You.” I still stand by my [albeit] cryptic statement and I guess I should explain why.

About 2 and a half weeks ago, our lord and saviour Steve announced thr next coming in the evolution of mobile computing – namely iPhone OS 3.1. What a glorious day it was. The sun was shining, new iPods were announced and major changes were coming to the Apple world that would be the dawn of a new computing age. As an Apple loyalist, I patiently sat in line for my new firmware to be downloaded and installed. Little did I know that those would be my last days as a Machead.

The download and installation progressed as smoothly as Apple-y possible. Afterall, Apple hires highly trained monkeys for their UX team to ensure that any organism with opposable thumbs can operate any device or process designed. My real problem started later that night.

I use my iPhone as my pseudo-alarm clock, and I leave it plugged in to ensure a full charge. Afterall, why would you let any device go commando [so to speak] when you don’t have to? Lo and behold though, when I was rudely awakened [as if there were any other way to be awakened] the next morning, I was surprised to find that my phone was down to 25% charge. No worries, I thought, must be a faulty cable. It was dying anyway. I’ll just plug it into my laptop [a Macbook, by the way] and things will be fine. Problem solved, no?

Seeing as this blog post continues a bit longer, you can assume the problem was not solved. In fact, nary 4 hours into my work day, my iPhone died again. Another depletion of capacitance charge. Anger inflamed me. I decided to consult with the Oracle – Apple tech support.

After a calming talk with them and a reflash of the hardware, I was renewed and reinvigorated with hope. That lasted another 4 hours. I decided to consult with an even higher power; I made an appointment with The Genius Bar.

Several days [4 for those of you who can count] later, my appointment came. A half hour after I was slated to start, my name was called. Without going into details, my 5 minute appointment there lasted as follows:

Me: Hi, my iPhone’s battery life’s been shot since upgrading to firmware 3.1. I called your tech support line and I reflashed my firmware dedspite the huge inconvenience it caused me. The battery life is still shit. Can you help?

“Genius”: let me plug it into my oh-so-special Macbook with diagnostic software you can’t have and I’ll tell you how unworthy you are in the eyes of Steve.

…minutes pass…

“Genius”: Hmm, your battery is draining a bit faster than usual. Why don’t you take it back and let us know how it goes?

Me [internal]: Really? Didn’t I tell you it’s been shit for more than half a week? Would continuing to monitor the situation really improve performance? I think not.

Me: Thanks…

Me [internally]: …for nothing. Guess I’ll start using my G1.

And that’s what I’ve been doing since. With a larger battery pack [2300 mAh], the device runs all day with EDGE and Wifi, as well as GPS location services. I can listen to my music all day without any interruptions. The apps are still a bit flakey depending on how many background processes I run, but it’s tolerable. And I can still get my podcasts with Google Listen. The only thing I miss is my audiobooks [DRMed by Audible. Atlas Shrugged doesn't listen by itself you know...] Otherwise, it’s integrated itself very well into my workflow. I like it quite a bit and would encourage others to look into other, more powerful Android based devices.

For now, though, contentness and love, as I steamroll in Ottawa for dear Liz and Chris’ wedding.

Until next time,

sammee

If people asked me where I thought my photo-creating ways were going to take me, Indian wedding fashion shows would not be at the very bottom of my list. But it would be pretty close. Still, here I am at the International Centre at the Kismet Wedding Show [Google it. Too tired to drag a link here on my G1.]

I just finished my first totally unprofessional fashion show shoot, and boy is there a lot I still need to learn about it.

Lighting was by far the hardest thing to get a hold of. I need to definitely play with my camera’s temperature and white balance settings. Didn’t really realize how yellow those lights are.

Also, the stage layout was a lot more different than expected. The runway was about three feet high. And there really isn’t a lot of places to comfortably climb to get any reasonable height.

Ah well. I’ll get another shot at it in another hour.

The joys of photographing pretty people

Not sure I’ll be able to post any of these photos. I don’t know. Maybe I’ll be able to sell a few of these. Could be fun!

Later days,

Sam

Hmmm….so it’s been a full day since the beginning of the Android trial, and I have to say that I am mostly impressed. This isn’t to say that I am loving the device, but I can see it growing on me over time like barnacles to a boat. However, I digress.

One of the most immediate things that jumped out at me is the slide out keyboard. being one of those self-righteous and dignified Blackberry haters, I’ve never had the real displeasure of using a real QWERTY keyboard on a small mobile device. I must admit that the keyboard itself wasn’t as horrendous experience as I imagined, it was pretty bad. The thing I miss most from the iPhone is the well designed smart error correction algorithm, and the Android platform simply can’t compare. Furthermore, with the keyboard slightly off-center, there are times I type in the wrong character that is simply one over from where I needed to be. Still, I greatly appreciate having a scroll wheel off to the side. Keyboard shift errors is a not-so-small price to pay for that luxury.

