Lazada launches iOS app for iPhone / iPad with RM30 voucher given to downloaders

A good news for Apple mobile devices users!

Lazada, the e-commerce online shopping website in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Phillipines) that is established by the famous German-based international online business incubator Rocket Internet GmbH, is going to launch their Lazada iOS app for iPhone/iPad on 16 January 2014.

Lazada online shopping website at http://www.lazada.com.my was launched in Malaysia in April 2012. Initially, they faced quite a lot of hiccups and customer complaints, particularly in year 2012. My recent 2 purchases with them (one done in year 2013, one in 2014) convinced me that they have improved a lot, because I received my goods promptly with friendly email and SMS delivery status update, and the whole buying experience is good.

Lazada has already launched their Android app in June 2013. To date, the Lazada app for Android received more than 100k installs since August 2013, but yet to hit the 500k installs target.

In conjunction with the launching of Lazada iOS app, you will get a RM30 voucher if you download the app from Apple iTunes App Store and install it on your Apple mobile device.

Click the ads below to download the Lazada iOS app.



Note that the offer is valid for 3 days only for downloads between 16-18 January 2014. The RM30 voucher can only be used via the iOS app. The terms and conditions for this promo is available after you clicked on the ads above.

Lazada plans to surprise three lucky shoppers who have made a purchase through the new app by giving away three vouchers worth RM500. This lucky draw is eligible to shoppers purchasing using the app from 19 to 31 January 2014.

For Android users, you can also download the Lazada App for Android here.

If you want to shop using the Lazada e-commerce website, please click the Lazada ads on the right of this webpage.

The pros and cons of WiFi frequencies 2.4GHz and 5GHz

Nowadays all WiFi access points (APs) or wireless network routers work on the 2.4GHz band of wireless frequency, while the newer dual-band devices also support the 5GHz band.

The WiFi standards that work on 2.4GHz band are:

• 802.11b (speed is up to 11Mbps)
• 802.11g (speed is up to 54Mbps)
• 802.11n (speed is up to 150Mbps for 20MHz channel width, 300Mbps for 40MHz channel width)

The WiFi standards that work on 5GHz band are:

• 802.11a (speed is up to 54Mbps)
• 802.11n (speed is up to 150Mbps for 20MHz channel width, 300Mbps for 40MHz channel width)
• 802.11ac (speed can reach 6.8Gbps with 8 antennas running at 160Mhz channel width)

For the dual-band WiFi AP or router, you can turn on either one of the frequency bands, or turn on both of them at the same time.

The pros / advantages of 2.4GHz band:

• Has a wider signal coverage area.
• Better penetration through walls and physical barriers.
• WiFi b/g/n supported by all wireless devices

The cons / disadvantages of 2.4GHz band:

• As most of the WiFi devices are using this band, it could be congested with a lot of interference if there are a lot of WiFi devices nearby.
• Out of its 13 available channels, only Channel 1, 6, 11 are not overlapping.
• Might get interference from microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices, wireless keyboard/mouse, cordless phones, etc. which are also operate on 2.4GHz frequency band.

The pros / advantages of 5GHz band:

• At the mean time, few WiFi devices are using this band, so it is less congested with much lesser interference.
• Has 23 non-overlapping available channels.
• Supports much higher network speed with 802.11ac standard.

The cons / disadvantages of 5GHz band:

• Has smaller signal coverage area.
• Poor penetration power through walls and physical barriers.
• Older wireless devices might not be able to work on this band.
• Might get interference from radar which also operates on 5GHz frequency band.

Below is the WiFi signals detected in a shopping mall. You can see how congested is the 2.4GHz band and how clear is the 5GHz band. Congestion and interference can cause wireless connection problems such as intermittent connection lost, slow speed, unable to establish connection with AP, etc.

I am sure you will get similar result at your office or in your residence when your neighbours are also using WiFi.

If you have mobile devices that can work on 5GHz band and you have a dual-band AP/router, you might probably want to turn on both of them to get the best of both worlds.

Auspicious dates for ground-breaking of new building construction in 2014

Here is the list of auspicious dates in year 2014 for ground-breaking ceremony (动土) of new building construction. It is produced based on the Chinese almanac Tong Shu. (Click the image to enlarge)

Bear in mind that although the Tong Shu is a compilation of Chinese astrology and calendaring studies gathering wisdom of thousands of years, we should use it wisely and rationally, but not be too superstitious on it.

