Nokia Lumia 720 and 520 Specifications

Another addition by Nokia to its portfolio of Windows Phone 8 device (Lumia) includes two models to Nokia Lumia range viz. 720 and 520. These models were announced at the Mobile World Congress 2013. Both phones come with touchscreen and more features are described below.

The Nokia Lumia 520
The 520 will be the most affordable Windows Phone 8 smartphone with a 4-inch super sensitive touchscreen and responsive content experience. It comes in five shades and is planned to be rolled out in Q1 2013, in Vietnam and Hong Kong. After this, it will target the markets in Asia (India and China), Africa, Europe, and Latin America. It is also planned to hit the markets of the United States.

The Nokia Lumia 720
It delivers a high-end camera performance and bright pictures with a 6.7 megapixel camera supporting f/1.9 aperture and exclusive Carl Zeiss optics. The HD-quality, wide-angle front-facing camera allows video calling and make clicking pictures more enjoyable. It features all Lumia experiences such as the HERE location suite, Nokia Music and wireless charging with snap-on wireless charging cover. Available in five colours, it offers more choices. Roll-out will start in Vietnam, Hong Kong and Singapore  in Q1 2013, moving into other markets (China, Africa, Asia, Europe and India) in Q2.

Nokia 105 and 301: Affordable Smartphones for Emerging Markets

Nokia handsets are considered to be one of the benchmarks of the mobile phone industry because of the robust yet stylish design and affordability. The company has again brought two additions to its affordable handset range. Both the Nokia 301 and 105 target at emerging markets and are priced at impressive prices. Here’s a look at specifications of both models.

The Nokia 105
The 1.4-inch colour screen features clear menus and essential utilities such as FM radio, speaking clock, flashlight and a splash and dust-proof keypad. The durable battery life of up to 35 days makes it ideal for areas where electricity is not sufficient. However, the phone does not come with a camera. It is available in cyan and black shades and is planned to roll out in Q1 2013 and further expand to China, India, Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia, Vietnam and Russia along with markets in Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Europe.

The Nokia 301
It comes preloaded with Nokia Xpress Browser and 3.5G Internet connectivity for 90% more data efficiency. It is most affordable Nokia phone, offering video streaming. The features of new smart camera are inspired by Lumia smartphones’ digital camera lenses. There are many colour choices such as black, cyan, yellow, magenta and white. This is planned to roll out in Q2 2013 and is expected to reach more than 120 countries in Asia-Pacific, Africa, Middle East, Europe and Latin America.

Samsung GALAXY S III Mini Nationwide Tour

A good news for those who have been waiting for the new GALAXY S III mini. Samsung is showcasing the S III mini through a nationwide tour at selected locations during February and March 2013. The customers who will purchase the GALAXY S III Mini at the roadshow will stand a chance to win a number of daily prizes such as vouchers, phone flip covers and TecTiles stickers.

Samsung has always been relevant to its customers and the S3 mini offers enhanced usability through a miniature size. In the similar style, the GALAXY S3 mini tour is designed to provide Malaysians more value for every purchase. Other benefits on the purchase of the device include a rebate on the newly-purchased device for trading in any phone as well as free Flip Cover and two free Samsung TecTiles stickers.

In addition, consumers who buy the phone will also be eligible for participating in a lucky draw to win RM50 or RM30 accessories or even another S3 mini. Here is a schedule for all roadshows:

22 February – 24 February 2013 at 1 Utama, GF High Street (Rainforest)

27 February – 3 March 2013 at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Centre Court

8 – 10 March 2013 at Plaza Merdeka, Kuching, UG2

15 – 17 March 2013 at 1st Avenue, Penang, Lower Ground Main Atrium

19 – 24 March 2013 at AEON Tebrau City, Johor Bahru, Sub Court

Visit the roadshow and stand a chance to win exciting gifts.

Canon Cameras Red Hot Promotion deals for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is just around the corner. It brings shopping, party, vacations and fun. What is your plan for this new year? I am going to buy something new for myself. I always do so, start the new year with something new. This time shopping will be more fun with Canon Red Hot Deals promotion as I am planning to get a new digital compact.

The CNY brings instant cash rebate of up to RM500 on shopping with Canon. Thanks to Red Hot Deals promotion, which will last until 24 February, 2013. Users just have to visit their nearest Canon Authorized Dealers or Canon Concept Stores with any used camera and enjoy up to RM500 cash rebates on the purchase of a brand new EOS M.

The powerful EOS M model is available in white, silver and black shades. This compact supports EOS system, interchangeable-lens system and is full compatible with new and existing EF-S and EF lenses. The versatile compact is equipped with a non-reflex mechanism that allows components to be housed in a lightweight and slim body.

