Brunei Shell Marketing Co. Sdn. Bhd. (BSM) kicks off their #BeliHelix offer in preparation to the Hari Raya celebration with Gift with Purchase which commences from 22^nd May 2019.  The promotion runs for two (2) months until 22^nd July 2019 allowing customers to also benefit from it before and after Hari Raya or while stock lasts.

Shell Helix customers are entitled to one (1) exclusive umbrella with every purchase of 4 Liters Shell Helix Ultra pack and one (1) exclusive car shade with every purchase of 4 Liters Shell Helix HX7 pack at BSM authorised outlets such as Car Dealers, Workshops and Petrol Stations across nationwide*.

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.

BSM highly recommends customers to service their vehicles before the festive season to ensure they are in good condition for the celebration.

For further information and list of participating authorised outlets, customers may visit BSM website www.bsm.com.bn, Instagram and Facebook @bruneishellmarketing or contact BSM Call Center 2244739.

Don’t forget to buy early before Hari Raya

Meet Tony Stark’s new ride in Avengers 4

This is the Audi e-tron GT and the third e-tron, unveiled at last year’s LA Motor Show. Yes it is all electric and news is the volume-production counterpart is set to follow in around two years.

A flat-floor architecture that provides for exciting proportions and a low center of gravity. 434 kW (590 metric horsepower) ensures performance fit for a sports car. The torque is transferred to the wheels via the quattro permanent all-wheel drive with torque vectoring, as you would expect for such a dynamic Audi. The performance subsidiary Audi Sport GmbH has been tasked to subsequently transforming the car into a volume-production model.

The management of Aifa Sdn Bhd with Tan Wee How, Product Trainer/In-Store Management, LG Electronics Singapore Pte Ltd (fourth from left) during the LG training workshop yesterday at Aifa Headquarters, Lambak Kanan Industrial Area.

Mr. Andy Lau, Managing Director of Aifa Sdn Bhd, in his opening remarks before the start of the LG training workshop

Yesterday, Aifa Sdn Bhd, a sole distributor for LG, held a training session for the staff to be familiar with the current LG products ranging from washing machines to refrigerators to audio visuals (TVs). The training session was held at Aifa HQ at Lambak Kanan Industrial Area.

Present during the training session were Mr. Andy Lau, Managing Director of Aifa Sdn Bhd and Madam Lily Ngo, General Manager of Aifa Sdn Bhd. Conducting the LG training was Tan Wee How, Product Trainer/In-Store Management, LG Electronics Singapore Pte Ltd. He conducted a day workshop for the staff of Aifa to learn the functions and features of LG products that will be sold in Brunei Darussalam.

Mr. Andy Lau said that LG is one of the top products worldwide and he believes that it’s important for the staff to be aware of the LG products. Otherwise the products will be meaningless to consumers. Hence, training is very important in order for the staff to be fully equipped with the product knowledge and know-how so the consumers can feel more confident on LG products.

The training is normally conducted every one and a half year where the trainer is flown to Brunei as LG keeps introducing newer models/products. Hence training is very necessary.

Mr. Andy hopes that the consumers will enjoy the LG products that Aifa offers. With Hari Raya around the corner, why not invest in LG products? 🙂

For your information, Aifa company is as old as Brunei Darussalam’s National Day.

Also present was Madam Lily Ngo, the General Manager of Aifa Sdn Bhd

One of the most popular products from LG is the refrigerator

LG TWINWash™ and this looks pretty convenient

LG is also known for their TVs. The 4K TVs are gaining steam

Our dinner session with the Aifa Team and a representative from MMW and LG.

Radi El-Fassed, Progresif’s Head of Product Development, Dr Gyorgy Ladics, BIBD Chief Operating Officer  and Hajah Nurul Akmar binti Haji Mohd Jaafar, BIBD Head of Retail Banking addressing the media on cashless payment trends yesterday

We are heading towards a cashless society. It takes two to tango though – the consumers and also the merchants (retailers). It was easier to adopt when a bank introduces newer convenient services then such as ATMs, followed by online banking and transferring money through your mobile phones to another account. Now BIBD has provided a better platform where you can pay your services and goods through your mobile on selected merchants. This basically mean you don’t have to use physical money to pay over the counter. All you need is just your smartphone and waalaaa, you don’t need your change back physically and plus you will look cooler just by paying your items using your phone.

