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SingTel aims to be leading regional mCommerce hub in 5 years

Thursday, September 13th, 2012

SingTel will provide customers with a  suite of mobile payment and marketing services to make it a leading mobile commerce hub in the Asia Pacific region in five years.

Yuen Kuan Moon, SingTel's CEO Consumer Singapore presenting SingTel's roadmap for mCommerce.

Yuen Kuan Moon, SingTel’s CEO Consumer Singapore presenting SingTel’s roadmap for mCommerce.

First it is opening a remittance centre in Lucky Plaza at Orchard road on next Monday.

“Mobile money is rapidly emerging as an alternative to cash,” said Yuen Kuan Moon, SingTel’s CEO Consumer Singapore.

By the end of 2012, SingTel aims to launch Singapore’s first mobile-to-mobile remittance service

It will also progressively launch a wide range of consumer mobile commerce services throughout the year that will complement its existing Near Field Communications (NFC) contactless mobile payment services.

SingTel mRemit

“With more than 462 million mobile subscribers in 26 countries across Asia and Africa, SingTel is in a unique position to serve as a one-stop mobile commerce hub for the region. We aim to leverage the SingTel Group’s scale to reduce the costs of offering mobile commerce services for our regional associates,” added Yuen.

SingTel’s mobile remittance service, named mRemit, will be the first service of its kind in Singapore to allow consumers to use their mobile phones to remit funds to an overseas recipient’s mobile wallet account.

The sending and receiving parties will both be notified by SMS once transactions have been successfully completed.

Unlike traditional remittance services, SingTel mRemit will enable secure fund transfers at competitive rates, in seconds rather than days, thus allowing recipients to enjoy immediate access to their money.

In addition, exchange rates will be transparent and easily verifiable for customers, saving them time and effort.

From 17 September, over-the-counter remittance will be available via the Lucky Plaza store, with the mobile service launching in the coming months.

At launch, customers will be able to remit funds to the Philippines, in collaboration with GCASH, the mobile commerce service offered by SingTel’s regional associate, Globe Telecom.

Recipients can claim the remitted funds through 6,000 designated locations or 9,000 ATMS across the Philippines.

Alternatively, they can use the funds, via their mobile wallet, to purchase goods and services, top-up prepaid mobile services, pay their credit card and utility bills, renew insurance policies and repay loans.

SingTel plans to leverage its regional scale to extend the service quickly to countries in which the SingTel group affiliates operate, and where remittance services are in high demand.

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Posted in Events, Gadgets, Launch, Lifestyle, Phones, Shopping, SingTel, Tablets, Tech news, Tickers | No Comments »

New Windows Phone 8 smartphones: Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820

Thursday, September 6th, 2012

Nokia has unveiled its new flagship smartphone – the Windows Phone 8 Nokia Lumia 920.

Together with the mid-range Nokia Lumia 820, these are its first Windows Phone 8 smartphones to be unveiled. Both will start shipping later this year.

Update (27 November, 2012):

The Lumia 920 (S$899) and Lumia 820 (S$699) will be available in Singapore shelves on 8 December 2012.

Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 - the new Microsoft Windows Phone 8 smartphones.

Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 – the new Microsoft Windows Phone 8 smartphones.

Both phones will be available in pentaband LTE and HSPA+ variants and are expected to start shipping in select markets later in the year.

Nokia will announce pricing and specific roll-out dates country by country when sales are due to begin.

The Nokia flagship Lumia 920 comes in yellow, red, grey, white or black

The Nokia flagship Lumia 920 comes in yellow, red, grey, white or black

The Nokia Lumia 920 incorporates the latest Nokia PureView imaging innovation.

It uses advanced floating lens technology that claims to take in “five times more light than competing smartphones without using flash, making it possible to capture clear, bright pictures and video indoors and at night”.

The mid-range Nokia Lumia 820 comes in red, yellow, grey, cyan, purple, white and black.

The mid-range Nokia Lumia 820 comes in red, yellow, grey, cyan, purple, white and black.

The touch-screen is able to differentiate between a bare finger and a glove one. You can still use the screen while wearing a ski glove.

Yellow Nokia Lumia 920 flagship smartphone running Microsoft Windows Phone 8 operating system.

Yellow Nokia Lumia 920 smartphone.

