WhatsApp is Preparing Video Call for Beta Users

WhatsApp call functions

Recently, a beta version of WhatsApp was released that comes with a video call function. We already have video call functions on WeChat and Line for a long time now but now we are seeing that WhatsApp is getting on the bandwagon very soon.

For the last 6 months since December 2015, WhatsApp developers has been developing the video call function for WhatsApp. Now we are starting to see some updates on the WhatsApp app that some may see a video call option when they press the call button. Some websites have reported that some users were able to initiate the video call but no such proof were shown. But that function has been removed in the latest update temporarily until they have finalized the reliability of the video call.

But some beta testers will be getting a new update to test out the video call. We can now confirm that they will start rolling out to the masses and soon we will be able to make calls and video calls on WhatsApp.

Now I have some comment on the voice call. Most of the time here in Malaysia we will have slow network connection on our phones. Even the 4G LTE is slow at times. A friend of mine prefers to make calls using WhatsApp because most of his contacts are on WhatsApp and it is the most popular chat app in Malaysia. But there will be a few seconds delay when calling using WhatsApp as opposed to others like WeChat or Line. In the first few seconds, we will notice a lag in hearing the person on the other side. But after 10 to 15 seconds, the line goes stable.

Now what about video call on WhatsApp gonna be like? Will it have the same lag? We shall wait and see until they launch the video call function…soon.

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WiFi Calling – Another First From U Mobile

U Mobile Introduces Another First, WiFi Calling

U Mobile Sdn Bhd, the telco with the fastest mobile network in Malaysia, is the first in the industry to offer WiFi Calling service to its customers. With the new service, customers will be able to make and receive voice calls over a personal or public WiFi connection. Hence, every available WiFi station in the world will effectively become a U Mobile network tower, expanding the telco’s reach way beyond its current network footprint.

U Mobile executives showing off the WiFi calling service

WiFi Calling Infographic (Click to enlarge)

One of the key challenges faced by telco operators in Malaysia today is providing good in-building voice coverage especially for high-rise and offices. U Mobile WiFi Calling is the perfect solution to voice coverage issues as most buildings today have WiFi connectivity.

WiFi Calling is available to both its prepaid and postpaid customers from today at no additional charge. With the new service, customers will be able to call and receive calls even in areas of limited network coverage such as basements, indoor or remote areas as long as they are connected to a WiFi terminal.

Unlike other Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) calls such as Skype, Viber and WhatsApp, WiFi Calling provides a similar experience to normal mobile phone calls as WiFi calls are made and received using existing mobile numbers. Apart from that, one may make WiFi calls to both mobile numbers as well as landlines. One may also make IDD calls with WiFi Calling.

As for U Mobile customers who are travelling, WiFi Calling offers savings, as there will be no roaming charges for any calls made via a WiFi connection. This means, every time a U Mobile customer makes a WiFi call to a Malaysian number, regardless of where he or she is, the call will be treated like it was made from Malaysia.

Jasmine Lee, U Mobile’s Chief Marketing Officer said “U Mobile is growing rapidly and we strive to provide good coverage to our ever increasing number of customers wherever they might be. We believe WiFi Calling will be of great benefit as our customers no longer have to worry about not being able to make or receive calls, even in areas where network coverage may be weak like in basements as long as there is a WiFi connection. The best part is the U Mobile WiFi Calling experience is incredibly seamless”.

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To enjoy WiFi Calling service, U Mobile customers need to ensure that the WiFi Calling function on their smartphone is enabled and that they are connected to U Mobile’s WiFi Calling service. Once that is done, WiFi Calling will be a seamless experience for U Mobile customers.

Calls made or received via WiFi Calling will be in High Definition (HD) Voice*. The service is available to U Mobile customers with iPhone 5C, 5S, SE, 6, 6 Plus, 6s and 6s Plus models. U Mobile will also be offering WiFi Calling to customers with Android phones soon.

*HD Voice is available when the call is being made or received from a mobile phone that supports HD Voice via a HD Voice enabled network.

For more information, please visit
www.u.com.my/wificalling
.


ZTE Blade V7 Lite – The New Kid in Town

Introduction

I have come across a few new smartphones this year and most of them are looking into having the aluminum finish type of material. But most of the smartphones with aluminum finish are targeting the mid-range users. Well, not really targeting the mid-rangers but that kind of finishing usually comes with a price. So we hardly have any entry level smartphones that comes with all metal finish a.k.a aluminum.

Now let me introduce to you the new kid in town by ZTE, an all metal body with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen that will make you go “oooooh” but won’t leave your wallet empty.

New kid in town – ZTE Blade V7 Lite

The new ZTE Blade V7 Lite is the small brother of the Blade V7 Max (which is coming out this July) and is a joy to use…and it’s good looking too. The all metal body feels a little bit slippery in my hand but because the width of the phone is slightly narrower than my personal phone, I’m able to wrap my fingers around it well. It is also very slim and light. Holding it the first time feels like holding something empty inside, like, I know I’m holding something but it’s light…maybe it’s empty inside…but it’s not. But I’m not complaining.

Key Features

Fingerprint sensor at the back

Lightweight

Slim and well designed

Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box

Good “pro” function for the camera

2GB of RAM for an entry level phone

All metal body

Front facing camera comes with LED flash

The Blade series is focused on the entry level and mid-range smartphone. The AXON series is the flagship series by ZTE. But the Blade V7 series will bring more positive feedback from current and new users. I feel that the Blade V7 series deserve a little respect.

Before we go on to the look and feel of the phone, I would like to mention that I’ve been using the Blade V7 Lite for a whole week now, temporarily replacing my main phone the whole time. It never show any lags nor slowing down, it responded really well to all my keypress on the on-screen keyboard and never heats up after long usage such as game play or video streaming. Tabik spring bro.

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Next:
Look and Feel ->

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ZTE Has A New Beast – Introducing Axon 7

Flagship phones has become a saturated market nowadays. There’s just too many of them now. Some are well brands that you already know like iPhone, Samsung, LG, Lenovo, Huawei, Motorola and few others. But that does not stop one China brand from unleashing their new flagship device recently.

ZTE Axon 7

ZTE just released their top-of-the-line flagship phone – the Axon 7, that has the potential to blast the other flagships into oblivion. Yep. The specifications for ZTE’s new beast is monstrous. If you just purchased a flagship from the other brands, your device will now feel like a cat, going against a tiger. So to speak.

The ZTE Axon 7 comes with a Snapdragon 820 CPU with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of space but it also has a bigger “brother” which comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal space! But do we really need the 6GB of RAM? I’d say…who cares! The bigger, the better. It won’t be long until we see the arrival of 8GB of RAM.

Anyhow, the ZTE Axon 7 is a full metal body smartphone which not only looks good, it feels good too. Well, I haven’t held it in my hands yet but by the looks of it, it sure looks good. The design is done together with BMW subsidiary – Designworks, to make the Axon 7 look this good.

The screen size is 5.5″ QHD panel with noticeable double front speakers located at the top and bottom, enhanced by Dolby Atmos for superb surround sound experience.

The camera is a huge 20-megapixel with optical image stabilizer with a combination of f/1.8 lens to shoot better in low light. The front camera is an 8-megapixel shooter, great detailed shot for selfie lovers. Below the rear camera is the fingerprint sensor, exactly where I preferred it to be.

You won’t have to worry about running out of power so soon with the huge 3140mAh battery that comes with Quick Charge 3.0 support that will go from zero to 100% in 100 minutes. The Axon 7 is also one of the first devices to be announced with Daydream support, which can be used later on with Google’s upcoming VR platform.

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I don’t know the price for the ZTE Axon 7 in Malaysia yet, but we will soon know at the launch of the phone. That also I don’t know when yet. For now, let’s just drool at the specs and photos of Axon 7.

ZTE Axon 7 back. Photo from CNET.com.


ZTE Unveiled The New Blade V7 Series In Malaysia

Anyone, Anywhere, Can Own an Ergonomic Metallic Smartphone.

Earlier today, I went over to Double Tree Hotel in Kuala Lumpur for a media launch by ZTE Malaysia which saw the unveiling of their new Blade V7 Series smartphone. The main attraction or shall we say…key selling point of the new Blade V7 series is the fingerprint sensor and it being very affordable for those who seeks a metallic ergonomically designed Android phone.

For today’s launch, ZTE unveiled the Blade V7 Lite version while the Blade V7 Max will only be available later this month. The metallic body of the Blade V7 Lite feels premium and sleek. It is light and slim too. Powered by Mediatek MTK6735P 1.3GHz quad-core processor and comes with 2GB of RAM, which is the optimum RAM for any new Android phones to-date. It also comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow right out-of-the-box. Another key feature is the 4G LTE dual SIM and dual standby function. Nowadays we do prefer our phones to have 4G LTE ready, don’t we?

Welcome message

The launch is in line with ZTE’s commitment to provide Malaysians with quality affordable smarthphones.

The ZTE Blade V7 Lite model was designed with our customers in mind. The innovative features packed in this high-quality smartphone allow users to experience the likeness of a premium device at an affordable price of RM669 (promotional price is now at RM499 and runs for a limited time only). The phone will be available nationwide from 16 May 2016 onwards. –
Mr Danny Chan, Malaysia Channel Director, S.E.A Region of ZTE Devices Group.

The ZTE Blade V7 Max features a slim and sleek look, with a full-metal and ergonomic body that is only 7.2mm thick. It is also a 4G LTE dual SIM and dual standby phone which is powered by a 1.8Ghz octa-core MediaTek MT6755M processor, 3GB of RAM with up to 32GB of internal memory.