In addition to EOS M, the Canon CNY promotion is also available for the EOS 650D. The EOS 650D is a high speed 18-megapixel camera equipped with an intuitive 3-inch Vari-angle Touch Screen interface. This makes it the world’s first DSLR camera with touch screen.

If you want to buy the PowerShot S110 models, you can earn a cash rebate of RM400. With 21.1 megapixels, this camera is perfect for capturing beautiful and mysterious night shots. It is powered by DIGIC 5 image processor, a large f/2.0 aperture and an enhanced HS system. It is available in three colours: white, black and silver.

New Shades of Sony PlayStation 3 Super Slim

I spend my Sundays with my PS3 and I think this is the best way to spend a fun holiday. Sony has launched PlayStation 3 in 2006 and I got it in 2008 as my birthday gift. It is a real powerhouse with customised NVIDIA graphics chip and cutting-edge Cell processor. Then came the PlayStation 3 Super Slim, which was the most significant hardware update to PS3. When I saw the super-slim version, I wished if I could get it, but decided not to replace my current PS3.

However, now with the news of launch of new shades of PS3 slim CECH-4600C series, I am planning to get one. The new shades – Azurite Blue and Garnet Red will be available from 26, February 2013.

I think the shades are inspired by deep and calm shades of precious stones Garnet and Azurite. My favourite is Azurite. These two shades will join the existing Charcoal Black and Classic White PlayStation 3 systems, expanding the range to choose from.

The PlayStation 3 with 500GB Hard Disk Drive will retail at a recommended price of RM1,099 as a limited offer. In addition, PlayStation Vita fans will be get the Wi-Fi model in an Ice Silver colour. This new colour variation is also priced at RM1,099 and will be available from 6 March, 2013.

I am definitely going to get the PS3 super slim this time. What do you think about the Azurite Blue?

Powerful PC Components introduced in 2012

Next in the line is PC component, which work behind the high performance of a system. There are various components that are assembled to come up with a robust system. Sometimes, it so happens that changing a single component provides a boost to your system, instead of buying a whole new system. Therefore, listed are some of the powerful PC components featured in 2012.

AMD A10-5700 APU
This is the perfect product for those who require overclocking for their system while obtaining performance levels similar to a high-end unlocked processor, especially in terms of graphics integration. It has four CPU cores, which operates at 3.4GHz with 4.0GHz maximum turbo frequency and a Radeon HD 7660D graphics core. An ideal product to be included in top 100 products of 2012.

ASUS ROG Maximus V Gene
This motherboard may look small in stature, but is packed with features to meet the needs of power users and gamers. It supports the Intel Z77 Express chipset and LGA 1155 CPU socket that supports third generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 CPUs. The board also boards quad DIMM slots, which support overclocked memory modules up to a maximum 32GB capacity.

ASUS ROG TYTAN CG8890 Gaming Desktop PC
This is an extremely powerful gaming desktop PC which boasts the best components. It combines a liquid-cooled six core, Intel Core i7-3960X processor with 3.3GHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 dual-GPU graphics card, ASUS Rampage IV Formula (Intel X79) motherboard, ASUS Xonar Phoebus sound card, 128GB SSD with a 3TB HDD and 16GB RAM.

If that doesn’t impress you, it features one-touch Turbo Gear overclocking system that allows dynamic overclocking of processor up to 3.8GHz without a reboot. Hitting the Turbo Gear overclock button opens the system outwards for improved airflow and better heat dissipation, ensuring system stability.

An Insight into Best Printers of 2012

This blog covers the most commonly used gadget in office; the printer. They have evolved from the one with black ink to the one producing coloured prints for real-life images. The year 2012 provided some of the best display of printers’ technology.

Lantronix xPrintServer Network Edition

Have you ever thought of printing wirelessly from your iOS devices? The amazing part is without installing any app on your device. The Lantronix xPrintServer does exactly this without installing any application. Perfect reason to include it in top 100 products of 2012. I think, its the most convenient printer.

Canon imageCLASS MF4890dw

A monochrome laser all-in-one printer, which prints at 25ppm and has a 50-sheet duplex ADF with wired and wireless networking support is brought to you by Canon. It features a large 5-line LCD on a vari-angle control panel. At RM2,188, the MF4890dw offers excellence and affordability, a difficult to get combination in this gadgets’ world.

