Remote Desktop Logmein

Assalamualaikum wbt,

Saya rasa pasti anda semua pernah mengalami situasi seperti ini;

'Aiseh, file presentation aku tu dalam laptop kt rumah la. Lupa nak save. Sekarang ni kat uni. Nak balik    rumah malas. Macam mana ek?' 
'Kat rumah tak boleh cari journal online sebab bukan dalam network universiti. Orang kata boleh guna VPN tapi tak retila.' 
'Bila nak buat simulation, mesti kena pergi office. Sebab software tu available kat PC office je'. 
'Aku sekarang kat Jepun ni untuk conference. Tapi ada file yg aku tak save la. Boleh tak ko bukakan laptop aku, password 123 dan emelkan file tu kat aku?'

Masalah tersebut sebenarnya boleh diselesaikan sekiranya anda menggunakan 'remote desktop'. Remote desktop ini dengan kata lain, kita control PC kita remotely atau dari jauh. Microsoft Windows sudah pun mempunyai application ini tapi kita perlu mengetahui PC Name atau IP Addressnya. IP address, apa tu? Takpe, lupakan saja.

Untuk remote desktop, saya selalu menggunakan website 'logmein.com'. Asalkan PC yang anda ingin remotely-controlled itu mempunyai internet dan 'ON', anda boleh access PC tersebut dari mana2 sahaja di dunia ini. Saya personally selalu remote desktop antara PC office, laptop dirumah dan PC di lab. Kadang2 bila saya lupa untuk bawa pendrive utk save data di lab, saya tidak perlu pergi kembali ke lab, tapi boleh terus access remotely dan dapatkan data tersebut.

Apa yang anda perlu lakukan ialah register di website berkenaan dan boleh add PC yang anda ingin connect. Kemudian anda perlu install software yang diberi. Just follow the step by step instructions. Sangat mudah dan ianya FREE. Semasa trial period, anda boleh copy di remote PC dan kemudian paste terus di PC anda. Namun selepas trail period habis, anda perlu bayar utk features tersebut. Tapi remote desktop service masih lagi boleh digunakan indefinitely secara FREE. I found it very2 useful dan banyak membantu kerja2 seharian. Apa tunggu lagi? Cuba hari ini utk optimise masa anda!!!

 

Kalau berani buatlah PhD

Semenjak 2 menjak ni, ramai groupmates saya yang tamat dalam PhD mereka. Andrew mengharungi viva nya kira2 2 bulan yang lalu, Fadzlin bulan lepas dan Wai Mun minggu lalu. RA dalam group kami iaitu Lionel pun akan tamat kontraknya pada bulan April tahun depan. Bila melihat mereka yang sudah habis viva ni, terfikir pula macam manalah nasib aku nanti. Selalunya, apa yang terbayang dalam kepala ialah satu perjalanan yang masih jauh. Begitu jauh. Sangat jauh.

Masa mula2 saya buat PhD, ramai orang kata, apa yang kita buat masa first year ni biasanya tak contribute untuk final thesis. Term yang selalu orang guna ialah 'donkey year'. Mula2 saya memang tak percaya atau refuse untuk percaya. Tapi, setelah 8 bulan menjadi PhD student, nampaknya kata2 mereka benar belaka. Walaupun sudah hampir setahun, saya masih lagi tiada results untuk di report.

PhD sangat berbeza dengan Degree and Masters. Untuk degree dan Masters, kita diberi silibus, belajar silibus tersebut dan exam. Project pula adalah straightforward, nothing to lose kind of project dan telah di designed supaya at the end of the project duration, you are guaranteed to get results that you can report. PhD pula sangat berbeza. Dalam PhD, there are elements that you can and can't control, elements of uncertainty and unpredictability, involves a lot of money and you are not guaranteed to get results. In some cases, it also involves internal politics and bureaucracy. That's why sometimes PhD can be so frustrating. Saya teringat kata2 kak Fadzlin dalam email dan blognya,

