Samsung has unveiled globally their latest flagship phablets. Both have 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED displays and 4GB RAM. Prices and availability in Singapore below.
The new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 4G+ (left) and S6 edge+ 4G+ comes with 5.7 inch QHD displays and 4GB RAM.
So the Samsung’s flagship devices basically comprise the following:
So the “basic flagship” is the Galaxy S6, with the other models being variants offering curved edges, bigger displays and stylus.
The Note 5 offers, as its main differentiator the S Pen stylus, but is essentially on the same hardware/software platform as the S6 series of smartphones.
N.E.mation! 10 has begun. Registration is now open and all it takes are there simple steps to start your journey that may win yourself and your team a trip to USA. Deadline for call for entry: 16 August 2015.
The central idea for this year’s N.E.mation! is “Together We Keep Singapore Strong”. Below is the synopsis.
“At the start of the next 50 years, it is a good time to reflect on and reaffirm the strength, values and beliefs that have brought Singapore this far and, more importantly, the values that reside within each and every Singaporean to take Singapore forward. Together, we will continue to play our part to keep Singapore strong.”
To give you some motivation, here’s a video featuring the trip of last season’s champion to the USA visiting some renowned animation studios, landmarks and famous attractions.
Not sure how to start crafting a winning story? No worries, here are some resources to help you get your creative juice flowing – view the free online Story Workshop.
The tower has eight sides and has three levels demarcated with Doric pilasters. Photo taken using a Canon EOS M3 and 18-55mm kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
On the lowest of three levels of the tower are eight cinquefoil windows with coloured glass panes which let light through to the interior.
The middle level has pilasters and capitals below a balustrade with bottleneck balusters.
Sony has launched worldwide its flagship camera – the α7R II full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera, with 42.4-megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, in-camera 5-axis image stabilisation, internal 4K video recording, silent shooting and fast hybrid AF.
Available in Singapore from August onwards at S$4,099 (body only).
Sony boasts that the newly-developed 42.4-megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor is the most advanced, versatile and highest-resolution full-frame image sensor that Sony has ever created, allowing the α7R II to reach new levels of quality, sensitivity and response speed.
Sony, a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer, has today introduced the new flagship full-frame mirrorless camera, the α7R II.
The impressive video credentials of Sony’s new α7R II camera include the ability to record movies in 4K quality (QFHD 3840×2160) in either Super 35mm crop mode or full-frame mode.
The new α7R II features the world’s first back-illuminated full-frame Exmor R™ CMOS sensor, which realises high-resolution (approximately 42.4 effective megapixels), high-sensitivity (expandable up to ISO 102400) and high-speed AF response up to 40 per cent faster than the original α7R, thanks to 399 focal plane phase-detection AF points.
The camera also includes a 5-axis image stabilisation system borrowed from the α7 II model, and has the ability to shoot and record 4K videos in multiple formats including Super 35mm (without pixel binning) and full-frame format, a world’s first for digital cameras.
Additionally, it has a newly refined XGA OLED Tru-Finder™ with the world’s highest (0.78x) viewfinder magnification.
The Abdul Gafoor Mosque is in Little India off Jalan Besar in Singapore. * The information in this article was derived from Wikipedia’s article on the mosque.
The rear facade of the Masjid Abdul Gafoor is actually two stairs that ascend to the cupola at its rooftop. Photo taken using a Canon EOS 5Ds and EF 50mm F1.4 USM prime lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
The area in which Masjid Abdul Gafoor was built is also known as Kampung Kapor, which was a centre of business activity for Indian merchants.
The mosque also served Muslims who worked at the old race course at Farrer Park.
The predecessor to the Masjid Abdul Gafoor at the location was an earlier mosque named Masjid Al-Abrar which was built in 1846 for the South Indian Muslim merchants and Baweanese syces and horse trainers living in the area.
The name of the mosque at the entrance. According to Wikipedia, “In 1881, a deed of assignment dated 14 November 1881 created the Dunlop Street Mosque Endowment or wakaf. The two trustees were Ismail Mansor and Shaik Abdul Gaffoor bin Shaik Hydert. Abdul Gaffoor was the chief clerk at a legal firm. The wakaf was created for the building of a mosque for the Muslim community in Singapore. The deed of assignment also placed in trust several other properties including a Muslim burial ground and a house in Race Course Road. The burial ground was closed in 1921.”Photo taken using a Canon EOS 5Ds and EF 50mm F1.4 USM prime lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
The Abdul Gafoor Mosque is on Dunlop Street in the Kampung Kapor area of Singapore.
The visit to the Masjid Abdul Gafoor was part of an SG50 heritage photowalk organised by Canon Singapore, that also included visits to the Saint Joseph’s Church and Yueh Hai Ching Temple. I had the chance to try out the new EOS 5Ds and EOS M3 cameras. This photo was taken using a Canon EOS 5Ds and EF 50mm F1.4 USM prime lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
Originally built in 1907, the mosque was restored in 2003.
