20241225 The Christmas Dream

 With Wife and kids going off to Vietnam with the rest of the In-Laws for the week, I've been sleeping alone. And on this wet Christmas morning, with Mr. Sun taking a break, I've had another weird dream. 

The only thing I can remember was that Dan Ackroyd was behind the wheels of my VeeChai and Chim Eng, a young girl and myself gripping at the rear of the car's spoiler, our feet using the bumper's ledge for support. Before that, I vague remember screwing some bolts to the spoiler. The next thing I know, Dan was driving over some kind of beach with clear blueish water. I won't say there is a road but some sort of long straight sandy/earth stretch with sometimes village houses on the right and some palm trees. The car was driving quite fast, splashing all the way. Since we're at the back, bumping about, I had a very nice (and almost) bird's eye view of the car and the stretch in front of us.

20241114 Xiaomi Sees in the Dark

As I was taking the photos early this morning, I was reminded of Xiaomi 14T Pro's strength when it comes to taking subjects in dim environment. I suppose this is a good trade off against its inability to take macro shots.

Here is a comparison. The image on the left is what my eyes saw and the one on the right is what the phone saw, which is a EV 0.0.

 

20241020 Xiaomi 14T Pro

 

So, yeah, I got a new phone.

After much pestering from my Wife, that is, and the repair costs for the Huawei is nearing the RM1,000 mark too.

You see, after 5 years, my trusty Huawei P10Plus has started to give me problems. It had its internal battery changed during the Pandemic. And just year, it had is Rear Camera replaced and right after that, the screen.

What's wrong with the screen, SPR?

I am still quite sore as the screen was not faulty when I sent it. It became so after the camera was replaced. On the next day where I was suppose to pick up my Phone, the previous Tech had been transferred. He was blamed for not leaving any notes on how to contact me nor the codes to unlock my phone so that the new guy can see it for himself. When I was shown that there was no such information, even on their computer system where previously, I ma very sure my details were entered. But that was last year and this year, this was a new guy, and were in a 'He said, she said' situation. After much going to and fro, I had to pay 50% for the new screen since we're not going anywhere.

This is how my Huawei looked after the last repair. Its bottom right edge was bulging. I raised the issue but the guy just avoided it. Still, he said, 'You're lucky that this is an original Huawei screen, so we don't make any proift from it.'
What?

 

This was quite noticeable, even during at the Counter. And now, with the screen protector, its edges are breaking,leaving tiny shards of glass. Now matter how I pressed it, the edge would not relent.

 I should have gone back to the Huawei Premium Service Centre in KL ECO City. And so, with this battery issue, I think I might just do that. No more SPR (SmartPhone Repair)

Introducing the Xiaomi 14T Pro

Quite some time ago, I was mulling on which would be the appropriate model to replace my Huawei P10Plus. The natural decision would be the Huawei P50. However, it does not have Google support and I use Google Sheets extensively. The next model then has to be, well, a second-hand Huawei P30. It would have Android 13 (I need Android Auto to test certain Cars) and it is the last Huawei phone that has Google. Asus was a no go after they played havoc with my Zenfone 2 Laser's GPS during the phone's last software update and nothing was forthcoming from them. Meanwhile Oppo and Google sounded good but nothing to shout about.

And there are no other backup phones for me to choose from.

That is, until just recently. I know very little about Xiaomi except that when I wanted a cute yellow one (Xioami Mi 4c) in the early 2010's a lot of owners said the phone hangs. A lot. And so, I never did look at the brand anymore. However, this showed up on my Facebook feed a fortnight ago.

When I choose a Mobile Phone, the very first thing I look for would be its camera before anything else. It's not the megapixels but how well the colours turn out, its macro ability and how fast I can whip it out and take photos. Next would be some weird features such as anti-shakes and low-light photography. OK, and a damn good battery as well. So, yeah, without reading much into the specs, I think the 14T is the one.

