Archive for the ‘Review’ Category

Samsung unveils three new GEAR smartwatches at MWC 2014

Tuesday, February 25th, 2014

Samsung has just unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona its GALAXY S5, as well as the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit.

Worldwide release on 11 April 2014 in almost 150 countries. Prices TBA.

Samsung has just unveiled the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit together with the GALAXY S5 at the MWC 2014 in Barcelona this morning.

Samsung has just unveiled the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit together with the GALAXY S5 at the MWC 2014 in Barcelona this morning.

All of the new Samsung GEAR smartwatches have foregone the Android OS used in the original Gear and gone for the Tizen – the Linux-based operating system by Intel and Samsung.

Samsung GALAXY GEAR 2 comes with camera, microphone and speaker on the phone itself instead of the strap, allowing the latter to be interchangeable.

Samsung Gear 2 comes with camera, microphone and speaker on the phone itself instead of the strap, allowing the latter to be interchangeable.

And they come with a HOME button to get back to the start screen.

Samsung claims the new smartwatches last 3 times as long, with 3 days of typical usage and six days of low usage.

The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo have 1.63-inch, 320 x 320 Super AMOLED displays and run on 1GHz dual-core processors.

Screen size has therefore remained the same, with a slightly faster processor, viz the 800MHz in the original Gear.

The 2-megapixel camera, speaker and mic are now on the bezel of the smartwatch so you can change the straps, which comes in six colours.

(more…)

Samsung unveils GALAXY S5 at MWC 2014 in Barcelona

Tuesday, February 25th, 2014

Samsung has just unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona its GALAXY S5, as well as the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit.

Worldwide release on 11 April 2014 in almost 150 countries. Prices TBA.

The new Samsung GALAXY S5 comes in 4 colours: charcoal Black, shimmery White, electric Blue and copper Gold.

The new Samsung GALAXY S5 comes in 4 colours: charcoal Black, shimmery White, electric Blue and copper Gold.

New features of the GALAXY S5 include a heart rate monitor, fingerprint scanner and IP67 water resistance.

The GALAXY S5 has a 5.1" Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

The GALAXY S5 has a 5.1″ Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

It has a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, runs on a 2.5GHz Snapdragon quad-core processor with 2GB RAM, powered by a 2,800 mAh battery and ships with Android 4.4 KitKat.

The GALAXY S5 now has a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

It will also come with NFC, LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 and 16GB or 32GB storage.

The smartphone will come in four colours: charcoal Black, shimmery White, electric Blue and copper Gold. It now comes with “perforated” plastic covers.

(more…)

Breaking news: Xiaomi to debut in Singapore with Redmi on 21 February

Friday, February 14th, 2014

Okay, just received the invite to the Chinese smartphone manufacturer’s official launch event in Singapore. The Redmi Android smartphone will come with 1.5 GHz Quad-core processor, 4.7-inch IPS display, dual SIM.

The best part – you can grab one for only S$169!

You can see Xiaomi's debutante for the Singapore market: Redmi on the website of the Chinese smartphone maker.

You can see Xiaomi’s debutante for the Singapore market: Redmi on the website of the Chinese smartphone maker.

The launch event will be on 19 February.

(more…)

Valentine’s Day gift ideas from Logitech

Friday, February 7th, 2014

Thinking of what to buy for Valentine’s Day?

Range of Valentine's Day gift ideas from Logitech.

Range of Valentine’s Day gift ideas from Logitech.

Logitech has put together a list of gadgets for the tech-savvy couple.

UE BOOM portable wireless speaker (S$299)

For the music-loving mum to enjoy her favourite tunes.

UE BOOM portable wireless speaker (S$299)Play soothing music to accompany that special home-cooked candle-light dinner.

With its 360-degree design, the UE BOOM projects your soulful tunes in every direction, no matter where you are.

It can also be paired with another UE BOOM unit for a larger sound.

Available in white, black, red and blue.

