EPSON New Projectors - Blogger Event 16 Dec 2011

I spent this evening at the first-ever EPSON blogger event and they impressed me with some innovative projector products. After all, EPSON is the number one projector maker for 10 consecutive years since 2001.

EPSON MG-850HD
Plug your Apple product - iPhone, iPad, iPod - onto this projector and do presentations, browse photos and watch videos! It has 2x10W speakers that pumps out decent sound for a projector. It can do keystone adjustment up to 30-degrees in all directions, so it means you can project on the screen at an angle and the output will still look in proportion. It has a light ambient sensor that also auto white balance, so you get both  colour and brightness compensation. It runs on 3LCD technology which promises more faithful colour reproduction and no colour break-up (also known as "rainbow effect"). It supports multiple connectors like VGA, HDMI, Component video, Mic-In, even USB port for multimedia slideshow display. It has a built-in handle for easy of carry. It weights 3.9kg, the fan runs at only 35dB. It starts up at just 6 seconds.

And this world's first HD projector for Apple mobile devices retails at just S$1299.

EPSON EH-TW8000
The second projector is the worlds brightest Full-HD 3D projector, made possible by high frame refresh rate of 480Hz, twice as fast as other 3D projectors. This minimises blackout time, which translates to brighter projections. Its ventilation vents are designed at front so that you can place the projector at narrow spaces without need for clearance. With wide lens shift range, you can install this projector in any position and still achieve correct optical projection proportion.

This premium 3D projector will set you back at S$4299, a small price compared to a physical LCD TV, since this projector can project up to 300" size!

EPSON EB-455Wi
We know that a major challenge of projectors is that they require a long throwback distance to project images on the screen. With the EB-series projector, not anymore! You can mount these short-throw projectors directly above the screens and you get the output images projected in perfect proportion. The advantage of this is that you can stand right in front of the screen without blocking the projection light path.

But that's not all. You can annotate on the projected screen with the EB-455Wi using a special pen! With proper software, you can save these annotations in the computer and distribute the content. Watch this video:

While these features seem to be useful only in classroom or office environments, I like the short-throw form which means I could also install at home without the hassle of long throw set-up.

I have not been to a blogger event for quite a while, and this is one of the rare times that I blogged within the day of the event. Today's event has opened my eyes on the advancement of projection technology which I have not followed all these while. And while there may be competing products in the market, I believe they are really hard to beat the quality of the number one projector maker, 10 years running.

Panasonic LUMIX GX1: The Secret Preview in Sep 2011

The date was 20 Sep 2011. I was one of the few in Singapore invited to a Panasonic media meet-up. The purpose: to preview a new Panasonic mirrorless camera. They called it the LUMIX GX1.

The information embargo ended on 7 Nov 2011 1pm (+8 GMT), which obviously indicates the exact date and time of the impending public announcement and launch.

Specs worth mentioning:

• 16 megapixel Live MOS sensor
• 0.09 sec Light Speed AF
• AF Flexible mode: camera re-focuses even after AF is locked, if camera detects that subject has moved.
• ISO 160 - 12800
• 4.2fps continuous shooting
• 3-inch 460K touch screen
• Full HD 1080/60i
• Electronic Level Gauge
• Bundled with the new X lens 14-42mm with power zoom for smooth jerk-free zoom during video recording

At one look, the GX1 is indistinguishable from the GF1. Call it "retro" design if you want, or a "reboot", but Panasonic understands that a semi-pro cameras are not all about size. One of the most common comment heard during the secret meeting was: "This should have been the GF3!" Well guys, Panasonic has saved it for their debut GX-series!

Side by side: LUMIX GX1 and GF1

With the GX1, Panasonic sends a clear signal that the GF-series will continue to get smaller and cheaper, and not catering for the "step-down" users, a term they use to describe DSLR users looking for an alternative camera system that offers good image quality and manual handling. The GX1 has a non-detachable rubber grip, built-in flash, and a hotshoe, which will delight most of these step-down users.

