Look up from your screen - What do you see?

This video shows a strong message.
Ironic though that I'm sharing it with my friends through the blog.

Advancement of technology

It's amazing.

My laptop makes me happy

Sung to the tune of "You are my sunshine".

Making unlimited Wacom tablet nibs for under $6!

This is just a nice reference for me in future when my nibs wear out.
I discovered this nifty little post here.
No more having to spend your week's pay just for nibs for your tablet pen. All you need to do is head over to your closest hardware store!

Click for larger view

Taking a look at the Nvidia Shield

Hey all!

I was just browsing around the webs and I came across this IGN article about the Nvidia Shield. As it is, the Shield is more of a prototype for what I hope is the future for gaming. I'd love to one day be able to play my Steam games while sitting on the bus.

That's all for now.
Rhycen

Links: http://au.ign.com/articles/2013/07/31/nvidia-shield-review

New toy (laptop), New experiences... in Microsoft failing

So my trusty Acer laptop died on Thursday, and I was absolutely devastated. I mean I had no computer access for TWO WHOLE DAYS.
Yes, I was very distraught. I even ended up having to sleep early (@10pm)! And today I finally had time to walk into an electronics store and happily bought myself a new laptop, a HP ENVY m6-1117TX. I was pretty content with this purchase, considering I got this baby at a bargain price.

So the story goes: after my laptop died, I immediately consulted my computer guru megabubbletea (+Diluen Cheong ) on what laptop I should purchase and he sent me a list of options (a short list thank goodness!). I then compared his various suggestions and decided that the HP Envy was the one I wanted because it fell into my desired price range (below $800), in fact it was advertised online as $698, and had really good specs.

But this morning when I walked into the store I discovered that the price tag on the laptop I wanted said $998. I jumped in surprise and thought 'WHAT? That's too expensive, that's not what the online advertisement said!' I kind of started to panic, thinking 'oh no, what should I do, I don't want to fork out that much money for a laptop, should I pick another brand instead?' But then I decided to *try* and "argue" with the salesperson to see if I could get the HP Envy at a cheaper price, namely the price listed online, but I wasn't hoping too much. Surprisingly, the salesman agreed to sell the laptop to me at the price listed online, and he too was surprised at how cheap such a good laptop was; A co-worker of the salesman serving me overheard our conversation and he immediately declared that he was going to set one stock aside for himself (noting that there were only 4 pieces of stock left). So I guess I was pretty lucky in this transaction.
 

Then tonight I decided to have a play with Windows 8 before dumping it on Monday and installing Linux Mint instead. It took a while to setup and download the apps (perhaps due to the slowness of my internet). Of course once I was able to 'use the computer' I HAD to go online and tell the world (via social networking - G+) that I'm using my new gadget and testing out Win8. So I clicked on the IE icon (because Chrome isn't installed by default on a Windows) and I was immediately greeted with the following friendly familiar message:

Was I furious? Not really, I was pretty much rolling on the floor laughing at how poor Microsoft was. Not even 10 seconds into the system and a Windows error message was thrown into my face. This has got to be a world record at Microsoft failing.

[Seiyuu] Suwabe tweets about Google Glasses and DS2 live broadcast

Last night was the third round of the Devil Survivor 2: The Animation live broadcast show. Seiyuu Suwabe Junichi was the host of the show and Nobuhiko Okamoto was invited as guest. I can't comment on the show yet because I haven't watched it, I'm still waiting for some kind person to upload it. But I bet it was full of fun judging from how the first and second round of shows went.

『Google Glass』遂に実物を、見た！触った！試した！ マジ新世紀！

Also, Suwabe tweeted early this morning that he got his hands on the latest Google Glasses. He said that "He obtained the real thing (Google Glasses), touched it and tried it! It's really amazing new technology".

The Playstation 4

The new console will be released during the holidays. The upcoming system will be an attempt to make a clean break from the PS3, though, many detail about the console remain unknown.  The console is said to be "Developer friendly". The PS4 will boast 8GB of unified GDDR5 RAM - a major jump forward from the combined 512MB in the PS3.

