Life

Julie Smith-Clementi and Frank Clementi Form Smith-Clementi Design Firm

Julie Smith-Clementi and Frank Clementi have formed an independent design practice, Smith-Clementi, after a long-time association with the Los Angeles firm they helped found several decades ago, Rios Clementi Hale Studios. There, as major players in the L.A. design scene, they became known for work large and small—from such high-visibility, place-making venues as The Hollywood […]

Life

More Audi EVs to arrive amid growing interest

With an eye firmly on the future, German automaker Audi is keen to capitalise on the electrification wave lapping the shores of Singapore – first with its e-tron sport utility vehicle (SUV) that was unveiled at the Singapore Motorshow 2020 last month. Another battery-powered model will follow by year-end – the e-tron Sportback, a sportier […]

Life

Torque Shop

I have just taken delivery of a new car with double-clutch transmission (DCT). Is there anything about this transmission which I should be mindful of? Although the double-clutch system changes gears automatically and actually feels like any conventional automatic, its internals are quite unique. The clutches in a DCT are meant solely for transmitting power. […]

Life

Volvo’s new XC60 T8 Plug-In Hybrid is a red hot green car

Hybrids are usually a compromise, simply because they carry the weight of two powertrains. As such, they are programmed to conserve energy (both fuel and electricity), even though many will allow short bursts when both engine and electric motor work in unison. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Learn more […]

Life

Fast Lane: Racing ahead with the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC

A Leaf racing ahead Behold the third-generation Nissan Leaf Nismo RC, an electric racer which borrows its name from the green Leaf but looks nothing like it. The dual-motor, all-wheel-drive Leaf Nismo RC has 322hp and 640Nm of torque on tap – about double what the popular Leaf has. It hits 100kmh in just 3.4 […]

Life

Shoot, run or play to escape

While video games and mobile games reign supreme in this digital age, some people are still willing to step out of their homes to move around and interact with others for real-life gaming experiences. From Larp (live-action role playing) to Nerf to escape rooms that break out of the box, here is the low-down on […]

Life

Seungri indicted, without detention

SEOUL • Seungri was arguably the most high-profile artist ensnared in a K-pop scandal that erupted last year, but was not hauled to court even as two other singers were charged and received jail sentences. On Thursday, however, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office indicted, without detention, the former BigBang singer for allegedly gambling overseas […]

Life

Melange of styles

Scandinavian, industrial, a pastel palette. Each constitutes a distinct look and has adoring fans who bedeck their personal sanctuaries according to their tenets. For IT engineer Marina Chang and self-employed businessman Kenny Wan however, instead of taking the purist approach, they decided to blend the three looks for their four-room Housing Board flat in Boon […]

Life

Vintage Nordic chic lives on

Vintage Scandinavian furniture, mainly from Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and also Finland and Iceland, has influenced the world with its pared-down aesthetic as far back as the early 1900s. Most of the stunning minimalist designs from the turn of the century to the 1960s, termed “mid-century”, captured the imagination of the world, especially the work […]

Life

In love with mid-century Danish Modern furniture

Ms Lynette Wong has been collecting Danish Modern pieces for the last 14 years, and she says she still has a long way to go. She shows me why she cannot stop, inviting me to sit on all her chairs, discreetly removing the sign that says “DO NOT SIT” – probably for those with less […]

Life

Mini’s electric Cooper SE: Big fun in a small package

Like a Cuban sandwich, many ingredients must come together harmoniously to make a good Mini. It has to be agile, have usable space and an eager personality. But what happens when you replace ham with anchovy – will it still be a Cuban sandwich? Likewise, if you switch out the Mini’s petrol drivetrain for an […]

Life

Sturdy, competitively priced laptop

The orange accents and LED strips of the Terra 15 gaming laptop – an extroverted look that departs from Aftershock’s usual minimalist designs – are unlikely to cause a stir among gamers used to flashier designs. But gamers will appreciate that the local PC builder continues to price its products competitively. My review set – […]

Life

6 ways to get the most out of YouTube

Exactly 15 years ago, on Valentine’s Day, the YouTube domain was registered by its three founders – Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim – who were then working at PayPal. The first YouTube video, an 18-second clip called “Me at the Zoo”, was uploaded by Mr Karim at the San Diego Zoo on April […]

Life

Security camera worth its price

Arlo’s wire-free security cameras are arguably the best in their category. Simply place these battery-powered, weather-proof and motion-activated wireless cameras anywhere inside or outside your residence and within range of a Wi-Fi network, and you can monitor your home from anywhere in the world with a smartphone. The latest Arlo Pro 3 security camera system […]

Life

New products, Jan 29, 2020: Wacom One, Razer Basilisk v2 and more

Wacom One DISPLAY TABLET $549 The Wacom One is an entry-level pen display tablet with a matte 13.3-inch, full high-definition LCD touchscreen display that is said to feel like natural paper. With the included Wacom One Pen stylus, it allows artists to convert their doodles into a digital format right away. This stylus does not […]

