Entrepreneurs should mind their own personal business

November 11, 2015

Learning and loving should be the first order of business for every self-employed businessperson

Being a self-employed entrepreneur is gratifying when you’re applauded for having had the guts, determination, skills and know-how to create a startup company. You suddenly join the ranks of legendary, self-made titans of industry who ‘did it their way’ and are memorialized in books, films and even memes.

But while it is fulfilling to be able to make a living by pursuing your passion (and being your own boss), the proverbial ‘sweat and tears’ abound for those of us who run our own businesses. Your ‘to do’ list is never-ending; partners and employees sometimes let you down; deals suddenly fall through; and with the Ringgit in the gutter and the economic climate stormy, your company’s wellbeing is a daily worry.

But don’t let setbacks derail you. Remember what the great Nietzsche said: “that which does not kill us makes us stronger”. And it’s true: every letdown I experienced helped me grow, every defeat made me tougher. Above all, what helped keep me anchored and on an even keel was keeping my mind focused on ensuring that I:

Am surrounded by loved ones
They’re your rock during your low points, and the ones you celebrate with when you’re on top of the world. They make it worthwhile, keep you grounded, and remind you of who you are and why you’re doing what you’re doing. Even when you’re talking business, only your family or true friends will tell you the truth, no matter how brutal it is. They will crush you before your competitors do – and help you rebound from it.

Make time for exercise
When stress kicks in, running becomes an essential part of my coping mechanism.
It gives me space to not think about anything, or to figure things out when I need to. Studies have shown that exercise, in addition to making you physically fit, helps your mind to connect the dots, think more creatively, and, of course, releases your endorphins.

Meditate
Many great, self-made figures meditate – Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg and Deepak Chopra, to name a few. Meditation keeps me rooted in the present and gives me the clarity I need to achieve things I envision. It’s amazing how much focusing on my breathing and ‘letting go’ can do in helping me manage the chaos all around me.

Understand what makes me happy
If you can identify the experiences that make you happy, you can work towards creating more of them. Even little moments of happiness will accumulate to make you a more positive person – a happier person. That is important, because happiness brings success both to you and your business.

From an article published by coffeepreneur and traveler Isabelle Thye in http://www.theartsycraftsy.com/

For more illuminating reflections, lifestyle lessons and inspiring thought pieces, visit www.theartsycraftsy.com; or follow the blogazine on Facebook @theartycraftsyblog; or on Instagram and Twitter @theartsycraftsy.

Get in line for online shopping

October 30, 2015

Start with a click – and before you know it, you’ve ‘clicked’ with the best way to shop (for practically anything)

The internet is now the world’s largest marketplace, and shoppers have traded strolling through malls for surfing through cyberspace in search of products and services. With your fingers doing the walking, you can spend all day searching for all sorts of merchandise and facilities at the best deals – and have them delivered right to your doorstep (or booked from a great distance).

If you’re still not on the online shopping bandwagon, here’s what you’re missing out on:

Fashion finds

Everyone – from big, international labels to small, home-based designers; premium luxury brands, to affordable, ready-to-wear names – has made cyberspace an extension of their brick-and-mortar shops. From suits to bikinis, handbags to shoes – you have a wide variety of merchandise, styles and designs to choose from. Top regional portals like Zalora and Lazada showcase items in great detail – with high-resolution photos, material information and guides to sizes – so there’s little risk of not getting what you paid for. And the latest collections tend to hit the web first – so you’ll always be first in line for what’s most in vogue.

Bonanza deals

One of the biggest attractions of online shopping is finding exclusive deals, discounts and privileges. And the more you search, the more you’ll find! Local portals like Groupon and SavingMart, for instance, are unparalleled sources of coupons and special offers on everything from spa treatments to vacation packages, electronics to furniture that you CANNOT find offline. And lest you think the deals are only for third-rate, little-known products and services – think again!

Convenience

Forget about dressing-up, braving traffic, hunting for parking and roaming the nearest mall just to search for a pair of socks. Instead, simply pop online, browse, choose and order (then wait for you bell to ring). And we’re not just talking about durable goods and clothing. More and more Malaysians are even ordering groceries online and having them delivered to their door. ASEAN food portals likeHappyFresh and Food Panda offer a wide variety of top-notch foodstuff as well as freshly-cooked dishes – so, in theory, you won’t ever have to shop for food outside ever again!

First published by fierce ‘n fabulous fashion/lifestyle blogger Carinn Tan in http://www.extraordinarinn.com/

For more outside-of-the-box lifestyle solutions, snazzy fashion features and beastly-good beauty tips, visitwww.extraordinarinn.com; or trace Carinn Tan’s footsteps on Facebook @CarinnCarerynn; on Instagram and Twitter @Carerynn; or drop her a line at carinn.tan93@gmail.com.

E-commerce to drive Asean retail growth

E-commerce to drive Asean retail growth
           

E-commerce can help grow Asean's retail sector and will benefit both consumers and retailers in the region, the Asean Business Advisory Council (Asean BAC) said in its latest report.

In its 2015 report to leaders, Asean BAC said business-to-customers Internet sales in Asean account for only one per cent of total sales as opposed to eight per cent in developed economies.

According to global management consulting firm AT Kearney, Singapore is the only Asean country to be placed in the top 30 in a ranking led by the US, China and United Kingdom.

In the firm's 2015 Global Retail E-Commerce Index, Singapore ranked 14th with a 41.5 score in terms of online market attractiveness.

The study said the city state has infrastructure that makes the retail environment conducive for online shopping.

