“Do you really need such a huge computer monitor?”, that’s one of the few questions I received when I was reviewing this huge Philips 40-inch 4K LED Monitor (BDM4065UC). Most of the time, I responded with “it depends on what are you using it for?” as an answer. The reason is that if you are using a 40″ 4K monitor for web browsing and Facebook surfing then it’s really an overkill. On the other hand, if you are using it for watching 4K movies, coding, photo/video editing, drawing, designing, accounting, meeting presentation, or even light gaming, then a 40″ 4K monitor is a suitable choice for you.

Philips BDM4065UC 40-inch 4K UHD Monitor

Something you need to know

A 4K monitor, such as this Philips BDM4065UC, packs a display resolution of 3840×2160. This is about four times as many pixels as a Full HD (1920×1080) display! Spreading the 4K resolution over a diagonal viewing area of 40” inches will give it a pixel density of 110ppi. So, it’s at more manageable level than the 163ppi and 138ppi densities found on 4K screens with 27″ and 32″ monitors respectively. In other words, it means reading text is more comfortable and scaling is practically not needed for Windows desktop applications on a 40″ monitor with 4K resolution.

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Philips BDM4065UC 40-inch 4K UHD Monitor Review – Introduction & Unboxing

It’s been a while since I last posted here due to commitment in my new projects and offline duty as a new parent. Today I’m back to blogging thanks to my pathetic Internet connection, ironically. My current Internet speed provided by Streamyx, a broadband service by Telekom Malaysia (TM), is so pathetic it irks me and I had to post the speed test on my Instagram.

My current pathetic Streamyx Internet speed. It's so pathetic the upload speed is faster than download speed. @Streamyx @TMConnects @TMCorp #pathetic #Internet #TM #TelekomMalaysia #Streamyx

A photo posted by Bryan (@sapiensbryan) on Oct 25, 2015 at 9:17pm PDT

Then TMConnects replied to my post in Twitter, which is a good sign. So I’m here writing this lengthy post to tell my side of story in case they really care.

Here goes the story!

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Dear Streamyx (Telekom Malaysia), Please Stop Trolling Me!

Sometimes we face a dilemma in deciding which call plan to subscribe when we are changing our mobile phone plan or switching between mobile network providers (a.k.a. telcos). There are so many different packages and bundles available from each telco and it’s really hard to tell which is better. Therefore, here I’m putting all the figures into an organized table for side-by-side comparison and sharing my views on all postpaid call plans (with/without data) from 4 major telcos in Malaysia, namely Maxis, Celcom, DiGi & U Mobile.

I leave Yes 4G out of the comparison even though their user base has been expanding since the launch in 2010 because their WiMax network is not compatible with GSM phones that most of us are using. Besides, I only select call plans without phone bundle in order to keep the comparison simple and straightforward. Please note that only 2 call plans in my comparison are contract based, which are Ultimate Device Plans (24-month) and U Platinum (36-month) by U Mobile. Otherwise, we are free to switch plans at anytime.

Malaysia Telco Call Plans Comparison Full Table – Updated 22/8/14 (Click to enlarge)

Main factors influencing your decision

As we can see from the full table above, call plans from all telcos have limited data quotas which make filtering through these call plans a lot easier. Furthermore, we don’t make calls or send SMS as many as we used to, all thanks to the new generation messaging and VoIP (Voice over IP) apps, such as WhatsApp, WeChat, Google Hangout, Facebook Messenger and Skype.

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Which Postpaid Call Plan (With Data) By Major Telcos In Malaysia Is Best For You?

How many times do you see your smartphone lockscreen a day? I can safely say it’s very very often. Looking at the same lockscreen every time we check our phone is just too boring. Well, thanks to Android being a highly customizable platform, there are some cool lockscreen replacement apps available free in Google Play Store.

Time Machine Locker – Android Lockscreen App

I would like to introduce an interesting award-winning lockscreen app called Time Machine Locker. This free app is able to automatically identify memorable photos from your social network and other sources using a special algorithm and display the photo on your lockscreen with added beautiful effects. In other words, your lockscreen won’t always be the same picture and you’ll also be surprised occasionally with new photos when you unlock the screen.

