Archive for the ‘reviews’ Category
Monday, July 11th, 2022
Tech-U-Can-Use (TUCU): Need rugged and durable USB-C cables with USB-A or USB-C connectors for your Android devices or PCs? Check out these two cables from Belkin.
When I got the BoostCharge Pro 4-Port 108W GaN Charger from Belkin, I also got two USB-C cables along with it, for charging my Android smartphones, tablets, PCs and other gadgets like smartwatches and earbuds.
- Belkin BoostCharge Pro Flex USB-C to USB-C Cable (S$39.90)
- Belkin BoostCharge Pro Flex USB-A to USB-C Cable (S$34.90)
These cables are more durable and flexible compared to generic cables – they are supposedly up to 30x more durable and are more resistant to tangling, fraying and kinks.
They have been tested to survive more than 30 thousand bends.
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Tags:accessories, Android, Belkin, BoostCharge, cables, new arrivals, power, reviews, Singapore, tech4travel, travel, TUCU, USB
Posted in Accessories, Belkin, cables, Gadgets, gadgets, newArrivals, Prices, Review, reviews, Specifications, travel, TUCU | 2 Comments »
Sunday, July 10th, 2022
Tech-U-Can-Use (TUCU): Need charging USB cables with Lightning connectors for your Apple devices? Check out these two cables from Belkin.
Over the weekend, I got these two cables for my nephew who is an Apple fan.
- Belkin BoostCharge Pro Flex USB-A Cable with Lightning Connector
- Belkin BoostCharge Pro Flex USB-C Cable with Lightning Connector
Why use these cables instead of those generic cables that came with the devices?
Because of greater durability and flexibility.
Belkin boasts that the BoostCharge Pro Flex USB cables are up to 30x more durable than ordinary cables, so that they are more resistant to tangling, fraying and kinks.
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Tags:accessories, Belkin, BoostCharge, cables, new arrivals, power, reviews, Singapore, tech4travel, travel, TUCU
Posted in Accessories, Apple, Belkin, cables, Gadgets, gadgets, newArrivals, Prices, Review, reviews, Specifications, travel, TUCU | 2 Comments »
Monday, July 4th, 2022
Huawei has just launched its latest wireless Bluetooth speaker in Singapore. Co-engineered with audio expert Devialet, the Sound Joy offers good punchy sound, long playback battery life and IP67 waterproofing/dustproofing rating to deploy the speaker in the fun outdoors.
The Huawei Sound Joy will be launching exclusively on Lazada at an introductory promotion of S$168 (U.P. S$188). Available from 11 July 2022.
The Huawei Sound Joy is targeted at the young who are active outdoors and need a portable and chic wireless speaker that produces powerful sound and which can withstand the elements.
The Sound Joy comes in two colours, the boring Obsidian Black and the lovely Spruce Green which I prefer.
The coloured light circle on top of the Sound Joy jazzes up the wireless speaker and complements the vibrating passive radiators.
With a length of 202mm and diameter of 73mm, and mass of 680g — the speaker is about the size and weight of a water bottle.
Co-engineered with Devialet, it features the audiohouse’s 2-way speaker system and its Devialet SAM technology which produces good sound quality for any audio type.
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Tags:Bluetooth, Devialet, Huawei, new arrivals, reviews, speakers
Posted in Audio, audioVisual, Entertainment, Gadgets, gadgets, Huawei, newArrivals, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, speakers, Specifications | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022
The Huawei P50 Pocket is part of the latest flagship P-series lineup of smartphones from the Chinese phone maker. The folding smartphone offers a large display when unfolded yet offers a compact form factor when folded into half.
When folded, the Huawei P50 Pocket becomes compact and fits snugly in the trouser pocket or a ladies purse.
The design of top-end smartphones is fraught with trade-offs between desirable characteristics that tend to contradict each other in terms of manifestation.
Most of us desire a large display and long battery life yet baulk at the resultant bulkiness and weight.
My Take
The Huawei P50 Pocket is a head-turning flagship smartphone that offers a large display when unfolded and a compact form factor when folded – along with a stunning design that befits any fashionista.
