Archive for the ‘By David Lian’ Category

  • 26 Oct

    R.AGE

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    Category

    Funding dream$

    0

    By DAVID LIAN
    alltherage@thestar.com.my

    KICKSTARTER is not a store,” wrote the foudners of Kickstarter.com in a blog post last month.

    And yet, fans of the site seem to have largely ignored the founders’ plea. The fans, despite several warnings, are still “investing” in Kickstarter projects that promise to deliver goodies they’ve always wanted but couldn’t find elsewhere.

    So what is Kickstarter?

    Kickstarter.com launched in 2009 as a platform to fund creative projects via crowdfunding. The idea was simple – if you had a brilliant idea but no funds to do it, you could post it up on Kickstarter, and generous netizens could pledge to fund your project out of goodwill.

    These projects could be wide and varied – from an independent film-maker’s pet project for an entertaining film, to physical products such as mugs, pens or bags.

    Here’s the twist. Somewhere along the line, Kickstarter devised a mechanism allowing project starters to promise “backer rewards” as a means to get people to back their projects.

    So, for example, if Madonna had launched a Kickstarter project for a concert, she could offer a reward for people who pledged US$50 (RM150) or more in the form of a free ticket. Or, if you were designing the best mug in the world, you could offer to reward backers who pledged US$10 (RM30) or more, a free mug.

    Between 2011 and 2012, Kickstarter exploded. It started with video games that people wanted to see made but until now, no major game publisher would fund. Games like Wasteland 2 raised nearly US$3mil (RM9.2mil) in funds and captured the imagination of the masses.

    The game’s developers were able to design and get funding for the project without having to go to major game publishers.

    And the reward for the backers? Copies of the game, limited edition premiums and even dinners with the development team depending on how much money you backed. Plus, the satisfaction of seeing a game you wanted to see made, actually made.

    The next wave was the advent of the “Kickstarter as a store” concept. Leading the way was the Pebble watch – a massive Kickstarter project that raised around US$10mil (RM30mil). The idea was for a truly digital watch, with an e-ink watchface that could synchronise with iOS or Android mobile phones. It would also have an accelerometer to help track how far you’ve run in a day. For all intents and purposes, the Pebble is a geek’s dream watch.

    For a pledge of US$120 (RM370), you could reserve a watch for yourself once the project is done. For US$1000 (RM3000), you could get 10 watches. Soon, everyone’s jumping in on the project, and lining up to get the project funded. The result? Kickstarter.com starts feeling a bit like a store.

    Confession: I’ve actually been treating Kickstarter as a store. It’s a really good store. In the past year, I’ve funded three computer games I want to see made, two pens that I thought I’d like, one watch, the Pebble watch, and two slimline minimalist wallets. You could call me a Kickstarter addict, but I think the idea works.

    In Kickstarter, you get to back a product you really wished were real, and make it a reality.

    Remember I mentioned something about Kickstarter and risks earlier?

    Yes, “Kickstarter is not a store”.

    The tide of unfulfilled pledges had risen to a point where it seemed that people were misusing the website to raise money, and then disappearing from the scene with the funds. Yes, that is a very big risk.

    In fact, Kickstarter had to clarify that it was a platform to raise funds for projects people loved, but fans also had to understand that project owners would be fully responsible for delivering the goods once the project is successful.

    It’s not a store, and you’re not buying a finished product. You’re giving someone money, in hopes that they will successfully execute the project, and reward you as promised.

    That’s a big risk. And I’d like to underline that again.

    But what we don’t need is for Kickstarter to go away (and I doubt it will). The idea is a really solid one, so much so that there’s even a local version at www.pitchin.my. It gives young people the opportunity to create and sell things and others to buy things we really want.

    So, Kickstarter may not be a store, but for people like me who just love seeing new ideas come to market – it’s a pretty good one already.

  • 28 Jun

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    Diabolical endeavour

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    By DAVID LIAN

    alltherage@thestar.com.my

    UNLESS you’ve been living under a rock, you would probably have heard of Diablo 3, and your Facebook wall spammed with your friends’ escapades from Tristram to heaven and back.

    Well, if you have been living under a rock, you’re in a spot of luck because this article will get you up to speed on what the Diablo craze is all about.

    Diablo 3 is the long awaited sequel to the smash-hit PC game Diablo 2. Yes, it really was a long-awaited sequel, as Diablo 2 was released in 2000.

    Right after the new game was launched last month, its servers went down almost instantly as millions of fans rushed online to play the game they’ve waited for more than a decade. Yes, it’s that good.

    And its return also proved the one thing we’ve suspected all along – PC gaming isn’t dead.

    When I was growing up, nothing on the PlayStation could beat the “hot games” of the day on the PC.

    However, in the last decade, more and more gaming analysts have been proclaimed that PC gaming was dead, and the increasing disappearance of cyber cafes around the country only affirmed the notion.

    I remember the time when a group of friends would hang out in cyber cafes – much to our parents’ indignation – to play video games. For us, it was our version of sports.

    As time went by, newer consoles started appearing – the XBOX 360, the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. People started staying at home more often to play games on those consoles instead.

    Now Diablo 3 is back, it feels like the heyday of PC gaming all over again.
    The game is actually pretty easy to play.

