Sunday 23 October 2011

Use USB drives for XBOX360

Thursday 6 October 2011

We are never sure who is the right side but we know for sure who the wrong side is

We know for sure Gadafi is the wrong side for killing innocents and making Libyans poor despite its oil wealth. As for the future, we can never be sure of anything but we can try but we must also be allowed to change it. This is the beauty of democracy, as long as  it still exists.
For Sabah, it is very sure that BN is the wrong side. It had made Sabah, the most resourceful state in the world to become the poorest in the world. Despite more than 10 years of promises, as recent as the announcement  that the 2-year waiting list for surgeries in over, people are still dying waiting for urgent surgeries. Urgent surgeries are still being done at hospital beds with the resulting high loss of lives due to infections. How many of them are our relatives and friends. This does not take into account those who died waiting for urgent surgeries.

With all the BN lies and false promises, I only knew about it when my own mother-in-law was affected. A few months ago, our colleague at UMS died, and I was no naive as not to know the real reason. I didn't know the implication of surgery at his bedside, because he appeared to be doing well. But his head swell. A few months later, I have to undergo similar brain surgery, and among the compliations is the swelling of the brain as a result of infections. Only now I realise the connection.

IF you think you have money and therefore survive. Think about it. SMC now only borrows equipment from the government for all its surgeries. Damai specialist has 2 surgeons but not sure how many operating theaters.

 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/reese-schonfeld/libya-its-all-over-but-th_b_996180.html

Libya: It's All Over But the Doubting

Posted: 10/5/11 11:53 AM ET

It's more than six months since the United Nations declared the airspace over Libya to be a "no-fly zone" and authorized Member States "to take all necessary measures... to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack from the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya..." That seemed to me to authorize the NATO air attacks on Gaddafi's military forces surrounding Benghazi who were threatening the massacre of that city's civilian population. The air attacks worked, and Gaddafi's forces retreated.
It did not seem to me that such attacks would be sufficient to drive Gaddafi from power. So, I wrote in April that the war in Kosovo had ended only after NATO and the US had:
Bombed and destroyed much of Belgrade's infrastructure, including, according to Wikipedia, "bridges, military facilities, official government facilities and factories." Among the targets were "power plants, water plants, and the government broadcasting TV tower.
At the time I wrote the piece, NATO was claiming that its air strikes had been aimed only at carefully selected targets; Tripoli was largely unscathed, while Misrata was being destroyed by Gaddafi's artillery and mortars. I suggested that in order to win the war, that NATO must inflict pain upon those who support Gaddafi, civilian or not.
In May, General's top military commander, Gen. Sir David Richards, said that Gaddafi "could remain clinging to power unless NATO broadened its bombing pockets to include the country's infrastructure."
A week later, the G8 announced in Paris that any settlement in Libya must include Gaddafi's removal, and said that despite the 90 day deadline of the UN authorization, military operations would continue "as long as necessary".
Later that week, NATO air strikes on Tripoli began. John Burns reported in The New York Times that the attacks "caused thunderous explosions and fireballs that leapt high into the night sky [causing] people and neighborhoods a mile or more away to cry out in alarm... 'We thought it was the day of judgment,' one enraged Libyan said." At the same time, NATO spokespersons at press briefings assured reporters that civilians were not targeted but, if any were injured, it was in error. Time after time, press conference after press conference, reporters asked spokespersons if NATO was acting within its UN mandate. Time after time, bombing after bombing, NATO stuck to its story.
Now, five months later, NATO is still bombing Gaddafi loyalists in a final effort to achieve victory for the Libyan rebels. Just last week, Reuters reported that a "foray by the former rebels, backed by a heavy bombardment by NATO war planes, brought them to a traffic circle more than a mile from the city center." This is tactical bombing, far from what had been authorized by the UN five months ago. A Gaddafi spokesperson told Reuters "that NATO bombings in Surt are killing hundreds of people."
Gaddafi spokesmen do not necessarily speak the truth about casualties, but there is no question that some civilians have died from NATO bombings. There is no doubt that Western mercenaries have helped train and tactically advise rebel forces, and there is no question about NATO supplying arms to the rebels. Now the war is winding down, but there is no doubt that the Qaddafi forces would've triumphed if it had not been for NATO's intervention.
The only doubts are about what will happen next. Will Gaddafi's rule be replaced by democracy, by Islamic theocracy or by tribal rivalry? Can Libya remain a united country? Today's New York Times quotes Zohra al-Tayef, a counselor at Dawn of Freedom, a still deserted school in Tripoli, as saying that "teachers would have to undo years of efforts by the former government to sew divisions between tribes and regions." I'm sure the United Nations did not consider all these possibilities before authorizing NATO "to [in Libya] take all necessary measures... to protect civilians and civilian populated areas." Otherwise, Zohra al-Tayef would not have said:
"May God let the right side win," adding, "We don't even know what the right side is."
I doubt that the UN or NATO really knows what the right side is either.