"Teringat saya kata-kata seorang senior PhD disini masa saya mula2 start buat phD dulu (kak salmiah kasolang kalau sesiapa mengenali beliau)...she said to me 'Fadzlin, every phd candidate has his/her own unique story'... memang benarlah, setiap satu drp kita akan ada perjalanan phd yg unik....ada yg 2 tahun dah siap, ada yg 7 tahun belum siap...ada yg pelbagai ujian dtg menimpa, kalau tidak ujian drp supervisor or academic wise, ada pula cabaran drp keluarga etc....tapi. ..yg pastinya, Allah tidak akan menguji kita lebih drp kemampuan kita masing2...jadi jika ada cabaran mendatang, sudah pasti kita mampu menghadapinya. ..if we persevere, janji Allah pada kita...Innamal 'usri yusra...selepas kesusahan pastinya ada kesenangan.."

Fokus PhD saya agak berbeza berbanding rakan2 dalam group kami (Impact Ionisation Group aka IIG). Ini kerana expertise group kami ialah characterisation of avalanche photodetectors. Namun, untuk PhD saya, saya bukan sahaja involve dengan device characterisations, malah juga akan involve dengan growth and material characterisations.

V90 Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Di Sheffield, ada 2 MBE machines untuk tujuan growth; V80 dan V90. Kedua2 mesin ini sebenarnya milik dan diuruskan oleh National Centre for III-V Semiconductor (NC). Kedua2 mesin ini bukan sahaja supply samples untuk Uni of Sheffield, tetapi untuk Uni2 lain di UK seperti Surrey, Bristol, etc. Aktiviti growth dijalankan oleh 2 orang grower (mempunyai PhD qualification) yang merupakan staff NC. Based on their system, they don't allow students to do growth. Mungkin disebabkan mesin MBE tersebut mahal (the machine plus all the piping cost more than a million pounds), growth involves dealing with highly toxic gaseous (arsine, phosphine) that can cause fatality and not properly trained personnel can easily damage it.

V80 MBE

V80 MBE

Disebabkan perkara2 yang dinyatakan diatas, arrangement untuk membolehkan saya di trained sahaja telah mengambil masa berbulan lamanya. Mungkin position John sebagai Head of Department sedikit sebanyak telah mempercepat proses tersebut. Kini, growth training saya telahpun bermula. Intensive training tersebut sahaja dijangka akan mengambil masa 6-9 bulan. (Ini bermakna saya tidak akan mempunyai sample sendiri serta results dalam 6-9 bulan akan datang. Nampaknya terpaksalah den transfer bila dah 2 tahun. huhu).

Mudah2an training tersebut akan berjalan lancar. Di Malaysia hampir tiada grower. Hopefully, I can become an expert in growth and contribute my expertise.

Let's Learn Basic Arabic

Anta = you (male)

Anti = you (female)

Antum = all of you (male)

Antunna = all of you (female)

Antuma = both of you (male & female)

Type of Supervisors

Choosing the right research supervisor is very important. According to Prof. Jailani, 60% of success in completing a PhD is related to supervisor. There are 6 types of supervisors according to Smith and Martin; the collaborator, the one with hands-off style, senior scientist, authoritarian, coach and laissez-faire.

1- The collaborator

More likely to be young and hungry for results. His or her success depends to a larger extent on yours, so he/she has a vested interest in how well you do. Often this mean rapid progress toward your degree, but be careful. In such cases topics are often chosen more by the adviser than by the student. The topics may be less risky and the adviser may want more than the appropriate share of credit.

2- Hands-off

Generally, a mid level academic with other responsibilities, but may be 'less greedy for results'. Such a person can be a source of wise counsel and might let you choose areas of greater risks and significance.

3- Senior scientist

A well established faculty member with varying amount of time. The quality of attention from senior scientist may be the best of all because of their extensive experience. However, while older faculty members may not compete with you, as might their younger colleagues, they may also think they know it all, are less likely to help you learn the ropes, and may not be as available. Also, their energy level might be lower and they may be out of date or living on past glories.

4- The Authoritarian

Likely to set the goals and lay out tasks for the research, usually in some detail. Such advisers welcome conflicts, expect you to speak up and argue, and are active throughout the research process.

5- The coach

Will seek to set goals jointly with the student. There may be a lot of guidance in the beginning or planning phase, but not much during the research itself. The adviser is active in the planning stage, passive during the process and active in the evaluation stage.