    There are five classes to choose from (these are the characters that help define your powers), and you pick a class and head out for adventure.

    Adventures in Diablo 3 includes following a linear (but fun) storyline, fighting monsters, gaining levels (to improve your character’s powers) and collecting treasure.

    The story in Diablo 3 revolves around a hero arriving at Tristram, a town that’s overrun by zombies, skeletons and other ghouls. In typical fantasy fashion, the lone hero is the only one who can uncover the mysterious source of the undead, and send them back to their graves.

    Told in four acts, the story then takes the hero from the lonely town all the way to heaven, where the ending builds up into a battle of cataclysmic proportions.
    There are four difficulty levels in Diablo 3 – normal, nightmare, hell and inferno. Each difficulty level tells the same story but with tougher enemies.

    In this way, Diablo 3 allows you to use all the ‘powers’ you accumulated from different difficulty stages.

    However, die-hard Diablo players would tell you that the real game only starts when you hit Level 60.

    Diablo 3 is a social game. The idea is to form a party of four heroes and set out for an adventure. Prominently displayed on the screen throughout the game is a ‘contact list’ you can use to chat with friends or invite them to join your game.
    When you hit Level 60, the game takes on an entirely different turn.

    Getting here means that you had played through the storyline three times; and accumulating the best equipment and unlocking the game’s achievement levels becomes a challenge now.

    What’s new though is that Diablo 3 publishers Blizzard Entertainment are experimenting with a system that allows players to buy and sell items for real money.


    Yes, that’s right, that nice Sword you picked up yesterday? It can go for US$20 (RM60) online. Not only is the currency virtual, you can also withdraw the cash via PayPal (and debit it into your own bank account).

    Before I leave you and return to delving the dark dungeons of Diablo 3, I thought I’d throw in some advice to its players; remember it’s just a game. Get up sometimes, take a walk and eat something. And most importantly, sleep. Now, back to gaming.

    David Lian is a Level 43 Monk because he believes in playing in moderation. That, and because he’s got to write this column. Tweet him at twitter.com/davidlian if you want to “Diablo” together.

  • 28 Jun

    R.AGE

    Posted by


    Category

    Diabolical endeavour

    0

    By DAVID LIAN
    alltherage@thestar.com.my

    UNLESS you’ve been living under a rock, you would probably have heard of Diablo 3, and chances are, your Facebook wall was recently spammed with your friends’ escapades from Tristram to heaven and back.

    Well, if you have been living under a rock, you’re in a spot of luck because this article will get you up to speed on what the Diablo craze is all about.

    Diablo 3 is the long awaited sequel to the smash-hit PC game Diablo 2. Yes, it really was a long-awaited sequel, as Diablo 2 was released in 2000.

    Right after the new game was launched last month, its servers went down almost instantly as millions of fans rushed online to play the game they’ve waited for more than a decade. Yes, it’s that good.

    And its return also proved the one thing we’ve suspected all along – PC gaming isn’t dead.

    When I was growing up, nothing on the PlayStation could beat the ‘hot games’ of the day on the PC.

    However, in the last decade, more gaming analysts proclaimed that PC gaming was dead, and the increasing disappearance of cyber cafes around the country only affirmed the notion.

    I remember the time when a group of friends would hang out in cyber cafes – much to our parents’ indignation – to play video games. For us, it was our version of sports.

    Then as time went by, newer consoles started appearing – the XBOX 360, the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. People started staying at home more often to play games on those consoles instead.

    Now, Diablo 3 has brought back the popularity of PC gaming, just like in its heyday.

    The game is actually pretty easy to play.

    There are five classes to choose from (these are the characters that help define your powers), and you pick a class and head out for adventure.

     

    Diablo 3

    Adventures in Diablo 3 includes following a linear (but fun) storyline, fighting monsters, gaining levels (to improve your character’s powers) and collecting treasure.

    The story in Diablo 3 revolves around a hero arriving at Tristram, a town that’s overrun by zombies, skeletons and other ghouls. In a typical fantasy fashion, the lone hero is the only one who can uncover the mysterious source of the undead, and send them back to their graves.

    Told in four acts, the story then takes the hero from the lonely town all the way to heaven, where the ending builds up into a battle of cataclysmic proportions.

    There are four difficulty levels in Diablo 3 – normal, nightmare, hell and inferno.

    Each difficulty level tells the same story but with tougher enemies. In this way, Diablo 3 allows you to use all the ‘powers’ you accumulated from different difficulty stages.

    However, die-hard Diablo players would tell you that the real game only starts when you hit Level 60.

    Diablo 3 is a social game. The idea is to form a party of four heroes and set out for an adventure. Prominently displayed on the screen throughout the game is a ‘contact list’ you can use to chat with friends or invite them to join your game.

    When you hit Level 60, the game takes on an entirely different turn. Getting here means that you had played through the storyline three times; and accumulating the best equipment and unlocking the game’s achievement levels becomes a challenge now.

    What’s new though is that Diablo 3 publishers Blizzard Entertainment are experimenting with a system that allows players to buy and sell items for real money.

    Yes, that’s right, that nice Sword you picked up yesterday? It can go for US$20 (RM60) online. Not only is the currency virtual, you can also withdraw the cash via PayPal (and debit it into your own bank account).

