aztech homeplug - network your home without using electricity

If you are like me, living in a two storey house and would like to have your cat5e cable on different location other than where your router is, and if you want to have a more stable and bigger than the 54mpbs of wifi, u should consider buying the homeplug.

Frankly I was sceptical at first, not sure if it would work out of the box like it says, especially after reading unsuccessful stories over the internet.

In the end, I am glad that I tried it anyway, cos it worked like a charm!

By the way, to state the obvious,  you will need purchase two units for it to work - though I reckon Aztech should have sold it in pairs cos buying just one unit doesnt make sense.

Unboxing the package you will get:

- the home plug

- cat5e cable ( a very short one though, I substituted it with my 3mtrs)

- a simple guide ( though its not exactly necessary, it was very simple to setup)

- the installer CD ( not sure what it was for because I had mine working without needing to install anything)

So first, you just plug in one unit on any plug point close to your router, in my case - upstairs at my TV room/area. As you can see, I actually just plugged it in on one of the power extension strip, and it was working okay. Then hook it with a cat5e cable which goes to the cable port on the homeplug on one end and the router on the other end.

  Next, plugged in the second unit in the same manner on a plugpoint which you want it to be, eg, downstairs. 

Its worth to mention that some people commented that it doesnt work if you have three phase wiring and if the two locations are in different phase. My house is a three phase, but it was working okay with one unit upstairs and one unit downstairs. Perhaps it so happens that the two locations were on the same phase, i dont know. Will update if it wont work elsewhere later.

As you can from the images above, there led indicators on the unit to indicate power, (dunno what the middle on is), and network. It goes green when it picked up signals, it goes amber when it doesnt. It took less than a minute for it turn green in my case, which surprised me at how easy and simple it is.

Overall I am very happy now that I can have a network downstairs without having to run long exposed cable.

The cost:

About RM200 - around RM100 each unit. Well worth the investment :)

More information can be found at http://www.aztech.com/prod_homeplug_hl112e.html

Below is copied from Aztech website to illustrate how it works:

Dinner is on me!

  

Just wanted to share with others who wants to get good sausages, I got those from Las Vacas. I usually go to the ones in Kelana Jaya because its the closest to me. Mr Fluff enjoyed his dinner very much. And I liked it too, its practically hassle free to prepare!

OK, those who'd like to get meat products its located at

No.23, Jalan SS5A/11 Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

03-7874 0711

Money MATTERS. period.

Has the value of our money decreased?? 

I dont know about you, but in the past whenever I withdrew money from the ATM I never get the RM100 bill. Its always either the fifties or the tens. 

The thing is, I had always prefered the RM100 note - because I can spend more.. haha no lah, its because I have a small wallet. I can only put as many notes before it starts to look like a overfed goldfish,and hence my preference on the bigger nomination (besides the obvious advantages :D) 

Previously, whenever I see hubs or grandma with RM100 - I always want to tukar duit with them. For some reason, their bank dispenses the 100 nominations. 

Anyway, of late I noticed that I am no longer getting RM50 and RM10 from my ATM. Instead, I am getting RM100 and RM20 instead as well. The first time I got it, I was happy. But nowadays, I am not too sure anymore. I share the same sentiment as hubs - I think its troublesome because now its a hassle especially when I need to make small expense. Satu hal pulak nak tukar duit. 

Anyway, the point I am trying to make - does that mean the value of our RM has decreased? 

If dulu, RM100 can buy me a whole lot of things. But nowadays, not so. 

The RM20 has become what RM10 used to be. AND RM100 has become what RM50 used to be. 

I wonder what will happen 10 years from now. RM10 are like the RM1?? I sure hope not! 

Fly Malaysia Airlines

Flowers collections

All About Flowers

12 Feb 2013. Taman Tasik Permaisuri

Jack Reaper

At first I actually thought this movie was a remake of those jack reaper movies.

Its not, and it was surprisingly good. 

Its centers adound a killing spree by an ex-army who had history of similar killings, only that it is not what it is. Here comes Jack Reaper who was also in the army - the very person who investigate his previous case and through the evidences knew that he couldnt have done it. 

The movie slowly unfolds each evidences to finally reveals that the motive behind the killings.

My rating: 8/10

Installing HDD to Dune HD media player

This is going to be a basic guide, mainly to give an oversight of whats inside the hood & quick overview of configuring the system storage. Hopefully it'll help you people who were confused like me , to decide if this dune is for you or not. 

Before i start - i should say you basically dont need to do the steps i'm about to explain in this post, the dune hd media player will run out of the box, if you are looking for a simple plug and play device.

