How can you define a geek?

A person is measured by his or her strength, achievements, credentials and academic references..

A smart person is defined by the IQ score.

How then can you define a geek?

Today, someone over at Wired.com listed 100 most essential skills a Geek should possess..

Some notable skills out of the 100 listed.

(in no particular order)

1) Use a digital SLR in full manual mode

2) Surf the web anonymously from home

3) Bypass content filters on public computers

4) Recover data from a dead hard drive

5) Know the Konami code and where to use it

6) Solve the Rubik Cube

7) Be able to pick a lock

8) Create a website using vi

9) Troubleshoot any computer/gadget problem over the phone

10) Crack the WEP key of a wireless router

For the full list of 100 geek determining criteria, head over to WIRED.com!

Today is 14th July 2009
Time now is 15:31 hrs

There is no place like 127.0.0.1

Amazing Vocal Musician, a One Man Outdoor Recording Studio!

This music artist is a talent.

Mr Ben Stanford, an Australian artist whom is also known as the Dub FX, relies on nothing but his own voice to create beats, snares and synthesised sounds and records them individually on something known as a loop station. One type of loop station looks something like this.

Repeating these beats, snares and sounds he made on the loop machine, it behaves almost like a recording studio with multiple tracks music. He tops it by singing vocally over his recorded musical accompaniments into a very nice and professional sounding.

Enjoy the music of this "one man outdoor studio" below

Source : Geeks Are Sexy

Today is 9th July 2009

Time now is 15:39 hrs

What sound can you make?

Virtual Pussy that reacts to caressing gestures!

For those whom do not have the time or the committment for a real pet, Sega has created the ultimate furry companion. AKA Dream Cat Venus.

It is built with sensors around strategic parts of this virtual animal so as to respond to touch and petting gestures. Non-allergenic hair will allow those with respitary conditions to own this pet.

There's no need to feed the cat, making it cheaper to own as well.

The cost to buy one of these virtual pussycat is only US$110 and it goes on sale in the end of July 2009. Definitely cheaper than buying from a pet store.

Virtual Pussy [ The white with brown patches animal ]
The lady is a real person.

US$110 to get a pussy, you don't have to spend additional for dinner, movie, drinks, alcohol, gifts, diamond ring.

The cat is aptly named "Venus"

Source : Engadget

Today is 7th July 2009
Time now is 09:44 hrs

For those whom want to know more about feline terms, click "here" <-------

The end of literacy as we know it.

Literacy is at its peak of human existence.

The learning process repeats with each new generation. No enhancement can be made to inherit literacy or knowledge other than learning it the hard way from beginning (ABC).

In human lifespan of 80 years, the first 30 is used to learn from scratch. It takes close to half the lifetime of the average human to be able to appreciate literature works. To be able to read and weep and be able to feel the thoughts of the author. To allow words to invoke our personal feelings.

How can good literature works be produced when so much time is needed for learning literacy?

Our fast moving environment and culture forces us to take the most direct and concentrated path to learn the skills needed for our own career such that the only text we choose to read are the ones that are informative and educational. And honestly, the bulk of it zooms down to either "business" related or "engineering" related. And if you are none of the 2, it's most likely that you'd fall either under "medicine" or "law".

And in the business of literacy, most of these writers produce pop trash which in turn tries to make some business out of it. All these works are without much value of literature.

There are genuine authors out there.. Not to make a living but to share their knowledge. Share their works of literature, in hope that their works can invoke the reader's feelings. To be able to share their emotions via words and text. Sadly, too little of such writers are in the modern world today. Unlike the old victorian days, where writers are highly sought and appreciated, today's writers produce stories in hope it becomes a movie script.

Genes can be inherited and even cloned BUT knowledge can't. With each new generation, all begins from naught.

To learn anything, one has got to learn how to read first.

And that skill, might be the most daunting task for both the young student and the seasoned teacher.

Today is 6th July 2009
Time now is 11:15 hrs

One whom can read, write and appreciate the language well, might not necessary mean that he or she can be able to teach or transfer the knowledge well.

As China products and technology takes over the world....

In today's world, many of the necessities we have in our lives are made in China.

Low cost labour, low cost land and low cost raw materials.

It makes economical sense to build manufacturing plants and hire the locals and even train them to be on par with developed countries' blue collar workforce.

Most IT and computer products are made in China.

Cellphones, TVs, DVD players and even some car parts are manufactured, assembled and exported from China.

As the world's need for lower cost products increases, so does the China's economy. Lesser unemployment rate for the country with largest population in the world. Tons of money from foreign investments, not to mention tons of previous unused land now leased to big corporations.

With the speedy industrialization and urbanization of China, the world is watching its progress.

To ensure quality products from China matching those made previously in european or south-asian plants, additional quality checks are enforced on the products made in China.

Just a day before, this happened in a Minhang District of Shanghai, China.

An entire building toppled and fell over like a chopped tree.

Fortunately, it is still under construction and currently uninhabited.

Looking at the way the rest of the structure maintained its rigidity, some good may be said about its build.

But to the manner which the groundwork is done, one can only shake their head and sigh.

You can laugh and you can joke about it.

But not many know that two of the few larger contractors for Singapore's Housing Development Board, aka HDB, are China-based. [Berd and Ernie ] **

Today is 30th June 2009
Time now is 17:01 hrs

**

Disclaimer :

China-based construction companies in Singapore building HDB flats may or may not be the same construction companies that developed the above mentioned housing in Minhang District, Shanghai.

News source of building collapse : Zone Europa

Reuter's Video of collapse [Post event]