Cardsharp2 - a Cool Wallet Card Knife

I'm not a knife collector, neither do I know how to appreciate a sharp blade.

But it is not hard for someone to like Iain Sinclair's Cardsharp2, a utility knife that also fits into your wallet.

Shaped in the form of a credit card, and weighing merely 13 grams, Cardsharp2 is extremely portable. You may leave it in your wallet, and totally forget about its existence - happened to me once at the custom security check! The blade of the knife is made of "surgical steel" which I guess is a type of less premium stainless steel, while the body is made of hard plastic. After you unlock the safety catch, it only requires 3 folds to convert the card into a knife. 

Because of the bendable parts, the grip of the knife is not as solid as those swiss army knives or other dedicated knives. The blade of the knife is also not samurai sharp. But hey that's okay, Cardsharp2 is not meant to replace those hard use knives. It is more for the convenience, and the occasional situations where you are out about, and need to slice something open.

When those rare emergencies arise, you can almost hear the James Bond theme ring in the background when you take that Cardsharp2 out...

Another Round of Sale, Another Sold Out Record

You must be bored of this by now.
To be honest, so am I. Though I'm not complaining - yes, the play-hard-to-get is annoying, but you can't deny that it is good value for money.

At the end of the day, you have choices. For the willing buyers, better luck next time.

Redmi Singapore Full Review

There is no surprise that the last 2 online orders of Redmi were sold out within minutes. The SGD$169 Xiaomi phones are highly sought after due to its value for money proposition. Xiaomi SG Facebook page has since been filled with hate messages from those who could not land a phone, citing technology glitches, supply shortage, marketing gimmicks and etc. Regardless of the claims, one thing certain is that Xiaomi has successfully created the hype and gotten the attention in Singapore.

The Package

I was lucky to have gotten 1 from the first launch on 21^st Feb, and the parcel reached me rather quickly on 25^th Feb. In typical Xiaomi style, the packaging comes in the form of plain brown cardboard boxes with minimalist design, which may remind you of the Japanese brand Muji. The items are well packed, and look safe enough to travel across from China.

The Singapore standard package comes with the Redmi handset itself, a micro USB cable for charging and data transfer, x2 micro to normal SIM adaptor, and a 3 pin wall charger. If you opted for the additional accessories which cost S$28, you will also get a silicon case, x3 screen protectors, an extra battery, and an external battery charger.

Design and Hardware

Most of us will agree that Redmi does not stand out in the design department. It is by no means ugly, it is just plain. From the front, Redmi is a vertical rectangular block with small rounded corners, and plenty of extra bezels. The body curves in from the 2 long sides to the back, making it more comfortable to hold. Contrary to what its name seem to suggest, Redmi is not red; at least not the first few batches from the initial SG launch. The only thing in red here are the 3 capacitive buttons at the bottom of the phone. Speaking of which, these buttons have no backlit, hence you may find it difficult to use at night.

Although the body is made up of plastic, the phone felt solid in the hand thanks to its tight build and substantial weight. The phone does not squeak or flex when you squeeze it. The back of the phone is replaceable, and can be opened up to reveal the SIM and micro SD slots. Interestingly, the side buttons are attached to the back cover, which is a rare design in recent years, and kind of remind me of Nokia 3210.

Hardware-wise, the main specifications include a quad core, 1GB RAM, 4GB ROM, 720p 4.7” IPS LCS screen. The same specs would be a flagship in 2012, and they are still decent for 2014 standard. It is almost certain that you will need an additional micro SD card, as the 4GB storage (half of that is occupied by system files) is likely insufficient for you digital life.

One interesting feature is the dual SIM offering, which is very popular in mainland China. Unfortunately there is no 4G here. The 1^st SIM card slot is 3G capable, while the 2^nd slot only allows GSM. Practically it means that you can have one data plan, and two active voice plans on this phone. Busy businessmen and people who often need to travel between countries may find this feature rather useful.

Mobile connectivity aside, Redmi is also equipped with Wifi/ Wifi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS. They have been tested functioning as it should.

Performance and Experience

The Redmi’s 720p screen is pleasing to the eyes. At 312 ppi (iPhone 5s 326 ppi), it delivers fine texts and sharp images. The colors do tend to be a little colder, but are largely accurate and natural.  However the screen is not without qualms. The screen looks cheap in grey shade when the device is switched off or on standby, and appears to sink slightly below the glass surface. Although it does not affect the general use of the phone, it is something that you will notice if you have ever use an OGS phone. Although Redmi’s display is supposed to be IPS, the screen seems overly reflective, and does not provide good viewing from deviated angles, or under direct sunlight.

