Archive for the ‘Brands’ Category
Friday, July 17th, 2015
Here’s wishing all Muslim friends: “Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri”!

Hari Raya ornaments for the home, on sale at the night bazaar prior to the actual day. Photo taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. It was so crowded you’ve got to keep moving. The fast 65-point autofocus of the 7D Mark II enabled many shots to be taken sharp despite the hurry. Photo credit: John Tan.
It’s Hari Raya Puasa today.
After a whole month of fasting during Ramadan, today is the day that our Muslim friends have been looking forward to.

A traditional henna tattoo being done on the hands of a gracious lady who accented to letting me capture the beautiful design on her hand. Photo taken with an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II with M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
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Tags:7D Mark II, bazaar, Canon, E-M5, EOS, festival, Geylang Serai, Hari Raya, holiday, Islam, lens, lights, markets, Muslims, night, Olympus, OM-D, OM-D E-M5, photography, photos, potd, Puasa, Ramadan, Singapore
Posted in Cameras, cameras, Canon, DSLR, EOS, Food, Gadgets, gadgets, Holiday, Lens, MIL, Olympus, OM-D, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Shopping, Zuiko | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 14th, 2015
Readiris Corporate 15 is an advanced software solution for users in both small and large enterprises who need to digitise their paper information for easier archiving and sharing.

Automated document processing improves productivity, and work processes, while easy sharing of information increases mobility and efficiency in the workplace.
Canon, a global leader in photographic and digital imaging solutions, has unveiled its first IRIS offering in Singapore – Readiris Corporate 15.
An advanced optical character recognition (OCR) solution, Readiris aims to reinvent the way enterprises in Singapore work with paper, enabling them to now convert paper into digitised documents and images for users to seamlessly search, and share information in a smarter, more productive workplace.
More details from the press release below.
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Tags:Canon, OCR, Readiris, scanners, Singapore, smart documents, software
Posted in Announce, Canon, Enterprise IT, Gadgets, newArrivals, Press Release, Software, software | No Comments »
Thursday, July 2nd, 2015
Both the compact RX100 IV (S$1,399 from 16 July) and high-zoom RX10 II (S$1,899 from 30 July) cameras boast the world’s first staked 1.0 Type CMOS sensor with a DRAM memory chip, 40x super slow motion capture (up to 960fps), 4K video recording and high-speed anti-distortion shutter (up to 1/32000s).
Pre-order the RX100 IV from 3 July (see below).

The two new models in the Sony Cyber-shot RX series feature the world’s first 1.0 type stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor with advanced signal processing and an attached DRAM memory chip.
The high speed signal processing and DRAM memory chip work together to enable more than five times the readout rate of image data and are responsible for a variety of features that have previously only been available in selected professional-level video cameras.

Breathtaking demo of the prowess of the new Sony Cyber-shot RX100 IV (S$1,399). Taken with burst mode, these two shots show the water-filled balloon just before and just after it was burst. You can still see the “shape” of the water just after the rubber of the balloon burst, as well as the fine water spray emanating from the “water ball”.
These capabilities include 40x super slow motion video capture at up to 960fps, an ultra-fast Anti-Distortion Shutter with a maximum speed of 1/32000 second, high-resolution 4K movie shooting and more.
Below are more details from the press release.
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Tags:cameras, compact, Cyber-shot, high speed, photography, RX, RX10, RX10 II, RX100, RX100 IV, Singapore, Sony, zoom
Posted in audioVisual, Cameras, cameras, Compact camera, Cyber-shot, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, Launch, Prices, Sony, Specifications | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 30th, 2015
The ASUS LolliFlash is an ultra-portable external LED flash for taking smartphone selfies in dim light. The LolliFlash comes with dual-LED light and multi-colour filters for a fun photography experience.
Available from today at S$17.90 at ASUS Online Store.

ASUS LolliFlash dual-LED light with three colour filters for taking smartphone selfies. Shown here with an ASUS ZenFone2 but compatible with any Android smartphone.
Many smartphones today ship with an LED flash for the main camera at the rear for taking photos in dim lighting.

The filter sleeve merge the light from the two LED light sources.
Most smartphones, however, do not have a front-facing LED for taking selfies with the front camera.
The new LolliFlash from ASUS addresses this need for avid selfie photographers.
The LolliFlash is a compact dual-colour LED light that can be easily attached to any mobile phone to provide ample light in low light conditions, promising realistic skin tones in every photo.
Small and lightweight at only 8g, the wireless LolliFlash can be placed anywhere on the phone.
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Tags:accessories, Asus, Flash, LED, LolliFlash, photography, selfie, Singapore, smartphones
Posted in Accessories, Announce, Asus, audioVisual, Availability, camera flash, Cameras, cameras, Gadgets, gadgets, Launch, newArrivals, Phones, Photography, Prices, smartphones, Specifications | No Comments »
Sunday, June 28th, 2015
Photo of the Day: The Eiffel Tower is named after engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. His company designed and built the landmark in Paris in 1889.

View of the Trocadéro framed by the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
According to Wikipedia, “the design of the Eiffel Tower was originated by Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, two senior engineers who worked for the Compagnie des Établissements Eiffel”.

This was the dude who brought the Eiffel Tower into this world – Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923). The bust was unveiled in 1929 and is now at the base of the Northern leg of the Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
The tower was to serve as a centrepiece for the Exposition Universelle to celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution.
Incidentally, the first time I visited the Eiffel Tower was in 1989, smack in the middle of the bicentennial celebrations of the French Revolution.
Gustave Eiffel bought the rights to the patent for the design which the original designers had taken out and eventually saw the Tower to completion in time.
As with all things new, the design met with opposition and criticism right from design stage till after completion – but history has proven that the design is technically robust and aesthetically appealing.
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Tags:7D Mark II, architecture photos, Canon, design, Eiffel, Eiffel Tower, EOS, France, France 2015, holiday, Paris, photography, potd, travel, travel tech, vacation
Posted in Cameras, cameras, Canon, DSLR, EOS, Events, France 2015, Gadgets, Holiday, Lens, Photography, Photos, POTD, Travel, travel, Wiki | No Comments »
Saturday, June 27th, 2015
Photo of the Day: The Eiffel Tower is an iron lattice tower designed and built by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel in 1889 – as the entrance arch to the World’s Fair in that year.

Eiffel Tower as seen from the Pont d’Iéna. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Sepia tint added using Adobe Photoshop CC 2015. Photo credit: John Tan.
At 324m tall, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris, and was the tallest in the world for 41 years from 1889 to 1930.
It was surpassed in 1930 by the Chrysler Building in New York City.
Roughly 80 stories high, the base is square with 125m on each side.
There are three levels that visitors can visit.

I like the lace-like design in the metalwork of the Eiffel Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
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Tags:7D Mark II, Canon, Eiffel, Eiffel Tower, EOS, France, France 2015, holiday, Paris, photography, photos, potd, travel, travel tech, vacation
Posted in Adobe, cameras, Canon, Creative Cloud, DSLR, EOS, Events, France 2015, Gadgets, gadgets, Holiday, Photography, Photos, Photoshop, POTD, POTD, Software, software, Travel, travel, Wiki | No Comments »
Friday, June 26th, 2015
The PowerShot G3 X offers high zoom shooting and promises superior image and video quality through the Dynamic Image Stabilisation (IS) system. Pricing & availability TBA.

The newly launched Canon PowerShot G3 X.
The Canon PowerShot G3 X is a new premium high-zoom digital compact camera in the PowerShot G series.
PowerShot G3 X specs
- Dimensions: 123.3 x 76.5 x 105.3mm
- Weight: 733g
- Lens: 25x optical zoom IS
- Focal length: 24-600mm
- Aperture: f/2.8-f/5.6
- Resolution: 20.2 megapixels
- Sensor: 1.0 type CMOS sensor
- Imaging processor: DIGIC 6
- Max video quality: Full HD
- LCD: 3.2” (1.62 million dots)
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, NFC
- Battery type: NB-10L
The camera is powered by a large 1.0-inch CMOS sensor, enabling the camera to offer good image quality even in low light environments.
The camera features a 24-600mm 25x optical zoom lens and improved Zoom Framing Assist.
The camera’s improved Dynamic Image Stabilisation (IS) system enhances movie recording by stabilising moving images.
The EOS-like user interface also enhances intuitive operation of the camera, with a high resolution 1.62-megapixel 3.2-inch touch panel LCD monitor.
Below are more details from the press release.
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Tags:cameras, Canon, compact, G3 X, Powershot, prosumer, Singapore
Posted in Announce, audioVisual, Cameras, cameras, Canon, Compact camera, Gadgets, gadgets, Launch, newArrivals, Photography, PowerShot, Specifications | No Comments »
Sunday, June 14th, 2015
After having twice turned back from visiting Chateau Chambord when I’d already reached its gates, I decided to make my third and final attempt at visiting this biggest and most majestic of the numerous fabulous chateaus in the beautiful Loire Valley.

