Using XBOX360 Wireless Controllers on a PC/Windows 7

My son complained that playing games on a PC is not as good as playing on a console such as XBOX360 or PS4. I persuaded them to use Steam to play games instead of paying exhorbitant prices for PS3/4 games. Much cheaper in Steam especially when there is a sale.

You need a PC Wireless Gaming Receiver. I ordered mine from Aliexpress.
 http://www.aliexpress.com/item/PC-Wireless-Gaming-Controller-USB-Receiver-Adapter-For-XBOX-360-Hot-New-Arrival/32436273952.html

22.37 MYR (US $5.54)

 Install the drivers using this youtube instruction.

Install your device and it will tell that no device drive is found.
Go to device drivers by searching for Device Manager.
Look for unknow devices, right click it,  Update Device Driver, Browse my computer for driver software, Let me pick from a list of device drivers, Microsoft Common Controller for
Windows Class, Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows.

Connect your wireless Xbox360 wireless controller to the gaming receiver. Use the following link.
https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-on-windows/accessories/xbox-360-wireless-gaming-receiver-windows

It involved pressing the setup button for a long time. A few seconds. Too short a time, it will not work.

You can test it by going to the Devices  and right clicking Gaming controllers, left clicking Game controller settings then properties.

Booking flights cheaply using Expedia

Expedia.com allows you to search for the cheapest flights across all types of airlines.
 https://www.expedia.com.my/

Better do the search using Expedia. It will tell you all the avilable options. After that you may book directly using the original airlines. One problem with Expedia is that it cannot pay for children under the age of 18. Make sure you book from Kota Kinabalu. Do not try to book from KL first. I found out that KK - Istanbul is the same price as KL - Istanbul, using Expedia and Qatar Airways.
 http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/homepage.page

I ended up booking using Qatar Airways from KK. Qatar Airways has joint venture with MAS for the flight to Istanbul. At RM2000 is almost the same price as to Seoul which costs RM1500 via KL. Direct flights to Seoul cost RM2300.

The next ideal Car Accessory: DVR for Front and Back

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Novatek-Car-Camera-Rearview-Mirror-Auto-DVR-Car-DVR-Parking-Recorder-Video-Registrator-Camcorder-Full-HD/32532471345.html


I got the idea from this company. He demonstrated the dashboard camera at City Mall, Kota Kinabalu. This dashboard camera can record both front and rear cameras. His cheapest, a Full HD recorder, costs RM300 without installation.

Sabahan importer of Dashboard camera and DVR

I started searching at the online stores. I bought two such DVR recorders with dual cameras and supposedly recording both of them at the same time. Mine only cost RM180 including postage, during cheap sale period, from Aliexpress.

I am not sure how good these cameras are but at this price, it is reasonable to experiment with. There are other versions with GPS but I do not see any sense in doing that. It may come handy as a navigation tool. Istallation is easy. Just fix the front camera and DVR to the rear view mirror and connect the charger to the cigerate lighter. It means that it is portable. The rear camera is more difficult to install but we can install it at the location of the third brake light or just stick it to the rear view mirror using a double sided tape. We should be able to install these cameras in rental cars also.

The DVR that I ordered is the second most expensive. It only lacks the antishake function and GPS. The reason why I ordered this more expensive version is its purported ability to record both front and rear cameras at the same time with various modes. Some cheaper versions do not have simultaneous modes. It also has the motion detection so that it can be used as a car theft alarm. For discussions and reviews of the various functions of car DVR by searching through google: "car DVR review".

I started by preparing to install rear view cameras but they are not so useful. Reverse sensors are just as useful. I had installed a DVR only but it did not last long because its battery ran out and I do not bother to see the recorded pictures. This time it is different. In one package we have a DVR and reverse camera at the same time. Hopefully its battery lasts long enough.

Proton Iriz EV

http://paultan.org/2015/09/10/proton-iriz-ev-300-km-electric-car-on-display-at-igem/

Proton Iriz EV – 300 km electric car on display at IGEM

In Cars, Hybrids, EVs and Alternative Fuel, Local News, Proton / By Graham Chin / 10 September 2015 4:56 pm / 153 comments

Following a glimpse of the Proton Iriz EV prototype in South Korea last October, we now have the first pictures and initial specs of the local carmaker’s very own electric vehicle. The Proton Iriz EV is currently on display at the 2015 International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition and Conference Malaysia (IGEM).
While the exterior looks familiar, the Iriz EV is a totally different car underneath. Powering the car is a permanent magnet AC synchronous electric motor that puts out the equivalent of 116 kW (155 hp) and 360 Nm of torque – the motor is juiced up by an LG-developed 39.6 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery. This allows for a 0-100 km/h time of less than nine seconds and a top speed of 150 km/h.