The AI in there

AI? What AI? Seriously, I have heard about AI stuff in there but, man, I just want a Phone with a good camera. I'll have to explore this later on.

I have made up my mind

The Xiaomi 14T Pro comes in 12GB+256GB and 12GB+512GB configuration. You can go with Titan Black, Titan Blue or Titan Grey. There is a green version but that is just 14T (no Pro). After a lengthy LRT trip, I arrived at the Xiaomi Roadshow in KLCC and today was the last day. There were quite a lot of people at the roadshow and even more lining up for their turn at the weird looking green car.

RM2,599 is a lot of money right now. Heck when I got my Huawei P10Plus 5 years ago, it was around the 3K mark too. It really means I have to tighten my belt even more.
 

I wanted the 12GB + 256GB configuration, which is RM2,599
As per the image above, you'd get a lot of stuff such as 6 months Google Cloud Storage, Spotify, 1x Out-of-Warranty-Labour-Free repair, and so on. Physically, you'd get a luggage bag, a Xiaomi Scale, a 120W Charger and, a Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo,

 Thank You, CelcomDigi

You know what happened? CelcomDigi happened.

The Long Story Short

- I got the 12GB+512GB Titan Blue for about RM2328, with a savings of RM671.

- I had my Postpaid plan upgraded for RM20 extra which comes with a 5G account with 250 GB data and 90GB for the numbers under me.

- And then CelcomDigi keep stuffing my bag with more and more freebies too. It was so heavy that the paper bag broke during the LRT ride home.

The Short Story Long

The moment I arrived, I headed straight to the Middle Foyer of the KLCC Mall. The whole place was happening. There was a long queue for what I presumed a chance to sit in Xiaomi's first Electric Car. I looked like some nice Porsche but with a body paint what reminds me of the Petronas colours.

Although the crowd is quite big, but it was still manageable, thanks to my mood. Most of the Promoters were very young and were busy attending to other Customers. This gave me some private minutes for me to try out the 14T Pro on display. Moments later, standing next to me was a polite young guy, who is quite attentive and managed to answer most of my questions. I mean, I was here for the free gifts actually. After I had made my choice (12GB+256GB, Titan Blue), I was passed from Promoter to Promoter, leading until to the front. Which is a bit weird. But anyway, I was told to sit, given a bottle of water while they prepare my order.

While I was waiting to be served, I curiously walked over to the Celcom booth which was sharing the same floorspace and event with the Roadshow. So, I talked to the Promoter, Kiwie, and he told me that I can get the same (if not, better) Xiaomi offer. The only thing is, I would not be getting the Luggage bag, the only item which encouraged me to the KLCC Roadshow today.

Still, I decided to ask if I can get the 14T Pro from them as well. The reason is that the whole Roadshow is, I think, was organised by some Dealer, not directly by Xiaomi. I could very well be wrong on this but most of the Facebook ads were by them. Trusting in a well known established brand on the floor seemed to be a better option for the day, which is, CelcomDigi.

Kiwie did a check for me and we found out I was qualified for the Phone. Which is great but I've never did se any Ads from CelcomDigi about this. I honestly told him that I do not know what is my account status all through these years/ decades as they're always upgraded each obsolete plans after another for me. For today, the latest Plan through him was the Celcom 5G 100 or something. Everything was upgraded, more importantly, the data quota for the numbers under my name. All of a sudden, the 40GB limit has been raised to 90GB. After a quick cancellation, I went with CelcomDigi. Plus, with just a 2 year contract of an additional RM97 per month, I save more than RM600 and still got the 12GB+512GB version! But that is not all, despite not having the luggage, I was loaded with a lot more free gifts!

So, I guess, I felt like a Winner today, and throughout the whole journey, I kept looking into the bag to see my new Phone, as if it was really just a dream...

On the left are the free stuff from Xiaomi while on the right are more stuff from CelcomDigi. The Promoter, Teahh got an extra umbrella for me too. So, in the end, the three of us took a nice photo (in poor lighting, intentionally of course) with a Xiaomi 14T Pro.

