Apple recalling Beats speakers, giving refunds

Apple yesterday announced a voluntary recall of Beats Pill XL speakers, including a refund for customers. Apple has determined that, in rare cases, the battery in the Beats Pill XL may overheat and pose a fire safety risk, the company said.

The recall does not affect any other Beats or Apple products, and only applies to the Beats speaker pictured below.

"Because customer safety is the company’s top priority, Apple is asking customers to stop using their Beats Pill XL speakers," Apple said in a statement on its website.

Beats Pill XL speaker owners should visit www.apple.com/support/beats-pillxl-recall for details about how to return their product to Apple, and how to receive an Apple Store credit or electronic payment of US$325, or equivalent in local currency. The recall is only done through the Web, and owners can choose their country through a drop-down menu on the left of the screen.

The Beats Pill XL was introduced by Beats by Dre in November 2013. Apple acquired Beats in 2014. The Beats Pill XL can be identified by the Beats “b” logo on the speaker grille and the words “beats pill XL” on the handle.

posted from Bloggeroid

New Lumia phones come with Office 365 subscription in Singapore till June

Bloggers were introduced to the two new Lumias in Singapore last evening.

Microsoft yesterday announced the availability of the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL in Singapore for only S$299 and S$429 respectively. The new devices offer more personal computing and increased productivity through seamlessly integrated Microsoft Office experiences, OneDrive* storage and 4G connectivity. Both devices are eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10 as it becomes available later this year**.

Highlights include:
 Smooth operations from the on-board 1GB of memory and quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

 Crisp images on the Lumia 640’s 5” HD display and the Lumia 640 XL’s 5.7” HD display.

 Long-lasting battery life with the Lumia 640’s 2,500 mAh battery and the Lumia 640 XL’s 3,000 mAh battery.

 Detail-rich photos even in low light, thanks to the 8 MP camera on the Lumia 640 with LED flash and 13 MP camera ZEISS Optics on the Lumia 640 XL with LED flash.

“People are looking for a device which brings them more flexibility to switch easily between work and play, without breaking the bank,” said Bruce Howe, General Manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices Sales for Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. “With the long lasting battery and full range of Microsoft experiences – including Office and OneDrive – the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL are the perfect enablers of productivity for consumers.”

From now to 30 June, the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL will also come with a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal, which includes the latest Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote) on the Lumia as well as on one PC or Mac and one tablet. With Office 365 Personal installed, users will receive an additional 1TB of OneDrive storage, and 60 Skype world minutes. To redeem the offer, users will need to download the Office 365 gift app from the Windows Phone Store by 30 June and activate it by 14 August 2015.

The Lumia 640 will be available in glossy cyan, orange, white and matte black, and the Lumia 640 XL will be available in matte cyan, orange, black, and white. Both phones will be available in Singapore at Microsoft Authorized Mobile Resellers in Funan DigitaLife Mall and GadgetWorld, 3Mobile and Handphoneshop outlets from 18 April. All three local operators and A-Mobile will also be retailing the device with data plans. 

*15 GB of OneDrive access comes standard. Additional 15 GB of OneDrive access with activation of Camera Roll. 1TB OneDrive access with activation of included Office 365 Personal subscription.

**Like any upgrade to a new operating system, not every phone will support all possible Windows 10 features. Certain features and experiences will require more advanced future hardware.