Forcing HK Residents to use Contact-Tracing App

NGOs are giving some donated smartphones to homeless

Starting November 1, the Hong Kong government will make it mandatory for anyone entering a government building, facility, wet market, swimming pool, library and post office to use the Leave Home Safe app in a bid to strengthen contract tracing, even though there are zero local cases for the past 23 consecutive days.

It has forced many, who up until this point, have filled out their details on slips of paper, to either finally download the app on their phone or get a second phone just for this exercise.

Chua hopes govt will be more lenient to people

However, there are still many, particularly the homeless who have no access to smartphones and the NGOs assisting them have asked the government for leniency for this group of people.

"I hope government departments will be lenient, understand people's needs and give them alternatives, like leaving their contact details so they would not be scared off and avoid visiting clinics or the government's social service offices," said Chua Hoi-wai, chief executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.

He hoped there would still be slips of paper available for them to leave their contact details. Chua added some NGOs have handed out donated second-hand smartphones with the app installed to low-income residents and taught them how to use it. 

App must be used in all govt buildings

"We also hope the government will work with us to provide cheaper or second-hand phones to those who have the ability to use but merely cannot afford them," he said during a radio program.

During the same program, Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said officials will be lenient at first, but residents should be cooperative in using the app. He added the administration was aware of vulnerable groups that may not have access to smartphones and was making an effort to take that reality into account.

"For those who do not have access to smartphones, they will be asked to leave their personal details. They will be asked to show their identity card and have their names, part of their ID number and contact details jotted down to ensure accuracy," Nip said.

"We understand there will be difficulties when it's first implemented. Our colleagues, based on actual circumstances, will be lenient at first, but we also hope everyone will be cooperative."

He said the number of QR code signs will be increased outside of markets to avoid long queues forming.

Nip says officials will be lenient at first

Does the Leave Home Safe app really work? Hard to tell since we haven't had any recent outbreaks  in the community, and there are many flaws with the app, including not having to register a name due to privacy issues, and not every shop or mall insisted on people scanning the code.

So it seems more of an exercise to tick off the boxes than really helping with contact-tracing...

Smartphones Crowd Taxi Dashboards

This driver uses a lot of devices to hustle for customers daily

 

When you get into a taxi, does the driver have more than one mobile phone attached to the dashboard?

A colleague who hails cabs often will document the drivers' dashboard as well as the decorations by taking pictures and posting them on social media.

Cabbies claim they need at least four phones to be able to do their job efficiently and pull in as much as HK$40,000 (US$6,940) a month; without them they would make 40 percent less.

Taxi licenses are expensive and fares are cheap

One driver explained to a media outlet that he needed four smartphones and a tablet. The tablet is for picking up orders from several taxi apps, and two phones serve as walkie-talkies to communicate with other drivers for traffic information, road conditions, passenger hotspots and to refer orders. 

A third phone is to receive orders from Uber and the last one is his GPS device to check Uber hotspots when prices are surging.

"I don't want to waste my time looking for passengers on the streets or waiting at taxi ranks. All these tools help me manage my orders efficiently so I can seamlessly pick up passengers one after another," he said.

But now the government is considering limiting the number of devices on their dashboards. 

Transport minister Frank Chan Fan told the Legislative Council last month that the Transport Department was looking into regulating the number and location of mobile phones in vehicles, as well as the modes and purposes of their use.

Chan may regulate the number of devices in taxis

A law passed in 2000 stipulates drivers are prohibited from holding mobile phones in their hands or between their head and shoulders while the vehicle is moving. 

 However, the law does not cover reading information from a phone placed on the dashboard, or pressing the phone or swiping the screen as long as it is not in the driver's grip.

Transport sector lawmaker Frankie Yick Chi-ming pointed out the government pledged to study the issue in 2014 but nothing was done.

"This issue of taxi drivers placing too many smartphones on the dashboard has been going on for a long time. In an extreme case, one driver was found to have 13 devices," he said. "Some cabbies even use larger-sized tablets, which block their view of the road and affect their ability to drive safely."

