Archive for the ‘Specifications’ Category
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
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:
- 4.2X (approx.) zoom starting from a wide angle of 24mm to 100mm (35mm camera equivalent).
- Motorised zoom mechanism for stable zooming at a constant rate (3 selectable speeds).
- MSC mechanism enhanced by linear motor drive for faster, quieter AF control.
- 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.
- 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).
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.
Tags:lens, micro four-thirds, Olympus, Zuiko
Posted in Cameras, DSLR, Gadgets, Launch, Lens, Olympus, Photography, Prices, Specifications | 1 Comment »
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
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.
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.
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…)
Tags:Bamboo, Fun, graphics tablets, review, Wacom
Posted in Accessories, Gadgets, Graphics tablets, Mac OS, Prices, Review, Software, Specifications, Wacom, Windows 7 | 5 Comments »
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.
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.
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.
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…)
Tags:camera, compact, COOLPIX, Nikon, S2600
Posted in Cameras, Compact camera, Gadgets, Launch, Nikon, Photography, Prices, Specifications | 1 Comment »
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)
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.
Availability
The Bose Bluetooth headset Series 2 is available for S$249, and includes a portable zipper case, a one-foot USB cable, and three StayHear tips (small, medium, large) for a personal fit.
The Bose Bluetooth headset Series 2 can be purchased from selected partners, Atlas Experience Audio Visual Boutique at TripleOne Somerset and Bose at Millenia Walk.
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.
Tags:Atlas, Bluetooth, Bose, headset, smartphone, tablets
Posted in Accessories, Audio, Bose, Gadgets, Launch, Music, Phones, Prices, Specifications, Tablets | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
Looking for a new notebook computer? Check out Toshiba’s Chinese New Year promotions.
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 and download this PDF brochure and then zoom in to 300% to read the fine print.
Tags:notebooks, Toshiba
Posted in Brochures, Gadgets, Notebooks, Prices, Promotions, Specifications, Toshiba | No Comments »
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tags:BlackBerry, CES 2012, Opera, OS, Playbook, RIM, tablets, update, upgrade
Posted in Announce, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Gadgets, Operating Systems, PlayBook, RIM, Software, Specifications, Tablets | No Comments »
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.
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.
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.
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…)
Tags:Android, Android 4.0, Ascend, Huawei, Ice Cream Sandwich, smartphone
Posted in Android, Announce, Exhibition, Gadgets, Huawei, Phones, Specifications | 1 Comment »
Thursday, January 12th, 2012
The 10.1-inch tablet sports the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and the newest NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-core mobile processor. Prices within.
Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime TF201, world's first tablet with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-core mobile processor.
The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime is housed in an ultra slim 8.3mm metallic spun finish chassis that weighs only 586g.
Super IPS+ screen for vivid wide-angle viewing.
The Eee Pad Transformer already boasts a wide 178° viewing angle IPS display, with scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass.
Now the Transformer Prime goes further, upgraded with a brighter Super IPS+ screen that enhances the brightness of the screen for a better outdoor reading experience.
It has a 1.2 megapixel front camera for video conferencing and an 8 megapixel rear auto-focus camera with LED flash.
Asus Transformer Prime in Amethyst Gray colour.
The rear-camera boasts a large aperture of F/2.4 and a back-illuminated CMOS sensor, touch-to-focus depth of field and low light noise reduction.
A first for any tablet, the 8 megapixel camera also has the ability to take full 1080p HD video.
Battery life of the pad alone is 12 hours, with an additional six hours when combined with the mobile dock.
The tablet itself has a micro SD card slot, 3.5mm combo audio jack and micro HDMI port for sharing.
The docking station comes with keyboard and touchpad, additional ports and 6 more hours of battery life.
The S$199 mobile dock contains a keyboard and touchpad, as well as a USB port and SD card slot.
The other available colour is Champagne Gold.
The preinstalled SuperNote application is able to take, draw or record notes.
Polaris Office gives users the ability to read and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint (MS Office 97-2007 version compatible) files.
In addition, ASUS is offering 8GB of free cloud storage for life via ASUS WebStorage, so users have access to their files via the cloud no matter where they are.
The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime was launched yesterday evening and goes on sale today.
The usual prices for the tablet with and without the dock is S$1,098 and S$899 respectively; although the introductory prices are S$899 and S$759 respectively.
