With the opening of its 10th Apple Premium Reseller (APR) store in Sim Lim Square today, I have created a new company byte for Nubox.
Nubox is an arm of Newstead Technologies with Apple Premium Reseller (APR) and Apple Authorised Reseller (AAR) stores in Singapore.
Read a byte-sized profile and background information of Nubox for quick reference here.
You can also read articles related to Nubox on tech4tea.com here.
Nubox today opened its 10th Apple Premium Reseller (APR) store in Sim Lim Square. Prior to this, it had an Apple Authorised Reseller store at the geek’s paradise.
The new Nubox APR store replaces the previous AAR store in Sim Lim Square.
To be awarded APR status, the store met stringent criteria from Apple: ability to offer impeccable service to customers, store location and size and availability of staff with Apple Certified Support Professional certification.
Where is the new store?
The 1,100 square feet store is located at #01-53/54 at Sim Lim Square, 1 Rochor Canal Road.
In addition to the complete range of Apple products, Nubox@Sim Lim Square will offer a quality range of third-party accessories and software as well professional services that include training and service support.
Newstead Technologies now has 11 Nubox stores across Singapore, comprising 10 APRs and one AAR in Funan Digital Life Mall. The Funan AAR will also be replaced with an APR next month.
Evelyn Chua, the Chief marketing Officer of Newstead, tells me that she plans to open a twelfth Nubox APR in Bedok Mall next year.
Store opening promotions for Nubox @ Sim Lim Square from 24-26 August, 2012. Click on thumbnail to zoom in.
For the time being, the plan is to stop at twelve. You can read more about Nubox and its stores here.
As part of the store opening, there will be promotional offers from today till Sunday.
SingTel today announced that it will launch Singapore’s first 4G service for tablets on 28 August. Two models will be offered: Asus Transformer Pad TF300TL and Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 (LTE). Details of price plans within.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 (LTE) and Asus Transformer Pad TF300TL will be available at launch from 28 August.
The service will offer tablet users theoretical download speeds of up to 75Mbps and typical download speeds between 3.4Mbps and 12Mbps.
It will provide mobile Internet access that is more than three times faster than existing 21Mbps 3G tablet services, with one-fifth of the network latency.
|
Tablet model |
ASUS Tranformer Pad TF300TL |
Samsung GALAXY Tab 8.9 (LTE) |
||
|
4G tablet price plan |
Prestige 75 |
|||
|
Monthly subscription |
$64.90 |
$49.90 |
$64.90 |
$49.90 |
|
Tablet price |
$429 |
$549 |
$329 |
$449 |
|
Data bundle |
10GB |
|||
|
Excess usage and data cap |
$5.35 per GB (w GST) 1 July to 31 Dec 2012 |
|||
|
Contractual period |
24 months |
|||
Two Android tablets will be available at launch from SingTel with the new Prestige 75 plans. Existing 4G smartphone customers can also purchase the tablets with a multi-SIM plan.
SingTel will launch the mio TV Play app for Android tablets on 28 August.
|
Model |
Asus Transformer Pad TF300TL (LTE) |
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 (LTE) |
|
Operating system |
Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) |
Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) |
|
Screen size |
10.1″ WXGA(1280 X 800) LED Backlight screen with IPS |
8.9″ WXGA TFT technology |
|
Internal memory |
32GB, 1GB RAM |
16GB, 1GB RAM |
|
Expandable memory |
Up to 64GB |
Up to 32GB |
|
Camera specs |
8MP, Front 1.2MP |
3MP |
|
Other features |
Nvidia Tegra 3 Quad-Core 1.2Ghz |
Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8060, 1200 MHz |
This app will offer an extensive library of on-demand movies, including new release Hollywood blockbusters and the latest titles from around the world.
Movies will be offered from $2.99, and users can charge purchases to their SingTel bill or credit card.
mio TV Play will be available for free download at the Google Play app store, and also pre-loaded into the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 (LTE).
Having created a niche with the 5-inch GALAXY Note that straddled between a 7-inch tablet and a 3.5-inch smartphone, Samsung has introduced the 10.1-inch version of the GALAXY Note.
There will be three configurations: the WiFi/16GB (S$798) and 3G+WiFi/16GB (S$998) versions will be available on 25 August, while the LTE+WiFi version will be released later in the year.
Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 was launched in Singapore today.
Hitherto, most people have used tablets as a content consuming tool – checking emails, surfing the Web, viewing photos, reading documents and ebooks, playing back videos and music.
