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Navy Open House 2013

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It’s been two weeks since the open house and I finally got my lazy ass to pen this blog post.

It was a sunny day at Changi Navy Base on May 18th, and I was happy the transit from Singapore Expo to the base was pretty uneventful. I am pretty surprised to see that many ships at the base, and for a brief moment I contemplated that fateful Sunday morning at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941.

I can’t remember when was my last Navy Open House visit. I believe it was at least more than 2 decades ago since I only remembered going there with one of my secondary school classmates. Those were the days when the navy was still at Pulau Brani, and the Singapore Navy’s largest warships were “missile Gun Boats with radars that looked like water tanks” armed with Israeli Gabriel anti-ship missiles. Yep, it has been a looooong time…

The Republic of Singapore Navy [RSN] has come a long way since then. It now has capabilities that I couldn’t have possibly imagined when I was a teenager. These days we have submarines, huge transport docks that has circumnavigated the earth, and even sent our warships to the Gulf of Aden to participate is counter piracy operations. The RSN has gone from a coastal defense force to one that is now fully capable of operating alongside some of the world’s most advanced navies.

I am no military buff so I will not go into details about the navy ships. For those who are interested it is best to perhaps read some of the posts [1] [2] [3] [4] from one of the experts here. David Boey’s observations are much better than mine, and his insights are far better than anything I can imagine to write. After all, I can’t even be bothered to visit all the ships of the same class…

Meanwhile, enjoy some of the photos I have taken.

Travel Journal – Phuket, Again…

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It has become almost an annual pilgrimage since my first visit in 2009, with only a break in 2011. I had wanted to post this right after I came back in April but only these few days I had only found time to sort out the photos I have taken over the past few months. No thanks to Ingress, in particular.

I almost had to cancel this trip because for the better part of the week before my flight, I was down with flu. It was particular bad two days before, when I was shivering in cold in spite of the warm weather. It would have been really sad if I had to cancel the trip, because I love Phuket and I would miss it dearly if I can’t go.

This time round I stayed again at the Woraburi Resort. There wasn’t much changes and the staff are still as friendly. What has changed, is that some of the staff can now speak Mandarin, perhaps as a reaction of the tourism industry in Phuket due to the number of mainland Chinese tourists flooding all parts of the world. Two of them attempted to speak to me in Mandarin even though they heard me conversing in English with my companions. When I told some friends of this, their reaction was horror, and even revulsion for being mistaken as mainlander Chinese. I have to say that Singapore appears to be the only place in the region that rejects the new reality of a resurgent China, even though we had no problem adapting to the influx of Japanese and Korean tourists in the past. For a predominantly Chinese place to reject Chinese, it has got to be another first for Singapore! The eradication of Chinese education in Singapore has been so successful that many Singaporean Chinese have become OCBC – Orang Cina Bukan Cina. Well done, PAP!

Anyway, rants aside. I had once again visited Phuket during the Songkran. The reason being that is the only time where I can play with water with abandon and not worry about getting soaking wet. While I would admit I hated being sprayed in the face and eyes with high-powered water guns, that doesn’t really happen very often anyway. It helps a great deal to get the stress and frustrations out of me as well.

I will end here and let the pictures speak for themselves. Unfortunately I ain’t very good at photography so I might not have captured the essence of what I saw very well. But I do hope it manages to bring out the beauty of the place so others may visit the place to experience it for themselves.

Unboxing the Xiaomi MI-2

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I am bad at writing reviews. So I will spare everyone the technical details and go into how I felt about the Xiaomi MI-2 instead.

First of all, there is really much room for improvement in its packaging. When I showed it to a friend, he mentioned that it gives him the impression that this was something that fell from the back of the van. While I personally don’t place much emphasis on the aesthetic aspect of the device and its packaging, other consumers often felt otherwise.

