Product Review： IMOS Solid EX Corning 0.3mm Glass Screen Protector for iPhone 5/5C/5S

We can find a lot of screen protector in the market, but if you are looking for the hardest one, the best of the best, CORNING will be the brand. According to Corning, Gorilla Glass is on more than 2400 product models, 2.4billion devices and 33 major brands. And because of this, there are a lot of screen protector seller who claimed that they are selling a Gorilla Glass Screen Protector. But do you aware that, most are not authorised by Corning and the product might even be a counterfeit product!

Today, we would like to introduce IMOS, a screen protector manufacturer that are widely known in Taiwan for their highest quality screen protector. IMOS is working with a public listed company in Taiwan to product Corning Screen Protector - IMOS Solid EX series.

Latest series by IMOS - Solid EX 9H 0.3 Corning Glass Screen Protector

On the back of the box, it's clearly stated the key features of the IMOS Solid EX Corning. The high level of transparency, oleophobic coating, the thickness of 0.3mm and the 9H surface hardness (based on pencil hardness)

On top left corner of the package, there is a hologram of authenticity to prevent imitation. On the side, there is the security seal. So there is no worries for one to get a imitation good or a fake unit. Apart from iPhone 5 series, IMOS Solid Ex Corning also available for the brand new Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2 and the All New HTC One (M8)

For those who ordered online, or prefer self installation, you can refer to the contain within the IMOS Solid EX Corning box. (contains might be replaced without any further notice)



Inside the item pack, you can find the installation kit, as well as complimentary 3.5mm and lightning connector dust plug.



On the right is the IMOS Solid EX Corning Glass Screen Protector and a high quality microfiber cloth.



You can find the IMOS Solid EX Corning Glass Screen Protector inside the Metallic Green pack.



Besides the IMOS Solid EX Corning Glass Screen protector, you will also find a piece of dust remover for your phone screen.



This is how the IMOS Solid EX Corning glass screen protector looks like. You can differentiate between an original Corning glass and a normal tempered glass by looking at the transparency of the glass. If you find the side of the glass is blue or green, that means it's not a Corning glass, but a normal tempered glass. (hints: You can look at your tempered glass table at home, and you will see a green coloured side). The next time a seller tell you their screen protector is made with gorilla glass and you finds colouring on the side, you can tell that the seller is lying.



On top of that, if you hold the IMOS Solid EX Corning Glass, you will find it very comfortable. Unlike most glass screen protector, the IMOS Solid EX Corning Glass has a rounded edge on the side as well as the speaker and home button area. This will prevent your from hurting your hand while using the phone.

In order to offer the thinnest Corning Gorilla Glass Screen Protector at 0.3mm, IMOS has been working with Corning manufacturer to come out with a 0.3mm instead of the original 0.6mm. And after adding a layer of adhesive, it only turns out to be 0.4mm thick.



The installation is very simple. First, clean your screen.



Remove the protective sticker,



First, align it with the home button and slowly place it on the phone. It will attached to the phone by itself.



Then, align the top with the speaker hole to ensure a perfect alignment.



If there is a dust trapped in between the screen protector, slowly lift the screen protector up and use the supplied dust remover to remove the dust. Do not worry about affecting the adhesive as it is made with high grade material.

After the installation, you will not find much difference from a naked iPhone screen. For the iPhone, it just another layer of Corning Gorilla Glass on top of the original corning gorilla glass screen.

Similar to the other IMOS series, the Solid EX Corning also coated with oleophobic coating. Water will turn into droplets instead of spreading on the screen.



Here are some videos that show the durability of the 9H hardness on the IMOS Solid EX Corning Glass Screen Protector.

And since there are a lot of counterfeit products in the market, IMOS engraved all their Glass Screen Protector with the "imos" wordings.

You can use a flash light to look at the right bottom corner to ensure your IMOS Solid EX Corning is the authentic product.

Conclusion:

IMOS Solid EX 9H 0.3mm Corning Glass offers many features including high transparency, high surface hardness, full protection, and the most comfortable in terms of the rounded borders and thus the price is higher than those China / Korea OEM Brand Screen Protector in the market.
But for a Recommended Selling Price at RM159, you can be assured on a top quality protection that is similar with the original glass that offers the most delicate touch to your screen and at the same time, offer protection against scratches due to keys, coins, and other metal objects.

This is the time to ponder, do you want to place the fate of your phone on a cheap, low quality made screen protector to protect your iPhone 5/5C/5S screen that worth up to RM1000? Or you would prefer to invest on a trusted Corning Glass Screen Protector to offer you 2 times protection?

