Taking place every last Tuesday of the month, guys and gals can recharge their batteries in style and enjoy live music, great food and discounts on selected frosty craft beers from 6pm to 1am.

Ideal to chill out after a tight working day, ladies dressing in white attire will be eligible for extra special treatment and receive two glasses of Raspberry Rubaeus to start the party off right. All guests can enjoy the crisp and cold craft beer on tap, and a chef will create a range of dishes to compliment the flavours of world renowned craft beer, while the resident DJ spins popular hip hop hits from 8pm to midnight. To make the night even more fun and memorable, all guests can join a ‘Lucky Draw’ and have a chance to win a voucher for a 60-minute “Escape Remedy Signature Massage” valued at Bt2,000 for 2 persons at the exclusive SPA.

“We are very excited about the success of ladies night at Brewski and I want to invite everyone to join us for this fun filled evening. Brewski is the perfect place for both ladies and men to hang out with friends, enjoy our beautiful terrace setting and explore our wide variety of different flavours and styles of craft beers from around the world,” says Bastian Gaerner, Radisson Blu Plaza’s director of sales and marketing.

Book a table at (02) 302 3333 or browsing http://www.venuesbkk.com.

among them Nualphan Lamsam, Saarunthorn Techapaiboon, Kornkanok Yongsakul, Kanyapat Pakdipadungdan, Navadee Mokkhavesa, Phusik  Pattanaprakarn, Katie Pattanaprakarn, Pichamon-Primpisa Chomanan, Kwankao  Svetavimala, Karuna Vatchanaphukka and Ascha Charoenrasameekiat.

The product is creamy and soft and suitable for all types of skin. Its rejuvenating properties are naturally extracted from snail slime, which is said to be useful in skin repair and regeneration as it comprises elastin, collagen, glycosaminoglycan, vitamins and glycolic acid. Other ingredients include pentavitin that hydrates the skin and an essential amino acid extracted from apple juice that protects and softens. The new product comes in three formulas: Natural White, Anti-Aging, and Deep Moisture.

Find out more at Facebook.com/namulifesnailwhite/.

Organised by Asia Exhibition Services in cooperation with Fitness Innovations (Thailand) and sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the Office of the Prime Minister and the Sporting Trade Association, the 9^thAsia Fitness Conference & Expo, taking place from October 6 to 8, 2017 at BITEC Bang Na, is placing emphasis on strong physical health

“The workout trend nowadays has changed. Some people walk into the gym and feel intimidated by the people and the equipment there so walk straight out again. But gyms are now adapting, opening their doors to those who prefer to exercise occasionally, without buying a full programme, and are offering more affordable prices,” says workout expert Fabio Comana. “It’s an easy workout you can do regularly and that plus moderate eating is the simplest way of caring for your health.”

Punjamaporn Ruangsuwan, an AFC 2017 presenter, demonstrated her “Piyo” workout to the media at the recent press conference for the expo.

“It is a combination of Pilates and Yoga, with great music that invites you to move to the rhythm and relax. To start, sit on the floor, lift both legs and stretch them forward, lift both arms in parallel with the legs, turn the body to the left, spread the arms apart, lift the left leg, breathe in and out, then lift the right leg , and repeat. Do this for about 45-60 minutes on a daily basis. This kind of exercise helps to firm up the muscles and increases flexibility.”

Natthapong Champachan, another AFC 2017 presenter, showed his ‘Pound Pro’ workout involving a drumstick-like ‘Ripstix’ and music for relaxation.

“It’s a new workout trend, a cardio workout combined with Pilates and Yoga moves, and arrived here at the end of last year. With this workout, you don’t need to worry about movement or basics at all; just move when the music starts. To start, sit down on the floor.  Hold your hands forward, hit the stick to the left and then the right. Lift the left leg and then the right and just move with the music. Do this for 15 or 30 or 45 minutes. This workout style helps firm your muscles and your abs while the music helps you destress.”