Yesterday BIBD emphasized how branchless banking have made it so convenient for their customers as it allows everyone and anyone to have access to financial services and they don’t even have to physically drop by a bank to do so. I was quite surprised that BIBD NEXGEN Wallet has generated more than 14 million worth of transactions in 2018 alone. That’s pretty high for such a small country like Brunei Darussalam. This really shows how technology has made it easier for the flow of money from one account to another account at your finger tips. Actually I am a high user of BIBD NEXGEN Wallet as I have received and send payments through the BIBD mobile app.

The next step now is to actually capitalized on the latest featured made possible by BIBD and Progresif and that is making payments to the merchants using your phone through BIBD’s QuickPay and Progresif’s Progresif Pay.

Present during the demonstration and press conference were  Dr Gyorgy Ladics, BIBD Chief Operating Officer , Hajah Nurul Akmar binti Haji Mohd Jaafar, BIBD Head of Retail Banking and Radi El-Fassed, Progresif’s Head of Product Development.

In the press release, Mubashar Khokhar, BIBD’s Managing Director and CEO, said that whilst BIBD have placed efforts into encouraging the adoption of a digital Bruneian economy via our own technologies that resulted in over 140,000 BIBD NEXGEN banking users, they remain cognisant we need to go further and evolve if we were to create more impact for a truly digital economy.

With mobile penetration, it will create even a bigger digitized financial ecosystem and it will help spur the economy due to the convenience. This will also be a win-win situation for both consumers and even the merchants because of the lowered set-up costs and the barrier to entry (in business) is low too.

So far, they are 100ish merchants that have used QuickPay and one of the leading merchants is Fuel’d, a popular healthy food joint in Kiulap. As more people getting the hang of using digital payments through mobile phones, future merchants/retailers will see the surging demand of cashless payments through means of paying through your mobile phones.

Progresif’s latest product Progresif Pay have entered the market and now they have even bettered their mobile app. You don’t have to be a Progresif subscriber to make use of Progresif Pay (Awww, nice of you) and you can switch numbers through the App as well at your convenience. I am happy for the fact that you’re able to buy iTunes credit through their e-credit tab on the Progresif Pay. Now that’s very convenient.

If you really want to know more about BIBD’s QuickPay and Progresif’s Progresif Pay, head over to MSME Festival to be held at the BRIDEX International Conference Centre 28th to 31st March and you will see some vendors (especially the ice-cream vendors) making use of these said services. You will see how convenient it is to make payments and furthermore, it is secured.

What I am more excited is that you can even pay through means of NFC where you simply tap on your smartphone on the merchant payment terminal and your transaction will be completed, just like that. Easy, huh? I know Brunei is currently behind when it comes to NFC or payments through mobile phones but the momentum is slowly growing and kudos to the first 100 merchants in believing the power of cashless transactions.

We are definitely heading on the right direction and thank you to BIBD and Progresif on making this service available in the Brunei market.

A demo on how easy it is making payments over the counter through means of your mobile phones

Officially unveiling the Samsung Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10e was Radin Sufri Radin Basiuni, Acting CEO of DST as the Guest of Honour accompanied by Juliana Sim, General Manager of DSTIncomm last weekend

Last weekend reported high sales since the release of the Samsung Galaxy S10 Prima 4G phone plans last Saturday 9th March, at selected DST branches and all DSTIncomm stores and guess who was one of them buyers? Meeeee……..

