Musings by Grace Chng

My good friends at GudeBlog has issued a challenge: I’ve to post a video clip on my blog. But then my iPhone does not take video and I’m just to darn lazy to get out the video camera to take clips. 

The challenge will have to wait until the video feature is added in the iPhone. Maybe in January, Steve Jobs will announce something …..

Has anyone tried Google’s Mobile Apps? 

I did. My verdict: not bad, voice search works 50% of the time. Translation: it seems to work. 

Now the details. It’s a free app and downloading it from App Store is simple like all the other apps. I think it’s available only on those who have a US iTunes account (sorry to those who don’t have one). 

Google’s mobile home page is clean, almost zen-like in keeping with its philosophy of simplicity but high usability. All the features in Google are listed on one side - Gmail, Reader, Calendar, News, Photos, Translator, Search etc. You can toggle among Search, Settings or Apps.

2 important features jump out: voice activated search and translator.

Switch on the voice feature in the settings before you start. Then instead of typing in a keyword search, speak into your iPhone. First try with “Madonna” gave me the answers for the famous singer. Alas Britney Spears gave me “Buffalo”, a university town in New York vicinity. Second try was “Britney vs …”. Not very good. “Today’s temperature” came out as TV converter!

Well, Google did warn users that it was only for a North American audience which means my accent doesn’t qualify. Maybe when Google has the accent business settled, then the accuracy for the rest of the world won’t be so bad. It’s a tough challenge for the search giant. 

The translation appears to be good but like all similar services, it can’t translate the nuances and the metaphors. “This food is out of the world” in English came out in Chinese as “This food can’t be eaten because it is not from this world”! Otherwise, the translation appears good. I mean I trust that Google has done its homework since I don’t speak Latvian, Czech, Swedish, Li (a language used by the dominant ethnic mintority on Hainan Island), Arabic, Vietnamese and some 30 other languages. 

At the moment, this app is only for the iPhone. I guess it’s an experiment. With feedback, Google will improve and release it for other brands of phones. 

The one-button to Google on cellphones is a good idea. It’s only one click to search and a couple of clicks to Gmail (you’ve to sign in). Previously, I would have to go to my browser, then Google. Smart of the search giant to do this.

I’ve insured my 2 chocolate laboradors. Each cost about $200 or so. I’ve just received a note from NTUC Income to say that they’re discontinuing the pet insurance scheme due to its low adoption rate. 

What a pity! Today there’s so much discussion about dogs attacking people and other dogs, insurance would have been a good liability back-up. 

Anyone else know of other pet insurance products?

I’ve discovered that when I leave my Macbook in the car, the machine acts up. Especially when I the boot is hot. So I’ve parked in the shade to prevent this heating up situation.

What happens is that the desktop appears extra large, the icons and fonts appear pixellated. I brought in to the genius bar at Epi and they did a “restore setting” - press option command and v after you hear the start-up.

Well, I think that was what the Epi guy told me. Anyway, it happened to the machine again today and I tried the command. It worked. Any Mac fan out there who knows if the command was right or did I do something else which also restored the desktop look?

The eldest girl in the house, Latte, is going to be nine years old while the boy, Uno, is going to be eight. Latte’s muzzle is getting white. While she still has ants in her pants, she can’t quite sit still, she has slowed down. Nothing visible, she’s still running like a mad one at the dog run. 

But when she’s running with me at a regular place, she can’t quite run as fast as three years ago. Often she’s at least 2 paces behind me. And I can’t quite dare to push her. 

Uno’s muzzle is also getting silverish, and he’s getting kinda thick around the waist. Otherwise, he’s still the lovable, big eyes, big head “boy dog”. 

When my other dogs went to doggie heaven, they broke my heart. Especially Sonja, who I had to put down because she’d cancer. She’s in so much pain, yet she never complained, whined very little and generally tried to be as happy as she could. 

Cheeky, my first dog, went peacefully. Her liver gave way and she didn’t want to fight anymore. That’s what I would wish for Latte and Uno, I wouldn’t be able to put them down. It would be just too, too painful.