Posted on

Review: Trek iSSD, 4-In-1 Portable Data Storage Solution Made By A Singapore Company

These days, we interact so much online. Posting on Instagram and live streaming anytime and anywhere just mean that we need more gadgets on the move. Let run a quick checklist – a power bank (for your smartphone), laptop (obviously, that’s meant to edit stunning photos and video for posting), portable hard disk (what’s more disheartening when you forgot to back up your work?), camera (to capture professional shots for posting) and the list goes on. Well, does it make sense to carry that many devices?

Source: Instagram user @weewu

Trek 2000 (stock quote: 5AB.SI), a Singapore-based company, wants to reduce your load with their Trek iSSD. The Trek iSSD is a portable data backup solution, power bank, SD card reader and a wireless charger.    

Quickly, let us go through the specs.

– The Trek iSSD is available in either 240GB, 480GB or 960GB capacities that pretty much covers the needs of users from day-to-day mainstream consumers segment to hardcore mobile workers.

– It also comes with a SD card slot that enable users to directly backup their photos/video in the card without going through an external computer.   

– The Trek iSSD also double-up as a 3000mAh power bank that supports bi-directional Qi wireless charging.   

– Through its wireless b/g/n connection, users could access their files via their smartphones which means you could use the device virtually anywhere.

– FTP Functions that allow large file transfer via a network connection.

Well.  Enough of the sales pitch! I will just list down in order what I like about the product.

This is what you get in Trek iSSD. Instagram user @weewu
  1. Light and Compact: The Trek iSSD weighs only 221g and measured 11.8cm by 7.0cm. To put it in prospective, the Trek iSSD weighs like a typical 20,000mAh powerbank but it is about the size of a portable hard disk. Considering that the Trek iSSD could do so much more, its noticeably light weight (as well as its compact size) is a big plus point. Kudos to Trek team!   
  • Simple and Seamless SD Card Backup: The One Touch Backup in Trek iSSD is one of the most make sense features that a lot of portable hard disk makers overlooked. More importantly, it is amazingly easy to use. Power on, plug in the SD card, press twice on the power button to start the back up. Once the LED indicator stop blinking, Bang! You have backed up your SD card!

This is extremely useful when you are traveling (not that we can in the COVID-19 situation). I can imagine the time I am running up of capacity in my DSLR. I desperately need one more SD card, but I don’t have an extra one at my disposal. This feature will come in handy to free up the space of the card without going through computer. (I mean as much as we can, we will travel light)

  • Wireless Charging: It is all about decluttering. It is definitely not nice to see many wires lying around. The Trek iSSD also serves as a wireless charging bay. The best part – it supports pass-through meaning you just need one USB cable to charge both Trek iSSD and your mobile phone. In other word, you free up one more power socket.   
  • Mobile (Wireless) Backup: We have so many photos stored in our smartphone these days. However, there is a limit in the smartphone and occasionally, you need to clean up the phone’s memory. The Trek iSSD offers an easy way to back up the photo in your smartphones via a mobile app.  
One Touch Backup. Source: Instagram user @weewu

Well, this is more like an alternative way of backing up your photo on top of what Apple iCloud and Google Drive are offering. I still stick to an old school way of storing digital photo offline at a separately physical drive.  We have heard enough stories of photo leaked online which eventually may be detrimental to some of you especially those who are influencers with large following. Come and think about it. Old school may be better.

  • Wireless Sharing: When I first heard that the Trek iSSD is a file server and could support upto 8 devices simultaneously, I think it is a very cool feature.  I tried to share with another user, it works reasonably well which it is within my expectation; well, I have kept the number of users small. Although speed will be noticeably slower when any new device connected to it, it still delivers. Well, it is not fair to benchmark this to a NAS system. Considering how small the Trek iSSD is, its performance is quite remarkable.
Source: Instagram user @weewu

My Take

It is a very versatile storage companion that serves my day-to-day needs. If you consume a lot of contents, this is a good storage solution. The Trek iSSD comes with 3 choices – 240GB (Black), 480GB(Blue) and 960GB (Red) and are priced at RRP USD $179, USD$349 and USD$499 respectively.

