Kai, The Informologist

Some things happens, and we can complain about them, other times they might press us so hard that we feel tired even trying to breathe.
But don’t be despair about nothing, for God gives us hope, light at the end of tunnel.

It maybe a relationship breakdown, a lost vision of future, death in the family, whatever it maybe that’s pulling you down, God promises one thing, right here in Psalm 30:5

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning!

Pastor Wendell Smith said this about our God – He created Earth so that even though we have darkness, we have dawn, we have morning!

One more, from Psalm 23:4

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

This post has nothing to do with doctrine nor anything religion. If the bible is the truth for you, then these are encouragements during days that people had marked as the most depressing period of the year. God is not just real but alive even today. May He do work in my life and yours.

I had a pastor telling me that when my relationship with God is not well, decays will start to show in other relationships and work.
Going back to the basics is probably easier than trying to amend every crack.

Let’s go!

“Giants lose to Patriots for second time this season 23 to 7″

This is why.
We shall find out on February 4th if the cure for cancer has been discovered.

(via my photostream)

Prayer is an essential component in Christianity.
It gives authority.
It enables and empowers.

Most of the times we pray for ourselves – our work, our future, our health, our finances, etc. But, every so often, we pray for others. And as we pray for their work, their future, their health, their finances, what are we actually doing for them?

I know what I’m doing when I’m praying for people. But as a visual learner, picturing things always help – and this does help. So next time, when you ever forget what’s happening when you are praying and what is it that you are doing – visualize it. I hope this helps. – Thanks Levite

Close to last scene of Cloverfield.

Yes, I have seen the movie (sort of).

Deeply anticipated by anyone who caught ‘Transformer‘ in theater.
Thanks to the seconds long trailer with the head of the Statue of Liberty flying across the sky and landed miles into Manhattan.
No more details were revealed, even casting members were not shown to the original script. It’s a mystery all around.

That is until 1-18-08.
That anticipation bloated and exploded as scenes after scenes of clips from Rob’s hand-held video camera introduced, filled, and sort of concluded.

Why 3/4 then? Well, even though I was 3 rows from the back, prime spot for movie watching, I was having motion sickness 50 minutes or so into the movie. Was probably the first man out of my seat, with many others followed. I had to, it was like a big bang on my head and a punch on my stomach. My friend relate the experience as having to ride a roller-coaster ride ten times over. Probably true.

That aside, it was a movie with non-stop action (except for the times that you would close your eyes to adjust your focus). The introduction was deemed necessary on many accounts, especially as the movie was attempting to be placed as close to realism as possible. The story, we follows ‘Hud’, the camera man journeyed through Manhattan in searching and rescuing ‘Beth’, the love of ‘Rob’. We watches through the camera as the story progresses, we witnesses horrors as if it were real, we felt defeat as if hope wasn’t possible, we also watches determination although the fruit was the exchange of ‘I Love You’s as the movie draws to an end.

It has probably lived up to its hype, only if you are comfortable with viewing it without feeling sick. It’s like a challenge of some sort (like a roller coaster ride?), and like I said, I failed and had to leave.

Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 77%, with most of the critics loving the innovation, and the rest detesting the shaky experience. With the trailer not lined up entirely to the chronological order of the story, you should give it a chance, a try, and relate to all the hypes yourself.

Does it live up to its hype? The Watchers Podcast says ‘Yes‘! (And I’m sure glad it did.)

If you are dying for something something from ‘Cloverfield’, you might want to go through the blog. ‘VERY MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD’ sign listed.

1 more day to film. I hope I can get a seat.

Enjoy.

Part of the solution.

Update: Apparently, the trick didn’t work the second time round. Will keep you posted. Hindering factor: time.

So there was a question in class yesterday about why recording/film industry isn’t spend their resource in R&D to develop technology to counter peer-to-peer file sharing (rather than suing a gazillion users). Well, they can certainly try, but whatever the format or encryption it might be, its would only be a matter of time that they are cracked. And sadly, that’s the fact.

A very good example of this: A little over 48 hours ago, Steve Job announced the arrival of iTune Movie Rental, whereby you can readily download movies onto your hard drive, but with restrictions that only allows you to keep it for 24 hours after you start watching it (you can have it for 30 days if you do not press the ‘play’ button). Sounds like a feasible business model, especially after the success of iTune store for buying/downloading music.

Well, at 7:30am this morning Gizmodo just published a post about how you can keep the download movies from iTunes, forever (although with understandable difficulties), crediting Time Bandits. That took less than 3 days.

