New arrival: Sharp Z2 & MS1 Android mid-tier smartphones

October 21st, 2016

Commtiva Technology has launched two new mid-tier Android smartphones in Singapore: Sharp Z2 (S$399) and Sharp MS1 (S$299).

The SHARP Z2 (S$399, left) comes in two colors – Gold and Silver, while the SHARP MS1 (S$299, right) is available in Hanayome White and Pure Pink.

The SHARP Z2 (S$399, left) comes in two colors – Gold and Silver, while the SHARP MS1 (S$299, right) is available in Hanayome White and Pure Pink.

The SHARP Z2 is Singapore’s first 2.3GHz deca-core smartphone, powered by MediaTek’s Helio X20 flagship processor with Tri-Cluster CPU architecture.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

Both the SHARP Z2 (S$399) and SHARP MS1 (S$299) will be available from 29 October 2016 at M1, M1 exclusive distributors, selected Challenger stores, and authorized resellers.

This 5.5-inch Z2 boasts up to 30% less power consumption for users, with fast-charge technology that allows the 3,000mAh battery to be recharged up to 50% in 30 minutes.

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Infographic: GoDaddy survey confirms Era of Entrepreneurs

October 20th, 2016

The global survey finds that almost 1-in-2 Singaporeans plan to be self-employed during the next 10 years.

In Singapore, 74 percent of Millennials say that they plan to be full time entrepreneurs during the next 10 years. The global percentage is only at 50 percent.

In Singapore, 74 percent of Millennials say that they plan to be full time entrepreneurs during the next 10 years. The global percentage is only at 50 percent.

Fueled by technology that has made entrepreneurship easier than ever, a strong desire for autonomy, and a willingness to try establishing a business again in the event of failure, the number of professionals looking to create their own business or be self-employed has spiked, according to a new global survey commissioned by GoDaddy.

32 percent of Millennials surveyed in Singapore started their current business while they were still in school. That makes them sixteen times more likely to pursue entrepreneurship as a career than their Gen X counterparts did while still pursuing their studies.

32 percent of Millennials surveyed in Singapore started their current business while they were still in school. That makes them sixteen times more likely to pursue entrepreneurship as a career than their Gen X counterparts did while still pursuing their studies.

The research found that 36 percent of the respondents globally plan to either start a small business, or be self-employed within the next 10 years.

In Singapore, 41 percent of respondents surveyed plan to do the same.

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Dell celebrates 20 years of Alienware with launch of new gaming computers

October 18th, 2016

Dell announced its new line of VR-ready Alienware notebooks – the Alienware 15 and 17 – that boast the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10-Series family of GPUs, enabling up to 85% better performance than the previous generation of Alienware notebooks.

Prices & availability below.

The new Alienware notebooks are capable of powering VR out-of-the-box, and compatible with both Oculus and HTC Vive headsets.

The new Alienware notebooks are capable of powering VR out-of-the-box, and compatible with both Oculus and HTC Vive headsets.

Engineered for gamers, the Alienware 17 gains more power with overclocked Intel Core i7 k-series processors and Tobii eye-tracking technology to optimise immersive gameplay.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

Dell also announced in Singapore (at Millian, St James Power Station) the new XPS and Inspiron laptops, Inspiron 2-in-1, and XPS Tower for personal and work computing.

The Alienware 15 comes complete with the VR-ready NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 and NVIDIA G-Sync for incredibly smooth, synchronized frame rates.

Prices and availability are tabulated below.

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Note7 recall: Phone refund/trade-in value & accessories refund

October 18th, 2016

More details have been released by Samsung for Galaxy Note7 users in Singapore, covering the refund value for the Note7, trade-in prices to the S7 Edge, as well as refund for original Note7 accessories. This is in addition to earlier information Samsung Singapore had released earlier.

All Galaxy Note7 customers are required to back up their data using Samsung Smart Switch (http://www.samsung.com/sg/support/smartswitch/), delete any data or other personal material stored in the device, and reset their device ahead of the home delivery.

