Archive for the ‘Notebooks’ Category

SITEX 2012 promotions: ASUS desktops, notebooks, tablets and monitors

Saturday, November 24th, 2012

ASUS will be at SITEX 2012 at Hall 5 (Booths 5A18, 5B10 & 5B40) and Hall 6 (Booths 6C01, 6C10, 6D30 & 6E30) in the Singapore EXPO.

Click to view or download ASUS promotions for SITEX 2012.

Click to view or download ASUS promotions for SITEX 2012. (Caution: Large 13MB PDF file with 20 pages)

Check out ASUS’ promotional offers for tablets, notebooks, ultrabooks, convertibles, AIOs, desktops, Alienware gaming machines, and monitors.

ASUS ROG - built for gamers.

ASUS ROG – built for gamers.

These include the slew of recently-launched Windows 8 computers such as the ASUS TAICHI Ultrabook-tablet convertible, Transformer Book, ZENBOOK, VivoBook, VivoTab, All-in-One PCs.

My favourite is the ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers) gaming desktop PCs which are debuting in Singapore during SITEX 2012.

There’s also the innovative PadFone 2 smartphone-tablet hybrid.

SITEX 2012 promotions: Dell desktops, AIOs, notebooks and monitors

Saturday, November 24th, 2012

Dell will be at SITEX 2012 at Hall 6, Booth 6D01 in the Singapore EXPO.

Click to view or download Dell promotions for SITEX 2012.  (Caution: 3MB ipeg file)

Click to view or download Dell promotions (flyer 1) for SITEX 2012. (Caution: 3MB jpeg file)

Check out Dell’s promotional offers for notebooks, ultrabooks, convertibles, AIOs, desktops, Alienware gaming machines, and monitors.

Click to view or download Dell promotions for SITEX 2012.  (Caution: 3MB ipeg file)

Click to view or download Dell promotions (flyer 2) for SITEX 2012. (Caution: 3MB jpeg file)

My favourite is the XPS 12 convertible, with its innovative screen that can be swiveled to become either regular Ultrabook or a tablet computer.

SITEX 2012 promotions: StarHub mobile, TV and broadband deals

Thursday, November 22nd, 2012

StarHub will be at SITEX 2012 in Hall 5 at the Singapore EXPO.

Click to view or download StarHub promotions for SITEX 2012.

Click to view or download StarHub promotions for SITEX 2012. (Caution: 3.7MB PDF file with 2 flyers).

Check out the Telco’s smartphones, tablets and broadband deals here, as well as their cable TV and bundled packages.

SITEX 2012 promotions: EpiCentre Apple products and accessories

Tuesday, November 20th, 2012

EpiCentre Pte Ltd will be at SITEX 2012 in Hall 6, Booth 6E01. They will be retailing Apple products as well as third party products, some at more than 70% discounts.

SITEX 2012 promotions from EpiCentre.

Click to view or download Nikon promotions for SITEX 2012.  (Caution: 5MB PDF file with 5 flyers)

EpiCentre’s full range of Apple products includes the latest MacBook Pro with Retina display, iPad with Retina display, iPhone 5 (with SingTel contracts) and iPods

Purchases of laptops or tablets from EpiCentre’s SITEX booth or at any of the eight EpiCentre stores located islandwide will come with gifts worth more than S$400.

Below are EpiCentre’s promotions for SITEX 2012.

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SITEX 2012 promotions: Nubox Apple products and accessories

Tuesday, November 20th, 2012

Nubox will be at SITEX 2012 in Hall 6. They will be retailing Apple products and accessories at up to 70% discounts.

Nubox is an arm of Newstead Technologies with Apple Premium Reseller (APR) and Apple Authorised Reseller (AAR) stores in Singapore.

Nubox is an arm of Newstead Technologies with Apple Premium Reseller (APR) and Apple Authorised Reseller (AAR) stores in Singapore.

Nubox will be offering the complete range of Apple products from the new iPod touch and iPod nano to the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, fourth-generation iPad and iPad mini.

Purchase any Mac from Nubox at the show and enjoy savings of up to $258.

There’ll be discounts of up to 70% on accessories including audio products, covers and electronic items as well as exclusive star buys.

Nubox will also be conducting hourly workshops on OSX and Mountain Lion during SITEX 2012.

