Archive for the ‘Tablets’ Category

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New Android tablet: Samsung GALAXY Tab 7.7

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Samsung today launched the GALAXY Tab 7.7, which will be available in Singapore in February 2012 at S$898 (incl GST).

Samsung GALAXY Tab 7.7. Will be available in Singapore in February 2012 at S$898 (incl GST).

Samsung GALAXY Tab 7.7. Will be available in Singapore in February 2012 at S$898 (incl GST).

I had a quick hands-on on the GALAXY Tab 7.7 during the launch event, which also saw the launch of four other Samsung tablets and smartphones.

Samsung Electronics Co LtdThe launch of the GALAXY Tab 7.7 and Tab 7.0 Plus continues Samsung’s strategy of providing the whole spectrum of sizes for the customer, instead of dictating which is the single best size that they should adopt.

I like that approach. Depending on my personal preference and use case, I can choose which size tablet to purchase, ranging from the largest GALAXY Tab 10.1, to the smaller Tab 8.9, Tab 7.7, Tab 7.0, Tab 7.0 Plus, 5.3” Note.

The Samsung GALAXY Tab 7.7 fits snugly in the dainty palms of ladies and their handbag.

The Samsung GALAXY Tab 7.7 fits snugly in the dainty palms of ladies and their handbag.

The Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet is a handful – just large enough to be held in one hand. With a 7.67” disuplay, it is slightly larger than the common 7” tablet form factor in the market but the difference is hardly noticeable.

The Samsung GALAXY Tab 7.7 is the world’s first tablet to feature the brilliant Super AMOLED Plus display technology that makes images look more vivid through a wider range of colours.

It is powered by a 1.4GHz dual core processor, and measures only 7.89 millimeters in thinness and 335 grams in weight.

Samsung’s Hub Services – Game Hub, Readers Hub and Social Hub – offers easy access to content including games, eBooks and music. The Game Hub is pre-loaded with easy social games with fast graphics.

Here are the main technical specifications of the Samsung GALAXY Tab 7.7 tablet.

(more…)

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Posted in Events, Gadgets, Galaxy, Launch, Prices, Samsung, Specifications, Tablets | 4 Comments »

First Android 4.0 smartphone: Samsung GALAXY Nexus

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Samsung and Google introduced the GALAXY Nexus today, the world’s first smartphone to feature Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a Super AMOLED display.

The GALAXY Nexus will be available in February 2012 at S$948 (incl GST, excl line).

Samsung GALAXY Nexus, available in February 2012 at S$948 (incl GST, excl line).

Samsung GALAXY Nexus, available in February 2012 at S$948 (incl GST, excl line).

I had a quick hands-on on the sleek looking smartphone. It felt really responsive and fast.

I was looking for glitches and bugs since it’s the first phone to feature the latest iteration of the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The GALAXY Nexus is the world's first Android 4.0 smartphone.

The GALAXY Nexus is the world's first Android 4.0 smartphone.

However, the phone didn’t miss a beat, even though I tried to load it with as many applications as I could on multi-tasking.

But then it’s only a short hands-on, so the verdict is still out.

First announced in November 2011, Samsung launched the GALAXY Nexus in Singapore as part of a line-up of 2 new tablets and 3 new smartphones to usher in the year.

The smartphone features a 4.65” HD Super AMOLED display at 720p resolution and a fast 1.2GHz dual core processor to take advantage of its enhanced multitasking capabilities.

A user interface has been redesigned with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Wi-Fi hotspot and NFC support, as well as a full web browsing experience

Designed to provide a “pure Google” experience, GALAXY Nexus will be the first to receive software upgrades and new applications as soon as they become available.

Here are the main technical specifications of the sleek smartphone.

(more…)

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Posted in Android, Events, Gadgets, Galaxy, Launch, Phones, Prices, Samsung, Specifications | 5 Comments »

5 new smartphones and tablets from Samsung

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Samsung ushered in the new year in Singapore with a slew of new products. Two new tablets (GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus and GALAXY Tab 7.7) and three new smartphones (GALAXY Nexus, GALAXY W, Omnia W) will be available in the first two months of 2012.

Update (6 January 2012): The GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus, GALAXY W and Omnia W will be available for purchase in Singapore starting from 7 January.

Here are the prices and availability.

Tablet Price Availability
Samsung GALAXY Tab 7.7 tablet, S$898, Feb 2012 GALAXY Tab 7.7

S$898

 Feb 2012
Samsung GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus tablet, S$768, Jan 2012 GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus

S$768

 7 Jan 2012
Smartphone Price Availability
Samsung GALAXY Nexus smartphone,S$948, Feb 2012 GALAXY Nexus

S$948

 Feb 2012
Samsung GALAXY W smartphone, S$498, Jan 2012 GALAXY W

S$498

 7 Jan 2012
Samsung Omnia W smartphone, S$498, Jan 2012 Omnia W

S$498

 7 Jan 2012

Samsung launched five new mobile devices in Singapore today at Aquanova in Clarke Quay. The prices listed above includes GST but excludes line contract.

