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July 3, 2008 Ingredient in watermelon has effects similar to Viagra LUBBOCK (Texas) - A SLICE of cool, fresh watermelon has effects similar to Viagra, researchers say. Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists in Texas, one of the United States' top producers of the seedless variety. Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body's enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart and the circulatory and immune systems. 'Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it,' said Mr Bhimu Patil, a researcher and director of Texas A&M's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center. 'Watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, but it's a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects.' Mr Todd Wehner, who studies watermelon breeding at North Carolina State University, said anyone taking Viagra shouldn't expect the same result from watermelon. 'It sounds like it would be an effect that would be interesting but not a substitute for any medical treatment,' Mr Wehner said. The nitric oxide can also help with angina, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, according to the study, which was paid for by the US Department of Agriculture. More citrulline - about 60 per cent - is found in watermelon rind than in the flesh, Mr Patil said, but that can vary. But scientists may be able to find ways to boost the concentrations in the flesh, he said. Citrulline is found in all colors of watermelon and is highest in the yellow-fleshed types, said Ms Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a USDA researcher in Lane, Okla. She said Mr Patil's research is valid, but with a caveat: One would need to eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the body's arginine level. 'The problem you have when you eat a lot of watermelon is you tend to run to the bathroom more,' Ms Perkins-Veazie said. Watermelon is a diuretic and was a homeopathic treatment for kidney patients before dialysis became widespread. Another issue is the amount of sugar that much watermelon would spill into the bloodstream - a jolt that could cause cramping, Ms Perkins-Veazie said. Mr Patil said he would like to do future studies on how to reduce the sugar content in watermelon. The relationship between citrulline and arginine might also prove helpful to those who are obese or suffer from type-2 diabetes. The beneficial effects - among them the ability to relax blood vessels, much like Viagra does - are beginning to be revealed in research. Citrulline is present in other curcubits, like cucumbers and cantaloupe, at very low levels, and in the milk protein casein. The highest concentrations of citrulline are found in walnut seedlings, Ms Perkins-Veazie said. 'But they're bitter and most people don't want to eat them,' she said. -- AP ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pfizer eat yr heart out. There's alternatives for poor peasants liao

Hi bros Do you know of any product similar to Armorall Wheel Protectant (AWP)? AWP is a great product. What I don't like is the product must be spray-applied, which makes it difficult to evenly apply on my rims. I believe a better protectant is one that can be applied using sponge. Where can I find such protectant? Thanks

Dear Admin, We can see that there is very high interest in alternative fuel recently, particularly on the use of CNG. There are threads about Hybrid, HHO and latest EURO IV diesel too. We see CNG topics in General car discussion, in performance forum and even in Skoda forum. They are here and there and infact everywhere. I'm of the suggestion to setup a forum specifically for the discussion of alernative fuel. It will facilitate the exchanges of view of alernative fuel than to see them everywhere in MCF. Kindly consider the suggestion. Thank you very much. Regards,

Hey everyone, So I’m new to the forum and was wondering what builds you all could suggest to go up against (but hopefully crush) the new 2018 gt and ss 1le. The Chevy runs 4.1 to the fords 4.4 0-60 and both run mid 12 second quarter mile times. I understand both cars are around 50k usd but I’m looking to spend around 40-45k usd. I was looking at maybe importing the gt-r bnr 32 but with costs up to 35k usd that eats up most of the swap/mod budget. I’m looking for something that’s obviously street legal, most importantly reliable, and something I’m not going to have to spend half of a year looking for a specific model/year so something easy to to find with abundant aftermarket support. Thanks!

Hi all, Thanks in advance. Anyone who can advise on a good Ford workshop, beside Regent Motors for a Mondeo. Need to change the CV joints. Cheers

