AS A GROWING number of people around the world learn simplified Chinese instead of the more complicated traditional characters, young creative types in Taiwan are fighting to promote what they fear will become a dying art.

Introduced by the Chinese Communist Party in the 1950s to boost literacy, the simplified version of the script uses fewer strokes and is now the predominant writing system on the mainland.

Foreigners learning Chinese also tend to be taught the simplified characters, used in official documents by international organisations including the United Nations.

Even in Taiwan, where most people still use traditional characters, there is a growing tendency to opt for the more convenient simplified script. And with an increasing number of the island’s young people pursuing higher education and careers on the mainland, the influence of the simplified system is expanding.

Steve Tsai of Zihun introduces his app during an interview in Taipei. /AFP

Creators of a new Taiwanese app game called Zihun hope to help stem the tide. Players assume the identities of literary figures from ancient China and compete on speed and accuracy in writing traditional characters.

From filling in the blanks to “word solitaire” – using the last word of a phrase to create a new one – or matching simplified characters with their traditional version, players write the answers on their phone screens with their fingers or touch pens.

“We see Taiwan as the sole place to pass on traditional Chinese characters,” says Kevin Ruan, chief executive of tech firm Whale Party, which developed the app with Soochow University.

“We hope the app reflects the cultural implications of the script.”

Predictive and voice-activated messaging on phones is one of the reasons traditional characters are under threat, he adds, but says the initial reaction to the app has been encouraging – more than 5,000 people downloaded a trial version ahead of the official launch this month.

A phone displays traditional characters./AFP

Traditional Chinese script is a mixture of pictograph characters that represent objects and ideographs that depict ideas or concepts.

Different or the same characters can form a compound word – the word “forest” consists of three “wood” characters, for example.

There are rules to the formation of most characters, but learning to write them depends heavily on memorisation.

Critics say the simplified characters lose some of the meaning of the traditional versions. One commonly cited example is the character “love”, which contains the word “heart” in the traditional form but not in the simplified version.

“Traditional characters have allusions and meanings behind them and they reflect the imagination of ancient people. It’s a big loss that such elements are taken out,” says Jung Jeng-dau, head of the Chinese-language department at Soochow University in Taipei.

The use of simplified or traditional Chinese has also become politically loaded in recent years.

In semi-autonomous Hong Kong, where traditional characters still dominate, some see the promotion of the simplified version as symbolic of an assertive China as it tightens its grip on the city.

There are similar sentiments in Taiwan, which China still sees as part of its territory to be brought back into the fold. But for many, the bottom line is pragmatism.

Young Taiwanese design duo Wang Man-lin and Wang Chieh-ying hope their latest invention will make traditional characters easier to learn and fun to use.

Their craft business Lai zi na li, which translates as “where is the origin of words?”, promotes the complex script and a new set of six stamps, embossed with lines and strokes, can together create all traditional Chinese words.

Many customers are Chinese-language teachers or handicraft fans who like using the stamps to write greeting cards or postcards, Wang Man-lin explains.

“Traditional Chinese is considered the most beautiful writing system in the world,” she says.

“We want to offer another way to learn it because writing traditional characters by hand is really difficult for non-native people.”

The stamp set has been available for online pre-ordering since September and sales are more than 10 times their original estimate, says Wang, including orders from China, Malaysia and Canada.

Lin Chen-ling, 40, was among the crowd trying out the stamps at an educational fair in Taipei last month and said the set would make the process of learning traditional characters “more interesting and interactive” for her four-year-old son.

Some young Taiwanese at the fair also pledged to persevere with traditional script. “I never write simplified characters because traditional characters look prettier and more cultured,” said 17-year-old student Chang Yao-shui. “I hope they won’t vanish in future.”

It is the first baan & BEYOND outlet in the city and follows on the heels of stores in Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen. The store brings together all home decor and improvement products under one roof and target residents of Pattaya, Bang Lamung, Bang Saray, and Sattahip.

