Month: June 2008

Vaporware: EFiX USB Dongle

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Wikipedia defines Vaporware as: ‘a software or hardware product which is announced by a developer well in advance of release, but which then fails to emerge, either with or without a protracted development cycle’ .

Is EFiX’s USB Dongle, which allegedly will Boot and install OSX on any PC, another vaporware? According to this gizmodo article, it is supposed to be released on June 23rd. But it’s already been at least 4 days since June 23rd and nothing. There’s also nothing on the EFiX website about the delay and it is half done up that it makes one wonder if it’s all a hoax. Or could they have stopped working on it because or pending lawsuits? It’s doesn’t surprise me if they are sued, considering that Apple is a even more monopolistic bastard than Micro$oft.

Anyway, it all began with Psystar’s Open Computer, which I become aware of while clearing emails in Hotmail (I still find it hard to call it Live Mail or whatever). From what I gathered, it was probably called the Open Mac originally, but was renamed Open Computer just to avoid some legal tussles, not to mention that it is offering OSX as an optional component while Ubuntu is the choice of OS for it.

From the links, I became aware of the OSx86 project. Ya, I know it’s been around for some time and I am being out of touch. And from reading if my laptop or desktop is compatible to have a hacked copy of OSX installed, which I found tedious (though not necessary difficult considering what I do for a living) that’s how I chanced upon the EFiX USB Dongle.

So what is this EFiX dongle anyway? Apparently it’s supposed to be the magic bullet that will remove all these hassles of hacking OSX to get it installed on the PC. And if you are wondering why I am looking at hacking OSX to install on a PC when people are getting Windows to install on a Mac with BootCamp, let me just say it’s just done because it can be done. It just gives me a sense of achievement and an opportunity to give an up yours to Apple. Furthermore, I am not going to pay Apple a ridiculous amount of money to get a ‘Mac Experience’ and their ridiculously proprietary hardware when I seriously despise Apple’s way of doing business.

Whether this dongle is vaporware or not, it is interesting to note that Wikipedia states this: ‘The marketing angle to “releasing” vaporware can be two-fold. On one hand the intention is to create the demand for a feature or product which did not previously exist in the market. On the other, the intent is also to judge the public reaction from the “release” and prepare a concrete marketing plan’ .

Is EFiX purposely doing this to test the market to see the reaction of PC users out there to see if there’s a demand for a Hackintosh, and hoping that if there’s a demand, some other company will jump the bandwagon to produce just such a thing?

It remains to be seen. Frankly, I haven’t heard of anyone talk about this in Singapore and if this is same level of interest – or rather, the lack of it – worldwide, I would say maybe that’s the real reason why EFiX remained silent so many days after June 23rd with their website in shambles. Perhaps, there’s really just not that many geeky people out there… and if this dongle thingie is really vaporware, I guess I’ll have to go back to the drawing board and read up those articles on how to manually install OSX on my Lenovo X61.

On 5th June, I predicted…

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I happened to be looking through the server archives of ‘Grapevine’ chats in the office and I found this little prediction I made on June 5th. (Time is in GMT.)

Damn! Why didn’t I go to bet on this? I would probably have made some money there.

Anyway, looking at the way Russia gets its clocks cleaned, there’s some speculation that both Turkey and Russia are out because of some match fixing.

After all… it would be a little hard on bookies to come up with the payout odds for Turkey to meet Russia in the finals. Too much uncertainty, and too hard to predict who will win.

And well, considering that if I was the bookie and I won’t leave that much to chance… such speculation is not hard to imagine.

More Security Boo-Boos…

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  • 11 June 2008 – Under the pretext of asking for water, two men – 32-year-old Jamaluddin Salam and 28-year-old Salman Abu Samah – made an escape from the lock-up in the Subordinate Courts off Upper Cross Street (yep, in the CBD!!) after assaulting two policemen.

  • 13 June 2008 – A group of Nepalese Gurkhas in a contingent attached to Singapore’s police ‘scuffled’ last week in a dispute over wages, a rare display of indiscipline in a force renowned for its bravery and devotion to duty.
    Singapore police said in a statement that the group, off-duty at the time, were involved ‘in an incident of disorderly and boisterous behaviour’ at their special compound on June 13.

