As technology users welcome 2012 everywhere, it’s clear the year that had just passed was filled with no little controversy and memorable incidents.

From Steve Jobs’ death to the delay of the much-awaited iPhone 5, from the rise of Android devices to Nokia’s return with its Windows Phone devices, and finally, with the potent mix of mobile devices and social media that  helped ignite protests in the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street, but also encouraged the thuggery of the London riots, 2011 was a big year in technology.

The next 12 months look to be just as interesting, as existing technologies mature and grow, while other new trends emerge. Here are five things to look out for in 2012:

1. The arrival of the “transform” device
Just a few years ago, it was unfathomable that people would junk their desktop PCs for laptops. Because the portable device had a smaller screen and usually lesser computing prowess, the portable device never matched up to the silent giant under the desk.

These days, however, with power-efficient yet advanced CPUs and graphics chips, laptops can do the job just as well, plus they can be hooked up with a monitor, keyboard and mouse easily to transform into a desktop PC in a jiffy.

The same is happening with tablets and smartphones. In 2012, there will be more devices like the Motorola Atrix, first unveiled in early 2011, that basically turns into a laptop once it is docked with a laptop dock. The Atrix taps on its dual-core chip to run Webtop, which is based on Ubuntu Linux, to give users a regular desktop OS look and feel. It runs the OS you prefer at any time, all in one device.

Essentially, you only need one smart device – your phone or tablet – to do everything you need in future. What you will have are many docks or keyboards and screens to hook up to this increasingly powerful (expect quad core gizmos in 2012, starting with the Asus Transformer Prime) yet portable device in your hands.

Desktops and laptops will definitely still be around, but the mobile gadget is set to be the central device in your life.

2.  Windows 8 brings “touch” on everyday PCs
Related to this portable device rush is Windows 8. The upcoming Microsoft OS, expected this year, is being billed as the biggest upgrade in years for one reason – it is going to unify both mobile devices and PCs with one OS.

It works with touch, and features a Windows Phone-like tile system, where users will be given a panel of information and the ability to go into the nitty gritty only if they wish to. The big icons and friendlier interface also mean that this is the first time the Start button and taskbar – at least in their present forms – will be out of the picture.

Along with Windows 8′s arrival, expect computing of all types – from smartphones to laptops to desktops – to tap on the novel OS.

What to expect? Look to something like the Samsung Slate PC, which crams a powerful Intel dual-core CPU into a thin, portable tablet that can be hooked up with a keyboard and screen to become a full-fledged desktop. It runs Windows 7 now, but come next year, devices like these will sport the even more touch-friendly Windows 8.

3. Tougher times for Apple
It’s not just Steve Jobs’ passing that will affect Apple for the coming year, but also the fact that it is a company that wins big because of the very sharp innovation curve that it sets out each year.

When the iPod was commoditised, the iPhone became the next big thing; when Android smartphones managed to grab huge chunks of market share in 2010, the iPad became the market-conquering portable gizmo in a class of its own.

The question in 2012 is: what next? Surely, there’d be new versions of the iPhone (after the disappointing iPhone 4S) and iPad (which still has a good lead over all over Android rivals). But can these upgrades keep Apple at the top of the pile, or will it see its innovation and design lead cut short in 2012?

The emergence of the Windows-based Ultrabooks in 2011 from Asus, in particular, is a clear answer to how fast the competition is catching up, in this case, with the MacBook Air.

In the next 12 months, Apple will find the going even tougher. Users are often willing to accept Apple’s closed “my way or the highway” approach because of the perceived better design and innovation from the company, but it has to keep coming up with new winners to redefine the field. In 2012, it needs another big winner to pull away.

4. Say hi again to a smart TV
It’s been prophecised several times before, but 2012 could finally see the arrival of smart TVs that do more than just show your cable TV programmes or Blu-ray movies in all their 60-inch Full HD glory. These TVs could be the conduit to many services and apps that were just becoming common in 2011.

Yes, Facebook will be there, as will Twitter and other PC-based services and apps that you had seen on your 2011 Samsung or LG TV when you were free enough to venture into some of its sub menus. But what about YouTube, or rather, a YouTube-type service – on steroids?

