30/04/2026

LYFE THURSDAY | APR 30, 2026

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SmartThings has strengthened its Family Care service so users can better support parents they live apart from. It also integrates additional key SmartThings features into Now Brief, the personalised briefing service available on Galaxy mobile devices, to further enhance the convenience and comfort of the customer’s daily life. Samsung plans to roll out these new Now Brief capabilities to TVs and Family Hub refrigerators in phases. Easier to check in on loved ones Family Care connects SmartThings with a range of home appliances and mobile devices to provide notifications regarding the activities of users’ ageing parents and reminders for medication and hospital visits – as well as location-based alerts. With this update, the service enables even more thoughtful care. Additionally, Samsung’s new Care on Call feature allows users to more closely check on the status of the care recipient through a simple phone call. When a caregiver using the service I S the cinema experience dying and are physical cinemas being buried in the same grave plot on top of it? Are both being shot in the head by streaming platforms, as the bits of brain and skull fragments explode onto the silver screens that most of us grew up with? In 2026, the appetite for entertainment has clearly shifted. This article is not going to argue for or against either, but will instead take a look at the pure numbers. In other words, let us see what RM50 gets you at the movies today in Malaysia. Firstly, it depends on timing, location and how much willpower you can muster at the snack counter in cinemas. In much of the Klang Valley, a standard 2D ticket now sits between RM18 and RM25. These prices may dip lower for weekday afternoon shows, while evenings and weekends push the pricing to the top of the range. On paper, RM50 certainly still covers a basic outing for one person. A weekday ticket at roughly RM20, a small popcorn at RM12 and a drink at more or less RM10 brings you to around RM40. That leaves a small buffer but the margin is thin. Meanwhile, a ticket for a premium format, or even a larger combo, easily pushes the total past RM50. Then, there is the matter of location. Cinemas in central Kuala Lumpur tend to price higher than suburban malls. Premium malls, including Imax and branded large format screens, can add RM10 to RM25 per ticket. For couples and families, prepare your kidneys to be sold on an e-commerce platform as the cost multiplies quickly. Effectively, a simple night out can cross RM100 and that is before factoring in transport or parking into the equation. Warmth of digital embrace At this point, the comparison with streaming becomes unavoidable. Ű BY MARK MATHEN VICTOR

With a decent setup, getting a satisfying film experience from the comfort of home is easily achievable. – PICS FROM FREEPIK

RM50 cinema experience

o Weighing big screen against convenience of streaming For roughly the same RM50, a person can: 0 Get a monthly subscription of Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar and so on (RM25–RM60) 0 Avoid peak hour traffic 0 Dozens of films and series, available on demand, shared across a household That does not factor in the added mental health perks, such as avoiding cinemagoers who love

commentating having conversations with the characters on-screen and screaming children in cinema halls. The trade-off is clear. Streaming wins on volume and cost per hour, but cinema still owns the experience, as big-budget releases, especially action or effects-heavy titles, lose impact on a small screen. The sound, the scale and the shared audience reaction also matter. For some viewers, that justifies the price. What has changed is how people choose, as the casual, “just walk in and see what is playing” habit is fading. Many now reserve cinema trips for specific titles and rely on streaming for everything else. or

With the rise of streaming, the cinema-going experience has never been the same since the Covid-19 pandemic.

not enough to feel carefree about it. The value calculation has shifted from routine entertainment to selective outing. Cinema is no longer the default go-to. Instead, it is a choice you plan.

Promotions, credit card deals and off-peak pricing also play a bigger role in decision-making. RM50, then, sits in the awkward middle. It is enough for one person to enjoy a modest cinema visit, but

Smart monitoring of elderly relatives, home environment from afar SAMSUNG Electronics has updated its global smart home platform SmartThings to provide improved experiences that help users better care for their families and themselves in everyday life. With the latest update, calls the care recipient, a floating pop-up that displays key information such as the time of the first activity of the day, the most recent activity time and the local weather – all at a glance – appears before the call begins. This helps caregivers ask more meaningful check-in questions and respond accordingly.

inside and outside the home. With the launch of the Galaxy S26 series, Now Brief will support Home Security, Family Care and Pet Care, in addition to existing features that include Home Insight, Energy and the Sleep Environment Report. Through Now Brief, users can access the useful information needed to care for themselves, their families and their homes at a glance. Now Brief is set to deliver a consistent customised experience throughout the home, and will soon roll out in phases to TVs launched in 2024 or later, as well as Family Hub refrigerators launched in 2021 or later. For added convenience, users will not need to manually launch Now Brief. If the feature is set up in advance, it will be automatically activated when they approach the TV, touch the Family Hub refrigerator screen or open and close the refrigerator door. And now, whether at home or on the go, the expanded Now Brief helps users stay up to date by providing information such as home device status and energy usage, as well as the sleep status of the previous night, Home Security updates based on door locks, door sensors and security mode, parents’ daily activity updates and dog-walking information.

SmartThings can also continuously monitor devices such as air conditioners, air purifiers, dehumidifiers and humidifiers for indoor temperature, humidity and air quality. If unusual usage patterns are detected, the caregiver is immediately notified and can remotely control the relevant device. Family Care has made the Safety Patrol feature – which utilises SmartThings to send a new Bespoke AI Jet Bot Steam Ultra to check various areas around the house – even more convenient. If the care recipient’s activity is not detected for a specified period of time, users receive a notification and the feature can be remotely activated if the caregiver needs to take action. Remote control is available when the caregiver has been set up to remotely control the care recipient’s devices. Availability may vary depending on product, model and region. Using a camera built into the robot vacuum,

Users can keep an eye on their ageing parents’ activities.

paying attention to whether they deviate from optimal ranges. It also tracks significant changes in activity levels and connected device usage compared to the previous week. Expansion of Now Brief to TVs and Family Hub Now Brief delivers a rich AI experience by integrating a broad range of key SmartThings services that help users stay informed about their daily lives, their family members and conditions

caregivers can view issues that might occur – such as a person lying incapacitated – and two-way communication through the built-in speaker and microphone allows them to act. To further enhance the level of care provided to loved ones, the Care Insight feature been enhanced to provide even more actionable, long term data within the Family Care service. It analyses factors such as temperature and humidity levels,