The advice of authors Bill Burnett and Dave Evens – both Silicon Valley design innovators – will be discussed that afternoon in Mini Theatre Room 12 on the eighth floor of TK Park at CentralWorld.

Asian Leadership Academy co-founder and chief executive May Sripatanaskul and Rawit Hanutsaha, who translated the book into Thai, will lead the chat. Joining them will be Narin Jitpraneechai, co-founder of the social enterprise called achieve, which helps put Thai students on the right career path.

There’s no admission charge. Find out more at https://bit.ly/2OC4t9X.

Take your sunglasses

The 62nd Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Fair at Impact Arena from September 7 to 11 will have 900 domestic and overseas companies represented at 2,000 booths. Prepare to be dazzled by the diamonds, pearls, gold and other precious metals and costume and fashion jewellery, as well as the astonishing equipment used in the trade.

Metro Men/LGBT, The Moment, Heritage & Craftsmanship, Spiritual Power and Beyond Jewelry /Jewelry Crossover will participate in “The Niche Showcase”, featuring eyeglasses, mobile phones, clocks and home décor.

The show’s open to trade people from September 7 to 9 and the general public on September 10 and 11. Learn more at (02) 507 83923 and http://www.BkkGems.com.

Build a library

The Bangkok Art Book Fair will be held at Bangkok Citycity Gallery on Sathorn Soi 1 from September 6 to 9 with every kind of tome imaginable on sale. One speciality will be books on contemporary art and techniques for making contemporary art prints.

Get the details at (083) 087 2725.

‘Dorian Gray’ onstage

Oscar Wilde’s gothic and philosophical novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” hits the stage at the Chatrium Residence Riverside’s Culture Collective Studio on Charoenkrung Soi 70 in Bangkok from September 13 to 16.

Director Loni Berry sets the play in a Bangkok jazz cabaret of the 1940s and ’50s. Tickets cost Bt1,000 at http://CultureCollective.com/productions/thepictureofdoriangray. Find out more at (089) 876 5400 and info@culturecollective.com.

Hoist a glass with O’Malley

O’Malley’s Irish Pub is opening a new branch in the basement of the United Centre Building on Bangkok’s Silom Road on Saturday.

Your favourite new “Irish local” will have the same extensive range of classic ales and pub food and a warm, welcoming staff.

The remarkable décor and the heady aroma permeating the latest branch of Casa Lapin at CentralWorld is enough for regular patrons of the six-year-old chain, but clearly the management is reaching for more.

“Because this branch is in the heart of Bangkok, we wanted to develop something much more complete than you see elsewhere,” says Ekachai Sukumvitaya, a partner in the business with Surapan Tanta and Termpong Yoovidhya.

“From the decoration to the extra spaciousness and added comfort, this is a great place for urbanites and tourists to enjoy a coffee in a cosy, chilled-out ambience.

“We never stop creating new dishes and beverages to please every customer. The coffee beans we use are selected with the emphasis on local produce, which features in our Supreme House Blend, because we aim to support Thai farmers.

“We regard this branch as our flagship outlet with its all-in-one function and we hope it will become another popular place to hang out.”

Casa Lapin is known for its characteristic coffee-making techniques such as Slow Bar and Aero-press and its innovative Steampunk coffee machine, a digital system guaranteed to bring out the best taste and aroma.

Its Single Origin coffee beans come from the best sources in Thailand, such as Ban Mae Chan Tai in Chiang Rai and Ban Mae Ton Luang in Chiang Mai. Beans are also imported from Ethiopia, Kenya, Costa Rica and Colombia according to season.

The menu offers two new fruity beverages.

Orange Garnish has Supreme House Blend coldbrewed with nitrogen and mixed with mandarin orange. Nitro Peach Tea gets the same nitrogen chill to evoke a soft and subtle texture, sweet taste and light aroma.

Favourites food orders on the menu include the French Toast Breakfast – a full Western-style breakfast with a thick slice of brioche dipped in egg and milk and roasted, grilled sausage, crispy bacon, spinach, stir-fried mushrooms and baked carrot.

Salmon Cream Cheese is a slice of fermented bread topped with cream cheese and presented with smoked salmon and vegetables.

Pork Spicy Miso is rice stir-fried with pork shoulder that’s not too fatty and concentrated Japanese miso sauce fired up for the Thai palate. That comes with tofu and seaweed miso soup.

