Posts Tagged ‘mobile’
Monday, February 16th, 2015
The ASUS Fonepad 8 is one of the largest and most affordable phablet on the market. At only S$299, it provides you with all the features and functionality that you need out of a tablet/phone combo.
ASUS designed the Fonepad series with affordability in mind. The Fonepad 6 and Fonepad 7 were released in 2013, while the Fonepad 8 were launched in late 2014.
The dual-SIM gives you much needed flexibility especially when you’re travelling and wants to slot in a cheap local SIM, but still wants to remain contactable on your regular number.
Two features which impressed me was the dual-SIM capability and long battery life of the ASUS Fonepad 8 phablet.
It is easy to slot in/out the two micro-SIM cards as both slots are in a special compartment on the left side of the phablet, along with the microSD card slot, that allows you to expand the 8 or 16GB internal storage of the Fonepad 8 by up to another 64GB.
Top right corner of the Fonepad 8.
The phone supports 3G for both SIM cards but not 4G/LTE.
I found usage of dual SIM straightforward like in other dual-SIM Android phones.
The internal, non-removable 4,000mAh battery provided long hours of usage without worry of running dry.
Even with intense usage and video viewing, the Fonepad 8 easily lasted an entire day and then some.
On my more typical day, there was usually at least 20-30 percent battery left at the end of the day.
Fonepad 8 is available in four colours—black, white, red and gold. White and gold models include white bezels, while the black and red models feature a black fascia. Out of the box, the pre-loaded ZenUI color scheme matches the device’s back cover color, which is plastic and features a non-slip diamond-pattern coating.
ASUS rates the battery life to 14.2 hours of Wi-Fi Web browsing, 12 hours of HD video playback, and 21 hours of 3G talk time.
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Tags:Android, Android 4, Asus, Fonepad, Fonepad 8, KitKat, mobile, phablets, reviews, smartphones, tablets
Posted in Accessories, Android, Asus, battery, Gadgets, gadgets, Opinion, Phones, Prices, Review, smartphones, Specifications, Tablets, tablets | No Comments »
Thursday, January 15th, 2015
Adobe today announced the availability of Lightroom mobile for Android phones. Lightroom mobile is a companion app to Lightroom 5 desktop software, available as part of Adobe Creative Cloud.
Edit and organise images on your iPad, iPhone or Android phone/tablet with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom mobile.
First released for iPad and iPhone, Lightroom mobile offers capabilities to edit, organize and share images anywhere and anytime.
Built on a cloud sync architecture, Lightroom mobile provides an efficient way to manage and edit images across desktop, mobile devices and the Web.
Key Lightroom mobile capabilities include:
- Sync edits, metadata and collection changes to the Lightroom catalog on a Mac or Windows computer.
- Automatically import images from the smartphone gallery and sync back to the Lightroom catalog on the desktop.
- Edit images using familiar Lightroom tools and presets, including non-destructive processing using Smart Previews.
- Quickly flag and reject photos.
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Tags:Adobe, Apps, Creative Cloud, Lightroom, mobile, photo editing, photos, Photoshop, software
Posted in Adobe | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 6th, 2015
Sony Mobile today announced at CES 2015 new products, partners and experiences to its evolving SmartWear range.
SmartWatch 3 from Sony Mobile.
Highlights include a sleek stainless steel edition of SmartWatch 3, new Lifelog collaborations, and concept wearable devices, including Sony’s Smart B-Trainer prototype – a multi-sensor, waterproof headset prototype designed for optimising performance and providing real time insight on the running track.
Sony SmartWatch 3
Along with the stainless steel edition of SmartWatch 3, Sony also unveiled a new SmartWatch 3 holder, allowing users and partners alike to customise the SmartWatch 3 with any standard 24mm watch strap.
Golfshot and iFit are two developers already creating Android Wear experiences with SmartWatch 3’s standalone capability, for both performance on the course and track respectively.
Reflecting Sony’s strategy to bring new functionality and features to Lifelog, users can now access the application through their browser at lifelog.sonymobile.com.
