itnetwerk

From: EVP Consumer Group Office
Sent: Wed 7/21/2010 3:53 PM
To: SingTel
Subject: iPhone Launch – Call for Volunteers

Dear Colleagues
SingTel Launching iPhone 4 !

The long awaited iPhone 4 is finally here! Have you missed out in participating at our last iPhone launch? Here is another opportunity for you to be involved. Come and join us as a volunteer and be the first few people to participate and witness the start of another revolution.

As a volunteer, you will assist the team and help manage the crowd at our launch venue (you will be notified at a later date).

Operating hours:

29 Jul 2359 hrs to 30 Jul 9.00pm & 31 Jul 11.00am to 9.00pm

Nothing sucks more than being on stage in front of a bunch of techies and having your demo crash on you twice. Actually, the only way that sucks more is if you’re Adobe and it’s Flash that’s crashing on a mobile device, forcing folks to wonder if Steve Jobs was right about the stability of Flash.

This incident happened last week at FlashCamp Seattle, according to a blog post by Jeff Croft, a Seattle developer who also moderated a panel at the event. Flash Platform evangelist Ryan Stewart was demoing Flash Player 10.1 on a Nexus One phone during the opening keynote when things went bad and then got worse.

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Software piracy cost technology companies more than 50 billion dollars around the world last year, with Asia accounting for the largest share of losses, an industry report said Tuesday.

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The Wi-Fi only model is not upgradable to 3G – the 3G units sport a Micro SIM card and corresponding slot that enable them to work on AT&T’s data network. Apple has been telling customers that the 3G version would ship in late April for some time, but this is the first confirmation of a solid date for those systems. Apple more recently sent out notifications to some customers who pre-ordered the 3G model later than others that their units would ship in early May.

In related news, Apple indicated that the iPad is coming to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK at the end of May. Apple will also announce international pricing (and begin taking online pre-orders) for the iPad on May 10th.

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This phone was lost, and then found. But from Apple's perspective, it could have been considered stolen. I told them, all they have to do to get it back is to claim it—on record. This formal request from Apple's legal department is that claim. It proves—if there was any doubt in your mind—that this thing is real.

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You are looking at Apple's next iPhone. It was found lost in a bar in Redwood City, camouflaged to look like an iPhone 3GS. We got it. We disassembled it. It's the real thing, and here are all the details.

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Editor: Why didn't anybody drop this in Redwood City when I was there last month? Or Palo Alto, or Cupertino? :S

In this article, originally published in sister print publication Game Developer magazine late last year, its editors present profiles of 50 of the most important contributors to the current state of the game industry -- from indies to AAA, from business to art, design, and beyond.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward continues its slow crumble today with the departure of two more key team members, sources close to the studio tell Kotaku. Longtime Infinity Ward employees Mark Grigsby and Paul Messerly have both left the studio, the team's lead animator and lead character animator, respectively.

Grigsby had been with Infinity Ward from 2005, spending more than five years at the company. Messerly was there from the very beginning, moving from former Medal of Honor developer 2015 Inc. to Infinity Ward in 2002. Both former employees have updated their LinkedIn profiles to confirm that April 2010 marks the end of their tenures at the studio. Former lead animator Mark Grigsby may be familiar to Call of Duty fans as the inspiration for and voice actor of Staff Sergeant Griggs from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. He's also the guy who ably rapped over the end credits of that game.

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So we've just gotten our cold, live hands on the new MacBook Pro -- you know, the one with the Core i7 CPU? We're obviously going to be taking this puppy for a spin around the block (a 15-inch version with a 2.66GHz CPU), but we wanted to show you what it looks like (exactly the same as always), and mention a few takeaways from our conversation with Apple about the product. As you already know, the 15- and 17-inch models have a new GPU configuration, utilizing Intel's integrated HD graphics alongside NVIDIA's GeForce GT 330M. What you might not know is that the new laptops have done away with the previous method of switching from integrated to discrete graphics, that is, forcing you to select one or the other and then logging you out and back in for the switch. This process is hugely streamlined in the new versions, providing switching on the fly from integrated to discrete, and requiring zero input from the user (similar to NVIDIA's Optimus). The switches take place on an app-by-app basis judged on what kind of resources that particular application you're opening requires -- so this should be interesting to see when it comes to third-party titles. Apple is also only providing two options here; keep the automatic GPU switching on, or switch to only discrete graphics. So if you're planning on running these babies just in integrated mode, you're out of luck.

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Call of Duty creators and Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward shrinks again today, as more key talent behind the billion first-person shooter franchise jumps ship. Sources close to the studio tell Kotaku of four new departures from the troubled developer.

A pair of Modern Warfare 2's lead designers, Steve Fukuda and Zied Reike, are said to have left the Encino-based Infinity Ward today. Fukuda joined the studio in January 2002, according to his LinkedIn profile, after leaving 2015, Inc., the developer of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and former home of Infinity Ward founders Jason West and Vince Zampella. Rieke had also been with Infinity Ward since the formation of the studio.

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New Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors.

The new Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors boost performance up to 50 percent over the previous generation. Based on Intel’s latest 32-nanometer process technology, these are the fastest dual-core processors available and they set an all-new benchmark for Mac notebooks.¹

Turbo Boost.

Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors also feature Turbo Boost. If you’re using processor-intensive applications like Aperture 3 or Final Cut Pro that would benefit from an extra performance kick, Turbo Boost dynamically increases the speed of one or both cores, taking a 2.66GHz MacBook Pro all the way up to 3.33GHz.

Hyper-Threading.

Built-in Hyper-Threading allows two threads to run simultaneously on each core, so Mac OS X recognizes four virtual cores instead of just two. When you’re running multiple applications at once, the Core i5 and Core i7 processors spread tasks more evenly across a greater number of cores — so you can get more done, faster.

Integrated memory controller.

Unlike systems that connect memory to the processor through a separate controller, the new MacBook Pro uses an integrated memory controller to connect memory directly to the processor. In a sense, this cuts out the middleman. With faster access to memory, each core gets right to work on your data, rather than waiting for it to arrive. Together with up to 4MB of shared L3 cache, the integrated memory controller ensures MacBook Pro can keep up with you.

Next-generation graphics.

Inside the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models is the new NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics processor — the fastest graphics ever in a Mac notebook. With 48 processing cores and up to 512MB of dedicated video memory, this graphics processor delivers even more horsepower than the previous generation. And you don’t have to sacrifice efficiency for speed: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M is up to 30 percent more energy efficient than its predecessor. For even greater power savings, MacBook Pro also includes integrated Intel HD Graphics.

On-demand performance.
Off-the-charts efficiency.

The 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models come standard with automatic graphics switching. It’s a breakthrough technology from Apple that switches graphics processors on the fly to give you performance when you need it (when you’re playing the latest 3D game, for example) and better battery efficiency when you don’t (such as when you’re reading email). MacBook Pro transfers the workload between the powerful discrete NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor and integrated Intel HD Graphics so seamlessly, you won’t even notice. Whether you’re using applications like Aperture, Motion, or Final Cut Pro or just surfing the web, your MacBook Pro always knows which processor to use. You don’t have to log out, shut down, or change your preferences. Automatic graphics switching does it all for you.

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About MacBook Pro Software Update 1.3

This update is recommended for all 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro mid 2010 models and contains improvements for graphics stability for high-performance video and gaming applications as well as various bug fixes.

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100+ New User Features With iPhone OS 4, iPhone owners will enjoy over 100 new features that make it easier to interact with apps, manage email, read books, and more.

New features include the following:

Multitasking Developers will have access to seven multitasking services, which will allow tasks to be performed in the background while preserving performance and battery life. So you’ll be able to make a Voice over IP call while playing a game or checking email, find a restaurant on Urbanspoon while listening to Pandora, and more.

Folders Organize apps into folders with drag-and-drop simplicity. Get faster access to your favorites and browse and manage up to 2160 apps at once — many more than the current limit of 180 apps.

Even Better Mail See messages from all your email accounts displayed together in a unified inbox, switch between inboxes more quickly, organize messages by threads, and even open attachments in third-party apps.

iBooks The best way to browse, buy, and read books on a mobile device. Easily flip through the pages of a book you've downloaded from the iBookstore while listening to your music collection. Browse tens of thousands of books — many of them free — by title, author, or genre. You can even check out reviews and read sample pages before you buy.

Developers With a rich set of over 1500 new APIs, the iPhone SDK 4 provides developers with a broad range of technologies to enhance the functionality of their iPhone and iPod touch applications. Developers can use these new APIs to make their apps more powerful, more feature rich, and more amazing than before.

They can even use new GameKit APIs to develop for Game Center, the social gaming network Apple will launch later this year. Learn more about the iPhone Developer Program and iPhone SDK 4

iAd is a breakthrough mobile advertising platform from Apple. With it, apps can feature rich media ads that combine the emotion of TV with the interactivity of the web. For developers, it means a new, easy-to-implement source of revenue. For advertisers, it creates a new media outlet that offers consumers highly targeted information.

Enterprise iPhone OS 4 offers more useful features for businesses. With enhancements to security, scalability, and compatibility, IT managers have even more reasons to deploy iPhone throughout their enterprises.

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Apple is prepping a new iPhone for its annual summer release and is likely also working on a CDMA device for US operator Verizon Wireless, Wall Street Journal has reported.

The new device, to be called the iPhone HD, will have a second, front-facing camera, and will run on the iPhone 4.0 OS, according to blogsites Engadget and Daring Fireball. According to Engadget, the fourth-gen iPhone is scheduled for release on June 22.

Apple has unveiled a new iPhone every summer since the first version was launched in 2007. One of the new iPhones is being manufactured by Taiwanese OEM Hon Hai, which made Apple's previous iPhones, the Journal reported.

The CDMA version is being manufactured by Pegatron Technology, the contract manufacturing subsidiary of another Taiwan firm, Asustek. Production of the CDMA phone for Verizon, signals a likely end to AT&T’s role as the exclusive US iPhone carrier for the last three years.

Pegatron is scheduled to start mass production of the CDMA iPhones in September, but it was uncertain when it would start commercial shipments, the WSJ said.

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Microsoft said on Thursday that it is planning an update to Windows 7 that will close a number of loopholes that counterfeiters had used to thwart the operating system's built-in antipiracy measures. The Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7, which will be released later this month, closes more than 70 "activation hacks," according to Joe Williams, general manager of Microsoft's Genuine Windows unit, responsible for anti-counterfeiting measures. The update will also check with a server periodically to see if there are further hacks that need to be addressed, though Williams said no personally identifiable information about the user will be sent to the server.

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Reports began circulating this morning about major layoffs at a handful of Activision-owned development studios, affecting as much as half of Radical Entertainment's staff (Prototype), an undisclosed amount of Neversoft employees (Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk), and the entirety of Luxoflux (Tranformers). An Activision rep confirmed two former studio layoffs to us this afternoon, though a representative didn't city any official numbers -- the rep also told us he could "confirm the closure of Luxoflux."

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Another attraction is the hardware. Consoles seem to offer some advantages over computers when it comes to training games. The Nintendo Wii controller (Microsoft and Sony are developing similar hardware) allows a training game to incorporate body movement. A Wii-like console could be useful for individualized physical training for soldiers who need to shed a few pounds, or for practicing individual combat drills when there is no training range available. And then there is the relatively straightforward configuration of consoles, compared to the nightmare that military game developers face in getting games to work on the mishmash of video and sound cards in the government’s potpourri of computers.

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No setup needed Automatically follow the people you email and chat with the most in Gmail.

Share publicly or privately Publish your ideas to the world or just to your closest friends.

Inbox integration Comments get sent right to your inbox so it's easy to keep the conversation going.

Photo friendly See thumbnails with each post, and browse full-screen photos from popular sites.

Connect sites you already use Import your stuff from Twitter, Picasa, Flickr, and Google Reader.

See updates in real time New posts and comments pop in as they happen. No refresh required.

Just the good stuff Buzz recommends interesting posts and weeds out ones you're likely to skip.

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The SIM -- that tiny card that holds your contact info and account information that you find in your GSM handset -- is a 15 x 25mm plastic card whereas the new Micro SIM (also known as a 3FF SIM) is a diminutive 12 x 15mm, about 52% smaller. Needless to say, it's not physically compatible with your current phone. This card was developed by the ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) to offer things like more storage space on-chip for provider applications, increased control and security functions -- over what, we don't know -- and the new smaller form factor allows it to fit in tiny devices. Frankly, we wouldn't call the iPad "tiny" and we have absolutely no clue what justification Apple had to switch to it other than a desire to be different -- this is the company that pioneered Mini DisplayPort, after all -- but the long and the short of it is that you're going to have a hard time finding a carrier offering Micro SIMs in the short term since the GSMA doesn't appear to be actively spearheading a mass conversion.

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Even though this morning's presentation had Apple calling themselves the "largest mobile device company" in the world, apparently they're in the processor business now, too. The just-announced iPad doesn't carry any special Intel or Nvidia CPU -- it's a homecooked 1GHz chip called the Apple A4. Apple says it's designed for high performance and low power, which is probably how they got that crazy 10 hour battery life and one month (!) standby life. We guess that PA Semi acquisition was a good idea.

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All of the built-in apps on iPad were designed from the ground up to take advantage of the large, Multi-Touch screen. And they’ll work in any orientation. So you can do things with these apps you can’t do on any other device.

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EA’s The Sims Studio is thrilled that The Sims 3 was named the worldwide #1 best-selling PC game of 2009*. This marks the sixth time this decade that The Sims franchise was named the best-selling PC title. The original The Sims was the bestselling PC game worldwide from 2000 to 2003, until it was dethroned by its own sequel The Sims 2, which was the best-selling PC game of 2004 and held the #2 spot for 2005 and 2006. Additionally, The Sims 3 World Adventures holds a position on the top 10 PC lists around the world.

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