SITEX 2012 promotions: Intel “Catch & Win”

Monday, November 19th, 2012

Intel will be giving away a total of four Ultrabooks and 40 vouchers, worth up to a total of SGD8,500, during SITEX 2012 with the new Intel Catch & Win promotion.

The Intel Catch & Win campaign will also extend beyond SITEX to 16 December 2012, where participants can continue to find the promotional markers at participating retailers.

The Intel Catch & Win campaign will also extend beyond SITEX to 16 December 2012, where participants can continue to find the promotional markers at participating retailers.

In addition, Intel is also giving away a total of 400 free Intel Anti-Theft Pack with One-Year service subscription to SITEX attendees who purchase an Ultrabook.

New Windows 8 Ultrabook: Fujitsu LIFEBOOK CH702 in Dec 2012 (S$2,388)

Monday, November 12th, 2012

Fujitsu has introduced the new Windows 8 LIFEBOOK CH702 for the Asia Pacific region. The Ultrabook will be available in early December for S$2,388 (incl GST), in white,  pink and brown.

The Fujitsu LIFEBOOK CH702 comes with stylish design and accessories.

The Fujitsu LIFEBOOK CH702 comes with stylish design and accessories.

The new Fujitsu LIFEBOOK CH702 comes with stylishly designed accessories which include a matching wireless mouse, a set of PC case and pouch, and an elegant, slim adapter.

Fujitsu LIFEBOOK CH702 runs Windows 8

Fujitsu LIFEBOOK CH702 runs Windows 8

The Ultrabook comes with the 3rd Generation Intel Corei5 processor with Intel Turbo Boost Technology and the latest Windows 8 operating system to provide an efficient and powerful performance machine.

The 13.3-inch Ultrabook weighs approximately 1.45kg and is 17.5mm thick.

Boasting more than 7 hours of battery lifespan, the laptop is powered to provide full day usage for users on-the-go.

The CH702 is pre-installed with Fujitsu’s new proprietary software, Diary and Scrapbook.

Matching mouse colours with white, brown and pink.

Matching mouse colours with white, brown and pink.

These are convenient, fun and original applications that let users organise tasks, announce important updates, enhance photos, collate interesting information, and share on social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook.

“Customers are looking for design elegance without neglecting PC performance. This demographic is a big market for us,” said Mr. Lim Teck Sin, Vice President, Product Marketing and Engineering, Fujitsu PC Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.

Scrapbook stores and organises pictures and Web pages that users come across when they are browsing the internet.

The application allows users to create theme-based collages for saved content such as web captures.

Content can easily be managed and shared with friends as a digital scrapbook.

With Diary, users can create their very own journal by storing and organising Facebook and Twitter posts and downloaded photos.

PC case and pouch included.

PC case and pouch included. Images not to scale.

Incorporating stylish touches, the CH702 features a pearl-design power button, elegant keycap finish and a delicate, cubic zirconia embellishment.

Elegant, slim adapter

Elegant, slim adapter

The top casing has been constructed with an elegant gradation with gold trim, featuring a cubic zirconia embellished flip latch that allows users to easily open the display panel.

The power button is adorned with a pearl-like accent, and the power status LED and Caps Lock keys are decorated with a LED light with diamond-cut surface.

An exquisite gold ring frames each key on the keyboard, highlighting its elegant style.

In addition, the outtake and intake vents all feature a floral motif design.

Fujitsu LIFEBOOK CH702 Ultrabook

Fujitsu LIFEBOOK CH702 Ultrabook

Each CH702 comes with a matching wireless mouse that is shaped like a pretty compact powder case; a PC case and adapter pouch with pearl charm; and a slim, bejeweled AC adaptor.

Other accessories which users can purchase include the light and compact external Optical Disc Drive and USB/LAN adaptor for enhanced connectivity.

A*STAR DSI launches world thinnest 5mm hybrid hard drive in Singapore

Thursday, November 1st, 2012

The “A-Drive” is one of the world’s thinnest 5mm hybrid hard drive in a 2.5-inch form factor. Increased storage capacity, reduced power consumption, and at a lower cost of manufacture.

A*STAR’s Data Storage Institute (DSI) launches next generation 5mm hybrid hard disk drive.

A*STAR’s Data Storage Institute (DSI) launches next generation 5mm hybrid hard disk drive.

