Archive for the ‘Brands’ Category

Review: Toshiba Satellite U840 Series Ultrabook

Monday, March 19th, 2012

I took the new Toshiba Satellite U840 ultra book for a ride last week. After a week of bringing it along for meetings and presentations, it proved a good balance between portability and performance.

Toshiba Satellite U840 Series ultrabook - portability and performance.

Toshiba Satellite U840 Series ultrabook - portability and performance.

The Satellite U840 Series of ultrabooks is Toshiba’s first line of 14-inch ultrabooks – after the computer maker’s debut into the ultrabook arena with its 13.3-inch Z830 ultrabook last year.

Side view - only 20mm thin.

Side view - only 20mm thin.

Compared with its 1.12kg predecessor, the 1.59kg Satellite U840 is heavier and only slightly bigger, but is considerably more affordable.

The Z830 costs almost twice the U840, which starts at S$1,399.

The Windows 7 Satellite U840 is comparable with other ultrabooks on the market (such as the Samsung Series 5 Ultra and HP Envy 14 Spectre) in terms of appearance and performance.

Most ultrabooks feature similar metallic brushed aluminum casings.

But the U840 weighs lighter because it does not include an optical drive.

The Toshiba Satellite U840 is what an ultrabook is meant to be – a good balance between portability and performance. It has the needed performance to excel in daily business and personal needs; yet is portable enough lug around in a bag without breaking your back (or your bank).

Read on below to find out what I liked and disliked about the Toshiba Satellite U840 ultrabook during the test-drive.

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New voice recorders: Olympus VN-711PC and VN-712PC

Sunday, March 18th, 2012

The VN-711PC (S$98) and VN-712PC (S$128) from Olympus are now available. These new entry-level recorders come with a built-in stand and 2GB of internal memory.

The new Olympus VN-711PC (S$98) and VN-712PC (S$128) voice recorders are available now.

The new Olympus VN-711PC (S$98) and VN-712PC (S$128) voice recorders are available now.

Olympus VN-711PC

Olympus VN-711PC

The Olympus VN-711PC and VN-712PC are simple to operate and allows beginners and students to record messages, notes and conversations.

Large buttons make the recorders easy to operate, and the adjustable font size on the LCD means that all information is clearly seen on the screen.

Up to 99 index marks can be set to flag important places in individual recordings.

An integrated low noise microphone promises a high signal-to-noise ratio.

Files can be saved in WMA format.

The internal memory of 2GB enables up to 34 days of recording time. Up to 1,000 files can be stored across five folders.

Additional features of theVN-712PC

Olympus VN-712PC

Olympus VN-712PC

The VN-712PC has a microSD Card slot to extend storage capacity.

A new Calendar Search function has been added to help find files quickly and easily.

A dedicated file search button allows users to locate files by recording date.

In addition to WMA, recordings can be saved in MP3 format.

During playback, a Voice Filter improves the sound quality of human voice and variable playback speed control means users can make adjustments to suit their personal listening preferences.

The Scene Select function ensures optimal recordings through preset environmental settings that can be selected based upon surrounding conditions, and a low-cut filter can be invoked to further enhance recording quality.

Main features of the VN-711PC and VN-712PC are listed below.

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Exhibition: 4 continents in 3D

Saturday, March 17th, 2012

Extremely realistic 3D imageries of people and places across 12 countries in 4 continents. I was amazed at the dimensionality of the imagery.

The free exhibition is from 14-29 March (10am to 7pm) at The Arts House.

Stefen Chow being interviewed at the launch of the exhibition.

Stefen Chow being interviewed at the launch of the exhibition.

The exhibition comprises a number of wall-mounted LG Cinema 3D TVs using battery-free glasses.

Each of the two cameras need to be aligned and adjusted manually for each shot.

Each of the two cameras need to be aligned and adjusted manually for each shot.