Posted on

More than Half of Singaporeans Use Mobile Contactless Payments: Visa Study

Singapore, 28 May 2020 – Mobile contactless payments are on the rise in Singapore with 56 per cent of consumers embracing this new way to pay, according to Visa’s (stock quote: V)Consumer Payment Attitudes Study[1]. An increase of 12 per cent compared to a year ago, this is not surprising given that Singapore is one of the market leaders globally in terms of contactless payments penetration. The increase in usage is also likely due to popular mobile payment options, such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay, being made available to Singaporeans in the past few years.

Contactless card payments continue to be the most popular option, with 84 per cent of Singapore respondents using this mode of payment. The trend is even higher amongst Generation Y respondents at 92 per cent. Based on the study, Singaporeans prefer the use of contactless payments over other modes of payment when paying for their rides on public transportation or shopping at supermarkets. Top reasons cited for this preference include convenience and rewards. 

“Singapore is an extremely developed market when it comes to contactless payments usage. Over the years, we’ve seen tremendous uptake in contactless payments by Singaporeans, and we’re one of the top countries globally to achieve more than 90 per cent contactless payments penetration[2]. Supermarkets and quick service restaurants are one of the key contributors of this growth, coupled with contactless acceptance in new categories such as public transportation, which was introduced last year. During this period of circuit breaker in Singapore, we continue to see strong contactless payments growth and we’re confident that the growth will continue once people are out and about and back to their normal lives,” said Mr. Kunal Chatterjee, Visa Country Manager for Singapore & Brunei.

Visa also recently implemented an option for merchants not to capture signature as a cardholder verification method to reduce consumers’ physical contact with the point-of-sale machines and enable a more frictionless payment experience. This is in addition to increasing contactless payment transaction limits, from the previous amount of $100 to $200 so that consumers can tap and wave their cards or payment devices, without signature verification.

In Singapore, state-of-the-art mobile security and stringent data privacy measures have made the adoption of mobile contactless payments possible. Three in four Singaporeans (75%) do not feel that their personal information is at risk when making mobile payments. In addition, two in three consumers believe that merchants, banks and third-party companies provide sufficient security to protect their transactions.

Security concerns are largely unrelated to the payment mechanism itself, but rather the possibility of losing one’s mobile phone (61%) or the potential for getting hacked (49%). The study also found that three in five Singaporean consumers are even willing to share their location data with merchants in return for special discounts, promotions and services.

With contactless payments becoming more frequently used among consumers, the idea of Singapore becoming a completely cashless society is no longer a pipe dream. Nearly half of Singaporean consumers carry less cash in their wallets compared to two years ago, with increased usage of contactless payments being the top reason (68%). They have also shown continued support for the Singapore Government’s Smart Nation initiative to digitise the country, and 62 per cent of them expect their usage of cashless payment methods to increase next year. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to motivate a shift towards digital transactions, changing payment habits could further accelerate the growth of digital payments.

—

[1] The Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Study was conducted in October 2019 by ENGINE Insights with 511 Singaporeans aged 18-65 years of age. This is part of a regional research project conducted in Southeast Asia on 5,000 consumers across seven markets in Southeast Asia.

[2] VisaNet data as of March 2020

Posted on

CHILLFEST@THE GREEN TO BE CANCELLED

The ChillFest@ The Green has been cancelled.

Image may contain: 7 people, text

The event has to be cancelled due to the projected turnout is below the threshold for viability.

All tickets purchased through our event site (www.chill-fest.com) and SISTIC Singapore  are eligible for full refunds including transaction fees (if applicable). The information shown below is everything you need in order to receive your full refund.

All participants and ticket buyers to the event will be notified through email.

Enquiries

For further enquiries regarding ticket refunds, kindly get in touch with us via info@chill-fest.com with the following details:

  • Please key in <Ticket Purchaser’s Full Name> space <Ticket Purchaser’s Email Address > space <contact number> space <ticket number/transaction number> and send to <number> or <email address>.

Terms and Conditions:

  1. Refund Period: Emails to ticket holders will commence 19 October to 31 October 2019.
  2. Refund will be done within 14 working days from the date we received your details.
  3. Organizer will not entertain any refund request after the Refund Period.
  4. Please ensure the information provided is accurate.
  5. Complimentary tickets are not applicable for refunds.

All enquiries regarding the event or the refund can be forwarded to info@chill-fest.com.

