Archive for the ‘Review’ Category

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Valentine’s Day gift idea: Artisan&Artist camera bags

Sunday, January 29th, 2012

Looking for a camera bag for a photographer friend? Check out Artisan&Artist at Ngee Ann City in Singapore.

WCAM-3000N camera bag (S$250) and ACAM-104 camera strap (S$75) from Artisan&Artist.

WCAM-3000N camera bag (S$250) and ACAM-104 camera strap (S$75) from Artisan&Artist.

Artisan&Artist is a Japanese lifestyle brand established in 1991, offering stylish camera bags for professional photographers.

COV-7000 camera bag (S$540) from Artisan&Artist.

COV-7000 camera bag (S$540) from Artisan&Artist.

The handmade bags are produced in either Italian leather or lightweight Canvas N.10.

The bags contain pocket compartments for the camera and accessories, but has a “discreet” design that looks different from typical camera bags.

A brochure of their products can be found below.

Check out these camera bags and accessories from Artisan&Artist at the Schmidt Marketing Flagship Store (S) Pte Ltd (391 Orchard Road, Ngee Ann City Tower A, #05-33)

They are also available from the following retailers:

  • Aik Seng Photo (304 Orchard Road,#01-29, Lucky Plaza)
  • K 13 Marketing (111, North Bridge Road, #02-16, Peninsula Plaza)
  • Max Photo (176, Orchard Road, Centrepoint, #03-10)
  • Allan Photo (1 Rochor Canal Road #01-38, Sim Lim Square)
  • Cathay Photo (111 North Bridge Road, #01-05/ #01-07 to 08/ #01-11 to 14 Peninsula Plaza)
  • De Camera ( 511 Guillemard Road, #01-46, Grandlink Square)
  • Gope Foto (19 Tanglin Road, Tanglin Shopping Centre, #03-10/20/21)
  • Orient Photo (1 Rochor Canal Road, #06-53/31, Sim Lim Square)

 

Artisan&Artist Brochure below:

(more…)

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Posted in Accessories, Brochures, Lifestyle, Photography, Prices, Travel | No Comments »

Technical specifications: Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Here are the main tech specs for the new S$698 (incl GST) Micro Four Thirds lens from Olympus.

12-50mm, 4.2x zoom, 3-speed motorised zoom mechanism, MSC mechanism for foast, quiet AF, stop focus and macro magnification at 0.72x (35mm equiv), dust/splash proof.

12-50mm, 4.2x zoom, 3-speed motorised zoom mechanism, MSC mechanism for foast, quiet AF, stop focus and macro magnification at 0.72x (35mm equiv), dust/splash proof.

The main technical specifications are tabulated at the end of this article.

Focal range from 12-50mm (35mm equiv: 24-100mm)

To enable a wide 84-degree angle of view to be captured at 24mm wide-angle, this zoom lens uses a Dual Super Aspherical (DSA) element that requires high-precision manufacturing because of the extremely large ratio between the thickness of the lens center and periphery; as well as double-sided aspherical elements located at an intermediate position between the lenses to correct spherical and chromatic aberrations that can accompany changes in the zoom ratio.

Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ Micro Four Thirds lens

Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ Micro Four Thirds lens

In addition, an HR (High Refractive index) element and ED (Extra-low Dispersion) element are combined for optimum correction of color aberrations.

Extensive use of special glass materials in the 9-group, 10-element lens construction of the zoom lens ensures high imaging performance throughout the zooming range.

In addition, all lens surfaces are multi-coated to ensure high transmittance and clear imaging performance even under unfavourable conditions such as shooting against light.

The use of an inner zooming system means that there is no variation in overall lens length during zooming, ensuring that stability can be maintained during handheld shooting.

(more…)

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Posted in Cameras, Gadgets, Lens, Olympus, Photography, Prices, Specifications | 1 Comment »

New Micro Four Thirds lens: Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

This new lens is a Micro Four Thirds System standard-compliant zoom lens featuring a motorised zoom mechanism with zoom ratio of 4.2X starting from a wide angle of 24mm to 100mm (35mm camera equivalent).

