SiMon Har_

What Comes After WYY 9999? It's W 1 A

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:22:00 +0000

Everyone (including yours truly) was wondering what kind of registration plate would come after WYY 9999. Now the mystery is uncovered (more like announced)! There will be an additional alphabet located at the end of the registration number, so the new generation number plate will start with W 1 A.

The current generation of number plate (which reaches WYK 6XXX now) is expected to end in July. Seeing number plate like 'B1A', 'C1A', 'D1A' are ~~so wacky!~~ made possible now, but would take quite some time before those numbers hit on the road.

Source

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SPYSHOT: Proton P3-22A a.k.a. Preve Hatchback !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Sat, 18 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Hmm... Perhaps it's an angle problem because the rear end of the P3-22A (also known as Preve Hatchback) looks awkward to me. First leaked in Lowyat Forum, the Preve Hatchback is expected to have a front end and cabin largely similar to its sedan counterpart, only completely redesigned from the B-pillar to the back.

The unofficial (highest) specs include 6 airbags, 17-inch alloy (lower spec might wear smaller size alloy, if there is one), New in-car entertainment (ICE) with Android, daytime running light (the one in Preve will only be activated with lights on), leather seat, hill start assist, reverse camera and front & rear sensor. My guess the Preve Hatchback would be priced between RM70k-RM80k.

Source

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W222 Mercedes-Benz S-Class unveiled !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Mercedes Benz S-Class, a symbol of power, wealth and luxury. A S-Class will appear in everyone's mind when asked about the car a CEO would be chauffered in. The W222 is quite a looker, especially with the AMG Sport Package above. Stylish and luxurious at the same time. Slightly larger in every dimension, the W222 still managed to get a coefficient of drag of 0.24 - even better than a Prius.

Name me a car where its tailgate line is separated from its tailights other than the W222 S-Class. None that I could think of has such dainty design feature. Taillights resemble its predecessor's, but with uniquely styled LED lights.

As the flagship of Mercedes-Benz, the whole car is loaded with goodies. Huge 12.3 inch screens used as the instrument panel and infotainment system, First Class Rear Seat package with thermo cup holders that warm or cool drinks, ten speaker with optional Burmester Surround Sound, Air Balance package which has a built-in perfume dispenser and Warmth Comfort package with heated headrest, armrest, steering wheel and seats. Design details wise, retro-styled air-cond outlets, 2-spoke steering wheel, analogue clock and whole lot of stitched leather.

Safety wise, it will take me literally forever to mention all of the safety features loaded in the W222 S-Class. As starter, the W22 comes with knee airbag for the driver and seatbelt airbag for the rear passengers. Below has more detailed explanation on some of W222's safety features:

So, here's a summary of what safety features the S-Class has:

It's amazing to see that whatever safety features that you could possibly think of are available in the S-Class. Even the steering wheel can intervene and steer on its own (by a little) when things get wrong. Scary and eye-opening at the same time. Watch this to get a better idea of how these features work:

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Terima Kasih, Cikgu - Perodua's special offer for teachers !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Teachers are nobel. They educate students to become a better and knowledgeable person. In conjunction with Teacher's Day, Perodua is offering a special package for teachers from May 16 to November 15, 2013 - a rebate of RM1,000, a personal accident insurance plan worth RM20,000 and hire-purchase loan rate from as low as 2.7% from participating banks! Early birds who booked a car between 16 to May 31 will be given a RM200 petrol card too.

The "Terima Kasih, Cikgu" package is open to all teachers from public and private institutions of learning. Every model of Perodua - including the recently launched S-Series, is available for the package. With so many benefits and 3 years of free service, it is hard to resist the "Terima Kasih, Cikgu" package!

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CKD Suzuki Swift - From RM68k !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:37:00 +0000

Good news for Suzuki Swift's enthusiasts! Previously, only CBU units of Suzuki Swift are available in Malaysia, hence the hefty price tag at RM78,888 for a small hatchback. Now, locally assembled in Pekan, Pahang, CKD units will be available in two variants - GL, which is selling at RM67,811.50 (solid) and GLX at RM75,919.50 (solid), both OTR with insurance and has the same 1.4 litre engine mated to automatic transmission. Metallic paint will add around RM500 into each of the price mentioned.

