In their continuous effort to improve their line of products and to cater to a more diverse range of customers, Logitech has recently announced the release of 8 new products in their Logitech G series lineup, a range of products ranging from mice, keyboards and headsets specially tailored to the most hardcore of computer users, the gamer population.

Thanks to the folks at Logitech, I had the opportunity to attend the media launch event for all the 8 new products today at the Garena stadium at Bugis+, which is an incredible honour considering the fact that most of the people who attended the event with me were either professional gamers or writers for established publications. Kinda feel out of place, to be honest.

the setup of the event today, photo credits to SPRG and Logitech Singapore (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sprg_photos/)

A total of 8 new products were released today, 4 gaming mice, 2 gaming keyboards and 2 headsets, and our group was one of the first few who were given the chance to witness the launch of the new products. The new gaming mice includes the model G100s, G400s, G500s and the G700s, while the keyboard models are G510s and G19s, and last but not least the G230 and G430 are the new gaming headset models to be released together in this lineup.

There's a lot of new features in this new line of products, for example in the gaming mice itself features such as hydrophobic coating and a delta zero sensor technology are added to ensure that the mouse performs to the standard required by gamers during serious gameplay, one that is not affected by sweaty palms and delivers high speed response rate and accuracy needed to make the winning move. From the entry G100s mouse all the way to the more serious G700s mouse, there's just one that is suitable for your gaming needs, be it casual gaming or professional gaming. The prices itself are tailored to what you're looking for to, ranging from an affordable SGD 35 all the way to SGD 135.

i particularly like the g400s though, for reasons you'll know later. photo credits to SPRG and Logitech Singapore (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sprg_photos/)

The two keyboards itself also feature a lot of nifty functions, such as having an additional LCD display to help give you the extra information to help give you the extra advantage in game (this is the first time I'm seeing an extra LCD display on a keyboard) and it also comes with up to 18 programmable extra keys on the left on the keyboard for those who needs to have macro functions in game. With so many functions available on just one keyboard, I'm sure serious gamers would love it for its ability to do almost anything. Of course, the keyboards also come with adjustable colours just for your taste.

the g19s for the most hardcore of players. photo credits to SPRG and Logitech Singapore (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sprg_photos/)

Last but not least, the gaming headsets which features surround sound system, an ultra lightweight design for long hour gaming purposes, noise cancelling mic and even removable cloth earcups that you can wash for hygiene purposes. The gaming headsets designed in such a way to allow you the most accurate sound detection in game (such as which direction the footsteps are coming from) and to allow seamless communication between you and your team members during a team game.

le gaming headset. photo credits to SPRG and Logitech Singapore (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sprg_photos/)

What I've said about the functions are but a rough overview of all of the features of the products themselves to give you a general idea of what the product aims to achieve. Perhaps the best benefit of all the features available is that all of the products themselves come with a 3 year warranty. And yes, that means that no matter what you buy, if there's a defect that you find in the product or any problems that you face, you have a 3 years warranty to look after your gaming gear, which is quite a long period if you ask me, because even I don't use a particular equipment for more than 3 years.

And of course, if you want more info on the features of the products itself, you can always go to Logitechs website (http://gaming.logitech.com/en-sg) to check out more on each product and to compare them with each other. In addition to that, you'll also be able to see what are the latest products and also their price range. With all the available information. it's quite convenient for you to look through when you're deciding.

And now as promised, why I like the new G400S mouse in particular. Well, because I won one you see.

yep, a brand new gaming mouse for me

I think lady luck was with me today, because when we were split into a team for the friendly League of Legends competition during the event with the mouse as the prize for the winning team, I had three tournament players in my team. So all I had to do was to stand behind and let me teammates do their job. And that's the story behind how I won the easiest prize so far in my blogging career.

team precision, we were called. photo credits to SPRG and Logitech Singapore (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sprg_photos/)

We also had the opportunity to try out the gaming devices during our match, but because it was only a five minute match and due to the fact I was nervous the whole time as I have never played League of Legends before, I didn't really get a good feel to accurately judge the gaming devices that I was using, except that they felt different, except for the headset though.

When it comes to headset, because I'm wearing glasses, normal headsets (the ones you wear over your ears) would cause a slight discomfort on my head as they pressed down on my ears, my glasses and my head together. With the headset that we were using though, the pressure was not really apparent and I could play without really noticing that I was in fact wearing a headset. Which was quite amazing considering I always had problems finding a suitable headset that doesn't conflict with my glasses.