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Tags:CES, CES 2015, mobile, SmartWatch, SmartWatch 3, smartwatches, Sony, watches
Posted in Accessories, Announce, Gadgets, gadgets, headsets, Lifestyle, Press Release, Seminars, smartwatches, Sony, Sony Mobile, Sports, Watches | No Comments »
Sunday, December 28th, 2014
In addition of making overseas calls from your home country, you can also use Skype to call family, friends and colleagues who back in your home country on their landline or mobile – when you are travelling overseas. All you need is Wi-Fi access or mobile broadband on your smartphone, and some Skype credits.
Check out Skype as an additional affordable means of voice/SMS communication when you travel overseas.
When I first arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, while waiting at the customs, I logged on to the free Wi-Fi network in the airport and used Skype to call a local sight to make enquiries and make reservations for a day trip to a wildlife rescue centre in Petchaburi.
Free airport Wi-Fi in Thailand
I found out when writing this article that the AOT Wi-Fi network at Suvarnabhumi Airport is provided by True Move and is available at the main internaltional airports in Thailand.
These include the airports at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Hat Yai.
The Suvarnabhumi Airport serving Bangkok provides a pretty decent free Wi-Fi to travellers in its terminals – good enough to make VoIP calls using Skype.
First you need to register in the login page for the AOT network in the airport and you get to use the network for free for up to 2 hours a day.
Don’t bother to memorise the complicated userid and password they issue you, the next time you use the network – which is probably when you leave Thailand – you can register as a new user again and use a new set of userid and password.
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Tags:airport, AOT, broadband, Microsoft, mobile, Moto G, Motorola, prepaid, SIM, Skype, Suvarnabhumi, Thailand, Thailand 2014, tips, travel, True Move, Wi-Fi
Posted in App, Holiday, Howtos, Internet, Microsoft, Network, Office, Skype, Software, Thailand 2014, Tips, travel, Wi-Fi | 1 Comment »
Sunday, December 14th, 2014
A dual-SIM phone allows you to stay contactable to your regular contacts yet enables you to take advantage of more affordable local data/voice rates to avoid expensive overseas roaming charges – without having to carry two separate mobile phones.
The Motorola Moto G (2nd Generation) is one of the increasing number of smartphones that support a dual-SIM capability.
Nowadays, it is increasingly easy to get a local SIM card when one travels overseas for work or leisure.
The local SIM allows you to make/receive calls at affordable local rates and more significantly, to stay connected via mobile broadband – without chalking out a huge bill.
You can read
over here all about the benefits of getting a pre-paid local SIM card whenever you travel overseas.
But most mobile phones allow only one SIM card to be installed – so if you put in the local SIM card, you’ll have to remove your regular SIM card and become uncontactable to those who call you on your regular number, unless you forward those calls to your local number.
Otherwise, you’d carry a second single-SIM card phone, which is a hassle.
Not too long ago …
I remember in the early days of smartphones, people were selling dual-SIM card adaptors the size of regular sized SIM cards that you could place two micro SIM cards in.
You’d have to cut your regular sized SIM card yourself into micro SIM card size and it was a daunting proposition for most people to risk damaging your SIM card in the process.
These adaptors only worked for certain models of mobile phones, and you need to switch off and on the phone to switch between the SIM cards.
Fortunately, smartphones have evolved and nowadays, you have dual-SIM card phones that enable you use both SIM cards at the same time.
I brought along a Motorola Moto G (2nd Generation) dual-SIM card phone during my short break to Thailand and it was such a blessing.
There are two micro-SIM card slots so I could keep my regular SIM card in one slot and plug in the prepaid local SIM card that I bought at Suvarnabhumi Airport in the other.
The guy at the True Move counter did all the set up for me.
So after five minutes of queueing and five minutes of installation and payment, I was as connected in Thailand as I was at home back in Singapore.
I could receive roaming calls on my regular number from my friends back in Singapore and other parts of the world, while at the same stay connected on email and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram via the mobile broadband on the local SIM card.