The GLX variant has the same specs offered in the CBU unit, but is selling RM2000 cheaper than CBU unit. On the other hand, GL variant is about RM10,000 cheaper than before, of course some features are omitted in order to achieve such reasonable price tag.

GL variant has only driver airbag, four speakers instead of six in the GLX, automatic aircond in the GLX is replaced by manual aircond in the GL and wears 15-inch steel covers instead of 16-inch alloy wheels in the GLX. Other than that, features such as keyless entry and push-start button, steering audio buttons and retractable wing mirror with indicator found in the GLX are omitted from the GL.

Yes, the lowering the pricing will definitely attract more buyers, and the Swift is an awesome car to drive! (Check out my review of the Swift here) However, sacrificing safety (from two airbags to only one) isn't what I would call 'added value'...

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Ford Kuga - Open for booking in Malaysia now !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Sat, 11 May 2013 12:43:00 +0000

Ford Kuga, the replacement model of Ford Escape, is open for booking now with an estimated price tag of RM168,000. Kuga will compete in the midside SUV segment where it faces strong competitors such as the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5.

Design wise, European and rugged, the Kuga is a trendy looking SUV. It will come with a 1.6 litre Ecoboost turbocharged engine which produces 177hp and 240Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. As a comparison, CR-V's 2.0 litre natural aspirated i-VTEC engine produces 153hp and 190Nm of torque.

Cabin resembles the Focus', which is not a bad thing. Features confirmed to make it into Malaysia's Kuga are Torque Vectoring Control and Active Grille Shutter and Ford SYNC with voice command, all three are also found in the Focus. Other than that, standard safety features include seven airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Trailer Sway Control, Hill Start Assist and parking sensor (a feature which is absent in the CR-V, to my surprise).

Features such as keyless entry with push start button and hands-free power liftgate operation (below) are also standard for the Kuga. The latter feature will be very useful when both of your hands are carrying items and unable to open the tailgate.

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Peugeot 408 - Now with 5 years of free service !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:34:00 +0000

Ever since the launch of Peugeot 408 in May 2012, it has drawn over 1300 buyers in Malaysia to date. Along with the 5 years unlimited mileage warranty, Peugeot Malaysia has included 5 years of free service for buyers who buy a Peugeot 408 during the month of May 2013! It will cover the cost of parts as well as labour for scheduled maintenance, but wear and tear parts are excluded from this deal.

Peugeot 408, which comes with two engine options - 1.6 turbo engine and 2.0 litre natural aspirated engine. Equipment wise the 408 is already very well equipped. Thus, to attract more buyers, a facelift should be given to the 408 since its C-segment competitors are getting better and more revolutionised styling.

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DiGi - Samsung Galaxy S4 & HTC One

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Tue, 07 May 2013 03:13:00 +0000

I'm sure many of you would know that the latest Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One have come to town! While many will be rushing off to purchase them, why not take a look at DiGi's deals for both smartphones??!! GET MORE, SPEND LESS!!

Now you can get the latest Samsung Galaxy S4 with DG SmartPlan from as low as RM1,199! Official Samsung Galaxy S4 launch is 27 April, DiGi Store at Sunway Pyramid from 10am. Device bundle with new DG SmartPlan that offers all-in-one plan with up to 6GB, 600 mins and 600 sms, and 'Discover millions of songs with DEEZER' for free!

The Galaxy S4 has been laden with plenty great features that make our lives easier - Air Gesture, 13MP camera etc. I've been very amazed with the dual shot feature in the S4! Imagine capturing a scene of the Alps together with a smaller photo of yourself in the same photo!

You can head to digi.com.my/samsung for more info about the plans and pricing!

*** ***

Second device from the DG SmartPlan list would be the new HTC One! An aluminium unibody gives the HTC One an exquisite quality feel to the touch as well as to the sight. What's better is that you can get one with the DG SmartPlan from as low as RM1,269!

Similar to the Galaxy S4, the HTC One bundle with new DG SmartPlan that offers all-in-one plan with up to 6GB, 600 mins and 600 sms, plus free music with DEEZER! One of the best features of the HTC One would be the front mounted stereo speakers with BoomSound tech, crispy clear audio transmitted directly to your direction!

Please visit digi.com.my/htc for more info on the plans and pricing.

*This is a sponsored post.