  • 23 June 2008 – In his hurry to catch a flight at Changi Airport’s Budget Terminal morning, retiree Ang Heng Soon, 61, grabbed his 39-year-old son’s passport and left home. He actually managed to get on the flight all the way to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, before he owned up to the authorities there and was sent on a flight back to Singapore.

In just 14 days, here’s yet another 3 more counts of security fxxk-ups since Darth Kastari’s escape. And yet, the butt of all jokes in charge of security in Singapore remains shamelessly in his post.

Here’s my advice to you, you shameless dork. While I do not dare imagine I speak for the Big Man up there, take this as a sign that all these are happening probably because even He is displeased with your lackluster performance.

Or do you really need Him to actually use one of those Twisters in the East Coast recently to whip the clouds into the words: WONG, RESIGN NOW!!!, before you get take it that it is Divine will for you to butt out?

How long more do you expect Baby Lee to cover your ass and allow you to stay? Or is it so hard for you to understand the meaning and wisdom behind the Chinese phrase: 上梁不正下梁歪 ?

But I guess, any fxxk who can shamelessly justify for himself a 3-million dollar per year paycheck, already has a skin thick enough to take any kind of criticism.

Why just cancel the flypast? Cancel the NDP entirely!

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National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan Mabok Tongue has said the government gahmen cannot reduce petrol taxes despite the soaring oil prices. He added that motorists should try to cut down the number of trips to reduce energy consumption. So, how about the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) adopting this practice as well and cancelling the flypast portion at this year’s National Day Parade? Several evenings each week, the RSAF conducts low-flying practice flights across the island, using up very expensive jet fuel while creating noise pollution. The gahmen must take the lead if it expects its citizens to follow its advice. There are still seven weeks left to save that expensive jet fuel. – Denis Distant

I read this with some amusement because I was telling a colleague one day that this year’s flypast should be cancelled before Mr. Distant wrote this. In fact, I was saying, just do away with the NDP entirely. What is the point of a flypast and all that military display? Are we a communist nation like… North Korea?

It is not only a complete waste of fuel, but also the time of our national servicemen. On top of that, all that fireworks is a complete waste of money which perhaps require one day’s revenue of ERP. Furthermore, consider the carbon dioxide emissions that this one parade is going to produce when those spotlights comes on in the evening. Do we really need such displays to fire up our patriotic fervor for just the duration of the parade and after the parade everyone goes back to jousting one another for a seat on the MRT immediately when an hour ago may have been singing about how they love this country and its people?

Just give me a freaking break, ok? Because after all that talks about how Foreign Fallen Talents were the reason why we are keeping our jobs – which technically make us all looked like we are just a bunch of good-for-nothings – I have no reason to feel nationalistic or patriotic whatsoever.

Anyway, talking about the reduction of energy consumption, can the ministers tell us how much energy they are consuming in their bungalow houses – for e.g. at what temperature the thermostats of their air-conditioners are set? And how many jacuzzi, play stations, Wiis, and Xbox360s they have? Have they yet given up their cars to take the public transport to experience our World Worst Class Transport – especially during rush hours – first hand?

Quit farting out of your mouths, you 3-million-dollar white-shirt fxxkfaces. Just try for once to live the lives we live, before telling us what’s really good for us, alright?

Sh-italy OUT!!!

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Spain 4 : 2 Sh-italy (on Penalty)

Buffon must have used all his luck saving that late penalty against Romania, or else these shitheads would have been out already.

But yes, Sh-italy is OUT, finally!!! It’s a pity it took so long and these bunch of charlatans didn’t crash out with zero goals and zero points in the first round. I have waited long and hard for this day. These undeserving swines shouldn’t even be there for the quarterfinals. Romania would have been more deserving of that position but unfortunately they simply didn’t play well enough against the Netherlands.

Keep up the string of bad luck, Sh-italy, for there is nothing more joyous for me to see you bunch of divers, actors and thieves of the 2006 World Cup get the retribution you so deserved!!
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