Farah Saiman was one of the first few early customers to register for the Samsung Galaxy S10+ phone plan. When asked about why she chose a DST 4G phone plan she comments, “I’m always loyal to brands that I know will offer the best services. I’ve been with DST for a long time and their 4G plans have always been affordable. I’m very keen to stick with DST because they always make an effort to give subscribers more value for their money, like increasing in our monthly data bundles. I’m glad that they’re offering Samsung models as part of their package as well, as I’m also a fan of the brand. Also, since DSTIncomm is the authorized distributor for Samsung, I know I can trust DST and DSTIncomm when it comes to support services both for my phone plan and for the phone itself”.

Khaliq Roziman was another customer who braved the switch between phone brands while subscribing to DST’s 4G phone plan. He comments, “I needed a new phone and I’ve never used a Samsung phone before. I heard so many positive reviews over the past few weeks about the Samsung Galaxy S10 and it has some really cool features so I got excited when I heard DST was offering the phone plan. As a long time Easi prepaid user with DST, the Prima 4G phone plans are actually really affordable. I get more data for the same amount than when I’m on prepaid and I could pay a cheaper upfront as well for this amazing phone. Thanks DST.”

Farah Saiman is a proud S10+

Khaliq Roziman has converted from IOS to Android with the S10

The 4G postpaid phone plans of the Samsung Galaxy S10 family flagship models offer various monthly subscriptions and upfront payments. Customers looking for an unlimited data, voice and text plan retailed at $85 or $105 monthly, can grab the Samsung Galaxy S10e for an upfront price for as low as B$242.

DSTIncomm, a retail subsidiary of DST, also reported high sales since its preorder release with more stock coming in this week due to high customer demand. DSTIncomm sells both boxsets and DST’s 4G phone plans.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 comes with a stunning new design, crystal clear screen, the world’s first ultra-sonic finger print scanner and super-sharp triple lens camera. Among other highlights include the wireless powershare giving S10 users the ability to share power with their friend’s device or charge a Samsung Bud at the same time.

For more information on the latest phone plans and other products from DST, visit dst.com.bn

Here is the first customer at of the Phone Bundle at DST’s Airport Mall branch last weekend

I was lucky enough to get a bundle set of the S10e

The newly redesigned Mercedes G-Wagen

News from Jalopnik website. The newly redesigned Mercedes G-Wagen, the expensive body-on-frame off-roader that for the first time ever has independent front suspension, was crashed tested by the European New Car Assessment Program, and the results are exemplary. Just watch as this boxy fortress shrugs off barriers and avoids pedestrians with ease.

“Mercedes-Benz’s rugged G-Class also comes in with a five-star rating with an impressive performance in each of the four areas of assessment,” Euro NCAP says in its press release, lauding the G-Class’ safety assist systems, as well as its ability to protect adult occupants, child occupants, and pedestrians. Here’s a look at the G-Wagen being put through the wringer.

But the gist of it is that the vehicle scored 90 percent, 83 percent, and 78 percent in the areas of adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, and “vulnerable road user” protection, respectively. The Magna Steyr-built poshmobile did especially well in side impact testing, managing 16 out of 16 points for adult occupant protection and managing the full 8 points for child protection.

The G-Wagen also managed a 72 percent in the “safety assist” category, thanks to a good Automatic Emergency Braking system, as well as features like a seat belt reminder and speed limit assist, though apparently the lane keeping system isn’t great. From Euro NCAP’s report:

The AEB system gave generally good results in tests of its functionality at highway speeds. The car has a lane assistance system which helps prevent inadvertent drifting out of lane but can also intervene in some more critical situations. The speed control system uses digital mapping combined with a camera to identify what the local speed limit is and to inform the driver, who can then set the limiter to the appropriate speed. A seatbelt reminder is standard for front and rear seats.

The new G-Wagen has been receiving rapturous driving impressions from journalists, and now it has scored top safety marks. Plus it looks good. It took Mercedes decades to finally do a major G-Class redesign, but it appears to be paying off.