Visitors to the expo will have the chance to meet leading Thai and foreign trainers including Mike Fitch, founder of Animal Flow body weight training and calisthenics; Prof Ross Tucker, a world-renowned Sports Scientist Terry Eckmann, and Perry Nickelston, author of “Stop Chasing Pain : A Vital Guide to Healing Your Body”.

Find out more atwww.AsiaFitnessBkk.com.

EXCEPTIONALLY warm years in the Arctic have provoked extra-cold winters and springs further to the south, decreasing crop yields across central Canada and the United States, research- ers said this week.

“Our study demonstrates for the first time an apparent linkage between Arctic temperature variations and agricultural productivity in mid-latitudes,” they reported in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Overall, global warming during the last half-century has boosted plant growth in temperate and boreal zones.

Forests and other vegetation help absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere mainly by burning fossil fuels.

But that fringe benefit in the fight against climate change can be undercut when especially hot weather hits the ice-covered Arctic, where surface temperatures have risen more than twice as fast as for the planet as a whole.

The study confirms recent research showing that warmer-than-average years in the Arctic over the last three decades can lead to harsh winters in the upper reaches of Europe and North America, and diminished rainfall in the southern part of the United States.

During these Arctic hot spells, more autumn sea ice melts than usual, affecting atmospheric circulation so that more cold air descends from the north in winter.

When this extends into spring, plants – including food crops – are vulnerable to damage and stunted growth.

Harsh winter weather also decreases the capacity to take up CO2, which plants absorb during photosynthesis.

Over the last 30 years, excessively warm Arctic spells prevented plants from absorbing nearly 370 million tonnes of CO2, about the same amount France or Australia emit in a year, the researchers estimated.

Led by Jin-Soo Kim, a team of scientists connected the dots by analysing sea-surface temperature records for the Bering Sea, which lies between Siberia and Alaska, and through computer modelling.

Years with higher Arctic temperatures correlated strongly with unusual air flow patterns over Alaska that resulted in “substantial cooling” over most of North America, as well as drier weather in the south.

In these years, the capacity of plant life in temperate zones to absorb CO2 declined by about 14 per cent, and crop yields in affected parts of North America fell by 1 to 4 per cent, the study showed.

“Irrigation could be used in water-limited regions to counter the drying effects, but spring frost may be harder to manage after sowing, and may impose heavy losses,” Ana Bastos, a researcher at the Climate and Environ-ment Sciences Laboratory near Paris, said in a comment, also in Nature Geoscience.

The negative impact of Arctic weather did have a silver lining, she added.

“The results may allow farmers to anticipate spring weather and manage their crops accordingly.”

Polar-ice experts predict that the Arctic could see its first ice-free summer within a couple of decades.

CHANGCHUI, one of the new “creative spaces” popping up all over Bangkok, was a focus of attention even before it opened late last month on the Thon Buri side of the river.

For starters, there was that name, which literally translates as “so careless” – a rather unusual choice in business, where establishments tend to prefer “auspicious” monikers.

But the founder is celebrated clothing designer Somchai Songwatana of FlyNow and a dedicated non-conformist. His other odd decision was picking an 11-rai site so far from the heart of Bangkok, in a place no one goes without a compelling reason.

This decommissioned passenger jet is getting a new lease on life as a fine-dining restaurant.

Somchai and ChangChui have provided that reason. In its first week the place was pulling in 30,000 people per day, causing a traffic debacle. The 500-berth parking lot was wholly inadequate, so nearby roads were in chaos, and Somchai drew heat on the social media.

In his own defence, Somchai says he was only expecting about 3,000 people a day that first week.

“We now have more parking space at a petrol station, restaurant and the Bang Bamru Railway Station and we’ve worked with the police to keep the traffic flowing,” he says.

ChangChui even posts live, thrice-weekly traffic reports on its Facebook page, using aerial views from a drone.

“Thep Jai Dee”, a massive sculpture by Chira Chirapravati Na Ayudhya, adds to the compound’s fun vibe.

Visiting ChangChui on a recent weekday posed no traffic hang-ups despite heavy rain. Nor did the rain stop hordes of other people from pouring in to tour the compound of small buildings of rusty corrugated zinc sheets with windows and doors made of old wood. The recycling design reflects Somchai’s “Nothing is useless” philosophy.

