Archive for April, 2012

Excuse Me, are you a Blogger?

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

Samsung has started a worldwide search for Samsung Global Bloggers to cover the London 2012 Olympic Games. Win a trip to London!

Video applications can be submitted online via global digital platform MSN at www.samsungglobalblogger.com through to April 22nd.

Win a free trip to London as a Samsung Global Blogger.

Win a free trip to London as a Samsung Global Blogger.

Some 100 Samsung Global Bloggers (SGB) from around the world will get to travel to London for the Olympic Games and share their personal experiences on a specially created blog.

SGB hopefuls will have to go through a two-round audition process that will judge them on the ability to seek out exciting stories happening in London and generate buzz about the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The audition calls for the submission of a 30 second video stating why the entrant should be picked to come to London.

The video will be judged on the entrant’s creativity and enthusiasm.

“Since its inaugural launch at the Nagano 1998 Olympic Games, SGB has developed into a truly global program, encouraging participation from more countries than ever before, and expanding its reach through an integrated global digital platform,” said Sunny Hwang, Vice President & Head of Global Sports Marketing at Samsung Electronics.Those who get through to the second round will be putting together a video report, before the final lucky winners are selected by a celebrity judging panel to come on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to London.

The chosen SGBs will get first-hand experience of the Olympic Games, sharing their personal experiences through www.samsung.com, www.samsungglobalblogger.com and via their own personal social media networks.

The digital show will feature the SGB journey, providing compelling content, entertainment and relevance to its global audience.

During the games, SGBs upload blogs, videos and images throughout the Games on www.samsungglobalblogger.com.

The SGBs will capture the highlights of their London 2012 experience through their own unique perspectives.

Samsung is an Olympic sponsor and has been designated the Worldwide Olympic Partner for Wireless Communications Equipment.

New mouse: Logitech Touch Mouse M600

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

The M600 features a touch surface that lets you swipe and scroll on it with your fingertips to navigate intuitively while surfing the Web. It is now available in Singapore at S$89.

Logitech Touch Mouse M600 - available now for S$89.

Logitech Touch Mouse M600 - available now for S$89.

With the Logitech Touch Mouse M600 you can scroll and swipe wherever the fingertips rest on the mouse.

Logitech Touch Mouse M600Logitech Flow Scroll software makes scrolling fluid, much like scrolling on the touchscreen of a smartphone.

Slide a finger along the touch surface to experience immediate, continuous and free-flowing Web page scrolling.

The mouse’s unique shape is designed to facilitate the tasks we do most – pointing, clicking and scrolling.

It can be used by both right- and left-handers, with click areas that can easily be reassigned with Logitech SetPoint software.

Intuitive control at the fingertipsIn addition, the Logitech Touch Mouse M600 includes the tiny Logitech Unifying receiver, which can connect up to six compatible mice and keyboards through one USB port.

Add a keyboard, switch between mice, mix and match to fit your lifestyle, without having to change receivers or sacrifice another USB port.

The Logitech Touch Mouse M600 was named an International CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree in the Computer Peripherals product category.

The M600 is connected via a USB port and is compatible with Windows 7.

The mouse measures 111.3 x 64.3 x 29.2 mm and weighs 107.7g (with battery).

It comes with 3-year limited hardware warranty.

New tablet: Samsung SLATE PC Series 7

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and featuring an 11.6” screen, the powerful but portable Windows 7 device will be available this month at S$1,688.

The Samsung SLATE PC Series 7 can be used as a tablet or be used as a desktop.

The Samsung SLATE PC Series 7 can be used as a tablet or be used as a desktop.

The Samsung SLATE PC Series 7 is 12.9mm (0.5”) in thinness and weighs only 860g.

The docking station for the tablet.

The docking station for the tablet.

When connected to the docking station, and the Bluetooth keyboard and mouse (both sold separately), the Slate operates as a desktop PC.

The docking station provides the interface to other devices and enables the flexibility to sync to a larger monitor.

