Leverbuy's Best Blogger of the MONTH!

Wow... This is my first ever Award for Blogging. I was awarded a 1 Advertisement Slot in Leverbuy.com as a prize. And I took this opportunity to share the Current Promotion for Our Online Store, Connect2U.

Since you are reading this, why not spent some time visiting us? Maybe you will find something you'll like.

All items are While Stock Last and it's selling fast. Don't Miss it!!

Here's the link.

Fashion - Lunar Magik

 

 bring you the joy of Online Shopping!

You will be spoilt for choices!

 

 

 

Going to a Beach Party during the Night? 

Summer Maxis Collection

  

Or prefer something more elegant?  

Visit

A homegrown, proudly Malaysian online boutique. 

At Lunarmagik, "Fashion is our Passion", with women's clothing, bags and accessories sourced directly from the United Kingdom and internationally.

At Lunarmagik, everything you find here are originals, mostly popular and trendy UK brands. We do not sell imitation, inspired or fake clothing/accessories at our online store. 

What you buy here are carefully handpicked, with quality our main aim,

while keeping our prices as competitive as possible. We feature designs which will flatter women of all shapes and sizes. Dresses are our mainstay & we choose material that suits our hot climate, with razor edge cutting that'll show off your curves. As you might notice, our dresses are gaily printed with prints strategically placed to hide any flaws, and thus making it wearable to anyone! Our dresses are modern, stylish, colorful, upbeat and unique! Some prints are literally works of art. We hope you like our collection.

To keep it exclusive, we carry only a few pieces of each design.

Why Must I Visit them Now?  

Special Sales is On from 13th June 2013 to 31st July 2013

During the Sales Period, you will get

FREE SHIPPING

on top of the special discount!

  

The article is sponsored by

written by 

YEOH KOK WOE

Fashion - Caron Boutique

CARON BOUTIQUE

Weather you are looking for labels or non-labels fashion statements; At Caron,we have it all.Caron carries today's trendiest looks as well as stylish brands and designs fit for every occasion.From your day to day casual wear to the upscale evening wear.

At Caron; 

it's Always trendy, 

Always A Good Buy 

Caron's Boutique carries today’s trendiest looks, stylish international brands and designs fit for every occasion. From your day-to-day casual wear, dresses to the upscale evening wear.

   

Caron Boutique carries imported high street labels, and they've made it more affordable for us thanks to partners who source these items out for them. They also offer a special service whereby customers can request for an item of a specific brand (for bags only), which they will try to look for. Styling advice is also given by the friendly people at Caron. 

More Lovely Dresses from Caron Boutique 

     

And Irresistible Accessories 

    

What's More?

Caron Boutique 

are having their 

MID YEAR SALES

(click the Photo below to RUSH to their Store)

This Article was sponsored by

Written by

Yeoh Kok Woe

Sharing - Shopping Time - Leverbuy

Hi. Are you someone who likes to shop? Are you someone who want to know where can you get the biggest bargain? Are you someone who are waiting for your favourite brand to be on sale? If Yes, then you should continue reading.

Introducing Leverbuy - A platform to discover everyday best deals, incl. promotions, discounts, sales, freebies, etc. in Malaysia. 

At www.leverbuy.com, you will get to learn about the latest promotions in the market. And if you join them as a member, you will have first access to exclusive deals in market before it is released to public and all latest promotions. Besides, you can also earn extra money from them. To learn more about the membership, you can click HERE. (if you happens to join them after reading this article, kindly put my name under the referral slot ya. Thank you. Name: YEOH KOK WOE

Some of you might be wondering who are the clients of LeverBuy. Below are some of their clients and you can see some are multinationals, Premium Brands and the local brands. Basically, you will get the latest promotions from almost every companies in Malaysia.

some examples of companies listed in LeverBuy directory. Hey, I saw Connect2U too, and it shares the same page as Calvin Klein, Coach, Crabtree and Evelyn and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. So proud to be at the same page as the big shot!

If you would like to know a particular promotions from your favourite shop, you can just click on them and you can see the current ongoing promotions and the some info about the company. Here's an example:

Currently Conenct2U do not have any ongoing promotions but there are links to their website as well as their facebook page.

So what are you waiting for? Do you want to missed out on your favourite brand sales or you want to get access to it before others? 

Join them now. More info here. LeverBuy Membership (Kindly put my name, YEOH KOK WOE under the referral if you are joining them after reading my post here. Thank you in advance)

Some Changes

Hi,

To all my valuable readers, I have decided to do some changes on my blog. The Gua Ka Lu blogspot will no longer be used as the Official blog for Connect2U. It will be used instead to blog about anything that happening around me. So there will be more craps than the usual information about gadgets and technology.

The new GUA KA LU blog will most likely be about

1. Movies
2. Contests
3. Fashions
4. Food
5. Relationships
6. Parenting
7. Shopping
8. Anything else, you name it, I try and BLOG it

For those who want to read only the Tech part, kindly visit our Official Product Reviews & Updates blog at http://connect2usales.blogspot.com

Thank you for your support.

Best regards
Yeoh

A Little Sharing - Power Banks

                                       

How often you come across the photo above? Well, I guess if you are a typical smartphone user, you will see this almost everyday. The next Question is, what will you do? Of course if you are near a power point, all you need is to charge your phone/tablet. Am I right? But what if you are not? What if there is no electricity? Nowadays in Malaysia, you wouldn't know when it's going to be blackout again, right?

What are your options? We have a lot of options, the most simple and cheap is, let it be. No battery? Off phone Lor.. As simple as that. But to those who need to be reachable, this is not the best solution. What else? 

Today we will go into another option, which is the power bank. The gadget most smartphones and tablets user will probably own or intend to own.

What is a "Power Bank" ?

A power bank means a bank which have a lot of power? Haha. Hell no. It's a portable battery bank  that provides energy to keep your gadgets "alive" whenever you need to. The standard capacity of power bank range from 500mAh up to 30000mAh (which I highly doubt. Why? Read on)

                                   

                                           Samples of power banks in the market

If you Google "power bank" , you will see thousands or millions of hit. Reason being, almost all the manufacturer in China are producing power bank! Reason? It's currently the highest demand accessories for smartphones and tablets. And to win the Rat Race, they even sell fake power banks or over claims the capacity of the power bank!

Today, I will share on how to choose a power bank.

Battery

Like I mentioned, power bank is a device that contained batteries. Currently in the market, there are few types of commonly use batteries in power.

Korean batteries (Samsung)

Japanese batteries (Sanyo, Panasonic)

Chinese batteries (china OEM)

The quality of Li-Ion battery differs.

Branded made-in-Japan (eg. Sanyo, Panasonic) one normally has capacity of at least 3100mAh, and comes with 1 year warranty. They have higher price too and won't be chosen to make the cheap power bank selling in the Internet stores. Normally sold in brand such as Sanyo Eneloop power bank in premium store.

Branded made-in-Korea (eg. Samsung) one is quite reliable too. Part number could be ICR18650-30A, ICR18650-28A, ICR18650-26F, ICR18650-26D, ICR18650-24E, ICR18650-24F, ICE18650-22F, etc. 30F means capacity is 3000mAh, 22F means capacity is 2200mAh, and so on. Normally used by Samsung in their own power bank which are sold in Authorized Samsung Store / we store. Find it in www.connect2u.my

Samsung OEM made-in-China Li-Ion battery has 4 grades. The highest A01 grade normally reserved for Samsung own use, while A02, A03 and A04 are made available for customers. Part number could be ICR18650-20, ICR18650-22, ICR18650-24, ICR18650-26, etc. If a power bank claimed to use Samsung batteries, the batteries inside are probably the A02~A04 type. Normally used by Manufacturer to increase the quality of the power banks as its more reliable than the china OEM batteries.

Certain unbranded made-in-china battery were found to have only 1600-1800mAh but also put in the 18650 code and claimed to have 3000mAh. The cheap power banks probably are using this kind of Li-Ion battery. You can find most of these selling in most discounted website such as dealmates, groupons, ebays, Lelong, mudah and various forums.

                                           

                                  Feelook Power Bank using Samsung battery

So the next time you planning to get a power bank, you can ask about the type of battery. Next, the battery capacity.

This is the part that confuses a lot of people. In the market, you can find up to 30,000mAh. Problem is, if a battery can only store up to 3,000mAh, how many do you think they will need to put in a 30,000mAh Battery Pack? 10 batteries? Now, show me a power bank that can store 10 batteries and you will still buy. 

So, what comes to your mind? The over claimed the capacity. Ya. And most people fell for it. It's so nice to have a 30,000mAh with to only RM99 to RM129. "Mana mau cari?"

You have doubt on what I said? You think I am just sour grape cos I do not own a big capacity power bank, right? Read on...

Calculation of the Capacity. 

For your information, although you have a 30,000mAh batteries, due to the leakage and voltage conversion, you can only use about 80% of the maximum capacity. Which means, for a 30,000mAh, you only have around 24,000mAh to charge your devices. But again, 24,000mAh is already a very high capacity and allowed you to fully charge more than 2 times for your iPad or 10 times your galaxy S3. But how many times your power bank can charge? You try and let me know? Full charge means from 0 to 100%.

Battery capacity:

Galaxy S3 - 2100mAh

Galaxy S4 - 2600mAh

Galaxy Note - 2500mAh

IPhone 5 - 1450mAh

iPad 4 - 10,000 mAh

For an iPhone 5, with a 30,000mAh capacity power bank, you should able to fully charge at least up to 15 times! But most of us only able to charge let say 3-4 times? 

Your next Question. Then how come my power bank weight as heavy?

My answer? Nah, I can't give you a definite answer unless you open up the power bank but you will end up voiding the warranty, if any. 

                         6 pcs of batteries which looks like a damaged recycle batteries.

                                     

                                        Worse, you might even find 2 packs of sand!

You think it's a prank? Yes it is. From the manufacturer it is. This is taken by one if the unlucky owner from Taiwan who bought his power bank in china. The source of articles will be posted at the end of this topic. 

So, ladies and gentlemen, hope this will help you on making decision on your next power bank. As much as we wanted to get the most value for our money, this are some of the areas I would like you to  consider.

For purchasing of power banks, kindly visit www.connect2u.my

Sources: 

http://voyager8.blogspot.com/2013/03/beware-of-dishonest-cheap-power-bank.html

http://www.gizmochina.com/2013/04/12/beware-of-fake-2400-mah-powerbank/

I am BACK!

Hi guys, I am back in business again. It's have been a extremely busy months and I am glad its OVER! Now that I have returned, I will start answering all the questions raised in my blogs. Sorry to those who asked but did not receive any reply from me. I am terribly sorry about that. Anyway, I have replied all the questions and to those who want to have any, feel free to ask. I will be turning on the notifications so I will be notified.

Ok. Moving on, my main focus will be on:

1. Reviews on Mobile & Tablets Accessories.
(Huh? Why not phones & tablets? There are millions of blogger on this and I don't think I am better than them. But I will shares articles and reviews I find worth reading with you all. And as for accessories, sure there are a lot of people reviewing as well, so why bother to do the same? Answer: I am doing not only on those Branded and Expensive accessories but also those that you can find around you at a "pasar malam price". Cool huh, how many blogger will spend time doing this? So if you are a manufacturer and you think you have accessories you want someone write a review, then feel free to email me at kokwoe@gmail.com. No charges at the moment but you need to at least send me a demo for review. Full details can be discussed through emails)

2. Sharing on Mobile Phones & Tablets News
(Links will also be provided in case readers want to have a first hand info from the site. My way of giving credit to the owner of the news)

3.  Sharing on How to / Guides
(if you have been reading my blogs, I did write up about how to differentiate AP and Original Phones, Buying Online / Setting up PPS for Apple on watching HK dramas. I will continue on this and even more interesting topics. But of course, you are free to write to me if you have a specific topic you are interested in. My email? kokwoe@gmail.com)

4. Updates on Local News - Telcos ( Digi, Maxis, Celcom, others ) / Promotions / Events

These are the 4 main topics I will be focusing on. If i suddenly Ki Siau ( Hokkien : Meaning : Go Crazy), I will write silly stuff or even topics which are out of my scope.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!!

To All Our Beloved Readers,

2013 is a very Special year as it marks our presence in the blog space for 1 year now. Here we wishes Everyone a Happy Chinese New Year to all our Chinese's readers. For those not celebrating Chinese New Year, take this opportunity to get some rest during the holidays!!

GONG XI FA CAI !!! HUAT AH !!!

Updates: Samsung Galaxy Note Premium Suite

Try and guess what phone is this?

Yes. It's the Samsung Galaxy Note N7000. The older sibling of the GREAT Samsung Galaxy Note 2 N7100. The one that you might even forgotten since everyone focusing on the BRAND NEW NOTE 2. Everyday I watched the advertisement on the TV on how great is Note 2 and there are so many features in comparing to the older sibling. Frankly, I find the ad a bit annoying since I am still using the Galaxy Note N7000. And I am sure some of you feels the same too. My wild guess is some even go to the extent to complains as the lack of the new features make the older Note become obsolete.

So, what's the update?
Erm .. . from what I have read, Samsung finally announced the Galaxy Note N7000 finally getting Jelly Bean. However, it won't be the 4.1.1 but the newer version of 4.1.2. The Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 will get the so-called Premium Suite (similar to the one the Galaxy S III is getting). The update will bring the Project Butter smoothness and Google Now assistant. In addition to those, Samsung will give you plenty of new features to enjoy.

Some of the new features users will be getting

• MultiView (the unique "two apps on the screen" feature)
• Popup versions of the Note
• Video and Browser apps
• Handwriting support in the S Planner and Email
• Enhanced S Note app 
• Photo Note 
• Easy Clip
• Paper Artist 
• and a few more

Those who wish to learn more about those features can click here.

Great. When can I update to the new firmware?
Since Samsung officially announced it, I "think" we should be getting the OTA updates in the next few weeks.

Updates: Stocks Availability for iPhone 5 - Digi

Ho ho ho...

I knows it's Christmas but just a short update on the current stocks for the iPhone 5 offered by Digi.

In the website it's stated that All Models Available, but only if you buy online. If you prefer to get one  from the Digi Centre in your area. You better think twice. Most outlets are out of stocks while some are selling fast.

Below are the current stock level in respective outlets as at 3pm, 24th Dec 2012.

Wanna risk? Other options?? Just order online. It's the fastest and easiest way to order. It just CLICK and CLICK and CLICKs.

Good Luck And Merry Christmas.

Shopping Time

The Joy of Buying Online

Hi guys. Christmas is just around the corner. Have you bought all the presents you need to buy? If not, probably it's time to get some from the store. But be extra careful of pickpockets since there are many of them working now since all the shopping malls are packed with shoppers.

For those who likes to shop online (like me nowadays), perhaps you would like to share some experiences.

As for my experience, the many reason I prefer to shop online

1. I can check out all the prices before deciding where to buy. Some seller are offering bargains on their products. And no one to show me their "Black Face" if I decided not to buy from them. 
2. I can check the differences between brands, review and other information on the internet while I browse online. I am not going to walk and surf while doing a retail shopping right? 
3. Convenient. I can shop anytime I like with just a few clicks and the transaction done.  
4. It's safe. It's true that we heard a lot of Online Frauds. Online Scams, Item received different from the one ordered, Items not received, Missing items and etc. All these prevents people to buy online. But ask those who frequently buys online. How many of them actually experience it? Not me. As long as you take precautions measure, you can minimise the risk. Read my upcoming blog on how to shop safely.
5. More options on payment. Bank Transfer / Paypal / Credit Cards. You name it. Although I prefer using paypal or bank transfer. Never feel comfortable disclosing my credit card details.

Above are some of the main reasons I shop online. Oh... and one more thing but this is quite personal feeling, I like it when I bought something and anxiously waiting for it reach me. Trust me, it's really some different experiences. Especially when you buy something new. You will blog about it, facebooking about it and talks about it. And when the moment you received the parcel, you impatiently sign and quickly open it. This is something I never felt when buying from a retail store. Try it. And while blogging, I am waiting for my pre-ordered Google Nexus 4 from USA!!! I have been waiting for almost 3 weeks and it's driving me nuts!!! Haha..

Things that I bought online so far

1. Branded Bags
2. Mobile Phones
3. Mobile Phone Accessories
4. Tablets
5. Power Bank
6. Kindle E-Reader
7. Clock
8. Name Cards
9. Movie tickets
10. Books
11. And many more......

Some of the items I bought Online and just around me now

Some sites I frequently window shop / shops. ( Those listed are frequently visited/shopped, they did not pay me to advertise, yet)

Mobile Phone Accessories

Apparels and Cheap Bags

Branded Stuff

Branded Bags

Apple Devices - The Cheapest in Town

Occasionally I also get some of the stuff from Lowyat forums. But buying from forums you need extra precaution as most sellers are freelance. Some pricing are too good to be true. So make sure you get as much info before bank in your money.

Share if you have more websites which you frequently shops. Just leave a comment below.

Sharing: Do You Know?