You might probably be interested to also find out the auspicious dates in 2014 for:

• Wedding / Marriage
• Marriage proposal / engagement
• Renovation
• Moving to new house/office
• Housewarming / Open house / Party / Gathering
• Business opening
• Signing contract / register for marriage / receive baptism
• Start new job / assignment
• Baby first haircut (Mundan)
• Getting baby / conception planning / Caesarian delivery

You might probably be interested to also find out for:

• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2014
• Auspicious dates for wedding/marriage in 2015
• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2015

The historical relationship between FIFA World Cup and stock market performance

The 2014 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament will take place in Brazil from 12 June until 13 July 2014. Have you wonder what will be its immediate impact to the stock market before, during, and after the tournament?

Based on historical charts of Dow Jones and KLCI from 1990 until today, I have summarized the stock market performance in US and Malaysia during the years with FIFA World Cup, for the short period of early May to end July. The FIFA World Cup normally held in summer of northern hemisphere (around June) and last for about a month.

Here is the summarized chart (click to enlarge):

Based on historical stock market performance, in the US market, there is equal chance to be sideline (yellow box), trending up (green box), or trending down (red box) before and during the FIFA World Cup tournament. After the tournament, it is very likely to go down. Historically from 1990-2010, only 2006 US market goes up after the tournament.

For the Malaysian stock market, it has high chance of going down before the tournament, sideline during the tournament, and going up after the tournament.

These are the considerations during the FIFA time which might affect the stock market performance:

• Retail participants in stock market might allocate their time and money to football gambling, therefore temporary gone out of the stock market.
• In Malaysia, as FIFA held in western host country happens at mid-night, the market participants who watch the matches during mid-night might be sleeping during market opening time, or not having enough concentration to the market.
• The FIFA news will overwhelm other news, including industry and business news.

So, what will happen to the stock market this year around FIFA time? Let's wait and see.

Pro features in Timely Alarm Clock App for Android set free by Google after they acquired Bitspin

It is officially announced that Google has recently acquired Bitspin, the small Switzerland company founded by some ETH Zurich's computer science graduates.

Source: http://www.bitspin.ch/google

Bitspin produces the famous beautiful Android app called Timely Alarm Clock, which has accumulated more than 1 million downloads within a year.

Timely is available for free in Google Play store, and now its in-app purchase features are also made free. Good news to all that haven't purchased the in-app features, and bad news for those who already spent some money on the app.

Online emulator website to demo OpenWRT LuCI, DD-WRT, Gargoyle, Tomato, TP-Link, Asus, Linksys, D-Link, Belkin, Cisco SB, Mikrotik, Netgear and Sonicwall wireless router firmware GUI

If you are looking for an online emulator to let you try out the web interface of wireless router firmwares including OpenWRT LuCI, DD-WRT, Gargoyle, Tomato Advanced and stock firmware for TP-Link, Asus, Linksys, D-Link, Belkin, Cisco Small Business Online Device, Mikrotik, Netgear, they are actually available in the Internet.

This is particularly useful if you intend to flash your wireless router's stock firmware to an alternative, and you want to evaluate the functionality and looks-and-feels of such firmwares before finalizing your decision.

This is also useful if you intend to buy a new wireless router, and still indecisive among Netgear, TP-Link, Asus, Linksys or D-Link.

Here are the URLs to the respective wireless router online emulators:

• OpenWRT LuCI web interface:
  http://dede67.bplaced.net/OpenWrtFreifunk/OpenWrtSim/OpenWrt%20-%20Overview%20-%20LuCI.xhtml
• DD-WRT:
  http://router-firmware-test.gamma.nu/DD-WRT/index.html
• Gargoyle Router Management Utility:
  http://router-firmware-test.gamma.nu/Gargoyle/index.html
• Tomato Advanced:
  https://advancedtomato.com/demo/status-overview.asp
• TP-Link:
  https://www.tp-link.com/en/emulators.html
• Asus:
  http://demoui.asus.com/index.asp
• Linksys:
  http://ui.linksys.com/
• D-Link:
  http://support.dlink.ca/emulators/wbr2310/index.htm
• Belkin:
  http://ui.belkin.com/
• Cisco Small Business Online Devices:
  https://community.cisco.com/t5/small-business-online-device/bd-p/911-discussions-online-device-emulators
• Mikrotik:
  http://demo.mt.lv/
• Netgear:
  http://tools.netgear.com/landing/gui/security/fvs318v3/simulators/FVS318v3v3.0_19/default.htm
• SonicWall:
  https://nsa2650.demo.sonicwall.com/

Stay Free From Credit Card Debts

With a new year dawning, it’s time to establish a relatively clean start. Whether or not you have old credit card debts, it’s best to make a conscious decision to avoid accumulating new debts in 2014.