In terms of content creation, some type short notes and emails using the onscreen keyboard, while those who write longer text documents type them out by connecting an external keyboard.
| Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 | |
| OS | Android 4.0.4 (ICS) |
| Screen | 10.1″ WXGA LCD +Digitizer |
| Resolution | 1280 x 800 |
| Battery | 7,000 mAh |
| Processor | 1.4 GHz Quad-core |
| Camera | Rear: 5mp |
| Front: 1.9mp | |
| Video | Full HD(1080p) |
| Memory | Int: 16 GB, RAM: 2 GB |
| Ext: Up to 32 GB microSD | |
| Size /mm | 262 x 180 x 600 |
| Weight | 597 g |
|
Price |
3G/WiFi: S$998, |
The GALAXY Note 10.1 tries to make possible serious content creation using a tablet.
From note-taking via typing or handwriting with a stylus, research and clipping from the Web using S Note app, to powerful photo-editing using Photoshop Touch.
What differentiates the GALAXY Note 10.1 from the GALAXY Tab 10.1? It’s the combination of the stylus (S Pen) and the user interface that integrates with the stylus.
The GALAXY Note 10.1 comes with 2i-screen multi-tasking, where two apps are displayed running side-by-side on the screen, and videos can be displayed on a floating window for a picture-in-picture effect.
As for other Samsung products, users will be able to access the edutainment content and apps available on the Samsung Learning Hub.
For more details about the Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1, read the press release below.
The Android version of the free CanonSGLens app is now available on Google Play.
The free CanonSGLens app is now available on both iOS and Android.
The Android app features detailed lens specifications of all 66 Canon EF and EF-S lenses sold in Singapore with a unique interactive simulator that allows users to compare the field of view of two camera-lens combinations.
CanonSGLens Android app on Google Play.
It also contains interactive educational content about depth of field and exposure, which is useful for DSLR users, whether they are beginners, amateurs or professionals.
The CanonSGLens for Android app now comes with 7 new lenses for users to test out. It is compatible with smartphones and tablets running Android 2.1 and up.
Canon Singapore first launched the CanonSGLens app for DSLR users as an iOS app on 22 December 2011.
Based on monthly averages, the app has been in the top 50 downloads for iPads and top 100 downloads for iPhones in the Photo and Video category.
RIM has unveiled the new 4G LTE PlayBook. Available in Canada on 9 August with 32GB and a more powerful 1.5GHz dual-core CPU. Prices TBA.
The new PlayBook comes with much needed cellular connectivity.
The 4G LTE version of the BlackBerry PlayBook will make its debut in Canada next Thursday, with availability in other countries in the following months.
| Cellular connectivity | |
| LTE | 700, 1700 MHz |
| HSPA+ | 100, 1900, 1700, 800, 900 MHz |
Given the incompatibility of 4G networks in different countries, it could be some time before a version compatible with your country becomes available.
In the meantime, the new PlayBook will at least bring much needed cellular connectivity (on 3G) for users from countries which do not have a 4G network yet (or who have incompatible networks).
Available in Canada on 9 Aug.
Research In Motion (RIM) had announced earlier that the PlayBook will eventually run on BlackBerry 10 OS.
So the 4G LTE should be upgradeable from the current BlackBerry Tablet OS when BB10 becomes available next year.
Apart from the 4G LTE connectivity and CPU speed-up, the hardware for the new PlayBook remains the same – which is a testimony of how advanced it was to begin with when the original PlayBook was launched last year.
Apple has just announced its financial results for its fiscal 2012 third quarter ended 30 June, 2012. Profits missed analysts’ predictions.
Major news agencies reacted negatively towards Apple’s quarterly results.
Compared to analysts’ predictions for a profit of $10.37 a share on revenue of $37.2 billion, net income was reported as $9.32 a share on sales of $35 billion.
The major news agencies don’t seem to have taken the results in positive light.
The consensus seems to be that customers are holding off on iPhone purchases in anticipation of a new model, which is expected to be introduced later this year.
Shares fell some 6 percent in late trading.
This is the first full quarter of sales for Apple’s latest iPad, which was released in March.
Note the 84% growth in iPad sales over the same quarter last year.
Some 17 million iPads were sold in the quarter alone!
| Sales growth this quarter | ||
| Device | Number of units sold | Compared to year-ago quarter |
| iPhone | 26 m | 28% |
| iPad | 17 m | 84% |
| Mac | 4 m | 2% |
| iPod | 6.8 m | -10% |
It’s interesting to note the 10% decline in iPod sales.
It is an indication that it may be made redundant by the proliferation of smartphones which can fulfil the functions of a mobile personal music player cum entertainment device.
On the other hand, Sony is still launching new models in its rejuvenated Walkman media players cum entertainment devices.
Apple’s Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $2.65 per share of the Company’s common stock.
The dividend is payable on August 16, 2012, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 13, 2012.
This continues Tim Cook’s announcement in March to pay dividends – something that Apple had not done in 17 years until then.
The dividends are estimated to cost Apple about $10 billion a year.
