Using Tellico Citations/BibTex in LyX Part 1

Category: Tech Writer

KDE's database manager Tellico and document processor LyX can be used together to write long documents with numerous citations and a bibliography. Any book database created in Tellico can be converted to a Bibtex file and then inserted into a LyX document.

Note: This article uses LyX 2.0.3 and Tellico 2.3.5 installed on openSUSE 12.2 KDE.

To use a Tellico book collection for inserting citations in a LyX document, the Tellico file needs to be exported as a Bibtex file. A book collection created in Tellico, however, cannot be exported to Bibtex immediately and must be converted to a Bibliography first.

Note: The example collection used in this article is the author's own book collection file of Asian literature created using an earlier version of Tellico.

To convert a book collection to a bibliography in Tellico:

1. With the book collection file open, click Collection then Bibliography.
2. Click Convert to Bibliography.




3. Save the file using a different name to avoid losing the original book collection.

Before using a book collection as a source for citations for a thesis, proposal, or literary work, check that the necessary fields are completed for every entry.

If needed, customize the Bibtex key for each entry. The Bibtex key is used to insert citations in a document. The system will actually generate a Bibtex key for each book automatically but some writers prefer to customize the key for easy reading.

Note: The Bibtex key item is not found in the Entry Editor window when working with a standard book collection so if the Tellico book collection was converted to a bibliography, the Bibtex key field is empty and a key is automatically created once the Tellico file is exported as a Bibtex file.

To edit book entries in Tellico and customize a Bibtex key:

1. Click Settings then Show Entry View. Entry details will be displayed for each book entry on the main window.
2. To edit a book entry, double-click an item from the left pane.
3. On the General tab, enter a Bibtex Key.




4. Click Save Entry. Any edited information will now be updated for that book.

The book collection/bibliography can now be exported to the Bibtex file format for use in LyX or any other Bibtex supported application.

To export to Bibtex in Tellico:

1. Click File then Export.
2. Click Export to Bibtex...




3. On the Export Options window, make any necessary changes and click OK.
4. Enter a filename and click Save.

Continued in Using Tellico Citations/Bibtex in LyX Part 2

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Working with WMF in CorelDraw

Category: Tech writer

For those who are planning to migrate to Corel products but are concerned about file formats, CorelDraw efficiently works with older and less-supported file types such as WMF.

Tip	WMF is an older image format originally designed for Microsoft Office and Windows. In CorelDraw, working with WMF is similar to working with any other imported bitmap or vector file.

Using the Import… command from the File menu, you can position an WMF image in an empty document.

In most cases, WMFs are too large for the Document Page. Use the Pick Tool and the SHIFT key to resize the image using the control handles.

To remove unwanted portions of the WMF, right-click the image and click Ungroup All. Use the Pick tool to select objects and click Delete. You can also remove the white background that normally serves as backbone to the imported WMF.

Important

As outlined in the Windows Metafile technical notes in CorelDraw help, an exported WMF will normally be displayed with extremely thin lines which aren’t fit for print, PDF or the web. To resolve this issue, select the object or group of Objects and use the Outline Tool to increase the line width to at least 1 before exporting. On occasion, you may need to try higher values or a different value for parts of the image. A higher value, however, may also make any included text unreadable. As a workaround, you can delete the text and use CorelDraw's Text Tool to add the text. Afterwards, you can export the object to .ai, .eps or SVG.

Testing Environment

Windows 7 and CorelDraw X3 with the WMF file created in Adobe Illustrator CS2.

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Tails of Tor: Linux Access to the Dark Side of the Internet Part ‏3

Category: Linux


Continued from Tails of Tor: Linux Access to the Dark Side of the Internet Part ‏2

A Complete Linux Distribution

I'm a huge fan of Debian and Debian 6.0.7 on Tails was impressive. Some of the features I really liked about Tails:

1. Classic Gnome baby! If you're being chased after by Storm Troopers, why spend time fiddling around Unity or admiring Cinnamon? This is Gnome as it should be - clean, well-organized and rock-solid.

2. Power off. Yes, we Linux users just open Terminal just to power off our system but when you're James Bond and a horribly ugly Russian is after you, you need a quick getaway. The Tails desktop has a power button on the top panel and one in the System Administration menu. Windows+I in Windows 8 is nice and all that but you don't want to get shot by those dastardly reds while trying to remember the shortcut key. . .



3.Great documentation always brings a tear to my eye. Tails comes with exceptionally well-written documentation that provides a clear explanation of what Tails actually does when you're online. Some of the content requires Internet access but the important text can be read offline. The Fedora Project and openSUSE team have great online documentation and offline documentation (website and PDFs respectively), but I appreciate that a niche project like Tails went through all the effort of explaining the system in layman's terms.

