Buzzing this June 08

Its been a busy past few weeks for me. I STILL haven't even swapped my DST SIM card. Just no time to shoot off down to the local DST counters although, from what I hear, people have complained about unstable connections at certain areas. I guess I could wait a while more.

What I have done though is change phones (yet again). No more P1, then I had a brief encounter with the Nokia 3120 classic. Not a bad model I have to admit. Just BND2++ for a model that "does everything" WITH a front facing camera too. I HIGHLY recommend it if you are looking for a cheap 3G phone. (Ok, in the looks department, it doesn't impress but buyers probably won't be worried about how they "look" using this model anyway)


But alas, that didn't last long either. Now, I'm using a Nokia N70, a "spare" phone a good friend has loaned to me, till my target E71 is released/announced. I hope I can hang on.

Anyway, the latest models from all brands is keeping this month a buzzing. Beginning with...

HTC has launched a model called HTC Diamond.

Specs

• 4GB of storage memory (no memory card slot though).
  
• FM radio
  
• A proprietary HTC mini-USB port
• The highlight of the new HTC Touch 3D user interface will be the web capabilities - smart desktop-like rendering and superb touch navigation through web pages and hyperlinks.
• Wi-Fi capabilities
• Dual-band UMTS support plus HSDPA 7.2 Mbps.

Then comes our famous friends from Nokia, up to their usual antics as usual. Their latest offerings are the Nokia N78, the unofficial upgrade to the N73. (They sure look similar)


Specs

• Candy bar form factor (sort of like a fusion between the N81 and N82)
• 3.2 megapixel camera
• The usual connectivity features - Wifi, bluetooth, HSDPA connectivity
• 2.4" QVGA display
• S60 3rd edition feature pack 2 OS - What is feature pack 2? Let's just say that the "Active standby" screen we are all familiar with? Its now gone through a revamp. You can choose how you want to see your "Active Standby"(!!). Don't believe me? Read here.
  

Then, there's the cool Sony Ericsson folk, releasing uber-cool models like these two below:
Sony Ericsson C902
Specs

• The new look of their Cybershot series phones. This means, the days of the K-series (K800, K810, K850) are numbered. Move aside for the new Cybershot gang. (C = Cybershot)
  
• Spec wise, typical of Sony Ericsson, with some tweaks in their user interface.
• Read here for a more in depth review.
  

Sony Ericsson C702
Specs

• A mid-range release similar to the C902. A better review here.
  

And last but not least, the fast evolving Samsung group has released a kicker of a PDA phone, the Samsung i780.
Specs

• HSDPA, Wifi
  
• FULL QWERTY keys
• Large 2.55" 320x 320 pixel display
• 2 mega pixel camera
• Good preloaded software
  

I don't know about you but I can't wait to get my hands on these models! Will do a review as soon as I grab hold of one...

It was bound to happen...

Over the weekend, I read this Article here and thought to myself, its finally happened. Almost everyone in the country owns a mobile phone. That.. its scary and yet, cool at the same time. But that also means, its likely that children these days make up a large percentage of that statistic.

I attended a 10 yr old kids birthday party recently, and I overheard someone asking the birthday girl, what she would like for her birthday as a gift. I was shocked when I heard the answer, "A mobile phone"(!!!) I mean, what does a 10 yr old want with a mobile phone?!


Over the past few weeks, there has been numerous feedback from various people in the Bulletin's opinion page about the Ministry of Education's decision to ban all mobile phones from schools. I have been following these comments with much amusement. There are some that feel that this was a long time coming, and there are those (mainly students surprise surprise) that feel that this new ruling is "unfair" and "unneccessary", one even going as far as saying now he has to WALK FURTHER to the school office to make a call, spending $0.10 - $0.20cents JUST to call his parents to pick him up! Even going as far as saying how can he be contacted if there's a family emergency like if someone passes away! Oh come on!

Personally, I support MOE's new ruling. I know numerous teachers who constantly complain about students not paying attention in classes because they're sms-ing or suddenly, their mobiles go off. Give teachers some respect I say. And if you're a student reading this, no offence, but please remember, if you're caught with a mobile, say your goodbyes, some schools c-o-n-f-i-s-c-a-t-e.

