Tokyo Reader Contribution

Edited by James M. Kelly

photo credit: Sam Catchesides

The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry is considering designating fag lighters as doubtless deadly products that must meet legal safety necessities, including what is commonly known as a child-resistant mechanism built to stop kids from simply using such products. The move comes replying to a bunch of current fires assumed to once have been due to kids playing with lighters.

To impose that safety measure, the ministry has started to think about listing lighters as designated products under the consumer good Safety Law and setting the guideline as fast as late May. lighter makers and firefighters are divided over to what specific level such everyday products should be controlled thanks to the serious price of making all of their products kid resistant. The ministry plans to have a ban on sales of lighters that fail in meeting its safety factors specified in the law, after a working panel of the ministry’s Buyer Economy Council draws up product standards for kid resistance and a strategy of checking the products. 2 ideas have been suggested for the child-resistance directions.

One is to make the push-button igniter trickier for kids to simply push, and so ignite, the gadget. Another is to want 2 separate steps to light a flame ,eg removing the stopper first before clicking to ignite. The Japan Smoking Articles Corporate organisation, a Tokyo-based lighter makers industry body, has concluded on the necessity for a regulation but stayed at chances over which products should be supplied with the safety functions.

The organisation has maintained that only lighters with a button that has got to be pushed down should be regulated. Lighters using a sliding-button mechanism and flint-type lighters, in which a spark is formed by striking metal against a flint, shouldn’t be controlled for now, the industry body claimed.

Lighters employing a push-button ignition system account for only forty p.c of the six hundred million lighters produced annually. Firefighters and others insisted that all sorts of lighters should be controlled. Why the lighter producing industry remains against the regulation lies in its higher production costs. Last year, Shizuoka Prefecture-based Tokai Co , the states’s biggest lighter manufacturer, test-marketed four thousand child-resistant lighters at a price of 150 yen. 1/2 them at first stayed unsold. When Tokai reduced the price to 130 yen this spring, the products started to sell well.

Tokai claimed selling the child-resistant lighters at the lower price point was just hardly rewarding. Introducing safety inspections might also boost makers’ production costs. In the U. S. , where lighter makers have been required by law to include child-resistant measures in their products since 1994, any child-resistant products that may be ignited by fifteen or even more out of one hundred children aged between three and four can’t be put on the market.

The U.S. Inspection system is claimed to cost two hundred yen per item. However, the quantity of cases of youngsters being snuffed out due to playing with lighters in 1998 slipped to almost 1/2 of the number the year before the 1994 start of the regulation in the U. S. . “The working group will finish compiling the regulatory plan in May, but it’s going to be a general one. It is not a straightforward task to reach an understanding re [child-resistant] specifications, ” a ministry official asserted.

Hong Kong

Reader Contribution

Edited by James M. Kelly

photo credit: Teorem

New York – GADGET-SEEKERS striving to be among first to get their hands on an iPad commenced queueing outside Apple’s flagship shop in Manhattan a day ahead of the tablet computer’s Saturday debut. About fifteen expectant iPad owners cheered by sun and spring temperatures had taken up positions outside of the Apple Store on 5th Avenue by 4pm ( 2000 GMT, 4am on Saturday Singapore time ) on Fri. to hang around for sales to commence at 9am the following morning ( 1300 GMT, 9pm Singapore time ).

Eleven-year-old Giovanna Mullen stated that she staked out her place outside of the store at 5am on Fri. with her ma Jeanney Mullen and her gramps Tony Digiorno. The girl proudly described herself as the owner of an iPod Touch and claimed her mother has an iPod and a Macintosh PC, both classic creations of California-based Apple.

‘We brought food, blankets…so, the 3 generations will say they slept together in the streets of New York,’ Digiorno related. Like others in the line, the threesome hadn’t pre-ordered iPads so resorted to hours of waiting to get the contraptions. ‘I am purchasing 2, for me and for my daughter,’ expounded Jeanney Mullen, who noted she’s employed in digital publishing and is interested by the iPad.

Hong Kong
Reader Subscription

Edited by James M. Kelly

computer games convention asia

The constantly escalating prominence of the Asian gaming community is touched by the GCA ’09 organizers LMI Asia in one of their written company statement. Dealing in interactive entertainment, infotainment and edutainment, the GCA is very much aware of the fact that the popularity of online games is shooting up at a rapid pace.