The launch of new store in Pattaya is part of the economic growth in eastern provinces, comprising Chon Buri, Rayong, and Trat, driven by the development of Eastern Economic Corridor initiated by the public and private sector.

“baan & BEYOND is located in a prime industrial location surrounded by growing businesses, residential and other real estate projects, shopping malls and retail shops, hotels and tourism destinations. With these favourable factors, we believe that the retail business for home products in Pattaya has major growth potential in the future,” said CEO Suthisarn Chirathivat

“We have improved our choice of merchandise and developed our product display methods, offerings customers easier decision making and a chance to mix and match home decor products.”

Products include fittings for bathrooms, kitchens and the bedroom, tiles, wallpaper and home spas. A 3-D service is also available.

To celebrate the opening, the company is offering special discounts of up to 70 per cent. Customers paying by credit card will also benefit from top-up discounts of up to 40 per cent. Until December 27 shoppers receive a cash coupon of Bt1,000 for any purchase of Bt10,000 and The One Card’s members will be able to redeem 600 points for Bt100 cash. Those who pay with the Central The One credit card will receive a return on money credit of up to Bt28,000.

Filled with fairy lights and the Mood Wall, from which guests can choose mood pins as souvenirs, the event sees Santa leading colourful parades to entertain the crowds. Featuring more than 120 booths of local vendors, the fair features a Market zone packed with popular restaurants and food truck as well as a variety of fashion outfits, health goods, antique and home decorative items.

The Santa Factory zone is designed to resemble Santa’s toy factory, where young visitors can play games to win wonderful prizes presented by Bangkok Bank. Under the theme Winter Forest, the Zoolumination space mimics an arctic forest where visitors will be greeted with aurora borealis and animals.

At the Playground corner, children and families will enjoy a variety of playthings that are guaranteed to bring laughter and stimulate imagination in children. There’s also the “Dog Pavilion zone, filled with stalls designed for pet lovers and several stations for dog training sessions.

Visitors can enrol in handcraft classes at the Workshop Spaces and chill out at the Music & Show, where famous artists such as Film Bongkot and the Sqweez Animal Band will take stage on December 16 and Lipta and the Season Five Band will perform on December 17.

The fair runs from 4 to 10pm on both days and a shuttle bus service is available between Onnut BTS Station and T77, leaving from under the pedestrian bridge for BTS Exit 2.

Find out more at http://www.T77community.com.

THE FRUITS have begun to ripen in a Chinese-Thai family’s efforts to revitalise Bangkok’s historic Huo Chuan Laung pier, once a hub of commerce but forgotten for most of a century.

Lhong 1919 – as the new mixed-use development is called – opened last month and continues to draw fresh tenants as well as hordes of customers and the curious.

Huo Chuan Laung, on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, was where Chinese traders began docking their steamboats laden with goods back in 1850, after Siam opened up to overseas merchants. Today it’s a shuttle boat tying up to the pier to collect and discharge tourists, shoppers and diners.

The buildings of Lhong 1919 are arranged in the traditional Chinese style known as San He Yuan, forming a semicircle around a large courtyard. 

The Wanglee family, which has long owned the property, has lovingly restored the dock area, which includes three attached, two-storey former warehouses arranged in a semicircle facing the river and a shrine to the Chinese sea goddesss Mazu.

The old storage facilities that once held mountains of goods from Singapore, Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland now house restaurants and cafes, arts-and-crafts shops and an events hall.

Rujiraporn Wanglee, founder of interior-design firm PIA, which oversaw the site’s redevelopment, sought to preserve as much authenticity as possible. Teak fittings were repaired with wood from other sections of the buildings. Where moss was growing on the exterior walls, it was left alone.

The historical pier, shrine and warehouses on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River have been restored to their original glory.

“It was the right time to wake the place up from its long sleep,” says Rujiraporn. “The traditional parts represent valuable heritage that should be preserved.”

Phraya Phisansuppaphol built Huo Chuan Laung – the name simply means “steamer pier” – in 1850 for the city’s Chinese community. European and Japanese merchants had their own piers elsewhere, as did the Siamese royal family.

