tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54190192024-03-19T11:02:13.929+08:00Jeff's BlogA Lighter Touchjeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.comBlogger313125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-42406577451355127442016-05-06T01:00:00.000+08:002017-08-05T21:27:15.703+08:00Amazon Kindle Oasis in Singapore (Mid 2016)<b>Preamble: What happened in 2014 </b><br />
In late 2014, the yearly release of a new <a href="http://www.eink.com/" target="_blank">E Ink</a> Kindle model took an interesting turn as the price of a new Kindle became a lot higher. Instead of halting advancements in the black and white E Ink<a href="http://www.eink.com/" target="_blank"></a> models in deference to the usual colour tablets, Amazon instead pushed for a deluxe model in the form of the <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2014/10/amazon-kindle-voyage-in-singapore-late_26.html" target="_blank">Kindle Voyage</a>, a lighter and more elegant iteration.<br />
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Now interestingly if one looks at the main specifications of the components, they are <i>almost</i> the same. With the re-issue of the <a href="http://amzn.to/1T3DcOh" target="_blank">Kindle Paperwhite</a> a few months later, both models have top-of-the-line 'Retina' 300-ppi screens. So what's different? The main product differentiation is a lighter <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2014/10/amazon-kindle-voyage-in-singapore-late_26.html" target="_blank">Kindle Voyage</a> which has a flushed screen with a marginally higher screen contrast. From the fit and finish perspective, yes, it definitely has the perception of a high-end product. It feels very good holding one, especially with the <a href="http://amzn.to/1Wc1Mxo" target="_blank">leather Origami cover</a>. <br />
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<b>2016 Release: Kindle Oasis</b><br />
So this year's version took me by surprise because the new <a href="http://amzn.to/1rXQ8cJ" target="_blank">Kindle Oasis</a> is <i>even</i> more high-end. Is there even a market for this? Apparently Amazon thinks so. CEO Jeff Bezos said a long time ago that he wanted the Kindle to be something that 'vanishes' in our hands. After eight generations of Kindles, I believe this is the one that is really getting close to that ideal. Until you hold it in your hands, it is difficult to explain what it feels like. It feels really light, and really small. I think some people may even be worried that it's <i>too</i> light; that it might just fly out of your hands.<br />
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<b>The screen</b><br />
The 300-ppi <a href="http://www.eink.com/display_products_carta.html" target="_blank">E Ink Carta</a> screen is the main reason why you would buy a Kindle and not a conventional tablet to read books. The eInk screen is viewable both at night and in strong sunlight, and it is the same screen found on the <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2014/10/amazon-kindle-voyage-in-singapore-late_26.html" target="_blank">Kindle Voyage</a>. There is now a further improvement in the lighting LEDs. The press materials mention that the Oasis has 10 LEDs compared to 6 and 4 found on the Voyage and Paperwhite, making the Oasis' screen a lot more 'consistently lit'. While I find that to be technically true, I don't find the Paperwhite's 4 LEDs an issue in the first place. So for me that point is moot. Nonetheless, the Oasis lighting does look a lot more even.<br />
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<b>The cover</b><br />
Kindles have never come together with a cover, until now. There are three colours to choose from, and even with the cover the Kindle still feels very light and compact. The cover also includes a second battery, and the battery life has increased from 28 hours from the 21 hours found on the Kindle Voyage. To me that's not really a big issue. 21 hours is already a long time between charging.<br />
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<b>Buttons and usability</b><br />
The Kindle Oasis includes <i>all</i> the ways to turn pages known to mankind. You can swipe on the screen, you can tap on the screen, and now you also have physical hard buttons to press. Essentially there should be no issues turning pages. The chassis caters to both right and left-hand usage as the screen is inverted automatically if you use your left hand.<br />
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<b>Buying decisions </b><br />
In a nutshell, you can buy three <a href="http://amzn.to/1T3DcOh" target="_blank">Kindle Paperwhites</a> for the price of one <a href="http://amzn.to/1rXQ8cJ" target="_blank">Kindle Oasis</a>. Now that is quite extreme considering the fact that they all have 300-ppi Retina eInk screens! Is this justifiable? The quick answer that I have is that the Paperwhite is perfectly serviceable. The extra expense of a Voyage and an Oasis should be considered in the context of whether you have disposable income to spend. Each Kindle version definitely adds <i>something</i> more to the mix. There is no need to have that extra 'features', but it sure is good to have!<br />
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Perhaps another way of analysing the issue is to discuss the situations when a person might <i>not</i> choose a <a href="http://amzn.to/1rXQ8cJ" target="_blank">Kindle Oasis</a>, pricing considerations aside. The first is again its size. Some people may find the Paperwhite/Voyage more 'right' in terms of weight and size. The Oasis may actually feel <i>too</i> light; so light that it flies away from your hands!<br />
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The second is quite an important consideration; it has to do with screen breakage. The eInk screen, while best in class, is fragile. You can break it by just dropping the device on the floor. This problem is greatly reduced by using a cover that wraps the whole chassis. The Oasis does come with a cover. However, the leather flap only protects the front of the screen; the cover <i>doesn't actually wrap around the entire chassis</i>. Amazon has anticipated this issue and mentions in their press materials that the <i>'Kindle Oasis combines our strongest cover glass and a featherweight frame infused with metal using structural electroplating, ensuring it is lightweight while also resilient enough to take anywhere you want to read.' </i>While dropping the Oasis on the floor to see if the screen breaks is a testable hypothesis and I find structural electroplating absolutely fascinating, I don't really want to try it. So all I can say is that there is a higher risk of screen breakage for an <a href="http://amzn.to/1rXQ8cJ" target="_blank">Kindle Oasis</a> compared to a Paperwhite/Voyage combined with their original Amazon covers.<br />
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The bottom line is that if you can afford it, get the <a href="http://amzn.to/1rXQ8cJ" target="_blank">Kindle Oasis</a>. If you feel that it's way too expensive, get the <a href="http://amzn.to/1T3DcOh" target="_blank">Kindle Paperwhite</a>. There's nothing wrong at all with the <a href="http://amzn.to/1T3DcOh" target="_blank">Kindle Paperwhite</a>; it's a stellar product. If you want a thinner chassis with a flushed screen, get a Voyage. If you want something even more expensive, the <a href="http://amzn.to/1rXQ8cJ" target="_blank">Kindle Oasis</a> is a excellent buy. But only if you have disposable funds to spare or you feel that life is too short to save up your money.<br />
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All things considered, the good news is that the market has matured so much that there's a price point for everyone, and the Kindle Paperwhite, Voyage and Oasis are all very good with no inherent problems. What's more important with the release of the <a href="http://amzn.to/1rXQ8cJ" target="_blank">Kindle Oasis</a> is the affirmation that Amazon is not going to abandon the eInk market anytime soon, and that's just fantastic news for all Kindle fans.<br />
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<i>Note: The Paperwhite and Voyage are available at my <a href="http://www.sgkindleshop.com/" target="_blank">local online store, sgkindleshop.com</a>. </i><br />
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<b>How to buy a Kindle in Singapore </b><br />
The following instructions are useful because Amazon doesn't ship Kindles direct to Singapore. <br />
<ul>
<li><i>Summary:</i><i> </i><i><a href="http://amzn.to/1TuOUvF" target="_blank">Buy from Amazon</a> who will ship to your package forwarder, who will ship to you. Turnaround: around 14 days.</i><br />
</li>
<li>Go to the <a href="http://amzn.to/1T3DTa7" target="_blank">Kindle page</a> and buy yourself a Kindle. (You can use your local credit card with correct local billing address to do this. You don't need a VPN and don't need to use gift cards.) </li>
<li>The new Kindle will be automatically linked to your Amazon account. </li>
<li>Ship it to a third party mail forwarder such as <a href="http://www.comgateway.com/" target="_blank">Comgateway</a> (go to 'get my US address'), which is excellent. They use DHL to ship packages to Singapore. DHL is extremely reliable and fast; they even deliver on Sundays!</li>
<li>When you get your Kindle, you need to register it if it hasn't already been registered. After connecting to wifi at "home>settings", register it by filling in your Amazon username and password at "home>settings>register".</li>
</ul>
<b>Some preparatory steps to take before buying eBooks from the Amazon US store</b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: red;">Update: There may be no need for the instructions below if you want to use the non-US Amazon store. They are included for historical reasons.</span> Currently the US store has around 4 million titles; the non-US store has around 1 million titles. </b> <br />
<ul>
<li><i>Summary: Use a VPN and prepare your Amazon account. Buy gift card and send to yourself. Switch on the VPN before you click 'Buy now'.</i><br />
</li>
<li>Because a reader is supposed to be in the US if he wants to buy from the US store, there were instances where buyers were found to be not from the US and were asked to provide proof of US residency before they could buy books again. The probability of this happening is very low. To be totally safe, use a vpn described below.</li>
<li>Firstly, do not buy Amazon ebooks directly from your Kindle device or Kindle apps, not even free books. </li>
<li><a href="http://amzn.to/1rXR54S" target="_blank">Buy a gift card</a> with your local credit card, say USD50. Use the correct, local billing address for this purchase. Email the gift card to your email address. When you receive it in the mail, apply the gift amount to your Amazon account. </li>
<li>Go to your account, 'manage payment options', and erase your credit card info if you have any credit cards associated with Amazon.com . (Do this also whenever you buy something at Amazon using your local credit card.)</li>
<li>You need to buy books using your Internet browser on your computer with a VPN installed. Functionally, using a VPN is the equivalent of me giving you an airplane ticket to travel with your Kindle to the US. Use a VPN such as <a href="https://www.privatetunnel.com/" target="_blank">Private Tunnel</a> to make yourself situated in the US, in spirit. You may turn it off later when you're done purchasing. Click <a href="https://www.box.com/s/89f9ed25706c4cd1db12">here</a> to download some instructions. The cheapest VPN package can last you for years. Do not use Hotspot Shield; it's known not to work sometimes.</li>
<li>Exit your Internet browser.</li>
<li>Switch on your VPN. Open your browser.</li>
<li>Go to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle" target="_blank">Manage your Kindle</a> at the Kindle product page.</li>
<li>Go to 'settings>country settings'. Change your country to US if it's showing another country. Use any US address. Take a screenshot of it in case Amazon asks in future.</li>
<li>Switch off the VPN.</li>
</ul>
<b>How to buy eBooks from the Amazon US store</b> <br />
<ul>
<li><i>Summary: Don't buy books from Kindle itself, buy gift cards, send to yourself, use a VPN on your computer to buy books</i> </li>
<li>Do not buy eBooks (even if the books are free) with the Kindle device. </li>
<li>Ensure that you have sufficient funds in your account. If not, buy more gift cards and apply them to your account.</li>
<li>Exit your Internet browser.</li>
<li>Switch on your VPN, and check that it's working by going to <a href="http://www.whatismyipaddress.com/" target="_blank">http://www.whatismyipaddress.com</a> . It needs to show a US IP address.</li>
<li>Go to <a href="http://amzn.to/1rXRiow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. Find your book and click 'buy now with 1-click', 'deliver to your Kindle'. If you choose to wirelessly send it to your Kindle, you should receive the book in a few seconds. You can also choose to download the file and transfer it to your Kindle using USB. If asked for the billing address, use any US address. Note that this address will not be used because funds will originate from your gift card balance. <b>New</b>: Copy or do a screenshot of this information (the US billing address and telephone number that you used.) You may be asked for it in the future.</li>
<li>Switch off the VPN.</li>
</ul>
jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-35646749413362710502014-10-26T17:37:00.000+08:002015-02-13T09:41:31.951+08:00Amazon Kindle Voyage in Singapore (Late 2014)<i><b>Update: 26 Oct 2014: I've received my new Kindle Voyage, and will update this entry progressively. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section. My local Kindle shop is found at <a href="http://www.sgkindleshop.com/" target="_blank">SGKindleshop.com</a> .</b></i><br />
<br />
In the last few years that I've created <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2013/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" target="_blank">blog entries</a> for each new Kindle release, my first worry was always whether Kindle would stop development of the Kindle e-reader in deference to the tablet market instead. This year, for the first time since the shipment of the first Kindle, I'm happy to report that Amazon has no intention of stopping development to the Kindle. In fact, Amazon is apparently doing quite the opposite: doubling down on creating yet another magical Kindle, this time for the 'higher-end' market.<br />
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So for the first time since 2007, Amazon has two products that are 'top of the line': the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JG8GOWU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JG8GOWU&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=OBYLLQRQ2XVDBIG5" target="_blank">Paperwhite</a> (which will continue to be sold), and the new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOY8XWQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IOY8XWQ&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=KV77XKFYGR64KHDY" target="_blank">Kindle Voyage</a>. One reason is that there's really nothing wrong with the Paperwhite. It's a fantastic e-reader; nothing has changed in that regard and Amazon is not about to discontinue a perfectly fine product.<br />
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So what's changed? Why bring out yet another Kindle product? In the last few years, Amazon has been pricing the Kindles so low that they are hardly breaking even. But this year, Amazon is trying to capture the top-end of the market, by charging USD90 more for the Voyage, with some solid aesthetic improvements thrown in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj61buB0V5FXI8nKhgODzqFcnhhoe4totYL110lZp1_i0L1UvhiTFtRXTnk-tYiQVajJfqfNmOx7dJMILj8jDuNzdhyN5BT8kwynsCIDvJARXoGDHII5-wNXRpJ3VXRm4mwhO7QYsX3S4sMq9ngg3IQTV8Zagh09Ik00kIf3vgzYu_HsbfqqcM=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/kindle/dp/2014/KI/ki-whatsnew.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
<b>Screen</b><br />
Let's start with the first feature: an improved screen. I've always maintained that the Paperwhite has more or less a 'retina' screen (6" diagonal XGA display, 758 x 1024 pixels, 212 dpi resolution, 16-level gray scale) in the sense that if you hold it up at the normal reading distance, you won't be able to see the jagged letters. However, if you really want to 'pixel peek', yes you can see the jagged edges of the fonts. So for all intents and purposes, the Paperwhite is 'retina', even at the smallest font size, at reading distance, but not up close.<br />
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Now the Voyage has a mind-blowing high resolution (6" diagonal display, 1448 x 1072 pixels, 300 dpi resolution, 16-level gray scale). What this means is that no matter how close your nose is to the screen, you won't see the jagged letters. Also if I do a direct comparison between the two screens for the same pages of the same book at reading distance, the Voyage's text looks 'tighter' and it has higher contrast somewhat. This could be due to other reasons because it's a separate issue to mere resolution improvement.<br />
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There are reports on the forums that that the screen may display some sort of colour gradient. Mine has that too, with a very dim 'red' at the top and 'whiter' as it gets to the bottom. Some customers will exchange it for a new set, only to find similar things. Others are luckier at it's quite perfect. If the colour gradient is really bad, then yes, an exchange is recommended. In my case, the gradient is very subtle and I don't notice it if I don't purposely try to 'find fault'. Hopefully as the manufacturing process gets more matured the probability of such cases will decrease. (It took the Paperwhite 2 years to get it really right.) <br />
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So that's the bottom line: the Voyage has a tact sharp screen, with high-contrast text and retina-standard fonts. If you are looking for the very best screen and don't mind the price of admission, the Voyage is what you're looking for (considering the caveat in the above paragraph.)<br />
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<b>Size</b><br />
The first shocking thing is the package. Just take a look at the difference between the two packages. When comparing the length of the two, the Paperwhite is a bit longer. When I hold it in my hands, the Voyage feels tiny! And light! So that's a plus for people who want an even smaller footprint than the Paperwhite.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zrI8wznkDWI/VEzDL8nS7jI/AAAAAAAAfFg/VyrcxwaBpUg/s1600/DSC_0453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zrI8wznkDWI/VEzDL8nS7jI/AAAAAAAAfFg/VyrcxwaBpUg/s1600/DSC_0453.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kindle Voyage box on top of Paperwhite box. Leather cover box at left.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H_CteNc44tg/VExt1CUAziI/AAAAAAAAfD4/5T8lnXKNFrQ/s1600/DSC_0588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H_CteNc44tg/VExt1CUAziI/AAAAAAAAfD4/5T8lnXKNFrQ/s1600/DSC_0588.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voyage a bit shorter than Paperwhite.</td></tr>
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<b>PagePress sensors</b><br />
There are a few ways to turn pages: tap on the screen, swipe the screen, and now a new third way. There are 'buttons' at the side. You can rest your thumb there and if you want to turn pages, just press a little harder. It works very well. For left-handers who find it difficult to turn pages using the first two ways, this is a really good feature.<br />
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<b>Usability</b><br />
The Voyage, with the Origami leather cover, is smaller than the Paperwhite with its cover, so some readers may find it more difficult to hold. But once you get used to it, it's fine. Reading in bed with one hand requires a bit of hand gymnastics due to the fact it's difficult to grasp the cover using your little finger because the cover is designed to collapse onto itself! But it's possible to improve things by experimenting with your hand positioning. Additionally, the Origami does create new ways of reading in bed. I find it very useful to hold the 'stand' at the back instead of the chassis itself. Another way is to simply prop the Kindle lengthwise on the bed. This works very well indeed.<br />
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<b>New features</b><br />
Here are some upcoming features. I think the new Wordwise feature is absolutely stunning!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fKkre_JiJ2M/VEy7RSSHLXI/AAAAAAAAfEk/rmsQF1WXPQ4/s1600/showme-aboutthebook._V325445829_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fKkre_JiJ2M/VEy7RSSHLXI/AAAAAAAAfEk/rmsQF1WXPQ4/s1600/showme-aboutthebook._V325445829_.jpg" height="460" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About the book</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aDFaE-VHHt0/VEy7RceCgaI/AAAAAAAAfEo/4t2CXT2gGl0/s1600/showme-goodreads._V325437818_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aDFaE-VHHt0/VEy7RceCgaI/AAAAAAAAfEo/4t2CXT2gGl0/s1600/showme-goodreads._V325437818_.jpg" height="460" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better Goodreads integration</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wordwise</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kJOCfaoVAW4/VEy7SAtQGoI/AAAAAAAAfEw/z41yU4YuiA0/s1600/showme-xray._V325437811_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kJOCfaoVAW4/VEy7SAtQGoI/AAAAAAAAfEw/z41yU4YuiA0/s1600/showme-xray._V325437811_.jpg" height="460" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better X-Ray</td></tr>
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<b>Cover</b><br />
A cover is necessary to prevent screen breakages if you drop your Kindle. The new Amazon Origami covers <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZV1BD2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HZV1BD2&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=B5YNSLY7UL7TWKIT" target="_blank">(non-leather)</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZVFSO0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HZVFSO0&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=2NVCFZWMHJ3F2OFO" target="_blank">(leather)</a> is a little less protective than the 'thick rubber' ones for the Paperwhite. However, they still wrap around the chassis so there's still some protection to a certain extent. The top-flip construction can be a a little unwieldy for those more used to the Paperwhite's design as the Origami is designed to fold away to make a standing Kindle.<br />
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<b>Purchasing decision</b><br />
So what is a book lover to do? Kindle Paperwhite or Voyage? My recommendation is the Paperwhite if you're not comfortable with the high price of the Voyage. Amazon has never increased the price of its top product, until now! And that's because they now know there's a market for it: people who see the difference of USD80 as merely say, USD10. So if you have the funds and don't mind spending, get the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOY8XWQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IOY8XWQ&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=HUHVKZ3DEXGQFLDA" target="_blank">Kindle Voyage</a>. If not, the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JG8GOWU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JG8GOWU&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=6CYYOU7PKDE3SE2I">Kindle Paperwhite</a> is perfectly fine also.<br />
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<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2013/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" name="howtobuykindle"></a> <b>How to buy a Kindle in Singapore </b> <br />
<ul>
<li><i>Summary:</i><i> </i><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOY8XWQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IOY8XWQ&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=HUHVKZ3DEXGQFLDA" target="_blank">Buy from Amazon</a> who will ship to your package forwarder, who will ship to you. Turnaround: around 14 days.</i><br />
</li>
<li>Go to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOY8XWQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IOY8XWQ&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=HUHVKZ3DEXGQFLDA" target="_blank">Kindle page</a> and buy yourself a Kindle. (You can use your local credit card with correct local billing address to do this. You don't need a VPN and don't need to use gift cards.) </li>
<li>The new Kindle will be automatically linked to your Amazon account. </li>
<li>Ship it to a third party mail forwarder. <a href="https://www.borderlinx.com/" target="_blank">Borderlinx</a> (Citibank credit card required, go to 'get a virtual address') and <a href="http://www.comgateway.com/" target="_blank">Comgateway</a> (go to 'get my US address') are both excellent. They both use DHL to ship packages to Singapore. DHL is extremely reliable and fast; they even deliver on Sundays!</li>
<li>When you get your Kindle, you need to register it if it hasn't already been registered. After connecting to wifi at "home>settings", register it by filling in your Amazon username and password at "home>settings>register".</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2013/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" name="howtobuyebooks"></a><b>Some preparatory steps to take before buying eBooks from the Amazon US store</b> <br />
<ul>
<li><i>Summary: Use a VPN and prepare your Amazon account. Buy gift card and send to yourself. Switch on the VPN before you click 'Buy now'.</i><br />
</li>
<li>Because a reader is supposed to be in the US if he wants to buy from the US store, there were instances where buyers were found to be not from the US and were asked to provide proof of US residency before they could buy books again. The probability of this happening is very low. To be totally safe, use a vpn described below.</li>
<li>Firstly, do not buy Amazon ebooks directly from your Kindle device or Kindle apps, not even free books. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LLIKVU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004LLIKVU&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank">Buy a gift card</a> with your local credit card, say USD50. Use the correct, local billing address for this purchase. Email the gift card to your email address. When you receive it in the mail, apply the gift amount to your Amazon account. </li>
<li>Go to your account, 'manage payment options', and erase your credit card info if you have any credit cards associated with Amazon.com . (Do this also whenever you buy something at Amazon using your local credit card.)</li>
<li>You need to buy books using your Internet browser on your computer with a VPN installed. Functionally, using a VPN is the equivalent of me giving you an airplane ticket to travel with your Kindle to the US. Use a VPN such as <a href="https://www.privatetunnel.com/" target="_blank">Private Tunnel</a> to make yourself situated in the US, in spirit. You may turn it off later when you're done purchasing. Click <a href="https://www.box.com/s/89f9ed25706c4cd1db12">here</a> to download some instructions. The cheapest VPN package can last you for years. Do not use Hotspot Shield; it's known not to work sometimes.</li>
<li>Exit your Internet browser.</li>
<li>Switch on your VPN. Open your browser.</li>
<li>Go to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle" target="_blank">Manage your Kindle</a> at the Kindle product page.</li>
<li>Go to 'settings>country settings'. Change your country to US if it's showing another country. Use any US address. Take a screenshot of it in case Amazon asks in future.</li>
<li>Switch off the VPN.</li>
</ul>
<b>How to buy eBooks from the Amazon US store</b> <br />
<ul>
<li><i>Summary: Don't buy books from Kindle itself, buy gift cards, send to yourself, use a VPN on your computer to buy books</i> </li>
<li>Do not buy eBooks (even if the books are free) with the Kindle device. </li>
<li>Ensure that you have sufficient funds in your account. If not, buy more gift cards and apply them to your account.</li>
<li>Exit your Internet browser.</li>
<li>Switch on your VPN, and check that it's working by going to <a href="http://www.whatismyipaddress.com/" target="_blank">http://www.whatismyipaddress.com</a> . It needs to show a US IP address.</li>
<li>Go to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/b?ie=UTF8&node=1286228011&ref_=sa_menu_kbo3&_encoding=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. Find your book and click 'buy now with 1-click', 'deliver to your Kindle'. If you choose to wirelessly send it to your Kindle, you should receive the book in a few seconds. You can also choose to download the file and transfer it to your Kindle using USB. If asked for the billing address, use any US address. Note that this address will not be used because funds will originate from your gift card balance. <b>New</b>: Copy or do a screenshot of this information (the US billing address and telephone number that you used.) You may be asked for it in the future.</li>
<li>Switch off the VPN.</li>
</ul>
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<b>Some Kindle books I've bought to be read on the E Ink Kindle and Kindle for iPad.</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IHMEAYK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IHMEAYK&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=OEIBBMDFOMAZ3XUC"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00IHMEAYK&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ZOBNOI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005ZOBNOI&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=AX3ELJMFNP622ZKU"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B005ZOBNOI&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HG1692Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HG1692Y&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=L6MFXL27C6SQ6PVV"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00HG1692Y&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005C6AYVW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005C6AYVW&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=VFZ34HWCRBQNGY5I"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B005C6AYVW&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00796E4YG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00796E4YG&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=DEZHV4OIAEUSJADK"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00796E4YG&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008EKMBF0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008EKMBF0&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=N24TCGBBYLB4LQGW"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B008EKMBF0&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Z8FPQU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006Z8FPQU&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=OSX5P3HXTVGWDFUA"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B006Z8FPQU&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ODEPPI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001ODEPPI&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=4BRID27DOCR6E52S"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B001ODEPPI&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DTUHIDA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DTUHIDA&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00DTUHIDA&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F8FXFFY/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00F8FXFFY&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00F8FXFFY&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F8G6GJK/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00F8G6GJK&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00F8G6GJK&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HG1692Y/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HG1692Y&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HINIC8E/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HINIC8E&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00HINIC8E&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00APOSIEQ/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00APOSIEQ&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00APOSIEQ&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007MB5UIW/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007MB5UIW&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B007MB5UIW&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WEAI4E/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003WEAI4E&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B003WEAI4E&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ROKQGA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002ROKQGA&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B002ROKQGA&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BAXFAOW/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BAXFAOW&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00BAXFAOW&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004W0HZN4/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004W0HZN4&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004W0HZN4&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EVZWVXY/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00EVZWVXY&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00EVZWVXY&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BF224OC/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BF224OC&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00BF224OC&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZX868W/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003ZX868W&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B003ZX868W&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XRELDY/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003XRELDY&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B003XRELDY&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C1N92YY/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00C1N92YY&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00C1N92YY&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003D20RSW/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003D20RSW&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B003D20RSW&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BWQW73E/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BWQW73E&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00BWQW73E&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FC0SIM/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000FC0SIM&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000FC0SIM&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003IEJZUG/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003IEJZUG&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B003IEJZUG&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00272MATI/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00272MATI&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl0900-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00272MATI&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl0900-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0090RVGW0/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0090RVGW0&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl0900-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0090RVGW0&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl0900-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043M4ZH0/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0043M4ZH0&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl0900-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0043M4ZH0&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl0900-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007KTLQ5W/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007KTLQ5W&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B007KTLQ5W&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004P1JDJO/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004P1JDJO&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004P1JDJO&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RI9IVK/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002RI9IVK&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B002RI9IVK&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XNKY7Y/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004XNKY7Y&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004XNKY7Y&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00699SDR8/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00699SDR8&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00699SDR8&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00866GYDW/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00866GYDW&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00866GYDW&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H4X83Q/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004H4X83Q&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004H4X83Q&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W918NM/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000W918NM&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000W918NM&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009MYAOQU/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009MYAOQU"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B009MYAOQU&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AHP5NY6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AHP5NY6"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B00AHP5NY6&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055N0EI0/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0055N0EI0"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0055N0EI0&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009RC0B3S/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009RC0B3S&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B009RC0B3S&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0053UTEN6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0053UTEN6&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0053UTEN6&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DRO5OY/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003DRO5OY&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B003DRO5OY&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0079KT81G/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0079KT81G&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" 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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fg-ec2.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FG%2F01%2Fkindle%2Fdp%2F2014%2FKI%2Fki-whatsnew.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj61buB0V5FXI8nKhgODzqFcnhhoe4totYL110lZp1_i0L1UvhiTFtRXTnk-tYiQVajJfqfNmOx7dJMILj8jDuNzdhyN5BT8kwynsCIDvJARXoGDHII5-wNXRpJ3VXRm4mwhO7QYsX3S4sMq9ngg3IQTV8Zagh09Ik00kIf3vgzYu_HsbfqqcM=" -->jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com61tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-83387562528048121202013-09-16T10:14:00.000+08:002015-07-23T01:11:17.967+08:00Amazon Kindle Paperwhite in Singapore (Late 2013)<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>If you want to read more last year's Kindle Paperwhite (with 300 comments!), click <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </i></div>
