Archive for the ‘Figures’ Category

Singapore Mobile usage trends according to Norton by Symantec

Sunday, March 17th, 2013

Some insights from the Norton Cybercrime Report 2012 based on a survey conducted in July last year. (* All percentages are based on % of Singaporeans)

Top mobile Internet activities of Singaporeans.

Top mobile Internet activities of Singaporeans.

The report found that Singaporeans love to access the Internet on their mobile devices and they feel very safe doing so.

This could result in complacency where a notable percentage choose not to use mobile security – an alarming statistic, given how addicted they are to their mobile devices.

How safe do Singaporeans feel?

How safe do Singaporeans feel?

Need for their mobile devices *

  • 84% use their mobiles phones to connect to the Internet.
  • 55% consider themselves addicted to their mobile devices.
  • If they could choose two items to save from a fire, 49% would save their mobile device.

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Tech Trend 2013 – Why laser printers are better than inkjet printers

Tuesday, March 5th, 2013

With the prices of laser printers becoming more affordable, many home and small offices are choosing to buy laser printers to enjoy the more economical print per page costs, faster speed and professional document print quality.

I reviewed an S-LED printer (DocuPrint M255 z) from Fuji Xerox last week and was curious how S-LED technology worked. Both LED and Laser involve Page Printing, utilising similar technology – electrophotography.

I reviewed an S-LED printer (DocuPrint M255 z) from Fuji Xerox last week and was curious how its S-LED technology worked. Both LED and Laser involve Page Printing, utilising similar technology – electrophotography.

Laser printers are the workhorse of the office where large numbers of prints are made. This is because they are fast, produce professional print quality for documents, and most importantly – print per page is much cheaper than the inkjet printer at home.

LED printers are also known as laser-class printers. S-LED print head technology keeps the advantages of conventional LED's mechanical reliability and compact design while improving print quality and reliability.

LED printers are also known as laser-class printers. S-LED print head technology keeps the advantages of conventional LED’s mechanical reliability and compact design while improving print quality and reliability.

Only problem is – they used to be bulky and were much more expensive than inkjets. So home and small offices who are budget conscious tend to use inkjets instead, especially if the quantity of prints is small.

Xerox developed the industry’s first laser printer in 1977, offering a lower cost, reliable, and high print quality printer.

Today, laser technology is a sophisticated printing technology, providing fast printing, quality finishing and easy operation advantages.

Fuji Xerox was voted on HardwareZone as the Best LED Printer Brand 2013 – Readers Choice, and Best SOHO Multi-Function Printer (Editors Choice) DocuPrint M355 df. I asked the company how the laser printer compares with an inkjet printer today.

Pros and cons of a laser printer and inkjet printer.

Pros and cons of a laser printer and inkjet printer. Click to enlarge.

The above is their qualitative comparison against a generic inkjet printer. What everybody already knows, of course, is that the laser printer trounces the inkjet for printing large volumes at very fast speed.

36,000 pages over 3 years. *Warranty period of 4 years – 2-year standard (labour+parts) + 2-year limited (parts only) warranty including replacement of drum cartridge.

36,000 pages over 3 years. *Warranty period of 4 years – 2-year standard (labour+parts) + 2-year limited (parts only) warranty including replacement of drum cartridge. Click to enlarge.

In terms of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), above is comparison chart for a high usage rate of 1,000 pages per month over 3 years, as well as a relatively low usage rate of 50 pages per month below.

Even for a low throughput of only 50 pages per month over 3 years, a laser could be more economical than an inkjet.

Even for a low throughput of only 50 pages per month over 3 years, a laser could be more economical than an inkjet. Click to enlarge.

In both cases, Fuji Xerox believes laser printers incur a lower TCO than inkjets.

Summing up the charts, there are savings of over 60%, even with low scale of printing of only 50 pages a month over a period of 3 years. The savings increases with the volume of printing as seen in chart 2 of over 36,000 pages in 3 years.

You can enjoy these savings too, by using a laser printer.

Laser versus Inkjet technologyInkjet printing creates a digital image by dropping spots of ink onto paper; laser printers produce digital images by scanning a laser beam across photoreceptors.

