To celebrate its 10-year anniversary in Brunei, Ericsson invited guests to their Technology Tour, showcasing the company’s 5G and IoT capabilities, smart metering solutions and Technology for Good projects among other new, innovative offerings. The showcase reinforces Ericsson’s position as a market leader at the forefront of communications technology in the country. Martin Wiktorin , County Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines and Pacific Islands , 5th from right, and His Excellency Ambassador Hakan Jevrell, Ambassador of Sweden to Singapore and Brunei, 6th from right.

Last week marked Ericsson’s 10-year anniversary in Brunei. To celebrate the milestone, Ericsson invited its country stakeholders to view and experience the latest innovations and technologies during a technology demonstration attended by the Ambassador of Sweden to Singapore and Brunei, His Excellency Hakan Jevrell, and the Honorary Consul of the Embassy of the Netherlands to Brunei, Mr. Maarten Bomers, together with the local operators, telecommunications regulator, government agencies, local SMEs and local education institutes.

The showcase enabled event attendees to experience first-hand how Ericsson is evolving its business portfolio to provide smart solutions to real-world opportunities. “As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, I would like to emphasize our commitment to Brunei and its people through our technology innovations – particularly in 5G, IoT and Cloud,” said Martin Wiktorin , President and Country Manager of Ericsson Singapore and Brunei. “By constantly transforming our business portfolio and providing new, innovative solutions, we are enabling the communications industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve user experience and capture new opportunities.

The following Ericsson offerings were highlighted as part of the demonstrations:

At Ericsson, they strive to create a wireless environment where indoor and outdoor networks perform seamlessly together at all times. Integrated small cells in 5G networks deliver high per-user capacity and rate coverage everywhere, helping to meet the high requirements of network subscribers and tackle the challenges of urbanizing environments. With the potential to improve performance in the macro network by offloading traffic generated in hotspots, the demonstration introduced the industry’s first 5G NR-capable radio (Ericsson AIR products), which are able to support our 5G plug-ins for both Massive MIMO and Multi-User MIMO.

The Ericsson smart metering solution provides a platform for capturing information, monitoring consumption and presenting data from each meter at individual premises. The smart meter solution could be the first step towards IoT in Brunei The IoT application enables a 2-way communication between the smart meters and a centralized system over a wireless data network, enabling near real-time meter reading, charting of household consumption trends, online top-ups/reload and automatic credit control, among other things.

To transform everyday reality as we move into an even more networked society, computer aided technology that uses virtual reality headsets or multi-projected environments betters the consumer experience. In combination with physical environments or props that generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations simulate a user’s physical presence in a virtual or imaginary environment.

Vanessa Teo, founder & CEO of Agrome IQ was invited by Ericsson Brunei to showcase her agriculture technology solutions platform that support modern farmers in making effective decision-making processes to achieve a productive and profitable farm system.

 Ericsson’s Director for Brunei Gabriel Hii (center) with Martin Wiktorin , President and Country Manager of Ericsson Singapore and Brunei and Nitin Bansal, Ericsson’s head of network solutions for Southeast Asia, Oceania & India during the 10th anniversary of Ericsson Brunei at The Empire Hotel & Country Club

Rano’s thoughts: It’s good to see the idea of 5G being talked of. This will eventually be a good start for Brunei where smartphones are the highest penetration in the region, meaning that we are quite tech savvy to begin with and have access to technology.

However, that doesn’t necessarily translate to being ready or being in the right market for such technology. I do agree with what Gabriel mentioned that newer technologies such as the implementation of 5G systems (not just referring to mobile network) doesn’t guarantee its feasibility in the country if there is no demand or the lack of it.

For me, a good example is Augmented Reality. It’s good and all but we are not so much into it after a few tries. It’s just wow to our eyes but it’s not a must feature hence the demand for such is still not that great. The same can said to some aspect of 5G and the Internet of Things once it becomes available in Brunei.

I know that South Korea are testing their 5G capabilities for the Pyeonchang Games 2018 right now especially for the user experience where they can view their favourite athletes in real time and from a first person perspective. Now that’s what 5G is capable of. These are the things I would be very keen of.

For now, it’s more of creating a buzz for us to prep in the year end of 2019 where 5G handsets will be slowly introduced.

Thank you, Ericsson for the enlightenment of the 5G upcoming development. It will be nice to see if our local telco providers will engage with your services apart from DST.