<b>1) Updates: </b><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5 August 2013: </b>I just opened a new online shop <a href="http://www.sgkindleshop.com/" target="_blank">Singapore Kindle Shop</a>. Get the Kindle Paperwhite (no ads version) at S$250 with free 2-day delivery </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">7 October: I've received my new Paperwhite. Highly recommended with a fantastic screen!<u><b> </b></u></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>26 Oct 2014: </b>This blog entry will no longer be updated. <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2014/10/amazon-kindle-voyage-in-singapore-late_26.html" target="_blank">Click here for the new Kindle Voyage entry!</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1 July 2015: </b>The new<a href="http://amzn.to/1KkC186" target="_blank"> Paperwhite</a> has been upgraded to 300PPI! </span><u><b><a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2014/10/amazon-kindle-voyage-in-singapore-late.html" target="_blank"> </a></b></u></li>
</ul>
<b>2) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2013/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html#paperwhite">New 2013 features</a></b><br />
<b>3) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2013/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html#howtobuykindle">How to buy a Kindle in Singapore</a></b><br />
<b>4) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2013/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html#howtobuyebooks">How to buy Kindle ebooks in Singapore</a></b><br />
<b>5) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2013/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html#ebooksihave">Some Kindle ebooks I've bought</a></b><br />
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<iframe height="197" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QaHQqI3fksM" width="350"></iframe> <iframe height="197" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ghYDpDaK5ds" width="350"></iframe> <br />
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As I said in last year's entry, I always worry when this time of the year arrives. Would Amazon discontinue the Kindle? Would they be lured by the Dark Side and embrace tablets at the cost of E Ink devices? Would Amazon continue to take <i>reading</i> (and not reading+music+internet+Angry Birds!) seriously? Fortunately, the answer is yes, and in late October 2013 they announced the 2nd version of the Kindle Paperwhite. Here's what's new. <br />
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<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2013/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" name="paperwhite"></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxg4q0uqew7noit4wFq1qCeUlrhZ-MzM7mWGsXDhPVc2vGynE4fnUWDt6sbkOykBbSrCijKohAO-Ppy8LKJAonIgLN14Z4v97RNn1RjM7WieHdRx5kBEyaPalbauUo166D-YzVqg/s1600/comparison+eink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxg4q0uqew7noit4wFq1qCeUlrhZ-MzM7mWGsXDhPVc2vGynE4fnUWDt6sbkOykBbSrCijKohAO-Ppy8LKJAonIgLN14Z4v97RNn1RjM7WieHdRx5kBEyaPalbauUo166D-YzVqg/s400/comparison+eink.jpg" width="370" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Click=big</i></td></tr>
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As we can see from the table, last year's Pearl and this year's Carta E Ink screens are mostly similar. The big difference is the 3rd and 4th lines of the table. Contrast ratio, the thing that makes print pages look really good, has been improved yet again! <b> </b> <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" name="paperwhite"></a> <b> </b><br />
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<b>New 2013 features</b> Apart from the hardware, the software has been evolving continuously. The first two features below are VERY exciting! (For owners of Paperwhite version 1, these features will most definitely be available in a future software update.) <i> </i><br />
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<i>New Kindle FreeTime—Built-in parental controls have been extended to give parents a simple, engaging way to encourage kids to spend more time reading. Hand-select books for your kids to read, and hand out achievement badges when they hit reading milestones. A progress report keeps parents updated on total time spent reading, number of words looked up, badges earned and books finished. </i> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKaqhUhh_yS9T0G_5poIAaD7ms19ASbE8JLkDjnTCG7vaVZi-9Uop1wL6iBI87t-TJHWnetI9ny_NVq9fxo3yB2XpsXUizPXPDyEJbyAgbsuO0HAJbfAuf9qq7C-lTojcqtu8zQ/s1600/5-showme-freetime-parent-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKaqhUhh_yS9T0G_5poIAaD7ms19ASbE8JLkDjnTCG7vaVZi-9Uop1wL6iBI87t-TJHWnetI9ny_NVq9fxo3yB2XpsXUizPXPDyEJbyAgbsuO0HAJbfAuf9qq7C-lTojcqtu8zQ/s400/5-showme-freetime-parent-lg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffbFuNKlU2xu1FBULsJ548w-herjqcmrqTum6ysGj4DdOjiLXM3v2nVpP_XWZEl64aBa2PW6cHQ2zHls3iRucCzLj-4Vc2Hfa0lON-B0ASyxZpWpp2l_qWxvnGOKezyOn4U-_Ow/s1600/6-showme-freetime-child-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffbFuNKlU2xu1FBULsJ548w-herjqcmrqTum6ysGj4DdOjiLXM3v2nVpP_XWZEl64aBa2PW6cHQ2zHls3iRucCzLj-4Vc2Hfa0lON-B0ASyxZpWpp2l_qWxvnGOKezyOn4U-_Ow/s400/6-showme-freetime-child-lg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i>New Vocabulary Builder—Compiles words you look up in the dictionary into an easy-to-access list. Use these lists to quiz yourself with flashcards and instantly see words in context. See screenshots:</i> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3F2AHK2NPIea60Ke_xRKmgkPHPHlCf0TK8XiXlS4LUdONu9F8cxJVwTYdG75Tx-OKQWXDWZUSTcCeMOL2zPL5TvSDg0Pza3a_nDx5qwM5L34fU8B5tROs8QqQuBNIs7S4GSLng/s1600/3-showme-vocabbuilder-list-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3F2AHK2NPIea60Ke_xRKmgkPHPHlCf0TK8XiXlS4LUdONu9F8cxJVwTYdG75Tx-OKQWXDWZUSTcCeMOL2zPL5TvSDg0Pza3a_nDx5qwM5L34fU8B5tROs8QqQuBNIs7S4GSLng/s400/3-showme-vocabbuilder-list-lg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1EYufXlYn5q8mDu2uu5Uyrs8qcvUtkI09srK0mCydUaOz-i5C0m8V3rDEIY6z_F0_nUOomgyhZBxPkDsxM72TXNcg0E0kA0xD1-M50I9XYgvZ_rtbzA6glO2-vKVOejvECYfXg/s1600/4-showme-vocabbuilder-flashcard-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1EYufXlYn5q8mDu2uu5Uyrs8qcvUtkI09srK0mCydUaOz-i5C0m8V3rDEIY6z_F0_nUOomgyhZBxPkDsxM72TXNcg0E0kA0xD1-M50I9XYgvZ_rtbzA6glO2-vKVOejvECYfXg/s400/4-showme-vocabbuilder-flashcard-lg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i>New Smart Lookup—Integrates a full dictionary definition with other reference information about a word, character, topic or book via X-Ray and Wikipedia. For example, using an ordinary dictionary to look up “credit default swaps” in Michael Lewis’ The Big Short would give the individual definitions of “credit,” “default” and “swaps.” Smart Lookup recognizes this is an important topic and phrase in the book, and gives you the correct definition of “credit default swaps” via X-Ray. See a screenshot: www.amazon.com/kindle-lookup.</i> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfX_oN29BTiVfwjC-pDgtggllsxDU1MLmAFzVC1gVtXUp84gnFP_NdYD9htMsDs6izJ2bMVE8fd68RKGLfGCAybLR9-tGgdB8dNAxvgmam2kdcBmtlPx_Ra0AulfH1L44W3OyZw/s1600/2-showme-smartlookup-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfX_oN29BTiVfwjC-pDgtggllsxDU1MLmAFzVC1gVtXUp84gnFP_NdYD9htMsDs6izJ2bMVE8fd68RKGLfGCAybLR9-tGgdB8dNAxvgmam2kdcBmtlPx_Ra0AulfH1L44W3OyZw/s320/2-showme-smartlookup-lg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>New In-line Footnotes—With a single tap, read the complete text of each footnote in-line without changing the page or losing your place in the book. See a screenshot: www.amazon.com/kindle-footnotes. </i> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1B7atCf41nN1NNSfY4XBShmlFVSCfdwINEPtYyKaKdyoVe-Jo9_WjN6QCFVvFUpe2DwmnEcVdC0YYnuuu9eYLxs2oA3pjMr1TTgY8VMs01CA-8lvuf04Bv1vIqLqSKnGuf4DgQ/s1600/showme-footnotes-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1B7atCf41nN1NNSfY4XBShmlFVSCfdwINEPtYyKaKdyoVe-Jo9_WjN6QCFVvFUpe2DwmnEcVdC0YYnuuu9eYLxs2oA3pjMr1TTgY8VMs01CA-8lvuf04Bv1vIqLqSKnGuf4DgQ/s320/showme-footnotes-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2013/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" name="howtobuykindle"></a> <b>How to buy a Kindle in Singapore </b> <br />
<ul>
<li><i>Summary: </i><i><a href="http://amzn.to/1KkC186" target="_blank">Buy from Amazon</a></i><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AWH595M/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AWH595M&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank"></a>, who will ship to your forwarder, who will ship to you. Turnaround: around 14 days.</i><br />
</li>
<li>Go to the <a href="http://amzn.to/1KkC186" target="_blank">Kindle page</a> buy yourself a Kindle. (You can use your local credit card with correct local billing address to do this. You don't need a VPN and don't need to use gift cards.) </li>
<li>The new Kindle will be automatically linked to your Amazon account. </li>
<li>Ship it to a third party mail forwarder. <a href="https://www.borderlinx.com/" target="_blank">Borderlinx</a> (Citibank credit card required, go to 'get a virtual address') and <a href="http://www.comgateway.com/" target="_blank">Comgateway</a> (go to 'get my US address') are both excellent. They both use DHL to ship packages to Singapore. DHL is extremely reliable and fast; they even deliver on Sundays!</li>
<li>When you get your Kindle, you need to register it if it hasn't already been registered. After connecting to wifi at "home>settings", register it by filling in your Amazon username and password at "home>settings>register".</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2013/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" name="howtobuyebooks"></a><b>Some preparatory steps to take before buying eBooks from the Amazon US store</b> <br />
<ul>
<li><i>Summary: Use a VPN and prepare your Amazon account. Buy gift card and send to yourself.</i><br />
</li>
<li>Because Amazon doesn't officially support Kindles in Singapore, there were instances where buyers were found to be not from 'authorised countries' and were asked to provide proof of US residency before they could buy books again. The probability of this happening is very low. To be totally safe, use a vpn described below.</li>
<li>Firstly, do not buy Amazon ebooks directly from your Kindle device or Kindle apps, not even free books. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LLIKVU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004LLIKVU&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank">Buy a gift card</a> with your local credit card, say USD50. Use the correct, local billing address for this purchase. Email the gift card to your email address. When you receive it in the mail, apply the gift amount to your Amazon account. </li>
<li>Go to your account, 'manage payment options', and erase your credit card info if you have any credit cards associated with Amazon.com . (Do this also whenever you buy something at Amazon using your local credit card.)</li>
<li>You need to buy books using your Internet browser on your computer with a VPN installed. Functionally, using a VPN is the equivalent of me giving you an airplane ticket to travel with your Kindle to the US. Use a VPN such as <a href="https://www.privatetunnel.com/" target="_blank">Private Tunnel</a> to make yourself situated in the US, in spirit. You may turn it off later when you're done purchasing. Click <a href="https://www.box.com/s/89f9ed25706c4cd1db12">here</a> to download some instructions. The cheapest VPN package can last you for years. Do not use Hotspot Shield; it's known not to work sometimes.</li>
<li>Exit your Internet browser.</li>
<li>Switch on your VPN. Open your browser.</li>
<li>Go to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle" target="_blank">Manage your Kindle</a> at the Kindle product page.</li>
<li>Go to 'settings>country settings'. Change your country to US if it's showing another country. Use any US address. Take a screenshot of it in case Amazon asks in future.</li>
<li>Switch off the VPN.</li>
</ul>
<b>How to buy eBooks from the Amazon US store</b> <br />
<ul>
<li><i>Summary: Don't buy books from Kindle itself, buy gift cards, send to yourself, use a VPN on your computer to buy books</i> </li>
<li>Do not buy eBooks (even if the books are free) with the Kindle device. </li>
<li>Ensure that you have sufficient funds in your account. If not, buy more gift cards and apply them to your account.</li>
<li>Exit your Internet browser.</li>
<li>Switch on your VPN, and check that it's working by going to <a href="http://www.whatismyipaddress.com/" target="_blank">http://www.whatismyipaddress.com</a> . It needs to show a US IP address.</li>
<li>Go to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/b?ie=UTF8&node=1286228011&ref_=sa_menu_kbo3&_encoding=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. Find your book and click 'buy now with 1-click', 'deliver to your Kindle'. If you choose to wirelessly send it to your Kindle, you should receive the book in a few seconds. You can also choose to download the file and transfer it to your Kindle using USB. If asked for the billing address, use any US address. Note that this address will not be used because funds will originate from your gift card balance. <b>New</b>: Copy or do a screenshot of this information (the US billing address and telephone number that you used.) You may be asked for it in the future.</li>
<li>Switch off the VPN.</li>
</ul>
<b> </b> <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2013/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" name="ebooksihave"></a> <b>Some Kindle books I've bought to be read on the E Ink Kindle and Kindle for iPad.</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ZOBNOI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005ZOBNOI&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=AX3ELJMFNP622ZKU"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B005ZOBNOI&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HG1692Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HG1692Y&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=L6MFXL27C6SQ6PVV"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00HG1692Y&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005C6AYVW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005C6AYVW&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=VFZ34HWCRBQNGY5I"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B005C6AYVW&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00796E4YG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00796E4YG&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=DEZHV4OIAEUSJADK"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00796E4YG&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008EKMBF0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008EKMBF0&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=N24TCGBBYLB4LQGW"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B008EKMBF0&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Z8FPQU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006Z8FPQU&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=OSX5P3HXTVGWDFUA"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B006Z8FPQU&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ODEPPI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001ODEPPI&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20&linkId=4BRID27DOCR6E52S"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B001ODEPPI&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DTUHIDA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DTUHIDA&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00DTUHIDA&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F8FXFFY/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00F8FXFFY&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00F8FXFFY&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F8G6GJK/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00F8G6GJK&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00F8G6GJK&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><a 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jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com105tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-75879193026845122502013-04-07T16:00:00.000+08:002013-04-07T22:14:36.398+08:00My DNA Results Are Out! / Genographic Project 2.0The <a href="https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/" target="_blank">Geno 2.0 project</a> must be the most interesting crowd sourcing science project that National Geographic has ever done. I <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2007/10/my-dna-results-are-out-genographic.html" target="_blank">did the Geno 1.0 test 5 years ago</a>. Last year they improved the technology and launched Geno 2.0. I ordered online on 13th January and received the results on 6th April; around 3 months turnaround.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The story goes like this: our DNA is like a huge history book which tells the story of how our ancestors travelled from Africa and populated all areas around the world. The heart of the matter is that we were all Africans, and we are all family (not just in the metaphorical sense but factually), descended from just a few humans many tens of thousands of years ago. The fact that we are able to know this, in this century that we happen to be in, is nothing short of breathtaking.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The newer Geno test includes new information that can only get more interesting as more people contribute their background information to add to the data pool. The following are the results I have received. All pictures can be enlarged.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Your story</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Your chapter of the human story is ready to be told. The results of your Genographic Project test reveal information about your distant ancestors, including how and when they moved out of Africa and the various populations they interacted with over thousands of years of migration. How do we do this? By tracking markers—random, naturally occurring, changes in your DNA. The mutations act as a beacon and can be mapped over thousands of years (on the Y-chromosome for paternal lines and mitochondrial DNA for maternal lines). When geneticists identify such a marker, they try to figure out when it first occurred, and in which geographic region of the world. In the report below, you will see the group with which you share genetic markers on your paternal and/or maternal sides. This is called your “haplogroup,” and is expressed in numbers and letters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Introduction to Your Story</b><br />We will now take you back through the stories of your distant ancestors and show how the movements of their descendants gave rise to your lineage.<br /><br />Each segment on the map above represents the migratory path of successive groups that eventually coalesced to form your branch of the tree. We start with the marker for your oldest ancestor, and walk forward to more recent times, showing at each step the line of your ancestors who lived up to that point.<br /><br />What is a marker? Each of us carries DNA that is a combination of genes passed from both our mother and father, giving us traits that range from eye color and height to athleticism and disease susceptibility. As part of this process, the Y-chromosome is passed directly from father to son, unchanged, from generation to generation down a purely male line. Mitochondrial DNA, on the other hand, is passed from mothers to their children, but only their daughters pass it on to the next generation. It traces a purely maternal line.<br /><br />The DNA is passed on unchanged, unless a mutation—a random, naturally occurring, usually harmless change—occurs. The mutation, known as a marker, acts as a beacon; it can be mapped through generations because it will be passed down for thousands of years.<br /><br />When geneticists identify such a marker, they try to figure out when it first occurred, and in which geographic region of the world. Each marker is essentially the beginning of a new lineage on the family tree of the human race. Tracking the lineages provides a picture of how small tribes of modern humans in Africa tens of thousands of years ago diversified and spread to populate the world.<br /><br />By looking at the markers you carry, we can trace your lineage, ancestor by ancestor, to reveal the path they traveled as they moved out of Africa. Our story begins with your earliest ancestor. Who were they, where did they live, and what is their story? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Your Maternal Line: B4c1b2a</b><br />The
common direct maternal ancestor to all women alive today was born in
East Africa about 180,000 years ago. Though not the only woman alive at
the time, hers is the only line to survive into current generations.<br /><br />From
East Africa, groups containing this lineage spread across Africa.
Between 60 and 70 thousand years ago, some groups moved from Africa to
Asia. Your line traces to one of these groups.<br /><br />Some from your line spread across Asia and settled. Others traveled across the Beringia land bridge to the Americas.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Branch: L3<br />Age: 70,000 Years Ago<br />Location of Origin: East Africa</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This woman’s descendants would eventually account for both out-of-Africa maternal lineages, significant population migrations in Africa, and even take part in the Atlantic Slave Trade related dispersals from Africa.<br /><br />The common direct maternal ancestor to all women alive today was born in East Africa around 180,000 years ago. Dubbed “Mitochondrial Eve” by the popular press, she represents the root of the human family tree. Eve gave rise to two descendant lineages known as L0 and L1’2’3’4’5’6, characterized by a different set of genetic mutations their members carry.<br /><br />Current genetic data indicates that indigenous people belonging to these groups are found exclusively in Africa. This means that, because all humans have a common female ancestor, and because the genetic data shows that Africans are the oldest groups on the planet, we know our species originated there.<br /><br />Eventually, L1’2’3’4’5’6 gave rise to L3 in East Africa. It is a similar story: an individual underwent a mutation to her mitochondrial DNA, which was passed onto her children. The children were successful, and their descendants ultimately broke away from L1’2’3’4’5’6, eventually separating into a new group called L3.<br /><br />While L3 individuals are found all over Africa, L3 is important for its movements north. Your L3 ancestors were significant because they are the first modern humans to have left Africa, representing the deepest branches of the tree found outside of that continent.<br /><br />From there, members of this group went in a few different directions. Many stayed on in Africa, dispersing to the west and south. Some L3 lineages are predominant in many Bantu-speaking groups who originated in west-central Africa, later dispersing throughout the continent and spreading this L3 lineage from Mali to South Africa. Today, L3 is also found in many African-Americans.<br /><br />Other L3 individuals, your ancestors, kept moving northward, eventually leaving the African continent completely. These people gave rise to two important haplogroups that went on to populate the rest of the world.<br /><br />Why would humans have first ventured out of the familiar African hunting grounds and into unexplored lands? It is likely that a fluctuation in climate may have provided the impetus for your ancestors’ exodus out of Africa.<br /><br />The African Ice Age was characterized by drought rather than by cold. Around 50,000 years ago the ice sheets of northern Europe began to melt, introducing a period of warmer temperatures and moister climate in Africa. Parts of the inhospitable Sahara briefly became habitable. As the drought-ridden desert changed to savanna, the animals your ancestors hunted expanded their range and began moving through the newly emerging green corridor of grasslands. Your nomadic ancestors followed the good weather and plentiful game northward across this Saharan Gateway, although the exact route they followed remains to be determined.<br /><br />Point of Interest: The L branch is shared by all women alive today, both in Africa and around the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Branch: N<br />Age: About 60,000 Years Ago<br />Location of Origin: East Africa or Asia</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Your next ancestor is the woman whose descendants formed haplogroup N. Haplogroup N comprises one of two groups that were created by the descendants of L3.<br /><br />One of these two groups of individuals moved north rather than east and left the African continent across the Sinai Peninsula, in present-day Egypt. Also faced with the harsh desert conditions of the Sahara, these people likely followed the Nile basin, which would have proved a reliable water and food supply in spite of the surrounding desert and its frequent sandstorms.<br /><br />Descendants of these migrants eventually formed haplogroup N. Early members of this group lived in the eastern Mediterranean region and western Asia, where they likely coexisted for a time with other hominids such as Neanderthals. Excavations in Israel’s Kebara Cave (Mount Carmel) have unearthed Neanderthal skeletons as recent as 60,000 years old, indicating that there was both geographic and temporal overlap of these two hominids. This likely accounts for the presence of Neanderthal DNA in people living outside of Africa.<br /><br />Some members bearing mutations specific to haplogroup N formed many groups of their own which went on to populate much of the rest of the globe. These descendants are found throughout Asia, Europe, India, and the Americas. However, because almost all of the mitochondrial lineages found in the Near East and Europe descend from N, it is considered a western Eurasian haplogroup.<br /><br />After several thousand years in the Near East, members of your group began moving into unexplored nearby territories, following large herds of migrating game across vast plains. These groups broke into several directions and made their way into territories surrounding the Near East.<br /><br />Today, haplogroup N individuals who headed west are prevalent in Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean, they are found further east in parts of Central Asia and the Indus Valley of Pakistan and India. And members of your haplogroup who headed north out of the Levant across the Caucasus Mountains have remained in southeastern Europe and the Balkans. Importantly, descendants of these people eventually went on to populate the rest of Europe, and today comprise the most frequent mitochondrial lineages found there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Branch: R<br />Age: About 55,000 Years Ago<br />Location of Origin: West Asia</b><br /><br />After several thousand years in the Near East, individuals belonging to a new group called haplogroup R began to move out and explore the surrounding areas. Some moved south, migrating back into northern Africa. Others went west across Anatolia (present-day Turkey) and north across the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia and southern Russia. Still others headed east into the Middle East, and on to Central Asia. All of these individuals had one thing in common: they shared a female ancestor from the N clan, a recent descendant of the migration out of Africa.<br /><br />The story of haplogroup R is complicated, however, because these individuals can be found almost everywhere, and because their origin is quite ancient. In fact, the ancestor of haplogroup R lived relatively soon after humans moved out of Africa during the second wave, and her descendants undertook many of the same migrations as her own group, N.<br /><br />Because the two groups lived side by side for thousands of years, it is likely that the migrations radiating out from the Near East comprised individuals from both of these groups. They simply moved together, bringing their N and R lineages to the same places around the same times. The tapestry of genetic lines became quickly entangled, and geneticists are currently working to unravel the different stories of haplogroups N and R, since they are found in many of the same far-reaching places.<br /><br />Point of Interest: Descendants of this line dominate the European maternal landscape, making up 75 to 95 percent of the lineages there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Branch: B4'5<br />Age: About 51,000 Years Ago<br />Location of Origin: Asia</b><br /><br />Born in the deserts and plains between the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal in Central Asia, some of this woman’s descendants migrated into East Asia. There it became a founding lineage. Around 17,000 years ago, a population explosion in East Asia triggered expansion into new lands. From northeastern Asia, groups that included this lineage traveled south along the Pacific coast, and this lineage is now part of populations from Vietnam to Japan. During the last glacial maximum, about 15,000 years ago, a corridor opened between Siberia and North America.<br /><br />Some members of a descendant branch moved across into the Americas. This branch was one of only five founding lineages, and today is part of the populations throughout native groups of North and South America.<br /><br />Today, this lineage is around 3 percent of Siberians and around 17 percent of all Chinese people. European colonization and loss of native lands to urbanization has diminished its presence in the indigenous populations of the Americas. However, it remains significant in remaining populations.<br /><br /><b>Branch: B4<br />Age: 44,200 ± 11,600 Years Ago<br />Location of Origin: Asia</b><br /><br />Members of this maternal lineage spread across much of Asia and some descendants became early founders in the Americas.<br /><br />Note: This branch is not accompanied by a major movement on the map, and research on this branch is continuing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Branch: B4c1b<br />Age: To Be Determined<br />Location of Origin: Asia</b><br /><br />While some groups containing women from this lineage traveled up the Indus Valley and across into Central Asia, others moved along the coastline toward East Asia and Southeast Asia.<br /><br />Note: This branch is not accompanied by a major movement on the map, and research on this branch is continuing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Heatmap for B4</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">A heat map for your specific haplogroup is not yet available. We hope that as more people from around the world participate in the project we will be able to create a more specific map. We're showing you a heat map for an earlier branch in your path: B4.<br /><br />This next step in your journey is a map showing the frequency of your haplogroup (or the closest haplogroup in your path that we have frequency information for) in indigenous populations from around the world, providing a more detailed look at where some of your more recent ancestors settled in their migratory journey. What do we mean by recent? It's difficult to say, as it could vary from a few hundred years ago to a few thousand years ago depending on how much scientists currently know about your particular haplogroup. As we test more individuals and receive more information worldwide, this information will grow and change.<br /><br />The colors on the map represent the percentage frequency of your haplogroup in populations from different geographic regions—red indicates high concentrations and light yellow and grey indicate low concentrations. The geographic region with the highest frequency isn’t necessarily the place where the haplogroup originated, although this is sometimes the case.<br /><br />The map of B4 shows that it spread across in Eastern Eurasia and to the Americas. This spread is due to the lineage’s expansion from Asia into North America. The highest frequencies in East Asia are along the coastline and down into Oceana. In the Americas, the frequencies show migrations across the plains of North America and along the western coast of South America.<br /><br />Does this mean you’re related to people in the areas highlighted on your map? Distantly, yes! We are all connected through our ancient ancestry. In order for us to learn more ancestry information about where haplogroups settled in more recent times, please choose to contribute your results to science (check the checkbox during Login or from the Account Settings tab of your Profile), and fill out your ancestry information in the Profile section of the site. Also be sure to tell your own story in the Our Story section.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Your Paternal Line: O-L198</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The common direct paternal ancestor of all men alive today was born in Africa around 140,000 years ago. He was neither the first human male nor the only male alive in his time. He was the only male whose direct lineage is present in current generations. Most men, including your direct paternal ancestors, trace their ancestry to one of this man’s descendants.<br /><br />Your branch of this lineage took part in the second wave of out-of-Africa migrations to Asia. Your ancestors traveled to Southeast Asia. Some continued north into East Asia. The majority of these men traveled inland across what is now the south of China. From inland China, some traveled back toward the west into the northeast of the Indian subcontinent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Branch: M42<br />Age: About 75,000 Years Ago<br />Location of Origin: Africa</b><br /><br />The common direct paternal ancestor of all men alive today was born in Africa around 140,000 years ago. Dubbed “Y-chromosome Adam” by the popular press, he was neither the first human male nor the only man alive in his time. He was, though, the only male whose Y-chromosome lineage is still around today. All men, including your direct paternal ancestors, trace their ancestry to one of this man’s descendants. The oldest Y-chromosome lineages in existence, belonging to the A branch of the tree, are found only in African populations.<br /><br />Around 75,000 years ago, the BT branch of the Y-chromosome tree was born, defined by many genetic markers, including M42. The common ancestor of most men living today, some of this man’s descendants would begin the journey out of Africa, to India and the Middle East. Small groups would eventually reach the Americas. Others would settle in Europe, and some from this line remained near their ancestral homeland in Africa.<br /><br />Individuals from this line in Africa often practice cultural traditions that resemble those of their distant ancestors. For example, they often live in traditional hunter-gatherer societies. These include the Mbuti and Biaka Pygmies of central Africa, as well as Tanzania’s Hadza.<br /><br />As M42-bearing populations migrated around the globe, they picked up additional markers on their Y-chromosomes. Today, there are no known BT individuals without these additional markers.<br /><br />Point of Interest: The M42 branch is shared by almost all men alive today, both in Africa and around the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Branch: M168<br />Age: About 70,000 years ago<br />Location of Origin: Africa/Asia</b><br /><br />As humans left Africa, they migrated across the globe in a web of paths that spread out like the branches of a tree, each limb of migration identifiable by a marker in our DNA. For male lineages, the M168 branch was one of the first to leave the African homeland.<br /><br />Moving outward from Africa and along the coastline, members of this lineage were some of the earliest settlers in Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Some from this line would even travel over the land bridge to reach the Americas.<br /><br />The man who gave rise to the first genetic marker in your lineage probably lived in northeast Africa in the region of the Rift Valley, perhaps in present-day Ethiopia, Kenya, or Tanzania. Scientists put the most likely date for when he lived at around 70,000 years ago. His descendants became the only lineage to survive outside of Africa, making him the common ancestor of every non-African man living today.<br /><br />But why would man have first ventured out of the familiar African hunting grounds and into unexplored lands? The first migrants likely ventured across the Bab-al Mandeb strait, a narrow body of water at the southern end of the Red Sea, crossing into the Arabian Peninsula soon after M168 originated—perhaps 65,000 years ago. These beachcombers would make their way rapidly to India and Southeast Asia, following the coastline in a gradual march eastward. By 50,000 years ago, they had reached Australia. These were the ancestors of today’s Australian Aborigines.<br /><br />It is also likely that a fluctuation in climate may have contributed to your ancestors’ exodus out of Africa. The African ice age was characterized by drought rather than by cold. Around 50,000 years ago, though, the ice sheets of the northern hemisphere began to melt, introducing a short period of warmer temperatures and moister climate in Africa and the Middle East. Parts of the inhospitable Sahara briefly became habitable. As the drought-ridden desert changed to a savanna, the animals hunted by your ancestors expanded their range and began moving through the newly emerging green corridor of grasslands.<br /><br />Your nomadic ancestors followed the good weather and the animals they hunted, although the exact route they followed remains to be determined. In addition to a favorable change in climate, around this same time there was a great leap forward in modern humans’ intellectual capacity. Many scientists believe that the emergence of language gave us a huge advantage over other early human species. Improved tools and weapons, the ability to plan ahead and cooperate with one another, and an increased capacity to exploit resources in ways we hadn’t been able to earlier, all allowed modern humans to rapidly migrate to new territories, exploit new resources, and replace other hominids such as the Neanderthals.