Click the Tails documentation shortcut on the desktop for more information!




4. Sterling hardware support. If you're going to be using someone else's hardware for surfing, you better use a LiveUSB with great hardware support. I tested Tails with my anemic ASUS EEEPC 1000H with its notorious wireless card and my Toshiba NB520. Tails was true to its Debian roots and worked with everything, from audio to my Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 to the wireless FN key.

5. Fully-functional production desktop. Tails' privacy-centric applications are enough for some specialized distributions, but Tails also comes with a complete set of multimedia production and office applications. I was surprised when OpenOffice 3, GIMP, Scribus, Inkscape, and even Audacity popped up in the Gnome menu.

These dependable and well-known software applications are also supplemented by Gnome Sound Recorder, Brasero and Pitivi Video editor plus Audio CD Extractor and the Traverso Multitrack Recorder. Need to extract justice from your arrogant co-worker . . . uhm . . . enemy? Use Red Hat's Disk Utility to wipe out his hard drive or run Nautilus Wipe Out.

With all these audio and video applications, you can take part in any of the conspiracy-laden episodes of Revenge (2011)!

Need more? Efficient and beloved Synaptic Package Manager comes included for those allergic to the command line.

6. WhisperBack brings sexy back. Any marketing and product guru would tell you the best sign of a well-thought out project is one that provides an easy way to provide feedback. Tails includes its own feedback form, WhisperBack, for diligent users with an idea or comment for the genius developers.

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Tails of Tor: Linux Access to the Dark Side of the Internet Part 2

Category: Tech Today

Good Practice

If you're going to undertake a Mission Impossible (1994) expedition of visiting someone's work terminal after hours and you want to leave no trace whatsoever of your online activities, then Tails should definitely be your LiveUSB of choice. Before getting into your unitard and practicing your creepy Tom Cruise grin while hanging upside down with your LiveUSB however, take note of the following:

1. On boot, click More Options and assign a Root password. If you skip this step, you will be unable to run any administrative tasks such as running Synaptic Package Manager and accessing restricted partitions.

2. To set up a persistent volume for your Tails LiveUSB, use the Tails USB Installer. I used UNetbootin to create my Tails LiveUSB so I couldn't create a persistent volume for my installed applications and configurations until I created another Tails LiveUSB using the Tails USB Installer. For those who haven't created a LiveUSB yet, it's time to use your much-neglected optical drive and burn a LiveCD then create a LiveUSB.

Unique Toolset

Specialized Linux distributions such as Tails always get overshadowed by mainstream distributions like Linux Mint and Ubuntu, but there are many reasons to give them a try especially since they normally include quality applications you may not have heard of. Specialized Linux distributions are also more focused on a particular goal or use. A few of Tails distinguishing utilities are:

1. KeePassX - Like most users, I'm terrible with passwords, but security in light of break-ins in major web services is more important than ever. KeePassX is an efficient and easy-to-use password manager for Linux.

2. IceWeasel with Tor - The main reason you would probably use Tails is for the incredible amount of attention placed on privacy. IceWeasel comes with Tor-friendly proxy settings and HTTPS Everywhere. Little to no further configuration is really needed for most users though.

3. Vidalia control panel and i2P anonymous network access

4. Metadata Anonymisation Toolkit - For the truly paranoid, remove the metadata from your images and documents using Metadata Anonymisation Toolkit.

While running Tails, you can also use preinstalled Pidgin, Liferea and Claws Mail for your normal online activities. Almost all Linux distributions also have some unusual utility included. For Tails, it's two versions of Gobby Collaborative Editor.

Continued in Tails of Tor: Linux Access to the Dark Side of the Internet Part 3

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The Dubious Art of the Username

Category: Tech Today

The X-Men books in the 70s (when they were still awesome and made sense not like the garbage Marvel is publishing today), had tons of awesome superhero names. Back in the 80s, each G.I. Joe member had a cool, pithy "codename" (my favorites were Barbecue,  Captain Grid Iron and Quick Kick). In the 1990s, I flew along with other Wing Commander (circa 1990) pilots with impressive "callsigns" like Paladin, Spirit and Angel. 


The Masters of the Universe were so awesome they didn't need any callsigns or codenames. Screenshot of the Sorceress, He-Man, Teela, Buzz-Off and Mekaneck from the mini comic He-Man and the Insect People (published circa 1985).

