Weekend outing: SingTel Formula 1 roadshow at Big Splash

August 13th, 2012

Looking for a weekend chill-out to start off the Formula One month of September? Check out the “F1 for Everyone” roadshow at the Big Splash on 1-2 September, 2012. Admission is FREE!

SingTel final “F1 for Everyone” roadshow will be at the Big Splash on the weekend of 1-2 September, 2012. Admission Free.

Returning title sponsor of the Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix for the fifth year, has partnered with Singapore GP to organise a series of roadshows across Singapore which will culminate in the final roadshow on 1-2 September.

Date 1-2 September (Sat/Sun)
Time 10am to 10pm
Venue Big Splash, East Coast Park
Admission Free

The final roadshow will be power packed with lots of race-inspired activities for everyone – including the first-ever electric go-kart race, and past-year crowd-favourite race-inspired fast feats (i.e the fastest person to suit up like a race car driver and the person who can mimic the sound of an F1 engine longest).

There will also be carnival-style activities to bring the joy and excitement of the races to Singaporeans of all ages and walks of life, including fun-filled activities with race-inspired balloon sculptures, stilt-walkers, caricature artists, winning race photo moments and giveaways.

Roadshow attendees will also be treated to a live screening of the race in true high-definition and in 3D.

On the second day at this “F1 for Everyone” roadshow, SingTel will be unveiling this year’s F1 trophy and crowning the top 3 SingTel Grid Girls.

Also in store is an exciting showdown as we conclude the search for Singapore’s fastest electric go-kart race car driver who will win a pair of passes to a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet the F1 drivers in person at the autograph signing session.

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Posted in Event forecast, Lifestyle, Party, Shows, SingTel | 1 Comment »

Khoo Swee Chiow first Singaporean to conquer K2

August 12th, 2012

Singapore adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow has become the first Singaporean and Southeast Asian to reach the peak of K2, the world’s second highest mountain, and most treacherous peak. Congratulations!

Khoo Swee Chiow at the summit of K2.

Khoo Swee Chiow at the summit of K2.

A tired but elated Khoo Swee Chiow said, “Reaching the summit of K2 has been a dream of mine for many years. Years of climbing expeditions and training have culminated in this landmark moment and I’m extremely thankful to Seagate and my other sponsors for helping to make this a reality.”

What can a person do in slightly more than a month? It was only in end June that I wrote about Khoo Swee Chiow embarking upon the climb up K2. Before you know it, he’s done it. Bravo!

The Singaporean adventurer and motivational speaker reached the summit at 1020hrs on 31 July 2012 (1320hrs on 31 July 2012 Singaporean time).

K2 is known as the most treacherous and technically challenging mountain in the world.

“职业探险家邱瑞昭已于七月三十一日成功攀越K2顶峰。瑞昭与另外十名来自世界各地的探险家是耗了三十二天的攀爬，在零下气温的逆境中，征服了这个被公认为世界第一险锋的K2。瑞昭是第一名星加坡人成功攀登此峰。他也是全东南业第一个成功登上K2。恭喜了！” – 科技点心（微薄）

Khoo reached the summit of K2 after 32 days of climbing in sub-zero temperatures.

He was climbing together with an international team of 10 other climbers from China, South Korea, Turkey, Macedonia, Spain and Nepal.

The team climbed the mountain along the Abruzzi Ridge, otherwise known as the Southeast Ridge, from the Pakistani border.

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Posted in Canon, Seagate | No Comments »

Maximising unused TV frequencies for wireless broadband communications

August 11th, 2012

Utilising unused TV frequencies to provide wireless broadband connectivity increases the range and and penetration of coverage through foliage and reflective water surfaces that traditional Wi-Fi simply cannot penetrate.

Squeezing more more channels from the electromagnetic spectrum.

Squeezing more more channels from the electromagnetic spectrum.

Currently, the radio spectrum in the TV broadcast bands have been reserved for use by licensed broadcasters and are out-of-bounds for wireless broadband networks.