Somchai is a keen conservationist, and all the buildings were rendered from old wood and corrugated zinc. 

ChangChui is a jumble of galleries, restaurants, bars and craft stores. It has a theatre, cinema, tea room, barbershop, bookstore, stationery shop, greenhouse, a place for live music and, of course, a clothing store. Food trucks loiter with intent to sell cool grub.

The sun in this solar system is an actual passenger jet, 55 metres long, which will play out its life as a fine-dining restaurant.

Yon Yaan is a combination cafe, bookshop and stationery store.

With Somchai in a staff meeting, I waited in his office among antique furniture and stuffed animals (as in taxidermy). He’s got a leopard and several birds.

Somchai arrived complaining of having forgone sleep during the new endeavour’s first two weeks.

“I got a lot more harsh criticism than I expected,” he said, sputtering with an allergy worsened by lack of rest. “I had no time to pay attention to the social media, but today I had to see what was going on.”

Somchai Songwatana is storing his taxidermy collection in his office at ChangChui.

As to the parking furore, he said he decided to allot a quarter of his 11 rai to the buildings and keep the rest as open area “to give people space to breathe”. A bigger parking lot didn’t fit the calculation.

The site had sat unused for decades. Somchai has retained five of the original big trees and brought in another 200 or so. A thousand more trees of varying sizes are on the way.

His initial plan was to erect an office for FlyNow, but the multi-purpose creative space that replaced it caters to his artistic friends. Planning took a year, construction another six months.

The site’s original trees have been carefully maintained and a thousand more are being brought in.

“It’s not an oil well that will make a profit,” Somchai admitted. “It’s more like arid land where you have to dig for water! People tried to persuade me to build a condo that would earn billions, but I turned them down.

“I’m 58 now and relatively stable financially,” he said. “I wanted to do something good for society before I die, so I put my own cash up to make this project a reality. It would have been a waste of time trying to convince a bank to back such a weird, unprofitable idea.

“I have no hope of getting my investment back, but if I hadn’t done this, I’d have always feel regret.”

This decommissioned passenger jet is getting a new lease on life as a fine-dining restaurant.

He wouldn’t say exactly how much he’s spent, but that aeroplane alone must have cost a bundle. The decommissioned five-tonne jet used to fly for Thai Sky Airlines. Somchai and his team hauled it in “20 massive pieces” from Don Mueang Airport and painstakingly reassembled it on site, fiddling with “several hundred thousand aircraft rivets”.

“It was a massive pile of junk ready to be shredded for scrap. I wanted to give it a new purpose, so it will become an 80-seat Thai-food restaurant.”

The restaurant, due to open next month, will be named Na-Oh, a pun on Noah of biblical ark fame. Andy Yang, a Thai chef who in 2009 was awarded a Michelin star for his New York eatery Rhong Tiam, will be in charge initially.

The kitchen at Na-Oh will meet Michelin standards and be adorned with those taxidermist’s pets, who’ve “missed the boat” in one sense but get another chance on this ark – another chance to “FlyNow”.

While Na-Oh remains in dry dock, the food’s great at Somchai’s other restaurant, Insects in the Backyard. Yes, it’s the same name as the long-banned gay-theme Thai film and, yes, it serves dishes made with insects.

Boyd Kosiyabong has his personal toy collection on display.

The theatre-cinema will host performances by celebrated contemporary dancer Pichet Klunchun and screenings of films selected by the Documentary Club.

There’s a toy museum for singer-songwriter Boyd Kosiyabong’s private collection, and a photo gallery overseen by talented lensman Nopadon Kaosam-ang.

Yon Yaan is part cafe, part bookshop and part stationers. As well as the venue for live music, there’s a music store run by Nong Taprachan.

 A music store run by Nong Taprachan

There’s even a shop that sells aerial drones, which might be useful in surveying the food court with its assembly of “10 best street-food shops”.