Laser printers work in a dramatically different manner. A laser projects the image of a document onto the printing drum, which is electrically charged. This image is then sprayed with dry ink, or toner, which sticks to the charged areas. The drum is then rolled onto paper and the ink is fused to the paper by a heat source.

This printing process differs dramatically from inkjets because the entire document is loaded into the printer, rather than in a continuous stream, as is the case with inkjets. This difference makes the laser printer ideal for entirely different printing needs than the inkjet.

Infographic: Mobile usage during Chinese New Year 2013

Monday, March 4th, 2013

Here’s an infographic by Millennial Media on mobile usage trends in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong during Chinese New Year.

Games, social, entertainment, and music and audio were the most frequently accessed types of content during this period.

Games, social, entertainment, and music and audio were the most frequently accessed types of content during this period.

The infographic shares insights into mobile traffic during this period, looks at the type of devices used and also examines the types of content accessed most often.

There was a 15 per cent rise in traffic on Chinese New Year eve between 9pm and 12am, as mobile users stayed up late to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. A 10 per cent rise is traffic was also seen between 12am and 2am on Chinese New Year's Day.

There was a 15 per cent rise in traffic on Chinese New Year eve between 9pm and 12am, as mobile users stayed up late to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. A 10 per cent rise is traffic was also seen between 12am and 2am on Chinese New Year’s Day.

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SNEC launches mobile MyEyeDrops App for Glaucoma patients

Sunday, February 24th, 2013

MyEyeDrops App helps Glaucoma patients and caregivers to “put the right drops in the right eye, at the right time”. The FREE app works with Android phones and Apple iPhones.

MyEyeDrops App is available FREE for Android phones on Google Play and Apple iPhones on the App Store.

MyEyeDrops App is available FREE for Android phones on Google Play and Apple iPhones on the App Store.

Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) has launched what is believed to be Singapore’s and the world’s first free Glaucoma Eye Care App – MyEyeDrops.

Medications with pictures included.

Medications with pictures included.

Available from Google Play and the Apple App Store, the app takes away the hassle of remembering to apply eye drops at regular intervals throughout each day for patients for Glaucoma patients.

Elevated eye pressure is one of the main risk factor of glaucoma.

Regular compliance with the use of eye drops in controlling the eye pressure is critical to prevent deterioration of the disease condition which can lead to permanent loss of vision.

With this app, forgetting to apply eye drops will be a thing of the past.

In a cross-sectional population survey conducted in Singapore, the prevalence of glaucoma was found to be 3.2% in those 40 years and older.

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3 Online mobile device security tips from Norton by Symantec

Saturday, February 23rd, 2013

The Norton Cybercrime Report 2012 showed an increase in new forms of cybercrime, such as those found on social networks and mobile devices, as cybercriminals focused their efforts on these increasingly popular platforms.

New forms of Cybercrime are targeting online activities accessed via notebooks, tablets and smartphones.

New forms of Cybercrime are targeting online activities accessed via notebooks, tablets and smartphones.

It is no surprise that 2013 promises to be the same – with mobile adware, or “madware”, with can expose location details and contact information, increasing by a significant number.

Such madware, which sneaks onto a user’s device when they download an app, has increased by 210 percent over the past nine months, a clear sign that cybercriminals are attempting to exploit the many mobile devices that consumers are using to access the Internet.

To protect ourselves from online mobile threats, here are three best practices to ensure that our personal details and information do not fall into the hands of those that might misuse them.

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Bits of Hope, Gifts of Life for kidney patients of the KDF

Monday, February 11th, 2013

The Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF) of Singapore is launching a campaign to raise funds and to collect well-wishes and encouragement from members of the public for kidney patients and the healthcare professional looking after them.

Campaign by the Kidney Dialysis Foundation to raise funds and garner moral support for patients and staff.

Campaign by the Kidney Dialysis Foundation to raise funds and garner moral support for patients and staff.

The “Bits of Hope, Gift of Life” campaign will be held in conjunction with World Kidney Day on 14 March and as part of the celebrations for World Kidney Month in March 2013.

You can help the KDF in two ways.

1. Well-wishes and encouragement

Send your well-wishes and encouragements to KDF here.

Check out how you can support the KDF.

Check out how you can support the KDF.

These will be compiled into an e-Book at the end of the project and be published on KDF’s website.

