Adobe to cease support of Flash on mobile devices

ZDNet reported sources close to Adobe that the latter will cease development of Flash on mobile browser, shifting its focus on HTML5 instead.

Our future work with Flash on mobile devices will be focused on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores. We will no longer adapt Flash Player for mobile devices to new browser, OS version or device configurations. Some of our source code licensees may opt to continue working on and releasing their own implementations. We will continue to support the current Android and PlayBook configurations with critical bug fixes and security updates.

This is a blow to Android since Flash support is seen as an advantage over Apple iOS devices. Steve Jobs refusal on bringing Flash to iOS devices is due to it being unreliable, insecure and slow to be used on mobile devices. So, the late Apple wizard is right after all.

» Exclusive: Adobe ceases development on mobile browser Flash, refocuses efforts on HTML5 | ZDNet

A Look At Google+ Direct Connect For Google+ Pages

Along with the big announcement of Google+ pages yesterday, a search-specific feature called “Google+ Direct Connect” was also announced. The Google+ Direct Connect functionality will help to give Google+ pages more visibility in the search engine results pages when custom operators are used.

Read more here.

Foreign workers gawk openly and shoot videos of bikini girls at Sentosa

As seen on Stomp, foreign workers were seen gawking openly, staring at bikini-clad women on Sentosa beach at close range. Some were even caught taking videos using their mobiles. Is Sentosa becoming a circus? This is really negative to Singapore image.

Foreign workers free show at suntan beach-goers in Sentosa

More photos from Stomp here.

Foreign workers seem to be swarming to Sentosa to stare at bikini-clad women on the beach.

A netizen "Cheryl" related to the Stomp website a recent experience with this phenomenon.

When Cheryl was at the beach on Sunday, 6 November, she witnessed a large number of what appear to be foreign workers ogling at three Caucasian women.

The three women, sun-tanning in bikinis, eventually left with disgusted looks on their faces.

According to Cheryl, locals now refrain from going to the Sentosa beach as large swarms of foreign workers are turning up there every Sunday.

The men are said to gather around the beach and ogle shamelessly at the bikini-clad women in the area, making them very uncomfortable.

One time, Cheryl and her friends, clad in bikinis, were taking photos at the beach when they were suddenly surrounded by many foreign workers. The men sat and stood around the group of women, then began using their phones to film them.

Recalling the incident, Cheryl says that she and her friends had felt like circus performers to be ogled so openly by the men.

They are disgusted that this is happening in Singapore, and she believes that such a phenomenon will form a bad image for tourists when they use the beach.

» Beach-goers harassed by foreign workers? | inSing.com

Compare Water Filters

As published here. See the price jump for Amway's E-Spring.

	Aquasana	Culligan	Brita	Seagull	Everpure	AquaPure	Amway
Model No.	AQ-4000	SY-2500	On Tap	IV – X-1	WFA12 / S54	AP8000	E-Spring
Retail Price	$179	$699	$48.40	$900.25	$499	$347.45	$1336.65
Repl cost/ capacity	$70/ 2000 lt	$165/ 4500 lt	$27.50/ 380 lt	$165/ 4000 lt	$114.50/ 2835 lt	$108.90/ 4000 lt	$359.25/ 5000 lt
Per Ltr Cost/Use	3 cents	4 cents	7 cents	4 cents	4 cents	3 cents	7 cents
Removal Chlorine	>99%	97%	99%	99.99%	97%	>95%	98.90%
Removal Lead	>99%	99%	99%	99.99%	97%	no data	99%
Removal Mercury	>90%	99%	>90%	99.99%	no data	no data	no data
Removal Cysts	99.99%	>99.95%	99.99%	99.99%	>99%	>99.9%	99.95%
Removal TTHMs	>99%	>95%	No	99.99%	no data	no data	>99%
Removal VOCs	>99%	>95%	No	99.99%	no data	no data	99.8%
Removal Lindane	>99%	99%	99%	99.99%	no data	no data	>99%
Removal Alachlor	>98%	98%	no data	99.99%	no data	no data	>99.4%
Removal Atrazine	>97%	97%	92%	99.99%	no data	no data	88.8%
Removal Benzene	>99%	99%	no data	99.99%	no data	no data	>96.5%
Removal TCE	>99%	99%	99.8%	99.99%	no data	no data	>99.8%
Removal MTBE	>97%	90%	no data	99.99%	no data	no data	>96.6%
Removal Fluoride	40-60%	No	No	No	No	No	No
Undersink system	Yes – optional	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes – optional

Michelle Chong 《一泡而红》 Already Famous Movie Trailer

SMRT CEO continues to raise netizens' ire

Amidst so many people complaining the unbearable over crowded trains, notably increase numbers of train faults and delays, feel of a drop in service level, and all of these when transport fares are actually rising, the SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa actuallly spoke to the media "I don't see anything significant in the number of disruptions and delays".

Is she trying to tell us all these disruptions and delays are acceptable and planned? We commuters shouldn't be making a fuss out of these and just move on with our lives? Such tactless remarks came from a CEO level executive is all the more disappointing. Has she ever even tried taking a train herself?

Very disappointing even from a shareholder's perspective.

» SMRT continues to raise netizens' ire | inSing.com

Firefox 8 officially available tomorrow on 8 Nov

Firefox 8 will be officially made available on Mozilla's site on November 8th, but technology blog GHacks discovered that the Firefox 8.0 final version is already available for download for Windows, Mac, and Linux on Mozilla's FTP servers.