Either way, I didn’t let the packaging bother me much. I went straight to getting the device and the accessories out of the box. It wasn’t any bigger than the Omnia 7 and one of my colleagues commented that it looked very much like an iPhone. It is of no wonder a friend working in China calls it an iPhone imitator when I asked him about this phone. Unlike the iPhone, it does not comes with a non-removable battery. So I had to open the back cover to insert the battery and simcard, which took me a long time even though it sounded pretty simple on the instructions in Chinese. In the end I used a small screwdriver to pry it open, placing extra care not to scratch or damage the surface. It then took me several days to master the technique to force it open with my bare hands but I didn’t really mind that since there are very little reasons for me open to back cover again after I have inserted the simcard and battery.

Once I got the set powered up, I noticed that it comes preloaded with the MIUI and Android 4.1.1 ‘Jelly Bean’. The interface is smooth and fast but that is expected since it’s a Quad-core device anyway. However, unlike most Android phones it did not come with the Google Apps (such as Google Maps, Google Play) pre-installed. There’s also a whole bunch of other apps that came bundled with the set. For e.g. Weibo, which I believe is China’s equivalent of Twitter and Mobile QQ, probbaly China’s main instant messaging software. I uninstalled a few and there didn’t seem to be any ill effects on the phone so I guess it is safe to uninstall them all if you don’t want them to be around. The only app I think shouldn’t be uninstall as yet would be the default ‘MI Market’ app. After all, I used it to find and install the Google Apps. In fact, I was able to find the other common apps like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Foursquare etc without much of a fuss even before I installed Google Play. I had only decided to install Google Play as well, because it’s “the devil I am familiar with”.

By the way, just don’t install any apps right away just like I did above because the GPS (or the location services) “doesn’t work”. Very often it either does not pick up my location, and when it does it tells me that I am in a city called Hefei somewhere in the Anhui Province of China. According to what I read on the MIUI forum, the reason is that the default ‘location provider’ in MIUI is set to Baidu. For those who intend to download the customises MIUI ROMs for their own devices, please take note of the solution posted here on the MIUI forum. Unfortunately, it isn’t that straight forward for the MI-2 because I had to wipe the pre-loaded JLB30 ROM in the handset and reload it with something called the “Development ROM” (v 2.11.9) before I can apply the above solution. The reason being that the 2.11.9 ROM basically allows you to gain root permission simply by enabling it, while that feature is disabled on the JLB30 ROM. For the less tech savvy and those who just want something that can be used out of the box, this can be extremely frustrating. I am not sure if the guide to flash (or update) the set with a new ROM is available in other languages but I found my way around using the Chinese instructions. Even when I believed myself to be moderately tech savvy, it took me some time to figure out the technical terms in Chinese before I get down to updating the ROM. (It is sad I am turning into a “banana-man” myself.)

Nevertheless, I managed to get that resolved. The location services now reports my current position correctly. In the process of getting this resolved, I noticed that with location services turned on, the 2000mAh battery loses half its charge roughly in 3 hours even though I had it fully charged. With the location services turned off, the battery survives pretty well in an environment whereby 2G/3G signals are stable. Even with WIFI turned on, it lost only 45% of its charge after 23 hours primarily on standby with some short calls, and light surfing in between.

As for surfing, I cannot really tell whether the set is faster or better as the 3G services in Singapore is really cranky, if not deplorable. In fact, I still get the same bad 3G performance at what I would call a ‘3G dead zone’ in Jurong Point. On the MRT during the morning and evening rush hours, it can also be bad depending on which stretch of the tracks you are on. Basically, I experienced the same agony on the MI-2 just as I did on my Galaxy Tab 10.1 and also my old Omnia 7 at the usual places. I have come to the conclusion that the web surfing experience on any handset is primarily determined by the service provider and my take is that all three of Singapore’s service providers fell short because I had 2 handsets (a Blackberry from the company) and a Galaxy Tab tablet which allowed me to swap the simcards between them just to verify it isn’t a device specific issue. Even though subscribers may not get the same shitty experience at the same location from all three providers, the fact is that it shouldn’t even be happening constantly and without fail at specific locations for specific providers! That is the reason why I didn’t go for a contract renewal and pay less for a ‘better’ 4G handset (as some would believe) from one the providers!

