Creative HN-900 Noise-Canceling Headphones Available in Singapore

 Technology  No Responses »
Nov 302011
 

The new Creative HN-900 noise-canceling headphones is a set of full-size active noise-canceling headphones that can reduce ambient noise by up to 85% and comes with a detachable cable with in-line microphone for voice communication on the iPhone.

Key Features of the Creative HN-900 Noise-Canceling Headphones

  • Ambient noise reduction by up to 85%
  • Headphones cable comes with gold-plated plugs, detachable cable comes with in-line microphone and switch
  • 40mm Neodymium magnet drivers
  • Dual-mode usage allows the headphones to serve as active noise-cancellation function for up to 40 hours by a single AAA alkaline battery or in passive mode without power
  • Comes with airplane adapter for in-flight entertainment
  • Compact flat-fold design ideal for business trips and vacations

Technical Specifications of the Creative HN-900 Noise-Canceling Headphones

Headphones

  • 40mm Neodymium magnet drivers
  • Frequency Response of 20Hz ~ 20kHz
  • Noise Reduction Level of -18dB (85%)
  • Impedance of 290ohms
  • Sensitivity at 1kHz of 100dB/mW

Microphone

  • Type of Omni-directional
  • Frequency Response of 100Hz ~ 10kHz
  • Impedance of <2.2kohms
  • Sensitivity at 1kHz of -38dBV/Pa
  • Cable length of 1.5m detachable with inline microphone
  • Battery life of up to 40 hours from 1 x AAA alkaline battery. Duration may vary depending on temperature and condition of use
  • Product weight of 168 grams
The Creative HN-900 noise-canceling headphones are currently available at the Creative online store at sg.store.creative.com and The CREATIVE Stores outlets at International Business Park, Marina Square and authorised dealers in Singapore from end Nov2011 onwards at the suggested retail price of S$129.00.

ZiiLABS Unveils 3rd Generation JAGUAR3 Android Tablet Reference Designs

 Technology  No Responses »
Sep 192011
 

With this much features and power to compete against a well known brand, nVidia Tegra 2 and 3 (Kal-El), one must wonder why no manufacturers have yet brought ZiiLABS JAGUAR reference designs to commercial market. This latest one shows off the super-power that JAGUAR3 is:

  • Dual-core 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A9 with ZMS-20 48 x StemCell Processors (total 50 cores) or Quad-core 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A9 with ZMS-40 96 x StemCell Processors (total 100 cores).
  • 10.1″ and 1280×800 16.7 million colors
  • High density 176dpi screen with 176 degree angle of view
  • Capacitive multi-touch screen
  • Ultra light and thin magnesium casing weighing less than 480g and an ultra-thin 8.1 mm
  • 1GB LP-DDR2 or DDR3 memory options
  • A dual camera system of up to 12 Megapixel for rear facing image capture and HD for front facing
  • Dual channel Wi-Fi b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
  • GPS, accelerometer, compass and gyroscope
  • Creative Sound Blaster’s famed X-Fi audio effects and speakers
  • Dual microphone array for beam-formed noise reduction
  • Micro HDMI 1.4 output supporting 1080p60 and 3D stereo
  • High Dynamic Range image capture
  • Internal NAND (16, 32 and 64GB)
  • Micro USB 2.0 port
  • MicroSD card slot
  • Instantaneous On and extended Sleep function
  • Complementing the standard Android offering,  a rich suite of software is added to exploit the massive computing power of the ZMS processor, including
    • Support for High Dynamic Range images
    • Easy-to-use 40 Megapixel panoramic photography
    • ZiiPhoto with intelligent photo browsing and real-time 3D photo effects
    • Advanced video playback with trick modes (such as rewind play, frame-by-frame advance and reverse)
Are you drooling? Why isn’t this in our hands yet?

The PC Show 2011 – Highlights to look out for – Creative

 Technology  No Responses »
Jun 082011
 

Creative

1. PlayChinese™ Pedagogy System (NEW)

The PlayChinese™ Pedagogy System promises a “no tests, no stress” approach to mastering the language. Anyone, regardless of proficiency level, can master the Chinese language through this fun and easy system

Key Highlights

  • Features the new ZiiO Shenbi tablet (handwriting enabled Android based tablet) and content applications that make mastering the Chinese Language a fun and easy experience
  • iFlashbook online learning portal
  • ZiiBoook – online library with access to over 1 million books
  • Features HansVision
  • Fun tidbit: Chief architect of system is Sim Wong Hoo, CEO of Creative

For more information on the PlayChinese Pedagogy System, please visit www.playchinese.com

With every purchase of a PlayChinese Android Tablet Basic Pack, buyers will receive  14 “Magical” PlayChinese hardcopy books (Book 0 – 13) valued at S$196, a ZiiBoook account (2 years) valued at S$237 as well as PlayChinese MagicCards for free.