And now, for Netflix, you can rip those streaming movies to the hard drive.

If this solution were to turn into a common knowledge for the web citizens, it could be devastating for Apple, who have surely spent enough in persuading the film studios to put up their movies.

Perhaps this business model of online rental isn’t working out for online media hosting companies either?

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On the side – interesting news about Bill and Melinda, especially after Bill Gates retired.
I love how personal the article (through Melinda) revealed about Bill Gates:

Beyond that, though, running on the treadmill while watching DVDs three nights a week is all Bill can do to keep up with his fit wife. – in talking about their fitness.

(via NY Times)

Disclaimer: The following post represents my personal opinions, and of which are fairly minimal in describing and illustrating the term ‘New Media”. For more introduction into the field, Wikipedia may be a good place to start.

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Thanks to Apple, geeks are ‘cool‘ now.
And thanks to Mac World ‘08, all eyes (well, mostly) are again zoomed at the industry.
I mean, how cool is that Mac Air?

Read the rest of this entry »

One is said to be “thinner than the thinnest offering from Sony”. Mod with top of the line products and features, including:

• 802.11n wireless and latest Bluetooth,
• “remote disk” that will allow you to install software from another computer
• Intel Paul Otellini: new Intel chip that is 60% smaller than usual core duos
• Built-in iSight
• Back-lit keyboard
• Expanded gestures support

With one exception of the exclusion of the optical drive (an external one for $99), Thinnovation it is!

For more on Steve Jobs Keynote Live From Macworld – thanks to Tech Crunch.

The other one, a representative of today’s pop-culture mashing with the likes of giants. It might not be the DVD of the year, or the month, but it certainly has its fans (with expectations). And It’s definitely going into my Netflix queue. Nooooo! I was a step too late. Darn it, “Beautiful Mind” and “Godfather”.

In our sub-conscious, there seems to be a nerve that urges us to spend, when slink and cool products appears in the market. Challenge that thought before clicking buy. Is it something you want, or something you need (luxury goods aside), and most importantly, can you afford it? (No, I’m not with Bill.)

Happy Shopping.

 
(via Ctrl+Alt+Del)

I am. And I bought the Game Cube for the exact reason as Ethan.
And no, no regrets.

Wind Waker rules!

Manchester United ran riot and now stood atop of the English Premiere League.
Seahawks played disappointingly and is out of the race for another Superbowl.

Yeah, that’s my day.

(Yeah! 2008 – prosperous year in Chinese) – from [me].

Yes, its been 24 days. Please forgive me for the short of updates thanks to a lack of creative (darn it, its those cloudy days and Top Ramens).

It’s been a good break overall, especially in terms of consistency. Compared to the past Decembers holidays, there’s less driving or flying (saving the environment), less exercise (saving pain), less conversation (saving potential arguments), and definitely less spending (saving dollar bills, or as Wendy’s calls them – the Lincolns), thumbs-up for all the savings and achievements.

Looking at 2007, there’s some happenings that I’d love to share.

1. Romance: begins and continues
2. Work: I became a Student Technology Consultant in January (and still am)! Wohoo!
3. Blog: mrwangkai broke 500 views per month in October, then 1000 views in December and counting.
4. Blog: Started Bloomington Daily Photos – which is lagging way behind, but will see its comeback soon.
5. Photography: Finally – one year of flickr Pro Account. Thanks to UncleSu.
6. Consumed: Relatively massive purchase of my first DSLR (Nikon D40.)
7. Consumed: Bought my Wii back in May!
8. Education: Took my first GRE – and didn’t do so great.
9. Education: Took genuine interest in topics surrounding New Media.
10. Travel: As lame as it sounds, I picked apple from an apple farm for the first time, great experience. (Just for the record, I didn’t eat any of them apples that I’d picked)
11. Travel: Camping out (out) for the first time. It was rather scary at night, with the woods howling back at you. And there’s no Internet! I did shoot some rounds at cans though.

I never really set NY-resolutions (except for 2006), mainly because they don’t stick most of the time and I feel terrible at the end of year looking at the list that I’d missed. But just as encouragement, here’s a short list that I’d put together for 2008:

1. Finish reading the bible once.
2. More consistent blogging with better research.
3. Sample the hack out of the almighty resource called the Internet.
4. Start investing with savings through spending within budgeting and work pays.
5. Learn more programming language/web design, development skills and techniques
6. Get a domain name and start mrwangkai.com – design and develop within own means

Now this should kick-off two-thousand-and-eight properly.