News

For those Apple 3G IPhone fans, here’s the official good news:

Singtel has confirmed Apple 3G IPhone launch to be on 22 Aug 2008, Friday.

Those who pre-order online with Singtel will be the first to get their hands on the new handset. Currently there are already tens of thousands of pre-orders with Singtel.

Starhub and M1 will carry the new Apple 3G IPhone before the year end.

Everyone will be carrying a 3G IPhone on the streets pretty soon, so there is no hurry to get one right, since you are not going to be the exclusive one holding it. IMHO, 3G IPhone will start to flood the Singapore streets just like the previous Razr V3 from Motorola, very soon.

Some countries’ telcos are offering the 3G IPhone for free when you sign up the highest data/voice plan with the respective telcos.

News are out that Singtel will launch Apple IPhone in Singapore by end of August. Although Singtel declined to comment on the actual date of the Apple IPhone, my guess is that it will be on 22 Aug 2008 because previously Apple has announced that it plans to roll out IPhone across many more countries on the date 22 Aug 2008.

All telcos will be offering the Apple IPhone by end of 2008 I guess. I will get one for myself in March 2009 when I can renew my yearly contract with Starhub.

If you are a person who like to go for exclusivity, I think you will be disappointed when you get a IPhone for yourself because in no time, you will see the streets flooded with people using the IPhone.

Looking at what Steve Job and his team presented lately during the Developers Conference about the new IPhone, the 3G IPhone will definitely enjoy much bigger successes than its previous first-generation IPhone, not just on the consumer market, but surely on the Enterprise/Corporate environment.

Times ahead are exciting for Apple IPhone as the Apple IPhone becomes one of the 3 core pillars (Mac, Ipod, IPhone) of Apple’s phenomenal successes.

Since the very first launch of Apple IPhone previously, many people in Singapore has been anticipating the arrival of the Apple IPhone in Singapore. Those who can’t wait for the IPhone to come, actually managed to get their hands on one by “sneaking” in from outside Singapore.

It seems that our wait is going to end soon when it comes to Singapore in Sep 2008 (hope there will be no change about it on the date). And based on the announcements by Apple not too long ago, we will be getting a 3G version of the IPhone. Great news for business users like me because a phone without 3G function is like owning a gun without ammunitions. We need the higher data speed transfer in order for us to do our work remotely from office.

I think I will get one Apple Iphone for myself next March when I can renew my phone contract with Starhub (hopefully by then, all the telcos in Singapore are carrying it. Based on what I have read online, all Singapore-based telcos will be selling the IPhone by the end of the year. Good news for all those IPhone fans).

Apple is great with their marketing, I must say. Many companies can try to learn something from them when it comes to marketing.

Nevertheless, I have got numerous friends who owned the first generation of the IPhone and they did not like it, and so they sold it off. I had to make a decision between Apple Iphone and Motorola Q9H about 6 months ago when I was getting a new handset. Apparently, I had chosen Motorola Q9H over the IPhone because of its 3.5G feature and the QWERTY keyboard. In my opinion, Motorola Q9H is a great business phone too and I loved it, especially its keypad and loud speakerphone!

Back to the IPhone, given its cheaper price coupled with a mobile phone contract plan, I wonder if the IPhone will spark off mainstream adoption in Singapore. Having an IPhone in hand will mean that you can do away with your IPods from now on (maybe unless you are a music and video fan that requires bigger storage space on your Ipod, if not, I think IPhone should be able to do a nice job of replacing your Ipod for many users!)

BTW, the 3G Iphone sells a million units in its first weekend of launch!

For more information about the much sought after IPhone, please see Apple web site here

The notorious “poster boy” Mas Selamat of Singapore is in the news again. Many months after his escape, 2 businessmen are offering $1 million reward for information leading to the capture of Mas Selamat, whether he is inside or outside of Singapore.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng revealed this in Singapore Parliament on Monday 21 July 2008 in response to a question on fugitive JI leader Mas Selamat.

The million dollar reward has been put up by two private individuals who approached the Home Affairs Ministry.

You can check out Channel News Asia here for more details about this piece of news. There are also news coverage on the local Singapore TV.

So, anyone of you into the quest to re-capture Mas Selamat?

The 3 ANG MOs in the YouTube video below probably weighed more than 200+ kgs combined and they wanted an old man (trishaw rider) in his 70s or 80s to ferry them on his human-powered trishaw. When they decided they have made enough fun of the poor man, they pretended to have no money to pay and passed the man around like a beggar.

They actually think this is funny and uploaded it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH6RIzb_UKU (the original post has been removed though) as “The slowest taxi in South East Asia” by http://youtube.com/user/B0Davis (many net users threw negativities at the originator on this YouTube profile page).

Please refrain from racist comments if you wish to express your views. The bastardly acts of these 3 hooligans are theirs and theirs alone. Looking at this video, maybe being KiaSu as a Singaporean is not so bad after all!

Why are our elderly working such a tough job at such an old age? Is it because their public assistance grant of S$290/mth is not enough? I leave it to your own judgement.

These are the same people who built Singapore to what it is today but they can’t enjoy the fruits of their labour and even have to be humiliated by tourists. Our comfortable lives in Singapore today are fruits of their labour. Hope this makes you think a bit and not take things for granted in Singapore, especially for the younger generations in Singapore now!

This will cause a sensation in Singapore real soon!

See also: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/viewPost6376.aspx

Singapore celebrates her 42th birthday at Marina Bay today!

The National Day Parade 2007 is very different this year because it is being held on the world’s largest water floating platform, about the size of a football field!

Be prepared to be ‘wow ‘by the nation’s largest birthday party with military aircrafts and vehicles display, paracuting display, commandos display,dazzling fireworks performance, music and dance and more!

For more information, please visit http://www.ndp.org.sg

I wishes Singapore a Happy 42th Birthday and may prosperity and peace be with Singapore year after year!

SINGAPORE : Singapore is home to the world’s fastest-growing population of millionaires, according to the annual world wealth report compiled by Merrill Lynch and the Capgemini Group.

The number of high net worth individuals in Singapore grew by 21.2% last year to reach almost 67,000 millionaires.

Singapore’s millionaire boom is part of a global trend that saw the number of high net worth individuals rise 8.3% to reach 9.5 million last year.

Among the super-rich are a group called the ultra-rich, with assets over US$30 million.

The growth of these ultra high net worth individuals grew 11.3%, outpacing that of high net worth individuals and suggesting a growing concentration of wealth.

“The main reasons for the growth in the number of high net worth individuals was GDP growth, which was about 8.2% in Singapore last year, and the strong market capitalisation growth reflected in the stock market. Also, Singapore’s strong savings rate has helped in the creation of wealth,” said Kong Eng Huat, MD of Merrill Lynch, International Bank.

India and Indonesia follow closely behind Singapore in the list of countries with the fastest-growing number of millionaires.

The survey also pointed out a growing preference among wealthy investors to put money into the real estate market.

While the high-end luxury sector in Singapore has been seeing strong demand, Merrill Lynch sees the bull run spilling over to the mass market segment over the next three years.

Mark Matthews, senior director and chief Asia Strategist at Merrill Lynch said: “More and more people are coming to work in Singapore, and as a result of that, people will move out of Districts, 9, 10, 11, into areas like Bukit Timah or East Coast, and prices are increasing in these neighbourhoods as well.

“There’s not enough in the private residential sector to meet demand. I believe there are only less than 40,000 vacant condominiums left in Singapore now, and we’re expecting over 100,000 people to move here this year.”

Global assets held by wealthy investors rose 11.4 percent to $37.2 trillion in 2006, but the growth rate is forecast to slow to 6.8% annually over the next four years.

Going forward, Merrill Lynch expects more central banks to tighten monetary policy, bringing a possible end to the period of high liquidity that has stimulated recent growth.

Growth rates in Asia are expected to ease back as global demand slows. - CNA

New source:

Channel News Asia, 28 June 2007