Nikon Coolpix P80 with 18x optical zoom

A few weeks ago, Nikon launched a new high-performance model to satisfy digital camera enthusiasts. The Nikon Coolpix P80 not only offers an impressive 18x optical zoom, it also features 10.1 megapixels of sharp resolution, and a new digital image processing engine. The camera features an electronic viewfinder to allow accurate composition throughout the zoom range and also includes a large 2.7 inch monitor with anti-reflection coating and a wide viewing angle.

Nikon Coolpix P80

The 18X optical zoom-Nikkor lens VR (Vibration reduction) covers focal lengths from 27 – 486mm (35mm format equivalent). I think this is wide enough and at the same time provides far enough reach for most shooting conditions.

Let’s take a quick look at some of the features of P80.

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The helicopter game challenge

Last time, I challenged you to press your space bar until it dislodged itself from the keyboard. This time, I have a new challenge for you. Don’t worry, it’s very easy but much more fun compared to the space bar challenge.

Helicopter game

The object is very simple. Keep this copter as long in the air as possible!

To fly this copter, click and hold the mouse to go up and release to go down. Avoid the randomly placed obstacles. See how far you can fly… Very fun and addictive… now I realize I am good at neither space bar nor the mouse. 🙂

Ready? Take up the helicopter game challenge. Tell me what’s the best distance you fly, OK!

A Chumby for You

Have you ever heard of a Chumby? No? Me too. Until today that is.

Chumby

A Chumby is a small little Linux computer built into a cushion. Yes, that’s what it looks like. Chumby is made to provide its users with Internet and LAN access via a Wi-Fi connection. It is actually a small touch screen inside a bean bag. If it’s not for the screen, it might even look like a bean ball. It also functions as an alarm clock to wake you up in the morning. And it does look like an alarm clock.

Chumby Clock
The Chumby Alarm Clock

Chumby has a 3.5 inch touch screen. Even though it is small, the screen is bright enough for easy reading. And then at the back of the Chumby, you can find the USB ports, the power jack, earphone jack and the on/off button.

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How to Defrag Windows Vista

I hear so many people complain about Windows Vista lately. I do have a few complaints about Vista myself, but overall I think it’s still a pretty good Operating System, including its bundled Disk Defragmenter which is located in System Tools, under Accessories.

Let’s start the Windows Vista Disk Defragmenter and have a look. Looks like it’s scheduled to run once every week, by default.

Disk defragmenter

You can force the defragmentation to start immediately by clicking on the “Defragment now” button of course. But compare to Windows XP, there is no progress bar now. This is because the defragmentation process in Vista is non-linear unlike Windows XP’s, so there is no way to estimate accurately how much time a defrag would possibly take. Instead of trying to show estimates of how much time the defragmentation will take, the defrag team came up with a better solution: reducing the impact of defragmentation on your computer by making it use low-priority I/O and low priority CPU, so you can still use it and do what ever it is you do while the defrag is on. That’s why the whole process is scheduled to run in the background! So smart can die… 🙂

Now, many do not know you can also invoke the defrag tool from the command prompt. Check out a screen shot below.

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Vista Source Code Leaked Out to the Public

Vista Announcement

I bet that picture caught your interest. Who doesn’t want to get a free Windows yeah?

Now, before you go and search Microsoft’s website for a free edition of their their ‘over the top expensive and fairly new’ Operating System, you might just want to finish reading this article first. You just might change your mind about switching to Vista.

Have you ever wondered why every initial release of a Windows is never the best in quality and is always full of bugs? Now you can see what Windows Vista is clearly made of.

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Virus Attack On Pro-Tibet Internet Users

Beijing Olympic 2008 Logo

With the torch relay event just graced us last Monday, the Beijing Olympic Games 2008 is seems to be what people are talking nowadays. It is a hot topic in the kopitiam, on the television news, in the newspapers and of course, the ever reliable Internet. But the games is hardly what’s on everyone’s mind. It is the Pro-Tibet / Pro-China protests that are all over the news, sharing the limelight with the biggest sports event this year.

If you have yet to hear about these protests, or the Beijing 2008, I have to ask you this, which cave have you been hiding in? In a nutshell, Pro-Tibet groups have used this year’s Olympic Games opportunity to create awareness and to give pressure to the Chinese Government to free Tibet from its choking hold.

Free Tibet

This article will not describe more about these protests but instead will concentrate on the latest news on Internet Security. Since hackers and Internet criminals always rely on the Internet trends of the moment to execute their illegal scheme, they have now chosen the China / Tibet controversy to target their victims and wreck havoc on the Internet.