Posted on

Almost 50% of Singaporean Prefer Contactless Payment

Singapore, 30 April 2019 – Close to 50 per cent of Singaporeans prefer paying with contactless payments (card and mobile) instead of cash, traditional card payments and QR payments according to the 500 Singaporeans aged 18-60 years old surveyed by Visa. Almost all Singaporeans are aware of contactless payments for cards (98%), with a large majority of them (83%) using contactless card payments more frequently than they did two years ago.

Convenience is the top benefit for the popular use of contactless payments in Singapore. Close to 90 per cent of Singaporeans (86%) feel that contactless payments are more convenient and close to 50 per cent prefer contactless payments because it is hassle-free.

“We have seen tremendous success in contactless payments usage in Singapore. Today, Singapore is one of the top countries in the world for contactless payments penetration. With more new acceptance channels opening up including transit and hawker centres, we believe that the growth of contactless payments usage will accelerate. Singaporeans are extremely familiar with this mode of payment based on our data and research and it is the top-of-mind payment choice for them given the convenience, speed and security benefits of this payment experience,” said Kunal Chatterjee, Visa Country Manager for Singapore and Brunei. 

Findings from the research also indicated that 60 per cent of Singapore consumers are interested in using self-check-out kiosks rather than engaging with a cashier. In addition, more than half (54 per cent) choose contactless cards as their preferred payment method at self-service payment kiosks.  Only nine per cent of Singaporeans choose to use cash.

In terms of futuristic payment methods, six in 10 Singaporeans are interested in performing transactions using AI chatbots (59%) and close to 90 per cent of them are comfortable with ordering and purchasing goods or services through chatbots. Singaporeans are most comfortable with making bookings (89%), purchasing goods or services (89 per cent) and making bill payments (80%) with this technology.

Above is part of the research finding of Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Study – Singapore 2018.


Posted on

RedMart & Archipelago Deliver Singaporean Craft Beer

RedMart has launched CODE RED Lemongrass Pale Ale – its first-ever collaboration beer, in partnership with Archipelago Brewery. A pale ale infused with distinctively local flavours including lemongrass and jasmine, this limited-edition, small batch craft beer aims to celebrate the partnership between two of the nation’s most treasured brands in creating a uniquely Singaporean craft beer.

CODE RED Lemongrass Pale Ale is sold in 4-packs ($20.80) and is exclusively available on RedMart

In the last few years, Singapore has seen a growing demand for craft beer options and is now home to more than 20 craft beer bars, making craft beer more accessible to first-time drinkers. In response to this demand, RedMart is expanding its offering of global craft and mainstream beer brands by providing shoppers with its own branded craft brew, designed for the Singapore palate. For a start, a limited run of 300 cases (24 bottles per case) of CODE RED Lemongrass Pale Ale has been produced, with the potential for additional production in the future.

Brewed and bottled in Singapore for RedMart by Archipelago Brewery, CODE RED Lemongrass Pale Ale is as unique as it is local. Its fruity esters from the ale yeast mingle perfectly with late additions of jasmine and lemongrass, two Southeast Asian flavour staples, to make this beer unique, refreshing, and designed with Singapore’s tropical climate in mind. Its straw-golden colour comes from the use of pale malts only, while the moderate bitterness is balanced with a light body that creates a crisp aftertaste. CODE RED Lemongrass Pale Ale has a 4.5-percent ABV. 

Alice Canty, Senior Category Manager for Beer, Wine & Spirits at RedMart, said, “RedMart is a tech company at heart, and we wanted this to come across in the branding for CODE RED. The name is a nod to RedMart’s tech roots and celebrates the brand’s iconic red logo colour. We felt the unique but subtle lemongrass and jasmine notes are a great differentiator from current offerings in the craft beer market, and more importantly a celebration of Singapore flavour.”

“Archipelago and RedMart’s shared values of quality and accessibility make for a natural partnership,” said Nicholas Low, Head of Archipelago Brewery. “Archipelago Brewery’s mission is to grow the craft beer market, and our collaboration with RedMart opens doors to the growing base of Singapore craft beer drinkers who are constantly looking for high-quality custom brew that suits their increasingly complex palate. Together, we have an exciting opportunity to introduce a great craft beer for Singapore to enjoy.”

