Archive for the ‘smartphones’ Category

Tech focus: StitMe – keeping your phone numbers private

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

Our phone numbers are something we hand out readily to our contacts, yet we would like to protect them from misuse. StitMe is a service that enables users to control who can call you and when, without divulging your real number.

StitMe allows you to keep your mobile number private and control who can call you and when.

StitMe allows you to keep your mobile number private and control who can call you and when.

I was having tea the other day with Gurtaj Singh and he caught my interest with this app that he had launched just recently in the US.

It’s called StitMe and is not available outside of US yet but it sounded like it had great potential to solve one of the biggest dilemmas of the modern age.

You want as many friends, colleagues and potential contacts to be able to contact you, but you don’t want to receive calls from unwarranted telemarketers because your telephone number had been harvested and compiled in some call list that are being sold or circulated without your consent.

Worse still, in the US, anybody can use your telephone number to do a reverse number lookup (the equivalent of a Whois query) and get personal information about you like your residential address etc.

This is where StitMe comes in – users of the free service need not hand out their real telephone numbers anymore.

Between two StitMe users, all you give out is your StitMe User ID.

(more…)

Preview: Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Note Edge, Gear S & Gear Circle

Thursday, September 18th, 2014

Samsung Singapore showcased in Singapore today a few of the devices unveiled during IFA 2014 – namely the Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge.

Also available for hands-on were the Gear S smartwatch and Gear Circle Bluetooth wireless earphones.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge with its innovative curved-edged screen, with Montblanc leather flip covers for the Note 4 in the background.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge with its innovative curved-edged screen, with Montblanc leather flip covers for the Note 4 in the background.

Both the Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge now have the same Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels) as the LG G3 but on a larger 5.7-inch screen, and the S Pen and S Note have been improved to enhance their functionality and productivity.

Samsung Gear Circle, with the ear buds

Samsung Gear Circle, with the ear buds “stuck” together magnetically, can be worn around the neck like a necklace when not in use.

The rear camera now has 16 megapixels and the front has 3.7 megapixels with an f1.9 lens.

By the way, the processor that’s going to ship to Singapore is the Snapdragon with 3GB RAM.

The Note Edge really does look novel with the sharp display on the curved screen that wraps around the thin right edge of the phablet.

The Gear S smartphone runs on the Tizen OS and has its own nano-SIM slot so you can place and receive calls independently of a smartphone.

It can also store and play music directly and be paired with the Gear Circle.

First Impressions:

Having used the Galaxy S4, Note 3 and now using the S5, I find the Note 4 and Note Edge exciting new additions to the Galaxy flagship devices.

(more…)

New arrivals: Samsung GALAXY ALPHA 4G+ Android smartphone

Wednesday, September 10th, 2014

Samsung’s latest addition to the GALAXY series promises superior connectivity with up to 300 Mbps 4G+ LTE-Advanced networks. Available in Singapore at S$948 from 13 September.

The GALAXY ALPHA 4G+ will be available in Singapore in Charcoal Black and Dazzling White from 13 September and in Frosted Gold from end September.

The GALAXY ALPHA 4G+ will be available in Singapore in Charcoal Black and Dazzling White from 13 September and in Frosted Gold from end September.

The GALAXY ALPHA 4G+ features a compact body with a metal frame and finish, with curved corners and a tactile soft back cover.

At 6.7mm thick, the GALAXY ALPHA 4G+ is one of the slimmest GALAXY devices.

(more…)

Apple announces new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus with iOS 8

Wednesday, September 10th, 2014

One year to the day from the launch of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, Apple has unveiled the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, running iOS 8.

Prices range from S$998 to S$1,448.

The 4.7” iPhone 6 with 1334 x 750 pixels alongside the larger 5.5” iPhone 6 Plus with 1920 x 1080 pixels.

The 4.7” iPhone 6 with 1334 x 750 pixels alongside the larger 5.5” iPhone 6 Plus with 1920 x 1080 pixels.

The two new iPhones come in thin unibody enclosure of anodised aluminium and feature Retina HD displays, A8 chip, improved cameras and Apple pay.

iPhone 6 comes in gold, silver or space grey; while the iPhone 6 Plus comes in gold, silver or space grey.

iPhone 6 comes in gold, silver or space grey; while the iPhone 6 Plus comes in gold, silver or space grey.

Both run on iOS 8 – a simpler, faster and more intuitive user experience with new Messages and Photos features, QuickType keyboard, a new Health app, Family Sharing and iCloud Drive.