    Before I leave you and return to delving the dark dungeons of Diablo 3, I thought I’d throw in some advice to its players; remember it’s just a game. Get up sometimes, take a walk and eat something. And most importantly, sleep.

    Now, back to gaming.

    *David Lian is a Level 43 Monk because he believes in playing in moderation. That, and because he’s got to write this column. Tweet him at twitter.com/davidlian if you want to ‘Diablo’ together.

  • 26 Apr

    R.AGE

    Posted by


    Category

    New iPad: Is Resolutionary good enough?

    0

    By DAVID LIAN

    alltherage@thestar.com.my

    The 3rd generation iPad has finally hit Malaysian shores, and despite early criticism and then waning hype over it’s “small” list of improvements, it’s time to actually put the “resolutionary” device to the test.

    After all, this was the first major product to be launched after the passing of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and the first under Tim Cook’s new reign as Apple’s head.

    Tim Cook

    Many iFans waited with bated breath as Cook took to the stage last month to announce the new iPad, and many walked away with ‘mixed feelings.’

    On the surface, it doesn’t look like the new iPad provides much of a bump over it’s predecessor – the iPad 2.

    Boasting a mildly improved processor – the A5x, LTE data connections (where applicable), and a higher resolution display (four times as many pixels) as it’s key improvements, many people simply didn’t see a reason to upgrade.

    The feeling seemed to permeate throughout the launch weekend. While there still were people queuing up overnight for the new iPad, this time however, the crowd was much smaller, lines were shorter and people were showing up later to queue.

    Heck, one of my friends even mentioned strolling into an Apple retailer on Saturday morning and picking up his unit without much fuss. So what’s up with this iPad? Has it lost it’s magic?

    Before you think I’m about to embark on some iPad bashing rant, here’s some context. I own an iPad 2 and now, I hold a new iPad in my hands – ordered on Friday, delivered on Monday (yes, Apple’s delivery is THAT good).

    Yup, I upgraded, and what follows are some honest thoughts on the new iPad: Resolutionary display Apple’s made a big deal about the new iPad’s high resolution screen – also called a “retina display” though not having quite the pixel density as the iPhone 4 or 4S.

    In my books, this was the one reason I made the leap to upgrade to the new iPad. Many may not realise the difference, but as someone who regularly reads on his iPad, I didn’t like the fact that I had to zoom in oftentimes to make the text on the comics or articles I was reading legible.

    The new iPad’s higher resolution makes this problem go away. If you enjoy reading comic books or have zoomed out, full page magazines on the iPad, then the screen reallydoes make a big difference.

    However, there’s a certain quirk with LCD screens. If you’re trying to display something that’s not optimised for a high resolution display, you’ll get something that looks really blocky.

    And with the new iPad being as new as it is, I’ve found this to be true in quite a few games — particularly, FIFA 12. The game shows up with blocky club badges on the new iPad, which may be a turn off for some people. 4G – or lack of thereof

    In the US, the iPad models that comes with the LTE radio are marketed as a 4G devices, and in Malaysia, it comes with an extra caveat that you need to check “4G availability with your network.”

    The only Internet network in Malaysia to provide 4G connection is YTL’s YES – which isn’t the 4G the iPad is talking about (it’s WiMAX for you more technical folks). Rather, the new iPad sports an LTE (Long Term Evolution GSM) radio on some of its models, something that’s not yet commercially available in Malaysia.

    The good news is, DiGi has already announced that it is working on upgrading it’s network to be LTE-ready with a scheduled completion by the end of the year. Given timelines like that for the arrival of LTE in Malaysia, it seems that 4G is perhaps a function that will only be relevant for the next, next iPad (the 2013 one).

    Faster speeds, better camera, and, not much else The biggest talking point about Apple’s 4S was “Siri” – the phone that will talk back to you. The new iPad doesn’t even boast that. Instead, beyond the new screen resolution and promise of 4G data, the speed bump on the new iPad feels marginal – less than the bump the iPad 2 got over the first iPad.

    In fact, I feel as if the iPad 2 actually works faster on some applications, compared to when using the new iPad. This is because a lot of the extra power from the processor is being used to fuel the higher resolution screen and pump out four times the number of pixels. So, you’re not likely to feel a big difference in terms of speed.

    It’s a different scenario entirely with the camera, though, which is now 5.0 megapixels – a huge improvement over the old 0.7 megapixels in the iPad 2. So, if you’re into taking a lot of pictures with the iPad, you’ll welcome the change.

    On the whole, I felt slightly disappointed with the new iPad. I’m a huge proponent of the screen – it DOES matter, especially when I use my iPad for so much reading. I’m also optimistic that as more apps get updated to work on the new iPad’s resolution, things will get better.

    However, I’m disappointed that besides the upgrade on screen resolution, the new iPad doesn’t offer much more in terms of user experience. I’m still boggled and frustrated by the way files are ringfenced.

    For example, when I boot up iMovie, the only way I can import pictures or videos for editing purposes is to put them into iTunes via the syncing cable. I can’t import videos from my DropBox! I understand that Apple wants to protect the purity of its platform, as well as monopolise its “official” experiences.

