Just decided on getting a Nokia e61 after looking at the specs it has to offer: GSM ARENA

Basically the idea of using wifi while at home is really appealing to me as i could use agile messenger instead of using my Macbook all the time.

The Operating System of the device is rock solid! I’ve used my share of devices that either reboots randomly or crashes such as my previous nokia ngage qd. I was worried that the Nokia E61 would be such a device but no. The OS is fast and stable. Something very rare in the handheld world. The Operating System in the device is the new Symbian S60 3.0. The device has 64 MB of memory and supports MiniSD for additional storage. (Although I shall get 2 gigs very soon).
The device is the perfect tool for messaging. The keyboard is easy to use and the joystick in the middle makes navigating between different applications or areas of the screen very convenient. If you plan to use it at work you can get your company email through applications such as BlackBerry Connect, Good, Seven, Visto or ActiveSync.

The Browser on the e61 seems to be ok, however opera sounds like a better option to go with. The idea of Mac OS X working seamlessly with the phone is also another great plus – connecting through iSync is devine.

I have compared the phone in good and bad. This way I can outline how I can overcome problems or improve on the phone through customization.

THE GOOD

– great keyboard – (Always wanted a qwerty keyboard on a phone as I text loads)
– great screen -( Great, but some symbian v3 apps are not coded to take advantage of the full sreen)

– fast and responsive
– great Bluetooth implementation (- Always need bluetooth )

– good j2me implementation
– some good apps, both built in and third party
– thinner than the Treo

Setting up gmail should not be a bother

THE BAD

– Symbian isn’t a single platform, it’s more like the Linux command line together with one of half a dozen different, incompatible UIs (Series 60 v1/v2/v3, UIQ, Series 80, Series 90).
– many apps shipping with the device were designed for smaller screens and don’t take full advantage of the screen (as said before)
– the mail client is pretty much unusable, at least with IMAP
– j2me apps have tiny icons in launcher
– web browser doesn’t handle WAP
– no Macintosh support; iSync (for iCal, Address Book) and Apple Bluetooth File Exchange work well, but there are no other conduits (Memos, etc.)
– lousy UI on the launcher
– lousy connection management; the only usable mode is that each app asks for which connection (WiFi network, cellular) to use just after launch
– no camera
– no USB recharging
– nonstandard connector
– doesn’t include any password management, backup-to-miniSD software (essential) although there are 3rd party apps that can do this without a problem)

– include VoIP client doesn’t does work with Skype or other, similar services or else you could make use of soonR

Although I list more bad than good, on balance, the device is quite nice. Many of the problems can be worked around with add-on software. The device is replacing my Sony Ericsson W800i.

I shall be updating this post reguraly as more developments arrive.

I am happy to report that I just received my Macbook in the post! All lovely and packaged – could not wait to get my eager mitts on it

Specifications
1.83GHz Intel Core Duo; 512MB RAM (soon to be 2GB ); 60GB HDD; slot loading Combo drive; Gigabit LAN; 802.11 g Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 2.0; 13.3″ 1280 x 800 glossy LCD. One detail that has attracted my attention is the glossy coating on the screen – a number of PC laptops have similar screens.

I’ve been using a Mac for over a year now, first on an iBook and until this point mainly on a Powerbook G4. I’ve been blown away with Panther and Tiger, and am very impressed with Apple’s philosophy on the whole. I was more or less set on upgrading to a MacBook Pro, but upon hearing rumours of a the iBook successor being released I decided to hang on. I’m really glad I did.

I’m going to cover a few different areas and offer my thoughts:

Heat
Granted, this is the first Intel Mac I’ve owned, but I haven’t found the alleged heat issues to be a problem at all. Despite shying away from the term ‘Laptop’ in Apple’s literature, I don’t see any reason to worry about overheating. Sure, it’s warm, but most laptops always seem to be. I certainly don’t have any complaints in this area.