And it sports the same curved screen design I like in the Lumia 800.

The Nokia Lumia 820 comes with an exchangeable shell design that allows a range of colors, and enables wireless charging.

Beneath the shell is room to insert a microSD memory card.

Although both will feature a new faster 1.5GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4 processor, the latest phones from Samsung, LG and Huawei will have Quad core processors, as will the iPhone 5 probably.

Nokia location suite

The Nokia Lumia 920 also comes with Nokia City Lens, the latest addition to the Nokia location suite.

The red and yellow Nokia Lumia 820.

The red and yellow Nokia Lumia 820.

By pointing the camera at a city street, City Lens overlays information about restaurants, shops, hotels and more on the surfaces of buildings, for the most intuitive way to explore surroundings.

Nokia City Lens is the start of a new augmented reality experience that also enhances Nokia Maps, making it possible to move between maps view and augmented reality view to help people check their direction and surroundings.

Nokia Drive and Nokia Transport have also been enhanced.

The Nokia Lumia 920 also comes with a large 2000mAh battery and features built-in wireless charging.

Wireless charging partners

Nokia Lumia 820 covers.

Nokia Lumia 820 covers.

Nokia also announced a range of wireless charging accessories and partnerships.

The Fatboy Recharge Pillow provides a fun way to recharge, while JBL introduced the JBL PowerUP, a wireless charging docking station with high quality audio in retro styling.

Deals with Virgin Atlantic to put wireless charging stations in the London Heathrow Clubhouse lounge and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to put charging plates on tables in some of their cafés, were the first of many deals Nokia intends to sign to take wireless charging outside the home and office.

Below are the key technical specifications for the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820, as well as their respective detailed datasheets.

Nokia Lumia 920 Nokia Lumia 820
Display 4.5 inch Nokia PureMotion HD+ WXGA IPS LCD

Super Sensitive touch

ClearBlack technology with high brightness mode and Sunlight Readability Enhancements

 4.3 inch ClearBlack OLED WVGA 800×480

SuperSensitive touch

ClearBlack technology with high brightness mode and Sunlight Readability Enhancements
Battery 2000mAh with integrated Qi wireless charging 1650mAh with support for Qi wireless charging
Processor 1.5GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4
Main camera 8.7MP with Nokia PureView advanced optical imaging stabilization and Carl Zeiss optics

Full 1080p HD video capture at 30fps

 8MP Auto Focus with Carl Zeiss opticsDual LED flash

Full HD 1080p video capture at 30fps
Front facing camera 1.2MP with 720p HD video VGA
Memory 1GB RAM32GB mass memory with 7GB free SkyDrive storage 1GB RAM8GB mass memory with microSD memory card support and 7GB free SkyDrive storage

Datasheet for Nokia Lumia 920

Datasheet for Nokia Lumia 820

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Posted in Announce, App, Brochures, Gadgets, GPS, Lumia, Microsoft, Nokia, Operating Systems, Phones, Software, Specifications, Tech news, Tickers, Windows Phone 8 | 2 Comments »

Nokia launches its first Windows Phone 8 smartphones

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

Nokia has unveiled its first hardware running the new mobile operating system from Microsoft.

The Finnish phone maker launched two Windows Phone 8 smartphones – Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 – in a joint media event between Nokia and Microsoft in New York today.

Steve Ballmer (CEO Microsoft) and Stephen Elop (CEO Nokia) brandishing the new Windows Phone 8 Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 smartphones.

Steve Ballmer (CEO Microsoft) and Stephen Elop (CEO Nokia) brandishing the new Windows Phone 8 Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 smartphones at Manhattan today.

The one-and-a-half hour session just ended five minutes ago.

The joint media event saw the unveiling of the Lumia 920 (with PureView) and Lumia 820, with NFC, more powerful processors (1.5GHz Dual Core Snapdragon S4), better displays and new  augmented reality apps (City Lens) for its location suite and enhancements to existing apps (Nokia Drive, Maps and Transport).

Check back at this space for more updates on new features of the two new smartphones.

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Posted in Announce, App, Gadgets, GPS, Launch, Live Event, Lumia, Microsoft, Nokia, Operating Systems, Phones, Software, Tech news, Tickers, Windows Phone 8 | 2 Comments »

Sneak peek: Episode 2 of SingTel TGIS Season 2

Tuesday, August 28th, 2012

Episode 2 of TGIS Season 2 is due tomorrow. But if you’re still awake, you can watch the embedded video here.