In terms of consumer behaviour, Singapore was rated at 89.4, a score higher than the US, which indicated a favourable consumer base for online transactions.

Asean BAC said e-commerce technology is essential for the integration of Asean's retail sector as it makes shopping easier for consumers. It also helps grow businesses without having to contend with too many pre-existing impediments.

But in order to develop e-commerce, the council said Asean needs to work on its logistics, develop an online payment system and promote access to finance.

Asean should also consider the establishment of a region-wide e-payment regulation system that will help companies identify their clients.

To speed up the payment process, an e-payment escrow solution could also be explored, the council said in its report.

Asean should also encourage partnerships between e-retailers and logistics players to improve trade efficiency.

The integration of logistics systems in Asean must be accelerated. The council added in its report that the Asean Single Window system should be fully-implemented.

Asean BAC said access to finance and use of regional e-commerce platforms will help Asean e-commerce players keep up with their international competitors.
------ The Brunei Times      2 June 2015

WeChat is Tencent's ace in China's online entertainment race

WeChat is Tencent's ace in China's online entertainment race

 
 The logo of Chinese instant messaging platform called WeChat on a mobile device which has taken the country by storm in just three years.

BEIJING/LOS ANGELES, May 13 (Reuters)

- In a multi-billion dollar dogfight with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd for leadership in China's online entertainment market, mobile messaging app WeChat is Tencent Holdings Ltd's trump card.

The wildly popular app allows Tencent to channel 500 million monthly active users to its entertainment services, a huge consumer base for subscriptions or marketing - pay dirt for media and advertising partners.

Combined with a willingness to throw cash at top-tier film, television, game and music content, Tencent has locked down exclusive deals with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, eager to piggyback on the $190 billion (S$252.8) Chinese group's growing success.

Shenzhen-based Tencent, whose WeChat and QQ social networks are as ubiquitous in China as Facebook Inc is elsewhere, has spent billions of dollars in recent years building up its content library and on stakes in entertainment firms, though the company declines to give specific details on its investment.

Last month, Tencent added streaming rights to Twenty-First Century Fox Inc's FOX, FOX Sports and the National Geographic Channel to its media arsenal, which already includes various rights for Sony Corp's Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Time Warner Inc's HBO network and the US National Basketball Association.

"We've paid aggressively to buy some of the most popular content, the most established brands," Tencent's Chief Strategy Officer James Mitchell told Reuters in a recent interview.

Founded 17 years ago by CEO Pony Ma, Tencent already operates an online gaming business to rival those of Sony, Microsoft Corp and Nintendo Co. It also owns China's biggest music streaming service by subscribers, and by some measures runs the country's most popular Internet video platform.

The pairing of Tencent's active dealmaking with the success of WeChat and QQ is critical, says Mathew Alderson, who leads the China media and entertainment practice at Harris Moure in Beijing.

 "I consider them to be ahead because of the reach and sophistication of their social networking tools," he said.

The stakes are huge.

Revenue in China's online entertainment industry is set to double to more than $46 billion by 2018 for online games and video streaming alone, according to iResearch data, prompting China's biggest Internet companies to spend lavishly on TV shows, films, games, music and sports rights.

"When we have the key content, our traffic makes it more popular than it would otherwise be," said Mitchell, noting that Tencent's online advertising business revenues jumped 65 per cent last year, to 8.3 billion yuan (S$1.78 billion).

Video advertising revenue has at least doubled year-on-year in all of the past six quarters.

Tencent reports January-March earnings later on Wednesday. KNOWING THE SPACE Alibaba, meanwhile, is flush with cash after its record $25 billion share sale in New York last year and, alongside its affiliates, has spent more than $3.5 billion since the start of 2014 on stakes in video, music and gaming firms, including a minority share of Youku Tudou Inc, one of China's biggest Internet video services.

Alibaba's entertainment business claims music distribution deals with Germany's BMG and two of Taiwan's biggest labels.

It has also teamed up with Hollywood studio Lions Gate Entertainment Corp to offer a subscription streaming service in China.

 Its operations are led by former members of Tencent's video business, who left following a leadership reshuffle around 2013.

They include Patrick Liu, current head of Alibaba's digital entertainment unit and former head of Tencent Video.

Other firms staking a claim in China's online entertainment market include Internet search leader Baidu Inc and its online video unit iQiyi; Sohu.com Inc ; and Leshi Internet Information and Technology Corp Beijing.

Dealing with Tencent won't be easy, says Mark Natkin, managing director of Beijing-based Marbridge Consulting.

"They understand what users want in terms of entertainment content, they understand how to deliver it," he said.

"Tencent knows that space better than anybody."

Tencent's content library, which also includes South Korean YouTube sensation Psy through a tie up with YG Entertainment Inc, is arguably deeper than that of its rivals.

"You clearly see the growth of (Tencent's) position," said TCL Multimedia CEO Hao Yi, who works with many of China's Internet companies, about the firm's video business.

"A couple of years ago they were nowhere. The WeChat thing, indeed, this is a killer."

In recent months, Alibaba and Tencent have taken their rivalry overseas, both setting up offices in Los Angeles to slug it out for programming deals with Hollywood studios and producers.

While both groups have financial firepower, WeChat could be a clincher for Tencent in winning deals with content producers.

"You can use content to drive very good margins - if you have the right pipes," said one Hollywood executive.
-----  Reuters     13 May 2015

WhatsApp reaches 800 million monthly active users

WhatsApp reaches 800 million monthly active users


Mobile messaging service WhatsApp now has 800 million monthly active users, CEO Jan Koum has revealed in a Facebook post.

