From the Zen capital of Los Angeles to the Champs Elysees comes the calming voice of a British Buddhist monk-turned entrepreneur, introducing American-style online mindfulness to the stressed-out French.

“Relax your muscles, breathe,” Andy Puddicombe, the bronzed co-founder of the app Headspace, intones by videoconference to a roomful of participants gathered on Paris’s ultra-chic shopping artery.

The Englishman and his French team are hoping to replicate the US success of Headspace with a French-language version, in a market where New Age philosophies from the “Anglo-Saxon” world are often viewed askance.

Its path has been helped by the success of French mindfulness app PetitBambou, which launched in 2015 – five years after Headspace – and claims more than three million users in France for its free and paid platforms.

Both apps use guided meditations for an array of situations – from coping with bereavement to just getting through a difficult day at work – with support from online counsellors, funky animations and videos.

In France as in the United States, Britain and elsewhere, companies have been signing up to subscriptions for their employees.

PetitBambou says it has secured “hundreds of licenses” from companies such as Deloitte and railways group SNCF and that it has nothing to fear from Headspace, which along with rival Calm has come to dominate the US market.

In a Paris studio, working on voice recordings for the app, PetitBambou co-founder Benjamin Blasco said his company was in any case aiming for the long haul.

“We broke even three years ago. We will not sacrifice anything on the altar of marketing,” he says.

“We do not try at all costs to keep people in the app,” he adds, “but to solicit a two-way exchange and tailor therapy to the user’s needs. Meditation is not a miracle tool, rather a mental hygiene: what’s essential is regular practice.”

Investors are certainly buying into the concept. Calm – which like Headspace was co-founded by a British emigre to California, Michael Acton Smith – raised $88 million (Bt2.75 billion) from a fundraising round in February.

That gave it a valuation of $1 billion, which Smith noted made Calm the first “mental health unicorn”.

“Unicorns” are start-up companies with a billion-plus valuation.

But like Headspace, Calm has its sights set further afield. In Britain it has enlisted actor and TV presenter Stephen Fry to record bedtime stories for use on a popular feature that helps users get to sleep.

“America is only 4.5 percent of the total global population, so there are a lot of other people that can enjoy the product and help the company grow,” Smith told CNBC after the investment round.

According to figures from Marketdata, the US mindfulness market as a whole including the dozens of apps on offer topped $1 billion in 2017, and should double that by 2022.

Helped by the growth in apps, a survey by the National Centre for Health Statistics found 14 per cent of Americans had meditated in 2017, a threefold increase in five years.

Headspace alone says it has 50 million users worldwide, and has raised $75 million from investors in total, despite marketing a product that preaches “digital detox”.

The paradox is not lost on Richard Pierson, the company’s other British co-founder.

“Although there is the irony that the phone is probably causing us a lot of our stress, our hope is that by using Headspace, you’ll be able to teach yourself the techniques that you need to learn in order to be able to use your phone in a more mindful way,” he says.

Many of the techniques in mindfulness apps are rooted in Buddhism and have long been familiar to practitioners in Asia. But what, if any, science underpins the apps?

Boosters got new backing with a US scientific study released in late April that looked at the effects of an experimental mindfulness app aimed at smokers.

The app helped many participants cut their smoking or give up altogether, by helping to rewire impulses in the brain linked to addiction.

The world of mindfulness “has become a business, but there is an ethical dimension”, comments Dominique Steiler, a professor at the Grenoble Ecole de Management who specialises in the “well-being” economy. Apps “are a good way to get started”, but users should be encouraged ultimately to sever the smartphone cord and meditate alone, he says.

Making recycling “fun and sexy” is what Taiwanese entrepreneur Arthur Huang hopes to achieve through his mini Trashpresso – a mobile recycling plant that converts plastic waste into consumer products such as coasters and candlemakers.

The Trashpresso consists of a 12m container housing a solid waste processing line.

It is the first innovation of its kind to be showcased in Singapore and was displayed at a Recycle Right event in Toa Payoh on Saturday (June 15). The Trashpresso compacts the recycling process into three steps – reducing the size of the plastic waste, purification and reshaping.

Likened in appearance to a “candy-making machine” by Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor, it can transform 135 grams of pellets or recycled flakes into a set of three colourful hexagon-shaped coasters in less than 10 minutes.

Speaking at the Toa Payoh HDB Hub atrium, Dr Khor noted that Mr Huang’s company Miniwiz has been “innovative in converting waste materials into beautiful products”.

