Holiday times.. For a 22 year old without life

It has been awhile since my last post.
Had been playing tons of games since I got acquainted with Steam recently.
I started to use Steam since I discovered that my Alienware comes with a special offer where it gets Portal for free. Since then I start buying games from Steam and now I have about 10 games in it. Note that I started my steam account only 3 months ago.

Games I like and played the most include Fallout New Vegas and CoD Black Ops zombie mode. Glad that I got those 2 games.

ZenniOpticals new site, new feature and discounts.

ZenniOpticals is an online store that sells prescribed eyeglasses. 

ZenniOptical had just renovated their site and added a new feature, allowing people to virtual try-on frames. 

Currently the site is having a discount on the frames, going down from $8 to $6.95

Get a discount prescipted eyeglasses before the discount ran out!

This post is sponsored by ZenniOptical, the #1 online eyeglasses store and offering a very high quality eyeglasses on line at truly unheard of affordable prices.

Final Fantasy XIV Collector's Edition

I bought my Final Fantasy XIV Collector Edition for PC from www.game.com.au and it arrives today afternoon.

Here are some photos of the contents included in the package.

The box of FF XIV with an illustration, strangely familiar, could be related to some FF character in the past but I am not sure of it.

The side of the box, stating the contents included in the package, including a map of Eorzea, a flask, and a security token.

Things included in the package, including the game itself, a notebook with various illustration of beast and characters in it, the flask inside the white box, a security token, and the map of Eorzea.

The flask with a leather handle with "Final Fantasy XIV" embedded on it. Note that the cover of the flask pops right out instead of twisting it open.

The map of Eorzea imprinted on a piece of cloth. Hardcore FF fans might pin them up on their wall beside their PC, but I could not bear to damage the cloth by pinning it and kept it in the box.


Currently FF XIV still uses p2p for game updates, which is unsuitable for some people living on campus or with restricted p2p access. But I found a good website hosting the updates required for the game with direct download in tehkrizz.

Collector edition buyers will also receive an onion helm which reduces the time of sickness induced when KOed. Allowing players to resume their intensive journey after 1.30 minute instead of 5 minutes.

Alienware M17x captured!

My Alienware M17x has arrived this 2 hours ago and I snapped photos of the unboxing.
I ordered a 17 inch laptop bag and an external monitor too. It was a hassle to get all 3 boxes to my dorm as the box containing the laptop is heavy enough by itself. I spent about 20 minutes just to take all three boxes to my dorm.


3 large boxes, containing my  Dell Monitor, Alienware M17x, and Alienware laptop bag.


Grand opening


Alien head


Box containing accessories


Cloth covering laptop


Box containing accesories


Opening of accessory box


All accessories provided. Containing an Alienware cap, Alienware mouse pad (Hard), Leather manual, power cables, and installation disks.


Another angle


Another angle


Laptop covered in cloth



Removed safety foam


Plastic protector protecting from scratches


Removed plastic sheet


Bottom of the laptop, Impressed by the vents.


Alienware nameplate, customization not available for production outside US. What a shame.


Front of the laptop


Left side. Not many review mention the existence of the Kensington lock.


Behind, only have power socket.


Right side


Opened laptop


Other angle


Keyboard, unlighted


Keyboard again.







Lighted, bright condition


Lighted, dark condition


Lighted, dark condition, angle 2

Windows Experience Index 7.2

This first program I installed is Microsoft Words 2007, LoL.

Yet to play any game using this laptop though.

Alien(ware) is coming for me!! I will be the one doing the probing though.

After my previous post about Final Fantasy XIV, I realized that my 3 year old laptop is not going to do well in future gaming, hence I ordered an Alienware M17x with the latest i7 processor and CrossFire graphic cards. 6 more days of anticipation! Hope that Dell does not delay its arrival. Also hoping that my Alienware would not be defective. It is kind of worrying as there are many cases about related to Alienware productions, such as bad LCD screens, flickering screens, creaking palm rest, Blue screens, Bricking etc.

Will review it or take photos of the unboxing of Alienware M17x when I got it. Hope that it arrives in one piece though.

