PCPlus and animefringe

2005 left and took with him two items from my monthly reading list: PCPlus Malaysia and animefringe.



Not all computer magazines are written equal. That's why at most I only grab one computer magazine a month.

PCPlus Malaysia is the local version of the UK monthly. It covers mostly what other magazines of its kind do (feature articles, hardware, software, news), but with a slight difference in the humour department. Not in the ha ha, ROTFL kind of humour but more of the subtle, hidden gems in between lines that pops up when you least expect it. Not very surprising considering that it hails from the land of Brit.

There's something to be loved about Brit humour. It's often less calculative, formulaic or culturally driven than the typical US humour we get in many sitcoms. Brit humour leans towards being witty, spot-on imitation of life and because of this it may not appeal to every people. They don't shy away from the ugly truth or the mundane. Old ladies obsessed with biscuits and tea, sensitive punk rockers or even dodgy-looking MPs, no one is safe from their target.

The magazine's shining edges are Masterclass (tutorials on stuff like video editing, PC case modding, Perl programming, etc.), Helpdesk (technical Q and A) and the unmissible Mailbox (there's often some good stuff from the senders and the editors here). The UK-style of writing requires a bit of getting used to but reading technical stuff sprinkled with a dash of witticism certainly makes it more interesting.

But the thing I'm going to miss most about it is the bundled CD. Unlike other magazines, PCPlus CDs are often loaded with full functional software (freeware, previous versions, free versions or open source) instead of just demos or trial versions. Demos and trial versions have time and feature limitations, which is why I believe a free version like the ones offered by Winamp and ZoneAlarm is a better deal. Fully functional free versions are made available alongside the purchasable full version for users who can afford them.

PCPlus Malaysia exited the market somewhere in the third quarter of last year.




A labour of love by a band of anime and manga aficionados, this online-only publication has been a staple diet of many fans including yours truly. animefringe made its debut on January 2000 and released its final issue last December.

The site is a joy to read, thanks to its clean layouts and a highly accessible navigation menu. Packed with reviews, previews and interviews, animefringe also offers a look at many things that make up the whole anime/manga culture (conventions or cons, original soundtracks or OSTs, Japanese culture, etc.). It deserve high points in my book for not only covering popular titles but also give due attention to the lesser known ones.

The articles are well written, with enough pictures to give readers a good idea about the stories. You don't have to be highly knowledgable about anime/manga to understand the content, but it sure would help. I admit that I felt lost when I first discovered it, but crazed fans like me don't let things like that stop us.

I am indebted to the writers there for helping me to discover some of the best animes that would appeal most to my liking. They helped me to check out Osamu Tezuka's Hi no Tori (Phoenix) and Urasawa Naoki's Monster, among other things, titles which seem to escape the knowledge of many.

The final issue of animefringe also includes a special feature called Curtain Call, parting notes from the editorial team and previous contributors to the magazine. Reading it was a misty eye moment for me, as I truly wished that the final issue was nothing more than a very early April's Fool joke and come January I would be sitting at my desk with the month's issue right on the screen before me.

To the folks at animefringe, I thank and congratulate all of you for an effort well executed. It's time for everyone to move on to others things, and for me to find other items to fill in my monthly reading list.

Bento milk tablets

This really takes me back to my schooling days. I didn't know they still make these. It been years since I last saw one. Found them at my cousin's wedding, part of the bunga telur gift that was handed out to the guest.

Rozen Maiden: Träumend

It's been along time since I've posted anything about anime.

Rozen Maiden: Träumend is the second season of Rozen Maiden, which I've just finished watching recently. It's probably the last (or one of the last) series that I'm going to download, since I keep all my anime in the harddisk and I'm fast running out free space.

Träumend continues from last season's conclusion. It's still about the Rozen Maidens: mysterious, mechanical but life-like dolls that wield a magic-like power, but this time all of the remaining Rozen Maidens have appear. New dangers, new friends and new things to be learned about the maidens. I've downloaded up to the 6th episode, and it's starting to look like a season to remember.

This series has grown on me. I guess maybe because of the characters. They're lovely in their own sort of way. That's something that's unique about anime and manga. They let the characters lead the story, not the other way around.

And, before I forget, have a wonderful Maal Hijrah.

The importance of feedback

I'm still in the middle of reading The Psychology of Everyday Things. Most people (by that I mean people who caught me with the book in hand) seems to think that this is a difficult read or something for academicians. But honestly I must say that this is book is for everyone who appreciates design or have struggled with using a poorly designed product at any point in their lives.

