Salam...
Hari ni adalah hari ke-16 puasa utk rakyat Malaysia dan merupakan pertengahan bulan Ramadhan yg diberkati. Diharap semua masih lg bertenaga dan dapat menjalankan kerja-kerja harian seperti biasa. Semoga Ramadhan kali ini membawa perubahan yg istiqamah kepada kita semua. Amin...
Wlam...
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Operation Engineer
salam....
25hb 7 2011 officially ak dilantik sbg jurutera operasi tnb remaco (csm) manjung.... adalah jawatan ini yang ak idam2kn selama ini atau jurutera elektrik? apa pun sebarang jawatan yang diberikan kpd ak seharusnya dijalani dengan jayanya. harap ak dpt menggunakan peluang ini utk mendalami ilmu Allah di tnb remaco (csm) manjung. dengan bantuan rakan sekerja (harapan), ak boleh menjalankn tugas ini dgn jayanya...
InsyaAllah...
25hb 7 2011 officially ak dilantik sbg jurutera operasi tnb remaco (csm) manjung.... adalah jawatan ini yang ak idam2kn selama ini atau jurutera elektrik? apa pun sebarang jawatan yang diberikan kpd ak seharusnya dijalani dengan jayanya. harap ak dpt menggunakan peluang ini utk mendalami ilmu Allah di tnb remaco (csm) manjung. dengan bantuan rakan sekerja (harapan), ak boleh menjalankn tugas ini dgn jayanya...
InsyaAllah...
Saturday, June 11, 2011
gomo klate gomo
salam...
mungkin kali ini insyaAllah kelantan akan memenangi piala malaysia edisi 2011...
begitu manis apabila kerajaan kelantan seolah2 menyokong semangat para penyokong kelantan kerana mengisytiharkan eesok adalah cuti peristiwa untuk membolehkan para penyokong kelantan pulang dan dengan izin Allah bersama-sama dengan piala FA setelah dikecewakan oleh selangor pada edisi 2009.
semangat "GOMO KELATE GOMO"
mungkin kali ini insyaAllah kelantan akan memenangi piala malaysia edisi 2011...
begitu manis apabila kerajaan kelantan seolah2 menyokong semangat para penyokong kelantan kerana mengisytiharkan eesok adalah cuti peristiwa untuk membolehkan para penyokong kelantan pulang dan dengan izin Allah bersama-sama dengan piala FA setelah dikecewakan oleh selangor pada edisi 2009.
semangat "GOMO KELATE GOMO"
Thursday, April 28, 2011
blog...oh blog...
Salam...
Lama doh rasa xupdate blog nih....tgk kak anis wat blog pasal family tu rasa nk tulih bnda jah dlm blog...tp xthu gapo nk tulih....cukup skadar menjengah seketika kot...
salam dari manjung...
Lama doh rasa xupdate blog nih....tgk kak anis wat blog pasal family tu rasa nk tulih bnda jah dlm blog...tp xthu gapo nk tulih....cukup skadar menjengah seketika kot...
salam dari manjung...
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Mandi Wajib aka Junub
Assalamualaikum,
Berkongsi sedikit ilmu… dari JAKIM.
Mandi wajib yg betul…..
Mandi wajib merupakan perkataan yang mudah disebut, tetapi jangan terkejut jika dikatakan banyak umat Islam di tanahair kita yang tidak sah mandi wajibnya kerana tidak melakukannya dengan betul.
Untuk melakukan mandi wajib yang betul, seseorang itu tidak boleh melakukannya dengan hanya mandi secara berdiri atau duduk mencangkung sahaja. Sebaliknya, ia mesti dilakukan dalam kedua2 keadaan bagi membolehkan seseorang itu meratakan air ke seluruh anggota badannya yang zahir.
Penolong Pengarah Bahagian Dakwah, Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM), Uztaz Haji Mat Jais Kamos, 49, menegaskan, bagaimanapun, berdasarkan pengalamannya sebagai bekas kadi di Pejabat Agama Islam Gombak Timur dan penceramah, didapati banyak umat Islam yang tidak mengetahui perkara ini.
“Akibatnya, mandi majibnya menjadi tidak sah kerana tidak memenuhi salah satu rukun mandi wajib iaitu meratakan air keseluruh anggota badan yang zahir. Apabila mandi wajib tidak sah, ibadat yang dilakukan oleh seseorang itu juga turut tidak sah. Itulah akibatnya jika tidak melakukan mandi wajib dengan betul,” tegas beliau ketika ditemui di rumahnya di Taman Sri Keramat Kuala Lumpur .
Mandi wajib yang juga sebagai mandi junub atau janabah tidak boleh dipandang ringan oleh umat islam. Setiap orang yang mlakukannya mestilah mengetahui dan memenuhi rukun2nya. Jika tidak mandi wajib seseorang itu tidak akan sah.
Rukun mandi wajib ada 3 perkara. Pertama, niat. Kedua , menghilangkan najis di badan.Ketiga , meratakan air keseluruh anggota badan yang zahir.
Niat mandi wajib: “Sahaja aku mengangkat hasar besar kerana Allah Taala.”
Atau ” Sahaja aku mandi wajib kerana Allah Taala.”
Niat itu di dalam hati dan ia hendaklah disertakan ketika air sampai ke mana2 bahagian anggota badan.
Bagi perempuan yang habis haid, niat mandi wajib ialah: ” Sahaja aku mengangkat hadas haid kerana Allah Taala.” Manakala bagi perempuan yang habis nifas, niat mandi wajibnya ialah: ” Sahaja aku mengangkat hadas nifas kerana Allah Taala”.
Niat itu jika dilambatkan atau ketika seseorang itu memulakannya selepas dia telah membasuh salah 1 anggota badannya akan menjadikan mandi wajibnya tidak sah. Oleh itu dia mestilah memulakan kembali niatnya ketika dia mula menyampaikan air keseluruh anggota badannya. Sekiranya dia berniat sebelum air sampai ke badan, niat itu juga tidak sah. Oleh itu mandi wajibnya tidak sah.
