Music.Photo.Life.

Asus Zenbook UX31 Review

2012-01-24T23:35:00.000+08:00

Having heard of numerous positive reviews about the Asus Zenbook, I received the review unit with great expectations. The Zenbook is one of the first Ultrabooks launched in the market. The name "Ultrabook" is trademarked by Intel and describes laptops that are lightweight, high performance and with long battery life.

Zenbook, shown here with the free sleeve case.

The specs of my review unit:

Intel Core i5-2557M 1.7GHz (2 core, 4 threads, max 2.7GHz turbo)
DDR3 1333MHz 4GB RAM
128GB SSD
Intel HD Graphics 3000
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
13.3-inch 1600x900
0.3M web camera
3mm thin at the front, 9mm thin at the rear, 1.3kg

Comparing the 13" Zenbook with the 11" Macbook Air

Good Zen
The Zenbook launch in Singapore is rather successful. Several of my friends bought one within the first week of its sale in Singapore. Perhaps it is due to the pent-up demand for a Windows-based ultraportable laptop. Here, I list down the features that make Asus Zenbook attractive:

1. Full aluminium body with ultrathin profile. The brushed metal surface feels more durable and less prone to scratches than Macbook Air. There are ample wrist rest for typing and the large trackpad is very much appreciated.

Zenbook keyboard vs. Macbook Air

2. 2-second instant-on with Super Hybrid Engine II. Yes, the bootup and shutdown times are just as fast, but any computer running on solid-state storage drives (SSD) could achieve that. But the instant-on feature is just impressive. Not only that, but putting the Zenbook to sleep does not use up a lot of battery power.

3. Higher screen resolution at 1600x900. It's the highest resolution Ultrabook, which means your display will look sharp and you can see more rows and columns of your spreadsheet applications, or scroll less to see your Facebook feeds. The gloss screen surface has a good balance of reflectivity.

4. Effective Battery Management. Zenbook comes with its own Asus Power4Gear Hybrid battery management app to make sure you get maximum battery if you need it. For each usage profie, you can specify the maximum processor speed, which is good. When I turn on Battery Saving mode, the laptop runs in low heat. I also like that the Zenbook does not heat up when charging.

As for battery life, well, it depends on the applications. If you turn on High Performance, the full charge would barely last 4 hours. When running on Battery Saving mode and doing casual computing, the Zenbook can offer realistically 5-6 hours. Coupled with instant-on and sleep, you should be able to get through the day.

5. Audio speakers. Running on Bang & Olufsen ICEpower, the Zenbook is pleasant to listen to. You get crystal clear treble, well-delivered mid-range, and light bass. There are minimal audio distortions, prevented by audio limiter. The stereo sound permeates through the keyboard surface, giving you unblocked listening experience. But occasionally some songs with certain audio frequencies may rattle the keys. Nevertheless, I am impressed with the sound.

6. Bundled accessories. Zenbook retail package comes with adapters for VGA (D-Sub) and LAN (RJ45 Ethernet port), so that these chunky ports do not clutter the interface, and consumers can still connect to VGA and Ethernet. A premium laptop case is also included, which completes the ownership.

It is to be noted that the mini VGA port on the Zenbook is proprietary and is not the standard mini DisplayPort as mentioned by several online review sites.

Bad Zen
Despite the sleek design, thoughtful apps, and bundled accessories, I find the actual usage experience rather disappointing. Let me explain why.

1. Keyboard. It might look good, but it doesn't work quite good. Due to the shallow key action, there is a high tendency of missing key strokes, but if you alter your keyboard habits, like hitting the keys a little harder, you might be able to increase the hit rate.

There is also no keyboard backlight if your life depends on it. So, tough luck working in a dark environment, although perhaps the ultra-bright LCD screen (450 nits) could offer some illumination.

2. Trackpad. After experiencing the Macbook trackpad, no other Windows-based laptop comes close, including the Zenbook. The response is laggy and multi-touch gestures are frustrating to use. Use an external mouse to get more consistent results.

3. Wi-Fi connection. The most disappointing feature (or lack of) is the Wi-Fi radio. The connection consistently drops, indicated with a yellow exclaimation icon next to the Wi-Fi status, showing "No Internet Access". A search on google reveals that the short term workaround is to set the power profile to "High Performance". Sadly, this means the battery will drain faster and the Zenbook will get hotter. Hopefully this problem can be fixed by software updates.

The Sum of all Zen
The Asus Zenbook delivers a great impression with sleek design, custom applications and user interface. The instant on and sleep means you can use the Zenbook whenever and wherever you need it without worrying about long wake-up times, battery drain and ensuring proper shutdown. The laptop generally runs smoothly and extremely quiet. The major annoying issue is the persistent dropped Wi-Fi connection. But like what I tell my peers who spend too much time evaluating and waiting for the perfect gadget: "Don't forgo the benefits because of a few weaknesses." If you simply must have the 2-second instant-on feature, then no other laptop can beat the Asus Zenbook - for now.

Epson MG-850HD Projector with iPhone Dock

2012-01-20T23:50:00.000+08:00

Within weeks after the EPSON blogger's event, I received the MG-850HD projector for review. And this might well be the first projector you would buy for your home.

Preview Impressions
Plug your Apple product - iPhone, iPad, iPod - onto this projector and do presentations, browse photos and watch videos! It has 2x10W speakers that pumps out decent sound for a projector. It can do keystone adjustment up to 30-degrees in all directions, so it means you can project on the screen at an angle and the output will still look in proportion. It has a light ambient sensor that also auto white balance, so you get both colour and brightness compensation. It runs on 3LCD technology which promises more faithful colour reproduction and no colour break-up (also known as "rainbow effect"). It supports multiple connectors like VGA, HDMI, Component video, Mic-In, even USB port for multimedia slideshow display. It has a built-in handle for easy of carry. It weights 3.9kg, the fan runs at only 35dB. It starts up at just 6 seconds.

And this world's first HD projector for Apple mobile devices retails at just S$1299.

Hands-on Experience

The projector is carefully designed with a clean outlook. The speakers at the back of the projector is slanted with speaker grooves. The usual AV connectors are all hidden behind removable casings, so if you were to use the projector exclusively as a standalone dock without any external device connections, the projector would look presentable. There is also a spring handle for you to transport the projector. It might seem redundant - who would carry a projector around without a bag - but the handle would be useful if you move the projector around the house.

The moment I slid out the iPhone Dock and inserted the iPhone, the projector displays a multimedia menu to let you navigate, using the projector's remote, into various folders of music and videos that are stored in your iPhone. When you choose the "Photos + More" option, iPhone apps that support display-out will be projected through the MG-850HD. It is possible to use the projector's remote to control the playback.

iPods and iPads are also supported.

Due to iOS limitations on the type of apps that can be displayed on external devices, this dock might not seem as useful. The projector's 10W stereo speakers sound adequately loud but certainly does not offer audiophile quality. In fact, the audio experience is marred by the unpleasant noise-reduction audio engine, which cuts off very soft passages like classical music. If you play pop music or movies, it should sound fine. Also, you can playback your iPhone songs without turning on the projector lamp, thereby saving electricity and heat generated from the machine.

Putting the iPhone dock capability aside, the projector performs well, though it might not be the choice of home theatre buffs because the native resolution is only 1280x800. Colours appear accurate with the 3LCD technology. Inside the menu, you can finetune the image brightness, contrast, tint, sharpness, colour tone. There are preset Colour Modes, Sound Modes to help you get the desired effects quickly.

Keystone adjustment lets me project at an angle with no image distortion!

Summary Thoughts
The EPSON MG-850HD is a multi-purpose high quality projector that offers many connectivity options. With the iPhone dock option, you might be able to convince your spouse to get one for your home. Instead of a permanent mount, you could set this up on an ad-hoc basis, like what I did during my review. When not using as a projector, you can use it like a normal iPhone dock to pump out your favourite hit tunes.

Dell U3011: UltraSharp 30-inch monitor review

2012-01-14T23:52:00.001+08:00

After reviewing the Dell U2412M 24-inch monitor a few weeks back, Dell threw me another premium monitor. The Dell U3011 is a new 30-inch model replacing the U3008WFP. The IPS panel is factory calibrated to sRGB and AdobeRGB modes, so it saves the hassle of re-calibrating.

30-inch computer monitors are uncommon. Not many manufacturers make them because they are not as popular, and certainly not cheap. Yet Dell UltraSharp monitors are sought after by photographers, graphic designers, and anyone who requires accurate colour rendition on a huge brilliant display. The reason behind the awesomeness of this monitor:

1. the IPS (in-plane switching) LCD panel that offers minimal colour deviation when you view the screen at varying angles.
2. 117% colour gamut (range of colours), compatible with 100% sRGB and 99% AdobeRGB standards.
3. Capable of displaying 1 billion colours at 1,000:1 (typical) dynamic contrast ratio, 7ms (typical) response time.

If you are wondering why one would need a 30-inch monitor, here's a list for your consideration:

1. 2560x1600 high resolution display
If your current monitor displays only 1280x800, then the Dell U3011 is 4 times of that resolution! You can tile 4 windows on the monitor and work on all 4 windows at the same time. How useful is that? How about a web browser, a photo editor, a word editor, and a file manager, all in full view.

I could never have imagined this is attainable, and very usable...

If you often work on spreadsheets, you would certainly appreciate a high resolution monitor, which lets you see a lot more rows and columns. For photography work, you see more of the image in 1:1 pixel compared to even a typical full HD 1920x1080 monitor. Less zooming around means you get your job done with less mousing around.

This is how an Excel spreadsheet looks like on a 2560x1600 screen. (click for full image)

For multi-tasking movie buffs, you can open a full-HD size window and watch your movies while having ample space to keep a few other windows visible from view, for instance, live monitoring desktop gadgets.

Watching the Avatar movie in full HD while blogging, only possible with Dell U3011.

2. 30-inch screen size
Who doesn't like large screens? Every modern living room has a huge TV, and people tend to buy the biggest size that they can afford. But would a huge monitor be really necessary for a computer user since one usually sits close to a monitor as compared to watching TV?

My computer screen is about 2 feet away from my eyes, and a 30-inch screen is just nice to fill up my field of vision. Having a single high-res screen can be better than multiple screens, because in a multiple-screen setup, you need to turn your heads frequently to look at both monitors. And at 30-inch, the resolution is just nice, not too small unlike laptops with full-HD resolution.

Size in perspective: Dell U3011 (right), 24" Philips 240B (left), and 12.1" Thinkpad X61.

3. One monitor, multiple connectivity.
The Dell U3011 has the following list of connectivity options, which seems to many to be true.

· 2 Digital Visual Interface connectors (DVI-D) with HDCP
· 2 HDMI connectors
· 1 DisplayPort (DP)
· 1 Video Graphics Array (VGA)
· 5.1 audio output
· Component Video
· 4 USB 2.0 downstream ports
· 7-in-1 Media reader

So technically you can connect 6 devices to this mammoth monitor and easily toggle among them using the capacitive menu buttons, which is so cool because you activate the buttons by lightly touching, unlike most other monitors which requires you to click on the small rigid poorly-labelled buttons.

Bring your finger near to the buttons and the bottom one lights up.
Select it and the on-screen menu and all other buttons light up.

Use it not just as a computer monitor, but also as a TV to plug your DVD player, your game console, hook it to your 5.1 sound system. You can slot in your SD cards for file transfer, or easily connect your USB devices to this monitor.

Need? Or Want?
For many years, I have evolved my monitor usage behaviour, from a 15-inch monitor, to a 17-inch, then a 19-inch, then I bought a 22-inch and started a 2-monitor extended display setup, then I sold off the 19-inch for the current full-HD 24-inch. I was contemplating getting rid of the 22-inch (WSXGA+, 1680x1050) for the Dell U2412M 24-inch, but now that I reviewed this 30-incher, it appears that I might revert back to a single-display, because there are so much more pixels to offer in a single display that is easier to manage than multiple displays. Of course, there's no stopping me to buy this and hook it with my existing monitor to increase my desktop size, yet again. There is no end, is there?

Before you invest in this beauty, make sure your display card supports the extra-high WQXGA resolution. The standard HDMI cable only supports up to full-HD resolution of 1920x1080, and analogue display (VGA) connection also cannot reach the full native resolution. In my test, only the DVI Dual-link cable delivers the full 2560x1600 resolution.

Chester writes for XinMSN.

BAIT: a photostory with Angela

2012-01-08T14:26:00.000+08:00

I did a label search on my blog and realised that my previous photostory was in 2010 February.

Angela Chew first reached out to me in June 2009 with a Facebook message to compliment my photography. It was only 2 years later that we crossed paths again. I was planning for a shoot, decided to contact her, and she agreed.

Over the course of discussion, a photostory idea came to me, and I proposed to her with a positive response.

Customising My Photostory
The shoot was executed on 29 Aug 2011. I wanted to showcase Angela's versatility, so I wrote a story in 3 parts to portray her in different styles. After a heavy downpour, we were left with less than 2 hours to do the shoot.

Photostory is my favourite way of presenting my images. I am more interested to bring out the human emotions from the images than creating picture-perfect photos.

BAIT
This photostory is told from the stalker's perspective, presented in a journal layout that belonged to the stalker. The use of different fonts portrays the various narratives - one jotted by the stalker on his journal, the second representing the thoughts of the stalker, and appearing in the final pages, the thoughts of the lady victim. The choice of the title is a play of perspectives: who is the baiter, and who is the bait?

Full photo story presentation (Flash support required)
Facebook album presentation

Rebecca: Portraiture

2012-01-05T00:21:00.000+08:00

After a long hiatus from portraiture photography, I collaborated with Lynette for a portrait shoot on Rebecca.

Click for larger image

With a little coaxing and directions, I managed to catch her in various moods and looks.

Read Lynette's blog entry about the shoot here.

If you like my photography, visit my Facebook page for more photos.

Dropbox Version History Saves My Day

2012-01-02T22:18:00.000+08:00

For the past few days, I have been working on a Powerpoint presentation on my Windows desktop. Little by little, I added the slides and by late afternoon, I had an almost complete product. At some point in time, I saved it and went out to buy dinner for the family.

3 hours later, I decided to continue working on the finishing touches to the presentation. When I opened the file, I had a rude shock. There was only 10 slides out of the original 60.

Oh no. I must have hit some random "Select-Slides-Delete" keystrokes and saved the entire file without checking.

There was no other way to recover the previous version of the file in my desktop since I have already saved and closed the file earlier.

The thought of re-doing the lost 50 slides was a big setback. But I picked myself up and attempted to start creating the lost slides from memory again.

10 minutes into the re-construction, I recalled Dropbox have this versioning feature that keeps the old versions of over-written files. And it so happened that this file I was working on was stored in the Dropbox sync folder.

So I scavenged the version history of that ill-fated file on the Dropbox website, and really found the old version containing the complete deck!!

I WANT THAT FILE BACK! THE ONE WITH THE LARGEST FILE SIZE!

Thank goodness for Dropbox. I am able to recover my hard work.

Are you subscribed to Dropbox yet? Sign up with this link to get 2GB of online storage!

Thank you, Dropbox. You saved my week.

A good start, or a bad start to the New Year?

P.S. I found out that Mac OS X Lion users would have no such problems because OS X Lion has built-in document versioning. So if I were to work my project on a Mac, I could simply recover old versions locally.

Piano Spa 6: by Chester Tan and Tat Tong

2011-12-31T10:40:00.000+08:00

It all started with a casual conversation with Tat Tong, a chart-topping music producer from T2 Productions. I told him about my past Piano Spa albums and he got inspired to produce instrumental albums. After discussing with Warner Music Singapore, Tat asked me if I would like to produce another new Piano Spa album. After giving some thought, I agreed.

The album was completed by end November, and after a few days of sorting out the licensing details, the contract was signed. And before I knew it, the album is out in stores. I first spotted it at HMV Marina Square on 27 December and excitedly informed Tat. 2 days later, Warner officially announced it on their Facebook page.

Piano Spa 6 (PS6) is Tat's first commercial instrumental album. His versatile composition styles offer the listener with an enchanting, whimsical, and moving experience. Through PS6, we get a flavour of Tat's musical calibre which reflects his vast experience in music-making.

For me, PS6 is my 5th release. After writing entirely for PS1 to 3, I collaborated with Fred Lin for PS4 and then Fred did the entire album for PS5. That was 2008. After that, Warner Music refreshed the Piano Spa series by releasing several compilation collections.

I am grateful to Warner Music for their continual support in the Piano Spa album series. I'm also privileged to produce this brand new album with an experienced musician who has produced a growing list of #1 songs in the Asian market, and whose portfolio includes music veterans like Kit Chan, Joi Chua, Karen Mok, Sally Yeh, Show Luo, plus rising stars like Christian Bautista, Jonathan Wong, Tay Kewei, Derrick Hoh.

Piano Spa 6 is now available at all good music stores. Visit our facebook page to listen to music samples.

Track listing:
CD1

1 - Awaken Dreams
2 - Daisies and the Sun
3 - Spring Bloom
4 - Last Summer
5 - Motions
6 - Old Time
7 - Our Wedding Moment (with Pachelbel's Canon)
8 - Returning to Love
9 - The Final Ember
10 - Impressions of a Broken Road
11 - There is Nothing Else to Love
12 - Twilight Passion
13 - Wishing Him Well
14 - We're at the End of Our Days

CD2

1 - Forest Dreams
2 - In The Air
3 - Fireflies
4 - Sunday Morning
5 - Walk
6 - March
7 - Enchanted
8 - Remembrance
9 - Reverie d'Amour
10 - Gnome Dance
11 - Coming Home
12 - Entering The Eternal
13 - Day's End
14 - Love of my Life

Motorola HX550 Bluetooth Headset: Hands-Free Solution Review

2011-12-28T18:06:00.000+08:00

I remember owning the world's first bluetooth headset from Ericsson (HBH-10) back in 2001. My, it's rather weighty and comes with a limited-edition large biscuit-tin box with loads of accessories and a bluetooth receiver to plug to your compatible Ericsson phones.

10 years later, I received a Motorola bluetooth headest HX550 for review. It's so small and feather-light at only 9 grams, I can't even feel I'm wearing it. The unit has 3 hardware buttons: the volume up/down and the answer/hang up button. The flip doubles as a switch to turn on and off the unit.

Besides the weight (or lack of), the experience is much improved. It comes with voice-assisted audio prompts to inform you of the headset status. For instance, when you turn on the headset by flipping out the mic pickup, the headset will inform you whether it is paired with any device. It will also remind you with instructions on how to pair the headset with your phone device. When your headset is out of range from your paired device, you will also hear the announcement. But once you are back in range, the headset will also inform you via the voice prompt. No worries of compatibility issues, as the HX550 can pair with any mobile devices that supports the usual Bluetooth profiles.

The headset will inform you of the battery level every time you switch on so that you will not be caught with battery issues. Speaking of battery, the HX550 has a great battery life. I did not do any scientific tests, but you can rest assured that the phone battery will drain faster than than the headset itself. You can easily charge it with a micro-USB cable.

What I also like about the headset is the ear hook is easily adjustable to fit any ear. You can also pair this headset with up to 2 devices at any time. And the headset will automatically switch to one of the devices when there is an incoming call.

I'm amazed with how the HX550 instantly connects to an incoming call when you flip open the headset to switch it on. Motorola calls it the RapidConnect(TM) feature. If you are a casual headset user who do not wear it constantly on your ear, this method will save your battery life extensively.

Other noteworthy features:
- RapidCharge: 15 minutes charge gets you over 4 hours of usage
- Talk Time: 9 hours
- Standby Time: 16 days
- 300 feet range

If there is anything to nitpick, I'd say that the music playback quality is no match for the stereo bluetooth headsets which may be more practical but is double the price of the HX550. The size of the headset also means it can easily get lost in your bag. But if your life depends on owning a wireless handsfree solution, then I'd say the HX550 is a fantastic piece of gadget.

Chester writes for XinMSN.

Samsung Galaxy Note Review: Should You Upgrade Galaxy S2?

2011-12-18T11:59:00.000+08:00

Samsung Galaxy SII and Galaxy Note

As a Samsung Galaxy SII owner upgraded from Samsung Galaxy S, my eyes gleamed when Samsung announced the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note (GT-N7000) - a larger version of the SII! Several months back, I reviewed the 5-inch Dell Streak and was tempted by its generous screen size. Thankfully, I did not have to wait too long before Samsung handed me a review unit of the Note. I certainly generated some buzz after posting some photos on my social sites as my friends kept asking me for my feedback. They all have heard of how fantastic the Galaxy SII was, yet they are enticed by the larger form factor of the Galaxy Note.

Sizing the Differences
There are just a couple of features that sets the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note apart.

Processor. Note runs on 1.4GHz Cortex-A9 dual core. S2 is 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 dual core. While I feel that the S2 runs smoother and faster, the Note handles really well for a device with that screen resolution.
Screen Size. Note is 1280x800 pixels (same as Galaxy Tab) and 5.3 inch. S2 is 800x480 and 4.3 inch. The advantages of a higher resolution screen is obvious: you can see more information in one page screen.
Battery Size: Note is powered by 2500mAh while S2 is 1650mAh. I experience similar battery life between the 2 devices based on my kind of usage.
Pen Input: Note supports the pen input to let you doodle stuffs.
Interface: With a larger screen, Samsung tweaked the Galaxy Note's home screens to display 25 app icons per screen instead of 20 on the Galaxy S2. Many of the widgets from the Samsung Tab are also made available on the Note. The Note also supports more gestures like palm swipe for screenshot, Pen double-tap to open S Memo Lite. I like that the home screen pages are looped.
New calendar app, S Planner: With a larger screen, Samsung is able to squeeze in more information, smaller tabs to let you navigate faster. The S Planner is one of the apps re-designed for high-resolution small screens using pen entries.
Weight. What do you expect with a 5.3-incher. 178g vs. 116g doesn't seem much difference, but after you held the Note, the S2 felt feather-light.

