aaronchin.com

Just ditched my iPad for the Wi-Fi + 3G model. Everything is...

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:46:00 +0800

Just ditched my iPad for the Wi-Fi + 3G model. Everything is pretty much the same, except now there’s a black bar on top for better antenna reception. Plus a real GPS chip inside!

Vintage Apple fans, check out the retro rainbow logo!

Been teaching myself to draw and paint lately. I find this a...

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 02:05:00 +0800

Been teaching myself to draw and paint lately. I find this a wonderful way to relax and trick my brain to release more endorphins. It’s gonna be a while before I can show you anything decent though. But that’s not stopping me from getting an easel and feel like a real artist!

Habanera by Carolina Moon (aka Caroline Lynn). I’m hooked...

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 23:18:00 +0800

Habanera by Carolina Moon (aka Caroline Lynn).

I’m hooked on French jazz recently. This piece is from the famous French opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. Most of you should recognise the tune as it’s been reworked many times into different styles and languages in the past. Such a timeless aria!

So long overweight, oversized DSLR! It’s been nice knowing...

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:41:00 +0800

So long overweight, oversized DSLR! It’s been nice knowing you, but I guess it’s time to move on……to Micro Four Thirds!

Well I guess it’s been a while since a point-and-shoot...

Fri, 21 May 2010 01:28:00 +0800

Well I guess it’s been a while since a point-and-shoot camera got me excited! From the outside the Sony DSC-TX7 looks just like any of its T-series predecessors. Thin, sleek, sturdy. But as always, it’s what’s inside that counts most. I’m not gonna do a feature-by-feature review so let’s keep this short and sweet. All you need to know is this: This baby takes GREAT photos WITHOUT flash under LOW-LIGHT conditions with VERY MINIMAL noise. That feature alone and its tiny footprint are enough to justify the price tag. Plus it takes superb panoramic shots and does HD videos. Can’t complain!

Been fiddling around with my iPad for a while now and still...

Tue, 04 May 2010 20:49:00 +0800

Been fiddling around with my iPad for a while now and still trying to figure out how it fits into my daily workflow. What I can tell you is that, it’s not a laptop killer — at least not in its current incarnation. The iPad works great as a device for content consumption, but not content creation. Yes, there are tons of apps that allow you to do your spreadsheet or compile a report, but that surely is not the most efficient way to get any serious work done. It can handle email just fine too, but then again, it’s not gonna replace your BlackBerry. Real-time, on-the-go email service — that fits into your pocket — is still very much BlackBerry’s forte.

So what good is the iPad? (1) Web. Casual web surfing on the bed, couch, airport, coffeeshop has never been more fun; (2) E-reading. While I don’t think the iPad does anything to enhance the book reading experience, it does take magazine reading to a whole new level — think Car & Driver with video reviews or photo slideshows embedded inside the magazine itself. Same goes for newspaper. Fast, up-to-the-minute, and interactive. I think this will really change how newspapers and magazines get delivered to you; (3) Gaming. No elaboration needed here. The iPhone OS is already a serious gaming platform and is now the biggest threat to NDSi and PSP. But that’s not all. I believe the iPad has HUGE potential and its usage is only limited by the imagination of software developers around the world. Oh, and it’s not JUST a giant iPod touch. The screen changes everything!

Aesthetically these are no Sorapot. But they’re the world...

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:25:00 +0800

Aesthetically these are no Sorapot. But they’re the world famous Yixing Clay Teapots (aka Purple Sand Pots). They’re so prized because the clay has a unique characteristic that absorbs traces of tea into the pot during brewing, and over time develops a coating that retains the flavour and fragrance of the tea you put in. And that’s why each teapot is only meant for one kind of tea. It’s about time I give Camellia S. the proper treatment she deserves!

Update: I’m in Hong Kong now. Just heard on the TV that a lot of people in the Yixing town have been selling fake, poisonous Yixing Claypots that contain high level of heavy metals for years. Oh man, I’m gonna need a god damn metal analyzer when I get home.

Remember when everyone loved the G-Shock (and Baby-Gs) and it...

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:51:00 +0800

Remember when everyone loved the G-Shock (and Baby-Gs) and it was like the coolest thing to put on your wrist? Casio’s still churning them out and they’ve gone extra large with the GA100 now. Copped a stealthy model for old time’s sake!

I guess the people in Kaohsiung aren’t so big on jazz. The...

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 02:48:00 +0800

I guess the people in Kaohsiung aren’t so big on jazz. The closest thing to a jazz club I could find is the Blue Fantasy Music Pub on Wu-Fu 1st Road. It’s a pretty well-known venue for live music with some big-name local artists performing from time to time. You do get the occasional jazz sessions but the place’s pretty much an American-style restaurant & pub with styles of music ranging from pop to rock to country. If you don’t mind the loud chatters and the extremely limited wine selection, it’s not a bad place to spend the night. The fruit platter was a real masterpiece — took ‘em 45 minutes to hand-carve — just in case you’re into arts. Or fruits.

Agua de Beber by Sergio Mendes, featuring will.i.am from the...

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:59:00 +0800

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...

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:44:00 +0800

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,...

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:10:00 +0800

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 —...

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:52:00 +0800

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.

A new favourite place to chill out in Kuala Lumpur — No Black...

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:41:00 +0800

A 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 was WVC Trio + 1 paying tribute to the legendary Bill Evans!

Peek into the mind of Bill Gates here. Awesome stuff.

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:16:15 +0800

Peek into the mind of Bill Gates here. Awesome stuff.

There’s nothing revolutionary about the BlackBerry Bold...

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:16:00 +0800

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!

Perfidia by the Eddie Higgins Trio. A different take on a...

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:28:00 +0800

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...

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 06:14:00 +0800

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...

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:19:00 +0800

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...

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:56:00 +0800

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.