Monday, March 30, 2009

Oh stewardess, I speak Jive





Jive or African American Vernacular English

Realtek High Definition Audio drivers

Realtek Corporation has released a new driver for its popular High Definition audio processor. This driver is available to Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, 2003, MCE, Vista and their 64-bit flavors as well. This driver offers support for the following Realtek audio ICs: ALC882, ALC883, ALC885, ALC888, ALC889, ALC861VD, ALC660, ALC662, ALC663, ALC665, ALC260, ALC262, ALC267, ALC268, ALC269, ALC272, ALC273 and ALC887.

You can download this file at our downloads section.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Depeche Mode - News/New Dates/Media

New Dates In Europe
http://www.depechemode.com/tour.html
Check out the new tour dates for the UK!

The DM Photo Mosaic
http://www.depechemode.com/dm_photo_mosaic.html
Check out the great new feature on the site - the DM Photo Mosaic. You can upload up to five pictures, and be part of a huge photo mosaic of Depeche Mode! You also get entered into a contest! Check it out!

In The Studio - Web Clip #15
http://www.depechemode.com/news.html
This week, the band are working on "Corrupt".

A reminder...

Luxembourg Contest
http://www.depechemode.com/luxembourg.html
Simply put, this is the biggest contest we have ever had on the site! Go check it out! Hurry, the contest will be ending in a few weeks. A polite reminder, only one entry per person. Thank you!

Paolo Nutini - Candy

You can now hear a 90 second preview of Paolo's new single 'Candy' on his MySpace player.

Visit Paolo's MySpace now and get your first taste of his new material.
Source: www.myspace.com

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Ion Orchard 80% full

WITH four months to its opening, Ion Orchard, one of three new malls on Orchard Road, is already more than 80 per cent full.

More than 60 per cent of the mall will be taken up by flagship stores, new-to-market brands and new concept stores.

Brands like Cartier, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Uniqlo, Topshop and Topman will showcase their collections in double-storey flagship stores.

The mall, on Orchard Turn, is also bringing in brands like Bimba & Lola, Boss Selection, Chaumet, Christian Audigier, Dsquared2, Diane von Furstenberg, Just Cavalli, Marc Jacobs, Patek Philippe, and Vivienne Tam, which are new to Singapore or having its own stand-alone boutiques for the first time.

New dining options, like Watami, AOBA Ramen, Sho Teppan, will also make their debut.

By Lim Wei Chean, Correspondent
Up to 60 per cent of the mall will be taken up by flagship stores, new-to-market brands and new concept stores. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN


Orchard Turn Developments chief executive officer Soon Su Lin said on Monday: 'We are very pleased with our achieved tenant mix and are fully encouraged by the confidence and strong commitment displayed by many retailers in Ion Orchard.'

Opening against a backdrop of economic downturn, the mall is offering tenants financial incentives of up to 30 per cent off their base rental, as well as special recruitment drives and training programmes.

This is the biggest discount given by a landlord so far, exceeding even the 15 per cent monthly rental rebate giving by Government-linked landlords like Singapore Land Authority and Sentosa Development Corporation.

Rents for the main Orchard Road stretch range from $40 to $50 per sq ft. The rents in the upper-end stretch of the shopping belt range from $50 to $80 psf.

This is pathetic !

By Melissa Sim & Lim Wei Chean
Only hawkers with islandwide licences, like this vendor, are allowed on Orchard Road. At least 10 illegal vendors have left after warnings from the NEA. -- ST PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN


HAWKERS who do not hold the correct licence have been warned to take their business away from Orchard Road.

It is believed that at least 10 illegal ice cream vendors have left the shopping strip in the last month since they were slapped with orders to leave.

The only roadside hawkers allowed on Orchard Road are those who hold islandwide licences.

But such blanket licences were no longer issued after 1974, and only 35 are in circulation. They lapse when the licence holder dies.

The illegal ice cream sellers on Orchard Road typically hold licences which allow them to sell their sweet treats only in suburban housing estates.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has also stepped up warnings against roadside pedlars hawking sundries from tissue paper to cheap wallets, belts, toys and handbags.

