Wish I could have this phone!!!

Nokia N95 an all-in-one multimedia computer

December 21 2006
NOKIA has launched the Nokia N95, an all-in-one multimedia computer with integrated GPS functionality, a 5 megapixel camera and support for high-speed mobile networks.

“The Nokia N95 brings a range of multimedia ingredients together, such as a fantastic display, outstanding photo and video capability and high-speed connectivity, making it the ultimate multimedi computer,” said David Watkins, Multimedia Asia Pacific, Nokia.
“This single device — which fits easily in your pocket — can replace stand-alone devices that you no longer need, whether it’s your music player, your digital camera, PDA or navigation device,” he said in a statement.
N95 owners can locate interesting points of interests and find their way using the integrated GPS feature. The maps cover more than 100 countries and 15 million points of interests.
The application lets them locate themselves in the city, plan routes and the nearest points of interests around them. They can also purchase additional features such as voice guided navigation instructions.
The N95’s Carl Zeiss optics on the 5 megapixel camera enables print quality photos and DVD-like quality video clips, which can be enjoyed on a compatible television using the device’s TV out feature.
The phone is also designed for High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) networks and with support for WLAN, EDGE and WCDMA networks.
Nokia said with HSDPA networks, browsing the Internet, reading email, streaming video and downloading large files can be carried out up to 10 times faster than with 3G.
The Nokia N95 is expected to start shipping in volumes during the first quarter of 2007 at an estimated unsubsidised retail price of €550 (RM2,563).

Sucks ... I'm driving this car!!!

AutoZine Awards 2006
Worst Car of the year: Proton SavvyAt the first sight, the Savvy looks quite promising. Its exterior design has its own personality. Its ride and handling was tuned by Lotus. Its chassis is quite stiff and its hydraulic power steering is honest. The car is competitively sized and provides competitive passenger room. Unfortunately, the rest of the car fall short of international standard by a large margin. First of all, the cabin is poorly finished with bad quality plastics, poorly fitted switch gears and filmsy air vents. Above the passenger glovebox is an ugly big hole, ah, it is for fitting the optional air bag. Western buyers will be shocked that the not-so-cheap Savvy does not offer any air bags as standard in its domestic market. Nor there is any power rear windows. The driving position is definitely more ergonomical than Gen.2, but a fixed steering wheel is by no means world class.The cabin is also poorly insulated from wind noise as well as engine noise. Although the Renault-sourced 1.2-litre 16V engine looks like modern, its installation in the Proton is poor. Once the needle passed 4000 rpm there is a resonance boom ruining cruising refinement. In terms of refinement, Savvy still lags a long way behind European standard.In the end, reliability problem is a hurdle Savvy must overcome. In Malaysia, Proton has poor reputation about quality and honesty. Every time it launched a new car it promised vast improvement in quality, but every time its customers found being cheated. Today there are less and less patriots willing to put their hard earned money on the gamble. No wonder Proton set a pessimistic domestic sales target of 40,000 Savvys in its first full year. That accounts for only 20-30% share of the local small car market. If it cannot shine in the protected home market, how can it achieve sales success in Europe ?

