K8 body temperature infra-red thermometer powered by USB

Nowadays, infra-red thermometers are widely used in a lot of places to capture our body temperature, especially for COVID-19 preventive measure at the entrance of most commercial premises.

Infra-red thermometer has the following advantages:

• Non-contact way of measuring body temperature
• Fast measurement time of around 1 second
• Pretty accurate if there is no other infra-red source around that might interfere with its signal receiver
• Affordable price

For home and personal use, if we want to buy an infra-red thermometer, we might want to look for the following features:

• Small and lightweight, easy to carry along, and save storage space
• Accurate reading
• Non-battery powered, since we are not going to use it frequently
• Cheap price

I found the K8 body temperature infra-red thermometer that operates with DC 5V and powered by USB, cost slightly above RM10, is an ideal one to be used.

This small little device actually has 3 variants of power source connector: USB-C, micro-USB and lightning connector. If you want a future proof one, choose the one with USB-C connector.

It can be powered by the USB port of handphone...

or powered by the USB port of other devices, such as a laptop.

There is a button at its back to switch its reading between Celsius and Fahrenheit.

It will beep when it captured a new temperature reading in the rage between 32 °C to 42 °C. You will most probably get the same temperature when placing your forehead or palm in front of it.

Self COVID-19 testing by saliva with Sejoy SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid test kit

There will be occasions that you need to do a COVID-19 self-test, to ensure that you are free from COVID-19 infection, before you attend certain events or enter into certain premises.

There are generally 4 types of COVID-19 self-testing kit available in the market now:

• Nasal swab specimen test
• Mouth swab specimen test
• Nasal + mouth swab specimens test
• Saliva specimen test

Among them, I find the saliva specimen test type is the easiest to use, cheapest to buy, and does not cause any discomfort during specimen collection.

You can get the Sejoy SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid test kit at a price of slightly below RM5 per box (for single test) in Mr. DIY, 99 Speedmart, pharmacies, online e-commerce stores, and some other places.

A brief instruction on how to use it is printed at the back of its packaging box.

There is also detailed instruction printed on a large piece of paper inside the box.

Here are the steps to use it:

• Do not eat or smoke or drink anything other than plain water at least 30 minutes before the test.
• Wash your mouth with plain water.
• Use a knife or scissor to unseal the box by breaking its "QC Passed" sealing sticker.
• Take out its content.
• Assemble the saliva collection funnel kit on top of the extraction tube.
• Collect your saliva into the extraction tube until the saliva is slightly on top of the level mark you can see near the bottom of the extraction tube.
• Remove the saliva collection funnel kit and put it inside the biohazard waste bag.
• Put the extraction tube into the hole at the back of the packaging box, so that it won't fall down.
• Unseal the extraction reagent bag.
• Drop all the extraction reagent liquid into the extraction tube by squeezing on its bag.
• Cover up the extraction tube with its attached stopper.
• Mix your saliva with the extraction reagent by shaking the extraction tube for about 1 minute.
• Take out the test cassette from its aluminum foil pouch.
• Drop 2 drops of the mixture in the extraction tube by squeezing the tube on top of the "S" area on the test cassette.
• You will see the liquid slowly moving from one end of the test paper to the other end. The paper will become purple in colour during the movement, and will change back to white after the movement.
• The test result should be ready in 15-20 minutes.

• The control line at "C" position should appear, otherwise the test is not successful, and you will need to redo the test again with a new test kit.
• If you see another line at "T" position, your test result is COVID-19 positive. If there is no line at "T" position, congratulations, your test result is COVID-19 negative.
• After the test, insert everything (except the large instruction paper) into the biohazrd waste bag, seal it before disposal.

After using the COVID-19 self-testing kit, you are required to report the test result in MySejahtera app regardless your test result is positive or negative.

• Open up MySejahtera app in your mobile device.
• Tap on the "Close" button to close the front page.
• Tap on the "COVID-19 Self Test" icon.
• Select "Update Self-Test Result".
• Continue to follow the on-screen instructions to complete your reporting.

The COVID-19 self-testing kit is labelled with manufacturing lot number, year and month of manufacture, and also the year and month of expiry. At first I thought I'd need to key-in these information in the report, but it ends up I just need to report on whether my test result is positive or negative.

If you are tested COVID-19 positive, then you should reconfirm by taking another test with a new test kit.

If both the tests are showing COVID-19 positive, please isolate yourself immediately, and contact MOH immediately. You can click here to get the MOH COVID-19 hotline contacts.

My DEOcross C-ears electric earwax cleaner

If you have family member(s) who loves to pick ears using the traditional earwax rod or even cotton rod, here is a better and safer gadget for them.

This DEOcross C-ears electric earwax cleaner only cost me around RM15.

