Echopinion Is Closing Down

I received an email from Echopinion today annoucing that they are closing down and will be closed for business as of end-of-day April 30, 2007. (which is today)

It was stated that "Although, Echopinion was extremely successful, forces beyond our
control are demanding the termination of the service."

There were a few campaigns in Echopinion which I took part in although they dont have as many campaigns as BzzAgent. The most memorable one was a sock campaign where they sent me a pair of socks to try out. It was a Nike's dri-fit concept kinda sock and it wasn't that bad.

Well, pimping ain't easy, and surviving as an internet business ain't easy too.
Peace out.

Dead NEC ND-3540A and NEC ND-3550A

The two DVD Rewriteable drives which I had, NEC ND-3540A and NEC ND-3550A, are both dead. They don't eject. I was hoping one might work so that I could sell it on craigslist. I just tested them tonight after having them laying around for a few months or so.

The ND-3550A was one of the top of the line DVD RW drives when I purchased it from Newegg.com

It's not like I can use them now that I ordered a laptop.
I might be able to ship it back and use it at home, but since my home PC is already equipped with a DVD RW drive , it doesnt really matter much now.

Dell Home Now Has 1 Free Skinit.com Credit

It wasn't there when I place my order for E1405 on Sunday night.
I checked back today to see if prices had dropped, only to find that now they offer a free Skinit.com skin for FREE. That's a $29.99 value if you buy directly from Skinit.com
Well, if you're interested, there is a 20% coupon code for your order from Skinit.com
Coupon: SKINIT20

Eclipse - Home and Business Broadband

Eclipse provides reliable home and business broadband with speed up to 8Mbps and also free setup and router. Eclipse broadband is one of the finalist for the 2007 ISPAS Best Business Broadband. 9 out of 10 customers say they are new users switching from another ISP. So why settle for less when you can get better services for a better value for money? Pick the best, use the best. They provide Internet and Web Hosting services plus antispam and virus protections.

Brought to you by Eclipse Broadband

Win a trip to the The Finals 2007 with Bill Walton!

One lucky fan will score a trip for two to The Finals 2007 including round-trip transportation, hotel accommodations, and tickets to one game of The Finals 2007! Plus, have a meal and visit during halftime with basketball great Bill Walton!

There's also a chance to win an NBA Draft trip for two to NYC, including two tickets to the NBA Draft 2007, round-trip transportation and hotel accommodations.
Plus, you have a chance to instantly win:

$100 e-gift certificates to the NBAStore.com (10)
$100 e-gift certificates to ESPNShop.com (10)
Subscriptions to HOOP Magazine (159)
Subscriptions to ESPN The Magazine (250)

How To Burn a CD? (a simple question which I didnt answer)

That was a question asked by my little sis about a week plus ago. How to burn a CD?
I told her to use NERO. She said she has NERO on the home pc but she didnt know how to use it. I never replied. I dont know why.
A few days back, it crossed my mind that I am not helping her much lately. She's alone at home coz my other sis is now in Australia furthering her studies. My parents are PC illiterate, pretty much so. And normally she comes to me to ask abt questions on computer issues although some of them might be really basic and easy.
I blingoed and found a site with pictorial guides on burning a CD using NERO. http://www.studentit.unimelb.edu.au/help/howto/burnNero.asp

She told me that she wants a gift. When my parents come and visit me for my graduation this May, I can then have them bring it back to her. She told me she's thinking of an mp3 player or a cellphone. I said buying a cellphone back home would be a better option with better deals. But she said no one is gonna buy her one. even if with good exam results. I feel bad. I really do. She said she did well in her Sumatif, but I never complimented on tht nor did I respond much to that.

Travelzoo Top 20® Sweepstakes

You’ll get the chance to win the entire Travelzoo Top 20® list or a cash prize of $5,000. Limit 1 entry per person.

All Campus Party 2007 UW-Madison

It's All Campus Party period again.


I missed the free breakfast on Monday morning. I was about to grab a donut and an energy drink enroute to my IE313 class but the line was too long. After class, all the food and drinks were gone. Damn!

Now for Tuesday April 24th 2007, they have:
===========
Condom Toss
==========
Time: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Library Mall

and

=============================
"Dying to Teach" T-shirt Tye Dying
=============================
Time: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: Library Mall

Other notable events are "The Pursuit of Happyness"Outdoor Movie and Interactive Game Show. Details can be found on AllCampusParty.com

======================================================
What is ACP?
======================================================

Each spring, the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board (WASB) team up with campus organizations and businesses to sponsor the All-Campus Party (ACP).

ACP is a cost-free and alcohol-alternative celebration, created for students by students. ACP focuses on the end of the school year, the onset of spring and the enthusiasm of the campus community.

