4 SAT Tips and Tricks You Should Know

Preparing for the SAT exam is one of the hardest things for a student. While the test itself might not be that hard, it is a very big undertaking, and students don’t know where to begin. Moreover, the test judges a student’s analytical, critical, creative, and concrete thinking on top of putting a time constraint on him. If you are preparing for an SAT exam, there are some tips and tricks that are going to help you come up with a proper strategy to tackle it. In this article, I am going to highlight some of the most helpful tips that you can use to get a good score. So, without further ado, let’s get right down to it.

Understand the Paper Pattern

The very first and the most basic thing that you need to know is the paper pattern. There are lots of candidates who only focus on preparing study material, but they don’t have a clear idea about what to expect from an SAT exam. The exam consists of two sections that are further divided into different parts that have to be completed in the allotted time. You can click on the linked article to learn about the SAT paper pattern in detail.

Follow the Elimination Rule

Once you have understood the paper pattern and what to expect from the exam, you need to figure out how to solve the questions. A very important tip that you have to remember is that there is only one correct option out of four. Even if you don’t know the exact answer to a specific question, you can follow the elimination rule. All the incorrect options are incorrect for a certain reason. If you are able to find the reason, you can find the right answer with the process of elimination.

Skip Difficult Questions

One of the major reasons why the SAT Singapore exam is so difficult is due to the time pressure. After you enter the examination room, you have to put your ego on one side and focus on your strengths. When you are solving the paper, you should start from the top and solve questions that don’t take much time. If a question is taking too much time, you should just skip it. After you have answered all the easier questions, you will have ample time to think about the hard questions and come up with a solution.

Fill the Bubbles at the End

A good tip to help you save some time is to skip the bubble filling part till the very end after you have answered all the questions. You can just circle or mark the right answer on the booklet. Filling the bubbles takes a considerable amount of time, and if you try to fill them back and forth, you are only going to make things harder for yourself. Filling them all at once is going to take less time so that you don’t feel any pressure.

Free Apple & NIO Stock from FUTU SG

Use this referral link to get free shares of Apple & NIO!

Free Apple & NIO Stock from FUTU SG

moomoo powered by FUTU is giving out 1 free AAPL stock (worth ~$135 USD) with a deposit of SGD 2,700 only or USD 2,000 / HKD 16,000 and an additional 1 free NIO stock (worth ~$55 USD) when you successfully trade 5 times or achieve a level 1 trading badge. This promotion is valid till 2 August 2021, 8pm SGT!

There are also other freebies like up to 20 Twitter shares when you refer your friends, commission-free trading for 180 days, and more!

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Terms and Conditions to receive your 1 Free Apple & NIO Stock

The terms and conditions can be found on this official promotional page under “Terms and conditions”.

To summarize, what you need to do to be eligible for the promotion are:

  • Valid for new customers who are either Singaporeans or Permanent Residents of Singapore
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This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-4.png
  • There are 2 conditions to get the free Apple stock:
  • Condition (i):  Successfully open a FUTU SG Securities account between 30th Jun 2021, 2000hrs SGT and 2nd Aug 2021, 2000hrs SGT (hereinafter referred to as “activity time”);
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  • Condition (i):  Deposited funds worth SGD 2,700 or USD 2,000 or HKD 16,000 within 30 days from account opening;
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  • Once again, please refer to the official Terms and Conditions section on this page for the most accurate and official details!

Who is moomoo? Who is FUTU? Are they safe & reliable?

moomoo is a trading platform offered by Moomoo Inc, a subsidiary of Nasdaq-listed FUTU Holdings Limited (FUTU). In Singapore, investment products and services on moomoo are offered by Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. Three months since setting up shop in Singapore, they have seen a whopping user base of over 220,000 and 100,000 paying clients.

Here are 3 reasons why moomoo powered by FUTU is considered safe and reliable:

  • Firstly, FUTU Singapore Pte. Ltd. is regulated by MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore) License No. CMS101000. Their MAS license can be found here.
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Once again, if you decide to open a FUTU SG securities account use the link here directly to sign up!


Disclaimer: The opinions on moomoo powered by FUTU expressed in this blog post are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security or investment product. It is only intended to provide information on FUTU SG’s new user welcome promotion. In particular, this blog post is not a substitute for obtaining advice from a qualified investment advisor.

金庸武林江湖与数学江湖

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

金庸武术的道理 和学数学一样:
1)华山正邪二派 : 气宗 (正) vs 剑宗 (邪)
数学:数学理论 vs 刷题技巧
2)虚竹 :忘掉以前的少林功夫才能学 消遥派
数学: 忘掉A-level 前的思维 (concrete) ,才能学好大学抽象(Abstract ) 数学.

3) 少林寺僧好高鹜远:还没学精本派“一阳指”,就想去换 印度鸠摩罗的功夫。
数学: 先打好 大学基础数学 (Epsilon-Delta, Abstract Algebraic Structures) ,才去学其他的高深东西 (Category, Differential Geometry, Algebraic Topology,… )

https://v.ixigua.com/e5Y62ye/

金庸的武林江湖 宗师 vs 数学江湖

东邪(孤僻冷漠) :黄药师 vs 德国. Gauss

西毒 (妒忌,狠毒) :欧阳锋 vs 法国. Cauchy (迫害 年轻天才 Abel, Galois )

南僧(避世隐士): 大理国王 一灯大师 vs 法国.Fermat

北丐 (流浪天涯):洪七公 vs 匈牙利. Paul Erdos

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Feymann Calculus Trick

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

理查德·费曼非常聪明的求导 differentiate 技巧

Feymann (Nobel Physicist) has many funny speedy Math tricks for Calculus eg. Differentiate an Integral (Applied Fundamental Theorem of Calculus) , and this one below.

https://m.toutiaocdn.com/i6933218183247626755/?app=news_article&timestamp=1614316375&use_new_style=1&req_id=2021022613125401019410001308000E75&group_id=6933218183247626755&tt_from=android_share&utm_medium=toutiao_android&utm_campaign=client_share

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Princeton 《Calculus Lifesaver》

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

This is a free video lecture series of the Princeton Math Textbook 《Calculus Lifesaver》(link Amazon.com) for university non-math majors.

He explains the “funny” but smart Calculus basics : First & 2nd Fundamental Theorems of Calculus (by Newton’s co-inventor Leibniz), some how never taught in the 1970s GCE A level (now also ? ) bcos not Newton’s Anglo-saxxon invention. Neither the French textbooks teach so (bcos Leibniz was German ?). They only appear in pure American/German Calculus books.

“Funny” bcos by “1st Theorem” you could ‘d/dx’ any intergral to get the anti-derivative . Richard Feymann self-learnt this trick in High school to solve complex integrations.

Also why the “Coset” (+ C) is explained by the 2nd Theorem in this video.

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Coset & Index 陪集,指数

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

https://v.ixigua.com/eU7pf3V/

群论的原本是Galois 发明,没有现在这么抽象的Axiom-based, 是100年后 Noether 在 WW2 归纳的抽象化。Galois 只发明 左/右陪集 Left /Right Coset (l’ensemble à gauche / à droite),当 左陪集=右陪集,就是Normal subgroup (正规子群,l’invariant), 破解300年的数学难题:5次方程以上(Quintic equations & above ) 无根式 (radical root) 解, 从而诞生Group Theory, 开辟抽象代数Abstract Algebra / New Math.

这位中国年轻老师 教得很棒, 证明严谨rigorous, 很好的方法:eg. Test “well-defined”, necessary & sufficient condition (Set Prove Technique : ⊂ left inclusion, ⊃ right inclusion, then equal =), Bijection 双射 (Surjective 满射 trivial + Injective proof).

