WD My Passport Essential USB 3.0 Review

Western Digital My Passport Essential USB 3.0 1TB Review

My Old Seagate portable harddisk 250GB failed after 2 years. Although I used it to backup data, I still had a lot of photos and videos which I accumulated over the years on the hard disk.

Anyway, as I have my important data online and on DVDs as well, nothing essential was lost.

I bought a WD My Passport Essential USB 3.0 1TB, and I'm testing it out.

Product Features and Technical Details

Capacity: 1 TB | Color: Black

Product Features

• Dual USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 compatibility
• Connectivity today; speed for tomorrow
• Up to 3x faster transfer rates with USB 3.0
• Maximum capacity
• Automatic, continuous backup
• Hardware encryption, password protection

Technical Details

• Brand Name: Western Digital
• Model: WDBACX0010BBK-NESN
• Hard Disk Size: 1 TB
• Warranty: 2 years warranty
• Hardware Platform: PC, Mac
• Hard Disk Description: External hard drive
• Hard Disk Interface: ATA100
• Width: 4.3 inches
• Depth: 3.3 inches
• Height: 0.7 inches
• Weight: 7.1 Ounces
•  

Dual USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 interface- A single drive with universal compatibility today and next-generation speed for tomorrow. Use it with USB 2.0 now and step up to USB 3.0 speed when you're ready.

Up to 3x faster transfer rates - When connected to a USB 3.0 port this drive lets you access and save files up to 3 times faster than USB 2.0.

USB-powered - Powered directly from the USB port on your PC. No separate power supply is needed.

Compatibility
Formatted NTFS
Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, Windows 7
Mac OS® X Leopard®, Snow Leopard™ (requires reformatting and will work in USB 2.- mode)


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The looks:
It looks rather small and ok I guess. The little white light on the side looks pretty cool, but otherwise kinda plain. It feels rather plastic and cheap.


The Experience:
Initially, when I plugged it into my Windows XP (SP3) the WD My Passport Essential USB 3.0 tries to search for drivers, and it does get a little annoy as it is not usable out of the box.

The instructions on the box and the booklet provided is worthless, but luckily it did something online, and within 10 minutes, it was automatically connected to my computer.

Once connected, I tried to dump 50 GB of things I would like to backup on the drive. Initially the "time remaining" was 1 hour, but it shortly reduced to about 40 mins.

I recalled using USB 2.0 in the past, and backing up the same data would take about 2 hours. This USB 3.0 is indeed a significant improvement.

I connected it to a MAC, and it was as slow as my USB 2.0 device.


The Price:
I bought it at about US$100, went to several stores in Singapore and found that Challenger has a pretty ok price for members, but to be a member, it costs $30. This is simply a very stupid decision for Challenger to force people to join an expensive membership. Everything in the store is overpriced too.

I found it at another store for US$100 too, and I did not need to be a member.



PROS:
Very small in size.
Relatively Cheap compared to other brands.
High Speed USB 3.0 Data Transfer.
No power required, powered by USB
Cables provided!

CONS:
Plastic built
Needs some form of installation online.
Needs reformat for MAC

Verdict: 8.5/10
Recommended!!

-- Robin Low

Movie Review: I am Number Four

Aliens hunted down by other aliens on earth. Sound kinda like Escape to Witch Mountain, and it does feel like it.



John is an extraordinary teen, masking his true identity and passing as a typical high school student to elude a deadly enemy seeking to destroy him. Three like him have already been killed ... he is Number Four.

Director: D.J. Caruso
Writers: Alfred Gough (screenplay), Miles Millar (screenplay), and 3 more credits »
Stars: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant and Dianna Agron

Storyline

Extraordinary teen John Smith (Pettyfer) is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events-his first love (Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.

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Overall, plenty of plot holes, exciting action scenes, and a Great Number 6 to watch. It was still very enjoyable to watch.

I'm afraid that if I discuss more about the plot holes, I'd reveal the whole story.

This is a movie that is ok to watch for a Matinee.

Rating: 6/10

-- Robin Low

New Facebook Page Review.

I've switched my pages to the new Facebook page format.

1) The layout.

