Ben Chui, the Founder of Bensbargains

This is a picture of Ben Chui, the founder and owner of http://bensbargains.net/, a deal site which is so successful and popular today. Ben started this site back in 2000 when he was still a sophomore at UC-Berkley. Amazingly, Bensbargains.net funded both his undergrad and grad studies. If I had figured out something like this and started it, I won't have to worry about my credit card spendings ever!

Post Number 666 - Unlucky Maybe?

This is post number 666. Some believe this is the devil's number, representing hell, and it brings bad luck. So for the sake of my blog, I'll shoo away this bad omen with a post like this.

iPhoneSimFree-unlocked iPhones require AT&T SIM to reactivate

DO NOT UPDATE TO 1.1.1, IT RELOCKS YOUR PHONE AND 3RD PARTY PROGRAMS DO NOT WORK!!
As of today, the unlocked iPhones upgraded to 1.1.1 today aren't exactly unlocked anymore. Unlocking aside, the jailbreaking procedure that was used to load pretty much every application onto firmwares of old isn't working at the moment, so it seems the community's got a little work ahead of it in the next few hours. In the meantime, though, iPhoneSimFree has updated its site with the results of preliminary testing on the latest revision. The good news for buyers is that they apparently aren't getting the "Incorrect SIM" lockdown messages being observed by some anySIM users -- the bad news, though, is that you've gotta reactivate the darned thing with your original AT&T SIM after the upgrade takes place, then you're cool after that. Until the jailbreak is reestablished, activations won't be possible with alternative SIMs. EDGE usage looking a little lighter at the moment, there, T-Mobile?

[via Wireless Imports]

What is IPTV?

IPTV is a technology that provides you high-quality multi-channel television, streamed/downloadable video, Internet services and other interactive services - all delivered via the Internet and connected and displayed on the TV set in your living room.

IPTV was announced a little while ago, but the development doesn't seem to be that good. At least, to me it's not as popular as the SlingBox.

Cristiano Ronaldo Scores on Sporting Lisbon Return as Jose Mourinho Sacked by Chelsea FC

In the opening game of the 2007-2008 UEFA Champions League opener, Manchester United made the trip to Lisbon to meet Cristiano Ronaldo's old team Sporting Lisbon. Ronaldo scored the only goal of the match thanks to a nicely driven cross form the right by the overlapping Wes Brown. The perfectly weighted cross was met with a header by the Portuguese who was perfectly placed to nod the ball home. Ronaldo was clearly the man of the match. He was given a standing ovation when he's replaced by Carlos Tevez with four minutes left. The warm reception by the Lisbon fans is a rarity in modern football as Sir Alex noted. Having donned Lisbon's green and white colors for seven years, Lisbon is a second home to Ronaldo after Manchester. Ronaldo also acknowledged the Lisbon crowd with mild celebrations after his goal which proved to be the decider. Wayne Rooney made his return to United's starting line up for the first time since his fractured foot suffered on the English Premier League's opening game versus Reading FC. Since it's his first game back for a month, there were doubts on how long would he last on the pitch. 70 minutes. He was replaced by French striker Louis Saha after 70 minutes as Sir Alex Ferguson rested him to prepare him for this weekend's crunch time battle against league title contender Chelsea FC. In another headline grabbing news, Jose Mourinho has been sacked by the club. After failing to win the Champions League despite being heavily funded by Roman Abramovich and a few dismal performances in the early season, he was given the boot. On a sidenote, Tevez, the Argentinian signed by Sir Alex after much trouble with West Ham, has drawn blanks so far this season. And Louis Saha looks unfit when he came on for Rooney. Edwin van der Sar made two fantastic saves to deny Lisbon goals and keep United a clean sheet.
Tevez, the Argentinian signed by Sir Alex after much trouble with West Ham, has drawn blanks so far this season.

8GB Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo - $119.99

Fry's Electronics has the 8GB Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo on sale for just $119.99. That is a HOT price I'm telling you. For all my PSP fanboys out there, if you need a 8GB card, get it now!With a massive 8GB of free space, you can store a lot of media files (photos, music, videos, games, etc).

Nintendo Wii Overtakes Microsoft XBOX 360 in International Sales

Yes, the Sony PlayStation 3 still remains a distance 3rd. However, it is really surprising to see that the Nintendo Wii has garnered so much attention (and love) that it outsold the XBOX 360 internationally. Bear in mind that the XBOX 360 was released about a year ahead of the Nintendo Wii which was previously named Nintendo Revolution. According to the Financial Times, approximately 9 million Wiis were purchased around the world as of July 31 '07, just barely overtaking the XBOX 360's 8.9 million units sales during the same period. Both platforms were far ahead of the Sony PlayStation 3, which sold only around an estimated 3.7 million units internationally (less than 50% of Wii's and 360's sales).This marks the first time since the Super Nintendo era that Nintendo can lay claim to the bestselling console of its generation.

