THE EXPERTS are formal: four hours and 30 minutes is the critical timeframe if the life of a stroke patient is to be saved. Obviously, the sooner a stroke victim receives professional help, the better his or her chances of survival, as immediate treatment minimises the long-term effects of the stroke and helps reduce the risk of death.

Hospitals in Thailand like elsewhere in the world are constantly improving the critical time for stroke victims by providing a fast-track system once when they arrive at the medical centre. Today, life-saving treatment is usually started with an hour of arrival or, in the case of a medical school hospital like Siriraj, just 40 minutes.

But they can do better, which is why Siriraj Hospital has now introduced a mobile stroke unit –a specially designed ambulance that can provide immediate treatment to stroke victims before they even reach the hospital.

The mobile stroke unit is a custom-built vehicle modified from a six-wheeled truck and equipped with a computed tomography (CT) scanner, medical equipment, generator, standby battery for the scanner, water and a telecommunication system that allows the MSU team to receive instructions from a stroke specialist at the hospital. Staffed by a four-man team –specially trained doctor, nurse, radiologist and driver – it allow for rapid diagnosis and treatment of an ischemic stroke, thus reducing the time between the event and receiving appropriate help.

“In a way, it’s like we are taking the emergency unit close to your home,” says Assoc Prof Dr Yongchai Nilanont, the director of Siriraj Stroke unit, who initiated the MSU project.

The Siriraj MSU service is the first to be launched by a public hospital though private facility Phyathai 1 Hospital also operates a unit. As a medical school and public hospital, the MSU will provide the service at a lower cost and free to patients who are part of the universal coverage scheme.

Strokes caused by blood clots (ischemic) or brain bleeds (haemorrhagic) deprive the brain of oxygen-rich blood. Ischemic is the most common stroke type and makes up about 80 per cent of all cases. The 4.5 hour-critical time refers to the period between the stroke and the administering of a clot-busting medication.

The longer the brain goes without oxygen and other nutrients, the more likely it is that a stroke will result in permanent damage to the brain. When a person has an ischemic stroke, restoring blood flow as quickly as possible is key. Immediate treatment is needed to dissolve the clot and improve the blood flow and is given through a thrombolytic drug that helps recanalisation of the occluded artery and reperfusion. Without this, the salvageable brain tissue will stop working and lead to death. If reperfusion is begun early enough and blood supply is renewed to the brain, the salvaged tissue can be healed and the patient can recover, slowly getting back to normal.

The prevalence of stroke in Thailand is estimated at 1.88 per cent among adults aged 45-80 years and most cases are found in central and southern region. The mortality rate for hyper-acute stroke is five per cent and 70 per cent of victims suffer some level of disability.

There are three important points in a stroke case, says Dr Yongchai –the onset, the hospital arrival time and administering the drug to open the artery.

“The most serious delay is when the event occurs as this is not something hospitals can control. As there are many factors that cause delayed treatment, the mobile stroke unit is our way of reaching out to the patient –a progressive procedure that will significantly reduce the time wasted,” he says.

And even through there is a fast track channel at the hospital, it is useless if people are not aware of the critical time period or if the patient is only found hours after the stroke manifests itself. Another obstacle to timely treatment is the city’s notorious traffic.

“It’s not a symptom about which you can say ‘we’ll wait until morning and then go to the hospital’. Giving knowledge about stroke is important. If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 1669 and inform them of the symptoms and the Mobile Stroke Unit will be deployed,” says Prof Dr Prasit Watanapa, dean of Siriraj Medical School.

In the USA, the acronym “FAST” is used to help people quickly recognise the warning signs and symptoms of stroke and the American Stroke Association has added a FAST app to help people remember these signs.

The F refers to drooping on one side of the face, which may also be numb. “A” means arm weakness, which can be checked by asking the person to raise both arms. If a stroke has occurred, one arm will drift downwards. “S” stands for speech difficulty and shows if the victim has trouble speaking, or is incomprehensible. And “T” means it’s time to make an emergency call, which in Thailand means dialling 1669.

Siriraj’s mobile stroke unit isn’t working alone. The hospital has joined with emergency medical services, Ministry of Public Health and private companies to complete the process when the mobile unit goes out to help people.

The MSU service is now in a pilot phase and is operational in the general area of Siriraj on the Thon Buri side of the river from Borommaratchachonnani Road to the Buddha Monthon Sai 4 Road and to Phetchkasem Road and the Mahai Sawan intersection in Bukkhalo sub-district of Thon Buri district.

People in the MSU working zone can call 1669 and give details of the situation and the responders of the hotline will judge whether it fits the symptoms of stroke. The emergency service then calls Siriraj to release the MSU to the nearest meeting point while sending an ambulance from partner organisations such as Narenthorn hotline (1669), Erawan hotline, Por Tek Tung or Ruamkatanyu foundation to pick up patients and take them to the meeting point.