Each TV showcases a different set of imageries taken by award-winning Stefen Chow for the international Denis Group, a Singapore-headquartered company established in 1862 which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

The stereoscopic imagery were taken using a pair of Nikon D7000 DSLRs mounted on a slider which allowed the distance between the two cameras to be varied whilst maintaining the carefully calibrated alignment between the two cameras.

The slider was in turn mounted on a tripod for stability.

The whole contraption was custom designed and built after a survey and evaluation by Chow found the quality of 3D pictures produced by consumer cameras inadequate for his liking.

Improvised twin-barreled 3D shooting rig.

Improvised twin-barreled 3D shooting rig.

He did not use the higher-end Nikon cameras because the minimum distance between the two lenses – when the two cameras were placed side-by-side – were bigger than that needed in certain shooting situations.

For each imagery, every setting (focus, white balance, exposure etc) had to be put on manual to ensure both cameras produced imageries with consistent focus and exposure – so that they could be merged into 3D imagery.

Chow told me that the time taken to set up the rig and prepare for the shot took at least 30 minutes. In all, he snapped more than 700GB of imagery for the project.

Who is Stefen Chow?

Stefen Chow, award winning photographer.Stefen Chow has been awarded in PDN, PX3 and was nominated for the PDN 30 and World Press Photo Masterclass.

Stefen has worked with Geo, Time Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Bloomberg News, Aurora Select, Cartier, Keppel Shipyard, Nikon and Shell International.

His works have been exhibited in cities including Los Angeles, Paris, Beijing and Singapore. He is an endorsed Nikon Professional with Nikon Singapore.

An accomplished adventurer, Stefen summitted Mount Everest, becoming one of the rare individuals to climb and photograph the mountain.

TODAY! Three super-zoom Nikon COOLPIX cameras arrives in Singapore

Friday, March 16th, 2012

The Nikon COOLPIX L310 (S$339), S9200 (S$509), and S9300 (S$549) are available in Singapore from today.

The Nikon COOLPIX super zoom S9200, L310 and S9300 hits the shelves in Singapore today.

The Nikon COOLPIX super zoom S9200, L310 and S9300 hits the shelves in Singapore today.

The three COOLPIX compact cameras were first unveiled on 1 February as part of Nikon’s COOLPIX Spring 2012 collection of 14 camera models.

Below are the details:

Nikon COOLPIX L310, S$339 COOLPIX L310

S$339

  • Black
  • 14.1 megapixels
  • 21x optical zoom with wide-angle capability.
  • Focal range: 25 mm wide-angle to 525 mm super-telephoto.
  • Large 3-inch TFT LCD monitor.
Nikon COOLPIX S9200, S$509 COOLPIX S9200

S$509

  • Silver
  • Black
  • Brown
  • Navy
  • 16.0 megapixels
  • 18x optical zoom lens with 25 mm to 450mm
  • Night Portrait, Backlighting, Night Landscape Mode
  • Records Full-HD Movies with Stereo Sound
  • Crisp 3-Inch TFT LCD Monitor
Nikon COOLPIX S9300, S$549 COOLPIX S9300

S$549

  • Silver
  • Black
  • Red
  • Blue
  • 16.0 megapixels
  • 18x optical zoom lens with 25 mm to 450mm
  • Night Portrait, Backlighting, Night Landscape Mode
  • Records Full-HD Movies with Stereo Sound
  • Crisp 3-Inch TFT LCD Monitor
  • GPS, Electronic Compass, Log Function, and Point-of-Interest Display

Panasonic camcorders: Spring/Summer 2012 line-up

Friday, March 16th, 2012

For camcorders, Panasonic has a line-up of 9 new models that will hit the shelves in April. These comprise the HC-X900 & HC-X900M, HC-V700, HC-V500 & HC-V500M, HC-V100, HC-V10, HX-WA20, and HX-DC2.

Panasonic's Summer/Spring line-up of camcorder ranges from the compact HC-V10 to the flagship HC-X900M.