IN AN ENORMOUS shed on the banks of the Yangtze, China’s longest river, a remote-controlled blowtorch cuts through a thick sheet of steel. A fountain of sparks spatters outwards, watched by workers in hard hats. The machine slowly carves out a crescent of metal about a metre across. Once quenched and cooled, it is piled up on the floor with hundreds of other steel shapes, ready for assembly. The army of welders at the other end of the shed have to shout to be heard above the whine and crackle of their torches. They will gradually assemble the individual pieces into complicated lattices. When these grow big enough to weigh 150 tonnes, they will be moved from the shed by a crane and welded to others on the wharf outside. When these components reach 600 tonnes, an even bigger crane will lift them into an adjacent dry dock. About a year from now the piles of steel cut-outs will have turned into the Interlink Fidelity, a ship 180m long and 32m wide, capable of carrying 38,800 tonnes of grain or iron ore. There is nothing unusual about this process, except how it is being paid for: with money put up by Carlyle, a private-equity firm that is branching out into private debt as well. Before the financial crisis banks accounted for 87% of shipbuilding loans, according to Marine Money International, a firm that tracks the industry (the rest was financed by bonds). European lenders were especially prominent. When markets plunged, however, it became apparent that shipping firms had been ordering new vessels on wildly optimistic assumptions about the growth in world trade. Yards continued to turn out ships already under construction, adding to the oversupply. Buyers tried to delay or cancel their purchases, and new orders dried up almost completely. Although freight volumes soon began to rise again, the glut kept growing and the value of ships continued to fall. By then banks had grown leery of the business. Many had had to write off much of their pre-crisis lending to shipping firms, and revised capital and liquidity rules had made it relatively expensive to keep loans to shipowners (or any other form of long-term lending) on the books. New bank lending to the shipping industry fell from $92 billion in 2007 to $33 billion in 2009, according to Dealogic, a data firm (see chart 2). Even banks with the funds and the inclination to lend were prepared to put up perhaps only 50% of the cost of a ship rather than the 70% common before the crisis. By 2012 some Chinese shipyards were sitting totally idle, says Li Sheng of HIT Marine, a Chinese shipbroker. As banks retrenched, private-equity firms such as Apollo Global Management, Blackstone, the Carlyle Group and KKR saw an opportunity in the low valuations of existing ships and in the shipyards begging for work. Some bought up portfolios of loans to shipping firms that banks were selling off. Last December, for instance, Oaktree Capital Management purchased €280m of shipping loans from Commerzbank, a struggling German lender that has decided to get out of shipping altogether. Others raised money to lend to or invest in shipping firms or ships. KKR, in conjunction with other investors, has set aside $580m to lend to shipping firms. Carlyle, via an investment in a Bermudian shipowner called Interlink Maritime, has ordered 28 dry-bulk carriers like the Fidelity. In a separate venture with an American shipping firm and an Asian investment house, it has put up $750m to buy various container ships. The shipping industry has been raising money where it can, says Campbell Houston of Marine Money, the shipping-information firm. Increasingly, that has meant relying on sources other than banks. In 2012 shipowners issued lots of bonds; last year saw a spurt of share offerings. Data are scarce, but Mr Houston guesses that private equity ploughed $30 billion into the industry last year (chart 2 shows only publicly announced deals). “We are deliberately expanding into areas where banks are retreating,” says David Marchick of Carlyle, the private-equity firm behind the Fidelity. He mentions loans to firms in the energy and commodities business as another promising field where banks are pulling back. When Carlyle recently started sounding out investors about a fund to lend to mid-sized oil drillers, refineries, power stations and the like, it was hoping to raise $1 billion. But insurance companies, pension funds and sovereign-wealth funds are desperate to earn higher returns than those offered by the bond market, says Mr Marchick, so demand far outstripped Carlyle’s target. In the end it limited the fund to $1.4 billion, although “co-investment” by some of its big clients will bring total lending to $2 billion. Mr Marchick has many similar tales. “It’s a huge opportunity,” he concludes. Bennett Goodman of GSO, the private-debt arm of Blackstone, another big asset manager, takes the same view: “We’re in year four or five of a 20-year run.” He predicts that GSO’s lending will grow by 10-20% a year over the next decade. It is not just borrowers from the rich world, and the manufacturers