So I'm not sure if you're aware, but Microsoft will be unveiling its latest and greatest operating system, Windows 7, this Thursday, October 22, worldwide.  I've been hearing a lot of great things about this new OS, and I have been fortunate enough to try it out before the actual release date...

Having used Windows Vista for a period before backtracking to Windows XP, this newest Windows 7 will certainly have computer users saying once and for all, "Hasta La VISTA, Baby!"  Quite honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect with Windows 7, but it really is ridiculously better than its predecessor.  I couldn't believe how much faster it runs, and I've even got the logo in my slideshow for the desktop background...

Windows 7 is definitely designed for "ease of use" for everyone, especially the individuals who like to share various media such as photos and videos over the internet.  I really enjoy the special preview window at the bottom task bar for each of the browser windows I have opened up.  Supposedly, the average computer user has FIFTEEN windows open at one single time.  Wow.  I thought I was really pushing the limit with seven or eight windows.  Maybe I'm not as good of a multi-tasker as I think I am.

Anyways, the date is set so watch out for the worldwide launch of Windows 7 in a few days!  Time for me to get back to work on my newest "Megahard" OS!

...and thanks again to Microsoft and Acer for giving me a "taste" of Windows 7 before it's officially "opened!" 

Going 'Loopz'y starting up a new business

Sep 25, 2009 Friday, 03:57 PM

Actress Wong Lilin tells why she's pursuing a previous project as a business now.

I'M on the cusp of running an active business and the thought is sometimes frightening.

It all started 14 years ago when I was teaching Pilates and using TheraBands, a latex flat sheet used by the superfit and those in rehab alike. It's a great tool for resistance training, and anyone who knows anything about fitness will tell you resistance training is an important if not overlooked aspect of being in shape.

I had a client who had the hardest time with these TheraBands because of her rheumatoid arthritis. Grasping these TheraBands require a fist grip that she just could not manage. Tai-tais with long nails and people with hyperhidrosis (sweaty palms) couldn't manage either. So I figured, I can come up with something better. And I did, I think!

I developed Loopz, an exercise band with multiple grip openings so you can simply slip your hand or foot through them for exercise. It's more comfortable, safer, more durable and stronger than conventional resistance bands. The exerciser can also do more with it - including abdominal work. And, it is six times stronger than a market competitor!

Lilin shows how her Loopz band helps you get lean arms.

But I was too busy being young at the time and left it at that.

Fast forward to today. I've decided to revive my Loopz project. Why? Aside from the feeling of wanting to complete what I'd started so long ago, I'm now driven this time by a fierce motivation to provide for my family.

So the first thing one does in this digital era? Get a website right? Well, when I recovered from the shock of the fee involved in getting my site started, my imaginative mind (a numerologist highlighted as a key trait of mine) began to think up ways to milk my money's worth. I figured I'll continue to follow my heart of sharing wellness with others and decided to start an online listing for all wellness related businesses.

Wureka is a sort of "yellow pages" for wellness listings basically - but affordable and uncomplicated. It charges $500 for the year, or $1.40 a day, for a wellness-related business to list. The idea is for the auntie in Ghim Moh and the uncle in Telok Kurau to have their businesses seen on the web. I want the end user to be able to access all wellness information in one site, quickly and without fuss. I want www.wureka.com to be the most exhaustive, comprehensive and de facto definitive site for wellness in Singapore.

Wureka! Wellness: You found it!

And it'll house Loopz.

Both Wureka! and Loopz are intrinsically linked in that their geneses were my desires to deliver an improved product and to share fitness/wellness with all.

So here I am, on that cusp with so much to learn, too much to do and attempting to keep my head on - my Daily Batting. There are a multitude of times when I wonder if I realize what I'm getting myself into (I don't!). Yet I haven't thought about giving up. I think I'm actually enjoying myself in a sick, strange sort of way.

My husband, feeling badly that the new business is getting the better of me, very kindly volunteered the idea that I could always back out. But you know what? I choose to do this. It would be extremely unsatisfactory if I were to fail and lose my investments. But ultimately, it is less about the money than it is the task that I am committed to keeping. Every successful person or business has had their teething days and I am living it right now.

Yes, it's daunting but I'm in training! I'm a soft quivering mess now but I'm looking forward to building up some muscle. I want very much to succeed. I want to provide. And I am extremely motivated by my desire not to waste this opportunity.