A “buddy” ambulance travels with the MSU to the meeting point and provides trained paramedic teams who will bridge the communication gap between medical specialists on the MSU and the foundation’s ambulance team, who are volunteers and sometimes have problems with technical communication. The buddy ambulance also has experience of the area so will clear they the way for the MSU to the meeting point.

When the three ambulances meet up, the patient will be loaded to the MSU for a CT scan. The MSU doctor then uses telemedicine to enable a specialist at Siriraj’s stroke centre to remotely assess and diagnose the patient, as well as recommend treatment, which includes the administration of thrombolytic drugs while on route to the hospital thus reducing the critical window for treatment.

“When they receive treatment in the mobile stroke unit while the vehicle is heading back to Siriraj, the follow-up medication can be given immediately on their arrival,” says Dr Yongchai.

But while this procedure applies to cases of ischemic stroke, victims of haemorrhagic stroke will receive a different treatment, one that focuses on controlling bleeding by reducing blood pressure in the brain. In these cases, the MSU will prescribe medication to reduce the pressure and then dispatch patients to the nearest hospital or the medical facility that holds their records.

“We need three months to see the outcome and evaluate the whole project. Our MSU will serve as a model for similar vehicles to be introduced in remote areas such as on islands and in the jungle,” Dr Yongchai says.

An online petition by the activist group Change.org urging the game distributor not to launch the game has drawn more than 100,000 signatures.

The game, “Active Shooter,” is to be released by Valve Corp. of Bellevue, Washington, on June 6 for between $5 and $10.

A trailer on the website of Valve’s digital distributor Steam opens with the player’s character as a SWAT team member entering a school to tackle a shooter, before switching over to the perspective of the attacker, with the action set to a pounding heavy metal score.

It ends with a trail of students’ bodies littering an auditorium room as a stats box keeps count of the numbers of police and civilians killed.

In addition to allowing players to pick sides, the game boasts a multiplayer mode and the ability to play as an unarmed student trying to survive.

“I have seen and heard many horrific things over the past few months since my daughter was the victim of a school shooting and is now dead in real life,” said Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter, Jaime, 14, was killed in the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

“This company should face the wrath of everyone who cares about school and public safety and it should start immediately,” Guttenberg said on Twitter. “Do not buy this game for your kids or any other game made by this company.”

“This is inexcusable,” said Florida Senator Bill Nelson. “Any company that develops a game like this in (the) wake of such a horrific tragedy should be ashamed of itself.”

Ryan Petty, whose 14-year-old daughter Alaina died in Parkland, also criticized the game.

“It’s disgusting that Valve Corp. is trying to profit from the glamorization of tragedies affecting our schools across the country,” Petty said on Facebook. “Keeping our kids safe is a real issue affecting our communities and is in no way a ‘game.'”

Parkland students launched a grassroots campaign for tighter gun control following the shooting at their school which left 14 students and three adults dead.

A disclaimer by the game developer, Revived Games, said the game “is meant solely for entertainment purposes and simulation.”

“Revived Games believes violence and inappropriate actions belong in video games and not real world, and insists that in no event should anyone attempt to recreate or mimic any of the actions, events or situations occurring in the game,” it says.

“If you feel like hurting someone or people around you, please seek help from local psychiatrists or dial 911 (or applicable).”

Ten people were killed in a school shooting in Texas on May 18 by a heavily armed 17-year-old classmate.

Starting from 8pm, this year’s pyrotechnics come courtesy of teams from China, the Philippines and Japan.

Visitors can climb to the picturesque vantage point on Pratumnak Hill for the show, which will be followed by a live concert or simply while away the hours munching on snacks from the food market, which opens at 5.

Find out more by calling Thailand Tourism Pattaya Office (038) 427 667 or browsing http://www.TatNews.org.

And Fido came too

Vacationers travelling with a dog can save up to 10-per-cent when booking a luxury villa or a suite at Centara Chaan Talay Resort & Villas Trat.

Valid through June 30, room rates start at Bt1,620 and guests get to enjoy complimentary wireless Internet access, fruit plate upon arrival and one Doggie Dinner Set when spending a minimum of Bt500 at the restaurant.

Your canine companion meanwhile will be delighted by the complimentary welcome packages from Pedigree, Cesar, and Greenies.

Make a reservation at (02) 101 1234 or email reservations@chr.co.th.

Getting lost in the Land of Ooo

Cartoon Network’s much-loved characters come to life in the Animate Your Life Festival that is turning Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay into a magical world until June 10.

The 16-day fun festival leads visitors on a new adventure to the Land of Ooo and gives the little ones a chance to get creative by Powerpuff-ing in Townsville! Young explorers can also test their skills at the Ben 10 boot camp and go chill with their favourite bears – Grizz, Panda and Ice Bear in their cosy cave.

