2013年7月31日星期三

Borders bookstore to make comeback

Borders bookstore to make comeback in Singapore



Book retailer Popular Holdings is bringing Borders back to Singapore.

Popular CEO Chou Cheng Ngok announced Wednesday morning the company acquired the Borders brand for Singapore last year.

The new Borders store would open in Jurong by the end of the year.

Mr Chou also confirmed that the company will be closing its lifestyle concept bookstore Prologue in ION Orchard on 25 August.

Borders closed its flagship store in Wheelock Place in August 2011, and its Singapore outlet in Parkway Parade shut its doors the following month.

Mr Chou said: "People may say that the book industry is a sunset industry. Well sure, you know the sun rises, the sun sets. But for us, we feel that there is still a lot of life left in the book business.

"In Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, I think everybody knows Popular. But Borders is an international brand. To us, it's a new challenge."

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

TransitLink launches app for Android and iOS

TransitLink launches app for Android and iOS



TransitLink has launched the TransitLink Mobile Services app for Android and iOS.

New e-services in the app include Customer Claim, Lost Concession Card Replacement, New Senior Citizen Concession Card Application, and Lost Concession Card Enquiry.

Commuters will be able to submit their claims and request to have their refunds credited to their accounts in 16 GIRO-participating banks through the Customer Claim function in the app.

Commuters can also choose to have their funds credited directly to their stored value card at any of TransitLink's Ticket Offices, Add Value Machines Plus, and Concession Card Replacement Officers by using their smartphones.

The Lost Concession Card Replacement function offers commuters the option of applying for a replacement card via their smartphones.

Senior citizens can also apply for their senior citizen concession cards through their smartphones using the mobile services app.

Concession cardholders can also find out if their lost concession cards have been found by using the mobile services app. Commuters can then decide whether to go ahead and apply for a replacement concession card.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

2013年7月27日星期六

EPL $59.90/month for both SingTel & StarHub

Standalone EPL channels to cost $59.90 per month for both SingTel and StarHub viewers

SingTel has announced on Friday the new price plans for the upcoming season of the English Premier League (EPL) which kicks off on August 17.

The ala-carte EPL content, with nine channels, will cost $59.90 per month for both SingTel mio TV users as well as StarHub's pay TV customers, the latter which SingTel is obliged to provide under the cross-carriage regulations.

The price is significantly higher than its old $34.90 per month sports bundle which came with EPL channels, Champions League and other sports content.

However, existing mio TV customers who are still on contract will get to enjoy the old price plan until the expiry of their contracts.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Breadtalk $1 for 1

EuropAce Warehouse Clearance Sales

2013年7月26日星期五

SingTel announces pricing of BPL subscription

SingTel announces pricing of BPL stand-alone subscription

SingTel has announced the pricing for the next season of the Barclays Premier League (BPL), saying that majority of its BPL customers will be "unaffected".

The pricing for EPL stand-alone subscriptions will be at S$59.90, while existing mio TV Gold Packs are still available from S$64.90, said the announcement.

As only stand-alone content will be cross-carried, the stand-alone subscriptions will also be available on StarHub's pay-TV platform also at S$59.90 a month. Gold Packs will not be cross-carried after the Media Development Authority (MDA) decided that bundles were exempt from cross-carrying.

The new pricing "applies only to new subscriptions or those customers who are renewing their contracts", said SingTel.

SingTel will also be making the BPL available to more fans with screenings at community centres, but will release more information on these plans later. SingTel has added that it will spend S$100 million to enhance the quality and reliability of its service.

Meanwhile, SingTel also said that it "expresses disappointment with the Minister’s decision to not grant its appeal against the directive by MDA" for the cross-carriage of BPL content, but added that it respects the Minister's decision even though it believes that the BPL rights contract is "non-exclusive".

“We have made every effort to ensure our representation was heard because we believed that this was in the best interest of football fans. mio TV was set up to give customers choice and breathe new life into sports coverage. Our intention was to give customers certainty of content at competitive prices,” said Mr Allen Lew, Country Chief Officer-Singapore, SingTel.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

SingNet's appeal against cross-carrying BPL rejected

SingNet's appeal against cross-carrying BPL live matches rejected

The Minister for Communications and Information has rejected SingNet's appeal against cross-carrying Barclay's Premier League live matches over the next three seasons.

This means SingNet now has to make the live matches that are to be played from 2013/2014 to 2015/2016 available on StarHub's platform.

A ministry statement said the decision was made after careful consideration of the written arguments from both SingNet and the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), which had issued the direction on cross-carriage of the matches.

It added that the decision was made based on the assessment of a number of factors, including whether clauses in the agreement between SingNet and the Football Association Premier League Limited would prevent or restrict the BPL content from being acquired or otherwise obtained for transmission on selected network platforms in Singapore by other pay-TV operators.

It noted that the key objectives of the Cross-Carriage Measure include addressing the high degree of content fragmentation and encouraging pay-TV operators to shift from a content-centric strategy to other forms of competition, such as service and content innovation.

It said pay-TV operators should keep this in mind and continue to provide better value to the consumers.

The statement suggested that MDA should consider providing further guidance on the circumstances that may trigger the Cross-Carriage Measure so that pay-TV operators can provide more certainty to consumers.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

2013年7月19日星期五

Hols during August long weekend? Forget it

Hols during August long weekend? Forget it

 
Although many Singaporeans prefer to stay in the country, short-haul destinations are still "overwhelmingly popular" travel choices during the National Day period. (PHOTO: FILED)

Travel abroad during the upcoming National Day and Hari Raya Puasa long weekend? Forget it.