MagSafe
This is a fairly gimmicky feature, but it does work very well. You can literally just throw the power cable somewhere in the direction of the laptop port and the powerful magnet pulls it into the slot. It’s quite handy, and will indeed eliminate the problem of tripping over your power cable and wrecking your laptop.

Battery Life
I’ve been really pleased with the battery life on the laptop. It generally lasts around 3 to 4 hours on a full charge, which is more than enough for my needs. It’s great to be able to roam around wirelessly without being tied down – something I’ve been used to before. It lasts longer with bluetooth and airport turned off, and turning down the screen brightness works a dream. Brightness is something the screen has in bucket-loads, so turning it down really doesn’t cause a problem.

Intel Schmintel
I wasn’t sure what to expect with the new Intel processors. First off the positives. It’s fast. Really fast. Despite at present the machine having less RAM than my iBook (not for long, I’m upgrading to 2gb soon) it is really quick. Things like searching my iTunes library just happen, as does searching with Spotlight, something which was more or less unusable on my G4 iBook. There are a few downsides. Photoshop is a little bit slow, and for some reason I’m having problems running a few apps in Rosetta (which, by the way is great – completely transparent). Dreamweaver MX isn’t wanting to run, and some other older pieces of software for my scanner etc simply crash when launched. My Bit Torrent client, Azureus, also doesn’t work at all. I use Transmission now

Boot Camp
It basically does what it says on the tin. It works fine, and I installed Windows XP without a hitch. It’s great to have on there, no need for a old big o’l Windows machine, but it’s still not ideal for my purposes. I like to be able to test web development etc in Internet explorer as well as Firefox and Safari in one fell swoop – rebooting each time is hardly ideal (even with the MacBook’s sub 20 second boot times!). It’ll be great to have a machine that runs Vista too, wherever it is (eventuallly!) released. Update* Vista can run no problem

Screen
Put simply, wow. I’m quite a screen connoisseur, and the MacBook’s screen has blown me away. Unlike many people, I’m a huge fan of the reflective displays with the glossy finish – everything is clearer and more vivid. Apple have done it perfectly and I can’t fault the display at all. The resolution is great too, and the ability to put a second output to an external TFT, at full resolution, is simply fantastic. There’s so much space to work with!

Conclusion
I’m really impressed, and know this machine will fit my needs perfectly over the next few years. I’d recommend it to anyone really, consumer or pro. I will be fitting it out with additional RAM as the standard 512mb simply isn’t enough. Hopefully 2gb will allow me to run more of the professional apps I need on a day to day basis. I really can’t fault it, and I’d recommend the black one if you can afford to put out the extra money. I’ve got a Mac to see me into the next operating systems both from Apple and Windows, and it’s a future proof machine.

I am eager where Apple are going to take this line of model next. According to Appleinsider the new “MacBooks” model is expected to introduce some features not yet available with Apple’s existing notebook offerings, such as onboard NAND flash.

Also looking forward to Leopard, whose development has been slowed down due to development schedule of the new iPhone due to be released in very soon. There is a nice countdown timer on everythingiphone – have a look and drool

Amsterdam is quite interesting – the city has a strange mix of tourists of all kinds. Visited the torture museum and the famous bodies exhibition http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com

Well I personally enjoyed the bodies exhibition: The exhibition shows real human bodies, in order to educate about the structure and the workings of the human body. The bodies have been conserved with a special process, so that decay is not possible.

The exhibition has been on display in various countries, and the fact that real human remains are displayed has caused controversy worldwide. The bodies are from China, and the question is whether the bodies were all obtained legally (and ethically). But all I can say is they (the bodies) look dignified and are in no way demeaning . Some of the specimens are arranged so that they are performing activities such as playing basketball or conducting an orchestra. Along the way are other displays showing a human intestine stretched out, the polluted lung of a smoker, and all of the arteries and veins without the body itself. Although, there is a special section on embryos were one can see fetus development in weeks. The thing is that they are displayed in vials that would remind one of a scene from Frankenstein. All of the fetuses died due to miscarriages. Which I thought was quite sad.