All Galaxy Note7 customers are required to back up their data using Samsung Smart Switch (http://www.samsung.com/sg/support/smartswitch/), delete any data or other personal material stored in the device, and reset their device ahead of the home delivery.

Galaxy Note7 customers who opt to exchange their device for a Galaxy S7 edge, valued at S$1,098, will receive an additional S$250 in cheque.

Those who opt for a refund will receive the full retail value of the Galaxy Note7 at S$1,168 in cheque.

Both options are available to all Galaxy Note7 customers, regardless if they purchased their original device from telecommunication operators, consumer electronics stores, authorised retailers, Samsung Official Store at Lazada.sg or Samsung Experience Stores.

The options also do not affect any pre-existing contract that the Galaxy Note7 owner has with the telecommunication operators.

Details below.

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New arrival: Seagate 2TB FireCuda & 5TB BarraCuda internal drives

October 15th, 2016

The 2.5-inch FireCuda & BarraCuda mobile consumer drives are the latest additions to the recently launched Guardian Series of internal drives from Seagate.

The 2TB FireCuda (left) comes with a 5-year limited warranty while the 5TB BarraCuda (right) comes with a 5-year limited warranty.

The 2TB FireCuda (left) comes with a 5-year limited warranty while the 5TB BarraCuda (right) comes with a 5-year limited warranty.

Seagate boasts that the 2TB FireCuda represents the fastest, thinnest and lightest 2TB hard drive on the market today, using 8GB of flash to enable rapid boot times and game load speeds.

It includes new firmware and sophisticated caching algorithms that continuously analyse how a system is being used.

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Details of Samsung Galaxy Note7 refund for Singapore customers

October 14th, 2016

Samsung Electronics Singapore has announced details of the exchange and refund options for Galaxy Note7 customers.

Update (18 October, 2016):

More details have been released by Samsung for Galaxy Note7 users in Singapore, covering the refund value for the Note7, trade-in prices to the S7 Edge, as well as refund for original Note7 accessories.

This is in addition to earlier information Samsung Singapore had released earlier.

Update (15 October, 2016):

Following the new order by the U.S. Department of Transportation to ban all Galaxy Note7 devices in carry-on and checked baggage on flights, Samsung Singapore has rolled out plans to help Note7 owners in Singapore who need to board flights out of the country.

Any Galaxy Note7 owner who will be travelling by flight and require a courtesy device can obtain one from the Samsung Customer Service Centre at Westgate or the Samsung Experience Store at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3, in both the departure and transit lounges.

Samsung has stopped sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note7, and has also decided to stop production.

Samsung has stopped sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note7, and has also decided to stop production.

Consumers with either an original Galaxy Note7 or replacement Galaxy Note7 should power down and stop using the device immediately, and take advantage of the exchange and refund options.

This is regardless of whether they had purchased their devices from telecommunication operators, consumer electronics stores, authorised retailers, Samsung Official Store at Lazada.sg or Samsung Experience Stores.

Galaxy Note7 customers can choose to either exchange their device for a Galaxy S7 edge, and receive cash and other benefits which will be confirmed shortly, or to receive a refund.

Details below.

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Event: Cloud Expo Asia, Data Centre World & Cloud Security Expo in Singapore

October 14th, 2016

The 2016 installments of the Cloud Expo Asia and Data Centre World returned to Singapore (12-13 October) for the fourth year running, with new co-located event Cloud Security Expo this year.

Three three expositions are hosted at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, attracting an industry gathering of business technology professionals in Asia.

Three three expositions are hosted at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, attracting an industry gathering of business technology professionals in Asia.

Also new is Smart IoT Singapore, focused on showing how the Internet of Things is transforming the business world, with presentations from the region’s leading partners, including AWS, Digital Reality and SP Telecom.

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New arrival: ASUS ZenBook 3, Transformer 3 Pro, ZenWatch 3 & ZenPad 3

October 13th, 2016

ASUS unveiled its 3rd Generation mobile computing products at its Zenvolution launch event in Singapore. Prices & availability below.

