A STYLISH and powerful convertible 14-inch laptop computer, the Lenovo Yoga 530 AMD is also affordable, making it the perfect choice for students to be creative both in and outside the classroom.

Weighing a mere 1.6kg and just 17.6mm thick, it is easy to heft around between school and home as well as on assignments.

The Yoga 530 AMD is powered by AMD Ryzen 5 2500U quad-core processor running at 2 GHz, quipped with 8 gigabytes of DDR4 RAM or working memory and comes with a fast 256 GB SSD (solid state drive) storage.

The AMD cpu is integrated with AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics processor that shares the RAM for graphics memory. The Radeon Vega 8 is fast and able to handle smooth gameplay in titles that do not require very complex graphic rendering. AMD Radeon Vega 8 has eight cores and it also supports the DirectX 12 graphics platform.

The Yoga 530 AMD runs on Windows 10 Home 64-bit operating system and comes with the Microsoft Cortana Intelligent Personal Digital Assistant allowing you to give voice commands conveniently.

It has eight hours battery life, more than enough for students to work on the go. And its power adapter is compact and light enough to be carted along. Moreover, the Yoga 530 AMD supports Rapid Charge technology that comes in handy when you need extra juice. The Rapid Charge technology gives you two additional hours of use from just 15 minutes charging.

The laptop looks sleek in black with polished aluminium surfaces. It comes with a 360-degree hinge that effortlessly transforms the laptop mode into a tablet mode and back.

Just fold the display onto the back of the keyboard and Windows 10 will ask you if you want to switch the mode into the tablet mode. When it is in tablet mode, you don’t have to worry about pressing keys on the keyboard when you are holding it.

And its 14-inch touch-screen IPS display with 1920×1080-pixel resolution is responsive as a tablet function.

Best of all, the tablet mode can be used with Lenovo Active Pen 2, a stylus with battery. The active stylus lets students to take complete control of graphic designing and digital sketching.

During the test, I found that the stylus worked effectively for drawing and painting on support apps, such as Microsoft Paint 3D, Concepts, and Bamboo Paper.

I was pleased to find that the AMD Ryzen processor handled business applications like Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint fast and was also pretty good when I wanted to edit photos.

AMD says its Ryzen 5 2500 Mobile processor consumes less battery while the processor uses high-performance x86 Core “Zen” architecture to deliver considerably more in the instructions-per-clock cycle than the previous generation AMD core.

Moreover, the Ryzen 5 2500 uses AMD’s SenseMI technology, which is a set of learning and adapting features that help the processor customise its performance to your applications with true machine intelligence or MI.

Thanks to the fast processor and speedy integrated GPU, Yoga 530 AMD played Full HD video very fast. So, you can use Yoga 530 AM D as a portable home theatre. The movies I watched were crisp thanks to the 1920×1080-pixel wide-angle IPS display with narrow bezels and the high 250-nit brightness.

Movies also sounded great on the laptop with the virtual surround sound experience of the Harmon Speakers optimised with Dolby Audio Premium. Since the Yoga 530 AMD can also be used in Tent Mode, the movies sound louder when the speakers at the back and bottom point upwards.

The Yoga 530 AMD comes with large backlit keyboard that is convenient for typing. Its touchpad is also good on cursor control.

I tested the laptop with my Linksys EA8500 router and it had no problems sharing files and streaming videos with my network-storage DiskStation DS418j.

For security, the Yoga 530 AMD comes with fingerprint reader under the bottom right corner of the keyboard. With the fingerprint reader, you don’t have to remember the password as you can unlock the laptop with one touch of your finger by using Windows 10’s Windows Hello function.

The Yoga 530 AMD comes with all necessary ports. There is an HDMI port on the left side for connecting to a TV. A full-size USB 3.0 port, a Type-C USB and audio jack are also provided on the left side. You can also find a 4-in-1 card reader and a full-size USB 3.0 port on the right side.

Lenovo Yoga 530 AMD has a suggested retail price of Bt25,990.

>> Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2500U 2 GHz

>> Operating System: Windows 10 Home (64 bit)

>> Display Type: 14.0-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS Touchscreen

>> Memory: 8GB (2x4GB DDR4)

>> Storage: 256GB SSD

>> Warranty: One year Carry-in

>> Graphics: Integrated AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics

>> Camera: HD 720p Camera

>> Security Feature: Fingerprint Reader

>> Keyboard: Backlit Keyboard

>> Wireless: 802.11 AC Wireless Bluetooth Version 4.1

>> AC Adapter: Rapid charge 65W Adapter – charge 15 minutes for up to 2 hours use

>> Battery: Up to 8 hours

>> Dimensions:(W x D x H): 328 mm x 229 mm x 17.6 mm

>> Weight: 1.6 kg

SONY ANNOUNCED Wednesday it plans to launch a miniature games console designed like the original PlayStation pre-loaded with 20 vintage games as it joins the retro gaming craze just in time for Christmas.