Sizing the Experiences
Using the Galaxy Note is both a joy and a chore. It's a joy because of its generous screen size, which displays more things on one page. If you consume a lot of content and find the tablets too big, then the Galaxy Note provides a great proposition. The pen input offers another method to create content, and people who loves drawing or annotating will be able to use the Note for creative sharing of information.

Galaxy SII's 800x480 vs. Galaxy Note's 1280x800

Yet, it's a chore because you have to use 2 hands to navigate or type on the device. The Note requires a generous pocket size, and though it can fit in my jeans pocket, it does get a little tight when seated. With the Note, I cannot handle the device as nimbly as I would on normal-sized phones.

My iPhone friend getting a hands-on with the Note.

Another point to note is that not all Android apps are optimised for large screens. So on the Galaxy Note, some apps would appear with comparatively large buttons, while some might not display properly. For instance, when composing tweets on TweetDeck, the sets of icons below the "Send" button do not appear on the Note at all. In another instance, when using third-party app Widget Locker, I am unable to resize the custom slider as I did on my Galaxy S2, and I need to slide the slider at greater distances on the screen to activate the apps. On top of that, the Note feels less snappy than the S2, and that's probably due to larger resolution and extra burden of the S-Pen functionality.

Finally, the power and volume buttons are placed too high up on the Galaxy Note, almost beyond the reach of my fingers when holding the device naturally. This is a stark contrast to the Galaxy S2, where the buttons are placed closer to the mid-section, allowing ease of access by the fingers. The buttons are positioned at areas where I usually hold on when slipping in and out of my tight pockets, and that might activate the screen and potentially unlock the device.

Pen It All
The S-Pen offers an additional input method on the Galaxy Note. When you need to jot down some important information, just double-tap with the pen and the S Memo window will pop-up on the screen without requiring you to leave your current app. Using the S-Pen, you can doodle with different pressure levels to achieve varying thickness, or pull-out menus with pen gestures. You can get greater accuracy when using the S-Pen for some tasks, including playing games - like Fruit Ninja.

However, I don't find the pen as sensitive as I expected. I had to give the pen a good press against the screen before it gets recorded as a stroke. The 5.3-inch screen is rather small to scribble a lot on one page, and I find it challenging to write with the S-Pen without touching other parts of the screen with my hand, as the Note also recognises body touches as inputs.

The S-Pen is certainly a nice feature on the Galaxy Note and I would use it to spice up my photos with freehand sketches and for precision inputs. But it does not offer the same kind of pressure-sensitive entry like the normal pen tablets.

Sizing It All
The Samsung Galaxy Note screen size and the interface is clearly tweaked to improve usability akin to a mini-tablet, with the added convenience of the usual smartphone functionality.

When I initially started using the Note, I thoroughly enjoyed the large screen experience. 5.3-inch is a comfortable size to consume content, and with a higher resolution of 1280x800, I can see more information without having to swipe around or zoom out. I can even type comfortably in portrait orientation. It has the exact same resolution as the large tablets, yet it is certainly much easier to carry around than the large tablets.

The Galaxy Note is as thin as the Galaxy S2

But once I got comfortable fiddling with the Note attentively with 2 hands, I started using it like a normal phone. And that's when I find myself stumbling somewhat, because the Note is too big to be handled like a normal phone. You do need to make adjustments to some phone-using routines and get accustomed to such a large phone. For instance, when your have your hands full of stuff, it would be a little tough to use the Galaxy Note with just one hand. And, you would need to tweak your wardrobe a little to accommodate the Note (no more tight-fitting pants).

If you treasure the large screen and high resolution more than the slight bulk, then the Samsung Galaxy Note is definitely worth getting. You will get almost the similar smooth-performing experience as the well-received Galaxy S2, on a large-screen high-resolution format.

Chester writes for XinMSN.

12 Features Motorola RAZR Wins Samsung Galaxy SII

2011-12-17T22:09:00.001+08:00

We know Samsung Galaxy SII (GT-9100) is arguably the best Android phone in the market. But where does the Motorola RAZR (XT910) stand, apart from being the thinnest Android phone (Oct 2011)? I tried the device and uncovered quite a lot of features that the RAZR is better than the Galaxy SII out of the box.

That 1mm difference.

1. Smart Actions
You can configure RAZR to trigger actions or settings based on conditions, like location, time, or when battery is low. There are presets for you to use, or you can create your own. For instance, when I am at office, my ringtone is set to vibrate. When I'm at home and it's past midnight, the ringtone is set to the lowest volume.

2. Hide Your Apps
If you want to hide those apps that you never use (or can't delete), you can hide them so that your apps drawer will not look so cluttered. It's also useful to hide apps from the casual browsers like your kids.

3. Integrated Photo Sharing
When you open the Gallery app, you can browse your camera photos, your phone storage photos, your online photos, and your friends online photos. As you browse their photos, you can comment or like them. When you browse your own photos, you can also select to upload and write comments to them too. All in one app.

4. Integrated Music Sharing
Likewise, the music player is also integrated with online content. Easily listen to Internet radio, identify songs, watch YouTube. The RAZR even streams the lyrics as you listen to songs stored in your phone.

5. Over-the-air multimedia streaming via MotoCast
By installing the free MotoCast software on your desktop or laptop, you can browse your computer multimedia content on the RAZR and watch them over-the-air. The RAZR video playback is a huge improvement from the ATRIX I reviewed months back. Now I can play almost all the common video formats including MKV and FLV.

6. File Manager with remote computer access
When you open the file manager app on RAZR, you will see options to browse files either from your phone or from other DLNA-connected devices or your MotoCast computers.

7. Data Manager to keep track of your usage
Besides breaking down your data usage by activity, you can also turn on Data Saver so that the RAZR will limit the downloads over cellular network until you connect to Wi-Fi. Now you know which apps are using up all your precious data quota.

8. Mobile Hotspot Inactivity Timeout
You can set inactivity timeout to manage your battery consumption. Very useful when you turn on the Mobile Hotspot for a quick surf on your Wi-Fi tablet and forgot to switch the Hotspot off.

9. LED Indicator
The LED indicator blinks when you have incoming notifications. Various colours indicate different apps.

10. HDMI Port
While Galaxy SII requires an external MHL adapter and power, the RAZR has a built-in micro-HDMI port, and RAZR will mirror the phone display onto the large screens, including videos. Unlike the video format limitations on the ATRIX, the RAZR can play almost all popular formats.

11. Screen Resolution
The RAZR screen is 960x540, higher than Galaxy SII's 800x480. This means the RAZR can squeeze a little more information on the same-size screen.

12. "ICE" Contact
Under the contacts app, you see a special contact type, where you can specify the people you want to contact in case of emergency. This contact type appears right on top of your contact list, so you no longer have to purposely create a contact name with symbols just to make them appear on the top of the contact list.

Many of the above RAZR functions may be achievable with third-party apps, but you would need to spend some money and time to find the right ones.

The Bad?
With so many features, doesn't it make the RAZR a much better smartphone than the Galaxy SII? Unfortunately, the RAZR is weak in the following areas.

Camera
On paper, the RAZR captures 8-megapixel images and Full HD, just like the Galaxy SII. In fact, the quality pales in comparison. The contrast is poor, the images are grainy and lacks vibrance. Starting up the camera also takes a while.

Interface Lag
The RAZR does not run as snappy as the Galaxy SII. It can get a little frustrating when you want to get to the app that you wanted.

Overheat from use
The RAZR heats up a lot faster, and it comes from the screen surface instead of the back. It's one of the worse Android phones I have experienced: so hot that I could not put it in my trousers pocket. I suppose the thinness of the phone causes more heat to be felt on the phone surface.

Non-removable battery
Besides the inability to change batteries that may be worn over time, if you were to plug a portable battery pack, it would end up on top of the phone because the charging port sits on top. And I find myself using up the battery a lot faster than on the Galaxy SII because of all the content streaming made easy with the phone.

So thin, for what?
7.1mm sounds thin, but physically it does not look that thin. In fact, not one person whom I handed the RAZR to commented anything about the thinness of the phone - I had to "impress" them by telling them so. It led me to wonder why don't the phone manufacturers improve on the battery capacity instead of sacrificing it for size. If Motorola had made the RAZR the same thickness throughout, they might be able to squeeze another 1000mAh. Now, a phone with 2780mAh battery is certainly unheard of.

RAZR: The Connective Phone

Nevertheless, I have never been so impressed with an Android phone since the Samsung Galaxy S and SII. The list of features on RAZR helps the user reach out to the social media with ease, and connect their network of devices to access multimedia content without the hassle of wires. The built-in HDMI again makes content viewing on TV a breeze. Indeed, where connectivity is concerned, RAZR makes the cut.

Chester writes for XinMSN.

EPSON New Projectors - Blogger Event 16 Dec 2011

2011-12-16T23:56:00.002+08:00

I spent this evening at the first-ever EPSON blogger event and they impressed me with some innovative projector products. After all, EPSON is the number one projector maker for 10 consecutive years since 2001.

EPSON MG-850HD
Plug your Apple product - iPhone, iPad, iPod - onto this projector and do presentations, browse photos and watch videos! It has 2x10W speakers that pumps out decent sound for a projector. It can do keystone adjustment up to 30-degrees in all directions, so it means you can project on the screen at an angle and the output will still look in proportion. It has a light ambient sensor that also auto white balance, so you get both colour and brightness compensation. It runs on 3LCD technology which promises more faithful colour reproduction and no colour break-up (also known as "rainbow effect"). It supports multiple connectors like VGA, HDMI, Component video, Mic-In, even USB port for multimedia slideshow display. It has a built-in handle for easy of carry. It weights 3.9kg, the fan runs at only 35dB. It starts up at just 6 seconds.

And this world's first HD projector for Apple mobile devices retails at just S$1299.

EPSON EH-TW8000
The second projector is the worlds brightest Full-HD 3D projector, made possible by high frame refresh rate of 480Hz, twice as fast as other 3D projectors. This minimises blackout time, which translates to brighter projections. Its ventilation vents are designed at front so that you can place the projector at narrow spaces without need for clearance. With wide lens shift range, you can install this projector in any position and still achieve correct optical projection proportion.

This premium 3D projector will set you back at S$4299, a small price compared to a physical LCD TV, since this projector can project up to 300" size!

EPSON EB-455Wi
We know that a major challenge of projectors is that they require a long throwback distance to project images on the screen. With the EB-series projector, not anymore! You can mount these short-throw projectors directly above the screens and you get the output images projected in perfect proportion. The advantage of this is that you can stand right in front of the screen without blocking the projection light path.

But that's not all. You can annotate on the projected screen with the EB-455Wi using a special pen! With proper software, you can save these annotations in the computer and distribute the content. Watch this video:

While these features seem to be useful only in classroom or office environments, I like the short-throw form which means I could also install at home without the hassle of long throw set-up.

I have not been to a blogger event for quite a while, and this is one of the rare times that I blogged within the day of the event. Today's event has opened my eyes on the advancement of projection technology which I have not followed all these while. And while there may be competing products in the market, I believe they are really hard to beat the quality of the number one projector maker, 10 years running.

Review: Dell UltraSharp U2412M e-IPS Monitor

2011-12-10T21:43:00.000+08:00

I always appreciate large monitors. I myself have 2 monitors which are set up side-by-side for extended display, allowing me to see more windows. I don't quite understand why many of my co-workers have no interest in enjoying the benefit, even though our office has quite a handful of monitors lying around since the desktop era (one colleague from another division did let in that he didn't want his co-workers to see what he was doing on his computer).

I recently received a review unit of the Dell UltraSharp U2412M monitor. This is a new 24-inch LED monitor with E-IPS (enhanced In-Plane Switching) panel, a superior display tecnology compared to the more common TN display. IPS panels produces more accurate colours and offers wider angle of view without colour distortion, a characteristics common with LCD monitors. The U2412M is priced lower than the U2410 as it is powered by the more energy-saving LED and has less connection ports.

To make room for the Dell U2412M at home for the review, I removed my other 21-inch monitor and connected the Dell unit. The Dell U2412M is so easy to remove from the box. There is a groove for me to pull the styrofoam out from the box, like a drawer. The stand is so easy to fix onto the display panel. The 2 items lock into place with ease, and it is even easier to detach them via a large spring button. Adjusting the position of the monitor is just as easy, thanks to the well-designed stand. Apart from height adjustment, it allows me to tilt, swivel and pivot the monitor, and the mechanism feels smooth and effortless. The stand even lets me tilt 90-degrees to portrait position.

Left, Philips 240B. Right, Dell U2412M.

Getting the monitor to work straight from the box takes less than 5 minutes and uses even less muscle - the Dell U2412M is pretty light for its size. Once plugged in, my Windows 7 OS effortlessly detected the monitor and auto-configured to display the native resolution.

Unlike the more expensive siblings, the U2412M does not ship with calibrated display. When compared visually with my TN-panel Philips monitor, the E-IPS pannel Dell monitor does not appear to show any pronounced advantages. But when I ran it through some monitor testing tools, the benefits of E-IPS panels immediately show. The U2412M indeed offers better colour accuracy at all viewing angles.

I like the 1920x1200 resolution of the Dell U2412M instead of the more common 1920x1080 "HD" resolution, because it is less "widescreen", a format for movie viewing but not so for content browsing. If you set up the monitor in portrait orientation, you effectively have more than double the screen resolution of 2 sets of 1280x720 monitors!

Dell U2412M (right) in vertical orientation. I see more of Facebook in a single page!

Above, you may observe that I am editing my photos on Lightroom with my left screen while opening a full-screen Facebook page on the right. I find that such a setup makes my computing work a lot more effective.

The Dell U2412M offers the convenience of preset modes to give you better display experience depending on the content you are viewing. There is the Standard, Multimedia, Movie, Game, Text modes. I like how the On-screen display (OSD) button indicators are aligned right next to the physical buttons so that I know exactly which button to press. On most monitors, the OSD would display the actions next to the icons and I would have to match the physical buttons in order to invoke the action.

I also like that the Dell U2412M comes with 4 USB ports which you can plug your peripherals to (my Philips 240B only has one). Display connectivity ports that the U2412M support include VGA, DVI-D and DisplayPort. A DC power connector lets you power an optional Dell soundbar conveniently.

Conclusion
Like almost every great gadgets I reviewed, the Dell U2412M attracts me with the highly functional stand and E-IPS panel that produces accurate colours at all angles. For the environmentally conscious, the U2412M uses less power thanks to its LED backlight and built-in energy-management features. Getting the monitor to work from the box is so easy, unlike all the previous monitors I purchased. I will definitely consider this monitor for purchase - once my other 21-inch monitor breaks down - as it matches the size of my current 24-inch monitor for a seamless dual display setup. Plus, it offers me display flexibility thanks to the ability to rotate 90-degrees.

Chester writes for XinMSN.

RJ Rosales (1974-2011)

2011-12-06T22:11:00.001+08:00

May, 2011

When my maternal Aunt Fay SMSed me from Sydney on Monday evening, I could not believe it. She informed me that RJ Rosales had passed away.

As Aunt Fay's godson, RJ was a regular at our family events. He engaged my help in arranging several songs and used the minus-one tracks for his public performances. He has a beautiful voice, strong yet sensitive. He played major roles in big musicals like Miss Saigon, Chang and Eng, and received a lot of theatrical exposure in recent years in Singapore. He is also well known in the Philippines and in Australia.

RJ's death must have been a big blow to Aunt Fay, who flew over to Sydney to celebrate her birthday with RJ and his family.

The YouTube video below has 2 significance. One, the song is "The Prayer", to aptly express my thoughts to him. Two, the minus-one was arranged by me.

Thank you for sharing your talents and bringing joy and beauty to our world. Be in peace, RJ.

Photo Blog: Gadgets Overdrive During my Hong Kong 2011 Vacation

2011-12-05T15:08:00.001+08:00

While I take a break and enjoy my vacation in Hong Kong in Nov 2011, my gadgets went on overdrive.

This is the first time I brought my 4-year-old daughter abroad, so I need to make sure she is well-occupied. I brought all her favourite gadgets - the spare iPhone 3GS and the iPad, plus a comfortable pair of Sony MDR-Z1000 headphones.

Who doesn't love a pair of comfy cushiony headphones?

I also brought the Logitech Wireless Keyboard for Tablet so that I can work using the iPad more efficiently. I love the hard slip-in case that converts into a stand to hold the heavy iPad.

For my own private listening, I used the Logitech UE600vi, an absolute ear-opener. It's so light and comfortable that I could wear this whole day. The treble frequency is not high and so it's very suitable for outdoor use. In comparison, the Sony MDR-EX1000 has very clear treble sound but when used outdoors, the treble overpowers the bass.

I love Hong Kong because it is a very well-connected environment, be it transport or telecommunications. Just 12 months ago, a 7-day unlimited data VAS from CSL costed HK$178. On this trip, it costs only HK$78! Thanks to the 1O1O shop staff at the airport departure hall, I got it set up on my Samsung Galaxy S2 in a brief, while my Singapore SIM card is moved to my iPhone 3GS. Besides data, this card offers free IDD call to many countries including Singapore - pay only HK$0.28 per minute!

This was the Prepaid SIM card I bought. Link

The reason for using the Galaxy S2 for the Hong Kong prepaid SIM card is obvious: Android phones enable Wi-Fi hotspot. With that, I can tether all my mobile devices to the Galaxy S2 and enjoy data connectivity at no extra cost. I made sure all our other mobile devices' data roaming is turned off, and the Wi-Fi is connected to the Galaxy S2.

Besides the benefits of Wi-Fi tethering, the Samsung Galaxy S2 can also do USB OTG (on-the-go), which means I can plug an external storage device to the Galaxy S2 and it can read the storage device. Thus I am able to transfer photos from my cameras via a card reader to the phone and upload to Facebook. The photos are edited using the NX200 built-in editing tools and then resized.

And with so many gadgets, it is practically not possible to survive on a a couple power sockets in the hotel room. For that, I brought my own extension sockets to charge up all my devices. I even bought a portable battery pack just for this trip in case the phone battery runs out before the day ended.

Now that I've taken care of the gadgets, let me share some photos I took during the vacation and the process of capturing them.

Day 1: Going to the airport.

I took this shot on the moving taxi. After a dozen shots, this one captures the airport control tower without blur while the surrounding is. Tip: there is no way to guarantee a good shot on a moving vehicle. Just keep shooting and hold your camera steady.

Above, I used the Panorama mode on the Samsung NX200 to capture this seemingly fish-eye shot of the aircraft. You can see that Panorama modes are not limited to long stretches of images. This 4:3-looking aspect ration is achieved by panning using the portrait mode instead of the landscape mode.

Shooting without looking at the viewfinder takes some practice, but it's the only way to capture images at places where photography is not permitted. With a fast camera like the NX200, it doesn't take more than a second to get this shot and stealthily slip the camera back to my case.

Day 2: Checking the weather.

Still drizzling. Our original plan was to visit HK Disneyland on Days 2 and 3. But Day 2 weather is quite bad, so we had to hope for a better weather on Day 3. To get this shot, I had to anticipate her as she slowly heads towards the curtain.

That's Disneyland Hotel, and at the foggy distant background, the mainland Hong Kong, not the CBD, by the way. That's way too few skyscrapers if you noticed.

Bossini got the license to produce a range of Toy Story merchandise to tie-in with the opening of the Toy Story theme park in Disneyland. Unfortunately, the park only started from 18 Nov, about 10 days short from our trip. Nonetheless, Mayenne got to pose with this statue inside the 4-storey store at Sai Yeung Choi Street, among others. Notice the similar poses?

Day 3: It's Disneyland!

Weather was perfect! Cloudy cooling day with no precipitation! The moment we entered the park, we saw the queue for a photo shoot with Mickey and Minnie. We quickly got on the queue and captured this beautiful memory.

The must-watch show, Festival of The Lion King. Shooting in the dark is no problem for the Samsung NX200. Tip: set the camera to Manual exposure mode, maximum aperture, and then fine-tune the shutter speed, using the viewfinder as a guide.

I didn't take any still images of the Street Parade, because I felt that a video capture offers a better visual memory for my daughter (she still watches the video regularly at home till today). Here's one just to show the colour vibrancy of the Samsung NX200.

There were 2 things which I felt regretful as night time approached, yet the regrets were all negated by one non-event. One: the Samsung NX200 battery could not last the entire day. For that, I was fortunate to have a secondary camera, the Fujifilm Finepix F550EXR to capture video footages, while trying to conserve the NX200 battery for the fireworks. Second, I did not bring a tripod for the fireworks shoot. So I had to look for a flat elevated surface and attached my pocket flexi-pod. The only elevated surface I could find: the trash bin.

And this was the position.

But all these problems came to naught, when the PA announced that the fireworks show was cancelled!!

As the crowd dispersed, I attempted to capture a better shot of the Castle.

I wasn't able to capture any more shot, because at this point, the NX200 battery went completely flat.

Day 4: The Return

Before we checked out of the Disney Hollywood Hotel, we explored the garden, which is surprisingly well landscaped. If you are staying there, please make an effort to visit the garden.

At the airport, she insisted on handling her new luggage we bought for her. Doesn't she look like a seasoned traveller?