The All-Campus Party seeks to acknowledge and embrace the diversity of campus by bringing both individuals and organizations together to celebrate our common bond... our love for the UW!

Won $10 Amazon Gift Certificate From Blingo

I won a $10 Amazon.com gift certificate from Blingo.com last week. Blingo is a search engine powered by Google which gives out prizes to lucky users at some specific time. If you're doing a search on the right time, you hit the jackpot. This is the third time I have won something from Blingo. The previous 2 times, I won $10 iTunes gift certificates.


You can win with me too by joining Blingo (link logo below)

Sanjaya Out of American Idol

Sanjaya Malakar is out of American Idol

The controversial American Idol participant, who carried himself to the finals of the competition despite lot of adverse remarks by some of the judges is finally out of the race.

The 17-year-old from Washington state probably knew his fate was sealed going into the show's final 20 minutes: By then, Ryan Seacrest had announced his name as one of a bottom three that would have been unthinkable only the night before. The other two were the far, far superior LaKisha Jones and Blake Lewis. Simon Cowell, who never tried to conceal his annoyance at Sanjaya's endurance despite pitchiness and a series of lackluster performances, all but licked his chops as he said, "I'm beginning to sense something here."

Apr-30-07 Issue of US News & World Report

How safe are our colleges?

mtvU Job of the Week: LucasArts Associate Producer

Dreaming of becoming Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker? Well, this is even better. Get to work with the people who made Star Wars, those at LucasArts.

This week's mtvU's job of the week is for the position of Associate Producer at LucasArts. As listed on the website:

"Job Purpose:
To provide operational project management on interactive entertainment products from design through code release by closely tracking projects to schedule and milestone goals."

Click on the picture to link to the webpage.

Brat with Potato Salad

This is from Regent's last cook out eat together held last week.
We topped the ever tasty grilled brat with the delicious potato salad and served it as it is. Quite a good combination and the taste was really good too! Have it a try yourself next time@!

Adobe Photoshop CS3 - The Latest

This month, Adobe just released Photoshop CS3, a successor to CS2.
Photoshop CS3 promises users and fans of Photoshop improvements over CS2. I used CS2 and I don't think I am gonna upgrade to CS3 because of the hefty price tag. Furthermore, the retail box of CS3 is uglier than that of CS2
Look at the pics for yourself.

Engineering EXPO 2007

Today is the first day of Engineering EXPO 2007.
For more information, please visit http://engineeringEXPO.wisc.edu

This event runs from April 19th til 21st. Stop by if you have the guts.

Asians fear backlash after Virginia Tech shooting

World Updates
April 18, 2007

Asians fear backlash after Virginia Tech shooting
By Andrea Hopkins

BLACKSBURG, Va. (Reuters) - Virginia Tech student Jiyoun Yoo was terrified when she heard a gunman had rampaged through her campus, killing 32 people. When news broke on Tuesday that the gunman was a South Korean student, her fear took a new direction.

"I'm from South Korea, so I am a little bit scared," said Yoo, 24, as she walked on campus. Only one person was responsible for the massacre, she said, "but maybe it will affect all South Korean students."

The Amercian flag flies at half mast outside of Burruss Hall on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia April 17, 2007. (REUTERS/Chris Keane)
The gunman who carried out the worst shooting rampage in modern U.S. history was identified as Cho Seung-Hui, 23, an English literature student. He had lived legally in the United States with his parents for 14 years, a U.S. immigration official said.

Yoo, a graduate student, said she didn't know the gunman and none of her Korean friends had heard of him either. She said her family in Seoul was concerned Yoo might be a target if there was a backlash against Asian students at Virginia Tech.

"It is big news in South Korea. Yesterday they were worried if I'm safe, now they are worried there might be a risk that I'm South Korean," said Yoo.

The South Korean government also expressed fears of a backlash.

"We are working closely with our diplomatic missions and local Korean residents' associations in anticipation of any situation that may arise," a foreign ministry official said.

South Korea has the largest number of foreign students in the United States -- nearly 15 percent -- according to the U.S. Customs and Enforcement Web site.

"I think it's going to affect us quite seriously," said Sunwoong Kim, president of the Korean-American University Professors Association.

"It's certainly going to cause a negative stereotype of Korean Americans because he happens to be Korean and a loner and, under some emotional stress, he reacted very violently," said Kim, a professor at the University of Wisconsin.

Some 1,655 students at Virginia Tech, or 6.2 percent, are Asian, the university's Web site says.

White students on campus dismissed suggestions there might be a backlash against foreigners at the university.

