2016 Marks Record Rising Temperature 3 Years in a Row

Uh oh...

Average surface temperatures over land and the oceans in 2016 were 0.94 degrees Celsius (1.69 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 20th-century average of 13.9C (57.0F), according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

But there's hope...

At a conference in Paris in late 2015, governments agreed a plan to phase out fossil fuels this century and shift to renewable energies such as wind and solar power. 

They agreed to limit warming to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6F) above pre-industrial times, while pursuing efforts for 1.5C (2.7F). By that yardstick, the rise stood at about 1.1C (2.0F) in 2016.

via Reuters.

Identity Theft Possible If Portrait with "V" Peace Sign

High resolution digital cameras. Portrait of people showing the "V" peace sign or any other way with fingers facing the camera. Identity theft possibility. That's how technology had advanced to and how people misuse it. :(

via DPReview.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar - Bright Future

You've pretty much read about the new MacBook Pros with Touch Bar and Touch ID on every corner of the web so lets not get there. I've had no intention to write anything about it but this Cult of Mac post sure peaked my interest! A modified version of watchOS is actually powering the Touch Bar and Touch ID independently under the hood. I suppose this makes sense why the price of the new laptop got to be more expensive than it already was.

What's even more interesting was that this revelation prompted me to revisit the post "Here’s why Apple will never give MacBook a touchscreen" that I've read moments before the one mentioned above. Sir Jony Ive:

“In our view this is a big, big step forward. It is a new system architecture, and it allows us to then create many things to come, things that we can’t envision yet.”

It's integration of macOS and watchOS (and to a certain extent, iOS) but not in the way that boring companies would do. Dual boot is so yesterday! I'm excited all over again about the future of the Mac (and for that matter, iOS devices) indeed!

11 Malaysian Words Recognised!

In the midst of all the bad press in the international scene the past few years, I'm proud that my country has got 11 of its commonly used words recognised by the Oxford English Dictionary. I've not been to a mamak nor a kopitiam lately but these are just two of the 11 words that I've grown up with as a Malaysian and been using unashamedly in my English sentences.

The other words are ang pow (can't wait for the next Chinese New Year holidays!), bodoh (stupid!), char kway teow (just had it for lunch last week), chicken rice (I shall have this for lunch today to celebrate such an auspicious moment), aiyoh, aiyah (both used to express a sigh, disappointment, distress when forgotten something, or etc, etc. stuffs like that), atas (up), balut (wrap) and rendang (another yummy dish).

via The Sun Daily.

The Superbug Evolution

Based on what I understand from two articles that I read on the same day (one from Reuters and the other via Forbes), the American superbug has evolved and is now resistant to antibiotics while another superbug - this one created - will consume hydrogen and carbon dioxide to produce fuel.

One deadly and the other beneficial. I have faith humans will overcome the deadly bug soon.

Advances in Space Travels

Embed from Getty Images

Space, the final frontier, they say. For all we know (barring all those governmental conspiracies) there had not been anyway for humans to go that far but there had always been theories. Some of these theories are starting to materialise and look promising:

1. Photonic Propulsion

With a large, reflective sail, it would be "possible to generate enough momentum to accelerate a spacecraft" via lasers pulsing light from the surface of the Earth.

Just 3 days to Mars and another 3 days back. Wow.

2. Antimatter Rockets

Another cool theory would be using antimatter rockets with energy created when positrons and electrons come into contact to power spacecrafts. Speed can go up to 72 million miles per hour.

via WIRED.co.uk

Pressed for Freedom

It's not easy.

Cyborg Plants

If you think the Terminator days are still far away or even just pure fiction, think again. It's all happening, just that not the way depicted in the movies...

first, the the researchers introduce a synthetic polymer called PEDOT-S into the rose through its stem. The plant sucks up the polymer using the same vascular system (xylem) that transports water. Once inside xylem channels, the polymer self-assembles into an “wire” that conducts electrical signals, while still allowing water and nutrients to move around. By connecting these wires with naturally-occurring electrolytes in the plant’s tissue, the researchers are able to create an electrochemical transistor, as well as a digital logic gate, a basic component of computer systems.

Every story has a beginning...

via Gizmodo.