<br /><br />Point of Interest: This male branch is one of the first to leave the African homeland.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Branch: M89<br />Age: Around 50,000 Years Ago<br />Location of Origin: South Asia or West Asia</b><br /><br />The next male ancestor in your ancestral lineage is the man who gave rise to M89, a marker found in 90 to 95 percent of all non-Africans. This man was born around 50,000 years ago in northern Africa or the Middle East.<br /><br />The first people to leave Africa likely followed a coastal route that eventually ended in Australia. Your ancestors followed the expanding grasslands and plentiful game to the Middle East and beyond, and were part of the second great wave of migration out of Africa.<br /><br />Beginning about 40,000 years ago, the climate shifted once again and became colder and more arid. Drought hit Africa and the grasslands reverted to desert, and for the next 20,000 years, the Saharan Gateway was effectively closed. With the desert impassable, your ancestors had two options: remain in the Middle East, or move on. Retreat back to the home continent was not an option.<br /><br />While many of the descendants of M89 remained in the Middle East, others continued to follow the great herds of wild game through what is now modern-day Iran to the vast steppes of Central Asia.<br /><br />These semi-arid grass-covered plains formed an ancient “superhighway” stretching from eastern France to Korea. Your ancestors, having migrated north out of Africa into the Middle East, then traveled both east and west along this Central Asian superhighway. A smaller group continued moving north from the Middle East to Anatolia and the Balkans, trading familiar grasslands for forests and high country.<br /><br />Today, geneticists have found the lineage in 1 to 2 percent of Pakistani and Indian populations. However, it is about 4 percent of some Austro-Asiatic-language-family-speaking groups in India. It is about 9 percent of some Dravidian-language-family-speaking groups in India, and it is 9 to 10 percent of male lineages in Sri Lanka. In Borneo, it is about 5 percent of the population. In Malaysia, it is about 6 percent of the population. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Branch: P128<br />Age: About 45,000 years ago<br />Location of Origin: South Asia</b><br /><br />The next male ancestor in your ancestral lineage is the man who gave rise to P128, a marker found in more than half of all non-Africans alive today. This man was born around 45,000 years ago in the Middle East or Central Asia.<br /><br />The descendants of P128 migrated to the east and north, picking up additional markers on their Y-chromosomes. This lineage is the parent of several major branches on the Y-chromosome tree: O, the most common lineage in East Asia; R, the major European Y-chromosome lineage; and Q, the major Y-chromosome lineage in the Americas. These descendant branches went on to settle the rest of Asia, the Americas, and Europe; many others traveled to Southeast Asia.<br /><br />Today, P128 individuals lacking these additional markers are rare in most populations, and are most commonly seen in Oceanian and Australian Aboriginal populations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Branch: M214<br />Age: About 35,000 years ago<br />Location of Origin: Central Asia</b><br /><br />This branch marks another major turning point in your ancestors’ journey. The founder of this lineage was a nomad in the time of the Paleolithic.<br /><br />His descendants founded two major descendant branches. One would travel north and settle East Asia through Siberia. Some from this line would eventually turn back west and travel to Scandinavia. The second of the two branches would travel another road across South Asia. It too would eventually reach East Asia. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxg32a8_-FMhHkIr5GGcNaRNh3Igtuts3SaMiHVK51Zrql2Z5LqNWN42wbYjKSgoDd8P9tDFICRzgTPyoNMj2JFyw08Lzt4Y2oK6qVEre2sUFSr8JgkI3leXkKk0quZcq168j1w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-06+at+10.38.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxg32a8_-FMhHkIr5GGcNaRNh3Igtuts3SaMiHVK51Zrql2Z5LqNWN42wbYjKSgoDd8P9tDFICRzgTPyoNMj2JFyw08Lzt4Y2oK6qVEre2sUFSr8JgkI3leXkKk0quZcq168j1w/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-04-06+at+10.38.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Branch: P186<br />Age: 28,000 – 41,000 Years Ago<br />Location of Origin: Southeast Asia</b><br /><br />Groups containing this lineage traveled along the coastline of Asia into Southeast Asia. From there, some from this lineage continued north into East Asia. The majority of these men traveled inland across what is now the south of China. Thus, this came to be the highest frequency lineage in the region. From inland China, some traveled back toward the west into the northeast of the Indian subcontinent.<br /><br />Today, geneticists have found this lineage at varying frequencies in South Asian populations. It is about 23 percent of the overall Indian male population. However, in the northeast the frequency reaches about 80 percent. In Japan, its frequency is between 47 and 65 percent. In Korea, it is between 70 and 82 percent of the male population. It is between 69 and 86 percent of male lineages in Han population groups.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSO9zKqhFJgnZcxZ3b1HQ80pW5riF0vZ0u9V-UNvptJn494fp6pn4YqbEPzZA9jBdsvm119JqccMRjyrrq4BcpTBZHYE7gS-k9gbYPZXBfJERXEff5zF_TkqEVZXA2EIgOut-wA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-07+at+10.15.38+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSO9zKqhFJgnZcxZ3b1HQ80pW5riF0vZ0u9V-UNvptJn494fp6pn4YqbEPzZA9jBdsvm119JqccMRjyrrq4BcpTBZHYE7gS-k9gbYPZXBfJERXEff5zF_TkqEVZXA2EIgOut-wA/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-04-07+at+10.15.38+AM.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Branch: M268<br />Age: About 30,000 Years Ago<br />Location of Origin: Asia</b><br /><br />Men from this lineage traveled along the coast of Asia toward Southeast Asia and settled the shorelines followed by the outlying islands.<br /><br />Today, it is most common in Korea (32 percent), the islands of Japan (38 percent), and among the Yao in China (20 percent). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJVJq0AOmjJvm69iW5SkBASrVy-Y8GrhANCJv-CMu7CT2060KdXxWf1glVmhkLj3vsfDRfISrrBjNY32OunVBDfHiVZD6Eqf94hJrj7bOlgqL2vT1-MR5DhdrymjlcbSuPzwtrw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-06+at+10.39.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJVJq0AOmjJvm69iW5SkBASrVy-Y8GrhANCJv-CMu7CT2060KdXxWf1glVmhkLj3vsfDRfISrrBjNY32OunVBDfHiVZD6Eqf94hJrj7bOlgqL2vT1-MR5DhdrymjlcbSuPzwtrw/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-04-06+at+10.39.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Heatmap for M268</b><br />This next step in your journey is a map showing the frequency of your haplogroup (or the closest haplogroup in your path that we have frequency information for) in indigenous populations from around the world, providing a more detailed look at where some of your more recent ancestors settled in their migratory journey. What do we mean by recent? It's difficult to say, as it could vary from a few hundred years ago to a few thousand years ago, depending on how much scientists currently know about your particular haplogroup. As we test more individuals and receive more information worldwide, this information will grow and change.<br /><br />The colors on the map represent the varying percentage frequencies of your haplogroup in populations from different geographic regions—red indicates high concentrations, and light yellow and grey indicate low concentrations. The geographic region with the highest frequency isn’t necessarily the place where the haplogroup originated, although this is sometimes the case.<br /><br />You may find that your map shows a wide distribution for your haplogroup, with large portions of the world highlighted, or unusual places far from where you live. Does this mean you’re related to people in all of those places? Distantly, yes! We are all connected through our ancient ancestry.<br /><br />In order for us to learn more ancestry information about where haplogroups settled in more recent times, please choose to contribute your results to science (check the checkbox during Login or from the Account Settings tab of your Profile), and fill out your ancestry information in the Profile section of the site. Also be sure to tell your own story in the Our Story section.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Who am I?</b><br />We are all more than the sum of our parts, but the results below offer some of the most dramatic and fascinating information in your Geno 2.0 test. In this section, we display your affiliations with <a href="https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/overview-of-regions-and-closest-populations/regions/" target="_blank">a set of nine world regions</a>. This information is determined from your entire genome so we’re able to see both parents’ information, going back six generations. Your percentages reflect both recent influences and ancient genetic patterns in your DNA due to migrations as groups from different regions mixed over thousands of years. Your ancestors also mixed with ancient, now extinct hominid cousins like Neanderthals in Europe and the Middle East or the Denisovans in Asia. If you have a very mixed background, the pattern can get complicated quickly! Use the reference population matches below to help understand your particular result. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>What Your Results Mean</b><br />Modern day indigenous populations around the world carry particular blends of these regions. We compared your DNA results to the reference populations we currently have in our database and estimated which of these were most similar to you in terms of the genetic markers you carry. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you belong to these groups or are directly from these regions, but that these groups were a similar genetic match and can be used as a guide to help determine why you have a certain result. Remember, this is a mixture of both recent (past six generations) and ancient patterns established over thousands of years, so you may see surprising regional percentages. Read each of the population descriptions below to better interpret your particular result.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Your first reference population: Japanese</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This reference population is based on samples collected from the Japanese population. The 75% Northeast Asian and 25% Southeast Asian percentages are representative of migrations in East Asia, with the Northeast Asian component likely coming from the earliest settlers in eastern Siberia and northern China. The Southeast Asian component reflects mixing with groups that originated further south.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Your second reference population: Kinh (Vietnam)</b><br /><br />This reference population is based on samples collected from the Kinh ethnic group living in Vietnam, the largest ethnic group in the country. The 57% Northeast Asian and 43% Southeast Asian percentages are representative of migrations in East Asia, with the Northeast Asian component likely coming from the earliest settlers in eastern Siberia and northern China. The Southeast Asian component reflects mixing with groups that originated further south.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>Edit: I'm not sure why I'm not Chinese. I seem to be closer to this group based on the following <a href="https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/overview-of-regions-and-closest-populations/reference-populations/" target="_blank">reference population</a>.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/populations_Chinese_575.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="76" src="https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/populations_Chinese_575.png" width="400" /></a></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>This reference population is based on samples collected from the population of Beijing, China. The 72% Northeast Asian and 28% Southeast Asian percentages are representative of migrations in East Asia, with the northeast Asian component likely coming from the earliest settlers in eastern Siberia and northern China, and the southeast Asian component reflecting mixing with groups that originated further south.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4oTtyGZhul3fg2j2HvhGi1W8YO1ZMU1lCpzCOndmgfkN-bXvgT4461hn35VIVtUkoURW6Y2cEf1rebgxd7YpxRu1ElFiOpBTsD-gOdRezWFLceyfvqGKPba-bNYq3yJSlAX8OA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-06+at+10.43.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4oTtyGZhul3fg2j2HvhGi1W8YO1ZMU1lCpzCOndmgfkN-bXvgT4461hn35VIVtUkoURW6Y2cEf1rebgxd7YpxRu1ElFiOpBTsD-gOdRezWFLceyfvqGKPba-bNYq3yJSlAX8OA/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-04-06+at+10.43.jpeg" width="320" /> </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Your hominid ancestry</b><br />When our ancestors first migrated out of Africa around 60,000 years ago, they were not alone. At that time, at least two other species of hominid cousins walked the Eurasian landmass: Neanderthals and Denisovans. Most non-Africans are about 2% Neanderthal. The Denisovan component of your Geno 2.0 results is more experimental, as we are still working to determine the best way to assess the percentage Denisovan ancestry you carry. The evolution of this data is another way you are actively involved in helping advance knowledge of anthropological genetics!<br /><br />More info: <a href="https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/overview-of-regions-and-closest-populations/" target="_blank">https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/overview-of-regions-and-closest-populations/ </a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Our story</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The story of the Genographic Project is one shared by every participant. It is only through the collection of hundreds of thousands of samples from people around the world that scientists have been able to determine the migratory paths taken by our ancient ancestors. In this section, you will see other Geno 2.0 participants who share your genetic markers on your paternal and/or maternal side, and find out what they know about their more recent family history. Participants are displayed on the circle below with those most closely related near you in the center of the circle, and those more distantly related on the outside (time ranges vary by group). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span>jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-22640752737400179552013-03-22T14:55:00.001+08:002013-03-22T15:39:10.378+08:00How I May Have Solved The Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/luna-sandals-in-singapore-running.html" target="_blank">A few months ago</a>, I ran a 30km race and limped back the last 10km because at the 20km mark I developed an acute pain near the outside of the right knee. I couldn't even walk properly so had to limp back to the starting line. The doctor later confirmed it was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliotibial_band_syndrome" target="_blank">IT Band syndrome</a>. This is a common injury among runners and also one of the more frustrating ones.<br />
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So as usual after an injury, I'd treat myself as a lab and do experiments with it. My first hypothesis was that rest alone would do the trick. Would it be possible to do nothing for the pain apart from rest? So I didn't run for 2 weeks, and went for another run. The pain came back after 1.5km. So I had to limp back. I tried again a few weeks later; same story. Resting did not work. I also got myself a foam roller but it didn't seem to work too for some weeks. If this continued I would not be able to run for the rest of my life!!<br />
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So I thought I needed to have it checked out at <a href="http://ssmc.sg/" target="_blank">SSMC</a>. (I first knew of this place because I searched where Dr Ben Tan was working now. Dr Tan gave me a 2-month medical certificate when I was doing basic training in the army and thus ensuring that I got the most out of my national service.) Eventually I saw Dr Chew instead and he confirmed that it was an IT band problem. To be sure I went for an X-ray next door to eliminate other possibilities. One of the things he did was to ask me to stand on one leg and lower my body vertically. He said the leg was wobbly, probably the hips were not strong enough.<br />
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I later did some research which was in itself quite fascinating. I would have thought that human physiology and anatomy is quite familiar to doctors nowadays but there is still contention on the causes of IT band issues. The conventional way of looking at it is that the IT band slides over an area in the knee and sometimes this friction results in inflammation.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://deansomerset.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/it-band-syndrome.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://deansomerset.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/it-band-syndrome.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This hypothesis may not be very true.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This hypothesis may be more accurate. Or maybe it's a combination of the two.</i></td></tr>
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Another more recent way of looking at it is that the band does not slide over the bone at all because it just doesn't work that way. Instead, the reason for IT band issues may be due to weak hips, and that any form of rehab needs to incorporate hip abductor strengthening. <a href="http://runningwritings.blogspot.sg/2012/02/injury-series-biomechanical-solutions.html" target="_blank">This article</a> is a must-read for the latter hypothesis.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hygenicblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Trish-McAlaster-hip-strength-1024x616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.hygenicblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Trish-McAlaster-hip-strength-1024x616.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.technogym.com/media/immagini/318_multi_hip_diago_big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://www.technogym.com/media/immagini/318_multi_hip_diago_big.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As a result of this research and another forum posting I saw, I decided to use the <a href="http://www.technogym.com/sg/products/strength-training/lower-body-strength-equipment/selection/multi-hip/431" target="_blank">hip machine</a> at my gym at Fusionopolis <a href="http://www.fitnessfirst.com.sg/sg/home.asp" target="_blank">Fitness First</a>. I'm not sure why this is not found in all gyms (such as the Paragon branch). It's like doing some ballet moves with weights.<br />
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To entertain the idea that one needs to stretch the band, I found <a href="http://www.runnersrambles.com/2012/06/recovering-from-it-band-injury.html" target="_blank">this thread</a> and followed the advice in the comments. The actual stretch is described <a href="http://running.competitor.com/2011/06/injury-prevention/ask-the-running-doc-how-do-i-get-rid-of-it-band-syndrome_29758" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"The key for us was to hold the stretches 3 minutes. At first this
was not easy, but now there is nothing to it since we are not as tight. A
physical therapist later told us that the time of a stretch is a major
key."</i></blockquote>
<i></i>After around a week of doing the above two things, I was able to run for longer distances without feeling pain and a week ago I was able to go back up to <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/277427942" target="_blank">running</a> and <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/283460526" target="_blank">hiking</a> 20km. I hope nothing bad happens from now on.<br />
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So the good thing about this injury is that I now have stronger hips which would never have happened if I didn't get the condition in the first place!<br />
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<b>More background reading</b>:<br />
- <a href="http://runningwritings.blogspot.sg/2012/02/injury-series-biomechanical-solutions.html" target="_blank">Biomechanical solutions for iliotibial band (IT band) syndrome / ITBS</a> <br />
- <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-treatment/stretching-and-strengthening-exercises-iliotibial-band-syndrome?page=single" target="_blank">Stretching and Strengthening Exercises for Iliotibial Band Syndrome</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-prevention-recovery/strengthening-not-stretching-deal-iliotibial-band-syndrome" target="_blank">Strengthening, Not Stretching, to Deal With Iliotibial Band Syndrome</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.athletico.com/2012/06/05/it-band-syndrome-the-top-5-causes-and-solutions/" target="_blank">IT Band Syndrome: The Top 5 Causes and Solutions</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=3287890" target="_blank">IT Band issues... SOLUTION NEEDED!! </a><br />
- <a href="http://news.menshealth.com/it-band-syndrome/2012/07/27/" target="_blank">Cure This Common Running Pain</a><br />
- <a href="http://running.competitor.com/2011/06/injury-prevention/ask-the-running-doc-how-do-i-get-rid-of-it-band-syndrome_29758" target="_blank">Ask The Running Doc: How Do I Get Rid Of IT Band Syndrome?</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.runnersrambles.com/2012/06/recovering-from-it-band-injury.html" target="_blank">Recovering From IT Band Injury</a><br />
<br />jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-15090101876993104672012-09-07T21:30:00.001+08:002013-10-13T16:26:20.742+08:00Amazon Kindle Paperwhite in Singapore<div style="text-align: right;"><i>If you want to read more about the previous Kindle Touch (with 400 comments!), click <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2011/11/amazon-kindle-touch-in-singapore.html">here</a>. </i></div><br />
<b>1) Updates</b><br />
<ul><li><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">16 September 2013: With the arrival of the new 2013 model, this blog entry will no longer be updated. All updates will be found <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2013/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" target="_blank">here</a> instead. </span></b></li>
<li>7 September: Amended bullet point 5 of the 'how to buy ebooks' section based on new information.</li>
<li>6 September: Software Update 5.3.8 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_left_cn?ie=UTF8&nodeId=201064850" target="_blank">released</a>. </li>
<li>3 September: New <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AWH595M/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AWH595M&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20">Kindle Paperwhite</a> announced with better contrast. Name unchanged. </li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: small;">5th August 2013: I just opened a new online shop <a href="http://www.sgkindleshop.com/" target="_blank">sgkindleshop.com</a>. Get the Paperwhite at S$199 with free 2-day delivery! Plus management of your new account so that purchasing of books can be more easily done. :)</span></b> </li>
<b> </b>
<li>10th April: I'll be hiking in Australia for 2 months so may not answer questions that quickly.</li>
<li>28th February: New <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GEKXUO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008GEKXUO&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank">Kindle Paperwhite</a> ads just got released last week. </li>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="180" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lS3t9reE364?rel=0" width="320"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="180" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CH87MFipmoo" width="320"></iframe>
<li>14th October: I just received the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GEKXUO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008GEKXUO&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank">Kindle Paperwhite</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R5YFS4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007R5YFS4&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank">Leather Cover</a>. It's plainly the best Kindle ever made. There seems to some reviews which mention defective screens, hopefully that's just a minority of the huge amounts of Kindles sold. Mine looks gorgeous! It took 11 days from the package leaving Amazon to reaching Comgateway to reaching my house. The shipping was USD17. Total cost is around S$215 including shipping via <a href="http://www.comgateway.com/" target="_blank">Comgateway</a> (or S$165 if you don't buy the cover, which is not recommended.)</li>
</ul>2) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html#ebooks">Some Kindle ebooks I bought</a><br />
3) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html#paperwhite">Kindle Paperwhite</a><br />
4) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html#cover">Kindle Leather Cover</a><br />
5) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html#calibre">Calibre integration</a><br />
6) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html#howtobuykindle">How to buy a Kindle in Singapore</a><br />
7) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html#howtobuyebooks">How to buy Kindle ebooks in Singapore</a><br />
<ul></ul><ul></ul><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kf-PtYJkADo" width="560"></iframe> <br />
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---------------------------- </div><a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" name="ebooks"></a> 2) Some Kindle books I've bought to be read on the E Ink Kindle and Kindle for iPad.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007KTLQ5W/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007KTLQ5W&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B007KTLQ5W&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004P1JDJO/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004P1JDJO&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004P1JDJO&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RI9IVK/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002RI9IVK&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B002RI9IVK&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XNKY7Y/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004XNKY7Y&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004XNKY7Y&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00699SDR8/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00699SDR8&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00699SDR8&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a> <a 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href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001P7GGRS/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001P7GGRS"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638249.565" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001P7GGRS&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003RCKUXA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003RCKUXA"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638259.4207" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B003RCKUXA&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PAAH3K/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000PAAH3K"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638230.2034" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000PAAH3K&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003I1WY2A/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003I1WY2A"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638283.605" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B003I1WY2A&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004OEIQEA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004OEIQEA"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638270.02" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B004OEIQEA&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046ZRG0M/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0046ZRG0M"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638304.8892" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0046ZRG0M&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HBI8MI/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001HBI8MI"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638230.2825" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001HBI8MI&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RH0DOY/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000RH0DOY"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638326.9622" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000RH0DOY&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0067AC5KA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0067AC5KA"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638262.003" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0067AC5KA&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NJMB68/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001NJMB68"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638242.837" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001NJMB68&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037ZSX2W/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0037ZSX2W"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638276.6453" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0037ZSX2W&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LOEFZ0/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001LOEFZ0"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638243.2644" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001LOEFZ0&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002AWX6IO/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002AWX6IO"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638306.1807" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B002AWX6IO&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">__________________________________</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" name="paperwhite"></a> Every year at this time, I worry that <a href="http://www.eink.com/display_products_pearl.html" target="_blank">E Ink</a> e-readers will be gone, taken over by the attractiveness of LCD screens found on tablets. Last year, Amazon launched the Kindle Fire, a fork in the Kindle brand that threatened to do away with the E Ink version if it didn't do as well as expected. It now seems that that's not happening at all. Amazon does have a long-term investment in E Ink e-readers for one simple reason: it provides the best reading experience and looks just like a book. So today, we have a new model, the 5th generation <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007OZNZG0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007OZNZG0&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank">Kindle Paperwhite</a>!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ifcm56CU1tY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cMwRf0JgfqJHWhDW28PsRMgKcQlInYvuRANxDb0b3vBBRJt6Pw7zMYVybAenHW4iOVJkXDBB-9BG2LTkMxwUNARw99QsqiIIrEf-6-KaWHmjKburJyYe-BRUQdOY4Yje92Pxww/s1600/kp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cMwRf0JgfqJHWhDW28PsRMgKcQlInYvuRANxDb0b3vBBRJt6Pw7zMYVybAenHW4iOVJkXDBB-9BG2LTkMxwUNARw99QsqiIIrEf-6-KaWHmjKburJyYe-BRUQdOY4Yje92Pxww/s400/kp.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I bought the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007OZNZG0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007OZNZG0&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank">Kindle Paperwhite</a> (the version without 3G and with Special Offers) and also got a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R5YFS4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007R5YFS4&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank">Leather Cover</a>. It took 11 days from the package leaving Amazon to reaching Comgateway to reaching my house. The shipping was USD17. Total cost is around S$215 including shipping via <a href="http://www.comgateway.com/" target="_blank">Comgateway</a> (or S$165 if you don't buy the cover, which is not recommended.)
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatThSq_y90B0NftfQ2lOQeaxA5yd2ZHLLZuPFsKGic6QMMiGQlKiUR0UwF3NticLzeeC-E8H2aJLiaOqTpYB2kka9sFc37EmM-eLZ31KrnEOGqx09-OpG3WPIlDqfpdxQRDf4og/s1600/IMG_0141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatThSq_y90B0NftfQ2lOQeaxA5yd2ZHLLZuPFsKGic6QMMiGQlKiUR0UwF3NticLzeeC-E8H2aJLiaOqTpYB2kka9sFc37EmM-eLZ31KrnEOGqx09-OpG3WPIlDqfpdxQRDf4og/s320/IMG_0141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4DwORR_2Bvg7CbxF5_cZRjpY_UUK35SFAf_lrn3I5ShtmlVOXRkFgGRbIyjVE4CA4cARo3vazFsOMtt9Qs2nSBwqnuFHlQKjbPmKAtu3ARWaYt-mDC1a7PqzPQ_xpuYVs6NodQ/s1600/IMG_0145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4DwORR_2Bvg7CbxF5_cZRjpY_UUK35SFAf_lrn3I5ShtmlVOXRkFgGRbIyjVE4CA4cARo3vazFsOMtt9Qs2nSBwqnuFHlQKjbPmKAtu3ARWaYt-mDC1a7PqzPQ_xpuYVs6NodQ/s320/IMG_0145.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGFQ6jEj3q29EH_2mnNkA124hRJdQHqmuCT_HIj9ljJFeok72c6erBpQNyc7XL8czpO2Fl5o-nNHnwzmMa1z_oY17gS5reSD0DcwSkVbC7RZTWkJVe7iCiMz-D5iduR-bggOI6w/s1600/IMG_0150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGFQ6jEj3q29EH_2mnNkA124hRJdQHqmuCT_HIj9ljJFeok72c6erBpQNyc7XL8czpO2Fl5o-nNHnwzmMa1z_oY17gS5reSD0DcwSkVbC7RZTWkJVe7iCiMz-D5iduR-bggOI6w/s320/IMG_0150.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JZj31WCzvK9M8Z_zIboKZOoZdS6w4aL8tBJwLjEqkTE3ZfLzrvYhauWrKfUpUe78_y5OmKKo7Aou7DL9Q1eJ6eVpDRpJEhmLrHHD1COytNrPMxwycZbZkmP_5jANA1o0zQtwXw/s1600/IMG_0149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JZj31WCzvK9M8Z_zIboKZOoZdS6w4aL8tBJwLjEqkTE3ZfLzrvYhauWrKfUpUe78_y5OmKKo7Aou7DL9Q1eJ6eVpDRpJEhmLrHHD1COytNrPMxwycZbZkmP_5jANA1o0zQtwXw/s320/IMG_0149.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
There are two groups of people who may be interested in this device. Those who have never had a Kindle before, and those who have. For the former group, just get the new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007OZNZG0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007OZNZG0&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank">Paperwhite</a>. It's basically a no-brainer. If you want an E Ink reader, this is as good as it gets. It's light, the user interface is not bad and it has gone through many versions; this is the best yet.
For those who have the Kindle Touch or another older version, there are a few reasons why the Paperwhite is a compelling upgrade. Firstly, we're talking about the best lighted screen that exists. I've compared the Paperwhite's screen with its brightness adjusted equal to an iPad's screen in pitch darkness. The Paperwhite's screen can be very dim and very bright, very similar to an iPad's. However, the feature that makes it 'better' than the conventional LCD screen is that it can be read very well in bright sunlight also. No other screen does as well in <i>two kinds of light conditions</i>. Hence the continual attraction of E Ink devices.
Next, the resolution of the Paperwhite has increased to 758x1024 pixels at 212dpi. The Touch's is 600x800. What this means is that the fonts are now more crisp than ever. For all intents and purposes, it is a Retina display. (The Retina Macbook Pro has a resolution of 220ppi.) Just look at the picture below, this is with the light turned on a little. I cannot tell it's not a piece of paper.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjCsmcXtvgm-He5CF74pA2WzC7b0l4D3nRAC7H1hMd5lq4GMtEf7psfDnFpElVAEZc9BQ1IWyhDN11MWt2x9UXygzkgS4tHPZnNksYTgSeI4bdsJ2Z9rfzwG-T750jGu4wF_4pw/s1600/DSC_9770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjCsmcXtvgm-He5CF74pA2WzC7b0l4D3nRAC7H1hMd5lq4GMtEf7psfDnFpElVAEZc9BQ1IWyhDN11MWt2x9UXygzkgS4tHPZnNksYTgSeI4bdsJ2Z9rfzwG-T750jGu4wF_4pw/s400/DSC_9770.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvI8tebGZgE_7Lj89gvm90PoeDvLP6OgnkciHuTcCVF7_q3GlT-FYuXonKDLREeZW9ldCGf7qtvhGCFcMfn4y2E8Ilcmwv1yRdGboLiovjdcQ9_IsDZcfduIO9lkU_3mgITbbkA/s1600/DSC_9777_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvI8tebGZgE_7Lj89gvm90PoeDvLP6OgnkciHuTcCVF7_q3GlT-FYuXonKDLREeZW9ldCGf7qtvhGCFcMfn4y2E8Ilcmwv1yRdGboLiovjdcQ9_IsDZcfduIO9lkU_3mgITbbkA/s400/DSC_9777_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Thirdly, the term paper white is achieved (or at least close to what we mean by white) by the ingenious technology found in the light dispersion system that allows the screen to be evenly lit. Now we may ask ourselves what the big deal is. For example, aren't all LCD screens perfectly lit? There lies one big difference between the two technologies. LCD screens give off light, so each pixel is a point of light, very loosely speaking. E Ink screens cannot be lit in the same way, since they're opaque. (The pages of a paper book cannot light up by itself.) So light has to shine on the screen, and reflected into our eyes. The result is objectively not perfectly evenly light, but it's darn close. So close that it does not detract from the experience at all, unless you're very picky.
The dictionary's interface has changed a little too. Holding your finger to a word for 2s will make the definitions window pop up. If you want to view the full entry, tap 'More'. To go back to the book, press 'back'.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDy8QnxPP7mcSFLcSDhccmcivBM9sgxNCfLfgBQsqtpPA77oY7RwxC4y5xj7nKUKDiEoPc9UO-5Y3cz5fzPlg5lTb5JpGAZCAkZNnqS7_rTlc5dBgrFary7HfVKo-jQSkGcty-A/s1600/screenshot_2012_10_25T05_40_08+0800.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDy8QnxPP7mcSFLcSDhccmcivBM9sgxNCfLfgBQsqtpPA77oY7RwxC4y5xj7nKUKDiEoPc9UO-5Y3cz5fzPlg5lTb5JpGAZCAkZNnqS7_rTlc5dBgrFary7HfVKo-jQSkGcty-A/s320/screenshot_2012_10_25T05_40_08+0800.jpeg" width="236" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hRdsIGFBKxlCjINs2CdSMIP6uzvwW2opLrok6GM3B_qDlNNeAMmxUa-KVR6NiX_5dW4hMUtYU8k_gQQLz5cHyO3iWDW1RXHU-upZYNbPdq52nPXoeNb8p-KveQfJw6xkSoCjew/s1600/screenshot_2012_10_25T05_40_31+0800.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hRdsIGFBKxlCjINs2CdSMIP6uzvwW2opLrok6GM3B_qDlNNeAMmxUa-KVR6NiX_5dW4hMUtYU8k_gQQLz5cHyO3iWDW1RXHU-upZYNbPdq52nPXoeNb8p-KveQfJw6xkSoCjew/s320/screenshot_2012_10_25T05_40_31+0800.jpeg" width="236" /></a></div>
Another interesting new feature tells you how much time you'll need to spend finishing the book. It's found at the bottom left corner, and it's pretty accurate from my experience reading it.