This collection of well-wishes and encouragements would serve as a symbol of hope and encouragement for KDF’s patients to strive on and not give up.

It would also let them know that there are many others around who care, thus giving recognition to this vital group of healthcare workers for their hard work and dedication towards their profession.

2. Fundraising

You can donate directly to the campaign, to help defray the costs of dialysis for patients and lighten their financial load. For every donation of minimum $2, supporters will receive a specially designed KDF Post-It sticky pad as a token of appreciation.

The Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF) is a non-profit charitable organisation, established in February 1996 by Dr Gordon Ku, a kidney specialist.

Smartphones hungrier than tablets for data utilisation – Arieso says

Monday, January 14th, 2013

Arieso has just released the results of a study into recent trends in extreme data, revealing new challengers for Telcos and network operators.

The latest Hungry Handsets report by Arieso

The latest Hungry Handsets report by Arieso

This year’s Hungry Handsets study finds that:

  • Smartphones trump tablets in terms of data consumption and generation
  • Apple’s iPhone 5 and Samsung’s GALAXY SIII goes head to head against each other at the top of the data utilisation list
  • Data upload has grown, as users generate more data.

This latest analysis by Arieso into mobile data use also reveals that 40% of all data is consumed by only 1% of users, although LTE is starting to take the strain.

Interview with study author

Dr. Michael Flanagan, study author & CTO, Arieso

Dr. Michael Flanagan, study author & CTO, Arieso

I spoke with Dr. Michael Flanagan, the study author and Arieso CTO about the report.

He observed that the data crunch in the wireless industry started by the launch of the iPhone was not abating; and the study revealed that increasingly sophisticated devices are unleashing unprecedented levels of user demand.

He cautioned that the particular results in this study corresponded to the specific market that was studied, and that these results could vary depending on a number of circumstances (including morphologies, available devices, regional customer behaviors, and socio-economic user factors).

“Yet again we found that novel usage patterns, new technologies and regional idiosyncrasies are conspiring to make life increasingly difficult for mobile operators trying to meet evolving customer expectations,” said study author and Arieso CTO, Dr. Michael Flanagan.

As such, these results are intended to be illustrative rather than definitive.

Dr. Flanagan urged network operators to embark upon similar subscriber and network evaluation programs in order to determine the clear and present data demands being placed on their networks as well as the most appropriate response strategies to best satisfy this demand.

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More than eight million correct answers on Skoolbo

Friday, December 28th, 2012

Children from all over the world have correctly answered more than 8 million questions on Skoolbo since its release in June. Average improvement rates are exceeding 22%.

Skoolbo is free and growing. Check out its website.

Skoolbo is free and growing. Check out its website.

“… it is the ability of the program to adapt to the skill levels of each individual child that has proven to be so attractive to us as a school,” said Sue Pike, Head of Junior School, Australian International School, Singapore.

The free Skoolbo is the world’s largest educational game and currently targets literacy and numeracy for 4 to 10 year olds.

Skoolbo is increasing users by more than 10% a week with many schools using the program in their class activities.

In mid-2013, Skoolbo will launch 52 different language learning apps as well as additional content in Geography, Science and History.

About Skoolbo

Skoolbo is a team of educators and developers spanning the globe that commit to creating innovative and free educational game for children.

The company believes that technology can drastically improve learning outcomes for children by recognising and harnessing the way children learn.

Survey: Cloud gaining traction in Singapore with adoption on the rise

Friday, November 9th, 2012

The 3rd annual VMware Cloud Index shows 84% of respondents have adopted or are planning to adopt cloud solutions.

Infographic showing the findings for Singapore from the VMware Cloud Index 2012.

Infographic showing the findings for Singapore from the VMware Cloud Index 2012. Click to enlarge.

The 84% cloud adoption rate shows an increasing trend from 63% in 2011 and 53% in 2010. The findings were released in conjunction with the annual vForum in Singapore.

“Organisations in Singapore are increasingly recognizing the strategic role that cloud computing can play in enabling them to be more productive, stay competitive, and enter new markets,” said Nicholas Tan, country manager, VMware Singapore.

Of the respondents who have not implemented a cloud initiative but were planning to, 55% plan to implement within the next 18 months.