    But, I can’t help but feel that the iOS experience is a little bit stifling compared to the ‘openness’ other platforms areoffering. The game is changing and with Windows 8 Tablets expected to hit later this year, I do hope there’s a new iOS update waiting in the wings that will at least ‘open up’ the platform a little more.

    Let the next iPad be revolutionary, not just resolutionary.

  • 26 Apr

    Posted by


    Category

    New iPad: Is Resolutionary good enough?

    0

    By DAVID LIAN
    alltherage@thestar.com.my

    THE 3rd generation iPad has finally hit Malaysian shores, and despite early criticism and then waning hype over it’s “small” list of improvements, it’s time to actually put the “resolutionary” device to the test.

    After all, this was the first major product to be launched after the passing of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and the first under Tim Cook’s new reign as Apple’s head.

    Many iFans waited with bated breath as Cook took to the stage last month to announce the new iPad, and many walked away with ‘mixed feelings.’

    On the surface, it doesn’t look like the new iPad provides much of a bump over it’s predecessor – the iPad 2. Boasting a mildly improved processor – the A5x, LTE data connections (where applicable), and a higher resolution display (four times as many pixels) as it’s key improvements, many people simply didn’t see a reason to upgrade. The feeling seemed to permeate throughout the launch weekend.

    While there still were people queuing up overnight for the new iPad, this time however, the crowd was much smaller, lines were shorter and people were showing up later to queue. Heck, one of my friends even mentioned strolling into an Apple retailer on Saturday morning and picking up his unit without much fuss.

    So what’s up with this iPad? Has it lost it’s magic?

    Before you think I’m about to embark on some iPad bashing rant, here’s some context. I own an iPad 2 and now, I hold a new iPad in my hands – ordered on Friday, delivered on Monday (yes, Apple’s delivery is THAT good). Yup, I upgraded, and what follows are some honest thoughts on the new iPad:

    Resolutionary display

    Apple’s made a big deal about the new iPad’s high resolution screen – also called a “retina display” though not having quite the pixel density as the iPhone 4 or 4S.

    In my books, this was the one reason I made the leap to upgrade to the new iPad. Many may not realise the difference, but as someone who regularly reads on his iPad, I didn’t like the fact that I had to zoom in oftentimes to make the text on the comics or articles I was reading legible. The new iPad’s higher resolution makes this problem go away.

    If you enjoy reading comic books or have zoomed out, full page magazines on the iPad, then the screen reallydoes make a big difference.

    However, there’s a certain quirk with LCD screens. If you’re trying to display something that’s not optimised for a high resolution display, you’ll get something that looks really blocky.

    And with the new iPad being as new as it is, I’ve found this to be true in quite a few games — particularly, FIFA 12. The game shows up with blocky club badges on the new iPad, which may be a turn off for some people.

    4G – or lack of thereof

    In the US, the iPad models that comes with the LTE radio are marketed as a 4G devices, and in Malaysia, it comes with an extra caveat that you need to check “4G availability with your network.” The only Internet network in Malaysia to provide 4G connection is YTL’s YES – which isn’t the 4G the iPad is talking about (it’s WiMAX for you more technical folks).

    Rather, the new iPad sports an LTE (Long Term Evolution GSM) radio on some of its models, something that’s not yet commercially available in Malaysia. The good news is, DiGi has already announced that it is working on upgrading it’s network to be LTE-ready with a scheduled completion by the end of the year.

    Given timelines like that for the arrival of LTE in Malaysia, it seems that 4G is perhaps a function that will only be relevant for the next, next iPad (the 2013 one).

    Faster speeds, better camera, and, not much else

    The biggest talking point about Apple’s 4S was “Siri” – the phone that will talk back to you. The new iPad doesn’t even boast that. Instead, beyond the new screen resolution and promise of 4G data, the speed bump on the new iPad feels marginal – less than the bump the iPad 2 got over the first iPad.

    In fact, I feel as if the iPad 2 actually works faster on some applications, compared to when using the new iPad.

    This is because a lot of the extra power from the processor is being used to fuel the higher resolution screen and pump out four times the number of pixels. So, you’re not likely to feel a big difference in terms of speed.

    It’s a different scenario entirely with the camera, though, which is now 5.0 megapixels – a huge improvement over the old 0.7 megapixels in the iPad 2. So, if you’re into taking a lot of pictures with the iPad, you’ll welcome the change.

    On the whole, I felt slightly disappointed with the new iPad. I’m a huge proponent of the screen – it DOES matter, especially when I use my iPad for so much reading. I’m also optimistic that as more apps get updated to work on the new iPad’s resolution, things will get better.

    However, I’m disappointed that besides the upgrade on screen resolution, the new iPad doesn’t offer much more in terms of user experience. I’m still boggled and frustrated by the way files are ringfenced. For example, when I boot up iMovie, the only way I can import pictures or videos for editing purposes is to put them into iTunes via the syncing cable. I can’t import videos from my DropBox!

    I understand that Apple wants to protect the purity of its platform, as well as monopolise its “official” experiences. But, I can’t help but feel that the iOS experience is a little bit stifling compared to the ‘openness’ other platforms areoffering.

    The game is changing and with Windows 8 Tablets expected to hit later this year, I do hope there’s a new iOS update waiting in the wings that will at least ‘open up’ the platform a little more.

