I do not believe it. My telephone number was changed mysteriously. I do not know how. When I called from my hand phone, my fixed line phone does not ring although I get a ringing tone. When I called my hand phone from my fixed line I get a new incoming number.  When I call this new number from my hand phone, my fixed line phone rings and I am through.  So I now have a new number !!!

My call to the dearest  customer complaints:- 100, I have the standard reply: ” Repot ini kita hantar ke bahagian teknikal”  Tunggu dia orng panggil. So I am waiting and will update you when the mystery is solved. I just hope I do not get a hefty phone bill for making calls to Kazakhstan.

By - Abinesh

Finally i received my Astro b.yond decoder, dish and remote control together with the new byond activated card which will give me the HD service which i have been waiting for. Getting the installation was not exactly a breeze, i subscribed for the service on the 14th of December 09 and after numerous calls to astro, i finally got a agent who was interested to help me get it sorted and hence the installation is done.

Only after 1 day after my last call i received a call from the Astro Byond team who gave me a call run down on the terms and conditions

The terms :

You are locked down for 12 months.
RM 20 per month (x12 months) on top of your current subscription
You get the HD channels based on your subscription(There are currently 4 channels and more to come!)

Currently i have the sports channel which falls under this bracket but im considering taking the movie channel after looking at the kinda quality you get(Its awesome!).

So my installer came in today to install the HD set and as usual there was a problem, apparently Byond needs good signal to be able to display the HD channels. There are 2 elements, Signal Strength & Signal Quality . If both are satisfactory, then only you will receive the channels.

So my previous dish which was at my balcony was not getting the right signal so it had to be moved away from my unit to a location where the reception was better. Unfortunately, you get only 10meters of wiring for free. So i had to pay extra for the wiring to my unit from the dish.But its all good because now i don’t have a dish on my balcony and the installer did a good job with the wiring so its hardly visible

But it was worth the trouble, when the unit was powered up… The signal was way better and i got a glimpse of the brilliant quality! Unfortunately i only have the sports channel which falls under the new HD channels and it was like i was watching a dvd!! Brilliant quality!

The new set also brings a new format in the way the guide is displayed. You no longer need to see a blue screen but actually watch a preview of the channel which browsing the information. The decoder is significantly smaller and the remote is pretty neat as well!!

So now i have Byond installed and I am tempted to subscribe to the movie channel to see what is in store. Also looking forward to more new HD channels to come in. On top of everything, cant wait for World Cup 2010 in HD!

The quality of service provided in this country baffles me. My telephone line was down recently that’s a simple problem, so what do you do – just call 100. But, how do you call 100 when your telephone line is down? I recall Patrick Teoh wrote in his blog about the comment from the pegawai TM

“Kalau ada apa apa masalah uncle panggil la number ni …100”

But, how do you call 100 when my telephone line is down? DON’T you understand that my phone is DOWN, HOW am I supposed to CALL when my PHONE line is DOWN!? Am I expected to go over an use my neighbor’s phone? Is this TM’s goal to promote good neighborliness.  Try using your hand phone and dial 03-100 you get the incomplete number message.

But TM has a secret that they have not told us.  When you dial 03-100 from your hand phone you get no where. I found out by chance how to reach TM via hand phone. By pure chance, I dialed 03-103 and was able reach customer service who directed me to a recorded message – 1-300-888123. Dial 1-300-888123 you get to speak to a TM customer service agent just like dialing 100 from a fixed line.

No where do you find this number published or advertised. Even the pegawai at TM point in Bangsar did not know.  I got the usual response “ Tak tau la encik, cari fixed line sahaja lah”. I wonder why I am able to reach 03-103 but not 03-100 and why the toll-free number 1-300-888123 is not widely made known. Can someone from TM tell its customers why this number is a secret or is it TIDAK MUNGKIN BERHAD.

The Malaysian Critic wishes everyone a Happy New Year 2010! Hope you have a blessed new year and all the best for the new year

Found a really good picture? Something worth editing? A picture that needs adjustments? Well, Picnik is perfect for you!
Not only is it easy to work with, but it comes with many free effects and tools. It’s a fun and unique program that allows you to upload and edit photos. I first learnt about it through a friend.

One fine day I decided to try it out. I immediately got the hang off the whole process. Its a simple optional crop then adding effects (which there are over 30 to pick from) and once done, text or stickers. Which ever suits the photo.
Picnik makes it a smooth and easy process for photo editing.

With a large variety and range it makes you happy that its mostly for free. The program automatically saves your photos and by signing in for free your able to keep track of the latest photos you have edited. Therefore, the sight of a edited photo being misplaced or deleted is eliminated. Finding the photo of your choice is like an easy breeze. All the photos are available to you.