Dubbed the PlayStation Classic, the new console shares the design of the original Playstation that launched in 1994, but is considerably smaller.

It will also come with a considerably smaller price tag than the full-feature PlayStation with a recommended retail price of just under $100 (Bt3,200).

The console comes pre-loaded with 20 classic PlayStation games such as the 1997 role-playing game “Final Fantasy VII” and the 1998-1999 racing game “R4: Ridge Racer Type 4”.

“PlayStation Classic is a perfect fit for nostalgic PlayStation fans that enjoyed playing the original PlayStation as well as gamers new to PlayStation who want to experience classic PlayStation games from the 1990s,” Sony said in a statement.

The console, onto which other games cannot be added, is set to arrive in stores in early December. Sony did not disclose how many of the limited-edition Classic consoles would be produced.

The move by Sony comes two years after Nintendo launched the NES, a palm-sized version of its eighties era games console, tapping into nostalgia for titles from the early era of home video games.

The console which retails for around $60 comes with 30 games including Nintendo’s famed Super Mario and Donkey Kong characters.

It subsequently released its 1990 Super Nintendo console.

Sony’s original PlayStation quickly dominated the home video game market after its release in 1994, with the compact disc technology allowing for games with richer graphics.

Sony is now on its fourth iteration of the PlayStation, and the PlayStation 5 is due out next year.

A CONVENIENT way to increase storage on your Mac desktop computer or notebook with fast and reliable Solid State Drive technology, Transcend JetDrive 855 uses Thunderbolt interface to transfer data at a speed of up to 10 gigabits per second.

While the MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are much admired for their sleek and slim design, they only have 256GB SSD storage, which fills up fast. JetDrive 855 helps users get over that problem by adding 240 GB more storage.

The portable drive looks good too, coming in a sleek, aluminium alloy enclosure that matches the Mac’s simple, clean design.

MacBook Air is the only series of Mac notebook computes that has retained Thunderbolt 2 ports, which are compatible with Thunderbolt 1. The MacBook and MacBook Pro series have switched to Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports. So, if you want to use JetDrive 855 with your MacBookPro, you will need to buy an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to use as the Thunderbolt 2 adapter.

I tested JetDrive 855 on MacBook Pro using the Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 adapter. The external drive worked instantly when plugged in and I didn’t need to insert any settings.

Copying files and folders to the JetDrive 855 was fast. I dragged and dropped an 851-MB music folder from Macbook Pro to JetDrive 855 and the copying was completed in a matter of seconds.

JetDrive 855’s fast speed comes from the PCIe Gen3 x4 interface paired with the latest 3D NAND flash. Transcend says when its SSD drive is installed inside a Mac it can achieve a compelling performance of up to 1,600MB/s read and 1,400MB/s write when measured with AJA V1.0 or Black Magic V 3.1.

Transcend also provides two screw drivers in the package and instructions on how to open and remove the SSD drive from the enclosure to replace your Mac’s internal SSD drive. I personally think it’s safer and more convenient to use the JetDrive 855 as an external drive.

When I used the AJA System Test Lite to measure the drive speed of the JetDrive 855, it got 650MB/s for writing and 776MB/s for reading, which is very fast for an external drive.

As an external drive, JetDrive 855 is very mobile with a footprint of 120 mm x 31.5 mm x 18.2 mm and weighing a mere 88 grams. You can conveniently carry it along with your MacBook Air.

To allow you to use JetDrive 855 with peace of mind, Transcend has developed JetDrive Toolbox software for you to download. The software helps maintain a healthy and efficient SSD by keeping it up-to-date, preventing functional degradation, and predicting problems before they happen. It displays drive information, SMART status for possible drive failure, health indicators for estimated lifespan, and facilitates firmware upgrades.

Transcend JetDrive 855 with 240GB capacity retails for Bt10,990 and it is available at |Power Buy.