Another Day, Another 4" iOS 9 Device Rumour

View image | gettyimages.com

We've heard it before - a 4" version of the latest iPhone way back when the iPhone 6 was THE phone. Now, we're hearing it again - a 4" version of the 6s (without 3D Touch) and it will come as an upgraded iPhone 5s. Maybe this time it WILL happen because the prediction is coming from Ming-Chi Kuo, analyst with a high success rate of Apple predictions. Or maybe because of the appreciating US dollar which is turning even contracted iPhones in Malaysia to cost more than a Dell laptop.

I wonder if the smaller phone will go the way of the 5c because people are already used to the larger 4.7" but it's hard to say, especially when it comes in a cheaper package during these difficult economic times.

While we're at it, why not rumour about the 7, too? A10 processor with a bigger differentiating factor between the 7 and 7 Plus by RAM - 2GB and 3GB, respectively.

via MacRumors.

Toxic Sungai Muar

Another river in Malaysia getting polluted beyond hope if nothing is done to stop the source of pollution:

Muar Fishermen Association chairman Zainal Abdul Jalil said this was because rapid development of industries, including factories which dumped chemical wastes and affluent into the river had threatened the survival of various species of fish.

I'm surprised that the news piece did not mention the need for action to be taken against the source of pollution.
via The Sun Daily.

Nation First

In the midst of all the crazy, logic defying things happening in Malaysia, it's refreshing to hear something that is rational.

"Malaysia must come first before anything else. The interest of the country must be above everything else." - Lim Kit Siang, opposition. 

"What is the use of being favourable to the opposition but not to Malaysia? If the economy is not favourable to Malaysia, I don't think it helps anyone." - Lim Guan Eng, opposition.

via The Malaysian Insider.

Crime Scene Investigation ends run with 2-hour finale, leaving behind in its wake lacklustre CSI: Cyber

Along with the rest of the world, I became a CSI fan. I tagged along to become a CSI: Miami and CSI: New York fan as well. The two spinoffs ended earlier and now, after 15 seasons, it's the original's turn. What better way to go than with a 2 hour long finale, bringing back Gil Grissom (oh yes, my all time favourite character among all the CSIs and its spinoffs) and Catherine Willows.

Meanwhile, the CSI legacy continues through CSI: Cyber albeit not a very popular one. Current CSI leading man Ted Danson is set to join the second season. I've just watched the premiere episode and was not very impressed. There wasn't anything to differentiate it from typical crime dramas even as cyberspace goes. The first three CSIs were already very high on tech. I get it that it's got some very big shoes to fill but it looked like it's still searching for the right size.

All the best in the next season. I'd hate to see a year without any CSIs. 

via CSI Files.

Yeah, baby! What fun it'll be to solve another crime with this crew. #CSI pic.twitter.com/kR3MpPVVdM

— Marg Helgenberger (@MargHelgen) May 13, 2015

It's Important to Write

I couldn't agree more with our former prime minister Tun Dr. Mahathir regarding how important it is to write, and to write properly at that.

For example, for is shortened to ‘4’ while you to ‘u’. It is fun as you can send long messages compressed into just a few letters. But over time, we lose the art of writing which is precious.

Not only are we shortening the words while writing, we are guilty of just typing them out from the computer and recently, from our intelligent phones and tablets. I think my handwriting is approaching illegibility as we speak.

If anything, it's also great to hear Tun talk about something as important as writing instead of those demoralising politic stuff for a change.

via The Malaysian Insider.

The Cons of In-App Purchase... in Self-Driving Cars

I hate the in-app purchase concept and Volvo took it too far. While the car can self-park and all, the feature that detects pedestrians is a separate purchase. Glad to know there were no serious injuries in the incident featured below.

via Inhabitat.

Rumour: Light at the end of the tunnel for the 3rd generation iPad with iOS 9

While I sulk over the imminent demise of my third generation iPad (the first with Retina display running on A5x), MacRumors bring hope:

Apple is also said to be optimizing iOS 9 to better support older hardware, with the report claiming that even legacy A5-based devices including the iPhone 4s and original iPad mini will be compatible with the upcoming software update. The three-year-old iPad 2 and fifth-generation iPod touch, released in March 2012 and October 2012 respectively, are also powered by Apple A5 chips.

What's to be of Spotify?