The frontal facade of the Chambord Chateau, with the moat in the foreground. The architecture is what one expects of a typical castle – an inner keep surrounded by corner towers and a moat. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
Why two unsuccessful attempts?
Well, my first attempt at visiting Château de Chambord was during the summer holidays back in school when I cycled 16km from Blois only to suffer an accident right in front of the castle.

One of many beautiful chandeliers in Chambord Chateau. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
I had to satisfy myself with some quick snapshots of the front of the Chateau before bidding goodbye to the chateau.
Decades later, I brought my family with two kids on a self-drive vacation to the chateaus in the Loire Valley.
By the end of the week and more than half a dozen chateaus later, we arrived again at the gates of the Chambord Chateau in the mid afternoon.
By then, the kids were so tired out from our earlier exertions of that day that they were so totally knackered we couldn’t bear to wake them from their sleep in the car.
And to be honest, my wife and I were up to our ears in chateaus by that time.
So my wife and I snapped the obligatory snapshots of each other posing with the (equally majestic) rear facade of the chateau within a stone’s throw of where our car was parked.

Enjoy a horse carriage ride on the extensive grounds of the Chambord Chateau. Horse lovers can also watch twice daily equestrian shows at the chateau. Taken with an Olympus OMD-EM5 Mark II with M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: KoolKat.
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Tags:7D Mark II, Canon, Chambord, chateau, EM5 Mark II, EOS, France, France 2015, holiday, Loire, Olympus, OMD, photography, photos, potd, travel, travel tech, vacation
Posted in Cameras, cameras, Canon, DSLR, EOS, Events, France 2015, Gadgets, gadgets, Holiday, Lens, MIL, Olympus, OM-D, Photography, Photos, POTD, Travel, travel, Wiki, Zuiko | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015
Huawei launched its Android flagship smartphone – the P8 – during CommunicAsia2015 and showcased three wearable products – the Huawei TalkBand B2, TalkBand N1 and the Huawei Watch. Prices below.

The Huawei P8 measures 144.9 x 72.1 x 6.4mm and weighs 144g.
Richard Yu, CEO of the Huawei Consumer Business Group introduced the Huawei P8 smartphone for the Southern Pacific Region at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
Price and availability (Singapore)
- P8: S$699 from 3 June
- P8lite: S$329 from end June
- TalkBand B2 (availability TBA):
- leather strap – S$299
- TPU strap – S$239
- TalkBand N1: TBA
- Huawei Watch: TBA
For Huawei, the Southern Pacific Region comprises Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines and Singapore.
The P8 was first launched globally in London in April this year and is part of the company’s transition from a B2B entity to a consumer centric brand.
The three wearable products – the Huawei TalkBand B2, TalkBand N1 and the Huawei Watch (currently under development) – were all launched at the Mobile World Congress 2015 in March 2015.
Huawei P8
The Huawei P8 has a 5.2-inch FHD screen with 1920 x 1080 pixels (424ppi, 16 million colours) and capable of playing 1080p video.
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Tags:Android, Android 5, Australia, availability, Huawei, Indonesia, Lollipop, Malaysia, MBS, New Zealand, P8, phablets, Philippines, prices, Singapore, smartphones, smartwatches, TalkBand, Watch
Posted in Android, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, Huawei, Launch, newArrivals, Phones, Prices, smartphones, Specifications | No Comments »
Saturday, May 30th, 2015
The HTC Desire 626 will be available in Singapore from TODAY at S$358 in White Birch and Blue Lagoon with M1, Singtel, StarHub and major retailers.

HTC’s new entry-level Android smartphone, the Desire 626 is now available in Singapore (S$358).
The 5-inch HTC Desire 626 is slightly smaller than the pricier 5.5-inch Desire 826 (S$498) that hit the shelves in Singapore last week.
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Tags:Android, availability, Desire, Desire 626, Desire 826, HTC, Lollipop, M1, nano, Octacore, Qualcomm, Singapore, SingTel, smartphones, Snapdragon, StarHub
Posted in Android, Availability, Gadgets, gadgets, HTC, HTC Desire, newArrivals, Phones, Prices, smartphones, Specifications | 1 Comment »