He said they should be limited to two smartphones -- one for GPS and the other for communication.

But cab drivers say they are careful while driving and need many devices to be able to get as many fares as possible through car-hailing apps.

Old and new phones in this taxi

The real crux of the problem is reforming the taxi system in Hong Kong which has become too complicated, too old and too expensive. The taxi licences are worth HK$7 million a piece, the cars are 30 years old, the drivers average 70 years of age, and fares are very cheap.

So a driver needs to catch as much business as he can, and if a car-hailing app helps him find customers, he will use it. Government officials are so out of touch with the situation and have let the problem fester for so long that no one wants to fix it. The taxi system in Hong Kong needs a complete overhaul, but who is willing to tackle it?

The next best thing? Limit the number of devices on their dashboards...

Lithuania Advises Throwing Away Chinese Phones

 

Lithuania found Xiaomi phones have censorship capabilities

Lithuania has an adverse reaction to Chinese phones, so much so it could erupt into a diplomatic row after its defence ministry has advised residents to avoid buying Chinese phones or even throwing away the ones they have now after a government report found the devices have built-in censorship capabilities.

Xiaomi phones have a built-in ability to detect and censor terms such as "Free Tibet", "Long live Taiwan independence" or "democracy movement", according to Lithuania's state-run cybersecurity body on Tuesday.

Abukevicius advised throwing out Chinese phones

While the capability of Xiaomi's Mi 10T 5G phone software has been turned off for the "European Union region", it can be turned on remotely at anytime, the defence ministry's National Cyber Security Centre said in the report.

"Our recommendation is not to buy new Chinese phones, and to get rid of those already purchased as fast as reasonably possible," said Defence Deputy Minister Margiris Abukevicius when introducing the report.

Xiaomi did not respond to Lithuania's allegations.

The report said the list of terms which could be censored by the Xiaomi phone's system apps, including the default internet browser, currently includes 449 terms in Chinese and is continuously updated. 

"This is important not only to Lithuania, but to all countries which use Xiaomi equipment," the centre said in the report.

The report warns against using any Xiaomi gadgets

Relations soured between Lithuania and China recently after Taiwan announced its mission in Lithuania would be called the Taiwanese Representative Office, causing China to demand Lithuania withdraw its ambassador in Beijing, and said it would recall its envoy to Vilnius.

Usually Taiwanese missions in Europe and the United States use the name of the city Taipei to avoid referencing the island itself, which China regards is its own.

Following Lithuania's report, how many other countries will take heed to its warnings regarding Xiaomi phones?

It will be interesting to find out...

Two Sides to the Story

The children's books allegedly have "seditious" messages

 

For anyone wondering what it is like to be behind bars day after day, Lorie Lai Man-ling gives a bit of insight. She is the leader of the speech therapists union, and she along with the entire executive council were arrested in July for allegedly publishing "seditious" children's books.

She wrote an open letter and thanked people for visiting her everyday. "Thank you all for not forgetting me," Lai wrote.  

Lai and another woman were arrested in July

"With smartphones, conversations and idea exchanges in modern life become easier and more immediate -- there is no barrier in communication. Yet not until being held in remand did I realize the importance of communication. Every letter to me is a bridge to the world, and every word in it carries significance."

While Lai admitted she was mentally prepared for arrest, she asked if that in turn means she is guilty. "If not, what are the grounds to arrest and remand me?"

Lai said life behind bars is simple -- everyday eat, sleep, read, write and answer nature's call. But she insisted not to stop thinking, otherwise she will give up the struggle to defend her rights.

"Although the odds are more and more unfavourable today in Hong Kong, our states of mind have an effect on how we perceive the society and reality," she wrote. "Our bodies can be held captive, but our minds will always be free."

