Music.Photo.Life.

While the consumers focus on the big brands like Motorola, LG, Sony, Samsung, Pebble, on their smartwatch offerings, China has flourished with dozens of unknown brands and models. Personally, I would prefer to pay more for established brands who provide proper sales and software support to ensure the products has extensive useful life. However, if the products are cheap enough, I might just bite the bait and give it a try. Such is the case for ZGPax S28.

My purchase criteria for "OEM" smartwatch are:
- it must be cheap for a low-risk purchase
- it must look good enough to wear on my wrist
- it must have smartphone notification features to sync with my existing smartphone
- it must come with some useful functions for the money I am paying for

When I ordered from Focalprice in October, it was selling for less than US$50 and took a month to arrive. After the purchase, I found that someone is selling in Lazada Singapore for only S$57, provides 1-year local warranty, and delivers within 2 weeks. If you are convinced to get one after reading this, go for the Lazada purchase.

Specs

Brand: ZGPax
Model: S28
CPU: MTK6260 -360MHz
ROM: 8MB
RAM: 8MB
SIM card slot: micro SIM, 2G GSM 850/900/1800/1900
MicroSD card slot: Yes, support up to 8GB
Screen type: capacitive touchscreen
Resolution: 240x240 pixels
Speaker: 8Ω 0.7W speaker x 1
Microphone: Yes
Vibrate motor: Yes
FM radio: Yes (requires earphones connected as antenna)
Sensor type: Yes, G-sensor
Connectivity: Bluetooth 3.0
USB port: Micro USB port for earphones and charging
Battery: Removable 3.7V, 450mAh Li-ion
Standby time: 72 hours
Talk time: 6 hours
Music time: 8 hours
Size: 58 x 39 x 12.5mm
Weight: 55g

Design-wise, the watch face is made of a metal frame and a touchscreen which has a screen protector pre-applied. There is a button below the screen and speaker holes above it.

This smartwatch is not just a normal smartwatch. Notice that it supports voice SIM card slot, which means it can make and receive calls without pairing with a smartphone. It sounds just like Samsung Gear S, except you can use this watchphone on any Android device.

I highly recommend getting a rubber dust cover to cap the micro USB port. Since the watch will be worn on the wrist, there are high chances of getting the watch a little wet while washing your hands.

The S28 leads a double life. It can receive or make calls via Bluetooth to the paired smartphone, or it can receive or make calls via the watch SIM. Similarly for Contacts, SMS messages and notifications, the S28 will have separate tabs to access both. You can also stream music from the smartphone to the S28 speaker, and control music tracks on your smartphone via the S28.

For each of the features, the S28 allows you to select which SIM you want to take the action. This offers great control over managing your calls and messages, and may be an interesting alternative for a dual-SIM or multi-SIM scenario.

If you choose to use the S28 as the primary phone device, and not wanting to speak directly into the watch mic, you can pair the smartwatch to a Bluetooth headset and take calls with it. You may also listen to music tracks stored in the smartwatch through the headset, but only if the S28 is not connected to a smartphone. The package comes with a wired headset, but it's not going to look cool listening to music wired to a watch. This set up is also perfect for a jog without having to carry your smartphone.

Old school phone users will find the menu somewhat familiar. When you go into the phone settings, you will find the old GSM phone's menu list like phone settings, call settings, notification settings, security settings. Phonebook contacts are taken either from the SIM card or stored locally on the S28, or you can access phonebook entries of your paired smartphone.

While the S28 provides an on-screen keyboard for composing messages, I find it too small to type quickly, but short simple messages are achievable. There is no voice control functionality to support inputs. The main menu list can be re-arranged to your fancy by holding and dragging the icons.

After one month, I must say that I am liking the S28. It has proven to be reliable in maintaining the Bluetooth connectivity and keeping me alerted with incoming events. My primary need for a smartwatch is notification, and the S28 does it fine. On the Android device, I just have to install "BTNotification" app and you can pick which app notifications to show on the S28.

I have basically muted (no vibrate, no ringtone) my smartphone after I started using the S28, which made my life a little more stress free. How so? Without ringtones, I am not stressed to pick up the call or risk making a din with the ringing sound. With alerts on my watch, I am not worried about missing any calls when I leave my phone in silent-mute mode. All I do is to click the button on the S28 to see if I have missed any notifications.

The S28 battery lasts about 2-3 days. There is an icon showing roughly how much battery remains, but without a number gauge, I won't be able to tell whether I'm 49% full or 20% empty, so I usually charge every 2 days.

Missing Features

There are however, ~~some~~ a lot of limitations that I can live without, considering how affordable this gadget is.

- Cannot change watch face
- Primitive pedometer interface
- Cannot sync fitness data to smartphone
- Cannot install apps
- Cannot sync calendar from smartphone, rendering the calendar function practically useless
- Cannot sync local phonebook from smartphone, so good luck in populating phonebook entries manually, if you really need it.
- No voice controls
- No 3G connectivity, and browser is limited to WAP 2.0 protocol
- No WiFi, but that is pointless anyway since the browser is WAP
- No GPS, but again pointless if the watch does not have GPS app
- No wake-up gesture, so I have to press the button to read the time
- No battery percentage indicator.
- Runs on proprietary OS which has no firmware updates
- Does not cost S$498

The ZGPax S28 is nowhere close to the list of functions the Samsung Galaxy Gear S offers. But hey, so is the price. If there are features listed above that you really must have, then I guess the Gear S is for you.

Conclusion

I was not expecting my US$50 purchase to offer me so much geek satisfaction. Of course you will get a lot more features and customisability with branded smartwatches, but at what price. I do love the round watch faces of Moto360 and LG G Watch R, but this US$50 gadget has given me the joys and benefits of a smartwatch without breaking the bank.

This product is for you if:
- You really just need notification feature, while other functions are secondary
- You want to have a go with smartwatch without breaking the bank
- You would like the smartwatch to have SIM capability
- You want to own a smartwatch for less than US$50

This product is NOT for you if:
- You want a smartwatch that offers you extensive features and expandability of apps
- You have a generous budget

Reviewed by Chester Tan
Rating: 4 of 5

It's been another exciting 12 months. It amazes me how many gadgets I have actually touched and reviewed - 56 products in all (more than in 2013). In 2014, I was determined in increase my audio products reviews, and did it. Mobile devices continue to have a strong presence in my blog, as it is still a dominant lifestyle gadget in our modern lives. As always, I only review products that make sense to me, or else I can't relate the product and write a credible experiential review. For instance, in 2014, I covered more fitness-related products because I started jogging.

Besides loads of gadget reviews in 2014, I also did a few - very few - photoshoots, with long-time friends Zoe Raymond and Melody. And music-wise, I received my 5th COMPASS music award in 4 years and released a new instrumental album, Piano Spa 7, with Bevlyn Khoo.

If you have missed any of my reviews in 2014, here's your chance to catch up on the reading:

Favourite Smartphone: HTC One M8

Most of my smartphones start to get a little cranky after several months, but HTC One M8 still performs butter-smooth. The only compromise: 4MP camera quality.

Favourite Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Note PRO 12.2

I do not find Android tablets necessary, because they have identical capabilities as Android smartphones except larger screen. But the 12.2-inch Note PRO changes everything, not just because of its large screen, but its ability to run 4 app windows at the same time, which is so so useful.

Favourite Headphones: Jabra Sport Pulse

I love the sound quality and the built-in heart-rate monitor, making it an indispensable fitness and music companion. There is no more compromise between the two.

Favourite Portable Speaker: Bose SoundLink Mini

I am not a fan of Bose, but this won me over. Spectacular bass production from a small package, it's so popular that the retail price remains unchanged after a year of its launch.

Favourite Camera: Nikon 1 AW1

I love this camera not because of the image quality, but how useful this is. It is waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, freezeproof. More amazingly, it's an interchangeable lens camera. If you can live with the size, this is the ultimate family camera.

Favourite "Tech-tro" Moment: Ericsson T28s

I went to great lengths to buy this retro mobile phone. As it turned out, only the internal circuitry is original, while everything else are refurbished. Still, it feels as if I travelled back in time. Missed the old days of simple mobile communications.

Favourite Accessory: Logitech K480

Having a Bluetooth keyboard is good. Having a Bluetooth keyboard that pairs up to 3 devices and switch to any of them instantly is so convenient. Having this that costs just S$59? I don't even have to think any further. I am someone who works best with a proper keyboard. Already convinced a handful of friends to buy this.

Favourite Brand: Logitech

This year, SPRG (PR agency for Logitech) has done a fantastic job in media engagement. I love their media kit of the Logitech M235, I love their enthusiastic email exchanges with me to help me in my Logitech product review requests. They even threw in a surprise Christmas gift.

Favourite Surprise: Winning OPPO R5 Smartphone

In some media events, they would give away prizes to lucky attendees. The last time I won in such occasion was a Dell event in 2010 which I won an Alienware Mouse (still works after 4 years, so I can attest to its durability). This year, I won an OPPO R5, making it a wonderful birthday and Christmas gift.

2015: The Passion Continues

This blog would not be filled with content if not for the tremendous support from all the brands and their PR agencies to provide me with newly launched products for my review. I look forward to more amazing tech products to try out.

I would also like to spend some more time producing more music, and hopefully do more adhoc music sharing, putting my new digital piano into good use. As for photography, I continue to enjoy shooting my review products in various artistic angles. Sometimes, I get so carried away that I forgot to capture the standard shots, but you can probably find them easily online.

This blog would not be sustainable if not for YOU, my readers (110,244 unique pageviews according to Google Analytics). It brings me joy to see healthy page views, and motivates me to bring more content to this site.

Happy New Year.

After reviewing the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, I was not expecting any major deviation in user experience when I got hold of the Note Edge (SM-N915G) from StarHub Community for a review.

I was wrong.

Difference in Specs

The Note Edge has a few differences from the Note 4.

Lighter weight - 174g vs 176g
Shorter, Broader, Thinner- 151.3 x 82.4 x 8.3 mm vs. 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm
Smaller screen - 5.6 inch (2560x1440+160) vs. 5.7 inch
Smaller battery - 3000mAh vs. 3220mAh. The battery drains fast if you constantly use the phone screen.

Both runs on the same 2.7GHz quad core, but the Note Edge runs noticeably more sluggish than Note 4.

