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PRISM+ Brings Home The Cinematic Experience With The Brand&rsquo;s First OLED Android TV Series And Dolby Atmos And Dolby Audio Enabled SoundbarsThe Singapore-based tech brand&rsquo;s product expansion sees it move into the premium TV as well as the audio space.&nbsp; The Singapore-based tech brand&rsquo;s product expansion sees it move into the premium TV as well as the audio space &mdash; a timely upgrade for homeowners planning <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/guide-choosing-an-interior-designer-in-singapore" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">interior design &amp; renovation</a> projects, checking their <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/singapore-2024-renovation-budget-condo-renovation-cost-forecast" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">condo renovation cost</a>, or working with an <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/guide-to-all-interior-design-renovation-verification-and-accreditation-schemes-in-singapore" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HDB licensed renovation contractor</a> to refresh their living spaces.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1646908731073-1646908731073.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo credit: PRISM+&nbsp;Singapore, 10 March 2022 &ndash; Homegrown consumer tech brand PRISM+ today announced its latest line-up of home entertainment systems, with the launch of the PRISM+ Alpha (AL) TV Series and the PRISM+ Soundbars. The PRISM+ Alpha is the brand&rsquo;s first foray into the premium OLED display space and will feature two models - the 55AL and 65AL, priced at SGS $1,699 and SGD $2,799 respectively.&nbsp;In addition, the brand is also set to launch its first generation of audio products to complete the home cinematic experience. The PRISM+ Symphony and Flow will be priced at SGD $699 and SGD $249 and feature Dolby Atmos&reg; spatial audio and Dolby Audio respectively. Both the OLED Android TV and soundbars will be available for purchase on its online store, as well as its official Lazada stores.&nbsp;PRISM+&rsquo;s latest line of home cinematic products come off the back of widely successful launches as demand for entertainment and work for home set-ups continue to rise. The brand&rsquo;s popularity was accentuated by its growth in the past two years, having seen sales grow over 1,100% between 2019 to 2021. Last year, the Singapore-based brand also expanded its operations to Malaysia, where it continues to see rapid growth in the market.&nbsp;Jon Ng, Managing Director of PRISM+ said, &ldquo;The past two years presented a unique challenge for the brand &ndash; with the pandemic limiting logistic capabilities worldwide. At the same time, demand for our televisions soared as content consumption habits changed, while consumers became more discerning. The launch of our 4K OLED Android TVs as well as our soundbars is a step forward in the evolution of the brand as we continue to make premium home cinematic experiences more accessible while also supporting best-in-class immersive technologies like Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.&rdquo;&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1646908731099-1646908731099.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo: PRISM+ launch event of their new products&nbsp;Leaping Ahead Of The Pack With The PRISM+ Alpha Series 4K OLED Android TVFollowing the successful launch of the Q-Series Pro 4K Android TV which saw the brand introduce its largest-ever TV to date, the Q86-QE PRO, the launch of the PRISM+ Alpha 4K OLED Android TV series represents the next step up in the brand&rsquo;s quest to deliver affordable premium technology to the masses.&nbsp;Long seen as the gold standard for home cinematic displays, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology is capable of producing stunning picture quality, while eliminating the need for backlights, leading to some of the slimmest displays on the market. The PRISM+ AL TV series boasts its slimmest displays yet at a mere 3.8mm, while featuring a near bezel-less design.&nbsp;Composed of millions of self-illuminated pixels, the key feature of OLED TVs are their superior contrast levels that evoke the deepest blacks since unused pixels turn off completely. Display colours are also more uniform at a rate that regular LED TVs are simply unable to match. When paired with Dolby Vision ultra-vivid picture quality, the AL Series OLED TVs guarantee that each image produced is as true to the creator&rsquo;s intent as possible.