The old warehouses are stocked once more with goods, this time with appealing arts and crafts.

The advent of the Port Authority of Thailand greatly reduced traffic at Huo Chuan Laung, and in 1919 Tun Lip Buey – a Wanglee family forebear – bought the site for storing the clan’s agricultural produce. There were also living quarters for the employees and other labourers.

The renovated  Mazu shrine

The Mazu shrine gave Chinese merchants and immigrants a spiritual anchor in Bangkok. The wooden statue of the goddess, known to Thais as Chao Mae Tubtim, can still be revered on the second floor of the main central edifice.

“I used to come here years ago when the buildings were still in a bad state,” says a Thai-Chinese visitor. “I came to worship Chao Mae Tubtim as a goddess of the sea because I have a water element in my zodiac birth sign. I’m really delighted to see the shrine and the buildings so carefully restored.”

Ceramics shop Poungphet by BPC is the first retail outlet for a Lampang manufacturer.

Crafts shops ringing the ground floor of the conjoined former warehouses include Poungphet by BPC, which sells hand-made ceramic tableware and decorative items made by Poungphet Aungsuthorn. It’s the only retail outlet for BPC Ceramics, which has a factory in Lampang and makes pieces for international brands such as Habitat.

Brand manager Thidarat Pakchanakorn, Poungphet’s niece, says firing at high temperature makes the ceramics extra durable, and they have textures and colours that invoke Mother Earth.

“I also run a film-production house and used to visit Lhong when I was scouting for locations,” she says. “The buildings were in bad condition, but I loved the Chinese-style architecture, which is so rarely seen these days.

“When the site was fully restored and I found out there was space for an art shop, I didn’t hesitate to rent an area to sell my aunt’s ceramics.”

Room5D offers a wide variety artsy items created by a collective of designers plus a painter.

In Room5D next door, a painter and fashion, interior and product designers are showing what they’ve created in apparel, jewellery, home decor, furniture and artwork.

Pravit Sawadviphachai, the clothing guy in the crowd, has glittering evening dresses in metallic spandex and silk satin, handbags woven from paper fibres and cotton thread, and outlandish costume jewellery made of beads, silver, crystals and precious stones. Everything is one of a kind.

“This old building, with its unpainted brick walls and cracks here and there, is a great place to show my luxurious dresses and jewellery,” he says. “It makes for a wonderful contrast – and it makes my pieces that much more beautiful!”

Mine Crafteria sells leather accessories and hosts workshops in the craft.

Mine Crafteria is Ussana Sintanawewong’s first shop selling her leather handbags, totes, shoulder bags and wallets, all rendered in premium calf and sheepskin. She also conducts workshops where you can learn to make your own passport holder (for a Bt900 fee that covers all materials) or a nametag (Bt700).

“I’ve been a freelancer for years, but this is my first venture into retail,” says the Silpakorn University graduate. “What I’m offering at the moment will appeal to people 30 years old or more, but the next collection will target the younger generation with embroidered canvas bags.”

Silver pieces adorned with gemstones are available for both men and women at Nine Accessories.

At Nine Accessories, Anut Wattanaruj – who lost his salaried job in the economic crisis 20 years ago and switched to crafting jewellery, has great silver-gemstone accessories, particularly rings, for both men and women.

“I opened a small kiosk just two months after I lost my job in 1997 and my silver pieces for men sold very well among foreigners,” he says.

He also has shops at creative space ChangChui and at Siam Discovery, all venues also offering the accessories for women created by his daughter Kotchakorn, who learned the trade at Bangkok’s Golden Jubilee Royal Goldsmith College.

“Lots of people these days have good taste and can mix and match items,” Anut says. “They love unconventional designs too, so you should be able to wear any jewellery piece in different ways.”

Rong Si serves Thai classic dishes and seafood.

