Kelvin Khoo Online

Business Times - 28 Apr 2008

SingTel enhances SMS service

SINGTEL is sprucing up its text-messaging service with a new suite of enhancements called SMS Plus. With the new offering, customers will be able to set and automatically send out-of-office responses when they receive a text message. In addition, subscribers will have the option of copying incoming and outgoing SMSes to five e-mail addresses or mobile numbers. A third service will allow users to divert all incoming messages to a specific e-mail or phone number. Customers can choose to pay $0.50 each time they activate one of these three features or pay a monthly $2 fee for unlimited activations. The company is currently offering a 50 per cent discount off mobile subscription for all users who sign up for its SMS Plus service. For details, go to http://www.singtel.com/smsplus.

StarHub offering to advertisers

STARHUB is giving advertisers the ability to pinpoint their target audience with its new island-wide, location-based advertising service. With the offering, marketers can push promotional text messages to consumers when they are within predefined zones such as a specific shopping mall. Subscribers will not be charged for receiving these SMSes. For more information, visit http://www.starhub.com.

Microsoft product makeover

MICROSOFT is giving consumers the option to stamp their individuality on staid computer accessories such as the mouse, under a new promotion. From now until the end of June, consumers who buy selected Microsoft computer mice will get a free cosmetic makeover for these products. They can choose between different multi-coloured skins that can be pasted on their new mice. In addition, customers will also receive CapitaLand shopping vouchers of up to $20 for some purchases. This offer is available at all authorised Microsoft hardware resellers in Singapore.

AT&T delivery service for Cisco

AT&T is seeking a first-mover advantage by being the first service provider to deliver Cisco System’s Telepresence videoconferencing solution globally. To be launched in the second half of this year in 23 countries including Singapore, the fully managed service will allow customers to collaborate via videoconferences in full 1080p high-definition video and enhanced audio. Customers will have the choice of installing a single screen or three displays and all equipment and necessary support services will be offered by AT&T. The solution also incorporates a concierge service for scheduling calls and a user-friendly phone interface so users can initiate a conference with the push of a button.

M1’s feedback facility for users

M1 has introduced a new service which allows moblie phone users to give feedback on mobile-related issues by sending a text message to 79777. They can also air their grievances through a questionnaire at http://www.youdeservebetter.sg. As part of this effort, M1 CEO Neil Montefiore and 40 employees even conducted a street survey with phone users along Orchard Road yesterday. This attempt to collect feedback comes ahead of the implementation of true mobile number portability in Singapore on June 13.

Compiled by WINSTON CHAI

Business Times - 11 Apr 2008

NEW MEDIA
 

By CHRISTOPHER LIM

LOOK around an MRT train and you’ll see at least a couple of people hunched over their Sony PSP or Nintendo DS portable game consoles.

Maybe you’ve even envied their distraction from the discomfort of being crammed four people to a square metre, but wouldn’t buy an electronic gadget purely for pleasure.

Nokia wants you to know that there’s a new alternative to mobile gaming. If you own the Finnish company’s latest N95 and N81 (or the 8GB versions of those two models), or N82, phones, all you need to do is point your device’s Internet browser to n-gage.com and download the N-Gage software for free, turning your phone into a pretty capable portable gaming device.

Next, pick a game to download. Only five are currently available - Asphalt 3: Street Rules, Fifa 08, Brain Challenge, World Series of Poker Pro Challenge, and System Rush: Evolution.

All of them cost $18 with the exception of Brain Challenge, which is $3 cheaper.

That’s cheaper than any console game, portable or otherwise. Best of all, you get to try trial versions before you buy, so the system is risk free.

There will eventually be quite a few games to choose from, starting from upgraded versions of classic titles already included on many modern phones, such as Tetris, Block Breaker Deluxe, and Mile High Pinball.

But there will also be more advanced titles like Brothers In Arms, The Sims 2 Pets, and One.

But even the more complex games are designed to be played in short bursts, since the nature of mobile gaming is such that it’s usually played on MRT and bus journeys that typically last between 10 minutes and an hour.

Using your Nokia phone’s existing buttons to control the action onscreen is inevitably less ideal than specialised gaming controls, but it works acceptably. This is particularly the case with the driving game Asphalt 3, which doesn’t require constant directional changes.

You’ll need a mobile broadband data plan or Wi-Fi connection to download the N-Gage software and games, but flat-rate plans from all three telcos make this a reasonable proposition.

And there’s always free - though often unreliable - Wireless@SG Wi-Fi if you happen to be in range of a hotspot and manage to get it working with your phone.

The main drawback with N-Gage beyond the controls is battery life. Nokia’s N95, for example, already has pretty poor battery life, even with basic use.

Gaming for even a short amount of time significantly speeds up battery drain. And if you get so engrossed on a long MRT journey that you play for a solid hour, you could find yourself with barely enough power left to make a call - and that’s assuming your phone doesn’t just shut down by itself.

So, if you do decide to give N-Gage a go, do yourself a favour and buy an extra battery.

A pair of wired or Bluetooth wireless earphones is also a good idea since it adds significantly to the gaming experience, although bear in mind that Bluetooth sucks your battery life too.

Business Times - 11 Apr 2008

NEW MEDIA
 

Pop albums with an Opendisc feature into your PC to enjoy exclusive online content, says CHRISTOPHER LIM

THE next time you buy a music CD, don’t just put it into the hi-fi system in your car or at home. Instead, run it in your computer and you might just find that there’s more value bundled with it than meets the eye, thanks to a feature called Opendisc.

Enhanced CDs have been around for years, allowing you to play videos and music-related games on your PC. In that case, extra content resides on the CD. But physical storage is so passe these days, and doesn’t get updated.