While some may argue that incurring credit card is unavoidable, a measure of self-control and discipline goes a long way in allowing you to maintain your finances in a manageable state. Here are a few ways in which you can stay debt free (relatively) this 2014:

1. Lessen Credit Card Use

This is a no-brainer. While a more obvious answer would be to not use your credit card at all, we all know that that is not a realistic course of action. After all, credit cards exist for a specific reason. What is realistic is controlling your credit card usage to avoid overspending. Use your card only when it is the only option available, and even then mentally weigh if using your credit card is actually necessary. Lessening your actual use of the card lessens any possible debt you might get.

 

2. Prepare for Emergencies

Set aside some money so you can have an emergency fund. By having money prepared for unforeseen events and expenditures, you can dip into that emergency fund instead of reaching for your credit card.

 

3. Charge Within Your Means

If you do need to use your credit card, then use it for transactions you know you can afford. Keep in mind how much you’re actually purchasing and be sure to pay for your credit card bill in a timely manner, avoiding penalties, and interest fees.

 

4. Always Pay in Full

Credit card debts accumulate when you constantly have a balance that’s carried over in the following months. Make sure you place yourself in a state wherein you can afford to pay your monthly bill in full in order to avoid being burdened by long-term debts. Always be aware of what you have to pay and manage your finances accordingly. Remember, huge debts sometimes begin with small but neglected debts.

 

5. Try to Avoid Taking Out Cash Advances

Cash advances are very convenient, and that is why credit cardholders have a tendency to overdo them. Remember that just because you have the option to take out a cash advance doesn’t mean that you have to take that option. A cash advance is simply you borrowing money, and that results—obviously—in debt. Work on your financial situation to ensure that taking out a cash advance will never be necessary. (The aforementioned emergency fund is a great way to do this.)

 

6. Be Careful With Who You Allow to Use the Card

Some people are in credit card debt because someone else overused their card. This is something you can avoid simply by either being careful with who you give access to your credit card account, or just by simply not allowing anyone else to use your card.

 

7. Understand Your Credit Card Account

Ignorance is never an excuse, particularly when it comes to money. When you sign up for a credit card, that’s a financial commitment, and it’s your responsibility to know every detail of every term and condition that financial commitment has. In order for you to not be straddled with credit card debt, it’s always best to know what you’re entitled to and what you’re responsible for. That way, you know which mistakes you cannot afford to make when it comes to your credit card usage.

 

All in all, just be responsible with your credit card use and credit card debt would be the least of your worries. By taking the initiative to avoid credit card debt in the coming year, you can ensure yourself a more financially stable 2014.

Note: This is a guest post by Money Hero,  a Hong Kong’s leading financial comparison website which helps its readers to compare a broad range of financial products online - from credit cards to insurance plans.

JuiceSSH the free SSH client for Android developed by Linux system admins

SSH client is an essential tool for us to have remote access to the command line console of Linux/Android/Unix system, be it a server or network device that we manage, or our own personal computer, or a TV box, etc.

In Windows system, most of us use PuTTY or similar SSH client to remotely connect to our Linux/Android/Unix system. Beside Windows, there are PuTTY for Symbian, Windows Mobile, iPhone, ... but where is the PuTTY for Android?

Nowadays we tend to carry a smartphone, perhaps together with a tablet with us, more often than carrying a laptop. In order to practically work on the text-based SSH terminal, the smartphone need to have a large screen, and smartphone that fulfil this requirement is very likely an Android phone. Perhaps the tablet that we carry with us is also an Android tablet. Therefore, the market demand for a good SSH client for Android is definitely there, and JuiceSSH that I'm going to introduce here is among the best I found so far.

With a good SSH client in our Android device, we can access to the server, network equipment or computer anytime, anywhere for emergency troubleshooting, configuration, administration, etc.

JuiceSSH is an all-in-one terminal client for Android. Beside Secure Shell (SSH), it also supports Mobile Shell (MOSH), Local Shell and the unencrypted Telnet. Support for file transfer with SCP and SFTP is in the pipeline. With Local Shell support, you can get into the command line console of your Android device.

JuiceSSH is developed by Paul Maddox (a Linux system architect) and Tom Maddox (a system administrator). Being frequent SSH users themselves, I believe they know well about what their users want. For example, JuiceSSH has a popup keyboard on top of the Android keyboard for the command line commonly used Esc key, arrow keys, PgUp, PgDown, etc.

JuiceSSH has a full colour terminal that supports UTF-8 characters (including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.). It also supports copy and paste within the session. It will open the web browser when an URL shown on its screen is tapped.

If you deal a lot with Linux/Android/Unix system, this is a good tool for you in your Android devices.

The actual return of my Manulife investment-linked insurance after about 13 years of regular premium payments

My first investment-linked insurance is purchased with John Hancock (later acquired by Manulife and now known as Manulife) in April 2000.