“If you recycle right, you can turn trash into treasure,” she said. For instance, when used bottle caps are shredded into plastic flakes and placed into the Trashpresso, they are transformed into coasters after the three-step process.

“This will help extend the life of these materials. … This is what we call a circular economy approach. Giving our waste plastic a second lease of life,” she said.

Recycling right has taken on new urgency as the amount of waste disposed of in Singapore has, in the past 40 years, jumped seven times to 7.7 million tonnes last year – enough to fill 15,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools – and the contamination rate of the blue recycling bins is at a high 40 per cent, Dr Khor said.

Even though the country incinerates its waste, if Singaporeans continue to waste resources at the current rate, the country’s only landfill at Semakau will run out of space by 2035.

To help Singapore in its efforts towards becoming a zero waste nation, the answer may lie in decentralising the recycling process, said Mr Huang, founder and chief executive of Miniwiz, which develops recycled plastic materials for use in building construction, interior design and consumer products.

Founded in 2004, the company moved its headquarters to Singapore last November. It has an R&D centre in Taiwan, a manufacturing plant in Shenzhen, as well as an office each in Beijing and Milan.

“Four years ago, we wanted to create a machine that rewards people for recycling,” said Mr Huang, who developed it with his team.

“The idea is to get it closer and closer to consumers. We are now in talks with many shopping malls and hotel chains in Singapore, which produce a lot of trash for recycling.

“We are planning to launch the mini Trashpresso and the smart trash collecting Robin system in Shanghai in October. But there will be a mini Trashpresso set up in Singapore. We are still deciding whether we should make it automated, or let humans do the recycling.”

The Robin is a trash sorting system that allows users to track and earn points if they sort the waste correctly.

Recycling right is not difficult or time consuming, Dr Khor said.

“First, read the labels on the blue recycling bins … and we will be changing this so it is even clearer … to find out what recyclables you can put in,” she said. Clothes, toys, shoes and pillow cases are not recyclable.

“Second, make sure your recyclables in blue recycling bins are clean and dry. Any packaging with food or liquids will contaminate the other recyclables. This will waste the efforts of other Singaporeans who are doing their part.

“Third, you do not need to sort the materials that you put into the blue bins. We practise a co-mingled recycling system.”

Dr Khor explained that this means recyclables will be sorted centrally at material recovery facilities after they are collected from the blue bins.

Running from 8.30am to 5pm, the festival will offers participants the chance to explore career development, learn insights from true airline professionals, and lodge their applications for several positions. The festival also offers participants information on airline-related jobs including pilots, cabin crews, engineering, safety & quality assurance and ground services with professional staff from various departments on hand to offer advice.

Apart from strong commitment to the development of tourism and trade of the countries, Vietjet is constantly expanding its flight network and offers great career opportunities and a professional working environment to the young generation.

Last year’s “Vietjet Sky Career Festival” was a big success with more than 2,500 people participating. Many successful candidates are now working at Vietjet and will come along on Saturday to provide support and guidance at the event.

Find out more at http://www.VietjetAir.com or http://www.Facebook.com/VietJetThailand.

Organised by Farmgroup, it brings together galleries, local and international artists and collectors under one roof with the aim of creating a vibrant and supportive community in which art can thrive.

The sixth annual Hotel Art Fair on June 22-23 partners with W Bangkok, a hotel where art and design are appreciate.

This year’s conversation will centre on the topic of “Breaking Boundaries”. Art can break boundaries by pushing and evolving and its mission is to seek and express human emotions and point of view.

This year’s event will showcase the most diverse selection of participants yet, from local talents to emerging artists to major galleries all over Asia.

Be immersed in the works of more than 30 galleries and independent artists, including Richard Koh Projects, Artemis Art, L+/Lucie Chang Fine Arts, the Drawing Room, Korea Tomorrow, Clear Gallery Tokyo and B-gallery.

Local venues represented will include Number 1 Gallery, Joyman Gallery, Subhashok the Arts Centre, La Lanta Fine Art and Gallery Seescape.

“Spectrum” by the Autistic Thai and Na Kittikhun Foundation, features extraordinary artworks with a high level of creativity.

Thai digital artist Purin Phanichphant will be showcasing his playful interactive pieces that transcend the relationship between the viewers and the digital world.

Admission is free. Learn more at https://HotelArtFair.com and https://HotelArtFair19.eventbrite.com.