6- Laissez-faire

Friendly and supportive but it's not certain you will learn much from them. They will be relatively inactive on the research tasks unless you take the initiative but supportive throughout and generally available. Attractive as they may first appear, working with laissez-faire adviser is a high risk strategy and is only likely to work if you have strong research skills, are independent and know what you want.

Leadership

By Dr. Sariah Barnes (during MUSST workshop)

Leadership;

"Through a story, life invites us to come inside as a participant."

-- Steve Denning, author of the "Springboard: How Storytelling Ignited Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations" and Squirrel, Inc.: A Fable of Leadership and Storytelling"

** Sparking Action.

Leadership is, above all, about getting people to change. To achieve this goal, we need to communicate the sometimes complex nature of the changes required and inspire an often skeptical organization to enthusiastically carry them out.

This is the place for what called a "springboard story," one that enables listeners to visualize the large-scale transformation needed in their circumstances and then to act on that realization.

Such a story is based on an actual event, preferably recent enough to seem relevant. It has a single protagonist with whom members of the target audience can identify. And there is an authentically happy ending, in which a change has at least in part been successfully implemented. (There is also an implicit alternate ending, an unhappy one that would have resulted had the change not occurred).

The story has enough detail to be intelligible and credible but not so much that listeners are but -- and this is key -- not so much texture that audience becomes completely wrapped up in it. If that happens, people won't have the mental space to create an analogous scenario for change in their own organization. For example, if we want to get an organization to embrace a new technology, we might tell stories about individuals elsewhere who have successfully implemented it, without dwelling on the specifics of implementation.

** Communicating Who You Are.

You aren't likely to lead people through wrenching change if they don't trust you. And if they're to trust you, they have to know you: who you are, where you've come from, and why you hold the views you do. Ideally, they'll end up not only understanding you but also empathizing with you.

Stories for this purpose are usually based on a life event that reveals some strength or vulnerability and shows what the speaker took from the experience. For example, Jack Welch's success in making General Electric a winner was undoubtedly aided by his ability to tell his own story, which includes a tongue-lashing he once received from his mother after he hurled a hockey stick across the ice in response to a disappointing loss. "You punk!" he reports her saying in his memoir Jack: Straight from the Gut. "If you don't know how to lose, you'll never know how to win."

Unlike a story designed to spark action, this kind is typically "well told," with colorful detail and context. So the speaker needs to ensure that the audience has enough time and interest to hear the story.

** Transmitting Values.

Stories can be effective tools for ingraining values within an organization; particularly those that help forestall future problems by clearly establishing limits on destructive behavior. A story of this type ensures that the audience understands "how things are done around here."

These narratives often take the form of a parable. Religious leaders have used them for thousands of years to communicate values. The stories are usually set in some kind of generic past and have few context-setting details--though the context that is established needs to seem relevant to the listeners. The "facts" of such tales can be hypothetical, but they must be believable. For example, a story might tell the sad fate of someone who failed to see the conflict of interest in not disclosing his or her financial interest in a company supplier.

Of course, narratives alone cannot establish values in an organization. Leaders need to live the values on a daily basis.

** Fostering Collaboration.

Every management textbook talks about the value of getting people to work together. But most don't offer advice on making that happen in real-life work environments--except, "Encourage conversations." Yes, but how?

One approach is to generate a common narrative around a group's concerns and goals, beginning with a story told by one member of the group. Ideally, that first story sparks another, which sparks another. If the process continues, group members develop a shared perspective, one that enables a sense of community to emerge naturally. The first story must be emotionally moving enough to unleash the narrative impulse in others and to create a readiness to hear more stories. It could, for example, vividly describe how the speaker had grappled with a difficult work situation.

For this process to occur, it is best if the group has an open agenda that allows the stories to surface organically. It is also desirable to have a plan ready so that the energy generated by the positive experience of sharing stories can be immediately channeled into action.

** Taming the Grapevine.

Rumors flow incessantly through every organization. "Have you heard the latest?" is a whispered refrain that's difficult for managers to deal with. Denying a rumor can give it credibility. Asking how it got started may ensure its spread.

Ignoring it altogether risks allowing it to grow out of control.

