Archive for the ‘Brands’ Category

Event forecast: Huawei to launch P20 flagship smartphone in Paris

Saturday, March 3rd, 2018

Huawei has sent out invitations to the launch on 27 March, 2018 in Paris, France.

Would be interesting to see how Huawei leverages AI in its next flagship Android smartphone.

Would be interesting to see how Huawei leverages AI in its next flagship Android smartphone.

Huawei’s next flagship Android smartphone in its P-series lineup will be the P20.

The launch in Paris, France will be one month after the MWC 2018 in February.

Opinion: Alex Manea (BlackBerry) on 4 Cybersecurity Trends of 2018

Friday, March 2nd, 2018

Based on countless conversations over the past 12 months with customers, partners, government officials, Blackberry’s internal cybersecurity experts, and leaders from both the security and research communities, Alex Manea – Chief Security Officer at BlackBerry – shares what he believes are the Cybersecurity Trends for 2018.

As BlackBerry’s Chief Security Officer, Alex Manea regularly speaks to Fortune 500 C-Suites and leaders representing the world’s top global brands, listening and learning about what security concerns keep them up at night. Alex also tries to spend just as much time speaking with security researchers – ethical hackers devoted to discovering security flaws and vulnerabilities.

As BlackBerry’s Chief Security Officer, Alex Manea regularly speaks to Fortune 500 C-Suites and leaders representing the world’s top global brands, listening and learning about what security concerns keep them up at night. Alex also tries to spend just as much time speaking with security researchers – ethical hackers devoted to discovering security flaws and vulnerabilities.

While many other things will impact the cybersecurity industry this year, I believe those I elaborate below will be some of the biggest trends for 2018.

Though these trends may seem bleak to some, they too present many opportunities and possibilities if we are well prepared.

So here goes…

#1: 2018 will be the worst year to date for cyberattacks

IT departments are being tasked to manage increasingly complex networks, support new types of endpoints, and protect more and more sensitive data.

Legacy systems are still rampant throughout most industries and cannot be easily upgraded or replaced.

“With 2017 being the worst year ever for cyberattacks, it is tempting to think that we have hit rock bottom, but what we have seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg.

The fundamental issues that have caused the majority of recent cyberbreaches have not been resolved.”

These systems often contain publicly known software vulnerabilities which can be exploited to penetrate the corporate network.

At the same time, attackers are getting increasingly sophisticated and have more incentives than ever to mount cyberattacks.

From building ransomware or mounting DDoS attacks and demanding bitcoin payments, to working with organised crime and even national governments, malicious hackers have numerous ways to monetise their skills and to protect themselves.

Governments and enterprises are recognising these new threats and deploying modern security solutions, but it will take years to decommission all of the legacy systems.

2018 will be yet another year where the shortcuts of the past come back to haunt us.

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New arrival: Sony A7 III full-frame mirrorless camera

Thursday, March 1st, 2018

The new Sony A7 III camera and SEL2870 lens will be available in selected Asia Pacific countries in March 2018. Prices TBA.

The A7 III is capable of continuous shooting at up to 10 fps with either mechanical shutter or silent shooting and full Auto Focus/Auto Exposure tracking.

The A7 III is capable of continuous shooting at up to 10 fps with either mechanical shutter or silent shooting and full Auto Focus/Auto Exposure tracking.

The Sony A7 III ships with a newly developed full-frame 24.2-megapixel back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS image sensor with Evolved Image Processing.

The AF III is equipped with a 5-axis optical in-body image stabilisation with a 5 step shutter speed advantage.

The AF III is equipped with a 5-axis optical in-body image stabilisation with a 5 step shutter speed advantage.

It has a wide ISO range of 100 – 51200 (expandable to ISO 50 – 204800 for still images) and 15-stop dynamic range at low sensitivities.

The AF system features 693 phase-detection AF points covering 93% of image area, 425 contrast AF points and fast and reliable Eye AF.

