HK Tech Phooey

My tech predictions for 2010

The one article/post we tech bloggers are asked most throughout the year is what the tech predictions will be for the coming year or the must-have high-tech gifts for the festive season. 

Last year, I was interviewed by CNN, and I made such predictions for this year. 
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The hit-and-misses of Oxford's Word of the Year 2009

By now, you probably know that the word "unfriend" has been selected as Oxford's Word of the Year 2009, but what other tech buzzwords did it miss along the way? Let's take a look.

According to the Oxford University Press Blog, the other tech buzzwords that have come close include:
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My take--should bloggers have to reveal ties with brands?

I'm hooked on Happy Farm

Who would have thought that a Facebook application like Happy Farm would take Hong Kong, Taiwan and China by storm? I didn't, and now I'm hooked. Just last week, unofficial numbers were released on Taiwanese subscribers for the application reaching a whopping 3.08 million subscribers out of 3.85 million. Unbelievable.

Happy Farm is basically a very simple game. You start off with six pieces of land, you farm, you plow, you harvest, and you get to steal crops from your friends (who play the game as well). Yes, the essence of the game is to steal and guard your own crops by harvesting before anyone can steal them.
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My take on the international version of Kindle

Well, my international version of Kindle arrived last Thursday and pretty much has been with me ever since, even in bed. Since the Kindle was released in the US for quite some time, there's no point in doing a full-scale review here, but I just want to share a few things with you all.

Things I like

1. Lightning fast--the 3G modem is lightning fast in downloading my daily periodicals (newspaper), takes less than 60 seconds which Amazon claims in downloading a book. Timed how long it took to download Angels and Demons from Dan Brown, 65 seconds. Well, good enough. For your information, this modem works everywhere, even in the US, whereas the US version doesn't.


2. Thin--this thing is half as thin as my iPhone 3GS and weighs not much more than the iPhone. Been lugging the Kindle around, reading (never read that much in five days since college) turns into an enjoyment, can't feel the weight at all. Plus, with the different font sizes, it's just great for guys like me with fading eyesight.


3. Love the text-to-speech function, works great when listening to it while driving.


4. Images look great on the 16 graytone display. Some of the images from a couple of the photography books I downloaded just look outright gorgeous, some even appear better in black-and-white, LOL.


5. There's a built-in New Oxford American Dictionary.


6. There's a built-in Minesweep game they don't tell you about (press "shift", "alt" and "M" all at the same time).


7. The storage--1,500 books with you... nice.


8. That battery--it's like the Energizer bunny, just keeps going and going.

• At the roundtable interview with Charlie Tritschler, director of Product Management at Kindle, about two weeks ago, me and a couple of other bloggers mentioned the higher price for the international version of Kindle (US$20 more) vs. what you get in the US. In addition, it costs US$2 more for each book purchase.


• Cannot access blogs with the international version. Bummer. But from what I heard, Amazon charges a subscription, so I'm not missing it.


Late last Thursday night, Amazon sent out a letter to me giving me a rebate of US$20 for the Kindle I purchased. Could it be because of the Nook that was announced earlier, which is the same price? Or could it be Amazon listening to our feedback? Who knows?

All in all, I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves reading. Sure, you want that neat display that the Barnes & Nobles Nook presents. But consider the fact, for now, the total number of books that Barnes & Nobles is offering, an unannounced plan (are there any) for international distribution, and goodness knows how long that battery is going to last with the color display at the bottom.

 

Recent Comments

montbkk: YES! Absolutely! OF COURSE! I will be truthful in saying there are few technology/review sites that can be trusted because ... more »

aweysham: @HK Tech, I know the feeling, I love the games and they are very addictive. Unfortunately for me its ... more »

Codet: You know that's a good way for Facebook (& game publishers) to generate revenue. Release paid apps for its ... more »

spangaroo: "why you stole my pumpkin?"...lol At work I thought they were going to block all of Facebook due to Happy ... more »

Applodian: Nice read mate, But we are gutted that they've not landed a deal with any of the carriers here. ... more »

hkphooey: Stupid me, just found out that I can surf the net with the Kindle, gee, this is great, esp. ... more »

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