Archive for the ‘Launch’ Category
Thursday, July 5th, 2012
TomTom has launched its latest GPS PND (portable navigation device) today and has enabled all of its 60 million PNDs to receive free daily map changes.
TomTom launched the Via 620 at Ku De Ta atop Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
The Via 620 (S$299) has the largest screen and resolution amongst the PNDs made by TomTom (Read about the details of the Via 620 here).
“The roads in Singapore change all the time, sometimes with roadworks springing up overnight. Driving to a destination may take longer than usual as the familiar routes could be closed overnight. Knowing about these changes before setting off can save drivers a lot of time and help reduce overall congestion,” says Valerie Cross, TomTom Public Relations Manager Asia Pacific.At the same time, free daily map changes via the TomTom Map Share community allows drivers to personalise the TomTom map on their own device and also share and receive map changes with the Map Share community around the world.
Map Share was previously only available on a limited number of TomTom devices.
Map Share technology enables drivers to keep the TomTom map on their device up to date with immediate changes in their area.
Drivers then have the choice to share those road changes with TomTom and the broader Map Share community.
Map Share enables people to quickly and easily report and share the most frequent road changes.
TomTom Via 620
More structural, long-term changes such as the addition of roads or roundabouts are validated and updated within TomTom’s maps and made available on a quarterly basis.
TomTom applies a hybrid approach to map-making that includes the combination of authoritative sources, such as field collection, government data or satellite imagery, with community input to ensure its maps accurately reflect reality.
From today, all TomTom Via and GO customers will be able to receive free daily map changes from the TomTom Map Share Community via a simple, free software update.
Daily map changes include the more dynamic, frequent changes that drivers are likely to encounter such as:
- Changed speed limits
- New street names
- Blocked roads
- New traffic directions
- Altered turn restrictions
Drivers have control over which daily map changes they load onto their device.
They can choose to accept changes submitted by some or many other Map Share users, or only those verified by TomTom.
View TomTom’s video on Map Share and free daily updates below.
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Tags:Brunei, GPS, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Map Share, maps, PND, portable navigation device, Singapore, South East Asia, Thailand, TomTom, updates, Via
Posted in Accessories, Events, Gadgets, GPS, Launch, Prices, Promotions, Specifications, TomTom, Travel | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012
Samsung has launched two new Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) smartphones. Both the GALAXY Ace 2 (S$438) and GALAXY beam (S$648) will be available in July. Prices include GST but excludes line contract.
GALAXY Ace 2 (left, S$438) and the GALAXY beam (right, S$648).
You’ve seen the Nikon compact camera that comes with a built in projector. Now there is a smartphone that comes with a built-in projector – the GALAXY beam.
GALAXY beam
The built-in projector of the GALAXY beam lets users spontaneously share photos, videos or other digital media with family or friends by beaming content stored on the device directly onto walls, ceilings or improvised flat surfaces.
The GALAXY beam comes with a built in 15 lumens projector.
No need to huddle around a tiny smartphone or tablet screens. Project full-screen video clips at up to 50 inches wide with the GALAXY beam’s bright 15 lumens projector.
Both smartphones run on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and will ship in July.
Other than that, the GALAXY beam has a 4-inch (480×800 WVGA) TFT display, 5-megapixel AF rear camera with flash, and a 1.3-megapixel front camera.
A large 2,000mAH battery feeds the projector. Despite having a built-in projector, the GALAXY Beam is only 12.5mm thick, and comes with a USB 2.0 port and 8GB of internal memory, as well as a microSD slot for up to 32GB of external memory.
The GALAXY beam will be available from 7 July at S$648.
GALAXY Ace 2
The GALAXY Ace 2 is the affordable successor to the GALAXY Ace from last year.
With a 3.8-inch (480×800 WVGA) PLS TFT display, it has a 5-megapixel AF rear camera with flash, and a VGA front camera.
The GALAXY Ace 2 has a 1,500mAH battery and comes with a USB 2.0 port and 4GB of internal memory, as well as a microSD slot for up to 32GB of external memory.
The GALAXY Ace 2 will be available in July at S$438.
Tags:Ace 2, Android 2.3, beam, Galaxy, Gingerbread, launch, Singapore, smartphones, Vivocity
Posted in Android, App, Events, Gadgets, Galaxy, Launch, Operating Systems, Phones, Prices, Projectors, Samsung, Software, Specifications | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012
Samsung has rolled out more than 40 new interactive edutainment apps in partnership with Singapore developers. These apps will be available on Samsung smart mobile devices.
Overview of content strategy and edutainment apps by Winston Goh, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Mobile Communications, Samsung Asia
The 40 new apps are entertaining, intuitive, social and visual in nature and allows users to engage in self-learning experiences, whether at home or on-the-go.