Other than that, I'll be looking forward to testing my new G400S mouse with some serious FPS shooting in the next couple of days and perhaps post a review about it. That is, if I manage to move all my stuff by then as I'm in the midst of room shifting. But other than that, it was a great event by Logitech and hopefully there will be more coming up! Stay tuned!

Be extra careful the next time you're using water from a pipe for more than 5 minutes because you might just end up with a seizure and break into an aerobic dance routine. Or at least that's what the Public Utilities Board (PUB) is trying to tell us though their latest water conservation campaign video, Water Wally Shower Dance Music Video (embedded below).

In what seems to be a genuine effort to come up with an entertaining video to appeal to the young, it seems that somehow the producers behind the video did not actually consult the young before embarking on this video. The end results seem more like an aerobic dance instructional video rather than a music video, with lines actually asking to to move your limbs ("To the legs! Ah... feel the legs" 2:35) and having the actors/actresses in the clip perform dance moves that you would normally see in a kindergarten concert.

I'm thinking that perhaps they simplified the dance moves to accommodate the different people who are starring in the video but to be honest, I'm think that there are many more other ways to include everyone rather than downright dumbing down the entire music video which makes it almost to painful to watch.

One cannot help but wonder who's brilliant idea was it to give the go ahead to the video, but judging from the negative comments that have already started to pour in, heads will definitely roll.

One thing's for sure though, like all the videos that are so bad until it makes you laugh previously, think Rebecca Black and Steven Lim, this video is definitely going viral. My news feed in Facebook is starting to be filled with people sharing this video and the number is definitely going to rise. But looking at how the video is from a government agency though, I would predict that they will take down the video soon enough to not generate any more embarrassment so you might want to download it or watch it soon before it gets taken down. And despite how bad it is, I can't help but laugh after watching this.

Ever since I picked up computer gaming as a hobby when I was young, it was never viewed in a favorable light by a lot of people surrounding me. My mum of course, is the number one opponent of my gaming hobby, often scolding me for my frequent hours spent on the computer immersed in games, and would often say things like how computer games are evil and how it corrupts the minds of children. My teachers and elders seem to think the same too, thinking that gaming is perhaps the least useful hobby of all if you were to compare it to other hobbies such as exercising or drawing, and would often advise us against it. In fact, almost all adults I know are opposed to gaming, no thanks to constant campaigns that seek to portray the dangers of gaming during my time.

I don't blame them though. To be honest, while gaming serves as a great escape to many of us gamers, I can't help but to agree with many points that the adults raised. Gaming does have a higher tendency for addiction, due to its highly attractive mechanics and if taken to the extreme, it can indeed cause one to lose friends and face problems in life, such as performing poorly at school at work. And even if you play it moderately, it has very few side benefits that you can obtain if you were to compare it with exercising for example. I mean if you're able to finish an save the universe, so what? It doesn't make much of a difference in your real life and it gives you a false illusion of importance. You may be the chosen one in game, but the real life is a whole different story.

However, despite all the bad things that I've said about gaming, it is on itself not a bad thing. It is what you do with it that determines the value of it and like Brian Schmoyer's argument in his famous "The Only Thing I Know" video, gaming is only bad if you allow it to dominate your life instead of using it to reach greatness. I cannot deny this gaming side of me but I can use it to make life better, doing the stuff that I love, which brings me to the main point of this post, I'm going to write, stream and just talk about games! After all, I've amassed countless hours of playing computer games and to let it all sit in my head without doing anything about it is a terrible waste. There's a huge community of gamers out there and by talking about it, you're actually trying to make an effort to connect to others rather than just sitting in a room playing all by yourself. 

There's basically two ways to make a life through gaming from how I see it, either you become a professional player or you become someone who works in the industry, either in developing the games or talking about it. I'm going to do the latter. Like I said, since I game so much, it would be an epic waste if I just let it all slide and let gaming a closet hobby. All the experience much count for something, which is why I'm trying my hands on V-logging in game, streaming games and blogging about it. Just today for example, I went to buy the long awaited earphones and started my own Twitch.tv account. I've been uploading my videos to Youtube for a while now, but at the advice of a friend, I figured Twitch would be a good alternative option too. I have no idea where this would lead, but at least I know I'm producing something out from my hobby instead of just mindlessly consuming it.