Their presence turns Singapore's premier shopping belt into a low-class 'pasar malam', or night bazaar, along with the buskers and ear-piercing road shows, the Orchard Road Business Association complained recently.

A Straits Times check on Monday found eight ice cream wagons along the 800m stretch between Orchard and Somerset MRT stations. Three did not have an islandwide licence.

But many told The Straits Times that business away from Orchard Road cannot support a livelihood.

Monday, March 23, 2009

09 - 09 - 09 not so hot lah !

THE number nine - jiu in Mandarin - sounds like and is symbolic of 'a long time' in Mandarin.

The triple-nine date - Sept 9, 2009 - seems an auspicious date but it is far from being a hot pick with couples getting married this year.

The reason? It falls within the Hungry Ghost Festival, which runs from Aug 20 to Sept 18 this year, in the seventh month of the lunar calendar and is considered very inauspicious.

A check of several major hotels by my paper found that there have been very few bookings on that date.

Ms Rae Tang, marketing-communications manager for Marina Mandarin hotel, said: 'We have had a few enquiries on this date, but as it falls within the period of the Hungry Ghost Festival, most couples are still hesitant to confirm their reservations.'

At the Grand Hyatt hotel, there has been 'little interest from couples from the Chinese community', said public-relations manager Patricia Yong.

Wedding planners also noticed a similar trend.

Ms Kim Tay, founder of Wedding Concierge, told my paper that it may not just be the 'inauspicious' timing of the triple-nine date that is putting couples off.

Ms Tay said: 'It also falls on a Wednesday. Couples tend to want to have their weddings on weekends.'

Last year's Aug 8 date - an auspicious date as the number eight is synonymous with good luck in Chinese culture - also fell within the Hungry Ghost Festival. It saw just 308 wedding ceremonies being performed, compared to the 772 held on July 7 the previous year which fell outside inauspicious periods. -- MY PAPER

Friday, March 20, 2009

Undo Send in Gmail !!!



Sometimes I regret sending a message the morning after. Other times I send a message and then immediately notice a mistake. I forget to attach a file or email the birthday girl that I can't make her surprise party. I can rush to close my browser or unplug the Internet — but Gmail almost always wins that race.

An email to the wrong Larry pushed me over the edge. I could undo just about any other action in Gmail — why couldn’t I undo send? Many people agreed, including Yuzo Fujishima, an engineer in the Tokyo office. My theory (which others shared) was that even just five seconds would be enough time to catch most of those regrettable emails.

And now you can do just that. Turn on Undo Send in Gmail Labs under Settings, and you’ll see a new “Undo” link on every sent mail confirmation. Click “Undo,” and we’ll grab the message before it’s sent and take you right back to compose.



This feature can't pull back an email that's already gone; it just holds your message for five seconds so you have a chance to hit the panic button. And don't worry – if you close Gmail or your browser crashes in those few seconds, we'll still send your message.

I've had Undo Send turned on for a while and it's saved me several times. Let us know if it saves you too

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Dengue Type 3 rises in Singapore

SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) is concerned that a randomly-occurring type of dengue virus has recently shown up in greater numbers in one area.

Seven cases of Type 3 Dengue infection were detected in Little India in January, up from zero cases in November last year.

NEA said the virus type has "high epidemic potential" because Singaporeans are known to have low immunity to it.

NEA's Head of Environmental Health Institute, Dr Ng Lee Ching, explains: "Dengue 3 is not very common in Singapore for the past decade. So our immunity level in the population is very low towards Dengue 3 - which means if Dengue 3 spreads, the population will be very susceptible to getting dengue.

"We also know that overseas, in America and in Southeast Asia, Dengue 3 has caused huge outbreaks."

NEA said it had immediately deployed officers to Little India to locate and destroy mosquito breeding grounds. And the number of Type 3 infections there dropped back to zero in February.

As a precaution, Head of Operations for the Environmental Health Department at NEA, Tai Ji Choong, said that officers are permanently stationed in the two areas.

He said: "Actually we put in a permanent team of officers and also the pest control operators. Actually they're roving around the area to do source reduction, to remove and destroy breeding habitats and at the same time check difficult areas such as roof gutters for breeding."

