Archive for the ‘gadgets’ Category

POTD: Metallic dog sculptures in a Salzburg lawn

Sunday, October 5th, 2014

Photo of the Day: We were strolling along a path at the side of a hill one evening when we came across a peaceful lawn that the path overlooked into. Inside the lawn were these two metallic sculptures at one corner, right by the hedge.

The two dogs seemed to be frozen in time, and yet looked as if they would come to life anytime and were about to pounce onto something in the lawn. Photo taken with a Sony A7 full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

The two dogs seemed to be frozen in time, and yet looked as if they would come to life anytime and were about to pounce onto something in the lawn. Photo taken with a Sony A7 full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

“有一个宁静的傍晚,我在奥地利萨尔茨堡山边小径走着时看到了路边一个私人住宅的小草坪里摆设了两只铁雕小狗狗,栩栩如生;就好似将要向前扑跳,捕猎什么猎物似地。耐人寻味。” – 科技点心(微薄)

We had just finished visiting the Salzburg Fortress and were walking towards the Nonnberg Abbey when we came across these metallic sculptures in a quiet lawn.

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New arrivals: Plantronics EncorePro 500 Series headsets

Friday, October 3rd, 2014

The Plantronics EncorePro 500 Series is designed for customer service centers and offices and promises greater comfort for all-day wearing, superior noise-canceling for clearer calls, and increased reliability to help manage costs.

The noise-canceling technology in the EncorePro 500 Series ensures more focused and private calls, so conversations will be heard clearly with fewer misunderstood words and with reduced background noise from keyboards and close talkers.

The noise-canceling technology in the EncorePro 500 Series ensures more focused and private calls, so conversations will be heard clearly with fewer misunderstood words and with reduced background noise from keyboards and close talkers.

Plantronics also announced next-generation DA Series USB digital audio processors for their headsets that deliver a more complete audio experience by providing context for every call.

The new Plantronics customer service solutions aim to help organisations improve metrics, attract and retain Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) and create a better customer experience.

The series includes the following models (all models support wideband audio):

  • EncorePro 510/520 (dedicated over-the-head): US$88-126
  • EncorePro 530 (over-the-ear): US$110
  • EncorePro 540 (convertible): US$120

The EncorePro 540 has simple design yet offer high-performance audio regardless of the preferred wearing style.

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New arrivals: Canon imagePRESS C800 series colour production cutsheet press

Thursday, October 2nd, 2014

New additions to Canon’s imagePRESS color production cutsheet press series promise advanced levels of print quality, productivity and versatility in both commercial and in-house print colour-critical environments.

The new Canon imagePRESS C800 series aims to boost productivity and deliver outstanding print quality for corporate and service providers in Singapore.

The new Canon imagePRESS C800 series aims to boost productivity and deliver outstanding print quality for corporate and service providers in Singapore.

The new Canon imagePRESS C800 series caters to the rapidly-evolving needs of corporate print rooms and print service providers (PSPs) in Singapore.

Key capabilities include:

  • Versatility
  • Print quality
  • Precision and consistency
  • Maximised productivity and efficiency
  • Customised and adaptable workflows

The above capabilities are elaborated below with more details from the press release.

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Samsung launches GALAXY Note 4, Note Edge, Gear S and Gear S in Singapore

Wednesday, October 1st, 2014

The GALAXY Note 4 (S$1,088), Gear S (S$498) and Gear Circle (S$168) will reach Singapore on 11 October and but you can register your interest for the Note 4 from noon tomorrow (2 October). The GALAXY Note Edge 4G+ will be available in Q4 2014.

The GALAXY Note 4 4G+ will be available in Singapore from 11 October 2014 in Charcoal Black and Frost White. The Note Edge 4G+ will only be available in Q4 2014.

The GALAXY Note 4 4G+ will be available in Singapore from 11 October 2014 in Charcoal Black and Frost White. The Note Edge 4G+ will only be available in Q4 2014.

The slew of mobile products were first unveiled during IFA 2014.

I first played with these new gadgets when they were brought to Singapore for a preview 2 weeks ago.

They are indeed exciting additions to Samsung’s line of mobile devices.

Recommended retail prices in Singapore are listed below.

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First look: BlackBerry Passport smartphone in Singapore

Tuesday, September 30th, 2014

BlackBerry officially launched the new Passport smartphone in Singapore tonight. It has actually gone on sale with the three main Telcos in Singapore for S$938 (incl. GST but excluding line contract) on 26 September.

First impressions: Overall, the BlackBerry Passport is a handsome and sturdy smartphone that puts greater productivity on the fingertips of road warriors.

First impressions: Overall, the BlackBerry Passport is a handsome and sturdy smartphone that puts greater productivity on the fingertips of road warriors.

The square-screen design is really unique and gives a beefy look to the phone.

The build looks sturdy and with the squarish aspect ratio, is probably less bendable than the usual longish form factor of regular smartphones.

The BlackBerry Passport with a square screen.

The BlackBerry Passport with a square screen.

The wider screen makes reading documents a lot easier, without having to scroll left-right in addition to scrolling up and down.

The Passport is definitely too wide for one-handed operation – but who uses a BlackBerry with one hand anyway?

And since people expect to use two hands when using the Passport, ladies with smaller palms may not object too much to the increased girth of the new smartphone.

As expected, the physical QWERTY keyboard makes typing so much easier than on a virtual keyboard onscreen, especially for ladies with long nails.

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New arrivals: iPhone 6 ultra-protective cases from OtterBox

Saturday, September 27th, 2014

OtterBox has launched new protective cases for Apple’s iPhone 6 – Commuter (S$49), Symmetry (S$49), Symmetry IML (S$65), and Defender (S$69) series.

New OtterBox protective cases for the iPhone 6: Commuter (S$49, top right), Symmetry (S$49, top left), and Defender (S$69, bottom) series.

New OtterBox protective cases for the iPhone 6: Commuter (S$49, top right), Symmetry (S$49, top left), and Defender (S$69, bottom) series.

The new cases offer varying levels of protection and designs for different tastes and occasions.

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New arrivals: BlackBerry Passport smartphone in Singapore

Thursday, September 25th, 2014

BlackBerry Passport targets productivity for professionals with square (1440 x 1440 pixels) touch screen and QWERTY touch-enabled keyboard. Available from tomorrow, 26 September, 2014 (M1, SingTel, StarHub) at S$938 (incl. GST).

Inspired by actual passports, the universal symbol of mobility, the size and form factor of BlackBerry Passport is portable enough to easily tuck into pockets and use wherever you go.

Inspired by actual passports, the universal symbol of mobility, the size and form factor of BlackBerry Passport is portable enough to easily tuck into pockets and use wherever you go.

BlackBerry has launched its new smartphone in Singapore – the Passport, targeted towards business professionals looking for greater productivity.

The smartphone utilises Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for the display and forged stainless steel for added strength and durability.

The large square screen is designed for viewing and creating content, and everyday tasks like reading and writing emails, reviewing and editing documents, web browsing, and map navigation.

The large square screen is designed for viewing and creating content, and everyday tasks like reading and writing emails, reviewing and editing documents, web browsing, and map navigation.

The BlackBerry Passport includes the first touch-enabled keyboard with gestures that make typing, editing and navigating more efficient and accurate.

According to a BlackBerry user study, BlackBerry Passport’s new QWERTY keyboard is almost four times more accurate than BlackBerry 10 virtual keyboards – the error rate is on average 74% lower – so there are fewer typos.

The BlackBerry Passport and the Porsche Design P’9983 smartphone from BlackBerry are the first devices to launch on BlackBerry’s latest OS platform, BlackBerry 10.3.

They come preloaded with new productivity-enhancing features including BlackBerry Blend and BlackBerry Assistant, as well as the BlackBerry World storefront and Amazon Appstore, offering access to apps for work and play.

Highlight features of the BlackBerry Passport include:

  • High-Resolution Square Screen – The BlackBerry Passport includes a 4.5 square-inch screen with a 1:1 aspect ratio, 1440 x 1440 pixel (453 dpi) HD display and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for added strength.

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New arrivals: Lumia 830 Windows Phone 8.1 smartphone

Thursday, September 25th, 2014

Microsoft today announced the availability of the Lumia 830 in Singapore for S$529 from 27 September, 2014 (M1, SingTel, StarHub).

The Lumia 830 will be available in a range of colours including bright orange, bright green, white and black.

The Lumia 830 will be available in a range of colours including bright orange, bright green, white and black.

The Lumia 830 comes with PureView imaging, integrated Microsoft services, wireless charging, optimised image stabilisation and SensorCore.

It has a 10-megapixel PureView camera with ZEISS optics, Rich Recording, and the thinnest optical image stabilisation system to date for Lumia phones.

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New arrivals: ASUS MeMo Pad 8 and Fonepad 8 Android tablets

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

The new ASUS MeMo Pad 8 (S$499) and Fonepad 8 (S$299) tablets feature the next generation 64-bit Intel Atom ‘Moorefield’ quad-core processor and ASUS ZenUI interface. Avaialble in Singapore from 10 October, 2014.

