When Google first comes out with Labs for Gmail, I was excited as it brings much more functionality to the other Google services.  Unfortunately, when it first came out, it was only limited to the public Gmail, and not Google Apps of which my company is on.  Finally, today, I’ve notice that the Google Labs has been enabled for Google Apps.  I now can change my theme and install all the much needed functions into the Gmail window to make the Google Apps much more appealing.  Here are the few features which i am currently using and like (in no particular order):

Offline – This feature enables your browser to download your mail box and makes it available offline.  Before this feature was available, I can only access my mailbox while I am online and I am forced to use third party mail client such as Outlook,  Windows Live Mail, Thunderbird, etc.  I’ve tried them all and end up using the gmail web interface for performance and I have also got used to the way the mails are being group together.  

Tasks – This is the one feature that I have been waiting for.  Before this, i have to use “Remember The Milk” through Firefox with addon.  The thing with Firefox is that it is slower than Chrome, and it has been bugging me for quite some time.  Now the labs are enabled on Google Apps, I have start to use back Chrome as my primary browser.

Message Translation – Now, this is one feature that I don’t really need it, but for the occasions that I receive mails from our China CM or Japanese customers, this pay prove to be handy.  It has yet to prove its worth, for now, I am enabling it to try it out.

Advance IMAP Controls – This is another feature that I seldom use, this is because I seldom access mail with Outlook.  The one particular feature that I like with this advance Imap control is the ability to choose which label to be shown through Imap.  This will help to reduce the load speed.  I usually only use Outlook to download mails to local drive to be archived in PST format.

Forgotten Attachment Detector – This is one important feature to have.  I have many occasions forgot to attach documents only to resend the same mail with attachment immediately.  This feature will help me to avoid such embarrassment in the future. 

Custom Label Colors – Immediately when I started to use Labels, I was craving for this feature.  The colors provided were fairly limited and was hard to find enough contrast of likeable colors to fill the mail box.  With this feature, I can customize my own colors, and enable me to fill my mail box with my own gordy colors instead of those created by someone else. 

Send & Archive – This is another productivity tool where it helps to reduce one step after I response to the mail, archive it.  I usually have to use the keyboard shot-cut to archive, now this helps me to save one step. 

Undo Send – Not that often, I have to recall mails due to no attachments, and due to some error of information.  This helps, if I notice that I should not send out the mail just yet within seconds of sending it.  I am trying out this feature to see if it is effective in saving me face..

Inserting images – This is one feature that elevates one primary frustration with gmail, that is the ability to attach pictures into the mail to illustrate important points.  Now I can explain better through mail.

Google Calendar Gadget – This helps to put my day in a single window and without having to open the calendar in a different tab.  This feature brings Google Apps – Gmail to be close to what Outlook offers, thought it could not match it, but atleast it put more functionality into gmail. 

Now I feel more complete with Gmail like never before and I can start to be more effective and manage my work more effectively.  Goodbye third party apps. 

A movie about a girl and her dog.  Well, not really, the story was much more deeper than that.  If you have thought that this movie is about a girl and her dog, then you will have to watch it.  This story is about commitment, and what matters to us most.  There were a few key take away from the story for me.  The first was the father.  Realizing that he is single parenting because the wife died, the makes the well being of the daughter his priority.  He immediately quits his job when he has to disappoint his daughter because of his overzealous boss requested him back to perform a surgery that any of the other doctors could do.  He was requested just because he was the best.  Now, giving up a high level position doing what he loves most is an ultimate sacrifice.  Maybe sacrifice was not the right word.  Giving up fits better.  Giving up his dream job so that he could give his best attention to his daughter who is growing up without a mother.  Selflessness, and another perspective could be unconditional love.  On the same theme, pets often gives us the same unconditional love, but it is us human beings who just can’t shake away from placing conditions into everything, even love. 

The dog never failed to pull the family together, nor stop helping the family and friends out.  But Akari, the lead character who have had the dog for so many years, that she started to feel the burden of her commitment as she outgrew her teenage years going into adulthood.  Even then, the dog never fusses her and keep being her friend until the day the dog died, just in time for Akari to realize her 10 promises to the dog and what’s really important in life. 

In one of her promise to the dog, is to cherish the time they spent together as the dog’s life is shorter than the human life.  Not just the dog’s life, we humans always forget that our life has an expiry date in it, and sometimes this expiration date comes much earlier.  If we don’t cherish our times together now, it might be too late when we finally realize it. 

The movie was slow in pace to begin, but once the story picks up, I find myself glued to the screen.  The climax comes towards the end, where everything plays out, and we realize the essence of the move.  5 star rating from me and I recommend to watch even if it bores you in the beginning. 