Lai is being held in this prison in Tuen Mun

While Lai sent out a public appreciation to people making the effort to visit her at Tai Lam Centre for Women in Tuen Mun, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung claimed inmates are using treats like chocolates to "build up forces" to endanger national security.

Tang alleged the prisoners are using visitors with religious or district council backgrounds to "spread their messages" to the outside world.

He also said the authorities have noticed organizations like the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund are sending letters, asking prisoners to "continue with their struggle".

"These [actions] seriously affect the rehabilitation program and have sown seeds of endangering national security," Tang told reporters at the Legislative Council today.

Tang claims prisoners are spreading messages

Everything, even treats in prison can be construed as endangering national security. But the authorities can control what goes in and out of the jails. 

Tang makes a great argument for people to leave Hong Kong.

Getting the Jab, and Lam's Thoughtless Announcement

The first vaccine shot finally done today!

 

Today's the day I finally got my first vaccination! It was supposed to happen April 2, but about a week before the BioNTech/Pfizer shots were stopped temporarily because of problems with packaging. 

The Hong Kong government has set up an online booking system which is straight forward, but not for elderly people who would need to depend on younger ones to help them make an appointment.

Nevertheless, the government promised those who had scheduled vaccinations for BioNTech would not have to reschedule their appointments again, and through a text message on my phone, I was informed mine was reset for April 20 and in a different location. I looked up on the website to see there were slots available in the location I had first requested -- and a week earlier on April 13 and rescheduled my appointment for then, as well as for three weeks later. 

A line of people waiting to get into the jab

I arrived 30 minutes early to the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park Sports Centre in Sai Ying Pun, and the staff there said it was fine to go in. We had to use the LeaveHomeSafe app to mark our appearance here before going upstairs to the gym that was not full but had many people in there. 

I showed them my text message and my Hong Kong ID card before being handed some information to read on the side effects from taking the vaccine. When we were ready we were then asked to sit in chairs numbered in order for a few minutes before transferring to the individual stations where nurses were administering the jabs.

Again she checked my HKID card, asked me several health questions, like if I had allergies to taking vaccines, seafood allergies, was I taking any medicine and so on. 

Then she swabbed the top of my arm, injected the vaccine (a tiny prick) and then it was done.

What a relief! Then I sat in a waiting area for 15 minutes. The nurse asked if I was feeling OK and then was allowed to leave.

More people waiting outside as I was leaving

When I got downstairs there was a line outside waiting to get in.

Many expats have praised the government for running such a smooth operation and also grateful to be able to get the vaccine for free. 

My second dose will be in three weeks, though some who have gotten it have reported mild to quite adverse reactions. Something to look forward to?

In any event, reaction to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's announcement yesterday about how restaurants should have 100 percent of staff and guests vaccinated, and that customers need to use the LeaveHomeSafe app have not gone down well with the that sector.

Some business owners said they were being put between a rock and a hard place, as they could not force their employees to get the jab, or insist that guests use the government-tracing app.

"As an employer, I feel like I am being put in a very difficult situation. The government seems to offer some ways to ease our plight. But in fact the new conditions are hard to implement and leave us with no choice," said Ray Chui Man-wai, chairman of the industry body institute of Dining Art.

Osborn has concerns about Lam's announcement

Those who fail to meet the requirements will have to continue only serving four to a table until 10pm, and allow customers to write down their contact information instead of using the phone app.

Chui is also chairman of Kam Kee Holdings, which owns about 36 restaurants and employs more than 800 staff. He said he could not force his employees to get vaccinated, adding only 10 percent of them have done so.

"Some staff may be reluctant to get the jab due to health concerns," he said. "If some of them refuse to get vaccinated, I cannot sack them as it is discriminatory.

"For diners, many old people or kids don't have a smartphone, should I turn them away simply because they can't install the government app? Also, many people resist using the app. I don't want to offend my customers and force them."

Another restaurant group owner added some staff are pregnant or have allergies and are unable to get vaccinated. It would be impossible for 100 percent of them to be vaccinated. 

