tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23491054408573815912024-03-13T21:43:00.819-07:00Chronicles of a Young ProfessionalI am a recent college graduate, currently living in the Washington D.C. area. This blog is a means to share my experiences as a young, working professional. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-41510401432138595762016-10-04T17:36:00.002-07:002016-10-04T17:36:33.692-07:00The Hidden Reason Behind Google's Pixel PhonesAbout 3 years ago, I wrote a <a href="http://chroniclesofyp.blogspot.com/2013/09/economics-of-apples-iphone-5s.html" target="_blank">post</a> about Apple's iPhone 5C and its potentially hidden business proposition for the company. At the time the debut of the iPhone 5C was perplexing given that it was essentially an all-around inferior product to Apple's newest flagship, the iPhone 5S, and even lesser compared to the previous iPhone 5. Pundits and critics everywhere reasoned that Apple may have overplayed its hand in being so explicit in its targeting of the emerging markets - in particular China, as supposedly the "c" represented that country.<br />
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Fast forward 3 years and it looks like these critics were right: Apple has never again released a product like the iPhone 5c. It looks like a failure that the company is eager to move on from and forget. But as I conjectured back in 2013, the iPhone 5c likely had a hidden value proposition of making its superior cousin more attractive in the eyes of the consumer. In other words, Apple may not have cared about how many units of the iPhone 5c it sold or even if the product made a profit at all. Because its main purpose was create a perception that the iPhone 5S was of better value and convince potential customers to buy it instead. In behavioral economic theory, this is known as "relativity" - the human tendency to compare products against one another. Unlike Android or even Windows Phone, there are no other companies other than Apple making iPhones; therefore Apple has to take it upon themselves to create this sense of relativity, that the iPhone 5S is a truly amazing device.<br />
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So how does this all relate to the title of this blog post? Without rehashing what all the tech blogs and news outlets have reported, Google earlier today announced 2 new phones under the names of the Pixel and Pixel XL. This marks Google's first official foray into the lucrative smartphone business - since they never marketed a phone under the name "Google" while owning Motorola. On paper, both smartphones are very capable devices with some unique distinctive advantages compared to the competition. They have fast processors, good screens, and brilliant software. But akin to the reception of the iPhone 5c, it seems like everyone is criticizing Google for its pricing structure of starting at $649 for the lowest model. Essentially, the criticism is that Google is taking a page out of Apple's iPhone playbook by creating a direct competitor. And that it'll inevitably fail because no one can play Apple's game besides Apple itself.<br />
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But once again, my hypothesis is that Google's true intention isn't to sell the Pixel phones for profit or even break even point. I don't think they even care for how many units it sells ultimately. The real business reason is, rather, to reinvigorate the Android market and challenge the other manufacturers to stay on top of the game. The comparative example is arguably Microsoft's Surface business. Microsoft essentially created a new market by themselves in the 2-in-1 segment of tablets, to the extent that it's now a staple in every PC manufacturer's marketing brochure and even copied by Apple into their iPad Pro product. Likewise the Google Pixel phones are meant to motivate and inspire the Android manufacturers, especially towards the upper end of the market in pricing and features. We'll see if this is a true or false hypothesis.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-83896976930712970112016-10-03T18:30:00.002-07:002016-10-03T18:30:35.430-07:00Phases of Life - My Phase 3<i>Oh man I really haven't posted since February of this year?? Now I'm super duper bummed out.....not. It's not that I don't value you few readers out there, but it seems like this year has been flying by at breakneck speed. Without further adieu though, I'll grace you with my newest entry below.</i><br />
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I've been traveling a lot this year. And when I mean "a lot", I do really mean it's been a lot lot of traveling. Think of somewhere internationally at least once every 2 months. Strictly for fun and no work. So during my last trip to the Southern Hemisphere, I had a new thought about the modern life and how it can be divided into distinct phases. Thus the title of this blog post.<br />
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The so-called "Phases of Life" are inherently subjective and unique to each individual. Yet at the same time, it's a useful tool to categorize individuals since there's no phenotype-defining or mathematically-formulaic features like hair color, race, and age. For example, I could be in the same phase of life as someone much older, of a completely different ethnicity, background or even gender. It's probably easier to understand if I first define what these phases could look like.<br />
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<b>Phase 1 - Post-College, First Job, Master's degree</b><br />
Rather than start all the way from childhood, I'll define my Phase 1 as my post-college self. Coincidentally it was that person who started this blog. This version of me was quite unsure of himself, but excited at being finally independent and having moved to a new city. I remember these years as thrilling yet uncertain - thrilling because of all the potential to be and do, but uncertain due to inexperience and fear of failure.<br />
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<b>Phase 2 - Career Progression, Homeownership, Wanderlust</b><br />
In my mind, there was a clear delineation between the first and second phases due to my job change. But it was much more than a job change. Over a span of 3 months, not only did I change jobs and make more money, but I also became a homeowner. I thought about back then how that would change my mindset....and it did happen. This was followed by a totally unplanned period of wanderlust, of prolific traveling across the world. It was addicting, enthralling, but also introduced a sense of nomadic living and unable to live a "normal/typical" city life. Therefore my goal is to make this the last year of this.<br />
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<b>Phase 3 - Marriage, Houseownership, Dogownership, Entrepreneurial Success</b><br />
This is the phase on the horizon and what a massive phase it is. I'm not sure how long it'll span (3-4 years) but certainly a lot of things packed in here. In contrast to the previous phases of singlehood, this one is punctuated by becoming married in addition to buying an actual house. I've always wanted to have a dog so why not lump it into this phase too? And last but not least, this is likely the last phase I'll have to really strive to be an entrepreneur so it's time to make it or break it.<br />
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<b>Phase 4 - Fatherhood, Financial Independence, ???</b><br />
The post-future phase if you will, since it's the one after the next one. I can only imagine what it'll look like, though assuming it'll be punctuated by another major life event: becoming a father. That'll certainly profoundly change my life. Hopefully I'll be financially independent by the time that happens?<br />
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So as you can see above, these are my interpretations of my own life and where I am currently - also where I'm headed. What about yours?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-89495514669890454202016-02-22T17:02:00.001-08:002016-02-22T17:02:37.222-08:00The Prime YearsFor a few years now, I've been contemplative of the term "prime years" that generally refer to the "best years" of one's life. My encounters with this term has oftentimes been in the arena of professional sports, such as sports announcers or commentators talking about an athlete's prime. Prime, in the case of professional sports, refers to the the physical prime. <div>
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But to me "prime years" is a reference that encompasses the psychological aspect as much as the physical - in short, it represents the point at which the sense of possibility is highest, the maximum potential. You can become whatever you wish to become. This isn't to say that life thereafter will all be downhill, only that one aspect or another will be diminished. If this seems a grandiose thought, then it could be be reduced to helping to view the world and one's life in a fresh perspective.</div>
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More recently, I came across this term "prime years" in the show Master of None on Netflix. The occasion was the climax of the show's first season, where the girl angrily stormed out of the boy's apartment after having lived together for 1-2 years. She accused him of wasting her prime years which, at first sounds weird, but upon reflection is very much true. The female character was in her very late twenties and probably crossed the 30-year age mark during the time she was with him. </div>
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Not to ignite a debate about gender inequality, I do think we can all agree that for better or for worse, men have a slightly longer horizon than women when it comes to their "prime years". For example, a woman's optimal childbearing age is believed to be from her early to late twenties while a man's may extend into the early thirties. Our social norms reflect this as it is much more common to see a older man with a younger woman than the reverse. </div>
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So how do I relate to all this? This year I'll be turning 28 and technically can no longer refer to myself as in my mid-twenties but rather in the "late twenties". It's not a huge difference on the surface, but it does mean that I'll be edging closer and closer to 30. And the number 30 conjures up this excellent TED talk I watched a while back: <a href="http://on.ted.com/Jay" target="_blank">Meg Jay on why 30 is not the new 20</a>. In short, I agree as much with Meg the speaker now as I did back then...if not more so. I'm a huge proponent that every age bring about something unique and the twenties is the defining decade where many decisions and habits are made and built that will reverberate across the rest of one's life. Borrowing a few of Meg's examples, most of life's major decisions such as choosing a career, a spouse, and a home are made in the decade of the twenties. The average human life expectancy may still be rising, but that we make our major life decisions in between the 20th and 30th years of our lives does not.</div>
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And boy do I have major plans for this year. Dating woes and wife-hunting uncertainties aside, I intend to start at least one business with a deeper sense of conviction that my first attempt back in 2012. I see it as an opportunity to potentially retire at the age of 40 if the business becomes successful and I'm able to grow it properly. The other side of this coin will be what to do with regards to my current employment - I'll likely be leaving to the private sector and hopefully working with a major tech company since, well, I am admittedly a huge nerd and sucker for new gadgetry. Along with both these things will come the decision on whether I'd like to move elsewhere or stay here in the DC area. I'm forever inspired by a good friend's past decision to challenger herself by moving to DC temporarily, as otherwise life back in California would been too "comfortable" and "easy".</div>
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I'd also like to build some good habits such as getting into optimal shape and having good sleep patterns. Funny-mixed-with-alarm, I have been feeling more tired as of late - at least not recovering as quickly from exhaustion or physical strain as in the past. This also aligns with a more pronounced commitment to giving back to society, not just becoming a consumer of its infinite offerings. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-78868823811130043812015-10-29T08:51:00.002-07:002015-10-29T08:51:44.898-07:00Thoughts on US Presidential Race for 2016Growing up, I've always been disinterested in politics and the selection process of American presidents. Maybe it was a byproduct of not being able to vote until the last election (2012). Or a general apathy to a world that I did not understand well and to which I had even lesser influence. Today when I'm asked about my political beliefs, my default answer is always between "I don't really follow it to have an opinion" to "I'd say I'm a moderate who leans Republican only on fiscal policy". This all being said, I've been following up this election cycle with marginally more interest and consequently have formed an opinion of my own.<br />
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I feel that despite all the posturing and talk/debates from all candidates, the nominees for each party at this point are clear: Hilary Clinton for the Democrats, and Marc Rubio for the Republicans. This may change in case of an unexpected turn of events but should not and it makes sense.<br />
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For the Democrats, Hilary, for all her faults and damaged reputation, remains the household name and the most viable of the 3 major candidates. Bernie Sanders is too extreme in his views and Martin O'Malley is either too discrete or too much of a bozo (e.g. a talking head). This is not to say that she'll win the general election at all - in fact, I'd be willing to bet that she'll lose. As I'll get to in a bit, the public has shown an anti-establishment preference in its favoring of Donald Trump and Ben Carson on the Republican side; this runs directly counter to what Hilary stands for, which is a return of the Clinton name and its former policies. Hilary is simply the best candidate from the Democratic contenders, period.<br />
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For the Republicans, Rubio makes sense for his mixture of inexperience, age, and potential to bring in the highly-touted Hispanic vote. I understand that Donald Trump and Ben Carson are currently the front-runners but the American people are not stupid to vote for a candidate devoid of any political experience. As much as I dislike politics, it's like a game that you cannot refuse to play as a President - lest the end result be Obama's current situation of a deadlock with a legislative arm (e.g. Congress) refusing to support his ideas and initiatives. Political experience is a major plus, though arguably too much experience is a minus; likewise idealism and fresh spirit are great to have, but too much freshness leads to...green and possibility of ill-advised undertakings. Therefore Trump and Carson would be disasters if they ultimately win the nomination, and I trust that the public recognizes this and will vote accordingly.<br />
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At the other end of the spectrum, the other candidates are likewise inexperience (Carly Fiorina), damaging reputation (Chris Christie, Jeb Bush), or general lack of credibility (Rand Paul, Ted Cruz). I know there are others in the field but let's be honest, they should've dropped out by now. To summarize quickly my thoughts on these:<br />
- Carl Fiorina's experience is staked in her tenure as CEO of HP, which was in fact a disaster for the company. She presided a period of accelerated decline for HP and consequently, this is in fact negative experience.<br />
- Chris Christie's reputation for frankness is marred by his questionable role in "bridgegate" and his image in general. Again let's be honest, we vote for candidates who look presidential and this man needs to seriously lose some weight to look the type. The irony is that he may in fact be representative of American obesity but that's something neither the American public nor the rest of the world wants to see.<br />
