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Hong Kong's iPhone grey market cashes in on the 6s
Whenever a new iPhone launches in Hong Kong, local folks would seize the opportunity to make a quick profit from the grey market. They would get their brand new phones from either Apple or local carriers, and then sell them off to specialists who would later offer bulk orders to mainland Chinese buyers. The quicker they act, the more cash they get. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are no exception. This morning, I was the first customer to pick up my 128GB rose gold 6s Plus from a carrier store (the shop assistants even took a photo to mark the occasion), but I quickly sold it for HK$10,000 or about US$1,290 at the Sincere Podium mobile phone mall just around the corner. That's roughly a US$250 profit based on the device's local price, which isn't bad at all.
Researchers create a near-perfect sound absorbing system
We've come a long way since the days of pouring wax into our ears to block out siren songs. A team of researchers at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have developed a sound-cancelling system that eliminates 99.7 percent of noise, no matter how quiet.
Netflix is coming to Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea
Netflix only just launched in Japan last month (that's the Japan office pictured above), and it's already lining up its next destinations in Asia. In early 2016 the streaming video service is coming to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea, although no exact dates or pricing are specified. It's planning to bring the usual suite of features and even Ultra HD streaming to these countries when it lands, thanks to their existing broadband infrastructure. Where it might go after that (China?) is still unknown, but its plan for global availability by the end of 2016 is apparently still on track. [Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
FireChat gets offline private messaging
FireChat, that offline messenger that Hong Kong locals used during the height of their pro-democracy protests, now has off-the-grid private messaging capability. If you recall, you could only use its public "Nearby" tab if you want to talk to people in your area without depending on an internet connection. Now, you can contact someone in private -- provided that you're not the only two people using the app in your town. In order for the PMs to go through, messages hop on whatever's available: multiple local networks, WiFi, Bluetooth and even the internet. According to TechCrunch, FireChat uses the store-and-forward technique, wherein your message is sent to the nearest available network and kept there until the next one becomes available. Don't worry, though: PMs will be encrypted to prevent other users from reading them.
Lumos helmet keeps cyclists safe with automatic brake lights
For cyclists, the road can be a nasty place to be at night, so we're all for technologies that can help draw drivers' attention in order to reduce the number of accidents. The latest of such attempt is the Lumos helmet, which not only comes with turn signal indicators that can be controlled wirelessly, but also packs a brake light that comes on automatically as you slow down. This seemingly simple idea came from Eu-wen Ding (who looks like an Asian clone of Miles Teller) and Jeff Chen. The two first bonded at the HackMIT 2013 weekend hackathon and have since been working on this project with a helmet manufacturer for 10 months.
Hackers used Google Drive to attack Tibetans
Tibetans and pro-democracy activists in China are often the victims of cyberattacks, but a public campaign to educate people against blindly opening email attachments has been a big success. Unfortunately, as Motherboard reports, this has had the knock-on effect of forcing hackers into being a lot smarter with their subterfuge. Since would-be victims are now wary of opening attachments, nefarious types are now using Google Drive as a trojan horse with which to breach targeted systems.
Get tailor-made headphone audio with this little device
Audio snobs may already be boasting their high-end audio equipment, be it portable headphone amps or a special chip inside their smartphones, but these are no good if your ears have slight hearing loss. Even if you deem your ears to be pitch perfect, chances are your left and right ears have different sensitivity to certain frequencies. The solution? A startup in Hong Kong has come up with a little device called Aumeo, which lets you fine-tune your headphones according to your ears' hearing sensitivity. This author has tried it, and the result was pleasantly surprising.
Quick Charge 2.0 is coming to USB charging stations
Isn't it annoying when some smartphones boast Quick Charge 2.0 but only come with a regular USB charger? Given the option, we'd rather spend the money on something more practical, like a multi-port USB charging station that supports Quick Charge. And yes, we managed to stumble upon one at Computex, courtesy of Hong Kong's Magic-Pro. The Power Station Super 4 comes with -- you guessed it -- four USB ports, two of which can automatically switch to either 9V or 12V for faster charging on compatible devices, while the third port offers the common 5V/2.4A output, and the last one does 5V/3A as the company anticipates a new wave of tablets that can take the higher current. Better yet, the hub comes with a car charger and a Quick Charge 2.0-friendly micro-USB data cable, so not bad at all for a $65 package. Expect this to hit the markets at around the end of this month.
Uber's newest service helps users move house, but only in Hong Kong
Uber already offers several options in the US, including quirky seasonal ones like ice cream-on-demand. But the company's Hong Kong division has something not available anywhere else: an experimental service (like UberFresh in California) that transports big items, bulk goods, or even huge pets. That option, called UberCargo, has been in beta for a while, but it's now open to anyone in Hong Kong. It provides customers with big vans they can fill with their clothes, produce, merchandise, furniture or whatever they want -- they can even ride with their goods or track the van via the app.
Facebook and Twitter say 2014 was about protests and the World Cup
The past year was a blur if you're a social networking maven, but don't worry -- both Facebook and Twitter are offering retrospectives that will help you remember how 2014 went down. Despite the differences between the two services, people on either were buzzing about many of the same things. Protests defined the year for many, whether it was about police violence in the US or the fight for democracy in Hong Kong. Sports played a big role, too, with the World Cup and the winter Olympics often dominating the conversation.
Samsung made a 78-inch curved TV and decided to cover the back in gold
Do you want to see the TV or do you want to see the gold?