Madison WI Ranks No. 2 in Five Perfect College Towns

Madison, Wisconsin was the place I called home for the past 4 years. It was one of the best decision I had made in my life. Going through my college career in a small city like Madison was unimaginable then. The fun and friendly Madison community, the abundance of social and recreational activities, the superb sports passion and tradition, the beer and cheese.
It didn't look this way when I first stepped into Madison on August 17th 2003. But once all the college students came back to campus for fall semester, things became interestingly different.
From the freezing winter cold to the sweaty humid summer days to the brats, cheese and beer to Lake Mendota and Lake Monona to the Memorial Union and the Terrace to the Halloween parade cum riot at State Street to the Mifflin Block Party to Midwest Games 2006 to my summer sublet flooding incident to the spirituous football, basketball and hockey game days to the rainy night at Camp Randall Sept 24 2005 to the girl whom I struck love with to my graduation walk/ceremony in KOHL Center. All these will remain forever in my memory.
Being who I am and who I really am, I wouldn't trade all these for my spot at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. Yes I was accepted to those two schools but fate brought me to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. If I had known all these plus points of Madison, I wouldn't even trade it for Cornell or MIT (not that I got admitted... yeah they rejected me!)

Here is the article excerpt about Madison:
Madison is not only the capital of Wisconsin, it's also a college town disguised by big-city buildings. The University of Wisconsin is the main reason this could-be-stuffy government city is a thriving epicenter for music, arts, and theater.
Located between Lakes Monona and Mendota, and offering 6,000 acres of parkland, Madison is a "green" city with a wide range of outdoor activities. The pretty UW campus is worth a stroll, but the major highlight is the UW-Madison Arboretum, offering 1,260 acres for bird-watching, biking, photography, hiking, and skiing.
State Street, the city's flourishing pedestrian mall, and Capitol Square can't be beat for nightlife and food. Affordable restaurants and lively pubs line the walking area, providing a perfect place to relax after finals. Blowing a little steam at one of the many eclectic shops downtown may also help reduce stress. It's not all fun and games, of course: Many restaurants and coffee shops offer a quiet place to study and focus on work.

The perfect 5 are:
1. Boulder, Colorado
2. Madison, Wisconsin
3. Northampton, Massachusetts
4. Berkeley, California
5. Burlington, Vermont

Too see the full descriptions and details of the original article by Kate Hamman, click here.

Michigan Misery: Losing to Appalachian State and Oregon

I renamed them Wichigan Wolverines. They are condemned and humiliated. On the 1st game of the 2007 college football season, the then no.5 Michigan team lost to an Appalachian State team which is from another lower division. As a result, Michigan dropped out of the Top 25 rankings. Many speculated that the national championship dream which motivated QB Chad Henne, RB and Heisman hopeful Mike Hart and Jake Long to return for their senior year virtually dashed. ESPN sports analysts mentioned that you canNOT be at the national championship game if you lose to a Div I-AA team on opening day on your home ground. It was supposed to be a one-sided game dominated by Michigan, who paid Appalachian State $40,000 to make the trip to the Big House. Definitely, Appalachian State got more than what they had expected beforehand.

In the 2nd week, the Wichigan Wolverines suffered their 2nd consecutive home defeat of the season at the hands of the Oregon Ducks. That all but sealed their national title hopes. It's their 4th straight defeat dating back to last season. They have some serious problems dealing with dual threat quarterbacks. Getting whipped at home by Oregon 39-7 was an extreme case of humiliation and shame for a football tradition like Michigan. The fans in Ann Arbor never saw this coming. Neither did I.
Honestly, they didn't just lose. They became the laughing stock of the entire college network, if not the entire sports world.
Lame ass Michigan. You SuCk!@#$%^*
Also, watch this Appalachian State University promo video. It's pretty corny.

Would You Be There

Redwan Ali
Would You Be There

If I were blue, would you be there for me,
And whisper in my ears that's ok.
Would you stand by me, let me hold you tight,
And say you love me one more time.

If I feel good, would you slow dance with me,
And touch my lips with tender loving care,
Would you die for me, would you run with me,
And never look back..

Would you be there to love, to be with me?
Would you swear that your love is always true?
Would you say that you'll always be the one,
to take my breath away?

Would you be there to love, to be with me?
Would you swear that your love is always true?
Would you say that you'll always be the one,
to take my breath away?

Would you be there..

If I am away, would you still think of me,
And wished that you could hold me now.
Would you die for me, would you run with me,
All the way ...

Would you be there to love, to be with me?
Would you swear that your love is always true?
Would you say that you'll always be the one,
to take my breath away?

Would you be there to save my soul tonight,
Would you swear that your love is always true,
Would you say that you always be there,
To kiss my pain away,

Would you be there to love, to be with me?
Would you swear that your love is always true?
Would you say that you'll always be the one,
to take my breath away?

Would you be there to save my soul tonight,
Would you swear that your love is always true,
Would you say that you always be there,
To kiss my pain away,

Would you be there ..... for me ...