I find Picnik the best photo editing program. I personally have uploaded a few photos via Facebook. And I am now extremely fond of the smooth process and aesthetically pleasing outcome. I hope that you come to try this program and enjoy its delightful benefits.

[ratings]

Kohilam Kalimuthu sinks her teeth into some of the more popular burgers in town

A burger (known in some parts of the world as hamburger) is a just your plain old sandwich—a meat patty in between two slices of bread or bun. As fast food took off on a major scale in the last couple of decades, burger joints became somewhat of a fad—a place to see and be seen, with some joints becoming a teen hangout. In fact, most kids I know pester their parents to take them to fast food joints as most now offer a promotional toy (usually based on a new movie) with a kiddy meal.

Burgers have evolved throughout the years with different flavours, toppings and sauces to cater to different tastes. Fran-chises like McDonalds have different menus in different countries to cater to the religious majority. For example, McDonalds in Malaysia doesn’t serve pork, but Bacon Burgers are available in Western countries, while in India, this franchise offers vegetarian and mutton burgers, but not beef although the Muslim population is sizable.

I’ve been a big fan of burgers ever since McDonalds was a five minute walk away from my school, and I decided to give other burger joints a try as well.I checked out Wendy’s, Burger King, and McDonalds’ newer menu, and lived to tell the tale.

Wendy’s, Jaya One, Petaling Jaya

Not many are aware of Wendy’s compared to the more mainstream burger joints like McDonalds and Burger King. According to Wikipedia, Wendy’s was founded in 1969, and became the world’s third largest fast food chain in December 2006. Wendy’s signature is their square burger patties, with their tagline ‘Our burgers are square because we don’t cut corners.’

The outlet in Jaya One was clean and fresh, and they have both indoor and outdoor seating. I decided to sit inside as the sun was out!

Wendy’s menu looked quite extensive. They had different combos and their burgers were quite varied as well. The choices included a quarter-pounder (beef), a grilled chicken burger, a spicy variety, the three-quarter pounder (3-tiered burger) and even a shrimp burger. I settled for the shrimp combo as I’d never heard of a shrimp burger in a fast food joint before.

The Shrimp Supreme combo was RM10.98. The waitress wasn’t too friendly though, I tried to make small talk to break the monotony of her day, but all she did was give me a tight smile, neither did she bother to tell me about any lunch promo or how I could get a free Frosty Float at my next purchase.

I gave up, took my food and sat down to enjoy it. The fries were good, not too oily and not over-fried, so I started on the burger, which I must say was delicious. The prawn patty, although not big, was fresh and I could taste the prawns (as opposed to just flour and flavouring)! I would definitely recommend it.

What’s good about Wendy’s is that they also have salads, nuggets and baked potatoes on the menu. Their Garden Sensations Salads are made fresh, while their oven-baked potatoes come with a variety of toppings such as sour cream, broccoli and cheese, and bacon and cheese.

Chicken wraps are the latest item on the menu, and they also have four choices of combo meals called Wendy’s Packs which include a burger, chicken or baked potato with nuggets and drink at RM6.99 each.
The restaurant was clean and bright, the lighting was great and the food was good.

Food:  5 Stars
Ambience:   5 Stars
Value for money:   4 Stars

McDonalds, Seremban Parade, Seremban

McDonalds is the most popular burger joint in the world and in Malaysia. There is never an element of surprise if any res-taurant in this franchise has a line a mile long at any hour of the day, let alone weekends or during lunch.
McDonalds was founded in 1940 and currently serves more than 45 million customers worldwide on a daily basis. Now one of the largest franchises in the world, McDonalds is a hit with kids, teens, youths and adults alike.

McDonalds has always been a favourite of mine. I always used to wonder how the waitresses taking orders as well as the kitchen staff constantly had a smile on their faces no matter how long the lunch hour queue was. This time around, it was not peak hours so the restaurant was a little empty.

The menu includes their signature Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish, McChicken, Double Cheeseburger, Fried Chicken and Nuggets. The latest item on the menu is the Big N Tasty—a quarter pound beef patty with cheese and vegetables. I ordered a Spicy Chicken McDeluxe set (RM10.55) after perusing the menu. The waitresses were smiling as usual, and I took my food to a quiet corner to enjoy.

McDonalds’ fries were slightly thinner and longer than Wendy’s but were absolutely delicious, just out of the deep fryer. The chicken fillet inside the burger was huge—made of whole muscle chicken thigh, marinated with a special spice and topped with fresh lettuce and mayonnaise. The chicken was spicy and it did not taste like a processed chicken patty. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.

