Category: Business

Crocs Malaysia Warehouse Sale

I have always been a fan of Crocs shoes because of their lightness, durability and the airy design. As someone who suffers from athlete’s foot since the teen years, airy means better air circulation and dryer feet.

Back in 2009 or 2010 we went to a Crocs warehouse sale in Ikano Power Center in Damansara. It was held in an empty unit next to the IT hypermarket at the top floor. We bought 5 pairs – two for myself and three for my son.

I bought myself an Olive Baya, and a Black Trailbreak.

For my son we bought him a Green Baya, a Batman Cayman and a Crocs Electro.

For other models than the Baya, links are from other websites as they no longer exist on the official website. Maybe they have been taken off production or something.

The purpose of this post is to make sure that if there is any more warehouse sale in the future, and if you’re going, you better thoroughly check the shoes you’re buying.

A few days back, my son was having trouble to put on the Crocs Electro on his left foot. That was weird, and at first I had a silly thought that his left foot has grown more than his right foot. I was surprised to see that the shoes, although marked with the same size, had the left one smaller than the other.

I don’t know how this happened but I’m not happy. Lucky for us we realize this before his feet were bruised more. It is not my intention to accuse anything at anyone but I have to admit that I am disappointed. Knowing Malaysia, we can’t return the shoes especially since it was bought in a warehouse sale. Heck, we can’t even return them if we buy them at retail price.

And of course, living in Malaysia I’m not excluding the possibilities of foul play. It’s how most businesses make maximum profit anyway…

You can see more pictures in the full post.

Continue reading Crocs Malaysia Warehouse Sale

TM UniFi Downtime: Exercise Your Rights

If you are a UniFi subscriber, and live in the Puchong (plus Damansara reported by achmatibrahim via Twitter) area you might have already been aware of the downtime since yesterday afternoon (8 December 2010). At the moment I am writing this post, it has been more than 12 hours. TM is not actively informing users about this downtime and all we get is this from their Twitter account:

tmcorp-unify-down

I have just called the UniFi Center a few minutes ago and the guy who picked up the call was a sales guy. He tried to contact the technical department but he failed. At least that’s what he said. So he promised to call back with a ticket number. I think he will not call me until the whole thing is over. I will just lodge a report with MCMC.

At first, he told me that TM is aware of the downtime and it’s because of server upgrade. That’s a lame and insulting excuse. There is no announcement on the UniFi website.

Please people, if you are one of the affected subscriber please do your part by calling 1 300 88 1222 and insist on a ticket number for the downtime.

Even if it’s one day, for VIP5 package subscriber that’s already RM149/30 = RM4.97 and if every single person as mentioned in the tweet above makes a claim for rebate, that’s already costing TM the amount of RM9,940 in rebates. Don’t take it from TM that “it’s OK to be down if so many people are affected”. We pay for this service.

Don’t ask for a rebate when calling the UniFi Center but ask for a formal report to be done. With the ticket number, go to MCMC website and lodge a formal report. The direct link to the Aduan is here.

We need to send a message to TM that downtime will cost them money. Otherwise it’ll be as usual for every single service we have in Malaysia where we just sit and wait for the service to get back.

We need to make them go out of their beds and work on fixing the issue. I am serious about this. You can do your part.

Yes, I am getting old and like to rationalize instead of rant.

skmm-unifi-report

DiGi iPhone Page Has Wrong Modification Date via HTTP

iPhone 4 has just been launched in Malaysia, and I have also been closely following the progress.

Looking at SoyaCincau’s comparison between Maxis and DiGi, I was attempting to load DiGi’s page again. I have done this before.

Instead of talking about iPhone 4 itself, I am going to see why the page is showing me 3GS instead. Yes, I am a nerdy SysAdmin and it’s hard to change.

The page is here http://www.digi.com.my/iphone/getone_want_iphone_payment.html

Here’s the page in my browser:

digi-iphone-http

I was about to blame it on Maxis Broadband’s transparent proxy when I saw that it was a MISS from Squid. And then I saw the modification date is way in the past (highlighted above).

This is not something serious, but just in case you get the old page, clear your browser’s cache and you should be able to see the new page. Or, access it via HTTPS:

digi-iphone-https

Notice the last modified date makes much more sense now.

The technical explanation to this is because your browser sees that the page has not been modified and decided to show you the cache. It’s as simple as that. This may happen because of misconfiguration or something like that but as I said, this is not something serious.