&nbsp;The AL series also includes fan favourite features like motion smoothing technology (MEMC), hands-free voice control alongside the full suite of Google Features including Chromecast Built-In, Google Assistant and the 5000 plus apps featured on the Google Play Store. Content partnerships with OTTs like meWATCH, Viu and iQIYI also offer customers access to the premium experience on each platform so they can enjoy a wide range of content on their new TV free of charge.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1646908731128-1646908731128.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo: Enclosed room for the full digital experience&nbsp;&nbsp;Premium Sound With All The Bells And Whistles At Affordable PricingHaving climbed to the peak of visual clarity, the launch of the PRISM+ Flow and PRISM+ Symphony soundbars will see the homegrown consumer tech brand enter the audio space for the first time. Targeted at different audience segments, PRISM+ Symphony soundbars will feature Dolby Atmos for a fully immersive home cinematic experience and PRISM+ Flow soundbars will support Dolby Audio.&nbsp;Built for true audiophiles looking for great value, the PRISM+ Symphony&rsquo;s star feature is undoubtedly the presence of Dolby Atmos &ndash; allowing the premium soundbar to immerse users in their favourite entertainment with sound that moves all around you withbreathtaking realism. Priced at SGD $699, the PRISM+ Symphony is the most affordable premium soundbar in its class. When coupled with the upward firing speakers, this 5.1.2 soundbar breaks new boundaries with an added height dimension for sounds.&nbsp;In addition, the Symphony features a HDMI-eARC port that will allow users to play high fidelity audio, as well as a peak power output of 760 watts &ndash; allowing users to enjoy higher quality audio performance and a deeper, fuller bass without distortions even at higher volumes.&nbsp;Users looking for an entry-level audio set-up need look no further than the PRISM+ Flow. Priced at SGD $249, the Flow is a 2.1 speaker that comes with 240W of peak power output and is powered by Dolby Audio Technology. The versatile soundbar measures at a length of 890mm x 82mm x 58mm, making it suitable for desktop setups, as well as small bedrooms.&nbsp;Both soundbars will feature wireless subwoofers, allowing for a more versatile set-up, meaning that users can place the subwoofer in the optimum position in their homes. In addition, both the Flow and Symphony come with five preset modes for News, Music, Sport, Gaming and Movie &ndash; as well as adjustable LED brightness, and can be navigated via the TV remote to ensure a seamless home cinematic experience.&nbsp;Ashim Mathur, Senior Regional Director, Japan and Emerging Markets, Dolby Laboratories said: &ldquo;We are thrilled to collaborate with PRISM+ to elevate consumers&rsquo; entertainment experiences. Dolby Vision delivers a more vivid, lifelike image thus, bringing entertainment to life whilst, Dolby Atmos produces sound with incredible clarity that allows users to hear details they&#39;ve never heard before. With more and more Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos content available, consumers will enjoy a spectacular entertainment experience in their living rooms with Prism+ TVs and sound bars.&rdquo;&nbsp;Jon Ng adds, &ldquo;The launch of the PRISM+ Symphony and PRISM+ Flow is a realisation of our goal to bring true cinematic immersion into the living rooms of our consumers. We worked closely with trusted partners such as Dolby to optimise our products for a seamless user experience.&rdquo;&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1646908731150-1646908731150.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo: Competitive price for the newly launched products&nbsp;Pricing And AvailabilityThe PRISM+ AL Series is available for purchase on the PRISM+ online store and all authorised online retailers as of 6PM, 11 March 2022.&nbsp;The PRISM+ Flow and PRISM+ Symphony will also be available for pre-orders at 6PM on 11 March and are scheduled to ship by the end of March 2022.&nbsp;For more information on price, details and specifications please see below or visit:&nbsp;Alpha TV Series:&nbsp;<a href="https://prismplus.sg/sixides-oledlaunch" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://prismplus.sg/sixides-oledlaunch</a>Soundbar:&nbsp;<a href="https://prismplus.sg/sixides-soundbarlaunch" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://prismplus.sg/sixides-soundbarlaunch</a> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fzyUawwy3gA?autoplay=1&mute=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 100%; height: 50vw;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe>Video: Check out this video to learn more about PRISM+ (SIXiDES UNBOXiD Prism+ episode)&nbsp;

Singapore, 10 March 2022 – Homegrown consumer tech brand PRISM+ today announced its latest line-up of home entertainment systems, with the launch of the PRISM+ Alpha (AL) TV Series and the PRISM+ Soundbars...

