THE ROBOT dogs lined up in their dozens last week were no tech fair display. They were the dearly departed being honoured with their own traditional “funeral”.

In some respects, it was a funeral like any other in Japan, with incense smoke wafting as a priest chanted a sutra, praying for the peaceful transition of the souls of the departed.

But the departed were 114 of Sony’s old generation Aibo robot dogs, each wearing a tag to show where they came from and to which family they belonged.

Electronics repair company A Fun, which specialises in fixing vintage products, has sent off some 800 Aibos this way in recent years at a centuries-old Buddhist temple.

With the Aibo no longer in production, owners of old or “dead” robodogs often send them to the company, the only way it can obtain genuine parts to use in repairs.

More than 100 robot dogs from different years sit next to each other in Japan – not for a tech fair but for their “funeral”. / AFP 

The defunct dogs serve as the equivalent of organ donors for defective robots, but before they are put to use, the company honours them with a traditional send-off.

The dogs often arrive with letters that give their names, how they spent their lives, and other details.

“I feel relieved to know there will be a prayer for my Aibo,” one owner said in a letter.

Another owner wrote: “Please help other Aibos. Tears came to my eyes when I decided to say goodbye.”

Bungen Oi, the priest at the 450-year-old Kofukuji temple in Isumi, east of Tokyo, dismisses the idea that holding memorials for machines is absurd.

“All things have a bit of soul,” he says after the service.

Spectators offer prayers for Sony’s robots’ funeral./AFP

Nobuyuki Norimatsu, who heads A Fun, also says he feels the robodogs have souls, even if they are destined to be “donors”.

“We’d like to return the souls to the owners and make the robot a machine to utilise their parts. We don’t take parts before we hold a funeral for them,” he explains.

The Aibo was the world’s first home-use entertainment robot capable of developing its own “personality”.

Sony rolled out the first-generation Aibo in June 1999, with the initial batch of 3,000 selling out in just 20 minutes, despite the hefty 250,000 yen (more than Bt70,000) price tag.

Over the following years, more than 150,000 units were sold, in numerous iterations, ranging from gleaming metallic-silver versions to round-faced cub-like models.

By 2006, however, Sony’s business was in trouble and the Aibo, an expensive and somewhat frivolous luxury, had to go.

A girl wraps a Sony pet robot Aibo after its  funeral./AFP

The company kept its “Aibo Clinic” open until March 2014, but then told dedicated and loving owners that they were on their own.

Desperate owners have turned to A Fun, which draws on the knowledge of former Sony engineers, to get repairs.

In January, Sony unveiled a new version of its robot dog, the “aibo”, packed with artificial intelligence and internet connectivity, but it has not resumed repairs of old models.

The media fanfare did however prompt many owners of older models to look for ways to repair their faithful friends, or to donate those behind salvage.

A repaired Aibo is the product of generous owners, whose own dogs have become lifesaving donors, Narimatsu says.

“I feel it moves on the combined hearts of owners,” he adds.

No one saw this coming, but a Malaysian beauty brand has created a durian-flavoured makeup collection that will wake up your senses – and give Malaysians a chuckle!

And, it’s not just any durian, it’s the King of all fruits – the Durian Musang King, a sought-after fruit by durian lovers for its deep yellow flesh and beautiful flavour.

This Malaysian feat is a first in the world, so durian lovers or anyone curious enough will now be able to get their hands on durian flavour infused makeup.

The Elianto Durian Musang King collection comprises rich yellow colours, inspired by the fleshy durian, for its lip care, lip colour, highlighter and mono eyeshadows.

Elianto is derived from the word sunflower in Italian, and the brand is inspired by the unique combination of striking beauty and utility symbolised by the flower.

“We wanted to approach makeup in a fresh, playful and daring way. By introducing a unique collection like Elianto Durian Musang King, we are celebrating individuality and diversity. Makeup has no boundaries, it gives women the freedom to express themselves,” says Teo Ai Siong, managing director and brand owner of Elianto Make Up.

“Elianto is marketed as a masstige beauty brand and offers a wide range of premium cosmetics at an affordable price,” Teo adds.