Customers’ cameras have a lot to focus on besides the jetliner. Chira Chirapravati Na Ayudhya of Gui & Co has designed a towering, outlandish figure. Art is everywhere, including in the food court, which has eccentric art installations built out of old toys, straw, woven baskets and plastic oil jugs.

The Daek Din food court is artful too with funky installations fashioned from unconventional materials.

Among the dozens of rented premises open for business, Apichat Harinchai’s restaurant Ajisai Ramen is always packed. You have to be on your toes to get noodles there – they only make 80 bowls a day.

“I cooked in Japan for three years before opening my first ramen place on Soi Asoke, which is still in business, run by my brother,” Apichat said. “I decided to open the second outlet here because I wanted to try a new environment, and I love being among creative people.”

Ajisai Ramen serves only 80 bowls of noodles each day.

Chaiwat Nithichan was looking around ChangChui, a Lat Phrao resident a long way from home. “I’m not familiar with the area and got lost for a while before I found my way,” he laughed.

“I can certainly understand the idea behind ChangChui – creative ideas presented in different ways,” he said. “It’s a great spot for taking selfies and sharing them online, but there’s much more to do here than that. You can really set your creativity free.”

WAY-OUT OUT WEST

ChangChui is on Sirindhorn Road near the Bang Bamru Railway Station in Bangkok’s Bang Phlat district.

It’s open daily except Monday from 4pm to 11pm, though several shops in the Green Zone open at 11am.

Call (081) 817 2888 or visit http://www.ChangChuiBangkok.com.

VOICES ECHO around the magnificent, luminous dome of Boschpoort Prison in Breda, breaking the silence of the 130-year-old building, now empty of inmates like dozens of others in the Netherlands.

Falling crime rates over the last decade, as well as changing ideas about punishing criminals have robbed this penitentiary of its original purpose, and its gates clanged shut in 2014.

Built in 1886, it was possible to watch everything happening in the prison from its central courtyard under the main dome – a classic example of the 18th-century social theory of panopticism on passive behaviour when people are constantly observed, first mooted by the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham and later built upon by his French counterpart Michel Foucault.

Metal spiral staircases snake all around the doe down to the former canteen under the glass floor. Old sports areas are marked out on concrete, all are surrounded by cells stacked four storeys high, their now-rusted doors swinging open.

Unlike the previous occupants, some 90 businesses hold the keys to the building, free to come and go at will.

The dome-shaped Boschpoort Prison is being transformed into offices and entertainment venue following a significant drop in incarcerations in Dutch jails./AFP

Miguel de Waard, co-founder of the 3D Red Panda VR start-up, is among those who believe they have found a perfect office location, helping give new life to a protected national monument.

“We just instantly fell in love with this particular office: the high ceiling, the nice touches and the big windows and the lighting,” de Waard enthuses.

“We don’t see bars, I think, when we look outside, we just see a beautiful part of Breda.”

But he acknowledges the past has cast long shadows. “Every time we enter the dome or the women’s prison, it’s pretty dark, that’s true. And there’s a lot of history and sometimes you can feel it as well,” he says.

“The first time we were here and we had the keys, we were, like, wandering around at night in the dark and it’s a pretty amazing experience.”

There are now only 38 prisons still in operation in the Netherlands, with 27 closed since 2014.

Six were sold for about 20.7 million euros (Bt805.1 million), while others have been rented out, often as centres for asylum seekers, bringing in a total of around 18 million euros.

After leaping crime rates swelled Europe’s prison population in the 1990s, numbers in the Netherlands have dropped thanks, in part, to prevention programmes and a greater focus on re-integration.

“Judges are sentencing people in different ways. Not more lightly, but differently, with community service, or ankle bracelets” and rehabilitation clinics, explains Anneloes van Boxtel, who administers the interior ministry’s real estate.

Crimes fell some 26 per cent between 2007 and 2015, according to the official Central Statistics Bureau.

In a decade, the number of people imprisoned every year in the Netherlands fell from 50,650 in 2005 to 37,790 in 2015. And the rate of incarceration stands at 57 prisoners per 100,000 residents, compared with 458 in the United States.

