“Kilorun 2018: The Running Festival of Food/Fun/Friend/Family” introduced an entirely new race concept, motivating everyone, no matter their level, to get outdoors and keep fit. It was held last weekend at Lan Khon Muang Plaza and the course took runners through Rattanakosin Island and offered them an opportunity to indulge in gastronomic experiences.

The first race “KG (Kilogram) Aroi Run” held on Saturday was set up as a leisure route of eating and sightseeing. Along the 2.4 kilometre route, runners could chow down on signature dishes from Kopi Hia Tai Gee, Udom Pochana, Err Urban Rustic Thai, Krua Apsorn, Mont Nom Sod, Lan Fha, Radna Yod Pak Sood 40 Pee, Matsaya, Nutthaporn Ice Cream and Made by Todd Chili Chili. Runners passed such scenic locations such as Giant Swing, The Golden Mount, Wat Ratchanatdaram (Loha Prasat) and Rajdamnoen Avenue and those who gained between 0.5 and 1 kilogram were awarded with special rewards. More than 600 entrants took part.

The KM (Kilometre) Breakfast Run kicked off the activities on Sunday at Lan Khon Muang Plaza. The route covered a loop of beautiful attractions such as the Giant Swing, Wat Ratchanatdaram (Loha Prasat), Democracy Monument, Sanam Luang (Royal Plaza), the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Museum Siam and San Chao Pho Sua (Tiger God Shrine) and the race itself was classified into three distances of 2.5, 5.5 and 9 kilometers. More than 2,000 entrants participated in and received a race pack exclusively designed for the event.

The two-day event was organised by Index Creative Village in collaboration with Air Asia and the Traffic Foundation. An exclusive line-up of stars, celebrities and other public figures also showed up at the series, including actor Thana “Nhong” Thana Chatborirak and his little sister Wanmai, DJ Archawin “Ton” Lhaisakul, former professional tennis player Danai “Pick” Udomchoke and his family and actress Ratchawin “Koy” Wongviriya.

Three runners wearing the best fancy dress costumes in the KG Aroi Run were rewarded with an exclusive “Baowhill” plush doll as well as air tickets to Osaka, Bali and Hanoi.

The male and female winners of the KM (Kilometre) Breakfast Run took home a year’s supply of domestic flights along with tickets to Osaka for two seats. The winners of the 5.5 kilometre won an international flight, as did those to cross the finish line first in the 2.5 km Kids Run.

The next event is slated to take place in Bali on June 2-3.

Thirteen years have passed since Thailand officially entered the “ageing” society and 16 since it adopted the Second National Plan for Older Persons, 2002-2021 and while the intentions were good, a mere 28.6 per cent of the goals set out have actually been implemented and progress continues to be painfully slow on other objectives listed in the strategy.

Now help is on the horizon. Instead of letting the government go it alone, the Pfizer Thailand Foundation has stepped in with a three-year project titled “Pfizer Healthy Ageing Society”.

“We considered many projects but decided on this one in light of the lack of progress on the national plan and the fact that the focus is on seniors who are going to retire very soon or have already retired. Besides, most of the projects focus on healthcare while we think that financial preparation is also crucial. The Pfizer Healthy Ageing Society therefore focuses on physical health, mental health and savings,” says Siriwan Chuenchomsakun, a trustee and secretary to Pfizer Thailand Foundation.

Without preparation for life in their golden years, Thailand’s elderly cannot be guaranteed a comfortable existence. It’s expected that by 2021, more than 20 per cent of Thailand’s population will be over the age of 60 making Thailand what is known as a “complete ageing” society. By 2023 will be a “super aged” society, meaning that the elderly will make up more than 28 per cent of the total population.

Pfizer Thailand Foundation is working with Kenan Institute Asia and the project, now in its second year, and following 12 months of implementation in Bangkok, has turned its attention to building a healthy elderly population in Ubon Ratchathani Province

The project brings together a panel of the country’s leading health academics and practitioners to provide a deeper understanding of healthy living and behavioural change that will lead to good physical health, strong mental health and adequate savings.

The Bt17 million budget is funded by the foundation and is used to create workshops and activities to build on the health, society and economic data collected from target populations. It then uses that information to develop a holistic healthcare approach for pre-seniors (aged 45-59), selecting them from the public healthcare and school systems by giving them the knowledge they need to prepare for old age.

“They not only have time to prepare but we hope that each of them will pass on the knowledge to their communities and students,” says Supaporn Mahaphontrakoon, project manager, Kenan Institute Asia.

The society’s recent pre-senior workshop in Ubon Ratchathani Province saw 120 change agents from public health offices, community healthcare volunteers, community development academics, and community thought leaders participating, exchanging holistic health and financial knowledge vital to bring about behavioural shifts towards wellbeing and healthy ageing. The activity plays a vital role in helping to imbue a deep understanding in the community and prepare Thailand to become a truly healthy ageing society.