The best thing about this book is inclusion of everyday examples by the author. He uses them to show readers what are the concepts of good design and why they matter. And the writing style is rather laidback and conversational, which something that I think would make the book accessible to most people.

One of the concepts the author talks about in the book is feedback. For someone like me, coming from a computing background, feedback is something we're very concerned with.

What is feedback anyway? In simple terms, it is the response from the product you are using. This response is the sending back of information to the user of what action has been taken and whether it is correct or not. For example, when we're copying big files in Windows, a progress meter will pop up and show us the percentage of the completed copying. This is an example of feedback in software.



In real life, feedback can be observed everywhere. One common example is the balance of needed payment displayed on drinks vending machines. It shows how much we've already paid and how much more is needed. The machine also tells us which drinks are available and which ones have run out of.

Pressed the button but nothing happen

You fiddle through your MP3 portable player (a poorly designed one, for the sake of discussion) to find your favourite playlist. You followed what the manual mentioned. And yet, you are unable to find it. Plus, there isn't any clue to lead you closer to it.

A good feedback design should tell you where you are now, what are the effect of your previous action and what should you do next (find playlist? create new playlist? upload playlist?). A user always wants to know where they are and what should they do next.

After some time the battery would run out of power and you need to charge it. But, to the your shock, there no indicator of the battery charge progress. Only a small light by the device's side that lights up when the charging starts. According the manual, the light should change colour from red to green once the charging is complete. Other than that there is no visible way to tell the progess of the charging.

The point of bringing this up is highlight the important of feedback in design as well as in communicating with others. Usually we are not fully aware of the situation we are in. We may at best have a good idea of what's going on but unless we're a psychic or something we would never know what's going on in other people's minds.

This is why feedback is important. It helps remove assumptions, misconceptions or any other forms of comunication gaps. It makes using a product a positive experience. It shows that a lot of thought and consideration for the user has been taken by the designer. It shows that you, as the designer, care about the users and that their satisfaction matters to you. And this can make all the difference.

In communications, feedback fasilitates better understanding of the things needed to be done. A boss who gives specific and objective feedback to his subordinates can the subordinate understand what is needed from him or her. Ambigious feedbacks, on the other hand, not only frustrates but also contribute to further communication breakdowns. It's better to hear "you're not properly following the standard way of preparing a report" than "what's this I don't want it please take this piece of garbage away and give me a real report."

To sum up, we all need to learn the importance of giving (and receiving) good feedbacks. With that said, I would like to hear your feedback on this topic. Since I'm not a psychic or something.

My first meme

Oh my God.

I've just been tagged (for the first time in my life) by Ieka with a very, very long meme. Looking at some fo the questions, I think this is supposed to be a meme for girls (oh boy). But in order to not disappoint, I'll do my best. However, be foreworn, as the truth can be shocking.

And another warning. Sha and are2: consider yourselves tagged!

10 FAVOURITES

Favourite colour:
Blue, in its many shades and hues

Favourtite food:
Me Mum's cooking!

Favourite month:
Any month without any exams (for me) in it

Favourite song:
(Believe it or not it's) Invoke - T.M. Revolution (Gundam SEED first opening theme). And Foo Fighter's Everlong.

Favourite movie:
Grave of the Fireflies

Favourite sport:
(Is sukaneka considered a sport?)

Favourite season:
1st (and only) season of Wonderfalls

Favourite day of the week:
I've always been intrigued by Thursdays

Favourite ice cream flavour:
Vanilla. Yup, plain ol' V.

Favourite time of day:
1500. Something about the sun's intensity at this hour.


9 CURRENTS

Current mood:
Curious, as to how I manage to make myself answer every question in this meme

Current taste:
(Since this question involves cooking myself and a cannibal, I think I'll pass, thank you)

Current clothes:
Carried over from last year's wardrobe (almari accounting)

Current deskop:

Tada!

Current toenail colour:
It's a colour called 'Unpainted'

Current time:
It's somewhere between 0000 and 2359

Current surrounding:
I'm currently surrounded a floor, a ceiling and a couple of walls

Current thought:
Why, oh God, am I still answering this meme?


8 FIRSTS

First best friend:
Tengku Amran, from kindergarten. I still remember his smiling face and his combed over hairstyle.

First kiss:
Probably me Mum gave me mine, not long after I was born

First screen name:
bitbybit. Changed it after a few times mistaken for a girl in IRC channels.

