Switch to Bank of America from Washington Mutual

Ever since I read about how bad Washington Mutual is doing, I have been thinking about switching to other bank. Well, I finally did today. I opened 3 accounts with Bank of America. Withdrew everything I have in my WaMu accounts, and deposited to my new BoA accounts. I read many people discuss online that no need to worry because the accounts are FDIC insured. That may be true, but why I should risk my money? If WaMu goes down, there is no guarantee that I will have immediate access to my money. I may have to go through the claim process, which could take some time. Besides, I get better interest rates with BoA, and much better services (in my personal opinion). If you have the accounts with WaMu, do not listen to people that tell you not to withdraw. If you do not feel comfortable doing business with WaMu, then switch to stronger bank like BoA or credit union. Do whatever necessary to protect your money the best you can.

Opened new BANS site

With some success with my first BANS site, I just opened a new one: www.CopierGate.com. Please take a look. Hopefully I could earn a little more extra income with it.

Maxtor One Touch III Turbo 1TB Failed.

My Maxtor One Touch III Turbo 1TB, which I have been using it for backup for nearly 2 years, has failed. It makes clicking noise and the drive became completely unreadable. I contacted tech support, but this drive comes with only pathetic 1-year warranty. They want to charge me a few hundred dollars to replaced failed hard drives. Of course, I am not going pay that. I would rather buy a new one. I am now considering of Western Digital Studio Edition II 2TB. This one comes with 5-year warranty.

After I searched around the net, I found a law office working on a class action lawsuit for Maxtor external hard drive premature failures. Please click here. I emailed them my information. If you have a problem with your Maxtor external hard drive, send them your information.

Consindering of building fastest PC?

It has been nearly 9 months since I upgrade my PC. I am considering of this configuration to build the fastest PC in the world. But it is going to cost me a lot of money. Since I just bought a new car, perhaps I should wait one more year for bigger upgrade. Or maybe I should spend this money to buy a new Alienware laptop.

Updated my BANS to 3.0

BANS version 3.0 has been released for several months now, but I did not update my BANS site: http://www.gamingpcparts.com/ until today. My site has been doing quite ok, so I did not want to do anything to disrupt it. But after reading the positive appraisal about 3.0 in the forum, I finally decided to update mine to 3.0. The update process was straight forward. I simply had to upload the new files to my site and overwrite the old ones. I had a slight problem with the database, but was able to resolve it quickly. 3.0 basically adds more customizabilities and PepperjamNetowork support. There was not a major upgrade. Overall, I am quite happy with BANS 3.0.

Fraudulent Charges

I have just discovered that there are 5 fradulent charges to my MasterCard:

OVRNITEGN866-2491931 $2.56
ONGENIUS866-249-1931-V $2.27
CLKBANK*COM $49.95
DIS*DISNEY MOVIE CLUB $33.26
SCH*SCHOLASTIC AT HOME $14.97

I called my card company and disputed all of these charges. My card has been deactivated. The new one is being sent. Seems like there are many others who got hit by fraudulent charges from "OVRNITEGN866-2491931" or/and "ONGENIUS866-249-1931-V". I suggest you better check your card transactions asap!!

My FX50's leather seat is damaged!!!

On July 7th, I brought my FX50S to the dealership to install EX-1, Karr Track, Invisible edge Clear Auto Bra, and apply fishing touch. After I picked the car next day, I noticed there are bad wrinkles on right shoulder of driver side seat!!!

It looks like someone put too much weight or pressure on that spot, or perhaps, used a wrong chemical. Anyway, I made an appointment with the dealership on next Monday, 14th. I am going to request them to repair it or replace the seat at no cost to me.

Problem with FX50S Brakes?

Scanned from Car and Driver Aug 08.

I woud not worry much about this. Reallistically, how many drivers are actually going to do more than 1 panic stop continuously? Under normal driving condition, FX brakes perfectly fine.

FX50S High Resolution Pictures

Picking up my FX50 today!!!

