For as long as I can remember ever since I got a mobile phone, I have been under M1. My parents and Michael have been under SingTel all along, and Jake was under Starhub for a long time ever since he came back for good. Recently, Singtel has a promotion, and Jake switched over to Singtel and got a new LG phone after retiring his old Sony Ericsson. Mum got a new Nokia slider, which she has been complaining she has no idea how to use it, after using Samsung and Motorola.

Recently, I retired my old Samsung and am now using a new Nokia 6600 fold. Personally, I do not like Nokia phones. I do not find them particularly outstanding. They are too bulky and the battery lasts for just a day or two the most! My Samsung's battery can last me three days even after more than two years! But I need a phone so got that one as it is the smallest one I can find that suits my budget and lifestyle. And I am a heavy phone user.

Which is why I can never fathom why 80% of the population are using Nokia phones. In terms of design, it is not that good looking. In terms of functionality like cameras or MP3s, the Sony Ericsson is better. In terms of user-friendliness, Samsung is just as user-friendly. And it is not as if it is any less expensive than the other brands. Furthermore, the phone tends to give problems after a year or so. So what exactly is the appeal of a Nokia?

In any case, after all the badgering from my mum on my expensive mobile bills despite downgrading the plan twice, I am finally defecting to SingTel. At long last I have come to realise that M1 is overcharging me! I can get a Singtel 3G plan at a cheaper rate, with standard things like auto-roaming, voicemail, IDD, SMS and MMS, Caller ID, thrown in free! What is best is I get to retain my nice number at no extra charge, and I got the new Sony Ericsson T707 (in pink!) for free! Maria Sharapova's phone! What can be a better deal than that?

So anyone wants a black Nokia 6600 fold? I have only used it for a week, so it is still in pretty good condition! Otherwise I will have to keep it as an extra spare phone for whoever in my family that needs it!

For the past two and half years or thereabouts, I have been using a Samsung SGH-E500 clamshell. I love that phone! It was a limited edition golden brown colour flip, with a LCD display in the front to tell the time, battery indicator, missed call and messages, that also doubles up as a makeup mirror. Due to this, I no longer have to bring a handheld mirror anywhere, just take out my phone and check myself on the front cover!

The phone comes with a sophisticated brown leather case. It is small, chic, user-friendly and a relatively long battery life. It is a quadband phone with a pretty good camera. I use it to call, message, take and send pictures, bluetooth songs and pictures, check my Singnet emails (before I switched over to gmail), alarm clock, note down appointments on the calendar.

I was lucky to be able to get this phone as there were only a few in the market. Since then it has been out of stock. I have not come across anyone else who has this phone. It is exclusively a ladies phone! People who have seen my phone remark that it is a pretty phone! I am really proud of it!

Unfortunately, the shelf life of a mobile phone is just about two years on the average. Recently, my phone has been showing signs of old age, of wear and tear. It is getting "deaf". People who called me have complained they can hardly hear me. The keys are no longer as soft as before, now I need to press even harder before the functions work. It is as if it is down with arthritis and rheumatism all at once.

Thus, it is due to retire. I am sad to let it go, but it has to be done. The phone will be kept in a box in my room as its final resting place. In the event I, or any of my family members, require a spare phone, then perhaps it will be resurrected, but meanwhile, it will be laid to rest, and I have to contend with its successor - a black Nokia 6600 fold 3G mobile. Hope it works as well as its predecessor!

To my golden flap : May you have a peaceful retirement! Thank you for all these years which you have served me well. Till we meet again ....

Finally, I've caved in and created a Twitter account! First there was IRC, then ICQ, then MSN and Yahoo Messenger, now Google Talk and Skype. Not to mention Friendster then Facebook. With online chatting becoming more and more interactive, now there is video chat and video conferencing on MSN, Google Talk and Skype. With just a few notes, one can even keep updated on Twitter using just the phone! Although my phone is not on Twitter as yet, but still it is a good way to keep updated and in touch!

I have been doing online shopping on and off, and have been pretty happy about the products, which I find less costly and much nicer in appearance and material than what I can find in stores. Online shopping is not as hard as people think. As long as you know your own preferences, what you are looking for, and whether you look nice in them, that is all that matters. In other words, you have to know yourself very well, your figure, your colours, your style and whether what will look nice on you!