In this day and age of free web services and multiple logins, everyone gets to have their own "codename/callsign/pen name/superhero name" and multiple ones at that. My cooler older brother took up the name Quicksilvr back in the day of BBS and stuck to it since. Me?  I signed up for a Yahoo account circa 1997 with the word Liar - and I've received skeptical looks online and in person ever since.

Pen name. Nom du plume.

Usernames are often overlooked in articles about online security mostly because it's hard enough thinking of a rock-solid password. But it is part of your online safety.  Your online banking username, for example, should be as private as your password. E-mail addresses that double as account names, XBOX360 usernames, Amazon and e-commerce logins, Apple Me accounts and every other account name you use can be classified as either public or private. Regardless if the account name is public or private, however, a lot of thought should be given before you think up of one that fits you personally and in every other practical way. 

I envy those who stick to one username for their online accounts. It certainly makes things easier. However, I can't shake the feeling that your chosen name says more about you than your own name. In 2004, a girl I met at a career seminar gave me her e-mail address - Ladycroft3. Her e-mail address immediately revealed her favorite pastime and game. In her defense, her username is certainly easy to remember and even helped me recall what she looked like (ahem).

Having committed to a very small online footprint, I avoid signing up for new services whenever possible. I finally conceded to signing up for Flipboard when I found out one of my articles was featured. I launched Flipboard on my iPad and was ready to sign up when I stopped dead, wondering what username I should use.  I don't have a Facebook account and I'm tired of receiving odd looks and comments when they see Liar53. I have long dropped my nickname and my real name is just about as interesting as unwashed socks (and triggers plenty of online discrimination to boot).

I realize that not everyone thinks twice before whipping up a username but if the username you're about to invent is one that is public, it's a good idea to use a name that's halfway decent and professional - not just cool and available. "Junkinmytrunk" and "sexyman" may elicit smiles and laughter but isn't going to impress headhunters, ladies or devoted readers. It's like Superman deciding he should switch his superhero name to "Real Man".


Mr. Awesome. Screenshot from Chuck Season 1 Episode 3.
 
I would love to have some cool and doubly secure username like Yggdrasil or Gjallahorn (Mjolnir is too obvious) but realize most people not acquainted with Norse mythology would think I was a pervert of some sort. Plus, I'd probably misspell it anyway.

What's in a Username?

What's in a username? A lot. It's a digital version of a nametag, those annoying cardboard placards or stickers you get stuck with in kindergarten or while attending corporate meetings. If you aren't careful enough with associating your accounts, one username can be linked to a horribly embarrassing or incriminating username / web service.

When I was a technical trainer, one of the more annoying aspects of the job was assisting employees sign up for a company account. One out of five employees had fat fingers, which gave me conniptions when they lock out their account. Three out of ten trainees, on the other hand, were overly clever and decided to forgo the system generated username and opt for a customized one (e.g. "Cooldude75", "Yeahbaby69").




Some services, like Ubuntu One, use usernames and e-mail addresses interchangeably, which takes a load off of people like me who have trouble identifying themselves with a digital name. I'd still like the ability to customize a name but more than a decade of the Internet still hasn't made me any more creative when it comes to thinking up usernames. Indy-Jones or Jbond sure is tempting, but I think I'll be sticking to my real name for now.  

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Tails of Tor: Linux Access to the Dark Side Part 1

Category: Linux

Note: Yes, the title of this article is an indirect reference to Roy Thomas' classic Conan comic books from the 70s.

There are many online discussions regarding the Tor project, some of them exploring the questionable use of the "Dark Side of the Internet". With everyone (including the Linux Action Show hosts) suggesting ways to protect a user's online activities in light of NSA's behavior towards privacy, is Linux's amnesiac distribution aka Tails a recommended workaround?

I won't even try to be controversial. I just wanted to check if I can maintain my Blogger.com account using Tails while living in Shanghai (followers of Unsolicitedbutoffered will notice I pulled a poorly written Opera review). The Tor project and the Tails website are blocked in mainland China, but a recent trip to Hong Kong gave me the opportunity to download the torrent file and get my hands on the slim 861MB ISO for the amnesiac distribution.

What you get with Tails is another great Linux distribution worth giving a try. If you are in the same position as I am, you would have to set up a Tor bridge to get access to YouTube.com and Blogger.com, but using Tails, a Debian 6.x-based distribution, is rewarding in itself.

Speed Demons Think Twice

Expatriates are always advised online in forums that a VPN is a must. For my part, I don't feel it's a necessity (most of the people I know who have a VPN just use it to watch cat videos, post inane Twitter and Facebook messages and catch Rihanna's new music videos on Vevo). Obviously, if you're going to use Tails while connecting via VPN, don't expect speedy network access. If you have the resources, set up an aforementioned Tor bridge if your location is that closed out.