The combination of quad core cpu and 1GB Ram sounds pretty powerful on paper. I’m happy to report that it is not far off in actual use. I have not experienced any major lag or force restart, when switching between applications e.g. phone, YouTube, Facebook, browser, Whatsapp and etc. Unlike the other major brands and Xiaomi’s own Mi3, Redmi opted for the cheaper Mediatek’s MTK6589T chipset, instead of the more established Snapdragon or Tegra 4. Other than the lower benchmark, one potential concern to the hardcore gamers is that heavy 3D games may not run as well on Redmi, due to the weaker GPU.

Hardware only tells half the story, the real star here is its operating system called MIUI which delivers that smooth user experience. Built based on Android (Redmi is on 4.2.2), MIUI customization is beyond skin deep, and will certainly give any avid android users a refreshing feel of the OS. If you are IOS user, you may find it easier to pick up than the usual Android. Some aspects of MIUI may resemble IOS e.g. the launcher, except it gives you more control and customization as compared to the rather locked system. Some highlights of MIUI include the ability to change theme, cloud backup support, and options which are normally only accessible in other rooted Android phones e.g. assign long press button action. The Singapore iteration of MIUI come default with Google services, which are otherwise omitted in China. What is more surprising is that MIUI own App Store is nowhere to be found. Could it be that the Chinese based MIUI App Store was not ready for prime time, or was it swapped because of licensing issue? In any case the move is a welcoming one.

I am pleasantly surprised by the Redmi’s 2,000mAh swappable battery. In my actual usage test, a full charge lasted me an entire day, with 4 hours screen on time. During which, I had push email and messaging always on, occasional short calls, YouTube, browsing Feedly/ Facebook/ web pages, and testing out the cameras. Overnight standby drain was below 5%.

Media and Camera

Redmi has no problem playing all sort of video formats. Similar to other Android devices, you can always download a 3^rd party video player that come with your desired codec. As a music player, Redmi performs fairly well. There are several audio options and equalizer under the system setting that help tuning to your liking. I have also tested it successfully with a pair of bluetooth earphones. The wireless connection is reliable, has no noise or noticeable distortion to the sound quality. Its Bluetooth 4.0 should in theory be more battery friendly.

One complaint I have is the soft volume when talking on the phone. I have to keep it at maximum level, and even with that I find it hard to listen what the other side is talking in a noisy environment.

Redmi’s 8MP f2.2 camera on the other hand, produces good photos. While I won’t swap it with my S4 just yet, I am happy to bring it out for shooting on a bright day. The outdoor shots are generally sharp, with accurate colors. The auto focus reacts pretty fast, and the simple interface helps to avoid any missed moments. Night shots are acceptable with good amount of noises. Other extra camera features include burst shots, HDR, panorama, and 1080p video recording.

Outdoor shot

Outdoor shot

HDR mode - against strong sun light

Close up - background blur

Close up

Low light shot

Low light shot

Panorama shot

Conclusion

If you are looking for a tight budget phone, or simply just need a basic smartphone, the S$169 Redmi is hard to beat. There are a lot to like about Redmi other than its affordable price. I truly enjoyed the MIUI, and thought the display (when viewing straight on) and the decent camera are the highlights of this phone. It does not have the whistles and bells, but when you look at the overall package, it is easy to forgive its shortcomings.

Simply put, Redmi is probably the best smartphone in the sub S$200 category (among those officially retailed in SG) at the moment.

The best part of this is that Xiaomi is giving other competitors a run for their money, with its price aggressive propositions. It will no doubt be putting pressure on the others, in terms of pricing over offering, if Xiaomi continues its run of success. Hopefully it means that the consumers will have the last laugh.


Update -- 10th Mar 2014
Redmi does look better in red.

Mighty "small rice" aka Xiaomi close to international debut

You may not have heard of them, and unlike it's name which seem to suggest otherwise, they are actually really BIG. Yes, I am talking about the Chinese tech giant Xiaomi.

Active mainly in China, Xiaomi is ready to set step onto the international stage, starting from the first stop in Singapore (if we don't consider HK/ TW). They have been marketing on social media since early this year, drumming up the hype. And just today Xiaomi announced their first product in Singapore, Hongmi, with a release date of 21st Feb, and an unbeatable price at SGD$ 169.