One of the old warehouses that used to be stocked with rice is now a restaurant called Rong Si (“rice mill”) run by Atchara Burarak, who also owns popular outlets iBeery and Kub Kao Kub Pla.

A chilli dip with crab roe

Rong Si honours its origins by retaining some of the rustic old roof tiles in the interior and rice sacks on the ceiling. It’s a spacious place, with seating for 300, and specialises in Thai cuisine and seafood such as charcoal-grilled river prawns and a chilli dip with crab roe.

Next door is another restaurant, Nai Harng (“big boss”). Pravesvudhi Raiva of the S&P Syndicate chose the name in memory of his late father, business tycoon Suriyont Raiva, whose employees called him that.

Nai Harng is decked out reminiscent of the street stalls in Chinatown.

Inspired by the street-food stalls in Bangkok’s Chinatown, Nai Harng has an open kitchen, signs in glowing red neon, mismatched chairs and tables, and portraits of Suriyont on sheets of corrugated iron. There are scenes of botan blooms too, believed to signify prosperity and happiness.

A five-spice egg with duck thigh and foie gras

The menu at Nai Harng leans to Thai and Chinese dishes and includes a terrific pad thai with crabmeat and five-spice egg with duck thigh and foie gras.

BY LAND OR BY WATER

Lhong 1919 is on Soi Wat Thong Thammachart, off Chiangmai Road and opposite Thonburi Polytechnic College.

The Mazu shrine and arts-and-crafts zone are open daily from 10 to 8. The restaurants stay open until 10.

The free shuttle boat leaves Taksin Pier near the Taksin BTS station every hour every day from 10am to 8pm.  Find out more at (091) 187 1919 and the “Lhong 1919” page on Facebook.

A boost in storage space up from Oppo’s flagship F5 smartphone, the F5 6GB gives you not only that much RAM but also 64GB of internal storage. It has AI Beauty mode for both its 16-megapixel rear camera and 20MP front camera to enhance subjects’ appearances. A MediaTek MT6763T octacore processor and six-inch display with 2160×1080-pixel resolution complete the package. Choose black or red for Bt13,990.

Watch video on the go

Synology’s DS218 play network storage system is equipped with a 64bit quadcore 1.4GHz processor with a hardware encryption engine and 1GB RAM, delivering encrypted sequential reading/writing throughput at over 110MB/s. Powered by a hardware transcoding engine, it will play real-time, single-channel, 10bit H.265 4K Ultra HD or full HD transcoded video. This enables users to enjoy videos on the go with no device limits. It retails for Bt8,399.

Hear you calling

Jabra’s Elite 25e Bluetooth headphones rely on a powerful battery for up to 18 hours of calls and music per charge (22 days for standby). The 10mm driver also helps deliver rich and clear audio and the builtin microphone cancels out distraction noise. Safe from dust and water, get them through RTB Technology for Bt2,990.

Customise your listening

Industry-leading technology turns Sony’s 1000XM2 Wireless Noise Cancelling headphones into instant winners. Atmospheric pressure can be adjusted to suit your individual listening style and your altitude. You’re assured of 30 hours of battery life and easy, handsfree calling with a double tap. Expect to pay Bt14,990.

Pretty as a picture

The LG Signature Wallpaper 65-inch TV OLED 65W7T is designed to be mounted on the wall and resemble a framed picture. Just 4mm thick, the black OLED display is capable of displaying over a billion colours. You get a Dolby Atmos soundbar that can be mounted under the TV. Find it in stores for about Bt299,990.

Ultra-thin and ultra-lightweight, the ZenBook Flip S (UX370) from Asus is a two-in-one Ultrabook computer that’s got plenty of power for business applications.

As the name suggests, the Flip S display can be folded 360 degrees to become a handy tablet computer.

Just 10.9mm thin and 1.1 kilograms, this gadget is great for business executives to conveniently carry around for making presentations wherever they go.

The Flip S is light but strong, precision-crafted from 6013 aluminium alloy, a material common in aerospace applications. Asus says it’s 50 per cent stronger than the 6063 alloy used in many standard laptops.

