Archive for the ‘MIL’ Category

Travel: Wat Saket – Temple of the Golden Mount in Bangkok

Tuesday, November 19th, 2013

The Golden Mount temple in Bangkok is a landmark of the city and a popular tourist sight.

Located roughly between Khaosan and Siam Square, the temple has a chedi (stupa) built on a small artificial hill, affording a panoramic view of the entire city.

Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan, or Wat Saket - more commonly known as the Golden Mount Temple, sits atop a steep artificial hill in Bangkok. Taken with a Samsung NX 2000.

Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan, or Wat Saket – more commonly known as the Golden Mount Temple, sits atop a steep artificial hill in Bangkok. Taken with a Samsung NX 2000.

We got to the Golden Mount temple by taking the local Khlong Saen Saep canal express boat from our hotel in Sukhumvit.

The Khlong Saen Saep canal express boat is a very useful boat ferry taxi to visit many of the tourist sights in Bangkok - if you can stomach the murky water and the thrills of hopping on and off the boat before it pushes off from its very momentary stop at each pier. Taken with a Samsung NX 2000.

The Khlong Saen Saep canal express boat is a very useful boat ferry taxi to visit many of the tourist sights in Bangkok – if you can stomach the murky water and the thrills of hopping on and off the boat before it pushes off from its very momentary stop at each pier. Taken with a Samsung NX 2000.

That ride in itself is a little adventure and a good way to sit among the locals and get a taste of how they actually commute.

It was also the most direct, cheapest and effortless way for us to get to the temple.

Panoramic view of Bangkok city from the top of Golden Mount. Taken using Panorama mode with a Samsung GALAXY Note 3.

Panoramic view of Bangkok city from the top of Golden Mount. Taken using Panorama mode with a Samsung GALAXY Note 3.

(more…)

Travel: Family vacation in Bangkok, Thailand

Monday, November 18th, 2013

A temple with a panoramic view, safari of wild animals, shopping every step of the way, massages and perennially congested traffic.

End of year is a good time to visit Bangkok, when it’s not so hot and it doesn’t rain so much or at all.

End of year is a good time to visit Bangkok, when it’s not so hot and it doesn’t rain so much or at all. Taken with Samsung GALAXY Note 3.

Thailand used to be a frequent destination for our year-end break, being so near to Singapore, and the friendliness of its people.

Our whole family had a whale of a time, “interacting” with the wax figurines. Visitors are allowed to touch and pose with wax replicas of Justin Bieber, Ronaldo, Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities.

Our whole family had a whale of a time, “interacting” with the wax figurines. Visitors are allowed to touch and pose with wax replicas of Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Ronaldo, Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities. Taken with Samsung NX2000.

What we liked most was how doting they were to little children – wherever we went with our young children, you could see the face of the locals brighten up with a smile, some going out of their way to chat with them and pat them.

Water fountain outside Siam Center.

Water fountain outside Siam Center. Taken with Samsung NX2000.

(more…)

POTD: Come play with Kitty

Sunday, October 6th, 2013

Photo of the Day: This kitty had just woken up from its afternoon nap and has rolled over on its back to invite others to play with it.

Kitty says, “Come play with me!” Photo taken with a Samsung NX2000 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a 20-50mm lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Kitty says, “Come play with me!” Photo taken with a Samsung NX2000 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a 20-50mm lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

This was one of four kittens in a brood that I’d discovered at a void deck under an HDB block.

(more…)

POTD: Sunset standoff between Cumulonimbus & Marina Bay Sands

Saturday, October 5th, 2013

Photo of the Day: I was walking to Fullerton Bay Hotel for the launch of the BlackBerry Z30 on Thursday evening when this majestic cumulonimbus cloud caught my eye.

It was towering menacingly over the Marina Bay Sands and was the only thing I’ve come across that was capable of counterbalancing the imposing hotel buildings.

Giant Calvus Cumulonimbus cloud versus Marina Bay Sands. Which will blink first? Photo taken with a Samsung NX2000 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a 20-50mm lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Giant Calvus Cumulonimbus cloud versus Marina Bay Sands. Which will blink first? Photo taken with a Samsung NX2000 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a 20-50mm lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

It was getting dark and I grabbed a quick snapshot with the Samsung NX2000 that I had with me.

(more…)

POTD: Pit Lane Walk at 2013 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix

Friday, September 20th, 2013

More than 2,500 F1 fans joined S. Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Trade and Industry in the Pit Lane Walk at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Some 2,500 F1 fans thronged the pit lanes at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Every which way I looked, there was somebody taking a selfie. Photo taken with a Samsung NX2000 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a 20-50mm lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Some 2,500 F1 fans thronged the pit lanes at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Every which way I looked, there was somebody taking a selfie. Photo taken with a Samsung NX2000 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a 20-50mm lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

For the first time in the six short years of Singapore Grand Prix history, members of the public were invited onto the Marina Bay Street Circuit a day before the Circuit Park’s official opening.

Race officials/volunteers taking stock of the pit lane walk. Photo taken with a Nikon D7100 with AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Race officials/volunteers taking stock of the pit lane walk. Photo taken with a Nikon D7100 with AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

(more…)

COMEX 2013 (5 – 8 Sep) at Singapore Expo & promotions flyers

Thursday, September 5th, 2013

The third of four large annual IT exhibitions in Singapore is here again, this time at the Singapore Expo, Halls 5 and 6. COMEX will open from 12 noon to 9 pm (Admission FREE). Floor plan and promotion flyers below.

COMEX 2013 (5 - 8 September) at Singapore Expo, 12 noon to 9pm, admission Free.

COMEX 2013 (5 – 8 September) at Singapore Expo, 12 noon to 9pm, admission Free.

For COMEX 2013, I’ve compiled promotions and flyers from selected exhibitors in a photo album on the tech4tea.com Facebook Page.

You can browse the album or directly access a specific flyer via the list of links below.

Promotions/Flyers in alphabetical order

  • ASUS desktops, All-in-Ones, laptops, Ultrabooks, tablets, phablets, smartphones, monitors, projectors, wireless networking equipment.
  • Canon
  • Dell desktops, All-in-Ones, laptops, Ultrabooks; and monitors.
  • Epson single-function printers, scanners and projectors, as well as multi-function inkjet and laser printers.
  • Fujitsu notebooks, Ultrabooks, tablet/laptop hybrids and PC accessories.
  • Fuji Xerox DocuPrint monochrome/colour laser printers for personal, SOHO or SME use.
  • HP
    • Monochrome/colour inkjet/laserjet printers and accessories, including mouse, keyboards, headsets, speakers, laptop bags and backpack, webcams and batteries.
    • Monitors & Computers (desktops, All-in-Ones, laptops, Ultrabooks, tablets and hybrid notebook/tablets)
  • Jabra audio accessories, wireless headsets, speakers.
  • Lenovo PCs: All-in-One desktop computers, multi-mode laptops, Ultrabooks, and hybrid notebook/tablets.
  • Linksys wireless devices.
  • M1 mobile, mobile broadband, home broadband, and MiBox TV.
  • Netgear networking equipment eg. switches, routers and media streamers.
  • Nikon CoolPix compact cameras, Nikon 1 mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, as well as DSLRs.
  • Norton security software solutions: Norton 360 Multi-Device, Norton Internet Security, Norton AntiVirus.
  • nubox Apple products and accessoires.
  • Olympus compact or tough cameras, DSLRs, mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, lenses and accessories.
  • Plantronics Bluetooth mobile headsets.
  • Samsung
  • Seagate storage products – hard disks, personal cloud storage/backup and media streaming solutions.
  • SingTel mobile, mobile broadband, home broadband, and Mio TV.
  • Skullcandy earphones and headphones.
  • StarHub mobile, mobile broadband, home broadband, StarHub TV – for home use and for businesses/enterprises.
  • tech@vogue accessories for smartphones, tablets and PCs.
  • TomTom portable navigation GPS devices, car chargers, phone mounts and Nike+ SportWatch GPS.
  • WD storage products (hard disks and personal cloud solutions) and HD Media Player.

With more than 830 exhibitors, COMEX claims to be Singapore’s biggest IT and consumer technology exhibition.

Below are the floor plans for the exhibitors.

Floor plan for COMEX 2013.

Floor plan for COMEX 2013.

The four major IT exhibitions in Singapore are:

Exhibition Dates Venue
IT Show 2013 7-10 Mar Marina Bay Sands
PC Show 2013 6-9 Jun Singapore Expo
COMEX 2013 5-8 Sep Singapore Expo
SITEX 2013 28 Nov – 1 Dec Singapore Expo

Sony announces new range of cameras, lenses and camera apps

Tuesday, August 27th, 2013

Sony announced today the new Alpha 3000 and NEX-5T cameras (late September onwards), three new E-mount lenses (Sep to Dec) and availability of PlayMemories Camera Apps to more Asia Pacific countries (now). Prices TBA.

New Sony Alpha 3000 with 20.1 megapixels will be available from September 2013.

New Sony Alpha 3000 with 20.1 megapixels will be available from September 2013.

Sony announced today a range of digital imaging offerings for photography enthusiasts and professionals.

Alpha 3000

The Alpha 3000 has a large 20.1-megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor that boosts sensitivity grabbing more light and cutting image noise even in dark interior lighting.

(more…)

Event: Sold-out I AM NIKON DAY 2013 in Singapore

Monday, August 26th, 2013

Workshops and the two seminars at the 2-day (24-25 August) event at the refurbished Suntec City Convention Centre were sold out, as participation in this year’s event was almost twice that of the inaugural I AM NIKON DAY event last year.

* All photos in this post are from Nikon Singapore.

Participants as well as visitors passing by had fun at the Nikon Day Photo Wall, taking photo souvenirs or visiting various Nikon camera display booths showcasing the latest Nikon COOLPIX cameras and Nikon 1 series.

Participants as well as visitors passing by had fun at the Nikon Day Photo Wall, taking photo souvenirs or visiting various Nikon camera display booths showcasing the latest Nikon COOLPIX cameras and Nikon 1 series.

In line with Nikon’s slogan of “At the Heart of the Image”, the aim of the 2-day event was to enrich the public with greater photography knowledge and tips, for both beginner photographers as well as seasoned amateurs.

Shutterbugs also tried their hand at capturing shots of models in the DSLR display area which featured a central boxing ring with models posing through the day.

Shutterbugs also tried their hand at capturing shots of models in the DSLR display area which featured a central boxing ring with models posing through the day.

(more…)

New MIL camera: Samsung NX2000 offers enhanced connectivity

Monday, July 8th, 2013

The new mirrorless interchangeable lens camera offers both image quality and ease of sharing snapshots with the newest addition to its NX family of compact system cameras.

Available in black, white and pink from mid-July at S$849 (incl 20-50mm kit lens). Bundled with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 (worth S$178).

Samsung NX2000 will be available in black, white or pink from mid-July for S$849.

Samsung NX2000 will be available in black, white or pink from mid-July for S$849.

The large 20.3MP ASP-C CMOS Sensor in the NX2000 is produced entirely by Samsung in-house and promises vivid colours even in low light conditions.

“Consumer demand for quality photography and the increasing desire for instantaneous sharing has become a focus for our NX range,” said Irene Ng, Vice President, Marketing, Samsung Asia.

The NX2000’s has a DRIMe IV engine which works to reduce noise, improve speed and enable superior color reproduction.

With 8fps fast continuous shooting, the NX2000 can freeze moving subject or enable a photographer to snap photos while on the run.

Its 1/4000th second top shutter speed makes capturing clear, blur free images possible, while the wide ISO range (100 to 25600) helps to deliver images promises beautifully balanced photos regardless of the light conditions.

The NX2000 has a large 3.7-inch WVGA TFT-LCD Full Touch Screen with 1,152k dots.

The Samsung NX2000 boasts a host of connectivity options that includes Wi-Fi, and NFC. Pink version here with the included 20-50mm kit lens.

The Samsung NX2000 boasts a host of connectivity options that includes Wi-Fi, and NFC. Pink version here with the included 20-50mm kit lens.

(more…)

Travel: Northern Europe Summer – Finland, Russia and Estonia

Monday, July 1st, 2013

White nights, midnight sun and paying a social visit to Santa Claus at his hometown at the Arctic Circle.

Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki. The clear blue skies was a relief from the haze back in South East Asia. Taken with Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.

Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki. The clear blue skies was a relief from the haze back in South East Asia. Taken with Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.

It all started back in 1991 with the liberation of the Baltic States from the Soviet Union which was subsequently followed by the collapse and breakup of the Soviet bloc.

The old town square in Tallinn teems with tourists and artisans celebrating the city's history and traditional crafts. Photo taken with Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.

The old town square in Tallinn teems with tourists and artisans celebrating the city’s history and traditional crafts. Photo taken with Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.

Since then, my wife and I have always wondered about what these three brave Baltic States were like – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

As students then, we’d heard so little about these three newly-minted (then) countries.

So it was that – two decades after those tumultuous times – we decided to visit Estonia’s capital Tallinn during the children’s school holidays this year.

The easiest approach was via Helsinki.

We flew direct to the capital of Finland via Finnair and then made a day trip via a 2-hour ferry across the Gulf of Finland.

(more…)