It operates with an AAA alkaline battery, and works by vibrating and vacuuming the ear wax out into its nozzle.

Here is the content inside the packing box:

• Transparent plastic casing
• The main body
• 2x removable nozzles
• Cleaning brush
• AAA alkaline battery

On its body, there is only one button to turn it on and off.

Its removable nozzle is soft, with a length of 2.5cm which is safe to use for ordinary human inner ear.

After use, you can detach the nozzle and clean it with water.

There is a filter at the main body's head to prevent the vacuumed earwax from entering into the main body. It is also removable and can be washed with water.

The only complaint I have with this gadget is that, its battery compartment cap is pretty loose and easy to drop off. I use a piece of cellophane tape to stick the cap firmly to its body.

My B03 home-use upper-arm digital blood pressure measuring and monitoring machine with colour background and voice function

After I have purchased and used the Jumper JPD-500E fingertip pulse oximeter, I have recently added a B03 home-use upper-arm digital blood pressure measuring and monitoring machine for my family use.

There are several types of home-use blood pressure monitor available in the market, including the traditional bisep (upper-arm) type, wrist type, finger type, etc. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends the upper-arm culf type for more reliable measurements.

This B03 upper-arm digital blood pressure monitor can operate with 4 AAA-size alkaline batteries, or powered with 6V USB power source. It has English speaking voice function, providing instruction for blood pressure measuring, and reading out the result after the measurement is completed. It cost slightly more than RM50.

This machine provides 3 measurement values, namely Systolic (upper) value in mmHg, Diastolic (lower) value in mmHg, and pulse rate in bpm. It has memory to store up to 99 times of readings each for up to 2 different persons. It will auto power-off itself 1 minute after measurement is completed and there is no further operation by the user.

Before its first usage, we need to set its date and time by long pressing the S button and then using the M button to do the value setting, so that the date and time for its stored readings are correct.

Blood pressure readings below 120/80 mmHg are considered in the normal range. High blood pressure a.k.a. hypertension is categorized base on severity into Elevated, Stage 1 Hypertension and Stage 2 Hypertension.

Hypertension is also called "the silent killer" as many patients do not have obvious symptom for years. They might not be aware of having hypertension, unless periodically doing medical check-up with doctor, or using this type of home-use digital blood pressure monitor to frequently self check-up.

Hypertension after the Elevated level will need to seek for medical consultation from doctor, and medication might be needed to lower down the blood pressure. Prolonged hypertension can cause damage to body organ.

On the other hand, low blood pressure a.k.a. hypotension refers to blood pressure readings below 90/60 mmHg. Hypotension generally has less impact to our health than hypertension, and usually does not need any special medical treatment, unless there is symptom occurred.

The B03 digital blood pressure monitor uses the standard from World Health Organization (WHO) to determine the category level of its measured blood pressure. Its backlight will turn green for normal blood pressure, orange for mild hypertension, and red for severe hypertension. This visual effect is very handy, especially for the elderly to know the category of their blood pressure level, without the need to interpret the Systolic and Diastolic readings themselves.

The more recent International Society of Hypertension (ISH) 2020 classification of hypertension is as below:

As mentioned in the User Manual of the B03 digital blood pressure monitor, our blood pressure constantly changes throughout the day. It tends to be higher in the early morning and also in the afternoon, and lower at night during our sleep.

There are many mobile apps available to help us record down and monitor our blood pressure readings. Unfortunately, the B03 digital blood pressure monitor is unable to send its readings to our handphone, and we have to manually key-in the readings in the app by ourselves.

One of the recommended mobile app to use is BP Journal developed by a Malaysian called Jason Ong (owner of PortalGroove Solutions). It supports a multitude of global and regional blood pressure classification guidelines (ISH, ACC/AHA, ESH/ESC, NICE, etc.). It supports multi-profiles and able to generate report so that you can share with your doctor or family members.

As prevention is always better than cure, it is highly recommended for every family to be equipped with an upper-arm digital blood pressure monitor, to be used by the whole family, especially the elderly. With the handy blood pressure monitoring machine, you no longer need to check your blood pressure at clinic, as you can self-service at home, and you can have as frequent measurements as you like.

My rechargeable portable mosquito killer lamp

I had bought a few units of the electronic UV light type of mosquito trap before. They were functioning well in trapping and killing mosquitoes.

Unfortunately, after one to two years of usage, all of them became problematic and unable to function well. The problems faced are:

• In some units, the LED lights became dimmer and dimmer, until no longer able to attract the mosquitoes.
• In some units, the LED totally unable to turn on.
• In some units, the fan became noisier and noisier, causing it to be an annoyance itself, particularly during the silent night.
• In some units, the fan totally not rotating, and therefore unable to trap the mosquitoes.

