There has been lots of initiatives lately from computing giants like Google, Apple, and Microsoft, and lots of other smaller companies to let us move our computing and files online. Google Docs was probably one of the first one to allow us to move our documents online. From then, more has followed suit, including Microsoft with Office Workspace Live. Since then, with so many online services, Friendster, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, blogs, more and more people has been having their “life” in Internet, to the point that computers are pretty pointless nowadays without Internet connection.

Another “killer app” that is coming up in the horizon is syncing capabilities across devices. Most of us owns few devices, home PC, office PC, maybe laptop, and mobile phone. The problem most of us face (or at least I face) was to sync simple things like calendars, tasks, emails, to bigger items like documents and files across all those devices.

Until recently, this has been a chore. Even syncing calendar items from Google Calendar to my mobile phone was pretty troublesome. With Google Calendar Sync, that sync Google Calendar with Outlook, which then I use Nokia PC Suite to sync between Outlook and my Nokia E90, at least I have some solution that works for Calendar.

How about files and documents? So far, I have been putting my documents that I want to access anywhere in Google Docs, but there are many other documents that remains in my home PC, and thus inaccessible from anywhere else.

Microsoft has some solutions, that are frankly still quite disjointed. Skydrive is a free 5GB online storage that allows you to store pretty much anything. You can create folders, upload files, share folders, etc.

Think of it as your free online storage. I know some people who uses their Gmail as their online storage, but c’mon, Gmail is email, not a proper online storage. I use Skydrive lately to share and send some big files, and the files will still be there indefinitely, unlike YouSendIt. The problem with Skydrive? I need to remember to upload my recently edited documents into Skydrive, or else what I have in Skydrive and what I have in my desktop will be different.

Second product is Foldershare.

So far, I have used Foldershare to sync documents between my home PC and my Macbook. I can edit any documents in my Macbook while I’m watching TV in the living room, knowing when I switch to my desktop in the study room, the latest file will be there. No need for primitive way of copying to thumbdrive from one machine and putting it to another machine. So far, so good. One limitation though, both devices need to be on in order for sync to happen.

The latest one to enter the fray was Live Mesh.

The idea is simple. You select some folders that you would like to sync with other devices (up to 5GB limit), and that’s it. Live Mesh client will upload all your documents to be sync-ed to Live Desktop, and then sync those files with all other devices that you may have added to the circle. Unlike Foldershare that is only one-to-one, Live Mesh can be many-to-many, including PC, Mac, and mobile phones. Also, using Live Mesh, your files are available online, so you don’t need to have your machine turned on 24×7. As an added bonus, Live Mesh works with Windows Remote Desktop, so let’s say you’re overseas, and so happen need to access your machine at home miles away, you can go to Live Mesh, and view your other machine’s desktop like you’re sitting in front of it. I read an article recently about a guy made us of Live Mesh to share photos from South Africa to his wife back in US. Paul also love Live Mesh.

Now, you may think why on earth are there so many similar products from Microsoft to accomplish similar thing? I wonder too, and how I wished they’d merge all these into one big solution that has everything. That would have been a winner.

Put it simply, if anyone can create a solution that allows us to have our calendars, tasks, to-do-list, emails, latest version of documents, MP3s, photos, and any other files, anywhere in the world, on any device, PC, Mac, mobile phone, PDA, iPhone, and dare I say, for free, that will be Awesome.

Has anyone of you used any of the online services above?

AsiaOne reported that iPhone 3G could debut in Singapore within the next two months. If my math still serves me right, it will be mid September when SingTel launches the phone.

Few points I picked up from the article:

- Depending on the subscription plan and length, iPhone 3G could cost you nothing upfront. Beware of the potentially expensive subscription plan though. Equivalent prices around Asia are about S$104 in Australia or S$86 in Hong Kong, so expect similar prices to get iPhone 3G for free.

- Starhub and M1 will launch iPhone 3G later after SingTel has taken their customers who move to SingTel because they want iPhone 3G so badly.

- By selling iPhone at $0, a lot of consumers will snap the phone without a second though, only to realise later that they need to pay $100 a month subscription plan.

I still have my contract with Starhub until November 2008, so until then, I’m not in market for a new phone.

So, will you or will you not join the queue to get iPhone 3G when it comes out in Singapore?

I had just finished my dinner on Thursday at Plaza Singapura, when I saw crowd gathered on the ground floor, in what turned out to be Red Cliff movie promo, where the casts came and greet the crowd. With countless big names like Tony Leung, Takeshi, Zhao Wei, Lin Chi-ling in the movie directed by John Woo, this movie better be good.

There was huge crowd on the ground floor, second floor, third floor, and so on. Only at the seventh floor I didn’t see people standing and looked down (it’s pretty far to see from up there).