Logitech G19s Gaming Keyboard (S$299)

Logitech G700s Rechargeable Gaming Mouse (S$135)Logitech G19s Gaming Keyboard (S$299), Logitech G700s Rechargeable Gaming Mouse (S$135)

A good gaming mouse and keyboard makes the avid gamer’s lifemuch easier.

Just as the gaming mouse and keyboard go hand in hand, take this chance to test how well you can work with your Significant Other in the virtual world and you might just discover a new side of your relationship.

(more…)

New arrivals: Olympus unveils OM-D EM-10 and 5 other cameras/lenses

Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

Olympus has announced six new cameras and lenses, including the OM-D EM-10. These will be available from February to April 2014 onwards. All prices are yet to be announced.

Olympus has announced a slew of six cameras and lenses, including the much anticipated OM-D EM-10.

Olympus has announced a slew of six cameras and lenses, including the much anticipated OM-D EM-10.

A short description, price and availability of each camera/lens is summarised below.

Olympus OM-D E-M10
Available from February 2014 in Black and Silver.Olympus OM-D E-M10
  1. Premium ultra-slim stylish body.
  2. Excellent image quality due to traditional optical and advanced image processing technology.
  3. Large, bright Electronic Veiwfinder (EVF) offers quick response time and clear visibility.
  4. 3-axis VCM in-body image stabilisation mechanism brings out the very best in every lens.
  5. 81-point FAST AF and 8 fps (TBD) max high-speed sequential shooting.
Olympus OM-D E-M5 (Elite Black)
Available (bundled with M.ZUIKO Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO) in March 2014.Olympus OM-D E-M5 (Elite Black)
  1. (more…)

New arrivals: Panasonic Toughbook CF-LX3 rugged business laptop

Friday, January 17th, 2014

Panasonic claims the 14-inch Toughbook CF-LX3 is the lightest device of its kind for everyday mobile business computing. Available in Singapore now from S$2,499.

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-LX3 has an uneven "bonnet" design on the surface of its magnesium alloy cover for greater strength.

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-LX3 has an uneven “bonnet” design on the surface of its magnesium alloy cover for greater strength.

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-LX3 is targeted at mobile business professionals combining functionality and portability in a light-weight, shock-resistant body.

By 2015, Panasonic expects the world’s mobile worker population to represent up to 37.2 percent of the total workforce with Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) seeing the largest increase in the total of mobile workers.

With up to 14 hours of battery life, Windows 8.1 Pro, Intel Core i5 vPro processor, built in optical drive, and weighing just 1.29kg, the Toughbook CF-LX3 combines premium performance with a light, durable, and ultra-sleek design.

(more…)

New Arrivals: Sony Walkman NWZ-ZX1 and Recorder PCM-D100

Thursday, January 16th, 2014

Sony Electronics today announced the launch of two new personal audio products, the Walkman NWZ-ZX1 (S$899) and Liner Pulse-code modulation (PCM) Recorder PCM-D100 (S$999).

Available in Singapore from February onwards.

Sony Walkman NWZ-ZX1

Sony Walkman NWZ-ZX1

Update (20 March, 2014):

Sony has just announced that 30 units of the NWZ-ZX1 can now be pre-ordered exclusively at Sony Stores and Centres in Singapore, whilst stocks last.

Audiophiles have from now till the end of the month (31 March 2014) to place their orders in person. Delivery will be from 11 April onwards.

For those who miss out on the first 30 units, they can purchase the NWZ-ZX1 in stores from May 2014 onwards.

The NWZ-ZX1 was originally planned to be available in Singapore in February but this has been pushed back to May due to high global demand of the Walkman.

Sony Recorder PCM-D100 (left) and Walkman NWZ-ZX1 (right).

Sony Recorder PCM-D100 (left) and Walkman NWZ-ZX1 (right).

The Walkman NWZ-ZX1 is Sony’s first music player that supports Hi-Res Audio, offering listeners up to seven times the audio quality of a CD.

Sony Walkman NWZ-ZX1 (S$899)

Sony Walkman NWZ-ZX1 (S$899)

Powered by Android, it has a 4-inch TRILUMINOS Display for mobile touchscreen enables the easy viewing of music files, photos and videos on the device.

