SingTel and INQ brings multi-tasking INQ Chat 3G with Facebook and Twitter integration to Singapore
Affordable 3G Social Mobile with QWERTY keypad and Twitter updates directly to the home screen, plus SingTel’s award winning AMPed music service.
SingTel offers phone at S$0 with enhanced data bundled mobile plan

Singapore – 17 December, 2009 – SingTel and INQ Mobile will be bringing in the much anticipated INQ Chat 3G, the first QWERTY mobile from INQ and one of the world’s most unique phones – to Singapore.
The INQ Chat 3G brings updates from Twitter directly to the homescreen and offers push Gmail. It also offers consumers the chance to switch between different applications with one click – thanks to
its ‘Switcher’ key conveniently located on the side of the phone.

This is SingTel’s second exclusive INQ phone and will be available on 19 December 2009 for as low as $0 if customers subscribe to a 3G Flexi Lite-AMPed Plan which costs $39 monthly and now comes power- packed with free data of up to 12 GB with a $30 price cap on data usage. SingTel’s 3G Flexi Lite-AMPed Plan complements the INQ Chat 3G’ functionalities of a phone without a hefty price tag that comes with simple applications for customers to use their mobile phones as social network devices.

To complete the social networking experience, SingTel customers will also enjoy free six months subscription on SingTel’s IM on Mobile service and SingTel’s award winning AMPed music service free with selected mobile plans. AMPed, which won the coveted award “Best Mobile Music Service” at the GSMA’s Asia Mobile Awards 2009, offers an unsurpassed social music experience with the first-of-its-kind mobile music service in Asia that goes beyond offering free unlimited music downloads and daily music news.

INQ CEO, Mr Frank Meehan, said: “We’ve upped the ante with this phone. It’s got the multitasking and ease of use that INQ is known for combined with a qwerty keyboard that’s fantastic for people doing a lot of emailing or messaging.”

Mr Shane Da Silva, SingTel Vice-President Consumer Sales, said: “The social networking trend is unstoppable and this unique phone allows users a one-click access to popular social networks while on the move. This unique product, coupled with SingTel’s innovative services, will address the needs of customers who want to stay in touch and connected with family and friends anytime, anyplace.”

INQ phones are rated as one of the ‘top 10 gadgets for social media junkies’ by Mashable.

The INQ Chat 3G comes complete with an expanded suite of INQ applications and features:

• Facebook, email, and Twitter are ‘always on’ and accessible with one-click from the home screen; a login to any application is required only once.
• Customers can receive instant Facebook and Twitter updates on the home screen.
• A new email client incorporating push Gmail.
• The integrated message inbox includes pokes and updates from Facebook, and direct messages from Twitter.
• A built-in GPS capability allowing customers to easily access Google Maps.
• Seamless media syncing with Macs and PCs. The software, powered by doubleTwist, synchronise music from iTunes and Windows Media Player straight to the phone. Unlike most other synchronise solutions, the media sync doesn’t require customers to give up using their favourite media player on their computer. It also allows users to synchronise videos and photos.

For more information on phone features, click on www.singtel.com/INQ.

I have gotten the review unit in my hands, shall review it after I get back from Hong Kong.

Finally! Street View on Google Maps has landed on our shores, been waiting for years for this!

Singapore, December 2, 2009 – Google today announced the launch of Street View in Singapore, allowing users to view and navigate 360 degree street-level imagery of Singapore. Taken by Street View cars along all public roads earlier this year, the imagery includes iconic locations like Orchard Road, Marina Bay and Clarke Quay; cultural areas like Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam; and the heartland like Tampines, Jurong and Woodlands. In addition to viewing the images on your PC, Street View can be accessed on your mobile phone, meaning you now have a virtual photo-based street guide of Singapore in your pocket. See it for yourself at maps.google.com.sg.

First launched in May 2007, Street View is hugely popular worldwide and is available in more than 100 metropolitan areas around the world. Singapore is the first country in Southeast Asia to get Street View and the fourth country in Asia Pacific after Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

In areas where Street View is available, you can access street-level imagery by zooming into the lowest level on Google Maps, or by dragging the orange “Pegman” icon on the left-hand side of the map onto a blue highlighted street. You can check out a restaurant before arriving, make travel plans, arrange meeting points, get a helping hand with geography homework, or just explore and get to know Singapore better. The coolest way to use Street View is on smartphones so users can do all of this fun stuff on-the-go, anytime, anywhere.

Organisations can also benefit from the Street View technology by putting a business listing on Google Maps for free or embedding Google Maps directly into their websites at no charge. The street-level imagery of their location can help them to promote and increase awareness of their business – whether its a chain of restaurants, a library, a local attraction or even a new hotel. For more tips and videos about using Street View in Singapore, visit maps.google.com.sg/streetview.

Andrew McGlinchey, Google’s Head of Product Management in Southeast Asia said, “Street View has been hugely popular with our Google Maps users worldwide so we’re thrilled to extend our Street View coverage to Singapore. Imagine all the great uses of Street View here, from promoting tourist hotspots to hunting for property to educating students about historic buildings, and of course, getting directions and searching for businesses. Street View will allow locals and visitors to visit places in Singapore they may not have had a chance to experience before.”

Our launch partner, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), is very pleased with Street View’s ability to showcase some of Singapore’s best-loved tourist attractions and hidden gems to a global audience. Said Mr Ken Low, Assistant Chief Executive (Marketing), STB, “STB is very excited by Street View’s marketing potential as it will further raise Singapore’s prominence and reach through the Internet. People unfamiliar with Singapore can now get a first look at our city. The convenience of Google Maps, and the Street View feature, will give people from anywhere in the world a much better idea and picture of what Singapore looks like, and what it has to offer and we welcome private sector initiatives such as these which help us add value to our visitors’ experiences.”

Singaporean businesses and organizations keen to leverage Street View

Many other Singaporean businesses and organisations have already identified significant opportunities for Street View to be used in travel, tourism, house buying and renting, education and helping make small businesses easier to find.

Chris Robb, Managing Director of Spectrum Worldwide, OCBC Cycle Singapore event owner and organiser said, “Spectrum Worldwide and OCBC Cycle Singapore are thrilled to be the first local sporting event to use Google Street View to provide participants with the ability to virtually cycle the routes before event day. Street View will also give OCBC Cycle Singapore supporters an opportunity to find vantage points and see what the cyclists will tackle in March next year.”

Patrick Grove, Executive Chairman, iProperty.com Group said, “We welcome the opportunity to incorporate Street View on our website with the potential of providing a whole new approach for property search in Singapore for our users. Street View could benefit users in selecting the relevant properties to visit by providing detailed visual insights of the surrounding public transport, malls and other amenities. In short, the online property search process becomes less time-consuming, more informative, more efficient and most importantly resulting in smarter decisions made for your dream home.”

PropertyGuru’s Co-founder and Director Steve Melhuish said, “We are looking forward to having Street View on www.PropertyGuru.com.sg as it offers our users a new and unique way to view the location of properties and save time in their search. It’s an amazing tool that will allow our users to see each property and its surroundings and help them get a real feel for the area without having to physically be there. For those who are looking around to buy or rent a home in Singapore, the search just got easier!”

The winner of the Street View Trike online vote is…

Google and STB also announced the winners of the online poll in which the Singapore public voted for the best tourist attractions to be photographed by the Street View trike. Google received thousands of suggestions and votes over the past month and the top winner in each of the four voting categories are: Chinatown, Pagoda Street and Mosque Street for ‘Cultural Areas’; the Southern Ridge, Henderson Wave Bridge, Hort Park and Kent Ridge for ‘Hidden Gems’; Sentosa’s beaches and trails for ‘Natural Wonders’; and the Quays (Robertson, Clarke, Boat) and the Fullerton for ‘The City’.

And the top spot goes to… Sentosa, Asia’s favourite playground, which received the most number of votes to be hailed as Singapore’s most popular tourist attraction! These top voted locations will get a visit from the trike first while it is here in Singapore. The images it collects will later appear in Street View to help millions of Google users in Singapore and all over the world get a special view of some of Singapore’s famous attractions and inspire them to visit the attractions for themselves.

Privacy features built into Street View

Google has also gone to great lengths to safeguard privacy while allowing all Singaporean users to benefit from Street View. Street View only contains imagery that is already visible from public roads and features technology that blurs both faces and licence plates. In addition, any user can easily flag images for removal that he or she considers inappropriate by clicking on “Report a problem”. Google has consulted extensively with many privacy and community groups around the world in developing these privacy features and safeguards.

For more information, check out Press Release Site.

The lightup will start tonight at 7:30pm outside Wisma Atria’s INDOCHINE restaurant, on level 1. The world longest chain of light-sticks consisting of about 10,000 red light-sticks will stretch from SingTel’s Comcentre headquarters at Exeter Road through Skate-Park, Orchard Cineleisure, ION, Wisma Atria, Ngee Ann City, Heeren, Centrepoint, Plaza Singapura, Cathay Orchard, Singapore Management University, Raffles City, Esplanade, Collyer Quay, Keppel Road and Vivocity to Siloso Beach (Sentosa). That is about 8.09km long!

World’s Longest Chain Of Light-Sticks Beckons Singapore’s Youth To Come To Where The Bright Lights Dance – Singtel’s ZoukOut 2009

Singapore’s youth will feel the light on the night of the 20th of November, as most parts of the island frequented by young people will be draped in possibly the world’s longest chain of light-sticks. This unique and record-breaking installation is one of the highlights of SingTel’s on-going campaign for ZoukOut, which it is presenting for the fourth consecutive year.

The chain of close to 10,000 specially designed red light-sticks is about 8.09km long, and will stretch from SingTel’s Comcentre headquarters at Exeter Road through Skate-Park, Orchard Cineleisure, ION, Wisma Atria, Ngee Ann City, Heeren, Centrepoint, Plaza Singapura, Cathay Orchard, Singapore Management University, Raffles City, Esplanade, Collyer Quay, Keppel Road and Vivocity to Siloso Beach (Sentosa). Each light-stick bears an invite to “Come where the bright lights dance” at SingTel’s ZoukOut 2009.

The region’s biggest music and dance festival presented by SingTel, will take place on the 12th of December, 2009. Sentosa’s Siloso Beach will be rocked by the vibes of DJs such as Armin Van Buuren, Martin Solveig, Bob Sinclair, Ame and Kings of Tomorrow.

“SingTel is pleased to present ZoukOut 2009 for the fourth year running in partnership with Zouk. ZoukOut 2009 is an ideal platform for our customers to be entertained by world-class acts including an impressive line-up of international DJs. This partnership further demonstrates our commitment to reaching out to youths through music and entertaining lifestyle-related activities, and our customers can look forward to more similar events from us,” Ms Sarah Chua, Vice President of Consumer Marketing, SingTel, said.

“ZoukOut is a dusk to dawn event, and bright light-sticks are a common sighting amongst the partygoers. SingTel has hence decided on the deployment of brilliant light-sticks as the invitation to our young customers to the region’s biggest and wildest music & dance festival. At ZoukOut 2009, our customers can also look forward to more delightful surprises at the SingTel VIP zone,” Mr. Derrick Heng, Director of Segment Marketing & Communications, SingTel, said.

ZoukOut 2008 saw SingTel’s customers chilling out on board a specially erected VIP yacht. Customers can gain free entry to ZoukOut 2009 by signing up to any SingTel youth plan. SingTel customers also enjoy free-flow from 8-11pm at the VIP zone, which structure still remains a mystery.

LTA and Google collaborate to help travelers get to their destinations around Singapore faster and easier
Singapore is the first country in the world to launch a comprehensive range and nation-wide coverage of land travel planning tools, from walking to public transit to traffic, on Google Maps

Singapore, November 19, 2009 – With a daily public transport ridership of 6 million travelling by buses, taxi and trains; and more than 870,000 other vehicles on the roads in Singapore, commuters and motorists can now better plan their trips on Google Maps through a unique collaboration between Google and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA). Mapping, directions and route planning for various forms of land transport modes – from buses to trains to cars to even by walking – are now all available for free on Google Maps. Transit and traffic information are also available on mobile devices with Google Maps for Mobile, so commuters and motorists can check the latest updates to make route changes on-the-go.

Singapore is the first country in the world to provide this comprehensive range and nation-wide coverage of land transport options on Google’s global online map platform. Today at the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, LTA’s Chief Executive, Mr Yam Ah Mee, and Google’s Geospatial Technologist, Mr Ed Parsons, launched this new service at maps.google.com.sg/transport.

Under this collaborative effort, LTA provided key transit and traffic information such as live traffic feeds and public bus/MRT routes and schedules. Google combined the high quality of LTA’s transit data, and worked with Quantum Inventions, a Singapore company, to integrate traffic data, on the popular and familiar user interface of Google Maps. The integration of LTA’s information on Google Maps complements existing LTA and third-party travel planning tools for commuters.

Whether a private car owner switching to go by bus or MRT, or a public transit rider choosing to drive or take a taxi, or even one of 10 million international visitors each year finding their way around, the Singapore public can now check all of their land transport options to make an informed decision on the quickest, most convenient route and method to reach their destinations. For example, each time a Google Maps user requests driving directions, the user will be given the opportunity to plan the same trip using public transit – a useful option when the driving route is highlighted as red or experiencing heavy congestion.

“In line with LTA’s vision for a people-centred public transport system, we have launched several initiatives to help commuters better manage their travel time, transfers, and make more informed transport decisions. Recent initiatives include PublicTransport@SG which has received good responses of 679,000 average page views monthly,” said Mr Yam Ah Mee, Chief Executive, LTA. “The collaboration with Google is another step in this direction to make it even easier for the public to plan their trips with transit and traffic information on Google Maps, whether travelling to their nearest shopping mall or across the island to their favourite eating joint.”

“Google’s goal is to bring LTA’s accurate, comprehensive land transport information together on a global mapping platform for easy access, search and use on PCs and mobile phones by millions of Singaporeans and Google Maps users around the world,” said Mr Ed Parsons, Geospatial Technologist, Google. “Google Maps seeks to provide users with tools to help them explore the world around them and working with LTA to improve the daily lives of Singaporeans is an example of how Google can partner with government agencies to serve the public on a national scale.”

Mapplets increase usefulness of Google Maps

Mapplets are useful mini-applications developed by third parties that can be added directly on to Google Maps Singapore. With just a single click of the mouse, users can customize their Google Maps by adding useful tools created just for Singapore.

The three highlighted mapplets on the left navigation panel on maps.google.com.sg are incidents, ERP locations/rates, and cycle routes (from National Parks Board). The incidents mapplet is based on LTA data and displays real-time traffic incidents, constructions, and road closures island-wide. If the traffic looks sluggish, you can find out what is causing it by clicking on the pin to get additional details such as when and where the incident happened.

Other Singapore mapplets can be found in the My Maps directory including petrol station finder, carpark finder, highway cameras and more.

More Information at the press release site, http://sites.pressatgoogle.com/sgtransport/ or visit Google Maps Singapore to have a feel of it.

Brother today launches three new P-Touch labellers. My first labeller was from Brother I think back in the early 2000s. I used it to label my books and electrical switches.

Singapore, 18th November 2009 – Brother International Singapore, a leader in home and business IT peripherals that focuses on the ‘Customer-First’ approach, announced today the launch of new P-Touch labellers. Compromising of three models, (PT-90, PT-1090 and PT-1290), the new series features enhanced “Deco Mode”, easy-to-use function keys and have simple chic designs.

“The new P-Touch series adds a creative and fun touch to traditional labelling. Easy to handle thanks to an enhanced look, these three labellers are designed for everyone to get organised in their own style.” said Mr Takeo Shimazu, Managing Director, Brother International Singapore Pte Ltd.

Brother’s new labellers are versatile and can meet personal, family and businesses labelling needs. The PT-90 has a changeable faceplate and compact body and is useful for anyone looking for a handy organiser that will allow them to tag and personalise their items and documents. The PT-1090 is great for those in the electrical or technical industries as the machine has a specific function for easy labelling of wires and cables. It also appeals to homemakers who need to add date and time to their labels to keep track on the shelf span of food items. The elegant-looking PT-1290 will suit home offices and businesses as they come with business design formats and two font options for a professional output.

These new electronic labelling P-Touch series comes with multiple “Deco Mode” label formatting options, font styles and symbols that enable users to create original labels. Specific models offer up to 15 deco modes and 178 attractive symbols on a large screen (from 12 to 15 characters display) for easy viewing and editing of text.

The new series also features efficient and easy-to-use functions keys. PT-1090′s cable labelling as well as time & date modes are directly accessible on the control panel and allow convenient and time-saving print flag labelling. Also available in each labeller’s menu are function short-cuts that allow quick access to editing tools such as style, auto format, size, memory, etc. All three models are battery-operated for an optimal portability and convenient use. Optional power adapters are also available for purchase for PT-1090 and PT-1290.

For outdoor labelling, the durable TZ tapes are used for PT-1090 and PT-1290. These TZ tapes can withstand water, scratches and extreme heat.

All P-Touch series comes with a 1-year carry-in warranty with a starting price from $39.90.

PT-90

PT-90 (SGD$39.90)

Personalise while you organise

• 8 Deco Mode formats for more creative labelling
• 12-character display
• 3 changeable faceplates
• Attractive new symbols
• Compact body

PT-1090

PT-1090 (SGD$49.90)

Organise your family and home products

• 12 Deco Mode formats for creative labelling
• 12-character large display
• “Cable Labelling” function key
• “Time & Date” function key
• 178 attractive symbols

PT-2090

PT-1290 (SGD$69.90)

Add a professional touch to your business

• 15 Deco Mode formats for creative labeling with professional formats in deco mode
• 12-character display
• 2 new fonts available
• Memory to store up to 9 label designs