“One of the environmental problems close to home includes rubbish from plastic straws, which is now a serious environmental issue on the world stage and has a dramatic effect on marine life as well as coral. Statistics indicate that the number of plastic straw rubbish thrown away into the oceans across the globe, in the current year, totals 513 million tons among 20 countries worldwide,” says Usara Yongpiyakul, chief executive officer of Siam Piwat Retail Holding.

Thailand is ranked among top 10 countries that the worst marine pollution. And studies done by Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) show that due to marine waste segregation, plastic straws are found most, secondary to plastic bags.

To raise people’s awareness, 5,000 stainless steel straws will be given away to customers from tomorrow onwards while all the shops at Siam Discovery will join by not using plastic straws throughout this month. To get a stainless straw, interested people are required to take a photo of any product at Ecotopia zone on the fourth floor and share it on social media with hashtag  #Ecotopia SiamDiscovery #Strawlesschallenge.

A series of DIY workshops to produce chic stuff from debris will also be held on weekends. The topics include making a organic lipstick, DIY a wallet and key ring from wasted sacks, painting an auspicious doll with black spinel, enjoying natural indigo tiedyeing, upcycling your favourite jeans with used clothes, learning how to make bath cream from tea leaves and natural salt, and making a key ring from cocoons.

Laguna Phuket’s senior assistant vice president  service Anthony Loh led more than 150 volunteers, a combination of the resort’s associates, schoolchildren, community members and government officials in the planting activity and also released 250 live mud crabs and blue crabs to conserve the village’s mangrove ecosystem.

Supported by the initiative’s strategic partners such as Marine and Coastal Preserving Group (Paklog), Mangrove Station 23 (Phuket) and Station 21 (PhangNga), this annual tree planting event is a part of the resort’s initiative that aims to raise awareness of global warming, help build greener communities and inspire the next generation of environmentalists.

To date, Laguna Phuket has planted nearly 30,000 trees in Phuket and neighbouring provinces, with more than 1,300 associates and 700 community members participating in the activity since 2007.

Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in climate action, life below water and life on land, “Greening Community” activity is one of many initiatives set up by Laguna Phuket to support its wider goal in environment preservation.

For more information, visit http://www.lagunaphuket.com/CSR or follow Facebook @LagunaphuketCSR.

For more information about the UNSDGs, visit sustainabledevelopment.un.org

DRESSED IN an old straw hat and navy braces, Abo Tawila pedals around a southern district of Beirut. A rare sight in modern-day Lebanon, the young barber-on-a-bike is looking for his next customer.

Everything he needs for a trim on the pavement is in a handmade trunk attached to the back of his pushbike: scissors, combs, electric razors and brushes.

“It’s a beautiful idea because it’s a really old one,” says the dapper 18-year-old as he makes his way through the buzzing district of Burj al-Barajneh.

His real name is Mohammad Khaled Jahjah, but he prefers the name Abo Tawila – “the Tall One” in Arabic.

“People like this, and I love everything old. If I ever have the chance to open a barbershop, it’ll be a vintage one,” he says.

Lebanese Mohammed Jahjah who works as a roaming barber rides his bicycle with box containing his shaving kit at the street in the Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp, southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. /AFP

Mobile barbers were once ubiquitous in Beirut, but regular salons have since become more popular.

Abo Tawila works in both, spending most of his day in a barbershop before hitting the tarmac on his bike.

Some stop him for a haircut, but others hail him down to catch up or introduce themselves.

“I used to love watching the barber near my parent’s house. I’d come back from school, drop off my backpack, and go to his shop,” Abo Tawila says.

“He told me to come to the salon after school if I like this job. But I decided to leave school altogether to work with him. He taught me the trade and introduced people to me.”

Mohammed, a roaming Lebanese barber better known as “Abo Tawila”, gives a client a haircut on a sidewalk in the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs. / AFP 

The handsome hairdresser has become something of a celebrity in southern Beirut. He is slender, stylishly dressed, and has a sharp wit.

“I’m so happy he’s here,” says Abo Saeed, one of his favourite curbside customers.

