Holiday greetings: Easter 2015 – In Te Speramus

April 5th, 2015

Easter is a special day for Christians to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead – three days after his crucifixion and death at Calvary on Good Friday, as depicted in the New Testament of the Bible.

Relief on the metal door of the Salzburger Dom (Salzburg Cathedral). Assuming the inscriptions are in Latin, Google Translate says that “IN TE SPERAMUS” means “wait for you” or “we trust in you”. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Relief on the metal door of the Salzburger Dom (Salzburg Cathedral). Assuming the inscriptions are in Latin, Google Translate says that “IN TE SPERAMUS” means “wait for you” or “we trust in you”. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

The above photo was taken of the door of the Salzburg Cathedral when I visited Austria last summer in 2014.

I hope my Christian friends had a spiritual and reflective Easter today.

POTD: Fortress Hohensalzburg in Salzburg, Austria

April 4th, 2015

Photo of the Day: Hohensalzburg Castle is named “Festung Hohensalzburg” which means “High Salzburg Fortress” in English. The fortress is built on top of of a small hill in Salzburg, overlooking the historic Austrian city.

* Information for this article was from Wikipedia.

View of Fortress Hohensalzburg from Kapitelplatz at the foot of the hill upon which it is built. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

View of Fortress Hohensalzburg from Kapitelplatz at the foot of the hill upon which it is built. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Construction of the fortress began in 1077 at the behest of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg.

With a length of 250m (820ft) and a width of 150m (490ft), Fortress Hohensalzburg is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe.

View of Salzburg City from the Fortress Hohensalzburg. You can see Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) in the centre with the Salzach River flowing in the background. The golden globe statue in front of Cathedral was where the above photo of the fortress was taken from. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

View of Salzburg City from the Fortress Hohensalzburg with the Altstadt (old town) in the foreground. The Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) is in the centre with the Salzach River flowing in the background. The golden globe statue in front of Cathedral was where the above photo of the fortress was taken from. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

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Holiday greetings: Good Friday 2015

April 3rd, 2015

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at Calvary. It is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians, and is a public holiday in many countries, including Singapore.

We were trekking from the Salzburg Fortress to the Nonnberg Abbey one evening on vacation when we came upon these beautiful altarpieces set into the rock surface of the hill upon which the fortress was built. It even had a shelter above it to protect it from the elements. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with 24-70mm lens. Photo credit: John Tan, 2014.

We were trekking from the Salzburg Fortress to the Nonnberg Abbey one evening on vacation when we came upon these beautiful altarpieces set into the rock surface of the hill upon which the fortress was built. There was even a shelter built above the altarpieces to protect them from the elements. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with 24-70mm lens. Photo credit: John Tan, 2014.

The year of the crucifixion is estimated to have occurred in AD 33.

Here’s wishing our Christian friends a peaceful and reflective Easter Weekend.

Canon launches Print Hub at Singapore Sports Hub

April 1st, 2015

The Canon Print Hub is designed to drive efficiency and productivity savings, and enhance customer experiences at the Singapore Sports Hub – resulting in a projected S$2m savings over five years.

The Canon Print Hub is located within the Singapore Sports Hub. Singapore Sports Hub will be invoiced based on actual usage.

The Canon Print Hub is located within the Singapore Sports Hub. Singapore Sports Hub will be invoiced based on actual usage.

With the launch of Canon Print Hub, the Singapore Sports Hub and its partners will have immediate access to Canon’s expertise in document management solutions, managed document services, mailroom services, creative services and print production services.

“The Canon Print Hub is a creative internal solution which provides us with swift information delivery and effective communication with our many customers, partners and sponsors,” said Oon Jin Teik, Chief Operating Officer, Singapore Sports Hub.

This will allow for a quicker, more cost-effective turnaround of marketing collaterals and materials during events held at the Singapore Sports Hub, such as the 28th SEA Games in Singapore from 5-16 June later this year.

In addition, co-locating Canon Print Hub within the Singapore Sports Hub facility will allow the Singapore Sports Hub to implement marketing communication campaigns at shorter notices offering more dynamic customer engagement programs.

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New arrivals: Samsung Galaxy S6 & S6 edge arives in Singapore

March 30th, 2015

The new Samsung Galaxy S6 4G+ (from S$998 for 32GB) and Galaxy S6 edge 4G+ (from S$1,168) will be available in Singapore from 10 April 2015.

Pre-order and registration of interest commences from 31 March 2015 – from M1, Singtel, StarHub as well as Samsung Experience Stores.

Update (1 April, 2015):

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge were launched in Singapore this evening at a showcase celebrating fashion, technology and the best of regional artistes, signaling the start of the Galaxy S6 World Tour 2015.

Models in stylish outfits posing with the Samsung Galaxy S6 4G+ and Galaxy S6 edge 4G+ at the Galaxy S6 World Tour event at Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa in Singapore.

Models in stylish outfits posing with the Samsung Galaxy S6 4G+ and Galaxy S6 edge 4G+ at the Galaxy S6 World Tour event at Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa in Singapore.

For now, both models will be available in White Pearl, Black Sapphire and Gold Platinum. Blue Topaz will be available for the Galaxy S6 4G+ and Green Emerald for the Galaxy S6 edge 4G+ at a later date.

For now, both models will be available in White Pearl, Black Sapphire and Gold Platinum. Blue Topaz will be available for the Galaxy S6 4G+ and Green Emerald for the Galaxy S6 edge 4G+ at a later date.

Samsung first unveiled its latest flagship Android smartphones during Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona, Spain in the beginning of March this year.

Registration of interest with Telecommunication Operators for the Galaxy S6 4G+ and Galaxy S6 edge 4G+ will commence from 31 March 2015, 10am.