The layout of the page is very clear. On the left side, all the tabs that used to be on top and a little confusing is there on the left below the page picture. I would say this is very pleasant to look at.

Tabs are being removed.

2) Featured -- Owner + Likes

There is also a section on "featured" which allows you to feature your owner's pics for people to connect with the owner of the page.

You can also "like" other pages and link them to your page.

3) You can also convert your profile as a page.

It gave page admins the ability to post and comment on other Facebook Pages through a “Login as Page” feature.

There are some other notable differences between the new Facebook Pages and the old version, especially for page admins. The “Login as Page” feature gives admins the ability to interact with the rest of Facebook as a page, not an individual.

This is great new for companies who are starting their FB page, with their profiles.

Pages can’t do everything a user can, though. Most importantly, they cannot post on a user’s wall or comment on his or her status. The lone exception is for a user who has opted for the “everybody” privacy setting; Pages can comment on status updates for those individuals.

The other update Facebook is adding is an “Everyone” filter that brings the most interesting and engaging posts from a page’s community to the top of the page. This makes it easier for users and admins to easily find the most “liked” and commented conversations on a particular page. The new Facebook Pages are also smart enough to filter out posts that are not in a language you speak.


4) More information

A lot more information can be added to the page.

5) Admin Info.

The right-hand menu has also been tweaked. There is now a section that features the page’s admins (if you so choose) as well as a section that shows users how many of their friends have also “liked” that particular page. Finally, just like profiles, a page can now feature relevant photos at the top. This could lead to some very creative uses for Facebook Pages.

The new design launches today as a preview for Facebook Page admins. Before switching, they can check to see what their page will look like and tweak elements of the design before launch. The company is also releasing a Page Tour and a manual to explain the new design. Admins will have until March 10 to switch over though, before Facebook automatically updates every page to the new design.

Unlike some of the previous attempts of Facebook to change the layout, I kinda like the new layout of the page and how it flows.

Great job guys.

Overall: 9/10

-- Robin Low

2D1N Soju Bang Restaurant Review

2D1N Soju Bang is a Korean BBQ Buffet Restaurant at Tanjong Pagar in Singapore.

Address: 44/46 Tanjong Pagar Road Singapore

Tel: +65 6227 6033

Opening Hours

Mon–Fri: 11.30am–2.30pm, 5.30pm–3am

Priced at $20/adult, $15/child and exactly 10% service charge (I don't understand why they just don't make it nett.)

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Firstly, I must say, the queue is long, and I've heard some good things about this place and I finally tried it 2 days ago with 8 friends.

We arrived at 6:40pm and got seated by 7:30pm. It was packed and the smell from outside was killing me as I was getting hungry. The food indeed smells very good, and at this point, I was dying to try.

I love beef and pork. And I do love Korean BBQ, and I've had awesome Korean food in Boston and in Korea, will this stand up to the test?

My first impression and the feeling of the place is pretty good, but it is all about to change with my first bite.

The beef does not taste fresh at all. Heavily marinated, it does taste ok, but NOT FRESH... NOT FRESH AT ALL. Tried other cuts of beef, it is simply not good. I went to read other reviews from review sites and food bloggers, and I have to disagree with all of you. THE BEEF IS NOT FRESH! Therefore the food isn't good. I'm not talking about the food being authentic or flavors. It is simply not fresh, and how can you eat unfresh beef?

The pork is very bland and porkbelly ok, but this is a Korean BBQ place that has really bad beef.

The sausages are pretty ok, and I feel that the sauce available is pretty limited. I've made better Korean BBQ at home.

I must say, the Hite beer taste might good as you wash down the bad beef taste from your mouth.

Not all the meat is bad. Pork is bland, shrimp is fresh. Tried other food in the Korean BBQ, but it felt wrong after to go have sausages and shrimp when there are beef short ribs. Tried it again, and the cut was bad and it has a bad aftertaste.

Well, it was a rather unpleasant experience, and service.. what service?

I'll never go back there again, not even when its free. (at least not to eat, but I'd gladly drink beer)

Overall Rating: 3/10 (thanks to good beer and pork belly)

-- Robin Low