>> Connection Interface: Thunderbolt 10 Gb/s

>> Storage Media: NVMe PCIe Gen3 x4 SSD

>> Capacity: 240 GB

>> Operating Temperature: 0 degree C – 60 degree C

>> Storage Temperature: -40 degree C – 85 degree C

>> Operating Voltage: 15V

>> Certificate: CE, FCC, BSMI

>> Warranty: Five-year Limited Warranty

>> In the box: JetDrive 855 Thunderbolt PCIe portable SSD, Screwdrivers (T5 & P5), Rubber feet

>> Dimensions: 120 mm x 31.5 mm x 18.2 mm

>> Weight: 88 g

The Boston-based insurer announced Thursday that it would immediately begin moving life insurance policies to a “behavior change platform that rewards customers for the everyday steps they take to live longer, healthier lives.”

Policyholders will be asked to sign up online for fitness and nutritional advice, or may get premium discounts for using devices such as Fitbit or Apple Watch to monitor daily activities.

“For centuries, the insurance model has primarily provided financial protection for families after death, without enhancing the very quality it hinges on: life,” said Marianne Harrison, John Hancock president and chief executive.

“We fundamentally believe life insurers should care about how long and well their customers live. With this decision, we are proud to become the only US life insurance company to fully embrace behavioral-based wellness and leave the old way of doing business behind.”

One of the largest US life insurers, John Hancock said the new offering is aimed at countering unhealthy lifestyles including physical inactivity, poor diet, excessive alcohol use and smoking blamed for most premature deaths, and expressed hope that other companies would follow suit.

The company, a division of Manulife of Canada, said it believes people who use these kinds of wellness and activity tracking programs will live longer with lower medical bills compared with those who do not use these systems.

The latest effort stems from a partnership agreed in 2015 between Hancock and Vitality, part of the South Africa-based financial group Discovery Limited which offers incentive-based wellness programs.

Too much data?

Wellness programs using health tracking have been in use for years, but privacy activists worry about the risks or invasive monitoring of consumer habits.

“I realize this is to encourage healthier habits but I worry about excessive data collection,” said Nuala O’Connor, president of the Washington-based Center for Democracy & Technology, a digital rights group.

“These devices can collect a lot of data such as your location or whom you associate with, much more than what they need to know if the person is insurable. There can be unintended sharing of that data.”

Others expressed concern over the idea of using incentives linked to data collection, sometimes called “gamification,” for insurance products.

Marc Rotenberg, president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said the move raises questions about “algorithmic transparency” or whether insurance decisions are fair, accountable, and transparent.

“There are also larger policy questions, including whether it is possible to maintain insurance markets if companies are able to assign risk directly to individuals policy holders,” Rotenberg told AFP.

The announcement comes amid a push by some large employers to introduce wellness programs which may require employees to wear fitness trackers in order to obtain health coverage, or to get discounts.

O’Connor noted that the private life insurance offering is not as invasive as a mandatory employer-based program but contended that the benefits of such wellness programs may be overblown.

A 2015 study cast doubt on the accuracy of data from wearable devices and questioned whether this data should be used for important decisions.

Wearables and health apps “are buggy, produce errors, they can be gamed, and the data are open to misinterpretation,” said Kate Crawford, a New York University research professor who was co-author of the 2015 study and is a co-founder of the AI Now Institute which studies social implications of artificial intelligence.

Crawford said there are additional concerns about trading personal data for economic benefits.

“What concerns me is that people are being told that wearing these devices will get them discounts and gift cards, but they are giving up enormously detailed portraits of their lives,” she said. “What if policies change such that ‘negative’ behaviors are punished?”

Launched in October 2000, WKF serves as a platform to educate people about pressing global issues and seek ways to promote balanced world economic growth. Heads of state and government, business leaders and other public figures participate, building the event’s reputation as the World Economic Forum’s Asian counterpart.

The central theme this year is “Global Challenges: Geopolitical Conflicts and Trade War”. Delegates will gain insight into interesting developments in diplomatic relations on the Korean Peninsula and how blockchain technology is disrupting the monetary system.

There will be 200 speakers, including former UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon, Crypto Exchange founder Miko Matsumura, Nobel Peace laureate Kawasaki Akira and Estonia’s President Kersti Kaljulaid.

Bigger on the world stage that even Harry Potter’s creator JK Rowling, Louis Cha – who writes under the pen name Jin Yong – is known the world over for his wuxia or martial arts novels that have been adapted for television, film, comic books and video games.

Among the 94-year-old author’s most famous titles is 1967’s “Xiao Ao Jiang Hu” (“The Smiling, Proud Wanderer”) – which loosely translates as living a carefree life in a world of strife – and was made into Tsui Hark’s movie triology under the English title of “The Swordsman” in 1990, 1992 and 1993. Thais will know it better as “Dej Kampee Thevada.

