Posts Tagged ‘Bold’

Event: Be Fashionably Bold with BlackBerry and ZALORA

Thursday, October 18th, 2012

What does the online fashion/lifestyle retailer and the enterprise secure smartphone of choice have in common?

BlackBerry and ZALORA join hands to present a "Fashionably Bold" event.

BlackBerry and ZALORA join hands to present a “Fashionably Bold” event.

A strong sense of style and the gut to make Bold fashion statements with their products, which is why both enjoy a growing following among the young and trendy in the region. And BBM is the buzzword that keeps them connected.

(L-R) Valerie Lim, mentor to the models with stylist bloggers Irene of Moonberry, Vanessa of Wardrobe Trends Fashion, Sophie Willocq

(L-R) Valerie Lim, mentor to the models with stylist bloggers Irene of Moonberry, Vanessa of Wardrobe Trends Fashion, Sophie Willocq.

BlackBerry and ZALORA co-hosted a stylish event in Singapore to put forth a fashion show showcasing a unique set of looks developed by leading online fashion bloggers and inspired by BlackBerry’s Bold line of smartphones.

Charles Dufourcq - Country Director for RIM, Singapore - looking fashionably bold.

Charles Dufourcq – Country Director for RIM, Singapore – looking fashionably bold.

“The individual styles inspired by the BlackBerry Bold portfolio truly showcase the diversity of the many collections on ZALORA,” said Terence Pang, Head of Marketing for ZALORA Singapore.

A vibrant and thriving night out

Local standup comedian, Kumar, being fashionably bold.

Local standup comedian, Kumar, being fashionably bold.

I popped in at the event (at 72-13 Mohammed Sultan Road) in the evening and the turnout was fantastic, thronging with both BlackBerry and ZALORA fans.

Everybody had a great laugh with local stand-up comedian Kumar’s act.

The fashion show was refreshing because the eight female and male models were not pros but lucky winners who had been chosen from an online contest earlier, based on the best poses that they had sent in.

They received their very own photo-shoot, makeover and runway tips from Miss Singapore Universe 2011, Ms Valerie Lim, who also choreographed the Fashionably Bold show.

Totally Fashionably Bold!

“Fashionably Bold showcases the popularity of the BlackBerry Bold portfolio in Singapore, while celebrating the lifestyle statement that both our black and white smartphones make. It is a celebration of functionality coupled with a unique sense of style that BlackBerry smartphones have,” said Charles Dufourcq, Country Director for RIM, Singapore.

this WEEK in TECH – a selection of interesting events

Sunday, October 14th, 2012

Here’s a selection of interesting tech events happening this week (14-20 October 2012). It is not an exhaustive list and represents only a sampling of events that gives a taste of the tech pulse in Singapore.

What are some of the more interesting tech events happening in Singapore?

What are some of the more interesting tech events happening in Singapore?

This week sees the continuation of buzz building up to the General Availability of Windows 8. Intel, Samsung, HP and Sony have already showcased their respective offerings. Next week, Microsoft will be releasing Windows 8 on 26 October 2012.

Audiophiles can look forward to the launch of Swiss Piega handmade speakers by Atlas Singapore, while photographers finally see the Lytro light field camera officially launched in Singapore.

The much anticipated Samsung GALAXY Note II and GALAXY Camera will be launched at the Ritz-Carlton; while BlackBerry and ZALORA join hands to present a fashion show inspired by the BlackBerry Bold smartphones.

On the enterprise side, Progress Software and NCS are talks about growth in big data and the realtime analytic industries, while DPM Teo Chee Hean opens Techventure 2012.

Finally, wrap up the week with a bit of fun and learning at Canon Imaging Academy, shooting out-and-about Singapore and learning about shooting stock photos along the way.

15 October (Sunday)

BlackBerry JamHack 2012

5-city, 3-day, 40-hour hackathon organised by 5 developer groups & communities in Asia Pacific, supported by RIM.

Culminates in App Pitches on the last day on 15 Oct.