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ZTE Blade V7 Lite

In addition to the launch of the Blade Series in Malaysia, ZTE has extended its excitement to consumers by hosting an end-user event taking place on Sunday, 15 May 2016, 12.30pm at the ZTE Concept Kiosk in Low Yat Plaza. Available on a first-come-first-serve basis, consumers will stand a chance to purchase the Blade V7 Lite at a discount of 50% by following 4 simple steps:

Like ZTE’s Facebook Page (
www.facebook.com/ZTEMalaysia
).

Attend and post a photo of the end-user event on your FB wall, with the hashtag of #ZTEMalaysia #ZTEBladeV7Lite and tagging three (3) of your friends.

Show us your photo & NRIC at the ZTE counter (1 unit per 1 NRIC).

Enjoy 50% discount on the purchase of Blade V7 Lite!

That’s it. If you wish to purchase the Blade V7 Lite at half price, be sure to follow the steps above. It’s so simple.

For more info, visit
www.ztedevices.com.my

More photos from the event:

[gmedia id=23]

P/S: I am currently reviewing the ZTE Blade V7 Lite provided by ZTE Malaysia. Be sure to check out my full review 2 weeks from now.


Breaking The Introvert Shell

As I prepared to go on stage, I was contemplating whether to run away or just follow the rest of the children. I was assigned as the “balloon man”, supposedly to sell balloons to the other kids. But it was just a simple play. I just have to get on stage from one end and go down on the other side. I was handed a few balloons in my hand, all tied up nicely with a ribbon. When I was my turn, I didn’t know what to do. The teacher was already calling out for the “balloon man” but I just stood at the edge of the stage, stunned and blank. I ended up running away and hid myself under a huge kitchen cabinet.

On another occasion, it was during sports day. I vaguely remember the occasion but I remember that when the moment came for all of us from the same school to warm up, I just stood there doing nothing while the others kids were doing all sorts of exercises following a teacher in-charge. I did not even lift an arm, let alone a finger. I was extremely shy. I have always kept things to myself. Even played alone most of the time.

And during the short dash event, I ran. I did run. But I was last. I’ve always been in the last position. It’s always okay for me to be in the last position. I hated the limelight. I hated to be the loud ones. But I know in my heart that I long to be in the center of attention. At least for once. Of course, for a good reason.

The story above is when I was growing up. I was around 6-10 years old then. I remember when I was much younger, I have always been a shy and quiet person. Even my parents told me that I’ve been quiet, always to myself most of the time. I would play with children my age but I was always the quiet one. Always the one who lets everyone else win, while I ended up losing. Even in the simple game such as “follow the leader”, I was always the follower, never the leader.

As I grow older, I managed to break one of my introvert shell – my shyness. But I still can’t go up on the stage and start singing. No. I was still shy. But during that period of time I was already bowling for my country. At the age of 14, I was one of the talented ones to join in the Malaysian National Youth Squad for bowling. My shyness with people slowly fade away. I can stand tall on the podium whenever I win a tournament. But my cold sweat was still there. Still have that anxiety feeling. Nervous was normal for me.

At the age of 22, I bowled for the first time on live TV. The finals were aired on ESPN for the one-on-one match. I won two rounds before I falter in the third. Cold sweat and all choked up. It was embarrassing for me. Again, losing was okay for me. So I let it be. I was still a quiet person. I don’t mingle much. I still can’t start a proper conversation with a girl. Words that came out from my mouth were gibberish whenever I talk to a girl I just met. Stupid stuffs mostly. No, I’m not going to talk about that here.

Fast forward to 2016. I’m turning 40 this year. All those long years of being an introverted person didn’t help much in pushing myself to be better. I remember going for events or seminars, most of the time I would stand in one corner observing people. I won’t talk to anyone. I won’t even say hello. The introverted me was just comfortably sitting on my own while waiting for the event or seminar to start.

Turning 40 made me realise that I’ve been losing so much in life. All those opportunities that I’ve passed, all those promotions that I’ve turned down, all because I was shy and not wanting to be the go-to guy. Looking back, regrets started to fill me in. But I know I shouldn’t look behind, I should be looking ahead. What can I do from now on? What can I do for the next 20 or 30 years of my remaining life?

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Ever watched the movie Yes Man starred by Jim Carrey? I know it’s a hilarious movie and I really enjoyed it. But it occurs to me too. What if I say YES to everything that comes my way from now on? What would happen then? Guess what? I did. I said yes to every opportunity that came my way recently. No hesitation and no regrets.

I said yes to my friend when he asked me to become a host of a new Malay language photography channel on YouTube. And now I’m a host. I’m no longer camera shy. All my cold sweat or nervous feeling disappeared. Being in-front of the camera is actually my ultimate introvert shyness, next to being on a stage to sing. It is my final introvert shell that I’ve been wanting to break. And now I did it. Not only I’m happy about it, I also want to be in-front of the camera again. And another opportunity knocks.

I got offered to be a lead in a commercial recently and obviously I said yes. And I did it happily and there were zero shyness or whatsoever. Like, none. At all. Many other opportunities came about and I said yes to all of them. I felt more positive and complete. Like this blog page too. All I did was said yes to blogging again after taking a few years break. And now I’m happy to receive offers for product or food reviews.

To top it all off, another opportunity knocks again. I’ve been watching lucky couples or friends travel the globe in a race on TV ever since the first season. They traveled to many countries, see many things, meet a lot of people and most of all, having the best time of their lives. Who would say no to that right? That’s exactly why I said yes again. All those time I just get to watch other people do it, why not me. So off I went for The Amazing Race Asia audition with my best buddy.

The reason I auditioned for The Amazing Race Asia is because I’ve been saying no to every opportunity I had. Also because I was shy and introverted. Being in the race, I can push myself to break any barriers that I’ve put up in my entire 40 years of living as an introvert. Most of all, because I was camera shy. That is the reason why I didn’t audition for the previous races. “A team must send in a video audition”. Those days I would say no to that. In 2016 however, I felt like a new man.

Wish us luck!

The audition was held in Sunway Pyramid for two days, 4th and 5th June. As soon as my wife told me about them having an on-site audition, I never hesitate. I said YES immediately and at the same time, I told my best buddy about it. Good thing he said yes too. And we went for the audition at noon today (5th June). My best buddy Ronny has always been an extrovert, a total opposite of me. But it seems that today I was more extroverted than he is. We simply blasted at the camera during audition. We pulled out pranks and joke about each other while telling them why we should be in the race.

So yes. We went for The Amazing Race Asia audition. And I broke my final introvert shell. Now, the wait for the result is slowly eating us up. #LOL


Camera Samples From OnePlus 3 Leaks Out And It’s Amazing

Waiting for the next flagship killer with a good camera? Well, we might be seeing that soon with the upcoming arrival of the new OnePlus 3 “flagship killer” smartphone.

I have loved the OnePlus brand ever since their first “flagship killer” device, the OnePlus One. Too bad, at that time they were only selling it to those with invites only. But that was an awesome strategy by OnePlus, making everyone else who doesn’t get the phone left out feeling envious.

And then comes the OnePlus 2. Another flagship killer by the company that scores high on the benchmark, surpassing the other flagships on terms of performance. But they still fail on the camera quality. Now the new OnePlus 3 is coming. Said to come with 16-megapixel shooter that is going to proof their seriousness in developing an all-rounder flagship killer.

The camera samples were published on Twitter last night. And what I can say about the picture quality is truly amazing. Far superior than the two OnePlus predecessors.

Check out these amazing sample shots taken with the
#OnePlus3
 camera. Which is your favorite?
pic.twitter.com/7A3gfzUX87

— OnePlus (@oneplus)
June 8, 2016

As you can see from the images above, the photos that were taken with the OnePlus 3 is remarkable. I’d say, this can really match with Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge. But I can’t confirm that at the moment. I am looking forward to getting my hands on the OnePlus 3 when it is on sale, which is soon but still unable to know the exact date, especially here in Malaysia.

A quick specification of OnePlus 3:

CPU – Snapdragon 820

GPU – Adreno 530

Camera – 16MP with OIS and laser autofocus

Memory – Up to 64GB internal with 6GB of RAM

5.5″ AMOLED display

Full metal body

That is all that I’ve gathered from the internet for the time being. For now, let’s just wait for the official launch of the OnePlus 3. Check back to this website for the official release. I will sure blog about it.

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Entries Now Open For 2017 Sony World Photography Awards

Sony World Photography Awards 2017

2017 Sony World Photography Awards

Here’s a little bit of news for Malaysian (and worldwide) photographers out there. The 2017 Sony World Photography Awards is now open for entries submission. Being a photographer myself, I would love to send my entries for this prestigious award but I’ve been out of the scene for too long. I still do my photography but those are for work, nothing suitable enough for me to submit.

But those who are really into the photography scene and have good photos to submit, go for it guys. Send in your entries now to be in the run for the award. Who knows, you may be the lucky winner.

Okay, here are the categories and its descriptions:

Professional competition

The Professional competition is judged on a body of work. Photographers must submit a minimum of 5 and maximum of 10 images and all submissions must be accompanied by a series description.

Art
 – Judges are looking to clearly see the creative vision of the artist in each of the categories. Aesthetic qualities to the work are primary. Images do not need to be sequential or narrative driven, but as a group they must form a coherent portfolio of work. Manipulation of images is allowed. Your creative vision should be clearly understood by the judges in your series description.

Architecture
 – the judges are looking for the ability to capture three-dimensional worlds into two-dimensional, whilst retaining the original qualities. Light, angle and scale are key factors but the subject matter can be wide-ranging.

Conceptual
 – the body of work in this category should be staged to represent an idea. Originality and creativity should have no boundaries and the concept should be preconceived and understood by the viewer.

Landscape
 – showing spaces within the world in all their varieties, from large scale aerials to microscopic views. Judges will focus on the aesthetic quality of the final images.

Natural World
 – judges are looking for artistic images of our natural, physical or material world. The category should be understood in its widest sense, from flora and fauna to wildlife.

