Compulsory Immunisations for Primary One Registration

MOE website states that

... all children (Singapore Citizens and Non-Singapore Citizens) should have completed the recommended immunisations before entry into Primary One

However, HPB website contradicts that statement

 ... (only) Diphtheria and measles vaccinations are COMPULSORY by law

I emailed both MOE and HPB, and below is the definitive reply

Thank you for your email and enquiry. Kindly refer to our reply as follows :- 

1. why such a requirement when only Diphtheria and measles vaccinations are COMPULSORY by law.  (https://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/630)

In Singapore, diphtheria & measles are compulsory by law.  Diphtheria is only available in combined form and is usually given in combined form with pertussis, tetanus and Polio (DPT/IPV) or with pertussis, tetanus, haemophilis influenza B and polio (5 in 1). Measles is also given in combined form with mumps and rubella (MMR). 

Every child must be immunised against diphtheria within 12 months of birth or 12 months of arrival in Singapore and against measles between 1-2 years of age.

2. if a child has completed only immunisations compulsory by law, will he still be denied entry?

As mentioned in Ms Teo ( MOE ) reply dated 3 Oct 2016, the school will not reject the P1 registration but you have to produce documents before school starts 

Please feel free to contact us should you have any further clarification.  

Thanks & Regards,

Mei Ping

Senior Executive, National Registry of Diseases Office

Policy, Research and Surveillance (PRS) Division

[www.nir.hpb.gov.sg]www.nir.hpb.gov.sg (National Immunisation Registry)  

Health Promotion BoardTel. (65) 6435 3267     Fax. (65) 6438 1015http://www.hpb.gov.sgPrivileged/Confidential information may be contained in this message.

KKH vs PEH vs NUH

So we just had our third child. Three different child, three different hospitals!

Our first child was delivered at KKH, second at PEH and third at NUH. Below are the summary of the pros and cons of all of them. Take note that only the last one may be relevant as it was the most recent one. The earlier two are a few years back and things may have changed.

1st Child - KKH - 2011

Clinic

We had an experienced male gynae, Prof John Tee, whom we saw most of the time at their satellite clinic at AMK since it was nearer to us than KKH itself. To be honest, I prefer the satellite clinic to the private clinic at KKH anyday.

The appointments were a breeze. You hardly need to wait anything longer than 15 mins as the clinic is small hence do not cater to too many mums.

Experience - Positive

Delivery suites

The midwifes are all too 'old school' therefore they expect you to follow the routine which is to get you induced, jab you with pain killers, cervical check now and then and lastly get you to push.

You are also expected to lay on your back the whole time. No other positions allowed.

Experience - Negative

Maternity ward

We stayed at the A1 ward and it was a pleasant experience.  The nurses were kind and attentive and they really take good care of you. A lactation nurse will come by to help if you are having issues with breastfeeding.

Experience - Absolutely positive.

2nd Child - PEH - 2013

Clinic

As this is a private hospital, the gynaes are all private gynaes who owns their own clinic and we had Dr Heng from Heng Clinic as our gynae. She is an experienced gynae and appointments with her was always pleasant. She does cervical checks that was the least painful.

Her clinic is always packed and we do sometimes have to wait a while, especially when she has to attend to a delivery. However, I don't recall having to wait for hours.

Experience - Positive

Delivery Suite

This has got to be the biggest delivery suite. It was that spacious! For this 2nd delivery, we had a doula with us which the hospital allows then. They don't anymore now.

The midwifes are kind but also pretty old school. They don't even know what is a doula and what they do. As Dr Heng knows we are going for natural birth, the nurses were probably informed and pretty much offhand.

Experience - Positive

Maternity Ward

We didn't get the single bed suite as they are all fully booked therefore has to share with another mum in a 2 bedder. By right I was not allowed to stay the night but because they were not able to provide us a single bedder room, they made an exception. The other mum had her hubby stayed the night too, so they probably had no choice.

They provide Halal Chinese style confinement food which was delicious!

Experience - Neutral, as we were unable to get a single bedder.

3rd Child - NUH - 2016

Clinic

We had Prof Su Lin Lin as our gynae. To be honest, we would rather have a different gynae if we could but the gynae we wanted was fully booked. Prof Su is a little too cautious for our liking that she is the only gynae of all the 3 to cause us to worry that the pregnancy is not normal when it is. She even suggest a detailed scan when we are like a couple of weeks away from the delivery date, which I find unnecessary and redundant.

However, she was not the main problem but time wasted while waiting to see her was! We spend so more time on the walkway to the rooms then actually seeing her. The longest we waited was 4 hours!

Experience - Terrible.

Delivery Suite

NUH allows you to practically move about. This was the absolutely positive part. They also allow a doula which is another plus. The nurses were also very accommodating.

However, during our delivery, the standby gynae who was clearly inexperienced and probably unaware of what natural birth is was the biggest let down. At one point, she even cringed and she wants to be a gynae?!

Experience - Positive for the rooms and nurses. Absolutely negative for the in house doctor.

A tip to would be parents delivering at NUH and planning for a natural birth. You don't have to listen to the in house gynae. Consult your own doctor instead!