First pet:
A tortoise, found (and released back) near my house

First piercing:
Can't really remember, but once I stepped on a staple (stapler bullet to some people) and stapled my sole

First crush:
(This is embarassing.) A girl in my kindergarten class. She had a funny and cute voice. She was also a Tengku. Dunno her full name though. The crush lasted a few days only.

First album:
M Nasir's Canggung Mendonan


7 LASTS

Last cigarette:
Last cigarette I what? Looked at? I swatted a fly with? Talked to? Which one?

Last drink:
Mineral water

Last car ride:
With me Dad going out

Last kiss:
Good night pecks from people who share my DNA

Last movie seen:
Hmm, can't seem to remember this one. I think maybe it's Batman Begins.

Last phone call:
My classmate, SG, called me just now to ask, "WHERE WERE YOU?!!!"

Last CD played:
Batman Begins VCDs I borrowed my neighbour.


6 HAVE YOU EVERS

Have you ever dated one of your best guy friends:
I'm not into dating guys, thank you

Have you ever broken the law:
Yes

Have you ever been arrested:
In school, but none other than the Penyelia Petang

Have you ever skinny dipped:
No, but I have dipped chicken skins in chili sauce many times

Have you ever been on TV:
I was interviewed randomly on the streets many years ago by people with a videocam and a mic, but I never knew what happened to the footage (or whether the inteview was real or not)

Have you ever kissed somebody you didn't know:
Somebody's baby infant child


5 THINGS

Things you're wearing:
My clothes, my head on my neck, my confused face, my glasses

Things done today:
Answered this super-long meme, had brunch, annoyed me Mum, answered the phone

Things you can hear right now:
The neighbours kids' voices, the sound of my keyboard as I type (this super-long meme!), the sound of My whirring head

Things you cannot live without:
My...soul?

Things you do when you're bored:
Sleep (bad habit this. People, do not follow me.)


4 PLACES YOU"VE BEEN TODAY

1. Kitchen
2. Ieka's Next Generation (which is how all this started)
3. Dave Pollard's How To Save The World
4. The corner of my mind where past memories are stored

3 PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL EVERYTHING

1. Allah (although He is not people)
2. Me Mum (almost everything, actually)
   
3. Meself (and we tend to confuse one another)
   

2 CHOICES

Black or white:
Black. We're talking about shoes, right?

Hot or cold:
Cold, of course. I don't think eating piping hot vanilla ice cream is a good idea.


1 THING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE

Attain the forgiveness from God and everyone.


WHY DO THINK THERE IS ONLY 8 QUESTIONS IN 9 CURRENTS AND ONLY 7 QUESTIONS IN 8 FIRSTS?

(Made up this one. I'm supposed to answer it but my fingers are too tired to type.)

2006 and Aidiladha: Two reasons to be glad and happy

Time sure can fly. By now you've probably dumped the 2005 calenders down the bin and have the 2006 ones occupying the walls, wallets and whatnots.

And for Muslims, Aidiladha is just a few days away. To all Muslims, Aid Mubarak and may Allah grant us the will, guidance and strength to serve Him better.

After a month at Wordpress.com, I'm now back. I gave Wordpress a good overall 'inspection' and I'm happy to recommend to anyone who's interested.

Please give a while to resolve the dizziness that the new year, mid-terms and pending assignments have left me with before I could write a proper post.

Working in groups

It seems that full-time students here at my school are literally swimming in the course work. Stop moving and sink yourself.

Group work is unavoidable. And for me, I have different people for different groups in different classes. Not a single person is in the same two groups as I am. Without me, these groups will be mutually exclusive in terms of members.

This can be to a disadvantage since the rest of the group may not understand the workload you're already carrying. They may ask for your contribution without knowing that you're already up to your nose with other things.

But it's not all bad. Most importantly I've managed to gain experiences from working with different people. There were moments of blazing debates and bruised egos. But there were moments when we learned new stuff from each other and shared a couple of laughs.

At the end of the day, we returned to same spot again, as friends and fellow learners, to fix ourselves a nice, warm cup of drink over at the beverage/coffee machine. We are united by our belief, friendship and our quest for knowledge and success.

And free coffee and Milo.

Meanwhile, this weblog will be taking a break for about a month. Come listen to the sound of My whirring head and let me know what you heard. Feedbacks are most appriciated.

The smell of bunga

The good folks at PTPTN sent me my annual balance statement (is this correct translation for Penyata Kira-kira Pinjaman?) for the past three years.

And I got my first whiff of the rotten smell of bunga.

Yerghh.

