105 SEPTEMBER 2015 FREE AT ALL CAMPUSES
When East meets West M A L AY S I A N S K I L L I N G I T A B R O A D
• THE FUTURE IS HERE
•
SLOUCH IN ST YLE
•
MTV'S ALAN & HANLI BARE IT
SEPTEMBER2015
campusplus.com.my
CONTENTS
FEATURES
34
BEAUTY BUZZ
double duty beauty
Cosmetics that give you both beauty and health benefits
40
24
FEATURE
44
CAMPUS PLUS
Same-same but different
Same country, different states (and states of mind). The diversity in lifestyles and opinions between East and West Malaysia is both a dividing yet paradoxically unifying factor
UNFOLDING THE FUTURE OF GADGETS
Hope your appetite for the future of things is big because we’re giving you a juicy taste of it
2
COVER STORY
Headphones
Bring It On!
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A Perfect fit
The speaker drivers are ergonomically designed to sit comfortably inside the ear, creating a remarkably snug fit that seals out outside noise.
Comfort On The Go
Ultra-lightweight in design, plus the addition of rubberised earloops that can be attached to the earphones ensure greater long wearing comfort through any exercise duration.
Bring On The Rain
The SHQ7300 is made from IPX2 moisture-proof materials, preventing dripping sweat from entering the earpiece.
Bring On The Bass
Drive your workouts to the next level with the powerful yet balanced bass pumping from the finely tuned 6mm micro drivers that ensure max sound performance. SHQ7300OR For more information, please visit www.philips.com.my Contact: Gibson Innovations Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. 100.2.051, Block J, 129 Offices, Jaya One, No.72A Jalan Universiti, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Customer Care: 1800 880 180
SHQ7300LF
SEPTEMBER2015
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18
INTERVIEW
MTV WORLD STAGE
MTV VJS ALAN AND HANLI GIVE US THE GOSS ON MUSIC, THE WORLD STAGE AND KIM KARDASHIAN’S BUTT
CONTENTS
58
FEATURES
48
21
REGULARS
WIRED UP
COP THESE BABIES & PLUG IN
We give you the lowdown on the latest gadgets you can find
56
FEATURE
MISSION POSSIBLE: MAKIN’ US PROUD
They’re not superspies, but these Malaysians abroad are doing the nation proud
NEWS ......................................... 08 MUSIC............................................ 18
58
FOOD DIRECTORY
Five Essential Nasi Lemak Spots in Klang Valley
The title says it all. Jom pergi makan!
4
CAMPUS PLUS
MOVIES ......................................... 22 FASHION BUZZ .......................... 30 CAMPUS COUTURE....................... 32 BEAUTY CASE................................ 36
SIGHTS & INSIGHTS FROM THE EDITOR
takenote
FROM THE EDITOR
EDITORIAL
THE TEAM Mac Sivanesan
Publisher
MAC@CAMPUSPLUS.com.MY
Editor
Jade Yong
Sub-Editor
Sonny Leong
Writers
Ivy Chin
jade@campusplus.com.my
sonny@campusplus.com.my
ivy@campusplus.com.my
grace@campusplus.com.my
Rachel Fong rachel@campusplus.com.my
Editorial
General
CREATIVE
NEWSDESK@CAMPUSPLUS.com.MY
Art Director
Suzanne Chuah
Junior Graphic Designer
Ahmad Faidhi
Visual & DI
Kamil Haziq
CORPORATE
I
’m sure just like the rest of Malaysia, you are also feeling that our beloved country is going through some uncertain times. Such is the nature of change, eh. Do things have to get worse before they can get better? Who knows? What we do know is that we, the rakyat, have to stick together to see this through. Our power lies in the choices we make – it doesn’t matter what age, gender and ethnicity you are, or what religion you profess – you are as powerful as the person next to you. There is strength in unity.
Grace Chan
ZANNE@CAMPUSPLUS.com.MY
studio@CAMPUSPLUS.com.MY
HAZIQ@CAMPUSPLUS.com.MY
Corporate Communications
Nancy P
Events Manager
Jeyasekhar M
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Sales & Marketing Nicholas Ng Director nicholas@CAMPUSPLUS.com.My Sales
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september 2015
And that’s what this issue is about. On 16th September 1963 we saw the unification of Peninsula Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore to form the country we’ve come to now know and love. Fifty two years on, how much do we really know about each other across the South China Sea? Grace and Ivy attempt to bridge that gap in this month’s cover story ‘Same-Same But Different’ on p.24. We also give props to some proud Malaysians beyond our shores, making a mark in their respective industries and doing us proud - read about them on p.56. Speaking about Malaysians killing it abroad… you know what overseas Malaysians miss most about home? Our food, of course! Whenever social media gets too bleak for your taste (heh) and you want to be reminded about what’s worth fighting for? Hell, look at p. 58, where we zero in on the best nasi lemak you can find around Klang Valley. You’re welcome. On the vanity front, Rachel teaches you how to work a chill pill into your wardrobe on p.30, and for the ultra lazy amongst us, she also highlights skin- and hair-care products that work double duty for us. If only our politicians worked as hard! (I kid, sorry Home Ministry! #sorrynotsorry) If the present Malaysia isn’t giving you much hope for the future, then maybe our feature on future tech will. Next-generation tech isn’t too far off in the future – it’s right here, right now, on p.40. Much like us. We’re here to stay baby. We may be undergoing some changes, but we’ll come out on top. We always will. Happy Malaysia Day, folks!
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© All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from Campus Media Resources Sdn Bhd. The publisher has made every effort to ensure that the contents of this material is accurate at the time of printing, and therefore will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Opinions and advice expressed by advertisers and contributors in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the editors, staff and the publisher.
campusnews
THE LATEST FROM YOUR CAMPUS
SEPTEMBER 2015
SPOTLIGHT
Keep Yourself Safe!
With the crime rate rising at an alarming rate, the Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) Bachelor of Public Relations (Honours) students organised a three-day “ALLways Safe” personal safety campaign to educate the public to stay alert in all circumstances. Three pillars of personal safety were emphasised – Home, Campus and Society safety as people are constantly exposed to risk in these aspects. Fun and exciting activities such as ‘Oculus Rift’ and ‘Travelling Journey’ were offered to participants, which provided them a safe and virtual experience of being a potential victim of crime. For more details, visit the “ALLways Safe Campaign” official Facebook page.
The Malaysia Top 10 Outstanding Young Artists Awards 2015
More than RM600,000 was awarded by The One Academy when they held their 18th Malaysia Top 10 Outstanding Young Artists Awards at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre. The annual art awards ceremony was officiated by the Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Learning II Yang Berhormat P. Kamalanathan, where over a thousand students nationwide gathered to witness the unfolding of the event. The competition was held in Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Sibu, Kuching, Ipoh, Batu Pahat, Johor Bahru and Georgetown. Ho Wen Hong from Penang won the Gold Award, Chen Syin Yi from Selangor took the Silver Award and Amita Sevellaraja from Malacca clenched the Bronze Award. Besides giving out the main awards, The One Academy also presented other awards to its students – Malaysia Top 10 Outstanding Creative Youth Awards 2015 – Platinum Achievers, The One Academy Student Creative Awards 2015 (TOASCA 2015) and International Industry Awards 2015.
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campusnews
THE LATEST FROM YOUR CAMPUS
SEPTEMBER 2015
The Cancer Fighter UCSI’s Annual Public Health Campaign has been organised by UCSI’s pharmacy students since 2002. In this 14th installation of the annual community project, the Association of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences promoted and educated the public on health-related issues. Themed ‘Prevent Cancer Today, Live A Better Tomorrow’, this two-day campaign included various health screening tests, employing waist-to-hip ratio measurements, blood pressure tests, body fat tests and blood glucose tests. An interactive session with the public on the safe use of drugs, titled ‘Know Your Drugs’ was also held to educate the public. Supported by Cancer Research Malaysia, the campaign also offered a demonstration on breast self-examinations.
What’s Your Mental Potential? In order to unleash every Malaysian’s potential and develop their brainpower, the Malaysia Festival of the Mind (MFotM) staged another comeback at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Kampar Campus. Themed “Sharpening Your Mind, Boosting Your Brain”, the 11th edition of the MFotM offered a line-up of inspirational talks and workshops on how to bring out the best of the human brain, thus improving our lives.
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Campus News Pictorial Curtin Sarawak’s Department of Applied Geology went on a four-day visit to the Niah Caves to enhance teaching, learning and research experience.
ACCA students can now sit for their exams in March and September sessions instead of the usual June and December sessions.
Two Malaysians will be joining “Hope and Dreams (HANDs!) Project to Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Japan to learn about how the creative arts can be used to address disaster education, preparedness and post-disaster recovery.
Three of APU’s student teams from the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Technology excelled in the International Energy Innovation Competition.
lifestylenews
THE LATEST FOR YOUR WORLD
SEPTEMBER 2015
SPOTLIGHT
What’s New, Big and Curved from Acer? All you gamers out there are going to love this one. Acer’s new XR341CK makes its way to our shores and it’s bound to take your gaming and entertainment experience to a different league. The sleek 34-inch IPS curved gaming monitor features QHD 3440 x 1440 resolution with Adaptive-Sync Technology which solves the mismatch between your game’s frame rate and the monitor’s refresh rate. What this means is you get smooth gameplay and gorgeous visuals that do justice to the most highly demanding games. The cherry on the cake is the incredibly wide viewing angles offered and the “ComfyView” matte finish of the screen that significantly reduce light reflections. Visit Acer Malaysia’s Facebook page or call the Acer Product Infoline at 1800-88-1288 for more information.
Nailing It with Bandi
Bandi, which is said to be Korea’s No. 1 professional nail brand, recently unveiled a range of eco-friendly nail colours as well as nail care products during a glitzy launch event in the swanky Bridge Bar. Flying in all the way from South Korea to represent the brand were Education Team Manager & Art Director Lee Eun Kyung and International Development Team Manager Elly Jung. Jung was there to officiate the launch, while her colleague Lee gave all those present a live demonstration of nail art using Bandi nail colours. They were joined by some of our very own stellar personalities, such as emcee Sarah Lian, Miss Universe Malaysia 2014 3rd Runner Up Lynn Lim and supermodel Amber Chia. Towards the end of the event, attendees had the fun opportunity to try out Bandi polishes on their own digits with a popup manicure booth. The Bandi Nail Lacquer Service is now available in major nail salons, hair salons, spa centres and beauty salons.
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lifestylenews
THE LATEST FOR YOUR WORLD
SEPTEMBER 2015
Digital Lifestyle Magic Seeing that it’s now the age of the selfie and social media, just merely taking a great picture isn’t enough. One has got to share it with friends, family and to the world, because frankly, why keep a good thing to yourself right? This is where Casio’s innovative Exilim Auto Transfer steps in to enhance your digital lifestyle. Via this feature, captured camera images are instantly and automatically sent to your smartphone at the press of a shutter button. As long as your smartphone is Bluetooth-enabled and the Exilim Connect app is installed, the paired connection between your camera and smartphone allows you to enjoy viewing your shots on the phone’s screen, and to share them with others on your social networking site of choice. The Exilim Auto Transfer feature is available on Casio’s EX-ZR3500 and EX-TR60 cameras.
