Powerfull Battery

Yesterday I also bought new batteries and charger for my Canon Speedlite. I chose Sanyo Eneloop AA batteries. It has been proved in quality & durability. My friend has compared Eneloop with other brand, you can read his review here. I’ve also used this brand on my pocket. Since 2008 until now, Eneloop batteries on my Nikon Coolpix L14 still perform excellent power.

My Canon Speedlite uses 4 AA batteries. So I bought 4 plus the big charger. Despite I’ve Eneloop charger, my old charger only has 2 compartment. So to charge 4 AA batteries, I must do it twice in a row 🙁 To avoid that, I choose the charger with 4 compartment like you see at the picture. The charger is fast when perform its jobs. Highly recommend gadget.

New Toys

Finally today I’ve 2 new toys. I’ve just bought two Canon accessories for my Canon EOS 1000D. They are Canon Lens 50mm f/1.8 II and Canon Speedlite 430EX II. I bought it from here :  http://daldigital.blogspot.com. The site belongs to Mr Elyudien. I bought my Nikon Coolpix L14 last year also from him. Very good seller. He provides the delivery services. Just order the goods from him and he will deliver it to you…in Jakarta area for free. Mr Elyudien give the competitive prices. For the price and delivery service, Mr Elyudien is very recommended seller.

Ok back to my story about new toys, I think both of them are excellent. The 50mm lens is a standard lens for DSLR with cropping factor 1.6x like my EOS 1000D. Some people say 50mm lens is a portrait lens, very suitable for take human portrait. I like the maximum aperture of that lens, f/1.8 is wide enough to taking picture in low light (combined with high ISO as well). With big aperture, it’s possible to create the nice depth of field when taking portrait picture. In other words, I can isolate object and let the background be blurred. Canon 50mm is the cheapest Canon’s lens. It has fixed focal length, just 50mm. To get zoom in, simply just walk ahead close to the object 😀

The second gadget I bought is Canon Speedlite 430EX II, it’s Canon’s mid range external flash. I’m very amazed with Speedlite’s capabilites. Although my Canon 1000D has built in flash, it cannot be compared with the external flash like 430EX. With external flash, I can bounce the light to the ceiling or to the wall. Using internal flash, I must satisfied with direct light into the object. Sometimes using internal flash will make the object too bright and has the shadow behind it. For example, if I want to take picture of my friend that sitting just 2 meters away from me. Suppose the room has not enought light for photographic purpose, in other words I must using internal flash. Using internal flash the light with directly strike to my friend’s face. The result will not good enough. Ken Rockwell give very nice example to compare the photo taken using internal flash and with external flash. With external flash, I can set the light to strike the reflector first before hit the object. With bouncing technique, the lighting will looks more natural. After tried my Speedlite this evening, I was realize what Ken Rockwell mentioned in his article, lighting is the most important technical aspect of any photograph.

Few weeks ago, I just want to buy 70-200mm lens. The big one, that can zoom over hundred metres. Lately after read some article, I changed my mind. Which one I need more, big zoom lens or a external light. For infrequent photographer (maybe not photographer…just photo enthusiast), when I can used the big zoom lens? It might be usefull if I use it at zoo or when go travelling. So I think it’s more usefull if I buy something that I can used in any situation. Any situation that I might attend, any situation that has more possibilty to happen 😀 Should I bring 70-300mm lens just to take photo in dinner party? Absolutely not. Most of the occasion I attend was happen in indoor room. So spend the money to buy external flash is wisely than buy big zoom lens. But not wise enough compare to saving my money :)) But who’s care?

Ok, I’ll stop long story now. Thinking what to buy next…hmm….buy a battery grip? I don’t think so =))

Pidgin YM Login Problem Solved

Since last week, I’ve problem with my Pidgin. It couldn’t used for accessing Yahoo Messenger. From the several website, I knew that the problem located on Yahoo Messenger server. Yahoo change the authentication system for Yahoo Mesenger user. Many blogger also have same problem with me. For couple days, I was using Meebo to using Yahoo Messenger. Maybe you already know Meebo is web based IM client that can used for access several IM services (like MSN, YM, AOL, etc).

This evening, I’ve just tried to get rid my Pidgin’s problem. My friend at office give me update that Pidgin developer has release the update for resolve YM login problem. Open the Pidgin official website, I read the annoucement right on their website about YM problem. Pidgin version 2.5.7 has been released to resolve Yahoo Messenger problem…it just like the screenshot I attached on this post. Hmm glad to read that. I followed the instruction and it’s works like a charm. I’m be able to used Pidgin to open Yahoo Messenger again. I don’t know why Yahoo change the authentication method, too many security attack to YM servers? Just a simple guess 😀 But the next question is why web based IM client like Meebo doesn’t get impact like Pidgin got. Meebo has update their system more quick than Pidgin? Again…another fool asumption 😀

Update June 25th, 2009 :
seems that the new version of Pidgin cannot cooperate with pretty look notification system in Ubuntu Jaunty
🙁

Command to do that :

# sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com 67265eb522bdd6b1c69e66ed7fb8bee0a1f196a8
# sudo -s
# echo "deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/pidgin-developers/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list
# apt-get update
# apt-get purge pidgin
# apt-get install pidgin

