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Nokia Lumia 900 comes to Singapore on May 26, costs S$849

By:
17 May
2012
2 Comments
 

The Nokia Lumia 900, the Windows Phone camp’s best smartphone to date, is coming to Singapore on May 26 and will go for a rather attractive S$849 at retailers as well as via all three mobile operators here.

 
Tagged in: Cellphones, Featured, Singapore, Software, Windows Phone 7, availability, Lumia 900, Microsoft, Nokia, price, Singapore, Windows Phone,  
 

Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S III stars as new flagship phone

By:
11 May
2012
4 Comments
 

Almost like with an iPhone, details on Samsung’s Galaxy S III were rumoured, leaked, exposed and went through the entire online hype cycle before it was finally unveiled last week.

Just how well does the flagship model from the new number one manufacturer of phones do in the face of increased competition? Not so bad, I have to say, after a hands-on session with the Galaxy S III a couple of days ago.

With a typically bright screen, slim body and new quad-core processor that provides zippy Android 4.0 performance, it holds its own against the best. To be clear, there’s nothing dramatically different here from the previous Galaxy Nexus, Note or S II, but the Korean phone maker knows it already has winners and doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel.

 
Tagged in: android, Cellphones, Featured, google, Software, Android 4.0, Galaxy S III, samsung, Singapore,  
 

Samsung Galaxy S II gets Ice Cream Sandwich update in Singapore – finally

By:
8 May
2012
8 Comments
 

samsung kies

Just when you think that Samsung is forcing you to upgrade your Galaxy S II, the Korean phone maker finally decided to deliver its much-awaited Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) update for Singapore users in the past few days.

It has released a “DXLP9″ version of the phone’s firmware, which essentially updates the current Android software onboard to version 4.0 or the much-talked about ICS version.

It brings along enhancements like a niftier task switcher and a more powerful Gmail app, along with cosmetic upgrades like smarter icons and fonts. 

 
Tagged in: android, Cellphones, google, Singapore, Software, Galaxy S II, Ice Cream Sandwich, over the air, samsung, update,  
 

Huawei MediaPad gets a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich

By:
5 May
2012
No Comments
 

Guess which Chinese company is back in the news with a pleasant surprise?

After being the first company in the world to roll out the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update to the Honor, Huawei said on Friday that an update is now also available for the MediaPad Android tablet as well.

Unveiled last year at CommunicAsia, it has been running Android 3.2. Besides the expected feature and performance boost that comes with Android 4.0, the software update will also let the MediaPad send SMSes and make voice calls. 

 
Tagged in: android, Tablet, Android 4.0, Huawei, Huawei MediaPad, Ice Cream Sandwich, MediaPad,  
 

Motoactv finally comes to Singapore for a rather expensive S$399

By:
4 May
2012
2 Comments
 

It has taken several months to reach Singapore, but finally, joggers here can check out Motorola’s tough little Motoactv music player that has wowed users over in the United States.

The big deal about this nifty sweat-proof and rain-proof player is that it runs on Android and can fire up a number of GPS-enabled apps that better track your run or cycle. Plus it comes with Bluetooth connectivity out of the box.

Pair it with one of those cool Jabra Sport headphones we reviewed some months back and you have an excellent jogging companion, sans cable and fuss. Very crucially, the 35-gram player will be light enough to be slid into your shorts’ pocket or clipped on without dragging your shorts down, as a heavy or large-screen smartphone may just do!

 
Tagged in: android, MP3 player, Music, A2DP, android, Bluetooth, Motoactv, Motorola, MP3 player, wireless headphones, workout,  
 

Samsung bets on bigger screen, smarter features in new Galaxy S III

By:
4 May
2012
1 Comment
 

It’s svelte like before but it’s got a larger screen, more juice in the battery, and interestingly, smart software features that could turn off the screen after detecting that you have fallen asleep watching a movie.

