Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category

Philips partners Green Sense Farms for LED-based indoor farming

Sunday, May 11th, 2014

These indoor farms grow vegetables sustainably and locally in areas where traditional field farming is not possible. The lighting system uses 85% less energy than traditional systems.

Update (15 November, 2021):

Seven years on, Signify (formerly Philips Lighting) is launching its first global virtual horticulture COE for Singapore and Asia.

Feeding the growing population with Philips city farming.

Feeding the growing population with Philips city farming.

Royal Philips has partnered with Green Sense Farms (GSF), a Chicago-area commercial grower, to develop one of the largest indoor commercial farms using LED grow lights tailored to their specific crops.

6525 Daniel Burnham Cir Unit B Portage, IN 46368 United States

“By growing our crops vertically, we are able to pack more plants per acre than we would have in a field farm, which results in more harvests per year. We produce little waste, no agricultural runoff and minimal greenhouse gasses because the food is grown where it is consumed,” said Robert Colangelo.

This innovative farming model allows them to harvest 20-25 times a year by using ‘light recipes’ optimised for their produce, using 85 percent less energy.

The result will be an increase in crop yields and reduced operating costs, while providing consumers with locally grown, fresh vegetables throughout the year.

GSF is located in a small town called Portage, which is very close to Chicago.

GSF has invested millions of dollars to renovate and equip a million cubic foot indoor growing area consisting of fourteen 25 foot tall growing towers in two climate-controlled grow rooms.

These rooms use Philips energy-efficient LED solutions tailored to their specific crops.

This method also eliminates the need for harmful pesticides, fertilisers or preservatives, resulting in produce that is organically grown and virtually chemical free.

(more…)

New arrivals: WD My Cloud secure personal cloud solutions

Friday, February 28th, 2014

WD’s new My Cloud gives consumers a cloud of their own, enabling home users to easily save, access and share all of their photos, videos and files from any devices, anytime – without sacrificing privacy.

Prices: S$239 (2TB), S$289 (3TB) ,S$399 (4TB).

WD My Cloud lets you set up your personal cloud storage in the security of your own home.

WD My Cloud lets you set up your personal cloud storage in the security of your own home.

WD introduced the My Cloud personal cloud solutions as a complete solution for users to organise, centralise and secure the digital content from all of their computers and mobile devices and access those files from any device, from anywhere in the world.

By simply connecting a My Cloud personal cloud drive to the Internet, consumers get the anywhere, any-device access they can get from the public cloud, without having to pay monthly fees to an online cloud service provider.

More importantly, they do not have to give up control of their personal data.

Streamlined Setup and Backup

WD provides a rich web-based user interface for a web-guided setup, helping usersto get their personal cloud up and running in minutes

(more…)

Extreme Sailing with SAP is Easy – 세일링은 쉽다

Sunday, February 23rd, 2014

The Extreme Sailing Series has just completed the races at its first venue for 2014 in Singapore. There will be seven more venues coming up before the eventual winner is decided.

멀라이언쿠기 (Merlion Cookie) was invited to be the sixth sailor on the catamaran of the SAP Extreme Sailing Team during one of the races. She shares her experience and understanding of how SAP data analytics contribute towards the rigours of extreme racing.

* All the pictures in this article were provided by Merlion Cookie. This journal is dedicated to the Korean readers out there 🙂

A day out with SAP Extreme Sailing Team

A day out with SAP Extreme Sailing Team

세일링은 쉽다. 응? 세일링이 무엇인지도 잘 몰랐던 내가 이제 세일링이 쉽다. SAP Extreme Sailing팀과 경험한 세일링은 그렇다.

“We are committed to transforming the sport of sailing globally by developing tools that help sailors optimize their performance, bring fans closer to the action and enable media and broadcasters to provide better informed commentaries,” said Stefan Lacher, head of Technology, SAP Sponsorships.

2014년 2월 20일에서 23일까지 나흘동안 싱가폴 마리나베이를 배경으로 전세계에서 온 11개 팀의 카타마란 경주를 펼치는데, 경주는 하루에도 몇 개의 라운드를 걸쳐 진행되며 결과적으로 각라운드의 점수합이 가장 높은 팀이 승리를 하게 된다.

나는 이 중 세번째 라운드 경주에 직접승선하여 바람을 가르는 세일링의 짜릿함을 온몸으로 느끼고 돌아왔다. 카타마란이 뭔지도 모랐었던 내가 어떻게 세일링과 친한게 되었을까?

우선 카타마란이 무엇인지 알아야겠다. 카타마란은 두 개 선채가 연결된 모양을 하고 있으며 그 위에 세운 돛으로 풍력을 이용하여 진행하는 배를 말한다. 즉, 돛을 세우고 바람을 받아가는 배 인 것이다.

