Gadgets - Just Need To Have Olympus' Retro Glam Pen Digital SLR Camera

For all the camera-toting, snap-happy sisters out there who take their photos seriously, the Olympus PEN camera is just the thing. I use a beefy SLR myself which gives me lots of pleasure, but if I had seen this pretty baby earlier in scarlet mock croc, I would have bagged it for myself first! Not only does it pack all the retro-glam in its lightweight, compact body, with full digital SLR capabilities including taking movies, voice recordings and art filters, you can also change its skin as you like, from mock croc to red leather, complete with swash-buckling leather strap!

All these lovely accessories (and more) can be picked up at Olympus’ new online store at http://www.shopatolympus.com.sg/recently opened, and is the second in Asia after South Korea. Such a girly camera for us, but it packs a serious punch too, so don’t underestimate the ladies here.

If your man is the photography buff, the Olympus digital PEN E-P2 Special Black Flash Edition (right) is  a great Christmas prezzie, in all its nostalgic gorgeousness complete with a metal body, a small M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm 1:2.8 Pancake lens, retro flash and classic cap, and 8GB SD Card. Available from late this month, it’s priced at S$1,598. Look at the pictures – it’s hard to resist!

PS. The cameras are also available in most major retailers and dealers. More details at www.olympusimage.com.sg

- Ee Waun

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Gadgets – Bodum Beauties On The Go

They may not be electronic, but these chic culinary curiosities which come in edible candy colours are essentials for the fabulicious girl, whether cooking at home or consuming on the run.

If you’re having a barbecue in your garden, or a little private dinner grill for two on the beach, we think this portable picnic grill is just to die for. With an enamel-coated steel body, chrome plated steel legs and heat-resistant silicone handles, and dimensions of 15.4 inch by 15.4inch by 14.2inch, it’s perfectly built to fire up those little sausages while you look good….Grill a little, sip bubbly on the side, grill a little….you know the drill. Makes a nice prezzie for your sweetheart too! Priced at $168, the FYRKAT Picnic Grill comes in black, lime green, orange and white.

Push, push while you move!….How about some nicely plunged coffee on the go? The Bodum Travel Press Coffeemaker lets you pump and push your gourmet coffee on the run, with double walls for insulation, non-slip silicone grips and a safety lid to prevent any spillage of liquids. No more three in ones, darling. I’ll take the lime green please! $47.80 for 12oz (about 360 ml) and $57.80 for the 15oz (about 450 ml) coffeemaker.

 

Finally, and on a more sober note, let’s admit it, our Inner Aunties – and admit it, every girl has one – just lusts after every plastic container there is on this earth. Well, the new line of Presso Storage Jars just glams up our food storage needs. Made with temperature safe silicone and borosilicate glass, it’s microwave safe and is resistant to high acidity levels – which means – blessing of blessings! – we can marinate with them! Ranges in size from 0.25L to 2.0L, and costs $19.80 to $39.80.

- Ee Waun

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Bytes - Meet Navibot, The New House Pet

If you’re itching for a pet, but realise you don’t have the time to brush its hair, pick up its poo and tickle its tummy every day, may I suggest Samsung’s Navibot ($799)? No hair, no poo, no fuss – the Navibot is not just nifty around the house, it cleans too.

This robot vacuum cleaner, a new gadget from Samsung, is a smart sucker. It is armed with a ‘Visionary Mapping System’ which takes 30 photos per second, making a virtual map of its surrounds so it can plot the best and fastest path for cleaning. It’s got 38 motion sensors keep it from tumbling downstairs and colliding into your precious antique furniture and the ‘Virtual Guard’ keeps it obediently out of where you don’t want it to go. What’s more, the ‘bot’ can return to its original position during its second round of cleanup after the initial charge. You can time/delay the start of the cleaning program whenever you want so you don’t even have to be home. In short, Navibot takes itself for walkies…..and it cleans up after you – not vice versa!

Power Brushes and a sweeping blade helps your new pet clean hard to reach spots quickly, and compared to conventional vacuum cleaners, is 95 per cent more effective at picking up pet hair and fluff. Plus, its new technology prevents pet hair from wrapping around the brushes – so it’s easier to maintain. It comes five cleaning programs such as Auto-, Spot-, Max-, Edge Clean-, or Manual Mode…the only thing it doesn’t do is cook and bathe the kids!

