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New smartphones: Nokia Lumia 800 and 710

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

The first Nokia smartphones based on Windows Phone debut in Singapore. Lumia 800 (S$775 excl GST) will be available in Singapore this Saturday on 10 Decmeber 2011. Lumia 710 (S$505 excl GST) will arrive shortly.

Nokia Lumia 800, Windows Phone 7, S$775 before GST

Nokia Lumia 710, Windows Phone 7, S$505 before GST

Nokia kicks off Christmas vigil with a new beginning – the Nokia Lumia 800 promises consumers the best integrated social experience and fast Internet browsing, bringing content to life for the consumer.

Nokia Lumia 800 comes in vivid colours

Judging from my hands-on with the sleek looking gadget so far, it has every chance of fulfilling that promise.

From the few Windows Phone 7 smartphones available thus far, the Lumia 800 seems to deliver the best Windows Phone experience on the market.

The Lumia 800 comes with in vivid colours and is housed in a sleek, polycarbonate body with a 3.7 inch AMOLED ClearBlack curved display.

Containing Carl Zeiss optics, it offers users an instant-share camera experience and HD video playback, and the best social and Internet performance, with one-touch access to social networks.

Here are the main tech specs for the Nokia Lumia 800.

Nokia Lumia 710 comes with interchangeable covers

For those looking for a more fun and personal device, the Lumia 710 comes with colorful changeable covers and is more affordable.

Here are the main tech specs for the Nokia Lumia 710.

Both models include signature Nokia experiences optimised for Windows Phone, including Nokia Drive, Nokia Maps and Nokia Music.

Nokia has also introduced the on-ear Nokia Purity HD Stereo Headset and the in-ear Nokia Purity Stereo Headset by Monster, intended to shoe-in a range of premium audio accessories to complement the Nokia Lumia range of smartphones.

Tags:Lumia, Lumia 710, Lumia 800, Nokia, smartphone
Posted in Accessories, App, Audio, Events, Gadgets, Internet Explorer, Launch, Lumia, Nokia, Operating Systems, Party, Phones, Prices, Software, Specifications, Windows Phone 7 | 6 Comments »

Second BlackBerry DevCon Asia moved to Singapore

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

Originally to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, the second Asian conference for BlackBerry developers has been moved to Singapore instead.

BlackBerry fans will be congregated at the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre over the original next two days from 7-8 December.

BlackBerry DevCon Asia in Singapore from 7-8 December 2011 at Suntec

Due to the flooding and rain in Bangkok, Research In Motion (RIM) has relocated the event to Singapore. The dates remain the same. RIM will be reimbursing fully those registrants who cannot attend the event in Singapore.

A packed and multi-tracked programme awaits BlackBerry developers at DevCon Asia.

RIM says that plans to return the DevCon Asia conference to Bangkok in the future.

Participants will get apprised of the future of the BlackBerry platform, such as plans for the BBX unified operating system for both BlackBerry smartphones and tablets; and hands-on advice from experts on development issues – both technical and commercial.

I will be attending this event, which is much anticipated by BlackBerry developers, to tap the pulse of the BlackBerry community in Asia. Attendees will get a free 16GB PlayBook tablet, as well as a free copy of Adobe’s FlashBuilder 4.6 (while stocks last).

Tags:BlackBerry, DevCon, DevCon Asia (Singapore), RIM
Posted in App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Events, Gadgets, Operating Systems, Phones, PlayBook, RIM, Seminars, Software, Tablets | 2 Comments »

ZoukOut with BlackBerry apps

Monday, December 5th, 2011

Are you one of 30,000 heading out to ZoukOut at Siloso Beach this Saturday night? You may find some of these BlackBerry apps handy to survive the 14-hour party.

Check the weather with BeWeather Free in order to know when to start dancing towards the shelter.

Then, Let There Be Light will turn your BlackBerry smartphone into a multicolored glowstick that you can use to signal your friends or groove to the music.

Hear a familiar track that you must get your hands on? Shazam Encore will help you identify and buy the track online.

Done with the party and looking for food? ShowNearby will tell you what’s yummy in the vicinity!

All of these apps are free and for BlackBerry smartphones. Shazam Encore is one of those free apps courtesy of RIM.

