Author: Julian Wong

Leading game peripheral developer Razer has just launched the Seiren Emote, the world’s first streaming microphone with an emoticon display. This microphone is designed for streamers to interact with their audience through an Emoji LED display. It will retail at S$238.90 on the Razer online store from now, as well as through authorised resellers in Q4 of 2019. Users of the Serien Emote are able to choose from more than 100 static or animated preset Emoticons, but that’s not all—users can use the Razer Streamer Companion app to upload their own static or animated 8-bit images. Functions of this app…

2019 marks 40 years since Japan’s favourite mechanical cat first appeared on television screens. But the makeover of a Doraemon train station in Tokyo isn’t the only way Japan is celebrating this momentous year. For the first time in history, Doraemon will have its very own physical store in the Diver City entertainment complex in Odaiba, Tokyo. While the exact catalogue of the store has not been confirmed, you do not have to wait too long as the store is expected to open its doors this winter. Diver City is already one of Japan’s leading tourist spots, with the Gundam…

Facebook has announced an all-new virtual reality multi-player experience with the Horizon. https://youtu.be/Is8eXZco46Q Launching in early 2020 in closed beta, Facebook Horizon will allow those with an Oculus platform to build your own world and interact with your Facebook friends through user-generated landscapes and games— just like the Sims game, but in virtual reality first-person. If you would like to be one of the first users of Facebook Horizon, you can register for the closed beta here. There will be a huge range of customisation with Facebook Horizon. Users will be able to choose how their avatar looks like from…

Hidden away in the basement of Sim Lim Square, is the all-new Pinball Wizard bar—the first of its kind in the building. Pushing past the deceptively simple door will instantly transport you to the 90s—neon lights, retro decor, and obviously, old-school pinball machines.  I was excited to visit Pinball Wizard, as my only experience with Pinball was the 3D Pinball Space Cadet on my old Microsoft XP computer. Also, I have never touched a physical pinball machine in my 22 years of life, so this would be a first for me. My excitement piled on when I learnt that the…

for For the lot of us who are wroking working or have assignments to rush, we is are no stranger to the useful tool called Grammarly. This useful extension has save saved me on numerous occasions from unwanted typos and the merciles merciless grammar Nazis all over the internet. But did you know, that Grammarly is expanding its range of capabilities beyond spell and grammar checking? https://static.grammarly.com/assets/videos/tone_detector_full.mp4 Grammarly is now able to perform a tone check, which allows you to see if your message is conveyed the way it is intended. While it may not be a fully developed function,…

I was born a happy and healthy baby boy at Mount Elizabeth Hospital on Sunday, 27th of April 1997. Growing up in a typically Singaporean Chinese family, I was often pushed to excel in my studies—an expectation not lost on me from an early age. My mother’s side of the family is Hokkien, while my father’s side is Hakka, or Khek, as it is known to some people. In my Primary school days, I was often brought to the Hakka Wong Clan Association in Jalan Besar for a yearly dinner and to receive a bursary award—an event like the ones…

It was 10 in the morning when I arrived at the entrance of the River Safari in Mandai. I let out a huge yawn and lamented the fact that I had only slept for three hours the previous night—definitely not the amount of sleep needed to handle the daunting task I had ahead of me. I visited the park once in 2014, and have never returned since then. To me, attractions like the River Safari are a one-off—you can pretty much experience the entire park in one visit making the second visit redundant as you will see the same things…

It was 11 pm on a Saturday many years ago, and my hands were shaking with nervousness. My partner, on the other hand, was relaxed. Unlike me, this was not her first. Pushing away every thought I had on abstinence, I undressed her. Everything else from that moment on was a blur, and it ended just as quickly as it started. Not once in this entire experience did I draw upon the knowledge I’ve gleaned from years of sex education in school. All that didn’t matter, and truthfully, it should. My brief, forgettable encounter with sex was the reason for…

With several Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise launching, I am sure that many couples are seeking out the best place to live. However, there is also the issue of cost, with property prices predictably fluctuating every year. I never thought that I’d have to look at numbers in my job as a writer, but after extensive research, I present to you the most affordable and the most expensive BTO options. For this comparison, I use the average prices of the estate in the year, and will only be comparing the three-room, four-room and five-room units.  Cheapest Three-Room BTOs In Singapore Woodlands wins in…

As a sneakerhead, I believe that footwear is what makes or breaks an outfit, and I think this also applies to the staple of every gentleman’s outfit—leather shoes. I learnt about W.H.Y & CO from a colleague, who has been wearing a pair of loafers made by them daily to the office. Every time I questioned him on whether he has other shoes, he has always insisted that his loafers were the most comfortable shoes he had. He had the means to purchase many more pairs of shoes as well, so I was curious—what was so special about these ordinary-looking…

I’m no stranger to lepak-ing with my friends on HDB carpark rooftops or void decks till the wee hours of the night to indulge in the occasional game of Mobile Legends. But did you know, that aside from void decks, there are actually some hidden HDB rooftop gardens that are equally great chill-out spots? With the constant need to go green, the rooftops of certain HDBs have been transformed with greenery, as an initiative by NParks. I scoured the island to find some of these rooftops, that aren’t just greenery—some of them actually make great places to sit down with your…

I have basiphobia, or more commonly known as the “fear of falling”. Roller coasters siphon life energy out of me and every (near-death) experience I’ve had with such rides has never helped me conquer this fear. There are, however, people who relish the thrill these rides give and scream “AGAIN!” as they return to the back of the queue, forcing their lifeless friends to re-live the agony once more. Unfortunately for me, most of our team here at HYPE&STUFF are not like that, and thank goodness none of us were admitted to the A&E for cardiac arrest when we paid a visit…

Ever since I moved out, the area around Paya Lebar MRT has continuously been developing, with Paya Lebar Square springing up, and the long-overdue rejuvenation of the stalwart of the area, SingPost. The latest addition to this now bustling area is Paya Lebar Quarter Mall, or PLQ Mall, which opened its doors to the public recently on 30th August. I called the Tanjong Katong area home for the majority of my life. I remember a time when the nearest shopping mall was City Plaza and even my parents did not like to go there because of the crowd on the…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1iUSyViyo One of the first phrases I heard in the opening sequence of Roll Red Roll was, “she’s so raped” followed by cynical laughter. This alone is perturbing—although it was a voiceover, it definitely must have been something said by a real person. I’m no feminist, but this voiceover alone set the stage for what was about to come. How can the word rape be used so loosely? And if the alleged rape was real, how could it be made into a laughing matter? We are then introduced to our victim. Throughout the film, the victim is referred to as…

FREE movie tickets? Yes, you heard that right. In celebration of its new cinema opening in Paya Lebar Quarter Mall, Shaw Theatres will be giving out 500 free tickets on 4th September for movies on the same day. Customers are limited to two free tickets per person, and the queue will begin at 9.30am on 4 September. Act fast. Unable to visit PLQ Mall on the 4th of September? Don’t worry as there are other freebies for you to look out for. From 5th-11th September, you will be able to get free treats with every two tickets purchased on the…