Car Audio that works for me

The original audio set that came with the car was with MP3 decoder.  It plays MP3 files on CD until one fine day, the CD stuck and refuse to come out.  I was longing for headunit that takes flash drive over USB but the price wasn't within my budget.  Alternatively, I looked for headunit that has Auxiliary input (this input takes typical 3.5mm audio jack) and I found 1 dirt cheap model by Sony.

Sony CDX-GT180 (see here) 

Cost me RM188 plus another RM20 for installation.  With this Auxiliary input, I can hook-up my phone and play MP3 files with the sound routed to the car audio system.  Shall voice call comes in, I can answer the phone and talk normally, handsfree!  Once the voice call ends, the MP3 will resume.  Even GPS navigation from Nokia E63 (with external Bluetooth GPS receiver) can be heard loud and clear.

Blackberry anyone?

I never imagine myself as a BlackBerry user. Never crossed my mind to own it (especially with my own money).  It was for a reason which I strongly believed that without that 'integration server', the BlackBerry won't be a 'smart' after all. I didn't even bother to dig further on it's capabilities over other smartphone until some of us in the company was issued with BlackBerry Curve 3G (BB 9300).

Before I'm getting my review on this phone, let's see my perspective of some brand: -
1. Nokia (series 60, Symbian OS. Particularly E63 and C5-00)
- Can install Garmin Mobile XT which has an extensive and regularly updated map (C5-00 with integrated GPS receiver, not in E63).
- Abundant freeware, namely SportTracker, a very useful sport tracking software making use of GPS.
- Widely use thus, borrowing a charger at someone's else office is a non-issue.
- No driver required for ready to use 'thumb drive', just don't forget the data cable.
- C5-00 has charging capabilities over USB port, E63 not supported.
- Geotagging camera (C5-00)

2. Sony Ericsson (K800i, W810i)
- PC remote control over bluetooth. And this is native software. Picture this.. long before Steve Jobs flipping a powerpoint presentation with his iPhone, Sony Ericsson did it already.
- Awesome camera quality (K800i).
- Plactic battery? Lithium Polymer battery was used in Sony Ericsson since I owned R520m in 2002.
- R520m has proximity switch which turn off the speakerphone once you took the phone close to your ear.  The switch also 'snooze' the alarm when you wave your hand over it. A practical feature that I can't find in other phone to date.
- Charging capabilities over data cable (USB).

3. HTC/Dopod O2 (Specifically O2 Mini)
- Touchscreen, I like handwriting (graffiti) input most.
- Larger screen than candy form phone.
- Won't receive voice call if you are tethering putting an end to this phone.

4. BlackBerry Curve 3G
- High accuracy GPS receiver (up to 2m! Nokia C5-00's best is at 5m).
- Consolidated messages in single view (Tweeter, BBM, email, RSS, Facebook notification, Gtalk, Yahoo Messenger, MSN and many more).
- Optical trackpad reduces thumb fatigue compares to Nokia E63 & C5-00.
- QWERTY input.
- Seamless sync for Contacts and Calendar on Google (I like this most. Slightly harder to make it work on Nokia E63).
- Geotagging camera (requires some tweak to make it tag on the right place).
- Tracking my exercise using GPS receiver.
Downside
- Won't receive voice call and even SMS if you are tethering and in the middle on downloading big file.
- Must subscribe BIS or BES in order make full use of it else it's just a merely oversize phone that do voice call and SMS (other non-network related application may work except GPS).  Be extra careful on data subscription, some charge high rate after you exceed the limit, while other just throttle you down.

- Hooking up standard 3.5mm headphone won't let you answer the phone using the speaker phone. The caller's voice not routed to the headphone (Nokia C5-00 and E63 work this way, thus coupling with car stereo that accept auxiliary input is a bless, later post on this matter).

Some screenshots

Twitter, RSS, Email updates on single interface.

Traffic updates via Twitter

RSS feeds on TheStar online newspaper

GPS enabled sport tracking freeware, yet to be tested.

Previously I use this freeware for sport tracking

Conclusion
While the features is not unique (i.e. only BlackBerry can do this), at the price I'm getting it (i.e. company's phone) I like it for what it can do for me.  I subscribed to tweeter for traffic updates, RSS on local and global news and some blog that I follow.  My final say for friends & family out there, ask yourself what you need from the phone, not what the phone can give you.

Should Muslim girls observe hijab from a young age?

An article excerpts from Parenthots.  


Hijab in short is cover the entire body except for the face and hands


Haza Zean had wrote it better definition of Purdah, Hijab, and Niqab here.


