Swift Stylus mini

Using iPad on working is really convenience, there are some really great app help iPad turn to one of the most useful tool. One app I recently download is called "Penultimate",  it could let me draw/write anything I want as like writing on paper, then save as a document.

Penultimate on App store Download it

But I used to write by finger, I have to admit that my finger not that thin as a pen, sometimes it bothers me that I have to write words larger & event hard to draw a chat, so I decide to find a stylus instead.

Here is a mini pen I found, it has soft nib like made by rubber, it's so small just a thumb high, can easy put it on aside of headphone pocket.

It cost US$ 14, friendly price, and it's sensitive and really works fine on capacitive touch screen.

This is not the best stylus I've used with laptop, but since iPad is made for mobile, I think this little stuff is good enough.

Special exotic restaurant & iPhone app, Camera+

It's close to Chinese New Year about 1 week remain, and me and friend love to get together to celebrate coming new year or just told about how's everyone resolution this year or so...



We also love to choose some special store with exotic atmosphere, food, etc...,
OK, that's enough, I actually wanna introduction one of my favorite app on iPhone, and it can let you shot beautiful picture no matter of food/view/people!

Camera+  on iTunes store

iPhone 4 with 5-megapixel camera, it's really good to use taking picture more beautiful, but sometimes I do really wanna adjust those just shotted pictures then publish on twitter or facebook, this app is more useful to do that.

As you can see on introduction page, Camera+ provide tens of option to adjust pictures from camera or photo folder, only one thing that I wanna this app could be upgraded is, I can only use one of those effect each time (not include chop), most of those effect are focus on color changed, it will be great if I can mix some effect on my picture.

Once the picture shotted, it will automate make photo raw then I can continue take pictures then adjust them all later.

Click on Edit then shows effect categories, choose one then enter next level choice.

it's very easy use app with powerful function, and also with very "friendly" price, really recommend it!

Add image to movie via QT Pro

I like to have self-style ringtone used in my iPhone, there are many tool can edit ringtone with your own music, the most fast way is use iTunes to cut 30~40 secs music from library, for me, I don't wanna my ringtone sounds just like unfinished music, so I use some basic app of Mac to edit it.

Then QT Pro it also convenience tool to do music photo slide show, when I wanna share some interesting photos on Facebook or present it using iPad, it's fun to have some background music.

Here I will use 3 apps to do it, it's a little complex, but I get used to do this way, quality just much better!

1) Open iMovie (I still use iMovie '06), import music

2) Once it's done, you can see music waves, it's useful when cutting music from time line, more precisely.

3) Choose the point from time line, then right-click to "Slit selected Audio Clip at playhead", like first pic below, then music will be separated 2 parts, delete others to keep just ringtone.

To delete part that don't want

4) Then right-click on music waves, click " show clip volume level", this can do fade-in & fade out effect.

adjust volume level, can do fade in & fade out

5) Export it as mov file

6) If you get Quicktime Pro, now can export it as aif file, then import to iTunes to cover to AAC file. Now the most import part for iPhone user:

iPhone required ringtone file as " *. m4r", once the music cover to " *.m4a", drag this file from iTunes music folder, (usually that covered m4a file will be at unknown album folder), then delete original m4a file from itunes.
At Desktop, change file name from XXX.m4a to XXX.m4r, then double click m4r file, it will be add to iTunes ringtone list automatic. 

7) When I wanna make a photo slide show with background music, I usually edit music first as steps above, then choose pics to fill in with that movie as we now already edited, let's add image.

No matter you wanna play photo slide show or only want to add a image to the movie you made, on QT Pro, click "File -> open image sequence", to choose all images.

When file opened, click "common+A" to select all, "common+C" to copy it.

8) Back to the movie, click "Add to selection & scale"

9) Now it's all done! 

10) Finally, save as another file name, "save as self-contained movie"

Xmas card sent from Santa Claus

Finland is really a beautiful and lovely country, despite it's really cold in winter, but every Christmas, I always waiting for Santa Claus from there to sent me greeting, of cause for kids, that means their wish is about to come true, that would be lots of gifts, I guess.

Visit Finland gives unforgettable memory, food stand near port, eating breakfast with sea gulls fly around is special feeling, there are many more places I want to discover.

Design of Finland is also amazing, from furniture, clothes to accessories, it can always special me; and as a stamp collector, I love their design on stamp, it shows their beautiful thousands lakes country, history, culture and unique design style, and if you ever bought stamps from them, they will send you special gift each year!

