Business Slowing

Business is slowing... Met with more setback, look like I have to look for alternative office space for continual business operation. Resting some hope on my application to TIP (Technology Innovation Program), going into phase 2, whereby the results will be out before end of April. But I have not received any call for the follow-on interview, which will be indicative of if there is a hint of any chance of success.

This fiscal year, I am going to take back majority controlling share into my business. I will seriously need to weigh the option to get into full-time employment again, unless more fresh funds be injected into business... Currently, I am using my own reserves as working capital, profit margins are thin, just enough to cover expenses but too little to expand the business rapidly.

New venture into data recovery and disposal business has not seen any major breakthrough yet. Shifting gear into embedded system design is turning into an uphill task, because it requires more upfront funds and skilled hands...

There is a saying "a good hunting dog is not able to chase two rabbits at the same time". Seems like I need to reflect on myself and rethink the priorities again?

Ichigo 100% Anime and Manga

Over the Chinese New Year, I took my mind totally off work and find time to revisit an old comic collection "Ichigo 100%". Ichigo means "Strawberry" in Japanese. It was meant to a romantic comedy by Kawashita Mizuki, for some light entertainment...

But as the story progressed, the plot thickens and the heart get heavier. Of the four girls in Ichigo 100%: Aya Toujo, Satsuki Kitaoji, Nishino Tsukara and Yui Minamito. I like Nishino most, she caused my heart to skip a beat or two, many times. Probably, it did bring back some fond memories of my first love?!! (hehehe, better not let my wife see this:P) All of this started when I accidentally stumbled on Ichigo 100% anime on YouTube (contributed by auflame), it consisted of 12 Episodes + 5 OVAs, but covered less than 1/3 of the original work, and also missed out some pretty important parts of the story. Overall, the anime is well drawn, the opening and ending theme songs simply capivating. Pity that the anime seemed to have ended abruptly...

Reading 19 volumes, 167 chapters in 3 days is a feat. Now, it is time to get back to reality...

Going TIP

It has since a long time since I last blogged. It has been pretty windy on the past few days, and I quite like the weather...

Yesterday evening, I attended an information sharing session held at Amara Hotel, on Master of Science in Technopreneur and Innovation Program (TIP) offered by Nanyang Technology University. After due consideration, I decided to apply for the course. So if I am lucky enough to be among the 50 hand-picked participants, I will probably be heading back to school.

The course structure is pretty interesting, focusing on skills that i could immediately took back to office. And it can be completed within a year. But it contains a stretch of 4-month long full-time commitment, including 6 weeks in Silicon Valley and University of Washington, United States as well as the chance to participate in a business plan competition with a cash prize of $30,000 prize.

On the flip side of the coin, I foresee that balancing family, business and school will be a big challenge. I will have to weigh on the opportunity costs, by taking time off my business. And also to gain family support, especially taking care of my two young children, while I am away. But what come will come, worry when worry come.

Welcome 2007, Goodbye 2006

Going into the new year, 2007. There are many things to left to be done, and need to be done. My business is still humming along, but I felt like living on the edge ...... Earnings are not growing fast enough to cover the expenses:(

Since the start of the new year, I have been down with cold and flu. A week later still nursing a persistent cough and sore throat. Often tired, and unable to concentrate on the tasks at hands. Suddenly, I developed fear, ... fear of failure and the dreaded thought of going back to full-time employment?!!

I have given up my high-paying job for my business. Despite that things are not all smooth-sailing, the company is still stearing in the right direction, adding a tinge of satisfaction to myself. But when I am lying sick in bed, recovering from a bad headache, made worst by blocked nose, bad cough and sore throat... Suddenly I began thinking to myself: Would life be better if I worked for myself or others? ... And what if I fail in my business?

Perhaps, it is the medicine and its sedative effects. The devil in me has been awaken...

Sunflowers

Taken this photographs at Changi Airport on Sunday. The flower look dignified, yet a bit unnatural in the settings of the airport. Probably if it blossoms amidst the beautiful countryside in seas of yellow flowers under wide open blue skies, it would be pretty sight to behold.

The name "Sunflower" originates from the Greek helios meaning "sun" and anthos meaning "flower".

I always hoped for a chance to go Hokkaido for see its Sunflowers and Lavender blooming it Summer, probably not in these few years time when my company is still in the early start up years and my children are so young -- one is two years old, and the other eight months old.

I would have chosen Sunflower as my company logo?! Sunflower, as I thought, is a dignifed flower, upright and noble as it held its stem straight and stand tall. The flowers always turn directly to face the sun, reorienting overnight to await the sunrise and eagerly catching the early dawn with delight. Just like a beautiful lady waiting to kissed ...

In scientific term, this phenomenon is known as "Heliotropism".

Sunflowers have a long bloom time in hot summer days, that probably why it always represented life, optimism, warmth and hope.

Leap Ahead

I am busy with evaluating the porting on embedded Linux systems to FPGA-based softcore processor running on Xilinx chip. I am looking at MicroBlaze, a 32-bit RISC microprocessor optimized for Xilinx FPGA to replace our previous embedded system design centered on the ARM-based hardcore processor. Foresee that there will a steep learning curve ahead, as we embrace a new technology.

Xilinx Virtex Board

Xilinx Spartan-3 Board

Today's advancements in Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology have allowed the implementation of a complete computer systems on a single FPGA chip with a soft-core processor is the central processing unit, complete with memory, interrupt controllers, Ethernet support, UARTs, timers and buses etc.

A softcore processor is a microprocessor fully described in software, usually in a Hardware Description Language (HDL) which can be synthesized in programmable hardware. Traditionally, systems are built around hardcore processors using general-purpose procecssors implemented as Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) on printed circuit boards, that may include FPGA if flexible user logic was required. Using softcore processors, everything can be integrated into a single FPGA chip. Despite the flexibility in design, softcore processors however still provide lower performance than corresponding ASIC design. But the gap may be closing especially with lowering cost of memory ...

With emphasis on open protocols, softcore processors will likely to gain more traction. Some cores are patented and copyrighted, while most are freely available under GNU Public License. The key competitive advantage will be a shorter design cycle compared with ASICs, especially complex systems with the right CAD and/or CASE tools.

I have clinched a deal with a customer, preparing to present a showcase of the new product in a few month time. The clock has started to tick ...

Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

This is an interesting philosophical question.

The typical answer would be that someone with a positive attitude (optimist) will see the glass as half full, while someone with a negative view of life (pessimistic) will see the glass as half empty.

Posed with the questions, in a survey, it is interesting to note that most people want to be seen as optmistic. So can this question tell optimists apart from the pessimists?

Why is it we have the tendency to perceive that it is a negative thing to see a half-empty glass?

Since the glass is half empty, it has the capacity to hold more water. So what are you waiting for?!!! Go fetch more water to fill your glass.