random thoughts about nothing really

[browngeek]

KeepGo - Data sim for travelling review

About six months ago I tested out a product called KnowRoaming.  Conclusion was I wasn't sure if this product was for me, especially with the issues I faced with my phone.  KnowRoaming did contact me and looked to improve the product.  I haven't tried it since then though, but might do in the future if they maybe lower prices and increase their coverage (incidentally if you do want to sign up to KnowRoaming and use code RUPSH10 you will get 30% off and US$5 free credit). I did stumble upon another travelling sim product called KeepGo*.  The premise for this is similar, used data when abroad without getting charged for data roaming by your mobile provider.  The execution, however is not the same. With KeepGo you need to buy a separate sim card or mobile hotspot.  You then buy data, rather than paying per day.  The sim card costs US$58.65 and the hotspot costs US$109.65 (these prices are based on using the above referral link which gives a 15% discount, otherwise the regular rates are US$69 for the sim card and US$129 for the mobile hotspot).  With your initial buy you get 1GB worth of data.  This data can be used anywhere where KeepGo has coverage (i.e. an agreement with a local provider).  At present KeepGo has coverage in 64 territories.  Coverage in North America and Europe is pretty solid, but in Asia you are limited to just China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand. I decided to give the KeepGo sim a try.  For shipping they offer free delivery within North America and Europe, but shipping to Asia is not cheap, at US$20.  Luckily, as I had family coming over from the UK, I was able to ship there for free and family brought the sim package with them. You get a nice little sim kit, which is the size of a credit card.  The actual sim is a Nano sim, but the kit comes with different types of adaptors:

The sim kit also comes with basic instructions to get the sim working (either enter the information manually, or download the relevant app Android / ios and install via the apps.  At its very basic, for the sim to work you need to make sure data roaming is enabled and the relevant KeepGo apn is saved (and obviously you will need to swap out your regular sim with the KeepGo sim when abroad).  I found the android app to be quite basic, and not really that informative.  For example to find out your remaining balance, you had to type in the last six digits of your sim number every time.  The app however did have a bunch of useful information and help guides (which were missing from the KeepGo website). The KeepGo sim should automatically select a network if you are in one of its coverage territories (otherwise it won't work).  My phone is a dual sim phone, so the network wasn't selected automatically and I had to manually select the network.  KeepGo keeps a list of its network partners. I used the sim when I had a layover in Germany and again for a weekend trip to Bangkok.  Overall, apart from having to select the networks manually, the service worked great.  There were some minor network issues in Bangkok, but this was to do with KeepGo's partner network there, rather than KeepGo itself.  Connection speeds were great (3G services only, which is advisable anyway, as you are being charged per data rather than per day / hour, etc).  In terms of actual data used, I only used about 100MB of data, which included checking emails, basic web-browsing, various messaging and Google Maps. The 1GB data has an expiry of one year, and if you top up, that expiry extends by another year.  Top up prices vary from US$49 for 1GB to US$194 for 5GB (US$38.8 per GB).  These are supposed to be "promotion" prices, but seem to be the regular price. So, is KeepGo worth it?  While actually using the data sim is fine, there are quite a few issues with the service.  Clearly, if travelling, getting a local sim card is by far the cheapest option.  Also, if you intend to use a lot of data while abroad, KeepGo is going to work out very expensive, and there are going to be cheaper options (such as higher a mobile hotspot for a daily fixed fee).  The coverage, especially in Asia is limited.  Whilst KeepGo does cover China, their roaming partner is China Mobile, which does not have a standard 3G network, so you would be limited to 2G speeds there.  The sim is limited to data only, and whilst it is possible to make voip calls, this will chew up into your data allowance.  Another Asia consideration is the expensive cost of receiving the sim kit, for the size of the kit, a US$20 charge is frankly way overpriced.  At the very least, if KeepGo can sort out better coverage in Asia and lower the price of receiving the sim kit in the region, I think their proposition would be a bit more appealing.   However where I can see KeepGo being utilised is for things like stopgaps away from wifi points (such as in your hotel) and you need something while away from wifi points to check messages and use Google Maps.  In my case I found it useful for a short trip to Bangkok, where I didn't need / want to hassle of sorting out a local prepaid sim card (which requires some registration details). [* referral link]

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[browngeek]

Leaving Google Apps

Intro

Several years ago I decided to get a Google Apps (GApps) account.  Back then a GApps for domains account was free.  I was swayed by various articles of purchasing my own domain and having my own “unique” email address: Why You Should Use Google Apps With a Personal Domain Instead of Your Gmail Account.  Yes, it was very much a vanity project.  Purchasing the personal domain was reasonably cheap and getting a GApps account was free.  GApps was great for personal domains, although it was clearly geared towards businesses signing up to Google’s paid services.  Back in 2012 Google pulled the free version of GApps with existing users being grandfathered in, so far so good.

So why the change of heart?  A few reasons.  The price of the domain I have keeps on increasing.  It’s not a very popular top level domain, so only a few providers register that domain, meaning not a lot of price competition.  On top of that GApps is often slower on getting features Google rolls out, as these need to be tested before they get rolled out to their business users.  However, at the same time the legacy GApps accounts ends up missing out on some features that paid accounts get.  And finally, the vanity factor has worn off (yes I can be fickle).

I therefore decided to start using my personal Google account which I had always maintained but stopped using, migrate my online life back to this account and eventually stop paying for my domain and shut down my GApps account.  So, no problem, just migrate over all your emails, contacts, calendar information extra to your Google account?  Yep, if only life were so straightforward.  Google does not have a simple way of migrating from GApps to a regular Google account, so you have to migrate over in a piecemeal manner.  Along with various google searches on the top, Howtogeek’s guide How to Migrate your Google Account from one to another proved very useful.  Google also have information on their help pages, but this was more of a trawl.

Google does offer something called Takeout, where you are able to download all your google account data, however that is really all you can do with it, there is no ability to automatically transfer it anywhere.

As mentioned the migration is very much a piecemeal approach, so I will break this down into the various services that were migrated over, however one service I did use allowed for a bit more of an integrated migration, Migrator by Backupify.  This allows you to migrate to and from GApps accounts, including transferring to a Google account.  They offer one transfer for free and you are able to transfer over your gmail, calendar, drive and contacts.  Set up is relatively painless, all done through their online console.  You are required to link Migrator with both your GApps and Google account.  You basically select which service you want to migrate over and then let Migrator do its work.  It will then notify you when everything is transferred over.  Nothing from the old account gets deleted though.

Gmail

This is probably where I had most of my content, basically a lot of emails.  The Howtogeek guide suggests using a method involving Thunderbird and transferring the emails via imap.  Basically pulling emails from one gmail account to your computer and then transferring them over to the other gmail account.  I tested this on some folders and it worked fine, although it took a bit of time.

