Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category

Guvera launches its music streaming service in Singapore

Thursday, August 21st, 2014

Guvera has officially launched in Singapore offering users free, unlimited access to millions of tracks from local and international artists. Guvera’s app is available for both iOS and Android devices, as well as on its website via a browser.

Guvera is now officially launched in Singapore, alongside competitors Spotify and Deezer.

Guvera is now officially launched in Singapore, alongside competitors Spotify and Deezer.

Users can search and discover music on Guvera, as well as manage and share their own playlists.

It also has integrated social features that allow users to follow friends and celebrities and access their playlists.

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POTD: Cavalia the equestrian extravaganza in Singapore

Sunday, August 17th, 2014

Photo of the Day: Cavalia is an equestrian theatrical performance that leverages innovative multimedia displays and multi-disciplinary performances. It is now running in Singapore from 12 August to 14 September 2014.

* All the photos in this article (except the portrait of Alain Gaulthier) were taken with a Sony A7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with a 55-210mm E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

This pretty lady kept looking in my direction, so I took a portrait for her.

This pretty lady kept looking in my direction, so I took a portrait for her.

The production was created by Normand Latourelle, one of the co-founders of the famed Cirque du Soleil.

Hailing from Montreal in Canada, the lavish production involves 50 horses and 46 riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers and musicians from all over the world.

Since the show’s debut in 2003, some 4 million people from North America, Europe, Australia and the Middle East have watched the show.

Cast and dancers of Cavalia at the end of the show. I love how the lady's face lit up when she turned around and smiled at her fellow dancer.

Cast and dancers of Cavalia at the end of the show. I love how the lady’s face lit up when she turned around and smiled at her fellow dancer.

There has been more than 2,400 performances over the course of ten years. The 50 horses in Cavalia comprises 11 different breeds.

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New arrivals: Pre-order Xbox One in Singapore from S$639

Thursday, August 14th, 2014

You can now pre-order Xbox One together with EA SPORTS FIFA 15.

The Xbox One will debut in Singapore on 23 September 2014.

The Xbox One will debut in Singapore on 23 September 2014.

During E3, it was announced that the Xbox One will be coming to Singapore on 23 September 2014.

The latest is that consumers will now have the option to pre-order one of two official Xbox One bundles, offering value with EA SPORTS™ FIFA 15 included for a limited time at no extra cost.

EA SPORTS™ FIFA 15 on Xbox One promises to bring football to life in stunning detail so fans can experience the emotion of the sport like never before.

Xbox One Launch Console Bundle (S$639)

Every Xbox One system will include the Xbox One console, which features a 500GB hard drive, Blu-ray player and built-in Wi-Fi, one Xbox One Wireless Controller, a chat headset, a HDMI cable, a free 14-day trial of Xbox Live Gold for new members and a digital copy of EA SPORTS™ FIFA 15 – for S$639 while stocks last.

Xbox One Launch Kinect Bundle (S$739)

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Fuji Xerox presents Cavalia in Singapore from 12 Aug – 14 Sep

Tuesday, August 12th, 2014

Cavalia is an equestrian theatrical extravaganza that leverages innovative multimedia displays and multi-disciplinary performances.

The production was created by Normand Latourelle, one of the co-founders of the famed Cirque du Soleil.

Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Cavalia Inc. is an entertainment company that specializes in the creation, production and touring of innovative shows for audiences of all ages.

Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Cavalia Inc. is an entertainment company that specializes in the creation, production and touring of innovative shows for audiences of all ages.

A huge White Theatre Tent has been set up at Bayfront Avenue, beside the Sands Expo and Convention Centre (see map below), to stage the performance, and to house the stable for the horses when they are off-duty.

“Fuji Xerox is proud to be the presenting sponsor of Cavalia as the show is built on a passion for perfection and originality that resonate with Fuji Xerox’s core belief in continuous innovations for the benefits of our customers,” said Masashi Honda, president and chief executive officer of Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific.

Fuji-Xerox is the presenting sponsor for Cavalia.

Fuji Xerox has selected to sponsor Cavalia as the show leverages cutting-edge technology to uniquely weave real-life demonstration of horsemanship with virtual imagery built upon state-of-the-art multimedia to give the audience a breathtaking hybrid experience.