Maternity Ward

Pretty much similar to KKH. The nurses were kind and took real good care of us. The rooms were also pretty new and huge.

As single bedder, they also provide celebratory meal which basically means two upgraded meals for each spouse on a properly laid makeshift dinner table.

Experience - Absolutely positive.

Rii i25 vs Rikomagic RKM MK 705 wireless air mouse

The Rii i25 and RKM MK705 are both wireless air mouse with IR learning functions and a mini QWERTY keyboard on the back.

If you look at the specs and design, they look exactly the same

Rii i25

RKM MK705

My guess would be that both are manufactured by the same OEM company and simply re-branded accordingly.

Rii however has another model which is the i25A and this model includes a microphone which you can use for voice control and voice chat. So if you do not need a microphone, either Rii i25 or RKM MK705 will do. Just choose one that is cheaper.

Physical Aspects

The controller is slim and considerably light and that makes it nice when hold. This is the main reason why I chose this over MeLe F10 which is too thick for my liking.

On the main side are all the basic buttons to control your devices like the page up/down, volume, and music/video playback control buttons.

All orange buttons on the controller can be IR 'learned' and the process is very easy. This allows you to replace your TV remote controller by making it learn basic common functions like power on/off, source and volume up/down.

On the left side is the on/off toggle and also a micro USB charging port, so do remember to turn it on before use else you might think that it is malfunctioning like I did!

Left side

The built-in battery do last quite a while before it needs recharging and it can be charged with any USB powered source.

The keyboard on the other side is handy when browsing or chatting and way easier to use as compared to the Android on screen keyboard.

Mini QWERTY keyboard

The only problem is that the transceiver is located at the top of the controller therefore when used as a keyboard, depending on how you hold it, your left hand may block the transceiver and this can cause some inaccurate commands to be sent.

The buttons tactile feel is OK for me though may be a little too hard for some people.

Overall I am satisfied with the controller though the transceiver location issue do bug me at times but I guess it applies to any air mouse.

Pros

Slim and light; nice to hold
Beautiful design and good built quality
Lasting battery
Easy IR learning process

Cons

Up/down button needs to be IR 'learned' for use with Android devices.
Transceiver don't work well when used as keyboard due to design

Specifications:

Receiver: USB Nano Dongle
RF mode: 2.4Ghz GFSK
Transmission distance: Up to 10 meters
Transmission Power: Less than +4db
Power supply: Rechargeable 450mAh polymer Lithium-ion battery
Charging voltage: 4.4V ~ 5.25V
Charging current: 300mA
Sleeping Current class1: 86uA
Operation Voltage: 3.7V
Operating Current: 22mA
Product weight: 100g
Product Size: 170mm x 49mm x 16mm

Window 10 Unable To Connect To WiFi

If you are facing wireless connectivity issues with your Windows 10 where even previously working connection now failed to connect with " " error, check if you have a Qualcomm Atheros wireless adapter. If you do then you will need to replace the driver.

1. Download the drivers from the official website of the manufacturer. Some devices, like Dell 1705 adapter is actually a Qualcomm Atheros adapter

2. Delete the existing Microsoft driver

- Open Device Manager
- Double click on the wireless adapter
- Select the Driver tab
- Select Driver Details button
- Take note of the list of driver files and their location
- Open up File Explorer and navigate the driver files location
- Delete all driver files in the list earlier

3. Uninstall the wireless adapter

- right click on the device and select Uninstall
- select 'Delete the driver software for this device'

4. Install the driver downloaded in Step 1.

Windows 7 BSOD when waking up from hibernation or unable to wake up from sleep

If you are facing issues with your Windows 7 either

- ending up with a blue screen of death when waking up from hibernation with iusb3xhc.sys error OR

- unable to wake up from sleep

then you may have your USB driver corrupted.

What you need to do is completely remove the USB extended driver.

1. Go to Device Manager
2. Find the USB extended device, right click and select Properties > Driver > Driver details
3. Take note of the driver files location
4. Open up file explorer and nagivate to the location in Step 3
5. Delete all the files found in Step 2.
6. Go back to device properties
7. Select uninstall and select delete the driver software for this device
8. Download drivers from your notebook official site and install.

Asterisk: Creating A Conference That External Callers Can Call In

If you need to create a Conference that external callers can call in, you will need to create both an Extension as well as a Conference.

1. Create a Conference as per normal
2. Create an Extension as per normal
3. Edit the "Follow Me" settings of the Extension and under "Destination if no answer", point it to the Conference number.
4. Give the Extension (not Conference) number to your external callers

That's it

Elba EWF 8121 A Front Load Washing Machine

This model isn't new. I have had it for 2 years and it was already out for sometime before I bought it. In fact there were already promotions for it all the way back in 2012. Elba Singapore is still selling this though.

I bought it from Gain City for $549 during their sale. For an 8 kg washer and 1200 rpm spin speed, it is considered a steal.

Background

If you Google for more information on this washer, you will realise that the only site you can actually find any is the Elba Singapore website. The reason for this is because Elba is originally a cooking appliances company. They were then bought over by Fisher & Paykel who makes washers. However this model is not made by F&P but most likely Arcelik whose brands include Beko and Blomberg. It is therefore not surprising that all 3 brands are brought in by Casa Holdings.

