the(new)mediaslut

Made in Singapore… Amazing..

Nice job, guys!

World of Offline Gaming

Ricky Gervais, of The Ofice, stars as the MD for Microsoft.

Hilarious!!!

Part 1

Part 2

themediaslut got fellow techcaster, Aaron Koh, a special invitation to the Comex Show 2006 on the eve of the opening.

Aaron took a 30 minutes walk down the halls and highlighted some the show’s features in the following podcast.



MP3 File

Show notes

00:55 Melvin Koh, the organiser of the Comex Show, introducing the show to Aaron Koh.

01:50 Melvin explains why this year’s Comex Show is in Singapore Expo and not at the Suntec Convention Hall like in the previous years.

02:10 Aaron enters the show hall.

02:30 Aaron starts to round down the show details. The halls are seperated into two. The big brands are in Hall 5 and 6, and the smaller shops selling the accessories are in Hall 4.

Left: Sony and the other big brands are in 5 and 6.
Right: Smaller resellers can be found in Hall 4.

03:10 Aaron notes the big walking space about 7m wide.

Left and right: The wide walkspace noticed by Aaron.

03:25 Aaron notices Dell’s explosive new payment scheme. Pun intended.

Left: The Dell computers have not arrived yet.
Right: Dell buyers can pay via installments with credit cards from the major banks.

03:36 Aaron notices the very pink Sony DSC T10.

The Sony DSC T10 is so pink it turned the whole photo pink.

04:00 Aaron highlights some fo the new brands he noticed at the show.

Left: New LCD player in town, Chimei.
Right: One of the Chimei LCD players on display.

Pluto got kicked out of the galaxy and landed in the Comex Show 2006.

04:55 Aaron notices the show is filled with Plasma and LCD TVs almost everywhere.

Plasmas and LCD TVs on display and on sale at the Comex Show.

05:04 Aaron highlights where is the best place to rest after you have walked the entire show for 2 hours or more.

You can choose the iGallop or the horse.

05:25 Fiat car display at The Comex Show 2006.

05:30 Aaron highlights the lucky draw prizes.

The lucky draw prizes.

06:00 Show ends (As there were some recording problems at the end of the show, Aaron had to retape the last section at home. Aaron apologises for the cut and paste effect.)

themediaslut was surfing the CNET Asia website to read the blogs posting on Firefox 1.5.0.6.

This pop-up ad appeared and it wouldn’t go away even when themediaslut clicked on the Skip Ad link.

The pop-up ad blocks the top part of the screen and prevented themediaslut from reading the blog.

When themediaslut uses IE and Opera, the Skip Ad link worked perfectly. After clicking on the link, it will minimise into a small ad box on the right.

This problem has also been noted by a few friends who are also using the Firefox browsers.

One even thought her mouse was not working and it was time to go Comex to buy a new mouse.

Can somebody provide a solution for themediaslut? 

themediaslut just received a press release from Intel stating the price of the mobile version of the Intel Core 2 Duo processors.

"The mobile version of the Intel Core 2 Duo processors T7600, T7400, T7200, T5600 and T5500 are priced at US$637, US$423, US$294, US$241 and US$209 respectively, in 1,000-unit quantities," wrote the press release.

themediaslut doubts any of her readers want to buy the processors in 1000-unit quantities. 

But it does give you a rough estimate to how much of a percentage the cost of processors compared to that of the total cost of the notebook.  

A WOW player left his iPod in the toliet seat during his flight and he became a potential terrorist suspect.

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html;?topicId=11211166&sid=1 

The dangers of playing WOW…  

themediaslut approached her friend Aaron Koh to host a techcast for this site.

A big thank you to Aaron and his friends, Grahame and Vishnu, for taking the time off to do this techcast.

Here’s the show

MP3 File

TMS techcasters: Aaron Koh. Grahame Lynch and Vishnu Mahmud

Show Notes:

2:15 Apple and Creative settles lawsuit

8:25 Gadget plug: AcePlus Melody

9:55 Exploding Dell notebooks with defective Sony battery

15:20 The new generation of digital travellers

20:11 Internet withdrawal symptom

22:05 The tech words that technology vendors abuse everyday

25:20 “Apple walk of shame“

Comments? Please email them to tmstechcast (at) gmail (dot) com.

The theme music “That’s no dream” was by Derek K. Miller (SOCAN), downloaded from http://www.penmachine.com/ and used under his Creative Commons License.

Who is the Singapore PR chic who called a Thai journalist at his +66 number to arrange for an interview with her client at the Conrad Hotel, only to cancel it after one email and a phone call because it soon dawn upon the PR chic that the Thai journalist is actually based in Thailand?

The Broken Pitcher can only imagine if the interview had gone on as proposed.

PR chic: Hello, Mr Thai Journalist. You are ten minutes late for the interview.

Thai journalist: Yes, Miss PR Chic. I am already at the Conrad Hotel and I am sitting by fountain.

PR chic: Fountain… What fountain? I don’t see any fountain..

Thai journalist: Yes.. the fountain at the lobby.

PR chic: No fountain here in Conrad International Singapore.

Thai journalist: No wonder, I am waiting at the Conrad International Bangkok.

Try explaining that to the client why the Thai journalist didn’t turn up for the interview….  

themdiaslut spoke to a pub/disco owner recently and found out starting one from scratch has its barriers.

One of the barriers, the pub/disco owner said, has to do with a chicken and egg situation with COMPASS (The Composers and Authors Society of Singapore).

For a pub/disco to play any of the latest music, the pub/disco would have to apply a licence with COMPASS.

This is clearly started at the website.

Annual Licence
This licence is issued on a yearly basis to discotheques, karaoke lounges, restaurants, hotels, etc. A licence granted by COMPASS is a contract that is renewable on a yearly basis. The licence allows the licencee to use the repertoire of COMPASS pursuant to the terms of the licence granted. In return, the licencee agrees to pay an annual fee. Source: www.compass.org.sg

However, in order for the pub/disco to apply for a license, the pub/disco would have to submit their fire certificate.

This is because the fire certificate will state the capacity of the pub/disco and COMPASS will charge the annual licence accordingly.  

However, if the fire certificate can only be issued 6-12 months only after the pub/disco is open, especially if it is a brand new one.

So its a chicken and egg situation for the pub/disco. In order to attract the crowds, they have to play the latest most popular music. However, the pub/disco is not able to do so until they pay the annual licence to COMPASS. Which the pub/disco cannot do, until they get a fire certificate, which is given based on observations by the authorities.

Some pub/discos take the risk and play the latest music without the COMPASS annual licence.

Most of the time,  this pub/disco get caught and have to pay a hefty fine of SGD20,000.

So it isn’t easy to start a pub/disco in Singapore especially with such a chicken and egg barrier of entry to business.

themedialsut is going through Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Leong National Day Rally.

While PM Lee made a call of Singapore government agencies to consider using Web2.0 media to spread the message, themedialsut thinks SPH journalist Lydia Lim needs to update herself on the Singapore’s Web2.0 scene.

In this article titled "Govt will podcast too but politics to be kept serious ", Lim obviously didn’t know the importance of "bak chor mee" to the Singapore Web2.0 scene.

"You talk about bak chor mee, I will say mee siam mai hiam, he said, citing examples of possible podcasts named after popular local dishes." wrote Lim.

"Then we compete…I will hire Jack Neo to be my National Day Rally adviser. It’ll be a fun time, we will enjoy thoroughly, go home totally entertained. But is this the way to deal with serious issues? he asked".

PM Lee Hsien Leong’s reference to bak chor mee was to MR BROWN’s podcast which satired the James Gomez incident during the recent General Elections.

Its obvious that PM Lee Hsien Leong use of the MEE SIAM MAI HIAM was his way of retorting to that podcast.

themediaslut doesn’t think the Singapore Government is going to call their podcast, the MeeSiamMeiHiam podcast…

themediaslut has gone beta…

Beta is the new cool..

Ohh, forgot to say this above logo was created here .  

themediaslut.com had 4 visits from Singapore’s Infocomm Development Authority today, between 8-12pm.

A warm welcome to you, whoever you are, who searched for "Han Fook Kwang", "han fook kwang", "blog regional journalists" and, themediaslut like this the best, "the media slut".

Why are you still using IE6? You should move on to Firefox or Opera…

At lease your are using Windows XP, with a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 and 32-bit colors.

Ohh.. there are three of you.. and each of your browser supports Flash7.0, 8.0 and 9.0, respectively.

Hope you enjoy your stay at www.themediaslut and found what you are looking for…

themediaslut has started to ask tech executives about their first Internet experience.

OneBerry’s CEO Kenneth Pereira (photo right) was the first to be asked and he confessed his first Internet experience wasn’t his.

"I cheated on my first Internet experience three years ago," said Pereira.

"I just came out of my retirement and a business associate asked me to communicate via email. I didn’t know how to email.

"So, I dictated my reply to my office staff and they called me to read out the subsequent email replies."

However, Pereria admitted he soon found it necessary to learn how to send out emails on his own rather than depend on a third party.

Pereria also said the biggest obstacle he had to overcome using the Internet was fear. This fear, which also prevented many of the mature workers in the security industry to go for lessons on the Internet, was something he could relate with them.

"In the first module of our certification programme, we help these mature students to sign up for an email account for the very first time," said Pereira refering to the OneBerry Certification Programme to retrain mature workers for the security industry.

"This opened up a new experience for them. At the end of the course, these students are even coming up with feedback to improve the management system, via Yahoo Messenger!"

OneBerry also launched their Security Management System yesterday.

The Internet turned 15 on August 6th but it seem nobody noticed.

themediaslut also missed the occassion.

In this post celebration, themediaslut hope you can share your first Internet experience with her.

themediaslut first Internet experience occured nine years ago and it wasn’t really the Internet. It was more of a LAN virgin experience.

Nine years ago, themediaslut was wondering aroung Terminal 1 at Singapore’s Changi Airport and saw a group of teenagers playing mulitiplayer Quake II on a LAN.

"Wouldn’t it be great if themediaslut could play games online for a living?" thought themediaslut.

themediaslut approached the owner and asked for a job there.

A week later, themediaslut was working at the Cybercafe and soon learn how to use the Internet.

First, themediaslut learned about online free webmail service and how to use them.

Most common were the Hotmails, Yahoo Mail and Excite Mail… remenber Excite?

The next themediaslut learnt was how to set up pop and smtp accounts.

And soon came IRC…..

That was themediaslut’s first Internet experience… Do share with her your first time on the Internet…

Fireworks taken from Capital Towers in the GIC boardroom at the 50th level on August 11, 2006.

Hewlett-Packard, Intel, TM Net, Microsoft and AEON Credit. What would it take for all these industry players along with the Minister of Energy, Water and Communications to gather at one spot? If media members were there as well, you can be sure it was one important announcement that was going to be made.

So, what was it about? If you haven’t guessed the relation between all five parties yet, let Boo introduce a few more clues that were present, maybe by way of Intel – Bl@st, Medusa and Whitebox. These are local PC vendors, as are the more well-known ones present like FTEC, BlueDot, M-Life Hyundai and Techdos.

At this point, the thought of Intel, may cause you to think of another processor maker. In fact, if you’ve followed the industry long enough you will probably dismiss it just as immediately but not before wondering that for as long as you can remember, Intel and AMD have never appeared at an event together.

In fact, you may also realise that Microsoft and other free/cheaper OS makers have also never appeared at an event together. Even though (and Boo is letting the cat out of the bag here, if even AEON Credit hasn’t clue you in yet), this little get-together is to announce a very noble cause, the “EZ 2 own Broadband PC” programme.

Yes, yes. At long last, PC vendors figured out that pairing up with the local leading ISP would be a more effective way of giving people more reason to own a computer….or the other way around… that broadband would probably do better if it came along with not just a PC but an affordable one… It was a long time coming.

Now, back to “Why MS and only MS was there??” Not that the RM99 a month for three years installment plan isn’t fetching – ONLY RM99 in exchange for Microsoft Windows XP STARTER Edition (http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/newsroom/winxp/08-10WinXPStarterFS.mspx) and other heavy duty specs (256MB RAM, Celerons, 80GB, 17 inch CRT…etc etc)

How friggin’ cool, ja?!! Especially when this programme is aimed at peeps who are first time owners, want to have a second puter OR plan to upgrade existing ones!

An additional RM50 (for 36 months) added to monthly installment entitles you to an upgrade to Windows XP Home Edition and other assorted MS knick knacks. But more importantly, on top of all that…you get a FREE modem and 50 hours of streamyx speeds surfin’. Now, we’re talking.

The Guest of Honour liked to put it as….For the first time in Malaysian history, we can have the public subscribe to broadband - that automatically comes with a PC or notebook!

And Boo will say almost all the relevant parties to increase broadband penetration were present together at Istana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, because not only were AMD and cheaper OS makers not there; even those all-important peeps who are always overlooked maybe due to the gloomy foreboding they bring with them – computer security companies.

"Nows the time to drive broadband sky high…invite those anti-virus fellas??….Helllloooooo???"

Also invited along to share his thoughts about the whole initiative and perhaps even share some progress reports from the Ministry of EnergyWater and Communications, was Dr. Lim Keng Yaik. He reminds us of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) and where we currently are.

Today, 4.2 million PC users (not owners) or 14 % of our population. 

1.3 million broadband subscribers or 25% of households by end of 2006

2.8 million broadband subscribers or 50% of households by 2008.

So why is this programme aimed to increase PC usage and ultimately broadband usage…..only valid till October this year? Is there something that Boo missed from the press releases? Will the response garnered from this be enough to hit NBP targets for 2006? 1.3 million broadband subscribers? No play play, u know?? Will 1.3 million PCs vulnerable to hacker or security threats be enough to constitute a national risk? 1.3 million…not that many broadband subscribers.. but jsut enough?

Dont get Boo wrong…. she’s all for increasing tech adoption, making it mainstream, widespread and eventually cheaper to be used in all aspects of living (too lazy to switch on tv and radio..got remote control for that! too lazy to drive car and negotiate traffic jams…got computer for that! etc etc DIGITAL SOCIETY!!!)…but where are the momentum checkers? Boo learnt an important a word few days ago… "inflection point"… what Boo thinks it means is "a state of being (industry) where a single factor is all it takes to tip the scale either way."

We are far from that… we havent reached critical mass yet…but what happens when/if we do?

And Boo still dont understand…. if the objective of this plan is to increase broadband…does it really matter what platform or chips are being used? Especially when it could probably make the packages that much cheaper and realistic (ie. higher RAM)? So big already still cant play together-gether?

Helicopters carrying the Singapore flag as they flew over the National Stadium on National Day 9 August 2006 as part of the country’s 41st birthday celebration.

Fighter planes flying past as part of Singapore’s National Day celebration.

(Whisperer’s post is reference to MediaConnect Asia’s story that Fairfax has licensed IDG titles lik CIO Asia, Computerworld Singapore and Computerworld Malaysia. Clip of the story can be found at the bottom of this post) 

Former Australian loudmouth PM Paul Keating was famous for once referring to his opposition counterpart as a dog returning to its vomit.

Might this be an apt metaphor for Australian media company Fairfax’s decision to buy IDG’s Singaporean, Malaysian and NZ titles.

Those of us with memories recall how Fairfax spent something like $20m buying Strategic Publishing and then basically destroying the whole thing in a few years.

Fairfax has a cultural problem with running media titles where the editorial and advertising have to work in synergy. In Australia it prides itself on quality journalism, all paid for by classifieds. Nobody really has to be commercially aware.

IT media is very different. And given that Fairfax sees the future of its new acquisitions as online entities as much as print, one had to wonder how they’ll get it right.

They just upgraded their Australian Financial Review site into an extremely expensive pay-per-view medium. Lots of stuff about investor tools and so on. But try finding an actual article in it. There’s actually no place on the website that points to and contains editorial… it’s all located in association with other features and whistles. To search and find one article today took me half a hour, having to enter credit card details twice and re-log in three times! What a joke.

But I’m just a loser reader. Surely the commercial heft of Fairfax will add might to those tired old IDG titles, particuarly with advertisers, I hear you say.

Not on your life!

Let’s say I’m an APAC marketing director, with regional budget to spend in SE Asia, Australia and NZ.

Let’s say I’m in HK, so I ring up Robert Ferguson in HK and want a deal. OK, he says, I can offer you Computerworld HK, Network World Asia but I’m going to discourage you from advertising in Computerworld SG, Malaysia and so on, cause I’d rather you go in my own Enterprise Networks Asia and Telecom Asia for those markets.

So I’m in Singapore, so I ring whichever Aussie manager is being rotated through the joint by Fairfax this month on his way to a "real job" back in Sydney and ask the same. Oh, we’ll put you in Computer World Singapore, Malaysia and NZ but dont think about those titles in HK or Australia - go in MIS and CIO instead.

I’m in Australia so I ring my IDG rep. Oh yes come into Computerworld Australia and I can even do you a deal for China or whatever. But I’m not real interested in selling you a NZ and SG leg because it aint my bottom line 

Now IDG is happy.. they’ve sold or licensed titles they clearly dont want, mainly ones that are fairly fringe to them. So why are companies like Questex and Fairfax - who have some respectable heft in their core markets - acting like dogs rolling around in their own ….??

Easy. They share something in common. Their core titles are declining. So while IDG does interesting things like concentrate its resources in big markets like China or get into parallel activities such as venture capital, the rather less ambitious managers at Questex and Fairfax think, ahem, I can beat decline, by adding more titles and spreading my overhead across more, albeit smaller and less impressive, revenue centres.

But here’s the issue. The advertisers are going to get mighty confused. Try figuring out where you should spend your money with the weird portfolios accumulated by the region’s IT publishers - it’s probably easier just to sink the whole lot into your own marketing events, trade shows and conferences.

And if every Fairfax, Questex and IDG site in Asia has the same news service, what does that do for their quite distinct brand identities?  

Media News 
Fairfax licenses IDG titles in Asia, New Zealand and sells UK assets
By Aaron Koh
08/08/2006 12:21:31 PM

It’s official. Fairfax has announced a relationship with IDG that will see it license IDG’s titles in both Asia and New Zealand, while it will be selling its UK publishing assets to IDG.

For more, click here . 

themediaslut not only had be in the train cabin like a packed sardine, she also had to endure the most irritating audio advertisement by M1 on the train.

At every single stop, the M1 audio advertisement will appear after the train’s announcement of its arrival at each stop.

The M1 audio advertisement is now giving themediaslut a splitting headache and it has been 2 hours since themediaslut left the train.

Though it is an ingenous idea to tag an audio advertisment after the trains’ official one, couldn’t M1 arranged with SMRT to have that advertisement played every other three stations instead of every single station?

Dear M1,

your current brand tagline, "1 Life, Live it!"

Yes, themediaslut knows she has 1 life, but themediaslut would like it to be a peaceful one too!!!