Samsung Singapore has announced the launch of the new ViewFinity S9 5K monitor that is optimized for professionals in the creative and visual industries.

A 2023 CES Innovation Award winner, the ViewFinity S9 provides top-notch visuals and lifelike colors, and versatile connectivity when needed.

Here are the display’s specs in a nutshell:

• 27-inch screen with 5,120 x 2,880 resolution
• 99% DCI-P3 coverage
• 600cd/m2 brightness for any lighting environment
• Delta E <21 color accuracy
• TUV-certified Intelligent Eye Care

The ViewFinity S9’s display is 50% larger than most UHD monitors and provides exceptional clarity so professionals can work on ultra high-resolution content with accuracy.

The monitor comes with a smart calibration feature that allows users to make adjustments straight from a smartphone.

Mac and Windows PC users also benefit from the ViewFinity S9’s easy connectivity features. It has an assortment of ports, including Thunderbolt 4 and mini DisplayPort inputs in addition to USB-C.

The device is also equipped with a 4K SlimFit camera so it can be utilized for video-conferencing calls; it connects wirelessly so users won’t have to worry about extra wires or cables.

Pricing, availability, preorders

Preorders for the ViewFinity S9 is now open until August 27 before it retails with general availability the next day starting at SG$ 2,288.

Customers who preorder will get a complimentary portable SSD T7 Shield 4T in black worth SG$ 488.

In celebration of Singapore Day 2023, Sharp is once again going on a two month-long sale on its appliances and electronic products. Selected 4K AQUOS TVs, washers, dryers, purifiers, and refrigerators get offers until September 7, island-wide.

Customers can get up to SG$ 388 off on selected 4K TVs, as well as a free Sound Bar worth SG$ 726.

For the Grand Top Refrigerator, buyers can get a SG$ 400 upsize for their selected capacity. The Side by Side series fridges, meanwhile, get up to a SG$ 417 off discount.

Purifiers also come with a Buy 1 Take 1 promo for SG$ 302 and SG$ 806, respectively.

Lastly, Sharp’s washers and dryers get up to a SG$ 150 off price cut, plus a complimentary Premium or Universal Stacking Kit.

To enjoy the offers, customers can visit Sharp’s official online stores on Shopee, Lazada, and Qoo10, and its authorized retailers.

July has been an eventful month for Swifties — fans of Taylor Swifts, in case you still don’t know about them.

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) was dropped, while tickets for The Eras Tour opened up in Singapore and Japan, prompting fans all over Asia to fight and enter The Great War.

While ticketing platforms face an enormous battle of high volume and demand for ticket sales, Klook — Asia’s leading travel and experiences platform — stood still.

Surviving the great war

On July 7, Klook’s Experiences Packages for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour in Singapore sold out in just hours. My confidante and GadgetMatch‘s lifestyle writer, Betty, was also able to purchase a package through the app along with Filipino Swifties.

More than 600,000 fans across the region waited online to secure their tickets without hiccups. With Klook’s robust infrastructure, the app was able to handle a seamless ticket sale for the Singapore tour.

Bernie Xiong, CTO and Co-Founder of Klook, shared that the company capitalized on the opportunity to ramp up the systems during the pandemic-induced event hiatus, allowing the app to deliver an unparalleled booking experience.

Klook can now handle over 10 million users queuing concurrently and has the capacity to scale even further, thanks to its near real-time capacity management and resource provisioning.

How did they get out of the woods?

By leveraging a Content Delivery Network (CDN) system combined with Edge Computing technologies, Klook’s in-house queuing system adjusts its pass-through rate to accommodate millions of users worldwide.

It ended up having no crashes even with a massive surge in demand during peak times. Undergoing rigorous load and stress testing helped the app in providing a harmonious experience without compromising system performance.

While Klook was handling ticket sales, the app is still functioning normally for other users who were browsing the app for other activities, experiences, hotels, and mobility options.

Onto some vigilante sh*t

To fight off ticket scalpers and bots, Klook implemented an app-only approach to ensure that genuine fans with a unique ID had a fair chance of securing tickets.

Klook used AI in its in-house fraud prevention and security system, employing techniques such as device fingerprinting and behavior analysis to detect and mitigate suspicious activities.

Closely examining user accounts and identifying anomalous behaviors allowed Klook to reject fraudulent orders and subject them to manual verifications.

These security measures helped level the playing field to ensure that fans have a fair and square chance of securing their tickets during the great war.

Long live the walls they crashed through~

Of course, Klook’s successes didn’t happen overnight. Three years in the making, the app already had skin in the game, supporting high-traffic events such as JJ Lin and Jay Chou’s concerts.

Aside from ticket sales, Klook curated value-added bundles from multi-day experiences and services such as play (attractions, experiences), stay (hotel nights, staycations), and move (rail, car rental, or transfers).

After all, Klook’s data revealed that when tourists attend a concert or event, their incremental in-destination spending can range from 4-5 times the face value of the ticket.

Now, Swifties who were able to book an Experience package can look forward to more moments of joy when they visit Singapore in March 2024.