Organised by Farmgroup, it brings together galleries, local and international artists and collectors under one roof with the aim of creating a vibrant and supportive community in which art can thrive.

The sixth annual Hotel Art Fair on June 22 to 23 partners with W Bangkok, a hotel where art and design are appreciate.

This year’s conversation will centre on the topic of “Breaking Boundaries”. Art can break boundaries by pushing and evolving and its mission is to seek and express human emotions and point of view.

This year’s event will showcase the most diverse selection of participants yet, from local talents to emerging artists to major galleries all over Asia.

Be immersed in the works of more than 30 galleries and independent artists, including Richard Koh Projects, Artemis Art, L+/Lucie Chang Fine Arts, the Drawing Room, Korea Tomorrow, Clear Gallery Tokyo and B-gallery.

Local venues represented will include Number 1 Gallery, Joyman Gallery, Subhashok the Arts Centre, La Lanta Fine Art and Gallery Seescape.

“Spectrum” by the Autistic Thai and Na Kittikhun Foundation, features extraordinary artworks with a high level of creativity.

Thai digital artist Purin Phanichphant will be showcasing his playful interactive pieces that transcend the relationship between the viewers and the digital world.

Admission is free. Learn more at https://HotelArtFair.com and https://HotelArtFair19.eventbrite.com.

Several hundred thousand Thais are now living in Europe, mostly women with children. While many are Eurasian by birth, keeping them in touch with their mothers’ culture is seen as a vital part of their future and so teaching Thai to these kids has become one of the priorities for many volunteer groups of Thais throughout the continent. One of the organisations at the centre of this effort is the Federation of Thai Language and Culture Teachers in Europe (FTTE).

Set up in Lugano, Switzerland in March 2010, the FTTE has developed methods and curricula for teaching the Thai language and culture in existing schools while also supporting new ones. It raises funds to publish the series of Thai course books titled “Sawasdee”, developed by Salee Silapasatham, which are used in many schools throughout Europe and it also promotes such cultural activities as teaching traditional dance, Thai musical instruments and even organises summer camps in Thailand for children from various European countries.

Students from “Rak Don Tree Thai” group, from Waldkirsch and Kippenheim, Germany showed off their skills on traditional Thai music instruments at the FTTE Gala Dinner. The group was founded five years ago and also taught language and classical dance to Thai children.

As it marked nine years of continuous work, the FTTE held its annual meeting in Berlin from May 31 to June 2 on the topic “The Role of Thai Language (Native Language) abroad”. More than 130 members from 11 countries attended. Besides providing intensive workshops on many education-related topics, it also served as a platform for teachers to share their experiences and exchange ideas, tricks and tips on how to improve teaching Thai back home.

“The nature of teaching Thai as a second language to children varies in Europe,” says Salee, who has been recognised as one of Thailand’s best teachers of English and has also organised workshops throughout Europe for more than a decade.

“In Scandinavian countries, such as Norway and Sweden, the government provides Thai teachers to help ease the integration process for the kids. The Thai teachers give them tuition in all subjects in Thai as well as teaching the local language. These Thai teachers, all native speakers with a bachelor’s degree, are civil servants and receive the same pay as other teachers.

Salee Silapasatham

“Elsewhere in Europe, it is a gathering of like-minded people who see the importance of kids being able to speak and have a good command of the Thai language. This has resulted in Thai schools spreading all over the continent. Some receive support from Thailand’s Office of Non-formal and Informal Education while others are entirely organised and managed by themselves.”

Sara Fenati of Italy’s Thai–Cervia School was taking part in the conference for a second year. Last year she attended the event in Norway in a private capacity and found it so beneficial that she convinced the school board to send her to this year’s event again on behalf of the school.

Sara Fenati

“I met so many inspiring Thai teachers and learned so much. Some of tricks I learned, I was able to adapt to my class and it really works,” says Ferati who was born and spent the first 15 years of her life in Thailand before moving to Italy.

Thai-Cervia school has been established for five years and currently has three classes, two teachers and 12 students in total, ranging from five year-olds to teenagers. Sara, 22 and a Eurasian herself, says she never thought of becoming a Thai teacher but saw the importance of having a good command of Thai and grabbed the opportunity when it presented itself. “It’s fun and challenging,” she explains.

The challenges of teaching Thai in Italy come from both the private and public fronts, she adds. “We have kids whose mothers never speak Thai to them but expect that after taking a once-a-week class, they will be able to speak Thai. That’s not going to happen,” Fenati points out.

