Windows 7 has officially been launch in Singapore at midnight on 22nd October 2009. The launch was collaborated between Microsoft Singapore and Challenger Funan. The first person in the queue started queuing at 3.30pm and only at 7pm they started giving out the queue number. At about 10.30pm, there was about 140+ people in the queue, but I think it eventually went up to 200 before midnight.

The first 177 customers gets to buy Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Edition at SGD$77 (RRP: SGD$219). After that, a limited number of customers can purchase it at SGD$147 during the launch event.

Full Install Prices

• Windows 7 Home Premium – SGD$359
• Windows 7 Professional – SGD$529
• Windows 7 Ultimate – SGD$549

Upgrade Prices

• Windows 7 Home Premium – SGD$219
• Windows 7 Professional – SGD$359
• Windows 7 Ultimate – SGD$379

OEM Prices (Full Install)

• Windows 7 Home Premium – SGD$190
• Windows 7 Professional – SGD$255
• Windows 7 Ultimate – SGD$350

I have been using Windows 7 for quite sometime since it was available in my school’s MSDN AA on 14th August 2009. I am very satisfied with it, definitely an improvement over the failed Windows Vista or the long running Windows XP.

*UPDATE* Updated post with Windows 7 OEM prices from Fuwell.

Source: DK and VR Zone

I always complain that the service level in Singapore is lousy and now with the Are You Being Served? platform, I will see whether what I complain holds true.

Things I hate the most:

• When you ask “Do you have this product in store”, they will answer, “all the things are displayed on the shelves”.
• When you ask “Do you have the other model”, they will answer, “No”.
• Tai-Chi-ing you around. When you ask Person A, Person A ask you to ask Person B, when you ask Person B, Person B ask you to ask back Person A.
• With the influx of FT in Singapore, it is not uncommon to find sales personnel from China. Some of them do not even understand basic English which makes communication difficult and that begs the question, are we suppose to blend into them by speaking Mandarin or are they suppose to blend into us by learning English. This is really getting out of control.

Technically they did not answer wrongly but it is their attitude that pisses you off. For example, instead of answering “No”, they answer “Sorry, we do not have it”. Wouldn’t it make you feel better than saying a no and brushes you off after that?

Anyway, back to topic, following up on my Are You Being Served?‘s blog post 3 weeks ago, my mission is suppose to commence on the 28th September 2009 and here are my mission details:

• I will be targeting the retail industry, in particularly the electronics portion.
• I am intending to get the Sony iPod Dock Clock Radio ICF-C1IPMK2 to replace my analog alarm clock while it charges my iPhone 3GS.
• I will be getting it from a local electronics store in VivoCity because it is the cheapest with member’s discount.
• I will be going together with Li Xiang and let her ask all the questions, while I observed the sales personnel.
• I will be observing his/her patience, attitude, product knowledge and most importantly will he go the extra mile to serve us.

PS: I can’t explicitly named the store to prevent unnecessary lawsuit.

The Go the Extra Mile for Service (GEMS) movement today unveiled a new logo to symbolized GEMS Up, the next phrase of Singapore’s service journey which aims to take service delivery to a higher level over the next three years.

New Gems Up Logo

GEMS Up is the second phrase of this national movement represented by five agencies, SPRING Singapore, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), the Institute of Service Excellence at the Singapore Management University (ISES) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

Mike Barclay, CEO of Sentosa Group

Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office and Secretary-General, NTUC

GEMS Up supports the Are You Being Served? initiative. Are You Being Served? is a blog that centers around a passionate “Service Squad” which seeks to provide a reality check on service standards in Singapore and to find out if Singaporeans are being served well. Members of the service squad visit different locations to conduct “Missions” testing the standards of service around Singapore and posting the mission’s results on the blog.

Everyone are welcome to post comments regarding the service squad’s mission in the blog as it aims to highlight the pluses and minuses of service in Singapore, with the hope that when people discuss service, standards can improve.

My mission date is from 28th September to 12th October 2009!

PS: Are You Being Served? is using my WP-Polls plugin!

Video Games Live Singapore will take place on the 19th June 2009 (this Friday) at the Singapore Indoor Stadium at 8.30pm. There is a pre-show event happening right before the event at 6.30pm. It will be a 2 hour long concert. Ticket are priced at SGD$55, SGD$70, SGD$85 and SGD$115 and you can get them from SISTIC

What is Video Games Live?
Video Games Live – the biggest and most popular video game concert in the world debuts in Singapore!
This is a concert event put on by the video game industry to help encourage and support the culture and art that video games have become. Video Games Live (VGL) bridges a gap for entertainment by exposing new generations of music lovers and fans to the symphonic orchestral experience while also providing a completely new and unique experience for families and/or non-gamers. The show is heralded and enjoyed by the entire family. It’s the power & emotion of a symphony orchestra mixed with the excitement and energy of a rock concert and the technology and interactivity of a video game all completely synchronized to amazing cutting edge video screen visuals, state-of-the-art lighting and special on-stage interactive segments with the audience.

VGL quickly became the biggest and most popular game concert in the world. The debut performance was launched on 6 July 2005 at the world famous Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles with the LA Philharmonic. Over 11,000 people attended making it the biggest video game concert in the world. Most of the game music played (Halo, Sonic, Metal Gear Solid, Mario, Zelda, Warcraft, Tomb Raider, Myst, Kingdom Hearts, Tron, God of War, EverQuest II, Medal of Honor, Headhunter, Beyond Good & Evil, Advent Rising, etc.) had never been performed live.

VGL is not just a concert, but a celebration of the entire video game industry that people of all ages will adore. Created and produced by Jack Wall and Tommy Tallarico, Guinness Record holder for prolificacy in video game composing, VGL is a tribute to video games culture over the last three decades. The concert will stage music and footage from the most popular video games from past to present, including Mario, Halo, Final Fantasy, WarCraft, Sonic, Metal Gear Solid, Interactive Space Invaders, Diablo III, Metroid, Pac-Man, Kingdom Hearts, Castlevania, Zelda and many more.

Do check out Sheylara, Hillary, Nicole and Nicholas blog post about Video Games Live as well.

Official Site: Video Games Live Singapore
Buy Tickets: SISTIC

Singapore has confirmed its first case of Influenza A (H1N1). The patient is currently being treated at the Communicable Disease Centre at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and is in stable condition. The patient is a 22-year-old Singaporean woman who was in New York from May 14-24. She arrived back in Singapore from New York on SQ25 on 26 May at 6.30am. She began to develop a cough while onboard. She passed the thermal scanner uneventfully as she did not have fever then. Later in the morning, she consulted a GP who decided to send her to TTSH via a 993 ambulance, given her travel history. She was immediately admitted for testing. Laboratory confirmation of her infection was made by midnight of 26 May. The patient has been vigilant in monitoring her own condition and had sought immediate medical attention once she realized that she was unwell. Her attending GP, through his quick response in activating the 993 ambulance for the patient, had also helped to minimize the spread of infection from this case. The Health Ministry says it has initiated contact tracing of her close contacts. They will be quarantined and provided with antiviral prophylaxis.

Passengers who had travelled in the same flight and were seated in rows 52 to 58 are urged to call the hotline at 1800-333 9999 to enable the MOH to check on their health condition. The MOH adds that all medical practitioners and healthcare institutions should continue to be vigilant to suspect cases. Singapore will continue with temperature screening for passengers entering Singapore at all checkpoints (land, sea and air).

All passengers passing through or entering Singapore are given Health Alert Notices on board their flights, advising them to monitor their own health if they have been to affected areas and to seek medical attention immediately if they are not well.

Source: Channel News Asia