Has Lam thought out her "vaccine bubble" idea?

Shane Osborn, an Australian chef and restaurateur chimed in, adding many families come to dine at his establishments, so did this mean they were not allowed to dine in? He also said the government is trying to reach 70 percent herd immunity, so why did restaurants have to have 100 percent?

Lam's announcement also didn't seem to receive any endorsements from health experts either, making it even more suspicious that her government acted alone on this without thinking it through carefully.

Wait a day or two and the government may have to backtrack on this silly announcement. The best thing to do would be to give HK$5K in cash to every person who is fully vaccinated. No one is keen on HK$5K in credit, that will only be distributed in denominations of HK$1K that must be fully used within a month before getting the next HK$1K.

The government is very good at logistics, but when it comes to enticing people to get jabs, it has no clue how to nudge them effectively.

Creatively Circumventing the Govt App

Dining in restaurants requires scanning the QR code

 

Finally today's the day! People were so thrilled to have dinner in a restaurant tonight, though others still preferred takeaway. 

Walking along the waterfront tonight I could see Caprice, the three Michelin-starred French restaurant in the Four Seasons Hong Kong had guests seated by the windows, though at the same time by the ferry piers, many people carried plastic bags with their meals inside.

Lam scans the QR code before entering

Some were thrilled to finally go to the gym, another activity to do after having completed several of the hiking trails since November.

Meanwhile electronic shops were doing a brisk business these few days, some selling new phones, others "burner phones", or second-hand ones for people to use just for the LeaveHomeSafe app that must be used starting today if eating in a restaurant, going to the gym, and many other places.

"I'm buying a burner phone because the government clearly doesn't trust Hongkongers, so why would I trust them?" Vincent, 28, an accountant who gave only his first name because of the sensitivity of the issue, told Reuters.

Many had the same sentiment, as people flocked to places like Sham Shui Po to buy cheap electronic equipment.

People flock to Sham Shui Po for cheap phones

"People are just looking for a cheap smartphone that can run the LeaveHomeSafe app," said a vendor surnamed Wong. She reported selling 50 phones in the past week compared to the usual 10 or so the week previously.

Anecdotally a relative reported seeing more people writing down contact details than scanning the QR code, in a protest of fears the government could see their private information from the contact-tracing app on their phones.

Some planned to write their contact details as "Carrie Lam", referring to Hong Kong's chief executive, and then leave a fake phone number.

While this may seem amusing, the government may not take the joke, and may instead enforce people to use the QR code, perhaps with penalties attached, as contact tracing during a pandemic is a serious public health issue.

An employee in Choi Wan Estate was assaulted

And putting the onus on the business to ensure people scan the app isn't going down well -- a McDonald's employee in Choi Wan Estate suffered injuries after he was assaulted by a man in his 20s or 30s with his phone after refusing to use the LeaveHomeSafe app.

Restaurant industry leaders had expressed concerns altercations could happen between employees and guests if they did not comply to either scanning the QR code or writing down their details.

And already the first incident happened on the first day...

 

Contact-Tracing App Put to the Test

The contact-tracing app has not allayed fears of govt snooping

Since Secretary for Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee's announcement Wednesday that from February 18 people will need to use the LeaveHomeSafe app to enter restaurants and other venues that were previously shut, the app has been downloaded 500,000 times, up from 55,000 from yesterday.

People must use the app from February 18

Probably related is that cheap mobile phones have been snapped up just to use this app. The cheapest phone is the Nokia C2 that costs HK$698, but it's sold out in both Fortress and Broadway. A slew of people must have purchased the phone yesterday as it's not a very popular model.

Although there is no need to register, but just download the app, there were concerns it would allow the government to mine more information about the user, such as access to photos, and wifi connections, which the authorities have said are blocked, but to be absolutely safe, people purchased a second phone.

It will be interesting to see if the contact tracing app really is helpful because so far health officials admit it has not been very effective mostly because people are not using it.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said Thursday even though people have downloaded the app, they don't necessarily use it.

