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New creative design tablet apps: Adobe Touch Apps

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

Six new apps for Apple iPads and Android tablets have been announced by Adobe at its MAX 2011 technology conference.

At US$9.99 each, the six apps address different areas of the creative process: image editing; ideation; sketching; mood boards; website and mobile app prototyping; and presenting finished work.

The six new Adobe Touch Apps are:

Adobe Photoshop Touch
Adobe Collage
Adobe Debut
Adobe Ideas
Adobe Kuler
Adobe Proto

More details of the Touch Apps are tabulated here.

Adobe Touch Apps are essential components of Adobe Creative Cloud, a major new company initiative also announced today. Adobe Creative Cloud will allow subscribers to access desktop and tablet applications, find creative services, and share their work.

Files created via Adobe Touch Apps can be shared, viewed across devices or transferred into Adobe Creative Suite software for further refinement. Adobe Touch Apps are designed to work with both finger and stylus input.

Adobe Touch Apps will be available for Android devices in November 2011. iOS availability will likely be announced only in early 2012, although Adobe Ideas is already available for the iPad.

Access to the file viewing, sharing and transfer functionality of Adobe Creative Cloud is included in the price of each Adobe Touch App. Details regarding pricing of the Adobe Creative Cloud and its expanded capabilities around applications, services and community will be announced in November 2011.

Tags:Adobe, Android, Apple, Apps, iPad, tablets
Posted in Adobe, Android, App, Creative Suite, iOS, iPad, Launch, Software, Tablets | 1 Comment »

Single Edition of Adobe Digital Publishing Suite for tablets

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

The Single Edition allows freelance designers and small design firms to publish interactive content created with Adobe InDesign CS5.5 software on the Apple iPad for US$395 per application.

Adobe Publishing Suite, Single Edition at US$395 per iPad application.

Single Edition allows designers to publish a single-issue application for sale or distribution through the Apple App Store, without writing any code, focusing on creative design.

The Professional Edition of the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite was released in May for publishing houses, business publishers, and education institutions that require an off-the-shelf tablet publishing solution.

Single Edition allows users to publish single-issue content such as a brochure, highly-visual book, annual report or personal design portfolio as an application for the iPad.

The Digital Publishing Suite family which now includes Single Edition is used to publish content beyond traditional magazines and newspapers. These include sales tools, brand and customer engagement materials, merchandising deliverables, employee communications and corporate collateral published to tablets.

Pricing and Availability

Single Edition for iPad is expected to be available for purchase online at the end of November 2011. From InDesign CS5.5, users can publish through Single Edition to the iPad for US$395 per application. Single Edition will support additional tablet platforms later in 2012.

Tags:Adobe, Apple, Apps, iPad
Posted in Adobe, App, InDesign, iOS, iPad, Launch, Software, Tablets | 1 Comment »

New app-cum-loyalty programme: Pointpal

Sunday, October 2nd, 2011

Pointpal is a nifty electronic wallet for managing loyalty programmes for consumers who want to enjoy benefits and freebies offered by participating vendors, without the hassle of carrying a multitude of loyalty cards and keeping track of the stamps and tokens associated with the individual cards.

Do you carry a two-inch thick credit card wallet specially to hold all the different loyalty cards and discount cards that you’ve signed up over time with different F&B outlets or boutiques? Some of these offer one free drink for every three drinks purchased or give a free massage for every eight sessions.

Most of the time, the number of purchases are indicated by stamps on the loyalty card. Accumulate the requisite number of stamps and you surrender the card to the bartender for that free cocktail.

Buy X to get Y free.

A new FREE app has been launched for the iPhone that promises to take the hassle out of participating in these loyalty programmes. Apps for Android and BlackBerry smartphones are in the works. Pointpal has already been launched in Australia.

Scan the QR code to join a new loyalty programme

The entire programme is based on the use of QR codes. Participating vendors will display these 2D barcodes on their advertisements and in their compound so that interested customers who have installed the Pointpal app on their iPhones can scan the QR code to sign up for the loyalty programme for that vendor.

This removes the hassle of filling in paper application forms for each loyalty programme you sign up. You only need to enter some basic details once when you first download and install the Pointpal app. After that, simply scan the vendor’s QR code to join.

After every relevant purchase at a participating outlet, you can key in the purchase and let the cashier or bartender verify the purchases by scanning his special QR code. Once you have accumulated enough purchases, show the app to the cashier redeem rewards and freebies. Again, the cashier or bartender will scan his special QR code to acknowledge redemption and then hand over that free drink or merchandise.

Even if the phone is lost, the records of the purchases with the various vendors are available in Pointpal’s cloud storage.

Manage and keep track of your purchases
No more lugging around a fat loyalty card wallet, or looking for that elusive card just to get it stamped or to check number of stamps.