We desire powerful performance and beautiful design yet keel over at the higher price tag.
So the design process by the phone maker and the buying decision often comprises a set of trade-offs between the things we desire in a smartphone.
The Huawei P50 Pocket removes the need for some of these trade-offs.
It offers a large 6.9-inch display when unfolded yet folds into a compact form factor that fits snugly in the trouser pocket without poking at uncomfortable places and threatening to slip out.
At 190g, it is not particularly heavy and has a large 4000mAh battery with 40W Huawei SuperCharge capability. Only wired charging is supported.
And as a flagship smartphone, has top-tier hardware for top-notch performance, including Huawei’s forte in smartphone cameras.
Freshly unboxed Huawei P50 Pocket. Even the box is exquisitely designed.
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Tags:folding, Huawei, opinions, reviews, smartphones
Posted in Gadgets, gadgets, Huawei, Opinion, Phones, Review, reviews, smartphones, Specifications | 4 Comments »
Friday, January 21st, 2022
What’s the home printer of choice for my #WorkFromHome setup? It’s the ApeosPrint C325 dw colour laser printer from FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
The compact ApeosPrint C325 dw single-function duplex and wireless colour laser printer from FUJIFILM Innovation Corp makes a suitable printer for a #WorkFromHome workspace and at front-facing counter-tops of businesses.
First off, FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp is actually the new name for the former Fuji Xerox after the joint venture company (between FUJIFILM and Xerox) came under FUJIFILM.
As you may know, Fuji Xerox was a global leader in laser printers, especially for enterprises and business users.
My Take
The ApeosPrint C325 dw single-function laser printer is a suitable printer for #WorkFromHome and small businesses.
Its print quality and speed, ink economy, ease of use, as well as compactness, duplex and wireless capability make it a versatile printer for the home and at customer-facing counters.
The ApeosPrint C325 dw single-function printer is the smallest and lightest printer model in their lineup and is targeted towards counter services, clinics and small businesses.
I have been using the printer for the past few months and find it a suitable printer for the #WFH workspace considering its performance, economy, ease-of-use, reliability and compact footprint.
The key requirements I have for a home printer (for work) is print quality and compactness, as well as the ability to print colour, double-sided, and from a wireless network.
Naturally, factors like print speed, ink/toner economy, and maintainability also weigh in.
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Tags:#t4tWFH, #t4tWorkFromHome, ApeosPrint, Fuji Xerox, Fujifilm, laser, printers, reviews, tech4WHF, tech4WorkFromHome, WFH, WorkFromHome
Posted in Accessories, Business IT, Fuji Xerox, Fujifilm, Gadgets, gadgets, Laserjet, Opinion, Printers, printers, Review, reviews, Specifications, TUCU | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 11th, 2022
Following the announcement of The Freestyle at CES 2022 less than a week ago, Samsung Electronics shipped a unit of The Freestyle to Singapore for a sneak preview for Singapore media.
The Freestyle is a 100-inch smart TV in disguise and includes a projector, speaker and ambient light rolled into one.
Samsung describes The Freestyle a portable projector, smart speaker and lighting device all rolled into one.
To me, it’s essentially a 100-inch smart-TV rolled into a lightweight (830g) and portable “canister” that you can carry around to a BBQ or a hotel staycation.
Driven by Samsung’s Tizen OS and controlled by a remote control, it doesn’t have an in-built battery so you’ll either need access to a wall outlet, or a USB-PD battery bank that can put out 20V and 50W.
So without having to lug a 100-inch TV around, you can just fish out The Freestyle, plug it (USB-C port) into a power source – in front of a flat surface (which can be a wall or the ceiling) – and you’re in business … you have effectively a 100-inch smart TV in front of you to stream content from the Web.
There is an in-built 360-degree speaker included.
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Tags:CES, CES 2022, lights, previews, projectors, Samsung, Singapore, speakers, Tizen, TVs
Posted in Accessories, Audio, audioVisual, Entertainment, Events, events, Exhibition, Gadgets, gadgets, Home, newArrivals, Opinion, Projectors, Review, reviews, Samsung, speakers, Specifications, Tizen | No Comments »
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 »
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 »
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 »
