Comparison between ECO portable fan and my 3000 mAh portable fan

On evening of 8 March 2025, I received my order of four AAA batteries Which I purchased to use with the ECO portable fan. This led me to compare it with my existing 3000 mAh portable fan.

Table of comparison between these 2 portable fans as listed below:

Set for ECO portable fan.

Side by side comparison between ECO portable fan and my 3000 mAh portable fan.

Key Takeaways:

• The ECO fan is an affordable option and includes a lanyard. But requires separate AAA batteries and a charger (if using rechargeable batteries).
• The 3000 mAh fan is rechargeable, offers multiple wind speed settings, and includes a lanyard. Making it a more convenient and long-lasting choice despite the higher price.

Conclusion

Using the ECO portable fan requires carrying at least three additional items:

• The fan itself.
• At least four AAA batteries.
• A battery charger (plus a power plug to recharge the batteries).

An alternative is to use AAA batteries that support Type-C charging, which is more practical. However, this increases the overall cost by 63% more than the 3000 mAh fan.

On the other hand, my 3000 mAh portable fan only requires a Type-C cable. Which can be used with a power bank, making it much more convenient for daily use.

Surprisingly, the ECO fan set costs 40% more than my 3000 mAh portable fan when considering the additional cost of batteries and accessories. After a full test, four 4300 mAh AAA batteries powered the ECO fan for only 30 minutes at full speed.

Testing:

The ECO fan can only run at full speed for 30 minutes using two AAA 4300 mAh batteries.

In contrast, the 3000 mAh portable fan can last up to 3 hours at wind speed level 2.

Final Thoughts

This experience proves that cheaper options are not always practical or cost-effective in the long run. Investing in a rechargeable and efficient device makes daily use hassle-free and more sustainable.

Until then, happy using a good portable fan that fits your daily needs!

Reference:
[1] Video testing the ECO fan last 28 February 2025 https://youtube.com/shorts/KwhhN_kcr-M

My picture after edit with Studio Ghibli effect

This is taken on the morning of 30 March 2025. Where I successfully edit my picture with Studio Ghibli effect.

It does feel nice to be able to edit picture in such way. 

Until then, have fun in editing your picture. 

Incorporating castor oil in my skincare regime

This was taken on the morning of 23 March 2025, after successfully preparing my castor oil blend for my skincare routine. I had received my ordered castor oil on Friday and decided to experiment with a custom formulation.

For this blend, I used:

• 15 gm camellia oil
• 9.1 gm castor oil
• 0.9 gm argan oil

I originally calculated for 25 gm, as I mistakenly thought my bottle could only hold that much. However, it turns out the bottle can accommodate up to 30 gm/ml. But better safe than sorry! I also only remembered to add the argan oil after already pouring in 5.8 gm of castor oil.

The castor oil I received is safe for internal consumption. But since it has a thick consistency (high viscosity), it needs to be diluted with a carrier oil for external applications. I chose camellia oil since I already had it in my inventory.

For application, best to use only 2 drops of the oil. Apply all over face and neck. Then add more if needed. Less is more for this face oil.

I'll be updating on its effects soon! 

Pictures taken using my Samsung Galaxy A34 phone with light assist from my light video light.

Until then, enjoy experimenting with castor oil in your skincare routine.

The ridiculous things encountered during thesis submissions

This entry was made on the afternoon of March 7, 2025.

I was unable to make the payment through my.utm.my and had to use the UTM Smart app on my phone instead. However, after completing the transaction on UTM Smart, I did not receive a receipt via email. To retrieve the receipt, I had to restart my phone and take a screenshot from the UTM Smart system, which was extremely frustrating. It is baffling why the website manager did not include a clear notice on my.utm.my instructing users to use UTM Smart directly. I had been trying to complete the payment since the morning of 4 March 2025.

Previously, I made a successful payment through my.utm.my on April 29, 2024, before my viva.

I have been reporting this issue daily since morning 4 March 2025 to the postgraduate office. And after multiple attempts, the officer finally advised me via email to contact UTM Digital (digitalcare@utm.my) for assistance on morning 7 March 2025. I only discovered that UTM Smart was required after calling a contact number provided by an officer from UTM KL, which I found in the auto-response email from UTM Digital (digitalcare@utm.my).

It was a long process. But fortunately, I am able to do my submission just in time before 3.30 pm. Despite the response email received 4.52 pm. Where the submission office close 4.30 pm.

