aaronchin.com

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twenty.something
entrepre.nerd
tech.whore
finance.buff
amateur.golfer
jazz.enthusiast


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aaron.chin@mac.com
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Agua de Beber by Sergio Mendes, featuring will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas.

The original song is a bossa nova jazz standard by Antonio Carlos Jobim - probably the most prolific composer of the genre, who contributed to the jazz repertoire with timeless pieces like The Girl from Ipanema, One Note Samba, How Insensitive etc. These are all classics I must’ve heard a million times and still not sick of ‘em. This modern version has a little funk/hip-hop twist to it and still sounds amazing. How could you not like Brazilian jazz?

I used to love shooting with the original Lomo LC-A back in the college days. Whoever owned or used that little Russian gem knows what wonders the Minitar 1 lens can do. But the thing about 35mm photography, or lomography for that matter, is that you only get to see the results when you develop the film, which could be anywhere from several hours to a month later. And that can really take the fun out of photography sometimes.
Now that they’ve released a fix for that, I gotta get my hands on one and relive the good ol’ days of Polaroid instant photography, done in LOMO-style! Here’s my LC-A+ 25th Anniversary Edition paired with the Instant Back+ attachment, which uses Fuji Instax Mini films only. You get to enjoy all the goodies of the LC-A+, plus the whole range of accessories made for the original LC-A and LC-A+. There’s nothing quite like experimenting with different settings or accessories and see your shots develop right away! This sure as hell beats the crap out of my Fuji Instax Mini 7S.

I used to love shooting with the original Lomo LC-A back in the college days. Whoever owned or used that little Russian gem knows what wonders the Minitar 1 lens can do. But the thing about 35mm photography, or lomography for that matter, is that you only get to see the results when you develop the film, which could be anywhere from several hours to a month later. And that can really take the fun out of photography sometimes.

Now that they’ve released a fix for that, I gotta get my hands on one and relive the good ol’ days of Polaroid instant photography, done in LOMO-style! Here’s my LC-A+ 25th Anniversary Edition paired with the Instant Back+ attachment, which uses Fuji Instax Mini films only. You get to enjoy all the goodies of the LC-A+, plus the whole range of accessories made for the original LC-A and LC-A+. There’s nothing quite like experimenting with different settings or accessories and see your shots develop right away! This sure as hell beats the crap out of my Fuji Instax Mini 7S.

Just got a whole new stack of books full of secrets, writings, sketches, scribbles, passive-aggressive notes, even grocery lists, and all kinds of illustrated journals from the world’s top designers to the everyday artists around us. I consider these art forms you just can’t enjoy in museums or art galleries. Real inspired today.

Just got a whole new stack of books full of secrets, writings, sketches, scribbles, passive-aggressive notes, even grocery lists, and all kinds of illustrated journals from the world’s top designers to the everyday artists around us. I consider these art forms you just can’t enjoy in museums or art galleries. Real inspired today.

Recently added a new member to my growing horde of mice - Logitech Anywhere Mouse M905. Having bought a dozen or so computer mice that’s built for road warriors, I finally found one that doesn’t have any major design flaws - unergonomic shape, misplaced buttons etc. And you know what, this baby even works on GLASS! Hands down the most versatile notebook mouse on the market today.

Recently added a new member to my growing horde of mice - Logitech Anywhere Mouse M905. Having bought a dozen or so computer mice that’s built for road warriors, I finally found one that doesn’t have any major design flaws - unergonomic shape, misplaced buttons etc. And you know what, this baby even works on GLASS! Hands down the most versatile notebook mouse on the market today.

My new favourite place to chill out in Kuala Lumpur - No Black Tie. Featuring some of the best jazz in the city, it’s the one place you shouldn’t miss! In the picture: WVC Trio + 1 paying tribute to the legendary Bill Evans!

My new favourite place to chill out in Kuala Lumpur - No Black Tie. Featuring some of the best jazz in the city, it’s the one place you shouldn’t miss! In the picture: WVC Trio + 1 paying tribute to the legendary Bill Evans!

There’s nothing revolutionary about the BlackBerry Bold 9700 (aka Bold 2). But it’s truly the pinnacle of BlackBerries today. RIM has put in literally all the best stuff they’ve got into this flagship handset. The display, the keyboard, the trackpad, the materials used… Every single thing about this phone screams quality. Business smartphones just don’t get much better than this. But hey RIM, while I absolutely love the BlackBerry OS for what it’s meant for, it’s really starting to show its age a little bit. I hope you guys are working on something even better right now, ‘cause things are starting to look pretty good at the Android camp!