In this episode, Joanne-Marie chats with Singapore’s youngest iPhone developer: 12-year-old Lim Ding Wen, who created his first iPhone app (Doodle Kids) when he was only nine.

There is also a contest that ends on 4 September, with SingTel vouchers to be won.

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Posted in App, Availability, Contest, Gadgets, iOS, iPhone, Lifestyle, Shows, SingTel, Software, Tickers | No Comments »

News flash: Nikon D4 and D800 win EISA awards

Tuesday, August 28th, 2012

Nikon D4 has received the “European Professional Camera of the Year 2012-2013 Award” while the Nikon D800 has received the “European Camera of the Year 2012-2013 Award”.

Nikon D4 (left) and D800. Not shown to scale.

Nikon D4 (left) and D800. Not shown to scale.

The Nikon D4 and Nikon D800 FX-format digital-SLR cameras were awarded the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) Photo Awards.

Read the citations by EISA for the two cameras below.

(more…)

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Posted in Announce, Cameras, DSLR, Gadgets, Nikon, Photography, Tickers | No Comments »

BlackBerry reveals 4G LTE PlayBook

Thursday, August 2nd, 2012

RIM has unveiled the new 4G LTE PlayBook. Available in Canada on 9 August with 32GB and a more powerful 1.5GHz dual-core CPU. Prices TBA.

The new PlayBook comes with much needed cellular connectivity.

The new PlayBook comes with much needed cellular connectivity.

The 4G LTE version of the BlackBerry PlayBook will make its debut in Canada next Thursday, with availability in other countries in the following months.

Cellular connectivity
LTE 700, 1700 MHz
HSPA+ 100, 1900, 1700, 800, 900 MHz

Given the incompatibility of 4G networks in different countries, it could be some time before a version compatible with your country becomes available.

In the meantime, the new PlayBook will at least bring much needed cellular connectivity (on 3G) for users from countries which do not have a 4G network yet (or who have incompatible networks).

Available in Canada on 9 August, 2012.

Available in Canada on 9 Aug.

Research In Motion (RIM) had announced earlier that the PlayBook will eventually run on BlackBerry 10 OS.

So the 4G LTE should be upgradeable from the current BlackBerry Tablet OS when BB10 becomes available next year.

Apart from the 4G LTE connectivity and CPU speed-up, the hardware for the new PlayBook remains the same – which is a testimony of how advanced it was to begin with when the original PlayBook was launched last year.

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Posted in Announce, Availability, BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Gadgets, PlayBook, RIM, Specifications, Tablets, Tech news, Tickers | 2 Comments »

Microsoft announces Windows 8 Release to Manufacturing

Thursday, August 2nd, 2012

Milestone signals Windows 8 has completed product development and testing, and is being handed-off to hardware partners to get ready for October 26 general availability. Release schedule below.

Windows 8 has reached RTM (Release to Manufacturing).

Windows 8 has reached RTM (Release to Manufacturing).

Microsoft has just announced that Windows 8 has reached Release to Manufacturing (RTM), the latest milestone in the launch of the new Windows 8 operating system.

Developers can visit the Windows Dev Center to get access to all the tools and resources they need to design, build, and sell apps in the Windows Store.

Whereas all apps during the preview phases were free, developers can now begin charging for apps with the RTM.

Those with access to RTM bits will begin to see paid apps appear in the Windows Store.

The schedule for releasing the final RTM code to select audiences – including developers, IT professionals and partners – will begin in mid-August.

August 15th

  • Developers building new apps for Windows 8 will be able to download the final version of Windows 8 via an MSDN subscription. You can visit the Windows Dev Center to get access to the final build of Visual Studio 2012.
  • IT professionals testing Windows 8 in organizations will be able to access the final version of Windows 8 through a TechNet subscription.

August 16th

  • Customers with existing Microsoft Software Assurance for Windows will be able to download Windows 8 Enterprise edition through the Volume License Service Center (VLSC), allowing you to test, pilot and begin adopting Windows 8 Enterprise within your organization.
  • Microsoft Partner Network members will have access to Windows 8.