Who’ll Be The Winner of the Step Up Dance Competition? Running with success for two consecutive years, Hiruscar Post Acne Step Up Dance Competition is set to return to Malaysia for another year! Aimed at helping young people regain their confidence, Hiruscar began the annual dance competition for the youth of Malaysia to demonstrate their talent through dance. The competition provides a platform for youngsters to show their great passion in dancing by developing creative dance moves to excite and fascinate the audience. A number of teams have already submitted their video to Hiruscar Malaysia social media platform and the shortlisted teams will contest in the final show down at Paradigm Mall on 12 September. Over RM5,000 worth of prizes will be awarded to the winning teams! The public are invited to “Guess the Winner of the Step Up Dance Competition” to win some attractive prizes. To participate, visit www.hiruscar.com.my/stepup.
Slim Permanent Marker
Marks on most surfaces Available in 10 colours
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Slim Permanent Marker
Marks on most surfaces
lifestylenews
THE LATEST FOR YOUR WORLD
SEPTEMBER 2015
The Skinny on Levi’s Women’s Denim Collection Fall ’15 For the Fall 2015 season, famed denim brand Levi’s has rolled out a new collection for women, one which blends the best of old and new by drawing from 80 years of global denim expertise and pairing it with details that catch the modern woman’s eye. The brand has decidedly outdone itself again with the Lot 700 jeans that are fitted enough to flatter, yet stretchable enough to not constrain. All in all, there are six main fits, which are 710 Super Skinny, 711 Skinny, 712 Slim, 714 Straught, 715 Bootcut and 721 High Rise Skinny. At the recent launch which was held in chic event space Slate at The Row, guests had the chance to meet and interact with Brand Style Director, Kaede Matsumoto, who explained the thought process behind each of the designs and shared her personal denim wearing tips. She was joined by stylist Cho Wee Chee, who enthralled guests by engineering individual and highly stylish looks inspired by the various fits.
uniqlo Stretches Your Limits As uniqlo unveiled a new line of revolutionary jeans, media friends were also invited to put the famed uniqlo’s Re-jean – Reinventing Jeans collection to the test in a series of adrenaline-rush activities in Camp5, 1 utama. Scaling heights with unprecedented level of comfort and an immaculate fit, the jeans indeed revealed its tough self in an incredible amount of stretch through intense challenges. The Fall Winter 2015 range comprises the Smart Shape Jeans, Ultra Stretch Jeans and Denim Yoga Pants for the lasses. As for the lads, the collection includes Skinny Fit Tapered Air Jeans as well as Selvedge Jeans. The collection is currently available in uniqlo stores nationwide.
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Absolute Bass Headphones
2015/16 Line-up
Suitable for Smartphones (iPhone / AndroidTM / Black Berry速) JVCKENWOOD Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. Web: www.jvc.net/my Tel: 03-79573330
music
SITTING DOWN WITH VJ HANLI AND ALAN
SEPTEMBER 2015
e h T
s r s e r g e g n e n s e MMeesss
V T M of
MTV VJs Hanli and Adam pose with world stage Super fans, who have never missed a single world stage since its inception.
A
nyone who has a subscription to Astro and MTV would surely be familiar with the two gorgeous faces of MTV VJs Alan and Hanli. For the third year in a row, they will host MTV World Stage Live In Malaysia, which has already announced a slew of exciting acts such as Sekai No Owari, Apink and Carly Rae Jepsen. In line with this year’s edition to be held on 12 September, we had a chat with Hanli and Alan about superstar superpowers, dream World Stage performers and lots, lots more. If you could inherit the superpowers of any singer, whose would it be and why? Alan: I wanna dance like Usher. Can I twerk like Kylie Jenner? No, no, I’m just kidding. Yeah I wanna dance like Usher, or Chris Brown. Actually, I’ll stick with Usher, because Chris Brown modelled his dancing after Usher. Hanli: Jared Leto’s acting skills. ‘Cos he’s quite talented. Or Kim Kardashian’s @ss! [laughs] If you had to name just one favourite music video, what would it be? Alan: Of all time? ‘Smooth Criminal’, by Michael Jackson. Just, the white suit, the lean… That was beautiful. Hanli: This is a lame one – I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite, but it’s definitely in my Top 15 – Avril Lavigne’s ‘Girlfriend’. She has all these characters, and in one of them she’s like her good old skater self and she wears a tie.
Were you inspired by any of the MTV VJs that came before you, and why? Hanli: Growing up in Singapore, being mixed race myself, seeing other mixed race people on TV kinda resonated with me in a way. On top of that, just the personas that they portray felt incredibly real and down to earth, yet also somewhat larger than life. For me, it was VJ Denise and Utt who had the biggest influence on me. Alan: I like Sway. Because he’s still doing it, the guy is never ending! There’s something about how cool, real and down to earth he is. When he interviews artistes, it feels like two best friends talking. There’s something very real about Sway from the beginning that I think helped create the brand for MTV, to be honest. What’s the most fun thing you’ve done in the name of work? Hanli: We’ve done so many fun things for MTV! Every ride here in Sunway Lagoon, we’ve tried. [Alan: Vuvuzela is awesome.] We get to travel and go to festivals, meet loads of people, and try lots of different food and things. It’s really hard to pinpoint one answer. Alan: I agree, it’s really hard to pick just one, but it happened in KL, and it happened here in Sunway Lagoon. Can’t remember whether it was 2013 or 2014, but it was hosting World Stage. Being on this stage itself, being in front of 15,000-17,000 people who were screaming for a K-Pop group that they can’t wait for, was a new experience for me.
Is there a bucket list item you’ve yet to cross off as a VJ, and what is it? Hanli: There are a lot of artistes that we’d love to interview, so that’s the one for me. Alan: In terms of hosting events, there’s something about the Movie Awards, Video Music Awards (VMAs) also; they kinda go hand in hand, and that to me feels like the pinnacle of MTV hosting. Who is your dream MTV World Stage Malaysia performer? Who would you love to see on that stage? Alan: I’d love to see Bruno Mars, Imagine Dragons and a huge list of people, but in the end as long as KL shows up like they have every single year, it will be a great show. Hanli: Little Mix, they’re hot and I think they’d be perfect for the World Stage environment. I also would like Jason Derulo to come to World Stage. That’d be such a good performance, so – fingers crossed! What can you tell us about this year’s MTV World Stage Malaysia that makes it bigger and better than previous editions? Alan: Well, we have the very first Japanese act ever to take World Stage Malaysia (Sekai No Owari). Hanli: And their fan base is huge, they’ve got millions of views on YouTube.. Alan: We had two male-K-pop groups the last two years, but this year… [with Hanli] we got the ladieeeeees (Apink)!
SEPT 2015 | CAMPUS PLUS |
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ALBUM RELEASES AND REVIEWS
music
SEPTEMBER 2015
REVIEWS
MOBILE ORCHESTRA
| OWL CITY
Cool For The Summer
| Demi Lovato
We have been ardent Owl City fans since ‘Fireflies’. It’s been three years since his last release, and his fifth album Mobile Orchestra sees him taking on a new direction and approach. It’s hard for us to pick our favourite song here because all of them are equally good! But since we are fond of positive and cheerful songs, ‘Unbelievable’ became the standout song of the album for us. We love the light-hearted whistling here, reminiscent of a simple and sunshine-filled childhood. This catchy song (and album) would definitely make your day.
What’s ‘Cool For The Summer’? Let Demi Lovato tell you about it through her latest single as she has no plans to let this summer go! It’s not the ‘Let It Go’ kind of song that she’s famous for. This is a daring and bold single from her, a single that celebrates her sensitivity. However, the entire song seems to be lacking in the soulful department that we’ve all come to love and expect from Lovato. She sounds like every other clichéd pop artist out there, so if there’s any redeeming quality in this single, we couldn’t find it.
Good For You
She’s Kinda Hot
| Selena Gomez
We’ll admit it: we’re not big fans of hers. But there is one thing we do like about her; she sings with all her heart and soul. And this is evident with her new single ‘Good For You’. This song aptly demonstrates her new direction in terms of maturity and sound, providing a teaser for her upcoming album, Revival. Lyrically, the song shows off a mature side of her music that is a break from her previous work. However, we think her vocals still lack strength and raw power. On the whole it makes it a song that you will either love or hate.
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| 5 Seconds of Summer
After their debut single, ‘She Looks So Perfect’, here comes the second one, ‘She’s Kinda Hot’. And there’s a “she” again in the title, so it’s no surprise that they’re singing about some girl (again). Though according to them this is a “heavier” song with a deeper meaning to it compared to their previous songs. So what’s our verdict? It’s a catchy song that instantly sticks in your head after the first listen. It’s a slight change in sound for them, but the changes are good. This song is just as great as any other 5 Seconds of Summer song that you have heard. We can’t wait for their upcoming second studio album!
15 MINUTES WITH US THE DUO
SEPTEMBER 2015
music
After uploading their six-second covers on Vine, this doting couple attracted millions of followers in a short period of time. And that wasn’t the end of it. The song that they wrote for their wedding, ‘No Matter Where You Are’ was featured in the animated movie, “The Book of Life”. We had the good fortune to interview Us The Duo recently. Read on to appreciate Michael and Clarissa Alvarado’s magnificent journey to lyrical stardom. Why the name Us The Duo? Well, we’ve been trying for a while to figure out a name for our act. I didn’t know what to name us, when suddenly that same word, “us” popped up. It’s so simple, easy to remember and very descriptive, it’s just us. It’s Michael and I. Later on, we added “The Duo” to the name across our social media, so people started to recognise us as Us The Duo, and we just stuck with that. What’s your song writing process like? How do you get inspired and ideas? The ideas and inspirations for a song comes out of experiences that we are dealing with in our personal life. You’ve heard our songs about love; they reflect our relationship and how it has grown, our ups and downs from the beginning till now. And it’s easy for us to write things like that because it’s coming from the heart and personal experiences. As far as the song-writing process goes, Michael is more of the lyric writer, he likes to write words and in my opinion, he is an amazing writer. I’m more like the melody girl as I enjoy making melodies up in my head. I think it’s just perfect for us to come up with these two things together and we balance each other out. What do you want people to know about Us The Duo? One thing we want our followers to know about us is that we are very positive people. We want to encourage people to follow their passion and dreams as well as to encourage people to lift others up. Something that is
very close to our heart is to stop cyberbullying. Being on social media, you find there are so many haters out there that spend all day on the Internet just bashing on people. That really breaks our heart. Imagine a 10-yearold child pursuing music getting that. It will hurt them, much more than it hurts us. So we want to encourage people to lift others up by sending positive messages and encouragement out. Share some fun facts fans don’t know about the both of you. We are really goofy and silly all the time. Our Snapchat show a lot of our personality, I guess. And we like to eat, a lot. But the fun fact about Clarissa is she is a shopaholic. She likes to find the nearest mall and she can spend 17 hours in there. She is like a black hole. If I drop her off there, I don’t know when I can see her again. As for me, I like to play poker, and I’m really good at it! What are your hopes for the future? Our number one hope for the future is to make new music that inspires people on a global scale. And then get to a level where we can use our music to give back, as we love charity and helping people in any way we can. What’s your message and advice to our readers and fans? Just follow your heart, your passion and dreams and don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do. Surround yourself with people that you love, who support you and will be there for you no matter what. Being around people that love and encourage you is so important because it’s impossible to do something amazing by yourself. (Interview courtesy of Universal Music Malaysia)
The Book of
Us The Duo
movies
THE LATEST CINEMA FLICKS
SEPtember 2015
PREVIEWS
The Intern
Pan
STARRING: Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo
STARRING: Levi Miller, Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara, Amanda Seyfried
RELEASE: 24th September 2015
RELEASE: 8th October 2015
It’s particularly hard for one to enjoy retirement if you’ve been spending half your life working. We follow 70-year-old successful business owner, Ben Whittaker (De Niro) into an unlikely work situation. Unused to retirement, he decides to get back to work by becoming a (very!) senior intern at a fashion based e-commerce company, founded and run by a young and career-driven woman, Jules Ostin (Hathaway). Awkwardness and hilarity ensues.
