New Home For My Blog

Gosh, time flies! This blog had been quiet for 4 long years, and I thought I just updated it recently.

Finally I have migrated this blog to my own server at Digital Ocean (https://www.digitalocean.com/).

Digital Ocean is a really good and cost-effective cloud service to host our own websites for those who have the technical skills. In case you are interested, please use my referral link https://m.do.co/c/8ba855458a0c and you will get USD$ 100 in credit over 60 days.

I migrated this WordPress blog manually without using any migration tools. Hopefully somedays I will write down in my blog on how I did it.

Previously this blog was hosted at private shared hosting service by https://www.arvixe.com/. I signed up for that hosting service exactly 10 years ago on 24th November 2011. It was pretty good as I only need to pay USD$ 4 / month (USD$ 96 for two years) and I get unlimited bandwidth and unlimited storage, and one free domain name.

However, from November 2017 onwards, they started to charge me USD$ 5 / month (USD$ 120 for two years renewal), and today (24th November 2021), I am supposed to renew the service for two years at USD$ 145.20, but after I made some complaints to their customer service, I was given 10% discount and thus I only need to pay USD$ 130.68 for two year renewal.

Should I renew it?

My friend who introduced this hosting service to me is still being charged USD 96 for two years.

This hosting service once had very high rating but now there had been many complaints after it was bought over by other hosting company.

What I dislike the most is that it does not allow us to use the free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate service. My previously blog can only be access via http connection but not secured https connection.

I have now transferred out all the websites, including this blog, that I once parked there.

I am still undecided if I want to renew it or not. The main reason to continue would probably so that I have a cPanel to play around.

So should I renew it?

I Almost Got Scammed!

Scam

This post is kind of long, but I hope this post will benefit others in preventing people from getting scammed.

TL;DR: (1) I did not get scammed. (2) You still can get scammed no matter how careful you are. (3) Reading how scammers operate would help prevent you from getting scammed. (4) Do NOT give any info to strangers who call you, even if you knew the number, phone number can be hacked…. blame the telco!

All scams are exploiting two main things: your fear or your greed.

You may think you won’t fall into the trap, but think again, you can never be too careful enough.

Scammers can’t scam you if they cannot gain your trust first, most scammers failed on that, but be aware, good scammers will scam you when you least expected.

Two days ago, I received a call from a number that is already in my phone contact list as Public Bank Credit Card Centre. The ‘officer’ asked me if I have made a transaction at a certain place. I told him I was having the card with me and never went to that place. Then he proceeded to tell me my full name, identify number, phone number etc. and asked me if those info are correct. In my mind, the call is from the centre and it is obvious they knew my info. Then he told me the card number of the alleged transaction, the billing address is not my address. So, he asked for my permission to block the card. He said I need to make a report with Bank Negara (Central Bank) or else I would be billed the RM8K+ of the credit.

Well, you may think why I bother to continue to talk to the officer. Firstly, the call is from the credit card centre that I already knew. Secondly, it is not uncommon to receive such a call to verify transaction. Thirdly, he didn’t ask me any info. I usually very careful not to give any info when someone call me. The fact that I knew that number is the correct credit card number does make me lower my guard a little. Somewhat, I have trusted the officer a bit, that is the first requirement of a successful scam. Fourthly, there were just too many data breach in Malaysia that I am not surprise at all my info is all over the place, so I really believed that this particular identify theft was real.

At that point of time, I was fully aware of the various scams going around, and knew to be careful with such calls. At that point of time, since i believed my identify has been stolen, I just think I need to make a report at Bank Negara. My immediate concern at that time was what other breaches were done using my identify. I was put in a state of fear, one of the requirement for a successful scam.

Everything seems fine, nothing to worry about, and I just need to make a report. I was prepared to google Bank Negara number and give a call.

Then, the officer said he would transfer my call to Bank Negara straight due to the urgency. That is first hint that it was a bit weird, but I did not suspect anything. Before I could ask him for the phone number, he already “transferred” the call.

I have heard about Bank Negara scam before, but I did not read the full details.