I received a phone call from dealership yesterday that My FX50S has arrived. I am going to pick up my new car this evening. I will be posing very high resolution pictures on Thursday or Friday ..... or maybe a bit later if I am too busy.

I'll post another update again today once I am home with my new car.

Update on my FX50

I have got an update on my FX50 order.

First, the delivery date is 24th or 25th. Mine is one of only two FX50s my dealer is receiving. I was told I am very lucky that I ordered 2 months ago. Since production of FX50s is small, there is already 2 to 3 months of waiting for those ordered recently.

Second, I ordered fully loaded FX50, but they could not get entertainment package. Entertainment package will not be available for initial production. However, this can be added later on at dealer. I have not decided but I may go with aftermarket one.

And I finally saw 2009 FX (FX35 pre-production model) in person. They were demonstrating it for dealer people. I only had a quick look but I thought it looks really good in person.

2009 Infiniti FX50 Pricing and Target Delivery Date

Official pricing of new 2009 FX has been annouced today. According to this annoucement, my fully loaded FX50 is going to cost me $64,200. $5,000 more expensive than dealer estimate. But I still going to buy it as soon as it comes to the dealer. My dealer told me that expected delivery date is last week of June. About three more weeks to go. 2 months of waiting is more painful than I thought :-)



The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)* of each model is:
- $40,950 for the FX35 RWD
- $42,350 for the FX35 AWD
- $56,700 for the FX50 AWD

OPTIONS & MSRP

Technology Package: Intelligent Brake Assist (IBA) with Forward Collision Warning; Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system; pre-crash seat belts; Intelligent Cruise Control (Full Speed Range); Distance Control Assist (DCA); rain-sensing front windshield wipers -- $2,900

Infiniti Mobile Entertainment System: DVD player in front center console; wireless headphones (2 sets); 9-inch widescreen flip-down headliner-mounted display -- $1,600

Premium Package (FX35 only): Climate-controlled front seats; Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System; Infiniti Interface System for iPod; 2-position driver's memory seat; mirrors with reverse tilt-down function; power tilt/telescope steering column; solid magnesium paddle shifters; aluminum pedals; quilted leather-appointed seats; sand-blasted aluminum roof rails; cargo cover/cargo net -- $2,350

Navigation Package (standard on FX50): Infiniti Hard Drive (HDD) Navigation System; Infiniti Voice Recognition for audio and navigation; XM NavTraffic with Real-Time Traffic Information; 9.3GB Music Box Hard Drive with compact flash drive slot; single in-dash CD; 8-inch color touch screen; Around View Monitor (AVM); Sonar System (front/rear); compass in vehicle information display -- $2,850

Deluxe Touring Package (FX35 only): 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels (high luster finish) and 20-inch tires; Adaptive Front lighting System (AFS); auto-leveling front headlights; hand-stained Maple wood trim -- $2,650

Sport Package (FX50 only): Continuous Dampening Control (CDC) with Auto and Sport modes; Rear Active Steer; Adaptive Front lighting System (AFS); auto-leveling front headlights; sport-style front seats, driver's seat with power bolster adjustment (4-way) and thigh support for driver and passenger; dark-tinted headlights, side air vents and lower side trim -- $3,000

21-inch Summer Tires (FX50 only): High-performance 265/45R21 W-rated summer tires -- No charge

(Source: http://www.motivemag.com/pub/news/Forty_Grand_And_Up_2009_Infiniti_FX35_and_FX50_Pricing_Announced.shtml)

Ordered New Car

Last Friday, I dropped a deposit and ordered new 2009 FX50 with full options, which include: Technology Package, Sport Package, and Entertainment Package. Extrior color is liquid planitum, and interior is graphite. My dealer is expecting to receive my car sometime in June.

As soon as demo car is available, a dealer will call me for test drive. Even without test drive, I know this car will be great.

Yellow Freight lost my TV!!!!!