Every month, I have to pay RM120 to the insurance company for the sum assured of RM30,000, and the bank will charge me RM1 for auto-debit from my savings account to Manulife. I was told that Manulife does not accept auto premium payment by credit card. Anyhow, I have added in this RM1 to the cost of this insurance, so its monthly payment is RM121.

Of course, the sum assured of RM30,000 is too small an amount. I have a much larger sum assured in another whole life saving assurance with cash bonus policy to cover up my protection need, which is out of topic here.

Every end of year since 2007, I have the habit of login to Manulife eLITE Customer Service System to check and record down my investment-linked return, and here is my record from 2007 to 2013.

As you can see, every month my premium paid will be invested into Equity Fund (40%) and Managed Fund (60%). The admin fee, insurance fee, etc. will also be deducted from the invested units accordingly.

Today (31 December 2013), I have paid a total amount of RM18,513 for this investment-linked insurance, and my return is RM30,507.62 which translates to 64.79% gain of total premium paid, annualized to 5.08% per year. (This is a rough annualized calculation, the more precise annual return is around 5.58%)

This return is better than putting the money in fixed deposit, not to forget that on top of the actual return, I still have a protection of up to RM30,000 for death, TPD, etc.

However, it also shows that the actual return is lower than the projected return that the insurance agent shown to me 13 years ago.

My actual return in investment-linked insurance as shown in the table above should be good enough to tell you that, don't expect too much return from investment-linked insurance. As my age grow, the insurance charges will also become higher and higher, which will erode into the invested portion of premium paid. I probably will surrender this insurance policy and get back my return around the age of 55-60.

For me, the best investment option is still directly invest in stock market. I can't imagine after 13 years, the money still unable to double up. In my own stock market investment, that return figure should have added one more digit behind.

Changed the firmware of my TP-Link TL-WDR3600 router from stock to OpenWRT then back to stock again

Recently, I have successfully changed the firmware of my TP-Link TL-WDR3600 router from stock to OpenWRT Attitude Adjustment (12.09 final). After some times, I decided to changed back the firmware to TP-Link stock Malaysia firmware version 3.13.32 Build 130723 Rel.9433n again.

The reason for me to make a move to OpenWRT firmware includes:

• There is no way to have an SSH terminal access to the router to gain more access and control to it.
• The 5GHz WiFi powered by stock firmware is auto-selected by my dual-band mobile devices within a short distance only. When the device is more than 5 meters from the router, it will auto-select the 2.4GHz WiFi instead.
• There is very little information and logging on real-time connections and bandwidth usage.
• The bandwidth control function is very basic, and lack of QoS functions.
• IPv6 is not supported by the Malaysian version of stock firmware yet.
• The stock firmware doesn't have VPN function. The router is unable to act as VPN server or connect to another VPN server as client.

It is pretty easy to convert the stock firmware of TP-Link TL-WDR3600 to OpenWRT Attitude Adjustment. The steps are as follow:

• Go to http://downloads.openwrt.org/attitude_adjustment/12.09/ar71xx/generic/ and download the OpenWRT firmware with SquashFS file system. If you select the firmware with JFFS2 file system, the steps below might not be applicable, and you might brick your router if you don't know what you are doing. The file to download for TP-Link TL-WDR3600 is: openwrt-ar71xx-generic-tl-wdr3600-v1-squashfs-factory.bin
• Backup current stock firmware settings by going to Backup & Restore and click the Backup button. If you haven't performed any backup to the firmware settings, you will need to manually configure back all the settings later if you decide to revert back to stock firmware.
• Do a factory reset to the existing stock firmware by going to System Tools > Factory Defaults and click the Restore button.
• Flash the downloaded OpenWRT firmware by going to Firmware Upgrade section of stock firmware and select the openwrt-ar71xx-generic-tl-wdr3600-v1-squashfs-factory.bin file just downloaded.
• When the firmware is successfully converted to OpenWRT, you can access its LuCI web interface by going to http://192.168.1.1 and login as "root" with no password.
• Before you do anything, perform a factory reset to the newly flashed OpenWRT firmware.
• To setup OpenWRT to work with TM Unifi, you can refer to this article here: http://klseet.com/index.php/tl-wr1043nd-ver18/setup-for-unifi-10031-rc6

With OpenWRT firmware, I am able to access the router with SSH. OpenWRT is modular, and you can add new function/feature by installing new packages in System > Software section. I have played around with monitoring tool, VPN, QoS, print server, DLNA server, and some other features.

However, I am unable to make its IPv6 to work, despite installing all the required IPv6 packages. It is either Unifi IPv6 is not implemented in my area yet, or I haven't managed to figure out how to configure IPv6 in OpenWRT to make it work.

