Archive for the ‘Review’ Category

New arrival: Canon compact cameras in PowerShot & IXUS series

Thursday, January 5th, 2017

Canon has announced four new compact cameras: PowerShot G9 X Mark II, PowerShot SX430 IS, IXUS 190, and IXUS 185. All prices and availability yet to be announced.

New compact cameras from Canon. Clockwise from top left: PowerShot G9 X Mark II, IXUS 185 (red/black), PowerShot SX430 IS, and IXUS 190 (black/blue).

New compact cameras from Canon. Clockwise from top left: PowerShot G9 X Mark II, IXUS 185 (red/black), PowerShot SX430 IS, and IXUS 190 (black/blue).

Featuring the latest DIGIC 7 image processor used in the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II and EOS M5 models, the PowerShot G9 X Mark II produces high quality images and new levels of performance for accurate detection and precision tracking of subjects.

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New arrival: Samsung Galaxy A5 & A7 Android smartphones

Wednesday, January 4th, 2017

Samsung kick-starts the new year and unveils the first of its #Galaxy offerings for 2017 – the new Galaxy A series (from 21 Jan) mid-tier smartphones: 5.2-inch A5 (S$548) and 5.7-inch A7 (S$648).

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

The Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) will be available in three stylish colours – Black Sky, Gold Sand and Peach Cloud. The Galaxy A (2017) Neon Flip Cover is available in Black, Gold, Pink and Blue at $78.

Also released today is the Black Pearl version of the Galaxy S7 edge (S$1,198) from 7 Jan.

Samsung Galaxy A3 has been excluded from the series in Singapore, probably because it’s too close to the S$398 Galaxy J7 Prime – the top end of Samsung’s entry-level series of smartphones that’s available in Singapore.

The new Samsung Galaxy A series smartphones were launched in Singapore at Cocotte, the farm-to-table French Kitchen in Little India.

The new Samsung Galaxy A series smartphones were launched in Singapore at Cocotte, the farm-to-table French Kitchen in Little India.

For the first time on the Galaxy A series, the smartphones are equipped with IP68-certified water and dust resistant capabilities, allowing it to withstand elements including rain, sweat, sand and dust.

It also enables users to enjoy versatility in its use – with a longer battery life and Fast Charging capabilities, the smartphones are ideal for active mobile lifestyles.

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Review: SuperCharged Huawei Mate 9 Android flagship phablet

Friday, December 30th, 2016

The Mate 9 is Huawei’s flagship phablet boasting the fabulous camera from P9 that was co-developed with Leica and now improved, a fast Kirin 960 processor and Android 7.0 Nougat with EMUI 5.0 user interface. Price in Singapore: S$898.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

My take: The Huawei Mate 9 is another winner from Huawei. The Android 7 flagship phablet works swiftly as a smartphone and has a fabulous camera that churns out wonderfully toned black and white snapshots. Fantastic for monochrome shooters that want Leica-like photos without any post-editing.

The 5.9-inch smartphone has dual SIM slots capable of supporting 4G and 3G networks.

The Huawei Mate 9 ships with 4GB RAM and 64GB memory, and you can use the secondary SIM card slot to add up to 256GB from a microSD card.

Have been trying out the Huawei Mate 9 since its launch & availability in Singapore last month. Was curious to see whether the camera performance of the Mate 9 had improved over the P9, which had impressed me when I tried it (see the P9 photos here).

With the demise of Samsung’s Galaxy Note7, the Huawei Mate 9 is a strong candidate to take up the mettle left by the Korean flagship phablet.

The phone sports a Type-C USB socket – an adaptor to convert into a regular mini-USB is included in the box – and has a 4000mAh battery that can be SuperCharged for a day’s usage within 20 minutes.

I brought along the Mate 9 when I went on vacation in Taiwan to put it through the grind of daily usage, and to take some photos with its fabulous camera (see the Mate 9 photos here).

The highlights

  • Android 7 Nougat.
  • EMUI 5.0 user interface.
  • Latest Kirin 960 CPU for faster performance.
  • SuperCharge technology (full day’s charge in 20min).
  • 2nd gen Leica dual-lens camera with 12MP RGB sensor, and now with 20MP monochrome sensor and Hybrid Zoom, enabling 2x digital zoom.

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Event: Anime Festival Asia Singapore 2016 (AFASG2016)

Friday, November 25th, 2016

Held this year from 25 to 27 November, the region’s largest and most followed Japanese popular culture and anime festival boasts more than 130 exhibitors, a line-up of popular artistes, and an exciting programme. Prices below.

* This story first appeared in The Travel Memoir.

The exhibition halls were packed today! Personally, I’m looking forward to buying some merchandise from my favourite anime, and watching my favourite seiyuu (voice actors) on the day stage. Photo credit: Anime Festival Asia Singapore 2016.

The exhibition halls were packed today! Personally, I’m looking forward to buying some merchandise from my favourite anime, and watching my favourite seiyuu (voice actors) on the day stage. Photo credit: Anime Festival Asia Singapore 2016.

The annual Anime Festival Asia (AFASG2016) kicked off its three-day experiential showcase today in Singapore.

Attendees and aspiring cosplay enthusiasts can also look forward to meeting celebrity cosplayers from the region this year.

Some new highlights include the inaugural ANiBEATS, a 1-night only after party on 27 November, featuring DJs who blend EDM (electronic dance music) with anisongs (anime songs).

You can find immersive experiences at various experience zones, including a Sword Art Online centric exhibition booth that showcases artwork and animation cuts of all seasons of this beloved series.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

Erin Tan checked out AFASG2016 at Suntec City. Fortunately she went early – it got super crowded very quickly after this.