NEA said it has also been able to contain the rise in Type 1 Dengue infections reported in Woodlands, Joo Chiat and the Southwest District. The number of cases in these areas rose over the new year but fell last month.

Type 1 and 2 Dengue are the more common strains occurring in Singapore, while Type 4 is rare.

NEA currently has 750 pest control officers fanned out across Singapore to check and destroy mosquito breeding areas. The agency said it plans to hire another 250 officers this year to increase its surveillance.

- 938LIVE

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

It's hard to be Ang Mo

American tourists Mike Rigby, his wife and four friends were shocked when the bill came after their meal - nearly $500 for prawns, crabs, baby squid, beer, rice and buns.

/images/0001/6546/prawnssk.jpg

Singapore, March 17, 2009 - $30 a prawn or eight for $239 - that's how much American tourists Mike Rigby and his wife had to pay at Newton Food Centre last Saturday, reported Shin Min News Daily.

The amount was almost half of the total bill that they had to foot - $491, which also covered four crabs at $169, half a BBQ chicken which costs $19, baby squids ($15), beer, mantou buns and rice.

When Rigbys and four friends went to the food centre, it was already packed but a stall assistant ushered them to table saying he got one for six diners. So Mr Rigby decided to order food from him.

He said: "We only wanted four prawns at first but the stall assistant insisted that eight prawns would be enough of our group of six. Later he even served us two plates of stingray that we didn't order."

Mr Rigby was shocked when he got the bill after their meal - nearly $500 for six diners.

"It was because we had rejected the stingray then we decided to check the bill thoroughly just to make sure. But instead we found that they wanted $200 for the prawns and $19 for half a chicken. Obviously, they were trying to overcharge us," he told Shin Min.

/images/0001/6552/prawnsskin.jpg

The newspaper sought the views of an industry expert who said tiger prawns usually cost $6 to $6.50 for 100g at restaurants.

"An average-sized prawn is about 50g while a large one weighs 100g," he said.

"I reckon eight large tiger prawns would cost not more than $52," he added.

Said Mr Rigby: "We were frightened when we were surrounded by four guys, so we decided to pay up. We could have spent that amount on a good meal in a five-star hotel."

He told Shin Min that it wasn't his first time to Newton but it was his first trying out the seafood dishes there.

"I wanted to introduce the food to my four friends and did not expect this to happen. I don't think I'll ever come back to this food centre."

Meanwhile, the National Environment Agency said it would be investigating the matter.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Scissors with laser

laser guided scissors.jpg

I’m one of those people who can’t make a straight cut for anything. These laser guided scissors are affordable (only $15) and guarantee that you’ll at least have a straight line to follow. Useful for cutting all types of things where you may not want to use a ruler and make a mark to draw your own line. The blade is about 3.5″ long and the laser runs on 2 included LR44 batteries. Perfect gift for the professional gift wrapper who has everything!

Recession in Sillypore / IT Show 2009













Crazy Show 2009


Forrest Gump in 1 minute !

Saturday, March 14, 2009

PcInuxOS2009 is out !!!

Written by texstar
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Ripper Gang is pleased to announce the final public ISO release of PCLinuxOS 2009.1.

This release features kernel 2.6.26.8.tex3, KDE 3.5.10, Open Office 3.0, Firefox 3.0.7, Thunderbird 2.0.0.14, Ktorrent, Frostwire, Amarok, Flash, Java JRE, Compiz-Fusion 3D and much more. We decided to use kde3-5-10 as our default desktop as we could not achieve a similar functionality from kde4. We will however offer kde4 as an alternative desktop environment available from the repository once we stabilize it. PCLinuxOS is an rpm based distribution utilizing apt-get with a Synaptic Software Manager frontend. In addition to the above PCLinuxOS comes with mklivecd GUI, a nice utility to build a custom live CD from your install. Install or remove what you want then remaster your own cd. Great for backups or to give to friends. PCLinuxOS is also known as as rolling release distribution. What that means is you install once and update it when new applications become available from our repository.