PRISM+ Launches First OLED Android TV Series And Dolby Audio Enabled Soundbars

It&rsquo;s easy to get carried away amidst the excitement of designing a new home. It signifies a fresh start, you get to decide every single detail in a brand new space you are going to live in with the people you hold most dear. What could go wrong? &nbsp;Oh, you&rsquo;ll be surprised.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1647573274244-1647573274244.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/home-philosophy">Home Philosophy</a>&nbsp;(buying the right furniture helps with the overall look!)&nbsp;1. Doing It Yourself&nbsp;We&rsquo;ve seen this happen over and over. Many homeowners, especially first-timers, assume it will be easier on the wallet to design their own home. Unless you are savvy in what goes into designing and building a residential space, you actually risk being penny-wise, pound-foolish by allowing yourself to possibly make mistakes that will cost you way more to reverse than if you had gotten a professional on board in the first place.&nbsp;Mistakes can cost far more to undo than if you had worked with professional <a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">interior design firms</a> from the start. Plus, navigating things like <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/7-things-you-ll-need-permits-before-you-renovate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">residential renovation permit</a> requirements and choosing trustworthy contractors (ideally those with <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/guide-to-all-interior-design-renovation-verification-and-accreditation-schemes-in-singapore" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CaseTrust renovation</a> accreditation) are areas where experts can save you from major headaches.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1647573274271-1647573274271.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/ethan-interiors-design-studio">Ethan Interiors</a>&nbsp;(knowing your own lifestyle and preferences will help the interior designer alot!)&nbsp;2. Not Knowing YourselfHow well do you understand your own lifestyle and the space requirements that come along with it? Take some time to observe your own living habits. Do you wash dishes messily - which may mean you need a deeper kitchen sink? Do you have the habit of drying your hair right after your shower? You should plan for a dry area in your bathroom with a vanity and electrical outlets for a hairdryer. Do you absolutely hate having the morning sun rise up on your sleeping face? You may want to plan for black-out blinds or drapes in your room. Do you wear more dresses than tops and bottoms? You will really want to plan your wardrobe space - especially if it&rsquo;s built-in - very meticulously so you don&rsquo;t literally leave room for regret. Take it from someone with yawning unused spaces in my hanging closet, and drawers that have folded clothes exploding out of them.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1647573274293-1647573274293.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/jia-studios">Jia Studios</a>&nbsp;(a great example of great design with great function!)&nbsp;3. Form Over FunctionIf it&rsquo;s pretty, but it&rsquo;s useless, then it&rsquo;s pretty useless. There is absolutely no sense in having a beautiful space that serves as nothing more than a white elephant. A home is meant to be lived in, you are not running a gallery here. With a good designer, your living space should be functionally harmonious with your lifestyle needs while achieving your desired visual appeal. Form and function are not mutually exclusive, but function should always take precedence. You can thank us later.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1647573274313-1647573274313.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/the-local-project" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Local Project</a>&nbsp;(do not block out your windows to allow plenty of natural light in!)&nbsp;4. Let There Be LightAnd not just overhead lighting. In Singapore, most of us HDB dwellers tend to rely solely on overhead lighting. It&rsquo;s the most convenient option and most of us grew up used to flicking on a light switch and that would be all the light we were going to get. What&rsquo;s new right? Oh, a whole new world, that&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s new. From tri-coloured lighting to smart home lighting systems, there is a plethora of options to choose from - so why limit yourself? Experiment with standing lights and table lamps where necessary so you don&rsquo;t have to strain your eyes in a room that&rsquo;s trying too hard to seem cosy. Great lighting can help you experience a room differently, and shrewdly placed lights can highlight focal points or special features of a room.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1647573274337-1647573274337.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/13th-design-studio">13th Design Studio</a>&nbsp;(even the basics of doing site measurement will make a great design!)&nbsp;5. Measure EverythingNo matter how great you think your spatial visualisation is, don&rsquo;t wait till you&rsquo;re standing in your house with a couch that looked real tiny in the showroom but now takes up half your living room before you realise it was probably a good idea to bring that measuring tape along to the store. This applies to every space you need to plan for. The depth of your cupboards; will your hangers fit neatly in them? The height of your windows; are your curtains too long, or short? The length of your TV console; will your TV set fit on it? If you are really tall, does it feel like you&rsquo;re doing dishes in a kitchen sink built for a child? This is the most easily avoidable mistake, and all you needed was the measuring tape.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1647573274364-1647573274364.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/koze">Koze</a><a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/koze">&nbsp;</a>(white fluted panels paired with mirror textures and marbled feature wall!)&nbsp;6. Too Much White&hellip; Won&rsquo;t Look RightWe get that white is a popular colour to have in the room. White walls, white everything; it looks clean and minimalist, right? Not really. You run the risk of what is supposed to be a cosy living space looking very harsh and clinical. Break up the monotony with some colour accents. Interesting throw pillows on the couch, some hanging art, photos from your trips around the world. Your home should reflect who you are, and display some of your character and personality.&nbsp;

It’s easy to get carried away amidst the excitement of designing a new home. It signifies a fresh start, you get to decide every single detail...

6 Common Home Design Mistakes That Will Cost You

Space: the final frontier. Every apartment dweller craves the comfort and inviting living space that&rsquo;s neither cramped or cluttered. However, that extra square footage is exceedingly elusive (like Bigfoot). Not impossible though (unlike Bigfoot). Thankfully, there are tons of innovative minds out there that have figured it out.&nbsp;Some create the illusion of space, others actually create space &mdash; whether through smart <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/hdb-living-room-unleashing-the-charm-of-singaporean-lifestyles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">living room design Singapore</a> ideas, a clever <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/singapore-2024-renovation-budget-does-having-design-styles-affect-your-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">budget renovation</a>, or a full <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/singapore-2024-renovation-budget-condo-renovation-cost-forecast" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">condo renovation</a>.&nbsp;Without further ado, here are six ideas to make your apartment larger (without breaking anything):&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1649316718807-1649316718807.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/aestherior">Aestherior</a>&nbsp;(White washed walls creates a visual effect to make a space bigger)1. ColourFirst and foremost, colour. Multi-coloured homes are fun but there&rsquo;s a reason why most people just paint their house white: white universally makes everything look bigger. Don&rsquo;t want to be like most people? Now you&rsquo;re talking. The trick is to stick to the same colour family, preferable light neutral colours. And if you&rsquo;re feeling fancy, little pops of bold colours will accent the home. It doesn&rsquo;t have to be limited to just paints; brightly-colored furniture can just as easily complement the home.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1649316718831-1649316718831.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/13th-design-studio">13th Design Studio</a>&nbsp;(let there be light!)2. LightEver looked at a basement (or dungeon) and thought, &ldquo;This looks nice and spacious!&rdquo; Don&rsquo;t worry if you haven&rsquo;t. No one has. The truth is, the more light there is, the more expansive a place looks. Go with light fabric curtains and block-outs that don&rsquo;t obstruct windows too much when open; these are great ways to flood the place with natural light.&nbsp;&nbsp;Not much sunlight where you live, you say? No worries: artificial illumination will do too. Go nuts with lamps, light fixtures, wall sconces, and all.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1649316718854-1649316718854.