他的习题答案:
|Z : nZ|Index is easy ?
意思:
把 Z 用coset 分类 (partitioned) 为
0Z,1Z, 2Z,… (n-1)Z 个陪集,
Total = n个

|Z : nZ|= n

Note: Coset in Calculus ( Indefinite Integration) :

Integral Solution “+ C” 就是 Right Coset = solution的右陪集:意思所有 “+C” 都是solution Set 的 右陪伴。

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Leibniz’s original proof : Integration by Parts

函数概念并不难,理解“函”字是关键——函数概念如何理解】

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

【函数概念并不难,理解“函”字是关键——函数概念如何理解】
https://m.toutiaocdn.com/group/6714162037842248205/?app=news_article_lite&timestamp=1563301386&req_id=201907170223060101520450386849493&group_id=6714162037842248205&tt_from=android_share&utm_medium=toutiao_android&utm_campaign=client_share

清. 李善兰 翻译 Function 为函数。函,信也。只能有一个收信人,所以 只有一个 f(x) 值。

The unique 1 single output of a function becomes very important for subsequent development in Math & IT:
functions are composable, associative, identify function,etc (distributive,… ) => it can be treated like vector => structure of a Vector Space “Vect”

Extended to..

“Vect” is a bigger structure “Category” in which “function of functions” is a
Functor” (函子)F:F(f)

Example : F(f) = fmap (in Haskell)

fmap (+1) {2,7,6,3}

=> {3,8,7,4}

here F = fmap, f = +1

The Math branch in the study of functions is called “functional” 泛函。

IT : Functional Programming in Lisp, Haskell, Scala, ensure safety of guaranteed output by math function property. Any unexpected exception (side effects: IO, errors) is handled by a special function called “Monad” (endo-Functor).

(想看更多合你口味的内容,马上下载 今日头条)
http://app.toutiao.com/news_article/?utm_source=link

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吴文俊 Wu WenJun

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

吴文俊,陈省身在 WW2昆明西南联大的弟子, 留法Strasbourg University, 兼任 博士生的tutor, 教导 法国未来的 大师Grothendieck (两人都是新数Bourbaki 学派 最后一批会员) 。

吴文俊在1975 文革后才研究 中国古代数学,从中得灵感,发明 电脑 机器化 AI 证明axiom-based 几何定理。得 1st batch Run- Run Shaw (东方Nobel Prize) $1 m Prize.

数学家清心寡慾不爱斗争,一心专注 “数学之美” ,其他生活繁琐的事(文革 批斗) 都看得开。所以多长寿 (Newton, 陈省身, Hadamard, 杨振宁, 也都90+) ,吴文俊也高寿活到98岁。

https://v.ixigua.com/efrQhx8/

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French Baccalaureate Math Paper 2 (Analysis)

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

【「给我进来做题啦!」法国高考数学题难度如何?居然只有四道题?】

Baccalaureate Scientifique Math 2019 (Analyse).

Yet to see the Baccalaureate (S) Paper 1 “Algèbre” which is tougher on Abstract Algebra (Group, Ring, Field, Vector Space / Linear Algebra,…)

https://m.ixigua.com/video/6867459333400035851/?app=video_article&timestamp=1621316174&utm_source=native_share&utm_medium=android&utm_campaign=client_share

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Book Marketing – Understanding the Importance of Branding

Book Marketing – Understanding the Importance of Branding

Branding in the library world is as important as the business world. This post identifies its importance to writers. 

Branding is the nuanced art of creating a memorable impression on consumers by giving shape to your brand. Before it was defined as just a name, symbol, slogan, sign, or design. Now it is broader, with more aspects. It helps your customers and clients to distinguish your brand from other brands and know exactly what they can expect from you.

Ages ago, authors did not need to promote themselves on social media. Shakespeare never needed to promote Hamlet on Instagram, and Ernest Hemingway did not need to create dynamic content on Facebook to reach viewers.

But now reaching people without promoting yourself is quite impossible. But definitely, you need to know what to promote. And here ‘ME’ is not a satisfactory answer. You need to establish yourself and your literary work as a brand. That is why book marketing and branding are necessary for writers. Good branding helps you to connect with your audience, deliver your message, and create a positive value about your brand in your target audience’s mind. To learn more, keep reading.

A strong brand’s goals are to communicate the message effectively, personally resonate with your target demographic, inspire the customer to purchase, and build loyalty.

It Helps You Find Your Audience

Brands are easily tracked by the readers who are the main customers of writers. They buy brands. But branding is not always getting prioritized over your competitors. It is creating value for your customers. It is solving a problem.

Branding helps you to reach your consumers to get you connected with them. It exists to help you get recognized. When your readers discover your literary works, it motivates them spiritually and helps them solve their issues and receive mental peace. Brand recognition helps to create loyalty in customers and helps you live in their hearts and minds. Also, once you get a loyal fan base, they will also start marketing for you, which can build your audience even more.

It Tells the World What You’re About

Branding not only gets you loyal customers but also helps you to clearly deliver your message to them. A quality brand gives the consumers something to think about and helps them improve themselves as humans. Once they understand your value they will start reaching to you on their own. Because they value what you value.

A writer puts their soul into their literature. It is their form of communicating, and they definitely want people to know what they think. Branding plays a key role here in bringing together writers and readers. This makes the consumers feel like they’re a part of something significant and not just a cog in a wheel.

It Brings Your Purpose Into Focus

Strong branding helps you make a positive impression among your consumers. Every writer has a purpose. Some write fictional stories to make people understand what magic is inside their minds. Some write comedy stories to make people laugh. Some write biographies and historical books to educate people.

Some really want you to understand love by writing romantic novels. Genres play a big role in writers’ lives. If they can promote their piece well, it will bring in the target audience and fulfill the writer’s purpose.

Surely the world has witnessed thousands of love stories, but branding yours can get your story into the world.

It Gives You Guidance Going Forward

A well-executed brand has a lot to say other than just promoting. Even the greatest brand can even get better by rebranding. If you already brand your writings but want to add different features, values, and colors to them, you can. Rebranding is also very important in this ever-changing world.

Branding helps you to know your directions. It navigates you to make decisions and adapt to the new cultural changes. Ten years ago, love stories might have been really technologically far-fetched. It would be hard to relate to stories like that now. But if you incorporate technology and how to use it to enhance love, people will relate to it and to your writings. You need to brand yourself that way as well.

It Sustains Your Career Over the Long Term

It has already been established that branding helps you to reach out to your consumers and motivate them to buy your products. The stronger your brand is, the more it will expand and reach more people. The author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling, created her brand with uniqueness and kept on promoting herself to the world.

Even though the series ended quite a while ago, people of all ages still talk about it and appreciate it. A successful brand makes the readers keep coming. They not only still buy her books but also the accessories related to them. This actually helps to generate a huge business. Now not only does she make money, but people from all corners of the world make a living selling product related to her stories.

She not only created a platform for her career but also gave a platform to millions of other people to create theirs.

A Few Final Words

You may be convinced that you should brand your work. But it is not that easy, and you might not be as successful as you’d like for a long time. Still, never give up hope. Try to put out some kind of content on a daily basis. And since humans learn by doing, try to diversify your output and improve your techniques.

A brand doesn’t limit you. So keep exploring many aspects of life and publishing your thoughts about it. We hope these suggestions come in handy for you.

Never give up!

Gemini Referral Code

Gemini Referral Link: gemini.com/share/lvevmqvtn

Gemini Referral Singapore

For the referral code, you may just click on the following Gemini Referral Link directly!

There are rewards (such as earn $10 USD in bitcoin when when one trades $100 USD in 30 days) for using the referral code/link to sign up!

Gemini is a digital currency exchange and custodian that allows customers to buy, sell, and store digital assets. It is a New York trust company that is regulated by the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) and was founded in 2014 by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (the famous Winklevoss brothers who were cofounders of Facebook).

Gemini Commission Fees

One of the key benefits of Gemini is its low commission fees. It is highly competitive among all the brokers. For example the charges for using its Active Trader application is 0.35%. This is very low considering that many exchanges usually charge upwards of 0.5%. For example Binance SG charges 0.60%.

Due to the low fees of Gemini (Active Trader), it is useful for people who are either trading frequently or trading in small amounts.

It is important to always use Active Trader (rather than the basic interface), as it has lower fees.

Gemini Singapore Review

Gemini is extremely fast for signing up. You can signup online within minutes, using Singpass to fill in personal details automatically.

Funding is using Xfers FAST transfer, but it is not subject to the $30k annual limit since it is considered a direct Xfers transfer. For this reason, Gemini is a viable option for those who have maxed out the Binance SG Xfers annual limit.