It was shipped on March 14, and came to destination dock on 17. Initially, it was supposed to be delivered on 18th , but they "forgot" to call me to make an appointment, they did not show up on that day. So I called them and made an appointment on 20th. When I tracked my shipment on their web site today, I noticed "Shipment all short". I immediately called them to ask exactly what that means. They told me that my shipment is lost and they are looking for it.

How could they possible lose it? My TV was sitting at their dock yesterday.

I hope that they have already loaded my TV into a truck and forgot to scan it.

Bought new LCD TV

Last Tuesday, I ordered new 52" Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR5. According to the tracking, it should be delivered tomorrow. I just hope that TV is not being damaged while shipping.

We have Fios TV btw, and I just called Verizon to order new HD DVR. Despite of shortage of HD receiver, customer service representative was very helpful and did her best to secure one for me. My new DVR should be shipped by the end of this month.

Can't wait to watch HD programs with new TV!!

Going to wait for GT200 / G100 / D10E

For the last few months, I have been buying and returning video cards to wait for Nvidia Geforce 9 series to come out. I was planning on buying 9800 GX2 or GTX. But 9 series turn out to be nothing more than slightly upgraded 8 series. I don't think it is worth paying high price for small performance gain. Therefore, I just bought XFX PVT88PYDD4 GeForce 8800GT 512MB XXX 670Mhz to wait for GT200 / G100 / D10E, which are expected to be released in late Q3 2008.

Desert Hills Premium Outlets

Yesterday, my family and I went to Desert Hills Premium Outlets. After we walked around for hours, I only bought 3 cheap shirts.

Since I am a member of JAL Family Club, I was able to get VIP coupon book from the management office. However, you can't use it unless the total purchase price exceeds $75, $100, or so depending on the store, so we did not get to use any of the coupon.

My Phaser 6350DP is busted!?

Not exactly busted, but just had a control panel screen failure. When I first saw it, I thought my darn expensive printer is busted. However, it still prints perfectly fine. It is just a control panel screen that went bad. I contacted Xerox, and was told that it is a common issue with Phaser 6350. Even though I do not have a warranty, they were kind enough to send me a replacement part with FedEx Second Day Air without any cost to me. Thanks Xerox!!!!

Panasonic Let's Note Y7 Review

Here is my review on Let’s Note Y7 (CF-Y7BWHAJR).

The very first thing I noticed when I take out the laptop from the box is its lightness. Because I am so used to the ordinary 14 or 15 inch screen laptop, I was very surprise with its weight. I actually doubted if this thing really has a hard drive and DVD burner. Next thing that I was surprise is its build quality. Y7 is just solid. There are virtually no flex. It actually feels more solid than my old T60P. Its water-proof keyboard is also solid, and does not feel mushy at all. However, I would still vote for ThinkPad for the best keytboard.

One thing that I don’ t like the most with Y7 is the display. Let’s start with the positive things. The screen is bright and image quality is quite good. Text is crisp and clear. Mine has no dead or stuck pixel. Screen resolution is high enough for me to open a web browser and Word side by side. Response time seems to be fast enough. I did not noticed any ghosting while watching DVDs. Now, the negative things. First, the viewing angle is somewhat limited. I can clearly see the screen fades when I tilt the screen, and looking at the screen from any off-center angle. Second, the screen’s backlight is not even. The bottom area is noticeably brighter than the rest of area. It can be bothersome while watch movie with lots of dark scenes like Matrix and Underworld. But keep in mind that, Panasonic did not design Y7 for gaming and graphic. They designed it to be for lightweight all-in-one large screen business laptop. I guess somethings have to be sacrificed. (All Let's Note display have the same weaknesses)

Speaker is weak. It does not sound so good compare to the most other laptop. But it is not really a big issue. Nobody would buy Let’s Note or Toughbook series for gaming or entermaintment.

Y7’s greatest strength is the battery life. The spec says 8 hours. I confirmed that it lasts about 6 hours and 30 minues under normal useage. It has some interesting features to extend the battery life. One is it automatically turns off DVD drive after 3 minutes of idle. It powers up instantly when you open the tray. Another is ECO mode. ECO mode basically allows Y7 to charge the battery up to 80% to help the battery last longer.