In the end though I used Migrator for my emails.  It was pretty painless.  All messages moved over, along with their corresponding labels.  Took about 2-3 hours for all the emails to be migrated over.  There were a few things that required manual updating / exporting including filters, other accounts and general settings.  The Howtogeek guide helped with exporting over the filters.

At present I am forwarding all my GApps emails to my Google account email.  About a month before I delete my GApps account I will set an out of office stating that the GApps email address will stop working.  I have gone through and changed my contact email address for the majority of the services I use and will eventually update my contacts of my change of email address.  Also whenever a contact emails me to my GApps email, I will reply using my Google account email.

Contacts

I initially used the Migrator service to transfer my contacts over.  This was fine, but it also transferred over not just “my contacts” but also “other contacts” and added the “other contacts” to the “my contacts” in my Gmail account.  “Other contacts” is basically anyone not in your address book (i.e. “my contacts”) that you have emailed.  I find this feature useful, because of gmail’s autocomplete, but as these are often just random email addresses without any other information, I don’t want them sitting in “my contacts”.

I restarted by deleting all contacts in my Gmail account and exported over using the manual export “cvs” option in GApps contacts and then importing the “cvs” file to my Gmail account.  The only issue was contact photos were not transferred over.

Calendar

Again, I used Migrator for this.  No hiccups, everything transferred over without a hiccup.  The Howtogeek suggests a simple manual export and import, which also works fine.

Google Drive

I have quite a few documents stored in Google Drive, and some of the folders are shared.  My initial migration method was to install the Google Drive app on my computer, download all my GApps Google Drive documents, then sign out and sign in again using my Gmail account information.  All documents did upload to my Gmail account Google Drive, but it was not converted to Google format, meaning no editing of documents in Google Drive.

  I ended up deleting everything in my Google Drive folder and tried using Migrator.  This worked, with everything being in Google format, so editing on the documents was possible.  The date of all the documents was the date that they got transferred over though.  Also I had to re-enable some shared documents and folders.

Pictures

While I have several thousand emails with my account, I have about 8GB of data through pictures backed up with to my GApps account.  The photo backups started before Google offered unlimited photo storage.

The Migrator service does not work for google photos, so I used the Google Takeout service to download all my photos.  Due to the size, it took about 30 minutes for Google to create the zip files for download, and then these were spread over 5 different files.  I then used the Google photos desktop uploader to upload the photos to my Google account.  The Ghacks article on saving google drive space came in use.  I basically opted for the unlimited backup option to save space on my Google account (which had about half the amount of storage space than my GApps account).  The photos uploaded overnight, due to the number of photos.  Once uploaded for some reason duplicates were created.  I could not figure out why this had occurred and the only way to clear it up was to manually delete the duplicated, which was a bit cumbersome.  

Miscellaneous services

Keep - Was done by sharing my Keep notes on my GApps account with my Google account, then deleting the share on my Google account.

YouTube - There was no way to save my subscriptions and watch later videos, so I had to manually add no subscriptions and watch later videos to my Google account.

Google+ - There was no way of transferring over this data, but as I am not a big Google+ user, there were no issues in starting afresh.

Google Finance - I was able to save my GApps account portfolio as an “ofx” file and then upload it to my Google account.  The only problem was the values did not match up.  I ended up having to input the data in manually.

Hangouts - I don’t use this service that much so I was not bothered about transferring any data over.

Google Voice - Even though I am not in the US, I do have a Google Voice number.  This was very simple, I just followed the procedures provided by Google.  If only Google could have such easy procedures for migrating over their other services.

Android

All of the above took me a few days, and quite a few services are covered.  The most time consuming issues revolved around migrating the Google services I use involving Android, which took me a few weeks to sort out.

Back when I got my GApps account it was not possible to have multiple Google accounts on an Android device (it is now possible to have multiple Google accounts on Android).  As a result I decided to use my GApps account as my main account for Android.  

Google Play Store purchases

Through my GApps account I have downloaded many apps and made numerous app purchases.  As these app purchases are tied down to your account, Google have said there is no way of migrating them over to a new account.  I had found that quite a few people were in the same position as me and I had even spoken directly to Google Play support about this (both over the phone and via email) and they said the only way round it was to speak to the app developers directly to see if they could refund my old purchase on my GApps account, if I re-purchase the app on my Google account.

I went through all my app purchases and contacted each developer separately.  Some apps are no longer maintained and in quite a few cases the developers never responded to me.  However, with the main apps I use, quite a few of the developers responded.  Out of those that responded, some were willing to give me refunds and some were not.  Luckily the ones that did offer me refunds were often for apps I had spent the most amount of money on.  I was refunded by the method I paid for the app, which in most cases was through Google Play credit.

Google Play credit balance

There is no way of automatically transferring your Google Play credit from one Google account to another.  Luckily as a one off, Google were willing to manually transfer the credit over from my GApps account to my Google account.  This did involve a phone call to Google Wallet at [phone].  You have to make sure that the addresses on both accounts are the same, but otherwise the process was relatively painless.

Android Apps

The only way I could find in moving over my apps from one account to another was by adding my Google account to my Android and going through all my presently installed apps, and then re-installing them via my Google account.  This was a pain and had to be done on each Android device I had.  I then deleted my GApps account from my Android devices.  If I had left both account on my Android device, Google was trying to sync both accounts, which resulted in battery drain and a lot of duplicate information.  I did try turning off autosync on my GApps account, but any information already synced remained.

For any apps that I had previously purchased on my GApps account that I could not get a refund for, even after deleting my GApps account from my Android device, they still work, but I don’t think I will be able to get any updates for them.  I have backed up these apps in Titanium Backup in case have to factory reset my phone.

Final thoughts

As shown above, changing over from a GApps account to a Google account is a very involved process, with the added problems involving Google Play / Android.  If Google Play / Android were not a factor, the change over would probably have been a bit more straightforward (and quicker).

I am now pretty much migrated over and I will close my GApps account just before my domain expires at the end of the year.  According to Google, when you shut down an account, everything gets deleted automatically.  However, just to be safe, I will manually delete as much information as possible before shutting down my GApps account.

I guess the above migration summary would also apply for moving over from one Google account to another or also from moving a Google account to a GApps account, so am hoping this will prove as a useful guide to others who might need to go through the process.  From my above experience, if you already have a Google account and are thinking of changing it or moving to GApps, keep your existing Google account for your Android stuff and only migrate over the non Android related services.

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[browngeek]

KnowRoaming review

I finally got to test the KnowRoaming sim sticker out on a recent trip to Singapore (I originally wanted to test it out on previous trip to South Korea, but I just could not get the service to work.  Sorry, didn’t take any photos of the sim sticker, etc but the KnowRoaming website does explain everything in quite a bit of detail, including various Youtube videos.