A fortnight (almost) offline

For the last two weeks, I was (almost) entirely disconnected from the online world. My Internet connection was down, possibly due to a violent late afternoon storm that happened while I was napping quietly.

It's not because the people from my ISP was unresponsive to my predicament. I purposely called them a few days later after I realised it was down because I was busy preparing for the new semester. In fact, the technician came to my house in less than 24 hours after my complaint call was made. Kudos, TMNet, for the improved service quality.

The two weeks (almost) without any Internet made realise one thing. Although before I was online nearly everyday (reading my favourite sites, occasionally emailing or IM-ing or IRC-ing or blogging or downloading manga/anime), I seem to go well without the urge to rush and find a PC with Internet access and get online.

I did however spent some time online at the computer lab just before class started the other day, just to kill the time. Hence 'almost' part.

In other words, now I'm quite sure that I'm not addicted to the Web. A fortnight offline didn't bother me much. Alhamdulillah.

New semester

Ah, the new semester. There has been changes this time around, apart from the new lecturers, the new subjects and the new schedule. I'm now a full time student, which means that I have classes every night from Monday to Thursday. Which also means that I'm charged with double the last semester's fee.

I'm taking two subjects that I'm not really good at: finance and economics. I'm not good with money. I'm the worst person to talk to about how to get rich or ways to expand the wealth. Even primary school children are more adept at money-making then I am.

At least I still get to be in the class with the beverage/coffee machine in it. Alhamdulillah.

New possible (and somewhat crazy) career option

I should stop watching the National Geographic channel. It seems that almost every time I watch it, I start to get unusual ideas that gets me all fired up and wanting to actually do them.

Like for example, the other day I watched a ShowReal Asia episode that briefly featured the falconers of Xingjiang. For about a whole 10 to 15 minutes, my jaw just stayed dropped due to awe.

Those birds looked so magnificent. I just couldn't take my eyes off them, especially when they're in flight with wings spread wide. In my best Crocodile Hunter impersonation I muttered the man's most famous words, "...gorgeous..." Although the Golden Eagle seems as the top bird in the game, I'm eyeing the slightly smaller but equally formidable falcon.

If things things don't work out with management school or any of my future undertakings, I could scrape every sen I have, fly to Xingjiang and become a falconer myself. A cool job, albeit one which my mother will not be too happy about.

Mental note to self: stop watching the National Geographic channel. Or stop coming up with crazy thoughts when watching the National Geographic channel. Insya-Allah.

Bats, blood and brotherhood

First of all, let me welcome you back from your kampung or Hawaii or wherever place you have spent your Eid or Raya at. I hope you had a wonderful time during the blessed days.

The other day, I watched an episode of Human Instincts called Real Life Heroes over the Discovery channel. It talks about the science behind feats of heroism in humans and nature and what causes them to happen. The instinct to survive in times of direness is astonishing, and often in these circumstances, humans and even animals can act in ways that defy believe.

The show highlights stories of strangers helping strangers, friends putting their own lives on the line for the other's sake and family going all out for each other. But for me the part that caught my real attention was the one about the display of altruism by vampire bats.

Vampire bats, in case you still haven't figured it out yet, are the type of bats that feed on blood. Mostly cattles, horses or pigs blood, but on rare occasions humans are also said to be preyed upon. Found in South American countries, these flying mammals are built as stealth and agile attackers. They are light and attack when their victims are asleep, making them blissfully unaware that their blood is being consumed. They also do not actually suck blood, they instead puncture a hole through their victim's skin and lap up the blood that comes out. Their saliva contains draculin, a subtance that stops blood from clotting.

Another thing about these flyers of the night is that they cannot go two days straight without blood. If so they could die and this where the fascinating part comes in. It is discovered that vampire bats often help their family or friends or cavemates who are unable to get a decent shot of good ol' blood by actually giving them some of the blood that they have collected. They regurgitate the blood that they lapped up and give it to the 'blood-thristy' ones through an act that appears to look like a kiss. In exchange, the receiving party returns the good favour by rendering grooming services. A case of one good deed deserves a good-looking fur.

According to scientists, this display of compassion and altruism is quite rare in the animal kingdom. This has certainly painted the vampire bats in a new light (although light may not be something they would actually like very much).

Sure, vampire bats may not win the title 'World's Most Cutest Animal' easily (by normal standards of cuteness, anyway) and they turn out to be such caring creatures towards one another. They are also found to be intelligent and it has been recorded that these bats can respond when their names are being called (some children should take a lesson from this).

Subhanallah. Who would have thought? Not me, that's for sure.