You’re alone in a room, or perhaps with a small group of friends, looking for a way out, searching all the walls and surfaces around you—even the furniture and objects—for clues. There is no apparent way out. There are no immediately visible doors.
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When Hong Kong’s Kowloon Walled City was razed in the late 1980s, it was an infamously untouchable haven for drugs, crime, and prostitution—a place few locals would dare to visit. Now, a theme park outside of Tokyo is selling tickets to explore a painstakingly modeled replica of the Walled City—right down to its trash, which was imported from Hong Kong.
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Edward Snowden—the former NSA contractor who revealed
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Smartphone selfies come in a very limited variety of flavors: the arms-length shots that make your head look distended and blurry mirror pics. There are several self-timer apps out there, but it’s still difficult to snap natural-looking self-portraits or spontaneous group photos, especially if you are also trying to wrangle small children and pets. Now on Kickstarter, Shuttr is a tiny Bluetooth remote shutter release for iOS and Android devices created by Hong Kong-based Muku Labs to give smartphone photographers more control. It’s already met its funding goal, but the remote control, which starts shipping in fall, is still available for pledges starting from $29.
Shuttr was created by Hong Kong engineer Kevin Leung. When Leung was a small child, his family couldn’t afford a camera and as a result he has no family photos taken before he was a toddler. Leung’s mother died when he was a teenager, which makes him even more determined to capture as many snapshots of his wife and young daughter as possible.
Leung was frustrated when he couldn’t find a smartphone remote shutter release that he liked. Talking to his friends made him realize that there were plenty of other people who want to take better group shots and selfies.
“I quit my job to build the remote shutter that I believed was missing in the market,” Leung told me by email. The Oxford MBA graduate teamed up with electronic engineer Sea Zheng, industrial designer Boge Chen, production engineer Tom Zhao and logistic expert Scott Moore, and spent a year developing Muku Shuttr.
At 6-mm thickness, Shuttr is small enough to hide in your hand while posing for photos and can be stored on a keychain. The remote’s range is around 30 feet and no line of sight is needed, which means you can use Shuttr while it’s in your pocket.
Shuttr differentiates itself from competing products by manufacturers such as Belkin and Satechi in several ways. It’s smaller, less expensive and usually doesn’t need an app to pair with smartphones (though a Shuttr app is available for older versions of iOS or certain Android devices such as the new HTC One). The remote control is compatible with all iOS devices, Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4, Note 2 and Tab 10.1, LG Nexus 4 and many other Android 4.1+ devices with Bluetooth 3.0+. It also works with iOS apps Camera+ and 645 Pro so you can bypass the iPhone’s built-in camera.
“We did a lot of trial and error in testing almost all Bluetooth chipsets available to find the most compatible one, and fine-tune those firmware to maximize the compatibility and stability,” says Leung. “Shuttr is so rigorously tested in our approved modes we are confident that we can launch.”
Shuttr is the first product developed by Muku Labs, which Leung says will continue to create items that enhance the process of taking smartphone photos. The team is currently planning a line of snap-on lenses.
“We know that there are already lots of them in the market,” says Leung. “But we know that we can beat them by quality.”
The Kai Tak Airport, better known as Hong Kong International, dutifully served the island city for nearly three quarters of a century before shutting down in 1998. But rather than let that prime civic real estate fallow, the Hong Kong government has transformed it into a dazzling new cruise ship port.
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After several years of flying around Asia for tourism and business we decided to give our summary of the best airports in the region.
1. Changi International Airport- Singapore
Asia’s most convenient airport; connect to downtown Singapore by MRT or taxi in less than 30 minutes.
An awesome place to stay in transit with plenty of places to eat, chill out and shop with the option of easily exploring the city-state if you have more time. Clean, calm and comfortable with three well designed terminals that let you experience the charms of the Garden City.
Whether or not Singapore was the destination or just a stop over we are always happy to fly in and out of Changi.
2. Incheon International Airport- South Korea
Less than an hour to central Seoul by train, getting to and from Incheon Airport is cheap and easy. Shuttle buses and taxis also provide affordable alternatives.