S. Iswaran launched the drive to commemorate 20 years of R&D by the Data Storage Institute (DSI) into data storage capabilities.

“We have managed to fit an amazing amount of innovation and advanced technology into a thinner, cheaper, and faster design, and we think the consumer and enterprise impact will be significant,” said Dr. Pantelis Alexopoulos, Executive Director of DSI.

“We have managed to fit an amazing amount of innovation and advanced technology into a thinner, cheaper, and faster design, and we think the consumer and enterprise impact will be significant,” said Dr. Pantelis Alexopoulos, Executive Director of DSI.

Iswaran is a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry.

The “A-Drive” has capacities of up to 1TB Hard Disk Drive (HDD) with 32 GB Solid State Drive (SSD), allowing it to store over 250,000 songs.

The “A-Drive” addresses limitations of the popular and fast but expensive flash-based SSD, as well as the conventional HDD for the consumer and business industry.

DSI’s “A-Drive” is targeted at tablets, ultrabooks, and future data centres.

With its slim form factor, the “A-Drive” could fit into tablet devices, greatly expanding its storage space while extending battery life by up to 30%.

The innovations for the HDD portion of the A-Drive should be applicable to the manufacture of conventional hard disk drives as low-hanging fruits for monetising the research investments.

The innovations for the HDD portion of this A-Drive should be applicable to the manufacture of conventional hard disk drives as low-hanging fruits for monetising the research investments.

The “A-Drive” will be a cheaper alternative to the SSDs currently used in ultrabooks, offering the same instant-on capability but with larger storage capacity.

For enterprise storage applications, the “A-Drive” reduces power consumption by up to 50%, resulting in greener and more efficient data centres with better optimisation of the already limited rack space.

One of the main challenges in reducing the thickness of current 7mm hard disk drives by almost 30% without compromising on its performance and stability is its spindle motor design.

“Our capabilities today have been the result of two decades of collaboration with industry partners around the world …We look forward to future partnerships as we continue our drive towards new innovations that will shape the data storage landscape,” said Dr. Alexopoulos.

To achieve a reduction in size, DSI researchers developed a proprietary axial field motor which runs smoother, quieter, and more efficiently – lowering power consumption by up to 70% – but costing only a fraction of the cost of SSDs.

The motor’s design has been patented, along with 30 other unique designs for the “A-Drive”.

In addition, DSI has collaborated with multinational corporations and local companies, such as Seiko Instruments, Miyoshi, and Unisteel, to develop key components for the “A-Drive”.

Why is DSI developing this technology?

Data storage manufacturing is an important sector for Singapore’s economy.

DSI’s research into data storage innovation enables Singapore to shift from assembly of hard disk drive components towards higher value-added activities such as hard disk drive design and hard media research.

In the 20 years since its founding, DSI has enabled data storage companies in Singapore to move up the value chain, creating high-value jobs and refining job skills in the process.

New Windows 8 convertibles: Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, ThinkPad Tablet 2 and Twist

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

Lenovo has announced four new convertible tablet/notebook hybrids designed for Windows 8 and Windows RT: the IdeaPad Yoga 13 Ultrabook (S$1,899, mid-Nov), Yoga 11 (S$1,199, early-Dec), ThinkPad Twist S230u (S$1,699, available today), and Tablet 2 (S$899, mid-Dec).

Both IdeaPads can be pre-ordered now.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 (left) and ThinkPad Twist S230u (right) in "Tent" mode, with the Twist and its swivel screen in the centre.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 (left) and ThinkPad Twist S230u (right) in “Tent” mode, with the Twist and its swivel screen in the centre.

The theme of the launch event at the National Library Building in Singapore was “Flip, Flex, Bend, Twist”, which describes the various ways in which you can manipulate the new convertible tablets.

Bend it like ... Yoga.

Bend it like … Beckham Yoga.

I played with the devices on display and found them responsive to the touch of the fingers.

I like the hinge design of the Yoga which allows the screen to be flipped 360 degrees onto itself to convert the Ultrabook into a flat tablet (and as a free-standing display enroute).

The 16.9mm thin Yoga 13 also felt light at only 1.54kg.

When the screen is flipped more than 180 degrees, the keyboard and trackpad is disabled to prevent accidental activation of these while holding the Yoga.

