Stuffbak -- a fabulous idea!

Have you ever lost you stuff? Have you ever feel you missing something that couldn't be back? Have you ever buy something that you had before but now it disappear? If you ever feel one of them. I'm sure this will catch you! as it catch me this afternoon, even I never have any situation like that. I found this from Treocentral.com

"Stuffbak!" is your solution.

It's a spectacularly fabulous idea I ever heard. I couldn't even imagine depends on my environment I lived. This idea should come with a honest! not only thyself but also all people in a town, in a city or all of the world to make it work. Stuffbak comes with a service and a tag! To make it works is simple, practical but not that easy, it depends on how honest people have. That's all.



Stuffbak is a label with an information about toll free number., website of stuffbak, ID, and the important phrase "Reward for Return!" ;p



It's simply. Label tells enough information for finder to return that stuff easily-- with payback. Stuffbak call center will always wait for contact from finder. The most important thing is ID will identify the owner! that means it's easy to return that stuff!

Just place your label on your device and register ID on Stuffbak.com That's it! Stuffbak will keep you database forever but whether you sell that stuff, you still can change the information to new owner!

It seems a great service. Anyway, Nothing free in this world 55 about that label costs around $3-4 each. I'm not sure but they offer a package that contains some, in many size, type for suitable for everything. When you stuff return, you have to pay $14.95 for returning fee plus shipping that depends on how far between you and a finder plus optional payback for finder! It seems expensive but if you compare with your expensive gadget like iPod, Palm, or even laptop. I think it's worth to have more advantage of returning lost stuff.

For a finder, stuffbak claims that "they receive StuffBak's standard reward, $20 worth of STUFFBAK labels, plus any cash reward you may have offered." Hmm.. that's nice. After stuffbak has a contact from finder, they will contact an owner as soon as possible and return immediately via a mail or make an appointment between an owner and a finder as they wish!

Anyway, There are many TV show tests on how the result of this label, So the result is 70-80% chance of returning in a week! Some got back less than an hour. How cool it is! One thing that's not in test is trying in different ways such as between stuffbak label and owner-information label! Maybe chance of getting your stuff back is about the same ;p 555

For more information: Stuffbak.com

it's not only video rental store

Several days ago, I went to a video rental store like Tsutaya, Blockbluster in Thailand. Then I can find an answer that I wanna before I arrived in the US, that is, "There are no VideoCD for sell or rent in another country esp. western country, right?" So now I can answer that question; "Sure, due to low quality they have, in US, there have only VHS(some) and DVD(most), That mean they use only high-quality medium for movie". I think VideoCD is use for home-used or specific-used only!

Another thing that I found is There are many console games available for rental! that's weird for me because as I know, I can buy piracy games cheaper than this in my hometown. 55 Anyway, maybe it's one of reason that american use only legal games even if it's very expensive (I'm not sure they think the same as me 55), They can rent! they can try for a while before buying.... ;p sounds good but it doesn't work in country that illegal copy is less than $1 per game.. ;p Hmm I found that XBOX and PS2 games is about the same quantity, that mean XBOX is popular, isn't it? How can I answer that? I never own any game console in my life. ;p

about the movie rental cost, I can't remember exactly how much; however I think it's around $1-3 per disc and time period depends on how recent the movie is. ;p

Georgia Aquarium (cont.)

Here we are at Georgia Aquarium, its outside looks terrific, I think its logo it's very cute! So today, it seems normal, not crowd. Maybe because that day is wednesday, family that has a K-12 student can't come. One thing you have to know before going this aquarium is you can't go and buy ticket on that day you wanna visit; you have to purchase a ticket online or reserve it via telephone because of limiting visitor each day, here. (sometimes you have to reserve by few weeks such as on friday or weekend) Anyway it's the most expensive aquarium fee in the U.S. o_O" (I can't tell this is the best aquarium in USA, All I can tell is this is the newest ;p)


Each section has an enormous sign! in front of entering path. In Georgia Aquarium, there have 5 sections, including Georgia Explorer, River Scout, Coldwater Quest, Tropical Diver and Ocean Voyager. I am little disappointed with this aquarium, because I think it's so small, maybe because its ads show that "this is a very big aquarium with 8 million gallons of water and more than 100,000 animals." Then when I finished first section, Georgia Explorer that look like dreamworld more than aquarium, all I can say is "that's it! 0_O' ". Anyway it's not only the bad thing but also one impressive section, that is, River Scout, this section is show about freshwater fish especially from Amazon. I think they tried to make an environment in aquarium as same as the real, Amazon forest , it's cool!, and there has a roof as a fish!, I can't explain.., I think you have to look at the photo on my space , but it's really cool! this perspective is very interesting! .. Anyway fish in this section, you can see the same in The Mall 6 Ngamwongwan 555... such as a big fish that bit children's finger ;p

This photo makes me little antsy! ... hmm... that means airflow in this section is not good, right? -_-'

Finally, Georgia Aquarium is still interesting place around auburn. 555 if you come to auburn and want me to be a guide, this is the one of only a few choice that may make you impressive! ;p

ps. because this blog is less comfortable to upload a lot of pictures than MSN space, so I upload all of that to my space for your convenient viewing. My Space here, you can see all at photo section.

