How to install iOS 5 GM

iOS 5 just went golden yesterday after Apple unveiled iPhone 4S, and promised to release the final version on Oct. 12th. If you cannot wait that long and want to lay a hand on it right now like me, you could download the Golden Master version, which is amount to the final release version, and have installed right now! Here's how (for Mac only):

1. Download the latest iTunes 10.5 beta 9, direct link, install it

2. Download iOS 5 for your iPhone, downloads are available here, http://imzdl.com. For ATT users, use GSM, for Verison, CDMA.

3. Extract the IPSW file from the iOS 5 seed

4. Back up your iPhone by iTunes

5. Open iTunes, connect your iPhone, press and hold option key and choose "restore", select the IPSW file from where you extracted it

6. Wait till the system is loaded and your iPhone restarts

7. Setup preferences, iCloud and sync with your back up

Save more on travel

bidding on Priceline.com has been my best pocket saving strategy when planning a trip. To save more, I would collect more useful information from other sources to help bid.

www.mrrebates.com

This site provides cash back if you click links through their site, for priceline, it's 2% cash back. So click priceline.com through mrrebates.com, bid your room, and get 2% on top of what you've won.

www.hotwire.com

Hotwire works as a preference to how much you are offering on Priceline. Usually you should price lower on Priceline than Hotwire's offering. If you can't get a better deal on priceline, then buy it from Hotwire.

www.biddingfortravel.yuku.com

www.betterbidding.com

These two sites provide successful bidding information on Priceline and Hotwire. So before bidding, just go to these two sites, and check what other people have won and how much they are paying. The bottom line is, you shouldn't be paying more.

Make Mac run faster

Had this Macbook Pro for a year and half, it's running damn slow as applications are installed and uninstalled. Usually it so happens because either too many applications are been installed and it messes up with the disk permission, or there're some disk errors that require repair. To make the system run faster, the following few steps would help:

1. Remove unused applications;

2. Close unnecessary notifications;

3. Repair disk permission

--a. open applications->utilities->disk utility

--b. select Mac OS disk

--c. verify disk permissions

--d. repair disk permissions

4. Repair Disk

--a. insert Mac OS CD

--b. restart the system

--c. open utilities->disk utility

--d. verify disk

--e. repair disk

these few steps have worked for me, it feels light and new again.

Identity Theft

Recently I suffered from identity theft on one of my BOA debit card. Apparently one of the merchants that I purchased some goods from online thus keeps a record of my debit card information underwent some hack activity in their order system, this leads directly to the compromise of my check card. Dozens of transactions which I didn't make showed up in my account statement over night, pending. I'm kinda anxious when my account balance goes from positive to negative and goes further down each day not knowing if I'm responsible for any of that. Here's what I did the moment I knew there's Identity Theft on my card:

1. Call Fraud Department and report identity theft, they'll close your debit card and issue a new one.
2. Call Claim Department and ask back your money which you haven't spent.
3. Wait for the affidavit, sign and return it.
4. Get a credit card!

When I first opened my bank account, this beautiful young lady advised me to have two checking accounts, one for daily use and one for online purchase only for security reasons. I didn't know back then that identity theft is such a serious problem in US. I'm very glad I took her advice and kept only minimum balance on the "online-only" card. Things could be way worse if I had only one card.

Canada Visa for Chinese F1 Students

Just successfully applied VISA to Canada. It's so much easier to get it if you are holding F1 visa in USA. Basically you just need the following documents to be not refused entry to Canada:

1. Application form

2. Application fee

--- paid with money order is convenient if you're not in the vicinity of any embassies

3. I-20

4. Valid Passport

5. Certificate of registration

--- this can be issued at university admission and registration office

More details are posted on Embassy of Canada.

VISA to USA

never thought it would be this easy and fast to be granted VISA to USA in Hong Kong.