    Let the next iPad be revolutionary, not just resolutionary.

  • 21 Feb

    Posted by


    Category

    Pinning your interests

    0

    By DAVID LIAN
    alltherage@thestar.com.my

    I AM a sucker for shiny new social networks that require a special invitation to get in. So, when news of something called Pinterest started going around, I knew that I had to get on it.

    Now, you’re probably thinking: “Ugh, not another social network!”. Well, you do have a point, as most people don’t need much more than a simple Facebook account to stay connected with friends and contacts. I do agree that social networking can be overwhelming sometimes.

    But Pinterest … well Pinterest fills a more specific niche. Remember those cork pinboards at school or in the office where you put up notes and posters mostly to remind you of things? Think of Pinterest as the virtual version of that – instead of sticking up a piece of paper, you’re posting a link and picture to somewhere on the Internet.

    You’re not limited to one board. Rather, you can have many boards, and many interests. For example, I have a pinboard for “Good books to read” where I pin the books I recommend reading or reviews of books that I agree with.

    I also have another board called Warhammer 40,000 where I pin links to modelling and hobby projects for my miniature wargame, so I can get back to working on those when I’ve got more time.

    If you’re my friend, you can follow one or all of my pinboards. For example, let’s say our common interest is in science fiction novels and I’ve created a pinboard called “Science Fiction”. You can now choose to only follow my pins on the Science Fiction board and ignore all the other stuff I post that don’t interest you.

    Pin your interests online!

    On top of that, you can share ownership of your boards with friends, allowing everyone within the community to post links. I can already see how useful this can be for students completing group coursework together. Imagine that your assignment is to create a model volcano, and the task is for everyone in the group to research and share their findings. With Pinterest, you simply make a board and everyone can pin their findings there, giving access to everyone in the group to see it.

    The rise of Pinterest brings to focus a new dimension of social networking that perhaps has been largely ignored, which is what some commentators are calling the “Interest Graph”. The term plays off Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s Social Graph, which describes Facebook’s ability to link people with social connections together.

    “Everybody knows somebody” and “six degrees of separation” was the mantra of the Social Graph.

    The Interest Graph behaves entirely differently. Instead of organising people according to who you know, the Interest Graph organises people according to their similar interests. What happens is pure serendipity, especially when you have someone who shares the same interest as you discover something you like as well.

    Love recipes? Follow people with pinboards for recipes. What about basketball? Start a “basketball” pinboard yourself. And instead of meeting people who just have a social connection to you, you’ll be meeting people who share the same interest and learning new stuff that’s interesting to you along the way.

    There’s gravity in this movement as the Internet continues to evolve and shape itself around people. But more about the people you should know, than the people you already know.

    The Internet allows people who’ve never met in real life to connect and share information, even though they are thousands of kilometres apart. The Interest graph takes this ideal on a totally different tangent, making meaningful connections easier.

    Often, it surprises you with things you’d find useful but never search for. For example, a quick browse for me on the boards of other social media fanatics revealed some nice infographics I had never seen before.

    If the current Internet is about “search”, and finding the things you like using search engines, with social networks like Pinterest and Facebook’s own “interest” initiatives, the future will be about recommendations and automatic links with things we like.

    So give Pinterest a whirl. Who knows? You might just discover something you like.

    * David Lian has a couple of Pinterest invites to give away. Tweet him at @davidlian.

  • 29 Dec

    Posted by


    Category

    Of social media and new gadgets

    0

    JUST like that, 2011 has passed us by and so much has happened in the technology world. Both of us can hardly keep up with what’s been happening, given the break-neck speed at which things changed and developed all year long.

    More significantly, technology has shown this year that it matters beyond the world of geeks; it has played a major role in the world at large, particularly at the intersection of technology, society and culture.

    This year was where all these forces came head to head. And along that vein, each of us has picked our choices of the most significant technology-related moments of the past year.

     

    Tablets and the Amazon Kindle Fire

    Right from the start 2011 was hailed the “year of the tablet”. Google was releasing Honeycomb, and several manufacturers had already shown off prototypes of other Android tablets.

    We were pretty much bound for disappointment on this count, until Amazon came out with the Kindle Fire recently.

    Okay, so it hasn’t hit Malaysia yet but the Kindle Fire did what a bunch of other 2011 tablets challenging the iPad failed to do: It changed the game, faster than even Apple could.

    You see, before the Kindle Fire, the tablet market was all about product specifications, faster processors, cooler Android skins and better marketing. Prices hovered near the iPad range, and the only real innovation was the seven-inch form factor first introduced by Samsung via its Galaxy Tab.

    The Kindle Fire changed all that with a US$199 (RM628) price tag, and decent enough specs and a beautiful screen. More importantly, it wasn’t a tablet for the sake of being a tablet, but rather as a gateway to buying all of Amazon’s digital content and goods.

    Rather than making money off selling you a piece of hardware, Amazon is selling you a piece of hardware to make money off you buying videos, music, books and any other piece of content they can sell you from their store. The best part is – this model works and Amazon is the best positioned company to take this on. Next year, I’m expecting to see lots of solid tablet options aimed at competing with the Amazon Kindle Fire instead of the iPad, and lots of folks toting seven-inch tablets. – David Lian

     

    Year of the Protestors

    Say what you like about how social media was just an enabler of revolutions but I challenge you to find a time in history when so much change (and impact) could descend upon the world in under 365 days.