I however opted to install an internal HDD for several reasons:

1. I dont have enough storage elsewhere to host the kind of volume these movies and videos are going to accumulate

2. I hated how uncool the dangling external HDD looked on my shelves - kinda defeats the purpose having a small media player

3. When you disconnect and reconnect the external HDD, it doesnt always remember the same volume name. Which is not an issue if you dont intend to use a collection application like zappiti or dune movie. In my case- going through movie titles without some kind of visuals is just not gonna cut it for me

4. Without an internal HDD, I will need to stick an empty USB stick permanently there to store the system storage files ( again, if u intend to use zappiti, u'll need this).

What you will need is just a 2.5" HDD - maximum 2 TB, according to the documentations. I bought a 1TB, so I cant tell you  what will happen if u stick a higher capacity disk. It is also recommended to buy the green version so that you can keep temp lower, and also keep the rpm low. Apparently there will be issues if you use higher rpms like 7200.  Note: You should also know that the Dune gets a bit heaty when left even at standby mode. 

Ok. Now, here are images i captured and basic steps just to show whats inside the hood n installing the hdd.

- unscrew the two tiny screws at the sides, and lift the cover (the sides with the writings like below)

- the inside is quite easy to guess. So just mount the HDD with the M3 sized screws provided at the cover's back. There is plastic film there presumably to protect the HDD's backside. 

- connect the SATA and power cables and fit it back in

Once the HDD installed, you will automatically see it on the screen

Will continue tomorrow with part 2 - to configure the HDD, and installing system storage. Stay tuned.

BMI calculator

Okay peeps ..time to get healthy. Calculate your bmi here!

bmi calculator

Bye bye AFC

After a series of failures in baking - I decided that I am just not meant to be Bree Van Dekamp, and channeled my energy towards what I love best - IT. So folks on my next few posts, you'll see more reviews on gadgets and stuff rather than the kitchen department. So long AFC, welcome Lowyat.net. :D

Midnight Sun

OH MY GOSH!

I was almost giddy with excitement when I realised what Midnight Sun was. I could not stop smile, ear to ear, and I was really really wishing that it was the weekend already where I can take it slow and read letter by letter, line by line, without ever needing to stop.

Edward was never really my favorite character, I somehow prefer Jacob because he was funnier. Yes, I do have a thing with joker/funny guys. Edward, while he is sweet and very gentlement, is just too patronising to my liking.

But whoa... After reading the midnight sun, I understood him more, and I came to like him a bit whole lot more. I now see him clearly, and after seeing the conflicts and thoughts in his mind, I came to appreciate and like him more. He actually sounded normal, unlike in twilight - where he appears to be like too worldly-goody-two-shoes. 

It was a journey on its own, seeing him trying to understand all those unknown feelings. Knowing what his life was like before Bella- or i should say lack of life.  He never knew what love felt like, never knew the intensity of jealousy could bring, never knew what happiness really meant. And to see his rage, when he was jealous or protecting Bella from harm was endearing. Not forgetting when he tries so hard trying to understand Bella was quite comical. Stalking her without her realising, ignoring all those risks and making all sorts of vampire faux pas,  like walking in the sun just trying to peek her book when she was asleep or when he did all those surveillance - anxious about wanting so much for Bella to also like him.. I then finally understood why he was like that in Twilight. 

It is nice to know that he doesnt always hold it together, and he too are battling with insecurities and he struggles too like each one of us, and he has a darker side.

It is enlightening, to say the least.

In short I no longer see him as the annoyingly perfect creature Bella seem to have potrayed him to be, but instead I see him like the heartthrob everyone else seem to think he is :)))

Honestly, I don't know myself anymore...... (drooling mode on)... :D

---

 

Note: midnight sun is a partial rough draft of Stephenie Meyer's book which was leaked online. It was meant to be Twilight companion book- the tale re-tell in Edwards view instead of Bella. 

I am not going to post it here , out of respect for the author, but if you are interested in reading it, i think u can find it on Stephenie's official website.

I do hope that she would finish it, cos I enjoyed reading what little of it way way to much. :)

Twilight Saga the movies

Again, this is one of those belated post. I have actually watched the movies a while back, but I just didnt feel excited enough to write about it.

The movies were, if I have to summarised, just such a big disappointment.

I was sooo glad that I had opted to read all the books first, rather than do the shortcut and watch the movies. Because peeps, I tell ya the movies seriously did not do justice to the funny, witty and entertaining book they are.

