Archive for the ‘gadgets’ Category
Friday, December 30th, 2016
The Mate 9 is Huawei’s flagship phablet boasting the fabulous camera from P9 that was co-developed with Leica and now improved, a fast Kirin 960 processor and Android 7.0 Nougat with EMUI 5.0 user interface. Price in Singapore: S$898.
My take: The Huawei Mate 9 is another winner from Huawei. The Android 7 flagship phablet works swiftly as a smartphone and has a fabulous camera that churns out wonderfully toned black and white snapshots. Fantastic for monochrome shooters that want Leica-like photos without any post-editing.
The 5.9-inch smartphone has dual SIM slots capable of supporting 4G and 3G networks.
The Huawei Mate 9 ships with 4GB RAM and 64GB memory, and you can use the secondary SIM card slot to add up to 256GB from a microSD card.
Have been trying out the Huawei Mate 9 since its launch & availability in Singapore last month. Was curious to see whether the camera performance of the Mate 9 had improved over the P9, which had impressed me when I tried it (see the P9 photos here).
With the demise of Samsung’s Galaxy Note7, the Huawei Mate 9 is a strong candidate to take up the mettle left by the Korean flagship phablet.
The phone sports a Type-C USB socket – an adaptor to convert into a regular mini-USB is included in the box – and has a 4000mAh battery that can be SuperCharged for a day’s usage within 20 minutes.
I brought along the Mate 9 when I went on vacation in Taiwan to put it through the grind of daily usage, and to take some photos with its fabulous camera (see the Mate 9 photos here).
The highlights
- Android 7 Nougat.
- EMUI 5.0 user interface.
- Latest Kirin 960 CPU for faster performance.
- SuperCharge technology (full day’s charge in 20min).
- 2nd gen Leica dual-lens camera with 12MP RGB sensor, and now with 20MP monochrome sensor and Hybrid Zoom, enabling 2x digital zoom.
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Tags:Android, Android 7, cameras, EMUI, flagship, Huawei, Leica, Mate 9, Nougat, phablets, reviews, smartphones, SuperCharge
Posted in Android, audioVisual, Cameras, cameras, Gadgets, gadgets, Huawei, Leica, Photography, Prices, Review, reviews, smartphones, Specifications, travel | No Comments »
Friday, November 18th, 2016
There’s been much excitement surrounding the launch of the entry-level Xiaomi Mi Max phablet some six months ago. Oliver Ong Chor Yew bought one online to review it below.
Editor’s note
Xiaomi’s reputation for selling well-spec’ed phones at super low prices manifests itself in the Mi Max, offering huge value to the consumer.
I tried out the phablet too and found it was indeed slightly unwieldy to use one-handed.
But its huge and bright screen is great for reading ebooks, watching videos and surfing the Web.
And the battery life is the longest I’ve encountered – only the ASUS Zenfone Max is comparable.
You won’t get the same quality and feature set of the Samsung’s unfortunate flagship Galaxy Note7 – but at only a fraction of the price, Xiaomi’s Mi Max presents itself as an extremely value-for-money alternative to grab part of the market share vacated by the Note7.
Hence, I’ve included the Xiaomi Mi Max in the tech4xmas gift list.
Read Oliver Ong Chor Yew’s review below.
The Xiaomi Mi Max fresh out of the box (left), and the home screen (right).
My Mi Max is a 6.44inch large-screen phablet with android 6.0 and MIUI 8.0 interface.
Overall verdict
With the $259 price tag and the huge screen size, the Mi Max is a good budget phone for every use.
The camera image quality is quite good.
Fingerprint sensor is extremely responsive and the device build quality makes this phone worth buying.
It is powered by a 4850mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery which is a standard for mid-range to high end phone nowadays.
The Mi Max has a Qualcomm snapdragon 650 chipset with Hexa-core processor (4 x 1.4GHz Cortex-A53 & 2 x 1.8GHz Cortex-A72) and 3GB RAM.
This model I am reviewing is the 32GB variant which costed me S$259 on Qoo10 at the time of this review was written.
There is a 64GB variant with Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 Octa-Core processor.
First impressions
The device is quite huge and it is quite difficult to use with one hand.
The build quality is quite sturdy and it feels like I am holding a premium device.
Sample shot of the cloudy blue sky, taken using the Xiaomi Mi Max.
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Tags:Android, Asus, Christmas, gift guide, Mi Max, Note7, phablets, reviews, Samsung, smartphones, tablets, tech4xmas, tech4xmas 2016, Xiaomi, Xmas
Posted in Gadgets, gadgets, Phones, reviews, smartphones, tablets, Xiaomi | 1 Comment »
Thursday, November 17th, 2016
Epson showcased its latest smart solutions to show how its new innovations can power the future of businesses.