The fund transfer speed via Xfers FAST is quite fast (pun unintended), usually within minutes.

The website interface of Gemini has an excellent design, and is extremely user friendly.

Gemini Minimum Deposit

There is no minimum deposit for Gemini, and there is also no minimum number of coins or tokens you need to purchase. One can buy as low as just a fraction of Bitcoin.

Is Gemini Safe?

This is the most frequently searched question. Firstly, Gemini is a New York trust company that is regulated by the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). The official NYDFS press release for Gemini can be found here.

Secondly, The New York Times has reported that Gemini is trusted by Ari Paul, of the hedge fund BlockTower Capital, who deals in virtual currency.[9] According to reports by both Bloomberg News and Fortune magazine, Gemini was the first exchange to launch bitcoin futures contracts in December 2017. Fortune reported that Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) uses Gemini “as the basis for the daily settlement for the bitcoin futures”.[10]

With any investing, there is always some risk, so do your research carefully before investing using any exchange!

Gemini Invitation Code / Promo Code

Once again, if you decide to sign up for Gemini, do use the invitation code by just clicking on the following Gemini Referral Link directly!


Disclaimer: The opinions on Gemini expressed in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security or investment product. It is only intended to provide information on Gemini Referral Code. In particular, this blog post is not a substitute for obtaining advice from a qualified investment advisor.


The below YouTube video is a beginner friendly introduction and review of Gemini.

Coinbase Referral

Coinbase Referral Sign Up

Hi – I’ve been using Coinbase which makes it really easy and safe to buy, sell, and store digital currency (like Bitcoin). Sign up now and get SGD 13.36 of free Bitcoin when you buy or sell at least SGD 133.63 of digital currency. Claim your invite now: https://www.coinbase.com/join/wu_t22

Coinbase is a listed company on Nasdaq, with ticker symbol COIN. As of March 2021, Coinbase was the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States by trading volume.

There are actually free gifts of crypto on Coinbase, just by signing up and watching some videos. The gifts are usually small amounts of lower cap crypto.

Coinbase Commission Fees

  • Coinbase charges a spread of about one-half of one percent (0.50%) for cryptocurrency purchases and cryptocurrency sales.
  • Coinbase also charges a Coinbase Fee (in addition to the spread), which is around $0.99 to $2.99.

Coinbase Singapore Review

Coinbase is quite fast for signing up. You can signup online within minutes. Note that they may require some identity verification such as ID (NRIC or passport) and a document containing your address (utilities bill, or bank statement).

The mobile app of Coinbase also has an excellent design, and is extremely user friendly.

Coinbase Minimum Deposit

There is a very low minimum deposit for Coinbase (around $50 recommended), and there is also virtually no minimum number of crypto you can buy (can buy as low as $2).

Is Coinbase Safe?

This is the most frequently searched question. Firstly, Coinbase has been granted a license exemption by MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore). Their MAS exemption can be found here.

Secondly, all digital currency that Coinbase holds in its online hot storage is insured. If Coinbase were to suffer a breach of its online hot storage, the insurance policy would pay out to cover any customer funds lost as a result. 

Thirdly, Coinbase is regulated by SEC (U.S. Security and Exchange Commission). Their SEC license can be found here.

Lastly, for added security, there is 2-Factor Authentication option for Coinbase. Sometimes, there is 3-Factor Authentication (email authentication as well). You can set it up during registration, by providing your phone number and email.

With any investing, there is always some risk, so do your research carefully before investing using any broker!

Coinbase Invitation Code / Promo Code

Once again, if you decide to sign up for Coinbase, do use the invitation code by just clicking on the following Coinbase Referral Link directly! (Free Bitcoin from signing up using the referral link!)


Disclaimer: The opinions on Coinbase expressed in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security or investment product. It is only intended to provide information on Coinbase Referral Code. In particular, this blog post is not a substitute for obtaining advice from a qualified investment advisor.


The below video is a very detailed review and tutorial on Coinbase (2021 updated).

Modern Math Education : Time for Reform

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

Modern Math Foundation : Set + Logic (Equivalence Relation). 

A level (H2 level) / International Baccalauréat Math should study the big red square box (Number System, Set Theory, Logic).

All STEM university Year 1 & 2 study these 3 Math foundations : Algebra, Analysis & Vector Space.

The Math major university Year 3&4 study more : real /complex analysis, Topology, Galois Theory, graph theory, etc…

https://m.toutiaocdn.com/i6743479520755450380/?app=news_article&timestamp=1615286356&use_new_style=1&req_id=202103091839150102120751990F03C964&group_id=6743479520755450380&tt_from=android_share&utm_medium=toutiao_android&utm_campaign=client_share

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新数启蒙 (1-5) – 给16岁以上的中学生

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

This “Modern Math” Introductory Course is based on the French Baccalaureate “Modern Math” for 16+ years old, simplified & customized for local students in Chinese.

https://v.ixigua.com/e6mRFnP/

(1)集合: 等价关系 Equivalence Relation

https://v.ixigua.com/e6mDFhw/

(2)集合与集合的关系:映射 Mapping

https://v.ixigua.com/e6mfC4C/

(3) 新数 历史: Bourbaki 学派

https://v.ixigua.com/e6mjedR/

(4)由外向内看代数结构 : 域Field,环 Ring,群 Group,向量空间 Vector Space

https://v.ixigua.com/e6mj5sd/

(5) 域 Field : 足球场

https://v.ixigua.com/e6mkau7/

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Tiger Brokers Referral: OAEMZD

Tiger Brokers Referral: OAEMZD

For the referral code, enter “OAEMZD” when prompted, or you may just click on the following Tiger Brokers Referral Link directly!

Currently, there are multiple rewards for joining Tiger Brokers:

  • 10% off coupon to purchase a share of Tesla (this alone can be worth around $60 USD)
  • 5 commission-free trades
  • stock voucher of up to 100 SGD (depends on initial deposit of funds)

My Dear Friend,

Sign up and join Tiger Brokers using my following link: https://www.tigerbrokers.com.sg/activity/forapp/invitflow-intl/signup.html?template=invite202011&lang=en_US&invite=OAEMZD.

We both stand a chance to receive stock vouchers of up to SGD 100.

Best Regards!

Tiger Brokers Review

Previously, we have written an in-depth review of Tiger Brokers, including ease of use, reliability, and more. Do check it out!



Disclaimer: The opinions on Tiger Brokers expressed in this blog post are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security or investment product. It is only intended to provide information on Tiger Brokers Referral Code. In particular, this blog post is not a substitute for obtaining advice from a qualified investment advisor.

Last few months to mine Free Pi Coins (Referral Code: math88pi)

Pi Network Invitation Code: math88pi

I am sending you 1π! Pi is a new digital currency developed by Stanford PhDs, with over 10 million members worldwide. To claim your Pi, follow this link https://minepi.com/math88pi and use my username (math88pi) as your invitation code.

It is literally the last few months to mine Pi Coins, Mainnet is launching in estimated Q4 2021 which is just a few months away.

Pi Network has a halving procedure in place, similar to Bitcoin. Basically it means that, the mining rate will reduce by half  when a certain milestone is being hit (usually in terms of number of members). Eventually, the mining rate may even hit zero. This means Pi Coin eventually has a finite supply, just like Bitcoin.

We have a detailed review of Pi Network and Pi Coins in a previous blogpost.

Pi Wallet will be released on 31 March 2021

On the Pi Network’s official Twitter page, they announced that they will be releasing the Pi wallet on the Testnet with Test-Pi on March 31, 2021.

This is quite an achievement, Testnet is usually just one step behind Mainnet. For example, Ethereum has several Testnets such as Rinkeby Testnet. The Testnet can act as a test or experiment to see if there are any bugs, before rolling out the Mainnet which contains the actual Pi coins.

Pi network vs Bee network

In the previous blogpost, we detailed some reasons why Pi network is likely to be legit.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Bee network:

  • Bee network is created by anonymous/unknown people.
  • Bee network is just a “clone” of Pi Network in many ways, up to their White Paper.
  • Not sure if Bee network is a legitimate blockchain project, or just one that is trying to ride on the waves of Pi Network.

