Archive for the ‘gadgets’ Category
Sunday, January 2nd, 2022
The core of most #WorkFromHome workspace is the computer, around which everything else is built around. It’s important to start on the right foot and get a good computer that has the performance and connectivity to anchor your entire #WFH setup.
The Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 laptop is a great desktop replacement for #WFH that can be brought on the road with its compactness, long battery life and 5G LTE connectivity.
What does one look out for in a home computer for #WorkFromHome?
For me, it must have the performance to handle most work-related activities, ranging from basic tasks like word processing and surfing the Web (for accessing emails, research and other cloud-based activities), to more demanding photo editing and video editing for content production.
Dell Latitude 9520 2-in-1 laptop freshly unboxed. Included is a 90W power supply. Dimensions: H: 0.71″ (18 mm) | W: 13.4″ (340.3 mm) | D: 8.49″ (215.8 mm)
I eschewed desktop computers a long time ago, in favour of notebook computers for space saving and the flexibility of bringing them on the road.
The disadvantage of a small display is easily overcome at home with an external large monitor.
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Tags:#t4tWFH, #t4tWorkFromHome, computers, DELL, laptops, Latitude, notebooks, reviews, tech4WHF, tech4WorkFromHome, WFH, WorkFromHome
Posted in Business IT, Dell, Gadgets, gadgets, Notebooks, notebooks, Review, reviews, Specifications, Tablets, tablets, Windows | 2 Comments »
Friday, December 24th, 2021
The second-generation Google Nest Hub (S$139) goes beyond being a speaker and display to monitoring your sleep with Sleep Sensing to help you get a better night’s sleep.
The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) is available online for S$139 on Google Store, as well as Courts, Challenger, and Shopee.
I’ve been using the first generation Google Nest Hub at home for years, and it’s brought hours of entertainment to the family.
The second-generation Google Nest Hub reprises many of these same functionalities.
Unboxing the Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen).
It is a speaker/display to stream music/videos from music services such as Spotify and YouTube Music, and shows from Netflix and Disney+ etc; or to cast music/videos from the smartphone.
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Tags:Google, hub, Nest, reviews, speakers displays, tech4xmas, tech4xmas 2021
Posted in Accessories, Android, Audio, audioVisual, Gadgets, gadgets, Google, Home, Monitors, newArrivals, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, speakers, Specifications, Unbox | 3 Comments »
Thursday, December 23rd, 2021
Huawei launched a series of new products, headlined by its folding clamshell smartphone – the P50 Pocket – a direct competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3.
Huawei joined forces with prominent haute couture designer, Iris Van Herpen, in a cross-industry collaboration to create the Huawei P50 Pocket Premium Edition.
The global launch event saw Huawei unveil a slew of new products in defiance to the two-year-old ban by the US which has deprived the Chinese company access to critical semiconductor chips and software.
The products launched include the following – all part of a smart and fully connected ecosystem based on Huawei’s HarmonyOS – the company’s substitute for Google’s Android OS.
- P50 Pocket
- Watch D
- Huawei Eyewear
- MateBook X Pro notebook
- AITO M5 electric vehicle
More details below from the press release, on the Huawei P50 Pocket.
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Tags:cars, China, events, eyewear, flagship, global, Huawei, launch, new arrivals, notebooks, Shenzhen, smartphones, smartwatches
Posted in Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, HarmonyOS, Huawei, Launch, newArrivals, Notebooks, notebooks, Online, Operating Systems, Phones, Press Release, smartphones, smartwatches, Watches | 4 Comments »
Sunday, December 19th, 2021
tech4xmas: Beautifully crafted aromatherapy diffusers for the home, with a wide selection of relaxing and fragrant essential oils for Christmas. S$218 with free delivery.
The essential oil nebulising diffuser is waterless and heatless, works silently, powerful enough to spread the scent up to 800 sqft within the first two minutes.
My own diffuser at home.
It is suitable for medium-sized areas such as the living room and bedroom.
There is an LED light with changing colours to serve as mood lighting.
I like how the knob allows me to control how strong a nebulising effect.
This is a fantastic Christmas for the home.
The FLO e-shop offers a wide selection of oils and nebulisers with some in the form of Christmas trees and angels.
Tags:accessories, aromatherapy, Christmas, Christmas 2021, diffusers, Flo, gadgets, Home, nebulisers, reviews, tech4xmas, tech4xmas 2021, Xmas
Posted in Accessories, Appliances, Decor, Gadgets, gadgets, Home, Lifestyle, Opinion, Prices, Review | No Comments »
Saturday, December 18th, 2021
tech4xmas: If you’re looking for an affordable pair of earbuds with good sound quality that’s synonymous with Sony, the no-frills WF-C500 true wireless earbuds will make a good Christmas gift.
The Sony WF-C500 earbuds offers good audio quality at an affordable price.
The WF-C500 offers good value-for-money in terms of sound quality but at the expense of features that are found in other earbuds of similar price range or higher.
At an affordable S$139, the WF-C500 has had to forego frills like noise cancellation, transparency mode, wireless charging and automatic pausing when you remove one or both earbuds.