SINGAPORE - Mobile messaging service WhatsApp now has 800 million monthly active users, CEO Jan Koum has revealed in a Facebook post.

The app had about 600 million users when Facebook acquired it last year, and it announced that it had reached 700 million users in January this year.

At this rate of expansion, it will reach a billion users by the end of the year, the Wall Street Journal predicted.

 

In a dig at other messaging services, which often report registered users only, Mr Koum added: "Reminder for the press out there: active and registered users are not the same thing."

Facebook messenger is second to WhatsApp with about 600 million monthly active users, making the company the owner of the two largest messaging services in the world.

 

Google revolutionises search to help mobile users

Google revolutionises search to help mobile users



Google search will start factoring in how easy websites are to read on smartphones or tablet computers, underlining the changing way people surf the Internet

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Google search on Tuesday will start factoring in how easy websites are to read on smartphones or tablet computers, underlining the changing way people surf the Internet.

The web titan said that the "mobile-friendliness" of websites will be a factor in ranking results to online searches done using mobile devices.

"As people increasingly search on their mobile devices, we want to make sure they can find content that's not only relevant and timely, but also easy to read and interact with on smaller mobile screens," a Google spokesman told AFP.

The change will affect mobile Internet searches in all languages worldwide and was expected to have a "significant impact" on results to queries, Google said in a February blog post heralding the move.

Lost your Android phone? Now Google can help you find it

Lost your Android phone? Now Google can help you find it




SINGAPORE - Google's search bar is a calculator, translator and currency convertor, and now it can also find your Android phone.

Just type in "Find my phone" in Google's search engine on the computer, and it will display a map that zeros in on the missing Android phone or tablet.

When I tried it, it located my phone "accurate to 17 metres", but it took a few seconds to load.

For it to work, the user has to have the latest version of the Google app installed on their phone, and be signed into the same Google account on their smartphone or tablet and their computer.

Google made the announcement on Wednesday on its social media platform Google+: "We've all been there - you've searched under your car seat, tossed around the sofa cushions and you still can't find your phone.

If you know where your computer is, you can now ask Google to find your Android phone from your desktop.

If the pesky phone is hiding nearby, Google can ring it for you - or you can see it on the map if you, say, forgot it at the bar.

Just make sure you've got the latest version of the Google app installed on your device!?"

3 easy ways to get free accommodation when you travel

3 easy ways to get free accommodation when you travel

Freelance television producer Mariana Ahmad (second from right), who spent six months backpacking and couchsurfing across Europe, is seen here in Turkey with fellow couchsurfers from Turkey and America.

Most of the cheap or free accommodation options out there require you to slave away on an organic farm for 10 hours a day, share a room with ten sweaty backpackers or commit to being a caretaker for months on end.

If that doesn't exactly sound like your idea of fun, here are a couple of painless ways to enjoy cost-free accommodation.

1. Use your frequent flyer miles
The problem with trying to amass frequent flyer miles is that if you just don't have that many, you could end up only being able to redeem a ticket to KL or Bangkok.

What's the point of wasting your precious air miles on a Singapore Airlines ticket to KL?

You'd probably end up paying more in taxes than a ticket on a budget airline would cost.

If you're in the situation where you don't have enough points to redeem a meaty flight with, you have the perfect excuse to use them to redeem hotel stays.

Now, while the KrisFlyer programme doesn't permit you to use your miles to pay for hotel stays, other programmes such as KLM's Flying Blue do.

At the moment, 25,000 Flying Blue miles, about the equivalent of a return flight to Thailand, can get you a night's stay at at five star hotel.

2. Go on a free meditation retreat
If your whole objective for going on holiday is to relax and get your zen on, a free meditation retreat will let you achieve your that at almost no cost.

Many temples or monasteries will feed and house participants of their meditation retreats and courses free of charge, although donations are appreciated.

All you have to do is to shut up and turn off that damned smartphone, which come to think of it might be easier said than done.

Doi Supthep Vipassana Meditation Centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand runs meditation courses ranging from 4 to 21 days.

Brahmavihara Arama Buddhist Temple in Bali conducts short and long meditation retreats.

Many ashrams in India such as Sri Ramanasramam located south of Chennai, offer accommodation for a small donation, although you might be required to attend their courses, which can range from just a few hours a day to hardcore full day affairs.

3. Couchsurf
This is far and way the most popular way to get free accommodation on the road.

Depending on your personality, it can be a chore liaising with hosts and not having as much personal space as you would in a hotel.

Or it can be a great way to meet and hang out with locals, who can at the very least clue you in on where all the best eats in town are.

Some hosts might give you the keys to their homes and let you come and go as you please, while others will show you around, introduce you to their friends and even loan you their pets.

You never really know what sort of experience you're going to end up with. If that sounds appealing to you, definitely give it a shot.

Some of my most memorable travel memories were made thanks to couchsurfing, and no, I haven't been murdered yet.

Here are some websites that facilitate the process :-

Couchsurfing, the original website and still the most popular

Global Freeloaders

Hospitality Club
 

Tony Fernandes ‘an old-fashioned guy’ when it comes to investmen

Tony Fernandes ‘an old-fashioned guy’ when it comes to investmen




















APRIL 15 — Expect a difficult time when trying to convince Tan Sri Tony Fernandes to invest in a startup if it doesn’t have a conventional business model, where the near to medium-term priority may not be about generating cash-flow or growing your bottom-line.

