aaronchin.com

Been fiddling with the HTC One X for a couple of days now....

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:12:00 +0800

Been fiddling with the HTC One X for a couple of days now. Pretty psyched there’s finally a smartphone as beautifully designed as the iPhone. Actually, strike that, it’s better than the iPhone as far as industrial design is concerned. I cannot overstate just how gorgeous this baby is! Granted, you gotta like big phones. 4.7-inch screen is surely not for everyone — especially if you have small hands, one-handed operation is nearly impossible. Software wise Android 4.0 ICS is still no iOS 5 but it’s a good improvement over previous iterations. Cutting-edge specs, top-notch materials and build quality, this is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best Android handset money can buy today. Welcome back, HTC!

A copy of the latest Monocle on my desk never fails to put a...

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 01:25:26 +0800

A copy of the latest Monocle on my desk never fails to put a huge grin on my face. You’d be hard-pressed to find a higher quality print publication that gives you a truly global perspective on international affairs, business, culture and design. This is journalism at its finest.

Just dropped by the Jazz Cafe in Ubud, Bali. Very cozy and...

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:29:00 +0800

Just dropped by the Jazz Cafe in Ubud, Bali. Very cozy and relaxing vibe with some good food and cocktails to match. Don’t be misled by the name and come here expecting real jazz though. Band was really corny and played badly jazzed-up American pop classics. Guess live music here is a bit of a hit or miss. Try your luck when you’re in town!

Samsung must’ve thrown out at least 3 or 4 tablets in...

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:47:00 +0800

Samsung must’ve thrown out at least 3 or 4 tablets in varying sizes in the past 2 years to see what sticks. None of them really had an edge over the iPad — either bugged by earlier version of Android or plainly unappealing hardware. Until now. I believe the latest Galaxy Tab 7.7 has hit a sweet spot between portability and productivity. At 7.7-inch, I can work on my emails or spreadsheets comfortably. Its Super AMOLED Plus display is one of the best on mobile devices. It’s thinner than the iPad, weighs half as much and runs longer. And it fits into my agenda/notebook perfectly. I’m ditching my iPad for this. At least until iPad mini comes along.

Jailer by Asa. Nigerian singer-songwriter based in Paris. Her...

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 02:47:00 +0800

Jailer by Asa.

Nigerian singer-songwriter based in Paris. Her sound’s apparently inspired by the likes of Raphael Saadiq, Bob Marley and Erykah Badu (gonna catch her performing live next week by the way!). Asa fuses indie pop, r&b, neo-soul, jazz and reggae to craft a musical style that goes down nice and easy. Some of her songs carry politically and socially conscious messages — if that’s your thing.

Update: Badu’s show was cancelled over a tattoo. Good God.

If you want to break away from the current crop of slates that...

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:57:00 +0800

If you want to break away from the current crop of slates that are seemingly everywhere, Sony Tablet P may be your best bet. This Android tablet has the potential to become a great mobile workhorse but it’s not going to get there without massive support from software developers to rewrite their apps in order to take full advantage of the unique dual touchscreen setup — quite unlikely to happen if you ask me. Oh well, Sony gets big brownie points for trying something completely different though!

Nokia Lumia 800 with Play 360° Bluetooth speaker and Luna...

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:45:00 +0800

Nokia Lumia 800 with Play 360° Bluetooth speaker and Luna headset. This is the first child born out of the unholy union of Nokia and Microsoft. And I gotta say I like what I see so far. This is not just another platform trying to imitate the Apple experience. But rather, NokiaSoft managed to bring about a new user experience that centers around who the users are rather than what they do. I like the idea of live tiles and how information are organised into different hubs. It’s a breath of fresh air into a sea of iPhone wannabes. But as expected, there are noticeable glitches here and there, and frankly speaking, the overall experience is nowhere near as fluid and functional as the iPhone. But this new kid on the block is quite promising, and I really love the style and originality of Windows Phone 7. Can’t wait to see how they will take this to the next level!

Just received this fourth-generation Kindle from Amazon. Pretty...

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:34:17 +0800

Just received this fourth-generation Kindle from Amazon. Pretty hard to find a bone to pick with this baby given its extremely competitive pricing. It’s thinner and lighter than your average paperback and slides into your back pocket nicely. If you love reading you’ll love this!

If you ask me, talking to a phone is bloody silly — if not...

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:01:00 +0800

If you ask me, talking to a phone is bloody silly — if not downright retarded. But damn Siri, you’re so good I feel like we got a thing going on here! You and I can do wonders once we get to know each other a little better. Ooooh yeah.

I Wish You Love by Janet Seidel. Widely regarded as the first...

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 02:22:38 +0800

I Wish You Love by Janet Seidel.

Widely regarded as the first lady of jazz in Australia, Janet Seidel is equally proficient in cabaret and theatre. Such pure, unfussy and clean vocals, it’s just delightful to hear this songbird sing.

Spent an afternoon at Cafe Batavia in the Old Town area of...

