Smart Technology Trends With LG

This article is replicated from Merlion Wayfarer Goes Green.

The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is the largest interactive technology event in the world with topnotch tech companies from around the world gathering to showcase their latest products.

Some of the key trends highlighted in recent tech reviews include:

Supersize Me Screens

Smartphones with ultra-large screens are now everywhere. More large-screen phones from major manufacturers seem likely.

Clearer Displays

2014 will open the door to pixel-sharp resolutions that'll go along with those ultra-large screens.

Hands-Free Controls

Voice actions, waving gestures, and tilting are all part of a greater category of controls that include gestures and voice actions that make your phone cooler and hopefully more convenient to use.

Ushering in 2014, a  key theme in technology advancement is the convergence of a professional and personal lifestyle in devices - bringing content and technology together to transform the way we live, work and play.

So, one may be left asking, with phones already being "smart", what is "Smart Control" for a phone?

Your smartphone is now a remote control Control your home theater devices from the mobile phone you already own. With Quick Remote, you can add your TV, cable/satellite box, AV receiver, DVD player, and more, so that you can control them via your mobile phone. You can even setup different components for different rooms of your house such as your bedroom, kitchen, den, and office..

Swipe and tap control  Swipe or tap your thumb across your smartphone screen to adjust the volume, change the channel, fast-forward, rewind, pause, play and skip forward or back...

The smartphone works hard to keep your life simple Consolidate 10 remote controls into a single mobilephone. QuickRemote is compatible with over hundreds of home electrical devices...

A one-touch remote control  With easy-to-use controls that you can customize, QuickRemote allows your young or elderly family member change the channel and adjust the volume easily. And simply press one button to switch to favorite activities, like watch TV or play a game...

Easy mobile setup  With QuickRemote pre-installed on the LG G2, minimal setup is required. The app actually walks one through the process step-by-step right on your phone..

More than just a remote control With an LG mobile phone, rethink your control over home entertainment and beyond...

Impressed with Smart Control? LG G Flex brings all these functions one step further - with an Ergonomic Curved Design - In portrait orientation, it follows the curvature of your face, enhancing voice quality by reducing the gap between the mic and your mouth...

Can TVs Be "Smart" Too?

Magic Remote   The most convenient and advanced TV remote with... Universal Control : Control and access your set-top box, speakers, BDP, and even satellite TV with a single remote, a one-stop solution for maximum convenience Pointing : Just point and click Wheel : Scroll up and down, zoom in and out with a wheel - just like using a computer mouse Gesture : Make simple gestures to conveniently change between channels Voice Recognition Search : Speak to your remote to find what you want within the internet and LG Smart World

Miracast WiFi Alliance certified MiracastTM allows you to enjoy easy and fast connection among TV, Smart phones, and Tablets without wires, enabling easy transfer and sharing of your digital contents right on the TV screen.

Tag On Sharing between your mobile device and your television has never been simpler with Tag On, a feature that allows mutual content sharing and mirroring by simply "tagging" the smartphone to an NFC sticker provided with the TV...

Smart Energy Saving The Backlight Control function controls the brightness of the TV. The Screen Off function lets you switch off the screen while keeping the audio on. Standby Mode Zero function sets your TV to a power saving mode where zero electricity is used..

Wireless Display (Wi-Di) Intel's WiDi (Wireless Display) technology enables easy and fast connection between TVs and Laptop PCs without wires or internet network...

Time Machine II With the newly updated version of the LG's popular Time Machine feature, TV programs can be recorded so that you can rewind, pause, or re-watch your favorite shows...

  

"LG’s brand slogan 'Life's Good'  conveys a message that we are focus in enriching customers' lives with  our products and services. Over the years we have observed customers' habits and design products that satisfy and keep up with their lifestyle. The modern and hectic lifestyle has made us more reliant on electronic gadgets, hence LG designed mobile communication products that will not only satisfy customer’s needs while on the move but also the interconnectivity within the gadget eco-system. We have incorporated  Smart features within our TV and mobile phones such as NFC Tag On, Smart Share, Miracast and WiDi to harness technology to improve the way our customers can engage with their devices." 

--- Scott Jung, Managing Director, LG Electronics Singapore ---

Truly, LG is ahead because it learns from its users and supporters...

This gives the assurance that LG products give one the competitive edge to 

- Be First, Do It Right, Work Smart!

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Domino's Pizza - Luxuriously Melty Cheesy Crust

Domino's Pizza

Singapore

December 2013

 
Domino's Pizza recently launched its new Cheesy Crust... and Merlion Wayfarer was there!

Cheesy Crust is made from fresh hand-stretched (Wow!) dough  and filled with melty hot mozzarella cheese. Garlic and herbs are dusted on the inside to add to the luxurious rich taste. On the outside, tasty crusted parmesan cheese with a mixture of breadcrumbs and parsley is sprinkled atop the ring of fragrant baked crust.