Rumors about issues central to the future of the organization -- takeovers, reorganizations, and major managerial changes-- can be an enormous distraction (or worse) to the staff of an organization and beyond.

So as an executive, what can you do? One response is to harness the energy of the grapevine to defuse the rumor, using a story to convince listeners that the gossip is either untrue or unreasonable.

This kind of story highlights the incongruity between the rumor and reality. You could use gentle satire to mock the rumor, the rumor's author, or even yourself, in an effort to undermine the rumor's power. For example, you might deal with a false rumor of "imminent corporate-wide reorganization" by jokingly recounting how the front office's current struggles involving the seating chart for executive committee meetings would have to be worked out first. Keep in mind, though, that humor can backfire. Mean-spirited ridicule can generate a well-deserved backlash.

The trick is to work with, not against, the flow of the vast underground river of informal communication that exists in every organization. Of course, you can't ridicule a rumor into oblivion if it's true or at least reasonable. If that's the case, there is little that can be done except to admit the rumor, put it in perspective, and move on.

** Sharing Knowledge.

Much of the intellectual capital of an organization is not written down anywhere but resides in the minds of the staff. Communicating this know-how across an organization and beyond typically occurs informally, through the sharing of stories.

Knowledge-sharing narratives are unusual in that they lack a hero or even a detectable plot. They are more about problems, and how and why they got--or, more likely, didn't get--resolved. They include a description of the problem, the setting, the solution, and the explanation. Because they highlight a problem--say, the challenge employees’ face in learning to use a new system--they tend to have a negative tone. And because they often focus in detail on why a particular solution worked, they may be of little interest outside a defined group of people. Though unashamedly entertaining and lacking most elements of a conventional story, they are nonetheless the uncelebrated workhorse of organizational narrative.

They present a difficulty, however. In a corporate setting, stories about problems don't flow easily, not only because people fear the consequences of admitting mistakes, but also because, in the flush of success, people tend to forget what they learned along the way.

As a result, the knowledge-sharing story cannot be compelled; it has to be teased out. That is, a discussion of successes may be needed to get people to talk about what has gone wrong and how it can be fixed.

** Leading People into the Future.

An important part of a leader's job is preparing others for what lies ahead, whether in the concrete terms of an actual scenario or the more conceptual terms of a vision. A story can help take listeners from where they are now to where they need to be, by getting them familiar and comfortable with the future in their minds. The problem, of course, lies in crafting a credible narrative about the future when the future is unknowable.

Thus, if such stories are to serve their purpose, they should what listeners' imaginative appetite about the future without providing detail that will likely turn out to be inaccurate. Listeners should be able to remold the story in their minds as the future unfolds with all its unexpected twists and turns. And clearly, they should portray that state in a positive way: People are more likely to overcome uncertainty about change if they are shown what to aim for rather than what to avoid.

Note that telling an evocative future narrative requires a high degree of verbal skill, something not every leader possesses. But the springboard story, described above, provides an alternative.

Hearing about a change that has already happened can help listeners to imagine how it might play out in the future.

Self Management: Time on Your Hands

By Dr. Sariah Barnes (during MUSST workshop)

The concept that “the more you sweat, the more you get”; may have been true back in the days when people grew what they ate. However, among today’s professionals, the ‘super-successful’ almost never work as hard as the merely successful.

Regardless of what your field is, you must be able to manage resources. The most important of these is –

Workaholics and neurotics are notoriously bad self-managers.

Good self-management means working fewer hours, because you are getting more done, in less time. It also means, gaining an understanding of your limitations and potential and determining the role you want work to play in your life, thus freeing yourself from the anxiety of dealing at cross-purposes and with unrealistic self-imposed demands.

Ultimately, what you accomplish in your career is the result of what you accomplish in a typical day. That is where careers are built and fortunes made.

Engineering a good day, in terms of sheer work output, pays off in three ways: -

You will achieve more and enjoy it more

It is not only a matter of reaching your goals, but also finding happiness, fulfilment, self-respect and making a contribution to society.

You will make more money

Let’s face it; you are paid according to your contribution. When you earn a reputation as a high output professional, you generally can expect consistent salary increases and promotions.

