Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by kadajawi

Broadband that can be put on hold?

kadajawi — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 23:29:28 +0800

Hey everyone, I'm looking for a broadband provider (ideally fiber) that can be put on hold when not there, i.e. every year the user is only there 4-5 months, so no use in paying for the whole year.

Both putting it on hold (maybe at a lower fee) as well as cancelling and making a new contract next time would be ok.

Are there any options out there?

Unlimited Internet, but only 1-3 months

kadajawi — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 01:38:16 +0800

Hi guys, I'm looking for something that is unlimited (no FUP) that can be shared. If there's a way around the tethering block that's ok too (I've got a private VPN running at home that I can connect to... ideally that will be shared as well). Doesn't matter if landline or wireless. Speed, as long as it is above 3-5 Mbps is fine.

The only big isssue: 24 months contract is a big no no. The connection will be used for 3 months a year at most. In other countries it is possible to pause landline connections for a lower fee. That'd be ok, but paying RM 100 a month for something not used 9 months a year, that's a bit much. Reasonable cancellation fees would be fine, providing own hardware would be fine (depending on what is needed of course).

Any suggestions?

2009 Estima head unit

kadajawi — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 22:48:44 +0800

Maybe you Estima sifus can help out... a relative has a 2009 Estima, which seems to have a camera under the passenger mirror and under the logo in front. But when reversing only the rear camera activates. How to activate the other cameras? Does it mean it has a 360 feature? But if so, why no camera under the driver mirror? Also, how to turn off the HU screen? I can't find a way to do even that... Of course the whole system being Japanese doesn't really help, but it seems like Toyota didn't lay things out very well... From what I know all is stock...

Fixing tablet in KL or JB

kadajawi — Sun, 14 Jan 2018 00:00:45 +0800

Hey guys,

can anyone recommend a shop that can fix a tablet for me? It's a Cube i7 Stylus... the power socket broke off, it was fixed once, but again it is broken. Only under certain conditions can I get the tablet to charge. So I want to find a shop in KL or JB that can fix it, and does a good job. If possible one that doesn't scavenge the thing for parts (had a 128 GB card stolen... unfortunately I wasn't there to notice it).

Any ideas?

Toyota Hilux and evasive maneuvers...

kadajawi — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 05:07:33 +0800

[YOUTUBE]xoHbn8-ROiQ[/YOUTUBE]
Whoops.

New car... with a twist

kadajawi — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 06:32:06 +0800

Basically I'm looking for suggestions, hints, anything from the car sifus here.

I'm looking for a new car. It should have lane assist, adaptive cruise control, ideally adaptive suspension. Ride should be comfortable, since roads are in poor shape. Heavy and direct steering preferred, likewise manual gearbox. Heated seats are a minimum. LED or HID headlights, preferably with this feature that lets you drive high beam all the time, and the car will block the areas where other cars are. The twist is that I'm going to buy in Europe, so no Vios lar, not sold here. But many other nice cars.

Options right now are the Golf 7 (has all those features, and they work well, roughly 18k €). Volvo V40 (lacks, well, a lot, 16.5k. But that interior... Ones that have it all over budget). Opel Astra K (newer car for Golf money, but the lane assist assists too much, so it will bounce between lanes...). Honda Civic... cheapest option, 16.5k for everything and 140 hp (problem is the adaptive cruise control/emergency braking seems to mistake for example bridges for something blocking the road an starts braking... yup. Not good). Seat Leon... (basically a Golf 7 in a prettier but less expensiv feeling body, main downside is that the stock Leon comes with what would be sports suspension on the Golf, and most well equipped ones come with sports suspension, so basically sport sport suspension. Brutal. It does cost less though...). Mazda 3 (super reliable, pretty interior. Price is roughly 18-19k, few cars have the nice features though, cause it requires the highest spec, and then some. No idea how good the systems work, and I'm worried the suspension is an issue. Also, Japanese cars are a bit expensive to run. Plus it is roughly 20 cm longer than a Golf, but less spacious in all aspects. On the other hand it's supposed to feel like a go kart, like a MX-5, with a great manual gearbox and steering. Also, just look at it.)