Think of an app that is smart enough to offer the same multi-tasking you’d expect on a PC screen, say, talk to a friend on a chat window while watching a live football match, or checking out background information from Wikipedia on the JFK assassination, if you are watching a documentary on it on a National Geographic app, for example.

Not so new, I hear you say? The main difference this time is that the intelligence is built into the TV and possibly delivered straight to the screen – over the TV’s Net link – instead of via a third-party set-top box and third party broadcaster.

Sure, it’d be a leap of faith for content executives who have always preferred to work with their favoured “platform partners”, i.e. broadcasters like StarHub and SingTel.

But for indie channels and content owners looking to jumpstart their work by showing their programmes direct to viewers, they can now create their own content and app and reach out to viewers – in the same way cellphone app developers sell their apps direct to users.

Creating a smart TV programme would thus involve skills needed to develop an app for, say, the mobile phone or tablet. Will this model work for TV? Well, it’s already proven already by Apple and Google in their respective app marketplaces, and what’s there to stop you paying S$2 for a movie on a smart TV, just like you’d buy an app on your phone?

If rumours hold true and Apple decides to create its own TV set in 2012 or if Google takes YouTube to the big screen by signing up more content creators as it has done in 2011, then the next 12 months could see big changes in the way video content is created, delivered and consumed in the big screen in the living room.

5. Fibre broadband takes off in Singapore
This is a banker of a trend, because we know that 95 per cent of the city will be covered by the fibre optic network this year. Going by the long waitlist to turn on a fibre broadband service now – up to a month with M1, we are told by users – the demand for light-speed downloads is going to be even higher in 2012.

It helps, of course, that the network has finally forced open a market that once was dominated by SingTel and StarHub.

Take M1, for example. It used to have to rent the network from the two telcos, but now it can get wholesale access at the same price as its bigger rivals, and it can price its services competitively, as a result. Its S$39-a-month 100Mbps fibre plan sold at computer expos in 2011, for one, has become the benchmark to follow in 2012.

It’s that time of the year again.

Christmas is a time of giving and receiving, and every year at Techgoondu we want world peace and justice. This year I want to add to the list a fairer society, better public transport, and affordable public housing.

And in case those big dreams fall a little short of our lofty naive ideals, well, there’s always geek toys and gizmos that we can console ourselves with. And still keep dreaming big dreams — they are worth fighting for, aren’t they?

In the meantime, here’s what the goondus would like this Christmas:

Raymond wants:

Wait a minute, Raymond already had an entire article’s worth of tech stuff he wanted to buy. Check it out.

Alfred is dreaming of:

Oppo BDP-95 Blu-ray player

I know we’re going into an age of lossless tracks and HD video downloads, but if you are looking for a universal player that plays back your Blu-ray discs, SACDs and regular CDs, there is only one that every AV geek is talking about right now – the Oppo BDP-95.

At US$999, it looks expensive compared to the US$90 Blu-ray player at electronics stores, but this Oppo player is packed to the gills with the most high-end features (like streaming and 3D support) and also audiophile-grade goodies, like two, yes, two, separate top-notch Sabre32 DACs to handle both movies and music.

Oppo players are so solidly built – yet relatively inexpensive, considering all the stuff thrown in – that they have been cloned and repackaged with more expensive-looking chassis and sold for several times more!

B&W 802 Diamond speakers

I heard these speakers at the showroom once and the sound has never left my mind. A live performance is what you’d expect to hear – you sense the scale of an orchestra, the sound is so airy and real, and bass is impossibly extended and deep. Even movies sound amazing – yes, the showroom also used them for a Blu-ray movie.

But what do you expect of speakers so big that the average Singapore apartment can never accommodate because of their size and their power? Even if you had more than 20-grand (Singapore dollars), these B&W 802 Diamonds won’t sound good in most homes here, unless you have a big listening room, so this is definitely a “dream-worthy” item. Maybe it’s time to upgrade the house first!

Aaron is drooling over:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

I’ve never fancied lugging around a 10-inch screen wherever I go. So when Samsung unveiled the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab, I knew it was going to be the top on my Christmas wish list. It’s more portable than the iPad and shares the same features as the larger Galaxy Tab 10.1 including the latest Android Honeycomb OS.