Brunei Shell Marketing Co. Sdn. Bhd. (BSM) launches another round of #BeliHelix promotion after the great response from the last promotion which commenced from 1st November 2017 until 31st January 2018. The Grand Prize for the first promotion is a BMW 1 Series with the first runner up getting Dubai tour packages for 2 persons and B$2,500 cash card for the second runner up, in addition to other consolation prizes. The prize presentation will be held on 25th February 2018 at Times Square. Monthly draw winners have been announced in previous months and all of them are also eligible for the grand draw.

This second promotion is to give our customers another chance to win more exciting prizes. It will be held for a period of three months starting from 8th February 2018 until 30 April 2018. Similar to the first promotion, there will be five (5) monthly draw prizes to be won for the months of March and April. The Grand Draw of the #BeliHelix Promotion II is set to be held in May 2018. The date and venue for the grand draw shall be announced by BSM in due course.

The #BeliHelix promotion II comprises of monthly consolation prizes such as air tickets, latest gadgets, electrical appliances and more. For this round, the Grand Prize will be a unit of the latest Nissan X-Trail. First runner up will be a Hong Kong Travel Package for two persons and the second runner up will receive B$2,500 cash card. Other consolation prizes will also be available for the lucky customers.

Shell Helix customers will be entitled to one (1) entry form for each purchase of 4L of Shell Helix Motor Oil which comprises of Shell Helix Ultra, Shell Helix HX7 and Shell Helix HX5. Drop boxes for completed entry forms are available at participating BSM Authorised Distributors, Dealers and Retail Stations which can be located from www.bsm.com.bn.

According to independent worldwide consulting and research firm, Kline & Company’s Global Lubricants Industry: Market Analysis and Assessment 2017 report, Shell has been named the world’s lubricants No.1 global supplier for the 11th consecutive year.

Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology is a next-generation, fully synthetic premium motor oil made from natural gas making it stronger and less volatile at the molecular level than those made from traditional crude. Key benefits include performance through engine stress, superior protection against wear, protecting the engine in extreme temperatures and it is designed for ultimate power and performance. Engine manufacturer partners including BMW Motorsport, Hyundai Motorsport, Maserati and Scuderia Ferrari use and trust Shell Helix Ultra. The Shell Helix portfolio is suitable for both Diesel and Gasoline engines.

For further information, customers may visit our website www.bsm.com.bn, Instagram bruneishellmarketing or contact us at BSM Call Center 2244739.

The Peugeot 5008 Allure and the Peugeot 5008 being featured outside T Lounge, located in Little Soho Building at Jalan Batu Bersurat

T.C.Y. Motors, the sole distributor of Peugeot in Brunei held a media test drive of the all-new Peugeot 5008 SUV on February 8, 2018. A mini presentation of the all- new 5008’s new feature was also shown at T Lounge, located in Little Soho Building at Jalan Batu Bersurat.

The all-new Peugeot 5008 which was newly launched SUV in Brunei of this year, currently has been awarded the “Best Large SUV” 2018 of UK’s leading car-buying website, What Car?.

The main purpose of this event is to let the local media to have the experience first-hand of what the all-new Peugeot 5008 SUV has to give. And through this, Peugeot Brunei could easily convey to the public through the media’s own opinion about the new SUV.

Its name hasn’t changed, but everything else has. The all-new PEUGEOT 5008 breaks new ground as a large seven-seater SUV in the C segment. As a new contender in this promising consumer market, the newly unveiled PEUGEOT 5008 SUV aims to achieve three objectives:
• to pursue the brand’s move up-market strategy
• to be an international success
• to become the leading (benchmark) C-segment large seven-seater SUV.

A rare colour to be seen in Brunei.

Quite spacious as when you fold all the individual seats

Jack Chin being briefed on the special features inside the Peugeot 5008

The all-new PEUGEOT i-Cockpit® elevates the passenger compartment!
Inside, the driver’s environment is unique with the newest version of the innovative, almost futuristic – PEUGEOT i-Cockpit®, which offers vehicle occupants a novel driving experience that both surprises and delights. With its compact steering wheel, a large 8” touchscreen dashboard and a spectacular 12.3” high-resolution digital head-up display, the new PEUGEOT i-Cockpit® impresses drivers with its superior graphics and elegant animations.