Notti smart light does notifications and wake-up calls with style
There are already a good handful of options in the smart bulb market, but if you're after something more of a portable mood light with notification feature, then Hong Kong startup Witti may have something for you. The Notti, a project just launched on Kickstarter, is a 'polygonic' smart LED box that hooks up to your iPhone or Android phone over Bluetooth. This cool-looking device comes with a companion app that lets you set the color theme for the mood light mode, and you can do the same for specific types of notifications -- be it from e-mails, social networks, calls, messages and more. Better yet, the device also serves as a music visualizer as well as a wake-up light -- as shown in the video after the break. As for battery life, a single charge will last up to a month.
Dotti is a cute LED block that does notifications using pixel art
Let's face it: There's always a part of us that can't resist a good bit of pixel art -- be it on bank notes, in games or even in the form of sculptures. For those who are seeking something more interactive, you may want to check out the Dotti by Hong Kong startup Witti. What we have here is a little eight-by-eight LED block with Bluetooth radio and a battery -- up to 720 hours on standby or 5 hours of continuous display. When paired with its iOS or Android app, Dotti serves as a pixel art canvas (you'll be able to upload your own work), a clock, an icon-based notification display (for calls, e-mails, text, calendar, popular social networks and more), a music visualizer and even a virtual dice. Simply swipe along the top side of Dotti to toggle between these modes, as shown in our video after the break. Want one? It'll arrive just before the holidays for $99.
Make your aging air conditioner cool again with this pile of sensors
Many folks who reside in South East Asia will agree that during the summer, air conditioners can be temperamental at times -- your room's either too cold or not cold enough. As a result, users -- including this author in Hong Kong -- end up having to pick up the remote control every now and then to adjust the temperature. This is exactly what Hong Kong's Ambi Labs is trying to solve: This startup has just launched its Ambi Climate device on Kickstarter, and the idea here is that you're adding a small hub that uses local weather data plus sunlight, air flow, temperature, humidity and movement detection, in order to adjust the air conditioner accordingly with its infrared transmitter (Ambi Labs says it can quickly add your remote to the database if it's missing). With the room temperature staying more consistent, you're saving both energy and the hassle of finding the remote.
New spyware targets Hong Kong protesters' phones
Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters have more to worry about than they thought -- someone is gunning after their phones, too. Lacoon Mobile Security says it has detected new spyware, Xsser, that tries to trick WhatsApp users on Android and iOS by posing as a coordination tool for the Occupy Central movement. Anyone who falls for the ploy grants access to virtually all of their sensitive info, including contacts, call logs and instant messaging archives. The code is unusually sophisticated, to boot; it's a rare instance of a cross-platform mobile attack, and it updates itself over time.
China blocks Instagram in the wake of Hong Kong democracy protests
China has a history of tightening its censorship of internet services during times of political upheaval, and that's unfortunately happening again with massive pro-democracy protests underway in Hong Kong. Both monitoring sites and on-the-ground observers report that the country has blocked access to Instagram on the mainland, most likely to prevent images of the demonstrations from spreading beyond Hong Kong (where Instagram is still working). It's potentially a big blow to free speech, as the photo sharing service was one of the few foreign social networks that operated unfettered in the area. We've reached out to Instagram for more details, but it's safe to presume that China won't lift its restrictions so long as the protests continue -- and it won't be surprising if this ultimately proves to be a permanent ban. [Image credit: Alex Ogle/AFP/Getty Images]
High-tech fabric can take a beating and lead to tough smart clothing
To be able to make smart clothing like Ralph Lauren's shirt for athletes, you need fabric embedded with sensors and circuitry. Engineers from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have designed one such type of fabric, and based on its test results, it has the potential to evolve into material superhero costumes are made of. According to the paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society, the researchers tested the fabric's durability not only by folding and wrinkling it, but also by washing it, repeatedly stretching it to its limits and even shooting bullets at it. They found that the cloth, knitted with wiring as you can see above, could withstand extreme abuse before it even begins to break down.
This stackable media hub plays your old 16-bit game cartridges
The set-top box market is currently flooded with many cheap Android boxes, but they tend to offer limited remote access plus expansion capability, so it's about time that something more exciting popped up. One such candidate is the EzeeCube, which aims to be an idiot-proof media hub with three main selling points: Auto-sync content across multiple platforms (Android, iOS, Windows and OS X); simple initial setup for accessing hub content from anywhere; and cable-free expansion that lets you stack up to four modules. We're talking about slapping on an extra hard drive, a Blu-ray drive, a TV tuner and even a retro gaming module that will bring your dusty SNES and Sega Mega Drive / Genesis cartridges back to life. No messy cables here.
Guests at the Hyatt Regency in Hong Kong can use this smartphone for free
I've found fruit baskets, chocolates, even a bottle of Honig wine in my hotel rooms over the years. Never a smartphone -- until today. Last month, the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong installed handsets in each of its 381 rooms. Guests can use the phone throughout a stay, with unlimited data (and tethering!), and calls to Hong Kong, the US, UK, Australia, China and Singapore included for free. It comes with Facebook, Instagram, Skype and a handful of travel applications pre-installed, and once you type in your Google credentials, you can add any other apps you want. Then, when you're ready to check out, simply tap the "clear data" button to wipe your personal info and return the device to its original state, so it's ready for the next guest.
iPhones sold in Hong Kong won't get China warranty
Cyrus Lee at ZDNet reports that iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s units bought in Hong Kong will not be supported by the Apple warranty for China. It seems that the iPhone 5s model numbers for devices sold in Hong Kong are different than the model numbers sold in the rest of China, as are the iPhone 5c model numbers. The prices in Hong Kong are lower than the prices in China, so Lee expects this potential service and warranty problem will not affect where Chinese consumers purchase their new iPhones. This information came through an employee at a Shanghai Apple store and the original source is a NetEase report written in Chinese, a beat covered by Lee. He also writes that the gold iPhone 5s is popular with Chinese consumers, but availability is limited. [via ZDnet]