Original merchandise direct from Japan, including merchandise exclusive to the festival, will be available for shoppers.

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New arrival: Canon PIXMA/imageCLASS printers & wireless presenters

Friday, November 11th, 2016

Canon has launched today a whole slew of personal/business/photo printers, as well as a new line of wireless presenters. Prices & availability below.

The range of new Canon products include new imageCLASS laserjets (left), wireless presenters (center) and PIXMA printers. Not shown to scale.

The range of new Canon products include new imageCLASS laserjets (left), wireless presenters (center) and PIXMA printers. Not shown to scale.

The products that Canon launched today include the following. Most are available now or later this month.

  • Canon PIXMA TS8070 (S$299) and TS5070 (S$199) Photo Printers.
  • Canon imageCLASS MFP (S$229-379).
  • Canon PIXMA E410 (S$89) and E470 (S$119).
  • Canon PIXMA Ink Efficient G4000 (S$389).
  • Canon PR100 (S$99) and Canon PR1000 (S$59) Wireless Presenters.

Below are quick descriptions of each of these.

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New arrival: ESET Version 10 home internet security software

Thursday, November 10th, 2016

The new security solutions for Windows devices include new features to guard against threats like webcam hacking and data theft. Subscription prices for the various configurations below.

The new line of security solutions for home Windows computers.

The new line of security solutions for home Windows computers.

ESET has launched version 10 of its line of security solutions for home users using Windows computers.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

Version 10 of the ESET security solutions were launched in Singapore at The Westin.

The solutions are available online now for download and annual subscription prices for 1 computer are listed below.

  • ESET NOD32 Antivirus: US$20
  • ESET Internet Security: US$30
  • ESET Smart Security Premium: US$50
  • ESET Multi-Device Security
    • for 3 devices: US$50
    • for 5 devices: US$70

More details from the press release below.

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New arrival: Avengers-themed Windows 10 notebooks/tablets

Wednesday, November 9th, 2016

Hong Kong-based E-Huge Technology launches three new Avengers-themed Windows 10 notebooks/2-in-one devices in Singapore. Prices & availability below.

The new laptops are targeted at fans of Marvel Avengers.

The new laptops are targeted at fans of Marvel Avengers.

All three devices will be available from 10 December, and include 4GB DDR3 RAM and Atom x5 Z8300 CPU.

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The notebooks were launched in Hungry Heroes cafe in Singapore.

Decorated with the Avengers logo and the signature design motifs of Captain America and Iron Man, these Windows 10 devices come in three distinct form factors.

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New arrival: WD Blue & WD Green Solid State Drives (SSD)

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016

Both WD Blue SSDs and WD Green SSDs are available now in Singapore and are distributed by Eternal Asia Singapore in Singapore. Prices start from SGD79.90 onwards.

Both WD Blue SSDs and WD Green SSDs are protected by a 3-year limited warranty and come with one year complimentary data recovery service from Kroll Ontrack.

Both WD Blue SSDs and WD Green SSDs are protected by a 3-year limited warranty and come with one year complimentary data recovery service from Kroll Ontrack.

The new WD Blue and WD Green solid state drives are Western Digital’s first WD-branded SATA client SSDs.

The new SSDs complement the company’s family of hard drives for PCs and workstations, providing a full portfolio of WD storage devices for a wide range of applications.

More details from the press release below.

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New arrival: Samsung Gear S3, Galaxy A9 Pro (2016), 4 x Level mobile audio products

Tuesday, November 1st, 2016

Samsung Electronics Singapore today launched a slew of mobile products: the new Gear S3 flagship smartwatch, Galaxy A9 Pro (2016) phablet, and 4 new mobile audio products in the Level series: Level Active, Level Box Pro, Level In ANC, Level U Pro ANC. Prices below.

From left: Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch, Galaxy A9 Pro (2016) phablet, and Level U Pro ANC wireless earphones.

From left: Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch, Galaxy A9 Pro (2016) phablet, and Level U Pro ANC wireless earphones.

The new Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch offers Military-grade Protection, IP68 water and dust resistance, mobile payments, and built-in speaker and GPS.

The Gear S3 comes in two designs: the rugged Gear S3 frontier and the elegant Gear S3 classic – both are priced at S$548 and will be available in Singapore in Q4, 2016.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

The new Gear S3 smartwatch from Samsung, being launched in Singapore at Elements & Co. I like the red strap.

The Galaxy A9 Pro (2016) phablet sports a 6-inch SUPER AMOLED screen and is a timely launch to attract customers looking for an affordable big-display alternative to the ill-fated 5.7-inch flagship Note7 phablet.

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tech4xmas reviews for Christmas 2016

Sunday, October 30th, 2016

So Christmas is now less than two months away, this series of reviews serves up gift ideas for those planning to buy presents for their friends and loved ones.

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Planning your Christmas shopping? Stay tuned for quick and easy-to-read reviews of some of the best-in-class gadgets available today.

With Christmas 2016 less than two months away, it’s a good time to begin planning gifts for those that are close to us.

So this series features quick and easy-to-read reviews of some of the best tech gadgets/products that I’ve personally tried.

Not all are the latest and newest, but they are what I think are some of the best-in-class in their category of products.

The 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.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

Dell XPS 13 notebook.

Have been using this beautiful workhorse during Strata + Hadoop World in Singapore. Surpassed all expectations. Love how it’s compact yet has two full-sized Type-A USB 3 slots & a Type C slot.

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