The memory increase should give developers more latitude in like graphics and physics. The PS4 will give gamers social tools that let them share and connect with their friends. The controller features a Share button that lets players post gameplay videos onto social networks. Players will also be able to live broadcast through UStream. Unfortunately the PS4 won't play PS3 games, but it's due to major differences between the core architectures of both consoles. The same can be said for PSN titles.

If you own a smartphone or tablet, these can be used as secondary screens via a Playstation app, whether for game augmentation or to purchase titles and download to your system at home. In general, downloading digital content will be easier thanks to the ability to download in the background, play a game before it's fully downloaded, and download games while the system is powered off.

As connection-focused as the PS4 is, it will not require an internet connection, though many of its standout features won't be available to offline players.


Playstation 4's Specs

Main Processor 

• Single-chip custom processor
• CPU: x86-64 AMD Jaguar, 8 cores
• GPU: AMD next-generation Radeon-based graphics engine, 1.84 TFLOPS

Memory

• 8 GB GDDR5

Hard Disk 

• Drive Built-in (capacity to be determined)

I/O

• USB 3.0
• AUX

Communication

• Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)
• IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1 (EDR)

AV Output

• HDMI
• Analog-AV out
• Digital Output (Optical)

The New Controller

1. Redefined analog sticks
2. Redesigned trigger buttons
3. Includes new Axis sensor
4. Light changing light bar - it identifies players and indicates status such as a character's health
5. Improved rumble
6. New options button - combined select and start button
7. Share button - used for broadcasting gameplay in real time
8. Features a stereo headphone jack and built in mono speakers

(Source: Game Informer)

[Tutorial] How To Download YouTube Videos with VLC Player

You come across this amazing Youtube video but how can you get it and watch it even when you're offline? We list a few simple steps for "downloading" Youtube videos. Credits from this youtube tutorial.

1. Copy the URL of the Youtube video.
2. Open VLC player, click on Media tab and click on Open Network Stream.
3. Select the Network tab and in the box paste the URL, then click Play.
4. Once the video starts loading, click on Tools tab and then Codec Information. 
5. At the bottom of the window should be a box labelled Location. Highlight and copy all the text inside the box (ctrl-a + ctrl-c).
6. Open a new tab in your web browser and paste all the text you copied into the URL bar and press enter.
7. Go to Options button of your web browser and select Save Page As.  Save the file as a .FLV file.
8. Enjoy your video again and again even when you're offline!

Japan Develops "Virtual Body" Tech Using All 5 Senses!

While the rest of the world fiddles with stuff like smart phones and clean energy, the Ikei Laboratory of Tokyo Metropolitan University Graduate School of System Design are straight-up working on “virtual body” technology that engages all five senses (that’s vision, touch, smell, taste, and hearing for those of you counting) for a truly out of this world experience. Watch a demo video below!

So far, the prototype looks a bit like a Matrix-eque nightmare (complete with torture chair), but we’re willing to trade in a bit of our humanity for the chance to walk around a virtual Milan, or winning a virtual 100-meter dash, as long as someone remembers to unplug it before going to bed. Or change our adult diapers every couple of hours. Whichever comes first.

Source: Diginfonews, CR

Hatsune Miku Puts Her Windows 8 Problems to Song

A key feature of Windows 8 is that it's designed to worked seamlessly with touch screens. In a new hobonichiP song, Hatsune Miku waited patiently in one of those Akihabara lines, picked up a copy of the new OS, followed the instructions diligently and found "Even though I installed Windows 8, my screen won't become a touch panel."

K-On! and Hello Kitty are part of NTT DoCoMo’s answer to iPhone’s Siri in Japan

Want to have long, endearing conversations with the gals from Kyoto Animation’s hit TV series K-On!? No problemo! All you’ve got to do is go to Japan and buy a new phone from NTT DoCoMo.