The Edge

I was not expecting the tiny strip of the edge screen to be so useful, that is until I actually tried it. This is one example of how new designs need to be experienced to appreciate.

At most times, the Edge Panels remain hidden until you slide it out or when there are incoming events. When the Edge Panel appears with notification, it does not take-over the current screen, so you get information without moving away from the current app.

You can also customise the Edge Panel when it is idle to display text, images, or even doodles.

Here are 3 things about the Edge Panel that changes the way I use my smartphone.

1. Favourites Bar

The usual Android favourites bar at the bottom of the home screen is moved to the Edge Panel, which lets you add as many favourite apps as you like. Without the usual favourites bar, the home screen has one more row for your apps.

The Edge Panel also facilitates changing apps by simply sliding out the Edge Panel and tap on the next app to run. This certainly cuts down a few clicks and taps to get things done a lot faster.

You may also add other Edge Panel widgets like S Health, S Planner, Task Manager, Twitter Trends. More will be available for download on the Samsung app store.

2. App Extension

Although most apps do not utilise the Edge Panel, which will appear blank (or with your customised message), some apps use the extended edge screen for on-screen controls. For instance, The S Note uses the edge screen to display the app buttons, thus freeing up the entire screen for your doodling.

When music apps like PowerAmp is playing music, you can navigate the tracks from the Edge Panel.

3. Incoming Notifications

The best part of the Edge Panel is the ability to display new notifications without disrupting your existing screen. No more sudden pop-up of incoming call screen! For other notifications, it will display the message very briefly before disappearing. If you tap on the screen before it disappears, it will open up the app.

Living With The Edge

It does not feel as natural using a smartphone with this curved edge on one side. When holding the phone, you might accidentally touch the screen. When using the camera in landscape mode, it is difficult to hold the Note Edge securely because you have to keep your fingers off the curved edge. The other minor issue is that when you use the phone in landscape mode with the curved edge on top, you cannot pull the notification bar by swiping the screen down, because that will only pull out the Edge Panel.

But once you get the hang of it, the Note Edge becomes a powerful assistant to help you accomplish tasks faster. I believe in no time, there would be loads of add-on widgets to make use of this tiny strip of valuable real estate.

Note Edge or Note 4?

For consumers who do not find the above list of features makes sense, they are better off choosing the Note 4. It runs smoother, easier to handle with a symmetric metal frame, and is less expensive.

There aren't a lot of innovative smartphones in recent years, so I appreciate the investment and financial commitment Samsung puts in to mass produce the Galaxy Note Edge and let consumers experience what a curved edge could accomplish. Given sufficient consumer feedback, I am sure the next iteration will be more practical and usable.

Specs (SM-N915G)

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 Quad-core 2.7GHz
Operating System: Android Kit Kat 4.4.4
Network:

2.5G (GSM/GPRS/EDGE) : 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
3G (HSPA＋ 42Mbps): 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
4G (LTE Cat.4 150/50Mbps) or 4G (LTE Cat.6 300/50Mbps)

Memory: 3GB RAM + 32GB Internal
Display: 5.6" 1440x2560+160 (QHD+) Super AMOLED
Sensor: Gesture, Accelerometer, Geo-magnetic, Gyroscope, RGB ambient light, Proximity, Barometer, Hall Sensor, Finger Scanner, UV, HRM
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2X2 MIMO), Download Booster, NFC, Bluetooth® v4.1 (BLE),ANT+, USB2.0, MHL 3.0, IR LED (Remote Control)
Cameras:

Front Camera 3.7MP + F1.9/ Selfie (90º), Wide selfie mode (120º).
Rear Camera 16M+ Smart OIS/ Fast AF, Live HDR(Rich Tone)

SIM Type: Micro-SIM
Battery: 3000mAh
Dimension: 151.3 x 82.4 x 8.3 mm
Weight: 174g

After upgrading from Samsung Note 3 to Note 4, wifey missed the Samsung Desktop Dock. The Note 3 dock uses the long USB 3.0 connector, so is incompatible with all the Samsung Galaxy phones. I even went to Sim Lim to look for the generic dock, but found that the connector is as tight as any USB cable connector which requires two hands to undock (don't buy them at all cost!). The next best alternative was the Belkin Charge and Sync Dock where Harvey Norman was selling for S$19.90 but when I decided to buy it, I couldn't find any in stores (the Belkin dock for iPhone lightning port was aplenty but priced at S$63 - a 3-fold difference. Go figure.).

My next best (and favourite) resort: Carousell.

There are a lot of sellers for the original Samsung desktop docks, but most of them are bundled with Galaxy Note II, S3 or S4. I was unsure if they will fit a Note 4 with case. Eventually, I found a seller asking for S$10. I reckon it was a good price to take a risk. Moreover, if it really can't fit in the Note 4, I can still use it to charge other smartphones.

But guess what? It fits perfectly!

What I like about the original Samsung dock is that the Note 4 sits on the dock securely, yet removes easily without resistance. The USB port does not lock like normal USB cable, and the phone is cushioned with a spring platform to support various smartphone models.

There is just one thing the dock doesn't support: fast charging.

If that doesn't deter you, head on to Carousell or your favourite buy-and-sell portals to get one. Dock also works with Galaxy Note Edge.

Dock Model: EDD-D200WE

Order Piano Spa 7 CD (autograph) at SGD 20

(for Singapore address, including shipping)

Featuring award winning pianist, composer and arranger, Chester Tan and introducing pianist-composer Bevlyn Khoo, comes another 30 beautiful and relaxing compositions for a serene body, mind and soul.

All tracks composed, arranged and performed by Chester Tan except the following:
CD1 tracks 2, 5, 8, CD2 tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, CD3 tracks 2, 5, 10 composed by Bevlyn Khoo, piano arranged and performed by Bevlyn Khoo, additional arrangements by Chester Tan.

Piano Spa 7 Track Listing

CD1

Moonlight Waves
After the Rain
Don’t Say Goodbye
Gentle Giant
Alone Again
The Lost Memory
Devotion of the Heart
The Piccadilly Waltz
On The Seventh
The Final Dedication

CD2

After All
Dusty Road to Beijing
I Hear Your Heart
August
Ripples of Life
Lost in My Sorrow
Our Sunken Prayers
Sweet Bed
Living a Lie
Breathing

CD3

Winter Sun
From Now On
Chiffon Stars
By The Esplanade
Hush Hush Birdland
Our Promise To Love
Leaving James
The Hesitant Road
Together Apart
Wonder World

Press Release

Piano Spa is an anthology of successful New Age Instrumental albums.

The Piano Spa series is a collection of Original Instrumental compositions that have been described by listeners as “healing”, “relaxing” and “inspiring”.

Unknown to many, the Piano Spa series is probably the best-selling Instrumental series to emerge from our very own Singapore.

All 7 instalments of Piano Spa have been released in Asia, including the coveted territories of Japan and Korea, chalking up over 70,000 in sales units over the years. That is a remarkable feat for pure instrumental albums without vocals – and largely, without a face as well.

The Singaporean composer behind the Piano Spa series is Chester Tan.

Chester Tan is an award-winning Singapore composer who has published over 100 piano instrumental compositions under the “Piano Spa” title series. The series has been so successful that it has propelled Composer, Arranger and Producer, Chester Tan, to the status of a top local instrumentalist. Testament to this achievement is his 4-consecutive year win (from 2011 to 2014) at the annual COMPASS Awards as Top Local Composer – Instrumental and COMPASS Young Composer of the year for year 2011.

The Piano Spa series was conceptualized in 2005 by Warner Music Singapore’s A&R Director, Mr James Kang.

Says Mr Kang: “There were many Instrumental artistes who were revered by Singaporeans for their beautiful works. Artistes with original instrumental compositions such as Nicholas Gunn, Kevin Kern were wildly popular here. Singaporeans seemed to crave relaxing, soft music giving them relief from the daily hectic lifestyle. So I thought, why not have our very own? By chance, I heard the early works of Chester Tan, and was immediately captured by his delicate piano skills and his strength in composing. His piano-based works have a dreamy and relaxing quality, which immerses you like a spa atmosphere.”

To freshen and reinvent the sound for the latest instalment of Piano Spa, Chester Tan teams up with another prolific local composer, Bevlyn Khoo. Bevlyn Khoo, who has previously released 5 vocal albums, makes her foray into Instrumental music by co-writing and contributing 10 tracks for this release.

Bevlyn Khoo states that “I have always been enthralled by the idea that music is a universal language, so when Chester raised the idea of a collaboration, I jumped at it. It's a new exploration for me to create stories without the use of any spoken language, and I'm glad that Chester and I have a newly found chemistry.”

Award-winning Singapore composer Chester Tan share his thoughts “While working on the last Piano Spa album in 2011, I met Bevlyn and developed a mutual appreciation for each other's talents. So, while planning Piano Spa 7, I asked her if she would be keen to write piano music.
Bevlyn is an experienced songwriter who understands the musical style that I was looking for in Piano Spa 7. Her compositions are melodious, catchy, and it has been a great delight producing her songs.

I have been composing for the Piano Spa series since 2005, producing over 100 tracks in 5 albums. I enjoy writing piano music because I find solace in writing them. Every song describes a part of my life, and each Piano Spa album is my music diary.”

Official website: www.piano-spa.com

I'm going to start doing a periodic digest of stuffs I have learnt over the past days or weeks. This will help periodic readers to learn about music, photo, and tech news I have gathered but too lazy to cover the topic as a full blog post.

CES 2015

The annual Consumer Electronics Show is just over. The CES is the biggest tech show in United States and features loads of futuristic tech and newly released products to attract visitors. I'm not going to cover what other professional tech journalists have done - just google and their articles should show up - but I'm going to mention some of the products that stirs my interest.

LG G Flex 2 - LG brings back the G Flex predecessor after more than a year. Having reviewed the original Flex, the new one is smaller (which is good), full HD higher screen, similar self-healing back. Basically a refresh, and is probably launched just to cater for the segment of techies who want to own curvy devices.

ASUS Zenfone Zoom - ASUS managed to squeeze a zoom lens in a smartphone without any protrusion. I'm looking forward to review this! It's one thing to build an optical zoom lens, but another to see if it offers low-lag shooting performance and good optical image quality.

