Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Professionalism or semi-pro?

Professionalism or semi-pro?


Friday, May 27, 2016, at 11.30am, the race director waits for the drivers and team managers to show up for the drivers’ briefing. Majority of the people needed to be in this room are here, except a few. Two more show up, making a sprint to the room. At precisely 11.45am, the door gets shut and the briefing begins. 

“From this point on, those who are outside this door will do this briefing only 15 minutes into the start of Free Practice 1.” Wow, as I stood there thinking, he’s making a stand. Which is good after all. A few of them never seem to show up on time for all the mandatory events. This would mean they would only be left with less than 15 minutes of a 45 minute free practice session.

Sunday, May 29, 2016, at 1.55pm approximately. The team I have photographing for has won the race. I position myself at parc ferme, waiting for the winning driver to pull up and come out of his car. The driver steps out and hugs his teammate. To my horror, a semi professional fellow colleague has completely ruined my picture by sticking his hand and compact camera to capture that same moment!! “F**K!” as I muttered and shoved his hand away. Shot ruined, I go around and capture other moments as there’s no point crying over something that’s ruined. 


The story of professional drivers & cameramen versus the semi pros will always go on at circuits all over the world. Some people are here to get a job done, while some are just out there to have a holiday & to ruin it completely for you. At the end of the day, the ones who are paid to get it done are always the last out there on the track, and always the last ones to leave the media centre. After all, there are no masters of the track, as we are always learning, we adapt to the situation and get it done. ’Nuff said, let the pictures do the talking instead.

View the gallery here

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Shure SE535 Initial Review + FiiO RC-SE1 cables

Lately, I have been playing around with some audio gear. After buying a decent good pair of headphones, I decided the default Apple Earbuds weren't doing any justice to the music I was listening to. Went through all the reviews on various In-Ear Monitors (IEM) and after trying various models from a selection of 2 brands, I decided to go with Shure SE535. The SE535 features triple balanced armatures in the configuration of a dedicated tweeter and two woofers to deliver rich bass.

Box design, simple packaging

During the initial sampling of the IEMs at the store, I didn't play attention to "other" fine details other than the sound signature of the earphones. It was only when I took them out of the box and I realised that the default cable (EAC64BK) that came along with the Shure SE535 was 1.6m (64")! Running thru the Internet, I found out that the Shure SE846 was the one that came with a 1.16m (46") cable as an extra in the packaging.

Went with the brozne metallic color. Turns out it will be a big mistake.
With such a long cable, most daily commuters would have to wind up excess cable into their pockets or carry a reel in their hands.

Decent looking, comes with the default soft foam sleeves (size M).

Carrying case for transporting those IEMs.
Decent looking carrying case was included, plus a 1/4" adapter, a airplane adapter and a volume control adapter. Except implanting the volume control would be not practical as the volume control would be near the output port of your device.

Various accessories inside, including soft rubber flex sleeves (S-M-L), soft foam sleeves (S-M-L) and a triple flange.

Another look at the SE535
SE535 with soft rubber flex sleeves.
The default soft foam "olive" sleeves that came with the SE535 was not really suitable for my ears. I was not able to get similar bass performance to the ones that I sampled at the store. It boiled down to lack of sound isolation for the soft foam sleeves, which seemed to be pushing itself outward. Switching to the soft rubber flex sleeves gave a firmer bass, and it will be the choice for my hearing needs. With regards to cleaning, the soft rubber flex sleeves are able to take a few wash cycles in mild warm water, whereas the foam ones are perishable if water comes into contact.

(From top, clockwise) Yellow foam sleeves, soft rubber flex sleeves and soft foam sleeves that look like olives.
FiiO RC-SE1 replacement cables (length 1.2m)
So with the "problem" with the long cable, I decided to look for replacement cables. I found a really cheap alternative in the FiiO RC-SE1. However, the microphonics on this is really horrible. Any movement/rub/collision with this cable would vibrate mechanical noise and it would be most probably be picked up in the IEMs, unless you are listening to very loud music!


Specifications from manufacturer:
Sensitivity119 dB SPL/mW
Frequency Range18Hz – 19kHz
Cable Style64" Detachable (at ear) with wireform fit
ColorsAvailable in Clear or Metallic Bronze
Speaker TypeTriple High-Definition MicroDrivers





Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Jersey shopping experience Kitbag (UK) & Premier Football (SG)

Lately, I've been very unlucky to get jerseys not printed properly. 2 companies, one from Singapore - Chelsea jersey with name not aligned properly, one from UK - Netherlands jersey with front number not aligned properly.

Netherlands 2014-15 Home with Robben 11 printed from Kitbag UK

Notice after I folded, the 11 is badly slanted towards the bottom right.

Chelsea 2014-15 Home with Diego Costa 19 printed from Premier Football (Bugis) in Singapore.

Using the white line as the reference and placing a ruler horizontally between the shoulder seems, notice the misprinting starts from letters "GO" and carries on towards "COSTA", such that it already eats into the 1cm space above the ruler. 
Placing the ruler below, aligned and parallel to the first three letters "DIE".


I contacted Premier Football via phone to their head office in Ubi, and told them I had sent images via Facebook messaging about the misalignment in printing. However, pictures were not enough to prove that it was an error in printing and they needed the Chelsea jersey to be sent to the exact shop which I bought from in Bugis, downtown Singapore. When I sent it there (August 13th, 2014), the retail person in-charge said as communicated in Facebook (with the executive in the head office) the jersey would be sent to their head office in Ubi and the management needed two weeks to make a decision if there is a misalignment in the letters. Outcome: On August 18, 2014, Premier Football contacted me and will replace the jersey and mail the replacement to my place. Thanks for rectifying!

Kitbag from Manchester, UK apologised immediately (on August 13th, 2014) after seeing the picture evidence (sent via Facebook messaging) for the mistake and would reprint the name and number on a new Netherlands jersey and resend it to me via express without any charge. Additionally, I do not have to send the misprinted jersey from Singapore back to the UK. Thanks a lot Kitbag and their customer service officer Loti!

Thursday, August 7, 2014

World Cup Jersey Collection

Ok so the World Cup was over, however that did not stop me from buying some World Cup related memorabilia. The biggest dilemma a soccer fan has is when choosing between the replica compared to the authentic version. The replica version is the cheaper of the two, usually more comfortable as it is of a regular cut, while the authentic version is almost double the price of the replica version and the materials used are thinner and lighter. The authentic version is the one the players wear onto the field of play. Nike markets the replica as the stadium version, while the authentic version is known as the match version. Of course the other thing to consider is whether to get the player's name & number set printed, and if the shop selling it is able to print the numbers nice and straight, etc.


Adidas Germany Home Authentic jersey with player name and number printed plus World Cup badges.

Match name printed under the German Football Association crest.

Nike USA Away Stadium jersey.

Nike Netherlands Home Match jersey.

Nike Netherlands Away (L) and Home Match jersey.

Nike Netherlands Home stadium jersey with player name & number with World Cup badges printed.

Netherlands Away jersey classic World Cup finals 1994 by Score Draw

Jerseys that might be kept for collection purposes.

Finally found the stadium version of the Euro 2012 Netherlands Home jersey. Bought the match version way back two years ago.
 
Bunch of FIFA World Cup badges bought from eBay. Letting them go for S$20.







Friday, May 9, 2014

List of Formula 1 Models I am looking to sell if you live in Singapore

EDIT: MAY 21, 2014 Brawn GP Brazil GP 2009 sold.

The following is a list of Formula 1 model cars in 1/18 scale that I am looking to sell, if you happen to live in particularly the west side of Singapore, you may contact me to have a look at the condition before committing to buy.

Items will be sold on: eBay SG
(NOTE: If item is not available online, please contact me via eBay to check availability of items.)


