Mini Travel Log: Hobbiton (Matamata), New Zealand

Hobbiton (located in Matamata) is a movie set place used in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbits. In the movies, this place is called the Shire lived by the halfling race of Hobbits. Situated in the middle of nowhere, 99% chance you'll give in to pay NZD$75 for the entrance to the movie set; after 1.5 hour drive from Auckland and with nothing else to see here. Unless you're a big fan of the movie, some may think the steep entrance fee is not justified. The movie set is located off the main road, restricted access and hidden. So be assured there is no free sightings. After paying for the entrance at the ticket counter by the main road, the private buses will bring you into the movie set complete with tour guide. The tour lasts about 2 hours with a beer pit stop at the Green Dragon. You cannot visit the inside of Frodo's house, which may prove another disappointment. There is nothing inside except a hole in the ground. I'm sure the house interior that we see from the movies are filmed from Hollywood studios instead, as the actual hole is too small.

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Mini Travel Log: Hong Kong, China (5)

Once again thanks to my cousin, I explored a few more rural areas in Hong Kong. It was a great escape from the congested and polluted city during the Christmas week. I even spent a night at my cousin's house at Tai Mei Tuk, waking up to the morning of fresh air. We drove up the mountain scenic road, at one point even reached the border of mainland China. The main attraction of the day is at Fan Ling. It is one of the few walled villages from the old times. Around this area, there are few historical sites like the ancestor's hall and temples.

At night, I returned to the city and managed to catch the Symphony of Light show from Avenue of Stars, Kowloon. I was expecting a grand show with some dramatic orchestra music but it turned out to be less than expected. Nevertheless, still an experience to be enjoyed. Christmas decor and lighting at Heritage 1881 opposite Avenue of Stars is fantastic and must be visited during Christmas.

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Mini Travel Log: Christmas 2013 San Francisco

This year, my Christmas wish of taking city night light pictures of San Francisco came true. I was granted good weather and was very well rested. Without wasting a single minute, I explored the city from day until the city lights up with Christmas lightings at night. Day time was very well spent at California Academy of Sciences at San Francisco Park. If you have not experienced a real earthquake in your lifetime before, this is the place to visit. The earthquake house replicates the 1906 San Francisco earthquake up to a magnitude of 7. After sunset, the city comes to life with beautiful Christmas lightings. If you ask me where to find the most beautiful Christmas tree, I'd say the one at Pier 39 is not bad. From the pier, you can also walk a bit to Embarcadero Ferry Building. Here, you'll be able to see the beautiful Bay Bridge and also the city skyline.

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USB charging adaptors and cables

Have you ever encountered a situation where your phone charges very slowly or even worse, draining battery while plugged into a wall or car charger? Yes, you are not alone. I have encountered it as well and only understood why it happened like that after wasting money on many adaptors and destroying multiple USB cables. Now let me explain why and hope it helps you from going through all the hassle like I did. This has something to do with Apple devices (sorry Apple fanboys) for selfishly not following the USB specs and in the process screwing up the USB aftermarket charger specs.

Firstly, let's explore the USB specs in order to understand how it works. USB cables come in 4 lines. The outer 2 lines are for power supply while the middle 2 (green and white) is for data. When used with a computer, it works as a sync cable enabling data transfer while still able to draw power supply to power or charge the device. In my best knowledge, USB 2.0 ports only supply maximum 500mA while USB 3.0 ports up to 900mA. So in this case, your charging rate is limited by the USB port to either 500mA or 900mA. Modern smartphones drain power at more than 1.0A (1000mA). Therefore it is almost impossible to fully charge a phone while it is powered on and being used. It will only slowly charge to full if you leave the phone in idle state (display off).

Now comes to wall chargers and adaptors. Off the box, normally manufacturer's adaptors charge your phone at an amazing rate. Why? Let's go back to the 4 lines in the USB cable. If the 4 lines in the cable are connected to the 4 pins in the adaptor, your phone will sense that it is in sync mode as if being connected to a USB port. Therefore your phone will command a power draw of maximum 500mA. This has got to do with the USB specs and not to fry the computer USB ports by demanding higher power that it can supply. So does that mean if you connect the USB cable to the wall charger and the other end to your phone, you will only get slow charge rate of 500mA? This is where the manufacturer's adaptor works the magic. Their adaptors have been modified to exclude the 2 data pins so when plugged into your phone, your phone will only sense pure AC charging mode allowing it to draw current up to the maximum limit the adaptor can provide, normally in the range of 1.0A, 1.2A or 2.1A. You are able to charge your phone just fine so why did I mention Apple earlier?