One of the biggrest complaints of the Android phones is that the battery life is terrible. I can confirm this; you really don’t want to take this puppy on a road trip if you’re not packing some portable juice. Fortunately, on my way up to Ottawa yesterday [more on that another time], I had the fortunate foresight of packing my Solio solar charger. Ironically, this was a gift from Google back in May. Maybe their GJuice powered crystal balls [patent pending] forecasted my dire need for it, and found a way of alieving this pain. Regardless, I was very happy to have it as my batteries were already down 50% by the time I reached Napanee [which was roughly 6 hours since unplugging it]. I wasn’t even running on 3G! Just simply terrible battery life. I have my own theories as to why, but I won’t indulge your curiosity at this time.

In any case, I do have more stories to tell about the device. Stuff about the Android Marketplace, Microsoft ActiveSync support, integration with other G-based apps, but I’ll save it for another time. My thumbs are getting numb from all this typing on the machine.

Until next time…

Sam

Due to circumstances beyond my control [and one I choose not to discuss here], I will be using an HTC Magic for a week or so. It will be an interesting experiment. I look forward to the results.

Here’s to good fun and cheer [and hopefully survival]!

We’re usually a pretty jovial bunch at the place I work, and we take a lot of jabs at each other whenever we get the opportunity. For example, we make a lot of fun of my boss for his severe seniority, and another of the coworkers for his Danishness. It’s all in good fun, and are all wholly accurate to who each of us are. Naturally, it would come to little surprise that my relatively insane history of commuting and my love of not driving would come up. I don’t blame them, because like I said before, it’s all true.

Outside of actual commuting and the Toronto Bus Terminal (refer to an older post), there is actually a lot to love about sitting in a bus or train and traveling long distances.

Firstly, the stresses of the road is miraculously transferred from yourself to the driver or conductor as if there some kind of electrical transferance taking place as your butt touches the cushion of your seat. The wonderful high tech lives in which we lead.

Secondly, with my sleep schedule and lifestyle that I lead, I often find myself sitting in vehicles at half-capacity traveling at speeds much faster than the speed limit allows. This is quite a good thig since I tend to cramp up easily and my patience has dropped precipitously to that of a 12 year old.

Still, I’m not entirely sure that I’m able to do all of this without my trusted travel entourage – my iPhone and my camera. It truly is miraculous that we can travel at 100km/h down a stretch of God’s great green earth and enjoy music, interwebs, blog posting and so much more in a device that slips into my pocket with nary a nuisance. I wouldn’t know how I distracted myself before this magical device landed on my lap a year ago. Hell, I think my commute with Deloitte would have been greatly improved (or at least be less sucky) if this little box of wonderfulness was available in Canada at that point.

And where would I be without my camera? The ability to record my memories simply, beautifully, and artistically has given me newfound love for travel. Without it, I would have been content sitting at home, picking up nefarious gaming habits of the massively multiplayer nature.

But you know what I love best about sitting in buses and trains? The chance to hone my thoughts into a blog post that I hope has been witty and entertaining.

Becuase that is how I roll.

Until next time.

S

Oh…where to even begin with this silly issue that isn’t a simple regurgitation of what’s already been stated. For those of you who don’t already have a good grasp of the situation, I’d refer you to here and here [courtesy of ink_13], as well as here [courtesy of UW's Daily Bulletin]. Also, I’m sure you’ll find plenty of discussion across Twitter, Facebook and pretty much where students and alumni hang out.

While most of the talk out there is negatively slanted against the new logo, I have to admit that I’m actually quite ambivalent [leaning towards not dislike] about the new logo. As my esteemed colleague Mr. Felix stated on Facebook [I] didn’t give a flying fuck about the logo when [I] was a student. so why would i give a fucking shit about it now. holy shit, this is completely stupid. In many ways, I agree with the sentiment. Venting on Facebook or LiveJournal, or wherever will not change the logo. I certainly think that students, staff and alumni all should have a say in this, and I will defend your right to say it [as our good friend Voltaire stated]. However, I am concerned with many of the arguments that are being put forward. While I don’t wish to dig too deeply into each and every one of them, I do want to address a small number.

On Re-Branding
There’s a lot of arguments that the new logo is ‘non-traditional’ or that moving away from the classic crest is a huge problem. I respect those arguments. After all, every other school is deeply rooted in tradition and have their own crests representing its core values and traditions. There are two major points I wish to say against this. Firstly, Waterloo has been pushing towards a branding that separates itself from other schools – one that focuses on innovation and standing out from the rest of the pack as a leader. A part of leadership involves blue-sky thinking, taking leaps of faith, and shunning tradition at times. I applaud UW in trying something new and different. Secondly, how many of us UW students and alumni actually understand the core values and traditions of UW based upon the crest-logo? How many of us even know what UW’s slogan translates to in English? Hell. How many of us even know UW’s slogan?