The brand utilises botanical extracts and all the products are fully imported from Switzerland, Italy, South Korea, Taiwan and Germany.

The Elianto Durian Musang King collection comprises rich yellow colours, inspired by the fleshy durian.

By now you would probably be licking your lips and to help you “taste” this thorny fruit, the Elianto Durian Musang King Lip Care SPF18 is infused with durian scent and comes in a pinkish and yellow shade, while the Elianto Durian Musang King Lip Colour is a creamy and lightweight matte lip colour.

Fans of matte eyeshadow will love the ultra soft textures of the Elianto Durian Musang King Eyeshadows that comes in Cocoa and Yellow shades.

For a radiant complexion the Elianto Durian Musang King Highlighter lights up your face with a dewy glow courtesy of the yellow tinted powder.

Oh, and in case that’s not enough to tickle you, the collection also includes the Elianto Durio Bloom EDP fragrance – described as a refreshing yet woody scent.

So, now you don’t have to wait for durian season, this scent will remind you of your favourite durian all year round!

The 6.23-inch FHD+ Super Full Screen display is in 19:9 format. Power comes from an octacore MTK P60 2.GHz processor. You get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of ROM. The main camera is 16MP resolution. It’s in stores for Bt10,990.

Captain America’s notebook!

Acer’s Aspire 6 notebook computer is billed as the Marvel Studios “Avengers: Infinity War” Captain America Edition. Fans of the comic book and big-screen superhero get a premium aluminium cover bearing Captain America’s pentagram. An eighth-generation Intel Core i58250U processor, NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics, 4GB of DDR4 memory and 1TB of HDD storage, plus a HD camera, are all behind the 15.6-inch Full HD display. You’ll be spending Bt24,990.

Disco never died

Sony’s SRSXB41 portable speaker boasts Extra Bass and multi-coloured lights that flash to the beat, including new line lights around the speaker and a strobe. Party Booster lets you tap different spots to create different sound effects. It can be wirelessly chained in 100 speakers. The going rate is Bt6,990.

Freak out your friends

The Boombox from JBL is a powerful, portable Bluetooth speaker that delivers monstrous sound and hardhitting bass with 2×30 watts of output. The 20,000mAh battery can last 24 hour and dual charging lets you keep the music rocking. The speaker is IPX7 waterproof, able to withstand any weather. Expect to pay Bt17,900.

Honor 9 has four cameras

A sister brand to Huawei has marketed the Honor 9 Lite smartphone with four cameras able to capture outstanding portraits in 13MP resolution. The 5.65-inch display is 2,160×1,080 pixels and the power comes from a Huawei octacore processor, With 3GB of RAM and 32 GB of ROM, it sells for Bt6,490.

Samsung sets out to provide the ultimate day out for the new generation with the introduction of its new lifestyle zone Galaxy Street where creativity, cool art, live DJ spins and signature cafe menus come together under one roof. Galaxy Studio, as the venue is known, is a showcase of world-class innovation and technology on the concept of “Where Innovation Meets Inspiration” and is open everyday until June 20 at Parc Paragon of Siam Paragon.

“Young people play a major role in our society. As a leading innovative brand, Samsung never stops listening to the voices of consumers, especially the new generation. Our Galaxy Studio doesn’t only showcase world-class innovations and technology but serves as a special venue highlighting ‘Innovation Meets Inspiration’. We aim to inspire and create a unique platform for consumers, especially the young ones, to fulfil their dreams, passions and inspirations in a place where consumers can play, try and be truly inspired to do the impossible,” says Sunghwan Kim, president of Thai Samsung Electronics.

“Samsung is always determined to create and develop products and innovations that answer consumers’ needs. The Galaxy Studio incorporates our innovative technology and highlights features from our latest Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphones. These are translated into our interactive zones, such as the Super Slow-mo zone, the AR Emoji zone, and the 4D VR zone. This year, we have taken the Studio a step further by opening a lifestyle zone, the Galaxy Street, to host extra activities, creative workshops, live music by DJs, and a hip cafe with themes changing every other week,” adds Wichai Pornpratang, corporate vice president of Thai Samsung Electronics’ IT and Mobile Communications.