It is just one of several workshop and activities, with topics ranging from “get to know about healthy ageing and preparations for ageing”, “lovely home”, “how eating can prevent NCDs”, “ease mind, balance body”, “anti-amnesia medicine” and “financial literacy’.

The Bangkok leg of the project tackled the Khlong Toei and Bang Khunthien areas where relationships between potential change agents and the community were already strong.

Both locations created around 120 change agents and each of them will pass on their knowledge to around five people. “In fact, what we learned is that they can spread the knowledge to 30 individuals,” Supaporn says.

After the training, the change agent distributes healthy ageing practices to their groups, from teachers to students or from public health officers to their patients and their communities. In Bangkok, the project also provided nine grants of Bt50,000 for proposals initiated by the change agent to implement in their community so that they can pass on their knowledge through the activities.

“What we found is that each project is mainly in healthcare and in a conventional format. So we gave some advice to allow them to start by addressing problems or issues already faced in the community and which therefore will have more impact.”

Ubon Ratchathani was chosen because it is home to a high number of elderly and has strong and active community relationships between public health officials and older people.

Kesorn Prachoomdaeng, 55, is a public health technical officer who works in the town’s municipal hospital and focuses on preventive care. She’s responsible for three villages and decided to join the project to learn more about wellness in the elderly. “I am going to be an old person soon, so I want to prepare for it,” she says.

Meanwhile Pimporn Uthaphu, 40, also a public health technical officer but from Warin Chamrab, says she had never really thought about the need to adapt the home to cater to elderly, such as replacing the squat toilet, which is still in common use upcountry, providing easy to use faucets and adapting stairs to avoid falls.

Kesorn and Pimporn also benefited from learning about the mental health of the elderly as both have parents living with them.

“What we heard during the training is exactly what is happening at our homes and that has given us a better understanding of an old person’s mentality,” says Kesron, adding that her mother who has just finished chemotherapy for cancer wants to go back to working in the rice field. Pimporn’s father has all the symptoms of alcoholism but still drinks everyday.

As civil servants with a pension, they admit that the knowledge about savings doesn’t really concern them. Yet according to the project’s baseline KAP (Knowledge Attitude and Practice) survey conducted by Kenan, financial literacy is a forgotten issue on the elderly agenda. While many do understand the importance of saving, they find it impossible to manage their finances. A whopping 65 per cent in Bangkok and 93 per cent in Ubon have household debts.

Suvipha Chaladki, the consultant from Kenan responsible for the project’s financial components, says that despite huge debts, it is not only possible but vital to have savings.

“If you are in debt and don’t have any savings, then what do you do when you have, say, a medical emergency? You end up having to borrow money and that increases your debt,” she says.

Dr Kittima Sriwatanakul, senior project manager, Pfizer Thailand Foundation, adds that even though the project aims to raise consciousness for soon-to-be seniors, it would be impossible to implement it countrywide.

“So we have to build the change agents as the key persons to pass on the knowledge. It’s a big issue so we want to create a model which the government sector can work from and expand.”

The major problem, she adds, is to convince people to change their attitude.

“We all have the knowledge and know how to do it but we can’t do it. So we have to change our attitude then do it repeatedly until it becomes a habit. Changing the behaviour is the toughest part, as people will only do that if they face a crisis. But getting old is not a crisis and if we ignore the preparations until we are actually old, then it’s too late.”

Siriwan Arunthippaitoon, senior expert with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security’s Department of Older Persons and adviser to the project, says the first phase of the project was successfully implemented thanks to the cooperation between the government and private sectors, and civil society.

“Today the project is entering a second phase built on strong national and community networks,” she says.

 Heineken, the global beer brand that bills itself as being born in Amsterdam and raised by the world, takes Thais back through the ages this weekend through an immersive theatrical experience that traces its history. Dubbed “Star Venture” and featuring cutting-edge visuals and spectacular multimedia innovations, it’s being staged at the General Post Office in Bang Rak to mark the brand’s 145th anniversary.

“Heineken remains committed to offering consumers unrivalled experiences through the concept of ‘Open Your World’ in all its ongoing activities. This year, Heineken is proud to launch this product-focused campaign through the ‘Star Venture’ event, an immersive theatrical experience that presents Heineken’s brand history and heritage from four important years of the company’s history. This is also reflected in vintage Heineken labels on our bottles and cans for fans to collect. Despite having undergone many redesigns, our identity and premium quality have remained consistent. We are excited about this upcoming performance,” says Pattapanee Ekahitanond, marketing manager for Heineken and Strongbow at TAP Group in Thailand.

The General Post Office, also known as the Grand Postal Building and built in 1940, will be transformed into the Heineken brewery in Amsterdam for the occasion and showcase four important years in Heineken’s history. The production starts in 1873 with “Amsterdam Start-up” featuring the origins of Heineken. In this zone, you will meet Mr Heineken who discovers the “magical” ingredient called Heineken A-yeast, a strain that is still used today.

