Hutchison Whampo Port Trust indicative price

Hutchison Whampoa’s ports unit has set an indicative price of US$0.91 to US$1.08 per unit in a Singapore listing, aiming to raise US$4.2 billion ($5.35 billion) in addition to cornerstone investments, according to its preliminary prospectus.

Cornerstone investors for Hutchison Whampoa Ports listing in Singapore

Capital Research will invest US$634 million in the offering, according to the term sheet. Paulson & Co., managed by John Paulson, will buy a US$350 million stake and Lone Pine Capital LCC will invest US$186 million, it said.

Jenkin Hui and family, Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, Cathay Life Insurance Co. and Metropolitan Financial Services will each invest US$100 million, and Ally Holding Ltd. will buy a US$50 million stake.

Hutchison rose 1.6% to HK$91.45 ($14.9) at 3:02 p.m. in Hong Kong trading. The company, which also invests in real estate, oil and gas, drugstores and mobile-phone services, has jumped 15% this year, outperforming the benchmark Hang Seng Index’s 1.4% gain.

Source [via]

Hutchison ports unit set for $7.41b IPO, SE Asia’s biggest

WRITTEN BY THOMSON REUTERS
MONDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2011 19:14

Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing’s ports unit is looking to raise as much as $5.8 billion in its Singapore IPO, seeking to cash in on a recovery in global trade and provide investors with access to China’s booming infrastructure business.

The listing, Southeast Asia’s biggest ever, comes at a time when sea-borne trade in Asia is swelling and global container shipping firms are putting more ships and resources to serve Asian routes from Europe and North America.

The capital-raising could provide additional ammunition for Li, Asia’s richest man, who is looking to make a big play on UK power assets through his Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI) (1038.HK) unit.

The deal has attracted big names including Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings (TEM.UL), U.S. hedge fund manager Paulson & Co and Cathay Life Insurance, who will be putting in US$1.6 billion as Co as cornerstone investors, according to the preliminary prospectus.

The assets of the Hutchison’s subsidiary, Hutchison Port Holdings Trust, are located in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, two of the world’s busiest container ports in 2009 with a total throughput of 39.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units, the prospectus showed.

It would be the first publicly traded business trust backed by port assets,according to the prospectus, and would exceed Malaysia’s Petronas Chemicals’ (PCGB.KL) US$4.1 billion listing of 2010, which has so far been the biggest listing in the region.

“Given the size of HPH Trust, we expect the proposed IPO to attract significant investor interest,” said Sean Quek, Singapore head of research at Credit Suisse.

“In addition to the potential direct impact on trading volume, the IPO could also set the path for business trusts and port-related companies’ listings here.”


YIELD VS REITS

Hutchison Whampoa (0013.HK), the world’s largest container terminal operator, is spinning off Hutchison Port Holdings Trust in a separate listing in Singapore to take advantage of regulations that are favourable for trust-like companies.

With operations in 53 countries and approximately 220,000 employees worldwide, Hutchison has five core businesses -- ports and related services; property and hotels; retail; energy, infrastructure, investments and others; and telecommunications.
The company chose Singapore over Hong Kong because the city-state has been an attractive destination for infrastructure and real estate trusts, bankers said.

“It will be interesting to see how Hutch puts the money to work – does it repay debt, does it acquire utility businesses at reasonable valuations or does it venture into something as risky and expensive as 3G?," said Jacob Samuel, credit analyst at Nomura.

The yield from the offering of between 5.5% to 6.5% to unit holders, is lower compared to an average of around 7% offered by Singapore-listed business and property trusts.

“It is not attractive at this price range,” said William Lo, an analyst from Ample Capital. “A discount of 20% of the current price range will be seen more attractive.”

Hutchison Port Holdings Trust reported a net profit of US$655 million in 2010, from a revenue of US$1.49 billion. Similar trusts have been lapped up by investors who seek a higher dividend yield and want to diversify from bonds.

Singapore is home to property trusts owned by Southeast Asia’s biggest property firm CapitaLand (CATL.SI) as well as shipping, infrastructure and logistics’ trusts from China to Australia.

Based on the maximum indicative price, the market cap of the company will be $9.4 billion after the listing, which is likely to take place on March 18, according to a source with knowledge of the deal.

Hutchison Whampoa and Singapore state-owned PSA International, which owns 20% of the Hong Kong firm, will together own 32% of the company after the listing if overallotment is exercised.

Paulson will invest US$350 million in the IPO, whereas a Temasek unit will put in US$100 million.

DBS (DBSM.SI), Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) and Goldman Sachs (GS.N) are joint bookrunners and issue managers.

JPMorgan (JPM.N), UBS (UBSN.VX), Barclays (BARC.L), Morgan Stanley (MS.N) are among co-lead managers.

Hutchison ports unit set for $7.41b IPO, SE Asia’s biggest [via]

Gmail bug wiped out 150,000 or 0.08 percent Gmail inboxes

A still unknown bug in Google Gmail is seeing 150,000 or 0.08 percent of Google Mail userbase inboxes wiped out completely.

According to a Google engineer

Accounts that are affected are currently fully disabled. We're in the process of changing this to be a Gmail only disable so you should regain access to other Google services soon. This will also mean email to these accounts stops bouncing and gets queued up for later delivery instead.

The Google Apps Status page shows Google Mail's status as being disrupted.

Google App Status Dashboard (Feb 28, 22:50 GMT+8)

McDonalds 1-for-1 on Mar 1

If you like Mac, print out the above coupon and get 1-for-1 on 1 Mar (tml). Only ala carte burgers, nuggets and wings.

Excerpts from Warren Buffett's Berkshire annual letter

The following are some of the excerpts from billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett's Berkshire 27-pages long annual letter to his shareholders.

DO READ ON for there are many lessons to be learnt from him!

On America's future

Money will always flow toward opportunity, and there is an abundance of that in America.

Don’t let that reality (uncertainty) spook you. Throughout my lifetime, politicians and pundits have constantly moaned about terrifying problems facing America. Yet our citizens now live an astonishing six times better than when I was born. The prophets of doom have overlooked the all-important factor that is certain: Human potential is far from exhausted, and the American system for unleashing that potential – a system that has worked wonders for over two centuries despite frequent interruptions for recessions and even a Civil War – remains alive and effective.

We are not natively smarter than we were when our country was founded nor do we work harder. But look around you and see a world beyond the dreams of any colonial citizen. Now, as in 1776, 1861, 1932 and 1941, America’s best days lie ahead.

Management and Culture in Berskhire

Charlie and I hope that the per-share earnings of our non-insurance businesses continue to increase at a decent rate. But the job gets tougher as the numbers get larger. We will need both good performance from our current businesses and more major acquisitions. We’re prepared. Our elephant gun has been reloaded, and my trigger finger is itchy.

Partially offsetting our anchor of size are several important advantages we have. First, we possess a cadre of truly skilled managers who have an unusual commitment to their own operations and to Berkshire. Many of our CEOs are independently wealthy and work only because they love what they do. They are volunteers, not mercenaries. Because no one can offer them a job they would enjoy more, they can’t be lured away.

At Berkshire, managers can focus on running their businesses: They are not subjected to meetings at headquarters nor financing worries nor Wall Street harassment. They simply get a letter from me every two years and call me when they wish.

Berkshire’s CEOs come in many forms. Some have MBAs; others never finished college. Some use budgets and are by-the-book types; others operate by the seat of their pants. Our team resembles a baseball squad composed of all-stars having vastly different batting styles. Changes in our line-up are seldom required.

At Berkshire we face no institutional restraints when we deploy capital. Charlie and I are limited only by our ability to understand the likely future of a possible acquisition. If we clear that hurdle – and frequently we can’t – we are then able to compare any one opportunity against a host of others.

When I took control of Berkshire in 1965, I didn’t exploit this advantage. Berkshire was then only in textiles, where it had in the previous decade lost significant money. The dumbest thing I could have done was to pursue “opportunities” to improve and expand the existing textile operation – so for years that’s exactly what I did. And then, in a final burst of brilliance, I went out and bought another textile company. Aaaaaaargh! Eventually I came to my senses, heading first into insurance and then into other industries.

To start with, the directors who represent you think and act like owners. They receive token compensation: no options, no restricted stock and, for that matter, virtually no cash. We do not provide them directors and officers liability insurance, a given at almost every other large public company. If they mess up with your money, they will lose their money as well.

Having managers who love their businesses is no small advantage.

Cultures self-propagate. Winston Churchill once said, “You shape your houses and then they shape you.” That wisdom applies to businesses as well. Bureaucratic procedures beget more bureaucracy, and imperial corporate palaces induce imperious behavior. (As one wag put it, “You know you’re no longer CEO when you get in the back seat of your car and it doesn’t move.”) At Berkshire’s “World Headquarters” our annual rent is $270,212. Moreover, the home-office investment in furniture, art, Coke dispenser, lunch room, high-tech equipment – you name it – totals $301,363. As long as Charlie and I treat your money as if it were our own, Berkshire’s managers are likely to be careful with it as well.

Life and Debt

The fundamental principle of auto racing is that to finish first, you must first finish.

Unquestionably, some people have become very rich through the use of borrowed money. However, that’s also been a way to get very poor. When leverage works, it magnifies your gains. Your spouse thinks you’re clever, and your neighbors get envious. But leverage is addictive. Once having profited from its wonders, very few people retreat to more conservative practices. And as we all learned in third grade – and some relearned in 2008 – any series of positive numbers, however impressive the numbers may be, evaporates when multiplied by a single zero. History tells us that leverage all too often produces zeroes, even when it is employed by very smart people.

Leverage, of course, can be lethal to businesses as well. Companies with large debts often assume that these obligations can be refinanced as they mature. That assumption is usually valid. Occasionally, though, either because of company-specific problems or a worldwide shortage of credit, maturities must actually be met by payment. For that, only cash will do the job.

Borrowers then learn that credit is like oxygen. When either is abundant, its presence goes unnoticed. When either is missing, that’s all that is noticed. Even a short absence of credit can bring a company to its knees. In September 2008, in fact, its overnight disappearance in many sectors of the economy came dangerously close to bringing our entire country to its knees.

Charlie and I have no interest in any activity that could pose the slightest threat to Berkshire’s well-being. (With our having a combined age of 167, starting over is not on our bucket list.) We are forever conscious of the fact that you, our partners, have entrusted us with what in many cases is a major portion of your savings. In addition, important philanthropy is dependent on our prudence. Finally, many disabled victims of accidents caused by our insureds are counting on us to deliver sums payable decades from now. It would be irresponsible for us to risk what all these constituencies need just to pursue a few points of extra return.

Ernest (his grandfather) never went to business school – he never in fact finished high school – but he understood the importance of liquidity as a condition for assured survival. At Berkshire, we have taken his $1,000 solution a bit further and have pledged that we will hold at least $10 billion of cash, excluding that held at our regulated utility and railroad businesses. Because of that commitment, we customarily keep at least $20 billion on hand so that we can both withstand unprecedented insurance losses (our largest to date having been about $3 billion from Katrina, the insurance industry’s most expensive catastrophe) and quickly seize acquisition or investment opportunities, even during times of financial turmoil.

At Berkshire, we don’t rely on bank lines, and we don’t enter into contracts that could require postings of collateral except for amounts that are tiny in relation to our liquid assets.

Having loads of liquidity, though, lets us sleep well. Moreover, during the episodes of financial chaos that occasionally erupt in our economy, we will be equipped both financially and emotionally to play offense while others scramble for survival. That’s what allowed us to invest $15.6 billion in 25 days of panic following the Lehman bankruptcy in 2008.


The above
February 26, 2011 Warren E. Buffett
Chairman of the Board

Beijing Jasmine Protest

Related reads:

• LinkedIn site disrupted in protest-wary China
• China floods Beijing with security before planned protest
• Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pledged to control inflation as police appease protesters

What is "Gerrymandering"?

According to the Wikipedia,

Gerrymandering is a practice of political corruption that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected, and neutral districts. The resulting district is known as a gerrymander; however, that word can also refer to the process.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pledged to control inflation as police appease protesters

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pledged to curb inflation and punish abuse of power in an online forum as Chinese police blanketed Beijing and Shanghai to head off planned protests inspired by revolts in the Middle East.

Yes, this "copycat" non-violence style protests had spread across the Africa to Middle East, from Tunisia to Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Bahrain, Jordan, Iran and Oman. I really do hope it will not spread further and put more strain to global economy, bringing prices of necessities even higher.

ASP.NET - ColumnSpan Attribute of Footer Row in GridView

This article attempts to provide tutorial on how to get the footer of a GridView to be displayed as a SINGLE cell i.e. setting the ColumnSpan property to match the number of columns. The trick is to use the OnRowCreated method.

Design code

<asp:GridView ID="gvResults" ShowHeader="true" ShowFooter="true" runat="server" OnRowCreated="gvResults_RowCreated" ....>
...
    <Columns>
...
    <asp:TemplateField ...>
        <ItemTemplate>
...
        </ItemTemplate>
        <FooterTemplate>
        </FooterTemplate>
    </asp:TemplateField>
    </Columns>
</asp:GridView>

Code-behind code (VB.NET)

Protected Sub gvResults_RowCreated(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Web.UI.WebControls.GridViewRowEventArgs) Handles gvResults.RowCreated
    If e.Row.RowType = DataControlRowType.Footer Then
        Dim m As Integer = e.Row.Cells.Count
        For i As Integer = m - 1 To 1 Step -1
            e.Row.Cells.RemoveAt(i)
        Next

        e.Row.Cells(0).ColumnSpan = m

        Try
            Dim dv As DataView = gvResults.DataSource
            If dv.Count = 0 Then
                e.Row.Cells(0).Text = "0 records"
            Else
                Dim startRec As Integer = (gvResults.PageIndex * gvResults.PageSize) + 1
                Dim endRec As Integer = startRec + gvResults.Rows.Count - 1
                e.Row.Cells(0).Text = startRec & "-" & endRec & " of " & dv.Count & " records"
            End If
        Catch ex As Exception
        End Try
    End If
End Sub

Code-behind code (C#)

protected void gvResults_RowCreated(Object sender, GridViewRowEventArgs e)
{
    if (e.Row.RowType == DataControlRowType.Footer)
    {
        int m = e.Row.Cells.Count;

        for (int i = m - 1; i >= 1; i--)
        {
            e.Row.Cells.RemoveAt(i);
        }

        e.Row.Cells[0].ColumnSpan = m;

        try
        {
            DataView dv = gvResults.DataSource;
            if (dv.Count == 0)
                e.Row.Cells[0].Text = "0 records";
            else
            {
                int startRec = (gvResults.PageIndex * gvResults.PageSize) + 1;
                int endRec = startRec + gvResults.Rows.Count - 1;
                e.Row.Cells[0].Text = startRec.ToString() + "-" + endRec.ToString() + " of " + dv.Count.ToString() + " records";
            }
        }
        catch (Exception ex) { }
    }
}

Finally cleared all my readings

Woot! All readings from my starred in Google Reader are cleared. Okay, just left those in my Gmail Starred.

Amazon Kindle: New Features Available for Your Kindle - Firmware 3.1 Update

Amazon released a firmware 3.1 upgrade to Kindle owners that will be delivered via a Wi-Fi connection. To receive the update, please turn your wireless on and connect to an available Wi-Fi network (learn how to set up Wi-Fi on your Kindle). The software update will automatically download in the background and install when your Kindle goes into sleep mode. The update should take less than 10 minutes to complete. If a Wi-Fi connection is not available or you would prefer to transfer the update via USB, please view these instructions.

New Features Included in Free Software Update:

1. Real Page Numbers

Many titles in the Kindle Store now include real page numbers, making it easy to reference and cite passages and read alongside someone reading the print book in a book club or class. Page numbers will also be available on our free "Buy Once, Read Everywhere" Kindle apps in the coming months. As with all of Kindle's features, we want you to lose yourself in the author's words, so page numbers and locations are only displayed when you press the Menu button.

2. Public Notes

This feature lets Kindle users choose to make their book notes and highlights available for others to see. Any Kindle user -- including authors, their fans, book reviewers, professors and passionate readers everywhere -- can opt-in to share their thoughts on book passages and ideas with friends, family members, colleagues, and the greater Kindle community of people who love to read. To review and turn on Public Notes in your own books, view the Public Notes of people you follow, track your reading activities, see Popular Highlights and your annotations, and view your full library of books, go to https://kindle.amazon.com

3. Before You Go ...

When you reach the end of the book, you can now immediately rate the book, share a message about the book with your social network, get personalized recommendations for what to read next, and see more books by the same author.

4. New Newspaper and Magazine Layout

A new browsing layout makes it easy to scan newspapers and magazines more quickly.

For more information on these updates, follow this link.

New words in Oxford Dictionaries Online. Woot!

The following are newly additions to the Oxford Dictionary. Updated quarterly, the Oxford Dictionary Online features a growing number of tech terms.

Just to list a few out of the hundreds:

• bloggable
  suitable or sufficiently interesting as a topic for a blog
  
  
• clickjacking
  the malicious practice of manipulating a website user's activity by concealing hyperlinks beneath legitimate clickable content, thereby causing the user to perform actions of which they are unaware
  
  
• cyberbullying
  the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature
  
  
• cybersecurity
  the state of being protected against the criminal or unauthorized use of electronic data, or the measures taken to achieve this
  
  
• fnarr fnarr
  used to represent sniggering, typically at a sexual innuendo
  
  
• scareware
  malicious computer programs designed to trick a user into buying and downloading unnecessary and potentially dangerous software, such as fake antivirus protection
  
  
• sexting
  the sending of sexually explicit photographs or messages via mobile phone
  
  
• tbh
  to be honest
  
  
• tmi
  too much information
  
  
• woot
  exclamation; informal (especially in electronic communication) used to express elation, enthusiasm, or triumph

The full list of newly additions can be found here.

The plight of local Singaporean professors

A local Singaporean professor sent an email to former NTUC Income CEO Mr Tan Kin Lian to relate the sorry plight of being local professors in Singapore.

The message is originally posted here but I shall repost it here.

Dear Mr. Tan

For those who are academically inclined, one common dream is to become a university professor. For many countries in the world, this is a position worth aspiring to as professorship carries prestige and comfortable income. For Singaporeans who aspire to become professors in Singapore, it is sad to say that based on the happenings in a local university over the last few years, they found it a nightmare.

In this university, many Singaporean professors have been fired when they reach the age of around 55 (much lower than the national retirement age). Many of these professors have contributed to the development of the university for more than 20 years. And to add insult to injury, many of the university management who decided to fire them are actually foreigners.

When the university recruit new professors, many of them are also foreigners and some of them are in their 60s or even late 60s. As the university is heavily subsidised with Singapore money, is it not more logical to hire Singaporeans so that the money is invested back to Singaporeans? Instead, the money is now used by foreigners for their career advancement or retirement outside Singapore.

This situation is particularly sad as Singaporeans have worked very hard to accumulate this wealth. So why let foreigners enjoy the fruits of Singaporean labour? And to add to the irony, many of the Singaporean ex-professors do not have enough savings for their retirement. They have to make a career switch at the age of 55 – is this not a nightmare? Even though this situation has been going for quite some time, it is not a lost cause. The Singapore government can reverse the situation to demonstrate that they truly place Singaporeans first.

Local professor

Pretty sad.

Google Chrome Tips

Google Operating System blog published an article on fixing the following 7 annoyances on Google Chrome.

1. No confirmation when closing multiple tabs
2. Basic history page
3. Missing image properties
4. No support for feeds
5. You can't send a web page by email
6. No session manger
7. You can't switch to a tab from the Omnibox

7 Chrome Annoyances and How to Fix Them [via]

反省反省

看来我在公司里真的讲太多话了。

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

How to extend Microsoft Word 2010 trial period?

Microsoft allows you to test drive Office 2010 free for 30 days; after that, you have to get a license and activate. Many didn't know that it is possible to increase the trial period by another 30 days, up to 5 times for a total of 180 days.

To extend, open command prompt and go to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatform and run OSPPREARM.exe. If you installed the 32-bit edition of Office on a 64-bit OS, replace Program Files with Program Files (x86).

What "Do Not Track" Is and Why It’s Important

The LifeHacker has an interesting article that talks about security aspects of online tracking by service providers e.g. Google.

Read on here
http://lifehacker.com/#!5767080/what-do-not-track-is-and-why-its-important

Arab unrest: 5 eyewitnesses to history

Article from the CNN.

Motorola sued for using Xoom

Motorola's Android powered Xoom tablet hit stores on Thursday, but is now being sued for trademark infringement. The plantiff is California-based Xoom Corp claiming that it has rights to the Xoom name.

Xoom Corp., which runs a money-transfer business, registered the xoom.com domain in 2003, and registered the Xoom trademark on December 14, 2004, according to the suit. Motorola filed an "intent-to-use" application of its own on October 26, 2010.