Dell XPS 13 (2015) - visitors were wowed by the newest Dell XPS, but if you want to google this product, just watch out. Dell always re-uses the model name so you might end up reading old product specs. The new XPS 13 has a 15-hour battery life and edge-to-edge 13-inch screen in a 11-inch size, and weighs about 1.2kg, The entry model has a price that barely passed S$1000, and with the acclaimed battery life, this is an awesome ultrabook to look out for.

Lenovo LaVie Z - the 13.3-inch ultrabook weighs from 780 grams and has 6 hour battery life. This ultrabook is designed by NEC, and notice the absent "ThinkPad" brand, which means don't expect ThinkPad-like keyboard. If you needed a super lightweight ultrabook, this is the one to get.

OPPO R5 Under Review

I collected the OPPO R5 which I won on the eve of my birthday. I should be publishing the review next week. Overall, I love the device experience so far, but the phone will not satisfy power users who need faster processor and larger battery. I do like the OPPO R5 camera performance.

Petalite Flux - Indiegogo

Petalite sent me a press release about this battery pack that can charge up in 15 minutes. Do note that it's not the smartphone but the battery pack itself that can be charged in 15 minutes. It would still take as long time as other battery packs to charge up your devices, but at least when the battery pack is drained, it will take just 15 minutes and then you are ready to go again. The battery pack is a mere 2600mAh.

Head over to Indiegogo if you are interested to buy one.

Piano Spa 7: Free Delivery

After feedback that the CD is hard to find in Singapore retail stores (last check: only HMV Marina Square has it) I have made my CD album available for online purchase and free delivery within Singapore. Visit this link for the purchase at S$20.

Revamped Site

Noticed I changed my website look and feel? Ya it's about time. Thanks to CJS for the revamp, her designs usually cater to lifestlye bloggers with elaborate header image. Mine is probably the first she has done that is more formal.

Do give me your comments on the new look, and what other ways it can be improved.

Signing off for now. See you next week!

On my birthday eve, I attended the OPPO R5 roadshow to try and smash some walnuts with the R5. Long story short, I won the R5!

A week later, I went to its flagship store to collect.

The location is so good, I don't even need to tell you the exact address. Its entrance faces the Suntec City atrium located between Tower 3 and 4. The store front is huge and spacious, serving both retail and service centre. I was impressed by the wide range of smartphone models on display.

OPPO brand is also established in digital audio products.

Before the staff handed me the R5, they unwrapped the unit and asked me to fill up the carbon-copy warranty slip behind the instruction manual so that the unit is registered for warranty support.

Packaging

The OPPO R5 box is made of quality plastic (great for repurposing). Inside the package you will find the VOOC quick charger, VOOC USB cable, earphones, USB-to-audio adapter, the R5 phone unit, and an ultrathin plastic case. Overall, thoughtful packaging from a China company.

Design

Thanks to the unbreakable steel frame, the R5 feels stunningly solid on hand. If you were to scrutinise the edges, actually the frame is slightly angled such that the rear face is smaller than the front face. This subtle angle enhances the comfort while holding the R5. Such is the attention to details that I have to commend OPPO for.

The camera module protrudes out but the protrusion is surrounded by a metal frame to add durability - another thoughtful design detail. There is no 3.5mm jack due to the thinness, but the included USB-to-audio adapter will let you plug in your favourite wired headsets. The power and volume buttons are well placed within the reach of my fingers.

If you love a solid phone, the OPPO R5 will please you much.

Interface

OPPO calls its customised UI "ColorOS". Currently in ColorOS 2.0, the UI reminds me of Xiaomi's MIUI. ColorOS 2.0 supports theme and wallpaper downloads, Security app to offer granular app permission controls and data management, quick icons to easily close resident apps and flush RAM to optimise performance. While I find MIUI has more advanced features, the OPPO ColorOS 2.0 is more sleek and less overwhelming, satisfying the modern stylish consumer who abhors the loud-colour large-icon look.

Screen

The OPPO R5 has a 5.2-inch OLED screen. Colour is natural, almost neutral with a tinge of warmth without looking saturated. A screen protector is pre-applied from factory, and provides a less reflective glare when used in strong lighting. At 1080x1920, the screen is sharp and well-contrasted.

OPPO is founded in 2004 and has a line-up of great phones that has won fans all over the world. The N1 and the upcoming N3 have a unique swivel camera design, and the Find 7 is a top-spec smartphone that is cheaper than the big brands.

OPPO is relatively unknown in Singapore, but has made a name for itself in the smartphone tech community with its low price high spec approach. I am very excited that they are investing to make a huge presence, and comes up with beautiful smartphones like the R5. Here are 3 more things I like about the OPPO R5.

3. On-screen Gestures

I really like OPPO implementation of gestures. Here are my favourites:

Double tap to wake up screen.

Double tap home to turn off screen.

Slide screen with 2 fingers to adjust volume.

Slide screen up-down action with 3 fingers to do screen capture.

Pinch 4 fingers inwards to start camera

Swipe from lower corner to middle of screen to shrink display for one-hand use.

With these gestures, I don't even have to touch the hardware buttons.

Then there is also this "misoperation prevention" feature where the phone will remain locked if the proximity sensor is blocked. This happens say if your phone is in your bag or in your pocket and you accidentally press the power button.

2. Fast Charging

Using the VOOC charger and cable that carries a high current of 5A over 5V, the OPPO R5's 2000mAh battery can be charged from 10% to 100% in less than 50 minutes. The battery will charge to 75% in less than 30 minutes.

Fast charging is very convenient, as I no longer need to leave my phone charged overnight. With OPPO R5, I can charge it full before I go to sleep (instead of leaving the charger on overnight for 7+ hours). During the day, I can also do quick charges when I need to maintain the phone with optimal battery load. No longer do I need to leave the phone on charger all the time, just in case I needed full load but afraid I have no time to complete the charge.

1. Impressive Camera

I am surprised with the OPPO R5 13MP rear camera performance and image quality. Camera shooting response is very fast, there are many useful shooting modes.

Ultra HD: with this mode, the camera captures multiple shots of the same scene and saves in 50MP. When I zoom in, I can really see improved details compared to the native 13MP. It is great for shooting detailed scenes where you might want to do super-crop.

Cropping at the top right corner.

Super Macro: again not a gimmick, what the OPPO R5 does is that the macro view is zoomed in. So, instead of moving the lens really close to the subject, the macro mode lets you shoot from a distance yet the image fills up the frame. And the macro details are all there.

Below shots are taken at the same distance from object

Double exposure: lets me do creative photography without hassle.

RAW: you can capture in DNG format, a universal lossless digital format.

Expert Mode: allows you to adjust shutter speed (up to 32s), ISO, white balance, and focus length.

I like that the images are not over-processed. There are pleasant image noise but sufficient details to extract. For low-light images, there are fair amount of noise removal but the result is clean without looking blotchy. It's not the best low-light camera. The rear flash LED is tuned towards the daylight tone, which is great. The front camera is 5MP, satisfying selfie lovers with high pixels and built-in beauty mode.

But, But and But

I really enjoy using the OPPO R5. Beautiful to hold, beautiful UI to use, fast camera to capture the moments I desire. There are 3 things that will prevent consumers from committing to this stunning machine.

1. Small battery

With a mere 2000mAh, any power user would inclined away from this smartphone. Then again, didn't all iPhones have small battery capacity too? On normal days without intensive use, the R5 lasted 11 hours on average. On extreme days when I shot a lot of photos, image uploading to social websites and played with the phone more frequently, the phone lasted a mere 5-7 hours.

Fortunately for those who value form over function, you can get a portable VOOC Power Bank that could charge up the phone as fast as the VOOC AC charger.

2. No external memory slot

This is another bane that power users will dislike. Then again, don't iPhones have the same situation? But that's why iPhones have variants with larger storage space, whereas OPPO R5 doesn't. That's probably not that big concern for non-power users. Unless you do a lot video content, you are not likely to use up the storage space in a short time. Always backup your content online or download to your nearest computer, regardless of your phone storage size.

3. Processor and RAM

The OPPO R5 runs on Qualcomm dual quad-core processor (4x 1.7GHz, 4x 1.0GHz) with 2GB RAM. It could not match the mainstream quad-core 2.5GHz processors found in HTC One M8, but it runs relatively smooth (at least it feels snappier than the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge - serious!). Though at times, the launcher has to reload the home screen pages and widgets for seconds before I can access. Insufficient memory, perhaps, but no app crashes. So, unless you are comparing with the best of the Android smartphones, the R5 does not really feel too underwhelmed.

Conclusion

The OPPO R5 is an engineering feat, the thinnest smartphone in the world. To meet that goal, some sacrifices have to be made. Thin means less space for a battery, means not wise to fit a powerful processor to suck up the battery, means no space for additional microSD card slot. But thin means sleek, beauty, style, and the steel frame ensures durability and structural integrity. So strong, that you can knock a nail into the wood, or get run over by a car.

So is it worth a buy? If you are not a heavy user, does not comstantly use the phone all day or require expandable storage space, the OPPO R5 is one great phone. I would love to bring it to social events, slipping the svelte phone into my pocket, capturing the moments with the awesome camera.

The OPPO R5 is built for beauty, not for workhorse. Put that expectation aside, and you are going to love the OPPO R5 inside out.

SpecsOS: ColorOS 2.0, based on Android 4.4

Processor: 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Octa-Core (MSM8939)
GPU: Adreno 405
RAM: 2 GB
Storage: 16 GB
Battery: 2000 mAh Li-Polymer battery with Rapid Charge
Display: 5.2-inch AMOLED 16million colours
Weight: 155 g
Camera

Main sensor: 13-megapixel Sony Exmor IMX214 BSI sensor
Front sensor: 5-megapixel front-facing 83 degree wide angle lens
Aperture: f/2.0 for both cameras
Scene modes: Normal, Ultra-HD, Colorful Night, Slow Shutter, Expert Mode, Beautify, HDR, Panorama, Audio Photo, GIF, Double Exposure, Raw, Super Marco, After Focus

Other Features: 1080p video @ 30 fps, 720p slow motion video @120 fps
Network: GSM850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA850/900/1900/2100, FDD-LTE B1/3/7, TD-LTE B40
Hardware: Micro USB, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/a, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, GPS
SIM Card: Micro SIM
Color: Silver, Gold
Dimensions: 148.9 × 74.5 × 4.85 mm
Weight: 155 g
In the box: OPPO R5, In-ear type earphones, USB-to-3.5mm Audio Adaptor, Micro USB cable, VOOC mini Rapid Charger, SIM ejector tool

Reviewed by Chester Tan
Rating: 3.7 of 5

If the length of the blog is determined by the price of the product, then I better keep this article short. After all, the Mi Band costs a mere S$19.99. It is the cheapest branded activity tracker.