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Posted in Android, Events, Gadgets, Galaxy, Launch, Operating Systems, Phones, Prices, Samsung, Tablets | 7 Comments »

Play Angry Birds on BlackBerry PlayBook

Monday, December 26th, 2011

It’s Boxing Day and a day of recovery from the Christmas celebrations. Check out the Angry Birds game apps from Rovio Entertainment for the PlayBook in BlackBerry App World, now available for US$4.99 each.

PlayBook owners registered in Singapore can buy the apps at S$4.99 each.

Play Angry Birds from Rovio Entertainment on the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Play Angry Birds from Rovio Entertainment on the BlackBerry PlayBook.

The popular game/series from Rovio – Angry Birds, Angry Birds Rio and Angry Birds Seasons are now available on the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Angry Birds

Angry Birds on BlackBerry PlayBook

Angry Birds on BlackBerry PlayBook

The survival of the Angry Birds is at stake. Dish out revenge on the green pigs who stole the Birds’ eggs. Use the unique destructive powers of the Angry Birds to lay waste to the pigs’ fortified castles. Angry Birds features hours of gameplay, challenging physics-based castle demolition, and lots of replay value. Each of the 288 levels requires logic, skill, and brute force to crush the enemy.

Angry Birds Rio

Angry Birds Rio on BlackBerry PlayBook

Angry Birds Rio on BlackBerry PlayBook

What happens when everybody’s favourite fierce fowl get caged and shipped to Rio? They get very angry! In Angry Birds Rio, the original Angry Birds are kidnapped and taken to the magical city of Rio de Janeiro, where they eventually escape their captors and set out to to save their friends, Blu and Jewel – two rare macaws and the stars of the hit motion picture, Rio. Angry Birds Rio will pair the physics-based gameplay of the original game with unique twists based on the film.

Angry Birds Seasons

Angry Birds Seasons Rio on BlackBerry PlayBook

Angry Birds Seasons Rio on BlackBerry PlayBook

It was a dark and stormy night … but that won’t stop the Angry Birds! Pursue the pigs through 30 levels filled with pumpkin patches, exploding jack-o-lanterns, and creepy skeletons, lit by a full moon and eerie lantern light. You’ll get some unexpected help from a BRAND NEW BIRD – he starts out small, but don’t let his looks fool you! Complete all the levels to find some special tricks and treats!

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Posted in App, Gadgets, Games, PlayBook, Prices, RIM, Software, Tablets | No Comments »

SingTel BroadBand on Mobile price plans

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

SingTel has just launched its Prestige 75 LTE mobile broadband service.

The price plan for the BroadBand on Mobile (BBoM) Prestige 75 LTE is shown here.

SingTel Broadband on Mobile Prestige 75 LTE Price Plan
Price (including GST) $69.90/month
Data Bundle 50GB 3G data (21Mbps) + 10GB LTE data
Excess Charges $0.512/MB, Capped at $94.16/month
Download Speed Theoretical: 75Mbps
Typical range: 3.4Mbps to 12Mbps
Comes with free LTE dongle and free Wireless@SG (3Mbps)

For comparison, here are the price plans for its other BBoM packages.

3G Mobile broadband plan Theoretical speed Typical download speed range Price
Classic 3.6 3.6Mbps 0.8Mbps to 2.1Mbps $29.90
Priority 7.2 (with Priority Pass) 7.2Mbps 1.4Mbps to 3.7Mbps $40.00
Premium 21 (with Priority Pass) 21Mbps 1.7Mbps to 4.8Mbps $59.90

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Posted in Events, Internet, Launch, Notebooks, Phones, Prices, SingTel, Specifications, Tablets, Tech news | 2 Comments »

SingTel launches commercial LTE mobile broadband

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

SingTel toady announced the commercial launch of the Mobile Prestige 75 (S$69.90 per mth), the first LTE service in Singapore for both consumer and business customers.

SingTel BBoM Prestige 75 will cover the CBD and more thEventually, coverage will grow to 80% of mobile data users by end 2012 and 95% by 2013.an 100 sites.

Eventually, coverage will grow to 80% of mobile data users by end 2012 and 95% by 2013.

Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) today announced the commercial launch of its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) BroadBand on Mobile (BBoM) service.

Fast speed

The service offers theoretical download speeds of up to 75Mbps and typical download speeds between 3.4Mbps and 12Mbps.

It provides mobile Internet access that is more than three times faster than existing 3G-based services, with only one-fifth of the network latency.

SingTel 4G LTE will enable many bandwidth-intensive applications, such as cloud storage, music/video/HDTV streaming, video conferencing, online gaming, mobile data networking, rich voice etc.

