POTD: Jogger on the bridge (Canon PhotoMarathon 2016 winner)

November 22nd, 2016

Photo of the Day: Black and white shot of a jogger running on a bridge leading to the Singapore Sports Hub. Taken by Lim Mark Anthony Pamintuan, winner of “Best of Show (Open Category)”.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

Mark’s submission for Theme 3 in this year’s Canon PhotoMarathon. Photo credit: Lim Mark Anthony Pamintuan.

Guess who was the jogger in this photo?

It’s none other than the photographer himself!

When I chatted with Mark about the photo, he shared that he frequently went to that bridge to take photos – so when the third theme was announced, he immediately formed this image in his mind.

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POTD: Worker examining grocery (Canon PhotoMarathon 2016 winner)

November 21st, 2016

Photo of the Day: Atmospheric monochrome shot of a worker examining grocery stock in the warehouse of a grocery store. Taken by Lim Mark Anthony Pamintuan, winner of “Best of Show (Open Category)”.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

Mark’s submission for Theme 2: Kyosei – the second of three themes in this year’s Canon PhotoMarathon. Photo credit: Lim Mark Anthony Pamintuan.

When I chatted with Mark about the photo, he shared that he originally wanted to take a photo inside a temple with people in it.

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POTD: Singapore Flyer in the Eye (Canon PhotoMarathon 2016 winner)

November 20th, 2016

Photo of the Day: Taken by Lim Mark Anthony Pamintuan, winner of “Best of Show (Open Category)”.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

This photo also won top place in Theme 1: Vision, the first of three themes in this year’s Canon PhotoMarathon. Photo credit: Lim Mark Anthony Pamintuan.

When I chatted with Mark about the photo, he shared that he decided to go to the Singapore Flyer because it was one of the famous icons here.

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Event: Canon PhotoMarathon XIV Singapore 2016 & Results

November 19th, 2016

The annual photography competition takes place today on Saturday, 19 November, 2016 at the Suntec City Convention & Exhibition Centre 401-402.

Update (end of 19 November, 2016):

The results of the Canon PhotoMarathon has been released.

The winners are listed below.

I will be posting the winners' photos on Instagram over the next few days to share with everyone the quality photos that came out of this competition.

I will be posting the winners’ photos on Instagram over the next few days to share with everyone the quality photos that came out of this competition.

List of Canon PhotoMarathon 2016 winners

BEST OF SHOW – STUDENT
Tan Jiale Nicholas, SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC

BEST OF SHOW – OPEN
Lim Mark Anthony Pamintuan

SCHOOL CHALLENGE WINNER
ANGLO-CHINESE SCHOOL (INDEPENDENT)

THEME 1 : VISION

STUDENT CATEGORY
1ST Tan Jiale Nicholas, SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC
2ND Nicolas Chua, ANGLO-CHINESE SCHOOL (INDEPENDENT)
3RD Chew Ying Xuan Carina, PEI HWA SECONDARY SCHOOL

OPEN CATEGORY
1ST Lim Mark Anthony Pamintuan
2ND Wee Keng Hor
3RD Byron Moray Pittendrigh

THEME 2: KYOSEI

STUDENT CATEGORY
1ST Wan Aniqah Mahirah, QUEENSWAY SECONDARY SCHOOL
2ND Yang Sze Yuan Ivan, NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
3RD Ng Jia Ching, SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC

OPEN CATEGORY
1ST Ng Clarence
2ND Bacalso Nino Jim Apit
3RD Nazri Bin Bajuri

CANON CHALLENGE WINNER (only Canon users qualify)
LI JIAXUAN

THEME 3: #NoFilter + #NewPerspective + #SPACE

STUDENT CATEGORY
1ST Emmanuel Benedict, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
2ND Tan Yan Sheng Shawnn, ANGLO-CHINESE JUNIOR COLLEGE
3RD Ng Jun Ying, HWA CHONG INSTITUTION

OPEN CATEGORY
1ST Soong Yi Wei Noel
2ND Lim Tee Lip
3RD Heppi Wasyeri

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tech4xmas Review: Xiaomi Mi Max entry-level Android phablet

November 18th, 2016

There’s been much excitement surrounding the launch of the entry-level Xiaomi Mi Max phablet some six months ago. Oliver Ong Chor Yew bought one online to review it below.