with which they place orders, that are taking advantage of this trend. David Creighton of Cordiant, which manages more than $2.4 billion in private-debt funds that lend exclusively to firms in the developing world, says poor and middle-income countries are just as much in need of alternative sources of finance as rich ones. He cites Fiagril, a Brazilian agribusiness to which Cordiant has just lent $100m. Private enterprises find it hard to obtain a loan of that size from local banks, he says, but the sum is too small to justify the expense and hassle of issuing a bond. Debt funds like Cordiant’s provide a welcome alternative. Cordiant has lent to almost 200 firms in more than 50 countries since 2001. At first it worked only with international financial institutions such as the World Bank, which helped reassure investors. But it is gradually developing methods to protect lenders and thus attract capital more easily. The banks’ retrenchment since the financial crisis has also given a boost to small-scale operators such as loan sharks, payday lenders, pawnbrokers and the like. The value of payday loans in Britain, for example, more than doubled between 2010 and 2012, to almost £800m. More importantly, it has encouraged a new form of grassroots finance: peer-to-peer (P2P) lending. This involves matching borrowers with lenders through some sort of online system. Lenders earn a higher rate of interest than they can get on a bank deposit and borrowers often pay less than they would for a loan from another source. The P2P company makes money by levying a fee, usually a small percentage of the money lent. Everyone gets to feel good. The most common P2P offering is an unsecured personal loan, often to refinance credit-card debt. But P2P platforms also offer unsecured loans to businesses, as well as loans on property or against unpaid invoices, student loans and so on. Some allow investors to choose which loans they underwrite, others bundle them. Some offer insurance against defaults, others pass losses directly to investors. The scale of P2P is still modest: the two biggest American outfits have lent only $5 billion between them, a minute share of America’s personal-loan market of $1.8 trillion. But the rate of growth is startling. At the smaller of the two, Prosper, the value of new loans agreed in March—$77m—was more than four times that a year earlier. Its lending has grown by 3,000% in eight years. Such galloping expansion is commonplace in the industry. Defaults, for the time being, are low. Even so, bankers often express scepticism about P2P’s staying power. As volumes grow, they say, underwriting standards are bound to fall. Investors will have no real sense of the risks they are running until the next downturn arrives. Moreover, the model’s appeal relies partly on the current low interest rates around the world, which make the extra yield from P2P especially alluring to investors. When rates begin to rise again, that advantage will dissipate. P2P firms retort that it is banks that are living on borrowed time. Their expensive branch networks and outdated technology saddle them with far higher costs than those of P2P firms. P2P’s cheerleaders also insist that the industry’s underwriting standards are just as good as banks’, if not better, in part thanks to their nimbler systems and more creative use of data. That should allow them to offer better deals while preserving their margins, whatever the prevailing interest rates. These advantages, argues Partel Tomberg of isePankur, an Estonian P2P firm, will allow P2P to wrest the consumer-lending business from banks over time. “Bit by bit,” he says, “the traditional universal banking model is being eaten up by different competitors.” There are plenty of believers. Google last year led a $125m investment in Lending Club, the biggest American platform. Two-thirds of the money it lends now comes from hard-headed institutional investors. “There is a real risk that banks stop being the primary source for personal and small-business loans,” wrote analysts at BBVA, a Spanish bank, last year. The same debate is taking place about shadow lending as a whole. Moneymen outside banks see their firms’ expansion onto the banks’ turf as a thoroughly good thing. They point out that shadow banks do not take deposits, in the sense of money held purely for safekeeping, and so cannot lose them in ill-conceived ventures. The extent to which they can leverage their investment by borrowing is usually strictly controlled, so the potential for cascading defaults is limited. The borrowing of America’s business development corporations, for instance, cannot exceed their capital. A move to double the limit is mired in Congress. In contrast, before the crisis big banks had assets of up to 50 times their capital. The institutional investors that account for the overwhelming majority of shadow lending are sophisticated financial operators with diversified portfolios. The same could not be said of all bank depositors. “Our fund can go to zero,” says one big credit-fund