- Jeb Bush is a Bush and has shown little in terms of initiative. Unfortunately for him, he's running in a crowded field and on a party base tired of establishment players.<br />
- Rand Paul is too much of a flipflopper and this will be exposed if he ends up with the nomination. This is unfortunate as I liked his father (Ron Paul) a lot but whereas dad was consistent, the apple seems to have fallen far from the tree. I like his stance against NSA and government spying on its citizens but in general too wishy-washy as a candidate.<br />
- Ted Cruz is similar to Martin O'Malley and seems to be a bozo. I question his stance against net-neutrality, which hints at some bedroom behavior with the major corporations. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-32204861449652608542014-11-25T08:26:00.000-08:002014-11-25T08:26:57.613-08:00Thoughts on Michael Brown Shooting and Black Suffrage<i>Allow me to begin this post by noting that I'm not black/African-American. Instead, I'm an Asian-American who immigrated to this country more than 10 years ago. If my ethnicity automatically disqualifies me from commenting on the Michael Brown shooting event - because I'm not black and therefore cannot comprehend the underlying issues - then so be it. I understand that there are aspects of culture and history of blacks that I may never fully grasp. But I'm going to share my thoughts anyway, as a citizen of America, a bystander, and a part of today's American society.</i><div>
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In short, I agree with the decision by the Ferguson grand jury to not indict Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot Michael Brown in late August 2014. That's not to say that I believe Wilson is completely innocent as there are certainly steps he could've taken to mitigate the confrontation - e.g. drawing his handgun perhaps a bit prematurely, which probably exacerbated Brown's reaction. Yet reading over the witness testimonies and information presented to the grand jury, the simple fact of the matter is that Brown not only refused an officer's orders but outright attacked him maliciously and violently. When a police officer orders you to do something, you comply regardless of the order because he or she is a representative of the rule of law. Any wrongdoing in the order can be argued afterwards. The punishment (death) doesn't befit the crime in this case, but it's a strictly a matter of right vs. wrong. It's right to follow a police officer's orders and wrong to attack a police officer. </div>
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In other words, if you're stupid enough to attack an armed police officer, then you have to be mindful of the possible consequences of your own ignorance and stupidity. This is irregardless of the earlier reported burglary at a nearby convenience store, which was allegedly carried out by Brown. You just don't attack someone and not expect retaliation. However, this highlights the underlying problem for a small subset of the larger black community/population: lack of respect for the rule of law. </div>
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Rule of law is created to apply for everyone in American society, regardless of your wealth, family background, job, etc. It's the basic fabric of this country and is what makes us the beacon of democracy and freedom to the rest of the world. It sounds cliched but it's the simple truth. There is no preferential treatment or circumvention of the law - not even for the President of the United States. As the U.S. Constitution attests to, we are all under the law and no one is above it. Yet there appears to be a perception within a subset of the black community that the rule of law is rigged against them, and therefore they should fight against it. Unfortunately, this sentiment is so pervasive that one hears oftentimes in songs and stories. Song lyrics like "f*** the police" are not uncommon and one is regarded as "cool" to have defied the police or committed any crime. It's a minor but disturbing nonetheless - and perhaps explains Brown's disposition when first ordered by Wilson to walk on the sidewalk instead of the road. Brown may have been offended at being given orders, especially by a police officer and accompanied by a friend, may have wanted to show off his toughness. The fact of the matter is that he acted defiantly and took steps to express his defiance.</div>
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Going a bit further, another underlying issue is the victim mentality of the black community. And this may not be limited to a small subset of the overall population. The victim mentality is commonly understood as derived from the slavery of blacks during the early American history. Slavery oppressed blacks at the time, and its effects still reverberate in today's society. In other words, black people were screwed as slaves and continue to be screwed because they were manipulated and taken advantage throughout the process of nation building. The result is a feeling that society is indebted to blacks and should treat them as preferred citizens of this country. Arguably the best example of this is repeated calls for slavery separations - payments to current blacks for the ills of the past. And herein lies the real shame and the very reason why blacks have not moved forward much since the days of Martin Luther King Jr. </div>
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Self-victimization undermines a sense of accountability for one's actions and ability to influence one's destiny. The perception is that society is unfair and inherently skewed to keeping black people down. The end result is predictable: if you believe the house rules are unfair, then how can you rise up through the inequality? A sense of possibility is greatly diminished and, along with that, the drive to achieve great and wonderful things in life. Furthermore, the darker side of this perception is anger towards the perceived status quo. Fighting back against the inequality would translate to lack of respect for the rule of law and, worse, acting out against the personification of it: police officers. Personally, I this is a damning sentiment and until blacks move beyond disrespecting current laws and rules in place, unfortunate incidents such as Michael Brown shootings will happen. There will be another Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown in the near future.</div>
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The greater truth is that blacks are not alone in having been manipulated and used to the building of America. Many differences races and peoples have been too, such as the Irish immigrants in the factories of the Industrial Revolution and the Native Americans whose lands were confiscated and forcibly removed from their homes. The history of sacrifice is shared amongst all Americans and cannot be claimed by a single race or people. But more importantly, the key is moving beyond the tainted past and together building a better future. Or maybe taking the best of the past as constructive lessons to impart to future generations. If one believes the law is unfair and biased, then the action would be to engage the legal mechanisms to make the appropriate amendments. This means voting for the right officials into positions of power who can enact on the changes. Not through aggression towards society at large such as attacking police officers. Life is what you make of it - making the most out of opportunities around you.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-9338441011433473782014-10-10T08:52:00.001-07:002014-10-10T08:52:40.022-07:00Predictions for AMDAMD stock prices have fallen roughly 20% combined in the past couple of days, precipitated by the <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-08/advanced-micro-devices-appoints-lisa-su-as-ceo-replacing-read.html" target="_blank">changing of guard in its top leadership</a>. Lisa Su has replaced Rory Read as the new CEO of AMD, becoming the first female top executive in the company. The general sentiment on Wall Street appears to favor Lisa Su, but concerned about the timing of the announcement. To say the least, the change is both unexpected and abrupt, belied by the company's Q3 earnings release next Wednesday (10/15). <div>
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Unfortunately for me, I made a significant purchase of AMD stock a couple of days ago (which means I'm effectively down 20% on my new investment). This also means that had I had this foresight, then I would have been able to acquire 20% more AMD stock had I waited 2 days. Sometimes the market gets you. Good thing I'm a <a href="http://chroniclesofyp.blogspot.com/2011/02/value-investing.html" target="_blank">value investor</a>...</div>
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To keep this post short, I'll just share my immediate thoughts about the recent events for AMD:</div>
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<li><b>I remain bullish on the company and its future outlook</b>. While the past couple of years have been tough, with the company squeezed between a rock (Intel) and a hard place (Nvidia), portfolio diversification of AMD's product lines has started paying dividends. Its new initiative in ARM chips and monopoly over current generation consoles (e.g. Xbox One PS4, Wii U) will at very least guarantee steady income for the next 5 years. That being said...</li>
<li>...the stock will fall some more before next week is over. I'm predicting a weaker than expected revenue growth for its Q3 earnings, which I suspect is the reason Rory Read was ousted so suddenly and unexpectedly.<b> Expectation is for the stock to fall to around $2.20 before it climbs back up</b>.</li>
<li><b>Lenovo will begin offering much more products with AMD chipsets than previously</b>. Despite the announcement yesterday of <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/9/6946835/lenovo-yoga-3-pro-announcement-pricing-release-date" target="_blank">Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro</a> series, which marks the first use of Intel's newest Core M line of processors, I firmly believe that new CEO Lisa Su's <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/08/a-m-d-names-lisa-su-as-chief-executive/" target="_blank">background as a former executive in Lenovo</a> will influence her old company to adopt more AMD chipsets. Everyone may be praising her technical and industry background, the elephant in the room is that <a href="http://www.maximumpc.com/idc_lenovo_retains_top_spot_pc_shipments_apple_edges_asus_fifth_place_2014" target="_blank">Lenovo is currently world's #1 computer manufacturer</a>. Intel may boast faster chips but 90% of Lenovo's user base will neither notice the speed difference, nor particularly care if they're given an AMD-based laptop instead. AMD's chips are cheaper than Intel's so there's that to seal this deal.</li>
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Taking the 3 points above together, it seems clear to me that AMD is a severely undervalued stock at the moment and has incredible upside in the next couple of years. It has a promising product roadmap ahead that targets industries that its direct competitors in Nvidia and Intel have largely ignored. With both Nvidia and Intel firmly entrenched (and struggling) to battle it out in the ARM market with the likes of Qualcomm and MediaTrek, this is a chance for AMD to buckle down and get ahead. Needless to say, I'll be looking to further increasing my AMD stake next week.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-1284582528750386742014-09-25T11:23:00.001-07:002014-09-25T11:28:21.453-07:00Thoughts on Apple PayI'm feeling very bullish on Apple these days. Despite the #bendgate controversy that began a few days ago, they've done a tremendous job with the unveiling of not only 2 versions of iPhone 6 but also the Apple Watch. I like them so much that I upped my holdings in its stock this morning.<br />
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The star of the show, in my opinion, was none of the gadgets Tim Cook revealed during the past 9.09.14 event. Sure the iPhone 6 is snazzy, loaded with the latest processors, camera technology, and even the bigger displays. It's bound to sell millions upon millions -- especially bringing back users who migrated to other platforms for bigger displays. The Apple Watch will also be a huge hit, mainly for its tight integration in Apple's ecosystem and as a fashion accessory. But both of these are just gadgets at the end of the day. The real star was: Apple Pay.<br />
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As a tech enthusiast, I've heard about mobile payments before and even have Google Wallet installed previously. But never before has a company with Apple's leverage entered such as space and it's bound to revolutionize the way we think and use mobile payments going forward. Want to know how much leverage Apple has? A good example is looking at the emails sent out by banks and credit card companies to announce their support for Apple Pay. Every single one of mine have sent me emails to profess their love and support. That is absolutely staggering. Not many companies are able to pull off Day 1 third-part support the way Apple has done it here. Rumors are transaction costs are bound to decrease as Apple Pay is supposedly more secure than other means.<br />
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More importantly however, is the ease of use. For the first time last week, I used the Starbucks app installed on my Android phone to pay for a couple cups of coffee at Starbucks. Nothing extraordinary about this event except for that it was: (1) my first time ever doing such a transaction, and (2) surprised by how easy and seamless it was. The latter in particular stood out as I returned the following day to do the same, with same results. I swear that the experience (not the coffee) was so good that I felt more attached and loyal to Starbucks. Yet Apple Pay promises to be even more seamless as you no longer would have to go through the motions of unlocking your phone screen and opening an app to pay the transaction -- if Apple's demo holds true, all you have to do is hold your finger to the fingerprint scanner for a second and pay the payment receiver with your phone. Voila! Takes about a second or two, and the transaction is completed.<br />
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Overall, I think the changes Apple Pay will usher in are two. On one hand, people will purchase more things and use their phones to pay more frequently due to how easy and seamless the process is. No longer do you have to take out your wallet (after finding it first), pick out the card you want, swipe it, enter your zip code, and (oftentimes) signing the receipt for the cashier. All you'd have to do with Apple Pay is pull out your phone, hold, tap, and done. It's that simple. The second change will be what I mentioned before -- strangely enough, I felt more attached to Starbucks despite McDonalds being my preferred coffee venue (disclaimer: coffee is a commodity to me, so the cheapest vendor gets my business). But likewise I can see myself going to shops and restaurants that accept Apple Pay more than those that do not. What you'll see then, is a domino effect of stores and restaurants scrambling after one another to install NFC-payment receivers for Apple Pay and other forms of mobile payment (e.g. Google Wallet).<br />
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Now, everything is not all rosy as Apple Pay has just been introduced and the public hasn't really been using mobile payments. But Apple does a heck of a job marketing its products and features, so I expect people to catch on quickly. The iPhone 6 will eventually give way to future generations and the same goes for Apple Watch. But Apple Pay as a platform is here to stay and it's going to be absolutely huge. I've put money in my mouth by investing significantly into Apple today, with a strong possibility to further increasing my holdings in the near future.<br />