On Shores soon! The Ultimate Nokia E90

Fantastic news for all your Communicator Fanatics out there!

A little bird told me the launch of this long-awaited and super-powerful Nokia E90 will be out soon in Brunei!




More details soon! Will keep you posted, especially on pricing and availability.

Buy Original.

The other day at the office, a colleague of mine showed me a piece of paper which he thought would interest me. It was a price list of all the latest phones from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and Motorola. The prices listed were all about 40-50% cheaper than the prices you would find in the market here! I was amazed! Unbelievable almost!

Of course I asked him where the phones were from. He told me it was "better not to ask"; in other words, these were black market units. No trace of source of origin and no warranties. NO WONDER they were selling at dirt cheap prices! (Note: There was a ironical spelling typo error on the list which made us laugh too. Instead of Sony Ericsson, it was spelt as "Sonny Ericsson". A give away? Another reason why they are so cheap maybe??)

It made me think though. Would people in Brunei really consider buying these phones knowing that there was no warranty? Would the dirt-cheap prices be enough to sway them away from thinking logically on parting with their hard earned cash?

The sad and honest truth is.... there ARE people here who would. Locally, look at all the "unoriginal" things you can buy just by walking around town, whether its in Bandar, Kiulap, Gadong... the Mall... anywhere. You can get pretty much anything you want and that includes mobile phones too. How sad.

It is from this list my colleague showed me, that I decided to write a post to STRESS how important it is to buy ORIGINAL mobile phones and accessories. Its SO vital for people to understand this one principle; If you expect your tiny "investment" to last you for a long period of time, you HAVE to buy originals. No doubt about it.

For me personally, 99% of the mobiles I have been using over the past few years have all come from one source. (And I'm talking ALOT of mobiles). This company has been around for many many years, and its definitely not an unfamiliar name to you, if you're from Brunei. That's right, INCOMM in Gadong. Before any of you start thinking I'm beginning to be biased in my views here, let me tell you a story.....

The year is 1999. My first Nokia, if you read here, was the iconic Nokia 3210. Back then, as I had just graduated and was temporarily unemployed, and obviously not being able to afford it for myself, my folks kindly bought me the set (replacing my Sony CMD Z1 you see in the picture. Yes, its that ancient). They bought it from a rather famous mobile shop in Seria (back then)(And I won't mention which one. No flaming here). After being so thrilled with finally owning this super cool Nokia, after two weeks, it suddenly DIED on me. Due to no fault of my own! I never dropped it at all and certainly never spilled water on it too. Disappointed as I was, I brought it back to one of their branches here in Bandar for a replacement. Apparently, it was the battery charger AND the motherboard of the 3210 that was faulty. To make matters worse, they also REFUSED to replace my 3210, but rather tried repairing it at their "service centre" (also in the shop), and on top of that, they couldn't guarantee me that my 3210 would work after that, even though it was under warranty!!! To cut a long story short, since my folks knew the boss of the company, he reluctantly instructed his staff to give me a new set.

What an impression it gave me, as you can imagine. To this day, I have vehemently boycotted this company (still around today) and have never ever supported their business in any way since. I've even directed many a friend away from them too.

Soon I started my first job, and after a few months, as I could (then) afford to buy any phone I wanted (the madness begins?), I knew I wanted the classic Nokia 8210. With the bad experience I had earlier, I started looking around, and eventually decided to buy it from Incomm. Afterall, they were (and still are!) genuine Nokia distributors in Brunei. (And there began my fiercely loyal affiliations with them). Nothing compared to their guarantee that ALL their products / accessories were genuine and that their service technicians are trained by Nokia too. Needless to say, I encountered no problems with my 8210 at all, and sure there were a couple of times my subsequent mobiles needed to get repaired, but their service has always been a benchmark for me. Unbeatable.

So you see, even today, when I buy a mobile, for me, the first place I would look to is Incomm. Sure their prices may be found to be "slightly" higher as compared to the competition, but you can definitely rest assured that your mobile, which you spent your hard earned cash on, is o-r-i-g-i-n-a-l. Straight from the manufacturer. And if something were to go wrong, you can count on them honouring the warranty too. Of course, this doesn't apply only to Nokia. They are also the official distributors of Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung. I heard, other brands will be coming soon too. I do not aim to sound biased here, but I've been buying mobiles long enough to know where the reliable sources are. Take my word for it.