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<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" name="cover"></a> <i>Kindle Leather Cover</i>
Apart from the Kindle, you need to buy some sort of casing. A screen protector is not needed, but a case is quite essential. You don't want to drop the Kindle without protection as the screen will mostly likely break. The official <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R5YFS4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007R5YFS4&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank">Leather Cover</a> is not cheap, but it's really, really good. It has a rubber chassis that wraps the Kindle very tightly. The corners are protected if the reader is dropped to the ground. There's a magnet on the cover so that when you close it, the Kindle switches off automatically, and vice versa. The build quality is also very good, better than the Touch's official case.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" name="calibre"></a> <i>Calibre integration</i>
<a href="http://calibre-ebook.com/" target="_blank">Calibre</a> is an ebook management software that extends the potential of a Kindle quite a bit. It has many 'recipes' that are able to pull content from major websites and then automically transfer the material to the Kindle automatically via email. In the previous version, Chinese characters were not totally able to be displayed. In the Paperwhite, it seems that most if not all characters can be displayed.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAECirNT61dy3z2g-SqV0Frh5Vw9b7ebU4phWCSTbc1IdqbHzyPqf7oT9hO6NSft-kaqaY6aF_88r5kr2ss74DrUuGsC0qnUUTJ5DRRwSkEIJMwPG9eUe9NQZXvAVBFXw9EHMqBg/s1600/screenshot_2012_10_21T22_09_43+0800.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAECirNT61dy3z2g-SqV0Frh5Vw9b7ebU4phWCSTbc1IdqbHzyPqf7oT9hO6NSft-kaqaY6aF_88r5kr2ss74DrUuGsC0qnUUTJ5DRRwSkEIJMwPG9eUe9NQZXvAVBFXw9EHMqBg/s320/screenshot_2012_10_21T22_09_43+0800.png" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>News from zaobao.com</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbW3X3XGYbcLtBAhdlMeoi8op6Lwk_MqorBjG5aPt3HgHLGgLxuXxMdzuY6JnN5FK8uq-1n-31eI_9kjnoVYKAM2-6iDmfU56MKvqP5Taz-ZtbL69hTRE4Ztn0wR8PvwsREWt5g/s1600/screenshot_2012_10_21T22_07_05+0800.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbW3X3XGYbcLtBAhdlMeoi8op6Lwk_MqorBjG5aPt3HgHLGgLxuXxMdzuY6JnN5FK8uq-1n-31eI_9kjnoVYKAM2-6iDmfU56MKvqP5Taz-ZtbL69hTRE4Ztn0wR8PvwsREWt5g/s320/screenshot_2012_10_21T22_07_05+0800.png" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>With the included dictionary</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYeenBGyCcGTiYtrnLGXRHo5-SFazT1b944iPYTblgL8gz1uvFDxM0r-0o0yo1MqyxtYqZB7VA456XfYVfhfeSOqacPbqaqbNmLWTaRWimlLu_wrVeAzfKuKsFRwtxD3SYXTzsyA/s1600/screenshot_2012_10_21T22_18_18+0800.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYeenBGyCcGTiYtrnLGXRHo5-SFazT1b944iPYTblgL8gz1uvFDxM0r-0o0yo1MqyxtYqZB7VA456XfYVfhfeSOqacPbqaqbNmLWTaRWimlLu_wrVeAzfKuKsFRwtxD3SYXTzsyA/s320/screenshot_2012_10_21T22_18_18+0800.png" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Content from The West Australian</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEho0JvE4qi5-8QtxNOQdo8A4hCjieD_8gaAkztmtDxm5Zk2kdvR8uJenW6wmM35NPx679tTrSZcpy7RvBRcAvZsYiclyd-jm7Fhi1zU7KkKqYfIlGu88R_mJPmyEQjlVuT9-mA/s1600/screenshot_2012_10_21T22_29_43+0800.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEho0JvE4qi5-8QtxNOQdo8A4hCjieD_8gaAkztmtDxm5Zk2kdvR8uJenW6wmM35NPx679tTrSZcpy7RvBRcAvZsYiclyd-jm7Fhi1zU7KkKqYfIlGu88R_mJPmyEQjlVuT9-mA/s320/screenshot_2012_10_21T22_29_43+0800.png" width="235" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSCXCRvW4DEkJJSDVa_5FVrVPAT_BwBeuWm5UPGKm8HsR0VlnGdhQ8y8Ci6ztLySuDmMjEs9CLtmMkfci8vhEIjxyn3Yu7iSjOXmdHusqa6P-KNs0KAQd7UqsY_eod-8rIfMxFQ/s1600/screenshot_2012_10_21T22_21_32+0800.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSCXCRvW4DEkJJSDVa_5FVrVPAT_BwBeuWm5UPGKm8HsR0VlnGdhQ8y8Ci6ztLySuDmMjEs9CLtmMkfci8vhEIjxyn3Yu7iSjOXmdHusqa6P-KNs0KAQd7UqsY_eod-8rIfMxFQ/s320/screenshot_2012_10_21T22_21_32+0800.png" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Content from Today Online</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgymjocfeus22QwO1A3fS8FaQqHbS-mF4dJhe7YRP99-LJVXTd9dZhh5ydGfIk64YnKHFfSiZe8UsxsARB77FXMOPQM7RvPFHB-hVq_jnWRKecmOk-lLil1mDdoxEPoG3OCoS1zA/s1600/screenshot_2012_10_21T22_27_29+0800.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgymjocfeus22QwO1A3fS8FaQqHbS-mF4dJhe7YRP99-LJVXTd9dZhh5ydGfIk64YnKHFfSiZe8UsxsARB77FXMOPQM7RvPFHB-hVq_jnWRKecmOk-lLil1mDdoxEPoG3OCoS1zA/s320/screenshot_2012_10_21T22_27_29+0800.png" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Content from Psychology Today</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" name="howtobuykindle"></a> <b>How to buy a Kindle in Singapore </b>
<ul><li>Create an Amazon account if you don't already have one.</li>
<li>Go to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007OZNZG0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007OZNZG0&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank">Kindle page</a> and buy yourself a Kindle. It will be automatically linked to your Amazon account. I prefer the WiFi-only version rather than the 3G+WiFi version. The added 3G may not be really necessary because worldwide surfing isn't guaranteed even though it does work in many places. Also, additional costs will be incurred for the transfer of documents if 3G (AT&T roaming) is used when there is no WiFi.</li>
<li>Ship it to a third party mail forwarder. <a href="https://www.borderlinx.com/m/" target="_blank">Borderlinx</a> (Citibank credit card required, go to 'get a virtual address') and <a href="http://www.comgateway.com/" target="_blank">Comgateway</a> (go to 'get my US address') are excellent. They both use DHL.</li>
<li>When you get your Kindle, you need to register it if it hasn't already been registered. After connecting to wifi at home>settings, register it by filling in your Amazon username and password at "home>settings>register".</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html" name="howtobuyebooks"></a><b>Some preparatory steps to take before buying books from the Amazon US store</b>
<ul><li>Because Amazon doesn't officially support Kindles in Singapore, there were instances where buyers were found to be not from 'authorised countries' and were asked to provide proof of US residency before they could buy books again. To be safe, use a vpn described below.</li>
<li>Firstly, do not buy Amazon ebooks directly from your Kindle device or Kindle apps, not even free books. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LLIKVU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004LLIKVU&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20" target="_blank">Buy a gift card</a> with your local credit card, say USD50. Use the correct, local billing address for this purchase. Email the gift card to your email address. When you receive it in the mail, apply the gift amount to your Amazon account. </li>
<li>Go to your account, 'manage payment options', and erase your credit card info if you have any credit cards associated with Amazon.com . (Do this also whenever you buy something at Amazon using your local credit card.)</li>
<li>You need to buy books using your Internet browser on your computer with a VPN installed. Functionally, using a VPN is the equivalent of me giving you an airplane ticket to travel with your Kindle to the US. Use a VPN such as <a href="https://ssl.alwaysvpn.com/" target="_blank">AlwaysVPN</a> to make yourself situated in the US, in spirit. You may turn it off later when you're done purchasing. Click <a href="https://www.box.com/s/89f9ed25706c4cd1db12">here</a> to download some instructions. The cheapest Alwaysvpn package can last you for years. Do not use Hotspot Shield; it's known not to work sometimes.</li>
<li>Exit your Internet browser.</li>
<li>Switch on your VPN. Open your browser.</li>
<li>Go to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle" target="_blank">Manage your Kindle</a> at the Kindle product page.</li>
<li>Go to 'country settings'. Change your country to US if it's showing another country. Use any US address.</li>
<li>Switch off the VPN.</li>
</ul><b>How to buy e-books from the Amazon US store</b>
<ul><li>Do not buy e-books (even if the books are free) with the Kindle device. </li>
<li>Ensure that you have sufficient funds in your account. If not, buy more gift cards and apply them to your account.</li>
<li>Exit your Internet browser.</li>
<li>Switch on your VPN, and check that it's working by going to <a href="http://www.whatismyipaddress.com/" target="_blank">http://www.whatismyipaddress.com</a> . It needs to show a US IP address.</li>
<li>Go to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/b?ie=UTF8&node=1286228011&ref_=sa_menu_kbo3&_encoding=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. Find your book and click 'buy now with 1-click', 'deliver to your Kindle'. If you choose to wirelessly send it to your Kindle, you should receive the book in a few seconds. You can also choose to download the file and transfer it to your Kindle using USB. If asked for the billing address, use any US address. Note that this address will not be used because funds will originate from your gift card balance. <b>New</b>: Copy or do a screenshot of this information (the US billing address and telephone number that you used.) You may be asked for it in the future.</li>
<li>Switch off the VPN.</li>
</ul>jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com343tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-75941892455676698142012-09-03T16:35:00.004+08:002022-08-30T09:39:26.933+08:00Luna Sandals in Singapore / Running the Marathon Almost Barefoot<b>Updates</b><br />
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<ul>
<li><b>5 July 2015:</b> I just finished my second Sundown Marathon after quite a disastrous outing last year due to the IT band issue yet again. This time everything went according to plan, and even the expected cramps did not happen. PB! 5h51m15s. <b><b><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zk_5zhX5ZlQ/VZ1E7ARt9lI/AAAAAAAAfW0/3NpSBl8emAM/s1600/SDMG3303-20x30.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zk_5zhX5ZlQ/VZ1E7ARt9lI/AAAAAAAAfW0/3NpSBl8emAM/s200/SDMG3303-20x30.jpeg" width="133" /></a></b></b></li>
<li><b><b> 1 Dec 2013:</b></b> I just finished the half at the Singapore Marathon. PB! Time: 02:24:48, speed: 8.74 km/h, pace: 6:52 min/km<b><b> <br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2v9KFxougjw/UpwdK8396-I/AAAAAAAAehY/mx2sd5FOi1k/s1600/SMBG2656-20x30.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2v9KFxougjw/UpwdK8396-I/AAAAAAAAehY/mx2sd5FOi1k/s200/SMBG2656-20x30.jpeg" width="133" /></a><br />
</b></b></li>
<li><b><b>20 Oct 2013: </b></b>I had a metatarsal fracture in April on my 165km walk through the <a href="http://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/" target="_blank">Bibbulmun Track</a> and slipping on Mt Cooke. I don't really recommend Lunas for this purpose of walking with a 20kg pack! Six months after that, just did 18km at this year's Newton race. Never felt better nor easier to run!</li>
<li><b><b>22 March: </b></b>Wrote a <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2013/03/how-i-may-have-solved-iliotibial-band_22.html" target="_blank">new blog entry</a> on my experiences with the IT band issue.</li>
<li><b>26 February:</b><b> </b>I am back at running <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/277427942" target="_blank">20km</a>. Things look much better now.</li>
<li><b>10 January 2013</b>: On 30th October 2012, I took part in the 30km Newton race. It went well for the first 20km, and then suddenly, my left knee became numb and shortly after it became painful, so painful that I couldn't walk! I had to walk 10km back to the finishing, my first Did Not Finish (and eventually my first Did Not Start marathon at year's end). I researched and the doctor came to the same conclusion that it was an IT Band issue, which is itself a frustrating if not fascinating injury to have. In the meantime, the problem seems to be under control and I'm able to run at least 10km again without problems. Will do another blog entry on this.</li>
<li><b>15 September 2012</b>: <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/222722063" target="_blank">Ran 20km</a>, the longest distance so far, and in personal record timing. This thing is going way better than I expected!</li>
<li><b>8 September 2012</b>: I have my first injury; the left heal is so painful I can only tiptoe. Turns out it's not the dreaded plantar fasciitis, but bruised heel. It's blue black! I must have heel struck too many times. It's not easy to keep form when you're tired!</li>
</ul>
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<br />
This will be one of the few posts I'm going to write that's related to the first <a href="http://www.marathonsingapore.com/" target="_blank">marathon</a> I'm running at the end of the year. This story is a bizarre one, and till now, I haven't really gotten my head around it. It is just so strange!<br />
<br />
It started a few months ago when I was at a running shop called <a href="http://www.outdoor-venture.com/runninglab/" target="_blank">The Running Lab</a> looking for some 'running food'. I figured I'd be hungry after running for hours so I needed to eat something while running. What's nice about this place is that the salespeople were all runners (at least on that day). The salesperson who attended to me recommended <a href="https://guenergy.com/products/products-energy-gels/" target="_blank">Gu</a> which I bought. I asked her a lot of questions about running the marathon and so on.<br />
<br />
We chatted for quite a bit, and she started telling me about how she was in the national soccer team but had to stop due to an injury. Eventually she continued running, but doing it barefoot instead. I was intrigued, you run barefoot?! She started out running very short distances, then gradually increased the mileage. She stopped listening to music because she needed to pay attention to her form, and to hear the sound of her footsteps. Very interesting! I asked her whether she would want to go back to wearing 'normal shoes'. She said no. Sometimes she wore the 'almost barefoot' type of shoes that's sold in the shop and the injuries hadn't returned by running this 'new way'. She mentioned the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307279189/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307279189&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20">Born to Run</a> and suggested I read it.<br />
<br />
So the thing was that I could disregard all that she told me because I had ASICS shoes and they had very good cushioning. There was really no good reason for me to do anything 'barefoot'. That is, until one day I felt that I needed to do something different because my left knee started becoming painful after my 10km base runs. There is good pain and there is bad pain. The pain in the knee was bad. I realised it was not reasonable for me to complete a marathon if the pain kept up. <br />
<br />
<i>Born to Run</i><br />
I started reading website articles on running injuries and try to mitigate the pain. I tried self-massaging. It worked for a while, but the pain came back the next time I ran. I remembered the Born to Run book, bought it on my <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2011/11/amazon-kindle-touch-in-singapore.html" target="_blank">Kindle</a>, and started reading.<br />
<br />
It was the most bizarre, and most thrilling book I've read in a long time. Wonderful storytelling, dramatic and over-the-top characters, and a forensic, scientific investigation on the oldest activity man/woman has done: running.<br />
<br />
Here's what happens in the book, among other things:<br />
<ul>
<li>Tarahumara Indians are a people known as the 'running men'. They took part in a 100-mile race and <a href="http://www.ultrunr.com/led-95.html" target="_blank">beat the best US ultra-marathoners</a> without <a href="http://www.ultralegends.com/tarahumara-indians/" target="_blank">formal training</a>. They wore home-made sandals; shocking to us, to say the least. A winner one year was too shy to breast the finishing tape as he hadn't seen one before; he ducked by going below it.</li>
<li>Scientists entertain the idea that humans are the best runners (long distance) in the animal kingdom, even beating out horses and other animals. The human's secret? The ability to perspire and bring down body temperature at all running speeds.</li>
<li>The hypothesis arises from the fact that humans had to hunt for animals thousands of years before weapons were invented, how could they have done this without running?</li>
<li>That's how persistence hunting works; <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=826HMLoiE_o" target="_blank">running after prey for hours</a>, until the animal collapses due to heat exhaustion.</li>
<li>If we are 'born to run' how come there are so many injuries? Dogs don't go to the doctor because of foot injuries, neither do fish nor any other animal.</li>
<li>Is there something about 'modern' shoes invented less than 50 years ago that we need to look into?</li>
<li>New research shoes that cushioned shoes may have indeed made it easier for people to run 'wrongly' (heal strike), thus contributing to excess stress to the knees and back.</li>
<li>The correct and natural way to run seems to be midfoot and forefoot strike. The balls of our feet look like cantilever bridges, and they can help spread the impact. The heal has no such cushioning whatsoever.</li>
<li>The 'barefoot' movement is thus born! (<a href="http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/index.htm" target="_blank">Second</a> <a href="http://www.merrell.com/US/en/Barefoot" target="_blank">time</a> in history!)</li>
</ul>
One central character in the book is "Barefoot" Ted McDonald who couldn't run due to injuries. He tried everything, eventually throwing his shoes away and ran home barefoot. Surprisingly, there was no pain! He later started <a href="https://www.lunasandals.com/" target="_blank">Luna Sandals</a> based on what he learnt when he took part in an ultramarathon held at Copper Canyon where the Tarahumara Indians lived.<br />
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<i>Almost-barefoot running</i><br />
Back to my story. I needed to find a solution to my problems. The science in the book seemed pretty solid. The Youtube videos were convincing. Here are some of them.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jio7DK15Q1E" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kpnhKcvbsMM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zSIDRHUWlVo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zB3-FcxXauA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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There was no harm trying something new, even as radical as 'barefoot shoes'. So I did more research to see what sort of 'barefoot shoes' were good. Eventually I decided on Luna 'Huaranche' Sandals because 1) McDonald seems to be a very funny, down-to-earth person, 2) the website looks very nice, and 3) it's the same sort of 'native, Huaranche' sandals 'found in the book'. Admittedly, all very weak reasons, but still... I ordered the <a href="https://www.lunasandals.com/products/2-original-luna" target="_blank">Original Luna</a> and received them around 12 days later. This model is the one with the 'naked footbed', and with elasticised, black leather laces.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrs_eeALWzcBphpZBXyDwbtURp-yxLSw3ivLsAV36PKCNHvQuYu4t1-KpEJ4PUJBG2N0Ly5khzH5hA1SqxGR_UsRdQej6pcjv0Pp2ITRzZIAbcdV3diWLZeKRMY3qY08OXgHU2g/s1600/DSC_9456.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrs_eeALWzcBphpZBXyDwbtURp-yxLSw3ivLsAV36PKCNHvQuYu4t1-KpEJ4PUJBG2N0Ly5khzH5hA1SqxGR_UsRdQej6pcjv0Pp2ITRzZIAbcdV3diWLZeKRMY3qY08OXgHU2g/s320/DSC_9456.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQbNnePS_o0Oo3QmhQNvio-hXepy8BY_y1sttRkHF2eatld5m9HFYANZhbIQB_4H_Jgue-3jiyooP3wSAOMHntF3ZCBruzUAPRaE2xKjVd2VFAUL8j7CTMMpSJPaFMvZHHw5aAg/s1600/DSC_9463.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQbNnePS_o0Oo3QmhQNvio-hXepy8BY_y1sttRkHF2eatld5m9HFYANZhbIQB_4H_Jgue-3jiyooP3wSAOMHntF3ZCBruzUAPRaE2xKjVd2VFAUL8j7CTMMpSJPaFMvZHHw5aAg/s320/DSC_9463.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTZO6kNRFYsPnI9xv5OlEKJvqumzMks4gs7hU4E8Xu_A4J0zkFyiaRQgPKjQpCBEFd9ktTmS-Vpt0LCtq5Tc9Ap4PdW4W1N3gCWEI6Qrj-QyzFYUFmlgd8Cn3xWCo51F6anb_tg/s1600/DSC_9467.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTZO6kNRFYsPnI9xv5OlEKJvqumzMks4gs7hU4E8Xu_A4J0zkFyiaRQgPKjQpCBEFd9ktTmS-Vpt0LCtq5Tc9Ap4PdW4W1N3gCWEI6Qrj-QyzFYUFmlgd8Cn3xWCo51F6anb_tg/s320/DSC_9467.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very thin Vibram soles, just 6mm!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3A-GeYPUn3daA5vuCnqnCOYle5Y1nmvWkGbb_7htQFFJMgCfSBALc8Nye4RuJ0dIVIEjP-s9btWrYavv58ESAQBkt3ZolEvcLSHx2NL3PSviW8GctWD3hotIsU9zy6u1LBQuDnQ/s1600/DSC_9471.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3A-GeYPUn3daA5vuCnqnCOYle5Y1nmvWkGbb_7htQFFJMgCfSBALc8Nye4RuJ0dIVIEjP-s9btWrYavv58ESAQBkt3ZolEvcLSHx2NL3PSviW8GctWD3hotIsU9zy6u1LBQuDnQ/s320/DSC_9471.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZ-gZL_Jhe0tj63XM0sTfV_DC2GGUUP87HTlNKwEfHNBKf4BTbatAc5nzLya0FCZE6QLY9DMZW33uJCI9gXEUAZxZnPNk1FFWXU3CWWUEXdw_ZQP2OM1Tx62XL1iYwYSlEAeDuw/s1600/DSC_9474.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZ-gZL_Jhe0tj63XM0sTfV_DC2GGUUP87HTlNKwEfHNBKf4BTbatAc5nzLya0FCZE6QLY9DMZW33uJCI9gXEUAZxZnPNk1FFWXU3CWWUEXdw_ZQP2OM1Tx62XL1iYwYSlEAeDuw/s320/DSC_9474.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can print the sizes out at the website and decide what size to buy</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYlDHG4BJLN8D098g8V_b50F3NfZ1jy9jE8outJeRvu6-Y05-BZ-CqdX5zYSE6pykAE-PevLF21YKQoVCsmswpnSEeqtCcm2-zSz7OpO252kunf_lra2COuCajcmst87Imy_fBA/s1600/DSC_9465.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYlDHG4BJLN8D098g8V_b50F3NfZ1jy9jE8outJeRvu6-Y05-BZ-CqdX5zYSE6pykAE-PevLF21YKQoVCsmswpnSEeqtCcm2-zSz7OpO252kunf_lra2COuCajcmst87Imy_fBA/s320/DSC_9465.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
I ran 2km on my first try. Okay, not too bad. I rested for a day. I shouldn't have done that, but I ran 5km 2 days later. It's probably not advisable as muscles, tendons that I haven't used in 30 years were being called upon. I couldn't really walk for 2 days thereafter. However, I knew that the ache in the calves was the good kind. I gradually increased my mileage. As I repeated the same mileage, it got better. Currently I'm up to <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/217363025" target="_blank">15km</a>, running in these 6mm, no-cushioning, minimalist shoes. And I don't feel that it's difficult at all, which is in itself quite a strange thing. The best thing is that my pain in the knee has gone away! I very much want to attribute this to the placebo effect (where one feels that the 'medicine' has worked just because one has eaten it even if the medicine has nothing in them.) However, it is getting harder to use the placebo explanation. It really has to do with correct form; don't overstride, run gently, like the wind, keep up the 180 per minute cadence, have fun. Some other reasons I'm really enjoying this:
<br />
<ul>
<li>At around 65g per foot (!), the 'shoes' are <i>really</i> light. Light shoes make a huge difference because I churn one leg 5000 times an hour; I don't want excess deadweight. It then becomes much easier to turn the legs. Psychologically, that's quite important also.</li>
<li>The 'loss in cushioning' seems to very manageable. By running quickly, lightly and striking midfoot, the natural cushioning of the feet and legs come into play. The lost in cushioning at the heal becomes totally irrelevant as the heals are not hit hard if proper form is maintained</li>
<li>Running lightly is fun. I visualise it in this way. In order to avoid over-striding, the feet swipes the ground back similar to how a finger does swiping gestures on Apple products. </li>
<li>No blisters, as the sandals are almost 'barefoot'.</li>
<li>Feet don't become hot as they are not covered</li>
<li>They are very comfortable. I cannot explain this easily; it's very counter-intuitive. If this keeps up, I'll always be running in Luna Sandals.</li>
</ul>
Now that does not mean that one shouldn't take precautions while running this way. I'm still a long way from finishing, who knows what's going to happen as the days go by. This is a very good start, however. What I find very strange is that I, and others doing similar things, are engaging something so basic and 'simple' as running and yet doing it so differently from conventional wisdom. What else or what other theories need revision? Truly boggles the mind!<br />
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<b>Update 25 Aug 2015</b>: I just got these <a href="http://lunasandals.com/collections/diy-1/products/diy-kit-traditional-venado" target="_blank">traditional Lunas</a>! I need to tie the single nylon straps myself, but this is the surprisingly even more comfortable than the other 'no assembly required' models.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Qai7KaMeYU/VZ1Sx9eZ6eI/AAAAAAAAfW8/yNpzac65U5s/s1600/l1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Qai7KaMeYU/VZ1Sx9eZ6eI/AAAAAAAAfW8/yNpzac65U5s/s320/l1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OPQjkeb32fw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OPQjkeb32fw?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-65104630218795345192012-03-14T23:30:00.000+08:002012-05-06T21:17:05.461+08:00Celestron Nexstar 8SE Computerised Telescope in Singapore<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMBj9pVXc3zE-tTUEFr4liduhygzR4tiH_M9D71cbskcBMW2LcYSXSLCnHqhtq8XWLVIYfmiauN4oJdQtxEwK5zKxgi4Oc_2a5WFjkgRSifWP8BeOJ-AJvOxOuMq1CVbNiWiCJg/s1600/nimoycelestron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMBj9pVXc3zE-tTUEFr4liduhygzR4tiH_M9D71cbskcBMW2LcYSXSLCnHqhtq8XWLVIYfmiauN4oJdQtxEwK5zKxgi4Oc_2a5WFjkgRSifWP8BeOJ-AJvOxOuMq1CVbNiWiCJg/s320/nimoycelestron.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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<i>Mr. Spock's recommendation.
