Archive for the ‘Gadgets’ Category

New Arrival: Huawei Mate 40 Pro in Singapore on 12.12 @ $1,598

Friday, December 4th, 2020

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro (8GB/256GB) will be available for sale in Singapore (S$1,598) in limited quantities from 12 December, with a free gift with purchase worth S$148.

Huawei’s latest flagship smartphone Mate 40 Pro features the world’s first 5 nanometer 5G SoC, iconic Space Ring design, Ultra Vision Cine Camera and more.

Huawei’s latest flagship smartphone Mate 40 Pro features the world’s first 5 nanometer 5G SoC, iconic Space Ring design, Ultra Vision Cine Camera and more.

Launched globally in October, Huawei’s flagship Mate 40 Series includes the following versions.

The first to make it to Singapore is the Huawei Mate 40 Pro.

 

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With the photos that this phone is putting out, I’m probably going to recommend it as the best camera phone in the #tech4xmas Gift Guide for 2020.

Powered by the Kirin 9000 flagship SoC, which incorporates the world’s first and most sophisticated 5nm 5G SoC to date, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro is 5G-ready and capable of multi-tasking.

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tech4xmas Review: Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro Smartwatch

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020

The S$398 smartwatch from Huawei offers itself as a fitness and health companion, packaged in a design that combines sports and style. Great Christmas gift for the sporty male.

 

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Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro smartwatch (Night Black).

The Watch GT 2 Pro is the most advanced smartwatch from Huawei, offering a comprehensive range of features, with a number of upgrades from its predecessors.

With 100+ workout modes available – including the recently added golf driving range, skiing, snowboarding and cross country skiing – you’re highly likely to find your favourite workout whatever your sports of choice is.

 

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Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro smartwatch in the box.

In addition, the GT 2 Pro offers attentive health features such as its proprietary TruSeen™ 4.0+ heart rate monitoring technology, TruSleep.

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tech4xmas Gift Ideas for Christmas 2020

Tuesday, December 1st, 2020

We’re now into December and the final stretch of 2020. Here are some gift ideas that I’ve curated for Christmas 2020.

* I’ll be adding to this list over the next few days, so check back daily for new gift ideas as I collate them.

The tech4xmas gift guide is meant to provide ideas to start you off, so do check out some of them online and in the shops if they are what you think would bring a smile to your loved ones this Christmas.

The tech4xmas gift guide is meant to provide ideas to start you off, so do check out some of them online and in the shops if they are what you think would bring a smile to your loved ones this Christmas.

Around this time of year, I’m usually inundated with requests from readers and friends on Christmas gift ideas for their loved ones or themselves.

So here are some tech that I would use myself or get for MY loved ones, based mostly on those gadgets that I’ve tried or reviewed.

Not all are the latest and newest, but they are what I think some of the best-in-class in their category of products.

Happy Christmas Shopping!

tech4xmas Gift Guide below.

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Interview: Joan Hu – Overseas Southeast Asia Director, Roborock

Monday, November 30th, 2020

Joan Hu, Overseas Southeast Asia Director at Roborock, shares her insights into Roborock’s success and decision to expand into Southeast Asia.

Joan Hu is the Overseas Southeast Asia Director at Roborock.

Joan Hu is the Overseas Southeast Asia Director at Roborock.

To get an idea of Roborock’s journey thus far and its plans for the future, I asked Joan Hu six questions.

Q1. Roborock recorded a strong growth in China since its introduction. What do you think contributed to this?

In the robot vacuum market back in 2014, most available products only focused on the basic needs that came with a vacuum – cleaning.

We saw an opportunity to fulfill needs and wants that consumers didn’t know they had yet.

Hence, we grew our R&D department with a team of engineers, scientists, manufacturing experts and designers – all vital to create products that truly fit our users’ lifestyle.

Q2. Any new vacuum launches this year?

We have just launched the Roborock S6 MaxV in early 2020.