Spacious interior and with more functions
The 2.84m wheelbase of the new 5008 SUV makes it the most liveable of C-segment SUVs! The overall length of the vehicle (4.64m) remains compact as the new PEUGEOT 5008 SUV – though 19cm longer than the all-new PEUGEOT 3008 SUV and 11cm longer than the original version of the 5008 – is still one of the most conservatively proportioned and its extra length makes it roomier for passengers. The vehicle’s optimised architecture is only part of the package on offer. The new
PEUGEOT 5008 is more than just an SUV.

It stands out in the market with an innovative configuration:
• three matching, separate, folding seats in the second row, adjustable in length and inclination
• two removable, separate, folding seats in the third row.
• The biggest boot capacity with 780 dm3 VDA 210 (1060 litres)

The all-new PEUGEOT 5008 SUV can also have foldable front passenger seat (to carry especially long loads up to 3.20 m) and a practical hands-free motorised tailgate.

An SUV with an imposing exterior
One look will recognise that the all-new PEUGEOT 5008 is a real SUV. All the hallmarks are there: long, horizontal bonnet; vertical face; and raised body line. The inspired design conveys power and respect. Its height remains the same.

This gives it a long and dynamic profile. At the front, the wide grille with chrome fins is exclusive, while the rear design features the gloss black strip and the signature LED ‘claw effect’ rear lights that set the latest breed of PEUGEOT SUVs apart.

Driving and traveling pleasure that rivals the best touring vehicles
This new PEUGEOT is an invitation to travel—in luxury, not least because it has excellent sound insulation and a number of features for the comfort of all on board: body-hugging front seats feature, large panoramic opening glass roof etc. It proposes also the best in permanent connectivity with the Mirror Screen function and navigation system.

Cutting-edge Advanced Driver Assistance Systems make driving even safer with an arsenal of safety features Advanced Grip Control – including new exclusive Hill Assist Descent Control (HADC), Automatic Emergency Braking System (AEBS), Distance Alert, Active Lane Keeping Assistance (LKA), Driver attention warning, Smart Beam Assistance, Speed sign recognition and speed suggestion, Adaptive cruise control with stop feature (automatic gearbox), Active blind spot monitoring, Park Assist and Visio Park (360° vision).

With the 21st FIFA World Cup™ set to take place on 14 June 2018, Visa cardholders from Baiduri Bank are given a chance of a lifetime to watch the semi-finals live in Moscow, Russia.

The ‘Win an All-Expenses-Paid Trip for 2 to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™’ promotion will kick off on 1 February 2018 until 30 April 2018. During the promotion period, Baiduri Visa Infinite, Platinum, Gold, Classic and Debit cardholders, who spend on their Baiduri Visa cards, will receive one chance in the grand draw for every BND 50 spent.

The grand prize is an all-expense paid trip for two to watch the semi-final match at the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in Moscow, Russia, where Visa is the official FIFA partner. The package includes two return tickets to Moscow, 5-day/4-night accommodation with breakfast, all scheduled ground transportation, Visa FIFA World Cup™ themed merchandise, Visa Prepaid products, two tickets to watch the semi-final match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ and spending money of BND 5000. The Visa event team staff will also be there to assist the winners round the clock.

On top of the grand prize, ten lucky customers will win Visa FIFA World Cup™ themed merchandise in monthly draws.

One of the landmarks in Russia

Ms Mandy Lamb, Group Country Manager, Regional Southeast Asia said, “As the official FIFA partner of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, Visa is pleased to partner with Baiduri Bank to provide Visa cardholders the opportunity to win this amazing prize for two to watch the semi-finals in Moscow. We continue working closely with our bank issuers and merchant partners to create more rewarding and meaningful campaigns for our cardholders whenever they use their Visa cards. We believe increased usage of electronic payments will drive Brunei to becoming a cashless society.”

Mr. Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank, said, “In line with our vision to enhance customer experience and to deliver a high level of quality products and services, we have once again partnered with Visa on the FIFA World Cup™ campaign. This is just one of the many activities that we have planned for our cardholders and we are excited to reward our loyal cardholders with this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Baiduri Visa cardholders can find out more about the ‘Win an All-Expenses-Paid Trip for 2 to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ promotion by visiting www.baiduri.com.bn/2018football or by following Baiduri Bank Group on Facebook and Twitter or Instagram @baiduribank.