Moral of the story, make sure to know the correct channel and people to ask to solve your internal issue. Also do ask around.

Have a good thesis submission process.

Setup during no electricity after 7 pm

This entry is made on the evening of March 5, 2025, when an unexpected power outage occurred. About one minute after turning on the corridor light of the prayer room in Block P05, FKE, the electricity suddenly went out, leaving the room in darkness.

Fortunately, since I always carry my portable light and portable fan, I had no issue staying in the prayer room until I completed my Maghrib prayer. The lighting setup from my portable light was decent enough to navigate and perform my prayers comfortably.

While many of my friends mentioned they would have left immediately in such a situation, I chose to stay because I was familiar with the surroundings and knew the exit routes well. Additionally, after drinking my hot green tea from my flask and finishing my Maghrib prayer, I felt calm and well-oriented, ensuring that I could assess whether I was in the right condition to drive.

This incident reaffirmed the importance of always carrying my portable light and portable fan—a habit I follow every day. Situations like this truly justify their practicality and worth.

Until then, stay safe while waiting for Maghrib prayer.

Submission for thesis corrections

This entry was made on the morning of 7 March 2025.

Turnitin Results:

• Chapter 1: 7%
• Chapter 2: 9%
• Chapter 3: 11%
• Chapter 4: 9%
• Chapter 5: 1%
• Chapter 6: 0%
• Overall Thesis: 12%

I am extremely grateful for these results, as the requirement is to achieve less than 20% similarity for the entire thesis and each individual chapter. The section I was most concerned about was Chapter 2 (Literature Review) since it involves extensive citations from other works.

Through this process, I realized that having the right software and tools significantly aids in completing the thesis efficiently. For instance, I used Sumatra PDF to read multiple PDF files simultaneously, often opening up to five windows at a time. For editing PDF documents, I relied on Adobe Acrobat.

For plagiarism checks, Turnitin is mandatory, and it is crucial to ensure the correct classroom settings are applied. Using incorrect settings may result in a similarity score exceeding 20%, which could prevent further resubmissions for checking.

Packing components for 9 set of SDK V4 board

On the afternoon of February 20, 2025, I received assistance from a lab mate in packing components for nine sets of SD V4 boards. The sorting process took him five hours, after which I spent an additional 30 minutes organizing the sorted components into individual packages.

My lab mate was surprised by my structured sorting method, as he preferred to simply place all components into the package without pre-sorting, believing that students should take the initiative to sort the components themselves as part of their learning process. However, based on my experience with the current generation of students, I developed this sorting sequence to minimize repeated questions and confusion, ensuring a smoother experience.

Despite these efforts, I was reprimanded by a lecturer for still following the initial component grouping, even though I had updated the manual soldering guide based on students' feedback after assembly. Due to work overload, I had been unable to fully reorganize the components without additional support for documentation. However, with my lab mate's assistance, I was able to update the component inventory, identifying shortages such as the need for five additional IC sockets. This enables the lecturer to place an order for the remaining components, which are expected to arrive by early March 2025.

Until then, happy sorting components for your kit!

Making asam boi drink for lunch

On 24 February 2025, I successfully prepared an asam boi drink for lunch time.

Preparation Process:

1. Salted Plum Soaking:

- Used 11 unit salted plums, weighing 45.9 g in total.

- Soaked them in 990.1 ml of warm water.  Around 45˚C to 55˚C.

2. Citrus Juice Addition:

-Used 55.5 g of lemon slices and 16.5 g of lime slices.

-Juiced the lemon and lime, then mixed the extract with the salted plum mixture.

-Added an additional 200 ml of water and blended the mixture again for consistency.

3. Final Touch:

-Incorporated 3 tablespoons of brown sugar for enhanced flavor [1].

Feedback & Observations:

-My colleague found it tastier compared to the one I made last Friday night during a stay-back session.

-Two other lecturers, who were also having lunch in the pantry, enjoyed the drink and refilled multiple times, confirming that the total water volume was sufficient for four people.

Conclusion:

The asam boi drink turned out well, with balanced flavors and an adequate serving size. Looking forward to making more refreshing variations in the future!

Disclaimer:

This drink is best consumed within one day of preparation for optimal freshness. If refrigerated, it should be consumed within two days due to the use of fresh citrus juice, which has a limited shelf life and may lose its quality over time.