Dr Chuang (left) says many don't use the app

"We always ask if the patients used the app. If they did, we'll get the data from their apps about where they have been at what time. The app would notify other users if they have been to the same places at the same time. We've done this less than 20 times," she said. "Many people who have downloaded the app on their mobile phones didn't use it." 

So from next Thursday there may be a surge in use of the app -- will the government's servers be able to handle the onslaught? 

The LeaveHomeSafe app allows users to scan a government-issued QR code at 70,000 places from wet markets to shops, restaurants and even parks. The person scans the code when they walk into the premises and then click the "leave" button when exiting.

The app can be used in taxis

In taxis, users can scan the taxi registration mark or manually input the registration mark. 

The concept is that if someone else is found to be infected and was at the same place and time as you, an alert will be made on the phone and send you some healthcare advice.

The government claims the records of a person's whereabouts are encrypted and only held in the phone for 31 days.

So we shall see if this LeaveHomeSafe app really works next week...

 

 

Were Devices Taken Across the Border?

Did the Hong Kong police send devices to China? It says no

Yesterday The Washington Post reported that the 53 pro-democracy activists who were arrested in one massive operation last week that later included Joshua Wong Chi-fung and radio presenter Tam Tak-chi already in jail, had their phones and laptops taken away to the mainland to extract information from them.

Activist Owen Chow Ka-shing said that when he was arrested, the police already had the phone numbers of his three phones, calling each one to locate them in his flat. 

Owen Chan says police took his three phones

In the end the police took 200 devices from the 53 activists who were arrested in one day and The Post says these digital items were sent to the mainland where the authorities there have sophisticated data-extraction technology, according to two sources.

After the activists and former lawmakers were released on bail and their devices returned to them, they later reported unusual activity on their social media. For example, even though Tam was in jail, it looked like he joined the encrypted messaging app Telegram and contacted people on it.

The administrator of his Facebook page said Tam did not reactivate his account and urged people to ignore the messages.

However today, the Hong Kong police spokesman Kwok Ka-chuen rejected the claims in The Post's report and denied the seized devices were sent to the mainland.

53 people were arrested, 200 devices taken Jan 6

It also condemned what it said were unfounded accusations, saying people with ulterior motives were spreading misinformation through the media to mislead the public and incite hatred towards the police.

Meanwhile The Post's reporter, Shibani Mahtani said she sought police comment before the story was published and did not receive a denial from the police's public relations branch.

"We stand by our reporting and sourcing," she said on Twitter.

Then how does one explain why Tam was supposedly on Telegram when he was in a jail cell, and the unusual social media activity while the activists and former lawmakers were detained by police?

Nevertheless the police should have denied the police report when it was given the chance. Responding to a story more than 12 hours later doesn't help the force's image.

People are joining Signal, but will they use it?

In the meantime in the last few days, lots of people have opened accounts on Signal, another encrypted messaging app, worried their data on Whatsapp will be shared by its parent company, Facebook.

It is quite amusing to see a massive migration of people to the app, but will they really use it when the vast majority of people still use Whatsapp and Facebook?

I joined Signal last year but have only really used it once...

Picture of the Day: Ancient Selfies

A "modern antique" hand-painted cabinet at Tate Dining Room

Tate Dining Room is a fine dining French-Chinese restaurant, where each dish has a story that are linked with an underlying theme.

Chef and owner Vicky Lau presents dishes with refined and delicate tastes, reminding you of classic French cooking techniques, but also flavours might be modern takes on classic Chinese.

The dining room is understated yet elegant, the tables thought out, complete with a pull-out drawer for utensils.

Earlier this week I was there for an assignment and examined a Chinese-style "modern antique" cabinet in front of the private dining room.

My eyes wandered around the hand-painted cabinet and noticed the woman in the pavilion was holding something strange... a smartphone!

She was taking pictures of herself in ancient times! Very cute.