Just to back-up a bit, what is KnowRoaming?  Basically it is a service whereby you place a specially designed sticker (that has various sim contacts) over your existing sim card.  You then use your sim card as you would usually do.  With Android phones, KnowRoaming utilises the Sim application toolkit (Sim Toolkit).  When you are in your “home” country you use your phone as usual.  However the magic is supposed to happen when you are abroad.  When abroad, you use the KnowRoaming service to help reduce roaming rates.  The ultimate benefit is for data roaming, where, you are charged about US$8 a day in countries where KnowRoaming has an agreement.  At moment the coverage includes most of Europe and North America (but not Canada) and some parts of Asia Pacific (the Asia Pacific coverage is limited to the bigger economies and at present China isn’t covered).  US$8 a considerably cheaper than what local networks are charging for data roaming (for example with Hong Kong mobile carriers daily data roaming rates are roughly US$17 – 25 a day).  You can also benefit from cheaper call and SMS rates.

So that’s the theory, how was it in practice?  I should point out, I’m basing my experience on an Android phone (Sony Xperia D6633, which is a dual sim phone).  The procedures for iphones may vary slightly.

Overall I was able to get the service to work, but this was after numerous emails to KnowRoaming support and many phone restarts, going into Sim Toolkit.

Applying the sim sticker was generally fine, just follow the instructions provided by KnowRoaming.  What I did find though, was that after the sticker was applied, putting the sim back into the phone, was a bit of a tighter squeeze (no surprise there though).  You then download the Knowroaming app and this is where things are supposed to run.  With Android, you have a constant notification with the Sim Toolkit, which can be annoying.  This can be turned off, but you need to email KnowRoaming support for instructions.  While in your “home” country, there is really no difference from using your phone as normal.

You can purchase 1 day, 3 day or 7 days data passes, however the price still works out at about US$8 a day.  Reason for purchasing multi day passes is you don’t need to worry about buying a pass daily, which can be important (more details below).  You can purchase the passes before you get to your destination, but they can only be activated when you are using the KnowRoaming sim.

Now when abroad what should theoretically happen is that you should automatically switch over to the KnowRoaming sim.  You do need to have data roaming enabled.  You should know the KnowRoaming sim is working, because this should be updated on the Sim Toolkit and on the KnowRoaming app, which should show the KnowRoaming sim as the active sim.  Once this happens, you need to update your APN but this wasn’t working.  This is where things got a bit convoluted for me.  While Sim Toolkit was showing the KnowRoaming sim as active, the KnowRoaming app wasn’t.  Also it seems I was not being connected to a network.  After emailing support I basically had to go through a 12 step process of disabling the KnowRoaming service and then re-enabling it.  After that the APN worked.  Word of caution here, the minute the APN starts working and you are abroad, data starts getting used.  This means any credit you have starts getting eaten.  You need to activate your pre-purchased data pass ASAP.  This is quite annoying I have to say.  And this is why, if you can, you might want to purchase the multi day packages, because once your package runs out, your prepaid credit will get eaten up.

I noticed that while Sim Toolkit was showing I was using the KnowRoaming sim, the KnowRoaming app had me on my “home” sim.  There were a lot of emails with support to try and fix this.  This involved things like reinstalling the KnowRoaming app, logging in and out of the app and manually disabling the service and re-enabling it, but to no avail.  This did mean to that it took a few tries to actually get my data service to be activated.  The data service was working fine once activated, but I would not be able to activate another day’s service, unless the KnowRoaming app shows you on the Knowroaming service.  Speaking of the app, I did find using it quite cumbersome, and sometimes took a few key presses to actually get it to react.  The problem was down to the fact I was using a dual sim phone.  It seems the KnowRoaming app does not like dual sim phones.  I have a dual sim phone so I can keep my work number and personal number on the same phone.  The only way I was able to get the KnowRoaming app to work was to disable my other sim card.

So what do I think of the service?  When it works it’s great.  The price point is probably very good for a weekend trip, anything longer, you are probably better off getting a local sim card.  This is the perspective of an individual user.  For a business, the KnowRoaming service does has some obvious benefits.  You save on data roaming and your employees don’t have to mess about with changing sim cards, etc.  However the setup of the service (especially the first time round) is a bit convoluted, which I can see people being put off by.  KnowRoaming support is very responsive, but I found they didn’t really solve my problem (this was down to me trying different things out).

Would I use this service again?  That really depends.  The fact that for me, I had to turn off my other sim card, this is really not practical.  If they are able to deal with this issue with their app, then maybe I would use the service.  I also feel it needs to be a bit more “user friendly”.  I am reasonably technologically capable, but I could see the likes of my wife or some of my colleagues struggling to deal with the service if things do not work.  If KnowRoaming are able to sort their app and the process of using their service out, then I would maybe use it again.  I would definitely use it again if they bring the price of their data plan down and also increase their coverage, especially in Asia Pacific.  At the moment, as it presently stands, I won’t be using their service.

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[browngeek]

IDrive mobile backup US$9 "lifetime" and "unlimited"

Saw this on Android Police: [Deal Alert] Get Unlimited Mobile Cloud Backup From IDrive For $10 Basically you pay US$9 (price is US$10, but then you use "HAPPYCM10" code for an extra US$1 off).  The deal is via StackSocial. You are supposed to get "unlimited" backup for "life". Lets see how either statement stands the test of time though. I do already have the likes of Dropbox, Google photo sync, etc, but all of these have a finite storage limit. I decided to sign up as I think it would be a good way to back up videos and photos on my phone. The app itself is pretty basic and nothing compared to Dropbox or Google drive, but it allows for scheduled backups and should be fine for a purely backing up solution. Also IDrive claim that all the data is encrypted. However I do note under settings in the IDrive Android app that my IDrive quota is set at "1000.00GB" and my plan is showing as "Mobile Unlimited Lifetime Yearly".

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[browngeek]