So, all you mobile phone lovers.... be wise out there, make sure your mobiles are the real deal, make sure your batteries are the real deal, make sure your chargers / accessories are the real deal too. Don't fall prey to other shops, like I did many years ago just because prices are better, and certainly, don't fall prey to lists of mobiles selling "Sonny Ericsson's" either. Cheaper doesn't always mean better, remember that. And, do your research. 

Hurry while the offer lasts!

Its been a fairly hectic week at work, lots to do. Managed to squeeze some time over the weekend to visit Incomm Gadong and check out their special promotional offers which coincide with the launch of the much-awaited Spiderman 3.

This offer expires on 4 May 2007, so those of you interested in having limited edition Spiderman wallpapers, themes and a free gift, now's your chance! Only with Sony Ericsson. The offer's for the K800i, K550i and K610. I managed to check out the gifts for myself. Especially the T-shirt! Nice!

Incomm's offer, in case you haven't seen it in the Bulletin, is here. Check it out.

Orange is the new Black

This will be a quick post. (I know I say that all the time, but it ends up being so long anyway)

Its been an adventure the past few days.... Nokia N95 released in all local shops since Monday, and most people I know have been pretty excited about it. As for the launch price, at the time of this post, I know that INCOMM Gadong is selling it at the lowest so far. BND1,288-00. Quite reasonable for a phone thats "got everything" AND a never-before-on-Nokia, a 5 mp camera. Of course, if you can afford one. I've yet to see it first hand before I make any judgements. A friend has just bought one today though, so you can be sure I will definitely look for him to get my "hands on" impressions soon!

AND, also!!! .... Like my new toy??

Yup, you better believe it. My Copper (orange) Treo 680! My buddy sourced it for me in Singapore, only 3 weeks old, and it arrived yesterday! Apparently, the (ex) owner bought it from the US, and didn't like the colour after using it. Too bright maybe? (And incidentally, he decided to sell it, and get the Arctic white 680 instead!) Just my luck! So I knew I had to jump on it!! Condition was perfect too! Its SUCH a rare find this side of Asia! In Brunei, I know of friends with the Arctic whites and Crimson reds, but no one's got a Copper orange yet! Ahhh, what a colour. I've always loved the colour orange. Its the new black.

Ok ok, some have argued with me today that I've broken one of my goals this year by changing a new phone. TECHNICALLY, I'm still using a Treo 680 alright? Its just the colour's that changed. So, my goal's still applicable. Argue all you like, but i'm STILL using a T-r-e-o-6-8-0.

In the coming week, I hope to get my hands on a Nokia 6300, e65 and N95 to review. And for those successful types, I'll try get my hands on the latest Sony Ericssons and Motorolas to review too. Will keep you posted.

Are You Over the Hill? Change your phone!

I am always a sucker for articles about mobile phones, either from newspapers or websites. Every night, when I'm free, one of the usual things I'd probably be doing is web surfing through my usual dosages of phone sites, news feeds and of course, blogs. Anyway, a relative of mine recently told me about this article from Engadget which she thought I would find interesting.

Needless to say, it sure tickled me!

Here's what it said.

"A survey of cellphone users in Australia, conducted by Panorama and released by Nielsen Media Research (*who are they anyway??), has proved what pretty much everyone already knew: people are likely to base broad, stereotypical assumptions about you on your cellphone (*surprise, surprise... I definitely agree), just like they do with everything else you use and wear (*sounds alot like Bruneians). We're guessing this breaks down a bit differently in Aussieland, but here's how mobile users tend to associate down under:

• Nokia: Family-minded, middle aged managers, balance seekers, health conscious
• Motorola: Fashion conscious, under 24, fun seekers, individualistic
• Sony Ericsson: Ambitious young men, professionals, success driven, individualistic
• LG: Favorite of mums, stay-at-home parents, success driven, harmony seekers
• Samsung: Young women, career focused, success driven, fun seekers

The upshot of this research is that since most phone service providers rate the same, people are for the most part picking a carrier based on phone selection -- again, we're not exactly floored by the analysis here. Now all that's left is how to pigeon hole HTC and Palm users. We're thinking "good looking, fun loving, Engadget reader" would be a nice start (*Now THIS I totally agree. Says it all about Palm users doesn't it?)".