In the middle of the night, a young boy named Peter (Miller) is kidnapped from an orphanage by a group of pirates. Brought to the magical realm of bizarre creatures and flying ships, Neverland, Peter teams up with the warrior Tiger Lily (Mara) and James Hook (Hedlund) to defeat the merciless pirate Blackbeard (Jackman) to save Neverland, and in the process discovers his true destiny.
Hotel Transylvania 2
Goosebumps
STARRING: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Mel Brooks, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key
STARRING: Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Amy Ryan, Ryan Lee, Jillian Bell, Halston Sage
RELEASE: 24th September 2015
RELEASE: 15th October 2015
Since Jonathan (Samberg) first stumbled into Hotel Transylvania in the first instalment, things seem to be changing for the better. The hotel is no longer open to monsters only, but human guests too. However, Count Dracula (Sandler) is now getting worried when his half-vampire grandson, Dennis, doesn’t seem to exhibit any vampire abilities. When Mavis (Gomez) and Jonathan leave to visit Johnny’s parents, Dracula puts Dennis through a “monster-training” boot camp with his friends.
After moving from a big city to a small town, Zach Cooper (Minnette) meets his new neighbour – a beautiful girl named Hannah (Rush) and her strange, mysterious father. He later finds out that Hannah’s father is the author of the bestselling Goosebumps series, R. L. Stine (Black). What Cooper does not know is that Stine has been locking up all the monsters in his manuscripts, and they can’t be opened no matter what. Cooper then unwittingly releases the monsters by accident and now has to team up with the father-daughter duo to put the monsters back.
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coverstory
by grace chan and ivy chin
BRIDGING THE EAST-WEST DIVIDE
SEPTEMBER 2015
Same-Same but Different
For the privileged few who have studied, worked and lived in both East and West the experience has enriched them and opened their eyes towards appreciating Malaysia’s beauty in our diversity. CP writers Grace Chan and Ivy Chin – both from East Malaysia – speak to others like themselves to get the down low on their uniquely Malaysian stories.
W
hen it comes to Sabah and Sarawak, most West Malaysians draw from what we’ve learned in school history lessons – stereotypes that East Malaysians are jungle dwelling Tarzans who swing from tree to tree; and from a stream of Borneo wildlife advertisements that wrongly reinforce the perception that East Malaysia is undeveloped. With Malaysia entering its 52nd year in existence come the 16th of this month, we figured it’s the perfect occasion to debunk these vague (and demeaning) stereotypes of East Malaysians as we get familiar with the unique experiences of the peeps over in the “land below the wind” and “land of the hornbills”. First up, we kick off with confessions from a pool of East Malaysians who are currently residing in the West side of our motherland. Moving to a metropolis for the first time can be daunting, more so if you’re from a small town. While we assume newbies would be prepared for the obvious differences (like traffic or cost of living), other quirks don’t sink in until much later.
The Black Sheep
“For some, Sabah is just chunks of forest and a lot of nature but to me, it screams mountainside, islands, seaside towns, breath-taking sunrises and sunsets as well as crystal clear night skies. Sabah makes me proud to be her son.” Born and bred in Sandakan, Shannon Fernandez is most certainly one of the rare breeds. Of Chinese Indian descent, the 25-year-old lad is currently pursuing a law degree at Brickfields Asia College and enjoys immersing himself in the memoirs of authors and famous personalities during his spare time. Like many of his comrades back home, tertiary education eventually took him to the Peninsular. “Sabah has very few institutions that offer pre-university programmes besides (the much dreaded)
STPM,” he explains. Approaching his third year in Kuala Lumpur (KL) now, Shannon admits to experiencing subtle differences during his transition from Sabah to West Malaysia. Unsurprisingly, language was a struggle in the beginning as most East Malaysians do face a hard time comprehending KL jargons. “It took me a year to decipher the term “kot”. It’s particularly interesting how certain words are used as a multipurpose verb over here, like jom layan milo ais,” states Shannon who has taken to mamak cuisine. Perhaps the most striking disparity that turned out to be in his favour is the sudden flock of Malaysian Indians around him (Quick trivia: Indians in Sabah comprise only 0.3% of the overall population). “Back home, there are hardly any machas. I woke up one fine day on the west side of the country and bam, suddenly I am everyone’s brother in-law.”
The Ethnic Princess
“I would love for West Malaysians to learn from our rather chill, laidback and humble ways of living in diversity”. A true concoction of Sabah’s indigenous ethnicities, Jasmine Goh is a Sino-Sungai-Visaya lady who also hails from the “Nature City” of Sandakan. Now a multimedia designer in KL, she completed her tertiary education in Multimedia University and has continued to reside here ever since. Despite having the same nationality, Jasmine too found herself struggling to cope with the huge differences between the east and west sides of our nation. It was the language and culture she found most challenging. During her initial conversations, she faced endless bobbed heads and squinting stares going, “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” “Seeing that we’re all Malaysians, who would have thought that East Malaysians actually face so much trouble assimilating? I had a tough time trying to minimise my Sabahan slang and accent”, says Jasmine with a sheepish smile. The 25-year-old lass also had problems trying to fit in. Being of mixed-ethnicity and a little shy and reserved to begin with, the process of making new friends was a strenuous one for her. To her, the most distinct difference she noticed was the sight of race-based cliques. “I do hope people will broaden their minds and try to socialise outside of their own races,” states Jasmine ruefully.
The All-Rounder
“The lifestyle we have back in Sabah is certainly one of a kind. That makes me real proud to be a Sabahan.” Similarly, the accessibility to tertiary education also precipitated Amadeus Chin’s shift to KL. No longer just a vacation spot, West Malaysia has now become his second home of five years. Unlike a majority of East Malaysians who typically opt to return home, Amadeus sees himself settling down here. A globetrotter by nature, he’s even open to the idea of living outside of Malaysia. Highly adaptable, Amadeus is certainly one of the lucky ones who swiftly blended into the new culture. Besides figuring a way around the local transportation system, it was a relatively smooth transition for the 25-year-old. “Here’s my two sen. Initially, it will be tough (moving to) any foreign place. You’ll have to tune your mind into believing that things are going to get messy before eventually working out,” explains the MBA in Services Management student. Of course, Amadeus also experienced the contrast of cultures between the east and west of Malaysia, particularly when it came to interaction with people. “People over here are generally ‘colder’ and suspicious of strangers. I’m guessing it’s some sort of defence mechanism from uncertainties,” opines Amadeus. Nonetheless, not everyone is cut from the same cloth, as there are cases of those who ultimately found themselves purchasing a one-way ticket back home to the east.
A Teacher,A Hero
“We are united in one way, in being a Bornean. We have a church right next to a mosque, siblings who are of different religions, sights of Muslims dining at Chinese food stalls. We are never bothered with the religion factor, let alone race and I hope it will always remain that way.” On the other side of the story, we have Indra who stayed in West Malaysia for seven years before eventually moving back to the east. A Psychology graduate whose dream is to be an educator, his decision to return home was one that didn’t squander much of his brain cells. “It was an effortless decision. Aside from the concern that my parents are staying alone, I knew it’s a calling for me to render my passion in education to the children in my hometown,” explains the 27-year-old don who is currently a junior lecturer in Tawau. A Ranau native, Indra also sets up free tuition classes for underprivileged children. Interestingly, it appears that each East Malaysian had encountered his or her share of predicament in the realm of language upon landing on West Malaysian soil. While some struggle to comprehend the rojak mixture of West Malaysian’s spoken language, a lot are also particularly troubled by the norm of using English in daily conversations. “I was born in a society where everyone doesn’t converse much in English. Despite being the best student for MUET in my STPM, I still found it a struggle to adapt in an environment where English is so regularly spoken – it was something akin to a battlefield where I was constantly on guard with every word that I uttered,” states Indra who is of Dusun ethnicity. Nonetheless, it also removed him from his comfort zone and pushed him to improve. When asked if there is one thing that East Malaysians should pick up from the west, Indra mischievously advocated the “work hard, party harder” motto. “I think my fellow KL friends have made a point and it is something that I strive to practise in whatever I do,” shares Indra with a grin.
THE EASTERN MARKETER
“Generally, I still find East Malaysians more approachable regardless of their skin colour. Plus, most of us have a very good sense of humour.” As for Clement Chee, he too had spent a good five years in KL before eventually moving back east. Perhaps due to the disparity in cultural upbringing, Clement found himself tussling to meet the west’s definition of success. When the Sandakan native first embarked on an unconventional path as an Internet marketer, he was rather taken aback by everyone’s scepticism about it. Coupled with the struggle to cope with the high expenses of city living, Clement figured it would be more ideal for him to grow his online business back home in the east. “These days, I feel more at ease in expressing myself. There’s no need for me to justify my choices in life,” he thoughtfully ponders. A big foodie, the most significant change during the transition years that took a toll on Clement was… you guessed it, the cutback in food selections. “I am a big fan of Indian cuisine and I prefer the Indian food variations over in the west. KL certainly has one of the most authentic Indian cuisine on earth,” enthuses Clement. While most West Malaysians would flip out at the mere thought of even being temporarily stationed over East Malaysia, Rooban begs to differ.