Venue: Delhi, Bangalore, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila


15 October (Monday)

Realtime analytics for business

Progress Software and NCS talks about growth in big data and realtime analytic industries.


16 October (Tuesday)

Lytro launch

Official launch of the Lytro light field camera in Singapore.

Venue: Clarke Quay


17 October (Wednesday)

Samsung launch of GALAXY Note II and GALAXY Camera

Launch of Samsung’s latest products in Singapore.

Venue: Ritz-Carlton


17-18 October (Wednesday to Thursday)

Techventure 2012

This year’s theme, “Äsia.Innovation.Renaisance”, highlights the economic transformation in Asia and opportunities for businesses from technological innovation.

Venue: Marina Bay Sands


18 October (Thursday)

Fashionably Bold

BlackBerry and ZALORA collaborates on a fashion show inspired by the BlackBerry Bold smartphones.

Venue: 72-13 Mohammed Sultan Road


19 October (Friday)

Piega launch by Atlas

Swiss Piega launching a range of exclusive handmade speakers in Singapore.

Venue: Atlas Showroom @ Windstedt


20-22 October (Saturday to Monday)

Singapore iStockalypse

iStockphoto and Getty Images are partnering with Canon Singapore to organise this 3-day photo-workshop to shoot Singapore.

Theory on Saturday, followed by portfolio review on Sunday and out-and-about shooting on Monday.

Venue: Canon Imaging Academy

TODAY! BlackBerry Bold 9790 in Pure White

Saturday, August 25th, 2012

The BlackBerry Bold 9790 is now available in Pure White in Singapore. RRP S$608 (incl. GST). SingTel sells it from today. M1 and StarHub from 7 September.

The Pure White BlackBerry Bold 9790 is available in Singapore TODAY!

The Pure White BlackBerry Bold 9790 is available in Singapore TODAY!

Powered by BlackBerry OS 7.1, the Bold 9790 Pure White has both a touch screen and BlackBerry’s popular QWERTY keyboard. It also has a precise optical trackpad.

Available from SingTel, M1 and StarHub.

Available from SingTel, M1 and StarHub.

The smartphone comes with 8GB memory and card slot for up to 32GB of additional storage..

BlackBerry 7.1 OS incorporates a new feature called BlackBerry Tag.

By simply tapping the NFC enabled BlackBerry Bold 9790 smartphone against another NFC enabled BlackBerry smartphone, customers can instantly invite a friend to BlackBerry Messenger (BBM)

Or exchange contact information, documents, URLs, photos, and other multimedia content.

They can also pair their BlackBerry smartphone with an NFC enabled Bluetooth device.

The BlackBerry Bold 9790 can also boost a customer¹s productivity with Mobile Hotspot, which allows them to share their cellular connection with up to 5 Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including laptops and tablets.

BlackBerry 7.1 OS for Bold 9900 users in Singapore

Friday, April 20th, 2012

The latest version of the RIM’s smartphone operating system – BlackBerry 7.1 – is available for BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphones in Singapore.

The new OS 7.1 upgrade will enable users to share content by using “BlackBerry Tag” once NFC is enabled on their smartphones.

BlackBerry OS7.1 is available to Bold 9900 users in Singapore

BlackBerry OS7.1 includes BlackBerry Tag if the smartphone is NFC-enabled

Users can upgrade their software for free online, or by using the BlackBerry Desktop Manager software.

Use BlackBerry Tag to share Contact information between NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones.

Use BlackBerry Tag to share Contact information between NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones.

The BlackBerry 7.1 OS incorporates a new feature called BlackBerry Tag which makes sharing of information and content easier – simply tap two NFC-enabled BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphones against each other.

Users can instantly invite a friend to BBM (BlackBerry Messenger), exchange contact information, documents, URLs, photos and other multimedia content.

Users can also pair their BlackBerry smartphone with an NFC enabled Bluetooth device.

With BlackBerry 7.1, users can now turn their BlackBerry smartphone into a mobile hotspot that can be shared by up to 5 Wi-Fi -enabled devices, including laptops and tablets.

