Archive for the ‘reviews’ Category
Saturday, July 11th, 2020
Ideal wireless earbuds for the fitness-conscious. Pretty design, snug fit, great sound quality. These were the earbuds of choice that saw my wife through the COVID-19 months and accompanied her on her morning jogs.
The Soul ST-SX2 is the earbuds-of-choice when it comes to true wireless earphones for the sporty – delivering good sound quality, a snug fit and easy usability.
With COVID-19 lockdown all around the world, the only workout we’re getting nowadays are the weights and rowing machine at home, and the jogs around the neighbourhood.
No more swims or visits to the gym.
I gave my wife the Soul ST-SX2 true wireless earbuds as a Mother’s Day gift – and she loves it!
I gave the Soul ST-XS2 to my wife as a Mother’s Day gift and she’s been stuck on them ever since – during her morning jogs.
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Tags:audio, AV, earbuds, earphones, fitness, music, Soul, sports, wireless
Posted in Audio, earphones, Entertainment, Gadgets, Music, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, Specifications, Sports | 3 Comments »
Sunday, March 22nd, 2020
Co-created by athletes, the in-ear headphones has been designed specifically for runners and is now available in Singapore (S$249).
“Wired wireless” in-ear sports earphones from adidas: FWD-01.
Launched jointly by adidas and Stockholm-based Zound Industries – the earphones combines the latter’s audio technology with the former’s knowhow in sports ergonomics.
My Take
A little bit pricey, the adidas FWD-01 is a pair of solid wireless in-ear headphones for runners, boasting decent audio quality, a long 16-hour battery life and the ability to quick-charge. What I liked a lot was its IPX4 rated sweat resistance.
On first looks, I like the ergonomic and minimalist design of the sweat-proof FWD-01, which weighs 26g and has a tangle-free cable that’s 47.5cm long.
The knitted fabric gives the earphones a nice shoelace appearance consistent with the fabric on some of adidas’ sports shoes.
The control buttons on the cord is easy-to-find and enables full control of all the basic functionalities of the earphones viz. play/pause, volume up/down, answer/end phone calls, power on/off or pair.
Three control buttons on the right and an Action button on the left of the adidas FWD-01 wireless in-ear headphones.
An Action button is programmable (using the companion app) as a shortcut for up to three different actions, triggered by either 1, 2, or 3 clicks.
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Tags:Adidas, audio, earphones, headphones, reviews, TC Acoustic, wireless, Zound
Posted in Accessories, Audio, audioVisual, earphones, Entertainment, Gadgets, gadgets, headphones, Lifestyle, Music, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, Specifications | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 11th, 2020
Hyundai Motor is showing a preview of its 2021 Elantra at a world premiere event in Hollywood. Teaser video below.
Update (2 October, 2020):
Komoco Motors has brought in the new Avante (Singapore & Korean name for the Elantra) to Singapore for a preview in its showroom.
The upcoming seventh-generation Elantra features an edgy and aggressive look based on parametric shapes and textures, which reflects Hyundai’s new design identity.
The world premier press conference will take place at 7 p.m. PT on Mar. 17, at The Lot Studios in West Hollywood, Calif. and will be livestreamed around the world.
The Elantra is Hyundai’s bestselling car globally, with more than 13.8 million Elantra/Avante models sold since its introduction in 1990.
The ‘Immersive Cocoon’ interior layout creates a driver-focused user experience.
The new Elantra returns to its sport sedan roots with a ‘Parametric Dynamics’ design theme.
The new vehicle platform offers a sporty four-door-coupe look with longer, lower and wider proportions.
Teaser video and more details below from the press release.
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Tags:Avante, cars, Elantra, Hyundai, motoring, previews
Posted in Announce, Automobile, Hyundai, Lifestyle, Motoring, Press Release, reviews, VehTech | No Comments »
Sunday, March 8th, 2020
Having test-driven the Audi TT Coupé 2.0 TFSI S tronic for the past week – courtesy of Audi Singapore – I found the luxury sports car a thrilling ride suited for urban roads of Singapore. This is the conclusion of a two-part review following the test drive.
The Audi TT Coupé 2.0 TFSI S tronic hits 100kph in 5.9 seconds.
The front-wheel driven car is powered by a bigger 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that puts out 227bhp and 370Nm of torque, which is plenty light 1,285kg that the facelift weighs.
The ride for the Audi TT Coupé 2.0 TFSI S tronic is firm, while the steering is light but precise.
Mid-drive acceleration is responsive especially in Sport mode with the maximum 370Nm at 1,600rpm.
