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since 2002
The Sony Tablet S (3G/16GB) is finally available in Singapore as of 13th January 2012 for S$798. Its arrival has also cut the Wi-Fi-only prices, now S$618 for 16GB and S$748 for 32GB. The 3G model runs Android 3.2.
The Motorola XOOM 2 (3G/Wi-Fi, 32GB) is now available in Singapore as of 13th January 2012, at a recommended S$978. It runs Android 3.2 Honeycomb on a 10.1-inch 1280x800 Gorilla Glass display, with a splash-guard and flattened edges.
Announced at CES 2012, the Sony Xperia S is Sony's first smartphone since parting ways with Ericsson. Its specs impress, with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, and NFC support. My only gripe is that it ships with Android 2.3.
The Nokia Lumia 900 was announced at CES 2012, though for now it's exclusive to AT&T. I'm sure other countries will follow, perhaps SingTel bringing it to Singapore with LTE. If only Nokia had added NFC, it would be perfect.
Samsung has several phones and tablets launching in Singapore in early 2012. The Galaxy Nexus arrives on 11th February at a recommended S$948, the world's first phone running Android 4.0, with a 4.65-inch 720p HD Super AMOLED display.
The Prada Phone by LG 3.0 retails for S$1,088 without contract. LG holds a one-day sale at its LG LIVE Store in Marina Bay Sands on 21st January 2012, where every purchase comes with a limited edition LG Prada Cradle.
I bought the Twelve South PlugBug Charger at the Apple Store in Fashion Show Mall, Las Vegas, for US$34.95, or US$37.78 after tax. It acts as a US travel adapter for your MacBook's MagSafe adapter, plus an extra USB port.
In my Looking Back 2010 post, I wished to visit the US and see snow in 2011, and I did, posting this from my uncle's house in LA. Having never seen real snow in 26 years, Snow City excepted.
After Google's Building 44, I drove about 15 minutes to Apple's Company Store at 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino. The famous 'I visited the mothership' T-shirt is no longer printed; the new design reads 'I visited the Apple campus'.
Google's Building 44 sits at 1635 Charleston Road, Mountain View. I rented a car from Hertz and drove there from San Francisco, about an hour away. I noticed snow on the ground and was surprised, but it turned out artificial.
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.
On 20th December 2011, SingTel launched Singapore's first LTE service, available to both consumer and business users. Initially it supports only USB dongle modems, with LTE smartphones and tablets to come once they're more widely available.
I visited the official Timbuk2 retail store in San Francisco, at 506 Hayes Street, where the staff were friendly and the service excellent. I picked up four bags, the Command Messenger, Q Backpack 2011, and two Hidden Messengers, spending US$279.
I'll be away for about a month from this Sunday, 18th December 2011, travelling across the US to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. I'll keep blogging about gadgets and US attractions while I'm there, so stay tuned.
Announcing the winners of the Nokia 'Amazing Everyday' contest I held on 1st December 2011. They are Julian Chow, for Sunset at Bedok Reservoir, and Sajnikanth, for Bright Side of the Moon. Congratulations, your details go to Nokia Singapore.
UOB launched its mobile iPhone app yesterday. What sets it apart from local banks' apps like OCBC's or DBS/POSB's is access to financial information, deposit and exchange rates, unit trust prices, and gold and silver prices, plus calculators.
I got another Crumpler pouch for my US trip next Sunday, the Crumpler Haven (M). This limited edition print retails for S$79, with no 10% discount since it's limited. I bought it to hold my Canon 50D with 18-200mm lens.
The Nokia Lumia 800 arrives in Singapore from 10th December 2011 at a recommended S$775, with the Lumia 710 to follow in the coming weeks at S$505. All three local operators, SingTel, StarHub, and M1, will offer both phones.
The Canon PowerShot S100 is now available in Singapore at a recommended S$699, succeeding the PowerShot S95. Official free gifts include an 8GB SD card and a carrying case. It packs 12.1 megapixels, 5x optical zoom from an ultra-wide 24mm.
Alongside the Sanyo Eneloop Glitter batteries, they sent me the Sanyo Eneloop Quick Charger NC-MQR06W. The package includes four AA batteries and retails for S$55.90. The batteries are Made in Japan and the charger in China.
I'd long wanted the Sanyo Eneloop Glitter AA batteries because they look so good. As a big Eneloop fan, with a dedicated section on my blog, the PR agency kindly sent some over to feature. Each AA cell holds 1,900mAh.
Together with Nokia Singapore, I'm giving away a pair of Nokia Purity HD Stereo Headsets, worth €200, to two lucky winners. To enter, capture a photo or video of an 'Amazing Everyday' moment and share it via Twitter or Facebook.