Portraiture
 – the subject in the body of work is expressly aware that their portrait is being taken. The resulting images demonstrate a likeness to the subject and convey expression, emotion and / or personality.

Still Life
 – often a group or an arrangement of objects, Still Life typically depicts inanimate subject matters. The approach can be classic or innovative and bold. Judges will closely consider composition, lighting and framing when viewing the work.

Documentary
 – Judges are looking to clearly see representational photography in each of these categories. Usually it would chronicle events or environments, champion causes or highlight social issues in the current world we live in. Your creative vision should be clearly understood by the judges in your series description.

Current Affairs & News
 – judges are looking for a body of work that documents a specific story of historical fact that has a news or current affairs agenda. The story could be of global or local concern. Image processing is allowed but it is the responsibility of the photographer to not manipulate or enhance the images in such a way that they distort or change the reality of the scene shot.

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Daily Life
 – the work should provide a brief insight into a person, group of people, demographic, religion or culture. Normally, the insights are candid and document the daily interactions or action of the subjects being photographed.

Contemporary Issues
 – the judges are looking for a body of work that highlights and raise awareness of a social, global and / or economic issue relevant to the present day. Unlike Current Affairs & News, the photographer drives the narrative; the body of work is typically subjective.

Sport
 –the judges are looking for images that capture the intensity, emotions and action of the chosen sport subject. It could be professional or amateur, the focus could be on the sportsperson or the sport environment but a strong narrative must be present.

Open competition

The Open competition rewards the best single images in the 10 categories below. Photographers should consider the category description when entering their work. Judges are looking for good composition, creativity and clear photographs.

Architecture
 – the photographing of buildings or structures that is both accurate, and aesthetically pleasing.

Culture
 – consider this category in the widest meaning of the word, this could include: art, sport, traditional customs, history, festivals, local events and / or celebrations.

Enhanced
 – a photograph which has been technically manipulated. This could include abstract, panoramic, stitched and composite images.

Motion
 – capturing movement within a single, still image.

Nature
 – your view of the physical world around us and all within it. This could include landscapes, mountains, glaciers, plants and more. Please note this category does not include wildlife imagery.

Wildlife
 – this category typically focuses on animals that are undomesticated and shot within their natural environment.

Portraits
 – images of people where the subject is aware of the photograph being taken and the expression and the emotion of the person is clear.

Still Life
 – typically depicting inanimate subject matter, often a group or an arrangement of objects devoid of human presence.

Street Photography
 – an image that records everyday life in a public space.

Travel
 – inspiring images from your travels around the world.

Youth competition

For all photographers aged 12-19, a single image responding to one brief. Judges are looking for good composition, creativity and clear photographs.

Brief: Beauty

The definition of ‘beauty’ is “the quality of being pleasing, especially to look at, or someone or something that gives great pleasure, especially when you look at it.”

In your photograph the judges are looking to see what you consider to be ‘beauty’. Take the word in its widest form – from environment to people, animals to still life.

Student Focus

Each year all registered universities are given a unique 1st challenge, with a time frame given for their students to respond and submit a single image per university. A shortlist of 10 students are then selected and given a 2nd and final challenge.

This year’s 1st challenge is: ‘Memories’

We want you to recreate one of your favourite memories in a single image. It could be from your childhood; a moment of laughter with friends; a first date, or from a walk in the rain last week.

To find out more about the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards and to submit your entry, head over to their
official website
.

Good luck!


Flamingo App Is Simple Yet Ohsem Twitter Client

There was a time when using a non-native Twitter client was rather an “in thing”. A few selections of good Twitter clients were available especially to those who were using BlackBerry smartphones back then. I was one of them. I love using Social Scope for BlackBerry last time. Others would use different ones like Tweetdeck or Seesmic Twitter client. Basically we were avoiding the official Twitter client because we can do more with the third-party clients.

Now, there are so many Twitter clients out there. I recently found out about a new Twitter client that is made easy and simple, but yet an awesome client.

Flamingo for Twitter is still in beta version. I have been using it for the whole day yesterday and up to 3pm today, I have not seen any bugs or feel sluggish while using the Flamingo app. It is fast and has a simple beautiful flat material like UI.

You can fully customize the look and feel of the Twitter client, down to the colours and line height for each tweets. It also comes with a theme manager where you can select which theme you want to use. In the pictures above, one is using the native theme and the other is a customized theme.

Functions like having a multiple accounts is also available. So if you have more than one Twitter account, you can add more accounts in Flamingo. Of course, the office Twitter client has this function too. Not really a niche in this one.

Flamingo for Twitter app is just another simple Twitter client. But the reason why you might like it is because it’s simple and it just works. Before I forget, I would like to mention one of the function that I like in this one. If you wish to see the photo in a tweet, simply long press on the image and it will pop-out lightbox style to show you the preview.

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Flamingo is available now on Google Play Store for only RM3.99. Yes, you have to pay for this app in order to download and use. But I assure you, it will be worth the money…if you prefer to use a third-party Twitter client.


All Metal Flash Plus 2 with 3GB of RAM Coming To Lazada This 28 June

Come June 28, 2016, Flash is releasing the 3GB RAM Flash Plus 2, which will be an online exclusive on Lazada.

Apart from amazing photography features, this version of Flash Plus 2 comes with 3GB RAM and a 32GB internal memory, which would definitely make the smartphone’s performance buttery smooth while still rocking a memory card slot, for expansion of up to 128GB.

All of the Flash Plus 2 devices are also equipped with fingerprints recognition function that makes unlocking your phone in 0.5s possible, and 3000mAH battery capacity with fast-charging technology that promises 50% battery charge in only 30 minutes.

There are two edgy colours to choose from, Luna Silver and Venus Gold.

This version will have the premium metal finish while packing a punch from the Helio P10 processor, 5.5” screen and stock Android Marshmallow operating system.

Purchasing a Flash Plus 2 on Lazada will entitle you to a RM20 voucher, redeemable against exciting Flash Plus 2 accessories including the new Flash Plus 2 tempered glass screen protector, a selection of TPU cases and premium headsets to enjoy the stunning sound quality on this smart phone. Redemptions are only valid with purchases via Lazada.

The Flash Plus 2 won’t burn a hole in your pocket, with a highly affordable price tag of RM729. Its previous sales have sold out within 1 hour; with Indonesia selling over 1000 units within 30 seconds!

Click here to check out the Flash Plus 2 on Lazada now!

According to Flash Business Development Director, Mr. Yogi Babria, the 3GB RAM will fulfill Malaysian users need for speed, even smoother graphics and more memory.

“Consumers love the Flash Plus 2, and we want to give them more ‘muscle’ for speed, graphics and space. This is why we are taking it up a notch with the 3GB RAM and 32GB memory to pair with its new features like its HiFi capabilities, finger print recognition, MIX music editing function and its awe-inducing camera performance. This way, they can not only enjoy the art, but create art itself,” concluded Yogi.

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Kantin & Co – Simple Food For Food Lovers

Note: Kantin & Co has shut down their business.

Taking a Sunday drive from Subang Jaya to Mahkota Cheras took about an hour. But knowing that my wife and I will be sampling food made with passion that won’t cost much, made me forget the distance to travel all the way to the other side of the city. Good thing it was on a Sunday. Less traffic and less headache. Only thing I have to worry about are those drivers who took Sunday drive as literally a Sunday drive.

As we cruise along the highway, the sky was getting dark. It was only 5pm. Signs of heavy rain is everywhere. I stepped on the gas to reach my destination early before the downpour. And I had to rely on Waze as it was the first time we’re visiting a little known cafe called, Kantin & Co, situated in Seksyen 9 Bandar Mahkota Cheras.

Rain started pouring. Thank God we were almost at our destination. The rain doesn’t bother us. But I had my (almost) full camera gears with me and it would be a headache to just get everything out of the car. With luck, heavy rain turned to drizzle as I parked my car not far from Kantin & Co. And immediately we were greeted with familiar faces.

Warm ambiance of Kantin & Co

Kantin & Co is an establishment by our friend, Jaz, and also greeted by Niena and Achik whom we called as “siblings” from another parents. We were honoured to be invited to sample the meal served at Kantin & Co, and for me to do some “studio” type of shots for the food. Best thing about it was that we get to eat the subjects, which were 4 types of dishes, 2 types of drinks and a dessert. We wouldn’t say no to that now would we?

Interior and fan wall

As soon after we said our hello, I quickly set up my gears. Tripod, flash gun, flash stand and also setting up my camera. I do want to make this look like it was being shot in a studio. Not only for this food review but also for Jaz to use as his marketing materials especially in social media. Doesn’t matter to me, I just want to make the pictures look good. At the same time, the chef were preparing our sample dishes. Not long after that, it was all ready to be photographed (and eaten).

We were served their in-house favourites and signature dishes. In the favourites list there were –
Spaghettini in Kantin & Co Sauce
 and
Spaghetti Carbonara
. While in the signature dishes we were served –
Nasi Daging Dendeng
 (beef slices in chili paste) and
Nasi Ayam Cabai
 (stir-fried chicken with home-made fresh chili paste). For dessert we had –
Kantin & Co Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice-Cream
. Finally for the drinks –
Mango Crush
 and
Barley Kundur Crush
 (signature drink).

And this is what I think about each and every one of the dishes as my review…

Spaghettini in Kantin & Co Sauce

Spaghettini in Kantin & Co Sauce

What I like about the sauce was that it’s a mixture of two spaghetti sauces, carbonara and bolognaise. I can taste the creaminess of the carbonara and the sourness of the bolognaise. I would say that if anyone is contemplating to choose what sauce they want between carbonara or bolognaise, they can have this instead. The spaghetti is nicely done at
el-dente
. Sauce is definitely good. I loved the creaminess and sourness taste in one bite. Slightly more cheese would be nice. And the chicken bits in my pasta was a little too hard. Probably boiled a few hours beforehand. Other than it…delicious!