Compared with a 7-inch tablet, the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab packs more screen estate for displaying both e-books and webpages in their full glory without excessive scrolling. At just under $250 for the 16GB version with a data plan, this slate is a steal too!

Asus Zenbook UX31

This skinny ultrabook will give Apple’s Macbook Air a run for its money. Measuring just 3mm thick at its slimmest, the Zenbook is a head-turner endowed with a gorgeous metallic design, a 1600×900 pixel display and a solid-state drive for top-notch computing performance. The exceptionally well-crafted machine feels more solid than the Macbook Air and boasts of Bang and Olufsen’s ICEpower audio technology.

In some ways, the advent of ultrabooks such as the Zenbook represents the coming out party for PC makers who have shown that they too have what it takes to deliver great industrial design.

Lester craves:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Game of the year? Quite possibly. Skyrim has been released to rave reviews across the board, and dedicated gamers have ratcheted sales beyond expectations.

Dragons are popping up all over the land of Skyrim, and you- as the Dragonborn- are the only one with the power and skill to stop them. Adventure across a staggering open-ended world and do just about anything you like. Take a long hike across the landscape that starts off as a forest that peters into vast snow fields. Embark on sidequests, slay dragons, raze entire towns, or help anyone that asks for it- the choice is yours.

Skyrim’s wide-open gameplay brings something to everyone. The graphics alone are enough to halt even non-gamers and to intrigue them into playing. Skyrim will provide hours of fun- actually, that’s more of a caveat than a statement, because Skyrim is so open, so wide, it’s easy to get sucked into gaming for hours to come.

Google Galaxy Nexus

Yes, it’s due to be out only in January 2012, but Google’s Galaxy Nexus is already generating mobile tech-lust for this user. Google’s latest Nexus iteration brings the Android experience mobile users have come to love and expect in a gorgeous form factor that’s packed with incredible top-end smartphone specs.

Being the model phone for Android 4.0, the Galaxy Nexus will no doubt be the phone for Android fans that want the pure Android experience. Improved Gmail integration, enhanced text-to-speech and smoother multitasking are welcome features, and the Galaxy Nexus won’t disappoint.

For those who can’t wait, and require a suitable stocking-stuffer, the Motorola Droid Razr is a comparable model. Already touted to be one of this year’s best Android smartphone, the newest, sharpest Razr shows that a sleek, fashionable smartphone can exist alongside powerful hardware. Just wait for the Android 4.0 update to the released, and it’ll be a lean, mean mobile beast.

Chi-Loong desires:

Guild Wars 2

If Lester can get away for wanting the Google Galaxy Nexus that isn’t out yet, I can certainly get away with craving a game that is due next year that I’ve been awaiting as a patient fanboi for the longest time.

No, it’s not Diablo 3 or Starcraft 2:Heart of the Swarm (though that is high on my list), it’s Guild Wars 2.

For MMOs, I’ve played World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online, and Rift, but nothing kept me as enthralled as the original Guild Wars, which I’m almost ashamed to say I sunk in almost 1700+ hours over a five year span. I plead guilty that I was a major addict of the game at one point.

I’ve really fond memories of the game, and I’ve high hopes for ArenaNet’s Guild Wars 2.

Now if only I could invent a time machine to take me into the future to get a copy of this game now…

Games for Change

What would a Techgoondu Christmas wishlist be if it didn’t have an interesting entry that tied back to our tongue-in-cheek introduction of wanting, you know, good things for the world?

What if you could marry my one big vice, gaming, with something I really believe in, like changing the world to become a better place?

And this is how I became a fan of Games for Change, a global non-profit organization dedicated to using games to serve as tools in humanitarian or educational efforts.

It’s how I got to know about indie games such as Fate of the World (available on Steam) and We Topia. Watch:

Food for thought, certainly.

And on that note, we here at Techgoondu wish all our readers a very merry Christmas.