(more…)

SAP data analytics empowers teams in Extreme Sailing Series

Thursday, February 20th, 2014

The Extreme Sailing Series is in Singapore as the first of 8 international venues for some 260 races this year. 12 teams will be vying to be leaders over four days from today till 23 February, at the Marina Bay.

I joined the SAP Extreme Sailing Team as a guest in their 40 Catamaran during one of the races on the opening day to experience the thrills and challenges of extreme sailing.

The participating multihulls racing against the backdrop of the Singapore skyline at Marina Bay, as the sun sets at the end of a successful first day. Taken with a Samsung GALAXY Note 3. Photo credit: John Tan.

The participating multihulls racing against the backdrop of the Singapore skyline at Marina Bay, as the sun sets at the end of a successful first day. Taken with a Samsung GALAXY Note 3. Photo credit: John Tan.

With things happening so fast and with so many variables changing at the same time, it is easy to see how SAP’s data analytics is an invaluable tool in helping the teams and the coaches squeeze as much performance as possible out of every race.

As in other complex competitive sports such as Formula One racing, a multitude of factors contribute to the success of a participating team.

These variables can also make it confusing and daunting for the spectator to follow and fully appreciate how the race is unfolding.

This is because there is simply too much information assaulting the brain of anyone trying to fully understand why a team they support is falling behind or why a rival is pulling ahead.

The SAP Extreme Sailing Team, with the Singapore Marina Bay Sands hotel in the background. Taken with a Samsung GALAXY Note 3. Photo credit: John Tan.

The SAP Extreme Sailing Team, with the Singapore Marina Bay Sands hotel in the background. Taken with a Samsung GALAXY Note 3. Photo credit: John Tan.

(more…)

New arrivals: Misfit Shine activity monitor debuts in Singapore

Wednesday, October 9th, 2013

Misfit Shine – the latest activity monitor to join the ranks of fitbit One and Flex, Nike Fuelband and Jawbone Up – is now available in Singapore.

Selling for S$169.90, the Misfit Shine comes with a clasp and sport band, and is compatible with iOS devices.

Unlike other activity monitors on the market, the Misfit Shine is waterproof - up to 50 metres.

Unlike other activity monitors on the market, the Misfit Shine is waterproof – up to 50 metres. Can you spot the Shine clasped on the swimmer’s che?

Shine is made by Misfit Wearables, a Silicon Valley startup co-founded by Sonny Vu, Srihar Iyengar and John Sculley – former CEO of PepsiCo and Apple.

Founders of Misfit Wearables: (from left)  Srihar Iyengar, Sonny Vu and John Sculley - former CEO of PepsiCo and Apple.

Founders of Misfit Wearables: (from left) Srihar Iyengar, Sonny Vu and John Sculley – former CEO of PepsiCo and Apple.

The company was founded in October 2011 and the Misfit Shine is its first product. The device is manufactured in Korea.

Sculley was in Singapore to brief the media on the trends of activity monitoring and the development of the Misfit Shine.

(more…)

Red Hat signs MOU with A*STAR BATC on Data Analytics Development

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013

A*STAR’s Business Analytics Translational Centre (BATC) collaborates with Red Hat to Use open source solutions for data analytic applications development.

Witnesses and signing parties of the MOU collaboration between Red Hat and A*STAR’s Business Analytics Translational Centre. From L-R: Ang Wee Tiong, Director, Technology, BATC; Dr. Tan Geok Leng, Executive Director, Science & Engineering Research Council, A*STAR & Chairman, BATC Management Committee; Damien Wong, General Manager, ASEAN, Red Hat; Suresh Sachi, Deputy Managing Director (Corporate & Legal), General Counsel, A*STAR; Jim Whitehurst, President and CEO, Red Hat; Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources; Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director, IDA; Shankha Sen, Chief Financial Officer, Red Hat Asia Pacific.

Witnesses and signing parties of the MOU collaboration between Red Hat and A*STAR’s Business Analytics Translational Centre. From L-R: Ang Wee Tiong, Director, Technology, BATC; Dr. Tan Geok Leng, Executive Director, Science & Engineering Research Council, A*STAR & Chairman, BATC Management Committee; Damien Wong, General Manager, ASEAN, Red Hat; Suresh Sachi, Deputy Managing Director (Corporate & Legal), General Counsel, A*STAR; Jim Whitehurst, President and CEO, Red Hat; Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources; Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director, IDA; Shankha Sen, Chief Financial Officer, Red Hat Asia Pacific.

Red Hat, Inc., a leading provider of open source solutions, today announced plans for a new collaboration with A*STAR’s Business Analytics Translational Centre (BATC) to help accelerate innovation and drive adoption of business analytics with open source solutions from Red Hat.

“Open source has evolved to become a foundation for innovation. As technology continues to become more of a commodity, the standardization of parts can help spur more rapid innovation,” said Jim Whitehurst, president and CEO of Red Hat.

