General

After 18 months in the making, Microsoft’s next-gen Surface tablet is finally here. The Surface 2 is thinner, lighter, and faster than its predecessor, and comes with nifty new kickstands that open up in dual angles. In addition to its classic slatelike black body, the Surface 2 now sports a new silver magnesium body too, but still retains its sleek angular design. The tablet is also thinner at 8.9mm and weighs a little less at 676 grams. To address concerns around the original Surface RT’s slow performance and low screen resolution, Microsoft has bumped the specifications of Surface 2 to the Nvidia Tegra 4 processor, upgraded the 1366x768 screen to the new 1920x1080 ClearType display, and extended the battery life. Not only has Microsoft made improvements to the hardware on the Surface 2, the tech giant has also given the tablet a revamp on the software front. Running on Windows 8.1 RT, Surface 2 is now pre-loaded with Outlook, one of the key software missing in the first generation. Outlook will be bundled in with the RT version of Microsoft Office. Another key addition to the Surface 2 is a tighter SkyDrive integration, giving users the ability to save their files directly to the cloud. For every purchase of the Surface 2, customers will get 200GB of SkyDrive storage for two years at no cost. This comes in really useful for power users who need a bigger space to house their documents or photos. What’s more, unlimited free Skype calls to landlines in 60 countries and free Skype WiFi at over two million hotspots for a year sweeten the deal. If you are looking for a pretty solid tablet for your daily personal usage, the Surface 2 is definitely a great deal. Microsoft labels the Surface as the “most productive tablet for personal use”, and this is especially so with the enhanced SkyDrive integration, as well as the addition of Outlook RT. And with the number of apps on the Windows Store recently crossing the 100,000 mark, it’s interesting to see that Windows is gaining some pretty steady momentum. Planning to get your hands to the Surface 2 tablet? Unfortunately, Singapore is not listed as one of the first 22 markets where the Surface 2 will be shipping to. The Surface 2 comes with a price tag of US$449 for the basic 32GB model.

The Windows Phone GDR2 update (8.0.1032x.77) is now available for Windows Phone 8 devices in Singapore. This update brings the following improvements:- Xbox Music. Easier to select, download, and pin music. More accurate metadata and other performance improvements. FM radio. Possible to listen to FM radio from the Music+Videos hub. Data Sense. Possible to set a limit based on the data plan Skype. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) apps like Lync and Skype features improved stability and performance. Internet Explorer. Better browsing experience with improved HTML 5 compatibility. Camera. Set favorite Lens so it opens automatically when pressing the camera button. Other improvements. Includes many other improvements to Windows Phone. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwKBy_yf7CA[/youtube] For Nokia Lumia devices, an additional update is bundled with the GDR2 update, titled the Nokia Amber Update (3047.0000.132x.xxxx). This update brings several improvements and features on top of the GDR2 update, including the enhancement of the phone’s camera, the glance screen, flip to silence, new wallpapers, ability to adjust the device’s color profile, call+sms filtering, and support for apps such as Nokia Smart Cam, Pro Cam, Video Upload, and more. You can check for updates by going to “Phone Update” under Settings and pressing “Check for updates”. Alternatively, your phone will tell you if an update is available if it is set to automatically check for updates. Once the Amber Update is complete, Nokia Lumia devices can download new apps and update existing system apps to gain more functionality. This can be done from the Store or via the QR Codes below (QR Codes courtesy of All About Windows Phone). It is worth noting that StarHub was the first to roll out the update. Kudos! For more information/reading, see:- Windows Phone 8 update history | Windows Phone How-to (Singapore) Windows Phone Amber Update - Nokia What’s new in the GDR2 and Lumia Amber Windows Phone updates? Availability in Asia Pacific - Nokia Note: If you do not see the update on your device, note that this update is a phased roll-out and should then be available to you shortly.

Nokia has just updated their extras+info app, adding a new “call+SMS filter” that as the name suggests, allow users to block calls and texts from specific numbers. Your phone needs to have the GDR2 Update, though. This said update is present on new Nokia Lumia 925s and 1020s, and will be coming to the Telco-variant older WP8 Lumias in the coming weeks. You can update your extras+info app by going to this link, or by scanning the above QR Code with your Windows Phone. ...