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FOBO Tag launch event @ MIDA KL !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Sun, 05 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Hmm... What does that small-ish, blue-ish and UFO-ish device has to do with an iPhone? That roundish device is called FOBO Tag, it's a Bluetooth device that help you monitor your belongings and loved ones by working together with the smartphone application.

I was invited to the FOBO Tag launch event in Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), KL. The event started off with speeches by Datuk Noharuddin Nordin (top), CEO of MIDA followed by Mr. James Lim, CEO of Balda Solutions Malaysia Sdn. Bhd (bottom).

After the speeches and launching, introduction has been made to further explain about the FOBO Tag. There are 3 main functions available in the FOBO Tag:

PromptME
Don't MoveME
FindME

By using Don't MoveME, you can hang the FOBO Tag on your house's door to notify you about unauthorised entry:

Or put it on your bicycle to notify you when someone moved it!

Parents can also let their children to wear a wristband containing the FOBO Tag. By using PromptME, the app will notify them when their children got out of range or entering the range!

Finding the FOBO Tag in a house could be tricky when you misplaced it. Thankfully, there's a FindME function to locate the missing FOBO Tag!

Car can also be located in an open car park area, where the FOBO Tag app will pinpoint the location of your car in the iOS Map!

Ok girls, stop staring at the handsome guy......

Fine, you can take a few more look of the handsome guy in this video! The video will help you understand the features of FOBO Tag better:

FOBO Tag requires coin cell battery to operate, battery life can last for a year and it is user replaceable!

6 vibrant colours to be chosen from!

Right now, FOBO Tag can be operated with iOS devices (iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, New iPad etc.) only. Android users, fred not! FOBO Tag is coming your way soon!

After downloading the app, you just have to sign up for an account and attach your FOBO Tag into the app by scanning the QR code! It's just that easy!

Right after that, you can start using your FOBO Tag for all sorts of purposes! I can't wait to try it out in open air car park space as well as airport luggage!

For more info about the FOBO Tag, please visit:
www.my-fobo.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/fobomy

http://www.facebook.com/pages/FOBO-Wireless-Tag-Bluetooth-Smart/233151600152298

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Toyota Camry XV50 - VSC & TRC will be available soon !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Sat, 04 May 2013 13:10:00 +0000

It's better late than never! Toyota Malaysia had announced in its official website that the Toyota Camry XV50 will soon be equipped with new luxurious black interior as well as enhanced safety features!

After some digging, the updated Camry has Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRC) for both 2.0G and 2.5V variants. Many questioned the absence of such important safety features even for the top-of-the-range 2.5V during the launch of the Camry XV50.

2.0G and 2.5V variants will have black interiors with combination smooth leather seats while 2.0E variant will stick with the previous beige interior with fabric seats. No changes for exterior, thus the only method to differentiate a pre-update and updated Camry is by checking out the interior's colour!

No words on when will showrooms start selling the updated Camry. Future buyers will be happy with Toyota Malaysia's newest decision though, which offers better value for money. The 2.0E, 2.0G and 2.5V are priced at RM149,915.30, RM158,915.30 (RM1000 more than pre-update) and RM181,917.10 OTR with insurance respectively. However, I can't say the same for the current owner of pre-update Camry XV50......

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Review: iPhone 5

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Apple iPhone 5, a highly anticipated smartphone in literally every country in the world, was unveiled in Malaysia on December 2012. However, many criticised that iPhone 5 is not doing enough in terms of size and features to compete in the strong high-end smartphone market. There's a saying, "An Apple a day keeps the doctor away", so I guess an Apple product won't do more harm than good, right?

Exterior

Somehow the engineers working in Apple were able to decrease the thickness and weight of each successive generation of iPhone! At 7.6mm thick, iPhone 5 is the thinnest smartphone at the time of its launch. It weighs 112 grams, I compared with 4S and noticed the iPhone 5 is much lighter.

The only dimension increased is the height, now fits 5 rows of icon in the 4-inch screen instead of 4 rows in the iPhone 4S' 3.5-inch screen. However, the width of the iPhone 5 did not increase compared to its predecessor. I believe a slightly wider screen would provide better browsing experience. Note the speaker located at the bottom side of the phone, it is not the optimum position where your hand might block the speaker while holding the phone.

Aluminium back body is smooth to the touch! Has more upmarket and solid feel compared to the plastic back cover of some of its competitors.

iPhone 5 VS. New iPad / iPad 3 in terms of size!