There’s nothing revolutionary about the BlackBerry Bold 9700 (aka Bold 2). But it’s truly the pinnacle of BlackBerries today. RIM has put in literally all the best stuff they’ve got into this flagship handset. The display, the keyboard, the trackpad, the materials used… Every single thing about this phone screams quality. Business smartphones just don’t get much better than this. But hey RIM, while I absolutely love the BlackBerry OS for what it’s meant for, it’s really starting to show its age a little bit. I hope you guys are working on something even better right now, ‘cause things are starting to look pretty good at the Android camp!

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Perfidia by the Eddie Higgins Trio.

A different take on a classic Mexican song by one of the best jazz pianists ever lived (Eddie passed away few months ago). Anyway, if you’ve seen Wong Kar Wai’s 2046 or Days of Being Wild (another film being In the Mood for Love to form an informal trilogy), this song would definitely ring a bell.

Gray is obviously the new black in 2009. We’ve seen models like Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas Gray, Hublot’s Big Bang Earl Gray etc. being introduced at Baselworld earlier this year. Even Richard Mille has created an All Gray series for 2009.
I happened to stumble across this rather limited Bell & Ross BR 01-96 Commando the other day and thought I’d get me a timepiece in gray hue before the year’s out. Inspired by aircraft cockpit on-board instruments and designed with military aesthetic in mind, gotta say I’m pretty pleased with the result. Simple, discreet, and so understated.
Anyway, MERRY CHRISTMAS peeps!

Gray is obviously the new black in 2009. We’ve seen models like Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas Gray, Hublot’s Big Bang Earl Gray etc. being introduced at Baselworld earlier this year. Even Richard Mille has created an All Gray series for 2009.

I happened to stumble across this rather limited Bell & Ross BR 01-96 Commando the other day and thought I’d get me a timepiece in gray hue before the year’s out. Inspired by aircraft cockpit on-board instruments and designed with military aesthetic in mind, gotta say I’m pretty pleased with the result. Simple, discreet, and so understated.

Anyway, MERRY CHRISTMAS peeps!

Came across this album in Kaohsiung that shed a new light on my name. Artificial Animals Riding On Neverland. WTF?

Came across this album in Kaohsiung that shed a new light on my name. Artificial Animals Riding On Neverland. WTF?

I’ve upgraded my old Callaway Big Bertha to the new Titleist 710 AP1. Picture doesn’t justify how nice these irons look. They’re gorgeous and have a very nice blend of feel and forgiveness. Mid/high handicappers should check these out. I’m no expert at clubs but I think Titleist have got a winner here. Hit a few shots with these and you’ll see what I mean.

I’ve upgraded my old Callaway Big Bertha to the new Titleist 710 AP1. Picture doesn’t justify how nice these irons look. They’re gorgeous and have a very nice blend of feel and forgiveness. Mid/high handicappers should check these out. I’m no expert at clubs but I think Titleist have got a winner here. Hit a few shots with these and you’ll see what I mean.

Apple’s new Magic Mouse is the world’s first multi-touch mouse. Featuring a white top and aluminium bottom, the design matches perfectly with the current Mac lineup. Clicking and scrolling work like a charm, but the two-finger swipe gesture is a bit awkward to perform. Overall I’d say it’s a worthy successor to the problematic Mighty Mouse, but it’s still not as ergonomic as you’d want in a key input device. If you do a fair bit of mousing, do yourself a favour and avoid this. But if you’re willing to sacrifice a little comfort for looks, I really haven’t seen a better-looking mouse!
Update: You must download MagicPrefs if you have a Magic Mouse. MUST. DOWNLOAD. NOW.

Apple’s new Magic Mouse is the world’s first multi-touch mouse. Featuring a white top and aluminium bottom, the design matches perfectly with the current Mac lineup. Clicking and scrolling work like a charm, but the two-finger swipe gesture is a bit awkward to perform. Overall I’d say it’s a worthy successor to the problematic Mighty Mouse, but it’s still not as ergonomic as you’d want in a key input device. If you do a fair bit of mousing, do yourself a favour and avoid this. But if you’re willing to sacrifice a little comfort for looks, I really haven’t seen a better-looking mouse!

