Archive for the ‘Lifestyle’ Category
Saturday, December 5th, 2020
The Rakuten Kobo Libra H2O is the Christmas present for my wife who is an avid reader. I chose it because it offers all the features that she needs and uses at a reasonable price. Looks good, works well and value-for-money.
The Rakuten Kobo Libra H2O e-reader (S$279.90) and the optional sleep cover (S$59) is available online as well as at key retailers such as Challenger, Courts, and Sprint-cass.
So the two flagship e-readers that I started out looking at were the Kindle Oasis 3 and the Kobo Forma.
Eventually, I decided on the Libra H2O because it offers almost the same set of features but at a much lower price.
Borrowing books from the public library and discovery of books from the Kobo eBookstore is easy and intuitive. I like the recommendations of similar books based on the books that I have read.
The Libra H2O has a seven-inch Carta E Ink HD touchscreen with 1690 x 1264 pixels at 300ppi.
The display is sharp and the content is clearly readable in dim light or in bright sunlight.
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Tags:e-books, e-readers, Kobo, Overdrive, Rakuten, reading, reviews, Singapore, trends
Posted in Accessories, audioVisual, cases/housings, e-readers, Education, Entertainment, gadgets, Kobo, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, Specifications, tablets | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020
The S$398 smartwatch from Huawei offers itself as a fitness and health companion, packaged in a design that combines sports and style. Great Christmas gift for the sporty male.
Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro smartwatch (Night Black).
The Watch GT 2 Pro is the most advanced smartwatch from Huawei, offering a comprehensive range of features, with a number of upgrades from its predecessors.
With 100+ workout modes available – including the recently added golf driving range, skiing, snowboarding and cross country skiing – you’re highly likely to find your favourite workout whatever your sports of choice is.
Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro smartwatch in the box.
In addition, the GT 2 Pro offers attentive health features such as its proprietary TruSeen™ 4.0+ heart rate monitoring technology, TruSleep.
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Tags:fitness, Health Tech, Huawei, reviews, smartwatches, sports, tech4xmas, tech4xmas 2020, wearables
Posted in Gadgets, gadgets, Healthcare, Huawei, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, smartwatches, Specifications, Sports, Watches | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 1st, 2020
We’re now into December and the final stretch of 2020. Here are some gift ideas that I’ve curated for Christmas 2020.
* I’ll be adding to this list over the next few days, so check back daily for new gift ideas as I collate them.
The tech4xmas gift guide is meant to provide ideas to start you off, so do check out some of them online and in the shops if they are what you think would bring a smile to your loved ones this Christmas.
Around this time of year, I’m usually inundated with requests from readers and friends on Christmas gift ideas for their loved ones or themselves.
So here are some tech that I would use myself or get for MY loved ones, based mostly on those gadgets that I’ve tried or reviewed.
Not all are the latest and newest, but they are what I think some of the best-in-class in their category of products.
Happy Christmas Shopping!
tech4xmas Gift Guide below.
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Tags:accessories, Chistmas, Christmas 2020, gadgets, reviews, tech4xmas, tech4xmas 2020, Xmas
Posted in Accessories, Acronis, Appliances, Asus, Audio, audioVisual, cameras, Dell, Dyson, earphones, Gadgets, gadgets, Gaming, Hair Dryers, headphones, Healthcare, Home, Huawei, Lists, Monitors, Montblanc, Norton, Notebooks, notebooks, Opinion, ROG, Security, smartphones, smartwatches, Software, Sony, storage drive, Symantec, Utility, Video, Watches, Xiaomi | No Comments »
Monday, November 30th, 2020
Joan Hu, Overseas Southeast Asia Director at Roborock, shares her insights into Roborock’s success and decision to expand into Southeast Asia.
Joan Hu is the Overseas Southeast Asia Director at Roborock.
To get an idea of Roborock’s journey thus far and its plans for the future, I asked Joan Hu six questions.
Q1. Roborock recorded a strong growth in China since its introduction. What do you think contributed to this?
In the robot vacuum market back in 2014, most available products only focused on the basic needs that came with a vacuum – cleaning.
We saw an opportunity to fulfill needs and wants that consumers didn’t know they had yet.
Hence, we grew our R&D department with a team of engineers, scientists, manufacturing experts and designers – all vital to create products that truly fit our users’ lifestyle.
Q2. Any new vacuum launches this year?
We have just launched the Roborock S6 MaxV in early 2020.
This is an upgrade of our popular Roborock S6, with increased suction power of up to 2,500 Pa (compared to the previous 2000 Pa) to clean even the most stubborn of dusts, especially those on carpets.