Initial participating vendors include Barcode Cocktail Bar, Nail Vibe, and Wine Universe. More can be found here.

Tags:Apps, iPhone, Pointpal
Posted in App, iPhone, Launch | 2 Comments »

New storage products: 7 SanDisk memory devices

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

SanDisk launched seven new memory storage devices today, targeted mainly at consumers who are photographers/videographers, smartphone/tablet and general computer users.

The new products feature higher capacities and higher speeds and include SDXC SD and micro SDXC cards, USB thumbdrives, a USB 3.0 card reader, and two SSD drives for daily and long term storage.

Note that the SDXC memory cards will require SDXC compatible devices to use their full capacity beyond 32GB. They can be used for non-SDXC devices but can only be formatted to a maximum capacity of 32GB for SDHC devices.

The new devices are tabulated below.

Memory device	Price & Description
	64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-I Card (S$529) Double the performance and capacity, targeted at photo/video pros. Up to 90 MB/s write speed and 95 MB/s read speed. Good for Full HD videos and burst mode photography recording to RAW + JPEG. 8GB – 64GB: S$69 – S$529 Available Q4 2011
	64GB SanDisk Mobile Ultra microSDXC Card (S$285) Double the capacity of smartphones and tablets Up to 30 MB/s transfer speeds. Good for Full HD videos Available Q4 2011
	Cruzer Fit USB Flash Drive (4 GB – 16 GB: S$12 – S$36) Tiny and compact. It’s only the size of a 10 cents coin.
	Cruzer Switch USB Flash Drive (4 GB – 16 GB: S$12 – S$36) No more worries about losing the cap. Good for computers and tablets with USB ports.
	SanDisk Memory Vault (S$ TBA) 8GB and 16GB capacities available – not for large scale file backup. Preserve files for up to 100 years. Good as photo albums. Available Q4 2011
	SanDisk Ultra SSD (60GB: S$230) (120GB: S$415) (240GB: S$790) Solid State Drive (SSD) for the retail market instead of OEM. Up to 280/270 MB/s in read/write speeds. Offers low power consumption, silent and quick launch. Good for replacing ageing internal hard-disks of old laptops/desktops.
	ImageMate All-in-One USB 3.0 Reader/Writer (S$65) USB 3.0 interface offers up to 500 MB/s performance. Four card slots for all major card formats. Backwards compatible with USB 2.0 devices. Good for intensive photo and video transfer.

Tags:microSD, SanDisk, SD, SDHC, SDXC, SSD, USB
Posted in Accessories, Cameras, Desktops, Events, Gadgets, Launch, Notebooks, Phones, Prices, SanDisk, Specifications, storage drive, Tablets | 2 Comments »

New smartphone: Samsung Omnia W

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Samsung’s first Mango-based smartphone features a vivid Super AMOLED display as well as People Hub – which provides enriched content and social communication experience.

The Omnia W will be available in Singapore by the end of the year for S$498 (incl 7% GST), without line contract.

Samsung Omnia W, based on Windows Phone 7.5 Mango.

Based on the latest release of Microsoft’s Windows Phone, code-named Mango, the phone sports a 3.7” Super AMOLED display, a 1.4 GHz processor and 14.4 Mbps HASPA connectivity.

The design thrust of the Omnia W is to put people at the centre of everything, with emphasis placed on social networking and sharing. Internet Explorer 9 and Bing are integrated into the entire experience.

Windows Phone 7.5

Mango’s unique and intuitive user interface lays out applications in mosaic ‘Live Tiles’ which flow and move in response to users’ touch on the screen. Six specialized Microsoft applications provide an engaging content and communication experience.

Windows Phone People Hub is integrated with built-in social networking services like Windows Live, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, for users to stay connected with their social community constantly.

Office Hub provides enhanced productivity on-the-go and includes access to Windows Live Sky Drive, which provides 25GB of free storage and allows documents and media files to be easily stored and accessed. Users can also create and edit documents through mobile versions of Microsoft Office Excel, Word and PowerPoint, as well as utilize One Note, a note-taking platform that allows easy sharing and storage of voice memos, images and text-based notes.

Stylish, slim metal finish for the Samsung Omnia W

Seamless access to entertainment is enhanced by the integration of a Picture Hub, Music & Video Hub – powered by Microsoft Zune – and Game Hub, which provides the latest in social gaming experiences through Xbox live, for friends to chat with each other while gaming. Windows Phone Marketplace provides access to over 30,000 apps to meet customer needs across entertainment or productivity.

Samsung differentiation

The overall Windows Phone experience is significantly enhanced with the inclusion of Samsung-exclusive productivity apps. This includes Samsung AllShare, which provides seamless content transfer between the smartphone and other DLNA-enabled devices such as HDTV’s, monitors and digital cameras.