Dessert was a sundae with hot chocolate fudge (RM3), although many people prefer the Strawberry Sundae. Their Apple Pies (RM2) and signature Oreo Flurries (RM4.10) are great choices too, although the Flurry has increased in price but de-creased in size!

Children will be contented with the Happy Meal—a smaller sized combo meal that comes with a toy, and if parents prefer healthier options, the soft drink can be changed to Ribena or Milo and they can opt for a cup of corn instead of fries.

Food: 5 Stars
Ambience: 3 Stars
Value for money: 4 Stars

Burger King, Sunway Pyramid, Bandar Sunway

Burger King is the second most popular fast food joint, first opening its doors in 1954. With almost 12,000 outlets in more than 70 countries, it is no secret that their flame-grilled patties are popular with the masses.The Burger King outlet in Sunway Pyramid is quite new, and the concept is slightly different. The counter and the dining area are separate but close by, the dining area brightly lit and looking like a lounge.

The menu includes their signature Whoppers, Black Pepper Singles, Mushroom Swiss and BBQ Cheeseburger, all with beef patties. Burger King’s menu also includes the BK Fish, French Chicken, Grilled Chicken and Chicken Tenders Sandwich. I opted for the BBQ Cheeseburger in medium (RM7.95).

The waiters were quite friendly although busy, so I took my meal to the uber-chic dining area. The fries were golden brown and hot, but did not compare to Wendy’s and McDonalds. The burger tasted good but only because of the BBQ sauce; otherwise it would have been quite flat.

Burger King boasts great desserts though. The Hershey’s pie, touted to be a slice of chocolate heaven, is only RM3.95. I opted for the Caramel Melts Sundae, and boy, did the caramel melt in my mouth! This was one gorgeous dessert at RM2.95.

This franchise also has Kid’s Meals in choices of Cheese Burger, Beef Burger or Chicken Tenders for RM9.90 each, which I feel is a little pricey.

Food:  3 Stars
Ambience:  4 Stars
Value for money: 3 Stars

[ratings]

The Malaysian Critic wishes all friends a Merry Christmas! Hope everyone has a blessed and safe Xmas, thanks for your support and we hope to provide you reviews and critics!

Kohilam Kalimuthu compares one of the latest food trends in the market—yogurt drinks— and comes away feeling more than a little hydrated

Yogurt drinks have recently been making headway into our supermarkets’ chilled sections, in different brands and even more diverse flavours, and I decided to see what the hype was about. I am not a big fan of yogurt; when I was a kid, my mother used to have a bowl of tairu beside her whenever we sat down at the dining table for lunch, and I used to push the bowl as far away from me as possible as it stank of high hell.

Over the years, I got used to the idea of flavoured yogurt as it was sweet and didn’t stink as much as mom’s tairu (and also because one of the tubs had real strawberries which got me hooked as a teen)!
A little background on one of the world’s fastest growing beverages, yogurt is a dairy product produced by the bacterial fermentation of milk. To offset its natural sourness, sweeteners or flavouring was added to it. Strawberry and orange flavoured yogurts are popular choices. Yogurt is also touted as having medicinal uses, especially in terms of gastrointestinal conditions such as diarrhoea or gastritis, and is believed to promote overall health.

Most types of yogurt contain “live cultures” or “active cultures”, a term referring to living organisms used to ferment pasteurised milk into yogurt. These “live cultures” break down milk lactose, giving the lactose-intolerant among us a chance to gain nutritional benefits from a milk product without having to suffer the side effects.

With this in mind, did the yogurt gurus decide to come up with yogurt drinks, an alternative to yogurt, which would be healthy and convenient, while being a hit with kids. And with the ideas people at Nestle, Dutch Lady, Nutrigen, Sunglo and Marigold joining the bandwagon, it would be in my best interest to try out their yogurt drinks as well.

I had the opportunity of trying out 5 different brands of yogurt drink and some had me vowing that I would take care of my gastrointestinal functions from this point onwards by having a bottle at least once a week.

MARIGOLD’S YOGURT DRINK, 1 litre, RM4.19
The packaging itself wasn’t very attractive, as it didn’t catch my eye like some of the other brands did. I chose the Pome-granate flavoured drink, which came in pink packaging with a green screw-top cover. The packaging also advertised that this drink was cholesterol and fat-free, contained live and active cultures, and was fortified with calcium.

I have a penchant for smelling food before having it go down my throat and into my stomach, so as I soon as I opened this, I took a whiff of it, and the first thought that came to mind was the smell of children’s antibiotic. It didn’t taste much better either, there was a lingering sensation on my tongue, somewhat unpleasant, which I could only wash down with water. The texture was a little thin. In its defence, maybe another flavour would have tasted better.

