20 things I learned about browsers and the web

I'm a big fan of Google. Maybe from what i have written so far you can conclude that yourself. And as a Google fan, I also set my heart for Chrome as my favourite browser - more caused by its integrated search engine and Google translate in the url tab. So today, finally I installed Chrome in my office computer after a long time mutual relationship with Firefox (my 2nd favourite browser). Then after installed Chrome this time, I prepare myself for the first page that usually shown, "how google chrome can do" or "how you use your chrome" or other bla-bla-bla. But then, something new welcome me in this first Chrome page.

It's a visual illustrated book by Google Chrome team called 20 Things I Learned About Browsers and the Web. It's an interesting and easy to read book. One sentence caught my eye from its foreword :

"Life as citizens of the web can be liberating and empowering, but also deserves some self-education"

It's nice to know that they think of the user to understand about how this virtual universe work and how this giant web gives value to our daily life.

Nominees of the 83rd Academy Award

The nomination of this year Academy Award is out! This is the most anticipating event for the film industry, and I always write about it. So... here the list and some of my two cent :)

Some quick recap...

• 68th annual Golden Globe 2011 result is out! The Social Network won Best Motion Picture - Drama. WOW... it's just a big WOW... *speechless* I thought the movie was great, but I never thought that it would be an award material... so speechless! But anyway, I'm not upset with the result, Natalie Portman won Best Actress for Black Swan, and Colin Firth won Best Actor for The King's Speech... and thank God The Tourist didn't win anything, it just weird to got nominated, and would be weirder if it won any.

• Apple CEO, no other than 'the' Steve Jobs, announced his absence for medical purpose. It seems his health issue coming back to market. Apple COO Tim Cook once again cover his absence from CEO post and everybody scared up! Yes, Apple is Jobs and Jobs is Apple. But hey, it was decades after the launch of first Apple's Macintosh, and who knows how many mini and micro version of Steve Jobs that they already has inside the company?!?! :P

• Official statement from Eric Schmidt through Google's blog : Larry Page will claim the CEO post at April this year! He said that finally Google doesn't need "adult supervision", and especially it seems that geeky-duo doesn't like to be supervised... How it would be? Dunno. Nobody knows. But on their 2011 vision at Harvard Business Review, Eric Schmidt said that this year is all mobile! Mobile everyone! Mobile! After Android market share boosted up to 25% in just a year (and especially Android makes Motorolla looks cool again), who knows what will they do this year.
  

-so un-analitic, un-structured, but hey... it's a recap anyway :P -

Good night dear void...

"Sometimes I wonder about my life...

I lead a small life, valuable but small.

Do i do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave?

Shouldn't it be the other way around?

I dont really want an answer,

I just wanna send this cosmic question out into the void.

So, good night dear void..."

[Kathleen Kelly - You've Got Mail -1998]

In a community or environment, or just a little group, there would be particular person that other rely on -the alpha, leader, main vocalist, idea thinker, etc. And then comes a day when he/she/they have to go separate way, walk they own different path... at that time we realize that we take them for granted.

But always see that little light shining above us all. Maybe we lose them, but that is His way to make us realize that we have to be better than who we already are. He just want us to re-think our life's objective, enrich our capability and make us better. We can lose friends, we can lose partner, we can be trapped in loneliness... but never we lose faith on our dream. That's how we evolve... that's our way of life.

-just a thought. after watch TVXQ comeback as duo and after my division lost one of our valuable thinker :) -

Angry Birds : Kill the pig!

Say it, I'm a lagger when it comes to game. Angry Birds has been released for over a year, it is now available across 3 major touch-screen-lifestyle-smartphone platform : iOS, Android and Symbian. It is been downloaded for 12 million on iTunes and 50 million in total. It makes Rovio Mobile, its creator, rich and famous. And yes, I just starting to play it last night!

Addictive? yes! Angry Birds has the same vibe of addictive as Tetris. Its simple game-style, comical story and mass promotion creates quite a buzz in gaming universe. It is not a MMO games, that really become addicted to the 'social outsider' that want to find their own universe through virtual world. And nor part of farmville-family. Angry Birds does not ask you to become 'online socialite', Angry Birds gives you an object to be buzzed out on your social network.

I ask my friends to get opinion about this game. The girls opinion varied from "the birds are cute" to "I love their voice" and other la-la-la cute thing. And the boys comment on 'its brutal way to attack the opposite party'. It's kind like what will happen when Tony Stark has a soul of Samurai, massive destruction kamikaze, and the one doing it is a group of very low temper birds. For me, it is so satisfying to see all that structure collapse and that big-fat-pig explode. Just my kind of safe way to channeling anger.

Angry Birds is a simple game, with simple name, simple staging and simple style. It's become popular among mobile user because its low concentration play. Kind of game that suitable for people when they are on the bus or train, when they are waiting for something or in the queue-line, or just having fun with friends in need of great laugh. Rovio catch this behavior and develop the right game for the market. After Angry Birds, they launched Cut the Rope (you see, once again: simple name) which now one of highest grossing apps on iTunes. They repeat the formula, and gain more profit. Well, we'll see how long this low temper birds rules mobile gaming business.

2010 in a flash

• It is 2 years since I move to Jakarta
• First time : take IELTS test, been hospitalized, take driving lesson, vacation abroad, snorkeling!
• My brother got married :)
• More friends move to Jakarta
• Transfer to new department
• Indonesia become 2nd largest population on Facebook
• Indonesia rules twitter
• Being so fascinated by Google (and also fall in love with Sergey Brin :D)
• iPad launch
• Obama visit Indonesia
• TVXQ officially run with just 2 member :(
• Committed to apply master study
• Blog resolution failed!

In Need of Revolution

My blog needs something revolutionary in term of the content. And fact has prove that I was not a productive writer last year. So, through the blog of Pak Budi Rahardjo, I know about this program : postaday2011/postaweek2011. I realize that it would be hard for me to do post-a-day, so I think I will go with post-a-week but it won't be limitation for me to post more than one posting a week.

So here we go! Start today!