I just hope those who has been seeing 3GS list can now see the updated 4 list.

Have I decided which provider I am going to choose? Well that’s a secret for now…

Maxis Transparent Proxy is Causing Problems to Developers

I had to transfer 2 WordPress blogs to another hosting provider last night, as the free one is going to expire today. It should be as easy as:

  1. Transfer the files
  2. Transfer the database
  3. Change DNS servers in registry to the new DNS servers
  4. Configure the new hosting location

In a few hours after the DNS propagation is finished I should be able to point to the new site. If not, I should be able to use the host file /etc/hosts to point to the new server and make sure it works well.

I’ve had the trouble with Maxis transparent proxy before when it was blurting out random errors to random sites.

Today, even when OpenDNS is already updated with the new IP (DNS propagation has finished), the transparent proxy is still outdated and points to the old server.

maxis-transparent-proxy-troubling-developers

I am sure if I call Maxis or even use its MaxisListens Twitter account, they will not even understand the concept of DNS.

The thing with transparent proxy is, as long as it’s HTTP traffic it will be going through it (not HTTPS), and it does not matter if I use a host file.

Oh well. I guess I can’t test this quickly right now except by using an anonymous proxy or connecting to an external VPN. Who appreciates time these days?

BTW, making modifications in domainregistry.my was very fun and it took me more than 30 minutes to modify one domain.

Forex Trading In Malaysia

It was an interesting morning today, when a friend told me that his brother received a job offer in a Forex trading company in Shah Alam. It was great news that he was able to get something after searching for opportunities for quite a while. However since my niece experienced this more than once, I am skeptical about such companies in Malaysia.

I asked him to check with the Securities Commission and whether or not the company presented an offer letter to his brother.

At first I thought that Forex is administered by the Securities Commission (SC) but I was wrong. When called, SC said that Forex is administered by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).

BNM Foreign Exchange Administration said:

In Malaysia no company or individuals are given license to do forex trading except for registered merchant banks

Which corresponds to this List of Authorised Dealers of Foreign Currency. One thing that disappoints me the most is that BNM did not ask the company name, showing that they have no immediate interest in closing such fraudulent businesses.

Signs that a company might be working on something fraudulent:

  • They don’t really have a proper business sign at their office
  • They ask candidates to go to training first, before they provide an offer letter
  • They have options whether the employee would like to be paid based on commission or on a fixed rate

It is a great thing that my friend’s brother told him about it. My unfortunate niece did not share the news with me so she ended up wasting weeks without getting paid. And imagine if the office is raided by the authorities. I wouldn’t want to be a part of that, would you?

So the lesson to learn here is that you should always tell someone about your opportunities, and never immediately trust just any company no matter how desperate you are for a job.

And of course, always get an offer letter first before you start working. This is the most important thing of all, when getting a new job.

Funny Phishing Attempt

I received an email with no text but contained just an image as attachment, and the whole image is a hyperlink to a phishing site:

[singlepic id=26 w=600]

Notice the casual language and a spelling mistake (find out where!), plus the Copyright year is 2009. The email was sent to someone without the Internet banking facility, and a dormant CIMB account.

But thankfully it has been reported and updated in Mozilla Phishing and Malware Protection.

cimbclicks-phishing

I am intrigued to know whether these phishers are using any targeting mechanism to send these emails because they seems to be sent to the correct people. For example this email is sent to a Malaysian living in Malaysia. Can anyone tell me whether you are not in Malaysia and/or not even Malaysian and receive this email?

I used to receive the Bank of America spam a lot but not anymore. Maybe they now have a geographical database of emails. Interesting.

Malaysia PayPal Users Can Now Add Local Bank Accounts

My better half told me yesterday that we can now add our local bank accounts in PayPal. It was too good to be true so I decided to check. I went to check my PayPal emails first just in case I missed an announcement. However, I don’t see any. It’s kinda weird that when a new language is available PayPal sends us an email but not for something as important as this?

▼ A d v e r t i s e m e n t

Oh well, not a big deal. I am all hyped with this new ability, and am already thinking of ditching my Al-Rajhi account (debit card account used for withdrawals).