Sorry for the long M.I.B. (Missing in Blogging). Was busy with work since it's the end of the year. Now that I managed to squeezed some time out, I would like to share some info.


microUSB 
A microUSB receptacles are designed for up to 10,000 cycles of insertion and removal between the receptacle and plug, compared to 1,500 for the standard USB and 5,000 for the Mini-USB receptacle.

If you are charging your phone once a day, then the charging port and your charger should be able to last for approx. 27 years. (10,000 times / 365 days). But if you are charging it every time you get to the car (in-car charger), Office or even outdoors (via power bank), then it will shorten the durability of the charging port and charger.

So for mobile phones users, the more you plug and unplug your phone to the charger, the faster your charging port need to be replace. (But i guess it will take at least 5-10 years unless you are a super heavy user)




source: Universal Serial Bus Cables and Connectors Class Document

Battery
We all knows the role of a battery in a phone. But how much do you know about your battery? For your information, the standard technology for battery being used in mobile phones is Lithium-ion polymer batteries. This type of batteries currently provides the best performance for your smartphones. It have a high power density that gives you a long battery life in a light package. And you can recharge a lithium-ion polymer battery whenever convenient, without requiring a full charge or discharge cycle.

As a typical Lithium-ion battery only last about 2 - 3 years or 300 - 500 charge cycles, whichever occurs first, it's wise to know more about it to ensure you do not need to change your battery anytime shorter than the said duration. 

Knowing what is a "CYCLE CHARGE" is one way to save your battery. A cycle charge means you charge your phone to 100% and use it to 0% and charge again to 100%. It does not means that every time you plug in the charger, then its consider a cycle. So, please do not worry about overcharging your phone. But do aware that charging it may damage the battery if the temperature is more than 40 degrees. For smartphone users, you can easily download applications to monitor the phone temperature.

For more information about batteries, please visit the following website

Apple / Batteries

Lithium-Ion Battery Maintenance Guidelines

Any sharing from you? Perhaps can email to me at kokwoe@hotmail.com

Recommendation: BlueAnt Q2 Bluetooth Headset

Hi,

It have been quite some time since my last post. Was busy preparing for the launching of our web store. Anyway, I am back again to blog. As above topic, today I would like to recommend a bluetooth headset that I am currently using. The best unit I have use so far.

While most people do not likes to use a bluetooth headset even if they are driving (not only cause danger to ourself but to others too), I prefer to use one. Reason being using a BT headset will get me out of trouble with the cops. I hate it when I got stopped and being summoned for talking on the phone while driving.

We discussed about using BT a while ago, and for those who missed the topic, click here.

So, some info about BlueAnt Q2 BT headset.

Also called a " Smart Bluetooth Headset" with HD Audio. BlueAnt Q2 is the Bluetooth headset filled with rich audio, unsurpassed call clarity and industry best wind noise reduction. This is the best sounding Bluetooth headset ever built. It's because BlueAnt engineers designed the Q2 by selected the best audio components, precision tuned and tested in a professional sound studio.

Aside, this smart Bluetooth headset is distinguished. It's includes a comprehensive voice recognition command set, text to speech technology that announces the name of incoming caller. Aside, BlueAnt had developed a SMS readout application for Android OS to enhance the products features. The application is free for download in Google Play Shop.

Videos taken from BlueAnt website.

I am totally amazed with the design and the features. Initially I hesitate as the price was quite premium for a Bluetooth headset, but later on I decided to give it a try and I never look back. It was an excellent product and you might want to consider one.

Here are the specifications of the BlueAnt Q2.

Specifications and Features;

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Bluetooth v2.1
• Up to 10 meters (33 feet) RF coverage
• CE, FCC, BQB, Ctick, RoHS/WEEE Compliant
• Headset Profile, Handsfree Profile and A2DP
• Micro USB Connector

FREQUENCY

• 2.4 GHz

AUDIO

• 3GPP with DSP solution

BATTERY

• 3.7V Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery
• Up to 5 hrs talk time
• Up to 100 hrs standby time

WEIGHT

• 0.35 oz / 10 g without ear hook (0.38 oz / 11 g with ear hook)

DIMENSIONS

• 55.5 x 15.8 x 8.75 mm / 2.18 x 0.62 x 0.34 in

PACKAGE CONTENTS

• Q2 Smart Bluetooth Headset
• Flexible ear hooks
• Small, medium and large ear gels
• USB cable
• AC adaptor
• User Manual

For more info, you can jump to the official website. Here is the link. BlueAnt Q2 Official Site