This is an upgrade of our popular Roborock S6, with increased suction power of up to 2,500 Pa (compared to the previous 2000 Pa) to clean even the most stubborn of dusts, especially those on carpets.

It also comes with an electronic water tank instead of a mop attachment for increased convenience and weighs lighter at just 7 lbs.

The latest S6 MaxV that Roborock launched in early 2020.

The latest S6 MaxV that Roborock launched in early 2020.

Q3. 2020 isn’t the most economically stable year. What factors contributed to Roborock’s decision to expand its influence to SouthEast Asia?

While we admit it has been a challenging year across all markets, we see this as a great opportunity to introduce our high tech products to our Southeast Asian consumers.

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Event: Lenovo Showcases Technology at 1st eXperiential Day in Singapore

Saturday, November 21st, 2020

Lenovo launched its world’s first foldable PC for Singapore over a two-day hybrid event at the Hybrid Broadcast Studio in Marina Bay Sands Level 5.

First Lenovo eXperiential Day in Singapore.

First Lenovo eXperiential Day in Singapore.

Lenovo, the world’s #1 PC company showcased its latest lineup of consumer laptops in Singapore during the eXperiential Day.

“We are committed to ensuring that every Lenovo user is empowered to achieving more in a life of smarter living. Whether it transforms the way people use technology or a faster way of getting things done so they can focus on what truly matters – these latest consumer laptops are a testament to Lenovo’s mission to continuously break innovation boundaries and deliver smarter technology for all,” said Ronnie Lee, General Manager of Lenovo Singapore.

These include the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon, Yoga Slim 7i Pro, Yoga 9i (Leather and Metal), and Legion Slim 7i.

The highlight was the official launch of the ThinkPad X1 Fold for Singapore.

Lenovo’s first eXperiential Day in Singapore enabled business leaders and media representatives to reacquaint themselves with Lenovo’s executives while immersing in the company’s innovative offerings.

Going beyond an experiential product showcase, guests were treated to thoughtful roundtables with opinion makers and experts who addressed questions ranging from the future of education to the future of foldable computing.

New Arrival: Three New ASUS ZenBooks in Singapore Built for Brilliance

Friday, November 20th, 2020

ASUS has just launched in Singapore three new ZenBooks with 11th Generation Intel Core processors – ZenBook Flip S, ZenBook 14 Screenpad, ZenBook 14 Ultralight. Price & Availability below.

Emma Ou, ASUS Singapore Country Manager, at Built for Brilliance online launch event.

Emma Ou, ASUS Singapore Country Manager, at Built for Brilliance online launch event.

The new ZenBook series notebooks were launched at a virtual online event called “Built for Brilliance”.

  1. ASUS ZenBook Flip S (UX371)
    S$2,498 (today)
  2. ASUS ZenBook 14 ScreenPad (UX435)
    S$2,198 (11 Dec 2020)
  3. ASUS ZenBook 14 Ultralight (UX435EGL)
    S$2,398 (4 Dec 2020)

ASUS boasts that the ZenBook Flip S is the world’s thinnest OLED convertible laptop and the first ASUS laptop to be verified on the Intel Evo platform for laptop design.

The ZenBook 14 ScreenPad is ASUS’s smallest 14-inch laptop with ScreenPad while the ZenBook 14 Ultralight is the lightest 14-inch ZenBook yet – weighing only 990 g.

More details below from the press release.

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Review: Trek iSSD 4-in-1 Portable Wireless Storage Server cum Power Bank

Thursday, November 19th, 2020

Once in a while, you come across a device that does it all – and does it well. When it comes to a mobile storage companion, Trek iSSD ticks the check boxes of all the functionalities that I’ve always wanted in a single device.

In the box: Trek iSSD, USB Type-C data cable, user manual, microSD card adaptor, pouch.

In the box: Trek iSSD, USB Type-C data cable, user manual, microSD card adaptor, pouch.