Tuesday 4 October 2011

iPhone can make or break a TelCo

 
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1011947669930389848

Report: Sprint Makes Multibillion Dollar Bet on the iPhone


If there’s one device that could save Sprint from a losing battle for customers with wireless giants Verizon and AT&T, it’s the iPhone.
Sprint CEO Dan Hesse told the company’s board that the carrier agreed to purchase 30.5 million iPhones over the next four years, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Today, a purchase of that size amounts to $20 billion US.
Such a large bet on Apple is telling of the drastic measures Sprint is willing to take in order to remain a contender in the wireless carrier arena. The purchase will take a huge chunk out of Sprint’s projected income, but perhaps could help the carrier bounce back after its merger with Nextel in 2005.
Sprint’s lack of carrying the iPhone has been the biggest reason customers leave or switch from Sprint’s network, the Journal reports Sprint CEO Dan Hesse saying. The carrier plans to subsidize each iPhone to about $500 in order to attract buyers and stay competitive with rivals. Currently on AT&T and Verizon an unsubsidized iPhone costs $650.
Spokespersons from Apple and Sprint declined to comment on the rumor.
AT&T was the first carrier to offer the iPhone since the device first launched in 2007, while Verizon joined the club earlier this year. Sales from the iPhone and iPad continue to provide Apple with record profits, which Sprint is hoping to take advantage of. The phone has continued to top the charts with regards to both sales and consumer satisfaction. Mounds of evidence have been stacking up that Sprint will get the iPhone come Tuesday’s press event.
Sprint needs a hit. The carrier’s stock has dropped 80 percent since the iPhone debuted on competing networks. Sprint currently serves only 52 million subscribers (Verizon, for comparison, serves over twice that many).
But now Sprint has a chance to bite into its larger competitors, as consumers will have a third option when it comes to choosing a carrier for their iPhone.
If the next iPhone is 4G, then Verizon, followed distantly by Sprint, would be the speediest option. Tests performed by RootMetrics found that Verizon’s 4G speeds were greater than 10 Mbps about 90 percent of the time, AT&T primarily achieved data speeds of 500 or less Kbps or 1.5 to 3 Mbps, while Sprint’s data speeds varied, but primarily fell in the 5 to 10 Mbps range.
After data-hungry iPhone users began clogging up their networks, both Verizon and AT&T abandoned unlimited data plans. AT&T’s biggest option for iPhone power-users, which provides 4 GB of data per month and unlimited calling and messaging, will currently run you $135 per month. On Verizon, you can get a plan with unlimited voice and messaging and 10 GB of data per month for $170 per month (but if you’re not going to be using data quite so much, it’s $30 to $50 less for a lower data plan).
Sprint, however, still offers an unlimited data package. The plan includes voice, SMS and data service for $100 a month plus a $10 smartphone fee. It’s still a pricey phone, but Sprint’s most expensive plan is still cheaper than comparable ones on AT&T and Verizon.
Christina is a Wired.com staff writer covering Apple, robotics, and everything in between. She's also written for Gizmodo and Wired magazine. Check out her Google+ profile here.
Follow @redgirlsays and @gadgetlab on Twitter.

Saturday 1 October 2011

Android phones still don't get it! It is useability rather than power

After going through the latest android phones including 3D HTC and LG offerings, I notice that Android phones have improved by leaps and bounds. Samsung has improved a lot by reducing the thickness and weight of its phones. Not sure about its scratch resistant glass though.

 Most other androids pride in dual core speed but as long as we can browse the internet comfortably, there is little need for slightly higher speed. Just because it is double core does not mean that the internet speed will be higher.

iPhone4 has HDR photos which means that you DO NO NEED FLASH. How many Android offers such a feature? How many have managed to get 960 x 640 resolution which allows us to read more pictures and characters on screen? None. The highest I have seen was 960 x 540. 