1. Have a budget.

As with every shopping trip, you need to set up how much you are willing to spend, and stick to it. Try as much as you can to trim the budget by finding online promotions and discounts, as the products can then be sold for a song.

2. Know your own figure.

If you are 32-25-35, then be truthful about it. No use getting a dress that is 34-24-34, because that will simply never fit! Most dresses are fit to scale with a size chart, so if your figure does not deviate too much, chances are you will be able to find one that fits.

3. If you are buying shoes, ensure you know your exact shape and size.

Shoes normally come in full or half sizes, starting from 5 to about 10 and half. If you are a size 6, then get a size 6. Anything smaller or bigger will not fit. If you are buying boots, the cuttings are normally small, so take half a size bigger.

4. Be focused.

Online shopping creates lots of temptations and distractions. Know what you want to get, look for the item, get it and that is it. Do not sway by deviating to other websites, or else you will end up getting lots of other stuff and blowing your budget at the same time.

5. Choose the cheapest shipping method.

International packages usually cost more in terms of shipping and handling. There will normally be a few shipping options, so unless you need the item really urgently, otherwise choose the cheapest shipping method. So what if it takes three months to reach you if you are not in a hurry to use the item? At least it saves lots for you.

6. Take into account dispatch time.

Do not expect your item to reach you immediately. Please allow at least two weeks to a month on the average for the package to reach you. However, there are some stores that will expedite shipping if you indicate it as urgent, but you need to pay much more for shipping charges.

7. Find a store that allows returns or exchanges.

Thankfully, many online stores allow customers to return and refund an item, or simply exchange for a similar item. So if in the end you do not like your product when it arrives, you can simply give it back to them. The money (less shipping charges) will be credited back to you within two weeks.

Do people still use floppy disks nowadays? I was really incredulous when Michael brought home his work, saved in a floppy disk. Everyone else brings home in flash disks, thumb drives or USB, or the rare CDs once in a while. He is the first person I have seen in a long time that still uses floppy disks!

And I thought government sectors would be the first to adapt to newer and higher technologies? Looks like my perception is wrong after all!

First post using the new web browser Flock. Wonder how it will turn out like?

Someone asked me for my email address, so I gave the one I recently created. I did not give the full address, just the id, then I said it's under google. The person then sent me an IM, saying he tried to use my email address @google.com, but it was bounced back.

Hmmm... does everyone not know what google mail is? At times I wonder where some people have been hiding all their lives.

In this modern era of advanced technology, anyone is able to touch base with anyone else by just a click of the mouse. Nowadays one need not even meet face to face or call each other in order to keep in touch, with things like SMS, emails, Friendster, Facebook, MSN, Yahoo Messenging, Google Talk and even Skype.

Modern technology is supposed to make communication easier, but in many cases, there appears to be more communication breakdowns. For instance, if one chats via MSN, it is so superficial, as if we do not talk face to face, how do we know what that person really means? The same things if said or expressed in a different way can have totally different meanings.

Ironically with all the SMS and MSN around, people are meeting up less and less. Instead of being socially adaptable, nowadays people choose to be cyber geeks and "talk" to others with a false front, putting on a facade, because who's to know since it is not face to face?

So what happened to talking? Be it through phone or in person. That is good, old communication, is it not? That has been the mode of communication for thousands of years before the technological age took over. And with actual talking, one can get into the depths of a person, instead of just scraping through the surface. Many a firm friendships and relationships through the years have been established through talking, instead of the wonders of modern technology.

Which is why there are so many dubious characters out there lately. Many people are of the idea that only loose and indecent people go online to chat, or to find dates. Thus many of them go online and prey on strangers, hoping to get lucky.

Technology can be both a boon and a bane. It is convenient, and in a way, one meets very interesting people online, and makes one's life more enriching. But technology can also be a curse, as it becomes a public forum for one's private life, be it through choice or not. It can also be an avenue for cyber stalkers and perverts, and then we have to spend time and energy getting rid of those dubious characters.

Which is why I never want to put up a photo for all and sundry to see, especially on dating websites. I put up photos on Friendster and Facebook because these are social utilities to keep in touch with friends, but if it is dating websites or public forums, I want to maintain some privacy and reservation, instead of splashing my face to the world like some kind of celebrity asking for attention.