For dessert there’s French Toast Berries, which is more of that egg-dipped brioche pan-grilled with berry sauce, and Chocolate Chip Hot Cake, the dough for which combines the textures of cake and cookies. It arrives with vanilla ice cream and Sea Salt Caramel.

Celebrities attending the opening included Prairpun Tumwattana, Pumi Sarasin, Alena Piamkulawanich, Vasuwat Kuhapremkit, Pirachai Bencharongkul, Ariya Tejapaibul, Supachai Kanjanasakchai, Kerika Chotivichit, Ployvarin Songpakorn, Rinrata Indamra, Kalayada Lohacharoenvanich, Atcha Charoenrasmikiat, Kwansupha Panyawuthikrai, Wanvisa Jitsakdannont, Sittamon Pholdee, Chompunood Rojsiriruch, Pitchanat Sakhakorn, Virithipa Bhakdiprasong, Chartayodom Hiranyathiti, Pimthong Washirakom and Kamolned Ruangsri.

Alena confessed to being a coffee addict in need of an iced Americano fix before work every morning.

“An Americano gives you the authentic taste of coffee and I can really enjoy it completely and feel alert. I personally like coffee from Thai beans because they have a unique aroma and fine taste,” she says.

Ployvarin loves inhaling the aroma at the café. “I generally order iced mocha that’s rich in both coffee and chocolate flavours and a sweet taste. I have it with a croissant.”

Vasuwat’s preference is an iced cappucino. “I find it easy to drink with the rich flavour and creamy texture, especially the soft milk foam, which makes it more delicious. I occasionally try whatever’s new. In summer I enjoy coffee infused with fruit juice because it’s refreshing.”

Prairpun is a fan of tea and chooses hers based on the aroma. “I find that the aroma enhances the flavour. I often drink hot matcha green tea with cake and enjoy the flavour of dessert even more.”

Shown two pictures of the same person — one with a happy expression and the other angry — 20 domesticated goats in an experiment were more likely to approach the smiling image and touch it with their snout, said researchers from Europe and Brazil.

“Goats looked and interacted on average 1.4 seconds with the happy faces and 0.9 seconds with the angry faces,” study co-author Christian Nawroth of the Queen Mary University of London told AFP.

“That means that goats spend approximately 50 percent more time to look and interact with happy images compared to angry ones.”

The study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, claims to provide the first evidence of goats reading human emotional expression.

The findings suggested “livestock species have very sophisticated minds to interpret their environment,” said Nawroth, and “likely adapt their behaviour” based on human facial expressions.

Goats, unlike dogs or horses, were not domesticated because of their ability to read and respond to human moods, but to provide their milk, meat, dung, and coats.

“The study has important implications for how we interact with livestock and other species, because the abilities of animals to perceive human emotions might be widespread and not just limited to pets,” said Nawroth’s colleague Alan McElligott.

The team found goats were even more likely to approach happy pictures when they were placed to the right of the angry image, suggesting the animals use the left side of their brain to process positive emotion.

Taiwan’s top court ruled in May 2017 that preventing same-sex marriage was unconstitutional and gave a two-year deadline for its legalisation — which would make the island the first place in Asia to do so.

But there has been little progress on the issue since then, with President Tsai Ing-wen saying society is still divided on the issue.

The anti-gay marriage Happiness of the Next Generation Alliance submitted a referendum petition to election authorities on Tuesday to try to prevent the civil code from being amended to recognise same-sex partnerships.

If successful, the move may instead require a separate law to be enacted for civil unions between same-sex couples — a move that gay marriage campaigners say would be discriminatory and offer fewer legal protections.

“The bottom line of basic family values shouldn’t be overturned,” alliance spokesman Tseng Hsien-ying told reporters after the petition was brought to the election commission.

“The collapse of the family system will deal a huge blow to society.”

Last year’s court decision did not give specific guidance on how same-sex relationships should be legislated.

The petition collected more than 678,000 signatures. If vetted and approved by the Central Election Commission, the referendum will be held to coincide with local elections in November.

The group said it would also lodge two more petitions with the commission later Tuesday.

One would remove same-sex education from the school curriculum, while the other redefines the civil code’s definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.

The commission said it had a number of other referendum proposals to process first and will handle the group’s petition later Tuesday or Wednesday.