The Flip S also manages to look quite elegant when adorned with the signature ZenBook spun-metal finish and brilliant-cut diamonds on the edges. The Royal Blue model features a Zen-inspired spun-metal finish on its all-metal unibody enclosure.

Despite being so thin, the Flip Si packs a full-size keyboard that’s comfortable to type on. The full-size backlit keyboard has impressive “key travel” of just 1mm, ensuring that typing is both easy and accurate.

The substantial power comes from an Intel Core i77500U dualcore processor running at 2.7GHz. You have eight gigabytes of working memory (RAM) and a fast 512GB of SSD storage.

The Windows 10 Home 64bit operating system makes dynamic use of the touch screen, which is illuminated from the back with a 13.3-inch LED Full HD display at 1,920by1,080-pixel resolution boasting a 60Hz refresh rate and 178-degree view. Corning Gorilla Glass protects the screen.

Asus Eye Care technology reduces blue light by up to 30 per cent. And the display looks large because the bezel is just 6.11mm thin, for an 80 per cent screen-to-body ratio.

Viewing video and high-resolution photos is thrilling on this baby, further enhanced by a very good sound system. The stereo speakers employ magnets two times larger and voice coils one and a half times larger than found in the previous generation.

The smart amplifier allows the speakers to be driven further – in fact three times louder than what you get from a normal amplifier – without distortion or speaker damage.

Asus says its Golden Ear team and audiophile specialists at Harman Kardon joined forces to produce the new SonicMaster audio technology for the Flip S. Its two separate high-quality speakers powered by a smart two-channel amplifier generate surround-sound ideal for watching movies.

I found the Flip S started up and shut down fast. Its touch screen and menus scrolled quickly and smoothly. Business applications like Microsoft Office, Word and PowerPoint ran without problem.

The fun thing about the Flip S is that ability to fold up into a tablet on a 360-degree Ergo-Lift hinge. This hinge is a precision-engineered metal multigear that provides a smooth, stepless action and holds the display securely at any angle.

A dual-action mechanism lifts and tilts the keyboard into the perfect typing position when the display is opened beyond 135 degrees. Asus says the Ergo-Lift hinge is “torture-tested” – opened and closed more than 20,000 times to prove its reliability.

Apart from tablet mode, the Flip S can form a tent with the two edges serving as stands, and switch to presentation mode with the display flipped back and the keyboard facedown on the table.

In tablet mode, you get to try out the Asus Pen, an active stylus with a slim and elegant aluminium design that feels pretty posh. You can accurately draw, write or annotate in any supported app.

Full support is also provided for Windows Ink, an app that allows you to create sticky notes and jot down ideas as they occur to you. You can even take a screenshot and share it in one click. The pen has 1,024 pressure levels, so it’s great with any drawing applications.

The integrated fingerprint sensor on the top right edge enables access with security, using the Windows Hello feature of Widows 10 and without the need to key in a password.

The sensor, measuring just 16 by 3.6mm, affords superquick recognition, even from a partial fingerprint scan.

Another terrific feature of this Ultrabook is the Quiet Fan app, with which you can select the fan’s ideal noise level for any task at hand and switch between balanced and high-performance modes. The standard fan speed is ideal for quiet computing, but you can turn Quiet Fan off to allow for with high load demands, when the fan will be noisier.

The Flip S can be expanded through two USBC ports, which are there to handle external displays, power delivery and data transfer – all via one reversible, anyway-up connector. The bundled Mini Dock gives you an HDMI port, a USB 3.1 port and a USBC port for fast charging.

Battery life is good – up to 11 hours. The 39Wh lithiumpolymer battery is shaped to precisely fit the thin profile. Fast-charge technology will let you power back up to 60 per cent capacity in just 49 minutes.

And, on top of all this, you get a black leather sleeve to keep your Flipper safe from scratches.

The Asus ZenBook Flip S has a suggested retail price of Bt63,990.