The Nokia Lumia 920 is no doubt the most powerful Windows Phone 8 device currently out in the market right now. Nokia put so many features into it, but there are some features that some don’t need such as the wireless charging. For some, especially working professionals, the bright colors of the Lumia 920 were not working out for them. Nokia has, however, just come out with the new Lumia 925, which is another Windows Phone 8 device that is similar to the Lumia 920, with some upgraded features and some removed. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uj99wKhhYw[/youtube] Compared to the Lumia 920, the Lumia 925 has no in-built wireless charging, but like the Lumia 820, an optional snap-on cover is available for purchase to enable it. It’s dimensions are also smaller at 127.5 x 70.5 x 8.5mm as compared to the Lumia 920 at 130.3 x 70.8 x 10.7mm. While the Lumia 920 is made from a full piece of polycarbonate, the Lumia 925 has aluminum sides and a polycarbonate back. The aluminum sides are interesting the phone’s antenna, meaning the phone will have great reception due to the open nature of the antenna. “And yes, you can hold it however you like”. ...

Hello World! It’s a different world out here. :) I’m currently in Rwanda, Africa, where I have a unique and meaningful opportunity to serve as a volunteer here. I work in Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, a healing place that house orphans and vulnerable youths (mostly affected by the Genocide in 1994 where 800,000 people lost their lives and 95,000 children left as orphans) and help them realize their maximum potential. These children have witnessed unspeakable violence as they saw the lost of their parents, and their country destroyed. I have been here for a couple of weeks now serving as an IT consultant. Unknown to many (even myself before I came), despite being one of the world’s poorest countries, Rwanda is actually very safe, and very similar to Singapore in many ways. Despite the lack of natural resources, both countries have its own strategic entrepot location. That said, Rwanda has a vision to be the “Singapore of Africa” in terms of being a high-tech hub. Part of my goal here is to help raise the IT knowledge of the locals. While in our world where we are exposed to and taught how to use computers at a very young age, many of the locals here have not used a computer until university or the start of their working life. Here, I was teaching a class of “Mamas”, who take care of “Family houses” in the village, how to use Microsoft Word and Excel to write their daily reports. Some of my other work scope involves helping the village obtain and sustain a Wifi & Internet connection using satellite dishes and Wireless Distribution Systems from towns some 20 km away, simply because it is too expensive to lay cables underground. I also plan to help them build an integrated Student Information System to track the youths before they come into the village, all their activities in the village & school, and ultimately how the students have changed or have been impacted after they graduate from here. Information Technology is an extremely important tool to empower Rwandans with, in order for them to recreate their nation. It enables the country to leap-frog the key stages of industrialization, and to remain competitive in the fast-paced world. Technology is slowly integrated into the people’s lives, in terms of how they communicate, pay for goods and services etc. Like Singapore, Rwanda’s most valuable resource is it’s people, and fortunately, the people and youths here are extremely friendly, inquisitive, and eager to learn. While Rwanda still has a long way to go, let’s not forget to help them along the way, and also to be appreciative of what we Singaporeans have today, in terms of our economic developments - due to our advances and use of Information Technology. Click here to see more photos and posts on my experiences in Rwanda.