The suite of edutainment apps includes:
- Mandarin Speaking Skills for Kids: comprises speech interactive exercises to build Mandarin speaking skills for kids from Primary 1 to 6.
- Zalairos Adventures: comprises 25 e-books for kids aged between 5-10 years old to improve vocabulary, reading and comprehension skills.
- Skoolbo Core Skills: comprises more than 50,000 questions designed for kids aged between 4-10 years old to improve mathematics and language skills.
- PREPTEST: standardized self-assessment modules and admission guidelines for GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and more.
Samsung is working with the developer community to promote the creation of interesting educational content.
Hands-on impression
My favourite is the “Skoolbo Core Skills” app from Skoolbo which drills young children on basic words and math concepts without them even realising it.
Colourful graphics are used and the kid feels he’s playing an adventure game.
Answering the drill questions correctly is only part of progressing in the game.
The company commits the tools, resources, technical content and support that app developers require, to create rich applications optimised for its GALAXY range of tablets and smartphones, as well as the GALAXY Note.
The local app developers that Samsung is working with for this range of edutainment apps are B-Secure Technologies, Prep Zone, iQ-hub and Skoolbo.
Some of these apps, such as those developed by B-Secure Technologies and Prep Zone will be made exclusively available on Samsung mobile devices.
Another impressive app is iQ-hub’s “Mandarin Speaking Skills for kids”.
Going beyond basic word recognition, the app is able to grade the accuracy of pronunciation by the user, who reads out chinese characters displayed on the screen.
Various exercises using the word recognition and grading engine are available and it was quite fun even for an adult to go through some of the exercises.
The launch was held at Samsung’s store at Vivocity.
I tried out some of the apps during the launch and it’s quite impressive what our local developers are capable of.
Also launched at the event were Samsung’s two new GALAXY smartphones.
These are the GALAXY beam (S$648) and the GALAXY Ace 2 (S$438).
Both are based on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and will be available this month.
The list of Edutainment Applications and their availability date are listed below.
(more…)
Tags:Ace 2, Android, Apps, B-Secure Technologies, beam, edutainment, Galaxy, iQ-hub, mobile devices, Prep Zone, Samsung, Skoolbo, smartphone, tablets
Posted in Android, App, Events, Gadgets, Galaxy, Launch, Operating Systems, Phones, Samsung, Software | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, June 20th, 2012
The six new models are: Xperia go, acro S, miro, tipo, ion, and neo L. The first four models were announced over the last two weeks, while the Xperia ion and neo L were unveiled today.
All six phone models will be available in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in calendar Q3 2012.
Mathew Lang, Corporate Vice President and Head of SEA & Oceania Customer Unit, Sony Mobile at the event at Art Palates Café, Istana Park, Singapore.
The Xperia ion is the new flagship smartphone for Sony Mobile.
Its 4.6-inch display is bigger than that of the 4.3-inch in the previous flagship Xperia S.
Water resistant Sony Xperia acro S. Don’t try this at home. Photo taken with Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5.
The Xperia ion also includes a microSD card expansion slot for up to 32GB – which was absent in the Xperia S.
The Xperia go and Xperia acro S are stylish, durable and water-resistant.
They are supposedly water-proof up to a depth of 1m.
The Xperia miro offers deep Facebook integration and features Sony’s xLOUD audio technology together with the Xperia neo L.
The Xperia tipo comes in both single and dual SIM versions.
The latter allows one-touch switching between two numbers through a dedicated network switch button on the phone.
All six models either ship with Android 4.0 installed or can be upgraded over-the-air to Android 4.0.
The six new Android smartphones debuting in SE Asia in Q3 2012: Sony Xperia ion, go, acro S, neo L, miro, and tipo. Photo taken with Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5.
With such a range of smartphones catered to different tastes and needs, Xperia fans willl be spoilt for choice when shopping for their next smartphone.
Below are the technical specifications for the six Xperia smartphones from Sony Mobile.
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Tags:acro S, Android 4.0, Art Palates Café, debut, GO, Ice Cream Sandwich, Indonesia, Malaysia, miro, Singapore, smartphones, Sony Mobile, South East Asia, tipo, Xperia ion, Xperia neo L
Posted in Android, Announce, App, Events, Gadgets, Launch, Operating Systems, Phones, Software, Sony, Specifications, Xperia | 3 Comments »
Monday, June 18th, 2012
The camera-less BlackBerry Curve 9360 is now available in Singapore. Suitable for those who need a camera-less smartphone for use in an environment where security concerns forbid the use of cameras or devices with cameras – such as military camps and installations.
The camera-less BlackBerry Curve 9360 is now available in Singapore.
The BlackBerry Curve 9360 was first unveiled in August last year and launched in Singapore in October.
The Curve 9360 comes equipped with the BlackBerry 7 OS and enables users to connect to the Internet, play games, BBM and be socially connected at all times.
