SamePaperPlayAgain - The “Goal” of Recycling

YankoDesign: "This fun creation is by Clement Eloy, and it is called SamePaperPlayAgain. Designed to encourage recycling, all the while adding a bit of excitement to the office. Available in blue, green and orange, this trash bin will add vibrancy to any office space. So go on and get your teams together for a little football or basketball competition. Once the bin is full, just empty it out into the recycling bin and let the games begin again."

FF: "Game Started, hahaha~"

Maglev wind turbines 1000x more efficient than normal windmills

Engadget: "We've seen a couple innovative wind power solutions pop up, but none that claim to offer the benefits of maglev wind turbines, which use full-permanent magnets to nearly eliminate friction by "floating" the blades above the base. According to developers, the technology is capable of scaling to massive sizes, with a proposed $53M turbine able enough to replace 1000 traditional windmills and power 750 thousand homes. Additional benefits include the ability to generate power with winds as slow as three miles per hour, operational costs some 50 percent cheaper than windmills, and an estimated lifespan of 500 years. That all sounds great, but the real proof will come when these things get put to use, which may happen sooner than you'd think: Development is proceeding rapidly in both the US and China, with Chinese power company Zhongke Hengyuan Energy Technology currently building a $5M factory to produce the turbines in capacities from 400 to 5,000 watts."

FF: "Nice, let's build this in HK :P"

Google's Android OS early look SDK now available

Engadget: "Just like the good folks promised, the early look software development kit for Google's soon-to-be huge phone OS has hit the streets... er, internet. Pedal your steam-engine over to the Open Handset Alliance site where you can download the SDK for a variety of platforms. Here's what we know the software will support right now:

• 3G
• Threaded text messaging
• MPEG-4, h.264, MP3, and AAC file formats
• 3D graphics
  

From what we can tell, the OS is as comfortable on larger, VGA devices as it is on more traditional smartphone layouts. Oh yeah... and it plays Quake. Below you can see an alternate fullscreen version of the phone (a hardware reference model, not a device you can expect to buy anytime soon) up and running its browser app. Check the video as follow for a real look at Android in action"

FF: "GPhone's system, lovely~ im so excitin now :D"

Batman Battles Evil on Streets of Hong Kong

Bloomberg: "Batman ventures out of Gotham City this weekend and swoops into Hong Kong where he will fight evil near the bar district of Lan Kwai Fong and against the city's neon-lit skyline -- though he will avoid a dunking in the harbor.

Actors Christian Bale and Morgan Freeman arrived in the southern Chinese city this week with the crew and executives of ``The Dark Knight,'' the sixth film in the latest saga of the Caped Crusader. The four-day filming in Hong Kong is one of several location shoots that may include London and Los Angeles. The movie is scheduled for summer release in the U.S.

Bale, 33, said reprising his role as Batman will entail ``climbing the tallest buildings and jumping off them'' during his Hong Kong stay. Producers decided to ax a scene where Batman drops into the harbor after test samples showed strains of salmonella and tuberculosis, the South China Morning Post, a local English- language daily, reported.

Director Christopher Nolan said the decision not to proceed with the scene was his and had nothing to do with pollution.

``It's simply a script decision,'' said Nolan, at a press conference. ``As far as any pollution questions go, I have absolutely no problem with dumping'' the stars into the harbor.

Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor is one of the world's busiest container ports. It's flanked on both sides by skyscrapers such as the I.M. Pei-designed Bank of China Building.

Areas around Queen's Road Central, Lyndhurst Terrace and the Mid-Levels' escalator, the world's longest outdoor covered escalator, may also be used as settings for some scenes, according to the Post. Ponnie Leung, a Hong Kong-based spokeswoman of distributor Warner Bros. Pictures, said she doesn't know the film's Hong Kong schedule.

Light Battle

The production team drew the ire of environmental groups for asking tenants along a waterfront to keep their lights on all night during the shoot to illuminate the city's skyline, according to the Associated Press.

``It's a very short-term inconvenience to our residents and local operators,'' said Jack So, chairman of Hong Kong's Film Development Council. ``The long-term economic benefits of having international studios shoot in Hong Kong definitely outweighs such short-term inconveniences.''

Executive Producer Kevin de la Noy appealed to the media for ``space to do our work in as efficient a manner as possible so we cause the least congestion possible.''