Update:
Laptop custom clearance granted after 3 days.(Friday-Monday)).
Currently arrived in Australian Main Hub.

Final Fantasy XIV Beta! Mine!

I've been granted a beta account for Final Fantasy XIV Beta!
Installed it and take a whole day to update it.

The graphics of this game is supremely amazing and the character customization are quite versatile, similar to Dragon Age: Origins though. The movement are quite similar with Dragon Age too, WASD normally, and when you hold your right mouse button, you can navigate with it, same as Dragon Age. Te playing style is similar to Cabal Online where the character will only attack when you press on the hotkeys. Overall, the graphics are amazing.

The only bad thing is that my laptop is ancient, bought 3 years ago with mid specs, causing the frameskip of the game to be 18 or less, which causes alot of problems while walking and trying to click on things.

Conclusion: Stunning graphics + Interactivity + Storyline = Good game.
This game is worth buying, but its graphic supremacy will cause a number of low-spec users to shy away.

I am planning to get Alienware 17' as soon as there are promotion for it. Hope that I could get one soon.

Explanation of PD (Pupillary Distance) and the use of it, Sponsored by ZenniOpticals

Firstly I will explain the meaning of Pupillary distance (PD). PD is the distance between the centers of the pupils. The PD is used to align the lenses to eliminate the excessive misalignment since there are different choices of frames, which will affect the focus of the lens. Higher prescription will have more effect on the unwanted horizontal prism.

The information used was cited from:

Aitken, S., (2007) Back to basics in dispensing: Pupillary distance measurement. The Optician, 233, 18-20.

This post was sponsored my ZenniOptical, the #1 online eyeglasses store, providing services at affordable price, taking into account of details, such as Pupillary Distance of the customers.

As for the basic step of security and authenticity of an online store, this online store was verified and certified by BBB and other sites, which could be accessed on the top right hand corner in that site.

Just a brief overview of the product of this store, this online eyeglasses store has large choices of frames, price ranging from $8 to $30. A basic prescription Eyeglasses would just cost $8.00, and it could be upgraded with premium anti-reflective coating for $4.95 and 7 sunglass colour tint for $4.95.

Message to all Professionals who just started taking into account of PD:
Always declare of what you are going to do and explain the process in detail instead of not telling the customers anything, causing them to shy away or reject it as they are not familiar/insecure with the process.

Blog content theft monitoring tool

Recently there was a site known as Blog Copy surfaced. It provides services to track posted contents in your blog. When a user copies an image, words, or any diagrams, it will be recorded.

Users would just need to register and get a code to be inserted as a widget, and it will work like a charm.

Blogger who are interested on knowing what their readers copy from their blog could get this widget, then the blog could be monitored of any copying.

Blog Cop​y​

Starcraft 2 - Wings of Liberty

I've bought a copy though online and it reached me this early morning!

Gotta install it as soon as possible to try it!

It came together with 2 trial Starcraft 2 Wings of liberty passes and 2 WoW passes.
It also includes a notepad with Jim Raynor's Wanted poster!

Gotta enjoy the game, see ya guys!

MINE!!!

1st week in Australia

I have been living for a week in Australia independently.
Had not missed any of the important orientation lectures, and there is not problem about food. I found myself addicted to cheesy foods though.

Got my student ID, but there are some problems with the timetables.

The first week in Australia is quite tedious. I bought groceries worth AUD150 in a single receipt, forgetting that I had to carry all of it by myself. I somehow dragged myself to a nearby tram stop and got a tram back to university, but it is another kilometer of walk before I reach my dorm, which is located on high ground; and my room on the second floor. These groceries felt heavier than my luggages. Had back ache, muscle aches all over on the next day.

Hope that things will go fine along the way and smooth sailing.

PS: I like potato chips, bought 4 bags of it, standing by on my room.

D-Day

I am going to fly to Australia today for my Masters in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics.


Hope that everything is well in place and things will go on smooth sailing through out the journey.
Gong on late night flight for 8 hours flight using Malaysian Airlines with Boeing 777

High temperature on laptop!

For the past month, my laptop (Dell Inspiron 1520) is experiencing high temperature.
Idle temperature of the lap top would be more than 60°C.
When gaming, high CPU/graphic application were used, the temperature easily passes through the 90°C mark and causes high lag issues and heat issues.

