The Power of Dreams Night

I was invited to participate a consumer forum to feedback about Honda. It was conducted in a group of 6 person and fruitful ideas exchanged. Three participants are Honda car owner. Brand talk not really the key they purchase Honda but main factor are make up by design, price and technology. Like every consumer, we buy for affordable and reasonable. Brand loyalty is not everything. This question lead to discussion about  Honda participation in motorsports. All of us agreed that Honda represent performance. The absence of brand marketing of their racing association would weaken their brand name. We would like to see car brand which is active in racing events. All three main Honda motosports ads in 2008 has given negative perception. “We have come far to victories. We have gone beyond defeats.” Are this telling us that Honda is a loser brand? Although it try to convey message about Honda commitment in motor racing. Wrong choice of tag line misleading  reader to further understand their message. On asking how to improve Honda Racing brand, most participants are agreed that it must reach out to public by sponsoring more events and consumer interaction. This can be achieved by organizing convoy, driving clinic, street racing, roadshow, party and newspaper column. Of course not absence of web interaction such as forum, blog and community network. I foresee more and more brand would practice the similar strategy in kepping their name in consumer mind. The power of web 2.0 as marketing tool should not be underestimate of any company. Lets dream forward, Honda.

Pesta Malam Indonesia – Celebrities visit

The Pesta Malam Indonesia stars were in LCCT office today. AirAsia is the official airline for this event. I was in the meeting during their arrival. Lobby was served as the welcome area. Staff were trying to rub shoulder with the Indonesia celebrities. It’s like a mini media conference where fans line up to get poster signature. Luckily the meeting was ended earlier and I join the party as event photographer. Personal photography was not allowed. It didn’t disappoint us and everyone get their poster autographed.

dewi dewi

peterpan

ungu

slank

melanie subono

dewi-dewi signing autograph

yeah! we’ve got the autograph

close up photo. It’s is a very special moment.

Sony AMC August Seminar

The excitement of waiting finally end. The Sony AMC August seminar was held today at Le Meridian Hotel. As usual, it’s FREE for Sony Alpha user!! The event was posted at forum for pre-registration and all seats were reserved in just 3 days! What man! The funny thing is, no one knows the seminar details until last minute

As sneak preview by George, the Sony AMC person in charge (actually he is the product manager), there will be few important announcements during the seminar. All rumors and speculation link up with A900 full frame SLR launching or F58 flashgun release date. Hahaha.. It didn’t happen here but what actual announced will benefit AMC most.

Let’s see…

1. Every seminar participant will get a Alpha Survival Kit (retail price RM599) for FREE!!! Although it just some merchandises and accessories like bag, t-shirt, watch and etc. It show how sincere Sony to keep the user happy.

2. Aphanatics forum would be our new home and AMC.com.my is converting to knowledge database. This is a good move to open the forum to more user and expand our territory and poisons Same time new moderators were introduced to all. They are all AMC forum pioneers by the way. 100% support.

3. Sony will sponsor RM1000 monthly to Alphanatics as club fund. The best thing is we can snow ball it and decide what to do with the fund. Can I suggest to buy a white lens and loan to member??? (in my dream) Truly can’t find anything like this in today world. This is not a hoax. Believe it.

4. The biggest surprise is – Malaysia will be the host of world 1st ever Alpha Convention!!!! And it happen in October!!! World class speakers are coming down to give free talk for 3 days!!! Who is reading this please go out and grab your alpha SLR now

I feel very energetic with the Sony AMC effort in expanding its market share and same time practicing good consumer service. The user is final winner. Although I am just a ordinary customer, but feel like doing MLM and want to recruit more member to join us Not to forget today seminar speaker were Ted Adnan and Darren Chang. Both are very experience in portraiture and automotive photography respectively. The talk covered basic to intermediate skill level, now everyone can shoot.

Tyre balancing and alignment

I always wondering what is tyre balancing and alignment. Then today happen to send my Savvy to tyre service shop for tuning. They dismantle my wheels and keep it roll on a machine. The computer will calculate how much variants and weight to add on. The mechanic stick the weight bar compensate the readings. Each weight bar is 5g. Wondering how the unbalanced wheel would affect the driving safety.

After balancing, they drive my car to a platform and lock up my front wheel. Then they select the computer reading for my car, but Savvy is not in the list (outdated program). We decide for the nearest match which is Renault Clio K4F. Then they based on the reading and adjust the front wheel to be in standard setting.

I feel smooth cornering after the fine tuning. Total cost me RM36. What a good business.

Spin the wheel to get the unbalance weight reading.

The weight bar.

Stick the weight bar on wheel.

The wheel lock for alignment measurement.

Computer showing unbalance alignment (2.2 and -1.9)

Sunset at LCCT

I was carrying camera for days to office. Finally today is clear sky and good sunset awaited. It was so peaceful at surrounding area just a kilometres away from the LCCT complex. I use a long lens to zoom in to interesting subject – petrol silo and power plant. Not to forget the golden sunset. Have you enjoy sunset today?