But more on the providers later… let me get on with the last thing I tested on the MI-2 – photo taking. Since I am not much of a cam whore I have not tested the front facing 2-megapixel camera. But I have taken a few with the 8-megapixel rear facing camera and by my standards the photos are actually quite good. In fact, I think the day photos and the macro features are way better but some of my friends said the photos at low light seems more grainy than the Omnia 7 I had used previously. I won’t debate that, since we all have very different appreciation of what is nice. I’ll just upload them here and let everyone judge for themselves.

[portfolio_slideshow]

So, that’s all about the MI-2 for now, and now return to my long rant about the local mobile providers. Let me explain also why I decided against a contract renewal. First of all, my 3G experience on my primary mobile provider (I will refrain from naming it) has gone from bad to worse. These days I spent more time clicking on refresh or staring at the blank screen instead of getting the data I need. It is my considered opinion that all of Singapore’s mobile providers simply didn’t have the capacity to serve all their subscribers because I often noticed that the signal strength from the base station is ok and yet no data is received on the device! I suspect a data cap is thus implemented in hope it would serve as a “brake” on a subscriber’s data consumption because providers did not find it not profitable to upgrade and maintain the equipment to match a demand which only spiked at specific locations during certain hours. Even though the cap presently doesn’t matter to me because my current usage didn’t exceed 2GB, I am in the opinion that I (and a lot of users) may actually consume more data had the provider’s service been up to par. It doesn’t take much brain cells to conclude that if I can download 3 web pages of the same size in the same time I have been waiting for that one page to download, I would have consumed more data collectively over the month. The current situation reminds me of those days when SingNet was the only Internet Service Provider (ISP) providing dial-up access to the Internet before Pacific Internet, and subsequently Cyberway (now StarHub) came around. The pricing was ridiculous and it was a long time before things become better – either due to a desertion of subscribers to competitors or perhaps SingNet finally made enough money from early adopters to finance their equipment upgrades.

In any case, I am sick of Singapore’s way of running things – be it public transport, tele-communications, and even public housing – in which making huge profits is the management’s only overriding priority. I refused to upgrade to a 4G handset and even downgraded my plan to a cheaper one because I am sick of being an early adopter and sucker who pays a premium to a local provider so it can finance its future upgrades to meet demand which it already knew exists based on its current subscriber base. The management of certain companies in Singapore, along with our political leadership, ought to understand that we are willing to accept some pains and pay for the future in the old days, that was because our country were less well off back then. Now with the astronomical profits made by all these companies every year, it’s hard to make us accept it anymore. Just because some of these services are basic necessity that we need to use everyday, doesn’t mean we should be subjected to exploitation by some companies, especially when they are clearly linked to the government some what.

I hate being fleeced like sheep. Enough is enough already!

Review – HAME MPR-A1

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To be honest, this was a purchase on impulse. For those who are looking for a technical review of the device then this post will disappoint since I don’t really talk much about the technical aspects and specifications of a device when I reviewed it. Instead, I usually talked about why I am using it, and how I used it.

Here’s a short summary on how I got the device. A shop in Tanjong Pagar Xchange at the MRT Station was selling this device for S$80, even though I was told by my friend that his customer helped him get it in China for RMB 120 (approximately S$25). I decided that it would simply be cheaper if I get it online and so I politely told the sales assistant at the shop I would think about it. I understand the poor shop’s need for that margin to defray its rentals, but then I really ain’t that noble to part with my money to help the owner made a living. Went home and found it on Aliexpress for just a mere US$19.90 a piece with a shipping cost of US$30. I bought two right away and sold one to another friend at cost to defray part of the shipping costs to bring it down to US$35 (approx S$45) a piece.