Before buying, do check if your smartphone is running the latest Android 4.4. Anything lower cannot work. I made a mistake of buying one for my dad, not realising that his Xiaomi Redmi Note 3G is still running in Android 4.2. I foolishly assumed that any Xiaomi smartphones launched in the last 12 months should already be running on the latest OS.

Anyway, his loss is my gain. He passed the band to me and I installed it on my HTC One M8 without any hiccup.

Why, you may ask, should you get the Mi Band, and for what purpose?

1. Track your daily physical activity

Right. Er... so, what is the purpose of tracking your steps, your sleeping hours, your calories burned, etc.?

To me, the only purpose is to gather data. The Mi Band - or any fitness band - provides such data for you to understand what your body has been doing all day long. If you set a workout goal, such data is important, but if setting workout goal is a critical purpose for an fitness band, you would probably have bought a more expensive brand. So, speaking for the rest of the general public who is willing to pay only $19.99 for a fitness gadget, this band will capture data of your body activity.

One aspect of tracking that may interest some of you is sleep tracking. Mi Band magically detects whether you are in deep sleep, light sleep, or awake. Of course, it's all based on the movement detection on the Mi Band. So if you tend to move your hands during sleep, the Mi Band detects as light sleep. Whatever the case, it offers an insight on how you sleep at night, whether you toss and turn regularly or sleep like a log.

2. Morning Alarm

This is my FAVOURITE feature for any activity tracker (and it's probably just me). Mi Band wakes me up subtly by vibrating on my wrist. It does not disturb my wife, it does not irritate me with an audible alarm which I need to reach out to deactivate. In the event that I snoozed the alarm and got up of the bed, I do not have to worry about forgetting to turn off the snooze alarm on my phone sitting next to my bed. Even if the alarm goes of on the Mi Band, it is with me, inaudibly vibrating. And since the Mi Band is waterproof, I could disable it even with wet fingers.

3. Smartphone Integration

For non-Xiaomi phone users, the Mi Band vibrates when there are incoming calls. For Xiaomi phone users, the Mi Band can auto-unlock if the phone is within proximity. And without a display screen, the Mi Band is very limited in displaying smartphone information like some other activity trackers could do.

4. Battery Life

This is probably the strongest reason for getting a Mi Band. The battery life is 30 days, so you literally wear and forget that it's a piece of battery-operated gadget. This is unlike most other fitness bands where you need to charge once every few days. Besides, there is nothing to fiddle with on the Mi Band unlike other fitness bands where you can press buttons to see display information. So you literally wear and forget about it, allowing the Mi Band to track your activity without distractions.

5. Customisation

The Mi Band device is actually very small, and so you can actually customise with colour straps or pendant holders so you are not limited to wearing on your wrists. You could even clip it on your keychain for those who dislike wearing the band.

6. Price

Xiaomi has once again made a tech product so affordable that everyone can own one. Need a cheap but good headset? Mi Earphones. Want a cheap but good power bank? Mi has it.

Not for Mi?

If the Mi Band is not good enough for you, there are a lot of brands out there who are more established. Do look out for their features and make sure you are paying more for features not available in Mi Band. If the Mi Band feature list is all you need, then there is no reason to pay many times more.

Still considering hard? Come on, it's just S$19.99.

In this digest, I'll be covering activity trackers, Bluetooth speakers, blogger engagement, and a few contests.

Activity Tracker

I completed the review of the Xiaomi Mi Band (head to the link if you have not read it). At the same time, I got hold of the Huawei TalkBand B1, which is a totally different kind of activity tracker. From the Instagram photo I posted, you should be able to tell how different. Review out next week.

Huawei TalkBand B1 is a Bluetooth headset that docks onto a fitness band. #review #tech #fitness #wearable #smartwatch
A photo posted by Chester Tan (@musicdiary) on Jan 13, 2015 at 4:13pm PST

Tracker Watches for Children

Speaking of activity trackers, there is a dearth of trackers specifically for children in this part of the world. There are a few companies that are making it happen (hereO, Filip, TicTocTrack). The challenge is that these existing products cannot be used in Singapore. One of the larger smartwatch makers must quickly take this up and get it out globally.

So what are our options in Singapore till the day these cute watches become available? Now I'm trying out Life360 to track my daughter via her mobile phone. The benefit of using Life360 is that the app is available in Android, iOS and Windows Phone. As a parent, if you are concerned about sharing your own location to your children, it is possible to disable the tracking. The drawback is that so can your tech-savvy children.

Logitech X300 Is Good, Says Friend

And since I had the Logitech X300 with me (where I concluded is better than UE Mobile Boombox which was the version before UE Mini Boom), I passed to him for a listen. He kind of regretted buying the Kai 2, and a week later, he bought the X300 to make things right.

Sony SRS-X3 vs. Bose SoundLink Mini

So the same friend told me that his research on the wireless speaker led him to uncover that there are claims that Sony SRS-X3 is comparable to Bose SoundLink Mini. That caught my attention, so I promptly asked Sony PR agency, Waggener Edstrom, if they could provide a review unit. And they actually did! Awesome folks. Review posting soon.

This is the Sony SRS-X3 portable Bluetooth speaker. Sparkling treble and tangible sub-bass. #review #speaker #sound #red #audio
A photo posted by Chester Tan (@musicdiary) on Jan 15, 2015 at 4:46pm PST

Blogger Engagement: Does It Really Work?

As described in The Loving Mum's blog post, blogger engagement should be employed as part of a larger traditional campaign to be effective. I also agree that some people who click "like" on posts are mere "tappers", and does not translate to real sales. But I agree that the "like" counters certainly represents the extent of reach that the post has achieved. If the marketing strategy is to create awareness, then getting any bloggers with large followers will do the job. I hope companies will be smarter in how they engage bloggers, and most importantly, not to expect magic from the social media channel on its own.

SharePop

SharePop contacted me to share their new service with me, which is basically to earn money by sharing apps. I'm all for sharing apps, but I'm not that convinced about the ability for me to monetize successfully. As an independent reviewer, it would be difficult to be objective about my reviews if they are dangled with a prize carrot. I'm sure there are other bloggers out there who can do this better, so I'm sharing this piece of news here.

ASUS Giveaway Campaign

ASUS has informed me of a giveaway campaign to celebrate 500-million computer motherboard sales and being the number 1 in motherboard sales.

ASUS fans worldwide are invited to enter to win great prizes in their ‘500-million motherboards’ competition. Continuing to 12th February, 2015, visitors to the campaign website, at http://www.asus.com/Microsite/mb/ASUSMB1st, are encouraged to enter by sharing the site on your Facebook or answering a short quiz relating to the history of ASUS. The grand prize is one-of-a-kind PC based on a limited-edition Sabertooth Mark S motherboard and encased in a unique ASUS TUF case mod. Weekly prizes include RT-AC87U dual-band AC2400 routers, S1 Mobile LED projectors, and the ultra-compact VivoPC VM40B.

Logitech UE Boom Contest

Logitech shared with me a contest to give 2 winners a pair of Sky Dining vouchers with $400 when purchasing either UE Mini Boom or UE Boom at any EpiCentre store in Singapore. Promotion ends 5 Feb 2015. Visit this link for promotion details.

And have you heard UE has announced the MEGABOOM? It's even bigger and louder than the Boom. I'll talk more if and when I get a review unit.

Piano Spa 7 Music Sheets Now Available

Last week, I shared that my Piano Spa 7 album can be purchased directly from my blog and delivered to you. This week, I'm excited to share that I will be publishing the piano music sheets on www.pianoccio.com , a site managed by Singapore twin-sister composer-pianists, Low Shao Suan and Low Shao Ying.

Moonlight Waves from Piano Spa 7. Sheet music available for piano lovers http://www.pianoccio.com/product/moonlight-waves/ #piano #sheet #music #score #album #instrumental #song #relax #soothing #spa #yoga #calming #beautiful #flipagram ♫ made with @flipagram @pianospa
A video posted by Chester Tan (@musicdiary) on Jan 13, 2015 at 6:33pm PST

For now, I have "Moonlight Waves" and "Leaving James". If you have a song you want to see it in music sheet, let me know in the comments below.

If you want your product or event to be featured in this digest, email me.

If I were to summarise what Huawei TalkBand B1 is, I would say it is a Bluetooth headset that functions as a fitness band.

It appears like an ordinary fitness band, but when I place the TalkBand to my ears, observers stared in amazement. The TalkBand has a single button to power the device, activate the display, answer calls. Voice quality is decent, and the other party seems to have no problems hearing me when I use this in outdoor environment.

The strap-band is actually a dock with a hidden USB port to charge the device. Very convenient, considering most other activity tracker requires you to remove the hardware from the strap to plug into a separate dock to charge.

Good

Multi-purpose activity tracker that lets you answer phone calls by ejecting the device and place it on your ear. It is great for people who are looking for a Bluetooth headset as well as a basic activity tracker. This is also an awesome way to store your Bluetooth headset without wearing it all day.

The TalkBand detects whether the headset is on the fitness band and directs the audio accordingly. So if the headset is undocked, smartphone audio and voice calls will be passed to the headset. Otherwise, audio and voice calls will be played on the phone. This implementation allows me to choose whether to listen audio from my smartphone speaker (when headset is docked on the band) or to listen from the headset (by removing headset from the band). On normal headsets, I would have to manually change the audio source between headset and smartphone.

Rather good battery life. Mine lasted over 4 days. It depends on the duration of your talk time via the headset. You can track the battery percentage via the TalkBand app on your smartphone.

Rated IP57 waterproof (submerge in water up to 30 mins), so you can take your calls in harsh weather conditions.

