1st Pen Drive Was Invented By Malaysian!!

Name: Pua Khein Seng

Age: 31

Hometown: Sekinchan, Selangor, Malaysia

Education: SJKC Yeok Kuan, Sekinchan; Pin Hwa Independent school, Klang; Chiao Tung University, Taiwan

Occupation: Engineer/ president of Phison Electonics Corp

Current base: Taipei, Taiwan

Years abroad: 12

WHEN he set off for Taiwan in 1993, Pua Khein Seng's only aim was to complete his degree in Electrical Control Engineering at the renowned Chiao Tung University and return home to work in Malaysia. Never did he envision himself heading a multi-million dollar Taiwanese company that developed the world's first USB flash removable disk, which they called Pen Drive.

Pua Khein Seng went to Taiwan to get his engineering degree but ended up staying on, starting his own company and inventing the pen drive. "I went to Taiwan to pursue my undergraduate degree. I chose Taiwan only because it was too expensive to study either in the United States or Singapore."However, I did well in my undergraduate programme and was offered a place to do my masters," explained Pua, who was back in Kuala Lumpur recently for a holiday.

After completing his Masters in July 1999, Pua worked for about six months in a local company before deciding to set up his own venture company with four fellow engineers who had studied with him at Chiao Tung. "We were confident that we had the know-how and ability to start our own business, which is focused on USB technology. The company is called Phison because there are five of us - two Malaysians and three Taiwanese engineers," said Pua, 31, who hails from Sekinchan, Selangor, Malaysia.

Phison Electronics Corporation was set up in November 2000 and within six months the young entrepreneurs came up with their first invention - a USB storage device called Pen Drive. "We were the first company in the world to develop the USB Drive SoC (System On Chip) and we were very confident that the market for USB will be huge. At the time, no one believed in us so we had to do everything ourselves - from developing the technology, the chips to the product itself.

"We were only 27 at the time and inexperienced. But we were confident that we could design good systems and chips but we didn't know anything about selling. So, we sought partners or traders who could help sell our products for us," Pua added.

Through smart partnerships and shrewd strategies, Phison soon made its way into European, American and Japanese markets. One quick move was securing Japanese tech giant Toshiba as Phison's largest shareholder and customer. "We launched Pen Drive in June 2001 and by August the same year, we broke even! From September 2001, we were reaping monthly profits from our invention and there has been no turning back since."

Having established himself in Taiwan, Pua is in the midst of setting up Phison's branch in Malaysia, due to begin operations this February. "I am starting a branch in Malaysia because this is my country. I would like to do contribute to its development. We have about 100 engineers at Phison in Taiwan, 20 of whom are Malaysians. Though they studied in Taiwan, I had to re-train all the engineers I hire because, like most fresh graduates (in this field), they are not industry-ready upon graduation."

"Unfortunately, some of the Malaysian engineers want to return home after a couple of years because they are homesick, about to start a family and so on. Some prefer to work in Singapore, as it is closer to home. Instead of losing them to competitors, I decided to set up an office in Malaysia where they can still work for me," said Pua.

Another problem faced by returning computer engineers from Taiwan, Pua added, was the lack of job opportunities for hardware engineers in Malaysia."There is no environment or support for design engineers here in Malaysia. One of my Malaysian engineers from Phison returned home and ended up as a teacher in a Chinese school! I was shocked and thought, 'After all that training and re-training, he is going to just teach?' I told him to hold on till I open up the Phison branch in Malaysia."

Though he has been in Taiwan for the past 12 years and married to a Taiwanese, Pua is not sure how much longer he will remain there. "I have really no idea where I will be in 20 years. Maybe Taiwan, maybe Malaysia, maybe somewhere else ... it all depends on my business. The industry is moving so fast that I cannot predict what or where I will be," he said.