Reference:

[1] My favorite type of brown sugar https://serinurulbeauty.blogspot.com/2023/10/my-favorite-brown-sugar.html

Helping out to test keypad function on SDK V4 board

This is taken on the evening of 21 February 2025. Where I stay back to assist for checking marks for students and those who wanted to test program keypad and DIP switch function on their SDK V4 board.

After Maghrib prayer time.

The look of my asam boi drink by 10 pm.

Near 10 pm.

After 10 pm.

The happy look after successfully program interrupt on the keypad to SDK V4 board. And present the functional keypad to the lecturer.

Worth the time spend for these students. Since they successfully program interrupt for keypad on their SDK V4 board.

It is my own initiative to stay back and monitor. Since the students have put on effort. So, I am willing to spare my time yo help out. As I also once student like them too.

Until then, have fun in program interrupt on keypad to SDK V4 board. 

Gifted lunch food by students of Microprocessor class

On the afternoon of 14 February 2025, Group 14 from the Microprocessor class generously gifted lunch to their lecturer, another student from my lab, and me as a token of appreciation for the time and effort we dedicated to helping them with their class assignment.

Before the lecturer and the male student left for Friday prayers, we took a photography session to commemorate the moment.

The look of the gifted food package. 

6 pieces of fried chicken. 

The portion taken by the male student of my lab.

The portion taken by the lecturer. For his tea break. It does helps a lot as after that he stay back to finished up his marking works.

My portion from the gifted food.

Receiving such appreciation from students was truly heartwarming. Despite offering my help as a voluntary effort, seeing their gratitude made it even more rewarding. They showed a greater willingness to learn and take initiative compared to the rest of their classmates.

Although I was not paid to assist them, this gesture made me feel appreciated for my time and dedication. Both their lecturer and I often remind students to show gratitude to those who help them. This principle is something we try to instill in them.

Beyond this meal, I also received a pack of chips from another group of students as a small thank-you for assisting with their classwork.

It’s always a joy to witness students practicing gratitude. Remember to appreciate those who help you. Whether through a meal, a simple thank you, or another thoughtful gesture.

Until next time, let’s continue spreading kindness and appreciation! 

Harvesting rambutan using long pole trimmer

This photo was taken on the evening of 24 January 2025, after I helped harvest ripe red rambutan fruits. My colleague had been talking about it for the past two weeks, and it was a rewarding experience after completing all the tasks below. The sweetness of the fruits made it worth enduring the bites from the angry weaver ants (kerengga) that swarmed me.

The students in the PCB Lab are seen here wrapping up their SDK V4 boards for the Microprocessor class assignment, right after the Jumaat prayer.

Later, students came to the Vecad Lab to show their progress on the SDK V4 boards and to collect extra components to replace those damaged by incorrect soldering techniques. They also picked up their marked Test 2 papers for the Microprocessor subject, after 5.20 pm.

A quick photography session was held to document that all students had taken their Test 2 papers and completed their soldered SDK V4 boards.

Until next time, enjoy the work and the full day's schedule!

The look of fully assembled SDK V4 board

This document details the SDK (System Development Kit) V4 board for the Microprocessor class, finalized and fully assembled as of noon on 20 January 2025. Below are the features and development process for the board:

Overview of the SDK V4 Board

Front View: The board features key interfaces for microprocessor learning.

Back View: Shows the compact and well-designed component layout.

Components:

• IC socket configured for the Black Pill STM32 microcontroller.
• LEDs, 7-segment displays, keypads, and DIP switches are provided on the SDK V4 board for students to program and observe output functionality.

Development and Contributions

The SDK V4 board was designed and developed by the UTM Johor Bahru team, led by:

1. Dr. Zulfakar Aspar, FKE, UTM : Primary contributor for concept and design.
2. Ryan, 3rd year, Electronic Undergraduate : Responsible for hardware design and PCB assembly.
3. Me : Focused on software testing, documentation, and manual creation.

The collaboration among team members was crucial for the successful development of this board.

Assembly Challenges

• Component Type: The SDK V4 uses SMD (Surface-Mount Device) components, which are small, fragile, and densely packed. This increases the complexity of soldering and assembly.
• Best Practices: Assembling components incrementally and testing each stage is essential. For example, Group 10 successfully tested and assembled one 7-segment display at a time before completing all four units, ensuring proper connections and functionality [1].