PC Show 2011 Promotional Prices:
Creative PlayChinese Pack (Basic) @ S$549
Creative PlayChinese Pack (Normal) @ S$699
Creative PlayChinese Pack (Express) @ S$1,299

At PC Show, sign up for any of the above packages and get a FREE Creative D200 Wireless Speaker worth S$149.

2. Creative ZiiO 10”

The Creative ZiiO 10″ Pure Wireless Entertainment tablet is a sleek Android-based device that not only gives users the freedom to enjoy entertainment on-the-go, it goes a step further by synchronizing with connected audio devices, such as Creative’s range of wireless speakers, to create a Pure Wireless Entertainment ecosystem within the home, delivering the best wireless audio performance users will get from an Android-based tablet in the market.

  • Creative ZiiO 10″ tablet is the world’s first apt-X enabled touch screen tablet. Just a touch of its onscreen icon instantly launches the Pure Android Audio application which houses a suite of audio-boosting technologies including Creative’s proprietary X-Fi technology.
  • Indulge in Pure Wireless Audio that brings movie and game soundtracks to life, as they are streamed to speakers or headphones with Bluetooth and apt-X capabilities.
  • Users can also check their emails on-the-go and watch their favourite movies on a large screen with a HDMI-out feature.

Usual suggested retail price:
Creative ZiiO 10”(16GB) @ S$459
Creative ZiiO 10”(8GB) @ S$429

PC Show 2011 Promotional Prices (Limited to 50 sets only):
Creative ZiiO 10”(16GB) @ S$429 –Free bulk EP-630 Earphones worth S$29 and Leather Case worth S$45
Creative ZiiO 10”(8GB) @ S$399 –Free bulk EP-630 Earphones worth S$29 and Leather Case worth S$45

3. Creative ZiiO 7”

Compact, portable and lightweight, the Creative ZiiO 7″ Pure Wireless Entertainment tablet is the next evolution in wireless digital entertainment and mobile computing. Users do not have to think twice about taking it along wherever they go – the café, on the train or simply lounging on the sofa. Unlike conventional tablets that offer mediocre sound, the Creative ZiiO 7″ does not compromise on audio quality. A touch of an onscreen button instantly launches the Pure Android Audio application to offer audio-enhancing options including X-Fi, apt-X and Bluetooth connectivity, allowing users to enjoy the highest quality wireless audio streamed from an Android tablet to compatible Bluetooth speakers or headphones.

The Creative ZiiO 7” also lets users connect to the Internet, send emails and even shop for apps, games and eBooks from the Creative ZiiStore.

Usual suggested retail price:
Creative ZiiO 7”(16GB) @ S$389
Creative ZiiO 7”(8GB) @ S$359

PC Show 2011 Promotional Prices (Limited to 50 sets only):
Creative ZiiO 7”(16GB) @ S$339 –Free bulk EP-630 Earphones worth S$29 and Leather Case worth S$45
Creative ZiiO 7”(8GB) @ S$299 –Free bulk EP-630 Earphones worth S$29 and Leather Case worth S$45

4. Creative ZEN Touch 2

The Creative ZEN Touch 2 – great for users looking for a pocket-sized wireless entertainment device. With the Creative ZEN Touch 2, users can enjoy Pure Wireless Audio streamed to their favorite Bluetooth headphones and speakers. Users can also access the Internet at the touch of an onscreen icon, being able to share photos taken from the built-in camera or stay connected with friends via email – all on-the-go! Available in 8GB or 16GB built-in storage capacities, the Creative ZEN Touch 2 comes with a microSD slot. Also available is an enhanced version with additional features such as GPS, Digital Compass and FM Radio.