So the Dutch have sought to put their empty cells to good use.

A detention centre in northern Veenhuizen has been rented out – guards included – to Norway to house its own inmates. A former women’s jail in northeastern Zwolle is now an award-winning restaurant.

With a 60-million-euro price tag, a penitentiary in Amsterdam Overamstel is to be transformed into a new residential district with thousands of homes. And a centre in Haarlem, bought by the local municipality for 6.4 million euros, will open its doors in 2019 as a university college.

In Breda, the prison and its 33,302 square metres of space was handed over to a special body in 2016 to be re-used for “social” projects.

“That was our biggest challenge: to open the prison again,” says Mandy Jak, communications and marketing adviser for the VPS association.

But interest has been huge, with some 300 people swiftly signing up to move in.

“It actually feels like not a prison any more. If you look around, it looks like a prison of course, but with all those start-ups, it’s got new energy,” she adds.

However, one summer evening new “inmates” were spotted, as about 350 people were once again locked in, taking part in perhaps the ultimate “Prison Escape” adult adventure game that have become popular in many countries. Barricaded into the cells, participants have to plot an escape over three hours with the help of some 80 actors.

But once rid of these thrill-seekers, the building again sank into silence. Until the next business day.

Running until August 15 at the Hall of Fame, Hall of Mirrors, Crystal Court, Watch Boutique and Watch Galleria, and Paragon Department Store, the event will also offer special discounts and a range of other privileges.

Chanisa Kaewruen, deputy managing director of Marketing and Business Relations of Siam Piwat, said: “Siam Paragon Watch Expo 2017 has been held for 11 consecutive years and is one of most popular and biggest watch exhibitions in Asia. The expo gathers together many highlighted timepieces from global brands, most of them introduced at Basel World and SIHH in Switzerland. The fair will provide watch fans with an opportunity to experience the very latest in innovations and technology, and to understand brand journey and heritage. And in an exclusive for this year, many world class brands such as Breitling, Maurice Lacroix, Gucci, Grand Seiko, Oris and Issey Miyake are creating interesting exhibitions especially for our customers.”

Jakkrit Keeratichokchaikun, Senior Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer of The Mall Group’s Watch Galleria, added that the Smart Watch will be very much under the spotlight this year. “Many brands have started producing more Smart Watches with multi-functions to meet lifestyle requirements and at an exceptional price,” he said.

Highlights include a limited edition Hublot Big Bang Unico Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Sapphire, of which only 50 pieces are available, and the Montblanc 4810 TwinFly Chronograph Limited Edition. Other stars are the iconic 18K white gold luxurious Hermes’ Maitres Du Temps and the Breitling Superocean Heritage II 46.

Super models and stars will show off the best in timepiece craftsmanship including Grand Seiko’s Black Ceramic Chronograph GMT Limited Edition, of which just three pieces are available, and the Oris Hammerhead Limited Edition, a special diving watch, which supports the shark conservation project of Pelagios Kakunja, a non-profit organization with the main objective of studying migratory marine species in the Mexican Pacific. The limited edition model features an engraved endangered Scalloped Hammerhead caseback.

The special Thailand limited edition TItan Edge, an exclusive model produced to mark the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the late King Rama IX’s Accession to the Throne, will also be on show. Just 3.6 mm thick, the watch bears the inscription, “In Honor of His Majesty the King” on its back.

Siam Paragon will offer 10 special promotions and souvenirs worth more than Bt10 million. They include discounts of 10 to 30 per cent in the watch department, and 50-per-cent discounts in the Fashion & Trend category. M card members receive an additional 8-per-cent discount on top and another 12.5 per cent when they redeem M Point in the same amount as the price for any purchase.

Platinum M card members are also entitled to special privileges.

Find out more by calling (02) 610 8000.

THE SONY Xperia XZ Premium boasts a stunning design, gorgeous 4K display, fast processor and very fast data connection.

And that’s in addition to an impressive camera.

The smooth, diamond-cut metal frame at top, bottom, front and back has a loop surface of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 that’s like a mirror reflecting its surroundings.

