New products of Sept 15

LAPTOP CASE

Moshi Codex Air

$89.90 (11 inches); $99.90 (13 inches)

This clamshell cuddles your Apple MacBook Air in internal memory foam, protecting it from bumps and drops.

Yet, if you need to use the Air, you just unzip the case, open the lid and you are ready to go.

The case's internal corner pads elevate your laptop for better ventilation, while a water-resistant coating on the outside prevents water damage.

It comes in two sizes - for the 11-inch (black only) and 13-inch MacBook Air (black and titanium).

IPAD ACCESSORY

Belkin Qode Thin Type Keyboard Case for iPad Air

$149

This case not only protects your Apple iPad Air's display, it also doubles as a Bluetooth keyboard.

When you link your tablet to the Qode via its magnetic hinge, it works like Apple's Smart Cover. To use it as a keyboard, detach the tablet and slot it in the groove behind the keyboard.

The keys are well-spaced for easy typing and each key has a spring mechanism which provides a tangible response.

The keyboard is made of anodised aluminium and is available in grey or white.

SMARTPHONE

Sony Xperia T3

$498 (without contract)

Labels such as "affordable" and "premium" do not usually sit together comfortably when attached to "smartphone", but with the Sony Xperia T3, it is a different story.

With a stainless steel frame and matte cover, it has a sturdy build and great feel, yet it is only 7mm thick and weighs just 148g.

For your multimedia needs, this Android 4.4 KitKat smartphone has a 5.3-inch touchscreen display with a high-definition resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels and an 8-megapixel rear camera. It is available in purple, black and white.

SOLID-STATE DRIVE

SanDisk Ultra II SSD

From $120

Unlike hard disk drives whose moving parts are more susceptible to shock and impact, solid-state drives (SSD) have no moving parts.

So they are not only faster, but also more resistant to shock.

SanDisk's new Ultra II SSD is one to consider. It is said to improve PC performance by up to 28 times and lengthen battery life by as much as 15 per cent. Reading speeds up to 550MB per second and writing speeds of up to 500MB per second allow it to boot up swiftly and launch applications more quickly.

The solid-state drive comes in 120GB ($120), 240GB ($180), 480GB ($330), and 960GB ($650) versions.

PC ACCESSORY

Ergoworks EW-98570

$99.90

Your workstation monitor may be a pain in the neck because it is wrongly positioned.

To avoid neckache, the top of your monitor needs to be level with your eyes, say experts.

If the height of your monitor cannot be adjusted, try using a stand such as the Ergoworks EW-98570.

This sleek transparent acrylic gadget allows you to adjust your monitor to your eye level. It comes with a slide-away holder to support documents or a tablet, which may improve your workflow.

DIGITAL CAMERA

Fujifilm X30

$899, available Sept 22

Fujifilm's X30 rocks the retro rangefinder design vibe but offers the latest digital imaging technology.

It has a newly developed real-time electronic viewfinder with 0.65x magnification and a display lag time of a scant 0.005sec, making it the largest and fastest viewfinder for its class.

This prosumer digital compact camera has a 2/3-inch 12-megapixel CMOS image sensor, Fujifilm's EXR Processor II image processing engine and a 28-112mm f/2.0-f/2.8 optical zoom lens.

This article was published on Sept 10 in Digital Life, The Straits Times.

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