Is it just me or is anyone even feel offended with P1’s new advertisement?
In my opinion, P1 4G Malaysia (formerly P1 WiMax) is getting more ‘pornier’ (is there such a word?) with their advertisement lately. They have tried several other methods (like ‘Potong’ and the Kamasutra ad) to attract new users to their service, which I think is lame.
Now they come up with an even lamier (again, is there such word?) way to try and get the attention of new subscribers. Instead of improving their service, they have gone to porn to get new business.
It's Potong Stim this time
Their new advert tagline now is “Potong Stim“, which is loosely translated as “cut the steam”. They even trademarked the wording (see photo above)!
If I’m not mistaken, I’ve used the word ‘Potong Stim” when I was in secondary school, and it usually means “kacau daun” or interrupt/disturb. The sentence word start something like, “Ko nih memang potong stim la!” (you like to interrupt/disturb!). But in reality, ‘stim’ is basically referred to “sexual heat” or the feeling when you in sexual mood. So, shouldn’t the “Potong Stim” refers to that?
Well, “potong stim” can also means anticlimax.
Read this and tell me what's the message
And by publishing the advert above, supports my theory that P1 is using sex to sell. Yeah, it’s true that sex sells, but you’re are currently selling broadband services, innit?
And why isn’t the body that govern the advertising in Malaysia stopped this kind of ‘sexy’ advertisement? Do you want your children to read the advert and get the wrong message? Do ya?
Way to go, P1! Next time, why don’t you put a naked pornstar in your advert? I’ll be happy.
If you have read my previous post here, you might knew that I was in the market for a smartphone. Well, I have decided and bought a neat smartphone – the BlackBerry Torch 9800.
Lemme be clear on this again. My posting is not a detailed review of the Torch 9800. If you wanna a review, you can click here, as Crackberry.com has a very thorough and detailed review of the unit.
The black box
You must be wondering why I have chosen this phone, especially that this Torch version has been upgraded to Torch 9810 (or Torch 2) that comes with BlackBerry OS 7. Honestly, this is more like an economical choice. Being a year older (Torch 9800 was launched on August 2010), the price has dropped from RM2,499 during launch date to about RM1,700 now (or even cheaper if you shop around).
Cherry red Torch!
I’m not too worried about the phone being obsolete and all, as I felt that the phone design and the BlackBerry 6‘s interfaces are still fresh and relevant. And getting the red cherry colorway really makes the experiences fresh and new.
My first BlackBerry - the Bold 9000
My last BlackBerry was the Bold 9000 (known as Bold 1 now), which I bought new in 2009 for about RM2,199. It’s a little special as the Bold is white, which is rare at that time. And for that, I have to pay RM200 more than the normal silver/black version. And at that time, being different is a premium in the sea of silver/black Bolds. And I’m the only one in the office (and among my non-office friends as well) that used my own set instead of given by the office.
Ahhh, the memories….
Touchscreen and slider keypad
Anyway, back to the Torch. I’ve specially picked the colour red to adorn my Torch, as red is my favourite colour. And red too looks awesome on the Torch (see it for yourself and get ready to be awed).
Full-sized BlackBerry QWERTY keypad
Since I’m really into QWERTY keyboards, getting the Torch is some sort of a no-brainer kinda decision. Don’t get me wrong. I simply adores the new technology of touch screens and can’t wait to have one for myself. So why not get it from both worlds – touchscreen and a keyboard?
I’m a bit optimistic as first to try the touch-type combo, but hey, the technology won’t wait for you. So let’s embrace the technology and use it now.
I’m imaging myself being a RIM designer and was tasked to create a new BB design. That’s would be a lot on my shoulder. That’s why I must applaude the geniuses at RIM for coming up with a product that people (or users) will like. I, for one, is in love with the Torch’s design.
Right side of the Torch
To combine the phone with a slider is very difficult. There are a lot of manufacturers that came up with slider phones before, but RIM has perfected it. The slider slides with a reassuring tiny ‘click’.
On the right side on the Torch, there are three concealed buttons (not exposed like previous models) – the volume buttons and dedicated shutter button for the camera (RIM called it ‘convenient key’), and the earphone 3.5mm socket.
Left side of the Torch
While on the left side, there’s only the mini USB charger/communication port, and this time it’s exposed (where normally on other phones, there’s a rubber cap to cover the hole).
The position of the charger port is a little weird, as for my previous phones, all of them have charging ports either on top of the phone or at the bottom. So, this is something to get used to.
Ribbed battery cover
Other than the slider and touchscreen, the other best part of the Torch that I like is the back battery cover. It was designed to be ribbed for easy gripping, and it looks great in cherry red.
Bundled accessories
My only wish is for RIM to bundle the leather case (like my old Bold) together with their packaging (charger, mini-USB cable, earphone and literature). It is sadly missing. What an obvious omission, and a stupid one on that.