Wonderful pictures on lockscreen, always!

Time Machine Locker App Interface

Time Machine Locker app uses Facebook login for user authentication and the app requires permission to access to your Facebook profile, pictures, some public information, etc. From my experience in using the app, it’s able to analyze my current relationship and memorable moments in Facebook and uses photo of wonderful places I’ve visited and people that I care. I guess that’s why my wife’s photo is appearing very often on my lockscreen and it always puts a smile on my face when I see it. If I come across a picture that I like, I can even share it to my Facebook or cast it to my Facebook friends.

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Time Machine Locker – Android App Review

A few weeks ago, I received a CityLite II Ultra Backpack from Targus for review. CityLite II Ultra Backpack is one of the latest models in Targus CityLite II series that they just launched in April 2014. I’ve been using it daily and truly love it as my primary laptop bag now.

Targus CityLite II Series

The latest Targus CityLite II series consists of the following 4 new models (as shown in above picture) :-

• 15.6″ CityLite II Ultra Backpack (rightmost) RM238
• 15.6″ CityLite II Max Backpack (leftmost) RM238
• 15.6″ CityLite II SL Backpack (2nd leftmost) RM288
• 17″ CityLite II Ultimate Backpack (2nd rightmost) RM319

Prior to using this CityLite II Ultra Backpack, I’ve always thought the free laptop bag that comes with any purchase of a new laptop is good enough for everyday use. I had to change this misconception of mine after using a CityLite II Ultra Backpack because I was impressed with the extra protection it offers and some features that totally worth the money.

Targus CityLite II Ultra Backpack (TSB798AP)

Security

Targus CityLite II Ultra Backpack, like all the backpacks in CityLite II collection, is designed for travel and everyday use. It is great for business commute, travel, and as a carry-on for airplanes too. The safety lock anti-theft puller system prevents easy access into the backpacks. It’s very effective to avoid unwanted opening of the bag and makes it harder for pickpockets to unzip and steal anything from inside the backpack. This feature provides better safety against pickpockets and thieves especially when commuting.

Anti-theft Puller System

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Targus CityLite II Ultra Backpack Review

Wearable gadget is set to be a new trend in 2014 as we have already seen many wearable tech products been launched in the market so far this year from smart watches to fitness tracking appliances. The design of USB thumb drive has been keeping up with this latest trend too, hence, the introduction of wristband thumb drive!

Silicon Wristband Thumb Drive

A wearable wristband thumb drive is convenient to use and it’s trendy to be given as a personal or corporate gift. USB thumb drive does not have to look dull and you do not have to worry of losing the cap of your USB thumb drive anymore. A wide variety of wristband thumb drives is offered by USB Thumb Drive, a reliable supplier of wristband pen drive :-

• Silicon Wristband thumb drive – Silicon rubber material, silkscreen printing for branding
• PU Leather wristband usb drive – PU leather and metal material, silkscreen printing/laser engraving for branding
• Adjustable bracelet usb flash drive – Harder silicon rubber material, silkscreen printing for branding

These customized wristband thumb drives are available in many striking colours like red, blue, purple, apple green, yellow, etc. If it is to be given as a corporate gift, the body colour of the wristband thumb drive can be produced to match the pantone colour code of a company logo. Bracelet style wristband thumb drive wraps around the wrist and can be worn comfortably and keep the company logo visible for every handshake, wave and gesture. Besides, it is a great choice as gift for wedding ceremony, product launching and school events too. These wristbands come in a variety of popular colors to complement logo artwork or even match clothing of the special event.

PU Leather & Metal Wristband USB Drive

Storage capacity of these wristband thumb drive is available in either 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB or 32GB. Wristband thumb drive with adjustable length as shown in the picture below is flexible and can overcome the problem of different wrist arm size of the wearer for the conventional bracelet model design.

Adjustable bracelet usb flash drive

Please feel free to visit USB Thumb Drive website for more information about customized wristband thumb drives.