mrbrown.com

Kim Huat and the Social Times

Kim Huat is excited about the easing of social restrictions in the days to come.

YouTube link: youtu.be/7ODVpMs5X5A

The mrbrown WFH Show Season 5 #58

Video version of the podcast chat with Colin Goh, about his SHN, flying in the midst of a pandemic, life and kids, and his Dim Sum Warriors app.

Get a free six-month subscription if you download and sign up now: https://www.dimsumwarriors.com/app

Listen to my daily podcast at:

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/mrbrown/

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mrbrown-show/id1257186706?mt=2

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4to1LaQmDX2ffXJRmTEjEb

YouTube link: youtu.be/GUfj3tuwTnU

See What Show: Without Remorse

Amazon Prime’s Without Remorse was a serviceable action flick held together by Michael B. Jordan playing Navy SEAL John Clark. Or more like Michael B. Jordan playing Michael B. Jordan.

But it is NOTHING like the original Tom Clancy book that fans loved. Fans of the book may even hate it for the dumbed-down cliched plot that you could see from a mile away.

And the movie is so obviously trying to set up a Rainbow Six franchise as well.

I would watch this as an action movie but not as a Tom Clancy movie. I doubt we will get anything better than The Hunt for Red October.

The problem with Tom Clancy books is the sheer amount of detail in them, and perhaps the stories are better told in a tv series format than a movie.

I thought the Amazon Prime Jack Ryan series, at least for season 1, captured the feel and tone of Tom Clancy's legacy even if they updated the plot. But so far, very few movies have done his books justice.

Kim Huat and the Gen Z Slang

How do you do, fellow kids! Kim Huat gives you another lesson in the latest slang!

YouTube link: youtu.be/AKgHNlYUk8A

My 2021 iPad Pro with M1 chip

This is my Minimalist workspace today.

Sometimes you have writing and podcast editing to do, and all you need is a small folding table, the 2021 iPad Pro with the M1 chip, an Apple Pencil, and the AirPods Max playing some Spatial Audio music from Apple Music’s Dolby Atomos tracks.

Oh. And some peace and quiet in the bedroom whilst the rest of the family occupies the living room for their WFH and HBL.

Some thoughts on the 2021 iPad Pro: it is wicked fast. That new M1 chip chews through any task I throw at it. Including video editing. The Liquid Retina XDR display is the best screen I’ve ever used on a tablet or a laptop.

The Centre Stage feature of the iPad Pro’s new 12MP Ultrawide front-facing camera is also very neat for video conferencing as it digitally zooms in on your face and follows you as you move around. It’s like having your own cameraman.

My only gripe is that the camera is located to the side of the iPad Pro when you use it in landscape mode, and you may look like you are looking away, and not at members of your meeting, when you look at screen.

In case you are wondering, no you can't add an external webcam to the iPad Pro still. So it is just as well the front-facing camera has been improved and has the Centre Stage feature.

And the Thunderbolt 3 port on this iPad Pro means file transfers are going to be so fast. Slap a Caldigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt dock on it and you have a desktop mode iPad Pro. All the ports you’ll need. You can connect up to a Pro Display XDR external display at full 6K resolution but be aware that it is only in mirror mode.

For folks who use a lot of Pencil work, like design, art and AR/VR, the iPad Pro with M1 chip is probably the best computing device for their needs.

I am wondering if I can even use it for a travel video editing tool in lieu of a MacBook Pro when work travel resumes. Hmmmm.

That white Magic Keyboard is really pretty, and it works on this 2021 5th generation iPad Pro as well as the previous 3rd and 4th generation models. I only worry about cleaning it. If you like, you can still buy the black Magic Keyboard for this M1 iPad Pro. It all works. Personally, I think the white Magic Keyboard looks nicer with the silver iPad Pro, and the black one goes with the Space Grey iPad Pro.

On a totally unrelated note, this is a photo of brunch on one of my WFH days with the iPad Pro in the background. Home-cooked food is the best.

Kim Huat and the Internet Outage

Kim Huat finds out half the internet is down, and looks for answers.

YouTube link: youtu.be/ip3dkknwywE

Kim Huat and the Daily Numbers

Kim Huat takes stock of the numbers in the middle of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert).

YouTube link: youtu.be/165T388urWg

Kim Huat and the Dinner

Kim Huat tells a dinner story.

YouTube link: youtu.be/MugpRZYdYO8

Kim Huat and the Chief Minister of Delhi

Kim Huat would like to have a word with the Chief Minister of Delhi. In fact, he has more than a few choice words.

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/k2gBgAwCNI0

Kim Huat and the Whatever Phase

Kim Huat enters the new Whatever Phase by going back to WFH.