BizSpark Night aims to bring the startup community and industry investors together. There will be sharings on resources relevant to startups, such as Microsoft BizSpark, Windows Azure and our media partnership with TechinAsia. We also have in store an exciting panel discussion on entrepreneurship and pitching. Power yourself for a night of Date: 17th June 2013 Time: 630PM-930PM Venue: Microsoft Auditorium, Level 21 Agenda 6.30pm – Registration, Dinner / Networking 7.15pm – BizSpark Night Introduction: Joyce Huang, Microsoft BizSpark 7.30pm – Panel Session with Sequoia Companies: Brett from Bubble Motion, Shobhit from AdNear, Shashank from Deskera, Anant from Capillary – Yinglan as moderator. 8pm – Getting Your Startup Visible - BizSpark Collaboration with TechinAsia, Willis Wee, Founder, TechinAsia Panel Session with Sequoia-Backed Companies (Bubble Motion, AdNear, Deskera), moderated by Sequoia Capital Venture Partner, Tan Yinglan We are pleased to have Tan Yinglan, Venture Partner from Sequoia Capital and the executive teams from Sequoia-backed companies - Brett Bouchard (Chief Product Officer) from Bubble Motion, Shobhit Shukla (Vice President, APAC) from AdNear, Shashank Dixit (Chief Executive Officer) from Deskera share about building a sustainable business and fundraising in this region. Getting Your Startup Visible with Tech in Asia by Willis Wee, Founder, Tech In Asia Willis Wee, founder of Tech in Asia will be present to share about how to get your startups in to the top tech blogs in the region. Tech in Asia is an online technology news startup based in Asia, with team members all across the region. As a crew of journalists and bloggers with a passion for new ways of delivering news, we’ve bonded together under one goal - to create a great Asia-focused tech news site to tell the world about the wonderful thing that are happening here. ...

With Microsoft Build developer conference around the corner, more and more details about the update to Windows 8 began to surface. The update, now known as Windows 8.1 and formerly codenamed Windows Blue, will be previewed at Build conference in late June and available for general public later this year. As confirmed by multiple Microsoft officers, Windows 8.1 update will be a free downloadable update and will provide “more options for businesses, and give consumers more options for work and play”. So let us round up the rumors and take a deep look at how Windows 8.1 could bring Microsoft’s modern OS to a higher level. ...

App of the week is a weekly showcase of an awesome app developed on Windows 8 or Windows Phone. Got an app you love that you want us to talk about? Leave us a comment and tell us which app and why you love it! If you want to trade on the move, check out KE Trade SG app on the Windows store. The app is available on both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. ...

Konnichiwa! Summer has finally arrived in Japan, and the new season marks an important event in my social calendar: TEDxTokyo 2013. Although I could not obtain tickets for the live event, I was able to attend the live public screening at Shibuya Hikarie 8/COURT. The theme for TEDxTokyo 2013 is ‘1+1=11’ which meant “don’t take things for granted”. The ideas that inspired us the most are usually the ones that challenge our common thinking. This is the spark that TEDxTokyo 2013 aims to inspire in all of us. Once the event venue was opened, everyone quickly found their best seats in the house to enjoy the interesting line-up of over 30 talks for the day. At 9am sharp, the presenter announced the opening of TEDxTokyo 2013, and the event kicked off with a spectacular display of classic Edo magic, known as tezuma, by Kohtaro Fujiyama. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu8Dla5rASU) As a pleasant surprise, members of the audience were encouraged to take to the stage and share their ideas during brief breaks between talks. One of my favorite talks of the day was by Gunter Pauli on “Catalyst, Innovation Driver and Blue Economist”. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKS_nZP8LMM) Gunter Pauli is a renowned serial entrepreneur, author and initiator of The Blue Economy. His notion of a Blue Economy and his radical entrepreneurial ideas embodied the event’s theme of challenging our common thinking. You can check out the following video which explains the concepts of the Blue Economy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1af08PSlaIs I would also recommend everyone to check out the great session by Gaunter Pauli in TEDxTaipei 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWauj7_hyWU I would like to congratulate TEDxTokyo team for organizing a great event. It was truly an inspiring day filled with great ideas and conversations with innovators and change agents. I enjoyed myself at the event and I am looking forward to the next TED event in Tokyo and Singapore. You can enjoy the videos for TEDxTokyo 2013 at their Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsRNoUx8w3rM-qjY05E1LorJK3hf2EEzK What do you think of the TEDxTokyo 2013? Do you have other great events to recommend for us to participate? Do share with us your recommendations in the comments below and we might just do a special report based on your recommendations!

If you don’t already know, WalkaboutSG is happening this coming Friday from 12pm-5pm at the CBD area. We’ll be opening up the Microsoft Innovation Center and Microsoft Technology Center for you to find out more about the work we do together with startups and how we support innovation in the local software economy! We’ve got tonnes of free swag to give away, so if you’re coming by Raffles Place, remember to come to One Marina Boulevard! See you soon, Team Spiffy