I then decided to clean up the lap top this week and start searching forums for instructions. Initial steps such as hinge cover removal, Hard drive removal, optical drive removal could be easily found on the booklet or in Dell website, but further instructions such as palm rest removal, removal of the LCD screen were not included in the booklet.

I have an idea on how to disassemble those parts due to the frequent servicing of my laptop 1 year ago, summoning the technicians to come over and over again. Every time they disassemble it, I will be there looking at it, absorbing their skills. Expecting that I might use them if I were to upgrade or maintain it by myself.

After some struggling on those uncharted steps, I managed to remove all the needed parts and I reached the heat sink. There, I was shocked. About 0.5cm of black dust wall was formed behind the vent! When I touch it, my fingers was stain coal black too. I am glad that I did not follow those instructions by other users stating that using high compression air to blow it out, as it was not possible if the dust was this thick.

After assembling everything, the lap top works fins and the idle temperature dropped to 45°C. It was a high improvement my laptop. I also noticed that the wind from the vent could actually be felt now, unlike when it was blocked. The strength of the fan seems to have doubled.

So to all with high temperature issues, it is best to contact your manufacturer to have it cleaned/fix as soon as possible as high temperature could pose danger to the user and the computer itself. It is best to send it back to the manufacturer if the warranty is still on or if you doesn't have the skills to disassemble/reassemble it.

DDD Fansubs! Position confirmed!

I had just joined a team of fan subbers, subbing Infinity Challenge!

I am in charge in the timing of the subtitles and minor proofreading!

To everyone who likes Infinity Challenge!
Join our team and raise the productivity!

DDD Fansubs FTW!

Edit 2011/03/07:
I observed that there are a number of search for DDD fansub and the first link in Google leads here instead of the official DDD team forum, so I added in the URL to the official forum for conveniences.

http://z7.invisionfree.com/DDDteam

Support us!

Free Insurance quotes for Los Angeles by Los Angeles Insurance Quotes

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Some people could also targeting different insurance companies for different services as some companies might have better services for a certain insurances, hence some people registered for multiple insurance companies for different insurances.

The problem is that searching for different insurance requires tedious researching and time. Los Angeles Car Insurance has compiled a series of insurance agencies available in Los Angeles and the website has categorized those insurance providers for better navigation and identification. Those categories includes Auto Insurance, Home Insurance, Life Insurance, Health Insurance and Business Insurance.

Some examples of the the insurance provider listed by the website for Health Insurance Providers in available California are Anthem, gohealth, HealthNet, US insurance online.com, eHealth Insurance, and Most Choice. Los Angeles Insurance Quotes has also listed out each insurance company's advantages.


That website alsoprovide links to insurance related articles for additional informations. Examples of information provided includes various types car insurances, insurance strategy, facts, discounts, guides, and tutorials.

Get an insurance for you, your love ones and your family if you value their lives, as it reduces the chances of financial bottleneck when an accident happens. Los Angeles Insurance Quotes can get you a free insurance quote from a licensed insurance agent.

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Razer Diamondback 3G revival!

I bought my Razer Diamondback 3G mouse back in February 2009, and the constant gaming and daily use of the mouse had caused it rubber layer of the mouse to be worn out, exposing the annoying sticky layer of the mouse. That sticky layer attracts dust and fibers, causing it to look like crap.


Had been searching for ways to solve the problem of the constant stickiness. And I had chosen to use clear paint, where I could preserve the original coloring of the mouse and treat the surface of the mouse.

I bought a Nippon paint PYLOX aerosol lacquer, where it is a clear spray, normally used for wood finishing for protection while keeping its original pattern.

Those instructions were quite tedious if the mouse's warranty is still on and you could not take it apart to spray paint it.

Steps for painting the mouse while keeping it usable as it does not get into the circuit of the mouse were:
Clean the surface of the mouse.
Stick masking tape of surfaces of the mouse where you does not want the paint to adhere to.
Fold some paper and use it to block places where it is possible for the aerosol to get in it.
Spray the paint as instructed by the instructions on the can. Apply several layers for better protection and longer lasting.