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The A6 Monologue sketch book has been sitting on the dining table nicely wrap in its original packaging for a few days.  The small sketch book was calling to me and finally today, I decided it was time to rip it’s plastic appart and deflower it.  My first sketch was using my fountain pen drawing the waves of sea in a hot sunny day.  The cream paper was a little rough, and it did not settle well my the foutain pen ink.  You will notice a little smear.  So, for this sketch book, its either pencil or ball pent for me, atleast till I do water or poster color, that is if I ever do that.  The A6 sits well with the palm and easy to carry.  The soft leather skin has a nice feel to it too.  The band was at the right tension and was not too tight.  The only draw back for the band was that it was hard to pick the band, when I use my nails, I dig into the leather, maybe it was inexperience in using this kind of book.  Overall I like the built, and can’t wait to deflower the other monologue that I bought over the weekend.  Now, what should I draw next?

After our favourite noodle breakfast at Bukit Cina, we were already thinking of lunch.  It was already 10am after all.  Muar came from my brother in law.  Muar? isn’t that like Johor = far? Its only an hour away max he exclaim.  Well, why not, since we have nothing much to do.  Coming from Penang, I would love to check out the food scene in Muar, especially the hawker fare.  So, we set out to Muar from Malacca just after noon.  To my surprise, it was not that far, there was this one road that we took, direct and looks like a highway, but it is free.  Muar was only less than 50km, and it didn’t take the hour mention by my brother in-law. 

The fist thing I notice in the drive in was the 30ft TV Antenna.  Almost every home has it, watching Singapore programs for free.  The city was decent, clean and was well kept.  It has the rustic feel of an old Malaysian city, but with fresh coat of paint.  Honestly, this city looks like more well kept than Penang, even though I love Penang much.  So, after some left, right, right turn, we came to this hawker section of the town.  My brother in law recommends the wantan mee, I like the ones in Penang better.  The pork satay was good, it was tender and tasty.  Otak Otak was spicy.  Liang Teh was nice.  The Ham Chim Peng was also very nice, it was soft and sweet.  The Muar Chee was ok, like any other muar chee. 

After filling our stomach, we went to the riverside.  I realize that Muar has quite a number of colonial buildings.  I was wondering what were the colonials doing here back in the days? Was muar a port for them to go Singapore and Penang? Nevertheless, the riverside was well kept and nice.  The scenery was also nice and cooling to rest under the huge trees that lines up along the river.  After a few minutes there we went to the famous Muar 434 coffee shop.  The Sai Kee White Coffee Espresso Special was great.  Rich like all other Malaysian home brew, and you can feel the caffeine effect for a while.  The coffee was great with the Ham Chim Peng.  The ambiance of the restaurant was also unique.  You have loads of pictures on the wall, one with Mona Lisa holding the 434 coffee packet on her hand.  Marble tables and wooden floors.  Softly air conditioned with ceiling fan giving the feeling of a cool afternoon breeze.  After having our fix, we head back, and that was our escapade of driving interstate for lunch. 

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JamLegend is a web rendition of the popular game Guitar Hero.  Using your keyboard as a guitar, you can Jam through various gene type of songs.  I have not played guitar hero before, but I know what it is and have seen youtuber showing off their skills.  This looks the same and I enjoy it much.  The pace was a little fast when I started, but once I get used to the beats, it comes in natural.  Sometimes, I think my subconscious mind was driving the finger rather than me.  This was especially evident when comes the tricky sequences.  Somehow the fingers just grace through the buttons automatically, while I was thinking when I will be screwing up.  And the second that thought expires, I screw up.  As I played the song more and more times, I got better and able to accomplish the tricky notes, and that felt really good.  I wonder if playing the real guitar felt the same way too.  There are a total of 5 strings, and 3 levels.  Easy only plays 3 strings, while medium 4 and hard all 5 strings.  As you play and scores, you get groupies, which is like a trophy of your accomplishments.  Currently there are a total of 38 accomplishments, and it will take an expert of the game or a lot of time to get them all.  You can also invite your friend to a Duels to see who is better and also to climb the points ladder as well as collect accomplishments.  Currently the game only has guitar, but I see Bass, Drums and keyboard as part of the future offerings. After all, the laptop keyboard has so many buttons, enough to support the mention instruments. 

The songs selection are good, I enjoyed the beats most of the time.  As the game are currently in Beta, I expect to see some minor tweaks in the near future.  Currently, the game seams to load in segments over broadband, so if it is not fully loaded, you can expects to pause once you have finish the segment.  This disrupts the game.  I guess sometimes the loading speed is not that fast, and people may get tired of waiting, that is why they allow you to go first.  I have been addicted to this game for a couple of days and now tired of playing alone.  Come join me with the invitation below.  Just click “Join Jamlegend” and it will bring you the sign up page.  You will automatically be my friend.  Train up and challenge me.  Oh, the game is free, forgot to mention that. 

Join JamLegend