manager, “and none of our investors would be that impaired.” They often agree to hand over their money for a fixed term, so there is little chance of a sudden and destabilising surge in withdrawals. If a deal does sour, the losses are passed directly to the lenders concerned without infecting other transactions. For the moment P2P loans, credit funds, money markets and even the bond market have a long way to grow before they get anywhere near the scale of the world’s banking system (see chart 3). “We would not even be a small division at JPMorgan or Barclays,” says Mr Marchick of Carlyle, which has $189 billion of assets under management. Or as another shadow banker puts it, “We’re not even a pimple on the bottoms of the big banks.” Yet their small scale suggests enormous room for growth. Borrowers certainly seem pleased to have more financing options. Yu Wei of Taizhou Kouan shipyard, where the Fidelity is being built, has nothing but praise for the private-equity firms that have entered the shipping business. They helped keep the shipyard afloat at the nadir of the business cycle, he says. That is precisely the point, argues Mr Li of HIT Marine: whereas conventional shipowners treasure their ships as they would their daughters, private-equity firms treat theirs as an asset like any other, to be bought when prices are low and sold when they are high. So private equity should help to smooth out the investment cycle—and a less volatile industry should benefit all participants. Robert Hartshorne, who writes musical scores for television shows, is equally delighted by his experience with Funding Circle, a British P2P lender. He is working on an idea for an animated children’s television series based on the animals of the Chinese zodiac. A Chinese buyer is lined up, and China’s culture ministry has given its blessing. But first Mr Hartshorne has to provide a pilot episode. He and his partner initially financed the venture with £300,000 of their own savings, but when money ran short he did the rounds of the British high-street banks to ask for a loan of £60,000. Despite his successful track record in the industry and the steady stream of royalties he earns, they all turned him down. “It was like sitting opposite a dalek with a short circuit,” he says. The junior loan officers he met were all befuddled by the proposal, yet the sum requested was not big enough to merit attention from the higher-ups. With Funding Circle, he was able to raise the money within three weeks. He will never bother applying for a loan from a bank again, he says. Even so, there are natural limits to the growth of shadow lending. For one thing, big institutional investors are a cautious lot. Allocations from their portfolios to “alternative investments”—the category that covers most shadow loans—remain small. In principle, there is a natural fit between long-term investors such as pension funds or insurance firms and the sort of long-term loans that borrowers are increasingly seeking from the shadow banking system. The premium that lenders can earn on such loans has risen as banks have backed away from them, points out Mr Goodman of GSO. Yet most underwriting expertise remains within the banks, notes John Fitzpatrick of the Geneva Association, an insurance-industry think-tank. Much as the sovereign-wealth funds and pension giants of the world would like to earn higher returns, they do not have the capacity to evaluate the creditworthiness of the businesses that might provide them. Nor, for the most part, do their asset managers. In time that may change. But until then, asset managers will probably have to rely on banks to help generate loans for them to purchase. Unfortunately that idea has a chequered history: during the financial crisis many of the loans that banks securitised and sold proved toxic. Securitisation has since shrivelled, and much of the remaining amount is created solely for the purpose of lending to central banks, rather than sold. Regulators are keen to revive securitisation, though they now require the originating firm to retain some exposure to prevent lending standards from slipping. Banks will have to co-ordinate with asset managers to ensure they offer the sorts of loans the asset managers want to invest in, instead of trying to dazzle them with clever financial engineering. A partnership between Société Générale and Axa, respectively a French bank and an insurer, shows how this might be done. The pair are lending jointly to mid-sized French firms. Société Générale helps to find the borrowers, many of which are already its clients, and assesses the risk of lending to them; Axa provides the bulk of the funds. The arrangement works well for Société Générale, which is able to maintain its relationship with the borrowing firm without having to put up a lot of capital for the loan, and it allows Axa to piggyback on Société Générale’s wealth of corporate customers. But this sort of co-operation requires banks to maintain their ties with businesses in more basic forms of banking—which is by no means a sure thing.