Gay rights campaigners are also rushing to gather signatures for their own referendum proposal, which would ask the public to vote to enshrine same-sex marriage in the civil code.

“We have to let those in power see very clearly the wishes of the people, and we hope they can amend the legislation as soon as possible,” said Miao Bo-ya, a key activist behind the campaign.

Referendum proposals in Taiwan are put to a public vote if they are supported by 1.5 percent of the electorate — a little over 280,000 signatures.

Plebiscites are legally binding and the government is obliged to propose laws that reflect their results.

Among the brands is Lungsin, a modern reflection of Indonesian cultural heritage inspired by traditional hand-woven textile, which offers casual and formal accessories in a blend of East and West designs.

Apip’s Batik is presented by well-known designer and artist, Afif Syakur, who has brought the batik culture of Pekalongan to his gallery in Yogyakarta, where he showcases more than 4,000 pieces of vintage batik while producing some 200 new pieces every month. The textiles have their own characteristics and designs, which utilise patterns from all over Indonesia in modern colours.

Wignyo Tenun Gaya is a local fashion brand that uses ethnic fabric for a modern ready-to-wear collection designed and developed by Wignyo Rahadi, the deputy chairman of the Indonesian Fashion Chamber. The products are well known and loved by their loyal clients because of the quality of the hand-woven fabrics and the simple designs.

Batik Kemayu, a brand established by Finny Sigar, an Indonesian national residing in Thailand, actively promotes Indonesian batik and other traditional fabrics.

“Remarkable Indonesia” also includes jewellery by Runi Palar, created for those who value individualism and which makes precious, one-of-a-kind talismans.

Ugari Collection, meanwhile, offers brooches, necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings in exclusive designs characterised by traditional Indonesian motifs.

Chief content officer Jennifer Batty said the judges had “given us their vote of confidence by contributing their time and invaluable experience to seek out talented filmmakers in Asia to showcase their best scripts”.

“The successful first season and the positive response towards ‘HOOQ Filmmakers Guild’ paved the way for this second season and is a testament to our commitment to supporting the Asian film industry by providing an opportunity for talented filmmakers around the region to turn their ideas into a TV series.”

The panel will select the region’s most imaginative scripts and together with HOOQ help turn the stories into realities.

US$30,000 will be spent turning five selected scripts into a pilot episode that will debut on HOOQ, and the judges and viewers will decide which one deserves a complete season.

“I am really looking forward to seeing what creative, original and incredible stories will be developed that reflect the diversity and dynamism of Southeast Asia,” Robles Lana said.

“This is an exciting time for the industry in Asia,” Anwar added. “The scene is booming and there is a growing appetite for local productions. ‘HOOQ Filmmakers Guild’ opens the door for undiscovered filmmakers to show Asia and the world what they’ve got.”

Banjong said he was “proud to be representing Thailand with Adisorn on the judging panel”.

“Being a homegrown director myself, I am excited to be on this journey to discover the next batch of emerging talents in the region for the industry to continue to flourish.”

Surya, returning for the second year, said the judges and producers “were only scratching the surface in terms of discovering Asian talents last year, and yet we were blown away by the entries. I cannot wait to uncover more hidden gems in the second season.”

The winning series will be part of HOOQ’s original productions including “Yowis Ben”, “Ayat Ayat Cinta 2”, “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts” and “Saranair Love You”.

THEY BANDY about terms like “co-working” but instead of coding and developing algorithms in open space offices they work out in the open trying to tease tomatoes from the soil.

Welcome to the Hundredth Monkey Farm where aspiring farmers can benefit from the same type of coaching and shared resources that many hi-tech start-ups get from business incubators or co-working.

The name pays homage to the hundredth monkey effect, the concept that an idea or behaviour will spread rapidly once it is adopted by a critical mass.

Novice farmers harvest vegetables at “The Hundredth Monkey” or “Le 100e singe” collaborative farm in Belberaud near the southern French city of Toulouse. /AFP

This farm in Belberaud outside the southern French city of Toulouse is seeking to promote a “more sober, more durable” alternative to industrial farming, one that is adapted to small holdings.

And its “monkeys” aren’t necessarily born into farming.

Sacha Danjou, 25, is a former aeronautical engineer learning to manage a farm.

“Being a farmer is a different world, one that touches on a lot of different areas – biology, management, accounting.” he says, as he stands amongst rows of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and other vegetables.