The contents of CelcomDigi's Mystery Box

 Update 01: 20241021

Reading the specs here on GSMArena, the aluminum framed 14T Pro is quite a performer despite its shortcomings of taking macro shots.

Well, I am still happy despite not using it yet. I am waiting for a much better protective casing and some screen protectors to arrive.

20241020 Taking the LRT to KLCC

 For the very first time, I think, this would be one of my longest ride in the MyRapid LRT. The journey, I think, took about close to 2 hours. I cannot verify this as my Huawei P10Plus has issues with its internal battery.

Yeah, for this year, I have had its screen and its camera changed. And now, its battery and side button are giving me problems. As long as I do not take much photos, it would behave itself. Just like today, after the fifth photo, the phone turned itself off. After trying to turn it back on for the 6th time, the battery was down to 7%. Before the shiet happened, the reading was in the 80's.

It's a shame, really as there were so many missed photos during the long journey.

 

The Station was mostly empty since it is a Sunday.

I am not sure what happened inside this window but those condensation reminds me of those toys when you shake it about.

Sitting in the middle, I wanted to go to the front, knowing that as we are nearing Kuala Lumpur, there would be more passengers coming on board.

I am surprised that Shell was the only Petrol Station taking advantage of our Mr. Sun

 

20241018 The Ending of Altec Lansing's ACS45.1

I do remember I used to have two Altec Lansing ACD45.1's but I could not recall what happened to the first one. And that was about, maybe, 23 years ago? At that time, these were going for RM255 at Computer Fairs and I loved it to bits.

I am not so sure about the history but at one point in time, Altec Lansing were going head to head with Cambridge Audio or something. The latter was quite expensive and thus, I got the ACS45.1 which was basically a pair of speakers with a nice subwoofer.

23 plus years later...

Or was it just 15 years or so? Anyway, this was my Second unit and it already did have some issues years before. To switch it on, you'd need to press the two volume buttons located on the top of the right speaker. That stopped working and so, I just powered it on from the mains. Then came the 'memory' issue where I had to re-adjust the volume everytime it powers up.

And well, lastly, just last week, it powered up and then the green LED sort of fizzled a little and then faded off. The Internet suggested that I replace the inferior TP2256 chip with the Toshiba's more robust TC9235P since it was the source of most problems.

 The TC9235P

 

Inside the circuit board is the crucial Volume Control IC called the PT2256. From the Internet, it was touted to be the more cost effective version of Toshiba's more robust TC9235P. Both chips are pin for pin compatible. And therefore, I decided to get two.

Surprisingly, it came in record time. The Seller packed it quite well, even for just tow IC chips.

The Main circuit and amplifier lies in the subwoofer enclosure of the ACS45.1 The whole enclosure is made of wood. The circuitry and port is held with 8 screws.

That is quite a big heatsink...

Not shown here, but inside is the big transformer.

Found the PT2256 chip

The de-soldered PT2256 (bottom) and the new TC9235P ICs.

I used a lot of solder flux as I want to clean the soldering and also, to make sure the new solder flows into the PCB as fast as possible. This is because the PCB is brittle SRBP and not those FR4 fibreglass which are so common nowadays. See the small SMD resistor '392'? It is not leaking but I suspect, is glue to make sure the component does not move about during wave soldering, I think.

After cleaning with IPA, the board looks good to go.

Finally...

Once everyting is cleaned up and the board fastened back in, it is time to test the repair. And as expected, the green LED glow into life when powered on and it... fizzled and died.

Sheesh.

 

20241015 Free Show

 We do have an issue with the Toilet Door.

The issue is that this cheap plastic door is broken. And I know why. Actually, I did not have to ask why because it is quite evident; the door got locked and someone had to force it open as if it was a wooden door.