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Tags:Audi, coupe, motoring, reviews, sports car, test drive, TT
Posted in Audi, Automobile, Lifestyle, Motoring, Prices, Review, reviews, Specifications | No Comments »
Saturday, March 7th, 2020
Tried out the Audi TT Coupé 2.0 TFSI S tronic last week to check out the latest facelift for the luxury sports car. This is the first half of the review, which concludes tomorrow.
It’s been more than 25 years since the Audi TT concept car was first showcased in 1995 at the IAA in Frankfurt. The first Coupé premiered in 1998, with the 2nd generation in 2006 and the 3rd gen in 2014.
This latest update to the Audi TT Coupé sees the new direct injection 2.0 TFSI engine with 230hp replacing the previous 180hp 1.8 TFSI.
It’s been more than 25 years since the Audi TT concept car was first showcased in 1995 at the IAA in Frankfurt.
The design vocab of the Audi TT Coupé comprises geometric shapes, circles and strong lines. Managed to find matching environs to shoot the car.
The first Coupé premiered in 1998, with the second generation in 2006 and the third generation in 2014.
The latest Audi TT Coupé is now more masculine, progressive and sportier.
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Tags:Audi, coupe, motoring, reviews, sports car, test drive, TT
Posted in Audi, Automobile, Lifestyle, Motoring, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, Specifications | No Comments »
Thursday, December 21st, 2017
tech4xmas 2017 gift recommendation: One of few gadgets that totally blew me away and convinces me it is worth its high-end price tag. The road warrior would love to have this as his/her Christmas present. I know I would be absolutely elated!
My take: “The LG gram 14 excels streaks ahead in all four areas that are critical to me – lightweight, battery-life, startup-time, and external connectivity.”
Notebooks are such a commodity nowadays that you can get a pretty decent one that meets your needs at an affordable price.
The pricier ones are usually the flagship models of each manufacturer that, in my personal opinion, offer only marginal additional benefits for a huge surcharge.
LG Red Fair promotions
The LG Red Fair is now ongoing until 15 February, 2018, offering promotional deals on LG solutions – for home entertainment systems, home appliances, mobile devices, and IT devices.
The 14-inch gram 14 is selling at a discounted S$2,099 (Intel i7 CPU) & S$1,899 (Intel i5 CPU). Both ship with 512GB SSD & 8GB RAM.
Also available is the 15.6-inch, 8GB RAM gram 15, selling at S$2,499 (8th Gen Intel i7 CPU, 512GB SSD) & S$2,099 (Intel i5 CPU, 256GB SSD).
Purchases of any LG gram 15 or gram 14 comes with free gifts worth up to S$347!
The 13.3-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD gram 13 is also available at S$1,899 (Intel i7 CPU) & S$1,799 (Intel i5 CPU).
All LG gram laptops come with 1-year pick-up warranty.
And usually much of these additional features are in the department of styling and design that, as a pragmatic user, I don’t really care.
So when I tried out the 14-inch LG gram 14 (14Z970), I was pleasantly surprised to find myself planning it as my next purchase – despite its relatively high price tag.
Specs wise, it’s no doubt high end – gram is the only notebook series that LG sells in Singapore.
But what impressed me was how it really stood out in the areas that matters to me – and I mean really stand out!
Firstly, the light weight at 970g. I believe it’s the lightest notebook I’ve ever used, with its enhanced durability Magnesium alloy body.
It’s so light I took a double take when I first handled it – wondering if it was a plastic mockup, even though I knew full well it was a real functioning notebook.
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Tags:computers, gifts, gram, laptops, LG, notebooks, reviews, tech4xmas, tech4xmas2017, tech4xmas2017 reviews
Posted in Gadgets, gadgets, LG, Notebooks, notebooks, Prices, Promotions, Review, reviews, Specifications, Ultrabooks, Windows, Windows 10 | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 12th, 2017
tech4xmas 2017 gift list: With the premiere of “The Last Jedi”, this Poe Dameron-inspired shaver (S$219) is an apt gift for the ardent Star Wars fan who wants everything in his life to be associated with the movie series. And as a wet and dry electric shaver, it gives a really close shave with its cutting-edge rotary technology.
The three shave heads flex in 8 different directions to catch 20% more hair with every pass.
Design and appearance wise the glossy SW6700/14 is based on the X-wing fighter that Poe Dameron pilots in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
I like the scratched metal finishing and red stripes.
This Poe Dameron-inspired Philips Star Wars Shaver SW6700/14 is part of a trio of Star Wars themed limited edition shavers that Philips is selling in Singapore as part of a global collaboration with the movie franchise.