</i><i><a href="http://coffinvarnish.tumblr.com/post/10923664609" target="_blank">Source</a></i></div>
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My grandfather bought me a telescope many years ago. I think it was a 2 or 3-inch (diameter) refractor telescope. It was not a big scope, had a tripod stand and you swing the scope manually around and point to anything: trees, living rooms, rear windows, distant lampposts, etc.<br />
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The most fascinating things can be seen at night when the sun sets and the sky reverts to its natural darkness. People often ask me what we can see in Singapore; a common misunderstanding is that urban places like Singapore are not suitable for any sort of star-gazing. That turns out to be quite untrue. Even in light-polluted Singapore, I could point the small scope to the moon and see its craters, to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter" target="_blank">Jupiter</a> to see its large moons and stripped gaseous body, and to Saturn to see its magnificent rings. Every time I observed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn" target="_blank">Saturn</a>, even with a humble and 'cheap' small telescope, I would audibly gasp. It's unlike anything I'd seen before, even after looking at it numerous times.<br />
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So last year I thought I should rekindle the hobby, and decided to buy a new telescope. The current state of amateur telescopes is this: computerised telescopes with databases of tens of thousands of objects that they can be instantly pointed to. A popular choice is the Schmidt Cassegrain telescope that Celestron pioneered which allows it to have a quite a large aperture without it being physically too long. The price is quite reasonable too.<br />
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After researching for quite a while, I bought a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GUFOC8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000GUFOC" target="_blank">Celestron Nexstar 8SE 8" telescope</a> from Amazon. Mr. Spock would have done the same as the optical tube is quite similar to the C8. It cost US$1200, and Borderlinx/DHL shipping was S$499. The same scope can be bought at the Science Centre for a thousand dollars more. (<a href="http://www.astro.com.sg/" target="_blank">Astro Scientific Centre</a> is the local authorised Celestron dealer.) I decided to take the risk and save some money and go with Amazon.<br />
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So what's so wonderful about this telescope? The most powerful feature is the way technology allows the observer to be able to see objects very quickly. Just make sure the telescope is level on the floor, punch in your coordinates (bring your GPS along), and point the scope to ANY THREE bright objects. Seconds later, bingo! The scope will know what the heavens look like at your location and you can choose any object in the database, and the scope will just go there. The thing is so accurate every time, it's truly mind blowing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AAuVNjB4hhk/Tv2uqfaF_fI/AAAAAAAAdUw/ZImNCvrAlIw/s1600/DSC_5039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AAuVNjB4hhk/Tv2uqfaF_fI/AAAAAAAAdUw/ZImNCvrAlIw/s320/DSC_5039.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>At the open field near MGS</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>The moon is setting...</i></span></div>
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An accessory I bought was the NexImage Solar System Imager, a fancy name for a small webcam that's tweaked to shoot videos of planets and the moon.<br />
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So far, I've managed to see quite a few amazing objects such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars" target="_blank">Mars</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus" target="_blank">Venus</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Nebula" target="_blank">Orion Nebula</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_Nebula" target="_blank">Ring Nebula</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albireo" target="_blank">Alberio</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades" target="_blank">Pleiades</a> and other less bright objects. Yes, they won't look like the very nice pictures taken by very large telescopes, but it doesn't really matter. They can still be seen quite well. It's going to take awhile to go through the list of gorgeous space objects, but it's definitely fun! To think that these bright sparks in the sky are millions of kilometres away and yet modern equipment allows us to see them is just mind boggling. Clear skies!<br />
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<br />jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-12748046185340648682011-11-13T11:10:00.000+08:002012-11-11T06:28:14.061+08:00Amazon Kindle Touch in Singapore1) Updates<br />
<ul>
<li><u><b>7 September 2012: The new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007OZNZG0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007OZNZG0&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20">Kindle Paperwhite</a> is announced. Pre-order now!<span style="font-size: large;"> This post will no longer be updated. please go to the new </span></b></u><u><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.sg/2012/09/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-in-singapore.html">Paperwhite blog entry</a></span></b></u>.</li>
<li><b>25 April 2012: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=ur2&docId=1000719931&camp=1789&creative=390957">Send to Kindle</a> is released! This nifty utility allows you to quickly send your documents to your Kindle devices and iPad.</li>
<li><b>12 April 2012:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_200529680_touchupdate?nodeId=200790650" target="_blank">Software Update 5.1</a> is out, includes landscape mode!<b> </b></li>
<li><b>28 March 2012</b>. J. K. Rowling has finally released the Harry Porter books in eBook format. Just <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00728DYRO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00728DYRO" target="_blank">got my first book</a>, haven't read any of them yet!</li>
<li><b>24 March 2012</b>. I was the first in line to get my first iPad last week. What a gorgeous tablet, which I'd recommend for PDFs and Kindle reference books. The eInk Kindles are still unparalleled for long form books/novels, however. It's funny how Amazon marketing hasn't really made it a point to use the term 'retina display' since Kindle 3! One way to get the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_ipad_mkt_lnd?docId=1000490441" target="_blank">Kindle app for the iPad</a> is to sign up for another Apple ID that is associated with a US address. This may require a US debit card which can be obtained from <a href="http://usunlocked.com/" target="_blank">usunlocked.com</a>. An iPad can accommodate different Apple IDs, and the Kindle app will appear at the App Store if you sign in with a US-address one. To be perfectly safe, the buying of books remain unchanged from the info given in this blog entry.</li>
<li><b>19 Jan 201</b>2, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=200790650#download" target="_blank">Software Update Version 5.0.3</a> is out. This is a very good update. The overall response of the user interface is very much quicker. </li>
<li><b>5 Dec 2011</b>, I've received the Touch and the lighted cover. Works great! If you want to get a new Kindle, this is it.</li>
</ul>
2) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/11/amazon-kindle-touch-in-singapore.html#ebooksihave">Some Kindle ebooks I bought</a><br />
3) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/11/amazon-kindle-touch-in-singapore.html#preamble">Preamble</a><br />
4) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/11/amazon-kindle-touch-in-singapore.html#touch">Kindle Touch</a><br />
5) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/11/amazon-kindle-touch-in-singapore.html#xray">X-Ray</a><br />
6) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/11/amazon-kindle-touch-in-singapore.html#pdf">PDF documents</a><br />
7) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/11/amazon-kindle-touch-in-singapore.html#cover">Kindle Lighted Cover</a><br />
8) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/11/amazon-kindle-touch-in-singapore.html#fire">Kindle Fire</a><br />
9) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/11/amazon-kindle-touch-in-singapore.html#howtobuykindle">How to buy a Kindle in Singapore</a><br />
10) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/11/amazon-kindle-touch-in-singapore.html#howtobuyebooks">How to buy Kindle ebooks in Singapore</a><br />
11) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/11/amazon-kindle-touch-in-singapore.html#whichkindle">Which Kindle to buy?</a><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5419019" name="ebooksihave"></a>Some Kindle books I've bought to be read on e Ink Kindle or Kindle for iPad</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00318D0VY/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00318D0VY&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00318D0VY&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0074U5L58/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0074U5L58&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0074U5L58&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007OWBAB0/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007OWBAB0&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B007OWBAB0&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005OR9ND4/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005OR9ND4&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B005OR9ND4&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005OCHOZS/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005OCHOZS&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B005OCHOZS&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00504TLYC/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00504TLYC"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B00504TLYC&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0081U6WWG/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0081U6WWG"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0081U6WWG&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YW6GL2/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004YW6GL2"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B004YW6GL2&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451505760/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1451505760"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1451505760&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0078X73NY/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0078X73NY"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0078X73NY&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064W5V5C/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0064W5V5C"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0064W5V5C&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0078X73B6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0078X73B6"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0078X73B6&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004J4WNL2/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004J4WNL2"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638266.3467" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B004J4WNL2&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00728DYRO/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00728DYRO"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638260.3137" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B00728DYRO&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0038M3STM/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0038M3STM"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638221.865" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0038M3STM&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006L74DMC/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006L74DMC&linkCode=as2&tag=jesbl08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B006L74DMC&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YKOXB6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002YKOXB6"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638213.66" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B002YKOXB6&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IEGU5C/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005IEGU5C"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638199.6838" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B005IEGU5C&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LH4Y3G/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005LH4Y3G"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638295.7083" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B005LH4Y3G&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004W2UBYW/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004W2UBYW"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638245.0352" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B004W2UBYW&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LROUW2/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004LROUW2"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638239.713" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B004LROUW2&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DOSB3Y/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002DOSB3Y"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638302.5818" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B002DOSB3Y&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003I1WY2A/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003I1WY2A"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638283.605" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B003I1WY2A&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004OEIQEA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004OEIQEA"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638270.02" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B004OEIQEA&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046ZRG0M/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0046ZRG0M"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638304.8892" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0046ZRG0M&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HBI8MI/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001HBI8MI"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638230.2825" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001HBI8MI&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RH0DOY/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000RH0DOY"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638326.9622" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B000RH0DOY&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0067AC5KA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0067AC5KA"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638262.003" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0067AC5KA&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NJMB68/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001NJMB68"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638242.837" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001NJMB68&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037ZSX2W/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0037ZSX2W"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638276.6453" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0037ZSX2W&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LOEFZ0/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001LOEFZ0"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638243.2644" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001LOEFZ0&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002AWX6IO/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002AWX6IO"><img alt="" class="" id="blogsy-1335455638306.1807" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B002AWX6IO&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=jesbl08-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a>
<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5419019" name="preamble"></a><b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Preamble</b><br />
Who reads nowadays any more? Most people are playing Angry Birds on their tablets! Actually, that's not true, people are playing AB <i>and </i>also using their tablets for many other applications. With tablets such as the iPads and other Android devices swamping the market, shouldn't we just use our tablets to read books and not have to carry another device?<br />
<br />
Fortunately for Kindle lovers, the answer to this is still no; it still makes a lot of sense to continue with the Kindle for reading. For all intents and purposes, it's 'insanely great'. <a href="http://www.eink.com/" target="_blank">E Ink</a>, the main feature that differences LCD tablets with Kindles and other similar e-readers, needs to be seen to be believed. It looks like real book; no glare, no back-light.<br />
<br />
The Kindle is not available directly from Amazon for people in Singapore, so we need to work around the limitations to make sure Amazon and authors get our money. Of historical interest is the<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazon-kindle-3-in-singapore.html"> Kindle 3 guide</a> I started more than a year ago. There are more than 700 comments that provide a lot of interesting information that will be of use to everyone. Yes, all 3 of you who have told me you read the whole thing! I'll repeat the essential things to note in this blog entry.<br />
<br />
<b>New additions to the Kindle Family</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005890G8Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B005890G8Y" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="" height="247" id="blogsy-1335455638261.341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1_vg2E-Sf-43iK5UkuE0VENG5jfz9sPvz8qXEZamxEeXc5w9QHlQwfW20ryRzEBk2w_v1Fkl1C54Ads01DFiFVXMvmnN-k9lJQleq_vOra4NBMtuAUg0PW7hJsfyFOupvlSUcg/s320/Capture.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The new Kindle 4 is now just called the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051QVESA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0051QVESA" target="_blank">Kindle</a> it's very inexpensive. The older Kindle 3 is now called the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HFS6Z0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B004HFS6Z0" target="_blank">Kindle Keyboard</a>. And the third new addition is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005890G8Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005890G8Y" target="_blank">Kindle Touch</a> which features a touch screen.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5419019" name="touch"></a><br />
<b>Kindle Touch</b><br />
The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005890G8Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005890G8Y" target="_blank">Kindle Touch</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005PB2T3U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B005PB2T3U" target="_blank">cover</a> took two weeks to arrive after it got shipped from Amazon. The package was shipped free of charge to <a href="http://www.comgateway.com/" target="_blank">Comgateway</a> and forwarded to Singapore. The shipping was US$30. So with shipping included, the cost for a Touch alone is around S$150, with the cover, it's around S$240.<br />
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<b><b> </b></b><br />
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The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005890G8Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005890G8Y" target="_blank">Kindle Touch</a> is quite different from the previous offerings from Amazon. They decided to go all the way and removed all hard buttons from the Kindle Touch, except the Home button. So how does it compare to the previous Kindle 3 (Kindle Keyboard)?<br />
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There are currently many <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Touch-e-Reader-Touch-Screen-Wi-Fi-Special-Offers/product-reviews/B005890G8Y/ref=cm_cr_pr_hist_1?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar" target="_blank">1-star reviews</a> for the Kindle Touch on Amazon. I enjoy reading these reviews because often times the reviewers really don't have a clue, and of course get called out by the brash counter-commenters. However, there are some criticisms that are valid and I'll get them out of the way first.<br />
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The first is the steeper learning curve. The Quick Start guide included in the package is just way too sparse and people can get totally lost in the beginning. What to press on the Home screen? How to go to the last, or next page? I was a bit lost too so I can understand the 1-star folks. Once you read the PDF <a href="http://kindle.s3.amazonaws.com/Kindle_Touch_Users_Guide.pdf" target="_blank">manual</a> on your computer, it'll be OK. The pictures below show what to do when you're in a book. They forgot a picture to show what to do at the Home screen, which is to flick left or right to proceed forwards or backwards.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaJjcDdrffkJ1rcJ9ajxkIzmUp9V9dwEOat0a_jZQ-ClJIaHryK0Orj1JjwHnmqSw3LK7cahDB6QEJlVZf0DqigTVIbNbEXAS-SHYMFBDej_cGtGhHkEq73x1N7AM2eUWLSxGgg/s1600/k1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="" height="320" id="blogsy-1335455638264.643" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaJjcDdrffkJ1rcJ9ajxkIzmUp9V9dwEOat0a_jZQ-ClJIaHryK0Orj1JjwHnmqSw3LK7cahDB6QEJlVZf0DqigTVIbNbEXAS-SHYMFBDej_cGtGhHkEq73x1N7AM2eUWLSxGgg/s320/k1.JPG" width="245" /> </a></div>
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The other bad thing is the lack of landscape presentation. I expect this to be added in a future software update. That's about all the bad aspects of the Touch! Let's go on to the good parts.<br />
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The reason for a Touch screen is to make text selection easier, and in this aspect, the Touch truly shines. Selecting words quickly to find their definitions, highlight, or add notes are now much quicker without the need to use the old joystick. Another good thing about Touch is page turns. There are now 2 ways to do page turns: what's shown in the first 2 screenshots above, and to flick left or right. What this means is that you don't need to hold the Kindle a certain way to press the last/next page buttons on non-Touch Kindles. Just hold the Touch in any position you find comfortable.<br />
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<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5419019" name="xray"></a>
<b>X-Ray</b><br />
X-Ray is a new feature found on the Touch; I find it to be totally breathtaking. This is a software feature so it remains to be seen whether Amazon will incorporate this on other Kindles; probably not. X-Ray presents a book into various 'components', with a timeline and important characters superimposed onto it. Here's an example from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004W2UBYW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004W2UBYW" target="_blank">Steve Jobs</a>. One interesting character from the book is Jon Rubinstein, one of the fathers of the iPod and webOS which is used by my favourite mobile phone, the discontinued Palm Pre series. Say I want to know Jon's story; I can go into X-Ray and get the gist very quickly. It's very intuitive and quite a game changer for readers. (click = big)<br />
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<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5419019" name="pdf"></a>You'd notice that Jon's wikipedia entry is included in X-Ray. I read somewhere that the wiki information is embedded inside the ebook itself. Not all ebooks have this; probably only the newer ones. I think all books should have X-Ray!<br />
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<b>PDF documents</b><br />
Currently there is a 'problem' with PDF documents as the ability to read in landscape mode is not implemented yet. I am pleasantly surprised, though, that reading PDF is now a different experience because of the ability to pinch-zoom, and drag the page around. While 6" screens are generally not suited for PDF documents (I consider an iPad-size tablet ideal for PDFs), what we find on the Touch seems to be quite workable and marginally satisfactory, certainly better than what the Kindle 3/Keyboard offers.<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5419019" name="cover"></a><b> </b><br />
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<b>Kindle Touch Lighted Leather Cover</b><br />
This lighted <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005PB2T3U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B005PB2T3U" target="_blank">cover</a> isn't really leather, I think. It's some sort of plastic that looks like leather. Generally speaking, I like it a lot; it is much better than the older lighted cover for the Kindle 3. The light now sits in the middle of the unit and so it's able to illuminate the device more evenly. The Kindle Touch is now wrapped by a rubbery case and it feels very solid. It's not cheap, but it's highly recommended!<br />
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<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5419019" name="fire"></a><b>Kindle Fire</b><br />
How about the Kindle Fire? The Fire is an Android-based tablet. While it's not difficult to get the device itself and Kindle books onto it, I am concerned whether books are all we can get. Also, the advantage that the Fire has is that it's better at the Kindle at handling PDF files. However, given the Fire's relatively small screen size, how feasible is this? There are also rumors that new Fires with bigger screens will be announced soon. Currently, I will wait and see before getting a Fire.<br />
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<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5419019" name="howtobuykindle"></a><b>How to buy a Kindle in Singapore</b><br />
Here are the steps I use. Do note that Amazon doesn't officially support Kindles in Singapore. There are instances where buyers were found to be not from 'authorised countries' and their accounts were disabled. Your mileage may vary. Caveat Emptor. Many people have also bought books using local credit cards with no adverse consequences. No one really knows the variables involved. The steps below are the most conservative, but they do work very well.<br />
<ul>
<li>Create an Amazon account if you don't already have one.</li>
<li>Go to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005890G8Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B005890G8Y">Kindle page</a> and buy yourself a Kindle. It will be automatically linked to your Amazon account. I prefer the WiFi-only version rather than the 3G+WiFi version. The added 3G isn't really necessary because worldwide surfing isn't guaranteed. Also, additional costs will be incurred for the transfer of documents if 3G (AT&T roaming) is used when there is no WiFi.</li>
<li>Ship it to a third party mail forwarder. <a href="https://www.borderlinx.com/m/" target="_blank">Borderlinx</a> (Citibank credit card required, go to 'get a virtual address') and <a href="http://www.comgateway.com/" target="_blank">Comgateway</a> (go to 'get my US address') are excellent. They both use DHL.</li>
<li>When you get your Kindle, you need to register it if it hasn't already been registered. After connecting to wifi at home&gt;settings, register it by filling in your Amazon username and password at "home>settings>register".</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5419019" name="howtobuyebooks"></a><b>Some preparatory steps to take before buying books from the Amazon US store</b><br />
<ul><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5419019" name="howtobuyebooks"></a>
<li>Firstly, do NOT buy Amazon ebooks directly from your Kindle device or Kindle apps, not even free books.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/gc?ie=UTF8&ref_=topnav_giftcert&ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957" target="_blank">Buy a gift card</a> with your local credit card, say USD50. Use the correct, local billing address for this purchase. Email the gift card to your email address. When you receive it in the mail, apply the gift amount to your Amazon account. </li>
<li>Go to your account, 'manage payment options', and erase your credit card info if you have any credit cards associated with Amazon.com . (Do this also whenever you buy something at Amazon using your local credit card.)</li>
<li>You need to buy books using your Internet browser on your computer with a VPN installed. Functionally, using a VPN is the equivalent of me giving you an airplane ticket to travel with your Kindle to the US. Use a VPN such as <a href="https://ssl.alwaysvpn.com/" target="_blank">AlwaysVPN</a> to make yourself situated in the US, in spirit. You may turn it off later when you're done purchasing. Click <a href="https://www.box.com/s/89f9ed25706c4cd1db12">here</a> to download some instructions. The cheapest Alwaysvpn package can last you for years. Do not use Hotspot Shield; it's known not to work sometimes.</li>
<li>Exit your Internet browser.</li>
<li>Switch on your VPN. Open your browser.</li>
<li>Go to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle" target="_blank">Manage your Kindle</a> at the Kindle product page.</li>
<li>Go to 'your country'. Change your country to US if it's showing another country. Use any US address.</li>
<li>Switch off the VPN.</li>
</ul>
<b>How to buy e-books from the Amazon US store</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Again, do NOT buy e-books (even if the books are free) with the Kindle device. </li>
<li>Ensure that you have sufficient funds in your account. If not, buy more gift cards and apply them to your account.</li>
<li>Exit your Internet browser.</li>
<li>Switch on your VPN, and check that it's working by going to <a href="http://www.whatismyipaddress.com/" target="_blank">http://www.whatismyipaddress.com</a> . It needs to show a US IP address.</li>
<li>Go to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/b?ie=UTF8&node=1286228011&ref_=sa_menu_kbo3&_encoding=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. Find your book and click 'buy now with 1-click', 'deliver to your Kindle'. If you choose to wirelessly send it to your Kindle, you should receive the book in a few seconds. You can also choose to download the file and transfer it to your Kindle using USB. If asked for the billing address, use any US address. Note that this address will not be used because funds will originate from your gift card balance.</li>
<li>Switch off the VPN.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190&from=pencil" name="whichkindle"></a><b>Which Kindle to buy?</b><br />
<br />
For now, the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005890G8Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B005890G8Y" target="_blank">non-3G Kindle Touch with Special Offers</a> is my recommendation. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Y27P3M/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002Y27P3M" target="_blank">Kindle Keyboard</a> does have its benefits, specifically real buttons for page advancement. However, the Touch provides many additional features that provide the biggest jump in usability since the introduction of the first Kindle:<br />
<ul>
<li>The ability to touch the screen means that you can hold the device any way you like and not being restricted by the positioning of the page advancement buttons</li>
<li>X-Ray; follow the story's characters like never before</li>
<li>instant dictionary look-ups</li>
</ul>
jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com409tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-25355179684650112162011-08-12T22:05:00.014+08:002011-09-03T00:15:04.175+08:00HP webOS TouchPad<b>Updated 19 August, 2011</b>: Breaking and shocking news: HP has decided to kill off webOS hardware, and their PC line too. Absolutely unreal! All readers should NOT buy the TP until more details emerge. I'll still be using it of course as it's been great!<br />
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<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2005/03/palm-monday.html">I</a> <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2005/03/palm-tuesday.html">have</a> <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2005/06/palm-monday-again.html">been</a> a fan of <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2009/01/return-of-palm.html">Palm</a> for over <a href="http://www.spug.sg/forums/forumdisplay.php?29-webOS-Palm-OS-Chat">10</a> years now. 2 years ago, they introduced the new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebOS">webOS</a>, the operating system of my current Palm Pre Plus phone. Last year, HP bought them over for US$1b dollars. They did so because they wanted to get into the mobile space as fast as possible. The Cloud was where things were happening, and prior to this, HP had nothing to show for.<br />
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In the 1990s, Palm was the underdog battling it out with the mighty Microsoft in the PDA space. Now, an equally fascinating tech story is emerging. How do you release a product like a tablet into a space overwhelmingly owned by Apple and its ever successful iPad offerings? I always enjoy battles like this waged by underdogs against overwhelming odds (even though HP can't really be considered underdogs; they are one of the world's biggest tech companies.) How do you actually market a product like this?<br />
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Speaking from almost a year's experience using the Palm Pre Plus phone, webOS, with its card metaphor, is the most intuitive, elegant, and fun Internet-connected operating system for a smartphone I've ever used. This, I think is webOS' comparative advantage. With the correct hardware, webOS can provide a level of productivity not available in competing operating systems. Everything just works very well together.<br />
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So anyway, one year on, the new webOS tablet was being released worldwide, and today <a href="http://h20424.www2.hp.com/campaign/webos/sg/en/index.html">it's released in Singapore</a>. (If your country doesn't have it, get it from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055D66V4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0055D66V4">Amazon</a>.) Overall first day feelings: A ROCK SOLID freshman offering from HP. A- going to A if we look at the operating system alone. The design is not unlike the webOS phones, and the intuitiveness of it all is striking. If an alien were to look at this, and compare it with how other tablets work, I don't have much doubt that the alien would pick the TouchPad. Silky smooth response, no lag, high frames per second. The other thing is <a href="http://h20424.www2.hp.com/campaign/webos/sg/en/hp-synergy.html">Synergy</a>, which works by consolidating most/all of your other online information into the tablet nicely and automatically. This alone is worth the price of admission.<br />
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That's the good stuff. What's the not so good stuff? Apps. Paid apps are still not available in Singapore, and that would be quite frightening for those who aren't used to this sort of thing. Basic apps are still missing; a word processor needs to be available as soon as possible. Multi-language support is still lacking.<br />
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I guess the folks in charge are on it, so hopefully we can buy apps soon. I'll write more when I spend more time with it. It's a very encouraging start, and it's up to HP to bring it to the next level. They really have a shot at carving out a new market, for people who actually want to do something with their tablets, and not just consuming information. Check out the <a href="http://www.spug.sg/forums/content.php?51-New-TouchPad-Prices-for-August">lower prices for this month</a>. It's now $599 and $699 for the 16gb and 32gb versions. The bundles are good too; TouchPad Case and Wireless Keyboard at a promotional offer of S$699 and S$799, respectively.<br />
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I'll write more in the next few weeks. In the meantime, join the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/230456046966862/">Facebook group</a> and <a href="http://www.spug.sg/">SPUG</a>. More pictures below.<br />