A Chinese man, introduced himself as Inspector Chong Eng Long, took the call. He spoke very fluent Malay, and continue to speak Malay despite my attempt to speak English with him.

He asked me what number called me earlier, I told him it was Public Bank number. He asked for the number, but when I tried to find the number at my call history, I could not find it. That is the second hint that it was fishy, I still did not suspect anything. It was obvious now that I was still in the same call as the call earlier.

I did make a mistake telling him my current address and office number, as I believe they (including the first caller) already have this info. ☹

Then he proceeded to tell me that the case would be investigated under certain Act and all that, in perfect Malay, sounds pretty believable that he was a police officer.

Then he said he needed to ask me some info that would be voice-recorded, and the recording would be used as High Court evidence. Sounds fair enough for me.

He asked me if I want the question and answer to be in Chinese or not. I told him Malay or English is fine for me, but I may most likely mixed English with my so-so Malay. Then he asked if I want to use Cantonese. That is another hint something not right. I told him I cannot speak Cantonese.

I still did not suspect anything, though I feel a bit weird at this point.

Then I asked him, what he wanted to ask me in the voice-recording. He said he needed to ask me for my other bank account info. I asked him, “You are Bank Negara, shouldn’t you already have all my info?”

I asked how long the question and answer session would take, he said the voice-recording would take 30 min and there must not be any noise or another person’s voice. Sounds fine to me. i told him I am expecting someone in my house soon, and I could not possibly remember all my bank info without checking my computer.

He said may be it is better I go to the Bank Negara branch at KL (he gave the correct address) to make the report, that sounds pretty much like the words from typical police officers as we have stereo-typed them to be. His seemingly lack of enthusiasm to take my report does make me trust him a little bit more.

When things are moving very fast, it is very hard to think clearly, especially you believed you are talking to a police officer. You may think it is so obvious I should hang up, but when you are in the situation, it is very different story.

Something tell me something is not right, but it is not strong enough for me to hang up the phone straight at that point. Something made me, an angel perhaps, to tell him it is better he gave me the phone number so that I can call him back with all the bank info on my hand.

Right after I hang up the phone, I was pretty certain I was pretty close to be a victim of a scam, even though I think I eventually would not tell him my bank info, but you would never know when you are in that situation at that time.

I then checked that the number he gave me was indeed Bank Negara number and when I called back the number, as expected, it went to a voice machine that informed me about the operating hours, it was a public holiday that day.

I called back the same bank phone number, and the real bank officer told me I did not have the alleged credit card, and they never have any cards that start with those digits I gave them.

I have to say, scammers are getting more and more complicated.

So, the lessons to be learned are:

  1. There is still a possibility that you still can get scammed no matter how careful you are. Do not assume you won’t. Always on your guard.
  2. Reading how scammers operate would help prevent you from getting scammed. I read about Bank Negara scam before, but I did not read in detail, else I would have recorded the voice conversation and play along.
  3. Do NOT give any info to strangers who call you, EVEN if you knew the number, phone number can be hacked…. blame the telco! I thought I was careful enough in this and have encountered such scammers before without problems. In the case here, I simply did not realize our telco company can be that sucks, despite knowing such phone hack can happen!!!!!!!!

Similar scams in the news just one day ago: https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2017/12/309867/bank-executive-and-police-sergeant-inspector-cons-woman-rm90000

Celcom, Celcom, no IDD mean no IDD la.

Recently my mum’s Celcom phone bill comes to thousand of ringgit because the maid was secretly using the phone to call Indonesia.
 
When I called Celcom, they confirmed to me that my International Direct Dialing (IDD) was disabled upon my request years ago.
 
I asked them how it is still possible to call IDD when it was disabled.
 
They told me, that is because I have international roaming enabled. I enabled it some years back when my mum went to NZ.
 
Celcom people said even if IDD is disabled, IDD still possible via international roaming. This is just plain ridiculous.
I told them that obviously this is their system programming bug. When I said I want IDD disabled, I mean i want it disabled, i do not care if they have a thousand ways that IDD is possible, then disabled that thousand damn thing, period. After all, international roaming is meant to be used outside Malaysia.
 