SingTel’s BBoM Prestige 75 LTE will provide performances and services approaching that of fixed line networks. For instance, it will take only 2 min 14s to stream a 3.5 min-long snippet of video from YouTube.

Coverage evolution

At launch, the service provides outdoor coverage in the central financial district and other areas that experience high data usage.

At launch, SingTel BBoM Prestige 75 will cover the CBD and more than 100 sites.

At launch, SingTel BBoM Prestige 75 will cover the CBD and more than 100 sites.

This includes Shenton Way, Orchard, City Hall, Marina Bay, River Valley, Tanglin, Newton, Novena, Kallang, Rochor, Outram, Tanjong Pagar, Jurong West, Boon Lay, Bukit Panjang, Bedok and Changi.

In-building coverage is available in major shopping malls such as Ngee Ann City, Plaza Singapura, Ang Mo Kio Hub, Tampines Mall, West Mall, Parkway Parade and Jurong IMM. Office buildings such as Republic Plaza and Temasek Tower are also covered.

The service falls back to SingTel’s 3G-based Premium 21 service when users roam outside the LTE coverage area.

USB dongle

USB dongle

Mr Yuen said that SingTel is progressively expanding its network, which is expected to be able to provide LTE coverage for 80 per cent of mobile data users by the end of 2012.

By 2013, coverage will be extended to 95 per cent.

BBoM plans

Broadband on Mobile Prestige 75 will initially be available for USB dongle modems only.

Support for LTE-enabled smartphones and tablets will only be available when these mobile devices become more readily available in the market later on in 2012.

Existing 21Mbps 3G Broadband on Mobile Premium 21 customers can upgrade to LTE with a top-up of $10 per month.

The price plans for SingTel’s various mobile broadband plans can be found here.

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Posted in Events, Internet, Launch, Notebooks, Phones, Prices, SingTel, Specifications, Tablets, Tech news | 2 Comments »

Listening to the Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile speaker

Sunday, December 11th, 2011

Curious as to the performance of the newly launched Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile speaker, I paid a visit to the Somerset showroom of Atlas Sound & Vision to try it out.

Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile speaker @ 111 Somerset

Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile speaker @ 111 Somerset

The Atlas showroom at 111 Somerset occupies two levels, with three sound rooms on the upper level. The shiny white sound rooms reminded me of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. – minimalist with round corners and viewports that looked out onto the Somerset Road outside.

Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile speakerThe first impression of the Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile speaker was how compact it was – less than two inches thick and about the size of a hard cover text book.

At 1.3 kg, it’s not exactly feather weight, but it’s definitely light enough to tote around to a party, a hotel room or even throw in the back of a car. The design is sleek and classy as well.

Setting up is straightforward. Open the cover and fold it backwards to become a stand – like the cover for the iPad 2. Closing the cover back automatically turns off the speaker.
Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile speakerTo connect, simply turn on Bluetooth on the mobile device – be it a smartphone, tablet or laptop – and press a button on the speaker. The two devices hook up automatically and gives you a beep.

Sleek and classy design

Sleek and classy design

Simply play the song on the mobile device. You can control the volume from the mobile device itself.

Sound wise, the quality was surprisingly impressive, considering I had reservations about the degradation that the Bluetooth connection would impose.

Mid-range and treble was excellent, although the bass could be stronger. But considering how small the speaker was, the bass performance was already pretty impressive.

Placing the speaker against the wall improves the bass somewhat – 3 dB according to the sales staff.

And if you don’t need the wireless connectivity, you can bypass the Bluetooth degradation by connecting an audio cable from the source to the speaker.

Bring the SoundLink to the beach as a boom box!

Bring the SoundLink to the beach as a boom box!

As with other Bose audio products, the SoundLink Wireless Mobile speaker does not come cheap, but its price tag reflects the confidence that Bose has in its audio products.

Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile speaker at S$549 and S$639 for the standard and premium versions.

The standard speaker is priced at S$549 while the LX model, with premium trim level and leather cover, sets you back by S$639.

Accessory covers in nylon (bright red or royal purple) and leather (burgundy or tan) are available separately for S$59 and S$99, respectively.

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Posted in Audio, Gadgets, Lifestyle, Phones, Prices, Review, Specifications, Tablets | 4 Comments »

BlackBerry DevCon Asia: Day 2

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

More breakout sessions for detailed presentations and discussions between BlackBerry developers and experts from RIM and partners.

Breakout sessions during DevCon Asia fostered interaction and engagement amongst the BlackBerry developer community.

Breakout sessions during DevCon Asia fostered interaction and engagement amongst the BlackBerry developer community.

The breakout sessions were organized along several parallel tracks and covered a wide spectrum of topics, from technical issues to commercial and monetizing topics.