You will be balanced

Increasing your daily productivity gives you more precious time to do other things you enjoy – like spending time with your family, on your hobbies, doing community service or just lazing around. You will achieve a balance that will lead to better health, a more positive attitude and certainly less stress. Operating at a peak level of performance will give you a sense of control over your life.

Self-management is a career skill that becomes increasingly important in the professional world, as the pressure for efficiency grows, stakes are raised and competition gets hotter.

12 strategic ways to meet the challenge and get more done in the day

1. Plan your workday the day before

Make a list of your objectives, rank them in order of priority and then write down the time you estimate each will take. Be realistic – do not underestimate the time. It is best to plan your workday at the end of the day before, because: -

#You are more objective, and less likely to postpone the ‘high return’, but unpleasant, tasks.

#With ‘just completed’ day fresh in your mind, you know where you are on projects, and priorities come naturally.

#You can leave the office, mentally free, because all the ends are tied up. The next morning, you will ‘hit the ground running’, knowing exactly where to start.

2. Know your rhythms and blues

Think of yourself at six o’clock in the morning. What animal comes to mind? An eager beaver or something that the cat dragged in? When do you hit your stride – mid afternoon or midnight?

Schedule routine tasks for your low-energy or ‘blue’ periods. Important tasks and meetings, are scheduled for when you are bright and full of energy. It is more productive to work with your daily rhythm.

3. Deal with the worst first

Tackle the most difficult problem first thing. Deal with unpleasant people and issues straight away. Get your most dreaded assignments out of the way, and your day will take off. You will have created a momentum that will sustain you and you will demolish the rest of your projects with ease.

4. Do a preview review…

When you are travelling to work each morning, imagine that you are actually home. Run the day over in your mind. Everything went as planned, you met your deadlines, handled problems and enjoyed yourself……….. Now you are basking in the feeling of having met the challenges of another day. A preview review makes even the most over-committed day seem less intimidating, because you are actually creating a mental programme that you will follow unconsciously. You will be better prepared to make the most of your day, no matter what happens.

5. Be ruthless with time wasters

A plethora of meetings, details, phone calls and informal conversations can make it entirely possible to have a perfectly active day, in which absolutely nothing is accomplished. To avoid this, become ruthless. Develop a mindset that judges every activity in terms of whether it brings you closer, however minutely, to your goals.

This mindset enables you to see which meetings can be skipped, which appointments cancelled or cut short and which projects streamlined. You will know when to say – No. Even better, other people will tune in to your no-nonsense approach and learn to respect your time as much as you.

6. Become a dictator

You may not have access to a secretary or a typing pool, but if you do, mastering dictation will enable you to double your daily output. A good dictator can turn out a one-page letter in a couple of minutes and prepare the first draft of a ten-page report in less than an hour. When you are removed from the written mode to the spoken word, you will experience a dramatic increase in the quantity and quality of your communication.

7. Find out how you are spending your days

You may be surprised the only way to know how you are really spending your day is to keep a time log. A time log need not be a permanent routine; it is merely a diagnostic tool.

Here is how it works: For a full week, write down in 15-minute increments, everything you do in a workday. Most people resist time logs thinking that they take more time than they save. This is not true! The cumulative time you spend may be only 4-5 minutes a day, yet it can save you hours. A week’s worth of time logs will reveal misplaced priorities, recurring time waters and patterns of low productivity, of which you are totally unaware.

8. Work with people who keep their word

That goes for co-workers, employees, bosses, suppliers and even clients. When you know you can count on people to do what they say they will do, you can, in turn, make commitments and trust that for the most part, things will happen as planned.

Try this technique yourself sometime, with one of your people. When you give somebody an assignment, ask that it be finished by 5 o’clock in the afternoon. “Yes, no problem”, they will say to you. But when you ask, “Do I have your word on it”? They will often respond, “How about first thing in the morning”?

The point is you were going to get it first thing in the morning anyway. When you ask people to give their word, you will have increased immeasurably the chances of them keeping their promises.