It echoes Fuji Xerox’s continuous innovation in its technologies to create values for its customers while maintaining harmony with the environment

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Friday night out at the Alive Museum Singapore at Suntec

Sunday, August 10th, 2014

Last Friday, I brought the two kids to the Alive Museum Singapore at the Suntec City Mall.

* All photos (apart from the first photo) were taken with the Sony A7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with Sonnar T* FE 35mm F2.8 ZA Full-frame E-mount Prime Lens.

Fun Friday night out at Alive Museum Singapore.

Fun Friday night out at Alive Museum Singapore. Photo taken with Samsung GALAXY S5.

Although the estimated time needed to cover every exhibit was around one-and-a-half hours, we lingered for two-and-a-half and ended up with 250 photos.

More importantly, we had oodles of fun and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

“Can I join the ballerinas in the painting?”

The Alive Museum was opened in 2009 in South Korea and debuted in Singapore on 12 June this year.

Taken from the right perspective, this exhibit gives the illusion that sea water and penguins were flooding out of the painting.

Taken from the right perspective, this exhibit gives the illusion that sea water and penguins were flooding out of the painting.

The 3D visual illusion museum aims to serve as a fun and unique treat for the whole family, locals and tourists alike.

It offers a sensory experience that tricks one’s visual, physical and environmental perceptions, bringing fantasy to reality.

Not only can you touch and feel the exhibits, you can also hop into the frame and become a part of the art masterpieces that play on optical illusions.

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Review: LG 79UB980T ULTRA HD (4K) TV with intuitive webOS UI

Thursday, July 31st, 2014

LG goes back to basics with new webOS user interface, marrying intuitive ease-of-use with good image quality. The LG 79UB980T has an RRP of S$14,999.

The LG 79UB980T uses a 3840 x 2160 resolution In-Plane Switching (IPS) 4K panel that reproduce vivid and accurate colors. Its wide viewing angle offers a good viewing from nearly any vantage point.

The LG 79UB980T uses a 3840 x 2160 resolution In-Plane Switching (IPS) 4K panel that reproduce vivid and accurate colors. Its wide viewing angle offers a good viewing from nearly any vantage point.

First launched in Singapore back in end May as part of LG’s 2014 ULTRA HD (4K) TV lineup, the 79UB980T offers stunning display and easy connectivity, yet keeps it simple for users to watch the content that they desire – be it live TV, Blu-ray movies, 4K or upscaled 4K content, YouTube videos, and game consoles.

You can Skype using the 8-megapixel built-in camera.

The LG 79UB980T user interface uses the webOS platform that the Korean company bought from HP in March last year.

The webOS platform simplifies the TV experience, making it easy to search, navigate and view content, connect with other devices, and also makes the the initial setup process smoother for users unfamiliar with their new TV.

The first time the user turns on the webOS-enabled LG Smart+ TV, an animated character named BeanBird appears onscreen to help users get connected and walk them through the setup process.

The first time the user turns on the webOS-enabled LG Smart+ TV, an animated character named BeanBird appears onscreen to help users get connected and walk them through the setup process.

You control and interact with the UI using the LG Magic Remote, which enables you to scroll, point, click, or activate voice control.

webOS introduces the new content Launcher is a left-to-right scrollable menu that runs along the lower portion of the screen.

Making smart simple

TVs nowadays are getting more and more sophisticated and are no longer the single-function appliances used to watch live TV and pre-recorded movies from VHS/CD/VCD/DVD/Blu-ray media.

The Internet and broadband connectivity has brought a wealth of content sources to the modern digital life – including videos shared on YouTube and social media, as well as movie websites.

The contemporary consumer also wants to use their TVs with games consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation, and even Skype and surf the Web from the comfort of the living room.

The latest lineup of TVs from the most manufacturers offer these, but usually involve a steep learning curve to wrap the head around user interfaces that tend to get overly complicated as there are so many content sources and options available.

It is therefore refreshing to see LG’s new webOS-based UI, which makes it simple and intuitive for the user to get the content they want on screen – conveniently and speedily.