Credits:
I'd like to thank the following companies for lending me some of the gadgets to use for my vacation:

Samsung for the NX200 and lenses
Logitech for the UE600vi earphones and Wireless Keyboard for Tablet

There is also the Sony Camcorder HDR-PJ10 which was not featured in this vacation blog because, despite their kind intentions to lend me, I decided not to bring for the trip because I had too many gadgets to handle. This camcorder has a built-in projector which can project up to 60-inch size, and records with an internal 16GB memory plus optional card slot for expandability. The original intention was to use the camcorder to record videos, and at the end of the day, I could project the footages in the hotel room. I tried it in my own bedroom and the brightness is rather good. In fact, it spurred me to look around for portable battery projectors so that I could watch movies in my bedroom without all the wires and heat and fan noise from the common projectors.

If you have any questions about the post, drop me a comment. You may follow me on my Facebook photography page at Chester Tan Photography.

10 Years of Marriage

2011-11-27T23:27:00.000+08:00

It's been a long time since I blogged about my personal life. For the past few months, this blog has turned into a review site, thanks to xinmsn who has engaged me to be their resident tech blogger. That opened lots of doors to the PR agencies who reached to me for reviewing their clients products. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience so far, and I hope to continue to offer my personal opinions to products that can help you experience life better.

Today is my 10th wedding anniversary. I am proud of how my marriage and my family has forged my life. Although sometimes I'd wished it was better, I reflected upon myself and asked whether I deserved better. With that, I humbly felt that I have been given what I deserved, and much more.

Like any significant dates, I did not put in any lavish celebration today, because I felt there is no reason to make only that one day special. To me, every day deserves to be significant.

Cheers to Life.

The importance of good modems and routers: A Survey

2011-11-14T21:25:00.001+08:00

Are you getting the best of your modems and routers?

Eh, you must be wondering how "best" can one get out of your modems and routers. Aren't they all the same, differentiated only by technical specs on the access bandwidth?

But increasingly, we own many electronic devices that are wirelessly connected to the Internet and other networks. Many of us own smartphones, laptops, and tablets, and we spend so much time online with these devices. In my case, I have 5 devices that connects to my wireless router (more when I get products for reviews), and sometimes I do notice connectivity problems even though my device is right next to the router.

Out of curiosity on the usage patterns and state of wireless connectivity in Singapore, the below survey aims to discover how wirelessly connected Singapore households are, and how much Singaporeans understand their routers and modems – devices that usually sit quietly in the room, but plays a critical role in connecting us to the rest of the world! When you lose internet connection at home, isn't the modem and router the first thing you would check?

Please spare less than 2 minutes to answer 9 straight-forward questions. Your contribution to responding to this survey will help us understand how we perceive modems and routers, and eventually help you, consumers, improve your home broadband experience.

Once the results are tabulated, I'll share the results here on my blog.

Olympus PEN E-P3 Review

2011-11-07T16:20:00.001+08:00

Having tested the PEN Lite E-PL3 and PEN Mini E-PM1, what's left for review to complete the latest PEN trio launch is the PEN. The E-P3 is the top-line Olympus mirrorless camera and offers a lot more manual controls than the other 2 models, catering to the advanced users.

After testing the E-PL3, followed by the identical E-PM1, I was not prepared with what I was about to experience on the E-P3. The combination of a fast AF, lag-free shutter release, plenty of customisation options, and lots of hardware buttons make the E-P3 an astounding camera.

Included with the review unit is the Olympus M. Zuiko 12mm F2.0 full-metal lens, which further add to the retro look and feel.

The pop-up flash mechanism is well-secured and seems to be able to take some abuse.

Here's a glance of all the buttons on the camera. The function list is generally similar to E-PL3 and E-PM1, just that with dedicated buttons, you can invoke the functions directly.

The E-P3 is not small and certainly not light. Here's a comparison with some cameras I have on-hand.

Olympus E-P3 and E-PM1

The E-P3 is identical in size to the Samsung NX100. The NX100 is much lighter as it's a plastic body.

Olympus E-P3 and Samsung NX100

Like the E-PM1 and E-PL3, the E-P3 has a long list of custom settings that you can configure. Let me list down a few here to share with you the extent of customisation:

Choose whether to reset the lens to infinity when the camera is turned off.
Choose the direction of focus ring to adjust focus.
For face priority, choose whether to focus on the left eye, right eye, or nearest eye.
Select functions for the 2 rotating dials on the camera for each of the PASM modes.
Choose the direction of the rotating dials.
Choose to hide any Picture Modes.
Choose whether to keep warm colour for Auto White Balance
Choose to hide the Custom Menu that contains all these settings!

What I like about the E-P3

Fast AF and shutter release. I was impressed that I could capture some fleeting moments.
Art Filter Bracketing. I can set as many filters for bracketing as I like. One shot, and the camera processes the rest. But don't choose too many, for the camera will take a long time to save all the images, thus slowing down your shoots.
Touch screen. It has certainly sped up area focusing during shooting mode. I also like how you can smoothly swipe around enlarged images during playback, and how you can double-tap the screen to zoom into the area immediately. The touch response feels quite natural.
Detachable Grip. I can choose the type of grip I want, or remove it completely.
Customised Fn buttons to invoke Mysets. It's more useful that I thought. When I press and hold, the camera settings change to the Myset that I defined. This is better than requiring me to switch the mode dial to a custom mode, which is how LUMIX is done.
Orientation sensor. When you change the orientation of the camera during playback, the images rotate too.
Wireless Flash Commander. With external Olympus flash units are used, the E-P3 built-in flash can trigger them.

What's not so desirable:

Heavy. E-P3 is a solid piece of camera gear. The white powder-coated review unit shows quite a bit of wear and paint chips, but otherwise, I am assured of its build, but at a weight.
Slow start-up. The LCD monitor appears rather fast but the shutter does not work until about a second later. So you need to anticipate the moment by turning on the camera earlier.
Videos exhibit rolling shutter effect. When you record jerky video, you notice that the footages wobble. That's because there is some lag to scan and record from the top of the frame to the bottom of the frame.
Menu layout. There are some settings that I am unable to access quickly. Searching for some parameters proves to be a test of memory. E-P3 is not for the user who fancies setting changes on-the-move. But you could rely on the Mysets to preconfigure your commonly used settings and then choose the Mysets during your shoots.
Lacks post-processing filters. If you did not shoot with Art Filters, then tough luck. You can't post-process it after the shot. Workaround: enable Art Filter Bracketing during shoots, then delete the effects that you do not want.

Olympus E-P3 on 12mm F2.0, next to 40-150mm F4-5.6

Summarising the PEN Experience
The Olympus E-P3 is the camera of choice for photographers who desire a great deal of customisation on their shooting parameters. The E-P3 user is one who understands the technicalities of camera settings and takes control of their final image output.

Olympus has implemented most of the advanced features across all their 3 latest PEN cameras. But for the LITE E-PL3 and MINI E-PM1, fewer buttons means more difficult to use the sets of features. Needless to say, among the 3 new PEN models, the E-P3 offers the best usage experience, and should be the one to get to fully appreciate the interface and functionality of an Olympus PEN camera.

Panasonic LUMIX GX1: The Secret Preview in Sep 2011

2011-11-07T13:40:00.001+08:00

The date was 20 Sep 2011. I was one of the few in Singapore invited to a Panasonic media meet-up. The purpose: to preview a new Panasonic mirrorless camera. They called it the LUMIX GX1.

The information embargo ended on 7 Nov 2011 1pm (+8 GMT), which obviously indicates the exact date and time of the impending public announcement and launch.

Specs worth mentioning:

16 megapixel Live MOS sensor
0.09 sec Light Speed AF
AF Flexible mode: camera re-focuses even after AF is locked, if camera detects that subject has moved.
ISO 160 - 12800
4.2fps continuous shooting
3-inch 460K touch screen
Full HD 1080/60i
Electronic Level Gauge
Bundled with the new X lens 14-42mm with power zoom for smooth jerk-free zoom during video recording

At one look, the GX1 is indistinguishable from the GF1. Call it "retro" design if you want, or a "reboot", but Panasonic understands that a semi-pro cameras are not all about size. One of the most common comment heard during the secret meeting was: "This should have been the GF3!" Well guys, Panasonic has saved it for their debut GX-series!

Side by side: LUMIX GX1 and GF1

With the GX1, Panasonic sends a clear signal that the GF-series will continue to get smaller and cheaper, and not catering for the "step-down" users, a term they use to describe DSLR users looking for an alternative camera system that offers good image quality and manual handling. The GX1 has a non-detachable rubber grip, built-in flash, and a hotshoe, which will delight most of these step-down users.

As I only had a short time to try the camera, I shall provide further detailed comments about the operations of the camera once I get a review unit from Panasonic. Till then, feast yourself with press photos from Engadget, comparison table from CNET, and a preview write-up from DPReview.

Camera Partition Padded Inserts for Normal Bags

2011-11-05T14:57:00.001+08:00

With the increasing number of Samsung NX camera and lenses, I was planning to purchase a smaller camera bag to house them while I travel around. Currently I used my normal messenger bag and backpack to hold them, but this is definitely not the safe and rugged way to transport camera equipment. Yet I like to use my normal bags because they come with lots of compartments to put my other non-camera stuff.

Then I remembered a few years back I saw some huge padded compartments going for sale. I figured such products should be available online. The challenge is to find the right keywords to google their existence.

With some luck, I managed to find the items in Gmarket Singapore using the words as listed in this blog title.

Fitting the padded inserts into my haversack.

It appears only a few "major" brands sells such life-saving products. One of them is called Puleme from Korea. There are lots of sizes to choose from. The general mentality is of course, to get a partition as big as possible, so that you can put more equipment. But if the partition is too big, it would not fit into the bag. While the messenger bags are generally broad and short - like 40cm - haversacks or backpacks are narrow and tall - like 25cm. My decision is to get one size to fit all bags, so I chose the model P7518 (exterior dimension L26.5 x W10.5 x H21cm).

I placed my order on 25 Oct via Gmarket, opted for registered mail, and I received the postal pickup note on 2 Nov. That was blazing fast! The item is packed in a box parcel, which ensures the product will not be crushed during shipment.

I am extremely satisfied with my purchase, and I am considering buying a few more sizes to use for my other bags of various shapes. This product works because it allows you to use your existing nice-looking bags to carry camera gear with protection. You can also use the partition to transport other fragile items, like glass products,

New Gmarket sign-ups will get $1 discount coupon, and if you connect your Gmarket account to Twitter or Facebook, you get another $3 discount coupon! Note that Gmarket has many sellers, just like eBay. In fact, Gmarket is supported by eBay.

Oh, forgot to mention. My total bill for this purchase, including $3 and registered mail: S$15.32.

Samsung NX Prime Lenses: 16mm, 60mm and 85mm

2011-11-04T13:42:00.000+08:00

Together with the launch of NX200 mirrorless camera, Samsung has released several important fixed focal lenses that will satisfy the demanding photographers. In this blog, I'll share with you the sample photos and how these different lenses can help you in creating your images.

16mm F2.4 iFn (EX-W16NB)

NX200 with 16mm lens is a great combo for street photography

With this ultra-wide angle (UWA) lightweight lens, you will be able to capture that little bit more scene. I always like a good UWA to add some dynamic perspectives to my images. This Samsung lens is very versatile for both close-up and scenic shots. Edge-to-edge is sharp and no visible distortion.

NX200 dynamic range is impressive

Good depth of field. Focus is on the mouse scroll.

60mm F2.8 MACRO ED OIS SSA iFn (EX-M60SB)

Macro lenses are typically slow in AF. Not this Samsung lens. Focus is fast and quiet with supersonic actuator (SSA), and focusing ring is mechanically linked so you can override the focus any time without the need to switch modes (identical to the Nikon AF-S lenses). You can do that for all NX cameras, not just the NX200 where it comes with Direct Manual Focus (DMF) function. Well-engineered with internal focus mechanism, the front lens element does not move out at all. It also comes with a Full/Limit switch to accelerate your focus for non-macro shots.

Look at the size of the 60mm lens against the NX200.

This is another must-have lens for your photographic collection. With a macro lens, you can capture images that are much closer and with shallower depth of field.

Comparing depth-of-field with 18-55mm

Uncropped macro shot of the yam cake

Cupcake compliments from The Batter Baker

Macro shot of the 16mm lens

85mm F1.4 ED SSA (EX-T85NB) - coming soon

The 60mm macro lens is already quite a good lens for portraiture for its shallow depth of field, if not for the slower AF. But such is the case for all macro lenses. So if you specialise in portrait photography, you will certainly be very interested in this 85mm lens. With a very large aperture of F1.4, it captures pleasing bokeh.

I'll write more with photos once I get a review copy.

In case you missed, the following Samsung NX lenses have been in the market for more than a year. Have you got them? Should you get them?

20mm F2.8 iFn
This wide-angle lens appears to be a stop-gap measure (albeit a lengthy one) before the launch of 16mm. In practice, this lens is merely half stop brighter than the kit lenses, so personally I don't find this lens helpful unless you really want to travel light and forsake the zoom capability of kit lenses.

30mm F2.0
This is the so-called standard lens because it is equivalent to 45mm in full-frame. The attractive features of this lens is its extremely thin profile and large aperture. An excellent companion to the 16mm for street photography.

The NX Lens Line-Up So Far
Samsung NX has been in the market for almost 2 years. With the current launch of these much-anticipated lenses, the NX system is now capable of achieving professional images. While the drawback of Samsung NX system is the lack of third party lenses, Samsung has made it up with careful R&D, resulting in lenses that produces high quality images.

Samsung NX200: Quick Review

2011-11-02T22:49:00.000+08:00

Months after the official announcement in Sep, the Samsung latest mirrorless interchangeable lens camera NX200 is available in Singapore. Here's a list of new features to get you excited.

20.3 effective megapixels
7 fps continuous drive
Up to 12800 ISO
Magic Mode to shoot with Smart Filters and Magic Frames
i-zoom is a built-in cropping feature to let you "zoom" in the photo up to 2x without affecting the image quality
Movie Mode that shoots Full HD 1080p
Panorama Mode allows capturing in 2D and 3D
Bundled with external flash with guide number 8 at ISO 100

Hidden Gems
There are some other features that are not highlighted on brochures, but I find them really useful and gives more reason to get this camera:

Direct Manual Focus option lets you adjust focus manually after you half-press the shutter, even if the focus is not locked.
When doing multiple shots per shutter press, the photos are grouped together during playback so that you don't have to scroll great lengths to get to the next set of photos. Very useful if you shoot like 30 frames burst mode!
Burst mode (10/15/30fps) images are now in 5mp size.
Auto ISO works in Manual mode. What this means is that when you set your own Aperture and Shutter, the NX200 will select an ISO to achieve the correct exposure. Of course, you can select your own specific ISO.
In Aperture or Shutter mode, you can adjust the aperture or shutter using either the top jog dial or the navigation wheel, and of course via the iFn button on the lens. Saves the need to remember.
In Movie mode, you can use the P/A/S/M to set your shutter and aperture independently.
In Movie mode, you can set recording speed of 0.25x to 20x.
The USB port that connects the NX200 to the computer is the generic micro-USB size similar to mobile phones.

And finally, some of the existing NX features that make the camera much more usable than some of the competitors:

Direct buttons and controls - ability to make changes to shooting parameters instantly.
APS-C Sensor - ability to capture images with greater details and lower noise.
User Interface - more interactive and guided for the users who needed the extra help.

Gone with the Wind
Samsung has removed the smartshoe, which means NX200 will not support electronic viewfinder. The battery capacity is also smaller, which in theory will reduce the number of shots per charge. There is also no more direct button access to White Balance, but you can easily do it via iFn button on the lens or via Smart Panel. The AEL button is also removed, something that old school photographers would miss but certainly not the new users.

A More Complete Camera System

Together with NX200 launch, Samsung has launched some of the much sought-after lenses.

18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OIS iFn
16mm F2.4 iFn
60mm MACRO F2.8 OIS iFn SSA
85mm F1.4 Portrait

Not forgetting the existing lenses that might interest you:

20mm F2.8 iFn
30mm F2.0
50-200mm F4-5.6 OIS (New version with iFn)

Comparing the NX Series
While the NX200 is the smallest NX camera by far, the dimensions are well balanced without sacrificing usability. The grip size is about the same as NX11, the body dimensions are similar to NX100 except it's shorter. Although the body appears thinner, the mount actually protrudes a lot out of the body, a trick many mirrorless makers use now.

Image Quality
The most important question beckons: how does the image quality of the 20.3 megapixel APS-C sensor look?

The NX200 has definitely improved noise level. Here's a comparison with Olympus E-PM1.

Uncropped images

Cropped result

Here's a comparison with the NX11.

I find that beyond ISO 3200, the NX200 exhibits higher levels of chroma noise, and at ISO 12800 becomes unusable. While the Micro Four-Thirds competitors appear to have less distinct chroma noise, they lose in image details. Sony NEX appears to retain the upper hand in terms of sensor quality, but the camera design and lens range may be less appealing.

Summary
Samsung NX200 continues to offer direct shooting controls and implement thoughtful physical design (like good grip) to attract both traditional photographers and new users. Samsung has revamped its shooting interface to improve usability, although as an advanced user myself I find that it is beautified at the expense of operational efficiency. NX200 requires more time to save images in continuous burst mode and in RAW, but otherwise retains the lightning-fast startup and shot-to-shot speeds.

Samsung NX Zoom Lenses: Choosing the Right Combination

2011-10-27T09:38:00.001+08:00

With the release of NX 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 OIS iFn lens, you might be pretty eager to replace your kit lens. Or you might be contemplating getting the NX 50-200mm F4-5.6 lens instead. In this post, I will share with you the benefits and constraints of the different lens combination.

18-200mm: The All-In-One
No doubt the 18-200mm is the one lens that you should ever need on a camera. But there are reasons why you don't see them being used as much as the kit lens. One main reason: size. Many users might be happy with the 18-55mm range. But if you find yourself wanting to zoom in closer during most shoots, then you would probably should consider getting this lens, to save the hassle of changing lenses during shoots.

18-55mm + 50-200mm: Optimal Choice
What, then, is the benefit of getting 2 lenses instead of one? One main reason: price. With the kit lens already part of your NX camera package, getting another 50-200mm would not cost you as much as the 18-200mm. Having 2 separate lenses to cover the entire focal length also means you have the choice of picking your lenses to carry with you and losing some weight.

If price and size are not of concern, then here are some technical differences to highlight.

Comparing Maximum Variable Aperture Values
The table below shows the different maximum aperture when the lenses zoom in. The maximum aperture value changes for some zoom lenses because the lens barrel extends as you zoom, resulting in reduction of the effective aperture. Simplistically speaking, less light enters the lens as the lens barrel extend, so the aperture becomes "smaller" and shutter speed is reduced.

The reason why camera makers make variable aperture lenses is to reduce cost and weight so that general consumers can afford photography. Fixed-aperture lenses are very costly, and in the case of 18-200mm, practically impossible to achieve.

So what does the chart say? It says that the maximum aperture for 18-55mm reduces slightly faster than 18-200mm. For instance, at 45mm, the 18-55mm maximum aperture is F5.6, whereas the 18-200mm maximum aperture is F5.0, offering a third-stop advantage. Not much, really.

But comparing to 50-200mm, the 18-200mm maximum aperture is already F5.6 at 60mm whereas the 50-200mm is barely F4.3. That means the 50-200mm will let you shoot at faster shutter speed than 18-200mm at same focal length. And that's certainly an advantage. Note also that the 18-200mm hits F6.3 at 100mm, while the 50-200mm reaches F5.6 from 145mm.

So the 50-200mm is a brighter lens throughout the range compared to 18-200mm. But wait, there's more.

Comparing Minimal Focal Distance
The minimal focal distance for 18-200mm is 0.5m. The minimal focal distance for 18-55mm is 0.28m. The minimal focal distance for 50-200mm is 0.98m. Based on the figures, it means that you can shoot closer with the 18-55mm than 18-200mm, which in turns shoots closer than 50-200mm. Therefore, the 18-200mm lets you zoom in and shoot at objects closer than with 50-200mm zoomed in at 200mm.

However, at 18mm focal length, the 18-55mm would allow you to get closer than 18-200mm. It's a give-and-take situation.

Conclusion
The 18-55mm and 50-200mm lenses do what they do best. 18-55mm lets you focus closer at objects, and the 50-200mm lets you shoot at bigger aperture. The 18-200mm lens covers the entire focal length in a size of 50-200mm lens. There is no substitute for quality: an all-in-one lens like 18-200mm is bound to have limitations to fit into the size that it is. But it definitely offers the one benefit that all photographers desire: zoom coverage. If you find it a hassle to switch lenses and can overlook the slight technical limitations, then this is the time to own the new NX 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OIS iFn lens.

If you are interested in the NX prime (fixed-focal) lenses, here is the post. Join my Facebook photography page.

Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 Review

2011-10-24T09:21:00.000+08:00

Olympus has created a brand new mirrorless camera model - the Mini - to further segment the mirrorless camera market. At first look, the E-PM1 looks identical to the E-PL3. But on further inspection, one would find that the E-PM1 has far less buttons, knobs and dials.

And that's where the differences end. At the heart, the E-PM1 offers the same hardware, same list of features, and slightly smaller overall dimensions.

215 grams (body), 401 grams with 14-42mm kit lens, battery and flash
12.3 megapixel High-speed LiveMOS Sensor
Full-HD 1080p movie recording AVCHD
Stereo microphones
Built-in image stabilization
Fast auto-focus system
5 fps shooting

Simple and Minimal
The camera body offers a metallic feel, in contrast to the E-PL3 which has a acrylic gloss coating. The camera does appear somewhat bare, with lots of empty spaces, an unusual sight for a large camera, where many manufacturers would attempt to maximise the surface area. While in my earlier review on the E-PL3 I mentioned I don't really like the layout, I seem to like the E-PM1 more, despite lesser buttons and dials for me to do direct setting changes. This is because I have less buttons to be confused.