THE GOALS ARE FLOWING, BUT WHY NOW? Paul Tomkins 13 December 2006

I've felt for some time that this squad has a lot of goals spread throughout, rather than just a couple of prolific players who have to be relied upon, as may have been the case in recent years.
Liverpool have a lot of good goalscorers, but they were missing too many chances earlier in the season. You had Xabi Alonso scoring from 70 yards, and then a striker missing from point-blank range. A lot was made about Benítez not knowing his best team, and especially his favoured front two. But his four strikers have now shared 23 goals, and the attacking midfielders are weighing in, too. Steven Gerrard is back among the goals, with four in recent weeks, while Luis Garcia, with five already, is on course for his third consecutive 10-15 goal season. Mark Gonzalez is another who is chipping in. The trouble with the general improvement of the last two years is that it's changed the approach of the opposition. Teams are coming to Anfield to play (pray?) for a draw. That much is obvious. A few seasons back teams were arriving with ambitions, but the imperious home form, which has improved each season under Benítez, has curtailed that. Getting the first goal changes everything in football, but never more so when confidence in front of goal is fragile – and that was the case, certainly in away games, in recent months. And the more negative visiting teams are at Anfield, the more it helps to breakthrough as quickly as possible. But now the attacking players are starting to come good. Mark Gonzalez clearly has a great shot and an eye for goal, based on his career in Spain and Chile. But after a couple of quick goals for the Reds, his overall confidence dropped, and his shooting started to to grow ragged and wayward. He had started shooting in hope rather than belief, although when your confidence is low it's sometimes the best policy. It only takes a deflection to change your luck, whereas consistently squaring the ball won't. But it often means dragging a few dire efforts well wide in the meantime. The same thing could be seen with Steven Gerrard, especially in the Bordeaux home game. I don't think I've ever seen him badly miscue as many shots in a season, let alone one match. But he broke his season's duck later in that game, with an unspectacular effort that the keeper really should have saved. Now he's hitting shots instinctively again, as seen late-on on Saturday with his stinging first-time effort from Pennant's perceptive cross. For a while I've been banging on about goals 'per minute' being the best judge of a player's scoring ability, rather than per game. The latter is relevant for play-every-game players, but less revealing for squad players and those who make plenty of substitute appearances. In the case of Benítez, where so many of his attacking players share the duties, it's the most valuable meter. It's been a difficult season for Robbie Fowler, but his goals-per-90 minutes rate remains up there with the very best: 0.75 goals for every 90 minutes of football: easily the best at the club this season, as it was last. Unfortunately for him, three of his four goals have come on less auspicious occasions, with Dirk Kuyt's arrival in particular making it difficult for the no.9 to get Premiership minutes. Kuyt's six league goals, as well as his assists and indefatigable work-rate, has justified his selection. But Fowler will never forget how to finish. Kuyt's goal at Blackburn, while looking relatively simple, boasted the hallmark of a quality finisher. I can't think of too many players who would not have side-footed the ball into what appeared to be the gaping right-hand side of the goal, but he had the presence of mind to judge the movement of the two defenders when receiving Bellamy's pass, judging their movement to perfection in order to slot it back across goal, between their desperate lunges. As with his second goal against Reading a few weeks back, he weighed up a situation very quickly, and remained incredibly calm. That's the sign of a natural. I still think there's another level Kuyt will find. I'd like to see him using his left foot more, as sometimes a chance only exists on one side. The Dutchman has tried a few cute lobs with the outside of his right foot, but on Saturday the ball sat up beautifully for a left-footed volley (think of his compatriot, van Basten, in 1988), and Kuyt again used his right when it just wasn't possible to make a good connection. He turned a great chance on his left foot into less than a half chance on his favoured side. Having said that, when your right foot is as good as his, you'd be tempted to rely on it. Were the Fulham defenders not making saves Pepe Reina would be proud of, he might have had a couple more goals to his name. Mark Gonzalez's scoring rate in his two seasons in Spain was around 0.35 goals per 90 minutes, or one goal every three full matches. It's interesting to note that despite an in-and-out time at Liverpool, as he feels his ways into English football while overcoming some niggling injuries, he's maintaining an identical ratio. On the evidence of Saturday's goal, it's great to have a left-footer capable of curling accurate direct free-kicks, to contrast with Riise's more explosive alternative. Having said that, anyone who saw the Chilean's 40-yard howitzer for Real Sociedad last season will attest to the fact that it made Riise's most famous effort, against Manchester United, look like a gentle tap-in. Gonzalez has always been a goalscoring winger, whereas Jermaine Pennant has always been more of a supplier. The former has yet to assist on a goal, while the latter has yet to score one. However, each has been very successful where the other has failed. Going into the Fulham game, Pennant's assist-per-90-minutes rate (across all competitions) was joint top at the club with Steven Gerrard. While patently struggling at times, that shows that whatever he's doing wrong, he's doing stuff right, too. It would obviously help if he could add goals to his game, as it's difficult for a top side to 'carry' a non-scoring attacking player (not to mention winning more pressure-relieving headlines), but anyone who regularly creates goals for others is playing his part. Then we have Jamie Carragher's goals-per-90-minutes. To be honest, you might be better off measuring his goals per-light year. The bad news for Carra is that, at his current league scoring rate, he's due to reach retirement age before next getting on the scoresheet. The source of Carra's strike – a corner – is another area where the Reds are now taking full advantage. It's now seven corners scored from in the last two months. While the short-corner routine may still infuriate from time to time, as will the delivery that doesn't clear the first man, that remains a remarkable success rate. The Reds bagged ten in total last season, and just four the season before; so a clear indication of progress as we approach the halfway stage of 2006/07. And while it may not always come off, the rich variety at least makes teams unsure of how best to set up to defend against the Reds' in these situations. There is no one set, predictable routine, and that also applies to Benítez's entire approach. Then there's the Agger factor. Here is a young centre half who is not only remarkably assured and solid at the back for one so young, but a player who has also been directly involved in five goals, scoring two himself. He has such a sweet left foot, but at the weekend he put in a pinpoint cross from the left wing with his right. Defenders who can weigh in at one end without compromising things at the other are a great bonus. I have a great belief in the goalscoring abilities of at least half a dozen attacking players at the club, but scoring goals is as much about confidence as anything else. In the last 18 months there have been spells notable for collective confidence crises, followed by spells when you feel even Rafa could run on the pitch to get in on the goalscoring act. What the Reds could use are a few more scrappy goals during the lean spells, to nick a few more points when things aren't going so well. Or, when others are struggling, one striker in form to bag the points.