THE TREE HUGGER
“East Malaysians are generally more patient when it comes to driving. Some of them aren’t even aware of the existence of fast lane. Best part about diving over there? They always give way to each other and hardly hit the horn, almost never” A Nemophilist at heart, Rooban Ramasamy boldly volunteered to be placed in East Malaysia as part of his bond with a Petronas scholarship. Upon his graduation from Universiti Teknologi Petronas, the Selangor native figured it would be an icing on the cake if he embarked on a journey away from the hustle and bustle of city life. “I’ve always wanted to experience a different lifestyle and pick up some new cultures. At that point of time, Sarawak and Sabah seemed exotic and foreign so I thought to myself, why not? And I gave it a shot,” he grins. Thanks to his East Malaysian buddies back in college, he was fuelled with a sense of curiosity towards the whole idea of living in East Malaysia. Rooban’s love affair with Borneo started way back in August 2003 during his first placement in Miri. The moment he set foot in Sarawak, the seasoned engineer was immediately blown away by the heartfelt hospitality that the locals were so generous with. “They poured in a lot of effort just to make sure I could seamlessly adapt to the new environment and were never tired of showing me around,” adds Rooban gratefully. In fact, strangers whom he met in less than an hour always ended up to be his long term buddies. Likewise, when he was transferred to Sabah five years later, he immediately felt at home again. Ultimately, Rooban believes it is up to every individual’s conscious effort to learn and integrate his or her values into another culture. “East Malaysia is the epitome of respect and harmony despite the differences in religions or cultures”, states Rooban pensively.
As we celebrate Malaysia Day, we hope that these amusing and interesting personal stories will help to foster an appreciation for the diversity and uniqueness of all the peoples in our beloved nation. We’re all a part of the same family, and we should treat each other as such. Like the saying goes, variety is the spice of life – embrace it!
Questions you can (and should) stop asking a Bornean.
Shannon: You wouldn’t believe the number of times that I have to repeat and pronounce
“boleh bah kalau kau” slowwwly. It can get really taxing. People still question if we travel by boats and live on trees. It’s such a cliché that these statements continue to linger on even though everyone is aware that’s not the case. For the last time, yes, we do travel by boats but that’s because we own islands (wink) and no, we don’t live on trees because we do have condominiums, bungalows, penthouses (you know, like everywhere else). Clement: You are from Kota Kinabalu, right? Note to all – not every East Malaysian originates from Kota Kinabalu.
Indra:
What you might not know about East Malaysia
Shannon: Sabah and Sarawak entered the federation as equal partners but are referred to as states now.
Amadeus: Life is amusing and carefree in East Malaysia. You’d be surprised with how
much you’ll love it. Clement: Hours are miraculously longer in Sabah. You’ll find that you have more time to spend in a day. Rooban: Almost all their food is served with a bowl of clear soup. Yes, even mamak mee.
fashionbuzz by rachel fong
Slouchy Chic
september 2015
Cre a t u r e of
Comfort When it comes to looking on point, comfort plays a bigger role than you think. When you feel at ease, you walk, talk and act more confidently. Forget your statement necklaces and skyscraper heels for a moment – feeling good in your own skin remains the best accessory. Welcome, slouchy chic. It’s a way of dress up where your clothes are so comfy, you could very well wear them to bed, yet they are stylish enough to make you look put together. Best part is, it’s not that hard to put an outfit together, as less is more in this case. Basically, you’ll be able to get twice the style for half the effort. Sold yet? Here are five ways to work the comfy cool look.
Photography: Kamil Haziq Styling: Rachel Fong 30 | CAMPUS PLUS Model: Layka Sethuram make up: maya hanum (bzylittlebeebeauty)
Shopping Spree
A Day at the Movies
Denim Button Down Shirtdress, Topshop, RM249
Flecked Jacket with Shawl Collar, Pull & Bear, RM199.90
Converse Sneakers, stylist’s own
Platform Heel Boots, model’s own
Black Jumper, Topshop, RM149
Coachella Ready
End of Semester Crunch Time
Ready for the Outdoors
Nude Tassle Blouse, Dorothy Perkins, RM169
Lace Up Cotton Tee, Miss Selfridge, RM96
Jungle Green Parka, Uniqlo,
White Ripped Shorts, Miss Selfridge, RM209
Boho Floral Pants, Miss Selfridge, RM209
Tribal Print Crop Top, Zara, RM79.90
Platform Heel Boots, model’s own
Platform Flip Flops, model’s own
Black Skinny Jeans, Miss Selfridge, RM209
campuscouture
Spotlight on INTI Centre of art & design
SEPTEMBER 2015
Fabriquè Magnifique S
tudents of Year 1 Diploma in Fashion Design from INTI Centre of Art & Design had their talent on display recently when they exhibited their works at an in-house T-Shirt exhibition titled Fabriquè. With the themes of nature and simplicity, came 26 designs by students from semesters two and three that were hung from raw anchor ropes. The exhibition was made even more impressive by the fact that it was organised, curated and ran entirely by the students as part of a fuller learning experience. In just over two days, it had attracted over 200 visitors, all of whom acted as voters for their favourite designs. The top three designs with the most votes were then given the honour of being displayed within the school as well as the INTI Centre of Art & Design Facebook page. In the end, it was these gifted three whose T-Shirt appliqué designs stood out the most.
1.The Mfuku by Elaine New African culture influences Elaine’s design, which is most memorable for its ornament-like main piece in the centre. The bright and earthy tones plus the design title, which is Swahili for ‘necklace’ all point to the inspiration of African necklaces. However, it is ultimately a mesh of traditional and modern, as the knotted macramé fringes are a nod to Coachella music festival garb.
2.Floral Deer by Ariel Chai Fui See Nature is where Ariel looked to for her distinctive design. Seeing as flora and fauna are two inextricably linked elements, she decided to incorporate floral prints and natural colours into her work. In order to appeal to a younger, modern crowd, the hip triangle shape is sewn into the design as well.
3.Angel Wings by Sabethra Gopal Inspired by the idea that angels are protectors, Sabethra conjured up a design that mimics a pair of angel wings enveloping the body, or in this case the shirt that wraps the wearerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body. In order to add deeper meaning into her design, she opted for the contrasting fabrics of houndstooth printed PU leather and soft cotton that represent conscience and protection.
beautybuzz by rachel fong
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healthy beauty product
y t u Bea
Double Duty
SEPTEMBER 2015
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M
akeup is a fun tool to play with, but it has (rightly or wrongly) gotten a bad rep for its negative effects on users’ skin through prolonged usage. Fortunately, not all makeup or hair products are hell bringers. Thanks to makeup brands that have awoken to a need for cosmetics that are both rejuvenating and beautifying, we now have a pretty neat selection of products to choose from. If you want your skin and hair to look healthier than ever after using makeup and styling products, read on!
FACE:
1. Dr. Jart Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm RM119
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This variant contains a Botanical Formula to purify and calm blemish-prone complexions, and also reduces dark spots to boost your natural radiance. It is also formulated with caviar extract and antioxidants to slow down your skin’s ageing. Topping it off is the SPF 25 to minimise sun damage for all sunny climate dwellers like us. Available at Luxola, Sasa outlets nationwide and Sunway Pyramid
2. Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil Price TBA Josie Maran’s range of skincare and beauty products has garnered quite a following for its argan oil-infused goodness and cruelty-free stamp. When applied, this lip and cheek tint transforms from a cream into a smooth, understated pop of colour. As a bonus, it never feels greasy and makes matching your cheek colour to your lips a cinch. Available at Sephora outlets nationwide
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3. The Body Shop Tea Tree Concealer RM45 This beauty enthusiast’s fave from The Body Shop contains tea tree formula which soothes and heals your pimples while covering them. Additionally, it doesn’t dry out the skin as much as some harsher acne medications do. Bonus: it comes in a stick, making it super easy for one to carry on the go and reapply when needed. Available at The Body Shop outlets nationwide and The Body Shop online
4. Innisfree Lifting Curl Cara RM54.47 Excessive coats of mascara can damage your fragile lashes and make them break off, but this magic wand from Innisfree comes with a natural black water complex that nourishes the roots of your lashes and makes them look darker. Comprising 200 thin and fine combo brushes, it’s capable of catching every single lash regardless of length so that they can be curled. Available at Sunway Pyramid and Innisfree online
5. BareMinerals Ready Eyeshadow 4.0 RM135 This eyeshadow quad has more than meets the eye. Besides giving your eyelids the desired wash of vivid, long wearing colour, the shades also deliver anti-ageing benefits thanks to ingredients like antioxidants, pressed borage oil, caffeine and cucumber. So your eyes receive a spa-like treatment while looking seductively smoky. Beyond that, the highly blendable shades make application effortless and silky smooth to the touch. Available at Sephora outlets nationwide
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HAIR:
6. Sachajuan Hair Spray Strong RM102.50 Hair sprays tend to contain lots of damaging chemicals that will leave your strands worse for wear. It’s a different story with Sachajuan’s take on it though, as it is reinforced with Ocean Silk Technology which combines algae and a few other ingredients to heal hair as it sits on it. Best of all, it holds hairstyles firmly without ever making it feel stiff. Available at Luxola
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7. Color Bucket’s Color Protection Hair Styling Fixer RM11.50 Created to complement the Hair Crayon Stylist, a hair colouring crayon, it works by prolonging the lifespan of the dye on your hair. Jam packed with hair-nourishing ingredients such as Jojoba Extract, Camellia Seed Oil, Meadow Foam Seed Oil and many more, it significantly lessens any damage or dryness to hair after being coloured. All it takes is a few spritzes of this fixer and your bright hair is good to go. Available at Luxola
8. Innisfree Don’t Worry Hair Concealer RM38.91 If you have sparse spots on your scalp, this unique hair concealer helps to fill them up to create the appearance of a fuller, thicker hairline. In line with Innisfree’s eco-friendly leanings, the concealer contains plenty of health goodies for your hair follicles, such as lemon balm leaves, yarrow, peppermint leaves and speedwell extracts. Available at Sunway Pyramid and Innisfree online
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9. Garnier Olia Permanent Hair Colour RM32.18 Dyeing your hair can often leave it dry and lifeless, but Garnier’s oil-powered permanent hair colour approaches the whole deal differently, with an ammonia-free formula that provides shiny colour and softer hair. Due to the oil content, hair quality is restored and roughness is reversed. The blend of 60% oil with natural flower oils is also effective in boosting the colour intensity. Available in Watsons and Guardian outlets nationwide
10. L’Oreal Excellence Crème RM30.60 L’Oreal’s Excellence Crème is outfitted with a Triple Protection system that revitalises and protects hair while maximising its colour. With the triple goodness of Pro-Keratin, Ceramide and Collagen, your hair gets durable intense colours. If you have premature grey hairs, this product keeps them at bay too as the dye gives thorough coverage. Available in Watsons and Guardian outlets nationwide
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SEPTEMBER’S BEAUTY PICKS
beautycase
compiled by rachel fong
SEPTEMBER 2015
Maybelline New York HyperSharp Wing RM39.90 Winged eyeliner is a makeup trick that many strive to master, with varying degrees of success. However, more and more eyeliners are coming to the fore to simplify the process, and the HyperSharp Wing eyeliner from Maybelline is one of them. It is said to be the first 2-in-1 flat tip liner in the world that lets you twist it to adjust its thickness. With the 0.01mm tip, you can draw a thin line across your eyelids, and once you turn it to the 2mm tip, you can use that to draw a flawless wing at the outer edges of your eye. Available at Watsons, SASA and Guardian stores
L’Oreal Men Expert White Activ Volcano Range From RM18.90 There’s a new way to treat acne, and volcanoes are involved! L’Oreal’s latest men’s skincare range is made with Volcanic Mineral Extract, Salicylic Acid and Peppermint Extract to make your skin an inhospitable environment for acne. The most essential ingredient is the Volcanic Mineral Extract, which absorbs oil effectively. Within the White Activ Volcano Range are the Red Foam and Serum Moisturiser, that makes skincare an easy two-step daily routine. The Red Foam purifies pores and dries out pimples, while the Serum Moisturiser, is capable of brightening one’s complexion and reducing excessive sebum.
