Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by cbsteh

Urban gardening 2019 workshop

cbsteh — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 13:07:42 +0800

Urban gardening 2019 series: How to have a healthy garden.
A workshop for gardening enthusiasts with no or little background in plant and soil science.

Date: 6 & 13 July 2019 (Sat)
Time: 0900 to 1700

For more info and online registration: Click here - Urban gardening 2019 workshop

Guide to Healthy Soils 2018 Workshop

cbsteh — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 11:30:35 +0800

[Moderator, please place this topic under the Garden forum. I apologize for the mistake.]

I am pleased to announce a workshop for urban gardeners or farming enthusiasts. This is a workshop for those with little or no knowledge in soil science to go beyond the cursory knowledge and have a deeper understanding about soil properties and ways to improve your soils for better plants. This is a workshop organized by the Faculty of Agriculture (UPM), Eats, Shoots and Roots, and the Malaysian Society of Soil Science. The workshop is over two days from 3 and 4 Feb. 2018.

Among the topics to be taught are as follows:

What makes a healthy soil?
Are all soils the same? The soil chemical and physical properties that make up a soil.
What are the important plant nutrients, and how do I know their availability in my soil?
How important is soil organic matter?
What is the difference between a compost and a mulch, and should I use them?

Fertilizing my plants
What are the differences between the various fertilizer types (organics vs synthetics)?
I have a land, so what soil elements should I have tested, and how do I interpret the soil tests results?
How much fertilizers should I apply?
Is watering my plants with rice water any good?
Signs of plant problems: fruit or flower abortion, leaf drops, and nutrient deficiencies

Watering my plants
How do soils store water?
How much water should I water my plants?
What are the different irrigation types and what are their advantages and drawbacks?

You will also have hands-on practice on the following:
Different types of soil media and their preparation
How to make a compost
Interpreting soil test results
Fertilizer calculation
Preparing a wick irrigation

For more information about the workshop and registration, please go to:

Guide to Healthy Soils Workshop 2018

Thank you.

What phone to buy for wife

cbsteh — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 22:01:05 +0800

What phone and model should I get for my wife. She is looking for a phone that can sync with Outlook easily. No need to root phone or do some PhD technical wizardry on the phone just to sync reliably. That is most important. Not so big on apps but she would like a big storage and fairly okay camera. Phone must not be too expensive - - preferably about RM 700 or so.

Much appreciated.

Opinions on BlackBerry after sales in Malaysia

cbsteh — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 17:10:45 +0800

I'm thinking of getting the Passport when it is out but I am bit wary of BB after sales service. I owned a Torch once and within a month, I sent it to Brightstar because there was some fault with the sliding screen. I was surprised that they told me they must send my unit to Singapore for repair because they are not authorized to open the case. They can repair software issues but any hardware repairs must go to Singapore. And even then, waiting time is at least 1 month.

I also had a similar problem with Asus (notebook) that took 4 months to get it repaired and even then I had to chased them many times.

So, I am worried that if I get a BB passport and any problems occur, I am looking at lots of headache and frequently chasing people to get my handset back.

What is your opinion about BB after sales service?

Compact camera for moving objects

cbsteh — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 10:16:03 +0800

I am looking for a less than RM2,000 point-and-click compact camera. My criteria are the camera must be:

- easy to use (I am an amateur with little knowledge on how to setup a camera for award-winning photography)
- relatively small (can put it in my trouser pocket)
- not too heavy that I can hold and shoot photos with one hand if needed
- most important: the camera must be able to take fast moving objects well.

The last criteria is I want a camera that can take photos of people of people walking or running without the blur. The camera must be able to do this on automatic (without me adjusting the camera settings just to take such photos). Just point and click.

I am thinking of getting the Olympus XZ-1 camera. Am I making the right choice? Please comment and suggest if you have a better idea.

Chris

Help me build the fastest PC

cbsteh — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:38:54 +0800

I am planning to ask someone to build me the fastest desktop PC ever (at least for now). If money is not an issue, what should specifications (and brand) I get for the:

- motherboard
- RAM memory
- Hard disk?