“Grand Prix Paris” marks 1889 and showcases Heineken’s popularity after winning the top award at the World Fair in Paris. In this zone, visitors will be surrounded by such famous inventors as Thomas Edison and Gustave Eiffel, and celebrate this successful moment for Heineken with performance of the can-can. “Crossing Borders” marks 1950 and Heineken’s growth through its international distribution and shipments to other countries while “Icons in the Making” going back to 1953 recounts the return of the red star as Heineken’s signature logo. Here viewers will meet fascinating pin-up girls and get to see the unique advertising that attracted beer drinkers, in addition to meeting famous icons from this golden era such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley.

Arissara “Look Boone” Chounchaisit, one of Thailand’s leading stage directors and choreographers, is responsible for creating the show. Dr Nalin Petchin directs and actor Matthew Deane portrays Mr Heineken.

“I am so happy to be creating this show because what we are doing is something new here in Thailand. ‘Interactive theatre’ means the audience will not only sit and watch the show, but they become part of the show. The performers can interact and chat with the audience. This sort of show is very new, and more importantly it doesn’t occur in one room, it involves time travel in a series of rooms,” Arissara explains.

“It’s a challenge and we have to thank Heineken for taking the initiative with different ideas and giving the audience a chance to learn and experience something new. It was challenging to organise the sessions so as to allow the audience to enjoy the full experience in a limited time. What was also really amazing for our team was in learning the Heineken story, which was new to all of us. This allowed us to do a lot of research and we realised that it wasn’t so easy for Heineken to become the successful brand it is today.

“It’s such an honour to be a part of this show. I’d like to thank Heineken for entrusting me to play Mr Heineken. I’m a huge fan of the Heineken brand and raking on this important role allowed me to learn more about the brand and its rich history. I have a much better understanding of Heineken’s timeless taste and quality since 1873 and I hope everyone will enjoy this immersive theatrical performance, because we really put our hearts into this show and did our best to create an interactive experience for everyone to enjoy. This was a major priority for Heineken, and I believe the audience will not be disappointed,” says the actor.

To register, go to Facebook.com/Heineken and Instagram: @heineken_th.

While the sexual improvement revolution it sparked brightened up the sex lives of many couples, it largely left out women still struggling with dysfunction and loss of libido over time. They have yet to benefit from a magic bullet to bring it all back, experts say.

About 65 million prescriptions have been filled worldwide for the blockbuster Pfizer drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on March 27, 1998.

It was the first pill aimed at helping men get erections.

Suddenly, talk of an amazing drug that could make an older man’s penis hard again was all over television and magazines.

The Viagra boom also coincided with the rise of the internet, and the explosion of online pornography.

Ads for Viagra were designed to reframe what had been known as “male impotence” as “erectile dysfunction” or ED, a medical condition that could finally be fixed.

Republican senator, military veteran and one-time presidential candidate Bob Dole became the first television spokesman for Viagra, admitting his own fears about erectile dysfunction to the masses.

“It’s a little embarrassing to talk about ED, but it is so important for millions of men and their partners,” he said.

The strategy worked.

Before Viagra, men wanted to talk about their erectile problems, and did, but the conversations were awkward and difficult, recalled Elizabeth Kavaler, a urology specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

“Now, sexuality in general is very out there,” she added.

“Sex has become an expected part of our lives as we age. And I am sure Viagra has been a big part of that.”

‘Thanks, Viagra’

Viagra has had a “major impact” — on a par with the way antibiotics changed the way infections are treated, and how statins became ubiquitous in the fight against heart disease, said Louis Kavoussi, chairman of urology at Northwell Health, a New York-area hospital network.

Viagra’s release also came amid a “sort of a clampdown on physicians interacting with companies,” he said.

“So this was a perfect medicine to advertise to consumers. It was a lifestyle type of medicine.”

Viagra, or sildenafil citrate, was first developed as a drug meant to treat high blood pressure and angina.

But by 1990, men who took part in early clinical trials discovered its main effect was improving their erections, by boosting blood flow to the penis.

For all its popularity, Viagra is still often misunderstood.

“It isn’t an aphrodisiac,” said Kavoussi.

“A lot of men who ask about it say, ‘My wife isn’t very interested in relations,” he added.

“And I say, ‘Viagra is not going to change that.'”

‘Thanks, Viagra’

In 2000, the comedy show “Saturday Night Live” featured a spoof on ads that showed sexually satisfied men saying, “Thanks, Viagra.”

In it, one eye-rolling actress after another was featured groaning “Thanks, Viagra,” as a horny male partner groped her from behind or gripped her in a slow-dance.

The skit was funny because it reflected a reality few people were talking about.

“We are a very puritanical society, and I think Viagra has loosened us up,” said Nachum Katlowitz, director of urology and fertility at Staten Island University Hospital.

