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Nadine the social robot takes you straight to 'Uncanny Valley'
The two women in the image above might resemble each other, but looking more closely at the one in black might make you feel a bit uncomfortable. That's because she's a humanoid robot named Nadine, made in the likeness of creator Professor Nadia Thalmann from Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore). Nadine is loaded with intelligent "assistant" software similar to Siri and Cortana, with her own moods and emotions. She can also remember the people she'd met before and the contents of their conversation.
'Snowstorm' personal flying machine lifts off in Singapore
What you're looking at above is Snowstorm, a personal flying machine. This electric-powered aircraft, designed and built by a group of students from the National University of Singapore, can be controlled by a human pilot and is capable of a vertical takeoff and landing. Snowstorm was created as part of an engineering project called FW Air: Electric Aviation, which aims to turn the fantasy of flying cars into reality.
Apple Pay comes to Australia and Canada this year
At last, Apple Pay will be available outside of the US and the UK... if you have the right credit card. Tim Cook used his company's fiscal results call to confirm that the tap-to-pay service will be available in Australia and Canada by the end of 2015, while Hong Kong, Singapore and Spain will get it in early 2016. However, it sounds as if you'll be limited to using an American Express card at first. Despite leaks, you probably won't be using any other account for iPhone-based purchases on launch. It's likely that other providers will get with the program, though, so don't despair if you prefer MasterCard or Visa.
Simulated brain cells give robot instinctive navigation skills
A team of researchers at Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) announced on Wednesday that they had taught a robot how to navigate on its own, in much the same way that humans and other animals do. They reportedly accomplished this feat by digitally replicating two types of neurons that help animals geolocate naturally.
Singapore Post trials island-hopping delivery-by-drone program
You thought the USPS had it tough with all that rain, sleet, snow and hail they have to deal with? Try delivering mail throughout the Malay archipelago, the world's largest island chain. However, the Singapore Post thinks it may have a solution: Fly parcels between islands on the backs of UAVs. To that end, the mail service recently trialled the concept by successfully shipping two items from mainland Singapore to neighboring Pulau Ubin.
Netflix is coming to Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea
Netflix only just launched in Japan last month (that's the Japan office pictured above), and it's already lining up its next destinations in Asia. In early 2016 the streaming video service is coming to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea, although no exact dates or pricing are specified. It's planning to bring the usual suite of features and even Ultra HD streaming to these countries when it lands, thanks to their existing broadband infrastructure. Where it might go after that (China?) is still unknown, but its plan for global availability by the end of 2016 is apparently still on track. [Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Autonomous golf carts drive tourists around in Singapore
MIT and the National Research Foundation of Singapore recently tested an autonomous vehicle they developed together. No, it's not a car or a truck -- it's a golf cart. The researchers created a self-driving golf cart called SMART and deployed several at a public garden to drive 500 or so tourists around during a six-day experiment. Since they crafted a whole system and not just the autonomous vehicle itself, they also tested a booking method which people used to schedule pick-ups and drop offs. In the future, that system could be adapted to a mobile app like Uber.
Uber's next PR stunt is delivering Xiaomi phones
Lyft users might get free Starbucks coffee, but certain Uber users can get a high-end Xiaomi smartphone delivered to their door, at least for a day. If you're in Singapore and Malaysia, you can order the 5.7-inch QuadHD Xiaomi Mi Note directly from the Uber app and get it delivered like some kind of high-tech pizza. Your Uber credit card will be charged for the phone and you'll be able to follow the special orange-colored vehicle as it heads your way. The deal is only good for one day, July 27th, but that's a day ahead of the official launch, briefly giving you bragging rights.
Masquerada's gay characters are defined by humanity, not sexuality
In Masquerada: Songs and Shadows, the city of Ombre resembles a fantastical, medieval Venice: elegant stone towers are lined with heavy wood furniture and the people dress in lush fabrics, wielding swords and spears. But Ombre is not Venice; it's an entirely secular society whose citizens put no stock in the idea of an afterlife, and it's a land where powerful magic stems from a collection of rare masks. The Inspettore, Cicero Gavar, returns from exile to investigate an earth-shattering kidnapping, with the help of spells, weapons and his team -- including Kalden Azrus, a man the city considers a "deviant." "While having the main character be gay and allowing a romance, as BioWare does, is very empowering to a gay player, we hope to serve them in another way -- to show our audience the beauty and humanity of a gay character and how it would translate to real world situations," lead developer Ian Gregory says.
