Archive for the ‘Brands’ Category

POTD: Good Friday

Saturday, April 19th, 2014

Good Friday is observed primarily by Christians to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Cavalry. 

For Christians, Good Friday is a time for reflection. Photo taken with a Samsung GALAXY Note 3 smartphone at Pasir Ris Beach, Singapore. Photo credit: John Tan.

For Christians, Good Friday is a time for reflection. Photo taken with a Samsung GALAXY Note 3 smartphone at Pasir Ris Beach, Singapore. Photo credit: John Tan.

The year of the crucifixion is estimated to have occurred in AD 33.

A Christian friend of mine says that Good Friday is a time of reflection on what his saviour had done for him.

Good Friday is a public holiday in many countries, including Singapore.

New arrivals: Microsoft launches Office 365 Personal in Singapore

Tuesday, April 15th, 2014

Office 365 Personal – annual subscription S$89 – allows individuals to install Office on one PC or one Mac, as well as one tablet device to be connected to the service.

Office 365 Home Premium – at S$138 per year – allows installation on up to five PC/Mac computers and five tablets (including iPad).

Introductory local promotions (until 30 June, 2014):

  • Free limited edition Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 with every purchase of Office 365 Personal.
  • Save $20 when you purchase Office 365 Personal with a new PC, Windows 8 Tablet of Mac.
  • Save $30 when you purchase Office 365 Home with a new PC, Windows 8 tablet, or Mac.
Microsoft Office 365 Personal is now available from Singapore at an annual subscription of S$89 per year.

Microsoft Office 365 Personal is now available from Singapore at an annual subscription of S$89 per year.

Office 365 Personal is suitable for individuals or small households who share a single computer to use Office.

For people or households who use Office on more than one device, it is more worthwhile to purchase Office 365 Home (previously called Office 365 Home Premium) instead.

Office 365 Personal and Home includes the complete set of Office applications – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and Access.

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New arrivals: Logitech Bluebox II Bluetooth Audio Adapter

Tuesday, April 15th, 2014

The new Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter transforms your speakers into a wireless sound system for your smartphone or tablet. Price: S$49.

Multipoint Bluetooth in the new Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter offers versatile connectivity.

Multipoint Bluetooth in the new Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter offers versatile connectivity.

Multipoint Bluetooth connectivity connects two devices simultaneously and streams audio from either one with the push of a button, making it easy to enjoy your favorite playlist on your smartphone or a movie on your tablet.

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SingTel Group & Samsung accelerates mobile data growth in emerging markets

Friday, April 11th, 2014

The strategic partnership has the potential to benefit more than 500 million mobile customers across the region.

Initiatives under this partnership include a retail collaboration programme, direct carrier billing, regional mobile app development challenge and direct access to selected apps.

Initiatives under this partnership include a retail collaboration programme, direct carrier billing, regional mobile app development challenge and direct access to selected apps.

The SingTel Group and Samsung today unveiled a suite of joint initiatives designed to bring a seamless and richer mobile data experience for their customers.

“This unique partnership with SingTel Group is important for us to reach a broader audience across the markets we operate in. Samsung, together with SingTel Group, a visionary group of operators, aims to bring better and a more complete set of products and services to our consumers,” DJ Lee, President and Head of Global Sales and Marketing of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics.

These initiatives are to be progressively launched by entities in the SingTel Group – SingTel in Singapore, Optus in Australia, AIS in Thailand, Airtel in India and Africa, Globe Telecom in the Philippines and Telkomsel in Indonesia.

These initiatives cut across many areas such as marketing, content and technology. This collaboration will help differentiate the entities’ services and improve their competitiveness.

Initiatives under this partnership include a retail collaboration programme, direct carrier billing, regional mobile app development challenge and direct access to selected apps.

The four joint initiatives are detailed below.

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StarHub partners Samsung and NAGRA for new set-top boxes

Thursday, April 10th, 2014

The first of three to be rolled out – the Samsung HD Interactive set-top box will be available to all StarHub TV customers starting 15 April.

The new set-top box, developed by Samsung is sleeker and slimmer than the current design. The middleware that is powered by NAGRA, promises four times faster access to VOD titles, and a seamless channel surfing experience. In addition, a new search function allows users to search for their content effortlessly.

The new set-top box, developed by Samsung is sleeker and slimmer than the current design. The middleware that is powered by NAGRA, promises four times faster access to VOD titles, and a seamless channel surfing experience. In addition, a new search function allows users to search for their content effortlessly.

StarHub has announced a strategic partnership with Samsung Electronics and digital media technology company NAGRA for its line-up of next-generation set-top boxes.

“We are thrilled to partner with Samsung and NAGRA, both leaders in their respective fields, for our next-generation set-top boxes. We recognise that today, TV viewing goes beyond just a passive lean-back experience. Users now demand a more responsive and intuitive user experience when they search for content,” said Lin Shu Fen, Head of Entertainment & SmartLife, StarHub.

The two other set-top boxes will include an all-in-one box that enables features like multi-room recording and multi-screen capability, as well as one that is IPTV-enabled.

Sporting a sleeker and slimmer appearance, the Samsung HD Interactive set-top box incorporates NAGRA’s latest middleware technology to create a seamless and compelling user experience.

The enhanced middleware enables users to navigate easier on a revamped user interface which also promises up to four times faster access to Video On Demand titles – compared to the current models.