It also comes with an electronic water tank instead of a mop attachment for increased convenience and weighs lighter at just 7 lbs.
The latest S6 MaxV that Roborock launched in early 2020.
Q3. 2020 isn’t the most economically stable year. What factors contributed to Roborock’s decision to expand its influence to SouthEast Asia?
While we admit it has been a challenging year across all markets, we see this as a great opportunity to introduce our high tech products to our Southeast Asian consumers.
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Tags:advertorial, appliances, collaboration, interviews, mops, Roborock, vacuums
Posted in Appliances, Gadgets, Home, Interview, Opinion, Roborock, Robots, Vacuum Mop | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, November 17th, 2020
The Jabra Elite 85t (S$348) enables users to control how much noise to cancel and block.
The Jabra Elite 85t true wireless earbuds.
With five levels of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and five levels of Hear Through, the user can select up to 11 levels of noise filtration – with about 3dB difference between each level.
Pricing & Availability
Priced at S$348, the Jabra Elite 85t will be available in Titanium Black from all authorised Jabra resellers from 19 November 2020 onwards.
Gold Beige, Grey and Copper Black (Amazon exclusive) will be available in the first quarter of 2021.
A dedicated ANC chip drives the noise cancellation for the Jabra Elite 85t, supported by six microphones and wind protection for clear audio and voice call quality in any environment the user may be in.
The new semi-open design for the earbuds offers better comfort while keeping the fit secure.
The Elite 85t provides up to 5.5 hours of battery life with up to 25 hours in compact charging case – with ANC on.
More details below about the Jabra Elite 85t true wireless earbuds, from the press release.
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Tags:ANC, audio, earbuds, Elite, Jabra, new arrivals, Singapore, wireless
Posted in Accessories, Audio, audioVisual, earphones, Entertainment, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, Jabra, Launch, Music, newArrivals, Online, Press Release, Prices, Promotions, Specifications | 2 Comments »
Sunday, November 15th, 2020
Singapore readers spent an equivalent of 28 years reading this year – 8 years more than 2019. The pandemic has seen a 270% increase in reading minutes, with nonfiction, romance and fiction topping the list for most popular genres of the year.
Reading a book on an e-reader while enjoying a cup of tea.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 has been a tumultuous year full of change and uncertainties.
The allure of romance has never been stronger
Singaporeans are consistent in the type of books they prefer to read, with nonfiction, romance and fiction emerging as the top three most popular categories in both 2019 and 2020.
From contemporary romance, escapist romance, to the steamier erotica, the romance genre offers a lot more than it seems and remains one of the best-selling of all time.
According to Rakuten Kobo’s data, 90% of the most popular authors of 2020 were classified under the romance category.
Contemporary erotic romance is definitely a trend to watch, with three out of the top 10 most popular authors of the year (Charlie Richards, Lynn Hagen and Sam Crescent) penning novels of this genre.
As the nation grapples with an ongoing pandemic, reading has been an escape from the present to disconnect from current worries.
As we near the end of 2020, data from Toronto-based digital reading company Rakuten Kobo provides a snapshot of what and how Kobo users in Singapore read.
According to Rakuten Kobo’s data, Singaporeans spent at least 10,409 days reading this year – which is the equivalent of 28 years.
This is an increase of 8 years more time spent reading compared to 2019.
Additionally, with readers spending more time at home, they also clocked 270% more reading minutes this year as compared to 2019.
While familiar genres like romance and nonfiction remain mainstays, books focused on kids are rising in popularity.
Despite being known as busy individuals (ranked 32 out of 40 for work-life balance in 2019), Singaporeans are still able to allocate time for reading first thing in the morning at 7.00am and before bed at 12:00am, the first and second most popular times of day for reading respectively.
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Tags:e-book reader, Kobo, Rakuten, reading, Singapore, studies, surveys, trends
Posted in Accessories, e-readers, Education, Entertainment, Figures, Gadgets, Kobo, Press Release, Study, Trends | No Comments »
Saturday, November 7th, 2020
Livinguard has brought its reusable face masks in Singapore. Three versions for different levels of protection (and breathability) are available online at Shopee, Lazada and ORO. Prices below.
Here are the Street (2 layers) and Pro (3 layers) of the Livinguard masks.
I tried out the Street and Pro versions and liked them.
Singapore Prices
- Street: S$22.90
(2-layers)
- Pro: S$31.30
(3-layers)
- Ultra: S$46.90
(4-layers with valve)
It feels light, fitting and doesn’t clog up the nostrils when you breathe.