Special thanks goes out to gettinther, Sal, Linuxera, Neverstopdreaming, Davecs, gri6507, Stumpy842 and etjr. Also to Enki Consulting for hosting the website and ibilio.org for hosting the software packages.

Download Links

Also the pclos-gnome team are proud to the announce the 2009.1 release of pclos-gnome.

Featuring: kernel 2.6.26.8.tex3, Gnome 2.24.3, Mozilla Firefox 3.0.7, Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0.0.17, Gnome office apps, Brasero, Gnome Power Manager, Exaile Music Player and many more!

Almost 2.5 gigs of software compressed on a single self bootable livecd that can be installed to your hard drive provided it is compatible with your system and you like the distribution. Over 8000+ additional packages available after hard drive install through the Synaptic Software Manager.

More Information

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Man wrestling with a 12ft tiger shark !!

Plunging a knife in again and again, diver Craig Clasen grapples with a 12ft tiger shark to protect a friend.

For two hours he wrestled with the giant, spearing it seven times, even drowning the beast before eventually finishing it off with a knife.

Mr Clasen was hunting yellow fin tuna with fellow fisherman Cameron Kirkconnell, photographer D.J Struntz and film maker Ryan McInnis in the Gulf of Mexico when the encounter took place.

Scroll down for more

Craig Clasen fighting a 12 foot tiger shark

Free diver Craig Clasen was forced to fight head-on with a 12-foot tiger shark when the predator turned on his friend during a spearfishing trip

The group were about to leave the deep waters south of the Mississippi River's mouth, when Mr McInnis found himself alone in the company of a tiger shark.

With no time to lose, Mr Clasen grabbed his speargun and swam to his stranded friend, who was being circled by the giant predator.

'I positioned myself between Ryan and the shark and I tried to watch it for a second, hoping it would pass us by,' explained 32-year-old Mr Clasen.

'I noticed that the shark was getting tighter and tighter and just kept trying to get a back angle on us and behaving in an aggressive manner.

'The shark made a roll and looked like it was going to charge us so I just went ahead and took the conservative route and put a shaft through its gills.

'Cameron and I have been around sharks for years and we all have a lot of experience with them but this encounter had a different feel to it.

'Down in my core I really felt the shark was there to feed. I didn't want it to come to that.'

Mr Clasen spent nearly two hours wrestling with the giant 12ft shark, spearing it seven times and even attempting to drown the beast before eventually finishing it off with a long blade knife.

Craig Clasen fighting a 12 foot tiger shark

The experienced spearfisherman spent nearly two hours wrestling with the shark, spearing it seven times

'Once I shot it in the gills I felt a moral obligation to finish the job,' says Mr Clasen.

'I didn't want it to go on any longer than it had to. I shot the fish like I would do any other fish and worked it up closer and did my best to kill it as humanely as possible.

'I speared it in the gills which I knew would kill it and from that I tried to put a shaft into its brain as quickly as possible.

'I shot it six times in the head with a spear and I wasn't having much luck - it was a slow drawn out process.

'Sharks are so resilient and so tough from millions of years of evolution they are just survivors.

'The best way and quickest way to finish the job and kill the shark and recover it was to get a rope around its tail, drag it from the back of the boat and attempt to drown it.

'In the end we had put a knife its skull once I got lose enough to it and use a long blade knife even after trying to drown it.'

Craig Clasen fighting a 12 foot tiger shark

Mr Clasen, who usually sees 50-100 sharks on such dives, said that such an attack was rare

Mr Clasen has been free diving and fishing since an early age. Hailing from Mississippi, he was brought up in a fishing family, and is an expert in all fishing disciplines. Despite his experience, Mr Clasen took no pleasure in disposing of the giant shark.

'This was one of the most remorseful moments I have ever had in all of my years in hunting, gathering and fishing,' explains Mr Clasen.

'Personally I never shoot anything or kill anything that I am not going to eat.

'We saved the tail and the head, cut a giant chunk out of it and ate a piece.

'I wasn't there to hunt the shark, it was a defensive move for me and I would do it again. Unfortunately it had to be done and its not something I was proud of. It was a situation that presented itself to us. This was one of those rare instances where we had to protect ourselves.