Tags:Apps, BlackBerry, RIM, smartphone, Zouk, ZoukOut
Posted in App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, Events, Gadgets, Lifestyle, Party, Phones, RIM, Software | No Comments »

New iPhone app: Feecha

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

A new location based app that allows users to share and be aware of information, photos and video about activities in their vicinity and on the map. Use the app for a chance to win S$8,888 in cash on December 18, 2011.

The free iPhone app "feecha" launches today.

I was trundling down Haji Lane last evening and taking in the vibrant atmosphere of the little pubs and shops on both sides of the single-lane back alley.

Have you ever wondered what goes on in the joints that you walk pass while listening to the din emanating from within?

A new fun and quirky app called “feecha“ lets you plug into the scene.

People organising, participating or witnessing events can post and share their activities using the app.

The information appears as a map pin – in the form of a cutesy (or hideous, depending on your point of view) creature called a feecha – on a map within the app, indicating where the event is taking place.

Activities can be tagged so that others following those tags are alerted once the event is shared.

If others like the activity and add to it, the feecha turns red and grows bigger.

If the event is largely ignored, the feecha map pin turns blue and eventually disappears from the feecha map.

If you see something interesting, witness an accident or spot a summon aunty, you can also post a photo or video as part of the feecha.

Now imagine walking down Haji Lane with the app in hand.

You might just discover that ad-hoc photo exhibition on the Japanese earthquake by that budding photographer – that you might be interested in.

Or that talk about the role of Entomology, Botany, and Mineralogy in forensic anthropology, if you’re a fan of the TV series “Bones”.

On December 18, the poster of the biggest and reddest feecha stands to win S$8,888 in cash.

Feecha is free for download on iTunes and works on the iPhone running iOS 4.2 and higher. The app is only released in the Singapore App Store, so those on the US store will have to switch stores to find feecha in iTunes.

An Android version is also in the works. A Windows Phone 7 version may eventually be in the works. A BlackBerry version is not in the works.

Tags:Apps, feecha, iPhone, location, social network
Posted in App, Events, iPhone, Launch | No Comments »

SingTel launches Singapore’s first e-book service

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

Skoob is the first service to offer works by Singapore writers as well as study guides and educational books for local primary and secondary school students.

First e-book service to accept payments in SGD. Significant savings versus the cost of traditional paper books.

Launched by Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) today, skoob offers more than 39,000 local and international bestsellers for smartphones, tablets and PCs.

“The Singapore market has long been overlooked by e-book services from abroad. With the launch of skoob, Singapore readers finally have a service that offers local books and caters specifically to their tastes and needs,” said Goh Seow Eng, SingTel’s Chief of Digital Home.It is the first e-book service to accept payments in Singapore dollars and offers tremendous savings versus the cost of traditional paper books.

For example, fans of John Grisham can enjoy his novel, The Confession, at S$9.00 instead of S$17.07 at a bookshop.

Neil Humphreys’ acclaimed Complete Notes from Singapore is available at S$13.90 instead of S$29.90.

“It also provides local publishers and writers with a powerful digital platform that allows them to reach a wider audience,” Goh added.Skoob also offers a range of classics for free download, such as Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.

Skoob is available on Apple and Android tablets and smartphones via a free app. It can also be enjoyed on PCs and Macs using standard browsers.

For iPad, iPhone, Android tablets and smartphones, and PCs

International best sellers from the top 6 global publishers: Random House, Penguin, HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group, Simon and Schuster and Macmillan

Customers have the flexibility to download books on up to five devices. Payments can be made via Singapore credit cards. SingTel customers can choose to have purchases conveniently charged to their monthly bills.

“We are continuously working with publishers to expand our catalogue. We believe skoob’s range of local study guides and educational books will be well received by school students, and we are looking to include assessment papers soon,” Goh revealed.Mr Goh said that skoob is an important addition to SingTel’s growing suite of multimedia offerings, which includes the AMPed music service, deF!ND digital concierge, ESC games service, De!ite e-magazine service, exCite web video app and mio TV.

Skoob offers titles from six global publishing houses: Random House, Penguin, HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group, Simon and Schuster and Macmillan.

The service carries local titles, study guides and educational books from: Popular, Marshall Cavendish, Cengage Learning, Asiapac, Flame of the Forest, McGraw Hill, Sunbear, Monsoon, Singapore Asia Publishers (SAP) and Janus Education.

Chinese language books will be available soon.