Check out the programme at Animate.CartoonNetworkAsia.com.

Sleeping with the Great Masters

Amsterdam’s five-star Conservation hotel joins with the Van Gogh Museum in offering the Van Gogh Suite Package through June 24.

The package, which starts at euros 920 (Bt34,850), includes a one-night stay in the Van Gogh Suite, breakfast for two, Van Gogh & Japan-inspired Afternoon Tea in the Brasserie for two, direct and complimentary access to the Van Gogh & Japan exhibition for two and welcome letter from Willem Van Gogh, nephew of Vincent Van Gogh.

Online booking can be made via email reservations@conservatoriumhotel.com.

Flower power

Poppies burst into bloom just in time to bid farewell to Japan’s winter, with a red carpet of 15 million poppies stretching across the nearly nine acres of Chichibu Kogen Bokujo until early next month.

Meanwhile the sacred Josenji and Kannonji temples on the summit of Minoyama Park in Minano are hemmed in by colourful fields of 3,200 hydrangeas in pale blue, purple and crimson to mark the advent of summer. It’s a perfect spot for sightseeing from early June to late July.

Find out more details at http://www.Chichibu-Omotenashi.com.

IN WHAT for many will come as a welcome escape from the fast-paced digital age where images are captured and enhanced in a matter of seconds, the National Gallery travels back in time to the era when glass-plate negatives first found their way to Siam. Introduced in the mid-nineteenth century, they quickly became popular with royal family members and noblemen.

The exhibition, which is spread across eight rooms, offers a unique opportunity to admire 150 reprinted images from 1855 to 1935. Their subjects include rare portraits of Thai Kings and members of the royal court, royal ceremonies, goods transported by raft and barge along the country’s waterways, elephant parades, buildings that no longer exist and life lived at a slow pace. The images were documented through laborious, light-sensitive photographic emulsion on glass plates before the invention of cellulose film in the early 20th century and the digital memory cards that are so much part of our present and future.

This collection of century-old negatives is not only a national treasure. Last October, it was designated as a “Memory of the World” by Unesco thanks to its significant role in documenting many cultural and social perspectives of Siam as the nation moved through the West’s colonisation of Asia to the dawn of a constitutional monarchy.

The show, titled “Celebrating the National Glass Plate Negatives Registered as a Unesco Memory of the World”, continues until July 28 and is being supported by Thai Beverage. The plates captured during the reigns of King Mongkut (Rama IV) to King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) have been reprinted and blown up, with some images as tall as 1.5 metres.

A group of carts and barges along the bank of Nan River at Muang  Phichai where is currently the  Phichai district in Utradit province.

“From the 35,427 glass-plate negatives and 50,000 prints in the Unesco-recognised collection, we carefully selected 150 images that represent the country’s diverse perspectives. We have chosen to arrange them in eight main themes, among them prominent personalities in Thai history, the grace and splendour of royal ceremonies, Thai arts and culture, and international relations,” says Anandha Chuchoti, the director of Fine Arts Department.

Chao Chom Erb captures a portrait of her father, Chao Phraya Surabandh Bisudhi (Thet Bunnag).

Glass plate negatives were most popular during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) but faded in the early years of the 20th century. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, a younger half-brother of King Chulalongkorn, who was in charge of the Hor Phra Samut Vajirayan (Royal Vajirayana Library) in the compound of the Grand Palace at that time, set up a chronicle division whose one task was to accumulate these historical glass plate negatives and their original prints.

The Royal Ploughing Ceremony at Thung Phaya Thai field, south of Phya Thai Palace, now home to Phra Mongkut Hospital.

The Hor Phra Samut Vajirayan collection features several private assemblages of negatives that belonged to King Chulalongkorn and King Vajiravudh (Rama VI), Prince Damrong himself and other members of the royal court. Some pieces emanated from Chaya Norasingha, the studio that was appointed to photograph the royal events in the reign of King Vajiravudh.

In 1977, the collection was given over to the care of the National Archives. To date, more than 10,000 plates have been copied to contact print format and also scanned for digital use. Many of these have already been uploaded to the institute’s database and made accessible to the public through its website Nat.go.th.

One of the wooden boxes used to store the century-old glass plate negatives that are carefully preserved by the National Archives. 

“The original plates, which range in size from 1 x 2 inches up to 11 x 15 inches are carefully stored vertically in their original teak boxes. Each box has a slot for each glass plate in order to prevent two plates touching each other over extended periods of time. They are kept at a constant temperature of 18 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity level of 40 per cent,” Nanthaka Pollachai, director of the National Archives, explains.