Warung Sate Pak Naryo

Siang ini saya menemukan warung sate yang enak di Bintaro. Enak tapi sayang jauh 🙁 Siang tadi saya pergi instalasi server di Gedung XL Bintaro. Pas jam makan siang saya pergi cari makan dengan rekan kantor. Putar-putar Bintaro saya lihat ada asap & tulisan Warung Sate Kambing “Tongseng” Pak Naryo. Namanya aneh, kata tongsengnya dibuat dalam huruf besar semua & ditulis dalam tanda kutip. Maksudnya nama warungnya itu “Tongseng” atau memag jualan tongseng. Langsung saya coba, bukan penasaran dengan namanya sih tapi memang ingin saja makan sate kambing. Masuk ke warung, di meja sudah ada daftar menu lengkap dengan harganya. Kaget juga lihat harganya…kok murah. Di Jakarta sate kambing yang enak harganya paling tidak Rp25.000,- seporsi. Seporsi sate kambing (10 tusuk) harganya cuma Rp15.000,- Sama halnya dengan sate hati kambingnya.

Waktu saya tanya ternyata sate kambing harga Rp15.000,- itu bukan daging semua, tapi campur lemak. Saya minta daging polos semua, pelayannya bilang harganya lain Pak. Saya pikir beda jauh, ternyata sate kambing tanpa lemaknya seporsi cuma Rp20.000,-. Saya langsung pesan 20 tusuk; 10 sate kambing daging polos dan 10 sate hati….maksudnya biar rekan saya juga bisa mencicipi. Rekan saya cuma pesan tongseng kambing. Proses bakarnya cukup lama, katanya sih kalau lama bakar satenya rasanya biasanya enak rasanya 😀

Begitu datang satenya langsung saya coba satu. Hmm ternyata empuk dagingnya. Baru mulai makan beberapa sendok, saya pikir sate ini layak direkomendasikan. Berhenti makan sejenak, ambil kamera (masih kebiasaan lama ke mana-mana bawa kamera DSLR…eh salah…kamera saku maksudnya) foto dulu sebelum keburu habis satenya. Yah maklum saja kalau hasil fotonya jelek, yang penting terdokumentasi dan bisa dimuat di blog 😀

Warung sate ini tidak cukup luas. Lebarnya hanya seukuran 3m, cukup untuk 2 meja ditaruh berjajar. Memanjang ke dalam hanya ada 4 deret meja. Tempat bakar satenya di luar dekat trotoar, sudah umum memang warung sate meletakkan tempat bakar satenya di depan. Tentu itu juga jadi iklan tidak langsung kan. Hmm kecuali mungkin Sate Senayan yang cukup elegan tidak mempertontonkan asap dan adegan bakar sate.

Ok balik lagi tentang warung sate di Bintaro tadi. Warung sate ini ada di Jalan Bintaro Utama Raya Sektor 3A No 41. Ada nomor teleponnya juga loh, 021-71521770. Siapa tahu anda sedang mencari kambing guling untuk pesta atau perlu kambing untuk aqikhah bayi Anda :-p Hehehe soalnya di bagian bawah bonnya ada tulisan itu : menerima pesanan bla bla bla. Ternyata warung sate ini cuma cabang saja. Pusatnya sendiri ada di Jalan Raya Serpong Km 8. Mungkin di sana lebih besar (lah memangnya pusat selalu lebih besar ya…ga juga sih 😀 ). Pak Naryo ini rupanya sudah punya 4 cabang, sayang semuanya seputaran BSD dan Bintaro.

Sayang hari ini instalasi terakhir di XL Bintaro. Kemungkinan balik lagi ke Bintaro jadi kecil, susah deh balik lagi makan di warung sate enak ini. Kecuali diniatkan makan sate ini naik taksi ke sana paling tidak Rp80.000,-; bolak balik berarti sudah Rp160.000,- …halah masa lebih mahal taksinya daripada satenya 😀 Yah mudah-mudahan ada proyek lagi di XL Bintaro, jadi bisa sering-sering makan di sana. Rekomen sekali tempatnya, terutama untuk Anda pecinta sate kambing.

Pake BB

Kemarin ada rekan saya yang jarang bertemu mengirim pesan singkat lewat Yahoo Messenger. Isinya seperti ini :

“pake bb ya Pak? online terus…”

Waks??? 😮 bb? what the hell is that? Ah rupanya rekan saya itu mengira saya pakai BelekBeri sehingga bisa terlihat online terus. Halah-halah…saya mah belum kelas pakai belekberi. Kan bakal jomplang kelihatannya kalau saya makan di warteg bawa-bawa belekberi. Mungkin juga bisa memancing orang-orang di warteg mengernyitkan kening sambil mikir “pasti bb-nya boleh kridit” =)) Ga pantes juga naik ojek sambil utak-atik belekberi 😀

Ada-ada saja teman saya itu,  lucu juga pertanyaannya. Memangnya yang bisa online 24 jam cuma yang pake bb ya. Lah saya kan cuma modal laptop & Speedy di kamar. Anytime laptop saya ketemu akses internet, YM saya pasti nyala tuh.