*comments in italics mine.

Well, whoever Nielson Media is and aside from proving what we all know already, (that people look at your phone as a status thing, whether here in Brunei or other countries, the reality is that people DO look at what you wear, what you drive expecially, what phone you use.... to classify your status. How superficial), this article has definitely amused me in terms of stereotyping what type of user you are based on the BRAND of your phone!

Nokia for middle aged family minded folks?!! LG for mums and stay at home parents?!! Hilarious!!! I can see everyone's faces now. You're probably looking at your phone now and thinking, "Hey, waitaminute, that can't be right".

But then, SE for the ambitious, professionals, individualistic? That sounds about right.

Motorola for fashion conscious and fun seekers? That's spot on!

Samsung for ladies (???) who are fun seekers and career minded? I'm divided on this one. But guys, if you're reading this, and you use a Samsung... I guess its not too late to change, or at least, don't show anyone in Australia you're using this girly brand ok?

But I do think, that if we did such a survey here in Brunei, we'd find quite interesting results that could dispute against this Aussie one. Especially for Nokia users in particular. But it makes you think though, what impression ARE you giving by using the phone you're using now. Any comments?

Cellphones in Cinemas

In today's paper, the SUNDAY bulletin, there was an article which caught my eye, titled "Cellphones won't work in this theatre". You can read about it here.

What its basically about, is what this theatre in Russia did when they became so fed-up with patrons ignoring their requests to switch off their cellphones during performances, that they bought a device that completely JAMS all signals in the theatre.

In this article, the last straw came when, during a live show, just at the moment when the whole night was coming to its climax... someone's phone rang, and totally ruined the atmosphere. One of the actors even shouted out to the person to turn off the cellphone!

Ok, I know Brunei doesn't have any theatres with musicals or where live actors and actresses get to perform, but the principle is the same. Cellphones in cinemas don't mix!
Can't the average movie goes bloody READ the warnings shown before the movie begins? Are they so uncivilised? Can't they just switch it off or even to "silent" mode? Do they need someone to do it for them??

In my opinion, ALL cinemas in Brunei should invest in such a similar device to jam all signals in the whole cinema. That would really make movie-going a MUCH more enjoyable experience for everyone. I'm sure everyone agrees right?

*Unless, of course, you're one of the usual suspects that commit this act of stupidity, then you better hope we don't meet in the cinemas*
If you are, you better "watch your back"

d3xlabs New Feature: QQeStore

FEATURES on

****SITE UPDATE****

If you notice, on the right hand column, under my Tag Box "T3xt m3", there are a number of phones displayed. I am experimenting with a new affiliate program with QQeStore, Brunei's largest Online Superstore.

Basically, click on any phone you see listed (I will regularly update this feature) and you will be lead directly to QQeStore's site (also listed under my links section) where you can directly place an order with them, or view whether the phones have arrived on our shores.

With more than 3,000 products sold by QQeStore, I will solely focus on their Mobile Phone products and will be tweaking my blog to compliment this new feature to make it easier for anyone interested in buying any new phones.

QQeStore has one of the most updated variety of phones to choose from, and are constantly improving their products and services. Price wise, they are amongst the most competitive in Brunei, beating other powerhouses like DeeJay, Incomm and WYWY. And best of all, they guarantee the absolute lowest prices in Brunei.

Personally, I've bought many a phone from QQStation myself. And if I didn't have my goal to achieve this year, you can bet I'd probably be their best customer! But for now, I recommend for you, to try QQ.

***2nd hand phones for sale***

Just a quickie update.

When I first started blogging, I used to maintain a separate blogsite to advertise 2nd hand phones that are flying around, but I deleted it due to a lack of any traffic to that site.

In any case, I'll just post whatever I hear about right here in my blog, and if anyone's interested, just drop me an email/comment/tag and I'll make sure your queries are answered.