Hence, currently, we recommend Pi Network but not Bee Network.


Disclaimer: The opinions on Pi Network expressed in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security or investment product. It is only intended to provide information on Pi Network Referral Code. In particular, this blog post is not a substitute for obtaining advice from a qualified investment advisor.

Pi Network Referral Code: math88pi

In view of the upcoming Pi day (3.14), this topic of Pi Network is quite appropriate. In this blog post, we will share about Pi Network, what it is, and more.

Pi Network Invitation Code: math88pi

I am sending you 1π! Pi is a new digital currency developed by Stanford PhDs, with over 10 million members worldwide. To claim your Pi, follow this link https://minepi.com/math88pi and use my username (math88pi) as your invitation code.

Pi Network Review

Pi Network is an upcoming blockchain, with idea similar to Bitcoin, but yet with certain differences:

  • Pi Network uses the Stellar Consensus Protocol, while Bitcoin uses Proof of Work.
  • Pi Network is currently still in the early phases, meaning that it is not available on the “Main Net” yet, or on any exchange. Bitcoin is already very established as of 2021, even recognized by major institutions and banks.

Is Pi Network Safe / Is Pi Network Legit

While it is impossible to answer with 100% certainty, one can list at least 3 reasons why Pi Network is legit:

  1. Pi Network is listed on the Apple App Store. It is known that “Apple evaluates every app in detail before it’s available in the App Store to make sure that it doesn’t contains viruses.”
  2. Pi Network is created by real known people (Stanford PhDs: Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis and Dr. Chengdiao Fan) who put their real name upfront. Their identities are verified by Stanford Daily, which is the official student-run, independent daily newspaper serving Stanford University.
  3. No money is involved in using Pi Network app. No credit card details are needed. Hence, it is impossible that Pi Network is trying to scam money since no money is involved.

Is Pi Network Worth Anything

This is another popular question, on whether Pi Network is worth it. Firstly, Pi Network only takes few seconds per day, to tap the mine button. Hence, the total time wasted is very minimal.

Secondly, once Pi Network goes live on the Main Net, it has to be worth something non-zero. Many YouTubers have analyzed its worth (Pi Network price predictions), the below video has quite a mathematical estimate of what Pi Coin is worth.

Pi Network Referral Link: https://minepi.com/math88pi

Pi Network Invitation Code: math88pi

Pi Network Mining

Pi Network coins are able to be mined on a mobile phone. They are very unlike the Proof of Work algorithms which require massive amounts of electricity and computing power. In fact, the coins can be mined without WiFi or running in the background.

What is happening at this stage is actually “pre-mining”, which is consistent with the Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP):

Pi Network differs from traditional cryptocurrencies in that the coins are “pre-mined” or pre-generated from the start. When you initiate mining on the Pi Network app, you are simply being a distributed a set amount of coins per hour. Because the coins are pre-generated, your phone doesn’t do any heavy computational tasks, and power impact is minimal.

Medium: https://medium.com/@kona.kona/cryptocurrency-for-everyday-people-from-stanford-pi-network-9d743d1ddfd2

The mining of Pi Coin has a halving stage, just like Bitcoin. Eventually, the mining rate could even fall to zero. This helps to reduce inflation.


Disclaimer: The opinions on Pi Network expressed in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security or investment product. It is only intended to provide information on Pi Network Referral Code. In particular, this blog post is not a substitute for obtaining advice from a qualified investment advisor.

Google Pay Referral Code: pm3yp1a

Google Pay Referral

Join me on Google Pay and you’ll earn $3 when you opt in to Google Pay offers and rewards and make your first payment (min. $10)! Terms apply. Download the app and use my referral code pm3yp1a to get started. https://g.co/payinvite/pm3yp1a

Google Pay Referral Code: pm3yp1a

Actually, one can just send $10 to your family member/friend to and fro, in order to earn the cashback rewards. There are also some kind of “Huat Pals” game to be played to get additional rewards.

Google Pay Referral Reward 2021

The current referral reward for Google Pay in 2021 is $3, but there are many other cashback rewards:

  • Earn $2.5 cashback on your next movie at Shaw
  • Send money to friends & earn up to $10 twice a week
  • Earn $2.5 cashback on your next movie at Golden Village
  • Order food on Google Pay and get $2.5 cashback
  • Scan to pay in stores and earn up to $10 twice a week
  • Free Upsized Meals from Burger King on Google Pay
  • and more…

Download the app and use my referral code pm3yp1a to get started!
https://g.co/payinvite/pm3yp1a

Payoneer Referral Link

Payoneer Referral Link: http://tracking.payoneer.com/SH2nV

Payoneer Referral Link

Payoneer Referral Link ($35 sign up bonus): http://tracking.payoneer.com/SH2nV

Payoneer is the “Israeli PayPal”, specializing in B2B online payments. Typical users include sellers/freelancers who earn on international platforms such as Amazon, Fiverr, Airbnb, and wish to transfer their USD earnings to local bank accounts.

Payoneer often has lower fees than PayPal, as well as better customer service. For instance, Payoneer has a 4.4 rating on Trustpilot, versus Paypal’s dismal 1.2 rating.

Payoneer is one of biggest tech companies in Israel. In 2019, Israel’s former chief economist of the Ministry of Finance Yoel Naveh joined Payoneer, leading Payoneer’s working capital division.

Payoneer Referral Link ($35 sign up bonus): http://tracking.payoneer.com/SH2nV

Soundtech Digital Timer Manual

Soundtech MDT-269 Manual PDF

This is one of the good automatic digital timers in the SG market. It is very suitable to use as a timer for aquarium lights.

The manual is not found online, and it is not exactly obvious how to set it without looking at the manual. Hence, we have uploaded the manual below.

Soundtech Digital Timer Manual PDF: Soundtech Timer Manual

Soundtech Mini Digital Timer Manual

Please read the following information carefully before using this timer.
• •Countdown Function
• Automatic Reminding
• Up to 20 ONIOFF settings day, 140 ON/OFF settings per week
• Summer/Winter time optional
• 24 hours and 7 day S Programming application
2 NY button- set the day of the week;
3 HOUR button – hour setting;
4 CLOCK button- real-time setting;
5 button- push and release to set or
change programmed on and off times;
6 button -push and release to
manually switch AUTO OFF, ON, AUTO
ON, or OFF at any time.

7 RESET button – clear all the programs and real time with a sharp object such as a pencil;
8 MIN button- minute setting;
9 button – clear a program setting;
10 CTD button – set the countdown tire.
LCD Display Are* Introduction:
1. Real -time;
2. MO TU Day of the week;
3. Mode -AUTO OFF, ON, AUTO ON, OFF
4. SUMMER time;
Setting Present Time:
4
1. Press ‘CLOCK’ and ‘DAY’ at the same time to get the correct day.
2. Press ‘CLOCK’ and ‘HOUR’ at the same time to adjust hour time.
3. Press ‘CLOCK’ and ‘MIN’ at the same time to set the minute.
4. Press ‘CLOCK’ for 3 seconds to choose SUMMER TIME or not. One hour will be added under SUMMER state.

Initial Operation:
The timer uses rechargeable batteries that need to be charged before the timer
functions can work. Before attempting any programming, plug the timer into a power outlet and switch on. Allow around 10 minutes for the initial charge.
Use a pointed object, such as a pen or pencil, to clear the memory by pushing the RESET button.

Countdown Setting:
I In timing state press CTD Countdown button, LCD display “countdown 0:00 00”
2 Press”HOUR””MlN”button respectivel to set countdown time.
(long press CTD Countdown button to clear the setting)
3 Press CTD Countdown button again to start the count mode and another pressing can
make it a pause. Press CLOCK button to get back to real-time state.
Note : During countdown mode, press CLOCK button to show current time and back to countdown mode in 3 secondS automatically. If press CTD Countdown button during 3 seconds, the countdown mode stop.