For the moment though, Taiwan is home for Pua, his wife and two children even though he misses the Malaysian way of life. "I come home once a year for Chinese New Year and will usually stay for about two weeks. There are several things I really miss about Malaysia. One is the food! For the past 12 years I have been craving for Malaysian food ... I miss laksa, curry noodles, chee cheong fun and all the other delicious dishes we have here."

"I also miss the lifestyle and quality of life here. When I come back, I am always amazed to see people hanging out and relaxing at mamak shops at night. In Taiwan, most people would still be at work at that time of the night!"

"Before I got married, I used to work for 15 to 17 hours a day, everyday. Now that I have children, my wife has forbidden me to stay so late. Now, I go to work at 9am and come home by 11pm. These hours are quite normal for the Taiwanese."

The man who invented USB pen-drive is a young modest Malaysian who can't even get into a local University but invented the most versatile, indispensable computer peripheral today. And helped his adopted country, Taiwan made $31bil in the process. The rest is history....

Beware Of Swine Flu!! Understand it here!

Swine Flu infection has started to spread all over the world from Mexico and it could be fatal. The Health Ministry has advised Malaysians against travelling to Canada, Mexico and selected US states where there have been reports of swine flu infection. Its minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the United States had recorded 20 cases of influenza-like illness in New York (eight cases), California (seven), Texas (two), Kansas (two) and Ohio (one).Mexico has reported 1,149 cases with 71 deaths, out of which 18 cases were confirmed to be caused by the swine influenza A/H1N1 virus. Canada has reported four swine flu cases. In order to protect ourselves and our family, we need to understand what actually is Swine Flu. Here are some facts to learn about:

What is swine flu? Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person .

Is this swine flu virus contagious? Yes, swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it not known how easily the virus spreads between people.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people? The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

How does swine flu spread? Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
How can someone with the flu infect someone else?Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after becoming sick. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.

What should I do to keep from getting the flu? First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Are there medicines to treat swine flu? Yes. The use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).

How long can an infected person spread swine flu to others? People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic and possible for up to 7 days following illness onset.. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination? Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.
How long can viruses live outside the body? We know that some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. Frequent handwashing will help you reduce the chance of getting contamination from these common surfaces.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick? There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

1. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
2. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
4. Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
5. If you get sick wtih influenza, you are advice to stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infectiong them.
   

What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing? If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. Do not go to work or school if ill. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.

What is the best technique for washing my hands to avoid getting the flu? Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Wash with soap and water. or clean with alcohol-based hand cleaner. we recommend that when you wash your hands -- with soap and warm water -- that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. The gel doesn't need water to work; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands.

What should I do if I get sick? If you live in areas where swine influenza cases have been identified and become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact their health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms.. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed. If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others. If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care. In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

1. Fast breathing or trouble breathing
2. Bluish skin color
3. Not drinking enough fluids
4. Not waking up or not interacting
5. Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
6. Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
7. Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

1. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
2. Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
3. Sudden dizziness
4. Confusion
5. Severe or persistent vomiting

How serious is swine flu infection? Like seasonal flu, swine flu in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe. Between 2005 until January 2009, 12 human cases of swine flu were detected in the U.S. with no deaths occurring. However, swine flu infection can be serious. In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman in Wisconsin was hospitalized for pneumonia after being infected with swine flu and died 8 days later. A swine flu outbreak in Fort Dix, New Jersey occurred in 1976 that caused more than 200 cases with serious illness in several people and one death.

Can I get swine influenza from eating or preparing pork? No. Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.

A little community and healthcare service post. - Naked Ozone.

Save Our Earth, VOTE EARTH !

In another 2 days from now, if you will happen to be on a spaceship beyond our earth, you will witness an unique scene of the earth. For 12 hours starting from 8:30pm local time in Japan, you will see a wave of darkness move hour after hour from Japan, the east most country in the earth, towards the west and stop at US. All major travel destinations would be in darkness for 1 hour, one after one (some will be together if they are in the same time zone).