A portrait of Chao Uparat Bunthawong taken by Francis Chit in 1863

One of the oldest images in the collection on show, Nanthaka says, is a portrait of Chao Uparat Bunthawong, a nephew of Phraya Khamfan, the third ruler of Chiang Mai. The portrait was captured in 1863 by Siam’s first commercial photographer Chit Chitrakani, who later became known as Francis Chit and was appointed as a court photographer at the end of King Mongkut’s reign. Many images of King Mongkut and King Chulalongkorn that are widely seen today and presented as gifts to foreign monarchs and diplomats came from his camera.

This 1906 picture depicts Italian artist Cesare Ferro painting the portrait of King Chulalongkorn in front of the Aphisekdusit Throne Hall while Thai court painter Phra Soralaklikhit records the pair at work. 

One impressive picture depicted Cesare Ferro, an Italian artist who was hired by King Chulalongkorn to decorate the Ambara Villa and the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, painting the portrait of the King sitting in front of the Aphisekdusit Throne Hall in 1906. The photo also illustrated a court Thai painter Phra Soralaklikhit (Mui Chanthralak) painting a portrait of the King and Ferro at work while some young royal members and courtiers observed from the steps.

King Chulalongkorn is seen kneeling on the ground while taking a picture of young Kanang.

King Chulalongkorn was very interested in photography and took a lot of pictures. In one picture, visitor can see the King kneeling on the floor while trying to capture the young boy Kanang riding a four-wheeled bike. Kanang was a child of Mani ethnicity, better known in Thailand as Sakai, who was adopted by the King and appointed a royal page. He was also inspired the King to pen the play “Ngo Pa”.

King Vajiravudh and Queen Suvadhana in Selangor, in 1924

“Siam’s international relationships were part of the criteria for application as a Unesco Memory of the World,” Anandha explains. Pictures in the collection also depicted King Chulalongkorn’s state visits to Europe in 1897 and 1907 to strengthen Siam’s ties to European countries during the Western colonisation of Asia, as well as the visit to the Malay Peninsula in 1924 made by King Vajiravudh and King Prajadhipok’s visit to Saigon in 1930.

A picture depicted Mr Rousseau, a French governor of Trat during the occupation, presents written evidence of returning the province to Siam’s representative Phraya Sisahathep in 1907.

“Another significant historical event was when Trat province was returned to Siam after being under French occupation for nearly three years. One pictured depicted Mr Rousseau, a French governor of Trat during the occupation, presenting written evidence of returning the province to Siam’s representative Phraya Sisahathep in 1907,” adds Nanthaka.

When colonisation threatened Indochina in 1893, French troops landed and occupied the western part of Chanthaburi province. In 1904, in order to wrest back control of Chantaburi, Siam was forced to give Trat and Koh Kong to the French. The province was returned to Siam three years later, in exchange for larger areas along the east of the Mekong, including Battambang, Siem Reap and Sisophon, today part of Cambodia.

The front of the Royal Private Library Building of King Vajiravudh inside the Chitralada Villa

The collection also shows several old buildings that no longer exist today. The front view of the Royal Private Library Building of King Vajiravudh inside the Chitralada Villa is among the subjects. A bookworm and a talented writer, the King collected thousands of books and after his death, his successor King Prajadhipok ordered that his book collection be relocated to the Royal Library of Phra Nakhon. Later named Vajiravudh Library, it is today located in front of Wat Mahatat, adjacent to Sanam Luang.

This building in the Sam Sen Park complex was demolished and the land is now occupied by the Vajira Hospital.

The grandeur of a Colonial-style building in the Sam Sen Park complex is also reflected through the lens. Built by Phra Sapphakan Hiranyakit –a manager of Siam Kammajon Bank (the previous name of Siam Commercial Bank), the complex was completed in 1908 and comprised a cluster of buildings and a park designed to become a recreation venue for the public.

King Vajiravudh later used his private funds to purchase the premises for the Department of Sanitation of the Metropolitan Ministry for use as a sanatorium. Today, the land is occupied by the Vajira Hospital, though the building in the picture has long gone.

Members of the Phranakorn Photo Club demonstrate how to take pictures with the wet plate collodion method.

Various programmes will be held throughout the exhibition period. Every Saturday, the Chayanitikorn Photo Studio will organise a photo shoot for visitors in Thai traditional costumes – limited to 200 persons a day – while a workshop on how the glass plate negatives functioned will be conducted by the Phranakorn Photo Club every Sunday for a maximum of 30 individuals.

Capturing an image on glass is done using either a wet or dry collodion method. The Phranakorn Photo Club will use the wet plate collodion method in its demonstration and show how to prepare the glass plate and coat it with collodion before immersing the plate in a silver nitrate bath in a dark room. After draining, it is placed in a plate holder with a dark slide to protect it from the light.