As far as I know, this model is only available in Singapore although Elba Malaysia has a similar looking model too.

EF Singapore also has a model that is exactly similar, right down to the user manual. What is the difference? I was told EF is the made-in-China equivalent while the one by Elba is made in Turkey

Features

Automated Water Adjustment System

The good thing about this washer is that is has a  water adjustment system where it will adjust the water level accordingly if there isn't enough of during a wash. However, it only works one way. In other words, if the load is lesser than the program is meant for, it will not reduce the amount of water and fill up according to the program.

You can however make it reduce the amount of water used by choosing the Quick Wash option. However, you cannot choose Rinse Plus then because that is conflicting as it uses more water for a bigger wash load.

Wash Options

Program selector

16 programmes of which 14 are wash programmes. Program duration can range from 39 minutes (Quick) to 2+ hours (Intensive +)

To be honest, washer should be made much simpler than this. All they need to do it to have programmes for clothes type and then have options for temperature and duration. That makes it all easier.

Cotton program defaults at 60C and Synthetics at 40C.

Control panel

There are 4 auxiliary functions to select from depending on the program chosen.

Prewash - For heavily soiled laundry.  Pre-wash without detergent is recommended for lace and curtains.

Quick Wash - wash time is shortened for smaller amounts or slightly soiled laundries

Rinse Plus - perform an extra rinsing sensitive skins (babies, allergic skins and etc.)

Anti-Creasing - drum movement will be lessened to prevent creasing and spinning speed is limited. Washing is carried out at a higher water level. Machine should be loaded with half of the maximum laundry specified in the program table.

The desired temperature can be selected up and down although the higher temperature is restricted depending on the program.

Spin speed can also be adjusted accordingly, also with  the same restriction.

Time Delay option allows you let the washer start at a specific time, eg load everything in the washer at night and set it to start in the morning so the wash will be completed by the time you wake up to hang the clothes up or tumble dry it.

You can pause a wash to add more load if the water level is safe enough that it will not overflow if the door is opened. This is not only to prevent a mess but also to prevent any scalding injuries.

User manual

The user manual is pretty good and clear except that it was not updated to reflect the actual features of the washer. This is most likely due to many other variants of the model sold elsewhere with different features.

Reliability

Since I had this for the past two years, I had to call for service 3 times when the control panel cum LCD went berserk, the door cannot be opened intermittently after a wash and the door seal rubber chipped off, although the last one was probably our fault.

Considering we did multiple wash everyday without fail since we had it and the washer still runs albeit minor issues, it is reliable alright.

Summary

Technical Specs

Loading Capacity : 8 kg
Spin Speed: 1200 rpm with Variable Spin Speed Selection, Rinse Hold and No Spin
16 Programmes
Electronic Control : LED
Automatic Water Adjustment System
Program Follower: Prewash, Main Wash, Rinse, Conditioner, Spin and End
Overflow Safety & Child Lock
Functions : Prewash, Quich Wash, Extra Rinse, Easy Ironing
Time Delay: 0-24 Hour
Remain Time Display
Energy Consumption:1.36kWh
Energy Performance:A-10%
Water Consumption: 59 Litres
Cycle Duration:145 Mins
Power Connection : 2000-2350W
Dimensions : W595 x D580 x H850mm
WELS Rating : 3 ticks (7.9l / kg)

Pros

Reliable
2 years warranty
Affordable
Decent wash
Many programs to choose from
Able to pause a wash.
Automatic water adjustment system

Cons

No option to deselect conditioner cycle from a program
Water automatically adjusted up, not down
Long door lock period 

Tecno TSH5030R Electric Water Heater

This is the smallest capacity model from Tecno's range of horizontal storage water heater even though the manual states that there is an even smaller capacity model (25 L) as well as various other capacities. Tecno however only sells the 30 L, 50 L and 90 L models.

Although I posted about how a vertical storage heater is better than a horizontal one, this being almost similar in vertical and horizontal dimensions (540 cm x 380 cm) will not make much of a difference

It comes complete with all the necessary accessories including the installation brackets and mounting screws. The tank can be mounted on the left or right and on the floor or ceiling therefore placement shouldn't be a problem.

According to the manual, it is energy saving as the temperature of the heated water will be maintained up to 2 days after the heater is powered off.

I recently purchased the heater from Lazada for $178 nett after using a promo code that knocks some bucks off the actual price together with their free delivery promo on their app.

Warranty is only for 1 year for heating element but 5 years for the tank itself.

Unboxing

 The box it came with

The box includes all the necessary accessories to have it installed, including brackets, wall mounting screws etc.

The technical ratings on the control panel which is configured for right side mount. If you plan to mount on the left side, you have to rotate the control panel face plate.

The simple control panel consists of a dial for temperature settings and light indicators for heating and power.