New users to Tails will also notice the following:

1. When using the non-safe browser, the non-safe browser loads slowly because Tails runs on the Tor network by default. Disengaging from the Tor system to browse without a safety net takes longer than actually pulling up the modified IceWeasel, the default browser for Tails.

2. Shutdown takes longer than usual for a reason. Tails is committed to its design principles in every way and wipes out traces of your PC use once you power off. For the impatient, do not unplug your LiveUSB or eject your LiveCD if the screen suddenly goes awry. If you take the time to read the verbose Terminal messages, Tails actually warns you in advance that the screen is going to go bonkers as RAM is cleaned out.

3. Tails as a Linux desktop performs as fast as any lightweight distribution. Besides being a privacy-focused distribution, Tails is also a fully-functional workstation with all the expected office and multimedia applications (see Part 2). Inkscape and Gimp launched fairly quickly on my rickety old ASUS 1000H EEEPC - and this was using a LiveUSB of Tails.

The problem with most users nowadays is that they associate a PC's speed with Internet access. This misunderstanding was probably brought on by all the dizzying standards for data access on smartphones and tablets. There's more to a computer than the Internet people.

4. Tails comes with a Windows XP camouflage mode. It's cool for trivial reasons, but I think people would more likely be more suspicious with someone using a Windows XP machine than with someone using a decent Linux desktop. 

 To use camouflage mode, click Yes on the More Options window once you boot using Tails. 

Continued in Tails of Tor: Linux Access to the Dark Side Part 2: Applications and the Internet

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Linux on Film: Dredd (2012)

Category: Linux

One of the elements that made the original RoboCop (1987) so good was seeing Alex Murphy deal out some major butt-kicking in spite of the losing battle he was facing against the city, politicians and his makers. And Dredd (2012) serves this very experience ala carte. I don't think the reboot of Robocop can come close to the sheer audacity of Dredd. Dredd is a straightforward no-nonsense cop-thriller set in the future. Judge Dredd is presented as he should be - a dedicated, incorruptible cop with a powerful firearm.


 

Linux/Unix once again makes a cameo appearance in the form of Peach Trees online maintenance system that controls the web cameras, elevators, blast doors and PA systems. The formulaic technical administrator (sigh, another one) working for the bad guys comes in the form of a wiry, albino kid who gets his belly button threatened by Ma Ma (played by Lena Headey). The windows he opens are graphical representations of the building, a Terminal and a web cam stream. Like most films featured in this Linux on Film series, the window manager is a plain, single color window and largely unadorned. Although the filmmakers may or may not have blurred the computer screens on purpose, sharp-eyed Linux users will notice a command with extensions along with a Root terminal in one of the pivotal scenes.




For all we know, Judge Dredd's Lawgiver firearm runs on Android - maybe in the future OSX, Windows, and iOS are all extinct.

Mini-Review (Spoilers!)

I'm often disappointed when I venture out and watch action movies, having retired from the genre after more than three decades of Bruce Lee, Lethal Weapon, classic Jackie Chan, and James Bond. Unlike fairly recent comic book movies like Man of Steel (2013) and Iron Man III (2013), however, there are moments when you actually believe Dredd and Judge Anderson can die (I was hyper-ventilating when they locked down Peach Trees and Ma Ma called in the corrupt Judges). The threat was actually convincing, which is rare for a comic book movie.

Another plus for Dredd is the lack of children. I absolutely hate it when filmmakers pander to the audience by adding children in movies. Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, Green Lantern, Spirits of Vengeance and even Nolan's Dark Knight Rises all added ridiculous scenes with children (and I was so disappointed when I saw screencaps of Andrew Garfield next to a mini-Spider Me for The Amazing Spider-Man sequel). Dredd, thankfully, does no such thing. In fact, the two idiotic kids who even attempt to assault Dredd gets shot (though I fervently wished Dredd used hollow points rather than a stun blast).

Corrupt cops, drugs, "smug, tough" guys, and a black bully (who was more detestable than Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones) gleefully all get their asses whipped. I absolutely hate guns and I avoid action movies that depend solely on gunfights but Karl Urban's skillful and intelligent approach to Dredd made the multi-purpose firearm tolerable. Unlike most cops in movies these days (ahem, Mark Wahlberg) he wasn't a poseur and unlike Christian Bale, projected an excellent badass voice. Physically speaking, Urban doesn't match the Judge Dredd in the comic books (Stallone in the much-lampooned 1995 movie actually physically resembled the character minus the face, which was never revealed in the books), but Urban was Dredd in every other way.