Tags:Android, Apple, BlackBerry, desk, eBook, notebooks, smartphone, tablets
Posted in Android, App, iOS, Launch, Mac OS, SingTel, Software, Windows 7 | No Comments »

New iPhone app: SG Florist

Sunday, November 13th, 2011

No more excuses not to send your better half that bouquet of flowers. This PayPal-powered mobile app from FarEastFlora makes it easy for Singaporean men to remember and celebrate their loved ones.

Sending flowers has now become a breeze with this free mobile app that is available from Apple’s App Store and the Nokia Ovi Store.

Flowers and gifts are delivered on the day of the order.

An order placed as late as 4pm in the afternoon can be delivered between 7 – 10pm at night on the same day.

Users can set reminders within the app to deliver flowers for special occasions.

Tap and swipe through a wide range of over 1,000 gift options ranging from flower bouquets, plant arrangements, gift hampers, gourmet baskets and even perfumes.

Select your gift, add to your shopping bag, and check-out with PayPal in two simple taps.

Using ‘Pay with PayPal’, simply log-on to your PayPal account and confirm the purchase.

PayPal also provides a safer mobile payment method as no financial details are shared with merchants or stored on mobile devices.

Features of the app:

Reminders and Wishlist: Pre-select favourite gift items under ‘Wishlist’ and set reminders for special occasions like birthdays, anniversary and Mother’s Day.
Sync addresses from phone contacts: Sync recipients’ addresses and details from phone contacts, avoiding the hassle of manually typing in addresses.
Surprise: Tap the ‘Surprise’ tab and shake the phone – lucky users might get a discount exclusive to SG Florist app users.

Tags:Apple, Apps, Far East Flora, flowers, gifts, iPhone, Nokia, Ovi Store
Posted in App, iPhone | No Comments »

GarageBand now available for Apple iPhone and iPod

Sunday, November 6th, 2011

GarageBand 1.1 for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch is available on the App Store for USD$4.49 to new users, or as a free update for existing GarageBand for iPad customers.

GarageBand 1.1 for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch is available on the App Store

GarageBand is a universal app that runs on iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPod touch (3rd & 4th generation).

The music creation app from Apple was Introduced earlier this year on the iPad. GarageBand uses Apple’s Multi-Touch interface to make it easy for anyone to create and record their own songs, even if they’ve never played an instrument before.

GarageBand features a collection of fun Touch Instruments that sound great and make it easy for beginners or experienced musicians to play and record keyboards, guitars, drums and basses in a wide variety of styles.

“The innovative Multi-Touch interface combined with Smart Instruments makes it easy to create great sounding music, even if you’ve never studied music or played an instrument before,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.Smart Instruments now allow you to choose from an extensive new library of custom chords so you can play and strum along with your favourite songs.

You can plug your electric guitar into iPad, iPhone or iPod touch to play and record through classic amps and stompbox effects, or record your voice or any acoustic sound using the built-in microphone.

GarageBand allows you to record and mix up to eight tracks and then share your finished song with friends or send it to your Mac to keep working on it in GarageBand or Logic Pro.

Tags:Apple, Apps, GarageBand, music
Posted in App, Apple, Gadgets, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Launch, Mac OS, Music, Phones, Prices, Software, Tablets | No Comments »

Micro Focus announces new Test Server

Friday, November 4th, 2011

The new Test Server from Micro Focus offers a revolutionary approach and additional test capacity to IBM Mainframe Application Testing.

“We needed to find an innovative solution that would facilitate higher quality, scalable testing,” explained José Caetano Pereira, Senior IT Manager at BES. “By detecting errors earlier in the software development lifecycle, we will be able to deliver changes faster and deliver more robust software through to the User Acceptance Test phase and subsequent production.”Micro Focus, a leading provider of enterprise application modernization, testing and management solutions, has released Micro Focus Test Server – a unique technology that promises to accelerate testing processes while significantly reducing operating costs.

Customers such as the largest listed Portuguese bank, Banco Espirito Santo (BES), are implementing Micro Focus Test Server to enable them to improve software quality by increasing available mainframe test capacity on a Windows platform.

Micro Focus Test Server is an IBM z/OS compatible environment where application execution behaves just as it would on the target production mainframe. This makes it possible to perform a broad range of preproduction testing on readily available hardware. Testing capacity can now be easily increased to meet business-critical timeframes without incurring prohibitive costs.