“But for the most part, the women have been left out of the sexual improvement revolution.”

Pfizer finally did include women in its marketing for Viagra, in 2014. The commercials featured sultry women, including at least one with a foreign accent, speaking directly to the camera, telling men to get themselves a prescription.

‘Female Viagra’ flops

In 2015, the FDA approved a pill called Addyi (flibanserin), which was cast in the media as the “female Viagra,” and was touted as the first libido-enhancing pill for women who experienced a loss of interest in sex.

The pill was controversial from the start.

A kind of anti-depressant, women were warned not to drink alcohol with it. It also cost hundreds of dollars and came with the risk of major side effects like nausea, vomiting and thoughts of suicide.

“It didn’t go over too big,” said Katlowitz.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals bought Addyi for $1 billion in 2015, but sold it back to the developer, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, at a steep discount last year.

Older women’s main problem when it comes to sex is vaginal dryness that accompanies menopause, and can make sex painful.

Solutions tend to include hormones, or laser treatments that revitalize the vagina. They are just beginning to grow in popularity, but still cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, said Kavaler.

“We are at least 20 years behind men,” she said.

For Katlowitz, Viagra was a prime example of “the greed of the pharmaceutical industry.”

Viagra cost about $15 per pill when it first came out, and rose to more than $50. It finally went generic last year, lowering the price per pill to less than $1.

“There was absolutely no reason to charge $50 a pill,” said Katlowitz.

“It was just that they could, so they did.”

THE SMALLEST of the 79 artefacts on view in the exhibition “Great and Good Friends” – gifts exchanged between Thai monarchs and American presidents and their delegates over two centuries – is a golden cigarette case. Roughly square at about eight centimetres, it bears the Royal Cypher of King Ananda Mahidol.

And yet this smallest of tokens of affection played a significant role in rebuilding trust and friendship between the nations towards the end of World War II.

Pridi Banomyong, as regent, sent this gold cigarette case bearing King Ananda’s cypher to President Franklin Roosevelt as World War II drew to a close.

On behalf of the young King Ananda, Rama VIII, then studying in Switzerland and for whom he was serving as regent, Pridi Banomyong sent the cigarette case to President Franklin Roosevelt, who was rarely seen without a cigarette (usually lodged in a long, slender holder).

“It was a message of peace,” US Ambassador Glyn Davies said last Wednesday as he opened the exhibition. “This is a power of gift to shape a history.”

Of course the Japanese army was occupying Siam at the time and in 1941 had coerced its prime minister into declaring war on America and the Allies. Then in 1945, two agents of the US Office of Strategic Services sneaked into the Kingdom to meet Pridi, who had established Seri Thai (the Free Thai underground resistance movement). Pridi gave the Americans the cigarette case for Roosevelt, a signal that the King sought peace.

The message was clear, but the gift remained a secret for nearly 30 years.

The United States and Thailand are this year celebrating the bicentennial of friendship, and the exhibition – continuing through June – is one of several observances planned.

It features portraits of the two countries’ heads of state, gold nielloware, garments, textiles, religious items, weaponry, basketry and musical instruments.

Davies spoke of how a single object can share many stories – about “history, diplomacy, culture, honesty and generosity”.

The items are on display, amid tight security, in two galleries of the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles at the Grand Palace. Curators Trevor Merrion and William Bradford Smith borrowed the American pieces from the Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and Library of Congress.

Phraya Suriyawong Montri’s 1818 letter formally launching relations between the two countries is on the right, next to a copy of the 1833 Treaty of Amity and Commerce.

Ceremonial correspondence and other artefacts from the first century of the nations’ friendship date back to an 1818 letter that foreign minister Phraya Suriyawong Montri (Dit Bunnag) sent to President James Monroe, conveying King Rama II’s approval of trade with the US.

“This letter was recently discovered among Monroe’s papers at the Library of Congress,” said Merrion. “It was written in Portuguese because English wasn’t understood in the Kingdom at that time.

“Dit Bunnag writes about American trader Stephen Williams arriving in Bangkok to trade for sugar and recommends that other American merchants bring muskets.”

The suggestion was eagerly taken up, with American ships reaching Bangkok throughout the 1820s. Soon enough, in 1833, a Treaty of Amity and Commerce was signed. A copy of the treaty is on view in three segments – the original was a roll more than three metres long. It contains Thai and English but, just to make sure everyone understood was the document entailed, it was also transcribed in Portuguese and Chinese.

Letters to the US presidents from King Mongkut, Viceroy Pinklao and King Chulalongkorn 

Letters to two presidents from King Mongkut (in 1856), Viceroy Pinklao (1859) and King Chulalongkorn (1869) are excerpted, each bearing royal seals and, in the first and last cases, the royal signatures.

It was Abraham Lincoln whose warm phrase “great and good friends” became the title of the exhibition. He was replying to King Mongkut in 1862, thanking him for the offer of a pair of elephants – but declining on the grounds that the American climate would not “favor the multiplication of the elephant”.

