September 25th, 2014
Microsoft today announced the availability of the Lumia 830 in Singapore for S$529 from 27 September, 2014 (M1, SingTel, StarHub).

The Lumia 830 will be available in a range of colours including bright orange, bright green, white and black.
The Lumia 830 comes with PureView imaging, integrated Microsoft services, wireless charging, optimised image stabilisation and SensorCore.
It has a 10-megapixel PureView camera with ZEISS optics, Rich Recording, and the thinnest optical image stabilisation system to date for Lumia phones.
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Tags: Lumia, Lumia 830, Microsoft, Microsoft Devices, Nokia, Singapore, smartphones, Windows Phone, Windows Phone 8.1
Posted in Announce, Availability, Gadgets, gadgets, Lumia, Microsoft, Microsoft Devices, newArrivals, Nokia, Phones, Prices, smartphones, Specifications, Windows Phone | No Comments »
September 24th, 2014
The new ASUS MeMo Pad 8 (S$499) and Fonepad 8 (S$299) tablets feature the next generation 64-bit Intel Atom ‘Moorefield’ quad-core processor and ASUS ZenUI interface. Avaialble in Singapore from 10 October, 2014.

Both the ASUS MeMo Pad 8 (Left, S$499) and Fonepad 8 (Right, S$299) run Android 4.4 KitKat operating system and ASUS ZenUI interface, which features more than 200 software tweaks over previous ASUS interfaces.
The interface sports a new visual design with modern ‘flat’ icons, customisable vivid colour themes that match the tablets’ colour, as well as a cleaner layout that clearly presents all necessary information at one glance.

Despite its larger display, the ASUS Fonepad 8 has almost the same width as the previous generation 7-inch Fonepad.
Weighing at just 299g, ASUS boasts that the 8-inch MeMO Pad 8 (ME581CL) is the world’s lightest 8-inch tablet with Long-Term Evolution (LTE).
It features the next generation 64-bit Intel Atom Z3560 1.8GHz quad-core processor, and ultra-fast connectivity with 802.11ac Wi-Fi and wireless Near-Field Communications (NFC).
The ASUS Fonepad 8 (FE380CG) delivers powerful mobility with the next generation 64-bit Intel Atom Z3530 1.3GHz quad-core processor and 3G phone functions.
With its narrow bezel measuring just 5.06mm and a 72.2% screen-to-body ratio, ASUS claims that the 8-inch ASUS Fonepad 8 has the largest viewing area for any 8-inch phablet in the market.
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Tags: Android, Android 4, Android 4.4, Asus, Atom, dual SIM, Fonepad, Intel, KitKat, LTE, MeMO Pad, Moorefield, tablets, ZenUI
Posted in Android, Asus, Events, gadgets, Launch, newArrivals, Prices, Specifications, Tablets, tablets | No Comments »
September 24th, 2014
HP has launched the Pavilion x2 tablet/notebook hybrid, ENVY Beats All-in-One desktop and three wireless inkjet printers – ENVY 5640 eAiO, ENVY 5530 eAiO and ENVY 7640 eAiO. Price and availability below.

(Left) The ultra-portable HP Pavilion x2 detachable PC/tablet (S$499) is designed for customers who want to simplify their life with a single device that transforms from tablet to laptop. (Right) The HP ENVY Beats All-in-One (S$1,599) is equipped with quad speakers and quad subwoofers all in a sleek desktop design.
HP’s new slew of consumer products are targeted towards the millennials – young working adults from their mid-twenties to the mid-thirties.
Pricing and availability is tabulated below.
| HP Products |
Starting prices |
Availability |
| Pavilion x2 |
S$499 |
6 October |
| ENVY Beats All-in-One |
S$1,599 |
October |
| ENVY 5640 eAiO |
S$199 |
1 November |
| ENVY 5530 eAiO |
S$159 |
1 November |
| ENVY 7640 eAiO |
S$299 |
1 November |
The new HP Pavilion x2 is a full-featured 10-inch diagonal Windows tablet that transforms into a full-featured laptop with a detachable dual-purpose keyboard/cover that both protects the screen and serves as a multi-position stand.
“Customers have told us they want devices that offer flexibility and performance while reflecting their personal sense of style. The products we are announcing today include innovative designs, vibrant color options, choice of operating system and computing power to enable the way that customers communicate, play and live,” said Serena Yong, general manager, Printing and Personal Systems, HP Singapore and Malaysia.
The HP Pavilion x2 is a portable, versatile, highly affordable 2-in-1 PC powered by the latest-generation Intel Atom processor, and features front-firing speakers with DTS sound and a battery that lasts up to 11.45 hours.
The HP ENVY Beats All-in-One provides music lovers and movie fans with good sound quality with quad speakers and quad subwoofers.
It has a 23-inch diagonal Full HD IPS 10-point touchscreen display that tilts up to 30˚ so that users can sit comfortably while using it.
HP’s three new ENVY printers enable direct printing from smartphones and tablets.
The new HP ENVY 7640 and 5640 e-All-in-One printers will feature a new WiFi Direct feature, allowing users to maintain a simultaneous connection with both the printer and the Internet.