As I only had a short time to try the camera, I shall provide further detailed comments about the operations of the camera once I get a review unit from Panasonic. Till then, feast yourself with press photos from Engadget, comparison table from CNET, and a preview write-up from DPReview.

What Do You Want To Be Recognised For?

Everyone loves to be recognized for achieving something that they are proud of. Society has realized this and has implemented means for people from all walks of life to apply themselves and experience personal success. For example, with the rise of the Internet, niche groups have emerged as well as specialized education avenues like music production programs online. Opportunities have been extended to all to achieve and succeed regardless of age, background, and location.

When I was a young school-goer, I wanted to be a model student. Imagine my elation when the form teacher nominated me as the stand-in classroom monitor. It was only for a few days, but to me that was recognition. Into my teens, I put in my best effort in my Choir ECA (the schools now call it CCA). And when the teachers-in-charge assigned me as the sectional leader, I knew that my musical talent is recognised.

During my university, I composed lots of music for my hall musical productions for 3 years, earning me a Cultural Award and recognition. After I left school and started my working career, my colleagues knew me as a tech-savvy guy, and came to me for advice and help in gadget issues. When I started to publish my piano compositions under the Piano Spa album series over 4 years, friends saw me as a “successful” composer of calming therapeutic music that helps people in coping with their stressful lives. Then I started developing my photography interests, and in a few years people recognised my style of wedding and portraiture photography.

Few days ago, Pepperconn invited me to share with my blog readers about a contest organized by Aviva. For Aviva, their business is all about people. And because you are their big picture, they want to hear from you! This contest aims to recognize YOU by asking you to share the moments that are uniquely yours and defines you openly through the Aviva Singapore Facebook. Every week, from now till 28 Nov, the top 3 entries with the most number of ‘Likes’ will each win a 64GB iPad 3G!!! It’s easy to participate, because you do not need to write long essays. Besides, it's a meaningful campaign that lets you think about the past incidents that you have been recognised for – without even you realizing it. And precisely, thanks to this campaign, I spent some time reflecting on my past to identify some meaningful incidents, and I realized how much recognition I have had from people.

Here’s one that I could submit for the contest: Several months ago, I bought a toy for my 3 year old daughter. Once a while, we would ask her who was the person who bought the toy, and she would say "papa". So, yes, I want to be recognized for being a doting dad who buys toys for his daughter.

Here’s another one: I was the official photographer for a long-time buddy’s wedding. I was so glad he requested for me because it means he recognizes my skills. And he certainly did, for he kept reminding me during the event how blessed he was to have me taking pictures for his wedding. He again thanked me, after I delivered the photos and the custom-designed photo book, for the wonderful memories I have captured for his family.

No moment is too small to be recognized. What do you want to be recognized for? Share your story at Aviva Singapore Facebook and get your friends to like your story. And if you try hard enough, you could be recognized as the person who wins the iPad!

This blog entry is kindly sponsored by Aviva Singapore. Aviva is a leading provider of retirement, investments, insurance and health products. With a history of more than 300 years, Aviva is one of the biggest providers of employee benefits and healthcare in Singapore.

Dell Media Blogger Event @ Scotts Highpark

Companies are working hard to impress the social networking folks! For this Dell event, we were invited to a fully-furnished apartment at Scotts Highpark to showcase Dell's latest lifestyle products and how they integrate into our homes. From all-in-one touchscreen computers to gaming notebooks and handheld devices like the Dell Streak and even Windows Phone 7 Dell Venue Pro, Dell is expanding the consumer product offering.

Organised by XPR, the apartment is split into themes in each rooms. Mum at the kitchen, Dad in the master bedroom, the youth children at their respective bedrooms, each of them armed with Dell devices to enhance their life.

Dell Inspiron 15R

Alienware M11x

Dell Inspiron All-In-One

New products launched includes the new family of XPS laptops, Alienware products, Inspiron all-in-one computers and desktops. I also had a sneak at the Dell Streak. At 5-inch, it does indeed seem rather large to fit in pockets, but the screen size is just nice. I was particularly impressed with the Dell Venue Pro. The Windows Phone 7 interface feels sleek, and I like the feel of the phone - heavy but solid, and comes with QWERTY keyboard, a must-have criterion for my next phone upgrade.