Hey people! I've been sending my IS250 Autosaver for the past 2 years because they "service by the book". I thought it's pretty good and reliable. However, I am wondering if there are cheaper less branded who can do a similar proper job of "service by the book"? Suggestions please. I live in central sg.

I was searching around for a HU replacement as some of you may know. in SG, i saw a package for a Pioneer HU with USB, and 2 pairs of speakers for around $300 with installation. wanted to see if can get cheaper in M'sia, so i went in and check out some shops. for the equivalent of $300, i can get a DVD double DIN HU with screen and 2 pairs of speakers with in-built tweeters. but all OEM. warranty only for HU. speakers no warranty. will you go for package 1 or package 2? BTW... the double DIN HU is an android player.

http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/03/08/alternative-daily-news-72-sg-falls-by-13-in-retirement-index/ Alternative daily news (72) SG falls by 13 in retirement index March 8th, 2014 | Author: Contributions Sunday Times; 02 March 2014; Pg 37. I refer to the article “S’pore no longer one of best 30 places for retirees” (Straits Times, Mar 2). S’pore drops 13 places? It states that “it slides from 28th to 41st on index. Dropped to 125th for income equality? Singapore ranked a poor 125th spot for income equality, worse than the previous year’s 117th place” - More than 200,000 full-time, part-time and self-employed persons earn less than $1,000 a month. I estimate about 400,000 and 600,000 earn less than $1,200 and $1,500 respectively. Quality of life dropped to 75th? “Singapore’s quality of life index, which measures the level of happiness and fulfillment in society as well as environment factors, dropped to 75th place from 39th last year. Health index dropped to 59th? It also dipped in the health index, from 56th spot last year to 59th this year… high levels of out-of-pocket health expenditure” Highest share – private healthcare expenditure? - At about 67% – our private health expenditure is the highest among developed countries. Level of happiness? According to the Mercer’s 2012 Cost of Living Survey, Singapore is the 6th most expensive city out of 143 cities in the world – Singaporeans earn the lowest wages among the high-income countries – we also work the longest hours in world - Singapore has been ranked as having the 2nd highest work stress in Asia - among the the lowest fertility in the world – out of 224 countries- have been ranked the 2nd lowest libido as compared to over 40 countries. Surveys such as the Gallup rank Singaporeans as having the least positive emotions, most emotionless and least optimistic, – the Happy Planet Index ranks Singapore at 90th – most unhappy, and the World Happiness Report 2013 ranks singapore as the 126th (most unhappy) and 144th (most emotionless) - Singaporeans are second least likely to help a stranger, out of 135 countries. Leong Sze Hian Leong Sze Hian is the Past President of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, an alumnus of Harvard University, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow and an author of 4 books. He is frequently quoted in the media. He has also been invited to speak more than 100 times in 25 countries on 5 continents. He has served as Honorary Consul of Jamaica, Chairman of the Institute of Administrative Management, and founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of Brunei and Indonesia. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors degrees and 13 professional qualifications. He blogs at www.leongszehian.com.

Time to change tires. Am using BS GR90 215/50/17 on a saloon. Happy with it so far but wanted to hear opinions Prefer comfort and quietness. Safety is also important (of course) but I don't need performance tires on a sedate saloon. Anything out there now better than the GR90 based on the above requirements ? Or should I stick with GR90 ? Thanks

I am driving a Toyota Vios 2005 and is currently on stock brake pad. Well, I was driving along an empty road when suddenly a mother holding daughter's hand jaywalk while looking at the LEFT when traffic is from the right.My E-Brake comes with very loud growling noise (not it's not ABS). Diagnosed to be hardened brake pad.First time I heard of this situation but given the factor of my last minute late and hard braking bad habit,30,000KM clocked with very little signs of wear, I guess it's the material inferiority. Thus, I am thinking of changing it and since I am doing so, might as well just buy a better ones.I am perfectly fine with dirty rims. Have ever used Ferodo but I find it too strong.I am kind of confidence with Bosch product but I have no idea where to get.Anyone have suggestion? I don't need very good but something better than OEM.

any bros using good alternative Bimmer workshops in Spore??? heard quite good reviews about JuzzForCars and TropicalSuccess... would like to stay clear from PML.

Philips Ultinon seems to be the brightest HID bulbs but it is sure pricey. Anyone knows a good and cheaper alternative for the Ultinon?

http://www.honda.co.jp/UNI-CUB/?from=copy This is an new invention by Honda ----- max speed about 6kmh, good for indoor/outdoor travel... basically a mobile-chair Maybe can be used in CBD as an alternative to bicycle if cars are banned and everyone rides one (rental )?

would appreciate personal and expert opinion on whether should one buy a hybrid or convention car any advantage apart from the slight fuel saving thanks

Have pjs always travelled to pj damansara by nshw. Getting bored with the road. Just wondering how to travel by the 'old road' . How much longer and any difference on toll charge? Tia