“When you are not part of it, it’s difficult to get started”, he adds.

Here, for roughly 300 euros (Bt11,300) per month, Danjou gets to test his hands with a parcel of 5,000 square metres that has access to water and electricity. Moreover, he has access to farm machinery that all the aspiring farmers share.

The tractors and tillers alone cost around 40,000 euros. Adding that to the cost of land shows how setting up a farm is a costly endeavour.

“The risk is there when you start,” Danjou notes.

“You buy, you have huge costs, you need to generate a certain amount of sales from the first year, you can’t make any mistakes. Without experience, it’s scary.”

Amandine Largeaud, one of the founders of the Hundredth Monkey Farm, calls their model “agricultural co-working”.

Co-working emerged a decade ago as an option for freelance employees and internet start-ups, where renters share not only office space but form a community where they can share experience and expertise.

Largeaud acknowledges some might find it surprising applying the concept to the fields, but “it’s like office co-working, actually. We simply share the spaces and tools”.

In 2016, after several years in the solidarity economy, she joined up with 11 other people to launch the Hundredth Monkey Farm on a 19th-century holding of five hectares.

Largeaud notes that as the French agricultural system is based on handing down land and skills through families, it is difficult for outsiders to break into the sector.

A woman sits at her computer in a converted barn as another checks her mobile phone at “The Hundredth Monkey”.

“When you want to get started you don’t realise how much paperwork there is and the different agencies that you need to deal with,” says Danjou. “You don’t learn that overnight.”

That is why the Hundredth Monkey Farm is also a business incubator, offering aspiring farmers training and coaching as well as some administrative and legal assistance.

The aspiring farmers all sign a special type of pact that guides associations in France which help entrepreneurs that define what help they receive and as all have been recognised by the authorities as switching professions, they continue to receive unemployment benefits or payments for low-income workers.

So far the Hundredth Monkey Farm has accepted six projects, including raising vegetables, snails, and aquaponics where plants and aquatic animals are raised together.

After the initial one-year period, the projects can be renewed for up to two years.

Largeaud said that before starting the farm she was struck by how many unhappy employees wanted to retrain to work in the farm sector.

That was the case for Danjou.

“I wanted a job that satisfies me, with the power to make decisions, far away from a gargantuan hierarchy,” he says. “I want to see the fruit of my labour.”

They may not have reached their hundredth monkey, but the idea of a farmer incubator appears to be catching on.

The farm has more than a dozen candidates, and Largeaud says she has been helping people seeking to create similar incubators elsewhere in France.

WITH ITS central location and convenient public transport links, the Ratchaprasong area has long been the lifestyle and business district of the bustling capital. Today, it’s home to some 500 companies and organisations that are glued together by an interconnected skywalk, and this has given birth to many co-working spaces and cafes all eager to offer their services to urbanites. Here’s a list of nine places well worth a visit.

Gaysorn Urban Resort

Combining work with relaxation under the “work-live-play-grow” concept, Gaysorn Urban Resort at Gaysorn Tower offers various zones for diverse activities and flexible lifestyles. The Working Space Sharing services are designed for businesspeople and professionals and the Event Space is ideal for organising business meetings, seminars, press conferences, as well as banquets. Crystal Box is the highlight of the facility, as it provides a 270-degree view of the Ratchaprasong district through its glass wall while the Sky Terrace on the 19th floor is a relaxing area with a large garden. The meeting room package starts from Bt1,000-plus per hour.

Call (02) 253 3999, or visit http://www.GaysornUrbanResort.com.

Research & Innovation for Sustainability Centre (RISC)

RISC on the fourth floor of Magnolias Ratchadamri Boulevard is the first Asean research and testing centre on sustainable property development for environment and human wellbeing. Equipped with labs and modern testing instruments, this place efficiently facilitates research and innovations on a comprehensive scale. RISC aims to develop green property projects for a better quality of life on a sustainable basis. The first place in Thailand to deploy sound-masking technology for a tranquil mood, RISC has also explored various solutions and innovative technology in pursuits of its goals. At present, its cafe zone is decorated with vegetable garden cabinets, an upside-down ‘ceiling garden’ and air-quality sensors. Seven other zones are Welcome Hall, Inspiration Hall, Eco-Material Library, Demonstrate Hall, Collaborative Zone, Lab Zone and Office Zone/Working Zone. Visitors can drop in to work on their projects or look for inspiration. Free use of co-working space.

