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Hi Everyone, The HERE Singapore Expert Community is running 2 campaigns during the Hari Raya Puasa festive season and we would like to invite everyone to participate in the campaign and stand a chance to walk away with exclusive HERE merchandise and vouchers. So, head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/HEREExpertCommunitySingapore/ (click ‘Join Us’) and join in the fun! Below are the 2 campaigns at a glance and how you can participate. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————- Challenge 1: And your POINT is HERE Duration: June 15th – July 31st What you need to do? Targeting new housing estates, collect as many NEW and/or EXISITING Point Address around Punggol and/or SengKang and add them on here.com/mapcreator Challenge 2: Link’EM on HERE Duration: July 15th – July 31st What you need to do? Collect any NEW and/or EXISITING Links (Roads, Walkways and Park Connectors) during the Hari Raya Puasa festive season. Users can use a GPS mobile tracker app for free and track their journey and then add them on here.com/mapcreator. At HERE, our links are categorized as Roads, Walkways and Park Connectors**.** How to participate? To register for the above challenge(s), simply email us the below details to ‘sgecpteam@here.com’ ...

Interview with Map Master – Supattra Kumprew Let’s get close and personal with Supattra – our interviewee for today! Visit her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yungying.sk?fref=ts ————————————————————————————————————————————————— HERE: Who are you, where are you, and what do you do? Supattra: My name is Supattra Kumprew and my hometown is in Lampang province, located in the north of Thailand. I am a fresh graduate from the Faculty of Social Science, Chiang Mai University where I majored in Geography. HERE: How did you become a HERE Map Master? Supattra: I have an interest in online maps as I like to find new places and put them on the map. Back then, I was looking to join a HERE Map community program as I would like to see my edits and contributions appearing on the HERE Map. I have been with the HERE Expert Community Program for more than a year now and I spent my free time editing HERE Maps and was happy that I got awarded as a Map Master for my contributions. HERE: Do you have any suggestions or tips for wannabe-Map Masters or aspire to eventually become a HERE Map Master? Supattra: You need to have the 2 Ps – Passion and Patient. HERE: How were you introduced to the HERE Map and what was your first contribution? Supattra: I know about HERE from one of my senior who works in HERE and who was from the same Faculty as me back in my University days. My first contribution was a road edit which was something quite easy for me to do. HERE: Who has impressed you in the HERE Expert Community Program, and why? Supattra: My friends! We all shared the same passion for maps, love to edit and help put new places on the map. My friends and I are always exchanging new ideas and pushing ourselves to see how to add new places faster and more accurately. It’s like a mini competition among us which we really enjoyed and I guess the little incentives we got as part of our contribution motivated us too. HERE: What is your best experience so far being a Map Master and in the HERE Expert Community Program? Supattra: Exchanging new ideas among my peers. HERE: What are some of the areas of improvement which you would like to see in the HERE Expert Community Program? Supattra: One improvement would be real time score tracking. HERE: Final words/Your Motto as a Map Master Supattra: Thanks to HERE for creating this community program and providing this great opportunity for anyone who is interested in maps to join. —————————————————————————————————————————————————- Thanks Supattra for your passion for HERE Maps and your wonderful contributions**.** Brought to you by the HERE Expert Community Team

Last weekend was a blast at Maker Faire Singapore, a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement. Maker Faire began in California in 2012, and has since planted its seeds across numerous countries including US, UK, Taiwan, Japan, and in its fourth year running - Singapore. The two-day fair had more than 250 booths - more than double the number last year - spread over three floors in a former school building in Tampines. The fair not only helped to engage, connect and grow this community so that we can foster and celebrate a stronger do-it-yourself culture, but also allowed participants to participate in hands-on activities and pick up new skills at the event. Our team was down to check out the latest and coolest projects, and it was such an eye-opener! We were truly inspired by the passion and enthusiasm of these artists, hobbyists, scientists and tech enthusiasts at the fair. And we share some of the highlights below :) [caption id=“skills” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”] Participants picked up skills at the Maker Faire, such as furniture making and soldering[/caption] [caption id=“enzyme-making” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”] Or making enzymes from fruit waste that can be used to clean your house![/caption] [caption id=“welding-demo” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”] A live welding demo by OneMakerGroup that used charcoal to heat the aluminium above 600 degree Celsius to melt and mould it[/caption] [caption id=“iot-booth” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”] My friends and I also had a booth to showcase our “IoT in Smart Homes” application - a box that can be locked/unlocked remotely with a mobile app![/caption] [caption id=“intel” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”] Intel had a huge showcase of their coolest projects built upon the Intel Edison board. Those 6-legged dancing robots were amazingly fun to play with[/caption] [caption id=“3d-scan” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”] A 3D scanner put together by Autodesk using Raspberry Pi boards. It was interesting to inspect the “bare-bone” of this technology[/caption] [caption id=“latte-plus” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”] Fancy a robot-made latte art? Robots can do creative work too![/caption] [caption id=“hammock” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”] A fusion of art and technology - an electric hammock and light display[/caption] [caption id=“handicraft” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”] There were also more traditional handicrafts on display. Pick up a pair of hand-made earrings for that special someone![/caption] [caption id=“strawbee” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”] Strawbee kept kids really busy with… straws! Simple tools that we never knew could build such dramatic structures[/caption] [caption id=“bicycle” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”] We spotted unconventional bikes by Bikes 4 Fun, whose mantra is to inspire children to reinvent and be creative[/caption] [caption id=“forum” align=“alignnone” width=“3072”] Besides booth showcase, inspiring speakers also went on stage to deliver forum presentations on various topics around the Maker movement[/caption] I have always been interested in technology and its potential to help people of all background create value in their lives. But I have not had much opportunity to witness this live. At the Maker Faire, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the collective passion of all makers in creating something out of nothing. It was heartening and empowering. And it was an even bigger bonus for me to have made several new friends who share similar interests in making. I definitely look forward to further this Maker movement in other communities!