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Oh and one more thing: Apple takes a cut out of every transaction made using Apple Pay.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-57480064222528377002014-04-16T10:20:00.003-07:002014-04-16T10:25:20.906-07:00Personal Life MaximsI've been pondering on this for a while and figured I'd finally jot down (and share) on the "maxims" I strive to live by. Sometimes I fall short but try to live by the following as much as possible. In my opinion, "maxims" are the foundations or a set of rules one aspires to uphold all the time and in every situation.<br />
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In no particular order:<br />
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<b>1. "Dance with the one who brought you."</b><br />
<i>Keyword - loyalty</i><br />
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This is an expression I read in Randy Pausch's famous "Last Lecture" book, and speaks beyond just the phenomenon of attending a dance (e.g. prom, gala, etc.) with a partner. It should be applied to all areas of life, including work relations, friends, and even family. While it may be tempting to jump ship for whatever benefits a new opportunity holds, it means more to stay the course and standby the people who gave you the initial opportunity. Not only is it about loyalty, but also being thankful to those who helped you in the past.<br />
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A personal example happened last year, shortly after I started work as a federal employee. Deloitte made me a generous offer that I ultimately declined. The backstory is they had tried to recruit me months prior but couldn't make an offer due to hiring freeze at the time. Overall it was an agonizing decision because it seemed like a perfect fit for my background in finance/economics but also mixed in IT project management. I pondered, spoke to my boss, and in the end decided to stay the course. The main reason was understanding the effort my boss had put it to bring me onboard, and his plans to help me develop. That's not to say I will forever remain in this position, but for now that is the case.<br />
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<b>2. "I have no special talent; I'm only passionately curious about everything."</b><br />
<i>Keyword - humility</i><br />
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This is a quotation from Albert Einstein, who I presume was speaking about the perception that he was a supremely talented and a natural-born genius. The lesson to learn here is that opportunities come and go, oftentimes completely independent of our actions or abilities. Again, it's about the people who helped us get somewhere and perhaps of a higher power that granted us the opportunity. It's not about self-deprecation but acknowledging that we're not omnipotent and should never be fully comfortable with where we are. This should especially translate to our interactions with those around us, regardless of their position compared to our own. We're in this together.<br />
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My personal example is constantly reminding myself that despite of my position as a manager, I'm not much better than anyone else from the streets. I'm where I am and do what I do because of my team, boss, organization, friends, family, and God. This helps keeps things in perspective.<br />
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<b>3. "Count your blessings."</b><br />
<i>Keyword - thankfulness</i><br />
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As a so-called "go-getter", I find myself sometimes unhappy because something didn't happen or work out that would have improved my life considerably or even marginally. In my striving towards things like career development and romantic relationships, I take the things and people I have for granted. I suspect I'm not the only one who does this, but it's a flawed person trait I try to right. It's almost an incessant questioning of what we lack that, if held unchecked, can cause us to be depressed when we ought to be experiencing the complete opposite.<br />
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I don't have a concrete example to share, other than being mindful of things like how I have gainful employment, live in a war-free zone, and am essentially the master of my own destiny. I'm not even hindered by any allergies or physical abnormalities. Most of the world can't even come close to that. In the end it's about finding a balance between striving towards goals yet being cognizant of the present situation, being grateful for the countless good things we have.<br />
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<b>4. "If you have the power to make a difference, you should put it to good use."</b><br />
<i>Keyword - generosity</i><br />
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I like to combine this one with another lesson from Randy Pausch's book, called "enabling the dreams of others." This expression itself comes from an anime show I used to watch long ago, about young pilot trying to protect his friends during a massive war. While this sounds like the common phrase of "paying it forward" and is generally in the same spirit, in my opinion it's bigger picture. Making a difference isn't easy and the hardest part is recognizing those opportunities to make an impact, for someone or a specific cause. Oftentimes it involves going out of your way for someone else, group of people, or organization, to help them achieve their dream.<br />
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In many ways, the lesson is being unselfish and recognizing that we are altogether instead of living in our own paneled homes. So why shouldn't we help out our fellow man, woman, or child? There's again an undertone of being grateful for what we have and wanting to share our perceived successes. Another take on this is that I owe it to not myself but to others to take action, to fight off the inclination to be apathetic and defer to someone else to do something greater. We each have more power to make a difference than we first think.<br />
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<b>5. "Cherish your loved ones."</b><br />
<i>Keyword - priority</i><br />
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This one is a no-brainer but it's funny how quickly we can forget about this and instead be devoted to other things like our hobbies and careers. Workaholic-ism is an openly admired trait in our society, especially for private companies where there is no extraneous benefits like overtime. But when we take a step back and think about it, no one wishes they had worked more in their deathbeds. We'd always wish that we had more time to spend with our families, friends, and other loved ones (e.g. pets). In a way, it's recognizing and remembering the fragility of life and how we may live differently if we knew today was our last. I suspect our priorities would change dramatically shift if that was the case.<br />
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<b>6. "Understand your Detroit and accepting that you can't go."</b><br />
<i>Keyword - peace</i><br />
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This maxim derives from a book by Jack Welch I read and comes from the example of a GE employee that was offered a terrific position by another company, that happened to be located in Detroit rather than the city he was working in. The decision should have been a no-brainer except for the fact that the employee had a family to take care of, whom were well planted in their existing location. In the end, he chose not to take the position. The lesson is that many opportunities will come up throughout our lives, sometimes amazing opportunities that we eventually have to turn down for one reason or another. In the example given, it was family but could be almost anything. The import thing is to accept the reasons why we can't take up those opportunities and thus be willing to let them go.<br />
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This is different from Maxim #1 because the emphasis isn't so much on loyalty as on circumstances and the potential adverse impact of our actions on others around us. Ultimately it's about being at peace with our decisions and moving on, rather than frequently looking back and wondering the "what could've been". Life is too short to be burdened down with regret and if you're optimistic, then you'll realize that other amazing opportunities will come along. Maybe not today but probably tomorrow. One door closing now doesn't mean it won't be open again in the future, or another door be opened for you.<br />
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<b>7. "Be so good they can't ignore you."</b><br />
<i>Keyword - dedication</i><br />
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This is word-for-word the title of a book by Cal Newport, who preached his belief there's an overglorification in our society today on pursuing our so-called passions. He argues instead that it should be the other way around: passion for our work comes second to our skills; the more we practice our skills, the more enjoyment we get from doing our work and the benefits of career progress (e.g. salary increase, position growth) follow. I found the book to be incredibly well-written and influential to challenging my former ideas about work. Aside from dedication, the other lesson here is about commitment to a specific craft and the hidden benefits that would come from that.<br />
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In this sense, this maxim applies to a lot of other areas of life and not just about careers. The obvious implication is in personal relationships, about being committed to a certain friendship, familial relations, or a special someone. This is especially true when we're first starting out on the last one. As a personal example, I've been dipping into the world of online dating the past few months and was immediately hit by the sheer number of potential partners. At first I approach each date purposely, but eventually took a more casual approach. This is something I saw in some of the dates I saw too, particularly those who admitted they had a lot of online dates. Slowly I changed and came into each date with a diminished sense of commitment, a little more impatient and more ready to jump ship at the first sign of incompatibility. The results spoke for themselves (e.g. nothing). Having realized this, I'm now trying to approach one in a more committed manner and try harder...if there aren't any potential dealbreakers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-1402758641814927512013-10-06T19:56:00.000-07:002014-10-10T08:28:42.797-07:00Dead Blackberry Bold (9000 & 9900) Fix<i>Update 10/10/2014: the voltage of your charger may play a factor into whether or not the battery needs to be removed. I've noticed that when the charger voltage is of higher variety (e.g. 750mA), then oftentimes the phone will begin recharging after a few seconds. No removing of battery and re-plugging necessary. But when I tried with a lower voltage charger, then the manual process outlined below is necessary. Takeaway is, if you have a higher voltage charger, then using is to recharge may be all you need. </i><br />
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This is going to be quick post to fix a dead Blackberry Bold 9000 or 9900 series. Mine just inexplicably died over the weekend (possibly due to lack of battery power), but it wouldn't charge at all when I plugged it in. So I had to dig around the internet for some help and came across a couple of good ones -- which I figure to share in case these sources are removed in the future.<br />
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The first and most popular solution appears to be a simple case of:<br />
1. Remove battery from the Blackberry<br />
2. Connect to the charger while battery is removed<br />
3. A continuous red light (in place of notifications light) should appear shortly, followed by a "no battery" sign a couple of minutes in<br />
4. After the "no battery" sign appears, insert the battery while the charger is connected (don't worry, you won't get electrocuted)<br />
5. Give it 10-20 minutes to charge itself, which then should start booting automatically<br />
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I have to admit that I had a weird experience. Tried the above a couple of times, before it finally working on the third attempt (guess it's true, third times the charm..). In short, it might take a few attempts and lots of patience.<br />
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Another method I found (<a href="http://forums.crackberry.com/blackberry-bold-9000-f83/dead-bold-battery-memory-fix-569815/" target="_blank">here</a>) is copied and pasted below. I didn't get to try it, but seems like a much more methodological approach. Needless to say, full credits belong to the original poster -- devinr501.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">Hello users of CrackBerry, I recently ran into the same issue it seems MANY other owners of the Bold 9000 series smartphone.; </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">Examples being:</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">forums.crackberry.com/f83/help-blackberry-bold-will-not-turn-160496/</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">forums.crackberry.com/f83/dead-bold-how-97376/</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">forums.crackberry.com/f83/blackberry-bold-dead-439865/</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">forums.crackberry.com/f2/my-bold-dead-283119/</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">forums.crackberry.com/f83/dead-blackberry-bold-9000-please-help-543344/</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">forums.crackberry.com/f83/bold-dead-no-led-no-power-nothing-73257/</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">forums.crackberry.com/f83/blackberry-dead-no-led-nothing-278619/</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; line-height: 24px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">Seems completely dead, no charging whatsoever when connected to computer, wall, car charger, etc. It started off with a continuous red LED light that you normally get when first booting the device. Then it just completely stopped showing any signs of connectivity/power being supplied to the phone/battery. No red LED, windows didn't recognize it was even connected! So, I got onto google and searched for hours trying to find solutions to this problem. Everyone recommends that you leave the battery out for 24-48 hours.; Well, as that may work for some, it isn't working for everybody with this issue. I did some searching for the mainboard lay-out and functions, what circuits are which, etc. All it took was a little computer knowledge to figure out that the CMOS on the board needed to be cleared! If you have ANY hardware experience when it comes to computers you will know that sometimes you need to remove the little battery on the motherboard and then put it back to fix problems you may run into when adding new hardware, tweaking settings, power failure, etc. This does NOT mean your phone is completely dead, does NOT mean you need a new battery/charger, does NOT mean you need to reload your OS. This a hardware fault that happens when the battery is completely drained, it causes the whole board to act "dead". This tutorial fixes ALL related problems listed above if there is no other indications of hardware malfunctions such as broken USB port. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; line-height: 24px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; line-height: 24px;" /><a href="http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/792/blackberryboldpcb11.jpg" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #1655a5; font-family: NRegular; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/792...yboldpcb11.jpg</a><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">As you see the battery is a small round silver looking object. It's located on the backside of the bold. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">This process takes pretty much NO tools, no taking apart your phone, nothing that extreme. It's actually relatively simple if you have steady hands and a well-lighted room! :P</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">1. There is a sticker covering these components that says the model of the phone, IMEI, and other information. Peel this off. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">2. You will now see the small circular battery just to the right of your SIM card slot. GENTLY pry the metal rectangle that is on top of it holding it into place back a bit, until the battery will move. This will take a little bit of time, and you DO need patience when doing this.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">3. When you get the battery out, put it back and make sure you put the metal rectangular piece back onto the battery and make sure it is securely in place.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">4. Re-apply the sticker after you have completed steps 1-3 and put it on the charger without the battery inserted.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">5. The red LED should shine again, and if you leave it connected it will show a dead battery symbol. At this point reinsert your battery & leave it on the charger! It can take anywhere from 5-20 minutes to charge up enough to boot the OS. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; line-height: 24px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: NRegular; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">Success! Your once dead Bold is back alive and running like a champ! No need to reinstall the OS & all your data is safe & sound on the device. </span></span><br />