Charger

Changing from the 30-pin connector to 8-pin lightning connector is a huge welcome! Lightning connector is more compact and can be inserted regardless of sides!

Camera

The same but improved 8 megapixels iSight camera found in 4S made its way into iPhone 5. Now with improve low light performance, faster shutter speed and built-in panorama mode of up to 240 degrees! Video recording is in 1080p HD, but the only downside is the video can't be zoomed-in during video recording.

Somehow the longer screen of the iPhone 5 enable us to take photos of longer or higher objects compared to iPhone 4S!

HDR effect of Chin Swee Temple in Genting!

I'm impressed with the front camera's performance! The front camera can also take 6 person sitting in a row easily!

Superb close-up shot of marmite chicken!

However, the location of the camera lens is placed a bit near to the edge of the phone to my liking. People who are not used to it tends to have their fingers blocking a part of the photo they had captured!

Siri

Now Siri understand few more languages (including Mandarin!) compared to iPhone 4S. Unfortunately, Siri doesn't perform well in Malaysia as its database is equipped mostly with other countries' information (restaurant, sports etc.).

Game

Gaming wise, the new A6 chip provides a smooth gaming experience! Playing one of my favourite games, Real Racing 3 on iPhone 5 is smoother than iPad 3!

Conclusion

iPhone 5 is another well made Apple product. It has a sense of solidity and smoothness of processor that few can match. However, there are still room for improvement, especially with its screen size where most of its competitors are equipped with at least a 5-inch screen.

+ Performance, front camera, solid built, lightning adapter.
- Should have wider screen, position of rear camera and speaker.

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Proton Perdana replacement to be based on Honda Accord ?

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:00:00 +0000

After Proton and Honda signed a collaboration agreement few months back, details have been released that Honda Accord will be the platform for Proton Perdana replacement model! Although based on the Accord, cosmetic changes would be inevitable for the Perdana Replacement Model (PRM). Hopefully, the changes will be less subtle, bringing larger difference visually compared to Accord's design and not another Inspira case.

Proton, however, did not mention which Honda Accord's platform will be used for the PRM. Will it be the outgoing model which is still selling in Malaysia? Or the newest Accord launched overseas?

Current or the newest generation Honda Accord?

Engine wise, Proton's most powerful engine to date, the 1.6 litre CFE turbocharged engine would be out of the question, considering the immense size of the D-segment Accord. Proton might be using a 2.0 litre engine bought from Petronas last year to power the PRM.

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SPYSHOT: Nissan AREWLA ?

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:36:00 +0000

Wearing an exterior body mule identical to a Nissan Almera, above is a 'spyshot' captured by yours truly. The spied model is Nissan's upcoming model, the Nissan Arewla! Arewla will be positioned between Nissan Almera, a B-segment sedan and Nissan Sylphy, a C-segment sedan.

Nissan Arewla promises a more spacious cabin and better safety features compared to Almera. It will be powered by the similar 1.8 litre engine found in Nissan Grand Livina, which produces 126PS and 174Nm of torque at 4800rpm. Pricing is, of course, priced slightly higher than Almera.

P.S. I got a confession to make, Arewla is just an Almera with an upside down nameplate =_="

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Recall for 2000-2003 Toyota Corolla Altis and Camry !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:45:00 +0000

Toyota Motor Corporation and UMW Toyota Motor are recalling around 18,700 units of 2000-2003 made Toyota Corolla Altis and Toyota Camry. This is to rectify the issue of a defective passenger side front airbag inflator which may cause abnormal deployment or rupture during a crash.

There is no reported case of such problem in Malaysia yet, but UMW Toyota Motor will carry out corrective action at no cost on the owners. However, the timing for this recall is rarely seen, as cars of this age will be hitting the used car market, and airbag is said to expire around 10 years.

Please share this news around to your friends and family. Both models are very popular a decade ago and I'm sure it can be easily found in someone's parking garage.

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Scenes of flash flood !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:19:00 +0000

Is it zombie apocalypse? Abandoned cities, cars scattered around the freeway while zombies running around desperately looking for the livings. Okay, minus the zombies. Above is actually a scene of Puchong's stretch of LDP dated few months ago. Cars were stucked on the highway because flash flood conquered a stretch of the highway. What causes flash flooded? Any action taken to reduce flash flood?