The Samsung Omnia W tries to put people and social networking at the centre of its experience.

Video Call is an easy-to-use app which allows ultra-fast vivid 3G video conversations with friends and family. Additionally, Mini Diary enables users to capture their experiences in multimedia formats and create their own personalized digital journal while on the go. An upgraded Samsung eBook client is also available from Samsung Zone.

Users can stay up-to-date with the latest news and events with Now 2.0 app, which provides up-to-the minute current affairs, stock market and weather information. RSS Time allows RSS feeds for newspapers, magazines and blogs to be downloaded onto the device and read in an easily digestible format, while eye-catching articles can be instantly shared via email or Facebook.

The device features enhanced social network integration, with Twitter and LinkedIn weaved throughout the Omnia W in addition to Facebook, for photos and videos to be instantly shared across a variety of social networking sites hassle-free.

Detailed specifications of the Omnia W are tabulated below:

(more…)

Tags:7.5, Mango, Omnia W, Samsung, smartphone, Windows Phone 7
Posted in Gadgets, Launch, Phones, Prices, Samsung, Specifications, Windows Phone 7 | 1 Comment »

Wacom launches new Bamboo graphics pen tablets

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Three re-styled and improved models of the entry-level tablets – Pen, Pen & Touch, and Fun has been launched globally today and is available at S$135, S$185, and S$335 (all incl 7% GST).

Wacom Bamboo graphics tablet

The 29-year-old Japanese company is the market leader in graphics tablets, enjoying more than 80% of the market share.

Wireless dongle for Wacom Bamboo

The Bamboo series is the entry level line of tablets for the company, while the Intuos is the mid-tier line, with the Cintiq line the high-end tablet cum LCD display for the heavy-lifting.

This is the third generation of the Bamboo series. The aesthetic design has been restyled to feature a lime green highlight around the edge and a reduced bevel around the tablet’s working area.

All support 1024 pressure levels in the stylus pen tip and a resolution of 2540 pixels. Both the basic Pen and core Touch & Pen models are small sized tablets while the most pricey Fun is medium sized.

The wireless module inserted in the tablet

The Touch & Pen and the Fun models both feature four customisable ExpressKeys, supports the use of both pen and finger-touch, supports wireless usage through an optional wireless accessory kit for an extra S$65. The kit may not be available in some countries though.

The Pen model does not have any ExpressKeys nor the wireless ability.

Bundled software for the three models are also slightly different. Both Mac and Windows PCs are supported. The main specifications are tabulated below:

(more…)

Tags:Bamboo, graphics tablets, PEN, touch, Wacom
Posted in Accessories, Events, Gadgets, Launch, Prices, Specifications | 4 Comments »

New compact camera: Samsung MultiView MV800

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

The MV800 features a 3.0-inch wide flip-out touch display and is available in Black, White and Red at S$499.

MultiView MV800, the new compact digital camera from Samsung.

The flip-out touch screen of Samsung’s new ultra slim compact digital camera enables photographers to snap shots from difficult angles and awkward positions.

Such situations include snapping high-angle shots over the crowd to capture a street performance, and dramatic low-angle shots at ground level. The display can also be folded back to frame the shot when taking self-portraits. The screen can be tilted up or down for framing snapshots prior to taking them.

The MV800 pairs a Schneider-Kreuznach lens with a 16.1 megapixel CCD sensor. The 5x zoom Lens ranges goes from a wide angle of 26 mm (35mm equivalent focal length) to a maximum of 130 mm.

Schneider-Kreuznach lens with 5x zoom from 26 to 130 mm (35mm equiv)

The Live Panorama function enables easy photography of large groups by simply holding down the shutter button, and previewing the entire scene that has been captured on the LCD screen. By connecting the MV800 to a 3D HDTV, images and panoramic shots can be viewed in 3D.

The MV800 has a recording time of up to twice as long as the standard MPEG4. The zoom noise reduction technology promises to record only the sound of the subject and not the whirring of the zoom.

The Smart Touch 3.0 with Wallpaper user interface allows users to drag and scroll through menu options to launch features, instead of using traditional clumsy buttons on the camera’s body.

In-camera creative software features

16.1 megapixels and a 3.0-inch wide flip-out touch display.

The Magic Frame feature includes 12 fun background templates for snapshots, as well as the ability to customise their backgrounds. A Picture-in-Picture function also allows users to insert and combine one image with another.

The Smart Filter function has a selection of 14 artistic effects, including the newly added Water Paint for a stylish watercolour finish or the Cartoon capability that transforms any photo into a fun animated film format. Funny Face allows you to bend, stretch and manipulate portraits by tapping and dragging to radically distort facial characteristics for a good laugh.

