EDDIEWONG

I’m not a real fan of ramen therefore I can’t even remember when the last time I ate ramen was so I guess this is an indication in itself that it is time. This ramen shop is kinda new-ish (maybe from 4 months ago?) and is located right outside the exit of the station near my home. Whenever I walked past, regardless of time, there is always a queue even though there is another ramen shop right across the road. Due to it’s popularity, I decided to give it a try tonight.

Thinking I was big and what-have-you, I ordered miso soup base ramen with extra char-sui and negi (leek) toppings as well as gyoza (dumplings). What a bad mistake! The ramen itself was already big and the extra toppings made it a monster! The taste, needless to say, is good hence this places popularity. And, I didn’t finish it - managed to throw down 2/3 of the ramen and 3 out of 6 gyozas. What a waste! As with all ramen, you always feel bloated and heavy afterwards (and sometimes a little sickly feeling too)…

Fujifilm has today announced the development of the FinePix S5 Pro due to be available in ‘early 2007′.

The design of the body is based on the Nikon D200 with Nikon F-mount compatibility for all functionality with all Nikkor AF-D/G and the latest AF-S optics.

Interesting how this is based on the Nikon D200 body (amid a bit too many badges on it). I guess Fujifilm can’t go wrong with it since the D200’s body is ergonomically superior when compared with that of other D-SLR body designs, imho. But since this camera is still in development, I wonder if the body will change as we get closer to the release date…

Went to the Tokyo Game Show super early today with Roy, Brad and Reika. Well, I guess it’s not really super early cuz we met up at Tokyo station at 9:30am. But for the last 5 years, I would meet Hing Dai at about 12-1pm. So, yeah, when compared, it is early…

I remember, during my first 2 years or so in Tokyo, the Tokyo Game Show was held twice a year. Then from my third year onwards, it changed to once a year. This is kinda understandable considering not many games can be released in one year by any one developer. So back when the Tokyo Game Show happened twice a year, usually the developers repeated showing what they showed 6 months earlier. I think this was the contributing factor for the change since admission declined.

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During the keynote at the Tokyo Game Show 2006 which kicks off today until Sunday, PlayStation father, Ken Kutaragi, President of Sony Computer Entertainment, announced that the low-end PlayStation 3 would go on sale on November 11 for 49,980 yen, rather than the previously-announced 62,790 yen.

No doubt, the decision is influenced by Nintendo’s Wii, which will retail for 25,000 yen when it goes on sale on December 2. Maybe the move is also influenced by Xbox 360’s new lower pricing too? Heck, NO! No one wants that in Japan. As a matter of fact, the Xbox 360 isn’t even a contender here…

Anyway, besides giving in to pricing, the low-end PS3 will also get HDMI interface, a feature that was previously only to be available on the high-end 60GB model.

Hahahahaha… how pathetic!

Cocaine drink claims to be real thing!

I was going through my backup hard drives today searching for some old design files of mine as well as clearing out some old data then I came across hundreds of cellphone pics of Ulala.

I always have my cellphone close by at home regardless if I’m watching TV, working, or eating. A lot of times I snap pics of Ulala just for the sake of annoying him. Hahahahahaha… yeah, he doesn’t like having the cellphone pointed at him and the shutter sound (which is friggin’ loud and annoying on Japanese cellphones. And no, you can’t disable it) usually drive him nuts. Whenever I leave my cellphone lying around within his reach, he would pick up the cellphone and fling it across the room! You should see some of the scars on my phone (namely teeth marks).

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I’ll be there on Sunday. See you then!

Information:
Tokyo Game Show 2006 - New Excitement. New Sensations. A New Generation.
Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex
September 22 (industry and press), 23 and 24, 10am - 5pm
Admission: ¥1,000 (advance), ¥1,200 (day), Free (elementary school and under)

An article on Jonathan Ive, Vice-President of Industrial Design at Apple Computers, by BusinessWeek Online.

This is probably one of the better articles I have read on Jonathan Ive because it kinda sheds just-that-tad-bit-more light on Apple’s design team than any other article I have came across before, namely, how many people are in the so-called “small team” (I actually thought his team only consisted of about 5-6 people), who some of them are (isn’t this supposed to be a closely kept secret?), where they are from, etc., etc. The article is definitely worth your time to read even if you are not an Ive or Apple fan…

“The team, made up of thirty- and fortysomethings, has a definite international flair. Members include not only the British Ive but also New Zealander Danny Coster, Italian Daniele De Iuliis, and German Rico Zörkendörfer. “Its good old-fashioned camaraderie — everyone with the same aim, no egos involved,” says British fashion designer Paul Smith.

Most of Ive’s team live in San Francisco, and rumor has it that the starting salary for the group is around $200,000, some 50% above the industry average.

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