Apps Icons for iPhone & iTouch

i found some icons which i created a while back for some iPhone apps. the icons was based on a Theme, which i used on my 3G. i am not a fan of the stock icons for these few apps, so i thought i'd make my own. these icons are mainly for Singapore users, who uses the 4D & Toto, and the SG Transport apps. check out the preview:

the icons are free to download and use, but may not be redistributed or used for commercial gain. click HERE to download the icons.

i should learn to walk before i learn how to fly

with that said. i shall spend the next 2 weeks tidying up this blog page. i have since removed the rather annoying and sometimes, ugly ads (for now). a logo change is necessary, and hence, what we have here is a 'draft' of what's the new logo/banner will be. tidying up is the first, next will be beefing up the content with more up to date articles and hopefully, and hopefully a regular 'free download' such as icons, wallpapers et cetera and last but not least, it's time to think about driving traffic over here. so how's that sounds? ;)

a little something about the new 'draft' logo.
the whole idea of the new logo/banner was to have a vintage, old school travelling circus look & feel. i am not sure i am getting that feel for this piece. i did all my graphics on photoshop CS4. the main monkey logo was hand drawn, scanned and traced over on photoshop. 'the monkey life' logo is on a vintage circus ticket and i am still in the process of developing the rest of the abstract background. i used dominantly clouds because, that was all i had in my head right now. that's pretty sad, eh? the whole graphic was overlaid with a halftone layer, soften to give a 'old-time print on poor quality paper effect'. frankly, i am not quite please with this banner. i need to seat back and rethink... so what do you guys think? i hope hear to from the rest of the world ;)

ps: i am in the process of organizing my photobucket albums, so some photos or graphics hosted by it maybe affected. time to do some spring cleaning on photobucket...

quick look: Google Nexus One w/ Android OS 2.2 (Froyo)

instead of giving a lengthy take on the Google Nexus One, i will just summarize it. i got so much to talk about it but with my thoughts rushing, words became blurry. why not just hit straight to the point? or points? (note: i'm referring based on non-rooted set running on manually updated 2.2 Froyo)

pros:
- high resolution sharp display resulting from AMOLED display
- fast processor
- external storage in the form of SD card (bundled 4GB)
- beautiful design, teflon-coated casing was a nice touch - literally
- fast operating system
- reasonable battery life (about 1 full day with constantly fiddling with mails, web and various other apps)
- wireless sync (or was it cloud sync?) - its a God sent, without having to be tied to a particular PC or Mac.

cons:
- touch keys are not sensitive at times (seems like the angle of the fingers do matters)
- capacitive touchscreen is not as good as iPhone's (sometimes it doesn't detect my touch)
- the edge of the screen seems to be ultra sensitive. people with large hands may just trigger something when holding the handset
- syncing with Google Account could be a potential security issue (do you trust Google?)
- one platform with so many makes lead 3rd party software implementation. one software works with N1 may not works with Motorola Droid.
- lacking in apps library (partly due to the above-mentioned issue)
- hardware and software derive from 2 different entities which will not be as 'synced' as Apple's iPhone
- MMS (send) fails to work after manually updated to 2.2 Froyo, though i still can receive MMS
- why do we still need kill programs after we exit it?

i am kinda getting used to the Nexus One. if you have been looking at iPhone 3G/3GS for too long, trust me, you will find the AMOLED display much superior and pleasing to the eyes. this (the Nexus One) is just my transitional phone before the iPhone 4 comes along (after i managed to cracked my 3GS!).

for those still thinking is this phone is worthwhile, my answer is yes, if have never believed in iPhone and no, if you u think iPhone is great. it's all about perception. i don't want to live my life without trying and i am definitely not an extremist - i welcome technologies, whoever makes with open arms. back to question on the Google Nexus One's worth, i would think if you are a technology nut, then it definitely a big YES to give the N1 a shot.

gadgets: ONKYO UP-A1 iPod/iPhone dock

when i bought the ONKYO TX-SR507 AV receiver and i knew i would need an iPod dock, if they have any. i chanced upon this sweet little dock on the Official ONKYO website and have been trying to get my hands on it. months later, i found out its availability in Singapore and i wasted no time in getting it. got it from Harvey Norman Singapore @ Funan Digital Lifestyle Mall for less than 100 bucks. i hardly want to talk about build quality but it is good. the unit comes in shiny piano black. frankly, that's a potential fingerprints magnet but then again, we hardly neat to touch the unit after setting it out. the unit connects to the ONKYO AV receiver via 1.5m long cable with a universal port connector. the dock itself has a little round 'button' where you can adjust to suit the different iPods or iPhone you are going to dock with. nice touch.