Limitations

Does not support gesture to wake up display and tell the time
TalkBand can only receive voice call notification and nothing else
Incoming calls display only phone number, not contact name (although the manual seems to suggest that displaying name is possible, perhaps the device is not fully compatible with the HTC One M8 I am using for this review)
The TalkBand uses a low-res Film OLED screen that can only display basic information, no fancy graphics and no colours,
The TalkBand app has basic features that will not satisfy consumers who needed a more comprehensive tracking app. In comparison, the Sony SmartBand Talk and Lifelog identifies the type of activity you are engaged in and breaks them down.

Conclusion

I did not enjoy as much using the TalkBand compared to the other activity trackers mainly because I don't make a lot of voice calls and the non-headset functions are not better than the competitors. But when I do use it for taking calls, I find the TalkBand immensely handy. It feels light on your wrist, and a great way to store the headset when not in use instead of hanging on my ear all the time. At S$249, you are really paying for a snazzy Bluetooth headset rather than a comprehensive activity tracker.

Available at Huawei retail store at Plaza Singapura or their online store.

Specs

Size (Length x Width x Depth)

Large: 247.5 x 19.3 x 14.6 mm
Small: 221.5 x 19.3 x 14.6 mm

Weight: 26.2g (Headset:9.4g; Band:16.8g)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
Battery: 90mAh
Display: 1.4-inch flexible OLED
Working time: 6 days (Depend on wireless call usage time)
Standby time: 14 days (BT connection off)
Charging time: less than 2 hours
Button: Single button control
Interface: Standard USB charging (On band)
Water and dust resistance: IP57
Supported OS: Android 4.0+, IOS5.0+
Colours: Black, Grey, Blue, Pink, Yellow

Reviewed by Chester Tan
Rating: 3.7 of 5

Writing this digest is keeping me disciplined. Every digest is actually completed within a morning. This is different from my other blogs where I could take several days to complete. This tests my spontaneity in producing articles, a refreshing challenge to cut down on procrastination,

This week, some product information and other mundane thoughts.

About Fitness Band and Android Lollipop Update

This week, I posted my review on the Huawei TalkBand B1. I'm still using it after I finished my review, and I still enjoy taking calls with it and snapping it back after that. What I do miss is the ability to recall last phone number and dial out, similar to what normal Bluetooth headsets could do. Also, adjust volume. What Huawei could do is to place these buttons on the other side of the headset.

I would have loved to revert to my cheap ZGPax S28 smartwatch if not for the fact that I had updated the HTC One M8 to Android Lollipop 5.0 which made the BTNotification app incompatible. Really missed the phone notification, so now I have to check my phone once a while. It does not help when the new Lollipop OS actually hid all notification icons on lock screen, which means I have to unlock the phone before I can see if I have any notifications, unless I turn on the feature to view notification cards in lock screen. No big deal. The new Lollipop interface is a refreshing change, I can't say I love it to bits, but it's new, and people tend to like new things.

About Indulging In Relaxing Piano Music

I need to share this again, in case you miss it. My new piano CD album, Piano Spa 7, is in stores and in iTunes. Why should you buy it?

Because it is my labour of love and you like to support me.
Because I'm not a celebrity or pop star to get huge sales easily, so every sale count.
Because I think people who are working hard deserves to de-stress.
Because you don't like loud pumping music.
Because you like music to blend into what you are doing, not intrude.
Because you love relaxing music but not those ambient spa kind where you hear sounds of sea waves or birds or wind.

I was on leave on Friday, so I took time to rip some of my old Classical CDs, brings back memories as I listened to them. Classical music never runs out of style. So today I was playing them on the Sony SRS-X3 speaker (review next week), but they just don't quite put me in focus. Classical music can get too dramatic with dynamic passages that might just scare you a bit here and there. Then when I switched to Piano Spa 7, ok it sounds really better (Jeez, I'd wish this was written by someone else because it sounded so pushy that I am saying all these right, like, selling my wares).

Buy from iTunes or physical CD.

Windows 10 is Coming in 2015

Microsoft made a big announcement this week on Windows 10. Yep, they skipped "9" because they claim this is one huge change in the operating system mindset. First of all, existing Windows 7 to 8.1 owners can get FREE upgrade for the first year when it is officially launched. Second, the same OS will be running on all Windows platforms - phone, tablets, laptops, desktops. Also, Windows 10 will have a greater presence in more Windows products, like Xbox, Office. I am looking forward to tighter convergence between smartphones and desktops, and that could really swing a handful of consumers to Windows Phone.

I leave the heavy stuff for your reading at the official Windows 10 site.

WhatsApp Web - Here Finally

You can finally use WhatsApp on your laptop or desktop, via Chrome web browser. The caveat is that your smartphone from which the actual WhatsApp app is running must be connected online. Once the web session is connected, it will remain persistent, so the session automatically re-connects when you re-open the browser again in future. Available for users on Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, Nokia S60. No iPhone. Visit web.whatsapp.com for more info on how to use.

This is the first big step, and I am sure WhatsApp will enhance this capability to maybe a standalone desktop app. Frankly, this could drive me back to use WhatsApp again after advocating Telegram for all these months. But Telegram is still superior because I can use it across multiple smartphones, whereas WhatsApp is only extending the single smartphone session to multiple browsers. So I still got the hassle of migrating my database from one smartphone to another, and I cannot liberally access Whatsapp from another smartphone. The only thing Telegram lacks is the adoption rate.

FantaStick BA700 - Premium Selfie Stick

Is selfie stick still in-thing? Here's one that is bright-coloured and comes with a power bank, so you have more excuse to carry one around. Selling at $89 each at ante@Tangs Orchard Level 3, EpiCentre, EpiLife and istudio.

ASUS GTX960 $369, free ASUS Strix mousepad

ASUS has launched a new graphics card with "exclusive ASUS technologies, including DirectCU II for cooler, quieter and faster performance for incredible action gaming, and 0dB fan technology for totally-silent light gameplay. The new card features feature exclusive ASUS Super Alloy Power components for enhanced durability and cooling, and GPU Tweak with XSplit Gamecaster for overclocking and online streaming that’s as simple as it is flexible. Strix GTX 960 comes equipped with a DisplayPort interface to support connections up to 4K/UHD (ultra-high definition) resolution."

OK, you can tell the above is taken from the PR material right? But the gist is that this is another graphics card for your consideration if you are into gaming. I'm not. In any case, if you are a gamer and you are interested, I'm not the best resource to give you more info. There is one awesome place you can do your research, and that is GOOGLE search engine. I'm betting you there are tons of information out there, including specs, reviews, benchmarks, etc.

adMingle

I got approached via email by adMingle to join them to monetize my blog. adMingle is another influencer marketing network, just like Nuffnang or GushCloud. Although adMingle is new to Singapore, they are a global company with presence in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Holland, Israel.

Companies are constantly trying to entice bloggers to monetize their online influence. Sounds good? I beg to differ. By joining these program, you are gradually distancing yourself from freedom to blog what you want. Here's the paradox: the reason for blogging is to share what you love, and NOT for money (unless you are going for the money). The purpose of joining these programs is to make money. So, if you start getting loads of campaigns, do you choose to decline (and not make money), or do you choose to accept (and not blog freely about topics you love)? Even if the campaign topic is within your area of interest, would you have the mental freedom to really write what you want, or would you be trying to put a few good words to increase the popularity of the post and therefore increase the conversion rate (and monetary rewards)?

Having said that, this program still works for some bloggers - bloggers with sizable followers who interacts actively with the blogger content. With a simple post with relatively low effort, these bloggers can get the kind of response that easily makes money. But for the majority of the bloggers who do not have such enthusiastic followers, I wouldn't waste time writing blog posts that I am enticed to just because of the possibility that it can make some money (when it probably won't).

Despite my opinion over this, I am happy to share this with you, and for those who really want to earn money from blogging, this is one one company you can consider joining. Visit their website to read more.

The Back Story

My friend Peter was looking for cheap portable speakers for home use. I recommended the Logitech X300, but having good experience with his current X-Mini, he went ahead to buy the X-Mini Kai 2 which had additional features, like daisy-chain other X-Mini speakers, acts as Bluetooth transceiver. Then, probably due to post-purchase dissonance (a typical consumer behaviour), he did more research on portable speakers and found this article, which concluded that the Logitech UE Mini Boom is the best.

And since I had the Logitech X300 with me (where I concluded is better than UE Mobile Boombox which was the version before UE Mini Boom), I passed to him for a listen. A week later, he bought the X300.

So what's this got to do with this review?

Discovery

Well, during his research for his wireless portable speaker, he came across a review of the Sony SRS-X3 which compares favourably to Bose SoundLink Mini. Now, any speaker that pits favourably against the Mini Bose will pique my interest. Is Sony SRS-X3 that good?

I promptly asked the Sony PR agency, Waggener Edstrom, if there are review units. They responded favourably and managed to get me a review unit, specially for me! Awesome thanks!

Sony SRS-X3 Specs

Speaker system: 2 speakers + 2 passive radiators
Frequency: 60-16,000 Hz
Amplifier Output: 10W x 2
Speaker diameter: 34mm
Speaker impedance: 4 ohm
Sound Technology: ClearAudio+ Virtual Surround Sound
Wireless Connection: Bluetooth v2.1 +EDR, NFC
Bluetooth Range: 10m
Dimension (WHD): 185 x 67 x 66 mm
Weight: 850g
Battery Life: 7 hours
Colours: Red, Black

Design

The Sony SRS-X3 design is unassumingly simple but effectively stylish thanks to the contrasting colour accents around the edges. Like most wireless speakers, the micro USB charging port and 3.5mm audio jack is located at the rear, while all the operating buttons are at the top. You will find the power button, volume buttons, audio (3.5mm) button, Bluetooth button, call answer button, ClearAudio+ button. Wireless pairing can be achieved easily via NFC or the manual Bluetooth method.

Sound

The Sony SRS-X3 impresses me with its treble production. It's bright, clear and controlled. If you enable the ClearAudio+, the treble instantly gets lited off the veil and you can hear more instrumentation. The ClearAudio+ does not work for all songs, all the more reason there is this button to enable or disable easily. The mid range could be slightly elevated to improve the presence. Compared to Bose SoundLink Mini, the X3 delivers brighter louder treble. Compared to the Creative ROAR, the X3 treble is crispier and cleaner.