Hi everyone! Are you a tech enthusiast and interested in writing for Spiffy.sg? Good news, as we’re recruiting new writers! To find out more, send an email to a-terlim@microsoft.com. Everyone has a point of view - from the recent flooding in Singapore to the latest scandals on social media - people are eager to share their perspectives. It establishes them as subject matter experts, expands their professional reach and gives them an opportunity to build a personal brand online. ...

If you’re a student at a recognized educational institute (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary), you’re eligible for Microsoft DreamSpark where you can get free development tools and software. One of the benefits is Microsoft Azure - a cloud computing platform and infrastructure for building, deploying and managing applications and services through a global network of Microsoft-managed datacenters. In this article, I’ll be walking through the steps to create your very first blog in just a few minutes, using the free Microsoft Dreamspark offerings to students. You may then use your blog to write about your daily personal encounters, or share your awesome life’s stories with your friends and families. Before we begin, be sure to activate your free Microsoft Dreamspark and Azure account for students using these instructions. ...

Interview with Map Master – Nattakan Chantarumporn Hello! Welcome to another addition/edition of our Interview with a Map Master. Today’s interview is with Nattakan Chantarumporn (also known as Khwan) Visit her on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/khwan.dev?fref=pb_other Now let’s get to the interview! ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— HERE: Who are you, where are you, and what do you do? Khwan: My name is Khwan. I was born in Koh Samui and I am currently studying in Bangkok. HERE: How did you become a HERE Map Master? Khwan: I happened to saw an advertisement from Nokia Lumia’s Facebook fan page and this prompted me to register to become a Map Creator. I was very excited to be able to help create a map for HERE. HERE: Do you have any suggestion or tip for other members of the community who hope or aspire to eventually become a HERE Map Master? Khwan: Do it with love, with hope or just ask yourself what is your objective of mapping. It will motivate you reach the quality bar of a Map Master faster. HERE: How were you introduced to the HERE Map and what was your first contribution? Khwan: The first map that I used was the OVI maps. That is how I got to know HERE Maps. The first contribution which made/edited was my house number! HERE: Do you participate in other mapping/community activities outside of the HERE Expert Community Program? If yes, please elaborate? Khwan: After I joined HERE Maps, I also joined Google Map as a MapMaker to see the difference between the 2 maps is. Personally, I think HERE map creator is much more flexible in terms of edits as compared to the MapMaker. HERE: Who has impressed you in the HERE Expert Community Program, and why? Khwan: Map Master Ken (Worawut Khantee). He has ‘Eagle Eyes’ as he seems to be able to spot any issues on a map within a few seconds! HERE: What is your best experience so far being a Map Master and in the HERE Expert Community Program? Khawn: To be able to see something new that I’ve never seen before from satellite imagery and build up a good friendship from the HERE Expert Community. HERE: What are some of the areas of improvement which you would like to see in the HERE Expert Community Program? Khwan: One area of improvement would be to provide better/updated imageries. HERE: Final words/Your Motto as a Map Master Khwan: I love HERE!!! ————————————————————————————————————————————————————– Thank you Khwan for your amazing contributions and yes, we love HERE! Brought to you by the HERE Expert Community Program