Galaxy Street certainly doesn’t disappoint, featuring several creative corners for millennials to express ideas and be inspired. It also offers a variety of activities and workshops run by celebrities in addition to Galaxy Studio’s different highlight zones featuring interactive activities.

Visitors are invited to learn more about the latest Galaxy S9 and S9+ phones with the “Interactive Table” embedded with the phone’s display to showcase all highlight features.

A walk along the right side of the street allows you to experience “Super Slow-mo”, a unique way of capturing motion in extremely slow speeds of 960 fps, You can also save and share videos instantly on the social media. Walk on the left and enter the world of “4D VR” via “Treasure Hunter” and “Winter Ride” as the VR Gear and controller take you into a fantasy world.

Adrenaline gets a boost too with the Sway Chair that will move along with the screen you have been playing with.

Test your limits with a skiing activity on the theme “Alpine Skiing” wearing a Gear Fit2 Pro to measure your heart rate and estimate calorie burn in realtime at Galaxy Fitness. Even if you have never taken to the snow on skis, you can have fun with this activity before moving on to create your own emoji characters at the “AR Emoji Gallery”, then displaying them on the same LED screen that allows you to save and share videos with friends.

And before leaving Galaxy Studio, take time to explore the accessories, gadgets, and smartphone cases at the “Accessories Wall” and try out Samsung’s wide range of products.

Adobe continues to extend the reach of its acclaimed photo-editing tool Photoshop with improvements to the Photoshop Mix mobile app, which will go as far as cutting out a portion of one image and super-imposing it over another.

More devious users will be able to convince co-workers they’ve just returned from a beach holiday in Bali when all they’re seeing is a snap of you in your swimsuit (in your bathroom) pasted over a seaside landscape.

But you wouldn’t do that, would you?

The app is now in Version 2.8.1 for iOS, so I tested it on the powerful iPad Pro 10.5-inch and was impressed at its speed in editing and combining multiple photos into one picture.

I could easily remove or replace any item within the image, such as that drunk who wandered into the frame, and selectively retouch and fix flaws.

The app also lets you share your finished masterpieces with friends and family and post them to your social network of choice. You can even send them to Adobe to be sold as stock images.

It’s fun experimenting with different blend modes and “fill” opacities within each layer, trying one or the next or combinations until you get just the right look. Photoshop Mix includes some of the most popular blend modes from the main program, Photoshop CC.

You can adjust colours and contrast and apply preset “Looks” (filters) to your pictures. You can enhance the entire image or just a portion with the touch of a finger.

There’s no need to worry about ruining the original image with editing mistakes, because the editing is all “non-destructive”, leaving the original pixels intact.

You make the changes in consecutive layers, and if you take a wrong turn, you just dump that layer and you’re back at the previous stage.

You need to register for an Adobe ID number to use the app.

To get you started, there are two tutorials built in. The first is a guide to highlighting, using a picture of roses in a coloured vase. You learn how to turn the vase black-and-white and then super-impose a raindrop pattern onto it, with the droplets coming from a second image of a rain-streaked window.

The second tutorial will have you cutting out a doughnut and then pasting it in a crocodile’s mouth. Admittedly doughnuts aren’t usually a staple of the crocodile diet but, as they say at Photoshop, “You get the picture.”

I went on from there and cut out a colleague’s portrait taken indoors and stuck her in a field of sunflowers.

You can use the Apple Pencil stylus with the app, which makes cropping more precise and the end result more realistic.

Download the Adobe Photoshop Mix free of charge from App Store.

KEY FACTS

– Vendor: Adobe Systems Inc

– Size: 220.6 megabytes

– Category: Photo and Video

– Compatibility: Requires iOS 10.0 or later, okay with iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

– Languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese, Turkish and most European languages

– Age rating: 4plus

Jabra’s Elite 65t true-wireless ear buds are terrific for enjoying music and making calls thanks to great call and voice quality and a firmly snug fit.

No wire connects the buds, in accord with a growing trend. The buds instead communicate with one another via radio frequencies.

