Chinese Xiaomi invasion ~ not phone but a fish tank !!

Pets are an important part of many  household. Your pet-owning experience will be most enjoyable if you carefully consider which pet best suits your family, home and lifestyle.. .. owning / nurturing a cat or a dog could have its innate trouble – for many having a home aquarium brings colour and amusement into their lives. Studies have shown that people watching fish tanks have lower stress levels. Fish are often ideal pets for people with space limitations or allergies to other common pets. Fish come in all shapes, sizes and colours .. .. .. ..

China’s agricultural and fishery authorities in 2003 began imposing an annual three-month fishing ban in the Yangtze River to reverse the continuous decline of aquatic life.  As the Yangtze ecosystem has worsened over the past 16 years, China is considering a 10-year total fishing ban in the river, Chinese state media Guangming Daily reported.  Fishermen are being advised to consider a career change, such as becoming fish farmers, and undergo training.  The Yangtze River is the longest river in China and the third-longest in the world. It begins in the Plateau of Tibet and runs across China from the west to the east and empties into the East China Sea. The Yangtze is considered vital to China’s economy because it’s a rich source of aquatic life.

We have read Vallalar and other speak on compassion and  not being cruel to any living being – animals too suffer pain. It’s Official: Fish Feel Pain, declared Smithsonian Magazine; Scientists say fish feel pain, read the Washington Post; Fish can feel pain in similar way to humans, says The Independent. An animal long-thought too simple to feel and too inconsequential to consider on any ethical level has now been deemed sentient, capable of experiencing pain, and keen on avoiding it. But how will this impact the way we treat fish — the animal humans  kill more than any other on earth?  It is estimated that humans kill about a trillion fish each year, mainly via prolonged suffocation. This method of slaughter would typically be deemed inhumane and illegal for other food animals but is permitted for fish due to a very species-specific form of apathy, fostered in many of us from a young age.

Moving away, Chinese products are flooding Indian market. Xiaomi Inc is a privately owned Chinese electronics company headquartered in Beijing. It is one of China's biggest electronics companies that designs, develops, and sells smartphones, mobile apps, and consumer electronics.  The company's founder and CEO is Lei Jun, is one of the richest men of globe. The name Xiaomi is the Chinese word for "millet”.  Its CEO Lei Jun suggested that  there are more meanings than just the "millet and rice”, linking the "Xiao" part to the Buddhist concept that "a single grain of rice of a Buddhist is as great as a mountain.”  -  "mi" is an acronym for Mobile Internet and also Mission Impossible, referring to the obstacles encountered in starting the company.  Xiaomi makes and invests in smartphones, mobile apps, laptops, bags, trimmers, earphones, MI Television, Shoes, fitness bands, and many other products.  Ranked 468th, Xiaomi is the youngest company on Fortune Global 500 List for 2019.

When it comes to cameras, batteries and speakers, it’s very much not true that good things come in small packages. And yet Xiaomi managed to fit no less than five cameras, a 5,2560mAh battery and a 1cc speaker chamber inside the Mi Note 10.  Only recently the Company  launched two smartphones under the series - Mi CC9 and Mi CC9e and then came Mi CC9 Pro. Xiaomi took to Weibo -- the Chinese microblogging site -- to announce the launch timeline of the Mi CC9 Pro. Alongside confirming the launch date of the Mi CC9 Pro the company also revealed the key highlight of the smartphone. Xiaomi revealed that the Mi CC9 Pro will come with 108MP main rear camera. .. .. but I never imagined that their product line could include this too  ~  a fish tank !!

The Company has  gradually expanded from smartphones and electronics to lifestyle and more. These segments include travel products, home appliances, smart products, and day-to-day items meant for kids. As part of the expansion, the company has launched some unusual products in recent years. The company has just launched a new, somewhat unusual product in China. The latest product is called the Xiaomi Fish Tank. Xiaomi is aiming to sell this fish tank for homes and offices.

As per the announcement, Xiaomi has priced the Fish Tank at 299 RMB which is about Rs 3,000. Taking a closer look at the design the company has opted for a unique design. The design ensures that buyers don’t have to constantly change the water in the tank. Fish Tank automatically removes the nitrates and other waste from the water. In addition, users don’t even need to take the lid off completely to feed the fish in the tank. According to a report from Gizchina, Xiaomi has added an adjustment knob on the lid for feeding the fish. The adjustment knob also helps maintain the overall oxygen level in the tank. What is interesting that the tank also comes with a proper aquatic plant. The design of the tank offers a balance between nurturing the fish and watering the actual plant. Xiaomi is using the Siphon principle to nurture the plant with the help of water vapours.

Xiaomi Fish Tank requires electricity to operate and keep important functions running. In case of emergency, users can also use a power bank to keep the tank operational. Beyond this, the tank also comes with a simple one-button design. Users can use this button to remove the water from the tank. It also comes with a four-stage filtration process including volcanic stone, and a magnetic ring stone. Xiaomi has also added activated carbon as part of the filtration to kill bacteria. The filter system also comes with an upper filter cloth and a biochemical cotton layer in the lower area.

That is technology ! ~ and making money selling technology !! Interesting !!!

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

13^th Nov 2019.