Judge Anderson, played by the immensely talented and very beautiful Olivia Thirlby, made psychic powers cool again. I hadn't been impressed with psionic use in popular media since Chris Claremont's seminal run on Uncanny X-Men (circa 1984) and X-Men (early 1990s). Psionic powers in comic books are now overused, stupid and misplaced (see Marvel's current books and untalented writers). Ms. Thirlby fits perfectly in the ugly surroundings of Peach Trees, an angel of a Judge with a great spin kick she pulls off with panache in one of the movies best scenes (I practically whooped when that black guy's hand exploded).

Poor Lena Headey doesn't get to do much here as Ma Ma. Headey slipped into her roles as Sarah Connor and Cersei very well, but failed to produce a convincing drug lord in Dredd. Although I'm not looking forward to her return as Queen Gorgo in the 300 films, I'm glad she's getting plenty of attention despite haters of her trademark smirk.

The gore and lack of subtlety in Dredd may put off critics, but the pacing, suspense, and no-nonsense, unapologetic use of violence was surprisingly refreshing. Add excellent Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby and you get a change of pace from suddenly flat and forced superhero movies.

As a final note, though, Linux guys don't scream like a little girl (and the star screensaver is so 1992).

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Apps for Hong Kong Part 3

Category: Tech Today

Continued from Apps for Hong Kong Part 2

South China Morning Post

I subscribed to the South China Morning Post using iOS' Newsstand during a business trip to Taipei but wasn't able to use it in Shanghai for obvious reasons. Sure, Hong Kong has open access to the Internet and various news sources, but South China Morning Post can give you a detailed overview of events happening in the city and China as well without any cuts or censors messing with the content.




The free SCMP subscription is actually pretty complete with columns on opinion, current events and world news. Layout isn't as straightforward as Flipboard but really mimics a newspaper where you shuffle around parts of the publication. If you're really interested in understanding Hong Kong, then this English digital newspaper is a must. I was actually grabbing a quick breakfast in Tsim Sha Tsui when news broke about Edward Snowden staying at one of the swanky hotels close to the bay. And no, I didn't notice any CIA spooks in black.

Basic Travel Apps

Most smartphones are already equipped with the essentials for traveling:

1. Weather app - Hong Kong's weather can be fickle. It's generally warm and there's always plenty of sunshine until a sudden tropical thunderstorm hits. Any weather app can help you decide whether you want to hit Ocean Park or just stroll around Harbour City.

2. Currency Converter - I always tell people to stay home and shop online or your own country rather than hunt for bargains in cities like HK. Unless you lost your precious camera on the way to Southeast Asia, I don't really recommend buying electronics in the upscale department stores in Admiralty or even the side alleys dotting Times Square. Hong Kong is definitely more upscale than it was in the early 90s and late 80s and you can get a better deal in places like Manila, Ho Chih Minh, or Bangkok. However, with U.S. dollar rates swinging like Spidey chasing after Hobgoblin, it's a good idea to have a currency converter on your device. Pick one that still works offline. If you're staying for only a few days, a rough estimate is still pretty useful especially when you decide to shell out a few hundred HKDs for that rare book at Page One or that Japanese Blu-Ray movie on sale in HMV (both of which I actually did).

If you really are well off or just want to buy electronic products available in Asia (check Newegg or Amazon first!), visit the Fortress chain of electronics store. I hadn't visited one in over a decade and was surprised they were still around. An American couple was checking out the new Nikon 1 J1 and a Panasonic Lumix ILC. The sales guy patiently explained the differences between models and allowed them to try out a Sony NEX3N to compare camera performance. Prices weren't that attractive but they do cut a few HKDs here and there to make a sale - ask for value-adds like SD cards and camera straps before shelling out those dollars.

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Thoughts on "Booth Babes" Part 2

Category: Tech Today

Continued from Thoughts on "Booth Babes" Part 1


A lot of the media sites make noise about "booth babes" in electronic shows just to get hits and attract readers, but industry insiders and the manufacturers themselves just see it as another day at the office. In some cases, companies that presented products with beautiful young Asian models don't return the following year, unable to keep up with the movement of the consumer electronics industry.




And the "booth babes"? They move on to their next modeling job, continue their studies, take up a new career, or join a beauty pageant. In many ways, they are the same as cosplayers of Makoto Kusanagi or Black Widow in the San Diego Comic Con. The only difference is that they get well-paid by the hour (the number of technical documents I write doesn't pay nearly as much as they do in the first 2 hours they smile at the cameras). Once their stint as a booth babe is over, these ingenues think back wistfully at the dozens of glassy-eyed tech enthusiasts toting DSLRs and ILCs to the show who tirelessly take their photos.

