Effects of Direct Translation (IT perspective)

We've seen direct translation in subtitles and laugh at the effects of the whole sentence. Well, I received an e-mail with another example to illustrate that (from English language to Bahasa Malaysia).

*warning - only people with creative minds will understand this* lol

The direct translation:

Hardware = barang keras
Software = barang lembut
Joystick = batang gembira
Plug and Play = cucuk dan main
Port = lubang
Server = pelayan
Client = pelanggan

(I assume this is written by a guy!! ahem)

Try to translate this:

ENGLISH:

That server gives a plug and play service to the client using either hardware or software joystick. The joystick goes into the port of the client.

Now in BAHASA:

Pelayan itu memberi pelanggannya layanan cucuk dan main dengan menggunakan batang gembira jenis keras atau lembut. Batang gembira itu akan dimasukkan ke dalam lubang pelanggan..


*****
As an after thought, what does this joke mean with "either hardware or software joystick"? Some people should go through their joke first before circulating it out to people. What is a "plug and play service"? I tell you... maybe I shouldn't have posted this joke here... Horrible sentence in the first place.

To "HP Mini" or to "Fujitsu M1010"

This generation, everyone can own a laptop easily at an affordable price from RM1.5k above (minimum price for mini laptops). Besides being mobile, with all the eateries like Starbucks to Old Town offering wifi, it's convenient to bring a laptop while you eat and surf the net!

Hence, when I glimpse the HP Mini, my hand itches to let myself finally own my first laptop. (Mind you, I am a believer of NOT-getting IT stuff unless I really need or my existing one is spoiled. I always believe that as long as my "trusty" desktop can still work, I will not get a new pc/laptop!)

I was at Harvey Norman warehouse sale earlier today and was tempted to buy one but I told myself "Don't buy just because cheaper RM100-200".

HP Mini 1009TU PC
I was eyeing this "baby" which is priced at RM1499. At the warehouse sale, they were offering it at RM1309.
What made me think twice about this? Well, it was from a review I read online. First, the memory is only 80GB unlike other mini laptops which offer 160GB. Secondly, the display resolution is 1024 x 576 pixels (minus a little to run some softwares which need at least 1024×600)

Of course, I have to bear in mind that this is a mini laptop and not as powerful as my desktop. I only wanted it to surf (facebook.. haha) and perhaps type some documents. But I really like the sleekness and thin look of the HP mini. Sighh...

Overview of the specifications
Genuine Windows XP Home
Intel® Atom™ Processor N270 (1.60 GHz)
1024 X 576 pixels
80 GB
26.17cm (L) x 16.66cm (W) x 2.513 cm (H)
1.11 kg

Fujitsu M1010
I saw this option today at RM1359 (from RM1499 too). I was told that "Fujitsu" it the Mercedes of the range and was tempted to buy it except that I don't like the design! Call me shallow, but the design looks like the earlier laptop version - thick sandwich and the keypad looks "old school" to someone like me.

The cons was it only had 60GB memory but since I have an external harddrive - it shouldn't matter. The pro is that it has bluetooth and the basic resolution of 1,024 x 600. The extra feature was the colourful/ interchangable colour lid they provided (they claim you can't get this from retail except in warehouse sales only). A review on this can be found here.
Overview of the specifications
Genuine Windows XP Home
Intel® Atom™ Processor N270 (1.60 GHz)
1024 X 600 pixels
60 GB
23.14cm (L) x 17.5cm (W) x 2.9/3.58 cm (H)
Approx. 1 kg

Conclusion
Hence, that was the thoughts of a typical user who doesn't really care about the mambo-jumbo on computer specs as long as it looks nice, works well and doesn't burn a hole in my pocket!

Unfortunately, my pockets weren't deep enough for me to purchase one today - so till the next time! *sob*

Prostitute-Drive

When my brother cleverly describe the USB flash drive as a "prostitute", I was outraged. However, now, I think that really describes how the USB flash drive works.

Why?

Well, my workstation has been infected with the autorun.exe virus. This is because my pc is set up to print coloured documents while some of my colleagues' computers cannot. (That's my office's policy to control abuse of coloured printing). Hence, my colleagues would happily "poke" their USB into my PC to print their documents; without scanning most of the time.

So, imagine this, one USB flash drive "pokes" into one PC,then another and another; easily transmitting virus/worms from each PC. Therefore, I agree; it does sound like a prostitute or more of a promiscuous person sleeping around. Or another way of saying it bluntly, a guy who pokes his d**k into different women without using protection or rubber or condom... then spreads STDs, HIV, etc.... You get the picture.

Hence, I guess the next "billionaire" will be the person who can create a condom-usb-drive to protect from all this ridiculous-irritating virus, worms, malware...

Of course, like men, they might not want to use the protection. So lets wait and see how it turns out while antivirus company continuously update their protection and removal tools to counter this. Arghh, discovered another worm in my pc which originated from USB flash drives!!

Sitting view during the PC Fair

While waiting for my bf to get some attention from the salesperson during the PC fair recently...
This is in the 1st hall.. if it was in the other halls, I wouldn't even have a place to sit and snap a picture like this.

My love rival

My bf has a new love. How can I compete with her?

She is slim, sleek and young.
She brings the entire world to him.
She gives him access to places I can never do.
She is sought after by most men and some women too!

Her name? She is known as Apple's new 3G Iphone.

What were you thinking? :p

LOL

I remember when I first encountered this abbreviation "LOL" in Form 3 while chatting in mIRC. I remember chatting with net friends in “channels” and frantically changing “windows” to chats with friends. Sometimes, when I chat with too many people, I accidentally type in the wrong window. Then I have to say “Oops, typo” or “Wrong window”.


Occasionally, some inconsiderate person will come in and “flood” the “channel” with spam and repeated advertising/vulgar messages. The admin of the channel will then kick the person out of the channel or black list him/her. LOL (Laughing out loud).

Then if you encounter lagging through your slow connection, other people would "ping" you to check how long you lag. Those were the days...

That was about 13 years ago. Since, then I’ve followed the transition of the trend. I have changed my chatting from mIRC to ICQ. Remember the green flower? Remember when someone messages you, ICQ will play a sound that goes “Oh oh!” I still keep my account but I don’t use it anymore. My net friends have migrated to the next latest software.

Next off, came Windows Messenger/ MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger. You could chat through you microphone and webcam. There were more added features too like Yahoo Launch Cast which could play unlimited music while you chat. Not long after that, other companies follow suite with Skype, G-talk and many more. Skype even allowed you to call to land line for free at the beginning!

I remember testing it out by calling my friends overseas through land line. Now they charge you for a reasonable fee for the same privileges. With time, technology changes in a blink of an eye. We, as the users try to keep up. Or so I thought I did…

After not chatting online for sometime, I realized I’m outdated. I tried this online game recently and the “terms” they used are different! In fact, the smiley face of :) has turn into ^_^.

No one uses the word “newbie” anymore. Everyone refers to the new “guy” as a “noob”. Argghhh The horror!! I am such a dinosaur.

I look back at those days when I first learn words like BTW, FYI and ROTFLOL. I wonder who creates all these terms. Some of them are very descriptive. Have you noticed the different effect of laughing when you type “lol”, “rotflol”, “hehe”, “haha”, “muahaha”, etc? Oh yeah, I found some interesting blogs on LOL too.

I find “lol” more of a polite laugh. Although, I still like the term “ROTFLOL” the best. (Rolling on the floor laughing out loud). I find it best described a person who is very tickled at a joke or comment (very graphic).
In the meantime, I salute and let the new generation continue swimming by with the flow of change in technology and internet. While I slowly trail behind (finally started to blog after years it was out and trying out those online games), I realized I’m ancient in the internet age. Help! :P

Fancy a PSP?

When my bf got one.. I thought, "Good... that'll keep him occupied!!" (While he waits for me when I shop or do something.. hehe) Then my brother got one... I got to use it for 2 weeks before he came back to get it from me. I was hooked!!

There's the basic, classic black psp, the white psp, the light coloured ones, limited edition red psp and also the Simpsons yellow psp. Sorry, I'm more into the colours than the specs! For more details, just google.


Two cute games got me hooked within seconds!

Loco Roco
First is Loco Roco... their cute yellow ball characters hopping and singing away (I have their song as one of my ringing tone!) were irresistible!



Patapon
Second is Patapon! Infuriating as it gets when I am out of the beat and have to wait till I get fever again, I still play them!! ;) These blackish fighting figures dance to the beat to war!!



*note the similarities in these games and you'll realised I like simple games with simplified,cute characters!*

Alas, since I don't own a PSP, I have to be at the mercy of two "men" to lend me their psp for me to continue and finish any of these games!! No, I won't buy one because they'll get obsolete before I can enjoy and flaunt my new gadget! I'd rather be at the mercy of anyone who is feeling generous! :) (Or wait till they get a new gadget and pass on the old one to me.. haha)