Panasonic's Summer/Spring line-up of camcorder ranges from the compact HC-V10 to the flagship HC-X900M.

Panasonic’s nine new camcorders for Spring/Summer 2012 features advanced lenses; high sensitivity sensors; sophisticated Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.) capabilities; and powerful image-enhancing engines.

HD Writer video editing software is included with all models.

Flagship HC-X900 and HC-X900M

Panasonic HC-X900

Panasonic HC-X900

The re-engineered F1.5 LEICA Dicomar lens of the flagship HC-X900 and HC-X900M enables bright image rendering, high corner-to-corner resolution and Nano Surface Coating Technology to significantly reduce ghosting and flaring, which minimises distortion and degradation of contrast.

The advanced 3MOS Sensor is capable of high-speed processing of massive number of pixels – approximately equivalent to four times the pixel count of Full-HD – using pixel shift technology with submicron accuracy, to produce high-detailed images with excellent colour reproduction.

Panasonic HC-X900M

Panasonic HC-X900M

The newly-developed, ultra-high speed Crystal Engine Pro II can also dramatically reduce noise by 40% compared to the previous models to record clear, stunningly beautiful images even in dim lighting.

The new Hybrid O.I.S.+ corrects horizontal, vertical, yawing and pitching movements made by the hand during recording; while its five-axis correction capability takes care of any rolling motions resulting from walking.

3D shooting is enabled by the 3D Conversion Lens, creating the realistic depth, texture and dimensionality of 3D.

HC-V700

Panasonic HC-V700

Panasonic HC-V700

The HC-V700 features a 28mm wide angle for recording in tight spaces such as indoors.

The 46x Intelligent Zoom extends ultra-telephoto shooting beyond the range of the 21x optical zoom; while the HYBRID O.I.S.+ suppresses blurring across an entire zoom range even for handheld zoom shots in high magnification, to ensure crisp and beautiful images..

Images taken in 2D can also be converted to 3D with the new 2D to 3D Conversion Function.

HC-V500 and HC-V500M

Intelligent Zoom is up to 50x, using the LSI “Crystal Engine PRO” image processing engine.

Panasonic HC-V500 & HC-V500M

Panasonic HC-V500 & HC-V500M

Hybrid O.I.S.+ and five-axis correction are also available.

Advanced Highlight Playback function enables quick viewing of recorded images. The Intelligent Index System detects zooming, panning, scene changes and faces in recorded images as “highlights” and then automatically plays back the detected highlight scenes – and scenes that the user has personally selected – according to a set time interval.

HC-V100 and HC-V10

Panasonic HC-V100

Panasonic HC-V100

Both models are compact and lightweight, and feature high optical zooms stabilised by the POWER O.I.S.

The HC-V100 has an 42x Intelligent Zoom, as well as Power O.I.S., with a continuous recording time of up to 165 minutes on a fully charged battery; while the HC-V10 has an even more powerful 63x optical zoom lens that can be “enhanced” to 70x.

HX-DC2 (monitor folded in) & HX-WA20

HX-DC2 (monitor folded in) & HX-WA20

HX-WA20 and HX-DC2

For active outdoor use, check out the new waterproof (up to 3m) and dustproof HX-WA20.

It can record fast moving sports motion at 240 fps (640×360 px) or 480 fps (320×180 px) for 15 seconds, and then playback in slow-motion at 60 fps at ¼ or ⅛ of the original speed, allowing analysis of golf swings etc.

Both the HX-WA20 (16.4 MP) and HX-DC2 (14.4) shoot Full-HD, HDR stills and 5x optical zoom.

Lumix compact cameras: Spring/Summer 2012 line-up

Thursday, March 15th, 2012

Panasonic has a line-up of 10 new Lumix compacts comprising 4 from the High Zoom series, 2 from the Tough and Active series, and 4 from the Stylish Casual series. Prices are yet to be announced but they will be available in April.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ30 pays a visit to the Mont Saint-Michel.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ30 pays a visit to the Mont Saint-Michel.