After installation (before cleanup)

DIY

If you plan to perform a DIY installation, then the following are some tips

1. Get a 16mm drill to mount the wall mounting hooks

2. You will need a torx screwdriver if you need to rotate the control panel

3. A ratchet set will help to screw the mounting bracket to the heater

4. You may need the help of someone else to mount the heater to the wall hooks but I was able to do it on my own as it was not that heavy. Just be careful

Features

Blue Diamond enamel-coated inner tank and heavy duty anode rod protects tank against rust and corrosion;
High quality Incoloy heating element;
Thermal cutout to prevent overheating;
Glasslined coating on water inlet/outlet for better water quality;
Polyurethane insulation reduces energy loss (Energy Saving);
Multi-function safety valve;
Temperature control knob;
Water tubes whirl flow technology;
Multi-angle installation bracket.

Technical specs

Capacity - 30 Litre;
Rated voltage - 230V/50Hz;
Rated power input - 1500W;
Rated max temp - 75 Degrees Celsius
Rated pressure - 0.8 Mpa;
Water proof degree - IPX1;
Dimensions - 540 x 380 x 380 cm
Weight - 12.5 kg / 42.5 (empty / filled)

Note:

The IPX1 water proof degree means the heater can have water dripping (vertically) on it with no harmful effect when tested for 10 minutes with water equivalent to 1 mm rainfall per minute.

Incoloy is a superalloy designed for excellent corrosion resistance as well as strength at high temperatures.

Tecno TSH 5030R Horizontal Centralised Electric Storage Water Heater

This is the smallest capacity model from Tecno's range of horizontal storage water heater even though the manual states that there is an even smaller capacity model (25 L) as well as various other capacities. Tecno however only sells the 30 L, 50 L and 90 L models.

Although I posted about how a vertical storage heater is better than a horizontal one, this being almost similar in terms of physical size  (540 cm x 380 cm) with other similar capacity vertical models will not make much of a difference

It comes complete with all the necessary accessories including the installation brackets and mounting screws. The tank can be mounted on the left or right and on the floor or ceiling therefore placement shouldn't be a problem.

According to the manual, it is energy saving as the temperature of the heated water will be maintained up to 2 days after the heater is powered off.

I recently purchased the heater from Lazada for $178 nett after using a promo code that knocks some bucks off the actual price together with their free delivery promo on their app.

Warranty is only for 1 year for heating element but 5 years for the tank itself.

Unboxing

 The box it came with

The box includes all the necessary accessories to have it installed, including brackets, wall mounting screws etc.

The technical ratings on the control panel which is configured for right side mount. If you plan to mount on the left side, you have to rotate the control panel face plate.

The simple control panel consists of a dial for temperature settings and light indicators for heating and power.

After installation (before cleanup)

DIY

If you plan to perform a DIY installation, then the following are some tips

1. Get a 16mm drill to mount the wall mounting hooks

2. You will need a torx screwdriver if you need to rotate the control panel

3. A ratchet set will help to screw the mounting bracket to the heater

4. You may need the help of someone else to mount the heater to the wall hooks but I was able to do it on my own as it was not that heavy. Just be careful

Features

Blue Diamond enamel-coated inner tank and heavy duty anode rod protects tank against rust and corrosion;
High quality Incoloy heating element;
Thermal cutout to prevent overheating;
Glasslined coating on water inlet/outlet for better water quality;
Polyurethane insulation reduces energy loss (Energy Saving);
Multi-function safety valve;
Temperature control knob;
Water tubes whirl flow technology;
Multi-angle installation bracket.

Technical specs

Capacity - 30 Litre;
Rated voltage - 230V/50Hz;
Rated power input - 1500W;
Rated max temp - 75 Degrees Celsius
Rated pressure - 0.8 Mpa;
Water proof degree - IPX1;
Dimensions - 540 x 380 x 380 cm
Weight - 12.5 kg / 42.5 (empty / filled)

Note:

The IPX1 water proof degree means the heater can have water dripping (vertically) on it with no harmful effect when tested for 10 minutes with water equivalent to 1 mm rainfall per minute.

Incoloy is a superalloy designed for excellent corrosion resistance as well as strength at high temperatures.

Horizontal vs Vertical Storage Heater

For those planning to install a new water storage water heater, this is a good read

Geyser Mounting: Horizontal vs. Vertical

Basically, go for vertical one if possible. The reason is due to stratification.

Water stratification occurs when water masses with different properties - salinity, oxygenation, density, temperature - form layers that act as barriers to water mixing. These layers are normally arranged according to density, with the least dense water masses sitting above the more dense layers.

Hot water is less dense than cold water and as such, in a storage heater the hot water sits in layers with the hottest water being at the top of the heater.

Storage heaters installed in vertical configurations have much better stratification, and maintain this stratification better than equivalent sized horizontal heaters. Vertical storage heater stratification surface area is much smaller than that of a horizontal heaters, creating a smaller surface area for conduction between layers and less turbulence disrupting the layers when water is run through the heater.

Geyser Mounting: Horizontal vs. Vertical

HDB May 2016 BTO preview

There are 5 projects slated this month's launch.

BUKIT PANJANG

Right beside the KJE, 1660 units of 2R Flexi right up to 3Gen flat types in 3 different developments are up for sale.

