Fan Expo 2009 Cosplay
Here are some of the cosplay pictures I took from Fan Expo 2009 in Toronto (Convention Center).
Full Blog and more pictures at my other site http:www.saikit.ca
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I dropped by Montreal in August while Otakuthon 2009 Anime Convention was happening and took some pictures of the Cosplays.
The Cosplays are very humble and allowed me to take several snapshots of them. Here are a few of my favorites.
Kankuro from Naruto
Soldier from Team Fortress 2
Otakuthon Group
CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY OTAKUTHON GALLERY (30 more pics)
Filed under: Anime | 2 Comments
Tags: Anime, anime convention, Cloud, Cosplay, Naruto, otakuthon, otakuthon 2009, otakuthon montreal
Have you ever looked at a picture at scratch your head, wondering how in the world did they take a picture like this? Sometimes, your reaction would be based on envy. You envy the professional that took the picture with the proper lighting, subject, timing, settings and colaboration. However, there are some pictures that make you wonder “WTF, that picture is wacked!”.
Pictures like these make you wonder how they turn the subjects into minature models. In a way, it makes you feel like the world is a small place after all.
The trick to taking a picture like this is the use of a DSLR camera with a Tilt Shift Lens and some post processing to the picture. Of course, it is privilege to own a Tilt Shift Lens. However, these lens are NOT cheap at all. The cheapest Canon Tilt Shift lens is priced at $1,000 (Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L).
With Photoshop, you can save yourself tons of money. There are many photoshop techniques you can use to blur the picture so it looks like a minature. Tilt-Shift Photography Photoshop Tutorial gives you a step-by-step tutorial on how to modify your pictures to look like minatures.
If you don’t have Photoshop, you can try to upload your pictures to sites minaturize your pictures for you like TiltShiftMaker.com. There is a tool on that website that will get you a similar tilt shift effect you can achieve in Photoshop. All you got to do is pick the spot on the photo that you want to blur.
Tilt Shift Effect at BMO field
Minaturized Clifton Hill (Niagara)
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Tags: minature, minaturized, tilt-shift, toy model
Yesterday, while I was editing my other page http://www.saikit.ca, I decided to change the perma link settings from the default option to something else. After making this change, all my pages received the “403 Forbidden Error”.
I contacted my website’s tech support team and they said that it has to do with permissions.
Permission is Key
I proceed to modify my whole website’s permission structure using Filezilla. I changed the permissions for all my directories to 755 and changed the permissions for all my files to 644.
Permission 644 for all files
Permission 755 for folders
The issue is now resolved.
According to ivalladt from WordPress, you can also fix this issue by doing this:
Checking logs my server was complaining that the RewriteRule could not be enabled, so I asked my provider to check AllowOverride was All for my virtual server. It’s fixed now!
Filed under: how-to, Wordpress | 7 Comments
There is a DOS tool built into your Windows operating system that allows you to gather software Inventory information of your computer instead of going to Add/Remove Programs. With PSinfo, the inventory details are copied into a text file so that you can use it in reports. Whereas, in Add or remove programs, you cannot export the list of software in a text file.
About PSinfo:
PsInfo is a command-line tool that gathers key information about the local or remote Windows NT/2000 system, including the type of installation, kernel build, registered organization and owner, number of processors and their type, amount of physical memory, the install date of the system, and if its a trial version, the expiration date.
- Download PSinfo from the Microsoft’s Sysinternal website: http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/PsTools.zip
- Extract the content of the zip file to C:\PSinfo
- Go to Start Menu > run > type in CMD
- In command prompt, type in CD\ to get to the root folder of your C: drive
- Then type in cd psinfo to go into the C:\PSinfo folder
- Execute PSinfo by running psinfo.exe –s
- Wait for PSinfo to gather your software inventory
- Right click on the cmd prompt icon on the top left corner of the Command Prompt Window and select Edit > Select All
- Right click on the cmd prompt icon again and select Edit > Copy
- Paste the content into notepad and save it
Other switches to use in PSinfo
-h Show list of installed hotfixes.
-s Show list of installed applications.
-d Show disk volume information.