You may also watch the QnA session with the executives over my Facebook Live

Posted on

ConnecTechAsia Returns in 2019 – “Shaping Future Societies”

According to the 2019 Gartner CIO Agenda survey, 47% of enterprises in Asia Pacific have already changed their business models in response to evolving consumer demands. With global spending on IT set to swell to $1.97 trillion in 2022, the stage is set for exponential technological growth across mature and emerging sectors. However, many businesses in the region still find themselves behind the curve in terms of adoption.

As such, ConnecTechAsia returns this year with the theme: ‘Shaping Future Societies’, to explore the new era of business reinvention alongside emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, 5G and more. The three-day exhibition happening from 18 – 20 June 2019 at Marina Bay Sands, will bring together some of the world’s most notable companies, and will feature a slew of keynotes, panel discussions, workshops and seminar discussions helmed by over 120 senior executives. Featuring prolific industry leaders and opening with a keynote by IBM Asia Pacific’s CEO and Chairman, Harriet Green, ConnecTechAsia will be at the forefront of tech advances for enterprises and the community.

IBM’s Harriet Green will highlight how emerging technologies will reshape businesses as digital transformation initiatives unfurl across Asia.

“A new era of business reinvention is dawning. Organisations are facing an unprecedented convergence of technological, social and regulatory forces. Not only is there a clear need for any organisation to be fully digital in itself; these organisations also need to be able to accommodate high expectations from clients and deal with pervasive interconnectivity. How can organisations deliver on that? That’s key question every CEO and every leader in any organisation has started asking,” shares Harriet Green, CEO and Chairman, IBM Asia Pacific.

“There are three key drivers – people, process and data – that any organisation needs to align in order to move from random acts of digital to a real, tangible digital transformation. I am excited to contribute to the discussions at the ConnecTechAsia Summit and share some of the best practices and insights for all of us to think about.” 

Catch other industry leaders engage in discourse on other market trends at ConnecTechAsia2019 Summit:

  • Dr Min Sun, Chief Artificial Intelligence (AI) Scientist, Appier
  • Muhamed Zilkhairilishamuddin, Assistant Vice President, OTT Principal Engineer, Astro
  • Dr Keeratpal Singh, Chief Data Scientist, Axiata
  • Ong Geok Chwee, CEO, Bridge Alliance
  • Attilio Zailani, Executive Director, Facebook
  • Cheryl Goh, Group Vice President of Marketing, Grab
  • Dr David Soldani, CTO, Huawei Australia
  • Jason Little, Chief Information Officer – SEA, Manulife
  • Ian Yip, Chief Technology Officer, McAfee Asia Pacific
  • Gustavo Fuchs, General Manager – Cloud & Solutions (Asia), Microsoft 
  • Krishnan Rajagopalan, Director of Payments APAC, Netflix
  • Seizo Onoe, President of DOCOMO Technology and Chief Technology Architect, NTT DoCoMo

The three-day exhibition will be happening from 18 – 20 June 2019 at Marina Bay Sands

Posted on

A Continued Love Affair With BlackBerry KEY2

Author: Poisonvine.com

Everyone who knows me knows that I am a hardcore BlackBerry fan. Therefore, please expect this review to be biased in the favour of BlackBerry. If there’s something you don’t agree with, let’s just agree to disagree.

 

Despite the prevalence of full touch screen phones, and admittedly there are many very good options out there, there are still a bunch of us who are willing to sacrifice a 16:9 4K stereo sound movie experience on a giant phone for features which makes a phone more usable as, well, a phone.

 

For me, my phone is primarily a communications device – Telegram, WhatsApp and email. I am totally happy to use my tablet to watch movies and play games (I just got a Mi Pad 4 recently which is really good value-for-money and I have no complaints with it so far). As such, the typing experience on my phone is really important to me. I like to be able to type and walk at the same time and still be able to keep my eyes on the road. I like to be able to type confidently without having to check my phone for spelling errors (or worse, stupid autocorrects which can be potentially more embarrassing than some innocent spelling errors. If you have no clue on how serious or hilarious autocorrect mistakes can be, you can see them here).

BlackBerry KEY2’s keyboard is not the best by far in my memory but it is 80% there

This is where a keyboard comes in.

