No idea when was the last time I went to the Botanic Gardens, but I did today. The most obvious entrance at the Napier Rd-Cluny Rd junction is not up yet. Anyway I was a little disappointed by the variety of flowers in the Gardens. Obviously I thought it be full of colours, but it isn't, and you have to pay to get into the Orchid Garden.

Anyway here are some of the pictures.

taken at the tree lined Holland Rd just outside the Gardens too. it doesn't really show anything i know, i just wanted the blue sky backdrop.




these 2 must've been the proudest moments of today. check out that bee in the one with the red flower!

the swan lake had a grand total of 3 swans.

watch out! incoming swan straight ahead.


look closely on the right side of the picture and u see a hand feeding the swans with bread. swan: gimme my bread!


swan: ah.. there it is.


then i spotted this odd star shaped plant. anyone care to venture a name for it?


and there's this 5-petal flower that grows out like ixoras.


wonders of science: dispersion of light! (did i use the right term?)


i thought people who need wheelchairs already have one. who's going to loan one?


so now you've seen the rule, please follow eh? do not be a nuisance in the Gardens. hah. and well, u can actually bring your other pets to poo all over the place.


this shall be the parting shot. the heliconia.

Ok, sorry for yet another mobile phone entry, but these are 3 pretty widely anticipated models for now.

Sony Ericsson K610i

This is one of the smallest and lightest 3G phones to date. Compared to the K600i, the camera is now upgraded to 2 megapixels and a M2 Memory Stick Micro slot is now included. Cons: FM radio is dropped, M2 card format is new and will be very expensive, and the 2 megapixel camera is not the same one found in K750i/W800i. There is no autofocus. Launch price: $498 with 2 year contract at all telcos, also $498 without. Expect the with contract price to drop very soon.

Samsung X820

First in Samsung's Ultra Edition super slim phones arrives. The world's slimmest phone packs an average 2 megapixel camera, bluetooth and part fibreglass body. Note though that the orientation of the display is, like the P300 'calculator phone', landscape. Launch price: $498 with 2 year contract, $538 without. Surprisingly low, considering the extremely aggresive launch price of the P300.

Samsung E900C

Samsung's riposte to LG's Chocolate may not look at good, but if you're looking for something that's got the admittedly slightly gimmicky touch sensitive controls, this is the answer. You get a much sharper screen, 2 megapixel camera with flash, and a MicroSD card slot. $598 with 2 year contract, $638 without.

As you have known I'm not too much of a Nokia-phile, as much as I'm impressed with all the features crammed into the N70 and N80 and the superbly functional 6131 (which I think is the forgotten star of the current range). Anyway, for 2 more days still, you have a perfectly good reason to not consider an N80.


I hear boo-boos from people already. True, the Dell Axim x51v doesn't have a GSM radio or a built-in camera. But as far as being 'smart', being a excellent mobile entertainment device with built-in wi-fi, this is what you should own. Why, aren't there many PDAs that come equipped with wi-fi (which is all the hoo-ha about the N80, by the way) you say? Because it costs only $439 on Dell's online store promotion. I can't even describe how fantastic the value is. 624MHz processor, Windows Mobile 5.0 OS, 3.7" VGA resolution display. Beat that power, Nokia.

So if you want a mobile surfing and entertaining digital organizer and a top notch mobile phone in your palm, do yourself a favour and get the Dell Axim X51v and Sony Ericsson K750i. They're without a doubt the best-value and most functional mobile devices in the market right now. Sorry, Nokia, but credit for making a valiant attempt at an all-in-one convergent device.

*Note: Since the posting of this entry, I've realized that Nokia's E61 has already arrived in Singapore. 2.8" TFT screen displaying 16 million colours, Symbian S60, QWERTY keyboard, no camera, $668 without contract. Excellent value too.

By now most of us would've probably heard of Apple's switch to Intel processors and that they've replaced the iBook and Powerbook with the new MacBook and MacBook Pro models. However you should also know that the new MacBook actually is pretty good value, as long as you're not looking for a gaming machine.


A visit to the online Apple Store lists the most usefully specced model at $2112.60. Basic rundown of what it has:
2GHz Core Duo processor (with 1.66 or 1.83GHz being more common at this price level)
13.3" widescreen display
2x256MB DDR2 SDRAM
60GB SATA hard disk
SuperDrive (which in Apple talk is a DVD writer)
built in iSight webcam
brilliant iLife software
remote control and FrontRow software (much like a non-OS version of Windows Media Center)
bluetooth
and unfortunately, just 2 USB ports

So pretty much sufficient for someone who doesn't require a graphics card. Perfect schooling and entertainment non-professional laptop. An upgrade to 1GB RAM (2x512MB) and 80GB hard drive brings the price to $2346.75. Download BootCamp and you can run your Windows programmes immediately too! Asus' lighter 14" A8 is the most closely matched competitor, which gets you a dedicated graphics card but a slower processor and slightly less style at $2298.

Admittedly good value and stylish as it is, there was always a 'but' with Apple products. This time round it's the plastics that get discoloured within a month of usage. And all you iPod users should know how it feels when your beloved with gadget gets its first scratch.

This is what I got from the CNET website, and apparently it does look pretty bad and it's not an isolated case. This discolouration apparently happens to the commonly touch areas like the touchpad button and wrist rest area. Looks like the colour they used on the plastic isn't of a high grade. Also, I've been saying I don't quite like the feel of the keyboard. So think twice before rushing out to buy this thing. And please do not plonk for the black version 'cos you're paying over $200 more for the black paint.