I'm a little worried the past few days reading about Spotify's losses over the years and (possibly evil) Apple's move to convince labels to leave Spotify's free streaming service as Beats relaunches. To make matters worse, numerous artists are complaining of insufficient compensation and are starting to leave the streaming service. But according to Time, not everyone can pull a Taylor Swift. So there is still hope.

Spotify had almost been my only source of music for over a year save for the occasional songs that I purchase from iTunes. There's been no regrets ever since I signed up for Maxis' discounted Premium Spotify service. I've been able to listen to most (remember that not every artist/label participates, unfortunately) of my preferred songs offline and best of all, choose which songs to play, on the go. Hence, there is some truth to Torrent Freak's claim that Spotify does convert listeners (not necessarily pirates!!!) of its free version to premium subscribers. Sadly, the conversion rate is still far from profitability.

I sure hope Spotify's situation will improve despite all the challenges it faces. Perhaps its imminent video streaming music could help.

Update 16 May 2015: No need to worry. Spotify is not going to remove its free tier. According to The Next Web, a Spotify spokesperson said the tier IS working!

It won't be "Apple forever", just like how IBM never was.

View image | gettyimages.com

Interesting read from The New York Times - a reminder that no company thrives infinitely and, in the business world, enemies don't stay as enemies forever - putting the world's largest company in the spotlight and comparing it with its once behemoth of a nemesis, IBM.

With hindsight, it’s clear that IBM’s Olympian status was part of its problem. In the 1980s, at the height of its powers, it continued to come up with scientific breakthroughs and ultrafast computers, but its focus on its own product lines and customer service flagged. IBM “naïvely” handed over crucial parts of the computer business to companies like Microsoft and Intel, while its own profit margins began to erode, D. Quinn Mills, a professor at the Harvard Business School, has written.  

... 

For decades now, IBM has engaged in a sometimes painful transition, and as it revealed in its quarterly earnings report last week, it is still hurting: Its revenues have declined and it has endured wrenching business shifts. My colleague Steve Lohr wrote last week that IBM has been getting out of slow-growing old businesses, like personal computers, disk drives, low-end server computers and chip manufacturing — but its new initiatives in fields like data analytics, cloud computing and mobile apps for corporate customers haven’t entirely succeeded yet. 

In a turnabout, IBM’s mobile app strategy relies on a partnership with the current giant, its old nemesis Apple. IBM is leveraging its prowess with supercomputers and artificial intelligence with a new initiative, Watson Health, that includes Apple. That alliance could help both companies grow — in Apple’s case, by ensuring that its products work more seamlessly in corporate environments where IBM is deeply entrenched. 

Rapid growth, after all, isn’t a sure thing, especially when you’re already the biggest company in the world. IBM has proved that. Sooner or later, Apple investors will have to take that lesson to heart.

Jaring in Liquidation

Malaysia's first mass internet service provider and also my first service provider to get connected to the outside world back in the 90s, Jaring, is now in liquidation. I've almost forgotten about Jaring and those days of dialup internet using a modem.

I could still remember the need to dial a local phone number and when the connection slowed, became unstable or there were tonnes of people connected to it, we struggle to find other numbers to dialup. Connections were faster during the wee hours of morning. Connection was charged by the minute with the first 20 hours free (or something like that). Charges went up when Telekom decided that they, too, will charge local calls by the minute. Later on, a general 1511 with discounted local call rate would automatically connect us to a Jaring local number. We've come so far now with mobile internet being faster than typical copper broadband that dialup belongs in the history books.

It's still sad to know that despite being the pioneer, Jaring could not keep up. Well, there's still hope as long as Jaring still exists... so all the best to you!

via The Malaysian Insider.

Penang Scholarship

The Penang government is introducing the Penang Future Foundation scholarship, starting with RM20 million. Malaysians aged below 25 years with household income of less than RM15,000 are eligible to apply. There's only one catch which isn't really a catch after all - the scholars are required to work in Penang for one year with any organisation of their choice for every RM20,000 received.

via The Sun Daily.

Another glimmer of hope for better public transportation

I've lived in Klang Valley all my life and public transportation disappoints again and again while traffic congestion worsens over the years. Maybe, just maybe the new Selangor Menteri Besar and his team can change all these with their new plan:

The state government is of the opinion the traffic congestions can be overcome by improving the public transportation system instead of constructing highways.

via The Malaysian Insider.