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And you wonder why Research in Motion, makers of Blackberry, is <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57606234-94/blackberry-accused-of-propping-up-stock-with-false-claims/" target="_blank">going down the toilet</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-9881465780822959432013-10-04T11:23:00.001-07:002013-10-04T11:23:31.119-07:00iPhone 6: Expectations vs RealityWhile I do not own any Apple devices and adamantly <a href="http://chroniclesofyp.blogspot.com/2011/05/apple-launching-new-product-tomorrow.html" target="_blank">refuse to do so</a>, I have a deep-seated interest on mobile technology and can't possibly ignore Apple's recent developments. (Return readers would probably notice the unusually high number of Apple-related posts I have written...). This interest is in part explained by the fact that Apple is in my stock portfolio. As a good friend recently said, "while I invest in Apple personally, you invest in Apple financially." All I can say is, Apple has been a solid investment so far.<div>
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But let us not detract from the purpose of this blog post, which is to provide commentary on the numerous rumors regarding the next iteration of Apple's popular iPhone device: the iPhone 6. As articles like <a href="http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/10/03/iphone-6-bigger-ipad-rumors-point-apples-2014-plans/" target="_blank">this</a> or <a href="http://blog.laptopmag.com/apple-iphone-6-features" target="_blank">this</a> speculate, the iPhone 6 <i>should</i><b> </b>be a major upgrade in both hardware and software. And therein lies the keyword: <i>should</i>. Amongst the many features these writers/bloggers are clamoring for, there are few very popular ones: (1) bigger display, (2) quad-core A8 processor, (3) NFC, (4) iOS8, (5) wireless charging, (6) element resistance, e.g. water, (7) better camera, and (8) eye-tracking. All of the aforementioned would be major enhancements to the iPhone, but I think if we're rational and review what Apple has done historically, only 1 or 2 of will actually be part of the iPhone 6 next year. In short, people need to be real and stop overhyping.</div>
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Historically speaking, the "S" iteration of every iPhone release sequence has included the biggest and most evolutionary changes to the device...at least on the hardware side. We've seen this most recently with the iPhone 5S -- with its superior camera, iOS 7, the M7 sensors and, arguably the most significant, the A7 SOC chip. The vastness of the 5S upgrade from the 5 is underscored by the folks over at AnAndtech labeling it, "<a href="http://www.anandtech.com/show/7335/the-iphone-5s-review/13" target="_blank">quite possibly the biggest S-update we've ever seen from Apple</a>." I'd have to agree, especially remembering that the biggest update from the 4 to 4S was the inclusion of Siri. So in other words, history has shown us that Apple tends to save its biggest "under-the-hood" updates to the iPhone for the "S" iteration.</div>
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With this in mind, I believe we can start debunking some of the wild rumors flying around. Let's go back to our original list of 8 and do a brief breakdown of each:</div>
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1. Bigger display -- Certain</div>
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The screen on my Samsung Galaxy S2 is still bigger than that of the iPhone 5S. Think about that for a moment. Apple is missing out a large part of the market by being fixated on a single screen side, and my best guess is that they will increase the size screen a further .5 inches to 4.5 inches. This should be the sweet spot for Apple as it won't alienate the current customer base while appealing to potential customers with a fetish for bigger screen sizes. The bonus is that this strategy would further differentiate between the flagship and the "C" iteration, and consequently <a href="http://chroniclesofyp.blogspot.com/2013/09/economics-of-apples-iphone-5s.html" target="_blank">sell more of the flagship device</a>.</div>
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2. Quad-core A8 processor -- Likely, but...</div>
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...the performance update will be incremental at best. Think in terms of higher frequencies all around, rather than more physical cores per CPU and GPU. The A7 SOC already performs against the best other manufacturers like Intel and Qualcomm have to offer, and ushered in the 64-bit era to ARM chipsets. Apple might double the number of CPU cores to 4, but will certainly retain the quad-core GPU configuration. The potential for performance gain will fall on software developers to take advantage of the new architecture, rather than from the hardware side. </div>
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3. NFC -- No</div>
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Apple is proud of its proprietary technology and I don't see them deviating from their current stance, unless NFC is somehow recognized as the de-facto contact-less payment and file transfer systems. </div>
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4. iOS 8 -- Likely</div>
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The 7th version came out only six months after the 6th version, and I can see Apple continuing this trend. While the hardware on the iPhones is difficult to topple, it's another story on the software side. Android and, to a lesser extent, WP8 platforms have been on the forefront of innovations and iOS at this point comes off as an also-ran. It might be a big change too, considering the newer processing power available and Tim Cook's boast of "desktop-level" performance.</div>
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5. Wireless charging -- No</div>
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Just like the NFC above, Apple is into its own proprietary technologies and not about following others. </div>
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6. Element resistance -- Unlikely</div>
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Aside from the usual resistance to fingerprints and scratches, Apple is not going to risk their profit margin on a feature that few customers will ultimately find useful. There's also an ascetic factor that can't be overlooked.</div>
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7. Better camera -- Likely</div>
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As good as the improvements to the iPhone 5S' camera, the resolution remains a mediocre 8 megapixels. An upgrade to 13 megapixels would be straightforward and bring Apple even to its other competitors -- all except Nokia's ridiculous 41 megapixel sensor.</div>
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8. Eye-tracking -- No</div>
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Just as Siri was cool but ultimately is proving to be relatively useless, eye-tracking is a gimmicky technology that customers are impressed by but won't be a deciding factor.</div>
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I'll add that I do also foresee the increase of the memory (RAM) from 1GB to 2GB for the iPhone 6 (before being doubled again to 4GB for 6S). This would be a no-brainer given the new 64-bit architecture now powering the iPhones. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-13387379243947964582013-09-23T08:58:00.000-07:002016-10-04T16:48:32.885-07:00Economics of Apple's iPhone 5CAs the whole world is probably aware of it now, Apple's newest generation of iPhone was released last Friday and quickly sold out across many countries. This morning, the company reported a staggering <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/23/apple-sells-9-million-new-iphones/" target="_blank">9 million units sold of both the 5C and 5S flavors</a>. Very impressive for any company but, especially for Apple, it demonstrates that despite all the competition from Google's Android platform, its own iOS and iPhone devices still command a massive following.<br />
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What's interesting about all this is the attention and ridicule at Apple's decision to release a cheaper companion to their flagship iPhone. For the current (seventh?) generation, this means the iPhone 5C. The general opinion was that without a cheaper version of the flagship iPhone, Apple would be surrendering a significant portion of the market to Android handset makers like HTC and Samsung. After all, the $650 unsubsidized price for a top-of-the-line iPhone is beyond what most of the world's population can afford. One popular rationale is that the letter "C" in the "5C" represents China, a country in which iPhones have unsupported by its carriers until recently. In short, not pursuing this lower-tier market segment is akin to throwing away good money -- something unacceptable to any rational corporate executive.<br />
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Returning to the topic of the new iPhones (5S and 5C), let's review the differences between the two. The infographic below from CNET does an excellent job of comparing the two. In short, the 5C is akin to the previous generation with the exception of being a bit cheaper, lower build quality (e.g. more plastics involved) and available in different colors. Essentially Apple rebranded the previous iPhone 5 into an iPhone 5C, and released an upgraded version known as the iPhone 5S. Nothing too confusing, right?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://asset1.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/09/20/5Cvs5s_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://asset1.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/09/20/5Cvs5s_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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As an economist, my insight on this strategy of releasing a lower-tier device to go along with a flagship device is simply: it's a very shrewd business decision. People, be them technology critics or the general populace, may whine and scorn Apple's decision to release the iPhone 5C, but they overlook the behavioral element that Apple is targeting.<br />
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In economics, this behavior is known as "relatively". One of my favorite economists, Dan Ariely, presented the case so well in his book "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictably_Irrational" target="_blank">Predicably Irrational</a>". Relativity refers to the human tendency to compare their environment or a good relative to another. However, the caveat is that we prefer to compare things that are easily comparable. Ariely first observed this phenomenon in an advertisement to subscribe to the magazine "The Economist", when he was presented with 3 different subscription options: a standalone mailed copy, a standalone online copy, or both a mailed and online copies. I forget the exact number he reported, but the last option was presented as much cheaper than the first two combined. The result is that "The Economist" probably sold the combination option much higher than the first two. (There's also a really good example about honeymoon options from the Wikipedia link above.) The bottom line is, when one is presented with comparable products but one is clearly superior, the superior product tends to get purchased.<br />
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Do you see why Apple released the iPhone 5C now? I get that its cheaper price allows greater market penetration than otherwise, but the iPhone 5C also indirectly (yet very effectively) promotes the purchase of the iPhone 5S. This is especially given that the 5S is only $100 more and provides essentially double the performance of the 5C. When your average consumer is presented with the choices of, say, a Samsung GS4, an iPhone 5C, and an iPhone 5S, the 5S would probably win out. Curiosity, it also dissuades any current iPhone users from jumping the ship. Apple ultimately may not move as many units of 5C but the company still wins in the end, regardless. And as the late Steve Jobs puts it so well, "If you don't cannibalize yourself, someone else will".Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-83633937499578177232013-07-26T18:31:00.001-07:002013-07-26T18:31:07.279-07:00Mid-2013 Update: Changing Jobs and....Maturing(Okay, the title is a bit of a misnomer as we're almost through the month of July -- which technically makes this update slightly past mid-year to be called "mid-year". I confess to having been lazy and procrastinated big time to write this. Motivation can be a funny thing: it ebbs and flows like the waves...)<br />
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It's a Friday night and I riding this one easy for a couple of reasons. The first is being physically exhausted, while the second is planning to retire early as I promised to drive a friend to the airport early tomorrow morning. Yet as I sit here at my desk trying to find something to occupy my thoughts and slowly lose this drawn-out fight against slumber, I decided to reflect on where I am in the year of 2013.<br />
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First off, I recently started a new job with the federal government -- working as a project manager on software-related activities. I was (and remain) excited for this new opportunity as it seemed my previous job was going nowhere despite its reasonable pay and generous company perks. What I have effectively done is move from the private sector to the public sector and, in hindsight, completely changed my work responsibilities. No longer am I an analyst working on specific projects or reports, but now I effectively coordinate (I've grown quickly to dislike the term "manager" due to its grandiose/snobbish connotation) a wide spectrum of different teams to develop a customized software suite for our clients. It's a drastic change and one I'm still slowly adjusting to, since I'm not responsible for any specific part of a project but for only its entirety. Oh and by the way, I was assigned to a project already more than halfway through to completion...bummer. As a fellow project manager likes to put it, "You're drinking from the fire hose". He's such an encouragement.<br />
