Tulipmania and Shangri-La-inspired azalea events at Gardens by the Bay

Azaleas are taking centre stage at Gardens by the Bay’s Cloud Forest dome, with an event inspired by the Himalayas and the fictional Shangri-La from James Hilton’s 1933 fantasy novel Lost Horizon.

The Azaleas of Shangri-La event is on until May 5, and features more than 15 varieties of azaleas in pink, red, yellow, orange and cream. There will also be Himalayan architecture and artefacts, as well as traditional medicinal herbs such as lingzhi, cordyceps and saffron.

Also on the festive calendar is the return of Tulipmania, now in its 10th iteration.

From April 29 to May 26, the Flower Dome will host the tulip floral display. Tulipmania is inspired by the Netherlands’ iconic tulip farms, where the blooms are uniformly planted in rows of a single colour.

The display will integrate traditional Dutch landscape elements, including windmills and watermills.

Info: Go to gardensbythebay.com.sg

Dyson unveils AR tool for home cleaning

Dyson is introducing a new augmented-reality (AR) tool, named Dyson CleanTrace, aimed at enhancing home cleaning by allowing users to visualise in real time the areas they have cleaned.

It integrates light detection and ranging (Lidar) technology via a user’s smartphone. Lidar is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure distances.

The tool maps out the room and overlays the routes used by the user’s vacuuming device with AR – indicating areas that have been cleaned and those that have been missed.

After cleaning, a scan with the user’s phone identifies any gaps which may need further attention.

Info: The Dyson CleanTrace is not yet available in Singapore. For updates, go to dyson.com.sg

Leica unveils new SL3 camera

Leica, the German maker of premium cameras and sports optics, has launched a mirrorless, full-frame system camera called the SL3.

The company’s cameras are prized by photographers for the much vaunted “Leica look”, a special image quality resulting from more than 150 years of German engineering.

They are made in small batches and assembled entirely by hand by skilled craftsmen.

Leica says the SL3 combines state-of-the-art technology, design and quality manufacturing for a compact, lighter and more user-friendly camera than previous models.

It is available at all Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store and authorised dealers. The Leica SL3 is priced at $10,400 (including GST).

Info: Go to leica-store.sg/pages/leica-SL3