With OpenWRT, I managed to configure the router to deliver a better 5GHz WiFi network with further reach. The 2.4GHz WiFi network is also able to stay in higher connection bandwidth with my mobile devices. However, I find that the WiFi configured by me on OpenWRT is not so stable, and after some times, some of my mobile devices are unable to establish connection with the router, unless I reboot the router and sometimes also need to reboot the mobile device.

After about 2 weeks of usage, I somehow concluded that the engineers at TP-Link have actually did a good job in tweaking and optimizing the firmware for this router, despite more improvement is needed in the area of WiFi, QoS, VPN support, and IPv6 for Malaysian version of firmware.

I decided to revert back to stock firmware due to the reason of:

• Only the stock firmware supports hardware NAT.
• It takes a few steps to configure something in OpenWRT, which can be easily configured in stock firmware with a single step.
• To gain back the stable WiFi, despite a weaker 5GHz range.
• To gain back the 2 years warranty of the router (just in case...)
• The stock firmware is already good enough for me.
• IPv6 is currently something good to have, but is not a must. Hopefully it will be included in future stock firmware upgrade.
• The physical switch behind the router to toggle WiFi on/off is only working with stock firmware.

The steps to convert the OpenWRT firmware in TP-Link TL-WDR3600 router to stock firmware is as follow:

• Download the version of stock firmware that is compatible to replace OpenWRT with ease here: http://www.tplink.com/resources/software/TL-WDR3600_V1_130129.zip. If you choose other version of stock firmware, it might not work, and you might brick your router if you don't know what you are doing.
• Unzip the file to get the stock firmware upgrade file wdr3600v1_en_3_13_26_up(130129).bin.
• Backup current OpenWRT firmware settings, just in case you want to use back OpenWRT again in the future. If you haven't performed any backup to the firmware settings, you will need to manually configure back all the settings later if you decide to return back to OpenWRT again.
• Do a factory reset to the OpenWRT firmware.
• Flash the TP-Link stock firmware wdr3600v1_en_3_13_26_up(130129).bin to the TL-WDR3600 router.
• Once you get back to the stock firmware, perform a factory reset again.
• You can now proceed to upgrade the stock firmware to its latest version. If you need the Malaysia version of firmware to support for Unifi or Maxis Home Fibre Internet, download the latest firmware from http://www.tp-link.com.my/support/download/?model=TL-WDR3600&version=V1.
• Restore the stock firmware settings from your backup that you have done earlier.
• If your Internet is not working yet after restoration, go to Quick Setup and run through the steps there. The VLAN settings should be properly restored now.

Auspicious dates for signing contract, register for marriage, etc. in 2014

Here is the list of auspicious dates in year 2014 for signing contract, signing offer letter, register for marriage, receiving religious baptism, and other similar agreement-related activities. It is produced based on the Chinese almanac Tong Shu.

Bear in mind that although the Tong Shu is a compilation of Chinese astrology and calendaring studies gathering wisdom of thousands of years, we should use it wisely and rationally, but not be too superstitious on it.

You might probably be interested to also find out the auspicious dates in 2014 for:

• Wedding / Marriage
• Marriage proposal / engagement
• Renovation
• Moving to new house/office
• Housewarming / Open house / Party / Gathering
• Business opening
• Signing contract / register for marriage / receive baptism
• Start new job / assignment
• Baby first haircut (Mundan)
• Getting baby / conception planning / Caesarian delivery

You might probably be interested to also find out for:

• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2014
• Auspicious dates for wedding/marriage in 2015
• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2015

Auspicious dates for housewarming, open house, party, gathering, etc. in 2014

Here is the list of auspicious dates in 2014 for organizing and hosting meet-up with friends and/or relatives (会友), which is produced based on the Chinese almanac Tong Shu.

The dates are applicable for housewarming, open house, home party, gathering, potluck, and any other similar functions to meet up with friends and/or relatives. (Click the image to enlarge)

Bear in mind that although the Tong Shu is a compilation of Chinese astrology and calendaring studies gathering wisdom of thousands of years, we should use it wisely and rationally, but not be too superstitious on it.

You might probably be interested to also find out the auspicious dates in 2014 for:

• Wedding / Marriage
• Marriage proposal / engagement
• Renovation
• Moving to new house/office
• Housewarming / Open house / Party / Gathering
• Business opening
• Signing contract / register for marriage / receive baptism
• Start new job / assignment
• Baby first haircut (Mundan)
• Getting baby / conception planning / Caesarian delivery

You might probably be interested to also find out for:

• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2014
• Auspicious dates for wedding/marriage in 2015
• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2015

Auspicious dates for renovation in 2014

Here is the list of auspicious dates for renovation in year 2014, which is produced based on the Chinese almanac Tong Shu. (Click the image to enlarge)

Bear in mind that although the Tong Shu is a compilation of Chinese astrology and calendaring studies gathering wisdom of thousands of years, we should use it wisely and rationally, but not be too superstitious on it.