Mengenai rukun mandi wajib yang ke2, iaitu menghilangkan najis yang ada pada badan , menurut Ustaz Haji Mat Jais, menurut Imam Nawawi, jika kita ada najis di badan, najis itu boleh dibasuh serentak dengan mandi wajib. Ertinya membasuh najis dengan mandi itu boleh disekalikan.
Sementara rukun mandi wajib yang ke3, iaitu meratakan air ke seluruh anggota badan yang zahir , meliputi kulit, rambut dan bulu yang ada di badan, sama ada bulu2 yang jarang atau lebat. Jika rambut seseorang itu ditocang atau disanggul, sekiranya tidak sampai air ke dalamnya, tocang atau sanggul itu wajiblah dibuka. Bulu2 dalam lubang hidung pula, tidak wajib dibasuh kerana dianggap batin. Tetapi sekiranya, bulu2 di dalam hidung itu bernajis, ia wajiblah dibasuh.
Mengenai kuku pula, jika di dalam kuku ada kotoran yg boleh menghalang sampai air ke badan khususnya di bahagian bawah kuku, kotoran itu wajiblah dibuang. Membuang kotoran di dalam kuku itu pula boleh dilakukan ketika sedang mandi.
Tentang rambut yg diwarnakan pula selain inai, inilah yang merumitnya. Sebenarnya jika rambut seseorang itu diwarnakan dengan pewarna selain inai, mandi wajib seseorang itu tidak sah. Oleh itu, seseorang yang mewarnakan rambutnya dengan pewarna selain inai, jika dia hendak mandi wajib, dia mestilah membuang pewarna pada rambutnya terlebih dahulu. Tetapi untuk membuang pewarna itu pula bagaimana?..
Inilah yang rumitnya. Sedangkan pewarna pada rambut itu sebenarnya tidak boleh dibuang begitu mudah.
Yang menyebabkan mandi wajib orang yang menggunakan pewarna pada rambutnya tidak sah kerana pewarna itu akan menyalut rambutnya yang menghalang air sampai ke rambut. Ini berbeza dengan inai. Inai sebenarnya akan meresap ke rambut, tetapi pewarna pula akan menyalut rambut menyebabkan air terhalang ke rambut.
Tetapi dalam hal ini, jangan pula ada yang salah faham. Sebenarnya pewarna itu jika dikeluarkan sijil halal oleh JAKIM dan sekiranya pewarna itu tidak bernajis, bukanlah bermaksud menjadi tidak sah. Dalam hal ini, sukalah saya menyatakan bahawa sembahyang dan mandi wajib itu berbeza. Jadi, mestilah dipandang dari sudut yg berbeza.
Dalam hal ini juga, sukalah saya menyatakan, huraian mengenai rukun mandi wajib seperti yang telah saya nyatakan ini adalah merupakan perbezaan sah atau tidak mandi wajib. Jadi, ia perlulah diberikan perhatian yang lebih oleh umat Islam.
Mengenai sebab2 seseorang itu wajib mandi wajib pula, Ustaz Haji Mat Jais menegaskan, sebab2nya terdiri daripada 6 sebab. 3 sebab melibatkan lelaki dan perempuan iaitu kerana bersetubuh walaupun tidak keluar air mani, keluar air mani dan mati. Manakala 3 sebab lagi hanya melibatkan kaum perempuan sahaja, iaitu keluar darah haid, nifas dan melahirkan anak(wiladah) .
Mandi wajib boleh dilakukan di mana2 dengan menggunakan air mutlak sama ada air telaga, air paip, sungai laut dan tasik.
Bagi pasangan suami isteri yang bersetubuh pula, mereka tidak semestinya mandi selepas bersetubuh, tetapi diwajibkan mandi ketika ingin beribadat.
Selepas bersetubuh pula, jika ia dilakukan pada waktu malam, jika tidak mahu mandi wajib, seelok2nya ambillah wuduk sebelum tidur itu adalah sunat, manakala tidak berwuduk sebelum tidur adalah makruh.
Panduan Tambahan
1. Agar wajah selalu segar, berseri-seri dan cantik, cucilah minima 5 kali sehari dengan air wudhu. Jangan langsung dikeringkan, biarkan menitis dan kering sendiri. Lalu ambillah sajadah, shalat, berdzikir, dan berdo’a.
2. Untuk menghilangkan stress, perbanyaklah ‘olahraga’. Cukup dengan memperbanyakkan solat. Ketika solat, kita mengerakkan seluruh tubuh. Lalu berkonsultasilah pada Allah SWT dengan dzikir dan do’a.
3. Untuk pelembab, agar awet muda, gunakanlah senyuman. Tidak hanya di bibir tapi juga di hati. Jangan lupa bisikkan ‘kata kunci’, “Allahuma Kamma Hassanta Khalqii Fahassin Khuluqii” (Ya Allah sebagaimana engkau telah memperindah kejadianku, maka perindah pula akhlaqku).
(HR Ahmad).- ( DOA TENGOK CERMIN ).
4. Untuk punya bibir cantik, bisikkan kalimat-kalimat Allah, tidak berbohong atau menyakiti hati orang lain, tidak menyombongkan diri atau takbur.
5. Agar tubuh langsing, mulus, diet yang teratur dengan berpuasa seminggu 2 kali, Isnin dan Khamis. Jika kuat, lebih bagus lagi puasa Nabi Daud AS i.e. selang satu hari. Makanlah makanan halal, perbanyak sayuran, buah-buahan, dan air putih.
