BuzzLife

Ever wonder how those big computers, IT brands were formed? Amazingly lots of them are derived from very strange circumstances. Check them out:

Adobe -This came from the name of the river Adobe Creek that ran behind the house of founder John Warnock.

Apple Computers - It was the favorite fruit of founder Steve Jobs. he was three months late in filing for a business, and he threatened to call his company Apple Computers if the other colleagues didn’t suggest a better name by 5 o’clock.

Compaq - This name was formed by using COMp for computer, and PAQ to denote a small integral object.

Google - The name started as a joke boasting about the amount of information the search-engine would be able to search. It was originally named ‘Googol’, a word for the number represented by 1 followed by 100 zeros. After founders - Stanford graduate students Sergey Brin and Larry Page presented their projects to an angel investor, they received a cheque made out  to ‘Google’.

Hotmail - Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service, he tried all kinds of names ending in ‘mail’ and finally settled for hotmail as included the letters "html" - the programming language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMail with selective upper-casing.

Hewlett Packard - Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whether the company they founded would be called Hewlett-Packard or Packard-Hewlett.

Intel -Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore wanted to name their new company ‘Moore Noyce’ but that was already trademarked by a hotel chain so they had to settle for an acronym of INTegrated ELectronics.

Microsoft - Coined by Bill Gates to represent the company that was devoted t MICROcomputer SOFTware. Orignally christened Micro-Soft, the ‘-’ was removed later on.

The Indonesian used to use stones to wash their clothes while the Chinese used leaves. One century later, soap or more commonly known as detergent has become a neccesity household items in our daily lives. Would you buy a washing machine that doesn’t need detergent to clean your clothes? Skeptical, no?

Makers of white good products have since evolved in technology to bring the detergent free washing machine to our homes, much to the dismay of detergent makers. First it was Sanyo who unveiled the world’s first hybrid washing machine which do not require detergent in 2001. The invention has drawn a strong protest from Japan Soap and detergent Association. The detergent makers disputes Sanyo’s claims that the detergent free washer cleans better and falling flat on cost saving. The product did not have a success story.

Next, the Korean Daewo washing machine says "no" to soap in 2002, using quite a similiar technology. Daewoo claimed that their newly-invented washer has more washing power, up to 20% cleaner than conventional washers. It not only saves detergent but saves water as well.

And recently the Chinese maker Haier joins rivals to offer consumers a choice of no-soap washer. But buyers have been slow to take a spin, as people just can’t believe clothes can be washed without detergent. Haier patent right technology is based on a similar mechanism to detergents: using the interaction of acidic and alkaline ions to clean dirty substances.

Haier Natural Wash is going at RM3,999 for a 7 kg top-load detergent free washer vs. RM799, the price of a conventional 7 kg top load washer. The price difference itself is good enough for you to buy approximately 200 packets of 3 kg powdered laundry detergent. This can easily last you more than 15 yrs of consumption! Is it really cost saving? Is it worth buying? Do your own calculations!

Big brands normally uses high profile celebrities as their spokesman/woman. Samsung has been using Malaysian pop queen, Siti Norhaliza, Panasonic mobile phone’s spokesman is Taiwanese singer Jay Chao. And homeground Malaysian very own brand Pensonic is spending millions of $$ to get 12 up-and-coming Malaysian celebrities of various talents and professionals to be friends of Pensonic.

And guess who are LG Malaysia’s latest spokesmen? None other than Malaysian 2 most influential bloggers!! Jeff Ooi and Kenny Sia. (Both were featured in Sept issue of NewMan mag). Jeff, the more matured is running a pantun (poem) contest for a LG Chocolate giveaway while the much younger Kenny is giving away an LG White Chocolate for the best real life story of things desperate crazy people do, with both giveaway running almost at the same time.

I do not know how much LG pays these probloggers, all I know is LG top guys must thank their Marketing guys for saving them lots of promotional $$ getting probloggers as their spokesman in comparison to celebrities, and yet receiving as effective results, if not better.