The camera is capable of high resolution 4K movie shooting with full pixel readout and no pixel binning across full-width of full-frame sensor.

Sony boasts that the A7 III has the longest rated battery life of any mirrorless camera – at 710 shots per charge.

Other upgraded operability and functionality include the addition of a joystick for adjusting focus points, Dual SD Card Slots, and SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.1 Gen 1) USB Type-C Terminal.

More details from the press release below.

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New arrival: Canon launches EOS M50, EOS 1500D & 470EX-AI

Wednesday, February 28th, 2018

Canon launched globally two new entry interchangeable lens cameras (EOS M50 & EOS 1500D) and an Auto Intelligent flash 470EX-AI. Prices & availability TBA.

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The Canon EOS M50 mirrorless camera will be available in three kit options: EF-M15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM kit, EF-M15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM + EF-M55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM kit and body only.

The new 24.1-megapixel EOS M50 is the entry-level camera for Canon’s line-up of mirrorless cameras.

The first Canon camera to be equipped with the new DIGIC 8 image processor the EOS M50 ships with 4K movie shooting ability and an improved Dual Pixel CMOS AF.

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MWC 2018: Sony Xperia XZ2 & Xperia XZ2 Compact entertainment smartphones

Tuesday, February 27th, 2018

The flagship Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact are available globally from March 2018 and both will ship with Android 8.0 Oreo. They are expected to hit Singapore shelves from April. In the meantime, consumers can register their interest here. Prices TBA.

Update (21 March, 2018):

Sony Singapore brought in the new Xperia XZ2 & Xperia XZ2 Compact for a special preview before they are officially launched later on in April.

I’ve always been impressed with Sony’s spirit of innovation in the design of their products.

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Sony is able to draw upon their in-house expertise in other related fields of business – sensors for camera imaging, displays from their Bravia TVs, quality sound from their audio products, gaming from their PlayStation, and entertainment content from their movie studio.

They were the first to feature the Super Slow Motion video and 3D avatar features and now other major smartphone makers are following suit.

Looking forward to their production models when the new XZ2 & XZ2 Compact hit the shelves in Singapore.

The new Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact flagship Android smartphones from Sony are designed for the enjoyment of entertainment on the devices.

The new Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact flagship Android smartphones from Sony are designed for the enjoyment of entertainment on the devices.

Xperia XZ2 ships with extended 5.7” HDR Full HD+ display, powerful stereo speakers, and a new Dynamic Vibration System to bring content to life.

The Motion Eye camera now has world’s 1st 4K HDR Movie recording in a smartphone and Full HD 960FPS Super slow motion.

The Xperia XZ2 Compact sports an extended 5” HDR Full HD+ display, Motion Eye camera experience and Sony’s AV technologies.

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MWC 2018: Vivo unveils APEX concept smartphone

Tuesday, February 27th, 2018

The bezel-less smartphone features the world’s first half-screen in-display fingerprint scanning technology with innovations in camera, speaker and sensors.

The Vivo APEX Looks like a truly “bezel-less” (concept) smartphone, with screen-to-body ratio exceeding 98%.

The Vivo APEX Looks like a truly “bezel-less” (concept) smartphone, with screen-to-body ratio exceeding 98%.

Vivo boasts that the new concept smartphone features the world’s highest screen-to-body ratio and groundbreaking half-screen in-display fingerprint scanning technology.

Read the details about APEX in their press releases below (Chinese version included).

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New arrival: Samsung Galaxy S9 & Galaxy S9+ – Singapore prices/availability

Monday, February 26th, 2018

The Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+ will hit Singapore shelves on 16 March, with pre-orders commencing from this Thursday on 1 March, 12pm. Local prices & availability below.

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Hands on the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ flagship Android smartphones in Singapore.

Pre-orders can be placed with M1, Singtel, StarHub Samsung Store Online, Samsung Experience Stores, Lazada Singapore, as well as major consumer electronics & IT stores (Best Denki, Courts, GAin City, Hachi, Harvey Norman & Newstead) and their websites.

Recommended retail prices in Singapore below.

  • Galaxy S9 (64GB): S$1,198
  • Galaxy S9+ (64GB): S$1,348
  • Galaxy S9+ (256GB): S$1,498

Only the Midnight Black, Coral Blue and Lilac Purple colours are available in Singapore.

Hot off the oven – first looks at the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ flagship Android smartphones in Singapore.

Those who purchase a Galaxy S9 or S9+ will get a free Samsung Concierge Care Pack worth S$128 and trade-in an eligible device for up to S$610, under the Samsung Trade Up programme that was announced in conjunction with the launch.

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MWC 2018: Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+ unveiled @ Samsung Unpacked 2018

Monday, February 26th, 2018

Samsung unveils Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+ with Super Slow-mo video, dual-aperture low light camera and AR Emoji. Available from 16 March, 2018 in select markets in 4 colour choices – Midnight Black, Titanium Gray, Coral Blue and a new hue, Lilac Purple. Prices & availability below.

Update (11am, 26 February, 2018):

Samsung has released the local pricing and availability in Singapore.

Check out the details here.

Hands on the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ flagship Android smartphones in Singapore.

The new Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ flagship Android smartphones.

The new Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ flagship Android smartphones.

For the US, the direct purchase price from Samsung of a SIM-free Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will cost US$719.99 and US$839.99 respectively – local pricing for other countries are yet to be revealed.

Key specs of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Click on image to enlarge.

Key specs of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Click on image to enlarge.

More details from the press release below.

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MWC 2018: Nokia introduces 5 new smartphones

Sunday, February 25th, 2018

HMD Global has announced four new Android smartphones (Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, new Nokia 6, and Nokia 1); and reloaded the iconic Nokia 8110 in 4G. Prices and availability below.

The five new phones introduced by Nokia: Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, new Nokia 6, Nokia 1, reloaded Nokia 8100 with 4G.

The five new phones introduced by Nokia: Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, new Nokia 6, Nokia 1, reloaded Nokia 8100 with 4G.

The reloaded Nokia 8110 will ship with 4G connectivity, apps including Google Assistant, Google Maps, Google Search, Facebook and Twitter, and the return of the slider phone.

Three of the four new Nokia Android smartphones will join the Android One family – the Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus and the new Nokia 6.

With a pure Android installation, these phones avoid unnecessary UI changes or hidden processes that eat up battery life or slow them down.

Each of the new phones comes with a limited number of pre-installed apps so that users will get more storage space.

By shipping with Android Oreo out of the box, the phones will have the latest features, including Picture-in-Picture for multitasking, Android Instant Apps to discover and run apps with minimal friction, 60 new emojis and battery-maximising features like limiting background app use.

These phones will be updated over time with the latest AI powered innovations and security patches from Google.

Below are more details from the press release about the five new Nokia phones.

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New arrival: Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra Android smartphone

Saturday, February 24th, 2018

The mid-range “dual selfie” camera smartphone will hit Singapore shelves on 26 February. The S$598 Xperia XA2 Ultra are available in Black, Blue or Gold.

Sony first announced the Xperia XA2 Ultra at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2018.

Sony first announced the Xperia XA2 Ultra at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2018.

Engineered specifically for selfies, the Xperia XA2 Ultra ships with two front cameras: a 16MP camera with Optical Image Stabilisation, and a 8MP 120° super wide-angle camera.

Together with the Smart Selfie Flash, the cameras promises clear shots regardless of lighting or environment and accomodate more friends and and the surrounding into selfies.

An optional accessory for the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is the Style Cover Stand that comes in Black or Grey.

An optional accessory for the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is the Style Cover Stand that comes in Black or Grey.

The rear camera has 23 megapixels, and a large 1/2.3” Exmor RSTM for mobile sensor that is capable of ISO 12800 sensitivity for better low-light photography.

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