Singapore tests self-driving cars you use like taxis
One of the greatest allures of self-driving cars is the prospect of never needing your own vehicle -- you could just catch robotic rides whenever you want personal transportation. Well, Singapore is about to explore how well that concept works in practice. The city (with MIT's help) is opening up one of its neighborhoods to autonomous cars next year to see how well they could eliminate traffic congestion. Ideally, you'll use these driverless vehicles like short-range taxis or Uber cars: hail one whenever you need to get to the airport or train station and keep another privately-owned car off the road. That's particularly helpful in Singapore, where the extreme population density (19,725 people per square mile) has led to strong government incentives for using mass transit.
Singapore gambling law may put MMO lockboxes at risk
A proposed remote gambling bill in Singapore may put MMOs that use lockbox systems, as well as players who purchase lockboxes with real-world money, in danger of being prosecuted or being run out of town. According to Games in Asia, the law's broad definitions of what consitutes remote gambling may impact freemium and free-to-play MMOs: "This, according to Stamford Law, will 'outlaw the freemium model where monetization is primarily via in-app purchases,' and does not specify from whom the purchases of virtual objects are made. This means that both game developers, who sell in-app purchases, and players, who make these in-app purchases, can be persecuted [sic]." The bill will come under additional scrutiny this week. If the language isn't changed, then even foreign developers can be charged for advertising or operating an MMO in the country with real money-infused "games of chance."
Ragnarok Online 2 shutting down in Southeast Asia
Ragnarok Online 2 isn't exactly taking the world by storm as of late. Following the title's closure in Korea last year, Ragnarok Online 2 is closing its doors in Singapore and Malaysia on October 9th. There is a pretty bright spot to this story, however, as Asiasoft's version of the game will accept account transfers from affected players. "Following the opening of Ragnarok 2's Odin Server to Philippine players last month, we are thrilled to be continuing the global expansion of Warpportal's Ragnarok Online 2 by welcoming all players from Southeast Asia regions!" Asiasoft posted. Southeast Asian players will not be able to access their characters until October 9th, and none of their Kafra Points will make the leap over to the new server.
Instagram quietly (and slowly) launches Snapchat rival, Bolt
We knew Instagram's effort to nab a bit of Snapchat's thunder was imminent thanks to leaked promo banners, and now, the app has officially arrived... for some. Bolt, the filter-driven photo app's own ephemeral messenger has hit iTunes and Google Play for folks in Singapore, South Africa and New Zealand. The software's claim to fame is speed: instead of having to fiddle through a series of options, tapping a contact's picture both captures and sends a photo -- no further swiping required (tap and hold records video). So long as they're in your favorites list, of course. There's also an undo feature that allows you to retrieve a message in the first few seconds by shaking your phone. While Bolt doesn't require a Facebook or Instagram account, you will have to sign up with your phone number for sorting through your contacts. For now though, most of us have to find solace in just reading about it, since a select few locales are privy to the initial rollout. Instagram's word on that particular strategy is situated after the break.
Heroes of the Storm heads to Southeast Asia
We already knew Heroes of the Storm was heading to China, but now Blizzard has inked a deal to bring Heroes -- and possibly other games -- to more of Southeast Asia. Expanding on Blizzard's existing agreement with Asiasoft -- which currently distributes Diablo 3, StarCraft 2, and World of Warcraft in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore -- the deal now includes Heroes of the Storm and features distribution to the Philippines as well. Marketing and operation for the game in the Philippines will be handled by Asiasoft subsidiary Level Up! Inc. No launch date has been set for Heroes of the Storm -- currently in technical alpha -- domestically or internationally, but we assume it will arrive on the traditional Blizzard schedule of "when it's ready."
Singapore 21: a farewell trip on the world's longest flight
As of tomorrow, the longest flight in the world will shuttle passengers on a 747-400 from Sydney, Australia to Dallas, Texas. That 15-hour, 25-minute hop on board Qantas 7 may not be the lengthiest in duration, but at 8,578 miles gate to gate, it'll lead the industry in miles flown. For a few more hours, however, Singapore Airlines' decade-long run from Newark, N.J., to Singapore remains the record holder for both time (more than 18 hours) and distance (9,534 miles). It's a journey that's been on the bucket lists of the world's most ambitious aviation enthusiasts since the city-state's namesake airline first launched the service in 2004, and following tonight's final jaunt, this record-setting A340-500 will touch down at Changi Airport for the very last time. Despite this cheerless loss, it's a spectacular time in the world of aviation. Sure, we don't have our supersonic Concorde replacement just yet, and the Dreamliner rollout was not without significant heartbreak, but the past few years have represented a tremendous period, with banner launches from both Airbus and Boeing that will change the way we fly forever. But as with any category, aircraft manufacturing and design advances also serve to highlight the shortcomings of previous-generation products. The Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 make massive efficiency boosts a reality, leading gas-guzzling greats like the aging A340-500 to a premature retirement. In this case, the A345's departure from Singapore's fleet represents not only better things to come, but also the loss of a landmark route -- it's an unavoidable compromise, and with the end in sight, I drained my frequent flier account in order to score a ticket, and set out to discover the significance of Singapore Flight 21's retirement.
PS4 hits South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan before Japan
The PlayStation 4 launches in South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan in December, MCV reports from the Tokyo Game Show. Japan gets the PS4 on February 22, 2014, Sony announced during its September 9 livestream. It'll cost ¥39,980 ($401) without the PS Eye, or ¥43,980 ($442) with the camera. Sony didn't provide prices or specific launch dates for the other Asian areas. PS4 hits North America on November 15 and Europe on November 29.
China Mobile, iPhone deal hindered by commercial, technical issues
China Mobile is the world's largest mobile carrier, and for Apple, the company represents a way to revive slumping sales in its second largest market. While both companies would benefit from having the iPhone on China Mobile's network, a number of commercial and technical issues have made that impossible. However, those barriers may be coming down in the near future, paving the way for Apple's flagship smartphone to run on the China Mobile network. The main technical issue facing Apple is that existing iPhones cannot work on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA 3G networks, nor can they operate on the rather rare TD-LTE 4G networks that the carrier is planning to deploy. As for the commercial issue, it's simple -- China Mobile doesn't want to commit to the cost of marketing and subsidizing sales of the iPhone. Both issues may be resolved if Apple introduces a new, lower-cost iPhone for emerging markets on September 10. The company is expected to be using new Qualcomm chips in the next-generation iPhones that can operate on just about any network, keeping Apple from having to create a special line of iPhones just for China Mobile. In addition, a lower-cost iPhone would make subsidies much more palatable to China Mobile, a company that desperately needs data-hungry smartphone users to pump up its revenues. Net profit for China Mobile has only risen 15 percent since 2008, and a flood of iPhone users could bolster the company's fortunes, much as it has for US carriers. Anand Ramachandran, an analyst with Barclays in Singapore, was quoted by Reuters as saying, "The circumstances and the issues that were a hindrance in the past seem to be getting resolved. So I think there's a higher probability that potentially there's something in the works." The announcements on September 10 could foretell an auspicious future for Apple and China Mobile.
Singapore to require operating licenses for Yahoo, other select news sites starting June 1st
Singapore isn't necessarily known for its generous media freedoms, but the Southeast Asian city-state is planning to tighten the reigns even further next month. Beginning June 1st, any online news outlet with more than 50,000 unique monthly visitors within Singapore that also reports on the country at least once each week will need to obtain an operating license from the Media Development Authority. According to a press release, the objective of such a policy, which already covers print publications, is to "provide greater clarity" when it comes to text and visual media the government will not allow to be published, such as "content that undermines racial or religious harmony." The agency's release lists a total of 10 online publications that will be affected by the new policy, including sg.news.yahoo.com, businesstimes.com.sg and straitstimes.com. According to a Reuters report, blogs are currently excluded, though we could see stricter regulation on that front in the future.
Synrgic Uno debuts as one of the last TI OMAP-powered Android phones (updated with video)
Taiwan might have an HTC One and an HTC First, but starting today, Singapore has a Synrgic Uno to join the banter (get it?). The name Synrgic might not immediately ring a bell, but if you dig a little deeper, you'll see a mention of its earlier phone plus three tablets from a while back. Alas, said phone was eventually canned as the quality didn't meet expectations, so consider this Uno a new attempt by the same Singaporean startup. Announced in its home city just now, this device is positioned as a mid-tier Android phone with some modest specs, namely a 4.7-inch, 720p IPS display with Gorilla Glass and, more interestingly, a dual-core 1.5GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 SoC (with 1GB DDR2 RAM and SGX 544 graphics chip). With the upcoming TI OMAP 5 series shifting towards automotive systems, chances are the Uno will be one of the last OMAP-powered smartphones before TI waves goodbye to the mobile world. More after the break. Update: We've added a hands-on video after the break. In short: smooth software and solid hardware build, with some room for improvement on the coating at the top and bottom sides. %Gallery-187126% %Gallery-187130%
Namco Bandai opening Vancouver, Singapore offices in June
Namco Bandai Studios Vancouver Inc. will open its doors to the ever-growing Canadian gaming development scene this June, British Columbia's Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training has announced. The studio will develop "online social games," though nothing else is known regarding the studio's expected output beyond that broad descriptor.The province "provided significant assistance" to Namco Bandai, with government programs such as the "Major Investment Office hosting program" playing an "instrumental" role in bringing Namco Bandai to British Columbia, the announcement said. Meanwhile, a second, unnamed new studio will open in Singapore this June, though the release did not specify what sort of development it will focus on. We're going to go way, way far out on a limb and guess that it'll be called "Namco Bandai Studios Singapore Inc."