Hong Kong has an active tabloid press that's known to hound celebrities for photos and interviews.

Nolan, 37, who's also writing the screenplay, said he thought of working Hong Kong into the script after a brief stay in the city. In 2005, Nolan directed ``Batman Begins,'' which traces the superhero's beginnings and grossed $372 million at the box office, twice its production cost, according to BoxOfficeMojo.

Jackie Chan

Hong Kong is encouraging location filming by foreign studios to boost its movie industry. Until recently, piracy and Hollywood blockbusters had all but decimated an industry that produced stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.

The movie ``will enhance Hong Kong's status internationally and promote tourism,'' said the Film Development Council's So.

The production company spent about a year working with the government to arrange the shoot, said Producer Charles Roven.

The city has featured in movies including the 2002 James Bond movie ``Die Another Day,'' where the fictional super-spy 007 enters the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club after escaping from a villain. "

Microsoft Buys 1.6% of Facebook for HK$18603359900

AP: "Facebook.com's mastermind Mark Zuckerberg smiles at his office in Palo Alto, Calif. in this Feb. 5, 2007 file photo. Rapidly rising Internet star Facebook Inc. has sold a 1.6 percent stake to Microsoft Corp. for $240 million(HK$18,603,359,900), spurning a competing offer from online search leader Google Inc. The deal announced on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007 after several weeks of negotiation values Palo Alto-based Facebook at $15 billion _ less than four years after Mark Zuckerberg started the online social networking site in his Harvard University dorm room."

FF: "Mark Zuckerberg, u r awesome~ Facebook it's a social networking hub can bring the world together"

Apple and Sony, like peas in an iPod

Engadget: "Funny huh? We knew something was a tad too familiar with those Sony DSC-T2 Cyber-shot cameras announced yesterday. Now, Engadget Japanese reveals why. Those pictures are official, un-doctored press shots from both Apple and Sony. The former (and we mean former) comes courtesy of archive.org since it's been supplanted by Apple's new nano. Of course, Apple's no saint in these matters either. Flattery at its finest, eh? Sony, like.no.other"

FF: "Sony's Marketing?... Sony, r u allrite? =_=""

Google's DIGIT'AL RING

NYPOST: "A German artist has invented an accessory that publicizes how many mentions you get in a Google search - a ring that flashes the number on a digital display.

Your Google ranking is the new status symbol, more than diamonds and wealth or even being on television," said Marcus Kison, 30, who spent six months producing the glass prototype.

Kison is looking for a marketer for the titanium band, which he says should fetch upwards of $700, and wants it to hit the market next year. It comes with a jewel-case docking station that plugs into a computer. Every time you "charge" the ring, it updates your latest Google ranking.
(Paris Hilton, you're at 17.5 million hits as of this writing.)

"Being in people's minds means being important . . . Every content creator that copies and pastes your name will raise the value of your virtual mirrored importance," Kison said.

Kison says President Bush is No. 1 in Google hits, with 40.1 million.

"Just by inventing the ring, I've jumped to 10,000," Kison boasts. "

FF: "Danny Cheng, you're No. 1 in Google Hong Kong, Yeah~~"

Zune 2.0 gets official

crave: "Microsoft has officially revealed its plans for new 4GB, 8GB, and 80GB Zune MP3 players (the rumormongers nailed this one). The new players are expected out in November, priced at $149, $199, and $249, respectively. The 80GB version is only available in black, but both the 4GB and 8GB versions will be available in black, red, pink, and green. While the news hasn't exactly knocked us off our feet, there are some interesting new features: Wireless sync, Zune Social and Media Center.

On the right you can see last year's Zune. Cosmetically, the new Zune players are smaller and use a new, rubberized control pad.