KEY SPECS

– Operating system: Windows 10 Home

– CPU: Intel Core i77500U processor 2.7GHz dualcore

– Graphics: Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620

– Display: 13.3-inch LED-backlit Full HD with Corning Gorilla Glass

– Memory: 8GB 2133 MHz DDR3

Storage; 512GB SATA3 SSD

– Ports: 2xUSB 3.1 Generation 1 USBC

– Audio: Two speakers ASUS SonicMaster Premium stereo audio system with surround-sound effects

– Camera: VGA webcam

– Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1

– Battery: 39Wh 2cell lithiumpolymer good for up to 11.5 hours

– Dimensions: 10.9x313x118mm

– Weight: 1.1kg

A boost in storage space up from Oppo’s flagship F5 smartphone, the F5 6GB gives you not only that much RAM but also 64GB of internal storage. It has AI Beauty mode for both its 16-megapixel rear camera and 20MP front camera to enhance subjects’ appearances. A MediaTek MT6763T octacore processor and six-inch display with 2160×1080-pixel resolution complete the package. Choose black or red for Bt13,990.

Watch video on the go

Synology’s DS218 play network storage system is equipped with a 64bit quadcore 1.4GHz processor with a hardware encryption engine and 1GB RAM, delivering encrypted sequential reading/writing throughput at over 110MB/s. Powered by a hardware transcoding engine, it will play real-time, single-channel, 10bit H.265 4K Ultra HD or full HD transcoded video. This enables users to enjoy videos on the go with no device limits. It retails for Bt8,399.

Hear you calling

Jabra’s Elite 25e Bluetooth headphones rely on a powerful battery for up to 18 hours of calls and music per charge (22 days for standby). The 10mm driver also helps deliver rich and clear audio and the builtin microphone cancels out distraction noise. Safe from dust and water, get them through RTB Technology for Bt2,990.

Customise your listening

Industry-leading technology turns Sony’s 1000XM2 Wireless Noise Cancelling headphones into instant winners. Atmospheric pressure can be adjusted to suit your individual listening style and your altitude. You’re assured of 30 hours of battery life and easy, handsfree calling with a double tap. Expect to pay Bt14,990.

Pretty as a picture

The LG Signature Wallpaper 65-inch TV OLED 65W7T is designed to be mounted on the wall and resemble a framed picture. Just 4mm thick, the black OLED display is capable of displaying over a billion colours. You get a Dolby Atmos soundbar that can be mounted under the TV. Find it in stores for about Bt299,990.

Guests at the first Michelin Guide Awards ceremony to be held in Thailand will begin the evening on Wednesday (December 6) sampling the “amazing and weird knowledge” of two outstanding Bangkok bartenders.

Nanthawit Sameepak and Chaiyasit Pratumsud earned the chance to share their concoctions with the gourmet Michelin crowd by winning the recent Mekhong Thai Spirit Cocktails contest.

At the “Reach for the Stars” gala dinner at the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, Nanthawit Sameepak – who plies his trade at Baan Suriyasai – will be serving Koon Suek, and Chaiyasit of the Tep Bar will brandish a cocktail named Thong.

“There are no boundaries to this amazing and weird knowledge,” enthuses Nanthawit, 30. “A bartender has the freedom to do whatever he wants in creating a cocktail, but at the same time must also please the customer.”

Nanthawit won the Mekhong contest by making a cocktail onstage that was actually invented by Khongpol Meesook, the bar manager of Baan Suriyasai. Koon Suek is made with Mekhong, the famous Thai rum, Vermouth Extra Dry, red wine, lemongrass, sweet basil, lime and syrup.

“Mekhong reminds me in its character of an ancient Siamese warrior drinking nam jan before a battle so he’d be brave and fierce,” explains Khongpol. “The wine gives the cocktail its fierce red colour and the astringent taste of the vermouth represents the warrior’s toughness and impulsiveness.

