FlightLocator for Windows Phone 8

Just a month after submitting my Flight Locater app on the Pebble App Store, I've written exactly the same app for the Windows Phone platform. With the capabilities of Windows Phone 8 tools, I'm able to validate input entries and handle exceptions if the flight detail cease to exist. This is the first stage of my submission, so in less than a week time, I will be uploading my 1.1 version of the app. Let me hint at some interesting features that I will add on:

- Handling no network exception
- Displaying logos of popular airlines
- Much more elegant UI

As such, please remember to like and share the app if you think that it is useful. Do review and rate it as well :)

However, please be warned that the information displayed may be inaccurate, so DO NOT use this app as your primary source for your flight details. Instead, refer to the information provided to you by your ticket provider or airline in case of any last minute flight changes. Always cross check information from watch with the information from your ticket provider/airline!

Update: As of 26/7/2014, I have released version 1.1.0.0 of the App! If you have downloaded, you can get the update absolutely free!

New Features included:

- Handling no network exception
- Displaying logos of popular airlines

Update: As of 27/7/2014, I have released version 1.1.1.0 of the App! If you have downloaded, you can get the update absolutely free!

New Features included:

- In-App Advertisements
- Bug Fixes

Update: As of 31/7/2014, I have released version 1.2.1.0 of the App! If you have downloaded, you can get the update absolutely free!

New Features included:

- Brand New UI

- Bug Fixes

Update: As of 6/8/2014, I have released version 1.2.2.0 of the App! If you have downloaded, you can get the update absolutely free!

New Features included:

- Live Tiles Support

- Bug Fixes

Link to Windows Phone Store:
http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=c267924d-2e81-418f-b30f-8559b070bf9b

Screenshots of my app:

Raspberry Pi Model B+

After 2 years since the launch of the Raspberry Pi Model B, the affordable and fun computer is back with another new model: Model B+. For the same price as the previous model at US$35, is it worth the upgrade from your existing Model B?

The processor on the new B+ is still the same (700MHz Broadcom processor) with the same amount of RAM (512MB). What has really changed is the addition of 14 more GPIO pins, making up a total of 40 GPIO pins on the board. They have re-invented the power supply on the Pi to be much more energy efficient, saving up to 0.5 to 1 W of energy. They included 2 more USB 2.0 ports to a total of 4 USB ports on the Pi which is definitely a plus for users who wants to connect more devices to their Pi. Traditionally, users need to purchase their own external powered USB hubs to connect their peripherals and thus making their setup messy with dangling cables. Finally the noticeable change is to the onboard storage card re-design. In the past, the Raspberry Pi will only work with SD cards or Micro-SD cards with an adapter for its main storage, resulting in the extended area of the Pi due to the exposed area of the SD card. With the adoption of Micro-SD card slots, the Pi is able to have its own main storage card sit within the structure of the Pi, with no exposed area of the storage card.

The changes this time round focus more on the design rather than the hardware specs of the computer, thus I don't really see a need to upgrade from my existing Model B. But the new Model B+ is definitely worth getting for users who have yet to try out the Raspberry Pi.

Want to learn how to get started with Programming on the Raspberry Pi? Click on the Course Brochure from Learn2Develop.net for more information on the upcoming Raspberry Pi course in Singapore! You will also get to bring home your very own Raspberry Pi Model B+, Official Raspberry Pi Micro-USB charger and Sandisk 8GB Micro-SD card with SD Adapter!

Course Brochure (8 Sep 2014)

Feeling interested to get your very own Raspberry Pi B+?  Use the link down below!

Flight Locater on Pebble

To all Pebble users out there! I've just written a cool application that allows you to display your flight information on your Pebble smartwatch! Enter your flight detail in the configuration page on your phone and your watch will display all the important information.

Ever wanted to view your flight details at your fingertips without the constant need to refer to your phone? This app will solve that problem! It provides past flight details (up to 4 days from current day) and future flight details (up to 4 days from current day), so its easy to check the flight that you're about to board.

To developers out there who are curious on how my app works, my code simply requests flight information from Flightstats' JSON web service using Javascript, and displaying the information using C code on the Pebble.

Use the link below to download my app.

As of 5/7/2014, the app on the iOS platform is not yet ready due to some issues with Apple and I seek your understanding for the delay and inconvenience caused.

As of 10/7/2014, the app on the iOS platform is finally approved! Thank you for your patience!

As of 25/12/2014, I have released version 1.1 of the app. It brings an improved Flight Configuration Utility page as well as support for flights up to year 2020. I have changed the file hosting of the utility page to my personal web server, therefore it should perform more efficiently.