All prices include GST.
The main technical specifications for the Transformer Prime is tabulated below.
(more…)
Tags:Android, Asus, EeePad, Ice Cream Sandwich, tablets, Transformer
Posted in Android, Asus, Eee Pad Transformer Prime, Gadgets, Prices, Specifications, Tablets | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
The latest version of the TomTom App (V1.10) integrates TomTom navigation with Facebook and Twitter allowing users to navigate to friends, places and events more easily.
The new TomTom App will be available within Q1 2012. Customers who already have the App (V1.9) will be able to download the new features for free.
TomTom App for iPhone/iPad integrates with Twitter and Facebook.
The TomTom app uses social networks as a source for turn-by-turn navigation.
The TomTom App for iPhone and iPad will be the first to use social networks as a source for turn-by-turn navigation.
It can automatically plan routes based on information from Facebook events, places and friends.
Drivers can also use the App to share their destination and arrival time on Twitter, Facebook, by email and SMS text.
The current TomTom App for iPhone/iPad (V1.9) already offers drivers:
- The updated and accurate maps with no need for a mobile signal or data plan.
- Free daily map changes from the TomTom community through Map Share.
- Reliable arrival times at all times of day with IQ Routes.
- Real-time camera alerts via TomTom Speed Cameras.
- A powerful search with Google and Facebook.
- Clear turn-by-turn guidance while on the phone thanks to iOS Multitasking support.
- Seamless integration with contacts, photos, music, email and calendar.
Tags:Apple, Apps, Google, GPS, navigation, TomTom
Posted in Announce, App, Gadgets, GPS, iPad, iPhone, Phones, Prices, Software, Specifications, Tablets, TomTom | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
The world’s first Android 4.0 tablet has been launched in Singapore. The 10.1-inch slate is also the first in the world to sport the new NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core mobile processor.
The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime was launched in Singapore on 11 January 2012.
The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime comes in Amethyst Gray or Champagne Gold and the 32GB version will be available from tomorrow at introductory prices at S$899 (with dock) and S$759 (without dock). All prices include GST.
The predecessor of the Transformer Prime in Germany and the Czech Republic.
Attending the launch event for the Transformer Prime brought back pleasant memories of our family holiday in Germany last year, when we had the opportunity to bring along the newly-launched Transformer.
The predecessor to the Transformer Prime was already a powerful performer and proved really useful for the parents and entertaining for the kids during our two-week drive down the castle route from Frankfurt in Germany to Prague in the Czech Republic.
Singapore is the third destination after Taiwan and Hong Kong to launch the Eee Pad Transformer Prime, which has been nominated as a CES 2012 Innovations Honoree.
The new tablet boasts the latest operating system, an extremely powerful processor, highly spec-ed camera and quality music.
The 10.1" tablet comes with a mobile dock with keyboad and touch pad, additional ports and 6 more hours of battery life.
100 units of the tablet were put up for pre-order on Facebook last week and all were snapped up within two hours on 4 January.
The Transformer Prime is the world's first Android 4.0 tablet.
Another 200 units will be put up for sale on-the-spot today after the launch.
These pre-launch units come with Android 3.2 Honeycomb but will be upgraded over the air to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tomorrow.
NVIDIA claims that the new Tegra 3 processor is up to five times as fast as its predecessor, the Tegra 2.
Although the Tegra 3 is named a quad-core processor, NVIDIA says there are actually five processors.
The pad is 8.3mm thin while the mobile dock is 10.4mm thin.
A companion processor handles most of the work until additional processing power is needed, at which time the remaining four processors begin kicking in one at a time.
The Transformer Prime is the world's first tablet to run on Tegra 3 Quad-core mobile processor.
A demo showed how the increased processing power of the Tegra 3 and its 12-core GeForce GPU rendered a smoother and better quality output when playing videos and graphics intensive games, when compared with competing tablets.
The Transformer Prime also boasts enhanced audio performance that is powered by ASUS SonicMaster technology, which is known for its crisp and acoustically accurate audio reproduction.
Check out the technical specifications here.
Tags:Android, Asus, EeePad, Ice Cream Sandwich, NVIDIA, tablets, Tegra, Transformer
Posted in Android, Asus, Eee Pad Transformer Prime, Events, Gadgets, Launch, Operating Systems, Prices, Software, Specifications, Tablets, Travel | 2 Comments »