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StarHub i3 introduces online social launchpad Crowdtivate

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014

StarHub today announced the beta launch of Crowdtivate, a crowdfunding platform for entrepreneurs and artists to obtain financial contributions from supporters around the region via a funding system in return for specific rewards.

StarHub's Crowd-Funding Platform - Crowdtivate

Watch the YouTube video on StarHub’s Crowd-Funding Platform – Crowdtivate.

Tapping on this crowdfunding platform, participants are able to create awareness of or gather feedback on their ideas or works.

Crowdtivate is currently open to entrepreneurs and artists to propose projects for crowdfunding.

Interested parties can visit www.crowdtivate.com to request for an Invitation Code to enter the platform.

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New arrivals: Seagate Backup Plus Slim and Backup Plus Fast

Tuesday, April 8th, 2014

Seagate has launched in Singapore the Backup Plus Slim (500GB, 1TB, 2TB) and Backup Plus Fast (4TB). Available now at Challenger stores. Both are USB-powered and do not require its own power supply.

Seagate Backup Plus Fast (left) comes in black with 4TB while the Backup Plus Slim (right) ships in red, blue, black and silver with 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities.

Seagate Backup Plus Fast (left) comes in black with 4TB while the Backup Plus Slim (right) ships in red, blue, black and silver with 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities.

Both enable backup from mobile devices via the local Wi-Fi network or via the Internet.

Seagate Backup Plus portable 2.5-inch HDD
Slim 500GB S$89
Slim 1TB S$119
Slim 2TB S$239
Fast 4TB S$449
Seagate Backup Plus desktop 3.5-inch HDD
2TB S$169
3TB S$229
4TB S$289

The Seagate Dashboard software enables the drives to easily backup photos and videos from Facebook and Flickr albums, and facilitate uploading to cloud services such as Dropbox or Google Drive.

The Backup Plus Slim is suitable as a mobile storage solution for the consolidating photos, videos and other files that are spread across multiple devices, social networks and personal computers.

It comes with USB 3.0 interface and Seagate boasts that the 2TB version is the world’s highest capacity drive fitting into a 12.1mm form factor.

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Samsung GALAXY S5 LTE arrives in Singapore from 11 April

Friday, April 4th, 2014

Pre-ordered units can be collected on 11 April, Friday, as the new Samsung GALAXY S5 LTE (S$1,068 without contract) hits Singapore shelves from 12 April, Saturday onwards.

Update (11 April, 2014):

Fans who successfully pre-ordered the Samsung GALAXY S5 LTE (32GB) collected their brand new devices from M1, SingTel, StarHub and Samsung Experience Stores today.

Photos here.

Samsung GALAXY S5 LTE hits Singapore on 11 April 2014.

Samsung GALAXY S5 LTE hits Singapore on 11 April 2014.

The GALAXY S5 LTE (32GB) will be available in shimmery WHITE and charcoal BLACK at all telecommunication operators, major consumer electronics stores and Samsung Experience Stores.

Consumers who had registered their interest or pre-ordered can collect their devices from their respective mobile operators and Samsung Experience Stores from 11 April 2014, Friday.

Consumers who have not registered their interest or pre-ordered will be able to purchase the GALAXY S5 LTE from the mobile operators and Samsung Experience Stores from 12 April 2014, Saturday.

The GALAXY S5 LTE is compatible with a range of Samsung wearable devices and accessories.

These will be available at the launch of GALAXY S5 LTE.

  • Gear 2 (available in charcoal BLACK and gold BROWN) – S$398
  • Gear 2 Neo (available in charcoal BLACK, mocha GRAY and wild ORANGE) – S$298
  • Gear Fit (available in charcoal BLACK) – S$268
  • S View Cover (available in Black, White, Rose Gold, Pink, Green ) – S$78
  • Flip Wallet (available in Black, White, Rose Gold, Pink, Green) – S$58

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Events: Apple WWDC 14 from 2-6 June at Moscone West in San Francisco

Thursday, April 3rd, 2014

Apple’s 5-day Worldwide Developers Conference Kicks Off 2 June at Moscone West in San Francisco. Developers can now apply for WWDC Tickets until Monday 7 April (10am PDT).

WWDC14 - Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, June 2-6, San Francisco.

WWDC14 – Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, June 2-6, San Francisco.

At this year’s conference, developers from around the world will learn about the future of iOS and OS X®, and the latest tools and technologies to create apps for iOS and Mac® devices.

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What can businesses do to save our planet during Earth Hour?

Saturday, March 29th, 2014

The world observes Earth Hour today at 8.30pm. What can businesses do to contribute? Here’s a case study of what one company – SingPost – has been doing to forward this cause.

This is the second year that SingPost is supporting the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Earth Hour as part of its commitment to sustainability.

This is the second year that SingPost is supporting the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Earth Hour as part of its commitment to sustainability.

Singapore Post Limited (SingPost) is the major sponsor of Earth Hour this year, so I was curious to see if it actually walks the talk.

So what is the company doing for this year’s Earth Hour?

“WWF-Singapore warmly welcomes Singapore Post’s continued support for Earth Hour,” said Elaine Tan, Chief Executive Officer of WWF-Singapore.

First off, it is switching off all non-essential lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm today at its flagship building, Singapore Post Centre.

Emergency lights that are required for security and safety will remain operational though.

SingPost has also turned up the temperature of its air-conditioning by one degree at selected locations since March 2013.

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