Kiss Me Heroine Make Volume & Curl Mascara Super Waterproof RM49.90 If your lashes are short and sparse, the newest mascara on the block from Kiss Me might just take care of that. Formulated with Volume Separate Powder to create thicker and fuller lashes, it is said to curl your lashes, and more importantly, keep it that way until you wash it off. It also has lasting power by way of its waterproof quality. As a bonus, it is also supposed to separate your lashes neatly so you won’t have the dreaded clumpy look. Available at selected SASA and Watsons stores
Available at Watsons and Guardian stores
Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick and Lip Lacquer RM35.90 Revlon is back with a new collection of lipsticks and lip lacquers that are inspired by love. How so? The vivid colours of each lipstick and lip lacquer is said to evoke that first blush of romance, when everything around you feels more vibrant simply because you are in love. Indeed, the shades are called Ultra HD for a reason, as each swipe on the lips adorns them with a high concentration of colour. To add to its appeal, some of the lippies are named after flowers, while some are named after gemstones. Available at Watsons, SASA and Guardian stores
ColorPaints Blendable Nail Lacquer by OPI RM72.40 OPI’s newest nail lacquer collection allows you to have more fun with nail art, as the colours come in an ultra-luminous finish that lets you layer and mix them like you would with watercolours. Semi-translucent and buildable, you can now treat your nails like blank drawing paper to go crazy on. With the silver base (Silver Canvas), the subsequent layers’ intensity will be enhanced, so your final artwork stands out better than ever. Featuring nine shades in trademark quirky OPI names like Pen & Pink and Purple Perspective, the range is also free of DBP, toluene and formaldehyde to keep your nails strong. Available at Colour Culture (OPI Nail Bar) branches, OPI Kiosks, and leading nail, beauty and hair salons and spa centres 36
| CAMPUS PLUS
offtheshelf
selection of New Products
september 2015
Nestlé Kit Kat Chunky Have a break, and try the two new flavours of Kit Kat Chunky – Hazelnut, and Cookies & Cream. Kit Kat Chunky Hazelnut features crushed hazelnuts studded throughout a thick Kit Kat chocolate coating and wafer filling; while Kit Kat Chunky Cookies & Cream features cookie crumbs in a chocolate coating with a light cream filling sandwiched between crisp wafer layers. For more details, visit www.nestle.com.my or https://www.facebook.com/ NestleMalaysia. Price: N/A.
Sunplay Skin Aqua Sarafit UV range The new Sunplay Skin Aqua Sarafit UV range is specially formulated with double silky powder technology which leaves skin feeling natural after application. Not only does it offer the highest protection against UVA with its 4PA++++, it hydrates your skin throughout the day too. The range consists of the Skin Aqua Sarafit UV Essence 50g (RM40), and Skin Aqua Sarafit UV Mist 50g (RM42.30). Grab one now at any leading pharmacy and supermarket.
Perfecto Popcorn Don’t you hate it when your popcorn’s unevenly coated and you take a bite on a squishy, tasteless piece of popcorn? Well every piece in a bag of Perfecto popcorn comes guaranteed to be coated in one of its three yummy flavours – Ultimate Caramel, Chocolate in Love and French Vanilla. This tasty and affordable snack is available nationwide at RM4.50 (85g) and RM7.50 (160g). Visit www.facebook.com/ PerfectoSnacks for more information.
Sally Hansen Gel Shine 3D Top Coat Are you ready for perfect looking, gel-like shine on your cuticles? Sally Hansen Gel Shine 3D Top Coat amplifies your nail colour, transforming regular shine into fabulously smooth brilliance. It adds volume, thickness and a supreme ultra-gloss 3D finish in mere seconds to make your nails look shiny and ready to party. Get one for yourself at Guardian, HK Sasa, Caring, Parkson or AEON One Utama at RM39.90.
Faith in Face Hydrogel Facial Masks
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| CAMPUS PLUS
The Faith in Face Hydrogel Facial Mask series contain a high percentage of water-soluble ingredients that offer superior hydration for up to 40 minutes. The mask range comes in five variants, which are After Shower Look, Black & White Film Star, Hold Me Tight, Miss Invisible Pore and Nourish Me. They are available at all Watsons outlets nationwide at RM11.90 each. Visit www.faithinface.com or https://www.facebook.com/ faithinfacemy for more information.
feature by grace chan
A TASTE OF THE FUTURE
SEPTEMBER 2015
Unfolding the Future of
Gadgets W
e’re now in 2015, the year Back to the Future II was set in. Although we didn’t arrive to the here and now via a spiffy time-travelling DeLorean (though we wished we did), the 2015 depicted in the movie compared to the real 2015 we’re living in made us pause and wonder about the futuristic world presented on screen. Looking back, the middle movie in the Back to the Future time travel trilogy showered us with some pretty mind-boggling ideas and illustrations of how the future would look like according to writer and director Robert Zemeckis’ vision.
From Nike self-lacing sneakers (for people with two left hands) to a conversing autodrying jacket (so you are never lonely and always dry), the future was depicted as being a cool but lazy, neon-coloured dream. While video chatting straight from your TV seemed like a futuristic impossibility way back in 1989 (the year the movie was released), today we have the power of video calling in our pockets - along with a whole bunch of other things that we take for granted on a daily basis. What used to be your music player, recorder, calculator, calendar and dictionary were all bulky and separate items (oh, the shock!). But now, you can access them all on a relatively tiny gadget that fits in the palm of your hand. Since we’re already in the latter half of 2015, we figure it’s time to relive the spirit of the movie franchise and get you pumped up for some real @ss-kicking gadgets that have already arrived. Before you chuck your laptop into the river to embrace Iron Man’s swanky suit, here’s a glimpse of some ‘futuristic’ gadgets and gizmos that are already a reality in the here and now.
#1 Google’s Project Soli What it is: Sensors! Project Soli transforms your hand into a motion controller through its gesture technology that identifies subtle finger movements using radar built into tiny microchips embedded within wearables. Take a bow, Minority Report; you were ahead of your time. With Project Soli, this is made possible through the wonder of these radar-enabled sensors. Now, you could mimic turning down a volume dialler to actually turn down the volume or pressing an invisible button to turn something on and off. How: Technology in this radar enables a brand new interaction sensor that can track your hand movements with crazy accuracy (think minute movements in real-time) to interact with computers and wearable devices. Wow Factor: It’s only the size of a tiny computer chip and can be inserted into every possible object. Plus, it can transmit and receive information through solid materials without the need to physically touch a display. In other words: Forget about touchscreens and buttons. Google’s Project Soli is here to make them obsolete.
#2 GENiSYSS DNA Flash Drive What it is: A humble, green USB thumb drive that stores DNA. The drive itself, called the DNA Vault packs your basic family history and database software via four tiny pools within that hold droplets of blood - in effect a storage vault for you and your family’s DNA. How: The blood samples are stored in pads that are made of a proprietary material, which can store DNA with no detectable degradation for at least two decades.
A tiny drop of blood is liquid DNA
Wow Factor: If we save a copy of our DNA from when we’re healthy, perhaps in the future doctors will be able to use it to treat currently incurable disease or ailments that you could potentially get. The thinking here is that, as we age, our DNA degrades, no thanks to stress, sunlight, smoking, radiation, and all the sorts of things that eventually could lead to cancer and other diseases. In other words: If ever a doomsday event takes place in the future (alien invasion/killer virus outbreak/meteorite smacks into earth/zombie apocalypse – take your pick) and wipes out 99% of the human race, we can safely fall back on our stored DNA to just clone and recreate ourselves to continue the species. Isn’t science and technology wonderful?
#3 Google’s Self-Driving Car
What it is: Google’s prototype vehicle that’s designed to take you wherever you need to go with just a push of a button – strictly no hands-on driving needed. Over the past years, our friends at Google have been upping their game on electric cars that will ultimately free you from the “hassle of driving”. How: From laser range finder, front camera, bumper mounted radar, aerial that reads precise geo-location, ultrasonic sensors on rear wheels to special programming that interprets common road signs and real life road behaviour, all these innovative technologies are packed into the autonomous car, allowing it to digest both map and sensor information effortlessly. Wow Factor: If you are worried about the complexities of twists, turns and unpredictable inputs like ignorant pedestrians, reckless cyclists, confusing train tracks and other vehicles, fret not as Google has got ’em covered! The car’s software is even capable of recognising biker hand signals and predict cyclist movements between lanes. In other words: Say goodbye to your driving license and incidences of road rage. Get ready to be driven… not crazy by your parents, but to your fave hangout spots by your car. SEPTEMBER 2015 | CAMPUS PLUS |
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#4 Livin Studio’s Fungi Mutarium What it is: Do not be fooled by its “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” name (Hah! We just used the longest word in English). “Fungus”, “plastic” and “edible” are three words you probably wouldn’t think would go together but there’s this team of scientists at Utrecht University keen on making you think again. The space-ship-look-alike Fungi Mutarium is a prototype device intended to make our food pull double duty by breaking down man-made trash (a.k.a. plastic) while growing tasty and edible treats. How: Plastic is exposed to UV light to sterilise and to begin its breaking down process. These small bits of thin plastic will subsequently be inserted into cones of agar known as “FU” which the fungus will then break down and feed on. Eventually, the plastic will be gone and voila, we’ll have a fungifilled cup ready for lunch. Wow Factor: The process only takes several weeks and it’s certainly shorter than the decades or centuries it typically takes for plastic to decompose on its own. The team is also now in the midst of creating different flavours in order to turn this plastic-eating fungus into yummy edible food fit for humans. In other words: What is one efficient way to get rid of all the plastic waste that we generate? Simple. We eat it.
#5 RoomAlive’s Augmented Entertainment What it is: Bringing augmented reality into ordinary rooms, RoomAlive is here to transform your den into a video game. Like, literally. This proof-of-concept includes a holodeck, a whack-a-mole game using a gun controller, a robot attack game, and booby trap virtual darts shooting from the wall that players will have to avoid. How: All thanks to the projector depth-camera unit (a.k.a. procam) that comprises a commodity wide field of view projector (to display), a Microsoft Kinect sensor (to track) and a computer. With six procam units, every square inch of your den can be projection mapped. Wow Factor: You can touch, shoot, stomp, dodge and steer projected content that seamlessly co-exist with your existing physical environment. It can also project textures and cyber-critters onto your walls and furniture, transforming your room into a holodeck or a factory. In other words: You can finally enjoy the immersive experience of dodging booby traps and enemy fire and come away looking bad@ss with virtual bloody wounds and battle scars projected on to your body – minus the pain, of course.