Olympus attempts to make the best of the limited buttons on the E-PM1 to achieve ease of use. For instance, pressing the menu button will bring up the list of modes that would have appeared on the mode dial of the E-PL1. To go to the camera setup menu, you will navigate to the right-most selection. When reviewing photos during playback, you have to turn the wheel to scroll the images, while pressing the directional buttons zooms in and out of the image. To move around the zoomed-in image, you first press the "Info" button before you can use the same directional buttons. It does take some getting used to, but if this is your one and only camera, I believe you will get the hang of it over time.

Notice there is no "delete" button, a rarity. You have to press a few extra buttons during review in order to do so. You could assign the movie record button for quick delete, but I strongly do not recommend, because once you press the button, the image is delete: there is no confirmation prompt.

Handling and Speed
With less buttons, I do find it a challenge to change settings on the move. But if you are a novice user with little demands, the E-PM1 offers good handling. The camera feels it's made of premium quality, its start-up and shooting speed is fast, but the interface is just a tad laggy. While the auto-focus speed is really snappy, I do get some out-of-focus shots under low-light conditions. Apparently, the camera assumes it achieves focus and fires the shutter when in fact the focus is off. In another case, the multi-area AF engine chooses to focus an object far away and ignores the closer human subject.

The E-PM1 offers the same advanced custom settings as the E-PL3, which means it will equally satisfy the demanding enthusiasts who requires manual controls, albeit taking more steps. I just wish the PEN series cameras do not "warm up" the shutter curtain every time it switches on.

Having Fun?
An entry-level camera needs to be fun to use so that beginners can manipulate their images to create interesting effects. The E-PM1 offers 6 Art filters but they are not as wide-range as some competitors (you can however apply these Art filters in PASM mode, which is usually not available on competitors). The E-PM1 also does not have much post-editing options. It does have a Live Guide mode to help the user to adjust the camera using non-technical terms, like

Change Colour Image (a.k.a. White Balance)
Change Brightness (a.k.a. EV)
Blur Background (a.k.a. Aperture)
Express Motions (a.k.a. Shutter)

Conclusion
The Olympus E-PM1 is possibly the most customisable entry-level mirrorless compact cameras around. It might not seem to offer much entertainment to beginners, but it captures images fast. Its premium feel, compact size and low price would certainly attract consumers who are foraying into interchangeable lens system.

Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S: Review

2011-10-20T15:25:00.003+08:00

Sony Ericsson and I were old friends. Before there were slim phones, there was Ericsson T28. Before there were colour screen phones, there was Sony Ericsson T68. Before there were touchscreen smartphones, there was Sony Ericsson P800. These are phones that I had the privilege to own and experience.

Now, there is Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S, the phone with an arced back. The moment I switch on the phone, the crisp LCD display impressed me. Specs in summary:

117 grams
1.4GHz Qualcomm processor (not dual core)
8.1 megapixel Exmor R Camera f/2.4
4.2-inch Reality Display TFT LCD 854x480 pixels
Shatter-proof sheet on scratch-resistant mineral glass
320MB system memory
2nd microphone at the back of the phone near the camera lens
HDMI mirror output (excellent!)
Capture screenshot easily by opening the power button menu

Xperience
Being a single core, the arc S certainly cannot match the processing power of dual-core phones, but it certainly feels fast when navigating among apps, perhaps partly due to the fast screen animations. Like every other branded Android phones, Sony Ericsson customised the OS and included a handful of pre-installed apps and custom settings. I like the data monitor app that tracks data usage, the LiveWare Manager that auto-launches app when accessory is connected. When you pinch the home screen, instead of displaying all the pages like most Android phones, the Xperia arc S shows all the widgets floating around, and you can shake the phone to shuffle them. I also like how the installed apps can be easily sorted by tapping the sort icon on the lower left of the app list screen. Saves a lot of trouble searching for apps.

Timescape is Sony Ericsson's answer to managing your social feeds, including SMS, email, Facebook, Twitter. You can find dozens of plug-ins in the Android Market, for instance, Foursquare, Gmail. Timescape merely aggregates the feeds, and when you select the item, it will bring you to the app or online to retrieve the full information.

Battery life is no worse than the average Android phones, considering it runs on higher processor. I can last one working day of usage despite turning on Timescape, Gmail and Tweetdeck.

Capturing Images
The Xperia arc S comes with a dedicated camera button at an extreme corner. The 2-step shutter button is small and stiff, so I find it hard to take a shot without jerking the camera. The button would be useful only to start the camera easily, but I would prefer activating the touch-capture mode to snap your images.

As for the camera quality, The Xperia arc S is touted to perform well under low light conditions. A simple comparison with the Samsung Galaxy S2 shows the following result:

Xpera arc S vs. Galaxy S2. Scene Mode: STD

The Galaxy S2 refuses to shoot at higher exposure despite increasing the EV. So I switched to Night Scene Mode on the S2 and got this:

Xpera arc S vs. Galaxy S2. Scene Mode: STD vs. Night

The Xperia manages to capture decent images under low-light normal mode, while the Galaxy S2 captures more details at lower noise level after coaxing it with Night Mode. If I were to switch the Xperia to Night Mode, the shutter speed became far too slow for me to shoot handheld. The result then seems to be the reverse of the Samsung - underexposed.

Xpera arc S vs. Galaxy S2. Scene Mode: Night

Conclusion: Xperia arc S standard scene mode is more flexible in capturing images for all lighting conditions, but noise level is generally higher than Galaxy S2.

Weaknesses
As a top-range model, the Xperia arc S lacks many features that are present in other competitors.

No front-facing camera for video chats or self portraits.
Small system memory to hold all your apps. Once you run out of system memory, you will not be able to add more apps, unless you install supported apps on external SD card.
No built-in user memory. The Xperia arc S relies on the external microSD card to store user data.
Lock screen does not have any direct music player controls when media is playing. A shame considering Sony Ericsson to be associated with portable music players.

Summary Impression
The Xperia arc S stands out to me as a uniquely designed lightweight smartphone that provides above-average screen display and OS performance with 1.4GHz processor. It is integrated with Facebook connectivity, and together with Timescape, encourages ease of social interaction. The HDMI-out port lets the user share content on large HDTV easily. I like the interface theme and animations are smooth. Consumers who want a touch of style for their phone should look at this.

Updating iPhone 3GS to iOS 5

2011-10-19T22:32:00.003+08:00

Over its useful product life, the iPhone 3GS experienced 2 major iOS updates, from the factory-released iOS 3 to the present iOS 5. I must say it is certainly the most value-for-money smartphone I have owned. I managed to update my phone within 12 hours of the release of iOS 5. Apart from difficulty in connecting to iCloud and iMessage, the update was smooth.

Here's a video that gives you a good summary of the list of features available on iOS 5.

Features that I like:

PC Free. You no longer need iTunes to get your iPhone started. iPhone will guide you through a few wizard steps to get your iPhone up and running without requiring you to plug your iPhone to a PC/Mac near you. As part of the PC-free experience, you will be able to update iOS firmware over the air without iTunes. You can also choose to sync your phone with iTunes over Wi-Fi. When enabled, your iPhone will automatically start syncing with your iTunes over Wi-Fi when your phone is plugged to charger and when your phone goes idle.

Operate While Sync. During iTunes Sync with USB, you can still operate the phone. You can still use iTunes to do what you are used to all these years. And you can get used to the ability to continue to operate the phone even during Sync operation.

Notification Center. The most important and possibly life-changing feature of iPhone, you can drag down the status bar to reveal the Notification Center where all your unread notifications appear. You no longer need to scan through all your apps to look for the red bubble and find out what you have missed.

Photos Management

Camera button. The Up Volume button can now be used as a shutter button.
Edit Photos. You can edit photos inside the Photos app.
Create Album Folders. You can create album folders and add photos from other albums to them.

Content-management and PIM

Twitter Integration. You can seamlessly share your content on Twitter without third-party apps.
Reading List. You can save any web page as text-only format and read it later.
Apps Usage Summary. You can see which apps use the most storage in your iPhone, and uninstall or clean-up the data.
Email formatting. You can format your email text - bold, italics, underline, etc.
Calendar view. You get a better experience using the calendar.

iCloud. Another major feature for iOS 5, iCloud offers every registered user a 5GB online storage which can be used to backup your iPhone data, to host your new iCloud PIM - email, contacts, calendar and tasks. Very much similar to Google's suite of PIM apps.

iMessage. It's a hybrid of WhatsApp and IM, which allows you to send multimedia messages over data network. iMessage detects your recipient and turns from the usual green bubble to blue bubble if he is also on iMessage. If you sent message to the recipient's mobile number, only his iPhone will receive the message (like WhatsApp). If you sent message to the recipient's email address, then all his iOS devices that are registered with the email address will receive the message (like IM).

What are some of the iOS 5 features absent in the 3GS model:

Camera shortcut button. You can't start the camera from the lock screen.
Reminder by Location. There is no option for you to set to remind based on location.
Vibrate alert. You can't create your own custom vibrate pattern alert.
Siri.

What are the known issues when updating 3GS with iOS 5? Based on peer feedback:

Battery drains faster than previous OS, due to more Cloud activity.
The phone runs with noticeable lag when opening some apps.
The phone is generally less stable, but with app updates, this problem could go away over time.

If your current 3GS feels rather slow and unstable with the kind of usage load you are experiencing, perhaps you should consider upgrading to a new iPhone. If your phone is working fine and are wondering whether you should update the phone, then please read this blog again from the top. If you follow the iTunes instructions, you should be able to restore all your apps and settings in the new OS. Still, be prepared for any mishaps and backup all your valuable data before embarking this major software update.

Dell Inspiron 13z Laptop in Pink

2011-10-17T22:51:00.001+08:00

Dell has revamped its Inspiron line with the "z", which is associated with Dell's ultra-portable line. Currently available in Diamond Black and Lotus Pink, I was passed a copy for review.

With a 13.3" 1366x768 LED screen, the Inspiron 13z weighs 1.76kg and less than an inch thick. I really like the colour of the limited pink edition review unit, which is like dark magenta in real life. I like it because it is eye-catching without looking too gaudy. The size is also quite right for a portable laptop, but you sacrifice a lot of connectivity options compared to the usual 14-inch models.

HDMI
2x USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed)
1x USB 2.0
Ethernet Port
Integrated headphone and microphone jack
Bluetooth 3.0
SD/MMC/MS card reader
1.0 megapixel webcam
Intel Wireless Display (WiDi)

All ports, except the AC charger, have covers.

Built with the latest Intel Core i processors, the Inspiron 13z battery life per charge is pretty good. For non-processor intensive activities like web surfing or word processing, you can get almost 10 hours with the 6-cell battery. When running apps that utilise the processors, like watching high-definition videos or photo editing, battery life expectancy drops to about 5 hours. I like how the 13z sleeps and wakes up quite fast.

The pre-installed software, Dell Stage, helps you to access multi-media content easily without having to go through the various folders. Dell DataSafe offers you backup and restore to local or online storage. Three hardware buttons at the top right of the keyboard provides instant access to common settings, online help, and configurable shortcuts. You can use the built-in webcam to log in using facial recognition.

My daughter is attracted to its colour and webcam app.

The audio quality has been optimised to provide crystal clear sound. The 2 tiny speakers placed at 2 edges below the laptop delivers good stereo imaging. Dell has mindfully removed any trace of bass, which was unfortunate, but probably for the better, since there is no way for small laptop speakers to deliver any kind of oomph lest you risk audio distortion which happens to a lot of other laptops.

Likes:

Sleek design with covered ports
Aluminium palmrest plate and touchpad in pink (they should have made the keyboard pink too!)
Sharp and vibrant display with the right amount of screen gloss
Speedy startup and performance - my review unit runs on i5-2430M 2.4GHz 4GB DDR3 RAM 320GB 7200rpm harddisk
Sharp and brilliant display
Clear audio fidelity
Larger 6-cell battery elevates the laptop at an angle

Dislikes:

Not as many ports as the larger laptop models.
Lacks DVD drive, but that's a compromise for a lightweight laptop
No VGA port, which means you might not be able to conduct presentations through projectors
The spacebar is only sensitive in the middle, resulting in many typing misses
Trackpad is too close to the keyboard, resulting in frequent accidental touches while typing

The Dell Inspiron 13z is a head-turner, just like the XPS 15z I reviewed a while back. It's unique selling points are the striking colour, premium-looking minimalist design, thin and lightweight. But I find the keyboard difficult to type, nor is the touchpad responsive for multi-touch gestures. The laptop also lacks many connectivity ports that we are familiar with in 14-inch laptops. I won't give high marks for overall usability but I'm sure sold by its design and quality.

Best of Piano Spa: Serenity

2011-10-02T22:01:00.000+08:00

Warner Music Singapore has released the second Piano Spa compilation since "Piano Spa: The Timeless Collection" in April 2010. This new compilation, titled Best of Piano Spa: Serenity, is the perfect companion to the "Timeless" compilation. You will be pleased to know that there are no duplicate tracks between the 2 collections.

This new album collects 4 CDs totalling 48 tracks from Piano Spa 1 - 5. If you have missed the previous 5 albums, there is no better time to get both compilation albums.

Get your copy at all good music stores before they sell out.

International Order: please click the below Paypal button to purchase at US$29.95 (limited time offer) including shipping charges.

LG Optimus 3D (P920) Review

2011-09-26T21:54:00.000+08:00

LG Optimus 3D is one of the few consumer devices that lets you watch 3D content without any special glasses. This alone is enough to justify getting this smartphone and experience 3D-anywhere immediately.

Tri-Dual Technology
Besides the usual Android OS, the Optimus 3D claims to offer faster user experience with 1GHz dual-core, dual-channel, dual-memory. In reality, there is no remarkable difference. The phone exhibits the occasional lag typical of Android, and 3D apps actually take a little longer to load. But once loaded, the apps run smoothly. You can expand the internal 8GB memory with an external microSD card supporting up to 32GB.

It's 3D!
And the best part of all: no glasses needed! This is so liberating. I have come across many consumer cameras that already support capturing photos in 3D. However, the photos require a 3DTV to view. With Optimus 3D, you can experience your 3D footage on the screen! Till now I am still amazed at how this is possible. The following wiki page might help you (and I) understand how it is achieved.

To encourage 3D use, LG provides a dedicated 3D Hot Key for instant access to 3D content. I would prefer this button to be customisable to do other functions, like a camera shutter button. LG also throws in several 3D pre-loaded premium games like Asphalt 6, Let's Golf 2, and 3D video clips to help you impress your peers. Non-3D videos can also be simulated to display in 3D on the phone, and although not as impressive as 3D footage, it still manages to give some depth.

Be warned! 3D is not for everyone. I've shown the phone to many friends, and few of them experienced headache even after a few seconds of watching. Some may have difficulty "seeing" the 3D effect. Personally, I have no problems experiencing it. Therefore, if you are unable to see the effect, try not to blame the phone, ya?

Content-Friendly
Optimus 3D is one of the few Android devices that can play all my sample video files of varying encoded formats smoothly, from MP4 to MKV. On top of that, the phone can display 3D content, making the Optimus 3D a versatile multimedia device. In addition, the standard mini-HDMI port outputs the screen display onto HDTV.

Optimus 3D comes with a PC software called On-screen Phone, which mirrors the phone display on the PC. You can control the phone by using the mouse to mimic finger gestures. There are even on-screen buttons to adjust volume or turn off the phone.

Camera Quality
The 5-megapixel camera doesn't capture great 2D images, but gets away with 3D footage (maximum 3MP) because it uses less pixels to display on screen. I seriously doubt anyone would still shoot 2D with the Optimus 3D. A feature that I like for taking 2D photos is the continuous shot function, which fires 6 consecutive shots in 2MP sizes.

One disappointment is that LG did not include any video-editing apps that can let me trim or stitch 3D videos or 3D photos. While videos can be uploaded to YouTube which supports 3D content, 3D images do not have such luck as it is saved in JPS format. Tip: download freeware XnView and you can open JPS files to edit or crop.

Weight
With dual cameras and special 4.3" LCD screen, one cannot expect the Optimus 3D to be lightweight. But the phone feels solid, Battery life is average, and as you get all hyped about consuming lots of 3D content, the battery will drain faster.

Competition?
The only other 3D smartphone in the market is the HTC EVO 3D. I have never tried the HTC model, but here are some spec comparison:

LG is better for
- Full 1080p 2D video recording (HTC: 720p)
- 8GB internal memory (HTC: 1GB)
- HDMI connector (HTC: none)

HTC is better for
- 1.2 GHz dual processor (LG: 1GHz)
- Bluetooth 3.0 (LG: 2.1)
- 1730mAh battery (LG: 1540mAh)

Should I Buy 3D?
If you love 3D visuals - without glasses - then the Optimus 3D will wow your senses. The price is not much expensive compared to other top-end Android smartphones, and the Optimus 3D does come with equally impressive specs to make it worth the price. Even if not for 3D, the phone is a great video player that lets you playback many popular file formats smoothly, or even output the video via HDMI to any HDTV. With recording devices like Optimus 3D, you can start to create your memories in 3D.

Experiencing Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix

2011-09-25T23:57:00.000+08:00

My dad got passes to the Formula 1 Grand Prix Day 2 (Saturday) race at Zone 1. Thanks to dad, I experienced the F1 race for the first time.

NX11 16mm F2.4 1/350s ISO100

Instead of bringing my bulky DSLR, I brought the compact Samsung NX11 and the latest 16mm and 18-200mm lenses. I also threw in the Nikon 10.5mm fish-eye lens with the NX-mount Nikon adapter I recently bought.

EXIF: NX100 18-55mm at 55mm F5.6 1/50s ISO800

Manual focusing with the 10.5mm can get a little tricky, because with the extreme wide-angle, I was barely able to see the focus accuracy on the LCD screen. But I discovered a little trick: look for moire effect on the subject area that you want to be in focus.

NX11 Nikon 10.5mm F2.8 1/100s ISO100

NX11 16mm Panorama mode

There was never a serious intention to capture the F1 cars using my consumer-grade setup, but I was happy with the versatility of my lens combo, which covers from 10.5mm to 200mm focal length. The NX11 did well in offering both the EVF and the AMOLED 3" monitor to frame my shots.

Still images do not justify the exhilaration of F1 race, so I captured the moments in video.

Too fast? Here's a 80fps footage taken with Fujifilm Finepix F550EXR.

It's an interesting perspective when you shoot at a slower fps. Here's a better catch of the Porsche Carrera Cup.

Personally, I prefer to watch the F1 race action at home, but being on-location with all the noise is an entirely different experience. Love the carnival mood.

NX11 16mm F2.4 1/160s ISO100

NX11 18-200mm at 18mm F5 1/125s ISO100

NX11 18-200mm at 20mm F6.3 1/60s ISO200

NX11 18-200mm at 18mm F6.3 1/40s ISO1600

NX11 18-200mm at 200mm F6.3 1/80s ISO1600

NX11 16mm F2.4 1/20s ISO1600

NX11 18-200mm at 200mm F6.3 1/160s ISO1600

NX11 Nikon 10.5mm F2.8 1/3s ISO400

NX11 Nikon 10.5mm F2.8 1/10s ISO400

Samsung NX mount 16mm & 18-200mm Lens: Quick Look

2011-09-25T22:51:00.000+08:00

Samsung has kept NX owners waiting for the longest time, but I finally got them for review - the 16mm F2.4 and 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OIS lenses.

16mm F2.4 iFn
This extremely lightweight lens at 75g offers 24mm equivalent focal length on 35mm format. i-Function button gives access to shooting parameters like Aperture, Shutter, ISO and WB instantly. The pack comes with a pouch to protect the lens. Lens mount is metal.

18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OIS iFn
This all-in-one travel lens with image stabiliser offers much-needed versatility for the travel photographer. It is not much bigger than the current 50-200mm F4-5.6. A lens lock is provided although not necessary as the lens does not slide out. Interesting note: this lens is made in Japan, the first NX lens to be made outside Korea.

While it seems like the 18-200mm can replace a 18-55mm and 50-200mm lens combo, the drawback of the 18-200mm is that the lens already hits F5.6 at 60mm, whereas the 50-200mm barely passes F4.3 at the same focal length. And the 18-55mm has a shorter minimum focus distance of 28cm compared to 18-200mm at 50cm, which is still better than 50-200mm at 98cm.

If you are an existing NX user with 18-55mm lens, the 50-200mm is still a worthy consideration, as the price is definitely less expensive than 18-200mm. If you currently own the 20-50mm kit lens, then I would certainly recommend the 18-200mm.

As for 16mm, it's the widest NX lens and the fastest at the focal length. If you love street photography and often shoot in low light, then consider getting one.

These lenses should be available for sale in Singapore in Q4. Meanwhile, I'll be looking out for the 2 other specialty NX lenses: the 60mm F2.8 Macro lens and 85mm F1.4.

Olympus PEN Lite E-PL3 Review

2011-09-22T14:05:00.000+08:00

Olympus has announced 3 interchangeable lens cameras (ILC) at one go - the big-brother E-P3, the "lite" E-PL3, and the "mini" E-PM1. For this review, I had my hands on the E-PL3 for a week.

First Impressions
At 313g, the 12-megapixel E-PL3 is one of the heaviest ILC in its class. The camera feels very solid, and the design continues to be influenced by the retro rangefinders. But I felt that the rear panel design layout needs to be further optimised. The articulated screen is too thick and slightly hinders the operations of the hardware buttons surrounding it.

The lenses provided for the review are the kit lens 14-42mm and 40-150mm. Both are entirely in plastic, extremely lightweight and I wouldn't drop them on hard surfaces. The 14-42mm requires you to extend the lens before you can start shooting, and you can see from the photo below that the lens extends a lot. Fortunately, the optic quality is good enough for general shooting.

