Gmail vs. Hotmail

Which one to have? One created by Google, the other by Microsoft. Well, the long battle ended with these points right here.

Hotmail

• Lots of contacts
• Has a good "news related" base
• Created by Microsoft
• Has a chat option

Gmail

• Constantly more space
• Easy to use chat
• Video chat
• Can share documents
• " " pictures
• Created by Google

Well, after looking at those last key points, you may have reached the same conclusion as me: Gmail's the winner.

Rumors, or rumored?

Many fanatics, for both computers and books, know what will come out next, and possibly how soon. This applies, as said above to computers and books, such as for books, possibly advanced readers, but for computers, speculations. Take the mac mini for example. Long time, no new upgrades, no new features. Possibility for upgrades like the new macbooks? Rumors. Possibility for Starwars 7,8, and 9? Rumors. 

So if you have any new "rumors" just post them, and I'll comment on them. 

minkster

Ning

Ning, not to be confused with the movie nim, is a social site with many new possibilities. Easy templets await, and you can keep adding people, and people can have their own pages. www.ning.com/  

Rated :  7/10  - Compared to some of the other social networking sites, ning has almost no people!

Also on the block is Glogster, not to be confused with blogger, which is a site where you can easily create your own posters, and print them out. Great for school, or work, these posters are real time savers. www.glogster.com/

Rated :  8/10 - the text boxes could use some more effort, but the sharing ability is cool. 

Until next time,

Minkster

The importance of technology

Once upon a time there weren't any computers, no "storage space" no cameras. Was hat better? In my opinion, in some ways it was, but in some ways it wasn't. 

True, you might have had to be more creative, such as go outside, or read a book, but what about schoolwork. 

Paper vs. Laptop/computer. An easy thing to decide: The laptop. But what happened to the creativity? the drawing, the innovative design? 

~minkster

P.S. a fun game online: http://www.addictinggames.com/miniputt.html

Graphics Converter

Yes, I myself had my doubts about Graphics Converter, such as would it work? What is it like? 

Well, if I had any doubts, they are now gone. iPhoto is good at editing, but Graphics Converter takes it to a new level. Graphics Converter is almost like Photoshop is for macs. 

For effects go to filter, they experiment all you like. To convert/export merely put it into iPhoto. 

Free download at the apple download page. Edit away! 

Tip of the week, incase you didn't know, in iTunes, go up to view, click on visualizer, select one you want, and click show visualizer. Really cool.

Until next time,

minkster

Books

Good books are hard to come by. Whether fiction or non-fiction, "good books" - or as you might call them "enticing books" lure you in, and keep you reading. For me, I love to find new enticing books… whether new or old. This is why I would like to introduce you to two new books… Sunrise over Fallujah, and yes, a manual, The Mac OS Leopard Book. 

(sunrise over fallujah by walter dean myers) 

Sunrise over fallujah is a book in which a young man joins the United States Army to fight in Iraq as part of the Civil Affairs Unit. This books sheds light on what it might have been like in Iraq as a young man.

The second book I would like to turn your attention to - only mac users or people who might get a mac - is The Mac OS Leopard book, which in my opinion is a much have for people with macs. 

`minkster

Moving Back

So while it happened a little while back, I have moved back to the US... for better or for worse? True, Shanghai was my new home, and yes I had great friends, but things come up sometimes. Well, at least there's more green back here in the US.

To celebrate my coming back, I have redone my "blog icon" to match a little bit more of what I wanted my blog to show.

But enough of blabbering on.
My recommendation is that if you don't already have super docker, or Adobe reader 9, than download them. They make your life much easier.

-minkster

Can you hear this?

Some newspapers have talked about the "invisible" ring tone, that only teens can hear is here. Check this site out: http://www.freemosquitoringtones.org/ for the "mosquito rings"

Incase you wanted to look at my menu, here it is... I haven't updated yet.

New "check this out" Icons include - drum roll - the "area 52" icon set. pretty awesome and modern; a mix of alien and apple. Check it out.

Now a important announcement:
minkster is now back in the USA. Unexpectedly. Very, very, unexpectedly. well, I'm here in the US now, so no worries.