Seems like LG has succeeded in making smart simple for the user, unlocking the wealth of content available without making it too complicated.

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Contest: Deezer Premium+ subscriptions for GrabTaxi & MyTeksi

Tuesday, July 1st, 2014

From 1 to 31 July 2014, GrabTaxi and MyTeksi users stand to win 2-month Deezer Premium+ subscriptions which allow users to enjoy unlimited access to 30 million tracks online and offline, while on the road.

Ride on GrabTaxi or MyTeksi in July to win a 2-month Deezer Premium + subscription.

Ride on GrabTaxi or MyTeksi in July to win a 2-month Deezer Premium + subscription.

Global music streaming service Deezer today announced the contest with GrabTaxi, the largest Southeast Asian taxi-booking mobile app, to provide GrabTaxi users who win with access to unlimited music through its Premium+ subscriptions.

Below are more details from the press release.

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Movie review – “X-Men: Days of Future Past” Premiere in Singapore

Wednesday, May 14th, 2014

More than 4,000 fans from around Asia showed up at Shaw House in Orchard Road to catch Hugh Jackman, Fan Bingbing and Peter Dinklage walk down the blue carpet for the South East Asian Premiere of the latest installment of the X-Men movie franchise.

Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) takes a selfie with a throng of fans behind him. Photo credit: Twentieth Century Fox.

Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) takes a selfie with a throng of fans behind him. Photo credit: Twentieth Century Fox.

The show was an engrossing watch from start to finish, and was candy galore for X-Men fans to oggle at the huge range of mutants past and present, although, some only appeared for a short glimpse.

Fan Bingbing (Blink) taking a selfie with her fans. Photo credit: Twentieth Century Fox.

Fan Bingbing (Blink) taking a selfie with her fans. Photo credit: Twentieth Century Fox.

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TCL sponsors Premiere of “X-Men: Days of Future Past”

Tuesday, May 13th, 2014

TCL is sponsoring the Premiere of latest installment of the X-Men series of movies as the Chinese company makes global entertainment marketing key to its corporate strategy.

    TCL has previously sponsored films such as "Transformers 3", "The Avengers", "The Dark Knight Rises", "Cloud Atlas" and "Iron Man 3" and in 2013 bought the naming rights to the landmark Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

TCL has previously sponsored films such as “Transformers 3”, “The Avengers”, “The Dark Knight Rises”, “Cloud Atlas” and “Iron Man 3”.  In 2013 bought the naming rights to the landmark Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

TCL is one of the leading players in the global TV industry and is partnering with Twentieth Century Fox as the Presenting Sponsor of all of the Premieres of “X-Men: Days of Future Past” around the world.

This marks another major step in TCL’s transformation from being a traditional electronics manufacturer to a global multimedia entertainment technology enterprise.

By sponsoring what promises to be the biggest movie of the year, TCL is positioning itself as a global leader in entertainment marketing.

TCL had a strong red carpet presence at the world premiere in New York on May 10, and will maintain that presence through global events in Beijing, Sao Paulo, Moscow, London, Paris, Melbourne and Singapore.

Global Premiere of

Global Premiere of “X-Men: Days of Future Past” in New York. Photo from TCL TV Facebook Page.

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New arrivals: Huawei Honor 3X, Media Pad X1, Miao Wang & MediaQ

Friday, May 2nd, 2014

Huawei has unveiled a slew of mobile devices, launching premium handset range Honor 3X, world’s slimmest 7-inch tablet MediaPad X1, Mobile WiFi Miao Wang and home entertainment device MediaQ.

Prices and availability below.

The home entertainment device MediaQ is one of four devices Huawei launched in Singapore.

The home entertainment device MediaQ is one of four devices Huawei launched in Singapore.

All the new devices are available in Singapore now, except for the 4G version of the MediaPad X1, which will be available in June 2014.

Huawei Price Device
Honor 3X S$468 Smartphone
MediaPad X1 S$498 (3G) Tablet
S$598 (4G)
Miao Wang (E5730) S$168 Mobile WiFi
MediaQ S$178 Media Player

For more details, the press release is appended below.

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