Archive for the ‘Internet’ Category
Thursday, March 5th, 2020
You can now ask Google Assistant to read aloud the text on a webpage – basically turning any webpage into a podcast! The new functionality is now available on all Android phones.
Check out the video about the new Read It feature for Google Assistant in Android phones.
Nowadays we consume so much content on our tiny smartphone screen – news, articles, stories etc.
For older folks with failing eyesight, or anybody with visual or reading difficulties, Google Assistant can now read web articles on your smartphone browsers out loud.
How to have a page read aloud
When a web article is displayed on the browser in your Android phone, you can say, “Hey Google, read it” or “Hey Google, read this page” – Google Assistant will immediately read aloud the content of the web page, using a voice of your choice.
To help you follow along, your browser will automatically scroll the page and highlight words as they’re read aloud.
You can also alter the reading speed, jump forward or backwards by 30sec and 10sec respectively or skip to any part of the web page.
I’ve always wished that I could consume web content while I’m driving.
At the moment, you can only do that if it’s a podcast, or unless you just listen to the audio of a video, because you got to keep your eyes on the road while driving.
So I listen to the news or radio, or my own music while I drive.
With the ability of Google Assistant to read aloud web pages, I don’t have to postpone perusing a web article until when I can read it myself.
I can listen to it when I’m driving, or taking a bus or train (using earphones) so that I don’t have to strain my eyes reading on a moving vehicle.
(more…)
Tags:Android, assistant, Google, Internet, new arrivals, OS, software, voice
Posted in AI, Android, Announce, App, Browser, Chrome, Google, Internet, newArrivals, News, Operating Systems, Software, Tech news, Tips, Website | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 4th, 2020
Lazada’s Online Tech Show offers tech deals and discounts of up to 80% off, taking the place of IT Show 2020 which has been postponed from 12-15 March to 11-14 June due to COVID-19.
The top 50 spenders during Lazada’s Online Tech Sale will stand a chance to win over S$16,000 worth of prizes, which include a Yale Digital Door Lock (worth S$1,059), Samsung Digital Door Lock (worth S$888), Vivo Smart Phone (worth S$710), LG 43-inch TV (worth S$599), Braun Electric Shaver (worth S$549), and more!
Avoid crowds and shop safely from the comfort of your homes, given the current COVID-19 outbreak.
“We are proud to continue to bring the best tech deals to our customers, especially in this current climate, where gathering in crowded areas is not encouraged, but customers are looking for gadgets to create a more conducive and productive environment when working from home. Our Online Tech Show is really an opportunity for us to excite shoppers with the best IT deals and help our brand partners navigate this extraordinary climate,” said James Chang, Chief Executive Officer, Lazada Singapore.
The Lazada Online Tech Show is back this year from 12 to 16 March, with daily flash sales, storewide vouchers, attractive deals and discounts at up to 80% off.
Customers can select from more than 200,000 products from over 1,000 brands such as HP, Acer, Lenovo, JBL, Sennheiser, Bose, Sony, Samsung, Huawei, Apple, Xiaomi, Dyson, Philips, Kenwood, DeLong, LG and Panasonic, and enjoy interest free installments while shopping during this Online Tech Show.
Working with leading tech brands and partners, Lazada will also hold a storewide flash sale on 12 March, from 12am to 2am, along with a range of other offerings.
Aside from brands, Lazada is also working with several credit card partners, including Citibank, UOB and HSBC, to offer customers exclusive vouchers during the campaign.
(more…)
Tags:IT exhibition, IT Shows, Lazada, online, promotions, sales
Posted in Event forecast, events, Gadgets, gadgets, Internet, Lazada, Press Release, Prices, Promotions, Shopping, Website | No Comments »
Saturday, February 22nd, 2020
I just watched the Oscar-winning Parasite during the week with the family. It was entertaining as a comedy and thought-provoking as a satire. Great movie. Here’s some data on how people searched about the movie during Oscar season.
A refreshing treatment of the age-old dichotomy between the haves and the have-nots.