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/AREgEg37yr0

Kim Huat and the Switch (brought to you by iStudio)

Looking for a laptop? Professor Kim Huat, Teacher and Scholar in all things Mac, can help you make the switch! At iStudio, the largest Apple Premium Reseller in Singapore.

Come down to one of iStudio’s 22 stores to check out the new MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip, and other Mac products supercharged by the Apple M1 chip! Or shop online at www.istudiosg.com.

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/YFRfwama2Zk

Encik Takes Umbrage

Encik is aghast that there is so much insubordination in the ranks.

YouTube link: youtu.be/d48UyS969gg

Kim Huat and the Spa

Kim Huat explores the recent clusters in Singapore.

And to all recovering patients, get well soon!

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/DzjM_KSOdlI

Kim Huat and TraceTogether

Have you gotten your TraceTogether token or downloaded the app yet? Is your TraceTogether token more than six months old and not blinking anymore? Make sure it’s working, now more than ever.

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/GnFYxzOrb_g

Kim Huat and the Singapore-Hong Kong Travel Bubble

Singapore is concerned about the recent spike in Singapore community cases and offers some prevention suggestions.

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/6mb6LOlCdAQ

Tell me you were born before 2000 without actually telling me

Where my 60s and 70s kids at?

And yes, that is my gold Casio watch and a real Singapore Telecom Motorola pager and my actual pager number. For real, no cap.

In case you are wondering, yes mrbrown is on TikTok as @mrbrownnlah: www.tiktok.com/@mrbrownlah

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/faydWXogSCY

See What Show: Godzilla vs Kong

Godzilla vs Kong was silly, over-the-top fun. The plot is full of nonsense (Hollow Earth simisai) and the human bits were unnecessary. But the monster fights made up for everything.

Forget physics. Forget logic. Forget acting. Just watch it to see Godzilla and Kong fight on an aircraft carrier. Or Kong rip off the head of a flying beast and eat its brains. Or Godzilla shoot beams into everything.

(Question: Isn’t having shorter arms a fighting disadvantage for Godzilla?)

Then escape the sad state of recent movie releases.

Heck, Kong even goes Thor in the movie. That’s how nuts it gets.

Sometimes, we just want some escapism to get away from the pandemic we are living in. Godzilla vs Kong worked.

More please. Thanks.

Minister Midas on a Product Update

Minister Midas has a product update to announce. It is not good news.

YouTube link: youtu.be/5fCDOTUt5bQ

The mrbrown WFH Show Season 4 #100: Eulogy

It is Day 100 Post Circuit-Breaker, Phase 3, Tuesday, 6th April 2021. A eulogy for Mom, who passed away peacefully more than a week ago.

Say hi to Pa for us, Ma.

She was the best Mom ever.

Bag Review: The Tom Bihn Guide’s Edition Paragon

My Guide’s Edition Paragon in Ursa has arrived and I transferred all my stuff from my Guide’s edition Wilderness Synik 22 to the Paragon.

It does not have the same organization as the pocket-laden Synik but it has a nice slim silhouette that belies its 20L capacity. It is taller and more right angled than a Synik 22 but slimmer in depth.

Internally, it’s basically one big space. So I found it handy to use a Freudian Slip meant for a Synapse 19 inside to give me more flexibility in storing my knick knacks. Because there is only one mini pocket on top inside and a larger pocket outside.

My EDC consists of many things I use for work.

So there is usually an Montbell trekking umbrella, a tabletop tripod, a few microphones like the Shure MV88+, MV88, two Sennheiser MKE2 lavaliers, Rode Wireless GO II wireless mic set (inside the Handy Little Thing), Sony field recorder (inside the Freudian slip), a small camera (in this case, the Fujifilm X70), USB-C and Lightning charging cables and a powerbank (inside the tethered Ghost Whales).

Also in there are my Moment filters for my iPhone, a toothbrush kit from Muji, contact lenses inside the tiny Ghost Whale, and secondary wallet.

I also tested my MacBook Pro 16-inch inside the sleeve behind. Fits great. I could never fit that in my Synapse 19 or Synik 22. So it’s nice to be able to schlep it with the Paragon.

It is definitely lighter than the Synik 22. The S22 is 1,100-1,200g. This Paragon is about 672g and even with the Freudian Slip, it weighs about 870g. Still lighter than the Synik 22. You do have about 2 litres less space though.

I like the flexibility of the big space inside the main compartment. I even manage to put an entire hoodie inside after I packed what you see here.

Think of this as a beefier Daylight Backpack. If you love the DLBP, you will love this too, especially if you want a laptop compartment and comfier straps.

I added the little red zipper pulls as accents to the already nice Ursa/Coyote colourway. I think the look works well.