Call (083) 095 5268.

Werk

Located at BTS Ratchadamri station, Werk is a multipurpose working area catering to urbanites people, be they students or professionals. Werk Brand Space is designed for start-ups or the self-employed to rent, to present their works or host an event. Freelancers and students can use the Werk Co Space, which has two rooms each with 24 seats. The Meet Space is fitted with multimedia devices, stationery, printers and scanners, plus tea and coffee. Prices start at Bt300 a day for Co Space and Bt400 a day for Meet Space.

Call (083) 545 4311.

The Great Room

This co-working space from Singapore has recently opened a new branch in Bangkok and occupies 2,800 square metres across two floors of Gaysorn Tower. Combining elements of best offices, luxury hotels and leading business clubs, this is a space for private focused work and corporate entertaining and boasts a variety of meeting rooms and communal nooks for what it calls “casual collisions for grown-ups”.

The Drawing Room, which can accommodate up to 120 persons, is the perfect backdrop for evening cocktails. There’s also the State Room, an elegant boardroom for 14, the Studio, which can take up to 50 people, and the Study for groups of four. Hot desks and hot offices are available for members who like to work alone or with perhaps with one or two others. Hot chocolate and cookies are served in the afternoon. The meeting room package starts from Bt720 per hour.

Call (02) 703 0222.

Wecosystem

Aimed to empower and educate Thai SMEs, Wecosystem on the ninth floor of Gaysorn Tower offers entrepreneurs a wide range of business courses in everything from entrepreneurial skills, branding to financial management, along with design and technology training/workshops. Learners can expect to understand about changing environmental and economic circumstances and the inevitable shift into the digital age. Three zones, namely Cafe & Studio, Private Meeting and Wecosystem Outpost are also provided for entrepreneurs to focus on their tasks or exchange ideas with others. The membership package starts from Bt6,000-plus for three months.

Call (092) 274 7434 or visit http://www.WeCoSystem.co.

Starbucks Reserve

Spanning 760 square metres with 230 seats, Starbucks Reserve at CentralWorld is the biggest outlet in Thailand. It also includes co-working spaces for people to sit at their computers alone or in groups over cups of coffee. Two meeting rooms equipped with an LCD screen for multimedia presentations are also provided. The Starbucks Reserve Experience Bar offers premium coffees from Coffee Reserve beans and the Starbucks Draft, the first nitrogen-driven machine in Southeast Asia, is available here, presenting four taps for cold brew, nitro cold brew, tea and milk. As the drink comes directly out of the tap, customers can enjoy a delicate and foamy taste and bubbles.

Call (084) 438 7336.

Wawee Coffee

This Thai coffee house brand originated in Chiang Mai and has now opened a branch at Big C Supercentre on Ratchadamri. It serves coffee from both coffee-making machines and drip equipment, depending on customers’ preferences. Also available are tea, fruits, snacks, coconut-flavoured ice cream and juices. Most of coffee beans at this outlet come from the brand’s own plantations in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Prices are from Bt75 to Bt100. It can accommodate about 50 persons with free Wi-Fi service. A meeting room for a group of 10-15 persons is available for advance booking.

Call (02) 250 4946.

Casa Lapin

Casa Lapin at CentralWorld can seat 70 persons and is a nice place for those in mobile-working mode. This outlet offers a variety of food and beverages and is equipped with a state-of-the-art Steampunk machine to handle everything starting with the selection of the coffee beans. There are two main types of coffee beans to choose from – local beans and those from Ethiopia, Kenya, Costa Rica and Colombia. The favourite order is Flat White and Salmon Cream Cheese. Prices range from Bt90 to Bt200.

Call (02) 116 3308.

Snap Cafe

Boasting minimal decor and plenty of white, Snap Cafe on the first floor of Gaysorn Village serves a variety of drinks and foods. Highlights are Thai sweetened crispy rice, salted caramel topped with Werther’s candy powder and sandwiches with fried egg and tuna. This cafe also has a nitrogen-driven tap to serve nitro cold brew, making sure customers can enjoy beer-like bubbles and a mellow taste. Many corners here are perfect for reading or working. It can seat about 20 people. Prices range from Bt80 to Bt200.

Call (089) 244 5191.

THE BRAND new smartphone from the Samsung stable, the Note9, will go a long way to restoring confidence in the South Korean tech giant thanks to a greatly improved S Pen stylus, a faster processor and faster performance as well as a larger battery.

