Archive for the ‘Software’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Nokia Lumia 900 for Singapore

Wednesday, May 16th, 2012

First released in the US during CES 2012 in January this year, and then announced during MWC 2012 in February for markets outside the US, Nokia’s third Lumia smartphone will be in Singapore for S$849 from 26 May 2012.

Nokia Lumia 900, running on Windows Phone 7.5 Mango, will be available in Singapore for S$849.

Nokia Lumia 900, running on Windows Phone 7.5 Mango, will be available in Singapore for S$849.

The Lumia series of smartphones from Nokia leads the Finnish company’s renewed focus on the Windows Phone platform.

Nokia Lumia 900
OS Windows Phone 7.5
Screen 4.3″
Resolution 800 x 480, WVGA
Battery 1,830 mAh
Processor 1.4 GHz Single Core Snapdragon APQ8055 + MDM9200
Camera Rear: 8mp (F2.2)
Front: 1.3mp (f2.4)
Video 720p @ 30 fps
Memory Int: 16 GB
Ext: Nil
Size /mm 127.8 x 68.5 x 11.5
Weight 160 g
Price S$849

The Lumia 900 runs on Microsoft’s latest Windows Phone 7.5 operating system – with its sleek Metro user interface and dynamic live tiles.

Following the launch of the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 Windows smartphones, the Lumia 900 is bigger, faster and more powerful than its predecessors.

It has a huge 4.3” glass display and 1,800mAH battery.

The handsomely designed smartphone comes in Black, White and Cyan.

The Lumia 900 boasts a powerful 8-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, dual-LED flash, autofocus and a wide-angle focal length of 28mm.

At f2.2, its large aperture means images and videos are vivid and sharp even in low light.

The Nokia Lumia 900 also comes with a 1 MP front-facing camera, so you can enjoy high-quality free phone and video calls via Tango – the pre-loaded video-call app.

Nokia Lumia 900

Nokia Lumia 900

For web-surfing there is Internet Explorer 9 browser, Bing search and HTML 5.

As a Windows Phone, an Office Hub app allows viewing and editing of Microsoft Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint documents on the phone.

People Hub collates all your social networking apps in one place – including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

And as a Nokia phone, there are Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive apps to help you find your way around; as well as Nokia Music and Mix Radio apps for audio entertainment on the move.

Follow the links below to other articles I’ve posted about Nokia Lumia smartphones on tech4tea.com.

(more…)

Tags:, , , , , ,
Posted in Announce, App, Availability, Gadgets, Internet Explorer, Lumia, Nokia, Office, Operating Systems, Phones, Prices, Software, Specifications, Windows Phone 7 | 1 Comment »

New mobile music player: Sony Walkman Z Series

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

Sony has launched its new mobile entertainment player. The Walkman NWZ-Z1050 series is powered by Android, and is targeted at audiophiles looking for exceptional sound quality in their music.

The Sony Walkman Z1050 Mobile Entertainment Player has a 16GB capacity and will be available for S$429 from this month.

Sony Walkman NWZ-Z1050 Music Player, 16 GB, Black, S$429.

Sony Walkman NWZ-Z1050 Music Player, 16 GB, Black, S$429.

The Walkman Z1050 is the Android equivalent of the iPod Touch, but with a bigger anti-reflective 4.3” multi-touch LCD screen. It is powered by a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor.

With the form factor of a smartphone, this Walkman allows you to enjoy great music, watch videos, play games, use Android apps and surf the Web using WiFi.

I was at the launch of the new Walkman in Singapore, and got to play with the device and listen to the music quality. It did not disappoint. Audio was crisp and clear despite the loud background music inside the Helipad, and MP3 music sounded almost as good as CD-quality tracks.

There’s no 3G connection so you can only make calls through VOIP when there’s a WiFi connection. There’s no camera but you can upload, edit, view and share photos on the gadget.

From the makers of the original Walkman

Available in May 2012

Available in May 2012

But true to its tradition, it’s a music player made for music lovers by music lovers.

The new S-Master MX digital amplifier greatly reduces noise and distortion level in your music, even if you’re listening to MP3 quality audio files.

This is one of 5 Clear Audio Technologies – S-Master MX, Clear Bass, Clear Stereo, DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine), and EX headphones – which promises quality audio on-the-move.

A new W.BUTTON launches the W.Control app, which allows you to explore your music collection by flicking through the cover art viewing on-screen visualisations while the music plays.

SensMe sorts your music collection into 14 mood-themed channels to suit the time of day or the way you feel.

4.3-inch display, Android 2.3 OS.

4.3-inch display, Android 2.3 OS.