Now available at Olympus authorised retailers for S$698 (incl GST).

Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ Micro Four Thirds lens

Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f3.5-6.3 EZ Micro Four Thirds lens

This is a versatile zoom lens usable in the toughest conditions and capable of everything from close-up wide angle shooting to medium range telephoto shooting of both still images and movies.

Main features of the new lens are:

  1. 4.2X (approx.) zoom starting from a wide angle of 24mm to 100mm (35mm camera equivalent).
  2. Motorised zoom mechanism for stable zooming at a constant rate (3 selectable speeds).
  3. MSC mechanism enhanced by linear motor drive for faster, quieter AF control.
  4. Convenient features including macro mode for close-up shooting at 0.72X magnification (35mm camera equivalent) and the L-Fn (Lens Function) button with focus stop function.
  5. Dust/splash-proof mechanism.

The zoom lens has a zoom ratio of approximately 4.2X, covering a range that extends from a wide angle of 24mm (35mm camera equivalent) – ideal for taking wide shots even indoors – to a medium telephoto focal length of 100mm (35mm camera equivalent), which is optimal for portraits.

Motorised zoom mechanism with zoom ratio of 4.2X from 24-100mm (35mm camera equiv).

Motorised zoom mechanism with zoom ratio of 4.2X from 24-100mm (35mm camera equiv).

It is the first Olympus interchangeable lens to incorporate a motorised zoom mechanism, which is especially useful in movie shooting, thanks to the smooth, quiet zooming.

The AF system is based on the MSC (Movie & Still Compatible) mechanism enhanced by a newly developed linear motor drive that enables faster, quieter focusing.

To assure the best possible image quality, this sophisticated lens comprises 9 lens groups with 10 elements, including three aspherical elements.

Special glass materials are used extensively to correct various aberrations and all lens surfaces are multi-coated to ensure high transmittance and clear imaging performance.

The lens also features a macro mode for close-up shooting with a closest focusing distance of 0.2 meters and maximum image magnification of 0.72X (35mm camera equivalent).

In addition, an L-Fn (Lens Function) button is also provided to allow the user to stop autofocusing temporarily.

This new lens employs the dust-/splash-proof mechanism originally featured in the ZUIKO DIGITAL SHG (Super High Grade) series lenses.

Here are the main tech specs for the new lens.

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Posted in Cameras, DSLR, Gadgets, Launch, Lens, Olympus, Photography, Prices, Specifications | 1 Comment »

New online music service: rara.com

Saturday, January 21st, 2012

rara.com has just been launched for Singapore, Australia and Canada. It is an ad-free streaming music service that provides access to more than 10 million tracks at an introductory pricing of S$0.99 per month.

rara.com has been launched for Singapore, Australia and Canada.

rara.com has been launched for Singapore, Australia and Canada.

rara.com is currently live in 20 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas.

The service was launched a month ago across the USA, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Denmark,Finland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and New Zealand.

rara.comrara.com’s global footprint is expected to double by the end of 2012.

Grammy award winning Imogen Heap has been named the first Associate Editor of rara.com, which has secured licensing from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music, Warner Music Group.

“Even if fans want to pay for the artists’ work legally it is often actually very difficult for various reasons. rara.com is a super easy service for everyone to use and I love the information on tracks and artists that rara.com gives you,” said Imogen Heap, Associate Editor on rara.com’s Music Advisory Board.Publishers and collection societies have also licensed the service internationally with Omnifone, whose MusicStation Platform powers rara.com.

HP will pre-load rara.com on HP PCs in Singapore, Australia and Canada.

The service is also available via an app on most Android mobile devices.

