November 6th, 2012
Clarity AV has launched the RS20i, Datasat’s newest entry into Singapore’s luxury home cinema market, offering to bridge the gap with the professional cinema sphere. Available from today for S$32,250.
Clarity has just launched the Datasat RS20i Digital Audio Processor in Singapore.
The RS20i is engineered according to the same architecture as Datasat’s AP20 professional processor, the ‘brains’ that processed audio content for James Bond’s Skyfall, Men in Black 3, Jurassic Park and more than 14,000 other Hollywood blockbusters.
Datasat AP20
The AP20 is an industry staple and a favorite of Hollywood’s creative minds.
It boasts 16 channels of digital and analog inputs and outputs, and is one of the few audio processors capable of 3D audio today.
Unlike currently available surround sound boxes and premium processors, the RS20i conforms to the full 16-channel Digital Cinema Package (the collection of files that complete a digital movie) specification mandated by the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI).
With 16 channels of digital audio available, the RS20i supports up to 85 digital and analog inputs as well as 34 audio outputs.
The rear of the Dataset RS20i. Note the many digital/analog input/output sockets and three expansion slots.
This amount of outputs allows the audio processor to accommodate all surround sound formats currently available – including true 3D sound.
Clarity AV
Clarity is the sole distributor of the RS20i in Singapore and Malaysia.
It is a subsidiary of Clarity Group.
The company not only provides and installs sophisticated, high end entertainment systems for new homeowners but also works with owners of existing home theatres to enhance both audio and video quality.
In addition, three expansion slots allow for the easy addition of extra channels in the future.
The RS20i also allows audiophiles to fine tune audio exactly how they want and save the setting.
Once configured, it is easy to manage the setting with all the power of the RS20i available at the users’ fingertips through their smartphone, tablet or laptop.
The RS20i is the only home cinema solution to feature the market-leading Dirac Live room optimization technology.
Clarity AV 在新加坡开始发售 Dataset 的 RS20i Digital Audio Processor。这个售价$32,250新元的数码音频处理器是针对新加坡豪华住宅的私人影视市场。听过其影响效果真觉得“不同凡响”! – 科技点心（微薄）
Audio output is optimized from each speaker in a sound system so that it is perfectly balanced for the acoustic behavior of the listening environment where the speaker is situated, creating the most natural and immersive listening experience.
With sleek, elegant looks designed by Neal Feay Company, an award-winning designer of consumer electronics, the Datasat RS20i also makes an attractive component of any luxury home entertainment system.
Tags: Cinema, Clarity, Datasat, Hollywood, Jurassic Park, launch, luxury, Men in Black, Singapore, Skyfall, theatre
Posted in Audio, Events, Launch, Lifestyle, Shopping | 1 Comment »
November 6th, 2012
The future landscape of technology will be VUCA – Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. That’s according to Peter Hinssen, one of Europe’s thought leaders on the impact of technology on our society.
Bill Chang, CEO of SingTel Group Enterprise, concurred as he outlined how his group is already developing the essential building blocks to equip businesses, education, transportation and healthcare in an increasingly urbanised future.
i.luminate 2012 by SingTel is now ongoing at the Resorts World Sentosa Convention Centre
The biennial i.Luminate business innovations forum is being held right now at the Resorts World Sentosa Convention Centre in Singapore.
Bill Chang, CEO, Group Enterprise, SingTel
More than 6,000 key IT managers and CIOs applied for 3,000 seats at the seminar which was put together by SingTel Group Enterprise and its “ecosystem” of partners for enterprise ICT solutions.
The forward-looking event examines the challenges and opportunities created by rapidly changing technologies and workforce trends which are redefining the business and technology landscape.
Peter Hinssen, Managing Partner, Across Technology
It also puts forth the real-world intelligent and scalable information & communications technology (ICT) breakthroughs that are critical to drive growth.
These ICT solutions will help businesses, consumers and governments sustain growth, enhance agility, increase productivity, lower costs and improve profitability.
Trends shaping the future
- “Everything-as-a-Service”
- Mobility
- Smart machines
- Social
- Big Data & Analytics
The morning session has just ended, and what I’ve heard so far have been informative and refreshing.