More Undeniable Signs that the Future is Here We have a toy car on Mars that is actually taking selfies. Yes, selfies. You can get a drone to take your dog for a walk in the park (although we can’t comprehend the point of owning a dog if the whole experience were to be automated). Robot journalists are getting ahead of us with breaking news stories. Last year, a robot detected an earthquake in Los Angeles, promptly typed up an announcement and sent it to the Los Angeles Times to be published. All done in three minutes. The progression of SD cards. Now, can someone call Marty McFly and Doc Brown and clue them in? Because this is definitely the future in motion. As William Gibson once famously highlighted, “The future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed”. We couldn’t agree more with the former and we’ll leave you to ponder over the latter. 42
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GP Battery Marketing (M) Sdn. Bhd.
(417236-W)
Hotline: 603-5569 3499 Email: gpbmm@gpbatteries.com.sg
careerchat by ivy chin
AELMA SAFINA: LEADER OF THE CATS
SEPTEMBER 2015
Wh o Let The
C a t s Ou t ?
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be in control of everything in a radio station? Well, wonder no more, meet the Cats FM Head of Programme, Aelma Safina Zaidi, who shared with us the details. C+: Thank you for having a career chat with us, Aelma. Please tell us more about yourself. I am the Head of Programme for Cats FM. I graduated in Multimedia and immediately joined an advertising agency. After some time working with the advertising agency, I got involved with a media agency that handles multimedia and branding. And in 2011, I decided to join the radio industry. Time flies, it has already been about two years since I joined Cats FM. C+: What is your job scope and what does it entail? The short answer is that I oversee everything that is related to the station’s daily broadcast, including the entire on-air experience. As the Head of Programme, I am in charge of setting the overall tone, sound and style as well as the direction of the station. I am also responsible in ensuring the station achieves good ratings and a high listenership. So what exactly is it I need to do? Well, for one, I work very closely with our production team, especially the news team on matters relating to our broadcast and live reporting as I’m the one who calls the shot on whether the materials are good for broadcast or not. At the same time, I work closely with other departments too, especially our marketing team to discuss about our station’s programmes as well as the advertisements that need to be included. Aside from that, I run and maintain quality checks at all times. Last but not least, it’s very important to take care of our talents and everyone in the team. C+: How do you decide on what to play or not to play on air? We have to follow the guidelines that are given by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). From there, I will decide whether it can be played or not, in terms of the quality of the content. I will go through the prep done by the DJs every day to see if they are good enough to be played on air and check with them why they want to talk about a particular topic. Also, I prefer to have different types of content to avoid repetition. Well-researched prep work is 44
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very important because DJs have to be extremely careful with what they’re going to say. I always tell my DJs that if you have doubts about what you’re going to say, don’t say it out and just keep the music playing. When there’s a heavy topic, I will definitely be in the studio to monitor the whole process to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible. C+: What are the major challenges in your line of work? When you are handling such a big team, it becomes tough to get them to work effectively. There’s no one-way-fits-all management style, so you really have to know how to approach every single employee properly. Sometimes, I feel like I am a counsellor too! Time management is another major challenge that we are always struggling with because if any one of us misses a deadline, the original plan will be badly affected. Meeting deadlines is very important. Ours is a fast-moving line, so we have to learn to handle all the unexpected things that occur every day. C+: What does it take to succeed in your line? I believe a positive attitude is particularly important as you would be facing a lot of challenges and pressures every day from everywhere. One has got to learn how to livE in this kind of environment positively, or else you won’t make it through. The willingness to learn and to accept other people’s opinions is equally vital too. On top of that, make sure to put in good old-fashioned hard work. C+: Any word of advice to our readers? Remember to love what you do and do what you love. If you want to succeed in life, stay positive always because challenges might come to you anytime, anywhere.
Listen to Cats FM online at www.catsfm.my.
wiredup
plug into the future of tech
september 2015
Logitech G29 Driving Force Push your mad driving skills to the max with this force feedback racing wheel licensed for the PS4 and PS3. Precision racing on your supercar of choice now feels so real, thanks to the dual-motor force feedback feature which realistically simulates the feel of your car, from clutch shifts, realistic road conditions and tire wear, right down to under- or oversteering and traction loss. Helical gears are modelled after the gearing used in car transmissions, so the steering action is precise, buttery smooth and quiet. And how can any racing enthusiast resist the superb finishing in the form of hand-stitched leather-wrapped rim, stainless steel throttle, brake and clutch pedals? gaming.logitech.com
Philips SHB5500 Do away with unsightly cables, but not the quality of your music with these wireless headphones from Philips. Bluetooth connectivity is smooth and easy, and the fold flat design makes another thing easy too â&#x20AC;&#x201C; storage. Powerful sound and big, clear bass booms out from 32mm high intensity drivers, and the closed-back design offers optimum isolation too. With adjustable earshells, form fitting headband and plush ear cushions, this baby promises many hours of music enjoyment. www.philips.com.my
ASUS ROG G-Series G751 Take your gaming to the next level with the new gaming notebook from ASUS that boasts of an exclusive ASUS TurboMaster GPU-overclocking technology that delivers gaming desktop levels of performance. The stealthy F-22 Raptorinspired lines sport an aluminium finish, an illuminated Republic of Gamers (ROG) logo and exceptional thermal efficiency with minimal noise due to the copper heat sinks and intelligent dual fans. Specially designed with hardcore gamers in mind, the G571 incorporates dedicated keys for instant access to Steam and one-click gameplay recording, on top of ASUS SonicMaster and ROG AudioWizard for powerful, optimised audio across all game genres. www.asus.com/my/
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Adam Elements iKlips This nifty lightning flash drive dedicated for Apple products is sleek, fast and easy to use. Apple MFi-certified, it’s compatible for the iPhone, iPad and iPod. File transfer and data storage has never been easier – all that’s needed is to just plug the iKlips into your Apple gadget of choice and voila, instant access to all your important files. With a read/write speed of 140/70 MB/s (for the USB 3.0 portion) and 26/10 MB/s for the lightning flash drive, it’s no wonder that the iKlips is being touted as the world’s fastest Apple lightning flash drive. Memory capacity starts from 16GB. eternal-asia.com.my/
JVC XX for Club Sound The sleek and glossy-finish HA-SBT200X on-ear headphones is part of the new JVC XX for Club Sound series. Fans of dance club sounds are bound to find these headphones appealing as it features Dual Magnet and X-Damper to deliver clean, solid bass, tight low-mid performance and crisp highs to get you moving to the beat. A durable and flexible headband holds 40mm diaphragms that blast out your fave dance tracks. The wireless HA-SBT200X is compatible with Bluetooth devices and features NFC technology, besides boasting a battery life of approximately 10 hours. www.jvc.net/my
Erratum In our write up on PenDrive Rapid X (Wired Up August 2015, p53), the information that it is an external SSD was incorrect. It should correctly be stated that the PenDrive Rapid X is an internal SSD. We sincerely apologise for this error and the distress caused to the parties involved.
Casio Exilim EX-FR10 Get into new ways of shooting your pictures with this ultra-stylish and chic digital camera. It has two units in one – a camera unit and the LCDequipped controller – which can be easily separated from each other with a button press. This innovative design lets you engage in “freestyle shooting” of photos as the constraints of holding the camera and pressing the shutter are done away with. Take self-portraits or group shots, all in a variety of situations with one camera utilising three flexible ways – split style, self-portrait style or conventional camera style. www.facebook.com/CasioExilimMalaysia
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wiredup by stephen kheng
GOLD
Energizer XP18000A
september 2015
SEPTEMBER 2015
Juice Me Up SEPTEMBER 2015
Energizer XP18000A The powerful Avenger (superhero) of external battery packs, find out how and why the handy Energizer XP18000A makes your laptop and other gadgets go on and on and on. Design Not much can be said of the Energizer XP18000A’s looks because it’s just simple and functional. It’s about the size of a seveninch tablet, only thicker. Our review unit was gloss black, and in our opinion, for a heavy duty power bank, it’s surprisingly light. As a bonus, it fits into the interior pocket of our laptop bag nicely, making it a great charging companion for active people on-the-go or for that marathon assignment session on your notebook over at the nearest McDonald’s. What stands out is the simplicity of it all. On the centre top front is a power button and battery status indicator, while three output ports and one lone input port are located at the top. And they’re all conveniently labelled at the top back of the unit, so you don’t get confused.
Functionality & Performance The great thing about the Energizer XP18000A is that it comes with a wide range of interchangeable charging tips/heads and cables for notebooks, smartphones, cameras, music players and all your other portable 50
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devices. And with three output ports as mentioned earlier, you can juice three different devices at the same time! Altogether there are six different notebook tips provided for the higher capacity port (1620V), allowing for the right fit for different notebook brands and makes. Aside from that, the battery also conveniently comes bundled with USB charging cable, mobile phone tips (micro USB, mini USB and Nokia small), media tips for connecting to portable DVD players and an Apple charging cable for connecting to an older iPhone or iPad. Talk about covering all bases – this little charger checks all the boxes. Having a whopping 18,000 mAh of power on tap from its high quality lithium polymer battery means the XP18000A performs exceptionally well. It really gave the devices we attached to it a significant amount of endurance. Assignments got done on the laptop while a smartphone and a camera got juiced up on the other two ports, all at once. On top of using this charger to juice up a particular device, it can also be used to power that device, in the process preserving and prolonging the device’s internal battery level.
Conclusion If you’re constantly out and about, hogging a corner table at a mamak or swanky café and huddled over your laptop for hours on end, this is hands-down a must-have accessory for you. It offers great portability, endurance (it is an Energizer product after all) and functionality. At RM659, it’s great value for money too.
Specifications •
Battery Type: Lithium Polymer
•
Power Capacity: 18,000 mAh
•
Rated Input: DC 19V, Max 3.5A
•
Rated Outputs(3): DC 5V, 2A / DC 12V, 2A / DC 19V, 3.5A
•
Weight: 516g
•
Dimensions: 18(L) x 10.9(W) x 2(H) cm
Accessories •
Travel Bag
•
AC Adapter
•
5V USB / 12V / 19V Charging Cable
•
Apple Cable
•
3 Mobile Phone Tips
•
6 Notebook Tips
wiredup by rachel fong
CASIO EXILIM TR60
september 2015
The SELFIE Bestie Casio Exilim TR60
You’d be hard pressed to find a girl nowadays who doesn’t enjoy taking a good selfie of herself. With the feature-packed Casio Exilim TR60, you can take an AMAZING selfie everywhere you go. We had the chance to take this camera for a spin, and here’s what we thought SEPTEMBER 2015 GOLD about it.
SEPTEMBER 2015
Features Undoubtedly, selfies are the main selling point of the Casio Exilim TR60, which is already pretty photogenic in itself with a metallic design that comes in four beautiful colours – Silky White, Pink, Light Violet and Green. Thanks to features like the Make-Up Mode and a 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor, it was impossible for us to take an unflattering selfie regardless of the environment or amount of actual makeup on our faces. How does each individual feature work? First up, the high sensitivity 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor helps to detect and capture more light, even in low-light locations. It is aided by a trusty high brightness LED, which casts a natural light on photos taken in backlit conditions without giving them the harsh shadows that an automatic flash would. If you’re having a bad hair day, that’s all but erased with the make up mode’s ability to let you adjust the levels of smoothness and lightness of skin tone within the camera – and that’s all before taking the shot. For the 52
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lightness of skin tone levels, you can go from light to tan, while the Smooth Skin feature offers a whopping 12 levels in total. Even its physical design is fine-tuned to make capturing selfies a cinch. The camera’s capacitive sensor (read: touchscreen) lets you toggle the camera’s various features and snap photos at the same time. As a result, you don’t need to worry about awkward hands getting in the way of your otherwise perfect shot. Have we also mentioned that the camera viewfinder can be rotated by 180° for easy manoeuvring between selfies and macro food shots? If all of that doesn’t suffice, there’s a Selfie Art feature as well, which lets you add pretty filters to your photos.
Connectivity Casio’s selfie-centric camera’s ability also lets you upload photos to your smartphones for instant sharing. It took us only a few steps to try it out. First, we had to download the Exilim Connect application to our phones, then
enable the Bluetooth. After that, all we had to do was click on the Wi-Fi-like symbol next to our photos, and the pairing process is kickstarted, just like that. Basically, when your Bluetooth is on, it creates a personal Wi-Fi connection between your smartphone and your camera.
Conclusion By the end of our time with the Casio Exilim TR60, we were reluctant to part with it. It’s not every day you come by a camera that combines the fast sharing capabilities of a smartphone with the superior photograph quality of a semi-pro.
Specifications • 11.1 Megapixels • Single focus lens • 3.0-inch super clear LCD • Battery life of 240 still images • 21mm wide-angle lens • Full HD video recording • 0.23 seconds shooting interval time
ACER Switch 10 E
SEPTEMBER 2015
wiredup by stephen kheng
GOLD
This Hybrid
SEPTEMBER 2015
SEPTEMBER 2015
is Switched-on Acer Switch 10 E
Lovers of hybrid gadgets will delight in Acer’s Aspire Switch 10 E 2-in-1 laptop/tablet. Design
Display & Audio
In a nutshell, the new Acer Aspire Switch 10 E is a revamp of last year’s Windows 8.1 tablet of the same name (sans the ‘E’) that attaches to a keyboard base. Though similar in many aspects to the 2014 version, the latest version sports some noteworthy design and spec tweaks. The first noticeable difference is that it looks fantastic. It comes with a textured plastic outer casing that not only looks nice, but helps with grip too. There are six colour options available – we had the ‘moonstone white’ Switch, but we think all of them look great. The shape is also more rounded, resulting in a sleeker and more attractive look. And it’s very lightweight at 630g (just tablet) and tips the scales at 1.2kg with keyboard. Another new tweak worth mentioning is the new and improved tablet-keyboard hinge, which Acer names the Snap Hinge 2. The tablet is super smooth to attach and clicks snugly into the keyboard dock, and felt secure when connected. Detaching is effortless as well.
The 10.1 inch IPS screen boasts of 1200 x 800 resolution which takes it to HD display status. The screen is vibrantly bright and colour reproduction is remarkable. Audio is pretty crisp and immersive, further adding to the entertainment aspect of the Switch.
Hardware & Performance Powered by a 1.33GHz (up to 1.83GHz Intel Burst Technology) quad-core Intel Atom processor with 2GB of RAM, it ably runs most apps and processes smoothly and lag-free. Although the device can be run on the latest Windows 10, you get the option to choose the pre-loaded, older (but familiar) Windows 8.1 OS which is already touch-friendly and versatile. Tablet-wise, storage is paltry at 32GB, but there’s an additional 500GB on tap when docked to the keyboard. Speaking of the keyboard, it’s pleasant to use, though we find it to be pretty small and becomes uncomfortable for bigger hands after prolonged usage periods. The two-cell lithium polymer battery is touted to be long lasting, and we agree. After
about five hours of continuous usage, the battery level was still at a respectable 60%. While that figure varies according to settings and usage, rest assured it packs more than enough juice to last you through the day. Other specs of note include 2MP front and rear-facing cameras, a micro HDMI and microSD slots, a 3.5mm headphone port and a full-size USB port on the keyboard dock.
Conclusion The 2015 version of the Switch is a definite step up over its predecessor, offering significant upgrades and good value for the specs on offer. It’s an excellent choice for anyone after a Windows 2-in-1 laptop and tablet without burning a hole in your wallet.
Specifications •
OS: Windows 8.1
•
Processor: Intel Atom Processor Z3735F
•
LCD: 10.1” WXGA IPS Multi-Touch LCD
•
Memory: 2GB DDR3 Low Voltage Memory
•
Storage: eMMC 32GB + 500GB HDD
•
Software: Office 365 Personal (1 year)
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wiredup by grace chan
JVC HA-FX1200
september 2015
Harmony in Wood GOLD
SEPTEMBER 2015
JVC HA-FX1200
Built on the strong points of its predecessor, JVC is back with a bang with its high-end Wood series SEPTEMBER in-ear headphones. The JVC HA-FX1200 now offers sonic2015 performance that rivals its full-size line mates while redefining what constitutes high resolution sound. Design Solid as ever, the HA-FX1200 continues to embrace its appealing wood design. Aesthetically, the earphones standout with a premium shade of dark brown wood along with a hint of striking gold trimmings. A step up from the HA-FX750 that we reviewed previously, JVC introduces a new braided cable (say goodbye to tangled cords) that is built on high purity oxygen-free copper for its latest creation. For music lovers on the go, it also comes with a sleek portable pouch that is specially customised to fit the earphones perfectly.
Features Upping its game in the premium wooden earbuds line, the HA-FX1200 introduces a new generation of diaphragm wood cone processing technology. It incorporates a natural birch cut of very thin sheet materials, while utilising a special moulding process that improves the natural dimension of sound diffusion. With the latest two-hybrid acoustic tuning pad structure, the wood and brass metal 54
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materials work hand in hand to reduce the vibration generated by the drive unit. Suffice to say, the combination of brass ring along with the characteristics of wood did produce a significant difference in terms of stability of high-definition audio while retaining a natural bass. Exclusively for the HA-FX1200, JVC Kenwood also enhanced the audio plug by incorporating an L-shaped gold-plated design to it for use with a portable amplifier. Coupled with a specially selected audio-grade solder, it reproduces sound as close to its original state as possible.
Audio Quality To get a better gist of the HA-FX1200’s overall tuning, we loaded Dillon Francis’ ‘Without You’ followed by Norah Jones’ ‘Don’t Know Why’. Impressively, the HA-FX1200 revealed a high end bass that is big and bold enough for an EDM track, yet is versatile enough to handle a jazz track with more emphasis on treble. Norah Jones’ vocals can be heard out front and centre with the instruments separated from her voice with clear distinction.
Topping that, the balance in the treble region is also an example of what proper tuning can do for your music. Smooth yet precise, the treble region is not emphasised more than the mids or the bass, unless the recording intended it to be. Overall, it is truly the epitome of an all-in-one package – excellent balance, fantastic detail, precise timbre and a dynamic controlled bass.
Conclusion JVC definitely pulled some magic out of their hats to make an in-earphone that sounds every bit as immersive as a full-sized headphone. It is relatively pricey but this masterpiece of engineering is to date the most complete sounding earphone, incorporating the best that JVC has to offer audiophiles.
Specifications •
11mm driver units
•
6Hz – 40Hz frequency responses
•
16 Ohm impedance
Philips SHB5800
SEPTEMBER 2015
Sounds Good Wirelessly
wiredup by stephen kheng
GOLD
Philips SHB5800
SEPTEMBER 2015
SEPTEMBER 2015
Like your gadgets and stuff to be wireless? Then you’ve got to check out the Philips SHB5800 wireless in-ear headphones. Design It’s sleek, light, and unobtrusive. Measuring about 60cm in length, one only needs to wrap the cable connecting the two around the front or back of your neck. There’s a power button, volume/track control rocker and built-in microphone which is thoughtfully placed about three inches beneath the left ear tip.
Functionality & Performance This is where it gets interesting. Wireless comes in the form of Bluetooth or NFC pairing to your music source, so you don’t need to jack the headphones to your music player or smartphone. So that’s one point in functionality: one less messy cable on you, thus freeing you to do pretty much anything else as you listen to your music. We tried out pairing the headphones using both the NFC and Bluetooth, and in both cases, pairing was easy and smooth. The NFC pairing is worth mentioning in particular,
because all that’s needed is to just turn on the in-ear Bluetooth on both the headphones and Bluetooth enabled device, touch the two together and voila, our favourite tunes were ready to be played. That’s point two for functionality. However, we did find a slight niggle with the Bluetooth range. The range is pretty short, so you’ve got to keep your music source near or risk your music breaking up. Sound wise, audio quality is pretty decent considering that the earphones are powered by super small 6mm drivers. Having said that, the trade-off is it is lacking in the bass department. The frequency range is expansive and sensitivity is not bad at 105dB. Sound quality is further aided by the ergonomically designed in-ear seal that fits snugly into the ears while doing a good job of isolating outside noise. They’ve also thoughtfully provided two sizes of ear tips and secure lock with the package.
Another functionality plus point that we’d like to highlight is the headphone’s cable which is made from durable IPX2 sweat and moisture proof materials. We liked it precisely because of this waterproof quality – making it maintenance-free and ideal for outdoor and casual sports use.
Conclusion All things considered, we feel that the Philips SHB5800 wireless in-ear headphones is a pretty sweet package and well worth it especially for all the wireless-inclined folks amongst you.
Specifications • Bluetooth 3.0, HSP, HFP, A2DP, AVRCP • 16 Ohm impedance • 6mm drivers • 25mW maximum power output • 8 – 22,000Hz frequency range
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feature by ivy chin
Fruitful Malaysians in Foreign Lands
september 2015
Mission Possible:
Makin’ Us
Proud
Looking at the number of students studying abroad, it wouldn’t be a surprise if many of them have plans to work in their adopted country. But the question is, how many of them are Malaysians who have made it big and got themselves recognised internationally? Read on and get to know a few Malaysians abroad whose stars are shining bright in their respective vocations.
Startup Savant, Sriram Krishnan
Apart from formerly leading the charge of the insanely popular music app, Spotify’s entry into Asia Pacific markets, the 30-years-young Sriram Krishnan has travelled the world, and experienced brag-worthy moments like playing tennis with Richard Branson on Necker Island. Now working as the Vice-President of Global Markets for a San Francisco-based start-up called Humin, Sriram talks about how living abroad helped expand his horizons greatly. “Putting myself in another’s shoes is one example. This ‘shoe-shifting’ has taught me to hold two to three opposing or unique views and perspectives in my mind and to still retain the ability to think for myself at the same time,” states Sriram. Sriram has been vacationing abroad frequently with his parents ever since he was a child, and that was where he began to develop an appreciation for different cultures and an insatiable wanderlust. “Every trip we took deepened my yearning to travel and live abroad when I was older,” adds Sriram, who has lived in eight countries for the past 13 years. 56
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Documentary Filmmaker, Indrani Kopal
A storyteller at heart, Indrani’s passion lies in unravelling the exceptional bits and pieces of human experiences. “Every time I make a film, I change. It’s truly a lesson and an experience in itself,” states Indrani who is also a believer in the transformative power of dance. Now a recipient of the Fullbright Scholarship, Indrani holds the distinction of being our first homie to be granted the privilege. More incredibly, her passion in documentary filmmaking has scored her a screening at the Cannes Film Festival as well as the Best Student Documentary award. “Live in the moment and just keep doing what you do best every day and see it through,” shares Indrani enthusiastically on the best advice she has ever received. This 36-year-old lady has indeed successfully embarked on a path less travelled.