With the current online gaming market on its all-time high, an annual growth of 10 % in the digital games sector in the Asia Pacific region has been predicted by several analysts. This is not all! They expect a swooping rise from $11.7 billion market in 2006 to as high as $18.8 billion market in 2011.

The deal between LMI Asia – an alternative name for the new sales office of German event organizers Leipziger Messe International – and IAH will be materialized in Asia’s largest ‘e-gaming’ event being held this September at GCA ’09. Singapore, being a state with a game sector presently valued at $285 million, is chosen as the ideal location for organizing the tournament. The episode will also allow developers and industry experts to swap knowledge and know-how in panels and lectures and develop their international set of contacts of business connections.

“GCA is the perfect launch pad for our plans to widen our portfolio beyond distribution into game development. Leveraging the GCA connection, we would be able to increase IAH Games’ visibility and tap into new business opportunities, said Ronald Ong, CEO, and IAH Games.

Southeast Asia is “the world’s fastest growing online games market”, said Jorg Zeissig, Managing director, LMI Asia.

Hong Kong
Reader

Edited by James M. Kelly

China will sell Apple I Phone in Fourth Quarter

China, the largest market of wireless subscribers, is coming up with the sale of Apple Inc.’s iPhone in the fourth quarter of the year. The Chairman of Apple, Chang Xiaobing in Hong Kong said, “The three-year deal isn’t exclusive”. This signifies that other carriers may also provide iPhones in the country. The entrance of Apple in China gives rise to the competition among the top players that include Research In Motion Ltd (BlackBerry) and Google Inc. (Android).

According to Jeffrey Fidacaro, an analyst with Susquehanna Financial Group in New York, “If Apple can get into the market early, there’s a substantial opportunity for them to win subscribers” This strategic move is not only for the growth contributor to the company, but is also a boom for the world’s third- biggest economy, even during the global recession.

Announcing the agreement with Apple, Unicom reported a 45 percent decline in first-half profit and targeted higher-spending customers of wireless market for the iPhone. Capitalizing on the more profitable Internet services, such as Web browsing and game downloads, the company has a competitive edge, as a game changer,” said Duncan Clark, chairman of BDA China, a Beijing-based technology research firm. BDA is the sole company that provides the carrier compatible with the iPhone technology in China.

The Chief Operating Officer of Apple, Tim Cook says that China is a “priority project”. In the next 12 months, the company plans to provide an exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S. In more than 80 countries, Apple plans to launch iPhone 3GS, the newest model, which was initially launched in eight countries only.

The initial plan of Apple is to offer the phones without the Wi- Fi communications standard. According to BDA, over 1.5 million iPhones have already been sold in China through unofficial distributors. But the official licenses to operate 3G services for faster data downloads on mobile phones would be acquired in January.

Hong Kong
Staff Writer

Edited by: James M. Kelly

iPhone 3GS proves to be better from all its Apple predecessors

The iPhone has its new version launched. The libidinous new iPhone 3GS has an additional letter “S” to its previous name. The added letter “S” stands for speed and the new version promises an experience which will never fail to set every heartbeat pumping. Besides an upgradation on speed, the new Apple phone has a lot more to it, being called “The fastest and most powerful iPhone yet”.

Looking at the front of the new version, one would not find a difference in the looks from its predecessor models. One needs to pay attention to the fine print on the back of the phone’s body. And once you power up the iPhone 3GS, the changes are all on the inside.

When trying on the new applications, one can see the obvious difference in the speed of downloading, both the stories and the categories. The new iPhone 3GS is much faster than the previous version. The news apps which offer videos such as the Channel NewsAsia and AP News app, load up really fast and plays smoothly.

The iPhone 3GS has switched to WiFi, offering an even better experience. It was faster in launching the internet browser Safari and had no problems in loading image rich pages. The iPhone 3GS upgrades to a 3megapixel camera, but lacks behind other manufacturer’s higher megapixels cameras. In an effort to make up with the lack of flashlight in the device, the phone offers auto-focus and macro shots options.

Another feature of the camera which is not available in the earlier iPhone and most other mobile devices is the video capture and trim-edit function which allows users to easily share their clips.

Since Singtel is offering new bundled deals on the iPhone 3G, one can make do with the earlier version of the iPhone since no one can really tell apart the 2008 and 2009 models.

Singapore
Bureau

Edited by: James M. Kelly
Singapore – the City that never Sleeps
When the rest of Singapore is fast asleep some families take the opportunity to go on a family excursion. No it is not a new amusement park but it is a brightly lit 68,000 sq foot super market that is open 24 hours a day. The NTUC FairPrice Xtra hypermart in Jurong Point has been opened since last December, but it was officially launched in April.

