The miscellaneous gadgets and accessories that do not fit elsewhere, from voice recorders to security keys.
Sony has opened its largest Southeast Asian flagship store at 313@Somerset, opposite Starbucks, spanning 9,902 square feet and open 10am to 10pm daily. As a Sony member, I had S$50 to spend there, but found little I wanted.
Derrick Koh, Lenovo's Head of Communications for Asia Pacific, messaged me on Facebook to invite me to the Lenovo booth media tour at MWC 2014. I dropped by with Jason Goh and previewed new phones like S860, S850, and S660.
On Tuesday, 25th February 2014, the day began with breakfast and a 30-minute talk by Nokia Entertainment Evangelist Dean Patrick on Nokia Mix Radio. At MWC, we joined two blogger sessions with Dirk Didascalou, SVP of Mobile Phones R&D.
On Monday, 24th February 2014, we woke at 6am to reach the venue by 7.30 for good seats, ahead of the 8am press conference. Nokia announced just five new low-end devices: the Nokia X, X+, XL, 220, and Asha 230.
Thanks to Nokia Connects for inviting me to Mobile World Congress 2014, my third event with them, after Nokia World 2011 in London and MWC 2012 in Barcelona. This year's itinerary was a day shorter, but I found it worthwhile.
Thermodo is a tiny electrical thermometer that measures the temperature right where you are, working with your iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Windows Phone support never came, as the US$400,000 stretch goal for a WP app went unmet.
The Moshi Cardette 3 is in its third generation, hence the number, neatly coinciding with USB 3.0. It's a USB 3.0 card reader with a built-in 2-port USB 3.0 hub, and at just 88g it's wonderfully lightweight and travel-friendly.
Leap Motion is a tiny device that lets you control your computer with your hands, beyond keyboard, mouse, or trackpad. Think of it as a smaller Kinect for computers, on Windows and Mac, tracking all ten fingers.
I saw MobileSquare selling Samsung TecTiles NFC Tags for S$10 and grabbed them, since the RRP is S$28. They're just another NFC tag brand, like the Tapway tags I reviewed in November 2012, but I prefer the Samsung TecTiles' quality.
Yesterday, Samsung launched its first Samsung Mobile PIN in Singapore, also the first in Asia, at Ngee Ann City's Civic Plaza, known to many as Takashimaya. First introduced at the 2012 London Olympics, the Mobile PIN is a pop-up store.
I'd always wanted to experiment with NFC tags to automate tasks. My iPhone 5 lacks NFC, but my work phone, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE, has it. Samsung's TecTiles weren't available in Singapore yet, so I tried Tapway's instead.
Epson launched the Moverio BT-100 last Friday at ION Sky, its answer to Google Glass. It retails from Monday, 23rd July 2012, at selected Best Denki outlets for S$999. Pre-order before 22nd July and you'll get a 16GB MicroSD card.
Before the summary, here are some videos filmed during Mobile World Congress 2012 by Nokia Connects, featuring a skateboarder, a free runner, and a BMX rider using the social features of the Nokia Lumia 900, all shot around Barcelona.
Not much happened on the fourth and final day of MWC, and I skipped the conference, as I was flying back to Singapore. I woke around 9am, had breakfast, then packed my things, requesting transport at 2pm.
Day three began like day two, with a breakfast Q&A with the Nokia Maps team, Pino Bonetti and Mark Thomas. A Nokia Maps update is coming soon to Lumia devices, offering zoomed-in detail and letting you create and share places.
Day two was a touch more relaxed, opening with a breakfast Q&A with Dean Patrick of Nokia Entertainment at our hotel cafe. He demoed the new Nokia Reading, which lets you read and buy e-books and audiobooks on Lumia devices.
The first day began at 6am, with the bus collecting us from the hotel at 7am. The Nokia booth sat in Hall 7, an eight-minute walk from the entrance. We reached the venue by 8am, but it was already packed.
Thanks to Nokia and Nokia Connects, I had the privilege of attending Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, Spain, from 27th February to 1st March. I flew Lufthansa for the first time, with no direct route, routing via Frankfurt.
IT Show 2012 runs from today, 8th March, until Sunday, 11th March, across levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 at Suntec Singapore, open noon to 9pm. As I've had a few emails about the promotions, I thought I'd share.
I got the Garmin Nuvi 1390LMT from a RadioShack on Market Street in San Francisco, the nearest electronics store to my Chancellor Hotel, as they're hard to find. The helpful assistant recommended it, since it comes with lifetime maps.
The Bluelounge Kicks are small, thin silicone-rubber rails that stop your iPad from slipping, scratching, or getting damaged. Once applied, you can lean your iPad 2 against the edge of a table while resting it on your lap.
On my last day before flying home, I woke at the same time and checked out at 9am. Thanks to the team at 1000heads, who minded our luggage at their office while we went sightseeing. First stop was London Eye.