The 4.7” iPhone 6 has 1334 x 750 pixels which translates to 38 percent more viewing area than the iPhone 5s.

The larger 5.5” iPhone 6 Plus has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which gives 88 percent more viewing area and nearly three times the pixels in the iPhone 5s.

For the first time, 128GB versions will be available., for both models. Prices below.

(more…)

Sony unveils Xperia E3, Z3 series, SmartBand Talk & SmartWatch 3 at IFA

Thursday, September 4th, 2014

Sony has just announced at IFA 2014 the mid-range Xperia E3 smartphone; Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact phablets & Z3 Tablet Compact tablet; as well as its new SmartWear gadgets – SmartBand Talk and SmartWatch 3.

Update (16 September, 2014):

The slew of products announced during IFA 2014 were showcased at the Xperia Z3 SEA launch event in Singapore.

Local pricing and availability below.

Model / RRP Availability
Xperia Z3

$998

Pre-order on week of 22 September 2014.

Launch on 4 October 2014

 

Xperia Z3 Compact

S$798

Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact

S$TBA

Price and availability to be announced closer to launch date.
Xperia E3

S$298

SmartBand Talk

S$228

End Oct 2014
SmartWatch 3

S$298

The Sony Xperia Z3 series and SmartWear devices. (The Xperia E3 is not shown above - see below).

The Sony Xperia Z3 series and SmartWear devices. (The Xperia E3 is not shown above – see below).

Sony has rolled out a slew of new gadgets – from premium flagships to novel SmartWear devices, whilst keeping an eye on the budget conscious mid-range.

Xperia Z3 series phablets/tablet

All three new members of the Xperia Z3 series run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2.5 GHz quad-core CPUs and 3G RAM, with fully integrated Qualcomm Adreno 330 GPU.

The Xperia Z3 is 7.3mm thick and is available in white, black, copper or silver green. The Xperia Z3 Compact is 8.6mm thick and weighs 129g, and is available in orange, green, white or black. The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact (not shown here) is available in white or black.

The Xperia Z3 is 7.3mm thick and is available in white, black, copper or silver green. The Xperia Z3 Compact is 8.6mm thick and weighs 129g, and is available in orange, green, white or black. The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact (not shown here) is available in white or black.

They are waterproof and dust-tight (IP 65/68)

The Xperia Z3 flagship phablet comes only six months after its Xperia Z2 predecessor.

The screen is of similar size to the Z2 at 5.2 inches, but the Z3 is smaller, thinner and lighter.

Together with the Xperia Z3 Compact, the Z3 has a 20.7-megapixel camera with 1/2.3-inch “Exmor RS for mobile” image sensor, new 25mm “G Lens” and ISO 12800 sensitivity.

A dual SIM variant is also on offer in select markets.

The Xperia Z3 Compact phablet is a smaller version of the Xperia Z3 but with the same CPU and graphics chip.

It is a replacement for the Xperia Z1 Compact. Its 4.6-inch screen is larger than the 4.3 inches in the Z1 Compact.

Sony claims that the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact tablet is the world’s slimmest and lightest compact tablet, at 6.4mm thick and 270g weight.

It features an 8-inch Full HD TRILUMINOS.

Xperia E3 mid-range smartphone

The Xperia E3 sports a 4.5-inch 480 x 854 IPS display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core 1.2GHz processor, and Adreno 305 graphics, with 1GB of RAM, and 4GB of internal storage.

(more…)

Samsung unveils Galaxy Note 4, Note Edge, Gear VR, Gear S and Gear Circle

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014

Samsung has announced the new Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge smartphone, the Gear VR mobile VR headset, as well as the Gear S smartwatch and Gear Circle earphones at the Unpacked Episode 2 press conference in Berlin, Germany.

Update (18 September, 2014):

Samsung showcased in Singapore today most of the new devices it unveiled during IFA 2014 in a media preview.

It also displayed accessories that Montblanc has specially designed for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

The Galaxy Note 4 will be available in

The Galaxy Note 4 will be available in “Charcoal Black,” “Frost White,” “Bronze Gold,” and “Blossom Pink” in global markets starting in October.

The Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge are the latest additions to the Galaxy Note family.

Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge Android smartphones

The Galaxy Note 4 has a 5.7-inch Quad HD (2560×1440) Super AMOLED display and sports the Multi Window feature for multi-tasking.