The size of 14 basketball courts, the $6-million (US$3.9 million) venue offers a huge variety of products, from groceries and household items to furniture and toys.
But the real deal breaker is their operating hours. An NTUC spokesman says the 24-hour concept caters to “the growing trend of shoppers who keep late hours and work night shifts”.

Mak, 39, who sells joss papers, ends work only at 10pm. Since it is the school holidays now, it means a more flexible bedtime for three-year-old son Bryan who is usually in bed by 10:30pm. He goes to playschool three to four days in a week and has to wake up at 9am.

Mak’s wife, Cindy, 34, who co-owns their business, told the China Daily, “This is the best time to take our children out. Also, when we finish work, we know there’s a shop still open for us to get our things.”

The late-night shopping trend started in 1985 with the 24-hour supermarket Yokoso, but it failed to take off.

Mustafa implemented the 24-hour hypermart concept in 2003. A spokesman from the 24 hour mart explained how its late-night peak period is 11pm to 3am. He added that after midnight sales comprise 30 per cent of the daily revenue.

Since last year, FairPrice has had two other 24-hour outlets at Compassvale and Clementi. Cold Storage has three 24-hour supermarkets, and Shop N Save has 21 round-the-clock outlets island wide.

A spokesman for Cold Storage and Shop N Save chains told the China Daily, “We have observed that there are many people working shifts in the estates, or who shop after their late-night dining.”

Late-night diners will also be pleased to know that the Kopitiam Group, which has a chain of 24-hour food courts, have plans to open two more outlets, on top of its current 24. Kopitiam introduced its 24-hour concept over two decades ago.

Fast-food chain McDonald’s, which started 24-hour services in 2005, now also offers 24-hour delivery, with over 70 per cent of its outlets here open round the clock daily or on weekends.

McDonald’s communications director Linda Ming explained that is concept was made into action because of the changing lifestyle needs of their customers.
Kopitiam spokesman Ng Pei Ling expressed his interest in the 24 hours concept because he strongly believes there is definite potential for 24 hours businesses in Singapore.

Written by:
Amber Butler-Davis

Edited by: James M Kelly
In China, Kesi is a traditional form of embroidery and weaving, it has also just become the key word for NE Tiger, the top haute couture brand in China, 2009 collection. Kesi is the most expensive silk product available in China today. It is an extremely complicated and time consuming practice which involves weaving decorative designs and brocades by hand, plus including iconology and calligraphy.

A silk Kesi quilt with Buddist scripts from the Emperor Qianlong period (1735-1796) went to auction last year at the Wenjiu auction house and was sold for 65 million yuan (US$9.5 million). This is the highest price anyone has ever paid for, for a silk product.

The art director of NE Tiger, Zhang Zhifeng explains how the brand’s Kesi collection has a support group from Wang Jialiang. They are among the fifth generation of a family who practiced Kesi and made clothes for the Royal family. Also among the support group is Wang Yuxiang, the master responsible for the survival of Kesi skills when it was on the brink of extinction.

NE Tiger is continuously aiming to revive Chinese luxury and build a collection of Chinese inspired fashion. By applying this form of ancient craftsmanship, they feel they have accomplished their aims. Other amazing elements of the 2009 NE Tiger Hua Fu series include brocade and water painting peony patterns.

Zhang told the China Daily that, “The source of inspiration in this collection is from peony decorations and patterns from all of China’s dynasties and its 56 ethnic groups. At the same time, we integrate contemporary Western, three-dimensional cutting techniques in the design, and use our own unique cutting technology to draw out the genius and delicacy of the Eastern frame, so as to achieve the ultimate luxury style among Chinese luxuries.”

“Luxury goods have been a feature of Chinese culture since the earliest times, and we will play our part in what is a revival, but also a fresh blossoming of the art of luxury in China. We hope that as the inheritors of Chinese civilization, we can pass on the classical wealth of luxury through our brand,” the China daily also stated Zhang saying.

The 2009 collection resembles the five dominating colours for the five important dynasties of Chinese history. These colours are black, yellow, green, red and blue.

Black was the most dignified colour in the Qin Dynasty which was in control in 221BC-206BC, blue in the Southern and Northern dynasties was between AD420-589, green in the Song Dynasty, 960-1279, between 1368-1644 was Ming and their colour was golden yellow and finally red represents Qing dynasties in 1644-1911.