Tags:9360, available, BlackBerry, camera, Curve, launch, Research In Motion, RIM, Singapore, smartphone
Posted in Availability, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Curve, Gadgets, Launch, Phones, RIM, Tech news | 1 Comment »
Friday, June 15th, 2012
The world’s largest gaming website has launched an Asian edition. IGN Asia Pacific will cover – in English, Chinese and Malay – 10 markets in the region.
IGN Asia Pacific covers 10 markets including Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and China.
IGN Asia Pacific is under the day-to-day operation of the publishing team at Blah! Asia, a division of the Asia Pacific social entertainment media house Spiral Media.
The site is in English, Chinese & Malay.
Veteran games industry figure Maxime Villandré will serve as the Editor-in-Chief of the new edition, managing editorial teams based in Kuala Lumpur and throughout Asia.
Countries covered include Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and China.
IGN.com is the world’s most popular games and entertainment network and the new deal significantly grows IGN’s local presence in one of the world’s largest and fastest growing gaming regions.
Asia Pacific joins licensed IGN sites now live in Germany, Sweden and the Middle East.
According to Comscore, IGN is the largest Video games and entertainment news publisher in the Asia Pacific region across all markets, far larger than its closest competitor Gamespot.
Tags:Asia Pacific, Gamespot, IGN Entertainment, Spiral Media, website
Posted in Gaming, Internet, Launch, Lifestyle, Tech news, Website | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, June 12th, 2012
The HTC One S is the fourth and last smartphone in the HTC One series to be introduced in Singapore.
It will be available in Gradient Metal from this Saturday, 16 June, for S$948 (without line but including a Beats Solo Headset).
Update (19 July, 2012):
The HTC One S Regular Edition will be available at S$748 from this Saturday, 21 July. The HTC One S Regular Edition does not include the Beats Solo Headset.
The HTC One S Deluxe Edition, which includes the Beats Solo Headset is still available at S$948.
The HTC One S will be available in Gradient Metal.
The HTC One S is the slimmest of the four phones in the HTC One series of Android phones. The others are the HTC One X, HTC One V, and HTC One XL.
The HTC One S is launched with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich; HTC Sense user interface; and runs on a 1.7 GHz dual-core CPU.
It has a 4.3-inch (540 x 960) screen, an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video recording, and a 1,650 mAh battery.
As with the other phones in the HTC One series, the phone excels in its camera and audio performance.
S$948: HTC One S bundled with a Beats Solo Headset
The camera has an f/2.0 aperture and 28mm wide angle lens, captures a shot in 0.7 seconds and in burst mode can shoot up to 60 continuous snapshots at one go.
Bundled with a Beats Solo Headset, HTC One S users enjoy a superb audio experience with Beats Audio Technology, which is integrated into the hardware and software of the smartphone.
Other notable features include an internal storage of 16GB with 2 years’ worth of free 25GB Dropbox storage; and the ability to playback the smartphone’s content on a large screen, via an optional HTC Media Link HD accessory.
Below are the key specifications of the HTC One S at a glance.
(more…)
Tags:Android 4.0, Beats Audio, HTC One S, Ice Cream Sandwich, launch, Singapore, smartphones
Posted in Android, Announce, App, Audio, Gadgets, headphones, HTC, HTC One, Launch, Operating Systems, Phones, Prices, Software, Specifications | 1 Comment »
Monday, June 11th, 2012
Canon has launched the imageCLASS LBP6680x, a compact monochrome laser printer for Small Office/Home Offices (SOHOs) and Small and Medium-Sized businesses (SMBs).
Available in July for S$799.
Canon imageCLASS LBP6680x - available in July for S$799.
The Canon imageCLASS LBP6680x offers the following advanced printing capabilities.
- Cost-accounting and server-based secure printing via Canon uniFLOW
- Server-less solutions for Home Offices and SMBs
- Reliable, Productive and High-Quality Printing
- Cost- and Energy-Efficiency
- Ease of Use and Maintenance
(more…)
Tags:Canon, imageCLASS, laser, launch, LBP6680x, printer, SMB, SOHO
Posted in Announce, Canon, Enterprise IT, Gadgets, Laserjet, Launch, Prices, Printers, Specifications | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 6th, 2012
Panasonic has launched a new Micro Four Thirds mirrorless interchangeable lens (MIL) camera.
It is available now at S$1,099 for either the single-lens or twin-lens kits (details within).
The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5 comes in five colours: Black, White, Red, Brown, and Gold (limited edition).
The LUMIX DMC-GF5 is the latest member of the LUMIX G Micro System.
The GF5 remains compact despite having a built-in pop-up flash.
As an MIL camera, it marries the image quality and lens-changing flexibility of DSLRs with the compactness of point-and-shoot cameras.
