Happy New Year 2010 to All!

Happy New Year 2010 to All!

Hoots: NBOX Media Player

Previously, I scored the VZTEC HDD Multimedia Player to enjoy my multimedia files on my home theatre system. I just scored another cheap, no frills HDD multimedia player. The NBOX Media Player is definitely the cheapest player you can find in Sim Lim Square, on par with the VZTEC version.

NBOX Media Player
S$39


The contents include the media player, instruction manual, connection guide, composite video with analog audio cable, component cable, power supply and remote with battery included.


The rear of the palm-sized player is the connection ports, the front is the infra-red receiver, the left is a SD/SDHC/MMC card slot, the right is the USB 2.0 port. The top shows the main controls, however, they are not buttons, I wonder if they are touch-sensitive.


Hooking the player up and playback some RMVB files. The GUI looks 90% similar to that of the VZTEC player, hence I suspect that these players are rather OEM, though I prefer the fonts and tad larger icons on the latter.


Verdict
The NBOX Media Player definitely does it work and playbacks the multimedia files with no interruptions. If you have no need for fancy Full HD support (also provided if your media files are in HD resolutions) and MKV file support, just get the NBOX Media Player. It is the cheapest and it serves its purpose. The best part is that you can put your mind at ease operating this player non-stop, 'cos its cheaply replaceable. All you need is a thumbdrive, SDHC card or portable harddisk drive (2.5" or 3.5" supported) to start enjoying your multimedia files on your living room TV!

Nintendo® Wii™ Fit Plus

Nintendo® Wii™ Fit Plus

Nintendo® Wii™ Fit Plus (Wiiフィットプラス) is the latest version of the best selling Nintendo® Wii™ Fit for the Nintendo® Wii™. The Wii™ Fit Plus, to be exact, is an upgrade or enhanced version of the original Wii™ Fit. It comprises of all the games and features of the original version and much more newer game modes, hence earning a "Plus". Since I never had the original Wii™ Fit, I decided to get the Wii™ Fit Plus with Wii™ Balance Board. This bundle set me back S$159. Alternatively, for Wii™ Fit owners who already own a Wii™ Balance Board, the Wii™ Fit Plus disc standalone just cost no more than S$30.

The Wii™ Fit Plus bundle comes in a nice slim box with a carrying handle. The box states that the Wii™ Balance Board can withstand a maximum of 330lbs (approx. 150kg), which means my overweight friends can take on the training regime of the Wii™ Fit Plus as well! The contents include two pull-outs which holds the Wii™ Balance Board while the other holds a pack of 4 "AA" batteries, Wii™ Fit Plus game disc, 4 pcs of Wii™ Balance Board leg extensions along with the instructions manual to the board.

The Wii™ Balance Board has a ribbed-textured surface for the user's feet. On one edge of the board is the power button. The underside of the board is reveals four pressure sensor feets of the board and battery compartment. Hidden in the battery compartment is the sync button. Synchronization needs to be done only on the first use with the Wii™ console. Simply load a Wii™ title that supports Wii™ Balance Board, press the red sync button on the board, press the red sync button on the Wii™ console, then watch as the blinking blue led on the power button of the board turn steady.

Wii™ Fit Plus Game Disc

Wii™ Fit Plus starts off by registering your physical particulars to your selected Mii avatar. Taking your height (in ft), birthday and COB (centre of gravity), it calculates your weight from the Wii™ Balance Board and gives you your BMI (Body Mass Index) and Wii™ Fit" age". You will then set your "goals" to achieve and as you play the game in the time to come, it will keep track of your physical fitness and evaluate your progress. So this is no joking matter, but a real fitness programme with fun injected into it.

Wii™ Fit Plus includes all the original activities in Wii™ Fit. There are also the additional 15 Balance/Aerobics games in "Training Plus" mode as well as six Yoga and Strength-Training exercises.
Yoga

Spine Extension

Gate

Grounded V
Strength Training

Balance Bridge

Single-Leg Extension

Side Lunge
Training Plus

Perfect 10

Island Cycling

Rhythm Kung-Fu

Driving Range

Segway Circuit

Bird's-Eye Bulls-Eye
Snowball Fight
Obstacle Course
Tilt City
Rhythm Parade
Big Top Juggling
Skateboard Arena
Table Tilt Plus
Balance Bubble Plus
Basic Run Plus

Verdict

Soon I found the Wii™ Fit Plus, which set me back by S$159, a worthwhile purchase! Basically, I have bought a "mini-gym" (with instructor included) home, right into my living room! Now my family will get to work out and have fun at the very same time!

Worth it? Definitely!

A must-have Wii™ title for the whole family!

Get your Wii™ Fit Plus from your nearest game dealer today!

technorati tags

Nintendo Nintendo Wii Wii Wiimote Wii Balance Board Wii Fit Wii Fit Plus

"我的美麗日記" "My Beauty Diary" Limited Edition All-In-One 15-pc Facial Mask

"我的美麗日記" has been a very popular brand of beauty and skin-care products in Taiwan. Finally, they have made in to Singapore! It is even more delightful to score this limited edition 15-piece facial mask box set at only S$24.90! Call me vain, but men do need to pamper themselves every now and then!

"我的美麗日記"
"My Beauty Diary"
Limited Edition All-In-One 15-pc Facial Mask
Experience the ultimate in facial mask skin-care. Made with extracts of flowers, fruits and herbs specially chosen for their fragrances and proven natural benefits. Each sheet contains natural herbal extracts for their soothing, nourishing and whitening properties that gently cleanses, conditions and hydrates your skin with nanosphere technology.

The 15-pc limited edition box set consists of 15 different fragrances!
Cooling Mask
Red Vine Mask
Apple Polyphenol Mask
Sake Yeast Mask
Q10 Rejuvenating Mask
Pearl Powder Mask
Aloe Mask
Natto Mask
Provence Lavender Mask
Yogurt Mask
Bulgarian White Rose Mask
Black Pearl Mask
Strawberry Yogurt Mask
Japanese Cherry Blossom Mask
Mixed Berries Mask


An attractive box set with 15 pieces of colourful sachets. Each sachet is a unique fragrance mask.

Buy one set? No way!

Get 2 and share it with wife!
She sure got so thrilled to receive it!

Hong Kong Trip '09: [PART 6] Discover Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong Trip '09
Part 6
Discover Hong Kong Island

[Causeway Bay]

Causeway Bay (銅鑼灣) is one of the most popular shopping district on Hong Kong Island. Getting there is easy with MTR to Causeway Bay or Tin Hau stations. The shopping malls at Causeway Bay offer mainly import upmarket labels.

Huge banner welcoming Adidas Flagship Store in Causeway Bay.

The prominent 13th-storey SOGO Departmental Store is a crowded and common meeting place for Hong-Kongers.

agnès b. boutique and agnès b. cafe?

Yes! agnès b. cafe integrated into its boutique.

agnès b. chocolates for the sweet tooth at agnès b. delices.

Unless you didn't know, every nook and turn is an agnès b., simply because they are super popular in Hong Kong.

Shop baby, shop!

Around every building in Causeway Bay, there are streets left to be explored by the curious tourist.

Shoppers do not forget pay Times Square a visit.

[Central]

Central (中環) is the Central Business District of Hong Kong, where multinational financial services corporations and consulates offices are located. It is also like the heart of Hong Kong where MTR Island Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Tung Chung Line and Airport Express inter-connects, Central Bus Exchange for KMB, First Bus, City Bus services, as well as ferries to the outlying islands.

Narrow office and retail buildings scattered all over the Central district.

Around Wellington Street is where I find good food. Mak's Noodle is one shop to visit.

According to a Hong-Konger, my bro, Mak told me that Mak's Noodle (they are no affiliated in any ways) is more like a tourist trap for their miserable portions. Indeed, the portion is what I can finish in two mouthfuls, but trust me, they are bloody good! I love the strong alkaline taste of true wanton noodles. The soup base is spectacular! Their noodles are made using duck eggs instead of factory-made using chicken eggs, no wonder their noodles taste fabulous! After I had tried their wanton noodles, I never ate any in Singapore! 100 years of history can never be wrong!

Damn it, can't wait to go back and go for a second round!

Mak's Noodle

G/F, 77 Wellington Street

Wang Fu dumplings are also recommended in the tourist guide. Famed for being very authentic to its China origin, I was not to surprised to find that familiar to those sold here by the well-migrated Chinese. Do not underestimate these dumplings! Order yours and you will have to wait for the chef to make them fresh!

Wang Fu

65 & 68 Wellington Street

There is something for everyone in the countless street stalls in narrow streets in Central.

Lin Heung Tea House is one of the oldest tea house in Hong Kong. If you want to savour the experience of yum cha (literally translates to drinking tea, but commonly used to describe drinking tea and having dim sum) in old Hong Kong style, Lin Heung Tea House is the place!
Lin Heung Tea House

G/F, 160-164, Wellington Street, Central

Another of my favourite street will definitely have to be Gough Street! I love HOMELESS and the art galleries there. On Gough Street, there are the HOMELESS flagship store and HOMELESS Wun Ying Gallery (dedicated to the celebrated painter Carrie Chau). AT HOMELESS, you can find the most chic and hip gifts, furniture or decorative pieces for the artistic.

In Central, one prominent feature is the numerous steps and steep elevation.

Man Mo Temple is an age old traditional temple erected during the colonial period paying devotion to Taoist God of Literature (Man) and War (Wo).

[Mid Levels Escalator, Central]

The Central-Mid-levels escalators (中環至半山自動扶梯) in Hong Kong Island is the longest outdoor covered escalator in the world. The entire escalator system covers over 800 meters and climbs over 135 meters. It links Des Voeux Road with Conduit Road in the Mid-levels. Travelling on the road via vehicles up the hilly terrain would take much longer than 20 minutes ride up the escalator. However, it is not one continuous stretch of escalator, but consists of twenty escalators and three moving sidewalks. The escalator daily runs downhill from 6:00am to 10:00am and uphill from 10:30am to midnight. Apart from serving as a method of transporting, it is also a tourist attraction and has restaurants, bars, and shops lining its route. See if you can recognize the filming locations for famous movies such as "Chung King Express" and "Batman: The Dark Knight". There is an entrance and exit on each road it passes, hence you can just hop on or drop off anytime! I had to try this!

After around 20 minutes on the escalator, I could the temperature dropping. I found myself at the Mid Levels (半山區). As I had mentioned in earlier post, Mid Levels is an expensive residential district of Hong Kong where the rich locals and expats lives. The Mid Levels is also halfwat to Victoria Peak, it is no wonder the air is much fresher there. Since I was up there, I took some time to walk around this expensive district and slowly find my way back down through the steep winding main roads.

At such steep elevation, I would not take any chance running down the sidewalks.

I finally made my way down back to Central. There I was at the Duddell Street Steps and Gas Lamps. These gas lamps were built between the period of 1875 and 1889, however, they have since been converted to become electricity-powered.

The famous night spot Lan Kwai Fong looks so naive and ordinary before sun down.

[The Best Egg Tart in Hong Kong]

Saving the best for last! The best egg tarts in Hong Kong!

Hot, smooth and runny, tasty egg custards in warm flaky crust! Tai Cheong Bakery has perfected them! Seriously, nothing in Singapore compares! These egg tarts are the contributing reason that I will visit Hong Kong again!

Tai Cheong Bakery

G/F, 35 Lyndhurst Terrace

Hong Kong MTR
Once again I salute the efficient metro system that commutes many thousand commuters each day! With the MTR system, tourists can get around Hong Kong easily with just an Octopus Pass.

In the next part, we will walk the Avenue of Stars!

Do check out previous entries here:
Hong Kong Trip '09: [PART 1] From SIN to Kowloon
Hong Kong Trip '09: [PART 2] Big Buddha (天坛大佛)
Hong Kong Trip '09: [PART 3] Madame Tussaud's Hong Kong
Hong Kong Trip '09: [PART 4] Walk, Shop, Eat in Kowloon
Hong Kong Trip'09: [PART 5] Repulse Bay

Photography & Editing by William Tan 2009
Documented using Nikon D200 with Tamron 18-270 VC and Panasonic LUMIX-LX3