Property Net Info

Information abounds in the internet, that's good! What's bad is the difficulty in knowing which ones are reliable. The whole of the internet is like the ocean, full of the good and bad. Here in Hong Kong, one of the most followed information is regarding properties: real estate! Hong Kong people are property mad. This is where many have made their money. But many too are without any. It appears that the rich ones accumulate many flats to live in and rent out. The poor ones, have no choice but to live in government built spartan-like shoeboxes - but I digress, that's another story. To know what you're getting yourself into, you need to search a lot. First by internet, then by agents, then by going to the site yourself! If you miss one of these steps, you'll most probably make a bad and expensive decision. One website that can be used is hkhomesreview.com which appears to be a site maintained by a photo enthusiast. He takes photos and gathers information of residential estates in Hong Kong. The difference of this site from other real estate websites is that it appears to have a deeper knowledge of most of the estates it writes about. Websites of the bigger Real Estate companies offer details on prices and sizes, but they don't carry information regarding the goodness or bad-ness of the estates! But yes, they do serve their own purpose. Other net users are quite helpful in providing information that they have - to find them, you need to go through a lot of user fora. Again, take their advice with a pinch of salt. Internet savvy people will be able to find what they need with not much effort, but beginners on the other hand need some help to find reliable info that they use to make decisions. So, whether you're hunting for a place to buy, rent, or just spend a few nights on, we wish you the best.

Looking Forward to new Nexus 7

It looks like the new Nexus 7 is going to be a good one. The improved screen resolution plus the 2 mb ram and the improved processor will be enough to make it a very convenient travelling companion.

The battery life it is claiming to deliver is also good, not great still, but good enough.

One thing I noticed is the lack of excitement on the new Android 4.3 version. Nobody seems to be that hot in it. Is it because it's not really bringing something substantial? There's really nothing new for the ordinary user in this latest iteration.

As a whole, looking at is a device you're always going to use, it looks like a winner. Let's see if it turns that way in actual use.

Too Many Passwords!

How many have you forgotten so far?

It's bound to happen you know. Just ask yourself how many emails you're maintaining (e.g. one for work and another for personal emails, etc.). Think too of the many accounts you have in social media. There are so many sites that matter to us personally and they too, verify our identity! That's not to mention the more important ones like the bank (how many again?), and utilities, and school and others.

Many smart people have been trying to solve this problem without giving up on security. None so far has given us a real solution.

What have you tried? Did you try to use the same password for all accounts? Sometimes they work, most of the times they don't as for example sites don't have the same validation for passwords. Some require four digits (they're still alive!), some 8. Newer and security conscious sites require combinations of letters and numbers, and some even require non-alphanumeric characters! Plus the small letter and capital letter combination!

Think too that these sites force us to change our passwords! It's a real hassle I know, but you can't do anything about it - it's for security reasons!

Don't forget some sites require two password combinations, and too, some even use an additional layer using a device that generates random numbers (are they really random?) outside of the original password. What's going to happen if you lose your number generator and it takes the institution (usually banks) ages to send you a new one? It's difficult to imagine...

So what are we to do? Most of us do things that compromise security. You'll find some passwords jotted down on cards (think of your ATM), in a tiny piece of paper in the wallet, stored in the mobile phone too! How could you do this? It's laziness sometimes.

If you're so sure you can remember all the passwords that you use without using anything, just the plain old noggin, then think too what's going to happen if you get into an accident and forget everything! Oh gosh, there's just nothing that we can do that is full proof.

So, we just that what we need to do...hopefully someday something will come to solve this very simple yet confounding problem!

Sony Experia Z Tablet - Impressive!

I spent some time using the new Sony Experia Z 10.1 tablet and I was impressed!  The responsiveness is so good, the screen’s resolution is excellent, the weight is incredibly light, the size was not to my liking (I now prefer the 8-inch screen size), but everything else was good. It is one truly likable device.

I believe that tablets are getting so ordinary that it’s so hard to distinguish one from another. Sony though has added the thinness factor and a unique claim to being water and dust resistant!

Everything else looks the same for those who are familiar with Android.

I installed my favorite ebook reader and read my favorite magazines, and found the Experia Z to be good as well. It helps that the resolution is so high the text and photo details are incredibly clear! I’m sure it’s going to be a very good e-reader because you’re not going to be too tired holding it for long periods of time, as mentioned, it is light.

I’m going to pass on this item though and wait and see whether Sony is going to release one with an 8-inch screen. If not, I may get a Samsung Note 8.

Excellent Smartphone: Samsung Galaxy S4

This phone can do the basics very well and more. It can make and receive calls; write, send, and receive SMS and MMS messages; connect and browse the internet; install apps and run them.

All these things plus playing music and videos, taking photos and videos, reading ebooks, viewing all sorts of documents are effortlessly achieved in this smartphone. Come to think of it, are you going to buy a smartphone that can't do these basics? No way Jose!

If you're the type that only needs a phone to communicate, then this beast of a phone (and expensive too!) is not for you. Go get something that lasts weeks in one charge. This is one thing that a powerful smartphone owner can't run away from, the power drain problem.

The S4 can last one whole day in a normal use environment (phone calls, sms messages, email checking, light Facebook browsing). But if you're a gamer, even social gaming where colorful candies or gold drops down or disperses in the screen added with heavy use of cellular or internet voice calls, you'll be happy with an 8-hour battery life. If you're such a user, I recommend getting one of those external batteries that can re-charge your S4 one or two times.

The S4 is beautiful to look at and in addition, feels very nice to touch. It's a shame to wrap it up with something to protect it from accidental drops and collisions, but that's a modest thing to have to protect a significant investment. After all, the S4 costs much.

One question that I'd like to answer is: Does the S4 offer something compelling for S3 owners to upgrade? My personal answer is NO.

If you're an S2 owner and are planning to get a new phone, then the S4 is a significant upgrade. I am an S3 owner, and I'm not going to to upgrade to S4. My other half has the S4, and I like looking, touching and "tinkering" with it. I'm sure most of us would. I stand by the title I've given to this post, the S4 is an excellent gadget. I'll say it again, if you're looking for a new phone, this is a very good choice to make.