iPhone Apps (2/2)

Continuation...

2) Interesting applications

(a) Sims 3 Ambitions


The best application of all which I highly recommend is the Sims 3 Ambitions application. It is a game in which you create a character with a certain personality. This character has basic needs just like a normal human being. Inside the game, the character can further his/her career, make friends, date people of the opposite gender and even have kids. In addition, you may also expand the house and populate the house with furniture of your choice. This is indeed a game that you must try!

5*/5*

(b) Plants and zombies



Nowadays, I don't really play this game because I grew out of it. It's a pretty interesting and cute game. My infatuation with it extended to the PC version which had more minigames. It is a game in which you grow plants to guard your house against zombies. A straightforward game which engages your thought process to strategise. There is a cute music video after you have cleared the final stage. Definitely worth the effort.

4*/5*

(c) Brain Challenge


There are various games inside this application, including Logic, Math, Visual and Focus. I prefer the Daily Tests and not the Stress Tests. The Stress Tests include the same games as the Daily Tests. However, the Stress Tests include interference like insects crawling across the screen while you are solving the puzzles. These interferences are pretty annoying when using the application.

As for the Daily Tests, the puzzles given are mentally stimulating. With each set of tests that you have done, new puzzles are unlocked. Hence, there is little chance of getting bored with this application. It's a must try!

4*/5*


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After much discussion about iPhones applications, you must have some on your list that you would like to share. Feel free to leave your comments on useful / interesting applications that you think is a must-have!

iPhone Apps (1/2)

I've been recently obsessed with playing games on my iPhone 4. Since that is the activity which has been taken up nearly 50% of my free time, I decided to post reviews on some applications that I find interesting and/or useful.

1. Useful applications

(a) WhatsApp
This is a social networking application. Pay US$0.99 and you are set for an application that acts like an MSN for iPhones.

The good points of this application are many. Firstly, you don't have to pay charges while using this application to send messages via WhatsApp when you are physically overseas. Secondly, you can send your current location to your friends. This is useful for directionless people like myself. Just a click on it, and you will know your location.

The downside of this application is that it uses 3G. My phone is unable to connect to 3G when at home. As such, WhatsApp doesn't really function well while I am at home.

4*/5*

(b) Flixster
I am personally not using this application. However, I tried it on my lao gong's phone. It is an application that movie critics and the public posts reviews of movies. The reviews are pretty informative and useful when deciding which movie to watch. In addition, our own assessments of the movies on screen are aligned to the reviews in the application.

4*/5*

(c) tranSGuide
This is an application that is able to pick up information on the expected arrival times of SBS Transit buses. The estimated times of arrival are pretty accurate. However, this application doesn't work 50% of the time. You can be waiting for the information to load...and your bus has arrived at the bus stop. In addition, it is limited by the 3G points around the location. There are some bus-stops which are not captured. An example will be the bus-stops along Macpherson Road. The application is totally useless along that road.

3*/5*

To be continued...

Nantsuttei Ramen

Frankly speaking, I am not a fan of ramen. I was first introduced to Nantsuttei Ramen by my colleagues during lunch on a workday.


First question you may ask, why is the soup black?!! Fret not...

The soup of the ramen is what sets Nantsuttei's ramen apart from the rest of the ramen restaurants. Floating on the surface of the soup is the fragrant black ma-yu (roast garlic oil) which forms an iconic component of the Nantsuttei flavor. This iconic roast garlic oil is created by frying garlic over seven phases.

Despite my resolve to go on a diet, this bowl of ramen is really difficult to resist. I really love the soup base as it is very tasty. However, some people may find the soup base slightly too salty.

If you like to see a wide variety of food on the menu as part of your dining experience, this is not your kind of place. There are really few choices (I guess less than 10?) on the menu, with nearly all of them ramen. The best and highly recommended choice is the cha-shu ramen. Remember to add an egg in ($1 each)! The eggs are really nice with a runny egg yolk but well boiled egg white. I do think the cooks put in a lot of effort in preparing the eggs. The remainder of the ramen choices is really just additional toppings of onion etc. Well... I do think its not worth the money to pay more for additional... onion?