Note: The photos and contents of the articles are taken from another chinese blog written by a great blogger in Taiwan. If you prefer to read a chinese version of this blog, you can click on this link: http://www.kocpc.com.tw/archives/4702

Guide: How to Maximise the usage of Apple TV3

Apple TV 3

Due to popular demand, we have decided to write up a new guide on how to fully maximise the use of Apple TV 3 in Malaysia. 

Many owners of Apple TV3 are currently using their unit primarily for:

1. Airplay

2. Purchase or rental of movies/music/TV dramas from iTunes

But do you know, apart of the 2 features mentioned above, there are other features too. If you have a US iTunes account logged in your ATV3 and you set it to USA, you will see icons such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, and others. 

The problem is, how are we going to subscribe to such services which are not available in Malaysia yet?

Here's how:

1. If you do not have an US iTunes Account, you should register for one. Click here to know how to: How to Register for A FREE US iTunes Account without credit card

2. After you register, kindly log in your ATV3 with your US account. Set the region to United States instead of Malaysia. Then the ATV3 will refresh and you will see channels like netflix, hulu plus, HBO Go, MLS.com, Watch ESPN, Disney channels and others. Of course, at this point of time, you won't be able to watch or subscribe to it due to your local IP address.

3. In order to subscribe to those channels, you will need to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service. Some of us might be wondering what is VPN? If you wanted to know more, do visit this site:  

How VPN works? 

Now that you understand how VPN works, the next question is, which one should I subscribe to? Personally I would recommend Unblock-US as I have been using their service for the past 2.5 years and so far, they never cause me any problem at all. Unlike some that I heard of, there are issues such as it cause the internet to be slower, not functioning, poor customer service and many more. And according to Unblock-US,  this is what differentiate them with the other VPN service. 

How is Unblock-Us different from a VPN service?

Last Updated: Jan 08, 2014 06:29PM EST

There are several advantages of using Unblock-us over other VPN based or proxy solutions.
 
Unblock-us works with media players such as Roku, Apple TV, PS3, XBox and others, while VPN based solution works with computer only

None of your video/audio content or unrelated traffic goes through Unblock-us, therefore there is no bandwidth loss, data cap or privacy concerns.

Simpler setup, VPN works only on computer, so you need to setup it on every computer in your home.

There is no software to install when using Unblock-Us, all you need to do is change your DNS settings.

We don't operate like a traditional VPN. We don't change your IP address. Your IP remains your local IP. This may be important for other sites that need to show your correct Geo location.

Content from different countries is streamed transparently - no need to switch VPN.

It only cost 4.99 Canadian dollar (RM14.80) a month for the service. You can choose to pay with paypal or your local credit / debit card too. And before you commit on their service, you can register for a One Week Trial. If you like it, then only you start to make payment. You can opt to stop anytime you want as there is no contract tied.

4. So, after you get your VPN and do the simple setup, you are now ready to register for the service that you want. If you like netflix, then just go to www.netflix.com or www.hulu.com for Hulu Plus. And if you want both, then just go for it. Register for the FREE trial for both and see which one you would prefer. Netflix offer 1 month free trial while hulu plus is 1 week. Anyway, your VPN trial is just a week so probably you would have to decide before it expired. Both Netflix and Hulu Plus cost 7.99USD (RM26.40).

With this, you have learn on how to enhance the use of Apple TV3. There are other channels to subscribe besides netflix and hulu plus, and as long as you are subscribed to Unblock-US VPN service, you will have no problem accessing those channels.

For more tips and guides: do follow our blog. Should you have any topic you would like us to cover, do reply in the comment below.

Repost - Watching Netflix in Malaysia

Due to popular demand, I have decided to repost an old topic for the sake of new Apple TV users. Since there is no jailbreak for ATV3 yet, Netflix is the cheapest option on watching unlimited TV shows, Dramas, Animes, Cartoons, Movies using Apple TV 3.

Hope you find it useful.

www.netflix.com

You probably heard about it but any idea what is this? 

According to the company press release, Netflix:-

Netflix revolutionizes the way people watch TV shows and movies

With more than 26 million streaming members in the United States, Canada, Latin America, the United Kingdom and Ireland, Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) is the world's leading internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV programs. For about US$7.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch movies and TV programs streamed over the internet to PCs, Macs and TVs. Among the large and expanding base of devices streaming from Netflix are the Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3 consoles; an array of Blu-ray disc players, internet-connected TVs, home theatre systems, digital video recorders and internet video players; Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as Apple TV and Google TV. In all, over 800 devices that stream from Netflix are available. For additional information, visit www.netflix.com. Follow Netflix on Facebook and Twitter.