Many startups, especially in recent years, have been building their business by focusing mainly on growing their user base and market share. Facebook, WhatsApp and Uber managed to successfully raise funds in their early days, despite operating at a loss.

Their investors, comprising venture capital firms, angel investors and technology companies, believed that monetisation would not be a major issue once their investee companies had built a strong base of users.

“I am an old-fashioned guy — I like things to be cash-flow positive within a certain period,” Fernandes told the media at the launch of Tune Labs in Kuala Lumpur last week.

“Personally, I don’t believe in that kind of a business model. I think you do have to be profitable — but, you know, we have to look at each individual case,” said the cofounder and group chief executive officer of budget carrier AirAsia Bhd, a subsidiary of the Tune Group.

Although Fernandes, also the cofounder of startup incubator and accelerator Tune Labs, may be seen as a new player in the technology space, he is no stranger when it comes to investing in new businesses.

In fact, some of the businesses he or Tune Group — which he also cofounded — has invested in, came as a result of entrepreneurs pitching their ideas to him.

“Tune Talk was not my idea. It was Jason Lo’s idea. We funded him. He created Tune Talk,” said Fernandes. “Over the years, we have created a lot of entrepreneurs.”

Lo is chief executive officer of Tune Talk, one of the largest mobile virtual network operators or MVNOs in Malaysia when it comes to number of subscribers.

Tune Group itself has diversified businesses. Besides Tune Talk, it also has investments in Tune Hotel, Tune Money, Tune Ins, Tune Studios, Tune Box, AirAsia, and others.

For now, Tune Labs, also backed by AirAsia cofounder Kamarudin Meranun and ECM Libra cofounder Lim Kian Onn, is not funded by Tune Group directly.

However, should Tune Labs need additional funds, Fernandes had said he may consider getting Tune Group or AirAsia to participate. “That will be something to be discussed by the board of directors.”

MyTeksi spurned
Despite his entrepreneurial pedigree, Fernandes understands that funding and growing technology or digital startups is a different ball game.

“It’s not like setting up a financial services or telecommunications company,” he said. “You need to make sure that the platform is ready.”

Tune Labs would need to make sure that the successful startups from its incubator programme have the necessary support to turn their ideas into commercially viable products. This includes support in the form of office space, funding, administrative tasks, and legal resources.

While Fernandes said that the motivation for launching Tune Labs was mainly the three cofounders’ desire to see more successful entrepreneurs emerging from South-East Asia, one can’t help but wonder if it was also spurred by a missed opportunity.

“If we have been a bit earlier …,” Fernandes said. “For instance, MyTeksi approached us, but we weren’t ready for that.

“We weren’t a venture capital fund and we didn’t have the infrastructure, so we missed out on that,” he said at the Tune Labs launch last week. “MyTeksi would have been a perfect partnership.”

Malaysian-founded MyTeksi, now known as GrabTaxi, has since secured a total of about US$340 million (RM1.2 billion) in funding, and recently launched a research and development (R&D) centre in Singapore, where its holding company is now based.

It said it would be investing US$100 million in the R&D centre in the next two to three years.

Although Fernandes may have missed out on the MyTeksi partnership, he is nevertheless optimistic about “unleashing the full potential of South-East Asian entrepreneurs.”

“When I travel around South-East Asia, I notice a tremendous amount of entrepreneurial zest in the region — so I don’t think we [the region] will be short of ideas,” he said.

Different from the pack
Many startup incubators and accelerators have recently mushroomed in South-East Asia.
In Malaysia alone, these include such ventures by MAD Incubator, Malaysian Technology Development Corp, 1337 Accelerator, Technology Park Malaysia Corp, the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC), and many more.

But Fernandes believes that there is space for Tune Labs to play a role in the regional ecosystem. “I don’t think there is ever enough. Compared with the United States, we are nothing,” he said.

He believes that Tune Labs will still be able to attract talented entrepreneurs because it brings something different to the table — after all, Tune Labs’ tagline is ‘For Entrepreneurs, By Entrepreneurs.’

“The key difference is the [Tune Group or AirAsia] ecosystem,” Fernandes said.

“Most incubators and accelerators … promise [essentially] the same thing — office space, access to capital, and a support system. But if you look at the challenge most startups face, it is how to get the product out to customers quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively.

“With [our] ecosystem — whether it is 50 million passengers, the people who are staying at the 45 Tune Hotels worldwide, or those who buy travel insurance — we can reach out to them, and market to them almost immediately,” he declared.

“That’s our big differentiation.”

Tune Labs entrepreneurs will also have the opportunity to tap into the three cofounders’ networks, Fernandes said.

“Because AirAsia and Tune Group have a lot of partners, we have built strong relationships with many companies.

“So if [entrepreneurs] come to me and say that they want to see ‘someone,’ they have a better chance of seeing that ‘someone’ through us than by themselves.

It’s just one phone call or one email away. 

“We can open many doors to [our] entrepreneurs,” he declared.
— DNA
 

Following friends becomes top reason for using social networks

Following friends becomes top reason for using social networks



According to an international study published by GlobalWebIndex, social networks are primarily used to follow friends' activity and stay informed.

The market research firm polled social network members on their activity and it turns out that above all, what they are seeking is information, whether it is about current events in general or their friends' activity, and in the end, few are inclined to share their private lives.