Tate Dining Room
210 Hollywood Road
Sheung Wan
2555 2172

China's Overwhelming Online Numbers

Some 829 million people use the internet in China

China's 1.3 billion population is mind-boggling large, so what about the numbers of people using the internet in the Middle Kingdom?

Here are some interesting statistics from China's Internet Network Information Centre:

- Since the end of December there were 829 million users;

Half of China's population makes online purchases

- There are 648 million who watch short videos, which is 78.2 percent of China's total internet users:

- The national internet availability rate is 59.6 percent, with 26.7 percent of internet users of 222 million living in rural areas;

- People in China spent on average 27.6 hours per week online;

- 601 million people shop online, 592 million of whom use mobile phones to make their purchases;

- 610 million people make online payments.

The numbers are staggering, particularly half of the population shopping online and using their smartphones to buy goods and services.

Almost 600 million use their mobiles to make payments

It just goes to show foreign companies are still desperate to penetrate the Chinese market, believing that if you just sell something to them for US$1 each, you'll be a multimillionaire in no time...

Hey Commuters! Be More Considerate!

Deanie Ip (centre) to the rescue in teaching commuters how to behave

Earlier this week the Hong Kong Transport Department released a video featuring veteran actress Deanie Ip and various examples of the inconsiderate things people do while commuting in buses and the MTR.

There's a long list -- 12 of them -- which is why the video is just under three minutes long. The misconduct on the MTR includes eating in the train, hogging a pole, not giving seats to pregnant women or the elderly, rushing into the train carriage, and doing exercises in the carriage.

When it comes to the bus, no-nos are putting feet up on the seat, not wearing headphones while watching videos on smartphones, or is too engrossed with the phone to realize the bus as arrived at their stop, or not holding onto a handrail while the bus is moving.



Ip -- who also uses public transport -- chastises each of the people who are rude or inconsiderate, delivering funny lines. A woman practices kung-fu in the carriage and Ip says, "Wow! Your kung-fu is world class. How about a backflip?"

Meanwhile a young woman savours a macaron on the MTR and it turns out she has an afternoon tea set on her lap. Ip says, "You've gone way too far. Why not hotpot even? Eating or drinking is not allowed on trains."

Perhaps you shouldn't eat afternoon tea on the MTR...

There have been many comments saying the video portrays what commuters experience on the bus and MTR and think it's amusing or pleased these issues are being addressed.

Personally I find it embarrassing that the Transport Department has had to come out with this video to remind people what they should and shouldn't do. Why have people become so inconsiderate?

So far over 435,000 people have watched the video online. I can only hope from now on the number of rude incidents commuters encounter daily will decrease!

Please Turn Off Your Phone

After four years, Raphael Severe returns to Hong Kong

Tonight's concert was supposed to be a good one at the City Hall Concert Hall.

The Hong Kong Sinfonietta led by Yip Wing-sie hosted 24-year-old Raphael Severe in a performance of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A, K622. The Frenchman can play a wide range of sounds on his instrument, earthy warbling ones to delicate soft notes. The first two movements were going well until about half way through the third movement --

Rrrrriiiiiiiing!

The orchestra and Severe continued, but

Rrrrrriiiiiing!

The Hong Kong Sinfonietta at City Hall Concert Hall

It was the elderly gentleman right behind me whose phone was not only annoying us nearby, but also the soloist, as we were only sitting a few rows from the stage.

One would expect the audience member with the offending smartphone to immediately try to silence the damned phone but he was completely oblivious to it...

Rrrriiiiing!

It rang several times and then finally stopped.

By this point Severe seemed to have been distracted by the phone and was just trying to focus enough to finish the concerto.

I lost my focus on the music too and it was annoying to say the least!

Nevertheless Severe is quite the prodigy, learning piano, violin and cello before focusing on the piano and clarinet at the age of eight.

He was admitted to the top clarinet class, having skipped eight classes... by 12 he won prizes in five international competitions, including First Prize and Jury's Special Prize at the Tokyo International Competition.