“He’s talented and always available. When I have some time, I call him and he comes immediately, so I never have to leave work to go to the barber,” he laughs.

“On top of all of that, he reminds us of the barbers of the old days.”

Abo Tawila wakes up at 9 every day, puts together an outfit and goes down to the coffee shop near his house before beginning his day at the salon.

In his free time or when his shift is done, he heads out on his bike to find customers, grooming between five and 30 people a day.

“The situation changes depending on the day,” he says.

“There’s not much work now during Ramadan, because people are waiting for Eid”, the feast which marks the end of the Islamic fasting month and triggers a flurry of trade.

“Before Eid, we have three days where we don’t sleep from all the customers coming in,” he says.

While he dreams of opening his own shop, Abo Tawila insists he’ll stay loyal to his bike.

“If I open a salon, I’ll still keep it, because that’s what got me here,” he says.

BAAN LAE SUAN FAIR, one of the country’s grandest home and decoration fairs held annually at the end of the year, has now launched a smaller-scale expo that shines the spotlight on furniture design.

The five-day affair, dubbed “Baan Lae Suan Fair Select”, features just 300 booths from furniture producers and a small zone for home decorative items and crafts at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

“While the annual fair is home to more than 2,000 booths offering a complete range of products and services for home and garden decoration and construction, the sister fair ‘Select’ mainly focuses on the development of furniture by local designers,” says Damrong Leewairoj, editor of Room magazine, one of the home and decoration magazines published by Amarin Printing Group, which organises the fair.

Echoing that statement, 30 outstanding chairs by local designers have been put together by the editors of Baan Lae Suan and Room magazines for a show titled “The Chairmen of Thai Design”. Every piece comes with a QR code that visitors can scan to see video clips of the designers talking about their inspirations.

“The chair is a piece of furniture that has probably the closest association with our bodies. Every house has more than one chair, and the chair we sit on can reflect our lifestyle and taste. A chair also embodies the arts of engineering, practicality and imagination and it’s a challenging task for most designers to conceive new and inspiring products. That said though, there are countless, innovative pieces on the market,” he adds.

Anon Pairot’s 3D printed concrete chair “Fluctuation of Precision”

The new 3D printing technology is making tremendous waves, revolutionising everyday life on a previously unimaginable scale from small items and components to industrial construction. Noted furniture designer Anon Pairot has been working with Siam Cement Group (SCG) since last year to produce a 3D-printed cement set for outdoors. Called “Fluctuation of Precision”, it comprises three concrete sofas, a coffee table, a curved partition with a two-seater sofa, and three concrete rock-like sculptures.

On view at the fair is a sofa fabricated from layers of concrete to which Anon has added some curves to give it a feminine touch.

“Each layer of cement is a little like weaving textile. It binds quickly enough that it can be printed with dramatic curves and twists, and it can remain freestanding while drying without the need for any support. I don’t want my design to look complicated, but raw and strong while at the same time being accessible and affordable,” says Anon.

The special cement formula is of comparable strength for the structure and will absorb high pressure. The cement is allowed to set for an appropriate time so the injection of additional layers will integrate seamlessly, forming a perfect piece without the need for a supportive steel frame.

Extrusion printing is the system used for formulating the shape and involves the injection of liquefied material in layers to create products with a strong structure. This also enables exceptional detail in each individual layer to give the end product a smooth and curvy design.

“Rush Chair” by Piti Amraranga and Jutamas Buranajade from o-d-a

While Anon opts for innovative technology and new materials, Piti Amraranga and Jutamas Buranajade from o-d-a (object design alliance) go back to basics with their practical “Rush Chair”. The chair is made from abandoned branches cut into 50-centimetre lengths while the seat is fashioned from woven water hyacinth.

“Everyone can be a chair maker and this chair is a visual representation of that,” says Piti. “When sitting, we become a part of a chair and if we’ve made it ourselves, there’s an additional element of belonging. Our previous workshop showed that both children and adults can make this kind of chair thanks to the availability of the raw materials and the very simple techniques.”