Top 10 reasons people use social networks

1. 55% mainly log on to stay in touch with their friends and follow their activity;

2. 41% primarily use social networks to keep up with current events in areas that interest them;

3. 41% simply connect to kill time;

4. 39% focus on finding amusing content, in the form of articles as well as photos and videos;

5. 39% regularly share their opinions and comment on current events;

6. 38% use these avenues to share photos and videos with their friends;

7. 36% connect because their friends are there;

8. 33% simply maintain their network;

9. 32% use social networks to meet new people;

10. 27% regularly post about their everyday lives.

This study was performed by GlobalWebIndex, which every quarter polls more than 40,000 web users, aged 16 to 64, from 32 countries around the world.
– AFPRelax news, April 8, 2015.
 

7 ways to protect yourself against credit card fraud

7 ways to protect yourself against credit card fraud





These days, most of us use our credit or debit cards for daily transactions. It doesn't matter if the purchase is as large as a flight booking or as low as a single bottle of green tea - we pull out our cards because it's fast and convenient.


 I mean, who really fumbles around with cash nowadays anyway? Well, yeah, maybe if you're using a vending machine - haven't seen credit card slots on those yet (although I'm sure they exist).


The thing is that we're so used to swiping our cards, buying online, and handing our card to strangers when buying something. None of us ever thinks that something could go wrong - until we become victims of credit card fraud.


So instead of waiting to become a victim of credit card fraud - take action now by following these 7 preventative measures:


1. Activate your new cards
Whenever you receive a new credit card in the mail, don't just let it sit for days along with the rest of your bills and/or junk mail. Take it out, activate it (online or call, whatever is easier for you) and sign the back.


The last thing you want is to lose track of it because in a pile with the rest of your "junk" mail - because we all know where junk mail ends up. And the last thing you want is for your credit card to end up in the hands of someone else.


If you think that someone might not be able to activate it, you'd be surprised - chances are you've got enough personal information floating around online (Facebook?) for someone to write your biography.


Plus, the mail you've just tossed out might have some pretty important data, which leads to item #2.


2. Shred your old credit cards & statements
Throwing away important documents - especially your bank and credit card statements is one of the most dangerous things you can do. You should be filing away such information, not tossing it out.


If you're tired of receiving your mailed statements, most banks now offer e-statements, which are easier to manage - just make sure you're practicing good online security habits if you are taking the electronic storage route.


Worst case, if you must toss out such data - shred it first! No, crumpling up such documents isn't enough, nor is tearing or cutting them up with scissors. If you seriously want to protect yourself from thieves who will use your "trash" against you - shred all such documents.


3. Make sure transactions are made in front of you
Whether you're using your credit card at a restaurant, retail establishment, club or bar, make sure you're following your card wherever it goes.
Why?


Because you want to make sure that your card is being swiped at the establishment's cash register and isn't disappearing into someone else's hands (or being used to make purchases while you're not looking).


This tip is especially important when you're travelling abroad as credit card scams (especially credit card "skimming") are becoming more common.


4. Keep all of your receipts and check your statement regularly
It's a hassle, I get that. If you make five or more purchases a day with your credit card, going through a ton of receipts isn't going to be fun business.


However, this is the only 100 per cent sure way to make sure that your credit card is being used ONLY for the purchases you make.


Plus, when you compare your receipts to the amount shown on your credit card statements, you can easily discover, rectify or dispute any charge that seems out of place on your statement.
C
hecking your receipts against your statement is especially useful if you make plenty of online purchases, as you might find price discrepancies between what you agreed to pay online and what's being shown on your statement.


5.  Never give your credit card number out over the phone or through email
Banks, retailers and government organisations will NEVER call or email you asking for your personal information - especially your credit card number!


I don't care if the man or woman on the phone is very nice or the email looks official with the right logo and "legit" template - it's a scam.


Seriously, there's no "what if" when it comes to this one. No legitimate institution will ever ask for your credit card over the phone or in email, ever. So don't do it, not matter how legitimate the call sounds or the email looks.


6. Always inform your bank if you change your address
Moving from one place to another is a huge hassle. But one of the first things you should be doing when you confirm a new rental agreement or home purchase (that you'll move into in 30 days) isn't figuring out which mover you'll choose - but getting your address changes in order.


Your bank should be near or at the top of your list of people and organisations to inform about your new address.


That's because the last thing you want is for your credit card and bank statements to be "lost" in the mail or mailed to your old address where they can end up in anyone's hands.


7. Always use account "alerts" for your credit cards
Do you ever sit at your work desk wishing you could be somewhere else? We all do that. But when your credit card happens to be used in China or the United states and you're still sitting around in Singapore - it's kind of a big hint that your credit card has been compromised.


Thankfully, many credit cards offer "alarms" that send you an SMS or email whenever a charge over a certain amount is made. Some credit cards even offer alerts that send you an SMS/email alert for every charge made on your card.


That's great because it gives you time to call up the credit card issuer and dispute any "funny" charges made to your card.
This article first appeared on MoneySmart


 

Facebook aims to replace YouTube as world’s leading video platform

March 27, 2015

On opening day at the F8 developer conference in San Francisco, Mark Zuckerberg shared a number of announcements, including two that reflect Facebook’s goal to compete directly with YouTube and step up its presence on the internet video scene.


Facebook is introducing a new embeddable video player, meaning that users can now bring clips from the social network directly to outside websites and blogs simply by copying and pasting a string of HTML code.


Some observers consider the announcement somewhat overdue, since embeddable players have long been a feature of YouTube, Dailymotion and Vimeo, among other platforms. Previously, Facebook users could only embed videos as part of a supporting post, including the likes count and the comments feed.


With the new player, videos from the social network can now be embedded on their own, making their integration into blog posts and website articles appear more seamless.