Two years later he was admitted to the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris, where he got his bachelor's degree at 16, and masters degree a year later, both with high honours.

No doubt the kid is talented.

Too bad about the phone...

 

Beijing Not Completely Cashless

It's so easy to buy things with your phone -- if you have WeChat Pay or AliPay

Last year I had a heck of a time buying things in cash when I visited Beijing because I didn't have WeChat Pay or AliPay. I remember going to JNBY, a domestic fashion brand and buying a dress there at their outlet in Sanlitun Village, and having to give exact change because they didn't have any cash whatsoever.

You can even take the subway by using your smartphone

But this time paying in cash was not a problem. It turns out in July, China's central bank issued a directive that the yuan was the country's legal currency and no units or individuals should refuse payment in cash.

During this trip some places would ask if we would pay by Weixin (WeChat) or cash, and we'd reply the latter; otherwise they would just accept cash no problem.

In subway stations you had to add money into the card using a machine instead of asking the person in the ticket booth to do it for you. However, at Beijing Capital International Airport (T3), the person there will help you add money to your card with cash.

Some people don't even use the Beijing subway card to ride the metro -- they use an app on their phone that they scan at the turnstile. 

There were only two instances where we had a slight problem -- two restaurants I went to expected us to order our food using WeChat. In one case my friend who lives in Beijing did the ordering (and paying) on WeChat at Beijing WTown -- in Miyun district, way outside of Beijing!

But getting a McFlurry required cold, hard cash

But in the other instance at a dumpling shop in a shopping mall in Wudaokou, we told them we didn't have WeChat so they took our order using a little handheld device and we paid in cash.

And then late one night my friend had a craving for a McFlurry -- even though we had just eaten a full-on dinner -- and made a pit stop at McDonald's near our hotel.

The thing is, their electronic payment system wasn't working so people had to pay in cash! They had to turn away several customers who only had money in their smartphones...
 

The Sad Demise of Print

Eat and Travel Weekly ends publication on August 3

Eat and Travel Weekly used to be the bible to pick up if you wanted an authoritative guide to the restaurant scene in Hong Kong. It featured the newest restaurants, reviews, the best of the best, as well as travel tips for destinations around the world.

One former editor told me that working there would ruin your digestive system because when they tried to find the best char siu or the best mooncake for example, they definitely tried a lot of them -- in one go.

An article testing out different Mont Blanc cakes in town

Samples from 50 or even 100 establishments would be couriered to the office, where someone was delegated to label each one from one to 50 or one to 100 so that they could be tasted blindly.

And yes, they would try each one to try to determine which one deserved the gold standard.

However, in the last few years, the economy has taken a big hit especially in print media, and advertising plunged, forcing the magazine, owned by Next Media (now Next Digital), to be downsized and folded into Next Magazine in 2015.

But a few days ago it was announced the popular magazine would have its last print run on August 3, and from then onwards will be digital only with a website and mobile app presence.

The announcement comes after the trouble publishing company owned by Jimmy Lai Chi-ying sold several magazines to businessman Kenny Wee Ho for HK$500 million, but Eat and Travel Weekly was not included in the deal.

A story about different styles of izakaya in Hong Kong

"Owing to the decline of print media, it is with regret that we are announcing the end of our print edition... although the room for survival in print media is shrinking, we will carry on with our professional spirit and continue to shine on the digital platform," said a statement on the magazine's Facebook page.

"Lastly, we would like to express gratitude to our readers for their support over the past 20 years."

It's sad news when such a popular publication ceases to put out a print version -- if Eat and Travel Weekly can't survive, what hope is there for the rest of Hong Kong's magazines?

This is the death knell for print publications in Hong Kong -- that the shift to digital is moving really fast, as everyone checks their smartphones for the latest news, than deliberately go to the newsstands to get a magazine.

Which publication will die next? Stay tuned.