There were more than 60 renowned business and thought leaders at the keynotes this morning.
In the afternoon, there will be 16 discussion tracks and workshops, with an exhibition of some 200 ICT innovations at the many demo booths.
Architecture diagram for SURF (click to enlarge)
Tags: #ilum2012, i.Luminate, ICT, RWS, seminars, Singapore, SingTel, SURF
Posted in Cloud, Enterprise IT, Events, Mobile, Seminars, SingTel, Technology, Tickers | 1 Comment »
November 5th, 2012
“LiveLabs Urban Lifestyle Innovation Platform“ (LiveLabs) and “SmartHub“ are two complementary innovation platforms in consumer and social analytics that will strengthen Singapore’s capabilities in Interactive Digital Media (IDM) Research & Development (R&D).
LiveLabs director, SMU Associate Professor Archan Misra (3rd from right) explaining to Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean (2nd from left) how location and context data would be collected from consumers’ mobile devices. Looking on were SMU President, Professor Arnoud De Meyer (1st from left); StarHub CEO Neil Montefiore (2nd from right); and LiveLabs director, SMU Assistant Professor Rajesh Balan (1st from right).
These two National Research Foundation (NRF)-supported innovation platforms will provide city-scale test-beds where home-grown and global players can jointly develop, test and launch their IDM-based products and services, not just for Singapore, but for the region.
“Through the launch of LiveLabs, SMU hopes to help businesses, particularly those in the retail, tourism and hospitality sectors, gather useful, context-based consumer and social insights based on the behavioural patterns of real-world users. This will enable participating companies in Singapore to tap high-value opportunities,” said SMU President, Professor Arnoud De Meyer.
With an investment of some $50 million, the two innovation platforms are expected to help speed up the commercialisation process of R&D, increase the quality and quantity of IDM innovations, help businesses gain useful insights into consumer behaviours, as well as catalyse more collaborations between the academia, industry and public-sector organisations in developing IDM innovation.
Together, the launch of SMU’s “LiveLabs“ and StarHub’s “SmartHub“ will help to sharpen the competitive edge of Singapore companies and position Singapore strongly and favourably as a regional hub for consumer and social analytics.
Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security, Minister for Home Affairs and Chairman of National Research Foundation (NRF), Mr Teo Chee Hean graced the “LiveAnalytics@SG: Launch of LiveLabs & SmartHub” event held at SMU as the Guest-of-Honour.
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Tags: MDA, R&D, Singapore, SMU, StarHub
Posted in Enterprise IT, Launch, StarHub | No Comments »
November 4th, 2012
Here’s a selection of interesting tech events happening this week (4-10 November 2012). It is not an exhaustive list and represents only a sampling of events that gives a taste of the tech pulse in Singapore.
What are some of the more interesting tech events happening in Singapore this week?
This looks like a relatively quieter week after all the buildup of launches for Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and iPad mini over the past few weeks. It’ll be a good breather before SITEX 2012 rolls into town towards the end of the month.
Event listing on tech4tea.comYou can see this selection of events in the right sidebar on every page.Event organisers can submit your events for listing to johntan@tech4tea.com – but there are no promises that your event will be featured.
SingTel kicks off its exhibition of ICT innovations in its repositioning as an ICT solutions provider.
For those marvelling at how marvellous Skyfall is, Datasat RS20i is the audio & video processor that delivers the impact in high-end private cinemas in Singapore.
Mid-week, VMware delves into Cloud computing in its vForum 2012 in Singapore, discussing key findings from the annual VMware Cloud Index. We’ll also get to hear Veeam’s insights and reactions to the report.
Below is the event listing for the week.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Datasat, Forrester, i.Luminate, Singapore, SingTel, Skyfall, SMU, StarHub, Veeam, VMware
Posted in Event forecast, Events, SingTel, StarHub | No Comments »
November 3rd, 2012
2,419 participants took part in the Singapore leg of the Canon PhotoMarathon Asia, at Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Here are the winning photos.
Winning portfolio of Best of Show winner in the Open category – Koh Zhi Kai. Themes from left: Wonder, Harmony, Pleasure.