For now, there are only two shades to choose between – Luminous Chrome and Deepsea Black. I tested the former and loved the mirror effect and the way the body colour complemented the theme and wallpaper tones.

The 5.5-inch 4K UHD display with 2,160×3,840-pixel resolution adds to the phone’s allure.

Sony says this is the world first phone with a 4K HDR display with the high definition, colours and contrast of an HDR screen. Strategy Analytics’ SpecTRAX Service verified the claim after scouring specifications for 9,800 smartphones.

The display is powered by X-Reality, which makes it look better by filling in the missing pixels, reducing noise and enhancing texture.

The Triluminos Display reproduces about 138 per cent more colours than a standard display. It selectively maps colours from a wilder palette to show them all accurately and vividly.

So you can imagine how great 4K video clips look when streamed |from YouTube and Netflix, not to mention the hi-res photos you’ve taken with the on-board camera. Sony is actually calling the XZ Premium a “video smartphone”.

In my test, the display was bright with great depth and realism thanks to the Dynamic Contrast Enhancer, which uses adaptive tone mapping to correct the contrast automatically. Not even bright sunlight can spoil your viewing.

The XZ Premium is amazingly fast due to the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor running at 2.46GHz (20 per cent faster than its predecessors, Sony says). You can count on stunning graphics, superior performance and better battery efficiency.

CPU performance gets a boost from four gigabytes of working memory and 64GB of Universal Flash Storage (UFS). The CPU can access data at 1.5GB per second – three times faster than what you’re used to.

So I was playing graphics-intensive games and watching HD video clips with no lags or downtime.

The AnTuTu Benchmark (Version 6.2.7) gives the phone nearly 172,000 points, just one level below an iPhone 7 Plus, which is No 1 in the online database.

Internet connections are speedy because the Snapdragon 835 with its integrated X16 LTE modem has |Gigabit Class LTE capacity with |download speeds of up to 1Gbps.

I used TrueMove H’s 4G LTE network and was impressed how fast I connected and could download applications and store photos in my cloud.

The Ookla Speedtest app measured downloads at 139.49Mbps – the fastest I’ve ever seen on a phone – and uploads at 28.77Mbps.

Wi-Fi connection using 802.11ac protocol with 4×4 MIMO function is rapid, too. The phone connected to my Linksys EA8500 router, streamed video and shared photos with other devices very fast.

Supporting WiFi Miracast and Google Cast, it can also stream video to a 4K TV set. With 4×4 MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output), it doesn’t have to wait for data from the router. With a Samsung QLED TV, it can stream Netflix 4K movies at the same time.

File transfers are also super-charged thanks to the USB 3.1 connection, which is 10 times quicker than USB 2.0 and boasts a transfer speed of up to 5Gbps.

The sound quality is top notch on High-Resolution Audio files of various formats, including FLAC 24bit/192kHz tracks and advanced DSD Hi-Res Audio files, with sampling frequencies and bit-rates three to six times higher than CD audio.

I put on my Sony MDR-1ABT Hi-Res headphones and heard music that was clear, sharp and full of details and terrific bass.

The phone can also stream Hi-Res Audio sound via LDAC Bluetooth protocol to LDAC devices, such as MDR-1ABT or some Sony speakers.

The phone’s own speakers are good enough for playing music for friends. S-Force Front Surround creates virtual surround-sound from the two front speakers.

A fingerprint scanner integrated into the power button blends perfectly into the design. I had no problem unlocking the phone in an instant.

The XZ Premium is certified IP65/68 against water spills and dust, so you can take calls in the rain without worrying.

Now, for the cameras: You can put your compact digital camera away, because the phone’s main camera uses a memory-stacked ExmorRS sensor with technologies usually only found on premium compact cameras.

Since the image sensor has memory built-into it and uses triple-image-sensing technology, the camera offers several advanced functions.

Motion Eye derives from Sony’s Cybershot cameras, capturing movement that the human eye can’t normally see.

