SG Malls

Need to know what stores are in the Plaza Singapura but can’t be bothered to scour the ground floor for a directory? This app helps you do just that—for some 188 malls—and even includes the unit number, telephone and website information.
Free from iTunes Store and Android.

Carpark@SG

If lower carpark fees are more important to you than the gifts themselves, get this app before you hit the road. It tells you the parking rates around town so you can plan your route, solving your Christmas woes without burning a hole in your wallet. The app frequently updates its database and allows you to submit new carpark entries.
Free from iTunes. Android Market alternative: “Singapore Parking” app.

The Christmas List

Keep tab of your progress with this app, including price, photos and the store where the gifts are available (there’s a preloaded list of retailers, but you can always add to it). You can separate your “people” into groups like “Family” and “Colleagues,” and even track your spending for each of them. Our favorite feature is the password protection option—the e-version of the “Don’t Open Until Christmas Morning” note.
$0.99 from iTunes.

Pros

• The dog-tag pendant isn’t the most stylish, but it’s lightweight (less than 30g) and not too flashy—great for daily use.
• If you like to keep your music separate from the great chunk of info stored on your BlackBerry, the Jabra Street2 can help you control both devices simultaneously.
• Not only can you toggle music, you can also take calls without having to make a mad scramble for your bag when the phone rings.
• Now that it’s the wet season, we fully appreciate that the Street 2 is splash-proof.
• Kickass sound via its AM3D Virtual Surround Sound 2.0 and Power Bass.

Cons

• You’ve got to spend an extra few minutes pairing your Street2 to your phone or whatever before you hit the road.
• Having to remember one more thing to put in our bag every morning.

Available for $108 from Challenger.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

They’ve just announced the release of the 8.9” version in the Galaxy Tab family but don’t rush out to buy it just yet. The upcoming version of the original 7-inch screen tab has hit US shores and should come to us very soon. The CPU is faster and runs the latest Android platform version. At 7”, you may even use it as your phone, if you don’t mind looking like a huge geek.
Spec: 7” PLS LCD 1024x600 screen | 345g | 1.2GHz dual-core processor | 16GB, 32GB | 1GB RAM | Android 3.2 Honeycomb
Price: Starts from US$399. Singapore availability TBA.

Sony Tablet S

Another Android-based tablet, Sony’s wedge shape design offers better handling and actually slightly tilts the screen towards you when laid on a flat surface, for easier viewing. Of course, there’s a 0.3MP webcam and 5.11MP camera on the back. An added bonus is the device also comes with an infrared remote control function and is PlayStation Certified meaning you’ll be able to play a handful of games unavailable on other Android devices.
Spec: 9.4” TFT LCD 1280x800 | 598-625g. | 1GHz dual-core processor | 16GB, 32GB | 1GB RAM | Android 3.1-3.2 Honeycomb
Price: $668-798 from Sony Store.

ASUS EEE Slate B121

Most tablets try to avoid head-on competition with the iPad by boasting smaller, more portable 7” screens. Not the Asus, whose 12.1” LED backlit display and 178 degree viewing angle make for a more pleasant outdoor read. This one’s a powerful business tool too—you can fix it up with an external display in seconds via mini HDMI and it also supports Adobe Flash 10.3, so chances of you getting an error message while trying to present a cleverly embedded video is close to zilch. The one-year unlimited ASUS Web Storage is also pretty nifty for working in the “cloud”. It’s a hefty load but offers impressive storage space.
Spec: 12.1” LED-backlit WXGA screen | 1.16kg | 1.33 GHz dual-core processor |64GB SSD | 4GB RAM | Windows 7 Professional
Price: $1,699 from Best Denki

Amazon Kindle Fire

It’s been a tough few months for Apple with Steve Jobs dying and the iPhone 4S disappointment. The Kindle Fire also came out, with a color multi-touch, anti-reflective screen that’s a far-cry from the black and white Kindles of yore. Apart from the low price, the Amazon store is the big draw.
Spec: 7” IPS 1024x600 | 413g. | 1GHz dual-core processor | 8GB | 512MB RAM
Price: US$199, from Amazon.com

I actually wanted to be a pilot, but didn’t have the eyesight for it.

I’ve always looked up to people who have an unrelenting drive and stubbornness to be the best.

When I compare myself to the kids growing up these days, especially in Asia, I feel very fortunate to have been given the time and space to be a kid without the overbearing burden of studying and achievement.

My best childhood memory is the smell of freshly baked bread from the bakery tucked under my T-shirt to keep warm while cycling out to a nearby river, where my mates and I would go trout fishing.

Location and views are key ingredients in a dream home; as well as a sense of drama—the feeling of being on the edge.

I’m lucky to have found my passion.

Concrete is the foundation we build our dreams upon.

I wish I’d designed Antonio Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. While I wish I’d designed the building, I’d rather not accept the fate of the architect [Gaudi was run over by a tram].

There’s no secret to hard work.

There is never an excuse for rudeness. The quality of life is largely about small human transactions and politeness makes human existence bearable.

My ideal phone would not take up much room in my pocket. It would be implanted in my brain so I can roll like Jack Bauer, and would have unlimited battery life.

In Singapore, models and people in fashion take themselves way too seriously.

There’s no room for mistakes in the name of experimentation when the result will be permanent.

I’ve definitely got a few epic adventures left in me. A mate and I have often talked about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya back to back, getting from one mountain to the other with rally cars and dirt bikes.

No matter what they look like I can’t date a crazy girl. You learn the hard way that it’s just not worth it—usually when they’re standing on your driveway at four in the morning spray-painting “I hate you loser” on your next-door neighbor’s car.

Pros

• The unibody polycarbonate chassis is practically flawless—it’s unbelievably tactile, comes in black, magenta and cyan and swells at the back to nestle comfortably in your hand.

• Offering the highest Nokia smartphone resolution to date at 854 x 480, the AMOLED screen’s been beautifully-integrated with the curved Gorilla glass to create a picture that looks as if it’s floating just under the fingertips.

• The Nokia NFC (Near Field Communication) ecosystem features speakers and headsets that can be connected to the N9 via a mere touch. A second touch disconnects them.

• When locked, the screen shows only the time (and some notification icons) very dimly. Great for preserving battery life.

• An 8-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens means you get point-and-shoot quality photos.

• The Drive app is gorgeous—the turn-by-turn drive and walk navigation also comes with voice guidance and a map that features landmarks in 3D.

Cons

• Nokia fans will baulk at the absence of a physical camera key, which means more wobble. There’s a touch-to-focus feature, but it's not the same.

• Both the micro SIM card and the absence of a removable battery pack are kind of disappointing.

• Swipe navigation is nice, but it takes a lot of getting used to.

Available for $799-899 from Starhub, Singtel and M1.