"It hadn't even crossed my mind," said Andrew Rush, 20, an accounting major. "There is a huge Asian community on campus and we're all together in class all day. It's so integrated I don't think this will change anything."

Foreign-born residents in Blacksburg said the town, nestled in the mountains of southwest Virginia, is a welcoming place.

"Everyone has always been open and supportive," said Xiaojin Moore, co-owner of the Oasis World Market grocery store a mile from campus.

Moore, a native of China, hopes her three small children will not be targeted because of their Asian appearance.

"We just want to be left alone to figure things out, until things calm down," Moore said.

(Additional reporting by Jack Kim in Seoul and Andy Sullivan in Washington)

Few Malaysians satisfied with their sex life

KUALA LUMPUR: Although most Malaysians agree that sex is important, fewer than two in five (38%) of them are satisfied with their sex lives.

According to the latest Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey 2007/08 report, loss of romance and sexual prowess are key factors for the lack of sexual satisfaction.

SSL Healthcare Malaysia general manager Voong King Yee said: “Many Malaysians have lost the sense of adventure, interest and romance, which explains why they are not fully enjoying their sex lives.

“Sex plays a fundamental role in our physical and emotional well-being. Thus, it is important that we protect and nurture our sexual health as well as that of our partner's,” he said, adding that 64% of Malaysians would like more intimacy and better communication with their partners.

The survey was conducted on more than 26,000 respondents across 26 countries, of which 1,026 were Malaysians.

The respondents were asked about every aspect of their sex lives. covering health, general well-being, education, beliefs, attitudes to sex, and social circumstances, in a bid to comprehensively chart what constitutes sexual well-being.

Consultant clinical andrologist, reproductive and sexual health specialist and Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey local expert Dr Mohd Ismail Mohd Tambi said: “There are reasons why people are not satisfied with their sex lives. It could be due to problems in physical and emotional health as well as physiological issues such as vaginal dryness, painful sex, and erectile dysfunction.”

“Such issues can be dealt with and cured. Despite sex being perceived as fun and exciting by most, satisfaction is still only marginally equal between men and women, with 40% of Malaysian women saying they are satisfied, compared to 37% of men,” said Dr Ismail.

He pointed out that people could also improve their sex lives and sexual satisfaction by spending more time with their partners, de-stressing and introducing more romance into their sex lives.

“The ability to talk things out with your partner can lead to an emotional relationship filled with love and respect, which can then lead to ultimate sexual pleasure.

What is a record?

Today, Prof. McCaughan asked a very funny question: "Do you guys know what is a record?"
He was explaining the processes of semiconductor fabrication and was at the part of photoresist and compared the spinning of the silicon wafer piece to that of a record.
LOL.

UW-Madison Copyright Compliance Notice

The recording industry is threatening lawsuits against those who may have engaged in illegal file sharing. They are currently targeting students who live in university residence halls. Recently, UW-Madison and other universities have been notified that they will receive settlement letters that are to be passed on to the individuals whom the senders believe to be guilty of copyright infringement. Consistent with current network management procedures and our understanding of federal law, UW-Madison does not plan to forward these letters directly to campus network users. We will, of course, comply with a valid subpoena.However, if the UW-Madison is given cause to believe that a student, faculty or staff network user may have infringed on copyrights, it will take action. University network policies empower the CIO to terminate that person’s network access until the matter is resolved. The Dean of Students office (for students) or supervisors (for employees) will be notified and other disciplinary action may be taken, as appropriate.Unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing of copyrighted works is illegal in many circumstances, and a violation of the university’s Appropriate Use Policy. Please be advised of your rights and responsibilities under these rules. For more information, see: <http://www.doit.wisc.edu/security/policies/appropriate_use.asp>

Bo Ryan's Salary Shoots to $1.25 Million

The UW System Board of Regents approved a $250,000 salary increase for men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan at a meeting Friday, making his total projected salary for next year $1.25 million.

Ryan guided the Badgers to achieve a No.1 national ranking and breaking a school record with 30 victories. In addition, Ryan was named the Clair Bee Coach of the Year and Rupp Cup National Coach of the Year for 2007.

Tax Return Deadline April 16 2007 - Today!

Yes! Today, April 16 2007 is the deadline to file your tax returns

Caricature of Me

Anything Can Happen in April in Wisconsin

It was freaking April and Madison was in the diretc path of a snowstorm. And heck we got a few inches of snow. Now it's clearing up. But just picture how amazing it was. Well, just look at the picture.

Win Your T-Mobile Sidekick 3 - Designed by Dwayne Wade

Win a T-Mobile Sidekick 3 Designed by Dwayne Wade!

There are 3 Sidekicks up for grabs. Contest ends April 20 2007.