“The plate holder will later be loaded into a camera that can be a large-format camera or a box camera depending on the size wanted. The dark slide is then withdrawn to allow exposure to light. The wet plate collodion has a film speed (ISO) of approximately 1 or 2, so it takes quite a bit of light to affect the plate. The photographs must thus be taken outdoors or with several lights if indoors. The subjects must also sit or stand still to get a sharp picture,” says club member Chaianun Boonsungnoen.

Developing the picture, fixing the image and drying the plate will also be explained.

“In Thailand, I think there are less than 50 people who are still passionate about this method and take pictures with glass plates,” Chaianun adds. “One factor is the high cost of the chemical agents. The silver nitrate alone can cost Bt5,000 for 100 grams.”

The Hor Phra Samut Vajirayan glass plate negative collection is the fifth heritage archive from Thailand recognised by Unesco. The earlier historical documents are King Ramkhamhaeng’s inscription stone, King Chulalongkorn’s archival documents on the transformation of Siam, epigraphic archives of Wat Pho, and the Minute Books of the Council of the Siam Society.

PORTRAITS ON GLASS

The “Celebrating the National Glass Plate Negatives Registered as Unesco Memory of the World” exhibition continues until July 28 at the National Gallery.

The gallery on Chao Fah Road in Bangkok is open Wednesday to Sunday, from 9am to 7pm.

Call (02) 281 1599 extension 222 or keep updated at http://www.ThaiGlassNegative.com.

In experiments, they said, the heart rate of 46 people, aged 21 to 69, increased when they were given gum to chew while walking at a natural pace.

And while masticating caused a measurable physical difference in participants of both genders and across all age groups, it was most pronounced in men over 40, the team reported at the European Congress on Obesity in Vienna.

“Combining exercise and gum chewing may be an effective way to manage weight,” the researchers said — particularly in countries such as Japan where walking is the “most widely performed movement”.

Previous research had found that gum chewing boosts heart rate and energy expenditure in people at rest.

This was the first study dedicated to studying its effects in people while walking, its authors said.

Volunteers completed two walking trials, each 15 minutes long.

In one they chewed two pellets of gum that contained three kilocalories. In the other, for comparison, they walked after ingesting a powder containing the same ingredients as the gum.

The team then measured participants’ resting heart rate and walking heart rate in both legs, as well as the distance they covered at a natural pace, walking speed, and the number of steps taken.

In all participants, the mean heart rate was “significantly higher” in the gum trial, said the researchers.

In men over 40, it also boosted the distance walked, number of steps taken, and energy expended.

Though the study was not designed to explain the link, the team speculated it may have something to do with “cardio-locomotor synchronisation”, a natural phenomenon whereby the heart beats in rhythm with a repetitive movement.

Obesity has become a global scourge. It increases a person’s risk of developing heart disease and stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers.

“Effective preventive methods and treatments for obesity are needed,” the researchers said.

The study was published in The Journal of Physical Therapy Science.

It’s been a busy year for Sony in terms of introducing new audio-visual equipment to the market and now the Japanese electronics giant is again going one better by releasing the first smartphone to record 4K HDR movies.

It’s called the Xperia XZ2 and it also captures excellent-quality photos.

Sony says the HDR technology allows the movie to have more contrast, colours and details in every scene. When an HDR movie is displayed on a 4K HDR TV, you will be impressed with the incredible contrast, detail and true to life colour.

The XZ2 also shoots impressive quality still photos thanks to its new advanced Motion Eye camera that uses 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS for its mobile memory-stacked sensor with 19 megapixel resolution. The camera has a dedicated image-processing engine, Bionz for mobile.

The main camera uses a 25mm wide-angle award-winning G lens with f/2.0 aperture. The fast image sensor and wide-aperture lens boost the camera’s low-light performance, giving it a sensitivity of ISO 12800.

The camera also boasts a Predictive Capture feature that automatically detects motion or a smile and will start taking photos before you press the shutter button thus ensuring you’ll no longer miss a smile or a surprising moment.

The main camera is also capable of tracking and capturing sequences of moving objects in sharp focus with Autofocus burst function.

The advanced Motion Eye camera is capable of recording 960 frames per second Super Slow motion ion Full HD resolution.

During the test, I found that XZ2 captured excellent photos with vivid colours and good details in most lighting environments.

The XZ2 has a 5MP front camera with 23mm lens that has f/2.2 aperture.

The XZ2 comes with 5.79-inch 18:9 Full HD+ HDR display with 1080×2160 resolution. The display uses the Tri-Luminos display for mobile, which produces  30 per cent more colour detail than standard displays and an XReality display engine, meaning the high-resolution photos and HD videos are clear and lucid.

And when you watch HDR movies on XZ2, you can enjoy cinema sound effects from SForce Front Surround stereo speakers, allowing you to have fun watching movies with your friends.