6. Untuk mengembangkan diri, sebarkan salam dan sapaan. Dengan demikian kita akan banyak dikenal dan disayangi.
Rahsia 13
Inilah dia rahsia as-solat, sebagai peringatan bagi yang sudah tahu atau panduan bagi yang baru tahu……
1. Niat Sembahyang Sebenarnya memeliharakan taubat kita dari dunia dan akhirat.
2. Berdiri Betul Fadilatnya, ketika mati dapat meluaskan tempat kita di dalam kubur.
3. Takbir-ratul Ihram Fadilatnya, sebagai pelita yang menerangi kita di dalam kubur.
4. Fatihah Sebagai pakaian yang indah-indah di dalam kubur.
5. Ruqu’ Sebagai tikar kita di dalam kubur.
6. I’tidal Akan memberi minuman air dari telaga al-kautsar ketika di dalam kubur.
7. Sujud Memagar kita ketika menyeberangi titian SIRATUL-MUSTAQIM.
8. Duduk antara 2 Sujud Akan menaung panji-panji nabi kita di dalam kubur.
9. Duduk antara 2 Sujud (akhir) Menjadi kenderaan ketika kita di padang Mahsyar.
10.Tahhiyat Akhir Sebagai penjawab bagi soalan yang dikemukakan oleh Munkar & Nankir di dalam kubur.
11.Selawat Nabi Sebagai pendinding api neraka di dalam kubur.
12.Salam Memelihara kita di dalam kubur.
13.Tertib Akan pertemuan kita dengan Allah S.W.T.
Dari Abdullah bin ‘Amr R. A., Rasulullah S. A. W.bersabda : “Senarai di atas adalah salah satu sebab mengapa orang Yahudi / Kafir tidak sukakan angka 13 dan juga Hari Jumaat. Itulah sebab mengapa mereka mencipta cerita yang begitu seram sekali iaitu ” FRIDAY the 13th ” jika ada di kalangan kamu yang perasan!!!”
Wassalam.
“Sampaikanlah pesanku biarpun satu ayat…” Sebaik-baik manusia itu adalah mereka yang memberi manafa’at kepada manusia lain…
Berkongsi sedikit ilmu… dari JAKIM.
Mandi wajib yg betul…..
Mandi wajib merupakan perkataan yang mudah disebut, tetapi jangan terkejut jika dikatakan banyak umat Islam di tanahair kita yang tidak sah mandi wajibnya kerana tidak melakukannya dengan betul.
Untuk melakukan mandi wajib yang betul, seseorang itu tidak boleh melakukannya dengan hanya mandi secara berdiri atau duduk mencangkung sahaja. Sebaliknya, ia mesti dilakukan dalam kedua2 keadaan bagi membolehkan seseorang itu meratakan air ke seluruh anggota badannya yang zahir.
Penolong Pengarah Bahagian Dakwah, Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM), Uztaz Haji Mat Jais Kamos, 49, menegaskan, bagaimanapun, berdasarkan pengalamannya sebagai bekas kadi di Pejabat Agama Islam Gombak Timur dan penceramah, didapati banyak umat Islam yang tidak mengetahui perkara ini.
“Akibatnya, mandi majibnya menjadi tidak sah kerana tidak memenuhi salah satu rukun mandi wajib iaitu meratakan air keseluruh anggota badan yang zahir. Apabila mandi wajib tidak sah, ibadat yang dilakukan oleh seseorang itu juga turut tidak sah. Itulah akibatnya jika tidak melakukan mandi wajib dengan betul,” tegas beliau ketika ditemui di rumahnya di Taman Sri Keramat Kuala Lumpur .
Mandi wajib yang juga sebagai mandi junub atau janabah tidak boleh dipandang ringan oleh umat islam. Setiap orang yang mlakukannya mestilah mengetahui dan memenuhi rukun2nya. Jika tidak mandi wajib seseorang itu tidak akan sah.
Rukun mandi wajib ada 3 perkara. Pertama, niat. Kedua , menghilangkan najis di badan.Ketiga , meratakan air keseluruh anggota badan yang zahir.
Niat mandi wajib: “Sahaja aku mengangkat hasar besar kerana Allah Taala.”
Atau ” Sahaja aku mandi wajib kerana Allah Taala.”
Niat itu di dalam hati dan ia hendaklah disertakan ketika air sampai ke mana2 bahagian anggota badan.
Bagi perempuan yang habis haid, niat mandi wajib ialah: ” Sahaja aku mengangkat hadas haid kerana Allah Taala.” Manakala bagi perempuan yang habis nifas, niat mandi wajibnya ialah: ” Sahaja aku mengangkat hadas nifas kerana Allah Taala”.
Niat itu jika dilambatkan atau ketika seseorang itu memulakannya selepas dia telah membasuh salah 1 anggota badannya akan menjadikan mandi wajibnya tidak sah. Oleh itu dia mestilah memulakan kembali niatnya ketika dia mula menyampaikan air keseluruh anggota badannya. Sekiranya dia berniat sebelum air sampai ke badan, niat itu juga tidak sah. Oleh itu mandi wajibnya tidak sah.
Mengenai rukun mandi wajib yang ke2, iaitu menghilangkan najis yang ada pada badan , menurut Ustaz Haji Mat Jais, menurut Imam Nawawi, jika kita ada najis di badan, najis itu boleh dibasuh serentak dengan mandi wajib. Ertinya membasuh najis dengan mandi itu boleh disekalikan.
Sementara rukun mandi wajib yang ke3, iaitu meratakan air ke seluruh anggota badan yang zahir , meliputi kulit, rambut dan bulu yang ada di badan, sama ada bulu2 yang jarang atau lebat. Jika rambut seseorang itu ditocang atau disanggul, sekiranya tidak sampai air ke dalamnya, tocang atau sanggul itu wajiblah dibuka. Bulu2 dalam lubang hidung pula, tidak wajib dibasuh kerana dianggap batin. Tetapi sekiranya, bulu2 di dalam hidung itu bernajis, ia wajiblah dibasuh.