MARCH OFFERS

1. Nokia E61 : TWO units for sale. PRICE- $420 each. CONDITION- Very good. AGE: Less than a year.
(Both still under warranty at Incomm)
Reason to sell: Owners looking for new phones.

**********UPDATE************** BOTH SOLD.

2. Nokia 6280 : PRICE- $300, CONDITION- Good, AGE: 1 year.
Reason to sell: Owner looking at new phone.
**********UPDATE************* SOLD!!!

3. Treo 650: PRICE- $200, CONDITION-Fair, AGE: 1 year plus.
***********UPDATE************** TAKEN OFF LIST.

Please drop me a comment at anytime for questions or to view the units. I'll arrange it for you.

The Art of Missed Calling... So miss call me already!

Many years ago, I used to hear my lil'sister's (for my blog's namesake, I'll call her DeeDee *snicker*) Nokia 7210 suddenly ring out of the blue, then stop. Then it'd ring again, and stop again. DeeDee would just totally ignore it, and continue reading or watching tv. It would happen quite frequently throughout the day.

I still remember asking her, "Aren't you going to answer that? Who's that calling and getting cut off all the time?". And I still remember her answer, "Don't worry, its just my friends. They always miss call me to say HI".

"Yeeesh! Crazy KIDS these days!" I remember thinking to myself, "What happened to the art of actually TALKING to your friends?!" shaking my head as I walk away. This was about 3 years ago.

Yesterday, there was an article in the Sunday Bulletin about how popular "missed calling" is these days, like in Sri Lanka and other parts of the world. It made me think. I truly believe Brunei is no exception too!

I'd say missed calling now makes up about 20-25% (a guesstimate) of mobile phone usage in Brunei? Believe it or not, there are people who swear on using missed calls as a method of communicating and giving signals even when the call rates from DST and Bmobile are getting cheaper and cheaper (as they try cut each other's throats as time goes by). Good for us you'd think right? Good for more actual TALKING you'd expect right? Wrong.

Its so strange how people now find missed calls addictive, and dare I say, even useful. Its almost become one mode of staying in touch! In Brunei, the younger generation are probably the most obvious users of this feature. Why not? A missed call here and there, saying "hi" or "I'm thinking/missing about you" (*rolls eyes*) or "Call me now, I'm free". Its so convenient! AND cost-effective! Think about it, missed calling incurs no costs (unless the other person accidentally picks up the phone of course). And these days, even primary kids hold on to mobiles. (Its scary). In other countries, for example, kids would miss call their parents to inform them they've left school, and then another missed call when they've arrived home, just to let their parents know they're safe. In Brunei, this may not apply as most parents would actually prefer to SPEAK to their kids instead of let a missed call be suffice. And don't even get me started on overseas students. I know of numerous cases where some miss call their folks just to remind them to call them back! Smart though! Parents ending up footing the bill.

Even working adults and the mass population are masters of this art. Let's say for example, you want to pick up something from a friend at the office, or their home, and you can't find a parking spot, or maybe even you're too lazy to get down from your car-that-you-managed-to-squeeze-right-in-front-of-the-building-anyway (hmm, sounds so Poklen suddenly), so what do you do? You give your friend a short "missed call" right?? C'mon, don't deny it. Or another example, you're supposed to be having a meal with your colleague/friend/family member, you're all set and ready to go (afterall, your lunchtime is limited), so you proceed to leave. While outside (or in your car), you wait for your colleague/friend/family member. 5 minutes pass by.... then 10 minutes pass.... So what do you do? Out comes the mobile and a "reminder" missed call is made! And maybe more than one too depending on how patient you are!

So you see, the art of missed calling has discreetly infiltrated into our everyday life, our culture. Bruneians seem to have mastered in this art of missed calls for sure! Its shamelessly done everywhere now, by everyone, at least once before!

So now, I totally understand why DeeDee and her friends do the things they did back then. Heck, I've done it dozens of times before. More often than I'd like to admit. (Of course not as a juvenile lovebug miss calling my loved one just to say "Hi". C'mon, wouldn't hearing her voice be way better?). But I also won't discourage anyone I know from doing it too. Its just so... convenient sometimes you know? But let's not allow it to come to a point where missed calls become more convenient than talking ok? (We already have sms's to do that..... so let's not add to it)

So what are you waiting for? Miss call someone already!