Simply tap both NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones to share information.

Simply tap both NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones to share information.

In addition, a new Battery Saving Mode feature has been added which allows customers to extend the battery life of their BlackBerry Bold 9900 when it is most needed.

The new feature provides customers the option to have their smartphone settings automatically adjusted when the battery power reaches a level pre-defined by the users.

Some of the settings the Battery Saving Mode will automatically adjust include the brightness level, backlight timeout, and also the mobile hotspot auto shutdown timer.

Gift ideas for a melodious Valentine’s Day

Sunday, February 5th, 2012

Planning to enjoy some romantic music during Valentine’s Day? Here are some gift ideas from a selection of stuff that I’ve covered in my blog previously.

Valentine's Day doodles by Suelyn Howe

Valentine's Day doodles by Suelyn Howe

First off, some doodles from Suelyn Howe that you can print out for use as your Valentine’s Day gift tag or card.

Bose OE2 (S$219) and OE2i (S$269) available in Singapore.

Bose OE2 (S$219) and OE2i (S$269) available in Singapore.

Now the audio gizmos. For improved depth and clarity, check out Bose’s new on-ear headphones, the OE2 (S$219) or OE2i (S$269), which deliver better audio performance than their predecessors and feature an updated look and stylish design.

Powered by BlackBerry 7, 10.5mm, NFCTo listen to music from a smartphone, check out the Pure White BlackBerry Bold 9900 (prices vary with Telcos), which is incredibly sexy and sleek.

With the unique white colour, she is sure to stand out in a crowd and always be looking for reasons to pull her phone out of her handbag.

Long evenings chatting on the phone to the boyfriend (that’s you) and BBM flirting (with you) will now be done in style!

For both listening to music and talking to you on the smartphone, check out the Bose Series 2 Bluetooth headset (S$249).

The headset assures conversations remain clear and natural – even in challenging environments, or when surrounding noise levels change suddenly.

Bose Bluetooth Headset Series 2 (S$249)

Bose Bluetooth Headset Series 2 (S$249)

For streaming music and movies, check out the Seagate GoFlex Satellite.

Seagate GoFlex Satellite 500 GB wireless mobile storageIt is the first battery-powered external hard drive to wirelessly extend the storage capacity of any Wi-Fi enabled device such as your Bold 9900, iPad or any other tablet and mobile device.

Couples can stream their favorite videos, music and pictures from their GoFlex Satellite (S$299) straight to their mobile device.

With 500GB (or 300 HD movies), the GoFlex Satellite allows you to connect up to three devices simultaneously.

What’s even better – if you are on a road trip or in a café and you have no internet connection, the Satellite will still work as it creates its own Wi–Fi network.

Roundup of BlackBerry updates from RIM during CES

Monday, January 16th, 2012

Upgrades to BlackBerry 7.1 (dates TBC) and BBM6.1 (available now), and Visa certification for BlackBerry smartphones.

The BBM6.1 upgrade is available now in BlackBerry App World.

The BBM6.1 upgrade is available now in BlackBerry App World.

The updates were released by Research In Motion (RIM) during CES 2012.

BlackBerry 7.1 upgrade – dates TBC in Asia

For users of the latest BlackBerry 7 smartphones, some of the features of the BlackBerry 7.1 OS upgrade are described below.

Keep smiling with the free BBM6.1 upgrade.

Keep smiling with the free BBM6.1 upgrade.

With the addition of BlackBerry Tag, users of NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones (incl. Bold 9900, Curve 9360 and Curve 9380) can instantly invite a friend to BBM, exchange contact information, documents, URLs, photos and other multimedia content, as well as pair their BlackBerry smartphone with an NFC enabled Bluetooth device.

Turn your BlackBerry smartphone into a mobile hotspot that can be shared by up to 5x Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including laptops and tablets.

Free upgrade to BlackBerry Messenger 6.1

Free upgrade to BlackBerry Messenger 6.1

Universal Search has been further improved to help users find what they are looking for. The enhancement includes an auto-suggest feature that intelligently filters Bing search results to offer users a variety of relevant Web sites based on their search terms.