Associate Professor Dr Tuti Ningseh Mohd Dom said
1. One becomes accountable for one’s own actions upon reaching puberty thus would be preferable if she gets used to it way before she gets her first menses
2. Parents are the best people to provide this sort of guidance for their children
3. A Muslim is someone who willingly submits to Allah and obeys all His commandments
4. A girl should only do it for the sake of Allah. This is not possible if she has not learnt of His love and how to love Him.


A commentator Shammy said
1. And as a muslim, first and foremost, explicit ibadah as such must be followed without question.
2. Like any other good habits, hijab should be nurtured from a young age and also should be lead example by the adults in her life
3. Children are our amanah in this world, and as parents we are obligated to teach them Islam.




Full article here 

Thin blue line

Beberapa hari sebelum ceramah Ustaz Kazim Elias di Hulu Kelang.

Isteri: Tak dapat la saya nak pergi dengar ceramah Ustaz Kazim bulan ni.
Suami: Kenapa?

Isteri: Dah dekat waktu saya nak datang bulan ni.
Suami: Awak doa la dilambatkan sikit.

Beberapa hari selepas ceramah Ustaz Kazim Elias.
Isteri: Bang, alhamdulillah dapat dengar ceramah Ustaz Kazim hari tu. Tapi kan bang, lambat betul pulak dia datang bulan ni.
Suami: Ohh.. Awak doa itu hari 'mintak tangguh sekejap' ke 'mintak tangguh'?
Isteri: Saya tak ingat la. Bang, tolong belikan pregnancy test kit untuk saya.
Suami: InsyaAllah, esok balik kerja nanti saya belikan.

Jadinya, pregnancy test kit dah buat, urine test pun buat beberapa hari selepas tu.  Sah, mengandung anak ke-5.  Alhamdulillah.

Moral of the story: Doa biar clear :)

Sembilan Cara Mendapat Ketenangan

Dari ceramah Ustaz Kazim Elias bertajuk Nabi Ibrahim Berhujah Dengan Namrud


Sembilan Cara Mendapat Ketenangan: -
1. beriman
2. berserah bulat-bulat kepada Tuhannya (tawwakal)
3. menjauhi dosa-dosa besar dan menjauhi perbuatan-perbuatan yang keji
4. apabila mereka marah (disebabkan perbuatan yang tidak patut terhadap mereka), mereka memaafkannya
5. menyahut dan menyambut perintah Tuhannya
6. mendirikan sembahyang dengan sempurna
7. urusan mereka dijalankan secara bermesyuarat sesama mereka
8. mendermakan sebahagian dari apa yang Kami beri kepadanya
9. orang-orang yang apabila ditimpa sesuatu perbuatan secara zalim, mereka hanya bertindak membela diri

سُوۡرَةُ الشّوریٰ

فَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّن شَىۡءٍ۬ فَمَتَـٰعُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا‌ۖ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ خَيۡرٌ۬ وَأَبۡقَىٰ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّہِمۡ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ (٣٦)وَٱلَّذِينَ يَجۡتَنِبُونَ كَبَـٰٓٮِٕرَ ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡفَوَٲحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُواْ هُمۡ يَغۡفِرُونَ (٣٧) وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَجَابُواْ لِرَبِّہِمۡ وَأَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَمۡرُهُمۡ شُورَىٰ بَيۡنَہُمۡ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ (٣٨) وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَابَہُمُ ٱلۡبَغۡىُ هُمۡ يَنتَصِرُونَ (٣٩)

Ash-Shura

Oleh itu, apa jua yang diberikan kepada kamu, maka ia hanyalah nikmat kesenangan hidup di dunia ini sahaja dan (sebaliknya) apa yang ada di sisi Allah (dari pahala hari akhirat) adalah lebih baik dan lebih kekal bagi orang-orang yang beriman dan yang berserah bulat-bulat kepada Tuhannya; (36) Dan juga (lebih baik dan lebih kekal bagi) orang-orang yang menjauhi dosa-dosa besar serta perbuatan-perbuatan yang keji dan apabila mereka marah (disebabkan perbuatan yang tidak patut terhadap mereka), mereka memaafkannya. (37) Dan juga (lebih baik dan lebih kekal bagi) orang-orang yang menyahut dan menyambut perintah Tuhannya serta mendirikan sembahyang dengan sempurna dan urusan mereka dijalankan secara bermesyuarat sesama mereka dan mereka pula mendermakan sebahagian dari apa yang Kami beri kepadanya; (38)Dan juga (lebih baik dan lebih kekal bagi) orang-orang yang apabila ditimpa sesuatu perbuatan secara zalim, mereka hanya bertindak membela diri (sepadan dan tidak melampaui batas). (39)

From Quran Explorer - [Sura : 42, Verse : 36 - 39]