Update (18 November, 2016):
Giveaway on Epsons Facebook Page: If you’re a Manchester United and Epson fan, here’s how you can stand a chance to WIN an Epson-Manchester United T-Shirt.
Follow this link to Epson’s Facebook Page to learn how!
Contest ends at 2359hrs on 20 November.
“ESTC returns this year to simplify and make intelligent business solutions more accessible to every business,” said Tan May Lin, Epson Singapore’s General Manager (Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division), at ESTC 2016.
The global technology leader in printing, visual communications and digital imaging demonstrated integrated solutions that addressed the varied needs that businesses had in their work processes.
ESTC 2016 is the second edition of Epson’s bi-yearly convention to engage corporate partners and customers to raise awareness on its range of business products and solutions.
A large format printer for the marketing department, showcased at ESTC 2016 in the Sands Expo and Convention Centre at the Marina Bay in Singapore.
Epson showcased new business products ranging from office scanners to its new ultra-short throw interactive projector, mobile point of sales systems and wearable technology such as the Moverio BT-300 smart glasses and BT-2000 smart headset at the convention.
The convention was held today at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre and attended by 153 guests including business partners, end users, media and distributors.
Integrating intelligent solutions for business success
Epson’s showcase offered insights as well as real-life demonstrations on how companies can develop a holistic strategy when investing in technology.
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Tags:Business IT, conventions, customer service, Epson, ESTC 2016, exhibitions, finance, inkjet, innovation, logistics, Marina Bay Sands, marketing, Moverio, printers, projectors, scanners, seminars, technology, training
Posted in audioVisual, Business IT, Epson, Events, events, Exhibition, Gadgets, gadgets, Inkjet, Multi-function printer, Press Release, Printers, Projectors, Scanners, Seminars, smartphones | 1 Comment »
Friday, November 11th, 2016
Canon has launched today a whole slew of personal/business/photo printers, as well as a new line of wireless presenters. Prices & availability below.
The range of new Canon products include new imageCLASS laserjets (left), wireless presenters (center) and PIXMA printers. Not shown to scale.
The products that Canon launched today include the following. Most are available now or later this month.
- Canon PIXMA TS8070 (S$299) and TS5070 (S$199) Photo Printers.
- Canon imageCLASS MFP (S$229-379).
- Canon PIXMA E410 (S$89) and E470 (S$119).
- Canon PIXMA Ink Efficient G4000 (S$389).
- Canon PR100 (S$99) and Canon PR1000 (S$59) Wireless Presenters.
Below are quick descriptions of each of these.
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Tags:Canon, imageCLASS, inkjet, laserjet, launch, MFP, Multifunction, PIXMA, presenters, prices, printers, Singapore
Posted in Accessories, Announce, Business IT, Canon, Gadgets, gadgets, Inkjet, Laserjet, Launch, Multi-function printer, newArrivals, PIXMA, Press Release, Printers, Specifications | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 9th, 2016
Hong Kong-based E-Huge Technology launches three new Avengers-themed Windows 10 notebooks/2-in-one devices in Singapore. Prices & availability below.
The new laptops are targeted at fans of Marvel Avengers.
All three devices will be available from 10 December, and include 4GB DDR3 RAM and Atom x5 Z8300 CPU.
The notebooks were launched in Hungry Heroes cafe in Singapore.
Decorated with the Avengers logo and the signature design motifs of Captain America and Iron Man, these Windows 10 devices come in three distinct form factors.
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Tags:Avengers, Captain America, E-Huge, Hong Kong, Iron Man, laptops, Marvel, Microsoft, notebooks, Singapore, tablets, transformers, Windows, Windows 10
Posted in Events, events, gadgets, Hybrid, Launch, Microsoft, newArrivals, Notebooks, notebooks, Press Release, Prices, Specifications, Windows, Windows 10 | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016
Both WD Blue SSDs and WD Green SSDs are available now in Singapore and are distributed by Eternal Asia Singapore in Singapore. Prices start from SGD79.90 onwards.
Both WD Blue SSDs and WD Green SSDs are protected by a 3-year limited warranty and come with one year complimentary data recovery service from Kroll Ontrack.
The new WD Blue and WD Green solid state drives are Western Digital’s first WD-branded SATA client SSDs.
The new SSDs complement the company’s family of hard drives for PCs and workstations, providing a full portfolio of WD storage devices for a wide range of applications.
More details from the press release below.
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Tags:drives, Krool, Ontrack, SSD, storage, WD, Western Digital
Posted in Accessories, Announce, Gadgets, gadgets, Launch, newArrivals, Press Release, Prices, Specifications, storage drive, Western Digital | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 1st, 2016
Samsung Electronics Singapore today launched a slew of mobile products: the new Gear S3 flagship smartwatch, Galaxy A9 Pro (2016) phablet, and 4 new mobile audio products in the Level series: Level Active, Level Box Pro, Level In ANC, Level U Pro ANC. Prices below.