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Although I'm still getting used to the new position, I figure I'd try be helpful and share a couple of key lessons I've learned so far. These will be specific to being a project manager of course. The first and arguably most important lesson is, as I like to call it, the "T word": TRUST. My organizational structure is a bit weird as I function as oversight for contractors who do the actual work. The immediate implication of this is that contractors may have a slightly different agenda from your own, even if we're supposed to be on the same team. To further complicate matters, there is an outside client to which I am responsible for and the outcome of the project falls square on my shoulders. (I sometimes wonder if I would've accepted the job had I known all of this beforehand....). So why is trust important? Trust is critical as it allows an alignment of interests so that an overseer allow others the freedom to accomplish a task in their own unique-yet-productive manner. But unlike other forms of leverage, trust can only be earned. In my case, I have to earn the trust of not only my contractors but also the internal management team as well as the client. In a world without trust between any of these three parties, a project would be infinitely more delayed due to the resulting need for validation of the work done and to be done. I've seen another colleague not having earned the trust of her team and, needless to say, the results aren't pretty.<br />
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The second lesson learned is quite specific to being a project manager: reading everything. And when I say "everything", I mean every single piece of document and email you can get your hands on, especially related to the project you're on. Whether a project manager is successful depends not only on their time management skills, but also in their ability to grasp the entirety of a project and make sure every single piece is progressing along. The goal of reading absolutely everything is understanding more than the basics of a project, so that in the event of a so-called "showstopper", you'd be able to quickly identify the needs and create an appropriate solution. Admittedly this is pretty darn daunting for my project as we have more than five different products rolling out to the client, but what must be done must be done. The show must goes on -- and nothing loses the trust and confidence of your team than to have a manager barking orders up the wrong tree. In my case again, not grasping the whole picture could lend to contractors trying something fishy. (Oh I must trust them...).<br />
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Aside from changing my job, I've also began searching for a condo to purchase in the Arlington/DC area. At this point the biggest criteria is the price -- housing prices around here is absolutely insane, so hence I'm looking for a small condo to live for a few years before moving on. The opportunity cost of paying rent is simply too great. Besides the price criteria of below $175K, my other requirements is proximity to a metro station and/or a highway (e.g. I-66 or I-395), a max condo/HOA fee of $400 per month, and reasonably price-to-space ratio (e.g. 450 sqft for $175K). I understand these narrows (read: destroys) my choices but I'm willing to wait a bit for the right opportunity. As stated so well in the book "Rich Dad Poor Dad", I agree with the statement that a house is a liability until fully paid off.<br />
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My other endeavors for now are: planning to take the CFA in December to eventually become a full Certified Financial Analyst, looking into procuring a PMP certificate soon, doing a fair bit of traveling, and....dating. The last one is probably the most uncertain one of the bunch but, hey, I'm an optimist.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-5891691153669622392013-06-04T18:02:00.002-07:002013-06-04T18:03:45.585-07:00All the Pieces of My LifeThere are times in our lives when moments of clarity occur, when everything makes sense and you marvel at its beauty. These are instances in which we are able to transcend beyond our momentary joy, sorrow, pain, and disappointments and look at the so-called "big picture". For me, such a time as this happened yesterday as I left the office, strapped on my helmet, and proceeded to bike home. It had been an exhaustive day, compounded by the previous night's over-physical exertion at playing basketball. In short, I felt physically and mentally drained -- ready for nothing better than a long nap.<br />
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But as I climbed onto my bike and started the journey home, something amazing hit me. As I began to consider about my accomplishments and endeavors recently, I realized just how blessed a life I have lived and how blessed I have been. This thought quickly turned into a "high" that stayed with me for the rest of the evening. (Regrettably, I should have written this blog post last night instead of the day after. I don't feel exactly the same as yesterday....)<br />
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These past few months have been a trying time in my life, as I wrestled with failures/disappointments, struggled through various ordeals, and challenged to do many things. One has been the seemingly never-ending search for a new job as I am being laid off my current position. Ironically, I fully understood that it was going to be about attrition but nonetheless felt burned out from all the applying and interviewing. Despite telling myself that I would restart my job applications after returning from my recent vacation to China, I have not posted a single job application since my return. I suppose I either lowered my expectations or gave up entirely -- opting to see through the leads that I had on hand. Admittedly I had grown bitter at my current position, particularly from a perceived sense of being underutilized as well as underappreciated. The latter being highlighted after an insinuation from my manager that in spite of being in line for a promotion, that I wouldn't be because "I wasn't ready." I have been waiting to hear back from the federal government for a new position, in addition from AOL for a seemingly career-moving new role. However, both seemed to be moving very slow and I was beginning to hate the uncertainly of it all.<br />
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The second major area of struggle was with relationships with others, namely in dating. Most repeat readers of this blog now should know about the girl named "Mandy", who has left this country last year for her motherland...indefinitely. I had fallen hard for her and it was incredibly depressing at the time to have walked away with nothing but half-empty memories. In the months since, I have told myself to forget about her and move on to someone else -- striving to believe in the proverbial "plenty of fish in the sea" saying. But alas, things simply have not worked out. The girlfriend I liked the most has been someone significantly older in age and, while age wasn't absolutely, it remains a powerful determinant of our habits and thinking. In short, it eventually dawned upon both of us that we were at different stages in our lives; for her my numerous pursuits were a worrying sign of "restlessness" whereas for me, her comfort with the status quo and constant exhaustion overcame her cuteness. We broke up after about 4 months of dating and I'm single again. Since attending a coworker's wedding a week ago, the thought of what could have been with Mandy awakened bitterness that I thought was put to rest.<br />
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The third and final major area of struggle is the contrast between where I am and where I want to be. In other words, how I measured against the expectations I had cast on myself and the things that I wanted. For example, I wanted to buy a condo or a house but this likelihood is greatly diminished by the lack of capital in face of Arlington's insane real estate prices. Other examples include a new sports car, a cool dog, and being able to buy parents a lakefront house. Are you beginning to see the pattern? All these things require finances that I do not have, but deeply longing for. Since returning from China, I have visibly been thinking more about money and how to make more of it to spend. But not just spending it on myself. I long for the ability to help others in a significant manner, such as being able to lift my entire extended family out of poverty.<br />
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All three struggles or challenges articulated, now let us return to that moment of enlightenment discussed in the beginning. I think I realized something yesterday, something so profound that it affects my own opinion of the future and of my own capabilities. This thing is: endeavor coupled together with persistence. From my recent adventures on Udacity to learn about entrepreneurship, it dawned upon me that my greatest asset is a refusal to succumb to determinism. Personally, it pains me to not strive for something that I want; failures will come and it hurts like hell when I fail, but the silver lining is knowing that I tried to do something rather than doing nothing. The positive term for this is constant "self-improvement" and a lesser term is being a "perfectionist". This is the reason why I have started my own consulting company last year, and the same reason I want to open a restaurant despite a complete lack of industry knowledge and expertise.<br />
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In addition to endeavoring, I realized that I had become too focused on the things I thought I lacked and on the things that did not work out. In other words, realizing that I had become a cynic. I had increasingly mired myself with thoughts about not having achieved what I wanted, when all along there are much more important things at play. Or more importantly, there are things I did achieve. I am in a very different place where I was even a few months ago -- less naive perhaps, but a more mature and altogether better self. I discovered a resilience that I didn't know I had, as well as creativity that I believed was only found in artists. For all the things I didn't have, I still have wonderful things like a cohesive family, good health, gainful employment, and awesome friends. I think in hindsight I have made the most of the majority of the opportunities given, taken action when I could. Even when I shouldn't have, I took action and did something. Even when I failed, I learned valuable lessons.<br />
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Life, as they say, is beautiful. It is also what you make of it. Don't get caught up in the little things, nor try fruitlessly to restore karma to the world. Be open minded and strive for the things you want. As Conan said, "work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen". I'll also add something from a proverbs book I read -- "shoot for the moon, if you miss, you'll land amongst the stars".Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-15386467628543194682013-01-07T07:36:00.003-08:002013-01-07T07:36:37.898-08:002013I guess the Mayans were completely wrong, because it's 2013 and the world did not end. Rejoice!<div>
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There are two things that I heard about before, but didn't fully understand until now</div>
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The first is the idea that we don't live in a fairly tale, and more often than not, our hopes/dreams/plans are not realized. It's not the same as the concept of "<a href="http://chroniclesofyp.blogspot.com/2011/08/dealing-with-unrealized-expectations.html">unrealized expectations</a>" as discussed before, but simply that disappointments do come and the best protection is just to brace oneself. At times it's things that you thought "Oh, this would never happen to me, only to other people!" that end up happening to you. Yet as bad as things get, it will never be as bad as we think it is -- we are much more resilient than we believe ourselves to be. Ultimately we make it through and, looking back on those disappointments, there's a sense of gladness for how they happened. You're stronger because of going through the process, more experienced and better equipped than before. I'm not saying that it doesn't suck to be disappointed when those hopes and dreams we cherished fail; it absolutely does, and sometimes you just want to crawl into a hole and....sleep away the pain. But we don't realize that there's light at the end of proverbial tunnel until afterwards. For these reasons I really like Conan O'Brien's words at the end of his show with NBC: "Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen."</div>
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The second is the fact that as we grow older, we form habits and thought patterns that are difficult to break. We tend to get stuck on certain things and there's this nasty little thing called "pride" that goes into overdrive. Due to our pride in our own abilities and character, we are consequently less open to change as well as criticism from others. As I look at my older friends as well as at myself, this is my new realization. I find myself these days tending to take criticism from others rather personally -- and justify my own reaction as the other person "being inherently wrong" and needing to be adjusted in their reasoning. But looking at these instances, I'm actually the one in the wrong and the stubbornness only inflicted damage on an otherwise positive relationship. It's also true the saying that only those who truly care about you will try to correct you when you go astray. I hope that for this year and especially in later years to come, I will remain open to criticism and changes around me -- and to me.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-71126842508697092652012-12-18T08:48:00.001-08:002012-12-18T08:59:07.043-08:00Stages of RelationshipsLast year I remembered watching a short film produced by the (excellent) film-making crew at <a href="http://wongfuproductions.com/about/">WongFu Productions</a>, a trio of recent graduates from SoCal who leverage their Asian background to explore current social themes/issues. This short film was titled "<a href="http://wongfuproductions.com/2011/04/strangers-again-new-short-film/">Strangers Again</a>" and explored the essence of how relationships are formed and dissolved. It starred a number of YouTube personalities like Cathy Nguyen and was a considerable hit. I saw it, liked it, and...promptly forgot about it -- the reason being that the ending, though realistic, was also depressing.<br />
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Earlier today I was having a conversation with a close friend about the stages of relationships, and this short-film I saw last year came to mind. I remember that it defined the stages of relationships in an ordinal manner and, after much searching, found it online on a Tumblr site (<a href="http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/strangers,-again">here</a>). Below are the stages defined by Strangers Again:<br />