Red Alerts

A very Happy Chinese New year to all mobile phone users out there!

Its been a rather busy time for my family as usual, doing the rounds and dishing-out-the-dough. I'm sure most people, by now, are somewhat richer (or poorer) than a few days ago, whether it was "given" or "won", well ..... you be your own judge.

I couldn't update my blog over the past couple of days because, from the numerous open houses we've visited, it took a toll on me... I got hit with mild food poisoning. Too much of a good thing I guess. It took everything outta me, if you know what I mean.

BUT, I'm back in action and sure GLAD that episode's over.

Anyways, seeing as this is the festive Chinese New year, what better way to spend your hard-earned/given/won cash than on a new mobile phone, am I right? Start the new year with a new toy I say! Its a new year, a time of new beginnings, with prosperity and success! And so, while everything is RED this season, let me introduce to you to a few beautiful RED models out there. You won't be disappoint-red.

Before I begin though, I must say that I have no qualms about the colour Red. Statements like "Red is for the ladies" or "Red is so girly" are just so pathetic. C'mon, were you born yesterday? Make a Statement, Be Different, Stand Out Don't Just Blend In... where are your balls?

And so, here are my "Red Alerts" to kick us off this festive season.

First off the bat, No.1, is a Sony Ericsson K610i. Specs and review here. (I have always liked this model. I'd definitely get one if I wasn't into smartphones.) There is the grey-silver original version, but the red colour on this one... B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. It just brings out the classic look on this SE model. I admit, its a rather simple phone, but with the screen resolution, the fail proof SE user interface, the 2mp camera (albeit no autofocus), the mp3 capabilities, the upgradeable memory slot... its a phone that would satisfy the average joe and jane out there. Available at all local shops, but QQ Station and DeeJay are the lowest prices in town.



No.2, is not a stranger to the mobile world, the LG KG800 a.k.a LG Chocolate. Specs and review here. LG has pulled a Motorola V3 on us here (in terms of colour variations), by first introducing a Black colour, then a Pink, then White and NOW, this is the "LG Chocolate Wine" edition. Personally, I don't really think much about this phone. Having played with one a couple of times before, it doesn't impress me. Sure the touchscreen is innovative and ground-breaking, but its just too "sensitive" for my liking. An accidental brush over the screen brought me somewhere else a couple of times! It sure pissed me off! Well, personal sentiments aside, it is still a popular phone and with the introduction of this Chocolate Wine edition, there will be others who will like this sexy number.



No.3, a brand that needs no introduction, but one that I've got a love-hate relationship with, is the new up and coming Nokia N76!! Specs and a short preview here at iMobile Australia. It should be available by the end of this quarter 2007 i.e. end of March latest. Now, ordinarily I would openly slag Nokia for their often-lame efforts in their new models, but this one is one to watch for. What interests me is that its slim in size (for a flip phone), the external display has a 262k colour screen complimenting the Symbian OS (which is rare coming from Nokia with their poor quality external displays from their previous flippin' attempts! Pun intended) and of course, its RED! How many red phones have you seen coming from Nokia over the past? Just look at this one! It just shouts out "Look at me!".

No.4, none other than the infamous Motorola RAZR V3. I won't even bother to post the specs and reviews on this, being the one model that has kicked Motorola into the world of "slim-coolness" and how almost-everyone-seems-to-have-owned-one-sometime-in-their-life. Why did I highlight this model you might ask? Its RED! Ok, on a serious note, this is a worthy mention because Motorola has joined up with an organisation called Global Fund in a project dubbed "(PRODUCT) RED" to eliminate AIDS in Africa by contributing funds with every sale of selected Motorola models. This is an exclusive partnership with only selected carriers (Brunei not one of them unfortunately). In our region, the closest being Singapore, "Motorola and the carrier partner will contribute $17 USD for each red MOTORAZR™ V3 set purchased with a plan from M1 or StarHub" and in Malaysia, a $17 USD (approximately RM63.00) contribution is made on the sale of the red MOTOSLVR™ phone. [Motorola] How awesome is that? Heck, if only Brunei did such a collaboration. I'd go get myself this red v3 right now! So what if I hate the interface. So, DST? Bmobile? You guys DO anything worthwhile in the community lately?

