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By alvinology, April 1, 2013 2:00 am

How does the LG Optimus G fare in terms of camera features?

I am an avid instagramer. My username is @alvinology - follow me on instagram if you have not done so already.

Check out these images I shot using my LG Optimus G on instagram. Other than the default filters available in instagram, no other filters, camera add-ons or mobile apps were used:

Good stuff?

The images are made possible with these cool camera features of the LG Optimus G:

Smart Shutter adjusts shutter speed to capture non-fuzzy, crisp images by sensing the unstable camera and the movement of the object.

Time catch shot will let you never miss a precious moment – takes 5 pictures even before you press the shutter so you can choose the best picture that captures the moment.

Voice activated shutter takes a picture when you are ready. Just say ‘cheese’, ‘smile’ or ‘LG’ and the camera will know when to take a picture.

More information about the LG Optimus G is available on the official website.

In my next post on LG Optimus G, I will be sharing on  my transition from iOS to Android. I am an Android convert now. There is no turning back. Stay tuned.

Click here to read my previous blog posts on the LG Optimus G.

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By alvinology, April 1, 2013 1:12 am

Shop. Eat. Chill.

Singapore Tourism Board wants to hear from Singaporeans and foreigners alike, inviting everyone to share your Singapore “Shiok” moments with the hashtag #SGSHIOK on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media channels.

What is it about Singapore that makes you go… “Shiok!”?

Here is a fun introductory video to kickstart the campaign:

Interesting isn’t it? After so many years of rejecting Singlish, we are now finally embracing it as a part of our national identity and what makes us uniquely Singapore.

What makes me go “Shiok!” in Singapore?

I believe enjoying good food is something all Singaporeans can appreciate. Here are some nice food photos I took during the launch event at the Singapore Food Trail at Singapore Flyer:

I look forward to seeing everyone’s Singapore Shiok moments on #SGSHIOK.

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By alvinology, March 28, 2013 1:39 am

I am.

I just moved into my new home late last year and all the lighting in my house are LED lights.

Why?

Here’s the video answer:

Jokes aside, you will save on energy costs and reduce the frequency of bulb replacements, without compromising on the quality of your lighting.

The question should be “Why not?”.

Some key advantages of LED via Philips’ website:

• Simple Replacement: Designed to fit and work with existing sockets and fixtures, this means existing bulbs can simply be taken out and replaced.
• Save On Energy: Consume around 80% less power than traditional filament bulbs, while delivering the brightness you expect.
• Longer Lifetime: LED bulbs last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, and have at least twice the lifespan of fluorescent energy savers.
• Instant Start: Get maximum light output that is natural and glare-free as soon as you flip the switch, no waiting time required.

At 165 meters high, the Singapore Flyer stands as tall as a 42-storey building and is the largest observation wheel in the world. Do you know it is equipped with Philips’ state-of-the-art LED lighting systems, making it a sight to see at night, as well as during the day?It is also the first lighting installation in the world to be controlled using a wireless infrastructure.

For more interesting facts on Philips LEDs, visit their official website.

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By alvinology, March 27, 2013 3:08 am

On Monday (25 Mar), Panasonic Singapore launched its next generation of SMART VIERA TVs, LUMIX cameras and AV systems, seeking to bring together a seamless connective experience that makes it easy to share memories.

I was invited to the launch at Intercontinental Hotel to learn more about their new products for the beginning of 2013 and to be among the first in Singapore to try out the products.

What’s new?

Interact with your Smart VIERA TV with a personal touch
Panasonic introduced ‘my Home Screen’ which provides instant access to your favourite content through customisable home-screens. These home-screens are activated through face and voice recognition, so each member of the household can easily personalise and access your favourite TV shows, movies, internet, videos as well as photos. The ‘Voice Interaction’ function also enables operating the TV and surfing the internet by talking into the Touch Pad Controller. Use the Voice Guidance function to read out search results so you can keep your fingers free for that cup of coffee or have a facial treatment while lying on the sofa. It even works on smartphones or tablets, through a downloadable app.

‘Swipe & Share 2.0’, an upgraded photo-sharing feature where users can share images on the TV easily is also a key feature in the new upgrade. By tapping onto a shared Wi-Fi network, users can send photos and videos from their smartphones to the Smart VIERA TV with a flick of their fingers, showing images in large format. Friends and family can ‘capture’ the same images on their phones easily with an inward flick of their fingers, enabling rapid sharing of memories and experiences.

These new features can be enjoyed on the Smart VIERA LED WT Series with 3D TV capabilities, featuring an advanced design with unique high-quality IPS panel, and the Smart VIERA Plasma VT Series which offers supreme picture quality with the newest smart functions. The VT Series TVs are also touch-screen enabled with an electronic ‘Touch Pen’, allowing words, pictures and diagrams to be drawn directly on it, which is perfect for party games as well as for educational uses.

Superior sound and seamless connectivity with HD 3D Blu-ray home theatre systems
Complementing the new TVs are an array of improved FULL HD 3D Blu-ray™ home theatre systems that focus on high-quality picture, sound, design and smart networking, led by the trail-blazing SC-BTT430. New micro Hi-Fi systems with wireless speakers provide massive sound in a small package, making it easy to implement a flawless sound environment in your home. Equipped with Cinema Surround Technology as a standard feature, the new models are also suitable for high-definition 3D videos.

The new home theatre systems tap upon new technologies to enable sharing in the home environment and also provide a seamless integration of existing media libraries. Panasonic has developed the Panasonic Music Streaming App which allows a user to view all music that has been archived onto a NAS or PC on a home network, and stream them to the SC-NE5 and SC-NE3 wireless speakers. The app makes it possible to control DLNA, AirPlay or Bluetooth® wireless technologies by itself, eliminating the need to switch between different apps that can only match an individual wireless system and also expands the playable music list from beyond just what is on the mobile device.

