New products of Aug 23

New products

Smartwatch

Garmin Approach S4

$449

This golf GPS watch will not carry your clubs but is so loaded with local knowledge of golf courses in Asia and Europe that it could be good enough to replace a caddy.

Garmin's Approach S4 comes preloaded with data for more than 17,000 courses, including those in Singapore.

On a glove-friendly touchscreen, it displays yardages to the front, back and middle of greens. Customisable yardage points can be input and saved, so you can even mark water hazards or bunkers.

Additional features include stat tracking so you can analyse your game results; and the ability to display alerts, e-mail and text messages from your smartphone.

Fitness tracker

Striiv Band

$99

Get a more accurate breakdown of your workouts with the Striiv band. It tracks your steps, calories burned, distance travelled and minutes of activity.

It also records how long you sleep and tracks the number of times you woke up during the night.

The data can be synched with an app on your smartphone to create weekly and monthly activity charts. The app encourages you to exercise by making a game of your activity. Walk more, run more and you progress in the game. You can also compete against friends, as the app makes it easy to post your stats on Facebook, e-mail or a text message.

Its makers say its battery should be good for two weeks before it needs to be recharged. It has a scratch-resistant glass screen so it should survive strenuous outdoor workouts.

Striiv is distributed by Axtro Sports and is available at www.axtrosports.com.

Bluetooth Speaker

Edifier Luna Eclipse e25 Bluetooth Speaker

$269

This wireless speaker system is perfect for home environments with its striking design.

The Luna Eclipse uses Bluetooth to stream music wirelessly and a 3.5mm input jack lets the speakers connect to other devices.

Capacitive touch-sensitive controls on the speakers let you control volume and playback, and a wireless remote lets you control the speakers from a distance.

Each speaker comes with a 3-inch bass driver and 19mm silk dome tweeter. The speakers use digital signal processing and dynamic range correction to deliver clear audio and minimise distortion even at high volumes.

Mobile phone

RugGear RG100

$225; available soon

If you are worried about damaging your fragile smartphone on your next outdoor trip, check out the RG100.

This mobile phone is dustproof, shockproof, and even waterproof for 30min in 2m of water.

The RG100 has a 2-inch QCIF display with a resolution of 176 x 200 pixels. It comes with a 1.3-megapixel camera and a Dual SIM card slot that accepts one standard SIM card and one micro SIM card.

A built-in 3W Bluetooth speaker lets you stream music from your other devices. The RG100 has an LED light that can be used as a flashlight.

Its 2,400mAh battery lasts for 15 hours of talk time and 600 hours on standby. It can also be used as a power bank or back-up charger for other devices.

Travel accessory

Tredan USB Traveller Plug

$35

For your next trip overseas, you can save space in your luggage with the USB Traveller Plug. The portable travel adaptor lets you charge up to four devices at once, with two universal sockets that accept all plug types and two USB ports.

A 77cm long extension wire makes it more convenient to plug in devices that may otherwise not reach the power outlet.

The device is available online at tredan.com.sg and will also be sold at the Natas Fair at Singapore Expo Hall 4 (Aug 29 to 31).

A Tredan Universal Travel Adaptor worth $12 will be included with every purchase, while stocks last.

Football Shoes

Predator Instinct football boot

$329

If you think this looks awfully familiar, you are right.

The Predator Instinct is a 20th anniversary revision of Adidas' original Predator football boots made famous by players such as David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane.

Edin Dzeko, Xavi Hernandez, Andrea Poli and Julien Draxler are among the footballers wearing the new edition.

The Predator Instinct boots, with a new control frame, promise better grip, touch and control of the ball. Their precision-engineered materials include a new gel pad and thermoplastic polyurethane soles to offer better flexibility.

This article was first published on August 20, 2014.
Get a copy of Digital Life, The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.