RimBlock

Another photo. He has quite a big swelling on the back of his head but the doc thinks it should go away in the next 3 weeks or so. Have an appointment booked for 5 weeks time to make sure nothing more serious. He seems fine and happy, well as much as a baby of that age can show. Back to work now so a bit more active here again . RB

Good to see you back here. I need something to do during the day now I am back at work . Where did you go to choose your wallpaper as my BiL was asking about it yesterday. Does anyone have nay experience of wallpaper in a non-aircon environment here is Singapore ? Any issues with pealing or mould ? Also where did you get your decals. We bought some of a push card at Tamp mall but are not so impressed. It would be nice to add one to our stairs light box. Keep on having fun and if you are going to be doing a lux shower commercial immitation, think of all us poor guys who are not there and video it . RB

I would check with PUB/HDB. We were told a shaver socket is not allowed, even though you can in condos and hotels. A window fan (i.e. a glass window with a fan in the center) may be allowed but not sure about wall fans. The issue is not about loading on the circuit but about issues of electrocution especially in a very damp environment. RB

Very nice progress. Seems like it is all coming along very well. I like the closing system for the drainer. We could do with the same as when our cabinet is open the corner of the door is right at my head height. Tile for the kitchen are an interesting choice. Blends in very nicely. We had mock wood effect tiles in our old place but after a while they developed bumps where the glaze was coming off. Very bad quality. Obviously not the same as the ones you have . RB

I tend to view it from a different angle. There have not been great deal of technology jumps for TVs and the like recently and so the market had become a bit stagnant. Sure there were LED lit LCD TVs that were thinner but not that much better than plasma screens if both are setup correctly. Then came along 3D again where they could add it in for a fairly cheap price, charge a premium, charge for glasses for the buyer, plus extra glasses at a huge profit for the family / friends. Players can add it in at a fairly low cost and bump up the profit margins when Bluray players are becoming dirt cheap. The fact that a lot of people are feeling strained after watching 3D shows is another indication that it may not be the best option. The hardware manufacturers suddenly see their profits rise again during the downturn by adding this feature. For TV channels there is no 3D content so you have to rely on the TV processing the signal to produce the best pseudo 3D affect it can. Most of the TV stations in Singapore still don't show content in widescreen format, most HD content is just upscaled SD at the broadcaster before it is sent out. How long do you think it will be before 3D content comes out. For Bluray there are some 3D content discs available but there is reputedly a big difference between 'shot in 3D' and 'processed for 3D' where the source material was shot in normal format and then changed for 3D viewing. The 3D content is tiny compared to the total count of available Bluray discs though and usually demand a premium. A lot of the business player, it seems, regard 3D as a cash cow sort of why Singaporeans play 4D. If they slap 3D on it then it will sell better and they can charge more for it. 3D can be great. The Shrek 3D show at USS is really good but it uses a different method to achieve the same effect. I believe it will go one of two ways. It will dies out as something else comes along like the previous attempts at 3D have done, or it will mature in to a glasses less technology and therefore become a lot more user friendly. The second option has been hinted at by some manufacturers recently but I have yet to see the results. With little currently sitting in the shadows that is likely to make a big difference for the consumers, the industry is really trying to flog 3D to death as the must have when, for broadcast reception in Singapore you could most probably just do with a HD ready 4:3 or widescreen TV if you could find them. Bluray is a big more or a lure but players are still a bit pricey and the movies bought locally are stupidly expensive. Just my personal take on current 3D consumer products . RB

Out of interest, who is giving a 25% discount if you buy both together ?. RB

Hi Creamie, ED is right, 1.5k-2k will get you an entry system but it will be head and shoulders above the free surround sound systems you get when you buy a new TV. Soundbars are an option but work by bouncing sound off the walls to give the effect of the sound coming behind you. As you can imagine, if the room is not of a particular shape / size then the effect is reduced. There are a few recommendations for 2K systems over the last page or two and you might want to take a trip to Adelphi to have a listen for yourself. Sound is a very personal thing and go for what you like rather than what someone tells you is good. There is limited material in 3D available to buy at the moment and it is still very touch and go as to whether the whole 3D thing will take off. Having to wear glasses is a big negative for most but manufacturers are promoting it heavily as a way to shift more TVs / Bluray players. Personally I will not be buying in to it for at least another couple of generations unless there finally becomes no option (ie. all TVs have 3D as standard). Hi Herlynn, The 508 is an entry level AVR with 100Watts per channel at 8 Ohms (the resistance the speaker causes in the circuit, lower resistance then more power is available) with only 1 channel driven at any one time. This means that it can hit 100Watts as long as only one speaker is used. Now add 5 speakers and you get 25Watts per channel with all 5 speakers driven (assuming the subwoofer has its own amp). The Paradigm Titan speakers come in a number of different versions. They all have different specs so it is hard to answer. Recommended amp power would be around 15W-100W (current model) and they are 8 Ohms. The Onkyo 508 could power the speakers but only with the low end power they require. The amount of power required to reproduce a specific frequency at a specific volume is not linear, as in it varies depending on the frequency. You are not going to be powering the speakers to their full potential in that combination, but..... it would give you a starting point with which to build upon as times goes by. Now this is not as cut and dried as that . All the channels will not be using the same amount of power at the same time. The bottom line though is that there is no spare power when the speakers may need it for a loud bang or the effect of jets flying overhead. RB