-minkster

Book of the week: The Hunger Games

3 top menu items for macs

In my opinion, your menu isn't complete on top without three cool "gizmos." These include

• Insomnia X: Keeps your computer running while your lid is closed
• Caffine: keeps your computer bright so you don't have to keep rubbing the mouse; use with Insomnia
  
• IAntiVirus: Scans your computer for viruses, then deletes viruses

Have fun,
Minkster

(haven't had any viruses yet)

There and back again

Back in the US, lessons learned, and many new experiences. Some must gets for a trip to China, or just plain cools.

• Hotspot Shield: This device can be used to get passed the China firewall, or the school block. Works for both Windows & Macs. Search "download Hotspot Shield" on google, and download away!
• Skype: For communicating to people back home... and when the lesson is boring. A good multipurpose communication. Search Skype on google to obtain Skype.

More news and reflections later,
minkster

Creating a locked folder (Macs)

The question often comes up, how do you create a locked folder? Well, prepare to be enlightened.

Step one: click on spotlight and type in "disk utility"

Step two: Click on new image

Step three: name your "disk" and choose 128 bit encription

Step four: put in your password

Violá, your done

An easier way: go to http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/networking_security/espionage.html to download "espionage" and lock folders easily.

minkster

A Beijing Trip

First, after flying into the Beijing Airport, I went to Sun Village, a village where the kids live becuase their parents are in jail.

Next, I visited the Olympic Park, and went inside of the Birds Nest for the second time. You can actually go on the field, but not on the track.

Minkster

next: The Hutongs, Planning Exibition, And More

Crazy Taxi Driver

Some things are much different here in Shanghai than America... Such as: barganing, shopping, and... taxis. The taxi drivers here pay NO attention to speed limit. Here's some basic information you might want to know.

• Taxi Drivers are ranked in "stars" one star is the worst, and five stars are extremely rare
• Hold onto your seat. Your going to need to!
• Crashes are negotiated on the spot. If an agreement for paying can't be agreed on, the police are called to help.

My experience goes as follows: Start at the Super Brand Mall. Here comes a taxi. I wave it down. The driver doesn't really know the way, and so we're telling him where to go. The average fare to our house is 15 yuan, and so when we get there, and the meter shows 27 yuan, we're not happy. We tell him that we should only pay him 15 yuan. He gets really angry, and starts to speed back to the Jin Mao as fast as possible. We tell him to stop, and he doesn't stop. Finally, my mom pulls open the door, and out we get (of course he stopped when my mom opened up the door!). We pay him the fair, and out we go.

Hope you don't have an experience like that!

~minkster

Photo from http://www.wangjianshuo.com/personal/places/shanghai/shanghai-qiangshen.taxi-head.jpg; http://farm1.static.flickr.com/201/476815738_2fb84f9e3f.jpg?v=0

Johnny Moos

Johnny Moos is an ice cream shop that is great, and yummy, and a little taste of home. It may seem like a lot of money, but hey, it's less than the US.

• Great Milkshakes
• Great Ice cream
• Sherpas "the 'bring to you' company will deliver to you"
• Free delivery within 1k of Johnny Moos

I recommend the cookie dough milkshake, but also, if you're feeling like you want a fruit, try the mango milkshake. It tastes like mango.

On the other hand, watermelon juice is great, becuase of how it tastes. Try it (when your sure that the watermelon used is not just the street watermelon).

Finally, there's the rain. It just keeps raining, and it's good, becuase it washes away the dirt from the sidewalk... just as long as it isn't polluted. You may not want to chance walking in the sidewalk, becuase really, do you want to know what's in it?

~minkster

World Financial Center

Here in China, the world financial center is a big hit. After all, it's tall. There's a tower being built that is supposedly going to be MUCH taller! When you look up, it's hard to believe.
Anyways, because it's so tall, many people want to go up, and would go up if... if it wasn't so expensive. I have a friend who's family went up (only four people in all), and it cost 70 US dollars! Very expensive.
I might go up to myself, later, and see if the price is worth it.

Also, the shopping is always fun here, and you should see some of the things there are. These include software, as well as tailored clothes!