-c Print in CSV format.
Filed under: computer, how-to | 1 Comment
Tags: computer, how-to, support, technical
The best place to start troubleshooting any computer related issue is the Event Viewer Log. If you are not an expert of computer and need the assistance of a professional, the least you can do is export the event viewer log for the technician. Here are the steps on how to export your computer’s event logs.
1) Go to start menu > run > type in eventvwr
2) In the Event Viewer, Right click on the Application and select Save Log file as..
3) Repeat step 2 for the Security and the System logs
4) Name the file and keep the .evt file type
On the Technician’s computer
1) Go to start menu > run > type in eventvwr
2) In the Event Viewer, go to Action > Open Log File
3) Browse to the file that you’ve saved on the other computer
4) You have to Specify the log type in order to open the saved file.
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Tags: computer, event log, event view, eventvwr, export, help, how-to, IT, support, tech, technical, troubleshoot
22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
#1: Law of leadership#2: Law of category#3: Law of mind#4: Law of perception#5: Law of focus#6: Law of exclusivity#7: Law of the ladder#8: Law of duality#9: Law of opposite#10: Law of division#11: Law of perspective#12: Law of extension#13: Law of sacrifice#14: Law of attributes#15: Law of candor#16: Law of singularity#17: Law of predictability#18: Law of success#19: Law of failure#20: Law of hype#21: Law of acceleration#22: Law of resources
Tim Ferriss recommended a great marketing book on his video blog this month called 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Jack Trout and Al Ries. I decided to grab it used off abebook.com for $5 and have a go at it.
This is my summary of the 22 immutable laws of Marketing:
#1: Law of Leadership
It is better to be first than to have a better product or service. Even when you are second with a better product, you will not be better in the people’s mind.
Example from the book:
You can always find out who the leading company of a market is by substituting leading for first. Let say you didn’t know the name of the first college founded in America. What’s the leading college in America today? Most people would say Harvard, which is also the first college in America.
#2: Law of Category
Be first in a new category created by your product or service. Being first in a niche market is considered being a leader in a category. When you are first in a new category, you have no competition.
Example from the book:
Dell is the first to sell computers by phone. Lear’s is the first magazine for mature woman.
#3: Law of Mind
It is more important to be first in the people’s mind than first in the marketplace. You have to get into the people’s mind that your product is the first in the category. Otherwise, you would be forgotten. People usually don’t change their mind once they see your product in one way. Getting into the people’s mind with a loud bang is important for them to remember your product.
#4: Law of Perception
In Marketing, perception is king. How a person perceives your product and service will ultimately be the truth in their mind. In other words, truth is nothing more than an expert’s perception.
Example from the book:
Japanese car manufacturers (Honda, Toyota and Nissan) sell the same cars in US as they do in Japan. If marketing were a battle of products, you would think the same sales order would hold true for both countries. The same quality, styling, horsepower and roughly the same prices should hold true for Japan and US.
However, in Japan, Honda is not the leader. Honda is in third place behind Toyota and Nissan. Toyota sells more than 4 times as many cars in Japan as Honda does. In Japan, people view Honda as a motorcycle manufacturer more so than a car manufacturer.
#5: Law of Focus
To focus your product and service, you need to own a word in the people’s mind about your product.
Example of words attach to the products:
Crest = cavities
Mercedes = engineering
Domino’s = Home delivery
Pepsi Cola = youthThe antidrug crusafe on tv and magazines suffer from a lack of focus. There is no one word driven into the minds of drug users that could begin to unsell the drug concept.
#6: Law of Exclusivity
When a competitors owns a word or position in the prospect’s mind, it is futile to attempt to own the same word.
#7: Law of the Ladder
Use the proper marketing strategy based on the position of your company along with your competitors. If you are not the leader, don’t mention you’re the leader. The mind is selective, it will decide which information to accept and which information to reject. There are usually 7 positions in a person’s mind for a category. The first position usually have twice the market share of the brand below you. For example, the market share percentage for a category should roughly look like this based on the positioning of your company: 50% > 25% > 12.5% > 6.25% > 3.125% > 1.56% > 0.78%
Example from the book:
Sometimes your category may be too small. It may be better to be a small fish in a big pond than to be a big fish in a small pond. In other words, it is sometimes better to be #3 on a big ladder than #1 on a small ladder.