Deesawat’s elderly-care stool “The Brace” designed by Jirachai Tangkijngamwong

Established brand Deesawat has expanded its product line to encompass designs that meet the needs of the greying generation and the handicapped. On show here is an elderly-care stool called “The Brace” designed by Jirachai Tangkijngamwong that won the Design for Wellbeing award in Hong Kong in 2014.

The teakwood brace stool is a support stool for elderly people and those with back and knee problems who find sitting down or standing up a challenge. It has an armrest on one side and an ergonomically angled arm on the other that the user can grasp for support when they want to sit or stand. The angled arm is also useful when the body is seated at a right angle, allowing the user to move forward to the table or the wheelchair. In addition to easy mobility, the seat height and splayed legs are designed for maximum stability and support.

“With our design we want to fill a gap in lifestyle products and help improve the well-being of the elderly and the disabled. I am convinced that all designers should be looking into this trend,” says Jirachai.

 “Sora” – a mediation stool by Ratthee Phaisanchotsiri of Satawat Design 

Ratthee Phaisanchotsiri of Satawat Design, meanwhile, opts for a small single-leg stool designed to celebrate the act of meditation. Called “Sora”, it can support a user in a meditative pose of kneeling while alleviating pressure on the lower legs and feet.

“When I am doing something stressful, I look up at the sky and get lost in the void. It’s my way of meditating. I usually design large items of furniture but this time I’ve opted for a small, minimalist object that doubles as a sculptural piece and can be placed in any space to inspire a peaceful mind,” says Ratthee, whose Sora stool won the Bronze Leaf Award at the 2017 International Furnishing and Design in Japan.

Made from a single piece of ash wood, it has one solid leg designed for weight balance while the top is a curved surface that’s both lightweight and ergonomic and shows off the beauty of the wood grain.

“Gom” stool by Chayanin Sakdikul and Nutdanai Siribongkot from Hari Ora brand takes inspiration from the interlocking patterns of basketry.

Inspired by the interlocking pattern of basketry, Chayanin Sakdikul and Nutdanai Siribongkot from Hari Ora brand have come up with a wooden stool titled “Gom”, the word used for a small stool in the Northern dialect.

Designed for any compact living space, Gom consists of four individual narrow stools that can be integrated into a box-shaped stool with a wider seat. The contrasting natural shades of oak and ash add extra appeal.

The stackable stool “Bangkok Taxi” by Wuthichai Leelavoravong and Siriporn Kobnithikulwong of Everyday Studio recalls the chaotic Bangkok streets.

Bangkok’s multi-coloured taxis get a new interpretation in a colourful, stackable and surprisingly comfortable stool designed by Wuthichai Leelavoravong and Siriporn Kobnithikulwong of Everyday Studio.

Simply titled “Bangkok Taxi”, the stool boasts a stainless steel support and seat upholstered in different shades from yellow, green, to pink, red and blue. Each is stackable to save space and comes with an add-on top to change its function from stool to table.

“Bangkok’s roads are filled with vehicles in a wide variety of colours. It’s chaotic yet fun and represents the diversity of the city. We bring in the colourful vibes but tone down the shades for a softer look. And we know by looking at the behaviour of consumers that a piece of furniture is often used for different purposes. The Bangkok Taxi stool can be stacked to form a chair or have a top placed on it to make a high or low table,” says Wuthichai.

The multi-functional bench “The Placer” by Pitchaya Maneerattanaporn of Whoop brand.

Another multi-functional piece is “The Placer” by Pitchaya Maneerattanaporn of Whoop brand. Also suited to those with limited space, the multi-purpose bench can function as a seat and as storage for shoes and other items. The vertical rack can support two bicycles or be used to hang shopping bags, towels and hats. The hooks can be adjusted up and down or rotate to left and right.

And even though the physical fair wraps tonight, it will be shortly continuing in cyber space through a virtual fair featuring the editors’ choice of 30 shops.