Mengenai kuku pula, jika di dalam kuku ada kotoran yg boleh menghalang sampai air ke badan khususnya di bahagian bawah kuku, kotoran itu wajiblah dibuang. Membuang kotoran di dalam kuku itu pula boleh dilakukan ketika sedang mandi.
Tentang rambut yg diwarnakan pula selain inai, inilah yang merumitnya. Sebenarnya jika rambut seseorang itu diwarnakan dengan pewarna selain inai, mandi wajib seseorang itu tidak sah. Oleh itu, seseorang yang mewarnakan rambutnya dengan pewarna selain inai, jika dia hendak mandi wajib, dia mestilah membuang pewarna pada rambutnya terlebih dahulu. Tetapi untuk membuang pewarna itu pula bagaimana?..
Inilah yang rumitnya. Sedangkan pewarna pada rambut itu sebenarnya tidak boleh dibuang begitu mudah.
Yang menyebabkan mandi wajib orang yang menggunakan pewarna pada rambutnya tidak sah kerana pewarna itu akan menyalut rambutnya yang menghalang air sampai ke rambut. Ini berbeza dengan inai. Inai sebenarnya akan meresap ke rambut, tetapi pewarna pula akan menyalut rambut menyebabkan air terhalang ke rambut.
Tetapi dalam hal ini, jangan pula ada yang salah faham. Sebenarnya pewarna itu jika dikeluarkan sijil halal oleh JAKIM dan sekiranya pewarna itu tidak bernajis, bukanlah bermaksud menjadi tidak sah. Dalam hal ini, sukalah saya menyatakan bahawa sembahyang dan mandi wajib itu berbeza. Jadi, mestilah dipandang dari sudut yg berbeza.
Dalam hal ini juga, sukalah saya menyatakan, huraian mengenai rukun mandi wajib seperti yang telah saya nyatakan ini adalah merupakan perbezaan sah atau tidak mandi wajib. Jadi, ia perlulah diberikan perhatian yang lebih oleh umat Islam.
Mengenai sebab2 seseorang itu wajib mandi wajib pula, Ustaz Haji Mat Jais menegaskan, sebab2nya terdiri daripada 6 sebab. 3 sebab melibatkan lelaki dan perempuan iaitu kerana bersetubuh walaupun tidak keluar air mani, keluar air mani dan mati. Manakala 3 sebab lagi hanya melibatkan kaum perempuan sahaja, iaitu keluar darah haid, nifas dan melahirkan anak(wiladah) .
Mandi wajib boleh dilakukan di mana2 dengan menggunakan air mutlak sama ada air telaga, air paip, sungai laut dan tasik.
Bagi pasangan suami isteri yang bersetubuh pula, mereka tidak semestinya mandi selepas bersetubuh, tetapi diwajibkan mandi ketika ingin beribadat.
Selepas bersetubuh pula, jika ia dilakukan pada waktu malam, jika tidak mahu mandi wajib, seelok2nya ambillah wuduk sebelum tidur itu adalah sunat, manakala tidak berwuduk sebelum tidur adalah makruh.
Panduan Tambahan
1. Agar wajah selalu segar, berseri-seri dan cantik, cucilah minima 5 kali sehari dengan air wudhu. Jangan langsung dikeringkan, biarkan menitis dan kering sendiri. Lalu ambillah sajadah, shalat, berdzikir, dan berdo’a.
2. Untuk menghilangkan stress, perbanyaklah ‘olahraga’. Cukup dengan memperbanyakkan solat. Ketika solat, kita mengerakkan seluruh tubuh. Lalu berkonsultasilah pada Allah SWT dengan dzikir dan do’a.
3. Untuk pelembab, agar awet muda, gunakanlah senyuman. Tidak hanya di bibir tapi juga di hati. Jangan lupa bisikkan ‘kata kunci’, “Allahuma Kamma Hassanta Khalqii Fahassin Khuluqii” (Ya Allah sebagaimana engkau telah memperindah kejadianku, maka perindah pula akhlaqku).
(HR Ahmad).- ( DOA TENGOK CERMIN ).
4. Untuk punya bibir cantik, bisikkan kalimat-kalimat Allah, tidak berbohong atau menyakiti hati orang lain, tidak menyombongkan diri atau takbur.
5. Agar tubuh langsing, mulus, diet yang teratur dengan berpuasa seminggu 2 kali, Isnin dan Khamis. Jika kuat, lebih bagus lagi puasa Nabi Daud AS i.e. selang satu hari. Makanlah makanan halal, perbanyak sayuran, buah-buahan, dan air putih.
6. Untuk mengembangkan diri, sebarkan salam dan sapaan. Dengan demikian kita akan banyak dikenal dan disayangi.
Rahsia 13
Inilah dia rahsia as-solat, sebagai peringatan bagi yang sudah tahu atau panduan bagi yang baru tahu……
1. Niat Sembahyang Sebenarnya memeliharakan taubat kita dari dunia dan akhirat.
2. Berdiri Betul Fadilatnya, ketika mati dapat meluaskan tempat kita di dalam kubur.
3. Takbir-ratul Ihram Fadilatnya, sebagai pelita yang menerangi kita di dalam kubur.
4. Fatihah Sebagai pakaian yang indah-indah di dalam kubur.
5. Ruqu’ Sebagai tikar kita di dalam kubur.
6. I’tidal Akan memberi minuman air dari telaga al-kautsar ketika di dalam kubur.
7. Sujud Memagar kita ketika menyeberangi titian SIRATUL-MUSTAQIM.
8. Duduk antara 2 Sujud Akan menaung panji-panji nabi kita di dalam kubur.
9. Duduk antara 2 Sujud (akhir) Menjadi kenderaan ketika kita di padang Mahsyar.
10.Tahhiyat Akhir Sebagai penjawab bagi soalan yang dikemukakan oleh Munkar & Nankir di dalam kubur.
11.Selawat Nabi Sebagai pendinding api neraka di dalam kubur.
12.Salam Memelihara kita di dalam kubur.
13.Tertib Akan pertemuan kita dengan Allah S.W.T.
Dari Abdullah bin ‘Amr R. A., Rasulullah S. A. W.bersabda : “Senarai di atas adalah salah satu sebab mengapa orang Yahudi / Kafir tidak sukakan angka 13 dan juga Hari Jumaat. Itulah sebab mengapa mereka mencipta cerita yang begitu seram sekali iaitu ” FRIDAY the 13th ” jika ada di kalangan kamu yang perasan!!!”
Wassalam.
“Sampaikanlah pesanku biarpun satu ayat…” Sebaik-baik manusia itu adalah mereka yang memberi manafa’at kepada manusia lain…
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
New iPhone Keeps Apple Top of Class
Just three years ago, Apple wasn’t in the mobile-phone business at all. Since then, its game-changing iPhone has become the most influential smartphone in the world. Now, on June 24, the company will roll out the fourth generation of the device, called the iPhone 4.
While attractive, capable new smartphones emerge regularly from competitors, a new iPhone deserves special attention for two reasons. First, the device lies at the center of a huge ecosystem of 225,000 apps, plus popular related gadgets like Apple’s iPod Touch connected media player and iPad tablet, which collectively are approaching 100 million units sold. Second, the iPhone’s multitouch, gesture-based interface; elegant Web browser; sophisticated music and video playback; and other features have been emulated on many competing devices, so what Apple does affects the whole industry.
I’ve been testing the iPhone 4 for more than a week. In both hardware and software, it is a major leap over its already-excellent predecessor, the iPhone 3GS.
It has some downsides and limitations—most important, the overwhelmed AT&T network in the U.S., which, in my tests, the new phone handled sometimes better and, unfortunately, sometimes worse than its predecessor. I’ll get into that below. But, overall, Apple (AAPL) has delivered a big, well-designed update that, in my view, keeps it in the lead in the smartphone wars.
The iPhone 4 is a dramatic redesign. It manages to pack a radically sharper screen; a second, front-facing camera; a larger battery; a better rear camera with flash; and a faster processor into a body that is 24% thinner, a bit narrower, and retains the same length and weight as its predecessor’s. In fact, Apple claims that the iPhone 4 is the world’s thinnest smartphone and sports the world’s highest-resolution smartphone screen.
With the front-facing camera, and clever new software called FaceTime, Apple has brought simple, high-quality video calling to mobile phones, albeit, for now, only over Wi-Fi and only among iPhone 4 owners. In multiple tests, this feature worked very well for me and is a classic example of the value of having one company do integrated hardware and software.
In addition, the iPhone now includes an updated operating system—which also can be installed free on the prior model—that introduces catch-up software features such as limited multitasking (the ability to run apps simultaneously); folders for grouping related apps; and, for email, a unified inbox for multiple accounts and the ability to present messages as threaded conversations. This software is called iOS4.
The iPhone 4 will cost the same as the iPhone 3GS: $199 for a model with 16 gigabytes of memory and $299 for 32 gigabytes, with a two-year contract from AT&T (T). The 3GS model will drop to $99 with a two-year contract and 8 gigabytes of memory.
Design
Physically, the iPhone 4 is attractive and feels great in the hand. Even the back is now clad in glass, which Apple claims is a superstrong variety 30 times tougher than plastic. I dropped it several times from a few feet onto a hard surface with no problem, and it acquired no scratches at all in my testing, even though I didn’t use a case or coddle it.
Although it is the same weight as its predecessor, the iPhone 4 feels denser and tighter—more like a fine possession than a disposable gadget. It still looks like an iPhone, but it manages to make the 3GS appear bulbous by comparison.
While its 3.5-inch screen, once considered huge, is now smaller than those on some other smartphones, the high resolution packs in a lot of material and makes text appear almost like ink on fine paper. The software is simply richer looking and smoother to use than on competing phones I’ve tested, with fewer confusing menus and settings, and far more apps.
Screen, Voice, Battery and Camera
Always brilliant at marketing, Apple has dubbed its new screen the “Retina display.” At a resolution of 960×640, it has four times the pixels of its predecessor and displays a whopping 326 pixels per inch. I don’t know how it compares with the human retina, but I do know that, just as Apple claims, text on the screen shows no jagged lines, even when expanded to giant size.
Voice quality was quite good, even on long speaker-phone calls, and data performance over Wi-Fi was excellent. Video and audio streamed from the Web played smoothly.
Apple claims longer battery life for most functions—seven hours of talk time, for instance, versus five hours on the earlier model. I didn’t perform a precise battery test, but, even in heavy use, the iPhone 4’s battery never reached the red zone on a single day of my tests.
The new rear camera is another big plus. My test pictures came out sharp and clear, even in low light and close-up situations. It isn’t the best cellphone camera I’ve tested, but it is a big improvement.
The iPhone 4 records video in high definition and, in my tests, these videos came out very well in most conditions. Apple also is selling for $5 an iPhone version of its Macintosh video-editing program, iMovie, for editing the videos.
FaceTime
Video calling is one of this device’s best features. As noted, it currently requires an iPhone 4 and Wi-Fi connection on both ends, though Apple says it is making the technology free to others and hopes to have millions of compatible devices. There is no setup and nothing to learn. You just press a FaceTime button, and if the other person accepts the invitation to talk face to face, his or her image appears, with your own image showing in a small corner window.
You can tap an icon on the screen to swap the front camera for the rear one, so you can show your caller around the room, or include other people near you who are behind the phone.
You can even begin a video call as an audio cellular call, push a button, and switch it to a Wi-Fi FaceTime call. It worked great for me, except for a couple of brief freeze-ups.