From left: Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch, Galaxy A9 Pro (2016) phablet, and Level U Pro ANC wireless earphones.
The new Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch offers Military-grade Protection, IP68 water and dust resistance, mobile payments, and built-in speaker and GPS.
The Gear S3 comes in two designs: the rugged Gear S3 frontier and the elegant Gear S3 classic – both are priced at S$548 and will be available in Singapore in Q4, 2016.
The new Gear S3 smartwatch from Samsung, being launched in Singapore at Elements & Co. I like the red strap.
The Galaxy A9 Pro (2016) phablet sports a 6-inch SUPER AMOLED screen and is a timely launch to attract customers looking for an affordable big-display alternative to the ill-fated 5.7-inch flagship Note7 phablet.
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Tags:audio, audiovisual, AV, Bluetooth, earphones, Galaxy, Gear, Gear S3, Level Active, Level Box Pro, Level In, Level U Pro, mobile, Samsung, Singapore, smartphones, smartwatches, speakers, wireless
Posted in Accessories, Audio, audioVisual, earphones, Entertainment, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, GALAXY, Gear, Launch, newArrivals, Phones, Press Release, Prices, Samsung, smartphones, smartwatches, speakers, Specifications, Watches | No Comments »
Sunday, October 30th, 2016
So Christmas is now less than two months away, this series of reviews serves up gift ideas for those planning to buy presents for their friends and loved ones.
Planning your Christmas shopping? Stay tuned for quick and easy-to-read reviews of some of the best-in-class gadgets available today.
With Christmas 2016 less than two months away, it’s a good time to begin planning gifts for those that are close to us.
So this series features quick and easy-to-read reviews of some of the best tech gadgets/products that I’ve personally tried.
Not all are the latest and newest, but they are what I think are some of the best-in-class in their category of products.
The reviews are meant to provide ideas and start you off, so do check out some of them online and in the shops if they are what you think would bring a smile to your loved ones this Christmas.
Have been using this beautiful workhorse during Strata + Hadoop World in Singapore. Surpassed all expectations. Love how it’s compact yet has two full-sized Type-A USB 3 slots & a Type C slot.
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Tags:accessories, Chistmas, Christmas 2016, gadgets, reviews, tech4xmas, tech4xmas 2016, Xmas
Posted in Accessories, Gadgets, gadgets, Review, Tips | 1 Comment »
Thursday, October 27th, 2016
Event forecast: from 24 November, the final of the four large annual IT exhibitions in Singapore will take place for four days (24 – 27 Nov) at the Singapore EXPO, in Halls 5 & 6. SITEX 2016 will open daily from 11 am to 9 pm (Admission FREE).
SITEX is organised by the Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation (SITF) and managed by SingEx Exhibitions, and receives more than 300,000 visitors.
Established in 1988, SITEX 2016 will see more than 500 brands of infocomm and consumer electronic products spread over more than 200,000 sq ft of exhibition space.
SITEX 2016 seems more interesting this year. Apart from the usual vendor booths selling gizmos at discounted prices, there are many booths featuring technology and gaming – eg. smart home technology, even techno dance (DanceTex2016).
More details from the press release below.
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Tags:accessories, audio, cameras, computers, EXPO, IT exhibition, printers, promotions, Singapore, SITEX, SITEX 2016, smartphones, tablets
Posted in Announce, Event forecast, Events, events, Exhibition, Figures, Gadgets, gadgets, Press Release, Shopping | No Comments »
Friday, October 21st, 2016
Commtiva Technology has launched two new mid-tier Android smartphones in Singapore: Sharp Z2 (S$399) and Sharp MS1 (S$299).
The SHARP Z2 (S$399, left) comes in two colors – Gold and Silver, while the SHARP MS1 (S$299, right) is available in Hanayome White and Pure Pink.
The SHARP Z2 is Singapore’s first 2.3GHz deca-core smartphone, powered by MediaTek’s Helio X20 flagship processor with Tri-Cluster CPU architecture.
Both the SHARP Z2 (S$399) and SHARP MS1 (S$299) will be available from 29 October 2016 at M1, M1 exclusive distributors, selected Challenger stores, and authorized resellers.
This 5.5-inch Z2 boasts up to 30% less power consumption for users, with fast-charge technology that allows the 3,000mAh battery to be recharged up to 50% in 30 minutes.
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Tags:Android, Commtiva, Foxconn, launch, prices, Sharp, Singapore, smartphones
Posted in Android, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, Launch, newArrivals, Phones, Press Release, Prices, Sharp, smartphones, Specifications | No Comments »