At the end of the countdown, the buzzer sound out. and will be stopped automatically after 1 minute. If a button is pressed during this time, the buzzer sound will stop

Programming;
1. Press SET button once, the display will now show “ON 1” mode.
2. Press respectively to set the days, hour and minute
you required. While each push of •DAY* button will cycle through the following options,
• Each separate day
• All 7 day of the week
• Working days only
• Weekend
• Monday to Saturday
• Monday, Wednesday, Friday
• Tuesday. Thursday, Saturday
• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
• Thursday, Friday, Saturday
3. Once the “ON’ time is set, press SET button once. The display will now
show •OFF 1′
4. If you wish to clear a programme setting, push the RST/RCL button. Pushing
the RST/RCL button again will reinstate the setting, which only the displayed
setting will be affected.
5. Repeat the step 1 to 3 for ON2/OFF2,
ON2010FF20.
If no operation is applied to the timer for about 20 seconds, it will get back to the
Real-time display automatically.
Press the MANUAL to set the timer to your desired operation mode. Each push of
this button will cycle through the following settings which are shown on the display:
AUTO ON— OFF.
AUTO OFF: Timer is switched off and will switch ON at next programmed ON time.
ON: Overrides all programming and switches the timer permanently on.
AUTO ON: The timer is switched ON and will be switched OFF at the next
programmed OFF time.
OFF: All programming is overrode and tt e time is switched permanently off.
• For indoor use only.
• Connection must be to the voltage requirements as specified in the rating label
located on the product.
• Do not immerse timer in any liquid, expose to weather, moisture, temperature
where it is too high or too low, or where it can be collided or shaken easily.
• DO not disassemble this timer by yourself.
• Clean the housing and the LCD with soft cloth, do not wash it with the corrosive chemical reagent and suds.

Converted from PDF to text via: https://ocr.space/ (This OCR free website is surprisingly good.)

Buying property off plan

Obviously the prices of buying your property off plan will vary. Factors that can increase the price of your off plan property are location, the size of the property, access to local towns/cities and airports and the legal fees.The size of the property can effect the price, larger properties cost more than smaller ones to build.The location of your spanish property can effect the price that you pay. The location can effect the price of your off plan property, if it in a tourist area then it may cost more to build there however it can also generate good renting prospects as some properties in the south of spain only need to be rented out for around 18-20 weeks a year in order to cover the mortgage, that leaves you with a minimum of 32 weeks in the sun. One point you should always keep in mind when looking at the price of a property is the lawyers costs, the registration costs and the notary costs. This can range from being anywhere between 5% and 10% of the original cost of the property.

Best property in Mallorca – https://yes-mallorca-property.com/

Advantages of Buying Off Plan:

Some advantages that you can find from buying your spanish property off plan are:

That you only pay the amount that the property was valued at when you first signed the contract for example should you buy a house for €100,000 and then by the time that the property has been built it has increased in value to €130,000 you still only have to pay €100,000.

Should you change your mind about the area or the property then usually you have the option to sell your property prior to completion and the writting of the deeds (escritura). However before you sign the contract to start building your property you should ask if this service is available to you because it is not always.

Buying an off plan property is usually about 30% cheaper than buying a ready built or resale property. It is generally much simpler to buy off plan in terms of searching for the right property for you. This is because you can see straight off what the property is going to be like through arctitectual drawing unlike when you go to view a resale house they can be very diferent to what they look like in picures on the website or prospects. Also with off plan buying you have can change the aspects of the house that are not to your taste or that you had imagined to be different in your dream house.

There can be advantages to buying your property off plan but through “ready made” plans. By doing it this way you can get all the benefits of buying off plan but there is less stress placed upon you to come up with a design for your property. The downside to this is that there may well be quite a few properties that look very similar to yours. It does also mean that there should be less cost with architects because the plans are already there.

Tiger Ang Pow

Tiger Brokers has launched the Lunar New Year campaign (Tiger Ang Pow). Click on the “Open” button via the campaign page below to initiate an Ang Pow opening mission and share the 88 SGD stock voucher with friends together!

Click on “Open” button link below:

Besides, the referral promotion is also available. When your friend registers with your invitation code and opens an account successfully, both you and your friend will get 5 commission-free trades for stocks denominated in USD or HKD. When your friend makes the initial deposit, both you and your friend will get a stock voucher of up to 100 SGD.


Disclaimer: The opinions on Tiger Brokers expressed in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security or investment product. It is only intended to provide information on Tiger Brokers Ang Pow. In particular, this blog post is not a substitute for obtaining advice from a qualified investment advisor.

GameStop Short Interest

GameStop Short Squeeze is recently a very hot topic in the USA, and refers to the short squeeze of the stock of the American video-game retailer GameStop and other securities that took place on various stock exchanges, causing major financial consequences for certain hedge funds. It has been reported in many news outlets, including CNBC, BBC, and Reuters.

There are a few free sites to check out the GameStop current short interest, or the GameStop short interest today. Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. A related concept, short interest ratio, represents the number of days it takes short sellers on average to cover their positions, that is repurchase all of the borrowed shares.

GameStop Short Interest Data

  1. One of the sites to check out the current GameStop Short interest is:
    https://isthesqueezesquoze.com/. It uses data from Ortex or S3Shortsight.
  2. Another site is the Twitter Page of S3 Partners, which is a FinTech company. They often publish the statistics for GameStop (GME) short interest on a daily basis.
  3. A third source is Ihor Dusaniwsky’s Twitter Page. Ihor is the Managing Director of Predictive Analytics at S3 Partners. He posts GameStop Short Interest information on a regular basis, including some explanations to beginners.

Note that there are two ways to calculate short interest (SI):

  1. SI = shares shorted / (float). This value can exceed 100%.
  2. SI = shares shorted / (float + shares shorted). This includes the “synthetic longs” created by short selling, and will be a value between 0% to 100%.

GameStop Short Squeeze

Do also check out the Twitter Page of Michael Burry, where he posts information about GameStop Short Squeeze, GameStop Gamma Squeeze and more. Michael Burry is a famous investor and inspired the main character in the movie “The Big Short”.


The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine


The Big Short

Secondary 1 Chinese Exam Papers

中一华文试卷, 中一高级华文考卷

There seem to be very few Sec 1 Chinese / Higher Chinese Exam Papers available online, be it free or for sale. Similarly, Secondary 2 Chinese Exam Papers are equally rare.

The only resource online we can find is: https://padlet.com/hogtiggy/1FG_HCL

It contains Secondary 1 HCL MYE (Mid Year Exam) Revision Materials 2017, which is still relatively recent. There are also lists of Chinese vocabulary for different chapters, as well as tips for Chinese Oral Exam. Do download the PDF and Zip files while it is still online!

On the opposite spectrum, Secondary 4 ‘O’ Level Chinese or Higher Chinese Exam Papers are very common, almost every site has it, it is very easy to find.

For example, there is a 292 page PDF document on Smile Tutor full of free Secondary Four Higher Chinese Exam Papers from various schools such as Cedar, Victoria, or Nanyang Girls’ High School:
https://smiletutor.sg/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Sec4_Higher_Chinese_2016.pdf

If you find any Secondary 1 or 2 Chinese Notes/ Exam/ Test paper materials, do comment down in the comment section below! It will help many readers who are searching for free Chinese Exam Papers (Secondary 1 or Secondary 2).


Related posts: 

Ethereum in real life (Duke University is teaching Ethereum)

Ethereum has started to see many actual use cases in real life. For instance, major companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Visa are all starting to adopt Ethereum as part of their real life usage.

Ethereum has started to appear in education as well. Duke University (one of the top universites in the USA), has started teaching modules of “Ethereum and Smart Contracts” as part of the syllabus.

Course description (Ethereum and Smart Contracts course in Duke University):

“Learn how to develop smart contracts and decentralized applications on the Ethereum Blockchain as well as history and trends of Ethereum itself. Ethereum is the most promising decentralized smart contract platform, and blockchain developers are in high demand. Learning these skills will give you a leg up in the blockchain world, especially in the Ethereum ecosystem. We will cover Ethereum (the platform), Solidity (the programming language), Truffle (the developer framework), and web3.js (the front-end library). Preference: some blockchain/cryptocurrency understanding. Prerequisite: basic programming skills.”

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences at Duke University


Ethereum Book

Learning blockchain technology should be a very marketable skill in the near future. Currently, there are two main ways to learn it, through online courses or through books.