this unit does support visual interface & supports video playback up to 1080i (known as the extended mode) and photo slides but only on higher series of ONKYO AV receiver, therefore, i can't comment on the user interface. the beauty of this unit is that it allows user to do basic music control of their iPod/iPhone via the stock ONKYO remote. functions such as scrolling through the albums, forward, next, play et cetera. the lack of interface support for lower end AV receiver can be a minus point. from a far, without visual, users can't see the songs when scrolling though the menus and songs list. we all know how tiny the iPod screen can be. for those who has the ONKYO SR507 AV receiver might want to reconsider this option, if you desperately need to have a interface. i ended up squatting in front of the unit to do the selection. so much for remote control, huh?

this unit is compatible with most iPod models except for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd generations iPods. there's not much installation to talk about. 'installation' is basically plugging in the universal connector to the universal port at the rear of the compatible ONKYO AV receiver - so there you go, the true meaning of 'plug & play'. usage is simple. just dock your iPod or iPhone and switch your AV receiver to 'Port' and you are ready to savor those music jammed in your iPod or iPhone. when docked, the cradle also charges your iPod or iPhone. neat huh? this plug-play-&-charge at the same time is already kind of a must-have feature in all dock/cradle. As mentioned earlier, this dock does not work with all ONKYO AV receivers. The manual indicated TX-SR507, TX-SR577, TX-SR607 or later models. so those hunting for one of these do take note, and remember if you are those who cannot live with visual, then i would suggest you give this a miss.

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what's up over the past one year?

though i haven't been posting but my acquisition, especially on the toys and gadgets aspect remains strong. the more recent purchase would be the Google Nexus One phone. yea. that's right, i have ordered them direct from Google Web Store and will be putting up for sales in Singapore's websites. i still can't let go of my 3G and 3GS, speaking of which, the latter will need some repair work done. if it even can be repaired. i also bought an alienware m11x a couple of months back. with that came the LaCie external DVD writer, Razer mouse and mouse pad. over the years, i have gotten myself a late 2008 macbook aluminum (aka unibody macbook), a late 2009 iMac (finally!), the WD TV live!, the Onkyo UP-A1 iPod/iPhone dock for my Onkyo AV receiver, the Logitech Harmony 1000 universal touch-screen remote, a pair of vintage B&W bookshelf speakers and i gotten myself an iPhone 3G and of course, the iPhone 3GS.

on the fun side, i had and lost a good radio controlled helicopter, the Hirobo SRB quark fixed pitch micro helicopter. i have been in and out of this hobby over the last decade and finally, this is a tiny item that got me flying again. it really defines the meaning of 'quality'. trust me, if you're still struggling to fly, get of this baby and you will be mastering your basics in no time. i have lost it but i am getting one more replacement very soon. just last week i got my innovator (from the fame Taiwan manufacturer, Thunder Tiger) MD530 which is a size 450-class radio controlled helicopter. it came ready to fly (aka RTF). i will detail more on these 2 babies in my later post, and of course my take on the m11x. how can i forget to mention my lovely Iron Man mark III figurine by Hot Toys? and not did i bought it, but i pre-ordered an iron man mark III bust too! can't wait for it to arrive in Singapore!

so many stuff in a year! unbelievable. besides my wife, i did live every other day for tech, gadgets and toys! the wonder of tech has me going. well, what's these talks without some of my take on each and every item that i bought? keep a watch out, cos' that's what i am going to do. see you soon!

goodness, gracious me! how time has passed!

i can't believe it has been a year since i lasted posted. the failure to blog is a combination of the following attributes: laziness, busy work schedule and the down trend of blogging... i have since started a twit, and that has some update now and then due to its accessibility via my iPhone. well, not that i am out of the busy-bee job, i should have more time to do this, again. i shall update this in due time... that's if my lazy bone ain't hindering me again. in the mean time, enjoy life! we only live once! :D

no news is not good news?

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sorry guys, looks like the reviews that i have promised earlier will not be happening. too caught up with the troubles in life. too many things with too little time. the strange thing is, i managed to find time to assemble my new LEGO acquisition: General Grievous and about a month ago, i just got another digital camera, Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ28 to toy with. i know nuts about photography, and therefore, i am not qualify to review this item, even if i do - i don't think time is on my side to give any details. i am still in the mist of exploring the features of this camera and with that, i took some photos of the completed LEGO General Grievous. check out the photos HERE!

cheers! 

MC