Spaghetti Carbonara (Beef)

Everyone loves pasta in carbonara sauce

I know that this is a common sauce ordered by many pasta lovers. But I couldn’t resist nodding my head when we were recommended this dish. I always prefer mine with beef. Better if it comes with beef bacon and turkey ham. But the carbonara from Kantin & Co is actually not bad. Probably one of the tastiest I’ve had. Cooked in the simplest way and ready in less than 5 minutes. What I would like to comment is to not be greedy with the cheese when it comes to carbonara sauce. It kicks but not an accurate kick on the butt kinda taste. Just a little bit more would be nice, just to give that final “oomph!”. Otherwise, not bad.

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Be mindful that the pasta dishes are made and served in small portions. Following the food truck concept, the pastas are made to order and comes in small(er) portions than usual. Hence why the price for this pasta dish is only RM6. Of course, you can add more but naturally you will have to pay more too. But it’s a good concept if you want a quick meal and not wanting to spend too much.

Now we move on to Kantin & Co’s signature dishes.

Nasi Daging Dendeng (Beef slices in chili paste served with rice)

Sweet and spicy beef – Daging Dendeng

Now this is something special. Usually when someone tell me about daging dendeng, in my mind I know that the meat will be as hard as the dinding (wall). The Javanese would cook it that way whereby the beef is thinly sliced and fried until it hardens. I thought this dish will be the same. But I was wrong. The meat is so tender and tasty. Maybe a tad too sweet for my taste but it’s forgivable. I know that some people may like it this way and some may like it less sweet. But I like the dish. It is something different to have as a meal. It is also quite filling. Beef lovers would love this one.

Nasi Ayam Cabai (Stir-fried chicken with home-made fresh chili paste)

The chili in Nasi Ayam Cabai is spicy!

I love this one. The cabai (chili) was really spicy. Maybe need a little bit more spicy to my taste, but yes, it is spicy. Awesome blend of home-made fresh chili paste goes well with the chicken. The chili paste and the chicken compliments each other. For my next visit, I will order this one. Just a little suggestion that has been playing on my mind about this. It needs more gravy. To be exact, the gravy from the chili paste. The chili paste taste so good, it would be awesome to mix it in with the rice too. After that, I’d give two thumbs up!

The signature dishes comes with rice and clear soup. The price for Nasi Daging Dendeng is RM10 while the price for Nasi Ayam Cabai is only RM8. More preparation comes when making the daging dendeng because the meat are marinated for 24 hours, that’s why it’s tender and yummy.

On with the dessert!

Kantin & Co Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice-Cream

Drool…

My review for this dessert is very short and simple. I will only say 3 words, “Nak lagi please”.

Done. I will let the picture do all the talking. On the side note, I will reveal this – That is home-made banana bread.

Drinks – Mango Crush and Barley Kundur Crush

Mango and Barley Kundur Crush

Absolutely love the Mango Crush. But the unique taste of the Barley Kundur Crush is super delicious. These two are the must have drinks when you dine at Kantin & Co.

Now here’s a little something that you can have too. If you love the Daging Dendeng, you can also buy them in 1kg containers which is frozen and can last a very long time. All you have to do is simply heat it up and it’s ready to eat. Much like most frozen foods that are sold in supermarkets.

Daging Dendeng also sold frozen in containers

Buying the frozen daging dendeng can save you time and money especially if you’re a working adult who has no time to cook at home. Plus, it still taste just as good.

Conclusion

Kantin & Co is keeping it simple by serving simple and affordable meals. They didn’t go overboard by serving fancy foods that are expensive or too complicated. They serve simple local Malay dishes and quick pasta dishes. I love the pastas. RM6 per serving is reasonable and quite filling. If I’m still hungry, I can order another one and that would only cost me RM12 in total. And I will definitely be full after the second serving.

When you travel to Mahkota Cheras or Kajang area, do drop by Kantin & Co if you’re longing for simple and affordable meals. I can guarantee you this…you will LOVE the bread pudding.

Address and other info

No 42A, Jalan Temenggung 15/9, Seksyen 9

Bandar Mahkota Cheras, 43200 Cheras, Selangor

Tel: 03-9280 4077

Facebook Page

Waze Direct Link:
https://www.waze.com/livemap?zoom=17&lat=3.05275&lon=101.79014

Google Map:

[google_map_easy id=”2″]


Malaysia’s Best Online Shopping Hubs

With so many online shops popping up, which one should you consider? Whether you are looking to buy a gadget, fashion goods, of health and beauty products, check out the best online shopping sites you should visit below!

For Electronics and Gadgets

If you’re looking to buy a gadget or an electronic item, your best bet would be Lazada. From mobile phones, tablets, camera to even television and more, Lazada is evidently the biggest digital mall in South East Asia. Plus it’s not just the wide variety of electronics options, you can also rest assured of the quality and authenticity of all the products sold on the site as they are guaranteed 100% genuine.

If you do find a defect or problems with your purchases, you can return it within 7 days for a full refund. If you’re more comfortable seeing your purchased items first, Cash On Delivery (COD) is also available where you only pay when your order is delivered. Plus you can also shop while you’re on the move with Lazada mobile app for Android and iOS.

For Fashion Buys

Known as the most reputable home grown fashion e-commerce site in Malaysia, FashionValet offers a range of clothing, accessories and handbags from both Malaysian and Asian brands. If you love finding deals, bookmark FashionValet’s Sale category so that you can get instant notification on the latest promos. Plus they also offer beauty products and cool stationaries!

For Beauty and Household products

If you’re a fan of quirky health and beauty products, all of those are just a click away at Hermo.my. It is where you can find products that are not usually available at the local health and beauty shops here in Malaysia. This local online beauty store offers beauty products from Japan, Korea and Taiwan just to name a few.

Bought a beauty item which is not suitable for your skin or the colour doesn’t suit you? Don’t worry! Hermo has a 14 days refund policy that allows you to return the unsuitable products or those that you’re sensitive to, even if the package has been opened and used. But take note that the return inquiry must be placed within 14 days upon purchase and items bought during promotions do not apply.

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Do you want more options to cool online shopping sites? You may check out other
best budget online stores listed by CompareHero.my
.


Now You Can Brew Your Own E-Juice at MyVapologists.com

Being a vape business owner and a long time vaper myself, I have always wanted a quick and easy way to make my own customized e-juice for my daily vape. Making my own takes time and lots of raw materials, plus I have to order some of the materials from overseas and it will take a long time to arrive. And then there’s the tedious measurements to be done. I do know how to brew myself but the brewing stages will take a lot of my time.

And then I found a website. Actually, they found me.
MyVapologists.com
 is a full 100% online custom brewing website made to serve one purpose for its customers, to make your flavours! That’s right. They have abundance of raw flavours in their hands with thousands of flavour combinations that you can think of. All you have to do is head over to the website and start selecting your “secret” ingredients.

My Vapologist website

First, here’s a little introduction about MyVapologists.com. They are a European company with large sales affiliate companies all over the world including Malaysia. They have over 800+ types of raw flavours for wholesale and for custom blend customers, targeting their market segments for brewers around the globe.

Now, after knowing about what they do, I registered myself in their website and made my own e-juice. This was the first time I ever use a web-based brewing platform and it’s so easy to use. Let me show you the steps that I took and how easy it is. And they have a cute name for their brand as well. It’s called Rabbit’s Foot Custom Brews.

Choose your bottle size

First thing you have to do is choose your bottle size. You want it in 15ml, 30ml, 60ml or 120ml. All up to you. Of course, the bigger it is, the more money it’s gonna cost you.

Choice of flavours

Secondly, you choose your flavours. There are hundreds of flavours available. Take your time to see what is available or do your own research first before choosing your flavours. And then select the percentage amount of each flavours to be added in your custom brew. Easy enough? Great…let’s move on.

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PG/VG and Nicotine

The third section is where you choose your PG/VG ratio. I would always prefer more towards PG because you can get more flavour out of it. So I choose mine as 60PG/40VG. You can opt for more VG if you wish to have more vapor production. That is entirely up to you. That is the best thing about this website. You can choose what you want. And then you choose your nicotine strength. I set mine as 9mg (picture shown as 7mg because I screenshot it too early). After that you can name your juice. To whatever you want.

Add comments

Finally, if you have any special instructions or comments, you can fill it in the form too. Say if you want to make your juice taste a little sweeter, you can mention it here. If you have more flavours to add in, you can screenshot it and upload the screenshot it here. But not compulsory. In the end, you simply hit the “Add to cart” button and done! Make your payment and wait for your custom e-juice to arrive in the mail.

I received mine within 2 weeks. I did not expect to get my e-juice that soon but it came in the mail anyway. And I was happy to try it immediately. Ok, here’s what I received:

I got 3 juices.

The one that I “made” myself is the Key Lime Pie. The Short Bread and Fruit Loops are the ones made by Rabbit’s Foot Custom Brews/MyVapologists.com. Mine turns out better than I expected but may need to add more sweetener. I love the Short Bread flavour by them. But I haven’t get the chance to try the Fruit Loops yet. But it smells yummy.

So…fancy in making your own custom vape brew? Why not head over to
www.myvapologists.com
 now and give it a go. Like I said, they have more than 800+ types of raw flavours to choose from with thousands of combinations available. Best of all, you don’t have to do all the hard work. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it.


Simple Food That is Cheap and Delicious at D’Wok Cafe Sunway

Note: D’Wok Cafe has closed down.

I always have problems finding a good and cheap place to eat any time of the day. May it be lunch or for dinner, deciding where to eat is everyone’s dilemma. Don’t deny it. It happens to you too. And then you will be asking your friend or spouse who is with you the same question again and again, “Eh…wanna makan where ah?”