The slew of 10 new models features optical zoom LEICA DC lens starting from ultra wide angles, ultra-thin aspherical lens system. as well as nano surface coating technology for superior image quality.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-SZ1, SZ7, TZ25 and TZ30 from the High Zoom series.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-SZ1, SZ7, TZ25 and TZ30 from the High Zoom series.

4 new High Zoom LUMIX cameras

The four new travel companions comprises the LUMIX DMC-TZ30 (14.1 MP) and TZ25 (12.1 MP), as well as the slimmer LUMIX DMC-SZ1 (16.1 MP) and SZ7 (14.1 MP).

The TZ30 comes with a powerful 20x optical zoom and an upgraded built-in Global Positioning System (GPS) for the avid traveller.

Starting from a wide angle of 24mm to the maximum zoom at 480mm, the TZ30 sports a 20x optical zoom LEICA DC lens, up from 16x in its predecessor.

The GPS allows geo-tagging for photos taken in 203 countries.

The DMC-SZ7 has a 14.1-megapixel MOS sensor with full-HD video recording while the DMC-SZ1 has a 16.1-megapixel CCD sensor and HD?? video recording.

The more modest 10x optical zoom starts from a wide angle of 25mm and zooms to 250mm.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT4 and FT20 from the Tough and Active series.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT4 and FT20 from the Tough and Active series.

2 new Tough and Active LUMIX cameras

For the more adventurous photographers with a more active lifestyle, there is the LUMIX DMC-FT4 (12.1 MP) and FT20 (16.1 MP).

The all-weather DMC-FT4 is fully protected against water immersion (up to 12m), dust and sand, as it is strengthened with inner rubber padding and reinforced glass.

It is also freeze-proof, enduring temperatures down to -10 degree Celsius.

With shock-resistant material on the exterior and folded optics and supplementary dampener to protect its lens unit, the FT4 is dust-proof up to a height of 2 metres

The FT4 is also equipped with a built-in GPS.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FH6, FH8, FX80 and S2 from the Stylish Casual series.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FH6, FH8, FX80 and S2 from the Stylish Casual series.

4 new Stylish Casual LUMIX cameras

For casual users looking for a stylish and compact shooter, there is the LUMIX DMC-FH6 (14.1 MP), FH8 (16.1 MP), FX80 (12.1 MP) and S2 (14.1 MP).

The DMC-FX80, DMC-FH8 and DMC-FH6 are all slim, because of the LEICA DC Vario-Summarit lens rated at F2.5.

The 5x optical zoom ranges from 24mm ultra wide-angle to 120mm.

The DMC-FH8, DMC-FH6, and DMC-S2 are capable of recording dynamic HD video in 1280 x 720 p at a smooth 25p (PAL) in MP4 (FH8) or Motion JPEG (FH6).

The DMC-FX80 is capable of full-HD recording at 1920 x 1080 50i (PAL) videos in AVCHD (MPEG-4/H.264) format.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III in Singapore on 17 March

Thursday, March 15th, 2012

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III will be available at all authorised Canon dealers on Saturday, 17 March. Body only: S$4,699. Body + Kit lens: S$5,999. The kit lens will be the EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM.

 

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III will hit Singapore stores on 17 March, Saturday.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III will hit Singapore stores on 17 March, Saturday.

Globally launched two weeks ago, the 22.3-megapixel DSLR from Canon will hit the stores in Singapore this Saturday – two days from now.

The online estimate of US$3,500 for the body turned out to be rather accurate.

The BG-E11 battery grip will be only be available in end April.

WD S25 SAS hard drives for enterprises

Tuesday, March 13th, 2012

Western Digital is now shipping its third-generation enterprise 2.5-inch SAS hard drive family to OEMs. They will be available from select resellers and distributors worldwide next quarter.

The WD S25 SAS hard drives are available in capacities of 300 GB, 450 GB, 600 GB, and 900 GB.