Both the compact RX100 IV (S$1,399 from 16 July) and high-zoom RX10 II (S$1,899 from 30 July) cameras boast the world’s first staked 1.0 Type CMOS sensor with a DRAM memory chip, 40x super slow motion capture (up to 960fps), 4K video recording and high-speed anti-distortion shutter (up to 1/32000s).
Pre-order the RX100 IV from 3 July (see below).
The two new models in the Sony Cyber-shot RX series feature the world’s first 1.0 type stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor with advanced signal processing and an attached DRAM memory chip.
The high speed signal processing and DRAM memory chip work together to enable more than five times the readout rate of image data and are responsible for a variety of features that have previously only been available in selected professional-level video cameras.
Breathtaking demo of the prowess of the new Sony Cyber-shot RX100 IV (S$1,399). Taken with burst mode, these two shots show the water-filled balloon just before and just after it was burst. You can still see the “shape” of the water just after the rubber of the balloon burst, as well as the fine water spray emanating from the “water ball”.
These capabilities include 40x super slow motion video capture at up to 960fps, an ultra-fast Anti-Distortion Shutter with a maximum speed of 1/32000 second, high-resolution 4K movie shooting and more.
Huawei launched its Android flagship smartphone – the P8 – during CommunicAsia2015 and showcased three wearable products – the Huawei TalkBand B2, TalkBand N1 and the Huawei Watch. Prices below.
The Huawei P8 measures 144.9 x 72.1 x 6.4mm and weighs 144g.
Richard Yu, CEO of the Huawei Consumer Business Group introduced the Huawei P8 smartphone for the Southern Pacific Region at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
Price and availability (Singapore)
P8: S$699 from 3 June
P8lite: S$329 from end June
TalkBand B2 (availability TBA):
leather strap – S$299
TPU strap – S$239
TalkBand N1: TBA
Huawei Watch: TBA
For Huawei, the Southern Pacific Region comprises Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines and Singapore.
The P8 was first launched globally in London in April this year and is part of the company’s transition from a B2B entity to a consumer centric brand.
The three wearable products – the Huawei TalkBand B2, TalkBand N1 and the Huawei Watch (currently under development) – were all launched at the Mobile World Congress 2015 in March 2015.
Huawei P8
The Huawei P8 has a 5.2-inch FHD screen with 1920 x 1080 pixels (424ppi, 16 million colours) and capable of playing 1080p video.
Dato’ Chef Ismail is the food ambassador of the Malaysian Tourism Ministry and owner of Restoran Rebung in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
tech4tea.com was invited by Tourism Malaysia to check out the restaurant and meet with the affable owner-chef. Here are some pictures that Wee Wu Neo has sent back to Singapore. Text by John Tan.
Chef Ismail shares how he helped his grandmother in the kitchen since he was five, learning how to cook Malay heritage dishes over the years.
Restoran Rebung is located at No. 4-2 Lorong Maarof, Bangsar (59000) in KL, near to the bustling nightlife in the capital’s Bangsar district.
Siput Sedut or Belitung cooked in curry. In case you’re wondering, it is a species of Sea Snail.
The interior decor is very traditional and reminds one of the typical Malay home.
Get a taste of Negri Sembilan at Restoran Rebung.
The 55-year-old celebrity Chef Ismail Ahmad grew up in a small village in the Malaysian state of Negri Sembilan and includes in his menu a huge list of local cuisine that diners can order a la carte or through a buffet.
Nasi Lemak – fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf – wrapped in banana leaf and old newspaper.
The school holidays have just begun in Singapore. So if you happen to be heading out to Penang in Malaysia for a getaway, check out this newly opened hotel.
There are two Premier Suites (82 sqm) in G Hotel Kelawai in Penang, Malaysia.
G Hotel Kelawai has 208 rooms, three F& B outlets, and is well located next to upscale shopping malls and renowned hawker eateries, with UNESCO world heritage sites and beaches nearby.
G Hotel Kelawai in Penang, Malaysia
The hotel is within walking distance from its sibling G Hotel Gurney and allows cross usage of facilities between the two hotels.
G Hotel Kelawai offers complimentary Internet broadband and Wi-Fi to guests, as well as an infinity edge pool, mountain bikes and fitness center.
The 24-floor hotel has 208 rooms comprising 143 Deluxe rooms (35 sqm), 20 Executive rooms (35 sqm), 43 Executive Premier rooms (45 sqm) and 2 Premier Suites (82 sqm).
Every room comes with eco-friendly Appelles toiletries, Serta bed; 300 thread count linens, Herman Miller designer working chair, docking station, alarm clock, ironing facilities, 55-inch smart LED TV, free non-alcoholic minibar, coffee machine and free high speed Wi-Fi.