What a witty way for LG Malaysia to clear their LG Chocolate to make way for the next new launch Shine.

I love corresponding ever since I was a little girl in pinafore uniform. Those days, my close buddies and I could "advertise" our names and home addresses in the newspaper columns in search of pen friends (or boyfriends, ha!). I used to receive dozens of letters and I would screen through them one by one checking for their pix and asl..(age-sex-location, LOL). Then I would reply them one by one and waited for their replies..

I remember I had pen pals from overseas, as far as UK, the States and Aussie.. and I would wait patiently for the snail letter to arrive, stretching my neck each time the postman passed by.. At that time, I was wishing and hoping in vain that the letters from my favorite pals would arrive instantly.

20 years later, my dream comes true.. the instant messaging, emails, VOIP services, at a click of the mouse, my message is sent across in a spilt of second.. Who could predict those days that a letter which normally takes weeks to arrive can now arrive in a second!! Now, this is what we call revolution of technologies!!

Speaking of technologies.. whaddya think are these????

Pens with hidden camera??

If I tell you that these are Personal Computer, would you believe it? No? Take a closer look..

Now I call that revolution of miniature computers! The advance of bluetooth technology..

Hmm.. I would love to replace my 2 kg Toshiba lap top for this futuristic "lap top"!

Photos from reader Amri via email

Sony’s global replacement programme for potentially hazardous lithium-ion laptop battery hurts the brand badly! The recall was not only painful for Sony, but for those affected laptop makers as well.

For the record,

Dell has recalled 4.2 million Sony batteries with additional 100,000 units coming up next.

Lenovo (the company which took over IBM’s ThinkPad last year) would recall 526,000 Sony batteries.

Toshiba is recalling 830,000 Sony batteries.

Apple is recalling 1.8 million Sony batteries.

Fujitsu is the next laptop maker to recall Sony batteries.

To date, HP is the only major laptop maker which declines Sony battery-swap and so far  the recall has totaled 7 million units.

Although Sony has offered to reimburse computer makers for the costs involved in the recalls, the recall is equally painful for computer makers. They have to set up a way to receive millions of faulty batteries and exchange them for millio of new batteries, thus creating logistical difficulties.

With the brand image severely damaged, it is not surprising if computers makers are likely to look hard at shifting some of their business away from Sony and giving to its 2 main rivals, Panasonic and Sanyo!

Source : AFXnews

This news may come a bit too late, but it is better to be late than never.

Sony-made lithium ion batteries for lap tops are recalled worldwide after another incident of lap top bursting into flames due to over heating.

If you are a user of Lenova or IBM Thinkpad, call up the customer service at 1-800-88-8558 or go to www.lenovo. com for more details.  Do make sure your lap top does not post a fire hazard.

Read here and here for more information.

Saropah, my domestic assistant is on one month leave effective today. Without my loyal helper, I am like a handicap! Hahaha.. I just realise I made a terrible housekeeper. I am so pampered by her that I wish she is back here immediately. On the contrary note, this is a great opportunity for me to brush up my skills in housekeeping.

Hmmm.. without my assistant, if only I can have all these gadgets, life in the kitchen would be a breezeeee…. 

Apple Slicer

Pineapple Slicer/Corer

Core and slice fresh pineapples quickly and easily with this serrated corkscrew-like tool. Just snap on handle, insert into pineapple, and twist. The results of your simple effort: one perfect spiral of sweet pineapple, complete with healthy juices!

Melon Ease

Slice fresh melons with ease, using this time-saver! Simply cut melon in half, remove seeds, push Melon Ease down into center, and turn the easygrip handle. In seconds you’ll have perfect slices to serve, add to salads, or enjoy as a snack! Plastic, stainless steel.