Post office of Finlad

I had received Christmas greeting card sent from Finland 2 times since I bought some stamps there, look at the postmark of very cute Santa Claus on it, for me, there is no others gift better than it!



Give yourself a special Xmas card sent from Finland! There is Santa Claus' home country, the best greeting from north pole!

Christmas Season in Y2010

I love Christmas season, every year I'm waiting for it, and can't wait to see those beautiful, spectacular decorated Christmas tree, and every year, I will take pictures of those, as the most beautiful memory of the year.

This year, of course, I have a Christmas tree review as usual, as living in Taipei so long, this city is changing very fast, and try so hard to keep tourist coming back, and Christmas season is one of most important month for them to create more opportunity increasing selling and then following another big day of Chinese New Year, so from December, street down to Taipei city, become vivid!

Here are some special Christmas tree I spot it!

In front of Eslite book store in Taipei Sinxi district, this is really a little one, but I like white Christmas tree, since there is no snow here in Taipei, so a white tree may offset my little regret...

 

Inside Taipei City Hall station, this one is cute and spooner by a makeup company from NYC.

Swarovski crystal Christmas tree, the most shining tree I've seen, it's 79 inch high, and keeps changing lighting, so spectacular!

Inside Taipei 101, it's the first ever, make by steel and float in air, very creativity!

 

Located in Belltaita, the luxury department store, made by wire with flying butterfly, and people can actually get inside the Christmas tree!

Here comes, the most biggest Christmas tree! Located in center Sinxi shopping center, it's 3-floor high, and people can sit in, take special photo!

Also, this year is 60 anniversary of Snoopy,  I love Snoopy and this is my favorite decorate this year!

Finally, here is the Christmas tree located in my office building!

#Aperture plug-in, BorderFX

#Aperture & #iPhoto plug-ins.

We all love to add some photos while writing blog, and if you are using Mac as like me to blogging, you may want to make sure all photos on blog is protected of your copyright; add 

a watermark is much important .

There are so many software can do this, like famous "Imagewell" (now is not free anymore), "QuickScale", "EasyBatchPhoto" etc. but there are more easy way, we are using Mac right?

everything can be more easy.

There is a little plug-in for both iPhoto & Aperture to do most essential, add border, title, copyright, including GPS and watermark, these function can be done while export, and me, like to use Aperture 

1) Plug-ins can be downloaded @iBorderfx

2) Once it's installed, it will be showed at export function

3) This main page there are 4 major functions: Image, Border, Text & watermark: 

Here are the first 2, to change image size and add different border type, then it can be add text on photos, following is what it looks like:

Regarding to add watermark, you need to use other software to make one photo, as a watermark, then add to this plug-in, then every time when you export a photo, it will automatically add watermark on it, here's how:

4) It's all done!

I'm still trying if other way to make this process more easily, before that, I will love BoderFx make this lovely plug-in for Aperture 7 iPhoto, and it would be appreciated if you and leave any comment for me about this post, any advice is welcome! 

[食記] Japanese pork chop

Japanese seems always server delicious and looks beautiful!

日式食物總是色香味俱全的！

Me and friends often travel to Japan just want to taste yummy Japanese food, no matter is sushi, lamian, etc. We always can find the best but not hurt you wallet.

我和朋友們常到日本去只是為了嚐嚐美味的日式食物，不管是壽司或是拉麵等等。我們總是可以找到不傷荷包的最佳食物！

This time we went to a store which server curry pork chop located downtown Osaka, it always full by people, actually we went to there twice and finally got in because this store didn't accept reservation, you need to lint in front of the door, and must be quicker, people stat to gang up around 11AM for lunch!

這次我們找到大阪市中心的一間豬排專賣店，生意好到總是大排長龍，而因為他們不接受預約，而我們也是去了二次才順利進去；而且，如果要排隊的話最好要早，中餐時間，往往11點就有人在排隊了。

Take a look these yummy meal! 看看菜單有什麼吧

Almost every Japanese meal come first with these simple appetizer, soup and a salad
前菜，海帶芽和牛蒡絲，加上一碗味噌湯

appetizer & soup

一樣有一小碗的沙拉

 a salad

Here it comes, crisp pork chop
來啦！炸的酥脆的豬排

pork chop with rice

It like puree, dense curry sauce
非常濃的咖哩醬

curry sauce

pork chop mush comes with coleslaw, it can reduce greasy
完整的一套餐，佐以大把的高麗菜絲

whole meal

comes dessert time
甜點，茶凍

jelly

門口的大大隻狸貓

a mascot

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