Georgia Aquarium

Luckily, A lot of japanese students, approx. 25, attend to IEP course, so IEP students increase to around 45 from 10-13 students last term. That's why this term IEP will take us to Atlanta.. I will show Atlanta city today, and I will try to upload photo in Georgia Aquarium tomorrow because of internet speed in a library is really faster than Sprint PCS Vision..



This is path across building over road. o_O" The most interesting is it's not only one level but also has many levels 'til the top of a building!.. Only this kind of structure that looks different from Bangkok but others is the same as Sukhumvit Rd., just only skyscraper. Huge difference to Auburn that only one-to-two-floor building is easy to find... -_-' I feel like rural boy goes to a big city again.. After it first happened when I moved to Bangkok many years ago. 

Fire Alarm!

Today, it's my first time in a library with my laptop. The Internet, here, is awesome. It's pretty fast! and more comfortable than the one in Wallace Bld, where IEP located. Maybe it's based on my laptop that has everything I want and I want it to be..

Oh!! no.. it's happened again, maybe it's time to go home now -_-'

Hm.. come back to write again after that twice fire alarm, first, when I heard that alarm, beepp, too noisy, and blinking fire alarm sign, I didn't think that is real but someone tried to pack their stuff, including laptop, most of students sat around me also using laptop. So, I think I would do the same as them. ;p (If I was in Thailand, I will not do like this, and others won't either, I guess) Afterward, I sat outside that building for a while, approx. 10 mins, continued downloading GRASS, and followed students back into that building. Around 5 mins later, it's make noise again -_-' that's why I can only write for a few sentence.. before I said "Oh!! no....". That seems to be a good and also bad impression together. Anyway I will stay at library after finished class next day. It will be better than go back to home and ... wasting my time ;p


Additional post about Cingular; raising the bar!

I really impressed about that TV Commercial ads of Cingular because there are a lot of times, good color, good sign and also good phrase,"raising the bar". In their commercial ads, they always show anything that looks like signal bar in cellphone and always maximum signal strength. Contrast with my Sprint, it's always 1 or 2 or 3 bar of 5; however, it can make a phone call normally even if in room 117, 1st floor, Wallace Bld, in the middle of severe whether shelter floor, and also look better than Alltel, ar tom's mobile, that always lost its signal while she's driving in Interstate! but Sprint still the same... just 1 or 2 bar.. ;p

Today, Japanese just bought cingular, so I'm very exciting the way its signal tends to be. One of japanese asks me a phone number, but I asks her to give me first and I will call to make it easier. Not that easy, I can't call her, I thought maybe 1 bar of sprint in this room is not enough to make a phone call. Then, I ask her for a phone to add number thyself and surely I have to test that problem is mine or not. I saw Cingular w/o any bar! and can't make any call -_-' Oh.. just commercial program... They only use advantage of media to promote their brands... and it works! especially for me ;p BUT NOT NOW 555

I did it!

Finally, I did it. I can make it true! My TOEFL score reaches 550 now. Surprisely, I am not mention about higer score at this time, 3rd time after 2 months in the United States.

First, it's on around first week when I came to USA, I didn't prepare anything before that but reading all grammar rules at night before test, so my score is not even reached my expectation-493. Second time is on end of IEP term, approx. 8 weeks later from first time, I think I took a lot of grammar practice test, just only one section that I can improve with taking a lot of practice, besides this section I think I should get better after 2-month-living-in-USA. However, 2 month is long enough to forget how feeling in the first time. Then when I took the test, I feel its extremely short and I never seen this kind of test before, it's pretty hard, but I thought my score would be better for sure. At last, 2nd time score was still not good enough even my expectation, it's 517. Another chance before next term of IEP began, pre-test of this term. However, I had only 4 days to make a practice and get ready for the test. Unfortunately, I was very busy such as going to temple with ar tom, studying at church on sunday, watching basketball. Because of that, I had only one day left. I decided to relax, do a little listening practice, read smallville handbook, and hit the sack. So, while I was taking the test, I did't feel I have to make 550, just do my best, actually I didn't even think about it and take the test another ways; go with my first instinct, skip a difficult one, that's all and get busy reading a passage I didn't understand.

Unbelievable, when I got a score, it's 553 o_O' what have I done?.... Anyway, passed TOEFL is not only a good thing, when I told that to others, first thing I heared, "glad with you, you don't have to learn this term anymore". That makes me confused because what about my skill? Even I can pass TOEFL, it doesn't mean I have enough skill to study in University right now, or to get a good score in GRE... In fact, I really want to go on with IEP to improve my english skill and retain a student status in US without going back to Thailand but how can I say to them? Do they think I wanna waste money? Oh, Nooo -_-"

Versamail vs Snappermail

After 1 month using Treo 650, one thing that bother me is email client, VersaMail. Do not misconceive, it's still work probably and well also. However, There have some dissatified function that make me looking for another client, including missing detach attachment function to free up main memory, irritating screen when enable receive only new message function, and re-receive deleted message. After that I found another popular palm email client, SnapperMail, so I have to use both programs for a week to find out which one is better..