Data roaming - Hong Kong based options

About four years ago I noted that Hong Kong mobile operators were offering what I thought was something quite innovative, daily data roaming rates: Hong Kong mobile daily data roaming.  When you are travelling and you want to use data, rather than paying the high roaming per MB rate, you just pay a fixed rate on a daily basis. The mobile landscape both in Hong Kong and abroad has changed a lot since 2010, however it seems not much has really changed on the roaming front for Hong Kong operators.  All the operators still offer these daily data roaming options and the number of countries covered has increased, but it seems so has the price, and in some cases there are other restrictions. Mobile networks like T-Mobile in the USA and Three in the UK have now provide data roaming to their customers to certain destinations at no extra charge. The cheapest way to get data when travelling is probably just to pick up a local sim card.  This can sometimes be tricky and will often involve a bit of pre-planning.  Also for short trips it may not be cost effective.  The options for local sim cards is constantly changing, requiring you to check the situation before you arrive at your destination.  Sites like the Flyertalk Forum are a useful source to check the latest information. Another development has been the increased use of global sim cards, which cover many countries.  There are quite a few products out there, but they do seem quite expensive and seem only to bill on a per MB basis, rather than a flat rate (although there are some that do bill on a flat rate basis).  I have not found any global sim product that offers a decent data roaming rate, although happy to be proved wrong. One product that does seem attractive is called KnowRoaming.  Based on what I have read the way the service works is you place a sticker over your existing sim card.  Using the accompanying smartphone app, when you travel, rather than using your existing mobile provider's roaming services you end up using the KnowRoaming service instead.  They have agreements in place in about 55 countries, including a few in Asia Pacific.  Their daily data roaming rate is US$8 (c. HK$62).  The sim card costs US$30 with US$5 for shipping and at the moment they are offering US$15 of credit when you register the sim card. HK$62 a day for data roaming is probably more expensive than if you buy a local sim card, but there is the obvious convenience factor of using KnowRoaming and also the KnowRoaming rate is much cheaper than any of the Hong Kong mobile providers daily data roaming rates.  Also another benefit is that while most of the Hong Kong operators (apart from csl) base the daily rate on Hong Kong time, KnowRoaming bases the daily rate on your destination. I have not tried KnowRoaming yet, but am very interested with its service and as a result I have ordered the sim sticker and will see how it goes when I visit a country that the service covers.  As for the Hong Kong operators, some of them have now launched prepaid data sim products specially for the Asia Pacific region.  Depending on the operator countries covered include China, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan and Malaysia.  Prices and terms do vary, but expect to pay about HK$200 - 300 for about 4 to 5 days of service. Below is a brief summary of the various network operator's contract and prepaid data roaming offerings.  However for full information, especially about restrictions, maximum allowable data, how to activate the service and top-ups do visit the relevant operator website for full terms and conditions. China Mobile Contract - HK$38 - 98 a day depending on destination - 101 destinations - Day is based on Hong Kong time Prepaid - Specific sim cards for South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore - Sim card costs HK$288. Duration and maximum data varies depending on country - One time use, no top-ups possible CSL Contract - HK$198 a day/destination - 143 destinations - Day is based on destination Prepaid - Countries covered include China, Macau, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand - HK$198 for 5 days, capped at 500MB - Top-up of HK$40 per 100MB/day - Day is based on Hong Kong time - Cannot top-up for 5 days again - Card validity - 180 days Three Contract 3Roam Data Plan - HK$38 a day/destination at 5MB - Thereafter HK$10 per MB, capped at HK$268 a day/desitnation - 126 destinations - Europe classed as one destination - Day is based on Hong Kong time Data Roaming Daily Pass - HK$138 - 198 to 98 a day/destination depending on destination - 126 destinations - Europe classed as one destination - Day is based on Hong Kong time Prepaid China / Macau - HK$68 for 3 day pass, capped at 150MB - Card face value: HK$98 Asia Pacific - South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia - HK$248 for 4 day pass - Card face value: HK$288 All other destinations - Use the Data Prepaid sim - Daily data rate of HK$98 - 168 a day/destination depending on destination - 17 destinations - Card face value: HK$198 In all cases - Top up possible - Day is based on Hong Kong time - China / Macau & Asia Pacific sim card validity is 60 days - Data prepaid sim card validity is 180 days Smartone - Contract only - HK$168 per day/destination at 50MB - Additional HK$168 per extra 50MB - Unused 50MB free data can be rolled over to roaming data pack usage day - Over 140 destinations - Day is based on Hong Kong time

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[browngeek]

Reshipping to Hong Kong

Hong Kong has historically been known as a shopping paradise, partly due to the fact that there are not sales taxes in Hong Kong.  However, very often, things are much cheaper in other countries and/or you can't get certain products in Hong Kong, but this is not unique to just Hong Kong.  Often online stores, like amazon.com have some very good deals, but they will only ship within the USA. Often retailers will only ship within their countries.  The result has been the growth of "reshipping" companies.  At its most basic, when you sign up to one of these reshipping companies, you are given an address in the relevant country (for argument's sake, the USA).  When you buy something from an online store in the USA, you provide the shipping information you have been given from the reshipping company.  The items are delivered from the online store to the reshipping company, who then deliver the item to you in Hong Kong.  You obviously have to pay for the shipping from the USA to Hong Kong, but often the savings are greater. Some well known companies include Borderlinx* and ComeGateway to name a few.  Their websites are very user friendly and they take their time explaining the various procedures.  One of the downsides with these bigger companies is that, unless you are ordering quite a lot of goods, your reshipping fee can be quite high. I was looking to buy a relatively small item from a US website and was recommended a company called USADirect, which generally offers cheaper shipping fees from the USA to Hong Kong for smaller items, so I thought I would give it a go (this is actually the first time I would be using a USA reshipping company). The sign up process was pretty straightforward, and once you were signed up, you were given your unique shipping address in the USA.  When I bought my item, for the billing address (which was USA only) I used my HK address but had to make up my "State" and "Zip code".  Note, depending on your credit card issuer, your mileage may vary on your success rate for this.  For the shipping address, I used the address provided to my by USADirect (note, you need to put in the address exactly as stated by USADirect). One thing to point out, the USADirect warehouse is in New York State, which attracts sales tax.  Other reshipping companies normally use Oregon for their warehouse, as there is no sales tax.  The reason USADirect use New York State is as follows: "New York is a metropolis like Hong Kong, with well-developed transport network. It brings with lower delivery fee due to the cheaper transportation cost to the airport. However, there is sales tax......As for Oregon, it is a relatively remote place in USA. Less developed transport network leads to higher delivery cost and longer delivery time (14 working days or more). Since there is no sales tax, it would be advised for delivery expensive items (cost USD100 or more), like luxury goods, electrical appliances etc."  Also note, USADirect's shipping fee from Oregon is higher. Once the item arrived at USADirect's New York warehouse it was shipped to Hong Kong.  USADirect normally ship out to Hong Kong once a week, basically they will put all their customer orders in a bigger pallet to be flown out to Hong Kong. Once my item arrived in Hong Kong I was notified by USADirect to pay for the shipping from the USA to the USADirect warehouse in Hong Kong.  This was based on volumetric weight (more on that later).  I had to pay USADirect for the shipping fee, for insurance and also for processing the delivery from their warehouse to my location.  This involved depositing HK$100 with them either by PayPal (where they would impose a 5% handling fee) or by direct bank transfer.  Package was then delivered a few days later by local courier (SF Express), for whom I had to pay an additional HK$9 directly to the local courier. I had originally ordered my item on 16 October and it arrived to me in Hong Kong on 3 November.  USADirect do claim 7-10 business days, so this is within their time frame. The price of my item was US$30.  The cost of shipping in total worked out as follows: c.HK$21 in state taxes, HK$58 for shipping to Hong Kong, HK$8 for insurance (mandatory), HK$10 for USADirect arranging paperwork with local courier and HK$9 for local courier making the total shipping at around HK$106.  If I was to compare using Borderlinx for the same parcel size the shipping fee would have been about HK$200.  Note, though USADirect does give the option to pick up the package directly from their warehouse in Mongkok. The kicker for me was the size of the actual parcel that the online retailer had shipped the product in.  As you can see from the photo the size of the box of the actual product compared the shipping box is MUCH bigger:

So while my package only weighed 0.32kg, its volumetric weight 0.79kg.  If the shipping package had been closer to the size of the box of the product the volumetric weight would have been 0.5kg.  Based on USADirect's calculations that would have made my total reshipping for closer to HK$82. One thing that the bigger companies do offer includes repackaging, to deal with issues like the above and to reduce the volumetric weight.  Some of the of the providers offer this complimentary and some offer it for a fee.  If I had used Borderlinx to repackage to a smaller size the total shipping fees would have come down to around HK$167, so still more expensive than USADirect. This was my first attempt as using a reshipping company.  Overall the USADirect package did arrive, although it took longer than I was expecting (but within their suggested timeframe) and sometimes the process felt a bit confusing (partly because the website doesn't have a lot of information).  However when I did need help, their Facebook page was very helpful, questions would normally be answered within a few hours. I think for low value items that you are in no significant hurry to get, USADirect is a very good option.  The bigger players though are starting to market quite aggressively in Hong Kong now and a few of them have tie ups with various credit card companies in Hong Kong, making the reshipping even cheaper than usual.  

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[browngeek]

Cheeky cross border HKD fees

As most people know credit card companies normally charge a fee when you use your credit card abroad (this is normally about 1% charged by Amex/Visa/Mastercard and another 0.95% charged by your credit card company) and you DON'T get charged when you use your credit card in your home country using your home currency. Also, most credit card companies won't charge you for transactions made abroad in your home currency.  This is often the case for example when buying something online, or when you end up paying via Dynamic Currency Conversion (something you should not be doing though, as although its for your "convenience" the exchange rate used is pretty high). However it seems quite a few credit card companies in Hong Kong are bringing changes to their terms and conditions which impose a 0.8% charge for HKD transactions which did not occur in Hong Kong.  For examples the terms of my Dah Sing credit card read: "Transaction Fee for Cross-border Transaction: (Applicable to Settling Foreign Currency Transaction in Hong Kong Dollars) 0.80% on the transaction amount in Hong Kong currency made outside of Hong Kong or at any merchants not registered in Hong Kong". The major issue here is for online purchases, where you may not know if the merchant is not making the transaction from Hong Kong or not (even if the merchant is registered in Hong Kong).  Good common examples include PayPal (transaction is booked in Singapore), Google Play (transactions is booked in the UK) and expedia.com.hk (transaction is booked in France). Apart from Dah Sing bank, some other major credit card providers charge this 0.80% fee, including China Construction Bank, Citibank Mastercard and Fubon Bank Mastercard to name a few. A forum post on HongkongCard.com has a useful list of credit card providers that have this handling charge, along with a list of popular online retailers that process the transaction outside of Hong Kong but charge in HKD: 0.8% Cross-border transaction in HKD handling charge w.e.f. 1 Jun 14 - online non-HK merchants In any case, you should check the terms and conditions of your credit card, especially if you use it for online HKD transactions.

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[browngeek]

Hong Kong stop and search

OK, so its not happened for a few months, but just want to check what my rights are when I get stopped and searched. As a person of the slightly darker complexion I do get stopped and searched once in a while. Obviously it is not because I am brown but because the police have a suspicion that I am "behaving suspiciously". Maybe that is because I am a "person of colour" walking the streets of Hong Kong, but whatever. Now every time I've been stopped and questioned I have also been searched because "If a police officer finds any person whom he reasonably suspects of having committed or of being about to commit or of intending to commit any offence, he can search him/her for anything that is likely to be of value to the investigation of any offence that the person has committed, or is reasonably suspected of having committed or of being about to commit or of intending to commit". Never once have I been told the reason of the search, but apparently: "Without prejudicing operational efficiency, a police officer will inform a person of the reason for a search and the intended scope of the search, prior to conducting a search." I now request the badge numbers and branch locations of the officers who are carrying out their duties, something I previously did not. For some reason this seems to spook the officers a bit and all of a sudden they become a bit more polite (when before they would be slightly aggressive and condescending). When I mention my job its quite funny, they finish the search very very quickly and become extremely apologetic! Maybe I should lead with this first, but really that should not be the point. Some more information from the police website

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[browngeek]

All things Nexus and Lolipop

Google announced some major updates to its Nexus range and the new Android version yesterday: Android: be together, not the same.  Basically announced a new phone (Nexus 6), a new tablet (Nexus 9), a new streaming device (Nexus Player) and an update to Android (Lolipop).  Apart from the Nexus Player, all the announcements were pretty much expected. Android Police has provided a very good summary of everything announced yesterday: [All The Things] Here Are All Of Google's New Android 5.0 Lollipop And Nexus Announcements My initial thoughts: - Nexus 6: very big and is now priced at flagship high end territory. Specs are clearly flagship though. They have also clearly gone for the phablet route, copying pretty much most Android players now (and Apple). However, I think people have been used to cheaper Nexus phones over the years, with not necessarily flagship specs though. In this case though, it does means the N6 going to have to justify its price and compete with the likes of the Note 4, LG3, HTC One M8, Samsung S5, etc and, hate to say it, the iphone 6s. Previously I would not consider a Nexus phone competing with an iphone, but now they have gone down the flagship route..... - Nexus 9: Again flagship specs. Going to replace the Nexus 7 and 10. Price seems about right though. Have to see how battery fares and bit disappointed they didn't offer a 64GB model. Nexus Player - Bit of a surprise. While everyone was expecting the N6 & 9 due to the massive leaks, there had been no leaks about a Nexus Player. Price is competitive and clear competition to the Amazon Flyer TV and Roku boxes. Competitive pricing as well. However lack of ethernet is a shame. Lolipop: Due to the preview releases everyone knows in effect what to expect from this. Will be available for my current devices (N5, N7 & Moto G (2013)), so that is good. I am looking forward to Google working on sorting out battery life, which is a major issue especially on my N5. So far there have been no indications on Hong Kong availability. I think at the very least the N6 and N9 will be available in Hong Kong eventually (probably not initial launch). I am, however not sure whether the Nexus Player will be available in Hong Kong, however am hopeful. Out of the announcements I am looking forward to the N9 and the Nexus Player. I will probably end up buying the N9 when it is available in Hong Kong, and may consider getting the Nexus Player.