If you are going to renovate your house, don't forget to visit the "home idea" section of my blog to find out some of my sharing there.

You might probably be interested to also find out the auspicious dates in 2014 for:

• Wedding / Marriage
• Marriage proposal / engagement
• Renovation
• Moving to new house/office
• Housewarming / Open house / Party / Gathering
• Business opening
• Signing contract / register for marriage / receive baptism
• Start new job / assignment
• Baby first haircut (Mundan)
• Getting baby / conception planning / Caesarian delivery

You might probably be interested to also find out for:

• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2014
• Auspicious dates for wedding/marriage in 2015
• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2015

Auspicious and inauspicious dates for starting new job / post / assignment in 2014

For employees, especially those in leading/managing position, here is a list of auspicious dates  in 2014 for starting new job/post/assignment, including joining new company, which is produced based on the Chinese almanac Tong Shu.

There is only 1 auspicious date for this in 2014.
I also include the list of inauspicious dates in 2014 for starting new job/post/assignment, including joining new company.

The other dates are neutral.

It can be applied to first day reporting to new company/department/office/position, go for the post to lead/manage a new business unit/team/project/programme. It can also be applied to assuming new job position after promotion/restructuring/relocation exercise.

Bear in mind that although the Tong Shu is a compilation of Chinese astrology and calendaring studies gathering wisdom of thousands of years, we should use it wisely and rationally, but not be too superstitious on it.

You might probably be interested to also find out the auspicious dates in 2014 for:

• Wedding / Marriage
• Marriage proposal / engagement
• Renovation
• Moving to new house/office
• Housewarming / Open house / Party / Gathering
• Business opening
• Signing contract / register for marriage / receive baptism
• Start new job / assignment
• Baby first haircut (Mundan)
• Getting baby / conception planning / Caesarian delivery

You might probably be interested to also find out for:

• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2014
• Auspicious dates for wedding/marriage in 2015
• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2015

How to Maximize Credit Card Rewards during the Holidays

December and January are the two busiest months of the year, with everyone rushing to buy last-minute gifts for the holidays, even shopping and partying until early January while everyone’s on vacation. If you are using your credit card to cover your holiday expenses, it’s advisable to get the most out of your credit card rewards.

Here are some tips on how you can maximise rewards during the holidays:

1.    Focus on your interest.

          You won’t get what you want if you don’t focus on your interest. Before signing up for a credit card, ask yourself what specific benefits you want… do you want miles for an airline? Are you hoping to get shopping rewards? Are you planning to score gasoline points? Do you want cash back rewards? Make sure that when you pick a card, you don’t get one that offers benefits you won’t use anyway. You should also be careful in spending your money—don’t spend more than you would normally do just to get rewards. Another tip is to pick a card that provides you with the option to choose either points or cash back so you can choose which reward you want depending on your needs at certain times.

2.     Choose cash back.

          Cash back reward is still considered as one of the best advantages of credit card usage simply because you can spend cash however you want to spend it. However, most credit card users opt not to get a card with cash back rewards because of the amount of money they have to spend in order to get this benefit. Another reason why most card holders opt to choose other cards is because they would rather let their points accumulate to get something they want instead of going for the cash back benefit.

3.    Discard other less advantageous cards

          To get the most benefits out of your card, choose the card that offers the biggest benefits, rewards program, has a zero percent interest rate for the first year of use, as well as one that provides you with double or triple rewards when you make a balance transfer.  Then after selecting, transfer your balance to that account and close off your other cards. However, you may only do this if your credit score is good, you pay your bills on time, and you are far from maxing out your credit limit on your other cards.

4.    Take time in deciding which credit card to choose.

          Most current card holders apply for a credit card without putting much thought into it. Take time to choose which card provides the best benefits instead of making a quick decision based on a specific freebie offered. Caution is also advised in choosing a card with annual fees as annual fees can add up and really cost you more than just choosing a cash back that doesn’t require you to pay annual fees.

5.     Keep track of your reward points’ expiration.

          Reward points have expiration dates nowadays. To prevent wasting money along with the considerable effort you spent in collecting reward points, put the expiration date of your credit card’s rewards a few days ahead on your phone’s calendar. Better yet, schedule a day in your calendar when you plan to claim your reward points and set an alarm so you won’t forget to claim it before it expires.