Did I miss anything? Somehow the Focus doesn't tempt me... not sure why. That nose?

Small laptop or tablet

kadajawi — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 18:42:53 +0800

I'm looking for a laptop or tablet to replace my mum's dead Mac Mini. It should be small, most of the time it is used connected to a 32" screen anyway, and when she is travelling she doesn't want to carry so much around. Right now she also has a netbook, which is fine in terms of size, but the performance is bloody awful. Geekbench gets something like 500 or 600... For multicore. My desktop does 13000, even my smartphone is much faster.

Minimum specs should be Core M or i3 (or at least a Core based processor, no Atom nonsense please), and 4 GB RAM. 64 GB storage is fine, can extend with SD card anyway.

It should be running Windows.

Right now I'm thinking Cube i7 (Stylus or regular)... I experienced older 51cube devices, which were not good, but this is supposed to be something different. But where to get? Any reliable sellers? Anyone knows what the price in China is, cause she will be traveling to China soon.

Or do you know alternatives? The Cube should be around RM 1500 and have the Surface 2 screen, which was pretty decent. Roughly 10", bit more or less is also fine. Laptop or tablet are fine.

Evil Myvi

kadajawi — Sat, 26 Dec 2015 18:27:26 +0800

Yup, that's a speed camera. Fortunately it only captures the speed of other cars, and not the number plate, so it is only used to analyze if people are speeding in a certain region, so they can place a proper speed camera there. But still... that's sneaky!

Car got hacked over the internet

kadajawi — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 17:51:10 +0800

QUOTE

Though I hadn’t touched the dashboard, the vents in the Jeep Cherokee started blasting cold air at the maximum setting, chilling the sweat on my back through the in-seat climate control system. Next the radio switched to the local hip hop station and began blaring Skee-lo at full volume. I spun the control knob left and hit the power button, to no avail. Then the windshield wipers turned on, and wiper fluid blurred the glass.

[...]

As the two hackers remotely toyed with the air-conditioning, radio, and windshield wipers, I mentally congratulated myself on my courage under pressure. That’s when they cut the transmission.

Immediately my accelerator stopped working. As I frantically pressed the pedal and watched the RPMs climb, the Jeep lost half its speed, then slowed to a crawl. This occurred just as I reached a long overpass, with no shoulder to offer an escape.

[...]

Miller and Valasek’s full arsenal includes functions that at lower speeds fully kill the engine, abruptly engage the brakes, or disable them altogether.

http://www.wired.com/2015/07/hackers-remot...l-jeep-highway/

Oops? This applies to all Fiat Chrysler vehicles with Uconnect entertainment system, which is connected to the internet. But other brands can be just as affected.

It would be great if they disconnected the entertainment system from the CAN bus... if there need to be any connection, then just for specific very simple commands that can't wreck havoc. Reminds me of the alleged airplane hack, where someone says he hacked into the entertainment system, and claims to have had access over the systems that control the actual plane.

Music video shot at a concert

kadajawi — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 05:15:03 +0800

[YOUTUBE]4Xj1TrH2M2E[/YOUTUBE]
Shot on a Pentax K-5 (main camera, handheld), Sony NEX 5 and GoPro 2 Hero (both belonging to the singer).

Edited and graded in Premiere Pro CC and Filmconvert, the soundtrack comes from the album, as the live track recorded by the sound technician was lost before it reached me. Made editing much, much harder, as they were, erm, improvising a bit.

The stage lights were probably some cheap LEDs, the whole stage was glowing pink, which just didn't look good, so I fixed it in post. Easy with the K-5, almost (?) impossible with the Sony. The Sony footage also looked terrible in general, with tons of aliasing and compression artifacts (something the K-5 was free from, even when using a similar lens and the same focal length... it just doesn't have any compression artifacts, and aliasing is not too bad). The shake reduction worked very well too.