The xLOUD speaker system of the Z1050 to offers a high level of clear sound reproduction from its built-in speaker – you can now listen in to your favourite tunes with friends and loved ones without a speaker dock.

The Walkman Z Series allows you to share your content at home and on the move wirelessly via Wi-Fi and connects to other DLNA-enabled devices.

Simply ‘throw’ your music, pictures and videos from your Walkman screen by ‘flicking’ them directly to compatible TVs, PCs, or home audio system to stream your media.

Connect the Walkman directly to your TV via the micro HDMI to enjoy your videos, photos and games on big screen.

Or connect via Bluetooth to compatible speakers, headphones, hi-fi systems or car stereos effortlessly with no wire clutter.

Below are the main technical specifications of the new Sony Walkman NWZ-Z1050.

(more…)

Tags:, , , , , ,
Posted in Android, App, Audio, Events, Gadgets, Gaming, Launch, Operating Systems, Prices, Software, Sony, Specifications | 3 Comments »

New iStockphoto plugin for Adobe CS6

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

The FREE Stockphoto plugin enables designers to search and directly download images within the programs without interrupting their workflow.

The new iStockphoto plug-in works right withing Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

The new iStockphoto plug-in works right withing Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

A one-click comp replace feature automatically exchanges complimentary watermarked images with purchased images, perfectly resized and positioned within the working page layout or design.

Search and replace images easily.

Search and replace images easily.

Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator users can now search iStock’s millions of files, download multiple comps during the creative process, finalise their designs and then simply replace the desired comp with the purchased image in exactly the right spot and in the right dimensions, saving time and increasing productivity.

The free plugin allows customers to access purchased credits, review past purchases, add to light boxes and almost all of the other standard account management features that can be accessed directly from the iStock site.

It is immediately available for download and is compatible with Mac and Windows versions of CS6, CS5.5 and CS5.

The iStockphoto plug-in is free.

The iStockphoto plug-in is free.

Compatible with CS 5, 5.5 & 6.

Compatible with CS 5, 5.5 & 6.

iStockphoto offers easy, affordable inspiration with millions of vetted, royalty-free photos, illustrations, video, audio and Flash files.

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in App, Illustrator, InDesign, Launch, Photos, Photoshop, Software | No Comments »

Adobe CS6 is available now

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

Adobe has announced the immediate availability of Adobe Creative Suite 6.

Adobe CS6 is available now.

Adobe CS6 is available now.

Launched globally two weeks ago, Adobe Creative Suite 6 (CS6) comprises some 14 software for photo and video editing, graphics design and and web development, Flash/HTML and app building tools, as well as desktop publishing.

Suite Price
Master Collection S$3,925
Production Premium S$2,868
Design & Web Premium S$2,868
Design & Web Standard S$1,963

These software include Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects, InDesign and Flash.

The component software have been packaged in into four suites, depending on the needs of the customer.

A subscription-based version of CS6 (Creative Cloud: US$600 per year) is also available in the US although it is not available in Singapore and some other parts of the world.

Tags:, , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Acrobat, Adobe, After Effects, Availability, Creative Suite, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Prices, Software, Specifications | No Comments »

Samsung finally unveils the GALAXY S III

Friday, May 4th, 2012

After much anticipation, Samsung has officially announced the third generation GALAXY S. The GALAXY S III will be available in Singapore from Q2 2012 in Pebble Blue and Marble White. Prices to be announced later.

Update (23 May 2012): RRP (without contract but incl. GST) in Singapore has been announced at S$998. Availability to be announced later.

Latest update (25 May 2012): Marble White Samsung GALAXY S III will go on sale in Singapore on 30 May. Collection of pre-orders begin 29 May. Pebble Blue version will be available at a later date. Stay tuned!

The Samsung GALAXY S III will come in Pebble Blue and Marble White.

The Samsung GALAXY S III will come in Pebble Blue and Marble White.

The Samsung GALAXY S III has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel main camera and 1.9-megapixel FRONT camera that shoots HD video, and is powered by Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich.

“… it enables one of the most seamless, natural and human-centric mobile experiences …,” said JK Shin, President and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung.The GALAXY S III offers WiFi Channel Bonding which doubles the WiFi bandwidth.

For those who are tired of wires, a separate wireless charging kit allows you to charge the phone without plugging it to the socket.

Samsung boasts that the smartphone has been “designed for humans” – by making the phone recognise the user’s voice, understand more human gestures, and by making it easier to share moments on social networks.

Human-centric interface

Samsung GALAXY S III has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel main camera and 1.9-megapixel front camera, and is powered by Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich.A “Smart-stay” feature senses and recognises how you are using the smartphone.