#8: Law of Duality
The battle of marketing often winds up as a duel between the two major players. For example, PC vs. Mac, Coke vs. Pepsi and Canon vs. Nikon. Third place in a mature market is very difficult to be in. This law predicts that an industry that reach maturity will have less competitors than when the industry first started.
Example fromt he book:
Jack Welch’s quote “Only businesses that are #1 or #2 in their markets could win in the increasingly competitive global arena. Those that could not were fixed, closed, or sold.”
#9: Law of Opposite
When you look at the customer for a category, there are only two types: those that will buy from the leader and those who don’t want to buy from the leader. You must present yourself as an alternative when you are #2 in a market. When you do that, position your product as a solution to the leader’s weakness. For example, Pepsi is viewed as the cola for younger generation. You cannot copy the leader if you are to be viewed as an alternative. Use the leader’s weakness against them.
As a product gets old, it often carries negative baggage. However, when you present their weakness in a negative way, there must be a ring of truth to it.
Marketing is a battle of legitimacy. When the first brand captures the concept, it will make its competitors look like illegitimate pretenders. That is why when you are #2, you can not be timid. You must always attack the leader. Or else, the companies below you will catch up to you.
#10: Law of Division
A category will always divide into two or more segments. Each segment is a separate and distinct entity with its own reason for existence and its own leader.
it is better to be early than late when you are creating a category. You cannot get into the prospect’s mind first unless you are prepared to spend some time waiting for things to develop.
#11: Law of Perspective
In marketing, the short term gain seems to always outweigh the long term gain.
Many marketing movies exhibit the same phenomenon as Alcohol. Alcohol creates a stimulating effect early on. At the end of the night, alcohol takes a turn a become a depressant. In other words, the long term effects are often the exact opposite of the short-term effects.
Example from the book:
Couponing increases sales in the short run. Many companies find that they need a quarterly dose of couponing to keep sales .
#12: Law of Extension
Line extensions can saturate the main product. It is better to specialize in on product than expanding into many different markets. When you are trying to be all things to all people, you will wind up in trouble.
Why does top management believe that line of extension works? short term gain and brand loyalty.
Less is more.
Example from the book:
In 1991, IBM expended into everything and made revenues up to $65 billion dollar. However, the overwhelming expenses from all of their product segments cost IBM to lose $2.8 billion dollar that year ($68.5 billion dollar in expenses).
Examples of past line extensions that did not work:
Ivory Shampooo
Life Savers Gum
Bic pantyhose
Chanel for men
Tanqueray Vodka (known for their Tanqueray Gin)
Coors water
Heinz baby food
#13: Law of Sacrifice
You have to give up something in order to get something. Sacrificing product line, target market and constant change to gain a better product.
Product line: Sacrifice line extension to specialize in your product.
Target Market: Focus on one target market to attract everyone. For example, Marlboro marketed to cowboys only, but everyone smokes their brand. Narrow your target in your marketing campaign and it will expand itself onto everyone.
Change: Do not change your product’s brand. Sacrifice constant changes to be stable. Follow company philosophy.
#14: Law of Attributes
Marketing is a battle of ideas. You must have an idea or attribute of your own to focus your efforts.
#15: Law of Candor
To get into the prospect’s mind, you can first try to admit a negative and then twist it into a positive. When a company starts a message by admitting a problem, people tend to, almost instinctively, open their minds. Most often, you have to prove a positive statement, wheras, a negative statement will never need reinforcement.
Careful considerations must be taken when using the law of candor. First, your negative statement must be widely perceived as a negative. Do not confuse the prospect. The shift to the positive must be done very swiftly. The purpose of candor is not to apologize, it is to set up a benefit that will convince your prospect.
Honesty is the best policy.
Examples of using negative to bring in your positive attributes:
“Avis is only #2 in rent-a-cars.” They must try harder
“Joy, the most expensive perfume in the world.” If people are willing to pay $375 an ounce, it must be a sensational perfume.