Micro-USB Port for charging

I bought this because an old friend showed it to me even though I really have no need for a WiFi 802.11b/g/n Wireless 3G Router. If I know of this device earlier then I wouldn’t have considered paying SingTel for multi-sim at all. Other than being a router, the device also functions as an external battery (stores 1800mAh of power), a WiFi repeater (which I haven’t and didn’t try), and it also comes with a RJ-45 ethernet port. In other words, if I end up in a foreign hotel with just an ethernet connection with a handful of devices on WiFi, I probably will still be able to get online. Of course, the only issue is that the battery in it will only give me about 3 hours of Internet connectivity since it has no external power source. In spite of the nagging thought that I don’t really have a need for it, I decided to get one because I liked the device so much as it came with its own power source. That’s not mentioning that I can easily use several devices and share the connection with one or two friends. It had worked pretty well when my friend used it in a small conference room with 4 people. All I need to do is charge it using the micro-USB port on the side of the device, simply by plugging it into the USB ports of a laptop or a desktop computer.

The device can be used almost right out of the box without any need for configuration. A security conscious person would more than frown with my lack of concern about network security but my take is that the risk of drive-by hacking or someone hijacking the connection for their use in Singapore is pretty low. Anyway, though it didn’t connect successfully on the first try when I plugged in SingTel’s Huawei E169 USB Modem with a M1 simcard, restarting the device was all that is needed. While it did take a few minutes to successfully connect, it worked fine after that as I was able to surf using the browser on the Galaxy Tab and use the Facebook app even after I removed the simcard (just to be sure I am doing everything correctly). I even connected a Macbook Air to it just to be double sure I am not mistaken. The only thing I didn’t like here is that it looked rather flimsy with the E169 plugged in. If it is to be placed in a bad and used as a mobile WiFi hotspot, my advice is to be careful about its placement in the bag to avoid breaking the USB modem when the bag is dropped by accident.


USB Port for 3G USB Modem

The device comes with a web-based configuration interface, but it is in Chinese so I didn’t really bothered to look at it as it worked right out of the box. I did notice that there are some firewall features but I didn’t bother to play with them. That probably something I will look into in the future but I had went looking for an English firmware update instead. I failed to find one even though my friend claimed he found one but his attempts to update the firmware has failed.

That brief test would be the end of the story for this device. At that point of time I had kicked myself for wasteing money to purchase another white elephant. I am resigned to use it as an emergency battery for my smartphone even though I had a YooBao “Long March” 11200mAh battery. It turned out that fate had a different idea. On July 13th, I sat like a fool from Lakeside all the way to Tiong Bahru (between 1845 ~ 1910hrs) looking at the white screen on my Galaxy Tab with my SingTel simcard plugged in before even a trickle of data even flowed through. It didn’t just failed to load on my Galaxy Tab. It had actually failed to load on my Samsung Omnia 7 smartphone as well. That is why I was pretty sure it was a network issue and not one with my devices. It doesn’t matter that on both devices I had full reception, but yet nothing was loading. SingTel clearly has a capacity – not coverage – issue, and in my opinion that’s the real reason why they are capping the download limit to 2GB. While it was fair enough to say I was on a moving train, but failing to load for about 10 stations (that’s like 20 minutes) is unacceptable and utterly atrocious. That’s not mentioning I never had this problem in the North East Line or the Circle Line previously and the train is underground for those lines!


Mode switch & Battery Indicator

So, I am still convinced at that time it was a SingTel issue because the people beside me happily loading away on their devices, even though I couldn’t tell which provider they were on. It might not be justified to blame it on SingTel, but I decided to bring the HAME MPR-A1 out to test another day since I had a M1 simcard slot into the E169. Well, surprisingly the HAME MPR-A1 worked pretty well. While I had expected the usual delays since wireless connectivity are less reliable than a cabled one, everything loaded pretty smoothly. The only complaint about the MPR-A1 would be the fact that it felt pretty hot after about an hour and the power runs out after three hours. But it serves my purpose so I don’t really complain about that. I subsequently tested it with the SingTel simcard as well and that episode of bad network didn’t recur.