Flash flooded normally caused by sudden heavy thunderstorm, but might be worsen by development of the affected areas if the drainage system is not done properly. SMART Tunnel is built to smoothen the traffic as well as to solve the problem of flash flood. However, it doesn't seems to be very effective in handling flash flood in KL area as places like Bukit Bintang and Jalan Tun Razak are prone to flash flood.

Pity the driver of this Mercedes-Benz! Hope the owner of the car bought insurance which covers damage from flood.

Somewhere around Wisma UOA on 10/4/2013. More 'casualties'.

Wastes/materials that are not handled properly might clog the drain and thus, affecting the performance of drains to flow the water smmothly.

Jalan Tun Razak long time ago. It's already seriously congested during rush hour and the flash flood worsen it. *shake head*

There's nothing you can do other than to move to higher ground during a heavy thunderstorm to avoid such unfortunate incidents. Feel sorry to those who are trapped in a traffic jam when a flash flood happened.

P.S.: Credits to pictures all over the Internet

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Used car ads - What's right and what's wrong !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:33:00 +0000

Human make mistakes. Some are negligible but some will create dire or even funny result! If it involves business, then prepare to say goodbye! Used car listing, for example, should be accurate for buyers so that they can decide on whether he should check out the car in person or not.

Silly mistake on pricing like this will surely dispel potential buyers away!

Are you selling a Merc?

A blessing in disguise? It's a Toyota Vios shown the picture below, but the listing named the Vios as Altis. Perhaps this Vios has the comfort of a C-segment but price of a B-segment?

At least the ads above are not as EPIC as this:

Only rolled once, not twice. Once is lesser than twice, so it's worth buying!!

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GAME: Axiata Cup 2013: Up Your Game

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 06:30:00 +0000

If you are using iPhone, Android or even BlackBerry smartphone, GOOD NEWS! In conjunction with Axiata Cup which is happening between 21st March to 14th April 2013, a free-to-be-downloaded Axiata Cup app has been released to give you the latest updates and also comes with a built-in game to be played with!

As you can see from below, the Axiata Cup app can be used to check for updates or news on the matches. You can also win your own Axiata Cup via the game inside the app! Best of all, the matches can be streamed live on your phone or tablet! Thus, you can watch the Axiata Cup at ANYWHERE, ANYTIME (provided that your telco 'behaves') !

You can also play with the game - Up Your Game! It's a sports game whereby you have to flick the shuttlecock over the net to gain points. Different skill shots (far shot, smash etc.) used will garner you more points!

You can also hold the shuttlecock for a prolonged period of time to gain bonus points!
However, you'll only get 3 chances/lives per game. One is deducted when a shuttlecock falls off the screen of your device. :(

The main killer - BOMBS! The game will end immediately if you touched a bomb, regardless of how many lives you have left! Bombs will appear randomly in any direction, so be vigilant!!!

Try to beat my highscore of 3015! Best of luck! :P

Axiata Cup: Up Your Game is fun and addictive, and is fairly easy to be mastered by beginners. It certainly had grown in me! I can't stop trying to break my previous highscore now! Now will you excuse me, I got to go break my highscore again!

Let's download the app today! Download links:

iPhone: http://bit.ly/iosaxiatacup
Android: http://bit.ly/axiatacup
BlackBerry: http://bit.ly/BBaxiatacup

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WeChat Media Launch @ Neverland Club !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:30:00 +0000

I believe most of the smartphone users know about a famous app called WeChat! With "The new way to connect" as its tagline, WeChat offers a variety of communication such as video call, messaging, group chat and voice chat with your friends, family or love one. Anyway, WeChat organised a media launch party in Neverland Club, Kuala Lumpur and I was there!

The event was like a huge bloggers gathering, we get to have fun while catching up with each other! Attendees were able to join a group chat where the contents of our chats will be displayed on the huge screen! Unfortunately I don't have data plan on my phone or else, I would join in the fun too!

Elywn, Henry, Joel and me! Credits to Clevermunkey.com

By the way, a good thing about WeChat is that it is available on Symbian devices too! I can use WeChat with my Symbian Nokia smartphone!

The night started with speech by Mr. Poshu Yeung, the Vice President of Tencent Holidays Limited.