FF: "Wireless sync, kool~~ Existing Zune users will also be given the new wireless sync feature once the firmware upgrade hits in November~~ Lovely~"

Sony's Walkman NW-A910 series slakes that media jones

Engadget: "Nice huh? That's the latest Walkman from Sony. However, unless you live in Japan, you can forget about using it to watch your mobile digital TV. This little pup packs a 1Seg tuner, not DMB, DVB-H, or Flo. Measuring just 86.8 × 48 × 12.3-mm, the NW-A910 series player holds up to 16GB of flash memory and a 2.4-inch, 320 x 240 pixel display. The included EPG even allows you to schedule up to 10 programs for recording up to one month in advance for up to 100 hours of MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 formatted television inside the device. As this is Japan, it still supports ATRAC in addition to non-DRMed WMA and AAC, MP3, and linear PCM audio playback with SonicStage doing the sync work back to your PC. Rounding things out are an FM tuner, direct encoding from your CD/MD player, clear audio noise canceling headphones, and a battery capable of juicing up to 6 hours of television or 36 hours of audio. The premium NW-A919/BI will sell in November for ¥47,800 while a 4GB NW-A916 should pop for about ¥30,000 ($259)."

FF: "Yup, with noise canceling headphones and FM tuner, this player will become the best music player in the world"

Sony 3-mm thin XEL-1 OLED TV in person

Engadget: "Sony was all about showing off their new turbo-thin XEL-1 OLED TV at CEATEC today, and we have to hand it to them, this thing is kind of mind-blowingly thin. Naturally that kind of thinness is a little hard to capture in photographs -- it's kind of one of those things you have to see in person. But once you do check it out, you may just find its gorgeous, bright pseudo-HD, 1m:1 contrast ratio picture hypnotizes you from remembering its ridiculously high ¥200,000 (about $1700 US) price and piddly 11-inch size. We want one on our desk, like, yesterday~"

FF: "Wow, I want one... but i don't like the base stand, can Sony re-design it? make it smaller :D"

iPhone sucks

FF: "Nokia launchs a new campaign/marketing slogan for themselves saying- Phones should be open to anythings. Yes, we all know Apple sucks~ The main point of their campaign is that you can't install third party applications on iPhone, for example- Java (which ~ 90% of other phones support and let people support the same app on different devices) or phone OS specific. btw, the quartet of posters on the left was photographed in New York city over the weekend by a MacRumors forum jockey. Cheers~

FF: "Apple sucks, Nokia rules~~ YEAH~"

Apple's iPod Touch gets official

Engadget: "Well, what do you know. Turns out the iPod Touch is a reality after all. While we initially assumed that Mr. Jobs wouldn't be so kind as to bless us all with two new full-fledged iPods in a single day, we're elated that he had other ideas. The new flagship iPod has "the same size screen as the iPhone, but it's even thinner" (eight-millimeters, for those taking notes), and it also touts the "same multi-touch interface" found on the the firm's handset. Additionally, it boasts a 3.5-inch widescreen display, the ability to "flick through your photos," and you even get the "slide to unlock" feature, too. And yes, this thing actually has WiFi. Of note, the built-in wireless antenna isn't exactly attractive, but if it means that we can surf the web (YouTube included) on our iPod, we suppose it may be an acceptable flaw. The iPod Touch will be arriving in 8GB and 16GB flavors and will be priced at $299 and $399, respectively, when they ship "in a few weeks."

FF: "look like iphone, but will Apple improve their ipod's sound quality? I luv BASS, MEGA BASS, no more radio sound quality pls..."

Logitech intros MX5500 keyboard & mouse combo

Engadget: "Those looking for a matching keyboard and mouse set now have yet another option from Logitech, which today busted out its new MX5500 combo. This one includes the company's existing MX Revolution laser mouse with its speedy metal scroll wheel, along with a new keyboard that boasts a built-in LCD along with the usual array of controls for music and other features. Both peripherals also rely on Bluetooth 2.0 to keep 'em untethered from your PC, and each promise to let you take full advantage of Flip 3D and other Vista-specific features (though Vista is not required). Look for this set to be available later this month for $170."

FF: "Very Nice~"

Nokia introduces N81 8GB combine music and gaming

InfoSync: "With dedicated music and gaming keys, 3.5 mm headphone connector and 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, the Nokia N81 multimedia phone is the closest we get to innovation in Nokia's new multimedia phone lineup. With a sleek surface and keys that light up when you activate them, we wonder if the exterior is also truly optimized for gaming, which it will have to be to succeed as a gaming phone. We'll definitely need to perform a few serious gaming sessions on the N81 before judging its capabilities as a gaming phone. Anyway, the N81 also offers a fancy menu with 3D icons, as well as music and game downloads from Nokia's Music Store and N-Gage games service. The Nokia N81 will retail for approximately $450 and should hit shelves late this year. "

FF: "More colours? comes in white?"