Customers with a BlackBerry Curve 9360 or 9380 smartphones will find a nice surprise with the BlackBerry 7.1 OS update in the form of an FM radio.

BBM6.1 upgrade – available now in BlackBerry App World

This upgrade offers support for animated avatars (animated GIFs), a dozen new and fun emoticons to spice up conversations, and the ability to customize chat bubbles with different colors.

BBM6.1 is available now on BlackBerry App World.

BBM6.1 is available now on BlackBerry App World.

In addition, the new BBM app allows users to add customized personal messages of up to 160 characters in their online Profile, more than double the length supported in previous versions.

Users can now set the picture for their BBM avatar directly from the camera app – simply snap a picture and select “Set as BBM Display Picture” from the menu.

Read the full press release here.

Visa certifies BlackBerry smartphones for use as Visa Mobile Payment Devices

Following the approval of BlackBerry devices as the first certified smartphones of the MasterCard PayPass program, Visa has certified the BlackBerry Bold 9900, BlackBerry Curve 9360 and BlackBerry Curve 9380 as compliant payment products available for commercial deployment by financial institutions.

All the new devices certified by Visa can use the built-in NFC (Near Field Communication) technology to facilitate wireless payments using contactless payment terminals.

Read the full press release here.

Pure white BlackBerry Bold 9900 for Christmas

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

Ready for a white Christmas? Check out the white Bold 9900 when it becomes available this Saturday.

Pure white BlackBerry 9900 from Research In Motion

Pure white BlackBerry 9900 from Research In Motion

The Pure White BlackBerry Bold 9900 was launched today and will become available in Singapore on 17th of December, Saturday – from all RIM’s authorized partners.

Powered by BlackBerry 7, 10.5mm, NFCSporting a brushed stainless steel frame, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone yet at only 10.5mm, and the first to include built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications).

It is powered by BlackBerry 7.

The white BlackBerry Bold 9900 joins a slew of smartphones introducing white versions for this Christmas. Many of these have a white backing with dark front face.

The pure white BlackBerry Bold 9900 will be white throughout.

Since the popularity of the white iPhone from Apple, white versions of other smartphones have become something of a special edition.

I remember when  the black BlackBerry Bold 9900 was initially launched in 18 August 2011, one of the questions asked whether there would be a white version.

Francois Mahieu, Head of Product Management for RIM in Asia Pacific with the Bold 9900.

Francois Mahieu (left), Head of Product Management for RIM in Asia Pacific with the black Bold 9900.

Mr Francois Mahieu, head of product management for Research In Motion (RIM) in the Asia Pacific had mentioned during the launch party that there were no plans at that time to sell a white version, although it could be considered.

So RIM does respond to popular market demand – which is a good thing.

BlackBerry smartphones first in the world to be certified for MasterCard PayPass

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

BlackBerry Bold 9900 and BlackBerry Curve 9360 are the world’s first SIM-based smartphones to receive the MasterCard PayPass Handset Certification.

Research In Motion, maker of BlackBerry smartphones and the PlayBook tabletThe two smartphones from Research In Motion (RIM) are the first SIM-based NFC (Near Field Communication) smartphones to be certified by MasterCard Worldwide as PayPass-approved devices.

The certification was granted on the basis of the BlackBerry smartphones meeting the functionality, interoperability MasterCard PayPassand security requirements of MasterCard. With this certification, any MasterCard PayPass-issuing bank globally will be able to deploy MasterCard PayPass-enabled accounts to the SIM card of these smartphones.

“MasterCard is proud to be the first to certify these popular BlackBerry smartphones for mobile payments, and offer consumers another simple, easy, safe and convenient way to pay,” said Mung Ki Woo, Group Executive, Mobile at MasterCard Worldwide. “The availability of NFC on popular BlackBerry smartphones is an important milestone for the mobile contactless payments business.”The ecosystem to allow customers to take advantage of the certified BlackBerry smartphones for NFC payments is already growing. France Telecom – Orange is the first operator worldwide to have commercial NFC launches in two countries, UK and France, with trials in several European markets.