Print direct from smarthones and tablets: ENVY 5640 eAiO (left, S$199), ENVY 5530 eAiO (top, S$159) and ENVY 7640 eAiO (right, S$299).
The new devices can also be set up quickly and easily with a smartphone or tablet.
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Tags: Beats, consumer, ENVY, HP, hybrid, millennials, notebooks, Pavilion, printers, Singapore, tablets, transformers, wireless
Posted in All-in-One, Desktops, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, HP, Hybrid, Inkjet, Launch, Multi-function printer, newArrivals, Notebooks, notebooks, Prices, Printers, printers, Specifications, tablets, Windows 8 | No Comments »
September 24th, 2014
Our phone numbers are something we hand out readily to our contacts, yet we would like to protect them from misuse. StitMe is a service that enables users to control who can call you and when, without divulging your real number.

StitMe allows you to keep your mobile number private and control who can call you and when.
I was having tea the other day with Gurtaj Singh and he caught my interest with this app that he had launched just recently in the US.
Clean break
Is your kid going to college and you’re worried that he/she will end up bullied and harassed by calls from friends or ex-boyfriends/girlfriends?
Get him/her to use StitMe instead.
That way, should/when they break up, the other party would not be able to harass your kid through calling.
It’s called StitMe and is not available outside of US yet but it sounded like it had great potential to solve one of the biggest dilemmas of the modern age.
You want as many friends, colleagues and potential contacts to be able to contact you, but you don’t want to receive calls from unwarranted telemarketers because your telephone number had been harvested and compiled in some call list that are being sold or circulated without your consent.
Worse still, in the US, anybody can use your telephone number to do a reverse number lookup (the equivalent of a Whois query) and get personal information about you like your residential address etc.
StitMe is compatible with iOS and Android devices.
Currently it is only available in the US.
This is where StitMe comes in – users of the free service need not hand out their real telephone numbers anymore.
Between two StitMe users, all you give out is your StitMe User ID.
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Tags: Apps, service, smartphones, StitMe, Tech Focus, technology
Posted in Android, App, Brief, Business IT, Enterprise IT, Events, iOS, Phones, smartphones, Software, Tech Focus, Technology, Tickers | No Comments »
September 23rd, 2014
Singapore officially welcomed the Xbox One today at 1300hrs.
Update (9pm, 23 September):
Xbox One fans got to pit themselves against each other on board the Singapore Flyer, against the Skyline.

Singapore F1 GP may be over but #Xbox One fans are still racing the McLaren on #Forza5 in the Singapore Flyer. #XboxOneSG. Photo taken using Samsung Galaxy S5 and posted on Instagram.