Nantsuttei Ramen is a good place to eat ramen if you are craving for a bowl. And even if you are not, it's really worth a try.

Updates:
I realised that I forgot to put in the address of the place so here goes-
Private House No.P3-06, #03-02 Millenia Walk 9 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore 039596
On the 3F of PARCO Marina Bay .

About mooncakes

This mooncake festival was special. Two reasons made it special. Firstly, I took the effort to read through forums to see which are the mooncakes that come highly recommended. Secondly, I gifted one box of mooncakes to my lao gong's family.

Here is a review of the mooncakes that I sampled:

1. Jewels Champagne Mooncake


Jewels is a new cafe that carries an exquisite range of chocolates. The chef and owner of Jewels has been a chocolatier in the F&B industry for more than 20 years. She is also the very chef who concocted the champagne mooncake popular at Raffles Hotel.

The skin of the mooncake is soft and the filling (lian rong) sweet. Within the mooncake is a spherical chocolate that contained champagne. One thing about the mooncake I noted was that the chocolate and the fillings seemed to fall apart pretty easily. Many a times, I ended up eating the chocolate and the fillings plus skin separately.

2. Raffles Hotel Champagne Mooncake

Coincidentally, I got to taste the Raffles Hotel champagne mooncake this mooncake festival. My comment about the mooncake in comparison to that of Jewels is that its fillings is richer in champagne. The chocolate and the fillings is one in taste and it doesn't fall apart as I eat.

The opinions about these 2 champagne mooncakes are mixed-good comments for each. I guess its subjective and for my readers to judge.

3. Goodwood Park Durian Mooncake

I am not a durian lover. I merely stole a bite of the durian mooncake. Just couldn't resist tasting the famous Goodwood Park durian mooncake. What made it so famous?

The filling is just like the flesh of a D24 durian freshly bought. Very rich and addictive to durian lovers. Despite being a person who prefers mangos to durians, I definitely think this mooncake is a must-buy.

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Having said the above, I am really fortunate to be able to taste the above famous mooncakes this season. Not surprisingly, the above mooncakes are ranked among the best in Singapore, not to be missed. This post may be a tad too late. But! Remember not to miss them next mooncake festival.

I mean, why grow fat by eating mooncakes that are mediocre in quality? Go for quality!

http://sgcgo.com/mid-autumn-mooncakes/
http://www.lifestyleasia.com/features/the-best-mooncakes-in-singapore-2010/article-id/5457

Putting numbers to facts of life

1. The correlation between money and happiness

How many of us do remember Marslow's Theory of Needs? At the bottom-most of all needs is physiology needs of human beings. During such times, money to buy food and basic necessities to make life comfortable plays an important role. As annual income increases, other factors come into play to increase general satisfaction.

I came across this study that put a number to the annual household income that money buys happiness:

US$75,000

That's the magic figure obtained by the study which is performed on a group of Americans. Per the study (click here), "the level of 75,000 dollars was just above the median income of 71,500 dollars for US households in 2008." Should we do a research, the median income in Singapore is approximately S$53,000 dollars (click here).

Based on the following assumptions:
- The annual household income approximates the median income in Singapore.
- The standard of living in Singapore and America in terms of spendings vis-a-vis earnings is approximately the same.

From the above, the magic number for the annual household income that money can buy happiness for Singapore would be S$53,000.

2. Health and overtime

We all know that sleeping late is unhealthy. But do you know that overtime also has an impact on a person's health?

Based on research by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, working just three hours overtime every day has been linked to a 60% higher risk of heart problems.

So, isn't it time to pack up your bag to knock off now?

3. Prepare to lose your best friends

Earlier this week, I read from Yahoo (I couldn't locate the webpage now), that a person who has entered into a relationship must be prepared to lose at least 2 best friends. Based on the research, an average person has only 4 best friends at any one time. The amount of time that a person spends with a new significant other approximates the time that a person spends with 2 best friends.

As with general relationships, time is required for bonding between 2 individuals. Not surprisingly, spending more time with your significant other results in a decrease in time spent with your best friends. 2 to be specific.

That's all I have. Please feel free to comment with any statistics in life that are interesting. =)