On its own, the SLATE PC Series 7 can used as an ultra-portable device just like a tablet. Battery life is up to 6 hours.

Used as a desktop when docked in and connected to optional Bluetooth keyboard.

Used as a desktop when docked in and connected to optional Bluetooth keyboard.

Multiple input methods from touch screen keyboard to digital pen ensure make it a flexible solution for capturing, creating and presenting content on the go, using Microsoft Office 2010 or via web applications.

Samsung SLATE PC Series 7 (S$1,688)

Samsung SLATE PC Series 7 (S$1,688)

An integrated microphone and dual 2MP (front) / 3MP (rear) cameras record audio/visual files, which can be stored and shared via the full-sized USB port or Wi-Fi, WiMAX and HSPA+ connection.

The SuperBright Plus 11.6” HD display provides outstanding picture quality and text-readability with 400nit brightness – 100% brighter than normal laptop displays, enabling full visual experience even outdoors.

The SLATE PC Series 7 boots up in 15 seconds and wakes from standby in 2 seconds.

Below are the key specifications.

System Configuration
CPU Intel Huron River Core i5 2467M / Core i3
Operating System Genuine Windows 7 Professional
LCD 11.6” HD display, 16:9 aspect ratio, 400nit brightness, PLS(view angle>=170 degree)
GFX Intel HD Graphics 3000
Memory 2GB / 4GB DDR3 1333MHz
Storage 64 / 128 GB SSD
Webcam Front : 2.0M, Rear: 3.0M
WWAN HSPA+ (802.11 bgn)
PAN BT 3.0
Battery 40Wh (up to 6 hours – based on Mobile Mark test)
Dimensions/Wt 12.9mm / 860g (0.5” / 1.89lbs)
Input / Output
Input Capacitive Touch + Digitizer/ AF Coating, Durable Glass
Ports 1x USB2.0 (Type A), m-HDMI, Audio (in/out), micro SD slot
Dock Connector Interface: USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, DC-in, HDMI
Keyboard Bluetooth keyboard (optional)

New smartphone headphones: Sony XBA-1VP and XBA-2VP

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

Sony has introduced today two new Balanced Armature (BA) headphones with remote control for smartphones. The XBA-1VP and XBA-2VP headphones will be available in Asia Pacific from May 2012. Prices will be released later.

Sony XBA-2VP headphones with woofer and magnesium inner housing.

Sony XBA-2VP headphones with woofer and magnesium inner housing.

The two new headphones are the latest additions to the popular XBA series that was launched in September last year.

Sony XBA headphones will be available in May 2012.The two new headphones, XBA-1VP and XBA-2VP, feature micro-sized BA units that produce crystal clear sound reproduction and quality across the range of frequencies, giving audiophiles a more enjoyable listening experience while not compromising on comfort and mobility.

Sony XBA-1VP headphones uses Liquid Crystal Polymer.

Sony XBA-1VP headphones uses Liquid Crystal Polymer.

The XBA-1VP contains one full range driver unit, whereas the XBA-2VP has a woofer added into the mix to deliver high sensitive accurate frequencies with a rich bass, making vocals clearer for the discerning listener.

Both headphones were designed to block off acoustic sound to reduce ambient noise and sound leakage by utilising a doubled layered housing casing.

The XBA-1VP uses Liquid Crystal Polymer and the XBA-2VP possesses a magnesium inner housing to ensure a smooth surround sound with a clear and distinct mid-high range.

The special ABS material used for the outer housing in both headphones prevents any unwanted distortions and vibrations.

TODAY! HTC One X and HTC One V hit the shelves

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

The HTC One X (S$898 without contract) and HTC One V (S$398) are available in Singapore from today, after their launch last Friday.

Lennard Hoornik - President, HTC South Asia - waxes lyrical about the HTC One X.

Lennard Hoornik - President, HTC South Asia - waxes lyrical about the HTC One X.