For those that drive, being near the KJE may be a good thing as it cuts travelling time with a new road link to KJE heading towards Tuas in 2017 from Senja Road. LTA may even built an interchange in the future. For now, to get to the BKE, you can join the KJE and make a U-turn at the Woodlands Road exit. Even if you do not drive, travelling by a cab may cost less too.

The developments will be flanked by a school, a proposed commercial development, a proposed park, a Chinese temple and of course an existing HDB flats.

The nearest train station is Jelapang LRT station which is about 200 - 400 meters depending on which development you choose. The nearest MRT station would be Bukit Panjang which two LRT station away from Jelapang. Walking is not really an option. Pretty sure there will be a new bus service or a reroute of existing bus services to cover the development.

Nearest commercial development is the Bukit Panjang Shopping Center, which is near Bukit Panjang LRT/MRT station, and Ten Mile Junction which is another LRT stop away

Below shows the actual site

SEMBAWANG

As with the last few BTOs for Sembawang, this development will be at the same Canberra site where all the developments are new.

Flanked by Sembawang Road, future Yishun Ave 8, future Canberra Street and a park currently under construction, the development offers 1220 units of 2R Flexi up to 5R with a plot ratio of 2.8, which is higher than some of the other developments in the area. If you look the marked area, the excluded part is currently a power grid station.

Two MRT stations serves this area, which are the Sembawang and the future Canberra MRT stations that will be ready around the same time as this development

This development will be near Sembawang end where there's a huge park (800 m away) as well as the beach (1.3 km away). It is about 3 bus stops away.

Nearest commercial developments currently are Sun Plaza, Sembawang Mart, Sembawang Shopping Center and a new central right in front of the Canberra MRT station.

According to URA map there will be a school adjacent to it and on the other side is Simpang, which is a forested area. If you choose a unit east of north east, then you will practically have unblocked views, until URA decides to development Simpang area.

ANG MO KIO (coming up)

BEDOK (coming up)

BUKIT MERAH (coming up)

Replacing TM Malaysia provided router for Unifi service

If you plan to replace the router provided by TM Malaysia with your own router, you have to ensure that the replacement router has the option to choose TM Unifi as the ISP or at least allow you to configure the WAN interface with a VLAN tag.

Below is how you can replace the router with a Linux based router for internet access, which is tagged to VLAN 500.

1. Create the VLAN interface 

Run the following command to create a VLAN interface.  Replace the x with your actual interface eg eth0, which will then make the VLAN interface as 'eth0.500'. The '.' is an indication that it is a VLAN interface.

[root@router ~]# vi /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-x.500

Enter the following details

DEVICE=eth0.500
TYPE="VLAN"
ONBOOT="yes"
BOOTPROTO="none"
VLAN="yes"

2. Create the PPP interface

Run the following command to create the PPP interface

[root@router ~]# vi /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-ppp0

Enter the following details. Remember to change as needed.

DEVICE=ppp0

TYPE="xDSL"

USERCTL="no"

BOOTPROTO="dialup"

NAME="DSLppp0"

ONBOOT="yes"

PIDFILE="/var/run/pppoe-ppp0.pid"

FIREWALL="NONE"

PING="."

PPPOE_TIMEOUT="80"

LCP_FAILURE="5"

LCP_INTERVAL="20"

CLAMPMSS="1412"

CONNECT_POLL="6"

CONNECT_TIMEOUT="80"

DEFROUTE="yes"

SYNCHRONOUS="no"

ETH="eth0.500"

PROVIDER="DSLppp0"

PEERDNS="yes"

USER="yourusername@unifibiz"

3. Create the PPP password files

Create the password files with the following command, one for CHAP and and one for PAP

[root@router ~]# vi /etc/ppp/chap-secrets

[root@router ~]# vi /etc/ppp/pap-secrets

Enter your username and password as provided by TM for both files.

"yourusername@unifibiz" * "password" *

4. You can now start the PPP interface

[root@router ~]# ifup ppp0

5. Check if the connection is successful

You can check if the connection is successful by running the following command. If the connection is successful, the ppp0 will be up and obtained an IP address

[root@router ~]# ifconfig ppp0

ppp0      Link encap:Point-to-Point Protocol

          inet addr:x.x.x.x  P-t-P:x.x.x.x  Mask:255.255.255.255

          UP POINTOPOINT RUNNING NOARP MULTICAST  MTU:1492  Metric:1

          RX packets:908071 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

          TX packets:397529 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

          collisions:0 txqueuelen:3

          RX bytes:1039747302 (991.5 MiB)  TX bytes:91079309 (86.8 MiB)

How to detect a scam email?

If you received a notification from 'PayPal' on some irregularities with your account, don't be so quick to follow what was asked of you because it is most likely a scam

There are several ways to detect a scam. Some are very easy, like the one shown below, while some needs a bit more work.

1. Bad grammar 

Noticed how the word 'noticed' was spelled 'noticied'? Apparently a lot of scammers do not come from the English speaking part of the world.

2. Fake sender

The sender is not from @paypal.com but from @outlook.com. PayPal and all these organisation has their own domain. They will not use any other email domains.

3. Fake link. 

If you hover of the 'Login PayPal', you can see at the bottom showing the actual link which is not pointing to PayPal.