Predictive Capture senses movement and starts taking buffer images while you’re still preparing to shoot. If you click too late, choose the shot you want from up to four photos taken before you pressed the shutter. This makes the XZ Premium great for fast-action shooting, such as at sports events.

Object Tracking assist with fast-action shooting, keeping pace with whatever subject you touch in the viewfinder.

Super-slow-motion mode makes use of the memory-stacked sensor to record 960 frames per second. Played at normal speed, you can review moments that happen in the blink of an eye.

SteadyShot with five-axis image stabilisation ensures shake-free videos. Armed with Intelligent Active Mode, it compensates for movement in five directions, resulting in smoother footage.

I used the main camera to capture beautiful photos with sharp details in most lighting conditions. The Quick Launch button starts the camera in half a second and doubles as a shutter button.

The battery life is good. Smart Stamina “learns” how you use up power through the day and lets you know if you’re running low. Charging is optimised to make sure you don’t run out too soon.

Sony’s Xperia XZ Premium has a suggested retail price of Bt25,990.

Key Specs

Operating system: Android 7.1

Networks: GSM GPRS/EDGE (2G), UMTS HSPA+ (3G), LTE (4G) Cat16 with Gigabit-class speeds

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835

Memory: 4GB RAM

Storage: 64GB UFS, expandable with microSD up to 256GB

SIM: Dual nano

Durability: Water-resistant (IP65/68), Corning Gorilla Glass 5

Display: 5.5-inch 4K HDR Triluminos for mobile

Main camera: 19MP Motion Eye camera, 1/ 2.3-inch Exmor RS for mobile, memory-stacked sensor, 25mm f/2.0 lens

Front camera: 13MP 1/ 3.06-inch Exmor RS for mobile image sensor, 22mm Wide-angle f/2.0 lens

Connectivity: A-GNSS (GPS + GLONASS), WiFi Miracast, Bluetooth 4.2, DLNA Certified, Google Cast, NFC, USB 3.1 Gen 1/USB Type-C

Battery: 3230mAh Smart Stamnia, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0

Dimensions: 156x77x7.9mm

Weight: 191 grams

It’s also equipped with ultra-fast video response and Game Mode that detects changes in scenes, enhances colours and adjust contrasts. It has 3440×1440 resolution and 3,000:1 contrast and 300 nits of brightness and comes with a DisplayPort, 2 HDMI ports, and a USB hub. Best of all, it’s yours for Bt35,900.

As clear as crystal

Logitech Brio is the ultimate webcam for remote conferencing. Offering premium video quality, the Brio is Logitech’s first webcam with 4K Ultra HD technology and uses RightLight 3 and High Dynamic Range (HDR) video processing technologies to ensure high quality video recording in low-light conditions. It also offers up to 5x digital zoom with Full HD quality. The camera has a modern design with Infrared face detection technology to support computer access by facial scan or to protect against unauthorised login through Window Hello. |The Brio retails for Bt8,400.

Music to the ears

Sony SRS-XB10 is a portable wireless Bluetooth speaker that allows you to enjoy music with extra bass on the go. It uses a mono speaker with a 46mm drive that supports frequency of 20 Hz to 2,000 Hz and can be paired with another SRX-XB10 to create a stereo sound. It has 16 hours of battery life and is water |resistant with IPX5 rating. You can buy it for Bt1,990.

Lenovo takes note

A powerful notebook computer for game playing, Lenovo 80WK0043TA is. powered by an Intel Core i7-7700HQ quad-core processor and has 8 GB DDR4 ram and 1 TB hard drive. Its graphics horsepower comes from NVIDIA GTX1050 with 4 GB of dedicated video memory. The DOS version that requires you to acquire your own OS retails for Bt39,990.

Tablet with attitude

Apple iPad Pro 10.5-inch is a new powerful tablet computer from Apple with a redesigned 10.5-inch Retina display with 2224×1668 pixel resolution that comes with ProMotion technology and a refresh rate of 120Hz for making video displays smooth. It is power by A10X Fusion chip with 64-bit architecture. The iPad Pro 10.5 inch with Wi-Fi connection and 256 GB storage retails for Bt27,900.