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Tags:airport, broadband, Lumia, Mi-Fi, Microsoft Devices, mobile, Moto G, Motorola, prepaid, SIM, Suvarnabhumi, Thailand, Thailand 2014, tips, travel, True Move
Posted in Android, Events, Gadgets, gadgets, Holiday, Lumia, Microsoft, Microsoft Devices, Moto, Motorola, Nokia, Phones, smartphones, Thailand 2014, Tips, travel, Windows Phone 8 | No Comments »
Saturday, December 13th, 2014
First thing I did when I exited the gates in the Arrival Hall in Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok was to get myself a pre-paid SIM card that gave me a local number for voice calls and seven days of mobile data broadband at 299 THB.
The truemove shop is one of the first things you come across when you exit the gates at the Arrival Hall at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.
Immediately after exiting the gates in the Arrival Hall, you’ll come upon this telco shop that sells pre-paid SIM cards, as well as other mobile plans.
The 7-day prepaid SIM card offered by True Move is one of a few pre-paid mobile plans available in Thailand. This package bundles 7 days of unlimited data, free call credits of 100 THB and incoming call, your own local number, attractive international call rates – all for 299 THB or approximately S$12.
Here’s where you can grab an affordable and convenient pre-paid SIM card that gives you mobile broad band as well as voice calls, and a local number.
I’m here for seven days, so I was delighted to grab the 7-day SIM card that costs 299 THB, or S$12.
You get seven days of free broadband mobile data as well as 100 THB of free call credits, which gives you 100min of local talk time at 1 THB/minute.
The seven days are calendar days and includes the day you bought the card, ending at 2359hrs on the seventh day.
What I found useful was not only the free call credits but having a local number that you can give out for others to contact you via local calls.
My wife can now call me at local rates, through her autoroam.
Otherwise, she would have to make an overseas call just to get me on my Singapore mobile number – you know sometimes we get separated in crowded places, or we deliberately split up to visit different shops etc.
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Tags:airport, Bangkok, broadband, Changi, Hua Hin, Mi-Fi, mobile, Moto G, Motorola, prepaid, SIM, Suvarnabhumi, Thailand, Thailand 2014, tips, travel, True Move
Posted in Events, Gadgets, Holiday, Howtos, Internet, Network, Phones, Promotions, smartphones, Thailand 2014, Tips, Travel | 1 Comment »
Thursday, November 6th, 2014
Opera claims that its Video Boost is a first for mobile web browsers, offering faster loading time and money savings from data reduction (compression). Available now FREE from Apple App Store.
The new Opera Mini 9 for iOS comes with video boost feature that compresses video before delivering to your mobile phone, saving you from staring at the video-buffering wheel, as well as data savings.
iPhone and iPad users will see less of the dreaded video-buffering wheel, using the new video boost feature in the Opera Mini 9 web browser.
“This is the first time video optimization has been integrated into a web browser, so your browser can now take pride of place as your favorite video app. Video snags are a small problem, but an annoying one — a pothole on the internet highway. And Opera fixed it,” says Lars Boilesen, CEO of Opera Software.
People love watching video on their mobiles and tablets.
Unfortunately, this can eat up a data plan quickly, and stalled videos waste time and create frustration.
Opera Mini boasts that it can address this problem with video boost.
Video boost brings down buffering time for eager video viewers, by reducing the size of video data.
Using the Rocket Optimizer engine from Opera’s Skyfire division, video boost can also save users on their data bills.
Optimising videos is becoming increasingly important, as video viewing explodes on mobile phones.
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Tags:browsers, compression, data, downloads, iOS, iPad, iPhone, mobile, Opera, smartphones, tablets, video
Posted in Announce, App, Apps, Availability, Browser, Internet, iOS, Opera, Software, Video, YouTube | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 29th, 2014
The new portable storage drive from WD connects to smartphones, tablets, cameras and mobile devices, expanding storage without any wires or Internet access. Available in Singapore now in 1TB (S$299) and 2TB (S$399) capacities.
My Passport Wireless is an easy to use Wi-Fi enabled storage drive that allows consumers to save, access and share stored content wirelessly with any smartphone, tablet, computer or other device.