Bowers & Wilkins Zepplin Air

This gorgeous audio dock from audiophile specialist B&W sports a signature design and promises punchy tunes packed with oomph. You can be assured of room-filling sound and strong vocals that will rise above accompanying music, whether you’re listening to jazz crooner Norah Jones or pop rock band Maroon 5. The speaker also supports Apple’s AirPlay technology that lets you play tunes from an iPhone or iPod over a wireless network. A front dock connector is also on hand for folks who wish to hook up their Apple devices directly to the speaker.

Bose SoundDock 10

Some folks may not take too well to its chunky looks, but the SoundDock 10 delivers the audio goodness that matches the flair of the Zeppelin Air. You can expect the same audiophile qualities that are usually associated with a Bose speaker system: tight bass and pristine vocals that maintain their composure even when pushed to the max. To ensure better stereo separation — the bugbear of compact audio docks — the SoundDock 10′s drivers are projected outwards at an angle to amplify the subtleties unique to each stereo channel.

Jawbone Jambox

Don’t be fooled by the size of this tiny boom box. The Jawbone Jambox is one fiery speaker that sounds bigger than it looks. Besides belting out an astonishing amount of bass from its compact enclosure, it also manages to maintain its cool at high volumes. Vocals aren’t too bad either – you can expect clear renditions that remain distinct amidst a busy sound stage in rock numbers from Radiohead. Tunes can be pumped through the speaker via a headphone jack, wirelessly over a Bluetooth connection or Apple AirPlay. While this chilli padi of a speaker won’t replace bigger sound docks and desktop speakers, it offers one of the best portable audio experiences available.

Focal Bird 2.1

Audio purists will feel right at home with the Focal Bird from French audiophile company Focal. The system comprises two satellite speakers and a power amplifier that doubles as a subwoofer. The Focal Bird 2.1 supports multiple audio sources with its array of analogue and digital connectors, and includes a wireless transmitter that lets you “stream” your tunes from an iPhone to the speaker system. The advantage of a 2.1 system is room-filling sound, as well as a strong stereo image that’s almost non-existent on a sound bar or dock.

Every once in a while, a technology emerges that makes you wonder why you haven’t thought about it before. The Singapore-made Orastream app is one such example.

It enables music players to stream the songs at as high a quality as possible, depending on the network that is delivering the songs. This means you always enjoy the highest quality music, without worrying about the dreaded break in transmission – a boon to future music services on the go.

Let’s take your phone, for example. When you are at a cafe and you can receive a good 3G signal, it can stream at a high bit rate of, say, 800Kbps, but if you step into an underground mall, you may only get a slower 2G network link, which means the songs will then be streamed at a much lower bit rate, say, as low as 24Kbps.

Either way, the music continues playing, because the technology adapts automatically to the network conditions. There are not breaks in songs even if you switch from, say, 3G to 2G, as the folks behind Orastream showed in a demo to Techgoondu last week.

First developed at Singapore’s government-funded A*Star labs several years ago, Orastream is the brand name for an adaptive streaming music format called MPEG4SLS. This, incidentally, is also the name for the company spun off from A*Star that now develops Orastream.

The uses for the technology are numerous. For starters, the company is looking to offer a Dropbox-like service where musicians can upload their songs – at the highest lossless quality – to potential record company partners. Instead of sending various demo tapes or CDs or storing different formats of the same song, they can continually update the catalog of songs easily.

To do this, the Singapore firm has even developed simple tools for the musicians to create an app that plays back the music automatically from this library.

Needless to say, this can be applied to consumers as well, as a sort of cloud-based music locker service. You can essentially upload your entire library – at a cost, of course – to the cloud and have the Orastream technology stream the music to your PC, MP3 player and even hi-fi (if someone develops a Squeezebox plug-in, for example).

This means you don’t have to keep separate copies of your library, like MP3s for your portable players and FLAC lossless tracks for your hi-fi or PC. You can just stream them all in one format using Orastream. In countries with well-connected mobile and fibre broadband networks, this is an ideal solution, and better than the other cloud-based music offerings out there which usually only support the “lo-fi” but common MP3 format.

To be fair, there is still a lot more to be done for Orastream before this becomes reality. But the technology is out there and the business model is already proven, so the potential is clear.

And compared to rival technologies from, say, Microsoft, Orastream is truly dynamic, as in, it does not have to be set with a few pre-determined bit-rates, but is fine-tunes the bit rate or quality according to the network quality. If a network offers 300Kbps, the stream will be as close to 300Kbps as possible, perhaps at 290Kbps.