Then the rocking dance group!

WeChat officially debuted its Bahasa Malaysia TVC, featuring two of its ambassadors Lisa Surihani and Shaheizy Sam.

Vivian 蔡忆雯 took over the stage! She has lovely and soothing voice!

The energetic Henley 许亮宇 joined Vivian for a performance!

Awi Rafael was one of the performers of the night too!

Deejay in the house!!

There were two round of contests where participants won great prizes including a grand prize of an iPad!

WeChat is a mobile phone text and voice messaging communication service developed by Tencent in China, available in iOS, Android, Symbian, Windows Phone and BlackBerry. WeChat is supported on Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G data network.

Website: http://www.wechat.com/en/

*This is a sponsored post.

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IACT College - Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Advertising and Design 3+0

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0000

IACT College, situated at Jaya One Commercial Centre along the Jalan Universiti in Petaling Jaya, is founded and endorsed by industry profession. It produces high quality and creative students by teaching them to think out of the box, turning conventional into extraordinary. Moreover, IACT College provides first class facilities (more on the facilities later) and conducive environment to study and have fun!

A new fully recognised programme called Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Advertising and Design 3+0 is introduced by IACT College, in collaboration with the University of Sunderland, UK, explore design within an advertising context. The programme helps the students in skilful thinking, ggenerating radical ideas and creative solution so that they can excel in the industry after they graduated.

Me along with 4 bloggers had the chance to attended a Creative Advertising and Design Workshop by IACT College recently. It started with a speech by Mr. Mark Grunden, the Admission and Marketing Manager.

After Mr. Grunden's speech, we and all of the other participants, ranging from school leavers to Diploma students from other colleges, moved to the lab where Ms. Queenie, Art and Programme Design Leader showed us some insights about design.

We get to have hands-on experience on designing a portrait of ourselves by using Adobe Illustrator, a design software frequently used by designers!

One example of creative advertisment, featuring the little Volkswagen Polo shielding a group of policemen, hinting the 'small but tough' tagline:

We (the bloggers who attended that day) also had some fun in the broadcast studio! I like this photo very much! Nice expression and vivid colours! Photo credit to Ohfish iee.blogspot.com!

Together with the awesome Veronica (3rd from the right)!

With me sitting on the chair!

See how happy Joel was in the studio! The strong lighting of the studio makes it the perfect place to camwhore!!

Some of the works done in the studio! Cool photos!

Moving on to the recording studio, where deejays and singers are born!

Ssshhhh...... This is the library, I'm just gonna let the pictures do the talking :)

Lastly, a picture of Mr. Grunden mingling with us during lunch!

By the way, IACT College is having a contest in its Facebook page whereby participants have a chance to win cash prizes!!! All you have to do is: Click on this link, vote for your favourite TVC and fill in why it is your chosen choice. It's just that EASY!!!

IACT College
Address: 2-G, Block K, Jaya ONE,
Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya,
46200 Selangor, Malaysia.

Website
Facebook

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Spotted: 2013 Mazda 6

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I was not a fan (nor hater) of the 2013 Mazda 6's styling when it first debuted online, right until a red Mazda 6 was parked right outside of my neighbour's house. Looking at it in flesh gave me a totally different impression - sexy, sporty, stylish & smooth. KODO design language of the Mazda 6 is amazingly well executed from the front to the side, giving the Mazda 6 a sense of moving forward.

Judging from the nice looking huge alloys, my guess it's the 2.5 variant. There's no emblem at the back to distinguish the 2.0 and 2.5. Another angle of the Mazda 6:

There is nothing to brag about the rear-end design of the Mazda 6. The awkwardly shaped chrome lining on the bootlid reminds me of a samurai's frowning eyebrows, maybe that's what KODO design is about.

I'm so mesmerised by its beauty till I don't want to mention about its (well-equipped) specification... Are you attracted by it too?

Price OTR with insurance:
2.0 sedan - RM159k
2.5 sedan - RM190k
2.5 Touring estate - RM194k

*P.S. There are 40 units of Mazda 6 2.5 involved in a recall. Huge possibility that this Mazda 6 is one of them!

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2013 Toyota Vios officially unveiled !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:03:00 +0000

Some say the car above has some resemblance of a Honda City; some say the car above is a dugong-no-more. All we know is, it's called ~~The Stig~~ the 2013 Toyota Vios. Scheduled to be launched very soon in Thailand and might be launched in Malaysia later this year.

Personally I like the design of this new generation Vios (3rd generation to be exact), it's sharper and sleeker than its predecessor. The first picture of the Vios above doesn't look as low-slung as some real-life spy shots. Perhaps it's the angle of photography that creates the illusion of an overly high ground clearance and small-ish wheel arches.

Projector headlights? Nice...

Contemporary looking cabin of the 2013 Toyota Vios! I would thought that the dashboard belongs to the next generation Altis if the cabin shot is not released together with the official front shots. The cabin has quite upmarket design, with the instrument panel relocated back to the front of the driver instead of located in the middle of the dashboard like in the previous 2 generation of Vios. Auto climate control is spotted but most likely it will only make it into the top spec Vios when it enters our market.

No official shot of the Vios' rear yet, but here's a spy shot to feast your eyes. The chrome finishing expand across the bootlid elegantly and into the taillights. Overall rear design could be more adventurous but still a commendable job.

What do you think about the all-new Vios' design? Will it regain the market after the debut of some new strong competitors?

*Update: More official pics of the 2013 Toyota Vios!

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Dato' CQ Teo Debate Challenge @ KDU !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

There I was in a debate... *Ahem* Watching students debate to be exact! KDU University College has organised Dato' CQ Teo Debate Challenge last weekend and I had the golden opportunity to witness a great battle between two schools' students.

There I was winning... *Ahemhem* Witnessed the students won all the tropheys and prizes!

Prior the start of the debate, we the bloggers and journalists were invited to have some scrumptious delicacies along with other attendees, yummy!

The moment the speakers have been waiting for! Just after the meal, the 3 motions were unveiled. Speakers from both sides have to choose one of the motions as their motion for the final round. Honestly I was flabbergasted when I saw the list below! I didn't expect such high difficulty motions will be available for school students of young age! In the end, they chose the second motion.

Info: THBT = This house believes that...

The finalists, Tunku Kurshiah College (TKC) faced off with SMK Assunta, making this the first time an all-female finalists! The arrangement was TKC as the government while SMK Assunta as the opposition.
Below: The upper picture shows a speaker from TKC while the lower picture shows a speaker from SMK Assunta.

You got to be in the scene yourself to feel how great the debate was! *Contents of the debate has been removed due to the controversial motion related to religion.*

"You asked me, I ask you back!"

The face-off was extremely exciting, where both sides conveyed strong points of the motion. Some even injected sarcasms and jokes into their points to make them more interesting. In the end, the best speaker of the night (from TKC), with trophey presented by KDU's Vice Cansellor Dr. Khong Yoon Loong:

And the champion of the Dato' CQ Teo Debate Challenge 2013 goes to... Team TKC! Congrats!

Runner up goes to SMK Assunta! Walked away with trophies and RM2000!

Congrats to all the winners again!!!

*This is a sponsored post.

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Mitsubishi i-MiEV (Electric Car) Launched in Malaysia, RM136k !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia has launched the all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV in Malaysia, marking the first electric vehicle (EV) being sold officially in Malaysia! I guess the public's biggest question about the i-MiEV is what's the price. Well, it's RM136,118.50 OTR without insurance even with full tax exemption. It's an inevitable high price to pay since producing an EV doesn't come cheap and EVs' number of sales haven't achieve economies of scale.

Second most important question is, how much will it cost me for driving an EV? A full charge of around 8 hours from a house's power socket will cost you about RM3.50 at current electric tariff, which enable you to travel for 150km. Besides, you'll get to enjoy a low RM10 annual road tax. By the way, the i-MiEV has 5-year warranty for its battery pack as well as free maintenance of up to 100,000km. Service interval is 20,000km due to the absence of engine (means lower maintenance cost too). But a car with this price is not about the money, it's about making the world a cleaner place.

An electric motor with 49kW (67hp) and 196Nm of torque is used to power the i-MiEV. Top speed is 130km/h. No carbon footprint will be created while the immense amount of torque is available from standstill, how fun is that? With all four wheels located near to the edges of the car and a low-mounted rear engine, the i-MiEV promises nimble handling albeit the tall-ish body.

The 2550mm long wheelbase promises ample legroom for the occupants. However, it might be a squeeze to fit 3 adults at the back since it's just 1475mm wide, the maximum width of a kei-car. GPS, auto headlights, automatic climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter are some standard features. Safety wise, six airbags, Active Stability Control (ASC) and Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) rigid body construction for the i-MiEV.

For future owners of i-MiEV or EVs, there are charging station in KLCC and Lot 10 parking lot where you can charge your EV for free! Mitsubishi's first EV centre, SAG Star along Jalan Chan Sow Lin also provide free charging station. May the world a better place for our future as well as generations to come.

Check out my previous i-MiEV test drive experience here!

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Finest and Magnificent Driving Pleasure with Maruti Alto

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Driving a car is a passion for most of the people. However even though they have a lot of budget to invest in the very beginning they really can’t afford on a huge amount. It is for all that sort of people maruti alto is the perfect option. This car comes with almost uncountable favorites for a person who has a will to buy. In terms of both quality and as well price, this is the very best model in the market. Designed under the normal and the common man market this four-wheeler is the ideal car to buy and as well to drive in the hefty traffic zones.

What else can someone except other than a gorgeous car which keeps them at complete cozy feeling? This comes with the perfect levels of satisfaction for all the people and is the ideal car. All the engineers who have become a part and parcel of this design are tasting success across years. All this is just because of the reasons like perfect mileage, price under budget and even fuel economy. This is the era where the prices of everything are reaching sky high. It is here one must be careful in getting everything they wish without compromising on the quality and the driving pleasure.

The above mentioned are just few reasons to quote for its unfettering profits in the market. Rather most people believe that, it is before a person gets mastered in the driving arena this model is going to assist them for a number of reasons. You can even contribute to the green world as this is perfectly economical in fuel consumption even. If you could maintain it well then surely you are going to reap more than double profits for the investment you have kept in.

There are many new versions in this car and so the buyers are given a full pledged freedom to get whatever they want within their budget and interest. In order to attract all the people, this model has evolved into market with great stunning and refreshing designs. The engineers have kept the mechanics same, however they have equipped this with many other sorts like different types of cylinders, etc. both in terms of mileage and engine power this is almost the best and so always standing in the top in the car rankings. Maruti alto even comes with all the latest technologies of the market.

Going further into the aspects of driving car of your dreams the interiors of the car are as followed. The newly designed things are quite an attraction for the buyers. Few of them are the easy to read fuel indicator and even the speedometer etc. in a word a normal buyer will be completely satisfied for purchasing this car on all behalf’s. There are other things which call for a great list of the fans for this car since years. The exterior of this car is even superb and they have taken many safety measures o that this crash resistant.

*This is a sponsored post.

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Perodua S-Series - Viva S, Myvi 1.3 SE & Alza S !

noreply@blogger.com (SiMon Har) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

S for sporty, sexy or sassy? It's actually stands for special, in the case for Perodua. Perodua released the S-Series: Myvi 1.3 SE, Viva S and Alza S. The S-Series is the "most value for money variants" so far, with added value for the customers without charging extra cost.

Viva S is an entry level Viva 1.0 (starts from RM34,774 OTR with insurance) which comes with these standard features:

Power steering
Dual SRS airbags, driver pre-tensioner seatbelt
Radio-CD player with MP3/WMA
Seat height adjuster
Driver's sun visor with vanity mirror and ticket holder
Seat back pocket
Under seat tray
Silver painted interior finishing
High grade seat material
Headrest shopping hook

Cabin of Viva S.

Myvi 1.3 SE (starts from RM44,924 for MT & RM47924 for AT, OTR with insurance) received the most obvious changes among the trio:

Myvi 1.5 SE's front bumper & grille, rear bumper and spoiler, side skirting, muffler cutter
Monotone dark interior (opposed to two tone in Myvi 1.3)
Silver finishing around the cabin
Headrest shopping hook

Cabin of Myvi 1.3 SE.

As for Alza S (starts from RM53,517 for MT & RM56,517 for AT, OTR with insurance), standard features included are:

Fog lights
Rear spoiler
Painted door armrest with chrome inner door handles
Leather wrapped steering wheel
Headrest shopping hook

Cabin of Alza S.

Best of all, Perodua is offering 3 years of free service, parts and labor included!!! Looks like Perodua is bucking up in giving more value to customers!

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