President Abraham Lincoln’s 1862 letter to King Mongkut and the ceremonial robe Prince Wan Waithayakon gave the Smithsonian Institution in 1947.

Lincoln’s charming letter is shown alongside daguerreotype portraits of King Mongkut and one of his daughters. The Siamese ruler’s offer of elephants had actually been addressed to President James Buchanan – in what Merrion called “the most famous letter in the National Archives” – but by the time it arrived, Lincoln was in the White House.

King Mongkut sent this gold nielloware bowl, water pot, tray and shear to President Franklin Pierce in 1856.

King Mongkut, Rama IV, outlived or outlasted a series of presidents. Franklin Pierce was in office in 1856 when he sent an elaborate silk wrap, swords and items of gold nielloware. He’d fretted over what might be suitable for a president who, though a sovereign, was not royal.

“Gold nielloware was reserved for high-ranking noblemen, a rank seen as closer to that of the US president,” Merrion said. It should be remembered, he added, that the two countries were still striving to understand each other’s customs.

An ivory-and-silk prayer fan and an alms bowl with lacquered lid and mother-of-pear-linlaid stand were among King Chulalongkorn’s gifts to the Smithsonian Institution.

King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, continued his father’s efforts to open Siam to the West, shipping exquisite examples of nielloware and lacquereware to the World Fairs in the US from 1876 to 1915 to showcase his subjects’ craftsmanship. Many of these items were then given to the Smithsonian Institution.

The exhibition has several of these pieces, including an alms bowl with mother-of-pearl inlay and a prayer fan of ivory and silk gold thread.

King Prajadhipok, Rama VII, and Queen Rambhai Barni became the first reigning monarchs of Siam to visit the US. 

When in 1931 King Prajadhipok, Rama VII, and Queen Rambhai Barni became the first reigning monarchs of Siam to visit the US, it caused a sensation. Footage is screened of their reception in New York City, where they visited the Empire State Building, newly completed as the world’s tallest building. Various photos are shown, along with a copy of Time magazine with the King on the cover.

A silver niello bowl with gold trim was a gift from King Prajadhipok to President Herbert Hoover in 1931. 

He gave President Herbert Hoover a large silver niello bowl bearing his Royal Cypher and depictions of a garuda, Hanuman and Erawan.

The gold nielloware that Their Majesties King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit gave to President Dwight Eisenhower during their US tour in 1960 and other different presidents and first ladies are on display. Smith pointed out the more modern presentation and more typical of the 20th century, “partly thanks to the Support Foundation initiated by Queen Sirikit”.

“The exquisite gold nielloware is crafted in new forms – shaped like a bell pepper and a turtle.”

Gold nielloware give by Their Majesties King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit to presidents and first ladies.

Eisenhower also was given a stunning gold niello desk set and a royal decoration that no other president has received. He wore the medal and chain of the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri during the White House state dinner hosted for Their Majesties.

King Bhumibol made President Eisenhower a member of the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri and gave him a gold niello desk set, right.

That royal tour is wonderfully evoked in the exhibition, most memorably the King’s jams with famous jazz musicians and a tour of Disneyland in the company of Walt Disney himself. The cheerful boy in the photos and film footage is, of course, the future King Rama X.

Some of the traditional musical instruments King Bhumibol bestowed on the US Library of Congress.

Smith related that King Bhumibol gave 10 traditional Thai musical instruments to the Library of Congress during his visit to Washington. Five of them are in this exhibition.

Ambassador Davies pointed out one the several objects in the show that have undergone extensive conservation, a painstaking process documented in a video.

“This ceremonial robe made from netted golden threads is the one that impressed me most. It was very beautiful and unique,” he said. “Prince Wan Waithayakon, a grandson of King Mongkut, gave it to the Smithsonian Institution while he was Thailand’s ambassador to the US in 1947. It was from his personal collection. He was also the first Thai diplomat to serve as president of the United Nations General Assembly.”

Visitors can virtually explore the exhibition in 360 degrees through the Google Arts and Culture application that’s available for free download.

TOKENS OF AFFECTION

The exhibition “Great and Good Friends” continues until June 30 at the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles within the Grand Palace compound.

It’s open daily from 9am to 4.30pm.

Respectable attire is required – no shorts or flip-flops.

Admission is Bt150 (Bt50 for students with ID and children 12 to 18 years old, free for younger children).

Learn more at http://www.GreatAndGoodFriends.com.

New from Huawei is the Y9 2018 quadcamera smartphone with dual front cameras (16 and two-mega-pixel resolution) and dual rear cameras (13 and two) and a 4,000mAh battery as found on much more expensive phones. The 5.93-inch FullView Display has an 18:9 aspect ratio, and you get dual SIM support, external storage of up to 256GB and a Kirin 659 Octacore processor. All this for just Bt6,990.