“Cheesy Crust has been well-received in the first week and we look forward to seeing positive response continuously from our customers. In the coming months, we will continue to create exciting new flavours for our customers to enjoy.”

Linda Hassan, Marketing Manager of Domino’s Pizza Singapore and Malaysia

 
Cheesy Crust is available both as a regular or large pizza size on any topping(s). As a Premium crust, there is a surcharge of S$4 (Regular) or S$6 (Large).

To maximize the enjoyment of Cheesy Crust, opt for the 2 Pizza Deal offering 2 Regular Pizzas at a fantastic value of $22 or $33 for 2 Large Pizzas, saving up to S$26.60 per order! For the Classics range, a surcharge of S$2 (R) / S$4 (L) applies, and $4 (R) / $6 (L) for the First Class range.

“Domino’s would like to reassure our customers who prefer enjoying their pizzas from the comfort of their own homes and offices, especially the added convenience, that all delivery orders come with Domino’s Pizza’s standard Product Satisfaction Guarantee, 30-minute Delivery Guarantee and free delivery right to their doorstep.”

Linda Hassan, Marketing Manager of Domino’s Pizza Singapore and Malaysia 

Domino’s new Cheesy Crust is now available at all Domino’s stores throughout Singapore. To order, call 6222-6333, log on to the Domino’s website at www.dominos.com.sg or order via Domino’s iPhone app.

“We are committed to provide customers with great value by offering great new pizzas whilst maintaining our affordable prices.”

Linda Hassan, Marketing Manager of Domino’s Pizza Singapore and Malaysia 

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More photos are available on Merlion Wayfarer's Picasa at :
Food - American

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Christmas ChariTrees - Story Trees Of Care And Share

Marina Bay

South, Singapore

November 2013 

  
A total of 30 ChariTrees, which are mostly adopted by Community Chest’s corporate partners, will transform and light up the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade for six weeks from 15 November to 27 December 2013, adding to the festivities and celebration of the yuletide season.



Guest-of-Honour, Dr Lily Neo, Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency officiated the Switch-On Ceremony on 15 November...

A very gracious and elegant Lily Neo specially requested if it was ok to bring her around and take her photos...

This is the first year that Community Chest and URA are working with LASALLE College of the Arts to present the Christmas ChariTrees. The theme for this year’s Christmas ChariTrees is “Story Trees”, where touching and uplifting beneficiaries’ stories are retold by design students from LASALLE College of the Arts through the design of the trees. Through these young artists’ understanding of the beneficiaries’ stories, and using their imagination and interpretation, 20 of the 30 ChariTrees will be transformed into Story Trees, each telling the story of a beneficiary.

“The ChariTrees project has been a great opportunity for our students to give back to community through creating public artworks that are meaningful as well as beautiful. The students were inspired by the heartwarming stories of the beneficiaries to make each design special and unique for the public to enjoy during the festive season. We are honoured to be part of this collaboration with Community Chest.”

Ms Nur Hidayah, Dean, Faculty of Design at LASALLE College of the Arts.

The Christmas ChariTrees @ Marina Bay 2013, jointly organised by Community Chest and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), has raised more than $380,000 for Community Chest at the start of this festive season. The funds raised this year is almost 60 per cent more than the amount collected last year, making it the highest since the project was first held in 2011.

Catchy tunes from the Police Band added to the festive atmosphere...



In conjunction with the Switch-On Ceremony, staff volunteers from Arrowcrest Technologies Pte Ltd,  a company which adopted a Story Tree this year, brought a group of 20 elderly beneficiaries for an evening’s outing to bask in the year-end festive mood. The elderly from Lions Befrienders,enjoyed a hearty dinner before witnessing the official light-up of the 30 ChariTrees and touring the scenic Marina Bay...

The Story Trees

Chelsea's Story Tree

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy since birth, 4-year-old Chelsea Lim could only move around by crawling and was unable to walk and run around like most children of her age. After receiving physiotherapy, Chelsea is now able to walk with the help of the Kaye Walker. She hopes that with therapy, she would be able to jump and walk on her own. Due to her physical challenges, Chelsea may not have the chance to enjoy and experience carnivals. A carnival wonderland has been created for this Story Tree to bring joy to children like Chelsea during this Christmas season.

 

Awesomeness Divine Hands
For the past 30 years, Community Chest encouraged the community to care and share with the less fortunate. Today, it supports 83 charitable organizations helping over 300,000 people. The hand palm ornaments represent people in the community coming together to lend a hand to people in need.




“URA is happy that the ChariTrees has brought the community together to help the less fortunate. This is a meaningful project that we hope can grow every year, and we are glad to be part of it. We hope the ChariTrees at Marina Bay will bring good cheer to the beneficiaries during the year-end festivities.”

Mr Ng Lang, URA’s Chief Executive Officer



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More photos are available on Merlion Wayfarer's Picasa at :
Festivals - Christmas

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Life In Light & Colour With Philips hue

Singapore

November 2013

Recent days have been filled with overcast skies and rain, rain and more rain...