The competition is divided into six categories and this year drew 30 entries from around the world.

The restrooms at the Southern Highlands Welcome Centre in Mittagong, Australia snatched the Best Economic Contributor prize, which focuses on when people stop at a toilet in a destination and stay on to spend more than a penny.

Refurbished in late 2015, the loos are adorned with flowers, posters, an audio reel and quirky fact stickers and also provide free Wi-Fi. Since then, the centre has increased a number of visitors from 60,000 to 72,000 and local product sales in the SHWC have risen 19 per cent.

Regional visitor expenditure has increased from A$250 million (Bt6.56 billion) to $261 million and the centre has achieved a customer satisfaction rating of 93 per cent.

“Despite a very small decorating budget for the toilets, the SHWC has been wonderfully innovative with their colourful, fun and informative loos concept. And this shows in the direct and indirect economic returns when visitors stop to spend a penny and then see what’s available locally,” one of the judges commented.

The Cliffhanger Loo with a View overlooking the sea, at Cobourg Peninsula, Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, Northern Territories, Australia is considered the Best Location. Standing on the edge of a cliff, the toilet is designed to resemble an outlook from where visitors can marvel at the lagoon just 10 meters below where crocodiles bask on the sand and reef sharks hunt for prey.

The WC is waterless, odourless and converts fresh waste into organic humus. A guest said that it’s like watching a National Geographic documentary while sitting on the loo, while a judge pointed out the cheeky, audacious, simple and environmentally sound nature of the cliffhanger loo. It has, he added, capitalised on its location perfectly and become an attraction in itself.

The Hahei Holiday Resort in Coromandel, New Zealand won Best Design for its new toilet and shower as part of a glamping backpacker lodge designed to personify eco beachfront coast chic using as much reused and carbon friendly products as possible.

Easy access ramps with sensor lighting and native plants in an atrium lead to oversize showers and loos. The design creates light opaque roofing for natural light, open trusses and external gable ventilation, with plenty of recycled native timber featured, including LED lights in old beer bottles and ceramic sinks from a hospital.

“The beautiful approach to the toilet and shower block and the light and airy design using local products has made the loos at Hahei Holiday Resort an exemplary lesson in design,” said a judge.

Another Best Design prize went to the Kathleen Buzzacott Art Studio, Alice Springs, Central Australia. Built in 2016, the loos were added for the convenience of tourists visiting Buzzacott’s studio. The beautiful toilets complement the stunning landscape and highlight the connection to native heritage and culture through the story-telling toilet doors, which feature indigenous central desert dot paintings.

“Unpretentious, simple and elegant, the design of these toilets perfectly complements the existing artist studio. A harmonious balance of architectural design and artistic creativity has produced this visually spectacular work of art. The building is an extension of the artist’s creative space. People pull up chairs to sit and admire the toilet doors, which tell their own Aboriginal stories,” a judge comments.

Dunnies with a Difference, the Toowoomba Portable Toilets, Toowoomba in Queensland, Australia won the Quirkiest Toilet Experience. The “people with the orange toilets” design and manufacture public toilets for events, most notable is their prestige range – Dunnies with a Difference – which includes the Rustic Cottage, the London Telephone Box, Brighton Beach House, and the VIP unit. Each one includes hand sanitation, hand wash and sunscreen stations.

“The Dunnies with a Difference range transform toilets from something you hide at outdoor events into wonderful quirky attractions that add real value because they are so pretty, functional, hygienic and mobile,” a judge noted.

Toowoomba Portable Toilets were the overall winners in the awards. MyTravelResearch.com will donate $2000 to UN Toilet Day on their behalf. The Best Accessible Toilet is the Arthurs Seat Public Toilet, Arthurs Seat Park in Victoria, Australia, run by Parks Victoria. Opened in January, it’s thoughtfully designed to meet the toileting needs of a diverse range of visitors to Arthurs Seat State Park such as tourists with disabilities, mobility limitations and those travelling with children.

Find out more about terrific toilets at http://www.MyTravelResearch.com.