Back when I only had one computer, one VPN access point was fine. But now that I have two computers, a PS3, and a wifi-ready Android phone. Applying the VPN to the latter two, in particular, has become a sisyphean ordeal. I need an easier way to share the VPN love.

Here’s the answer

The Belkin Enhanced Wireless Router is a home networking ninja, which will take your VPN login info and keep you connected. This tip comes courtesy of my amigos at weird shanghai (I think you’ll need a VPN to see it).

Its called Passthrough

Not sure if this works for all VPN services. So check with your provider if they support ‘VPN passthrough’ before buying the router.  For example here is how you would set it up for Witopia.

VPNs and Taobao Access

One word of warning: VPNs can mess with your Taobao access. If Taobao thinks you are signing in from overseas, they may freeze your account. Just give them a call and tell them that you have the VPN, and they will chill out.  Taobao Service Number: 0571-88157858

Belkin Enhanced Wireless Router – 285rmb

I am the subject of an increasing number of belly pokes recently. Friends, colleagues, and girlfriend laobanniang all seem to think it is funny to point out my fatness. What’s worse, my recent attempts to lose weight via peculiar Chinese products has flat-out failed.

American-style weightloss

My fellow Americanos may not be the fittest bunch, but we do have some advanced fitness products. I have heard some great things about P90X, a 12-DVD set that promises to get you into Terminator-fighting shape.

Look at that! Awesome!

P90X Equipment

To be able to fully take advantage of the P90X system, I need to get some stuff from Taobao.

Since the program is done at home, the user needs to have dumbbells (usually 15s, 20s, and 25s) and a pull-up bar, or else a resistance band, for strength training exercises, along with a sturdy chair. Optional equipment includes a yoga mat for the abdominal and yoga portions, push-up handles … and a heart rate monitor for the cardio workouts.

I am going to get the stuff in bold, skipping the weights in favor of resistance bands.

Pull-up bar

Just hook this one on the door frame and presto! Another place to hang clothes!

Pull-up bar – 43rmb

Resistance band set

These glorified rubber bands cost a bit, but go for ones that look capable so you don’t lose an eye doing your curls.

Resistance band set – 70-100rmb

Yoga Mat

The yoga mat market seems to be unfairly directed towards women. Modern men need these ones too. They suggest a thick one to maintain tail bone comfort.

Yoga mat – 230rmb

Push-up handles

You can get traditional I-shaped ones, or if you prefer your push-ups more perfect, try the rotating versions. Same price.

Push-up handles – 20rmb

Heart-rate monitor

I expected these to be cheaper on Taobao. For a heart rate monitor that straps to your wrist, expect to pay at least 100rmb. There are finger spot-check models for cheaper, but I am serious about my fitness.

Heart-rate monitor – from 138rmb

Total cost

All-in we spent about 500rmb on all this stuff. Plus some shipping, which we mitigated by buying some of the things together form the same Taobao Sellers. That is quite a price to pay – but anything to avoid those pesky belly-pokes.

Stay away from yoybuy.com

If there is anything that we hate here at Taobao Field Guide, it is shenanigans! And this is shenanigans of the highest order. A reader from Australia has written in to warn us of a bad expereince he had shopping with Taobao Agent yoybuy.com

The Bait-and-Switch

David says that yoybuy took his order and sent him a cheaper version of the product, keeping the difference. The bait and switch is the most insidious of dirty tricks. Having been personally stung by these kind of scams before in my Taobao adventures, I know how disappointing that is. Even worse when you are thousands of miles away!

Don’t risk it, guys

Stick with one of our reliable, field-tested Taobao Agents. You will be glad you did!

I did nothing!

Now that we are turning the corner on winter, I have realized that I have not yet scheduled my annual cold-weather-escape trip to Sanya. That makes me 0 for 3 on my annual activities. I did not manage to make it to Dino Beach water park, nor did I go for outdoor lasertag. Nor did I replace these with any other suitable activities.

Rather than moap around feeling like a total failure, I intend to do something about it. Schedule a last-minute trip to the island? No way! Who has the time?

My Sand Scheme

Instead, I plan to purchase a bag of genuine Sanya Island sand, and sprinkle it into my luggage. Then I will trick myself into thinking that I did actually go to Hainan, and did subsequently enjoy some relaxation from the experience.

Brilliant.

Sanya Sand – 10rmb per kilo

If you are planning a trip to the beach, don’t forget our favorite – the Waboba Ball!

Following from the last post, some people caught some laser-etching mania.  My partner laobanniang among them, found some really crazy stuff.

A perfect Valentine’s day gift

Don’t have a dog? Me either. But I do have a girlfriend (the aforementioned laobanniang). So my plan is to get one of these customized with her image, and put on a cute dog collar.

Or maybe I get it with my image, if I am going to give it to her? I haven’t worked out all the details yet. But there is a really cute little gift in there somewhere.

