Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

New arrivals: Lumia 640 and 640 XL available in Singapore

Thursday, April 16th, 2015

The affordable Lumia 640 (S$299) and Lumia 640 XL (S$429) will hit the shelves in Singapore this Saturday, 18 April.

The Lumia 640 will be available in glossy cyan, orange, white and matte black, and the Lumia 640 XL will be available in matte cyan, orange, black, and white.

The Lumia 640 will be available in glossy cyan, orange, white and matte black, and the Lumia 640 XL will be available in matte cyan, orange, black, and white.

First unveiled during Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona in March, the 5-inch Lumia 640 and 5.7-inch Lumia 640 XL ships with Windows Phone 8.1 and will eventually be upgradeable to Windows 10 when the new OS from Microsoft is ready later this year.

“People are looking for a device which brings them more flexibility to switch easily between work and play, without breaking the bank. With the long lasting battery and full range of Microsoft experiences – including Office and OneDrive – the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL are the perfect enablers of productivity for consumers,” said Bruce Howe, General Manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices Sales for Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.

Both models offer integrated Microsoft Office experiences, OneDrive storage and fast 4G connectivity.

From now to 30 June, the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL will also come with a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal, which includes the latest Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote) on the Lumia as well as on one PC or Mac and one tablet.

With the Office 365 Personal installed, users will receive an additional 1TB of OneDrive storage, and 60 Skype world minutes.

To redeem the offer, users will need to download the Office 365 gift app from the Windows Phone Store by 30 June and activate it by 14 August 2015.

The main tech specs for the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL are summarised below.

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PwC launches Game of Threats in Asia

Wednesday, April 15th, 2015

Game of Threats teaches executives cyber readiness through a simulation experience.

Get into the shoes of executives caught in the thick of a cyberattack.

Get into the shoes of executives caught in the thick of a cyberattack.

PwC’s Game of Threats was unveiled in Asia for the first time at this year’s Interpol World exhibition, held at Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore.

The interactive game challenges players to make quick, high impact decisions to access their readiness to respond to a breach.

The experience teaches users about what they can do to better prepare, respond and remediate an attack and familiarise themselves with different types of threat actors, and their preferred methodologies.

Players walk away with a better understanding of the steps they need to take to better secure their organisations.

  • Learn lessons about an organisation’s ability to respond to a cyber attack.
  • Understand the potential ramifications and remediation options after an attack.
  • Understand what organisations can do to prevent an attack.
  • Gain insight into the mindset of Threat Actors.
  • Learn key cyber security trends and terminology.

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New arrivals: ASUS ZenFone 2 smartphone (4GB RAM) in Singapore

Tuesday, April 14th, 2015

ASUS boasts that the ZenFone 2 is “the world’s first 4GB RAM smartphone running on a 2.3GHz 64-bit Intel Atom processor with ultra-fast 4G/LTE and fast-charge 3,000mAh battery for powerful all-round performance”.

Prices range from S$249 to S$499. Pre-order now with collection on 18 April.

Update (18 April, 2015):

The 2GB versions of the ZenFone 2 are now available in Singapore, the first country in Southeast Asia to start selling it.

The 4GB RAM versions (with 32GB and 64GB memory) will be available in Singapore from 16 May.

The 32GB model will be available at all ASUS authorised retailers, ASUS brand stores, ASUS online store, M1 and StarHub shops; while the 64GB model will be available at Singtel.

The ZenFone 2 (ZE500CL, ZE550ML) models sport a matte finishing, available in Black, White and Red, while the ZenFone 2 (ZE551ML) encompasses a stunning aluminium hairline metallic finishing available in Black, Gold, Red and Silver.

The ZenFone 2 (ZE500CL, ZE550ML) models sport a matte finishing, available in Black, White and Red, while the ZenFone 2 (ZE551ML) encompasses a stunning aluminium hairline metallic finishing available in Black, Gold, Red and Silver.

Singapore is the first country in Southeast Asia to launch the new ASUS flagship smartphone.

With an all-new ergonomically-curved design and a 5.5-inch full HD IPS display, the ZenFone 2 comes with a 13MP/5MP PixelMaster camera.

The ZenFone 2 premieres many evolved features, including a new version of ASUS ZenUI – which boasts the world’s first fully-customisable interface – and Trend Micro security software for safer web browsing.

Prices for the various models are tabulated below.