1. make application payment at Da Sing Bank and keep the receipt.
2. submit an application online, also book an appointment.
3. go to the Consulate General, submit your documentary and proofs.
4. leave your finger prints and talk to an officer, results will be disclosed to you right after the talk.
5. wait for 2 days till your visa attached to your passport arrives your house.

that's it. the whole process takes no more than four days, no tedious red tape to go through, and a one year-valid VISA to USA is approved even if I only requested to stay for three days. That's what they call efficiency. It took me one and half a months to get a three days-valid visa to Taiwan, and that's even under special circumstance. Politics can be very interesting....

tips on making international calls in Mainland with HK SIM card

** the following tips only apply to PEOPLES customers.

when roaming in mainland China, and you need to call back to Hong Kong or foreign countries with HK SIM card (most SIM cards issued in mainland China cannot make international calls), follow these steps:

Calls to Hong Kong:

1. dial *138* (Hong Kong phone number) #
2. Wait for a return call. Upon receiving the call, you will be connected to the number you have dialed.

Calls to other countries:

1. dial *138*001 (country code) (area code) (phone number) #
2. Wait for a return call. Upon receiving the call, you will be connected to the number you have dialed.

some 5 dollars will be charged per minute for the services no matter the recipient answers it or not.


another tip: try avoid receiving incoming calls when roaming, because the service charge is a total RIP-OFF. Answering incoming call in Shenzhen, 6.48 HKD/min; in cities of Guangdong other than Shenzhen, 7.78 HKD/min; in provinces other than Guangdong, 12.78 HKD/min

How to get to Shenzhen with Student Octopus

With student octopus, you always have 50% discount on the metro ride except for one route from Sheung Shui(上水) to the border station of Hong Kong--Lo Wu(羅湖) or Lok Ma Chau(落馬洲), this 5 minutes' ride alone costs 18.6 dollars and full fare is mandatory even if you're holding a student octopus. It's kinda like a starting cost of crossing border, which is totally not reasonable.

Weird thing is if you travel from any metro station straight to the border stations mentioned, without getting off in the midway, full fare is charged as if you were punished for going to the border because the routes that should've been half-charged are in full fare.

So here's what I would do to take advantage of student octopus to get the discount back.

DON'T go straight to the border station
ALWAYS get off at Sheung Shui station with octopus

and get back in the station one minute after octopus is charged and go on the ride to the border. By doing this, you get all the discount from any station to Sheung Shui station. For example, if I go straight from Choi Hung Station to Lo Wu station, I'll need to spend over 33 dollars on the whole ride. But if I get off at Sheung Shui, I'll be charged only some 5 dollars, and then get back on to the train to Lo Wu, which costs 18.6 dollars, that is TEN dollars saved in my pocket.

The same trick works when going back to Hong Kong from Shenzhen, get off at Sheung Shui, save another 10 dollars. And this getting-off thing is not time consuming and burden carrying, you just take some walk out off the station, wait for a minute and walk back in.

How to get to HKIA fast and cheap

HKIA (Hong Kong International Airport) locates on the reclamated island of Chek Lap Kok(赤鱲角). Not so far, but if you don't make the right decision, it'll cost you so much to get there! Having been there twice just within this month, here's my advice: DON'T take the Airport Express. I have my point:

1. it's expensive. No student discount for Airport Express, it costs HKD60 even if you get on the express from the station nearest(Tsing Yi station) to the airport back and forth. Usually, somewhat 100 dollars is expected to cover the AE fare.

2. Not so "express". Wait another 10-20 minutes for the next express if you missed the last one! And to change from MTR to Airport Express costs just as much time as it takes to wait for an avalaible express, that adds up to around 30 minutes waiting time!

Here's what you should do to save money and time to get to the airport:

Get on MTR, go all the way to Tung Chung station. You may have to change lines for two or three times, but they're instant-interchangeable, which means change lines on the same platform. With student discount, no more than 10 dollars would be charged for the ride. Cheap enough, huh! When you get off at Tung Chung station, you'll find many airport shuttles in the bus hub just at the B or C exit! Shuttles to the airport always start with an "S" in the shuttle number. So get on S64 or S63(something like that) and you're just about 10-20 minutes away from the airport, and the best thing here, it costs only 3.5 dollars!

The first time I got to the airport to see some friend off, I spent more than 100 dollars on Airport Express alone. When I got there, my friend has already boarded!

Yesterday, the same airport, another friend, just 27 dollars back and forth, and I got there two hours before my friend boarded!

Now you have the picture!