Japan’s leading telco NTT DoCoMo announced today that it’s giving its cloud-based voice-command concierge service, Shabette-Concier, a major upgrade for the Winter 2012 season: more functions, more apps supported, and the addition of over 30 interactive avatars, including K-On! characters.

A partial list of these interactive avatars can be found at NTT DoCoMo’s official website over here. Besides the K-On! girls, other licensed avatars include Chibi Maruko-chan, Hello Kitty, and Snoopy & His Friends.

Shabette-Concier works similar to Siri, in that upon activation of the app, a voice will playback on your phone prompting you for a query. The service was first launched in Japan in March of this year, and has since been updated periodically to support more questions and applications over the months.

The new version of Shabette-Concier is free to all NTT DoCoMo customers who’ve subscribed to the sp-mode Internet connection service, and will come pre-installed in smartphones and tablets (well, tablet) announced today under the telco’s Winter 2012 line-up, some of which will begin going on sale in Japan from November.

All of the devices in the line-up are Androids; NTT DoCoMo is the only carrier in Japan to not offer Apple’s iPhone products.

Source: SGcafe, 2012冬モデルの主な特長 : 新サービスの特長 : ドコモ クラウド しゃべってコンシェル | 製品 | NTTドコモ

Japan Passes Jail-for-Downloaders Anti-Piracy Law

Japan’s legislature has approved a bill revising the nation’s copyright law to add criminal penalties for downloading copyrighted material or backing up content from a DVD. The penalties will come into effect in October.

The Upper House of the Japanese Diet approved the bill by a vote of 221-12, less than a week after the measure cleared the lower house with almost no opposition. Violators risk up to two years in prison or fines up to two million yen (about $25,000).

Opponents of the bill worry it will lead to unnecessary prosecutions because of the way it is written. To face charges, a person must be aware that the material is illegal to download.

“We shouldn’t risk making the general public — including youths — the subject of criminal investigations,” said Upper House member Yuko Mori, as quoted in the Japan Times.

Japanese attorney Toshimitsu Dan told IT Media that even watching a YouTube video could be grounds for arrest “if the viewer is aware that downloading [such material] is illegal.”

Unauthorized uploading and downloading of copyrighted material such as music, movies and video games have been illegal in Japan for years, but until now only uploaders were subject to criminal penalties: up to 10 years in prison or fines as much as 10 million yen ($125,000), according to the Times.

Source.

Offical Japan Government Website.

K-ON! Portable GPS Car Navigator Revealed

The Japanese company RWC unveiled its portable GPS car navigation system with a K-ON! anime theme on Tuesday. The voices of the entire Ho-Kago Tea Time high school band — Yui (Aki Toyosaki), Ritsu (Satomi Satou), Mio (Yōko Hikasa), Mugi (Minako Kotobuki), and Azusa (Ayana Taketatsu) — guide the users to their destinations. The cast recorded 984 words in total for the device.

The system starts up with an image of a cassette tape with the words, “Ho-Kago Tea Time Navi” scribbled on it. A stylus in the shape of the neck of Yui's Guitar Gita is included, along with an original clear holder case (shaped like a cassette tape), detachable stand with cap, cigarette lighter DC plug, AC adapter, USB cable, manual, and quick-start guide. The map service is provided by Zenrin Chizu.

The system will go on sale in Japan on Saturday.
Source: ANN

Samsung loses in Apple trial, ordered to pay $1 billion in damages

In what will no doubt be a precedent for the tech industry, a jury has found Samsung infringed on Apple’s patents in the Apple and Samsung trial. 

A nine person Jury is still reading the verdict. So far, Samsung has been found in violation of 4 patents for most of the devices in question. Samsung has also been found guilty of willful infringement for most patents in question for most of the company’s devices, except for the Galaxy Tab. All of Apple’s patents were found valid as well, another big blow to Samsung. As far as damages, the jury has awarded Apple $1.051 billion for Samsung’s infringements. 

Samsung’s claims against Apple are all turning out to be found in Apple’s favor…

Source: bgr.com

Yet another reason to leave Facebook?