Beginning at 9am in the morning, this year’s attendance of the day-long competition was an increase of 15% over last year.
Winning portfolio of Best of Show winner in the Student category – Jerrer Lee. Themes from left: Wonder, Harmony, Pleasure.
There were two categories of participants – Open and Student. For each category, there were three themes – Wonder, Harmony and Pleasure.
Top 3 entries for the first theme – “Wonder” – in the Open category. From left: Sawo Ediesetijono, Edmund Kwok, Henry Ong.
18 prizes were given to the top three winners of the three themes for each category. Prizes given included Canon products such as the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 650D digital SLRs.
Top 3 entries for the first theme – “Wonder” – in the Student category. From left: Troy Yeo, Phongsakon Saranrithichai, Gracia Ow.
In addition, Best of Show awards were given for each of the two categories – for the best collection of images from all three themes.
Top 3 entries for the second theme – “Harmony” – in the Open category. From left: Sam Chong, Wee Keng Hor, Wong Jiaming.
The two Best of Show winners – Koh Zhi Kai (Open) and Jerrer Lee – will be going on an eight-day all-expense-paid photo clinic to Hungary.
Top 3 entries for the second theme – “Harmony” – in the Student category. From left: Benjamin Lee, Jerrer Lee, Dian Putrisyah Shahrudin.
This year’s competition also featured a Celebrity Challenge.
Top 3 entries for the third theme – “Pleasure” – in the Open category. From left: Leslie Quek, Muhammad Razaleigh Bin Mohame, Koh Zhi Kai.
Under this challenge, local celebrities – The Muttons, Jade Seah, Ross, Dawn Yeo and Nat Ho – competed against each other based on the theme, Pleasure.
Top 3 entries for the third theme – “Pleasure” – in the Student category. From left: Rudyanto AKil Yusoff, Paul Tang, Marcus Chong Jey Leng.
Canon will be donating S$5,000 to the winning celebrity, Vernon A’s charity of choice – Children’s Cancer Foundation.
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Tags: Canon, competition, contest, Marina Bay Sands, photography, PhotoMarathon, photos, Singapore
Posted in Cameras, Canon, Contest, Gadgets | 1 Comment »
November 2nd, 2012
Live footage was streamed to smartphones, giant outdoor screens, mio TV and Facebook. Join in the fans on hashtag #SingTel2NE1.
You might have heard via the grapevine and even read in the papers about K-Pop supergroup being spotted in Singapore.
Well they are in Singapore – right now.
Sensuous Dara
Fun-loving CL
“At SingTel, we aim to bring joy to our customers through amazing experiences, which we amplify through the use of innovative multimedia and mobile technologies,” said Allen Lew, SingTel’s Country Chief Officer Singapore.
They are giving a surprise performance on Read Bridge in Clarke Quay, Singapore – courtesy of SingTel, who organised the stunt as part of its brand campaign.
2NE1 is performing their smash hits: I Love You, Fire, I Don’t Care, Can’t Nobody and Clap Your Hands.
Crowds also gathered to watch the performance live on giant outdoor screens at Knightsbridge, Bugis Junction, JCube and Toa Payoh Hub.
Colourful Minzy
Doll-like Bom
“We know Singaporeans love K-Pop music. So, we are thrilled to organise this surprise performance to bring fans up close and personal with their favourite stars. With our multimedia capabilities, we are able to bring the performance to every corner of Singapore,” he said.
To ensure that no fans missed out, SingTel leveraged its multimedia capabilities to stream live footage of the performance through its new Amazapp mobile app.
The app also offers exclusive unreleased videos that give fans a behind-the-scenes peek into the lives of band members.
SingTel also aired the showcase live via mio TV, as well as its website and Facebook page, thus providing fans with several ways to experience the event.
CL and Dara at Clarke Quay, Singapore
Fans can download recordings of the performance through SingTel’s AMPed music service, as well as a variety of mobile ringtones and wallpaper.
Bom taking in the atmosphere at Read Bridge in Clarke Quay
“Through our understanding of what our customers want and prefer, we are able to come up with innovative apps, content and technology for everyone. Our vision is summed up in our new motto: Let’s Make It Amazing Together and Bring Joy to Our Customers,” Lew added.