In 2016, the very popular novel found a different way of coming to the stage when its story was woven into a series of acrobatic moves under the English title of “The Legendary Swordsman” by Guangzhou Acrobatic Arts Theatre. It was premiered in Guangdong then travelled to Taiwan, Singapore and Macau, each time playing to packed houses and earning critical acclaim.

Now, thanks to the efforts of BEC-Tero, it is on its way to Bangkok and will be staged next month at Thunder Dome, Muang Thong Thani.

“Everyone in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan knows this novel by heart. When we performed in Shanghai, Jin Yong came along and he was impressed by our interpretation,” says the show’s director Xu Juan, deputy general manager of the Theatre, formerly known as Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe, during a recent press conference at CentralWorld.

“All performers with Guangzhou Acrobatic Art Theatre must read this novel and try to really understand their characters.”

“Even though I was born in 1999 and am only 19, I know this novel,” adds Tang Zhe, the acrobat who plays the main character of Linghu Chong.

Xu Juan says the novel lent itself to an acrobatic interpretation because of the interesting lead characters. These are: Linghu Chong, a young apprentice of Mount Hua Sword School who refuses to follow the rules and likes to help others; Ren Yingying, daughter of the former leader of the Evil Party; Yue Buqun, leader of the Mount Hua Sword School who raised and trained Linghu Chong and wants to get his hands on the coveted Mallow Journal and rule the world; Ren Woxing, Yingying’s father, who was betrayed by the Invincible Orient and has been held captive for a long time; and Dongfang Bubai aka Invincible Orient – leader of the Evil Party who successfully completed the training outlined in the Mallow Journal.

The story starts in a world where people are fighting for power, where good tries to overcome evil and everyone is searching for the Mallow Journal, a mysterious manuscript that will render its owner invincible. Chaos arises when the manuscript reaches the hands of Invincible Orient, and he embarks on a journey to conquer the world.

Linghu Chong, the free-spirited apprentice of the Mount Hua Sword School, is ordered by his master Yue Buqun, to retrieve the Mallow Journal. During his mission, he encounters members of the Evil Party as well as Ren Yingying, who is a mission to find her father. The encounter triggers feelings between Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying. The good guys turn bad and the bad guys become honourable, but they all end up fighting in their quest to rule the world.

“This acrobatic show maintains the original story of ‘The Swordsman’ with those five main characters. It is a love story of Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying who face different obstacles and also that of good and evil. In the story, both are hunting for Dongfang Bubai so they can take back the good. It is one of the Chinese people’s favourite moral stories.

“It wasn’t easy to transfer a novel into an acrobatic production, which shows the beauty of strength and skills. The hardest part was finding the best way to attractively and elegantly perform the acrobatics in harmony with the story. I cast those performers based on the characters of the novel and their acrobatic skills. Tang Zhe was the obvious choice for Linghu Chong, as he is solemn and strong and most importantly handsome, even when he is performing on the softwire,’ says Xu Juan.

“It’s tough to portray the character in combination with the acrobatics. Performing acrobatics isn’t like performing with dialogue. And I’m nothing like Linghu Chong. I’m a funny guy while Linghu Chong is taciturn,” says Tang Zhe, who has been training as an acrobat for 13 years.

“The development of acrobatics of today relies on the director’s creativity. It is blended with other performing arts such as ballet and gymnastics. China has many acrobatic troupes but the Guangzhou Acrobatic Art Theatre puts on unique and striking performances such as silk rope and softwire walking,” Xu Juan adds.

High leaps, daring moves

– “The Legendary Swordsman” is being staged at Thunder Dome, Muang Thong Thani, on October 5 to 7 and again from October 9 to 14 at 2pm and 7pm.

– Tickets cost from Bt700 to Bt1,500 at Thai Ticket Major outlets. Call (02) 262 3456 or visit http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com.

More than 2,000 fleet-footed folks were up before dawn last Sunday to participate in the 5km and 10km Run for Heroes in Bangkok’s Lumpini Park, the second charity activity of the SCG Foundation’s “Hands for Heroes” project following “Paint for Heroes”, held earlier this year.

“The project aims to purchase patrol equipment for forest rangers such as combat boots, jungle hammocks, raincoats and dried food,” said Kajohndet Sangsuban, the foundation’s executive director.

“We’ve had the ‘Sharing the Dream’ scholarship programme since 2015, which has helped 366 children of forest rangers get through school. It’s our way of expressing our heartfelt gratitude to those who risk their lives in tending to Thailand’s natural resources. It gives them reassurance that they needn’t worry about covering all their family’s costs.

