Melon 2018: Hong Kong’s annual sci-fi fest is back with a boom

Sci-fi lovers, take note! Melon 2018 – Hong Kong’s only dedicated festival on science fiction and innovation – is taking place tomorrow at JW Marriott Hotel.

Leading science fiction writers, scientists and tech fans alike will come together for a all-day discussion on the future of science fiction, upcoming trends in Chinese and Western sci-fi fictions, online games, virtual reality and interactive entertainment. Speakers will include renowned mathematician Yoon Ha Lee, AI expert Antoine Blondeau, sci-fi author Bao Shu, tech lawyer Philip Qu, sci-fi screenplay writer Anna Wu, industry pundit Yeoh Siew Hoon and many others.

According to Charlie Jane Anders, Hugo Award winner and speaker at last year’s event, “Speaking at the Melon Conference was a unique opportunity to get to meet some of China’s most brilliant new science fiction writers, not to mention great thinkers from all over the world. I learned so much, and came away with plenty of new ways of thinking about the future.”

Here’s hoping Melon 2018 continues that tradition of looking ahead into the future.

For tickets, click here.

Will the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ be game-changers in 2018?

Samsung has just launched yet another flagship model from its stables – the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. But you’d be forgiven if, at first glance, you mistake the two flagship models to be last year’s S8 and S8+.

In terms of appearance, Samsung has stuck to its tried and tested rounded-edge structure, with the only difference being in the placement of the finger reader. The Korean phone-maker seems to have paid heed to the criticism regarding the off-centre finger reader location on its previous models, and has placed the finger reader at the centre this time, right below the rear-view camera.

That brings us to the most wow-worthy feature of Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, the camera with its ‘dual aperture’ system that allows the phones to swap between two apertures: f/1.5 or f/2.4.

According to Samsung, this simulates the functions of the human eye: our pupils dilate in response to light changes; similarly, the camera’s aperture expands or contracts depending on the light conditions in which a shot is being taken.

In addition, the S9+ now boasts two rear cameras, following Samsung Note 8. The effects help control the depth of field of a photo, with sharp objects in the foreground and a blurred background.

All this ‘heavy lifting’ is managed internally by power-packed processors which have undergone an upgrade from the previous models. The S9 and S9+ runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 in the US and China and on Exynos 9810 for the rest of the world. The RAM has also been beefed up to 6GB.

After coming under the scanner for poor battery life for some of its models, the brand has painstakingly worked on this particular area, so it’s no surprise that both the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ have improved battery lives, even more than the already-satisfactory S8 models.

It’s clear that Samsung is pitting its flagship models against the supposedly best-in-class iPhone X; it waits to be seen if it’s going to deliver as much as it promises.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Aibo Resurrected: Sony’s robot dog is back and better than ever

Sony first launched Aibo, the first truly AI robotic pet, on the market back in 1999. And the world promptly fell in love with the slightly clumsy but extremely kawaii canine. Nearly 20 years later, the Japanese electronics giant has resurrected this fan favourite.

On the surface, the latest Aibo model has the self-same puppy-dog cuteness that made it such a big hit in the first place. But beneath its adorable exterior lies some truly amazing technological engineering.

Unlike its rather clunky predecessor, the new model boasts seamless movement thanks to 22 ultra compact axes in its ‘joints’. Meanwhile, simultaneous location and mapping technology in addition to sound and image sensors allow Aibo to navigate and interact with its surroundings.

Sony also claims this robotic dog will evolve over time, with deep learning algorithms helping it to ‘learn’ commands, praises, caresses, and even what behaviour makes its owners happy. What’s more, its AI programming will allow this electronic canine to differentiate between different owners, forming unique bonds with each one!

So far, Aibo is only available to order within Japan, but Sony says it’s working on expanding the sale radius. With a price tag of US$1,700, this robotic pet doesn’t come cheap, but it may just be the ideal low-maintenance canine companion for Hong Kong’s time-pressed professionals!

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Video & Images: Sony

New Movi Phone capable of projecting HD videos up to 100 inches wide

The 2018 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) showcased a number of technological marvels including the world’s first modular MicroLED TV (see our review here). Among the innovative designs on display was Wireless Mobi Solution’s new Movi Phone.

The aptly named Android device’s claim to fame is a built-in high-def pico projector capable of projecting 720p images up to a jaw-dropping 100 inches wide. Quite a feat for a phone that’s no larger or heavier than most models on the market.