But try going to their website and sign up for the service, You will be prompt that the service is not available in our country yet. So the BIG QUESTION is, how can we watch?

In order to be watching netflix from Malaysia, first you will need to get a VPN (Virtual Private Network). What is this and how it works? (those curious to know more can go to http://www.howstuffworks.com/vpn.htm ). There are a lot of VPN provider and the one I have tried and tested and still using now would be Unblock-Us ( Unblock-US VPN ). It's a subscription based service but trust me, it never failed me and my family. And it's reasonable. You can get a free 1-week trial and if you are dissatisfied, just cancel it without paying. You can get more info by going to the link. ( Unblock-US ).

After you managed to register the VPN, switch it ON and go to www.netflix.com to register for your free 1-month trial and get to watch unlimited movies online. You can watch it using your Apple TV but you will need to change the location to United States. All you need to do is go to Settings>General>Locations>Unites States. After that, you will able to see netflix on the main page. Go to it and login using your registered netflix account.

That's all. What else I can say? Just ENJOY your movies. 

Product Comparison: Newertech Nuguard KX vs Otterbox Defender for iPhone 5/5S

Apple iPhone 5/5S. The most innovative iPhone yet. It's slimmer, it's lighter and probably more fragile. An accidental drop on the floor, you might put a dent on it or worse, cracks the screen. In order to protect the phone, companies are launching casing that are able to protect the phone from damages.

One of the most successful casing for protection is the Otterbox Defender Series. It provide protections against drop / impact, dust / debris and scratches. However, like any other products, the Defender has some serious challengers too. Today we will introduce the Newertech NuGuard KX for iPhone 5S.

What's in the package, warranty & Price

Otterbox Defender

• Otterbox Defender Casing
• Holster / Belt Clip
• 1 Year Limited Warranty
• Price: RM189

Newertech Nuguard KX

• Nuguard KX casing
• Lifetime Limited Warranty
• Price: RM180

Size and Weight

   

   

Size

Otterbox Defender - 5.32 in x 2.75 in x 0.64 in

Newertech Nuguard KX - 5.15 in x 2.6 in x 0.48 in

 

Weight

Otterbox Defender - 65gm 

Newertech Nuguard KX - 30gm

 

Verdict: Unless you are looking for a Bulky Protective Case for your iPhone 5/5S, then Otterbox will be your choice. But since most of us would prefer a thinner case, as long as the protection is the same, the Newertech Nuguard KX with smaller dimensions and weight will be the clear winner. 

NUGUARD KX Wins.

Safety Profile - Drop Protection

Otterbox Defender can protect against drop up to 6.6 feet while The NuGuard KX has been tested to withstand impact from a height of 20 feet on solid ground. Nuguard KX also dropped from a Wind Turbine with a height of 200 feet to the snowy ground. 

Verdict: While not many of us will drop their phone from 200 feet, but there are incidences where phones are drop from 1st floor to ground floor. So, it doesn't harm much to get a better drop protection case. 

NUGUARD KX Wins.

Safety Profile - Dust Protection / Scratch Protection

Otterbox Defender comes with 1 layer of integrated Plastic Screen Protector that helps to prevent scratches and protect against dust. While the integrated screen protector can be scratched, it does protects the iPhone 5/5S screen. Meanwhile, the Newertech NuGuard does not come with any front protection. You will need to get a separate screen protector to prevent the screen from scratches. And you can only use those case friendly screen protectors such as the XtremeGuard for iPhone 5/5S. 

Verdict: Money savings for Otterbox Defender. Since there is an integrated Screen Protector, you do not need to pay extra to get a separate screen protector. On the other hand, XtremeGuard is currently not available in Malaysia so it will be difficult for user to get one. 

Otterbox Defender Wins.

Well, these are some of the points that you might be considering when choosing between the two case. Both have their pros and cons. 

Otterbox Defender

The size of the casing is the main weakness of the Otterbox Defender. To have a full comfortable grip on the phone, you will need a bigger hand and this narrowed their market. Most ladies will find it challenging to hold the case properly. It comes with a belt clip although I find it difficult to remove and attaching the phone. The drop protection are up to 6.6 feet which is higher than an average adult height, no problem if you drop your phone when you are talking on the phone. However, if you accidentally drop it from the upper floor, then you might face the risk of damaging your phone. 

