Friday, January 29, 2016

Singtel celebrates Lunar New Year with free unlimited mobile data and Singtel TV previews



Singtel is ushering in the Year of the Monkey with a goodie bag of treats for its customersAll Singtel postpaid customers will enjoy two days of free unlimited mobile data from 12:00am on 7 February to 11:59pm on 8 February while Singtel TV customers will be treated to free previews of more than 150 channels from 12:00am on 5 February to 11:59pm on 14 February.

Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO, Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said, “We are delighted to present our customers with complimentary services that they can enjoy with their family and friends over this auspicious season. The free TV viewing and mobile data will provide hours of quality family entertainment as they celebrate the festive period. We thank them for their continuous support and wish them a Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year.”

Customers can visit singtel.com/cny for more details.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Sony Donates 9,000 Books to South African Children


Into its 8th year, the South Africa Mobile Library Project in Singapore continues to see strong engagement from the local community




  
(SINGAPORE, 28 January 2016) – The 2015 South Africa Mobile Library Book Donation Project organised by the Sony Group of Companies in Singapore has successfully donated 9,000 books to South African children. With generous contributions from schools, members of the public as well as Sony employees in Singapore, the three-month project concluded in December 2015. The books are now on their way to South Africa, with support from K-Line.

Here in Singapore, Sony has been engaging the local community in this meaningful project by inviting them to donate books. 2015 is the 8th year in which the project has been running and it saw the participation of the following 7 schools:

•      Anglo-Chinese School (Primary)
•      Bishan Park Secondary School
•      Chua Chu Kang Primary School
•      Commonwealth Secondary School
•      Global Indian International School (East Coast )
•      River Valley Primary School
•      Nanyang Primary School

Besides collecting books, the participating schools were also involved in sorting, tagging and packing the books. This provided students the opportunity for project management and teamwork. Some schools extended the book collection to homes in their neighborhood, while others encouraged their students to go the extra mile to write short book reviews and inspirational messages, which were inserted into the books for the South African children. This helps to create communication between students in both countries and lends a personal touch to the whole project.

 Clockwise, from top left: Students from River Valley Primary School, Chua Chu Kang Primary School, Commonwealth Secondary School, Nanyang Primary School, Bishan Park Secondary School, Global Indian International School (East Coast), and Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) contributing to the South Africa Mobile Library Project.

Besides the schools and students, members of the public were also invited to donate books at the Sony Store @ 313 Somerset. Books were once again contributed by the National Library Board as part of their continuous support towards the cause of the project.

Since the project’s inception in 2008, more than 170,000 books have been collected through joint initiatives by 13 Sony Group companies in 10 countries across the globe. The mobile library services have also been expanded to cover all nine provinces in South Africa, with 50 mobile libraries in operation, reaching out to over 900 schools. For more information on Sony’s support for this project, please visit: www.sony.net/library


About the South Africa Mobile Library Project

Tad Hasunuma, former Managing Director of Sony South Africa, established SAPESI (South Africa Primary Education Support Initiative), a NGO based in South Africa, to conduct the mobile library project in partnership with the South Africa Department of Basic Education, with the aim of improving the literacy levels of the children in South Africa. The project acquires used mobile libraries from Japan to South Africa, where provincial departments of education operate them to provide the loan of books to children and teachers at local schools that do not possess these materials. The mobile libraries visit the schools and the librarians onboard advise teachers at the schools how to select the appropriate books and use them in their lessons. As a result, not only do the children gain an opportunity to interact with a diverse range of books, but teachers are also able to learn how to utilize the materials, and maximize their potential. For information on SAPESI, please visit: www.sapesi.org.za/

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Spread The Love This Chinese New Year With These 7 Gifts From Sony Electronics!



Sony Electronics has rounded up some of the most stylish and appealing tech gifts that might just be what you’re looking for this Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day.

Products
Description
Price
Smart B-Trainer™
Worried about festive weight-gain? Sweat it out with the Smart B-Trainer™! With 6 different sensors and tone music analysis technology, it walks you through your work out and selects songs to suit your pace. As an all-in-one music player, fitness tracker and personal coach; this is something we definitely need especially with Chinese New Year around the corner!
$399
Mobile Projector
Surprise her with an impromptu Valentine’s movie date with the MP-CL1, Mobile Projector. Compact, lightweight and equipped with laser technology, you can take it on romantic getaways to enjoy your favourite films and TV shows via HDMI or Wi-Fi, in HD quality!
$549
MDR-100AAP h.ear on™ Headphones
Is music a big part of his life? The MDR-100AAP h.ear on™ headphones supports High-Res Audio and comes with dynamic HD drivers for a sound experience straight from the recording studio. Available in a range of dashing colours, it is the perfect complement to his wardrobe and style this V-Day.
$249
NW-A26HN Walkman®
Make this the best Valentine's Day gift ever by pairing it with the MDR-100AAP h.ear on™ Headphones! The NW-A26HN Walkman®, which is available six stylish colours to match the h.ear on™ headphones, supports Hi-res audio and has up to 128 GB storage, so you never run out of music. Having up to 50 hours of battery life also means less charging and more listening!
$299
Cyber-Shot™ RX1R II
Capture all your candid moments this Chinese New Year with theCyber-Shot™ RX1R II. A full frame camera packed with 42.4 megapixels in a palm sized package, don’t compromise on size or performance. With Fast Hybrid Autofocus capabilities, AF speed and coverage is greatly increased, you’ll never miss a shot.
$4,999
SRS-X88 Wireless Speaker
Boogie all night long this V-Day with the SRS-X88 compact wireless speaker as you play your favourite tracks effortlessly from your mobile phone. Sony’s S-Master and DSEE HX™ technology reduces distortion and upscales your music to high-resolution quality, allowing you to enjoy an exceptional listening experience via Bluetooth®.
$699
SRS-X11 Portable Wireless Speaker
Sing along to Chinese New Year tunes with the SRS-X11 portable wireless speaker. A tiny cube design engineered with powerful sound; it is so compact that you can pop it anywhere in your room. Pair two units via Bluetooth® and customise your audio anyway you like. And if you're feeling festive, these little speakers are also available in red.
$99

紅衣小女孩 The Tag-Along Movie Review



Synopsis

Wei’s grandma suddenly disappears for no reason, but strangely the routines still move on as if she never vanished-- the laundry is still done, their house is well-arranged as usual, and even breakfast remains prepared for Wei every morning. Distraught with worry, Wei is totally clueless until he finds an uncanny video in his grandma’s camera, showing that there was a little girl in red tagging along her. Oddly enough, after Wei’s grandma finally returns, it turns out that Wei is missing instead. Struggling to unravel the enigma, Wei’s girlfriend Yi-Chun gradually discovers that the mysteries behind Wei and his grandma’s sudden disappearance may be connected to the urban legend of “The Little Girl in Red”, but what’s even worse is yet to come……

Movie Production Crew and Casts

Country                :             Taiwan
Year                     :             2015
Genre                   :             Horror / Thriller
Format                 :             Color / Scope / DCP
Runtime               :             93 min
Directed by           :             Wei-Hao CHENG
Starring                :             River HUANG, Wei-ning HSU

About ‘THE LITTLE GIRL IN RED’

Taichung, March 1998 – After a funeral, a family was watching a trip video in which a weird-looking little girl in red was found tagging along the relative who passed away. But no one remembered seeing her anywhere during the trip. The footage was authenticated by professionals and caused disturbance among audience island-wide after it was exposed in the media. Strangely, the family member who provided the TV station with the video died in a car crash shortly.

Taichung, 1998 – One driver caught sight of the rumored little girl in red in a mountain area and decided to follow her. During the pursuit, the little girl suddenly disappeared into a heavy fog. The driver almost fell off a cliff after a sharp turn.

Hualien, 2014 – An eighty-year-old woman mysteriously went missing during a trip. Around fifty members of the police and the fire department conducted a search for five days before finding her under a giant rock. The woman surprisingly answered, “A little girl in red held a red umbrella and took me away.” The urban legend of the little girl in red returned after sixteen years.

The Little Girl in Red is a long-circulating urban legend in Taiwan. The descriptions of her forms and whereabouts echo the monster depicted in the ancient Chinese book “Classic of Mountains and Seas” that takes advantage of human beings’ greed and weakness to lure them into the deep mountains before planting them like trees in the woods. There are various implications to the true identity of the little girl in red. Though some claim that she is an avenging devil who used to suffer from persecution, no one is yet able to determine who or what she is. The origin of the little girl in red is still a myth.