“After the fair, people always ask us how to contact the shops, so we decided to develop the Baan Lae Suan website as a portal service for home and design. Each shop will offer the same special deals as at the fair. The virtual fair also meets the need of consumers who want to take their time deciding whether or not to buy a large piece of furniture or those who simply prefer online shopping,” says Praphatsorn Mangsiri, Amarin’s online content department manager.

The virtual fair is expected to come into operation next Sunday and will initially run for a month.

COMFY CREATIONS

Baan Lae Suan Fair Select continues until tonight at Plenary Halls 1-3 of the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

Find out more at http://www.BaanLaeSuan.com/fair.

AMERICAN FURNITURE firm Herman Miller sets out to encourage collaboration at work with the launch of Sabha Collaborative Seating, a range of modular fittings that are designed to facilitate knowledge-sharing, break down artificial barriers and empower end-users through accessibility, variety and freedom of choice.

Derived from the ancient Hindi language, the word “sabha” translates as “gathering”, and it is this philosophy that underpins the range’s collaborative design.

After conducting research in the US, India, Australia and the UK to better understand the status and methods of collaboration in the workplace, Herman Miller found that although end-users want better engagement, it is becoming increasingly difficult to systematically make successful collaboration happen.

Sabha C Cove

The research also showed that more intelligent and user-centric design approaches could and would facilitate more fruitful collaboration between employees. Indeed, 70 per cent of collaboration in surveyed countries occurs at desks and, while on average these collaborative events tend to be short they are also simple, consisting of two or three people requiring little in the way of tools.

By offering workplaces increased collaborative environments, Sabha Collaborative Seating offers end-users the power to choose the method and environment best suited to their individual working habits.

The company’s president Andy Lock flew to Bangkok for the launch of the collection by its distributor, high-end brand Chanintr Living.

Andy Lock

“Herman Miller is more than 100 years old. It started as the Michigan Star Furniture Company. In the 1960s, the De Pree family decided to move into modern design, engaging with such big names in the design world as Gorge Nelson and Ray and Charles Eames, and moved away from the residential to the office,” Lock explains.

“We developed the first-ever office furniture system, ‘Action Office’ in 1964. It adopted a new approach to dividing up the office spaces, enabling the workers to have more flexibility. It was very radical at the time but became immensely popular.

Sabha Hero complete with stools fills the room.

“If you look back, you’ll see that most product development happened in North America and the products were quite North America-focused. Over the last 20 years, that has changed a great deal. Today we not only manufacture our products around the world, we also design them on a global scale. We also have a very capable Research & Development team based in China and India and their jobs are developing products that are tailored to the Asian market. Sabha has been developed in response to the specific needs of that market,” Lock continues.

Herman Miller is well aware that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to business. People work in a different ways, so the aim is to provide all end-users with tools that can be adapted to different needs.

 Sabha linear set

Sabha Collaborative Seating does exactly that, offering a flexible solution, right down to the accompanying free-standing occasional elements. Power fit

tings, storage elements and integrated lighting set the scene for creative interactions and intimate moments for focused collaboration.

“The ‘living office’ does not need to be adapted culturally. We believe that most of the settings can be applied universally regardless of cultural differences. The ‘living office’ will work anywhere. We know from our studies that 70 per cent of collaboration happens at an individual workspace. So if we can give people in offices a variety of settings to move about, life becomes easier. The job will be done more efficiently and the staff will be happy at work.

“Having an ergonomic chair is important. Most cases of office syndrome are caused by not having the right relationship between your body, the keyboard and the

monitor that you’re using. We work with a specialist who has great deal of expertise in posture and support in designing our new chairs.

“The other big trend we are seeing is what we call ‘Resimercial’ –a combination of the words ‘residential’ and ‘commercial’. These days the office looks like home and vice versa. There’s more seating, lots of break out areas and more collaborative spaces. I don’t see that changing,” he says.

“Sabha is very modular. So there are different components that can be brought together to suit different requirements. It also has a power capability, so you can use wi-fi and charge your devices at the same time.”