Here are the photos of my Razer Diamondback 3G as the finishing product. The Razer logo on the surface of the mouse is worn out by excessive use of it. That paint has a matte surface instead of a smooth one, should had chosen a glossy clear paint instead, though the price of a glossy finishing paint almost triples those normal clear ones.

Accepted!

I was given offers for Masters by all universities except RMIT.
I decided to accept the offer given by La Trobe University as it is my second choice (obviously I would get the highest ranking ones right?).

Already paid the school fees, though the status of application for on-campus accommodation stay unknown.
Hope that things will go smooth sailing.

Masters of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics! Here I come!

Pagerank 2!!!

I changed my blog URL several months ago, and that causes my pagerank to plummet as the URL is new.

After I neglected my blog for 3 months, it appears that the pagerank had updated and now I have a pagerank of 2. This could be the source of motivation I need to continue my blog.

I am going to have my IELTS test next week Thursday and Saturday.

Seems like some universities need IELTS for their courses.

RMIT flatly rejected my application.
La Trobe has yet to reply the situation.
QUT only has a February intake, which I does not prefer.
Lastly is Swinburne. This university is the first to reply and they had given me an offer to Masters of Biotechnology. This university would be my last choice.

Hope that La Trobe would reply me soon with a positive feedback.
I should just pray to everything till then!

Masters?

Applied for 4 universities in Australia.
RMIT
QUT
La Trobe
Swinburne University of Technology

Hope that I would be accepted by RMIT.

WiFi error follow up

Following up from the incident stated in Post 1 and Post 2, this is the latest news on this incident.

To summarize Post 1, after a storm, the wifi in my house does not work in my computer. And I found out that the wifi only works when the laptop is very close to the modem. I deemed that this problem arises when the storm somehow damaged my wifi card as my brother's laptop could work in his room.

At post 2, I called the Dell technician to change my wifi card to see whether it is the cause of it. After changing it, the problem still persists.

As for the latest news, I found out that the range of the wifi has been reduced by 3 meters after some trial and error procedures. At first, I took my laptop away from the modem, and see whether it plummets. As I enter my room, the internet connection plummets hard. then I do some minor adjustment, I found out that instead of using the laptop across my room, now I have to use it close to the door, and the door must be opened for internet access, LoL. If I shut the door, the internet plummets again.

Hope that I can get a wifi extender so that I could use my laptop is the usual big table.

Razer Moray PAX09 edition review!

This is the review of Razer Moray + PAX09 edition I bought from Razer online store. This package arrived the doorstep as a totally crumbled envelope. As I look at the package, I though that the box of this earphones would be so too, and could not be collected and displayed.

Did not thought that they actually use bubble wraps to protect the parcel, and the wrap is thick. Took me

quite some time to figure out a way to remove the bubble wrap without tearing it apart violently.

Well.. This is the package of Razer Moray + PAX09 edition! One month ago this product could be odered online, now it is not available anymore. Guess that the stock has ended. Green and Black casing, the typical Razer theme colors. The PAX09 on the top left side is just a sticker slapped onto it.

This is the package, consisting of the casing, PAX09 earphones, stickers, quick start guide, certificate of authenticity, and PAX09 earphone pouch with compartments for psp adapter, DS adapters, and PC adapters.

The 1st thing I tried to do is to use it in my computer. The sound is distorted and screeching, until I figured out that the PC adapter is required for normal use of the earphones, meaning that you have to carry the PC adapter everywhere if you want to use it normally on a mp3 player or walkman.I had also tried this earphone on my psp 2000. It works well, and the sound effect are nice and clear. This seal on the earphone filtered out almost everything in the background, allowing you to only hear the sound in the earphones. So it is recommended for only indoor use as it filters out outdoor danger elements, which could be dangerous.

This set of earphones also have a built in microphone situated below the right side of the earphone. It is way better when compared to Dell built in microphone on Inspiron 1520. The sound quality is much clearer. This allows better chatting during games or during skype/msn conferences.

Overall, after 1 month of usage, this product is a satisfying purchase and I would recommend to any gamers with budget limits as it provides good sound quality and a built in microphone.