My family and I watched the movie over dinner time and thoroughly enjoyed the dark but refreshingly directed satire, including my teenage son, although he did express a desire to take a hiatus from the genre in the coming months.
A friend of mine thought Parasite was a sci-fi/horror movie about aliens hijacking human bodies and spreading like a zombie apocalypse.
But I told him the Oscars do not typically give the top award to that genre.
So here’s what Google shared about the interest that global viewers showed in the first non-English language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture – instead of just the traditional Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
As a Best Picture nominee in the week prior to the awards, Parasite was the third-most-searched nominee behind “1917” and “Jojo Rabbit”.
Incidentally, we’ve also watched Jojo Rabbit and found it an excellent movie. We’ll probably watch 1917 after my son’s hiatus.
What does winning the Oscars do for our career and business?
On Oscars day, Parasite searches jumped almost nine-fold to become top-searched.
(more…)
Tags:Academy, analytics, data, entertainment, Google, movies, Oscars, Parasite, Search, Tech Focus, trends
Posted in Big Data, Entertainment, Figures, Google, Infographic, Internet, Lists, Opinion, Reference, Shows, Study, Tech Focus, Wiki | No Comments »
Thursday, February 13th, 2020
Canon today announced the launch of the EOS 850D DSLR, Selphy Square QX10 pocket printer, RF 24-105MM F/4-7.1 IS STM lens, and the image.canon Cloud Platform.
The new EOS 850D DSLR entry-level DSLR and the Selphy Square QX 10 pocket printer from Canon. (Not to scale)
Canon also announced the development of the new EOS R5 full-frame mirrorless camera & planned release of 9 RF lenses in 2020.
EOS 850D
The EOS 850D ships with the Dual Pixel CMOS AF, and EOS Intelligent Tracking and Recognition Auto Focus (iTR AF) for face detection.
Development of the EOS R5
Canon’s EOS R5 will be the first of the next-generation full-frame mirrorless cameras in the company’s EOS R System.
The EOS R5 will include a newly developed CMOS sensor that makes possible advanced features such as high-speed continuous shooting and 8K video capture capability.
It will also be the first Canon camera equipped with a high-performance coordinated Image Stabilization system that integrates the camera’s in-body IS with IS system on attached RF lenses.
In line with the development of the EOS R5, Canon also plans to release a total of 9 RF lenses currently in development over the course of 2020.
The camera has an optical viewfinder and boasts a low-light capability for shooting at night and in dark places.
The EOS 850D contains a 4K time-lapse movie function that allows users to capture day-to-night time-lapse movies of cityscapes in ultra-high resolution through a selection of pre-set scenes or simple manual settings.
SELPHY SQUARE QX10
The new SELPHY SQUARE QX10 is a palm-sized photo printer that produces square-formatted prints.
Featuring dye-sublimation technology, users are able to print high-quality photos directly from their smartphones that are dirt-proof and water-resistant.
The SELPHY SQUARE QX10 is Canon’s most portable printer, enabling users to instantly print their memories wherever and whenever they want, with the assurance that printout quality will not diminish over time.
(more…)
Tags:cameras, Canon, cloud, EOS, launch, lenses, printers, R5, SELPHY
Posted in Announce, cameras, Canon, DSLR, EOS, Gadgets, gadgets, Internet, Launch, Lens, newArrivals, Printers, printers | No Comments »
Saturday, January 4th, 2020
Singtel has launched its annual short film for Chinese New Year, celebrating the season’s spirit of making connections and strengthening ties with a big dose of humour.
‘His Grandfather’s Road’ by Singtel for Chinese New Year. Click on the image to play the watch the short film.
The short film is titled ‘His Grandfather’s Road’ – a phrase Singaporeans sometimes use to describe drivers who behave as if they own the road.
The video centres on a road rage altercation between two families that ends on a buoyant and conciliatory note when they realise that they have a lot more in common than they thought.
More details from the press release on the comedy.