Of course, I do realize that just buying a earphone and creating a Twitch account won't make me successful overnight, but at least I know it's better than just playing and letting the hours slip by. It's a start and lets see where this will lead to.

Friend: So have you been looking for a job, now that you've graduated?

Me: Sort of. I'm interning as a dragon slayer right now.

Which is quite true actually, as I have been playing one of the latest MMORPG available, Neverwinter. If you're a seasoned gamer, I am sure you would have heard of titles such as Neverwinter Nights or Dungeons and Dragons before. Neverwinter Online, produced by Cryptic and released by Perfect World International, is based on the lore of the series, also known as the Forgotten Realms series.

Since being released a few weeks ago, the game has generated mostly positive reviews from critics and from my experience over it, I think the game has some pretty cool ideas going on that sets it apart from the other MMORPGs that I'm used to that makes it truly fun to play. Here are few reasons why:

1. Enjoyable single player content. If you're a player who loves going solo and would rather enjoy in the story rather than just doing pure level grinding, Neverwinter has a immersive story that would keep you going for hours. Being a continuation of the Neverwinter saga itself, you'll find yourself caught in the conflict surrounding Neverwinter, having to reclaim the city from the various forces that seeks to conquer it.

There's voice acting, cutscenes and and interesting storyline based on the Forgotten Realms lore. I've never played Neverwinter before, so I have no idea how accurate are they to the franchise but I do feel like I'm playing something close to Diablo with the storyline they have in the game. The interesting part here is that rather than having a common enemy that you inevitably have to face off in game, there's a lot of sub plots happening around the city itself, with different parts facing different enemies and conflict, and every time you travel, you'll meet up with a new faction and a new environment, which is refreshing and doesn't bore you out.

It's really much like a single player game, if you choose to ignore all other players around you. Best of all, the developers even promised an end game content, sort of like a conclusion story to the game itself for the lore oriented players.

2. Player generated content, also known as the Foundry. Other than the storyline already set in game, if you're more of a storyteller, you could also design missions or side quests for your friends to play in. These quests are not just merely for fun though, as you can earn exp and items from it as per normal quests. You could also explore other players missions too if you're getting bored of just mainly doing the main storyline. The type of quests ranges from those of the serious nature, one that is based on the main canon for example to highly satirical ones like how you need to stop a brain smuggling operation run by clueless zombies.

Furthermore, there's in game bonus event where you are rewarded with extra exp just for playing foundry quests, which is awesome as it encourages you to try new things. The mobs at the foundry also scales with your level, meaning that you can do your favorite foundry quests at any level without worrying about the monsters level.

3. PVP. Of course, there's also PVP (Players vs Players) if you're one who enjoys combating other players. Rather than doing it in the open field though, the game has instances or arenas in which players can test their skills against each other. However, the only mode now for the PVP arenas is more like a capture the point fights, where you have to capture and defend a point to score points in order for your team to win and there's only two maps currently available, so if you play PVP quite often, you can get pretty bored out by it. In addition to that, the PVP also forces you to fight in a team, which can get pretty annoying when you end up with AFK-ers or people who disconnects halfway through the match.

Nevertheless, if you're able to end up in a team with coordinated tactics and such, the PVP arena can be quite exciting as you'll never know what opponents will dish at you. Furthermore, you'll also earn a decent amount of exp from PVP matches no matter if you win or lose, so technically you can level up just from PVP alone. Not only that, you'll also be able to earn glory points in which you can exchange for items.

4. PVE. Of course, whats a good ol MMORPG without dungeons and raids. Neverwinter has an interesting way of sorting out dungeons though, in that there's actually two types of dungeons, one called Skirmishes and the other Dungeons.

Skirmishes are in fact a shorter version of the dungeon, where the player has to complete easy and straighforward tasks such as storming a point or defending an area. The bosses in Skirmishes are easier and it takes less time to complete but gears hardly drop and you'll only get the in game money after completion. 

Dungeons on the other hand, are the traditional raid type dungeons where you can spend more than an hour in it and the bosses are generally more difficult to deal with. However, they are the places where you go for your equipment hunt. So it's up to the player actually which do you actually prefer.

5. Companions. Oh my god, companions. Have I ever mentioned how revolutionary this thing is? You know how normally in MMORPGs you'll have problem such as not dealing enough damage if you're a healer or having to constantly burn health potions away because you don't have a healer friend?