“In some cases the Italian fathers do not support the idea, which makes it even more difficult for children to have a good attitude towards the language and the courage to practice it.

Unlike in Scandinavian countries, the lack of government support means they have to pay high rent for the classroom space, which in turn becomes a burden for parents as they have to pay high fees for the class.

“But attending these events has made me so proud to be Thai and has given me the courage to continue teaching,” she smiles.

Regular members of the FTTE have also seen progress. Unakorn Silpi, a member of FTTE’s Projects and Activities Committee and a mother of two who lives in France, has been coming to the meetings since 2011. “You can see that FTTE has stabilised and became stronger. At the beginning when they just started, all members were new to it and needed some time to learn and adjust to working with each other. Now everyone knows what it is about and their roles, so working together is much smoother. Besides, it is more organised – we already know who will host the event for the next two years. The hosts-to-be can start their preparations well in advance.”

Unakorn says she has benefited a lot from the activities. “My daughter attended the FTTE’s Music Instrument summer camp in Belgium for two consecutive years. She loves it and it has inspired her to do more.”

Now that the FTTE’s “Basic Thai Language for People Living Abroad” curriculum, which was developed in close consultation with Salee and is primarily for young children, has received endorsement from the Thai Education Ministry, the organisation is working on another major task.

“We are creating a curriculum for teaching the Thai language to adults,” explains Supannee Boontook, director of Projects and Activities. “We hope to set a standard of teaching Thai language to foreigners in European countries. Once it’s finished, we will also seek approval from the Ministry of Education in Thailand. This does not mean that we will force people to use our curriculum but we want to have it as a reference that everyone can look up to and adapt to their own uses.”

Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of FTTE and the annual meeting will be held in Hague, the Netherlands between April 24 and 26 on the theme “Thai Language in the Digital World”.

A NEW smartphone from French maker Wiko that won’t break the bank, the View3 Pro pleases thanks to good-quality triple rear cameras.

It’s powered by a MediaTek Helio P60 octa-core processor running at 2.0 GHZ and has 4 gigabytes of working memory or RAM as well as 64 GB of internal storage, which is expandable with a microSD card by up to 256 GB.

The smartphone runs on Google’s Android 9.0 and even though it’s not powered by a flagship Qualcomm processor, I found during the test that speed was satisfactory. The menus and touchscreen were responsive and the applications ran smoothly.

The View3 Pro is also capable of playing High-Resolution Audio files in the popular format of FLAC 24bit/192kHz. I used it with a pair of Audio-Technica Hi-Res Audio headphones and found that the sound quality was enjoyable with good details of the musical instruments and powerful bass.

The smartphone also has fast data connection. I tested it on TrueMove H’s LTE network and used Ookla Speedtest app to measure the connection speed. It achieved a download speed of 56.2 Mbps and upload speed of 40.8 Mbps. However, the testing spot and number of users at the spot could affect the connection speeds.

The View3 Pro also has beautiful 6.3-inch display in Full Screen format with 2,340×1,080-pixel resolution making it good for viewing photos and watching video clips.

As mentioned earlier, the smartphone comes with three rear cameras – a 12 megapixel main camera, 13MP Super Wide Angle camera and 5MP depth camera.

The depth camera is used to provide data for creating professionally blurred backgrounds.

The 12MP main camera uses Sony IMX486 image sensor. In its auto mode, which is called Photo mode, the camera uses Artificial Intelligence to analyse the scene and adjust shooting parameters, such as white balance, exposure, and ISO sensitivity to obtain the best shots.

You can switch to the super wide-angle camera by tapping on the zoom toggle button on the viewfinder screen. The button will switch between the normal and wide-angle camera. The wide-angle comes with a 120-degree lens that allows you to take group photos easily without having to walk too far from your subjects.

The phone also comes with a 16MP front camera for taking selfies.

I was able to capture outstanding shots with blurred background using the rear camera and made good use of the artistic blur mode that provided a slide bar allowing me to adjust the level of blur. The auto mode also captured beautiful shots with its AI feature.

The View3 Pro comes with sleek design, featuring a glass back cover and glossy mirror frame, with deep reflections and an elegant gradient effect. There are two colour options, Nightfall and Ocean gradient. Each comes with a slim and transparent protective case in the box to preserve your smartphone. The Ocean version also comes with a subtle glow-in-the-dark touch, which is useful when you are trying to locate the smartphone when the lights are off.