<br /><i>Stage 1: <b>Meeting</b><br />It’s so pathetic to see how guys would do just about anything for the right girl. But it’ll be paid off by the time they got her number.<br /><br />Stage 2: <b>Chase</b><br />Some say this is the best part. All he wanted was to know more about her. All he wanted to do is to hangout with her. The only person he wanted to talk to is her. She was the number one priority. And every time he saw her…butterflies. She was everything that he thought that could be perfect in a girl.<br /><br />Stage 3: <b>Honeymoon</b><br />As soon as we begin our relationship, we’ll be stepping to stage 3.. This is the time when both of us can fully express our affection to each other, and do the things we wanted to do as a couple. “It was a dream come true. The girl I wanted to be so, so badly was finaly mine”<br /><br />Stage 4: <b>Comfortable</b><br />This isn’t necessarily bad, it’s when we could truly be ourselves. But it depends on what you do with that comfort. Some uses it positively, continuing to work with their relationship and grow together. But others allow it to create distance, and take each other for granted. The bottom line is…someone stops trying.The feelings aren’t as strong as before. This could happen over a few months, or few years.. Who knows?<br /><br />Stage 5: <b>Tolerance</b><br />The girl/guy he/she was crazy about has turn into someone not special anymore. We’re just tolerating each other. Arguing is one thing of feeling dissatisfied with the relationship of the other. We tried various times to try to make changes, to fix things. But like so many couples out there, it wasn’t enough. We bacame one of those relationships where, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. And it was never a good way to describe a relationship.<br /><br />Stage 6: <b>Downhill</b><br />There’s not much time left once you’re here.. The effort you try to make things work, is just not worth it anymore. Conflicts continue, arguments don’t get solved.<br /><br />Stage 7: <b>Breaking up</b><br />The end of the line. The worst stage ever.. We don’t know when it’ll happen or how, but I hope we can leave it on good, mutual terms is that’s ever possible. And this is when the two of us will start a new path, one that leads back to when we started…strangers. The change will be so drastic, so blunt, that we probably want to get it back right away. But this doesn’t always happen, and the distance will grow. Eventually, the two of us will move on or find someone new. And even if we both get over the past and try to remain friends, things will never be the same. Our lives will continue on to different directions and becoming strangers again. And everything we shared will just become fragmented memories…</i><br /><br />As mentioned earlier, this is realistic regardless of how much I don't like it. Most relationships do seem to fall apart and, some don't even get a chance to start. It takes almost a combination of perfect timing and perfect compatibility for a first meeting to grow into something like marriage. Personally I've experienced how difficult this can be (just look under any post with the label "Mandy"). That said, I'd like to take the above stages and tweak it to take into account relationships that work so that the end result is almost like a tree diagram:<br />
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1. Meeting<br />
2. Chase<br />
3. Honeymoon<br />
4. Comfortable<br />
5. Tolerance<br />
6. Downhill or Uphill<br />
7. Breakup or Marriage<br />
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The main difference is that Stage 5 "Tolerance" is the climax point of the relationship (Stage 7 is essentially the beginning of a new cycle), because this is where the decision is made. The decision can be made unilaterally or bilaterally but both answer the same question: where do we go from here? The answer to this question, then, dictates how Stages 6 and 7 play out. For example, if the decision is to break up, then Stage 6 will be "Downhill" and Stage 7 will be "Breakup".<br />
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Another way to interpret this is that Stages 1-4 is quintessentially interviews (borrowing the job application process analogy) of collecting information about the other person. This is in order to test compatibility, or "chemistry" as some like to call it. Then Stage 5 comes along and a decision has to be made -- offer to take the next step further, or slowly dissolve the relationship. Although Stages 6 and 7 could be tied together, they're different in that the former is the consequence of Stage 5 while the latter can be viewed as a new action. (Once I get my hands on Microsoft Visio, maybe I can put together a nice little decision-tree diagram).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-79437941196801917322012-12-16T13:35:00.002-08:002012-12-16T13:35:30.319-08:00Review: Acer Iconia W510 TabletAfter considerable <a href="http://chroniclesofyp.blogspot.com/2012/12/why-microsoft-online-store-sucks.html">complaints, anger, and time</a>, I finally receive the Acer Iconia tablet that I previously ordered from the Microsoft Store online. I found it sitting outside my front door on Thursday night, again without requiring any signature or other security permissions. Maybe the delivery guy just decided that the hassle wasn't worth it (as I had already file claims for missing package). Anyway, at this point I'm glad I received the tablet at last. I've decided to write a brief review of the device since there doesn't appear to be any reviews for it anywhere.<br />
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To save time and space for this review, I'm assuming that you know the basics of a tablet and, in particular, the specifications for this Acer Iconia W510. My version is the 32GB one, sans the additional keyboard attachment -- in addition to 2GB of RAM and full version of Windows 8. Other specifications can be found <a href="http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/series/iconia-tab-w">here</a> and <a href="http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model-datasheet/NT.L0MAA.001">here</a>.<br />
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Contents of the packaging box were as follows:<br />
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<li>W510 tablet</li>
<li>micro-USB to USB connector</li>
<li>charging cable (proprietary) </li>
<li>Instructions manual</li>
<li>Backup DVD</li>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSGzeeFwDL8Be6Xm0uDvaeqOy1QRgiSY6amqK91o_SwwCpgvNLc" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSGzeeFwDL8Be6Xm0uDvaeqOy1QRgiSY6amqK91o_SwwCpgvNLc" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The Acer Iconia W510 (image courtesy of Engadget)</i></div>
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<b>Design</b><br />
After opening the packaging, I was immediately impressed by the size, weight, and look of the tablet. The W510 is wider and narrower than a standard iPad, but also slightly lighter. The construction material is plastic, but of a studier type and dual-toned with a "white-on-metallic silver" look. It neither looked nor felt cheap -- although perhaps also not a premium feel like the iPad. With respect to weight, it was comfortable to feel on one hand at around 1.2 lbs.<br />
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Connectivity is where the Acer W510 shines: 1 micro-USB port, 1 mini-HDMI port, a proprietary charging/connector, and microsd card slot. The inclusion of the micro-USB to USB connector makes it very easy to plug any USB devices to the tablet. In addition, the microsd card slot enables one to cheaply double the system memory to 64GB with a 32GB microsd card. Internally, there is also Bluetooth and NFC (WiFi should be assumed, and here it is the N-type variety).<br />
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<b>Display</b><br />
The Gorilla-glass covered 10.1 inch screen has a standard resolution of 1366 x 768, which I believe gives it a dpi measure of around 150 (don't quote me on this though). To the average eye, it's a good-looking screen with a high level of brightness. Compared to a third generation iPad however, it clearly is not as sharp nor high-detailed. But I think for general purposes like reading documents and surfing the internet, the W510's display is more than adequate. At very least, it doesn't appear that Acer cheapened out on the display.<br />
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For touchscreen devices like tablets, the display is more than just for looks -- it has to perform too. After considerable time spent with it, I can happily say that the touch-sensitivity is good. I didn't experience any lag or glaring inaccuracies whether selecting or swiping on the device. The only issue I saw was when drawing on it using Sketchbook Express -- I had to keep my strokes slow as otherwise there would be skipping.<br />
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<b>Performance</b><br />
The Acer W510 is powered by Intel's new Clovertrail dual-core processor (Z2760) with its complementary video graphics cores, in addition to 2GB of RAM. Although the consensus from benchmarks out there indicate sluggish performance for the Z2760, it seemed adequate for everyday tasks from my usage. I experienced minimal lag while using a variety of apps on the Windows 8 "Metro-UI", even after having 7 apps concurrently open. The only indication of the Z2760's dearth in processing power came when operating in the "desktop" mode. But even in this latter case, it was not as glaring as feared.<br />
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The power consumption of the W510 is impressive. I was easily able to hit the 9-hour estimated battery life through a combination of app usage, video-watching, and internet browsing. Although real-world's usage may be lower than 9 hours, my experience with the device means it shouldn't deviate too much. More impressive was the fast-charging times for the device -- it took about an hour to charge 50% of of the battery.<br />
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For those interested, the overall Windows Index score for the Acer W510 was 3.4 -- with the lowest denominator being the CPU measure. The graphics was around 3.5 and the hard drive was unsurprisingly an outlier: 5.9 due to the flash-based memory.<br />
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<b>Software</b><br />
Although I use Windows everyday, using the Acer W510 was my first experience using the Windows 8 operating system. In short, it's a mixed bag. The bad news is that even for a veteran Windows user like myself, there was a considerable learning curve -- especially with the Metro-UI. For example, there are a variety of swipe-motion gestures that one has to learn to become acclimated: one has to swipe from the top of the tablet quickly to the bottom to close an app, or swiping from the left to open the so-called "app drawer" of all open apps. In addition, the absence the classic "Start" button from the desktop mode was an inexcusable mistake made by Microsoft. This made it very hard to use the desktop mode without digging through a few layers of files. Last but not least, there is clearly a lack of available apps at the moment -- the irony of posting a picture of the tablet onto my Facebook page when there is no official Facebook app available was not lost on me.<br />
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The good news is that, as previously mentioned, performance is very good when sticking to the Metro-UI "Start Menu". Apps install quickly and are quick to open. I've become a huge fan of the native Windows 8 apps like "Finance", "Travel", and "People" as the close integration into the whole OS feels very natural -- and useful. For example, articles on "Finance" are already presented in tablet-friendly format when you click on them.<br />
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<b>Verdict</b><br />
Overall, I really liked the Acer Iconia W510 -- particularly for the sale price I ordered it at $399. Even for the current price of $499, it is a good buy for all the things you get: a full-fledged Windows 8 OS, lots of connectivity options, and great build quality. You even have an option to enhance the experience by purchasing a matching keyboard plus battery dock that essentially converts the tablet into a laptop (or netbook).<br />
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At the end of the day, this device is what you make of it. If you are looking for a powerful device from which to run Microsoft Excel and perform video encoding, then this is definitely not what you are looking for. It simply does not have the graphics nor processing power. But, if you are an average user curious about the Windows 8 OS and a tablet capable of running your legacy Windows software, then you can't go wrong with this tablet. It does so much for so little a price. While its performance resembles that of a netbook (the Intel Z2760 benchmarks closely against an Intel Core 2 Duo), that comparison is unfair as it is a tablet competitively priced against the Microsoft Surface and the Apple iPad. Without a doubt, I would spend $499 on the Acer W510.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-12312048372612279562012-12-10T13:50:00.001-08:002012-12-10T13:51:27.737-08:00Film Review: Life of Pi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I read the book "Life of Pi" a couple of years ago, and thought it was a masterful piece of writing that forces you to fundamentally redefine your perception of the world afterwards. Although the story itself is a riveting one -- a survival epic of an unlikely duo consisting of a teenager and a tiger-- the real clincher happens at the end of the book. When the protagonist Piscine Monitor Patel (or simply referred to as "Pi") is challenged on his retelling of his survival story, he recounts another story that is essentially a much more sinister version. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and, when I heard a movie was finally created for it, had to go see the movie.</div>
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(Before I go further to discuss the movie itself, I have to take note of the particularly environment I watched the movie: on a date. This lady whom I liked previously finally agreed to go out and I heard that this film was an ideal date movie. Therefore, I have to admit my attention wasn't 100% focused on the film due to necessary distractions. In addition, I saw this film in 3D rather than the conventional 2D version -- a decision I very much glad of.)</div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/57/Life_of_Pi_2012_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/57/Life_of_Pi_2012_Poster.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<i>Life of Pi (in 3D)</i></div>
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The movie adaptation of the took stays very true to the book, which is something that came as a pleasant surprise. For those who have read the book, there are many different subplots and occurrences that make make it difficult to translate into film without at least 5-hour. While I don't doubt that many of these were omitted by the director Ang Lee (understandably to keep the film just above the 2-hour mark), I also felt the film covered all but the most marginal subplots. This is a remarkable accomplishment and it demonstrates the effort put in to create the film. Examples range from Pi's brief romance before leaving, to the catching of the tuna fish, to ultimately the encounter with the carnivorous island. Simply put, it is not often that the movie adaption of a book I read closely leaves me feeling....satisfied. I actually had to urge to re-read the book after watching the movie -- especially to check on this romance fling of Pi's. </div>
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After praising the director, it's turn to praise the actor. The role of Pi is played by the Indian actor Suraj Sharma, of whom I have never heard before. But his acting is superb throughout the film, captured both in the physical maneuvers as well as the emotional outbursts. Aside from perhaps a few too many loud yells at the tiger, he made the character believable and definitely held my attention as best as any film previously had. To put his acting into personal context, I wouldn't hesitate to equate his performance to that of Will Smith in the movie <i>I Am Legend</i> -- which is a fitting analogy given the dominance of screen time both actors had for their respective films. I wouldn't be surprised in the least on seeing Mr. Sharma in future Hollywood movies.</div>
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What makes Life of Pi such as good movie -- and a fitting date movie at that-- is portrayal of universal struggles that resonate with the audience. In a way, it is too truthful in its realization of our fears such as abandonment or death of our entire family. Aren't these the deep-seated fears each of us has? But it is above all a movie of hope in demonstrating the tenacity of human will to adapt and survive the greatest challenges we are faced with. Although the character of Pi is probably a bit more clever than the average person in his meaningful keeping of the tiger alive (for companionship), he is also makes many mistakes and we can identify with those too. I should also commend the cinematography of the film, as it shows almost the perfect hybrid of real footage and computer animation (spoiler: I'd bet the tiger is CGI). Adjectives such as "elegance" and "majestic" would describe the cinematography well -- computer animation is used a lot but never in excessive quantities nor for too long a duration.</div>