Problem #1

The door is plastic which means it is lightweight and susceptible to melting via a magnifying glass. OK, it is not possible unless I break the window panes and tilt the Earth's rotation. Being a plastic door, the whole assembly is hollow. Once the door knob was forced, the surrounding reinforcements are literally mutilated (I wanted to use this instead of the word, 'destroyed' which seems to too harsh). So, effectively, when you lock the door, someone on the outside can open it if they have the intention/ motivation to do so.

In my previous Job, I installed those keyless door knobs just in case the Customer has an Emergency and could not open the door themselves. Sadly, the solution to this place lies in Problem #7

Problem #2

When the doors are closed, they are effectively locking you in like a box. If there were no lights, people'd think you volunteered for Solitary Confinement. The next cubicle is not too bad since there is a window and the door still works.

Once the doors are closed, you would not know if there is anyone inside unless you perform the Gentlemanly Knock which no one does. And so, they will stealthily twist the door knob, hoping it would open. While. I. was. in. there. 12 out of 10 times, it happened to me. One day, I think I am going to sit there, and just let them open the door....

 

Problem #7

There is no problem #6

 

Problem #8

And the financial side? Notice I did not talk about it? No one talked about it too.

 

Sometimes, I am so tempted to just sit there, with my pants down and just wait for the door to open. This time, I'll just move my leg away so it won't block the door...

 

20241013 When you have some 'expired' crisps...

 So, yeah, we had a bag of fried chips of unknown expiry date. I am not sure why we had to follow this because, if the crisps are still crispy and no taste of oil it was in, it is not expired. Then again, with locally bought stuff, the attempts to put an expiry date is half-hearted to say the least.

For me, the rule of thumb is, if it is still crispy and no smell, it is OK to eat. If it is coated with those chili/ sambal paste, it will have a soft crisp. As long as it does not taste like salty shiet, it is OK to eat, I guess.

Anyway, coming back to the suspected crisp, in theory, I can shove them under a hot oven to rejuvenate them. Actually, I wanted to do that but my hunger was more important. So, yeah, I ladled it will some left-over lunch and that's it.

 

Just add them with a nice dish full of sauces. The liquid will soften the potatoes which also soaks up the sauce. But do not leave it for too long unless you want everything to be soft.

 

20241012 A very filling Thosai Rawa

After having a haircut nearby, I decided to grab some Dinner from the also nearby corner Mamak. I've been wanting to try this place since our Move. This is a 24-hour Restaurant which does have quite a number of items on their menu.

The place is bright and their Staff are proactively attentive. In most places, I would always go for some Thosai and well, a cup of Iced Coffee. Tonight, my adventurous self opted for the crispy Thosai Rawa and a cup of Hot Coffee.

 

I guess I am used to Bangsar's Thosai where they serve you the whitish green Coconut chutney, the reddish Chili and onion Chutney and Dhal. Tonight, here in this rainy evening, the dhal was quite diluted while the reddish chutney was replaced by well, fish curry. But what I was not prepared for was, the serving of the Thosai Rawa itself. It was very filling.

Come the next Day, we packed more Thosai Rawa for Brunch and all of a sudden, I started to like the place. Yes, there are some raw garlic pieces in the coconut chutney!

This time round, the dhal was as thick as slow-flowing ketchup. And my Wife said, we're short-changed by Bangsar because just one serving, she was already very full.

 And the the cost of the Thosai Rawa? It is RM3.50 and so worth it.

20240928 Visit to CKTan

 It's been quite a while since I visited any Model Shop. And so, with the rest of the Family having their own plans, I decided to drop by the only Shop that I know of, which has a lot of tools.

The main reason I went there was hoping to secure at least one 8mm x 8mm square rod to create another Toilet Roll key for the one which broke after fshgenblenbsdn months.

 

 

 

The place is crowded as usual, with boxes and boxes from floor to ceiling. You can see the ladder propped in the background.

Another view, from the opposite, which is the diagonal rear of the shop. In the front is the counter.

Some of the 50% discounted items. Most of them were displayed at the front of the shop, from missiles to tanks.