The fingerprint reader at the back of phone allowed me to unlock it in a snap and the large battery of 4,000 mAh comfortably lasted a day after one charge. The battery also supports fast charging technology.

The Wiko View3 Pro has a suggested retail price of Bt6,490.

Key specs:

Network: 4G LTE, 3G HSPA+, GSM

OS: Android 9.0

Processor: Mediatek Helio P60, MT6771, OctaCore 2.0 GHz

Memory: 4GB

Storage: 64GB, expandable with microSD card by up to 256GB

Display: 6.3inch IPS panel with 2340×1080 pixels

Cameras: Rear: Triple 12 MP (1.25 m pixel size) + 5 MP (Depth) + 13 MP (Super Wide Angle 120ฐ); Front: 16 MP

SIM slots: 1 nano SIM + 1 nano SIM/microSD

Wireless connectivity: WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2

Location: GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo, AGPS

Dimensions: 159.5 x 75 x 8.1 mm

Weight: 184g

WHEN BTS addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York last year as goodwill ambassadors, something novel happened for South Korean music artists.

Leader RM told young people to speak for themselves, “no matter who you are, where you are from, your skin colour, your gender identity”.

The last in the series of categories drew attention, particularly among those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

This month’s gay pride event in Seoul drew more people than ever. 

AFP

“It seems small, but acknowledging there’s a term for that gender identity at the UN, he is validating people. Groups of people that are continuously ignored in our society,” one of the many tweets praising last year’s speech reads.

Another user wrote, “Honestly, having a transgender fiance and hearing RM say that made me so happy.”

Though seemingly small, these gestures are important, says the organising body behind the Seoul Queer Culture Festival.

“Support from cultural leaders is very important to us. What we do to progress LGBT rights is all related to culture,” SQCF said.

K-pop plays an important role during the festival that occurs each year. This year’s event, held on June 1, also saw uplifting tunes like “Into the New World” by Girls’ Generation blasted in central Seoul during the parade, and rapper Jerry K performed “Parade”, a song dedicated to the event.

On the other side of the world, Sunmi also joined in spirit as she posed onstage with a rainbow flag wrapped around her while performing in Amsterdam.

In a clip that has now been watched around three million times, the singer used the term “LGBT” in describing herself.

The video prompted fans to question her sexuality, with many taking the remark as her coming out. She later clarified that she is an ally to the community.

“Ha-ha, I was saying, ‘I have so many different sides of me, like dorky and LGBT queen.’ Yeah, I support LGBT, but don’t get me wrong guys,” Sunmi wrote on Twitter.

The slight misunderstanding saw the singer trending No 1 worldwide on Twitter at one point, with fans giving her new nicknames like “LGBT queen” and “queen of the gays”.

Last month Park Bom also spoke on the issue when she was asked about the LGBT community. “Yeah, I love everybody! I don’t care about who’s popular or not, or who works at what job. Everybody is equal and everybody is a friend!”

Fellow former 2NE1 member CL regularly posts LGBT-friendly content via social media, while Tiffany Young penned a love letter to the community through Billboard last summer. Jo Kwon of 2AM is an active pro-LGBT voice on social media as he dabbles in drag and encourages self-love.

Jeon Ji-yoon, formerly of 4Minute and better known by her stage name Jenyer, recently released a video for her new single “Illusion” featuring a number of local drag queens.

And then we have Holland – a 23-year-old singer who has been out and proud since the beginning of his career, a move many here see as brave given how thoroughly controlled the K-pop industry can be. For him, growing LGBT support in the industry is a sign of progress and hope.

“It’s great. When I was a student and struggling with my sexuality, it was unthinkable that great artists like Sunmi, Park Bom or BTS would openly support the LGBT community, which is also the reason that I decided to debut. The pro-LGBT trend in the worlds of culture, art and K-pop is a sign of progress in human rights and hope,” the singer said.

The video for his summer tune “Narc C”, which stands for narcissism, is based on Holland’s own experience. Though it features a gay couple who seem deeply in love, similar to the singer’s previous works, the singer says the video’s main theme is self-love.

“I wanted to show a relationship struggle with a boyfriend who becomes so much like myself after dating for a long time and even taking on the traits that I hate about myself. Through metaphors, I wanted to depict that the guy who seems like my boyfriend is actually me,” he said.