73% of respondents in Singapore said their business outlook for 2012 and 2013 would include growth and expansion, or consolidation with some growth, signaling more potential opportunities to increase cloud adoption.

77% described cloud computing as a top priority or highly relevant to their organization, and 88% agree that cloud will empower their business by simplifying access to IT resources.

69% agree that their organization needs to pursue cloud initiatives or risk falling behind competitors.

“By leveraging VMware solutions on a subscription basis from our telco and service provider partners such as Fujitsu Asia and SingTel, customers can have their data reside in Singapore, and only pay for the services that they consume,” said Kevin Pratesa, director, Service Providers and Public Cloud, VMware ASEAN.

When rating the top reasons for implementing cloud computing in Singapore, respondents strongly rated the need to empower the business by simplifying access to IT resources (80%); supporting a more mobile and flexible workforce (77%); and ensuring that they only pay for the IT they actually use (77%) as factors driving cloud adoption.

The VMware Cloud Index 2012 revealed that the barriers to cloud adoption in Singapore continue to persist and include data privacy, residency, or “loss of control” (72%); cost (69%); and availability or performance concerns (67%).

Despite growing cloud adoption, only one in two respondents (50%) in Singapore agree that their organization is investing in training for cloud-related skills, and 32% say their company is actively seeking to hire new IT staff with cloud computing expertise.

Encompass celebrates launch of 100th channel from Singapore facility

Thursday, November 8th, 2012

Encompass Digital Media now has the largest independent playout and Teleport facility in Asia, boosting Singapore’s goal to become a global media hub.

Encompass Digital Media has 24/7/365 Teleport facilities and technical personnel in USA, UK and Singapore.

Encompass Digital Media has 24/7/365 Teleport facilities and technical personnel in USA, UK and Singapore.

Encompass had aimed to reach the 100-channel (from Singapore) origination/transmission milestone in 24 months. Instead it achieved the target six months earlier – within 18 months.

“Over the next few months, we plan to add seven more channels, making it easier for content owners to expand their reach into Asia on multiple platforms,” divulged Deepakjit Singh, managing director for Encompass Asia.

In the last 12 months, it has launched one channel every three weeks.

In a climate when players in the industry are folding or struggling with difficult economic outlooks, Deepakjit Singh is brimming with confidence that Encompass will “ride the wave” of growth through its aggressive embracing of digitalisation.

Deepakjit is the Managing Director of Asia for Encompass Digital Media, one of the world’s top digital media services providers and a leader in global satellite and terrestrial connectivity.

“Providing our clients with the ability to expand their business models and further monetize their assets through the vast range of innovative services we offer is what differentiates us from our competitors,” said Deepakjit.

The company’s mission-critical media services provides broadcasters, cable networks, corporations and government agencies with customized solutions for the management and distribution of content globally.

Currently, the Singapore facilities is capable of supporting up to 250 channels, but the constant upgrading of infrastructure ensures that it will always have more than enough capacity to cater to rapid growth.

Encompass is investing US$20 million over five years into its Singapore operations for technology and infrastructure upgrading, employee up-skilling and community engagement initiatives.

Almost half of that has already been invested on technology upgrading in order to increase productivity and to reduce the marginal cost of launching a new channel.

This enables Singapore to compete effectively with China and India.

In the last two years, the number of channels that Encompass Asia provides end-to-end services to has increased threefold.

About Encompass Asia

Encompass Asia is a leading provider of content management and distribution services with more than 30 per cent share in the market.

“People in Asian countries like Vietnam, India and China, are becoming increasingly mobile and are demanding for content in different languages and formats,” observed Deepakjit.

“At our Singapore facility, we have the capability to convert content into over 200 formats for nearly every type of platform and delivery model.”

In Singapore, Encompass Asia have the largest digital media facility in the region from where content is played out to the rest of Asia, reaching as far as South Korea, Japan, New Zealand and India.

The 88,000 sq. ft. facility with 16 satellite uplinks is designed to offer a robust, redundant infrastructure providing playout, distribution, digital media manipulation, creative, technical and global archival services.

In addition, the facility also houses a cutting-edge post-production operation and production studio giving its clients an end-to-end solution when creating and delivering content.

Its parent, Encompass Digital Media has 24/7/365 Teleport facilities and technical personnel in USA, UK and Singapore.