The new service was developed following an ICM Research (involving 1,000 adults) commissioned by rara.com which showed that at least 70% of consumers have not bought a digital music track in the past six months; and that 60% had never experienced any form of digital music.

rara.com hopes to attract this group of music consumers who have yet to convert to digital music, rather than wrestle away tech savvy music consumers already using existing online music stores such as Apple’s iTunes and Amazon’s Cloud Player.

rara.com is also available on Android devices via an App.

rara.com is also available on Android devices via an App.

A simple and beautiful user interface on a standard web browser removes the need to navigate or manage lists of digital media files.

rara.com also features a wide selection of curated music channels to suit the listerner’s mood.

Available at the touch of a button, the service makes playing music online as easy as switching on the radio or CDplayer.

rara.com users can also share music through Facebook and other social networks.

Pricing for rara.com

There are two tiers for the monthly pricing – one for basic online access and the other with added mobile access for Android smartphones.

For Singapore, Australia and Canada, there is an introductory pricing for the first three months of subscription.

Users are free to unsubscribe from the service at any time.

Refer to the table below for the details.

(more…)

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Posted in App, Audio, Cloud, Figures, Launch, Music, Prices | 4 Comments »

Review: Wacom Bamboo Fun graphics tablet

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Looking to improve efficiency in your photo-editing workflow? Or want to inject some fun and realism into your digital sketching? Check out the Wacom Bamboo series of graphics tablets.

Wacom Bamboo Fun graphics tablet

Wacom Bamboo Fun graphics tablet

I’ve been trying out the Wacom Bamboo Fun graphics tablet for some time, using it with a whole spectrum of software during daily use, from photo-editing to digital sketching and painting, and as a replacement for the trusty old mouse – for navigating and interacting with Windows 7.

I came away pretty impressed with the S$329 (incl 7% GST) graphics tablet. It offers a good balance of price versus performance – and fun. If you’re into lots of digital sketching and painting, do check out the Bamboo Fun.

Bamboo Fun is compatible with both Windows (7, Vista, XP SP3 or later) and Macs (OS X 10.5.8 or later, Intel processor).

The graphics tablet measures 352 x 209 x 9.8mm with a relatively large active area of 217 x 137 mm.

Digital artwork

Something I wrote using the pen with Bamboo Fun in Painter Essentials.

Something I wrote using the pen with Bamboo Fun in Painter Essentials.

When it comes to precise cursor-work, such as during digital drawing, sketching, tracing, colouring and painting – where fine precision is needed – the stylus pen is the undisputed tool-of choice.

The Bamboo Fun comes bundled with Corel Essentials 4 drawing/painting software.

The pen allowed detailed strokes impossible with the mouse.

Moreover, the pen is pressure-sensitive up to 1024 levels so you can use pressure to vary parameters such as the darkness of the drawing stroke, the amount of paint to apply, or the thickness of the stroke etc.

The pen comes with a pressure sensitive eraser as well, just like a real pencil!

It's the dragon year, so here's the Chinese character for dragon, with embellishments.

It's the dragon year, so here's the Chinese character for dragon, with embellishments.

The only hassle I find is having to pick up and put down the pen when I need to use my right hand to type or press a key on the computer keyboard.

With the mouse, you just let go and it stays in place, ready to be moved the next time you need to do something.

With the pen, you need to place down the pen flat on the table and make sure it doesn’t roll off the table if your worktop is not flat.

And when you next need to use it again, you need to pick up the pen, and place the tip to the graphics tablet before you begin. With the mouse, once you touch the mouse, you can start moving the cursor.

This is a niggling hassle characteristic of all stylus pen-based graphics tablets.

I find the performance of the pen much better than those of graphics tablets I’ve used before – in terms of precision, pressure sensitivity and lag between moving the pen and the appearance of the stroke on the computer screen.

Replacement for the mouse

As a replacement for the mouse, it was equally capable and more intuitive, and less strenuous for the wrist.