One more thing: Orastream can stream songs at up to 24 bits/192kHz, which is higher than a regular CD’s 16/44.1kHz. This will be a boon for audiophiles looking to stream their songs both over Wi-Fi at home (at high quality) and over the Net to their portable players.

Do check out the Orastream app available for the Mac, iOS and Android. Still very much like demos, these simple players show the potential of a technology that could change the way you enjoy music in future.

Singapore’s digital radio stations beaming “CD-quality” music over the airwaves will be shut down next month, when MediaCorp pulls the plug on the once highly-touted digital audio broadcasting (DAB) technology.

The broadcaster said the effectiveness and reach of DAB, which once promised to replace FM radio with its higher quality digital audio, had diminished over time. This, it added in a statement on Tuesday, was made even more obvious with the popularity of  online streaming and mobile phone apps.

It elaborated: “Since the launch of the service some 12 years ago, the growth in listenership on MediaCorp’s DAB service has remained stagnant. On the other hand, the rapid growth in the number of listeners through online streaming and phone app MeRadio has shown that these platforms are serving the listeners more effectively than the DAB platform.”

Several DAB-only stations, like J-K Pop which plays Japan and Korean pop music, appear to be already gone from the airwaves. Soon too will be simulcast digital versions of FM stations, such as Symphony 92.4FM (classical) and Lush 99.5 FM (chill out, easy listening), which are a hit with audio buffs who enjoy high-quality audio while driving home or listening to the hi-fi at home.

Fans of digital radio will have to rely on cellphone apps such as MediaCorp’sMeRadio (available on the iPhone and selected HTC Android phones), Sonar, a streaming app on Samsung phones or stream it over their PCs or streaming devices like Logitech’s Squeezebox Touch.

MediaCorp’s decision also brings to an end Singapore’s on-and-off affair with DAB, which began in 1999 when the country became the first in Southeast Asia to broadcast commercially with the technology.

However, the lack of awareness among the public resulted in poor adoption. There were a good number of devices on the market – from Blaupunkt head units for cars to Tivoli DAB receivers – but the improved audio quality over FM radio just did not resonate with the audience.

While DAB has not taken off in Singapore, it has definitely had an impact in Europe, where it is very popular and has expanded to other non-radio functions like text updates on the latest traffic conditions. The same technology has also been developed further to broadcast video to portable devices in Korea, where it is called digital multimedia broadcast (DMB).

Jabra, that brand better known for its Bluetooth headsets, has come up with a rather solid pair of sports earphones that are both light on the ear and firm enough to stay in place when you run or cycle.

The Jabra Sport receives the music wirelessly via Bluetooth from your smartphone or a compatible MP3 player, doing away with the annoying cord that usually runs down to your MP3 player in your shorts pocket or an arm pouch.

At a launch in Singapore yesterday, reporters were shown how the earphones come with a number of useful features for those sweaty moments, starting with the specially-coated, flat cord linking the two headsets that are said to be less susceptible to stick to your sweaty back, or get tangled that easily.

Like the company’s other similar-looking Bluetooth headphones, the Jabra Sport is made of material that lets you easily shape it to fit your ears. I’m not sure about the comfort offered by the hook design, but I’m told by the Jabra folks that this helps the earphones stay on better when you exercise.

Like the Sennheiser/adidas Sports earphones that I use now for my jogs, the Jabra Sport also comes with inner ear fins that are indispensable in keeping the earphones in place and making sure the music is loud and clear.

In terms of durability, the Jabra Sport is said to have cleared similar rain, dust and shock torture tests that the US military puts its gear through. I guess if something can work on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, it should be able to handle your daily run or cycle.

I actually did a little test yesterday, while handling the earphones. I tucked at the cord gently to see if it felt flimsy, but I came away feeling more assured of the Jabra Sport than most regular earphones.

Beyond just a pair of earphones, the Jabra Sport also works with the Endomondo app that you can download onto your smartphone (Android, iOS or Blackberry) to keep track of your run, a la Nike+. It can also be programmed to goads you on with canned voice prompts, reminding you ever so gently that you are not taking a walk in the park, for example.