The Galaxy Note Edge will be available in “Charcoal Black” and “Frost White” in select markets through Samsung’s retail channels, e-commerce and carriers later this year.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

It ships with a 16-megapixel rear camera with Smart Optical Image Stabilizer, and a 3.7-megapixel front camera with f1.9 lens with 120 degrees wide angle.

The Note 4 also has a Fingerprint Scanner and a UV sensor.

The Galaxy Note Edge has a 5.6-inch screen that wraps around the right side of the device.

The Galaxy Note Edge will be available in “Charcoal Black” and “Frost White” in select markets through Samsung’s retail channels, e-commerce and carriers later this year.

Gear VR mobile headset

Samsung and Oculus has collaborated to create the mobile VR headset optimised for the Galaxy Note 4.

(more…)

New arrivals: ASUS ZenFone 5 LTE smartphone in Singapore on 30 August

Wednesday, August 27th, 2014

The highly-affordable 5-inch Android 4.4 smartphone will be priced at S$249 (1GB RAM, 8GB memory), S$269 (2GB RAM, 8GB memory) and S$299 (2GB RAM, 16GB memory).

The ZenFone 5 LTE will be available in Charcoal Black, Pearl White, Cherry Red and Champagne Gold colours (Champagne Gold will be available for only 16GB model). The purple colour shown above is not available in Singapore.

The ZenFone 5 LTE will be available in Charcoal Black, Pearl White, Cherry Red and Champagne Gold colours (Champagne Gold will be available for only 16GB model). The purple colour shown above is not available in Singapore.

ASUS officially launched its ZenFone 5 LTE in Singapore today at Suntec Convention Centre.

What catches the attention is the affordable price tag. ASUS boasts that the sub-S$300 phone gives consumers the best value-for-money market.

And I can believe that.

Shipping with the latest Android 4.4 KitKat, the phone is smooth and responsive, and more than enough for what most people use their smartphones for – making calls, sending messages, taking photos, checking social media status, and surfing the Web.

(more…)

New arrivals: Nokia Lumia 530 Windows smartphone in Singapore

Saturday, August 23rd, 2014

The Lumia 530 is now available in Singapore at an RRP of S$159 at Nokia Stores and Nokia Solution Partners. M1 will also be retailing the device bundled with data plans.

Windows Lumia 530 - available at S$159 in Singapore from 23 August 2014.

Windows Lumia 530 – available at S$159 in Singapore from 23 August 2014.

This is the most affordable Lumia to date, with a price below S$200.

The Lumia 530 is powered by a 1.2GHx quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor and has a 4-inch FWVGA LCD display.

(more…)

313@somerset road tests beacon-based indoor positioning technology for retail

Monday, August 11th, 2014

313@somerset is the first mall in Singapore to road test the mobile technology to help connect customers to relevant content and promotions in real-time at participating retailers in the shopping mall.

Screenshots of the Tring 313 mobile app when the user receives a notification, and the promotion on offer.

Screenshots of the Tring 313 mobile app when the user receives a notification, and the promotion on offer.

313@somerset has its eyes set on Beacon-based Indoor Positioning,the latest in retail innovation that enable shoppers to receive hyper-targeted messages, deals and other content based on their proximity to the offering retailer inside the mall.

As a forerunner in the adoption of new and emerging technologies, 313@somerset is set to pave the way by being the first commercial outlet in Singapore to test out the potential of Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) Beacons for retailers, including messaging targeted at specific mall and store locations, analytics and potentially payments.

In partnership with technology partner Sprooki, the mall conducted test trials in the form of short experiential tours around the mall and exclusive test groups were invited to take part in the trials.

(more…)

New arrivals: 5-inch HTC One (E8) Android smartphone unveiled

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2014

The 5-inch Android HTC One (E8) will be available in Singapore from Saturday, 26 July with SingTel, StarHub, M1 and selected retailers. RRP for 16GB HTC One (E8): S$658.

The HTC One (E8) will be available in Polar White, Electric Crimson and Misty Gray.

The HTC One (E8) will be available in Polar White, Electric Crimson and Misty Gray.

The HTC Dot View case for the HTC One (E8) will be available in Grey at S$59.

The smartphone ships with Motion Launch, HTC BoomSound, 5-megapixel front camera and 13MP rear camera. Both cameras support full 1080p HD video recording.

Powered by a 2,600mAh battery, the HTC One (E8) has 2GB RAM and 16GB onboard memory with expandable microSD storage capacity up to 128GB..

(more…)