The showcase was part of a new brand campaign to demonstrate SingTel’s transformation into a multimedia and ICT company that goes beyond traditional telco services to offer content-rich services that enhance and simplify customers’ lives.
The performance was the first of a series of technology-enhanced events organised by SingTel to delight its customers and showcase its multimedia capabilities.
CL and Dara performing to capacity crowds at Clarke Quay, Singapore
K-Pop supergroup 2NE1 saying goodbye to fans at Clarke Quay
Tags: 2NE1, Clarke Quay, K-Pop, Singapore, SingTel
Posted in Events, Performance, SingTel, Tech news, Tickers | No Comments »
November 1st, 2012
The “A-Drive” is one of the world’s thinnest 5mm hybrid hard drive in a 2.5-inch form factor. Increased storage capacity, reduced power consumption, and at a lower cost of manufacture.
A*STAR’s Data Storage Institute (DSI) launches next generation 5mm hybrid hard disk drive.
S. Iswaran launched the drive to commemorate 20 years of R&D by the Data Storage Institute (DSI) into data storage capabilities.
“We have managed to fit an amazing amount of innovation and advanced technology into a thinner, cheaper, and faster design, and we think the consumer and enterprise impact will be significant,” said Dr. Pantelis Alexopoulos, Executive Director of DSI.
Iswaran is a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry.
The “A-Drive” has capacities of up to 1TB Hard Disk Drive (HDD) with 32 GB Solid State Drive (SSD), allowing it to store over 250,000 songs.
The “A-Drive” addresses limitations of the popular and fast but expensive flash-based SSD, as well as the conventional HDD for the consumer and business industry.
DSI’s “A-Drive” is targeted at tablets, ultrabooks, and future data centres.
With its slim form factor, the “A-Drive” could fit into tablet devices, greatly expanding its storage space while extending battery life by up to 30%.
The innovations for the HDD portion of this A-Drive should be applicable to the manufacture of conventional hard disk drives as low-hanging fruits for monetising the research investments.
The “A-Drive” will be a cheaper alternative to the SSDs currently used in ultrabooks, offering the same instant-on capability but with larger storage capacity.
How much will it cost?
Dr. Alexopoulos reckons that a 500GB A-Drive with 32GB Flash memory could have a sale price of US$60 (S$73).
From here, it could take from six to eight months for the A-Drive to hit the market.
For enterprise storage applications, the “A-Drive” reduces power consumption by up to 50%, resulting in greener and more efficient data centres with better optimisation of the already limited rack space.
One of the main challenges in reducing the thickness of current 7mm hard disk drives by almost 30% without compromising on its performance and stability is its spindle motor design.
“Our capabilities today have been the result of two decades of collaboration with industry partners around the world …We look forward to future partnerships as we continue our drive towards new innovations that will shape the data storage landscape,” said Dr. Alexopoulos.
To achieve a reduction in size, DSI researchers developed a proprietary axial field motor which runs smoother, quieter, and more efficiently – lowering power consumption by up to 70% – but costing only a fraction of the cost of SSDs.
The motor’s design has been patented, along with 30 other unique designs for the “A-Drive”.
In addition, DSI has collaborated with multinational corporations and local companies, such as Seiko Instruments, Miyoshi, and Unisteel, to develop key components for the “A-Drive”.
Why is DSI developing this technology?
Data storage manufacturing is an important sector for Singapore’s economy.
DSI’s research into data storage innovation enables Singapore to shift from assembly of hard disk drive components towards higher value-added activities such as hard disk drive design and hard media research.
In the 20 years since its founding, DSI has enabled data storage companies in Singapore to move up the value chain, creating high-value jobs and refining job skills in the process.
Tags: A*STAR, DSI, hard drive, HDD, hybrid, Singapore, SSD, storage
Posted in Enterprise IT, Events, Gadgets, Launch, Notebooks, Prices, Specifications, storage drive, Tablets, Tech news, Technology | 1 Comment »
October 30th, 2012
Lenovo has announced four new convertible tablet/notebook hybrids designed for Windows 8 and Windows RT: the IdeaPad Yoga 13 Ultrabook (S$1,899, mid-Nov), Yoga 11 (S$1,199, early-Dec), ThinkPad Twist S230u (S$1,699, available today), and Tablet 2 (S$899, mid-Dec).