The Shichida Method: Right Brain TrainingProfessor Makoto Shichida has been researching education methodsof preschool children since 1951. He is thoroughly convinced of the theory that all babies are born geniuses. He is a well known public figure in Japan, having committed the past 40 years to developing techniques to stimulate early development of right-brain education in children beginning in the womb and continuing through adulthood. There are over 300 Shichida Child Academies in Japan.The Characteristics of The Shichida Method Brain TrainingThe left and right hemispheres of the brain have different capabilities. The right brain possesses the ability to retain complete image of things seen at a glance in the memory. Also, it is the receptacle for inspiration and the site of expression for image abundant creativity.The right brain controls the abilities to visualize images and the realization of those images physically. Nearly all-successful people, regardless of their field of expertise, demonstrate the right brain ability of distinct image visualization.However, as the left-brain develops, it becomes harder to bring forth the abilities of the right brain. If the child's brain is stuffed with knowledge, it becomes very difficult to exercise and develop the right brain. (Note: This is where Shichida has different opinion from Glenn Doman teaching). The Shichida Method believes in not over-emphasizing on knowledge education, and that the cultivation of the child's ability to learn on his own is of utmost importance.Right brain capabilities that all children possess are:
1.
The five senses of the right brain. Corresponding to the 5 senses of the left-brain (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell) the right brain also has its 5 senses. However, they are not the senses of sight and hearing in the normal manner, but the ability to see, hear, sense things through waves translated into images. These 5 senses of the right brain are its basic abilities. When these abilities are released, man becomes capable of seeing images as motion pictures.
2.
The ability to see images in the form of motion pictures.
3.
Photographic memory
4.
The ability to do complex mental calculations.
5.
The conversion of images to words, numbers, symbols and the reverse.
6.
The ability to master foreign languages easily.
7.
The ability to receive inspiration and use it towards unique creativity.
8.
The ability of photographic speed-reading.
9.
The ability to receive information on an intuitive level, and to use that information accordingly.