This time, I decided to buy the electrocute type, at almost the same price as the previous suction type. It looks like this:

The lamp has a similar bluish lamp to attract the mosquitoes and insects to fly towards it. Surrounding the lamp are metal wires with electricity current to electrocute the insects. At the outer layer, there is a plastic cage to prevent ourselves from accidentally touch on the metal wires.

The plastic cage is easily removable for us to clean up the dead body of insects at the metal wires. There is a small brush that comes together with the lamp for this cleaning purpose.

This type of lamp comes with 3 different models:

• Without a rechargeable battery, that needs to be always connected to a USB charging source in order to work.
• With 2000 mAh rechargeable battery. When fully charged, the lamp can work for up to 8 hours without connecting to a power source.
• With 4000 mAh rechargeable battery. When fully charged, the lamp can work for up to 16 hours without connecting to a power source.

There is a switch for you to turn on and turn off the light. In fact, the switch has 2 ON positions. The upper position turns on the blueish mosquito attraction light, and the lower position turns on a warm white reading light.

At the base of the lamp, there is a hanger to hang it in an upside-down position. So it is flexible to be put on tabletop, or be hung up in the air.

Its rechargeable feature is in fact very useful, especially for the following situations:

• You can put it up and running anywhere, even in a place without a power source.
• It can still function well during the time of electricity blackout. That is also the time you are likely to get more mosquitoes disturbance since your fan and air-cond are not functioning.
• You can use it as an emergency light during electricity blackout.
• You can use it during camping, as a dual function light in your camp.

My Huawei Scale 3 body analyzer scale

I've purchased the Huawei Scale 3 body analyzer scale at the price of RM99 directly from Huawei Online Store during their recent online promotion. The RRP of this scale is RM149 during normal days.

This scale is operated by 4 AAA size batteries. When used by a single person daily, the batteries can last for about a year. When used by the whole family, they can probably last for about 6 months.

Beside body weight, this scale can also measure body mass based on bioelectrical impedance analysis. It can also measure our heart rate (a.k.a. pulse rate).

 

In order to get accurate measurements, you need to step your feet on top of its 4 ITO electrodes, and wait for the 3 readings showing on its surface by turn respectively.

Before using the scale, you need to pair it with the Huawei Health app in your smartphone, which you can download from either Huawei AppGallery, Google Play Store or iTunes AppStore. It is the same Huawei Health app that connect with Huawei smart watch, smart band, heart rate monitor, and other supported wearable devices by Huawei or Honor.

You need to use Bluetooth to do the initial pairing. The scale should be able to autodetected by the latest version of Huawei Health. After that, you can add in WiFi pairing.

With WiFi pairing, your scale can actually send the measurement data to the cloud, and then sync to your handphone that is connected to the Internet, regardless of the location of your handphone.

You can share your scale with up to 10 smartphones, each installed with Huawei Health respectively.

The scale can be shared with up to 10 users, such as your family members, each will have individual historical records, and the scale is intelligent enough to identify the right person based on past record readings.

In the event 2 or more persons are having similar weight, body mass index (BMI) and body fat rate readings, the app will ask you to identify the right person for the measuring records.

There is also a guest measurement feature to let anyone to use the scale and get the measuring and analysis result with your handphone, without saving the data as historical record. In this way, you can share your scale with your guest visitors too.

The app will need you to provide your correct gender, age (calculated from date of birth) and height information, in order for its Trufit body composition analysis algorithm that is based on big data and A.I. to provide you with more than 10 body indicators.

The indicators available are:

• Weight
• BMI
• Body fat rate
• Skeletal muscle mass
• Visceral fat
• Basal metabolic rate
• Body water percentage
• Bone mineral content
• Protein percentage
• Fat-free mass
• Heart rate

Each of the indicators has own analysis and explanation screen to explain what are them in layman terms.

The app can also show you whether your weight, BMI and heart rate are respectively low, normal, slightly high or high.

Under the Body Composition section, it shows you the composition of your weight in kilograms, breakdown by water content, protein, fat, and bone mineral content.

Note that Huawei TruFit function is currently only available for adults between the age of 18 to 65. If you are under 18 or over 65, you can only get 3 results from the scale, which are your weight, BMI and your heart rate.

You can also set a goal in the app to achieve your desired weight. The app will inform you how far is your weight from your goal, and congratulate you once you've achieved your goal.

My Jumper JPD-500E fingertip pulse oximeter with OLED display

According to a study led by University of Washington at Seattle researchers, a blood oxygen saturation level below 92% and fast, shallow breathing were associated with significantly elevated death rates in a study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. (Click here to read the original source of the research paper)

Healthcare experts also mentioned that situation of happy hypoxia, or silent pneumonia, or happy hypoxemia, is known to be a complication of COVID-19, whereby the infected patient will have no obvious symptoms such as fever or cough. Measuring the blood oxygen saturation level is a method to reveal sign of COVID-19 infection for patient with such "silent" situation.