What’s in the fancy box?

Wrap your iPhone 7 or 7+ in an Element Case Katana made of hard walnut wood whose texture is nicely shown off. The CNC front bezel is machined from high-grade stainless steel and the rear chassis is a military-grade G10 glass composite, resting against a walnut back cover. Get one from STM Goods Thailand for Bt12,900.

Phantom on the prowl

The made-in-France Devialet New Phantom portable speaker hurls out 1,200 watts and boasts a high sensitivity of 101dB. The tweeter, medium driver and bass driver are all aluminium. There’s a builtin digital-to-analogue converter that will sample the High-Resolution Audio format of 24bit/192kHz. Expect to pay Bt66,900.

Shure thing

Shure’s SE215 Wireless Sound Isolating inear earphones guarantee hours of rich, detailed sound with enhanced bass, the freedom of wireless and the simplicity of Bluetooth. There’s a three-button remote and a microphone to use as a smartphone headset. They’re in stores for Bt6,990.

Treat your inner rebel

The Fresh ’N Rebel Rockbox Brick Fabriq Edition Bluetooth speaker is wrapped in woven fabric in several colour choices. The builtin 500mAh rechargeable battery lasts about 20 hours. It can also function as a power bank and has touch-sensitive control buttons on top. It’s available from http://www.Ashop.asia for Bt1,990.

Digital media has been around for years though never at the level and of the variety we see today. An increasing number of people from all walks of life are jumping on the social media bandwagon to sell their products, offer their opinions or claim their five minutes of fame, and competition is fierce, with usually only the most savvy filtering their way to the top.

Much, of course, depends on the mood of the moment and these new social networks enjoy a huge spike in popularity every now and again, taking the Internet by storm with droves of icons, influencers, brands and publishers hoping to get in on the next big thing. And by creating posts that catch the eye and engage the viewers, they can make an impact with their brand and connect with their consumer base.

Bangkok University is also paying attention to social media and has just launched a new international curriculum called “Innovative Media Production”. Working in collaboration with Malaysia’s WebTVAsia, one of YouTube’s largest partners in Asia with a multichannel network that regularly surpasses two billion monthly views from 70 million subscribers, and South Korea’s HuMap Contents, a global artist agency representing many content creators, artists and influencers, the course focuses on content creation.

“In essence, the curriculum teaches students to be content creators using what’s available to them – a smartphone camera, for example, or earphones with a microphone. Our aim is to help them become world-standard content creators, which is why the curriculum is in English. It is also why we’ve joined with WebTVAsia, a digital media entertainment company founded in 2014 by Prodigee Media as a YouTube Certified Multi-Channel Network, and South Korea’s HuMap Contents, a free offline map application that won the Invitel InnoApps Award in 2013,” says Tashapon “Ball” Prapanont, programme director of Innovative Media Production International Programme and bilingual programme coordinator for the Communication Arts faculty’s broadcasting department.

“Content creators earn a decent income and that’s what the new generation wants. They don’t want to be office workers. And when you can create content and can sell it on the world stage, income flows in automatically. With us, you will learn about techniques and strategy, as well as big data and how to use them to check what the information is suitable for and for whom. Big data also evaluate the advertising we are interested in and the subjects we search for. In this digital world, making marketing and creating online content has to be supported by social media. Content must be short and catchy. This curriculum will help you have ideas how to produce it and how to make it go viral,” he adds.

The new international curriculum is designed to develop students to successfully meet the challenges of the new media landscape and global-scale innovations of today. Studying with world-class practitioners through action and practice-based learning, the students will become experts in content creation and applicators of computer-generated imagery (CGI), contributing art, printed media videos, films, television programmes, and simulators. They will also become competent in using their knowledge professionally and for commercialisation. Students will collectively gain a creative and entrepreneurial mindset, and produce content with advanced technologies.

In short, this is an ideal programme for those who are interested in becoming digital media startup entrepreneurs as well as the influencers in industry-leading global companies.

“This curriculum doesn’t directly help you to achieve success as much depends on what type of success you are chasing – income, fame or happiness. But it does help you to understand the business world these days. And if the content is good enough, income will follow. In this era of the Internet, it makes the world smaller. For example, the content we produce here today could well be popular in China, Vietnam or South Korea the next day. But, if your content is in English, it will go further and probably become popular in the West too,” Tashapon explains.

The curriculum is designed for anyone seeking a career as an influencer, a startup, entrepreneur, digital media entrepreneur, creative director, art director, production designer, motion graphic designer, motion editor, animator, YouTube creator, Vlogger, TV host, DJ, announcer, news reporter, presenter, digital broadcast entrepreneur, script writer, programme producer, cinematographic designer – the list is endless.

Among those who have already made a name for themselves are South Korean rapper Kisum, Thai rapper and actor Guntee “CD The Star” Pitithan, the Buffet Channel gang and Pemika “Pupe” Thiravanitkul, a fashion blogger who uses the name Stellar Balcony. All turned out for the launch of the curriculum to encourage young people to sign up.