“For such a ruthless killer, the taste has to be strong. While complex vermouth harmonises well with Mekhong, the wine can be a Merlot or Cabernet house wine – rather smooth and helping build the drink’s character. The lemongrass and basil add fragrance and the lime and syrup ensure a full flavour.”

Chaiyasit, 28, learned the ropes from the online lessons of master bartender Luca Cinalli. His Thong cocktail – Mekhong, ripe mango, lime, natural honey, coconut sugar, dill and egg white – was already popular at the Tep Bar before Chaiyasit took it into competition.

“The name refers to the ‘golden age of the Siamese Kingdom’, when there was prosperity, advanced culture and great fertility in the land and the human mind,” he says. “But the original inspiration came when a foreign customer mentioned that his favourite Thai dessert was sticky rice and ripe mango.

“Mekhong can be blended with any Thai fruit, but you have to understand the different characteristics of the fruit. I chose mango because it’s so well known as a Thai fruit and can be eaten anytime of year. The honey gives the cocktail sweetness and fragrance, the coconut sugar has a rich oiliness, and the whites of pasteurised egg feel wonderfully creamy on the tongue.”

“For more than 76 years, Mekhong has been proud to represent Thainess to the world through its unique flavour,” says Sansiri Yodmeungcharoen, assistant marketing director of Thai Beverage.

“The Mekhong Thai Spirit Cocktails campaign was another milestone we’re proud of, because it will take Mekhong to a whole new level in the global culinary arena.

“The unique charm of Mekhong begins with the ingredients. Molasses and the tips of glutinous rice are refined using traditional methods, then fused with Thai herbs and spices according to a secret recipe,” she says. “This gives the spirit its own unique flavour and aroma.

“When used as a base in a cocktail, Mekhong offers an outstanding sensory experience. The success of Mekhong speaks of the brand’s ability to transcend time and stay relevant. When you introduce other ingredients as in a cocktail, especially Southeast Asian flavours, the result is a remarkable drink that’s fantastic to enjoy on its own or to complement any meal.”

Motorists who want to boost their safety with “an extra pair of eyes” will have no complaints with the RC500S from Taiwanese firm DOD, with dual-sided cameras recording Full HD at 1080p resolution.

The builtin GPS will record your location data as well.

DOD, founded in 2008, is partnered in Thailand with RTB Technology, a leading distributor of IT products.

The RC500S is well regarded because it’s made of premium components. These include a Starvis CMOS image sensor, Sony’s latest top-of-the-line sensor for enhancing visibility in low light and even deep darkness.

DOD is quite proud of being the first dashcam maker to use this sensor, which gives the RC500S an expanded ISO range – up to 12,800 – because the sensor improves sensitivity so much.

The cam uses a six-element sharp-glass lens with f/1.6 aperture to capture clear image at high speed in all lighting conditions.

The wide aperture allows more light through to the sensor. DOD says the aperture is 66 per cent larger than what’s found in most other brands.

The six-layer lens, made in Japan, ensures bright and clear pictures at all times without the worry of lens deformation in high heat or sunlight.

The RC500S boasts WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) technology to help balance exposure. This makes night shots brighter and reduces strong light exposure to achieve extremely readable images.

Dual video recording takes place both front and rear, the cameras soaking up Full HD 1080p quality – at 145 degrees (wide angle) up front and 140 degrees behind.

A polarising system reduces reflections from the wind-shield while increasing colour saturation.

A 10Hz GPS chip allows data to be updated up to 10 times per second. It reports your speed and route while recording video with precise driving information when synched to a DOD player.

Parking Surveillance Mode can automatically detect objects approaching your car fast when it’s parked. It can be set to automatically begin recording or be activated by impact. That will give you peace of mind when you leave your car unattended.

The mode is disabled in the default settings because it can drain and even damage your car battery. DOD recommends installing its DP4 kit to maintain low-voltage protection if you want to use this mode.

Unlike most dashboard cameras you see around, the RC500S has no monitor. The DOD worried that the tiny screen is too distracting for drivers, diverting their attention from the road, which could lead to accidents.