'I have so much respect for sharks in general. With the amount of time that we spend out there we are exposed to so many potential risks.'

Craig Clasen fighting a 12 foot tiger shark

The divers had been hunting with spear guns for yellow fin tuna when the tiger shark attacked

Spearfishing is a form of fishing that has been popular throughout the world for centuries. Considered to be the most selective way of fishing, the amount of fish taken by spearfishermen accounts for just 0.1 per cent of fishing globally.

Today spearfishermen use effective elastic- or pneumatic-powered spearguns and slings to strike the hunted fish using free-diving, snorkelling or scuba-diving techniques.

Regarded by many as two of the world's best free diving spearfishermen, Mr Clasen and Cameron Kirkconnell have come into contact with thousands of sharks.

Watching from the boat, Mr Kirkconnell is sure Mr Clasen the right decision. 'We had been in the water all day and had caught lots of tuna,' he explained.

'But every dive we do is a shark dive and at certain times of the year, especially in Louisiana, we expect to see between 50-100 sharks from 7-12 ft.

'This encounter was so rare though. This shark might have been part of a feeding frenzy and still fired up and thought this was an easy kill.

'Tiger sharks have no problem eating whole sea turtles, 150lb tuna and even dolphins. It wasn't a split second decision on a whim, Mr Clasen has had hundreds of hours of experience.

'There was no doubt that was what needed to be done.'

Monday, March 9, 2009

Asia losses: $15 trillion

MANILA - FINANCIAL assets in Asia lost US$9.6 trillion (S$15 trillion) in value in 2008, slightly more than a year's worth of GDP, the Asian Development Bank said on Monday.

It said Asia was hit especially hard as the global downturn led to an estimated US$50 trillion in capital losses around the world.

'Asia was hit harder than other parts of the developing world because the region's markets have expanded much more rapidly,' the Manila-based bank said in a new study.

It said losses in Asia, not counting Japan, amounted to more than a year's worth of gross domestic product.

'Losses on financial assets in developing Asia in 2008 totalled 9.6 trillion dollars, or just over one year's worth of GDP.' -- AFP

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

2 blasts hit Yangon

YANGON (Myanmar) - TWO explosions shook parks near busy thoroughfares in military-ruled Myanmar's largest city. An official said there were no casualties although onlookers saw one man being led to an ambulance.

The official said it was not immediately clear what caused the blasts late Tuesday in Yangon. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to release information.

Security personnel rushed to the sites of both blasts and blocked off one road, while soldiers and police stopped and searched vehicles along another main thoroughfare that passes by the sites of both explosions.

The was no immediate comment from the ruling junta - standard practice in the tightly controlled nation where almost all government comment is released through state-run media.

Witnesses said the first blast took place at about 9.40pm at a small park in western Yangon near Myeinigone junction, a busy area with a bus terminal. The explosion could be heard several blocks away and witnesses saw smoke rising from the scene. Police and soldiers arrived with bomb-sniffing dogs, and onlookers saw a man being walked to an ambulance. The official said no one was injured.

The witnesses said the second blast, shortly after 11 pm, occurred by a bus stop next to another park at Kamayut junction, another busy thoroughfare. Several truckloads of solders were quickly deployed to the area.

Terrorism is rare but not unknown in Myanmar, which has been under near-continuous military rule since 1962. Several small bombings occurred in Yangon last year, injuring about a dozen people.

The government usually blames bombings on its political opponents or ethnic rebel groups seeking autonomy. The groups deny carrying out such activities.

The deadliest such attack in recent years took place May 7, 2005, when three bombs went off almost simultaneously at two upscale supermarkets and a convention center in Yangon, killing about two dozen people and injuring more than 160 others. The perpetrators remain unknown.

In recent years, bomb explosions have also been reported in other parts of the country, notably at transport terminals and on buses, the most-used form of transportation. -- AP

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Oasis banned over Tibet

SHANGHAI - BRITISH rock supergroup Oasis say Chinese authorities banned them from performing in China because guitarist Noel Gallagher played at a Free Tibet benefit concert 12 years ago.

Oasis, led by brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, said authorities had abruptly ordered organisers to cancel two shows - April 3 in Beijing and April 5 in Shanghai - that would have marked their debut in mainland China.

