Alcatraz, San Francisco, 2007 Part 1

I have been to San Francisco twice so far. I cannot remember the date of the first trip but I wanted to visit Alcatraz. I went to Fisherman's Pier/Wharf to make enquiries. It seems that day trips are always sold out. If you want to go Alcatraz on that day, you would need to approach the touts around the booth and you would have to sign up a package with them, which includes a day trip of the city.

I did not want to do that as I have already explored the city. So I vowed to visit SF again so that I can go to Alcatraz.

That happened on 2007. This time I was prepared. I did not want to deal with touts. Before my trip, I booked myself on Alcatraz Cruises for the evening tour. I just need to turn up at Pier 33 on  May 5th 2007 and off we go.

I booked myself on the evening tour as according to the website the evening tour was the most complete.

Check out my Part 2 of my Alcatraz trip here.

This is a view from the boat, of the SFO-Oakland bridge. As you can see, it was a nice day.

A view of our departure point, Pier 33. On the background, on the left is the Transamerica Pyramid and on right, Coit Tower. 2 distinct feature of SF's skyline.















Another view from Pier 33.















And off we go.














A view of San Francisco as we pulled away from Pier 33.















Before we reach Alcatraz, it is better if I show you this map which I lifted from alcatrazalumni.org to get a better orientation of the island.














As we come around to from the East. The buildings on the left are the prison block and the lighthouse on the right. Next to the lighthouse was the Warden's House.














Another view of the prison blocks. The white specks you see on the cliffs are hundreds of seagulls.














On the other end of the island. There is the Water Tank. The wall below the water tank is the Recreation Yard. The building on the foreground is the New Industries Building.















Another view of the New Industries Building. This is where prisoners could have jobs while serving their sentences. It is called New because the old Model Industries Building was discontinued due to a breakout.














As we turned around the tip of the island, we can see the original Model Industries Building. The prison guards could not see what was happening on the ocean face of the building and that could be the reason there was a breakout .















As we moved around, we pass the Power House. This was built on 1909 and still standing. It was built on the 1857 North Battery foundation.

 The next building on the foreground is the Post Exchange/Officer's club. It was built in 1910 and 'destroyed by fire in June 1970.'














I managed to obtain these pictures from nps.gov to show how the original building look like.

Same building in 1915.

 

The next buildings are part of the original structure on Alcatraz. It consists of the guardhouse and a 'chapel' on top of it. There has not been any proof it was used as a chapel though. Below the guardhouse was the first prison originally used.

As we are near the docks, we passed the barracks/apartment buildings. This was originally used as the barracks for the soldiers on the island. Later it became the housing for prison staffs and their families. We have come full circle as you can see the lighthouse on the background and the warden's house on its left.












 

Coming towards the docks. The background shows the lighthouse and the warden's house.














There is a sign when you reach the docks. There is graffiti saying 'Indians Welcome'.

This was the original picture when Native Americans overtook the island on Nov 20th 1969 until June 11th 1971 to protest for their rights.

As we got off the boat, this is the view of San Francisco. Imagine, being sent to this island to spend time and the last image you see is this image of the city.  
















Remember, this is only Part 1 of my Alcatraz trip.
Do not forget to check out my Part 2 here.

Otterbox Defender for iPad2

When I first got my iPad2, I bought the Otterbox Defender casing to protect my device. I've used the Otterbox device before, for my Blackberry Bold and it is a reliable casing. It gave a very good protection. The Defender series consists of an inner plastic which protects the device and an outer silicone which acts as a shock absorber. One of the features I like about the Defender series is the bezel all around the screen area. Which means if ever your device falls, the bezel would protect the screen from scratches.

For the iPad2, there is a outer clip screen protector which converts to a stand for the iPad2. It also gives an additional protection for the screen. Unfortunately, one of the legs on my clip-on protector cracked. This could be due from one my travels.
















I am not sure if you can see the crack.














So I wrote an email to Otterbox and explained the problem I had with their product. They requested photos of the crack, a brief explanation and my details. After that I was informed they would send a replacement!!!

5 days later, I got the FedEx package. Date was 12th January 2012














From Otterbox














Opening the package.

A brand new clip-on screen cover, with the fold-out stand.

With the clip-on cover attached to the screen.

Separated. 

The silicone outer layer.

Another view of the silicone cover.















Because of the effort Otterbox placed for its customers and the extent at which it went for overall satisfaction, I recommend its products. And I would definitely buy an Otterbox product in the future.

Hotel Majapahit Surabaya

In my previous employment at a financial information company, I had opportunities to travel and stay at numerous hotels.