Editor’s note

Xiaomi’s reputation for selling well-spec’ed phones at super low prices manifests itself in the Mi Max, offering huge value to the consumer.

I tried out the phablet too and found it was indeed slightly unwieldy to use one-handed.

But its huge and bright screen is great for reading ebooks, watching videos and surfing the Web.

And the battery life is the longest I’ve encountered – only the ASUS Zenfone Max is comparable.

You won’t get the same quality and feature set of the Samsung’s unfortunate flagship Galaxy Note7 – but at only a fraction of the price, Xiaomi’s Mi Max presents itself as an extremely value-for-money alternative to grab part of the market share vacated by the Note7.

Hence, I’ve included the Xiaomi Mi Max in the tech4xmas gift list.

Read Oliver Ong Chor Yew’s review below.

The Xiaomi Mi Max fresh out of the box (left), and the home screen (right).

The Xiaomi Mi Max fresh out of the box (left), and the home screen (right).

My Mi Max is a 6.44inch large-screen phablet with android 6.0 and MIUI 8.0 interface.

Overall verdict

With the $259 price tag and the huge screen size, the Mi Max is a good budget phone for every use.

The camera image quality is quite good.

Fingerprint sensor is extremely responsive and the device build quality makes this phone worth buying.

It is powered by a 4850mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery which is a standard for mid-range to high end phone nowadays.

The Mi Max has a Qualcomm snapdragon 650 chipset with Hexa-core processor (4 x 1.4GHz Cortex-A53 & 2 x 1.8GHz Cortex-A72) and 3GB RAM.

This model I am reviewing is the 32GB variant which costed me S$259 on Qoo10 at the time of this review was written.

There is a 64GB variant with Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 Octa-Core processor.

First impressions

The device is quite huge and it is quite difficult to use with one hand.

The build quality is quite sturdy and it feels like I am holding a premium device.

Sample shot of the cloudy blue sky, taken using the Xiaomi Mi Max.

Sample shot of the cloudy blue sky, taken using the Xiaomi Mi Max.

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Event: Epson Solutions & Technology Convention 2016 (ESTC 2016)

November 17th, 2016

Epson showcased its latest smart solutions to show how its new innovations can power the future of businesses.

Update (18 November, 2016):

Giveaway on Epsons Facebook Page: If you’re a Manchester United and Epson fan, here’s how you can stand a chance to WIN an Epson-Manchester United T-Shirt.

Follow this link to Epson’s Facebook Page to learn how!

Contest ends at 2359hrs on 20 November.

“ESTC returns this year to simplify and make intelligent business solutions more accessible to every business,” said Tan May Lin, Epson Singapore’s General Manager (Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division).

“ESTC returns this year to simplify and make intelligent business solutions more accessible to every business,” said Tan May Lin, Epson Singapore’s General Manager (Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division), at ESTC 2016.

The global technology leader in printing, visual communications and digital imaging demonstrated integrated solutions that addressed the varied needs that businesses had in their work processes.

ESTC 2016 is the second edition of Epson’s bi-yearly convention to engage corporate partners and customers to raise awareness on its range of business products and solutions.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

A large format printer for the marketing department, showcased at ESTC 2016 in the Sands Expo and Convention Centre at the Marina Bay in Singapore.

Epson showcased new business products ranging from office scanners to its new ultra-short throw interactive projector, mobile point of sales systems and wearable technology such as the Moverio BT-300 smart glasses and BT-2000 smart headset at the convention.

The convention was held today at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre and attended by 153 guests including business partners, end users, media and distributors.

Integrating intelligent solutions for business success

Epson’s showcase offered insights as well as real-life demonstrations on how companies can develop a holistic strategy when investing in technology.