Multitasking
After years of complaints, Apple finally has brought multitasking to the iPhone. But it has done so in a limited way that won’t please everyone. On the iPhone 4, multitasking doesn’t mean every app can work fully in the background. To prevent a disastrous drain on battery life, Apple has allowed only certain apps to fully multitask. These include streaming audio services like Pandora, which keep playing music from the Web while you do other things, and voice-prompted navigation apps, which keep working while you’re on a call. Others that fully work in the background include Internet calling apps, and those that perform long downloads.
But some logical candidates, such as Twitter and Facebook, merely pause in place when you switch away from them. You can get back to them quickly, and they update more rapidly than before, but they don’t constantly update in the background. They only wake up in the background if you have set them to notify you of an update, and then only for a limited time. Apple says constant fetching of hundreds of social-networking updates in the background would kill the battery too quickly.
In fact, for many scenarios, such as games, Apple’s version of multitasking is really just fast switching among open apps that save their place. And, even to achieve this, the apps must be updated. For some users, this limited version of multitasking will be a disappointment.
To use multitasking you just press the iPhone’s home button twice and a row of icons representing running apps appears. Click on the one you want and, if it has been updated for the new operating system, it will appear just as you left it.
Multitasking also will work on updated iPhone 3GS models, but not on models older than that.
Folders
Because iPhone users can easily accumulate hundreds of apps, it can become difficult to organize them. So the new iPhone OS now allows you to group them into folders. For instance, I grabbed the icon for The Wall Street Journal app, dragged it on top of the one for the Washington Post app, and a folder was instantly created called “News,” based on the apps’ built-in categories. You can change the name to anything you like, or alter or disassemble the folders.
The Big Downside
The most important downside of the iPhone 4 is that, in the U.S., it’s shackled to AT&T, which not only still operates a network that has trouble connecting and maintaining calls in many cities, but now has abandoned unlimited, flat-rate data plans. Apple needs a second network.
Both Apple (AAPL) and AT&T (T) told me they worked to make the iPhone 4 do a better job with AT&T’s network. For example, the phone itself is surrounded by a prominent stainless-steel trim piece that acts as a large antenna. And Apple said it also tuned the phone to try to grab whatever band on the network was less congested or less affected by interference—to stress the quality of a signal over its raw strength. AT&T said it, too, made some changes to its network with the new iPhone in mind.
But, in my tests, network reception was a mixed bag. Compared with the previous model, the new iPhone dropped marginally fewer calls made in my car, both in Washington and in Boston, and was much louder and clearer over my car’s built-in Bluetooth speaker-phone system.
Yet, in some places where the signal was relatively weak, the iPhone 4 showed no bars, or fewer bars than its predecessor. Apple says that this is a bug it plans to fix, and that it has to do with the way the bars are presented, not the actual ability to make a call. And, in fact, in nearly all of these cases, the iPhone 4 was able to place calls despite the lack of bars.
However, on at least six occasions during my tests, the new iPhone was either reporting “no service” or searching for a network while the old one, held in my other hand, was showing at least a couple of bars. Neither Apple nor AT&T could explain this. The iPhone 4 quickly recovered in these situations, showing service after a few seconds, but it was still troubling.
Just as with its predecessors, I can’t recommend this new iPhone for voice calling for people who experience poor AT&T reception, unless they are willing to carry a second phone on a network that works better for them.
For everyone else, however, I’d say that Apple has built a beautiful smartphone that works well, adds impressive new features and is still, overall, the best device in its class.
While attractive, capable new smartphones emerge regularly from competitors, a new iPhone deserves special attention for two reasons. First, the device lies at the center of a huge ecosystem of 225,000 apps, plus popular related gadgets like Apple’s iPod Touch connected media player and iPad tablet, which collectively are approaching 100 million units sold. Second, the iPhone’s multitouch, gesture-based interface; elegant Web browser; sophisticated music and video playback; and other features have been emulated on many competing devices, so what Apple does affects the whole industry.
I’ve been testing the iPhone 4 for more than a week. In both hardware and software, it is a major leap over its already-excellent predecessor, the iPhone 3GS.
It has some downsides and limitations—most important, the overwhelmed AT&T network in the U.S., which, in my tests, the new phone handled sometimes better and, unfortunately, sometimes worse than its predecessor. I’ll get into that below. But, overall, Apple (AAPL) has delivered a big, well-designed update that, in my view, keeps it in the lead in the smartphone wars.
The iPhone 4 is a dramatic redesign. It manages to pack a radically sharper screen; a second, front-facing camera; a larger battery; a better rear camera with flash; and a faster processor into a body that is 24% thinner, a bit narrower, and retains the same length and weight as its predecessor’s. In fact, Apple claims that the iPhone 4 is the world’s thinnest smartphone and sports the world’s highest-resolution smartphone screen.
With the front-facing camera, and clever new software called FaceTime, Apple has brought simple, high-quality video calling to mobile phones, albeit, for now, only over Wi-Fi and only among iPhone 4 owners. In multiple tests, this feature worked very well for me and is a classic example of the value of having one company do integrated hardware and software.
In addition, the iPhone now includes an updated operating system—which also can be installed free on the prior model—that introduces catch-up software features such as limited multitasking (the ability to run apps simultaneously); folders for grouping related apps; and, for email, a unified inbox for multiple accounts and the ability to present messages as threaded conversations. This software is called iOS4.
The iPhone 4 will cost the same as the iPhone 3GS: $199 for a model with 16 gigabytes of memory and $299 for 32 gigabytes, with a two-year contract from AT&T (T). The 3GS model will drop to $99 with a two-year contract and 8 gigabytes of memory.
Design
Physically, the iPhone 4 is attractive and feels great in the hand. Even the back is now clad in glass, which Apple claims is a superstrong variety 30 times tougher than plastic. I dropped it several times from a few feet onto a hard surface with no problem, and it acquired no scratches at all in my testing, even though I didn’t use a case or coddle it.