Instead, a passenger using the DOD Cam app can watch what the two cameras are recording, which is certainly safer practice. The passenger can also use the app to record video or capture photos for instant sharing.

With two cameras to install at the base of the front and rear windows, you might need a technician’s help. They have to be connected using the cable provided.

I had the folks at the Toyota Onnuj service centre install the system in my Toyota Altes Esport and was pleased how neatly the cable was hidden. One line ran from the cigarette lighter to the main camera and the data and power cable went back to the rear camera, concealed inside the ceiling liner.

Once you’re rolling, the system starts recording automatically, and once you reach your destination and switch off, the dashcam shuts down. No need to press any buttons. A voice tells you when recording has begun or paused.

The package comes with a 32-gigabyte microSD card, the unprotected data on which can be overwritten once it’s full. The RC500S can handle a microSD card up to 128GB for longer recording time.

On the main front camera is an SOS Emergency File Lock button that, when pressed, blocks the current recording from being overwritten.

There’s also a GSensor Automatic Trigger system for file protection. It kicks in when there’s an impact or emergency braking or when the car tilts, so you have a recording of what happened that  can’t be inadvertently overwritten.

Another button – a toggle switch – launches and halts voice recording as needed. Still another toggles the Wi-Fi when you connect a smartphone or tablet using the DOD Cam app. The connection is just like connecting to a a Wi-Fi router, and a password is provided.

With the app and a phone or tablet, you can monitor the video being recorded by either camera. The rear camera feed appears in a window inside the main camera’s display.

I found the video feeds from both cameras crisp and clear, with no blur, even at night.

RTB Technology sells the DOD RC500S for Bt13,900 at Lazada.co.th, Jaymart, Power Buy, leading auto-accessory shops, http://www.WeMall.com and http://www.GadgetThai.net.

KEY SPECS

– Video resolution: Front 1920×1080@30fps; rear 1920×1080@30fps

– Sensor: Sony Starvis CMOS both front and rear

– Wide-angle lens: Front 145, rear 140, aperture f/1.6 for both

– ISO sensitivity: Up to ISO 12800

– Video format: H.264 .mov

– Recording media: MicroSDHC/SDXC card (up to 128GB)

– Audio: Microphone and speaker (mono)

– Battery: Super-capacitor both front and rear

– Power input: 5V 1.5A

– Size: Front 112.6×61.5×33.4mm; rear 75.2x26x38.8mm

– Weight: Front 120g; rear 41g

– Operating temperature: Minus20 degrees C to 65 degrees

Despite the easy-to-use design and light weight at 82 grams, the Insta360 One is packed with functions for 24 million pixel photos and 4k video. The raw mode in photo-taking allows the user to collect precise details for professional adjustment. The One achieves six-axis image stabilisation with an onboard gyroscope, ensuring that it records smooth video without sacrificing quality – even in rough-and-tumble situations.

Most importantly for the digital era, Insta360 One comes with smart applications for image modification, video editing, a quick “share” and “live” with 360 degrees on social media.

Moreover, Insta 360 One can be easily used in three different ways –standalone, remote control via Bluetooth, and control via a direct connection to an iPhone charging port to immediately see images from the camera. The direct connection simplifies laid-down photo or video composition. It also comes with outstanding photo-taking technology such as “bullet time” in which creators can capture up to 240 FPS slow-motion shots where the ONE circles them dramatically, always keeping them centre-frame – while the accessory used to spin the camera is flawlessly concealed.

The Insta360 One introduces groundbreaking “free capture” and “smart track” technologies that allow users to effortlessly hone in on the key moments of a spherical video, translating the original 360-degree footage into a standard 1080p fixed-frame video that’s ready to share anywhere – all from their smartphone.

The One can take a micro SD memory Card up to 128 GB capacity. Insta 360 One is now available at the price of Bt11,900 with other accessories available, such as a selfie stick, or a water-resistant case to prevent any crush and dust. With the IP68 standard, the camera could resist water to 30 metres depth