Three of biggest problems holding back a mobile worker on the move are: storage space, battery power and the ability to share.

With the limited storage space on notebooks, tablets and mobile phones, workers on the move quickly run out of storage space on their mobile devices, especially if their work require huge media files that they have to present at meetings and discuss with their clients.

 

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The Trek iSSD measures 120 x 75 x 15mm and weighs 230g. It has an aluminum alloy frame with glass cover.

At home, the easy solution is to buy a desktop hard disk drive (HDD) with a huge capacity eg. 6-12TB – but it is not something you can bring on the road.

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OPPO Unveils Three Concept Gadgets at INNO DAY 2020

Wednesday, November 18th, 2020

OPPO unveiled the OPPO X 2021 rollable concept handset, OPPO AR Glass 2021, and OPPO CybeReal AR application, as the company rolled out its 3+N+X technology development strategy.

The OPPO X 2021 rollable concept handset.

The OPPO X 2021 rollable concept handset.

OPPO says that the three concept products demonstrate all-new possibilities of human-tech interaction and exploration of future technology.

  1. OPPO X 2021 rollable concept handset
  2. OPPO AR Glass 2021
  3. OPPO CybeReal AR application

The OPPO X 2021 rollable concept handset features a flexible display and structural stacking, offering users a more natural interactive experience.

The concept handset features OPPO’s three proprietary technologies.

  • Roll Motor powertrain
  • 2-in-1 Plate
  • Self-developed Warp Track high-strength screen laminate

The OLED display can vary from 6.7 inches to 7.4 inches, allowing users to adjust the size of the display based on actual needs.

OPPO AR Glass 2021 adopts a new split design, which is compact and ultra-light; making it nearly 75% lighter than its predecessor.

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New Arrival: Jabra Elite 85t True Wireless Earbuds

Tuesday, November 17th, 2020

The Jabra Elite 85t (S$348) enables users to control how much noise to cancel and block.

The Jabra Elite 85t true wireless earbuds.

The Jabra Elite 85t true wireless earbuds.

With five levels of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and five levels of Hear Through, the user can select up to 11 levels of noise filtration – with about 3dB difference between each level.

A dedicated ANC chip drives the noise cancellation for the Jabra Elite 85t, supported by six microphones and wind protection for clear audio and voice call quality in any environment the user may be in.

The new semi-open design for the earbuds offers better comfort while keeping the fit secure.

The Elite 85t provides up to 5.5 hours of battery life with up to 25 hours in compact charging case – with ANC on.

More details below about the Jabra Elite 85t true wireless earbuds, from the press release.

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Trends: Singaporeans Reading More in Surge during Pandemic

Sunday, November 15th, 2020

Singapore readers spent an equivalent of 28 years reading this year – 8 years more than 2019. The pandemic has seen a 270% increase in reading minutes, with nonfiction, romance and fiction topping the list for most popular genres of the year.

Reading a book on an e-book reader while enjoying a cup of tea.

Reading a book on an e-reader while enjoying a cup of tea.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 has been a tumultuous year full of change and uncertainties.

As the nation grapples with an ongoing pandemic, reading has been an escape from the present to disconnect from current worries.

As we near the end of 2020, data from Toronto-based digital reading company Rakuten Kobo provides a snapshot of what and how Kobo users in Singapore read.

According to Rakuten Kobo’s data, Singaporeans spent at least 10,409 days reading this year – which is the equivalent of 28 years.

This is an increase of 8 years more time spent reading compared to 2019.

Additionally, with readers spending more time at home, they also clocked 270% more reading minutes this year as compared to 2019.

While familiar genres like romance and nonfiction remain mainstays, books focused on kids are rising in popularity.

Despite being known as busy individuals (ranked 32 out of 40 for work-life balance in 2019), Singaporeans are still able to allocate time for reading first thing in the morning at 7.00am and before bed at 12:00am, the first and second most popular times of day for reading respectively.

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