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All in all, I really enjoyed this movie. My company might have helped to influence my opinion, but regardless it is remarkable movie for those not absolutely inclined in the so-called "chick flicks" nor the "action-packed". It is a film most fitting for audiences who enjoy thinking about the film long after seeing it, rather than simply providing only immediate visual stimulation. It's a shame that Life of Pi is flying so low on everyone's radar.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-68101065405393544452012-12-03T19:11:00.000-08:002012-12-03T19:11:37.613-08:00Why Microsoft Online Store Sucks...[Disclaimer: my UPS package was stolen a couple of hours ago, so this blog post may be laced with some emotionally-derived negativity.]<br />
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Last week on the so-called "Cyber-Monday", I found out that the online Microsoft Store offering the new Acer W510 tablet at a $100 discount -- for $399 instead of the regular $499. While I had no original plans to purchase an Intel Atom-powered tablet (due to the perceived lack of processing power), this was a tempting offer as a month ago I purchased a third-generation iPad for my father for his birthday. I say tempting because the iPad had essentially been reduced to a PDF reader instead of its expected usage as a family digital photo album. Long story short, my father attempted to load photographs onto the iPad but found using iTunes to be too cumbersome and so promptly gave up. Knowing that he is much more familiar with Microsoft Windows, this Acer tablet seemed like a good trade-off as it offers tablet-like functionalities along with a complete version of the new Windows 8 OS on the background.<br />
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So I placed an order online through the Microsoft Store and received an estimated delivery date of 12/03/2012 a day later -- a bit slower than I had hoped but not the end of the world. In hindsight it seems a bit perplexing that UPS did not operate on weekends, as noted by a disclaimer on the order page. Fast forward to today, the alleged shipment date and....no package when I came home. To my horror, the UPS shipment status stated that the package was indeed delivered in the early afternoon. I questioned my neighbors but to no avail. Thus my last resort was to report the incident to Microsoft Store for some resolution. And this is where the annoyance starts.<br />
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The only way to contact a customer service agent is via chat or by phone. I opted to do chat and was promptly served by an agent named "Barbie". The weird name aside, I explained the situation to Barbie and was only reassured that she would follow up with UPS on the missing package between 6-8 business days. Let's read that again: 6 to 8 business days! That's essentially a 2-week wait time. I protested this but to no avail. In my opinion, the whole situation could have been avoided had a signature been required to receive the package -- I had assumed this would be the case, or otherwise I would have tried to wait at home for it. It is absolutely ridiculous that a $500 package could be left at the front door without further security measures, a procedure I attribute to Microsoft Store as they handled the shipment process. Why wasn't a signature required for the package? (I do realize that UPS could have been at fault too for negligent delivery.)<br />
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This situation becomes worse when I reflect on my experience in ordering the iPad, which was purchased from the Apple Online Store. In this case, the price of the item was similar but the whole experience was completely different. Maybe it was because of the carrier (Apple uses FedEx). But I remember receiving live updates of the location of the package (as opposed to UPS, which only provided an update when the package entered the U.S.) as well as the ability to digitally sign the package. Did Microsoft cheapen out on the shipping by selecting UPS as the designated carrier? Or was it just incompetent on UPS' part.<br />
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Either way, I probably will refrain from ordering from the online Microsoft Store in the future. For all their attempt to emulate Apple, it seems they missed on the critical lesson of catering to their customers. Without customer approval, the idea of Microsoft Store is has no viable future.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-47299041191127670962012-10-01T10:20:00.000-07:002012-10-01T10:20:41.284-07:00"Age is what you make of it"Do you hear the saying "life is what you make of it"? If not, then it's the ultimate expression of self-determination and freedom to choose. It's also a reminder of how much we are able to shape our own lives. For instance, though you can't choose who your biological parents are nor how you grew up, you can largely choose things like what work to engage in, where to live, who to marry, and what sort of lifestyle to lead. Ultimately, it's a statement against the philosophy of determinism -- that everything happens without the possibility of an alternative ending.<div>
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I was talking to a friend earlier, with whom the topic of getting older often comes up. My basic argument is that age isn't really as relevant as we make it to up. Sure there are physiological implications of growing older, but we gain so many experiences as we age. And when on the things that really matter like friendship and romance, you like someone for who they are as you see them -- not some idea of who they were years ago. It's probably a much easier task said than done, yet I feel like it's something we should keep it mind always. Culture plays a large role in how we approach the topic of growing old, but its influence is limited by what we make it to be.</div>
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Going along these lines, I uttered a phrase that I think is a nice quotation to summarize my attitude on age: "Age is what you make of it". It incorporates the aforementioned freedom of choice into the issue of age, to remind of the reality that we are what we make ourselves to me. Age is an oft-used excuse for things we want to do but willing to pursue. Of course I don't expect a 60-year old man to play in the NFL, but for the small things like going on a cross-country hike, this is attainable to anyone regardless of age (it might just take longer if you're older...). </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-31425229394764215382012-07-24T21:22:00.000-07:002012-07-25T11:47:53.007-07:00Thoughts on "First Love" and "Family Strife"[I know. I've been bad again at posting on this blog. 'Tis what it is...]<br />
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Figured I'd spend some time on sharing some thoughts I've had over the past few days on two concepts/ideas that have weighted upon me.<br />
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<b>"First Love"</b><br />
The first is the idea of a "first love", defined in romantic terminology as someone who one falls for utterly and completely. It's not a new concept but one that has been often discussed and experienced even more since the dawn of mankind. To put it simply, I think everyone at some point in their lives meets their "first love". Whether or not that special person becomes something else, something more, is entirely another question.<br />
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For those who have read other postings on this blog, you know that I have been very much obsessed with a girl named Mandy. She is incredible, gorgeous, quirky, amazing, and....doesn't like me back. I have tried again and again but to no avail. A couple of months ago I found out she would be leaving this country completely for a doctorate elsewhere, and was inevitably turned down for the last time (in a farewell dinner though, not even a date...). Amidst all the ensuing doom and gloom, I noticed something very peculiar about my thoughts and disposition toward Mandy -- I still really like her, immediately willing to forget all the past disappointment if she gives me the chance. Now this sounds utterly irrational, doesn't it?<br />
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I think the underlying reason for my irrationality is that, simply put, she is my "first love". Although it's an artificial construct molded out of feelings and sentiments, it nonetheless can captivate us to the point of not wanting to let go and move on. Oftentimes we'd rather be dwell on this one person -- than being open to our surroundings and others around us. In words, forsaking a "first love" is akin to tossing out an identity that maybe we shouldn't have -- but ultimately did-- nurture. I'm going to go a step further in my definition though. Unlike "crushes" or "fancies", a "first love" is different in that it's the first time we have been willing to bet our future on someone else -- like we would have done whatever for this person. In my own example, in hindsight the possibility of being together with Mandy probably shaped my post-college decision to move back to the same city she was living in. I suppose now it just feels incredibly disappointing to not have this aspiration work out.<br />
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<b>"Family Strife"</b><br />
The second thought is on the topic of family strife, most likely in terms of parents bickering/fighting between themselves. This one is dear to me as it addresses the situation with my own parents, who have been fighting erratically-yet-acrimoniously for the better past of the past 12 years. Personally, I feel that their points of contention are petty and both exhibit a shameful amount of pride. But their fighting being my reality, I have also striven to repair their relationship as much as I possibly could -- from washing dishes and doing other chores, to shielding my younger sibling from the blunt of their arguments. Until yesterday I thought that both parents have learned to be more respectful and caring toward one another, yet all it took was a spat over who was cooking dinner for this presumption to come crashing down.<br />
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Now I realize that this family strife will never end and, one day, will result in a divorce. There is simply too much animosity, stubbornness, and unwillingness to turn the other cheek to save the marriage/relationship. Until it happens I will continue to pray and work toward preventing the breakup from happening but, as true now as it was 12 years ago, I am simply powerless to do anything. Perhaps the following quote from the character JD in the television show "Scrubs" best describes my sentiments on this matter:<br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i>"The mistake we make is thinking our parents will change. And maybe they did a better job than we give them credit for. And maybe there, amid all the crap they dumped on us, are some things worth keeping. Like a passion for something you never knew you had. Or the ability to constantly surround yourself with people who love you."</i></span>
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Reflecting in all of this, it seems this undesired strife also shaped my outlook and general disposition on my surroundings -- as a very optimistic individual, and someone easy to get along with.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-86490733533574087802012-06-28T09:40:00.001-07:002012-06-28T09:40:38.216-07:00Economics of the Health Care MandateLooks like I've been on a different planet for the past few months (not completely untrue, as I took a vacation to China recently....). I am talking about President Obama's health care reform legislation. More specifically, how a few hours ago, the <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/story/2012-06-28/supreme-court-health-care-ruling/55888742/1">U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the health care mandate portion of the legislation was constitutional</a>. In other words, the much-polarized "Obamacare" can continue its due course to being enacted into federal law.<br />
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So what is this health care mandate thing? Admittedly I did not know too much about it -- nor of its existence in fact -- until this past hour. Out of sheet curiosity (and not wanting to sound ignorant), I read many articles on the topic. I still have much to learn, but can at least offer an explanation of it in both plain English and economic terms.<br />
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In short, the health care mandate is part of Obamacare that is essentially a tax on those who do not have health insurance. Rationale behind this mandate is spread the cost of healthcare insurance more fairly amongst the benefactors of the healhcare industry -- since the uninsured currently still receive the same pricing and benefits without actually paying the cost, e.g. emergency services at hospitals are required by law to treat the sick regardless of whether or not they have insurance. From an economic perspective, the mandate targets the so-called <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/20/business/economy/a-health-care-mandate-that-might-not-matter-economic-scene.html">"tragedy of the commons" phenomenon</a> allegedly present in the current system. Revenue generated from this tax would supposedly goes to a government-sponsored pool that, in theory, would contribute to lower health care costs in the long term. The money will probably end up in the coffers of the government health insurance policy that citizens can purchase -- as an alternative to the private options from the likes of UnitedHealth Care, etc. All would be right and well in the world, right?<br />
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The reality is much different, and probably why the topic has become so divisive for the public as well as for the Supreme Court justices. From a legal standpoint, the constitutionality of the mandate is questionable as it effectively forces everyone to purchase insurance or face being fined by the government. Not only are the powers of federal government being debated (e.g. whether or not this topic should be left to the states) but also in how the healthcare mandate is treated as an economic entity -- should it be considered a tax, or not? If it is indeed a tax, then there would further implications on the powers of Congress and the IRS. From a civil rights perspective, the point of contention is clear -- the mandate is another encroachment on the civil liberties available to Americans, since it deprives individuals of the right to choose to purchase health insurance. This question then derives further into the penalty itself being leveraged, as<a href="http://www.cato.org/pubs/policy_report/v29n5/cpr29n5-1.html"> some economists have argued</a> that the fine levered of $695 to $12,500 is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. To an individual who must pay $2,000 annually for health insurance, he or she might just pay the $695 fine and remain uninsured.<br />
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Personally, I think there are 3 implications of this development that must be noted (which currently are not):<br />
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<li><b>Not really helping those it intends to help</b>. The true economic burden of the mandate seems to fall on the poor, since they would be the population that would be most likely not be able to afford insurance and now must pay the fine of not having it. Adding insult to injury, they still wouldn't have insurance after paying the fine. My premise is that if the vast majority of those who can afford health insurance would elect to buy it, and therefore this tax falls on those not being able to afford it -- in other words, the poor. If you think about it for a second, who is really being helped by this mandate?</li>
<li><b>The Supreme Court missed out on a chance to further augment its jurisdiction</b>. By upholding the mandate, the Supreme Court missed an opportunity to expand its powers over the legislation of this country. The issue at is hand is as much legal as economic, since the White House evoked the interstate commerce law to support the legality of this health care mandate. Furthermore, the Supreme Court could have clarified its position on how the mandate constitutes as a tax -- and in the process revising its jurisdiction on the tax laws of this country.</li>