DRESSED IN an old straw hat and navy braces, Abo Tawila pedals around a southern district of Beirut. A rare sight in modern-day Lebanon, the young barber-on-a-bike is looking for his next customer.

Everything he needs for a trim on the pavement is in a handmade trunk attached to the back of his pushbike: scissors, combs, electric razors and brushes.

“It’s a beautiful idea because it’s a really old one,” says the dapper 18-year-old as he makes his way through the buzzing district of Burj al-Barajneh.

His real name is Mohammad Khaled Jahjah, but he prefers the name Abo Tawila – “the Tall One” in Arabic.

“People like this, and I love everything old. If I ever have the chance to open a barbershop, it’ll be a vintage one,” he says.

Lebanese Mohammed Jahjah who works as a roaming barber rides his bicycle with box containing his shaving kit at the street in the Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp, southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. /AFP

Mobile barbers were once ubiquitous in Beirut, but regular salons have since become more popular.

Abo Tawila works in both, spending most of his day in a barbershop before hitting the tarmac on his bike.

Some stop him for a haircut, but others hail him down to catch up or introduce themselves.

“I used to love watching the barber near my parent’s house. I’d come back from school, drop off my backpack, and go to his shop,” Abo Tawila says.

“He told me to come to the salon after school if I like this job. But I decided to leave school altogether to work with him. He taught me the trade and introduced people to me.”

Mohammed, a roaming Lebanese barber better known as “Abo Tawila”, gives a client a haircut on a sidewalk in the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs. / AFP 

The handsome hairdresser has become something of a celebrity in southern Beirut. He is slender, stylishly dressed, and has a sharp wit.

“I’m so happy he’s here,” says Abo Saeed, one of his favourite curbside customers.

“He’s talented and always available. When I have some time, I call him and he comes immediately, so I never have to leave work to go to the barber,” he laughs.

“On top of all of that, he reminds us of the barbers of the old days.”

Abo Tawila wakes up at 9 every day, puts together an outfit and goes down to the coffee shop near his house before beginning his day at the salon.

In his free time or when his shift is done, he heads out on his bike to find customers, grooming between five and 30 people a day.

“The situation changes depending on the day,” he says.

“There’s not much work now during Ramadan, because people are waiting for Eid”, the feast which marks the end of the Islamic fasting month and triggers a flurry of trade.

“Before Eid, we have three days where we don’t sleep from all the customers coming in,” he says.

While he dreams of opening his own shop, Abo Tawila insists he’ll stay loyal to his bike.

“If I open a salon, I’ll still keep it, because that’s what got me here,” he says.

Specifically designed for the busy executive whose life revolves around making presentations and using business apps on the go, the new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen is a tough and fast notebook computer. It looks sleek too, with an elegant matte black casing and a virtually unbreakable chassis thanks to its use of advanced carbon fibre composite – four layers of reinforced carbon fibre and a magnesium alloy rollcage.

Like all ThinkPads, the X1 Carbon is tested against 12 military-grade requirements and more than 200 quality checks to ensure it runs in extreme conditions. It passes MILSTED 810G tests including operating temperatures up to 43 degrees C and down to 21 degrees C. The keyboard spill tray is designed to cope with up to 500ml of liquid.

And the X1 Carbon is still the world’s lightest 14-inch business-class laptop, weighing in at just 1.13kg and a mere 15.95mm thick.

Better still, the battery can last up to 15 hours and the notebook comes with RapidCharge technology that provides 80 per cent of capacity or 12 hours of battery life in just an hour of recharging.

The 6th-gen X1 Carbon is powered by 8th Generation Intel Core i78550U quadcore processor running at 1.8 GHz and has 8 gigabytes of working memory or RAM. It has 250 GB SSD drive and uses integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 as graphic adapter. The notebook runs on Windows 10 Pro operating system.

The screen as bright and clear thanks to a 14-inch HDR WQHD (2560×1440 pixels) IPS glossy display. This supports Dolby Vision HDR and has a brightness of 500 nits. Lenova says the new X1 Carbon is one of first laptops to support Dolby Vision HDR but cautions that Windows 10 has yet to release support for Dolby Vision HDR to make the most of the display.