Written by: Amber Butler-Davis

Edited by: James Kelly
It was mentioned that the mid-market brands would be the first to suffer in the recession, well Italian leather goods house Furla is certainly not showing any evidence that is has been.

Their spring collection is as bright and bubbly to match the company’s optimism.

Adrien Hiver, the young Hong Kong-based Frenchman who is also the area manager of Furla told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the company is doing fine, and has not really suffered in Japan as expected.

According to April Grace Reyes, the merchandise manager of the brand, stores Specialists Inc is the exclusive local distributor, explains that Furla is still a strong brand in the Philippines, especially since more and more women are now shopping locally. Another point to be made is the price; it is nearly the same in Hong Kong as it is in the Philippines.

The company is now trying to update and increase its profile by designing collections that will appeal to fashionable consumers at a fraction of the cost of luxury brands. Some on the items in the new collection include handbags that look like they are made from ostrich leather but obviously it is now ostrich as this would cost possibly an arm and a leg. However the geranium red leather handbag is also available in blue and shades of cream.

Women can now own the next best thing with this stamped calfskin leather. In the price range of nearly 45,000 pesos (US$950) the cowhide undergoes a technical process that duplicates the distinct surface nubs of the real bird hide.

By printing calfskin to look like exotic skins such as ostrich and reptiles is Furla’s own way of allowing women to have the alternative within a modern budget. Reyes explains how Furla does generally appeal to the career women but they would like to think that any woman could be happy with a Furla item.

Hiver is to quick to add that all the company’s leather goods or at least still 95 percent of the business is still made in Italy.

Hiver also comments that Furla is not like Coach, which is the American competitor. All of Coaches leather goods are made in China, the only other items such as resin jewellery is outsourced.

However, because of these efforts to stay truly Italian the brand has had to increase the prices but nearly 10 percent but they believe it is a small price to pay to offer high quality goods.
For this coming season, Furla has also experimented with some lightweight materials for its more casual style. These materials include what is known as “rubberised” linen, which is resin-coated and gives off an iridescent effect.

The creams, coffees and blacks which can be found in any collection are lightened up by deep plums, emeralds, ceruleans, and reds. The shapes are all rounded and largely unstructured with most having a high-gloss finish.

Written by: Amber Butler-Davis

Edited by: James Kelly

Local shopping malls in Hong Kong are leaving no stone unturned to attract cashed up mainlanders to their stores during this Lunar New Year holiday season.

They have begun producing and airing fashion programs on Beijing’s TV channels while promoting their own brands on the mainland’s radio stations. The retail market in Hong Kong is trying everything to ensure that shoppers will be enticed enough to fly down from the mainland and dig deep into their pockets.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board expects a ten percent increase in arrivals from the mainland during the Chinese New Year. Nearly 655,000 mainlanders visited Hong Kong during last year’s spring break. And a total of 16.6 million people from the mainland flew to Hong Kong in the whole of last year. This figure constituted about 55 percent of the total arrivals.

According to rough estimates, the total mainland customer base in local shopping malls was 12 to 30 percent.

High-end shopping mall, Elements, has recently co-produced a fashion program with a TV station in Beijing. The show has a well known host speaking about the latest trends while encouraging mainland viewers to shop at the mall for branded clothing.

APM, a local mall that is managed by the Sun Hung Kai real estate agency, has also taken on a similar approach. It organised interviews of its store managers to be aired on the mainland’s radio stations. The store managers are talking about the positive side and the experience shoppers can have while they shop at APM.

APM’s leasing general manager Maureen Fung explains how many of the travellers from the mainland are confident that Hong Kong can offer them a lot more choices when it comes to clothing and goods at a cheaper price.

The biggest mall in Hong Kong, Harbour City, took advantage of its large size to house a number of flagship stores and brands, which made their debut in the city.

Harbour City’s assistant general manager, Canis Lee said that the shopping malls are very similar to tourist spots. People want to pay a visit whether they have the intension to buy anything or not. But, once they are in the mall, it’s our job to ensure that they like the products enough to spend money and buy them.

To make it even “more convenient” for shoppers, malls are even going to the extent of providing transport facilities to and from the airport. Elements have arranged a free shuttle service which will run from the mall to the Shenzhen Baoan Airport for its customers.