The Panasonic Music Streaming App will be available in Singapore and can be downloaded from the iTunes Store or Google Play.

Go further with LUMIX
Panasonic will also be introducing the latest members of the LUMIX camera family, including the new pocket-sized high performance LUMIX DMC-TZ40 with 24mm ultra wide angle 20x optical zoom LEICA DC Lens. The advanced optical design makes the camera the world’s slimmest in class[1], and its advanced lens system supported by Intelligent Resolution technology further extends its already impressive zoom ratio to 40x equivalent, with minimum deterioration of picture quality.

Those with an active lifestyle and who want to capture life on the edge will love the extremely tough and rugged LUMIX DMC-FT5, with its dustproof, freeze-proof of up to -10 degrees Celsius, waterproof of up to 13m (43 ft), and handling up to 100kgf of pressure capabilities. Complementing it is an in-built GPS and an internal geographical dictionary of place name information, compass, altimeter and barometer, so you always know where the picture was taken.

Both models feature Wi-Fi® connectivity (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n) with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, which allow users to enjoy flexible shooting styles, and is also helpful for long-exposure shots which require an absolutely still camera to avoid shaking or blurred images. Users can remotely control the setting focus, zooming, shutter release and several other extensive recording settings through a smartphone or tablet away from where the camera is positioned.

The newly added Instant Transfer function allows the camera to transfer the photo data to the designated electronic devices automatically whenever the shutter is released, and some models like the LUMIX DMC-TZ40 even archive images automatically to your PC or compliant Panasonic AV devices via your home Wi-Fi. This feature can be accessed through an easy-to-use interface; photos can also be transferred seamlessly from camera to mobile device, and easily uploaded to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, without having to use a computer. In today’s high-speed society, this provides consumers with the option of capturing and sharing memories instantly, like sharing that cool picture of a sea turtle off the coast of Bali or that close-up shot of sun-rays peaking over the top of Mount Fuji within minutes.

Capturing life’s moments with Panasonic
Camcorders have also joined the fun with the HC-X920M, which is equipped with built-in Wi-Fi function that enables Real Time Broadcasting of important events via Ustream, while recording images in Full-HD. It also features the new 3MOS System PRO which uses a BSI (Back Side Illumination) Sensor to provide excellent shooting performance even in dim lighting situations and reduces noise by 50% compared to previous models. Another exciting product is the HX-WA30, which is waterproof down to 10m, shockproof to 1.5m, freeze-proof down to -10 degrees Celsius and dustproof. Allowing one-handed shooting even in harsh environment, it is great for windsurfing, diving or mountain climbing.

For more information on the products, please visit www.panasonic.com.sg.

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By alvinology, March 26, 2013 7:13 pm

Last Friday, Rachel and I attended the opening night performance of The Theatre Practice’s latest play, The Bride Always Knock Twice《她门》:

The attendees for the night featured many prominent figures in the Singapore Chinese cultural scene. My big boss, the Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Newspapers Division in Singapore Press Holdings, Mr Lim Jim Koon was there, so was Zaobao.com Editor/ Crossroads Editor, Dr. Zhou Zhao Cheng. I was pleasantly surprise to spot two Member of Parliament, Mr Low Thia Khiang and Mr Chen Show Mao with their respective spouses.

The play is an ambitious narrative about eight different women from different era in Singapore history, each seeking their own escapism. Interestingly, it is written by two men, playwrights Jonathan Lim and Liu Xiaoyi. The director, Kuo Jian Hong is female.

Synopsis:

A door that’s never locked. A mysterious location. Occupied by women from different generations and backgrounds – and their secrets. A runaway bride abruptly invades this space, kicking off a series of suspenseful moments, frolics, disputes and warmth.

Audiences will find this light-hearted black comedy to be hugely accessible, as the merriment of the show provides a setting to explore the issues of gender, history, society and more.

Main trailer:

Series of trailers on “Missing” females – Part 1 of 8:

To catch the other 7 parts, visit The Theatre Practice’s youtube channel.

Men writing about women – risky, but I think they did a pretty good job. Many female audiences seem to enjoy the play, including my wife.

In fact, Rachel was shocked when I told her the play was written by two men.

I find the use of several different languages (Malay, Cantonese and Chinese) to reflect the multilingual Singapore society since historical times very refreshing. However, it can be a bit difficult to keep up with the subtitles, especially when a few characters use different languages at the same time.

The playwright weaved in some puns on the current tension between born-in-Singapore Singaporeans versus the “new citizens” and “new immigrants”. What makes a person a Singaporean? There is the white collar office worker who immigrated from Hong Kong to Singapore before 1997 who consider herself an “old citizen” while criticising another woman from mainland China who only came here recently with a student permit. Are they that different? What is old and what is new?

I like the concept and setting of the whole play. Put eight vastly different women from different era into a confined room and they are forced to interact. This is bound to bring out tensions and coax out the life story of each character, one at a time. Brilliant. This keeps the audience in constant suspense, expecting to find out more about each character as the play moves along.

Overall, Rachel enjoyed the play much more than me. I was probably trying to read too much into the escapism narrative, trying to find some deeper symbolism while she is able to take the storyline at face value. At times, I feel the liberal use of caricatures for entertainment sacrificed much precious screen time which could have been used to bring out more depth to each character.

At the end of the play, I left the theatre wanting to know more about each character, beyond what was revealed in the play. Then again, this could a deliberate ploy by the playwrights…

The Bride Always Knock Twice is now showing at the Drama Centre Theatre till 6 April 2013. More information is available at The Theatre Practice’s official website. To purchase tickets online, visit SISTIC. Go catch it!