Pricing

Samsung Galaxy S6 4G+ S6 edge 4G+
32GB S$998 S$1,168
64GB S$1,148 S$1,298
128GB S$1,288 S$1,448

All successful pre-order customers will be getting exclusive pre-order complimentary gifts worth S$146 comprising a Samsung Wireless Charging Pad and Clear Cover on collection date.

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IT Fair: IT Show 2015 (19 – 22 Mar) @ Suntec Singapore

March 19th, 2015

From today till Sunday, the first of the four large annual IT exhibitions in Singapore this year takes place for four days (19 – 22 Mar) at the SUNTEC Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Levels 3, 4 & 6. IT Show 2015 will open daily from 11 am to 9 pm (Admission FREE).

The first of four large annual IT exhibitions in Singapore.

The first of four large annual IT exhibitions in Singapore.

For IT Show 2015, I’ll be compiling selected promotions and flyers from the exhibitors in a photo album on the tech4tea.com Facebook page.

You can browse the album or directly access a specific flyer via the list of links below.

Promotions/Flyers in alphabetical order

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MWC 2015: Sony unveils Xperia Z4 tablet & M4 Aqua smartphone

March 2nd, 2015

Both new devices ship with Android 5.0 Lollipop and are waterproof (IP65 & IP68) & dust-tight.

Sony Mobile unveils the Xperia Z4 tablet (left) and Xperia M4 Aqua smartphone (right), during MWC 2015 in Barcelona, Spain.

Sony Mobile unveils the Xperia Z4 tablet (left) and Xperia M4 Aqua smartphone (right), during MWC 2015 in Barcelona, Spain.

Sony Mobile Communications (Sony Mobile) introduced its class-leading Xperia Z4 10.1-inch tablet, and its mid-range Xperia M4 Aqua smartphone at Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona, Spain.

Xperia Z4 tablet

Sony boasts that the Xperia Z4 is the world’s lightest and slimmest 10-inch tablet, as well as the world’s brightest 10.1-inch 2K display (2560 x 1600 pixels), with a long battery life for up to 17 hours of video playback.

The Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet will launch globally, in 4G LTE and Wi-Fi variants, from June 2015.

The Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet will launch globally, in 4G LTE and Wi-Fi variants, from June 2015.

The Xperia Z4 measures 167 x 254 x 6.1mm and weighs 389g for the Wi-Fi version (393g for Wi-Fi + LTE version).

The Android 5.0 Lollipop tablet runs on a 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core 64 bit processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory, with up to an additional 128GB through the microSD card slot.

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MWC 2015: Microsoft unveils Lumia 640 & foldable keyboard

March 2nd, 2015

Microsoft unveiled new devices, services and partner offerings during Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona, Spain.

Update (16 April, 2015):

The Lumia 640 (S$299) and Lumia 640 XL (S$429) was launched in Singapore today and will hit the shelves on Saturday, 18 April, 2015.

Left: Lumia 640 pricing is estimated at 139 Euros for 3G and 159 Euros for LTE. Right: Lumia 640 XL pricing is estimated at 189 Euros for 3G and 219 Euros for LTE Actual market pricing may vary.

Left: Lumia 640 pricing is estimated at 139 Euros for 3G and 159 Euros for LTE. Right: Lumia 640 XL pricing is estimated at 189 Euros for 3G and 219 Euros for LTE Actual market pricing may vary.

The new offerings include:

Lumia 640 & Lumia 640 XL. Affordable smartphones running Windows Phone 8.1.

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MWC 2015: Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge smartphones unveiled

March 1st, 2015

Samsung unveiled during Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona, Spain its latest flagship smartphone – the Galaxy S6 – as well as the curved edge version – the Galaxy S6 edge. Global availability: 10 April, 2015.

The Galaxy S6 (right) measures 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8mm and weighs 138g; while the Galaxy S6 edge (left) measures 142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0mm and weighs 132g. Both run Android 5.0 Lollipop.

The Galaxy S6 (right) measures 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8mm and weighs 138g; while the Galaxy S6 edge (left) measures 142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0mm and weighs 132g. Both run Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Going further than the Galaxy Note edge which only has one curved edge, the new Galaxy S6 edge has curved displays on both edges.

Its glass body is made from tough Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and is available in an array of colorful jewel tones, including White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Blue Topaz and Green Emerald.

Both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are equipped with F1.9 lenses for both the front 5-megapixel and rear 16-megapixel cameras.

A new “Quick Launch” feature give users fast, direct access to the camera from any screen in just 0.7 seconds by simply double clicking the home key button.

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New arrivals: Nikon D7200, COOLPIX P900 cameras & ViewNX-i software

March 1st, 2015

The Nikon D7200 DSLR and COOLPIX P900 compact zoom camera will be available in Singapore by end March, 2015. Prices TBA. The ViewNX-i will be available for free download beginning 17 March.

The Nikon D7200 will be available by end March 2015 with the AF-S DX 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens, or AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens, or with the body-only configuration.

The Nikon D7200 will be available by end March 2015 with the AF-S DX 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens, or AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens, or with the body-only configuration.

Nikon has announced two new cameras and new image-browsing software.

D7200 DSLR

The DX-format D7200 DSLR offers enthusiasts features for low-light photography, social connectivity and Full HD videos.

Nikon D7200

Nikon D7200

The 24.2-megapixel DSLR comes with EXPEED 4 image-processing engine and CMOS sensor.

The 51-point autofocus (AF) sensor module is also utilised by the Nikon D750, and has an AF detection range down to -3EV for low-light photography.

Standard ISO ranges from 100 to 25600, extendable to ISO 102400.

There is built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and it is the first Nikon DSLR to feature Near Field Communication (NFC)-support (for NFC-compatible Android smartphones and tablets with Android 4.0 or later).

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