(more…)

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Posted in Accessories, Gadgets, Graphics tablets, Mac OS, Prices, Review, Software, Specifications, Wacom, Windows 7 | 5 Comments »

New compact camera: Nikon COOLPIX S2600

Friday, January 20th, 2012

The 14-megapixel compact digital camera from Nikon goes on sale today at S$179.

Nikon COOLPIX S2600 goes on sale today at S$179.

Nikon COOLPIX S2600 goes on sale today at S$179.

First announced last week, the ultra-slim 19.5mm COOLPIX S2600 is the latest addition to the COOLPIX two thousand series.

The 5x NIKKOR lens goes from 26 mm wide-angle coverage (35 mm format equivalent) to 130mm.

Nikon COOLPIX S2600 (Red)Nikon COOLPIX S2600 (Silver)Nikon COOLPIX S2600 (Blue)Nikon COOLPIX S2600 (Black)
In addition to pink, the camera comes in black, silver, blue and red.

The Nikon EXPEED C2 image processing engine reduces image processing time, while specialised functions include electronic VR image stabilisation, upgraded auto noise reduction and scene auto selector.

Nikon COOLPIX S2600 (Decorative Black) Nikon COOLPIX S2600 (Decorative Purple) Decorative Black, Decorative Purple has been added to the original basic colours.

The Lithium-ion rechargeable battery is light and compact, and is more eco-friendly than alkaline batteries and more energy efficient than Ni-MH batteries.

The camera comes in plain black, silver, pink, red and blue. Two new “Decorative Purple” and “Decorative Black” colours with floral patterns have also been added.

Main tech specs are listed below:

(more…)

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Posted in Cameras, Compact camera, Gadgets, Launch, Nikon, Photography, Prices, Specifications | 1 Comment »

New Bluetooth Headset: Bose Series 2

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

Bose has introduced the Bluetooth Headset Series 2. It is available in Singapore for S$249.

Bose Bluetooth Headset Series 2 (S$249)

Bose Bluetooth Headset Series 2 (S$249)

The Bose Bluetooth headset Series 2 assures conversations remain clear and natural – even in challenging environments, or when surrounding noise levels change suddenly.

The headset integrates Bose full-­range audio and A2DP, and comes in either right or left-ear versions.

The Bose Bluetooth headset Series 2 includes a proprietary dual microphone system to improve speech intelligibility beyond that of conventional Bluetooth headsets, rejecting background noise and tremendously reducing the audible effects of wind.

Bose proprietary signal processing further counteracts the unwanted sounds of a wide variety of places – gusty walkways, commuter rail platforms or airports.

To keep incoming voices clear, Bose TriPort acoustic structure and Bose Adaptive Audio Adjustment technology react automatically as noise levels change so that there’s no need to adjust volume settings or strain to hear a conversation.

The new internal antenna substantially reduces acoustic artifacts – the “pops,” “clicks” and “buzzes” familiar to Bluetooth headset owners – and minimises reception difficulty between the headset and a phone being carried in a pocket.

Compatibility

The Bose Bluetooth headset Series 2 is compatible with devices using the Bluetooth 2.1 (or earlier) specifications that support the Bluetooth hands-­free or A2DP profiles.

For consumers who want to maintain an active connection between their headset and two Bluetooth enabled devices, it includes multi-point functionality.

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Posted in Accessories, Audio, Bose, Gadgets, Launch, Music, Phones, Prices, Specifications, Tablets | 1 Comment »

Toshiba January cum Lunar New Year promotions

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Looking for a new notebook computer? Check out Toshiba’s Chinese New Year promotions.

Click to access this PDF brochure and zoom in to 150% to read the fine print.

Click to access and download this PDF brochure and then zoom in to 150% to read the fine print.

Brochures are listed here only for those interested. Click on the pictures to access the PDF versions of the brochures. You may have to download the PDFs to zoom in to between 150-300% to read the small print on those brochures.

Click to access this PDF brochure and zoom in to 300% to read the fine print.