The other two models are the BB-8-inspired Philips Star Wars Shaver SW5700/07 (S$149) and the Stormtrooper-inspired Philips Star Wars Shaver SW170/04 (S$109).
These shavers are only available in Singapore until 31 December, 2017 with the SW6700/14 available exclusively at Best Denki.
Adding a nice touch is the red X-wing symbol that flickers during use.
Trying out the shaver, I found the Reflex Action system on the shaver provided a speedy close shave.
As it is moved over the skin, the shaver’s eight-directional ContourDetect flex heads automatically recalibrates to the curves of my neck and face.
Throughout the shave, I didn’t feel any pulling or tugging – because of the shaver’s V-Track Precision Pro technology, which uses 72 self-sharpening V-shaped blades cutting at 151,000 times per minute.
According to Philips, this technology positions each hair in the best cutting position, even on a three-day stubble (mine was a two-day old stubble) for a shave 30% closer to the skin and in fewer strokes, cutting up to 20% more hair compared to Philips predecessor shaver models.
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Tags:healthcare, Philips, reviews, shavers, Star Wars, tech4xmas, tech4xmas2017, tech4xmas2017 reviews, The Last Jedi
Posted in Accessories, Appliances, Beauty, Gadgets, gadgets, Healthcare, Lifestyle, Opinion, Philips, Prices, Review, reviews, Shavers, Specifications | No Comments »
Sunday, November 12th, 2017
tech4xmas 2017 gift list: The Seagate Backup Plus Hub serves as an external storage hub that provides extra USB 3.0 ports for direct data transfer and device charging. An ideal X’mas gift for the geeky uncle to help him manage all the digital assets in his family.
Comes in 4TB (S$259), 6TB (S$399) and 8TB (S$499) capacities.
Editor’s note:
“I’m buying for my uncle the 8TB version as a X’mas present because he has been complaining lately that he’s running out of storage space for all the videos that he’s been capturing of his grandchildren. I think he’ll be delighted with the additional storage and ease of use.”
The Seagate Backup Plus Hub has been around for a while and it’s been an indispensible part of my desktop setup at home giving me much convenience and peace of mind.
First off, the 4-8TB provides much needed respite for storing and backing up the deluge of photos and videos that we capture with our cameras and smartphones/tablets.
The Seagate Backup Plus Hub comes in 4TB, 6TB & 8TB capacities.
You can access the Backup Plus Hub directly using Windows Explorer or via the bundled easy-to-use Seagate Dashboard software which enables you to configure and manage your backups/restores – whether it’s files from the computer, mobile devices or content on social media.
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Tags:Backup Plus, Backup Plus Hub, gifts, reviews, Seagate, storage, tech4xmas, tech4xmas2017, tech4xmas2017 reviews
Posted in Accessories, Gadgets, gadgets, Mac OS, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, Seagate, Specifications, storage drive, Windows | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 1st, 2017
It’s November and Christmas is less than two months away, this series of reviews serves up gift ideas for those planning to buy presents for your friends and loved ones – or yourself. Keep a lookout for tech4xmas giveaways to build up the yuletide cheer.
The tech4xmas 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.
With Christmas 2017 less than two months away, it’s a good time to begin planning gifts for those that are close to us.
So this series (see list below) features quick and easy-to-read reviews of some of the best tech gadgets/products that I’ve personally tried.
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Tags:accessories, Chistmas, Christmas 2017, gadgets, reviews, tech4xmas, tech4xmas 2017, Xmas
Posted in Accessories, Gadgets, gadgets, Holiday, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, Shopping, Specifications | No Comments »
Friday, July 28th, 2017
Dell launched its series of four business laptops end last year and the Vostro 14 5000 notebook has been my computer of choice for the last few months. Here’s why. (Prices start from S$1,164.)
The Dell Vostro 14 5000 is an affordable notebook that packs good performance to keep you productive, with excellent connectivity, long battery life and light weight that won’t break your back.
First off, I use the notebook in the course of work – churning out word documents, browsing the web for research, reading PDF and web articles, viewing videos and presentation slides, as well as browsing and simple editing of work and personal photos, with the occasional video production.
So I’m looking for a no-frills machine that just works – it doesn’t have to look good or offer any gimmicks – just something portable with the essential connectivity to let me set up anywhere quickly.
The Vostro 14 5000 is just that.
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Tags:Business IT, computers, DELL, laptops, notebooks, reviews, Vostro, Windows, Windows 10
Posted in Business IT, Dell, Gadgets, gadgets, Notebooks, notebooks, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, Specifications, Windows 10 | No Comments »