Firefox 8.0 is a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux from Mozilla's FTP server at the link here: ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/8.0/

SiMi Clock Widget - Excellent, Neat, Clean, Minimalist

SiMi Clock Widget is a simple minimal Clock Widget for Android devices.

Some screenshots:

Download SiMi Clock Widget now at Android Market.

Google launches "How to Go Mobile" site to help businesses

Google has launched an initiative called “GoMo” Tuesday that aims to help businesses go mobile. Google formally launched a mobile site development portal dubbed HowToGoMo. It is a place where you’ll find the resources you need to learn about what makes a good mobile site and to start building one.

Here's what you'll find at howtogomo.com:

• See what your customers see:
  Enter a website address into the GoMoMeter and see what your site looks like on a mobile phone. The GoMoMeter will analyze your site and give you customized recommendations on how to make your site more mobile friendly. You can even download a free customized report!
  
  
• Learn about why mobile matters:
  Cool infographics and the latest data will help you learn more about mobile trends and why mobile-friendly sites really matter.
  
  
• Get inspired by great examples:
  Look at the mobile sites of businesses who are doing it right and learn how to make your site better with our ten mobile site best practices.
  
  
• Find a mobile site builder who can help:
  Check out our list of mobile site developers who can help you build your mobile website.

Google has included an animated video in its blog post to explain what it’s up to:

» GoMo: Helping businesses create a mobile friendly website | Google Mobile Ads Blog

4 ways to do Mail Merge using Google Apps Script

Interesting article on the use of Google Apps Script to do mail merge.

Google Analytics Social Interaction Analytics - Integration with ShareThis and AddThis

Last week, the Google Analytics team announced an official integration with social sharing services ShareThis and AddThis.

To enable the integration for all of your AddThis buttons, you are now just one line of code away, and ShareThis users don’t have to do a thing. If you have Google Analytics installed, and you are using a ShareThis widget, simply login into Google Analytics and check out your new social reports!

Using this latest Social Interaction Analytics, you don't even have to write _trackSocial hooks.

» Optimize Engagement using AddThis and ShareThis with Analytics | Google Analytics Blog

Remembering the 80s

An interesting post - 100 Things We Love About The 80s.

Order Kopi like a professional by knowing the linguistics

Ever wonder what does kopi o, kopi siew dai and kopi kosong mean? The following image will bring you through a comprehensive tour the meaning of all its permutations.

Google integrates YouTube into Google+

Google announced the integration of YouTube into Google+.

Already, users are able to share YouTube videos on Google+ right in YouTube, however, the functionality is now integrated right in Google+. Google+ users will now see a small YouTube tab at the right hand side of their screen now when logged in just like the following.

YouTube icon on Google+

It's no secret that YouTube is filled with tons of great content (from inspiring speeches to music videos to honey badgers). We wanted to bring YouTube directly into Google+—as well as make it easier to watch and share your favorites—so we're launching a YouTube "slider" in the stream.

How does it works:

• Mouse over the new YouTube icon at the top right of Google+
• It'll slide out and ask, "What would you like to play"?
• Enter whatever you're in the mood for (like a topic or a musical artist)

Search on YouTube in Google+

YouTube's Google+ video player showing playlist

In the video playlist, you can +1 a video you like or share it with your circles. Even if the video playlist window is minimized it is still possible to pause a video or skip to the next video directly from Google+.

Playback control

» Shipping the Google in Google+ | Official Google Blog

Android Fragmentation

I hope the guys from the Android team do something on the fragmentation of Android devices.

Source: PC Magazine [via]

Bill Gates, not Steve Jobs, is the real hero

Steve Jobs was a great CEO, but Bill Gates has moved beyond technology and is trying to save the world. Why isn't he getting more recognition?

I'm not sure about the "idolize" part. But it certainly is time to acknowledge that devoting billions of dollars of his own money in an attempt to cure malaria and other diseases that plague the developing world is at least as important as inventing the iPad. OK. I'll stop being coy. It's more important. That doesn't make Jobs any the lesser. It's simply a matter of values and perspective.

» Bill Gates, not Steve Jobs, is the real hero | InfoWorld

Idolize Bill Gates, Not Steve Jobs

Both leaders are highly admirable, but Gates used his talents in ways that stretch further beyond the business world, says Harvard scholar Maxwell Wessel.

Since 1994, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation amassed an endowment of over $31 billion in funds to fight the world’s most difficult issues. But it hasn’t merely accumulated funds, the foundation has already given away over $25 billion. Those aren’t trivial numbers. In seventeen years, the foundation has raised and given away more than one-tenth of Apple’s extraordinary market capitalization. While the developed world takes things like clean water, basic healthcare, and the availability of food for granted — there are billions of human beings that don’t have such fundamental resources.

» Idolize Bill Gates, Not Steve Jobs | Bloomberg Businessweek

Gmail new design interface

Gmail has started rolling out it new design to all users, after releasing a sneak preview on it about 2 weeks ago. If you have seen the preview, you shouldn't be surprised at the roll out.

New features

• Modern look
• New themes
• Clean conversations
• Improved search
• More control
• And much more

» Gmail’s new look | Official Gmail Blog

Google Reader rolls out new Google+ design

Google Reader finally spot a new design that is close to Google+.

This new design looks neat and clean and spot the “Like” button replaced with the +1 button, allowing users to share content to their Google+ accounts. It would have been better if there is a way to keep articles denser just like what Google Docs have (ability to set density to Comfortable, Cozy, Compact).

» New in Reader: a fresh design, and Google+ sharing | Official Google Reader Blog