360-degree video: a new battleground
In a related announcement, Zuckerberg revealed the social network will soon support immersive and interactive 360-degree videos that respond to different points of view.


This content will be available on PCs as well as on VR headsets, including the products of the Facebook-owned Oculus VR brand.


The announcement comes just days after Google introduced the first 360-degree YouTube videos, which are also available from multiple viewing angles.


Facebook currently has around 1.39 billion users. Over the summer of 2014, the social network saw over one billion videos per day, and this figure is likely to have risen since then.


Meanwhile, YouTube, which also has over one billion users, claims several billion views daily.
- AFP Relaxnews

Facebook moves ahead toward Internet drone air fleet

March 27, 2015

      

"The idea is to loiter over an area for months at a time and beam down Internet service."

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday proclaimed the successful test of a wide-winged, solar-powered drone built to deliver wireless internet service to remote spots.


The test flight of a drone prototype dubbed “Aquila” took place in Britain and was considered a milestone in an internet.org project to bring online access to billions more people around the planet.


“Aircraft like these will help connect the whole world because they can affordably serve the 10 percent of the world’s population that live in remote communities without existing Internet infrastructure,” Zuckerberg said in a post on his Facebook timeline.


The unpiloted aerial vehicle, or drone, has a wingspan greater than that of a Boeing 737 passenger jet and weighs about as much as a small car, Facebook chief technology officer Mike Schroepfer told a packed audience at the social network’s annual gathering of developers in San Francisco.


“The idea is to loiter over an area for months at a time and beam down Internet service,” Schroepfer said.


Drones powered by the sun will fly at altitudes of 60,000 feet or higher and be able to remain aloft for months, according to Zuckerberg.


Schroepfer estimated that anywhere from one billion to three billion people lack access to the Internet that most of those attending the developers conference likely took for granted.


Connecting everyone to the Internet is one of the core challenges Facebook intends to tackle in coming years, according to Schroepfer.


Adding ‘teleportation,’ services 
He laid out a Facebook vision of efficient, massive data centers to provide online services to all of those people, along with making computers smart enough to help deal with the inevitable overload of information flooding the Internet.


Facebook made an artificial intelligence “memory network” breakthrough on a path to getting machines to recognize images or videos and give context to words, according to Schroepfer.


Facebook’s future includes conceptually teleporting social network users with virtual reality technology from Oculus, which the California company bought last year in a deal valued at $2 billion.


The latest version Oculus headgear, called Crescent Bay, was being shown off at the gathering.


“Virtual reality is potentially world changing and incredibly cool and it is really happening,” Oculus chief scientist Michael Abrash told developers at the gathering.


“Sooner or later, you will want to be a part of it.”


Abrash said that Oculus would begin shipping virtual reality headgear in quantity “before too long.”


He predicted that, over time, virtual reality will incorporate body movements, nearby objects, and users’ environments.


“A lot of important pieces are not in place yet, but all that will get figured out,” Abrash said.


Getting developers to build fun, hip, or functional applications for devices or platforms is seen as crucial to success in markets.


Other virtual reality gear is in the works from Japanese electronics giant Sony, while Valve and Taiwan-based smartphone maker HTC are working together on Vive virtual reality headgear.


South Korean consumer electronics titan Samsung is fielding Gear VR headsets powered by Oculus technology.
- AFP

Facebook bets on Messenger app, opens it to developers

Facebook bets on Messenger app, opens it to developers





SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook is turning its Messenger application into a platform for e-commerce, video and more in a bid to shake up online communication.


Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Messenger Platform, describing it as a way for software developers to boost appeal to the more than 600 million people using the application.


"We think this service has the potential to allow people to express themselves in new ways... and to be an important communication tool for the world," Zuckerberg said at the California-based company's annual developers conference that ends Thursday in San Francisco.


Facebook executives introduced more than 25 products and tools tailored to help developers "build, grow, and monetise" mobile applications aimed at the social network's audience of approximately 1.39 billion people.


Messenger is being upgraded to allow users to share photos, audio clips, videos, animated snippets and other digital content.


Application constellation
The changes underscore Facebook's vision for Messenger as a new communication tool that complements the social network and ramps up efforts to compete with rivals like Snapchat, which is adding media partners to its messaging app.


"They are trying to make Messenger a full-featured and rich media platform," Gartner analyst Brian Blau told AFP at the conference.


"I think that they are interested in letting people know that Facebook is not a single app company, it is an app constellation."


Along with Messenger and its eponymous social networking application, Facebook owns WhatsApp and Instagram.


Blau likened the Messenger move to the rise of Facebook as a platform.


Making online shopping personal
One of the Messenger upgrades was designed to build on Facebook's move into e-commerce by weaving chat threads into purchases at websites, essentially turning formerly impersonal Internet shopping into ongoing text message conversations.


"We're making Messenger a place where you can easily communicate with the businesses you care about in addition to the people you care about," Zuckerberg said.


The e-commerce move comes a week after Facebook unveiled a way to use Messenger for peer-to-peer payments, and with the social network testing a "buy" button to allow users to make purchases directly from their Facebook pages.


Marcus saw great promise in using Messenger to connect its 600 million users with the 30 million business pages at Facebook.


"We want to start conversations between businesses and people," Marcus told AFP.
"It needs to feel private, not noisy."


Messenger chats between customers and shops are meant to provide conversation-thread context to buying things; tracking shipments, and handling customer concerns.


Because personalised exchanges such as those require high levels of service, Facebook is starting with a few select partners that promise to hit standards set by the social network, according to Marcus.


