TODAY! Nikon COOLPIX L610 available in Singapore

September 4th, 2012

The Nikon COOLPIX L610 is now available for sale in Singapore (S$339).

Nikon COOLPIX L610 comes in black, red or silver.

Nikon COOLPIX L610 comes in black, red or silver.

The compact COOLPIX L610 was launched in Singapore less than two weeks ago, as one of six new cameras Nikon launched as part of its Autumn 2012 collection.

The Nikon COOLPIX L610 is available in Singapore today.

The Nikon COOLPIX L610 is available in Singapore today.

The L610 has 16 megapixels and 14x optical zoom from 25-350mm (35mm equivalent).

It is equipped with Target Finding AF, for optimal focus on a subject with the camera.

The camera records full-HD (1920 x 1080p/30fps) movies with stereo sound.

The Nikon COOLPIX L610 features 5 in-camera filter effects: Soft, Selective Colour, Cross Screen, Miniature Effect, Painting.

The L610 uses AA batteries and is available in black, red or silver.

Top 3 SingTel Grid Girls for Singapore Formula 1

September 2nd, 2012

In the finale to SingTel’s series of roadshows leading up to the Singapore Grand Prix, SingTel has unveiled the Singapore Grand Prix trophy, the top three SingTel Grid Girls, Singapore’s fastest electric go-kart racer, and the champions of the F1 in Schools programme.

SingTel Grid Girls finalists waiting with bated breath for the results of the competition.

SingTel Grid Girls finalists waiting with bated breath for the results of the competition.

Fifth time title sponsor of the Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix had teamed up with race promoter, Singapore GP to organise the “F1 for Everyone” roadshows across Singapore.

Unveiling of the new FORMULA 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix trophy.

Unveiling of the new FORMULA 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix trophy. This photo courtesy of SingTel.

The weekend finale at Big Splash saw the unveiling of a new FORMULA 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix trophy.

Arrian North and Esther Leong at the roadshow.

Arrian North and Esther Leong at the roadshow.

The new trophy was crafted by local designer Nathan Yong.

It  resembles the interlocking branches and leaves of the laurel wreath, traditionally worn as a symbol of victory at sporting events in ancient Greece.

The circular shape of the trophy also represents Speed, Connection and Unity, symbolising the coming together of top international drivers in the Formula 1 races around the world.

The event was officiated by Mr S Iswaran, Minister in Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs & Trade and Industry.

Ashvin Sandhu and Rebecca Ly Dia Dore at the roadshow.

Ashvin Sandhu and Rebecca Ly Dia Dore, two of the top 8 finalists at the roadshow.

The highlight of the event was the unveiling of the top three 2012 SingTel Grid Girls.

Top Grid Girl in 2012 is 21-year-old Ashvin Sandhu.

Top Grid Girl in 2012 is 21-year-old Ashvin Sandhu.

This is the first time that the top three SingTel Grid Girls have been selected based purely on public SMS and online voting.

1st Runner-up Emily Chia.

1st Runner-up Emily Chia

The top three girls, who were crowned at the event, will get to hold the Singapore, Formula One and Singapore GP flags at the Singapore Grand Prix this year.

The Top Grid Girl this year is 21-year old Ashvin Sandhu, an avid F1 fan who has watched almost every race over the past few years.

In second place is 21-year old Emily Chia, a lover of fast cars.

In third place is 23-year old Esther Leong who thrives on the adrenaline of the race and extreme sports.

In order to reach out to everyone in Singapore, including families, youths and people with special needs, SingTel invited students from APSN Tanglin School to experience the electric go-karts at the first roadshow in the series.

Emily Chia, one of top 8 finalists of the SingTel Grid Girl competition.

Emily Chia, looking like a doll … Barbie?

F1 excitement was also brought to the schools.

2nd Runner-up Esther Leong

2nd Runner-up Esther Leong

Displaying finesse on the circuit, students from the “F1 in Schools” programme tried their hand at Singapore’s first ever electric go-kart experience in a bid to clock the fastest race time.

The “F1 in Schools” is an international competition where school children aged nine to 19 design, manufacture and race their miniature cars.

In another thrilling speed race but on a much smaller track, students put their self-made gas-powered miniature F1 cars to the test in an exciting time-based competition.

In addition, the public enjoyed their version of the “mini” race, setting off gas-powered miniature F1 cars in a bid to achieve the fastest possible reaction timings within 0.18 of a second to win attractive prizes.

If eyes could smile ...

If eyes could smile …

To encourage more people to embrace the F1 experience both on and off the track, SingTel and Singapore GP have launched two new applications, for iPhone and Android users, to be available on the App Store and Google Play.

If eyes could talk ...