- Ee Waun

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Bytes – In Case You Missed Out On The Man Bag For Dad…

Sweeties! Did you see the uber-cool Tods Man Bag in Elaine’s post (‘Quirky But Useful Father’s Day Gifts’ – 25 May)? Don’t we just absolutely love it for good old Dad or even our guy, for that matter?!

Well, if it runs out of stock while you’re rushing down to grab it – and we can just SEE the frenzied queues of people tearing the house down just to get hold of one – don’t despair! There are robust alternatives out there that will soothe both you and your deprived dad. Here’s our picks of more Father’s Day gifts.

A camera is always more exciting than a tie or pair of socks. Of course, it comes nowhere in comparison with the Tods Man Bag but at least Dad can take his mind off it by photographing the grandkids, the birds and bees and stuff around him. The Olympus SP-800UZ is the smallest compact digital camera in its class and the first in the world to incorporate a super powerful 30x optical zoom. Combined with digital zooming, the total effect is increased to 150x which means you can zoom right in on the craters of the moon. So cool!

It’s also got a wide shooting range with focal lengths ranging from 28mm wide-angle (think Himalayan panorama) to 840mm telephoto (craters of the moon or ex-boyfriend’s face). High resolution 14 megapixel CCD means good clear pictures, a 3-inch wide screen means Dad can see the pretty pictures without straining his eyes, and CCD-shift image stabilization function and high-sensitivity imaging means no blurred pictures whether Dad is shaking or the object in this viewfinder is. A big bonus – he can record HDTV movies on this camera too. Lots of other bells and whistles are packed into this little sweetie, and it’s so small it fits just nicely into the Tods Man Bag (if only we got it!) and also in the palm of your hand. Only comes in titanium silver, priced at $748, with 8GB mSD card.

If he is into sound, Creative’s ZiiSound D5 – it’s flagship wireless speaker system – is easy peasy for even the most technophobic dad to plug into. Just launched, this rather compact wireless speaker system is locally designed and developed and gives great, rich sound (I heard it myself and was so impressed!) and is so easy to use. Essentially, you blue-tooth it to any blue tooth-enabled gadget – be it your laptop, notebook, iphone, ipad, etc – and it will deliver the fantastic sound that rivals any hi-fi system. No complicated installations or downloading programmes from a CDRom - it's just literally plug and play. I saw the demo.

It won't fit into the Tods  Man Bag but it's so light, Dad can bring it around the house with him and soothe his (Tod's Man-)Bagless woes away with crystal clear music. An added bonus – the speakers charge the iPhone or iPod while they are docked. What I can’t understand is why it isn’t compatible wirelessly with its own Zen MP3 players! Duh!! Still, I say, buy local!! Costs S$399 and bundled with USB Transmitter for the launch period (worth $59) while stocks lasts. Available at  Creative stores at International Buisiness Park, Marina Square and authorised dealers.

Finally, SingTel and Samsung Electronics has just announced that the hotly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S smartphone will be available from 4 June 2010 – the first time it hits Singapore’s shops. The Android-powered Galaxy S has an ultra-responsive SUPER AMOLED screen, super sharp viewing of images and movies, 80% less reflectivity even out in the sun, video play and record functions, and allows you to record, edit and play HD video, browse the Internet, and read e-books. You can also check emails, listen to music and send messages without having to open and close applications, and it fits niftily into the Tods Man Bag. In fact, with this smartphone, he can keep track of the new shipment of Tods Man Bags the moment it hits the stores, with just a call to the boutique, anywhere, anytime! 

SingTel is introducing three enhanced Galaxy 3G Flexi price plans at launch from $39/month including unlimited LIVE MobileTV Basic Pack viewing for up to 24 months, free additional 200 minutes of talktime*, free local mobile data of 12GB (capped at $30), plus free access to SingTel AMPed offering unlimited music downloads. You can get it from today online at www.singtel.com/galaxyS and Singtel stores from 4 June.

- by EW

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