Singer Sunmi poses onstage in Amsterdam wrapped in a rainbow flag. 

Twitter

“I wanted to say that if you want to love someone, you need to know yourself and love yourself first. The video is about me finding myself after a break-up.”

Slow going at home

Seoul’s gay pride event, officially known as the SQCF, took place earlier this month, becoming one of the most successful to date and drawing nearly 150,000 attendees – about 80,000 for the booths and stage events and 70,000 for the parade.

While the numbers grow each year, attitudes towards LGBT people are still somewhat mixed and vary significantly among age groups in Korea. A recent Gallup poll found more people in their 20s and 30s are in favour of same-sex marriage, while a majority of those over 40 oppose it.

And while celebrities expressing LGBT support is a good thing, the organising body for the Seoul Queer Culture Festival says it needs to start at home.

“Though it’s good news, it’s a shame that K-pop artists express LGBT support mostly when they are abroad. We’d like to see more artists muster the courage to do the same at home since we have many LGBT fans here in Korea,” they said.

Unlike in pop culture, progress in politics has been slower and organisers say it is up to politicians to bring about actual change.

“Support for LGBT rights should be spearheaded by politicians to make real changes. We hope that the move in the cultural world causes the political world to reflect on themselves,” the group said.

BILLING ITSELF as the Asean optical fair, Silmo Bangkok recently returned to Impact Exhibition and Convention Centre for its second edition, showcasing innovative optic lenses, advanced phoropters and fashionable eyewear from around the world to delight anyone who needs to wear glasses as well as quite a few who don’t.

A younger sibling of the world-renowned Silmo Paris, this year’s fair was designed around the theme Business Meets Fashion and brought together more than 250 leading manufacturers from 15 countries including France, the US, Australia, Spain, Italy, England, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.

Visitors could stop at Essilor’s treatment room for a complete eye examination. 

“Silmo Paris has been the leading eyewear trade show for more than 50 years and established itself as the trendiest hub of the global optical industry. Capitalising on its huge success last year, Silmo Bangkok 2019 has drawn an even greater number of entrepreneurs from across the world. Thailand and Asean have the fastest growth in the eyewear industry. This show offers the new eyewear trends,” said Jerome Colin, president and chairman of Groupement des Industries Francaises de l’Optique or Gifo, the organiser of Silmo.

Recognised for its progressive lens Varilux, the French ophthalmic company Essilor once again draws attention from fairgoers by setting up a treatment room offering visitors a full eye examination to assess their vision, ability to focus and conditions likely to affect them.

Popular with leading hospitals and optical shops, Essilor’s Wam700+ fully automatic wavefront aberrometer offers complete anterior chamber analysis and visual assessment. Based on Shack-Hartmann wavefront technology, it provides seven detailed measurements in 90 seconds for both eyes and simplifies the screening of eye wellness – you quickly learn if you’re at risk of developing cataracts, glaucoma or keratoconus.

Another new innovation is the high-tech Vision-R 800 automatic phoropter featuring a patented automated optical module that provides simultaneous and instantaneous changes of sphere, cylinder and axis for speed, accuracy, precision and extra comfort. Using software called Smart Tests, the special algorithms conduct the refraction procedure with variation steps, making it easy to adjust to patient sensitivity.

Roav is famous for its super thin, foldable sunglasses.

“In the traditional refraction procedure, values are rounded to 0.25 D at each stage and inaccuracies accumulate. In the precise Digital Infinite Refraction procedure, all the refraction is conducted with 0.01 D increments and the final value is rounded to the nearest 0.25 D, providing a more reliable result,” Dhanon Bhanurujpong, manager and senior lens specialist of Essilor Distribution (Thailand), told The Nation Weekend.

“The smooth power changes and a wider field of vision make refraction very comfortable. At the end of the test, the patients can compare refractions in simulated real-life scenes to ensure the refraction is really accurate,” he added.

American eyewear brand Roav took the opportunity to introduce its new collection of 0.8mm thin, foldable specs that are fashioned out of quality stainless steel and constructed with a press formed screwless hinge.

Perfect for everyone whether they’re sportsmen or forgetful old men, these glasses weigh only 0.12 to 0.15 grams and are durable, flexible and strong, meaning you can put them into the back pocket of your jeans and sit on them without worry.

The frame is topped off with scratchproof ion plating, while the nylon polarised lenses protect the eyes from UVA and UVB rays. They’re available in 18 designs and different colours and priced at Bt6,250.