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Competition: PayPal CodeCallenge for Student Developers – 17 April 2015

Monday, April 13th, 2015

PayPal will be launching CodeChallenge – the online payments provider’s first coding competition for students in Singapore.

Calling Student Developers in Singapore - join PayPal’s CodeChallenge online this Friday on 17 April, 2015.

Calling Student Developers in Singapore – join PayPal’s CodeChallenge online this Friday on 17 April, 2015.

CodeChallenge is a nationwide coding contest aimed at nurturing budding young coders in Singapore.

Open to students currently enrolled in a school or educational institution based in Singapore, participants will need to demonstrate their coding prowess by solving a set of coding challenges within a time limit.

The online competition will commence at 7pm sharp and coders will have to submit their solutions within two hours.

Attractive prizes to be won.

Attractive prizes to be won.

The next morning, they will join fellow coders at PayPal’s office where the solutions and winners will be announced.

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POTD: Horses in Love at train station, Hua Hin, Thailand

Sunday, April 12th, 2015

Photo of the Day: Right at the entrance of the railway station in Hua Hin is a landscape garden decorated with plenty of interesting statues. One of these statuettes were of a pair of toothy horses laughing happily away.

Why do these horse look so happy? Could it be that they’re in lurvvv? Just outside the Hua Hin Railway Station in Thailand. Photo taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Why do these horse look so happy? Could it be that they’re in lurvvv? Just outside the Hua Hin Railway Station in Thailand. Photo taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

These horses just looked so happy!

POTD: Walk down platform in train station, Hua Hin, Thailand

Saturday, April 11th, 2015

Photo of the Day: After all his passengers had safely alighted from his train, this weary but smart-looking driver alighted and walked down the length of  the platform, proudly inspecting his train as he walked.

This smart looking train driver - is he just visiting from Bangkok, or is he homeward bound to his home in Hua Hin? What kind of life story does he have? Photo taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

This smart looking train driver – is he just visiting from Bangkok, or is he homeward bound to his home in Hua Hin? What kind of life story does he have to tell? Photo taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

We were visiting the historic and beautiful train station in Hua Hin when the train from Bangkok arrived.

The passengers promptly unloaded and dissipated quickly from the platform.

I was lingering on the platform, snapping photos when the train driver emerged from his driver’s cabin and began walking down the platform.

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Events: Lenovo #LightAndSeek spotlights Singapore artists – 17 April 2015

Friday, April 10th, 2015

Lenovo has launched a new community campaign – #LightAndSeek – weaving technology and creativity to ignite the Singapore landscape. 10 local artists will use the Lenovo YOGA Tablet 2 Pro to create and project artworks around Arab Street.

#LightAndSeek - happening on Friday, 17 April, 2015 in the Arab Street area in Singapore. Click to view enlarged map of the locality.

#LightAndSeek – happening on Friday, 17 April, 2015 in the Arab Street area in Singapore. Click to view enlarged map of the locality.

For one night only on April 17 this year, Singapore will come alive with an art exhibition that will change the way we see the local art landscape.

The event will bring together ten of Singapore’s rising artists to create a series of artworks that will come to life across ten locations spaces around Arab Street and be projected by the Lenovo YOGA Tablet 2 Pro.

As the facilitator to all these voices and visuals, Lenovo aims to engage the growing local art community at large and give true local DO-ers a chance to project themselves like never before, and for the public to immerse themselves with art through a truly memorable experience.

A new way to watch and hear – Lenovo YOGA Tablet 2 Pro

Throughout the course of this one-night-only event, the YOGA Tablet 2 Pro will be used to showcase creative pieces by the local artists – allowing the blend of a canvas and space through an interactive medium.

The artists will be creating and projecting their artworks using the Lenovo YOGA Tablet 2 Pro.

The artists will be creating and projecting their artworks using the Lenovo YOGA Tablet 2 Pro.

Promoting interactivity and versatility like never before, the tablet comes enabled with the new Pico projector that projects a 16:9 high resolution image onto any surface for an instant 50-inch theatre experience.

Featuring a 13.3-inch QHD (2560×1440) IPS display for life-like images, the multimode also comes equipped with up to 15 hours of battery.

Slimmer than your average magazine at just 3.7mm thin and 950 grams, the Platinum-colored tablet also comes enabled with an 8 watt sound system that enables impromptu displays and performances anytime and anywhere.

#LightAndseek ‘Snap N Win’ Contest

In conjunction with the #LightAndSeek event, a ‘Snap N Win’ contest will also be held throughout the day of April 17, and will be open to the public till midnight.