<li><b>Do we really need health insurance in the first place?</b> For all this discussion about the merits of the health care mandate as well as insurance, I think it would be wise to take a step back and reconsider on why we need health insurance anyway. Why can we not just go to the doctors and pay every time we have a medical condition? Setting aside the argument that preventative/proative steps like regular checkups is cheaper than only going to the doctors on a last-ditched effort, this "need-based" model would eliminate the bureaucracy and additional costs of the health insurance industry. Not to mention it would make health care more market-led, such that doctors can choose where and what to practice. It can be regarded as a all-or-nothing question: we can be like Canada and Great Britain where health care is compulsory, or a true libertarian society where individual choice is first and foremost the priority.</li>
</ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-74014342604541117232012-03-30T19:33:00.001-07:002012-03-30T19:33:51.463-07:00Game Changer: Ford Fusion 2013 SedanIt's an open secret now that I am biased when it comes to Ford Motor Company. This is because <a href="http://chroniclesofyp.blogspot.com/2011/05/thoughts-as-shareholder.html">I'm a shareholder</a> of the company and, as a result, have been following its product development and sales trends closely for the past 3 years. I've been ecstatic with the leadership of Allen Mullaly as Ford's CEO, especially with the re-dedication to the core brand and its recent lineup of product offerings.<br />
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The recent Ford Fiesta, Focus, and the TransitConnect represent the shift of Ford's strategy away from the traditional American car model -- the so-called gas-guzzlers and large-sized vehicles. In addition to the appealing looks (the Focus in particular looks great), these vehicles are very fuel-efficient. Ford also took a gamble by attempting to streamline the vehicles chassis for its models across the different geographies, whereby the Ford Focus, for example, is often referred to as the "Global Focus". From a financial perspective, the immediate advantage is lower development costs as all the geographies now share a single chassis that the company can build and market to customers.<br />
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I am also a fan of the TransitConnect and happy to see the vehicle more frequently on the roads. It seems custom-built for small businesses, a market segment seemingly under-served by the competition. The TransitConnect marked the hybrid of the truck and the mini-van -- resulting in something businesses can acquire cheaply and use for their needs. Ford essentially defined a new lucrative market for itself. But to me, the biggest star has just been announced by Ford at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show back this January. The unveiling of the Ford Fusion 2013.<br />
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<b><i>Ford's Cash Cow for Years to Come...</i></b></div>
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You can read more about the different configurations <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/09/2013-ford-fusion-debuts-along-with-47-mpg-fusion-hybrid-100-mpg/">here at Autoblog</a>. The quick and dirty is that new Fusion combines the styling of the luxury brands like Audi and even Aston Martin, with the integration of new technologies -- all into a package that should cost around $25,000. It will come in a myriad of different flavors, ranging from diesel to hybrid to electric. You can see that Ford is betting big on the success of this model...<br />
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What gets me excited is the sheet positive reception garnered from this initial preview. Heck, I want to buy one too! One would assume the car is a luxury brand at first sight: the styling is aggressive, spacious, but also extremely elegant. The key selling point is mixing all these factors into an affordable package. In short, this model could be disruptive to the mid-size sedan segment as customers rich and poor alike will forgo their "natural" price points and converge on the Ford Fusion 2013. Why pay $50,000 for an Audi when you get something comparable in style for half the price? The Audi-loyalists will balk at this suggestion but I think for the general populace, my hypothesis will prove to be true.<br />
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My only gripe with the model is, paradoxically, its resemblance to the super luxury brands like Aston Martin. After the "love at first sight" moment, the Fusion 2013 seems almost trying too hard to imitate its much more expensive cousins. The net effect is a sense of "phoneyness", a visible element of forgery that makes those who value authenticity to cringe at its sight. It's akin to committing conscious deceit. Oftentimes when I see a Nissan Z, I laugh a little as the vehicle's styling resembles so closely to the Porsche that it's almost....sad. I think the owner of these vehicles are those forced to settle because they can't afford the real thing. The same, I fear will happen to this upcoming addition to the Ford lineup.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-68706718701047646522012-03-27T12:43:00.004-07:002012-03-27T12:50:45.909-07:00Movie Quote: 500 Days of Summer[Allow me to preface this blog post by announcing my return to the world of blogging. My most recent hiatus was long and unexpected, but I realized recently how much fun it was to blog. Blogging also helps me retain my writing skills which, in my line of work, I don't use too often.]<br />
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So.....500 Days of Summer. Most of us have seen it (I'm sure). It was a "comedy drama film" (so says Wikipedia) that was released in 2009 and took the world by storm. Okay. Maybe not by storm, but it certainty was a surprisingly popular film that many critics considered their vaulted Movie of the Year award. The plot was about the beginning and end of a relationship between 2 young professionals, starred by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. Joseph plays the character of Tom, a trained architect who works as an artist at a greeting card company; Zooey plays Summer, the new executive assistant to Tom's boss. </div>
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Long story made short: they meet, like each other but Summer is non-committal and eventually breaks up with Tom. Tom falls into a depression, made worse when he learns that Summer quickly becomes engaged to another. Her reason is quite the kicker, "[I was sure with him] what I was never sure with you". Tom goes through this rhapsody of melancholy before finally sucking it up, quitting his job at the greeting card company, and returning to pursue his passion of becoming an architect. The film ends as he sets up a date with a girl named Autumn. Deja vu time, Tom?</div>
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I'm not a fan of the plot, because I feel it's depressing and doesn't really go anywhere. Tom isn't really enlightened through his experiences with Summer. It's not terrible, but not jaw-dropping either. However, I must admit that the acting by Joseph and Zooey is superb. What I did also like though, was one scene from the film in which the male characters are asked (in a mock-interview) to describe the girl of their dreams. The responses are all pretty predictable until it comes to the character of Paul, a level-headed person who has a girlfriend named Robin. Below is his long-winded but quite remarkable answer:</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><i>"I guess I
just got lucky, um.. We met in Elementary School, in 7th grade we had the same
class schedule, and we just clicked. You know, technically, the girl of my
dreams would probably have like, a really bodacious rack, you know probably different hair.. and yeah, you know
she'd probably be a little more into sports. But, truthfully, Robin's better.
Robin's better than the girl of my dreams.<b> She's real</b>."</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">What makes his response remarkable is the simplicity-yet-truthfulness behind his answer. While everyone else names qualities they idealize about for their significant other, in the end, reality is superior to the greatest fantasy one can conjure. Paul acknowledges that Robin, his girlfriend, isn't perfect...or at least could be more perfect by having the "bodacious rack" and "different color of hair". But he also takes her as a whole package, instead of trying to break her down into parts. It's the quintessential example of synergy: to Tom, Robin is desirable and attractive because of all her qualities summed up and personified together. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Oftentimes the reason we are drawn to others is not because of their perfection in our eyes, but by their perceived flaws that makes them more like us, more....human. It's being able to like someone in spite of their imperfections, celebrating together their successes and empathizing in their failures. Because in the end, it is the experiences we have together --and not mere physical traits-- that bond one person to another. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Some may view Paul's response as someone who settled, but I don't believe so. We all have different preferences and personal tastes, therefore it is incredibly patronizing to downplay someone else's choice. (Yes, I know Paul is a fictional character)</span><span style="line-height: 18px;">. The truth is that we don't really know what we want in a significant other. We may have vague ideas like their looks and personality, but one cannot measure things like chemistry -- even less on their whole being. While men may claim to like women like Jessica Alba and Sofia Vergara and women for the George Cloneys and Brad Pitts of the world, we like them mainly for their physical looks. Ultimately we all know that beauty cannot transcend time. As Paul says so well, the girl of my dreams is the one who is real.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-46236215071440128972011-11-04T08:35:00.000-07:002011-11-04T08:35:26.685-07:00The Power of TwitterAs a self-dubbed "technocrat", it may seem an embarrassing confession that I do not have a Twitter account. I have other social media accounts like Facebook, Groupon and, as much as I dislike them, LinkedIn. But I never opened a Twitter account, primarily since I saw it as an additional distraction on top of all everything else. Though I will admit I was tempted more than once to do so.<div><br /></div><div>Personally, the main advantage of Twitter is its ability to post a public text for all your friends/"followers" to see. It's identical to Facebook's status bar -- yet much more simple, and with the myriad of additional features like editing your profile, etc. I suspect the main reason for its exponential popularity lies in this interface model: specialize in one thing only, which in Twitter's case is simply allowing members to post a line about themselves or others (but mostly about themselves). It's the main reason Facebook trumped MySpace, as the latter offered too much customizations. Seems like people like the ability to customize, but only to a certain extent.</div><div><br /></div><div>This <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/7175679/nba-lockout-miami-heat-owner-micky-arison-fined-500000-twitter-comments-labor-talks-sources-say">news report from ESPN</a> illustrates one of the great things about Twitter: allowing the direct communication between two individuals who otherwise would not have been able to. In the example, the owner of the NBA team Miami Heat is fined for purportedly violating the league's policies on discussing the current lockout. The $500,000 fine comes from a number of tweets the Heat owner, Micky Arison, responds directly to a number of questions from NBA fans. In short, his tweets mock the other owners and possibly reveal the growing rift in the opinion between all the 30 team owners. Humor nature of the example aside, it shows a billionaire talking directly to a....non-billionaire -- something that could probably not occur in Twitter's absence. </div><div><br /></div><div>I might finally be signing up for Twitter, in the (very) near future. Why the change of heart? There are two reasons. The first is that Google recently announced the shutdown of its "Buzz" feature, which was quintessentially Twitter-on-Gmail. I don't "Buzz" a lot, but I think I will miss it. Second reason is the real possibility of obtaining a new smartphone -- with a data plan. This means I'd be able to tweet from anywhere, which is something I am not currently able to achieve. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349105440857381591.post-49491785245180896332011-09-30T13:49:00.000-07:002011-09-30T13:49:21.939-07:00The Implications of Anwar al-Awlaqi's DeathOn paper, I agree that terrorists deserve to die. My reasoning is simple: those who are not afraid to take the lives of others deserve to be deprived of theirs. Although as a Christian I believe in compassion and forgiveness of the sins of others, this is one of those rare exceptions. In a similar vein to serial killers/rapists -- defined as those who commit the same heinous crimes over and over again-- one's number of chances to change is limited. Can you imagine what would have happened if the in the biblical story of the prodigal son, the younger son left his father again? I shudder to think that the father would have shown the son the same love and are as before.<div><br /></div><div>But the <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/awlaqi-killing-reignites-us-debate-rights-152720230.html">death of Anwar al-Awlaqi</a>, the Al-Qaeda terrorist suspected of organizing activities targeting American soldiers and civilians, raises a profound and vital question. Does the U.S. government have the constitutional right to target and kill its own citizens? The central issue, of course is that Anwar al-Awlaqi was born in the United States and therefore is a U.S. citizen. By having him assassinated, President Obama and the CIA essentially have just ended the life of an American citizen on purpose. Had this man not been a terrorist, this mounts to blatant murder. But, the problem isn't so black and white as Anwar al-Awlaqi is a terrorist. </div><div><br /></div><div>Based on the comments I have read from the Yahoo article, it appears the overwhelming majority of commenters support the action of President Obama and the CIA. They say things like "terrorists only have one right: the right to die" and express gladness at al-Awlaqi's death. I agree with this sentiment on the grounds that, despite being an U.S. citizen, the man effectively convicted treason when he took up al-Qaeda's cause in terrorizing the United States. In the olden days, the punishment for treason is...death, since treason is regarded as the most egregious sin one can commit against his/her country. But let's stop for a moment and think about the consequences of this. In other words, what's next?</div><div><br /></div><div>What worries me is that this marks the beginning of something terrible: the erosion of our rights as citizens of this country we call the U.S. of A. Not that this hasn't started since 2001 -- the Patriot Act and espionage scandals that followed-- but for the first time, the government has targeted and killed one of its governed. This time the killing is justified as al-Awlaqi is clearly a terrorist and therefore not subject to the protections offered by the Constitution. Yet what would stop the government eventually to label other "classes" of citizens and also designate them to die. The line has been crossed and the boundary has been blurred.</div><div><br /></div><div>An analogy that comes to mind is the message of the movie V for Vendetta. In that film, the British government essentially creates a disease that frightens the population into voting for an absolute dictatorship. It is an extreme comparison, but I think we should be careful and not overlook the significance of what has happened. There may be frightening consequences.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0