Thursday 22 September 2011

News: Apple iPhone 5 (Oct. 4) & Apple Store HK (Sep. 23)


Apple CEO Tim Cook has big shoes to fill.
Image from Fox, AP Photo/Mark Lennihan
Could this finally be true? If this is so, it wouldn't be a bad news for my birthday, but I'm kind of getting tired of hearing the release date of the iPhone 5 being pushed from end of September to the end of October and now back to the beginning of October. I just want to know what iPhone 5 is like before I decide on getting it or a power-draining Samsung Galaxy S2.

I've been waiting for my first smartphone since the days of the iPhone 3. Could this be the right model for me?

One thing is for sure, you get to peek inside the new Apple Store in IFC2.


Let's see if I get to go inside to take some photos with my 7D one day. Until then, these photos are all I can offer. Want to see more? The shop is set to open TOMORROW!


Vocabulary:
fill sb's shoes -- Fig. to take the place of some other person and do that person's work satisfactorily. (As if you were wearing the other person's shoes.)


Resources:
 Apple Set to Unveil iPhone 5 on Oct. 4, Sources Say @ Foxnews
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/09/21/apple-set-to-unveil-iphone-5-on-oct-4-sources-say/?test=faces

Apple offers first peek at new Hong Kong retail store @ AppleInsider
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/09/21/apple_offers_first_peek_at_new_hong_kong_retail_store.html

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/fill+shoes

Travelling & Living: First Time To Apliu Street




You must be laughing when you saw the title of this entry. Yes, it is my first time to Apliu Street, but everyone has his first time, even if it is a place not so difficult to get to.

Years I have heard of this place, never had I found the urge to pay a visit, until recently I began to search for  a Geiger metre online just to discover the unbelievably ridiculous price tags people set on ebay, I decided to give Apliu Street a go, since it is famous for all sorts of ridiculously rare-slash-cheap devices. (As to why I wanted to get a Geiger metre, please read the previous entries on Medical & News: What Causes Cancer? -- Part 1Medical & News: What Causes Cancer? -- Part 2)

Back to Apliu Street, I created a photography day on Facebook and invited a few guys to join. And to me, it was an amazing little trip. I give you -- 14 Wonders of Apliu Street!

14 Wonders of Apliu Street

First, I have never seen so many saws and power drills laid out on the ground.
Saws and power drills
Second, I had never seen a roadside store that will display the products as messy as the photo below.
Messy display of products
Third, I had no idea that Apliu Street sells fishing rod, since it is nowhere near the sea (except the sea water in the public toilet)
Fishing rods for sale
Fourth, even laboratory tech equipments such as oscilloscopes can be found acting as table legs.
Oscilloscopes on the floor acting as table legs.
Fifth, poorly-kept old vinyl records are sold regardless of weather.
Old Vinyl Records
Sixth, expensive LED bulbs and stripes are sold, forcing me to revert to shopping LEDs on Taobao.
expensive LED stripes are sold 
Seventh, useless remote controls actually has a value!!!! I will remember to sell mine next time.
Old remote controls for all devices
Eighth, look up and you'll see the unique old Hong Kong architecture -- Tong Lau.
Round-corner Tong Lau
Nineth, clean pans and woks that no one would buy are sold.
Woks and pans carefully spaced out
Tenth, dusty tripods that I wouldn't touch are displayed.
Tripods and more tripods
Eleventh, I was surprised to see someone actually collects circuit boards in order to find the right part to fix faulty VHS/CD players.
Circuit boards (broken or whole)

Twelveth, I can definitely buy super magnets here if I need to! I tried to pull out one of them out from the stack, I couldn't!!!!!! $6 a piece.
Super strong magnets
Thirteenth, Yashica twin-lens reflex (TLR) cameraRollei Mercury II, Voigtländer COMPUR folding camera can be found there!!!!
Yashica Twin-lens reflex camera!!!! Made in Hong Kong
Rollei Mercury II (made in 1945) Half-frame 35mm non-rangefinder
Voigtländer COMPUR folding camera
Fourteenth, lots of people needed help on filling tax forms???
Tax, tax, tax!!!!!
You see, walking around Apliu Street can also be beneficial! I learn a lot of terms, what about you?

Vocabulary:
oscilloscope
vinyl record
Tong Lau
twin-lens reflex camera (TLR)
folding camera

Resources:
Medical & News: What Causes Cancer? -- Part 1 @ Locky's English Playground

Medical & News: What Causes Cancer? -- Part 2 @ Locky's English Playground

Living: Lamps & LED @ Taobao  @ Locky's English Playground

Oscilloscope @ Wikipedia

Vinyl Record @ Wikipedia

Tong Lau @ Wikipedia

Twin-lens reflex camera  @ Wikipedia

Folding Camera  @ Wikipedia

Ollinger's Camera Collection