“Broadband connectivity is the ‘oxygen’ to today’s digital economy, and is fundamental to the wide adoption of cloud computing services that are already part of our daily lives, whether at work, home or play,” observed Jessica Tan, General Manager, Enterprise & Partner Group, Microsoft Asia Pacific.

However, much of these reserved radio spectrum remain unused and are called TV White Spaces (TVWS).

For instance, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia shares out the TV broadcast bands in the region and there are certain bands allocated to Malaysia and Indonesia that Singapore cannot use for TV broadcast.

If these TV White Spaces can be harnessed effectively for wireless broadband connectivity without interfering with the quality of TV broadcast, it will translate to better coverage, lower power consumption and reduced network costs.

“TVWS radio technology will create a new generation of wireless connectivity by unlocking these large, unused chunks of spectrum that will enable more ubiquitous and affordable wireless broadband for all,” said Tan.

The physical characteristics of the 700 MHz band (as compared to the higher-frequency 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands used by traditional Wi-Fi), for example, means that it can reach further, penetrate thick foliage, and transmit across reflective water surfaces with less interference.

In terms of bandwidth, however, both TVWS and Wi-Fi are capable of roughly 2Mbps per MHz. It is the penetrative and low-power attributes of the former that makes it an attractive supplement to the latter.

The spectrum as a precious commodity

Globally, explosive growth of wireless data traffic is putting a severe strain on today’s mobile and Wi-Fi network infrastructure, signalling the need for more efficient management of the spectrum, through policy and technology innovations.

The exploitation of TVWS turns unused TV broadcast frequency bands into premium wireless broadband delivery channels.

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Posted in Figures, Internet, Microsoft, Mobile, Network, Reference, StarHub, Technology | 1 Comment »

New company byte: SingTel

August 10th, 2012

SingTel is one of Asia’s leading communications group with operations and investments around the world, serving both the corporate and consumer markets.

I have created a new company byte for SingTel here.

SingTel - Singapore Telecommunications Limited

SingTel – Singapore Telecommunications Limited

Read a byte-sized profile and background information about SingTel for quick reference here.

You can also read articles related to SingTel on tech4tea.com here.

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Posted in Cloud, Company byte, Enterprise IT, Figures, Internet, Mobile, Network, Reference, SingTel, Wiki | No Comments »

Singapore’s 47th National Day

August 9th, 2012

Here’s wishing all Singaporeans a Happy National Day!

Singapore celebrates her 47 years today as a nation!

Singapore celebrates her 47 years today as a nation!

The island nation of Singapore was born on 9 August, 1965. Today, the country celebrates its 47th birthday.

Happy Birthday, Singapore!

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Posted in Holiday | No Comments »

New compact camera: Samsung EX2F

August 6th, 2012

Samsung has unveiled the Wi-Fi-enabled EX2F compact camera. It has a fast F1.4 lens and will be available in Singapore in August for S$699.

Update (23 August, 2012):

The Samsung EX2F is now available in Singapore. From now until 16 September, get a free 25L Dry box and Power bank charger worth $238 and an SD card, a camera case and an extra battery worth $115.

The Samsung EX2F compact camera has a maximum aperture of F1.4 and is Wi-Fi capable.

The Samsung EX2F compact camera has a maximum aperture of F1.4 and is Wi-Fi capable.

Following the success of the EX1 which had an F1.8 lens, Samsung has upped the ante with a super-bright F1.4 lens in the new EX2F.

Samsung EX2F
Megapixels 12 MP
Sensor 1/1.7″ BSI CMOS
Optical Zoom 3.3 x
Wide angle 24mm
Max zoom 80mm
LCD 3″, 614k dots, VGA, AMOLED
Movie Full HD 1080/30p
Flash Built-in + Hotshoe
RAW Yes
Image stabilisation Dual IS
Size /mm 111.9 x 62 x 28.9
Weight 294.3 g *
Aperture F1.4 to F2.7
Others Built-in ND filter
Price S$699
* Weight excludes battery and memory card.

A maximum aperture of F1.4 is available at the camera’s widest angle at 24mm.