For instance, when reading an e-book or browsing the web, the front camera detects the eyes and maintains a bright display on the phone for continual reading.

“S Voice” is Samsung’s advanced natural language user interface that listens and responds to voice commands. Does “S Voice” stand for Samsung Voice – its response to Siri?

For example, you can TELL the GALAXY S III to “snooze” when the alarm goes off, or to play songs, reduce/increase the volume, send text messages and emails, organise your schedules, or launch the camera to take a photo.

Samsung GALAXY S III will be available in Singapore from Q2 2012.Easy sharing

The new “S Beam” expands on Android Beam by allowing a 1GB movie file to be shared within three minutes and a 10MB music file within two seconds by simply touching another GALAXY S III phone, even without a Wi-Fi or cellular signal.

Click to display enlarged view of the tech specs.

Click to display enlarged view of the tech specs.

“Buddy photo share” function allows photos to be easily and simultaneously shared with the friends pictured in an image directly from the camera or the photo gallery.

“AllShare Cast” allows wireless display of the smartphone’s content onto a larger display.

“AllShare Play” shares files between the GALAXY S III and a tablet, PC or television, regardless of the distance between the devices.

“Group Cast” shares the smartphone’s screen among multiple friends on the same WiFi network.

“Pop up Play” allows a video to continue playing on one part of the screen while other apps and tasks continue simultaneously.

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in Android, Announce, Gadgets, Galaxy, Operating Systems, Phones, Samsung, Software, Specifications, Tech news | 2 Comments »

Dell enhances Alienware portfolio for advanced mobile gaming

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

Dell’s Alienware M14x (from S$2,699) and M17x (from S$3,599) are now available from its online store.

The M14x claims to be “the most powerful 14-inch laptop in the Universe” while the M17x is 3D-capable – offering an immersive, high-definition, surround-sound experience.

Dell Alienware M14x (left, from S$2,699) and M17x (right, from S$3,599)

Dell Alienware M14x (left, from S$2,699) and M17x (right, from S$3,599)

The M14x features optional dual drive configurations, up to 16GB of memory for extreme multitasking, a Blu-ray combo optical drive, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics engine with GDDR5 graphics memory.

This is the most advanced GPU in a 14-inch form factor and the first time Alienware is offering GDDR5 graphics on a laptop of this size.

The M17x delivers the latest NVIDIA and AMD graphics card options, up to 32GB of memory, optional 17.3-inch 120Hz WideFHD WLED 3D display, and THX 3D surround sound.

It is one of the first laptops to offer the AMD Radeon HD 7970M graphics card and the latest GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GT 660M and 675M graphics solutionsii.

Both laptops feature Intel’s 3rd Generation processors and Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 technologies, HDMI 1.4, USB 3.0 for fast data transfer, Bluetooth 4.0, optional 3D HD gaming capability, optional Blu-ray disc drive and exceptional surround-sound quality from Klipsch speakers.

(more…)

Tags:, , , , , , ,
Posted in Dell, Gadgets, Games, Launch, Notebooks, Operating Systems, Prices, Specifications, Windows 7 | No Comments »

Launch of Adobe CS6

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

The latest iteration of Adobe’s flagship software suite has been launched. Available in May 2012, there will be 4 suites, comprising different combinations of 14 print, web and video software.

The suites are: Master Collection (S$3,924), Design & Web Premium (S$2,868), Design & Web Standard (S$1,962), and Production Premium (S$2,868).

Adobe has also launched the new subscription-based Creative Cloud (US$600 per year). This is not available in Singapore yet.

Adobe Creative Suite 6

Adobe Creative Suite 6

Singapore was the first venue in the world to launch Adobe Creative Suite 6.

Shantanu Narayen, Adobe CEO, and David Wadhwani, SVP, Digital Media Business, Adobe, will host a launch event and press conference on the release of Adobe Creative Cloud and CS 6 at 10:00 am Pacific Time, 23 April.

CS6 is part of Adobe’s 2-year renewal of its creative suite of software. One year on from each major release is a mid-cycle update, as with Adobe CS5.5.

The Mercury engine that was introduced in Premiere Pro in CS5 has been implemented in other products in CS6, notably Photoshop and Illustrator.

For Photoshop, the impressive Content-Aware Fill feature in Photoshop CS5 has been supplemented with two new enhancements – Content-Aware Patch and Content-Aware Move.

Dreamweaver and other component products in CS5 was based on perpetuating the Flash platform.

Having had the rug pulled from under its feet by the late Steve Jobs, Adobe has shifted the emphasis for Dreamweaver in CS5.5 and CS6 more towards facilitating HTML5, “an open Web standard that’s replacing Adobe’s older Flash tools for many Web designers” (quoted from Bloomberg).