Programming Support

The SDK V4 board is compatible with the following development environments:

1. STM32CubeIDE
2. Keil uVision
3. Arduino IDE

For the Microprocessor class final exam, Keil uVision is the primary platform for questions involving assembly language programming. However, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with STM32CubeIDE for broader programming capabilities.

Conclusion

The SDK V4 board offers a practical learning platform for programming STM32 microcontrollers. It equips students with hands-on experience in both hardware and software development. 

Enjoy exploring the capabilities of the SDK V4 board and mastering the STM32 microcontroller!

Reference:

[1] Assembly Tip: Incrementally assemble and test components, such as connecting and testing individual 7-segment units, before proceeding to full assembly. This ensures connection accuracy and simplifies troubleshooting. Example done by Group 10, SKEE 3223: Microprocessors (Section 9 & 10), Semester 1-2024/2025.

https://youtube.com/shorts/FCHz6SIEJvg?si=8EWaoYNWsFDQHyCz

The look of quiet Microprocessor class

This photo was taken at noon on 8 January 2025, during the Microprocessor class. The students were unusually quiet, as they typically only exhibit this level of silence during test sessions.

That day, I was giving a briefing on the SDK V4 board, which was the first design using the STM32 microprocessor. The lecturer had asked me to brief the students before distributing the SDK V4 PCB boards and components. However, I requested to hand out the hardware first, and this sequence worked well. One group even noticed that I had forgotten to include a voltage regulator in their set, indicating they were paying close attention to the briefing and thoroughly inspecting their hardware.

I had divided the components into nine sets, and on that day, I only distributed three of them.

Overall, it was a productive class, and I hope the students enjoyed learning about PCB assembly.

Reference:

[1] Sorting components for SDK V4 board with ARM  Microprocessor https://serinurulbeauty.blogspot.com/2025/01/sorting-components-for-sdk-v4-pcb-board.html

The pretty look of blooming melur jawa@jambak flowers

This is taken on the noon of 8 January 2025. After microprocessor class. I managed to harvest 4 stalks of melur jawa@jambak flowers. After last week harvest 2 stalks of them. As yesterday,  I counted there is more than 22 blooming stalks of melur jawa@jambak flowers.

The pretty 4 stalks of blooming melur jawa@jambak flowers.

The initial 2 stalks of melur jawa@jambak flowers.

I have informed few friends to self harvest the melur jawa@jambak flowers. Since this month it is 2 times output than normal.

For this one, I put it inside vecad lab pantry. So it will have good fragrant melur jawa@jambak flower smell.

Until then, have fun in harvesting melur jawa@jambak flowers.

First harvest for year 2025=pisang raja (banana) fruits

This was taken on the morning of 12 January 2025. When I successfully harvested my ripe, yellowing pisang raja (banana) fruits. 

First layer/comb (sisir/sikat) = 12 pisang raja (banana) fruits. 

Second layer/comb (sisir/sikat) = 10 pisang raja (banana) fruits. 

Third layer/comb (sisir/sikat) = 10 pisang raja (banana) fruits. 

Fourth layer/comb (sisir/sikat) = 12 pisang raja (banana) fruits. 

Fifth layer/comb (sisir/sikat) = 12 pisang raja (banana) fruits. 

I used only three tools for the process: a serrated steak knife, a 12-inch saw, and a hoe (tajak). It took me 45 minutes to complete the harvest and clean up afterward. Just as I finished, the rain began to drizzle.

In the evening, I have to reply to questions from student of Microprocessor class. As they was eager to finished up the given components to be assembled on SDK V4 board. Basically my weekend is more like working from home. 

Until then, stay safe while harvesting your pisang raja (banana) fruits. 

Sorting components for SDK V4 PCB board

This was taken at noon on 7 January 2025, when I received help from a group of students from the Microprocessor class to sort the components for the SDK V4 PCB board. The task took 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete due to my detailed and meticulous sorting method. I prefer organizing the components thoroughly to ensure students don’t need to ask me which parts are for specific soldering tasks. For example, I have grouped the needed components for power supply part on the SDK V4 PCB board. Which I have also make the presentation slide on its assembly. 

I had to adopt this approach as I am currently tied up with finalizing my thesis corrections and managing other work and tasks. I am truly grateful for the assistance from these three students—it made a significant difference.

Close up on the components arranged by group. This is for Group 2 (power supply). For Group 1 is the Black Pill STM32F411 board set.

Until then, have fun in sorting components for your PCB board assembly.