If eyes could talk …

The SingTel application is a social app that acts as a guide to inform F1 fans of the exciting activities taking place this race season.

In addition, app users can share their favorite F1 moments, activities and photos with their friends.

The Singapore GP app is meant for serious F1 fans, and has the latest news on the 2012 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX.

It will keep users up to speed with the current driver and team standings, allowing them to take part in Singapore GP contests as well as purchase tickets to the night race.

Progress Software collaborates with SingTel to launch cloud platform for application development

September 1st, 2012

Progress Software is collaborating with SingTel to launch cloud-based infrastructure for ISVs to build, test, manage and deploy cloud-based applications.

MoU signing. Keith Budge, Vice President and Managing Director (Asia Pacific & Japan), Progress Software (Left) with Alvin Kok, Head of Infocomm Services, SingTel (right).

MoU signing. Keith Budge, Vice President and Managing Director (Asia Pacific & Japan), Progress Software (Left) with Alvin Kok, Head of Infocomm Services, SingTel (right).

From the brief that Budge and Kok gave me, I can see how the collaboration will enable ISVs to mature from providing on-premise one-to-one solutions; to cloud-enabled, single-source, multi-tenanted, pay-per-use solutions.

Essentially, SingTel will provide the foundation with its PowerON IaaS, Progress Software will provide the enabler in the form of OpenEdge PaaS, so that ISVs can quickly and cost-effectively deploy cloud-based applications for their clients’ businesses.

Progress Software Corporation is a global software company that aims to be a leading platform provider for the next-generation, context-aware applications in the Cloud.

“… this [collaboration with SingTel] bolsters our strategy to provide new and existing application partners a singular, unified platform to build and deploy applications in the cloud,” said Keith Budge, Vice President and Managing Director for Asia Pacific and Japan, Progress Software.

Its collaboration with Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel) will enable software developers from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to deploy, access and analyze applications in the Cloud using the Progress OpenEdge application development platform.

The Asia Pacific Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) market is attracting considerable interest from businesses due to the flexibility it brings to application development and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

Frost & Sullivan projects that the market will grow to reach $523 million in 2016.

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Attacking COMEX 2012

August 31st, 2012

A bit of planning can save you much meandering in the ocean of exhibitors at COMEX 2012. Here are three simple steps to make your bargain-hunting a breeze.

Do you find yourself zig-zagging acrros the hall and shuttling to-and-fro between floors?

Do you find yourself zig-zagging acrros the hall and shuttling to-and-fro between floors?

The weekend is here and many will be jam-packing Levels 3, 4 and 6 of Suntec Singapore to take advantage of promotions at COMEX 2012 – one of four major annual IT shows in Singapore.

Follow these three simple steps to make your bargain-hunting a breeze.

Step 1 – Online browsing of promotions

Check out the offers online. Even before hitting the venue, browse through the e-brochures and e-flyers to check out the discounts and freebies offered by exhibitors.

Click on this button to display ALL articles and promotions for COMEX 2012.

Click on this button to display ALL articles and promotions for COMEX 2012.

Check the list of promotions I have consolidated on tech4tea.com here.

You can click on the COMEX 2012 button at the top of the side-bar to the right of every page of tech4tea.com – it will show you all the articles related to COMEX 2012.

If you have specific gadgets you want to buy, you can do some targeted browsing/search.

Notice the buttons the main COMEX 2012 button? Pressing these buttons will lead you to a compilation of the relevant flyers/promotions for the category of gadgets that you’re looking for.

Drowning in a sea of irrelevant brochures? Do some targeted browsing instead.

Drowning in a sea of irrelevant brochures? Do some targeted browsing instead.

These include computers (desktops, all-in-ones, notebooks, ultrabooks, netbooks, tablets etc), printers (laser printers, inkjets, photo and label printers etc), cameras, audio products and accessories.

Hopefully, this will rescue you from drowning in the sea of brochures and flyers flying around the Web.

Step 2 – Plan your route

Based on the shopping list, tally with the floor plan for the show, and plan an expeditious route through the booths.

This will save you from having to zig-zag across the halls or between floors.

You may want to plan a route that includes competing exhibitors just to check whether they have revised their prices on-site to something better than what you’ve already decided based on online browsing.

Step 3 – Put on your blinkers or shop-till-you-drop

With your shopping list and route in hand, put on your blinkers and FOLLOW the plan. You should be able to get in and out and get what you want pretty quickly.

Of course, if you prefer to spend the entire day and empty your wallets, you can just go the free-and-easy way, and meander through the crowd as and where your fancy takes you.

Below are some useful resources for planning your COMEX 2012 shopping trip.