    This, ladies and gentlemen, is thanks to social media. Granted, many of the revolutions were a long time-coming. After all, the sentiments that the public held in contempt of those in power are not new.

    Yet, one can hardly argue that if it was not for social media networks – be it Facebook or Twitter – the public would have felt as empowered as they did, even in countries where the change they were hoping for did not come their way.

    Time magazine may have named the “Protestors” as their Person Of The Year.

    I would rather look at how social media was integral to their strategies for mobilising the people.

    Just look at the #Occupy movement around the world as an example. – Niki Cheong

     

    Group buying

    Somewhere deep inside each of us, there’s a little Kiasu Malaysian waiting to get out. Unfortunately, that Kiasu Malaysian just got unleashed this year with the string of group buying sites now flooding the market.

    Somehow, I don’t remember it being this prevalent in 2010, but when Groupon entered Malaysia by buying over local leader GroupsMore, it seemed to kick the group-buying trend in Malaysia up a couple of notches. Instead of seedy discounts offered for obscure holiday packages and slimming trials (or “experiences” as they were marketed previously), we get good discounts on good brands, and at the very least, some top name restaurants offering really good deals on meals.

    The cheap person in me wants to rush out and buy as many Groupons as I can. The savvy person realises I’m probably going to forget to use half of them. – DL

     

    Timelines

    It may have only been rolled out for a couple of weeks but one of social media’s biggest stories of 2011 has to be the introduction of the Facebook Timeline.

    People may whine and whinge about how it changes the look of their profile but this is probably the most significant aesthetic change Facebook has introduced in a long time.

    Look aside, this move by the social media giant could serve as a warning to its competitors, especially as speculation of an IPO gets rife, to show just how much of an institution it already is.

    Numbers or users aside (the largest in the world, in case you didn’t know), Timeline also shows other networks what Facebook has that they might not – years of history with its users.

    Users who have been with the network from the beginning would have close to a decade’s worth of history saved onto the site, which is now available at a mere click. It not only helps users walk down memory lane but also reminds them just how much they (the user and Facebook) have gone through together over the years.

    Who needs to write an autobiography these days? Just make your timeline public (if you dare to share your life with the world!). – NC

     

    Steve Jobs

    You might think it’s cliche that Steve Job gets a mention, but in my mind, his passing stands out as one of the best covered events on the Internet, surpassing even Michael Jackson’s.

    When the announcement first broke on Twitter, it smashed a number of records with hashtags #iSad and #ThankYouSteve jamming up Twitter and Facebook. Then came the wave of inevitable Steve Jobs quotes flooding everyone’s wall. And this is merely on social network sites.

    Blogs, columns and yes, whole websites, started commemorating the inventor of the Apple devices we all love. So if this doesn’t get him a mention as perhaps one of the biggest “things” to happen in the technology or social world, I don’t know what else does. - DL

     

    Google+

    While Google+ is not yet a #fail story, one really has to wonder when it’ll all come together for the Internet giant.

    Earlier this year, Google released its new social network in beta mode to selected users, although control wasn’t that tight and most early adopters found themselves actively using it within weeks.

    Unfortunately for Google, it seems that many of the said early adopters have left the network, or at least left their accounts idle.

    The biggest problem? No one really knows what adding people to “Circles” mean. Facebook took the easy way out with “Friends” while Twitter’s “Follow” concept is easy enough to grasp. – NC

     

    Circles is another issue

    Despite the bad press (more to do with its initial push for users to use their real names), Google+ is still running, probably because it owns such a huge database of users from its Gmail accounts which makes it easier for new users to start using the network.

    But you can’t force these things. If Google doesn’t think of more nifty ideas (such as organising a Google+ Hangout session between the Dalai Lama and Reverend Desmond Tutu), Google+ might just go along the same route as Google Wave and Google Buzz before it.

    And that’s nowhere. – NC

  • 06 Dec

    Posted by


    Category

    Season of giving

    0

    By DAVID LIAN
    alltherage@thestar.com.my

    The holiday season is just around the corner, and for many people, this also means crazy sale, traffic jams and a gift-buying frenzy. But even before you head down to the nearest traffic jam, errr, I mean, shopping centre, your main challenge is figuring out what your friends want!

    Fear not, though, as help is at hand. The Internet has revolutionised many industries and markets, and gifting (perhaps) might be just the industry it revolutionises next.

    What people want

    There’s nothing worse than discovering that someone’s random gift exchange at a party was what you gave your best friend last year (oops!). Like it or not, we’ve all probably received gifts we didn’t care much for, and probably have promptly re-gifted them to others.

    This is why one needs a gift list, where everyone within a circle of friends or family unashamedly tells everyone else what they want. That way, there’ll be zero wastage and everyone will get something that’s useful to them.

    A modern twist on the gift list is the new site Gift.Ly (www.gift.ly) that allows you and your friends to register and post your list online for others to see.
    Once you’ve registered, Gift.Ly gives you a short link you can share with your friends, tweet or post on Facebook. It invites them to check out your list or share with you a list of their own. All your gift requests can be linked to URLs so your friends can do their shopping for you from their armchair and never get the wrong item.