As of 1/2/2015, I have released version 1.2 of the app, which I moved the Flight Configuration Utility to Amazon's Web Servers, which assures little downtimes and maximum performance.

Please also leave your feedback down in the comments below to let me know what I should improve on in the future update for the app. Do let me know what you think!

Do review it and share it with your friends if you find the app useful. Also, if you enjoyed using the app, give it a like on the Pebble store so that more people can notice this useful app! However, please be warned that the information displayed may be inaccurate, so DO NOT use this app as your primary source for your flight details. Instead, refer to the information provided to you by your ticket provider or airline in case of any last minute flight changes. Always cross check information from watch with the information from your ticket provider/airline!

If you find any errors or any problems with the app, please do not hesitate to write an email to support@clarencechng.com, and I will get back to you ASAP. Thanks!





Link to Pebble Appstore (web):
https://apps.getpebble.com/applications/53b40643e15ac85ce6000256

Link to install Application (only for iOS and Android users):
pebble://appstore/53b40643e15ac85ce6000256

Amazon Prime Instant Video

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* Instantly watch over 40,000 movies and TV episodes
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* Get unlimited FREE two-day shipping (no minimum order size)

Signup for Amazon Prime Instant Video and enjoy 30 days free trial using this link now: Signup here!

Brother Printer Wireless Monochrome Printer, Dark Grey (HL2280DW)

Looking for a simple to use, affordable and easy-to-manage printer? Brother HL2280DW is the answer! It is one of the best monochrome printers out there in the market and has a good review of 4.5 stars on Amazon! It features automatic duplex, high speed printing of 27 pages per minute as well as wireless printing from local machines. Having used a similar model like the HL2280DW from Brother, the toner refill isn't too expensive as compared to an inkjet printer that I've used prior to my existing one. A toner for 2600 pages is about $45 now on Amazon.

Use the link below from Amazon to purchase it:

Signup for DVLUP

What is DVLUP?

A post from +Chanse Arrington  (@ChanseArrington) should explain it all. In short, DVLUP is a website that motivates mobile application developer (specifically Nokia and Windows Phone Developers) to write great apps through incentives where you can earn points, and challenge yourself to write great quality apps for the Windows Store!

Blog Post : http://blog.dvlup.com/2012/11/07/welcome-to-dvlup-so-what-is-it-2/

I got to know DVLUP from writing Windows Phone Apps using App Studio, which I have written a simple application not long ago. App Studio is a fantastic and simple to use web development tool that provides hassle free experience for non-programmers to kick off app development with zero programming knowledge. I will leave a link down below to my app if you are interested to see how amazing apps can be created with App Studio.

My Application created using App Studio : http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/official-tech-gadget-geek-app/b6bc5711-ac65-45bd-a647-c38867147077

Are you motivated to write great apps? Stop waiting and get started! To be a part of DVLUP, you can simply use my referral link down below and it should get you up and running in no time!

Referral Link to DVLUP : www.dvlup.com/mrclarencechng/invite

What I Want OSX 10.10 To Have

WWDC 2014 is coming soon! Are you excited? Extremely eager to upgrade to their upcoming OS!

1) What I wanted is simultaneous audio output! I am really hoping that Apple would allow users to output audio from both the Built-In speakers as well as the headphone audio jack. This would help me a ton in keeping my desk neat as I have a 2.1 Speaker System, which consists of the subwoofer as well as 2 satellite speakers, and having the entire speaker set on my table is extremely messy. Instead, with Apple enabling such features allows me to connect the subwoofer through the audio jack without connecting the satellite speakers to the subwoofer, and simultaneously project sound through the Mac's Built-In speaker, keeping things simple and with great awesome sound quality!

2) Airplay your iOS devices on your Mac. This is a greatly demanded feature for iOS and Mac users who simply wants to mirror their iOS display on the Mac during a presentation. This is a feature that Apple seemed to have missed in previous versions of OSX. The only way to do this is to purchase Air Server, which is a third party software that performs iOS screen mirroring on your Macs real-time. It will cost you about USD$15 for a consumer license which I find it pretty expensive.

Logitech Performance Mouse MX Review

I have been eyeing on the Logitech Performance Mouse MX for a couple of months but I never bought it as it was S$120, which made me hesitated for quite some time doubting myself if I would spend such money on a mouse. It is only when I saw a post and tweet by David DiFranco one day that made up my mind to purchase it. I must give credits to David DiFranco (@daviddifranco) as he was the one who created the Facebook post as well as the tweet that shared out the promotion that is going on for selected Logitech Mouse and Keyboards on Amazon. Immediately, I went over to Amazon and it costs me S$80 to get it shipped to my doorstep which was the lowest sale price I have ever seen for that particular item. However, the price jumped back after that one day promotion and I wonder if Logitech would do a promotion soon.