By Chua Yini | SingaporeScene -Yahoo News. The Housing and Development Board's (HDB) rejection of a proposal by Toh Yi residents for an alternative site for studio apartments has left some residents upset. HDB plans to go ahead with initial plans of building a block of 130 units of studio apartments at Toh Yi Drive catered for the elderly, despite a petition and proposal for an alternative site submitted by a group of residents. "In the case of Toh Yi, HDB has looked into the various feedback and made adjustments to the proposals to address residents' concerns, wherever feasible," said HDB in a statement on Monday. About 230 Toh Yi residents signed a petition earlier this month to Holland-Bukit Timah MP Sim Ann, opposing the government's plan to build the apartments because the identified site was the 19-block estate's only green space and it was situated on a slope that would make it difficult for elderly tenants to climb. Addressing the residents' proposal for an alternative site, HDB said that it has "carried out a detailed evaluation and assessed this [HDB's original plan to build at Toh Yi Drive] as the most suitable site available in the vicinity for studio apartments". According to HDB, the four alternative sites proposed were unsuitable as they were too small, were exposed to heavy traffic or impinged on car parking demands. Others have already been earmarked for future developments. In addition, HDB will include common facilities within the site, such as a community garden, playground and fitness stations. It has also pledged to improve the accessibility of the area "with elderly residents in mind". However, the petition organiser Ricky Goh Chok Chai expressed his unhappiness with MP Sim Ann's handling of the matter. In an email cc-ed to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan and the three other Holland-Bukit Timah MPs Christopher De Souza, Liang Eng Hwa and Vivian Balakrishnan, the 58-year-old businessman wrote that the residents involved would "manage [their] own housekeeping from now on and probably have to look into forming our own 'management committee' to deal directly with HDB for the internal affair of the estate of Toh Yi". He revealed the presence of a "shadow committee" in place, called the Concerned Residents' Caring Community Committee (CRCCC), and commented that the other MPs of the GRC seemed "bochap" (unconcerned) about the matter. Speaking to Yahoo! Singapore, Sim said: "Most residents I have spoken to told me they do not object to having studio apartments in the estate. Many welcome the idea, in fact. After all, we will all grow old. The key question has always been about the site. A minority of residents have voiced objections because of the site." However, she added that HDB's verdict was a "reasonable outcome that addresses the overall interests of residents in [the] estate". "HDB has evaluated the very considerable amount of feedback we had submitted. It has explained its reasons for the choice of site. It has promised to incorporate community facilities into the studio apartment project and also help improve amenities elsewhere within the estate," said the MP. The petition and proposal submitted by Goh's group has also irked around 50 residents in Toh Yi, who have submitted another petition to have the units built elsewhere. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thinks this is expected, no other way out. Now other GRC MP kaki also got blamed.

Is this available? A HU with a mornitor tt will display ur phone display on it. U can control ur phone by touching the monitor display. So basically u can make calls, surf the web, watch youtube, music player, google navigator, etc on the HU..... Both device connect thru BT.

Any folks played the free Siege Hero(SH) yet for iPhone? I have previously played Angry Birds (AB) but have since been addicted to SH It was fun hurling rocks, gunpowder, fire jars, oil barrels and even grappling hooks to destroy the enemies and their fortresses! Have completed all levels except Fortress Age Level 61 which I have tried for 3 days but still could not bring it down to earn the golden crown to unlock the bonus level Any bros have done it and can give a pointer or two? In the mean time still trying...

Hi all, May I urged all to refrain using the term "Opposition Party". We should all start using the term, "Alternative Party". The term Opposition Party is outdated given the current political climate and it doesn't reflect correctly on them. Thank you very much to all . Regards,

Though i know with the current Singaporean Mindset and P8P grip on power, this scenario is next to impossible. But who says we can't dream? Of the alternative dream team..

I was just thinking; if a driver is only looking at recording thru the windscreen when he/she starts driving and end recording when he/she stops driving, isn't it easier and cheaper to just get a cellphone holder and use your cellphone to record?