Added another couple of companies that provide virtual foreign addresses (ShipTo and ShopandShip). I have not used either but they are recommended by others elsewhere. RB

Have updated the useful links page and included the vPost/Borderlinx promo links supplied by Ely. I have also added the deals websites provided by Aegis and Ely. One other tip for EBay.... when you do a search for an item and get the results back you can select "completed listings" in the options on the right to see what sort of price the same items have sold for in the recent past. This will give you an idea of what you may expect to have to pay in order to secure the item you wish to bid for. Of course, EBay is based on supply and demand so you may have to pay a lot higher if unlucky or a lot less if the wind is in your direction. RB

Cool, Would be nice to meet you all as well. Unfortunately it wont be the house warming as the apartment will not be totally finished although there is only a few little things to complete now. Oh, wait a minute, that means I will also have to have a house warming as well . Anyone interested in coming can PM me or reply here and I will try to keep track and pass out the address etc when dates are finalised although UI don't really expect them to change. Also, everyone please note, this thread is not just for my events or meetings but for everyones so if anyone else has a meeting / house warming etc then let me know and I will also add it here so people know about it and can let the host know. RB

As most people read the T-Blogs but may not go to the separate gatherings forum, it seems that just having a list of current gatherings planned here would be good. It will help us all organise our events and avoid clashes hopefully. I would suggest this first post will have a list of current gatherings planned. so people just need to look at the first page, first post in order to see what is going on. Format for notification of a gathering to help make admin a little easier (please suggest if you have some ideas). If you have a gathering then please just post a reply and I will add it to the list. Gatherings that have passed will be removed after a period to allow people to supply links to photos etc if they wish. UserID, T-Blog (if you have one), Type of event, Location, Date, Time, Fixed or tentative (subject to change). RimBlock T-Blog: T-Blog Event: Babies first month Location: Tampines Date: 25th June 2011 Time: 16:00 -> 19:00+ Please note timing change to take in to account the kids daytime nap Status: Tentative. More to be added as there are a few up and coming. RB

Yeah, pouring wall paint down the blocks waste pipe is probably very common, they did it on our reno, because wall paint is usually emulsion and so water soluble. If you take a wet sponge and run the painted walls, the paint will usually come off. The pint should be sufficiently diluted and flushed. If toilets are installed then they should pout down the floor traps after opening them and then flush with water spray or a bucket. If they are pouring oil based paint then that is a big no-no. Paint used for doors and door frames etc should not go down the waste as they will not disperse with water. RB

Yes, I believe Ely is happy for all new RT friends to come. More the merrier . Very much a 'meet new friends' gathering as well as a chance to gawk at Elys new place . RB

An interesting debate about CD transports and DACs here. The basic overview is the consensus that transports are more or less as good as each other but the DACs can have a huge effect on the resulting music. The problem is that when you buy something like an Oppo, you may have to spend a fair bit to beat it as you would expect from a player costing so much. Of course another advantage of an off-board DAC is that you can possibly use it for multiple sources. RB

The concrete is more likely to be from the hacking and the pipes not being cleared properly afterwards. Concrete should not harden if poured into water as it is the absence of water that will generally cause it to harden. If the pipe was dry then you would most likely get a piece of concrete molded to the shape of the pipe and probably stuck. Concrete rocks suggest hacking debris. The cloth was probably placed there by the either the people hacking to try to stop the debris entering the pipe or the plasterer / tiler to stop the plaster / white cement going down. I would put my money on the people hacking and some debris pushing the cloth inside the pipe and no one checking. Oh well it is sorted now. In our last place, the pipe from the kitchen sink to the floor trap under the cabinets was too high in the floor trap and so no lid could go on it. This was an issue with bugs as the unit was ground floor. The other undesirable but slightly comical effect was that when my wife did the washing up, sometimes bubbles would start to come out under the kitchen cabinet where the drainage channel for the floor trap was like the beginning of a very small foam party... . It was never fixed as it would mean ripping out all the kitchen cabinets. RB

I would imaging either of those two dates would be great . RB

I thought you may mention the Oppo which is why I didn't (you being in a better position to comment than me) Using an offboard DAC is meant to be able to resync the clock rather than tying it to the CD transport mechanism. The resync should help the timing as the motor on the player will usually not run smoothly and so the stream of data read will not be read in a uniform manor. I was looking at a DAC to add to the WD Live TV but then the new amp came up so funds were no longer available and research stopped. Bottom line is that an off board DAC should make a significant difference to musical playback, depending on what DAC the original player has. Most top end CD players will have two boxes (or at least 2 stages separated in a single box) which are the transport and the DAC. Oh and on the comment about the 3D effect from the Oppo..... have you tried a different player on the same TV. The reason I ask is that my BiLs new TV has a big 3D effect even though it is not a 3D TV. The TV processes the picture received to produce the effect and it is really pretty good. RB