Pisces Employee Profile (february 20 - march 20) The Pisces employee can be a loyal and hard-working, if unconventional, worker. In the right position, they are able to keep their daydreams in check and buckle down on the detail work-giving their all to the boss and corporation whom they feel are worthy of devotion. On the flip side, there is no image of extreme misery like that of an ill-placed Pisces worker. They will act as though their cubicle were a prison cell as they daydream of their own business or next vacation. Unhappy Pisces workers usually won't stick around too long. Often Pisceans will drift from one job to another looking for that ideal environment to which they will be able to commit and feel a sense of purpose. And if things are going in a bad direction at the office, Pisces will be the first to sense it .! They'd rather pick up and leave then wait until the problem reaches a head. Pisces are often misunderstood by their co-workers. Typically timid and introspective, they usually keep their true nature hidden, for fear it wouldn't fit with the corporate culture. What motivates a Pisces employee to not only stick around but also excel? Try compliments. And show them how their work impacts the entire organization. They need to know that what they are doing is worth something on a grander scale. Acceptance of their unconventional organization and planning will be necessary. Just because their sales report isn't in the typical format doesn't mean it is any less effective. Keep their environment bright and upbeat; and an after-work cocktail wouldn't hurt.

Eidul Fitri 2006 pics ...

DEBUNKING THE TIRESOME LFC MYTHS Paul Tomkins 01 November 2006

It's official: rotation is the new zonal marking. One of the drawbacks of supporting a club with a forward-thinking manager is that it intimidates the old order, confuses some of the less astute pressmen, and leads to all sorts of crazy criticisms.