Last but not least, No.5, the Samsung E490. Specs here. Availability wise, it is not here on our shores yet. But, judging from the specs, its nothing to shout about, just the standard basic flip from Samsung. I openly admit I'm not a fan of Samsung though, but I'll try to be fair about all brands + products. I'm just not sure that there will be a demand for this model when it does arrive here. I mean, what's different with the other models they've come up with?!

So there you have it, just a quick "Red Alerts" summary from the top 5 brands. In the mobile sea of boring blacks, whites and silvers, RED is definitely going to stand right out. C'mon, show a bit of your personality. Its CNY remember?

Hmmm, you wanna know what else? Seeing so much red this season, and even blogging about what's RED out there, it sure makes me wonder what life would be like if I did get a CRIMSON Treo 680. Too bad its just available in US.

Yup, that's just too bad isn't it?

Pictures speak more than a thousand words

I recently stumbled across this comic (by a Bruneian artist, Cuboiart. Kudos to him!) which I honestly think says it all about us here in Brunei. This was based on an article in the local papers here. Recently, with bonuses paid out to all civil servants, we can very well imagine what the surge in "population" is now!

Ho Ho Ho.....

A very blessed Christmas & Happy New year 2007 to one and all!

Holidays are finally here!

Well, for me anyway. Two solid weeks of total relaxation and bumming, this is the way to spend the end of every year. No work deadlines to think about, no reports to submit... nothing. Unfortunately, no travelling outstation this time round due to family commitments, but that's alright, there's always next year.

Besides, it gives me time to work on my upcoming Treo 680 review. (work in progress.)

Generally though, this is the season of Xmas trees, parties and gift exchanges. The spirit of giving's only appearance in the whole year. Already I've been asked (by friends) for advice on what recommended models are out there as gifts for their loved ones. My usual reply is, "Depends on your budget". If moolah isn't a factor, then the sky's the limit. How nice though, to be given a mobile phone as an Xmas gift. To me, that's an ultimate gift. Mobile phones are gifts you can actually USE, gifts that you SEE and HOLD every single day of your life. Why doesn't everyone just give mobile phones are gifts right? That would sure save anyone from wondering what to get for their friends or loved ones.

Ok, maybe in an ideal world. My ideal world. I remember a time though, when I was (sort of) given a mobile phone as a gift. About 2 years back. The Sony Ericsson k750i. Yup, blew me away receiving such a gift. It was (then) the latest and most popular mobile around. I thought I'd never get rid of it. Too bad though, being the nutter that I am, I sold it off after getting totally bored with it. Yea, I was such an inconsiderate brat. (Hey, the gift givers know about it, so its cool.)

Anyways, even the shops are into the spirit of giving. Giving good discounts that is. You'd think, locally, with Christmas being such low key, no way would there be any good deals whatsoever on mobile phones. You'd be surprised. QQ Station and DeeJay, to name a couple.... had good deals. It was also nice to see that operators like Bmobile had also jumped onto the bandwagon.

Their latest offer, just prior to Christmas (for a limited time only!), after their very popular $99-for-phone-prepaid line-and-credit (nevermind that the phone is some china-made unknown) was the Nokia 6233 for $199!!! Inclusive of prepaid line and credit! In a word, amazing. You'd have to wait a LONG time before the current prices could ever drop that low. Of course, in other countries, the partnerships between the operators and phone titans allow such good deals, but in Brunei, that's still very much in an infancy stage. It should have been done a long time ago, like in UK, Singapore, US, Malaysia.... where the markets have become so much more mature by now. Well, better late than never I suppose. For now, we can only continue in waiting, while biting our nails, to see what other offers Bmobile might bring out. But the question is, how about the "other" operator?

With 2007 around the corner.... with new years always coupled with new beginnings and new surprises, who knows what it will hold for us. DST might come to their senses. Heck, they might even rollout 3G. Wow, two impossibilities in one year. That would really deserve a "Ho Ho Ho..."

Cheesed!