August 20th

  • Microsoft Action Pack Providers (MAPS) receive access to Windows 8.

August 26th

  • General availability of Windows 8 to customers.

September 1st

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Posted in Announce, App, Microsoft, Operating Systems, Software, Tech news, Tickers, Windows 7, Windows 8 | No Comments »

Apple misses analysts’ predictions amid wait for iPhone 5

Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

Apple has just announced its financial results for its fiscal 2012 third quarter ended 30 June, 2012. Profits missed analysts’ predictions.

“Shares of the world's most valuable technology company shed more than 5 percent of their value after Apple - which beats Wall Street expectations with near regularity - reported its second quarterly miss on results in less than a year,” Reuters reported.

Major news agencies reacted negatively towards Apple’s quarterly results.

Compared to analysts’ predictions for a profit of $10.37 a share on revenue of $37.2 billion, net income was reported as $9.32 a share on sales of $35 billion.

“Apple’s profit and sales fell short of analysts’ projections for only the second time since 2003 as customers held off on iPhone purchases while waiting for a new model to be introduced later in the year,” reported Bloomberg today.

The major news agencies don’t seem to have taken the results in positive light.

The consensus seems to be that customers are holding off on iPhone purchases in anticipation of a new model, which is expected to be introduced later this year.

Shares fell some 6 percent in late trading.

This is the first full quarter of sales for Apple’s latest iPad, which was released in March.

Note the 84% growth in iPad sales over the same quarter last year.

Some 17 million iPads were sold in the quarter alone!

Sales growth this quarter
Device Number of units sold Compared to year-ago quarter
iPhone 26 m 28%
iPad 17 m 84%
Mac 4 m 2%
iPod 6.8 m -10%

It’s interesting to note the 10% decline in iPod sales.

It is an indication that it may be made redundant by the proliferation of smartphones which can fulfil the functions of a mobile personal music player cum entertainment device.

On the other hand, Sony is still launching new models in its rejuvenated Walkman media players cum entertainment devices.

Apple’s Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $2.65 per share of the Company’s common stock.

“Apple disappointed analysts despite reporting profits up 21% year-on-year to $8.8bn (£5.6bn) and revenues up 23% to $35bn, after missing targets that Wall Street had forecast,” Guardian reported.

The dividend is payable on August 16, 2012, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 13, 2012.

This continues Tim Cook’s announcement in March to pay dividends – something that Apple had not done in 17 years until then.

The dividends are estimated to cost Apple about $10 billion a year.

Apple has around $100 billion in cash which many investors have called over the years to be returned to investors.

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Posted in Apple, Figures, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Phones, Tablets, Tech news, Tickers, Walkman | 2 Comments »

Live Event: “The Arrival of a New Milestone” – Canon launches the EOS M

Monday, July 23rd, 2012

After much anticipation and speculation, Canon has finally launched its first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera – the EOS M (79,800 yen including the EF-M 22mm f/2.0 STM lens).

It is the last of the major camera makers to join in the fray. The camera will be available in early October.

Canon's first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, the EOS M. Available in four colours.

Canon’s first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, the EOS M. Available in four colours. Looks like a typical compact camera?

14:00 The launch has ended. This marks the end of the Livecast. I’ll be adding photos and press releases of the EOS M as they become available.

Canon EOS M

Red Canon EOS M

13:50 The EOS M records Full HD video. Able to shoot at high maximum ISO of 6,400, and has Movie Servo AF (like in the EOS 650D) which enables continuous auto-focus during movie shooting.

Also comes with Video Snapshots feature (common in Canon LEGRIA camcorders), which records short video snippets of 2, 4 or 8 seconds, before stitching all of them sequentially into video snapshot albums.

13:40 Seven built-in creative filters: Graniny Black & White, Soft Focus, Toy Camera, Miniature, Art Bold, Water Paintin,g and Fish-eye filters.

White Canon EOS M, with 18.1MP APS-C CMOS sensor. To sell in Japan for 79,800 yen (S$1,280 including the EF-M 22mm f/2.0 STM lens).

White Canon EOS M, with 18.1MP APS-C CMOS sensor. To sell in Japan for 79,800 yen (S$1,280 including the EF-M 22mm f/2.0 STM lens).