Usual suggested retail price:
Creative ZEN Touch 2 (16GB) @ S$319,
(8GB) @ S$279 and (8GB, with GPS) @ S$299

PC Show 2011 Promotional Prices (Limited to 50 sets only):
Creative ZEN Touch 2 (16GB) @ S$259 – Free Screen Protector worth S$10
Creative ZEN Touch 2 (8GB) @ S$199 – Free Screen Protector worth S$10
Creative ZEN Touch 2 (8GB, with GPS) @ S$239 – Free Screen Protector worth S$10

5. ZiiSound T6 Wireless Speaker System

The ZiiSound T6 is the flagship addition to Creative’s extensive Pure Wireless speaker family. This all new premium 2.1 wireless speaker system retains the characteristics that have made the Pure Wireless speaker range a success, such as providing quality wireless audio playback, allowing fast and easy connections, and working with all compatible stereo Bluetooth devices like notebooks, netbooks, the iPhone, iPad, PCs, Macs and tablet computers.

The apt-X high performance low latency codec-enabled speaker system comes with a subwoofer and a pair of adjustable swivel-speaker-array satellites that give users the option for stereo music or “theatre-like” surround sound streamed from wireless apt-X devices for a completely immersive wireless music, movie and gaming experience. Users get to hear all the details and subtleties from high-grade drivers that combine with the precision-tuned Symmetrically Loaded Acoustic Module (SLAM) subwoofer for all-out resounding bass.

The ZiiSound T6 offers multiple connection options, including an option for users to enjoy 5.1 Surround content via a wired USB connection. Through the USB connection, this three-piece speaker system is capable of delivering “full-bandwidth” audio from 5.1 digital soundtracks.

Usual suggested retail price: Creative ZiiSound T6 Wireless Speaker System @ S$569
PC Show 2011 Promotional Price (Limited to 50 sets only): Creative ZiiSound T6 Wireless Speaker System @ S$469

6. Creative Live! Cam inPerson HD

The new Creative Live! Cam inPerson HD features built-in H.264 compression to deliver smooth, glitch-free Skype™ Certified wide-screen HD 720p high quality video conferencing over the web.

This state-of the-art webcam also features auto focus for clear, detailed images and videos from a range of distances, giving users the freedom to sit directly in front of the camera or up to 10 feet away and still be seen clearly. In addition to the leap forward in video quality, the Creative Live! Cam inPerson HD produces crystal-clear voice through the implementation of Creative’s quad mic array. This quad mic implementation coupled with Creative’s noise-canceling technology remove ambient noise much more effectively than webcams with single or stereo mics and allow the user to be heard with substantially greater clarity.

Rounding out the robust feature set of the Creative Live! Cam inPerson HD is the bundled Live! Central 3 software suite with advanced video and audio effects, avatar creation, movie creation, desktop sharing features and surveillance capabilities.

Creative Live! Cam inPerson HD @ S$199


Creative Aurvana In-Ear3 earphones are now Available

 Technology  No Responses »
Jun 082011
 

Creative Aurvana In-Ear3 earphones that are powered by dual balanced armature drivers for precise sonic performance and feature an intelligent AuraSeal™ in-ear design that blocks up to 98% of external noise, letting users immerse in studio quality sound anytime, anywhere.

Key Features of the Creative Aurvana In-Ear3 Earphones

  • Perfect Acoustics
    • The precise dual balanced armature tweeter and woofer with a passive crossover network produces clearer, smoother and more accurate sound reproduction, and a patent-pending acoustic partition separates the highs (tweeter) and mids/lows (woofer) audio until it reaches the ear canal to produce a more defined audio soundscape. The angled sound tube design provides a more natural fit in the ear canal
  • Excellent Noise Isolation
    • Intelligent AuraSeal™ in-ear design with comfortable silicone ear-tips creates a perfect acoustic seal with up to 98% noise isolation
  • Secure Fit
    • The over-the-ear cable loop design offers a sturdy and convenient wearing style that stays securely on even during active pursuits
  • Lightweight and Portable
    • Compact and lightweight in construction, the Creative Aurvana In-Ear3 works just like a pair of unobtrusive studio speakers for critical listening or monitoring of mixes while on-the-go, and is an ideal companion for portable audio samplers, media players, laptops or music phones
  • Easy to Store and Carry
    • Store the earphones in the supplied acrylic case, or in the compact travel pouch which comes with a cable
    • management holder for portable convenience