"A real problem to solve is how businesses manage the chats," Marcus said.


"We will need to see if we can automate common questions without being awkward."


Facebook is not making money from connecting businesses and customers in Messenger. The priority is perfecting and expanding the capability, with revenue tactics to be determined in the future.


"If they can find a niche in business for that very contextual message, they could benefit," Blau said.
"It is cool that they built a platform to let this experimentation begin."


Facebook videos anywhere
The Messenger team is also working with partners including ESPN and the Bad Robot film production company owned by Hollywood director J. J. Abrams to release applications that work on the Messenger platform.


Additionally, Facebook introduced a tool designed to make it easy to take public video posted at the social network and embed it at other websites.


Partners testing the embedded video player included Huffington Post, according to platform head Deborah Liu.


"People can now watch and interact with Facebook videos from anywhere on the Web," she said.


The social network also told the more than 2,500 developers at the gathering that it is adding "push" technology that will let applications control smart home devices such as garage doors, locks, lights and more to be in tune with the booming so-called "Internet of Things."
– AFP   26 March 2015

Instagram releases collage-making app called Layout

Instagram releases collage-making app called Layout






INSTAGRAM on Monday released a stand-alone application that makes it easy to create collages of iPhone pictures.


The move by the Facebook-owned smartphone photo sharing service was in keeping with a strategy by social network co-founder Mark Zuckerberg to field separate, specialized applications aimed at ways people like to use mobile devices.


"When you open Layout, we automatically show you previews of custom layouts as you chose photos from your camera roll," Instagram said in an online post introducing Layout.


Layout features include the ability to automatically find pictures containing faces, and the option of share collages at leading social network Facebook as well as at Instagram.


The Layout application released on Monday was tailored for mobile devices powered by Apple software. A version of the app for use on Android gadgets should be available in coming months, according to Instagram.


Instagram finished last year with more than 300 million users.
 – AFP   24 March 2015

4 reasons why Singaporeans aren't investing more

4 reasons why Singaporeans aren't investing more





To Singaporeans, investing is like your "favourite" relative. You know, the one whom you dread dealing with every family gathering.


Like the grand-auntie who always pinches your cheeks and reminds you how you adorable you looked when you were a baby.


Three decades ago. And then loudly proclaims you aren't as cute anymore.


Or the uncle with the thinning scalp and smarmy , lopsided grin who always wants a hug, and keeps his hands on your back


LONG after you've let go of him.


That's how we Singaporeans seem to treat investments, according to the annual BlackRock Global Investor Pulse Survey.


We invest only 21 per cent of our take-home pay, compared to 29 per cent of savings, 24 per cent on mortgage, rent and utilities and 26 per cent on daily expenditure.


So why are Singaporeans so adverse to investing?


According to the Survey, BlackRock identified 4 main reasons why Singaporeans aren't investing more: Risk of losing initial investment and no guaranteed return Inadequate knowledge about investing


Complex investment solutions Higher cost of investing


1. Risk of losing initial investment and no guaranteed return
We Singaporeans have made being kiasu a national sport.


We're so afraid of losing! Naturally, these two factors came up tops.


We want to see returns but we aren't willing to risk our initial investment.


It's like trying to learn swimming from online tutorials because you don't want to get wet.


59 per cent of those surveyed said a guaranteed return from their investments would encourage them to invest more.


42 per cent said knowing that they wouldn't lose their initial investments would encourage them to invest more.


The only "investments" that guarantee returns as well as avoid risk are long-term fixed deposits.


But these give ridiculously low returns.


Even six years ago, the best bank interest rates didn't even reach 1 per cent.


These days, you'd be lucky to find one that's above 0.7 per cent.


That means, if you invest $10,000 in a fixed deposit account for a year, the MOST you can get back is only $70.


Well, at least it's safer than burying your money.


Especially if you put up a sign that says "No money buried here!"


The irony of course, is that we Singaporeans are very good at spending money on 4D or Toto, or even in casinos.


The odds of getting a return from those "investments" are even lower!


2. Inadequate knowledge about investing
The next factor that would encourage Singaporeans to invest more is to get more adequate knowledge about the various investment products.


40 per cent say that better knowledge about investing would encourage them to invest more.


A beginner investor, when confronted with the various investment options available, is likely to look for advice because they don't have enough information.


Bonds, unit trusts, shares and real estate investment trusts, just to name a few, each work differently to earn you money.


Without knowing which is best for you, you might end up jumping on a bandwagon.


For example, foreign exchange trading continues to be popular among young people hoping to get rich quick, but the high stress levels due to the volatile nature of the currencies proves it's not for everyone.


3. Complex investment solutions
On the other hand, just having knowledge about investing isn't enough if the investment mechanism itself is complicated.


32 per cent feel that simpler investment solutions would encourage them to invest.


That is why the option of using a Regular Savings Plan to invest in an Exchange Traded Fund is so important for Singaporeans.


A Regular Savings Plan welcomes small-time and beginner investors who may not have large capital traditionally associated with investing.


The Exchange Traded Fund allows the investor to diversify his investment and reduce his risk.


True, they are not principal-guaranteed, but if you are looking to invest for the long-term, the risk is reduced.


4. Higher cost of investing
30 per cent of those surveyed felt that a lower cost associated with investing would encourage them to invest more.


The fact of the matter is that commission fees and brokerage fees are there because others are doing most of the legwork for you.


However, it only takes a little bit of research to find the lowest commissions or even commission-free trading options.