(more…)
Tags:CNY, comedy, LNY, SingTel, videos
Posted in Announce, audioVisual, Entertainment, Holiday, Press Release, SingTel, Video, YouTube | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 30th, 2019
For the first time, all 114 hawker centres in Singapore will be documented on Google Maps’ Street View by early 2020.
The Google Street View Trekker weighs 18kg and contains seven high-resolution cameras to create an immersive 360-degree panoramic view. A full charge of the trekker battery lasts for 6-8hrs.
The initiative is a collaboration between Google and the organisations that are co-driving the nomination to inscribe Hawker Culture in Singapore on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Street View Trekker with representatives from Google, NHB, NEA and FMAS, at Chinatown Market.
These organisations include the National Heritage Board (NHB), National Environment Agency (NEA) and Federation Of Merchants’ Associations, Singapore (FMAS).
The aim is to document Singapore’s beloved hawker centres on Google Maps to make them discoverable to anyone curious about our hawker centres or looking for their favourite hawker stalls.
More details below from the press release.
(more…)
Tags:FMAS, Google, hawkers, maps, NEA, NHB, Singapore, Street View, trekker
Posted in Announce, Brief, Events, events, Food, Google, Internet, News, Press Release, Singapore, travel, Visits | No Comments »
Saturday, February 16th, 2019
Pet ownership is on the rise, and so is telemedicine for humans. Is telemedicine also useful for diagnosis and treatment of animals? Aspiring vet med student, Erin Tan, did some research on the topic and shares what she thinks.
Consult a vet from home via the Internet. Photo by Velizar Ivanov on Unsplash.
Pet ownership is on the rise.
With canine pets licensed in Singapore increasing by 32% in the past decade – according to the Agri-Veterinary Authority of Singapore – and the booming pet industry in places like China and India, it is evident that pet owners form a large, and valuable, market.
With teleconsultation, the vet can “see to” animals needing medical consultations even when he/she is not in the clinic.
The pet-care market in Asia is valued at around US$1 billion a year, and is expected to grow to US$1.5 billion by 2020.
Another trend in recent years is the rise of telemedicine in the human health industry.
There has been a proliferation of apps like MaNaDr, Doctor Anywhere and MyDoc, which aim to connect patients with doctors over a digital platform and make the provision of healthcare much more convenient.
There is much potential in marrying the two thriving industries together, by making telemedicine available for veterinarians to deliver medical advice and consultations to pet-owners, through virtual means.
Manifestations of veterinary telemedicine would include platforms for pet-owners to ask vets for advice by sending photos and messages to vets on duty, or tele-consults via video calls.
(more…)
Tags:healthtech, MaNaDr, medicine, MedTech, Tech Focus, technology, telemedicine, veterinary medicine
Posted in Apps, Healthcare, Internet, Opinion, Tech Focus | No Comments »
Saturday, April 28th, 2018
TWG Tea launches a new omni-channel global eCommerce website and membership programme for customers around the globe.
Launching from Singapore, this revolutionary global platform will soon include subsites featuring local shipping, payment platforms, inventories, and customer service centres dedicated to TWG Tea customers in China, Japan and Europe, with other locations to follow.
In conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the home-grown brand, TWG Tea has launched a new eCommerce website and a membership programme that’s by-invitation only.
About TWG Tea
TWG Tea was established in Singapore in 2008 and celebrates the year 1837 when the island became a trading post for teas, spices and fine epicurean products.
TWG Tea, which stands for The Wellbeing Group, was founded by Taha Bouqdib, Maranda Barnes and Rith Aum-Stievenard as a luxury concept that incorporates unique and original retail outlets, exquisite tea rooms and an international distribution network to professionals.
In addition to more than 800 blends of tea, TWG Tea also offers modern tea accessories and tea-infused sweets and savouries.
Three years in the making, this venture opens the door to customers worldwide to purchase its full selection of more than 800 blends of tea, even in countries where TWG Tea does not have brick-and-mortar outlets.