    An even more technologically-advanced take on the art of gift-buying comes from Imply Labs and their “predictive buying engine” at GiveEmThis (http://GiveEmThis.com).

    Shopping for someone special? Go online!

    The geek in me absolutely loves this technology. Here’s the deal, you can sign in with your Facebook account and select any of your Facebook friends.

    GiveEmThis will then analyse your friends’ public data, such as his stream, posts and biography and age and interests, and then give you a list of suggested gifts from Amazon.

    GiveEmThis only makes use of public data and gives you the option of using it anonymously as well, by simply entering a friend’s Twitter account you want it to analyse. Or, you could fill in a questionnaire and get results that way, too.

    I tested GiveEmThis on myself and got some pretty accurate results. It recommended for me a series of card games, board games and gadgets, as well as the A Game Of Thrones Art Book (now, I’m really impressed!).

    At the same time, it also recommended the Playskool Easy Bake Ultimate, which I thought was a little strange. I later realised that it’s probably because I’ve been posting stuff on Facebook about my daughter and my newborn son!

    Let’s talk money

    If you’re looking for stuff at great prices (aren’t we all?) I’ve only got one answer for your – group buying sites. I think group-buying as a business model is slightly tacky, but as a consumer, I’ve kind of grown addicted to checking the latest deals on sites, simply because there are some really good deals.

    But first, here’s a caveat – be sure to really read through the fine print, and also remember to check out the delivery terms (for example, when will you receive the product?). Also, be sure to compare prices, as not everything is a good deal.

    I find that Groupon (http://groupon.com.my) has the best deals in town. For me, variety is key, and some sites give you a lot of deals, but for very similar goods or services, like car washes, restaurant deals, and slimming/spa packages.

    In contrast, I picked up a nice tailored suit at Groupon for RM700 recently.
    Other sites I check frequently include Dealmates (http://dealmates.com), MilkADeal (http://milkadeal.com) and GroupEGo (http://groupego.com.my).

    If you don’t care much for deals, and don’t mind buying stuff at full price, then there’s a bunch of cool webstores on MySimplifieds (http://mysimplifieds.com). You can browse through various categories and most likely find good deals from local sellers on what you want.

    For a savvy and digital generation, I also think a great gift option is iTunes credit or digital goods such as PC games etc. You can get credit for computer games and iTunes through services such as MOL (www.mol.com.my) or OffGamers (http://offgamers.com).

    The only place I buy my PC games now is the Steam online store (http://store.steampowered.com) where there are great daily deals.
    I hope I’ve given you some ideas on what good gifts you can give and made selecting a gift for your best mates much less of a hassle. Now, that you also know what I’d like this holiday … feel free to send a gift my way too!

    q David Lian wasn’t actually serious about that last comment asking you to send gifts his way. However, if you really want to send him something, tweet him at @davidlian and maybe he’ll give you his address.

  • 02 Nov

    Posted by


    Category

    The Games We Play

    0

    By DAVID LIAN

    alltherage@thestar.com.my

    Played a game on Facebook or Google+ recently? Casual gaming seems to have taken the market by storm in the past year or so, with people on iPads and iPhones playing Zombie Cafe or Japan Life.

    I was never a big fan of “free” and “casual” games online, especially those that are on Facebook and allows your friends to send invites (Read: spam) all over your Facebook wall like FarmVille, CityVille, Zoo Keeper and Mafia Wars.

    The mechanics of the games seem simplistic – too simplistic. For example, an early version of Facebook game required you to “bite” as many Facebook friends as you could, and hope they would “bite” other people in return, all to see who would be the highest ranking “vampire.”

    Clearly a Ponzi scheme turned into a game.

    And then there’s the advent of free-to-play games proliferating the marketplace. These games adopt a model where an initial portion of the game is available for free while coaxing players to pay a fee (or multiple fees) to unlock more features.

    There’s nothing wrong with the free-to-play model; even the much-acclaimed World of Warcraft game has gone free-to-play. However, it does seem to have spawned a host of cheaply made free games that aim to trick young people into paying huge amounts of money for virtual items they don’t need.

    That doesn’t mean all casual, free-to-play, social network-based games are garbage, though. To my amazement, there does seem to be a market for these kinds of games. The kinds you don’t need a rigged out PC to play on.

    There’s also been a fantastic amount of maturity in the games that have come out. From the simplistic “Ponzi scheme” games, the games have developed into surprisingly complex medium.

    For example, this past week, I’ve re-discovered a good ol’ casual game I once played in its infancy – Urban Rivals (www.urban-rivals.com or just search on Facebook). The game takes some simple, yet strategically-deep card game mechanics – like bluffing – throws in the community experience, and wraps around a colourful background story of rival gangs fighting for supremacy, to create a complex yet fun experience.

    Urban Rivals game in progress.

    If you like collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering, or even poker, this game is right up your alley. Gameplay wise, it’s very simple. Each player is allocated four characters from his “deck” at the start of the match. Each character has a power statistic that denotes how good he is at attacking, and a damage statistic that tells you how much damage he does when he lands a hit.