Xiaomi has made a statement with that price tag. All eyes were on the number before the announcement, as the market awaited whether Xiaomi would play up the same price aggressive strategy which made them so popular at home in China.

What’s the big deal? You may ask.

Xiaomi is well known for its value-for-money offerings like their famous MI phones, which are built with top of the line hardware, but priced (without contract) lower than what you will get with a 2 year telco contract. And that’s a big deal! To consumers, it means that you don’t have to spend too much for a smartphone with decent specs. To the competing brands, it is a nightmare that keeps them on their toes to compete in price in an already tough market. To the telcos, it is an unwelcoming option, as they look to lock their customers with contracts perpetually.

There must be a catch? You may ask.

Yes. The catch is that you may not be able to get one, if it proves to be as successful as at home in China, where demand is so high that Xiaomi does not have ready stock for all order, and one may need to wait for a month or two.

One of the challenges that Xiaomi has to tackle, before it can transform into a truly international brand, is the language. Other than the price, Xiaomi is also known for its active engagement with their users. Constantly getting feedback from the community, and delivering frequent update to their devices. That communication has been in Chinese, and that will need to be enhanced if they want a bigger stake on the world map. The choice of Singapore is an understandable one as such. While English is the main language, most Singaporeans also possess adequate level of Chinese proficiency. Besides, Singapore is very receptive to adopting new technology and products.

I do hope Xiaomi can take off starting from Singapore, as I am all for good and affordable tech. Now, please launch MI3 with LTE or MI4 already!

Pebble Steel - Pebble undergone steel surgery

Same but different - a mere change of look on the same brain and muscle prove to be just enough to get some people to click that "Order Now" button. At least it got me.

The original Pebble is still great. One of its advantage over the competitors is that it looks more like a watch. But there's no denial that it lacks the premium feel in the exterior department. Certainly it does not go very well with say shirt, tie and pant.

That's where Pebble Steel comes in. It is not the so called gen 2 of Pebble, and more like iPhone 5c and 5s which coexist. The cool steel body (and additional leather strap) can be yours for US$ 100 more than the original Pebble. I thought it will be a hot seller if it was priced at US$ 199 instead, since some less smart watches like G-Shock may cost more than that. But at US$ 249, it make it harder for someone to justify getting something that's just nice to have. Nevertheless I suspect there is still a big group of people like me who just can't resist the "Order Now" button....

Can't wait till mid Feb.

Sugru - Playdough for adults that fixes things

So my MINIX NT-1 broke. I still can't determine who was the culprit, whether it was my oversize head or my 3 year old son. The headphone was still functioning as per normal, just that the plastic headband was broken into two. I did not try, but I suspected it would be hard to find a replacement part from MINIX.

I decided to fix it DIY, and something which I have long wanted to try came to mind - Sugru. For those who is not familiar with it, Sugru is a product which is able to transform its state from playdough to hard rubber. It is marketed to "form and fix the stuff you love", and that's in essence what Sugru is. You use it to mold on thing to make it works better for you, or simply use it to fix something.

I got myself a 8 pieces pack from their website, and patiently waited for it to reach me from UK to Singapore. It took almost 2 weeks from the day I placed my order till I received it. I couldn't wait any longer and proceeded with the operation on the same night. All I needed were - 1 piece of Sugru, 1 paper clip, and the disassemble tools. After tearing the headphone apart, Sugru played the important role to gel the broken headband together. I also added a paper clip before applying Sugru, to reinforce it with a more sturdy structure. It was the first time I played with Sugru, it felt like... playdough. Forming it and gelling it to the headband was easy. Once done, I left them overnight until the Sugru harden on the next day. The headband is in one piece again, and after putting the parts together, I now have my working NT-1 back!

I love how handy and easy to use Sugru is. One thing that stopped me from getting it before, was the price and its availability. The 8 pieces pack costed me 14.43 pounds, and 2 weeks waiting time. While I definitely think highly of this product, and glad that it fixed my problem, I have doubt whether more people will adopt it. At almost S$4 a piece, you will probably only use it to fix valuable stuff, and Sugru may not give you a commercial grade finishing. The end product look, well DIY. Another thing to note is that Sugru only stay fresh for six months, though it can last longer if kept in the fridge.

Sugru need to keep its price lower and make it more available, like the superglue one can easily find in the hardware store. If they can do that, I am sure people will love to keep several Sugrus at home in case they need to fix a few things.