Citrus Juicer

Squeeze fresh, vitamin rich oranges and grapefruit for breakfast, and lemons and limes for beverages, desserts, and more. Just slice your citrus in half, place it on the strainer, and pull lever down. Manual juicer delivers fresh, tasty juice right into your glass or bowl. Built-in strainer removes pulp and seeds, and nonslip base prevents spills.

Pictures and information courtesy of Miles Kimball

M-I-C-K-E-Y… M-O-U-S-E… mickey mouse lalalala.. this is the first two-words spelling that 3-year old Little J can recite.. Mickey theme song…

I am sure most of you would have some collections of Disney merchandise.. say.. something like..a book, toy, bag, t-shirt, cookies, etc..

But have you ever come across something like this?

It’s a bread toaster!! Ariete, the self proclaimed Italian household genie has a fun family range of Mickey shaped appliance. Fancy having a Mickey trademark on your bread, hmmm….

Or a sandwich maker

A smoothie for making your favorite juice

A waffle maker perhaps..

Or even an ice-cream maker..

I would love to have this special edition in my kitchen.. with these appliance to toast bread or make sandwich, it would be much easier to coax Little J to finish his bread and butter  for breakfast..

A home appliance fanatic.. I am adamant to know whether we can find these unique appliances in Malaysia. Woohoo.. good news! I found out that this brand is indeed marketed in Malaysia under their marketing arm, Innovest Marketing Sdn Bhd which made its debut in Malaysia 6 months ago. And you can find their products in Best Denki.

But the bad news is.. they have not brought in the Disney range (yet).. at least I don’t see them in the shop floor when I visit Best Denki today. They do have a fantastic range of kitchen appliances. I’ll reserve that for my next blog entry..Stay tuned..

Nearly vomit blood when I post this entry. It took me almost 3 hours!! I could have reached Ipoh from Shah Alam!! Wonder anyone of you are having similar problem with turtle crawling Streamyx…

Back to HomeDec story..

If you think that exhibition always displays the latest technology or innovative products, what about these "antique"? Reminds me of my late grandpa’s collections, the good old days products..

Black and white TVs

Radios

Clocks

At a first glance, what do you think is this?

Tired of your conventional plain stainless steel, aluminium or iron cast pots and pan? Why don’t you consider some made-over pans to add some colors to your dull kitchen? It’s a colored frying pan! The Esprit pans..

These pans are induction heater-friendly too.

Alpha, the Slimmest Sensation instant water heater. Another innovative line-up of Alpha. These models were highlighted earlier in this blog.

You may be thinking why the sliding rail to hold the shower head is so long, longer than the normal sliding rail. There is actually a water tap where you can get instant hot water for washing your hands and feet without using shower head.

Fotile, a new Kitchen Expert in Hobs and Hoods in Malaysia. The parent company is based in Shanghai, boasting a high market share of their products in China. Their designs are innovative and price are relatively cheaper than established brands such as Fujioh, Rinnai, Electrolux.

Panasonic and Rinnai, regulars in this event.

As I strolled down the tunnel linking the convention center to KLCC shopping mall, I couldn’t help noticing the strong advertisement war between the giant electrical companies.

Panasonic

LG

Samsung

Alpha

Home Decor 2006, this time round, boasts exhibition of 430 over booths, displaying products and services from more than 180 companies. Regulars in this quarterly exhibition, take note that the Exhibition is held in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KL City Centre instead of the usual MidValley Convention Centre. Exhibition ends this Sunday, 24th September, 2006.

I was there on 21st Sept and my focus was on home and kitchen appliances. If you guys are hoping to get some interior design or furniture tips, sorry ya..

Found some interesting products.

What’s this? A very nice docorative ceiling light..

Wait a minute.. how come it is opening? It has Petals!!

Tata… it’s a decorative CEILING FAN with light.. Blossom like a flower, hmmm.. very innovative..