Picture of the Day: Supermoon

Admiring the "Supermoon" from Admiralty

Tonight after dinner, my friend and I walked out of a restaurant in Pacific Place in Admiralty and looked up to see the moon.

The "Supermoon" is closest to the Earth now and so it appears 7 percent larger and 15 percent brighter than usual. The last time it was this close was in 1948.

The moon did look much bigger and we admired it for a few minutes, observing its roundness and brightness while taking pictures of it.

Later in the evening I went out for a run around my neighbourhood and saw many amateur photographers setting up their cameras trying to get a good shot, though there were many street lamps in the way.

Of course taking it from a smartphone isn't the best, but gives an idea of how beautiful it was, because we won't see it again like this until November 25, 2034.

Picture of the Day: Pokemon Craze

There was a long queue of people waiting patiently to get on the tram!

This past week has been crazy on the streets of Hong Kong, watching people become particularly zombie-like, glued to their phones without a regard to their surroundings.

Thousands of people here have become addicted to Pokemon GO and I've heard of people bumping into lamp posts and trying to play the game surreptitiously under their desks at work.

The police, hospitals and even the People's Liberation Army have all warned players to stay away from their premises, worried they will cause havoc. It would be good not to stray into PLA territory as you never know what might happen...

Not having downloaded the game myself, a few friends have showed me how the augmented reality game works. It's like being in a virtual world where you catch virtual monsters with a ball that you can collect at various points in the city.

As you go by a certain landmark, there's a large disc that players have to spin to get more balls. And it also has a picture of the restaurant or shop that you are approaching.

Then you use these balls as ammunition to hit these pokemon or monsters. The more you shoot down, and the more rare they are, the more points you score. And then you can go to Pokemon Gyms to beef up your strength, which are highly prized places.

That's how the game gets people out to play, which is a good way to encourage them to explore neighbourhoods and meet up with friends.

One of the best ways to play Pokemon GO is on the tram, because you can pass by a lot of places on Hong Kong island for only HK$2.30.

So perhaps I should not have been surprised when I saw a massive line-up for the tram at the Kennedy Town terminus this afternoon after I came back from the gym. There must have been over 30 people waiting in line, when usually there is only a handful.

Hong Kong Tramways that runs the trams must be happy about this unexpected windfall -- its revenues have been dropping because of the MTR expansion to Western and also because it's summer not many are willing to sit in a tram without air conditioning.

But who knows how long this Pokemon Go crazy will last? Two friends remarked that they downloaded the game and within 20 minutes of playing it lost interest. On the other hand there are many others who are completely addicted and are posting updates of what they find on Facebook.

While I'm not too crazy about Pokemon hunters wandering around without noticing who or what they are bumping into, at least they are giving the trams a lot of business!

HK Gov't Not Quite Tech Savvy

So many government apps, but not very useful

Some Hong Kong government bureaucrats are desperate to demonstrate they're cool by developing mobile apps for their respective departments.

MyObservatory most popular

However, not all of them seem useful, at least according to the government's auditor.

The Audit Commission found last year there were 127 apps launched by 36 government departments at a cost of HK$38 million.

The commission concludes some lacked any useful features, were virtual copies of their department websites, and cost tens of millions of dollars to develop.

As expected, the most popular app is MyObservatory launched by the Hong Kong Observatory in 2010 to give users the most up to date weather information. It was the first government app and had more than 5 million downloads last year.

On the other end of the scale the poorest download rate was the Education Bureau's Eye Care for Hong Kong Students, with only 89 downloads last year. The next worst were a series of apps developed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

Hardly any people downloaded this app

The commission sad the departments with a lacklustre showing needed to "enhance the app content to attract more people" to use them.

In addition, the auditor examined 31 apps by government departments for one-off events, of the 31, 23 had already been decommissioned, mainly because of low download rates.

So it looks like the government doesn't quite know how to make effective mobile apps which is ironic considering it is pushing for Hong Kong to be an innovative technology hub...