Now, here’s for some pure conjecture. Another friend who worked as a sub-contractor which installed SingTel’s LTE equipment told me that a part of the equipment used by SingTel for its LTE expansion is supplied by Huawei (the other supplier being Ericsson). The E169 is a Huawei device so I am wondering whether I am not getting a similar issue while using the MPR-A1 because of that. The only issue with this speculation is that I didn’t originally use the device with a SingTel simcard, and I ain’t aware whether M1 uses any Huawei equipment at all. That said, I have decided against another Samsung smartphone should I decide on a replacement for my Omnia 7 in October even though I liked the Galaxy S III a lot. While I may have mostly blamed SingTel for that bad experience on July 13th, I cannot rule out that part of that problem maybe with how Samsung designed its antenna or the chip it used for telecommunications since both are Samsung devices. The same cannot be said about the two strangers next to me who obviously didn’t have a problem on the train that day, and I noticed they are using Blackberry and a HTC respectively. That said, I am wondering whether I should get a smartphone that’s completely “rare” in Singapore. Perhaps one that is made by Huawei or one of those Haier ones from China. After all, as long as it comes with an English interface, I don’t really give a flying damn about the brand. In fact, uniqueness shows character and unlike iFreaks I will not let a device manufacturer like Apple turn me into a drone. No manufacturer should define my character and what is cool for me. I determine what my lifestyle should be and it is not something a manufacturer can sell to me in the form of a overpriced device.

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Photos – Army Open House 2012

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The best description of my feelings for National Service [NS] would be: It’s complicated.

My platoon mates and my officers know for a fact I am the worst kind of soldier. In fact, it is clear that I ain’t fit to be one since I am often lost and confused when in green uniform. The only good news is that I haven’t gotten anyone of them hurt (or worse, killed) during my Operationally-Ready NS training. Truth be told, I rarely passed my IPPT [Individual Physical Proficiency Test] and I am a regular visitor of Maju Camp for Remedial Training [RT]. That is why I have also previously mentioned that I probably won’t survive for long as a soldier if a war breaks out, and at times I really hated National Service and even considered it a waste of time. That said, RT has kept me healthy and fit as I do not have the discipline to exercise on my own. These days, I am just getting fat.

Yet, if you were to tell me about abolishing NS or reducing the conscription period further, you will see me jump out and defend it. That is not hypocrisy. Because whether I liked NS or not, if I won’t defend my country – then who will?

I am glad I visited “Army Open House @ Our City 2012” held at the F1 Pit building near the Singapore Flyer this year. I must congratulate the Singapore Armed Forces [SAF], the Ministry of Defense [MINDEF] and in particular the organising committee for making this year’s Army Open House a success. This has got to be the best Army Open House I have been to. Even if there are those who won’t feel the same, it is still one of the best Army Open House ever. This is much needed at a time when the institution of National Service has suffered some blow to its public image.

I had to say our army has come a long way. While it is the fighting men, and not the equipment or weaponry that wins the war, I am impressed by the array of equipment and armaments that the SAF has procured over the years. In fact, while I am not very convinced that our armed forces can fight any conflict over a prolonged period in the past, I am now more assured that we are better equip to prosecute such a conflict if it was forced upon us. It is not the state of art Leopard 2 Main Battle Tans or the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) that convinced me of that, but the mobile kitchens and field washing machines that did so.

It doesn’t matter how well verse you are in Sun Tzu or von Clausewitz or how good a military history student you imagine yourself to be when you cannot appreciate the significance of mobile kitchens and field washing machines. What you have learn is all in vain if you do not understand how much soldiers appreciate a change of fresh uniforms and hot food in the field. However insignificant these equipment may look and no matter how useless they are in actual combat, it makes up by boossting the morale of the troops. The army marches on its stomach and combat rations can only last you so long. Freshly cooked food would be as good as godsend. Powder baths may keep rashes at bay, but a fresh change in uniforms goes a long way in keep a soldier comfortable on the front line. It also meant that the SAF no longer need to maintain a long supply line back to Singapore, since it can now utilise food and water in enemy territory on the move. The prospect of the SAF staying for extended periods would give opposing military planners pause when they consider plans to wage war against Singapore.

Before I bore everyone with a lengthly, boring lecture… here are the pictures I have taken at the Open House on Saturday (May 26th, 2012). Enjoy the pictures and see how far the SAF has come from the days of our fathers in the army to the time of their sons.

Recommended Reads:
Xinyun: Event: Army Open House 2012 ( #AOH12 ) @ F1 Pit
DK: Army Open House 2012

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