The DMC-GF5 includes a built-in flash, 12.1-megapixel High Sensitivity Live MOS sensor and an improved Venus Engine for image processing.
Maximum ISO settings reach a maximum of 12,800.
The DMC-GF5 has a 920,000 dots, 3-inch touch display, which allows the user to choose where to focus and to release the shutter upon focus.
Compact enough to fit in the trousers pocket.
Touch zoom is also available simply by mounting the LUMIX G X Power Zoom Lens (H-PS14042 lens or H-PS45175).
The DMC-GF5 uses Contrast Auto-Focus (AF) to capture and lock on to fast-moving subjects within 0.9 seconds.
There are 23 scene modes with pre-canned settings for various photographic situations.
A Creative Control mode increases filter options to 14 from 6 in the DMC-GF3.
The GF5 has a 920k dots, 3-inch touch display.
The new filters are: Soft Focus, Dynamic Monochrome, Impressive Art, One Point Color, Cross Process, Low Key, Toy Effect and Star Filter.
The existing six filters are the conventional Expressive, Retro, High Key, Sepia, High Dynamic, and Miniature Effect filters.
A dedicated video record button records 1920 x 1080 Full HD video with stereo sound, in either AVCHD or MP4 format.
The DMC-GF5’s Intelligent Auto (iA) mode includes AF Tracking, Face Recognition, Intelligent D-range Control, Scene Selector and ISO Control.
Nice muscular design in the GF5.
iA Plus mode adjusts exposure compensation and white balance for superior image output.
A newly added angle detection sensor makes it possible to tell whether the photo was taken horizontally or vertically, whatever lens is used.
The
Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5 is available now and is priced at S$1,099 for either of two kits:
- GF5X: Body with 14-42mm LUMIX G X lens
- GF5W: Body with 14mm F2.5 pancake lens, and 14-42mm standard kit lens
Note: the Micro Four Thirds lens has a crop factor of 2, so a 14-42mm lens has a 35mm equivalent focal length range of 28-84mm.
Tags:cameras, compact system camera, CSC, DMC-GF5, lens, Lumix, MIL, mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, Panasonic, touch
Posted in Cameras, Gadgets, Launch, Lens, Lumix, MIL, Panasonic, Photography, Prices, Specifications | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 6th, 2012
Nokia’s monster-imager smartphone hits the shelves (S$839) in Singapore tomorrow, in Black and White.
The Nokia 808 PureView runs on Nokia Belle (Symbian OS 10.1) and features a camera with a 41-megapixel sensor, complete with Carl Zeiss optics.
Nokia 808 PureView will be available in Singapore tomorrow (S$839), in Black and White.
The smartphone is available in Black and White and will will debut at the PC Show 2012 tomorrow at the booths of Nokia and all three major local Telcos SingTel, StarHub and M1.
41-megapixel camera sensor
The Nokia 808 PureView was first unveiled in February this year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, together with a slew of other phones from Nokia.
The Nokia 808 PureView shoots photos at default 5MP resolution and Full HD 1080p videos. Pixel over-sampling technology is used to process image information (details, sharpness and colour) captured in the 41MP sensor into the final high-quality 5MP photo that is saved to memory.
The camera outputs photos at 2, 3, 5, 8, 34 and 38 megapixels resolution and comes with a powerful Xenon flash and LED video light.
The high-performance Carl Zeiss optics gives three times lossless zoom for stills, and 1080p full high-definition (HD) video recording with up to four times lossless zoom, giving you a smooth and completely silent zoom experience.
Black and White
The Nokia 808 PureView’s camera activates in less than a second, and photos and full HD videos can be sent straight to Facebook or Flickr for sharing – at the touch of a button.
Photos and videos can be sent to another NFC-enabled phone with a simple tap. The phone can also be hooked up to a HDTV via HDMI or wireless streaming to view the phone’s contents on the big screen.
The new Nokia 808 PureView is the world’s first device to include Rich Recording that enables distortion-free audio recording at CD-like levels of up to 140 dB, which was previously only possible with advanced external microphones.
Nokia Belle OS
This promises faithful sound recording from the lowest base levels to the highest trebles – whether you are at a concert or at a cozy recital!
The phone also features Dolby Headphone, which is exclusive to Nokia smartphones.
With Dolby Headphone, you can get Dolby surround sound playback from any stereo headphone, so you can enjoy superb surround sound quality with movies, music, and even YouTube videos for an amazing entertainment experience everywhere.
The specifications of the Nokia 808 PureView can be viewed and downloaded below.
(more…)
Tags:Belle, launch, Nokia 808, PC Show, PC Show 2012, PureView, smartphone, Symbian
Posted in Availability, Cameras, Exhibition, Gadgets, Launch, Nokia, Phones, Photography, Prices, Specifications, Symbian | No Comments »