Its appearance is fluid, the glass 3D glass and the smartphone is comfortable to hold thanks to the frame’s edges being thinned out a curved design. The edge is about 6 mm thin and the middle about 11.1mm thick.

The fingerprint reader finds its way to the back, below the camera’s lens, so you can intuitively unlock the phone with your index finger. I found it both fast and convenient.

And it is good that the XZ2 conforms to IP65/681 rating, meaning that it withstands splashes, spills and unexpected showers so you don’t have to think twice about answering the phone in the rain. Moreover, the phone is protected on the front and back with Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

Performance-wise, the XZ2 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octacore processor running at 2.8 GHZ. The CPU is 30 per cent faster than previous phones in this brand. Its Adreno 630 Visual Processing subsytem allows graphics to render very fast so the mobile phone can play graphics-extensive games well.

Measured by AnTuTu Benchmark v7.0.7, the XP2 scored an impressive mark of 260,810 points. As of April 13, it as ranked first on the ever-changing online database of scores input by users of the latest version of AnTuTu Benchmark.

The XZ2 is equipped with 4 gigabytes of working memory or RAM and has 64 GB internal storage, which is expandable by a microSD card of by up to 400 GB. The XZ2 runs on Android 8.1 operating system.

The XZ2 has fast Internet connection. I tested it on TrueMove H’s LTE network and I used Ookla Speedtest app to measure the connection speed and found that it achieved the download speed of up to 33.6 Mbps and upload speed of 20.1 Mbps. The speeds vary according to locations, times and current users at that moment, as well as the response speeds of the servers that the measuring app connect to at that time.

The XZ2 is capable of playing High-Resolution Audio in FLAC 24bit/192kHz format and in DSD format. But it does not provide a 3.5mm stereo jack. To use normal headphones, you will need t a USBC to 3.55 stereo jack adapter, which is provided with the package.

The XZ2 also has the DSEE HX digital sound enhancement engine that enhances sound quality of compressed files bringing them near Hi-Res Audio quality.

The XZ2 also supports high-resolution wireless audio streaming of both Sony’s LDAC Bluetooth protocol and Qualcomm aptX HD audio. I tried the LDAC format with the MDR1ABT headphones and the music quality was great, with good details of musical instruments and powerful bass The phone uses Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology.

The smartphone has a good battery life. It uses a 3,180 mAh battery that supports wireless charging and supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.

I found that the battery could comfortably survive a day after one full charge. It has Smart Stamina that estimates how long your battery will last, based on how you normally use your phone. If Smart Stamina thinks you are going to run out of power later in the day, it prompts you to activate Stamina mode. The Stamina mode cuts energy consumption to ensure that the phone’s energy consumption lasts.

The XZ2 also comes with Qnovo Adaptive Charging technology to increase the battery’s lifespan. The technology monitors the battery health of your XZ2 when it is plugged in and then current levels are adjusted to ensure that the battery isn’t overworked.

The XZ2 also has Battery Care mode, which will prevent the phone’s battery if it is left charging for too long, which can damage the battery. The Battery Care will charge XZ2 to 90 per cent and then wait and charge it to 100 per cent just before your wakeup time.

Sony XZ2 has a suggested retail price of Bt25,990.

Key Specs

– Networks: GSM GPRS/EDGE (2G), UMTS HSPA+ (3G), LTE (4G) Cat18

– OS: Google Android 8.1

– CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform

– Memory: 4GB RAM

– Storage: 64GB, expandable with microSD by up to 400GB

– Display: 5.7-inch 18:9 Full HD+ (1080×2160) HDR display

– Camera: Main: 19MP Motion Eye camera 1/ 2.3-inch Exmor RS for mobile memory-stacked sensor with 25mm Sony G lens; Front: 5MP Exmor R for mobile with 23mm lens

– Durability: Water resistant (IP65/68)4, Corning Gorilla-Glass 5

– Connectivity: AGPS, AGlonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS11; Wi-Fi Miracast; Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology; DLNA Certified; Google Cast; NFC; USB 3.1 Gen1

– Dimensions: 153 x 72 x 11.1 mm

– Weight: 198g

If you’re bored with looking up words either in a massive book or online, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary iOS is for you.

Functioning as more than just a free electronic dictionary, it also provides games that let you learn new words or test your vocabulary.

As a dictionary, it provides the definition in English and type of word as well as the word origin. You also get example sentences so that you will understand how a word is used in context. Synonyms and antonyms are also included.

For English learners, it provides audio pronunciations, which are voiced by real English speakers rather than text-to-speech robots. I tested the app on the iPad Pro 10.5 and found that the audio pronunciations were loud and clear. There is an audio icon behind the head word and the audio plays when you tap it.

You don’t even have to type when you want to look up a word thanks to its voce search, which allows you to either key a word into the box at the top right corner of use the microphone icon directly underneath that you can tap on and speak to look up for a word.