Both IdeaPads can be pre-ordered now.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 (left) and ThinkPad Twist S230u (right) in “Tent” mode, with the Twist and its swivel screen in the centre.
The theme of the launch event at the National Library Building in Singapore was “Flip, Flex, Bend, Twist”, which describes the various ways in which you can manipulate the new convertible tablets.
Bend it like … Beckham Yoga.
I played with the devices on display and found them responsive to the touch of the fingers.
I like the hinge design of the Yoga which allows the screen to be flipped 360 degrees onto itself to convert the Ultrabook into a flat tablet (and as a free-standing display enroute).
The 16.9mm thin Yoga 13 also felt light at only 1.54kg.
When the screen is flipped more than 180 degrees, the keyboard and trackpad is disabled to prevent accidental activation of these while holding the Yoga.
Below is a summary of the four new devices. All are Wi-Fi capable but only the Tablet 2 has an option for 3G.
| Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 – S$1,899 |
| This convertible Ultrabook can be flipped 360 degree to become a flat tablet.
 Boasting more than eight hours of battery life, its Motion Control technology enables users to use gestures to flip through photos, or use fingers on the ten-point multi-touch screen.
Specs: Windows 8, Intel Core i7 CPU, 13.3″ HD+ (1600×900) IPS display, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 1.54kg, 16.9mm thick.
Lenovo is partnering with SingTel to offer an special edition of the IdeaPad Yoga 13 (priced at $1,799 with Intel Core i5 CPU ) with every sign up of SingTel 150Mbps Fibre BroadBand at $98 per month or 15Mbps Home BroadBand at $79.90 per month.
Available in mid-November. Can pre-order now. |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 – S$1,199 |
| The Yoga 11 claims to be the world’s slimmest multi-mode PC, measuring just 15.6 mm thin.
 Its slim design, 11.6-in screen and long 13 hour battery life make it a great convertible for mobility.
Specs: Windows RT, NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU, 11.6″ HD (1366×768) IPS display, 2GB RAM, 64GB eMMC storage, 1.27kg, 15.6mm thick.
Available in early December. Can pre-order now. |
| ThinkPad Twist S230u – S$1,699 |
| Another Ultrabook convertible with a twist.
 This 12.5-inch powerhouse features up to Intel Core i7 CPU and is suitable for both business and personal use.
Specs: Windows 8 Pro, Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU, 12.5″ HD IPS display, up to 8GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 1.58kg, 20mm thick, 7 hours battery life.
The ThinkPad Twist S230u is available now. |
| ThinkPad Tablet 2 – S$899 |
 This tablet is designed for Windows 8 and powered by an Intel Atom processor.
The ThinkPad Tablet 2 supports 5-finger multi-finger touch, pen input or connection to the ThinkPad Tablet 2 keyboard and dock for a PC-like computing experience.
Both the Pen/Digitizer and keyboard are optional.
 The ThinkPad Tablet 2 includes a host of IT manageability, security and corporate-level service and support to help IT managers easily deploy in their business environments.
Specs: Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro, Intel Atom CPU, 10.1″ HD (1366×768) IPS display, up to 2GB RAM, 64GB SSD, up to 600g, 9.8mm thick.
Available in mid-December. |
Tags: convertibles, hybrids, launch, Lenovo, notebooks, Singapore, tablets, Twist, Windows, Windows 8, Yoga
Posted in Events, Gadgets, Hybrid, Launch, Lenovo, Microsoft, Notebooks, Operating Systems, Prices, Specifications, Tablets, Ultrabooks, Windows 8 | 1 Comment »
October 30th, 2012
Japanese printer and sewing machine manufacturer has launched the compact A3 inkjet multi-function printer in Singapore.
Available from 1 November 2012, the Multi-Function Centre MFC-J2510 (S$398 incl. GST) is sleek, small and fast; and is targeted towards SMBs and SOHOs.