Exact DVB-T/DTT specs in Singapore

kadajawi — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 04:26:00 +0800

Hey everyone, is there anyone from JB here that watches Singaporean TV via DVB-T? I assume they use DVB-T2 with h264/AVC, right? No h265/HEVC? I want to buy a new decoder, and it would suck if it didn't fully support whatever the Singaporeans are doing...

The cost of stability control (VSC, ESC, ESP, ...)

kadajawi — Sun, 19 Apr 2015 19:43:51 +0800

QUOTE

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research, ABS in 2005 cost an estimated US$368; ESC cost a further US$111. The retail price of ESC varies; as a stand-alone option it retails for as little as $250 USD.

How much is $111? Less than RM500?

Yet many cars come without it, or you have to pay a big extra to get it.

Everything dies...

kadajawi — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 01:36:38 +0800

Hello there. Hope I'm in the right place here...

Recently our washing machine, Electrolux front loader, bought around 2012 stopped working. Then a JVC TV died, it was just over a year old. And finally a Panasonic fridge, also around 2012. What the hell? Any idea what's wrong, to protect the remaining devices and appliances? I'm quite worried. Also is there any insurance that can protect us? Or any place we can go to complain, cause 3 devices in 2 months is ridiculous...

Also, JVC is quoting RM 250 to fix the TV, they want to replace the power IC and the rectifier. Is that a fair price?

Dangerous overtaking

kadajawi — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 21:23:15 +0800

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXoC6YZTVZg

The young lady driver did survive, but went into coma (is recovering though).

So what is the point? While she did the right thing... overtake on the correct side, she did change lanes in a dangerous way. She couldn't have seen what goes on on the lane she wants to enter.

In Malaysia I see many people overtake on any side, which again leads to not being able to see what happens. You may overtake on the left and change back to the lane, only to have someone overtake on the right and then change back to the lane you want to be on. Dark tints don't help either.

Keyless go... for thieves

kadajawi — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 02:29:51 +0800

Told ya!

http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/03/london-...d=rss_truncated

QUOTE

If you own a new car, there's a good chance that it features some form of keyless security. Whether it helps unlock your car or lets you start it with the push of a button, it makes driving all that bit easier. That's unless it's the reason your car gets stolen. Police forces all over the UK are reporting a rise in keyless car thefts, but a new report released by the Metropolitan Police today suggests that it now accounts for over a quarter of all vehicle thefts across London.

According to the Met, 6,283 cars and vans were pinched in the capital last year by crooks without the owners' key. That works out at 17 vehicles a day. Gangs reportedly use devices (which are originally intended for mechanics) that "bypass the vehicle's electronic information as the owner locks it" or are physically breaking into cars to gain access to their OBD port, which then allows them to download the car's information and imprint it on a new key in no time at all.

Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprinter vans were the most-targeted commercial vehicles, with Ford Fiestas and some luxury BMW and Land Rover models also high on criminals' hit lists. Those models alone accounted for 70 percent of all cars and vans stolen without the original key -- a worrying statistic for some car makers. Redbridge, Newham and Havering were the most popular keyless hotspots.

Thieves are targeting vehicles in London and then driving them to surrounding counties where they can be stripped down and shipped abroad to places like Africa. To combat the rise in high-tech crime, police have launched Operation Endeavour, a new initiative that will see officers begin carrying out roadside checks and performing covert operations to identify and prosecute the people behind the raids.

The Met recommends that Londoners "protect their vehicle like they would their home," which equates to adding more security measures to a keyless car. If you own one, then you should apparently look to invest in a steering lock, an ODB lock, park your car in well lit areas (crimes peak between 10pm and 4am between Sundays and Thursdays) and consider getting a tracker in case it's stolen. Not much then.

The police aims to reduce keyless crime by up to 20 percent by 2016. It's already working with car manufacturers, who want laws passed to stop tools reserved for workshops and car repairs from getting into criminals' hands. Given how fast technology evolves, it's a tough ask, but you might be able to deter thieves with a few additions of your own.

Hahahaha. If your car has keyless entry/keyless go, invest in a steering lock so thieves can't easily drive away with your car... I think I'm happy to push a button on a remote and insert the key into the lock to start the car. Sounds easier...

