Archive for the ‘Accessories’ Category
Wednesday, February 20th, 2013
Sony launched today a range of digital imaging products – 5 cameras, 3 lenses and 2 accessories. Available in Asia Pacific in March/April 2013. Prices TBA.
From top to bottom, left to right: 1. 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II telephoto zoom lens 2. RM-VPR1 wired remote 3. DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM II zoom lens 4. Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM lens 5. HVL-F20M flash 6. Alpha 58 DSLR 7. NEX-3N mirrorless interchangeable lens camera 8. Cyber-shot WX-300 compact camera 9. Cyber-shot HX-300 compact camera 10. Cyber-shot TX-30 compact camera
The five cameras announced today include the Alpha 58 DSLR, NEX-3N MIL, and three compacts: Cyber-shot WX300, Cyber-shot HX300, and Cyber-shot TX30.
(more…)
Tags:accessories, Alpha, cameras, compact, Cyber-shot, digital imaging, DSLR, lens, lenses, NEX, Sony
Posted in Accessories, Alpha, Announce, camera flash, Cameras, Compact camera, Cyber-shot, DSLR, Gadgets, Launch, Lens, NEX, Photography, Sony | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 9th, 2013
Nikon has launched in Tokyo the Nikon 1 J3, Nikon 1 S1 bodies, WP-N2 waterproof case, 1 NIKKOR VR 6.7-13mm f/3.5-5.6 and 1 NIKKOR VR 10-100mm f/4-5.6 lenses. It also released two new compact cameras – COOLPIX S6500 and COOLPIX 2700.
Prices and availability to be announced at a later date.
From left, Nikon COOLPIX S6500, Nikon COOLPIX S2700, Nikon 1 J3 with 1 NIKKOR VR 6.7-13mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, and Nikon 1 S1 with 1 NIKKOR VR 10-100mm f/4-5.6 lens
With the popularity of mirrorless interchangeable lens (MIL) cameras, Nikon is beefing up its Nikon 1 line up of camera bodies, lenses and accessories, with new features and functionalities.
For those who prefer the simplicity of compact cameras, it has introduced two new cameras in its COOLPIX S-series.
Here’s a line-up with key specs.
(more…)
Tags:cameras, COOLPIX, MIL, NIKKOR, Nikon, Nikon 1
Posted in Accessories, Announce, Cameras, Compact camera, COOLPIX, Gadgets, Lens, MIL, NIKKOR, Nikon, Nikon 1, Photography, Specifications, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Saturday, January 5th, 2013
If you’re looking for a capable workhorse for your home office, this duplex A4 inkjet printer gives you the full range of print, copy, scan and fax capabilities you’ll need.
Print quality is good, operation is simple and fast – but make sure you have enough space for it.
RRP: S$499 (incl. GST).
HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus e-All-in-One inkjet prints up to 20 ppm in black, and 16 ppm in colour.
The print quality of the Officejet Pro 8600 Plus is excellent. Text documents look as if they were printed by a laser printer, while photos (printed on glossy photo paper) were crisp and vibrant.
I was told the prints on normal A4 paper were “water-proof” so I immersed a few printed sheets in water overnight.
Indeed the ink didn’t run at all.
Of course the paper got all wrinkled after it dried but that’s got nothing to do with the ink or printer.
You’ll be hard put to tell they were not printed on a dedicated photo printer.
I tested the photo-print quality by printing full A4 sized outputs on glossy photo paper.
I was rather impressed as I didn’t expect a multi-function printer meant for office-use to produce photo prints almost as well as a dedicated photo printer.
(more…)
Tags:copy, fax, HP, inkjets, Officejet, print, printers, scan
Posted in Gadgets, HP, Inkjet, Network, Prices, Printers, Review, Specifications | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013
Sony is introducing the XBA-40 (S$388), XBA-30 (S$318), XBA-20 (S$238) and XBA-10 (S$98) in-ear headphones, available now from all Sony stores and authorised outlets.
Each of the models in the second generation in-ear XBA headphones come in gold or silver.