I was about to leave the event when Gavin mentioned that the lucky draw was about to start. So I stayed on and guess what: I won an Alienware TactX gaming mouse (right)! Other prizes include the Alienware keyboard, Dell printer, Windows 7 OS.

As you can see, no event photos because I did not bring my camera. Caught up with many familiar and unexpected faces at the event. It's been fun catching up with you guys, Genghui, Clayton, Philip, Nicole, Hisham, Chester Chen (finally we met), Kenneth, Shawn (T3), Cheryl, Sadaf and Gavin (XPR).

Guide to Twitter for My Friends

Some of my friends recently got interested in Twitter, so I decide to do this post to get them started.

What's Twitter for?
Twitter is a platform where users post messages called "tweets", and followers receive these tweets.

Why do that?
Twitter allows you to
- talk about what happens to your life in 140 characters (microblog), not unlike Facebook.
- share information that is happening right now (e.g. a traffic jam at a road)

What if I have nothing to share, or if I value my privacy?
You can still use Twitter to follow other users so that you ("follower") can receive tweets in your account. You can also set your Twitter to private so that only followers you approve can see you tweets. But remember, that does not stop your followers from forwarding (retweeting) your tweets, so I always tell my friends who set their Twitter accounts to private that it doesn't mean your tweets are safe. The only way to guarantee privacy is not to even mention it on any social media.

Why should I follow Twitter users?
By following these users, you will receive tweets that they post. Note that many organisations or news agencies or interest groups use Twitter to share useful information like news, promotions, tips.

What's so interesting to search in Twitter?
You can search for the most recent tweets that users posted at http://search.twitter.com/ . For instance, during the recent floods around Singapore, I use Twitter to search and find who, what, where, when and how the floods occur. Some users even post photos. You can't find this news anywhere outside Twitter, until it's officially reported on the news sites. That is the wonder of Twitter, and this is made possible because of users like you who wants to contribute such information by tweeting.

So, the next time something interesting happens, you might want to tweet it so that people will find out (provided your tweets are public and you do not set your account to private).

How do I interpret and use the symbols on the tweets?
The "@" sign before a name (e.g. @musicdiary) refers to the Twitter User ID. When you use that, the tweet would be visible to the user. This is useful when you are mentioning something in the tweet about other users and you want them to be aware of the tweet too. If you don't do that, then the user would not know that you are mentioning him/her and would have no idea of your tweets, even if the user is following you. That's because the user may overlook your tweet among the dozens or hundreds of tweets he/she receives.

The "#" sign is a hash tag. It's basically like a tag or keyword that you often do on articles. It's useful if there is a popular (trending) topic that the Twitter community is heavily discussing or searching, so you can insert the hash tag to include your tweet to be part of the topic, e.g. #ndp2010. This feature is not really important, so don't use it if you don't know how to use it. I rarely use it, and I treat it like a short form (e.g. National Day Parade 2010) and many people must also use the hash tag in order to make it work. If only you is using it (e.g. #ilovendp) then the hash tag is meaningless.

Use "RT" to denote that you are retweeting (like email forwarding) a tweet from another user. In 2009, Twitter enhanced the "RT" feature to allow you to retweet in its entirety without having to include the tweeter's user ID in the tweet. This allows the original tweet to be passed around without having the retweeter to try to shorten the tweet in order to fit the entire tweet due to the possible list of previous retweeters' user IDs. The result is that the retweeter cannot edit the tweets, which might be rather handicapped as sometimes you want to include your comments before retweeting. This "primitive" method may still be allowed depending on the Twitter applications you use. So, if you want to do a complete retweet, just look for the "retweet" button and click it, which means no editing. If you want to edit before posting, look for an option to say "edit and retweet" (or something to that effect).

OK that's all. Leave me a comment if you have anything to ask or share. Cheers!