Last night's result coincided with the end of the run of 99 'rotated' team selections by Rafa Benítez. The victory will of course be attributed solely to keeping a settled side, even though Saturday's performance, with an altered side, was far more impressive. Personally, I don't care whether the team is rotated or not; if you have a manager who has strong ideas and, more importantly, a long-term vision, and who has proven he can win major trophies with those methods, you have to trust him. If we had another proven top manager who didn't rotate, then he would have his own good reasons for that approach. The facts actually suggest that Rafa's rotation policy works; not that the facts are ever allowed to get in the way of a good story. Too much football punditry is based on snap assessments, tired old clichés and perpetuated myths. Falsehoods are presented as truths, simply because people don't bother to check the validity of what they are saying. Misconceptions are rife. This past week has seen the criticism of rotation intensify, and also seen the quality of the players called into question, amongst other things. Rotation is part of the forward-thinking modern management that Rafa is all about. And the innovators in life are those who look forward, not backwards. Bill Shankly was an innovator. He did things his way. He changed things at Liverpool, updated them. There was no instant success, and there was also a seven-year hiatus between his 2nd and 3rd league titles, but boy did he deliver. Shankly didn't look to what won the league 20 years earlier, but what would win it this season, or the next. The aim of joining Oliver Anderson to write The Red Review was to get a more accurate assessment of what goes on on the pitch. Things like comparing the Reds' results when Gerrard plays on the right to when he plays centrally; how the team defend set pieces; who tends to be most involved in the 'business end' of goals beyond a simple assist; how many mistakes players make that cost the team goals; which players help the team to better results; and so on. It's about being better informed. It's not about meaningless stats, but detailed tactical assessments on what works and what doesn't. It's easy to mock zonal marking, slate rotation, say Steven Gerrard is wasted on the right, and call Luis Garcia a liability, but is any of it actually true? Zonal marking Let's start with the grand folly that is zonal marking – or so you might have been led to think. Or maybe you've read this column before, and discovered that Liverpool were actually the most successful team at defending set pieces last season? In 2005/06 the Reds conceded only four league goals from corners and indirect free-kicks; or one every nine games, compared with Chelsea, the next-best team, and their rate of one every six games. This season the Reds' figure stands at one such goal conceded from ten league games, and that was way back on the opening day; so a further improvement. And yet still, despite all this, not a single game goes by without zonal marking being mentioned by commentators, with the inference that Liverpool are dodgy at set pieces. Luis Garcia is a luxury suited only to European matches Luis Garcia has now scored 28 goals in two and a bit seasons. All from open play. That's a great record, especially as he doesn't play every game, and is mostly a midfielder. In his first season he scored the crucial Champions League goals, which no one can forget, and he's got three in this year's competition already. However, last season he was 'directly involved' in more Liverpool goals per-90 minutes of Premiership football than any other player (involvement being based on the final three players to touch the ball in the scoring of any goal). His best form was in the English game, to which some feel he is not suited. He also leads the club's standings in the league this season, with an even more impressive rate. He makes things happen. Of course, he also has those days when nothing goes right. But isn't it time we learned to live with his faults, because it's the good things he does that ultimately make a difference, and often in big games? It's also worth remembering that not once since his arrival has he given the ball away and it led directly to an opposition goal (it might have indirectly at times, further down the line in a move, but then that can be said of anyone who concedes possession). Give me a Garcia over a player who only ever does the simple thing and never has the bottle to try something special - the kind of thing needed in the final third. Steven Gerrard is better in the centre Last season for Liverpool, Gerrard played over 1500 minutes on the right of midfield, compared with more than 2600 minutes centrally (split fairly evenly between a standard midfield role, and that of the second forward). He was productive wherever he played, scoring and creating aplenty, although his personal figures were slightly higher in a central role. But Liverpool won by far the most points (in all competitions, using three points for cup wins as well) when he was on the right wing: 2.30 per game, compared with 1.89 when central. On the whole, the fixtures where he was used on the right were arguably tougher than average, and predominately away games. Isn't it Benítez's job to win games, rather than make the side merely a showcase for Steven Gerrard's great talents? Isn't it about getting the best out of all eleven players, with the correct blend? Gerrard might catch the eye more centrally, but results tend to be better when he's on the right. But the right wing is just a starting position. When Gerrard drifts inside he can quickly change the dynamics of a game; putting a defence under pressure with his movement and creating space for others, as he did for the third goal this weekend. With Sissoko and Alonso the type of midfielders who rarely get ahead of the ball, it needs darting runs infield from the wings; so long as others cover the captain when he wanders, and that's down to the two central players a lot of the time. The bonus is that when Gerrard stays out wide he can deliver superb crosses, while also having the stamina, pace and tackling ability to do the ugly work, too. Peter Crouch is not a goalscorer Eight goals for Crouch for the Reds this season, and 21 in total. Add 11 for England, and you have 32 goals in a fraction less than 11 months. Include his Southampton goals since the start of 2005 and it takes him to 42 in two months short of two years. When will people ever take him seriously as a goalscorer? Rotation, and the new 'Tinkerman' What I don't get is that going into last weekend's fixtures, Benítez had made only one change more than Alex Ferguson in the Premiership: 30, to 29. Chelsea were the third-most rotated team. So rotation, as a concept, doesn't work? Hmm... Meanwhile, Arsenal kept the same team as the weekend before, and dropped two more points at home. No one blamed it on having a settled side. But why should they? Another irritant is that rotation has been heavily criticised after Liverpool defeats this season – but the '99 games since last unchanged line-up' got brought up as a criticism too, as if it was been a problem for 99 games. Which, clearly, is insane. Why did no one actually bother to look at the results over those 99 games? Let me remind people that despite the stuttering start to this season, Liverpool had won 60 out of the previous 100 games, which is easy to work out at 60%. Or in other words, the kind of win percentage that used to land Liverpool the league. (The average over those 18 league titles is also 60% of games won.) Times have changed. As an example, the Reds secured the league in 1984 with a mere 52.4% win rating, drawing 14 games and losing six of the 42 matches. That many draws alone would be the same as losing more than eight games in the modern points system, and that's on top of the six actual defeats; so the dropped points would now be the same as 14 defeats in a season (or 12-13 in a 38 game season). I don't wish to knock that great side's achievement, as it was a case of doing what was required at the time (not to mention it being part of a stunning treble). But that was back then. Alex Ferguson never rotated in 1986, when he took charge of Manchester United; but he has for the last decade or so. He moved with the times. The Reds' 99 game run covered all competitions, of course, and included domestic cup games, which could be said to be easier. But in a bizarre quirk of the luck of the draw, Benítez has yet to face a side lower that mid-table in the Championship since his arrival, and has faced mostly Premiership sides. No lower or non-league opposition in the last two years, unlike Manchester United. That run of 99 games also included an incredible ten games against Chelsea, that show how tough the fixture list has been in that time, plus four against United. And more importantly than anything else, it included the European Cup, World Club Championship and FA Cup finals, the former and latter of which were won. We're not talking easy games here. Some say only rotate when you're winning. But rotate a winning side and lose, and you'd hear "you never change a winning team". As I've said in recent weeks, there were a number of factors at work in the disappointing start: dips in individual form, silly mistakes, bad finishing, near misses (the Reds have now hit the woodwork a staggering 14 times this season), all leading to a dip in the collective confidence. You need luck, too. At the Reebok the officials turned the game in Bolton's favour, while at the weekend Luis Garcia was offside in a sublime team goal; neither of which had anything to do with rotation. But in these days of pithy 200 word articles and rushed 30 second analyses, everything has to be distilled down into one issue, one great line, one snappy soundbite. And that doesn't give time to discuss proper ideas. New players have been criticised without thought of what they are facing. As an example, Dirk Kuyt is trying to settle into a new league, with new tactics, and having to cope with a big money move to a massive-pressure club, while his dad recovers from a life-saving cancer operation back home. Are such difficulties ever taken into account? The corner won't be turned for the Reds until the away form picks up, but a win against Reading and at least it can be approached with four straight victories, and with confidence significantly buoyed.