6.    Read notices from your credit card issuer.

          Some credit card companies change policies and usually send notices at your home address via snail mail. To ensure there won’t be any surprises, always read the notices you get from your credit card issuer. An example of change is implementing fewer points in their rewards program, or reducing the percentage of cash back rewards. Reading notices will allow you to be more cautious in your spending. You can also take the opportunity to look for a card that will provide you with more benefits in case your policy changes and you don’t think those changes will be in your favor.

Maximizing credit card rewards is easy if you take time to consider what you really want. The tips above should help you get the most benefits out of your credit card rewards program and enable you to have more of which you can actually use.

Note: This is a guest post by MoneyMax, a Philippines’ leading financial comparison portal which helps Filipino consumers make the right financial decisions as they settle on the best credit card, home loan, broadband plan, and more—fast, comprehensive, and free.

Auspicious dates for marriage proposal or engagement in 2014

Before becoming the life partner, marriage is proposed by lover and engagement is made.

Here is the list of auspicious dates for marriage proposal or engagement in year 2014 (year of Horse), which is produced based on the Chinese almanac Tong Shu. (Click the image to enlarge)

Bear in mind that although the Tong Shu is a compilation of Chinese astrology and calendaring studies gathering wisdom of thousands of years, we should use it wisely and rationally, but not be too superstitious on it.

Good luck in getting your right life partner.

You might probably be interested to also find out the auspicious dates in 2014 for:

• Wedding / Marriage
• Marriage proposal / engagement
• Renovation
• Moving to new house/office
• Housewarming / Open house / Party / Gathering
• Business opening
• Signing contract / register for marriage / receive baptism
• Start new job / assignment
• Baby first haircut (Mundan)
• Getting baby / conception planning / Caesarian delivery

You might probably be interested to also find out for:

• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2014
• Auspicious dates for wedding/marriage in 2015
• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2015

Auspicious dates for opening business in 2014

Here is the list of auspicious dates for opening business in year 2014, which is produced based on the Chinese almanac Tong Shu. It can be applied to new business opening, or reopening of business after a break/holiday. (Click the image to enlarge)

Bear in mind that although the Tong Shu is a compilation of Chinese astrology and calendaring studies gathering wisdom of thousands of years, we should use it wisely and rationally, but not be too superstitious on it.

You might probably be interested to also find out the auspicious dates in 2014 for:

• Wedding / Marriage
• Marriage proposal / engagement
• Renovation
• Moving to new house/office
• Housewarming / Open house / Party / Gathering
• Business opening
• Signing contract / register for marriage / receive baptism
• Start new job / assignment
• Baby first haircut (Mundan)
• Getting baby / conception planning / Caesarian delivery

You might probably be interested to also find out for:

• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2014
• Auspicious dates for wedding/marriage in 2015
• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2015

Auspicious dates in 2014 for getting a baby

Here is the list of auspicious dates in 2014 for getting a baby (求嗣), which is produced based on the Chinese almanac Tong Shu.

The dates have good element(s) to embro/faetus. Traditionally, the dates are referred for conception planning (making love and expecting a baby to the family). Nowadays, people also make reference to them for Caesarian delivery of new born.

Bear in mind that although the Tong Shu is a compilation of Chinese astrology and calendaring studies gathering wisdom of thousands of years, we should use it wisely and rationally, but not be too superstitious on it.

You might probably be interested to also find out the auspicious dates in 2014 for:

• Wedding / Marriage
• Marriage proposal / engagement
• Renovation
• Moving to new house/office
• Housewarming / Open house / Party / Gathering
• Business opening
• Signing contract / register for marriage / receive baptism
• Start new job / assignment
• Baby first haircut (Mundan)
• Getting baby / conception planning / Caesarian delivery

You might probably be interested to also find out for:

• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2014
• Auspicious dates for wedding/marriage in 2015
• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2015

Auspicious dates for baby first haircut (Mundan) in 2014

In many culture, religion and/or tradition, the first haircut of a baby is considered an important milestone for his/her life. The day is known as Mundan, Chadakarana, Halaqah, Upsherin, etc.

Here is the list of auspicious dates for baby first haircut in year 2014, which is produced based on the Chinese almanac Tong Shu. (Click the image to enlarge)

Bear in mind that although the Tong Shu is a compilation of Chinese astrology and calendaring studies gathering wisdom of thousands of years, we should use it wisely and rationally, but not be too superstitious on it.

You might probably be interested to also find out the auspicious dates in 2014 for:

• Wedding / Marriage
• Marriage proposal / engagement
• Renovation
• Moving to new house/office
• Housewarming / Open house / Party / Gathering
• Business opening
• Signing contract / register for marriage / receive baptism
• Start new job / assignment
• Baby first haircut (Mundan)
• Getting baby / conception planning / Caesarian delivery

You might probably be interested to also find out for:

• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2014
• Auspicious dates for wedding/marriage in 2015
• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2015

UTOO S5 (10,000mAh) Li-polymer power bank is available now

Remember the UTOO S2 (3000mAh) and S3 (5000mAh) Li-polymer power bank that I wrote about recently? Now there is another UTOO S5 (10,000mAh) joining the family.