My watch is smarter than yours - why Pebble got my vote

2013 was suggested to be the year for wearable tech, especially smart watches. So has it live up to expectation? In short they are still far from being mass market products, but they have surely attracted some attention.

Samsung Galaxy Gear, Sony SmartWatch 2, Pebble (retail version), Qualcomm Toq, were among the more prominent releases this year. Despite several rumors earlier, Google and Apple have not joined the party, which only tell us that the market is not yet ripe for harvest.

The answer to whether to get one now, really depends on one’s desire to toy with the concept. The watch part of it is still not ready for prime time in my opinion, mainly due to the balance that is required between battery life and features. While it is all good to have as many Dick Tracy tricks on your wrist, it will be a useless strap of rubber if it runs out of juice easily.

As for me, I am always game for new toy, and Pebble is my choice.

Although it only becomes available in retail this year, Pebble has made its name in early 2012 as the most backed Kickstarter project, which raised an astonishing funds of over $10 mio. I missed the Kickstarter version, and did not get the preorder delivery although I waited patiently for almost a year, until finally gotten mine from the Pebble online store directly in October. I have quickly forgotten the frustration of getting the watch, and have been wearing it daily instead of my pricey conventional watch since then.

During the time I have been wearing it, I find that Pebble delivers a good balance in providing the smart features without sacrificing its fundamental function as a watch.

I want to be able to see the time anytime.

Pebble is equipped with a monochrome e-paper screen that is always on and perfectly viewable at all angles even in direct sunlight. The screen is also assisted with backlight, which can be triggered with a simple twist action.

While the idea of a b&w pixelated screen may sound 1990 in 2013 context, it is a good sacrifice that improves its usability as a watch. The low resolution screen may even stands out, when you turn on that pixelated Mario watch face. It will be challenging to read an essay style email on Pebble, but short messages or notifications display just fine on its 1.26’ screen.

The idea of charging a watch is dreadful.

Mobile phone, tablet, laptop, power bank, shaver, you name it. These are the things that one may need to charge, some even on a daily basis. But watch is not in that category, at least not to most people.

One may argues that smartwatch is a new category, and empathizes that extra juice is needed for its features. But how willing is one to charge his/ her watch, and how frequent? Personally I find it hard to manage if I need to charge it daily.

With Pebble, I need to get it plugged in once a week. Of course I hope for a longer battery life, but at the moment it is as good as you can get, and it is way better than what the others are offering. Pebble makes the process connecting the power cord less painful, by making the charging contact points magnetic. It also serves as a water proof measure, so there is no hole exposed to the internal.

My $20 watch provides certain level of water resistant, and I expect nothing less when I spend 10 times more.

Says it all.

I can wear my Pebble at all times without any worry - when I wash my hands, take a shower, or even swim.

Watch should look like a watch.

Being geeky doesn’t necessarily mean that I want to look like a nerd. Aside of telling time, watch is also an accessory that complements how one looks.

While Pebble is not designer watch, its slim design is in line with conventional watches' dimension, hence making it less ‘special’ in a good way. If its design or its plastic builds start to become boring, the watch strap is exchangeable with any standard 22mm strap, and there are some third party decals that help to make it fancier.

Is it smart enough?

There are 2 types of smartwatches, one that acts as an active and self-sufficient device, and one that acts as a companion to assist a primary device. Pebble is more of the latter.

What Pebble doesn't have are hardware like camera, mic/ speaker, colored touch screen, and software wise may be comparatively less smart than say a Galaxy Gear. The area where it shines is its delivery of simple task in simple manner, primarily in notification. By default, I can receive notification from the more common applications like calendar, email, messaging, etc. With Android and the help of certain notification apps (e.g. Notification Center), one can get notification from almost every applications.

Pebble CAN be very smart, with the help of Tasker. The Pebble Tasker app allows Pebble to instruct the primary device to perform scripted tasks. On my Pebble for example, I have programmed actions e.g. taking photo (front or rear), find my phone, voice recording, lock my phone, trigger ring mode, etc. among others. The most useful feature I scripted is such that when I am around wearing Pebble, my phone will not ask me for pass code when unlocking the phone, the requirement will only be activated when I (and Pebble) am away from the phone.

…

At US$150 with shipping, Pebble is value for money if you compare it to some expensive dress watches that do nothing more than tell time. It will definitely make a good Christmas gift, whether he/ she is techy or not.