Removing the navigation headline from Blogger

Blogger automatically adds headline to your blogger page that provide links other blogger sites. If you would rather not direct traffic away from your blogger, you can do the following to disable the headline line.

1. Login to Blogger account (http://www.blogger.com)
2. Click "Layout"
   
3. Click "Edit HTML"
4. Search for "]]>" and add a new line BEFORE this.
5. Insert the following
   #navbar-iframe { display: none !important; }
6. Click the "Save Template" button and done.
   

Kindle 2 firmware updated to v2.3 with native PDF support

Amazon announced today the software update that bring Kindle firmware version to 2.3. It add native supports for PDF and claim 85% more battery life for Kindle 2 Global wireless version. Kindle with Whispernet connection will eventually update itself and there is no action required.

For users who feel the need to update sooner, they can access the Kindle manual update page.

Users with the Unicode Fonts Hack should first uninstall the hacks before upgrade. After upgrading, my Kindle now shows Version: Kindle 2.3 (399380047). Unicode support for v2.3 could be re-applied after the firmware upgrade.

Unicode Font for Kindle International now available

I have just tried out the instruction in BlogKindle for the hack Unicode Fonts hack for Kindle. I am happy to report that it works with the International version of Kindle.

Not that I have many non-English books to display but at least my own documents in both Chinese and English can now be displayed correctly.

You do need to jailbreak Kindle International version first before the font installation. The hack could be reversed by the uninstall binary for International Kindle.

Kindle

My Amazon Kindle arrived today. As of today Amazon also consolidated the domestic version and International version and lowered the price to US$259 to compete with the nook from Barnes & Nobles.

Overall I found the screen of Kindle crisp, sharp and very readable. The wireless purchase is convenient and fast. While I gave up some capability to randomly browse through paper books, the entire book purchase delivery experience took less than 2 minutes and is very, very good.

I found the experimental browser feature only barely adequate for general use. This feature is currently only available in Hong Kong, Japan and Mexico, so friends in other country may not get the benefit of this. Being able to search Wikipedia and check mobile GMail using the device is certainly a big plus and add considerable selling point to the device. I hope Amazon could negotiate the deal with the telecom operators in more country and make this a permanent feature of Kindle.

深圳 Ikea 一日遊

昨天到深圳的 Ikea 去，才感覺到祖國同胞購買力之強。三萬平方米的商店加上鄰近的特力屋家品店(Hola)，百安居(B&Q)、順電、麥德龍(Metro)及迪卡儂運動用品商場(Decathlon)，留連一日應當不是問題。

深圳 Ikea位處深圳西南部，近世界之窗。宜家免費巴士往返於世界之窗地鐵H1出口和宜家商場， 營運時間10:00至22:00。 週一至週五每30分鐘一班，週六至周日每15分鐘一班。注意的是乘車的地點是H1出口的地面，由地鐵上到路面，在右邊馬路前行約十米處，那裡並沒有清晰的標誌，我們第一次來時便因為找不到候車地點而要轉乘計程車。

由深圳灣口岸坐計程車約RMB25。由世界之窗坐計程車約RMB18。（要坐計程車的話，最好預備詳細地址和Ikea網上的地圖，因為司機不大清楚『歐洲城』的方位，加上宜家位處高速公路旁，不熟悉路的司機可能在公路對面也不易轉入宜家的停車處。）

深圳 Ikea的貨品種類比香港多。一般中國製造的貨品價錢也比香港便宜。例如白色Poang扶手椅香港賣HK$690，深圳 Ikea賣RMB349（合HK$396，平了HK$293）。當然太大的貨物你可能不大願意到那邊買，但如果你想在香港用HK$99.90買Smila Blomma壁燈的話，又不妨到深圳 Ikea走走，順便用RMB39.9(HKD45)的價錢把它買下來呢。