4. Fake URL

If you click on the link, it will bring you to the actual URL and as you can see, it is not paypal.com but pcypal.com, which is clearly bogus.

Cisco VPN Client v5.x on Windows 10

To install Cisco VPN client v5.x on Windows 10, follow the following steps

1. Launch the MSI not the EXE

2. Install DNE which you can obtain here else you will get errors while installing.

3. Once you have successfully installed the VPN client, you will need to edit the registry else you will get error while trying to connect

10 Things To Consider When Choosing A HDB Unit

The following considerations do not factor in future financial gain as part of the investment made, although it most likely do contribute to a rise in the value of the units chosen.

1. Choose the town and constituency

Base your choice on what it practical as you will have stay put for a minimum of 5 years, unless you plan to invest.

One practical choice is to stay near your parents. If you are in good terms with them, it will come in handy when you start your own family as you sure do need all the help you can get.

Towns will have different constituencies so choose one that you fancy. Some may choose to stay where there are wet markets while others prefer a shopping center etc.

2. Near a train station

The reason is obvious - convenience, because not only it will be easier to commute daily to work, most amenities like supermarkets and eateries will usually be built around a train station too. It will also make it easier for others to visit, especially if you have a close knit family or friends.

It does not have to exactly in front of the train station. Anything within 500 m radius is good enough. In fact being too near an above ground train station, especially near the tracks, just mean more noise. Train service end near midnight, so do take note. 

3. Near a bus top

If the unit is no where near a train station, then choose a unit that is maximum two blocks away from the nearest bus stop. After having to make transfers from trains, the last thing you want to do is to have to walk a distance especially after a long day. This is also important if you have old folks with walking difficulties and young kids heading home on their own.

Covered walkways from the block to the bus stop will be a plus. However, try finding a unit not facing the bus stop or the road to avoid noise.

4. Near a car park

For those who drive, this is a must. After being stuck in jams, the last thing you want to do is to walk a distance from the car park to the block. Imagine when it rains and there are no covered walkways and you realise you forgot your house key in the car!

Even if you do not drive, visitors will thank you and will not grumble behind your back. However, do not choose a unit where most bedrooms are facing the car park as the noise from the vehicles in the car park, especially MSCP, can be unbearable at night.

5. Near the expressways

For drivers, being near the expressway means shorter time needed to get home and avoid all those annoying traffic lights.

Even if you do not drive, you may take cab rides or a lift from a colleague. With your block far away from the expressways, especially with many traffic lights in between simply means longer cab ride and not to mention higher fares too!

Again, do not choose a unit where the bedrooms are facing the expressways for a good night sleep.

6. Not facing an empty plot of land with unknown plan

Getting a unit facing an empty plot of land may sound like a good idea with unblocks views as one of the advantages but it is also risky unless you are sure of what the future of the empty plot will be.

You can check what is in plan for that empty plot of land at URA website. Just zoom in to the block you fancy and see the plan for that empty plot of land. If it is coloured green, it means a future park so you are safe. If it shows a figure like '3.0' etc, it means there will be high rise residential so have to decide if that will be OK or not.

7. Not facing afternoon sun

The reason is simple. You are most probably home only at night. With the afternoon sun hitting your bedroom walls, it will take some time before the heat within the rooms dissipates. It may mean more use of the air conditioners that will end up with higher bills.

The morning sun however is not so bad. At least it has about 5-6 hours in the afternoon to cool down.

8. Near the lift

You may find this strange but being near the lift means convenience even though there may be more human traffic. With a unit far away from the lift, having to go through numerous neighbours' doors can end up with disagreement etc, especially if you have a neighbour from hell! Not to mention if you have kids with strollers being blocked by your neighbours who treat the common corridor as an extension of their storage space.

Being near the lift will not cause you to dread having to go in and out of the house in case you forgot something in the car or forgotten to buy something from the shop.

9. Some outdoor space

Having some outdoor space instead of none will mean a lot, especially if the entrance to the unit is along the common corridor. You will need some space to place your footwear etc especially when you have a gathering.

10. Internal Layout

Layout matters. It has to be functional for you. For example, some prefer a bomb shelter in the kitchen which they can transform into a pantry while others prefer it to be near the entrance to serve as a store room.

Analyse your daily movement in your current house and see if there are any part of it that requires change but unable to be done due to the layout. For example, you may have old folks who now have to travel far to reach the bathroom in the kitchen. Take this opportunity to correct them with the new unit by choosing a unit with bathrooms near the rooms to make it easier for them.

Simple WPAD script for direct connection to anything local

Below is a simple wpad script to let users have direct connection to anything local and the rest through proxy. You can continue to add statements but remember to add the corresponding brackets and the start and end.