Some of the physical branches are directly managed by the TWG Tea headquarters in Singapore while an increasing number are through franchising – in the UK for instance.
The global website and membership programme currently ships internationally to 48 countries.
Progressively, the global platform will be rolled out across international markets including China, Japan, and Europe later this year with plans to increase this number to 18 international hubs by 2020.
More details below from the press release.
(more…)
Tags:launch, MyTWG, TWG, TWG Tea, TWGTeaOfficial, website
Posted in App, Apps, Brief, Dine & Wine, Events, events, Internet, Launch, Lifestyle, Press Release, Software, Website | No Comments »
Sunday, March 4th, 2018
The new ESET Smart TV Security was showcased during MWC 2018 to protect against targeted malware attacks on connected TVs and other devices with the Android TV operating system.
According to statistics, there could be as many as 30 billion devices connected to the internet by 2020. While these gadgets bring numerous benefits to households, they also pose a threat to consumers’ everyday lives.
Smart TVs – with their microphones, cameras and USB ports – are increasingly becoming prime targets for malware attacks.
“Given the risks to security and privacy, consumers need to think about protecting smart home devices in the same way they would protect their laptops, tablets or mobiles – they cannot treat them like an average TV, kettle, or watch,” said Branislav Orlik, Mobile Security Product Manager at ESET.
By gaining control over a smart TV, cybercriminals can not only attack other devices on the user’s home network but also spy on individuals to gather sensitive and personal data.
Smart TVs with Android TV OS will also undoubtedly contribute to the spread of Android ransomware, which has already been persistently targeting Android devices for a number of years.
The threat has now crossed over to Android TVs, as incidents of smart TV screen-locks and ransom demands reported in the news have illustrated.
The ESET Smart TV Security application protects consumers with the following security features.
- Antivirus protection safeguards against increasing levels of Android malware.
- Anti-ransomware technology combats screen-locks.
- Multi-device scanning for malware on devices and USBs that connect to the smart TV.
- Anti-phishing to protect users from attempts to steal sensitive, personal information. This feature will be available only in the premium version of ESET Smart TV Security.
If ransomware is activated, users are advised to switch their smart TV off/on while the virus database is updated and scanning is initiated.
“Users need to feel safe in the knowledge that they can watch their favourite shows and browse the internet on their smartphones without fear of being watched or having their personal data compromised. ESET is the top-rated provider of security solutions for Android OS devices, so we are the smart choice for consumers to ensure all the devices in their homes, and the data they collect, are kept secure,” explains Orlik.
When ESET Smart TV Security detects ransomware on the device, the user is advised to uninstall the malware.
Once uninstall is confirmed, the ransomware will be cleared.
ESET’s Smart TV Security is available for download via Google Play, and can only be downloaded from a user’s TV device.
Once installed, users will be protected by ESET across their entire Android ecosystem – both smartphone and TV.
Tags:Android, antivirus, ESET, malware, ransomware, security, Smart TVs, software, TVs
Posted in Android, Announce, audioVisual, Entertainment, Internet, Launch, newArrivals, Press Release, Security, Smart TV, Software, software, TV | No Comments »
Friday, March 2nd, 2018
WhizComms is offering its high speed 1Gbps Home Fibre Broadband service subscription at S$34 per month, with total savings amounting to more than S$100 for signups by 14 March 2018.
The S$34/mth subscription works out to S$1.60/day. Promotion ends on 14 March, 2018.
All subscribers will get to enjoy the following promotions if they sign up by 14 March 2018.
- S$38/mth for 12-month plan or S$34/mth for 24-month plan.
- Free Activation Fee, worth S$53.50.
- Free Installation and Delivery on Weekdays from 9am to 6pm.
- Free Onsite Audit service to complement any subscription plan with wireless router.
- Save 10% on Airlive (AC1200-R) router at S$88.
Visit WhizComms online to sign up.
Tags:broadband, Internet, promotions, Singapore, subscription, WhizComms
Posted in Announce, Internet, Press Release, Prices, Promotions, Specifications | No Comments »