The earbuds are IPX4 rated so they’re splash resistant.
Freshly unboxed Sony WF-C500 True Wireless Earbuds.
Battery life is reasonable at 10 hours with full charge, plus an additional 10 hours from the pill-shaped charging case.
This is plenty long for me although it’s common for charging cases to provide twice the full charge of their earbuds.
I like that a quick charge of 10 minutes gave me a full hour of mileage.
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Tags:AV, earbuds, reviews, Sony, tech4xmas, tech4xmas 2021
Posted in Accessories, Audio, audioVisual, earphones, Entertainment, Gadgets, gadgets, Prices, Review, reviews, Sony, Specifications | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, December 14th, 2021
Homegrown company Oaxis has launched their latest smartwatch for kids – the myFirst Fone R1s, as well as their latest wireless bone conduction headphones. Price and availability below.
The new myFirst Fone R1s helps parents remain connected to their kids and provides sheltered connectivity for the kids, as well as health features.
myFirst, a Singapore-based tech brand for kids has launched the myFirst Fone R1s smartwatch and myFirst Headphones BC Wireless Lite.
Price and Availability
The myFirst Fone R1s will retail at S$269 with six months of free data access SIM card and is available for purchase online and all authorised retailers or for S$28 per month with a one-year contract.
Pre-order for the myFirst Fone R1s is available on the myFirst online store from 15 December 2021, with deliveries commencing on 5 January 2022.
The R1s will also be available at authorised retailers at a later date.
Designed for young children in today’s world of smart devices, the R1s features 4G LTE connectivity to chat, video, and voice-call their families and peers under supervision of their parents.
The R1s ships with 8GB storage for music files, a heart rate monitor, a find-my-watch feature, GPS tracking, lift to wake sensitivity and more.
Built to provide ease-of-use, the myFirst Fone R1s auto-detects myFirst’s Bluetooth headset for seamless pairing, while also utilising a simple-to-use watch and app interface for both young children and parents.
Users of the R1s will be able to mix-and-match the watch in various trendy colour combination for its watch face and straps.
More details below from the press release.
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Tags:bone conduction, headphones, kids, local, myFirst, new arrivals, Oaxis, smartwatches
Posted in Accessories, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, Launch, newArrivals, Press Release, Prices, smartwatches, Specifications, Watches | 4 Comments »
Monday, December 13th, 2021
Tech-U-Can-Use (TUCU): Need a wireless charging stand to charge your iPhone 13 or iPhone 12 so you can continue using the phone while it’s still charging? Guest reviewer Jennifer Lee checks out the 7.5W BoostCharge magnetic wireless charger stand from Belkin for her iPhone 13 Pro Max.
#tech4xmas: This BoostCharge wireless charger stand from Belkin makes a suitable Christmas present for iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 owners. Photo credit: Jennifer Lee.
The magnetic wireless charger stand is MagSafe compatible for iPhone 13 and iPhone 12.
The wireless charger stand is available in black or white.
With MagSafe, it was easy to place my iPhone 13 Pro Max onto the stand – it snaps into place and there is no worries that the placement is misaligned.
There is an LED safety indicator that comes on when the charging commences.
The magnetic attachment is strong enough to hold the iPhone securely.
The stand is great for zoom calls or FaceTime – it holds the phone upright either in portrait or landscape mode.
A 20W USB-C Power Delivery 3.0 power adapter is included in the box.
In addition, the charge pad is protected by a Belkin Connected Equipment Warranty.
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Tags:accessories, Apple, Belkin, BoostCharge, chargers, iPhone, reviews, tech4xmas, tech4xmas 2021, TUCU, wireless
Posted in Accessories, battery, Belkin, Gadgets, gadgets, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, Specifications, TUCU | 2 Comments »
Saturday, December 11th, 2021
The new Huawei Watch GT 3 is the company’s latest smartwatch and offers a staggering 14 days battery life as well as more accurate measurements of vital statistics to monitor health and fitness, and to instrument sports performance for in-depth analysis and more effective training.
The new Huawei Watch GT 3 – freshly unboxed. Included is the wireless charger.
The Huawei Watch GT 3 is the successor to 2019’s Huawei Watch GT 2 and last year’s Watch GT 2e.
Unboxing the Huawei Watch GT 3 health/fitness/sports smartwatch.
It offers improvements which includes features that had debuted with the flagship Huawei Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro which was released for APAC in July this year.
The new Huawei Watch GT 3
First unveiled last month in October and launched for Singapore less than two weeks ago, the Huawei Watch GT 3 series will hit the shelves on 18 December, with pre-orders beginning today (until 17 December).
#tech4xmas: This will make an ideal Christmas gift for those keen on fitness and good health.
Major improvements over its predecessor in the sporty GT (Gran Turismo or Grand Tourer) line include an upgrade of the operating system from the Lite OS to HarmonyOS 2.1.0, an Apps grid replacing a scrolling menu, additional sensors, more accuracy in measurements and a rotatable crown.
Compared to the muscular flagship Watch 3 Pro, the new Huawei Watch GT 3 feels lighter and is slightly smaller though both watch faces measure 46mm.
The Watch GT 3 does not have the eSIM & Wi-Fi capabilities of the Watch 3 Pro, but has a much longer 14 days battery life.
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Tags:availability, fitness, Health Tech, Huawei, launch, new arrivals, pre-orders, prices, reviews, Singapore, smartwatches, sports, tech4xmas, tech4xmas 2021, wearables
Posted in Accessories, Availability, Gadgets, gadgets, HarmonyOS, Healthcare, Huawei, Launch, newArrivals, Opinion, Prices, Promotions, Review, reviews, smartwatches, Specifications, Sports, TUCU, Unbox, Watches | 5 Comments »
Wednesday, December 8th, 2021
Tech-U-Can-Use (TUCU): Need to continue using the iPhone while it’s still charging – without interrupting the charging? Guest reviewer Jennifer Lee checks out the 7.5W BoostCharge magnetic wireless charger pad from Belkin for her iPhone 13 Pro Max.
#tech4xmas: This BoostCharge wireless charger pad from Belkin makes a suitable Christmas present for iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 owners. Photo credit: Jennifer Lee.
The portable wireless charger pad is MagSafe compatible for iPhone 13 and iPhone 12.
It comprises the magnetic disc pad that attaches to the iPhone, and a 2m cable that plugs into the power supply.
Slim and portable, the wireless charger pad is small enough to tuck in the handbag and perfect on the go.
The pad is 60mm in diameter and 11.5mm thick.
The 2m long cable provides added ease to move around while charging and especially if there are only limited wall sockets in the room.
The magnetic attachment is strong and clips onto the phone right away, no worries about misalignment or loose contacts etc.
I was able to continue using the phone (eg. scrolling, pinching the screen and talking on the phone) without worrying about the charger pad coming loose or misaligned if I accidentally jostle it or the phone vibrates on an incoming call.
Hassle-free charging.
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Tags:accessories, Apple, Belkin, BoostCharge, chargers, iPhone, reviews, tech4xmas, tech4xmas 2021, TUCU, wireless
Posted in Accessories, Belkin, Gadgets, gadgets, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, Specifications | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, December 7th, 2021
tech4xmas 2021: The Q Series Quantum Edition (QE) Pro series are the flagship Android TVs by Singapore brand PRISM+. I tried the Q65-QE Pro and found that it indeed offered excellent value-for-money. Quality that’s almost as good as the flagship of established brands – but at a fraction of the price.
The PRISM+ Q65-QE Pro standing pretty in front of my Samsung 55-inch TV. The image quality isn’t far behind but the price is like half. Super value-for-money.
Appearance-wise, the Q65-QE Pro looks really smart with almost no bezel on three edges – left, right and top sides.
Along the bottom of the TV is a 1-cm bezel as well as the brand logo and LED status light on a thin extension below the centre of that bezel.
PRISM+ Q Series QE Pro TVs
PRISM+ makes three sizes for the Q Series QE Pro 4K UHD Android TVs.
- 86-inch: S$2,999
- 65-inch: S$1,199
- 55-inch: S$999
Apart from their different sizes and price tags, all three TVs share the same specifications.
All are bezel-less Quantum IPS panels with 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution offering 1.07 billion colours, running the latest Android TV OS 10.0 with Google Play Store, and 3 years onsite full warranty.
Features include Active HDR10, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, DTS TruSurround, Digital TV, and in-built Chromecast Google Assistant for hands-free voice control.
The TVs are also bundled with free subscriptions with meWATCH (12 mths) and Viu (3 mths).
Connectivity is excellent with 3 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x USB 2.0, Composite AV, Optical Audio (SPDIF) out, RF in, Bluetooth 5.0, Ethernet LAN, and Wi-Fi (2.4GHz/5GHz).
Excluding the stand, the panel measures 1447 x 827 x 85 mm with a weight of 19.9kg
Including the stand which is very stable, the TV measures 1447 x 904 x 290 mm, with a weight of 20.15kg.
The TV can also be mounted on the wall with a mounting measuring 400 x 200mm.
Picture quality-wise, Dolby Vision’s HDR technology provides good natural colours, with better tone definition, contrast management and greater detail.
The IPS panel accords a wide viewing angle (178 degrees), while the Quantum Color backlit technology of the series further enhances overall brightness and contrast, as well as greater colour volume and accuracy than similarly priced TVs.
Compared to its predecessors (Q-series), the Q65-QE definitely offers a wider colour gamut and higher dynamic range.
In fact, I find the image quality quite almost as good as my own Samsung 55” TV, which is priced roughly twice the Q65-QE Pro.
Audio wise, I find the 2 x 10W output adequate – I don’t think an external soundbar is necessary, except perhaps to boost the bass.
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Tags:4K, Android, appliances, new arrivals, PRISM+, reviews, Singapore, Smart TVs, tech4xmas, tech4xmas 2021, TVs, UHD
Posted in Android, App, Appliances, audioVisual, Entertainment, Gadgets, gadgets, Home, Opinion, Prices, PRISM+, Review, Specifications, TUCU, TV | 6 Comments »