Although it is the same weight as its predecessor, the iPhone 4 feels denser and tighter—more like a fine possession than a disposable gadget. It still looks like an iPhone, but it manages to make the 3GS appear bulbous by comparison.
While its 3.5-inch screen, once considered huge, is now smaller than those on some other smartphones, the high resolution packs in a lot of material and makes text appear almost like ink on fine paper. The software is simply richer looking and smoother to use than on competing phones I’ve tested, with fewer confusing menus and settings, and far more apps.
Screen, Voice, Battery and Camera
Always brilliant at marketing, Apple has dubbed its new screen the “Retina display.” At a resolution of 960×640, it has four times the pixels of its predecessor and displays a whopping 326 pixels per inch. I don’t know how it compares with the human retina, but I do know that, just as Apple claims, text on the screen shows no jagged lines, even when expanded to giant size.
Voice quality was quite good, even on long speaker-phone calls, and data performance over Wi-Fi was excellent. Video and audio streamed from the Web played smoothly.
Apple claims longer battery life for most functions—seven hours of talk time, for instance, versus five hours on the earlier model. I didn’t perform a precise battery test, but, even in heavy use, the iPhone 4’s battery never reached the red zone on a single day of my tests.
The new rear camera is another big plus. My test pictures came out sharp and clear, even in low light and close-up situations. It isn’t the best cellphone camera I’ve tested, but it is a big improvement.
The iPhone 4 records video in high definition and, in my tests, these videos came out very well in most conditions. Apple also is selling for $5 an iPhone version of its Macintosh video-editing program, iMovie, for editing the videos.
FaceTime
Video calling is one of this device’s best features. As noted, it currently requires an iPhone 4 and Wi-Fi connection on both ends, though Apple says it is making the technology free to others and hopes to have millions of compatible devices. There is no setup and nothing to learn. You just press a FaceTime button, and if the other person accepts the invitation to talk face to face, his or her image appears, with your own image showing in a small corner window.
You can tap an icon on the screen to swap the front camera for the rear one, so you can show your caller around the room, or include other people near you who are behind the phone.
You can even begin a video call as an audio cellular call, push a button, and switch it to a Wi-Fi FaceTime call. It worked great for me, except for a couple of brief freeze-ups.
Multitasking
After years of complaints, Apple finally has brought multitasking to the iPhone. But it has done so in a limited way that won’t please everyone. On the iPhone 4, multitasking doesn’t mean every app can work fully in the background. To prevent a disastrous drain on battery life, Apple has allowed only certain apps to fully multitask. These include streaming audio services like Pandora, which keep playing music from the Web while you do other things, and voice-prompted navigation apps, which keep working while you’re on a call. Others that fully work in the background include Internet calling apps, and those that perform long downloads.
But some logical candidates, such as Twitter and Facebook, merely pause in place when you switch away from them. You can get back to them quickly, and they update more rapidly than before, but they don’t constantly update in the background. They only wake up in the background if you have set them to notify you of an update, and then only for a limited time. Apple says constant fetching of hundreds of social-networking updates in the background would kill the battery too quickly.
In fact, for many scenarios, such as games, Apple’s version of multitasking is really just fast switching among open apps that save their place. And, even to achieve this, the apps must be updated. For some users, this limited version of multitasking will be a disappointment.
To use multitasking you just press the iPhone’s home button twice and a row of icons representing running apps appears. Click on the one you want and, if it has been updated for the new operating system, it will appear just as you left it.
Multitasking also will work on updated iPhone 3GS models, but not on models older than that.
Folders
Because iPhone users can easily accumulate hundreds of apps, it can become difficult to organize them. So the new iPhone OS now allows you to group them into folders. For instance, I grabbed the icon for The Wall Street Journal app, dragged it on top of the one for the Washington Post app, and a folder was instantly created called “News,” based on the apps’ built-in categories. You can change the name to anything you like, or alter or disassemble the folders.
The Big Downside
The most important downside of the iPhone 4 is that, in the U.S., it’s shackled to AT&T, which not only still operates a network that has trouble connecting and maintaining calls in many cities, but now has abandoned unlimited, flat-rate data plans. Apple needs a second network.
Both Apple (AAPL) and AT&T (T) told me they worked to make the iPhone 4 do a better job with AT&T’s network. For example, the phone itself is surrounded by a prominent stainless-steel trim piece that acts as a large antenna. And Apple said it also tuned the phone to try to grab whatever band on the network was less congested or less affected by interference—to stress the quality of a signal over its raw strength. AT&T said it, too, made some changes to its network with the new iPhone in mind.
But, in my tests, network reception was a mixed bag. Compared with the previous model, the new iPhone dropped marginally fewer calls made in my car, both in Washington and in Boston, and was much louder and clearer over my car’s built-in Bluetooth speaker-phone system.
Yet, in some places where the signal was relatively weak, the iPhone 4 showed no bars, or fewer bars than its predecessor. Apple says that this is a bug it plans to fix, and that it has to do with the way the bars are presented, not the actual ability to make a call. And, in fact, in nearly all of these cases, the iPhone 4 was able to place calls despite the lack of bars.
However, on at least six occasions during my tests, the new iPhone was either reporting “no service” or searching for a network while the old one, held in my other hand, was showing at least a couple of bars. Neither Apple nor AT&T could explain this. The iPhone 4 quickly recovered in these situations, showing service after a few seconds, but it was still troubling.
Just as with its predecessors, I can’t recommend this new iPhone for voice calling for people who experience poor AT&T reception, unless they are willing to carry a second phone on a network that works better for them.
For everyone else, however, I’d say that Apple has built a beautiful smartphone that works well, adds impressive new features and is still, overall, the best device in its class.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Highest Starting Salaries of 2010
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reports that nearly one-quarter of 2010 graduates secured a job offer before graduation.