Marketing Manager of Insurans Islam TAIB Holdings Sdn Bhd (IITH) Shameon bin Tamil and Executive Officer of Teletakaful and Support Services (SSV) Norshahrul Azim bin Haji Abdul Rahman during the press conference of Insurans Islam TAIB General Takaful Helpline and their latest mobile app at Insurans Islam TAIB headquarter last weekend

Are you tired of queueing up? Do you want to simply pay for the services with your finger tips? Fret not. Insurans Islam TAIB has upped their game by introducing two new services – 1) Using their hotline services, General Takaful Helpline 222 3004 and 2) Insurans Islam TAIB Mobile Application (IIT App).

With the helpline, you can simply call the General Takaful Helpline 222 3004 and get a quote for your Takaful policy and after approving the quote, you can pay online without the need to go physically over the IIT counter. The customer can also opt for free delivery or Takaful policy pick-up at Insurans Islam TAIB General Takaful Head office (Kiulap) or their other branch in Kuala Belait. Now that’s very convenient and you don’t have to worry about queueing as much anymore.

Even better for IIT customers is that they have introduced a mobile app for the customers’ convenience. You can already get a quote and even pay online (through BIBD) without having to visit their counters where you also avoid the long queues. I have navigated on the IIT app and it was quite straightforward and simple.

The approval of the application of the takaful will take a maximum of one day but usually it can be done with 10 to 15 minutes after you confirm your takaful quotation. Its IIT way of providing a seamless service after listening to the feedback of customers especially when dealing with long queues over the counter.

The app was actually launched during Insurans Islam TAIB Holdings’ 25th anniversary back in November 2018.

Present during the conference were  Marketing Manager of Insurans Islam TAIB Holdings Sdn Bhd (IITH) Shameon bin Tamil and Executive Officer of Teletakaful and Support Services (SSV) Norshahrul Azim bin Haji Abdul Rahman who briefed the media on their ongoing services.

It was also announced that the first 100 customers with confirmed participations of the Comprehensive Motor Takaful and the Home Owner Takaful, through these facilities, will be rewarded with Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) vouchers while stock lasts.

Executive Officer of Teletakaful and Support Services (SSV) Norshahrul Azim bin Haji Abdul Rahman briefing the media on the steps when using the IIT app

How the IIT apps look like. Very simple and easy to navigate.

Choose your policies and get a quote

Fill in the details before you get the final quotation

Happy birthday, Alice (left) with Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer with the new Iconia tablet

You can get for this price if you trade-in your old IT equipments

It’s been while since I’ve been playing with a tablet. Only sometimes I do and I’m not sure what the trends are now when it comes to tablets. But now with a competitive pricing, many brands are looking to make tablets more affordable than before.

Acer has recently introduced their latest Iconia model – Iconia One 7” and it’s only priced at BN 98. Yes, you heard that right. A tablet that costs less than BND 100. The only catch is that you can trade-in your old IT stuff or equipment to get this value. The trade-in items even include broken desktops, CPUs, printers and so on. The regular price of this tablet is BND 168. This is really ideal gift for a festive season and now it’s available from Concepts Computer.

The new Acer Iconia One 7 B1-790 tablet, a new and sleek 7-inch slate running Android, is targeted at young or new users or families looking for an affordable tablet for their household. This is also ideal for kids and children as entry level too and ideal for browsing, reading and watching videos or netflixing.

The Specs.
High-resolution display of 720 by 1290 dpi and IPS LCD Panel
Quad Core 1.3 Hz processor
16GB flash storage
Dual cameras
1GB memory ram
Battery life up to 7 hours on a single charge
250 grams, pretty light
Wifi connectivity

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, said that their company will always listen to the needs of their consumers and hence why the affordable Iconia is now available in the local market. He believes the Acer Iconia One 7 B1-790 tablet will be a hit among consumers.

For more information regarding the Acer Iconia One Tablet or any other trade-in promotion, you ca visit Concepts Computer showroom or call 223 3551/2/3.

