Thursday May 15, 2008

SingTel to launch Apple iPhone in Singapore : likely 3G but still no GPS (yet!)

The Apple iPhone is finally coming to Singapore, and it is slated to be launched here in September 2008. Engadget first broke the news that "Singapore Telecommunications (aka SingTel) announced that it's secured agreements to distribute the iPhone in Singapore and its partly-owned subsidiaries in Australia (Optus), India (Bharti Group), and the Philippines (Globe Telecom)," while Reuters reported that this "should help the company surpass its sales goal of 10 million units by the end of 2008."

From the Hardwarezone forums and elsewhere, we learn some preliminary details :

* The iPhone Singapore launch date will be in Sep 2008
* This will likely be the 3G iPhone with Version 2.0 software
* It will be SIM-unlocked since locked phones are actually illegal here
* The price will be around SGD $690 (USD $500)
* The $690 price is after a $100-200 handset subsidy via a 2-year SingTel contract

It would be a no-brainer buy for me if this one had GPS at this price or maybe a little more, and I'm sure it's the same for most of my compatriots. Even without that, it already has the nifty triangulation feature which when combined with Google Maps and Wi-Fi, turns it into a "virtual GPS" device of sorts. If they were to add to that a real GPS chipset such as a SiRFstar III, it would be an unbeatable combination.

And for good measure, here's a graphic that shows the iPhone's dimensions (height, width, weight, etc) :

(2008-05-15 23:08:03 SGT) [Tech] Permalink

Tuesday May 13, 2008

Logitech V320 notebook wireless optical mouse review

I had my eye on this Logitech V320 cordless optical mouse for a while now, but up till recently it seemed that the no-brand wireless mouse I was using earlier might suffice, that is, until it broke. So I went out and promptly got this one as the replacement. I got the black version as you can see. Which fits in nicely with my black laptop. There is also a gray-ish/silver version available in case that's what you prefer.

As expected from a Logitech product, installation was a breeze. The 2.4GHz USB micro-receiver is a vast technological improvement from the gigantic Cordless Plus receiver I was using from the pre-Jurassic era, and is much smaller than the long-ish style receiver of typical competing brands (including the no-name one I was using earlier). The 1000-dpi optical sensor makes for ultra-smooth movement across the screen. The mouse response is so smooth that my first thought was, finally, I have something on par with wired mice! Remarkably, there is no discernible radio interference even with wi-fi, Bluetooth and a DECT cordless phone running in the background. It's probably due to the multiple channels available at 2.4GHz. A big step up from the 27MHz receivers I had been using which would interfere with each other.

This being a brand-new purchase, I haven't explored everything yet, including the horizontal tilt scrolling feature which promises to be kind of nifty. This might come in useful. Similarly, I have yet to use it long enough to talk about battery life, but at least Logitech isn't a cheapo when it comes to bundling - they actually included 2 AAA alkaline Duracell batteries - I had expected some no-name generic brand. That's a good choice - this makes for a great out-of-the-box customer experience. I usually wince at the batteries some other manufacturers bundle their products with, always wondering when they will start leaking. Not so in this case. I buy Duracell batteries by the dozen myself - in my opinion they work pretty well.

All in all, I'm satisfied with my purchase. Recommended without hesitation.

(2008-05-13 00:28:17 SGT) [Tech] Permalink

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