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[browngeek]

Hong Kong mobile networks MTR / Tunnel / Administrative fee increases

As many of you know all Hong Kong mobile networks charge an arbitrary monthly MTR / Tunnel / MTR fee which for some reason isn't quoted on their headline rates, but is mentioned in the small print. Why this just isn't shown as part of the phone tariff is anyone's guess, but this is Hong Kong where consumer protection laws really don't mean anything. Historically all providers charged HK$12 a month. However this has now changed as follows: HKT / PCCW / CSL / Sun (ex New World Mobility) - HK$18 Smartone - HK$18 Three - HK$12 China Mobile - HK$12 So basically two players (one of them being the major dominant player) have now increased the fee from HK$12 to HK$18 a month. I don't know if this applies to existing customers or just new customers only, but do keep an eye out on your phone bills or notices.

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[browngeek]

LastPass premium one year free (new customers)

Can't take credit for finding out about this deal, it was from here originally: Business as Usual: LastPass Premium - Free for 1 Year Appsumo are offering LastPass premium for one year free, that's a saving of US$12. Originally it seemed the deal was available to existing users, but Appsumo have now changed the promotion so that it only applies to new users: Free Year of LastPass Premium I've used LastPass for a few years and think its great. What is LastPass?  Basically it is a password manager.  I know some people are uncomfortable about storing their passwords with other companies, etc, so I guess that is their choice. However if you are happy using a password manager, you may want to give this one a try. [Selfish plug here! If you decide you just want to sign up to LastPass premium and pay, use my referral link here! http://ift.tt/1mUVRGW]

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[browngeek]

The (live TV streaming) party is over

Back in February I wrote about a couple of options of live TV streaming: Live TV in Hong Kong, a whole new level.  I had compared two boxes, the Maige box and an Android box. Since February, at home we had pretty much settled for the Maige box and it has been great for the World Cup as well. However, it seems the party is over, as yesterday the Maige box was all over the news and several people were arrested by HK Customs officers for breaching copyright law in HK.  Here is the article in the Hong Kong Standard newspaper: Customs nabs World Cup TV cheats. I had stated previously that using these boxes were clearly not completely legal and there was no guarantee that their services would continue working, so I guess I cannot be surprised if the service does stop working. And, last night the Maige box was no longer working in Hong Kong.  It seems that Maige has blocked Hong Kong IP addresses from accessing its servers.  I was able to connect via a VPN (by setting up VPN access on my router) and using a US IP address.  However if I was to use that all the time, all my traffic would route to the US IP address, considerably slowing down my internet connection.  Also, I guess the long term question is will the Maige service eventually shut down in its entirety, I guess there is no guarantee that it will continue running, especially now that it has caught the eye of law enforcement agencies in Hong Kong.  I have no doubt that the Hong Kong authorities will be in touch with their counterparts in China.  We all know that China is a haven for counterfeit goods and products, however in this instance some big Hong Kong billionaires are involved and it is extremely likely that they will exert their influence. It however seems, that at present, the Android box remains to work, but at the moment the big downside with the Android box is that it doesn't have many sports channels showing the World Cup. Oh well, I guess all good things must come to an end.

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[browngeek]

Spring cleanout, SELL SELL SELL!!!

It's the start of May and its time to clean out some stuff that I've been meaning to sell for a while. More complete details of the stuff I'm selling, including photos, are linked below.  Unless I know you well, no shipping, and everything will be sold in person in Hong Kong:

Android TV Box - HK$1,000

HP ProLiant N40L server - HK$1,000

Nikon D90, 2 lenses, 2 bags & accessories - HK$8,500

Logitech Bluetooth keyboard for tablets - HK$500

Raspberry Pi & 8GB SD card - HK$300

Asus Eee PC 700 - HK$200

Broadcom mini PCI wifi card - HK$150

 Get in contact with me if you are interested in any of the above items.

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[browngeek]

Live TV in HK a whole new level

A few weeks ago I had written about looking into buying a TV streaming media box. I decided against the UKTV box, basically due to ongoing costs. Through the helpful people on the Hong Kong Geoexpat forum another media box was brought to my attention, basically an Android media box.  There are literally hundreds of these types of Android boxes out there, but the one suggested by one of the members of Geoexpat did peek my interest. Basically I was now debating whether to buy the Maige box or this Android box.  The way I saw it the Maigie boxes benefits was that it was purely a live streaming service and would have lots more channels.  However the Android box would have the ability to do much more, such as adding additional apps (like for example the Plex app). Where to buy - SSP Apliu Street Last weekend I ended up heading to Sham Shui Po to check out both boxes.  According to the forums a market stall seller on Apliu Street was selling these boxes.  The instructions were to take exit C2 at SSP MTR station and take a right, with the stall being about 50 metres up, on the left hand side.  Another helpful Geoexpat member has sent a Google Maps link with the location: http://goo.gl/maps/eRLvS. I found the stall quite easily, here is a picture of the stall:

There were a bunch of other sellers on Apliu Street selling streaming boxes, but only this seller was selling the Maigie box.  Two stalls down, an example of another seller selling Android boxes:

I played around with both the Maige box and the Android box and remained undecided.  The seller's English wasn't the best but he was generally a friendly chap.  He offered the Maige box for HK$2,200 (I have heard from others that he sometimes starts at a higher price, but with me, he offered it at HK2,200 straight away).  He was offering the Android box for HK$1,200. In a moment of weakness I ended up buying both boxes!!  Total price for the two boxes was HK$3,200. The Boxes Here are pictures of the boxes side by side (left is the Android and right is the Maige):

Here is a picture of their remotes (left Android, right Maige):

And a photo of the packaging they came in (top Maige, bottom Android):

Maige The Maige box came with a power cable (China two pin), video cables, HDMI cable, ethernet cable and a remote control.  As you can see from the back of the box the inputs include standard video, digital and HDMI.  You connect the box to the internet via ethernet, there is an optional USB wifi dongle, which the man at the market stall will sell you for around HK$60. When turning the Maige box on, everything was in Chinese.  I was able to find my way into the settings section and change to English.

Here is the main screen for the Maige:

As you can see, even though I changed the settings to English, the information is partly in Chinese.  As you can see there are four basic options, TV, On demand, Player and Settings.  The Player option allows you to connect an external hard drive and play content from that drive. The On demand section refers to video on demand.  This contains a bunch of movies and TV shows available on demand.  Most of them are Chinese but there is some English content.  All the content descriptions are in Chinese, so you have to keep an eye out for the box art to see if its an English language program.