As for the bass, the X3 can produce audible deep bass! But when the treble gets prominent, the bass loses the sub-woofer resonance. Perhaps that is the reason why Bose's speaker have its treble frequency tweaked to be somewhat more laid-back. The delivery of the deep bass effect on the X3 really depends on the volume setting. When volume is moderate, the treble is moderate enough for the bass to shine. When volume is turned up excessively, the frequency balance goes haywire. Upper mid-range takes over, tweeter gets suppressed by the audio processing limiter, and the low bass struggles to be heard. The X3 can be really loud, but the music becomes noisy and unenjoyable.

The X3 is a wonderful speaker for playing classical, jazz, Latin, instrumental genres in moderate volumes because it's sparkling treble brings out the bright instruments, while the lower bass offers depth, completing the listening experience. X3 is also very enjoyable when watching movies, you can hear the full spectrum of audio, from the dialogue to high-frequency effects and the boomy bass.

When battery level gets low, the X3 will automatically limit the volume amplifier and the "charge" light starts blinking to inform you to start charging. It takes about 2-3 hours to charge the speaker until the indicator light goes off.

Impressions Against Other Brands

Here's an overall comparison against other brands I've reviewed:

Logitech X300. At half the price, the X300 lacks treble clarity and real bass, but makes up with a flat frequency. When the X3 starts playing, you will immediately notice how the audio spectrum expands to the high and the low frequencies.

Creative ROAR. Priced also at S$199, the ROAR is a multi-purpose wonder. Feature-wise, ROAR has a lot more bang for the buck. Audio-wise, ROAR is also much louder and more kick, great for pop music and for parties. But Sony X3 is more refined and delivers controlled audio, better for music appreciation at moderate volumes.

Bose SoundLink Mini. For S$100 more, you are paying for the consistent deep bass quality, a solid metal block, and a premium brand. The X3 would offer a more satisfying treble though.

UE Boom. You are paying for its ability to survive the wildest parties - shockproof, waterproof, loud. Not for critical listening.

Conclusion

This is the first Sony wireless speaker I have reviewed, and once again Sony has delighted me with their audio quality. The sound character is its clear detailed treble, and the deep bass subwoofer effect is comparable to Bose SoundLink Mini (only when the treble is not overpowering). The Sony SRS-X3 works best at moderate volume, and is not meant to be a loud sound machine. If you can't bear to spend on the Bose SoundLink Mini, the Sony SRS-X3 is the closest that I have found to achieve deep bass response.

Reviewed by Chester Tan
Rating: 4.5 of 5

It's another exciting week outside my work - some music stuff, photography stuff, tech stuff... well, isn't that what my blog is all about?

D-Link: Review Coming

D-Link is one of the brands that recently reach out to me for engagement. Their price? Courier fees to deliver the products to me for review. I do not charge for attending events and reviewing products, but I am picky about which products to review (hopefully that does not result in a horde of products coming my way from today!).

If you read my reviews carefully, you can see that I dedicate time to test the products and give my thoughts. So, if I don't have any affinity with the products I am provided, it is not possible for me to write a good article.

Anyway, D-Link has passed me a product which is a Wi-Fi Audio Extender. What does it do? Well, look out for my review next week! But if you are looking at re-purposing your old stereo set to stream music, this is the product to get!

Philips Fidelio Product Launch

A ride around Southern Islands #Singapore where #Philips showcases latest #Fidelio products. #tech #review #sg50 #audio #headphones #speaker #soundbar #boat #yacht
A photo posted by Chester Tan (@musicdiary) on Jan 29, 2015 at 12:59am PST

Philips is also another brand that is going strong on social media engagement. They invited me to their launch of Fidelio 2015 audio line. None of them costs below S$400, so Philips is targeting at audiophiles and music lovers. I'll talk more in a separate article because there are a sizable content to share. Watch out for my article posting next week.

Ann Bai An 白安

While browsing my social feed, I came across this Taiwan artist and somehow she caught my attention. Dug deeper and found her songs. She composes music and writes lyrics for all her songs. The strangest part is how she pronounces the Mandarin words. It is borderline irritating, yet distinctively stylish.

I love ballads, so I'm gonna share this YouTube video here for your enjoyment.

She reminds me of Cheer Chen, a Taiwan indie singer with a healthy fan base. I wish her the best in her music career. We need unique artists like her to offer diversity in the Chinese music industry, something that the Western countries are doing really well.

RoomiesCD Vol. 1 "In Our Voices"在我的歌声里

RoomiesCD Vol. 1, entitled "In Our Voices" comprises of 10 original songs written and composed by Singapore local artistes: indie band MuTouRen 木头人, NEA Eco Music Challenge 2013 finalist Good Morning!,YouTube's Latest Sensation Steve Xavier Soh, and award-winning Natalie Hiong& Mint Leong. The launch event was a cozy affair with an informal setting. I left early due to other commitments but I met Mint the following day to collect my press kit which consists of the pre-mastered CD and a bottle of candy from LollyTalk, a local candy brand.

The objective of RoomiesWorld is to offer a platform for local musicians to be featured. Indeed, Singapore needs a lot of such avenues so that people who wants to check out local music can do so. Performing in gigs is a laborious way to be heard: the performers must spend time to perform while the audience has to be there to listen. With platforms like RoomiesWorld, one can check them out online at the comfort of their homes.

收听快乐 (Shou Ting Kuai Le), CNY 2015 song featuring Mediacorp Radio DJs!

InTune Music School has released a music video written by Peng Chi Sheng, featuring MediaCorp Radio DJs and several local indie artists like Aaron Matthew Lim, Bevlyn Khoo, Elaine Lam, Dawn Wong, Lorraine Tan. Production is well done and do share this MV and spread the festive mood this coming Lunar New Year.

Sony World Photography Awards new mobile phone award

The World Photography Organisation has launched a new award dedicated to mobile photography. Photographers have up to 27 Feb to submit their best image inspired by the brief – “You get out of life what you put in. Push past the obvious and see the inspiration all around you. Discover the extraordinary by using your mobile phone to view the world through a different lens.” One winner will be chosen via a public vote, and will be flown to London to attend the Sony World Photography Awards (SWPA) gala ceremony on 23 April 2015.

Entries are free at www.worldphoto.org .

After years of reviewing wireless audio products, I must say that Bluetooth audio quality has improved by leaps and bounds. Today, some Bluetooth audio is so good that a consumer would not be able to tell the difference. But there is one thing that Bluetooth cannot overcome: wireless range. Although there are Bluetooth standards that can reach 100m, those are not commonly found in consumer audio products, which are mostly 10m. To enjoy true freedom, audio streaming over Wi-Fi is a more realistic option. Plus, Wi-Fi audio delivers better sound than Bluetooth.

The D-Link DCH-M225 is a product that delivers audio via Wi-Fi to any speakers via 3.5mm audio jack within the reach of your Wi-Fi network. This product uses the DLNA and Airplay protocols to stream music from devices that supports these protocols.

Setting Up

You can set up the DCH-M225 in 3 ways: use the WPS button to connect to your existing home network, manually log-in to the admin page of the M225, or use a smartphone app. The last method is the easiest. Go to Android Google Play store or iTunes to find "D-Link QRS Mobile" (QRS stands for "Quick Router Setup"). Follow the on-screen instructions and you are ready to go within a minute!

Once successfully connected, the LED on the M225 will turn to green. All you have to do is to connect a 3.5mm audio cable from the M225 to any device with line-in. It can be a stereo Hi-Fi system, or a soundbar, or a portable speaker. On your music source device (it can be a desktop, laptop, smartphone, tablet), open the music app and search for the M225 device under the DLNA network or Airplay network. Select the device to stream music and that's it!

You might experience some lag in adjusting volume, changing tracks, though. But imagine the awesomeness of being able to play music from your smartphone through your high-quality audio system in your living room. There is no need to upgrade your stereo to be wireless-compatible. In fact, the only upgrade you need is spending S$69 on the DCH-M225!

And One Other Thing

The M225 is also a Wi-Fi range extender too! But that is a secondary feature, so don't get this solely for extending range. If the M225 is within the healthy range from your primary home router, then the M225 will be able to extend the Wi-Fi signal and provide good bandwidth, though I often find I get better response if I switch the access point back to my existing router. Also, when moving around the house, the M225 Wi-Fi signal may be less powerful than your dedicated router product, so if your device continues to lock on to the weaker M225 access point instead of your existing better home network, your data quality may suffer. Such are common issues when using any range extender together with your existing router. Nevertheless, the range extender function can come in handy, and might complement your home setup.

Conclusion

For what it is made for, I have no complaints with the DCH-M225. It is easy to set up and works as promised. Price is reasonable considering it functions as a DLNA and Apple Airplay devices.

Specs

Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wireless 802.11/b/g/n up to 300Mbps
Security: WPA2/WPA, WPS
Protocols: Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) QoS, DLNA, AirPlay
Size: 54 x 42 x 54.5mm

Reviewed by Chester Tan
Rating: 3.8 of 5

Philips invited me to an unusual product launch - on a yacht. Arranged by The Right Spin Public Relations firm, the event unveils the 2015 Philips Fidelio range of high-quality audio products on board the Ping Lady Yacht.

The event is presented by WOOX Innovations, the brand licensee of Royal Philips audio product line. A little history lesson: "wOOx Technology" is a brand name created by Philips. Philips eventually branched out the audio line to a separate entity in 2013 and is now owned by Gibson Brands company. The line-up showcases 4 headphones and a soundbar.

Fidelio M2L - one of the first headphones in the market with an iPhone Lightning connector, delivering high-quality 24-bit audio. Available in March 2015 with RRP S$469.

Fidelio M2BT - carrying on the legacy of M1BT, the M2BT is a Bluetooth headphone with NFC for easy pairing. Supports call answering with 2-mics to cut ambient noise for better call quality. Offers 10 hour playtime and 3.5mm cables for direct passthrough audio if your battery runs out. Available in Feb 2015 with RRP S$449.

Fidelio NC1 - NC1 is the first Philips headphone with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature and 30-hour battery life. Available in Feb 2015 with RRP S$499.

Fidelio X2 - This huge premium headphone with 50mm high-definition neodymium drivers and Layered Motion Control (LMC) diaphragm delivers precise and pristine sound. Available in March 2015 with RRP S$499.