9. Build concentration blocks

To ensure that you get your high priorities, you must set aside a portion of your day to think, create and plan. No interruptions, no phone-calls, no visitors – no distractions! Make an appointment with yourself, schedule a quiet hour, work at home, get to the office early or stay late. Most executives need at least two hours a day for this kind of focused work time. In fact, there will be days when you feel your only real accomplishment was made during your concentration time.

10. Play doctor

Most surgeons know two things about their day:

#They have to be in the operating room in the morning, and

#They have to be in their offices in the afternoon.

You must be able to design your day in much the same way: concentration time in the morning and meetings and appointments in the afternoon.

This can free you from racing back and forth, both physically and mentally from your desk to the conference room, to outside meeting, to the telephone. An added benefit is that when you commit yourself in blocks of time, your secretary or receptionist (if you have one), can schedule your appointments, freeing you from that time-consuming task.

11. Organise your tools

‘Tools’ refers to whatever it takes to get the jobs done: anything from a wrench to a tax schedule. If you do not have them-get them. If you can not get them maybe you are not equipped to do a particular job at that moment. Also, keep in mind that a desk is not a place to stack all the items you want to remember. It is one of your tools, meant to expedite the receiving and processing of information. Have only one project on your desk at one time and get rid of the things you are not ready to deal with.

12. Keep impeccable files

A key aspect of your effectiveness is being able to put your finger on exactly the data you need; you can not be too compulsive about keeping your files up to date and accurate.

Create an ‘aide memoire’ or ‘call up’ file to remind yourself of important deadlines and commitments. It will give you a place to put documents you will need in the future, along with a written reminder of what to do with them.

Careers and Personal Development Workshop

I attended a careers and personal development workshop at Oxford last weekend. The workshop was attended by approximately 20 students from various universities.

Speakers:

2 speakers were invited for this workshop. The first speaker is Dr. Sariah Barnes, a lecturer in Entrepreneurial Management from University of Oxford. She is a malay woman, born and grew up in Malaysia. Her name has 'Barnes' at the end simply because she married with an Englishman. She is a book and street smart. She graduated from Cambridge and Oxford. She also owned several companies and became a millionaire when she was 20. Amazing isn't it? She was the consultant to the Prime Minister for 15 years.

The second speaker is Mr. Hamidi Abdul Rahman, the Chairman of Inter Nexus Protocol Sdn. Bhd, an MSC status company. The way he build his careers is very interesting. After graduation, he worked with a company in the UK. After 3 months of employment, he wrote a letter to the management saying that he want to buy the company share. He bought 10% of the company share after 6 months of employment. haha, i can't imagine that. He told that the most important thing is to show them that we have the ability and lots of ideas. After a few years, he sold his share and open his own company.

The organiser claimed that both of them are two most competent Malays in the world and i agree with them.

Inputs:

Leader appearance. When talking in front of audience, don't make lots of movements. Talking with 'paused' to give audience time to absorb the inputs. When shaking hand, look at the person face. (She pointed out that Pak Lah has a bad habit of not looking at the person he shaking hand with -> this is rude!!!). Leader should always use 'we', 'us' not 'you'

Everyone has the ability to become excellent. Whether we are oxford students, sheffield students or IPTA students, we are the same. It just the matter of whether we use our brain or not.

Think global

copy and steal other people positive attributes

'fikir sebelum cakap'. We must know what we are saying and talk based on evidence not assumptions.

Example of positive personal attributes:
high self esteem, action oriented, self-discipline, persistent, practise what we preach/read, maintain high integrity, manage time successfully, good communicator, well groom and dress, keep fit and healthy, leading a balance life, good human relationship, treat everyone with respect and dignity, sharing genuine interest with others, creating win-win relationship, good listener, calling people mistake indirectly, receptive to constructive solution, practise self responsibly.

Involve in business which we know we can become a big player or a leader.

Others:

The tuition fees for oxford student is extremely expensive which is 40,000 pounds (RM280,000) per year. Average tuition fees for UK top universities are around 11,000 to 13,000 pounds. However, oxford students get extra attention from their lecturers and supervisors.

One of the main challenges in doing business in Malaysia is corruption and 'dengki khianat'. You can have the best product with the best price and still get rejected while companies which not even fulfill the main requirements won the bid.

Malaysian are smart and have lots of ideas but usually the implementation is inefficient.