Recently, Singapore Temasek Foundation has announced to give one pulse oximeter to every household in Singapore, so that residents can monitor their blood oxygen levels regularly. The device checks the oxygen level in the blood and can help detect early signs of a deterioration in health. (Click here to read the original source of information)

Although my Huawei Watch GT2 is able to measure blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) level, its measuring process takes some time, which is a little bit inconvenient.

During the recent online e-commerce shopping spree, I decided to buy a pulse oximeter with the following reasons:

• Unlike my Huawei Watch GT2, the pulse oximeter can provide instant reading.
• It provides "second opinion" reading, so that I can counter-check and confirm the accuracy of the readings from both devices.
• It can be easily shared among family members.
• It is very easy to use, fool-proof, and simple for elderly people like my parents to use.

My criteria to choose a genuine medical-grade pulse oximeter:

• It must be accurate. Although there are many cheap oximeters available in the online stores, I have read article that some of such oximeters come out with reading despite you trick it by putting a pencil into it instead of your finger (which it supposedly should not come out with any reading).
• At least have a brand, and better be manufactured by a medical equipment manufacturer.
• Certified as a medical device by CE and/or FDA.
• With one year manufacturer warranty.
• Budget below RM100, as I am pretty sure I should be able to get one with that price range.

and I had chosen the Jumper brand JPD-500E fingertip pulse oximeter with OLED display.

This pulse oximeter features an OLED colour screen display with 6 display modes in 4 directions. It is powered by 2 AAA batteries, which come together in the box. It also comes with printed user manual, a pouch, and a hanging stripe.

On its screen, it is able to show:

• SpO2 reading (range: 35-100, accuracy: ±2%)
• Pulse Rate (PR, range: 25-250 bpm, accuracy: ±2 bpm)
• Perfusion Index (PI, a measurement of how "strong" is the pulse)
• Photoplethysmogram (PPG, showing heart pump cardiac cycles)
• Pulse bar (showing the strength of pulse)
• Battery level

The pulse oximeter will start working once your clip your finger into it, and press on its one-and-only button. The readings shown are in real-time. It will switch off by itself after you remove your finger from it.

According to a research paper, if you are a right-handed person, you can get the most accurate value with your right hand middle finger; if you are a left-handed person, then you should use your left hand middle finger instead.

One feature I like about this Jumper JPD-500E pulse oximeter is that it is able to give an alert sound when its reading is detected to be out of normal range. This makes it really fool-proof, as you don't need to understand the readings shown on its screen. As long as it has reading and it doesn't give alert sound, you are quite OK. If it comes out with alert sound, then your reading is not OK, and you should take action on that, for example, to seek medical advice from your doctor.

The Jumper JPD-500E pulse oximeter is IPX 22 rated. It is not so waterproof and should be avoided to get contact with water. Anyhow, it is advisable to clean both your finger and the device with medical alcohol before use, for hygiene purpose, as well as to obtain better accuracy.

Regarding its accuracy, I find its SpO2 and Pulse Rate reading quite consistent with my Huawei Watch GT2.

Below is a photo of using both the devices together. You can see that the SpO2 reading is 1% different at that particular moment, as the reading will have a slight change of 1% from time to time during the measuring period. The Pulse Rate readings are both the same at 80 bpm.

Online check your latest COVID-19 vaccination appointment status

There are basically 3 ways to check your latest COVID-19 vaccination appointment status:

• Check inside MySejahtera mobile app, under COVID-19 Vaccination function
• Check with JKJAV website
• Make a phone call to toll free number 1800-888-828

Using either one of the above channels, you can check for the vaccination status for yourself, as well as the status for your dependent(s) registered with your phone number.

The checking applied to both the conventional vaccination registration and also the voluntary AstraZeneca vaccine immunization registration in Malaysia.

Certain people found that even though they had successfully secured a slot for AstraZeneca vaccination, the appointment info is not shown inside their MySejahtera mobile app.

If you found yourself or your dependent to be in such situation, you can click here to double-check with JKJAV website, or make a call to 1800-888-828.

You will need to provide the identity no. of yourself or your dependent, and the phone no. that you've used to register your MySejahtera app.

After that, you should be able to see your vaccination appointment status on the next screen.

This information should be in sync with the same piece of information shown in your MySejahtera app. If they are not in sync, you should make a call to 1800-888-828 for clarification.

Free post-vaccination insurance coverage for COVID-19 by Chubb

Chubb is giving out free insurance, provided to Malaysian citizens age 18-70 years old, without any charge or payment of premium needed, for COVID-19 vaccination.

