Archive for November, 2014

Video Boost debuts in new Opera Mini 9 for iOS

Thursday, November 6th, 2014

Opera claims that its Video Boost is a first for mobile web browsers, offering faster loading time and money savings from data reduction (compression). Available now FREE from Apple App Store.

The new Opera Mini 9 for iOS comes with video boost feature that compresses video before delivering to your mobile phone, saving you from staring at the video-buffering wheel, as well as data savings.

The new Opera Mini 9 for iOS comes with video boost feature that compresses video before delivering to your mobile phone, saving you from staring at the video-buffering wheel, as well as data savings.

iPhone and iPad users will see less of the dreaded video-buffering wheel, using the new video boost feature in the Opera Mini 9 web browser.

“This is the first time video optimization has been integrated into a web browser, so your browser can now take pride of place as your favorite video app. Video snags are a small problem, but an annoying one — a pothole on the internet highway. And Opera fixed it,” says Lars Boilesen, CEO of Opera Software.

People love watching video on their mobiles and tablets.

Unfortunately, this can eat up a data plan quickly, and stalled videos waste time and create frustration.

Opera Mini boasts that it can address this problem with video boost.

Video boost brings down buffering time for eager video viewers, by reducing the size of video data.

Using the Rocket Optimizer engine from Opera’s Skyfire division, video boost can also save users on their data bills.

Optimising videos is becoming increasingly important, as video viewing explodes on mobile phones.

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Jawbone expands UP family with UP MOVE & UP3 fitness bands

Wednesday, November 5th, 2014

Jawbone announced today that they will be releasing two brand new activity trackers in the coming weeks – the UP MOVE (S$85) and the UP3 (S$288) wristbands.

Jawbone UP MOVE (left) and Jawbone UP3 (right) activity tracking fitness bands.

Jawbone UP MOVE (left) and Jawbone UP3 (right) activity tracking fitness bands.

The UP MOVE will be available in November before Christmas this year, while the UP3 will be made available by early next year in three colors.

“美国消费者电子零件制造商 Jawbone 宣布了两款新的健康手环:Jawbone UP MOVE(十一月起: S$85新元) 以及 Jawbone UP3(明年初开始: S$288新元)。” – 科技点心(微薄)

The UP by Jawbone App for UP MOVE will be available on iOS and Android devices as free download from the App Store and Google Play.

The UP by Jawbone App for UP3 will be available on iOS soon as a free download from the App Store. A compatible Android app for UP3 will be available early next year.

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VMware expands vCloud Air to new service location in Australia

Tuesday, November 4th, 2014

The company also announced the general availability of its Hybrid Cloud Service in Japan.

VMware to continue vCloud Air global expansion to new service location in Australia.

VMware to continue vCloud Air global expansion to new service location in Australia.

VMware, a global leader in virtualisation and cloud infrastructure, has announced that it will extend VMware vCloud Air (previously VMware vCloud Hybrid Service) to Australia.

“VMware vCloud Air, combined with the VMware vCloud Air Network of service providers makes VMware the largest hybrid cloud network in the Asia Pacific region with more than 40 service locations in Asia,” said Bill Fathers, executive vice president and general manager, Cloud Services Business Unit, VMware.

Complementing the VMware vCloud Air Network of service provider options, the new Australian service location will provide customers with a hybrid cloud option operated by VMware that addresses local compliance and data protection concerns.

The service is expected to be available in Australia in the first half of 2015.

Additionally, the company announced vCloud Air will be generally available in Japan in the coming weeks, after completing a successful beta program that began in July of this year.

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Review: ASUS PadFone S Android smartphone cum tablet combo

Saturday, November 1st, 2014

As a pioneer of 2-in-1 mobile devices, ASUS offers with the PadFone S the portability of the smartphone and the larger screen of a tablet by selling both at the price of one device.

Two colours are available for the ASUS PadFone S - Dark Ruby (shown above) and Pure White.

Two colours are available for the ASUS PadFone S – Dark Ruby (shown above) and Pure White. Photo: ASUS Singapore.

The PadFone S was launched in Singapore on 14 October, 2014 together with 11 other new mobile and computing products.

The PadFone S is a 5-inch Android smartphone that comes with a PadFone S Station.

The PadFone S I reviewed was the Pure White version. Normal retail price: S$449.

The PadFone S I reviewed was the Pure White version. Normal retail price: S$449.

You can use the PadFone S on its own like any smartphone or you can slot it into the back of the PadFone S Station and use the combination as an 8.9-inch tablet, leveraging the larger backlit Super IPS display of the Station.

You can’t use the PadFone S Station on its own though, because it is simply a dumb display with no computer processors within.

Actually, the Station has more – it also includes a 4990mAh Li-Polymer (non-removable) battery to provide the larger energy demands of powering a larger display.

The larger battery can also be used to charge the PadFone S to extend its battery life from 22 hours talk-time (3G) to 64 hours.

The combined PadFone S in the Station felt a little bit hefty though, at a combined weight of 664g.

My view:
I found the ASUS PadFone S provided me with the portability of a smartphone and – only when I need it – a truely larger display and usability of a tablet –> all at the price of a single device (or less).

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