Smartphones are so versatile and mobile now. Your charging woes start once you decide to invest in extra adaptors and car chargers to cater to your mobility needs. It is a hassle to carry only one adaptor so people invest in extra chargers and leave them in convenient places like cars and luggage bags. For years the EU had been pushing for a standardization in USB charging specifications considering the many brands and different types of adaptors available previously. Thanks to them, now we have a standardized mini USB and micro USB charging specs that all manufacturers can adopt. Looking for a charger during emergency is hassle free now since everyone is using the same kind of adaptors. You can easily borrow any USB wall charger from your friends if you need one to charge your phone. Now comes the Apple part. They selfishly ignore the USB standards to come up with their own specs. To charge an Apple device, you need all the 4 pins in the cable and adaptor. They work differently by using the data pins to communicate between the device and the adaptor, then only to decide how much current to draw from the adaptor. By having different standards, Apple is forcing the consumers to buy their overpriced accessories. And they had been using loopholes in order to bypass the EU for having a standardized USB charger.

What has it got to do with non Apple users then? As time passes, the aftermarket accessory manufacturers catch up to come up with their own cables, adaptors and car chargers. Now in order to kill 2 birds with 1 stone, they manufacture adaptors that can work for both Apple and non Apple devices. But by doing this, non Apple users will be short changed. This is because in order to work with Apple devices, the adaptors come in full 4 pins and the 2 data pins are not short-circuited. So when you plug in your phone, it will only sense USB sync mode and draw maximum 500mA even though your adaptor shows higher output. As a consumer, you will be fooled when you buy extra adaptors and car chargers for your needs. Most aftermarket adaptors are labelled to work with both Apple and non Apple devices. But what you don't know is these adaptors are not USB standard which must have the 2 data pins shorted. So thinking you may have bought a slow charger, you move on to buy multiple chargers at higher ratings but only to discover it is still not charging your phone. Your money is wasted and you're fuming, blaming non Apple products are inferior whereas the fault lies with Apple in the first place.

So what can you do? The safest way is to buy the original manufacturer's adaptors. But those come with a slightly higher price tag. And when it comes to car chargers, you won't have many choices unless you buy the aftermarket accessories which most likely are made in China and non-USB compliant with fake compatibility labels. As of this moment, there are only 2 solutions. One is to modify USB cable yourself to short circuit the 2 data lines. The method is available here in this video. The second option is to buy a USB charge only cable. These cables are modified to short out the data lines. But this is a niche market and finding USB charge only cables is hard. Beware of the many made in China cables that label USB charge only but they are not. One way to find out is to plug the cable attached to your phone into the computer. If it detects your phone and allows you to transfer files, then it is not USB charge only cable. I'd recommend you this cable by PortaPow from the UK. By using this cable, you don't have to worry whether the adaptor or car charger is USB standard or not. Just plug this cable in and your phone should charge at the full rated output. There is the 3rd option actually but finding it is like finding a needle in the haystack. You can buy a USB standard car charger but like I said earlier, it may be labelled misleadingly. PortaPow sells car chargers like these that are labelled USB standard but it is up to you to verify with the seller.

Final tips before I end. If you own Samsung phones or as a matter of fact any Android phones, you can easily check whether you are on AC charging or USB (max 500mA) charging when you are connected to the wall or car charger. Simply go to your settings and battery page. It should show you whether it is on AC or USB next to the charging status. If on AC, bravo your phone is charging normally at the maximum output from the adaptor. If USB, it's either your phone is plugged to your computer USB port, or your wall adaptor/car charger is not USB compliant. You've been ripped off, thanks to Apple.

Addendum 1: The downside of using USB charge only cable is you cannot use it for data transfer now. So be sure to label or mark your USB cables correctly to save you the trouble next time from using wrong cables for data transfer between computer and phone.