They’re really comfortable to wear because they’re tiny and lightweight. The right ear bud, which has the control panel, weighs 6.5 grams and the left 5.8g. The carrying case, which doubles as a battery charger and power bank, weighs 67g.

The battery life is quite good. On a full charge the buds can last five hours. The carrying case power bank will give the buds two charges of five hours each, which means you can keep listening for up to 15 hours in all.

Jabra has acclaimed experience in building true-wireless ear buds, and the Elite 65t is its third generation. The improvements in sound quality and connectivity are evident.

The 65t connects to your smartphone using the latest Bluetooth, Version 5.0.

To ensure great sound quality, it uses 6×5.1mm drivers that support a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz.

The Jabra Sound+ app lets you further customise the output with an advanced equaliser. Just play with the curve displayed on the equaliser until you’re happy with what you’re hearing. Get more bass, for example, by dragging the low frequencies bar upward.

The call quality is good because of the four MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), protection against wind noise and reduction of ambient noise. The ear buds use the four-mic system together with an acoustic open chamber to reduce the roar of the wind and any surrounding racket.

Use the app to further adjust these settings.

Turn the Hear-Through function on and off. When it’s on, audio from your surroundings is transmitted to the Elite 65t, and you can move the slider to adjust how much you hear. Audio from music and the voice assistant will be muted when you press the Multi Function button on the headset.

When Sidetone is turned on, use the slider to adjust the volume of your own voice as heard during a call. The Sidetone function is part of the Call Experience section of the app. Use Call Experience to select default Jabra audio or Enhanced Treble and Enhanced Bass.

The voice assistant can be Amazon’s Alexa or the default device on your phone, like Google Now for Android OS and Siri for iOS.

The app also allows you to keep track of the battery charge level. An indicator at the top left corner tells you when you’re running out of power.

And it will check and upgrade the firmware. It will download the latest firmware and tell you when to put the ear buds in the carrying case so they can be upgrades.

Since the Elite 65t is a smart headset that should be used with the app to enhance functions, Jabra says the Sound+ app will continue to evolve and new features and functions will be added.

You can also use the buttons on the buds to control certain functions. The right bud has a multifunction button and the left bud has the volume controls.

Double-press the multifunction button when you’re not on a call to toggle the Hear-Through function on and off. Press it once to play or pause music and, when a call comes in, to accept it. Press twice to reject a call.

Press and hold for one second to use your phone’s voice assistant (as long as there’s no incoming call).

The Jabra Elite 65t is easily linked to a phone. Hold the multifunction button for several seconds until you hear the connection instructions and see the LED flashing blue. Then use the phone’s Bluetooth to pair with the Elite 65t.

I thought the Elite 65t’s sound quality was quite impressive considering how tiny the ear buds are. The equaliser can really bump up the bass, so crashing rock music is yours to enjoy.

You get three sets of silicon ear gels. Select the right size for your ear canals and the buds will fit snugly and more effectively reduce ambient noise and thus a better music experience.

Another feature I like is that music is paused automatically when you remove a bud from your ear.

The Elite 65t is also water and dust-resistant, conforming to an IP55 rating. It comes with a two-year warranty against that sort of damage.

Jabra’s Elite 65t has a suggested retail price of Bt6,290.

KEY SPECS

– Speaker size: 6×5.1mm

– Speaker sensitivity: 103dBSPL at 1kHz/1mW

– Speaker impedance: 16ohm at 1kHz

– Speaker max input power: 8mW

– Speaker frequency range: 20Hz to 20kHz

– Microphone type: Four MEMS

– Microphone sensitivity: Minus-38 dBV/Pa

– Microphone frequency range: 100Hz to 10kHz

– Microphone bandwidth: 100Hz to 8kHz

– Bluetooth: 5.0, supporting Headset profile v1.2, handsfree profile v1.7, A2DP v1.3, AVRCP v1.6, PBAP v1.1

– Main unit dimensions: 27x30x22.5mm

– Charging case dimensions: 72x51x26.5mm

– Weight: 6.5g right headset 5,8g left, charging case 67g

– In the box: Charging case, micro USB cable, three sets of silicon ear gels, Quick Start guide

Open through May, the Summer Exploratorium features an exhibition of travel photos taken by celebrities Chalisa Viravan, Napat Sutithon, Disaya Korgotchamas and Chayanee Chomsaengchan.