When you consider that half of all video consumption now happens on mobile devices, this is a genius move on Wireless Mobi Solution’s part. Instead of squinting at a 5.5-inch screen, the Movi Phone allows users to experience everything from those pesky PowerPoint presentations to Netflix binges and even group gaming sessions in full HD at any time in any place.

[{"id" : "32270","image" : "https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/gallery/0701movi/Mobi-Phone-projector-means-you-can-watch-movies-anywhere.jpg","caption" : "Mobi-Phone-projector-means-you-can-watch-movies-anywhere"},{"id" : "32273","image" : "https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/gallery/0701movi/Business-meetings-on-the-go-made-easy-with-new-Mobi-Phone.jpg","caption" : "Business-meetings-on-the-go-made-easy-with-new-Mobi-Phone"},{"id" : "32275","image" : "https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/gallery/0701movi/Mobi-Phone-from-Wireless-Mobi-Solution-redefines-media-consumption.jpg","caption" : "Mobi-Phone-from-Wireless-Mobi-Solution-redefines-media-consumption"},{"id" : "32277","image" : "https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/gallery/0701movi/Project-images-and-videos-on-any-flat-surface-with-Mobi-Phone.jpg","caption" : "Project-images-and-videos-on-any-flat-surface-with-Mobi-Phone"}]

But the Movi Phone isn’t just a one trick pony. The rest of its specs are quite respectable too. It runs on an Android 7.0 Nougat operating system with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal memory with up to 128GB of external storage via a nano SD card. There’s a decent 16MB rear view and 13MB front view camera as well.

The Movi Phone may not be as well furbished as the iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy S8, but its amazing projection abilities and the rather reasonable US$599 price tag make the Movi Phone one of the most competitive models on the market!

The Movi Phone is now available for pre-order here, with deliveries beginning in March.

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Images: Wireless Mobi Solution

5 Hong Kong startups to watch this year

On 25 January 2018, Sheung Wan based investment accelerator Betatron held its ‘Demo Day’ – a culminating event for the second cohort of its intensive four-month programme. The private, invitation-only affair was held at The Annex in Nan Fung Place, Des Voeux Rd Central, attended by more than 360 entrepreneurs, investors, strategic partners and the media.

With an estimated worth of US$32 Billion, Hong Kong’s startup ecosystem – the world’s fifth fastest growing – is definitely one to watch. Let’s take a look at some of the exciting new players in this up-and-coming sector, as presented in Betatron’s event last month:

Pakt: The Smart Wardrobe

Asia’s most innovative clothing storage service

Shopaholics, rejoice. This “wardrobe away from home” offers pristine storage conditions and a digital platform so you can browse your clothes anytime, anywhere and always know what you have in storage. PAKT also helps property developers like JLL innovate; they think smaller units should become smart homes and that means a smart wardrobe.

The startup also holds occassional Preloved Fashion and charity sales and works closely with bridal dress designers, retailers, beauty / fashion bloggers and more. www.pakt.hk

Pixofy: Interactive furniture shopping

The augmented reality furniture shopping experience

Moving into a new space? Forget hours of going through different home stores only to realise they don’t match with your home or office in the end. Pixofy is focused on providing a next generation interactive shopping experience that allows consumers to visualise products in a different environment via augmented reality. Pixofy aims to enable furniture shoppers to make enhanced purchasing decisions and works with design studios and furniture manufacturers. www.pixofy.io

IC Workshop: Product testing, Inspection and factory certification

An international compliance platform

It may not be the sexiest of startups out there, but this B2B solution promises to deliver solid returns with real added value to the supply chain industry. IC Workshop enhances the efficiency in the procurement process; as of late 2017, the startup had over 100 enterprise users, generated 700 projects and US$6.3 million in revenue. Its vision is to make Hong Kong the international centre of global product testing, inspection and certification. www.icw.io

KidHop: All You Can Play

Discover and book amazing children’s activities

Parents, this one’s for you. The entrepreneurs behind KidHop understand how hard it is to navigate through the myriad of education centres and activities providers in Hong Kong. How do you choose which ones are best for your kid?! With KidHop’s aggregator, you only have to go to one platform containing a comprehensive list of curated activities for children, categorised by time, location, age, etc. Kids can explore a different activity everyday, or take up to 3 visits per month to the same provider for drop-in classes.www.kidhop.com

Trip Guru: Authentic Travel Experiences

A platform for travellers to discover each other through the best group experiences

