Finally it’s here! I have been spending the past 60 minutes reading every bit of Apple.com about the new iMac G5. It’s simply gorgeous! Fast, slim and cheap! Nothing to complain, just worth the wait. Take a look at the design, yet another masterpiece from Apple.

When compared with PowerMac G5 and the new displays, I like iMac’s color much more. It’s made from a piece of anodized aluminum, it gives me a very solid yet elegant feel. Ample of desk space can be saved with this thin enclosure and there is no external power brick needed. If I must complain of something, it is the availability. It will ship in around 3 to 4 weeks, according to the apple store. I can’t wait!

I have never owned any Pentax digital cam, but this new gadget looks attractive: The lens part can be twisted 270 degrees, the LCD is a 2″ big one (same size as my casio), plus a 5.36 mega pixels CCD and estimated price less than HK$4K. Maybe I am too addicted to Mac, can’t help feeling that this camera has a “brushed metallic” feel.

Details and more photos at Pentax website

By the way, I just got 6 more invitations for Gmail accounts, anyone want one?

Today is my younger brother Henry’s 19th birthday, he’s now studying Economics and Finance at the Macquarie University in Sydney. Best wishes to him! Birthday present? If he’s lucky enough to be able to return to Hong Kong during X’mas, he will get a new iBook.

The Back to School offers are tempting. My brother is so far pleased with the old iBook (bought in 2001) I gave him, but it is rather old and slow now. Even if he gets an iPod, his 10GB hard disk would not be holding lots of songs. He’s probably missing his PC games FIFA2004, SimCity and Need for Speed right now though …

Extra: Congratulations to Lu Xiang for winning the first gold medal on the track for China, as well as breaking the Olympic record AND equalling the world record with a stunning 12.91 seconds win in the Men’s 110m Hurdles Final just a few minutes ago. No asian athlete has ever appeared in the last eight in this event at Olympics before, history is made. Hurrah!!!

This is how my T630 Sony Ericsson mobile looks like now. I love it! Courtesy of ZwahlenDesign.

The weather is terrible today, these rainy days always make me moody. To escape from the reality, I was jumping from one bookmark to another to try to catch a glimpse of any rumoured new Mac product. Everybody is convinced that there will be something major at the upcoming Apple Expo 2004, Paris. At the same time, Apple HK is selling 12″ iBook at HK$6,960 at CitySuper, so I am convinced too. On top of my wish list is a G5 iMac. Oh, actually I would like to have two of them. So I did something I rarely do, I bought a Mark Six lottery ticket today. If you don’t see any new blog entry tomorrow, that means I have won the jackpot and am on my way to Paris.

I am absolutely thrilled tonight!!! China had already won 20 gold medals in Athens by this morning, it wouldn’t surprise any one that this number will be growing until the last day of the Olympics. But wait, it isn’t ping-pong, badminton, diving, shooting, weight-lifting, swimming or even athletics that makes it 21 - it is T E N N I S! Can you believe it? It is a marvellous achievement, it is a dream come true. I feel so happy and very touched. It’s not a Grand Slam, but the Chinese duo Li Ting and Sun Tian Tian’s win should by no means be under-valued. The route to victory is all convincing and deserving.

Who they beat? Venus Williams & Chanda Rubin (USA), S. Farina Elia & Francesca Schiavone (ITA), Alicia Molik & Rennae Stubbs (AUS), Paola Suarez & Patricia Tarabini (ARG) and Conchita Martinez & Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP). To me, they would have already delighted me enough by winning the first round. Hurrah!!!

Just returned from lunch with my PCLL old buddy Eric at the Pizza Express in Central, I saw this building on my way back office along Queen’s Road Central.

Ever wonder what “foundation” means in Chinese?

Tonight I left work earlier to join a family dinner in Tsim Sha Tsui. It’s my cousin Ivan’s 19th birthday. My brother Henry, cousin Sum and cousin Lai were born in August too, so it’s an all-in-one celebration. Instead of going to traditional Cantonese restaurant, my uncle brought us to explore something new - Heaven On Earth in Knustford Terrace. It is a new style “modern chinese” bar and restaurant that you don’t see old-fashioned people like my grandma goes to. It is in fact owned by the King Parrot Group, which runs 20+ restaurants in different names around Hong Kong, including those I have been to: Chilli N Spice (Thai), El Cid Spanish Restaurant (Spanish) and The Jungle Pub (Pub).

The most striking feature of all these places is the decoration - cosy, stylish, trendy and with “talking point”. Like the Balalaika Russian Restaurant (also in Knustford Terrace, another one opening in LKF soon), there is a freezing “Siberian Vodka Room” serving over 60 types of vodkas, feeling too cold to try? No problem, they lend you fur coats for free. So when you go to these eating places, don’t expect a regular portion, every dish is so tiny. Tonight we 12 people needed nearly 30 dishes to feed! Guess what I did later? Well, I spent 2 hours in the gym.

Yet another “for Windows only” website, a great joke that must share with every one, enjoy:

Not Win32 Compatible

Stopdesign is one of the sites that I frequent, also include SimpleBits, What Do I Know, mezzoblue, Design by Fire, and A List Apart. I always dream that one day I would be fortunate enough to work with these talents.

This year’s public exam result announcements matter to our family. My two cousins, Ivan and Sum, took the A-Levels and HKCEE respectively. So it has become quite a talking point at all family gatherings, either with or without their presence. Both of them failed the expectations, and must make quite an important decision for life. Basically, there are two main choices: first, stay in HK and continue to study, whether repeat or enroll in other programmes; second, study abroad.

Quite a contrast for these two youngsters. While Ivan’s family is hoping to send him abroad and is capable of affording as many years as he could go, he is determined to stay and no one has succeeded in changing his mind (including me). Sum, the younger one, is desperately hoping to study abroad but her family could not afford the costs for all 5 years (2-year pre-U and 3-year U). It would be perfect if their financial positions are switched.

No one can tell which way is the best (or better) for them, and so far every one else respects their own choices. I personally think going abroad is a valuable experience, I always regret that I did not study abroad, and I wonder what a different person I would become if I did.