“My channel is like an introduction to me. I upload my singles to it, talk about my personal life, my lifestyle and the way I make music with my friends. YouTube is a very good channel and has certainly made me better known everywhere,” says Guntee.

“My hip-hop character isn’t as strong as hip-hoppers in general. But I’m getting there by posting my rap numbers,” adds Kisum.

The Buffet Channel is doing well too. “Our production team is made up of five people who have been friends since university. Our strength is highlighting our friendship on our show. We all graduated in film and our parodies are well known. We used to make films to enter contests but as we all have a strong sense of humour, we figured parody was the way to go. We’ve been working with WebTVAsia for almost four years and are now very popular in Beijing,” says Japan, a member of Buffet Channel.

Learn a little more

– This curriculum, which will be taught through Bangkok University’s Communication Arts faculty, will be available from August.

– Find out more at http://www.BU.ac.th/bui/curriculum/bachelorsdegree/innovativemediaproduction/.

You get an absolutely excellent HDR picture from the LG 55UJ630T 4K Ultra HD smart TV. The 55-inch IPS 4K display has 3,840×2,160pixel resolution, great contrast and vivid colours. You can even get 178-degree wide-angle views.

High Dynamic Range at HDR10 and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) combine to enhance content quality, so the tiniest detail becomes clear.

HDR Effect will upgrade SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) close to HDR quality, while a 4K Upscaler boosts picture resolution to 4K.

There are several picture modes, including two “expert” modes for fine-tuning and optimising according to the lighting in the room.

The other modes are Game, Cinema, Football, APS (Auto Power Saving) and Standard.

I really enjoyed HDR Effect, setting the colour choice to “vivid”.

Among the sound modes are Smart Sound, Standard, Cinema, Clear Voice III, Football, Music and Game.

I enjoyed Ultra Surround Mode because of the way it deepened the bass. It creates virtual surround sound from the TV set’s stereo speakers and hiked the bass for a throttling movie experience. The TV speakers generate 20 watts.

The set will play 4K HDR movies from a USB drive. I found that two video clips provided by LG on a USB drive played smoothly, with very crisp details and luxurious colours. Details in the shadows could be seen clearly.

I connected the TV with Wi-Fi 802.11ac to my home router on True Online’s True Super Speed Fibre of 50/20Mbps and streamed 4K HDR clips directly from YouTube. They played smoothly and the pictures were impressive with bright colours and sharp details. Birds, fish and other wild animals came to life on the screen.

Movies beaming into my TrueVisions satellite box in Full HD resolution also looked beautiful on the 55UJ630T thanks to the upscaler and HDR Effect.

The YouTube app is part of the 55UJ630T smartTV function based on LG’s webOS 3.5 operating system. This OS made it easy to set up the TV and select content when using with LG Magic Remote that’s sold separately.

WebOS 3.5 will display a Launch Bar to allow access to content and switch between input ports easily. When you open a TV source device connected to an HDMI port, the TV will automatically change to that port.

WebOS also made it easy to tune in to terrestrial TV channels. It has builtin digital tuner and has no problem tuning in to the digital channels available in our country.

But the fun of the webOS is that you can install several more apps, including some for watching popular IPTV channels and video on-demand services such as Netflix. Several games are also available.

The 55UJ630T UHD 4 Ultra HD Smart TV from LG has a suggested retail price of Bt25,990.

KEY SPECS

– Operating system: webOS 3.5

– Processor for smart TV: Quadcore

– Display: 55-inch IPS with 3,840×2,160pixel resolution

– Audio: 2.0 channels with 20 watts output

– Connectivity: Three HDMI ports, two USB ports, one component, Bluetooth, LAN, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, one digital optical output, one headphone out

– Dimensions: 100x55x5mm

– Weight: 14.3 kg (with stand)

Home-entertainment hub Apple TV has some improvements in the latest version – Apple TV 4K – including better picture quality and faster performance.

Anyone new to Apple TV should understand it’s not a TV set. It’s an Internet-based video on-demand receiver that will pull in content from many providers around the world.

But it does more than play streaming movies and TV shows. It can be a gaming computer and can stream tunes from Apple Music.

Once connected to the App Store, you can transform your living room with games and apps for fitness, learning, travel, shopping, cooking and more.

The Apple TV 4K box is tiny – 35mm high, 98mm wide and 98mm deep and just 425 grams.

You have a builtin power supply and a removable power cable, an HDMI 2.0 port for 4K HDR movies, and a Gigabit Ethernet port for connecting to a home router. Wi-Fi will connect to a 802.11ac router with MIMO fast and stream movies wirelessly.

You can enjoy the 4K HDR experience thanks to the new tvOS and A10X Fusion Chip that provide 4x GPU and 2x CPU performance.