What blood group are you? Are you what you are?In a nutshell O:Cannot stand people who hide the truth A:Pessimistic and too sensitive B:Cannot take orders easily AB:Romantic and sentimental Basic BehaviorO:Make objectives clearPossess great deal of confidenceHonest, optimistic and energeticA:Careful about decision-makingMake things clear in black and whiteCare too much about social rules and standardsB:Make decisions fastCan be flexibleDo not care about rulesRespect scientific and practical findings AB:Extremely practicalExcellent in analysesGive fair criticismsCannot decide when it comes to important issuesToleranceO:Strength and endurance depend on their aimGive up easily if they find the job meaninglessA:High tolerance for physical or repetitive workCannot take changes easilyLose interest in a hobby easily B:Maintain the longest interest in what they doSeem impatientDislike repetitious work AB:Try to be hard-workingTend to be impatientHow do they see their future and past?O:Positive about the past, thus do not regret about the pastSeek financial stability for the future A:Try hard to forget the pastPessimistic about the future B:Hard to forget recent affairs, but able to forget past and memoriesAB:Sentimental about the pastMore concern about the immediate problems than anything else How do they express their emotions?O:Usually stable and calmSensitive towards sincerityGive frank, direct opinionsA:Able to display cool outlook even though angryShort-temperedTake longer to heal a broken heartSensitive to others' opinionsB:ExpressiveCool and objectiveAlthough joke a lot, could actually be very shyChange moods like the weatherCannot stop complaining when they are upset AB:SentimentalUsually cool and steady, but can get upset with an immediate, unsolved problemCan get moody easilyHow do they work?O:Ability to concentrate vary from time to time, depending on aimMostly prefer to leadCan overlook details A:PerfectionistHandle one thing at a timeWork a line between work and personal affairsHighly responsibleTend to choose hobbies which help them release stress B:Creative and possess new ideasCannot differentiate between work and hobbyCannot take ordersDo not hesitate to introduce innovative changes and are not worried about theirs criticismsAB:Able to handle a wide scope of jobsValue hard workQuick in understandingNot highly responsible and unable to follow-up on a project until its completionTend to be artistic in approachSo, for those who know me... can you make a wild guess what blood group I am in? I would say the analysis is quite true.. have fun!

My 1 years' 'young' A'shadieeyah Nabeeha

***You Are French Food***


Snobby yet ubiquitous.
People act like they understand you more than they actually do.


What Kind of Food Are You?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindoffoodareyouquiz/

This is an eye-opener!!!

My 30th birthday is yesterday