Jan 2010 is a really bad month for me. I checked my archives and found that this month has the lowest number of entries since I started blogging – only 2. Comparatively, I tweeted no less than 20 posts for the past 7 days.
Lemme take this chance to summarise some snippets of what I missed blogged for the entire month of January.
2010 sets to be an exciting year for techies. Here’s why.
1. Mobile: Google Android continues expansion plans with Nexus One, albeit hiccups. It’s a start of an eternal battle for a piece of the market pie. I also noticed the trend that more youths in Singapore are using Blackberry phones because it has its own strong networking platform, which means you get to access to all the facebook, instant messaging, twitter, with real-time push notifications via your BB. My E72 doesn’t have that icon notification when I have updates, so I had to check once a while, but Symbians or Windows Mobile-based devices have more design variety. Feliza (meetlilprincess) asked me which one should she buy, and my summarised response to her in twitter:
@felizaong BB provides the best integrated experience but bulky. iPhone has the most apps. Symbian or WM has most variety of phones. 11:46 AM Jan 24th from Gravity in reply to felizaong
So if you are not that hard-up for keeping in touch constantly online and need the casual checks (like me), a Nokia will do fantastic, certainly does well in the battery life area. BB may be an overkill unless you are a full-time (or extremely avid) blogger. For iPhone, get it if you are a fan or want to be “in”. The only real technical advantage I hear of iPhone users are its nifty interactive interface. Other than that, camera is poor, battery life is poor, keyboard needs getting used to, no multi-tasking, rather big… the list goes on.
2. Imaging: More hybrid digicams with interchangeable lenses, with HD video recording. Apart from the micro four-thirds system, in which 4 models were released by Panasonic and Olympus last year, Ricoh announced the GXR, where the lens and the sensor is attached to the “body”. This concept means that you can have different lenses with different sensors but operating on a same “body” of processor and LCD monitor.
Then this month, the Samsung NX10 is finally announced. Similar in concept to the micro four-thirds, the NX10 has a sensor size of the cropped DSLR, while keeping the entire system compact. Not forgetting, these models can record video, and mostly in HD.
So the $3650 question: which system should I get? If I were a casual shooter and wanted something more advanced to allow me to snap DSLR-like images with better controls in depth of field, I would go for the compact lens systems, albeit costlier. If I were a casual shooter and wanted a pocketable camera, I would get a very good compact digicam, like the Canon S90, that allows me to shoot low light scenes and fast. If I do not bother about the bulk issue, then nothing beats having a DSLR.
3. Computing: Return of the Tablets (thanks to Windows 7 and the Apple iPad). Years back, I already dreamt about a powerful touch-screen smartphone that can be detached from the main body and still functionable. Lenovo IdeaPad U1 is close to what I desire, but it’s a laptop. Still, it demonstrates the possibility of a modular computing device. As for iPad, well, seriously, anything that Apple builds will be embraced by Apple fans. Afterall, there is no substitute. It’s not as if there are a dozen other brands of Tablet PCs to choose from. I never like to go into the argument about Apple vs. non-Apple devices, and the truth is that owning an Apple device transcends logic and rationality. Most important thing is to get the device that suits your lifestyle.
OK, aside from tech stuff. Shopping-lovers would be elated to know that so many new malls have sprung up for the past months. I happened to go on course at 111 Somerset (building names are getting so boring). So it was the first time I visited 313@Somerset. I quite like the mall design, and nowadays the underground shopping area is as big (some even bigger) than the above ground spaces.
And then I realised that Orchard Central is possibly the cheapest car park around the Somerset area: $1 for first hour and $0.80 every half hour. That’s even cheaper than the open space URA car park!
To end this post, here’s a quote I posted on Twitter a week back.
Many people are so used to communicating via social media that they forget people can be instantly reached via mobile phone. 10:17 AM Jan 23rd from Gravity
2 comments
The OR carpark is a super long way up! The lower floors have so few lots. You got to go way up there! haha.
Still, the ride up is much better than Central at Clarke Quay. That one drive up damn giddy. Hmm is it coincidence that the 2 "Central" malls have winding carpark ramps?