    To initiate an attack, you choose your team member and allocate a certain amount of energy, called “pillz”. The number of pillz you have is 12 at the start of the match, and you get one more on each turn. So, if I put four pillz on a character with eight power, I’ll get a final attack score of 32 attack. The highest attack wins.

    The game is really about bluffing your opponent to commit too early or too much to a certain attack to win the game by reducing his life to zero.

    Just signing up for the game gets each player a starter crew of eight characters, which is just enough to field a team for your first game. There are 21 clans in total in the game, and having two or more members from the same clan gives you a bonus.

    Here’s the genius bit about the game: Players can buy or sell characters in a virtual market using in-game currency called “clintz.” You get clintz by winning battles or participating in weekly tournaments. Like the real world, you get to name your price on a team member you want to sell and prices fluctuate up and down depending on the flavour of the month.

    For those who don’t want to save up on their clintz, there’s obviously an easier way to get the characters you want – just pay (RM10 gets you about three characters in-game).

    Most importantly, the community is vibrant, the games are short (you can download an iPhone app) and the rewards are within reach. It’s a great way to get social, while your time away and enjoy a complex and skillful game. There’s even a Malaysian guild if you know where to look.

    Another game I’ve checked out recently is Dragon Age Legends (search Facebook or Google+). This game lets you create a character and go on adventures with your real-life buddies in a high-fantasy world. It, too, seems to create a higher quality interactive experience than earlier simplistic games of its ilk.

    So, is casual, online, free-to-play gaming set to become the next frontier?

    On many levels, I think the answer is “yes”, if not already. Casual games are much more accessible to a society increasingly becoming strapped with time and money. Inversely, it’s compatible with the growth in smartphone and mobile Internet usage. After all, Angry Birds did become a phenomenon.

    And yes, you can play them while at work (not that I condone such behaviour).

    Yet, it’s a totally different class of games over the experience you’d expect from sitting down with a serious session of World Of Warcraft. Personally, I’m glad it’s matured to a point that I don’t feel I’m spamming people to get them to bite the next person.

    To send virtual drinks (and other things) to David, tweet him at @davidlian.

  • 31 Aug

    Posted by


    Category

    Losing the human touch

    0

    By DAVID LIAN
    alltherage@thestar.com.my

    Recently at a dinner, I observed what’s become a pretty common sight these days – a boy of 12 or 13 kept playing with his iPhone throughout dinner.
    Now that probably isn’t such a bad thing for some people except that everyone at the table was doing it, too!
    This scenario got me thinking – the more I look at the way technology has progressed, the more I am convinced that human beings actually don’t really like each other.
    In fact, it seems that unless we really need to deal with another human being directly, we wouldn’t do so.
    Now, hear me out before you talk about the growth of social networks and all that. I’m talking about having conversations, laughing and interacting with each other face-to-face. Social networks seem to be a way of escaping all that. It is much easier to summon up the courage to poke fun at someone online, than to do it in real life, isn’t it?
    But the thought goes deeper than that. If we think about it, it’s a perpetual “chicken-and-egg” situation. Sociologists have fumbled around this question for decades – does technology evolve according to human needs, or do humans evolve around the technology that’s available?
    If technology does follow human beings, it’s a pretty clear conclusion that we don’t much like each other very much. Just look at the technology we’ve created.
    We built ATM machines so we don’t have to deal with human tellers any more. We started online services so people don’t have to get out and do their groceries. We use e-mail so that we can tell someone things we would not say to his or her face.

    Technology plays a very big part in the way we communicate today. However, a real-life connection is still important.

    Best of all, we created all kinds of robots that can take the trouble out of having to deal with other human beings.
    Yes, I know, it’s all about the convenience and efficiency. I do a fair bit of “armchair shopping” myself too. But in the mix and the headlong rush to be super efficient, and to use technology to the maximum, we’re cutting out the middle man – humans.
    Like the sociologist questioned: “Could it be that we human beings subconsciously don’t really like each other very much?”
    A technologist once wrote that the “objective of technology seems to be about replacing humans with machines.” It’s a scary thought, and if you’ve watched Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator movies, you know exactly how scary that can be.
    Perhaps the reason is because it’s simpler to deal with a machine than people.
    There was a time when heading down to the coffeshop for teh tarik and wantan noodles in the morning meant saying “hi” to the guy bringing you your drink and     getting a smile in return. You’d also spare some time for banter, and hear about how his kids are doing.
    Today, when I step into a cafe, the feeling I get is a sullen silence as everyone seems to be engrossed with their iPad or laptop or phone.
    We’re losing a part of being human, and it’s almost as if we don’t really want to interact with each other. This week, we celebrate Hari Raya, and it’s an excellent opportunity to go out and visit your friends – Malay, Chinese, Indian, it doesn’t matter – in their homes. We’re all humans. Let’s not just use technology to drop a “Selamat Hari Raya” post on our friend’s Facebook wall as seems to be the in thing to do today.
    Rather, let’s rebuild that human connection. If you have friends to visit, don’t just stay at home and stare at your PC. Get up, get out, and let’s reconnect. Be human again.

    David Lian would love to say Selamat Hari Raya and Happy Merdeka Day to everyone, even though he wishes he can do it in person (but it’s just not possible). Find him on Twitter at @davidlian.

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