Micro Focus Test Server is the first and only IBM mainframe-compatible solution for system, user acceptance and integration testing.

Micro Focus Test Server features:

Support for a wide range of mainframe COBOL and Assembler applications and data including batch with JCL, online CICS or IMS TM, DB2, IMS DB and VSAM files.
A black box test execution environment for composite applications where .NET and Java programmes invoke mainframe COBOL resources.
Close integration back to the mainframe with seamless and secure access to mainframe source code libraries, applications and data, enabling organizations to integrate testing with resources that continue to reside on the mainframe.
A proven test server engine that provides a high performance, robust execution environment for multi-region, multi-user testing.

Tags:IBM, Micro Focus, servers
Posted in App, Enterprise IT, IBM, Launch, servers, Software, Tech news | No Comments »

Google withdraws Gmail app from Apple iOS devices

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

Having just launched the new e-mail app earlier in the day, Google has withdrawn it new Gmail app from iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices after users started getting error messages.

“Unfortunately, it contained a bug which broke notifications and caused users to see an error message when first opening the app,” the company said in a blog. “We’ve removed the app while we correct the problem.”The newly-launched app is the first Gmail app for Apple’s iOS devices.

Google is now fixing the software bug and will release a new version. In the meantime, users who have already installed the app can continue using it, despite the bug.

Read the breaking story on Bloomberg.

Tags:Apple, Gmail, Google, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
Posted in App, Apple, Gadgets, Google, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Phones, Software, Tablets, Tech news | No Comments »

Get spooked with fun Halloween apps on BlackBerry devices

Monday, October 31st, 2011

It’s Halloween today. Here’s a selection of ghouly apps for the occasion.

There are apps for both BlackBerry smartphones and the PlayBook. All the apps can be downloaded from BlackBerry App World. Click on the screenshots to get to the app on BlackBerry App World.

Apps	Brief Description
Count Munchula (Free) smartphones only	The world-famous Screen Muncher just couldn’t resist getting dressed up for Halloween as a blood-sucking vampire named Count Munchula! “Munch” your BlackBerry screen and capture it as an image to post directly to Twitter, share through email, or save for later! Screen Muncher lets you capture anything you see on your BlackBerry screen just like a desktop “print screen” on a PC. This funny, cute and useful app includes a very special “Count Munchula” sound effect, animation and vibrates every time you Munch a screen!
Pumpkin Slider (US$0.99) smartphones only	Pumpkin Slider is designed to lock your BlackBerry and prevent any unwanted key press. Even if your BlackBerry is unlocked by accident, Pumpkin Slider still locks your phone and you do not need to worry about the Send key or any unwanted key pressed. Pumpkin Slider automatically locks your BlackBerry when the screen dims. Pumpkin Slider is fast to setup, easy to use and works with the Lock button on your BlackBerry.
Jack-O-Lantern (Free) smartphones only	Ever wanted your own Jack-O-Lantern but didn’t know how to carve one? This app is a virtual Jack-O-Lantern for your BlackBerry to help you celebrate the Halloween season. You can change the Jack-O-Lantern’s face by swiping from the left or right on the eyes, nose, or mouth. You can also change the colour by clicking on the screen. Happy Halloween!
Halloween Photo Editor (US$1.99) smartphones only	Halloween Photo Editor is a powerful image processing app that turns your photos into unique Halloween themed art. Very intuitive and easy to use. even beginners will quickly learn how to create impressive Halloweenish effects! Gear up for your Halloween celebration with this amazing photo app! The app features 4 awesome Halloween filters, 16 unique Halloween themed photo frames and 11 cute clip art images.
Ghosty Party (US$1.99) smartphone/PlayBook	Vaporize as many ghosts of the same color as you can to get a high score, with cute halloween theme animations, bonuses, and sound effects. The more ghosts you tap at once, the more scores you will get. The more same color ghosts combo, the more scoresmultiply. The game features an autosave function on exit or phone call, and the PlayBook version also has global online support to post your scores on Facebook.
Halloween Haunt (S$1.99) PlayBook only	Zombies, Ghosts, Mummies; oh my! Halloween Haunt is a 5 Reel Slot Machine that features up to 15 credits per line (up to 9 lines) – Changeable credit values ranging from 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, and 25¢. Once the ‘High Roller Gauge’ is completely filled, you will gain access to even higher credit values; 50¢, $1, and $5. Slot machine symbols include ‘WILD’ and ‘SPIN & WIN’ symbols, which trigger the FREE SPIN feature. Earn your way to 50 trophies, purchase the 10 items in the gift shop, and work your way up to piles of cash like candy on Halloween!
Halloween Sounds (US$0.99) PlayBook only	Wanna scare theguy in the next cube out of his wits? Look no further! With Halloween Sounds you can play endless pranks on friends and enemies alike. 15 spooky sounds and Spooky Soundtrack which plays a creepy soundtrack and adds scary sounds on top of it. The perfect soundtrack for handing out treats, or great mood music for a costume party.