There are three versions for different levels of protection and breathability, in 4 colours and 3 sizes.
Each mask can be rinsed once a week for up to 30 times – so that works out to 210 days of usage.
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Tags:Health Tech, Livinguard, masks, Med Tech, new arrivals, Singapore
Posted in Accessories, Air Purifiers, Announce, Appliances, Availability, Beauty, Healthcare, Medical, newArrivals, Opinion, Press Release, Prices, Review, reviews, Specifications | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, November 4th, 2020
Apple One is now available in Singapore, enabling subscribers to access four Apple subscription services including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud storage. Price & Availability below.
Access four services Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud storage with a single Apple One subscription.
First announced in Cupertino in mid-September, users in over 100 countries and regions can now sign up and choose a plan that is right for them or their whole family.
How To Sign Up
Go to Settings, tap on your Apple ID and then tap on Subscriptions. You’ll see Apple One there. Tap on Apple One to see the plan that is recommended for you.
You can sign up for Apple One on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple TV running iOS 14, iPadOS 14, or tvOS 14.
Later this fall, you’ll also be able to sign up on Mac running macOS Big Sur.
In addition, when you sign up for individual Apple services, the right Apple One plan is automatically recommended if it’s a better value, taking into account any services you already pay for.
Prices and availability for Apple One below.
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Tags:Apple, Apps, entertainment, new arrivals, Singapore, software, Subscriptions
Posted in Announce, App, Apple, Apps, Availability, Entertainment, Internet, iOS, Mac OS, newArrivals, Prices, Software, software, TV | No Comments »
Saturday, October 24th, 2020
If you want to make a fashionable statement about your sporty lifestyle, the Suunto 7 offers you a Google Wear OS smartwatch along with sporty DNA from the Finnish watchmaker.
I have the All Black version – Suunto also offers the Black Lime, Graphite Copper, Sandstone Rosegold and White Burgundy colours. Here you can see the watches displaying various modes and screens.
Suunto is a Finnish adventure instrument maker known for its design and innovation in sports watches, compasses and dive computers since 1936.
The 84-year-old brand makes the rugged, adventure-proof Suunto 3, Suunto 5, Suunto 7 and Suunto 9 for casual, enthusiast and professional sportsmen and women.
Really love the beautiful heatmap watchface of the Suunto 7 sports smartwatch. Been using it since its debut in Singapore back in September.
These watches are design tested in Finland to be shock-proof, water-proof, and dirt-proof.
Its Suunto 3, 5 and 9 emphasizes autonomy and sports features that do not require connection to the Internet.
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon WEar 3100 platform, the Suunto 7 offers connectivity to the Web via Google Wear OS to enable lifestyle smartwatch features that its brethren do not enjoy – namely Music, payments and an app platform.
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Tags:reviews, smartwatches, sports, Suunto, watches
Posted in Accessories, fitness watches, Gadgets, gadgets, newArrivals, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, smartwatches, Specifications, Sports, Watches | 2 Comments »
Friday, October 23rd, 2020
Homegrown Prism+ attains Android TV certification and launches three new affordably-priced TVs measuring 55” (S$699), 65” (S$99), and 75” (S$1,599). Available online from today.
New Prism+ Q-series Android TVs launched in Singapore (from left): 55”, 75”, 65”.
Having just entered the smart TV market last November with their inaugural E-series (32”, 43”, 55”), Prism+ is now launching their second generation of smart TVs that are Android TV certified.
Features
All the three sizes of IPS TVs in the Q-series have the same specs except for the size.
They are bezel-less (except the 75” version) with 4K UHD resolution, comes with HDR10, Dolby Vision and Audio, MEMC Motion Smoothing, DTS TruSurround, Digital TV, Bluetooth 5.0, and Puffin TV Browser.
They come with 3 years Full onsite warranty inclusive of parts and servicing.
That means that the new Q series Android TVs ships with the Android TV 9.0 operating system, more than 5,000 apps on Google Play, Google Assistant to voice control the TV, and built-in Chromecast to cast photos and videos from the phone or computer to the TV.
And the TVs are affordably priced because Prism+ sells directly to the consumer and removes the extra layer of middlemen mark-up that other makers have to price into their TVs.
More details below from the press release.
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Tags:Android, appliances, new arrivals, Prism+, Singapore, Smart TVs, TVs
Posted in Android, Appliances, audioVisual, Decor, Entertainment, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, Home, Launch, newArrivals, Press Release, Prices, Smart TV, Specifications, TV | 4 Comments »