Neverwinter solves this by giving you a companion, basically having an NPC running around doing your errands, like whacking enemies or healing you depending on their job. I have to tell you, being a rogue (DPS) myself, having a NPC cleric running after you, healing you and not complaining a single thing is like a gift sent from heaven. There was once where I had to run a dungeon without having any healer at all and surprisingly we made it solely on the fact that all 4 of us in the party had clerics companions, meaning that we could get some heals some way, a feat which is unbelievable in other MMOs.

Of course, your companion will have some limitations such as not being able to hit a very high level, but I find that having a cleric, no matter how low level, healing you can make a life and death difference in the battlefield. Ingenious. Truly ingenious.

All in all, I would say that Neverwinter is truly a game worth trying. It has all the things that make it right and one can never get bored from the game. There are so many ways you could level your character and there's just too much stuff to keep you going.

Of course, I find that the game is lacking in a way that there are a lot of different currencies being used and that the armor itself is kinda boring, but on general it is a fun game. Very different from the MMORPGs us Southeast Asians are normally used to. And best of all it's free to play! Find out more about the game at http://nw.perfectworld.com/

Solo, also known as Surakarta, was the location for this year's (2013) ASEAN Blogger Festival. Over 200 Indonesian and 21 overseas bloggers attended this four day event, which aims to foster an understanding between ASEAN bloggers and to use blogging as a platform to further strengthen the ASEAN spirit. It was an blogtastic event where bloggers from Indonesia and the rest of ASEAN were able to mingle and get to see how blogging was like across the different ASEAN countries.

and that is the official banner

To be honest, I think that I was very lucky to be chosen as one of the foreign bloggers to be part of this big event. With the sponsored flights and accommodation, it was an opportunity that many bloggers would yearn for and sincerely, I have no idea how my blog was deemed popular or important enough to be included for this event. After all, there are so many bloggers in Malaysia and Singapore who boast much more impressive credentials than mine, and my English ain't even perfect to begin with. It must have been my good looks, I guess. Just kidding.

Anyway, the whole trip itself was an eye opening experience for me. I've never really traveled much before, in fact I have only visited three different countries in my entire life, and this trip has really brought me to the furthest that I've been from my hometown so far and it is through this trip too that I was able to experience flying for the first time. It was a trip of many first experiences, in fact, because I'm really like a frog living under a coconut shell (from the Malay proverb "katak di bawah tempurung) before this and for the whole trip, I pretty much like a small kid who is easily fascinated by all the new sights and sounds around him, like being able to take cloud pictures from the plane, for example.

and i think this particular cloud is trying to send me a message

Through this event, I realized that the blogging world is much bigger than what I am accustomed to. Growing up in Malaysia and later moving to Singapore, what I know about blogging is centered around these two countries and because the blogosphere of these two places are quite similar, I merely assumed that other ASEAN countries would either share a similar blogging environment, one where blogs are commercialized with sponsors and event invites, or have a non-existing blogosphere. Not only is that view ethnocentric, it's also incredibly myopic. Like I mentioned in my previous blog post, living in a privileged country has certainly limited my perspective.

Just to give an example, the blogger who accompanied me from Singapore, Chan, is actually from Myanmar and the first thought that ran in my head when I heard that was, "There are bloggers in Myanmar?". That's an incredibly stereotyped thinking, I know, and I'm not proud it admit. All along, the "Myanmar" that I used know was shaped by the secondary sources like newspapers or school textbooks that I'm exposed to, and usually these reports are biased in a way where mostly only the negative side are reported, which indirectly reinforces your thinking that my country is better. Myanmar, as it turns out, is an amazing country with great culture and people, despite what the media normally portrays it to be.

The truth is, while other countries may seem a little worse than ours on the first glance, no one country is completely better than the other. Indonesia for example, has a much more open blogging community as compared to Singapore. Ever since the last regime change, bloggers can talk more openly about politics without having to be afraid of the authorities clamping down and their government recognizes and supports the blogging community in a much more positive manner. The blog festival itself is supported by three different ministries (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Communication and Information, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy) from their government, which is quite impressive if you ask me because the government takes much more effort to engage the bloggers.

the representatives from the various government agencies and sponsors for the event. source: usmission2asean photostream

In addition to learning a new thing or two about Southeast Asia, and finding out in the process that my geography textbook that I used in high school cannot be trusted at all (the highest mountain in Southeast Asia is actually in Myanmar, not Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia), I also got the chance to know some new friends too from around ASEAN, all whom are accomplished bloggers in their own rights. There're CEOs, influential speakers, famous publication writers and social media activists among the international bloggers who attended the event, and to be honest, I can't help but feel like I'm standing amongst giants in the field when comparing my track record with theirs. It's something that is innately to us Chinese you know, the act of comparing with each other to see who is better.