Brother inkjet Multi-Function Centre MFC-J2510 (S$398 incl. 7% GST).
The Brother MFC-J2510 is tailored for personal use, small or home offices (SOHOs) and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
Six cloud-based services that the Brother MFC-J2510 can print from and scan to:
- Facebook
- Dropbox
- Picasa
- Flickr
- Google Docs
- Evernote
It sports bold, curved edges and has a black and white design with a gloss finish.
The multi-function printer is able to copy, fax, scan and print; and has a 3.7-inch touchscreen interface.
The MFC-J2510 supports wired and wireless networking, prints on both sides, and features Internet connectivity to support printing from and scanning to six cloud-based services.
The Brother MFC-J2510 InkBenefit and its touchscreen interface.
You can use Brother iPrint&Scan app, Apple AirPrint or Google Cloud Print to print from and scan straight to your iPhone, iPad, Android device or Windows Phone.
Landscape A4 printing.
It also supports direct printing from USB flash memory and media memory cards.
Even though it can print up to A3 sizes, the MFC-J2510 is compact and similar in size to the typical A4 multi-function printer.
This is Brother’s first device that uses landscape-printing, featuring a larger horizontal 1,680-nozzle print head.
It is Brother’s fastest inkjet model with a print speed of up to 20 monochrome and 18 colour pages per minute (ppm).
The MFC-J2510 also conserves both ink (see print yield in the table below) and off-mode power consumption.
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Tags: Brother, Cineleisure, Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook, Flickr, Google Docs, inkjet, launch, multi-function, Picasa, printer, Singapore
Posted in Brother, Cloud, Events, Facebook, Gadgets, Inkjet, Launch, Multi-function printer, Prices, Printers, Specifications | 1 Comment »
October 28th, 2012
Here’s a selection of interesting tech events happening this week (28 October – 3 November 2012). It is not an exhaustive list and represents only a sampling of events that gives a taste of the tech pulse in Singapore.
What are some of the more interesting tech events happening in Singapore this week?
Lenovo is showing off its exciting lineup of convertible notebook/tablet hybrids for Windows 8 this week. I played with some of the models during the Windows 8 launch in Singapore last week, and they are amazing. Watch this space for the hands-on.
Event listing on tech4tea.com
You can see this selection of events in the right sidebar on every page.
Event organisers can submit your events for listing to johntan@tech4tea.com – but there are no promises that your event will be featured.
This week sees Microsoft move its focus from the launch of Windows 8 to the formal launch of Windows Phone 8, which shares a common core with its bigger sibling.
Will the Metro-based new smartphone operating system increase its market share from a meagre 3.5% (for the second quarter according to IDC).
Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android dominate with 17% and 68% respectively. Windows Phone 8 smartphones announced thus far include Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, HTC 8S and 8X, and Samsung ATIV S. We might actually see the HTC models showcased in Singapore this Friday!
Midweek, Brother is launching a new printer while A*STAR Data Storage Institute will show off the world’s thinnest 2.5-inch 5mm hybrid drive for consumer and business devices.
For those interested in the latest trends in Cloud, Mobile, Social and Big Data, be sure to register for Oracle Day 2012 at Marina Bay Sands. Get the hottest updates on critical business drivers, meet Oracle experts and experience their latest technologies at the Demo booths.
And for photography buffs, the Singapore leg of Canon’s annual PhotoMarathon Asia 2012 takes place at the Marina Bay Sands this Saturday. To be guaranteed a participation slot do register online prior to the event.
Below is the events listing for the week.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Apple, Brother, Canon, convertibles, HTC, laptops, Lenovo, Lumia, Marina Bay Sands, Microsoft, Microsoft Windows 8, Nokia, notebooks, printers, Samsung, Singapore, SingTel, tablets, Windows, Windows 8, Windows Phone, Windows Phone 8
Posted in Apple, Brother, Canon, Event forecast, Events, Gadgets, Google, HTC, Inkjet, Lumia, Microsoft, Nokia, Notebooks, Operating Systems, Phones, Photography, Printers, Samsung, SingTel, Software, Tablets, Tech news, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 | No Comments »