Fidelio B5 - this soundbar is made up of the subwoofer, main soundbar unit and 2 detachable 8W battery-powered wireless speakers. Place it anywhere in the room and initiate a quick Spatial calibration and you can enjoy real Dolby surround experience. Each detachable speaker can also work like independent Bluetooth speaker so you can pair it to your devices to play music separately Even the main soundbar can also stream Bluetooth audio. This innovative home product will be available in Feb 2015 with RRP S$1699.

I will comment on their audio quality after I receive review units for testing.

Philips Golden Ears Challenge

Speaking of review, the Philips Sound & Acoustics Innovation Engineer Mr. Lee Kheng Wee shared with us on the process of tweaking the audio characteristics of the products, which involves expert testing and consumer testing to determine the "preferred" sound target. The benchmark of an expert listener is to go though the Golden Ears training, and Philips has published the Golden Ears Challenge on their microsite for the public to test their ears.

So being an audio buff, I took the challenge, which was initially smooth sailing for me. The types of tests are timbre, details, spaciousness, bass, loudness. The stage that stumped me most was the "frequency band" test, which requires you to identify the frequency range (63Hz, 125, 250, 500, 1K, 2K, 4K, 8K) which the music was altered, and whether it was a boost or a cut. There are like 10 questions and with every correct answer, you advance to the next, but with every wrong answer, you return to the previous question. Eventually, I made it through, barely, and I tell myself I must practice more after the completion of this challenge.

This award probably doesn't mean much as it is like a watered-down version of the official authentic Golden Ears test, but it offers me with a good indication of my strengths and weaknesses in my audio capability. It also gives me an insight of where I am and I am proud to say that at least I am qualified to writing my audio product reviews.

Give it a try at http://www.goldenears.philips.com/

Creating photobooks has been an important yet meaningful ritual for me. One, a chance to revisit the moments for the past months. Two, to create a physical momento to be enjoyed with friends and relatives, where the touch of a real book out-experiences on-screen browsing. Lastly, a tangible possession of a visual artwork that would be entirely meaningless if it exists solely in a formless digital media.

I have used Photobook Worldwide since 2007. It is my trusted partner for my photobook projects, from weddings to commissioned portraitures to personal collections. Over the years, they have expanded their on-demand product lines, from photobooks to, at the present, notebooks, posters, calendars, greeting cards, canvas, even the traditional 4R prints. After 7 years, the prints on my books still look fresh and brilliant.

Yesterday, I received my daughter's 8th personal photobook - one for her first month and 7 for each subsequent year.

It totally delights me to see my daughter appreciating the photobooks of her growing years. She would gleefully flip through the pages and would comment on the photos on each page. I hope that through the painstakingly curated collection, she can become more self-aware of her own being and hopefully to evolve into a fine lady.

This week's digest came one day late because I was busy on this Sunday morning. Anyway, it's a short digest this week. Read on.

Creative Sound Blaster JAM

Received another audio product for review. This is a new headset from Creative, currently selling at the Creative online store at an exclusive launch price of S$69. I will publish my review this week or the next. Initial feel: budget-build, wide and detailed treble, not for audiophiles, great for consumers who needs full-function wireless headset at a budget price and loves treble clarity over faithful sound reproduction. Hmm, actually, I might have actually given away my one-liner impression of this product already. Perhaps I should skip my full-length review... Nah, I'll still write a more detailed article.

Android Wear Smartwatches

More than a year ago, I received the Sony Smartwatch 2 and Samsung Galaxy Gear, both running in their own proprietary OS and entirely different experience. This week, I received the Sony Smartwatch 3 and LG G Watch R, both running in the exact same Android Wear OS, and most identical experience. On one hand, it makes my review easier. On the other hand, it makes my comparison more challenging. How does one product differentiate itself from the other if the software is identical? The answer lies in the design and the little intricate user experience details. For example, Sony's screen is in a square format traditional to electronic devices while LG screen is round that is traditional for watchfaces.

Ok Google. Let's see which Android Wear smartwatch is better. #Sony #smartwatch #SW3 #LGGWatchR #androidwear #tech #review #wearable #watchface
A photo posted by Chester Tan (@musicdiary) on Feb 6, 2015 at 12:48am PST

Anyway, you will know my verdict after a week or two. Stay tuned, and let me know if you want me to review any specific area.

D-Link DCH-M225: Tested With Apple Airplay Devices

After I completed my review, I passed the D-Link Wi-Fi Audio Extender to a colleague who has multiple Apple TV and Airport Express at home. He would like to test how this non-Apple Airplay device work together with the originals.

Verdict? The Airplay protocol on the D-Link seems to deliver the wireless audio with a 2-second lag while the other 2 Apple devices stream with good sync. So for now, you might want to hold back the purchase of this D-Link gadget to use with your existing Apple Airplay devices, lest you don't mind the out-of-sync behaviour (maybe you want to stream the same audio content to different rooms where this sync behaviour is not an issue). However, as a standalone, the D-Link works just like any Airplay devices.

Valentine's Day Gift

This is the last week to look for a gift for your loved ones. Need tech gift ideas? You could refer to my Christmas Gift Guide post. Actually, the guide applies to any gifting occasion! If you need a more personalised consultation of gifting, please send me a message on my Facebook Page.

If you wear a watch, how often do you check on it or play with it? Do you spend a lot of time admiring the beauty and craftsmanship?

How different would you interact with a smartwatch?

I'm currently reviewing 2 smartwatches at the same time: the Sony Smartwatch 3 and LG G Watch R. Both running on Android Wear, so apart from the outlook, the heartware is largely identical, with a few hardware exceptions.

Ok Google. Let's see which Android Wear smartwatch is better. #Sony #smartwatch #SW3 #LGGWatchR #androidwear #tech #review #wearable #watchface
A photo posted by Chester Tan (@musicdiary) on Feb 6, 2015 at 12:48am PST

The most common observation is how functionable and interactive the Android Wear is to the wearer.

In one way, the Android Wear is intuitive. After going through a brief on-screen tutorial, I got the hang of it, totally. Swipe right to dismiss notification, swipe left for more options to the notification, swipe up for next notification. On the standby watchface screen, tap to select actions or apps, tap-hold to change watchface, swipe down for status. If you need to do anything, just say "OK Google". Voice recognition is amazing.

In another way, Android Wear is limiting. No on-screen keyboard (yet), no speakers, no camera. It relies on Android apps on the smartphone for function compatibility. For instance, I must use Google Hangouts as default SMS app to reply SMS from watch. I must use Google Play Music app to sync music files to the watch built-in memory. Not all apps support interactive reply from the watch.

But, going back to my subject header, it might be a good thing after all. It reduces the unnecessary distraction of maintaining another gadget with you. I mean, shouldn't you be using your phone for most of the tech interactions like viewing photos or browsing the web? I am constantly rationalising my tech gear to make sure I do not carry too many things with me. Say when I go out, I either carry a tablet or a laptop, but not both. Or, when I bring out a Bluetooth keyboard to work with my smartphone, I won't carry my laptop.

In short, Android Wear is not trying to be a smartphone on a wrist, something that Samsung is trying to achieve, at least with its new Galaxy Gear S.

Android Wear is built with a specific set of use cases in mind. It does not intend to take over the smartphone as another telecommunication device. The result is that some consumers do not see any huge benefit to use an Android Wear smartwatch. There may even be elements that do not appear to be "smart". For instance, there is no "night mode" where you can disable notifications, except activating "cinema mode". But when you do, all notifications, including alarms, will be disabled. Not very smart when you want to wear it to sleep and wake you up next morning. But, is Android Wear build for night wear, or should that responsibility go to the fitness activity bands?

The areas that Android Wear is better than other proprietary smartwatches are the watch-like design, the thoughtful UI, and the fuss-free integration with Android smartphones. If you want your smartwatch to be as smart as your smartphone, then you have to wait a few more development cycles.

Smartwatches are here to extend your existing digital information lifestyle, not to replace. Android Wear is not another standalone gadget, but a complementary product with your Android phones. You might end up using it less often than you think, and that could be a good thing.

The review articles of the Sony SmartWatch 3 and LG G Watch R will be published in this blog over the next 2 weeks. Watch for it (pun intended).

Article written by Chester Tan (http://musicphotolife.com/)

Hope you have a memorable Valentine's Day, but don't be embarrassed if you did not celebrate. It simply means that you have been loving the whole year through to not having to make this day the only day to show your love.

LG G Flex 2 Singapore Launch Event

I was invited to the Flex 2 launch event at Ku De Ta, on top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Many local celebrities were present, including The Flying Dutchman, Bobby Tonelli, Justin and Vernon of The Muttons. Emcee for the event is 98.7FM radio personality Sonia Chew. The red-colour theme really brings out the festive mood.

There are many things to love the LG G Flex 2. Firstly, with 5.5-inch screen, it is smaller than the original 6-inch G Flex, so it is a lot more handier. Second, it is filled with all the goodness of uniquely-LG functions, like self-healing back, Knock Code, laser auto-focus, fast charge, plus a handful of other new gesture features to improve the selfie experience. Finally, it runs on top-spec hardware that should please any power-hungry smartphone users.

Besides the Gesture Shot that is very popular now, LG introduces Gesture View, whereby the simple act of looking down at the phone will trigger the Flex 2 to display the last shot. Moving the phone upwards again will initiate camera mode automatically. And when the screen is off, sliding down along the blank screen will reveal key information like time, recent message, missed calls.

LG G Flex 2 will be available for pre-order in Singapore from 27 Feb 2015 at S$998 from M1, Singtel and StarHub. 2 colours are available, Platinum Silver and Flamenco Red. The phone will be on sale on 14 March.

LG Free TV Contest

I love to share contests, especially those that do not require any purchase. LG recently launched the Channel NewsAsia Smart TV application for LG Smart TV, and they are giving away a 49” LG Ultra HD Smart TV. Contestants need to express in 100 words which Channel NewsAsia programme is their favourite and how the Smart TV app can enhance their viewing experience. Entries can be submitted through the online form available on www.channelnewsasia.com/apps. The submission deadline is Saturday, 28 February 2015.

ASUS PadFone Flash Sale

ASUS is having a flash sale every from 12pm to 11.59pm Tuesday till 24th Feb. This will be ASUS’s first flash sale featuring the PadFone range with up to 70% off the devices starting from $199 onwards at ASUS Online Store at store.asus.com/sg. It will feature three different PadFone models, which are the PadFone mini (Usual SRP: S$399), the PadFone Infinity (Usual SRP: S$599) and the PadFone S (Usual SRP: S$449 for phone only and S$598 with station). Every purchase of the PadFone S will receive a complimentary wireless charger (Usual SRP: S$29).