Explanation

isPlainHostName(host) - the destination hostname. Any plain hostname (without FQDN) will be going direct

isInNet(myIpAddress() - the source address. This may be a local network where you do not want the users to use the proxy.

isInNet(host) - the destination address. The three shown are all the private address

function FindProxyForURL(url, host)

{

if (((((isPlainHostName(host) ||

dnsDomainIs(host, ".yourlocaldomain.com") ||

isInNet(myIpAddress(), "x.x.x.x", "m.m.m.m") ||

isInNet(host, "10.0.0.0", "255.0.0.0") ||

isInNet(host, "172.16.0.0", "255.240.0.0") ||

isInNet(host, "192.168.0.0", "255.255.0.0"))))))

return "DIRECT";

else return "PROXY your-proxy-server-ip:3128";

}

ClearOS 7 - Webconfig OpenVPN page returning error

If your ClearOS webconfig OpenVPN page is returning error, be it the app configuration page or the user certificate page URL below

https://server:81/app/openvpn
https://server:81/app/user_certificates

then most probably you have renamed or created a different configuration file name other than the default filename which are client.conf and client-tcp,conf

If you would like to custom name the configuration files, you will have to edit the file

/usr/clearos/apps/openvpn/libraries/OpenVPN.php

and edit the line below to suit your configuration filename

 const FILE_CLIENTS_CONFIG = '/etc/openvpn/your-config-filename.conf';

What you need to know about 10GBe home broadband

More ISPs are offering 10 Gbps fiber home broadband at pretty affordable prices ($189-$199) but before you sign up, the following are what you need to take note of

1. Most networking products like routers, desktops and notebooks currently support only up to 1 Gbps therefore if you do not upgrade them, 1 Gbps will the maximum speed you will be getting.

2. While you can upgrade your desktop by buying a 10Gbe NIC like the Intel X540 series, you can't do so with your notebook or routers

3. There are very limited number of routers that do support 10Gbe WAN port and they are very very expensive.

So until most end user products make 10 Gbps mainstream, it is not really advisable to sign up now. Price will also be much lower later as compared to what is available now.

Child Development Account (CDA) First Step Grant

Budget 2016 introduced the First Step Grant to the CDA where children born after March 24 will automatically receive a grant of $3,000 in their CDA without parents having to contribute anything first.

The amount will count towards the existing goverment matching caps which is $6,000 for a first or second child, $12,000 for a third or fourth child and $18,000 for any subsequent children

With this grant, parents now need to contribute $3,000 less than the cap to get full matching amount from the government.

Missing printers in Windows 7

If you are facing issues where your printers are all missing even after you re-add them, then you can try the following troubleshooting steps

Restart Print Spooler

1. Click on the Start button> Run and type 'services.msc'
2. Look Printer Spooler and check that the state is 'Running'.

3.  If it is not running, right click on it and then select 'Start'

If the above solved you problem and the printers re-appears, then that is it.

If the printers went missing again after you tried to start a print job, then check if the Print Spooler is stopped again. If it is it, then do the next step

Clearing Spooler

1. Click Start > Run and type explorer.exe
2. Go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS folder and delete all the files within

The above should solve the problem

Latest fiber broadband promotion by Singapore ISPs

StarHub's current 1Gbps fiber broadband promotion at $49.90 per month for 24 months comes with

- Free Wireless AC Dual-band Router DIR-850L (Upgrade to DIR-868L at $120.)

- Free Fibre Termination Point installation

- Free Service installation

- Free Unlimited streaming entertainment with StarHub Go Basic and Go Premium Packs

- Free $150 Shopping Voucher.

Home phone line at $2.10 per month.

http://www.starhub.com/personal/promotions/broadband/unbeatable-home-broadband-deals.html

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M1's current 1Gbps fiber broadband promotion at $39.90 per month for 24 months comes with

- FREE 24 mths 300Mbps Mobile Broadband (1GB)

- FREE Home Fixed Voice Service

- FREE ONT Activation

- FREE Sentosa Islander Family Membership (worth $50. Valid for up to five (5) immediate family members)

There will be, however, a one-time registration charge of $48.15 (inclusive of GST).
Top up $5/month for a Asus RT-AC56S

https://www.m1.com.sg/Personal/BUNDLES%20AND%20PROMOTIONS/Promotions/Bundle%20Promotion/PKG100391

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SingTel's 1Gbps fiber broadband promotion is currently at $50 per month for 24 months and comes with

- Free Fibre Termination Point installation

- Free Optical Network Terminal installation

- Home Digital Line with free unlimited local calls

- 10% off Mobile subscription
- Online Exclusive waiver of registration fee worth $53.50

https://www.singtelshop.com/shop/fibre-broadband/plan-details.jsf

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MyRepublic current fiber broadband promotion is currently at $49.90 per month for 24 months and comes with

- Free ASUS N56 Router or ASUS AC56U (or ASUS AC87U with $99 Top-Up)

- FREE Home Voice with Unlimited Local Calls

There will be. however. a $58 Service Installation Fee

https://myrepublic.com.sg/pricing/#300-discount

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ViewQuest current 1Gbps fiber broadband promo is currently at $65 per month with free

- ViewQuest TV

Residential Voice is at $3.95 per month

Setup Fee is $79.25.

http://www.viewqwest.com/vqlp/cny2016/index.html

Custom Polycom digit map to allow any number to be dialled

Digit maps, or Dial Patterns which is the more common term used by other phones, are templates that match different sequences of digits that users dial as part of their interaction with their phone system. Digit maps only apply to off‐hook dialing, i.e., when the user first takes the phone off‐hook and then begins dialing digits. With off‐hook dialing, when there is a match between the digits dialed and the digit map, the SoundStructure VoIP Interface sends the digits to the PBX to initiate the call.  If there is not a match, the system waits for the user to enter more digits or press the send key to indicate dialing is complete

Polycom conference phones has a default digit maps

[2‐9]11|0T|011xxx.T|[0‐1][2‐9]xxxxxxxxx|[2‐9]xxxxxxxxx|[2‐9]xxxT

To understand what the above does, read the manual here

The above patterns may not fit your organisation and may be redundant if you have specific dial patterns back end and even not work for certain dial patterns.