Microsoft Xbox One Launch at Funan DigitaLife Mall. Photo: Microsoft Singapore.
The event kicked off with pre-order collection amongst the mass of over 500 fans as they turned Funan DigitaLife Mall into a sea of green.
“The feedback from our fans in Singapore has been overwhelming. We are on track to making this the biggest ever Xbox launch in history in Singapore. Today marks a historic day for us and our fans,” said Hanson Yap, Marketing Manager, Interactive Entertainment Business, and Microsoft, Singapore.
The console launch continues into the evening as invited fans battle it out in the sky onboard the Singapore Flyer.
The iconic landmark will light up Singapore’s skyline with the Xbox’s signature green – telling Singaporeans that the new entertainment console has landed.
This holiday, gamers will be able to create Car Clubs of up to 1,000 members and race through a wide-open world featuring the stunning landscapes of Southern Europe in “Forza Horizon 2”.
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Tags: Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, Dead Rising, FIFA 15, Forza, Funan, Halo, Kinect, launch, Microsoft, Singapore, StarHub, Xbox, Xbox One
Posted in Accessories, App, Entertainment, Events, Gadgets, gadgets, Games, Gaming, Gaming, Launch, Microsoft, newArrivals, Software, Tickers, Xbox | No Comments »
September 21st, 2014
Photo of the Day: Brought my daughter back to where I had discovered this kindle of kittens last year. Lo and behold, they were all still there sans one or two who had been adopted or died.

This photo was taken just after the cat had scuttled into the safety of this drain as it eyed us warily with its dilated eyes. It was already twilight and rather dark in the drain but the A7R didn’t have any problems getting a focus on the cat, although I had to dial up the ISO to its maximum of 25,600. The result was not surprisingly grainy but it was amazing that we even got any shot at all in that dim light! Photo taken with a Sony A7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with a 55-210mm E-mount zoom lens. 184mm, f/6.3, 1/250 sec, ISO 25,600. Photo credit: John Tan.
In particular, there was one black and white cat which I had photographed previously (see below).
“陪伴小女儿重游去年拍摄小猫咪的地方,发现当时只有几个星期大的小妈咪如今已长大了。连小女儿也觉得些许感概。但看到它安然成长,却也是一种安慰。祈福它与同伴们日后也能够继续安然度日。” – 科技点心(微薄)
We had so much fun comparing the fully grown cat with the photos that I’d taken of the kitten a year ago to affirm they were the same cat – the lines emanating from the corner of the eyes, and the stripes on the forehead.
The retirees looking after the cats confirmed that these cats were indeed those kittens all grown up.
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Tags: A7R, animals, cats, kittens, photography, photos, potd, Singapore, Sony
Posted in A7, Cameras, cameras, Gadgets, gadgets, MIL, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony | No Comments »
September 20th, 2014
Dell’s new portfolio promises more productivity in smaller and thinner devices.
These include the OptiPlex Micro PCs (fr S$419 – now), Latitude 3000 Series (fr S$779 – now) ,Latitude 5000 Series (fr S$1,119 – Sep 26), Latitude 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 (fr S$1,719 – Oct), Latitude 14 Rugged laptop, and Dell UltraSharp 27 Ultra HD 5K monitor (Q4, 2014).

Dell Latitude family featuring Dell Latitude 13 7000 Series – 13-inch 2-in-1 notebook computer in the center with tablet disconnected from keyboard attachment; Dell Latitude 14 3000 Series (left) – non-touch 14-inch notebook computer; and Dell Latitude 14 5000 Series (right) non-touch notebook computer.
Dell offers encryption, authentication and malware prevention from a single source via its Dell Data Protection portfolio.

Dell OptiPlex 9020 Micro desktop PC.
Dell has buillt management capabilities into its Latitude and OptiPlex portfolio to help users maximise their hardware investment and the all-new Dell Client Command Suite offers free automation tools to help significantly reduce time spent on deploying, monitoring and updating systems.
To help ensure outstanding reliability, each Latitude and OptiPlex system undergoes rigorous accelerated life cycle and torture tests for extreme heat, hinge endurance and twists.
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Tags: business, commercial, DELL, desktops, laptops, Latitude, monitors, notebooks, OptiPlex, PCs, Singapore, transformers, ultrabooks
Posted in Dell, Enterprise IT, Gadgets, gadgets, Hybrid, Launch, Monitors, newArrivals, Notebooks, notebooks, Prices, Specifications, Ultrabooks, Windows 8 | No Comments »
September 19th, 2014
Infosys and Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) is expanding their partnership to deliver next-generation infrastructure and data center transformation solutions to enterprises.