That lack notwithstanding, I watched 4K HDR YouTube clips and found the quality was impressive with vivid colours and stunning details.

The test found that the new X1 Carbon started up and shut down very fast. It ran business applications like Microsoft Office at breakneck speed and played HD video clips smoothly.

Office road warriors should be happy that the new X1 Carbon has a nano SIM slot, located on top near the left hinge, for providing an LTE 4G connection so that they could remain working while travelling without the need to depend on Wi-Fi hotspots. Do note though that you must first buy an optional LTE module and install it.

The new X1 Carbon could also be a dream device for your IT admin because it offers robust security features, including matchonchip fingerprint readers with anti-spoofing technology to safeguard company data and provide more secure authentication and login.

You can quickly log in with Windows’ “Hello of Windows 10” with just a touch of the finger or the view of your face if you opt for the IR camera. Your fingerprint image is saved on the chip and your data is protected with the discrete Trusted Platform Module that encrypts your information.

The new X1 Carbon also supports Fido – it stands for Fast Identity Online – to protect your online credentials when you sign in to websites like Facebook or Google or make payments via PayPal.

The new X1 Carbon has all necessary ports of expansion and enhancements. It has two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports and one of them supports Always On technology, allowing you to use it to recharge your mobile phone even when the notebook is turned off.

The notebook also has two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C that conform to Intel Thunderbolt 3—the technology that brings lightning-fast data transfer, up to 40Gbs to USBC. If you wish, you can connect a cable from your USBC port to a Thunderbolt 3-enabled device, and get four times the data and twice the video bandwidth of any other port type, while also supplying power. In summary, that gives you Thunderbolt, USB 3.0 data transfer, and DisplayPort all rolled into one.

The computer comes with a 4-in-1 MicroSD card reader (SD, MMC, SDHC, SDXC), right by the Sim slot and an HDMI port for you to stream 4K video to your TV.

Moreover, the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon integrates with the ThinkPad Pro Dock (sold separately), which is a whole new docking system that’s shared across most of the 2018 ThinkPad models. The new USBC side mechanical dock easily connects with two male Type-C ports that snap into and automatically level your device. Once docked, your ThinkPad stays securely in place and sits at a slightly tilted angle for comfort.

The new X1 Carbon also supports handfree audio commands. With Cortana Premium, you can speak commands to your ThinkPad X1 Carbon from four metres away. The integrated 360-degree far field microphones ensure your voice is heard across the room. It also allows you to wake your device or quickly and easily find files and calendar events.

And it also supports Amazon Alexa that allows you to play music, get news, control your smart home, or shop.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen from Lenovo has a starting price of Bt63,900.

Key Specs

– OS: Windows 10 Pro 64

– CPU:  8th Generation Intel Core i78550U 1.8 GHz

– Memory: 8 GB LPDDR3 2133 MHz

– Storage: 250 SSD

– Graphics: Integrated Intel  UHD Graphics 620

– Display: 14-inch HDR WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS glossy with Dolby Vision, 500 nits

– Camera: HD 720p with IR camera for face recognition

– Connectivity: WLAN: Intel DualBand Wireless AC (2 x 2) 8265 + Bluetooth 4.1 with vPro

I/O ports: 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (one Always On),

2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 TypeC / Intel Thunderbolt 3 (Power Delivery, DisplayPort, Data transfer), HDMI, Headphone / microphone combo jack, 4in1 MicroSD card reader (SD, MMC, SDHC, SDXC), Ethernet Extension Connector (Dongle for Native Ethernet sold separately)

– Battery: Up to 15 hours, integrated Liion 57 Whr with RapidCharge technology

– Dimensions (W x D x H): 323.5 x 217.1 x 15.95 (mm)

– Weight: 1.13kg

After 12 years of organising outdoor sports events in Thailand, Active Management Asia has adopted a new name, C55 Events, in a Bt60-million-plus rebranding push that covers marketing strategy, technology and staffing.