I dont know if it was the bad acting, or the lack of depth the movie presented or what, all in all the movie just didnt impress me. To the point that I almost could not bother to watch the remaining sequels after twilight. ( the sucker that I am, I did watch anyway though with much less enthusiasm). Believe it or not, the one person I actually enjoyed watching in the movie was Charlie, cos I thought he did a great job realising his character on the big screen. The wolves clan came second,  especially Sam and little Seth. Jacob is definitely someone to drool at though in twilight he wasnt much, but he grew in his character especially towards the breaking dawn. 

There are just gazillions funny, sarcastic and heart fluttering moments in the book that was not captured, instead they had to pick the dull ones (to me at least). If you just watch the movies you are really missing a lot, it was just too bland and monotonous to my liking.

So there you have it - my take on the twilight saga the movie. I could read the book over and over again, but I cant say the same for the movies. For me, it was far cry from the great novels they really are. What a shame ....

Osaka Cake

With this, I declare that I am totally done with baking.  DONE. DONE. DONE!!!

Sebab frust, malas nak cakap bebanyak.

This is how the kitchen looked like:

And this is how the outcome is like:

Dont ask me why it became senget benget, because i seriously have no idea. And kalau senget benget but edible takpe jugak, ni nay, it is not fit to consume either... Huhuhu..

And since the filling was successful (after two tries i hv to say) ,I just improvise and makan with apple instead. Habih cito..

By the way this is how it is supposed to look like:

Osaka cake, recipe n image from : 

http://nasilemaklover.blogspot.com/2012/04/hokkaido-chiffon-cupcakes.html 

Strawberry milkshake

Two words : easy peasie!

What u need (to make about 1 ltr):

1. Strawberries 25 pieces ripe medium size

2. 3 tablespoon cream ( i didnt have milk, so i substitute with cream)

3. 200 - 300 ml chilled water or crush iced

4. Sugar 4 tsp 

5. Blender 

The process:

1. Blend the strawberries with water

2. Add cream and sugar, blend a bit more

And we are done!

Day one - In the quest to shred 5 kgs in a month

Breakfast - one mug nescafe + 1 karipap

Lunch - tofu soup + chinese tea

Teatime - one bun + breakfast bar

Dinner - mushroom soup + steak + corn + tomatoes

Exercises:
- 20 minutes of alternate briskwalk + run
- 7 mins workout

Pix: ( home made dinner): not mine, I had half of those

Cream mushroom soup

Never knew that Oyster mushroom could also be used to make mushroom soup.

I googled up and saw some others making it with assorted mushrooms like button & wild ones.

Since oyster mushroom's all I have, and I have a lot of those, i just gave it a go.

I didnt measure exactly so I'll just use rough estimation in the list.

Ingredients:
-oyster mushroom (1 bowl / 2.5 cups)
-water (1 bowl / 2.5 cups)
-half piece chicken stock cube
-6 tblsp olive oil (if still not enough add a bit more)
-shredded cooked chicken meat (3 tblsp
-2 tblsp cream
-2 tblsp thyme
-salt n pepper to taste
-italian parsley (garnish)

The method:
1. Sautee onions until translucent
2. Add mushroom, sautee till soften
3. Add water and chicken stock cube
4. Bring to boil
5. Add thyme, salt and pepper
6. Simmer until taste is blended well and soup thickens a bit
7. Turn off fire and blend the mushrooms. I used a hand blender so it can be done on the pot itself and while its hot. If using a normal blender please cool it off a bit before blend.
8. Once blended, simmer a bit more and add the cream

Serve while hot, and dribble a bit more cream as deco, and garnish with italiab parsley if prefered.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

The Twilight Saga

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I know, I know. I am sooo ketinggalan zaman.

But it does come with a good perk - where I dont need to wait nor pause :))

I am talking about the twilight saga - yes, I have finally been bitten by the bug. Haha. All four years too late. Imagine that..

It started few months ago when my nextdoor neighbor at work gushed about it, she too was like me, a late bloomer so to call, baru nak sibuk discover the fuss of the saga. I still didnt think much of it then, I wasnt much keen on fantasy kind of books/movies, and my biggest reluctance was due to knowing that the word vampire is in it. She however assured me that it is not one that is scary.

And so my curiousity roused - and I wasnt very objectable on the idea of reading the book anymore- in fact I bought two of the series during the BBW (hardcover for RM5 i must add :D) . They however were stashed in my bookcase - on my KIV book to read list, while I happily read my other books first.

Until I was at cousin's house - I had no book with me, and she had the first book of the series. I thought why not, and guess what - I COULDNT STOP!