This special scene is in fact spearheaded by WWF, as part of the Earth Hour project, to make a global call to the world to vote for our earth against the issue of global warming by switching off our lights for 1 hour at 8:30pm on 28th of March 2009, in 2 days time. 2,848 cities, towns and municipalities in 84 countries have already committed to VOTE EARTH for Earth Hour 2009, as part of the worlds first global election between Earth and global warming.

Click the video below to watch the short promotional film by Earth Hour:


So, on March 28 you can VOTE EARTH by switching off your lights for one hour.Or you can vote global warming by leaving your lights on. The results of the election are being presented at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. The targetted votes for Earth is 1 billion, to tell world leaders that we have to take action against global warming.

For me, I would strongly suggest to go to any of the travel destinations, either the Colleseum of Rome, Opera in Sydney, Golden gate bridge in US, The Pyramid of Egypt, or the Olympic stadium of Birdnest in Beijing, and stay up till 8:30 in the evening, just to witness the historical moment of our lives, in our earth.

After the hour of darkness, you will feel some freshness and coolness around you… Mark this date: Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm. - Naked Ozone

This incident happened to a friend of mine and be very careful if you ever encounter such case in future:

"On Thur 5 Feb, I was driving home after work in the afternoon, quite a number of cars on the road. I was driving near the UE3, TamanMiharja, Cheras when 2 Indian guys on a motorbike honked me andpointed to the passenger-side wheel. I slowed down, not stopping but they kept honking and pointing to the wheel. Finally, I stopped at theside of the road in front of the UE3 complex. The 2 guys stopped and came down from their bike. One has the "BMW" name and logo on hisblue shirt. While the other guy squatted in fron of the passenger-sidewheel (I can't see him), the "BMW" guy came to the passenger side. My car is always locked when I drive and I lowered the passenger side window about 2 inch to talk with him. Speaking in Malay, he told me my wheel has smoke and oil. I hesitated evaluating the situation, and he then bend down at the wheel and came up showing me his finger with some oil on it. He said my brake oil is leaking and cannot drive and ask me to go down out to see the wheel. Pointing to Taman Pertama which is just nearby, I told him I stay there and will go to my mechanic there for check-up. He kept insisting I don't drive as my brakes are not working and can get an accident. He kept asking me to go down and look at the wheel. I said no and I drove off. Giving this "Good Samaritan" the benefit of the doubt, I drove home very slowly incase I really cannot brake the car. 10 min later I arrived at my mechanic shop which is quite near to my house. I ask the mechanic if there is any oil in the wheel, he touched it and said yes and possible brake oil is leaking. He took it into the workshop, took out the wheel and found that there was no leak, all dry. There was some oil at the brake pad and at the back of the tyre. He took out the driver-side tyre and it was dry too. He told me the only possible answer was that someone must have poured oil into my wheel. He washed the tyres and cleaned up the oil and then I went off. I didnt tell the mechanic what had happened earlier but putting 2 and 2 together, I think I know what happened. "

"The 2 Indian guys stopped me. While one was talking with me, the other guy squatting at the wheel must have poured some oil into my wheel, making me think my car's brake oil was leaking and in panic, I might go down and check (that's why he kept asking me to go down and see). If I go out of the car to see, the following things can happen:-

1. One guy will drive off with my car (hoping in panic I'll leave the car keys in the car) while the other will ride off in his motorbike;
2. They will threaten and rob me (with or without injury), or
3. They will say they can repair my car very fast with no hassle and charge me a bomb.

Looking at the crime situation in KL these days, I think either one of the first 2 possibilities will happen. Thank God, I was alert and didn't panic. So for whoever drives in KL, please be careful and be alert at all times while driving. Don't be so gullible and take all "GoodSamaritan" word as true. If it happens, drive to the nearest police station or mechanic workshop. The worst thing that can happen is to buy 2 brand new tyres (if tyres are varnished) or pay to repair for the damage done to the car. Cheaper than your life or your car."