You can't do away with the digit maps if you want to allow users to dial any number because it is a mandatory input. So to achieve the same result, you can key in the following

x.T

What the above does is

x - allow users to key in any digit
.  - similar digits as before and thereafter (wildcard)
T - wait 3 seconds (the default digit map timeout) before sending the whole string over to the phone system

The last character T is required else any digits entered will straightaway be sent to phone system and may be interpreted by the phone system to be an non-existent extension resulting in an error message.

Xiaomi Mini WiFi vs D-Link DIR-865L

I am not a heavy internet user as I don't really download much but I do watch a lot of online streaming content and my 25 Mbps cable connection just couldn't keep up so I upgraded to a 1000 Mbps fiber internet.

Even though the Xiaomi Mini WiFi router that I am currently using support AC1200 wireless connectivity with speeds up to 300Mbps and 867 Mpbs on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channel respectively, it is still limited by its FE WAN interface which limits internet connectivity to 100 Mbps.

Other than that, the Mini performs really well. Wireless connectivity from 13 meters away and behind a wall which is where my furthest device, a TV box, is placed, is really good. I mean, really, really good, even with the room door closed.

The router is small and compact and looks extremely simple and sleek. Firmware update is frequent and the management app is fantastic. Even though the web UI is in Chinese (which I turn to Google Translate for help), there is practically nothing that I would want to complain about, other than FE WAN interface. Seriously, that's it. I mean if the mini supports gigabit WAN, I would stick to it until the next internet upgrade which probably means many years to come. And a brand new unit will only cost you SGD30-40, a ridiculously affordable price.

But as I have the other theoretical 900 Mbps left unused, I went looking for replacement, with a simple criteria which is - it supports a gigabit WAN interface and at least AC1200 wireless. And as I don't believe is spending a bomb on a router that can become obsolete within a year, this should be easy.

I ended up with the D-Link DIR-865L. It is a pretty old model (released in 2012) but it has all the features that I need which is gigabit WAN interface and AC1750 wireless. On paper, it looks good. And it comes cheap too as a used item. I got mine for $25.

To be honest, D-link has never impressed me with their wireless products, ever. Although all their previous wireless routers that I had a chance to try out never gave me the experience like I had with the Xiaomi, they can't be that bad all the time right? Or so I thought.

The DIR-865L range is worse than the Mini with my TV box. Even though there is connectivity, it is practically unusable. I plugged back my Mini after just 15 mins. I'll give it another tinker before I decide if I should Carousell it off or use the Mini as an extender instead to bypass the 100 Mbps limitation which will be a waste of energy for no reason.

So the DIR-865L is bigger, more expensive and supposedly faster but can't even beat a cheap mini router like the Mini in terms of range.

In the short time I had with the D-Link, I noticed that the internet upstream was only 10 Mbps when tested with Speedtest.net. I had to set the WAN connectivity manually to 1000 Mbps instead of Auto to fix this problem.  I am not sure if my Huawei ONT has anything to do with it. So for those currently using the DIR-865L, try testing your internet speed at Speedtest.net and see if you face the same issue.

Also, I found out that changing the 802.11 mode will cause the Security Mode to be set to None. That is a bug if you ask me. The security mode should remain regardless.

Another bug I found is that after changing the transmission rate for the 2.4Ghz channel, some of my devices are not able to connect even though the settings are reverted. The only way it to reboot the router.

So bottom line is, if you do not have any devices placed far away like mine, then maybe the DIR-865L may work well for you. It didn't for me, at least on default settings. I am not putting up any high hopes that tinkering with it further will make any difference.

Now if only Xiaomi will release a version 2 of the Mini with gigabit WAN interface.

Lenovo ThinkPad Docking Stations

Lenovo Docking Stations for ThinkPad laptops comes in 3 models - Basic, Pro and Ultra. Below are the differences

Lenovo ThinkPad Docks	Model
Features	Basic	Pro	Ultra
Power button	×	×	×
Key lock indicator		×	×
Docking status indicator		×	×
Eject button	×	×	×
Sliding adjuster	×	×	×
Docking station connector	×	×	×
System lock		×	×
Security lock slot		×	×
Always On USB 2.0 connector	×	×	×
USB 2.0 connector	2	2	2
USB 3.0 connector	×	3	3
Ethernet connector	×	×	×
AC power connector	×	×	×
DisplayPort connector		×	2
HDMI connector			×
DVI connector		×	×
VGA connector	×	×	×
Audio connector		×	×