Now I have to pay RM3 each month just to have the itemized bill. My mum’s bill is usually less than RM10.

How To Transfer Unreal Engine From One PC To Another?

This semester, I am introducing the game engine Unreal Engine (https://www.unrealengine.com/) to my Game Physics students.

The latest version of  the Unreal Engine is 4.10.1 (UE4). In order to install UE4, we need to first install the Epic Game Launcher, the installer is just about 30 MB.

After installing the Epic Game Launcher, we can download the game engine from the UE4 tab of the Epic Game Launcher. The download process will begin by downloading files with a total size of 4 to 5 GB !!

If you have a slow internet access, this is going to be a huge problem. For my case, 30 of my students were trying to install this at the lab PCs at the same time, and very few succeeded within the 2 hours lab time we had.

So, the question is whether we can install the UE4 on one PC when the internet is fast, and then copy the installation files to other PCs?

After google-ing and trials-and-errors, it turns out this can be done! Thank goodness.

Below is what we need to do:

  1. Install Epic Game Launcher and then UE4 as usual on PC #1, when the internet access is fast enough, it still takes me about an hour on a 20 mbps line.
  2. Install Epic Game Launcher on PC #2, i.e. the PC you wish to copy UE4 to.
  3. Copy the whole “C:\Program Files\Epic Games\4.10” folder of PC #1 into the “C:\Program Files\Epic Games\” of PC #2. The files could be at “C:\Program Files (x86)\” instead, but here we simply assume it is at “C:\Program Files\”, you will need to check on that. We also assume it is version 4.10, hopefully this would also apply for future version. The whole folder may be more than 25 GB in size, so you may want to zip it up first before transferring, the zipped file should be only about 5 GB. Take note, you may not be able to unzip the files directly into the “C:\Program Files\Epic Games\” folder, in which case you should unzip it at another folder such as at the Desktop and then move the folder into “C:\Program Files\Epic Games\”.
  4. Copy the file LauncherInstalled.dat at “C:\ProgramData\Epic\UnrealEngineLauncher\” folder from PC #1 into the same folder in PC #2. You may need to edit the file (just a text file) to remove unnecessary entries. You may also need to double-check in this file the path where the UE4 should be at PC #2.
  5. Now, click “Install” at the UE4 tab of the Epic Game Launcher at PC #2. Hopefully, it would detect the files and would not download the files again, and it should initiate the file verification process, checking for prerequisites etc., until the installation is complete.
  6. Take note, the Windows User Account Control (UAC) may prompt you for permission in some stages. If you do not press the “Yes” button on time, the installation may fail, but no worry, just try again.

So, good luck! Hope this works. If you find this helpful, or if you find any errors, or if you think something need clarification, please let me know at the comment box below. Thank you in advance.

Long Time No Write….

Hello there, this blog seems pretty quiet since Christmas 2 years ago, well, nowadays I post most things at Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/wongyaping).

The year 2015 is ending soon, time to make new year resolutions, hopefully your resolutions would be those that you will work on them and achieve them.

I seems to have problem finding my own posts at Facebook, so from now on, I will post more things here for easier references.

Blessed and Merry Christmas!

Blessed and Merry Christmas!

Christmas isn’t Christmas ‘til it’s happens in your heart!

This is probably one of my most favourite Christmas song.

Lyrics:
Christmas isn’t Christmas ‘til it’s happens in your heart
Somewhere, deep inside you, is where Christmas really starts
So, give your heart to Jesus, you’ll discover when you do
That’s it Christmas, really Christmas for you.

Jesus brings warmth like a winter fire, a light like a candle’s glow
He’s waiting now to come inside, like He did so long ago
Jesus brings gifts of truth and life and makes them bloom and grow
So welcome Him with a song of joy, and when He comes you’ll know….

That Christmas isn’t Christmas ‘til it’s happens in your heart
Somewhere, deep inside you, is where Christmas really starts
So, give your heart to Jesus, you’ll discover when you do
That’s it Christmas, really Christmas for you.