Adding a bank account is very easy. On your “My Account” page, click on “Profile” which will reveal a drop down where you select “Add/Edit Bank Account”.

malaysia-paypal-step0

Next, you just enter your details:

Details

Don’t put in the wrong routing code. Always double check. This routing code is also sometimes referred to as the SWIFT code. I am amazed on the considerably long list.

malaysia-paypal-bank-routing-code

And that’s it. The next thing you will see is that it’s listed in your bank account page:

malaysia-paypal-done

Please, be sure that you entered the correct bank name, account number, and routing code. As the fee list suggests, you will be charged RM15 for every rejected transaction:

malaysia-paypal-fees

You’ll be charged RM3.00 for amounts less than RM400, free otherwise. I think it does not get any clearer than this.

Enjoy your new ability! It does not involve in eating brains this time.

Is 5GB Per Month Enough? Fair Usage Policy

I don’t think so. Last week, I was on leave for the whole week and did some light browsing at home. To avoid contamination with other PCs in my house, I conducted this test while purely tethering on my BlackBerry device. WIFI was turned off.

The only objective is to see how much data I am using per day to browse the Internet – lightly. No streaming, no gmail, no gaming, no real facebooking. Facebooking was done on the lite interface at http://lite.facebook.com.

▼ A d v e r t i s e m e n t

From the simple test I was able to determine that I use around 420MB per day for light browsing. Multiply that by 30 days and I will get 12900MB which is roughly equivalent to 12.6GB!

Now that explains it why at the end of each month my connection is in snail mode because it’s most likely that Maxis is capping my speed because of overuse.

Bear in mind that this is only for 1 computer.

maxis-daily-usage1

I have been starting to miss Streamyx which I used to hate so much. At least they are slow because of the International link and such, not because they intentionally limit my speed. To me, Streamyx’s BitTorrent capping is fair.

Plus, these Telco are changing their packages like changing underwear! (If they do!)

maxis-new-packages

And of course:

maxis-fup

I can’t wait to have Streamyx back. Currently I am limiting browsing at home, so that my better half will not encounter problems doing her business online.

Tips When You Know I Am Going To Interview You

If you by any chance, by any way find out that I am going to be the person interview you for a job you need to know the following:

  1. Don’t come late. 1 minute late and your resume or CV will end up in the shredder or the trash can. Do your location research the day before the interview. If you really can’t, leave home 2 or 3 hours early. If you’re going to be more than 10 minutes late, don’t bother coming. Call the person who arranged the interview and cancel your session. If you see my carry no pen, you have already failed the interview.
  2. Don’t come too early. The earliest you should arrive is 10 minutes before the interview. Technical interviewers have other tasks too.
  3. Do your research about the position you are applying, and if possible about the company. This reflects on how resourceful you are.
  4. Don’t hesitate when answering questions.
  5. Be very interested to ask questions about the job, and about the company.
  6. If you don’t know, don’t try to deviate the question. Just say you don’t know and you will be better respected. Nobody knows everything.
  7. Try convincing me that you will be able to, and are interested to learn things you don’t know.

Good luck.

Italiannies Sunway Pyramid

This is an overdue post that I wanted to write right after I came back from there on Tuesday, but I couldn’t.

That day, I went back home earlier than usual as my other half was craving for pasta. Pizza Hut and Kenny Rogers pasta were also candidates but we like the Carbonara at Italiannies best because of the full flavor. It was our second time at Italiannies Sunway Pyramid, as the first was on Father’s day where I enjoyed a free Grilled Salmon Oreganata (that is a RM44++ meal gratis). I like the branch in Sunway Pyramid better than the one in The Curve as the restaurant is bigger, the air conditioning is a lot cooler, and the environment is much calmer. Plus, the service in Sunway Pyramid is superb.

If you have been following my posts, you will know that I am easily annoyed with bad service. I was annoyed at first with the weird, hard to understand accent but it faded away when they gave their best service. The first time I went there they helped me carry the stroller up the stairs (we used the wrong entrance by the pub to the smoking level). This time, they brought a pillow for my kid’s back support when they saw that I had to use one of my hand to support the kid’s back on the considerably large high chair. They paid good attention and gave help without the need to be asked. I felt so grateful I almost shed some tears but fortunately I didn’t.

If tipping is practiced in Malaysia those two servers would get a fat tip from me. Well I would still tip them if I feel like I have money to spare but not right now. Maybe some day, hopefully soon.

Italiannies in Sunway Pyramid consists of two levels – the lower level is the smoking level and there is an entrance near the pub (I can’t remember the name). If you’re coming from inside the mall, the entrance is at the back of TGI Friday’s. Yes, you have to enter TGI Friday’s, go left and straight to the back where there is a door waiting for you. I personally prefer this entrance.