Among the items, the PadFone S phone and tablet bundle appears to be the best value. Imagine at only S$498, you are getting a phone running on premium-spec Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.3GHz, a tablet dock, a wireless charger. Don't miss it again this Tuesday, 17 Feb.

Internet and Trolls

I have 2 videos to share, both produced by popular local YouTubers, Night Owl Cinematics (NOC) and Wah!Banana. They have been producing hilarious content for years. This week, both their content revolves around the different behaviour from people on Internet and in real life.

These people leaves nasty comments online and sow discord, behaviours which they usually would not do in real life, but was emboldened just because they are hidden behind a veil of anonymity. Since the dawn of human civilization, bullies always exist, but they could only affect people physically around them. Today, with Internet, they can easily wreck disharmony to anyone. A simple act of posting some nasty words gives them emotional pleasure but causes .

As much as I dislike these behaviour, I truly believe that there is NOTHING we can do to beat their argument. No point spending hours crafting responses to prove them wrong, no response however smart will make them lose. There is just one thing we all can do: IGNORE THEM. As long as the buck stops at their comment, they can't carry on. Do not reply to them, do not try to agree with them, do not add oil to fire. Trolls will move on to other victims when they don't get the kick out of this one.

Websites that Steal My Content

While tracking my site statistics, I found a few dubious backlinks. Upon checks, I was appalled to find that these sites grab my blog posts in their entirety and repost on their site. So far I have found 2 of such sites. I Googled to see what I could do with them. Sadly, I could do nothing since my articles are public.

Nevertheless, I have decided to insert a postscript at the end of each post that this article is written by me and to include my website link. Hopefully if the leeches use automatic feeds like RSS, the postscript will appear and inform readers of the original source.

The Internet is still very much a wild west. There may be laws in place, but enforcing them depending on the type of problem could take a great deal of effort and influence. Any content posted online - photos, music, video, stories - can be easily duplicated and used for any purpose. There has been many cases of bloggers plagiarising content to make it theirs and gaining traffic. Some also use stolen content as their own for commercial benefits. The irony is that the more popular you get, the easier you get caught.

Everyone has their agenda in conducting online engagement, so again there is no point bringing out morals and stuff to deal with these situations. The best way to deal with them is to use the same engagement mode that you are good with. And for that, I mean, to blog about it, to shame these fake sites and let the public be the judge.

For now, I decided not to name and shame the websites that steal my content because I have determined that their sites have very little traffic. These blog owners might be collecting articles for their personal use, but I'll be keeping a watch on them.

Is it time for a Smartwatch?

I was almost bent on getting a smartwatch, and the round-face LG G Watch R seemed to be the best choice (not the Moto 360 because no warranty). When I finally got a review unit to try it out, it turned out to be a non-event. No thanks to Android Wear OS, these smartwatches are not as functionable as I have hoped for. The one reason I want a smartwatch is to receive notifications of my smartphone, but already my current cheap ZGPax S28 is doing a fine job, albeit crappy UI. Other functions may be nice to have, but still I would love to get more functionality, which Android Wear does not offer.

Yet, the Watch R could well be the best smartwatch to wear now, not because of the functionality, but because it looks the most watch-like. Even if you don't use the smartwatch function that often, at least it looks like a watch for everyday normal wear. In contrast, getting a gadget-looking watch like Sony Smartwatch 3 might take more convincing to wear if the "smart" part is lacking from the watch device.

Thanks for reading my weekly digest. Catch you again next week!

Article written by Chester Tan (http://musicphotolife.com/)

I have been waiting for the right time over the past year to get a smartwatch. My last experience with the Sony SmartWatch 2 and Samsung Galaxy Gear has been tempting to say the least, but they still lack the pull factor. First, they are relatively expensive. Second, they don't look exactly attractive. Months later, Samsung launched several smartwatches, but they can only work on Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Eventually, I spent below US$50 to get a China ZGPax S28 Watch Phone that does the job pretty well - until Android 5.0 Lollipop update broke the BTNotification app.

As if destined, I managed to request successfully for a review unit of the LG G Watch R, a product that I have been eyeing since the launch last year.

The S$398 package comes with the watch, a charging dock, USB cable, and AC charger. The strap is made of genuine leather but the quality feels thin and plasticky. You would want to swap them out with another strap, which I did, just to keep the original in good condition since this is a review unit, and also because my existing watch straps are already seasoned hence I feel more comfortable wearing them.

Once you have swapped to your favourite watch band (using a spring bar tool which you can order easily from online shops like Qoo10), you wear the watch like any other timepiece you have. This is really the top reason to get the LG G Watch R instead of other Android Wear smartwatches. The round watch face certainly makes custom watch face designs easily look good. But instead of the thin silver-metal frame Moto 360, the Watch R looks more sporty.

The LG G Watch R comes with additional hardware that might interest you. The heart-rate monitor reads your heart rate in seconds, the altimeter measures the height or depth of your position on Earth. The watch is rated IP67. The watch frame is black-coated metal, but the marked bezel and crown is plastic, and so is the rear face.

If you have used an Android Wear, then the Watch R user interface will hardly surprise you. For new users, the on-screen tutorial will get you up to speed within moments. In fact, you probably figured out most of the features within an hour. Swipe right to dismiss notification, swipe left for more options to the notification, swipe up for next notification. On the standby watchface screen, tap to select actions or apps, tap-hold to change watchface, swipe down for status. If you need to do anything, just say "OK Google". Voice recognition is amazing. There are no on-screen keypads or keyboards. Everything is done via voice, or by pre-canned messages.

The Google-supported Android Wear app running on your smartphone does not offer any elaborate functions compared to other proprietary smartwatches and companion apps. The app can only let you change the watch face and set up a few watch behaviours. It cannot, for instance, manage the watch apps, or set clock functions. So if I want to set alarm on the Watch R, I have to do it from the watch. This is just one of the few limitations of Android Wear. But you can get third party alarm apps to let you manage alarm from your phone.

The Watch R uses P-OLED display, which produces warmer white. During low-power display mode, the watch face is bright, perhaps too bright for dark environments. There is no option for auto brightness.

For my kind of usage, the Watch R lasts me about 1.5 days. It would last over 2 work days if I were to turn it off after I return home from work, 3+ work days if notifications are infrequent (e.g. weekends). Charging the Watch R takes longer that I would have preferred, about 90 minutes from 10%. In contrast, the Sony SmartWatch 3 delivers full charge in about an hour. Both watches have similar battery capacity. Charging with a higher-rated power adapter offers no speed advantage.

While the watch-like design makes it less gadget-looking, the round display screen poses minor limitations. The amount of information appearing on the screen is lesser than on a standard square screen, so you would require more scrolling to read the full text. On third party apps, the corner details will be cut out.

There are occasional hiccups when using the Watch R. The connection with the smartphone may not work, which sometimes requires a reboot from either devices to fix it. Also, if you have read my other review about Android Wear in general, there are not many functions on the watch to call it "smart". It is more like an extension, a companion.

Conclusion

Despite the limited functions and apps currently available on the Android Wear devices, the watch-like design of the LG G Watch R may well be the biggest draw and the only reason to allow yourself to wear a gadget on your wrist. At least when the watch is idle from notification or any gadgetry action, it remains inconspicuous and provides the same aesthetic and functional value of a timepiece. It's available for sale in Singapore with 1-year warranty at recommended retail price of S$398.

Spec

Display: 1.3-inch Full Circle P-OLED
Processor: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 400, 1.2GHz
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0
Memory: 4GB eMMC / 512MB RAM
Battery: 410mAh
Size: 46.4 x 53.6 x 9.7 mm (Bezel Ring included 11.1mm)
Weight: 62g
Sensor: 9-Axis (Gyro, Accelerometer, Compass), PPG(Hear rate monitor), Barometer
Waterproof Rating: IP67

Reviewed by Chester Tan (http://musicphotolife.com/)
Rating: 4 of 5

Specs

Missing Features

Conclusion

Mobile and Wearable Devices

Audio

Computer

Cameras

Accessories

Favourite Smartphone: HTC One M8

Favourite Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Note PRO 12.2

Favourite Headphones: Jabra Sport Pulse

Favourite Portable Speaker: Bose SoundLink Mini

Favourite Camera: Nikon 1 AW1

Favourite "Tech-tro" Moment: Ericsson T28s

Favourite Accessory: Logitech K480

Favourite Brand: Logitech

Favourite Surprise: Winning OPPO R5 Smartphone

2015: The Passion Continues

Difference in Specs

The Edge

1. Favourites Bar

2. App Extension

3. Incoming Notifications

Living With The Edge

Note Edge or Note 4?

Specs (SM-N915G)

Order Piano Spa 7 CD (autograph) at SGD 20

(for Singapore address, including shipping)

Piano Spa 7 Track Listing

Press Release

CES 2015

OPPO R5 Under Review

Petalite Flux - Indiegogo

Piano Spa 7: Free Delivery

Revamped Site

Packaging

Design

Interface

Screen

3. On-screen Gestures

2. Fast Charging

1. Impressive Camera

But, But and But

1. Small battery

2. No external memory slot

3. Processor and RAM

Conclusion

SpecsOS: ColorOS 2.0, based on Android 4.4

1. Track your daily physical activity

2. Morning Alarm

3. Smartphone Integration

4. Battery Life

5. Customisation

6. Price

Not for Mi?

Activity Tracker

Tracker Watches for Children

Logitech X300 Is Good, Says Friend

Sony SRS-X3 vs. Bose SoundLink Mini

Blogger Engagement: Does It Really Work?

SharePop

ASUS Giveaway Campaign

Logitech UE Boom Contest

Piano Spa 7 Music Sheets Now Available

Good

Limitations

Conclusion

Specs

About Fitness Band and Android Lollipop Update

About Indulging In Relaxing Piano Music

Windows 10 is Coming in 2015

WhatsApp Web - Here Finally

FantaStick BA700 - Premium Selfie Stick

ASUS GTX960 $369, free ASUS Strix mousepad

adMingle

The Back Story

Discovery

Sony SRS-X3 Specs

Design

Sound