You might have already received email from AirAsia BIG Rewards regarding this initiative, as AirAsia BIG Rewards is a joint-organizer for this "Complete a Survey,  Get Free 14-Day  Post Vaccination Insurance & Be Rewarded" campaign.

This insurance covers up to 2 times of COVID-19 vaccination within Malaysia, with approved vaccine taken on or before 31 December 2022.

The insurance benefits:

• In the event of hospital confinement as a result of adverse reaction following immunisation (within 14 consecutive days from your most recent COVID-19 vaccination), a daily income of RM200 (up to a maximum of 14 days) can be claimed.
• In the event of accidental death as a result of accidental injury within 14 consecutive days after each of your vaccination, an amount of RM5,000 can be claimed.

The coverage shall start upon your successful enrolment with Chubb by submitting an online enrolment form in their website. Note that the protection period is within 14 days right after you have taken your COVID-19 vaccinations.

You can click here to get more information about this free post-vaccination insurance.

How to stay calm when dealing with financial stress

 

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

Have your money problems become so dire that you find yourself searching “I need financial help immediately?” We get it. You’re in a tight spot, and you’re panicking. Hearing that you're not alone doesn’t really help, and you aren’t sure what to do while you’re not thinking clearly.

Take a breath. Financial stress can be overwhelming, but you have more resources and options than you know. However, we need to get you in the right mental space first. Let’s go over some ways to keep yourself calm so you can tackle your financial problems with a clear mind.

Identify the Problems and Make a Plan

One of the reasons why money problems can seem so daunting is the mystery of them. Of course, besides the obvious answer that you don’t make enough money to pay your bills, financial difficulty can have other sources. It might be your spending habits, a past mistake, a misunderstanding of the financial system, or something else. Those you can address right away.

Look over your financial statements and try to identify where the problem lies. Are you spending too much on unnecessary items? Does your paycheck come in too late? If the former is the case, then make a budget that ensures you can pay off your debts before spending anything on excess leisure items. If it’s the latter, then you have more control over when you receive your income than you may know: apps like Earnin allow you to access up to $500 of your paycheck per pay period, giving you time to pay your bills before incurring late fees.

Improve Your Financial Literacy

Next, make an effort to educate yourself about financial topics. Books about personal finance are a great place to start, such as Personal Finance for Dummies, along with blogs about related subjects. Take advantage of free or inexpensive financial literacy courses online or from your local community college. The more you know about the financial system, the more prepared you will be, and the less scary your money problems will seem.

Talk to a Professional

Consult with a credit or debt expert for practical advice regarding your situation. A professional can help you perform the steps mentioned above and guide you through the remainder of the process, including making a concrete debt management plan. Having someone in your corner will bring you peace of mind.

Besides a financial expert, another kind of professional you should talk to is a therapist. Regular conversations with this kind of expert will help you navigate the emotional aspects of financial stress. If your habits are partly responsible for your situation, then hopefully, a therapist can help you change those, too. You can find free and low-cost therapy resources here.

Avoid Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms

People struggling with financial difficulty sometimes resort to bad habits to deal with stress. Unhealthy coping mechanisms will only exacerbate your situation in more ways than one. Avoid the temptation to spend even more money (this is not the time for retail therapy), eat excessively, drink alcohol, or abuse other substances. Call SAMHSA’s free national helpline at 1-800-622-HELP (4357) if you feel that you are about to engage in harmful or addictive behavior.

Practice Mindfulness Exercises

Instead, practice mindfulness exercises to cope with stress in a healthier way. You can replace bad habits with good ones or start practicing mindfulness immediately to avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms to begin with.

Breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, and other activities can help you center yourself and stay grounded. They don’t alleviate your money problems, but you can use them to change your perspective and attitude toward your situation. Other stress-relieving activities include going for a walk, spending time in nature, creating artwork, hugging someone, playing with pets, and learning how to talk about yourself in a more positive light. Dwelling on your stress isn’t productive, so put your energy into something wholesome if you are unable to relax.

Keep Track of Your Progress

Keep track of your progress as you take steps toward addressing your financial problems. Not only is doing so necessary for the process itself (you should keep a careful record of the money you spend and the debt you pay off) but celebrating small goals is beneficial for your mental health. Take pride in your little victories. Keeping track of your progress puts your entire financial situation in perspective, motivates you to push forward, and makes your circumstances seem less bleak.

Remember: financial difficulty is not a moral failing. The money system is complicated and underserves the under-educated and a vast majority of people. Take advantage of the resources available to you and believe that you have what it takes to turn your situation around.

This article originally appeared on Earnin.

 

Please note, the material collected in this blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be relied upon as or construed as advice regarding any specific circumstances. Nor is it an endorsement of any organization or Services.

Have you done your washing machine cleaning service?

Recently I engaged a washing machine cleaning professional to dismantle and perform deep clean-up to my washing machine.