Interface
E-PL3 has got to be one of the most customisable compact cameras. Olympus has dedicated one custom menu with 10 sub-sections to let you alter the button operations to your hearts content. Even this menu can be customised not to show on the main menu! I won't go into details, but if you are a user who desires to control whether you turn the focus ring clockwise or anti-clockwise, or whether you want your medium size file to be 8MP or 5MP, the E-PL3 will satisfy you. The drawback with all the customisation is that a fellow E-PL3 user would find it hard to operate your E-PL3 camera. Do also note that the editable menu items depend on the mode (iAuto, PASM, etc.) you select on the mode dial. And you are unable to save the settings you painstakingly configured.

Shooting Speed
The E-PL3 has rather snappy AF speed under adequate light. But under low light conditions, AF speed takes a beating, and sometimes doesn't focus correctly. Shot-to-shot is very responsive, but a fast SD card is recommended if you require long continuous shooting performance.

Image Quality
In terms of noise, the E-PL3 allows you to customise the level of noise reduction and filter. I personally prefer images in "Off" or "Low" setting, as I find the "Standard" setting too muddy for my preference. I am happy to capture images at ISO 3200.

Video Quality
From the video samples I recorded, I observe that the E-PL3 exhibits the "rolling shutter" effect, so I wouldn't use it for any serious projects. Low-light video recording - even at ISO 3200 - is just as good as the still images.

Final Words
The key advantages of the E-PL3 over the competitors are its premium-looking retro design, the ability to customise the camera functions to meet your shooting requirements, and good noise handling at high ISO (when noise filter is set to "low"). The camera is generally responsive in keeping up with my shot-to-shot demands, but the interface has a slight lag when invoking the menu items. Its solid build gives you assurance that it can take some rough handling, but the plastiky kit lenses could be the weakest link.

Mount Nikon lenses on Samsung NX camera

2011-09-16T01:11:00.002+08:00

Anything strange about this photo?

Yeah, I mounted a Nikon lens on the Samsung NX100 camera!

One ring to make it happen: the Nikon G AF-S Lens to Samsung NX adapter!

This adapter is in the market for less than a year, because I tried to search for this adapter about a year ago without success. The Nikon AI-S adapter is around then but since many of my lenses are G-type lenses, I needed an adapter that can open the aperture.

Operating Instruction: Mount the adapter between the camera body and the lens, switch the camera mode dial to M, twist the adapter ring to open up the aperture ring and adjust the shutter on the camera to your liking. Make sure "Framing Mode" is "Off" so that the live view shows the exposure. And focus manually.

On the NX100, you may have problems handling with large or heavy lenses. Without a proper grip, it's a struggle operating between the zoom ring and focusing ring.

Focusing on small objects without AF assist can be a challenge, for instance when shooting wide angle. You could also adjust the aperture ring to achieve depth of field but there are no indications on the aperture value.

I probably will not shoot with the adapter that regularly, but it's a fun accessory to get, knowing that there is a chance of using lenses interchangeably when needed.

At time of posting, this adapter is easily available on eBay. I bought it for US$37.99 including shipping. If your camera body is not Samsung NX, there are also adapters for Sony NEX and Lumix mounts. If your lens is not Nikon, there are also adapters for other brands.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Review

2011-09-09T01:22:00.003+08:00

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 may well be the best-looking Android tablet in the market right now. And I'd say it possesses the best customised Android Honeycomb interface thanks to Touchwiz UX.

I was fortunate to get a review unit within a week of its launch in Singapore and so I'm here to give my review on this attractive device.

Package
The Tab includes, besides the usual charger, a pair of earphones, one of the few tablet makers to package in the box. The USB cable doubles up as charging cable, its length is rather short.

The tablet in the box is protected with separate pieces of plastic front and back. The plastic is so tightly stuck to the glossy back surface that I am happy to leave it on as a protection against the white scratchable surface.

Size
The Tab is the slimmest tablet for its screen size, a hairline thinner than iPad 2. It has a slightly bigger surface area than Motorola Xoom.

Comparing thickness between Galaxy Tab 10.1 and iPad 1.

The back is flat, not curved like iPad 1 or Asus Transformer, and that makes the Tab extremely slim and easy to slip in your bag.

Design and Specs
Running on dual core 1GHz Tegra 2 processor, the Tab has 3 hardware buttons located at the top left. The volume rocker direction is uniquely swapped: press the left to reduce volume, press the right to increase. This is in alignment with the on-screen volume indicator, but if you use the Tab in the portrait orientation, you would need to press down to increase volume.

The speakers are located at the upper area of the tablet, so you won't block the speakers when holding the Tab naturally. The glass surface is less reflective, which makes viewing more comfortable. The surface also feels smooth to the fingers when swiping, and finger prints are easily wiped off. Audio quality is pleasantly balanced for long periods of listening.

Built quality
The exterior is entirely made of plastic which is easily dented. I have already dinged the volume buttons and I have no idea how I got the scars. It was certainly not due to drop as it looks more like scratches. See picture below to be the judge (click to enlarge).

Touchwiz UX Skinned Interface
The Tab has, in my opinion, the best Honeycomb interface customised. If you are familiar with the Galaxy S phone interface, then you will feel right at home with the Tab. All the menu icons are splashed in full colour, and the font sizes are made bigger to ease viewing. The slide-out notification pane has the usual short-cut icons allowing you to manage your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Sounds, Flight Mode, etc. Stock apps like File Manager, Music Player are all customised with multiple columns to improve usability. The Tab even has the familiar vibration feedback as you type or when receiving incoming notifications. Samsung has its TFT LCD screen colours heavily boosted to make images look more vibrant without appearing unreal (until you do a visual comparison with the competitors).

The other customisation to the OS is the MiniApps. Select the up-arrow icon in the middle of the status bar and a row of apps slide out - Task Manager, Calendar, World Clock, Pen Memo, Calculator and Music Player. Click on any of the apps and it will appear as a floating window on top of your existing screens. You can use the floating app and navigate the main screen at any time, and the floating app will remain on top at all times. You can choose to "maximise" the app, and in doing so the MiniApp will close and the actual full-screen app will be loaded. This MiniApp implementation is Samsung's solution to multiple-window multi-tasking. For now, the list of MiniApps are not customisable.

Besides the standard Honeycomb soft-icons to the left side of the status bar, the Tab has a fourth "Screen Capture" button for ease of snapping the screen contents. The button can capture almost every screen on the Tab (even the camera preview), except when the MiniApp dock appears which hides all other status bar information.

Unfortunately, all the wonderful customisations have put a toll on the Tab. It is noticeably more laggy in between finger swipes and icon selections, so this would certainly put a dent on user expectations.

Camera
Ironically, with all the greatness of the interface, the 3mp rear and 2mp front camera quality are not to be taken seriously. It is a pity considering the camera app has many shooting modes and custom settings like metering mode, focus mode, white balance and exposure compensation.

3mp camera with LED.

Video Playback
Just like all the other Tegra2 Android tablets I have tested, the Tab fails to play my reference MP4 and MKV video files smoothly, even when using third-party software-decoding video apps. The playability is a far cry from Galaxy S2, and even my single-core Galaxy S plays the same files without missing a beat.

Battery Utilisation
Battery performance on 3G network is quite good. When I turn on auto-sync for Gmail and corporate mail, sets Tweetdeck to refresh feeds every 10 minutes, and check on the Tab regularly throughout the day for mails and social network feeds, the Tab uses up just 50% in 16 hours.

Expandability
The Tab does not come with generic connectivity ports like HDMI, memory card slots, or USB. However, there are official adapters that allows you to do all the above.

Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is light, thin, delivers striking colour display, has good battery life, is easy to operate with customised interface and apps, and 3G-enabled for data access anywhere. Almost perfect... just marred by laggy interface, uninspiring camera quality, and underwhelming video performance. Still, don't let it stop you from owning the best-looking most user-friendly Android interface in the market.

Lumix GF3, Sony NEX-C3 & Samsung NX100: Comparing ILC

2011-09-07T23:59:00.000+08:00

Update 29 Oct 2011: Go to the Mirrorless Camera Comparison link for the latest review comparison on new cameras

For the past weeks, I have done some comparison among the 3 interchangeable lens camera (ILC) systems. If you ask me how I feel, my response is:

GF3 offers slight advantage on AF point selection using touch screen, plus some fanciful touch-shutter functions that are generally more fun to use. But I would still prefer NX menu layout. GF3 has the fastest AF and highest fps, but the screen does not look sharp. It can shoot full HD but in MTS (BD) format and not the PC-friendly MP4 format. You can shoot MP4, but only 720p, and audio quality is poorer. Being micro four-thirds system, GF3 offers lots of lens choices, and has the fastest shooting response among the three.

NEX-C3 offers the best screen display. I feel a big sense of gratification after I take the shot and seeing the images on the screens. I also like how the icons are high-res and neat. ISO quality is the best among the three. The build quality is the best among the three, and has the most unique design. With NEX, I can shoot at high ISO and I get more clear shots than the rest, because Sony is confident in its high ISO and aggressively sets high ISO for its auto shots. Sadly, its shutter sound is the loudest and most annoying.

NX100 offers the best handling and ease of making shooting adjustments. I can use the hot-shoe with legacy photographic accessories. Spec-wise, it is not as impressive because it's the oldest model among the three. The ISO noise is the highest but comparing to the compact cameras, it is still good. This is the best camera among the three for speedy manual shooting controls.

ILC or DSLR? I still don’t get the same experience from the ILCs as I do with DSLR. While I find myself struggling to try to get ILC to match the quality of DSLR, I feel so effortless shooting on a DSLR to get what I want. DSLR offers me the organic experience that no other ILC can provide.

Yet we must not forget that the ILC offers a solution of comparable DSLR image quality and handling in a very compact size. I do not foresee myself investing heavily or permanently in an ILC system, so I am happy to buy any system with a set of basic lenses to cover a wide shooting range. My purchase decision would not have to depend on the system expandability and compatibility. I would focus on shooting speed, ISO quality, ease of shooting controls.

My perfect ILC camera would consist of the user interface and shooting controls of NX, body design and ISO quality of NEX, and shooting speed of GF. In the absence of perfection, my choice of camera among the three would be Lumix GF3. And that's just me.

There is no "best" product decision. It's just understanding your needs and meeting it.

Update 29 Oct 2011: Go to the Mirrorless Camera Comparison link for the latest review comparison on new cameras

Fujifilm FinePix F550EXR: COMEX 2011 Offer

2011-09-03T17:22:00.002+08:00

Sometimes, great offers come to you without even looking.

This morning, on the back cover page of TODAY, I saw the Fujifilm advertisement promoting their digicam offers. What caught my eye was the trade-in offer for F500EXR and F550EXR (after trade-in price of S$349 and S$399 respectively). It so happens that I have a 4-year old F31fd, still working perfectly, albeit old sensor technology.

The F31fd is a legend, its start-up, high ISO, and shot-to-shot performance are benchmarks for my digicam reviews over the past years. Alas, time has caught up, the battery isn't doing quite well, and the features, miserly.

So, I originally intended to make my way to COMEX at Suntec to buy it, but then I read a fine-print that this offer is valid at all authorised dealers. So I called MS Color to ask if they have the same offer, and they replied that instead of 16GB SD card offered at COMEX, they will give 8GB instead. Weighing the cons of traveling all the way down to Suntec and having to hustle through the crowds, I decided to just get it from MS Color.

When I arrived there, the shop staff recognised me as a regular, and so without further bargaining, he offered me at $330 with free LCD protective cover. How can I refuse! I left the shop a happy man (and farewell, F31fd!)

Here's a look at the F550EXR specs:

16 mega-pixel CMOS sensor
15x zoom covering 24-360mm f3.5-5.3
Full HD 1920x1080 movie recording
Fujifilm's EXR image processing algorithm, like High Resolution (HR) mode, Dynamic Range (DR) mode, promising better low-light images and dynamic range.
460,000-pixel LCD screen that displays sharp images
8 fps in 16mp, or 11fps in 8mp resolution

If you are on a budget, you can consider the F500EXR at SRP $50 cheaper. Only the following functions are absent compared to the F550EXR:

RAW file capture
GPS - the first Fujifilm compact camera
Anti-blur function

The F550EXR is actually an old model announced in Jan 2011, now superceded by F600EXR announced in August 2011. However, the design is identical and the features mostly unchanged, but with some minor enhancements to keep up with the competition.

Good impression points on the F550EXR:
The design of the camera is impressive, from the rubber grip to the red lining around the lens to the placement of the mode dial, the F550EXR is just curvy all around.

Shooting Modes. Apart from the usual PASM, Scene (SP), and Auto modes, the F550EXR comes with the EXR mode and the "Adv." (advanced) mode. The EXR mode lets you shoot using the EXR features to boost image quality. The "Adv." mode has 3 shooting effects: the Motion Panorama 360, the Pro Focus and Pro Low-Light. The Motion Panorama 360 mode lets you shoot panorama by sweeping your camera in one shutter press. The Pro Focus mode processes the image to blur the background more and create a better depth of field effect. The Pro Low-Light mode captures the scene in high ISO over 4 frames and combines into one image to reduce noise.

Continuous Shooting Options. Unlike conventional continuous burst modes, the F550EXR has 2 modes to capture your desired burst shooting.

First is "Top n", where n refers to the maximum number of frames you want to burst. Once you lift off the shutter button, the camera will stop capture. You can also choose the shooting speed, between 3 to 11 fps. But note that the camera will automatically reduce the image resolution size depending on the maximum number of frames and fps in order to process all the required images.

Second type of continuous mode is "Best Frame Capture". In this mode, the camera starts to capture x images once you half-press the shutter, and y images after you press the shutter. The number of frame before and after can be configured before you shoot. Again, like the first mode, the number of frames and the fps you choose will restrict the image resolution size captured by the camera.

Video capture modes. You can capture video in various frame rates - from the standard 30fps to 80fps (640x480), 160fps (320x240) and even 320fps (320x112). Audio is recorded in stereo.

Silent Mode. By holding the "DISP" button, the camera goes into stealth mode, disabling flash, sound, and self timer lamp.

What I dislike:

The front lens cover is huge and can be easily brushed when you do not handle with care.
Aperture steps are too wide apart, yet shutter can be adjusted in 0.3 steps.
Flash pops-up automatically everytime the camera is on, not on-demand. If you push it down during the operation, you will ~~not be able to activate the flash until you switch off and on back again~~ need to manually pop-up the flash with your fingernails (as documented in the operation manual). This is the most undesirable thing about the F550EXR, and almost made me walk away from the deal. But I decide to accept this characteristics and see where it brings me to.
Exposure compensation is only within 2 stops.
Movie mode unable to do manual exposure override. Focus keeps shifting during movie mode as the camera hunts for focus "randomly" - there is no option to select AF area mode.
The "F"-mode button pulls out only a few menu items, and you have to go to the main menu to search for the rest of the functions. Interestingly, the "RAW" file option is located under "Setup" menu tab rather than "Shooting" menu tab.
Battery size 900mAh, so it does not last very long. An extra battery is recommended for heavy full-day usage.
Image quality is no different from most compact cameras. This camera exhibits the same kind of "muddy" look when viewed 100%. If blown-up details matter a lot to you, it's time to move on to larger sensor cameras like micro four-thirds or APS-C.

For a limited time, free hard casing with every purchase.

This is one of the moments that I write a review blog within 24 hours of experiencing the subject matter (in fact, I broke my own record of blogging this within 6 hours!). Admittedly, the F550EXR is not a camera with outstanding image quality or functions, and if price was not a factor, I would not think of purchasing it. But like I mentioned in my opening paragraph, the timing is just so right and the price-value is simply astonishing. This is a lightweight ultra-zoom camera good enough for general family use and for documenting your travels. It works for me thanks to its speedy AF and fast shot-to-shot response. Four years on since F31fd, I'm still with Fujifilm Finepix.

MemoryCardZoo.com - Micro SD Cards

2011-09-03T17:00:00.000+08:00

Memory Card Zoo is an online shop offering wide range of memory cards, bags, batteries, headphones, and accessories. Based in Guernsey, they carry 100% genuine UK stock. Worldwide shipping is also competitive - it costs only £4-7.50 to ship to Singapore.

This week, I received a micro SD card from them. It claims to be indestructible: water proof, shock proof, and magnet proof.

Some people might choose to abuse the card to test its limits, but I think that kind of treatment is not practical in real life. So I choose to put the micro SD card through reasonable life tests, as follows:
- Washing machine test (water proof)
- Drop test (shock proof)
- Speaker proximity test (magnet proof)

Washing Machine Test
The most common accident on getting the card wet is when you forget to take the memory card out of your attire pocket. So for water proof test, I placed the memory card into my jeans pocket and put the jeans into the washine machine for a wash.

Result: Pass. In fact, I also dumped the card into a cup of water. The card still works after drying.

Drop Test
This is another common accident which could damage the card. For my test, I simply drop the micro SD card on the hard surface - many times over and over again. Here's a "dramatisation video" (shot at 160 fps).

Result: Pass. The card suffered no visible damages, since it is so small. You can't say the same if you were to drop a CompactFlash card. At the very least, the corners would be dented, no?

Speaker Proximity Test
To test for magnet proof, I decided to place the micro SD card near to my home speakers and played some music loudly so that the speaker magnets can attempt to cause an affect on the card. I cannot think of any other home devices with higher magnetism than speakers, so if you do, please let me know and I will gladly do this test again.

Result: Pass. I even did a low-level format to see if there are any damaged sectors.

I believe most of the micro SD cards sold today should be able to sustain such abuse due to its solid state nature, so such claims on being indestructible are merely marketing tactics. The real test should be whether the memory components can stand thousand of times of read-write states.

This article is supported by MemoryCardZoo.com. Check out their website for their wide range of memory card solutions.

Panasonic Lumix GF3: Review

2011-08-31T01:43:00.000+08:00

Lumix GF3 is the latest interchangeable-lens camera from Panasonic to target the mass-market. Compared to the GF2, the GF3 has fewer buttons and loses a hotshoe (and no stereo mics for video recording too), but it has shrunk and is one of the most compact interchangeable lens cameras in the market. With a Lumix G X 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 power zoom lens (announced 26 Aug 2011), you would mistake it for a compact camera.

Here is a summary of noteworthy specs:

12 megapixels
160-6400 ISO
3.8 frames per second continuous shooting
1080p Full HD movie in AVCHD format
Touch screen for ease of selections
Customisable Q.Menu/Fn button
Auto focus speed on par with DSLR
17 Scene Modes, much less than the other Lumix compact cameras.
White Balance presets support fine-tuning

What I like during my review experience (and it's all about speed):

Fast Start up. I can focus and fire the shutter within a second of turning on the GF3.

AF Speed. The fast autofocus speed means I can capture the moment at the tip of my finger - literally. The easiest way to capture an image with accurate focus area is using the Touch Shutter feature. All you have to do is to activate it with an icon on the screen, then touch anywhere on the screen. Once focus is established, the camera will fire the shutter. The response is almost instant under normal lighting conditions. The slight drawback is that there is no chance to "change your mind" after touching the screen, as the shutter will fire.

Continuous Shooting. The GF3 can achieve 3.8fps using high-speed continuous shooting mode, or 3fps using medium-speed with live-view preview on screen before the next shot. Even with Continuous AF (CAF) activated, the GF3 can obtain moving focus and shoot continuously fairly accurately. In fact, the GF3 revives my confidence in using CAF on compact cameras.

Touch Screen. The major advantage of the touch screen implementation on Lumix cameras is that I can select the AF area by touching any part of the screen. All the AF modes make use of this touch advantage very well.

For instance, the Pinpoint AF mode lets you first select the AF area by touching the screen. Then the AF area is enlarged on the screen and you can fine tune the focus with the focusing ring on the lens.

As for the Multi-area AF mode (GF3 names it "23-Area AF mode"), you can still select an AF region by touching the screen. Then whenever you half-press the shutter, the AF mode will search for an AF area within that region instead of the entire frame.

The AF Tracking mode lets you select the object that you want to track, again by touching the area where the object appears on screen, and the GF3 miraculously tracks the object wherever it moves in the frame.

As for the Face Detection mode, while the camera is supposed to detect and focus the faces, the moment you select an AF area manually, the camera will override the face-focus, although the screen will still indicate the faces defected.

Apart from AF Area, I can easily change Shooting Modes (PASM, Custom, etc.) by pressing the mode icon at the top left of the screen. It will pull out the list of modes arranged in a circle, and you can either select the desired mode by touching it or use the physical wheel dial to navigate the cursor.

The GF3 touch screen does not work for all functions. It supports swipe gestures during playback, and you can touch the icons on the main menu screen. But once inside the sub-menu, touch does not work. For some items, touching merely moves the icon, and you need to press the "Menu/Set" button to select it for use.

Custom Keys. The "Q.Menu/Fn" button can be customised to either invoke one "Fn" item or invoke a list of 10 customisable "Q.Menu" items. I can customise the list of items while using it, instead of having to go into the menu mode to choose. Picking the items is also easily done by dragging icons.

GF3 makes auto mode selection easy with a dedicated "iA" button that lights up when activated. When pressed, the last-selected "iA" mode will be activated. There are 2 iA modes, the difference between the 2 is that iA+ allows you to adjust exposure (EV) and white balance. The video recording button can also be disabled via menu option, though I have no idea why anyone would want to do that.

There isn't a lot of things that I didn't like about GF3, but here are some that don't work for me:

LCD Screen Quality. The resolution is 460K, it's got wide viewing angle, but images from the monitor does not give me the "wow" feel. You can calibrate the screen brightness, contrast and colour tones, but the adjustment level is not fine enough and it may mess up your perception of white balance during photo-taking.