France Telecom – Orange believes that mobile NFC has the potential to enable a new revolution in mobile by further connecting people’s mobile digital world with the physical world around them.

In Singapore, I don’t think citizens probably will see NFC payments in place until at least middle of 2012 and beyond.

First look at the new BlackBerry Bold 9900

Saturday, August 20th, 2011

Based on the new BlackBerry 7 operating system, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 was unveiled on 3 August 2011 and launched in Singapore on 18 August. It is the thinnest (10.5mm) BlackBerry smartphone to date and includes built-in NFC support.

The Bold 9900 includes the classic BlackBerry Qwerty keyboard.

The Bold 9900 includes the classic BlackBerry Qwerty keyboard.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 from Research In Motion (RIM) is available for pre-order with the three telcos in Singapore – SingTel, M1 and StarHub. It will be available in the shops from 1 September 2011.

The Bold 9900 sports a brushed stainless steel frame, uses the classic BlackBerry Qwerty keyboard and is the first BlackBerry smartphone to include built-in support for NFC (Near Field Communications), a new technology that will enable it to pair with NFC-enabled accessories or read SmartPoster tags with a simple tap of the smartphone.

BlackBerry Bold 9900 from RIMThe new BlackBerry 7 operating system introduces a new BlackBerry browser with a significantly faster, more fluid web browsing experience. The WebKit browser engine promises browsing results that are up to 40% faster than BlackBerry 6 based smartphones and up to 100% faster than BlackBerry 5 based smartphones.

Additional enhancements to this next generation BlackBerry browser include optimised zooming and panning for smoother web navigation and optimised HTML5 performance. Flash is not supported.

Main specs

The Bold 9900 is powered by  a 1.2 GHz processor, features HD video recording, 24-bit high resolution graphics, and the usual suite of sensors. More specs are included below:

Main specifications of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 from RIM

Main specifications of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 from RIM

Singapore first to launch three BlackBerry 7 phones in South East Asia

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

RIM launched three new smartphones based on the new BlackBerry 7 operating system in Singapore today. The phones are available for pre-order and will hit the shelves in Singapore on 1 September 2011.

The three new BlackBerry 7 phones were launched in Singapore today.

The three new BlackBerry 7 phones were launched in Singapore today.

The three smartphones are the Bold 9900, and the Torch 9810 and 9860. The three models offer consumers the choice between the classic BlackBerry keyboard (Bold 9900), a full touch-screen with no physical Qwerty keyboard (Torch 9860) and the best of both worlds – the Torch 9810 with both a full touch-screen and a slide-out Qwerty keyboard.

Francois Mahieu, Head of Product Management for RIM in Asia Pacific with the Bold 9900.

Francois Mahieu, Head of Product Management for RIM in Asia Pacific with the Bold 9900.

I played with all three models and the immediate first impression was how light they were, especially when compared with previous models. The displays were crisp and clear and the touch screen was really responsive.

Surfing the net on the phones was a breeze, with fast loading times. The new hardware, operating system and enhanced browser has indeed made a tangible improvement.

The phones will be available from all three major telcos in Singapore – SingTel, M1 and StarHub. When queried, Mr Francois Mahieu from Research In Motion (RIM) said that for the moment, there were no plans to sell white versions of any of the three smartphones, even though he understands that it was a popular colour choice with consumers today. Mahieu is the head of product management for RIM in the Asia Pacific.

BlackBerry 9810 includes both the classic keyboard and a full touch screen.

BlackBerry 9810 includes both the classic keyboard and a full touch screen.

As with Apple’s iDevices, the new BlackBerry phones support HTML5 but does not play with Flash.

In addition to supporting the new BlackBerry 7 OS, the smartphones include a 1.2 GHz processor, HD video recording, 24-bit high resolution graphics, and advanced sensors enabling new augmented reality applications such as Wikitude that can be seamlessly integrated with BBM 6.