I did periodically make use of washing machine cleaning powder and the tub cleaning function of the washing machine to clean it up, but I was told that was not good enough as there is much dirt inside the washing machine unable to be removed with that method.

That is really a true statement. You can see the "before" and "after" photos below for the difference The washing machine had just been treated with made-in-Taiwan washing machine cleaning powder right before the washing machine cleaning professional came to do the deep cleaning. If not, it would be even more dirtier than in the photo.

The service includes sanitization in the washing machine by using UV light to kill virus, bacteria, germs and microbes inside the washing machine, after all the parts were assembled back into the machine.

Similar to the concept of air-cond service, which we all familiar with, I think washing machines also need periodic thorough cleaning service like this. Otherwise, it is very dirty inside. Can you imagine the situation of your clothes being washed inside a dirty washing machine?

How to register for COVID-19 vaccination using MySejahtera mobile app

You can now register for COVID-19 vaccination in Malaysia using MySejahtera mobile app.

Before you start, make sure you have already updated the MySejahtera app in your phone to the latest version, which should be Version 1.0.29 (dated 24 Feb 2021) or above.

After opening the MySejahtera app, tap on the Close button at the top right corner to enter its main screen.

Then, tap on COVID-19 Vaccination for the registration.

On the next screen, you should be able to see "Vaccine for <your name>". Tap on it.

On the next screen, remember to tap on CLICK HERE to fill up the form. Do not tap on the Close button without filling up the form.

Fill in the questionnaire, and your registration will complete when you are able to see the Thank You screen as below.

Now, you just need to wait for your vaccination appointment message for the next course of action.

You might want to repeat the same process above for your family members registered in your MySejahtera app. Just select their name and fill up the questionnaire for them to complete their vaccination registration.

Renting a Medklinn air ionizer instead of buying it

Among the many air and surface sterilizing products in the market, Medklinn ionizer has been proven effective in sterilizing the air and surface around it by killing the bacteria and viruses,  as well as eliminating allergens, bad odours, smoke, dust, moulds and pollution.

Recently, Medklinn has started to provide renting as an option to use their air ionizer, other than buying it.

Benefits of renting instead of buying:

• You can terminate the rental after a minimum 3 months period. This enables you to try out the product with small cost, after that, you may opt to continue or terminate the renting. Upon termination, you can opt to buy a brand new product, or just discontinue using the product.
• You will get 1-to-1 replacement for faulty, malfunction or damaged unit, provided it is not intentionally damaged.
• You will get free cartridge replacement every year, until the end of rental period after 3 years.

Disbenefit of renting instead of buying:

• After 3 years, when the rental period is completed, you need to return the unit to Medklinn.
• The total cost of using the unit with renting for 3 years is higher than buying the product and buying new replacement cartridge every year.

Other considerations:

• The warranty period of Medklinn product is 15 months, after you register your bought product in their website. By renting, you effectively extend the warranty period of your product to 36 months.
• Normally, Medklinn will come out with new model every 2-3 years. By renting, you can always use the latest model of the product. Even if you buy and keep the product, being an electronic product, it will still have a lifespan and will degrade from year to year.
• If you buy the product, certain credit card allows you to split the cost to 12 months installment. If you rent the product, your credit card will be charged at a relatively smaller amount every month for 36 months.

For the case of Medklinn Asens+20 indoor ionizer:

If you opt for buying, the cost is:

• Medklinn Asens+20 = RM560
• 2x cartridge = 2 x RM139 = RM278

Total cost (3 years) = RM838

If you opt for renting, the cost is:

• 1st year = 12 x RM36 = RM432
• 2nd year = 12 x RM25 = RM300
• 3rd year = 12 x RM16 = RM192
• 2x cartridge = RM0

Total cost (3 years) = RM924

Different between renting and buying = RM86

For the case of Medklinn Autoplus car ionizer:

If you opt for buying, the cost is:

• Medklinn Autoplus = RM439
• 2x cartridge = 2 x RM90 = RM180

Total cost (3 years) = RM619

If you opt for renting, the cost is:

• 1st year = 12 x RM26 = RM312
• 2nd year = 12 x RM19 = RM228
• 3rd year = 12 x RM13 = RM156
• 2x cartridge = RM0

Total cost (3 years) = RM696

Different between renting and buying = RM77

So, which option is better for you? You decide yourself.

Buying guide for electronic dance mat for TV / computer

Nowadays, particularly during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period, a kind of electronic dance mat that works together with TV or computer has become a hot selling item in many e-commerce platforms.

This kind of electronic dance mat is a kind of portable floor blanket with electronic sensors underneath, so that it can become an input device to its dancing/gaming console box, using TV or computer screen as its interactive screen display.

It is ideal for home aerobic exercise, and to have a fun interactive time with children.