Other details in which the spec sheet lists is a 50 kW fast charging and a 6.6 kW normal charging system. A 7.23 ratio for the single-speed transmission is also noted. According to Proton, the battery can be charged from 40% to full in just 15 minutes with a fast charger, four hours with a public charger and seven hours with a standard three-pin plug.
While it was previously claimed that the Iriz EV had a better range than the Nissan Leaf (240 km versus 200 km touted by the latter), Proton now says that it can cover more ground than that – a NEDC cycle-based operational range of around 300 km is mentioned. An impressive figure considering that the car weighs in at 1,380 kg – 195 kg heavier than the standard Iriz 1.6 Premium CVT (1,185 kg).

Elsewhere, the underfloor-mounted battery means that interior space has not been compromised – the car even retains its spare tyre under the boot floor. The gearknob is now a small, stumpy item that appears to have been nicked off a third-gen Toyota Prius, and there’s now a digital instrument display showing the speed, charge status, power used/regenerative braking applied and even the battery temperature.
Back in October 2014, it was revealed by Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) CEO, Madani Sahari, that one of the two proposed Malaysian-developed electric vehicles could be sold for under RM100k when it hits the market. If all goes according to plan, the Iriz EV could be officially introduced by the end of 2016/early 2017.

Tags: Proton Electric Car, Proton Iriz

My TOEFL result

Just look at the website https://www.ets.org/s/toefl/pdf/94227_unlweb.pdf which shows the results of people taking the TOEFL. The English native speaker can only score 21 for the reading test, similar to Malay speaking examinee. Writing is also the same, 23. It is only listening that the native English speaker can score slightly higher at 23, compared to 22 for Malay speaking people.

 http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED237511.pdf for results in 1977 which should show how well I perform. My total score of 633 is above the mean of the highest scoring nations, the South African at 616. Page 73 for Americas. Page 36 for Africas. Malaysia, only 559, on page 114. Pdf reader can search text files. UK only 540 which means that Malaysia is better.

The highest in Asia is Singapore and Sri Lanka, with 568.

My acceptance to Stanford University in 1982

I was admitted to Stanford University in 1982 but did not go because the approval for my study loan from Sabah Foundation was too late. I finally got the load to go to Stamford University, which is a different university. Probably due to misspelling and shows that the administrator at Sabah Foundation at that time is not well versed with the standard of world wide universities. When I tried to reapply in 1983, I was finally rejected but managed to get accepted to Edinburgh University. I did not regret it because Edinburgh is a good university. Among the best in the world but not as highly rated as Stanford.

Edinburgh was ideal for me because of my intention to learn about compilers and microelectronic fabrication which was the reason why I chose Stanford University. In this respect, Edinburgh is better. Edinburgh had developed the first Silicon Compiler, which was called First.

I relooked at my GRE examination results and compare it with others.
Among the best source is the webpage,
 https://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/RR-99-16-Grandy.pdf
You can also download a free ebook.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.2333-8504.1992.tb01482.x/epdf.

I took the GRE test twice. One in June 1982 at Kuala Lumpur, the other in December, 1982 in Tokyo.
My scores vary a lot. My highest score for verbal is 410 in Dec, which is just slightly higher than the mean for the blacks in the 1996-1997 GRE test. The highest mean for the white male was 512. My score of 410 was also given as a percentage of 31%.

Verbal test is basically an English comprehension test. I never get such a low mark for my English comprehension test. It could be due to the type of questions being asked and my distorted understanding of the phrases.

My quantitative test, which is just simple Form 3 mathematics to me, I scored very highly.  720 or 91%. The highest mean for the whites did not reach higher than 550 but Asians can reach as high as 620 mean. Please note that many testers managed to get 800 marks for the various tests.
According to this website, https://israeliteknight.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/aint-no-black-geniuses/,
 "2.3% of White students scored higher than 800 in GRE Analytical, 10% of Asian men scored higher than 800 in GRE Quantitative, and 0.1% of White women scored higher than 800 in GRE Verbal."

 http://www.us.mensa.org/join/testscores/qualifyingscores/ shows that I am also not qualified to be a Mensa member. My score of 1130 is not good enough. I need to score 1250. When you include analytical score, it should be 1875 but I managed to score only 1540. My analytical score dropped from 480 to 410 compared to the mean of 580 for whites and Asian Americans. Analytical score is just like a IQ test. They test relationships of people and other objects. My level was the same as Puerto Rican, just slightly higher than blacks.

http://getready.kaptest.com/scorepredictor/quiz.php?interest=GRE is a trial test for the GRE. I finished all 20 questions.

Your predicted GRE^® Quantitative score range is 153-160
Solid work! Our Score Predictor puts your quantitative potential at above average. Now let us help you take your skills to the next level by giving you the right plan.

Your predicted GRE^® Verbal score range is 130-151
Scoring high on the verbal section is no easy task. Our Score Predictor places your verbal potential at below average, but don’t worry! We can help you craft a successful study plan. Consider enrolling in a PLUS course to take advantage of the one-on-one tutoring provided so you can hone in on opportunities of greater improvement. 

 The score is now 130-170. My verbal score is still very low compared to my quantitative score. I finished the verbal score very quickly.