Addendum 2: Will my device blow if I connect a 2.1A charger (labelled/meant for Ipad) whereas my original manufacturer's adaptor only churns out 1.0A output? The answer is no. Smartphones are smart enough and well protected to accept higher current. In fact the higher amp the better because it will decrease the charging time. If the current exceeds more than the phone can take, it will be smart enough to disconnect while most probably showing a message or icon of incompatible charger.

Addendum 3: Thickness, length and material used in a USB cable also play a role in determining the charge rate. As like any other electricity cables, resistance in the cable decreases current as some escape as heat. Ideally, a 1 meter rounded cable is better than made in China 3 meter noodle thin cable. Less length means less resistance and a thicker cable allows more current to flow through. However there must be a balance between thickness and length. You can forget about those fancy China made colorful noodle thin cables. Not only they are long, the wires inside are just few strands wrung together shoddily. Even if you mod the cable to short out the data lines, a 2.1A input will only output less than 500mA when it reaches your phone.

Addendum 4: Newer phones like the Note 3 shouldn't have any problems charging in any chargers. I presume they have been modded to counter all these thrash aftermarket Iphone only and non USB compliant chargers. But that means they are deviating away from the USB standards. It's a sad day indeed to give in to just one selfish company.

Addendum 5: If you own any portable powerbanks, then you may be in luck finding the cable provided is most likely USB charge only cable. Go ahead and give it a try. Even though short, but hey it's better than nothing. You can use it for your in car charging.

Mini Travel Log: Amsterdam, Holland (4)

It is late autumn transitioning into winter. I wanted to see some nice autumn color but unfortunately the rain followed me to Amsterdam. Undeterred by the rain and cloudy mood, I braved the cold to sight see outside. I was drenched for almost 2 consecutive days but my trusty Canon camera weathered through the rain with no problem. In the end, I was the one that lost the battle to the rain as I caught a cold after that.

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Penang: Pearl of the Orient Reinvented

Under the new administration of Pakatan Rakyat and DAP, they have shown everyone what a clean and corruption free government can do to the country. The Pearl of the Orient of Penang has been reinvented and brought back to its former glory; in terms of economy as well as tourism and heritage preservation. While all the other states are losing money and tourists due to open corruptions and deadly crimes, Penang is the only state making money even with its limited resources. With more money in the coffer, the administration in turn used it to reinvent the tourism sector as well as heritage preservation of the city now that it is recognized under UNESCO's World Heritage Site. Walking on the tourist friendly streets is a pleasure for everyone with informative signboards everywhere to highlight prominent landmarks. Now there is also a new craze in town called the street art hunt initiated by the state government to encourage more tourists in the old streets. I have never felt safer anywhere in Malaysia walking down the heritage trail hunting for street arts, good food and also at the same time learning the history of Penang. Good job CM Lim Guan Eng, DAP and Pakatan Rakyat. You have done us voters and Malaysians proud.

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Mini Travel Log: Rome, Italy

Although this is the second time I visit Rome, this city has never failed to impress me. This is the only city in Europe which is different from the rest of the typical Europe cities. The magnificent and grandeur of the Roman architecture makes the difference. So many structures and buildings not only they are grand and beautiful, they also withstood the test of times. Many structures are more than 2000 years old. It leaves an awe in every tourist. While the new city is built on top of the old, some structures have gone underground. There are numerous excavations in the city to dig up the past and every year, there are numerous new discoveries of the old Roman ruins that tell the story of the great Roman empire. If you are planning a Europe trip, skip a few of those boring European cities but never miss out Rome. All roads lead to Rome so make sure you come here too to relive your own Gladiator days and go home with a story to tell.

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Lake Tekapo

Lake Tekapo is one of the many beautiful lakes surrounded by snow capped alps in South Island of New Zealand. This is a must stop location for the scenic drive from Christchurch to Wellington. The lake is crystal blue in color fresh from the melted glaciers. This place will be UNESCO's first "starlight reserve", the perfect place for stargazing due to unpolluted air. During winter months, visitors will be dazzled by the Southern Lights/Aurora Australis.

My visit this time was definitely too short and at the wrong time when it was too cloudy. I definitely need to return next time on a proper holiday so I can stay a few nights at Lake Tekapo for stargazing activities and also astrophotography to capture the spectacular light shows of the Aurora Australis.

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