If you are a master Ninja-About-Town, you will want to equip one of these in your adventure kit.  Stainless steel construction ensures that you could use it as a throwing weapon, if need be.

Not only does it let you know where you are going, but it can also double as an emergency mirror for peeking around corners.

Available for major Chinese cities

If you live in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing or Hong Kong, you need to pick one of these up for your wallet or risk the danger of being caught lost.

Live for 2010

Last year’s fashion was to have multiple credit cards prominently displayed in the wallet. This year, it will be the stainless steel subway map. Stay ahead of the game and order yours today.

Steel Pocket Subway Maps of Chinese Cities ~70rmb

We were right

And it feels so good. 3c.taobao.com is now online serving up a streamlined shopping experience. Run your purchases through the Taobao Electronics Mall and you won’t need to do a lot of comparison shopping.

For example, I bought this sweet HDTV a few weeks ago only after thorough investigation. Totally unnecessary now. The Taobao Electronics Mall gives me a pretty good price and thorough reliability. Shipping included in the price, and guaranteed 7-day unconditional return. All the good stuff.

I love you TH-P42S10C. I love you so much!

Go for it

If you have been waiting for a slightly easier, slightly more secure option for your Taobao shopping, you found it! Live the feeling!

A long while back we reported on the cool dude who started his own Taobao business importing Moleskine notebooks and created the Chinese-language web community to evangelize the Moleskine lifestyle. Those still make a great gift.

But if your new years agenda includes the resolutions to be more productive and more frugal, this cool new Taobao shop might be more of what you’re looking for.

Complete GTD kits for cheap

GTD001.taobao.com is a Taobao shop that is near and dear to my heart. Not only did they create their own line of crazy-cheap notebooks, they give intensive instruction to teach productivity noobs how to step correct

Apparently this guy also likes the Palm 650 – which we also covered long ago, and is still an excellent choice for a super-cheap smartphone.  He also offers cool little GTD decision charts.

Get yourself organized! Make some lists! Get Things Done!

GTD Brand Notebooks – from 16rmb

Exercise: the bad way

Exercise is not my preferred method of losing fat.  Exercise is for poor people, and I am not poor. I will use my incredible wealth to buy a fat-loss solution. Let’s explore.

The Losing Fat Belt

Most shops that carry the Losing Fat Belt announce proudly that it is a genuine product (100%正品).  If you are concerned that the Losing Fat Belt that you are buying is not a genuine Losing Fat Belt, I insist that you lighten up. Zing!

Losing Fat Belt – 200rmb

Fat Creams

Proving that the animated GIF is the sexiest of all GIFS, this product posting for fat-burning cream nearly make me break my vow against exercise.

A-ok Eliminate Fat Cream – 58rmb

Fat Pills

After my failed experiment with brain pills, I am not eager to try another janky supplement. But O-FAT has a compelling promise: to eliminate current fat, and prevent new fat from settling in. With physiological effects like that, what can go wrong?

O-FAT – 100RMB

What are you waiting for? Buy the whole trifecta and enjoy the new you!

Click for Wallpaper-sized version

Meet Taobao Head Honcho Jack Ma

Jack Ma is an English teacher turned billionaire who created the two most successful websites in China: the Alibaba and Taobao marketplaces.  His biography is a national bestseller.  And being the most famous entrepreneur in a business-crazed culture, he is probably China’s most respected man.  I don’t know if that’s been put to an official vote, but if it ever is, I will throw my hat in for him.

China’s Biggest Influencer

Trade in China, be it B2B or B2C, is colored Alibaba orange.  Alibaba and Taobao have the power to set the tone for how business is done, and that’s a responsibility that Ma takes seriously. In a really interesting interview with Ma on the Nature Conservancy website, Ma talks about his commitment to corporate social responsibility.

“Alibaba has helped a lot of small business owners make money through our platforms. But now our challenge is to help more people to make healthy money, ’sustainable money,’ money that is not only good for themselves but also good for the society. That’s the transformation we are aiming to make.”

Inspector Ma?

For one, that has meant banning sale of nasty products such as shark’s fin on Alibaba platforms. But there is another dimension to his claims which could end up having substantial impact on Chinese manufacturing.

“I’m going to use the power of the Internet and my wonderful platform to let the whole world know about companies that are polluting rivers. I think raising awareness will make hundreds of people start to challenge the companies’ unethical behavior and banks will stop their funding.”

That quote may not have much impact until you consider the fact that certification systems ‘TrustPass” and “Gold Supplier” are an important part of supplier selection on Alibaba. Gold Suppliers get 22x as many inquiries as non-verified suppliers. But currently, Gold certification requirements are focused more on eliminating potential scammers.

If another “Green Certification” was to be added to the website, verified by a task force of antipollution investigators, I think you would find suppliers very quickly aligning themselves with Ma’s CSR priorities.

I’m so eager for this feature, I even made them a new badge to use: