Away in KL
themediaslut will be away in KL for the May Day weekend so blogging will be very light till Tuesday.
Mine is better than yours until…
[Update: 28 April 2006]
Ian Tan published today in The New Paper (link to made be avaliable tomorrow) that “The New Paper is statisfied that Company X had no intention to mislead anyone using its looping cable setup” after visiting Company X for a demo.
Maybe Ian could get comments from competitors of Company X and check with them if such looping method is fair when used in comparing the quality of competiting plamsa or LCD brands side by side.
[Update: 24 April 2006]
themediaslut have been told a photo was taken during this media event which showed the bias video signal connection which gave a distinct advantage to Company X.
Apparently, the photo is now in the hands of Competitor Y and the hands belong to somebody at the top.
themediaslut smells something big is about to happen.
[Update: 20 April 2006] : Ian Tan, for The New Paper, also reported on the incident though he chose not to publish the name of the vendor in question. Tan’s column can be found here .
(First published: 19 April 2006. The Broken Pitcher can only laugh when he heard of the following incident which happen at a media event, somewhere in South East Asia.)
At this particular event, a vendor wanted to prove their PLASMA TV was better than their competition.
So the vendor put their PLASMA TV next to their competitors and the journalists there found it to true to believe the degration in the quality of the images on the competitor’s PLASMA TV.
Upon investigation by some pesky journalists, they found out that…..
(DRUMROLL, please)
The vendor actually did was they connected the video source by s-video to the their PLASMA TV.
From that connected PLASMA TV RGB port, the vendor connected the signal to the competitors’s, via the vendor’s PLASMA TV composite video!
This, of course, affected the quality of the images on the competitor’s PLASMA TV.
Naughty, naughty, naughty vendor!
Windows Live from Hong Kong (Update)
“The rapid growth in Internet adoption and mobile device usage in China, Japan, Hong Kong and India together with countries in South East Asia makes the Greater Asia region one of the most important to Microsoft as we get set to launch Windows Live," said Bill Shaughnessy, newly-appointed General Manager for MSN and Windows Live, Greater Asia and International in the press release.
themediaslut finally got photos and the press release, not from the PR or from Microsoft, of the preview of Windows Live! in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
Phil Holden – Product strategy and demos Communication Services demostrating the span of Windows Live applications ncluding Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Search, Windows Live for mobile devices and Windows OneCare Live.
When you have a group of Asia-based IT journalists in your Hong Kong conference and you would like to show off your Virtual Earth application to rival that of Google Earth, what country and city should you be using for your preview, a Asia country and city perhaps?
No, Microsoft showed the city of Seattle, USA.
themediaslut wonders how long it will take before Microsoft will be able to put in Asian countries in Virtual Earth?
As for now, themediaslut doesn’t see anything interesting about Windows Live yet.
However, according to Aaron Tan, for ZDNET Asia, wrote "Microsoft: Success of ‘Live’ hinges on Asia".
For Microsoft to do that, they definately need to try to increase the localised content for the Asia region.
Microsoft is also looking to drive more users to its Windows Live by taking advantage of the mobile phone growth explosion in the region.
"The rapid growth in Internet adoption and mobile device usage in China, Japan, Hong Kong and India together with countries in South East Asia makes the Greater Asia region one of the most important to Microsoft as we get set to launch Windows Live," said Bill Shaughnessy in the press release.
“While the markets in Asia are diverse and unique, the increasingly sophisticated ‘netizens’ across the region are finding that their digital lives can be fragmented.
"The online, offline and cross device experience is often not connected and this is a real frustration for people, especially in a region where mobile devices are often the primary means of accessing the Internet.
"Our goal is to deliver a seamless experience where all the technology in your life and business comes together in a way that ‘just works’ for you.
"The Internet is ready for a software and services-led rebirth and that’s what Windows Live is all about."
"Millions of people enjoy the programmed content that the MSN portals offer and we will continue to deliver that experience and invest in MSN in Asia,” said Shaughnessy in the press release. “However, users also want more flexibility in creating a personalized experience with access to customized content and communications. That’s what Windows Live delivers.”
The unofficial Card Asia 2006 Kick Off Party Photo Site (Part 3)
themediaslut was invited to take photos at the Card Asia 2006 Kick Off party last night.
The night was about beer and roasted pork knuckles. Free!
Those looking for a higher resolution photo can contact themediaslut at themediaslut at gmail dot com.
Did themediaslut say beer and pork knuckles.. free?
The unofficial Card Asia 2006 Kick Off Party Photo Site (Part 2)
themediaslut was invited to take photos at the Card Asia 2006 Kick Off party last night.
The night was about beer and roasted pork knuckles. Free!
Those looking for a higher resolution photo can contact themediaslut at themediaslut at gmail dot com.
The unofficial Card Asia 2006 Kick Off Party Photo Site (Part 1)
themediaslut was invited to take photos at the Card Asia 2006 Kick Off party last night.
The night was about beer and roasted pork knuckles. Free!
Those looking for a higher resolution photo can contact themediaslut at themediaslut at gmail dot com.
New category in B&W - IT Journos @ Work
Jack Loo, assistant editor for SMBNet and SecurityNet, taking down notes as Henri Juvanon, managing director for Intermec Asia Pacific discuss about RFID for SMBs.
A Tale of Two Casinos - help me do this maths…
According to ST (subscription needed):
"BIDS for the Sentosa integrated resort will be evaluated a little differently from those for Marina Bay," said Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang yesterday.
For the Marina Bay proposals, now being assessed, four out of 10 marks will go to tourism appeal, three to architecture, two to investment value and one to the reputation and track record of the bidder.
The same criteria will apply to Sentosa, but the weightage will be different.
For the Sentosa bid, tourism appeal takes 40 points out of a 100-point score, followed by design at 30 points. The amount bidders sink into the project will win a maximum of 20 points, and the remaining 10 will be awarded based on a consortium’s track record and reputation."
| So -> Marina Bay is: | And -> Sentosa IR is: |
| Tourism 4/10 Architecture 3/10 Investment value 2/10 Reputation 1/10 |
Tourism 40/100 Design 30/100 Investments 20/100 Reputation 10/100 |
Was something lost in the translation? Or Sentosa finer (imported) grained? :p
Windows Live! photos from Hong Kong
(The following is a classic example of The Flat World, as written by Thomas Friedman. The photo was taken in Hong Kong, send to Orange.com.uk via MMS, downloaded from Singapore and posted for the world to see.)
themediaslut was not invited to the attend the Asia tour of the preview of Windows Live! in Hong Kong, but this does not mean she cannot post photos from the event.
themediaslut will post the photos and write-up of the preview session as soon as she gets them.
The photo was teken a dinner event held at the China Club last night for journalists attending the launch.
This is Bill Shaughnessy, general manager for MSN and personal services division and here he is speaking to reporters at the exclusive china club over dinner.
The preview of Windows Live! begins today in Hong Kong and the event schedule is as follow:
General Session – Location TBC
9:30am - Bill Shaughnessy, General Manager, MSN, Greater Asia – Microsoft’s Windows Live Vision and Strategy, Critical role of MSN & WL as a key Microsoft Business Group and top level intro to combined MSN & WL business goals and strategy for next 6-12 months and what it means for Asia.
10:00am - Phil Holden – Product strategy and demos Communication Services – (including Windows live Email, Messenger, Spaces and Mobile) Information Services (including Search,Live.com, Expo)
11:15am – Break 30 minutes
11:45am – Phil Holden - Safety and security overview and demo
12:00pm – Q&A
12:30pm - End General Session
12:30pm – Lunch and followed by one on one interviews
Chinese Opera in the neighbourhood
themediaslut was on the way home when she saw a street side Chinese opera in action.
She woop up her digital camera and went happily snapping away.
Warning: Photo heavy entry ahead.
There was some sort of prayer ceremony going on and it had the Chinese opera to appease the gods and the senior citizens in the neighbourhood.
This particular scene is about a newly wed couple about to spend their first night togather.. ahh.. the innocence of yesteryears..
The bride can’t wait to hit the sack…
The groom, however, is shy and reluctant…
The rest of the action is like the bride trying to chase the groom to bed..
A Chinese opera isn’t complete without the banging of gongs and drums to intensify the mood.
For more on Chinese opera in Singapore, please click here.
Orchard Road on a Saturday evening
themediaslut was to meet a couple of friends at Orchard Road and was impressed by the activities that were going on by the street.
Indoor futsal
Street side demostration of Brazillian Capoeira
Singapore Flickr community meetup
themediaslut was impressed an individual managed to organise Singapore’s firstever Flickr Community meetup.
The Singapore Flickr Community was at the Coffee Club, Raffles Place, Singapore and Beezy, the organiser, chose the Coffee Club because of the ample lighting the place gave to photographers.
Left: Beezy, the organiser, smiling for the camera
Center: Beezy taking some shots of the the meet
Right: Beezy welcoming guests to the meetup
The meetup gave Singapore-based Flickr users to exchange photo taking ideas and comments on the photo posted on Flickr.
Same of Flickr Schwag given to early birds
"Can you tag your chocolate ice cream cake so we can share it?"
T3 editor recording for That’s IT
T3 Singapore editor, Shawn Chung, being filmed for an episode for That’s IT, to be titled "what geeks want".
Hot air in Singapore
themediaslut apologises for the blurred images as she took them from a bus on the way to work.
What’s that yellow ball floating behind the trees?
Ohh.. its a hot air ballon.. in Singapore?
The hot air ballon, apparently, is brought to you from the people who introduced the duck and hippo tours in Singapore.
themediaslut wonders if this hot air ballon only goes up and down, ot it actually moves around Singapore?
themediaslut remenbered the last time when she was invited to sit the Starhub blimp, there was a restriction taking ariel photographs.
Can photographers go up on the hot air ballon and take shots of Singapore?
“Where are the panhandlers in Singapore?”
Indoscene heard this comment from some regional journalists during a city tour of the Lion City.
We are here for an ASEAN media briefing sponsored by a local corporate powerhouse.
And for a number of the media, it was the first time leaving their home countries.
Some may scoff and say what business do inexperienced journalists have coming on overseas junkets?
Their english capabilities may be limited, they never ask questions and their comprehension on the products on hand may be suspect.
This can be especially true as some media (such as in Indonesia) have a rotation policy to prevent one journo becoming too much of an expert in one topic and hogging all the knowledge. Or to make sure not one reporter become too close to the client. Or perhaps to prevent one taking all the overseas trips and not bringing back any gifts for the rest of the office.
Reporters, after all, should have a good basic understanding of many topics.
As a result, you can have a tourism writer covering the latest in electricity generation using the infamous 1.21 gigawatts protocols or a tech writer experiencing the beauty of a slow food festival.
But what about the sponsoring organization’s return on investment in bringing these journos from overseas?
Look at the long term.
There are many senior journalists nowadays who definitely know their stuff and can ask all the pertinent (if not favorable) questions to craft their excellently written articles.
But young reporters are eager to learn, and are rarely given the opportunity to go overseas and experience new technologies or points of view.
Even a simple visit to the Fountain of Wealth (which consists of a 5 buildings and the largest water fountain in the world forming an open palm facing skyward to bring in good feng shui - heard that from an overseas country PR manager regaling his charges of his extensive knowledge of Singapore - knowledge Indoscene also saw on the Discovery Channel!) can provide a contrasting perspective to the visitor who have always lived within their own shells.
In the long term, these cub reporters will be grateful for the opportunity for them to learn new things and gaze upon the sponsors a bit more favorably.
This is how relationships begin.
Indoscene has heard tales of senior reporters, because of their influence and stature (and perhaps near-monopoly of certain pages), can demand business class seats for short trips, permanent loans of test products, as well as hyper exclusive interviews.
Would a company alienate the rest of the media just to satisfy maintain the power lust special relationship of one senior editor?
Indoscene believes that everyone must start somewhere.
If senior or experienced reporters are unavailable, bring in the cubs and have a PR manager or agency consultant guide them through the destination city as well as through the mounds of press releases.
It could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
And we could even learn about ourselves again, helping them take their tentative steps.
End of days for SD card readers
Most consumer digital devices make use of the SD (Secure Digital) Card as their external storage.
However, to transfer the stored information from the SD Card, one would have to either get a SD Card reader or connect the device to the PC.
What if you do not have the former and don’t have the software drivers for the later?
Lapmate has come up with a USB SD Card where the USB portion is already part of the SD Card.
Hence there is no need for a card reader or software driver as most PCs and notebook are quipped with at least USB port.
Left: Both SD Cards loook similar
Right: The PSd SD Card has a cover when slides off makes it USB connectable
The locking mechanism for the cover works to well and it takes quite an effort to pull the cover out.
themediaslut had to yank out the cover but had a nagging fear she would break the card.
Also, once the cover is out, there is also this fear the cover might get lost easily because of its size.
The PSd Card fits tightly into any USB ports
With the USB connection integrated into the SD Card, it does provide users more convinence.
The convience does come at a cost.
A Kingston 1G SD card now costs about SGD44 at the stores, but the recommended retail price given to themediaslut for this Lapmate 512MB PSd card is about SGD99.
Where is my 360?
themediaslut has just been informed the Singapore Microsoft Xbox 360 team is giving away 5 Xbox 360 but you have to find out where they are hidden first.
"Just a month after the successful launch, Xbox announces the start of the "Where Is My 360" contest - an island-wide treasure hunt for 5 hidden Xbox 360s," wrote the press release.
Placed in five secret locations across the country, Singaporeans can go to www.whereismy360.com.sg to view the live webcam feed and decipher the secret locations of any of the five hidden console.
themediaslut just visited the site and found 2 Xbox 360s at camera 3 and 4 have already been found.
Xbox 360 cam 3
Xbox 360 cam 4
"Correct entries via SMSes will see five lucky winners take home freshly cooked Xbox 360s and then battle it out each other on the free Xbox Live service," added the press release.
The contest closes on April 30, 2006 or when all five consoles have be uncoverd, whichever is earlier.
themediaslut caught in a time-space continum
themediaslut was going through her web stats and realised this blog is getting visitors from tomorrow.sg and yesterday.sg .
Quoting a friend, "sounds like a Star Trek plot".
themediaslut banned in NTU, woot!
According to this forum , it is forbidden to access this blog in NTU. Woot!
Guess the Mass Communication students won’t be able to learn a thing or two about the media communications industry in the real working world.
MediaConnect Asia launches ITJourno Asia Fourm 2006
The Broke Pitcher was chatting with Glen Myles, MD for MediaConnect Asia, over beers yesterday when he highlighted an annual event he organises for IT Journos in the ASEAN region + Hong Kong.
“The ITJourno Asia Forum is aimed at giving journalists a thorough overview of the trends, technologies and issues that will shape the IT industry, covering both consumer and business technologies and issues,” said Myles.
“The foundation of ITJourno Asia is education.
“Journalists constantly struggle to take time out of their schedules to do educational briefings or industry networking and this is an incredibly time-effective way to keep one’s knowledge base and contact book up to date.”
Myles told The Broken Pitcher the ITJourno Asia Forum, to be held in Desaru Malaysia from July 20 - 22 this year, will see a change in the format where the focus now will be on the tech issues, instead of being just product focus.
“In the past, ITJourno Asia Forum sessions have been based around product categories,” said Myles.
[Photos from ITJourno Asia Forum 2005, courtesy of MediaConnect Asia] SW Development & Open Source session - (from left) Tham Joon Nam from Novell, Marc Chan from SAP, Nick Jackson from Borland, Dion Wiggins from Gartner.
“In keeping with the way that most media approach technology these days, this year we’re basing the sessions around the way that technology is used.”
This year’s sessions will be based around seven words that describe the application and use of today’s technology: Enjoy, Profit, Accelerate, Collaborate, Manage, Trust and Understand.
[Photos from ITJourno Asia Forum 2005, courtesy of MediaConnect Asia]
Left: Guests warmly welcomed by tradition Indonesian dance upon arrival at Nirwana Resort Gardens, Bintan, Indonesia
Center: Eunice Choy and Shawn Balakrishnan from Lewis PR.
Right: Justin Ong from Hardwarezone.com.
Myles also highlighted some of the comments made by IT journalists who attended the previous two ITJourno Asia Forum.
“Media feedback found that on a scale of 1 to 5, 100 per cent of media delegates judged the event at 3 or higher for overall value and 80 per cent judged the event at 4 or 5,” said Myles.
“On a scale of 1 to 5, 88 per cent of media delegates judged the event to be a 4 or 5 in terms of educational benefits.
“On a scaled of 1 to 5, 100 per cent of media delegates judged the event at 4 or 5 in terms of networking benefits."
[Photos from ITJourno Asia Forum 2005, courtesy of MediaConnect Asia]
Left: Babes in black - Priscilla Tan from Octagon and Erna Mahyuni from PC.com.
Center: Table 2: (sitting row, from left) Edu Lopez from Manila Bulletin, Darlene Myles and Victoria Lea from MediaConnect Asia, Delia Gutierrez from Media G8way, Sumathi Bala from Wireless World, Edison Ong from Manila Bulletin, Ed Geronia from GamesMaster Magazine; (top row from left) Joel Pinaroc from The Manila Times, Joey Alarilla and Erwin Oliva from INQ7.net, Ibarra Gutierrez from Media G8way, Red Samar from Manila Bulletin.
Right: Table 1 - (from left) Adrian Lee from Microsoft MSN, Priscilla Tan from Octagon, Tushar Bansal from Charlton Media, Erna Mahyuni from PC.com, David Chieng from PC Plus Malaysia, Simon Phun from PC Gamer Malaysia, Wilfred Lim from PC Magazine Malaysia, Simon Tan from Velocity Media.
Myles also told The Broken Pitcher that the MediaConnect Asia Tech Journalist Awards will be held for the first time during the forum.
“One of the motivating factors behind the establishment of the technology journalist awards was to recognise the talent and hard work of technology journalists,” said Myles.
“For over two years, we’ve been recognising and writing about the news breaking efforts of journalists and now, in response to journalist demand, we are formalizing this process and creating some awards the industry can strive for.
“I also look forward to celebrating these achievements in a way that provides a lot of laughs and some good quality entertainment.”
[Photos from ITJourno Asia Forum 2005, courtesy of MediaConnect Asia]
From left: “Let me win, let me win!” Black-jack hopefuls Simon Tan from Velocity Media and David Chieng from PC Plus Malaysia.
Placing bets on the money wheel table: freelance Mario Pereira and Joy Tang from SMBNet Magazine
Roulette players Nick Jackson from Borland, Justin Ong from hardwarezone.com, Tushar Bansal from Charlton Media
Erwin Oliva from INQ7.net senerading an onlooker with his rendition of “Tears in Heaven”.
ASEAN and Hong Kong IT journalists interested to participate in the ITJourno Asia Forum 2006 can contact Tan Lili at lili@mediaconnectasia.com .
Tech vendors, PR professionals and corp comms interested to find out more on how they can be part of the forum can contact Glen Myles at glen@mediaconnectasia.com
ASEAN and Hong Kong publications and IT journalists interested to nominate themselves for the Awards can email Aaron Koh at aaron@mediaconnectasia.com for more information.
Session descriptions for the ITJourno Asia Forum 2006
Enjoy: This session will look at how entertainment and lifestyle-oriented technology will advance in 2006 and how our lives will evolve around those advances. It will encompass personal and home entertainment devices and systems and consumer technologies in general.
Profit: This session will look at how businesses will use technology to drive profits and revenue in 2006. What applications will be key in 2006? Will it be customer technologies, supply chain, e-commerce, etc? What are the ways customers are approaching these applications going to differ in 2006 and what is driving the use of these technologies?
Collaborate: This session will look at ways that users collaborate and communicate in 2006. It will look at the changing ways that users will connect with each other like broadband, VoIP, wireless, etc and then examine how users will take advantage of those connections to more effectively communicate and collaborate.
Accelerate: This session will look at how technology is likely to advance in 2006 and beyond, in terms of providing more speed, power, memory and capabilities. How will users get more out of their PCs and systems and how will this affect the way those systems are used.
Manage: This session will look at the changing way that users are managing their IT systems in 2006. What are they key issues that businesses are facing in “keeping the lights on”? This session will encompass systems management, network management, application management, disaster recovery and any technology used in maintaining and managing IT systems.
Trust: This session will look at ways that technology will evolve in 2006 to assist users to better trust and secure their IT systems. It will examine the threats that users are likely to face in 2006 then look at the way technology is being used to combat those threats.
Understand: This session will look at how technology will advance in 2006 in terms of helping users to better understand the world around them. It will examine technologies like search technologies, knowledge management, business intelligence and so forth and delve into the directions these are likely to take over the course of the year.
Categories for MediaConnect Asia Tech Journalist Awards
Website
Best Tech Media Website: The Best Technology Media Website award will honour the service that best uses online media to serve the information needs of its readers.
Publication Awards
Best Consumer Technology Title: The Best Consumer Technology Title award will recognise the title that has been most successful in making technology and its developments relevant and interesting to a non-technical or mainstream audience, effectively communicating in understandable terms relevant technology issues and how that technology can be used.
Best Technology Industry Title: The Best Technology Industry Title award will recognise the title that has best covered IT and/or telecommunications industry news and issues, effectively investigating and covering IT companies and the issues that relate to those companies and their investors.
Best Business Technology Title: The Best Business Technology Title award will recognise the magazine, newspaper, website or combination of mediums that is most successful in serving the information needs of CIOs and IT and/or business managers, effectively conveying relevant technology issues in business terms.
Journalists Awards
The Best Technology Industry Journalist: The Best Technology Industry Journalist will award the journalist whose writing is the most effective in meeting the information needs of IT/communications industry executives and investors, effectively investigating and covering IT companies and the issues that relate to those companies and their investors.
The Best Business Technology Journalist: The Best Business Technology Journalist will award the journalist whose writing is the most effective in meeting the information needs of CIOs and IT and/or business managers by effectively conveying relevant technology issues in business terms.
The Best Consumer Technology Journalist: The Best Consumer Technology Journalist award will award the journalist whose writing is the most effective in meeting the information needs of a non-technical audience, effectively explaining how technology is relevant and can be used by the consumer market.
The Best Technology Reviewer: The Best Technology Reviewer award recognises the journalist who has best used the product review format to provide information that assists users in the technology buying process.
Best Gaming Journalist: The Best Gaming Journalist will award the journalist whose writing is the most effective in meeting the information needs of the gaming community.
Nominations for the MediaConnect Asia Tech Journalists Awards have been extended to May 05, 2006 due to request from the publications to extend the dateline.