The trade-in offer is back again 😀

You can benefit good pricing for trade-in

You can bring in your old, broken IT equipments and enjoy the trade-in offer from Concepts Computer on selected items

Hjh Nurul Akmar Hj Md Jaafar, Head of Retail Banking, BIBD, showcasing a sneak peek of BIBD NEXGEN Wallet (NFC) which will kick off in January 2019

As part of BIBD’s efforts to support the de-cashing of the economy (meaning less reliance on real cash in hand), BIBD has already introduced digital conveniences such as BIBD Quickypay for QR code payments (introduced a few months ago), BIBD vCard or Virtual MasterCard, its MasterCard Contactless and Visa payWave under its BIBD NEXGEN platform.

There is still room for growth in this department and BIBD will soon up their game by using NFC (Near Field Communication) where all you need is tapping your smartphone only. This is quite common in the US and UK and even in China. This is where BIBD will come in as a pioneer by introducing BIBD NEXGEN Wallet.

This will be made possible once their next BIBD app version will be available in January 2019. It will be synced from the user’s debit or virtual cards to the NEXGEN Wallet which means you don’t have to fork out your debit cards and simply tap your smartphone on the payment terminal.

Hjh Nurul Akmar Hj Md Jaafar, Head of Retail Banking, BIBD, said that all the customers have to do is place or tap your smartphone on the terminal and it will automatically open the BIBD app and it will prompt you for a pin number. After being verified, the transaction will be complete. The cool thing about the BIBD NEXGEN Wallet is that it can function without internet, for purchases up to BND 100.

This is something many will be looking forward to and furthermore, BIBD is well prepared as most of their existing merchants have card terminals which are able to receive NFC payment. Awesome!! The only thing is that the NFC service will only be available for Android users. As for IOS users (Apple), BIBD will be in talks with Apple in hoping that NFC can be readied for BIBD users on IOS.

This is the way of the future indeed and I hope the traction will be higher once NFC become available in Brunei and thank you to BIBD for pioneering this technological move.

The next update of the BIBD App will have the NFC option

Jonathan Chong, representative from ThunderX3 Brunei with Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer during the launch of the new models of the ThunderX3 chairs at Brilliance Hall, Concepts Computer earlier this morning

Check out the new ThunderX3 BC1 and BC3 gaming chairs at Concepts Computer. I just tried it and I am already thinking of investing on it after the renovation of my entertainment room is completed. These chairs are of great comfort and support and it’s not just ideal for gamers but even someone like me who spent hours in front of a desktop.

It has a minimalist style the can appeal to both working or gaming environment. They are equipped with high-end AIR Technology that helps to create better breathability and these chairs help to provide cool and refreshing experiences especially during long gaming experience, or in my case, surfing and youtubing haha.

Three colors are available for the ThunderX3 BC1 – Cyan on Black, Red on Black or all Black. These chairs are now priced at BND 230 as part of the Brunei salebration. The usual price was BND 275 and comes with a one-year warranty.

The newer models – ThunderX3 BC3 comes in two colours – Red and Cyan. These are priced at BND 330 and also comes with 1 year warranty. The usual price is BND 375. So it’s a great time to invest in these minimalist chairs which provide both comfort and experience.

Now here’s a special deal for all Rano360.com readers. All you have to do is mention my name and you will get BND 10 Concepts Computer voucher after purchasing either the ThunderX3 BC1 or the ThunderX3 BC3 chairs. Cool, aye? And the BND 10 voucher will have a validity of 30 days. So don’t be shy to mention my name “Ranoadidas” when you purchase these models.

According to Jonathan Chong, representative from ThunderX3 Brunei, his company is very pleased to be working alongside Concepts Computer especially with the wide variety of IT products and services provided. He believed Brunei gamers who require longer hours of practice can see the benefits of using ThunderX3 chairs.

A huge range of gaming chairs are also available at Concepts Computer including VertaGear, Noble, DXRacer, ThunderX3 and many other brands. There are even demo units on stand-by for walk-in customers who want to test the chairs before purchasing it.

For more info, you can call 223 3551/2/3 or visit their branch at Kiulap.

Check this out 😀

Picture opportunity with the members of the media