The Nintendo DS Opera Browser

Usually I like to place pictures in every entry on the blog but this time it isn't going to be quite that easy for me. The reason is because I'm using the NDSL's Opera Browser to write this entry.

I only just got the browser and have just started playing with it. I thought that this woud be a good time to test this browser out since I'm currently still working and have a little time to kill but don't have my laptop with me.

I'm currently rather liking this application and even liking it more than the Sony PSP's browser. Of course it has been months since I've gone online on the psp but even then I wasn't particularly in love with the experience.

The biggest beef I had with the psp browser isn't actually the application's fault. It's really a hardware problem. Now, I do think the psp is a good handheld, especially if you like your games to look good but surfing on the internet isn't one of it's better features. The reason is simple. The psp doesn't have touch-screen. This is the biggest reason why I really much prefer the ds when it comes to going online. The touch-screen makes typing out an entry like this a breeze especially when compared to the clunky and time consuming way of doing it on the psp. On the ds, one simply uses the stylus to tap on the screen to spell out words. It is that easy. The psp requires a combination of moving the d-pad or joy-stick and mashing on the A button to type out some thing. Correcting mistakes can be a chore on the psp as you have to move the cursor one letter at a time unlike simply using the stylus to tape at the point where the mistake was made.

There are of course a few cons. The ds opera browser is not free and certainly not cheap. The ds itself does not have enough ram for cacheing so a slot-2 ram cart is necessary to run the application. This is probably why the browser cost more than SGD60 in the shops.

The other imperfection of the browser isn't actually the browser's fault. It is really a hardware problem. The ds's screen isn't really that big and although the dual screen helps, it's still not the most ideal if one wishes to surf for an extended period of time.

Still in the end, I think that if one has the extra cash, want internet access on the go, has access to a wi-fi connection outside your home and owns a ds, this application is certainly worth the money. At the very least, it may help you keep your blog just that little bit more updated. =)

cheers

Photograph - Pinhole 1 - Fixed

Canon EOS 300D - All photos shot in Sichuan, China except for the first two which were shot in Yishun, Singapore.

Hi guys, am uploading the same pix from the previous entry. Discovered that I made a mistake in them. I was suppose to change the hue to give the photos a tint but no matter what I did it didn't seem to make that noticeable a difference. I just discovered that I didn't check the colorize box in the dialogue box, hence no tint. So have fixed it.

I've also been playing around more on photoshop and tried to make something soft-focused. So far have only done one, so check it out if you're interested.


Canon EOS 300D - Emei Mountain, Sichuan, China

enjoy =)

Photography - Pinhole 1

Canon EOS300D - Sichuan, China

Hi guys... been a while since I've posted new photos on the blog. Been so busy with work and learning some of the new Adobe CS3 software that I recently purchased, hence me not really having time to work on anything.

But yesterday was Singapore's National Day and hence, a public holiday. So I took the opportunity to spend some time working on some photos in photoshop. These photos aren't really shot by a pinhole camera. It's really a technique I learnt in a Practical Photography magazine. It's kind of cool even though I don't really know how close I'm getting to actual pinhole photography. =)

Anyway, here they are, hope you enjoy them.



Canon EOS 300D - All the photos, except for the last two, were shot in Sichuan, China. The last two photos were shot in Yishun, Singapore.

cheers

Majulah Singapura

On the 9th of Aug 2007, Singapore turns 42 and as a Singaporean who loves being Singaporean, I felt compelled to commemorate it somewhat. Although I started blogging last year, I didn't really seriously blog till way past National Day so I kind of missed out on expressing my ra-ra feelings and all. =)

Seriously though, I think in general, Singaporeans don't really like to express ra-ra feelings about Singapore most of the year, it feels a little embarrassing and a little too cocky. And it seems so much cooler to be all radical and all when everyone else around you and on the internet seems quite happy to criticize and ridicule Singapore, her lack of democracy, her mindless brainwashed citizens, her crazy national education campaigns, her staid boring exterior and the list goes on. I've heard them all and I've expressed just as many and more similar thoughts.

But once a year, during the period of July and August, many Singaporeans, who normally couldn't be bothered begin to feel a sense of pride in what we've achieved and a feeling of unity of what more we must do for the future of this land we call home, suddenly experience a stirring of emotion deep within for this little red dot on the globe. And although I'm seriously not a very patriotic person, each year when National Day comes around, I do feel all sentimental and all.

Of course I know many Singaporeans who don't feel anything or get all disgusted with the propaganda-ish National Day songs every year during this period but I've also meet many who suddenly feel all touch-feely during this period too and I am one of them.

While I know many who have emigrated from Singapore and love it in their new home, I also know several who made the decision to come home to Singapore and I'm one of them. While I'm not entirely sure if my experience studying, working and living overseas had anything to do with me feeling more mushy about National Day and Singapore, I can't completely discount it either because one of this year's National Day songs really moved me. Penned by Jimmy Ye and sung by Kit Chan, the song "There's No Place I'll Rather Be" really spoke to me. I lived in the States for years but never truly wanted to stay there. My thoughts were always about home and my family. Even Mavis Hee's song "Cheng Li De Yue Guang" would trigger thoughts of home in me and that song isn't even a National Day song and isn't even specific to the city lights of Singapore but I would think of home.

So here it is, from Youtube, Kit's "There's No Place I'll Rather Be". Majulah Singapura (Onward Singapore), Happy 42th Birthday.



enjoy