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Visiting COMEX 2012 at Suntec Singapore

August 31st, 2012

As usual, I hit COMEX 2012 on the second afternoon of the 4-day event, before the end-of-week crowds roll in after work to look for bargains.

COMEX 2012 at Suntec Singapore, Levels 3, 4 & 6; from 30 August to 2 September, 12 noon to 9 pm; admission free.

COMEX 2012 at Suntec Singapore, Levels 3, 4 & 6; from 30 August to 2 September, 12 noon to 9 pm; admission free.

Compared to the PC Show in June, the crowds at COMEX 2012 was bigger during this second-afternoon slot – which is what I believe to be the “lullest” time-window of the four annual 4-day IT exhibitions..

Queing up to enter Suntec car park.

Queing up to enter Suntec car park.

I managed to park at Suntec Singapore itself after a 15-minute queue at car park entrance E. Don’t even think about driving to COMEX over the weekend. Do yourself a favour and take public transport instead.

There’re more exhibitors at COMEX 2012 compared to the previous show as well. I got in and out within half an hour – I’d planned my shopping list, checked out the floor plans and worked out the route of attack through the crowds and booths.

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COMEX 2012 promotions: Olympus

August 30th, 2012

Olympus will be at COMEX 2012 at Suntec Singapore at Hall 404, Booth 8205.

Click to view or download Olympus promotions during COMEX 2012. Caution: Large file (14MB PDF).

Click to view or download Olympus promotions during COMEX 2012. Caution: Large file (14MB PDF).

Check out Olympus promotions for its range of cameras. S$150 discount for its (super-)Tough TG-320 that was just launched this month (at S$348). You can get now get the waterproof (3m) and shockproof (1.5m) adventure camera for S$198.

“日本相机制造商Olympus正参展COMEX 2012。其展览亭位于404展览厅,8205号展览亭。多款相机都有相当大的折扣。刚出炉的防岁水防撞Tough TG-320 由S$348 减至S$198,比较旧但还很实用的XZ-1由S$748减至S$498。Olympus 也出售录音机以及时髦的相机配件。” – 科技点心(微薄)

Another of my favourite is the XZ-1. It’s been around for a while now but its F1.8 bright lens is still alluring, especially with a discount of S$250 from S$748 to S$498, plus gifts worth S$175.

For those moving beyond compact cameras, check out the retro PEN-series and OM-D E-M5 mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras.

Olympus also sells voice recorders and very fashionable accessories for its cameras.

COMEX 2012 promotions: Canon

August 30th, 2012

Canon will be at COMEX 2012 at Suntec Singapore at Hall 404, Booth 8101.

Click to view or download Canon promotions during COMEX 2012. (Caution: Large 9MB PDF file)

Click to view or download Canon promotions during COMEX 2012. (Caution: Large 9MB PDF file)

Check out Canon’s Comex 2012 promotions for its range of cameras and printers.

For cameras, there is the EOS range of DSLRs, Ixus and Powershot range of compact cameras; and for video, the Legria range of camcorders.

For printers, it has the PIXMA inkjets, as well as LaserShot and imageCLASS series of laser printers and multifunction devices.

Look out for discounted ink cartridges, batteries and scanners too.

COMEX 2012 promotions: Epson

August 30th, 2012

Epson will be at COMEX 2012 at Suntec Singapore at Hall 401-404, Booth 8115.

Click to view or download Epson promotions during COMEX 2012.

Click to view or download Epson promotions during COMEX 2012. (Caution: large file: 7MB)

Check out Epson’s full range of laser printers, inkjets, photo printers, label printers, scanners, multifunction printers, projectors and of course, their latest Moverio mobile viewer (aka X-men Cyborg shades).

Star buys include the Epson Aculaser CX17NF printer (S$498), EB-1775W 3LCD projector (S$1,299) and Expression Home XP-102 (S$88).

As usual, all ink and media are sold at 20% discount so its good to stock up for the next three months.

COMEX 2012 promotions: Brother

August 30th, 2012

Brother will be at COMEX 2012 at Suntec Singapore at Level 4, Hall 404, Booth 8305.

Click to view or download Brother promotions during COMEX 2012.

Click to view or download Brother promotions during COMEX 2012.

Check out free gifts and substantial discounts on the Japanese maker’s range of laser printers, inkjets, multifunction printers, label printers and – yes – Brother sewing machines.

COMEX 2012 promotions: Fuji Xerox

August 30th, 2012

Fuji Xerox will be at COMEX 2012 at Suntec Singapore at Hall 401, Booth 8468; as well as Halls 402/403, Booth 8111.

Click to view or download Fuji Xerox promotions during COMEX 2012.

Click to view or download Fuji Xerox promotions during COMEX 2012.

Check out discounts for laser printers, multifunction printers and toners from Fuji Xerox.