HWM Singapore March 2022

Return of the Note-tificent Ok, I’m officially running out of Note puns by now, but I have to say, the launch of the Galaxy s22 Ultra, has been one of the more exciting to come out of Samsung in a while, at least for me. It’s easy to get jaded in an industry that moves as fast as technology where every brand looks to out-spec and out-feature their competitors. Consumers are also becoming increasingly more demanding, and generational improvements are expected to be leaps and bounds ahead of each other. All one needs to do is to glance at a smartphone specification sheet to see number like 100X zooms, 120W fast charging, 108MP camera sensors, 144Hz displays... And then when you actually get the device, you find that these huge paper numbers do…

As the normality of working from home continues, many have turned to home improvements to either inject more personality to their work spots. While purchasing an ergonomic chair, a standing desk or a larger monitor serve a practical purpose, there’s also a growing interest in jazzing up one’s work desk, study or even the entertainment area. And that’s exactly what Nanoleaf is banking on. For the uninitiated, Nanoleaf is a company specialising in LED lighting and has been around for a decade now – the company started in 2012 and launched its first two products with crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter. The company recently launched their latest offering, the Lines, and sent a Smarter Kit (really a Starter Kit) over my way for review – and just in time for my own mini-makeover…

Prior to Samsung’s official Unpacked announcement on 9 February 2022, we had the chance to preview the new Galaxy S22 series lineup in its entirety - the Samsung Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra were available for viewing. Sure, a preview before a launch would mean the software we experienced wasn’t yet finalised, but it still gave us a good idea of what to expect with the new devices. Is SINGAPORE GETTING SNAPDRAGON OR EXYNOS? Singapore is finally getting Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset variant on Samsung's newest S-series phone. Traditionally, the brand has brought in Exynos variants for Galaxy S devices, but Samsung decided to give us the Qualcomm alternative this time around. Both Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200 (its Samsung equivalent) are manufactured on the 4nm…

The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3050 OC Edition comes packed with the usual bells and whistles, including a hefty triple-fan cooler that takes up almost a good three slots. That’s a lot of room for a card of this class, but ASUS clearly isn’t willing to compromise on cooling. It sports a brand new design, with additional metal trimmings around the three axial-tech fans. The new design mirrors the design aesthetic of the ROG and ROG Strix motherboards, in case you want to build a matching system. Each fan features a smaller hub that allows for longer blades, in addition to a barrier ring that increases downward air pressure. Adjacent fans also rotate in opposite directions to one another, with the two side fans spinning counter-clockwise, and the middle fan spinning…

The immense popularity of true wireless earbuds means even traditional hi-fi brands like Bang & Olufsen can ill afford to sit out. This is why we have the Beoplay EQ, the brand’s first-ever true wireless earbuds. To start, we must commend the build quality. The buds have “spacecraft-grade” polymer chassis and anodised aluminium touch panels. The charging case is also aluminium and the ear tips are soft silicone. It looks and feels a step up from your typical all-plastic earbuds.. Comfort is good, I can wear the Beoplay EQ for hours without feeling any strain in my ears. However, they don’t get as deep as I’d like. Consequently, it feels like they are perched precariously in my ears. It isn’t a problem for the most part but they can fall out…

Ubisoft’s latest first-person shooter is built on the bones of Rainbow Six Siege’s Outbreak event, which threw its players into a sci-fi alien invasion. Rainbow Six Extraction serves up a direct sequel to Outbreak, picking up where its story left off with the world suffering from an overwhelming alien invasion. Extraction’s story kicks off right after a hostile alien force known as the Archaeans invades Earth, infesting famous monuments and creating mysterious nests. To combat this threat, Operators from Siege form REACT, a group that infiltrates infested locations all around the world to extract information about these creepy aliens. While the game can be played solo, it’s best enjoyed in co-op multiplayer where Operators work together in teams of three. Each incursion takes you to a map composed of three smaller locations.…