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fjeffreyyen%2Falbumid%2F5639638879500772865%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="192" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="288"></embed>jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-75971946838529342772011-06-29T20:41:00.013+08:002014-03-23T09:55:12.090+08:00Bodum CHAMBORD French Press Coffee Maker with Starbucks CoffeeI've always enjoyed going to Starbucks, like the '<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2007/07/american-generosity-borders-bookstore.html" target="_blank">third place</a>' concept very much and think they hire good people. So when CEO Howard Schultz released the new book a few months ago on how they managed the crisis a few years ago when the company was in trouble (they were losing customers to <a href="http://www.mcdonalds.com.sg/mccafe.html" target="_blank">McCafe</a>!), I quickly bought in on the Kindle. <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Onward-Starbucks-Fought-without-Losing/dp/1605292885?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1605292885&tag=jesbl08-20" /></a><br />
It's a fascinating read, with so much information about the backstories and how Starbucks operates. I like how they revamped their <a href="http://www.starbucks.com.sg/mission-statement.html" target="_blank">mission statement</a> which is now: 'to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time'. Anyone in the service industry struggling with issues on expansion, authenticity, quality... should get it.<br />
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In the book, it's mentioned that the kind of coffee Schultz likes is the kind he can prepare at home, using an apparatus known as the French press. I thought wow! Maybe I should get one myself, whatever he's having cannot be that bad! The picture below is a screenshot of the book with the barista serving coffee from a French press.<br />
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The sort of coffee that's made with a French press is called, simply, 'brewed coffee'. This can be made at home, and there are at least two ways to make this kind of coffee. The most common is the 'drip' method where water is allowed to drip through ground coffee (coffee that's crushed to small pieces) with a piece of filter paper. The other method is the 'steep' method where hot water and ground coffee are mixed so that coffee is produced. Another kind of coffee is the espresso, and this is produced by highly pressured water being blasted through ground coffee. You need a 'espresso coffee machine' to do this.<br />
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Starbucks sells <a href="http://www.starbucks.com.sg/espresso.html" target="_blank">espresso</a> and its variants such as <a href="http://www.starbucks.com.sg/cappucino.html" target="_blank">cappuccino</a>, <a href="http://www.starbucks.com.sg/caffe-latte.html" target="_blank">latte</a> and <a href="http://www.starbucks.com.sg/caffe-mocha.html" target="_blank">mocha</a>. You can also get brewed coffee and what's fun is that you can also bring coffee home and brew it yourself like what Schultz does. My colleague Fuad helped me understand how this works. Starbucks sells whole bean coffee. This is coffee that is not ground yet so they are big and fat. So what happens is that you choose a flavour, give it to the person at the counter (barista). The size of the grind needs to be 'coarse' for a French press; it cannot be too fine. The barista will open the packet, pour the coffee beans into the machine, and use the same packaging to collect the ground coffee, and then give it back to you.<br />
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I got the <a href="http://bodum.bodum.com/us/en-us/shop/detail/1928-16US4/" target="_blank">Bodum CHAMBORD</a>, an elegant piece of equipment that is probably the gold standard as far as the French press is concerned. It's available at the basement of CK Tang and Takashimaya. They have basically cornered the do-your-own-coffee-with-the-French-press market I reckon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-2EcDv1MSRj1E4vYfR6TGiJghXcFmpcKgW4pZx5CIv2bRGpcYiF3h3J5pcRMrLRVTIHaW42Qg_2P4B_vRqFxSPlAxHdX5o2IRP-quQrMOH9JRg5ssolTCrCRXMhAhGAnjEGxbQ/s1600/DSC_1976_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-2EcDv1MSRj1E4vYfR6TGiJghXcFmpcKgW4pZx5CIv2bRGpcYiF3h3J5pcRMrLRVTIHaW42Qg_2P4B_vRqFxSPlAxHdX5o2IRP-quQrMOH9JRg5ssolTCrCRXMhAhGAnjEGxbQ/s400/DSC_1976_1.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bodum CHAMBORD and Starbucks <a href="http://www.starbucks.com.sg/pike-place-roast.html" target="_blank">Pike Place Roast</a> coffee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So what you do is:<br />
<ul>
<li>Put coffee into the flask* </li>
<li>pour in boiled water that's cooled a little </li>
<li>stir for a while (this moment is magical) </li>
<li>wait for 4 minutes</li>
<li>push the plunger down to filter the coffee</li>
<li>serve!</li>
</ul>
*2 Starbucks 10g-scoops with 12 fl oz. (360ml) of water, enough coffee for a 16 fl oz. Grande cup or 3 Bodum 7g-scoops with 12 fl oz. of water. This is equivalent to 3 European or 2 US cups of coffee. The Bodum CHAMBORD is listed as having 32 fl oz. or 8-Euro cups capacity. <br />
<ul></ul>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After stirring...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnVnhvdMnhL_cjKMbLAg8l75LgyndazKDx086GLDMcunZA_TFWJntWP_vfqaF2Jkl71qwmeyDuWkXv2YP52cC-2BkXo16HHkgWiQJ_igwENNUEOC_fBe_BAEq4PZyiPn3yeklfQ/s1600/DSC_1988_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnVnhvdMnhL_cjKMbLAg8l75LgyndazKDx086GLDMcunZA_TFWJntWP_vfqaF2Jkl71qwmeyDuWkXv2YP52cC-2BkXo16HHkgWiQJ_igwENNUEOC_fBe_BAEq4PZyiPn3yeklfQ/s400/DSC_1988_3.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close the top and wait for 4 minutes, then push the plunger in!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The coffee is delicious, with the oils still intertwined, unlike the drip method that removes the coffee oils. I think the great thing about preparing coffee like this is that it's loads of fun, plus the quality of the coffee is unparalleled. I just finished the pack of Pike Roast Place, and now am trying the <a href="http://www.starbucks.com.sg/guatemala-antigua.html">Guatemala Antique</a> which I also tried at the store. I think my home-made version is better! I'll get the <a href="http://www.starbucks.com.sg/pike-place-roast.html" target="_blank">PRP</a> again in the future, it's quite fantastic too...jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-39516173843921963722011-05-09T13:05:00.005+08:002011-05-14T21:03:41.017+08:00General Elections 2011 And The Fantastic Returning OfficerOn 7th May, I voted for the first time ever in the General Elections, and also had the good fortune to work as a Presiding Officer at my polling station where a certain percent rage of the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC residents were assigned to vote. It was a very good experience and I wish more people will volunteer in the next elections to be polling and counting agents. One reason for this is that it will completely dispel the 'your vote is not secret' meme that <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/04/debunking-your-vote-is-not-secret-myth.html">I've written</a> about some days ago. It's also good to get people more involved in participating in something that has a direct bearing on how the country will be run in the next 5 years.<br />
<br />
On that day, the man who was in charge of the elections, Returning Officer Mr Yam Ah Mee, would close proceedings by giving his now-legendary results announcements when he told us the names of the winners meticulously as Counting Night progressed. <br />
<br />
He had a demeanour completely different from the frenzy that was found in all the assembly points around the country where supporters awaited the results. Instead, what Mr Yam gave us was deadpan, slow, steady and monotonous to a stop. It was absolutely boring and there was totally no excitement in his voice. He had a template in his script and the names and winners would change every time.<br />
<br />
I knew then what was so appealing about what we're witnessing: No drama. 'No drama' was one of the defining characteristics that Obama has and something that won him the elections in 2008. The idea is to remove all other distractions and get to the work at hand, which was what Mr Yam has done. The election is serious business, no drama please! This was also a reflection of the way how the election workers managed the entire Polling Day. Please remove your PAP pin from your shirt, sir, please remove the SDP hat you're wearing ma'am. We're having no drama today, thank you very much.<br />
<br />
The whole voting and counting process was very efficient and transparent, and though I can only speak for what I've seen, the accounts online were unanimous: the folks behind the scenes did a very good job. Mr Yam set the tone of impartiality and calm as he announced the first winner of the night... <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1oet5R_MjvA?rel=0" width="425"></iframe><br />
<br />
<i>Parliamentary General Election 2011<br />
<br />
Result for the electoral division of Mountbatten. Jeanette Chong-Aruldoss, the NSP: 8436 votes. Lim Biao Chuan, PAP: 11,965 votes. Rejected votes, 418. Total votes cast: 20819. The local votes counted for the electorial division of Mountbatten are conclusive of the results.<br />
<br />
Pursuant to Section 49, Subsection 7E, Paragraph A of the Parliamentary Elections Act, I declare Lim Biao Chuan of the PAP as the candidate elected for the electorial division of Mountbatten.</i><br />
<br />
Now for those of who are curious what Mr Yam was saying and what the articles and sections are about, he was refering to the <a href="http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_retrieve.pl?actno=REVED-218&doctitle=PARLIAMENTARY%20ELECTIONS%20ACT%0A&date=latest&method=part&sl=1">Parliamentary Elections Act</a>. ('Pursuant to...' means 'according to what's written here... I can declare...) This document contains all the rules and regulations that relate to the elections. If you're a true fan, you need to read this document. At the left panel, scroll down to Section 49, and then look for 7E at the right panel.<br />
<br />
Paragraph A says:<br />
<i>where the total number of overseas electors lawfully entitled to vote at the election in that electoral division is less than the difference between the number of votes given to the candidates or (as the case may be) groups of candidates with the 2 greatest number of votes, the Returning Officer shall declare the candidate or (as the case may be) group of candidates to whom the greatest number of votes is given to be elected;</i><br />
<br />
This means that in the scenario where even if we count the voting slips of overseas voters, it's not going to make a difference to the results of the counting of the local voting slips. Therefore, we can declare the winner based on the slips we now have.<br />
<br />
Overall, I think this election is a watershed not just because the WP has done well, it's also because people's minds have been opened to what's possible. It's quite amazing to see the courage displayed by the candidates and the class act that many, especially candidates in my area, have displayed. The coverage of the press has also improved a lot, and there are many in the MSM who are trying to do the right thing. More good years!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Background reading:<br />
<a href="http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20110509-277804.html">Yam Ah Mee is General Election's overnight star</a><br />
<a href="http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/counting-agent-me/">Counting agent me</a><br />
<a href="http://harishpillay.wordpress.com/2011/05/07/my-6-hour-tour-of-duty-as-a-polling-agent/">My 6 hour tour of duty as a polling agent</a><br />
<a href="http://harishpillay.wordpress.com/2011/05/07/volunteering-to-be-an-polling-agent-and-a-counting-agent/">Volunteering to be an Polling Agent and a Counting Agent</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/YamAhMee.ReturningOfficerExtraordinaire?ref=ts&sk=wall">Yah Ah Mee, Returning Officer Extraordinaire Facebook Community</a><br />
Forum posts <a href="http://www.spug.sg/forums/showthread.php?98884-Road-to-Singapore-GE-due-by-2012&p=1416647&highlight=#post1416647">1</a>, <a href="http://www.spug.sg/forums/showthread.php?98884-Road-to-Singapore-GE-due-by-2012&p=1416760&viewfull=1#post1416760">2</a>jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-12692129495636873752011-04-21T22:50:00.006+08:002015-09-06T09:37:23.891+08:00Debunking The "Your Vote Is Not Secret" MythIn the General Elections to be held next month, your vote is secret. It means that no one will know who you vote for. For many years now, an urban legend has been going around that has created so much fear among eligible voters. The urban legend goes like this: if you vote for the Opposition parties, your life will be adversely affected, your voting pattern will be recorded and bad things will happen to you. If you're a civil servant or someone who works for the government, you will be found out, and you'll lose your job. Yes, it's pretty scary.<br />
<br />
This myth is so well known that my informal polling last week still shows a majority of right-thinking, intelligent, university-educated people actually believing it, even today in the YouTube-Facebook 21st century. They believe it in a way that seems to ask, 'You mean there's something else to believe?'<br />
<br />
Now this is very unique among democratic countries in the world. While I understand that this sort of fear may be justifiable in rogue states where there is no rule of law, Singapore is far from being similar. However, the fear that people has of not voting for the incumbent People's Action Party is certainly real, even though the incumbent party has nothing to do with it. <br />
<br />
Now, most Singaporeans understand how this fear of being 'caught' voting for the Opposition parties is based on. All voters are associated with serial numbers, and the numbers are associated with the voting slips. This is to prevent election fraud. Not perfect, but quite reasonable. After the votes are counted, the slips are sealed for 6 months at the Supreme Court. They are destroyed thereafter.<br />
<br />
A person who believes in the urban legend will ask: so how is my vote secret? Can someone retrieve the serial number against my name, and match it to my vote? The <a href="http://www.elections.gov.sg/voters_ballotsecrecy.html">Elections Department</a> is candid about this. Technically, yes! But wait, there's more! This can only be done after a legal decision, say a protest is lodged due to some voting irregularities etc. In the history of voting in Singapore, no such 're-look into the ballot box' has taken place.<br />
<br />
To me, that's an easy thing to believe. But for the skeptic/cynic, maybe they need more 'proof' that your vote is REALLY secret. Here we go...<br />
<br />
Even IF we concede that someone can slip into the High Court vaults and retrieve your serial numbers among the other 2 million votes (which is itself such a ridiculous idea and really requires extraordinary proof), it's very easy to debunk the notion that there is a systematic system of finding out the voting patterns of INDIVIDUAL voters.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Reason Number One</b>. The political cost of such an operation is just too high. This bears repeating: the downside to such an operation is JUST WAY TOO HIGH. How high? If it's really true that efforts have been made to undermine the secrecy of individual voting patterns using methods that are illegal, the integrity of the PAP will be totally shattered, leading to an almost complete distrust in government. No sensible person, from the PAP or otherwise, will want this to happen because the possibility of a leak is very real and it's not easy at all to keep this a secret, and because...<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Reason Number Two</b>. There is just not a lot of motive to dig up who voted for whom. Imagine you are an insurance agent who meets clients in the day. However at night, you're transformed into this top secret intelligent officer working in an unmarked office for a clandestine outfit remotely linked to the government whose main task is to... break in into the Supreme Court vaults, match serial numbers, and find out who Mr Peter Lim staying at postal code 123311 voted for in the 2011 General Elections. Since you're also a reasonable intelligence officer, you'll ask yourself, "What sort of job is this?! They want me to find out who XYZ voted for?! How trivial is this?!"<br />
<br />
It is indeed very trivial (i.e., not very important). Maybe it's a little unusual in Singapore to vote for the Opposition, but in the rest of the world, this is very normal. Another angle to this is that it's actually not unheard of nowadays for people to vote for the Opposition. In the last General Elections 5 years ago, the Opposition got around 33% of the popular vote, which comes up to about 360,000 votes. Can we reasonably expect the Supreme Court vaults to be harassed so that some outfit can find out exactly who these 360,000 people are? Of course not! There is no intrinsic value to find out at the individual level who a person voted for. If we're talking about having a tip off regarding a potential terrorist, sure, let's have this stakeout and see who this person is. BUT FINDING OUT HOW THIS GUY VOTED IN THE GENERAL ELECTIONS? Not reasonable at all. Which brings me to...<br />
<br />
<b>Reason Number Three</b>. A common understanding of this urban legend is that if you vote for the Opposition, you'll lose your job because it's the way they punish you. A convenient explanation, but totally way off. Let us assume that this is true, that the government wants to punish people who vote the wrong party. (HUH?!) OK, those of us who have punished people, whether it's your kids, or your students know there is a workflow in doing this. You want to punish someone because usually you want them to change their behaviour THE NEXT TIME. So you inform them of their crimes, beat them up, and say hopefully they don't do the same thing again. Simple, right?<br />
<br />
Not so simple if you believe in the urban legend! Say I lose my job because I voted for the wrong party. I'll be like, "Huh?! Why did I lose my job?!" I couldn't possibly expect a letter from the authorities informing me that they've broken into the Supreme Court vaults, found my voting serial number, matched it to my voting slip, and discovered I voted for the wrong party. No, they can't send me this letter! You can see where I'm going with this right? I'd have NO IDEA why I lost my job! And in the next General Election, I'd STILL vote for the wrong party!!<br />
<br />
Tell me honestly, if you were the planner of this 'expose the voters!' operation, is there any sense for you to carry on? Surely not, any reasonable person can see that. If you want to punish people, you NEED TO TELL THEM WHAT THEY DID WRONG! Couple that with Reason Number One, forget it, it just ain't gonna work!<br />
<br />
Every political party in Singapore, including the PAP, and Opposition Parties, have time and again reminded people that their votes are secret. I remember Mr Lee Kuan Yew also urging people to believe this at one point. Democracy cannot work well in Singapore if voters purposely disenfranchise themselves! Sure, there may be ways to use other methods to prevent election fraud without the use of serial numbers. Even so, given the current setup, it is very unreasonable to believe the myth that your vote is not secret. <br />
<br />
Your vote IS indeed secret. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise. Now go out and vote wisely next month. May the Force be with you.jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-52191309222360573852011-04-02T18:56:00.004+08:002011-04-02T19:07:35.051+08:00Amazon MP3 Store in SingaporeFor many years now I haven't been able to buy any music MP3s from the iTunes store in Singapore (does anyone have any updates? Has the situation changed?) This is another case of customers wanting to give money to companies but they just don't want to take it. Then customers need to try extra hard to make it possible! <br />
<br />
Fortunately, everything changed this past week when Amazon launched their new Cloud Drive and Cloud Player for Web. The first major breakthrough is that I'm now able to buy MP3 in Singapore with a VPN. (I couldn't do this previously for some reason.) The second advance is of course the way Amazon has magically revolutionised content delivery when it should have been Apple who's supposed to be doing this. Cloud based music means you can play music anyway with an Internet connection. Buy once, play anywhere. Here's how to buy music in Singapore. Disclaimer: Your milleage may vary, buyer beware, your account could be terminated etc.<br />
<br />
<b>Preparatory steps </b><br />
<ul><li>Buy a VPN. I'd suggest <a href="https://ssl.alwaysvpn.com/">AlwaysVPN </a>who has a very attractive one-off US$8.50 fee, it will last you for years.</li>
<li>Run the VPN. Go to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fb%3Fie%3DUTF8%26node%3D2658409011%26ref_%3Damb_link_355091782_4&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Amazon MP3 store</a> and register for the Cloud Player service.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBjBunvAEhEYqaRZn8M_WuENLb7THhn4Ni_fZFOOIaZZ9h91pb5OCA9UcD6S_A8iQoABnASgDPWKJ1RPRewhrUiYA3e9UinUhaMAxfPxPxCGkhAE_oTnAkuPDUT5escrlIJHwAg/s1600/Capture6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBjBunvAEhEYqaRZn8M_WuENLb7THhn4Ni_fZFOOIaZZ9h91pb5OCA9UcD6S_A8iQoABnASgDPWKJ1RPRewhrUiYA3e9UinUhaMAxfPxPxCGkhAE_oTnAkuPDUT5escrlIJHwAg/s320/Capture6.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><b>How to buy music from the Amazon MP3 store</b><br />
<ul><li><b> </b>I'm using the gift card method as I cannot test the alternative. This method means you buy a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fgc%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Dtopnav_giftcert&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">gift card</a>, and then send it to your email address. You may use a local credit card. You'll then apply this gift card funds to your Amazon account.</li>
<li>Switch on the VPN and buy the music you want. </li>
<li>If they ask you for a credit card, you can use your local credit card. For the billing address, use any US address. This will be quite okay as your credit card will not be actually used. Money will be deducted from the gift card funds instead.</li>
<li>Your music will show in your Cloud Drive. You may switch off your VPN (so that you don't waste it) and then use the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/dmusic/help/amd.html">MP3 Downloader</a> application to download your music into your PC. You also don't need the VPN to listen to your music using the Cloud Player.</li>
<li>Here's a simplified walkthrough.</li>
</ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN85O1dt5QbLnIzRF7J7RIkxHIG9SSc8rLR6ZkhzH5nZl1kymr2SqnX4mUr6MwQcEajdi0i-XoFp5TKIZCAc29cDcPUWGC5pvMirMym9SNqNibsOF2TKdjjMwadNPyj2cki5os8A/s1600/Capture5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN85O1dt5QbLnIzRF7J7RIkxHIG9SSc8rLR6ZkhzH5nZl1kymr2SqnX4mUr6MwQcEajdi0i-XoFp5TKIZCAc29cDcPUWGC5pvMirMym9SNqNibsOF2TKdjjMwadNPyj2cki5os8A/s1600/Capture5.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buy your music!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHzRvEGiwb8m9uO_IwXFSuIVD3GR4_tFXYuPw41jDBWGkm2i_fiC5bLEM20hVkmyTmX1XbLPwGHHKyMyCigDwBzlnscKpExP6LJ1DBydh7r7R4ZuWmskWgGP4vNQGs4M-hgeEaQ/s1600/Capture1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHzRvEGiwb8m9uO_IwXFSuIVD3GR4_tFXYuPw41jDBWGkm2i_fiC5bLEM20hVkmyTmX1XbLPwGHHKyMyCigDwBzlnscKpExP6LJ1DBydh7r7R4ZuWmskWgGP4vNQGs4M-hgeEaQ/s400/Capture1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You will be thanked!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVfBj36JTl6N8JkeUYk0jmOmIIR6sCJ8P6B9Ev1ppXnP3FSa8H8GAxmspPh1iMdvAIKLqUUJ4qjJFNTd6BQXE1tECD93jHba62SQG0Su6cCVsJ7A-6sDfeXZ9I-y4rnUZdf9TgQ/s1600/Capture2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVfBj36JTl6N8JkeUYk0jmOmIIR6sCJ8P6B9Ev1ppXnP3FSa8H8GAxmspPh1iMdvAIKLqUUJ4qjJFNTd6BQXE1tECD93jHba62SQG0Su6cCVsJ7A-6sDfeXZ9I-y4rnUZdf9TgQ/s400/Capture2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'll see the music you've bought in the Cloud. Play them anywhere with an Internet connection.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieA81XNLROxGxaHw8pFUmdH9XTNli54ZzL1oKNp5iRoVOTlUni2o2rQXR14DC7zWc6MMiqhlpEaxoFgTbeZVnBOeCRFpwwejAc-Nzw4ar42O1hkTgFiZXgURQnQt-J1dpBLDP2Xw/s1600/Capture4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieA81XNLROxGxaHw8pFUmdH9XTNli54ZzL1oKNp5iRoVOTlUni2o2rQXR14DC7zWc6MMiqhlpEaxoFgTbeZVnBOeCRFpwwejAc-Nzw4ar42O1hkTgFiZXgURQnQt-J1dpBLDP2Xw/s400/Capture4.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naturally you may want to have a local copy of your music in your computer. The Downloader does this quickly and you'll see your music in iTunes or Windows Media Player.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBG2qYUWkqiwKasRq00LqfUM5BsuYzFCGk7Dqv7YGXtMPAPg21dXlSuz9BGYOovbvcgbOf3_veOdry-9OFWf0oY0p2jVrwzzVxQd6NGXlHG8fvIZ4ITnHKS1UIeb47UyTzgfO1BQ/s1600/Capture3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBG2qYUWkqiwKasRq00LqfUM5BsuYzFCGk7Dqv7YGXtMPAPg21dXlSuz9BGYOovbvcgbOf3_veOdry-9OFWf0oY0p2jVrwzzVxQd6NGXlHG8fvIZ4ITnHKS1UIeb47UyTzgfO1BQ/s400/Capture3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything is seemless!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Happy listening! There're 15 million songs in Amazon's catalogue! Well done Amazon, this is the ideal way to sell music!jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-17577922212953227742011-02-10T22:10:00.011+08:002011-05-23T11:46:25.880+08:00Kate Spade Kindle Cover<b>14 May 2001 Update</b>: I've bought another <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Special-Offers-Wireless-Reader/dp/B004HFS6Z0?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Kindle</a> and also another <a href="http://www.amazon.com/kate-spade-new-york-Generation/dp/B000HBXZX6?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Kate Spade</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jesbl08-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000HBXZX6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> case. <a href="#hello">Scroll to the bottom</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">-----------------------------------</div>So after my lighted Amazon Kindle cover stopped working recently (<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/01/amazing-amazon-service-paying-you-to.html">see previous entry</a>), Amazon refunded me the cost and I had the opportunity to shop for a new case. I don't know how to call this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/kate-spade-new-york-expectations/dp/B003UYV1K6?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Kate Spade Kindle Cover</a>... extremely cute? (click = big) It costs US$69.99.<br />
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The design has been inspired by the US$325 <a href="http://www.katespade.com/sm---pi-4339739.html">Kate Spade Book Clutch</a>. A fuller review can be found at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R96SKA789LQ1B/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B003UYV1K6&nodeID=&tag=&linkCode=">Amazon.com</a> . This case is a breath of fresh air... very whimsical!<br />
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<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1757792221295322774" name="hello"></a><b>14 May 2001 Update</b>: Here's the new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/kate-spade-new-york-Generation/dp/B000HBXZX6?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Hello</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jesbl08-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000HBXZX6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> case and it looks gorgeous. Highly recommended!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcyZNNTpVsyPRk3lIiFWK6784gfMtE0OwCSvp6g8iqv1n4qcommGYGBXjW0HgcsBh23SmWI58h1BEjDWdfd7iOBh03ba2nD6Yoc_KfNyk2uzJC8yEvwavLcoEeOA9jKeJICQ-2g/s1600/DSC_1999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcyZNNTpVsyPRk3lIiFWK6784gfMtE0OwCSvp6g8iqv1n4qcommGYGBXjW0HgcsBh23SmWI58h1BEjDWdfd7iOBh03ba2nD6Yoc_KfNyk2uzJC8yEvwavLcoEeOA9jKeJICQ-2g/s320/DSC_1999.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-31156704737168344102011-01-25T20:27:00.008+08:002011-02-26T17:05:48.296+08:00Amazing Amazon Service / Paying You To Stop Working<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/TIUJU5srB2I/AAAAAAAAYj8/Hx3v2Gtljwo/s1600/DSC_5724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/TIUJU5srB2I/AAAAAAAAYj8/Hx3v2Gtljwo/s320/DSC_5724.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Recently, my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Lighted-Leather-Display-Generation/dp/B003DZ167A?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Kindle Lighted Leather Cover</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jesbl08-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003DZ167A" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />'s light stopped working. I wasn't sure what the reason was because there were no screws that I could tinker with. The case came with one year warranty so I knew <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/">Amazon</a> could get it replaced for free. What I didn't expect was how well the process went.<br />
<br />
Firstly, I had to call them, so I switched on Skype, went to Amazon's 'contact us' page, and called the US number. A lady answered and I told her about the problem. What's wonderful is that Amazon's tech support personnel are really out of this world. I've called them a few times and they are consistently nice to talk with. They are not in a hurry, they will listen to you, they will wait (and really wait patiently) for you to provide information.<br />
<br />
Anyway I'd done my homework. I told her that I narrowed down the fault to the lighted cover because I'd tested the cover with another Kindle and the light still didn't work. There was a possibility that this other Kindle was faulty, but I reckoned it's pretty unlikely. It was more likely that the cover was at fault.<br />
<br />
She listened to me, got the picture, and said she would refund me the cost of the cover. I was floored! No more interrogation? No more 'are you sure you didn't drop it on the floor only to have a car accidentally drive over it?' Didn't I need to send the faulty one back first? She said she would overnight a new cover over, but the colour I wanted was out of stock, so the next best thing would be to refund me the money so that I could buy whatever I wanted. I was told to return the faulty cover and was given an address label to print out and paste on the package. Brilliant!<br />
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The story didn't end there. I later realised that the return address label was meant for people in the US, and it had no address printed on it, only bar codes. The customer can just drop the package off at any post office and that's that. So I emailed Amazon about this 'problem', told them I was currently overseas, and could they give me another address label to use so that I could ship the faulty Kindle cover back to them.<br />
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A few hours later someone emailed me back.<br />
<br />
<i>Hello,<br />
<br />
I'm sorry to hear about the problem you are experiencing with this return. In this case, please return the item to our return address below and write back to us with the return shipping charges and we will refund the same to the payment method used in your order. Please write the reason for your return on the packing slip, put the slip in the carton, and wrap the package securely. If you no longer have your packing slip, please write your order number on a slip of paper.</i> <br />
<i><br />
Send the package to:<br />
</i> <i> RETURNS CENTER - AMAZON.COM<br />
172 Trade Street<br />
Lexington, KY 40511<br />
USA<br />
<br />
Please write back and let us know what you paid for return shipping so we may credit you the correct amount. Please visit the following link to provide the information we requested....</i> <br />
<br />
Wow! They are paying for my shipping! So this has been quite a pleasant surprise because even though I've heard of superlative service from Amazon, I haven't really had the need to use it before. I filled in the form stating how much it cost me to ship the lighted case back.<br />
<br />
<b>Update (30th January)</b>: I received an email from customer service.<br />
<br />
<i>Greetings from Amazon.com.<br />
<br />
We're writing to let you know we processed your refund of $6.00 for your Order 104-6085509-7637041.<br />
<br />
This refund is for the following item(s):<br />
<br />
Item: Kindle Lighted Leather Cover, Burnt Orange (Fits 6" Display, Latest Generation Kindle)<br />
Quantity: 1<br />
ASIN: B003DZ167A<br />
Reason for refund: Account adjustment<br />
<br />
Here's the breakdown of your refund for this item:<br />
Goodwill Refund: $6.00<br />
We'll apply your refund to the following payment method(s):<br />
<br />
Gift Card: $6.00<br />
<br />
Refunds typically complete within 10 business days and appear as a credit on your statement.<br />
<br />
The amount credited to your Gift Card balance should be automatically applied to your next eligible order on our website.<br />
<br />
Have questions about our refund policy?<br />
Visit our Help section for more information: http://www.amazon.com/refunds<br />
We look forward to seeing you again soon.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
Amazon.com<br />
We're Building Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company<br />
http://www.amazon.com</i><br />
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As expected, everything went well!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">*** </div><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div>A question I am curious about is: what on earth is going on?! How does this level of customer service come about? I don't know but I sure will like to. Maybe I'll talk about another company associated with Amazon called Zappos.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bUSBbwYd-drSRCs1ddEzonQGbhuCPj_8hzNPWdhrXcVvWTH0B69zNoiuYkSy7j3WzQs_iZdjp8zvBhaahLj9RYMna8KfRt41C7PVRQsIrd8qM6vPCxT1TMclk3ZHtAcTISL04Q/s1600/zap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bUSBbwYd-drSRCs1ddEzonQGbhuCPj_8hzNPWdhrXcVvWTH0B69zNoiuYkSy7j3WzQs_iZdjp8zvBhaahLj9RYMna8KfRt41C7PVRQsIrd8qM6vPCxT1TMclk3ZHtAcTISL04Q/s320/zap.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.zappos.com/">Zappos</a> is an online shoe store that's also famous for its customer service; it was bought over by Amazon in 2009. Zappos' training programme for new employees is quite interesting. They want to make sure that every new hire shares their corporate culture, concern for the customer and so on.<br />
<br />
Now one way to make sure that happens is to intentionally keep only the people who really want to work in the company. But how about the others? Those who are not so keen to do a good job? You may wish to fire them. Sometimes, though, people need some encouragement, so that's what Zappos management is doing.<br />
<br />
In the middle of the training programme that all new employees have to go through, they are given the chance to back out. Some people may have always wanted to work there but after going through part of the initial training decide that Zappos is not for them after all. Here's the interesting bit: Zappos management will pay you to back out! To the tune of US$2000. Take the money and leave, no questions asked.<br />
<br />
If we were to apply this to the teaching service in Singapore, it'd be similar to saying to a trainee teacher at NIE and saying, 'OK, here's the deal, you've had a taste of school life. After experiencing a bit of what a 'teacher' is REALLY like, we understand that you may feel teaching is not your thing. So we're giving you a chance to QUIT. In fact, if you back out now, there'll be NO penalties, and we'll PAY you $2000 as a goodwill gesture to compensate for the time you've spent with us. Think about it. We'll ask you again in a few weeks.'<br />
<br />
I'm not sure if this will ever happen, but if it did, it'll be very impressive! The idea is to recognise that some people may change their minds, and that it's perfectly all right for them to do so simply because it's best for everyone. The other good thing is that only the truly interested people remain, the ones who don't wish to cash out and stay on.<br />
<br />