Jim Whitehurst, president and CEO of Red Hat, was present for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today in Singapore with Dr Tan Geok Leng, Chairman of BATC Management Committee and Executive Director for the Science & Engineering Research Council (SERC), A*STAR.

Red Hat will be collaborating with BATC in areas of big data, middleware, Platform-as-a-service (PaaS), cloud and storage, for the innovation and development of current and upcoming analytics projects.

(more…)

SAP HANA powers McLaren’s F1 real time race strategy

Thursday, September 12th, 2013

The Formula 1 Grand Prix is again in Singapore for the only night race in the F1 circuit.

I had the opportunity to take a peek at how SAP’s HANA in-memory computing system helps McLaren to harness the Big Data streaming in from their cars’ onboard sensors to fine-tune – in real time – the team’s race strategy.

SAP HANA provides McLaren with a dashboard for comprehensive awareness and decision making.

SAP HANA provides McLaren with a dashboard for comprehensive awareness and real time decision making during a Formula 1 race or practice.

In this digital age of high performance computing, pertinent telemetry data is constantly being captured and transmitted by on-board sensors on the car for modelling and analysis by the team management back in the control room – be it during test practices, qualification runs, or the actual race itself.

(more…)

Keen faces at Singapore Kids Science Fest (13-19 July 2013)

Saturday, July 13th, 2013

As a prelude to the Singapore Science Festival 2013, the Kids Science Fest is being held at the Science Centre Singapore from 13-19 July (10am – 6pm).

Just take a look at the keen face to see how engaged the young (and older) participants were!

Science Buskers explaining how a coke can can be tilted and balanced on its edge.

Science Buskers explaining how a coke can can be tilted and balanced on its edge.

Jointly organised by A*STAR and the Science Centre, the carnival is targeted mainly towards families and kids/students between ages 6-13.

Testing out the wind vane that a young girl had made for herself.

Testing out the wind vane that a young girl had made for herself.

The activities are located within the Marquee in the Science Centre Singapore.

One girl is creating a simulated Jovian Landscape while her friend is filled with curiosity about what it's like on Planet Jupiter.

One girl is creating a simulated Jovian Landscape while her friend is filled with curiosity about what it’s like on Planet Jupiter.

(more…)

Sony launches world first 3LCD Laser Light Source Projector in Asia

Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013

The VPL-FHZ55 is the world’s first 3LCD Laser Light Source Projector. Sony launched the new projector for Asia in Singapore today. Priced at S$7,999 and available in black or white chasis in Asia Pacific by August 2013.

The Sony VPL-FHZ55 is the world’s first 3LCD Laser Light Source Projector. Price: S$7,999.

The Sony VPL-FHZ55 is the world’s first 3LCD Laser Light Source Projector. Price: S$7,999.

The VPL-FHZ55 is a WUXGA-class (1920 x 1200) installation projector based on a blue laser light source, and is the world’s first 3LCD laser projector.

I was impressed by a demo of the projector in action in a fully lighted room. The resolution was detailed while the colours were extremely vivid and accurate.

The picture quality was good enough for home entertainment use although the projector is targeted mainly at business and corporate use.

Capable of achieving 4,000 lumens, it is one of the brightest projectors of its kind, and delivers a range of performance capabilities that eliminate many issues associated with conventional lamp-based projection.

The Sony VPL-FHZ55 is a WUXGA-class (1920 x 1200) installation projector based on a blue laser light source.

The Sony VPL-FHZ55 is a WUXGA-class (1920 x 1200) installation projector based on a blue laser light source.

(more…)

Major Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) updates now available

Wednesday, June 19th, 2013

The next generation of “CC” desktop applications include Adobe Photoshop CC, and delivers new community and publishing capabilities. Current Creative Cloud members get the update free.

The major update is free for existing Creative Cloud subscribers.

The major update is free for existing Creative Cloud subscribers.

Adobe Creative Cloud for Individuals was launched in Singapore last month and for teams in Jaunary.

“… in addition to the traditional areas of innovation these apps are now connected to the powerful publishing and community features integral to the Creative Cloud experience,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Media, Adobe.

This latest Creative Cloud release includes new features in the set of “CC” desktop applications and sophisticated cross-device collaboration and publishing capabilities.

Creative files can be stored and shared, via Creative Cloud, on Mac OS, Windows, iOS and Android.

Behance, a leading online creative community, is now integrated with Creative Cloud, so customers can showcase work, get feedback on projects and gain global exposure.

15 Adobe CC desktop applications

The new CC desktop applications include Adobe Photoshop CC, InDesign CC,  Illustrator CC, Dreamweaver CC, Premiere Pro CC.

Adobe Creative Cloud includes more than 30 tools and services that enable professional-grade content creation and delivery across print, web, mobile apps, video and photography.

Hundreds of new features are included in these latest versions of Adobe’s industry-defining desktop tools, some of which are highlighted here in my earlier update.

Adobe Creative Cloud Powers Frictionless Creative Workflows

(more…)