I asked Lala, a lovely 21-year Chinese cosplayer and 2013 "booth babe" if she felt offended when she had to dress up for Computex. "Not at all" she said, adding that she wished she could do it every year considering the pay and the brief moment under the spotlight. She also said she enjoyed the technical training she received and the 5%-15% discount on items. Back when I was writing articles for Computerworld, a Canon girl I befriended asked me if I wanted to use her camera discount (I didn't have the heart to tell her my salary was paid using a standard air mail envelope). The conveyor belt of booth babes moves pretty quickly and Lala knows she won't be around next year when the next big tech is introduced (or reintroduced). Frankly, I would prefer having Lala present Apple's or Microsoft's new operating system than Cook or Ballmer. She speaks in such a way that charms and doesn't offend, convinces without coaxing. 

If you're critical about the "booth babes" and the manufacturers who hire them then you might as well be critical of the Internet, your favorite TV show, or movies as well. In the meantime, I'm grateful for the lovely ladies hired during electronic shows. After all, they're a sight for sore eyes and a helluva lot nicer to look at than repeating technical specifications about displays, RAM, Corning glass, processor speed, and expandable storage.   

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Apps for Hong Kong Part 2

Continued from Apps for Hong Kong Part 1

Ulmon Hong Kong

City maps are a double-edged sword if you've never visited a locale before. Unless you're really good at using maps while walking, digital maps on your smartphone and tablet can be distracting and can detract much from enjoying a city. You don't need Indiana Jones' sense of direction to actually get around Hong Kong. Just taking the time out before your trip to figure out which bus stops or MTR stations you're going to use is always a good idea. Any basic map, even the kitschy maps you can get at the airport or at your hotel can get you around fine.

However, if you are that frightened of getting lost in "big bad" Hong Kong, then install the well-reviewed Ulmon Hong Kong maps and guide. I didn't use the map very often since it didn't really include the places I wanted to visit, but they're great if it's your first time in Hong Kong. Usage is straightforward and the interface is clutter free with minimal landmarks to distract you. It works well on a 7" tablet too. I'm a bit hesitant about recommending it on a full-sized tablet like an iPad 2 because the size and weight of full size tablets make it somewhat awkward if you're loaded with shopping bags. If you're looking for a map with more descriptions and photos, however, try other iOS and Android maps available in Google Play or iTunes Store or just stick to Bing or Google Maps. For those who just don't want to get lost, Ulmon Hong Kong app and an MTR app (see part 1 of Hong Kong Apps) is more than enough.

Hong Kong Disneyland Magic To Go App

I keenly remember Disneyland,California in 1988 - many of the rides in Hong Kong Disneyland triggered memories of just spending the day as a kid at a theme park. Yes, Disneyland is as expensive as ever and yes the Hong Kong version is only a fraction of Tokyo Disneyland, but it was great fun nonetheless. This generation is so critical of special effects, technology, resolution, displays, and interactivity that I'm not sure the kids today would appreciate the old-school fun of Mystic Manor and the excellent 3D Donald Duck show. Frankly, I would recommend a single day in Disneyland than 3 weeks of playing Batman: Arkham Asylum or the new Halo, just to get young people off the sofa and walk around a bit.

Disney is often accused of milking past successes but the truth of the matter is that HK Disneyland doesn't really take advantage of other characters from the huge library of Disney films, preferring instead to stick to Mickey and the classic Disney Princesses (Snow White, Cinderella, Tinkerbell, and Belle in particular). We get annoying Stitch stuffed toys rather than shirts and toys of Genie, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Jasmine, Scar, and Ariel (who is the mermaid of everyone's wet dreams including as it turned out Donald Duck's). I'm a 60s to early 90s Marvel fan but I rue the day when instead of a Haunted Mansion we get the Avengers Mansion (complete with a mechanical Jarvis). They'd probably have a Quinjet ride rather than an Autopia area. It's a Small World will probably converted to Reed Richards' Microverse Tour. Space Mountain would be filled with characters from Gardens of the Galaxy and Adventure Land would be Savage Land guarded not by Tarzan but a guy named Ka-Zar. Worst, there would probably be a Jedi Academy in one corner of the theme park with the Dark Side in the other.

This extended digression leads me to the Disney Magic To Go app for Hong Kong, which I don't really recommend. One, it requires an Internet connection to use the features fully and there aren't any strong Wi-Fi signals at the park. The Locate Me only works briefly (I reckon it uses a basic crowdsourcing system to determine where you are). The map and navigation is also somewhat clunky - you're better off with the paper brochure they hand out when you get your ticket. The app is really only useful for those with Magic Access or an Annual Pass because it provides current offers and promos. As previously mentioned, the HK version of Walt's dreamland really isn't all that big so just stroll around and enjoy.