The app automatically keeps record of the words you have searched for by listing the recent searches under the menu bar. You can type each of the searched words to bring its definition screen up conveniently.

You can also add words to the app’s Favourite list so that you can keep track of the words that are the most important to you. Moreover, the list of Favourite words can be synced through iCloud so that you can share between devices.

The top left of the app provides a menu bar for accessing the dictionary, the Word of the day, games, favourite words and other functions.

When you click on the Games menu, you will see two screens titled as Weekly Challenge and Word Games.

There are five games under the Weekly Challenge section, and the games will change each week. For example, in the game Name that Thing; Flower Edition, you must select the name of flower that is displayed. There is also a game called Name that Thing: Toys and Games Edition.

On the section of Word Games, you will find three games, titled How Strong is Your Vocabulary?, True or False, and Name that Thing. The How Strong in Your Vocabulary? has four levels of difficulty Light, Medium, Hard, and Devilish. The two other games have two levels  Light and Difficult.

The app is highly recommended. Fully featured and absolutely free, this app is supported by ads. You can remove ads for Bt69 per year with an inapp purchase charged to your iTunes account.

Key Specs

– Seller: Merriam-Webster, Inc

– Size: 204.3 MB

– Category: Reference

– Compatibility: Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

– Languages: English

– Age Rating: Rated 4+

– Copyright: 2015 Merriam-Webster, Inc

– Price: Free

– In-App Purchases: Remove Ads 1-year Subscription: Bt69

Oppo’s R15 Pro smartphone is fitted with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660AIE, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 6.3-inch Super Full Screen display, dual rear cameras at 20MP and 16 MP resolution and a 20MP front camera. It’s in stores for Bt19,990.

Seal out the noise

Audio-Technica’s ATH-ANC700BT overear Bluetooth headphones come with Active Noise Cancelling so you get all the music and none of the racket surrounding you. The battery is good for continuous use for up to 25 hours in Bluetooth mode and ANC. But them from RTB Technology for Bt7,990.

TV pictures you won’t believe

Sony’s X90F smart TV set uses an Android operating system to produce ultrarealistic 4K HDR pictures. The display is powered by the 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme so the images are incredibly detailed, and even non-4K images are upscaled so they resemble true 4K HDR quality. The 55-inch model retails for Bt52,990.

Here’s ‘1’ for the wall

From Leona, the Wall Series @Wall1 is a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speaker system designed to be hung on the wall. It has 4x40mm drivers, an audio-input, a USB port, churns out 4×3.5 watts of power and can be used for WiFi streaming using the Leona Smart Play app. Expect to pay Bt3,990.

Ready to Mix it up?

Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 2S features a dual-camera setup with the main one at 12MP resolution and the front at 5MP. With 6GB of RAM and 128GB of ROM, the Mi Mix 2S unleashes the full potential of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. Out front is a 5.99inch FHD+ full screen display. It retails for 17,990.

RTB Technology recently brought the latest lineup of Japan’s Audio-Technica headphones with advanced audio technology to Thailand, introducing the new 5 Series at Siam Discovery’s Digital Lab to a crowd that included Audio-Technica fans Notapol “Kor” Srichomkwan, a member of Groove Riders and POP, Sirisin “Kwang” Chotvijit of former pop rock band AB Normal, Channel 3 actress and Virgin HitZ DJ Supaporn “Boom” Wongthuaythong and gamecaster Chonlatit “Moo” Wayupab, aka Basgamer.

“We enjoyed remarkable success with our two new models in the Sound Reality or SR series, which featured the world’s first 100-per-cent digital Bluetooth headphones with state-of-the-art technology that digitised from the original sound source to speaker drivers without analog transformation,” says Vimolmaln Vatanasombut, chief marketing officer of RTB Technology.

The new series, he adds, has been developed to meet the lifestyle of consumers rather than only focusing on professional groups.

In the ANC series, the ATH-ANC700BT are over-ear Bluetooth headphones with Active Noise Cancelling system to allow listeners to indulge their passion for music even in the noisiest of surroundings. The phones, which boast a high-quality wireless connection known as aptX, come in black and black and red and are selling for Bt7,990.

The Solid Bass over-ear headphones are designed to delight music lovers with a deep and powerful bass that doesn’t swallow the mid and low ranges. This series consists of two models equipped with 53mm drivers supporting high-quality wireless connection aptX: ATH-WS990BT with Active Noise Cancelling and Hear Through function for Bt9,900 and ATH-WS660BT with two-layered ear pads for Bt6,290.

The street monitoring series S200BT are onear headphones designed for comfortable wear and smartphone compatible. They connect wirelessly through Bluetooth 4.1 and are available in black, black-red and grey-blue for Bt2,590.