One of the cities that I would visit occasionally is Surabaya, Indonesia. I say occasionally because the client base is quite minimal at that time. If I do get to visit Surabaya, I would normally stay at the Hyatt Surabaya.

But there was one time, I heard about a historical hotel in Surabaya called Hotel Majapahit. It was at this hotel that the Indonesian flag was first flown. It was originally built by Lucas Martin Sarkies in 1910. His brothers built and manage the Raffles Hotel in Singapore a few years earlier. Because of the historical significance of this hotel, I decided to stay in it on my next trip on July 30th 2006. And also, I do not think I would get a chance staying at the Raffles Hotel

At that time, it was under the management of the Mandarin Oriental.

 

The flag staff at the top is the location of Indonesian flag when it was first flown in Indonesia. According to the current Hotel Majapahit website, a group of Dutch flew their country's flag in defiance of the Independence Proclamation by Sukarno. In anger, a group of Indonesians climbed up the hotel and tore off the blue part of the flag, leaving the red and white, which later became the Indonesian flag.

Behind the hotel lobby, is the main ballroom, the Balai Andika. It is quite a stately building, comprising of 2 floors. The main entrance is flanked by stained glass windows. This was the original building when it was first built. The front lobby was added later.

 

 This is a picture of the stained glass window.

 

I did not take any photos inside the ballroom but I lifted this from the brochure. It reminds me of the Ford Theatre where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

This is a shot from outside the ballroom, which is on the left hand side. The courtyard is quite peaceful, with the fountain and the bench.

This is the Grand Staircase. It reminds me of Raffles Hotel

 

Going to my room, I have to go through this long hallway. Notice the lamps and the nice ceramic floor. These rooms has their own private windows which opened to the hallway. I guess during that time, it was quite warm so the windows are all opened.

 

My room is the Garden Terrace Room. It is quite large and the furnishings are mostly wood, making it dark and gloomy.

The door on the left of this picture leads to a small balcony which overlook the Garden Courtyard.

The bathroom.















The light switches. The brass furnishing giving it a very high shine.















This is the view from my room balcony during the day. The garden courtyard is quite huge and it is surroundedby, if I remember correctly, 3 hotel blocks, 2 storey each.

I decided to explore the courtyard a bit more. Raffles Hotel has a similar courtyard as this but they cemented it and converted it to a lounge and 'beer garden'. Who knows, maybe Raffles Hotel was like this courtyard before.

On the right of the picture below is the garden entrance to the Presidential Suite. Numerous dignitaries, past and present has stayed at this suite, including previous Indonesian presidents.

Another view of the Presidential suite.

One thing you may noticed in all these pictures, where are the guests??

7 Led Flashlight Headlamp

There is a chain of hardware store in Indonesia called Ace Hardware Store, a division of the US brand. Imagine Home-Fix but the size of a Giant superstore, all filled with hardware, outdoor and indoor goodies. Its competition in the US is Home Depot, just to give you an idea. It is stocked with a combination of local and foreign made tools and gadget.

It is at such a place that the wife convinced me to get this 7-Led Headlamp by ThinkTank Technology. Here are some photos of the device.

Amazon has the same product here.
But I cannot remember how much I bought it for at Ace.

   

 The unboxing of the lamp.

The top strap that goes across the head is slightly shorter than the one that goes around the head.

The battery housing takes in 3 x AAA Size battery.

The battery housing slides into the lamp.

Light is quite intense. I am quite happy with the purchase. I remember the kitchen sink had a choke. I trace it all the way to the gully trap in the kitchen. That was the easy part. The trap was quite deep and it was dark. I  had to use a handheld torchlight and it was not easy to hold and clear the choke at the same time. I knew at that time I had to get a headlamp.

Hand Tools Made in China

If India is the BackOffice support of the world, then China must be the factory of the world. The things the country churns out is amazing. They only need to work on their QC and they would be world class standard.

There are a couple of neighbourhood stores near my estate that sells a lot of China made products. But my favourite is the hardware selection.

I had to dismantle my daughter's crib and put it in storage. Instead of using the Allen key that came together with the crib, I decided to buy a set.




























I got this 9-piece Hex Key or Allen key for SGD4.90. The package claims that it is made from Cr-Mo-V(Chromium-Molybdenum-Vanadium), which is synthetic steel used amongst high-end tools. It comes in a nice plastic jacket that holds it in place and you can hang it in your garage if need be or if you have one.

The fact that it costs so little is incredible. China-made products has reduce these items to a 'disposable' level. Even if it is not made from Cr-Mo-V and start to rust, I can just throw these away and get a new one.

Now compare it with this: Stanley 85-753 22 Piece Long Arm Metric Hex Key Set at Amazon.