Needless to say after the exhibition, we went for a meal KFC – which I did not finish

There is loads to do in Amsterdam, but nothing really gets done lol. I can safely say it is the only place where I can vista and come back home fully relaxed.

pictures shall be posted soon

Going to Amsterdam this Friday with 8 friends of mine. Not sure if I will be able to update my site but I sure will when I get back. Going for 4 days (which in my opinion is enough). Got a few things on my list that I really want to see (I shall post them up).

I have finally recovered from Wednesdays mighty event, needless to say if you wrought me like a sponge I would probably drip beer This years ball at the Woodlands hotel surely brought back memories of the last ball myself and Bri went to 2 years ago at the Ard ri Hotel, only this year it was way better, at least of the bits and pieces that are slowly coming back to me.

The night started out really well – Drinks @ the Brass Cock (yes that is the name of a pub), slowly building up momentum for the dinner.

Had dinner, then the lights were dimmed and the madness began. The band that was playing that night (blue moose) were incredible, I mean anyone that can do great covers, its these guys – banging out choons the whole night sent everyone into disarray and a stampede ensued for the bar, only to find out that you had to wait 30 min for a drink.

However, students being as enterprising as they are began buying drinks in 3′s.

as you can see me here trying to make sure I had enough for the night. I call it planning it well

I had my cigars with me and whipped them out at the front of the reception door. El Padrino as I like to call myself observing the grandeur’s banter outside.

All in all, great night, went back to one of our friends place for a cool-down party where everyone laughed and people danced badly

What can I say….HAPPY TIMES!

Unlike a solar eclipse, which you have to view through a special protective filter to protect your eyes, a lunar eclipse is easy to see with any filter. And you don’t need any special equipment to view it — you can watch it with your eyes alone. But using binoculars or a small telescope will make the viewing experience more rewarding.

We see lunar eclipses when Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon. This geometry creates two kinds of shadows on the lunar surface. Within the outer shadow, the penumbra, the Moon is bathed in a slightly smoky cast; an astronaut standing on the lunar surface would see the Sun partly covered by Earth. Penumbral shading can be difficult to detect, especially near the beginning or end of an eclipse.

The total eclipse on March 3rd favors viewers in eastern North America and Europe.
As the Moon begins to move into the central and darkest part of Earth’s shadow, the umbra, you’ll notice an obvious and ever-larger “bite” in the lunar disk. The partial eclipse is then under way. (A partial eclipse also happens when the Moon glides only part way through the umbra.)

On March 3rd, however, the Moon dives completely inside the umbra, and once that happens no rays of sunlight can reach the lunar surface directly. Even so, the Moon may glow with an eerie coppery light in the night sky, because some sunlight is refracted through the atmosphere all around Earth’s circumference, and some of this reddened light faintly illuminates the Moon.

take a look

This camera is sadly not working anymore, nor is it being produced. At the moment I am using a nifty Casio Exilim EX-S600. comparing some of the pictures take, I think that the Sony does really well in good light and probably gets better shots cause of the point -and-shoot accessibility. However, I still love the exslim’s zoom ( its awesome! ).

Comparing two pictures I took: 1.) with the sony and 2.) with the casio (on a good day), the difference is slightly noticable.

1.)

1.)

AND

2.)

2.)

Please see my flickr side-bar for more clear pictures.

I think this was taken shortly after the wee hours of the morning

I (hear) that there will be a second party this Sunday coming… I’ll keep everyone posted.

- finally -

Don’t forget to check out my flickr pictures on the side.

In this blog I will introduce a good friend of mine (The Rat). He is a figment of my imagination, but he is ever so mischievous! Here you will also know of events coming up in my life: like outings, nights out, hiking, horse whispering and many more.

Keep your eyes peeled!