Archive for the ‘Brands’ Category

POTD: Carpets to spruce up the home for Hari Raya Puasa

Friday, July 26th, 2013

For Muslims sprucing up their homes for Hari Raya Puasa, there is a wide selection of carpets at the Ramadan Night Bazaar.

Carpets with modern designs with modern designs and abstract patterns. Both photos taken with a Nikon D600 with AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Carpets with modern designs with modern designs and abstract patterns. Both photos taken with a Nikon D600 with AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

From traditional geometric patterns to more modern designs with sceneries or abstract shapes, you’ll be spoilt for choice when choosing a carpet to decorate your home.

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BlackBerry launches Q5 QWERTY smartphone in Singapore

Thursday, July 25th, 2013

The mid-range LTE and NFC capable BlackBerry Q5 runs on the BlackBerry 10 operating system and will be available in Singapore on 2 August in Black and Pure White from M1, SingTel and StarHub.

RRP: SGD$528 (without line contract).

The BlackBerry Q5 (SGD$528 without line contract) will be available in Singapore on 2 August in Black and Pure White from M1, SingTel and StarHub. The Red version is not available in Singapore.

The BlackBerry Q5 (SGD$528 without line contract) will be available in Singapore on 2 August in Black and Pure White from M1, SingTel and StarHub. The Red version is not available in Singapore.

The Q5 comes with the classic BlackBerry physical keypad and is the younger sibling of the Q10.

It occupies the market segment previously held by BlackBerry’s Curve series, and is targeted at the young and fun-loving crowd.

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POTD: New clothes for Hari Raya Puasa or Eid al-Fitr

Thursday, July 25th, 2013

Apart from selling food for breaking of fast, the Ramadan Night Bazaar also sells plenty of interesting and beautiful stuff to help Muslims prepare for Hari Raya Puasa at the end of the fasting month.

Baju Kurung in many colours for the men. Both photos taken with a Nikon D600 with AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Baju Kurung in many colours for the men. Both photos taken with a Nikon D600 with AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Once the fasting month of Ramadan ends, the first day of the next month (Shawwal) is celebrated as Eid al-Fitr – the Arabic term meaning “festival of breaking of the fast”.

“除了卖开斋食品以外,回教斋月夜市也摆卖许多其他物品,譬如新衣,新鞋以及装饰品等。斋月过后,就是庆祝开斋节的时候了。大家都得穿上颜色鲜艳抢眼的新衣拜访亲戚朋友。” – 科技点心(微薄)

The day is known as Hari Raya Puasa in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei; and is also known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri or Hari Raya Idul Fitri.

Hari Raya means “celebration day” in Malay.

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POTD: Breaking the fast at the end of the day during Ramadan

Wednesday, July 24th, 2013

Since this is the month of Ramadan, I will be featuring photos that I took during a visit to a night Bazaar in Geylang Serai in Singapore.

After sunset, Muslims that had fasted all day file into the night bazaar, while food stall holders dish out freshly cooked food. The Arabic term for the evening breakfast is Iftar, while in Malaysia and Indonesia, the breaking of fast is termed “berbuka puasa” and “buka puasa” respectively.

After sunset, Muslims who fasted all day file into the night bazaar, while food stall holders dish out freshly cooked food. The Arabic term for the evening breakfast is Iftar, while in Malaysia and Indonesia, the breaking of fast is termed “berbuka puasa” and “buka puasa” respectively.

This is the first in a series of photos that I will be posting on the Ramadan Bazaar.

The night markets bristle with activity especially around the Islamic month of Ramadan, which culminates with the Hari Raya Puasa.

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New Windows Phone: Fun, Fast and Affordable Nokia Lumia 625

Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013

The affordable priced Lumia 625 is Nokia’s largest Windows Phone so far, with a 4.7-inch LCD screen and 4G Internet access.

RRP: 220 Euros (before taxes and subsidies), available in selected regions in Q3 2013.

Available in orange, yellow, bright green, white and black in an array of changeable shells.

Available in orange, yellow, bright green, white and black in an array of changeable shells.

The Nokia Lumia 625 includes many innovations found in the recently announced flagship Nokia Lumia 1020.

Nokia Lumia 625
OS Windows Phone 8
Screen 4.7″ IPS LCD
Resolution 800 x 480 WVGA @ 201ppi
Battery 2,000 mAh
Processor 1.2 GHz Dual Core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4
Camera Rear: 5mp
Front: VGA
Video 1080p@30fps
Memory Int: 8 GB
Ext: 64 GB microSD
Size /mm 133.2 x 72.2 x 9.2
Weight 159 g
Price 220 Euros

These include a range of integrated camera applications such Nokia Smart Camera and Nokia Cinemagraph.

Nokia Smart Camera offers a burst of 7 shots for capturing of action sequences or removal of unwanted objects from the photo.

Nokia Cinemagraph incorporates movement into still photos by recording animated GIF images.

The successor to the Nokia Lumia 620 has a screen resolution (201ppi) that’s roughly half that of other pricier large-screen smartphones like the Samsung GALAXY S4.

The Nokia Lumia 625 is planned to begin selling in China, Europe, Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, Africa and Latin America in Q3 2013.

The Nokia Lumia 625 is powered by Windows Phone 8 and ships with the Nokia Lumia Amber update.

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ASUS Xonar Essence STU USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier launched

Monday, July 22nd, 2013

Features clear 120dB SNR and asynchronous USB audio with a 600 ohm headphone amplifier and swappable Op-Amps. Available for SGD$599 @ Cybermind and Ban Leong Technologies Online Store.

