When I searched for Yolopark on TaoBao, I came across Auldey AAE series. If I had known about this earlier, I would not have bothered with Yolopark. These are super toon looking and super articulated.
If there is a downside, it is that these figures are 13 cm tall — too big to mix-n-match with MST-scaled Legends figures. At a glance, they look just like MST figures (*) — that's how good MST figures look, and they transform!
(*) I wonder if Hasbro wil use this line to go after unlicensed 3P Legends figures in the future.
There are two chase figures, but the chance of getting them are pretty low. A carton has 72 figures (12 cases of 6 sets), the chase figures are 1/12 each — they replace a specific figure.
Wave 1 and Wave 2 are already on discount (~250 yuan, S$45.64). Wave 3 is just out and is still at full price (414 yuan, S$75.54). Wave 4 should be out around middle of next year. Coneheads are also out (MSRP 199 yuan, S$36.32). There are also some premium editions, but I'm not interested in them.
As usual, the line starts out strong, but there will be more re-colors (to maximize mold reuse), unpopular characters and non-G1 characters to fill the ranks.
Breakdown:
In the past, non-transforming Transformers figures were the only way to get close to toon look. But 3P Masterpiece and Legends figures have given these a run for their money in the past 10 years. Some are so good that you won't believe they transform.
Non-transforming figures often don't look right: their proportions look off. Transforming figures, because of the need to transform, are kept 'honest'.
I would have given this a miss at its original S$45 price, but at S$25? I don't mind.
(Though I later found it is available on TaoBao for ~95 yuan, or S$17+, so it is not really a bargain.)
Despite the big box size (33 cm), the figure is only 19 cm.
This looks just like DS-01 (Deformation Space Crimson Wings) — which transforms. You can tell how good DS-01 is.
I also bought several AMK Mini Wave 2 figures at S$15 and BMK (Basic Model Kit) figures at S$13. These, I should have bought on TaoBao.
AMK Mini figures are 12 cm tall. Wave 2 looks way more G1 than Wave 1. Wave 1 figures have overly big heads and hands too.
BMK figures are 16 cm tall, but are less — much less — articulated. Their legs cannot be posed at all, they are effectively statues. I've wasted my money. :cry:
Mainline transformers are getting ever closer to Sunbow cartoon look. For some reason, Hasbro has always resisted it. Perhaps it means they are out of ideas and have to appeal to nostalgia.
Not very toon, actually, but hey, it's a tank!
Hasbro's current take on 5-member combiners is to make them frame-based, meaning the limbs stick onto a skeleton-frame rather than forming the limbs entirely.
I have no interest to get the entire combiner sub-groups, but I've considered getting Motormaster and Silverbolt. But I did not because they were not toon enough.
In terms of physical size, Brawl is Deluxe class, but it is categorized as Voyager class and priced as such. It feels expensive even after 20% off (S$47.26).
Soundwave is easy to get right in both modes, though its alt mode is 'boring' and out-of-date — who knows what is a Walkman these days? This figure is also way overpriced at MSRP. I got it at 25% off, and it still felt overpriced at S$76.49.
This is Leader class, can you believe it? It is likely due to the tapes, which aren't that well-done, IMO.
Wow, this looks Masterpiece. This shows that if Hasbro wants toon look, it can be done. The last time they came so close was WfC Kingdom Cyclonus.
(Side note: F-15, introduced in 1976, is even older than Walkmans. Even if people don't know its name, they know it is a fighter jet. If someone sees a Walkman, they may think it is a relic MP3 player — the oldest thing they can think of.)
I usually get only one seeker, and it is usually Starscream — like many others, no doubt. No wonder this time Hasbro starts with Thundercracker first. I may be convinced to get multiple seekers if I can get them at 20% off, putting them just under S$50. Unlike Brawl, this feels like a genuine Voyager.
I look forward to the Coneheads. I hope they are done to my liking — which they often aren't.
Very toon looking. There is almost no hint it transforms into a tank! Let's face it, there is no way a mainline Megatron will ever transform into a realistic gun — it ain't the 80s anymore.
I didn't get it, though. It just fell a hair short of my toon criteria. I'll reconsider if it is reissued.
The Land Transport Authority says it has received about 60 reports from motorcyclists about battery issues since they installed ERP 2.0 units.
More than a year after motorcycles began transitioning to the ERP 2.0 system, some riders have raised concerns that the new on-board units (OBUs) are draining their batteries faster than the previous devices.
Several motorcyclists told CNA their batteries appeared to discharge more quickly after installing the OBU, particularly when their bikes sat unused for several days. The complaints have also surfaced on online forums.
However, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and motorcycle workshops say the issue is unlikely to be caused by the OBU itself, pointing instead to ageing batteries and underlying electrical problems.
The new OBUs are designed for Singapore's new satellite-based ERP 2.0 system. Motorcyclists began switching from the old in-vehicle units (IUs) in June last year, with all vehicles required to install the new system by the end of 2026.
As of October, more than 146,000 motorcycles – around 97 per cent – have had OBUs installed, according to LTA. The authority said it has received about 60 feedback cases related to OBUs draining motorcycle batteries.
Ms Jane Ye, who rides a six-year-old Yamaha, said her battery previously drained after a week of inactivity with the old IU. After installing the OBU earlier this year, she noticed the battery draining after just a few days without riding.
"Before the OBU, the old IU only drained my battery once in the more than five years I was riding," said the administrative manager, whose battery drained twice in the months following installation.