It retains the shape and footprint of its predecessor, measuring 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm and weighing 201 grammes, but has a slightly larger display of 6.4 inches compared to Note8’s 6.3, though both offer 1440×2960 pixel resolutions.

Note9 is powered by Samsung Exynos 9 octa 9810 processor with four cores running at 2.7 GHz and the other four at 1.7 GHz.

Note9 has six gigabytes of working memory, the same amount as the Note8 but the latest model has 128 GB internal storage compared to 64GB.

Note9 has good performance. I benchmarked it with AnTuTu Benchmark v7.1.0 and the smartphone got a high score of 247,453 points.

During the test, I found Note9 was very responsive in terms of the touch screen, menus and running the apps as well as in the use of the stylus.

Game players should be happy too because Note9 uses a water-carbon cooling system that helps prevent overheating, and an AI-based performance adjuster that ensures the game stays smooth and doesn’t become not sluggish

Note9 also has fast internet connection. I tested it on TrueMove H’s LTE network. The applications downloaded fast and my snapshots were backed up to my cloud storage in no time.

I used the Ookla Speedtest app to measure the Internet connection speed and found that it achieved a fast download speed of 79.4 Mbps and the upload speed of 41.5 Mbps.

Note9’s display is called Infinity Display and is akin to the Full View display of other brands. It has narrow bezels at the top and bottom and is near bezel-less at the left and right edges. Moreover, the iris scanner and sensors are hidden away at the top to cut down on visual disruption and to give you more space.

The high resolution of 2960×1440 pixels or Quad HD+ is impressive for viewing photos and watching video clips. During the test, I enjoyed using TrueID TV app to watch Premiere League Football matches and new Full-HD movies on the go.

Galaxy Note9’s Infinity Display is complemented by stereo speakers, which are tuned by AKG, and deliver Dolby Atmos immersive audio for a life like experience. This allows Note9 to provide good sound experience when watching movies.

YouTube was impressed too, naming Galaxy Note9 as a Signature Device able to deliver a best-in-class YouTube experience.

Moreover, the Note9’s display has vivid colours, high brightness and contrast. It intelligently adjusts the contrast bases on the light, so you can enjoy clear and visible details whether indoors or in direct sunlight.

Note9 can also play High-Resolution Audio. I tested it with Sony MDR-1ABT Hi-Res Audio headphones and I found that the sound quality was impressive with good music details and powerful bass.

And the 6.4-inch display is a vast canvas for using the S Pen stylus to draw or jot down your notes.

Samsung has said that it’s particularly proud of the new S Pen, referring to its development as “evolving from a tool for writing and drawing to putting more power and control in users’ hands”.

Now with Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) support, the new S Pen delivers an entirely new way to use the Note. With just a click on the S Pen’s button, it’s now possible to take selfies and group pictures, present slides, pause and play video, and more.

And Samsung is confident that developers can integrate the S Pen’s new, advanced BLE functionalities into their apps later this year.

This function is very useful indeed and it works depending on the current use of the phone. For example, when you play music, you can press the S Pen button once to play or pause the music or double-press it to skip the track.

When you are viewing photos in Gallery app, you can press the S Pen button to move to the next photo and double-press to go back to the previous photo. This could be handy when you link the display from Note9 to a big screen TV to present a slide show from the Gallery.

When you are using the camera app, you can press once to take picture just as you would if using a shutter button or you can double-press it to switch between the rear and front camera.

The Note9 features dual camera technology for the rear camera and uses intelligent technology to make your pictures perfect.

The main camera comes with advanced noise reduction technology, and a Dual Aperture lens, which adjusts to light just like the human eye so the camera can capture good quality shots no matter the lighting conditions.

The dual cameras come with dual OIS (optical image stabilisation) for making blur-free shots. The rear dual-camera system is made of wide-angle fast-focus Dual Pixel 12 MP camera that comes with f/1.5/f2.4 aperture lens and a 2x telephoto 12MP with f/2.4 aperture lens. When you use the camera in Auto mode, you’ll see a button on the view finder to switch between the wide-angle and telephoto cameras.

The auto mode uses Samsung’s Scene Optimiser technology to get best the results. Samsung says Note9’s camera is its smartest as the Scene Optimiser uses artificial intelligence to identify elements of a photo, such as the scene and subject. The AI then automatically identifies the current scene to one of 20 categories and instantly optimises the result based on the category to ensure the most lifelike image with best colours and definition.