Mastering Ethereum: Building Smart Contracts and DApps

The book above is authored by Dr Gavin Wood, who was the creator of the Solidity language and cofounder of Ethereum.

Ethereum Real Life Applications

Recently, the blockchain Ethereum is starting to gain widespread acceptance, many major companies such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon are already using it.

In terms of publicity, Ethereum is still behind its more famous cousin “Bitcoin”, but that should change in the near future. In fact, many people have postulated that a “flippening” may happen where Ethereum takes over Bitcoin as the cryptocurrency with the largest market cap.

In this blogpost, we list the real life applications and uses of Ethereum, using official sources as far as possible. That is, if Google is using Ethereum, we will try to point to the official Google website instead of a third party news site. Otherwise, we will only use very reliable third party sources such as Forbes, etc.

Amazon Ethereum Blockchain

This is very recent news, on Dec 21 2020. Amazon Managed Blockchain now supports Ethereum. With Amazon Managed Blockchain, AWS (Amazon Web Service) customers get secure networking, fast and reliable syncs to the Ethereum blockchain, durable elastic storage for ledger data, encryption at rest and transport, and secure access to the network via standard open-source Ethereum APIs.

Official Amazon Ethereum Blockchain news: https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2020/12/amazon-managed-blockchain-supports-ethereum/

Google Cloud & Ethereum

Ethereum can inter-operate with Google Cloud’s enterprise cloud data warehouse (BigQuery) via oracle middleware (Chainlink). At a high level, Ethereum Dapps (i.e. smart contract applications) request data from Chainlink, which in turn retrieves data from a web service built with Google App Engine and BigQuery.

Official Google Cloud & Ethereum news:
https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/data-analytics/building-hybrid-blockchain-cloud-applications-with-ethereum-and-google-cloud

Ethereum Blockchain as a Service on Microsoft Azure

Microsoft and ConsenSys (a blockchain software technology company) are partnering to offer Ethereum Blockchain as a Service (EBaaS) on Microsoft Azure so Enterprise clients and developers can have a single click cloud based blockchain developer environment. The initial offering contains two tools that allow for rapid development of SmartContract based applications: Ether.Camp – An integrated developer environment, and BlockApps – a private, semi-private Ethereum blockchain environment, that can deploy into the public Ethereum environment.

Official Microsoft Ethereum news:
https://azure.microsoft.com/es-es/blog/ethereum-blockchain-as-a-service-now-on-azure/

Visa Ethereum

Visa announced it is connecting its global payments network of 60 million merchants to the U.S. Dollar Coin (USDC) developed by Circle Internet Financial on the Ethereum blockchain.

Forbes news: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeldelcastillo/2020/12/02/visa-partners-with-ethereum-digital-dollar-startup-that-raised-271-million/?sh=5dc04f484b1f

Visa didn’t quite announce it on its official Visa website, but we can see that Visa is actively recruiting engineers with Ethereum and Solidity (the programming language on Ethereum) experience.

Visa is actively recruiting engineers with Ethereum experience:

We’re seeking a strong developer experienced with Ethereum and blockchain architecture to be a part of
team tasked with building distributed application. Our ideal candidate has built and released distributed
applications, has worked with the Ripple, R3, Ethereum and/or Bitcoin blockchain, and has experience with Solidity

Multiple Positions are available in Austin, TX and Foster City, CA locations

Source from Official Visa website: https://usa.visa.com/careers/job-details.jobid.743999664785893.deptid.934140.html

Ethereum JP Morgan

The Blockchain Center of Excellence at J.P. Morgan leads efforts for Distributed Ledger Technology applications, actively researching blockchain use cases to develop in-house technology and pilot solutions across lines of business within J.P. Morgan.

The program also manages strategic relationships and investments with key vendors and consortia, including Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA). The Enterprise Ethereum Alliance is a member-led industry organization whose objective is to drive the use of Ethereum blockchain technology as an open-standard to empower all enterprises.

Official JP Morgan Ethereum news:
https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/technology/blockchain

Other Ethereum use cases

A full list of companies using (or interested in using) Ethereum can actually be seen on the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance website, under the members section. We can see that many big name companies are part of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, including:

  • Accenture
  • Baidu
  • Dell (Boomi)
  • Ernst & Young
  • Intel
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
  • Standard Chartered Bank
  • VMware, Inc.

It is interesting to note that 2 of the “Big Four” accounting firms, Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers are interested in Ethereum and smart contracts, which could potentially change the accounting industry.

According to Business Times Singapore, 80% of current accounting tasks will soon be done by machines, displacing humans in most junior finance roles.

Calendar 2021 Singapore

Printable Calendar 2021 Singapore

Free printable 2021 calendar Singapore available for download in the link below.

MonthlyCalendar-2021

In the 2021 Monthly Calendar Singapore (printable) attached above, we see that Chinese New Year falls on 12 February, which is a Friday. Hence there is a long weekend stretching from 12 February (Friday) to 14 February (Sunday).

Another long weekend we can see in the Singapore calendar 2021 with public holidays, is the Good Friday long weekend starting on 2 April 2021 (Friday) to 4 April 2021 (Sunday).

The next long weekend is potentially the Labor Day long weekend, as can be seen in the above Singapore calendar 2021 with public holidays. Labor day (1 May 2021) falls on a Saturday, hence it is up to one’s employer to offer a day off-in-lieu.

The second last official long weekend should be the National Day public holiday, ranging from 7 August (Saturday) to 9 August (Monday).

Lastly, the last long weekend in 2021 according to the printable calendar is Christmas, ranging from 25 Dec 2021 (Saturday) to 26 Dec 2021 (Sunday), and potentially 27 Dec 2021 (Monday) if there is a off-in-lieu.

The above printable calendar is generated by Calendar Labs.

NIO ES8 Aluminium: Li Bin’s Genius Aluminum Strategy (no other country can copy NIO!)

Summary: There are only 3 countries in the world that can make more than 10 million all-aluminum Electric Vehicles per year.  NIO happens to be in one of them that can make 100 million per year, and Li Bin has taken full advantage of this fact. No other country can copy NIO at a large scale since there is simply not enough aluminum (unless heavy imports are done which will further drive up the price of aluminum).

Two of the above 3 countries have to use up their entire aluminum production to achieve 10 million all-aluminum cars, which is not practical since there are other important uses for aluminum besides cars.

NIO ES8 Aluminium

NIO’s CEO Li Bin has made the genius decision for the NIO ES8 to be completely aluminum, or to be precise, the ES8 uses 96.4% aluminum, the highest percentage of aluminum used in an all-aluminum body in mass production worldwide.

The clear benefit of aluminum over steel is that it is lighter. The NIO ES8 uses an all-aluminum frame, which is about 40% lighter than traditional steel bodies (density of steel 7.8 g/cm3> aluminum 2.7 g/cm3).

With a lighter body, an all-aluminum car would be able to travel further than a steel car per unit of battery power. It is very clear that an all-aluminum car is superior to a steel car.

The NIO ES8’s body-in-white weight is 13.6% of the total vehicle weight, which is 2460 kg. That means, the weight of aluminum in one NIO ES8 car is  approximately 13.6%x2460 = 335 kg.

The genius of Li Bin’s strategy is that no country can copy this all-aluminum strategy on a large scale, as shown in the calculations below. To further add to this, Li Bin must have thought and planned for this very early, well before the factory of ES8 was built.

How many All-Aluminum Cars can each Country make per year

The yearly aluminum production of each country is taken from Wikipedia: List of countries by primary aluminium production.

China produces 36,000,000,000 kg of aluminum in a year. Since one NIO ES8 contains 335 kg of aluminum, that means that:

China can make 36,000,000,000/335 = 107 million aluminum cars per year

Similar calculation for India, India produces 3,700,000,000 kg of aluminum in a year. Since one NIO ES8 contains 335 kg of aluminum, that means that:

India can make 3,700,000,000/335 = 11 million aluminum cars per year

We do the other calculations in the table below. Note that India and Russia have to use up 100% of their aluminum in order to exceed the 10 million aluminum cars target per year. Other countries cannot make more than 10 million all-aluminum cars even if they use up all their aluminum production.