Nevertheless, I was very humbled and happy at the same time to be accepted as part of the group during the event. Despite all of their achievements, all of the bloggers were friendly and down to earth and we were able to talk and mingle freely, which is something that I appreciate a lot. In fact, I had a lot of fun chatting with everyone in the group and getting to know more of their culture, and hopefully the friendships that we've formed would continue to last for the rest of our blogging days.

our first lunch together

In a way, this trip also involves me taking a big step out of my comfort zone. Initially, I was a little reluctant to attend the event because I have to travel alone and I have no idea of what to expect, so I was afraid that something bad might happen and that I might end up making a fool out of myself. Besides, I am never good with strangers anyway. But in the end, I decided to take a leap of faith and thankfully, everything turned out to be better than expected. Everything that I've seen, heard and experienced in this event exceeded my initial expectations and if I had gone with my initial reluctance, I would have missed out one of the biggest opportunities in my life. So kids, the next time you have have an opportunity knocking on your door, taking a leap of faith might be a good idea after all.

somehow lunch times seems to be the perfect time to take photos :p

All in all, going to the trip is perhaps one of the best things that I have done so far and it is also one of the best learning experience I have gained so far in my life. In just a short period of 4 days, I've learned that blogging itself is much more than just getting famous and goodies, that we should never be too quick to judge or dismiss other's viewpoint just because we think we come from a better place, that we should never be too afraid to step out from our comfort zone and never to name your blog in a self praising manner. It can get a bit embarrassing when you have to introduce it. But it was a good experience nonetheless.

I just hope that this momentum and fire that I gained from this event would not die down and continue to guide me in my blogging journey for years to come. Or at least months, if the fuel cannot last so long. It's definitely a new start though, and hopefully, things would take a different turn for this blog in general and that this would not only be a one off event. Only the future will tell.

Serious stuff aside, I also had the chance to have many fun experiences across the four days of this event. For example I had the chance to become a fashion model during the second day of the event, parading the famous batik shirt of Solo. I guess that is one of the items I can now cross off my bucket list of things to do before I die. It's just a shame I didn't get to keep that shirt.

with Claire from the Philippines

I also got the chance to present about Singapore too in front of 200+ people together with Chan. And surprisingly I didn't have any nervous breakdown or stage fright in the process. It would seem that my public speaking skills has leveled up a little bit. It's a shame that we didn't get to prepare enough though, and I felt that I did not do Singapore enough justice during the presentation itself. So in order to redeem myself, I've also embedded the latest Singapore tourism video from the Tourism Board below. Just to give a better idea what Singapore is about.

picture from @anggaramahendra

Last but not least, I also had the opportunity to plant my own tree during the trip, which is another thing I can cross off my bucket list and perhaps bring my children to see it next time 20 years later, provided if I can remember where the location of the tree, that is. Besides that, we were also taken on a visit to Sangiran, one of UNESCO's world heritage sites in Indonesia, where the famous Java Man, or known scientifically as Homo Erectus as part of the event.

planting my own tree! photo credits to Amril Taufik

and that my friends, is the famous homo erectus (maybe now you can see where their name came from perhaps?)

Indonesia is indeed a great place to visit. It's just a shame we did not get to visit more historical or local attractions around Solo, because I would have loved to buy more IndoMie and somehow I felt that the entire  thing was not enough. But then again, when it comes to vacations, there is no such thing as having enough of it. We did went shopping though and some niche areas for food and chillout session, though, and I must saving, shopping + eating in Indonesia is cheeeaaaap.

My favorite picture of the trip? This one:

beer: everyone's official language

Of course, I still have quite a number of photos that I didn't get to upload to this blog post, or otherwise it would be a great long post, but the rest of the pictures can be accessed at So thus ends my pseudo-graduation trip at Indonesia. And hopefully next year you'll see a post for ASEAN Blogger Festival 2014! Fingers crossed!