Nokia introduces N95 with 8GB built-in memory, 2.8" display

InfoSync: "As a multimedia smartphone, the Nokia N95 is no longer the star when it comes to the multimedia aspect. What keeps it on the top is its great calling and messaging performance. Nokia tries to do something about that by introducing an upgraded version, offering 8GB of built-in memory and a 2.8" QVGA display. In our opinion, these minor upgrades aren't enough to keep players such as HTC and Apple on a distance moving forward. For those looking to buy the upgraded N95, it'll retail for approximately $550 in the fourth quarter of 2007."

FF: "awesome"

Paris Hilton released from jail

BBC: "US heiress Paris Hilton has been released from jail in Los Angeles after serving 24 days for violating probation on a driving ban.

Hilton's parents Kathy and Rick arrived to pick her up shortly after 0800 BST.

Reporters were camped outside the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California since Monday.

The 26-year-old was sentenced to 45 days on 3 June was been released early due to crowded jail conditions and time off for good behaviour.

She is scheduled to appear on Larry King's CNN talk show on Wednesday."

FF: "Hi Paris"

September 2007, it's fungfung.net 10th Anniversary

FF: "This historic day is a uniquely memorable moment for DaXxX GrouP, but especially for the people of Hong Kong. The 10th anniversary has been keenly anticipated, presenting a golden opportunity to review our past challenges and successes, while looking forward to a bright and prosperous future.

The 10th Anniversary is a joyous event for the whole of Hong Kong and involves everyone. I decided to overhaul my site with a brand new system and layout design, I am sure that will take my site to another level, and become one of the famous web site in Hong Kong. <read more>"

FF: "Wow, it's FF's TV Station"

Microsoft announces Surface computer interface

Download Squad: "Microsoft is taking the wraps off its new 'Surface' platform, which should be commercially available later this year. Essentially, Surface lets you interact with a computer via a tabletop interface, no keyboard or separate display needed. Touch the screen to make selections and move images around.

Use two hands to make pictures larger or smaller. Or place certain items on the tabletop to interact with the computer.

The first Surface computers could cost up to $10,000 so don't expect to pick one up for your living room just yet (unless you're a super early adopter with too much disposable income). Rather, they'll show up at hotels, retail stores, restaurants and casinos first.

Harrah's in Las Vegas will have a 'virtual concierge' service letting guests reserve tickets, peruse menus, or make purchases. It's just a matter of time until someone builds a realistic virtual poker application.

T-Mobile has signed on to take advantage of Surface's object recognition capabilities, by allowing customers in selected stores to pick up a cellphone, place it on the table and get information about prices and phone plans."

FF: "I want one"

Wubi makes Ubuntu a snap for Windows users

Download Squad: "I'd wager that there are a huge number of Windows users who would probably be quite happy with Ubuntu Linux as their day-in day-out OS of choice. If only there were an easy way to try Ubuntu out on your windows machine without breaking anything, repartitioning or dealing with the diminished performance of a Live CD.

You're in luck. Wubi takes the hassle out of installing Ubuntu on a loopback file system located on your Windows partition, while making it bootable just like a real-deal Ubuntu install. In fact, it is a real-deal Ubuntu install, albeit in a slightly unconventional manner. If you go glassy eyed at the word 'loopback', don't worry.. it's just a fancy way of saying that your whole Ubuntu install is self-contained and stored in a single large file on your Windows drive. "

FF: "Ubuntu is FREE and Smart... its worth a try <Download>"

YouTube tests in-line advertising

Download Squad: "Google is placing advertisements in the body of a limited number of YouTube videos. The interface is rather interesting, with a small text ad showing up on the bottom of the screen partway through the video.

If you click on the text of the ad, you're taken to the advertiser's site. If you click the play button on the ad, a video commercial pops up inside the same window as the video you're watching. When the commercial ends, your video resumes.

The ads only play when you're watching the video via YouTube. We tried embedding this My Chemical Romance video in a blog post, and the ad didn't show up, which is nice. When you embed clips from other video sites, such as The Onion News Network, you may have to deal with pre-roll ads, which you can't get rid of, and which you don't make any revenue from."

FF: "Money Money Money... which is good... we love videos"