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 22:20:00 +0800

Spent an afternoon at Cafe Batavia in the Old Town area of Jakarta. The place is housed in a restored 19th-century Dutch colonial building. Inside you’ll find plenty of nostalgic decor that gives you a little taste of years gone by. Churchill Bar upstairs was at one time ranked among the world’s best bars. Heck, even the loo’s worth a visit! And of course, it wouldn’t be complete without some fine music to soothe your ears — they host live jazz session on most nights and Sunday afternoon to go with your choice of their many delicacies. I’ll definitely be back again.

Just picked up this 100x100cm oil on canvas by Chinese painter...

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:54:00 +0800

Just picked up this 100x100cm oil on canvas by Chinese painter Long Fei. Sort of reminds me of Picasso’s La Lecture. But wide awake with clothes on!

Your uncompromising standards and attention to the smallest of details have always been an inspiration to me. Thanks for everything sir. You'll be greatly missed and never forgotten.

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:25:00 +0800

Your uncompromising standards and attention to the smallest of details have always been an inspiration to me. Thanks for everything sir. You'll be greatly missed and never forgotten.

Latest fourth-gen MacBook Air updated with Intel Core i7...

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:48:00 +0800

Latest fourth-gen MacBook Air updated with Intel Core i7 processor and the new screaming-fast Thunderbolt port. I’m glad the backlit keyboard is back but the star of the show is of course OS X Lion. Apple says there are about 250 new features in this latest OS iteration but what you’ll probably notice most are Mission Control (Dashboard, Exposé and Spaces combined), some new multi-touch gestures, and the ability to run apps in full-screen. These are all brilliant and welcome improvements to an already fantastic OS. But here’s the thing — there’s nothing groundbreaking enough to warrant a must-have upgrade. And if you’re switching between different laptops running Snow Leopard and Lion, some gestures can be confusing and counter-intuitive and actually slow you down. My advice? Upgrade all your Macs to Lion and rewire your brain, or stick to Snow Leopard for now. You’re not missing out on much.

Silly Things by Kate the Cat. German duo cranking out some...

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 03:44:59 +0800

Silly Things by Kate the Cat.

German duo cranking out some wonderfully dreamy and awfully addictive jazz-pop tunes. I can’t stop.

This is the in-ear headphone for all you serious jazzheads out...

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 15:03:00 +0800

This is the in-ear headphone for all you serious jazzheads out there — Monster Miles Davis Tribute. Very rich bass and very precise tonality. As with any in-ear headphone, the key lies in the eartips. And Monster’s proprietary SuperTips are probably the best in class. Just take your time and try each pair of them to find a perfect seal. You’ll be rewarded with all the fine subtleties in your favourite music that you’ve never heard before. And the kind of blue cord? Genius.

Some of Salvador Dali’s finest surrealist works are on...

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 00:30:00 +0800

Some of Salvador Dali’s finest surrealist works are on display at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore. Pop by if you’re in the Garden City and gawk at how the man transformed his insanely weird dreams into masterful paintings and sculptures. Some bizarre furniture too. I just can’t get enough of his soft, melting watches. Cartier Crash anyone?

Thinner, lighter and significantly faster than the iPhone 4,...

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 23:45:00 +0800

Thinner, lighter and significantly faster than the iPhone 4, Samsung Galaxy S II possesses all the latest and greatest mobile technologies under its hood. Its super delicious 4.3-inch screen, running the latest Android OS 2.3, undoubtedly makes it the king of smartphones at the moment. However, I believe all that’s gonna change when the just-announced iOS 5 sees the light of day. And I think that pretty much spells doom for all other handset makers out there — well if it’s any comfort, just the smartphone category. Because the game’s no longer about the operating system, nor the apps alone, it’s the whole ecosystem. And Apple is the only one who has successfully built a closed ecosystem. So move along folks, the smartphone war’s over. Time to innovate something beyond that.

If you think Apple’s design language is sexy, then...

Thu, 26 May 2011 21:09:00 +0800

If you think Apple’s design language is sexy, then Alienware is downright pornographic! Trust me, this picture here doesn’t do it any justice. This beast has lines and curves that remind me of Lamborghini’s distinctively futuristic and edgy styling. All keys and buttons can be coloured to your liking — geeks rejoice! And it will gobble up any games you throw at it and chew it nicely. Built as a gaming machine, you can of course utilise it for any graphics-intensive work and it will blow everything out of the water. It is that powerful.

Well I’m sure this little twoofer (tweeter and woofer...

Wed, 11 May 2011 22:06:00 +0800

Well I’m sure this little twoofer (tweeter and woofer combo) isn’t going to win any design awards. But what it lacks in style, it more than makes up for in sheer sound quality. Just stream any tunes from your iPhone or iPad to it via Bluetooth and prepare to be blown away by the rich bass and sweet highs. You do get audible distortion if you crank the volume up too high though. But considering its tiny footprint, and the ability to play music wirelessly, soundmatters foxL v2 is the best thing an audiophile could bring along on a trip.