They reflect the lifestyles of the younger generation, which seeks out a balance between work and leisure and understands there must be a sustainable relationship between people and nature.

The exhibition aims to encourage everyone to get out, explore and discover one’s own style.

Siam Discovery has used photography application EyeEm, which helps travellers post their trip photos.

The winners will receive a year’s unlimited free flights on Air Asia.

The images gathered by the four celebrity globetrotters inspire others to get out and see the world from a different viewpoint.

Chalisa “Nee” Viravan, former social editor at Vogue Thailand, uses her own website, Taste of Nowhere, as a channel for sharing her stories.

“On my trips I come to ‘understand’ people, culture and nature,” she says. “Standing in front of huge icebergs, I feel awed and so small because of the power of nature. These experiences make me not only humbler, but also happier for who I am. So the stories at Taste of Nowhere have changed to the connection between humans and nature. They enhance environmental awareness and self-esteem.”

Napat Sutithon, fashion editor at Elle Men, presents outstanding styles on his social networks.

“I discovered style thanks to my trips,” he says. “I spend most of my time travelling the world and observing the local way of life and dress. In New York I liked watching people on the subway. The way people dress tells you about the nature of their city.

“It’s great to find someone outside the fashion industry in a chic outfit because it confirms my belief that it’s not what you wear or how expensive the brand you wear – it’s about how you wear it.”

Disaya “Tiew” Korgotchamas, a singer with the band the Kidnappers, loves diving in the sea off remote islands and set up the Suntan Tour Facebook page to organise “free diving” trips. Free diving means holding your breath underwater rather than using tanks or snorkels.

“Free diving helped me discover freedom because I don’t have to carry any equipment,” she says. “In the sea I feel light with the water wrapped around me.

“Being underwater is like entering into another world. I leave everything behind and free myself. I’ve developed a sense of ownership and would like to protect nature.”

Chayanee “Ped” Chomsaengchan, also known as “Pedduck”, is a freelance photographer with a tremendous Instagram following.

“I like travelling and always take photos of what I like,” she says. “Most of my photos are of mountains, forests and the sea and they can tell stories. Instead of an easy and comfortable trip, I prefer adventures and going off course, taking the road less travelled and finding new perspectives.”

“We want to emphasise that at Central Embassy, we are ready to give you infinite ways to be your best self, whether you’re a shopper, foodie, art lover, creative lifestyler, family or tourist. The experiences at Central Embassy are, quite simply, designed to be infinite,” says the managing director Barom Bhicharnchitr.

For the 2018 Campaign video, Yaya plays nine different characters from the shopping maniac to a creative soul and many more surprising characters.

Each playful character played by Yaya represents the nine core values found at Central Embassy. From a warm and inviting concierge for infinite sharing; a maid with attention to detail for infinite caring to a shopping maniac for infinite shopping; and a twin with a hunger for dining.

She also plays a creative soul with new ideas; a wealthy lady with a personalised touch; an office worker looking for entertainment; a tourist and Yaya as the best version of herself, for infinite being you. Check out the video on https://youtu.be/nwJwz8dohZc

To kick off the campaign, Central Embassy will excite Bangkok’s art lovers with works by Japanese artist Madsaki, a rising star in the world of contemporary art. Famous for his unique street art, his remarkable pieces were exhibited at the Superflat art exhibition in Tokyo in 2017 by Takashi Murakami, a world-renowned Japanese contemporary artist.

Madsaki will be debuting his largest public installation to date with “Combination Platter” and other never-before-seen pieces from May 8 to June 3. The installation will also be accompanied by exclusive collectibles including T-shirts, umbrellas, and tumblers available for purchase during the exhibition only at Siwilai store on Level 5.

Another activity features workshops by artists and top chefs at the Balcony on Level 2 until June 10.