How much is the Jabra Sport? The regular version costs S$148 while a “Made for iPod” version will cost S$168, and is guaranteed to work with a wider range of Apple devices.

Beside the Sport, Jabra yesterday also launched a number of other Bluetooth devices, like the S$148 Halo 2, which are sleek flat, folder headphones for travellers, as well as the S$198 Jabra Supreme, an attractive mono headset that comes with a foldable-boom design and advanced active noise cancellation and ambient noise reduction.

But the coolest, in my eyes, is the Bluetooth sport earphones, because they are a new class of devices in their own right and will only get more popular as more folks start syncing up with their Bluetooth-enabled smartphones. Look out for a Goond Review on the Jabra Sport soon when I get it out for a jog.

Ever wanted a gaming console or Blu-ray player that can make a statement on your TV console, instead of trying to blend in with a dull black finish?

Well, you have your wish if you are a Sony Playstation 3 fan. Come November 17, the game console will ship in Singapore in “splash blue” and “scarlet red” – colours that will surely liven up your boring console table as well as your living room.

To be sold only in “limited quantities”, each will cost S$429 and include a 320GB hard disk as well as a Dualshock 3 wireless controller.

Not sure if everyone would like such loud colours over the existing black finish, but we can imagine the fashion conscious gamer already getting all excited about this.

The usual sight of folks with trolleys of  flat screen TVs to printers in tow are back this weekend at Suntec City, thanks to the Comex 2011 show.

With bargain basement prices for items such as TVs – a Toshiba 42-incher for going for just S$549 – and laptops bundled with all sorts of freebies, the tech bazaar promises good deals for folks who brave the human jam at the halls in Suntec City.

Here are some hot deals that Techgoondu sussed out yesterday while there for a quick walkthrough:

Trade in your old game console
Microsoft is taking in your old game consoles for as much as S$150, which you can offset for a spanking new Xbox 360. The 4GB Kinect version with the motion controller costs S$469, while the 250GB version costs S$649.

There’s also a really chio Gears of War 3 limited edition of the console, which costs S$640 and comes with 320GB storage plus a couple of customised controllers and the game, a composite cable and a wired headset. More details here.

Huawei’s new MediaPad
Fancy a small Android tablet with a 7-inch screen? Check out Huawei’s MediaPad, which is going for a pretty attractive S$598 at a booth that is jam-packed with gadget lovers.

The light 390-gram device comes with both 3G and Wi-Fi, has a fast 1.2GHz dual-core chip and claims to be the first to run Android 3.2. The high-resolution screen is also a delight to use, going by a quick preview we had with the tablet back in June.

Get free upgrades for your Macbook Pro
Looking for one of the best laptops around? Along with other Apple laptops, the popular MacBook Pro 15-inch is being bundled with a load of freebies for those who want the latest Core i7-powered machine.

Apple distributors nubox, Multimedia Integrated (MI) and epicentre are all throwing in free 8GB upgrades for the 15-incher, which costs S$2,488 or S$2,988 depending on the configuration. The standout one for me is the MI deal, which also comes with a free 500GB external hard disk.

LG Optimus 3D discounted
Just launched last month, the 3D-enabled phone is going for S$868 instead of S$938 at Comex. For those who are into viewing 3D images and videos on their phones, this is a gadget worth checking out. Oh, and this Android-based phone shoots 3D videos and images too, which makes it an affordable 3D camera. Check out our hands-on preview with the phone here.

Bose SoundDock gets cheaper 
The original iPod dock  is going for a sale at Comex, along with other Bose deals by distributor Atlas. The star buy here is the SoundDock Portable, which lets you dock your iPod or iPhone and play reasonably good-sounding music (given its small size) almost anywhere you go. Instead of S$749, it’s going for S$579 now.

Its bigger brother, the SoundDock 10, which produces much bigger and fuller sounds with built-in subwoofer, is going for S$1,069. That’s still expensive, I hear, but it was selling for a rather unrealistic S$1,249 previously! Read our review of the SoundDock 10 here and download the Atlas/Bose Comex brochure here.