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Canon boosts Cinema EOS lineup with EOS C300 Mark II, XC10 & XF-AVC

Thursday, April 9th, 2015

Canon today launched the EOS C300 Mark II and XC10 digital cameras and announced the development of XF-AVC, a new proprietary video format for the efficient recording of high-image-quality 4K, 2K and HD video footage. Prices TBA.

The Canon EOS C300 Mark II (EF mount) digital cinema camera (right) will be available from September 2015, while the XC10 4K video camcorder (left) will be available in mid-June.

The Canon EOS C300 Mark II (EF mount) digital cinema camera (right) will be available from September 2015, while the XC10 4K video camcorder (left) will be available in mid-June.

Both digital cinema cameras are capable of capturing 4K video and support Canon’s new XF-AVC video format, which allows for data compression without sacrificing image quality.

​The EOS C300 Mark II incorporates a Canon-developed Super 35 mm-equivalent approximately 8.85-megapixel CMOS image sensor and the Company’s latest imaging platform, Dual DIGIC DV 5, which promises exceptional processing power.

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GrabTaxi invests US$100m in its first R&D Centre in Singapore

Wednesday, April 8th, 2015

With senior hires from Facebook, Amazon and Palantir Technologies, Singapore is slated to become GrabTaxi’s technology hub.

The GrabTaxi R&D Centre is located at 138 Cecil Street, Cecil Court, Singapore 069538.

The GrabTaxi R&D Centre is located at 138 Cecil Street, Cecil Court, Singapore 069538.

GrabTaxi, one of Southeast Asia’s largest mobile phone transport app, has opened its first Research and Development (R&D) Centre in Singapore.

“Though we remain focused on Southeast Asia, we know that talent is global. This new R&D Centre has put on us a level playing field with the largest technology companies in the world. In fact, we’ve recently hired great senior talent from companies like Facebook, Amazon and Palantir Technologies, as their experience and expertise with these global powerhouses will help GrabTaxi reach our true potential,” said Anthony Tan, GrabTaxi Founder and Group CEO.

This will become GrabTaxi’s technology hub and it will house the majority of its technical staff and engineers from around the world.

The 4500 sq. ft. centre is located in the heart of Singapore’s bustling Central Business District and will eventually house 200 engineers and data scientists, which is a specialised role focused on analysing data and spotting trends from multiple data sources.

This US$100 million investment over a few years is a milestone for Southeast Asian startups as very few brands – local or regional – has made such a significant investment in technology infrastructure and talent based out of Singapore.

Eventually, 200 engineers and data scientists will occupy the 4,500 sq. ft. GrabTaxi R&D Centre.

Eventually, 200 engineers and data scientists will occupy the 4,500 sq. ft. GrabTaxi R&D Centre.

The R&D Centre reinforces GrabTaxi’s commitment to the region and an acknowledgment that Southeast Asia has the infrastructure and capacity to become a global technology hub.

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New arrivals: Energizer Energi-to-go XP20000 portable charger

Tuesday, April 7th, 2015

The new charger has 20,000 mAh and 3 output ports for laptops, tablets and smartphones. Available in Singapore now – S$249.

The XP20000 portable charger has a rated output of DC 19V, 3A (for charging laptops), DC5V, 2.1A (USB port for charging tablets), and DC5V, 1A (USB port for charging smartphones).

The XP20000 portable charger has a rated output of DC 19V, 3A (for charging laptops), DC5V, 2.1A (USB port for charging tablets), and DC5V, 1A (USB port for charging smartphones).

Weighing less than 500 grams, the light and portable Energizer Energi-to-go XP20000 contains a super high density battery which can power smartphones with another 40 hours of battery life, tablets with another 20 hours of battery life, and laptops with another 6.5 hours of battery life.

The XP20000 comes in white and measures 19.5 x 16.5 x 11 cm.

The XP20000 comes in white and measures 19.5 x 16.5 x 11 cm.

Besides laptops, tablets and smartphones, the XP20000 supports video and digital cameras, mobile gaming devices, mobile Bluetooth headsets, and many other mobile devices.

It is safe for commercial travel, making it suitable for the mobile worker with a laptop and multiple mobile devices, and for sharing amongst friends and families on vacation.

The Energizer Energi-to-go XP20000 takes 3.5 hours to charge, and can be charged while discharging to other devices.

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