Check out http://www.Facebook.com/centralembassy for updates.

Eathai on Level LG will bring a Taste of the South from May 22 to June 3 with Southern delicacies and cultural performances.

And shoppers can enter the world of Daisy Balloon by Rie from June 1 to 10, with pieces from the famous balloon artist and family-friendly activities at Open House on Level 6.

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

The festival runs from 4pm to midnight and early bird tickets have already gone on sale. They start at Bt800 for the first ticket with additional tickets costing Bt900 from now until June 20. After that, they go up to Bt1,200.

Nakhon Si Thammarat is the second largest province in southern Thailand, located 780 kilometres south of Bangkok along the Gulf of Thailand within the lush interior of the Isthmus of Kra. The province boasts many undeveloped beaches as well as two national parks within an interior of verdant jungles abundant with vegetation, beautiful waterfalls, and exotic wildlife.

The Khanom Festival takes place in Khanom District, which boasts a series of beautiful beaches such as Na Dan, Nai Praet and Nai Phlao.

When attending the Khanom Festival, visitors may also want to visit the town’s famous landmarks including Prathap Cape at the village of Thong Nian. Here, the villagers turn from fishery to tourism, offering a popular sightseeing tour that includes pink-dolphin watching, the fresh water pond of Khanom Sea, Luang Pu Tuad shrine, Phap Pha mountain, the islands of Tha Rai and Phi, and snorkelling and fishing. A must-buy product is Khanom’s famous shrimp paste.

In a trial in the United States, three different doses of the drug were tested on 26 service personnel diagnosed with the debilitating affliction after experiencing trauma in the line of duty.

Those on the two higher doses — 75 or 125 milligrammes — enjoyed greater relief of PTSD symptoms than those given the smallest dose of 30 mg, a team reported in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry.

All 26 received psychotherapy throughout the drug trial, and did not know what dose they were receiving.

A month after their second dose, 86 percent of the 75 mg group no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, said the study authors.

The figure was 58 percent for the 125 mg group and 29 percent for the 30 mg group.

In a second leg of the study, participants previously on 30 mg who had their dose upped to 100-125 mg of MDMA saw symptoms “significantly” decrease.

After one year, the severity of symptoms among the 26 remained “significantly reduced”, the researchers reported. Sixteen participants who suffered from PTSD when they joined the trial no longer met the criteria for diagnosis.

The findings suggest this “novel approach to pharmacotherapy” may help accelerate patient treatment by combining psychotherapy with a fast-acting drug “administered only a few times at monthly intervals,” said the team.

But this did not mean that people suffering from a psychiatric disorder should rush out in search of ecstasy — an illegal drug — in the hopes it will make them feel better, said the team.

MDMA treatment should only be done hand-in-hand with psychotherapy under the supervision of a qualified medical professional, they added.

Too soon to tell

During the trial, 85 “adverse events” — including anxiety, headaches, fatigue, and insomnia — were reported by 20 trial participants. It is not clear whether the MDMA or something else was responsible.

One trial participant was admitted to hospital with suicidal thoughts.

PTSD is triggered by living through a traumatic event. Sufferers continue to experience stress or fear long after the danger has passed — sometimes for years.

Symptoms include flashbacks and bad dreams, and PTSD sufferers can be easily startled, or quick to anger. The disorder is linked to a high suicide risk.

Previous research has shown that MDMA helps relieve PTSD symptoms in victims of sexual crimes.

The latest study focused on 22 military veterans, three firefighters, and a police officer.

The trial did not include a control group of participants given an MDMA “dummy” dose, or placebo. Nor did it compare the effectiveness of MDMA to existing medicines.

University of Oxford experts Andrea Cipriani and Philip Cowen observed that some recreational MDMA users experience a sharp drop in mood a few days after the chemical-induced high.

Such a side-effect would be of “particular concern in individuals vulnerable to depression and suicidal feelings,” the duo wrote in a comment also published by The Lancet.

“The unmet need for better PTSD treatment, particularly in veterans and first responders, is undoubted,” they added.

But further research must determine whether MDMA therapy offers any real benefit to mainstream psychotherapy.