Normally, the electronic dance mat system has 3 main functions:

• Dancing with music by accurately stepping at the right region on the mat at the right timing, which could also include waving your hand at the right timing.
• Aerobic exercise and yoga training by on-screen coaching.
• Playing console games

Below are some of the key considerations when buying an electronic dance mat for your reference.

1. Dance mat for 2 persons

There are 2 variants of this kind of dance mat. The square single person mat, which is cheaper, and the rectangular 2 persons mat, which is double the size of the single person one.

Unless you are living alone and always using the dance mat alone, otherwise you won't be regret buying the 2 persons mat, so that you can dance together in 2 persons, and playing interactive console games in 2 persons mode.

2. PU surface material

Normally the dance mat surface material is made of either PVC or PU. PVC type is slightly cheaper, but less durable. The PU type is more robust and durable, and provides better touch with the foot. It is also water resistance, and easier to clean.

The PVC type comes with varies thickness, some can be as thick as 30mm to 50mm, depends on the filler foam inside it. The PU type is normally as thick as the thin PVC type without extra thickness. Anyhow, you can always achieve the same thickness effect by laying a layer of tatami foam tiles underneath the PU dance mat. The cost for tatami foam tiles as shown below is much cheaper too.

3. HDMI connection

Older version of the dance mat console box connects to the TV by composite RCA cables. Newer version connects to the TV by HDMI cable.

Unless your TV has limited number of HDMI ports, it is better to choose the dance mat which uses HDMI connection rather than composite RCA connection, as HDMI supports higher screen resolution.

4. Wireless connection

Older version of the dance mat is integrated with its console box. The distance between the dance mat and your TV will then be restricted by the length of the connecting cable.

Newer version of the dance mat connects wirelessly to a separate console box, which in turn connects to the TV with HDMI or RCA cable. In the way, you can place the dance mat anywhere within the wireless communication distance. The dance mat will need to operate using batteries.

5. Wireless hand controllers

Hand controller is another input device beside the dance mat. Beside buttons, it also has a gyroscope sensor inside to detect hand movement.

If your dance mat is for single person, your package will come with one hand controller; if your dance mat is for 2 persons, your package will come with two hand controllers.

There are 2 types of hand controller. The older version is wired to the console box, and the newer version is wireless. You should get the wireless one which provides you with freedom of movement.

Certain dance mat packages don't come with any hand controller. They are either having a console box with camera that can capture your body movement, eliminating the need of using gyroscope in the hand controller, or the package reduced the price by not supplying with the hand controller.

Hand controller is quite essential which playing console games. Without the hand controller, the games could become very difficult to play, less fun, or even totally unplayable.

6. SD-card external storage

SD-card makes it possible to add more games and music to the dance mat system.

More intelligent dance mats can automatically generate dance steps by analyzing on the new MP3 files you store in the SD-card, while other less intelligent dance mats (usually cheaper) will always generate the same set of dance steps regardless what MP3 file you store in the SD-card.

Some cheaper version of dance mat system is without SD-card slot, and you are confined with the games and dancing music provided in the internal storage of the system. You are not able to add more on top of the existing.

7. Language

Most of this kind of dance mat are made in China. Most of their system only come in Chinese language. Some of them have English user interface. If you need English, make sure you choose the correct one, which needs to be explicitly indicate it has English user interface.


Below are some of the optional features and functions that are nice to have, which you can consider as well. Usually these additional features and functions will raise up the price tag of the dance mat accordingly.

a. Dancing stage light

Some dance mat comes with a crystal ball dancing stage light, making it more fun to dance on it.

b. LED guiding lights

Some PU type dance mat comes with LED lights to guide you to step on the right place when dancing on it. Those dance mat with LED lights will consume more number of batteries.

c. Augmented reality

Some dance mat system with camera can make yourself appear in your TV screen as a character. You can then dance interactively together with animated character(s) in the TV. It is also more fun playing games in augmented reality.

d. Connect to computer

Most newer version of dance mat's console box is able to connect to your computer by using a USB cable.

After installing the correct device driver, your computer will then be able to recognize the dance mat and its hand controllers as input devices.

The dance program, exercise coaching program and games are of separate set from those in the console box, and need to be installed in your computer.

There are also third party dance program such as StepMania which you can download and install in your computer to work with the dance mat.

This feature is good to have, because your computer screen is usually much smaller than your TV, unless you use a projector screen. Normally, people will just use the dance mat with TV, and seldom with computer.

List of smart watches, bands, weighting scales and wearable devices that can be linked with Huawei Health

Huawei Health is an integrated mobile application for health management, physical activity journaling, professional exercise coaching and wearable device management. It is available for free download in Google Play Store, Apple App Store and also Huawei App Gallery.