ASUS Xonar Essence STU USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier

ASUS Xonar Essence STU USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier

The ASUS Xonar Essence STU USB DAC and headphone amplifier inherits and improves on the audio quality of Xonar Essence ST/STX sound cards.

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Photography tips and experiences from pro Scott A. Woodward

Saturday, July 20th, 2013

Scott A. Woodward is a SanDisk Extreme Team member, a Nikon Professional Photographer and a Getty Images Global Assignments photographer. He shares his experiences and photography tips in a Q&A below.

Scott A. Woodward at one of four sessions of Nikon's

Scott A. Woodward at one of four sessions of Nikon’s “I am a Fashionista” photography workshop in Singapore.

Woodward shared three tips for beginners who are starting out: Be inspired, Play with light, Experiment.

1. Be inspired

Do a little research about the who or what you will be shooting ahead of time. The more you know about what or who you will be shooting, the better prepared you can be.

Try to have some ideas for the types of photographs you want to create beforehand. There is no shame in looking at other photographers’ interpretations of a location or scene.

Use others’ work – there is an endless stream of imagery from photographers across the globe on Instagram and Flickr and Twitter – to be inspired and help get your creative juices flowing so you can create your own unique photography.

2. Play with light

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Casio celebrates 30 years of G-SHOCK watches in Singapore

Friday, July 19th, 2013

G-SHOCK’s 30th anniversary was celebrated with a dance and music extravaganza as well as the launch of timepieces by local designers.

The tough ‘indestructible’ G-SHOCK watches were conceived and designed in 1983 by Kikuo Ibe (伊部菊雄), Research and Development Chief Engineer of Casio Japan.

The tough ‘indestructible’ G-SHOCK watches were conceived and designed in 1983 by Kikuo Ibe (伊部菊雄), Research and Development Chief Engineer of Casio Japan.

The Casio G-SHOCK “SHOCK THE WORLD” has been to New York, Berlin, Paris, Tokyo and Dubai, since its inception in 2009.

Kikuo Ibe(伊部菊雄) sharing how he had conceived the idea of a ruggedised digital watched and brought it to fruition from concept to commercial success.

Kikuo Ibe(伊部菊雄) sharing how he had conceived the idea of a ruggedised digital watched and brought it to fruition from concept to commercial success.

To mark G-SHOCK’s milestone 30th anniversary in Singapore, this year’s “SHOCK THE WORLD 2013” tour in Singapore was held at The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel, at the Resorts World Sentosa.

“When we first started G-SHOCK, we wanted to challenge conventional wisdom that a wrist watch always had to be handled with care,” recalled Kikuo Ibe(伊部菊雄) – the creator of G-SHOCK – and now the Research and Development Chief Engineer of Casio Japan.

The event featured the unveiling of limited edition stylised G-SHOCK watches designed by local design icon, Keith Png, who has dressed international movie stars like Zhang Ziyi and the design collective duo, Andrew Loh and Kenny Lim of Depression, who are known across Asia for their signature bold, monochromatic designs.

The “SHOCK THE WORLD 2013” Singapore party was hosted by MTV VJ and popular television personality, Max Loong.

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Apple unveils Logic Pro X (with Drummer & Flex Pitch) & MainStage 3

Tuesday, July 16th, 2013

Logic Pro X features a new interface for pros, new creative tools for musicians, and an expanded collection of instruments and effects.

Apple Logic Pro X (S$258.98), MainStage 3 (S$38.98) and Logic Remote (free) are now available for download from the Mac App Store.

Apple Logic Pro X (S$258.98), MainStage 3 (S$38.98) and Logic Remote (free) are now available for download from the Mac App Store.

Logic Pro X includes Drummer, a new feature that provides a virtual session player that automatically plays along with your song in a wide variety of drumming styles and techniques.

Prices

Logic Pro X (S$258.98), MainStage 3 (S$38.98) and Logic Remote (free) are now available for download from the Mac App Store.

Also included is Flex Pitch, which provides integrated pitch editing for audio recordings.

Apple also introduced Logic Remote, an innovative new way to play and control Logic Pro X from your iPad, giving musicians the flexibility to create and mix their music from anywhere in the room.

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Microsoft reduces Surface RT tablet prices amid weak demand

Tuesday, July 16th, 2013

With immediate effect, Microsoft is cutting the prices of its Surface RT tablets worldwide. Local and US price revisions within. Surface Pro prices remain unchanged.

Surface is the first computer made and directly sold by Microsoft.

Surface is the first computer made and directly sold by Microsoft.

According to research house IDC, the device has been largely shunned by consumers and corporate customers since its debut in October, selling just 900,000 units in each of its first two quarter on the market.

“Microsoft is cutting the price of its Surface RT tablet by as much as 30 percent as the device struggles to lure customers amid competition from machines such as Apple’s iPad”, according to a report from Bloomberg.

The foray by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer into selling hardware is amidst a worldwide decline in sales of personal computer and demand for Windows.

Only last week, Ballmer had unveiled a significant reorganisation intended to streamline management and increase growth in areas such as tablets and mobile computing.

IDC predicts that tablets will outsell PCs by 2015.

Currently, 3.7% of tablets run Microsoft Windows operating system.

In Singapore, the price reductions (from Microsoft Singapore) are around 19-27% and are highlighted in red below.

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