The F1.4 lens lets in four times more light than an F2.8 lens, and comprises 11 elements in 9 groups, with 4 aspherical lenses and 2 high refractive lenses.

The larger aperture allows for shooting with very shallow depths of field, and the ability to shoot at low-light.

Low-light shooting is further assisted with Dual Image Stabilisation (Optical IS & Digital IS).

On the other hand, a built-in Neutral Density (ND) filter provides greater control over exposure settings either for creative purposes or in situations of over-exposure.

The camera is housed in a durable magnesium body usually found on DSLR cameras.

As in DSLR cameras, the EX2F allows Full Manual Control of exposure settings and records photos in RAW format.

Available in Singapore for S$699.

Available in Singapore for S$699.

The Wi-Fi connectivity of the EX2F means that photos taken can be easily and speedily shared to social networking sites such as Facebook, or sent to friends or family via email.

The camera can be connected to smartphones and tablets via a Mobile Link, or saved through Auto Backup to a PC or to the Cloud.

Detailed technical specifications of the Samsung EX2F can be found below.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Announce, Cameras, Compact camera, Gadgets, Photography, Prices, Samsung, Specifications | 1 Comment »

Top eight of SingTel Grid Girls 2012 unveiled

August 5th, 2012

You can vote for the top three Singaporean faces to flag off this year’s Singapore Grand Prix race.

Top 8 of 55 SingTel Grid Girls 2012. Click for larger poster.

Top 8 of 55 SingTel Grid Girls 2012. Click for larger poster.

Fifth-time title sponsor of the FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX, Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) has unveiled this year’s top eight SingTel Grid Girls and their new uniforms.

Members of the public will be able to vote for the top three from among the eight finalists who are from 18 to 23 years old.

This year’s SingTel Grid Girls will be sporting striking outfits designed by 26-year-old local design talent, Ms Roslinda Abdul Rahman.

She is the winner of The Project Racetrack.

The uniforms for all 55 SingTel Grid Girls will be sponsored by local fashion design house ESTA Pte Ltd.

GG1 Priscilla Lee in the new Grid Girl uniform.

GG1 Priscilla Lee in the new Grid Girl uniform.

The Project Racetrack

The Project Racetrack is an F1 fashion design competition integrated with a 74-hour long fashion design training course.

It was conducted by the Textile and Fashion Industry Training Centre (also known as TaF.tc) and Singapore WSQ Develop Design Collection in partnership with SingTel.

The competition serves as a platform for young aspiring designers to develop and showcase their creativity with F1 as an inspiration.

How to vote for the top three SingTel Grid Girls

The three finalists will be given the important role of holding the Singapore, Formula One and Singapore GP flags at the race in September.

GG8 Ashvin Sandhu

GG8 Ashvin Sandhu

The top three 2012 SingTel Grid Girls will be crowned at the SingTel “F1 for Everyone” Roadshow at East Coast Park on 2 September.

This year, for the first time, the results will be based purely on online and SMS voting.

From 3 August to 27 August 2012, the public can find out more about and vote for their favourite SingTel Grid Girls at www.singtelrace.com or via SMS.

Voters stand to win a pair of Singapore Grand Prix Pit Grandstand Tickets worth $1,488.

There will also be 10 consolation prizes of Singapore Grand Prix Goodie Bags merchandise worth $150 to giveaway.

This year's top eight finalists of the SingTel Grid Girls for Singapore Formula 1.

This year’s top eight finalists of the SingTel Grid Girls for Singapore Formula 1.

“We raised the level of competition this year by allowing only eight instead of the usual 12 to make the cut,” said Mr Johan Buse, Vice President of Consumer Marketing, SingTel.
“新电信已揭晓了今年星加坡F1车赛的头八名 SingTel Grid Girls。这八名决赛者将竞争头三名的名衔。公众可以上网或通过SMS投选你们支持的参赛者。” – 科技点心（微薄）
More photos of the top eight finalists of the 2012 SingTel Grid Girls below.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Contest, Events, Lifestyle, Shows, SingTel | 2 Comments »

National Day offers: Minox Binoculars discounts

August 4th, 2012

This National Day, the BF10x25BR (S$199) and BF10x42BR (S$299) Minox binoculars are being sold at up to 50% discounts off the regular retail price.