There are also more tools for designing apps for smartphones and tablets.

A big step for Adobe this time round is its foray into a subscription-based model, although it is not available in Singapore yet.

Creative Cloud will charge US$50 a month for a one-year commitment (US$75 without one).

Subscribers can access the 14 programs, which can be installed on an Apple Mac or on a Windows PC.

Users can use the installed software even when they are not connected to the Internet.

A cloud-based service will also enable users to collaborate and share work with colleagues and clients through a Web browser.

The list of software as well as the composition of each suite can be found here.

Tags:, , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Adobe, App, Creative Suite, Events, Launch, Phones, Prices, Software, Specifications, Tablets | 2 Comments »

New TomTom App for iPhone/iPad available in iTunes

Sunday, April 22nd, 2012

TomTom South East Asia V1.10 is now available in the iTunes store. Priced at US$69.99, existing V1.9 users can download the update for free.

TomTom App for iPhone/iPad South East Asia V1.10 available now on iTunes.

TomTom App for iPhone/iPad South East Asia V1.10 available now on iTunes.

The latest version of the TomTom App integrates TomTom navigation with social media applications such as Facebook and Twitter – allowing users to navigate to friends, places and events more easily.

TomTom App for iPhone/iPad South East Asia V1.10 First previewed during CES 2012 in January, the TomTom navigation app for iPhone and iPad fully supports social networks as a source for turn-by-turn navigation.

The new version automatically plans routes based on information from Facebook events and places.

Additionally, drivers can use the app to share their destination and arrival time on Twitter, Facebook, by email and by SMS text.

The app offers regional coverage and the update includes the latest maps of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Brunei.

Tags:, , , , , , ,
Posted in App, Availability, Gadgets, GPS, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Prices, Software, Specifications, TomTom | 2 Comments »

White delights on Nokia Mix Radio

Saturday, April 21st, 2012

Nokia has created a “white” themed playlist on Mix Radio to celebrating the white Lumia 800 smartphone.

Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone smartphone.

Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone smartphone.

Yearning for some tunes to go along with the new, sleek, snow-white Nokia Lumia 800?

"White" songs for the white Lumia 800.

"White" songs for the white Lumia 800.

Start white-listing your favourite songs as you go through the interesting selection of tracks in the playlist.

From music by Barry White and the White Stripes, to songs like White As Snow and White Flag, Nokia Lumia owners will be able to access this special playlist on Mix Radio via the Nokia Music app.

They can also expect an exciting multi-cultural mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian tunes such as Ding Dang’s Bai Se, Amuk’s Putih Hitam Biru and Ilaiyaraaja’s Vellai Pura Ondru.

White Bird by Singapore-born singer, Vanessa Mae, is also available on this white playlist.

Mix Radio features a myriad of other colourful tracks as well.

Users can create their own mixes and personalised playlists based on music they love.

Mix Radio app on the Nokia Lumia 800.

Mix Radio app on the Nokia Lumia 800.

Simply choose an artist or a genre of music as a starting point and Mix Radio will dynamically create a playlist.

Mix radio can also be personalized based on your library of music, automatically noting your favourite genres and creating more genre playlists of recommended music.

Users can even pin their favourite playlists to the start screen or download them for listening when they are offline.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in App, Audio, Gadgets, Lumia, Nokia, Phones, Software, Windows Phone 7 | 2 Comments »

Nimsoft Monitor Certified on VCE Vblock Infrastructure Platforms

Friday, April 20th, 2012

Nimsoft has announced that Nimsoft Monitor has attained the VCE Vblock Ready certification.

Nimsoft Monitor is a component of Nimsoft Unified Manager, a multi-tenant IT Management as-a-Service solution.

Nimsoft Monitor is a component of Nimsoft Unified Manager, a multi-tenant IT Management as-a-Service solution.

This enables users to confidently leverage Nimsoft IT Management-as-a-Service capabilities to rapidly and cost-efficiently gain full visibility into their Vblock infrastructure—along with the rest of their cloud and non-cloud environments.

“Vblock Infrastructure Platforms offer the ability to substantially drive down technology ownership costs while dramatically improving technology value,” said Sumal Karunanayake, Vice President, Nimsoft, Asia Pacific & Japan.Nimsoft Monitor delivers end-to-end performance and availability monitoring of Vblock Infrastructure Platforms at the hardware, network, storage, computing and application layers.

By addressing the Vblock Infrastructure Platform as a whole—rather than as individual components—Nimsoft Monitor enables enterprises and service providers to quickly discover and address the root causes of issues that can adversely affect critical IT services.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Announce, Enterprise IT, Utility | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »