The Canon PowerShot G1 X is one of my shortlisted camera to upgrade to from my PowerShot S95 which has been serving me for the past 2 years. It is still performing great and is compact and I still love it very much, but being Claudia, I just need to have a change of style for my gadgets every couple of years.

I had an opportunity to give the PowerShot G1 X a test drive before jumping into a store with my credit card.

Details of the camera and its features can be found on Canon website and no I’m not going to repeat them here. Just a very quick sharing of what I like about the camera.

• Big and bulky
  Yes! You heard me right. I like it big and bulky because it feels great in my hands. With my S95, I am constantly reminded of how small it is and having to hold it properly so it will not slipped of my hand. With the solid body of the G1 X, I feel like I am shooting with a compact DSLR and can hold it with two hands without having to look like a “circus bear on a tiny bike”, if you know what I mean.
• Swivel LCD display
  Need I say more? Its great for self-portrait!
• Shoots well in low-light condition
  Love this especially now I shoot almost everyday in my room with very little light.
• Fast
  I can just hold down the shutter and let it roll! Love the clarity of all the images shot.
• Love the colors…

Great colors with high-sensitivity 1.5” CMOS sensor

If I didn’t have that much to-buy and to-pay items in my list, the PowerShot G1 X would have been my immediate purchase. I’ve a month to consider or save for it. May just get it before my family trip to HongKong in mid June. Hmmm…

I’m back in action with my new iPad. And its housed in a blue Targus slim case, which I kinda regret buying. Here’s a quick review on the Targus Slim Case for the new iPad (3rd generation iPad).

Front view of the Targus Slim Case

Back view of the Targus Slim Case (With Jot Pro stylus attached)

Targus Slim Case fully opened with iPad inside

Hands free viewing angle

Ergonomic typing angle

So far, the Targus Slim Case looks pretty good right? Slim and compact, nice color and the texture of the skin feels good too. It allows the iPad to stand at the two most needed angles. And even has a elastic holder for stylus at back of the case. The only problem I have with this case is that it doesn’t allow me to hold my iPad at a proper ‘holdable’ position with case opened and folded.

Problem: It doesn't go flat when cover is fully opened and pushed to back of iPad

With the bulge like that, how to hold the iPad and use it while on the move? Its neither ergonomic nor useful to have the case folded and looking like that.

The cover will go flat with the case looking like this (image below). Again, how does one hold the iPad, writes or types on it when on the move?

Flats with one-third of cover folded

Am very disappointed that this Targus slim case has such bad design. Wasted $79.90 on it. Am considering cutting off the cover, leave the back cover and buy the original iPad magnetic cover for it. Should I?

I’ll get one once it ships worldwide!

I’ve been a customer with Standard Chartered Bank for 2 years now, and there hasn’t been much complaints from my end. But our recent encounter with the bank hasn’t been a satisfactory one. Its either a lack of service standard by the staff (a Relationship Manager, Preferred Banking) who served us at Marine Parade branch that day or a lack of support at the backend of the bank. After 3 weeks, we have yet received what we were supposed to 7 working days from the opening of account.

Here’s our experience; anyone else shared the same experience before? Hope not.

It was on Sunday, 14 August 2011, when we visited the Marine Parade Central Standard Chartered Bank. Our intention was to open an account for savings with cheque book service and look at potential investment opportunities. After approximately 15 minutes of waiting, staff returned from their break and we were served by this young lady. After explaining our needs, she recommended us to take up a long term endowment plan (with Prudential) where we were eligible for a special short-term Time Deposits promotion where we get high interests return for a 3-month period. After calculating and discussions, we took up her proposal and signed up for the endowment plan, started two Time Deposits accounts and started an XtraSaver account.

As it was a Sunday, the bank were not able to deposit the cheque and all transactions had to wait till the next working day, which was the NEXT day. We asked when the ATM/Debit card, cheque book, Internet banking details and other documents will reach us, we were told the ATM/Debit card will be sent to us the NEXT working day and the rest of the documents and stuff will come in 7 working days. After all is signed and done, we left.