Its now official, the time of my life I've been dreading this past few months. I'm now a year older. Usually, every year, I spend a few moments on my own reflecting on the year that has passed. My achievements, failures and their lessons learnt, milestones... and memories. This year, however, one of my reflections included, *surprise, surprise* how many phones I've switched to since I last sold my Treo 650 (for the 3rd time) about a year ago.

Let's just say I gave up trying... I seriously can't remember. Ah well, sign of aging I will attribute it to. You understand right?

Anyway, for dinner last night, I went to a relatively posh restaurant known for their good food and good atmosphere. It was fairly packed, as expected. I mean, to have dinner there meant early preparations in making reservations at least the day before. The night went well, the Chardonnay was good, the food was good, the company greater. Towards the end of the night, suddenly, I hear this ringtone from a Sony Ericsson phone. (Hey, SE tones are easily recognisable). A bit loud I thought to myself. Turned around and saw it was this dude sitting 2 tables behind me. His mates had probably gone out to the washroom or out for a smoke, leaving him alone. So, what did he decide to do? He decided to make himself at home and go through his whole list of ringtones in his Sony Ericsson, wondering which one he should use!!! That twat.

I don't know if its a sign of age or what, but one thing I cannot tolerate is people around me playing with their ringtones OR answering their calls in either a nice restaurant or at the cinema. To make it worse, these type of people usually talk louder too for some reason. Can't they do it in private or maybe somewhere else where there are no people around to irritate?

So I sat there, getting cheesed at each ringtone he was going through in his list. At that point, others around him had also began giving him looks, which he probably got the hint from... and stopped. Good thing too, otherwise I'd have flung my empty bottle of Chardonnay at him.

Ok, maybe not, I'm not that violent by nature. I didn't drink that much maybe.

Eclipse-d!

While browsing through my blog earlier, looking at what other ways I can tweak my site to be more "pleasant to the eye", something just occurred to me. My blog's slowly becoming a Treo blog!

How odd! Almost like an eclipse of the Sun, slowly and surely disappearing out of sight. I suppose its a mark of being totally immersed in the dark (treo WM) side now. My attention's been so focused on the Treo, that I've totally ignored what the other brands have been releasing.

Over the next few blogs, I will try and hunt down what new meaty morsels are out there that are worthy of mention. I have come across a few good reviews out there of various models though BUT I think that doing a personal review in-hand would be more interesting. Well, thats a plan I aim to achieve over the next few months.

Jaywalking

A couple of hours ago, I was mindlessly flipping through the channels on telly as usual, almost about to switch it off, when I came to CNBC's channel with "The Jay Leno show".

After his usual stand up comedy act, he introduced one of his regular features, Jaywalking, where he walks around the streets doing impromptu interviews with the public depending on his show's topic for the night. Tonight's was, "Ringtones. Regular or annoying!?". (Regular = those tones that come as default in the phone. Annoying = those tones that were saved into the phone by the user) He'd walk around, interview anyone he sees, asks them about themselves like occupation, what cellphone they use etc.... then just before they answer what ringtone they use, the show would PAUSE, with the live audience shouting out whether they think the person is using Regular or Annoying, before the ringtone is played. He interviewed a Marine, a school disciplinarian, a casino dealer etc... and they all had annoying ringtones! It was pretty funny.

Made me think, I think everyone uses Annoying ringtones now. Think about it, try name 5 people you know who use Regular ringtones now. (NOT counting those whose phones are so ancient that its monophonic, or even, dare I say, polyphonic). I sure can't think of 5. Probably 3 is hard enough. These days, even kids and teenagers are using fancy smancy mobiles with mp3 enabled features. That's life huh.

Well, to me, know what REALLY takes the cake? This %#@!$ creature's looks and (especially) sounds. Arguably the WORLD's MOST ANNOYING SONG / RINGTONE ever made!! Its EVERYWHERE now!!! Started off as a song, then now EVERY song has incorporated it... christmas songs, modern songs.... darn it! Pisses me off when I hear ANYONE (loser) using it! What are people thinking? Does it ooze coolness?! GEEZ!

Incidentally, one of the members of public Jay Leno interviewed.... the Marine... he used this tone. *No further comment*

How about you? What ringtone do YOU use? Regular or Annoying?