 

BlackBerry KEY2’s keyboard is not the best by far in my memory. That accolade still goes to the good old BlackBerry Bold 9900 (back then, they manufacture their own phone. Now TCL is the manufacturer of all BlackBerry phones) but I think KEY2 is 80% there. The KEY2 certainly made a few improvements over the KeyOne. The keys are angled in such a way that it matches how the thumb would “hit” the keyboard. What I didn’t like so much was that in order to keep a slim profile for the phone, the right “shift” and “alt” key had to go, which at times is a bother if I need to type numbers. For example, to input “7”, I have to hold down the “alt” key and press the “z” key at the same time which is really difficult. Luckily it is possible to lock the “alt” (or the “shift” key for that matter) by double-pressing the “alt” key, but I definitely still prefer to have the alt and shift key on both sides. It is possible to customise the currency key so that it works as “shift” key, but now I chose to use it as “ctrl” key so that I can use it to do my cut and paste easily.

 

Another feature I like about BlackBerry KEY2’s keyboard is that it is possible to create a multi-language keyboard which gives predictive words for up to 3 compatible languages (read: similar writing systems). This could be useful if you regularly communicate using different languages (or better yet, a mix of them). Instead of having to change the input language all the time, you can now simply type away. That said, switching languages on the keyboard (say, English to Chinese) is super easy. Just hold “alt” and press “enter” to toggle between the available languages.

One of my favourite features on legacy BlackBerry devices was the global search feature. Instead of having to go into the contacts app to start looking for someone, I can simply type the person’s name and the phone will show me search results related to the person, including contact details, email conversations with the person, or social media stuff.

 

This feature is still available on the KEY2, but the setting is difficult to find. To enable the global search, tap the centre button (BlackBerry launcher), and click the “Settings” button on the top right hand corner, then “Typing action”, then select “Start a search”.

I have found this feature to be useful, unfortunately it is slow. I really hope that this will be improved going forward.

 

An important thing to note is that when this feature is switched on, in order to use the apps shortcut, you have to hold the bottom right key (the one with nine dots) in order to activate the shortcuts. Some may also notice that the options for creating “short press” shortcut is gone, which effectively reduces the available keys for creating shortcuts by half (long press vs short press). However, there is a workaround. If you create the “short press” shortcuts first, then switch to “Start a search”, the “short press” shortcuts will still work. So currently, I use a short press “T” for Telegram and a long press “T” for Twitter and still have the global search enabled.

 

The battery life on the phone is quite impressive. The battery easily last over a day with normal usage on the phone. That is despite the phone’s battery being only 3500 mAh. I am not sure, but I think it is because the processor Snapdragon 660 is a very power efficient processor.

 

But this brings me to my next point, while I will buy the phone, the price point vs the hardware specs makes it hard for me to recommend this phone to others. For Snapdragon 660, 6 GB RAM and 64 GB memory, BlackBerry KEY2 has a recommended retail price of SGD 899. It is currently possible to buy the Oneplus 6T at SGD 898 which has Snapdragon 845, 6 GB RAM and 128 GB memory. ( If you want to know how good the OnePlus phone is, read my review here)

 

I loved BlackBerry legacy devices, but the user experience on the android versions of BlackBerry hasn’t been quite as smooth so far. I still miss being able to swipe up and right from anywhere, any app to access the BlackBerry hub. That said, the KEY2 has proven to me that there is a future for BlackBerry in android, but admittedly it’s not for everybody.

 

Now I just gotta find the best discount I can get for this phone…

 

p.s. If you are keen to know more about my love for BlackBerry, read my older article on BlackBerry Passport here)

Posted on

Singapore-based Speedoc Wants To Disrupt House Call Services

A House Call is a visit to the patient’s home by a doctor and this practice used to be very popular in the early 20th century. However, betterment in transportation and more availability of medical services have led to a decline for the needs of such service in recent years. Ironically, this has not deterred a Singapore-based startup to bring this practice back.

 

Prided itself as a health-tech company, Speedoc aims to build a complete end-to-end system for doctors and patients, so that house call doctor services can be provided with ease and minimal burden to people in the community.

How it works

The Speedoc mobile app brings a house call doctor directly to the location of

A standard medical tool kit issued by Speedoc which GP will bring along during a house call.

your choice, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Doctors can be requested via the app, or by calling the patient support line. Speedoc offers a full suite of affiliated patient care services, including fast access to Farrer Park Hospital’s (FPH) Emergency Clinic and immediate consult with their specialists. Users can benefit from online, synced patient medical records for all visits, trustworthy home medical care when it is inconvenient to visit a GP clinic or hospital, and priority access to partner clinics.