That's a tough decision because there don't have a perfect program. Each program has advantages and disadvantages. Let's look at some example that I can found.

Reference: VersaMail v.3.1b and SnapperMail v.2.3 Enterprise Edition

Versamail
advantage:
— easy to use
— clearly interface
— pretty fast operation & preview attachment
— enable CSS but not including downloading link image

disadvantage:
— can't detach attachments.
— no card friendly function
— always re-receive deleted mail
— receive only new mail function, such as less than a week, doesn't make any sense. Because it always show awkward popup "There are a new mail but it's too old." For what?
— slow save attach to card
— doesn't have save to handheld function—into other program.


SnapperMail
advantage:
— detach attachment function
— smart receive mail function. No annoyed alert like versamail.
— friendly with card storage!
— has a file manager on its own, easy to find an attachment.
— Has a screen to show progression of every operation
— useful receive function; only Message Text or Entire Message or Tag to receive.
— Disable all stylesheet.

disadvantage:
— slower operation than versamail
— less clearly interface than versamail
— more complicate function and harder using one-hand operation than versamail
— extremely slow copying attach to card

Finally, I decide using SnapperMail because of detach attachment function, and no annoyed screen about old messages. Anyway, I can't tell it is my dream program likes Mozilla Thunderbird in desktop.

ps. I will try to capture both program screen for better understanding ;p but not yet..

add 3/11/2006:
>> Interface Comparion between Versamail and SnapperMail in PDF format download here

iPod shuffle review!

• first impression...
First of all, all iPod package is completely catched my motive. As I told before, I really love company that pays intention in packaging its product: its let me assumed that it also heeds in its product even actually it does or not.

• design
No doubt about this of all apple product since iMac G3; design is the most important factor of new era of Apple. Despite a symbol of iPod, clickwheel is missing in iPod shuffle, it still designs controller looks like click wheel to contain in iPod series. About this controller has an advantage above clickwheel in some ways that will talk later in next section. With a slim body of shuffle, it's very convenient to carry or put in shirt pocket. It differs form iPod mini that I can't put in shirt pocket because of its weight and size. All buttons of shuffle also easy to use and understand, maybe by reason of a few function it has. Additionally, USB Cap is a big issue in USB flash drive because in many product, USB cap has very bad design, it's just to cover USB connector but doesn't have any locker to make it sure that will never detach from connector. But in iPod, apple didn't pass by this point, they use sth. like ball bearing to lock in hole at connector, in left picture. that's another one that I impressed in Apple's Design..

• usability
to start play the first song from OFF state: it takes approximate 6s before ready to response any command. In my opinion, 6 seconds, it seems petty long time but it's acceptable. That means it's not long enough to get boring and not short as I wish also. In Addition, shuffle battery life is acceptable, ie, around 10-11 hours for continuous playing and around 3-4 days for normal use, 2-4 hours per day.

Another shuffle purpose is USB flash drive, you can set ratio between song:data in iTunes to restrict space for data, protecting joylously inserting song, I think, and you can disable this function also; that means you will use shuffle as MP3 player only. Computer that doesn't have iTunes will never found it as removable disk.

Anyway even if iTunes is a good, easy, and versatile tool. I think it's not good idea to make all iPod depends on only this, in fact, copyright, or fighting piracy could be one of major reasons. In other perspective, iTunes is a factor why iPod is very popular, too. Especially, Online music store—that allow buying song easily—and Podcast—like an offline radio. So, the problem is you wanna use iPod in what ways. If you want to share your song to your friends, you'll not appreciate with this ipod companion too much; however, you still can find 3rd party program that has ability to backup/download any song or data to desktop.

Comparing with other iPod, I think only one clear adventage of shuffle is vol+,- button instead of using you finger touchs around click wheel, it make user increase/decrease more practical than others, it can push that button correctly despite it still in a pocket. That's absolutely different from using clickwheel that you have to take it out of your pocket before doing anything.
The last point, lack of display, seems to be just a little problem but if you wanna use Podcast, it will be struggle because you're not able to find podcast easilly..

• Conclusion
After I have used it for a week. It impresses me a lot such as size, vol button, battery life and especially scatch invulnerablility, not like other iPod. My slightly concern is only apple should find a solution to use podcast easier than this. For example, always starting with all podcast in non-shuffle after turn on shuffle. (I think actually apple will discontinue this product instead of finding any solution :-p)

Pros
— tiny, light weight, easy to carry
— scatch invulnerablility; don't have to take care as much as other ipod.
— easy to increase/decrease volume
— good life time

Cons
— should have more capacity
— not include charger
— depends on iTunes too much
— hard to use with PodCast; can't select or find PodCast easily.