As of May 10, 2014



Year
Model
Item No
Remark
2000
Ferrari F1-2000 M Schumacher
26737
HW
2001
Ferrari F2001 M Schumacher
53956
HW
2003
McLaren Mercedes MP4-17D K Raikkonen
530031806

2005
McLaren Mercedes MP4-20 K Raikkonen
530051809

2006
McLaren Mercedes MP4-21 L Hamilton 1st Roll Out Silverstone Sept 19, 2006
530061884
SOLD 1, left Qty: 1
2007
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-22 L Hamilton
530071802
Normal Box
2007
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-22 L Hamilton
530071802
w Lewis signature (Not for sale)
2007
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-22 L Hamilton 1st Win Canada GP 2007
530071822
Ltd 7,999 pcs.
2008
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 L Hamilton
530081822
Normal Box
2008
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 L Hamilton
503081822
Vodafone Collectors Box
2008
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 L Hamilton World Champion 2008
530081832

2008
Scuderia Toro Rosso STR3 S Vettel Winner Italian GP 2008
150080015
Ltd 4,999 pcs.
2009
Brawn GP BGP 001 J Button Winner Australian GP 2009
150090122
Ltd 4,002 pcs.
2009
*SOLD* Brawn GP BGP 001 J Button Brazil GP 2009
150090622
Ltd 4,209 pcs.
2009
Red Bull Racing Renault RB5 S Vettel
150090015

2009
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-24 L Hamilton 2009
530091801

2010
Red Bull Racing Renault RB6 S Vettel
110100005

2010
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-25 L Hamilton
530101802

2011
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-26 L Hamilton
530111803




Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Lego Simpsons Minifigures Series 2014

2014 marks the 25th season of The Simpsons, and with the recently concluded Lego Movie, the creators of The Simpsons teamed up with Lego to produce their 550th episode entitled "Brick Like Me", which was an amazing way to market the Lego Simpsons minifigures. With the recent February release of The Simpsons House (71006) set by Lego, The Simpsons Minifigures Series (71005) are the next in their lineup of promotional material for the 25th anniversary.

The Lego Simpsons minifigures series just arrived at the Bricks World JEM store today (May 7, 2014) and I collected 2 boxes this evening. Thankfully, I had placed and paid for my orders last Friday, because I didn't see any boxes open on display for people to buy.




On the shipping carton, it states "Do not put on shelf before May 1st, 2014". Upon opening the box, you are presented with 3 columns of 20 packets. Since I was distributing 2 sets to friends, I cut a small slit to check for the character in the packet and recorded down the distribution.







The distribution in the box was as follows:


Left

Right
Back Krusty Bart Scratchy

Krusty Itchy Ralf Wiggum

Nelson Itchy Milhouse

Homer Bart Flanders

Homer Marge Flanders

Homer Scratchy Apu

Homer Chief Wiggum Mr Burns

Maggie Chief Wiggum Apu

Maggie Chief Wiggum Flanders

Homer Marge Grandpa

Marge Scratchy Lisa

Marge Itchy Lisa

Krusty Scratchy Lisa

Nelson Itchy Mr Burns

Krusty Bart Mr Burns

Nelson Milhouse Flanders

Grandpa Lisa Apu

Grandpa Bart Milhouse

Maggie Bart Ralf Wiggum
Front Maggie Marge Ralf Wiggum



In total, you get the following quantities in 1 full complete box:
Homer 5
Marge 5
Bart 5
Lisa 4
Krusty 4
Itchy 4
Scratchy 4
Flanders 4
Maggie 4
Apu 3
Grandpa 3
Nelson 3
Mr Burns 3
Ralph Wiggum 3
Chief Wiggum 3
Milhouse 3



Hope this helps. I will post more photos later!

Cheers!


Sunday, April 20, 2014

Lewis Hamilton wins Chinese Grand Prix





Lewis Hamilton won a dominant Chinese Grand Prix and lead team mate Nico Rosberg to a third consecutive 1-2 finish for Mercedes. Alonso completed the third step of the podium, ahead of Ricciardo and Vettel.

The pace of both Mercedes was amazing as they were almost a second faster per lap. Hamilton had lead at the start and opened a gap to the chasing competitors of Vettel, Alonso and Ricciardo, and was the last of the leaders to pit with a gap of almost 31 seconds when the Brit pitted. Rosberg didn't have the best of starts and got bogged down and was overtaken by Felipe Massa and in the Williams and Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari on the first hundred of metres.

A scrap on the opening lap between Massa and Alonso would lead to consequences for the Williams as they had a problem with the left rear hub during the pitstop which took almost a minute, the end result dropping Massa almost close to last position. Bottas in the other Williams had contact with Nico Rosberg too. As for the Red Bulls, multi-31 was the order of the day as Vettel was told to move over to let teammate Ricciardo pass.