Who said solo travel has to be lonely? There’s nothing better about travelling than the people you meet along the way! (Read: Gafencu’s travel section) This Hong Kong based startup – headed up by a team of Italian and Argentinian travel enthusiasts – is the millennial answer to the dusty travel agencies of the past. Their first batch of destinations cover Southeast Asia, but with more funding they are hoping to expand to China, India, Myanmar and Latin America. thetripguru.com

Written by: Julienne C. Raboca

Feel the Force: Amazing high-tech Star Wars gadgets you can buy today

Harrison Ford is our celebrity of the month (see our feature on the legendary actor here)! Among his countless leading roles, arguably his most iconic is that of devil-may-care Han Solo. We’re paying homage to the irascible yet charismatic pilot of the Millennium Falcon by highlighting some amazing Star Wars gadgets that you can actually buy in real life!

Lightsaber duels and 3D chess from Lenovo

Despite being among the most popular Star Wars gadgets, in real life lightsabers are actually physical impossibilities. But that hasn’t stopped Lenovo from taking an alternative approach at creating an authentic duelling experience. With its new Jedi Challenges experience merges smartphone power with augmented reality technology to allow players to match lightsabers with Kylo Ren, dabble in 3D chess, and even orchestrate massive droid battles. The US$199.99 set comes with an AR headset, lightsaber controller and tracking beacon.

BB-8 and BB-9E robots

To celebrate the reboot of the Star Wars franchise, robotics company Sphero teamed up with Disney to release an adorably miniaturised robotic version of BB-8 (US$99.99). Two years later, its First Empire nemesis BB-9E (US$129.99) was released. Paired with a dedicated mobile app, these droids can ‘patrol’ your living room, throw holographic projections to your phone and even interact with other droids.

Hoverbikes from Hoversurf

Do you recall the thrilling high-speed speeder bike chase scene through the forests of Ewok home planet Endor? Clearly Hoversurf does. In fact, the Russian drone manufacturer’s latest Scorpion 3 hoverbike could be a carbon copy of the film vehicle. It can achieve speeds of up to 70kmph and altitudes of over 28m. It doesn’t come cheap though. There’s a hefty US$59,900 price tag, and potential buyers also have to cough up US$2,000 to confirm a reservation.

[{"id" : "31894","image" : "https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/gallery/3001/Lego-Millennium-Falcon-700x466_Opt.jpg","caption" : "Lego-Millennium-Falcon-700x466_Opt"},{"id" : "31897","image" : "https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/gallery/3001/Massive-Lego-Millennium-Falcon-is-heavily-focused-on-the-details.jpg","caption" : "Massive-Lego-Millennium-Falcon-is-heavily-focused-on-the-details"},{"id" : "31899","image" : "https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/gallery/3001/7541-piece-Lego-Millennium-Falcon.jpg","caption" : "7541-piece-Lego-Millennium-Falcon"}]

Honourable mention: Limited-edition LEGO Millennium Falcon

Although technically not a gadget per se, we just had to include this limited-edition Millennium Falcon Lego set in our list of Star Wars gadgets anyway. The mammoth 7,541-piece set, which is priced at US$800, includes mini figurines of fan favourites Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and C3PO, as well as new faces like Rey, Finn and BB-8. While this Millennium Falcon definitely won’t be doing the Kessel run in 12 parsecs, it promises hours of fun (and no small amount of frustration) for the whole family.

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Videos & Images: Lenovo, Sphero, Hoversurf, Lego, Disney

Smart Cars with AI: The future of urban transport is here

Jack Ma may have said that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a threat to us at the recent World Economic Forum at Davos, but car companies are pouring big bucks into AI-driven smart car designs. According to telecom giant Ericsson, smart cars with AI are here to stay and will revolutionise the way we travel.

Ericsson mentioned in a recent report that the advent of 5G technology will make roads safer by enhancing vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Sensors embedded in roads, railways and airport runways will make vehicle-to-infrastructure communication smoother as well.

While this may seem like the stuff of our wildest sci-fi fantasies, the reality is closer than ever. This January onwards, self-driving shuttle buses have begun plying one of the busiest areas of Stockholm. Travelling at 24 km per hour, these buses offer a glimpse into the future of urban transport.

Predictably, carmakers are competing against each other to offer the latest technology to customers. At the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 – the global stage for innovation – automotive solution provider Nvidia announced partnerships with several carmakers, including biggies Audi and Volkswagen.

Audi has already showcased an autonomous test car at CES this year, but with Nvidia’s AI solutions, the learning capability of smart cars will be enhanced further.

The new models, with inbuilt computing hardware and software, will hit the markets by 2020.