The 1/72 MENG Ornihopters and figures are in too.

This time round, most of the Sci-Fi kits are relegated to the uppermost shelves.

Soon, I might warm up to the AmmoKnight...

So, I asked the girl, if she could search for this model. I showed her the exact picture and she said something like, this model is already so old and out of production. And they do not have it anymore. Dismayed, I walked another round of the shop and saw it neatly tucked into the corner of a shelf. This was the model which appeared to me many times but I did not want it, even during their Sales. But yes, today is the day.

This kid cooks a mean Double-Special burger, even under the rain.

And I realised, after all these years, the tree the stall was based on, is actually a Cempedak tree.

With the Lotus Submarine in my hands, this Double Special Burger tasted so delicious!

20241001 More Tools for the Restroom

 Sooo..... yeah. She came back to me more than two weeks ago, saying her 'key' broke... The only problem is that the 8mm x 8mm or so-ish square tube is missing.

Introducing the Key 2.0

Well, I had to make another one for her since I do not want to give her mine. I need to find more of the square tube and the most convenient place for me was Kepong's CKTPlamodelShop. I wanted to go to the original place where I got the tube from by the time I beat the evening's traffic snarl, they could be closing. Of course I can pay and use the Tolls but knowing the traffic condition, the result would be the same.

And so, over the Weekend, I got the second key made and this time, without the careful considerations. I kind of shoved everything inside.

The largest Tube I could find was the 6mm x 6mm and so, I used the thickest plastic strip I could find, which was 0.75mm. Iused them to make the edges thicker. Anyway, this is as close enough to make the key. And this time, I drilled the hole slightly towards the middle so this key can be used on both ends. Once I glued and stuff a small tube inside (to reinforce the hole), I let in the JB Weld mix and sealed off both ends.

 

When the JB Weld has cured, I drilled a small 5mm hole since one of those toilet roll key slot has a small indentation.

 

The broken key (left) and the replacement (right)

 

20240928 SNacking on a Tardigrade

 

What's this? A stone image of a Tardigrade?

 

Oh, its a chicken. This is a chicken biscuit

 

 

20240925 Detergent Dispenser

 I am still used to pumping out the dish detergent. To me, it kinda limits the amount and also, prevents accidental 'squeezing' of the bottle. It all started more than a decade ago when I started to refill the Bathroom Soap dispensers with the Dish Detergent and we have never looked back since.

However, after the Move, we regressed back to squeezing from the tall, soft bottles again.

A New Old idea

About two days ago, I spotted a unique detergent dispenser at Mr. DIY and bought it straightaway. At first, the design looked like it was a new invention. Actually, the concept came from a re-purposed IPA dispenser, which was widely used during mobile phone repairs and to some extend, scale modellers. 

Image courtesy of Arcade Otaku Forum.
When you push the cotton bud downwards, the mechanism would pump the IPA up to the concave basin. However, you need to make sure it is always upright...

For just RM5.00, this is similar to the IPA dispenser except that it uses a much bigger pump, akin to those fitted in the hand wash bottles.All I have to do now is to push the sponge downwards with the tray (yellow) which then pumps the detergent upwards as a green spot. However, if the sponge is wet, it would create a suction which lifts the tray upwards with it. I was hoping the bottom clear container wold be tougher as it was prone to warping.

20240923 Tools for the Restroom pt. 2

I know its a Monday and I am not really in the mood.

WTF

OK, first thing first. How can a seven month old makeshift key I made, break?

I mean, the square plastic tube was filled with JB Weld, which is a really tough SOB cold-weld metallic epoxy. When I looked at mine, it was still good.

Really. WTF?

I am not sure how it broke but then, thinking and imagining being in their shoes, I can guess the how. The key was twisted with a lot of force by the User who forgot which direction the lock turns when opening or closing. But man, this is JB Weld.

So, finding the square tube is going to be a challenge since it kinda walked away during the Move and driving all the way to Kepong or Sunway Damansara in the horrendous evening traffic snarl is not exactly my cup of tea.