13:30 Multi Shot Noise Reduction takes four consecutive shots, then merge and align into single shot (in-camera) for cleaner final image.

Black Canon EOS M, with an EF-M 22mm f/2.0 STM lens.

Black Canon EOS M, with an EF-M 22mm f/2.0 STM lens.

13:20 HDR Backlight Compensation brackets three shots and merges in-camera.

13:10 Multi FlexiZone AF divides the scene into 31 AF zones. Single FlexiZone allow users to move the AF point via the LCD touchscreen.

13:00 Hybrid CMOS AF system combines Phase-difference AF and Contrast AF. Face Tracking tracks moving objects by switching AF points.

12:50 The Speedlite 90EX is a compact and lightweight flashgun equipped with wireless master function via optical transmission.

Silver Canon EOS M with EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5/5.6 IS STM lens.

Silver Canon EOS M with EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5/5.6 IS STM lens.

12:40 Lenses launched together with the EOS M are the EF-M 18-55mm f3.5/5.6 IS STM and the EF-M 22mm f/2.0 STM. These lenses have been specially designed for this camera.

12:30 The Canon EOS M will be available in early October, local prices will be announced later, but the camera will go on sale in Japan from 79,800 yen (S$1,280 including the EF-M 22mm f/2.0 STM lens).

12:20 Weight 265 g. Dimensions: 108.6 x 66.5 x 32.3 mm. 3-inch Touch screen. Four colours available – black, red, silver and white.

12:10 18.1-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, DIGIC 5 imaging processor, ISO 12,800 (expandable up to ISO 25,600), 4 fps continuous shooting. Full compatibility with existing Canon EF/EF-S lenses with adapter (EF-EOS M) without any impact to FOV etc. Update: Canon tells Bloomberg that the adapter will cost about 12,000 yen – that’s about S$195.

12:00 Andrew fishes out the Canon EOS M from his pocket!

Andrew Koh fishes out the EOS M from his pocket. Koh is the Senior Director and General Manager of the Consumer Imaging and Information Products Group, Canon Singapore.

Andrew Koh fishes out the EOS M from his pocket. Koh is the Senior Director and General Manager of the Consumer Imaging and Information Products Group, Canon Singapore.

11:45 MC Gene Danker giving a run down of Canon history. Andrew Koh is going to make THE announcement now.

MC Gene Danker giving a run down of Canon history.

MC Gene Danker giving a run down of Canon history.

11:30 Lunch has started. Canon still tight-lipped about the product. But my sources tell me it’s a mirrorless indeed. I believe it’ll be able to leverage on the current system of Canon lenses.

11:25 Going up to Level 62 now to Stellar, 1-Altitude on top of OUB Centre.

11.00: Heading out to Canon’s event at Raffles Place, Singapore.

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Posted in Cameras, Canon, DSLR, EOS, Events, Launch, Lens, Live Event, Prices, Specifications, Tickers | 13 Comments »

Google’s Marissa Mayer to helm Yahoo from Tuesday

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

In a surprise move, Yahoo has hired Google’s vice president from rival Google to be its fifth CEO in four years. 37-year-old Marissa Mayer will take over today from interim CEO Ross Levinsohn.

37-year-old Marissa Mayer takes over as Yahoo CEO on Tuesday.

37-year-old Marissa Mayer takes over as Yahoo CEO on Tuesday.

Marissa Mayer was one of Google’s earliest employees and first female engineer. She joined Google in 1999 as its 20th employee.

“Her challenge will also be wooing advertisers that have shifted marketing budgets away from Yahoo,” reports Bloomberg.

Her appointment is seen to signal Yahoo’s desire to re-establish its web presence in the presence of onslaughts from relative newcomers Google, Facebook and Twitter.

In being hired by Yahoo, Mayer pipped hot contender – the interim CEO Ross Levinsohn – who had taken custody of Yahoo when Scott Thompson resigned in May over inaccuracies in his academic record.

Mayer is the therefore the third Yahoo CEO in less than one year.

Yahoo’s sales tumbled 21 percent to $4.98 billion last year. They had peaked at $7.21 billion in 2008, according to Bloomberg. The company is reporting its second-quarter earnings tomorrow.

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Posted in Announce, Facebook, Google, Internet, Tech news, Tickers, Twitter, Yahoo | 2 Comments »

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