Both the ASUS MeMo Pad 8 (S$499) and Fonepad 8 (S$299) run Android 4.4 KitKat operating system and ASUS ZenUI interface, which features more than 200 software tweaks over previous ASUS interfaces.

Both the ASUS MeMo Pad 8 (Left, S$499) and Fonepad 8 (Right, S$299) run Android 4.4 KitKat operating system and ASUS ZenUI interface, which features more than 200 software tweaks over previous ASUS interfaces.

The interface sports a new visual design with modern ‘flat’ icons, customisable vivid colour themes that match the tablets’ colour, as well as a cleaner layout that clearly presents all necessary information at one glance.

Despite its larger display, the ASUS Fonepad 8 has almost the same width as the previous generation 7-inch Fonepad.

Despite its larger display, the ASUS Fonepad 8 has almost the same width as the previous generation 7-inch Fonepad.

Weighing at just 299g, ASUS boasts that the 8-inch MeMO Pad 8 (ME581CL) is the world’s lightest 8-inch tablet with Long-Term Evolution (LTE).

It features the next generation 64-bit Intel Atom Z3560 1.8GHz quad-core processor, and ultra-fast connectivity with 802.11ac Wi-Fi and wireless Near-Field Communications (NFC).

The ASUS Fonepad 8 (FE380CG) delivers powerful mobility with the next generation 64-bit Intel Atom Z3530 1.3GHz quad-core processor and 3G phone functions.

With its narrow bezel measuring just 5.06mm and a 72.2% screen-to-body ratio, ASUS claims that the 8-inch ASUS Fonepad 8 has the largest viewing area for any 8-inch phablet in the market.

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New arrivals: HP computers & printers for the millennials

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

HP has launched the Pavilion x2 tablet/notebook hybrid, ENVY Beats All-in-One desktop and three wireless inkjet printers – ENVY 5640 eAiO, ENVY 5530 eAiO and ENVY 7640 eAiO. Price and availability below.

(Left) The ultra-portable HP Pavilion x2 detachable PC/tablet (S$499) is designed for customers who want to simplify their life with a single device that transforms from tablet to laptop. (Right) The HP ENVY Beats All-in-One (S$1,599) is equipped with quad speakers and quad subwoofers all in a sleek desktop design.

(Left) The ultra-portable HP Pavilion x2 detachable PC/tablet (S$499) is designed for customers who want to simplify their life with a single device that transforms from tablet to laptop. (Right) The HP ENVY Beats All-in-One (S$1,599) is equipped with quad speakers and quad subwoofers all in a sleek desktop design.

HP’s new slew of consumer products are targeted towards the millennials – young working adults from their mid-twenties to the mid-thirties.

Pricing and availability is tabulated below.

HP Products Starting prices Availability
Pavilion x2 S$499 6 October
ENVY Beats All-in-One S$1,599 October
ENVY 5640 eAiO S$199 1 November
ENVY 5530 eAiO S$159 1 November
ENVY 7640 eAiO S$299 1 November

The new HP Pavilion x2 is a full-featured 10-inch diagonal Windows tablet that transforms into a full-featured laptop with a detachable dual-purpose keyboard/cover that both protects the screen and serves as a multi-position stand.

“Customers have told us they want devices that offer flexibility and performance while reflecting their personal sense of style. The products we are announcing today include innovative designs, vibrant color options, choice of operating system and computing power to enable the way that customers communicate, play and live,” said Serena Yong, general manager, Printing and Personal Systems, HP Singapore and Malaysia.

The HP Pavilion x2 is a portable, versatile, highly affordable 2-in-1 PC powered by the latest-generation Intel Atom processor, and features front-firing speakers with DTS sound and a battery that lasts up to 11.45 hours.

The HP ENVY Beats All-in-One provides music lovers and movie fans with good sound quality with quad speakers and quad subwoofers.

It has a 23-inch diagonal Full HD IPS 10-point touchscreen display that tilts up to 30˚ so that users can sit comfortably while using it.

HP’s three new ENVY printers enable direct printing from smartphones and tablets.

The new HP ENVY 7640 and 5640 e-All-in-One printers will feature a new WiFi Direct feature, allowing users to maintain a simultaneous connection with both the printer and the Internet.

Print direct from smarthones and tablets: ENVY 5640 eAiO (left, S$199), ENVY 5530 eAiO (top, S$159) and ENVY 7640 eAiO (right, S$299).

Print direct from smarthones and tablets: ENVY 5640 eAiO (left, S$199), ENVY 5530 eAiO (top, S$159) and ENVY 7640 eAiO (right, S$299).

The new devices can also be set up quickly and easily with a smartphone or tablet.

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