Happy Birthday!

yes, it’s been a long time since I last created a cake, and it’s a while since i get another post up here. life’s mixed with good n bad things lately, just like the good n bad weather lately 🙂 anyway, it’s my friend and colleauge Dan Ying (丹楹)’s birthday! And she wants to announce to the world that she’s officially …… WAIT! better not put it here. i think 18 is a nice number, u think so too? (: oh yes, before i forget,

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY! and may the year ahead be a healthy n fruitful one, 天天开心!”
Cheers! (:

Free technological resources anyone?

believed this is not the first time i’ve seen this blog but this is the first time i create a post to remind myself of it in future:
Free Technology for Teachers
if you like to use animal photos in your lessons, you can read about it here;
if you like to see more examples of educators’ blog (a major reason is you cant find much of it here), you can read about it here;
if you like to find out more about copyrights and possibly teaching your students on the topic, you can read about it here;
… the list’s non-exhaustive. i believe you’ll find most, if not all, entries useful. enjoy (:

Microchips, anyone? (:

Saw this article “25 Microchips That Shook the World” by Brian R. Santo hosted on IEEE spectrum. how many of these chips affected your life? my list contains only:
1. Texas Instruments TMC0281 Speech Synthesizer (1978) – used in the featured “Speak and Read” machine. ours was the YELLOW version though.
2. Kodak KAF-1300 Image Sensor (1986) – this is the ‘great great …. grandfather/mother’ of all future CCD cameras?
3. Intel 8088 Microprocessor (1979) – if you ever used a PC (cf Mac or Apple, but the latest Macs are based on Intel processors anyway), this has to be in your list (:
4. Micronas Semiconductor MAS3507 MP3 Decoder (1997) – i dun own an iPod, but guess any portable mp3 player will require some derivation of this chip?
5. Amati Communications Overture ADSL Chip Set (1994) – if u used Singnet’s broadband, u’re on ADSL. Singnet lost me as their customer after they chose to force me to take up 24mths contract upon renewal when I can only utilise less than half of it as we’re leaving for shanghai.
6. Chips & Technologies AT Chip Set (1985) – our very first computer@home in 1991 is a 80286 and it runs on this C&T AT chipset i recall seeing when i opened up the cpu. fond memory always of that computer.
7. Toshiba NAND Flash Memory (1989) – thumbdrive, usb drive, watever u called it, it’s quite impossible this piece of technology is not part of your life today, especially if u’re reading this post 😛
so my count’s only SEVEN, wat’s yours? (: