New BlackBerry smartphone: Curve 9320

July 25th, 2012

RIM has announced that the BlackBerry Curve 9320 is now available in Singapore at S$328. Get it from authorised BlackBerry partners including local carriers SingTel and M1.

BlackBerry Curve 9320 is now available in Singapore for S$328.

BlackBerry Curve 9320 is now available in Singapore for S$328.

The Curve 9320 has the traditional half-body screen cum signature hardware keypad design of BlackBerry smartphones.

BlackBerry Curve 9320
OS BlackBerry 7.1 OS
Screen 2.44″ TFT
Resolution 320 x 240, 164 ppi
Battery 1,450 mAh
Processor Single-core, 806 MHz
Camera Rear: 3.2mp
Front: Nil
Video VGA, 640 x 480
Memory Int: 512 MB
Ext: 32 GB microSD
Size /mm 109 x 60 x 12.7
Weight 103 g
Price S$328

Customers can interact with their social network in real time, using preloaded apps for Facebook and Twitter.

The new Social Feeds 2.0 app is also preloaded, allowing customers to post updates to multiple social networks simultaneously and capture updates from news sources (RSS), social apps and instant messaging apps all in one consolidated view.

The integrated camera includes a flash and supports video recording, and pictures can be tagged with their location thanks to the smartphone¹s built-in GPS.

The budget smartphone includes a built-in FM radio, allowing customers to tune into their favorite local stations.

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Apple misses analysts’ predictions amid wait for iPhone 5

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.

TomTom to help ease London traffic congestion during the Olympics

July 24th, 2012

There will be numerous road disruptions in London during the 2012 Olympics. TomTom will be providing – at 6pm every day – the latest map updates on road changes for the following day, via the Map Share community.

TomTom will provide free map updates to help alleviate traffic congestion during the London 2012 Olympics.

TomTom will provide free map updates to help alleviate traffic congestion during the London 2012 Olympics.

Good news for those driving in London during the Summer Olympics, which opens on 27 July and ends on 12 August.

TomTom’s map experts have predicted that 28 July is likely to be the most disrupted travel day in and around London with more than 9000 road changes.

The next most congested day is likely to be August 1 when more than 3000 changes will be made.

With the temporary road closures, changes in traffic flow and turn restrictions, TomTom will be helping drivers avoid travel disruptions with additional daily updates to their maps via the Map Share community.

After 6pm (GMT) every day, TomTom users will be able to download – for free – the following day’s road changes to their navigation device and reset any changes no longer required from the previous day for free.

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Executive briefing: IBM X-Force on emerging threats in 2012

July 24th, 2012

CIO Asia magazine organised the half-day event at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Due to the overwhelming response, the invitation-only briefing was extended from a 10-pax roundtable to a five-table seminar.

IBM X-Force Executive Briefing on Evolving Threat.

IBM X-Force Executive Briefing on Evolving Threat.

IBM promised that attendees would leave the briefing better prepared to protect their organisations against evolving threats in the security landscape.

Organised by CIO Asia magazine at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore.Key personnel from the new Security Systems unit in IBM updated CIOs and key IT managers on the numerous reports of data leaks, Denial-of-Service attacks, and social Hacktivisim in 2011.

The pace of such attack have continued into 2012.

Traditionally, IBM as well as other large companies have already incorporated security considerations in individual solution domains.

However, IBM has taken the additional step to adopt a holistic approach towards ensuring security for all of their solutions.

Its acquisition of Q1 Labs has provided the tools that integrated the security needs and considerations across the hitherto siloed domains.

This security layer straddles the various siloed domains and serves as the bedrock upon which the domain solutions are built.

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

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.

Event forecast: Canon launch on 23 July 2012

July 22nd, 2012

Canon will be having a launch event tomorrow titled: “The Arrival of a New Milestone”. Many are speculating that Canon will finally be launching its first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera.

Update (23 July, 2012):

Okay, so I was both right and wrong. Canon has indeed launched its first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera – the EOS M. But it looks nowhere like the Hansa – it doesn’t even look retro.

1:1.4 scale model of the beautiful Hansa Canon.

1:1.4 scale model of the beautiful Hansa Canon.

But as a consolation, Canon did give each attendee a nice Hanso scale model (1:1.4).

To find out the details of the EOS M, check out the Livecast for the launch event here.

I’m purely speculating but I believe if Canon is launching an MIL camera, it will have a retro design inspired by the Hansa - Canon’s first commercial camera. Canon has been touting the camera as part of the camera’s 75th anniversary celebration.

I’m purely speculating but I believe if Canon is launching an MIL camera, it will have a retro design inspired by the Hansa – Canon’s first commercial camera. Canon has been touting the camera as part of the camera’s 75th anniversary celebration.

I received Canon’s invitation to tomorrow’s event some two weeks back.

It said simply, “Technological innovation has always formed the core of Canon’s pursuits. Come 23 July, Canon once again reaches a new milestone. On behalf of Canon Singapore, we cordially invite you to join us in this special occasion. ”

Stay tuned and check back tomorrow to find out.

Some BlackBerry apps for the London 2012 Olympics

July 21st, 2012

Since the London 2012 Olympics is just next week, here are some free BlackBerry apps to stay in tune with the Games.

Weekend diversion: Download some free BlackBerry apps for the London 2012 Olympics.