For those driving Chery A5, who do not want to service their cars at Vertex due to cost considerations and do not travel to China frequently, I have prepared the following list of alternative parts. It is by no means complete as I have the car for less than a month and I have a full time job. No warranty and guarantee implied and use the list at your own risk. It is mainly for the 1.6L version but many parts are similar. Spark Plugs Dimension : Specs 14mm thread size, Reach 19mm Hex Size 16mm Factory install : Bosch FR7DTC (Triple earth electrode) Some alternatives BOScH FR7DC, FR7DCX etc Denso K20PRU-11,K20PBR etc (normal),IK20 (Iridium), VK20 (Iridium/Platinum) NGK BKR6E-11 Oil Filter Dimensions: Height 81.8mm, Outer Diameter 82mm, Thread M20mm X 1.5mm (most important) Factory install : Fleetguard (Shanghai factory) LF3881 Chery part no. 481H-1012010 Compatible oil filter, many Honda( e.g. 15400-PR3-0050), Mazda, Subaru, Hyundai Sonata oil filter Izuzu Gemini Osaka 8-94217272-0 K&N HP-1004 FRAM PH3593A Air filter shape Rectangular panel, Dimensions: Height: 40 mm, Outside Length: 245 mm Outside Width: 220 mm Chery Part no. A21-1109111 K&N air filter 33-2658 * may fit K&N air filter 33-2054 * most likely to fit Simota, ESE and hurricane TOYOTA 1780107020, 1780146060 (alternatives are non-exact fit) Wiper Blade Hook type, Right 550mm Left 500mm Factory install : Valeo, Right c/w spoiler Alternatives, NWB, RainX (reinstall spoiler if possible) Alloy wheel Chery Part No: A21-3100020AM ET 46 (offset in mm), 15X6JJ (15 inch, width 6 inch), max load 600kg, Bolt pattern 4X 114.3mm (4.5inch) Tyre 195/55R15 V(speed rating) Possible upgrade for tyres (no inch up) 205/50R15 (inch up) 205/45R16 (2 inch up) 205/40R17 Front Brake pads Chery Part No: A21-3501070 (for A5 1.6L w/o electronic wear sensor) width 119mm, Height 69.5mm, Thickness 19.3mm Friction coefficient FF (important DO NOT Downgrade) Note : there is another part with electronic wear sensor that appears on earlier A5, Chery part no: A21-3501080 Same as old Audi front brake pads Alternatives: FBK, Honeywell,Nbrake NDB211, Mintex MDB1190, AUDI 443698151, VW 431698151 (Please compare first) Rear Brake pads Chery Part No: A21-3501090 Width 107.6mm, Height 42.5mm, Thickness 16mm Friction coefficient FF Similar to Toyota Camry (V1,V10,V20,V30 etc), Toyota Corolla (E11) Mintex MDB1994, Toyota 0446620070 etc (many different part numbers), Nbrake NDB8067, Akebono Front Disc Rotors Chery Part No: A21-3501075 Internally Ventilated (double layer) Bolt pattern 4X114.3mm + single screwhole Diameter 240mm, Brake Disc Thickness 22mm, Height 48mm, Pitch Circle 150mm, Centering Diameter 68mm (approximate measurements) Rear Disc Rotors Chery Part No: A21-3502075 Brake Disc Type solid Bolt pattern 4X114.3mm + single screwhole Diameter 260mm, Brake Disc Thickness 10mm, Height 60mm, Pitch Circle 182 mm, Centering Diameter 68 mm (approximate measurements) Ignition coil Factory Install Bosch 0 221 503 485, Chery Part No: A11-3705110EA Alternatives Valeo 245040, FIAT 9607405480, CITROEN 597060, PEUGEOT 597048 topline TIc 8040 (Malaysia) Front Dampers OEM Sachs (Shanghai) chery part no. A21-2905010 Rear Dampers OEM Sachs (Shanghai) Chery Part no. A21-2915010 Air flow sensor 4 Pins Terminal, 5V Factory Install for 1.6L,made in Germany BOSCH 0 261 230 099 (intake manifold absolute pressure sensor), Chery part no: 480ED-108060 Alternatives FORD 2U1L 9F479 AA, OPEL 93 399 801, Honda Jazz 37830PWEG01 Note : for 2.0L, it is a different part from BoscH (also used in Audi A4 2006) Exhaust tail pipe outer diameter 2 inch approx

i used to put my wallet at my back pocket trousers n cause damage to my cards in my wallet over a period of time........ damaged crfedit cards can be changed for free but hastle of callin for replacement every now n then.... more impt cards like IC or driving license damaged even more hastle.... i dun put my wallet on my shirt breast pocket cos it's kinda of heavy n make yr neck very stressed, fiurthermore some of my working shirts do not have breast pockets.... now i will remove my wallet whenever i sit down.... not only will preserve my wallet n cards inside, oso feel more comfortable without a lump at your backside... i oso hav a card wallet where i put all my credit cards n petrol kiosks member cards in it n leave it in my car.... but when i need to use them i alwaz forgot to take this card wallet with me and had to go back to my car to collect.... any alternatives to a wallet? perhaps some kin of poach tat i can put in my side pocket? but its hard to find a poach who can function as good as a wallet, with card slots, coin slots n dollar slots..... Ladies can put theirs in handbags but guys dun carry handbags....

ok, i now travel from AMK , taking the Lornie Road -- Farrer Road -- AYE --- Tanjong Pager (the MSCP at the NTUC there) Reason being no need to take CTE due to erp (pay and jam), and keep hearing accidents on this stretch. Other than that, any other alternative to beat the 1 - 1.5 hr drive, with speeds of up to 40kph max?