This whole week I was like a zombie, reading and reading and reading, one after another, like I was racing for a finishing line - non stop. I read till late at night (actually more appropriately morning) and had only few hours of sleep, before going to work, and come back to continue reading. To the extend of masak pun I still read... Like - Pause reading - Heat pot on the stove - Cont read until minyak dah panas - pause reading - throw the fish in - cont reading till time to turn the fish - etc etc.. you get the gist. haha

Soo engrossed I know. My oh My, How I just wished for the last book (I am down to Breaking Dawn already), is done and over with already. Penat!! But definitely satisfying.

OK, now, before you ask whats the whole point of this post, I shall (chewah dah jadi Edward pulak ever so courteous) start with my reviews.

I supposed no need to say -You surely already know the book is mindbooglingly hard to put down - even for me who no longer really fall for the head-over-heels kind of love story. And yes, for the benefit of the non-converts - it is a love story.

Twilight - As it would with most of the best-sellers, the first book usually is the most exciting. When I read it, I somehow could almost understand and feel Bella - like I am her. Her perplexity over Edward's reaction, and her awe with the Cullens. How the book potrayed her being clumsy and prone to all sort of mishaps were very just, and you could just agreeing - no questions asked- how easily she would be among the 'others'. How you could just see why Edward is being so protective over her, and how they just clicked and be each other's soulmate.

The New Moon - It started with harrowing, with Edward leaving Bella in a lurch. Here, for some reason I could not really feel the loss of him going away. Partly because I knew that Edward was coming back -no thanks to the saga being highly publicised and fussed about so much that though I never really followed it, I still knew anyway that he left and came back in the end. Though maybe a tad corny to my liking but still, tt was still nice and all gooey though when Edward came back. I'd have to say that introduction of Jacob is cleverly done, and Jacob is indeed a character that you could warm up to. You know like the 'bad boy' kind of appeal. Fun loving and never cease to bore.

Eclipse - In Eclipse, where differences between Edward and Jacob were highlighted, it had indeed made me question Bella's sanity. Particularly on the fact that the Cullens are generally the cold ones. Its a bit a drawback I'd say, cos Edward is always described as hard and cold (in literal sense of course), and I couldnt help but think - especially on the cuddles - I could not comprehend or in a way accept that this is one of the trait's Bella enjoy. Because I for sure wouldnt be. I mean, when you cuddle what made it nicer or the default expected feeling is to feel warm and fuzzy (in and out)- rather than cold. So that in a sense, kinda throw me off a bit. And Edward's selflessness is starting to tire me. He's like the too good to be true kind of person, too worldly goody. Plus the emphasis on never risking Bella's life was getting a bit too obsessive- in a way that it kind of obscure the out-of-the-world-kinda-love that they have. It made Edward look more like an overtly obedient if not obsessive protector/guardian of Bella, rather than her greatest love. Next to Jacob's funloving attitude (which I obviously prefer by a long mile, as u'd hve guessed), Edward seems like a pale (no pun intended ,haha) option.

The Breaking Dawn - I am just starting. So stay tuned :)

Update: Edward continued to be annoyingly patronizing in the beginning part of the book. When Bella's life is threatened with the child she is carrying, he actually thought of asking Jake to make out with Bella - so long as she will live. I was like, erk... This is too much.. If I were Bella, I would probably have kicked his ass without second thought for even THINKING about it. Tsk tsk tsk... 

Luckily it didnt get any sickening than that, and the story was actually quite interesting. Especially after Bella has become a vampire herself. On how she is adjusting to be humanlike, and trying to remember to fidget.. and sit after standing for a period of time.. Vice versa when she is learning to do things the vampire way, those bits are funny and entertaining to read.

I am also loving the part on Jacob's perspective (part 2). Thanking profusely that it was from Jake's view not Edward (imagine that- must be dull like crazy..).

Though I kinda melted when Bells is already on par with Edward omce she is a vampire herself. He wasnt sooo careful and holding back like a he was before.. AND she gets a blardy ferrari as the 'after' car!!! How i wish..In my dreams..hahahha

On the final part, when Volturi and its entourage came, I was kinda disappointed that they didnt actually fight, and volturi just retreat - after getting nowhere with Bells saving the day. It was kinda dragged a bit, with no action - i am thinking the movie would be a bit dull if they actually follow it to the dot. I mean for book, its ok, but for movie, if the confrontations part stays as non fighting scene, feels incomplete.

All in all, twas a good read. I wished I had read it sooner - but, better late than never ay ;)

I am planning to marathon the movies soon. Tunggguuuuuu...