“C55 Events is a melting pot of experience and expertise in organising events,” executive vice president Rujirapun “Mook” Juangroongruangkit said as the company unveiled its plans recently at CentralWorld.

“The new look responds better to the active lifestyle in this digital world. Thais have a passion for exercise and outdoor sports, and sport has become a part of our lives.

“We’re targeting people from all walks of life, from kids to adults, especially women and even the disabled, because we want to help everyone to overcome any obstacle and arrive at the finish line shouting, ‘I can do it!’”

The name C55 derives the element caesium and its atomic number, which also happens to translate as “ha ha” in Thai – the sound of laughter.

“We emphasise high-quality customer experience and aim to increase our share of customers to 20 per cent of the market in the next few years, as well as 15 to 20 per cent growth in sport sponsorship,” Mook said. “In the next phase, we’ll expand into corporate sport events, sport training and sport merchandising.”

The guiding concept is “The Path To Awesomeness”.

Four events are planned this year. TRIIB The City Obstacle is set for at CentralWorld from September 21 to 23, the Pattana Triathlon, the Bike Challenge Ratchaburi and the XTERRA Nong Yai Trail Run.

“We’re focused on customers ages 35 to 45, who have the most spending power and know how to manage their lives and their time,” said Prapas Thongsuk of CIMB Thai Bank, which is sponsoring the CIMB Thai Triathlon for Asean at the Pattana Golf Club & Resort Sriracha on August 5.

And Kwankaew Sirijinda of Central Pattana said the mall is looking forward to its first collaboration with C55 on TRIIB the City Obstacle. “Our venue can handle 2,000 people. We’ve held many running events, but not trail running. This will be the first time it’s seen in the heart of the city.”

Meanwhile Sithai Vajarodaya of Singha Corp is in charge of organising the annual Singha Keng Kraeng Kla (Singha Obstacle Fun Run) at Singha Park in Chiang Rai on December 8.

Actors Louis Scott and Ramida “Noon” Prapasanobol from the hit Channel 3 period drama “Buppesannivas” and English sports blogger and professional athlete Mark Abbot discussed the events onstage and then tried out simulations for four event models in the mall’s outdoor plaza.

“You have to set goals for an obstacle run,” Louis said. “But I think people today are definitely getting more interested in health and sports.”

Mark said he’s been participating in AMA events for years and looks forward to C55’s efforts to become a “one-stop service”, a move that will help sportsman focus on the competition.

C55 is ready to roll

Find out more at http://www.C55Events.com and “c55events” on Facebook.

Audio-Technica’s ATH-WS990BT wireless headphones ensure powerful bass with 53mm drivers and an aptX Bluetooth connection. The over-ear headphones have Active Noise Cancellation and Hear Through functions. The battery will last up to 30 hours. They’re in stores for Bt9,900.

Great phone, great cameras

The Samsung Galaxy A6+ has dual main cameras at 16MP and 5MP resolution, guaranteeing beautiful portraits with a bokeh effect. The front camera boasts 24MP resolution and three level of flash for great selfies in any lighting conditions. Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octacore processor 1.8GHs, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The going price is Bt10,990.

Sing along or play along

Sony’s MHCV81D high-power home audio system with Bluetooth connection features 360-degree Live Sound technology to blast the tunes. A touch panel lets you drum along to the music, and you can plug in a guitar or microphone to get fully involved. DJ effects let you put your own spin to tracks. It’s on shelves Bt15,990.

Make it a Moto

The Moto G6 Plus smartphone has a smart camera that’ll make sure you get perfect pictures. Dual Autofocus Pixel technology, a large f/1.7 aperture and the 1.4-micropixel size combine with a 5.9-inch, 18:9 aspect-ratio Full HD Max Vision display. You get a 2.2GHz octacore processor and a 3,200mAh allday battery. Expect to pay Bt9,990.

Your choice in a Redmi

Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 5 sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 platform and offers flagship-level photography capabilities. It comes with a dualcamera 12MP setup, a large 1.4-micropixel sensor, AI camera effects and an LED Selfie light for the 13MP front camera. The 3GB+32GB version costs Bt5,990 and the 4GB+64GB edition Bt6,990.

A new top-of-the line smartphone from French firm Wiko Mobile, the View2 Pro could be an excellent choice for those who cannot afford an upmarket phone but still want a good looking device with quality cameras.

Priced at less than Bt8,000, View2 Pro boasts a dual camera setup that allows you to capture beautiful portraits with bokeh effect and a robust, sleek, ergonomic CNC metal housing in two colours – Gold and Anthracite. The back cover has an elegant chrome finish that gives a premium glass feel.

The View2 Pro is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octacore processor running at 1.8 GHz. It is equipped with 4 gigabytes of working memory or RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, which is expandable with a microSD card up to 256 GB. The smartphone runs on Google Android 8.0 operating system and has a large six-inch 19:9 Full Screen IPS display with 1528×720 pixels.

Although View2 Pro doesn’t use the flagship Qualcomm processor, I found it surprisingly fast during my test. The touchscreen and menus were responsive at all times and I had no problem using it with TrueMove H’s LTE network. Connection was fast, apps were downloaded in no time and my snapshots were backed up to my Google Photos cloud storage quickly and efficiently.

I used the Ookla Speedtest app to measure the connection speeds and found that the View2 Pro scored a download speed of 66.1 Mbps and an upload speed of 30.0 Mbps.

The View2 Pro has dual nano SIM slots that support 3G and 4G connection at the same time.

For security, the View2 Pro has a finger print reader and Face Unlock technologies. The phone scans your face and allows you to unlock the phone in less than a second. The phone’s gesture detection function automatically launches Face Unlock to scan your face and unlock the phone. Again, I had no problems, with the phone unlocking very fast once I lifted it up to my face.

The View2 Pro has a dual camera setup that you can use to shoot portraits with a blurred background. The main camera uses a Sony IMX499 image sensor with 16-megapixel resolution and it has an aperture of f/1.75 for brighter shots in low light conditions. It also comes with Super PDAF fast auto focus.

The secondary camera is a 120-degree wide-angle camera with 8-megapixel resolution.

An icon above the shutter button guides you to switch between the 16MP and wide-angle 8 MP.

When you use the Artistic Blur mode, you will see a slide bar for adjusting the degree of blurred background. I found during the test that the camera captured beautiful photos with a blurred background.

The 120-degree wide-angle lens allows you to easily capture group shots and panoramas.

Other shooting modes include Professional, Panorama, Night, and Face Beauty. The Professional mode lets you adjust various shooting parameters, including exposure level, colour saturation level, white balance, ISO and focus.

The Beauty Face mode allows you adjust the smooth level of your skin and shape of your eyes and your face.

The View2 Pro has a 16MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture with Big Pixel technology, which together work to allow the front camera to capture beautiful selfie shots even in low light conditions. The Big Pixel works by rearranging the pixels and giving greater photo-sensitivity.

The front camera also has a portrait blur mode for you to adjust the level of blurred background to make your selfie shots look outstanding.

The View2 Pro has a good battery life with 3,000 mAH battery. With one charge, you can easily survive a whole day.

Wiko View2 Pro has a suggested retail price of only Bt7,990. Wiko Mobile Thailand says the smartphone is now available through more than 4,000 outlets within Wiko’s national distribution network.

Key Specs

– Networks: LTE Cat 6

– OS: Android 8.0

– CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, OctaCore 1.8 GHz, CortexA53

– Memory: 4GB RAM

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

– SIM: Dual nano SIM slots, one shared with micro SD

– Display: 6-inch 19:9 IPS display with 1528×720 pixels resolution

– Main cameras: 16 MP for main camera with /1.75 aperture lens, 8 MP for 120-degree wide-angle lens

– Front camera: 16 MP with f/2.0 aperture lens

– Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n / Bluetooth 4.2/ Access point Wi-Fi / USB OTG

– Battery: 3,000 mAh LiPo

– Dimensions: 153 x 72.6 x 8.3 mm

– Weight: 164 g