Update: You must download MagicPrefs if you have a Magic Mouse. MUST. DOWNLOAD. NOW.

Been travelling with these guys for some time. And now I just can’t get on a plane without one of them - Bose QC3 and Klipsch X10. One’s perfect for long-haul flights and the other’s great for short domestic flights. Gotta tell you the earcup cushions on the QC3 get worn out pretty easily though. But there are replacement parts available. The much more portable X10 is one of the best sounding and most comfortable in-ear headphones out there. Trust me I’ve used Shure, Etymotic, Ultimate Ears, and even the much-hyped Monster Beats by Dr. Dre, which by the way is the worst headphone I’ve ever poked into my ears. None of them are as small and comfortable as the X10.

Been travelling with these guys for some time. And now I just can’t get on a plane without one of them - Bose QC3 and Klipsch X10. One’s perfect for long-haul flights and the other’s great for short domestic flights. Gotta tell you the earcup cushions on the QC3 get worn out pretty easily though. But there are replacement parts available. The much more portable X10 is one of the best sounding and most comfortable in-ear headphones out there. Trust me I’ve used Shure, Etymotic, Ultimate Ears, and even the much-hyped Monster Beats by Dr. Dre, which by the way is the worst headphone I’ve ever poked into my ears. None of them are as small and comfortable as the X10.

Just got me one of the hot new VAIO TT rocking Windows 7 Professional! I was gonna go for the ultra-light VAIO X, but after fiddling with it for a couple of minutes, I realised the machine’s just way too underpowered to get any serious work done. I should’ve known this as it has almost identical specs as my VAIO P. Both have sexy outfits, but essentially still are Atom-powered netbooks so you know they’re pretty much running dog slow.
Now the VAIO TT is in a whole different league. It may look like your average netbook given its minute size, but it’s actually a full-fledged laptop wrapped in an ultra-portable package. Powerful enough to handle all my daily computing, and light enough to warrant a place in my suitcase all the time. Frankly I still think Windows 7 is no Snow Leopard, but it’s no doubt a fantastic OS and I don’t mind using it as my daily work platform - if only all the great apps I use religiously are available on Windows too!

Just got me one of the hot new VAIO TT rocking Windows 7 Professional! I was gonna go for the ultra-light VAIO X, but after fiddling with it for a couple of minutes, I realised the machine’s just way too underpowered to get any serious work done. I should’ve known this as it has almost identical specs as my VAIO P. Both have sexy outfits, but essentially still are Atom-powered netbooks so you know they’re pretty much running dog slow.

Now the VAIO TT is in a whole different league. It may look like your average netbook given its minute size, but it’s actually a full-fledged laptop wrapped in an ultra-portable package. Powerful enough to handle all my daily computing, and light enough to warrant a place in my suitcase all the time. Frankly I still think Windows 7 is no Snow Leopard, but it’s no doubt a fantastic OS and I don’t mind using it as my daily work platform - if only all the great apps I use religiously are available on Windows too!

You’re looking at the world’s first digital compact camera with a built-in projector. Yes, it’s got a PROJECTOR built right in on the front! That means you no longer have to pass your camera around to share the photos or videos you’ve just taken. Just find a flat surface (in a dark environment of course) and shoot ‘em out for all to see.
Performance? Well I can’t say I’m entirely impressed with it. Having only 10 lumens of brightness, compared to several thousand for an average projector, or 50 for the latest generation of pico projector, the projected image from the COOLPIX S1000pj is less than satisfactory. But still, it’s a very capable point-and-shoot camera, and Nikon has definitely set a new standard for digital compact camera by which others will follow in the years to come.

You’re looking at the world’s first digital compact camera with a built-in projector. Yes, it’s got a PROJECTOR built right in on the front! That means you no longer have to pass your camera around to share the photos or videos you’ve just taken. Just find a flat surface (in a dark environment of course) and shoot ‘em out for all to see.

Performance? Well I can’t say I’m entirely impressed with it. Having only 10 lumens of brightness, compared to several thousand for an average projector, or 50 for the latest generation of pico projector, the projected image from the COOLPIX S1000pj is less than satisfactory. But still, it’s a very capable point-and-shoot camera, and Nikon has definitely set a new standard for digital compact camera by which others will follow in the years to come.