Once I told the use they can still use the other end temporarily, their "opening of their eyes wide" realisation convinced me that its going to be long day.

 

20240922 We do not exist in there anymore...

 Without my knowledge, the whole Works Room has been cleared.

The most important thing were the plastic and electronic debris on the table and flooring and it is gone. Most of the things are practically stuffed into boxes. Repairing those models would be a pain.

 The whole place is being wiped out, under the pretext of renovation. Its as if we did not exist in there anymore, as if I did not grow up there.

 

 

20290914 The Voyager Commbadge

Ever since I watched Star Trek Voyager more than a decade ago, I loved their ComBadge. Initially, the oval Next Generation was good but after a while, it kinda look old. I used to have a thick TNG ComBadge which gives out that chirp whenever it was pressed. Later on, as the sweat from my hand affected the chrome, it kinda went forgotten.

But the desire to have another 'working' ComBadge still persist. There was a Bluetooth version but this was not my kind of thing since I rarely talk on my Mobile.

What's next?

This thought was in my mind the whole day. It is possible to make one. Deck7 has made it but at a limited run and then, disappeared. There are a few obstacles I need to overcome since the issue lies with the Prop's thickness which is quite thin. I need to find a solution that plays the chirp sound, uses low power battery and still be light enough to stick to the costume or shirt.

So, these are the issues I need to overcome besides getting someone to re-create the Delta badge but hollowed out. Magnets still plays a part though.

For the time being, it is still a fridge magnet

I got a friend to recast this IPI badge so many years ago, for the Premier of 2913 Star Trek Movie, Into Darkness. I cannot do the deed again since he dropped it and the badge actually chipped. Ten years later, the extra ones that became my Fridge Magnets had a dark circle in them. It must be the strong neodymium magnet pulling the metal particles of the silver paint. I am tempted to respray them. One day. Ish...

20240910 Entering the Lair of the King

Today was a Golden Opportunity for me. After some money laundering, I get to eat at Burger King after so many years.

Burger King

When it came to fast-food Burgers, my choice was always the Big Mac from the Clownhouse. It was not until my Friend and I visited Burger King that I fell in love with the Whopper. When our orders came, those thick fries were a game changer. By the time I've finished with it, I could barely touch the burger. I really wanted to but I'd get myself killed.

However, it was not everytime I get to have a Whopper. From where I used to stay, the Clownhouse was the obvious choice and now, its the Sugar Bear. I would know there is a Burger King nearby once I get the whiff of its distinctive aroma. However, getting through its doors was another story. But today, its here and I have time to spare since the errand would not be completed until the hour is up.

 

Entering the premises, I was one of the two customers, which is very unusual since it is also 1030 in the morning. The whole place was cool, neat and clean while the Staff greeted me. Then I remembered the Israel Boycott.

 

My order came in less than 5 minutes and this time, I see can see that I am able to finish the Burger. Lying beneath the order is a paper coupon for great discounts for my future visit.

I was about to look for straws until I too another look at my cup. The cover design has done away with the straw. It was a great idea but because the whole cup was airtight, I had to make a small hole so the cup would not deflate everytime I took a sip. Maybe one of the four holes can be punched out but I'll have to find out on my next opportunity.

The fries again, was great albeit a little cold. But I can feel them starting to fill my stomach.

The sauce packets are quite difficult to open. You use your (non-oily) fingers to teat off the left half which is good but the tear stops in the middle which I then had to cut them open. The chili was sweet and so, it became more like a sweet sauce to me.

Finally, the Whopper. It smells great and although not as visually appetizing like the ones shown (for illustration purposes) on the screen.

The main star would be that beef burger itself. The whole burger tasted very good especially those crunchy tomatoes and its sauce. But for me, it was always the onions. In any burger, if they had fresh crunchy onions, I would be happy, never mind the burger itself. So, I was hoping for more onions.