“The SCG Foundation will strive to expand this support to boost their morale for many years to come. Fortunately, there are many groups helping this project, so there’ll be a ‘Hands for Heroes’ every year.”

Among the showoffs last weekend was a team of marathon runners from the “Kao Kon La Kao” (“Take One Step Each”) campaign.

The national badminton team and the youth team from the SCG Badminton Academy were represented. Wildlife veterinarian Dr Pattarapol “Lotter” Maneeorn came out, as did celebrities Kongkapan “Noom” Sangsuriya, Watcharaboon “Note” Leesuwan, Suthipong “Check” Thammawut, Thipdhida Satdhathip, Surawut Maikun, Saroot “Big” Wichitranon, Jinna “Jin” Navarat, Jayda Saranya, Oat Surasak, Phiphat “Arm” Withayapanyanon, Patcharin “Namfon” Srivasupirom and Winai “Mek” Kraibutr.

The Tublan Ranger Band played forest-theme songs like “Phoo Pitak Pa” (“For Our Heroes”).

Actor-TV host Noom Kongkapan said he’d seen the rangers in action while making documentaries about Thai forests and the people who protect them.

“I know that working and living in the forest is not easy. One forest ranger has to take care of a vast area and he risks his life in many ways. There are among natural disasters, wild animals, wildlife poachers and illegal loggers. And they do their jobs without expectation of fame or glory.

“So I think it’s important to send them positive energy and boost their morale so they don’t have to worry about the families they’re forced to live apart from.”

There was also a “Father-Child, Save the Forest” costume contest and participants and spectators were encouraged to join the “Hands for Heroes” Facebook page and share photos there of the run.

“Hands for Heroes” has to date raised more than Bt1.7 million to purchase patrol equipment. Among many other items, they’ve bought 522 hammocks equipped with bug nets and waterproof clothing for rangers working for the Wildlife Conservation Bureau, Office of National Parks and Forest Protection and Fire Control Office.

“We don’t have enough equipment, but one thing that we never lack is encouragement,” said Thanya Netithammakun, director general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

“Not all rangers survive in the forest. Some have left their wives and children behind permanently. But from now on, thanks to the SCG Foundation, the rangers won’t have to deal with anxiety about their families’ future because the support is available.”

Thanya said the department’s annual budget was insufficient to buy all the equipment that Thailand’s 30,000 forest rangers need as they protect more than 70 million rai of woodland.

“We are attempting to decrease forest incursions by poor villagers and capitalists and get many forest areas back under public protection. Then we can join with groups like the SCG Foundation to restore the forests.

“We have the modern technology to help protect the forests – hardwired GPS trackers installed in trees and network-centric anti-poaching cameras guarding against loggers. But the illegal activity continues because the punishment isn’t harsh enough to deter them, so we’re planning to revise the National Parks Act and Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act.”

Up next for the SCG Foundation is the “Songs for Heroes” concert to be held at the KBank Siam Pic-Ganesha Centre of Performing Arts in Siam Square One on November 17.

Paiboonkiat “Pun“ Kiewkaew, Su “Jui” Boonlieng and Sumate & the Pang will perform, as will the forest ranger band. Seats cost Bt1,000 to Bt2,000 at http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com and (02) 262 3456.

Hands for Heroes T-shirts are on sale in many places and donations are welcome via the SCB Bank account “Hands for Heroes by SCG Foundation” (468-0-71691-0).

Find out more at http://www.Facebook.com/handsforheroes.

Located just 14 kilometres from the airport, Mai Khao Beach comes with sprawling sea views and a natural soundtrack of waves lapping against the shore. In the afternoon, guests can relax with an icy beer in one of the club’s cosy lounge areas – sophisticated in their simplicity and inviting by design. As night falls, guests enjoy the seamless shift in atmosphere from low-key to uptempo.

A rotating roster of DJs provides a soundtrack that builds from chillout jazz, to soul and funk, to club and deep house as the evening energy progresses. The club also offers a medley of delectable island fare like a zesty pomegranate and burrata salad, crispy golden calamari and pork satay with local pineapple and peanut sauce.

The drinks menu includes classic takes on bar favourites like a traditional Bloody Mary with a punch of vodka, Lea & Perrins and Tabasco to help recover from the night before. There’s also local far l such as the Phuket Paradise – Thai rum, blue curacao, pineapple juice and sour mix – to prepare you for the night ahead.

Find out more at http://www.MBeachClubPhuket.com.