The warrior wearing what I’m sure not as heavy as it looked.

Did they have Superman back in good old warrior days?

This one looks pretty good I find.

The em-cee of the day.

And of course Lin Chi Ling, the pretty gal in the movie.

All photos courtesy of INK. See more photos and blogging from INK.

Outside Plaza Singapura at the same time, there was Singapore flag presentation ceremony for Beijing Olympics Games 2008 by Mr. Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence, which frankly didn’t interest as many people as the event inside. They should have known that better and schedule it for another time or day maybe, shouldn’t they? Some Singapore flag presentation will never attract crowd as Lin Chi Ling, won’t it?

Mark your calendars now.

Those in Singapore: 11-14 September 2008 7.00pm at Singapore Indoor Stadium. Visit http://www.stemi.org.sg/whoisjesus/ for more details.

Those in Jakarta: 19-21 September 2008 18.30 WIB at Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno. Visit http://jakarta2008.com/ for more details.

These are what will happen if oil price keeps increasing at their current rate.

hehe…. which one you like best?

Today my colleague asked me what’s the difference between lah, leh, loh, meh, mah, and all other Singlish as we know it.

I’m kinda used to it now, and was unable to tell him in a proper English how these should be used? Maybe I should tell him that he shouldn’t it use it in the first place, shouldn’t I ?

Anyone care to explain what are the differences between all those ?

As expected, I made a first round exit after losing 6-1, 6-2 to BHL Marine and Chevron Oronite respectively. Against each company, we were supposed to play two doubles and one singles.

The score were:

vs BHL Marine
1st doubles: loss 1-6 (where I played)
2nd doubles: loss 0-6
Single: loss 0-6

vs Chevron
1st doubles: loss 2-6 (where I played)
2nd doubles: won 6-4 !!!
Single: loss 3-6

As we lost to both companies, we were out at first round. BHL Marine and Chevron will fight it out to determine the winner. It seems like BHL Marine is going to win again. We only managed a mere ONE game, so sad.

It has been a weekend full of tennis. I woke up 7.15AM on Saturday, then headed to Paya Lebar for practice, finished about 12 PM, reached back home at Jurong East about 1.30PM, had a lunch, then went out for 3PM meeting at church. It was soon followed by young adults fellowship, and dinner at Ev. Maria’s house at Eunos. I reached home over midnight. I slept almost 2AM in the morning.

Five hours later, I woke up for the tournament, I reached SPE Bukit Timah at 8AM. The game started proper close to 9AM, and I was finished (literally) by 12.30 PM. Reached home about 1PM, had lunch at 2PM, did laundry, took a nap from 3-4PM, then went to church at 5PM.

Now, I’m just waiting for Wimbledon’s men singles finals, just to learn how I should have played this morning :p

All in all, good fun, great game (although I lost). I have one year to practice for next year’s tournament. Looking back at my game, there are few aspects I need to improve A LOT. Serve is key in tournament, especially when you’re playing doubles, and I haven’t got one. I don’t have powerful first serve, nor do I have safe second serve. Patience and consistencies are key too. Those older folks tend to be very patient in playing, while us, the younger ones, tend to try to hit winners, and with that come more unforced errors.

There will be a Corporate Community Games this coming Saturday and Sunday, 5-6 July 2008. I will be participating in the tennis tournament, playing against other companies, not a good time to play considering I have only practised twice whole of June due to packed schedule. There will be three teams of four persons representing BarCap for tennis. The tournament itself will be held at Bukit Timah School of Physical Education. I think it’ll start at 8AM. If you are free this Sunday morning, come and join in the fun. While you’re there, please cheer me up will ya? I could be 0-6, 0-6 down by then

The draw is out, I will be in a group containing teams from BHL Marine and Chevron Oronite.

I was in Atrium@Orchard building, level 10 for training. Around 10.15 AM, our computer was suddenly switched off. Soon later, we got news from the admin that there’s a major power surge in the building. The whole building power failed, even Dhoby Ghaut MRT was closed down. Our training was cancelled, and we got back to our desk. Some PCs were fine, some PCs were restarted, some phones were working while some failed, building aircon were not fully working, and host of other power failure-related issues.

After a quick search, apparently, there has been a flash fire explosion in Singapore Power Building here at Somerset. Seems like a major problem that even traffic lights in Orchard Road stopped working. Hopefully the situation will be resolved soon, and injured persons are alright.

Very un-eventful Euro Finals. Germany didn’t put up enough fight to Spain, and Spain was no-doubt the worthy winners.

As expected, felt VERY sleepy in office from morning, hahaha…… my fault nonetheless :p

Later tonight, Federrer vs Hewitt at Wimbledon, must be a good match !!