Stanley is a reputable US brand, well known for its quality tools. Their hex key in the picture is made from black oxide finish which resists rust. At the moment, it cost USD13.34 which is within acceptable range. But somehow, I would still choose the China-made tool. I do not have to care too much if it is a China-made product.

Another China-made item which I bought was this measuring tape.

It has 2-quick buttons, one on the side and one underneath. When the buttons are depressed, it holds the tape in place.















The slider lock holds it more longer. It has a solid industrial feel to it. Cost: SGD3.90
A man is only as good as his tools. But as long as it goes the job done at a tremendous cost savings, why not?

I may not own a garage or a workshop but these tools, in their small way, helps me get the job done.

AC Ryan PlayOn HD2 - 17th Dec 2011

I stumbled onto a blog recently. What is unique about this blog is that the blogger covers his penchant for his tech gadget and his travels. Topics which are very close to my heart. Both subjects are supplemented with generous photos. I have to say his gadget acquisition is quite generous and so is his travels.

His blog inspired me to spice up my own blog. This blog was originally intended as a platform for me to sell Lian Li case accessories. But Ive found other ways to display these items i.e. mainly through forums. And I do not want the blog to go waste.

So I am presenting my first un-boxing photos of AC Ryan PlayOn HD2. I originally wanted to build my own HTPC but the cost and upkeep is just not worth it at the moment. My brother already has the same AC Ryan and he is raving about it. And coincidentally, AC Ryan Asia Pac was having a sale at their warehouse over the weekend and it is not far from my own place. So it was like a sign that I have to get these items.

The side of the box shows the EZ Drive slot for the HDD.
 The various type of file types supported by the the player.














The other side of the box shows the type of connectors.














Optional items: the wireless keyboard and Wifi dongle.
Which I bought as well.














The keyboard.














The USB Wifi dongle.














The unboxing begins. Items are nicely pack.














There are 2 items in the box i.e. the AC Ryan media box and the peripheral box.


















Stand-by items. Generous number of cables, including a HDMI cable. But AC Ryan uses a 2-pin plug. Even the 2-pin plug can be used in Singapore, the 3-pin plug that majority of appliances uses I feel is more stable and less dangerous.





























Unboxing was easy. The setting up is another story. I did not get any HDD as I wanted to set it up as a media streaming from my network and I already have a NAS on the network. AC Ryan can locate my router(D-Link DIR 615)  but getting connected has not been successful. Will update on my next post.


Dec 21st 2011 Update:
I have been unsuccessful till date on getting the AC Ryan connected to my wireless network. Upon advice from the AC Ryan staff via their forum, I have upgraded the firmware to the current. Ive also disabled the encryption on the wireless router to make it an open network. Both my laptop and AC Ryan are able to detect it as an open network, no password required. Laptop was able to get connected but AC Ryan still showing Test Fail error message. I am at my wits end.

Dec 30th 2011
I feel like throwing the AC Ryan out of my 2nd floor window. Till date, Ive yet to connect the damn thing to either my wireless or wired network. Even connecting it through the wired network will show the dreaded 'Test Fail' error message.

On the wireless network, AC Ryan can detect my wireless router but it still refuse to connect to my network, even after I enter the password.

The funny thing is, my brother has the same AC Ryan but using a DLINK 655. Mine is the DLINK 615. We did a test of my AC Ryan on his wireless network it was connected effortlessly.

So I suspect it has to do with my Router or Network. I have done a factory reset of my DLINK Router and yet no change. Still fail. This damn thing is taking too much effort for me. I am seriously considering to either

a) put it away with the rest of my gadgets that failed me storage. This would allow me to try out the device at a later stage. But at the moment, I just hate looking at it.
b) sell it away.

I should have gotten the Boxee instead!

Dec 31st 2011
My brother came to my place to take a look at the AC Ryan. We decided to do a factory reset of the D-Link DIR 615 router. And we networked all the devices back, one by one. And lo and behold, the AC Ryan instantly connected itself to the network. No Test Fail error message. It was such a relief. It was able to detect my NAS and PC. So now I can play the movies from my NAS.

However, I noticed there is a tug of war between the IP addresses. I am using Network Magic to monitor my network and I can see the router keeps dropping certain devices and re-issues another set of IP addresses to these devices. To reduce this, I would have to assign static IP addresses for devices like AC Ryan and NAS. My Compaq laptop is another problem. It is very slow in detecting my local network. Sometimes, the laptop can go on days without picking up any IP addresses that the router assigns. I would have to assign static IP address for this as well.

Otherwise, the AC Ryan is connected to my network and is able to locate/see my NAS and I am happy that my investment is not a waste afterall.