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Japan Trip Day 1

We reach Fukuoka International Airport in the morning at 8am. Breezing through the customs is a breeze but u need to have your photo taken and 2 finger prints on each arm scan into the system. The international airport looks quite small when compared with Changi Airport Terminal 1. There is no train services at the airport and u need to take a free ferry service to the domestic airport terminal for your trains.

We took a train to Hakata and transfer to the Shinkansen to Okayama. The Shinkansen is a high speed bullet train and its speed is more than 300km/h. After alighting at Okayama, we transfer to the JR Line to travel to Osafune where our accommodation for our training trip awaits us. Travelling in Japan is not cheap and especially if u made use of Shinkansen. This trip cost us around 11,000Yen which is more than S$160. 

Check out the Shinkansen Route Map>>>

After settling into the accommodation, our Japanese Colleagues took us for lunch and to get to know the small town which we were staying in. There isn't much eateries in Osafune  where we stay. We also purchase some grocery at the supermarket for our daily breakfast and others. It is a quiet town when compared to the bustling Singapore City Life.

Singnet users cannot play restaurant city

My wife loves to play the Restaurant City and she was frustrated as she was unable to login to her favourite Facebook Game. Server problems and login issues has always been the problem with Restaurant City and we have learn to live with it since Playfish is not able to resolve the problem. But this time she was unable to login for 2 days and it look strange. The game will just be initializing forever and will not load the Restaurant City Game.

After much research online, we found out the problem was not due to the Playfish Server or Facebook problem. But the source of the problem was our ISP, SINGNET. I will provide you the solution to play Restaurant City on your MAC.

Solution to Play RC  on MAC

1. Click on Apple Icon
2. Goto System Preferences
3. Click on Network under Internet & Wireless
4. Click on Advanced
5. Click on "Proxies" tab at the top
6. Check the "Web Proxy (HTTP)" box
7. Enter the web proxy server and port number



8. Click OK and Apply
9. Close System Preferences and refresh the Restaurant City Game

For Windows using Firefox

1. Go to Tools ---- Option ---- Advanced ----- Network---- Setting
2. Select manually configure proxy
3. Manual ProxyConfigurations
4. HTTP proxy : proxy.singnet.com.sg port:8080

For Windows using IE

1. Go to Tools --- Internet Options
2. Go to Connections Tabs
3. Click on LAN Settings
4. Tick on the box use a proxy server for your LAN
5. Type in Address proxy.singnet.com.sg Port: 8080
6. Click OK

Enjoy your Restaurant City Facebook Game all FB Users. 

Skype Unlimited Calls

Skype allowed you to made unlimited calls to landlines or mobile for a fee. It will save you a lot of money when calling from overseas to your home town or calling overseas from your home country.

You can purchase Unlimited Europe, Unlimited World or subscription for the specific country that you want to call. Call Unlimited World with more than 40 countries available on the list for just Euros $4.99 or Pre-Pay Plan starting from less than Euros $1. There are many packages available to for you to choose. You can monitor the number of minutes you use and also see the call history.

Use the Skype Packages on Skype on your computer(Windows & MAC),Skypes enable cordless phone and iPhone.

Fifa Soccer 11 on PS3

EA Sports has released the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC versions of its highly-anticipated playable demo of FIFA 11, on Xbox Live, PlayStation Store and www.fifa.easports.com respectively.

FIFA 11 is schedule for release on 1st October. We are going to show you that you can get the Fifa 11 from just US$48.75 for all PS3 Fans.

Buy FIFA Soccer 11 (PS3™) at Play-Asia.com

Seagate GoFlex Drive on Mac

I have bought the Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Drive(500GB) at the Comex Show 2010 for S$99. A free pouch for the external drive was also given out at the Comex Show. This drive works on both Mac & Windows. It will allowed me to used my Time Machine on the MAC to backup my MacBook and also on my Windows 7 Laptop.

You may have some questions on how to setup the Segate GOFlex Drive on your MAC OS. This article by Seagate may answer most of your queries.
Click here to the article>>>

Time Machine is a powerful backup utility on the MAC.It will copy everything on your Mac — photos, music, videos, documents, applications, and settings. You will never have to worry about losing any of your digital files on the MAC.

LCentral Success program

I wanted to improve my daughter English Literacy Skills which she was lacking in this area. After much research, I decided to bring her to the LCentral to try their program. You can book a free assessment where the teacher will access which program she can join. There are many ANG MOH's teachers in the Woodland branch and my daughter love the foreign teachers. The teacher assigned her to join the Success Program in LCentral.

All parents, you can book a free assessment for your child by calling the respective centres.
LCentral>>> 

Costs
This is one of the factors where many parents mind when looking for a program to improve their children education. If you are a Popular Card member, you will enjoy 10% discount off the course fees. But the discount will only be apply on the next term and not for the initial registration(current 1st term). The school charges by term which is 11 lessons.

The registration fee was S$40 but was waived off as I was recommended by my friend whose child was studying here also. I only need to paid S$504.85(with S$30 voucher) which include the term fees, deposit and material fees. 

Success Program
Term Fees: S$399.85(Weekdays)
Deposit:$100
Book Deposit:S$20
Success Material Fee:S$15 

Avira Anti Virus at Comex 2010

I have bought the Avira Anti Virus Premium Edition at S$25 at the Comex 2010 Show. There were many pretty promoters over in this stall but not much takers as its name is still quite new to Singapore. It does not have a office but the product is market through a marketing company.

Cnet has still given it a good review and therefore I was willing to try it. The pretty promoter also gives me a big umbrella plus 6 months of extra free protection after the 1 Year Licence Expired. For your knowledge, the Avira online shop is selling it for US$25 and I actually get if for S$25(US$19) plus freebies. I love Comex 2010.

Xbox Live Price Increases

Microsoft announced recently that it is raising the price of the XBox Live Gold subscription starting from 1st Nov 2010. According to a post on PC World, the usual US$49.99 yearly subscription fee will increase to US$59.99. The current quarterly fees of US$19.99 will increase, while monthly fees of US$7.99 will also increase. Microsoft is giving subscribers a chance to get one more year for US$39.99, this give subscriber a chance to save more than 30% off the new price.

This price hike only affect USA, UK, Mexico and Canada. It is easier for these countries to accept the fees hike. But Asia is spared from this price increase as Asia subscribers are price sensitive.

Meanwhile, the Playstation Network is letting everyone play online with each other without charging a single dollar. Nintendo Wii is also not charging subscribers for playing online.