The Apple TV UI is rebuilt in 4K and wide colour, resulting in vibrant images and sharper text across the Home Screen, Screensavers, iTunes, Music, App Store, Photos, and Memories.

And the builtin high-performance 4K scaler makes non-4K content look great. It always outputs at the highest resolution possible for your TV.

There’s a great selection of 4K HDR on iTunes and Netflix. There’s support for both HDR10 and Dolby Vision standards. Your iTunes HD movie library will automatically upgrade to 4K HDR versions when available, and 4K HDR movies will be priced the same as HD on iTunes.

The latest releases in 4K HDR include “It”, “The Lego Ninja-go Movie”, “Blade Runner 2049”, “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” and “Dunkirk”.

Featured iTunes 4K HDR content including new Apple Music originals are in 4K, Carpool Karaoke, Planet of Apps.

I tested the Apple TV 4K on an LG UHD 4K Ultra HD UJ630T 55-inch TV, which can handle 4K HDR movies. The movies available on YouTube looked very sharp, clean and with very vivid colours and details. I also watched “Wonder Woman” (2017) in 4K HDR format, which I downloaded from iTunes. The picture quality was very impressive.

I tested the box using True Online’s True Super Speed Fibre of 50/20Mbps to stream video content from the Internet and they played quite smoothly.

The Apple TV box runs on the new tvOS 11 with some fresh features and enhancements.

The major improvement is the box’s ability to takes full advantage of 4K and HDR. During setup and whenever you connect another 4K TV, Apple TV 4K automatically detects capabilities and helps optimise your setup for the best possible picture.

You’re required to confirm the 4K HDR output within a given time, or else the box will switch back to the normal setting and you’ll have to use the remote to change the setting later.

Accessibility enhancements include Voice-Over for Braille display and Bluetooth keyboards, Braille captions and subtitles, and a playback control for Switch Control.

Now, when using the same iCloud account, you can keep installed apps and Home screen appearance the same across multiple Apple TVs. You can also set Apple TV to automatically switch between Light and Dark mode according to the time of day.

Control Centre enhancements in iOS 11 make it easier to control your Apple TV from an iOS device. During the test, I could use an iPad Pro 10.5-inch to set up the Apple TV conveniently.

To use it for the first time, you must connect to the Internet using either a LAN cable or Wi-Fi. Then you use your Apple ID to log in. When I moved the iPad Pro near the Apple TV box, a dialogue box appeared so I could use the tablet to set up the TV box. The box will display a four-number pin to key in to the iPad to complete the setup.

Then you can enjoy photos, videos from your iCloud Photo Library or shared albums on the screen.

To navigate the Apple TV, you need to use the provided Siri Remote, which has a rechargeable battery. The top part of the remote is a Touch surface that functions like a notebook computer’s touchpad to move the cursor on the TV screen.

You can swipe left, right, up or down on the Touch surface to highlight a menu item or a list and press the surface to select it, like clicking a mouse.

If an item has additional information, you can press and hold the Touch surface and a pop-up window will appear.

There are also Menu buttons for returning to the previous screen and the Home screen.

The Apple TV box can also be connected to a Bluetooth keyboard for entering text.

You can use App Store on Apple TV to buy or install many useful apps and fun games.

I found that a tennis game on Apple TV, Hit Tennis 3, very fun to play and even good exercise. You need to hold the remote firmly and swing your forearm to hit the ball, and at exactly the right time.

Another app, YogaGlo – Yoga and Meditation, has to be healthy too. You can learn yoga from TV!

In fact, the Apple TV 4K can be a great learning hub for your kids. Among the apps available are Hopster: Kids TV & Learning and PlayKids – Learn Through Play.

Apple TV 4K with 32 gigabytes of storage retails for Bt8,500. With 64GB, it’s Bt9,200.

KEY SPECS

– Processor: A10X Fusion chip with 64bit architecture

– Ports: HDMI 2.0a, builtin power supply plug

– Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO; simultaneous dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology, IR receiver

– System requirements: iTunes purchasing and renting and Home Sharing require an iTunes Store account, 802.11 wireless, ethernet network or broadband Internet access, 4K and HDR TV for 4K and HDR streaming HDMI cable (sold separately)

– Video formats: H.264/HEVC SDR up to 2160p, 60fps, HEVC Dolby Vision (Profile 5), HDR10 (Main 10 profile) up to 2160p, H.264 Baseline Profile level 3.0 or lower, MPEG4 video up to 2.5Mbps

– Audio formats: HEAAC (V1), AAC (up to 320Kbps), protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (up to 320Kbps), MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, and WAV; AC3 (Dolby Digital 5.1) and EAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 surround sound)

– Photo formats: HEIF, JPEG, GIF, TIFF

– Dimensions: 35x98x98mm

– Weight: 425 grams

– In the box: Apple TV 4K, Siri Remote, Power cord, Lightning to USB cable, Documentation