The first thing that arrived in our mailbox was the cheque book, followed by the bank transaction slip for our cheque deposit. A week passed and that were all we received. Then another week passed, still nothing was sent. We called the Relationship Manager who served us (whom also upgraded us to Preferred Banking status on 14 August 2011), she said she will check and the other documents should be on the way. After couple of days, still nothing received from Standard Chartered Bank. So I tweeted @stanchartbreeze hoping someone can help look into the matter. Private messages were exchanged and a phone call was made to clarify the situation. We were told they will send out the outstanding items the next working day, which was the day after Hari Raya. So by now, we should have received our ATM/Debit card, Pin for the card, Internet Banking information and documents for our endowment plan right? Sadly, only the card was received and it arrived on Friday! Without the pin number, the card is technically useless, except for purchasing it as a debit card; not what we needed.

From a verbal assurance that the card will reach us the NEXT working day, to a delay of more than 14 working days! This is NOT the kind of service standard we’re expecting from a bank, and for a preferred banking customer some more! Throughout this period of time, the only way we can access the money was to go to the branch and do our withdrawal over the counter. Much time would have been saved if the necessary stuff came in time, as mentioned by the Relationship Manager.

Several times we wanted to go straight to the branch to request for a card and the IB token, but was afraid the bank had already mailed out to us. So we waited. When we called the bank and when they called us after the tweet, neither of them suggested for us to have our problems solved at the branch. Wait was what we did.

If we had opened the account on a weekday, would all this have happened? If not, then is it a failure on the bank’s side to have weekend banking hours yet not able to deliver the standard that should have had for weekday banking? Is this considered a weekend banking fail?

We were looking forward to using the other banking services and products by Standard Chartered Bank before this happened, now we are seriously considering otherwise. If such simple transactional standards cannot be met, how can we trust that a long term property loan or even a CDA with Standard Chartered Bank is what we should take up? Hope something can be done about the bank’s service standard and SOPs. No point having a good range of products/services, great internet/mobile banking tools and nice website, but service standard isn’t satisfactory.

Let’s see how long more we’ve got to wait for the card pin, IB details and other documents pending to reach us. Haiz…

Celebrated interior designer Kelly Hoppen shares her professional expertise for creative ideas to transform your home into a reflection of your individual style. This roomby-room masterclass covers the key principles for each space and troubleshoots common physical constraints. It
includes concise, lively text with practical information.

Kelly Hoppen: Ideas taps into this world-renowned designer’s exceptional talent and professional experience. It’s a source of inspiration and advice for anyone undertaking home design or redecoration, whatever the scale or budget.

Personally my take on the book can be summarized in one sentence…
Bold and beautiful designs that may not fit the medium income family budget yet filled with tips and guides that are useful for everyone designing their own home.

Head down to Page One to check this book out if you’re planning your new home, you’ll never know what inspirations will come your way.

Public speaking is a bitch! I personally hates it and will try at all my might to avoid when I can. The cold feet, butterflies in the stomach, sweaty palms and lost of words! I simply hated it!

On top of all the above anxieties, add stammering from young into the picture and the need to address the entire country! That’s what Bertie, King George VI, in The King’s Speech had to go through.

Story of the King’s struggle to overcome his stammer and how he managed to address his country at war with his determination in his war speech with help from a non-certified speech therapist, Lionel Logue.

Imagine having a partner strictly for sex and nothing else, that I believe is a fantasy to many of us. Don’t deny! You know you want it! Who doesn’t like sex? Its not a dirty or R rated thing that the society has somehow make sex to appear to be. Sex is a natural event that happens between two physical being who both have needs to meet. Of course, ideally it’s to do it only with the person whom you love truly and passionately.

But between Emmaa and Adam, things started out to be somehow a fantasy. Two sexy individual getting together just for the pleasure and passion of sex. Just sex, no love, no talking no relationship.