The best tip I can give is visit Toy Story Land and Tomorrow Land first since they have the most popular rides. Grizzly Gulch is also worth a visit but if you want value for your money, make sure you catch the shows. Finally, have fun!

Note: There's also an official Ocean Park Hong Kong app available if a visit is part of your itinerary (it's pretty good if it's your first time in HK). The app is a bit more useful than Disney Magic to Go primarily because Ocean Park is much larger though I didn't get to test the Ocean Park app myself.

Wi-Fi and the PCCW App

PCCW is the Verizon of Hong Kong and their app is only useful if you have or plan to purchase a PCCW SIM card when you get to HK. The PCCW app assists you in locating available Wi-Fi hotspots you can latch on to for free while providing other services and promotions. If you see a PCCW store or PCCW phone booth, chances are it's already transmitting free Wi-Fi for use (though I would wonder why you would stick around in a phone booth during an afternoon or evening in awesome Kowloon). Unless you're planning to get a PCCW SIM card, skip the PCCW app. Powering on your wireless device in places like the Peak or Tsim Sha Tsui can often get you online even without using a Wi-Fi sniffer.

Hong Kong used to be one of the prominent tourist-friendly cities in Asia and it can be seen in the number of free Internet kiosks strategically located all over the city. The fastest free wireless areas are the ones placed in the underground, particularly in Admiralty and Central. McDonald's also provides 20 minutes of free Wi-Fi while most malls have several high-speed wireless Internet hotspots running across their stores (Hint: They use a basic WPA-PSK with Radius Server authentication scheme).

For visitors or expatriates spending some time in Hong Kong International Airport, there's free Wi-Fi all over Kai Tak airport's successor. For Linux users (like me), the wireless signals in Hong Kong International Airport are strongest in the departure area, not in the arrivals Terminals 1 and 2. If you're using openSUSE, Fedora, or even Ubuntu-based distributions, you may not be able to pull up the HKIA login page - the wireless service is actually optimized for Android and iOS (there are even brochures teaching new arrivals how to set up wireless on their Android and iOS devices). Just take the escalator up to the departure area and login from there. Wi-Fi access is even stronger in the departure waiting areas if you're off to your flight.

Continued in Hong Kong Apps Part 3

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Thoughts on "Booth Babes" Part 1

Category: Tech Today

I'm not sure what the hullabaloo is about "sexism" in electronic shows. Fifteen minutes of TV shows like Game of Thrones or Pretty Little Liars and Kate Upton commercials have enough lovely ladies in questionable situations as it is. And no one really complains about auto shows with leggy models splayed over a convertible. There are just too many billboards, TV shows, web sites, and forms of media that advertise and promote using attractive women to be judgmental about electronic shows with young ladies holding a tablet or laptop. 

Manufacturers hire the so-called "booth babes" to attract visitors and consumers. For those who have never visited an electronics show, it's not free unless you're part of the staff of one of the companies. It's nothing special in the sense that electronic shows do not occur as often as auto shows, a new alcoholic drink, or a new lingerie collection. Companies such as Budweiser, Carlsberg and even Asian brewery companies like Tiger and San Miguel use sexy, scantily-clad women to sell their drinks regularly, going as far as sending them to bars to coax customers to drink a little bit more. Think Hsu Chi's beergirl role in Hong Kong's Confessions of Pain (2006). However, beer girls don't hit the headlines anymore unless some beer girl toppled over, said something silly, or ended up like Jodie Foster in The Accused (1988). But arguments abound online about electronic show models. If you've actually been to an electronics show, "booth babes" aren't nearly as pawed at and slobbered over as beer girls. They are viewed by many a bespectacled professional with reverence.

Yearly comic conventions get more press from forums and hobby sites than the new SSD or tablet being hocked in an electronics show. Cosplayers love the attention. It's their time to doll themselves up, maybe wear something a bit sexy, and get away from the doldrums of mundane boring days. Their costumes are over-the-top and sometimes more scandalous than any NVIDIA or AMD model can think up - it's seen as harmless fun. Comic book, sci-fi, and fantasy conventions have plenty of "sexy" ladies yet they are as much about advertising new and upcoming media (games, books, movies, and shows) as a community activity. In this light, electronic shows are the same though there's arguably more money at stake for the manufacturers to advertise their wares. Any industry insider would tell you the returns are fairly small for such a huge investment as renting space, paying for lovely models, building a stall, and attempting to reveal half-finished products that may not make it into the production line.