Alpha Blossom Ceiling Fan priced at more than RM1200! If you have a big bungalow, and don’t mind to pay more than 4 times higher for a remote control ceiling fan, you may consider this model. This state of art design coupled with unique function is something worth showing off..

Aerogaz.

A Singaporean company specialized in Hoods and Hobs now expanding their business in the water heater. This company has a factory in Klang, Malaysia. Some of the water heater displays of this newcomer.

This innovative full body shower with 4 misty jets is from Alpha.

Home Dec has attracted the attention of the Fan Specialist who makes her debut in this exhibition.

I just love their baby fan. I have previously highlighted their ceiling fans in this blog entry. Seeing is believing. The baby fan is fantastic!

Streamyx is getting on my nerves (again). Posting this entry took me more than 2 hours!! I better stop now before I start to behave out of norm. Will post more in the next entry. Stay tuned for more exciting products infor.

Who says white goods are dull and stupid?

Certainly not Originalhouse! Fancy giving a make over to your fridge, washing machine or dish washer? The choices of apple, lemon, beans, orange, strawberries, and how about broken eggs?!

Haa.. very creative way to bring some instant excitement and renew look to your dull kitchen or bathroom and DIY way, too. The 2006 Original Panel de Coleccíon boasts hundreds of designs for your choices :

And if you think that’s not cool enough.. how about these?

or this

Or even this..

You can even customise to put your own picture or any graphics..

The big question now is how do you put those cosmetic on your appliances?

Here’s how you do it.

These are not printed on the "face" of your appliances. It is actually a decorative removable panel. The concept is similar to wall paper, you cut and paste. It is made of flexible plastic and easy to cut with scissors. The magnetic nature enables it to be easily stick on metal surfaces, even around curves. Hey, the manufacturer claims that the digital printing is of high quality.

Too bad that we can’t get it in this part of the world. Ehh.. if you are keen, try contact their distributor Vincon, see whether they want to do your business or not. Err.. price starts from Euro 100 (Euro1=RM4.70) without tax and shipping cost!

But then, I am still cracking my head how will these face lift suits to my present kitchen interior. hmm…

All pictures courtesy of Originalhouse.es and Vincon.

How do you know whether to install a pump or a non-pump water heater? Simple answer. Install a pump model ONLY when you have low water pressure. Common sense will tell you that if your water pressure is high, you won’t need a pump model. This is because the hot water temperature may drop due to excessive water flow rate.

Panasonic DH-3BP1M

How do you check whether the pressure is too strong for you to install a pump model? If you have a current model or a normal shower head, turn the shower head upward. On the water tap and the splashing height should be not more than 110 cm.

An efficient pump water heater should be able to boost up water pressure from as low as 4.9kpa (0.1kgf/cm2).

Beebest BWH-6688EP

There are basically 2 types of pump models in the market. The DC pump (Carbon brushless system) with brands such as Panasonic, Beebest. and the AC pump (carbon brush ystem) with brands like Alpha, Joven . So, what’s the differences and which type should you choose?

Price difference by almost RM100 
AC : Cheaper
DC : More expensive

Noise level:
AC : Noisy
DC : Quiet (Beebest claims to be world 1st high efficiency silent pump)

Pump lifespan :
AC : Shorter life
DC : Longer life (Panasonic and Beebest give 5 years warranty for its pump)

Joven 830

Most of the water heater brands in the market come with AC pumps with prices about RM400 level. But then the AC pumps get overstressed easily and have shorter life span.

Alpha SH-88EP

If you can bear with those noisy pump sound, or if you can afford to change the pump every two years* (depends on how frequent the set is used) use the AC pump type. Otherwise, it is recommended to buy the DC pump type which is longer lasting and slightly more expensive.

Panasonic and Beebest comes with DC pump range. Beebest has additional pump control function but comes with a much higher price tag, RM580 vs Panasonic RM479. Check out the nearest electrical or hardware shops for more information. Happy shopping..