Happy reading. - Naked Ozone

Happy New Lunar Ox Year 2009 !!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL CHINESE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD!
Hope it's not too late! Today is the 10th day and still within the significant first 15 big days of the new lunar calendar year 2009... :)

I'm still in the mood of Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration which I hope could carry on until the 15th day of 1st lunar calendar month. Traditionally, CNY celebration would be carried on for 15 days and what we will see during this CNY celebration are red lanterns, red packet (Ang Pow), red shirts, red jackets, red tables, red prayer candle.... blah blah, all in red colours!!! (red in chinese character means Good Luck)
Naked Ozone would like to wish all readers to have a whole big 'Red' year 2009! Cheers! - Naked Ozone.

Good Money: Online Casino Guide With Great Winning Strategy

When I wrote about making fast money from gambling last year, I mentioned about the gamble, gaming or gaining philosophy. It is all about 'no risk, no gain' or 'high risk, high gain', especially when you play roulette and choose the level of risk easily. It is one of the conservative ways of gamble.

Recently, there is a website, Casino.de, which I found something more interesting about online gambling. This website is to help you play casino games with confidence and proper strategy, giving you the best chance of winning. The author, Jan Balslev of 31 years old who lives in Holstebro, Denmark, has been gambling online for years so he knows more than enough about online casino gambling and to give you some proper advice on how to play the games and where to play. It shows you all the best strategies to play all sorts of games from Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, Keno, Poker to Roulette. The most interested game to me is always Roulette.

Casino.de illustrates a different strategy of playing Roulette than I did. Instead of treat it as an investment, Casino.de treats Roulette as a game for fun with some exciting big gaining moment. I have tried its nine ways completion of a number which could give me good chances of winning big money, and very fast! This website is strongly recommended to all gamblers out there. - Naked Ozone.

A Dissappointing Singapore Formula 1 GP

The first ever night race in Formula 1 history, Singapore F1 GP is also one of the only 3 street race in Year 2008 race calender albeit part of the Ausi Albert Park track is also closed-off public street. Because of this, Singapore GP as attracted massive visitors to Singapore, viewer in front of T.V. and also attentions from all F1 fans, like me. It was held successfully last weekend with flood lights all over the track.

However, the result was dissappointing. We could not see the 'real' fight between the nine teams. Thanks' to the collision of one of the Renault team driver, Nelson Piguet. Before that, the qualifying session held a day before (which was also the latest ever Q session in history where it started at 10pm at night!) brought us the top 3 players of the current F1 championship: Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton and the defending champion of my idol, Kimi Raikonnen.

Race started well at 8pm and everything seemed to be smooth until when Fernando Alonso first pitted for his regular stop and came out, his team mate clashed. Concidentally Alonso was the only driver who has pitted before N.Piguet spinned and damaged his car (Fortunately no one got hurt).

Safety car deployed and everything changed. All other cars needed and went into pit including the top 3 front runners. Alonso easily took over the front spot after that. Again, thanks to technology advancement, Ferrari's F.Massa and Kimi had big problem with the sensor-activated stop/go indicator (Ferrari was the 'pioneer' to utilise this feature while other teams still using the manual lollipop) when Massa tore off the fuel pipe and ended up at the tail end! From hero to zero. And it has delayed his teammate as well.

The final champion was F.Alonso.

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of Alonso. I still remembered his egoistic style of celebrating his victories 2 years ago. Though I need to admit that Renault has got the speed to win in Singapore, Alonso supposed to have ruined it during his qualifying round where he spun his car and ended up 15th on the starting grid. Furthermore, in most circumstances, fast cars starting from 11th grid and below should be carrying more fuel but ironically, it was the other way round for the Renault's. Alonso in fact was the first to came into pit (just before safety car came out)!!

Don't blame me on doubting the result and N.Piguet's spun.... - Naked Ozone.