Menu Description. Some menu items are in short forms, and the corresponding icon selections do not have clear explanations on what they do. There is also no help menu to assist the user.

Buffer. When shooting in RAW, the GF3 can only sustain 4 continuous shots. Therefore, this camera is certainly not for the trigger-happy desktop-processing enthusiasts. Under the JPEG mode, my 8GB Class 4 SDHC card fires 18 frames before the shutter pauses for a good 3 seconds before firing another frame. Getting a very fast SD card will give you unlimited frames, as observed by some other review sites.

Summing Up
The Micro Four-thirds interchangeable lens camera system is a popular choice due to its wide variety of lenses that cater the needs of both entry-level and professionals. The Lumix GF3 offers a very compact solution to meeting your general photographic needs. I find the ISO noise level acceptable up to ISO 1600 for indoor lighting. I like the GF3 because it helps me to capture images speedily, thanks to its fast start-up, blazing AF, and a relentless continuous shutter burst.

Sony Alpha NEX-C3: Review

2011-08-27T02:05:00.001+08:00

Sony's NEX compact camera system easily stands out among the brands of interchangeable lens systems. Unique signature design, APS-C sensor, minimal buttons. Sony took back some lessons from the first models and improved it in this latest edition, NEX-C3.

Apart from the usual improvements to further reduce the physical size and increasing the sensor size, plus software enhancements, there is nothing to shout about for this model. Fortunately, Sony does not remove any signature features, like what some manufacturers did to their new models in a bid to segment their product line.

Noteworthy specs:

16 megapixels APS-C sensor
ISO range 200-12800
5.5 frames per second
720p HD movie in MP4
Custom shortcut keys
Articulated LCD monitor, 921K

What I like:

Video Recording. If you shoot video regularly, the NEX-C3 will make you feel empowered. The weight distribution at the big lens means you get a more stable handling. The shortcut video recording button immediately starts recording, no matter what mode you are in - even during playback mode. During recording, you can adjust EV manually, another critical feature. Finally, you can re-focus manually during recording by half-pressing the shutter button.

Unfortunately, all the button pressing and lens zooming sounds are captured on the recording, so you might want to keep the adjustments to a minimum while the tape is rolling.

Custom Shortcut Keys. Sony NEX series have been criticised for having too few dials and buttons to allow quick changes of settings. To satisfy the advanced users, NEX-C3 allows users to customise 4 buttons: left, right, centre, and bottom. 3 of the buttons will invoke the specified functions immediately, while the centre button allows you to invoke the "custom" item which pulls out a list of 5 custom functions.

With the custom shortcut keys, I can change ISO, drive mode, white balance, AF area in fewer presses. Nevertheless, some functions are not supported and you still need to look for them in the still-confusing menu categories.

Aggressive Auto ISO. Sony is so confident with their high ISO quality that they have no qualms in auto-selecting high ISO levels like 1600. This allows me to capture less blurred shots indoors. Competitors cameras would cap shyly at ISO 800.

Photo Creativity mode under iAuto. Again another trend, iAuto is no longer just full auto. In NEX-C3, users can invoke Photo Creativity to select multiple effects like "layers" to create your unique look. If only the layers can be saved as presets.

External Flash. Sony's solution to making the NEX body small and still offers flash is to bundle a removable flash unit. When not required, you can push the flash down to its "off" position. When required, you can flip up the flash manually and it will fire. This implementation allows you to leave the flash unit always mounted. With other cameras, you would have to remove and insert the flash unit frequently in between uses.

LCD Screen. The NEX-C3 display stands out as sharp, clear and good contrast with 921K pixels. Images look cooler when compared with my computer monitor.

As for the unlikes:

Shutter Sound. Sony NEX series generate loud shutter sounds. I am certainly unable to shoot stealthily or use the continuous shooting mode for too long without provoking any irritation from people around me.

The speed-priority continuous shutter mode is also very sensitive. I had to try very hard not to fire two frames by consciously lifting my finger off promptly.

AF Area and Speed. Generally, the AF hunts quite a fair bit before locking focus, even if I was trying to re-focus the same scene. The Multi-AF Area is also picking obscure areas that I would like to shoot. Instead of selecting the "wrong" areas, the NEX-C3 would simply leave the AF Area to centre. It gives me the impression that it is not trying hard.

Buffer. When shooting in RAW, the NEX-C3 has enough buffer only for 6 continuous shots. Therefore, this camera is certainly not for the trigger-happy desktop-processing enthusiasts.

To Summarise...
The Sony NEX-C3 is a welcome improvement on the NEX series without deviating from the objective of a consumer-friendly jargon-free camera. The body and lens are well-built, and I always appreciate the InfoLithium battery that tells the remaining battery capacity by the percentage. While I did not quite like the NEX-3 which I reviewed last year, the NEX-C3 is more accommodating to my needs, thanks to customisable buttons. I continue to be impressed by its low-noise high ISO handling, though its 18-55mm lens does exhibit chromatic aberration. If you need a compact camera that handles high ISO confidently, and have little concerns about swift manual controls, NEX is it.

Thank You, Steve Jobs

2011-08-25T11:59:00.001+08:00

Steve Jobs has resigned as Apple CEO. To many, it is the news they dread to hear. To some, it is a start of Apple's downfall.

To me, it is the chance to write and reflect upon this blog post.

I am never an Apple enthusiast, not because I dislike Apple products, because I am not the kind of guy why buys product for its brand or its style.

My first encounter with Apple was during my Junior College years in 1992. There was an old Macintosh in the school's music library. I switched on, and out came a monochrome screen. I fiddled with it, tried to find something useful to do with it. Got nothing out of it.

Years later, Apple products started going mainstream with their PowerPC. It was high-priced, which was beyond my computing budget. So I never took much notice.

Then Apple started offering consumer products like iPod. I can still recall the unique advertisements of white-silhouette dancers with colour background. But not me. I was smitten with iRiver portable players for its long list of geek-ish features.

Then, iPhone was born. That caught my interest with its innovative interface and finally I wrote my first Apple-related blog post.

Year after year, Apple broke ground on its designs and marketing concepts. The smallest portable music player, the thinnest laptop, the most responsive touch controls, the integrated computer processor with display (no wires!). The iMac, iBook, iTunes, iPhone. The i-everything.

Suddenly, the world caught wind of Apple's innovation, and started to incorporate a little of Apple style in their products, making it better for everyone. Companies want to be like Apple. Companies want to be better than Apple. Apple affects the way companies package their products, designed their media content, structured their businesses. Today, you have consumer products built of aluminium or pearl white bodies, devices with multi-touch gestures. Apple made possible thousands of business opportunities selling accessories, and even more creating iOS apps.

Eventually, I bought my first Apple product when the iPad landed in Singapore. And like an Apple fan, I queued for it on its first day. The iPad won me over because to me this is the first of its kind.

Apple changed the world of electronics and technology. Apple influenced product designs from all walks of life.

I am not an Apple fan, but I thank Apple for driving innovation.

I thank Steve Jobs.

Motorola Atrix & Asus Transformer: Comparison

2011-08-24T23:17:00.000+08:00

I owned an ASUS Eee Pad Transformer tablet with keyboard dock, I had just reviewed the Motorola ATRIX with lapdock. Both attempts to offer a netbook experience on an Android OS. How do they compare?

Note that comparison below pertains specifically to Transformer + dock and ATRIX + lapdock, and not solely on the standalone devices without docks.

Design
Transformer is seamless. I can easily fold it and transport the tablet and the dock. ATRIX lapdock is bulky. I have to remove the ATRIX phone before I can move it around.

But ATRIX lapdock is very slim, and overall is lighter than Transformer.

ATRIX is so much thinner.

Speed
Transformer runs faster because the dock runs on native Android interface. ATRIX runs its lapdock mode inside a Webtop app, which is basically a virtual OS. Therefore, there is noticeable lag when trying to open an app or toggle between windows.

Once loaded, however, the ATRIX performs without lag with the keyboard. Transformer, on the other hand, experiences some keystrokes lag depending on the app or browser page.

Transformer starts up instantly when I flip open the screen. ATRIX takes a few seconds to start the Webtop app everytime I flip open the screen, because the app closes automatically whenever I close the screen.

Apps on ATRIX run within a Phone View window, which you can expand to full screen.

Interface
ATRIX lapdock feels like a netbook. Its apps run on resizable windows, its Firefox browser responds to the usual mouse buttons and Windows shortcut keys.

Transformer is still an Android tablet, so it doesn't offer multiple windows view, nor can I "ALT-Tab" to switch apps. It's more natural to navigate with touch gestures. The keyboard is only useful for typing and the mouse is only useful for moving the cursor around. Right-click is "Back" command and you cannot left-click and drag to highlight text.

On the ATRIX lapdock, you could run Android apps stored in your ATRIX but they are designed for touch gesture, so interacting with a trackpad that doesn't support multi-touch is cumbersome.

ATRIX lapdock is mainly useful for consuming online content. You cannot install any Webtop-specific apps to make use of the virtual interface.

Transformer dock acts like a stand when I engage in apps that do not use the keyboard. The top row of shortcuts are useful to invoke the apps when I needed them.

Sound
Transformer sounds crisp. ATRIX sounds muffled. But iPad sounds better than Transformer.

Battery Life
Transformer dock keeps the tablet fully charged at all times, so even when the dock runs out of battery, the keyboard still works.

ATRIX lapdock keeps the phone fully charged at all times, but when the dock runs out of battery, the lapdock shuts down and the ATRIX battery cannot be used to power up the lapdock.

Conclusion
If only life is perfect. I love the ATRIX lapdock's Webtop interface that allows me to interact it like a computer netbook. I love the Transformer dock's seamless experience of a tablet over a detachable netbook form factor. The ATRIX lapdock adds more value to the ATRIX whereas the Transformer dock experience is easily replaced (albeit clumsily) with bluetooth keyboard.

When you get the ATRIX and lapdock, you get an Android mobile phone that can be used just like a netbook. When you purchase the Transformer, you get an Android tablet with a keyboard dock that looks like a netbook but doesn't entirely work like one.

These devices are a glimpse of what the future can hold. Convergence of laptop computing flexibility with phone and tablet experience. I can imagine a MacBook Air with detachable screen that can be used like an iPad. And perhaps throw in an iPhone dock port integrated to the laptop, like ATRIX. But if that perfect product materialises, I'm sure Apple will be at the receiving end of lawsuits from Motorola and ASUS.

Audyssey SOMA Dock: Home Review

2011-08-21T21:07:00.000+08:00

One showroom audio review and two blog posts later, I finally get a chance to bring the Audyssey SOMA audio dock back to my home for an on-location review. We all know that showroom conditions always seem to make the audio product sound better. So this review will finally put the question to rest: how well does the SOMA dock perform in real life environment?

I... like it!

Some sound systems make the music sound "noisy". But music coming out from the dock actually sounds very pleasant. The dock produces very crisp tweeter and naturally-resonating bass. The Audyssey engineers have certainly done a very good job in optimising the sound quality of this little audio gem, but I tweaked the sound using the free iOS app, increasing bass a little to suit my taste and my home acoustics.

With the iOS app, you have 3 ways to fine-tune the audio output to your liking. First, you can use the tilt control to swing the audio balance to either bass-heavy or treble-heavy. Then, you can adjust the treble or bass level independently. Finally, you can plot your own EQ chart and save as favourites.

I am surprised that the dock can play all kinds of music without sounding biased. From classical to pop, jazz to rock, even movie audio has got that dynamic punch. The only instance that the dock doesn't sound nice is when the audio source made a mess on the mix or the compression quality.

The Audyssey SOMA dock isn't just a dock for Apple devices. It plays audio via Bluetooth or line-in jack. That practically means almost every audio equipment can enjoy the quality SOMA dock. The best part is that you do not need to choose the source, because the dock can play audio from the iOS dock, line-in and Bluetooth simultaneously. And that's so liberating, especially the Bluetooth option. With the iPhone on hand, I can easily select tracks for playback. When paired with iPad, I can watch video content as the dock pumps out the audio in almost perfect synchronisation.

Having said, the dock is certainly not meant to replace your professional audio system, nor was it meant to rock the house down with its size. But I dare say it beats most of the compact sound systems. If you want to listen to astounding music from your smartphones, at the comfort of your cosy loft, you must try the Audyssey SOMA audio dock. Let your ears convince you.

Motorola ATRIX: New Smart(phone) Experience

2011-08-20T20:59:00.003+08:00

When Motorola initially offered the ATRIX without the lapdock for review, I declined, citing that the lapdock is a critical accessory to demonstrate the ATRIX unique selling point. After waiting a few weeks, the lapdock was available and I received the deluxe set including the HD Multimedia dock.

And it was worth the wait. The docks certainly provide new perspectives in converged mobile computing. But before I talk about the usefulness of the docks, let me cover the ATRIX handset first.

M.ATRIX.
The Motorola ATRIX comes loaded with the following amazing specs, which speaks for themselves.

1930mAh battery, the largest battery capacity for a smartphone.

4-inch 960x540 qHD LCD display, the highest resolution screen for an Android phone.

1GHz dual-core, on par with the latest Android tablets, delivers pretty smooth performance, for instance, when scrolling.

The power button doubles as a fingerprint scanner.

Fingerprint security, it's not just about being gimmicky, but it's a speedy way to authenticate the owner and unlock the phone. Without it, you would need to enter a string of numbers, characters, or not having password protection at all. And did I mention that the recognition works rather fast?

Standard micro-USB and mini-HDMI ports, which means you can use generic cables to connect.

Built-in 16GB user memory, plus another microSD card slot for you to hold all your data that you need.

Setting up accounts is easy with MOTOBLUR.

MOTOBLUR, the customised launcher for Motorola phones like ATRIX, has some useful customisation. I like how they integrate all your social feeds and messages and display on the resizable and interactive widgets. Tap on it and the widget expands within the homescreen, allowing you to scroll the feeds or messages. Tap on the action button to either reply, comment, or view photos, and the appropriate app opens in full window. As a new user, registration to MOTOBLUR is straightforward and well-guided.

Motorola also included a few extremely useful functions on the ATRIX. The Battery Manager app lets you manage how you can save battery during specified off-peak periods like night time. The Data Manager app gives you a glimpse of your data usage and lets you control how frequent you want to use up your data. The Phone Portal app allows you to connect via USB or Wi-Fi to your PC and manage your phone contacts, messaging, files, and settings.

MOTOBLUR Battery Manager app

ATRIX Docks
The ATRIX cannot unleash its full potential without the Lapdock or the HD Multimedia Dock. Sporting similar design and material as XOOM, the lapdock has a 11.6-inch screen that displays 1366x768. When you dock the ATRIX and open the lapdock, the Webtop app in the ATRIX starts up and displays on the screen. This app is like a virtual OS that lets you access the Internet using the Firefox browser. You can install Firefox extensions and add-ons, surf any website that Firefox already supports.

ATRIX Webtop Interface: resizable windows

On the Webtop, the ATRIX phone interface appears as a separate window, which shows you the exact view of the ATRIX phone, even allowing you to rotate the orientation. When you click a web link on the phone view, you will be prompted to open the link either on the phone view or on the Webtop. When you try to open a file that only the phone supports (e.g. MS Powerpoint), the app will start on the phone view (e.g. QuickOffice), which you can expand on the lapdock for a full window view.

The brain behind the machine.

Unfortunately, you cannot navigate the phone view like an Android tablet. The trackpad does not support multi-touch gestures, so you have to use mouse clicks to "swipe" the screens or select the items. The trackpad buttons aren't exactly easy to use either: I find them too narrow and tight. For that, I would recommend plugging an external mouse to ease the pain.

The interface allows for some customisation. The keyboard, trackpad and mouse sensitivity can be adjusted, you can configure printers within the network to use with the ATRIX lapdock, just like a netbook. I actually find myself using the ATRIX lapdock frequently during my review as it offers similar usage experience as a netbook. The keyboard is also comfortable to type, with plenty of room for resting the wrists.

Some noticeable limitations of the lapdock:

Webtop is laggy. And since there is no hard-disk noise or lights, you were left to wonder if the Webtop is processing your click.
Each USB port can only support one storage device, so when you plug a USB hub, you can only mount the first storage device.
Poor audio quality that lacks clarity. Good only for casual listening.
The lapdock does not have low-battery warning indicator. When the battery is exhausted, the lapdock screen will suddenly go blank. It came as a shock while I was working on a blog entry, but I realised that the ATRIX phone of which the Webtop is running on is keeping the session alive. All I needed was to plug the lapdock on AC power and my Webtop session sprung back to life. Pity that the ATRIX is unable to power up the Webtop.
The Webtop session closes when you close down the lapdock screen. When you open up the screen, it would take a few moments for the Webtop session to resume.

When docked and running Entertainment Centre app, the ATRIX shows a remote control display to navigate the screen.

The other dock, the HD Multimedia dock, can also run Webtop, provided you plug AC power to the dock. The Webtop will appear on your HDMI display that you plug the dock to, for instance, HDTV. Without AC power, the Entertainment Centre app will appear on the screen. The USB ports behind the HD dock will also not work without AC power.

Mini HDMI, 3 USB, AC plug, and audio-out ports on the HD Multimedia Dock.

Since the Webtop app looks identical to what you see on the lapdock, I will touch on the Entertainment Centre app here. It allows user to easily select music, photos and videos for viewing on the big screen. The display is clean and uncluttered, with transition animations when you make a selection. You can play a photo slideshow and select music tracks from your ATRIX at the same time.

Sad to say, the video section fails to play any of the reference video files I stored in the ATRIX. These unplayable video files consist of sample of video samples encoded in MP4, DivX and MKV formats. So make sure that your media formats are within the specifications of the ATRIX (AAC, H.264, MP3, MPEG-4, WMA9, eAAC+, AMR NB, AAC+), in order to play on the Entertainment Centre app.

When unplugged, the HD dock can also be useful as a stand (albeit an expensive one) to prop-up the ATRIX so that I can do some content browsing or typing using a wireless keyboard.

Overall Impression
The Motorola ATRIX with lapdock offers the ability to access the web over a netbook-like form factor and interface. If you do not have a netbook and you want the ease of surfing the Internet on a large screen instead of the small phone screen, then the ATRIX will give you that convenience. While the battery capacity is the largest among the Android smartphones, I do not see any exceptional gain in battery life. At launch, ATRIX runs on Android 2.2 Froyo.

The HD Multimedia Dock, when plugged in to AC power, gives you the same capability as the lapdock, but delivered over HDTV. You would need a separate keyboard and mouse to make the set-up complete. Sad to say, the ATRIX does not mirror the screen output to HDMI devices, thus limits the potential of the HDMI output.

I am also disappointed that the charging ports for the devices are all different, and that means the chargers are not inter-compatible.

But I like the convergence of a smartphone and a netbook or even the multimedia TV. No longer do I need to share or sync files and web bookmarks over multiple devices. The ATRIX becomes the master of your data, giving you ease of access and a familiar browser experience when inserted to the various docks. Motorola has taken the first bold step of convergence, and I believe many will follow and improve on this idea on future devices.

EPSON ME Office Printer 960FWD

2011-08-16T23:02:00.001+08:00

As I returned the EPSON Stylus Photo TX720WD printer review unit, I received another one. The EPSON ME (stands for Max Economy) Office Printer 960FWD. As you can see from the photos, the printer easily fits in any office environment.

Print, Scan, Copy and Fax. This printer is all you need for the small office. The high capacity DURABrite Ultra 4-colour pigment-based ink cartridge lets you print more pages at lower cost. You can print on both sides of the paper with the duplex function. Plus, the automatic document feeder (ADF) allows you to scan, copy and fax 2-sided documents with ease. There are many dedicated buttons on the printer that leaves little room for guessing, even for the technologically-challeged.

You can connect this printer to your computer by USB, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi. Driver installation is fuss-free when you download the EPSON web installer app, which detects the printer model and further download the appropriate software and drivers. The printer comes with multi-card readers and a USB port for PictBridge printing. You can even manage the memory card as a drive from your computer.

While the printer is equally capable of printing photos, quality does not turn out as impressive as the EPSON Photo TX720WD because the latter uses Clara Photographic dye-based ink which works best with special photo paper, while the 960FWD's DURABrite ink works best on plain paper. Printed images on the 960FWD lack the glossiness and the vibrancy, despite churning identical dots-per-inch.

EPSON iPrint. This free smartphone app for iPhone and Android lets you connect to supported EPSON printers within the network. With this app, printing photos taken from iPhones is so convenient, especially for users who rarely transfer their photos out to their computers.

The app practically lets you do everything that the printer supports: printing photos, documents stored on the phone and online (e.g. Dropbox, Google Docs), web pages, as well as initiating the scanner function and receiving the scanned copy on your phone in JPG or PDF.

An All-Rounder. I love the convenience of the ADF for your faxing and scanning needs. I love the ability to do duplex printing and save paper. There are multiple connectivity options that will meet your office set-up needs, be it using the conventional Ethernet cable or the Wi-Fi method. Corporate road warriors can conveniently print documents from their smartphones, or even scan documents for sending out over their mobile devices - no computers required. The EPSON 960FWD is your modern office printing solution.

Happy 46th Birthday, Singapore

2011-08-09T22:35:00.001+08:00

18th June 2011

Independence for 46 years, growing year by year. I give credit to the country leaders who forge us to progress, and the successful countrymen for inspiring us to dream.

Samsung Galaxy S II (I9100): Android's Best

2011-08-06T23:27:00.004+08:00

5 million users cannot be wrong. The Samsung Galaxy S2 has sold that amount within 3 months since launch. Little wonder why the industry proclaims that this is possibly the best Android smartphone yet.

