Bloggers excursion at JCube - Casio G-Factory and The Amazing Spiderman at Shaw IMAX

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to attend a bloggers event organised by omy.sg, Casio Timepiece Singapore and Shaw cinemas. It was held at JCube, and we were heading there to learn more about the newly opened Casio G-Factory outlet and watch The Amazing Spiderman at the new Shaw IMAX theatre in JCube.

At 2.30pm, the bloggers and organisers were hanging around G-Factory, looking at the watches and taking copious amounts of photos (such is the hazard of being a blogger) while waiting for everyone to arrive.

There were refreshments provided, which was a bonus because I have a sweet tooth. Don't these donuts just look delicious? They also tasted delicious, and I was really shameless about having at least two of them.

The event commenced with June (pictured above, right) giving a brief introduction to Casio G-Factory and the lines of watches that they carry. According to June, the Casio G-Factory outlet in JCube is the ninth outlet to set up store in Singapore. With five different lines of watches available in-store, there's something for everyone at Casio G-Factory:

1) Baby-G

First up, there's the funky line of Baby-G watches that is popular amongst trendy young people. I used to have a Baby-G watch that was baby pink. It was a gift, and I loved it to bits because it was the perfect watch for 12-year-old me. Aesthetically appealing and long-lasting, the Baby-G watch definitely appeals to the younger set who look for both design and functionality in a watch.

2) G-Shock

Next, there are the tough and shock-resistant G-Shock watches for those on the move. G-Shock watches are water-resistant for up to 200m underwater - perfect for divers or swimmers who want to be able to tell the time while diving/swimming. I was fascinated by the striking hot pink digital watch display (pictured below, left), as I had never seen something like that before. It's a change from the usual grey digital watch display with black numerals. I've had a G-Shock watch before, and I can attest to how tough it is. I remember dropping it countless times without affecting how it works and also how I used to love turning on the blue backlight multiple times at night just for kicks.

3) Edifice

Prior to this event, I was not aware of the Casio G-Factory watch line called "Edifice". Edifice has an analog interface, and due to its intricate design and build, is more expensive than some of the other lines such as Baby-G. I love how classy the Edifice watches look. They do seem catered towards men, with their shades of black and silver.

4) Sheen

Sheen watches are more for women, with their blinged up interface and sweet, whimsical designs on a white or metallic canvas. I especially liked the one pictured above as it has a simple but stunning design of the moon and the stars, coupled with a ring of gems to frame the watch interface.

5) Protrek

Credit: vhb24.com

Protrek is for those who love the great outdoors and want a watch to suit their trekking/hiking needs. It has direction, pressure and temperature sensors, and of course, is highly shock-resistant - perfect for outdoors enthusiasts.

After June's engaging introduction to the different lines of watches at Casio G-Factor, there was a short Q&A session with prizes. I managed to give the correct answer to "What is Sheen's tagline?" ("Make every moment shine"), and received a limited edition Casio G -Factory shirt. Thank you June and Casio G-Factory! Here I am posing with the boxed shirt in hand, right beside the G-Shock mascot. He's pretty cute isn't he? Apart from the shirt that I received, all of us also received Casio vouchers - thanks Casio Timepiece Singapore for the treat!

With the end of June's introduction to Casio G-Factory, we had about half an hour more before catching The Amazing Spiderman in the Shaw IMAX theatre, so most of us just wandered around the area, taking photographs and asking more questions if we had any. Our event seemed to attract a fair bit of buzz around the area, and a number of passers-by took the time to stop and check out what was going on.

At 4pm, all of us headed to the new 124-seater 3D IMAX theatre to get ready for the screening of The Amazing Spiderman in 3D. We had to put on the huge, filtered glasses that are used for 3D movies. These were a little heavy on my nose bridge and I found myself constantly adjusting them as they were much heavier than the usual weight of my glasses. Apart from that inconvenience, it was a real treat to watch The Amazing Spiderman at an IMAX theatre. Picture quality was crystal clear and the sound system was perfectly clear and precise too. The amazing thing about watching movies at IMAX is that you feel much more immersed in the experience, as you really feel like the images are coming at you! I've had to "dodge" more than a couple of sharp objects and tall spires that seemed like they were reaching out of the screen towards me.

According to a press release by Shaw theatres, the stunningly immersive movie-going experience at IMAX can be attributed to the following features:

• Crystal clear images due to the dual projection system, which projects left-eye and right-eye images simultaneously thus eliminating depth distortion during fast- moving scenes
• Laser-aligned digital sound for accurate and realistic sound images with the largest dynamic range
• Customised theatre geometry, which maximises audience's field of view. High-gain screen allows for exceptionally bright images and unparalleled 3D effect. Slightly curved screen is closer to audience, allowing for a 20% to 230% increase in screen area

While I can't claim to be familiar with the technicalities that went behind creating the IMAX experience, I have to admit that it was fantastic. I especially loved the action scenes in the movie, which showcased the full 3D effect and sound quality of the IMAX theatrel, especially the scenes where Spiderman was swinging from the buildings from the audience's point of view. In those scenes, I was able to experience the movie from Spiderman's point of view in full 3D, and to me, that was one of the high points of the IMAX Spiderman experience.

I left the theatre slightly dizzy - from the dizzying and immersive experience - and extremely impressed by the IMAX experience. If you missed out on the The Amazing Spiderman in IMAX theatres, do look out for the conclusion to The Dark Knight Trilogy, which opens in IMAX digital on 19 July 2012 - half the movie is shot with IMAX film cameras, and you'll only be able to have the immersive IMAX experience if you watch it in an IMAX theatre.

All in all, I had a great bloggers excursion last Friday, and I'll have to thank omy.sg, Casio Timepiece Singapore and Shaw cinemas once again for making my afternoon so enjoyable and informative. Thank you!