Weekend diversion: Download some free BlackBerry apps for the London 2012 Olympics.

The London 2012 Olympics will be from 27 July to 12 August. The Opening Ceremony will be on Friday (27 July).

If you’re using a BlackBerry, here are some free apps to welcome the games. Click the thumbnail to get to the apps page on BlackBerry App World.

London 2012: Official Join In App for the Olympic and Paralympic Games

London 2012: Official Join In App for the Olympic and Paralympic Games

Before the Olympic Torch arrives in London for the 2012 Summer Olympics, download the London 2012: Official Join In App for the Olympic and Paralympic Games – your pocket guide to the activities on your BlackBerry smartphone.

Endomondo Sports Tracker

Endomondo Sports Tracker

Feeling inspired by the athletes? Endomondo Sports Tracker is your free personal coach and training partner.

FanFeedr Personal sports news

FanFeedr Personal sports news

Check out the latest news, analysis or tweets by your favorite sports teams with FanFeedr Personal sports news.

Wild Olympics Athletics

Wild Olympics Athletics

Lastly, don’t leave your PlayBook out in the games- go race some gazelles on Wild Olympics Athletics.

Key findings from RSA Archer GRC Executive Forum

July 20th, 2012

RSA, The Security Division of EMC, recently released key findings from the RSA Archer GRC Executive Forum held in June, during which governance, risk and compliance (GRC) leaders from 34 leading corporations discussed enterprise risk management strategies and best practices.

Key Findings of the RSA Archer GRC Executive Forum

Key Findings of the RSA Archer GRC Executive Forum

Top executives say GRC Programs must better align to strategic priorities to meet board needs. The results affirm the earlier Carnegie Mellon CyLab 2012 Governance Report.

Some key findings

  • Mounting and multiplied business risks due to growing regulatory requirements and greater business complexity.
  • The need to align GRC to business priorities to get organizational leaders on board.
  • Moving away from a siloed GRC program to one which is unified to make enterprise-wide risk assessment.

It was noted that the shift towards increased regulatory and compliance requirements is being observed across Asia Pacific and Japan as well, with organizations looking to better calibrate their risk assessment frameworks and set guidelines for assessing organisation risks.

The need for business continuity management programs is also gaining traction, with the occurrence of natural disasters in Japan and Thailand prompting organizations to reassess their risk environment.

Read the press release below for more details.

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BlackBerry Mobile Fusion available in Singapore

July 20th, 2012

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion is RIM’s next-generation mobile device management solution for Government and Business Customers in Singapore.

It promises to be a secure, reliable, and scalable solution to easily manage BlackBerry, iOS and Android devices.

From left, Ian Gardner, Director, Enterprise Sales, RIM; and Charles Dufourcq, Director, Singapore, RIM sharing the advantages of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion

From left, Ian Gardner, Director, Enterprise Sales, RIM; and Charles Dufourcq, Director, Singapore, RIM sharing the advantages of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion consolidates the management of smartphones and tablets running BlackBerry OS (which includes BlackBerry PlayBook and future BlackBerry 10 devices) as well as Android and iOS.

“For businesses and government, managing a mix of mobile devices on any scale is chaotic. Organizations face pressure to allow employees to bring their own devices into the workplace,” said Charles Dufourcq, Director for Singapore at Research In Motion.

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion provides a single, unified, web–based console to manage the wide range of mobile devices that the employees of an organisation may bring and use for work.

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion integrates the market-leading features and security architecture of BlackBerry Enterprise Server (version 5.0.3), providing advanced IT management and controls, a single outbound security connection (256-bit AES encrypted “BlackBerry VPN”), enforceable IT policies, support for BlackBerry Balance technology, and over-the-air app and software installation capabilities for the management of BlackBerry smartphones and PlayBook tablets (as well as future BlackBerry 10 devices).
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Headphones for extra back-to-school motivation

July 19th, 2012

It’s that time of the year when university and poly students head back to school. Here are three Sennheiser headphones to pamper yourself or your loved one to help motivate him/her for the new term.

Fancy a Sennheiser HD 439 for to bring back to school?

Fancy a Sennheiser HD 439 for to bring back to school?

You can get these headphones at the Sennheiser Concept Store at Marina Square, #03-123.

Sennheiser PX 200-IIi headphones

Sennheiser PX 200-IIi

S$169

Here’s a “transformer” headphone that sports a unique fold-and-flip design that easily fits into any pockets.

The lightweight, closed, super-aural mini headphone offers good isolation against outside noise and is ideal for noisier environments.

It also comes with a remote unit that enables you to control the latest iPod, iPhone and iPad devices.

Simply push the buttons integrated in the cable to control the volume, play, pause, or skip tracks.

Sennheiser HD 229 headphones

Sennheiser HD 229

S$109.90

Available in contrasting, cheery colours of black and purple, or white and orange, the HD 229 offers crisp treble and powerful bass performance.

Its lightweight over-the-head design is good for everyday listening, while the soft, snug-fitting earpads and closed-back design help to reduce outside noise.

Sennheiser HD 439 headphones

Sennheiser HD 439

S$129

The Sennheiser HD 439 closed-back stereo headphone features a chrome inner lining and black mesh turbines.

It boasts an excellent bass performance and offers a comfortable fit for long wearing.

* In case you’re wondering, this is not a paid/sponsored advertisement. Just something I came across to start your new term with.