Facebook purges Cosplayers’ accounts, gamers likely to be targeted next

If you’re a cosplayer who goes under an alias on your Facebook profile, it might be a good idea to go to your Account Settings – right now – and click on “Download a copy of your Facebook data”.Also, try to avoid common words in your username.  It might potentially save you from a lot of trouble and heartache. 

Several cosplayers found themselves in for a rude shock when they accessed the popular social network service Facebook earlier this week, only to discover that their user accounts – along with years of accumulated personal data including photos, videos, and hundreds if not thousands of contacts – had been deleted.

According to news site Examiner.com, their accounts were deleted due to a mass purge Facebook performed on Monday that targeted usernames containing the word “cosplay“, in an attempt to clamp down on “duplicate” or “fake” accounts that go by an alias rather than the users’ real names.

These “duplicate accounts” were said to comprise approximately 8.7 percent of Facebook’s monthly active users.

When the social network revealed this 8.7 percent figure in a regulatory filing made earlier in August, the information did not sit well with investors and caused a dip in the publicly traded company’s stock price. This might have been the prompt for the mass account purge on Monday, in an attempt to dwindle the figures and restore investor confidence.

It is unclear, however, why Facebook has chosen to target specifically user accounts with the word “cosplay” in it.

Oddly enough, it would seem that users who had the word “cos” – a term that many Japanese cosplayers include in their cos names – were not affected at all.

It could very well be that the term “Cosplay” is simply the most frequent term employed in Facebook usernames (possibly the sole silver lining to this gloomy story: “cosplay” could be the most popular term included in Facebook usernames).

Examiner.com postulates that other common terms found in user account like “photography”, “gamer”, and “sports”, are likely to be targeted next.

Our hearts go out to cosplayers affected by Facebook’s thoughtless, extremist measure.

Source: Examiner.com, New.com.au, sgcafe.com

Japan Develops Fully Functional Human Piloted Mecha Robots

Japan has taken robotics to the next level. Suidobashi Heavy Industry has developed a fully functional mecha robot named Kuratas that can shoot rockets and 6,000 bullets per minute.

The mecha unit was debuted at Wonder Fest 2012 in Tokyo. It is about 4 meters high, weighs 4,500 kg and cost about $1.4 million USD.

Kuratas can be controlled by stepping into the one-man cockpit or on a smartphone using a 3G connection.

Pilots have a choice of 2 different weapons to use. The first is the LOHAS launcher which shoots rockets at its target. The second is a set of gatling guns capable of firing 6,000 rounds of ammunition every minute. The weapons system can lock on to targets and be activate by smiling.

Despite its limitations, Kuratas is another step towards the creation of futuristic war machines found in popular anime series such as Gundam. Japanese politicians have already stated that they would like to develop such machines.

Check out a video demonstration of Kuratas below:

Source: JPA

Robots Dance To K-pop Music

The DSME Marine Robot Pavilion is the largest pavilion at the Yeosu Expo. The pavilion is dedicated to showcasing the latest in robotic technology.

While the pavilion features many different kinds of robots, including a life-like robot capable of expressing realistic human facial movements, netizens were intrigued by a group of dancing robots.

The robots were programed to dance to different songs, including a medley of Korean songs. The robots can be seen mimicking some of Korea's most iconic dance crazes including Super Junior's "Sorry Sorry" dance, and Brown Eyed Girls' sexy hip dance in "Abracadabra".

Check out a video of the dancing robots below:

Source: jpopasia

Item Unlocked: My Bubbletea Time Forum

Hi everyone, I hope you had a productive day today. As you may have noticed we have added yet another tab at the top of this website. This new gizmo is our forum. On this wondrous page, you are most welcomed to share your thoughts and views on any topic you like. This forum is simple to use, there is no registering required, and you can remain anonymous in your posts. Of course the admins will be on watch for any flaming or inappropriate messages for the safety of our beloved readers. 

I hope to see you soon on our forum!