Tags:cameras, MultiView MV800, Samsung
Posted in Cameras, Compact camera, Gadgets, Launch, Prices, Samsung, Specifications | 1 Comment »

TomTom launches redesigned maps

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

TomTom launches today the new version of all its online maps, after having redesigned them for easier use. The new maps are more detailed than before, with enhanced colouring and shading, as well as clearer labeling of cities, districts and roads.

New online maps from TomTom.

The new TomTom online maps offer a number of improvements:

Location names are now clearer to view.
Country names are depicted in the local language.
The format of names and numbers around roads and cities has been optimised and localised.
The map now features extra details such as bridges, tunnels and even ferry names.

Map readability has also been improved with the introduction of 2.5D rendering, allowing the user to recognise the environment easily. The colours have been chosen to make the routing as clear and easy to understand as possible.

Check the maps out at www.routes.tomtom.com.

Tags:maps, TomTom
Posted in Gadgets, GPS, Launch, TomTom | No Comments »

Robotic floor cleaner from Samsung

Monday, September 19th, 2011

Samsung has launched the NaviBot-Silencio, an intelligent robotic cleaner that provides hands-free automated and hassle free cleaning on all surfaces. It is available at $1099 at all major retailers.

The NaviBot-Silencio robotic cleaner from Samsung, at $1099.

In the recent COMEX 2011, there were two booths selling robotic vacuum cleaners and moppers – the iRobot and the iClebo. I carted home the former and it’s now chugging along in the background while I write this posting.

Now Samsung has launched its version of the robotic floor cleaner. Based on appearances and technology used, it seems more similar to the Korean iClebo.

Visionary Mapping System for speedy and accurate cleaning

Samsung’s NaviBot-Silencio creates a map of the house with an onboard camera. The Visionary Mapping System captures images at 30 frames per second with the onboard camera, creating a map of the house and plotting the optimum route to achieve total coverage.

The NaviBot-Silencio also has the ability to memorize the best cleaning path, to calculate its exact location in the home, and remembers where it has cleaned, and what is still left to finish.

It also uses cognitive mapping technology with two CPU control chips, which serve as the ‘brain’ to think smart with high efficiency. When the battery is low, NaviBot-Silencio automatically takes the shortest route back to the docking station to be recharged. After being fully recharged, it goes back to its last location to begin cleaning.

Micro Fiber Polisher

NaviBot-Silencio picks up dirt, dust, pet hair, crumbs and other debris by specially designed rotating side brushes and power brush while it navigates in the house. The dust cartridge has a capacity of 0.6 litres and filters fine dusts through a washable HEPA filter. It also uses Samsung’s patented technology pet hair care to prevent pet hair from wrapping around the brushes.

The NaviBot-Silencio is designed with Samsung’s Air Path Technology to reduce irritating noise.

Tags:robot, Samsung
Posted in Appliances, Gadgets, Launch, Prices, Samsung, Specifications | 2 Comments »

Thematic shopping with Digital Style

Friday, September 16th, 2011

Newstead Technologies has opened a new multi-brand IT concept store in Funan DigitaLife Mall today. “Digital Style” is organised into six thematic zones, based on the needs of the modern IT consumer.

This is in keeping with the times – since consumers today have different purchasing habits and approaches.
This is the first of a chain of such stores. Eventually, there will likely be four to five such stores geographically distributed around Singapore, according to Evelyn Chua, Business Development and Marketing Manager of Newstead Technologies.
The 2,647 square feet store is located at #03-32 of the mall and opens from 11 am to 8 pm from Tuesdays to Sundays, and 11 am to 7 pm on Mondays.

The six themes are Entertainment & Media, Gaming, Home Computing, Mobile Communications, Office & Professional, and Ultra Mobile & Business.

The focus is on allowing shoppers to try out, for themselves, different products in the themes they are interested in.

For instance, in the gaming kiosk, the whole spectrum of gaming related gadgets and peripherals – from consoles, laptops, speakers and controllers – are displayed, for shoppers to mix-and-match and plug-and-play the various components together at one-stop.

The store is organised into six themes. Across the various themes, products are featured from all the major brands, including Acer, Asus, BlackBerry, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, HTC, Lenovo, Logitech, Microsoft, Motorola, Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba and others.

Apple related products are absent, so you’ll have to visit authorised Apple resellers, such as Nubox, which is also under Newstead Technologies.

I noticed that digital cameras and video cameras are not sold at the shop.

Update (24 February, 2012): Newstead Technologies has opened its second and bigger Digital Style store in Jurong Point. The next will be at The Star Vista towards the end of 2012.

Tags:Funan, Newstead
Posted in Accessories, Acer, Asus, BlackBerry, Dell, Desktops, Events, Fujitsu, Gadgets, Gaming, HP, HTC, Launch, Lenovo, Microsoft, Motorola, Notebooks, Panasonic, Phones, Samsung, Tablets, Toshiba | 2 Comments »

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