Talented Songbird, Zee Avi
A story can be delivered in different forms. As for Zee Avi, she transforms and delivers her personal experiences into a beautiful melody that touches people’s hearts. “I think I’m a storyteller with melodies. At the same time, I’m just someone who realises that there’s a purpose when it comes to doing what I do,” says Zee Avi passionately. With this belief in mind, her music path started in 2006 when her talent garnered international attention on YouTube. This then took her to the United States as well as other amazing places. “I really cannot afford to feel homesick. I knew that my purpose is not something to be taken lightly and I have to do it to my fullest efforts,” explains Zee Avi when she decided to move from the country to further her career in 2008. It’s evident that there’s a special place for Malaysia in her heart though, as tracks in Malay and Sarawakian Malay – ‘Kantoi’ and ‘Siboh Kitak Nangis’ – featured in her first and second albums respectively.
Ninja Photographer, Zung
“People started calling me a ninja because I’m very fast with my camera and I always stay out of the way to remain unnoticed,” says Zung who has the ability to move stealthily to capture his subjects in candid moments. In order to create beautiful pictures, Zung always takes the time to understand his clients’ stories and personalities. “All individuals are different and that is why every photo I take will always be uniquely theirs. Everyone has a story to tell and that is why I love photographing people,” explains Zung who is also a true believer of zero Photoshop-editing. “An original photo with no filter has more value to it. It is timeless,” adds Zung sentimentally. To him, simplicity is very important in every single picture as it’s the inside that matters; It’s important to capture the soul of a picture instead of the moment. “I have been lucky enough to travel the world, meet great people and learn to appreciate the beauty of life itself. Whether it was good or bad times, I learnt to make it work. That, to me, is most precious,” Zung concluded philosophically.
Extraordinary Artist, Red Hong Yi
No list of successful Malaysians abroad would be complete without the artist who ‘loves to paint, but not with a paintbrush’. Born and raised in Kota Kinabalu, this gifted Malaysian artist has created a number of jawdropping masterpieces. “I like to use everyday materials and objects that we’re familiar with – like books, coffee cups, fabric – and turn them into art. I also like to use materials that have a connection with the person or subject that I am painting,” states Red with a grin. This whole idea started when she left all of her art supplies in Melbourne when she came back to Malaysia for a semester break. “I decided I was not going to buy a new set, but just use what I have. That’s the whole mind-set behind what I do. Using everyday objects,” adds Red with a smile. As for her Instagram food art project, she started it to challenge her creativity by constraining her usual heavy and complicated artworks to just a white plate with food. “I hope this inspires you to see fun and joy in even ordinary things you come across,” says Red who sees every single object as a potential item to turn into art. sept 2015 | CAMPUS PLUS |
57
fooddirectory
NASI LEMAK : THE SPICE OF MALAYSIA
SEPTEMBER 2015
k a m e L i s a Essential N ng Valley a l K n i s t o Sp
W
hen a certain food is the unofficial (though some hardcore fans may beg to differ) national dish of a country, you know it means business. All over PJ, KL and everywhere else in between, nasi lemak stalls and restaurants are a dime a dozen. The only thing that sets them apart is, of course, the final product. Naturally, the variety can be a little overwhelming, so while this list may not cover all of the best of the best, we hope it will at least narrow down your choices and give you some great Sunday brunch ideas. In the spirit of Malaysia Day, here are five Campus Plus-approved hotspots (in no particular order) to savour some of the best nasi lemak that the Klang Valley has to offer.
1. Nasi Lemak Lido Restaurant, Klang Named after the old Lido theatre that it used to be in front of, the originator of the name has since been demolished, but the nasi lemak place remains, testifying to its enduring appeal. Most notable for its sambal, which is sweet rather than spicy (the kick comes after the rice has been swallowed and lingers in the mouth), the nasi lemak here is served with shredded anchovies, water spinach (or kangkung), eggs and cucumber. There’s a tidy variety of add-ons too such as fried chicken, beef and fried eggs. Our order of two plates, with sides of fried chicken and two fried eggs, plus two drinks, brought the total bill to RM13.50, which we found pretty reasonable for such a well-known eatery. The restaurant is open from 7.30am onwards and is usually sold out before noon, so if you want your fix, set your alarms for an early rise! Find it at: 35 Leboh Gopeng, 41400 Klang
2. Ali, Muthu and Ah Hock, Ara Damansara Tucked away in one of the rows of shop houses that flank Oasis Square in Ara Damansara, this muhibbah restaurant lives up to its name with a myriad of Malaysian culinary favourites that include Nyonya laksa, Hainanese chicken rice and prawn mee. What everyone (or at least most people) flood this restaurant for though, is its nasi lemak. At RM4.00 for nasi lemak biasa and RM9.50 for the fried chicken-accompanied version, this place offers a much more economical option for nine-to-fivers in the area, and it tastes pretty swell too. Although ordering the fried chicken doubles the price we pay, it is so sinfully delicious and crunchy that we almost never go without it. When enjoyed with the sides of sambal, cucumber and peanuts, it becomes the perfect foil for a busy day. Find it at: Lot B-G-01, Oasis Square Ara Damansara, 2, Jalan PJU 1A/7A, Petaling Jaya
3. Nasi Lemak Hafiz, Taman Tun Dr Ismail While not as conspicuous as the others due to its lack of a proper shoplot, this nameless nasi lemak stall run by a young Malay man named Hafiz is nonetheless a good find. Located right outside the 7-11 outlet along Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Hafiz’s stall is a hidden gem for its highly affordable prices and unexpectedly tasty take on the coconut rice dish. The basic dish comprises coconut rice, sambal, anchovies and eggs, which we boosted with a fried chicken breast and fried egg that brought our bill up to RM7. Customers may also spice things up with beef rendang, and a few other varieties of meat. If you’re in a rush but still need to pack dinner for the family, this bare bones stall should appease everyone’s appetites quite nicely, as the stall owner sets up shop around 5pm. Find it at: 7-11, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Taman Tun Dr Ismail 60000 Kuala Lumpur
4. Village Park Nasi Lemak, Damansara Utama Such is Village Park Nasi Lemak’s unrelenting popularity that sometimes one may have to wait around for 20 minutes just to get a seat, but more often than not, the hot, spicy light at the end of the tunnel makes up for the wait. The rice is enveloped in a thick layer of coconut aroma, before it is slathered with a side of hot sambal sauce. Village Park is the only place on this list that charges for extra sambal – an affirmation to the quality and taste of Village Park’s coveted sambal. For those who can’t do without fried chicken with their nasi lemak, you’ll be happy to hear that it’s crunchy on the outside with moist, juicy meat. If you’re a breast meat fan like some of us here are, you might be left feeling a little wanting as only thigh meat and drumsticks are available. RM9 might seem a little heftier for a plate of nasi lemak with fried chicken, but it was so delicious we didn’t mind. Opening hours are 7am to 8pm, except for Sundays when it closes at 6pm. Find it at: 5 Jalan SS 21/37, Damansara Utama 47400 Petaling Jaya
5. Bumbung Nasi Lemak, Sea Park Our last but definitely not the least mouth-watering source of nasi lemak comes from a narrow alleyway in Sea Park, but is easily spotted thanks to its neighbour of Maybank. It serves up your standard mamak food, from fried Maggi mee to Indomie to of course, its Nasi Lemak with Fried Chicken. If you’re starving after wrestling your way through traffic to get here, this is the place to be as your nasi lemak will be on your table within five to ten minutes of ordering, even during peak hours. The fried chicken here comes highly recommended, as does the fried egg, which is prepared the mata kerbau way (sunny side up). All the usual suspects are there too, such as anchovies, peanuts, sambal and cucumber slices. Find it at: Jalan 21/11B, Sea Park, 46300 Petaling Jaya
events
believe in the b.liv roadshow
SEPTEMBER 2015
Enjoy and
b.liv!
Have a tough time choosing the right mask that works best for you? Those times are over, thanks to the B.liv roadshow that took place at Taylor’s University (Lakeside), Nilai University, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Sungai Long), KDU University College and TAR University College in June and July. The roadshow was a great platform for B.liv to generate student feedback for improving their products while students got the opportunity to learn about B.liv masks and even tried it out for themselves on the spot! Female students were each given B.liv’s Knock Off Age mask for 15 minutes while being pampered with a complimentary manicure. The male students were not left out, as they got to experience the mask while playing the PS4 ‘World Soccer Winning Eleven’ video game. A selfie printout was given to all participants after the luxuriating mask session. Topping it off, every participant went home with a goodie bag that contained a B.liv Feel No Sluggish mask, a keychain, and a power bank.
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events
why not Acer?
SEPTEMBER 2015
Acer Is On Its Way To
You! Hola peeps! If you have missed out on Acer being at your college or university in the past three months, take note as they may be swinging by to your campus soon. Acer has already been to Nilai University, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Sungai Long), INTI International College Subang, Taylorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University (Lakeside), SEGi University, Linton University College, KBU International College, Taylorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College, UNITAR International University, GermanMalaysian Institute, KDU University College and Multimedia University thus far. If your campus has not been mentioned here, they are probably on their way now! Check our Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/campusplus, for more updates on where the Acer Roadshow will be going to next.
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In Their Eyes
campustalk
september 2015
What do you like about living in Malaysia? That’s the question we posed to students this round, in conjunction with Malaysia Day. But the twist here is that it’s directed to international students. Find out what these foreign students of SEGi University have to say about their ‘Likes’ towards their temporary home country.
I love travelling around to gain new experiences and try new food, and Malaysia gives me all of that. There are a lot of adventurous and beautiful places in Malaysia to see, plus it’s extremely cheap!
The education system, food culture, multiple ethnic groups and the amazing places in Malaysia are the reasons why I chose to study here. But what I like most in Malaysia is shopping.
Shakil Ahmed
Cheekhooree Kooleshwarsingh
From Bangladesh Bachelor in Hospitality Management
From Mauritius Bachelor in Engineering (Honours)
To be honest, the first thing has to be the food and then the country’s cultural diversity. I have never seen this much diversity in my life. It is very exciting to learn more about different cultures and the many multicultural celebrations here.
What I like most about Malaysia is the people are really friendly and it makes me forget about my home sometimes. Also, this diverse multicultural country comes with a lot of exciting celebrations and opportunities for me to travel around without worrying too much about budget.”
Hala Ali Jammaa Abdalla
Nazanin Afsar
From Sudan Bachelor in English and Public Relations
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From Iran Bachelor in Hospitality and Tourism Management