“Roav was set up two years ago by a group of friends determined to create super thin, ultra lightweight, foldable sunglasses that everyone can afford and that suit all lifestyle. People with myopia up to 400 degrees, which is moderate shortsightedness, are able to use the Roav frames. Our sunglasses with mirrored lenses in pink and green are particularly popular with the younger generation,” said Paritta Trakulmechokchai, general manager of Ignis Asia, the sole distributor of Roav in Thailand.

Also under the umbrella of Ignis Asia is South Korean brand Frank Custom, which offers a wide selection of vintage-style specs made from beta titanium, making them durable and flexible. Roav and Frank Custom’s collections are available at Siam Center, Siam Paragon and Central Chidlom.

Blake Kuwahara produces oneofakind, handcrafted sunglasses with twotoned different textures.

Even the smallest infants are susceptible to harmful rays and French firm Izipizi has created a striking edition of colourful antibacterial sunglasses for newborn babies. Using advanced injection moulding technology, the Sun Baby models come with adjustable straight arms and polarised lenses that provide the little ones with 100-per-cent UV protection.

“Inspired by the sea, the Sun Baby models are simple and boasts plastic lenses that are safe for kids even when the lenses are ruined. Parents must protect their kids’ eyes from harmful UV rays. We have more than 20 designs for them to choose,” said Trinupab Jiratritarn, founder of Cobalt Jedi, which sells Izipizi in Thailand.

Popular with skiing and mountaineering enthusiasts, the Sun Glacier series boasts a striking contemporary design and provides optimum protection to protect your eyes from the cold, snow and intense light found on the mountain peaks. The Sun Nautic edition, meanwhile, is designed for water sport fans and drivers, providing 100-per-cent UV protection for normal vision and presbyopia (farsightedness).

Another member of the Cobalt Jedi family is Blake Kuwahara from Japan and its eye-catching edition of one-of-a-kind, handcrafted sunglasses made with the finest Japanese craftsmanship. The sunglasses boast classic designs and are mostly made with acetate, titanium and stainless steel with polarised lenses providing UV protection.

“The brand was founded by Japanese ophthalmologist and designer Blake Kuwahara. He has used special techniques to create different two-toned textures on the frame that resemble wood grain and marble,” Trinupab says.

Renowned Italian brand Tavat offers its award-wining SoupCan sunglasses designed by Norman Schureman. Made from stainless steel, they are inspired by the tin cans of the 1930s and manufactured almost entirely by “coining” Alpacca and “dyeing” components before being completely assembled by hand.

“Schureman has used advanced laser cut technology to create the sandwich frames. The lenses are coated with melanin to provide UV protection and accuracy,” Trinupab explained.

Tavat takes an inspiration from the 1930s tin can to create its sandwich frames.

Originally designed for pilots but now offered to everyone, the Airman series features medical stainless steel frames, hypoallergenic nose pads and anti-fog melanin lenses that can protect your eyes from UV rays and dust.

For 15 years, the German brand Mykita has produced screwless handcrafted optic glasses and sunglasses that are lightweight and fit all facial shapes thanks to advanced hinge techniques.

“Now, the brand has developed several kinds of quality materials like stainless steel and acetate for the front frames, nose pads and legs. All frames are mostly formed with high-tech 3D printing and Micron technology helps make them resistant to heat and chilled weather” said Chutima Natirat, sales representative for We Do Asia, which distributes Mykita in Thailand.

And the Kingdom also has plenty of eyewear talent with Silpakorn University’s product design student Nichakamon Tuncharern winning first prize in the Silmo Bangkok Eyewear Design Contest. Inspired by Wat Arun, her detailed glasses, which will be displayed at Silmo Paris in September features the King’s crown on the top of a pagoda, a fishnet-shaped pagoda, Chinese doll statues and colourful porcelain pieces.

A NEW laptop computer designed with the small business in mind, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is slim and light and more affordable than Lenovo’s elite ThinkPad series but still powerful enough to handle business applications and handle everyday tasks.

Lenovo says the ThinkBook is a new sub-brand dedicated to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The ThinkBook 13s model I tested was powered by the 8th Generation Intel Core i7 8565U running at 1.80GHz and equipped with 16 gigabytes of DD4 working memory or RAM.