NESTLE’S BLISS, 700ml, RM4.65
This one caught my eye right away. The bottle was dark blue with pictures of fruits in front, advertising Bliss as a low-fat yogurt drink. I decided on Tropical and Mixed Fruits with real fruit juice. The front of the bottle also advertised that there was no artificial colouring in this drink and that it contained live cultures that would aid digestion. The side of the bottle contains a tiny box entitled “Good to Know”, with information on one of its ingredients (Inulin), and how it aids and maintains a good intestinal environment.

However, it wasn’t exceptional in terms of taste. Maybe fruits shouldn’t be mixed-up and blended together to form a drink! I dare say that another flavour of the same brand would have been better, as the texture of the drink was quite smooth. Unfortunately, it didn’t smell too good as I could get a whiff of sour milk, like tairu all over again. However, I would probably give this drink another go, but only if it was of a different flavour.

DUTCH LADY’S SHINE, 750ml, RM4.49
This was my favourite. The packaging was clean and attractive—the bottle was white and light green and the layout was simple but eye-catching. This drink also advertised zero percent fat and I chose to go with the Apple Aloe Vera flavour with real fruit juice and green tea extracts. It also contained active live cultures.

My choice this time tasted great and I almost finished the drink in one go. It tasted a little like apple juice, only thicker with a slight yogurt base and a hint of aloe vera. The texture was smooth and it was absolutely refreshing. I would definitely rank this as the best among the five.
NUTRIGEN’S LITEYO, 750ml, RM3.49
This bottle was attractive too, it was curvy, making it easier to hold, and stood out on the shelves as it was bright orange with a yellow screw-top cover. This drink was advertised as fat-free, with added collagen and active live cultures. The one thing that got to me about this packaging was that the writing, while already minuscule, was in white (and imagine white against a yellow background!). I had to literally squint to read the fine print like ingredients, etc. and only when I took the bottle under a fluorescent lamp and strained my eyes, could I make out what was written.

I chose the Mango and Peach flavoured drink this time around, and I wasn’t disappointed. When I poured some out into a glass, the colour was a little like children’s liquid medication as well (this one looked like it was for a child who was having a terrible running nose!), but it tasted good. It was slightly sour and the hint of mango was stronger than the peach, but the overall effect was satisfactory. The texture was smooth and it smelt great too.

SUNGLO’S LASSI, 750ml, RM4.50
This was my least favourite. The bottle was unattractive and plain—it was shaped like one of those olden-days bottles when the milkman left one at your doorstep. It’s actually a transparent bottle which looks orange because of the colour of the drink. This drink is advertised as “the original yogurt drink” (whatever that means), and claims to be low-fat. It contains flavouring and colouring, but nowhere on the bottle does it mention that it contains active live cultures.

I chose the orange flavoured version, and when I opened it and took a whiff, it smelt absolutely fabulous and my mouth started to water in anticipation. However, when I took a sip of it, it put me off straightaway. The texture was too thin and it just didn’t taste good. There was no hint of yogurt, it was just like an orange drink into which unsweetened condensed milk had been added sparingly.

This is one brand I would not bother trying again, unless they came out with new flavours and gave away free testers at the supermarkets.

Overall, each and every one of these drinks had nutritional information on some part of the packaging, but only Dutch Lady, Marigold and Nestle had a customer service number at which they could be contacted. Also, all 5 drinks compared had the expiry date prominently displayed on the bottle or the cover, as well as the ideal temperature at which it should be stored.

As for me, I’ve had enough yogurt testing to last me a while, but you can be sure which choice I would go for if I was ever shopping for a health beverage again!
Cheers!

[ratings]

The Voice Independent Music Awards 2010 is here!!

VIMA 2010 is organized by Voize.my, a leading Asian lifestyle and entertainment website. The awards is expected to be held on January 17^th 2010 at a soon to be announced venue. VIMA 2010 is supported by POP TV, 8TV, Hitz.fm, X fm, The Sun, Newman Magazine, Cleo Magazine, Stage Magazine, Yeah Magazine, Malaysian Today, TIS, Joomcool,com, Kokoasia, Friedchillies.com, Arcis communications, Bimbit.com, Malaysiakini and Youth Entrepreneurs of Malaysia (YEM).

Winners of the major categories of VIMA 2010 also gain automatic qualification to the Asia-Pacific Independent Music awards, AVIMA 2010. AVIMA is dubbed as The World’s Biggest Independent Music awards in the world and is expected to attract more than 3000 independent acts from 25 countries including Australia and New Zealand.

The voting is now open to decide on the best acts of the nation so head on to the voting page to cast your votes and hopefully this will pave the way to bigger and better acts to come out of Malaysia!

The nominees are Continue Reading