Minox BF10x25BR has a 10x magnification, and is dustproof and waterproof up to 3m. Nitrogen filling ensures permanent protection against corrosion and prevents fogging of the glass surfaces on the inside, even with severe and sudden temperature fluctuations.

Minox BF10x25BR has a 10x magnification, and is dustproof and waterproof up to 3m. Nitrogen filling ensures permanent protection against corrosion and prevents fogging of the glass surfaces on the inside, even with severe and sudden temperature fluctuations.

If you don’t happen to have a front-row seat at this year’s National Day Parade, you can still get up close and personal with the action!

To celebrate the nation’s 47th birthday, Schmidt Marketing, the sole distributor of German luxury brand Minox Binoculars in Singapore is offering the BF10x25BR for S$199 (down from the usual S$359), and the BF10x42BR for S$299 (down from S$599).

The offer is valid till end of August 2012.

Available at the Schmidt Marketing Flagship Store (Ngee Ann City Tower A, #05-33) and selected retailers.

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Posted in Gadgets, Holiday, Prices, Promotions, Specifications | No Comments »

National Day offers from SingTel

August 4th, 2012

SingTel celebrates Singapore’s 47th birthday with mobile, broadband, mio TV and multimedia content offers.

Check out SingTel's National Day offers and promotions from 4 to 12 August.

Check out SingTel’s National Day offers and promotions from 4 to 12 August.

Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) will offer 47 mio TV on-demand movies for just $1 each from 8 to 12 August. Titles include recently released Hollywood blockbusters, as well as Asian, Bollywood and Malay favourites.

Discounts to celebrate Singapore's 47th birthday.

Discounts to celebrate Singapore’s 47th birthday.

Customers who sign up for SingTel’s Flexi mobile plans from 4 to 12 August will enjoy $47 off all handset purchases.

They will also receive a discount of $4.70 off their monthly Flexi plan subscriptions.

The promotion is also available to existing customers who renew their subscriptions.

In addition, customers who subscribe to SingTel’s mio Home or exPlore Home broadband plans from 4 to 12 August can enjoy mio TV’s Combo pack at a special price of $19.90 per month, discounted from $29.90 per month.

The Combo pack includes mio Stadium football channels and ESPN STAR sports, as well as English entertainment and Jingxuan Chinese channels.

With the new Barclays Premier League season starting on 18 August, the Combo pack is ideal for fans of the beautiful game.

In the spirit of the occasion, SingTel will offer a selection of Singapore’s most loved National Day songs for download and streaming through its award-winning AMPed 2.0 music service.

SingTel will also offer the Reuters SMS news alerts service for $4.70 per month, discounted from $7.50 per month.

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Posted in Announce, Holiday, Prices, Promotions, SingTel | No Comments »

See Olympic London in 3D with Nokia Maps

August 4th, 2012

The 2012 Olympic Games is ongoing in London right now. Nokia’s spectacular 3D Maps lets you fly through the English capital from the comfort of your home.

An aerial view of the London 2012 Olympic marathon route.

An aerial view of the London 2012 Olympic marathon route.

Get a bird’s eye view of the beautiful Olympic city of London in 3D with Nokia Maps 3D.

The buildings are shown in photorealistic 3D models using imagery captured by C3, a leading provider of 3D mapping solutions.

CNN, in partnership with Nokia, has created some amazing flyovers of London using Nokia Maps 3D, showcasing the Olympic marathon route, an aerial view of the Wimbledon Tennis Club, a peek at the Olympic Village and even a spectacular glimpse of Hyde Park.

Explore cities that have hosted the Olympic Games.

Explore cities that have hosted the Olympic Games.

Nokia Maps even has a dedicated Olympic Games section that allows you to take a 3D tour of London, visiting all the must-see tourist spots, or gathering tips for accommodation, restaurants, shopping and famous sights.

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Posted in 3D, Internet, Lumia, Nokia, Phones, Travel | No Comments »

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