Blogger's Choice Awards

Bloggers gather! Let's celebrate and rejoice.
The Blogger's Choice Awards provides us with the oppoturnity vote on other bloggers in a variety of categories Some of the categories include "Hottest Mommy Blogger" and "Most Obnoxious Blogger". There are even "Best Animal Blog" and "Freakiest Blogger" (LOL) This blog awards event is like the MTV Awards of the blogging industry.

The best of all, anyone can nominate anyone, and vote for anyone. Blog readers, this is the time to show your appreciation for the writers and owners of your favorite blogs. Nominate them if they are not listed. Vote for them if they are listed. Voting is between now and 11:59 p.m. on May 22 2007. So yeah, you still have plenty of time to pick your choices. However, do not procrastinate. Browse around the website and go through the categories and discover some blogs that you never visited. Also, this will be a good chance for us to discover new blogs which may or may not cater to each and every individual's interests. I am glad they have this award because blogging has evolved and turned into such a hit and it's taking over the internet. Alrighty, I am gonna head over and vote for some of the blogs. Till then, take care. Blog power!

Tax Return Deadline Is One Week Away

April 16th is just 7 days away.
You shouldn't be watching TV Commercials, you should get your tax done if you haven't!

I have already received my tax return last week. Direct deposit rules.
Glad I did it fast and got some money back. Not enough to get me a PSP though. Which in the meantime, the Sony PSP has its price dropped (officially and finally!) to $169.

Cari - Surf Malaysia Here!

Cari.com.my is a portal I discovered through the local newspapers quite some years back, probably in the vicinity of year 2000.

It is a local portal that provides search results within the local market.

Myspace Proxy Unblocker

Is your internet host blocking access to MySpace? That sucks. But worry not you. Well you can solve that by using Myspace Unblocker. This is a new proxy that is fast and efficient and also easy to use. It also can help you gain access to Bebo and Facebook through the proxy. Outsmart your residence halls or offices by using this proxy and still be able to update your MySpace and Facebook whenever you want and wherever you are. There are also a couple of useful links to other top proxies on the internet. (Normally I find some of the links generated by Google on top of the page to be pretty useful, not always though)

Stephon Marbury aka Starbury Is Injured Again

The New York Knicks had their share of injuries. Now, their best player for the last month, Stephon Marbury is out with a toe injury.
"Starbury" left New York's game against Minnesota in the first half Friday night with an injured toe, the latest blow for the short-handed Knicks. The point guard didn't even take the court for second-half warmups, though he did grab a seat on the bench as the third quarter began.

The Knicks were barely hanging on in the Eastern Conference playoff race while playing without Jamal Crawford and Steve Francis and Quentin Richardson. David Lee returned Friday night after missing nearly the entire second half of the season with a right leg injury.

Hopefully the Knicks can make the playoffs this time after a horrible season last time around

FICO Credit Score by TransUnion

I obtained a free code for a free credit score last week.

And mine was 743. The average US credit score is 675. So I am just a little bit ahead of the average pack.

Shop4Tech Free Items After GCO (Google CheckOut)

Shop4Tech is having items for free after GCO (Google CheckOut)

You have to be a new user of Google Checkout to be eligible for the discounts.
I can refer people so that they get 10% discount automatically. My housemate just picked up a new USB hub (4 ports) for free.
So if you need something free, like a USB hub, 512MB USB drive, 512MB SD card, Photo Printing Papers, email me and I'll hook you up.

And if you buy things from Amazon, hook me up for referral fees as well.

Job of the Week: eBay Associate Project Manager

Saw this on the web today.



Got my attention. Should get yours too. If you don't know eBay, find something to buy today.

Apple's iPhone to go on sale on June 11 2007

Flash news update!

Apple's iPhone will go on sale on June 11 2007. (that's a Monday by the way)

Cellular carrier Cingular has recently announced that the much-awaited Apple iPhone will be released on June 11 in the US. This is the first time a confirmed date has been announced after Steve Job indicated at January's Macworld Expo that the iPhone will be released sometime in June this year.

Obviously, the date is no coincidence as it is the first day of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference which will be held in San Francisco from June 11 to 15. No further information was released. It's still a long wait for those in Asia as the iPhone is expected to be launched (in Asia) only in 2008. (Boo!)

Does Anyone Still Use Indiatimes Email Service?

http://email.indiatimes.com/
Last time around, about 5 or 6 years back, there wasn't any Gmail. Generally, email inbox has the size of 6MB for Yahoo!Mail and a stingy 2MB from MSN Hotmail. I had to resort to services like Mail.com and Indiatimes to get 10MB spaces, which was like huge then.

Now, these services are obsolete. They suck, they suck and they suck.

Technology is cruel.