Movie Review

Based on the true events happened in Taiwan as stated earlier, the movie has a certain sense of mystery. Not any other horror movie, but a deep exploration of human nature. Interestingly, what our eyes cannot see, but with the use of technology in the case of a video camera, we clearly see the horrifying little girl in red tagging behind a person.



This Taiwan legend still bring fear to the people. The movie highlighted that the little red girl in still a myth. There are some interesting facts such as never try to call the full name of another person during the night. Otherwise, the spirit or ghost will start to tag you. 



I do enjoyed the movie. So far, I have not seen a horror movie that is based on true events. It simply add up to the expectation of this movie. No wonder it is the best selling horror movie in Taiwan in 2015. A thumb-up for the scriptwriter and cinematographer. It is also well directed. As usual, most horror movie are gloomy and quite dark throughout the movie.  



You will notice the use of computer graphic of the little girl in red spirits haunting the people. Honestly, it remind me of Alien movie produced in Hollywood. A good move for Asian movie.


I shall give a rating of 4/5. If you are into good horror movie, this is the one for you. Not just being horrified but it keep you thinking throughout the movie. 



The movie started screening in the cinema from 21 Jan 2016. Be sure to catch it in cinema with better surround sound and larger screen effect. 



Lastly, make sure you are not tagged along by the little girl in red.



Trailer



Thursday, January 14, 2016

Singtel launches Netflix partnership with exclusive promotion



Singapore, 14 January 2016 – Singtel has struck an exclusive tie-up with Netflix to give customers promotional offers to access top quality TV shows and movies on the streaming service.

Singtel customers stand to get up to nine months’ worth of complimentary  Netflix subscriptions if  they re-contract or sign up for Singtel’s mobile plan and/or Fibre Entertainment Bundle+ from 22 January to 22 July 2016. The tie-up also gives customers the convenience of watching Netflix through Singtel TV set-top boxes from April. They can expect to enjoy the highest-quality viewing experience possible as Singtel can now plug into Netflix’s Open Connect programme, their global content delivery network.

Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO of Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said, “We are delighted to team up with Netflix to offer their top class content on our top class network. Our customers’ entertainment consumption habits are changing. They want more freedom and flexibility in the way they consume content. This partnership with Netflix offers them just that and strengthens our content proposition by complementing our diverse suite of home entertainment offerings.”

“Our focus is to deliver quality content that our customers can access on any connected device at any time using our high-speed fixed and mobile networks. This OTT partnership with Netflix is the first of more to come and Singtel customers can expect even more interesting content in the months ahead,” he added.

Mr Bill Holmes, Netflix's global head of business development, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Singtel to deliver a seamless Netflix experience across their extensive network in Singapore. As a Netflix Open Connect partner and the exclusive promotional launch partner, Netflix and Singtel are working together to deliver our diverse library of TV shows and movies and an unparalleled streaming experience through Singtel products.”

Singtel is giving new and re-contracting customers complimentary Netflix subscriptions when they sign up from 22 January to 22 July 2016:

·       Complimentary three months’ Netflix Standard1 HD Content subscription with Mobile or Fibre Broadband plan2
·       Complimentary six months’ Netflix Standard HD Content subscription with Fibre Entertainment Bundle+2
·       Complimentary nine months’ Netflix Standard HD Content subscription with both a Mobile plan and Fibre Entertainment Bundle+3

Singtel customers can experience Netflix on mobile, tablet and computer. From April, they can also access Netflix on Singtel TV set-top boxes and customers can pay for their Netflix subscriptions directly through their Singtel billing. Netflix subscriptions offered in Singapore are priced according to Netflix’s prevailing pricing plans.

For more information, visit www.singtel.com/netflix.





1 Netflix Standard subscription offers high-definition content on two devices at the same time.
2 Applicable to eligible mobile plans, fibre broadband plans and TV packs. Visit www.singtel.com/netflix for more information.
3 Eligible for Singtel Circle benefits including Free Data Sundays.


GHOST SHIP 猛鬼船 Movie Review




Synopsis

“Ghost Ship” is a horror starring teenage cast as three Mon sailors on a large fishing vessel, adrift in the dark, mysterious sea. They’re Kala, Yola and Solui, and their high-sea adventure begins when they discover the corpse of a woman, who turns out to be the wife of a mafia leader who controls the harbour. The sailors are in a tight situation, because they know that the woman they found was also the lover of Nick, the son of their captain.

Who killed her? How did her corpse end up on the ship? How will the mafia react? If news of the corpse found on board leaks, will the trio be accused of murder?

The three young men decide to hide the corpse, but things get horrifying when the corpse disappears. Soon, strange incidents keep happening to the sailors, and they’re convinced that there are more than just one ghost haunting the ship.  Worse, they can’t run, as they’re in high sea and being haunted by vengeful spirits.

Production / Cast


-          Directed by         :             Phontharis Chotkijsadarsopon
-          Starring               :             Bhuvadol Vejvongsa as KALA
                                           Timethai Plangslip as SOLUI
                                           Pongsatorn Sripinta as YOLA
                                           Nutcha Jeka as MIAH

                                           Day Thaitanium as TAO




Review

It is interesting to note that the fame Thailand horror movie is now taking place in the high sea. True enough, there is nowhere to run or hide if you encounter them onboard a ship. That is why the movie is favourably titled as Ghost Ship. 



This movie is a comedy horror movie. So between the frightening moments glued onto your seat, with nobody beside you ( unless you are with your friends or loved ones ), you are there to feel the horrifying scenes. For me, I do not think it was frightening. In fact, it was more laughter than horror. Compare this with a walk or ride through a haunted house. Once in a while, you get the fright but it was not that horrifying. 



With three main young actors, it definitely add more fun into the movie. In addition, I also get to enjoy the truly fast and catchy song cum dance from the three young actors. It is definitely more entertaining than a seeing a live concert. So keep laughing while you are being horrified. 



I rate this movie at 3 /5. Catch it in cinema from 7 Jan 2015. 





Trailer





Thursday, January 7, 2016

Singtel Spurs Smart Living Journey for Consumers in Singapore


Singapore, 8 January 2016 Singtel is putting the Singapore consumer at the center of its smart cities initiative for the first time with the development of innovative solutions for smart living.

Integrated solutions from Singtel’s Consumer arm will help consumers live better by managing anything from their homes and vehicles to family health and safety.

The Smart Living Solutions are premised on three key areas:

·          Home automation and safety allowing seamless connectivity and control of locks, cameras and appliances in the home

·          Health and elderly monitoring – measuring elderly activities, tracking personal health data through connected health devices like blood pressure monitor, glucometer, pulse oximeter, thermometer and weighing scale

·          Connected cars – providing driving analytics, basic maintenance information, vehicle diagnostics and receiving real-time information on traffic conditions

Singtel's Chief Executive Officer of Consumer Singapore, Mr Yuen Kuan Moon said, "This is an exciting time for us. As Singapore becomes a Smart Nation, we hope to help Singaporeans live better by empowering them to live more comfortably and safely with our smart living solutions. We want to play a key role in smart, connected living and homes of the future through an intelligent open platform with a rich ecosystem of partners. We are in a unique position to do so with our extensive network infrastructure capabilities in info- communications, cyber security and analytics across the Group. The possibilities are limitless.”

Singtel is working with an ecosystem of partners, including Samsung and NCS, which recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Singtel to collaborate on smart home solutions for the Singapore market.

Mr Yong Sung Jeon, President and Chief Executive Officer, Southeast Asia Headquarters, Samsung Electronics elaborated, “This is an exciting journey in bringing to fruition, Singapore's vision of being a Smart Nation by enabling IoT in our homes. Our partnership with Singtel and NCS is synergistic, dynamic and most importantly built on a shared vision. Together we will grow an open IoT ecosystem in Singapore.”

Singtel’s Smart Living Solutions kicks off Singtel’s smart living journey designed to help further Singapore’s ambitions to be a Smart Nation. Field trials and solutions will be rolled out progressively from early 2016.



About Singtel


Singtel is Asia's leading communications and ICT solutions group, providing a portfolio of services from next-generation communication, technology services to infotainment to both consumers and businesses. For consumers, Singtel delivers a complete and integrated suite of services, including mobile, broadband and TV. For businesses, Singtel offers a complementary array of workforce mobility solutions, data hosting, cloud, network infrastructure, analytics and cyber-security capabilities. The Group has presence in Asia, Australia and Africa and reaches over 575 million mobile customers in 25 countries. Its infrastructure and technology services for businesses spans 21 countries, with more than 200 direct points of presence in 160 cities. For more information, please visit www.singtel.com.