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Windows has blocked some Startup Programs

If you have followed my tip to make Windows Vista run faster, you will receive the following annoying Windows warning message in the notification area at the far right end of the taskbar: Windows has blocked some startup programs.

Windows warning

This problem occurs because a program or service that you have earlier restricted to start using the User Account Control (UAC) restrictions tries to start during the Windows Vista startup process. Although your Windows Vista now may run slightly faster, but the annoying message keeps popping up every now and then. Luckily it is pretty easy to stop this message from appearing again. Let me show you the easiest way to do it.

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3 Websites For Easier Download Search

We can now search with ease!

How do you search for one particular file from a few different file hosting servers? By scouring forums after forums just to get one decent download link? Or by googling with the Google Search String?

In this article, I will introduce you to some good sites used to search for files from file hosting servers like Rapidshare and MegaUpload, since these are the two of the more popular ones. These sites are gaining popularity now because we know how annoying it is to sign up to different forums just to get some download links.

There are better and faster ways to get the files that you needed off the humongous World Wide Web. And no, there’s no need to go hunting for these files. These sites will simply return the direct download link to us, making our download life simply easier!

Let’s start with the first one:

No. 1: MegaDownload

This site is my favourite to use. Its interface is simple and user-friendly (like Google) and they have two tick boxes for you to choose from where you would want your results to come from. It’s very fast, and it will also return a lot of results, depending on what you typed in. But don’t you worry; they’re usually what you’re looking for.

Megadownload

Just type in what you need and do remember to include the file type to get a more concise result. When the result is returned, you can scan through the list to find one that you like. And to download, you can click on the green download image although I prefer to copy the link (in orange) and paste in the address bar of a new window. It saves me a few clicks.

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Free photo editing software, GIMP!

Get a FREE “Photoshop” Today!!!

No one can resist the temptation of having something for free. Whether it is free food, or stationeries, or a free-testing drink, as long as it is a freebie, people will line up in long queues to get it. Well, at least the good news about free software is that you don’t have to be in a long line just to get your hands on some good stuff.

I love testing out new software. I never like trial versions, because they expire within a time limit and if they don’t, there will be some kind of limitation also. So, I’m always on a look out on freeware, scouring the Internet for some free programs that can make my life easier, more interesting and yet they cost nothing.

One of the more useful freeware programs that I found on the net is the GIMP program. GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. If you like to manipulate digital photographs like photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring, you’d love this small yet powerful program. Did I tell you it’s FREE?!

GIMP

I am not very skilled at photo editing, but once in a while, I do like to ‘flip’ through my ‘stack’ of digital photographs in my hard drive, selecting photographs that I can ‘improve’ or just add some special effects onto it, and then show it to the world. I know there’s this everyone’s favorite program called Adobe Photoshop, but the program is just too big and took up a lot of my valuable CPU’s memory. Not to mention the expensive price that you need to pay to get a licensed version. And to actually buy some software that I’ll just use once in a blue moon? I’d think not.

Back to GIMP. GIMP is a rather small but yet a smart program for its size. Only roughly around 16MB in size, it offers almost the same functionality as any professional image editing tools that you’d need to empty your pockets for. Built with worldwide users in mind, it not only works on many types of operating systems (Windows, Mac, Linux, and Sun OpenSolaris), it also comes in many different languages. And the best thing about GIMP is that it is open source, so it will be free (forever!) and it is also much more customizable when compared to the Photoshop.

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PIKOM PC fair 2008 KLCC

I know it’s late as the latest edition of the most popular IT fair in Malaysia was concluded last week. But, I would still like to talk about this PC Fair which was held at KL Convention Center, because I know you want to see what latest gadgets you can find there.

Sony Walkman

Oh no, you actually want to see sexy PC fair babes more than gadgets?! Haha 🙂

Be patient, let’s check out some cheap offers from the fair. Look at the Sony Walkman offer. RM399 a piece, since when can you buy a Sony Walkman for such a cheap price? Consider this for its industry renowned sound quality, don’t buy those made-in-Malaysia or China MP3 players although they might cost less than half of this price.

Toshiba flash memory

Toshiba flash memory should be pretty good as well. The price of their flash memory, or pen drives have really dropped damn lot from last year. Now, 1GB costs only RM19, while a never-heard-before 8GB costs RM94 only! Last year, 1GB costed how much?

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