Technical Specifications of the Creative Aurvana In-Ear3 Earphones

  • Drivers: Dual Balanced Armature
  • Frequency Response: 10Hz ~ 17kHz
  • Impedance: 28 ohms
  • Sensitivity (1kHz): 112dB/mW
  • Connectivity: 3.5mm gold-plated plug
  • Cable length: 1.2m oxygen-free copper cable
  • Product weight: 13g
  • In-Box Accessories: 2 sets of S, M, L sized silicone ear-tips, 2 sets of foam ear-tips, airplane adapter, travel case with cable management, cleaning tool

The Creative Aurvana In-Ear3 earphones will be available at The CREATIVE Stores at International Business Park and Marina Square, the online store at sg.store.creative.com and authorized dealers in Singapore from mid June 2011 onwards at the suggested retail price of S$199.

The PC Show 2011 from 9th to 12 June 2011 in Singapore (with floor plan)

 Technology  No Responses »
Jun 062011
 

The PC Show 2011 is Singapore’s longest running IT and consumer electronics show and it is back again from 9th to 12th June 2011 at Suntec Singapore. This year, The PC Show will be spread over four floors – 1, 3, 4 and 6 – of Suntec Singapore.

Over 600 exhibitors will be showcasing IT and consumer electronic products by leading brands such as Acer, Apple, ASUS, Canon, Creative, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba. There will also be several first time exhibitors such as Fujifilm, Fuji Xerox, Lexmark, Sonic Gear and ViewSonic.

The PC Show 2011 encompasses four sections – The PC Show 2011, Digital Imaging 2011, Game 2011, and Consumer Electronics 2011. It opens  daily from 12pm to 9pm. Admission is free.

Creative Live! Cam inPerson HD – HD Video and Voice Web Camera for Skype HD Video Calling

 Technology  No Responses »
Jun 022011
 

Creative Technology Ltd announced that Skype has certified the new Creative Live! Cam inPerson HD for video and voice quality, meeting the exacting requirements for HD video calling in Skype.

The Creative Live! Cam inPerson HD will be available at The CREATIVE Stores at International Business Park and Marina Square, the online store at sg.store.creative.com and authorized dealers in Singapore from June 2011 onwards at the suggested retail price of S$199.

ZiiLABS Announces JAGUAR Family of Android 3.X Reference Platforms

 Technology  No Responses »
May 302011
 

I have no idea why isn’t Creative selling this directly to the consumer market right this moment. Based on the specifications, it looks like a tablet with a superior performance, low-powered and rich-feature set that practically everyone would rush to buy. Having a Quad Core 1.5GHz with 2GB memory and 64GB internal storage seems like a killer device to me. Whatever it is, I hope an OEM or ODM picks it up and offers the maximum specs available to this beauty.

Based on a motherboard concept, the ZiiLABS’ JAGUAR reference platform for Android 3.x allows an OEM or ODM to bring to market their own Android 3.X tablets in the shortest possible time. The JAGUAR platforms combine the sleek Industrial Design templates (ID), proven high-speed system design and peripheral modularity required to enable OEMs and their ODM partners to innovate and differentiate critical components such as the LCD display, touch controller, cameras, ID and modem connectivity.

JAGUAR Platforms – Key Features

  • Powered by ZiiLABS ZMS-20 and ZMS-40
    • Dual and Quad Core 1.5GHz ARM Cortex A9 cores with Neon
    • 48 and 96 core floating point StemCell media processors
  • Robust Android BSP and Middleware
  • Designed for Android 3.0+ Compliance
  • Modular Motherboard Design to enable OEM/ODM customization
  • Wide-angle 7” (1024×600) and 10” (1280×800) LCD options
  • Capacitive and Resistive LCD touch options
  • Up to 2GB high-speed 64-bit memory
  • High performance and low-power LPDDR2-800 for super high memory bandwidth of 6.4GBytes per second
    • DDR2/DDR3 for low cost
  • 5MP rear and HD front facing camera as standard
  • Wi-Fi b/g/n, 3G/4G/WiMAX and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
  • GPS, accelerometer, digital compass and gyroscope
  • Stereo speakers and dual Microphone array
  • Up to 64GB internal storage
  • USB 2.0 port
  • SDHC Card slot
  • Extended battery life with robust dynamic power management
  • Instantaneous On feature

To find out more information about this JAGUAR Android 3.x reference platform, head over to www.ziilabs.com.