I will go there again, to try the Sicilian Pizza. I ended up having the salmon again since they were out of ingredients for the pizza (it was quite late in the evening).

So what about you, do you like Italiannies and what can you recommend to have there?

Maxis to bring iPhone 3G to Malaysia on March 20

Really? That short notice? I was casually browsing my Google Reader when I stumbled upon this exciting news. Exciting? Not anymore. I don’t know why but the frustration of waiting has made me less interested in iPhones. The time stamp on the news was like 4 hours before I started this entry. Fresh!

maxis-iphone-3g

Going to into Maxis site there is now a big banner “Be among the first to own an iPhone 3G“. No, Maxis did not do anything wrong and it’s still a great news except that right now there may be hundreds of people in Malaysia using cracked iPhones. Among the first? I don’t think so. It should say “Be among the first to own an official and uncracked iPhone 3G“. Yes that’s me trying to be funny. Ha ha.

If you’re interested you may go here at Maxis’ spanking new iPhone section. Enjoy it. I don’t think I will be getting one anytime soon.

RegisterFly Resurrected as RegFly

I received an email yesterday:

regfly

It’s from RegFly, a resurrection of RegisterFly the lousiest domain registrar ever. I had very bad experience with them – slow system, buggy, unresponsive customer support. And now, they are no longer an ICANN accredited registrar so I guess they are reselling. Even the main domain regfly.com is registered under Tucows.

ICANN announcements:

Stay away. Look for an ICANN accredited registrar.

Ice Lemon Tea with Roach, Anyone?

This is the yuckiest experience I have so far with restaurants. As it was a hot day I was relieved to see my Season’s Ice Lemon Tea arrived at Kenny Rogers and quickly took a sip.

Something went into my mouth with the drink, and at first I thought it was some lemon pulp separated from the added lemon slices but it started to move!

It was a little roach, yucks! I called a change for the drink and asked the manager to come to see me. She was being very apologetic about it and even offered us to convert everything gratis including anything we want to order next. Since we were not looking for free food I said we will pay, but you must make sure that your restaurant is clean!

She gave us a bowl of fancy ice cream anyway, complimentary; but we didn’t really enjoyed it that much.

They regretted that ever happened and according to them this is the worst case they ever had (was the worst case for me too!). If they were rude about it I would have reported them to MPSJ immediately as MPSJ opened a few service counters just outside their doors.

Anyway I told them again and again I would come again but they must make sure the same thing would never happen to anyone else ever again.

Photo Printing Experience

On Friday I dropped by the Ferry Sabak photo shop at Equine Park to drop a digital photo for printing. It’s for a birthday present we planned for our sister – a family photo. Since A4 is not a standard photo paper size I asked the guy to print out a 9R size (8″ x 12″) which should fit fine in the frame we bought.

The price was RM15. The time taken was considerably alright, but when he called me out and said the photo was ready, I was stumped. There were grime and stain from the roller inside the machines! It’s either he thought that I was blind, or he was blind. Go figure. I asked him to reprint and the next print out was also stained. I argued with the fact on how can I frame this? His answer was that I can use Zippo lighter fluid to clean that up? What?

I asked him, “Why should I go buy Zippo lighter fluid to clean this up? It should come out flawless.” and he asked, “So you don’t want these photos?”. Since I am very strict about privacy I took both of the printouts for the price of one.

On Saturday I decided to visit the MyKamera.com shop in Jusco Equine. Although the girl on duty was not very technical, she explained to me that the price is RM12 and the photo would be ready by Tuesday. When I asked whether there is any express service, she said I would need to add RM3. Okay, cool! So the RM15 price is the standard price for an express service. I received the photo the same day and was happy with the result. I noticed that Ferry Sabak used “Kodak Professional” digital paper while MyKamera.com used “Kodak Gold” digital paper. The difference is that the Kodak Gold is not glossy and would not leave a finger print when touched. I am not sure whether that’s the effect of the printer or the paper.

Also, I noticed that Ferry Sabak may have not color calibrated the old machine because their photo came out too turquoise and the whites are not pure as you can see below. Skin color was affected too. Maybe they didn’t realize that I have already converted the JPG to CMYK?

[singlepic=24,600,600]

Left – original JPG, middle – Ferry Sabak, right – MyKamera.com. Circled are are the stain from the printer at Ferry Sabak. The photos above were scanned after printed so the brightness might differ a little and should be ignored.

That will be the last time I visit the Ferry Sabak photo shop.