Anyway, I like the Torch very much, and after using it for several weeks, I’m happy to say that RIM at least can partially compete with other manufacturers in the smartphone war. But I can’t guarantee that RIM can maintain the 21% share anymore. Buckle up – increase your processor to duo-core, higher RAMs, better camera, quality apps and cheaper phones.
I will write a long-term review (if you would like to call it that) in a couple of months. And I’m also looking for some leather covers or something like that, and would post an entry once I bought one. Stay tuned!
Pros: Cheaper price now; solid build; best of both world (touchscreen+keypad); stable OS 6; a lot more quality apps nowadays; BBM is a killer app; all telcos now offer cheaper BIS.
Cons: Start price of RM2,499 during launch is farking ridiculous; touchscreen a heartbeat slower than iPhones or Androids; no bundled leather case/cover; body is easily scratched; thick & heavy; long charging time; touchscreen sometimes freeze; long update cycle; need to reboot after every software installation (wtf?); battery-hungry; original accessories are expensive & not many around.
I dunno about you, but I’m in love with this phone: the Garmin-Asus A10 (you can find more here).
Garmin-Asus A10
It got all the qualities that I maybe loved: it’s a full-fledged smartphone, it has GPS capability (with a dedicated chip), it’s an Android (albeit with Eclair 2.1, with no update to Froyo), it feels nice in my hand, it’s made by two reputable company, it’s cheap (you can find one for less than RM1,000) and more.
But the phone is deemed a failure because:
It came to the market a bit late;
Garmin and Asus is no longer sharing a bed together;
No software update to Froyo is a killer;
Support by Asus Malaysia is crappier than crap;
The A10 has been discontinued, but Asus is still providing the support, even if it’s crap.
I’ve been using this iPad keyboard dock for a while now, and I guess it’s time for a short review.
The iPad keyboard is an official Apple device and was made by Apple in China, just like all the iDevices. Unlike the bluetooth or the infrared docks available in the market now, this dock requires no battery or any power source whatsoever, as it sap (!) power from the iPad itself. You can also charge the iPad while using the keyboard dock by using the dock connector port at the back. There’s also a connector for connection to external speakers.
Here it is...
From Apple’s sales brochure:
With the iPad Keyboard Dock, you get a useful home base for your iPad. It combines a built-in aluminum Apple keyboard with a dock for syncing, charging, and more. It also works with other iPad accessories, such as the iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter and the iPad Camera Connection Kit.
The attached keyboard features a sleek anodized aluminum enclosure with low-profile keys that provide a crisp, responsive feel and an ultracompact design that fits on even the most crowded desk. Special keys provide one-touch access to a variety of iPad features — the Home screen, Spotlight search, display brightness, picture frame mode, the onscreen keyboard, and screen lock.
Unboxing...nice plastic packaging inside the box...smells good too
Packaging is superb and very minimal (very Apple-like), where there’s only the dock, USB cable and a small booklet inside the box. I think Apple can make the box smaller, but probably to not complicate things during shipping, they stick to a rectangle box.
Looks good in real-life
From my first impression during the unboxing (ironically at Austin Chase Coffee The Gardens), the dock is solidly built and not too heavy for carrying and not too light for operation (if it’s too light, the dock will moves around while you’re typing). Built quality is top notch (expected from Apple, again), with a clever usage of plastic and aluminum to make it some sort of a premium product (just like their MacBooks, iPhones and iPads). There’s no sample dock at Machines (where I bought the dock), so there’s no sample set to check before buying. Minus point for Machines.
Have I mention that the dock is a full-sized keyboard? If you own a MacBook, then you’ll feel at home. It’s very comfortable to use the chiclet keys and you’ll rarely missed a key. To make the keyboard looks even better, it was made to be as low profile as the MacBook Air.
Connecting the dock with iPad
Connecting the iPad to the dock is very easy, aligning the iPad with the connector and you’re good to go.
Now for some real life world usage of the keyboard dock. How do I feel about the dock? Well, I’m quite happy and comfortable with it but (yeah, there’s a but) I think Apple should incorporated some improvement on the keyboard itself and not to concentrate too much on the shell design.
It charges the iPad too
I can only wish that:
The angle of the iPad is adjustable;
The iPad can be used horizontally too;
The dock should comes with a carrying case or something like that. It’s a bit weird having to carry the dock inside your laptop bag;
Larger base at the back of the dock – equals to steadier stand for the iPad;
Apple sells the dock cheaper, so I can buy two – one for my office and one for home.
But overall (despite the shortcomings), I’m happy with my RM229 purchase. You can get the iPad keyboard dock at Machines or online at Apple Malaysia.
Looks good from the back too
Pros: Excellent built quality; easy to use straight from the box; durable.
Cons: Can be cheaper; sometimes there’s lag while using dock (you press a key and nothing happen); keyboard can be a bit hot when using for extended time; no horizontal mode; hard to carry around.
I’m sorry for the bad photos as I’m using my backup phone (Nokia E5 – fixed focus) to photograph the review.
Me and My Nike Air Force 1 