Besides that there's lots of rain. Lot's and Lot's and Lot's of rain. The locals say it's unusual.

Bye for now,
~minkster

Lots of Places for SHOPPING

OK, so maybe I'm not the best of bargaining, but being here for just a little while will increase your bargaining skills tenfold.

Some places you should visit to shop for cool stuff, clothes, and software are:

International Pearl Market
The mall under the science and technology museum
NOT off the street
the turtle market (for pet turtles)
the Fabric Market (get custom fit clothes!)

Bargaining in key here

~minkster

New School

你好

A new school is always fun. Maybe not so fun if you don't know many people, or are unsocial, however, for my part, I lack neither, so a new school is fun. I got a mac for school, and so I can now download a whole barrage of things. I'll inform any readers for the blog on all of the downloads for macs and PCs. But back to school. If you are going to school overseas, take my tip. Most of these kids (if it is an international school) have gone through this experience, so you can count on them to help you. Also, people are more friendly than you may expect and so that you can make friends and feel at home more.

After a little while you would think that you would get used to it. I haven't yet. One thing you might want to know is that the spitting is a little bad (people spit even in the grocery store), so just wear shoes (big ones are preferable). 

Speaking of grocery stores, Carrefour is a great one to buy handy stuff. Carrefour Stores are massive things. Huge in every perspective, they are wildly popular with locals and foreigners alike. 

Here's my Carrefour experience:

Let's get this TV! Ok, it's cheap for it's size. It's LG. OK! proceed to check out. The man motions for us to put the TV not the DVD player on the check out counter. It gets rung up. Then we have to wait in line for the DVD player. We realize that we need to get a cord between the tv and the dvd player. Nope. They don't have it. wait. the man comes out of the storeroom. He offers us the cord with the price. We pay him directly, and he pays the store. Then they test the cord with the dvd player and the tv. okay, it works. We buy all of the other things in our cart and rush out. The time was over two hours since we went in!

Back to previous paragraphs: However you might want want to use Cityshop for meat and fish, because the Carrefour meats look a little bit "iffy," or if you might want a little bit of a taste of home. 

Recommendations from

~minkster 

我是很聪明。just kidding！

2 good restaurants

Out with some people at two different restaurants, i will report them.
Kathleen 5, and Face are two great restaurants.

Kathleen 5 is located over an art museum, at the top of an old railway station, with a fabulous view of peoples park.

Face is loacated near the tech. park, and it makes you feel like you aren't in China anymore, and you can chose from Morrocan,Thai, and Indian foods in different rooms, as well as a night club.

Both restaurants, i feel i must alert you, are not for the stingy. They have high prices, but if you feel like you want a special night or lunch in a perfect setting, try these places out. If not, if you feel you want something special, or if you feel homesick, just go to Element Fresh!

~minkster

PS, for those pictures I posted earlier, click on them to enlage them!

Must See Aquarium

A must see aquarium in Shanghai sets the bar for extremely great aquarium. Lots of room for the animals, lots to see, under water observation galore!

They even went so far as to put in underwater escalators,

a fake dock and rusty boat,

or a moving underwater sight seeing tunnel!

Because they went so far, this is a must see aquarium.

The price may seem a little bit pricy for the one hour experience, but it is totaly worth it, and you will be raving on like me once you go! Also, the feeding times are cool, so time your visit!

~minkster

(the aquarium is loacated near the Science museum, the super brand mall, and the Jin Mao tower)

Hmmm... Food?

Living in Shanghai and not adventuring out for some food in a new place is preposterous, however, you may come out feeling a little bit foolish. Here's my experience...

Hmmm... this looks like a good place for food.

Okay, lets go in.

walk in, sit down.

we'll take this, this, and this.

pointing at food pictures

what's that?

looking at a steaming bowl, not able to see what's in it

The waiter looked at the food, and pointed at something on the menu. We said, "Mei you, bu shi, no thanks." Waiter goes away. Four dishes are coming up. Soon the waiter comes back with... What was that? A big steaming dish... uh, oh.

Lesson learned: Stick to the menu, don't point - the dish will end up on your table, be adventurous.

~minkster