The main benefits for the case is the protection against dust and scratches. If you are someone who works in a construction site or other field with a lot of dust, then this case will be a good purchase. And the integrated screen protector also protects your phone's screen from scratches. Having said that, the plastic screen protector itself is not resistance to scratches, so over a period of short time, you will find a lot of tiny scratches on it. And soon, the case will not be usable as it will be full of scratches. 

Newertech Nuguard KX

The main weakness of the case is the compatibility of screen protectors. Although the iPhone 5/5S screen comes with a scratch resistance properties, it's not scratch proof. In my opinion, a phone without a screen protector is prone to scratches. This is the area Newertech will need to improve. Rumours that Newertech is going to launch a new glass screen protector that is 100% compatible with the case, and if this is true, then this will be the greatest improvement. But until then, the best option for the time being is the Liquid Screen Protector or the XtremeGuard Case Friendly Screen Protector for iPhone 5/5S. 

On the positive end, Newertech NuGuard KX is the only casing that have been tested against drop from a Wind Turbine at the height of 200 feet to the ground. And they are also the first to offer a limited lifetime warranty for the casing. This proves on the high quality material that can fight against  time. 

Note: To overcome the weakness on Newertech NuGuard KX, Connect2U are currently providing FREE Liquid Screen Protector for buyers. We are planning to get the XtremeGuard Case friendly screen protector for our customers too. Until we able to get the stocks in, we are to continue to offer the liquid screen protector.

For more information on both casing, kindly contact Connect2U at cc@connect2u.my or reply below.

Thank you for reading. 

Product Review: X-1 Flex In Ear Sports Headphones by H2O Audio (Waterproof, Weatherproof, Sweat Proof Headphones)

New arrival from H2O Audio USA. A waterproof, weatherproof, sweat proof headphones that comes with a 1 Year Warranty. The patented H2O Audio technology ensures these headphones can withstand heavy perspiration and complete submersion to 3 feet (1 meter) underwater. 

I will give it a try and see if that's really the case. 

Inside the box : 1 Pair of Flex in Ears, 3 Ear Tip Sizes (S/M/L)

The length of the cord : 42 inches

Close up photo on the earbud. I got the Super Hero Blue colour. It also comes in Pink and Black. Unlike the Apple earpod, the Flex fit nicely and comfortable and fit nicely into my ear. The sound quality not as good as the Apple Earpod but still acceptable. 

Now, the moment of truth. Can it performs as claimed? Does it live up to it's IP7 rating?  We will run through a series of test in the water and see.

Ready? 

Go! 

It's swimming in the water

Deep in the water. It says it can last for 30 mins. So I removed it and rinse it again.

A direct rinse from a running tap after soaking it for about 30 minutes in the bowl.

After drying it with a towel

I tried it again and the sound are slightly better than before. Amazing! I would really recommend this to swimmers, gym goers, runners and anyone who like sports and musics. 

Summary

PROS

• Waterproof
• Weatherproof
• Sweat Proof
• Comfort and secure fit
• 1 Year Warranty (can be claimed locally through Connect2U since we are the Authorised Distributor in Malaysia)

CONS

• Sound quality not as good as some premium earphones.

Video Review - Hand Stylus vs adonit Jot Pro

You might have read about our Hand Stylus. Now some video review on the comparison against one of the top stylus in Malaysia, the adonit Jot Pro stylus, which claimed to be the most precise tip on the market. 

Youtube Direct Video Link

Photo Shoots during our review.

 

The retail pack of both Hand Stylus and the adonit Jot Pro

Tip of the Titan - Hand Stylus equipped with a 4mm rubber tip while Jot Pro with the dampening tip

Comparison of the tip size

Kissing of the tip - Ha ha ha, the Handstylus features a smaller tip but the responsiveness is as good as the Jot Pro

The Hand Stylus comes with a retractible tip like a pen and the Jot Pro come with a cap which need to be screw to keep it intact. Both keep the tip clean and safe although Hand Stylus offers a more convenient retractible features

The part I hated most. It's only an hour of usage and the rubber holder are full of non removable dust. And the magnetic cling also causes inconvenience as it cling to any metal or magnetic materials.

Comparison of Writing (Using a regular ball pen as benchmark)

For those who wanted to know more about the 2 stylus brand, feel free to leave a comment. Or if you have any test you would like us to perform using the 2 styluses, feel free to share with us. We will see if we are able to do it. 

Thank you.