MAS annual report 2011

 

Due to the rain for the past few days I feel a bit down so I need something to cheer me up and I downloaded the MAS Annual report to have a look. I find one thing interesting and I summarized it below:

 

MAS ANNUAL REPORT 2011 PAGE 98 NOTES 7 & 8

	2011	2010	Increase	Increase %
	RM'000	RM'000	RM'000
Total Employees Benefit Expenses	2,325,086	2,163,731	161,355
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS PAY	3,713	2,613	1,100	42.10%
EMPLOYEES	2,321,373	2,161,118	160,255	7.42%

While the company was making big losses, the Executive Directors received 42% increase in benefit. Interesting !!! 

Got to burn all those stupid management books and read 1Q84.

Save $$ on IT

This post is to give you idea how to cut down your IT costs. This apply to school, legal firms or accounting firm or small office. Big companies ? Don’t be cheapskate ! Stop reading.

First you have to thank MS for giving you Windows 7 ( Is this the first time I said good thing about Windows ??) and some great guys that help to tweak Win  7 to a multi-users multi sessions system. Also , you must thank TM for giving you fast internet access.

COST SAVING
Cost save per PC is about RM1500 to RM2000. 

Read further …..
More than 1/3 of price you paid for a PC goes to MS.  Windows 7. + Microsoft office ( Excel, Words etc…)  add up to RM1500 per PC easily and you cannot install same copy in few PCs. You cannot use pirated copy too because Ministry of Trade will come after you. 

Win7 professional can be tweaked to a multiuser system this means more than one users can login and use it at the same time in a local network environment (LAN) OR over internet .Like the network diargram below :


Please google multi sessions Win 7 and you will find plenty of material on this.

This means you only need to install MsOffice in the Win 7 PC  and not on the terminals/workstation accessing Win 7 PC over local area network or over internet . Over office network is easy, most of the article from the above search will provide you the methods. 

Over the internet is more tricky but just google port forwarding will give you idea how to do it. 

The terminal could be your old Win XP machine, PC running Linux , ( free OS) or LTSP terminal ( terminal without hard disk – cheaper still) ,  Since you do not need to install Win 7 and MsOffice in all the workstation, your saving will be RM1500X number of PCs. For a 10 PC environment it is 15K and for school computer lab it could be 50X1500=RM75000 per school.

OTHER ADVANTAGES
This system has other advantage. All your data could be stored in server to facilitate backup, control and prevent unauthorized access. And, maintenance is low since the other terminals could be diskless workstations.

LEGAL ?
Is these legal ? I am NOT sure. But look at the practical side.

First your window 7 and MSoffice must be legal full retail version copy  to comply with the law so that you have no trouble with Ministry of Trade.or law on piracy.

2nd Does this involve civil case with Microsoft ?? This I am not sure.you have to read the license agreement or consult your lawyers.  But I guess it is quite difficult for MS to prove that you are against the agreement since you are installing the software on one computer ONLY and not on many computers.

Disclaimer : do it at your own risk and don’t blame me if Bill give you a legal letter,

You can always put the Win 7 PC outside the office or to the extreme side, outside Malaysia .Heeeeeeee Heeeeeeeeee





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木头饼

 

This post is originally posted in 2008 and updated with pictures taken today.

木头饼 - 古早味道, 就要消失的传统

昨天去一个叫武吉不兰律或当地华人叫狗头的小镇买饼. 这饼家是个老字号, 做的是很传统的福建饼.

每年中秋节前,饼家会做一种叫＂木头饼＂的饼.

 

 

 

 当然不是用木头做,只是这种饼比较硬,有嚼劲. 做这种饼不用电炉, 一定要用下面那样的炭炉

The grandma of this biscuit / moon cake shop still strong and fully in charge & hand on making the 木头 biscuit . It is a tough work I could not stand the heat for more than 10 minutes yet this strong woman is doing it for 6-7 hours .