Below is a summary of the four new devices. All are Wi-Fi capable but only the Tablet 2 has an option for 3G.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 – S$1,899
This convertible Ultrabook can be flipped 360 degree to become a flat tablet.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 - S$1,899Boasting more than eight hours of battery life, its Motion Control technology enables users to use gestures to flip through photos, or use fingers on the ten-point multi-touch screen.

Specs: Windows 8, Intel Core i7 CPU, 13.3″ HD+ (1600×900) IPS display, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 1.54kg, 16.9mm thick.

Lenovo is partnering with SingTel to offer an special edition of the IdeaPad Yoga 13 (priced at $1,799 with Intel Core i5 CPU ) with every sign up of SingTel 150Mbps Fibre BroadBand at $98 per month or 15Mbps Home BroadBand at $79.90 per month.

Available in mid-November. Can pre-order now.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 – S$1,199
The Yoga 11 claims to be the world’s slimmest multi-mode PC, measuring just 15.6 mm thin.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 - S$1,199Its slim design, 11.6-in screen and long 13 hour battery life make it a great convertible for mobility.

Specs: Windows RT, NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU, 11.6″ HD (1366×768) IPS display, 2GB RAM, 64GB eMMC storage, 1.27kg, 15.6mm thick.

Available in early December. Can pre-order now.

ThinkPad Twist S230u – S$1,699
Another Ultrabook convertible with a twist.

ThinkPad Twist S230u - S$1,699This 12.5-inch powerhouse features up to Intel Core i7 CPU and is suitable for both business and personal use.

Specs: Windows 8 Pro, Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU, 12.5″ HD IPS display, up to 8GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 1.58kg, 20mm thick, 7 hours battery life.

The ThinkPad Twist S230u is available now.

ThinkPad Tablet 2 – S$899
ThinkPad Tablet 2 - S$899This tablet is designed for Windows 8 and powered by an Intel Atom processor.

The ThinkPad Tablet 2 supports 5-finger multi-finger touch, pen input or connection to the ThinkPad Tablet 2 keyboard and dock for a PC-like computing experience.

Both the Pen/Digitizer and keyboard are optional.

ThinkPad Tablet 2 - S$899The ThinkPad Tablet 2 includes a host of IT manageability, security and corporate-level service and support to help IT managers easily deploy in their business environments.

Specs: Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro, Intel Atom CPU, 10.1″ HD (1366×768) IPS display, up to 2GB RAM, 64GB SSD, up to 600g, 9.8mm thick.

Available in mid-December.

this WEEK in TECH – a selection of interesting events

Sunday, October 28th, 2012

Here’s a selection of interesting tech events happening this week (28 October – 3 November 2012). It is not an exhaustive list and represents only a sampling of events that gives a taste of the tech pulse in Singapore.

What are some of the more interesting tech events happening in Singapore this week?

What are some of the more interesting tech events happening in Singapore this week?

Lenovo is showing off its exciting lineup of convertible notebook/tablet hybrids for Windows 8 this week. I played with some of the models during the Windows 8 launch in Singapore last week, and they are amazing. Watch this space for the hands-on.

This week sees Microsoft move its focus from the launch of Windows 8 to the formal launch of Windows Phone 8, which shares a common core with its bigger sibling.

Will the Metro-based new smartphone operating system increase its market share from a meagre 3.5% (for the second quarter according to IDC).

Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android dominate with 17% and 68% respectively. Windows Phone 8 smartphones announced thus far include Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, HTC 8S and 8X, and Samsung ATIV S. We might actually see the HTC models showcased in Singapore this Friday!

Midweek, Brother is launching a new printer while A*STAR Data Storage Institute will show off the world’s thinnest 2.5-inch 5mm hybrid drive for consumer and business devices.

Oracle Day 2012: Simpor Ballroom, Level 4, Marina Bay Sands Exhibition and Convention Centre

For those interested in the latest trends in Cloud, Mobile, Social and Big Data, be sure to register for Oracle Day 2012 at Marina Bay Sands. Get the hottest updates on critical business drivers, meet Oracle experts and experience their latest technologies at the Demo booths.

And for photography buffs, the Singapore leg of Canon’s annual PhotoMarathon Asia 2012 takes place at the Marina Bay Sands this Saturday. To be guaranteed a participation slot do register online prior to the event.

Below is the events listing for the week.

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