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Pineapple jelly with strawberry toppings

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Next door neighbor is having a raya open house, I didnt have the time nor the right stuff to prepare something more substantial.

Anyway Mr Fluff thought its not necessary to bring anything since it is an open house, but being rumah sebelah i feel its just good gesture to come with something rather than empty handed.

And desserts is as good as any, and it takes minimal effort, and very little time to make.

What you need:
- one packet of agar2
- water 1400ml
- coloring (i didnt hv any hence the pale color)
- mix fruit (i only use pineapple & cherry)
- sugar (i use about 1 cup, can reduce if prefer less sweet)

The method:
1. Just boil water with the agar2
2. Add sugar and coloring once boil
3. Stir until all dissolve
4. Turn off fire

In the serving casserole:
1. Put in the mix fruit - arrange sporadic

2. Pour the agar2 mix

3. Cool room temperature until less heaty (abt 5 mins)

4. Cool in refrigerator until serving time


Note: i didnt hvae any coloring hence the garnishing of strawberry on top to make up for it.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Kek pisang

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I had few over ripe pisang at home, and had made some cekodok, but still left with extras.

So I tried kek pisang, which is one of my favorite. Satu lagi favorite is kek pandan tapi tengok recipe macam complicated so until today belum try2

Anyway. As usual googled up recipe, tengok mana yang senang.

Found one that is simple and with all the ingredients yang memang dah ada at home;

Http://jintanmanis.com/kek/207-kekpisanggebu


2 cwn tepung gandum
1 s/k baking powder - i didnt add (tak tahu pulak its different than bica-soda)
1 s/k soda bikarbonat
1 cawan gula
3 biji pisang yang telak dilenyek
1/2 cawan minyak masak
esen vanila
2 biji telur

caranya

1. Ayak tepung gandum, soda bikarbonat dan baking powder, gliss acuan kek dan panaskan oven 180darjah.

2. Kemudian, putar telur dan gula hingga kembang, masukkan esen vanila dan pisang, putar lagi dan kemudian masukkan tepung.

3.Akhir sekali baru masukkan minyak masak dan kacau sebati, selepas itu masukkan dalam acuan kek dan bakar pada suhu 180 darjah selama 40 minit atau satu jam.

The outcome:
- Hangus sikit, i think 30 mins is sufficient
- the taste- okay.. Not so fantastic but not disappointing either

Picca? Sila jgn gelak at my kek pisang hangus ok

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Dim Sum for supper

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Errr no, I didnt make it myself. I bought frozen - supposedly pre-cook ones.

Just need to steam and there goes.. A homemade dimsum

The verdict - so so only except the dumplings. Siew Mai is ok but i think it needed few more minutes before it tastes its best. The roll, i reckon deep fry would be better.

Cooking instructions:

To steam with pressure cooker (which is what I did):
Around 10 mins with low pressure

To steam (non pressure):
I think need 30 - 40 mins

To fry:
Just fry until skin turns brownish

Alternatively can just boil or add in the soup, i think probably take around same time it took to steam (cos it is slightly raw, and NOT precooked.

Monday, August 06, 2012

Kurma daging

1

Update: Tested last saturday. Not so successful at first due to lack of onions. Recipe corrected.

------------
Below recipe is just my notes and has not been tried yet. Will refine once tested.

It is measured to make one kilo meat.

The ingredient of kurma paste (garam masala):
-kulit kayu manis x 1 •
-jintan putih x 2 tbsp
-jintan manis x 2 tbsp •
-kas kas x 2 tbsp (or more)
-cengkih x 4 pieces •
-buah keras
-halia x 1.5 inch
-small red onions x 7
-big onions x 3
-garlic x 3
-black pepper x 2 tbsp
-coriander/ketumbar 1/2 cup

Blend red onions first to liquidify the others. Add in all others and blend well. It should come up like a paste.

Other ingredients:
- Meat x 1 kg (cut in big chunks)
- Santan x half kelapa
- 2 spoons x yogurt
- bawang besar x 2 (cut in quarters)
- bunga lawang x 2
- daun pudina
- cili hijau (cut in halves)
- asam keping x 2


Directions:
1. Mix well meat with kurma paste and pinch of salt

2. Heat oil (lots) + 1 tsp butter

3. Tumis bunga lawang and the meat already mixed with kurma paste

4. Add in hot water, to help meat tender

5. Add in santan + bawang besar. Cook till meat is tender.

6. Towards finishing, add daun pudina + asam keping + green chillies

This recipe is the Penang version where the consistency is thick.


Recipe courtesy of Mama cheras n sis.

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