Here are some of the reasons why:

4.27-inch Super AMOLED Plus. One of the largest screens among Android phones, it gives you fabulous display sharpness and vibrancy. It's so bright that you can still see the display in broad daylight. Here's a comparison with the Galaxy S.

8 mega-pixel rear camera with LED. Delivers very sharp images with details. Here is one sample below - click it to view it full size. Just remember to clean the lens before shooting, unless you desire a soft halo effect.

2 mega-pixel front camera. This is the best quality front-facing camera I have experienced. There is no longer a compromise in image quality - except that it's in lower resolution. Check out my Facebook profile pic here. And just look at the camera size difference compared to Galaxy S.

Full HD 1080p video recording. Recorded in MP4 and with continuous auto-focus capability, the quality is comparable to the compact digital cameras in the market. But continuous AF speed is rather slow, digital zoom is not supported, and the field of view is cropped. The depth of field is also much shallower, which although gives a nice background separation, out-of-focus subjects are more apparent. Personally, I would shoot at lower resolutions are most situations as the file size is smaller, I can use digital zoom, and able to shoot at a wider angle.

Dual-core 1.2GHz. Running on the latest Android Gingerbread OS 2.3, it gives a trail-blazing benchmark result over the average smartphones. Tasks get completed before you knew it. Games run uber-smooth, no lags or sporadic freezes!

8.49mm thin, 116g light (Galaxy S is 9.9mm, 119g). It's unbelievably light for the size, some people might find it lacks substance - or feels plasticky. Yet, the build is good, and the thin battery cover clips on tightly.

Built-in 16GB user memory. Even till today, the majority of the Android phones do not provide a large user memory, and stores user data into the removable memory card, and that sounds silly since technically you can't swap the memory card since that would lose all the important user data that the phone needs to function. Not Galaxy S2. You have about 16GB of non-removable storage for anything you want, plus another micoSD card slot for some more storage up to 32GB.

Improved design. Even though the Galaxy S2 is larger than the Galaxy S, its power and volume buttons are still within reach of your fingers in the natural position. This is very important: many smartphones place the power button at the top of the phone, so a user would have to use the other hand to press it. The power button for Android devices is no longer a function merely to power down the device: it is an important button to switch off the display and prevent any accidental touches to the screen.

I also appreciate that the micro USB port is moved to the bottom of the phone. And notice that the touch key icons are completely non-visible until they light up.

Video and Audio playback. This phone is one of the few devices in the market that can play almost any popular portable video and audio format. This is an advantage that till today many smartphones are unable to meet.

Let me highlight some features which I do not care for, but nonetheless enhances the Galaxy S2 desirability:

Motion Controls. When viewing photos or webpages, press 2 fingers on the screen, and you can zoom in and out by moving the Galaxy S2 towards or away from you. A gimmick, I'd say, because it only works on specific apps. Frankly, it's faster to zoom using the universal 2-finger pinch.

Another motion control function is panning. Tap and hold an item at the home screen and then move the Galaxy S2 to the left or right. Again, this only works in limited apps.

Wi-Fi Direct. Theoretically, you can connect to another Wi-Fi device without the need of a router. In practical, both devices need to have this function before it works.

Kies Air. You can now synchronise your phone to your PC Kies software over-the-air.

Voice Controls. Samsung voice controls are pretty amazing, you can command the phone to do almost anything, like start an app, dial a phone number, search a location. But it's still a hit-and-miss situation for me, so I'd rather control directly.

NFC. With Near Field Communication, the device can communicate to other NFC devices for information exchange, like contactless payment. (this feature might not be available in all Galaxy S2 models)

Hubs. Samsung is promoting this Hub concept in many of their tech products, including Smart TV. There are 4 hubs: Social, Music, Game, Reader (Music Hub is not available in Singapore). With Hub apps, you get a specialised platform to interact the respective categories. Social Hub is the one app that converges all your interaction with your contacts - SMS, mail, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Game Hub lets you play interactive games with peers. Readers Hub is the place to access electronic print media.

TouchWiz. I'm not a fan of Samsung's custom launcher, so I won't comment much on the usefulness (or uselessness) of the pre-installed apps. As Android users, you have a choice to use third party apps. All I would say is: I made my Galaxy S2 usage experience better by running third party launcher apps.

With so many good things said about the Galaxy S2. Let's move on to the pain points.

Battery spec 1650mAh. The original Galaxy S is already 1500mAh, and here the dual-core S2 merely increased the battery capacity a little. With my kind of usage, the phone barely made it through my 9-hour work day. Samsung did provide an optional power pack for the heavy users. Form over function, I suppose.

Speaker quality. The Galaxy S2 speakers sound brighter and bass is non-existent. Personally I prefer the Galaxy S audio quality, though S2 sounds louder.

Hyper-sensitive touchscreen. The Galaxy S2 responds to any minute touch and movement of the finger. That means sometimes when I try to press an icon, if my finger shifted while pressing, the S2 interprets it as a swipe. Also, due to the reduced screen gap at the sides, sometimes when I hold the phone and my palm comes in contact with the edge of the screen, it would activate the touchscreen.

Charging time. Just like the Galaxy S, the S2 takes too long to fully charge the battery. Some other competitors can manage a full charge in about 2 hours, but Galaxy requires double the time.

Heats up easily. This is a common "problem" for most Android devices, so just got to get used to it. Good way to keep your hands warm in the freezing office, though.

Network quality. The speedy experience in using the Galaxy S2 could be marred by the dodgy network coverage.

Price. The Galaxy S2 is around S$900, which is hefty when comparing to other smartphones.

Conclusion

Some other smartphones may lay claim to better features and specs, yet the Samsung Galaxy S2 has a longer list of better features in one device than any other smartphones. What you are getting is nothing short of a blazing mobile computing device that is worth every dollar you pay for. Install any apps and the Galaxy S2 will oblige with speed and ease. Just keep watch on the battery utilisation, charge when available, and enjoy the ride.

Epson Stylus Photo TX720WD Printer Review

2011-08-05T23:37:00.000+08:00

Would you believe that I only owned 3 printers in my entire lifetime? The first printer was an OKI dot-matrix printer in the 1990s. The second printer was an EPSON Photo inkjet printer for my university days - the printhead got clogged. The third printer was a Canon inkjet printer which lasted me almost a decade before I disposed of it when I moved house - not because it broke down, but because it could not run on Windows 7 OS.

For an entire year, I lived without a printer (save the Sony Photo Printer DPP-FP70). Granted, at times it was inconvenient, but we probably saved a few trees along the way. All-In-One (AIO) printers have been the new de-facto format and prices went down year by year. Still, there was no desire to upgrade, because of one critical factor: AIO are just too big.

Then comes along EPSON Stylus Photo TX720WD (PDF brochure link). This printer has so many features built into this surprisingly compact footprint. Could this be the only printer I ever need?

A typical all-in-one printer allows you to scan, copy and print. The TX720WD gives you a lot more. Here's a breakdown:

Printer Features

Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and USB connections. You can connect to this printer using any of the connections. I simply adore the Wi-Fi option. This means I can put this printer anywhere in the house, without any constraints. The Ethernet option is also great so that you can use it over network. You can also print via Bluetooth with an optional USB Bluetooth adapter. And if you install EPSON iPrint app on your iPhone or iPad, you can also manage your print/scan jobs directly with the TX720WD!
PictBridge. Plug a digital camera with PictBridge and you can easily select, adjust and print photos from your camera to the printer.
Multi-media tray. The media tray supports all sorts of paper sizes. The 2-tier tray holds papers in 2 sizes. There is also a separate CD tray to print CDs.
Duplex printing. The printer comes with the adapter to let you print on 2 sides of the paper. But you should get thicker paper lest the ink partially bleeds to the reverse side of the paper.
Multi card slot. You can insert a CF card, Microdrive, SD card, XD card, Memory Stick card, and even a USB drive. I'm glad the USB "hole" is large enough to slot in large USB flash drives, so you need not require a short USB adapter, a familiar situation for many laptops.
2.5" TFT LCD screen. After plugging in a card, you can preview the images over the small screen. Scrolling is fast, though not exactly high resolution.
Articulated control panel. One of my favourites, I can tilt the panel so that I can comfortably control the printer, whether it's placed at eye-level or at a lower-level.
Sensitive touch controls. Instead of buttons, you navigate the printer using touch. The buttons are big and there are light indicators to tell you whether the buttons are operable based on the menu options.
Multiple print style options. Besides the normal scan, copy and print, the TX720WD allows you to print your photos or scans into "colouring book" looking images. You can also print ruled papers with background images (like!). The built-in menu also allows you to print in various layouts like CD jewel case, passport-size, saving you the hassle of resizing manually.

Software Features

EPSON Scan: allows you to initiate a scan from your PC. The software has a few modes: setting auto will let the scanner detect the scanned image and adjust accordingly.
Useful software: edit/enhance before print. Hmm but cannot save the edited settings?
EPSON Easy Photo Print: this software installs a toolbar on Windows Explorer and makes printing so easy. Just select the image and click "Photo Print" to open the application and do the necessary adjustments before printing.
Enhance image before printing: you can adjust the images, you can tweak the images, like cropping, face retouching, digital camera enhancement (a.k.a. smoothening to remove grains).

EPSON Easy Photo Print toolbar on Windows Explorer

Easy Photo Print interface.

Click "Image Enhance" brings you to another pop-up window.

Click "Portrait Enhance" opens another pop-up window. See the before-and-after preview.

Print Quality
Printing a photo-quality borderless image on the A4-sized Premium Glossy Photo Paper takes about 3 minutes. I am extremely impressed with the output of the images. They are extremely photo-like under the naked eye, and the colours are very accurate, with no visible exaggeration of any colour tones.

Stacks of photos printed from the TX720WD Photo Printer

Check out the gloss!

To probe further, I shot with a macro lens to inspect the actual ink dots.

You can only tell that the images are printed by an inkjet printer when you scrutinize at the microscopic level.

Professional users should not enable "PhotoEnhance" during printing, as the software will auto-adjust colour tones and apply softening which may ruin the image details that you painstakingly edit. The EPSON Easy Photo Print software is convenient for novices but does not give you the adjustment accuracy. Therefore, if you have an external image editor, do use that to process your images and send it unaltered to the printer. You will not be disappointed.

The TX720WD can also print other fun stuffs, like ruled paper, even graph paper in authentic green grids. I like the ruled paper with background option: the output looks really nice and appears to look like the special art paper you buy from stationery stores. The colouring book mode, however, fails to impress. What it does was to convert a full-colour photo into a black-white outlined image for colouring. But it only works if the printer can pick up the outlines. In my casual test, none of the images give me a decent output.

Ruled paper with image. Very nice resolution, almost like commercial-printed paper!

Colouring book mode fails to give a complete trace.

Scan Quality
Nothing to shout about, but scans of documents appear sharp and faithful to the original. I like how the scanner auto-detects the scanned image, auto-crops and applies optimal adjustments, though sometimes I'd wish for a semi-auto mode, so that I can fine-tune some settings rather than opting for the full-manual scan option.

Weaknesses
Here are a list of issues that I do not favour.

Noisy start-up and moving parts during print operations.
Printer can't operate if one of the ink cartridges is used up. There is no option to force print.
Ink cartridge is costly. Each cartridge (82N) costs S$21 and there are 6 cartridges to handle.
Ink uses up fast when printing photos. One of the cartridges that was replaced before I started my review has used up half after about 30 photo prints.
The adjustments you make on the Easy Print software before printing cannot be saved. So you need to re-adjust if you want to print the same photo again in future.

6 ink-dividual cartridges, each retailing at S$21 for the normal-capacity 82N type.

Final Words
The EPSON Stylus Photo TX720WD stands out with its comprehensive printing solution supporting many media types including CD-tray. Photo print quality is outstanding, and normal paper printing is also great. Customise your own ruled writing or graph paper and impress your peers. Be prepared to spend on ink cartridges if you print a lot of photos, and the printer noise can be disturbing in a tranquil evening. With a built-in Wi-Fi, this printer can be placed anywhere in the house as an able companion for all your printing needs.

Audyssey SOMA Audio Dock: A Friend's Testimony

2011-08-04T16:02:00.002+08:00

Remember my previous review about the Audyssey SoMa Audio Dock, and that my colleague intended to get one? Well, he finally made a pre-order from Sound Decisions. Yes, the dock is so popular that it is out of stock till end August!

I'd like to share with you the following email message that he addressed to a common friend and later forward to me.

I went to Adelphi just now to look at the Audyssey i-Pod dock that I planned to buy. I tried out the dock with the songs in my iPhone. Fortunately I have got the “Grandma’s Hands” piece in high quality MP3 format. The dock played the song beautifully. The finger snaps were very life like. In fact, more so than my large B&W speakers at home!!! I also played other songs like Spanish Harlem, Chinese songs, pop songs. They played well but I can sort of tell that the songs are coming from a small setup rather than from big speakers. (Its is not obvious for some songs but obvious for others.)

Then I went to the B&W reseller shop just nearby to try out their newly released high end bookshelf speakers, PM1 which cost over $4K a pair. I played Grandma’s Hands again. While the sound was very clear from each speaker the finger snaps sounded like sh**!!! They sounded flat, lifeless and just plain awful – very much like the same sound coming out of my big speakers before you tuned them for me.

Suddenly it dawn on me that you mentioned before that you were shocked that most HIFI shops do not even positioned their speakers properly for optimum sound. True enough.. the speakers’ positions were crap. They were not even toe-in. In fact, they were toe-out. That explained why such good speakers could produce such awful finger snapping sound!!!

Conclusion, the Audyssey SOMA i-Pod docking station is really optimised for good sound. And secondly, all speakers no matter how cheap or expensive needs to be properly position/tuned to get good sound!!!

When I told him I would like his permission to post his comments, he said yes, and added the following:

Seriously I was very surprised the finger snapping sounded so life-like from the small box. Ric spent quite a lot of time positioning my floor standing speakers to make the finger snapping sound life-like on my big speakers. Even now, I would just rate it a barely life-like. But on the SOMA, it was very life-like. This is just a very specific example. I don’t know if the same applies to other variables or not.

(BTW, this particular piece of music, Grandma’s Hands, is from an audiophile testing CD I bought sometime ago. This special CD teaches one how to audition an audio system. Before each musical track is played, a narrator introduces & explains what the track excels at and exactly what you should be listening for on a quality audio system capable of faithfully reproducing tracks just as they were recorded. In this case, it is the life-like finger snapping sound.)

True, or bull? Well, let your ears decide! Visit Sound Decisions showroom at The Adelphi (#04-06/07), or at the following retail outlets:

CK TANGS ORCHARD
310 Orchard Road,
3rd Floor, TechnoBay
Singapore 238864

GAMESCORE PTE LTD
109 North Bridge Road
#05-05 Funan DigitaLife Mall
Singapore 179079

Dell XPS 15z: Laptop Review

2011-07-28T23:48:00.001+08:00

When I reviewed the Dell Vostro earlier, I thought it was already a well-tuned machine - except the speakers wasn't that great.

Then Dell passed me the XPS 15z for review, and I was more impressed. It's got most of the advantages of the Vostro plus some more.

For a start, the product packaging departs from the warehouse-brown box look. Upon opening the box, you will find another laminated storage box. The items in the inner box - laptop, charger, install discs, manuals - are neatly compartmentalised.

In the previous XPS models, the interior looks no different from the regular Dell models, but with 15z, Dell radically redesigned the interior.

The 15z impresses me with the following:

Full HD 1920x1080 resolution over 15.6" screen size is really a comfort to view.
Very bright display - 300 nits. I can view it even under bright light conditions.
Powerful sound reproduction, thanks to top-facing speakers, unlike the Vostro and Inspiron models where the speakers are placed below the laptops.
Aluminum and magnesium-alloy casing gives the XPS 15z a good firm exterior feel.
The power indicator blends into the striped-hinge design. Small problem: the indicator is hard to see under bright light conditions.
For absorbing the impact of closing the laptop, rubber linings go around the screen instead of short rubber strips. A well-thought design feature.
Longer lasting 8-cell battery, but not removable.
5-point battery check button allows you to check remaining battery level. Useful when the laptop is not on and you wondered if you should charge the laptop.

What I don't quite like about this product:

Heavy, albeit solid feel.
No VGA port, though it comes with a mini Display Port, which means you can purchase converters.
No USB ports on the right side, which means right-handed users have more cable mess when plugging USB peripherals.
Multi-touch gesture is not responsive at all. Very frustrating to use it.
I personally do not like the stylised keyboard fonts.
Battery is not removable, but then again, the battery would probably outlast the usefulness of the laptop.
Slot-in CD/DVD drive motor is very noisy, kind of spoils the elegance of this product.

The designers of Dell XPS 15z has indeed put in some commendable effort to make this product look stylishly modern. I also like the overall build, screen quality and OS response, thanks to above-average processor and hard disk specs.

In pursuit of minimalist design, the XPS 15z comes with less connectivity ports than the Vostro and Inspiron: 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 USB/eSATA combo port, 1 HDMI 1.4, 1 mini Display Port, 1 multi-card slot.

At a premium price over the other Dell consumer or business models, the XPS 15z gives a sturdier build, larger 15.6" full-HD 1920x1080 resolution, 8-cell battery, larger touchpad, and better-sounding speakers. So if you fancy the design, I'd say it's a great model to get.

Panasonic Lumix FT3: Element-Proof

2011-07-22T09:47:00.000+08:00

The Lumix FT3 is water proof (12 metres), shock proof (2 metres), freezeproof (-10 degrees Celsius), dustproof, comes with altimeter (measures altitude), barometer (measures atmospheric pressure), compass, GPS, records 12 mega-pixel images and Full-HD, with 28-128mm f/3.3-5.9 lens... I mean, you can bring this device anywhere on Earth!

The Lumix FT3 does not have that as many features as the earlier Lumix FX78 and TZ20 cameras I have reviewed. What it does have are:

Intelligent Auto (iAuto)
Normal Auto
30 SCENE modes
3D Photo mode (MPO format)
ISO 100-1600
LED Light for video recording
LUMIX Image Uploader
Resize, Cropping and Video Trimming

What I like about the FT3:

The camera starts up rather fast, just like the FX78 and TZ20. This allows me to capture spontaneous moments easily.
The camera shutter and shot-to-shot responses are speedy too - plus points for candid shots.
The hardware buttons are responsive and easy to press.
The LCD monitor viewable angle is very wide without affecting display contrast.
The lens does not protrude, so I can conveniently place the camera face-down even when the power is on.
Built-in LED light for video, not powerful, but still, useful.

Screen captures of a video shot on FT3.

Reservations about the FT3:

Heavy image blooming when light hits on the lens.
Tele-end of the lens does not deliver good optics.
Although shockproof, FT3 body will still be damaged. The review unit I am using already has "battle scars".

I have always wanted to get a waterproof camera myself, but I understand it is not possible for a waterproof camera to achieve the same image quality and features as a normal camera. The Lumix FT3 does not differ far from this truth. Nevertheless, it's impressive that the handling of FT3 is on par with the compact cameras like Lumix FX78: under normal lighting situations the image quality is actually comparable to the Lumix TZ20. So I would say that the FT3 comes close to what I would want for a waterproof camera, except when blooming appears on the images. My search continues.

Dell Streak: My favourite 5-inch Smartphone

2011-07-19T08:08:00.001+08:00

Dell Streak remains till today the largest screen smartphone in the market (the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 is not really a smartphone because you cannot hold the device up to your ears and talk to the other calling party). Although the device was out for more than 7 months in Singapore (even longer globally), I would still like to share with you my views.

During a Dell event last October (2010), I managed to see a working copy, but had no more than one minute to try the device. Thanks to XPR who followed up in my innane interest in this mammoth (by today's standard) phone, I was couriered a unit within 24 hours of my discussion.

Let's jump straight into the good things about the phone:

Generous 5-inch display to let you enjoy content with comfort. If you use third-party launcher apps, you can fill up more icons per screen
Very natural typing experience when using on-screen keyboard in portrait mode
Clear phone voice quality of the other party
It charges from flat to full in just 2 hours
The gloss-coating chilli-red colour is stunningly eye-catching (yes there are the usual black colour for the understated masses).

The challenges?

Device is a little too big for one-hand operation, but I can still manage it.
Interface is less robust. This phone was built based on the ancient Android 1.6 OS then updated to Android 2.2 during Singapore launch. Therefore, it is clear during my reviewing period that the phone did not perform as optimally as phones like Dell Venue which was built for newer Android OS.
Battery drains excessively. With my kind of heavy usage, it barely lasts 6 hours.
Proprietary dock port means I have to bring the cable with me.The rest of the Android devices use the universal micro-USB.
Camera shutter lag, which is common for smartphone cameras.

In perspective, the Dell Streak was never designed with the phone as a primary function. Its touch icons and lock screen are oriented in landscape, the power button is around the mid-point of the device. It is really intended as a mini-tablet for two-handed usage, and included phone functions to give the device an added selling point. Despite the bulk, I am quite happy to put the Streak against my ear for a decent conversation, though I don't know how that looks from the passers-by.

A 5-inch device like the Dell Streak would be the perfect device to satisfy both your phone and tablet needs. Small enough to put in your large pocket yet big enough for consuming content comfortably. Between my Galaxy S and Dell Streak, I would pick the latter, though I would be mindful of the battery drain. A backup battery is highly recommended. And a large pocket too.

Nokia E6 Review: Improving on the Tradition

2011-07-15T10:45:00.004+08:00

Hi, Nokia. Hi, Symbian. It's been a while since I've left you - the E72. I embraced Android and all its large-screen touchscreen glory. And now you have returned, as Anna. Will you win my heart again?

At one look, the Nokia E6 looks no different from the earlier QWERTY-laden E-series, which could be a good thing for users who do not like to attract attention. The build material of the back cover follows the E71 while the front is detailed after E72. In short: rock-solid.