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/met-interior">Met Interior</a>&nbsp;(even seen such a unique kitchen table before?)3. FurnitureAt the risk of sounding contradictory: more is less. But less is more too. Let&rsquo;s explain. The more furniture you try to cram into a tiny apartment, the smaller it&rsquo;s going to feel. They clutter up the place. Less furniture there is, the more spacious the home becomes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Go with large furniture to make up for the lack of numbers. Just not too large; if they&rsquo;re too large, everything else will look small.&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Go UpHere&rsquo;s a little challenge. Stand up. Look at all your walls. Nothing on them, right? That&#39;s an opportunity right there. Floating storage like shelves, baskets, and boxes, can be mounted and/or hung there. No need for them to be on the ground where you can trip on them. And the fun part, your guests&rsquo; eyes now are naturally drawn upward, which, surprisingly, makes rooms look larger. Funny how that works.&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1649316718877-1649316718877.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/aestherior">Aestherior</a>&nbsp;(Mirror mirror on the wall! Can you spot the mirrors?)5. MirrorsCan&rsquo;t leave out mirrors if you want a bigger looking place. This simple device practically doubles the perceived size of the room. Large ones work especially well. You don&rsquo;t even need to mount it; just lean it against a wall. Just avoid the ornate ones because those take up space and make the place look smaller. Bonus: mirrors reflect light, which makes rooms look larger.&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1649316718895-1649316718895.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;">Photo credit:&nbsp;Apex Studios&nbsp;(who says huge furniture makes a space look small?)6. PositionIt might not come as a surprise, but furniture position can make or break the illusion of space. Don&rsquo;t just push them against the walls. Leave a gap between furniture and the walls; it gives the impression of airiness that you only get with larger space.&nbsp; Small But Mighty LargeEven though your apartment may be small, it&rsquo;s not doomed to look that way now that you are armed with these ideas. Now get out there and expand your home!&nbsp;Banner Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers/home-philosophy">Home Philosophy</a>

Space: the final frontier. Every apartment dweller craves the comfort and inviting living space that’s neither cramped or cluttered. However, that extra square footage is exceedingly elusive (like Bigfoot). Not impossible though (unlike Bigfoot)...

6 Ideas To Make Small Apartments Seem Large

Singapore&rsquo;s blessed with many things but land mass isn&rsquo;t one of them. Farms took a back seat to urbanisation and, well, that meant that we&rsquo;ve had to depend on other nations to meet our nutritional needs. However, with advances in technology, this need not be the case. With the launch of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ourfoodfuture.gov.sg/30by30" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&ldquo;30 by 30&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;initiative, Singapore&rsquo;s moving towards supplying 30% of its own nutritional needs by 2030. And Tan Lay Hoon, co-founder of Intelligent Eco Farm, is one of many who&rsquo;s riding that wave&mdash; proving that even in a typical home or during an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/guide-to-all-interior-design-renovation-verification-and-accreditation-schemes-in-singapore" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">interior design &amp; renovation</a>&nbsp;project, urban farming can fit right in. The FounderBy day, Lay Hoon is a certified consultant helping food manufacturers improve productivity and meet ISO 9001 standards. By night (and weekends), she&rsquo;s a farmer and co-founder of Intelligent Eco Farm. If you&rsquo;re thinking of wide open fields and getting your hands dirty under the scorching sun, you&rsquo;re mistaken. All of this takes place in the comfort of an apartment &mdash; something many homeowners consider when planning a <a href="https://www.sixides.com/articles/singapore-2024-renovation-budget-condo-renovation-cost-forecast" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">condo renovation</a> or working with an <a href="https://www.sixides.com/professionals/interior-designers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ID firm</a> to maximise small spaces. And for the space it occupies, it&rsquo;s far more productive than traditional farms. The business includes supply of hydroponics systems (both indoor and outdoor), soil farming solutions /systems, other automatic growing systems and automatic composting machines. Miss Tan also runs&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/home-hydroponic-growing-tickets-324818529967?