Pg Azaleen bin PD Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Network said, “To further incentivise those who do not have a Baiduri Visa card yet, Baiduri Bank is offering new signups double their chances in the World Cup promotion, on top of a 5-year annual fee waiver and processing fee waiver on the 0% instalment loan.” To be eligible for the double lucky draw chance, new signups must apply for a Visa card at any Baiduri Bank branch from 1 February 2018 onwards.

Terms and conditions of the promotion can be viewed on Baiduri Bank website at wwws.baiduri.com under the Promotions section, or on the Baiduri Bank marketing app – Baiduri Deals. For more information, customers may contact the 24-hour Baiduri Bank Customer Helpline at 2449666.

What better way to celebrate this Chinese New Year than with abundance and luxury!

Believe it or not, Honey Carsmart is back again, this time offering pre-owned luxury cars at prices that are too good to be true. Popular brands such as Mercedes Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, Lexus and many more going for below market prices for a limited time only from 8th February to 22nd February 2018.

A total of 25 units of luxury cars will be up for grabs and customers also stand a chance to win a lucky dip red packet up to $888 and other exciting gifts when you purchase a luxury car during this festive season.

So what are you waiting for? Don’t be left out on this awesome deal. Hurry and grab the unbelievable offers while stocks last! You won’t find a better deal anywhere else, so grab your chance before it’s too late! For more details go to www.honeycarsmart.com or find us on Facebook and Instagram at Honey Carsmart or call them at 2654131 or 2655337 or call our hotline at 8729683 or 8752400 for further information!

Location to view these cars are at their car yard at Simpang 635, Kg Bunut, Jln Tutong, Bandar Seri Begawan, Negara Brunei Darussalam.

All of us gave a thumbs up for entertainment value. One of them said it’s worth another viewing.

They have subtitles too

BodyMan. A superhero from Brunei, created from an experiment on a random Bruneian. His mission was plain simple – to win the heart of his doubtful girlfriend and blessing from his girlfriend’s parents and of course, defeat the antagonist. The movie is produced by Ad. Deen and part of the Pestab Entertainment Production.

The Good. This is a common quote from my peers – “The trailer (of BodyMan) is so bad that it’s good.” After watching the movie yesterday, I do condone with the sentiments. It was super entertaining from start to finish. I would say that it was slightly down in terms of laughter after the first five minutes but the “pace” picked up after the transformation of our Brunei hero. I already had this expectations that BodyMan is gonna entertain me on many different levels and it met my expectations.

The choppy editing with clumsy 90’s CGI made it amusing to the eyes. It was a nostalgic feeling, catching 100 minute featured film. Those who were born in the millennium won’t be able to digest what we meant. To add on, many Apple users will be familiar with the music scores, mostly taken from iMovie.

The Bad. It’s quite a long list but I shall keep it short. Firstly, I can’t comment so much about the acting. I have definitely seen better acting performances in our local drama series or locally made films. There’s definitely room for improvement in this department. The only actor that’s redeeming is the superhero himself Salleh aka BodyMan.

I realised after finishing watching the film, if the producer were to take out the Nyonya lady and the Genie, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. Neither I had feel for their characters nor I laughed or were entertained by their on screen presence. The laughing sound effect on the supposedly funny bits weren’t even funny to begin with. Ironically the scenes or bits we laughed at were those non-intentional ones and they didn’t need any laughing sound effects for that matter.

At many points of the movie, I was a bit confused where I was supposed to focus on as the scenes kept breaking without proper transitions. Perhaps the director/producer can work on this for their future movies. Bruneians have a level of expectations when it comes to editing and such. I’ve seen new generations (even teenagers) producing commendable editing work even with the use of their smartphones. Then again, the editing segment of this film were quite entertaining itself.

The producer could have avoided some stereotyping scenarios. This mostly came from the so-called “Genie”. The traffic light joke can be seen as tasteless and some people might find it offensive.

Verdict. Honestly speaking, I never had so much fun and laughter in a movie especially seeing the reaction from my peers. Important thing is to leave your brain at home and enjoy the $5 cheap thrill movie and I can guarantee you that you will be entertained. BodyMan will be a cult classic with more than 15,000 views on their trailer youtube and who knows the producer might be inspired to produce a sequel. Entertainment value: 9/10

The viewing is only at the auditorium of the Information Department. The timings are 5pm, 7pm and 9pm and the last day of show is on 8th February 2018.

Safarul had a ball watching it. He was almost in tears.