For those visiting Seoul for business or contacting friends, consider renting a phone from the Airport to use during your trip, prices are very reasonable and it takes no time to apply (took me less than 5 minutes!).
If you have some time, energy and Won to spare, take out your pre-flight stress at the driving range or 72-hole golf course, spin around at the ice rink or catch the latest Korean blockbuster at the CGV movie theatre.
If you’re stuck in transit then also check out the airport sauna and spa; open 24 hours a day where you can forget about your long stop-over and flight delay.
Incheon Airport ensures that any trip to Seoul begins and ends in style.
3. Hong Kong International Airport- China
Asia’s second most convenient airport; get to central Hong Kong by express train in 25 minutes, alternatively take a shuttle bus or taxi which will deliver you to any destination in the SAR in less than an hour.
The most scenic airport in Asia! Located on Hong Kong’s largest island, Lantau the airport’s location makes take off and landing feel like taking an aerial cruise (just be lucky with the weather).
Lantau Island is also home to the Asia Expo Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong Disney Land, Tai O fishing village and the Ngong Ping 360 Cable car experience which takes you to the famous Big Buddha statue. These attractions can be easily accessed from the airport and are a great way to spend several hours in transit.
Gateway to China; various buses and ferry routes also connect you easily from the airport to Macau and Mainland China, meaning that you can make Hong Kong part of your greater China experience.
We hope you enjoy flying in and out of these awesome Asian airports as much as we did!
This collection by Romain Jacquet-Lagreze will have your head spinning in a dizzy state of confusion. The French photographer and graphic artist created Vertical Horizon as a visual exploration of Hong Kong and it’s rapid growth towards the sky. Using a unique perspective, Jacquet-Lagreze presents the ever-growing city in a repetitively graphic expression of its architecture. More »
Having lived and travelled around different parts of Asia we thought it would be good to give a round-up of how things operate in these very distinct markets. From Thai tuk-tuks to doily-adorned Japanese cabs, Asia has a wide variety of options for getting from A to B. This is Part 1!
1-Hong Kong
Image via flickr
Overview: Fast, convenient and cheap; it is easy to hail a taxi from almost anywhere and you wont have to stop at an ATM to pay for the rest of your fare. An affordable and quicker alternative to public transport especially for first time visitors!
Price: HK$20 ($US2.6) for the first 2 kilometers and then HK$1.50 (US$0.2) for every subsequent 200m.
Hong Kong’s red, green and blue taxis service different locations in the territory. Image via HK Transport Department.
Bonuses: Most Hong Kong cabbies are friendly, chatty and speak some English and very patient considering all the drunken, vomiting and rowdy people they have to deal with coming back from Lan Kwai Fong (the party district) in the early hours.
Pimped up HK Taxi Driver’s dashboard. Image via shanghaibutter.com
Warnings: It is illegal for a Hong Kong cab driver to refuse to take you somewhere unless they have a valid excuse. That said you can probably always find another cab quite soon.
Hong Kong Cabbie. Jus’ Chillin’ image via Geographically Yours
Average price of a taxi from Hong Kong Airport to Central (downtown): HK$300 (US$39) and takes just less than an hour.
2- Singapore
Image via onsingapore.com
Overview: Singapore is small, so if you don’t have much time just take a taxi!
Price: between SG$3-4 (US$2.4- 3.2) for the first kilometer depending on which type of taxi you take.
Bonuses: Since Singapore is small you are unlikely to ever rack up a crazy taxi fare unless you get the driver to ride around in circles all night. Very talkative and opinionated drivers will ensure an enteraining ride; I recommend checking this out humorous and insightful blog by Singapore cabbie James Lim.
Singaporean Cabbie who returned $1m found in his taxi. Image via Jakarta Globe.
Warnings: If you are staying or visiting just outside the downtown/business district of Singapore then be aware that since cab drivers can get an extra three dollars picking someone up from inside the business district they are unlikely to stop for you. So you will have to walk the extra block to get a cab.
An average taxi journey from Changi Airport to downtown Singapore: ranges from SG$18.00-38.00 ($US14-30) and takes about 30 minutes.