Click to access and download this PDF brochure and then zoom in to 300% to read the fine print.

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Posted in Brochures, Gadgets, Notebooks, Prices, Promotions, Specifications, Toshiba | No Comments »

BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 upgrade in Feb 2012

Monday, January 16th, 2012

An advanced messaging experience; innovative people-centric calendar and contact apps; and improved office productivity tools are some of the features in the PlayBook OS 2.0 upgrade.

An advanced messaging experience with a powerful unified inbox.

An advanced messaging experience with a powerful unified inbox.

Announced during CES 2012, and expected to be available in February 2012, the free upgrade will enable customers to be even more connected and productive with heaps of new features.

People-centric calendar and contact apps integrated with social networks.

People-centric calendar and contact apps integrated with social networks.

For an advanced messaging experience, a powerful unified inbox integrates with built-in messaging and social networking sites (Twitter, LinkedIn etc), as well as ‘tabbed email’ for managing multiple accounts.

You can also compose and edit messages in rich text and manage you inbox with useful new tools (for setting out-of-office alerts, signatures etc).

There are innovative people-centric calendar and contact apps that connects and feeds from your social network to make organising your day and getting in touch with people easy and fast.

Enhnaced office productivity tools such as Word To Go & Print To Go.

Enhnaced office productivity tools such as Word To Go & Print To Go.

Remote control your PlayBook using your BlackBerry smartphone, especially if your PlayBook is connected to a TV via the HDMI output – perfect for watching movies or typing out notes.

Revamped and improved productivity tools with new Documents To Go, and Print To Go application for wireless printing and enhanced browsing, plus much more.

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Posted in Announce, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Gadgets, Operating Systems, PlayBook, RIM, Software, Specifications, Tablets | No Comments »

Huawei unveils world’s slimmest smartphone

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

The Huawei Ascend P1 S is the slimmest smartphone in the world in the 4.3” smartphone class, measuring just 6.68mm at its slimmest point; while the Huawei Ascend P1 measures at 7.69mm thin.

The Huawei Ascend P1 and Huawei Ascend P1 S was announced during CES 2012.

The Huawei Ascend P1 and Huawei Ascend P1 S was announced during CES 2012.

Huawei announced the Huawei Ascend P1 and Huawei Ascend P1 S at CES 2012.

With the Ascend series of smartphones, Huawei promises fast multi-tasking, video replay and gaming experience for consumers

Ascend P1 S, the world's slimmest smartphone from Huawei, measuring just 6.68mm at the slimmest.

Ascend P1 S, the world's slimmest smartphone from Huawei, measuring just 6.68mm at the slimmest.

The smartphones in the series will boast SUPER AMOLED screen with Corning Gorilla Glass and will ship with Android 4.0 upon availability.

They will be powered with a dual core 1.5GHz Texas Instrument OMAP 4460 Cortext-A9 processor, 1GB RAM and 4GB ROM.

Both will be equipped with an 8-megapixel  BSI rear-facing and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, with the ability to capture 1080p HD videos.

The camera comes with dual flash LED and HDR effect optimization.

The Huaweil Ascend P1 and Ascend P1 S have the same tech specs except for the thickness and battery rating.

The Huawei Ascend P1 has a 1670mAh battery while the Huawei Ascend P1 S features a whopping 1800mAh battery.

Both smartphones utilise a PPVD back cover coating that evenly distributes heat, and sport a strong metallic, three-dimensional design with a delicate texture.

Huawei Ascend series: three colours to choose from.

Huawei Ascend series: three colours to choose from.

The Ascend P1/P1 S is available in metallic black, ceramic white and cherry-blossom pink with more colors to come.

The Huawei Ascend P1/P1 S will be available in Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, Australia, Middle East, and China from April 2012.

Here are the tech specs for the two phones.

(more…)

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Posted in Android, Announce, Exhibition, Gadgets, Huawei, Phones, Specifications | 1 Comment »

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