While I can’t say much about the style and artistry of the new logo, I believe it does a good job in representing what UW is today. It is also a symbol that is much easier to interpret for all.

On Marketing and the University-Corporation
The re-branding initiative has brought about a side-argument that the UW administration is running the school more as a corporation than an academic institution. Furthermore, that this shift in direction is a bad thing, and that it hinders academic research and innovation. I will admit that this can happen. However, it’s also important to realize that even a University requires money to operate, and funding is limited. Universities need to efficiently use its funds to deliver a high quality education and to conduct research that will see through to a conclusion. A university should be able to cut funding from a professor if he or she is not able to both teach effectively and conduct world class research. Is it little wonder that many universities require research grants from industry? Yes, there are plenty of arguments that universities shouldn’t be tainted by industry, but let’s not kid ourselves – accepting money from the government can be just as bad and just as biased. By running the university as efficiently [and I guess corporately] as possible, the university would be better able to have its own say about the overall agenda.

I guess this little piece took a bit wider turn than necessary. However, I just needed to get it off my chest. It is stupid and ridiculous how much we stick by what’s already there, rather than trying something new. Automatically rejecting something new and unknown is probably the worse thing that we can do for our society and culture. I think we need to be more objective and analytical about change. Why don’t we let the new logo sit with us a bit more – maybe we’ll all find something we like about it.

I’ll leave comments open. I’ll try to approve messages that aren’t childish or made in bad taste, but don’t expect me to respond. I’ve made my peace with the issue.

Thanks for reading!

For reference, I haven’t stopped taking pictures, but I am just taking my sweet time getting them back up on Flickr. They’re there now.

Ah…my sorry attempt at staying awake on my flight back from Beijing. Let’s see how cogent these thoughts will become; maybe there will be a few gems I can use in a real post another time. Who knows though – I’ve been up for a good 26 hours already, and I won’t be in bed for another 2? Ah well…

The final leg of my power drift in Asia was anything but uneventful. With only a little more than 24 hours to spend in Beijing as a tourist, there was much to see, and even more to do. Despite that, we managed to do pretty much all of what we wanted. It was unbelievable, but it’s true. We were able to do the Beijing Olympic Village, the imperial Summer Palace, and even fit in some fantastic food and a relaxing walking jaunt through the downtown core. It was a great way to end my trip and I will sorely miss seeing Jenn and Steve.

Speaking of Jenn and Steve, I was amazed with the abundance of fascination from the native Chinese and their penchant to take photos with those two. I was initially told this by Jenn the night I arrived in Beijing, but was unconvinced. That was, until we spent some time out. It was a mighty impressive sight! They were literally celebrities – at times stopping for some time to have their pictures taken with young Chinese girls and even some older men. I think they enjoyed their newfound stardom, but I’m never always so sure about that. It was pretty amusing from my perspective though.

In any case, I should get back to importing my photos into Lightroom. I must have taken 700 shots at the Summer Palace and it will be hell going through them all. I really enjoyed my power drift, but I’m pretty much ready to be back home and pick up wherever my life left off.

Man, it’s crazy to think that only 24 hours ago, I was sitting in an electric powered boat in the lake of the Summer Palace taking gorgeous pictures of its majestic majesty, and now I’m sitting at home just typing away. I am mighty impressed by the entirety of it all.

Not sure when I’ll post again, so don’t expect anything from me any time soon. Until next time.

ru-in-a-tion [roo-uh-ney-shuh n]

1. the act or state of ruining or the state of being ruined. [Dictionary.com]
2. the final product of someone has ruin your shit. A utter defeat or total destruction on a massive scale. [UrbanDictionary.com]
3. the brief and fleeting sensation upon realizing that your Northern Chinese hosts drink much more heavily than you expected; that their toasts actively involve emptying any glass of alcoholic drink currently in front of them; and that your traveling companion will take on all challenges, regardless of its level of stupidity and damage to the liver. [Sam Leung, 2009]

I believe that effectively sums up my two day stay in beautiful Daqing City. No, that’s not true. Congratulations to Yancey and Jocelyn on a lovely wedding. You two are great together and I hope you’ll share even more years of happiness. We had a truly wonderful time in Daqing City. Your gracious generosity and hospitality will always be cherished and remembered, and I will never be sure if I will ever be able to thank you and your families properly.

Flying back to Beijing this morning, and returning to Toronto by Saturday evening. Take care to you all till then!

At the airport, leeching free wifi. Going to board my flight shortly – will be behind the Great Firewall in a few hours. Let’s hope I’ll survive the trip.