For the frequent business traveler, family on a road trip or creative professional working in the field – the My Passport Wireless drive is a simple way to connect all computing and mobile devices to content without any wires or Internet connection.
WD My Passport Wireless is now available in Singapore in 1TB (S$299) and 2TB (S$299) capacities.
Additionally, when users need to transfer large amounts of data, the My Passport Wireless drive provides the option of using a high speed USB 3.0 connection.
The My Passport Wireless drive broadcasts its own wireless network that allows up to eight devices to connect at the same time and access any content stored on the drive.
Available in 1TB or 2TB models, users now have the ability to store and access up to hundreds of hours of movies and music, as well photos and other digital files, from their smartphones and tablets that are typically limited by minimal storage capacity.
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Tags:hard drive, HDD, mobile, My Passport, Singapore, storage, WD, wireless
Posted in Accessories, Android, Apps, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, iOS, Launch, Press Release, Prices, Specifications, storage drive, Western Digital | No Comments »
Thursday, October 2nd, 2014
PayPal partners with local merchants to create seamless mobile app experiences and to solve business productivity challenges.
“With smartphone adoption growing and smart devices become more integral to our daily lives, it is more important than ever for businesses to adopt mobile strategies with flawless purchasing experiences,” said Lawrence Chan, Vice President of Merchant Services, Asia Pacific and General Manager for Southeast Asia and Japan, PayPal.
PayPal has announced the general availability of its new mobile software development kit (SDK) in Singapore.
“In 2013, PayPal processed $27 billion in mobile payments globally, so we understand the challenges and opportunities of capturing the mobile market. We are excited to be announcing the launch of the new mobile SDK in Singapore, which offers businesses a simple and secure way to accept mobile payments, as well as the innovation to push the boundaries of mobile commerce and drive productivity,” Chan added.
The new mobile SDK eliminates app redirects, provides a one-time sign-in for future payments and enables both PayPal and credit card payment processing options.
With this, consumers can make seamless and secure payments across their favourite apps in just a few clicks.
PayPal is announcing the launch with four merchant partners which will be the first local businesses in Singapore to go live with the mobile SDK:
- Coastes
- HotelQuickly
- My Laundry Box
- Dilivr.it.
Key Features of the new mobile SDK
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Tags:Coastes, Dilivr.it, HotelQuickly, mobile, My Laundry Box, payments, PayPal, SDK
Posted in App, Apps, Events, Figures, Launch, Mobile, PayPal, Phones, Shopping, Study, Tablets, Technology | No Comments »
Monday, August 11th, 2014
313@somerset is the first mall in Singapore to road test the mobile technology to help connect customers to relevant content and promotions in real-time at participating retailers in the shopping mall.
Screenshots of the Tring 313 mobile app when the user receives a notification, and the promotion on offer.
313@somerset has its eyes set on Beacon-based Indoor Positioning,the latest in retail innovation that enable shoppers to receive hyper-targeted messages, deals and other content based on their proximity to the offering retailer inside the mall.
Staying on the forefront of technology
Following the road tests to gather feedback on the technology, the beacon-based feature may be rolled out within the next 3-6 months.
New iBeacon capabilities expected on the upcoming iOS 8 in September will probably be incorporated into the implementation to make sure the rollout taps in the latest that technology has to offer.
As a forerunner in the adoption of new and emerging technologies, 313@somerset is set to pave the way by being the first commercial outlet in Singapore to test out the potential of Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) Beacons for retailers, including messaging targeted at specific mall and store locations, analytics and potentially payments.
In partnership with technology partner Sprooki, the mall conducted test trials in the form of short experiential tours around the mall and exclusive test groups were invited to take part in the trials.
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Tags:313@somerset, Android, Apps, beacon, Bluetooth, iOS, mobile, positioning, shopping, Singapore, technology
Posted in Android, App, Apps, Business IT, Events, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, Shopping, smartphones, Software, tablets, Tech news, Technology, Tickers, Visits | 2 Comments »