That being said, a little more research will reveal that even those that don't charge commission find other ways to make money, so be sure to find one that suits your needs.
------ MoneySmart   24 March 2015

Top 10 online shopping sites in Singapore you need to bookmark now

Top 10 online shopping sites in Singapore you need to bookmark now







If you caught the broadcast of Budget 2015 on TV, you might have been reminded of your own budget (which might have shrinked significantly post-CNY). From doing charity work to receiving cash rebates when you spend, get more bang for your buck with these online shopping sites.


1. Shopback
Shopback is what you'd get if the Great Online Shopping Festival (GOSF) was held all year round.


It offers cash back on top of the rad discounts offered by participating shopping sites, and if you think they only have fashion sites on board, think again: Available categories range from food and drink to travel.


Some of the deals available include a five per cent cash rebate on New Balance sneakers, and a 9 per cent cash back on travel deals. This is in addition to the discounts given out at the NATAS Travel Fair.


2. Pomelo
Pomelo is known for being at the forefront of Asian fashion.


Its name is derived from the company's Southeast Asian heritage.


They're based in Bangkok and Singapore is one of its key markets.


"Plus it's a fruit that's always in season, fresh, sweet, and sour (sour = double meaning in Thai to mean sassy) - all things that kind of describe us.


And we love the sound of the name of course!" says Pomelo's style editor Tara.


Having appeared on fashion magazines like Cleo, Marie Claire, and HerWorld soon after its launch in 2014, Pomelo has shown that it is the online shopping site for any girl who wants to stand out from the crowd.


Their pieces are all designed in Korea, and are updated twice each week with a year-round return service.


3. Luxola
For those who have not heard of Luxola, it's a hotspot for online purchases of beauty products for both men and women.


Founded by Alexis Horowitz-Burdick in 2011, it has since grown into Southeast Asia's leading online beauty store.


 One of our favourite features on the website is its Editor's Picks tab, which introduces brands and products to first-time customers.


It's a nice touch - one which is unfortunately seldom found on online shopping portals.


Luxola also offers a cash-on-delivery option, which is great news for shoppers who want the extra security of being able to pay only upon receiving their goods.


 4. Smooch the Label
If you're looking for ethereal pieces that can be worn for any occasion, look no further than Smooch the Label.


Its founder, Sarah, started the business in 2010, and handpicks pieces to be manufactured.


Each one is designed with her own flair, and design inspirations can be found on their blog, which is maintained by Sarah and her team.


With over 8000 followers on Instagram and 14,000 'likes' on Facebook, this brand is definitely one to look out for.


5. Megafash
We previously gushed about Megafash in an earlier post, and since then, the brand has expanded to include more participating brands, transforming itself into an online conglomerate of shopping outlets.


It aims to connect independent brands and creative projects on the platform, so that they'll be easily accessible to an international audience.


6. Style Tribute
Customers can have their selection of pre-loved luxury items delivered to their doorstep from the fairy godmothers at Style Tribute.


The site offers a unique buy-and-sell service, and the team conducts thorough quality checks on luxury items contributed by sellers before listing them online at a fraction of their original prices.


 The team's business acumen and niche in high-end fashion have earned them media coverage by The Business Times, Citynomads, and Cosmopolitan, among many others.


7. BooksActually
Online shopping is not all about fashion.


BooksActually was founded in 2005, and is an independent bookstore with an eclectic library of books - both well-known and obscure - written by local and international authors.


They also have their own line of stationery called Birds & Co., which are all handmade and come in limited editions.


If you prefer to feel the pages of actual books at a store outlet, you'd be glad to know that BooksActually has a brick-and-mortar store tucked away at No. 9 Yong Siak Street, Tiong Bahru.


It is perfect for the literature aficionado, and for those who wish to see their resident cats roam around the space.


A visit to BooksActually is a shopping experience that is, literally, one for the books.


8. The Fashion Benefit
If you're feeling rich post-CNY, why not give some of your new found wealth to charity?


The Fashion Benefit is a non-profit organisation that gathers ethical retailers - who share the same ethos towards making a difference in the world - in one place, so that shoppers get easy access to their products.


For every item purchased online, The Fashion Benefit donates USD$5 (S$6.95) to a charitable cause.


Their present beneficiary is the underprivileged in Poipet, where they address both healthcare and educational needs.


However, items on the site don't come cheap.


Prices on their online store start from at least USD$50 after discount.


9. Tate & Tonic
For the gents who would rather spend their time looking good than rummaging through racks of clothing for the perfect fit, Tate & Tonic is here to help.


Customers first fill up a style questionnaire and based on these responses, one of Tate & Tonic's personal shoppers will select a number of styles they find suitable.


A box containing the selected items will then be dropped off at your doorstep.


All you have to do is suit up and pay for what you want to keep.


Returned items will be collected from the mailing address for free.


10. HipVan
The team behind HipVan is on a mission to bring customers products that are not only creative, but functional as well.


In an interview with TimeOut, Deborah Wee, co-founder of HipVan, said: "We are inspired by the classic VW camper van that was a cultural icon in the '60s - the van embodied uniqueness, colour, and choosing your own path in life.


So we focus on products that were borne out of a designer's inspiration and creativity.


" In addition to the brands it has partnered with, HipVan also has a section for Singaporean brands where local designers can showcase their products.


Some of these include a taste of cheeky Singaporean humour, making them fun souvenirs for both tourists and locals. P


art of the excitement of shopping stems from finding something new, and these 10 brands are definitely bringing novelty back into online shopping.


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