Now let me narrow down your search criteria a little bit, especially when you’re around Sunway, PJ or Subang Jaya area. I came across this little restaurant/cafe in Sunway Mentari recently and the type of foods they serve are simple, cheap and delicious. But their main attraction is the Nasi Kak Wok, a famous rice dish with kuah gulai ayam and fried chicken. That’s it. Simple enough? Yes.

D’Wok Cafe Sunway Mentari

D’Wok Cafe in Sunway Mentari opened sometime in March 2016. First, let me tell you this. I’m a fan of Nasi Kak Wok especially the one in TTDI Shah Alam. The methods and what they serve is similar. But the one in TTDI Shah Alam is too packed and usually everything will finish around 3pm. And since I live in Sunway, it is too far for me to travel (ini kes malas la ni). And thank God I found a similar one in Sunway itself!

Okay, the first few times I went to D’Wok Cafe, the kuah gulai ayam was a little bit bland. There was no “oomph” to it. It lacks the “lemakness” of the gulai. I actually don’t know if it’s gulai or kari but it doesn’t taste like any of those. Anyway, after a few weeks and months, they have improved the taste and now they finally found the right combo kick right in your…yeah. I like it. A lot.

Nasi Kak Wok

The gulai or kari that they poured on the rice is very tasty. And the small bits of fried chicken is fried in the most simplest way and compliments the gravy. The portion is just enough for one person but if you’re a big eater, you can ask for additional rice and gravy. Or better yet, order another serving. The sambal belacan is also not bad. I would usually ask for extra gravy, so mine will be a little bit “banjir”.

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Here’s a little bit of comment that I have on the Nasi Kak Wok set. If only they would add pieces of chicken from the gravy into the rice set, it would be awesome! Just like the one in TTDI Shah Alam where you’ll get two versions of chicken pieces, fried and gulai.

The menu

They do have other things on the menu like the Nasi Ayam Kampung set, which I have yet to try. Also some other fried stuffs. But like I said, I only go there for the Nasi Kak Wok which I think is very nice and simple. Oh…and cheap too. Only RM5 for one Nasi Kak Wok, as per the serving you see in the picture above.

Now if you’re already drooling and wish to savour this Nasi Kak Wok, you can head over to Sunway Mentari. If you know where Restoran Murni is, then it’s easy for you. D’Wok Cafe is located right opposite of Restoran Murni in Sunway Mentari. Also, head over to their
Facebook Page
 to know more or to see more photos that they have. I’ll give you the address too.

Address:

D’Wok Cafe Sunway

Block B-G-1, Jalan PJS 8/13 Dataran Sunway Mentari, Petaling Jaya.

Facebook Page

Open daily from 11.00am to 11.00pm (new operating hours).

Waze direct link:
https://www.waze.com/livemap?zoom=17&lat=3.07831&lon=101.61133

Google Map:

[google_map_easy id=”1″]

Note: They also have a new branch in Seksyen 23 Shah Alam.


Soon You Can Tweet 140 Second Long Video

If you’re like me who loves Twitter, you can I both would appreciate the extended video length on our future tweets. Some of us think that the 30 seconds limit for a Twitter video is too short. Some think it’s too long. As for me who are looking into creating informative video on day to day lifestyles, 140 seconds is exactly what I needed.

Soon we will all be able to Tweet the extended video length for our videos or video retweets. Twitter is apparently not going to be running ads in its video stream at launch – unlike Facebook – but that may very well appear in future.

It seems that Twitter is not the only platform that will extend their video length. Vine is joining in the party from their iconic 6 second video to 140 second video as well. Now so we’re going to be able see the extended video playback on both platforms.

Twitter has also announced a new analytics app called Engage to allow creators to track their videos’ performance. The changes to video duration will appear on Twitter today and initially only to a select group of influential Viners. The Engage app will be out in the very near future and the dedicated news feed in Twitter is “coming soon” –
Android Authority

Now the question is, which would you prefer? Do you wish to see the longer video length or are you comfortable with the current shorter version of the video? Share your opinions in the comment section below.

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Start Using Quotes To Reply Messages In Your WhatsApp

For those who didn’t know, WhatsApp recently release their latest feature for users to quote a message for a reply, that works very well in a group message.

Let’s say you are in a large group, maybe more than 20 members. They have been chatting away for a while and you have not check the messages yet. And suddenly you decided to open up the group chat and saw hundreds of messages that you haven’t read. In between the messages, you saw that someone asked a question but no one seems to know the answer. But you know the answer. So, in order for you to reply to that message, you can now simply long press on that message and tap on the back arrow that appears at the top (as reply) to attach a quote in your reply message. And then your quoted message will appear like the one in the picture below.

This feature was tested on the Android’s version of WhatsApp Beta v2.16.118 for a few days and finally made available to everyone with the latest update in v2.16.6 (mine is v2.16.95). Some of you may not be able to see the update yet. What you can do is to uninstall the WhatsApp app and reinstall with a new one. Or you can just wait for the new update when it appears.

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Xiaomi Mi Band 2 Launched For Only RM90

Xiaomi Mi Band 2

Fitbit is currently the number 1 fitness tracker that you can wear on your wrist. It is currently the best selling fitness tracker in the world. But coming up close second right now is a well known brand in Malaysia, Xiaomi is playing the catching game on the track.

Xiaomi Mi Band 2

Xiaomi just launched the new Fitbit-like Mi Band 2 which is going to cost approximately less than RM100, or to be exact, RM90 in rough figure. At this price, Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is going to close up on Fitbit in terms of global sales.

The Xiaomi Mi Band 2 features a Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity and is IP67 water and dust resistance. The silicone rubber band comes in many colour options to suit your attire any time of the day. It is packed with an OLED display, optical heart rate monitor and a 20-day battery life. If you’re using a Xiaomi smartphone, the band detects if it is connected to your Mi Band so that you don’t need to type your passcode. If someone steals your phone and the Bluetooth device gets disconnected, the passcode is reactivated.

This is the third version of the fitness tracker by Xiaomi. The first two, namely the Mi Band and Mi Band Pulse is cheaper than the new Mi Band 2. But the functions from the Mi Band 2 is way better because you can get notifications for calls and messages. Other than tracking your steps, it can also detects if you’re sitting for too long and will vibrate as though it is asking you to get up and walk.

The Xiaomi Mi Band 2 will officially be on retail in China on 7th June. No news yet as to when it will be coming to our shore. But don’t worry, I’ll keep you posted. Fitness tracker is not for everyone. That is why Xiaomi is offering it at a very affordable price.

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More photos of the Xiaomi Mi Band 2:

[gmedia id=31]


My 8 Reasons to Get an Honor 8

The
Huawei P9
 was launched recently with a dual camera system by Leica. And then a few weeks after that, Huawei once again revealed to the world with another dual camera system smartphone, the Honor 8. Although it doesn’t come with a Leica lens and brand, the camera still functions phenomenally.

I have been a big fan of Huawei since the Honor 3 series. And then I got myself a
Huawei G8
 which I love and still use today. Huawei is definitely picking up their pace in the smartphone market. So other companies should beware because they are making awesome phones nowadays.

Their latest mid-range (I honestly think it should be among the flagship) smartphone is the
Huawei Honor 8
. It has a beautiful glass at the back that reflects like a prism creating different tones in different lighting conditions. Beautiful construction and similar to their latest flagship Huawei P9. That’s not all. It looks and feels premium. No other mid-range smartphone can match the beauty of Honor 8…yet.

Now let’s see the 8 reasons to get your hands on the new Honor 8. And I’m going to describe the reasons in a layman term so that most of you can really get what I’m saying.

#1 – Future proof

Why? Because the specifications in this beauty is meant to last you a very long time. You got the fingerprint reader, check. Dual camera, check. High-end processing power, check. Generous RAM, check. Basically, the Honor 8 can last you a long time.

#2 – Bring in the sexy back

Oh yeah. We all love to check out the back of any, errmm…items right? The Honor 8 comes with freakin’ 15 layers of glass at the back of the phone which Huawei says has 3D grating and lithography, whatever that means. It is fitted perfectly with a curved edge that seamlessly blends with the body so that the back matches the front display. One word, sexy!

#3 – Dual camera

Just like the P9, the Honor 8 also comes with a dual camera. What it does is that the lenses will snap two photos at the same time creating a sort of depth in the photos. You can also adjust the aperture in the software to have that “bokeh” effect. Result is, more punchier and better photo exposures. Photographers like me would love this. And you can leave your heavy and bulky DSLR at home.

#4 – Fingerprint reader

It will make it a lot easier to unlock your phone within 0.4 seconds. Touch the reader and you’re in. Huawei has been known to have a reliable fingerprint reader on their mobile devices. My G8 never fails me. And it is extremely accurate even to the lightest touch. You can even touch the reader upside down, downside up or whichever side you fancy. It just works.

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#5 – IR Blaster

Many don’t know this but the Honor 8 has an infrared blaster at the top of the phone. That means you can control as many as 230,000 types of known appliances for your home. You can change the TV channel, bump up the volume on the home theater system, turn on the AC unit and maybe warm up last nights’ pizza in the oven. This will come in handy especially if you’re always in a fight for the remote control with your siblings or spouse.

#6 – No SHOUTING

I mean, you don’t need to shout anymore whenever you’re in a noisy place. The noise cancelling feature coupled with high-gain microphone while on call will ease your vocal cord. No more shouting or covering the microphone area with your other hand. So your other hand is free to do something else.

#7 – All day power

With 3000mAh battery built in, you can have all the power you need all day long. Trust me, I know. My G8 got a full charge in the morning and by 8pm, I still have 40% of power left. That is considered a lot. Plus, the Honor 8 comes with a quick charge that you can plug it in to a charger for fast charging, from zero to 50% in 30 minutes.