Now onto the main act, the TV section.  This is where we can access literally hundreds of live streaming TV channels.  The menu and EPG information is all in Chinese, so you have rely on the icons to see if you recognise the TV channels.  The sections are broken down in type of channel and also region (like Japanese, HK, etc):

The ent and sport sections are probably of most interest to expats in HK, below is a screenshot of the ent section to give you an idea of some of the channels covered:

Navigation with the remote has been a bit of an adventure as most of the remote is in Chinese.  I was able to sync the remote to my Harmony Device, so that has helped, but it hasn't mapped 100% and may need some refinment. Moving around the TV section was sometimes a bit slow, but overall not too much of an issue.  Video quality has been pretty good.  I have experienced freezing one time, but the feed was picked up again within about 15 seconds. The feeds for HBO, Star, etc seem to be the same as Now TV, so I think these would be the feeds coming from Singapore for the English language channels anyway. Although not indicated anywhere in the UI, the Magie service is free for the first year, then there is a RMB499 yearly charge Android box The Android box came with a power cable (Chinese two prong), video cables and a wifi extender (no HDMI cable or ethernet cable included in the box).  From the picture you will see it has two USB slots.  You connect the device to the internet via either ethernet or wifi.  This box is basically an Android media box running a customised AOSP 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) ROM.  I think the box is by Allwinner (a company that is known to make cheap Android tablets) and is running an ARM dual core processor with about 1GB memory:

Like with the Maige box, when you turn the Android box on, everything was in Chinese.  I was able to make my way into the Android settings section and change the system language to English.

   However, again like with the Maige box, a lot of the navigation around the box is in Chinese.  As this is an Android box, basically what the manufacturer of the box has done is created a customised ROM and added their own "skin" on top of the standard AOSP Android ROM.  You will see from the below screen shot the apps that the manfactuer has added (apart from Plex, which I added on my own, will explain later):

 Here is the front screen of the Android box:

The main options are HD Live TV, Live TV and VOD.  Like the Maige box, the VOD section is a range of movies and TV shows, mainly Chinese but some English.  Everything is in Chinese so you have to figure out if the actual video is in the English language through the box art.  The live TV section seems to be live TV feeds to a bunch of PRC channels.  There are also other VOD and TV apps, but most of these are in Chinese.  The HD Live app is where you will find the live TV feeds of a range of channels, including about 40 odd English language channels.

The quality is pretty good again, however I am struggling one specific channel, AXN HD.  Basically I get no sound and the service always buffers with this channel.  Apart from that, all other channels seem fine.  The channel choice is not as extensive as the Maige box, but it is still quite solid.  Again, as with the Maige, I think the feeds are coming from Singapore.  I also, however think this is a subscription service, with the first one odd year free:

As this box is an Android device, it is much more versatile in terms of additional features than the Maige box.  It even has its own app store:

You are also able to install apps manually via apks, either by downloading through the included web browser or via a USB stick.  Through this I was able to download the Plex app, and was able to play my own content through the device:

Playback wasn't too bad at all, although once in a while it would sometimes stutter, but I think part of the reason is that this box isn't the most powerful. I should also add the remote control that came with the device has been very good, it works will with the Android box and navigation is very easy with it.  I have, as yet, not tried to program this remote with my Harmony remote. Overall the Android box has been pretty solid, although I am a bit frustrated that the AXN HD channel doesn't work so well.  There were other sellers selling Android media boxes from HK$500 all the way up to HK$2,000 and they all seem to be very similar.  The top end boxes probably have better processors and they all have different custom ROMs and a variation of installed apps.  I did test out other Android boxes, and I think the one I bought had a very solid UI and custom ROM, so I think it was priced about right. Conclusion So which device is better?  Really hard to say!!!  The Maige is a pure watching TV device, and nothing more.  It has many channels and the picture quality is pretty solid.  The Android box on the other hand is, well, an Android device.  This means it is quite versatile and can be more than just a TV device.  The TV service provided is pretty good, while not having as many channels as the Maige box.  Also the ability to install other apps is very appealing (well for someone like me who enjoys tinkering).  Also it is HK$1,000 cheaper than the Maige box. I think it comes down to this, if you want a device purely to watch TV, then get the Maige box, but if you want a device where you want to watch TV (but with a smaller selection of channels) but also the ability to add other apps, then get the Android box.  But regardless of which one you choose, they are both great devices and much much more cheaper than a Now TV subscription.

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[browngeek]

The "Mainland" problem, the solution

[Before anyone gets their knicker's in a twist, this is just a tongue and cheek view]. So people in HK are getting all hot and bothered about the sheer number of vistors coming from the PRC either as tourists, parallel goods traders, school children or hospital bed users. Part of the problem is a space issue, HK doesn't have a lot of space. The PRC on the other hand has loads of space. Why doesn't the PRC government and the HK government come up with an agreement whereby HK can set up an economic region, something like a Special Administrative Zone or Region of the HKSAR in the PRC, but I'm thinking something like HKSAZHKSARPRC? It would have the same laws and taxes as HK and would be run by HK owners (i.e. the 8 oligarchs). I'm talking about schools, shops, sites, etc. They could even build their own LKF!! All taxes collected in this HKSAZHKSARPRC would go back to the HK government, after the usual handouts to the relevant oligarchs, PRC officials, triads, etc. This way the visitors from the Mainland get all the benefits of visiting HK, without HK getting overburdened with the number of visitors.

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[browngeek]