Perhaps Amazon, after acquiring Zappos, have also taken a leaf out their hiring practice. I won't be too surprised if that's the case, given the ease that my Kindle cover was replaced. For the record, if MOE offers me $3000 today to quit, I won't do it. I think I quite like my job LOL!<br />
<br />
<br />
Further reading:<br />
<i><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/goog_882728060">Why Zappos Offers New Hires $2,000 to Quit</a></i><br />
<i><a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/taylor/2008/05/why_zappos_pays_new_employees.html">The policy of providing a let-out after one week has gained worldwide attention. Columnist Keith McFarland explains why it makes sense </a></i>jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-72021253095530443622010-08-14T10:58:00.002+08:002010-08-14T11:02:19.186+08:00Planet-Gazing<blockquote>When I heard the learn’d astronomer,<br />
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,<br />
When I was shown the charts and the diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,<br />
When I, sitting, heard the astronomer, where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,<br />
How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick,<br />
Till rising and gliding out, I wander’d off by myself,<br />
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,<br />
Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.<br />
<br />
~Walt Whitman / Leaves of Grass / When I Heard The Learn'd Astronomer</blockquote>One of the best things about the night sky is that anyone can look at it. While this is quite obvious, some feel that only professional astronomers are qualified to look upwards to the heavens. That's not very true. Anyone can do it, even if you don't understand the mechanics behind the whole enterprise.<br />
<br />
The following is from my window on Thursday night. The lovely crescent moon (specially commissioned for National Day) lies just below the bright Venus. Nearby Saturn and Mars peek through the atmospheric impurities, almost invisible to the naked eye but discernible through a DSLR camera on a tripod.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLG5QnQNIjBEIvWT8v7orA01eRiM9AJIthTYKazhAUnZWKtRPvxlnWUDwukv8mu7DJeuNKLxN83YgSqSFBZi0HADLDdbrovRziBbuEhXL5xlyhKb_meycEUcMDJZQ3jWaXZBByA/s1600/DSC_5040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLG5QnQNIjBEIvWT8v7orA01eRiM9AJIthTYKazhAUnZWKtRPvxlnWUDwukv8mu7DJeuNKLxN83YgSqSFBZi0HADLDdbrovRziBbuEhXL5xlyhKb_meycEUcMDJZQ3jWaXZBByA/s400/DSC_5040.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>click = big</i></div><br />
I have a computer planetarium called <a href="http://www.stellarium.org/">Stallarium</a> which I highly recommend. Here are some screen shots that show what the lights are on this night.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYioPLXRGj05zQ_-vLMZ2ltkbUvls1T6_1qqlV3lUgXmb6ypoJxN9tySxbf49ZTxBVhObPnlNzlARpv9_chAdfq0uGZRFyptApyeHQpaLonvqsPx5ee5eb-xjSBwBzKrQyEcBtBg/s1600/planet2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYioPLXRGj05zQ_-vLMZ2ltkbUvls1T6_1qqlV3lUgXmb6ypoJxN9tySxbf49ZTxBVhObPnlNzlARpv9_chAdfq0uGZRFyptApyeHQpaLonvqsPx5ee5eb-xjSBwBzKrQyEcBtBg/s320/planet2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRmQi5xusfRj6vYHlHyVJPgCa2sH1Co4LzGMRSVHHIO6FT8D51Y5Ch2Cv560xpmEv1eF1rI7_LwPdApT6anCTOWOUjID0A5kwVxVLcDGu60PuzE-_4MdobuAGO-VZ2Hv6A05agw/s1600/planet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRmQi5xusfRj6vYHlHyVJPgCa2sH1Co4LzGMRSVHHIO6FT8D51Y5Ch2Cv560xpmEv1eF1rI7_LwPdApT6anCTOWOUjID0A5kwVxVLcDGu60PuzE-_4MdobuAGO-VZ2Hv6A05agw/s320/planet.JPG" width="302" /></a></div>jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-14934849285971921902010-08-04T21:57:00.107+08:002011-12-06T00:18:24.652+08:00Amazon Kindle 3 In Singapore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
1) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazon-kindle-3-in-singapore.html#updates">Updates</a><br />
2) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazon-kindle-3-in-singapore.html#preamble">Preamble</a><br />
3) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazon-kindle-3-in-singapore.html#how">How to buy a Kindle in Singapore</a><br />
4) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazon-kindle-3-in-singapore.html#ebooks">How to buy Kindle e-books in Singapore</a> <br />
5) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazon-kindle-3-in-singapore.html#pictures">Kindle pictures and shipment info</a><br />
6) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazon-kindle-3-in-singapore.html#calibre">Calibre eBook management</a><br />
7) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazon-kindle-3-in-singapore.html#pdf">PDF documents</a><br />
8) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazon-kindle-3-in-singapore.html#magazines">Magazines</a><br />
9) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazon-kindle-3-in-singapore.html#sunlight">Usage in strong sunlight</a><br />
10) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazon-kindle-3-in-singapore.html#proof">Proof of residency email</a><br />
11) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazon-kindle-3-in-singapore.html#special">Kindle 3 with Special Offers (NEW!) </a><br />
12) <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2010/08/amazon-kindle-3-in-singapore.html#media">Past newspaper mentions</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Updated 13 November 2011</b>: This post will no longer be updated. I'll continue the discussion at the new<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/11/amazon-kindle-touch-in-singapore.html"> Kindle Touch entry</a>. </span><b><br /></b><br />
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<b>Updated 28 September 2011</b>: New Kindles! Starting US$79! This will really shake things up. I just preordered the Touch!</div>
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<b><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190" name="updates"></a></b><b>Updated 14 May 2011</b>: I've just received the new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Special-Offers-Wireless-Reader/dp/B004HFS6Z0?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Kindle with Special Offers</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jesbl08-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004HFS6Z0" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. It's only USD$114; <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190#special">pictures below</a>. I've also got a second <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/02/kate-spade-kindle-cover.html">Kate Spade Kindle case</a> to go along with it.<b><br />
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<b>Updated 24 February 2011</b>: New Kindle advertisement, "The Book Lives On." <br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="255" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xIj5lpFQIK8" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe><br />
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<b>Updated 25 January 2011</b>: My Kindle lighted cover has stopped working. <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2011/01/amazing-amazon-service-paying-you-to.html">Click here to read the refund story</a>. <br />
<b>Updated 19 January 2011</b>: Digital Life has a cover story on e-readers and the Kindle. There's just one thing. Hotspot Shield VPN is mentioned but I don't recommend it for the time being. (click = big)<br />
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<b> Updated 17 September 2010</b>: I'm getting reports from folks who are having problems with the Hotspot Shield VPN; it's not working for some reason. Do consider an alternate VPN. Amended buying procedure.<br />
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<b>Updated 6 September</b>: I received my Kindle 3! Updated price and took some new pictures with comments.<br />
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<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190" name="preamble"></a>The book is one of the most ingenious inventions of all time. However, the book wasn't something that was created in one day. It has evolved continually starting with papyrus in Egypt then to Chinese scrolls then to movable type with the Gutenberg press. And it's now digitalised in the form of portable reading devices that allow you to read e-books. The best selling reading device now is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/kindle">Amazon Kindle</a>.<br />
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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos just announced that sales of Kindle e-books have overtaken hardcover sales, and <a href="http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&hl=en&q=jeff+bezos+kindle+paperback">will overtake sales of paperbacks in 12 months</a>. I just find that really astonishing. It's one of those things that you've heard about: things happen so fast in Internet time, and we're right in the middle of this revolution.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DZ165W?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003DZ165W" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJ6UE5-ZTB51HmzYyqyScOSj0-MzGaQJlWJpEJHSRyIIW9UydA6tmttb5_qPsbqQAKpRkLIB3PD8ENk3zu0c-EbPsuHcffVitC5kiDlrEuWlNHgKFYgee32fsVNnbfEEH7omVFA/s320/cover.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The next iteration of the Kindle is the new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Graphite/dp/B002Y27P3M?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Third Generation</a> device which is now USD139. (I bought the Kindle 2 for USD359 in May last year. What a price drop!) I've just <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Graphite/dp/B002Y27P3M?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">pre-ordered the WiFi-only Kindle 3</a> after it's first shipment was sold out even before the product is released at the end of this month. I am now queuing in the second wave and will update this post when that happens.<br />
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Here are some reasons I've chosen the Kindle 3 instead of other reading devices: <br />
Best online shopping company in the world: Even before the arrival of the Kindle, I've always bought books from Amazon. They are always reliable, have a great selection and website with lots of customer reviews.<br />
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Excellent support: Amazon's customer service support is legendary in the industry. I've called them a few times myself and have consistently received the highest level of service. It offers 30-day money back and price drop guarantee and I believe e-books are returnable too.<br />
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Best reading device: The Kindle is meant to 'disappear', a design philosophy that is very rarely adopted by product designers and suggests a sublime understanding of how it should be made and positioned. The user interface is intuitive and easy to use. The latest generation has eInk that improves contrast by 50%; very close to real paper, so they say. It's also probably the most user-friendly e-Ink reader.<br />
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Largest selection of books: The Kindle store doesn't claim to have every book there is, but my impression is that it does have the largest selection. I recently bought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/HP-Phenomenon-Innovation-Transformation-ebook/dp/B00336ET1Y?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The HP Phenomenon</a> and it could only be found in the Kindle store.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jesbl08-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00336ET1Y" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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Best Laugh: One of the main reasons why Amazon is my top choice is due to CEO Jeff Bezos. (Just like how Steve Jobs is god to the fanbois lol)<a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-february-23-2009/jeff-bezos"> Jeff has one of the heartiest laughs I've ever heard</a>. Most reports also suggest that's one of the most down to earth billionaires ever. I am happy to do business with folks like him. <br />
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In the meantime, if you're interested to see what the fuss is about, Bezos has a wonderful interview with Charlie Rose and it's really worth a look to see what makes Amazon tick and where the book market is going in the near future. The full 40-minute interview is <a href="http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11138">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190" name="how"></a><b>How to buy a Kindle in Singapore</b><br />
Here are the steps I use. Do note that Amazon doesn't officially support Kindles in Singapore. There are instances where buyers were found to be not from 'authorised countries' and their accounts were disabled. Your mileage may vary. Caveat Emptor. Other than that, things have worked really well for many local Kindle users.<br />
<ul>
<li>Create an Amazon account if you don't already have one.</li>
<li>Go to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Graphite/dp/B002Y27P3M?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Kindle page</a> and buy yourself a Kindle. It will be automatically linked to your Amazon account. I prefer the WiFi-only version rather than the 3G+WiFi version. The added 3G isn't really necessary because worldwide surfing isn't guaranteed. Also, additional costs will be incurred for the transfer of documents if 3G (AT&amp;T roaming) is used when there is no WiFi.</li>
<li>Ship it to a third party mail forwarder. I use <a href="https://www.borderlinx.com/m/">Borderlinx</a> who will then ship it to Singapore. <a href="http://www.comgateway.com/">Comgateway</a> seems fine too though I've not tried them myself.</li>
<li>When you get your Kindle, you need to register it if it hasn't already been registered. After connecting to wifi at home&gt;settings, register it by filling in your Amazon username and password at home&gt;settings&gt;register.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190&from=pencil" name="ebooks"></a><br />
<b>Some preparatory steps to take before buying books from the Amazon US store</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Firstly, do NOT buy books using your Kindle's Whispernet/3G/WiFi. Don't buy from Kindle apps too.</li>
<li>You need to buy books using your Internet browser on your computer with a VPN installed. Use a VPN such as <a href="https://ssl.alwaysvpn.com/">AlwaysVPN</a> to make yourself situated in the US, in spirit. You may turn it off later when you're done purchasing. I can <a href="mailto:jeffreyyen@gmail.com">share</a> my AlwaysVPN account with local Kindle users. Do not use Hotspot Shield; it's known not to work sometimes.</li>
<li>Exit your Internet browser.</li>
<li>Switch on your VPN. Open your browser.</li>
<li>Go to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle">Manage your Kindle</a> at the Kindle product page.</li>
<li>Go to 'your country'. Change your country to US if it's showing another country. Use any US address.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/gc/order-email?ie=UTF8&design=kindle_09_us">Buy a gift card</a> with your local credit card, say USD50. Email the gift card to your email address. When you re/ceive it in the mail, apply the gift amount to your Amazon account. </li>
<li>Go to your account, 'manage payment options', and erase your credit card info if you have any credit cards associated with Amazon.com . (Do this also whenever you buy something at Amazon using your local credit card.) </li>
</ul>
<b>How to buy e-books from the Amazon US store</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Again, do NOT buy e-books (even if the books are free) using the Kindle's Whispernet/3G/WiFi. </li>
<li>Ensure that you have sufficient funds in your account. If not, buy more gift cards and apply them to your account.</li>
<li>Exit your Internet browser</li>
<li>Switch on your VPN, open your Internet browser and go <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/b?ie=UTF8&node=1286228011&ref_=sa_menu_kbo3&_encoding=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jesbl08-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Find your book and click 'buy now with 1-click', 'deliver to your Kindle'. If you choose
to wirelessly send it to your Kindle, you should receive the book in
less than a minute. You can also choose to download the file and
transfer it to your Kindle using USB. If asked for the billing address,
use any US address. Not that this address will not be used because funds
will originate from your gift card balance.</li>
<li>Switch off the VPN </li>
</ul>
<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190" name="pictures"></a><b>6 September update</b>: I've received my Wi-Fi Kindle 3! The cost is USD139<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jesbl08-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002Y27P3M" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reader-Wifi-Graphite/dp/B002Y27P3M?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Kindle 3 WiFi</a>) + USD60 (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Lighted-Leather-Display-Generation/dp/B003DZ167A?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Kindle Lighted Leather Cover</a>) + SGD 24 (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Borderlinx </a>shipping) = around SGD 300. The screen is just totally unbelievable; I can't see the difference between a printed page and the new <a href="http://www.eink.com/products/High_Res_Pearl.html">E-Ink Pearl screen</a>. More pictures below with additional comments. (click = big)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpZgHGvazBK3_CL9LBXUPf2rQCsQKFDVviJCgs3tWWPFwZgJgbRPppCTpFlSVwS_7D3_bwf1JlBEpIq0JCnhU5j5lCA20Inng4R69FrxRrLvRmR2sHlm-H9dS0oi1aUh4JVfPlA/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpZgHGvazBK3_CL9LBXUPf2rQCsQKFDVviJCgs3tWWPFwZgJgbRPppCTpFlSVwS_7D3_bwf1JlBEpIq0JCnhU5j5lCA20Inng4R69FrxRrLvRmR2sHlm-H9dS0oi1aUh4JVfPlA/s320/Capture.JPG" /></a></div>
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Free Amazon shipping (5-9 days). The shipment arrived at Borderlinx in 4 days, way sooner than Amazon's conservative figure.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/TIUJun5hQwI/AAAAAAAAYko/tXzlL-fBN0o/s1600/dhl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/TIUJun5hQwI/AAAAAAAAYko/tXzlL-fBN0o/s320/dhl.JPG" width="259" /></a></div>
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The fee charged by Borderlinx was SGD23.42. There were no additional GST, import fees etc. DHL's tracking system is GOOD!</div>
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This is quite interesting. First time users of E-Ink will try to peel the instructions sticker from the screen. Problem is: it's not a sticker; it's the screen!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/TIUJJNhfisI/AAAAAAAAYi4/n-4a0BPvxz4/s1600/DSC_5711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/TIUJJNhfisI/AAAAAAAAYi4/n-4a0BPvxz4/s320/DSC_5711.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/TIUJLOYbuLI/AAAAAAAAYjA/tcpcTWqUaYM/s1600/DSC_5712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/TIUJLOYbuLI/AAAAAAAAYjA/tcpcTWqUaYM/s320/DSC_5712.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Lighted-Leather-Display-Generation/dp/B003DZ167A?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Kindle Lighted Burnt Orange Leather Cover</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jesbl08-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003DZ167A" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> is a thing of beauty; very well constructed and the light is just fantastic! The price (USD59) is also...uh... quite fantastic!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/TIUJM-jP0FI/AAAAAAAAYjM/JFtAFBI-3RE/s1600/DSC_5713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/TIUJM-jP0FI/AAAAAAAAYjM/JFtAFBI-3RE/s320/DSC_5713.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The browser is fast. Obviously it's meant for casual browsing but it does work quite well.</div>
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A comparison between Kindle 2 and 3. There is no contest: the black of the K3 is really much blacker.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/TIUJbKMgknI/AAAAAAAAYkY/seCo7XbQYnc/s1600/DSC_5745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/TIUJbKMgknI/AAAAAAAAYkY/seCo7XbQYnc/s320/DSC_5745.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>11 September 2010 update</b><br />
Having used the new Kindle 3 for a few days, I must say that it's wonderful device. Because my first Kindle was a Kindle 2 with no wireless (it's a CDMA device for the US market), the addition of WiFi is making a huge difference.<br />
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Firstly, I only need to use the VPN to buy books and the book get transferred wirelessly to the device. Also, if you looking for the 'classics' and wish to use sites like Gutenberg, you don't even need to go to the Amazon store. Just use the browser and directly download the .mobi file into the Kindle and immediately read it on your device.<br />
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<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190" name="calibre"></a>A reader commented on the use of <a href="http://calibre-ebook.com/">Calibre</a> which allows you to manage your ebooks and to convert them to the Kindle format. The increase in functionality when one pairs up the Kindle with Calibre is astonishing. Calibre (a bit like the old Palm Avantgo) allows you to push rss feeds into the Kindle magazine format and this can be done wirelessly. It works really well!<br />
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<b>23 September 2010 update</b><br />
<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190" name="pdf"></a>A reader sent me two PDF documents for me to try out. My impression of the Kindle reading was that yes, it's technically possible to read PDFs, but in reality, due to the size of the screen, it's not very feasible. After my investigation today, I've come to a rather surprising conclusion.<br />
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The screen of the Kindle 3 is so much better than the Kindle 2 that even the tiny words show up very well. Reading PDFs is very possible now! All pictures, click=big. The words are a little fuzzy as I wasn't using a tripod when I took these pictures and the lighting wasn't so good. While standard 'text pages' like these look good, magazine pdfs may not because the pages are bigger. YMMV.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFpmOvswuHqwnFxtUvZOU0AwYY06aq3gFm-oYAPtHKsMrPsPZihVgiAd6acKk15QqNZADVYlPMpj9xhNTDWuepRAM781Wi8GSFRZd-PQPIA0_R1SZ8BH_1gDzRpK64JAMJBUhWQ/s1600/DSC_6217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFpmOvswuHqwnFxtUvZOU0AwYY06aq3gFm-oYAPtHKsMrPsPZihVgiAd6acKk15QqNZADVYlPMpj9xhNTDWuepRAM781Wi8GSFRZd-PQPIA0_R1SZ8BH_1gDzRpK64JAMJBUhWQ/s320/DSC_6217.jpg" width="213" /> </a></div>
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At the bottom of this page, there are some 'missing words' which will appear when we magnify the screen or rotate the screen to landscape mode. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCmRKvISi7_7a8QC-Uf_E54DfjM42Y6rihuQWY-SPAQl5Ae96zcizGrVBNcRaK27XNDnx-wWp3P92-VHHhRkafOAYUZPMgITfLvj325-GkxV8DX1ZCB9YNciQwv7EeV_aaWXN8w/s1600/DSC_6219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCmRKvISi7_7a8QC-Uf_E54DfjM42Y6rihuQWY-SPAQl5Ae96zcizGrVBNcRaK27XNDnx-wWp3P92-VHHhRkafOAYUZPMgITfLvj325-GkxV8DX1ZCB9YNciQwv7EeV_aaWXN8w/s320/DSC_6219.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSPNzIhYh9a835voLs2G3K9rWVYIbflSyf3d14fkFrWt5jXe2Ul8Cu2QKiuP8UHH5g-ihsUjf05kpJ6wvzFiZLw9mC_6qMbLk-aFKB7aWnPQnEhGLiUlpoV8jsWfKKMU13Eoy-g/s1600/DSC_6221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhSPNzIhYh9a835voLs2G3K9rWVYIbflSyf3d14fkFrWt5jXe2Ul8Cu2QKiuP8UHH5g-ihsUjf05kpJ6wvzFiZLw9mC_6qMbLk-aFKB7aWnPQnEhGLiUlpoV8jsWfKKMU13Eoy-g/s320/DSC_6221.jpg" /> </a></div>
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Here we see that the dictionary works on an unconverted PDF document. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQIHdsxwwD3cxrM0fl2bfiG9jhTSB5fXsMaoY6sc1oZAS-3mJYACjwh1QYuM75o8h1UgPv3INtRznXZATTYIGq1uF4j1lcR5nwYOEs1_VIZUtnmXUh2b0dDeVJlL7oz-f7aS5sA/s1600/DSC_6223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQIHdsxwwD3cxrM0fl2bfiG9jhTSB5fXsMaoY6sc1oZAS-3mJYACjwh1QYuM75o8h1UgPv3INtRznXZATTYIGq1uF4j1lcR5nwYOEs1_VIZUtnmXUh2b0dDeVJlL7oz-f7aS5sA/s320/DSC_6223.jpg" /> </a></div>
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Here is annotation in action. Highlight the words, then add your own comment. </div>
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<b>28 September 2010update</b><br />
<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190" name="magazines"></a>I've managed to buy a magazine sold at the Kindle store just to test it out. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Yorker/dp/B001O2SCKI?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">New Yorker</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jesbl08-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001O2SCKI" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> costs USD3 a month so it's quite all right. I believe we cannot use gift cards to buy magazines so a workaround is to use yet another (!) credit card called <a href="https://www.entropay.com/index.php">Entropay</a>. This is a 'virtual prepaid' credit card and the commission fee to 'load money' into it is 5%.<br />
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If you're not keen on paying for magazines, an alternative is to use <a href="http://calibre-ebook.com/">Calibre</a> and download magazines/news websites. So far I'm able to download Reader's Digest for free. Anything that is available for free on the Internet can technically be downloaded as an ebook using Calibre. It's very powerful.<br />
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<b>3 October 2010 update</b><br />
<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190" name="sunlight"></a>Here are more pictures of the Kindle in strong sunlight (click = big). There used to be a 'page-turn lag' issue but it has largely been resolved with the 3.0.2 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_navbox_top_kindlelgi?nodeId=200529700">software update</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8nkadFxZeqrEOF7IBsR2r20dpa1abeX264PtVCYr8p2hHq-ckV7izFhIOiU4EhMy9cLrmBdvDW0VtRCVYbalgpycbQPat_ei2tA0li57wVpNARJU7eYdeod2ooVSdlel0vLcPA/s1600/DSC_6350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8nkadFxZeqrEOF7IBsR2r20dpa1abeX264PtVCYr8p2hHq-ckV7izFhIOiU4EhMy9cLrmBdvDW0VtRCVYbalgpycbQPat_ei2tA0li57wVpNARJU7eYdeod2ooVSdlel0vLcPA/s320/DSC_6350.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2U2aFN2U06emib_vKM1IPulZxX8BawkwhHth44qXWVHUSVk4hbDOXjChAlgTbKgeOY5WVIsDxIw8VzIH7jYEy9WALi0tDYv50xku7fa6-c33EjWRDlDKU8veoIc2iyioWAPvHg/s1600/DSC_6354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2U2aFN2U06emib_vKM1IPulZxX8BawkwhHth44qXWVHUSVk4hbDOXjChAlgTbKgeOY5WVIsDxIw8VzIH7jYEy9WALi0tDYv50xku7fa6-c33EjWRDlDKU8veoIc2iyioWAPvHg/s320/DSC_6354.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGFVePoojNwDVD6b8dqJRIhj10cfl3mQNsAmb5dtEDeNlUjC_HX_dgm-juHMkMMsJzWT-5RHwGO2KZ9a9pHRGgfmS_i0q-WfYRjbd3vt465AQLPWbMB4ssGE79pmrM7HemQOoCw/s1600/DSC_6355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGFVePoojNwDVD6b8dqJRIhj10cfl3mQNsAmb5dtEDeNlUjC_HX_dgm-juHMkMMsJzWT-5RHwGO2KZ9a9pHRGgfmS_i0q-WfYRjbd3vt465AQLPWbMB4ssGE79pmrM7HemQOoCw/s320/DSC_6355.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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The content here are downloaded using Calibre which is pretty versatile in using RSS feeds and turning the content into 'magazine format'.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFu4tBdXDQwaDOVYi5sqDVYe450YO7n3grKCqnhzAechaC0BjWx2reVMm720gnuWeyEzWC5wdgQB4r5wh2CRVH8N81lg5zkQZJIp3OQF0LWEVR25YxcMaGqJnqLgzuoOKRgKThlg/s1600/DSC_6357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFu4tBdXDQwaDOVYi5sqDVYe450YO7n3grKCqnhzAechaC0BjWx2reVMm720gnuWeyEzWC5wdgQB4r5wh2CRVH8N81lg5zkQZJIp3OQF0LWEVR25YxcMaGqJnqLgzuoOKRgKThlg/s320/DSC_6357.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ65CwvbiH66rgc1gbDsYLVYIRdEzq36fNtiYnfJW-67Q4AQSIUSNqEXJyes4q5at2P2QXzLdq24MGGUAhqNCdYrmRFAsV1FZ7sj-AQm-26IggTd6P_dFK2PzC4Ep_13_a2rpoQ/s1600/DSC_6358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ65CwvbiH66rgc1gbDsYLVYIRdEzq36fNtiYnfJW-67Q4AQSIUSNqEXJyes4q5at2P2QXzLdq24MGGUAhqNCdYrmRFAsV1FZ7sj-AQm-26IggTd6P_dFK2PzC4Ep_13_a2rpoQ/s320/DSC_6358.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGkLfme-z_oAel0AEKF3XAxDgQ9NB0OcB6VdPLqf6KbPPMRFW_uHX31UoAol-DgK1bsDRHPirYlW-3GQjkhH6U2ZbuGAqYUzO6xs3MVvvPe5qcXXqUd-VlYCuFuXOg9PHe8G6A2Q/s1600/DSC_6359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGkLfme-z_oAel0AEKF3XAxDgQ9NB0OcB6VdPLqf6KbPPMRFW_uHX31UoAol-DgK1bsDRHPirYlW-3GQjkhH6U2ZbuGAqYUzO6xs3MVvvPe5qcXXqUd-VlYCuFuXOg9PHe8G6A2Q/s320/DSC_6359.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypbsnDekmYs02OSqH8lX-sUfIgPc0gsjK2TKNtojkaQFOn4d7qZuCIp4497s4mKIqFucl3d_q5KZETbhLG2LMy2lCZ7SctIVhW627Neq3lWYl9tZ39JGsBgGwc3QnvkOZQz8jtA/s1600/DSC_6363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypbsnDekmYs02OSqH8lX-sUfIgPc0gsjK2TKNtojkaQFOn4d7qZuCIp4497s4mKIqFucl3d_q5KZETbhLG2LMy2lCZ7SctIVhW627Neq3lWYl9tZ39JGsBgGwc3QnvkOZQz8jtA/s320/DSC_6363.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/SCRABBLE/dp/B003P2QCE8?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Scrabble</a> is a new Kindle game that is a joy to play.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CIxYtZAhaDLzb5wLd8cqnn8lLN9uInPz1BQFfLeJ7AN2XZS1OHXH92ENZSFpyfSYS7yY4mxorEO7h6ejJwdj96dGT4AcF8A1j2rLyYFMksFJwYOm6kZQcWy9Nqiuzxldy0Xoag/s1600/DSC_6364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CIxYtZAhaDLzb5wLd8cqnn8lLN9uInPz1BQFfLeJ7AN2XZS1OHXH92ENZSFpyfSYS7yY4mxorEO7h6ejJwdj96dGT4AcF8A1j2rLyYFMksFJwYOm6kZQcWy9Nqiuzxldy0Xoag/s320/DSC_6364.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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This is Nikon PDF directly loaded onto the Kindle without modification.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Mdmm04ZOfTVaa89c9XE0U-AqH2ogB2ORJHNuPq0-6W7RM5j04xIAbvz5m8S0aTp6GakdgfADZapCrZrFGRqA-qftxfW09_akjuV1bEa268QFmoM4lXfJV5sLEd4aFoE__wtVPg/s1600/DSC_6365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Mdmm04ZOfTVaa89c9XE0U-AqH2ogB2ORJHNuPq0-6W7RM5j04xIAbvz5m8S0aTp6GakdgfADZapCrZrFGRqA-qftxfW09_akjuV1bEa268QFmoM4lXfJV5sLEd4aFoE__wtVPg/s320/DSC_6365.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<b>1 December 2010 update</b><br />
<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190" name="proof"></a>Some readers have asked for advice on how to proceed if they bought ebooks without using a VPN and are asked by Amazon to provide proof of residency. You can ignore the email. Going forward, you need to use a VPN and then go to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle">www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle</a> to change your country to US. Please use a VPN when buying anything, free or otherwise, at the Kindle Store. If you don't have one, <a href="mailto:jeffreyyen@gmail.com">email me</a>, I can share mine with you.<br />
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<b>14 May 2001 update:</b><br />
<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190" name="special"></a>Amazon has released a cheaper version of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Special-Offers-Wireless-Reader/dp/B004HFS6Z0?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Kindle 3 with Special Offers</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jesbl08-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004HFS6Z0" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. It now comes with advertisements. The good thing is that the ads are completely unobtrusive. The screensavers (example below) are also ads now, and they are interesting because they keep changing! It's the Kindle I'd recommend now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDP_7rRiMeo4Thu-Tbx-ju495_JElWu66h7aT48MfCPyD1PFwknzCwXMo85A3ZDa8t4Vy2TqJZ6FvxGOw02MWOBC7uitB-LXudlymnUvVnOQyIol81B5wyjKeZ8h8MsTH5yjnUMw/s1600/DSC_2007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDP_7rRiMeo4Thu-Tbx-ju495_JElWu66h7aT48MfCPyD1PFwknzCwXMo85A3ZDa8t4Vy2TqJZ6FvxGOw02MWOBC7uitB-LXudlymnUvVnOQyIol81B5wyjKeZ8h8MsTH5yjnUMw/s320/DSC_2007.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmFlLq-XWm9bldSVTi_tGnjYqv4CKubsaPnQq2JweTkbTri0QAYc_gq5LcgNGBHYvgCdsoIosIqSmFpmTNrzG6qY8NRoFeH4yRA-dtV2PZnEjYSO2Gai5FfeQgP2AMlqQqpVovw/s1600/DSC_2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmFlLq-XWm9bldSVTi_tGnjYqv4CKubsaPnQq2JweTkbTri0QAYc_gq5LcgNGBHYvgCdsoIosIqSmFpmTNrzG6qY8NRoFeH4yRA-dtV2PZnEjYSO2Gai5FfeQgP2AMlqQqpVovw/s320/DSC_2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>On the main index screen, some space is used for the advertisments. This replaces the space used by 1 book listing.</i> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCxXzReLdp_FNX4GbURtegUM_heolCltng-1s1WQh7_cqFR6-7noNfSIRkVbc3bjgDxz8J56y9QU5RfiUp3K6reJx-ON_w9bJVUggQFHa_Hv99l029KOZAtjV-Wf5_Fr_N1k3ow/s1600/DSC_2012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCxXzReLdp_FNX4GbURtegUM_heolCltng-1s1WQh7_cqFR6-7noNfSIRkVbc3bjgDxz8J56y9QU5RfiUp3K6reJx-ON_w9bJVUggQFHa_Hv99l029KOZAtjV-Wf5_Fr_N1k3ow/s320/DSC_2012.jpg" width="320" /></a> <br />
<i>If you want to see the advertisement, you'll be brought to another page.</i><br />
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<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5419019&postID=1493484928597192190" name="media"></a>Previous related entries: <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2009/06/amazon-kindle-2-in-singapore.html">Kindle 2 in Singapore</a> (historical information on how to get the Kindle 2 here)<br />
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<a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2009/10/uni-tasking-and-kindle.html">Unitasking and the Kindle</a> (the concept that's opposite to multitasking, and mentions of Kindle in the local press)<br />
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Digital Life article:<br />
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<a href="http://www.itsnotpersonal.com/itsnotpersonal/upload/kindle2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDA1Wdn8ol4RmUzNvPPF5bGdMTfIEL0P7GgWJMBnyl9H52cA0hnZwRrL1QCOJJX6Ji2ikaSn4TKObXAlyOngJ3yAzYPQR4AcxZrYklzxRATHW91JBRHUZ001oGZ5cOCm8j3Ac9Q/s320/kindle2011.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com720tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-12772633985381790942010-06-06T23:06:00.006+08:002010-06-07T09:28:53.449+08:00The Longest DayEvery year on this day, Charles M. Schulz's comic strip is dedicated to the veterans of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy_landings">D-Day</a> when 160,000 Allied troops crossed the English Channel and invaded Nazi-occupied France. Seeing Snoopy going off to war gives me the shivers. There were those who needed to fight for freedom.. Even if it took the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Longest_Day_%28film%29">longest day</a> to do it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6822dTb4bm1o_3QXRIp1VKARkX93M0k6-MDUPWlzzFPFI0lhOTzi2FHdtMaE9fY5Z1xBUWqRzSvvrkQeqgB5D88-fy1wiqA2NGgZa_FTmdh2zSIP_NvdaxNptmmS5bN_lnvvpA/s1600/snoopyjune6.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6822dTb4bm1o_3QXRIp1VKARkX93M0k6-MDUPWlzzFPFI0lhOTzi2FHdtMaE9fY5Z1xBUWqRzSvvrkQeqgB5D88-fy1wiqA2NGgZa_FTmdh2zSIP_NvdaxNptmmS5bN_lnvvpA/s400/snoopyjune6.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<object height="295" style="background-image: url("http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/gZgKo46X8CI/hqdefault.jpg");" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gZgKo46X8CI&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gZgKo46X8CI&hl=en_US&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="295" width="480"></embed></object><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZgKo46X8CI">Saving Private Ryan Normany invasion Youtube video </a><br />
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Source: <a href="http://comics.com/peanuts/">Here</a>, <a href="http://www.kansasheritage.org/abilene/ikespeech.html">here</a>, <a href="http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-eur/normandy/normandy.htm">here</a>jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-42008506751448435462010-03-18T16:43:00.004+08:002010-03-18T16:56:25.968+08:00Scarlet Sky ShotsWe were taking a post-dinner stroll at Marina Barrage last Saturday when we saw a portion of the sky light up. The sky literally brightened with a reddish hue and I guess we must have been pretty transfixed by it because we decided to go on mission to find out what was causing the sky to light up every few minutes or so.