The UTOO S5 resembles the UTOO S3, but is thicker with double the charge capacity to 10,000mAh. It also has 4 LEDs in front, and with attached charging cable at its side.

With double capacity, we anticipate the S5 needs to have longer recharging time than the S3. UTOO says that the S5 is equipped with unique capability that can speed up the charging process safely, and the recharging time can be as fast as 7 hours only.

With double capacity, we also can have more spare power for our electronic gadgets, particularly smartphones with large screen, and also tablets.

 

 

Registering for CDS eStatement

Whenever our Central Depository System (CDS) account has share movement (buy shares, sell shares, transfer share, receive bonus shares, subscribe to rights shares, etc.), Bursa Malaysia Depository Sdn Bhd will send a Statement of Account (Penyata Akaun) to us via snail mail on the next month.

Even though there is no share movement at all, as long as there are still some shares in our CDS account, we will also receive the Statement of Account at a longer interval.

Now, we are given an option to subscribe to Electronic CDS Statements and Notices (eStatement) from Bursa Malaysia Depository Sdn Bhd to receive such Statement of Account and other notice paperlessly with our email account instead of the paper statement.

Converting to eStatement is free of charge, and can be done online at Bursa Malaysia website, as long as you have received your Password Phrase in your latest Statement of Account.

Here is how to do it.

Step 1: Open your web browser and go to the Request for eStatement webpage.

Step 2: Fill in the online form as shown above and click the Submit button. The Submit button will appear after you fill up the form.

Note that your complete CDS no. is "XXX-YYY-nnnnnnnnn", in the CDS Account No. field, you just need to key in "nnnnnnnnn" which is the last portion of your complete CDS no. You would not be able to submit the form if you keyed in the complete CDS no.

Also note that you need to obtain your Password Phrase from your latest Statement of Account. It will appear on every pages of the CDS statement.

Upon successful submission, you will be able to see the webpage as below.

Step 3: Wait for the confirmation email sent out by Bursa Malaysia to you. In fact, Bursa Malaysia still sent a paper confirmation letter to my postal address.

It's pretty simple, isn't it?

Auspicious dates for moving to new house/office in 2014

Here is the list of auspicious dates for moving to new house/office in year 2014, which is produced based on the Chinese almanac Tong Shu. (Click the image to enlarge)

Bear in mind that although the Tong Shu is a compilation of Chinese astrology and calendaring studies gathering wisdom of thousands of years, we should use it wisely and rationally, but not be too superstitious on it.

If you are going to move to a new home, don't forget to visit the "home idea" section of my blog to find out my sharing on mortgage, renovation, furnitures, electrical appliances, pest control, etc.

You might probably be interested to also find out the auspicious dates in 2014 for:

• Wedding / Marriage
• Marriage proposal / engagement
• Renovation
• Moving to new house/office
• Housewarming / Open house / Party / Gathering
• Business opening
• Signing contract / register for marriage / receive baptism
• Start new job / assignment
• Baby first haircut (Mundan)
• Getting baby / conception planning / Caesarian delivery

You might probably be interested to also find out for:

• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2014
• Auspicious dates for wedding/marriage in 2015
• Inauspicious dates to avoid for wedding/marriage in 2015

Trade-in old laptop and get up to RM650 rebate for new HP Pavilion laptop purchased at Thundermatch / SNS

For the limited time period between 1 December 2013 and 31 January 2014, now we can purchase a new HP Pavilion laptop from participating outlets of ThunderMatch Technology or SNS Network by trading-in our old laptop and get a rebate of up to RM650.

The qualifying HP Pavilion products are:

• HP Pavilion 14-n060TX (Mineral Black)
• HP Pavilion Touchsmart 14-n049TX (Silver)
• HP Pavilion 14-n059TX

All the above comes with 4th gen Intel Core i5-4200U Processor, 4GB DDR RAM, 750GB HDD, and NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M display card. Their current selling price is around RM2,000.

The trade-in laptop must be:

• Maximum 6 years old
• Include the main battery and power supply adaptor
• With working harddisk
• No permanently marked or defaced
• Complete and undamaged (reasonable wear & tear is accepted)
• BIOS password unlocked

This would be a good chance for you to replace your old laptop. Beside getting the rebate of up to RM650, you will able be able to claim for income tax rebate if you haven't made such claim over the past 3 years.

 

For more information about this offer, visit to https://tradeupmypc.com/.