#8 – Affordable premium

Finally, you don’t need to break your piggy bank to for a premium head turner. Although the Honor 8 is targeted for mid-range users, I personally think of it as a premium device. You can know how premium it is just by looking at it, let alone when you get to touch it. It’s beautiful, sexy and comes in 4 colours.

Now you have my 8 reasons to get an Honor 8. To me as a tech geek and writer, I love the specifications for this device and mostly on the look of it. Everything is beautifully sophisticated with the Honor 8. I’m not buttering up with good words for Huawei here. I’m just being honest. Truthfully, it’s a beautiful phone.

Interested on checking out more?
Get to know more about Huawei Honor 8
.

Head over to Lazada for their
CyberSale
 happening from 26th Sept to 30th Sept 2016 as well.


Contest: OPPO F1s Challenges You to Take a Natural Selfie

It’s time to go easy on your makeup in the morning! OPPO F1s, the ‘Selfie Expert’is throwing a challenge to find the best natural and beautiful selfie out there.

A unit of OPPO F1s and other OPPO premium prizes are up for grabs with just a few easy steps: From 23rd September 2016 until 3rd October 2016, upload your best natural looking selfie, share it with your friends on Facebook and share your opinion on natural selfie. Include the hashtags
#NaturalSelfie

#OPPOF1s

#SelfieExpert
 and tag
@MalaysiaOPPO
 and two of your friends.

Prizes

1st Prize
: OPPO F1s

2nd Prize
: iLike Bluetooth Headset

3rd Prize
: Selfie Sticks

5 Consolation Prizes
: iLike Powerbank

Our latest Selfie Icon Min Chen has recently just shared some of the tips on how to fully utilise the 16MP front camera and Beautify 3.0. Be sure to check out the video on
https://youtu.be/sWdfMFoUIwA
before you join the challenge!

Steps to participate

Step 1
: Take a natural selfie with the hashtag
#NaturalSelfie
 being in it (You may write in on your palm or on a piece of paper)

Step 2
: Upload it to the OPPO F1s Selfie Relay microsite at
http://www.oppomalaysia.com.my/NaturalSelfie/

Step 3
: Share your selfie to Facebook, and tell us in your caption on your opinion on natural selfie in less than 25 words. Tag
@MalaysiaOPPO
 include the hashtags
#NaturalSelfie #SelfieExpert
. Tag two of your friends to do the same

Terms and Conditions

Participants must be 13 years of age or above to participate in the contest.

This contest is only open to Malaysia residents, and Malaysia PRs, except OPPO Electronics Sdn. Bhd. (“OESB”) employees.

There will only be one grand prize winner, one first runner up, one second runner up and 5 consolation prize winners. Winners will be announced on 3 October 2016. Winners will being selected based on the selfie and caption by OESB Employees. Winner will be inform via Facebook private message for the prize redemption at OPPO Malaysia Headquarter when the prize is ready for collection.

Prizes: ONE (1) set of OPPO F1s, ONE (1) set of i LIKE Headset, THREE (3) selfie sticks and FIVE (5) I LIKE Powerbank.

Multiple or duplicate entries are allowed. Entries must be in public setting and all the hashtags #NaturalSelfie #OPPOF1s #SelfieExpert must be included to enable OPPO employees to see the post(s). Contest will start from 23 September 2016 00:00:00 until 3 October 2016 11:59:59 PM.

Like us on Facebook @MalaysiaOPPO to get alerts when we announce the winners.

To redeem the prizes, the winner must present his/her identification card number or passport bearing the name and number corresponding to the information given/user handle used when requested by OPPO employees. The prize redemption will be announced by OPPO once the prize reaches Malaysia. OESB may, at its sole and absolute discretion, declare any entry void if the winner fails to produce such proper identification documents.

OESB is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, misdirected, delayed, or undelivered entries, including, but not limited to entries that are not received on time due to telephone failures, Internet failures and disruptions, and ISP problems. Incomplete information may result in disqualification of entry. By providing your email address, you grant OESB the right to send you commercial messages, in compliance with the Malaysia Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (“PDPA”).

Winner’s name, pictures and prizes may be used for publicity reasons by OESB. Winners’ information may be used for marketing, planning, promotions, research, events and/or any other purposes and programs henceforth. Acceptance of the prize is considered a consent to this usage.

OESB reserves the right at any time to depose any participant and/or winner subsequently found to be disqualified for any reason.

OESB reserves its rights to determine an outcome and act as it deems fit in any dispute(s).

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The Optimistic Property Trend in Malaysia

The property market in Malaysia has been the talk of the town for quite some time, as the weak sentiment towards the market has created a state of ‘wait-and-see’ approach among buyers. However, many are still hopeful of the market in terms of long-term investment, as the market is foreseen to perform better in the coming years.

There are several factors which influence the market slowdown, as well as reasons on why property investment in Malaysia is still an interesting option.

To get a clear understanding of the current property market, check out the infographic below:

By www.propertyguru.com.my

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PR: ZTE Launched Their New Axon 7 Flagship Phone

Continuing the legacy of the successful AXON Series, ZTE Corporation, a leading global mobile device manufacturer, today introduces the flagship AXON 7 in Malaysia, a smartphone where elegance and functionality intersect.

Combining technology with artistry, the latest Android 6.0-run AXON 7 offers users an unparalleled auditory experience, achieved through hours of audio calibration by musical professors and ZTE’s team of dedicated technical experts. In collaboration with DOLBY ATMOS, AXON 7 comes with powerful dual speakers and surround sound brings the live theatre experience to the user’s palm, inspiring users to experience an immersive 3D stereo atmosphere.

The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 820 – one of the most cutting-edge chipsets available in the market today, and features a 2K AMOLED 5.5 inch magic-colour display, one of the industry’s best display resolutions. Its 20-megapixel camera also offers optical anti-shake and high-speed focusing features, enabling the everyday user to share their life moments with sharper and more vivid pictures.

All of these powerful features are contained in an all-metal sleek and smooth curved body, an integrated result of technical expertise and creative input from ZTE and BMW’s global design consultancy, Designworks. At the launch, the AXON 7 will be available in Ion Gold, with the Quartz Grey colour being launched in October 2016.

Some of AXON 7’s core features and specifications include:

Dolby ATMOS + Dolby Digital Surround

Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 2.15GHz Processor

5.5” 2K WQHD AMOLED Display

20MP OIS + PDAF Rear Camera

Quad-core 2.15 GHz, Adreno 530

2.5D Curved Screen Corning Gorilla Glass 4

Unique U-Shape Fingerprint Identification, Fingerprint 3.0

UFS 2.0 New-Generation Flash Memory, 64GB, expandable via Micro SD up to 128GB

3250 mAh large-capacity and high-density battery

USB Type-C Interface for high-speed data transmission

Speaking at the launch, Mr Jeremy Zhao, CEO of S.E.A Region Device Group of ZTE Corporation said, “Being innovative is one of ZTE’s core competences. We invest approximately 15% of total profit annually on R&D to ensure we are always providing smartphone users something different and able to enhance their lifestyle. As one of the top innovators in the industry, ZTE will continue to invigorate itself constantly through industry-leading innovations.”

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Along with the AXON 7, ZTE also announced the launch of their ZTE TOUR – a mobile experience store that aims to provide customers from all around the nation with a more accessible and experiential touch point. In the following months, the ZTE TOUR will be touring nationwide, visiting various residential areas, shopping malls, colleges and universities in more than 10 cities. Interested parties can visit our Facebook page @ZTEMalaysia to find out more as to where and when the ZTE Tour will be.

Mr Jeremy added, “The mobile experience store is part of our ongoing branding phase in Malaysia since debuting in 2014. Our goal is to provide all Malaysians access to our products and experience more of ZTE’s technologically advanced models from ZTE in the very near future.”

Following the successful launch of Blade V7 Series in May 2016 this year, which saw more than 20,000 units being sold in less than a month, ZTE continues to carve its presence in both the international and local market with its range of premium yet affordable smartphones. The AXON, which was unveiled globally in June 2016, is now available in Malaysia for preorders at LAZADA starting today until the 10th of September. The first 30 customers who preorder the AXON 7 will receive an exclusive ZTE VR headset worth RM399.

The new ZTE Axon 7 is going to be priced at RM1,999.00.

More info at
www.ztedevices.com.my


Preview: Knowing The ZTE Blade V7 Max

Few months ago, I reviewed the ZTE Blade V7 Lite in this site. I love the simplicity of the features which is based on pure Android interface without any heavy custom UI. The Blade V7 Lite performs well for daily use. A good device overall.

Now comes the bigger brother to the ZTE Blade V7 Lite, the Max version. Every aspect of the internal hardware is different. I can say that it’s all upgraded to give more power.

Since this post is only as a preview to the bigger brother, I will keep it short and simple. Here are the specifications for the ZTE Blade V7 Max:

CPU:
 MediaTek MT6755M 64-bit Helios P10 octa-core processor at 1.8GHz

OS:
 Comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow right out of the box

Display:
 5.5″ FHD IPS screen at 1920 x 1080 resolution

Memory:
 3GB of RAM with 32GB internal space, MicroSD up to 64GB utilizing the 2nd SIM slot

Camera:
 16MP PDAF main camera with dual tone LED flash, 8MP front camera with screen flash.

Battery:
 3000mAh

Network:
 LTE/HSDPA+/3G

Others:
 Side fingerprint reader/USB OTG

As I said before, the internal hardware is way better than the Lite version. The Max version is very responsive and using the side fingerprint reader to unlock the phone is pretty good. It unlocks quickly and accurately without having to try a few times.

I will use the Blade V7 Max for about one week. I definitely will put it into some hardcore usage and other tests. The full review will be out in this site within a week from now. Be sure to come back for that.