Creative ZiiLABS Announces ZMS-20 and ZMS-40 Energy-Efficient Processors Optimized for High-Performance Android 3.0 Tablets

 Technology  No Responses »
May 112011
 

One wonders if Creative are actually selling these chips to create devices, despite the amazing specifications. Hopefully there will be some Android Honeycomb tablet devices using this 100 processor core chips in them sometime in the future.

ZiiLABS introduced its most powerful Zii family of energy-efficient media processors, the ZMS-20 and the ZMS-40. Targeting the up and coming explosive tablet computing markets, the ZMS-20 (with Dual-Core 1.5GHz ARM® Cortex™-A9 Processors) and ZMS-40 (with Quad-Core 1.5GHz ARM® Cortex™-A9 Processors), besides having more than generous ARM® processing power, are turbo-charged by an array of up to 96 Stemcell media processing cores to give an incredible performance of up to 100 processor cores, previously unheard of in the handheld mobile device markets! The ZMS-20 is sampling now to select customers and is scheduled for volume shipment to customers in the 3rd quarter of 2011.

ZMS-20 Key Features

  • Dual 1.5GHz ARM Cortex A9 cores with Neon
  • ZiiLABS flexible Stemcell media processing capabilities
    • Low-energy SIMD architecture for high performance media acceleration
    • 48 x 32-bit floating point media processing cores for 26GFlops of compute
    • High Profile H.264 video playback at 1080p@30fps
    • Wide range of accelerated video codecs including H.264, VC1 and VP8
    • High-definition, low-latency video conferencing
    • Optimised OpenGL ES 2.0 for robust 3D graphics acceleration and application compatibility
    • Accelerated OpenCL 1.1 (desktop profile) integrated into Android NDK
    • High Dynamic Range (HDR) Image Processing
    • High-quality Text-to-Speech and Voice Recognition
    • 150 MPixel/sec image processing
    • Adobe Flash 10 acceleration
  • Integrated HDMI 1.4 with 3D stereo support
  • 1GB addressable memory
    • DDR2/3 at 533 MHz for low cost
    • LPDDR2 for maximum memory bandwidth and low-power
    • 64-bit wide memory bus
  • Quad independent video controllers supporting 24-bit displays and cameras
  • 3V3 and 1V8 I/O’s reduce peripheral power consumption
  • Dual USB 2.0 HS OTG (Host/Peripheral) controllers with PHY for low system cost
  • Three independent SDIO/MMC controllers
  • Extended battery life with robust Dynamic Power Management and Instantaneous On
  • Xtreme Fidelity™ X-Fi audio effects
  • Enhanced Security: 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) and TrustZone®

Android 2.2 OS Upgrade Available on Creative ZiiO 7” Tablet

 Technology  1 Response »
Mar 242011
 

Whoever was the first few in line to buy the Creative ZiiO 7″ Tablet, you’re in luck! There’s now an Android 2.2 OS upgrade for your 7″ resistive touch screen tablet. This Android 2.2 upgrade will be available via support.creative.com or the ZiiO Space portal found on your tablets, beginning 25 March 2011.

In addition, the Creative ZiiO 7” with Android 2.2 will begin shipping on 18 March 2011, while the Creative ZiiO 10” is expected to ship with Android 2.2 by April 2011.

Users of the Creative ZiiO tablets with Android 2.2 can look forward to enjoying these enhancements:

  • Flexibility to install apps using either on-board memory or external storage media
  • Flexibility of viewing pages in both desktop and mobile formats – which means that pages can now be seen in their original lay-out without truncation
  • Improved security with the addition of numeric pin or alpha-numeric password options to unlock device
  • Greater localised language support added
  • Text-to-Speech Engine

By the way, those who own the Creative ZiiO tablet, please leave a comment with your experience using the actual device. I’m very interested to know how you feel about it.

The Creative ZiiO 7″ tablet is available in Singapore at SGD$359.00 for 8GB and SGD$389.00 for 16GB.

Creative Zii EGG Article on CodeAndroid

 Articles, CodeAndroid  No Responses »
Aug 132009
 

My article is finally up! We went to talk to the guys at Creative about the Zii EGG on 5th August, and we had a great time talking about the whole Stemcell Computing, Zii, Zii EGG, and Shan Zhai.

Special thanks to Jaryl Sim for editing my post. Anyway here it is.

CodeAndroid early look at Zii Egg – waiting to bite