Infosys will also establish a center of excellence to co-create ‘pay-per-use’ solutions with HDS.
The new solutions will help improve operational efficiencies and facilitate smooth transition of their IT infrastructure to new cloud-based environments.
“Hitachi Data Systems and Infosys have a long history of collaboration. We are pleased to take our relationship to the next level by delivering the latest Hitachi Data Systems ‘Continuous Cloud Infrastructure’ solutions to help our mutual customers, around the world, deploy the most available, automated and agile environment for next-generation data centers and cloud solutions,” said Brian Householder, Chief Operating Officer, Hitachi Data Systems.
Enterprises can then convert a significant share of their capital expenditure, related to infrastructure and data center management, into operational expenditure.
The new data center transformation solutions, developed by Infosys and HDS, are tailored to meet refresh cycles of enterprise data centers.
The two partners will also create reference architectures and solution frameworks to accelerate private cloud deployments.
Infosys Cloud Ecosystem Hub is a first-of-its-kind solution that helps enterprises build and manage a unified hybrid cloud environment.
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Tags: cloud, data centers, enterprise IT, HDS, Hitachi Data Systems, Infosys, infrastructure
Posted in Announce, Business IT, Enterprise IT, Events, News, Press Release | No Comments »
September 18th, 2014
Samsung Singapore showcased in Singapore today a few of the devices unveiled during IFA 2014 – namely the Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge.
Also available for hands-on were the Gear S smartwatch and Gear Circle Bluetooth wireless earphones.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge with its innovative curved-edged screen, with Montblanc leather flip covers for the Note 4 in the background.
Both the Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge now have the same Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels) as the LG G3 but on a larger 5.7-inch screen, and the S Pen and S Note have been improved to enhance their functionality and productivity.

Samsung Gear Circle, with the ear buds “stuck” together magnetically, can be worn around the neck like a necklace when not in use.
The rear camera now has 16 megapixels and the front has 3.7 megapixels with an f1.9 lens.
By the way, the processor that’s going to ship to Singapore is the Snapdragon with 3GB RAM.
The Note Edge really does look novel with the sharp display on the curved screen that wraps around the thin right edge of the phablet.
The Gear S smartphone runs on the Tizen OS and has its own nano-SIM slot so you can place and receive calls independently of a smartphone.
It can also store and play music directly and be paired with the Gear Circle.
First Impressions:
Having used the Galaxy S4, Note 3 and now using the S5, I find the Note 4 and Note Edge exciting new additions to the Galaxy flagship devices.
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Tags: Android, Berlin, earphones, Galaxy, Gear, Gear Circle, Gear S, headsets, IFA, Note, Note 4, Note Edge, phablets, Samsung, smartphones, unpacked
Posted in Accessories, Android, Audio, Brief, earphones, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, GALAXY, Note, Phones, Prices, Samsung, smartphones, smartwatches, Specifications, Watches | 1 Comment »
September 17th, 2014
Trend Micro has launched the security solution to reduce vulnerabilities to intrusion of privacy and offers protection anytime, anywhere and on any device. Available in Singapore from 19 September for one (S$39), two (S$99) and three (S$129) devices.

Available in Singapore from 19 September at all leading IT retailers and online at the Trend Micro website – for one (S$39), two (S$99) and three (S$129) devices.
To protect consumers from the perils of Internet across multiple devices, Trend Micro has released its most comprehensive security solution available that offers protection from cyber threats for PC, Mac, Android and now iOS platforms.

The new Trend Micro Maximum Security Cloud Edition improves consumer security and privacy across PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices.
Trend Micro Maximum Security Cloud Edition is an all-in-one consumer solution that helps resolve both security and privacy issues that continue to plague Internet users.
As mobile device accounts are becoming more commonly shared with home computer networks, Trend Micro developed the Maximum Security Cloud Edition to provide protection for users no matter which device is being used at any given time.
Solutions like Trend Micro Maximum Security Cloud Edition are more necessary than ever, as verified by the results of a recent poll revealing that risky behavior by Internet users was generating new attack opportunities for cyber criminals.
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Tags: Maximum Security, security, Singapore, Trend Micro
Posted in Announce, Figures, newArrivals, Prices, Security, Software, Specifications, Study, Trend Micro | No Comments »