The Sport Series features two models. SPORT70BT are Bluetooth sport headphones that allows music lovers to work out without worrying about sweat dripping into the phones and are certified water protected by IPX5. They’re available in black and rose gold for Bt4,990. The SPORT50BT, on the other hand, are colourful phones also ideal for workouts with sweat and water protection. You can choose between black, blue, pink and yellow for Bt2,590.

CKR Series is the ultimate wireless inear headphones in the Sound Reality family, featuring wireless in-ear neck-band design for agility in daily use without compromising Hi-Res sound quality. This series launches 3 models: CKR75BT with realistic sound and high-quality wireless connection through 11.8 drivers and amplifiers to give extended 540,000Hz frequency. The phones come in black and red and cost Bt5,290. CKR55BT offers 10.7mm drivers in black and red for Bt3,990, while the CKR35BT features 9.8mm dynamic drivers and builtin microphone and remote control and come in black, red and blue for Bt2,290.

“The M50x is the best-seller of all time and we release it in a limited colour every year. This year, it is dark red with a gold trim. Our ATH-MSR7BK over-ear high-resolution headphones won the Best Headphones of the Year award in 2015,” says Vimolmaln.

“I have used these headphones for more than 10 years starting with the M50, which is still popular today,” says Kor Notapol.

“I use M50 headphones at the recording studio as well as R70 headphones for the mixdown. The M50 headphones are good for musicians.”

Kwang AB Normal agrees but opts for the DSR9BT Bluetooth wireless headphones especially while travelling.

“You don’t have to worry about losing sound because they’re wireless. If you are a serious listener or movie viewer, these headphones are terrific.”

“I wear ATH-SPORT 70BT when I play sports and when I’m travelling,” says Boom Supaporn, while Moo Basgamer raves about the ATHAG1x phones, saying: “They come with Noise Cancelling and big ear cups, making them excellent for playing games.”

The Audio-Technica Headphones Festival, which features special discounts, continues at Digital Lab through the end of May.

Octogenarian Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman apologised Thursday after a report of multiple sexual harassment accusations, making the actor the latest high-profile figure to face allegations of misconduct in the #MeToo era.

Sixteen people — eight of whom say they were victims – described to CNN a range of troubling behavior by Freeman on production sets or promotional tours.

The downfall of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein last October triggered a US reckoning over sexual harassment and abuse that has toppled a litany of powerful men across a variety of sectors including entertainment, politics and media.

The actor, who turns 81 next week, issued a quick apology after the news network published its report.

“Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy,” Freeman said in a statement.

“I apologise to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected – that was never my intent.”

One of the most bankable, respected actors in the business, Morgan was honored with a lifetime achievement award in January that the Screen Actors Guild is now considering withdrawing, the organisation told AFP.

A spokeswoman for the guild acknowledged Freeman’s right to due process but described the allegations as “compelling and devastating,” and said its starting point was to believe the “courageous” women who had complained.

“Given Mr. Freeman recently received one of our union’s most prestigious honors recognising his body of work, we are therefore reviewing what corrective actions may be warranted at this time,” she said.

 “Freaked out”

CNN quoted a young production assistant who said Freeman harassed her over a period of months in the summer of 2015 while she was working on his bank heist comedy “Going in Style.”

She accused Freeman of touching her repeatedly, resting his hand on her lower back or rubbing it without permission, and frequently making comments about her appearance.

The woman said Freeman continually tried to lift her skirt and kept asking if she was wearing underwear.

Actor Alan Arkin, one of Freeman’s co-stars in the film, “made a comment telling him to stop. Morgan got freaked out and didn’t know what to say,” the woman said.

A senior member of the production staff on “Now You See Me” (2013) – another bank heist film, this time featuring a team of illusionist thieves – also said Freeman had acted inappropriately with her and her assistants.

Team members knew “not to wear any top that would show our breasts, not to wear anything that would show our bottoms,” or any fitted clothes if Freeman would be near them, she told CNN.

Freeman is also accused of staring at women’s breasts, asking a woman how she felt about sexual harassment and asking women to twirl for him.

He won the best supporting actor Oscar in 2005 for boxing drama “Million Dollar Baby” and was nominated four other times for Academy Awards.

His other major films include “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Se7en,” and “Driving Miss Daisy,” as well as several “Batman” movies.

With his deeply resonant voice, Freeman also did the voiceover for an award-winning documentary, “March of the Penguins.”

Weinstein, whose case triggered a greater willingness among victims to speak out against abuse, has been accused by more than 100 women of impropriety going back 40 years, ranging from harassment to rape.

Reportedly in treatment for sex addiction, he is expected to surrender to authorities in New York on Friday following a months-long investigation into the allegations, US media reported.

Other Hollywood figures who have been accused of sexual misconduct include actors Kevin Spacey and Dustin Hoffman, and director-producer Brett Ratner.