Note9’s cameras also have Flaw Detection option that can be selected in the setting. When selected, Note9 will let you know if there is something wrong in the first shot so you can take another shot right away and will not miss the moment. For example, an immediate notification will appear if the image is blurry, the subject blinked, there is a smudge on the lens, or there’s backlight impacting the quality of the image.

Apart from the Auto mode, the rear camera has Food, Panorama, Pro, Live focus, Super slo-mo, AR Emoji, Hyperlapse and Slow motion modes.

The Live focus mode is for making most of the dual camera system to achieve DSLR-like blurred background to make the subject outstanding. In this mode, there will be a slide bar for you to adjust the depth of field to blur the background. Moreover, you can add beauty effect to your subject in this mode to make him or her look more outstanding with bright and smooth skin.

The AR Emoji is fun for creating an emoji of your subject or adding animations, frames, and stickers using augmented reality. The AR Emoji is also available for the front camera for making your own emoji.

The front camera has 8-megapixel resolution with a bright f/1.7 aperture lens. It also has Wide Selfie mode for taking group selfie photos.

During the test, I found that Note9 took beautiful photos with sharp and clean results in most lighting environments. The Live focus mode allowed me to capture beautiful subjects with a professionally blurred background.

The AR Emoji is fun to make. It created 30 emoji in animated GIF files that I could then share via Facebook Messenger and LINE chat apps to impress friends.

Galaxy Note9 features Samsung’s trusted, defence-grade Knox security platform and biometric security options including fingerprint scanning, iris scanning and facial recognition capabilities to keep important information safe. During the test, I used iris scanning technology to easily unlock the phone. The set up of iris scanning was a breeze.

You can also use Note9 with peace of mind without fearing it would accidentally fall into the water or without having to fear heavy downpours while you’re out. The smartphone conforms to IP68 water and dust resistance, meaning it can be under 1.5-metre of freshwater for up to 30 minutes.

Note9 comes with a larger battery of 4,000 mAh capacity compared to 3,300 mAh of its predecessor. With this large battery, you can easily survive all-day use. The battery supports both wired and wireless fast charging – QC2.0 and AFC for wired and WPC and PMA for wireless fast charging.

Note9 comes with Bixby, a personalised, intelligent assistant that allows you to give voice commands to the phone.

And with the launch of Galaxy Note9, Samsung is making it easier to enjoy music with a new long-term partner, Spotify. The partnership makes Spotify easily accessible to seamlessly sync and transfer music, playlists and podcasts across Galaxy Note9.

A nice and useful function is Note9’s capacity to delivers a PC-like experience with optional Samsung DeX. This allows you to work on presentations, edit photos, and watch favourite shows on a large monitor connected to Note9 via Samsung DeX, using HDMI adapter.

When connected to a monitor, Galaxy Note9 can power a virtualised desktop and even serve as a fully functional second screen. Take notes with the S Pen while watching a video, or use Galaxy Note9 as a trackpad, to right-click, drag and drop, and use multiple windows on a monitor. It’s never been easier to be more productive.

Samsung Galaxy Note9 has a suggested retail price of Bt33,900.

>> Network: LTE Cat 18

>> OS: Android 8.1 (Oreo)

>> CPU: Samsung Exynos 9 octa 9810 (2.7 GHz four cores + 1.7 GHz four cores)

>> Memory: 6GB LPDDR4 RAM

>> Storage: 128GB upgradable with microSD by up to 512GB

>> Display: 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED, 2960×1440 (516ppi)

>> Camera: Rear: Dual Camera with Dual OIS made of Wide-angle: Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP AF, F1.5/F2.4, OIS and Telephoto: 12MP AF, F2.4, OIS 2X optical zoom; Front: 8MP AF, F1.7

>> Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024QAM,?Bluetooth v 5.0 (LE up to 2Mbps), ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC

>> Location: GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou

>. Sensors: Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Iris Sensor, Pressure Sensor

>> Battery: 4,000 mAh; wired charging compatible with QC2.0 and AFC; wireless charging compatible with WPC and PMA

>> Dimensions: 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm; S Pen: 5.7 x 4.35 x 106.37mm

>> Weight: 201g; S Pen: 3.1g