Nvidia has also partnered with Volkswagen to add ‘intelligent co-pilot’ systems. VW will use Nvidia’s Drive IX Intelligent Experience platform to enable a wide range of features, including voice and facial recognition, gesture control, and safety warnings.

Another automaker that is breaking new grounds in this area is Tesla. It recently introduced TeslaBot, the virtual assistant synced with the Tesla models S and X. The new bot is similar to Tesla’s native app, but offers more in terms of allowing users to interact with their car from a desktop or a phone.

In sync with current technology trends, Uber has already tested its first batch of self-driving smart cars in 2016. It has also formed the Uber AI Labs to develop self-driving cars with the help of top scientists and engineers.

It seems the days of rude drivers and parking tickets are going to be over soon. Let’s hitch a ride to the future already!

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Introducing ‘The Wall’ by Samsung (Hint: It’s not a wall at all)

The must-awaited Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2018 gave techies an exclusive preview of what luxury electronic brands are cooking up for the rest of the year. Among the cutting-edge products and concept designs on display was a new TV from Samsung innocuously named ‘The Wall’.

At 146 inches, The Wall isn’t the biggest TV on the market by any stretch. That particular accolade belongs to a 370-inch custom-made behemoth named The Zeus from British manufacturer Titan Screens.

The Wall introduced at CES 2018 by Jonghee Han, President of Samsung's Visual Display Business — *The Wall introduced at CES 2018 by Jonghee Han, President of Samsung’s Visual Display Business*

So what makes this TV so special then? Well, for starters, it is the world’s first modular television model. The screen is actually made up of individual rimless 9.37-inch screen modules that fit seamlessly together. This is an exciting advancement because that means screens can be customised to a buyer’s exact specifications.

The Wall is also equipped with Samsung’s latest MicroLED technology. These micro LEDs are much smaller than any LED currently on the market. They serve as their own source of light, which means higher resolution without the need for backlights or colour filters. Translation: it promises the ultimate viewing experience.

Despite its immense size, The Wall was designed to be something of a chameleon. It can be used as simple wallpaper (although this seems like a bit of a waste considering it will surely have a hefty price tag), act as a ‘window’, or even have just a part of its display act as a TV. Check out the video above to see the full extent of its changeable functions.

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Video and Images: Samsung

Smart Luggage: Are these high-tech carry-on options really worth it?

Smart luggage features include charging capabilities — Smart luggage designs may seem fancy at first, but are they really worth it?

The battle for technological supremacy has now taken to the skies. Established travel brands like Tumi are now competing side by side with IT start-ups to create the perfect carry-on for today’s plugged-in traveller. But do these smart luggage designs really decrease travel hassles, and are they worth their hefty price tags?

At first glance, ‘smart’ features seem wonderfully convenient and helpful. Built-in battery packs to charge your devices? Great. Remote lock activation? Fantastic. GPS tracking in case you misplace your suitcase? Sign me up.

Modobag smart luggage lets travellers ride to their destination — Modobag’s motorised carry-on that lets travellers to breeze through airports

Some companies have gone even further. Modobag has created a motorised carry-on capable of carrying passengers at up to 8.5mph. Travelmate recently introduced an autonomous suitcase robot which follows you around by tracking your phone’s GPS. It can even navigate its way through a crowd thanks to its in-built sensors.

There’s clearly enough tech here to send any gadget lover into fits of euphoria. But for the rest of us, smart luggage products raise some practical concerns. What happens if the battery runs out? What if the electronics break down mid-trip? What if you can’t hook onto a network and therefore can’t connect to the app?

Travelmate's robot suitcase follows you wherever you go — Travelmate’s autonomous robot suitcase follows you wherever you go

This last question is indicative of a larger problem. Any high-tech suitcase relies heavily on network connectivity and readily available electricity outlets. Sadly, this rules out its use in all but the most advanced (and even-surfaced) cities and airports.

However, if your travels veer more towards well-connected destinations, these issues become less pertinent. At that point, using smart luggage may well be the most convenient and trendy option. At the very least, you’ll be the envy of any mere mortal dragging or carrying their luggage the old-fashioned way.

Pay attention to which one you buy though. Starting 15 January 2018, several major airlines including Qantas, Delta and American Airlines have banned all built-in lithium ion batteries (such as the one in Bluesmart’s carry-on). No word yet if Cathay Pacific or other Asian carriers will join the bandwagon. But just in case, save yourself any future headaches and pick a smart luggage product with removable batteries.

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Images: Modobag, Travelmate