Apps

Brief Description

Count Munchula (Free)
smartphones only

The world-famous Screen Muncher just couldn’t resist getting dressed up for Halloween as a blood-sucking vampire named Count Munchula! “Munch” your BlackBerry screen and capture it as an image to post directly to Twitter, share through email, or save for later!

Screen Muncher lets you capture anything you see on your BlackBerry screen just like a desktop “print screen” on a PC. This funny, cute and useful app includes a very special “Count Munchula” sound effect, animation and vibrates every time you Munch a screen!

Pumpkin Slider (US$0.99)
smartphones only

Pumpkin Slider is designed to lock your BlackBerry and prevent any unwanted key press. Even if your BlackBerry is unlocked by accident, Pumpkin Slider still locks your phone and you do not need to worry about the Send key or any unwanted key pressed. Pumpkin Slider automatically locks your BlackBerry when the screen dims.

Pumpkin Slider is fast to setup, easy to use and works with the Lock button on your BlackBerry.

Jack-O-Lantern (Free)
smartphones only

Ever wanted your own Jack-O-Lantern but didn’t know how to carve one? This app is a virtual Jack-O-Lantern for your BlackBerry to help you celebrate the Halloween season. You can change the Jack-O-Lantern’s face by swiping from the left or right on the eyes, nose, or mouth. You can also change the colour by clicking on the screen. Happy Halloween!

Halloween Photo Editor (US$1.99)
smartphones only

Halloween Photo Editor is a powerful image processing app that turns your photos into unique Halloween themed art. Very intuitive and easy to use. even beginners will quickly learn how to create impressive Halloweenish effects! Gear up for your Halloween celebration with this amazing photo app!

The app features 4 awesome Halloween filters, 16 unique Halloween themed photo frames and 11 cute clip art images.

Ghosty Party (US$1.99)
smartphone/PlayBook

Vaporize as many ghosts of the same color as you can to get a high score, with cute halloween theme animations, bonuses, and sound effects. The more ghosts you tap at once, the more scores you will get. The more same color ghosts combo, the more scoresmultiply.

The game features an autosave function on exit or phone call, and the PlayBook version also has global online support to post your scores on Facebook.

Halloween Haunt (S$1.99)
PlayBook only

Zombies, Ghosts, Mummies; oh my! Halloween Haunt is a 5 Reel Slot Machine that features up to 15 credits per line (up to 9 lines) – Changeable credit values ranging from 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, and 25¢. Once the ‘High Roller Gauge’ is completely filled, you will gain access to even higher credit values; 50¢, $1, and $5. Slot machine symbols include ‘WILD’ and ‘SPIN & WIN’ symbols, which trigger the FREE SPIN feature. Earn your way to 50 trophies, purchase the 10 items in the gift shop, and work your way up to piles of cash like candy on Halloween!

Halloween Sounds (US$0.99)
PlayBook only

Wanna scare theguy in the next cube out of his wits? Look no further! With Halloween Sounds you can play endless pranks on friends and enemies alike. 15 spooky sounds and Spooky Soundtrack which plays a creepy soundtrack and adds scary sounds on top of it. The perfect soundtrack for handing out treats, or great mood music for a costume party.

Tags:Apps, BlackBerry, Halloween, Playbook, RIM, smartphone, tablets
Posted in App, BlackBerry, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Bold, Curve, Gadgets, Gaming, Humour, Lifestyle, Operating Systems, Phones, Photography, PlayBook, Prices, RIM, Software, Specifications, Tablets, Torch | No Comments »

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