Well that will be interesting . Our new ones first month should be around the 24th. I also suspect my folks will be flying in from the UK around those dates too. I will see what I can manage as I would really hate to miss the gathering. RB

We had the same where the old skirting used to be, suspect they thought new skirting would hide it, and to the entrance to the kitchen. Told our ID and they have patched it up. Anyway, looks like it is coming on nicely. Seems you have more control now. Nice one. RB

I remember one weekend, no school, in front of the tv, laying on the carpet, black joystick in hand playing so intensely even my parents knew better than to 'suggest' a break to rest my eyes..... That was the day I clocked Missle command on the Atari 2600. I believe the score counter rolled back to 0 after scoring 1 mil. I stopped after it rolled over and then took a break . I also believe 'Track and field' on the spectrum 48 where you had to waggle the kempston joystick left and right to make the guy run faster until your hand was a blur and you had an imprint of the ball atop the joystick in the palm of your hand was invaluable in later life.... . My weight training would have been much more difficult without fairly strong forearms and wrists . Those Kempston joysticks were tough though. King of abuse takers but then they needed to be... I believe my gnome found in a cave under one of the castles practicing with his gnome flinger to try and get someone out through a hole in the cavern roof by using tomatoes with the hole surrounded by 'red stains' is still memorable in some of the players minds still today. "ok you climb on to the device"...."Buckle in the gnome shouts but you notice a distinct lack of straps"...."as you turn to the gnome and mention this he pulls out a notepad and writes something down. As he folds it and replaces it in his pocket you notice the heading.....'todo list'"....."before you can ask that all important question, the gnome yanks a lever and you hear a clang, sprong, wheeeee, pit, wok-wok, errrhhhhhhh. and you and the combined mass of your equipment, armor and weapons are accelerated to what feels like the speed of like in a fraction of a second"....."As you drag your neck around fighting the acceleration to see where you are going, you see the rock, and hole... but mainly rock, coming your way..... fast"...."roll that dice and prey for a stain free exit" . If I remember right, the party made it out, if not stain free, then at least not as red stains . I tend to prefer the Warhammer 40k stuff at the moment but prefer to read the novels and play the PC games as to get in to the table top game is just so expensive. Rb

Well, with my BiLs 2 sons around the same age as our two youngest we were going for our own squad in the Singapore Army . Oh she will hate you for saying that about her nose, she really doesn't like hers . Taking after his mum already..... ignores everything I say . Ha-ha, wouldn't that be weird if 25 years down the line he also puts a reno blog up here . Cheers Hafiiza. And thanks to everyone else also for all the good wishes. Well you know babys first month will be in ..... well a month so pencil it in to your calendars please. Reno will not be complete though as the final work was going to be done Friday but now has to be postponed due to confinement period. RB

Thanks Mate. Still waiting the whatsapp details from you . Cheers Csingeu. Oh, my hair is not short, it is just long enough to at least try to tie it back so it looks a bit neater Thanks Sleek. We have our 3 and so are going to stop. Getting to that age as well. Oh, if I thought my wife would be concerned then I would not have posted the picture. She probably has worse on her facebook even before I posted that one. RB

Thanks for the tips Aegis. I may be a little slow updating the first posts but will get round to it as soon as I can. New baby taking my time as you can imagine . RB

Hi Cubeball, EOL is End of Life (ie. the product is being replaced with a newer model). Bluray players can play CDs but they are not 'tuned' to play CDs as they compromise in order to be compatible for Bluray, DVD and CDs. A decent CD only player 'should' outperform a Bluray player for playing CDs but you really need to let your ears to the talking by going and demoing a few if you are that much in to music. You would probably need to look around the S$800+ mark to get a CD player that is going to make a decent difference but what you could do is add an off board DAC, link to it via the Blurays digital output and use the superior electronics in that to decode the data read by the Bluray player. There are some good Dacs around the S$600 mark now and it is a growing market. Have a look at the Arcam rDAC for a starting point. I used S$2/mtr for my rears and it is fine. I bought it from KEC (grey cable). RB

Finally found mine too but my youngest has now taken them as his own from the moment he set his eyes on them . Space invaders, Battle zone, up through the Atari 2600 (missile command, moon buggy, pong etc), Dragon 32, Speccy 48, Speccy +3, 386DX 25mhz with F15 Strike eagle requiring a 5 1/4 key disk to play and then ever onwards and upwards. Tend to play the Stalker series, Borderlands, Dawn of War and Fallout now on the PC and Mass Effect, Dragon age, Borderlands, COD/MOH games, Shift etc on the XBox 360. I tend not to play online as there are more kiddys/idiots out there than there are decent people to play with so, just by the rule of averages, I am likely to end up with someone who will be throwing insults and tantrums all over the place. Me too SethHo. I used to run AD&D campaigns. I usually wrote them for the Ravenloft set of rules although I played a number of games with others in the forgotten realms ruleset. I also set a few based on the Oriental Adventures rules. Started with D&D then progressed to AD&D from the 2nd ed onwards . Same as you, the groups just died out in the end. Used to be good fun. Pizza, soft drinks or beer, ice cream, 24 hour session.... RB