Mr Tommy Lee, 57, director of adventure biking firm Route 55 Adventures, said his motorcycle battery weakened noticeably after 40 days without use.
"The cranking of the engine when first starting is not instantaneous, and it's a sign the battery is weak," he said. "I have left my bike for a long time before, one to two months at times, and (there was) no problem with the previous IU."
LTA said the OBU is designed to draw minimal current even when the motorcycle is off, and that this power draw is actually lower than the previous IU.
Like the old IU, the OBU requires continuous power to operate. According to LTA's One Motoring website, when a vehicle's ignition is turned off, the OBU enters sleep mode and draws even less power than the IU did.
A spokesperson said that OBUs function as mini-computers that continually send and receive information such as traffic updates, requiring a continuous power supply to operate reliably and maintain performance.
"Motorcycle battery issues are unlikely to be linked to the OBU installed," the spokesperson said. "In such cases, it is likely that the motorcycles have a weak or old battery."
Motorcycle workshops echoed LTA's assessment, pointing to various factors beyond the OBU that could cause battery drainage.
Mr Willian Tan, director of THCycle Motorcycle Repair and Servicing Workshop, said the OBU will not drain a motorcycle's battery unless it has been tampered with. Unlike the previous IU, which had only two wires connected to battery terminals, the OBU has three wires connected to both the battery terminals and the ignition.
Mr Tan said the OBU has its own battery. "We connect to the battery because we need support for that small battery in the OBU, and the extra wire to the ignition – when you start up the bike then it supplies current to the OBU."
He added that battery problems may stem from improper wiring causing current leakage. Modern batteries also have a shorter lifespan than older models, Mr Tan said, and riders could be experiencing issues as batteries reach their lifespan.
Ms Nur Shakila of specialist workshop Ban Hock Hin said it has received fewer than 40 battery drainage cases since OBU installation began. The OBU uses only a very small amount of current in sleep mode compared to the IU, she said, and should not cause a healthy battery to discharge under normal circumstances.
"In most situations, battery performance and power stability are influenced not only by the battery’s age and condition, but also by the overall health of the motorcycle’s electrical system," she said.
"Some motorcycles, while still able to start, may have underlying issues such as weak rectifiers, faulty magnetic coils or other electrical components that affect charging efficiency."
Ms Rebecca Lim, an assistant at Zack Enterprise, said the workshop sees almost the same number of battery-related cases with the OBU as it did with the IU. She noted that OBUs may be more prone to damage when motorcycles are parked in unsheltered areas exposed to sun and rain.
Workshops typically check battery health when installing the OBU and recommend replacement where necessary.
For motorcycles left unused for extended periods, Ms Shakila recommended that riders use their motorcycles periodically for about 10 minutes every two weeks, or use a smart battery charger during prolonged periods of inactivity.
"We strongly recommend that the OBU be connected to a continuous power supply to avoid affecting (its) proper functioning and lifespan," she said.
Workshops cautioned against rewiring OBUs or disconnecting any wires, as this could disrupt or damage the device.
So coincidental, my CB400F's battery went flat the week before the article came out because I forgot to ride it for two weeks. However, the last time I rode it, the cranking already felt weak.
Ever since I installed OBU on the CB400F, I've tried to ride it at least once a week, taking it on a 10 km spin around the semi-abandoned Sungei Kadut industrial estate.
The old trick of disconnecting the battery does not work anymore. The workshop said the OBU will stop working — and needs to be replaced — once the battery is disconnected. Well, at least now I know it is not true — it has an internal battery. However, it is unknown how long it can last. IU 1.0 has an internal battery too. My unit was disconnected for many years and only died this year. I don't want to take the risk for OBU.
Sadly, the battery went flat in spite of the weekly ride.
Towed the bike to the workshop for $50 (used to be $40). The workshop said the battery had died, needed a replacement. The mechanic recommended a normal battery and not a lithium-ion one (like my current one). He said lithium-ion is not suitable cos the OBU draws trickle current all the time. Lithium-ion battery used to be good for infrequent riders cos it holds charge for a long time.
There may be some truth to using normal battery. My YBR125 seems fine even though I don't ride it that often — though now at least once a week since I need to go back to office.
But there was more bad news: the bike was only charging the battery at a low 13.2 V. This explained why the battery went weaker over time — it was not really charged at all!
When the mechanic told me this, I vaguely recalled he mentioned it before, so it was not a new problem. It was fine in the past cos the IU did not drain the battery constantly.
Two parts needed to be changed: the coil ($530) and the rectifier ($195). Ouch! Both were taken from other (close) bike models since mine was long OOP. Costs aside, I was relieved there were still spare parts. With the change, the bike now charges at 14.5 V.
(If the parts were not spoilt, the battery replacement costs 'only' $110.)
The mechanic's advice to me was to ride the bike more often. I don't have many reasons to ride it, unless it is to work (20 km each way). And I don't do so cos it does not have a box to hold my stuff. But this is really a poor excuse — I can always wear a backpack, though I rarely do so.
And now I do.
First, it can take 2+ minutes for the notebook to check the memory with a blank screen. Now that it happened, I vaguely remembered reading about it when I added RAM in another notebook, but at that time it only took 30s or so.
I thought the new memory was defective or not compatible and spent a while swapping it around.
Second, installing new RAM will trigger BitLocker recovery check. I don't remember encountering this previously. So, make sure you have the recovery keys on hand, or you are SOL. BitLocker is a hassle.