The sessions are listed below for both days:

“Ask the Experts” track

  • Ask the Experts: Developing Enterprise Applications
  • BlackBerry WebKit and BlackBerry WebWorks Platform Development
  • Go-to-Market Strategies
  • BlackBerry Platform Services
  • The BBM Social Platform
  • Java Development for BlackBerry 7
  • BlackBerry Tablet OS Development

(more…)

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Posted in App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Events, Gadgets, Operating Systems, Phones, PlayBook, RIM, Seminars, Software, Tablets | 1 Comment »

BlackBerry DevCon Asia: Day 1

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

The conference kicked off with a general session to update developers on the latest developments around the BlackBerry platforms, followed by multi-tracked technical, practical and insight sessions that zero into the details.

BlackBerry DevCon Asia in Singapore Suntec from 7-8 December, 2011.

BlackBerry DevCon Asia in Singapore Suntec from 7-8 December, 2011.

The break-out sessions were helmed by specialists from Research In Motion (RIM) and its partners and delved into wide ranging topics from technical issues to commercial and monetizing approaches.

Gregory Wade, Regional Managing Director, East Asia, RIM

Gregory Wade, Regional Managing Director, East Asia, RIM

Delivering the keynote address was Gregory Wade, Regional Managing Director, East Asia, RIM.

He revealed there were more than 1,000 registrants for the DevCon Asia event in Singapore.

Wade quoted a GfK report that for the first half of 2011, BlackBerry was the number one smartphone in multiple countries in Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.

He said that more than 3 million BlackBerry fans were engaged on social media channels in Asia.

Alec Saunders then updated developers of BlackBerry Jam – RIM’s initiative to provide a one-stop-shop for all BlackBerry developers to assess a wide array of developer resources.

Alec Saunders, VP, Developer Relations & Ecosystems Development, RIM

Alec Saunders, VP, Developer Relations & Ecosystems Development, RIM

Saunders is the VP, Developer Relations & Ecosystems Development at RIM.

The initiative was announced at the BlackBerry DevCon Americas in October. Since then, a BlackBerry Jam communities have sprung up all over the world linking experts, partners and developers for all to be more successful on the BlackBerry platform.

George Staikos then delved into the new BlackBerry platform – previously named BBX but now renamed to BB10. Staikos is the VP, Web Technologies at RIM.

BlackBerry Jam Communities around the world

BlackBerry Jam Communities around the world

He also described the two choices of runtime environments available for developers. The Native runtime environment was for “spectacular” performance whereas HTML5 will enable the dream of “write once deploy everywhere”.

RIM will return DevCon Asia to Thailand in the future.

RIM will return DevCon Asia to Thailand in the future.

Whilst the native environment will serve as the bridge between POSIX based systems and BlackBerry 10 and allow rapid porting of native applications, HTML5 is the mass application platform for the future.

The cross-platform, cross-device HTML5 can serve as the bridge between BlackBerry 6, BlackBerry 7 and BlackBerry 10 and is the obvious choice for modern application development.

BlackBerry is therefore fully committed to HTML5.

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Posted in BlackBerry, BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Events, Figures, Operating Systems, Phones, PlayBook, RIM, Seminars, Tablets | 3 Comments »

BBX is now BB10 – or BlackBerry 10

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

RIM has rebranded the  next generation platform for its smartphones and PlayBook tablet to BlackBerry 10.

RIM's new platform for BlackBerry smartphones, tablets and embedded systems.

RIM's new platform for BlackBerry smartphones, tablets and embedded systems.

Research In Motion (RIM) has been barred from using BBX as the name of its new mobile platform during DevCon Asia in Singapore from 7-8 December, 2011.

RIM has rebranded BBX as BB10

RIM has rebranded BBX as BB10

A US District Judge ruled in favour of software company Basis International Ltd who filed for a temporary restraining order. It holds the “BBx”  trademark for its own software.

District Judge William P. Johnson wrote in his ruling that consumers are “likely to be confused by RIM’s use of BBX in connection with RIM’s goods and services”. – Albuquerque, New Mexico.

George Staikos, VP, Web Technologies at RIM announced the rebranding during DevCon Asia.

George Staikos, VP, Web Technologies at RIM announced the rebranding during DevCon Asia.

Basis of Albuquerque had threatened legal action in October after RIM initially unveiled BBX as its new platform for smartphones, tablets and embedded systems.

According to itworldcanada.com, RIM had said at that time that it did not believe the marks are confusing since the two companies were in different lines of businesses.

Let’s just hope that CBS television network does not take issue with RIM over any confusion between the mobile platform and its own version of BB10 – the tenth season of the American reality television series Big Brother 10, which ran in the summer of 2008.

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Posted in BlackBerry, BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Phones, PlayBook, RIM, Seminars, Software, Tablets, Tech news | 3 Comments »

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