The new Walkman is carved out of a single piece of aluminum and has a molded base at its rear that acts as an amp block, with a rubberised back grip for added comfort and stability.

The ZX1 is the largest capacity Walkman ever created by Sony, with built-in memory of 128GB that is capable of storing High-Resolution Audio content equivalent to approximately 800 songs.

For more details and key specifications, here is the press release for the new Sony Walkman NWZ-ZX1.

(more…)

New Arrivals: Bose SoundTouch Wi-Fi music system in Singapore

Wednesday, January 15th, 2014

The Bose SoundTouch is available for pre-order from Atlas e-Store. Prices range from S$639 to S$1,099.

SoundTouch 30 Wi-Fi system (S$1,099)

SoundTouch 30 Wi-Fi system (S$1,099)

Atlas Sound & Vision in Singapore, has introduced its first Bose Wi-Fi music system enabling users to stream music wirelessly in any room with Bose’s lifelike audio quality and ease-of-use.

The three one-piece systems in the Bose SoundTouch family include:

  • The SoundTouch 30 Wi-Fi system (S$1,099) measures approximately 10 x 17 x 7 inches. It features exclusive waveguide technology and a new proprietary woofer to deliver deep, rich sound and the power to serve as a home’s main music system.
  • The SoundTouch 20 Wi-Fi system (S$639) is more compact at about 7 x 12 x x 4 inches. It offers natural, room-filling sound and can be placed almost anywhere.
  • The SoundTouch Portable Wi-Fi system (S$639) combines full-range audio and a rechargeable, lithium-ion battery in a speaker no bigger than the average book – about 6 x 10 x 3 inches. Take it with you in and around the home, and the music keeps playing.

Through the home network, the Bose SoundTouch communicates wirelessly and can be controlled from an app available on Android, iOS, Mac OS and Windows systems, and can be downloaded and installed on mobile phones, tablets, laptops or desktops.

SoundTouch 20 Wi-Fi system (S$639)

SoundTouch 20 Wi-Fi system (S$639)

(more…)

HTC One in Gold for the Lunar New Year festive season

Wednesday, January 15th, 2014

The HTC One Android smartphone will be available in Gold in Singapore from this Saturday, 18 January. Available from all telcos at S$768 (32GB).

The release of the new Gold version of the HTC One coincides with the Chinese New Year festive season.

The release of the new Gold version of the HTC One coincides with the Chinese New Year festive season.

The Gold makeover adds to the existing colour portfolio of Silver, Black and Red.

“台湾手机制造商HTC将于星期六在新加坡推出黄金色的HTC One。即日起面市。售价:S$768新元(32GB)。各大电信公司都有售卖” – 科技点心(微薄)

This latest addition to the family comes with all of the features of the HTC One, including HTC Zoe, HTC BlinkFeed and HTC BoomSound.

(more…)

New Android smartphones: Sony Xperia T2 Ultra and Xperia E1

Tuesday, January 14th, 2014

Sony Mobile today announced two new smartphones targeted at those big on entertainment – Xperia T2 Ultra and Xperia E1.

The former will launch in major markets from Q1 2014. Otherwise price and availability of both phones are yet to be confirmed.

The new Sony Xperia E1 (left) and Xperia T2 Ultra (right).

The new Sony Xperia E1 (left) and Xperia T2 Ultra (right).

The Xperia T2 is a large-screen 6-inch smartphone at a mid-range price point, while the Xperia E1 offers Sony’s best audio technologies and content for those looking for an entertainment device.

Sony Xperia T2 Ultra.

Sony Xperia T2 Ultra.

The LTE Xperia T2 has a 6-inch HD TRILUMINOS display in a 7.6mm form factor, fitting in a large 3000mAh battery.

It has a 13-megapixel camera (with 1.1MP front camera) and offers out-of-the-box integration with the Sony Entertainment Network as well as Sony’s PlayMemories Online storage service.

The Xperia T2 Ultra runs on a Snapdragon Quad-core 1.4 GHz processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of on board storage (Micro SD slot expandable up to 32GB).

(more…)