Apparently, 40 minutes is too late by several hours.

I was far too late to score a new HP Touchpad (either the 16GB or 32GB version), because both were sold out at COMEX 2011 within minutes of the opening of the computer show, which runs from 1st to 4th September at the Suntec Convention Centre.

With limited availability of 200 devices total per day, it’s no wonder that the TouchPads were sold out. It was highly anticipated and queues had started forming way before the show started, according to our friends over at Digital Life.

Said Gin Lee on DL’s Facebook channel: “People were apparently queuing from 4am.”

The photo above does not do justice to the crowd at the HP booth. Here’s a better one.

Please note that it’s just the first hour of the first day (!) and the alleys around the booth were thronged with people. It was so packed that you could hardly move, and the emcees had to repeatedly make announcements every few minutes that the HP TouchPad is sold out.

You can certainly expect a repeat of this every single day the show is running. It’ll probably get even worse over the weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Unless you queue up in the wee hours of the morning, don’t expect to get your HP Touchpad.

On HP’s end, they can and should definitely do better crowd management. Already there are complaints on blogs and Facebook that the queue for the HP Touchpad wasn’t well managed this morning. People who queued for hours walked away empty handed.

Beyond the mania over the HP Touchpads, COMEX 2011 is the biggest IT show in Singapore ever, according to the organizers.

Every COMEX sees rivalry between the telcos, where they compete to see who can draw the biggest crowds. Typically StarHub and SingTel have the biggest booths and crowds, but this time M1 has pulled out all the stops.

M1 was particularly aggressive. I had barely come out of the turnstiles at the Esplanade MRT when I met their show staff inside the station, where I was given a pamphlet of their bargain broadband price plans, available only during COMEX 2011.

They booked a big convention room and floor space on the second floor, obviously expecting a large crowd to turn up over the weekend. Given the pre-buzz in the social media space around their cutthroat pricing plans, I wouldn’t be surprised if M1 will be proven right.

Lastly, I passed by the Nubox booth on the 3rd floor, who had earlier sent Techgoondu a press release on their special promotion plans for Apple iMac, Macbook Air, and Macbook Pro products.

They are touting special bundles with savings in the hundreds — for example, Windows 7 Home Premium and Parallels Desktop 6 at a special price of S$249, off from the usual price of S$318
— and discounts in accessories up to 70 percent.

More interesting though, is that Nubox is doing a tie-up with Universal Music to promote UK boyband “The Wanted”. The first 200 customers who spend above S$300 at the Nubox COMEX 2011 booth will get to redeem The Wanted’s eponymous debut album at Nubox@Raffles City from 10th to 16th September.

They also get a chance to win showcase passes to see the pop group perform live in Singapore on 17th September.

The hype surrounding Internet or smart TVs these days begs the question: why would you want to check your Facebook on your TV with an awkward remote control rather than your touch-screen phone?

Apparently, TV makers think differently. From Samsung to Sony, they have been cranking out smart TVs as the next big thing for the living room, and well, now you too can get your old TV on this “next gen” goodness when you plug in an Asus O!Play Mini Plus set-top box cum video streamer.

Never mind if you can’t pronounce its name. This petite gizmo not only streams all sorts of video formats from your PC to your TV, but it also acts as a conduit for “smart” e-services that your neighbour’s spanking new TV offers.

Want to catch up on your holiday pictures on Flickr or Picasa? The Asus gizmo connects your TV to the Net to view the images. Want to watch some blurry online videos? Log on to YouTube as well as Mediafly.

There’s also support for Dailymotion videos as well as Facebook, after Asus releases a software update for the device in October 2011, so you more or less get some of the most popular “apps” coming on a smart TV these days.

As a streaming device, the Asus O!Play Mini supports the usual array of formats and extensions, including MKV and even the less common RMVB, so at the least, you can use it to deliver all the movies you’ve downloaded (or encoded) to your TV.

To hook up to your home network, there’s a useful Gigabit Ethernet port along with Wireless N connectivity, the latter of which will come in handy if you have a Wi-Fi router nearby.

We’ll have price and availability for the Asus O!Play Mini Plus for Singapore shortly. Meanwhile, here’s a breakdown of what video formats it supports.