APM has also arranged an airport shuttle service and free coupons for tour groups from the mainland; this project is being led by the Guangdong People’s Government during the festival.
Betty Leong, the chief development manager of the MTRC mall mentioned how a single mainland customer once spent over HK$1 million on a single visit to the mall. She continued be explaining that they know the mainlanders have money and are keen to spend it.

Fung commented on Leong statement and explained how the travellers from the mainland are essential for the Hong Kong retail market especially for the next 10 years due to their strong consumption power. All AMP has to do is get them inside their mall.

Product Review
by Amber Butler-Davis (Staff Reporter)

If you are in the market for a stylish, feature-packed yet pocket able device, the N85 should be on your list for consideration.

Design

If you have held the N95 or the N96 then you will notice that the N85 does have a smaller footprint in your hand. Weighing only 128 grams and measurements of 103 x 50 x 16mm mixed with the curved edges helps accentuate the impression of being a small phone too.
This small phone has a 2.6-inch QVGA screen and the keys are on an OLED panel. The OLED displays have a better screen legibility and consume less power. They have been used in Nokia’s S40 models and it is good to see that the company is now placing them in the higher-end Nseries. The display is brilliantly bright making the colours juicy and the text crisp.

The light sensor that can be found beside the front facing camera also does a great job when adjusting the brightness to suit the ambient lighting. On the top edge of the phone you will find the micro-USB port, a 3.5mm audio jack and the power button. One thing to mention about the N85 is that is does not have a 2mm charging port, it uses the micro-USB head for both charging and connecting to your PC. All you have to do is use separate adapters. The volume controls, a key lock button and a pair of speakers at both ends are on the right side of the phone.

If you select a phone because of its camera, you might be a bit disappointed with the shutter on the N85. There is no distinct feel between half-pressing and depressing the button.

The N85 is a dual slider, and usually these can create problems with the top row of keys being too close to the edge of the slider, but the N85 is not that bad. When it is in close slide mode, the N85 gives the impression that it has touch-sensitive keys because all the conventional buttons disappear. As you have seen on previous Nokia dual sliders, the multimedia keys morphs to the relevant controls when you are listening to music or playing a game.

Features

When it comes to features, Nokia has thought of everything for the N85. The phone has support for tri-band HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth stereo, GPS with Assisted-GPS, a 5-megapixel camera with a pair of LED flash and an integrated FM transmitter. However, it does not have an onboard DVB-H but I think we can live with out that since we are not in a country that supports it.

Besides the different screen size, the N85 offers all the features you would have seen in the N95 or N96. The N85 comes with a hot-swappable microSD expansion card slot and a 8GB flash media comes in the box so memory is not a problem you have to worry about.

On the user interface, you get the standard S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 fare. So those who have used a Nokia S60 phone before will have no trouble just picking this phone up and using it right away.

For the gamers, you will be happy to hear that the 8GB microSD card comes with 15 preinstalled games. These include Asphalt 3: Street Rules, Block Breaker Deluxe, Bounce, Brain Challenge, EA SPORTS FIFA 08, Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep, Midnight Pool, Mile High Pinball, Reset Generation, Snakes Subsonic, The Sims 2 Pets, Space Impact: Kappa Base, System Rush: Evolution, Tetris, and World Series of Poker Pro Challenge.

Also sharing is one of the features that play a huge role in Nokia’s push for its multimedia-rich devices. Ovi, Flickr and Vox are the three services that are available out-of-the box. However, you will need to keep in mind that these services do require a lot of features for one to share images, videos and multimedia so make sure you are on a good plan with net access or you may get a shocking bill at the end of the month.

Other applications that come preinstalled on the N85 included Search (search app for both in-device content and on the Web), Maps (for navigation), QuickOffice (read-only version), PDF reader, Zip manager and Application updater.

Performance

The 1,200mAh cell is rated for about 7 hours of talk time and approximately 15 days on standby. On average, you will be able to get two days use out of it. These two days included making calls, sending messages, listening to music, surfing the Web and using the phone’s navigational features. One thing that is a major plus with the N85 it that when you connect it to your PC via the data cable this will actually charge your phone while you organise everything on your PC.

You are able to fly through the menus with no problem, they are set out in a very user-friendly manner. The audio quality might surprise you, it is quite good via the onboard speakers and you are able to get decent pictures with the camera in bright conditions.

The N85 sure does have a lot going for it. In fact, if you were tossing up between the N96 and this, I would have to recommend the N85. That is unless you really do need the larger 2.8-inch screen and DVB-H connectivity.