The performance of Y7 is a little slow. Y7 comes with 1GB ram (shared with video) to run Vista Business, which is not enough. Adding 1GB to total of 2GB (maximum) will make a big difference. Installing 4GB SD card as ReadyBoost should also make some improvement. I didn’t bother try to run any game on Y7. Since it does not have a fancy Nvidia or ATI video chip, all newer games will run horribly. But once again, Y7 is not a gaming laptop. Y7 is a light-weight business laptop.

As you can see in the video below, Y7 can take 76cm drop and 100kg pressure. This allows me to handle my Y7 more rougher, rather than always handling a laptop as you would handle newly born baby. Overall, I am very happy with my Y7. Great keyboard. Long battery. Big screen. Built in DVD burner. Light Weight 3.3 pounds. I give Panasonic Let's Note Y7 9 out of 10.

My New PC BIOS Configuation.

I have been overclocking my new PC to run at 3.6GHZ 11X333, but I have also been trying to run at FSB 400MHZ (x 9) and DDR3 at 1600MHz. With help from Xtreme Systems forum, My PC is now running at 9x400 with RAM at 1600. Here is my BIOS setting:

Asus P5E3 Wifi (BIOS 0601)
Intel QX9650 Retail

Ai Overclock Tuner - Manual
CPU Ratio Control - Manual
CPU Ratio Setting - 9
FSB Strap to North Bridge - Auto
FSB Frequency - 400
PCIE Frequency - 100
DRAM Frequency - DDR-1600
DRAM Command Rate - 2T
DRAM Timing Control - Manual

DRAM Timings
7-7-7-20
Rest are Auto
DRAM Static Read Control - Disabled
DRAM Dynamic Write Control - Disabled
Ai Clock Twister - Auto
Ai Clock Skew for Channel A - Auto
Ai Clock Skew for Channel B - Auto
Ai Transaction Booster - Auto

CPU Voltage - 1.30
CPU PLL Voltage - 1.60
FSB Termination Voltage - 1.50
DRAM Voltage - 1.90
NB Voltage - 1.51
SB Voltage - Auto
Clock Over-Charging Voltage - Auto
CPU GTL Voltage Reference - Auto
NB GTL Voltage Reference - Auto
CPU Spread Spectrum - Disabled
PCIE Spread Spectrum - Disabled

I confirmed that I can overclock to 4GHz stably (Increase CPU Voltage to 1.4 or slightly higher) with this FSB 400 and RAM 1600. I'll have to improve airflow before I let it run at 4GHz.

My ThinkPad T60P is on eBay

Now I have my new Panasonic Let's note Y7, I have just put my ThinkPad T60P on eBay. I also put bunch of high resolution pictures. If you are interested, please take a look here.

Will your dog help you?

Part 1


Part 2

Cat Weight Lifting

Very very funny!!!

I wonder how much my Meow can lift.

Ordered Panasonic Let's Note from Japan

Recently I ordered a new laptop from Japan. Panasonic Let's Note Y7 (Toughbook Y7 in the U.S.). It is one of the very few laptops that are being MADE IN JAPAN. It has 14.1 inch LCD, Multi DVD burner (no DL support) with 8 hour battery life, and wieght only 3.3 pounds. I am replacing my over 6 pound ThinkPad T60P, which I will be putting it on eBay soon.

I will post my review and pictures after I received my Let's Note. It should be delivered early next week.















CPU: Core 2 Duo L7500 1.6GHz (4MB)
HDD: 80GB SATA
RAM: 1GB (2GB max)
LCD: 14.1 inch (1400x1050)
Video: Mobile Intel GM965 Express
Video memory: Up to 358MB shared
DVD: DVD±R/±RW/RAM
Modem: 56K
LAN: 1000BASE
WLAN: 802.11a/b/g
OS: Vista Business
Battery: 8 hours

No ExpressCard and Bluetooth. According to US spec, US version seems to have Bluetooth, but battery life is much shorter than Japanese version.