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What’s New With The iPhone 7

Apple unveiled the latest iteration of what is arguably their flagship product, the iPhone, on 7th September, and the internet has exploded into a frenzy of polarised opinions.Whilst die-hard Apple fans are hailing it as revolutionary, critics decry it as being another one of Apple’s gimmicks. Love it or hate it, one can’t deny that the iPhone 7 is certainly a departure from its predecessors. Let’s take a look at the key features which sets it apart from its previous iterations.

Wireless headphones that are actually wireless

Without a doubt, the most controversial feature of the iPhone 7 is the removal of its 3.5mm headphone jack, which was sneakily revealed by Apple’s marketing chief, Phil Schiller, only at the end. Begrudgingly, those who wish to plus in their traditional headphones with 3.5mm jacks will have to make use of an adaptor, which will come bundled with the iPhone 7.

A new Home button

While most people may hardly even notice the change, Apple has redesigned the home button. The home button now utilises the same pressure-sensitive technology which is found on the touchpads of its newer MacBooks, which vibrate with touch.

Better pictures on a better display

While the iPhone 7 Plus will come with an incredible dual-camera setup, the iPhone 7 is certainly no slouch. It sports a stunning 12MP rear camera with a six-element wide aperture lens,that Apple claims is 30% more energy efficient, 60% faster, and lets in 50% more light. The two-tone flash now boasts four LEDs, a flicker sensor and Optical Image Stabilisation, promising brighter and sharper pictures. The front-facing camera has also been upgraded to an impressive 7MP, perfect for selfies and Facetime calls.

Though Apple has retained the 4.7 inch display and 1334 by 750 resolution of the iPhone 6s, it has worked on improving the brightness of the iPhone 7. You can expect more vibrant colours that will complement the sharp photos that the iPhone’s new camera is capable of capturing.

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Increased battery life

The iPhone 7 will come with the new iOS 10, which is packed with new features like third-party app integration with Siri, as well as the energy-efficient Raise to Wake function. Alongside the software upgrade is a dramatic hardware boost in the form of a four-core, 64-bit Apple A10 Fusion chip which will make the iPhone 7 40% faster than the iPhone 6S.

These upgrades are complemented by a battery upgrade, which Apple claimsto be the best battery life of any iPhone, giving it an average of two additional hours per charge over the iPhone 6S.

Improved hardware

New features aside, the iPhone 7 also promises an upgrade in terms of hardware. The iPhone 7 is supposed to be dust and water-resistant, a positive step to improve the durability of the iPhone. It is also equipped with improved stereo speakers, on both the base and top of the phone, promising clearer and louder audio, or more specifically, twice as loud as the iPhone 6s.

Upgrade or wait?

While the iPhone 7 certainly does contain a slew of upgrades, both software and hardware, it remains to be seen whether these warrant an upgrade from the iPhone 6S.

Enjoy up to 30% cashback when you purchase the iPhone 7 and other gadgets through
ShopBack Malaysia!


ZTE Blade V7 Max Review – All Maxed Up

ZTE Blade V7 Max

8.8

Performance

8.5/10

Price

9.0/10

Camera Quality

9.0/10

Video Quality

8.0/10

Design

9.5/10

				Pros

Slim design

Responsive fingerprint unlock

Cheap

Good camera

Above average performance

				Cons

Video quality can be better

Slippery back

A few months ago I did a review on the new
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
, which I think is a cheap smartphone that is good for daily use. In fact, I still have the V7 Lite with me which I now use as my secondary phone. It’s small and slim, hardly know that it’s there in my pocket when I go out. Now, the bigger brother to the V7 Lite is now in my hands for a review.

Introducing the
ZTE Blade V7 Max
.

I have been using the Blade V7 Max for about a week. And within that one week, I find that the Blade V7 Max is a breeze to use. The sharp 5.5″ FHD IPS screen is a beauty to look at. And the look of the phone is no doubt a head turner. I have people giving me a double take just to see what phone I was holding. Yes, it does have a similar look to the latest iPhone. Hence the double take.

Having said that, the V7 Max is something that anyone would like to have if they’re looking for something fancy that won’t maxed up their spending.

Before I begin my full review, here are the specifications.

CPU:

MediaTek MT6755M 64-bit Helios P10 Octa-core clocking at 1.8GHz

Memory:

32GB eMMC internal space + 3GB DDR3 RAM expandable up to 32GB MicroSD

OS:

Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Display:

5.5″ FHD IPS at 1920 x 1080 resolution, 2.5D curved edge screen

Network:

EDGE/3G/HSDPA+/4G LTE, Dual SIM, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n

Camera:

16MP PDAF rear camera with dual tone LED flash, 8MP front camera with screen flash

Battery:

3,000 mAh

Features:

A-GPS, GPS, FM Radio, Bluetooth 4.0, fingerprint sensor, USB OTG, DTS sound system, USB Type-C interface.

When I first held the V7 Max in my hand, I was in awe. At one glance, it does look like the new iPhone. It looks and feels like a flagship. At only 7.2mm thickness with rounded edges, the V7 Max feels good in my hand. But to some people, it may not be that grippy.

Inside the box, you’ll get the usual stuffs. The Blade V7 Max unit, charger, manuals, a pin to open the SIM slot, earphone, and the USB Type-C interface.

Design

Looking at the overall design of the Blade V7 Max feels like a premium phone. The all metal body feels solid without any squeaking lose parts, which is now a norm for an all metal phone.

The fingerprint sensor is located on the right side of the phone, just under the power button. It may look thin and small but the sensor can read your fingerprint really quick. On paper, it says that it will take about 0.4 seconds to read your fingerprint and unlock the phone. I’d say it’s true. As soon as I placed my finger there, the phone unlocks almost immediately. On rare occasions, it will misread my fingerprint. Maybe because I pressed my finger on the sensor too hard. You just need to touch it lightly, no need to press like it’s a button.

Do you know that you can use the fingerprint sensor for many other functions? Those who love taking selfies, you just need to touch the sensor to snap a picture. You can also use it as a scroller when you’re reading a web page. Swipe downwards to scroll down and swipe up to scroll up. You can also touch it to answer a call and to unlock any encrypted files stored in the phone.

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On the left side of the phone is the SIM slot and the volume up-down button. At the top, you’ll see the hole for the standard 3.5mm headphone jack (so you don’t need to drill a hole), while at the bottom are the Type-C USB interface, microphone and speaker holes. At the front bottom side is the capacitive touch home button and configurable back/menu buttons on either sides which will lid up during use.

The back of the phone looks simple and clean. Rear camera is located at the top left side of the back and the obvious dual tone LED flash below it with ZTE logo smack right in the center. Also a fine print that reads, “Designed by ZTE in Munich, Assembled in China”. The back is really smooth, sometimes can be too slippery. So be careful where you place your V7 Max in future.

System and Performance

Now lets dig in deeper into the internal parts.

The Blade V7 Max comes pre-installed with Android 6.0 Marshmallow right out-of-the-box. The year old OS performs well on the V7 Max with overall usage is above average most of the time. Above average here means that it does not lag nor hang from time to time. Scrolling through pages or screen is buttery smooth. Opening an app took just a few seconds and running multiple apps in the background seems like an easy job for the V7 Max without utilising much of the RAM.

A little intro about the CPU used in the V7 Max. MediaTek Helios P10 is a “mid-range” processor made by MediaTek. It has a total of eight cores clocking at 1.8GHz each. The Helios P10 is said to perform well during hard usages such as playing games or video processing. Comes with fast LTE network technology and improved HiFi sound system, hence why the V7 Max has the DTS audio feature. Coupled that with 3GB of RAM, you got one gentle beast right here.

With that kind of hardware, I did a little benchmark test with Antutu.

A total score of 47800 is not bad, but can be better. Like I said, the Blade V7 Max is a gentle beast. The score placed the V7 Max in between Meizu’s MX5 and M3 Note. Playing games like Temple Run on the V7 Max is smooth, no lags or whatsoever. So don’t let the score fooled you.

Below are the UX design that you will get with your Blade V7 Max. The whole system is easy to use and navigate. Icons are big and rounded. This phone is hassle free, anyone and everyone can use it. Only difference between this interface and the standard Vanilla Android is that it doesn’t come with an app drawer. So every apps you install will be in the main screen.

I am happy with the overall performance of the Blade V7 Max. Screen is bright and sharp. The phone itself is slim and fits nicely in my jeans pocket. Very responsive on touch, therefore typing on the on-screen keyboard is a breeze. Speaker is loud and clear. All good…very good. And the camera, well…that’s another story. Yes I know, majority of consumers today are looking at camera and photo qualities when deciding to buy a phone. So, let’s find out how the camera performs now…shall we?

Camera and Photography ->

1

2


ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser – Focus Faster

ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser

RM999

8.4

Performance

8.0/10

Price

9.0/10

Camera Quality

8.5/10

Video Quality

8.0/10

Design

8.5/10

				Pros

Quick and accurate autofocus

Slim design

All metal

Big RAM

				Cons

CPU can be better

I have been waiting to check out the ZenFone series ever since the ZenFone 2. ASUS has been stepping up their game in the mobile device market for a while now. And so many people are looking to make that switch to ASUS at the moment. ZenFone 2 was known as the phone that breaks the low price barrier for a relatively high end hardware, and ZenFone 3 is following that tradition.

Now introducing the ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser, the new smart shooter by ASUS that uses laser autofocus to capture quick and clear photos…every time.

Here’s my first impression of the ZenFone 3 Laser. It is light and slim, all metal body that is nice to hold, a rectangular finger print sensor under the rear camera module, large 5.5” display and a generous 32GB or 64GB space variant.But one thing that got me confused is the amount of RAM in my review unit. It reads as 3.5GB of RAM. Not 3GB nor 4GB, but 3.5GB. Weird? Yes. Well, maybe I will have to let the guys from ASUS to clarify this.