 

During a patient call, patients are matched with a Speedoc doctor, an SMC registered medical practitioner, whose name and picture will appear on the app. Patients can contact the doctor through in-app messaging and calls, to communicate questions, concerns and relevant medical information. During a Speedoc house call, the doctor will diagnose a patient’s condition, and prescribe medication on the spot or provide a prescription to pick up at a pharmacy of choice.

 

Speedoc services are available island-wide in Singapore. Consultation fees are $150 from 8am-8pm, $200 from 8pm-12am, and $250 from 12am-8am. These prices exclude the cost of prescribed medication. There is also a $30 surcharge for house calls to locations like Jurong Island, Sentosa and Changi Airport.

 

Ever since its soft launch on1 Jan, 2018, the startup has seen 3,490 downloads, with 3,051 users, 671 consultations, and 524 unique patients, and sees an average of 8 patients per day.

The future of Speedoc

On September 11, Speedoc announced that it is now part of the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) regulatory sandbox – Licensing Experimentation and Adaptation Programme (LEAP). As one of the first mobile medicine providers to participate in the regulatory sandbox, Speedoc will work closely with MOH to review workflows, understand service models, and work through risk identification and mitigation strategies in healthcare, while promoting innovation in Singapore’s healthcare landscape.

 

Under the regulatory sandbox, Speedoc patients and caregivers will benefit from early access to new healthcare models consistent with the regulatory ethos of MOH. Speedoc will also be able to introduce new healthcare models or evolve its current models in a safe manner, with early visibility over the eventual regulatory environment. This will also help them to meet patient safety and welfare requirements, and transition more seamlessly into the eventual regulatory framework.

 

“In the future, we want to make Speedoc into a medical super-app; besides being a platform for booking house calls, we are working to implement in-app follow ups, and have plans to open up a chat and video-call module by early 2019,” says Dr Shravan Verma, MD & Founder of Speedoc. “For now, our main priority is to grow our customer base through hospital and insurance partnerships, and to prepare to scale up our business when more customers come on board, as we plan to grow by two or three times by the middle of next year.”

Posted on

SG Smartphone Tech Updates – Highly-Secured Google Pixel 3, 4-camera Samsung Galaxy A9 & Blockchain-powered XPhone

Singaporean love gadgets. In this small island-state with no more than 6 million people, we have one mega electronic fair in every 2 months approximately. It is also not surprising to know that we have one of the highest smartphone penetration rates in the world. On average, one Singaporean is carrying 1.5 smartphones; no wonder many international brands choose to launch their smartphones in this tiny red dot.

 

There were so many smartphones launches recently in Singapore last week and the consumers have been spoiled for choices. If you have yet to find time to read out all the press releases, this article serves as a summary to make sure you are in the know.

 

Google Pixel 3/Pixel 3 XL

The Google Pixel 3 is probably the most high-profile launches recently. The Pixel UI has won praises in the market and a handful of tech reviewers has commented that the UI used in the Google Pixel line of phones are better than the “stock” android.

 

Besides improvements in the hardware from the earlier pixel phones, the biggest highlight of the Google Pixel 3 is the use of a new security chip called the Titan M. This is the same chip that Google used in their data centre which means that Google is bringing enterprise-level security technology to smartphones.

 

Google has also ditched 3.5mm port joining the likes of Apple to push for adopting new cable standard for our audio devices. For those who are still using the conventional headphones with the standard 3.5mm audio jack, the Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL are shipped with USB-C 3.5mm audio jack adaptor. You could still use your old expensive headphones with Google Pixel 3.

 

iPhone users, listen up! Before you feel like converting, you may wish to look on the CNET video below for comparison.

Samsung Galaxy A9

The rise of budget phones in recent years has prompted Samsung to launch mid-range Galaxy A series. Consumers has certainly benefited from the intense competition among the smartphone brands. At a lower price-point, the Galaxy A9 is offering specifications that are very comparable to those so-called “flagship phones” are offering.

 

The Galaxy A9 has caught attention from the media of being the first smartphone in the world that has not 2, not 3 but 4 rear cameras! Every camera sensor has its own purpose – ability for better optical zoom (2x to be exact), able to take wider images, better depth of field and better image qualities under low-light conditions.