Apple has around $100 billion in cash which many investors have called over the years to be returned to investors.
Since the London 2012 Olympics is just next week, here are some free BlackBerry apps to stay in tune with the Games.
Weekend diversion: Download some free BlackBerry apps for the London 2012 Olympics.
The London 2012 Olympics will be from 27 July to 12 August. The Opening Ceremony will be on Friday (27 July).
If you’re using a BlackBerry, here are some free apps to welcome the games. Click the thumbnail to get to the apps page on BlackBerry App World.
London 2012: Official Join In App for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Before the Olympic Torch arrives in London for the 2012 Summer Olympics, download the London 2012: Official Join In App for the Olympic and Paralympic Games – your pocket guide to the activities on your BlackBerry smartphone.
Endomondo Sports Tracker
Feeling inspired by the athletes? Endomondo Sports Tracker is your free personal coach and training partner.
FanFeedr Personal sports news
Check out the latest news, analysis or tweets by your favorite sports teams with FanFeedr Personal sports news.
Wild Olympics Athletics
Lastly, don’t leave your PlayBook out in the games- go race some gazelles on Wild Olympics Athletics.
BlackBerry Mobile Fusion is RIM’s next-generation mobile device management solution for Government and Business Customers in Singapore.
It promises to be a secure, reliable, and scalable solution to easily manage BlackBerry, iOS and Android devices.
From left, Ian Gardner, Director, Enterprise Sales, RIM; and Charles Dufourcq, Director, Singapore, RIM sharing the advantages of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion
BlackBerry Mobile Fusion consolidates the management of smartphones and tablets running BlackBerry OS (which includes BlackBerry PlayBook and future BlackBerry 10 devices) as well as Android and iOS.
BlackBerry Mobile Fusion provides a single, unified, web–based console to manage the wide range of mobile devices that the employees of an organisation may bring and use for work.
BlackBerry Mobile Fusion integrates the market-leading features and security architecture of BlackBerry Enterprise Server (version 5.0.3), providing advanced IT management and controls, a single outbound security connection (256-bit AES encrypted “BlackBerry VPN”), enforceable IT policies, support for BlackBerry Balance technology, and over-the-air app and software installation capabilities for the management of BlackBerry smartphones and PlayBook tablets (as well as future BlackBerry 10 devices).
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As anticipated, the next release will move towards the Metro UI of Windows 8 and be more conducive for use on touch tablets.
It’ll also be more tightly integrated with Microsoft’s SkyDrive, incorporate social networking features, whilst continuing its emphasis on facilitating collaboration.
Check out the Customer Preview for the new Microsoft Office 2013.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has just unveiled the new Microsoft Office, available for download here. The webcast from San Francisco was broadcast on July 16 (3am July 17 Singapore time).
The preview is only for Windows, the Mac version of Office 2013 will only be available in the full release of Office 365.
Office for Windows 8
Office 2013 will work with touch, stylus, mouse or keyboard across Windows devices, including tablets.
OneNote and Lync will be the first new Windows 8 style applications for Office.
These applications are designed to deliver touch-first experiences on a tablet.
A new radial menu in OneNote makes it easy to access features with the finger.
Included in Windows R will be Office Home and Student 2013 RT, which contains new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote applications.
These will be included on ARM-based Windows 8 devices, including Microsoft Surface.
Office in the Cloud
Documents and personalised applications settings can be stored on SkyDrive so that they will be synced and available as long as the user is logged on to the Internet.
Quick Impressions
I’ll be trying out the preview but first impressions is that while Office 2013 is moving towards a Metro UI, much of it is still catered for the traditional Windows 7, which is slated to run alongside Windows 8 for some time yet.
That’s good, because I’m never one to support change simply for the sake of change.
Integrating with SkyDrive allows the user to switch between user accounts and to access their synced documents from multiple devices.
Otherwise, most of the changes sound evolutionary rather than drastic.
Stored settings include most recently used files, templates, custom dictionary, and where in the document you were at when you last quit the application.
The new Office is available as a cloud-based subscription service.
As subscribers, consumers automatically get future upgrades in addition to exciting cloud services including Skype world minutes and extra SkyDrive storage.
Subscribers receive multiple installs for everyone in the family and across their devices.
The new Office is also social and lets the user stay plugged into his/her networks through Yammer, SharePoint, Microsoft Dynamics and Skype (which is included in Office).
Ballmer discussed three new Office 365 subscription services, which will include the new 2013 editions of the Office applications — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access.
Three new Office 365 subscription services
Subscribers will receive future rights to version upgrades as well as per-use rights across up to five PCs or Macs and mobile devices.
The full lineup of offerings and pricing plans will only be announced in the fall.
Find out the details about Office 2013 here.