We followed the reddish patch in the sky and finally stopped at Labrador Park, where we saw this:
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQPwTu_dwIZifoY7607UeJ2HpWT0AubVP1im1Gbv1DV05SWrMOwsKzGB4k82SAkx0BGd-JT-6e-OTacBPHHP6A4eidgJI8_FZJyGiBO5ST97rapaQsLJn6C-dQ2IDCRgmALvb/s1600-h/DSC_8748.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQPwTu_dwIZifoY7607UeJ2HpWT0AubVP1im1Gbv1DV05SWrMOwsKzGB4k82SAkx0BGd-JT-6e-OTacBPHHP6A4eidgJI8_FZJyGiBO5ST97rapaQsLJn6C-dQ2IDCRgmALvb/s400/DSC_8748.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449893549407821202" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9k8SLgNPXhRIybXzGJkORDxfs6lo1aos5jjstYZaIMnohiPHZ1nB9GtZJgUPp-glOo_5jDXid1vZIPjEdUA8NnB1CmlH3lkN3V9NLX5265GmY7qDTXf15_vrzCJhCE4K6CqOZ/s1600-h/DSC_8749.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9k8SLgNPXhRIybXzGJkORDxfs6lo1aos5jjstYZaIMnohiPHZ1nB9GtZJgUPp-glOo_5jDXid1vZIPjEdUA8NnB1CmlH3lkN3V9NLX5265GmY7qDTXf15_vrzCJhCE4K6CqOZ/s400/DSC_8749.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449893540325980082" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFLc_l0aBcpsoZOkw-_O-j9dTwL9haJqLib3mohksNdfzgAdIMWDxVQKlTIEWnJrZ25tGaRcY3PvhTNNu07381KrSSQeU2qtIQ1bP1E1B6aArZkjqYZvyyl0REDZj5gGFtTVj/s1600-h/DSC_8751.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFLc_l0aBcpsoZOkw-_O-j9dTwL9haJqLib3mohksNdfzgAdIMWDxVQKlTIEWnJrZ25tGaRcY3PvhTNNu07381KrSSQeU2qtIQ1bP1E1B6aArZkjqYZvyyl0REDZj5gGFtTVj/s400/DSC_8751.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449891969817810034" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TANAm-eJT-tUWH0_nrt55Fi_gRZdI5BpVewmU-CLF3pnE9tBjjus-mGB5wyNAE-cmBzWXuZdDwgr1ppVgm8O_nxvjBLWRnSUh5Hwy124oLH1nrlWaO7JrNWzonqOLnzZnFJB/s1600-h/DSC_8755.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TANAm-eJT-tUWH0_nrt55Fi_gRZdI5BpVewmU-CLF3pnE9tBjjus-mGB5wyNAE-cmBzWXuZdDwgr1ppVgm8O_nxvjBLWRnSUh5Hwy124oLH1nrlWaO7JrNWzonqOLnzZnFJB/s400/DSC_8755.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449891968360370162" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66uaAKyWU73Ovs09mp7bt6QqNmD8Ydn2Yw5FH2xX0CSJRdZoZxxd4clzhGdzO_LecHpQSNrfgvpn_pcDtX2ZwAR07r7ms_71HPocqjFP2Wl7bAQ8GogWT_fJXgmIfOH4n_2b5/s1600-h/DSC_8759.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66uaAKyWU73Ovs09mp7bt6QqNmD8Ydn2Yw5FH2xX0CSJRdZoZxxd4clzhGdzO_LecHpQSNrfgvpn_pcDtX2ZwAR07r7ms_71HPocqjFP2Wl7bAQ8GogWT_fJXgmIfOH4n_2b5/s400/DSC_8759.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449891964089440370" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGv_LOXnJdzdORb0aJ3dkuB3P07v6okSZDKT-JWbBBSevQYjQcOZClV5n-KyjyXcUwLHcxegamKzkdEO8eJoVisgxZvEldJefCMhiQOU5zVp9dOStDtkNI_8OQ8pfvHEQt5uM/s1600-h/DSC_8762.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGv_LOXnJdzdORb0aJ3dkuB3P07v6okSZDKT-JWbBBSevQYjQcOZClV5n-KyjyXcUwLHcxegamKzkdEO8eJoVisgxZvEldJefCMhiQOU5zVp9dOStDtkNI_8OQ8pfvHEQt5uM/s400/DSC_8762.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449891950476179618" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2x1PEGJBA_01N65x_5uvW7l3YW8mxVdSXxyZGyl5uvctR3TAvZNFsIZ4JQwemTm6Z2UNKKjRjZPDKpFCrgCtHqprfs4EZJh_xLhO_xGS3To1idrktkkvEgskSm177dCPgV3Fm/s1600-h/DSC_8765.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2x1PEGJBA_01N65x_5uvW7l3YW8mxVdSXxyZGyl5uvctR3TAvZNFsIZ4JQwemTm6Z2UNKKjRjZPDKpFCrgCtHqprfs4EZJh_xLhO_xGS3To1idrktkkvEgskSm177dCPgV3Fm/s400/DSC_8765.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449891946148894738" /></a>
We've never seen a flame this big and bright! It was really quite a pretty sight (:Limmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09465797757516801582noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-43076197754801560772010-01-02T11:19:00.004+08:002010-01-02T11:21:24.841+08:002010Hello!
It's been a while since anything was posted here so the purpose of this entry is to revive this relatively dormant blog.
<strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000099;">Happy New Year</span></strong> to all who read this blog! =) May 2010 be a year filled with exciting experiences and wonderful memories for everyone.Limmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09465797757516801582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-17185647828155339012009-11-03T21:38:00.020+08:002009-11-06T20:56:27.714+08:00Calling All Dawns / Baba Yetu x 12!Baba Yetu is the name of the song that is played when one first starts the popular computer game <a href="http://www.2kgames.com/civ4/">Civilization IV</a>. The music was so good that <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2005/10/civilization-iv-music-wow.html">I wrote to its composer Christopher Tin</a> 4 years ago and actually got a detailed reply. He was the first 'famous' musician who had replied to my queries so I promised myself that I would buy all his future albums from then on.<br />
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Well last month, Christopher released his first album called <a href="http://christophertin.com/callingalldawns.html">Calling All Dawns</a> which was four years in the making. <a href="http://www.christophertin.com/blog/2009/10/home-aka-cd-distribution-center.html">I preordered it</a>; the autographed limited edition 'CD jacket' even has a serial number!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsgIXgDsDWj2Nm42AIK3YBGuDg_OetN01zlRtRFeMzheNDh6qbvf8UJuAtRy2tBx32gim40sOqZAOsi59ORNchEvFkwcVzECcYAiptuG-LeD2EnPiQX-gBd9-KBBavfcYYC6QuQ/s1600-h/DSC_5013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsgIXgDsDWj2Nm42AIK3YBGuDg_OetN01zlRtRFeMzheNDh6qbvf8UJuAtRy2tBx32gim40sOqZAOsi59ORNchEvFkwcVzECcYAiptuG-LeD2EnPiQX-gBd9-KBBavfcYYC6QuQ/s400/DSC_5013.jpg" /></a><br />
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Anyway, if we say that Baba Yetu has been <a href="http://www.christophertin.com/blog/2009/10/needs-more-epic.html">an epic achievement</a>, then Dawns is Baba Yetu x 12! (There are 12 tracks.) From Chris' website:<br />
<blockquote><i>Calling All Dawns is a song-cycle in three movements: day, night and dawn. Each movement corresponds to a different phase of life--life, death, and rebirth. In short, it's 5 songs about life, 3 songs about death, and 4 songs about rebirth. There are songs of joy, mystery, and hardship, reflecting the complexity of our mortal selves. There are songs of the deepest, darkest sorrow to accompany us through death. And finally, there are songs of triumph and exultation that bring us roaring back to life, beginning the cycle anew.</i><br />
</blockquote>The songs are sung in 12 languages. It starts off with Baba Yetu in Swahili, continued by the Japanese 窓から見える (Mado Kara Mieru, Through The Window I See) adapted from a haiku. I'll bet my shirt that this second track is the most majestic piece of haiku ever set to music. It's just incredible.<br />
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This is followed by a Chinese piece based on Chapter <a href="http://www.tao-te-king.org/040.htm">40</a> of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching">Tao Te Ching</a>. The rest of the album consists of music in Portuguese, French, Latin, Irish, Polish, Hebrew, Farsi, Sanskrit and Maori. My feeling is that the producers of Civilization V already have their soundtrack all ready to go, and they need only to package the game with this CD. It goes so well together with the United Nations wonder in the game.<br />
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If you haven't heard Baba Yetu before, here's a video of what you'll see in the game. I really like this version with the percussion. Each time thousands of Civilization IV players start the game, there's nothing much to do except to look at the starting menu and enjoy the moving clouds and awesome music.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nb-jk6Ftx7o&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nb-jk6Ftx7o&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
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Here's a <a href="http://www.christophertin.com/blog/2009/10/carnegie-hall-baba-yetu-music-video.html">new official video</a> that's released a few days ago. The animation from the game is so good!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IJiHDmyhE1A&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IJiHDmyhE1A&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">There are <a href="http://christophertin.com/callingalldawns.html">lots of samples at the website</a>. The most exciting parts are often right at the end so you'll need to <a href="http://christophertin.com/store.html">buy the CD or MP3 tracks.</a> I hope Chris doesn't need to take four years to come up with another album. But I've a feeling it'll take that long to produce such a powerful and classy album. More epic please! LOL<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">More Baba Yetu goodness<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XNyfKBwf72Y&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XNyfKBwf72Y&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
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<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/F2yJM4Nutts&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/F2yJM4Nutts&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
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<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EN12ubw4T1Q&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EN12ubw4T1Q&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
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<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6fY0abDtuIU&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6fY0abDtuIU&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jM0lS1-dErA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jM0lS1-dErA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5O2LCF9tCVw&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5O2LCF9tCVw&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YRaK1QaUR2k&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YRaK1QaUR2k&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/boXguYT3TsM&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/boXguYT3TsM&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br />
</div></div>jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-85487085723108394872009-11-01T18:32:00.011+08:002009-11-05T20:10:04.340+08:00ScanGauge II Automative Computer On A Yaris / Fuel Economy<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPLJpuMcQBGbQ-hHrnXD5ghaPpuO8y9diuXoNzVW1Ycbj6W-eQ4GLA9otK9Y7Qfbqza3_yOmREYh_vFXSefMQ5czLm5YzNV9oLqvU_297p5oI9uGsAMpfqrhtNBasFCykRTtr1CA/s1600-h/DSC_4449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline ! important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPLJpuMcQBGbQ-hHrnXD5ghaPpuO8y9diuXoNzVW1Ycbj6W-eQ4GLA9otK9Y7Qfbqza3_yOmREYh_vFXSefMQ5czLm5YzNV9oLqvU_297p5oI9uGsAMpfqrhtNBasFCykRTtr1CA/s320/DSC_4449.jpg" /></span></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Normally in any car, you'll be able to see how the car is doing by looking at the dashboard. For example, you can see the speed of the car, the engine RPM, the distance travelled and the approximate amount of fuel left. Now, what happens if you wish to know more about how well the car is performing? Is there any way to obtain additional information such as amount and cost of fuel used, horsepower of the engine and other information? Now why would anyone need this information anyway?! In case you're such a person, (I am), the <a href="http://www.scangauge.com/">ScanGuage II</a> car computer is the gadget for you! I bought one from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AAMY86?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000AAMY86">Amazon</a> on 29 August and was delivered by vPost on 16 September. It cost US$140 and <a href="https://www.vpost.com.sg/vpost/vshopMain?Country=USA">vPOST</a> charges were around S$24. This is really a fun gadget to have.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now, you need to make sure that your car supports the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On-board_diagnostics">OBD2</a> protocol. According to the documentation, most cars have it, but please confirm this first. There's a port that can be seen around your steering wheel. On a Toyota <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Vitz">Yaris</a>, it looks like this. (Click photos to expand.)<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBjs_31LNOSxiFz3ktWlC-zPmkI4PRoE0qy2sBm8oxP1YRQiUspatQkHLpgb3PWMqt6YqElf72P2ad1caso-C2nxykRws64TcTkQ5odbnFV2jwwpiMZUv0bJU-vviVemHTfvBGQ/s1600-h/DSC_4530+%281%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBjs_31LNOSxiFz3ktWlC-zPmkI4PRoE0qy2sBm8oxP1YRQiUspatQkHLpgb3PWMqt6YqElf72P2ad1caso-C2nxykRws64TcTkQ5odbnFV2jwwpiMZUv0bJU-vviVemHTfvBGQ/s320/DSC_4530+%281%29.jpg" /></a><br />
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This is the cable that's included in the box. It connects the OBD2 port with the ScanGauge.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit09Dcf0zyppMW3ngzy1vVVWtxQ2HUaLfLc0gOQmcPlDfLTha_TIwXSvXcgse938z7ggOMQlSh03L_vVeMkqigRtlJ-DiLBp1Ij214HiOAy_5A_dg1cyCJIdLFC7i0aTvLUycUhg/s1600-h/DSC_4527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit09Dcf0zyppMW3ngzy1vVVWtxQ2HUaLfLc0gOQmcPlDfLTha_TIwXSvXcgse938z7ggOMQlSh03L_vVeMkqigRtlJ-DiLBp1Ij214HiOAy_5A_dg1cyCJIdLFC7i0aTvLUycUhg/s320/DSC_4527.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div>After you're done with the connection, switch on the car engine and the computer will start to display information. It's updated around once every second. You can see 4 measurements on the screen. It's customisable so you can pick and choose what it displays.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT5mc04WVVhWXczgULVuEv_3zXTBltArfaYxJDjVCoAmvKct_mNS0b3M_FMlwWc_JIXLCcxc9WA0RUKi07AVlV7_Kwbxnrc7eCTwgaQKVl5FV-RqS2igRaV7Mqlxo0P7lG-hkgJQ/s1600-h/DSC_4348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT5mc04WVVhWXczgULVuEv_3zXTBltArfaYxJDjVCoAmvKct_mNS0b3M_FMlwWc_JIXLCcxc9WA0RUKi07AVlV7_Kwbxnrc7eCTwgaQKVl5FV-RqS2igRaV7Mqlxo0P7lG-hkgJQ/s320/DSC_4348.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlxyVf5W-jjqE6t9vX3nTzGNNztPREmiwjS2WkhkVX6lS1Yr3Sg721jo1gTFHtPtzzd3ro1DSrAzsPeNoetE9P_7TlfqUecUgfnFkjGLCi-DZrGcBWd05WjnKJJeBFKBmIc0WUg/s1600-h/DSC_4358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlxyVf5W-jjqE6t9vX3nTzGNNztPREmiwjS2WkhkVX6lS1Yr3Sg721jo1gTFHtPtzzd3ro1DSrAzsPeNoetE9P_7TlfqUecUgfnFkjGLCi-DZrGcBWd05WjnKJJeBFKBmIc0WUg/s320/DSC_4358.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">On my device, KPH is 'speed in km/h', FUT is 'fuel in litres used so far on this trip'. 'TFE' is 'average fuel economy on this particular trip, in litres per hundred kilometres'. LPH is 'instantaneous TFE; what's going on now'. Sometimes I swap FUT with CST which is 'cost of fuel used on this trip'. This is very useful when I drive friends around and I need them to pay up for the fuel used. You can become an instant taxi driver this way, great! Unfortunately, my friends invariably refuse to pay when I tell them the fare. They seem to think I'm joking. Usually the cost is around fifty cents or less. Some people are really stingy with their money.<br />
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There is also other interesting information such as how long it'll take before the car runs out of petrol.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6GS2-84dh_IXDwq1aBv1nU5YiKzDk85kOuUfLymMSEf2-D3Adl5X3sNiFatamidH0abAdHRMOkKZXZ6ji6L0ufSyUThZhS5Kd361otPpMzFYBlEYlBNvrgsirBaiOv8ec4JDTQ/s1600-h/DSC_4359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6GS2-84dh_IXDwq1aBv1nU5YiKzDk85kOuUfLymMSEf2-D3Adl5X3sNiFatamidH0abAdHRMOkKZXZ6ji6L0ufSyUThZhS5Kd361otPpMzFYBlEYlBNvrgsirBaiOv8ec4JDTQ/s320/DSC_4359.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div>Usually people who buy this device are part of this '<a href="http://www.cleanmpg.com/">secret brotherhood</a>' who independently come to the conclusion that they can play a game while driving called 'Save As Much Fuel As Possible Disregarding Reactions From Passengers'. I've played this game ever since I started driving. It's fun and remarkably challenging and engaging. Usually, people <a href="http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm">look at the typical fuel consumption of their vehicles</a>, say from the US Department of Energy, and try to beat the numbers.<br />
<br />
So the numbers say that my Yaris typically does:<br />
<ul><li>29 miles per gallon of fuel (8.1 litres per hundred kilometres or 12.33km/l) in the city</li>
<li>35 mpg (6.7 l/100km or 14.88km/l) on the expressway. </li>
</ul>Here are some conversions for my benefit. I've used km/litre for the past few years but it seems litres/100km is the new standard that people use.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBC5UG_H6sFNAF4q5L9Qf4rTsmFVn_E-XKdbJJAR_lVR1yJnvm26mK9K477cA79UiX6kN1cqkoiyf2VJUIf_KuxWNzzNUanFGdyM-Dh_UxDlPuFkWJZbgl3uE4mp3wAoQWyf4bQ/s1600-h/mpg1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBC5UG_H6sFNAF4q5L9Qf4rTsmFVn_E-XKdbJJAR_lVR1yJnvm26mK9K477cA79UiX6kN1cqkoiyf2VJUIf_KuxWNzzNUanFGdyM-Dh_UxDlPuFkWJZbgl3uE4mp3wAoQWyf4bQ/s320/mpg1.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/Su1Z9sojpzI/AAAAAAAASHE/-A93XeqhkZY/s1600-h/mpg2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/Su1Z9sojpzI/AAAAAAAASHE/-A93XeqhkZY/s320/mpg2.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div>The standard ways to improve fuel economy include not accelerating too quickly, planning your route so that you hit as few traffic lights as possible (starting a car from a complete stop uses a lot of fuel) and not driving too fast. Of course there are other considerations and the experienced player will be aware of lots more 'tricks' to save fuel. I usually get 13-14km/l and I'm interested in data which will help me answer a few questions. The ScanGauge is useful in that it can provide information that will help disprove some of my assumptions about driving and saving fuel.<br />
<br />
Hypothesis: Try to get to 4th gear as soon as possible from a stop even if it involves braking very soon because you want to make a turn.<br />
Busted: Not necessarily. It's very possible to avoid speeding up the car to 4th gear (60km/h) and still use less fuel. The important thing is to maintain a constant lower speed.<br />
<br />
Hypothesis: From <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_%28physics%29">Wikipedia</a>, '<i>the power needed to push an object through a fluid increases as the cube of the velocity. A car cruising on a highway at 50 mph (80 km/h) may require only 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) to overcome air drag, but that same car at 100 mph (160 km/h) requires 80 hp (60 kW).</i>' There is a sweet spot that is optimum. This sweet spot is most likely close to the point where the 4th gear engages, which is around 60-70km/h .<br />
Busted: This is a surprising finding. The sweet spot seems to be at much higher speeds than 60km/h. In fact, while maintaining 90-93km./h, it is able to give me 4 to 5 litres/100km, better than what I get at lower speeds!<br />
<br />
Hypothesis: The point is to try to reach optimum speeds for fuel economy.<br />
Quite true: But there's more; the point is not only that, it's also to maintain the speed when I can see that the fuel economy is good. Increasing and decreasing speeds use more fuel that if the car is maintained at the same speed.<br />
<br />
I'll continue to monitor the readings and see if I can be more certain of my findings. One additional benefit is that the ScanGauge constantly reminds me to be light on my feet, to imagine that I have a balloon between my foot and the accelerator pedal, to break gently, if not at all (by planning when to slow down or not to.) It makes driving more fun because sometimes I use less than 6l/100km of fuel on the expressway and that is way better than the published numbers. So if you're interested in playing the same game and me and irritating the hell out of your passengers, get the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AAMY86?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000AAMY86">ScanGauge II</a> now! :)<br />
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</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiImryoKTkvcBUPouI-XsueMYvcN3zwC31iXsPDPbSIUba2bezG-lOYEr61XimG0Snf8FriR86UB2UYdruzqRkztOLAWVIWlQ9guKP8kbiJoO0FChalJ0HXfoq77EWvA12-zoaQ/s1600-h/DSC_4450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiImryoKTkvcBUPouI-XsueMYvcN3zwC31iXsPDPbSIUba2bezG-lOYEr61XimG0Snf8FriR86UB2UYdruzqRkztOLAWVIWlQ9guKP8kbiJoO0FChalJ0HXfoq77EWvA12-zoaQ/s320/DSC_4450.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0skSwGonRjOXlA_FvXjzECd2KHBSRaYyzSv0vXzG0CKlnZYjnu-PX0Oy5Lm26wErpRVwMP3vL5_ESV9QSvBYKrGNz5A3m6e7p2AIQuM3zB4W64xKVH7FOeA0XN5OQQ6bq0c4JNQ/s1600-h/DSC_4452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0skSwGonRjOXlA_FvXjzECd2KHBSRaYyzSv0vXzG0CKlnZYjnu-PX0Oy5Lm26wErpRVwMP3vL5_ESV9QSvBYKrGNz5A3m6e7p2AIQuM3zB4W64xKVH7FOeA0XN5OQQ6bq0c4JNQ/s320/DSC_4452.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT5mc04WVVhWXczgULVuEv_3zXTBltArfaYxJDjVCoAmvKct_mNS0b3M_FMlwWc_JIXLCcxc9WA0RUKi07AVlV7_Kwbxnrc7eCTwgaQKVl5FV-RqS2igRaV7Mqlxo0P7lG-hkgJQ/s1600-h/DSC_4348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlxyVf5W-jjqE6t9vX3nTzGNNztPREmiwjS2WkhkVX6lS1Yr3Sg721jo1gTFHtPtzzd3ro1DSrAzsPeNoetE9P_7TlfqUecUgfnFkjGLCi-DZrGcBWd05WjnKJJeBFKBmIc0WUg/s1600-h/DSC_4358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlxyVf5W-jjqE6t9vX3nTzGNNztPREmiwjS2WkhkVX6lS1Yr3Sg721jo1gTFHtPtzzd3ro1DSrAzsPeNoetE9P_7TlfqUecUgfnFkjGLCi-DZrGcBWd05WjnKJJeBFKBmIc0WUg/s1600-h/DSC_4358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6GS2-84dh_IXDwq1aBv1nU5YiKzDk85kOuUfLymMSEf2-D3Adl5X3sNiFatamidH0abAdHRMOkKZXZ6ji6L0ufSyUThZhS5Kd361otPpMzFYBlEYlBNvrgsirBaiOv8ec4JDTQ/s1600-h/DSC_4359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a><br />
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</div></div>jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-64844800796483771152009-10-07T22:05:00.018+08:002010-02-24T11:10:39.217+08:00Unitasking and the Kindle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2009/06/amazon-kindle-2-in-singapore.html">Click here for my previous Kindle 2 entry to find out how you can own one in Singapore.</a></span></b></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b><br />
</b></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>24 Feb 2010 Update: </b>Today's Digital Life has another article on the use of Whispernet in Singapore. I do not recommend users to do this. Please read the <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2009/06/amazon-kindle-2-in-singapore.html">other entry</a> for more information.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWD6eL-EVwXLJfCfs6pA3lUAKV42309Zc3JQRZXZUwFvwxG9uod2YPQhUhg5ojfBg408-mM4QU2PiZigXM-7YFbKy_Pb3LD54j0CXFAUvZZ5qOa5m1n_kjk_YvhVPQW8eyGZNlyA/s1600-h/kindle+feb+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWD6eL-EVwXLJfCfs6pA3lUAKV42309Zc3JQRZXZUwFvwxG9uod2YPQhUhg5ojfBg408-mM4QU2PiZigXM-7YFbKy_Pb3LD54j0CXFAUvZZ5qOa5m1n_kjk_YvhVPQW8eyGZNlyA/s320/kindle+feb+2010.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>5 Nov 2009 Update: </b>There are field reports of users using wireless Whispernet in Singapore! It's apparent that the telcos are beta testing this. Check the comments section from this <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2009/06/amazon-kindle-2-in-singapore.html">other post</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>4 Nov Update: </b>Hello people from Digital Life!</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhJ44H7OlDeJA43jRKeTLGs4i6tyHnGgUi2NIU0oP0zrSDX-pKjpmuJZolqjjB-MttoNueE1TbStSd9XYr26mAbDPcb_fNginEJe6KaMqJGzUEdMVNnP6qLt12HCttnbht51Wfg/s1600-h/knew3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhJ44H7OlDeJA43jRKeTLGs4i6tyHnGgUi2NIU0oP0zrSDX-pKjpmuJZolqjjB-MttoNueE1TbStSd9XYr26mAbDPcb_fNginEJe6KaMqJGzUEdMVNnP6qLt12HCttnbht51Wfg/s320/knew3.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Many are comparing the Barnes & Noble <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/">Nook</a> with the Kindle. Actually the Nook is the best thing that has ever happened because it ensures that Amazon will innovate much quicker now that it has more competitors. My feeling is that the Nook is quite unusable if you're thinking of buying ebooks in Singapore. B&N requires a US based credit card to purchase books, which we don't have. (It remains to be seen whether they can allow books from the excellent NLB digital library.) They also don't allow the use of gift cards to buy e-books. The screen is exactly the same as the Kindle's. The much touted 'lending feature' can just be ignored because it just doesn't work as we expect it will. You can lend a book to one person only, and that book is unloanable to anyone else forever.</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The other thing is about EPUB. The Kindle is able to read the one million free EPUB public domain books at <a href="http://books.google.com/books">Google Books</a> using a converter called <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://calibre.kovidgoyal.net/"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Calibre</span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">. 30,000 <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page">Project Gutenberg</a> books are also available for the Kindle without conversion. Just download the Mobipocket version of the files. We live in interesting e-book times. :)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>28 Oct Update</b>: Here is another newspaper article that appeared in the Sunday Times. Click to enlarge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1LIwRUHaOru4LiDp_Ts7k1cpXwUvTvzNaWe9tozkEG7SnIAOTSdw-o9omEixUy3-lLKSpQs8MAZBIHwfrRK8amNdwRumlHkAjbSVwxYa8KLDU_L1pOHuCTmY9nPIuD0G9npMRw/s1600-h/kindle3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1LIwRUHaOru4LiDp_Ts7k1cpXwUvTvzNaWe9tozkEG7SnIAOTSdw-o9omEixUy3-lLKSpQs8MAZBIHwfrRK8amNdwRumlHkAjbSVwxYa8KLDU_L1pOHuCTmY9nPIuD0G9npMRw/s320/kindle3.gif" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00154JDAI?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00154JDAI" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxR6o07k_oDEWhcF5AJNyRSBtsolIJoxe9gkBbt99hDIiC79P4HytsIj29rvkdCZW8sIZEv6zMZDq6XpqhXKNcLuK-YRbLajswIe-PaMSxokTga22LEeLRGnOTia-SZ1mQnz9bg/s400/kindleww-storefront-01-100609._V230195212_.gif" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fantastic news today! Amazon.com announces the new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/kindle"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00154JDAI?ie=UTF8&tag=jesbl08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00154JDAI">Kindle 2</a> for international markets. Unfortunately, Singapore is not one of the many countries that the device will be available officially so I still prefer the 'old' version.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A while ago, I had an interview with a Digital Life reporter who was writing on a story about the Kindle. (Click picture to enlarge.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/SsyYk-RLvZI/AAAAAAAARqA/sRlp8h8BXJM/s1600-h/ebook.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mHMq_2nc49s/SsyYk-RLvZI/AAAAAAAARqA/sRlp8h8BXJM/s320/ebook.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today's Digital Life has another short article that resulted from the same conversation I had with reporter Tan Chong Yaw's for his first Kindle article.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iAs9sh_JRxFlnVZ7rWsgG5149DLTHy5Pf99nbis3NhvO9a4Lpeulkc0bpcJqBm0p3rbBZsz0QPbt1Vme8SRGtkWQUkhRoGcd5PBACCmFLZCU5EGUgCTWUMo5TCFsZHVDz4yrMA/s1600-h/unitask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iAs9sh_JRxFlnVZ7rWsgG5149DLTHy5Pf99nbis3NhvO9a4Lpeulkc0bpcJqBm0p3rbBZsz0QPbt1Vme8SRGtkWQUkhRoGcd5PBACCmFLZCU5EGUgCTWUMo5TCFsZHVDz4yrMA/s200/unitask.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This article is about the interesting idea called unitasking which I first came across from articles such as <a href="http://paidcontent.org/article/419-the-real-genius-of-the-kindle-the-return-of-unitasking/">this</a>. Unitasking, as opposed to multitasking, refers to doing one thing at a time.Reading in the Kindle is so appealing because it is able to let us unitask, and this takes away many of the distractions we have when we read. I have come across many accounts of people reading a lot more since they have gotten their Kindles and I reckon one reason this happens is that people are far more focused reading a Kindle than a paper book.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But one may ask: don't we unitask when we read traditional books as well? Yes we do. However, the big difference is that the Kindle manages to take away almost all the possible distractions we have while reading. For me, one such distraction may be the way I hold a paper book. My fingers need 'to do work' to balance the book and to keep the words on the page as equidistant from my eyes as possible. They also need to be able to grasp the thickness of the book properly. When I use a Kindle, that 'hard work' disappears, which is what Bezos meant by the Kindle 'disappearing'. Forget the book; the words are the only things that are left.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Of course, when you add the superb screen and the portability factor, we hit the sweet spot known as the Kindle. Things are really moving quite fast. Hopefully the price of the Kindle DX falls by Christmas!</div>jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419019.post-25686925574024112112009-09-05T11:20:00.007+08:002009-09-28T22:25:17.572+08:00Credit Card Purchase Verification / LiabilityI recently got a bill for my HSBC <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2007/10/credit-card-annual-fees.html">credit card</a> and it included an annual fee charge of more than a hundred dollars. So I called them up to ask them to waive it. I always say, 'would it be possible for you to waive the charge?' when really, we all know that this is not only possible, but something that the banks are more than happy to do. <br />
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<div></div><div>Sidetrack: UOB has an interesting twist to this. When you call them up and get the automated 'press 1 for credit card, press 2 to.. ' they include a 'press x to waive your credit card annual fee'! So I tried it once and it was processed without any human intervention. However, some time later, I forgot that I had done it, and tried it again. The funny thing was that it also processed my second request for the annual fee waiver! So in the next bill, I got more than a hundred dollars in credit for the second waiver. So I called them up and told the person to remove the windfall. She said 'thank you for your honesty.'<br />
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</div><div></div><div>Anyway back to UOB. The lady of course was very nice and more than willing to waive the annual fee. However, she also said I needed to use the card at least once. I said, sure. She said, 'OK I'll waive it now.' It's just a formality, I didn't really need to use the card. But just for the sake of completeness, I decided to use the card to buy a $10 gift card from Amazon.com for my <a href="http://jeffyen.blogspot.com/2009/06/amazon-kindle-2-in-singapore.html">Kindle book purchases</a>.<br />
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Now this is new. An hour later, someone from HSBC called me up and asked whether I had just used the card to spend at Amazon for a gift card. I said, yes. He said, good, just a routine check.<br />
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</div><div></div><div></div><div>I like this routine check, especially since we were told recently that we aren't going to get much protection from banks if something goes wrong with our credit cards. (Yesterday, the banks announced that there will be a $100 liability cap if no negligence is involved. I'm not sure of the details, however.) I never worried about my overseas purchases as I'd assumed that the banks would always reverse the charge if it was fraudulent. I'm not so sure now. Hopefully the 'consumer watchdog' in Singapore and the banks clarify things soon.<br />
</div>jeffyenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711567697887623146noreply@blogger.com2