Proton open day and factory visit

PROTON or Perusahaan Otomobil Negara is our first national car company. Since Proton Saga launched in 1985, Proton undergoing ups and downs over 20 years. The broke off with their technical partner, Mitsubishi was sent them into a evolution. The first Malaysian designed car is Waja. The short partnership with Renault was not promising. Savvy is the last French-Malaysia breed. The born of Gen.2 which symbolize Generation Two of Proton’s milestone. Then later Satria Neo start to recapture Malaysian attention again but three doors sedan never a local favorite. Proton losing its long reign market lead to Perodua, which Myvi is contemporary all time best seller. The failure in looking new partner didn’t kill the Malaysian Tiger. The launch of Persona and New Saga successfully drive in cash and praises. They found the formula again.

On 3rd August, Proton open its Shah Alam factory to public visit. The tour is well organized and very informative. Although the car manufacturing plant doesn’t look hi-tech, but it still new to public and interesting. Wish all the best for Proton to revive its brand in International and improvement in quality control aspect. Proton car power windows problems has become the ugly trademark for years.

this scene remind me national day is coming soon.

prototaip sketch

ware house of new saga. i missed the production line tour schedule.

test drive track. it’s huge and you can see it from google earth.

participant going to experience test drive track.

the body frame of new mpv. to be launch on march 2009.

the model of new mpv.

msx – the prototaip of malaysia suv.

interior of msx.

new saga pickup. just a prototaip. the previous wira pickup (arena) was not sell good.

hybrid gen.2 with battery at boot space.

purely ngv powered waja with two gas tank installed under car. this car will launch only with wide accessibility of ngv station.

waja wth v6 engine.

satria with turbo engine. this is not new to those car modification ethusiast.

the robot craft the clay into real size model.

digital artist demo how easy they can draft a car model on screen.

various seat under selection and comparison for new car development.

AirAsia-British High Commisions Friendly Match

After survived from the Germany Leica camp, I get down to British High Commission front line to cover the battle against AirAsia Football Team. AirAsian play well in first half against the English. The multiple substitutes later has weakening the defense line and final score 6-1. As a celebration for this friendly match, we head down to Cobra Club for beers. It’s was a good night where new friendship has began.

Tony and British High Commissioner officer.

He is fast and skillful.

Kick-off. AAX CEO’s Azran and Tony.

Header! But it didn’t score for this.

Good dinner and new friendship.

A Day with Leica

Today I obey Sony Alpha and join Leica. The outing was organized by Photo Malaysia and Schmidt Marketing. Leica is the Rolls-Royce in camera industry. So the price and quality is all at premium level. There were two groups of user, black and white film and digital. I was in the digital group and given a Leica M8 loan unit. Even though it was 30 minutes of usage, it has proven I am a lousy photographer and M8 is a good camera. The specialty of M8,

1. It’s a rangefinder. What you see from viewfinder is what you get, no darker nor brighter. Just it doesn’t has DOF preview as SLR.

2. The viewfinder will display the gird/guide line for framing, thus different focal lens will have different square size. I always hard to frame (although just 30minutes of usage).

3. No autofocus. All focus done by my index finger. The middle view finder will display the split image, just match it at ur subject. The difficulty when focus subject is not in the middle. Bye bye multipoint auto focus.

4. The camera is light so hardly notice shaky hand. Also the mechanism is simple, just a nice ‘qichak’ buzz.

5. No funny stuff like vivid mode and stitch shot. All you have are Aperture or Manual (self define shutter speed and aperture). Thanks Leica there is continuous shutter and timer.

6. Aperture dial from lenses. The Manual mode will have metering info to tell you dial up or down. Cool! (because it make me feel like driving an antic Rolls Royce with Turbo)

7. No zoom lens. Save the zoom effects with SLR.

8. Small body size. Can shoot like lomography (shoot from hip).
9. THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT. VERY CLEAN AND CRISPY IMAGE. POISONOUS!!!

I am happy to be a 30 minutes Leica user. In the afternoon we back to Schmidt HQ to attend seminar. Sifu Teng Wei enlighten us with colour management stuff. It’s technical as attend a degree course, but it does clear many doubts and mysteries happen in digital photography workflow. Finally we receive a Leica T-shirt (which wear by the Leica promoter) and two prints of best shot. Not a bad day since we paid registration fee. Ok, Sony AMC I am coming back now.

PC Fair 2008 (II)

The PC Fair is the biggest cash and carry IT expo in Malaysia. Many company like to push their products directly to consumer via this event. Hosted three times a year proven its popularity and acceptability. The name PC fair remain the same but more and more IT products were introduce in the fair. We have broadband package, mobile phone, digital camera and event credit card applications. Would money loaner join this event next year?

To me the fair basically a big sale market. There is lack of education approach on explaining technology wave changes. The salesmen will offer you Centrino 2 with freebies and no one further explain why we migrate to new platform? Just because the speed and I have to pay more? Or because the freebies make it a good deal? Malaysian need more knowledge, not just sales!!! Please invite some experts to give a forum and such. I prefer how MATTA educate the traveller. Since we can draw huge traffic to PC fair, why not a free seminar same time?

Karen and KC Wedding Shots

KC is having studio wedding shots at Eyeshot Studio, PJ. I dropped by to steal some flash and pre-wedding making of. It was fun with wireless flash and family portraits. My amateur skill has earned me a A&W burger combo treat.