Xoom Corp. also says Motorola purchased the Xoom keyword for online searches, so searching "Xoom" on Google puts the official Motorola Xoom tablet Web site at the top of the results.

Motorola Sued Over Use of Xoom Name [via]

HTC Sued Over ChaCha 'Facebook Phone'

HTC just unveiled ChaCha 'Facebook Phone', which include a dedicated button that takes users directly to Facebook, is sued for trademark infringement for using the name ChaCha. The plantiff is search service ChaCha. ChaCha is a search service that debuted in 2006. Two years later, it expanded to mobile, launching a service that lets people ask questions via voice or text, and receive responses from ChaCha within minutes.

HTC Sued Over ChaCha 'Facebook Phone' [via]

Gmail improves Labels - Allow hiding from Subject

Gmail has graduated two label-related Labs features:

1. Hide Read Labels (to declutter your Gmail sidebar)
2. Hide Labels from Subjects (to make Gmail subjects more readable on smaller screens)

It is now possible to hide all or selected labels from subject lines. This can be done by going to Labels tab in Settings.

Dealing with label overload [via]

Google filter away low quality search resuts

Following the release of a Google Chrome extension Personal Blocklist to facilitate blocking of sites from your search results and send the information back to Google so Google can eventually use submitted results to filter away low quality domains, thus improving search results, Google announced in a blog post that algorithm towards search rankings is updated.

This update is designed to reduce rankings for low-quality sites—sites which are low-value add for users, copy content from other websites or sites that are just not very useful. At the same time, it will provide better rankings for high-quality sites—sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis and so on.

Finding more high-quality sites in search [via]

Angry Birds coming soon to Windows Phone 7

In a blog post by the Microsoft, it is confirmed that highly popular smartphone mobile game Angry Birds is coming to Windows Phone 7.

Besides Angry Birds, the other games are:

• Doodle Jump
• Plants vs Zombies
• Hydro Thunder Go
• Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I
• geoDefense.

It’s official: Angry Birds coming soon to Windows Phone 7 [via]

Visualizing Google Android Activations

How to assign a photo to be used as a thumbnail for Facebook Share

When someone attempts to share an article on Facebook, Facebook will pick the "best" image to be used for the thumbnail.

Should you wish to change this default behaviour, the following are required.

<link rel="image_src" href="http://domain/images/image.png" />

Of course the image path has to match your exact path.

Facebook chat in Hotmail is rolled out to all

Microsoft announced Monday that Facebook chat is now available to Hotmail users worldwide, wherever Facebook has a presence according to a blog post, that's after having brought Facebook Chat available through Messenger a few weeks ago.

And while Gmail beat us to bringing their own chat into the inbox, we have now gone a step further and brought both our own chat and Facebook chat into your inbox. Starting now, we will be displaying notifications of this update in Hotmail.

Facebook chat in Hotmail now available everywhere [via]

Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office

Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office integrates with Google Docs and provides a bridge for Microsoft Office users who want to use online collaboration features without upgrading to Office 2010.

Google Cloud Connect is a free plugin that improves Microsoft Office 2003, 2007 and 2010 on Windows PCs. It adds simultaneous collaboration, revision history, cloud sync, unique URLs and simple sharing to the Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint applications.

However, according to a blog post by Google Operating System (unofficial Google blog),

I created a new document in Word 2010, but Google saved it as a read-only Word file in Google Docs. Apparently, the document can only be edited using Microsoft Office and not using Google's online word processor. Since you can't even open existing files from Google Docs, this software seems to be too limited. It's useful if you and all your collaborators only use Microsoft Office and Google's plugin.

Download Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office from http://tools.google.com/dlpage/cloudconnect

Singapore Facebook Statistics

Total Facebook Users: 2,295,420

Penetration of population: 48.83%

Position in the list: 49

Male/Female ratio: 51% vs 49%

Singapore Facebook Statistics [via]

GE: SDP's campaign to leverage on Internet

The Singapore Democratic Party will be looking to leverage on the Internet in their campaign for the coming General Election.

When contacted, the party's secretary-general Chee Soon Juan said: "We will maximise the use of the social media to help us spread our message.

GE: SDP's campaign to leverage on Internet [via]

Map of Electoral Divisions

Map of Electoral Divisions

For a more close up and detailed view of the newly drawn Singapore Parliamentary Electoral Map 2011, please refer to http://www.channelnewsasia.com/annex/2011map.pdf.

Singapore General Election - Voters Distribution

Single Member Constituencies

Single Member Constituency Estimated Number of Electors
Bukit Panjang              33,035
Hong Kah North             27,691
Hougang                    24,532
Joo Chiat                  22,027
Mountbatten                23,712
Pioneer                    25,732
Potong Pasir               17,306
Punggol East               33,261
Radin Mas                  31,001
Sengkang West              26,869
Whampoa                    21,615
Yuhua                      23,183

4-Member Group Representation Constituencies

Group Representation Constituency Estimated Number of Electors
Holland-Bukit Timah               91,559
Moulmein-Kallang                  87,498

5-Member Group Representation Constituencies

Group Representation Constituency Estimated Number of Electors
Aljunied                          143,024
Bishan-Toa Payoh                  122,416
Chua Chu Kang                     158,552
East Coast                        120,207
Jurong                            125,214
Marine Parade                     154,340
Nee Soon                          148,168
Sembawang                         142,351
Tampines                          137,437
Tanjong Pagar                     139,638
West Coast                        120,956

6-Member Group Representation Constituencies

Group Representation Constituency Estimated Number of Electors
Ang Mo Kio                        178,933
Pasir Ris-Punggol                 168,834

GE: Reform Party to contest 2 GRCs, 3 SMCs

The two GRCs it wants to contest are West Coast and Chua Chu Kang, and the three SMCs are Pioneer, Hong Kah North and Radin Mas.

GE: Reform Party to contest 2 GRCs, 3 SMCs [via]

Mrs Lina Chiam, wife of Chiam See Tong, to stand for Potong Pasir SMC

Mrs Lina Chiam, wife of Opposition MP Mr Chiam See Tong said she will stand as a candidate in Potong Pasir SMC. Veteran Mr Chiam may contest in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.

GE: SDA eyes Punggol East, Radin Mas, Mountbatten SMCs

The Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) has expressed interest in contesting the Punggol East, Radin Mas and Mountbatten Single Member Constituencies (SMCs).

It will also field a team in the 6-member Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, said Secretary-General Desmond Lim.

GE: SDA eyes Punggol East, Radin Mas, Mountbatten SMCs [via]

Singapore Parliamentary Electoral Map 2011

For a pictorial view of the newly drawn Singapore Parliamentary Electoral Map 2011, please refer to this link.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has accepted the recommendations of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee.

The details were released on Thursday by Parliament, and is the first step and a clear sign, that Singaporeans will be headed for the polls soon.

Going by past elections, from the release of the Boundaries report - which spells out changes to constituencies - to polling day, it can take anywhere between 17 days and nearly six months.

Political parties usually map out their election strategies after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report is released.

That's because, the report recommends the size and the geographical boundaries of each constituency, which will affect the activities of parties trying to woo voters.

The committee recommended changes after looking at voter population growth.

This time, the committee was tasked to create a minimum of 12 single member wards, more smaller Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) which put four to six candidates together on one slate.

It was also tasked to create fewer large six-member GRCs.

Smaller GRCs and more single member wards reduce the perceived hurdles the opposition face, in getting into Parliament.

There will now be 12 single member wards up from nine.

There are eight new ones including Whampoa, Yuhua, Mountbatten and Radin Mas.

The rest are: Hong Kah North, Pioneer, Punggol East and Sengkang West.

Some of these Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) were carved out from bigger GRCs. Two existing oppositions wards of Potong Pasir and Hougang remain.

The large six-man GRCs have been reduced significantly to just two from five.

The two remaining are the Prime Minister's GRC of Ang Mo Kio and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean's GRC of Pasir Ris-Punggol.

Pasir Ris-Punggol has 204,845 voters while Ang Mo Kio has 171,080.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's ward of Tanjong Pagar and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong's ward of Marine Parade have become five-member wards.

Sembawang GRC has also become a five-man GRC from six, while a new five-member GRC called Nee Soon, was carved out from two SMCs.

In total, there will be 11 five-member GRCs.

More than 2.35 million Singaporeans have registered to vote ahead of the next General Election.

The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee said it worked on a range of 20,000 to 36,000 electors per MP.

With the changes, the total number of MPs will be 87 - slightly more than the current 84.

Before the general election can be called, Parliament has to be dissolved and the writ of election issued.

But the budget debate begins on Monday and is expected to last for at least two weeks.

Parliament could be dissolved after that, and pundits and politicians have predicted that the polls could take place in May.

GE: Counting down to the General Election [via]

Dr Gene Sharp - The man who wrote the revolution rulebook

Dr Gene Sharp is the man credited with the strategy behind the toppling of governments from Serbia to Egypt. For decades now, people living under authoritarian regimes have made a pilgrimage to Gene Sharp for advice. Has his advice helped millions of people around the world achieve their freedom without violence.

His key Steps on the Path to Revolution:

• Develop a strategy for winning freedom and a vision of the society you want
• Overcome fear by small acts of resistance
• Use colours and symbols to demonstrate unity of resistance
• Learn from historical examples of the successes of non-violent movements
• Use non-violent "weapons"
• Identify the dictatorship's pillars of support and develop a strategy for undermining each
• Use oppressive or brutal acts by the regime as a recruiting tool for your movement
• Isolate or remove from the movement people who use or advocate violence

Dictators are never as strong as they tell they are

Gene Sharp: Author of the nonviolent revolution rulebook [via]

Amazon Kindle commercial

Singapore Borders Massive Clearance Sale

Admission
Public - Free Admission

Venue
Singapore Expo Hall 3A

Time
10am to 9pm

Organiser
Borders Pte Ltd

Contact Details
Tel : +65 6854 7171
Fax : +65 6235 4981
Email : skchong@borders.com.sg
Website : www.borders.com.sg

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) is now available

Microsoft announced Tuesday that Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is now available for download via the Microsoft Download Center. It is also available when you perform a Windows Update.

Service Pack 1 offers a ton of bug fixes and security updates for your Windows PC.

Download Windows 7 Service Pack 1.

Oil prices surge 7% on Libya unrest spiking as high as $98 a barrel

Source: CNN Money

No time to blog

Benjamin Graham: The Godfather of Value Investing's Secret Formula

Benjamin Graham, the godfather of value investing and Warren Buffett's mentor, has a secret formula on value investing.

The Graham Number:

Fair Value of a Stock = Square Root of (22.5) x (Earnings Per Share) x (Book Value Per Share)

The math of the Graham number is relatively straightforward. Graham believed that the price-to-earnings (P/EPS) ratio should be no more than 15. He also believed that the price-to-book value (P/BVPS) ratio should be no more than 1.5.

From that, Graham proposed that -- as a rule of thumb -- the product of the two should not be more than 22.5. In other words, (P/EPS of 15) x (P/BVPS of 1.5) = 22.5.

Read more on Graham Number here.

Google VS Facebook

Source: Wiki Noticia

Warren Buffett Speaks Out About the Financial Crisis

An interview with Warren Buffett.

Warren Buffett Speaks Out About the Financial Crisis [via]

Google Docs Viewer supports even more file types

Google Docs Viewer has added support for a lot more new file formats. Now, you can now use it to open Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations from Office 2007 and Office 2010, Apple Pages files, PostScript documents, Microsoft XPS documents, TrueType fonts, graphics from Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCad and SVG files.

The 12 new file types:

• Microsoft Excel (.XLS and .XLSX)
• Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 / 2010 (.PPTX)
• Apple Pages (.PAGES)
• Adobe Illustrator (.AI)
• Adobe Photoshop (.PSD)
• Autodesk AutoCad (.DXF)
• Scalable Vector Graphics (.SVG)
• PostScript (.EPS, .PS)
• TrueType (.TTF)
• XML Paper Specification (.XPS)

In Gmail, these types of attachments will now show a “View” link, and clicking on this link will bring up the Google Docs Viewer.

12 new file formats in the Google Docs Viewer [via]

Movie Studio to arrive on Google Android Honeycomb - Movie Editing on the go

Chrome extension to filter spam domains from Search Results

Google has released a new Chrome extension Personal Blocklist so you can block sites from your search results and send the information back to Google. Domains marked as not useful will be later used to improve search results.

Download Personal Blocklist extension from Chrome Web Store now.

New Chrome extension: block sites from Google’s web search results [via]

UberTwitter, Twidroyd, UberCurrent apps blocked

Twitter has blocked popular UberTwitter, Twidroyd and UberCurrent apps because they are said to have violated Twitter's API Terms of Service. This move was mentioned on Twitter's support post.

Matt Graves, a spokesman from Twitter provided additional explanation:

Today we suspended several applications, including UberTwitter, twidroyd and UberCurrent, which have violated Twitter policies and trademarks in a variety of ways. These violations include, but aren't limited to, a privacy issue with private Direct Messages longer than 140 characters, trademark infringement, and changing the content of users' Tweets in order to make money.

Budget 2011 - Information

Some key links on Singapore Budget 2011.

• Budget Speech
• Budget Highlights
• $3.2 billion Grow and Share Package
• CPF rate revision
• Radio and TV licence fees removed permanently
• Tax cuts
• Levy increase for foreign workers
• S$10 billion home upgrading
• Benefits for Households
• One-off Benefits for Households: $3.2 Billion ‘Grow & Share’ Package
• Longer-Term Social Investments to Benefit Households: $3.4 Billion as Top-ups
• Household Benefits Calculator for 2011
• Benefits for Businesses
• One-off Measures for Businesses
• Longer Term Measures for Businesses
• Business Benefits Calculator

Learn the basics of Photoshop

Popular Technology Site - LifeHacker, has put up a series of videos to teach users the basics of Photoshop.

• Learn the Basics of Photoshop in Under 25 Minutes
  
• Basics of Photoshop: Color Correction, Touch Ups, and Enhancements
  
• Basics of Photoshop: Basic Drawing with the Pen Tool
  
• Basics of Photoshop: Designing a Website
  
• Basics of Photoshop: Next Steps and Further Resources

iPhone 5.0?

What will the coming iPhone 5.0 like? Read more from PCMag.

Androidify to be Androidified!

Androidify, available free from Android Market, lets you take the little green Android, and turn it into yourself, your friends, your family, anyone! Just like the Android platform is open, the Android robot can now be freely customized.

How does eCPM (Effective Cost Per Thousand Impressions) work?

The Google Adsense made a blog post with a video to help us understand the concept behind eCPM (Effective Cost Per Thousand Impressions).

Effective cost per thousand impressions (eCPM) is the amount of revenue you can expect to earn from AdSense for every 1000 impressions shown on your site.

The video created by the Adsense team comes in 2 parts. In the first part of the series, AdSense optimization specialist, Matthew Carpenter Arevalo, will introduce you to the basics of how eCPM is calculated and explain how to analyze the causes behind any changes in your eCPM.

Part 2 of the video series will be made available soon.

Understanding your eCPM (effective cost per thousand impressions): Part 1 of 2 [via]

Budget 2011: Ministers happy

Ministers in Singapore were pleased with the just-announced Budget 2011, but not for the over 2,000 respondents in a public poll conducted by the Straits Times.

Budget 2011: Majority not happy

A poll conducted on the Straits Times on the Singapore Budget 2011.

Result: 47 per cent indicated "Definitely not", 23 per cent "Not really", 17 per cent "Somewhat" and 14 per cent "Definitely".

How to get rid of Facebook pop out Photo Viewer?

Facebook has launched a better Photo Viewer. The new Photo Viewer comes as a popped out light box so you will be able to stay at the page you are in. One obvious improvement of this Photo Viewer is its better image resolution.

More Beautiful Photos [via]

Buffett gets Medal of Freedom

Investing guru Warren Buffett was bestowed the Medal of Freedom by the U.S. President Mr Obama, the nation's highest civilian honour, for his integrity and philanthropic activities.

Buffett is “not only one of the world's richest men,” he is “one of the most-respected,” Obama said during the ceremony in the White House East Room.

Source: Omaha.com

Buffett gets Medal of Freedom [via]

Singapore Polytechnic Food Court 6 - Just refurbished

WOW! Singapore Polytechnic Food Court 6, located at Business and IT blocks around T20-T22, is now so different. Colourful and cheery.

The new refurbished Singapore Polytechnic Food Court 6

Microsoft Finally Turns Off AutoRun in Latest Windows Update

Microsoft has finally decided to turns off AutoRun in its latest Windows Update. With that, it would have prevented potential malicious programs to run automatically when an external device is plugged in.

GREAT! Finally after the AutoRun was started since Windows 95.

Deeper insight into the Security Advisory 967940 update [via]

Basics of Photoshop: Basic Drawing with the Pen Tool

Sony PS3 Jailbreak Code

A 40-digit jailbreak code for the Sony Playstation 3 is making the rounds on Twitter after a Sony marketing account accidentally re-tweeted the code posted by a 24-year-old software developer.

A TwitPic of the code can be found here.

Shazam vs. SoundHound: Battle of the Mobile Song ID Services

Interesting analysis on the performance of mobile apps Shazam and SoundHound.

Is Jetstar Asia a majority Singaporean owned flag carrier?

Erm .. From what I know previously, Jetstar Asia is owned by Qantas, however, a report published in Australia says otherwise. It mentioned Jetstar Asia is majority owned by a Singaporean.

Is it true?

The carefully avoided issues in a tiny Jetstar Asia profit [via]

How to Jailbreak Your iOS 4.2.1 Device

Nokia announced partnership with Microsoft, phasing out Symbian and MeeGo

Nokia said Friday that the company will pursue a long-term relationship with Microsoft, and make its Windows Phone 7 operating system the foundation for its mobile phones. In return, Microsoft will integrate Nokia services into its own, such as Nokia Maps with Bing and AdCenter. Microsoft will provide Nokia with developer tools, and Nokia's application and content store will be integrated into the Microsoft Marketplace, the two companies said.

Symbian and MeeGo, the two other operating systems Nokia supported, will be de-emphasized and eventually phased out

Open Letter from CEO Stephen Elop, Nokia and CEO Steve Ballmer, Microsoft [via]

Today in London, our two companies announced plans for a broad strategic partnership that combines the respective strengths of our companies and builds a new global mobile ecosystem. The partnership increases our scale, which will result in significant benefits for consumers, developers, mobile operators and businesses around the world. We both are incredibly excited about the journey we are on together.

While the specific details of the deal are being worked out, here’s a quick summary of what we are working towards:

• Nokia will adopt Windows Phone as its primary smartphone strategy, innovating on top of the platform in areas such as imaging, where Nokia is a market leader.

• Nokia will help drive and define the future of Windows Phone. Nokia will contribute its expertise on hardware design, language support, and help bring Windows Phone to a larger range of price points, market segments and geographies.

• Nokia and Microsoft will closely collaborate on development, joint marketing initiatives and a shared development roadmap to align on the future evolution of mobile products.

• Bing will power Nokia’s search services across Nokia devices and services, giving customers access to Bing’s next generation search capabilities. Microsoft adCenter will provide search advertising services on Nokia’s line of devices and services.

• Nokia Maps will be a core part of Microsoft’s mapping services. For example, Maps would be integrated with Microsoft’s Bing search engine and AdCenter advertising platform to form a unique local search and advertising experience

• Nokia’s extensive operator billing agreements will make it easier for consumers to purchase Nokia Windows Phone services in countries where credit-card use is low.

• Microsoft development tools will be used to create applications to run on Nokia Windows Phones, allowing developers to easily leverage the ecosystem’s global reach.

• Microsoft will continue to invest in the development of Windows Phone and cloud services so customers can do more with their phone, across their work and personal lives.

• Nokia’s content and application store will be integrated with Microsoft Marketplace for a more compelling consumer experience.

We each bring incredible assets to the table. Nokia’s history of innovation in the hardware space, global hardware scale, strong history of intellectual property creation and navigation assets are second to none. Microsoft is a leader in software and services; the company’s incredible expertise in platform creation forms the opportunity for its billions of customers and millions of partners to get more out of their devices.

Together, we have some of the world’s most admired brands, including Windows, Office, Bing, Xbox Live, NAVTEQ and Nokia. We also have a shared understanding of what it takes to build and sustain a mobile ecosystem, which includes the entire experience from the device to the software to the applications, services and the marketplace.

Today, the battle is moving from one of mobile devices to one of mobile ecosystems, and our strengths here are complementary. Ecosystems thrive when they reach scale, when they are fueled by energy and innovation and when they provide benefits and value to each person or company who participates. This is what we are creating; this is our vision; this is the work we are driving from this day forward.

There are other mobile ecosystems. We will disrupt them.

There will be challenges. We will overcome them.

Success requires speed. We will be swift.

Together, we see the opportunity, and we have the will, the resources and the drive to succeed.

Stephen Elop, CEO, NOKIA and Steve Ballmer, CEO, MICROSOFT

Thai airline P.C. Air employed transsexual flight attendants

In January, Thai airline P.C. Air employed transsexuals as flight attendants. I must say the 4 hired flight attendants do look beautiful.

Google adds 2-step verification advanced sign-in security

Google on Thursday unveiled a new, two-step Google Account sign-in process intended to provide an extra, optional layer of security. When enabled, users will have to enter their passwords as well as a separate code that will be sent to mobile devices before gaining access to products like Gmail or Google Docs.

2-step verification sign in process

Over the next few days, you should be able to see a new link on your Account Settings page that looks like this:

Google new Account Settings page

If you are not seeing the new link now, just wait patiently for the gradual roll-up.

Advanced sign-in security for your Google account [via]

The Hongjun Daily

Google's Interactive Doodle for Jules Verne's Birthday - Explore the Ocean

Yesterday, Google celebrated the famous Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 183rd birthday by launching an animated doodle for it. The doodle tried to capture that sense of adventure and exploration.

Using CSS3 (and with help from our resident tech wizards Marcin Wichary and Kris Hom), the doodle enables anyone to navigate the Nautilus (nearly) 20,000 leagues with the simple pull of a lever. And for those using devices with built-in accelerometers and the latest versions of Google Chrome or Firefox, it’s even simpler—just tilt your device in the direction you want to explore and the Nautilus will follow.

If you have missed the doodle, watch the video below or explore the ocean from Google's Jules Verne doodle in full view and HD.

Happy birthday from 20,000 leagues under the sea [via]

S.H.E 我愛你(劇情完整版) MV - HQ

Unseen video footage from Egypt

Dr Mahathir V.S. MM Lee Kwan Yew

Round x^th fight!

Dr M: Kuan Yew just a ‘mayor’ [via]

Across the World with the Singapore Girl

Never Chicken Out (How to deal with ... ) Videos

Laughters ...

Borders may file for bankruptcy protection in February

Borders Group, the bookstore known to many for its comfortable couches and variety of books and magazines, is likely to file for bankruptcy protection after seeing sales drop and earnings plummet. On Friday, the company disclosed that it no longer complies with New York Stock Exchange rules that require it to maintain a minimum average trading price of US$1 a share over 30 days. At current, Borders is trading at US$0.393 per share.

I feel sad for them should they really file for bankruptcy.

Is Borders heading for its final chapter? [via]

Treasury passed China as currency manipulator but said yuan is substantially undervalued

In the previous biannual treasury reports on currencies, the U.S. Treasury refrained from labeling China a currency manipulator but took a tougher line than in past years, saying the yuan is "substantially undervalued" warning "progress thus far is insufficient and that more rapid progress is needed".

Members of Congress and others have urged the Obama administration to brand China a "currency manipulator," which, under U.S. law, would trigger negotiations and possible sanctions. But like his predecessors, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner has tried to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels - criticizing Chinese policy and urging them to make changes without formally invoking U.S. law.

Treasury gives China a pass on currency manipulation [via]

IKEA stores are designed like a MAZE

IKEA stores are designed like a MAZE in order to prevent customers from leaving! Why?

IKEA stores are designed like a MAZE

According to Alan Penn, director of the Virtual Reality Centre for the Built Environment at University College London, Ikea's strategy is similar to that of out-of-town retail parks - keep customers inside for as long as they can.

Why shoppers find it so hard to escape from Ikea: Flatpack furniture stores are 'designed just like a maze' [via]

Dalai Lama: Fruit for thought

Here's a question that was posed to the Dalai Lama:

Q: What thing about humanity surprises you the most?

His answer was as follows:

Man.

Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he doesn't enjoy the present.
And as a result he doesn't live in the present or the future.
And he lives as if he’s never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived.

Egyptian protesters blew up gas pipeline to Israel

Hopefully the new regime in Cairo will respect the peace treat between Egypt and Israel, and not end up forming another Islamic majority together with Iran and the rest against the Jews, thus jeopardizing peace in the Middle East.

The blow up of gas supplies to Israel must not be a prelude to an Islamic 'Earthquake' in Middle East.

Attackers blow up Egypt gas pipeline to Israel [via]

Checklist for the financially sound

An informative article on the topic of Checklist for the financially sound posted on CPF IM$avvy.

1. Knowing how to budget
2. Understanding the importance of “paying yourself first”
3. Appreciate the value of investing
4. Be aware of the importance of insurance and protection
5. Being knowledgeable about different kinds of debt
6. Differentiating between wants and needs
7. Setting financial targets

CloudMagic - Add search as-you-type on Gmail, Google Docs, and Contacts

CloudMagic, the previously Gmail-only add-on that significantly speeds up searching, has extended its powers to cover your Google Docs and Contacts. Find documents, spreadsheets, and people without the wait for Google to return your results.

Listed below are the Google and Google apps account services that are supported:

• Emails
• Contacts
• Documents
• Spreadsheets
• Presentations
• Forms

With CloudMagic 2.0 you can refer to other emails & docs while composing a message without opening different tab or window. Similarly you can refer to any docs or emails while working on docs.

There are plans for CloudMagic to provide future support on Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, AOL, etc.

CloudMagic is a free add-on that works with Chrome and Firefox, on Windows, Mac, and Linux (32-bit and 64-bit). Go to their download link now to get the latest CloudMagic.

Integrated Instant Search for online data – Gmail, Google Docs & Contacts [via]

Stephen Colbert poked fun on Google and Bing copying of search result drama

Few days back, Google claimed that Microsoft Bing copied Google search results. Late last year, Google had run a sting operation that it said proved Bing had been watching what people searched for on Google, selected on the sites from Google’s results, then used that information to improve Bing’s own search listings.

However, Bing denied this. Microsoft's Bing Team then hit back at Google over accusations that it stole Google search results for its Bing search engine, accusing Google of engaging in a honeypot attack and going after the Bing because it was worried about its growth. Microsoft reiterated that they do not copy results from any of our competitors. Period. Full stop.

Stephen Colbert, an American political satirist, writer, comedian and television host, the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, poked fun at the drama this week. Watch him on the video below:

Motorola Android Software Upgrade Schedule

For updates on Android OS upgrades for Motorola phones, visit their support page at https://supportforums.motorola.com/community/manager/softwareupgrades.

Looks like there will be several pushes for Android 2.2 Froyo in Q1 and Q2 2011.

Jess Lee Kar Wei (李佳薇) won Superstar Avenue (超級星光大道)

Jess Lee Kar Wei (李佳薇) has made Malaysia proud by winning the seventh season of Taiwan's wildly popular singing competition reality TV show "One Million Star" (also known as "Superstar Avenue" 超級星光大道).

One of the comments found on a YouTube video reads:

李佳薇不要回来这马来西亚发展。。。除非妳只想出新年"合集"。­。

has garnered 69 likes so far.

Malaysian wins Taiwan talent show [via]

超級星光大道 20110130 李佳薇 - 回家

Google Chrome 9.0 - Several new features

Google Chrome has released its latest stable version - 9.0. In it, there are several features and I shall list a few that are worth a try in my opinion.

1. WebGL

WebGL is a new technology which brings hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to the browser.

Body Browser

The chrome team has put up a few demos that illustrate the use of WebGL - among them, Body Browser, WebGL Aquarium and WebGL Music Visualizer catch my attention.

2. Google Instant

With Chrome Instant (a.k.a. Google Instant), web pages that you frequently visit will begin loading as soon as you start typing the URL. It's disabled by default, so you need to enable it by checking "Enable Instant for faster searching and browsing" in the Options dialog.

3. Cloud Print

Cloud Print allows you to print from devices that can't communicate directly with printers. The first two applications that use Cloud Print are the mobile versions of Gmail and Google Docs. Like Instant, it is disabled by default. To enable it, go to Options > Under the hood.

4. Chrome Web Store

The Chrome Web Store is now open to all Chrome users in the United States.

A dash of speed, 3D and apps [via]

Mona Lisa identity debate again

Researchers from Italy have discovered the disputed identity of the model for Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Silvano Vinceti, chairman of the Italian national committee for cultural heritage, said the Florence-born Renaissance artist's male apprentice and possible lover Salai was the main inspiration for the picture. This is after having found similarities with the Mona Lisa's nose and mouth against earlier portraits, and close examination revealed an L for Leonardo and an S for Salai.

However, the claim was immediately disputed by experts at the Louvre in Paris, where the painting is on display.

The debate goes on again and again, possibly forever.

Official Blogger Android app

Finally! Blogger is playing catch up with times by releasing a mobile app for Android. With the app, blogging on-the-go is a possibility.

However, Blogger's Android app is really basic and does not offer too many features. Editing of existing post is not possible. The editor offered only lets you enter text and include one or more photos. You can add some labels and geotag your posts, taking advantage of your phone's GPS. There is an option to save a post as a draft, but you won't be able to publish it from a computer because it's only saved locally.

If you are already on the new Android marketplace (market.android.com), just click on https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.apps.blogger and then choose install would invoke an automatic installation on your Android phone. In other words, QR Code is not required anymore (but I shall provide it as below anyway).

QR Code - Blogger mobile app for Android

Android Market link: Blogger's app.

Introducing Blogger Android App [via]

Microsoft Bing's reply on Google's claim of possible copying of Search Results

Microsoft's Bing Team hit back at Google over accusations that it stole Google search results for its Bing search engine, accusing Google of engaging in a honeypot attack and going after the Bing because it was worried about its growth.

We do not copy results from any of our competitors. Period. Full stop.

Follow this link for the complete reply from the Bing Team.

Hotmail new alias feature allows you to use multiple email addresses on one account!

The Windows Live Team announced a new feature on Hotmail that allows user to create and manage multiple email aliases from a single Hotmail account. The new aliasing feature makes it easy to use a different email address and still get all the benefits of Hotmail without having to change your primary email address and online identity.

Up to five aliases can be added per year to your Hotmail account, up to fifteen aliases in total, all designed to make it a lot easier to organize different types of email and personas in one Hotmail inbox without having to give out your primary email address if you don’t want to. Just simply give out the alias email address to the right group of users.

Email aliases let you create completely different email addresses that you can use to receive email into your primary account without anyone knowing what your primary email address is.

Hotmail delivers aliases to help you manage and secure your email account [via]

Internet officially runs out of IP Addresses

The Number Resource Organization (NRO), an industry group made up of five regional Internet provider registries, announced on Feb 3 that the free pool of available IPv4 addresses is now fully depleted. It had handed out the last of the available addresses on the old system.

The future of the Internet is in IPv6. All Internet stakeholders must now take definitive action to deploy IPv6.

The old system, called IPv4, uses a system of numbers, typically separated by decimals, like 192.0.6.148. IPv4 had about 4 billion addresses (32 bits), which ran out more rapidly after mobile devices with Internet connections became commonplace. Now all new Internet addresses will use IPv6, a system that has more numbers and characters, and is said to have enough spots for 340 trillion, trillion, trillion unique IP addresses (128 bits). The two systems aren't automatically compatible with each other, however, so service providers and network operators need to upgrade systems to ensure the transition is smooth, which is why there has been so much recent attention focused on the subject.

Visit here for more information on IPv6.

Some facts on IPv6

• Since IPv6 addresses are 128 bits long, the theoretical address space if all addresses were used is 2¹²⁸ addresses. This number, when expanded out, is 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456, which is normally expressed in scientific notation as about 3.4*10³⁸ addresses. That's about 340 trillion, trillion, trillion addresses.
  
  
• It's enough addresses for many trillions of addresses to be assigned to every human being on the planet.
  
  
• The earth is about 4.5 billion years old. If we had been assigning IPv6 addresses at a rate of 1 billion per second since the earth was formed, we would have by now used up less than one trillionth of the address space.
  
  
• The earth's surface area is about 510 trillion square meters. If a typical computer has a footprint of about a tenth of a square meter, we would have to stack computers 10 billion high blanketing the entire surface of the earth to use up that same trillionth of the address space.

Looks like this figure is almost infinite.

Conclude just don't like CNY

Shall give it a miss next year.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

Emotionless

Starhub: Lunar New Year All Channels FREE Access 2 Feb – 7 Feb

As reported on Starhub,

This Lunar New Year, StarHub TV customers are rewarded with a festive bonus of a 5-day FREE viewing of over 130 channels* from 2 Feb 1200hrs till 7 Feb 1200hrs.

During this Free Preview period, you can have non-stop unlimited access to a wide range of action, comedy, movies, drama, edutainment and sports programmes simply by tuning in to the respective channels.

StarHub Mobile customers with StarHub TV on Mobile supported handsets will also be able to enjoy the Free Preview of all 31 StarHub TV on Mobile channels.

Five Ways the Android-Powered Google Tablet Is Better than the iPad

Read on here on LifeHacker.

The Five Best New Features in the Android Market and Android 3.0 Honeycomb

Read more from LifeHacker.

Google unveiled the new Android market for the Web

Previously, you could only access Android Market directly from your device, but today, Google has unveiled the Android Market website (http://market.android.com/) that lets you browse and search for great apps right from your web browser. You can also send apps directly to your Android device and install them over the air with just a few clicks—no wires needed.

And what about all those apps you’ve already purchased and downloaded? Sign in to the website with your Google account and click “My Market Account” to see all the apps you’ve purchased or downloaded. It makes managing all your apps quite easy.

Am pretty amazed that Google actually knows the maker of my phone, model and carrier.

Introducing the Android Market website [via]

Growing but Ageing Muslim Demographics

Islam is growing. But ageing and slowing. That will change the world.

A waxing crescent [via]

Google Chrome passes 10% browser market share; Internet Explorer remains top

According to a research conducted by NetMarketShare, Chrome surpassed 10% share of global browser usage for the first time in January by gaining 0.72% share month to month.

Browser market trends from December 2010 to January 2011 (PCMag)

Browser Wars: Chrome Breaks 10%, Internet Explorer 8.0 Gains Big, Internet Explorer 6.0 Decline Accelerates [via]

Egypt Mubarak's foes, supporters clash in Cairo

Egypt Mubarak's foes, supporters clash in Cairo [via]