Getting Hong Kong Permanent Residency - the process

I have recently successfully applied for permanent residency in Hong Kong as a non-Chinese citizen based on residency, and thought it would be useful to go over the process I experienced. I'm not going to discuss in any great details the eligibly criteria, its all set out in detail here: Who is eligible?, apart to say you basically need to prove that you have resided in Hong Kong for the past seven years and that Hong Kong is your permanent home. The application process is a quite straightforward, if not slightly bureaucratic. Verification of Eligibility of a Permanent Identity Card The first thing you need to do is submit an application for the verification of eligibility of a permanent identity card (yes, quite a long winded title). In my case I had to complete two forms: ROP145 and ROP146. The ROP145 is the main application form and self explanatory (although there a explanatory notes in ROP145A).  The ROP146 is your declaration that you have made Hong Kong your permanent residence.  Both forms can be completed on your computer as a fillable pdf form and then printed out for you to sign. Supporting documents With your application you also need to provide copies of certain supporting documents.  The documents will vary depending on your eligibility criteria but at a minimum you will need to provide a copy of your present HKID and passport showing your photo page and the page showing your present conditions of stay (i.e. the page where your most recent Hong Kong visa is stamped). In my case, that is all I provided (I should add I also provided a copy of my old passport picture page and the page when I first entered Hong Kong).  My situation is that I entered Hong Kong on a work visa, then, about four years ago changed by visa status to dependant. For people on a working visa, you will also need to provide proof of "7 years of continuous residence" such as "school documents, employment proof, official receipts, bank statements or income tax receipts".  Hong Kong immigration do reserve the right to request for further information.  From speaking to others who have applied for permanent residency (especially on a work visa) they normally submit pay receipts, tax receipts and rental agreements as well. Application timing According to the Hong Kong government the "continuous period of seven years ordinary residence must be immediately before the date when the person applies to the Director of Immigration for the status of a permanent resident of the HKSAR", so technically you can only apply for permanent residency only after you hit the seven year mark. However, in reality, it seems it is acceptable to put in your application around a month before you meet the seven year requirement. Submitting the application The application for verification can be either submitted online, posted or dropped in to the immigration department in Wanchai. I chose to submit my application online.  The process while simple is fraught with a few issues.  Firstly the government website is very picky in terms of what web browser you can use.  I basically could not get the application process working with my preferred browser (Firefox) or my backup (Chrome) and had to resort to Internet Explorer.  Full system requirements are listed in the FAQ, but even though my preferred browsers met the requirements, only IE worked. As this is an online application all the documents had to be uploaded.  Again, here, there are some issues.  One would have expected the Hong Kong government to accept pdf uploads, however they only accept JPEG or TIF (CCITT-G4) with and image resolution or 200dpi or above and a file size of 1Mbytes or below for each file.  I had fun and games with my work scanner to meet these requirements, but eventually I was able to upload the necessary files The waiting game A few days after submitting my application I received a letter confirming receipt of the application, then a day before I hit the seven year mark I received a second letter asking me to attend Immigration Tower for an interview to verify certain listed original documents.  The only document listed was my HKID.  The date set for this interview was for a week later, however I was able to go online and change the booking of interview to the following Monday (received the letter on a Friday).  Note, you also have to select a time. I always under the impression Hong Kong Immigration would only process the application only after the seven years passed, but according to the letter I received, this was not the case. The "interview" I turn up to Immigration Tower, 25th floor (for the right of abode section) on the Monday just before the allotted time and go to the reception booth.  The lady checks my letter and HKID and gives me a ticket.  I wait about 10 minutes and my number is called, where I proceed to be "interviewed" by an immigration officer.  This consists of the immigration officer reviewing my documents he has on file and my HKID.  He also asks for my passport.  Although my passport was not one of the documents I was required to bring in, I had it with me just in case (along with my signed ROP145 and ROP146 forms). After HKID and passport is verified, the immigration officer highlights me to a piece of paper which states that I will loose my right of abode if I "have been absent from Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 36 months since you ceased to have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong" and asks me to confirm I understand this restriction. After that he gives me a letter which confirms that I have successfully been approved for permanent residency in Hong Kong and that I can now apply for a Permanent HKID. The ID Card process I then head down to the 8th floor of Immigration Tower to deal with applying for my PHKID.  The process for applying for the ID card is pretty much the same as for when you first arrive to Hong Kong (which I bet most people have forgotten in any case!) As I had not booked an appointment online (in retrospect might have been a good idea), I go to the walk in line, which luckily is reasonably short.  It seems for walk in ID applications has a quota of about 720 people a day.  I was doing this at about 11.45 in the morning and didn't have a problem in coming within the quota, but this may not be the case later in the day. The lady at the counter reviews my application and gives me a further form, which needs to be filed out, and a number.  While I am waiting I complete the form.  When my number is called up I proceed to the photo taking area, where the lady reviews my forms and proceeds to take my thumb prints and my photo. I then am asked to wait again for my number to be called.  When my number is called again the gentleman again reviews all my documents, take my thumb prints again and I have to surrender my existing HKID.  I am issued with my "Acknowledgement of Application for a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card" which shows my picture and other information (basically it acts as my temporary form of ID) and am asked to return in two weeks to pick up my ID card. Take away points - The application is straightforward, however the process can sometimes be a bit confusing.  I wasn't exactly clear what the process of obtaining my ID card would be after the "interview".  - It seems the clock actually starts ticking for PR application a month before you hit your seven year mark, and you can actually be approved for permanent residency pretty much straight after you hit your seven year mark (as opposed to the application process commences on your seven year mark). - Try and get a morning "interview" appointment, that way you can proceed to apply for your ID card via the walk in quota system, or else apply for the ID card online beforehand. - The whole procedure from "interview" to getting the acknowledgement took about an hour, but involved me seeing about six people and visiting two different floors.

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[browngeek]

TV talk - which streaming box?

A few years ago I ditched cable TV in Hong Kong because it was frankly not the best.  Both the selection of channels and the quality of the stream was bad.  I missed my UK and US TV choices (yes, I know, total first world problem).  Since then I've resorted to obtaining TV shows and movies I like to watch through other means.  Let's just leave it at that. I have also used a few streaming services like Hulu, Netflix and BBC Iplayer via various DNS services: DNS redirection.  However, I miss channel surfing! Recently, through the various Hong Kong expat forums, there has been talk of two TV streaming boxes.  Not like Roku or WD Live, but full live TV streaming. Basically both boxes will connect to the internet and provide IPTV services.  It seems both boxes will connect via HDMI and ethernet (you have to pay separate wifi adaptors), so the quality of stream may be affected by your internet connection. Maige TV Box The first box is called the Maige TV Box and seems to be from China (based on the website).  It is available from AV stores in parts of Hong Kong including Sham Shui Po for around HK$2,200 - 2,500.  You can also buy directly from Maige for about HK$2,500. All the menus are in Chinese, however apparently there is a way to get into the settings and change the menus to English.  The remote is also in Chinese, but people have successfully mapped the remote to universal remotes. The Maige website lists a lot of channels available and also the website says it supports over 10,000 VOD movies (doesn't list which ones though).  The channel list seems to suggest quite a few American channels as well as many Chinese, Japanese and Korean channels. From the reading the various forums people have been generally very impressed with the number and quality of channels. A review here: IPTV box review The service is free for the first year and then around RMB500 (c. HK$640) a year after that. UKTV box This box, as the name suggests is geared more towards people who want to watch UK TV.  This box seems only to be sold online by several sites, however one site is geared to the Hong Kong market: UKTV Hong Kong. The service offers a different range of channels, depending on what you want to watch, starting with 16 channels and going up to 67 channels: packages.  The British free to air channels (like BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5) are included in the most basic package, with a bunch of movie, sports and entertainment channels included in the most expensive package. The service also offers recording functionality, which is very useful due to the time differences between when the channels are broadcast and Hong Kong. The price of the box is US$179 (c. HK$1,388) and the monthly subscription for the packages are as follows: - Standard (16 channels) - US$25 (c. HK$194) - Premium (36 channels) - US$30 (c. HK$233) - Ultimate (67 channels) - US$35 (c. HK$271) Which one? Choices, choices!!  The Maige overall has more channels, but they seem to be quite similar to NowTV's existing offerings.  However, its better than nothing and much cheaper than NowTV. UKTV is clearly geared towards UK expats, and has the added functionality of program recording, which I can see as being very useful. Cost wise, the initial outlay for the UKTV box is cheaper, but the monthly subscriptions do add up, making Maige box cheaper overall. Another question is the actual legality of these services, which is very much a grey area.  For example, if you have access to a live UK broadcasting channel you are supposed to be living in the UK and paying a licence fee.  I suspect the UKTV box works with a DNS service built into the software, while the Maige box picks up its streams from China. Also, the other major issue, what happens if these services stop actual broadcasting.  These boxes are propitiatory, and have no other function. Regardless of these issues, I am keen to get one of these boxes, but which one??

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