The WD S25 SAS hard drives are available in capacities of 300 GB, 450 GB, 600 GB, and 900 GB.

The WD S25 SAS hard drives offer greater support for performance-optimised, mission-critical enterprise server, storage environments.

“Continuing our commitment to the industry’s fastest-growing segment – 2.5-inch drives – WD is updating our small form factor SAS offering with the advanced technology of our third-generation drive, including a new 900 GB capacity point,” said Darwin Kauffman, vice president of enterprise storage solutions, WD.The 2.5-inch, 10,000 RPM hard drive has a high-speed 6 Gb/s SAS interface — offering IT professionals a more advanced array of reliable, efficient, and high-performance storage.

They are available in capacities of 300 GB, 450 GB, 600 GB, and 900 GB.

The WD S25 line is designed for the most demanding applications such as online transaction processing and multi-tiered networked storage arrays.

A small form factor allows greater system airflow, resulting in lower cooling costs.

The latest WD S25 SAS drives require less than 8 watts to operate and have a 2.0 M hour MTBF rating — the industry’s highest.

WD’s third-generation of 2.5-inch SAS drives are also its first to include support for T10 Protection Information (PI) for advanced data integrity, and the first to provide optional models that feature drive-level self-encryption that meets the Trusted Computing Group’s specification for Enterprise Class A encryption.

Check out the detailed specifications in the factsheet below.

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Norton Mobile Security protection for Samsung GALAXY smartphones

Monday, March 12th, 2012

Samsung Galaxy users worldwide will get a full-featured Norton Mobile Security free for 90 days. Usually, a one-year license costs S$19.90.

Complimentary 90-day subscription of Norton Mobile Security for Samsung GALAXY smartphones.

Complimentary 90-day subscription of Norton Mobile Security for Samsung GALAXY smartphones.

Norton Mobile Security, an application for Android OS, is available in multiple languages.

“With smartphone sales now outpacing PC sales, cybercriminals are devising new threats everyday to steal from mobile users. Consumers need to be protected more than ever,” said Janice Chaffin, group president, Consumer Business Unit, Symantec.Samsung Galaxy users will be able to download it from Samsung Apps.

Norton Mobile Security can be downloaded from the ‘Utility’ category in Samsung Apps or by entering ‘Norton Mobile Security’ into the search query at the Samsung Apps.

Norton Mobile Security supports all Samsung Galaxy Android smartphones, including Galaxy S2.

Norton Mobile Security combines anti-theft features with powerful anti-malware to protect user’s important data from loss, theft, viruses and other threats.

The following are the main features.

  • Remote Locate — Shows you the location of your smartphone so you can find if it’s lost or stolen.
  • Remote Lock — Lets you remotely lock your lost or stolen phone via the Internet or SMS to keep critical data safe and block unauthorized access.
  • Remote Wipe — Lets you remotely erase the data on your phone via SMS, blocking access to your private information. In addition, your phone is instantly locked if its SIM card is removed or replaced, so it can’t be used with another SIM card.
  • Anti-malware — Scans all files and application updates downloaded to your mobile phone and automatically detects and removes threats without slowing you down.
  • SD Card Scanning — Gives you the option of automatically scanning SD (Secure Digital) memory cards for threats when you plug them into mobile phone.
  • Automatic LiveUpdate — Automatically downloads and installs security updates keeping you a step ahead of cybercriminals.

IT Show 2012 promotions: Lenovo

Saturday, March 10th, 2012

Lenovo will be at the IT Show 2012 in Suntec Singapore at Level 4, Hall 401, Booth 8358.

Click to view or download Lenovo's IT Show 2012 flyer for tablet computers.

Click to view or download Lenovo's IT Show 2012 flyer for tablet computers.

Check out the promotional discounts and freebies for Lenovo’s tablets, notebooks and desktop computers.

You can view or download Lenovo’s IT Show 2012 flyers below.

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