The coming HTC 3D 4G has 1024 x 720, which is 720p resolution, similar to the Astro Beyond. Don't be fooled by the 1080p video taking. It only takes 1080p video, but cannot display it at 1080p.

Don't be fooled by displays of low resolution pictures, or brilliant colours. What you need is just a way to get information, which is sharpness of high resolution pictures and maximum number of text per screen.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/8799059/iPhone-5-eBay-expects-iPhone-4-sales-rush.html

iPhone 5: eBay expects iPhone 4 sales rush

The launch of the new Apple's iPhone 5 in October will push sales growth in the online market for previous iPhone models, according to eBay

Home screen of Apple iPhone 3GS
Home screen of Apple iPhone 3GS Photo: Alamy
Sales of old Apple's iPhone models are expected to rise up to 70 per cent in the aftermath of the new iPhone 5's launch, eBay has announced. As it happened last year, when the iPhone 4 went on sale, earlier iPhone models will be accessible at a lower price and online customers are ready to exploit the chance to get one.
According to eBay, more than half a million iPhones have been sold online since they have been introduced on the market. In the last year, an average of one iPhone per second has been sold via eBay UK.
“Our figures show that savvy shoppers are ready and waiting to get their hands on the iPhone 4 at a cut down price," Angus McCarey, Retail Director for eBay UK said. "The UK leads Europe in terms of smartphone adoption, which is helping to drive the triple digit growth of mobile shopping on eBay. Mobile is fundamentally changing retail as shoppers can now browse and shop on and offline in a seamless way.”
The smart phone market on the whole should see a surge in sales as the iPhone 5 goes on sale, eBay reports. During last year’s festive season, sales of the iPhone 3G exceeded the iPhone 4 as shoppers look for great deals rather than the most up-to-date model.
The IPhone 5 is expected to be relased on October 21, the weekend that iPod celebrates its 10th birhday, according to new rumours. The date is based on what appears to be a leaked note from a branch of Best Buy in the US. Other rumours are based on leaks from Asia, where the phone is assembled. The iPhone has traditionally been annonuced in June, at Apple's WWDC event in San Francisco. This is the first time that the announcement has been pushed back to the autumn.

True justice at work: Illegal arrest

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/8800492/Banned-preacher-can-seek-damages-over-illegal-arrest.html

Banned preacher can seek damages over illegal arrest

A banned Islamic preacher who entered Britain illegally following a Home Office blunder is entitled to seek damages after being detained unlawfully, a judge has ruled.

Sheikh Raed Salah
Sheikh Raed Salah was able to walk through immigration at Heathrow Airport unchallenged despite being banned by Theresa May, the Home Secretary, days before Photo: EPA
Sheikh Raed Salah, a Palestinian activist, could receive thousands of pounds for being wrongfully imprisoned shortly after entering the country in June this year.
Mr Salah, 52, was able to walk through immigration at Heathrow Airport unchallenged despite being banned by Theresa May, the Home Secretary, days before.
His exclusion order had been sent to the wrong terminal at the airport allowing him to arrive unopposed. He was arrested three days later when the error was discovered.
Yesterday, the migration watchdog, Migration Watch UK, condemned the judge’s decision. Sir Andrew Green, its chairman, said: “It is quite extraordinary that someone who had no right to be in Britain in the first place should be able to claim damages for his arrest.”
Mr Salah, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel, flew to Britain on June 25 for meetings including an engagement at the Houses of Parliament. He was detained at his London hotel and taken to Paddington Green police station where he was held for 21 days.
The father of eight has now been granted the right to seek damages for “false imprisonment” after his lawyers said he had always planned to leave the country and his detention was therefore unnecessary. He also claimed his human rights were breached because the reasons for his detention were not explained in his own language.
Yesterday, Mr Justice Nicol, sitting at the High Court in London, ruled that Mr Salah was not given “proper and sufficient reasons” for his arrest on June 28 — “nor was he given them until some time on the 30th”. As a result he is entitled to damages for wrongful detention.
The amount of damages to which Mr Salah will be entitled could be several thousand pounds, said lawyers.
Judge Nicol rejected the claim that his detention as a whole was contrary to the statutory power to detain and contrary to the Home Secretary’s policy on detention pending deportation. Mr Salah is due to appeal against Mrs May’s decision to deport him in separate proceedings.
In the past, Mr Salah has been accused of inciting anti-Semitic violence. He has always denied the accusations.
A Home Office spokesman said: “We are pleased that the court has found that the Home Secretary used her powers correctly. The court decided that there was a technical problem when Mr Salah was initially detained.”

Islamic law is Hudud Law, and is allowed in Malaysian constitution

If the constitution allows for the death penalty, let alone cutting off hands of thieves. It is also clearly stated in the constitution that syariah law is mandated for Muslims. Syariah law is hudud law.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/1/nation/9614485&sec=nation

Constitution does not allow for hudud, says Bar Council


PETALING JAYA: Both the Federal Constitution and the current legislative framework do not allow for hudud to be implemented by any state, said the Bar Council.
Expressing its concern over the recent “political posturing” in reviving the possibility of implementing hudud, its president Lim Chee Wee called on all parties to instead uphold the Federal Constitution as the supreme law of the land.
“Hudud cannot be implemented within the current constitutional and legislative framework,” he said.
“The Malaysian Bar calls upon all parties to uphold the Federal Cons-titution as the supreme law of the land and cease all rhetoric on the implementation of hudud, which has inevitably caused confusion and division.
“They should focus instead on strengthening the rule of law and democratic process,” he said, adding that a Supreme Court ruling in 1988 had confirmed Malaysia as a secular state.
The Federal Constitution, he said in a statement, only allowed the states to enact laws creating offences by persons professing Islam, against the precepts of Islam, and the respective punishments for such offences.
Senior lawyer Roger Tan said the power to legislate punishment for criminal offences was with Parlia-ment.
“To me, this is a very important issue as it is against the intention of our forefathers. If any non-Muslim does not respond strongly against PAS proposal, it is an act of acquiescence to the insidious attempt by the party to convert a secular state into a theocratic state,” he added.
Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong called for politicking to stop as DAP and PKR had entered with open eyes into a relationship with PAS.
“PAS has made it very clear from the start that it planned to make Malaysia an Islamic state should it come to power.
“It has never said that it will forgo this. Do not play political games,” said the Independent MP.

BN insulted by the truth that Johor is not safe!

 http://www.thesundaily.my/news/161905

Guan Eng apologises to Johor Sultan (Update)

GEORGE TOWN (Sept 30, 2011): Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has apologised to the Sultan of Johor and the people of Johor, for a statement made by him against the state.
Lim, who has been attributed to have said that the crime rate in Johor is higher than in Penang to a gathering of foreign correspondents in Singapore, however stressed that he has been misrepresented by the Barisan Nasional-controlled (BN) media and will pursue the matter in court.
Speaking at a special press conference called at his office in Komtar here today, Lim noted that Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar had said he was offended by the statement made by Lim against Johor.
"Out of respect to the Johor Sultan, I wish to fully apologise to the Johor Sultan and his subjects, the people of Johor,” he said, reading a prepared statement. “I have no intention whatsoever to discredit Johor or any other state.”
He did not field any questions during the brief press conference, citing legal considerations.
Lim also agreed with the Sultan who said that politics should be left to politicians and the people should not be dragging rulers into politics.
“I feel that what I had said has been misrepresented by the BN-controlled media,” he said.
“I will pursue this matter in court to determine the truth of where I had made the speech, what was actually said, how and in what context it was made,” he added.
A Bernama news on Sept 23 reported that Lim was alleged to have said in a Radio Australia interview that Johor was not a safe state where the chance of being kidnapped was high, compared to Penang.
However, Radio Australia’s transcript and audio recording of the interview put up on its website did not contain any such remark.
Lim’s office responded by writing to Bernama for a full withdrawal and unconditional public apology over the apparently incorrect report.
TV3, however, on its prime time news on Sept 26 played an audio recording of a similar comment ascribed to Lim and allegedly made at the luncheon with foreign correspondents in Singapore on Aug 12. The news led to criticisms against Lim from various leaders.
Lim today pointed out that to date, except for the purported audio tape broadcasted by TV3, there was no press report of what he had spoken in Singapore or Australia.
“I have access to the tape of my interview with Radio Australia. I am still trying to locate the tape of what I said in Singapore which was made privately in a closed-door session.
“I have instructed my lawyers to immediately file a suit in court against the BN-controlled media, beginning with Bernama,” he added.