Life

Shining a light on old times

Off camera, Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe barely spoke to each other while making The Lighthouse – a strange and darkly funny tale of two lighthouse keepers stranded in a storm and slowly driving each other mad. This is because the actors were too exhausted to socialise at the end of each day’s filming on […]

Life

Scientists give ‘voice’ to an ancient Egyptian priest

LONDON • In life, Nesyamun was an Egyptian priest who sang and chanted words of worship at the Karnak temple in Thebes. In death, he was ritually mummified and sealed in a coffin with the inscription, “Nesyamun, true of voice”. Now, some 3,000 years into the afterlife, with the aid of a 3D-printed vocal tract, […]

Life

Will users switch to new telco TPG?

Singapore’s fourth telco – TPG Telecom – is planning for a 4G commercial launch some time this year. Although a newcomer compared with established players M1, Singtel and StarHub, TPG has already signed up more than 300,000 trial users for its free mobile plan. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. […]

Life

Ergonomic Logitech gaming mouse great for right-handers

The Logitech G604 Lightspeed is a wireless gaming mouse designed for players of the massivelymultiplayer online role-playing and multiplayer online battle arena games. Such games require a lot of hotkeys to execute different commands and macros. Hence, players prefer gaming mice with plenty of buttons that they can program to fulfil certain commands quickly. For […]

Life

Apple Watch alerted him to heart problem

Mr Farhat Haniff, a 30-year-old Malaysian restaurateur and freelance architect based in Kuala Lumpur, bought an Apple Watch Series 4 because its design caught his eye. But the smartwatch might have saved his life. On a flight back home from Langkawi in August last year, Mr Farhat’s watch alerted him to an elevated heart rate. […]

Life

Compact mirrorless camera packs a punch

Japanese imaging giant Nikon launched the full-frame Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras in late 2018, but their hefty price tags – from $3,300 to more than $5,000 – meant not many could afford them. There is now a more affordable Z series: the Z50. Its price starts at $1,499 with a Nikon Z DX 16-50mm […]

Life

Fresh look at Thailand: Where the Thais escape Bangkok to eat, play and chill

Beyond Bangkok lies idealised European villas on cool hills, organic lemon groves and fluffy sheepdogs. There is also a hip ceramics factory, an improbable railway market and an alpaca farm, all full of Thai whimsy. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Learn more about ST PREMIUM. Enjoy unlimited access to […]

Life

Don’t cancel – blue skies will return Down Under

The afternoon smoke is stifling and 16 of us shelter inside, with all windows and doors firmly shut. The visibility plummets to 10m and the blanketing smoke turns the air an ominous blood-red. I wonder if this is what hell looks like, when suddenly things get worse. It takes 10 minutes for smoke to completely […]

Life

Bak kwa goes beyond pork

As prices of bak kwa (barbecued sliced pork) continue to soar – tipping $62 a kg at bak kwa specialist Lim Chee Guan – and the queues to bag some grow more epic each day, perhaps it is time to take a look at alternatives. And they are plenty to choose from this year, from […]

Life

Make your own hot pot sauces

Steamboat is a popular reunion dinner option, especially for those who do not have time to whip up a feast. Dipping sauces are an integral part of the hot pot experience and we have all been spoilt by the array offered at steamboat restaurants. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. […]

Life

Shell out for peanuts

Peanuts have become the new durians at Chinatown’s Festive Street Bazaar this year. There are stalls selling fancy peanuts with names such as Black Pearl, Butter and Black Sugar. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Learn more about ST PREMIUM. Enjoy unlimited access to ST’s best work Exclusive stories and […]

Life

More than just steak

The last restaurant unveiled by the newly renovated Raffles Hotel does not feel totally new. Butcher’s Block, which opened last month, replaces the Long Bar Steakhouse on the second floor of the hotel’s shopping arcade – next to the Long Bar, famous for its Singapore Sling cocktail and a floor strewn with peanut shells. Please […]

Life

Taking on cancer at 30 and celebrating every victory

A few months before her wedding in November 2015, Ms Tracy Hoo felt a hard lump in her breast. Caught up in the flurry of wedding planning and renovation for a new home, she did not do anything about it. That was until about a year later when her aunt, then 54, was diagnosed with […]

Life

Size matters for these pancakes and buns

There are a handful of stalls outside and around People’s Park Complex in Chinatown that I term collectively as The Stalls Of Supersized Food. A hole-in-the-wall stall around the corner sells meat bao that are almost the size of a newborn baby’s head. And then there is Bao Tian Xia, a standalone kiosk outside the […]

Life

Rad designs this CNY

The rat has shed its grimy image and put its best whiskers forward this Chinese New Year, as many hongbao designs feature cute and creative versions of the animal. A trio of white rats can be spotted peeking out of an elaborate floral display on local furniture brand Scene Shang’s hongbao, while the flap on […]