Rank Country/Region Aluminium Production (thousands of metric tons) No. of Aluminum Cars per Year (millions)
1 China 36,000 107
2  India 3,700 11
3  Russia 3,600 11
4  Canada 2,900 9
5  United Arab Emirates 2,700 8
6  Australia 1,600 5
7  Bahrain 1,400 4
8  Norway 1,300 4
9  United States 1,100 3
10  Saudi Arabia 932 3

Number of all-aluminum cars each country can make at the maximum (per year).

Shaoqing Ren NIO: The Genius of Autonomous Driving

Ren Shaoqing NIO – Top Researcher in Autonomous Driving

Not many people know this, but NIO car manufacturer’s head of AI, Ren Shaoqing (任少卿) is an absolute genius in the field of autonomous driving. In this blog post, we will detail facts about Dr Ren Shaoqing and his research in self driving and autonomous driving technology. We will also introduce other top researchers in the field of autonomous driving. All our sources are from Google Scholar and other trusted sources.

Ren Shaoqing NIO – the secret weapon of NIO Autonomous Driving

Everyone knows that the main trumps of electric vehicles are clean energy, and autonomous driving. NIO has managed to hire the top researcher in the field of autonomous driving. They are quite low profile about it, not many people know about this at the moment.

Just click on the Google Scholar (Autonomous Driving) link, it will show you the full ranking of the top researchers in the field of autonomous driving, ranked by the official Google Scholar algorithm according to citation count.

The top 5 researchers in the field of Autonomous Driving, ranked by the official Google Scholar page.

Just look at the top researcher in the list, it is Dr Ren Shaoqing of NIO, with a whopping 111,396 citation count (as of Dec 2020). Citation counts are a way of measuring the impact of a researcher’s work. Basically, the more citation counts means the more people are noticing and citing the researcher’s papers. Ren Shaoqing’s citation count of 111k is typically 10 times more than a Full Professor at most universities.

In terms of quantity of citations, it is clear that Ren Shaoqing (NIO’s head of AI), is at the top of the game. How about quality of research?

Dr Ren Shaoqing’s research quality is top notch as well!

Ren Shaoqing NIO – Achievements in the field of Autonomous Driving

  • First author paper at NIPS (Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems), which is one of the best conferences in computer science. The paper’s topic is “Faster R-CNN: Towards real-time object detection with region proposal networks”. Real-time object detection is very related to autonomous driving, it helps the car detect objects and obstacles in real time.
  • CVPR Best Paper Award, 2016. CVPR is the premier annual computer vision event comprising the main conference and several co-located workshops and short courses. His co-authored award winning paper is titled “Deep Residual Learning for Image Recognition”.
  • ImageNet Large Scale Visual Recognition Challenge (ImageNet) Competition Winner Award, 2015
  • COCO Detection Challenge Winner Award, 2015
  • Microsoft Research Asia Fellowship, 2014
  • National Scholarship of China, 2010

In case, if anyone is thinking that Dr Ren Shaoqing is just an academic nerd with no business experience, that would be totally wrong! He has business and startup experience as well, he co-founded an autonomous driving software startup Momenta.ai, which grew into unicorn (private company with a valuation over $1 billion) in three years, aiming to help people live a better life with improved safety and efficiency of driving through artificial intelligence.

More of Ren Shaoqing’s achivements in autonomous driving and self driving can be found on his personal website.

Some of the comments on Ren Shaoqing’s personality can be found on Chinese website Zhihu (Chinese version of Quora):

这里的“年轻”除了长相上的嫩,也包括为人处世——完全没有架子。他是个很儒雅的人,手下的团队跟他也很亲近。少卿做事风格看起来不紧不慢、慢条斯理,但论及“拼”,他也是超拼。记得有一段时间,他白天一整天的时间都花在各种会、各种面试上,一直会持续到凌晨十二点之后。这时他也不着急走,而是继续干些得静下心来才能干的工作。早期他主要负责视觉感知研发方面的工作,后来负责了一段时间高速路自主巡航相关的项目,我走的时候还是在负责感知研发。

Translation:

Ren Shaoqing is a young guy, he is very humble with no airs. He is a very refined person, and his team is very close to him. Shaoqing’s style of doing things does not seem to be hurried, his style is slow and steady, but when it comes to “fighting”, he is also super persistent. I remember that there was a period of time when he spent the whole day in various meetings and interviews, which lasted until after 12am midnight. At this time, he did not leave office in a hurry, but continued to do some work that could only be done by calming down in the quiet of the night. In the early days, he was mainly responsible for the research and development of visual perception. Later, he was responsible for the projects related to autonomous driving on highways for a period of time. When I left, he was still responsible for the research and development of visual perception.

Source: https://www.zhihu.com/question/414025403/answer/1408847709

Other Top Researchers in Autonomous Driving

Other than Ren Shaoqing of NIO, there are also other genius top researchers in the field of Autonomous Driving. Interestingly, the third highly ranked researcher in Autonomous Driving (Dr Zhou Xing) is also affiliated to NIO!

We compile some of the top researchers in autonomous driving in the table and barchart below.

Top Researchers in Autonomous Driving and Computer Vision

We list 15 top researchers (with more than 1000 citations) in the field of autonomous driving and computer vision. Notice that #1 and #3 on the list are from NIO!

Rank Name Citations
1 Shaoqing Ren (NIO) 111396
2 Andrew Blake (Samsung) 57258
3 Zhou Xing (NIO, Stanford) 36267
4 Raquel Urtasun (Uber, University of Toronto) 34264
5 Andrej Karpathy (Tesla) 32692
6 Jonathan P. How (MIT) 31601
7 Gang Wang (Alibaba) 16240
8 Uwe Franke (Daimler Mercedes-Benz) 13485
9 Fisher Yu (ETH Zurich) 13150
10 Dmitri Dolgov (Google) 8381
11 Markus Enzweiler (Daimler Mercedes-Benz) 7917
12 John M. Dolan (Carnegie Mellon University) 7206
13 Forrest Iandola (Tesla) 6277
14 Xinzhou Wu (XPENG) 5787
15 Tianjun Xiao (Tesla) 2588

Chart of top researchers in Autonomous Driving, ranked by Google Scholar Citations.

We can see from the barchart above that all 15 researchers (ranging from NIO, Tesla, XPENG) are very excellent in their field, producing research with more than 1000 citations in the field of autonomous driving or closely related fields like computer vision.

It is clear that Ren Shaoqing is one of the brightest stars in this exciting new field of Autonomous Driving!

Ren Shaoqing – the 21st Century Zhuge Liang of Autonomous Driving

Based on Ren Shaoqing’s personality (devoted and extremely hardworking 鞠躬尽瘁, but yet calm and unhurried) and achievements in autonomous driving, he bears close resemblance to a legendary character in Chinese history: Zhuge Liang.

In Chinese history or legend, Zhuge Liang was a famous military strategist and inventor. He is said to invent the first self-driving (or self-walking) cow, called the Wooden Cow Flowing Horse (木牛流马). It was said to be able to walk by itself and was used to transport grain during the Northern Expedition.

The self-driving car (or rather cow), invented by Zhuge Liang, according to legend.

Hence, Zhuge Liang can be said to be the father of autonomous driving or self-driving, according to legend. Will Ren Shaoqing (NIO’s head of AI) become the Zhuge Liang of the 21st Century and invent the perfect autonomous self-driving car?

NIO Book

Currently, there is no NIO book available as history is still being written! We will definitely add them here if books on NIO become available. For a deeper insight into Electric Vehicles and Autonomous Vehicles, there are several great books on Amazon.


Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
(New York Times Bestseller!)


Autonomous Vehicles: Opportunities, Strategies and Disruptions: Updated and Expanded Second Edition
(Autonomous vehicles will change our fundamental lifestyles and create what are perhaps the most significant opportunities of this century!)


Autonomy: The Quest to Build the Driverless Car―And How It Will Reshape Our World
(Autonomous Vehicles are said to be the innovation that promises to be the most disruptive change to our way of life since the smartphone!)

NIO Car Battery Swap Videos

Interesting real life video of NIO car battery swap. Interestingly, the NIO car BaaS battery swap center in Shanghai is right next to its competitor Tesla’s Supercharger! The battery swap section is right at 8:55.