Job offers were the most plentiful for new graduates who had majored in business administration, computer science, accounting, engineering, or mathematics. But which jobs came with the highest starting salaries? These careers were at the top:
Consulting services
Average salary offer: $55,703
Bring your expertise to the table by working as a consultant. These trained workers often travel to work with individual businesses, focusing on specific aspects of the company. A consultant may work to improve the scientific, technical, or managerial structure of a company, working on a team to improve accuracy and workflow.
In general, consultants are more valued when they have specialized training to offer. Management consultants might be best served with an MBA degree, for example, while technical or scientific consultants should have a high level of computer science education and training. For companies looking to improve their profile in the marketplace, a consultant with a bachelor's or master's marketing degree may fit the bill.
Petroleum & coal products
Average salary offer: $69,794
Petroleum engineers regularly top the list of highest starting salaries. The job requires at least a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering. Workers may spend their time planning in the office, or they may travel to offshore oil rigs or distant drilling stations to watch their plans in action.
Petroleum technicians see high salaries over the course of a career, with mean annual wages of $58,400 in 2009, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Engineering-technician training can typically be completed as a vocational degree in science technology, either online or at a local community college.
Federal government
Average salary offer: $50,806
Working at the federal government could mean enjoying a healthy salary, benefits, a pension plan, and transportation subsidies. The federal government is the nation's largest employer, and while competition for jobs is often high, it pays to have the right education.
With an evolving and advanced technological world, it's no surprise that federal workers must be highly trained. In law enforcement, for example, FBI agents must typically hold a bachelor's degree in information technology, accounting, electrical engineering, or computer science.
Aerospace
Average salary offer: $58,837
Aerospace engineers have the specialized skills necessary to develop, test, and maintain some of the most complex devices and technologies in the world. Train to work with aerospace technology with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering.
In order to work in aerospace parts and manufacturing, an associate's degree in aerospace manufacturing is often recommended. Starting salaries are lower than the average for licensed engineers, but this skilled manufacturing position offers job security for skilled workers, with 11 percent growth projected between 2008 and 2018 by the BLS.
Engineering services
Average salary offer: $58,789
Engineering careers can offer high earnings for new graduates. A targeted, high-level education with an emphasis in science, math, and technology is behind high salaries for engineering grads. Engineers work in a range of disciplines to create technologies and products that drive the world economy.
While an engineer needs to have a bachelor's degree in his or her respective field (popular degrees include civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and chemical engineering), engineering technicians generally earn only an associate's degree. Many workers come into the field with associate's degrees and go on to earn a bachelor's degree as they build years of work experience.
Career training for top salaries
While no degree can guarantee a particular career or salary, the jobs above offer rewards to graduates with the right training. Education allows you to rejuvenate your resume as you update your skills, learn more about potential fields, and plan your career future. Whether you're looking for a job with future growth potential or a healthy salary, consider degrees attached to the careers above.
Job offers were the most plentiful for new graduates who had majored in business administration, computer science, accounting, engineering, or mathematics. But which jobs came with the highest starting salaries? These careers were at the top:
Consulting services
Average salary offer: $55,703
Bring your expertise to the table by working as a consultant. These trained workers often travel to work with individual businesses, focusing on specific aspects of the company. A consultant may work to improve the scientific, technical, or managerial structure of a company, working on a team to improve accuracy and workflow.
In general, consultants are more valued when they have specialized training to offer. Management consultants might be best served with an MBA degree, for example, while technical or scientific consultants should have a high level of computer science education and training. For companies looking to improve their profile in the marketplace, a consultant with a bachelor's or master's marketing degree may fit the bill.
Petroleum & coal products
Average salary offer: $69,794
Petroleum engineers regularly top the list of highest starting salaries. The job requires at least a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering. Workers may spend their time planning in the office, or they may travel to offshore oil rigs or distant drilling stations to watch their plans in action.
Petroleum technicians see high salaries over the course of a career, with mean annual wages of $58,400 in 2009, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Engineering-technician training can typically be completed as a vocational degree in science technology, either online or at a local community college.
Federal government
Average salary offer: $50,806
Working at the federal government could mean enjoying a healthy salary, benefits, a pension plan, and transportation subsidies. The federal government is the nation's largest employer, and while competition for jobs is often high, it pays to have the right education.
With an evolving and advanced technological world, it's no surprise that federal workers must be highly trained. In law enforcement, for example, FBI agents must typically hold a bachelor's degree in information technology, accounting, electrical engineering, or computer science.
Aerospace
Average salary offer: $58,837
Aerospace engineers have the specialized skills necessary to develop, test, and maintain some of the most complex devices and technologies in the world. Train to work with aerospace technology with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering.
In order to work in aerospace parts and manufacturing, an associate's degree in aerospace manufacturing is often recommended. Starting salaries are lower than the average for licensed engineers, but this skilled manufacturing position offers job security for skilled workers, with 11 percent growth projected between 2008 and 2018 by the BLS.
Engineering services
Average salary offer: $58,789
Engineering careers can offer high earnings for new graduates. A targeted, high-level education with an emphasis in science, math, and technology is behind high salaries for engineering grads. Engineers work in a range of disciplines to create technologies and products that drive the world economy.
While an engineer needs to have a bachelor's degree in his or her respective field (popular degrees include civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and chemical engineering), engineering technicians generally earn only an associate's degree. Many workers come into the field with associate's degrees and go on to earn a bachelor's degree as they build years of work experience.
Career training for top salaries
While no degree can guarantee a particular career or salary, the jobs above offer rewards to graduates with the right training. Education allows you to rejuvenate your resume as you update your skills, learn more about potential fields, and plan your career future. Whether you're looking for a job with future growth potential or a healthy salary, consider degrees attached to the careers above.
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