I like the look and feel of the ZenFone 3 Laser. It has a simple design and lightweight. The 5.5” screen fits perfectly with the all metal body and protected by the 2.5D curved edge Corning Gorilla Glass. Three capacitive touch button located right below the screen, the back button – home button – menu button. On top of the screen is the 8-megapixel f/2.0 front camera together with the light sensor are located.

At the bottom of the phone is where the USB module for charging and syncing is placed, along with the speaker and a tiny microphone hole. The sound that comes out from this phone is pretty loud and clear.

The top is where we normally find the headphone jack (unlike a certain smartphone). And another tiny microphone hole. So I’m assuming the top and bottom microphone are there to record full stereo sound while shooting videos.

On the sides we have the power and volume buttons on the right, and the SIM/Micro SD slot on the left. This is the trend nowadays for any metal clad body smartphones. I think this is a good placement for these modules.

Moving on to the back, we can’t miss the pretty large main shooter on the ZenFone 3 Laser. It comes with a 13-megapixel, f/2.0 camera and we can clearly see the laser autofocus system right next to it on the left. On the right of the camera is the dual tone LED flash.

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The fingerprint sensor/reader is different on the ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser. Instead of being rounded, it is rectangular in shape. Although it doesn’t cover as much sensor area like the rounded ones, it is pretty fast and accurate. Unlocking the phone took about 0.3 seconds with a light touch on the fingerprint sensor. Not bad at all. You can also assign certain functions to the sensor like opening a certain app by touching different finger.

Let’s dig deeper into the heart of the smartphone. The ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser uses the Snapdragon 430, octa-core 1.4GHz CPU and Adreno 505 GPU that beats faster than normal. And the RAM reads as 3.5GB as shown in CPU-Z app for Android. ZenFone 3 Laser supports LTE network and comes fully installed with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow OS and ZenUI 3.0 skin/launcher.

Performance wise, the ZenFone 3 Laser did a good job through the benchmarking process. Although it doesn’t score high, it still manages to perform better than some of the leading brands out there. It does tends to heat up while on heavy usage. I experienced that while running Antutu benchmark on the ZenFone 3 Laser. But the heat is just the normal type of heat. It will definitely NOT explode.

Battery usage is commendable. On full charge, it can last me from 9am to 8pm before hitting the 10% mark. But I do notice some bloat wares that are pre-installed in the phone and slowed down the overall performance a little bit. Slightly slow, but not sluggish.

Going back to the camera modules, the rear shooter performs really well. The front camera shoots surprisingly well too. Here are some sample photos taken with the ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser.

On a bright sunny day

Outdoor landscape

Close up shot

Well balanced colour

Semi low light area

Night mode

Front camera selfie

Don’t get the price fooled you. Nowadays you can get an affordable smartphone that comes with a decent camera. You may not be able to carry your digital camera or DSLR everywhere you go, but you can always have a shooter with you at all times… that is your phone. With the age of Instagram and Snapchat, having a good smartphone camera is important to some. As a photographer, I find that having a good smartphone camera helps a lot. You will never know when that “right moment” comes.

Camera interface in Auto Mode

Camera interface in Manual Mode

Conclusion

ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser is a wonderful affordable smartphone. The camera quality is above par, the slim metal design feels premium, it looks good and the fingerprint sensor works accurately. I would recommend the ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser to anyone who are looking for a new device and give it a go. The ZenFone 3 Laser sits in a class of its own. You won’t be disappointed with its overall performance.


Things to Consider to Find the Perfect Mobile Plan For You

With so many mobile plans available out there, how do you choose one that will give you the most value for money? Here are some key pointers to help you choose the best mobile plan, read on for more info.

What is your USAGE STYLE?

Do you only use your mobile phone to make calls as well as send and receive texts? Be honest with yourself because if you’re not much of a gamer and you don’t do much video or music streaming, you really won’t need an unlimited mobile internet allocation.

But on the other hand, if you do enjoy streaming and you make a lot of calls, you can opt for a mobile plan which will offer all these extra services. For example, if you need to make a lot of calls, look for a mobile plan which gives you free calls allocation to all networks. If you enjoy watching videos or listening to music online, look for a mobile plan which gives extra data allocation for streaming, or even higher data allocation. The point here is to pick a mobile plan that will suit your style of usage, whether you need more call time or internet data.

Do you want CONVENIENCE?

If you don’t want the hassle of topping up to make sure you can continue making calls and keep your account active, a postpaid mobile plan is ideal for you. This is because you can automate payment for your phone bills via auto charging it to your credit card.

So you won’t lose access to making calls and using your phone as compared to if you were on a prepaid plan. On a prepaid plan, when you run out of credit you’ll have to top up before you can make any calls which can be time-consuming.

Do you need EXTRA FEATURES?

The mobile plans available in the market these days offers many extra perks and advantages. Some mobile plan providers also claim that the perks such as data or for example video or music streaming are free. In reality, all of those perks are “free” because of the higher price you are paying for that mobile plan. If you were to choose a mobile plan with a cheaper price tag, you’ll notice that those “free” perks are not included in those basic plans.

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You’ll actually be paying more for variety, but if you don’t need it opt for a simple no frills mobile plan. Both prepaid and postpaid mobile plans offer different packages according to a user’s needs. The key is to pick a basic plan without any of the extra frills you don’t use or need.

Do you want to have FLEXIBILITY?

Does your monthly mobile usage constantly change and you want to have flexibility to the type of plans you subscribe to? If you opt for a postpaid plan, it usually involves a contract and also a fixed monthly amount to pay, even if you don’t use all of the services like the “free 60 minutes call in a month”. Prepaid plans do not involve contracts which mean you can easily switch between different types of plans, and even switch mobile service providers easily. So for flexibility, prepaid mobile plans are the way to go. You may read this
article
 which listed the best mobile prepaid plans to help you decide.

Whether you opt for postpaid or prepaid mobile plan, ask yourself what are the top 3 functions of your mobile phone you use the most. That can then help you to pick the best value for money mobile plan.

CompareHero.my
 is dedicated to raising financial literacy and helping consumers make wiser financial decisions by letting compare the best broadband plans in Malaysia. Please do check our
blog
to learn more.


A Year Older And Compressport Hybrid Challenge

So I turned a year older a couple weeks back and did very low-key stuff that I enjoyed, with the people that I enjoy doing it with. I did a 3km morning run at 6.30 am (on my own) and brought my Queen out for breakfast. Then my girlfriends brought me out for a much needed session of coffee, laughter and cakes at Madeline Café & Pattiseries, the Spring. I’ll give you the review of the place in my next entry but what I will share with you next is what I did the day after my birthday.

I actually signed up for Compressport Hybrid Challenge which is a 3km road run and 10km trail. This would have been my second time joining such event (runs/trails). I had no idea why I signed up and the night before I was like “I should be laughing with my friends, having wine and cheese instead of sleeping early tonight”. Regret crept in making me feel sick in my stomach. I asked myself why at this age of nearing 40 I make myself crazy by signing up for something unnecessary. With all that regret, I finally slept.

Woke up at 4 am, got ready and was glad it was raining. Ah, there is hope! Like the event being cancelled because of rain. It rained throughout the journey to the venue which was at Permai Rainforest Resort. The crowd was of about 700 plus participants who seemed eager. There was people taking selfies/wefies. I just said to myself, what a wonderful day to sleep in. There was no obvious sign for the challenge to be cancelled since the rain was not heavy. Eventually, announcement was made and the challenge will continue but a bit later than the actual time informed which was 7.30 am. My friend & I agreed not to run and just walk throughout the whole challenge and we were among the last batch to leave the starting point. You see, my friend runs in marathons (like full blown 42 kilometers). So when someone as pro as that tells you she just wants to walk, you follow. Don’t argue, just follow.

So we walked and then finally, entered into the section where the trail part started. Good thing we didn’t decide to run because some parts you need to wait for those in front. The trail part consists of routes at Santubong mountain. Trust me, if you have trekked here before it is not an easy route. There’s steep hills, there’s flat sections and there are parts where you need to hold on to ropes, rocks and all. You practically use your whole body to go about the routes here. We did go through a few waterfalls, rope bridge and steep section. I won’t talk more on the routes (you have to go and try it yourself). But I will tell you how I loved the team that did this event.

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There was enough information on what to prepare for – like there is no water station along the way , except at the starting and end point, so please bring enough water for yourself. Then there were those cute signs telling you where are you at with funny remarks that made you laugh (although you are cursing yourself why you torture yourself going through all this). There is also the jovial, cheerful team who waited for every single person who joined the run at the end point. Everyone was cheered with claps and loud hoorays and yays. I felt like, yes I didn’t get any top 10 reward but they applaud and cheered you for finishing it! Isn’t that marvelous? The marshals at the points along the routes did the same. They kept cheering, keep going, you can do it, and clap and cheered for every group/person that passed them by. Trust me, when you go into the jungle and was told you have another say, 7km to go through and you have 2 people cheering and believing that you can finish it, YOU WILL FINISH IT.

Of course, for about 5 hours or so we finished it and was greeted with cheery faces at the finishing line congratulating us for making it. Then there’s like a few people (the event team) asking us have we had our free breakfast/lunch and do we need water. Boy, was I famished. Free food and drinks? Yes, of course! Water with infused fresh fruits was served and there’s no limit to how much you are allowed to take/drink. There’s also free isotonic drink (Revive) for us. See why I love the event management team? All that pain of 13km run and trail felt worth it because they made it worth it.

In summary, I had fun, I had pain, I had a wonderful time with my friends during the whole challenge and I am glad that my first run + trail challenge was this actual event. The team that did the event is Grit Event Management and so far for those who joined a few of their events/runs have great praises for their very much well planned before and after the event. I am looking forward for any event that they have in store and believe that this event management team will go far if they continue on doing what they’re doing. Kudos, guys for making the event and ensuring it to be a fun filled event.