Echelon Asia Summit 2015 is an annual tech conference organized by e27, a platform for tech start-up founders, businesses, investors and industry leaders in Asia’s tech industry. The summit celebrated the best of our Asian start-up scene, and took place this year from 23 - 24 June 2015 at Singapore Expo Hall 3. Over the 2 days, there was an estimated 2,500 attendees coming from start-ups, venture capitalists, corporates and the media. Echelon aims to be the focal point for Asia’s technology leaders, innovative businesses, bold investors and forward-thinking industry representatives to leverage on future trends currently shaping Asia’s internet and mobile markets, and this is also achieved through keynote sessions, workshops and panel discussions with over 70 speakers from all around the world. Delegates also had the opportunity to forge new alliances with Asia’s most noteworthy start-ups and investment players, and build long-lasting investment, trade and market-access partnerships. The different booths and showcases were grouped into a few zones around the exhibition hall, including Top 100 Start-ups, IoT Showcases and Drone Zone. Nicholas, May and I from the Microsoft Developer Experience and Evangelism team joined in the summit and here are some of the highlights! [caption id=“playme” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Augmented reality application by Playme [/caption] [caption id=“vibease” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Stay Intimate Beyond Fantasy by Vibease [/caption] [caption id=“6estates” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Real-time digital ethnography by 6Estates[/caption] [caption id=“workshop” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Enthusiastic participants during a workshop by IBM [/caption] [caption id=“workshop” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Workshop on start-up culture [/caption] [caption id=“3divi” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] 3-D computer vision by 3DiVi [/caption] [caption id=“neopop” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Light up your pet with Neo Pop [/caption] [caption id=“xbox” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Challenge your friends to a game on Xbox [/caption] [caption id=“doob” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Chill out with doob bean bags [/caption] [caption id=“dronematters” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Fly some drones with Drone Matters [/caption] [caption id=“refershments” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Recharge with some refreshments [/caption] [caption id=“qlipp” align=“alignnone” width=“100%”] Perfect your tennis swings with Qlipp [/caption] During the summit, we also had the opportunity to interact with some of our Microsoft BizSpark start-ups who were actively sharing their awesome ideas to the attendees. They shared about their entrepreneurship experiences thus far and also their roadmap for the subsequent journey. Their enthusiasm and passion in what they do sure inspire us a whole lot! If you have a start-up idea and would like to embark on one, be sure to check out our Microsoft BizSpark programme, where you can get up to $750 per month of FREE Azure cloud services for 3 years for up to 5 developers, and also free software and tools such as Visual Studio and Microsoft Office!

 Computex is among one of the largest computer and technology trade shows in the world. This is the time where all the IT companies showcase their latest technology. Since Computex Taipei 2015 just ended a few weeks ago, we shall let you know what new technology you can expect in the second half of the year. Intel Broadwell Unfortunately Intel does not release much information about their long waited Skylake CPU. However, Intel release some devices that utilise their 5th generation Core I Broadwell CPU. It uses the 14nm process which will further reduce heat and have better power efficiency. Intel 100 Series Chipset Motherboard with LGA1151 Socket Although Intel has not release much about their sixth generation Skylake processor, motherboard manufacturers has started to release more information about their upcoming products. There are 6 types of chipset for LGA1151 Socket Motherboard H110, B150, Q150, H170, Q170, Z170. All of the chipset supports both DDR3L and DDR4 RAM, as well as GPU overclocking. However, only Z170 chipset supports CPU, GPU and RAM overclocking. SFF-8639 connector and U.2 Some of you might have read about the ultrafast Intel 750 series SSD. It is using a connector known as SFF-8639. Intel has announced that SFF-8639 will be rebranded as U.2 and it will be used for NVMe-based SSDs in the 2.5-inch form factor. Thunderbolt 3 Intel has also release their next generation of Thunderbolt connection. The new Thunderbolt 3 has once again, doubled their Thunderbolt 2’s bandwidth to an incredible 40Gbps. Not only that, the new Thunderbolt 3 will be using USB-C connector. Yes, you are right. It is the new reversible USB-C connector from USB-IF (USB-C RULE THEM ALL!). Thunderbolt 3 will deliver 4 times more performance compared to USB 3.1 and deliver connectivity across protocols such as DisplayPort and PCI Express. Thunderbolt 3 is even capable of deliver display up to two 4K 60Hz screens simultaneously or a 5K 60Hz display with just a single cable and we can still have enough bandwidth for USB and Ethernet connection (WOW :O). Since it has PCIe connectivity, we are able to have external GPU docking station attached to a laptop. Maybe we will see a Surface Pro 4 with external GPU for us to play Witcher 3 at 4K resolution? ...

Thinking of what to buy for your dad can be a tough decision. While getting the conventional tie and mug might be the easy way out, why not get a bit more creative this year and add on a sweet app package customized for your very own dad. From the busy workaholic dad, to the master chef inspired dad and even if you really think your dad could use a bit more exercise we have just the app for daddy dearest. If you have more to spare, why not throw in a new Lumia device to give him the complete Microsoft experience. ...

Recently, Machine Learning has become a buzz word which can be spotted on many tech-related articles and magazines. It is also one of the hottest areas for startups. However, what is Machine Learning, and why is it such a big deal? Let’s first enjoy a video showing how Machine Learning helps to improve our lives. [embed width=“800” height=“400”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGXTWLQ76jI[/embed] The elevator shown in the video is called ThyssenKrupp Elevator, a smart elevator which is able to alert technicians when to fix them. With the help of Microsoft Azure Machine Learning, the elevator is able to send data collected by sensors installed on different parts of the elevator to the cloud. Microsoft Azure Machine Learning then provides useful information that will help technicians to maintain the elevator. This elevator is cool, isn’t it? If you would like to know more about ThyssenKrupp Elevator, you can read this article to find out more about Predictive Maintenance. [caption id=“attachment_20325” align=“alignnone” width=“600”] Doli and Terence telling us cool stories about rising of the machines.[/caption] Last month, we are proud to have Doli, Big Data engineer working in Malaysia iProperty Group, to give us a good introduction to Azure Machine Learning during the Azure Community Singapore monthly meetup. The video is actually used as an example of showing how Machine Learning can help to improve our lives during the meetup. ...