Uncanny resemblance to the E72, no?

In its heart, though, a major revamp. Now running Symbian Anna, the E6 is a major (albeit late) improvement from E72. You get a higher-res screen of 640x480, an 8-megapixel free-focus camera, multi-touch capabilities. The E-series just got much better.

You must love the compact size, and the ability to combine QWERTY key entries with touchscreen navigation. Yet, the standard 5-way navipad still works for the traditionalists.

The back is in entire black - just like E71.

Alas, the E6 came too late in this era of touchscreen devices.

Screen size is just too small, ironically worsened by the 640x480 resolution, making all the fonts and images even smaller. Most apps are not optimised for the high resolution in 2.4" screen, which necessitates larger image thumbnails, font size and buttons
Insufficient screen space to view large content and to navigate. On Gravity app, I can only see 3 tweets per page, whereas I can view twice as much on Galaxy S.
Although Symbian is capable of multi-tasking, if you push the OS, the interface would get laggy.
Widgets does not allow resize and does not refresh as frequent as I would like to.
If you run too many background services like push mail, the phone heats up very fast and also drains battery fast. This is an existing behaviour for almost all smartphones with multi-tasking capabilities

Apps (like Dropbox) not optimised for the high-res E6. Fonts appear too small

Images appear sharp and with good contrast

E6 is an excellent upgrade to the current E-series users. The form factor has not changed yet you can now navigate the screen more intuitively via touch. It is an extremely compact device that lets you manage telephony and texting functions efficiently, and is well suited for brief review of push content. The phone is capable of handling multiple email accounts and social networking feeds if you are not particular about screen size. If the above usage pattern suits you, then the E6 should be a favourite.

Comparing screen size with Dell Streak, which is 800x600.

But if you, like me, have already ventured into the large-screen touchscreen realm, there is no turning back to the previous-generation form factor. What Nokia should have done is to increase the size of the E6 to an "acceptable level" so that the screen size and keypads are bigger. The E6 screen is simply too small to handle the social media content navigated by big fat pointers.

Chester Tan: COMPASS Young Composer of the Year

2011-07-11T14:52:00.005+08:00

Last evening, I received the COMPASS Young Composer of the Year award at the 16th COMPASS Awards. I was also awarded the Top Local Instrumental Contemporary Song of the year.

It's a surprise win after 14 years of composing (from Uni days) and 6 years since I starting publishing my songs (first album in 2004).

When I embarked in writing instrumental music exclusively, I know that it's a road less travelled. But I do it because I like it, and because I believe in the music that I write. Each of them are a fragment of my emotions, my music diary.

Credit goes to my manager, Gilbert Ong, for pushing my works commercially. Thanks a heap to Publisher Richard Lim and Album Concept James Kang who conceptualised Piano Spa. Thanks to Warner Music for pushing 5 albums out in the market. With these collective efforts, I got my awards. Biggest thanks to wifey for her support all these years. Thank you for giving me time and space to develop my passions.

Like they say, Patience is A Virtue.

I performed a medley of songs at the awards presentation:
1. My Favourite Time of the Year (Top Local Instrumental Contemporary) from Piano Spa 3
2. Dance with The Clouds from Piano Spa 4
3. Shyanne from Piano Spa 4
4. Dreams of Tomorrow from Piano Spa 2

It's an honour to join the rolls of the following past winners for the Young Songwriter/Composer Award (and can only win this award once):

15th (2010) - Tay Chee Wei 郑旨为 (first non-pop recipient)
14th (2009) - Xiaohan 小寒
13th (2008) - David Tan (Electrico)
12th (2007) - Corrinne May
11th (2006) - JJ Lin 林俊杰
10th (2005) - Eric Ng 黄韵仁
9th (2004) - Lim Yeek Sinn 林毅心
8th (2002) - Tan Han Jin 陈奂仁
7th (2001) - Tanya Chua 蔡健雅
6th (2000) - Liew Chee Vun 刘志文
5th (1999) - Leong Wai Foong 梁伟丰
4th (1998) - Kevin Quah 柯贵民

For the full list of recipients of the 16th COMPASS Awards, click here.

Chester Tan's facebook page for music is at http://facebook.com/chestermusic . Chester also seeks creative passion in photography and his works are collected at http://facebook.com/chesterphoto

All I Ask Of You - The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber

2011-07-09T22:58:00.000+08:00

Last evening, I watched "The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber" musical event, rekindled my love for this song, which I've not played on piano for years. So I decided to record my rendition here for your enjoyment.

As for the show, it's enjoyable, allowing me to listen to snippets of all the musicals that Sir Webber wrote. The Marina Bay Sands Grand Theater is magnificent. Andrew himself was present - in the form of video - which drew the most laughs as he shared some of his honest views.

I'm not exactly a fan of live performances because in most cases the sound balancing does not do justice to the performers as well as listeners. In this case, some of the musical numbers had overpowering accompaniment while a few had the singers putting the sound system to the test when they sang at the top of their lungs. I also don't quite like the renditions of some songs but well that's a personal preference.

In short, a good effort to present a compilation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous musical pieces in a relatively static stage presentation filled with looped video projections, sparse stage choreography, and 100% raw vocal prowess.

DELL Laptops Review: Vostro 3000 and Inspiron R

2011-07-07T23:19:00.000+08:00

Dell's PR agency, XPR, passed me the Inspiron 14R and Vostro 3450 for review. Both models have identical sizes and specs with some tweaks to fit the target market. How do the features differ? Here's a brief write-up.

The Dell Inspiron R is a laptop series that is fun, fast and stylish. Being consumer-focused, these laptops come with interchangeable lids to let you personalise the look. It comes pre-installed with applications like Dell Stage to give quick access to your multimedia content. Instead of remembering passwords, you can use face-recognition as a means to login.

The Dell Vostro 3000 series is targeted at business users, providing security features like fingerprint reader, and comes with technical support to ensure your business keeps going. Its aluminum finishing offers higher durability and can sustain more aggressive handling.

Between the 2, Inspiron R is better for these:

Better speakers with SRS Premium Sound
Swappable lids and colour choices
Supports Intel Wireless Display (not much use unless you have compatible devices)
Glossy LED display (1366x768) for the extra clarity when viewing photos and watching movies
Trackpad supports more multi-touch gestures than Vostro
Default 90W charger vs. Vostro's 65W charger means Inspiron can charge faster.

But I prefer Vostro for these:

It runs visibly faster and more stable than Inspiron. I attribute that to the faster 7200rpm hard drive, or perhaps Dell souped up the Vostro. Or perhaps Inspiron has more background services that slow it down.
Matt LED display (1366x768) is more comfortable for lengthy use
Aluminum finishing at the back of the laptop and the sides. The Inspiron could suffer scratches more easily with its plastic gloss material.
Back-lit keyboard, excellent for low-light use
Slightly lighter

Brushed finishing of Inspiron R

Professional matt look of Vostro

Apart from above, both laptops have identical hardware ports placements, fan vents, keyboard layout, etc.

eSATA-USB-PowerShare combo port. PowerShare allows you to charge your devices even when the laptop is powered down.
2x USB 3.0 Super Speed ports
HDMI ports, supports 1.4 for 3D output
Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 3.0
HD camera
DVD+-RW Combo Drive
Switchable graphics with integrated and discrete options
3 Quick Launch keys to the right of the keyboard.

I'd prefer the Vostro design for its practicality.

Prices for both these laptops start from about $900, depending on your configuration. If you are comparing laptops with other brands and models, make sure you are comparing with the same specs. Some things to look out for:

Processor speed (e.g. 2.3GHz) and recency ("latest 2011 2nd-gen")
RAM size (e.g. 4GB) and speed (e.g. 1333MHz)
Number of connectivity ports (USB, eSATA, HDMI, VGA, LAN, Bluetooth, WiFi, etc.)
Screen resolution and size
Battery size - the more the cells, the longer it lasts.
Graphics card - integrated is less powerful than discrete
Hard disk size (e.g. 500GB) and speed (e.g. 7200rpm)
Pre-installed software
Warranty coverage

Lastly, of course, is on the intangible factors:

Brand preference
Design preference

Dell Venue: An Android Phone Review

2011-07-05T23:55:00.000+08:00

With dozens of smartphones out in the market, it is getting more difficult to decide on the one device to buy. Fortunately, the Dell Venue has a few key selling points that other phones do not possess, making it a worthy consideration to your purchase list.

Hardware:

8 megapixel camera with LED flash. Dell Venue is one of the few smartphones with a high-resolution camera.
Dedicated shutter button. Dell Venue is one of the even fewer Android phones with this button.
Dedicated mute switch. Eh, which other Android phone has it huh?
Curved Gorilla Glass. The curved display is ergonomically more usable.
4.1" inch AMOLED display. Extremely generous screen means everything looks bigger.
Design: Dell Venue exterior is made up of several materials. The sides are chrome-plated, the top and bottom are matt-coated, and the back battery cover is textured with chromed Dell logo.

Software:
Running on Android 2.2, Dell has provided some additional apps to make it their own (and save you the hassle of buying apps).

Dell Stage UI. Each homescreen page is filled with default widgets that helps you access content easier. My favourite is the "Home" widget that shows your recently-used apps.
Dell sync and backup apps. Useful to manage your phone content with little hassle.
QuickOffice. A necessary tool to open your productivity documents.
Car Mode app. It comes in handy when you are driving, the app presents the apps in large icons.
Swype keyboard app. More usable than the standard Android keyboard app.

After using it for a week, I find that it is some ways better than my current Samsung Galaxy S. Putting the technical specs aside,

Dell Venue performs snappier and more stable. I have not experienced any major crashes or lags when switching apps. My Galaxy S is rooted with a custom ROM, which is supposed to be better than the stock ROM, yet it doesn't give me that smoothness.
Dell Venue screen is larger, feels sturdier and more durable.
Dell Venue battery capacity is lower than Galaxy S (1400mAh vs. 1500mAh) but battery life is a little better. A full charge using AC adapter takes just a little over 2 hours!

There are some usability challenges though.

The general interface is less user-friendly than Galaxy S. For instance, Galaxy S has coloured icons under the Settings menu but Dell Venue just offers monotone icons. Galaxy S has additional shortcuts under the notification dropdown screen whereas Dell Venue offers no additional icons. On the Galaxy S phone dialer, I can retrieve a contact's name using the keypad, but not on Dell Venue.
Lack of built-in user memory. The one-and-only microSD card stores most of your phone data, so you cannot easily swap another card without losing your existing data. The Galaxy S allows me to swap another microSD card as I wish because all my user data is stored in the built-in 16GB memory.
Dell Venue still runs on Froyo (Android 2.2), while Galaxy S is supporting Gingerbread (Android 2.3), thus Venue does not enjoy enhanced OS experience.

If you are looking for an Android phone that runs reliably in an office environment, the Dell Venue works just fine. The design will certainly make you stand out among the sea of executives who uses the all-too-familiar iPhone-styled devices.

Audyssey: South of Market (SoMa) Audio Dock

2011-06-30T09:49:00.000+08:00

They claim to be "the best sounding dock in the market." And I think they are right.

Eugene from Sound Decisions invited me to experience this 13x23x23cm sound machine at their showroom at The Adelphi. When I arrived there, he first took us on a brief tour of the showroom. The 150-inch projection-screen home theatre set-up was awe-inspiring. But that's not what I was there for.

He then promptly led me to where the SoMa dock was placed. After sharing some technical specs, he docked his iPhone onto the port and played some music through it. Frankly, it sounded fabulous. There was no doubt on the kind of quality that this small box can deliver. The designers from Audyssey have proven again that size does not matter. The amazing part was that the SoMa dock was placed between a pair of floor speakers and it appears as if the sounds came from the big speakers!

Non-iPhone devices can also be used! SoMa Audio Dock functions as bluetooth audio speakers, as a speakerphone, even as speakers to your existing audio devices using line-in connection. You can also customise the sound EQ using an iPhone app. You could even dock your iPad, but due to the iPad size, the frontal sound direction is slightly blocked. In essence, the SoMa dock should not be placed in an enclosed area so that the sound can fill the room.

I was surprised that there are many normal-branded docks selling around the price range of S$300 - $600, with some specialised audio brands going up to $1000. Based on in-store samples, they sounded like normal home system speakers. But here is Audyssey, the brand behind all the audio technologies that go into high-end audio equipments like Marantz, Denon, Onkyo, selling for S$635. For that, the Audyssey SoMa dock is reasonably priced with that kind of exceptional audiophile quality it produces and the connectivity it offers to non-iPhone devices.

Don't take my ear for it. Go for an audio test and experience yourself.

P.S. The sound is that good that my audiophile colleague is seriously considering to buy one.

Sony Headphones Review: MDR-EX1000 and MDR-Z1000

2011-06-25T22:12:00.000+08:00

On 14 June 2011, Sony Electronics Asia Pacific officially launches the new high performance monitor series headphones - the MDR-EX1000, MDR-EX600, MDR-EX510SL, MDR-EX310SL, as well as the flagship professional studio monitoring headphones, MDR-Z1000. On the same day, Waggener Edstrom (PR agency for Sony) couriered me the MDR-EX1000 and MDR-Z1000 for my review.

The media review package comes in a customised box complete with gold engraving of my name. Sliding off the obi reveals the caption "Ready for the Purest Sound Experience?"

Opening the box reveals another teaser: "Immerse Yourself in Audio Perfection."

Underneath the top box compartment is a carefully-crafted message signed by the Chief Engineer, N. Tsunoda and Engineer, B. Matsuo, of the headphones and a DVD of media photos.

Removing the cardboard finally reveals the headphones.

On the left is the MDR-EX1000, the row of colour-tagged earbuds with 10 different sizes.

On the right is the MDR-Z1000.

Such attention to detail even for a media package! I am mentally prepared for an audio experience as promised!

MDR-Z1000
The design is a luxury. Lightweight magnesium alloy housing and silky-soft urethane cushions offer me the much-needed comfort. The headphones are driven by 50mm driver units that uses newly-designed liquid crystal polymer film diaphragm, delivers a frequency response of 5 - 80,000 Hz, low 24-ohm impedance and high 108dB/mW sensitivity, and wired by 7N OFC Litz cord.

MDR-Z1000 Photos compiled from Sony press kit

So, how does it actually sound?

Making comparison to my S$120 Sennheiser HD215, while the MDR-Z1000 is priced 5 times more, it does not sound 5 times better. The MDR-Z1000 sounds warmer and delivers more bass than the HD215, yet the high frequencies are still delivered without compromise. The soundstaging of the MDR-Z1000 is tighter than the HD215 and offers better acoustic isolation. The headphones feel more secure around my ears without discomfort. I can't say which of the two I would prefer, but it's certain that they both offer different tonality to the kind of music you are listening to.

MDR-Z1000 excels in delivering a warmer sound and controlled treble frequency without sounding noisy. I also prefer wearing the MDR-Z1000. Its asymmetrical left-right design gives an ergonomically perfect fit (you can't wear the headphones the other way round).

MDR-EX1000
I have owned quite a few in-ear headphones, none of them quite made for professional use. The reason for not investing in one is that I seldom indulge myself in personal portable stereo listening since I do not commute to work in public transport. So I am contented with the occasional listening of the stock headphones that come with the gadgets I bought.

I remember during my Secondary school days, I was very particular with the quality of my personal stereos, and my audio investment is exclusively on a pair of top-grade Sony earphones. After more than 2 decades, I finally got a chance to re-experience Sony earphones.

MDR-EX1000 Photos compiled from Sony press kit

The MDR-EX1000 is the most comfortable pair of in-ear monitor headphones I have tried. All the other in-ear monitor headphones felt uncomfortable and "intrusive", so I usually prefer to use the traditonal earbuds headphones. The magnesium alloy housing units do look unusually large against the ears, but it's surprisingly light and the weight is distributed as the cables looped over the ears. Instead of hard plastic mould, the loop is made of flexible material that is easily shaped to fit around your ears.

I like how the sound is balanced across the entire frequency spectrum, produced accurately from the original source. The bass is not as encompassing as the MDR-Z1000, but that's to be expected due to the obvious driver size difference. If the headphones are used at outdoors where there's lots of ambient noises, you might not get the optimal audio quality. So I would recommend that you use this for portable monitoring of quality audio tracks.

Final Thoughts
It's a privilege to review the 2 top-range headphones from Sony. They are truly delightful to listen to and offer great comfort. If price is of any indication of quality, then these headphones might not be the ultimate best in the market - there are headphones that cost above US$1000! Still, it's good to know that Sony has produced their very best.

Price-aside, every person's audio perception and sensitivity is different. So the only way to judge is to experience yourself - if you get the chance - and decide if you like what you hear.

Fire at My Apartment Block

2011-06-24T21:24:00.000+08:00

24 Jun 2011: A fire broke out at one of the units in my apartment after midnight.

At about 1am, the fire alarm went off, which was quite normal at our condo. That was why most of the residents like me would ignore and stayed at home. At that time, I was watching DVD and wifey just returned from a company event.

What triggered further attention was when I started to smell smoke. Wifey also ran out of her room and appeared to notice the situation was unusual (she later told me she heard people shouting "Fire!" which triggered her attention). I calmly walked towards the main door, trying to pin-point where the smell came from. When I opened the door, I found my answer: smoke was seen slowly building up along the common corridor.

As I was never been put in a real fire emergency situation, I somewhat felt lost for a minute. My mind wandered and wondered: Was this considered an emergency? Should I stay in our house? Should I just dash out? Do I have time to pack something with me as we flee? Should I switch off all electricity? Do I have time to plan? Is the fire very near my unit, which warrants me to leave instantly? Or is the fire at somewhere distant, which gives me more time to settle the logistics?

Eventually, wifey's reactions said it all. LET'S RUN FOR OUR LIVES! (Ok a bit dramatised). We woke up our helper and Mayenne, who was sound asleep throughout the alarm. She wailed a little, but eventually she was cooperative and did not cry as we made our escape. I grabbed my wallet, my mobile phone and my house keys, put my computer into sleep mode, switched off some lights and left a few on, wetted some towels to allow us to breathe through the smoke.

And off we went.

By the time we got to the stairs, we saw many residents already making their way down. After descending for about 3 levels, we found that the smoke was getting thicker. We panicked: does that mean we are stuck at the upper floors and unable to descend? Should we head towards the roof? My first thought was that we should just push on, because the longer we wait, the thicker the smoke would become.

To add to the fear, we had no idea where the fire and smoke came from. Were we actually walking into danger? Should we stay put and wait for professional help (i.e. firemen)?

Good thing every block has 2 flights of stairs, so we thought of trying the other flight of stairs which could have lesser smoke. We were right. We managed to get past the floor that the smoke originated (5th floor), and the rest of the descent was smoke-free.

By the time we got down, the Civil Defence Fire Engine was already there, which meant that the fire was ongoing for quite a while. The security guards were shouting across the void deck, apparently due to some miscommunication, but it was soon brought under control. All the residents waited at the open space. No ambulance came, which meant there was no casualty.

I took a peek at the burning unit, which was facing the guard house. There was thick black smoke bellowing out from the window, but no visible fire.

For a good 30 minutes, residents were still trickling down from the apartment. They probably lived at the upper levels so was not aware of the situation till much later. We waited for more than half an hour, and seemed that it's not going to end soon, so I decided to bring Mayenne to my mother-in-law who stayed about 5 minutes drive. The thing was: I noticed no one drove off the cars, so I thought it would be rather awkward to drive off, as if I was running away, an act of "kiasi" (afraid to die). I didn't want to be made a talking point as "the only resident who drove his car away to prevent his car from being damaged". So I brought my family to the main road, hailed a cab, and sent them off while I waited at the scene for updates.

Once wifey settled Mayenne, she came back on the same cab, and by then the police was already releasing the residents back to their homes, one floor at a time. When our turn came, we had to waddle up the staircase - the lifts were not operational - amidst the puddles of water and retardant foam used to put out the fire. Then we reached the floor where it all started.

Surreal.

Once we got back to our house, we washed ourselves up. It's amazing how much black soot our nostrils accumulated over the short exposure to the smoke during our escape. And how much these soot would have gone into our lungs. So, a warning to all: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE SMOKE FROM DOMESTIC FIRE. The composition is not the same as incense smoke or BBQ smoke. Just one breath and you can feel the choke.

We finally got into bed and lighted out at 3.30am, but we never did have a good rested sleep. Our senses were still open to any sensitive sounds or smell, in case of after effects.

This morning, I left office at 8am. The lift was still not working, so I had to take the stairs. I walked past level 5, and decided to take a look at the unit that was burnt. Other than the black soot, the door and gate and the false ceiling still looked intact. It appears that it's just a smoke built up. The fire probably wasn't big enough to cause major damage to the common areas.

So finally I have encountered a real fire situation, and made me think what we could have done better, or if the situation was more serious. Here are my thoughts:

1. Equip with a fire extinguisher at home - in case the fire occurs right outside your unit.
2. Prepare a list of items that you want to bring with you, so that you can grab them without thinking.
3. Store some emergency items in the car so that you can have alternate source to turn to.
4. Switch off all electrical appliances, and close all room doors, so that it will slow down the spread of fire. If fire does not come from inside your house, close all windows - so that smoke or water from outside will not damage your property.

I also hope that an alternate notification is provided to residents instead of just fire alarm. This is because of the frequent occurrences of false alarms that most people would disregard the bells. Such notification should be non-automated, e.g. getting a loud hailer to announce the emergency. Anything that make it sound like it's done by a human and not an automated system that could be mistaken as a test message.

This incident actually brought the community closer, because with only 1 of the 4 lifts working, we got to meet more people at the lift lobby and in the lift and there is a common topic to talk about.