Social influencers, AnakBrunei and Marul, also had fun watching

The music still lingers in my head and here is the lyrics if you are keen to sing along

The timings for the week until this Thursday

In today’s titah by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on RTB at 2:30pm, 30th January 2018 was the announcement of new ministers and deputy ministers for the cabinet of the Brunei Government.

• His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam as the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
• His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince as the Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office
• Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja Dato Laila Utama Hj Awang Isa Pehin Datu Perdana Manteri Dato Laila Utama Hj Awang Ibrahim as the Special Advisor to His Majesty and Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (new)
• Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr.) Hj Awang Abu Bakar Hj Apong as Minister of Home Affairs (remains)
• Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Awang Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Othman as Minister of Religious Affairs (remains)
• Dato Seri Setia Hj Ali Apong as Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism (remains)
• Pehin Datu Laila Raja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Hj Halbi Hj Mohd. Yussof as Second Minister of Defence (new, previously Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports)
• Dato Paduka Dr Hj Md Isham Jaafar as Minister of Health (remains)
• Dato Seri Paduka Awang Hj Abdul Mokti Hj Mohd Daud as Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (new)
• Dato Seri Paduka Dr Hj Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah as Second Minister of Finance (new)
• Dato Paduka Hj Erywan Pehin Dato Pekerma Jaya Hj Mohd Yusof as Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (new)
• Dato Seri Paduka Hj Suhaimi Hj Gafar as Minister of Development (new)
• Dato Paduka Dr Awang Hj Mat Suny Hj Mohd Hussein as Minister of Energy and Industry (new)
• Dato Paduka Hj Hamzah Hj Sulaiman as Minister of Education (new)
• Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusof as Minister of Communications (new)
• Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Aminuddin Ihsan Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports (new)
• Pengiran Dato Seri Paduka Hj Bahrom bin Pengiran Hj Bahar as Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs (new)
• Datin Hjh Erlinda Hj C.A. Mohd as Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (new)
• Dato Paduka Ahmaddin Hj Abd Rahman as Deputy Minister of Finance (new)
• Datin Paduka Dr Hjh Romaizah Hj Mohd Salleh as Deputy Minister of Education (new)
• Dato Paduka Hj Matsatejo Sokiaw as Deputy Minister of Energy and Industry (new)

Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja Dato Laila Utama Hj Awang Isa Pehin Datu Perdana Manteri Dato Laila Utama Hj Awang Ibrahim as the Special Advisor to His Majesty and Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office. He served as Special Adviser to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Home Affairs from 1986 to 2005.

Tuan Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusof as Minister of Communications. He served as the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Dato Paduka Hj Hamzah Hj Sulaiman as Minister of Education. He served as the Permanent Secretary (Economic and Finance) at the Prime Minister’s Office. Apparently he used to be a teacher/lecturer.

Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Aminuddin Ihsan Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. He served as the Brunei High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Dato Seri Paduka Awang Hj Abdul Mokti Hj Mohd Daud as Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office. He served as the Deputy Minister of Religious Affair.

Dato Paduka Hj Erywan Pehin Dato Pekerma Jaya Hj Mohd Yusof as Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (left). He served as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Dato Seri Paduka Dr Hj Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah as Second Minister of Finance. He served as the deputy minister of Finance.

Dato Seri Paduka Hj Suhaimi Hj Gafar as Minister of Development. He served as deputy minister of Development.

Dato Paduka Dr Awang Hj Mat Suny Hj Mohd Hussein as Minister of Energy and Industry. He served as deputy minister of Development from 2005 to 2010.

The current ministers that are being replaced and will no longer hold any ministerial positions.

Test drive the Audi Q5 this weekend

After a successful media preview last week, TCY Motors Sdn Bhd will organize a two-day launch for the 2018 Audi Q5 at its showroom in Kiarong.

Taking place on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd February at Audi Kiarong, invited guests and the public can experience Audi’s most successful premium mid-sized XUV with a 3 stage product demonstration including a guided test-drive, driver’s assistance systems and B&O 3D sound experience.

The new Audi Q5 boast many improvements- a stronger Q design identity, better driving experience with new quattro technology coupled with a new 7-speed dual clutch gearbox and maximum everyday usability. A quieter car thanks to improved aero-acoustics and best in-class drag co efficiency (0.30). Standard for Brunei will be 19” wheels.

All test-drive participants will also enter a lucky draw to win a Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A1 Bluetooth speaker.

Stand a chance to win a BeoPlay A1 when you test drive the latest Audi Q5