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New arrival: Canon PIXMA/imageCLASS printers & wireless presenters

November 11th, 2016

Canon has launched today a whole slew of personal/business/photo printers, as well as a new line of wireless presenters. Prices & availability below.

The range of new Canon products include new imageCLASS laserjets (left), wireless presenters (center) and PIXMA printers. Not shown to scale.

The range of new Canon products include new imageCLASS laserjets (left), wireless presenters (center) and PIXMA printers. Not shown to scale.

The products that Canon launched today include the following. Most are available now or later this month.

  • Canon PIXMA TS8070 (S$299) and TS5070 (S$199) Photo Printers.
  • Canon imageCLASS MFP (S$229-379).
  • Canon PIXMA E410 (S$89) and E470 (S$119).
  • Canon PIXMA Ink Efficient G4000 (S$389).
  • Canon PR100 (S$99) and Canon PR1000 (S$59) Wireless Presenters.

Below are quick descriptions of each of these.

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New arrival: ESET Version 10 home internet security software

November 10th, 2016

The new security solutions for Windows devices include new features to guard against threats like webcam hacking and data theft. Subscription prices for the various configurations below.

The new line of security solutions for home Windows computers.

The new line of security solutions for home Windows computers.

ESET has launched version 10 of its line of security solutions for home users using Windows computers.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

Version 10 of the ESET security solutions were launched in Singapore at The Westin.

The solutions are available online now for download and annual subscription prices for 1 computer are listed below.

  • ESET NOD32 Antivirus: US$20
  • ESET Internet Security: US$30
  • ESET Smart Security Premium: US$50
  • ESET Multi-Device Security
    • for 3 devices: US$50
    • for 5 devices: US$70

More details from the press release below.

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New arrival: Avengers-themed Windows 10 notebooks/tablets

November 9th, 2016

Hong Kong-based E-Huge Technology launches three new Avengers-themed Windows 10 notebooks/2-in-one devices in Singapore. Prices & availability below.

The new laptops are targeted at fans of Marvel Avengers.

The new laptops are targeted at fans of Marvel Avengers.

All three devices will be available from 10 December, and include 4GB DDR3 RAM and Atom x5 Z8300 CPU.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

The notebooks were launched in Hungry Heroes cafe in Singapore.

Decorated with the Avengers logo and the signature design motifs of Captain America and Iron Man, these Windows 10 devices come in three distinct form factors.

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Event: Celebrating 35 years of innovation on MINDEF PRIDE Day

November 4th, 2016

Second Minister for Defence Ong Ye Kung commemorates 35 years of innovation at the MINDEF PRIDE Day and officiates opening of SGDefence Exhibition at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

Speaking at the awards presentation ceremony, Second Minister for Defence Ong Ye Kung noted that this year marked the 35th anniversary of the PRIDE movement and commended the progress of the PRIDE movement over the years. Ong highlighted the importance of ensuring that MINDEF and SAF personnel continue to find ways to improve and innovate at their daily work. Click on infographic for a complete and enlarged view.

Speaking at the awards presentation ceremony, Second Minister for Defence Ong Ye Kung noted that this year marked the 35th anniversary of the PRIDE movement and commended the progress of the PRIDE movement over the years. Ong highlighted the importance of ensuring that MINDEF and SAF personnel continue to find ways to improve and innovate at their daily work. Click on infographic for a complete and enlarged view.

Second Minister for Defence Ong Ye Kung officiated at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) PRIDE (PRoductivity and Innovation in Daily Efforts) Day 2016 awards presentation ceremony held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre this morning.

A total of 184 awards were presented to individuals, groups and units from MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in recognition of their outstanding and innovative projects.

Through their innovations and work improvement ideas, savings exceeding $164 million were achieved in the last financial year.

To commemorate the 35th anniversary of the PRIDE movement, PRIDE pioneer and then-Permanent Secretary (Defence) Lim Siong Guan also gave a plenary speech on the intent of the PRIDE movement and the crucial role that innovation will play in Singapore’s future.

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