Please note that these parts must be available in Malaysia. I want a fast PC for intensive computations and gaming, but I don't care about issues such as audio or even able to see 3D movies/games on my computer.

Also please remember that I am not a computer engineer. I am planning to hire someone to get the parts (based on your answers), and he will build it for me. Please no Mac; it must be a desktop PC.

Thanks for any help.

Consequences of pulling out the EFI fuse

cbsteh — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 15:42:53 +0800

I read as one security measure against car theft is to remove the EFI fuse so that the car won't start. Of course, the car thief may look at the fuse box to diagnose the problem, or he might just think you have a crappy car and leave your baby alone.

So, my question is this: are there side effects to removing your EFI fuse? I am not, by any measure, an expert in car electronics or mechanics, so before I try this experiment, I like to know what are the unintended side effects to removing the EFI fuse. Does a blown EFI fuse affect any pre-programmed settings in the car engine/electronics?

Thanks for any help.

Chris

Where to cut keys for Stoplock steering lock?

cbsteh — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:08:27 +0800

Hi,

Many years ago, I lost my Stoplock Original (Steering Lock) keys, so I now have only one key (no spares).

So, where can I make duplicates of the Stoplock key in PJ/KL? The Stoplock key is a tubular key, and two of three keysmiths I went to didn't have the machine to make tubular keys. I managed to find one that has the machine, but I think the keysmith is quite inexperienced or unskilled. He made two spares but both cannot be used. He gave up after that, but he proceeded to scold me for giving him a "faulty" original key!

Remove and close keyholes from car

cbsteh — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 01:03:56 +0800

As added security, where can I go to remove keyholes (and close them up) from car doors and boot? And how much would that cost? At minimum, I would like to remove and close the keyhole at the boot.

Preferably, the workshops that can do this should be in PJ, KL, Kajang, Bangi, Serdang, Seri Kembangan, or Balakong area. Many thanks.

Chris

Choose only ONE for your: Gear Lock or Brake Lock?

cbsteh — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:31:36 +0800

If you have to choose only ONE, either a gear lock or brake lock, for your car, which would you choose, and why?

The brake lock I am thinking of getting is LockTech (http://locktech-carlock.com), and the gear lock is by a Czech company called Construct (http://www.tcat.com.my/construct2.html), available from Eneos, 1Utama, PJ.

Chris

Pen (thumb) drive with readonly switch

cbsteh — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:42:24 +0800

Hi,

May I know where one can buy in Klang Valley a thumb (pen) drive, preferably one with big, big storage, that has a read-only (or write-protected) switch? This thumbdrive has a switch so that, when switched on, it can be read only but nothing can written into it (write-protected).

I need one because I am frequently poking my drive in all sorts of computers, and my drive is always infected with all sorts of nasties. With the write-protected switch, I can read my files but need not fear of infection.

Thanks for any pointers.

Chris

Kurnia Express Sucks

cbsteh — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:49:48 +0800

I wonder if anyone has tried going to JPJ to obtain the information about a third party's insurance company?

In Feb this year, I had a car accident with another car, where the traffic police found the third party guilty. Since the estimated cost of repair would be low, I decided to claim under Kurnia Express. Here's the problem: Kurnia wants me to obtain the name of the insurance company of the third party, but upon arriving at JPJ Padang Jawa, I was told JPJ now prohibits giving out this info to others (except the car owners themselves) since this year 2009.

I told this to Kurnia, and they said they never heard of this new ruling. It's now June, and Kurnia is still "playing stupid" and saying they cannot process my claims until I get the third party info from JPJ. It's a case of JPJ not serving me, and Kurnia not wanting to act on my behalf. I find this very strange as if Kurnia (with their millions?) of car insurance policy holders, and not one of them having the same problem as me. I called JPJ again in June, and I was told the same thing. I cannot have other people's insurance company name. Why the secrecy? It's just the name of the insurance; it is not like I want their credit card number, phone number, address, etc., etc.

Can someone share a similar experience, and what to do (short of blowing up Kurnia HQ)?

Chris