So it was a certainly a warm thought when the nice folks at Philips invited Merlion Wayfarer to the evening launch of hue.



hue, the world’s smartest LED bulb from Philips, allows one to create and control home lighting directly from am iOS and Android device.



  

What Can hue Do?

• Set timers e.g. to wake you up and send you to sleep
  -  It can be set to gently wake you up in the morning and send you to sleep in the evening

• Keep your home safe
  -  You can turn your lights on or off wirelessly and remotely from anywhere in the world
• Change the color of your home
  -  You can create the atmosphere you want and use any photo on your smartphone or tablet as a palette to paint with light

For aspiring designers and the artistic,

have the full suite of bulbs in your house to play with is just like a new playground reopened...

  

• Ask your lights to turn on as you approach your home
  -  The new geofencing means that hue can sense your smartphone or tablet’s location and your bulbs can now be set to turn on/off automatically, change color or light setting

With an open source program code, the techies can design their own customizable apps...

  

• Set recurring schedules
  -  The recurring schedules feature means you can program it to enhance your family’s daily routine and create settings for activities such as waking up, homework or bedtime

  

• Hook up hue to your essential Internet services
  -  Through IFTTT (If This Then That), it can hook up to your essential internet services, meaning your bulbs can act as indicators for weather, stock quotes, sports scores, email, social media and more. They can be programmed to behave in any way you choose.

 


• Change your lighting to suit your needs
  There is a range of LightRecipes that change your lighting to suit your needs:
  -  Relax
  -  Concentrate
  -  Energize
  -  Read

   

 The thoughtful gift from the organizers which will ensure many more multi-hued days to come...

The Philips hue introduction pack with 3 hue light bulbs of 600 lumen (50W equivalent) and a hue bridge retails at S$319 (including GST) at major retailers. An individual bulb pack retails at S$89. More information on hue can be found on www.meethue.com.

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More photos are available on Merlion Wayfarer's Picasa at :

Reviews - Products

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Captain Underpants - A Hero For Our Kids?

Singapore

October 2013
 

This is what Merlion Wayfarer spotted in a second-hand bookstore in the heartlands...

 

   

Apparently, according to the retail assistant, this series is very popular with primary school children here coz of the portrayal of comic and funny characters that they can identify with.

 

So... Is Captain Underpants a good hero for our kids?

 

Captain Underpants is a children's novel series by American author and illustrator, Dav Pilkey. The series revolves around two fourth graders, George Beard and Harold Hutchins, and Captain Underpants, an aptly named superhero from one of George & Harold's comic books, that accidentally becomes real when George and Harold hypnotize their megalomaniacal principal, Mr. Krupp. The book series includes 10 books and 3 spin-offs, and won a Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Award in 2007. As of 2013, more than 50 million books had been sold in the United States DreamWorks Animation acquired rights to the series to make an animated feature film adaptation.

 

The Characters...
  

• Principal Benjamin Krupp - The obese and extremely cruel principal of Jerome Horwitz Elementary School and the main antagonist (at least when no real dangers are present). For unexplained reasons, Mr. Krupp has a very deep hatred of children, and also tries to protect Jerome Horwitz Elementary from George and Harold's antics. Why he is so mean to children in general is unknown. In the first book, he gets hypnotized by George and Harold for being so mean to them and becomes the superhero Captain Underpants, with a flaw in their attempt to return him to normal resulting in him alternating between Captain Underpants and Mr. Krupp whenever someone snaps their fingers (As Mr. Krupp) and pours water on him (Captain Underpants). He does not know of his superhero identity, though in the ninth book it's revealed that he does know of the real Captain Underpants's existence.
      
• Captain Underpants - The alter ego of Mr. Krupp, when he is hypnotized to think he is "Captain Underpants," a character created by George and Harold. He always wears underpants and a red cape with black polka-dots. Whenever Mr. Krupp hears the sound of fingers snapping, he turns into Captain Underpants, and turns back into Mr. Krupp when he is soaked with water. Originally, he did not have any real superpowers (even though he believed he did), so George and Harold would have to follow Mr. Krupp every time he transformed into Captain Underpants to make sure he did not get hurt. He gained his superpowers in the third book by drinking some "Extra Strength Super Power Juice" found on an alien spaceship. Captain Underpants is considered to be the 'light side' of Mr. Krupp himself, as he is nice and kind to everyone, especially children. In his Captain Underpants form, Mr. Krupp seems to know everything about Captain Underpants from George and Harold's comic books. This may be due to the fact that he actually read all the comic books made by the two boys, which he confiscated by the hundreds over the years. 

Hmmm, walking around as a superhero in underpants... hynopsis... alter ego... dark side... split personality?

 

You make the choice...
   

 

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More photos are available on Merlion Wayfarer's Picasa at :

Books

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Sources

• "Captain Underpants". Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Underpants (17 November 2013).
    
   

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