The 13s comes with 512 GB SSD (Solid State Drive) storage. Its graphics power comes from integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 and it boasts a 13.3-inch IPS display with Dolby Vision HDR technology. It has 1920×1080 pixel resolution and is very bright with 300 nits of brightness.

The ThinkBook 13s runs on Windows 10 Pro. During the test, I found the laptop started and shut down fast. It ran business applications, such as Microsoft Word very fast too. It also played HD video clips smoothly. Since the display supports the Dolby Vision HDR technology, the HDR YouTube clips looked really good. The laptop also played good sound quality thanks to Dolby Audio

with two Harman speakers driven by a two-watts amplifier each.

It uses Skype for Business certified dual-array microphones for clear audio, which enhances the collaboration experience over VoIP calls. Plus, the dedicated Skype Hot Keys simplify calling thanks to one key to answer and one key to hang up.

The ThinkBook 13s has fast wireless connection, using 802.11ac and it also has Bluetooth 5.2 connection. And its hinges are coated in indium metal to reduce Wi-Fi interference.

The laptop has all necessary ports. It has one HDMI 1.4b port on the left for connecting to your large screen TV. Also on the left side is a USB-C Gen 2 port that supports audio, video and data transfer. That port supports a USB-C Docking station that is sold separately. And there are two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports on the right side. One port supports always-on technology that can be used to recharge your mobile device even when the laptop is turned off.

Lenovo says it designed the new ThinkBook sub-brand for SMBs following extensive customer research. The new laptop is aimed at SMBs that want cool yet cost-effective devices.

Lenovo added that it has conducted field research with 8,000 global respondents and found that the new workforce cares a lot about how their computing device looks, for example, colours and materials, but still prefers to choose from a curated list that the organisation provides.

The new Lenovo ThinkBook 13s combines modern style and consumer-oriented design elements, such as aluminium exteriors with business-grade and built-in security features that consumers expect from the Think family PCs.

The laptop has a premium feel, can lay flat at 180 degrees, and features ultra-narrow bezels to pack a larger display into a small portable package. Wrapped in aluminium and magnesium metals in a Mineral Grey finish, the ThinkBook 13s is about 15.9 mm thin and weighs just 1.34 kg, which makes it easy to carry around.

The 13s comes with several security features for business users. For example, it has single-step authentication and power-on with the touch fingerprint reader.

It also has discrete TPM 2.0 that enables Windows 10 security features and user data encryption.

ThinkBook is supported by a range of business-grade services including Lenovo Premier Support, warranty

extensions and upgrades, such as onsite next business day support and International Warranty Service to minimise any downtime.

It also comes with built-in self-management features, especially useful for smaller companies without dedicated onsite support teams. Among these, the preloaded Lenovo Vantage software offers tools for preventive hardware diagnostics, personalised hardware settings and auto-install of critical updates.

Its keyboard is comfortable to type on and the keyboard is spill resistant and designed to withstand up to 60cc of liquid – though that’s no excuse to drop your coffee on it.

The laptop comes with Windows Modern Standby feature that allows it to download emails, receive Skype call alerts, and get Windows app updates – even with the lid closed. Moreover, it resumes from standby almost instantly with the Smart Power On button or voice command in some instances. These features make the laptop function like a smartphone.

The ThinkBook 13s has a good battery life of up to 11 hours. It also comes with RapidCharge technology that provides 80 per cent battery capacity on one hour’s charge.

Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has a starting price of Bt33,900.

Key specs:

OS: Windows 10 Processor

Processor: 8th Generation Intel Core i7 8565U (1.80GHz, up to 4.60GHz with Turbo Boost, 8MB Cache)

Display: 13.3inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS antiglare with Dolby Vision HDR (300 nits, 72% CG)

Graphics: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620

Memory: 16 GB DDR4 2400 MHz

Storage: 512 GB M.2 PCIe SSD

Camera: 1M, ultraslim

Wireless connectivity: 802.11AC (2 x 2), Bluetooth 5.2

Ports: USBC Gen 2 (Supports Audio, Video and Data Transfer), 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (one always on), Headphone / mic combo, HDMI 1.4b

Battery: Up to 11 hours,  45Wh

Dimensions: 307.6 x 216.4 x 15.9 (mm)

Weight: 1.34 kg

Preloaded Software: Lenovo Migration Assistant, Lenovo Vantage, McAfee LiveSafe (30day trial), Microsoft Office (30day trial)

What’s in the box: ThinkBook 13s, 65W AC adapter (Supports Rapid Charge), Quick start guide