In this tech-savvy age we live in, there is one thing critics of "booth babes" should know - sex doesn't sell as much as they might like to think. Consumers are more concerned about price and technical specifications than the models that sport the latest Samsung phone or Lenovo laptop. The short-skirted presenters aren't expected to drum up sales. They're there to present the products and answer questions. Would you rather have some fat, sweaty, bearded engineer heft the latest hybrid tablet? They're definitely more knowledgeable than the Girls Generation look-alike Intel hired, but that same engineer can also smell funny, involuntary fart a few times, and can't stand up straight in front a booth for more than 5 minutes. A booth babe may not know the first thing about using RAID with an SSD, but she smells nice, entrances you with her voice, and can stand in front of a booth for 6 hours while wearing 4-inch heels - and look hotter than the sun while she's at it.

Photo credits: A big thanks to Alex and Bobby from the Taipei team for providing the fantastic photographs from Taipei Computex 2013.

Continued in Thoughts on "Booth Babes" Part 2

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Apps for Hong Kong Part 1

Category: Tech Today

I recently revisited old haunts in Hong Kong and a few of the well-known tourist traps in Kowloon just for the hell of it. I was saddened by how visitors were so dependent on wireless access and apps. At the Peak, a few Europeans were more concerned about the lack of free and fast Wi-Fi than the brilliant view. In Nathan Road, Americans were walking head down, scrutinizing Google Maps or some crappy app and ignoring the colorful experience of "The Golden Mile" of Hong Kong.

It's sad that a data plan, GPS and travel apps are now "indispensable" for visiting countries. Rather than learning a few words in Cantonese and brandishing an obtuse map that refuses to fold properly, the visitor now leans heavily on colorful apps that just link to Wikipedia (groan!) and aren't nearly as useful as a good book on history (try Austin Coates' grossly biased but highly entertaining narrative on Hong Kong and Macao).




Hong Kong has definitely lost its pep and reputation as the "Gateway to the Orient", having relinquished its popularity to Thailand's exciting cities, the glitz and glamor of Seoul and Tokyo, and Singapore's redundant materialism. However, I'm extremely fond of pre and post-handover Hong Kong and can attest that it's a city that is as navigable as Manhattan, Singapore, or London. Moreover, it's still worth a visit even after all these years.

If you insist on using apps in Hong Kong, then all you really need are three: a good map of the MTR, a basic map of Hong Kong (you can use Bing, Nokia, or Google Maps), and an app to assist you with your itinerary if you didn't plan ahead. Forget about translator apps or GPS. HK has plenty of English signs to point you in the right direction and unlike Shanghai, most of the locals can speak English. Loading your smartphone or tablet with too many apps just takes up precious space on your device and slows you down.

There are tons of available Hong Kong apps for iOS and Android and I tried out a few during my recent visit just to write this article. Here are a few I recommend and some that may be useful. I'm partial to offline apps - I'm a firm believer that a good app can be used even if you're disconnected from the Internet. Once again, I emphasis that the fewer apps you bring along, the better:

1. rGuide's HK Railways - The developers of this app also provide similar maps for Asian cities. There are plenty of MTR maps for Hong Kong but I used this one because it had the fewest features. The MTR is the best way to get around Hong Kong and the best investment during your trip is the multi-purpose Octopus Card (HKD 150 with a deposit that can be claimed at the airport after your trip). The HK Railways app was a bit slow loading on my old iPod Touch, but a more recent device such as the recent iPad Mini and iPad 2 can handle it easily.





2. DiscoverHK 720 - The Hong Kong Tourism Board developed a set of 'Discover Hong Kong Guides' to assist the clueless foreigner. All you really need is the main 720 app for a list you can use as an itinerary if you didn't plan ahead or you're a novice at big cities. Just pick the places you want to visit and click How to get there. DiscoverHK 720 can also download related apps for specialized tours around Hong Kong for island trips, heritage walks, and food. If you paid for a city tour or a tour guide, having this list is still pretty useful for ticking off places you want to return to or missed while fiddling around with your Canon EOS deadweight. The guides are a bit superfluous for a veteran traveler really interested in a city but useful for a casual tourist.




Unlike apps for U.S. locales and European travel spots, the DiscoverHK 720 app doesn't drown you with information - it provides you with just the essentials.

Note: Avoid the DiscoverHK AR (Augmented Reality) App. It requires constant updating which is troublesome if you don't have a data plan. It's also absolutely useless. If you want a preview of Hong Kong before going to the city, install it and use it at home then remove it afterward. What's the point of AR when you're already in the city?

Continued in Apps for Hong Kong Part 2

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