For users listening to music on their iPhones, each of these earphones models also come with “iP” versions that allow remote control of the music playing while talking hands-free.
| Model |
SRP |
| XBA-40 |
S$388 |
| XBA-30 |
S$318 |
| XBA-20 |
S$238 |
| XBA-10 |
S$98 |
| XBA-40iP |
S$408 |
| XBA-30iP |
S$338 |
| XBA-20iP |
S$268 |
| XBA-10iP |
S$118 |
These headphones are the second generation of Sony’s popular XBA range of in-ear headphones, with gold and silver colour variations for each model to suit the individual’s taste.
The new XBA headphones feature the same micro-sized Balanced Armature (BA) drivers that are optimised for music enjoyment.
Double-layered housing prevents unwanted vibrations for crystal clear mid-high range audio reproduction.
The new range of XBA in-ear headphones now come with a high quality, PCOCC grain-free and oxygen-free copper cable wiring that minimises sound transmission loss.
A serrated anti-friction tangle-free cord helps music lovers deal with the constant challenge of messily stored wires.
Tags:earphones, headphones, Sony, XBA
Posted in Accessories, Announce, Audio, Availability, Gadgets, headphones, Prices, Sony | No Comments »
Monday, December 17th, 2012
The Seagate Video 2.5 HDD is a 2.5-inch drive specifically engineered for use in 24/7 video applications like digital video recorders (DVRs), set-top boxes (STBs), and surveillance applications.
New Seagate Video 2.5 HDD for greater reliability and energy efficiency.
The Video 2.5 HDD targets three key areas of importance to manufacturers – high reliability, acoustics, and energy efficiency.
The Seagate Video 2.5 HDD is built without the use of harmful chemicals like the fire retardant bromide and is PVC free.
For reliability, the drive has an annual failure rate of approximately 0.55, based on current configurations, enabling it to keep product in the field longer while reducing the cost of field deployment and maintaining customer retention.
“We pioneered the HDD video market more than a decade ago and as such are leveraging our vast knowledge of this technology to bring consumers the most reliable video drive in the world,” said Scott Horn, Seagate vice president of Marketing.
It boasts 24/7 operation capabilities in extended temperature ranges and enhanced acoustics for near silent operation — features crucial for consumer electronics and video applications.
The Video 2.5 HDD provides home entertainment manufacturers one and two disk, cost-optimized solutions for today’s high-definition (HD) video recording applications.
Featuring capacities up to 500 GB, manufacturers can benefit from its lower-power performance and slim form factor without sacrificing the streaming capabilities or reliability of Seagate’s 3.5-inch video drive.
Its low power consumption, 24×7 operation, and support of up to 12 streams of simultaneous HD content also make it ideal for surveillance DVR applications.
“The CE industry has extremely specific criteria and needs when it comes to storage and the Video 2.5 HDD is built to meet and exceed their rigorous demands,” added Horn.
The living-room environment requires superior acoustic management to limit audible distractions during operation of DVRs and STBs and the Video 2.5 HDD enables designers to build the quietest home entertainment systems possible.
Operating below the range of audible sound for the human ear at just 22db, the drive provides optimised acoustics for home entertainment components.
Compared to 3.5-inch HDDs
The drive reduces packaging materials by 53 percent and overall freight by up to 30 percent – over previous 3.5-inch offerings – by efficiently packing and shipping more units with fewer materials than larger drives.
The Seagate Video 2.5 HDD is designed specially for video.
It also contributes to sustainable energy initiatives by achieving a 55 percent improvement in power savings over comparable 3.5-inch offerings, enabling system integrators to meet aggressive new energy requirements.
Tags:hard disk, HDD, Seagate, video
Posted in Accessories, Announce, Gadgets, Seagate, storage drive, Video | No Comments »
Saturday, December 1st, 2012
So we decided that there was a 2-week window to grab a quick break. But that’s like one-week away. Is it possible to plan the usual DIY self-drive holiday at such short notice?
Aerial view of Fukuoka, our gateway to Kyushu.
The answer is yes, with the advent of the Internet. Here’s a recap of what I did for my own holiday.
Cutting it close
I booked the air tickets the day we decided to go for the break, the car rental the next day, 3 hotels on the third day, and the remaining 3 on the fourth day.
The remaining days were spent planning the itinerary for each stop.
It’s as close to the date of departure as I’ve ever tried going on a self-planned, self-drive vacation.
First the obvious, decide how long you’ve got and where you want to go. In my case, we’ve long wanted to visit Kyushu in Japan, and the window of opportunity available was roughly two weeks.
If you’re thinking of visiting Japan, I recommend this site called japan-guide.com. It has comprehensive descriptions of popular tourist spots all over Japan, as well as travel tips for Japan.
Even more useful is its forum where vacation planners get their queries answered in detail with advice from a community of fellow travelers, as well as useful links to resources – such as timetables, rates etc – outside of the website.
Next book the air tickets. The availability and price of last-minute tickets usually determine whether your vacation destination will become a reality.
Cameras of choice
For this vacation, I’m entrusting our memories to the Nikon D800, with the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED and the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lenses.
That’s almost 4 kg of camera gear but for the sake of image quality, I believe the 36.3-megapixel full-frame camera and two FX lenses from Nikon are worth every ounce of their weight.
Besides, we have the rental car to carry the gear between sights.
For a second camera, my wife will be carrying our trusty Olympus E450 with the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens.
I use Zuji.com to get a feel of the airlines plying Singapore and the possible stops and the price range, then if there’s time, check competing sites or the airline’s website for better rates.
For Kyushu, it was pretty straightforward, only Singapore Airlines fly directly there from Singapore – to Fukuoka. It’s straightforward until you hit the SIA website. For a premier airline, it sure has a terrible website for bookings and reservations – plenty of long waits.
Next is the car rental. I use ToCoo car rental. It helps you check the rates for multiple car rental companies with cars available in the cities where you intend to pick up and drop off the car. But you’ve got to compare rates manually yourself.
Computing on the go
For computing, I’m bringing along the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook, a BlackBerry PlayBook, and the Seagate 1TB Backup Plus.
The X1 Carbon is sleek in design, wonderfully thin and light, yet powerful enough for surfing Web and running Photoshop and Dreamweaver CS6 for photo-editing and blogging back in the hotel room.
The 7-inch PlayBook keeps the children entertained with game apps, and serves as an e-book reader. Its biggest bugbear is that it’s the Wi-Fi version and does not have 3G, but I don’t use 3G data in Japan anyway.
To store and back up the 40MB RAW photo files generated by the D800, I brought along the 1TB Seagate Backup Plus Portable Drive. The 2.5-inch plug-and-play drive constantly backs up the hard disk and makes posting photos online a breeze.
Usually, I pick up the car at the airport, drive off to the first destination and return the car at the airport I’m flying off from. If the pick-up and drop-off locations are different, check if a surcharge is levied and how much it is.
Fuss-free music
For music in the hotel room, we’re bringing along the Jabra Solemate portable speaker. Instead of lugging stacks of CDs around, simply download your favourite tracks onto an SD card and plug it into the Solemate.
What I like most is we can play our song collections and playlists wirelessly from our smartphones, tablet and Ultrabook via Bluetooth. It’s portable, easy to use and the sound quality is superb.
Finally, book the hotels. I know some Japanese so I used to browse Japanese booking websites and hotel websites directly, calling them on the phone for enquiries and reservations.
This time round, I discovered that my favourite accomodation-booking website for Europe holidays – booking.com – now has quite extensive list of hotels in Japan. Enough to find hotels that fit your budget in most places in Japan.
I like booking.com because of its clear information and easy booking. So even if you don’t know ANY japanese, you can still find and book accommodation easily.
Smartphones
We don’t use smartphones an awful lot, but for the record, we’re bringing along the Android Sony Xperia ion and an aging iPhone 3GS.
I’ve left the Nokia Lumia 900 at home because Nokia maps does not have the navigation map for Japan, and I’m renting an English GPS with the car anyway.
Another website that I tried last year – hotels.com – seems to be only beginning to move into Japan, with poor selection and high prices. I’m hoping there coverage and pricing will improve over time.
Once you’ve gotten the flight, car and hotel bookings out of the way, what remains is the physical packing for the big day.
Tags:Backup Plus, Carbon, D800, holiday, ION, Jabra, Japan, Japan 2012, Kyushu, Lenovo, Nikon, Olympus, Seagate, Solemate, Sony, travel, ultrabook, vacation, X1, Xperia
Posted in Apple, Audio, Cameras, DSLR, Events, Gadgets, Holiday, Japan 2012, Lenovo, Lens, Lumia, NIKKOR, Nikon, Nokia, Notebooks, Olympus, Phones, Photography, PlayBook, RIM, Seagate, Sony Mobile, speakers, storage drive, Tablets, Travel, Ultrabooks, Xperia, Zuiko | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, November 27th, 2012
Almost three months after they were unveiled by Nokia and Microsoft CEOs in New York, Nokia’s first Windows Phone 8 smartphones will debut in Singapore.
The Lumia 920 (S$899) and Lumia 820 (S$699) hits Singapore shelves next Saturday on 8 December 2012.
Nokia Lumia 920 (S$899) and Lumia 820 (S$699) arrives in Singapore next Saturday, 8 December 2012.
The two new handsets will be available at Nokia retail stores, while mobile operators in Singapore are slated to announce their respective data plans for the two models.
Accessories
Accessories for the two smartphones include the Nokia Lumia Purity Pro headset, JBL PlayUp Portable Wireless Speaker and JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speakers, as well as the Nokia Wireless Charging Pillow by Fatboy, Nokia Wireless Charging Stand and Nokia Wireless Charging Plate.
Nokia Singapore launched the two smartphones at Harry’s Bar at Millenia Walk and handed out the devices for guests to try out the new features, as they made their way around the city on an open-top bus.
The Lumia 920 boasts Pureview imaging technology that produces sharp pictures even in low light. The optical image stabiliser (OIS) further reduced the blur.
I was rather impressed with the Lumia 920’s imaging performance. Photos were indeed bright and sharp, while videos of moving/vibrating objects appeared less jerky when compared to videos taken on the Lumia 820 and other smartphones.
JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speakers
The Lumia 820 is the more affordable sibling of the two, with a smaller and lower-resolution screen, smaller battery, and the run-of-the-mill camera.
It is however, more compact and lighter than its bigger brother. (Check the quick comparison here).
You can also change the back cover of the Lumia 820 to vary the colour of the phone.
Both smartphones come with the same imaging apps that were quite interesting.
Nokia Smart Shoot is for group photos – shooting multiple exposures with a single click to choose the best from each exposure.
Nokia Wireless Charging Stand
Cinemagraph takes short videos where certain parts are frozen as a still shot while portions defined by you moves like regular video.
Panorama helps you do a sweep panorama shot of the landscape.
City Lens adds an augmented reality overlay over the screen when the camera is pointed at buildings and places of interest.
The idea is novel but not new, and in the short span of time that I tried it out, I found the augmented info sketchy at times while the resolution was not good enough to “lead” you to a particular place. At best, it tells you a place of interest is in a particular direction.
For really pragmatic and effective turn-by-turn navigation and search for places of interest, head back to the Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive apps, both of which have been updated with features such as indoor maps.
Tags:Lumia, Lumia 820, Lumia 920, Microsoft, Nokia, Singapore, smartphones, Windows Phone, Windows Phone 8
Posted in Accessories, App, Cameras, Events, Gadgets, headphones, Launch, Lumia, Nokia, Phones, Prices, Software, speakers, Specifications, Windows Phone 8 | 1 Comment »
Saturday, November 24th, 2012
HP will be at SITEX 2012 at Hall 6 Booths 6B01 and 6E10 in the Singapore EXPO.
Click to view or download SITEX 2012 promotions for HP desktops, All-in-One computers, notebooks, tablets, and notebook-tablet transformers. (Caution: Large 2MB PDF file)
The much anticipated HP ENVY X2 is now available at a special pre-order price of $1,099 (U.P $1,199)
Other HP computers to check out include the HP ENVY 4 TouchSmart Ultrabook, HP Pavilion Sleekbook, as well as the HP ENVY 23” and 20” AiO PCs.
Click to view or download SITEX 2012 promotions for HP printers. (Caution: Large 2MB PDF file)
Also check out HP’s printers, such as the HP LaserJet Pro 200 M276nw Color MFP and the HP Officejet 6700 Premium e-All-in-One printer.
Click to view or download SITEX 2012 promotions for HP printer supplies, including ink, toner and paper.
My favourite is the HP Photosmart 7520 e-All-in-One printer, which is equipped with HP’s wireless direct printing featureand allows users to print from any Wi-Fi-enabled mobile device, such as smartphones, tablets and laptop computers without the need for network or internet connections.
Click to view or download SITEX 2012 promotions for HP accessories including mouse, keyboards, headsets, speakers, bags and webcams; as well as software.
Tags:AIOs, computers, desktops, EXPO, HP, ink, inkjet, IT exhibition, laserjet, notebooks, paper, printers, promotions, Singapore, SITEX, SITEX 2012, SITEX 2012 accessories, SITEX 2012 computers, SITEX 2012 printers, SITEX 2012 smartphones and tablets, tablets, toner, transformers, ultrabooks
Posted in Accessories, All-in-One, Brochures, Desktops, Exhibition, Gadgets, headphones, HP, Hybrid, Inkjet, Laserjet, Mouse, Multi-function printer, Notebooks, Prices, Printers, Promotions, Specifications, Tablets, Ultrabooks, Windows 8 | 1 Comment »
Saturday, November 24th, 2012
Lenovo will be at SITEX 2012 at Hall 5 Booth 5C40 (Courts), and Hall 6 Booths 6C30 (Harvey Norman) and 6D30 & 6F18 (Newstead) in the Singapore EXPO.
Click to view or download Lenovo promotions for SITEX 2012. (Caution: Large 7MB PDF file with 6 pages)
Check out Lenovo’s promotional offers for tablets, notebooks, ultrabooks, convertibles, AIOs, desktops, and accessories.
Windows 8 Lenovo Ideapad Yoga Ultrabook-tablet convertible
These include the IdeaPad G480 laptop and the recently launched Windows 8 Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 Ultrabook-tablet convertible, and ThinkPad Twist S230u convertible.
My favourite is the Yoga.
Accessories include wireless mouse, speakers, headphones/headsets, USB hubs, and accessories for ThinkPads and IdeaPads.
Tags:AIOs, computers, convertibles, desktops, EXPO, IT exhibition, Lenovo, notebooks, promotions, Singapore, SITEX, SITEX 2012, SITEX 2012 computers, SITEX 2012 smartphones and tablets, tablets, ultrabooks
Posted in Accessories, All-in-One, Brochures, Desktops, Exhibition, Gadgets, headphones, Hybrid, Lenovo, Mouse, Notebooks, Prices, Promotions, Specifications, Tablets, Ultrabooks, Windows 8 | No Comments »
Saturday, November 24th, 2012
Samsung will be at SITEX 2012 at Hall 4B Booth 4B10; Hall 5 Booth 5B20 (Audio House), 5C30 (Courts), 5G30 (Gain City); and Hall 6 Booth 6D20 in the Singapore EXPO.
Samsung is fielding its wide range of computers, cameras, printers, smart TVs and home entertainment systems.
Samsung will be selling its wide range of products at this year’s SITEX 2012.
Check out its promotions for Windows 7 and Windows 8 notebooks and tablets; as well as printers, cameras, Smart TVs and home entertainment systems.
Tags:cameras, computers, EXPO, IT exhibition, laserjet, notebooks, printers, promotions, Samsung, Singapore, SITEX, SITEX 2012, SITEX 2012 accessories, SITEX 2012 computers, SITEX 2012 printers, SITEX 2012 smartphones and tablets, tablets, transformers, TVs, ultrabooks
Posted in Audio, Brochures, Cameras, Compact camera, DSLR, Exhibition, Gadgets, Hybrid, Laserjet, MIL, Multi-function printer, Notebooks, Prices, Printers, Promotions, Samsung, Specifications, Ultrabooks | 1 Comment »