3- Seoul
Seoul International Taxis (Image via Seoul.go.kr)
Overview: Getting around Seoul by taxi can be a cheaper and quicker option than by public transport and there are a variety of taxi types on offer including the deluxe taxis and International Taxis which speak English and Japanese.
Price: Seoul Regular taxi fares begin at ￦2,400 (US$2.15) for the first 2 kilometers and go up by ￦100 (US$0.9) every additional 144 meters.
Seoul Taxi. Image via Seoul Navi.
Bonuses: You can pay using t-money, credit card and cash, drivers are direct but friendly and you don’t have to speak Korean.
Image via Starsandstripes.com
Warnings: Hailing a taxi in Seoul at night can be difficult with some taxi drivers reluctant to take you to certain districts or on routes which are not economical enough for them. If you are a tourist or new to Seoul then Seoulistic provides some tips on avoiding getting ripped off by Seoul cabbies.
An average fare from Incheon International Airport to downtown Seoul: ￦50,000 (US$45).
4- Tokyo
Tokyo Taxi (Image via National Geographic)
Overview: Taking a taxi in Tokyo is an expensive luxury but of course every now and again you will find yourself missing the last train, completely lost or just tired and fed up of walking around.
Price: fares start at JPY 710 (US$7.4) for the first 2.1 kilometers taxi and increase by ¥90 (US$0.9) for every extra 288m.
Tokyo Taxi Driver. Image via news.com.au.
Bonuses: All Tokyo taxi drivers wear suits with waist-coats, white gloves and decorate the taxi interiors with laced seat covers like an old lady’s living room. They also open the doors for you which in a way seems to justify the price, but…
Image via wired.com
Warnings: Most Tokyo taxi drivers are not from Tokyo so don’t know the city that well and often don’t know how to use their satellite navigators so even if you have a copy of the address written in Japanese you might end up having to give the driver directions!
If you are crazy enough to consider taking a taxi from Narita airport to Tokyo station: you will be set back around JPY 20,000 ($US 209).
Check out Taxis in Asia: Part two coming soon!
We knew Xiaomi’s keen to bring its phones out of China and into the European market, but before taking that long-haul flight, the Chinese company is going to make a couple of stops in Asia. According to the latest updates on the company’s Twitter feed and a freshly-made Facebook group (under “Xiaomi Asia”), the Xiaomi Phone 2 will be hitting Hong Kong and Taiwan “in the near future,” and folks living in those two regions can enter a draw for a chance to become a guinea pig help test the phone’s localized MIUI ROM (in traditional Chinese, naturally) ahead of launch. CEO Lei Jun had previously stated that his company would expand into Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore by the end of this year, but due to the overwhelming demand of Qualcomm’s 28nm chipsets throughout the year, it’s unlikely that Xiaomi can realize its original plan in time. Regardless, from what we know, Xiaomi may partner with Chunghwa Telecom to sell the Xiaomi Phone 2 in Taiwan, whereas in Hong Kong it may utilize the same old online direct sale model to begin with — unlike Meizu who has a physical shop in the city, as well as a partnership with local carrier PCCW. Now, how about a full schedule for your world domination, Mr. Lei?
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: Engadget Chinese, @XiaomiChina (Twitter), Xiaomi Asia (Facebook)
Rara.com has been mighty busy since its luddite-friendly music streaming service launched at the end of last year, and now it’s reporting the outcome of those 10 months of toil. In addition to an improved web experience and new Android widget, an AirPlay-compatible app for iOS is now available, with software for Windows 8 arriving alongside its launch. Rara’s 18 million tracks haven’t only invaded other platforms, but other countries, too — residents of Brazil, Mexico, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, South Africa and Portugal have joined the party, bringing the total number of compatible countries to 27. Lenovo is also getting a piece of the action, as a worldwide agreement means Rara software will now come pre-installed on the manufacturer’s Android tablets and Windows 8 gear. Want to hear more about Rara’s recent accomplishments? Then head for the PR after the break.
Continue reading Rara.com expands to iOS, Windows 8 and more countries
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Internet, Software, Lenovo
Rara.com expands to iOS, Windows 8 and more countries originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 01:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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