'The Chinese authorities' action in cancelling these shows marks a reversal of their decision regarding the band, which has left both Oasis and the promoters bewildered,' the band said in a statement posted on its website on Monday.

The move came as tensions surrounding Tibet were on a knife edge before the March 10 anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule that ended with revered spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fleeing into exile.

Noel Gallagher's support for the Tibetan cause appears to date back to 1997, when he performed five of the group's hits in a solo appearance at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in New York.

'Officials within the Chinese Ministry of Culture only recently discovered that Noel Gallagher appeared at a Free Tibet Benefit Concert... and have now deemed that the band are consequently unsuitable to perform,' Oasis said.

It was not clear what led to the discovery, but popular concert videos posted on YouTube show Noel Gallagher singing the band's hit 'Wonderwall' alone in front of a giant, banned-in-China, red, blue and yellow Tibetan flag.

A spokeswoman for China's Ministry of Culture declined to comment when contacted by AFP on Tuesday while the Chinese foreign ministry referred media to a statement from the band's Chinese promoters denying Tibet was the reason.

Luo Xiaochuan, a spokesman for Oasis' Chinese promoters, said they had to cancel the concerts because their business had been hurt by the economic crisis, and not because of a Chinese government directive.

However, Oasis said they were informed on Saturday that the government had ordered a stop to ticket sales, with refunds going to those who had already bought tickets. The band's performing licence, which had been approved, was also cancelled, they said. -- AFP

Why ?


03 Mar 2009
Nearly 200 whales and several dolphins beach themselves on King Island off southern Australia. - AFP

Starsailor - Tell me it's not over

Tell Me It's Not Over:

Just wanted to remind you all that our new single Tell Me It's Not Over is out NOW. There are some great digital deals on the 4 track bundle at Amazon, iTunes and 7digital. You can also order it via our site £3 for 7", CD and Mp3.

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tell-Me-Its-Not-Over/dp/B001TO3OJU/ref%3Dsr_f3_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1236005468&sr=103-1

7 Digital link: http://www.7digital.com/artists/starsailor/tell-me-its-not-over-2/

For those of you who bought the bundle via recordstore, the mp3 element is now available for download. Please download it this week to count towards our chart placing.

Janice Long BBC Radio2 TONIGHT:

James will be in the studio with Janice Long at Radio 2 tonight, as well as performing a couple of Starsailor tracks he'll be picking some records that are important to him.

Visit the message board for details on other upcoming appearances - http://forums.starsailor.net/viewtopic.php?t=8306

Acoustic XFM Manchester Show:

James will be playing an acoustic show at The Deaf Institute in Manchester on Thursday 12th March in association with XFM.

To find out more about the show, and how to win tickets click this link - http://forums.starsailor.net/viewtopic.php?t=8309

Listening Parties:

Our London Hard Rock Cafe listening party will now be on Weds 4th March now, not Thurs 5th!

*Hard Rock Cafe, London*
Wednesday 4th March - from 7pm
150 Old Park Lane • London W1K 1QZ
020 7514 1700
*Please note, this is a change of date since originally published.*

*Hard Rock Cafe, Manchester*
Thursday 5th March - from 9pm
Exchange Square • Manchester M4 2BS
0161 831 6700

*Hard Rock Cafe, Cardiff*
Thursday 5th March - from 8pm
49 St Mary Street • Cardiff CF10 1AD
02920 373403

*Hard Rock Cafe, Edinburgh*
Wednesday 4th March - from 7pm
18 George Street • Edinburgh EH2 2PF
0131 260 3000

New Gadget:

The technical people at our label have come up with a new gadget previewing the album and linking to our videos, news and shop. Check it out below and grab it for your Social networks!

http://www.clearspring.com/widgets/49a540d1a042640e

Pre-Order All The Plans:

If you like what you hear on the new gadget, please go ahead and pre-order the album through our website. The bonus version comes with a free digital EP that is immediately available. It also features a 7 song acoustic CD which has 6 album tracks (as they were written) and one brand new song.

Happy Listening,

James, Ben, Stel and Baz