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

Tuesday May 06, 2008

Marvel plans Iron Man sequel

news.yahoo.com :

Buoyed by the blockbuster success of "Iron Man" over the weekend, Marvel Studios on Monday [5 May 2008] announced plans for a string of superhero properties, including an "Iron Man" sequel set for April 2010. "Iron Man 2" will be followed in June 2010 by the big-screen adaptation of another of Marvel's popular comic book characters, "Thor". "Captain America" and "The Avengers" are next in line for the summer of 2011.

The nearly $99 million opening weekend of "Iron Man," Marvel's first fully self-financed production, gave Hollywood's summer movie season a solid star. Kevin Feige, head of production for Marvel Studios, said Downey would return in the sequel as part of his three-picture deal for the franchise. Feige said the gifted actor deserved much of the credit for the film's broad appeal. "It's great to see a sold-out audience that you know is made up of comic book fans and people who had never read an 'Iron Man' comic in their life," he said.

- Yup, count me in as one of those who've never read an Iron Man comic before. I was only vaguely aware of this character as being part of the Marvel Universe. So, we can look forward to more "arc reactor" action in 2010. I'll be looking forward to Iron Man 2.

See also :

(2008-05-06 15:09:20 SGT) [Watch] Permalink Comments [1]

Saturday May 03, 2008

Iron Man movie review

Just came back from watching Iron Man. I wasn't all that familiar with the Marvel character itself as most of my attention in the Marvel department has been (and still is) on Transformers. Talk about having no expectations. But coming out from the cinema, I can say that Iron Man is surprisingly good for a superhero-type action movie. It's got a tight story, good pace, action, glitzy tech, and Robert Downey in his role as the Iron Man delivers humour in the right places.

And I'm not alone in that assessment. Yahoo News reports that : ... most of the "Iron Man" reviews have been raves, and the Rotten Tomatoes Web site calculates an impressive 95% positive rating among critics. That makes "Iron Man" the best-reviewed film of the year and gives it the site's top rating ever for a superhero film.

Meanwhile, the folks over at Slashdot are gawking at the snazzy tech depicted in the movie : flying exo-suits, AI robots, slick UI interfaces. Myself, being an energy aficionado, I'm much more impressed with the so-called "arc reactor", which looks very much to me like Tony Stark has got a miniature fusion reactor right on his chest pumping out megawatts of energy. Cool stuff.

By the way, if you are going to watch the movie, you can try looking out for some of the subtler details, such as the way the Stark Industries logo looks a bit like that of a certain real-life company (I should know, I work for them). Watch for Stan Lee's cameo. And watch for the end credits to finish rolling. Also note the name of Tony Stark's father, Howard Stark, which kind of reminds people of Howard Hughes, the eccentric billionaire and ladies' man whose real-life character could have fit right into the depiction of Tony Stark on the big screen. In fact, according to the Wikipedia entry for Iron Man, filming was done at the former Hughes Company soundstages in California.

It's a great movie to kick off the 2008 summer blockbuster movie season. Highly recommended.

(2008-05-03 01:00:51 SGT) [Watch] Permalink

Friday May 02, 2008

Hello World

This blog is dedicated to reviews, critiques and opinions of various products that I use or come across. These may include electronics and gadgets (Tech), books (Read), movies and TV (Watch), toys and games (Play), or anything (Else).

(2008-05-02 01:42:09 SGT) [Else] Permalink

Most popular blog postings on ReviewEm :

1. SingTel to launch Apple iPhone in Singapore : likely 3G but still no GPS (yet!)
2. Logitech V320 notebook wireless optical mouse review
3. Iron Man movie review
4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull movie review
5. Marvel plans Iron Man sequel