The rationale of having 4 camera sensors is to give flexibility to the users who could toggle across different camera sensors to suit the users’ requirement – for instance long shots or wide shots.

 

Blockchain-powered XPhone

Pundi X, a Singapore-based blockchain start-up, has announced their very own smartphone called XPhone that runs on their own Function X OS based off Android OS 9.0. Essentially, it is still an Android phone powered by their own Function X blockchain; that means the data transmitted via your phone i.e. apps, pictures, video, messages, calls or any types of file are being stored or distributed through a network of decentralized nodes.

 

Traditionally, phone users go through the centralized mobile carrier to make a call via a number that is unique to every phone user. With Pundi X’s proprietary FXTP, users could by-pass the conventional internet protocol (http) completely to transmit data to another device. To put it simply, X Phone could potentially work independently at places without mobile signal. You should look at their product demo here.

The idea of X Phone is revolutionary. However, Pundi X comments the viability of its blockchain infrastructure depends largely on the spread of nodes (in this case, number of XPhone users).

Posted on

Review of Cinch Belts – A Belt Without Holes

Men always wear belt and it was used for the most practical reason – to tighten the pant. That’s in the past. This day, belt is not just a tightening tool; it is a fashion accessory for men.  Over the past decades, men is increasingly paying more attention to their attire and of course, more brand-conscious when selecting their belt (I am one of those). A quick glimpse on all the belts hanging in stores. We see tonnes of designs on the belt buckle i.e. some just simply putting their brands, some makes super big-(or I should say “super loud”) looking buckle. If you take a closer look on these belts, you see they have one thing in common – they still use holes in the belt.

 

This is something that I don’t understand. Holes are problematic. They need to be evenly punched (not too far or too near apart, usually 1”apart) otherwise, the belt will look ugly and it is not common to find that one hole that could fit comfortably on your waist and there is a high chance of over-tightening the belt.

 

Speaking about tightening the belt, you will notice that after we have pulled the belt through the buckle, we always tend to bend it outwards to find the right hole to fit and without you knowing it, that action will damage the belt eventually.

 

I have tried other hole-less belt before but the tightening mechanism on the buckle usually not very durable and the tightening mechanism which involves pressing the belt hard with a small metal piece underneath the buckle usually leave mark on the belt which I don’t really like it.

Fortunately, I was introduced to Cinch Belts, a start-up that invented an entirely new hole-less belt system that allows adjustment as small as 0.25” apart. This is a guarantee fit for your waist. On top of that, it is very easy to tighten – insert the belt through the belt and pull in the direction along your waist and you are done!

 

To release, just lift the buckle and pull the belt out. Simple.

 

Comfort, Easy to use and durability. How does Cinch Belts achieve that?

The trick lies on Cinch Belts’ InfiniTrack™ designs which can be found beneath the belt. Once it is correctly aligned, the latch on the buckle will “lock” with the tracks on the belt. This locking system has no direct contact with the surface of the belt and thus, minimizing the chance of damaging the belt.

Cinch Belts’ InfiniTrack

 

Why You should buy a Cinch Belts?

Cinch Belts has clearly illustrated to us that there is always a better way in doing things. You must be thinking the mechanism in Cinch belt will be a big sell point to me. Well, “Yes” and “No”. I bought pricy belts before because of their high quality of the material. (Alright. I was a little bit vain then but I don’t blindly spend money to chase after brands). Cinch Belts is not just selling you their solution. Their belts are made of 100% full grain leather. To those who might not know, full grain leather is made from the upper-most surface of the animal’s hide; the part which is the smoothest and strongest. As such, belt made of full grain leather is extremely tough and durable. You are getting quality stuff here.

Armed with powerful solutions and high-quality material, Cinch Belts is giving life-time warranty for every belt sold. That’s the level of assurance the company is giving to their customers.

 

Last but not least, Cinch Belts is running some promotion on their belts. Price has dropped from the usual USD 129.90 to USD 89.90 (That’s 30% discount!). On top of that, you will get free international shipping. To sweeten the deal, readers of The Neo Dimension could get additional USD 10 discount from the final amount if they bought the belts from this link http://buy-cinch.com/discount/NEODIMENSION. Once you are at the Check Out Page, you should see “NEODIMENSION” discount code applied. If you didn’t, you could manually type it in to receive your discount.