这家饼家也有做其他种类的饼

 

和应节的中秋月饼.其他的饼是用现代电炉烘的.只有这种木头饼是保持传统做法.

 

在这种凡事以经济效益的年代还有人能保持这种传统方法做这种好吃但不能卖太高价钱的饼是值的尊重的.

 

２００８.９.１

Computer Security

When we want to secure our house we do not secure one door very well but ignore other possible entrance like the windows or back door. However come to computer security many friends and companies do not follow this approach. They may buy the most expensive anti virus software like bit defender but ignore other possible attacks. Securing data or computer is like preventive car thief, the most expensive car lock could not prevent a "professional" car thief. But simple more comprehensive manners would reduce the chances .

What are the do & don't  to follows?

1.  Don't Trust Strangers AND people you know who could compromise the security.

This means after TM or repair man fixed your unifi or modem or computer OR when you buy a new gadget you should

2. DO the following

For modem / router
change the password login into the modem
change the wifi key into the modem
turn off remote maintenance /administration 
turn off all port forwarding ( unless this is setup by you and you know what to do)

turn off DDNS unless this is setup by you and you & you know what to do with it

 
For computer
change the passwords for all users
Update the latest anti virus software
turn off remote maintenance /administration for your computer

turn off remote  desktop/ remote assistance

scan your computer for trojan hourse / virus
back up your data , if you have not done so
turn on the firewall if not already started

3. Don't use anti virus anti spyware that you never heard off  . Many of these software are Trojan horse

4. Don't download attachments from junk emails even from your friends. If you must, scan it first. 

5 . Don't go to porn site or sites with many advertisements.

6. Allow session cookies only and turn off 3rd parties cookies

7. Don't let browser save your password to emails / banks accounts

8. Avoid pendrives from friends If need to, scan it first. 

DON'T GO TO INTERNET Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!1

Linux 12 – Play play with Linux

Unlike decade ago I do not need to explain what is Linux now so this post is for friends who use Windows but want to try Linux for fun.

UPDATE Sept 8 2012 : The "Linux for you"  magazine sold in most books shops come with free Linux DVD. The latest issue is Linux Mint and the earlier issue is Fedora 17. Both are fantastic Linux distribution and the magazine only cost RM19.90 . You pop in the DVD , boot it up from the CD and you can play play with it. Cheap and quick way of testing linux  Have fun

Step 1
Download any Linux you want such as opensuse or Ubuntu.  I would suggest the newest version of opensuse 12.2 Live KDE because it is new You can choose others Linux such as Linux Mint
http://software.opensuse.org/122/en


Download the Live KDE 32 bit iso files which is about about few hundred M size. You must remember which folder you download the file to. After downloaded you can burnt the iso file into any CD using standard CD burning software like Nero or Roxio that comes with many PC ( BURN not copy ) OR you can burn it to a usb PENDRIVE to test it. To do that go to Step 2



Step 2 Burn the iso to USB thumb drive  or pendrive

UPDATE : openSUSE 12.2 does not work with this tool so use this tool for earlier version !!!!!

Download the window version of this tool here http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
Choose the window version




After download finished, click on the file and let it run . If window prompt you for permission to run , give it. You will see the screen like that below .  Put in the usb pen drive ( 1G & above)  and choose the iso files you downloaded in Step 1 to burn it into the pendrive. WARNING : whatever in the pendrive will be gone.


Step 3 Boot the computer from the Pen drive.
After the Linux is successful burn into the pendrive, the tool above will give you a message and you can restart the computer and boot into the pen drive. If you do not know how to boot into pendrive you can always google : boot sequence Here are two examples. http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?c=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=18703&docname=c00364979
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/ss/bootorderchange.htm
After the system boot up you will be greeted with beautiful  Linux desktop  .
How to use it ? Play play with it loh!!!
or Go to the opensuse website or whatever Linux your choose to follow the documentation there.