Prior to this mouse, I have been using the Apple Magic Mouse and no doubt, it was one of the best mouse I have ever used. But why did I switch to another mouse? I work on the computer for several hours a day and the challenges I faced with the Magic Mouse was ergonomics. The Magic Mouse has a flat design that is dedicated for simple multi-touch gestures but certainly not ideal for users to have their palm resting on the mouse. One word that I can differentiate this mouse from other mice that I've used is ergonomics. It fits firmly, moulded into the shape of your palm and you can use it for hours without feeing tired. This mouse is not for gaming, but instead for professional users like (programmers, web designers or even just everyday user!)

The mouse contains a 2000mAh battery that can last for 3-4 weeks, which I think is pretty acceptable. It uses a Micro-USB cable to charge and with the cable connected, it looks pretty much like a wired mouse. It has a battery indicator to indicate the battery level as well as when charging. It has programmable buttons that can be used for productivity and works on both PCs and Macs.

Click to purchase the Logitech Performance MX Mouse from Amazon:

Review: TP-Link M5250 3G Mobile Router

The TP Link M5250 is a 3G router dedicated to users who are constantly on the go. Built to provide internet access for wireless devices on the go, it can allow up to 10 concurrent users to use the router at the same time. Within the shell of the router hides a 2000 mAh battery that provides 6-7 hours of excessive usage. You can connect your 3G SIM card to the router and access the internet on the go.

Personally, I have an unlimited 3G data SIM card and has been left pretty much unused but with this router, I have been using it most of the time when I'm outside to watch Youtube on the go.

Setting up the router is seamless since it is easy to setup and administer. This device is capable of performing administrative tasks like most home routers do, like setting up wireless MAC filters and performing DHCP settings. However, you cannot do port forwarding on this router (which I find that it is a con).

This router could be charged using a Micro-USB cable and you can charge it using your computers or wall adapters (5V-1A recommended). It has a Micro-SD slot that allows you to insert a Micro-SD card (Max: 32GB) and makes it a Flash Drive when you connect it to your PC using the Micro-USB cable.

However the cons I find after using it was that the router gets pretty hot after certain time when you have devices using the router excessively. Charging the device takes quite some time as well since it has a 2000 mAH battery.

The TP Link 3G Mobile Router has 3 variants, the 5250, the 5350, and the 5360. The main difference lies between the display of the Router itself. The 5250 is a cheaper model that has only 3 status indicator lights while the 5350 and 5360 has a built-in LED display that is capable of showing you the 3G signal strength, battery status indicator and much more informative statistics. The 5360 is a 3G router as well as a Power Bank. With a 5200 mAH battery, it can charge your phones on the go as well. Might be a plus for some users, but I see no need to have the Power Bank utility since I already have another Power Bank. Apart from these, the specifications for the variants are the same.

I strongly recommend users with a 3G SIM card plan to buy this router as it is very portable and can bring internet access for your devices (Wifi iPad). You can share your internet with your friends and can be very useful when comes to doing project work, where most requires internet access to communicate and work.

Furthermore, for users who wants choose to use this as a home 3G router instead of bringing it out on the go, you can remove the battery from the router and it can operate with direct USB powered connection. Thus, users can be assured that the battery will not be damaged from over-charging.

Use the link from Amazon below to get your very own Mobile Router!

Link to Amazon page:

Dropcam Pro

Dropcam Pro

is the easiest solution for your home security monitoring needs. Instead on spending much on purchasing and the hassle of installing of cameras, it can be easily replaced by using the DropCam. All you need is to connect a USB cable, mount the camera and you're ready to stream your feed.

The Dropcam comes in two different models, the Dropcam and the Dropcam Pro and costs $149 and $199 respectively. The main differences is that the high end model has a wider viewing angle, its ability to zoom further, and can stream video at full HD (1080p). The Dropcams are able to detect motion and alerts user through push notifications on their smartphone. You can even speak to your family even when you're not at home as the Dropcam has a built in speaker using your smartphone. Even if you leave your camera in total darkness, it has excellent low light vision to view in the dark. 

The screenshot I used is the Dropcam Pro, and the Dropcam is identical to the Pro, however it is in white.

Personally, I have not used this device before, but from reviews online and looking at the quality of the stream, it makes me want to own a Dropcam Pro. I want to experience it myself in my own environment.

Dropcam's Official Website: www.dropcam.com

Buy Dropcam: www.dropcam.com/store

Buy Dropcam Pro on Amazon: Dropcam Pro Wi-Fi Wireless Video Monitoring Camera