 

Although Huawei Health can work as a standalone mobile app in the smart phone, its power is only unleashed when it is wirelessly paired with smart watch, smart band, weighting scale and/or other wearable devices with Bluetooth.

Huawei Health has a pedometer which can intelligently takes your step counts collected from the handphone and also from all the connected devices, and display the composite result.

It can display the total distance travelled by your body from combined activities of walking, running, climbing and other. It can also display the amount of calories burned from such activities. It can even display the height climbed by your body from the composite data recorded through the barometer in your smartphone and connected wearable devices.

It also provides dashboard for heart rate records, SpO2 blood oxygen saturation measurement, sleep quality analysis, stress level analysis, weight measurement, exercise records, and even menstrual cycle tracking for women (by using data from another mobile app called Huawei Cycle Calendar).

Huawei Health is also a wearable device management center for paired devices. You can use it to upload and change watch faces, upload and manage music in the wearable, configure device settings, and even perform firmware update to the wearable.

Currently, the list of officially supported devices that can work with Huawei Health are as below. Devices not in the list are not yet fully tested by Huawei for their compatibility with Huawei Health, which you can still try your luck to find out if their can successfully paired with Huawei Health without much problem.

Huawei Health supported smart watches:

• Huawei Watch GT 2 (both 46mm and 42mm)
• Huawei Watch GT 2e
• Huawei Watch GT (both 46mm and 42mm)
• Huawei Watch 2
• Huawei Porsche Design Watch
• Huawei Fit
• Honor MagicWatch 2
• Honor Watch Magic/Dream

Huawei Health supported smart bands:

• Huawei Band 4 / 4 Pro
• Huawei Band 4e
• Huawei Band 3 / 3 Pro
• Huawei Bend 3e
• Huawei Band 2 / 2 Pro
• Huawei TalkBand B5 / B5 Lite
• Huawei TalkBand B3
• Huawei Color Band A2
• Honor Band 5i
• Honor Band 5 / 5 Sport
• Honor Band 4 / 4 Running Edition
• Honor Band 3

Huawei Health supported weighting scales:

• Huawei Body Fat Scale
• Honor Scale 2
• Honor Smart Scale
• PICOOC S1 Pro Body Fat Scale

Huawei Health supported heart rate monitors:

• Jabra Sport Pulse Wireless Headphones
• Suunto Smart Belt Heart Rate Strap
• Polar H7 Heart Rate Chest Strap

Huawei Watch blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) measuring feature

Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) is a feature in the latest Huawei and Honor smart watches.

Image from Huawei's website

This feature is available in the Huawei Watch GT2 sold in China, but had somehow been disabled in that model sold in the international market. Anyhow, this feature has now been enabled to Huawei Watch GT2 sold outside China as well, following its firmware update version 1.0.6.26 and above (latest firmware version as of now should be 1.0.6.32).

SpO2 represents an estimation of oxygen levels in a person’s bloodstream. According to description in Huawei's website, "blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) is one of the important vital signs that can reflect the oxygen supply of the body. Very low levels of SpO2 can result in serious symptoms such as lack of energy, fatigue and light-headedness."

Under normal conditions, a healthy person should have an SpO2 level between 90 and 100.

The heart of an average adult normally pumps about 5,000 ml of blood per minute to the tissues and organs of the body, delivering about 1,000 ml of oxygen per minute to the body. Body function will be affected if the oxygen is at low level, causing hypoxemia and even hypoxia problem.

There are 2 types of hypoxemia. Acute hypoxemia occurs over a relatively short period of time, while chronic hypoxemia is ongoing over a longer period.

Common symptoms of acute hypoxemia include: shortness of breath, rapid breathing, wheezing, cough, confusion, headache, fast heart rate, and bluish colour in skin, fingernails and/or lips.

Common symptoms of chronic hypoxemia include: pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale (enlargement of right-side of the heart), heart failure, and polycythemia.

People who are having a higher risk of hypoxemia should regularly check their SpO2 level. You are one of them if you are:

• always on a busy work schedule
• working or living in a stressful environment
• working in a situation that needs to use a lot of brain everyday
• located in a place of high-altitude (with low atmospheric pressure)
• elderly people (with decreased body function)
• snoring a lot or having sleep apnea problem (might cause respiratory obstruction)
• having heart defects
• having lung conditions, including asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, corona virus infection, etc.

Huawei SpO2 sensor technology makes it easy to measure SpO2 level, anytime, at any place. Clinically, SpO2 level is measured using arterial blood gas (ABG) test, pulse oximeter, etc.

To measure SpO2 with a Huawei / Honor watch or band that supports the feature, just keep your arm still, fasten the strap tightly, and make sure the screen is facing up. Then, swipe on the screen for the SpO2 function, and start your measurement. It will take about 1 minute to complete.