The above YouTube channel is a reliable and unbiased one, not set up specifically to promote NIO. It has been around for years, showing how the channel’s owners who are just in their 40s “retire” in Malaysia. They are currently back in Shanghai, not sure if it is permanent or just temporary to avoid the COVID situation in Malaysia.

By the way, in the video, the people are discussing how a house in Shanghai costing 6 million RMB (or almost 1 million USD) is “cheap”! This shows how rich the people in Tier 1 cities in China are, buying an electric car is no big deal for them, as long as the quality is good.

The video above is another authentic video from a real life NIO owner, performing battery swap in another Tier 1 city in China, Shenzhen. The entire battery swap process takes around 4.5 minutes, provided there is no long queue. This is just as fast or even faster than refilling petrol.

Battery swap can be considered as a moat of the company NIO. It is not easy for other car companies to suddenly switch to battery swapping since that would involve significantly redesigning their car or factory.

NIO cars can also charge the battery the conventional way, in addition to battery swapping. Another advantage of battery swapping is that older NIO car models can easily “upgrade” to a newer battery, for example from 70 kWh to 100 kWh.

Check out NIO’s CEO Li Bin launching the new 100 kWh battery in the video below, just recently in November 2020. The 100 kWh battery is on par with Tesla’s Model S.

Tesla vs NIO (NIO is the only other company to follow Tesla’s “Master Plan”)

Tesla is a famous company founded by billionaire genius Elon Musk. Elon Musk is the CEO and founder of multiple high-tech companies such as Tesla, SpaceX and Open AI.

It is highly recommended for gifted kids and parents to read about Elon Musk and his unique childhood and personal traits. Currently, there is a promotion where you can listen to the bestselling audiobook free if you Try Audible Plus.


Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future (Top seller on Amazon)

NIO vs Tesla

Firstly, we introduce the founder of NIO, Li Bin, as a comparison to Tesla’s Elon Musk. Li Bin was born in a poor cow farmer’s household in Anhui, China. His home did not have electricity until he was around 10 years old. His brilliance was noticed early in life, where he emerged the top scholar in the Anhui province in the Gaokao exams and entered the best university in China, Peking University. In Peking University, he majored in sociology, and minored in law and computer science.

Before NIO, Li Bin has founded or cofounded multiple successful companies, including:

  • Bitauto (易车), a leading provider of internet content & marketing services, and transaction services for China’s automotive industry.
  • MoBike, a bike sharing platform in China.

Under Li Bin, NIO is the only other EV company to follow Elon Musk’s tried and tested Master Plan:

Tesla’s “master plan”, as iterated by Musk in 2006 was: Build sports car. Use that money to build an affordable car. Use that money to build an even more affordable car. While doing above, also provide zero-emission electric power generation options.

Source: Wikipedia

NIO EP9

The first step of Tesla’s “master plan” is to build a sports car. NIO has already built the EP9 car which is one of the world’s fastest supercar. It has broken multiple records, and can reach a top speed of 350 km/h.

NIO EC6

True to the “Master Plan”, NIO has next built more affordable cars, such as the latest NIO EC6. The EC6 is a fully-electric mid-size luxury crossover SUV, just announced in late 2019 by NIO.

NIO vs Tesla China

NIO is initially aiming for a share in China’s enormous EV (Electric Vehicle) market, which is the world’s biggest market for EVs. Subsequently, it has plans to expand into Europe and the rest of the world.

NIO does not have its own factory currently (it has a joint factory with the state-owned JAC Motors in Hefei). This may change in the future. The JAC-NIO factory is impressive, and has up to 97.5% automation rate.  Note that Apple also doesn’t have its own factory, hence not having a factory can’t be said to be a fatal flaw of NIO.

NIO Future Plan and Potential

NIO’s future plan is to produce more models of cars, including two sedans (ET5 and ET7), as well as a minivan (EF9) and another SUV (ES7).

NIO focuses a lot on good service, and provides several unique services, most notably BaaS (Battery as a Service). BaaS allows NIO cars to swap their batteries, which is currently much faster than charging. In addition, most Asian countries, including top tier cities in China, simply do not have enough space for a charging station for each household. Hence, BaaS will be a great differentiating factor which gives NIO an edge over its competitors.

As for NIO’s potential, just watch this video on top 30 most industrialized countries in the world. NIO is the premier high end electric vehicle manufacturer in China, and all signs are pointing to it having a great potential in the future (if things go smoothly).

NIO Moat

A moat is a key competitive advantage that sets a company apart from its competitors. NIO’s first moat is its unique BaaS. Since a car’s model cannot easily change (due to the factories’ fixed specification), should BaaS battery swapping become the trend, NIO will be the sole company that provides it and will have at least a few years’ lead ahead of its competitors.

NIO’s second moat is its infrastructure and domestic home ground advantage. NIO’s autonomous driving system is naturally trained in China’s traffic conditions. Even in the event of slightly inferior autonomous driving technology (which is still highly debatable), the end result would still be better than a top driving system trained in another country’s very different traffic conditions, including different driver behavior and different road signs.

NIO backed by government

Many signs have shown directly or indirectly that NIO is backed by the government. Firstly, JAC Motors with whom NIO has a joint factory with, is a Chinese state-owned automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer.

Secondly, NIO is the first car company to cooperate with State Grid EV service to build 100 charging and battery swap stations by 2021. This is good news for NIO since the State Grid EV being owned by the State/government has good potential to select excellent locations for the battery swap stations which will further strengthen’s NIO’s BaaS network.

Chinese 3AD Arithmetics 东晋. 刘徽 《九章算术》更相减损术

Chinoiseries2014's avatarMath Online Tom Circle

Please explain the Number Theory behind this trick :$latex boxed{frac {a } {b}= frac {frac {a}{b-a}}{frac {b}{b-a}}} &fg=aa0000&s=4$

Example: $latex 246 – 205 = 41$

$latex boxed {frac {205} {246}= frac {frac {205}{41}}{frac {246}{41}}=frac{5}{6}&fg=0000aa&s=3}$

Example:

27759 – 10227 = 17532 = 2 x 8766 = 2 x (2 x 4383) = 2 x 2 x (3 x 1461) = 2 x 2 x 3 x (3 x 487 )

$latex boxed {frac {10227} {27759}= frac {frac {10227}{1461}}{frac {27759}{1461}}=frac{7}{19}&fg=00aa00&s=3}$

Explanation:This method is from《九章算术》295AD 刘徽(曹魏/东晋),he invented the “Limit” 割圆法 method with 95-polygons to get the world’s best pi = 3.1416

https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/109475024.html

更相减损术证明

Bézout’s Theorem :

For a, b CO-PRIME, ie gcd (a, b) = 1
There exist integersxandysuch thatax+by= 1

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DBS Multiplier Interest Rate Changes

DBS Multiplier Changes

DBS Multiplier has officially announced some changes, effective 1 January 2021. Do check out the official PDF document here.

We also attach the screenshot below for the reader’s convenience.

DBS Multiplier Review

Well, it is clear that the DBS Multiplier changes are not good! Most of the interest rates are heavily affected, especially for the average Singaporean saver. This is not unique to DBS though, most banks in Singapore have slashed their interest rates, including Citibank, CIMB, and others.

For savers who have less than 3 categories transactions (Credit Card Spend, Home Loan Instalments, Insurance or Investments), most likely his/her interest rate will drop to below 1% p.a. This is a halving of the previous interest rate.

DBS Multiplier Minimum Balance

Note that DBS Multiplier has a relatively high minimum balance of S$3,000, and there is a service charge of S$5 if average daily balance falls below S$3,000.


DBS Multiplier Alternative

If you are looking for an alternative to DBS Multiplier, do check out our previous blog post Gigantiq Promo Code: MATH88. Basically, Gigantiq is a capital guaranteed savings plan that offers  interest rate of 1.8% p.a. (previously 2% p.a.). This is much higher than all banks currently, including fixed deposits. Gigantiq is backed by Etiqa, which is the insurance branch of Maybank, the largest bank in Malaysia.

【数学科普】:函数概念的四重境界 Bourbaki Definition of “Function”