The LG tech in that Iriz prototype

kadajawi — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 03:32:12 +0800

http://www.engadget.com/2014/12/26/mercede...e-cars-automat/

http://paultan.org/2014/09/29/iriz-adas/iriz_adas_03/

Hmm...

I suppose this would be something for Irizes meant for export to Europe, and perhaps the premium variant? Hopefully as the Iriz gets this feature the more basic versions get the 6 airbags...

Honda Jazz Hybrid CBU vs Nissan GT-R

kadajawi — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 22:50:43 +0800

http://blog.carlist.my/2014/11/news/a-jazz...nt-with-a-gt-r/

As you can see the Jazz was hit badly, and rolled. The side and curtain airbags were deployed, which protected the passengers in the Jazz from hitting the B pillar and windows, something that would have injured them, at the very least.

So lucky for the Jazz passengers they were sitting in the CBU hybrid, which had 6 airbags. The CKD doesn't, neither does the regular Jazz.

Was it the fault of the Jazz driver? Maybe, maybe not. Would he or his passengers have died in a lesser car, regardless of fault or not? Quite possibly.

It can _always_ happen, even if you are very careful and a considerate driver. That's why, if it is possible (and these days all you need is around 55-60k!), you should pick a safe car. If the difference between models is small, then fine, pick your favourite. But if the difference is big, why even consider an unsafe car? (I consider everything less than 4/6 airbags (some models have 2 side/curtain airbags that are combined, so while the total count is only 4 the protection is as if you have 6) and stability control unsafe, though stability control is more important).

Of course a safe car isn't giving you permission to behave like an idiot and throw caution to the wind... it's just an additional layer of protection. But it is an important one.

Almera and Vios not good enough for Australians

kadajawi — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 02:05:40 +0800

http://www.livelifedrive.com/malaysia/news...ra-in-australia

Basically sales were so poor (instead of 1500 cars that were expected for the first 6 months it was 235) that they stopped sales. Not that anyone in Australia would notice.

They stopped selling the Yaris sedan/Vios in the US too... it's simply not good enough I guess. The previous US Vios (Dugong) had 6 airbags and stability control as standard, but since the "new" Vios is a heavily facelifted version of the for ASEAN countries downgraded Dugong I guess safety didn't play much of a role in the development. They can't offer that in the US. Or Australia.

Renault Fluence launched

kadajawi — Thu, 22 May 2014 18:52:19 +0800

So finally TCEC's/Renault's comeback has arrived.

The kit isn't bad:
6 airbags, stability control, traction control, leather seats, auto wipers, auto headlights, dual zone automatic aircon with rear aircon vents, 17" rims, cruise control, keyless entry (using something credit card shaped) with push to start button, 7" media center/GPS/rear view camera, 6 speaker Arkamys sound system.

Exterior isn't too bad, though I prefer the latest facelift. Interior is ok, a bit plasticy, but acceptable, and the design is quite nice. Supposed to be quite spacious.

Should be more or less a Megane with a bigger boot.

Engine and gearbox are taken out of the old Sylphy, though tweaked a bit. 143 hp. Btw., the Nissan X-Trail sits on the same platform.

The highlight is the service. 2 years free service, additional 3 years if booked before the end of June. Free pickup and return for scheduled service, and for repairs taking more than 48 hours they will provide a courtesy car.

All yours for 115k. Sounds like a nice deal, no? And as far as SC goes I'd say Renault is one of the better ones. I trust my Renault mechanic.

More info:
http://paultan.org/2014/05/22/renault-fluence-launched/
http://www.livelifedrive.com/malaysia/news...-from-rm115-000

Drive drunk in Denmark

kadajawi — Fri, 16 May 2014 09:25:36 +0800

There's a new law in Denmark. If you drive with 2 per mil alcohol you'll go to prison for 10 days, lose your driving license for 3 years and your car forever. They'll auction it away and keep the money. If you already had your driving license taken away, the limit is 1.2.

Kind of strict, but Why not in Malaysia?