HP Officejet 150 Mobile AIO Printer

Scanners and standalone mobile printers are common, but there were no device combining both functions till HP Officejet 150 entered the market. It features built-in Bluetooth to enable printing from mobile devices. The lithium-ion battery provides power to print up to 500 pages on a single charge. Users can also store, scan and share documents with the help of memory card.

Watch it Big with High-end Projectors of the Year 2012

If you prefer to watch big screens instead of the traditional TVs, you must be having a home theatre video projectors or planning to install one. Whatever be the case, you must have a look on these picks for some of the best projectors of the year 2012. You might make your mind to replace your current one with them.

Epson EH-TW8100W

This is the current flagship 3D home theatre projector of Epson with 1080p. It is a 3LCD projector supporting 480Hz panel drive technology for achieving super-bright 3D images. It features a built-in WirelessHD receiver and comes with a transmitter box. The package includes five HDMI inputs, an optical audio output and a HDMI output.

JVC DLA-RS66

This THX 3D-certified premium projector comes with updated e-shift 2 upscaling technology that shifts each pixel of 1080p footage diagonally by 0.5 pixel. This quadruple the resolution and delivers a 4K image with brightness of 1,200 Lumens and contrast ratio of 130,000:1. The new features include 3D rechargeable glasses, RF-based active shutter and emitter.

Panasonic PT-AE8000EA

With a 220W ‘Red-Rich’ lamp, the PT-AE8000EA home theatre projector delivers 2,400 Lumens of brightness. The 480Hz full HD LCD panels featuring overdrive technology offers bright 3D images. Panasonic provides a 3D Motion Remaster technology and a Detail Clarity Processor 4 for sharp and real images. This product makes a perfect place in the top 100 products of 2012.

Sony VPL-VW1000ES

The gorgeous VPL-VW1000ES high-end home theatre projector provides perfect 4K images. It supports 4,096 x 2160-pixel resolution, 4K upscaling for 2D and 3D 1080p content and a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio.

2012 Featured Some Excellent Cameras and Video Camcorders

After the last blog on audio speakers and headphones, I was searching for next gadgets when my cousin told me about the new camera he had recently bought. Here, I got the next topic – cameras and the blog came combining some of the best cameras and video camcorders of the year 2012.

FUJIFILM X-Pro1
This is the first mirrorless system camera by FUJIFILM. An outstanding camera both in terms of technology and design. Thanks to hybrid viewfinder, you can switch between optical and electronic viewfinder. It introduces X-Trans CMOS sensor, which deliver highly-detailed images with low noise.

Nikon D600
Nikon really deserves a praise for excellent models introduced in 2012. The D600 is the company’s most affordable full-frame camera till date. It is the most lightest and smallest FX-format camera from the company. A perfect camera for masses.

Olympus OM-D E-M5
Everything about the E-M5 is just awesome. The specs – 5-axis image stabilization, 16MP sensor and weather-resistant body as well as the ability to capture gorgeous images are just great. Another Olympus product, Tough TG-1, also make a firm place in Top 100 Products of 2012.

Sony Cyber-shot RX1
How could a talk about cameras end with products from Sony? The most innovative of 2012 came from Sony as RX1, a compact full-frame camera with superior image quality.

Panasonic HC-X900M
Videographers must check this out. It comes with 5.1-channel microphone, a great gift for audiophiles. The 3MOS sensor help in production of ultra-fine images with excellent details.

Top Audio Speakers, Docks and Headphones of 2012

After the wrap up of the International Consumer Electronic Show 2013, there are a number of latest technologies and products for the year 2013. I have tried to compile the highlights of the CES 2013 in my recent blogs. Hope you have found them useful.

You must have guessed what I am upto after reading the heading of the page ‘Top 100 products of 2012‘. Yes, you are right! I have decided to browse for the top products of the year 2012 and compile the one I like for my next blogs.

I have started with my favourite gadgets that are headphones and speakers. I am a music love and hold a huge collection of songs, videos and instrumentals. These gadgets play a great role in enhancing my music experience. They bring music to my ears and soul with closeness and transparency. So, here are some of the best of 2012.

Bose SoundLink II Mobile Bluetooth Wireless Speaker
The best, portable, wireless and improved speaker for the year 2012. Hook it up with Android or iOS devices using Bluetooth connectivity and enjoy quality sound.

Denon Cocoon Portable Docking Station
I liked it because of its travel-friendly feature. AirPlay provision, full range drives and lithium ion batteries make them perfect to deliver audio in all situations.

Sennheiser HD700 Headphones
Sennheiser evolved to offer one of the best audio products. The HD 700 headphones with DuoFol diaphragms provides ultra-fast response time with wide sound.

Philips and Yamaha also manufactured some of the great products for standard audio delivery.