Is Samsung’s much-awaited Galaxy S III the smartphone to have now? Well, after the Korean electronics maker unveiled its new flagship device just hours ago, you can already sense the credit cards and cash ready to fall out of many users’ wallets.

It’s true, the Galaxy S III, which will ship in Singapore by June the latest, is set for a stay at the top of the charts. 

 
Tagged in: android, Cellphones, Featured, google, Singapore, Software, android, Galaxy S III, Google, samsung, Singapore availability,  
 

First low-end Windows Phone Nokia Lumia 610 lands in Singapore on May 5

By:
2 May
2012
2 Comments
 

Nokia, which has traditionally done well in the low-price segment of the mobile phone market, will be facing the true test of its future relevance come May 5, when its budget Windows Phone – the Lumia 610 - hits shelves in Singapore.

Retailing for a very attractive S$379, the phone could well be offered by telcos on contract as a zero-dollar phone. This is a significant difference from the Lumia 800, its current highest-end Windows Phone available here, which is retailing for S$775.

 
Tagged in: Cellphones, google, Singapore, Software, Windows Phone 7, Lumia 610, Nokia, Nokia Lumia 610, Windows Phone 7,  
 

Goondu DIY: get your Skype calls on your Bluetooth headset

By:
28 Apr
2012
1 Comment
 

It’s something that has happened to many people, even those who think they’re tech-savvy.

You’ve got an urgent conference call over Skype, so you pick up your good old Bluetooth headset, pair it with your PC or phone and think that you are all set for the call.

Then, just as you connect up over Skype, you realise there’s no sound coming from your headset. You struggle to get things going as the meeting starts, turning eventually to your PC or phone’s mic and speakers in desperation. It’s a painful hour listening to the PC speakers or pressing your phone to your ear.

The cause? Your Bluetooth headset probably doesn’t transfer the audio from the PC or phone. Or you may not have set up your PC or phone right. Here’s one way to get it fixed.

 
Tagged in: Cellphones, A2DP, Bluetooth, diy, Jabra Extreme, Jabra Supreme, skype,  
 

Smartphone malware is real – here are some tips to keep clear

By:
21 Apr
2012
No Comments
 

Sometimes, fear-mongering can have the opposite effect – it makes you feel that you are safe because the people crying wolf seem to have raised the alarm once too often. Then, one day, the wolf really turns up.

Last week, I found a strange thing happening on my wife’s two-week-old Samsung Galaxy Note. There was a notification message that kept popping up sporadically, asking her to join a contest to win an iPad.

It seemed suspicious, but these days, with the endless spam SMSes from property agents in Singapore, you’d think it’s just another piece of spam and to just click on the notification to delete it. Instead, doing so brought me to the browser, which had its homepage changed to a strange-looking search engine.

I sat up immediately. I realised later, from searching up the Internet, that my wife’s phone had been infected by ad-ware, which had probably been hidden in some of the games she downloaded a few days ago.

 
Tagged in: android, Cellphones, Featured, Internet, iphone, Software, Tablet, Web 2.0, Windows Phone 7, adware, android, Angry Birds, Counter.clank, Instagram, iPhone, malware, smartphone, Sophos, Symantec,  
 

Standard Chartered Bank and IDA launch mobile app venture

By:
18 Apr
2012
No Comments
 

If you’re an aspiring technopreneur based outside Silicon Valley, you can do a lot worse than Singapore, where there are plenty of opportunities. And if creating mobile app experiences is your sort of thing, you ought to check out Mobile Ventures (MoVe) Fellowship 2012.

Initiated by Standard Chartered Bank, in partnership with the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), the fellowship is looking for 10 software engineers to undertake a traineeship programme in mobile app design and development.

The one-year programme is part of the bank’s in-house mobile development team, and the positions will be based right here in Singapore.

 
Tagged in: Cellphones, Internet, Software, app development, apps, IDA, mobile, standard chartered bank, web development,