Clockwise from upper left: ASUS Transformer 3 Pro, ZenWatch 3, ZenBook 3, ZenPad 3. Not shown to scale.

Clockwise from upper left: ASUS Transformer 3 Pro, ZenWatch 3, ZenBook 3, ZenPad 3. Not shown to scale.

The ZenBook 3 is an ultra light 910g Ultrabook with an ultra-thin 11.9mm profile made from premium aerospace-grade all-aluminum unibody construction with the latest high-performance 7th generation Intel® Core™ i7 processors, 16GB RAM, up to 512GB PCIE SSD and an innovative cooling system.

ASUS claims that the Transformer 3 Pro is the world’s first and only 2-in-1 detachable notebook with 7th generation Intel® Core™i5/i7 processors that can function as a competent tablet, laptop, music station or even a high performance gaming PC with an optional ROG XG Station 2 that acts as an external discrete graphics card.

The ZenWatch 3 is a stylish and customisable wearable device powered by Android Wear with HyperCharge technology.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

Head on down to the ASUS Zenvolution Roadshow from 14 to 16 October 2016 to experience the “3” series products at the different experiential zones and stand to win attractive prizes worth up to $5,000. In addition, cash vouchers will be given away for the purchase of Transformer 3 Pro and ZenBook 3 products during the roadshow.

The ZenPad 3 has a thickness of only 7.57mm and goes for a classy look with its luxurious leather rear panel with 2K high-resolution touchscreen and Qualcomm® hexa-core processor.

More details (including technical specifications) from the press release below.

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New arrival: LG V20 flagship phablet with Android 7 Nougat

October 12th, 2016

LG has launched the V20 in Singapore, boasting strong multimedia performance for audiophiles and photographers. Available in Singapore (S$998) from 5 November.

The LG V20 uses lightweight aluminum, together with a new silicon-based material - AL6013 metal - which is found in aircraft, sailboats and mountain bikes.

The LG V20 uses lightweight aluminum, together with a new silicon-based material – AL6013 metal – which is found in aircraft, sailboats and mountain bikes.

The new LG V20 sports Hi-Fi Quad DAC, Steady Record 2.0, front and rear wide angle cameras.

LG also boasts that It is the world’s first smartphone to come preloaded with Android 7.0 Nougat OS, featuring the new Google In Apps phone search function.

A photo posted by John Tan (@tech4tea) on

The LG V20 has a 5.7-inch main IPS Quantum Display and emphasises on multimedia performances. It was launched in Singapore at Bar on 5 in the Orchard Mandarin Hotel.

The LG V series is a premium flagship smartphone line designed to provide users with the best video and audio experience.

Key specifications of the LG V20 below.

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Ericsson & Equinix help enterprises leverage multi-cloud advantages

October 11th, 2016

Ericsson and Equinix have developed a joint offering for enterprises to reap the true benefits of hybrid cloud and multi cloud adoption. The offering leverages the Equinix Cloud Exchange (ECX) and Apcera platform from Ericsson.

The joint offering leverages the Equinix Cloud Exchange (ECX) and Apcera platform from Ericsson.

The joint offering leverages the Equinix Cloud Exchange (ECX) and Apcera platform from Ericsson.

The initial target enterprises will be finance and insurance companies in South East Asia and Oceania to help solve their challenges on data compliance and regulation and at the same time give the agility that enterprises need.

Highlights of the joint offering

  • Ericsson to provide Apcera Platform to deploy any application, on any cloud infrastructure, at speed, without the risk.
  • Equinix to provide secure high performance interconnections to multiple clouds via Equinix Cloud Exchange.
  • Initial target enterprises will be finance and insurance companies in South East Asia and Oceania to help solve their data compliance and regulation challenges.

The finance and insurance industry have strict compliance regulations on data and this brings limitations for them to deploy a multi-cloud strategy.

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