Several people that My Paper spoke to said they are eschewing a trip overseas during the four-day long weekend between Aug 8 and 11 because they anticipate jams at the checkpoints and crowds at the airport.

Holiday packages tend to be more pricey during this period too.

"It's the peak period, so it's very troublesome to try and get flights. What's more, flights and tour packages cost more," said Ms Kerlin Tan, a 32-year-old sales executive.

"I'm just going to stay home with my family. Perhaps I will go out with my family for dinner and a movie," she said.

Madam Alice Chua, a marketing executive in her 40s, feels that the long weekend is a "time to destress", and would rather stay at home with her family.

However, many people are interested in a staycation over the long weekend.

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore hotel said it expects to be fully booked over the period, with repeat guests making reservations as early as a year ago.

It has a National Day package where guests can book a deluxe room facing the National Day Parade fireworks and celebrations, starting from $1,470, which is higher than usual.

The Raffles Hotel has a special package for Singaporeans, permanent residents and Work Pass holders. A night in a suite costs $550 (before taxes) during the long weekend. It comes with a discount for Sunday brunch on Aug 11.

Travel agencies are still doing a brisk business, though.

Zuji Singapore has seen a 50 per cent spike in bookings for the upcoming long weekend, over last year's National Day period.

Chan Brothers said that bookings for the weekend came in as early as the final quarter of last year.

Most of CTC Travel's tour groups have been fully booked since late last month, a spokesman said, although it is still possible to book some seats on flights to Taiwan, South Korea and China.

But it is difficult to get air tickets to regional destinations and customers may need to pay about 30 to 40 per cent more than usual, the spokesman said.

The National Association of Travel Agents Singapore said short-haul destinations are still "overwhelmingly popular" travel choices during the National Day period.

~News courtesy of Omy~

2013年7月16日星期二

Cash withdrawals available at 7-Eleven stores

Cash withdrawals available at 7-Eleven stores



DBS and POSB customers can now make cash withdrawals from their bank accounts at over 500 7-Eleven convenience stores islandwide.

The partnership between DBS and 7-Eleven aims to increase the number of points in Singapore where people can withdraw money.

Customers will be able to withdraw up to S$80, in multiples of S$10, at one time.

The cash withdrawal service is free, but customers have to buy something from 7-Eleven first using their bank cards and PIN (Personal Identification Number).

There is no limit to the number of cash withdrawals with purchases in a day.

Ms Tan Sioe Lan, 7-Eleven marketing and business development manager, said: "We are the largest number in term of stores that are all over Singapore, be it in the heartland, commercial (areas). So, as and when consumers need cash, they can just go to our store. It's bright-lit, it's open 24-seven, and easy to find everywhere."

Customers make withdrawals over the Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS) payment platform.

DBS Bank's head for consumer banking group, Mr Jeremy Soo, said: "The cash withdrawal process is no different from a purchase that they've done at the store. And the payment system is one that's been tried and tested over many, many years and will conform to security requirements."

Consumers welcome the convenience.

Ms Josephine Koh, a secretary, said: "If I can get cash immediately, why not? I would go for it."

Mr Hambali Rasit, a deliveryman, said: "Yeah, it's some sort of convenience, because you can withdraw straightaway from the counter."

However, if stores run low on money, the service will not be available. Instead, the cashiers will point customers to the nearest ATMs or stores which offer the service.

And 7-Eleven is keeping security precautions of having limited cash in the wee hours of the morning.

Although cashback services have been available in Singapore, those who don't see the need for it include Cheers and FairPrice Xpress convenience stores, with ATMs already present within some of their premises.

The Sheng Siong supermarket chain also says the service is not presently suitable for its mode of operations, taking into account customer queues.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

2013年7月6日星期六

Find skills courses on the go

Find skills courses on the go



AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: The free Learn SG app is available on iOS and Android devices. (PHOTO: SINGAPORE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY)

Professionals, managers and executives are now able to find and access information about skill-upgrading courses more easily with a new version of the Learn SG course-search mobile app.

The free app by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) now has a "course search" category. It is a search function that lets users type in key words to view a range of courses.

Mr Wong Hong Kuan, chief executive of WDA, said he hoped the app would "encourage more individuals to proactively upgrade their skills and engage in a lifetime of learning".

Those who use the app have access to information on over 1,100 Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses in Singapore, covering categories from customer service, human resources and engineering to sales, marketing, design, and media and communications.

The WSQ is a national credential system that trains, develops, assesses and recognises individuals for key competencies that companies look for in potential employees.

WSQ courses are conducted at Continuing Education and Training (CET) institutes such as the Electronics Industries Training Centre.

Said Mr Wong: "The enhanced Learn SG app aims to provide individuals - in particular, the more-mobile-savvy ones - with a more dynamic experience where they can plug into the latest CET information, anytime and anywhere."

Another new feature of the app has users take a personality test or answer a questionnaire. With that information, the app recommends courses and possible career pathways.

There is also the new journal function, with which executives are able to take notes, either with text entries, or by using images or audio recordings. These notes can be shared with friends.

The app allows files, including notes, to be shared with others via online storage service Dropbox.

The new version of the app, which has been available since Monday, is available for iOS and Android phones and tablets.

The original Learn SG app was launched in March last year.

As of the end of last month, Learn SG has been downloaded over 6,000 times.

~News courtesy of Omy~