“Listerine. The taste you hate twice a day”. Anything that tastes like disinfecant must be a germ killer.
#16: Law of Singularity
In marketing, the try harder = better result approach is flawed. Marketing campaign must focus its attack on the line of least expectation.
#17: Law of Predictability
The pitfall of working with trends is extrapolation. Many companies jump to conclusions about how far a trend will go. Also, many companies assume the future will be a replay of the present. You cannot assume that nothing will change.
To cope with the unpredictable, a company need to be able to have the flexibility to change quickly; to react to trends.
There is a difference between “predicting” the future and “taking a chance” on the future.
#18: Law of Success
This law dictates how a company should act when it is successful. But most successful companies tend to become arrogant and commit anything they want because their brand names are so big that they cannot fall.
If you are the CEO, it is not always possible to get an honest opinion from your staffs. Thus, the CEO needs to go into the front line in disguised or unannounced.
#19: Law of Failure
Recognize your mistakes early and cut your losses. But don’t make the same mistakes twice.
Taking risks are often neglected when staffs are climbing the corporate ladder. The company must identify staffs that take chances to bring success to the company.
#20: Law of Hype
When things are going well, the company doesn’t need hype. Press release often means you are in trouble. Hype is hype. Real revolution happens unannounced.
#21: Law of Acceleration
Fad is like a wave and trend is like the tide. Fad gets a lot of hype and wave gets very little. Fad is short term phenomenon that doesn’t last long enough. It is better to dampen fad to make them like trends.
#22: Law of Resources
You need money to make your great idea a reality. Marketing comes when you have enough initial funding to jumpstart your idea. You need money to get into a mind and you need money to stay in the mind once you get there.
Example from the book:
In the 90’s GM was in a turmoil because of two strong moves. The Japanese companies, Toyota, Honda and Datsun, came with low end small cars and the Germans, Mercedes, BMW, came with high end cars. At this point, GM made the fatal mistake of making all their cars look alike. No one can really tell the differences between Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick.
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Tags: 22 immutable laws of marketing, al ries, Book, book review, Books, jack trout, laws, marketing
The Michael Jackson tribute down at Dundas Square started off with the DJ’s on stage playing the best hits from Michael Jackson. The MC proceeded to invite everybody onto the stage and it became a dance party. The DJs all had their turns on the turntable to mix their Jackson hits. The whole Dundas Square was covered by the crowded. There were people standing on Yonge street and across the street at the entrance of Eaton’s Center just to watch the show.
Many Michael Jackson Fans attended this Tribute in Toronto
I was given access to the stage and took the following pictures:
Right view
Center view
View of the left side
There were also some popular DJ’s and MC’s on stage:
DJ Starting from scratch
Check out the rest of my pictures on my flickr account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38557937@N04/sets/72157620701909817/
Filed under: Event, Photography, toronto | 1 Comment
Tags: 93.5, DJ, Dundas Square, flow, flow 93.5, manifesto, michael jackson, toronto, tribute
Toronto Ribfest 2009 Pictures
I went to the Toronto Ribfest today at Centennial Park. Since it’s Canada day and the fact that other events are cancelled due to the Toronto Worker Strike, the Ribfest was more crowded than usual.
Pictures from Ribfest:
Filed under: Event, Photography, toronto | Leave a Comment
Tags: centennial park, Event, ribfest, toronto
Update: The event has passed, check out the pictures here: https://saikit.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/pictures-of-michael-jackson-tribute-at-dundas-square-toronto/
I will be attending this event on July 1st, 2009. This is going to be a big gathering to pay tribute to the King of Pop.
WHAT: 3 straight hours of MJ love with DJ and Dance tributes
WHERE: Dundas Square Toronto
WHEN: July 1st from 8pm-11pm, RAIN OR SHINE.
WHO: DJ Starting From Scratch, Son of S.O.U.L., Mensa, Sean Sax, Jason Palma, Rated X
Source: GetJanet
Filed under: Event, World | Leave a Comment
Tags: Billie Jean, Canada day, michael jackson, mj, toronto, tribute, Yonge and Dundas
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