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hydroponic workshops!</a>&nbsp;Getting Into Greens&ldquo;I started off growing plants in my HDB corridor. I&rsquo;d put them there with nice pots because I love decorating them. The next thing, they&rsquo;d get stolen. When we moved house, my husband was very sweet. He deliberately picked a home that had a balcony and enough space for planting. So I started with flowers.&rdquo; From there, it wasn&rsquo;t long before she started thinking about growing fruits she could eat. &ldquo;I grew up in a kampung (village). We&rsquo;d climb up rambutan trees and eat fresh fruits. Since then, I&rsquo;ve never had rambutans as fresh as those.&rdquo; Not one to rest on her laurels, she moved on to vegetables but it wasn&rsquo;t without it&rsquo;s challenges.&ldquo;Vegetables aren&rsquo;t easy to grow. In Singapore, you need a greenhouse, otherwise they&rsquo;d either get burnt under the scorching sun or drowned under torrential rain. It was too much work balancing farming with a busy lifestyle. That&rsquo;s when I looked into hydroponics.&rdquo; And just in time too. With the &ldquo;30 by 30&rdquo; initiative, subsidised courses were easily available and she started learning how to plant vegetables in controlled environments. And it was perfect for her. &ldquo;With my consultancy background, I love how I can get maximum output with minimum effort.&rdquo;&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1651202268660-1651202268660.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;"> The Hydroponic Rabbit HoleThe hydroponic system that Lay Hoon uses comes with automated lighting and irrigation cycles. While that might be enough for most, Lay Hoon had dabbled in modding it a little more to take other measurements. &ldquo;The system&rsquo;s off-the-shelf but I wanted it to do more to increase crop yield. So I added in systems that would take care of nutrient dosing, and pH and EC (Electrical Conductivity) monitors. EC tells you how much nutrients are in the water solution. It&rsquo;s unproductive to have to measure all these by hand.&rdquo;&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1651202268687-1651202268687.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 1px;">Greener PasturesThese days, you can find all kinds of fruit and vegetables in Lay Hoon&rsquo;s apartment; fruit like jambu fruits, passionfruit, and bananas; vegetables like choy sum, bak choy, and lettuce; herbs like basil, mint, and pandan. Pests are not usually a concern when it comes to hydroponics. However, the same can&rsquo;t be said for her soil-based plants. &ldquo;I grow blue pea flowers out on the soil but I have to compete with people who would come in as early as 5am to help themselves to it. And then there&rsquo;s the occasional hornbill that would come get the fruits,&rdquo; said Lay Hoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1651202268709-1651202268709.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;"> Spreading The Hydroponic LoveLay Hoon now sells her vegetables and hydroponic units. She admits that not many homeowners are keen on hydroponics. At $1800 per hydroponic unit, most think the return of investment (ROI) isn&rsquo;t quite worth it. &ldquo;It shouldn&rsquo;t be about the ROI. If what you&rsquo;re after is vegetables without pesticide or freshly picked produce, it&rsquo;s really worth it,&rdquo; Lay Hoon adds. Interestingly, many offices have been more enthusiastic about installing a hydroponic system on premises. &ldquo;There are quite a lot of benefits to having the system. There&rsquo;s, of course, the fresh vegetables, but the presence of the plants also mitigates CO2 build-up in the office, and planting in general is therapeutic,&rdquo; Lay Hoon says. Lay Hoon also relates that in one office, there is a friendly competition to see which teams can produce better crops on their respective hydroponic systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sixides-us/uploads%2F1651202268727-1651202268727.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 100%;"> Advice On HydroponicsFor those still contemplating on whether or not to start their very own hydroponic farm, either privately or commercially, Lay Hoon has this advice: &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be afraid. Just start. People spend too much time researching to the point of not doing anything. It&rsquo;s good to just kickstart and then learn along the way. If you fail, it doesn&rsquo;t matter; just find out why and try again. That&rsquo;s your lesson. As you fail, you learn more. As long as you observe and talk to your plants, you&rsquo;ll be successful.&rdquo;

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