“One of the key objectives for the HTC One series, was to enable the user to remember their best moments in life easily, whether it be capturing a photo or listening to a song, so it was crucial for us to improve these emotional experiences with an amazing camera and authentic sound experience,” said Lennard Hoornik.I had the chance to speak with Lennard Hoornik during the launch of the HTC One series of smartphones last Friday at Marina Bay Sands.

Lennard Hoornik is the President of HTC South Asia.

On the impending retirement of HTCSense.com’s cloud backup services, Hoornik pointed out that – with the Android’s in-built synching functionalities through Google, coupled with Dropbox integration with the HTC One smartphones – there was no need to replicate the services.

The HTC One X

I was also given a demo by Darren Sng of how the Media Link enabled the content and media of the HTC One X to be “thrown” onto an HDTV in the living room – so that others could view videos on the phone or view web sites accessed by the smartphone.

The Senior Director of Asia Product Marketing at HTC also described how the HTC Car app makes it easy for the driver to control and play music from the HTC One X on the car’s sound system.

A HTC Car Stereo Clip that is plugged into the auxillary socket of the car stereo allows wireless reception of music from the HTC One X, while large icons on the smartphone’s screen make it easier for the driver to take calls and play music.

Both the Media Link and the Car Stereo Clip are sold separately.

Below are the key specifications of the HTC One X and HTC One V.

HTC One X HTC One V
OS Android 4.0(ICS) with HTC Sense 4
Display 4.7″, 1280 x 720 3.7″, 480 x 800
CPU NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-core, 1.5GHz 1GHz
Memory 32GB 4GB
Dropbox 25GB – free for 2 years
Size 134.36 x 69.9 x 8.9 mm 120.3 x 59.7 x 9.24 mm
Weight
(with Bty)
130g 115g
Sound Beats Audio
Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • micro-USB port
  • 3.5MM stereo audio jack
  • DLNA
  • Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • micro-USB port
  • 3.5MM stereo audio jack
  • microSD card slot
Camera
  • 8 megapixel
  • f2.0, 28mm lens
  • Autofocus + flash
  • 1080p HD video recording
  • 1.3 MP front camera
  • 5 megapixel
  • f2.0, 28mm lens
  • Autofocus + flash
  • 720p HD video recording
Battery 1800mAh 1500mAh
Talk time
  • Up to 800min (WCDMA)
  • Up to 1020min (GSM)
  • Up to 500min (WCDMA)
  • Up to 540min (GSM)
Standby Time
  • Up to 525hr (WCDMA)
  • Up to 545hr (GSM)
  • Up to 617hr (WCDMA)
  • Up to 533hr (GSM)

Darth Vader’s voice on TomTom GPS makes babies happy

Sunday, April 1st, 2012

Following six months of research and rigorous tests, TomTom’s Navigation Laboratory (NavLab) has discovered that Darth Vader’s navigation voice increases children’s happiness in the car by over 68%.

More than 300 baby and toddler volunteers took parts in Project GAGA, the NavLab research project to find the perfect satnav voice for families with small children.

Of course this has been TomTom’s April Fools’ joke.

But jokes aside, I used the TomTom 750 GPS last year during my self-drive family holiday in Germany with two young kids in tow.

You won’t believe how much fun the kids had listening to the various voices providing turn-by-turn navigation instructions from the portable navigation device.

We tried out Bugs Bunny, Homer Simpsons and Ken with the Australian accent.

But it was Darth Vader and Yoda which battled it out for the top favourite spot. Eventually, we decided the dark lord had just that bit of an edge over the benevolent Jedi master.

To be honest, I had initially thought the celebrity voices feature was a useless gimmick.

But after we had so much fun, we really liked it. The whole family had such a laugh on those long drives imitating the accents and nuances of those voices.

We were like going “Turn around where possible … <heavy breathing> … I sense your lack of faith disturbing,” and “Take the left turn … <heavy breathing> … and face your destiny, you are coming over … <heavy breathing> … to the dark side”.

New Zealand-based Valerie Cross of TomTom told me during her visit to Singapore that the All Blacks did a recording too for TomTom – who had truckloads of fun improvising around the provided script.

I would love to hear that some time.