People Are Raving Over Apple Singapore’s Floating Store

During Apple CEO Tim Cook’s last visit in December, he said that Singapore could use a third store as the Orchard branch was “pretty full”. Opening a new store may seem impossible given the global restrictions of the pandemic. Not to mention, Apple’s brick-and-mortar operations continue to grapple as the pandemic unfolds. In particular, the company has closed some of its stores due to the spike in COVID-19 cases in American states such as North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, and Florida.

Many retailers, like Apple, have closed its physical stores due to the current situation. Thus, it was surprising to see Apple’s third store in Singapore. In case you’ve missed, the spherical structure floating on Marina Bay Sands is Apple’s newest store in the country. The upcoming opening of this store is groundbreaking for Apple as it is its first store to sit on water. According to the company, Apple Marina Bay Sands aims to bring its renowned products at an iconic location. Its other stores are located on Orchard Road and at the Singapore Changi Airport.

Apple writes this on its website:

“We will soon open the doors to our new store by the Bay. Apple Marina Bay Sands will be at the heart of creativity, a place we’ve made for you to capture your ideas and passions. It will be a space for you to explore, connect and create something new. We can’t wait to see where your imagination takes you.”

Picture a giant futuristic orb that lights up at night and is situated on the country’s waterfront. This was designed by London-based Foster + Partners architecture studio. Although this was the first floating store for Apple, this was not the first time that a slot of water was occupied by a commercial establishment. Avalon, a large nightclub, previously occupied the space from 2011 to 2016.

Many Instagram and Twitter users have shared images of this eye-catching flagship. If you are in the area, there are two ways to access the store. You may visit it via a footbridge or an underwater passage connecting to The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Can you imagine the picturesque scenery it can create at night?

The company did not provide any other information as to how big the building was or when it will officially open.

Here’s the main entrance from The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands:

Let us just wait and see!

Sources: 1 & 2

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Introducing Samsung’s First Glass-Screen Folding Phone

As I was scrolling through my Instagram feed, I got fascinated with how the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Flip looks like. It reminded me of my old Nintendo Advance SP. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the bygone SP, it is a handheld game console that can fit inside your pocket. Imagine having a smartphone that you can fold inside your pocket!

Introducing Samsung’s first glass-screen folding phone called Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. You read that right. Its glass display is its biggest selling point! This smartphone is made from Samsung Ultra Thin Glass, which “sets you up for an epic view with a smooth flat screen”. Other folding phones in the market such as Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold have used plastic displays. Hence, the Z Flip feels more premium and fragile as compared to its predecessors. It is a full-screen smartphone that fits in your pocket!

Its 6.7-inch display collapses into half, which will turn any heads whenever you use it. Aside from its physical attributes, another headturner is its unbelievable price. It carries an expensive price tag of $55.50/month for 36 months or $1,998.00 for a 256 GB unit. You may also get it from Samsung’s partner merchants such as Singtel. Singtel’s Combo 2 allows you to get the Z Flip for a monthly fee of $42.90 or Combo 6 for $99.90 per month. These combos are tied to distinct Singtel plans.

It costs more than the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus. Would you believe that it easily sold out throughout the world despite its hefty price? Well, it is true!

Another battle with the manufacturing of the Galaxy Z Flip is the ongoing prevalence of the Coronavirus-19. Just weeks after the unveiling of the Z Flip, Samsung had to shutdown their plant in South Korea after an employee tested positive of the illness. COVID-19’s widespread is taking a toll on the global technology industry and other businesses who are heavily reliant on the Asian supply chain. Disruptions in manufacturing and limitations in travel impedes the success of the current technological scene. The same challenge is felt by the Apple company.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Apple said that it is likely to miss the quarterly revenue guidance due to the COVID-19, which affects the Chinese consumers and the production capabilities inside China. These are unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances that Samsung, Apple, and other businesses have to deal with these days.

Here is to hoping that we could all gradually recover soon!

Sources: 1 & 2

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How Much Will An iPhone 11 Cost?

Our society encourages the untouchable association people have with their phones. Picture a get-together with friends. Once the food is laid out nicely, you will notice the smartphones rise up to capture the perfect #foodporn moment.

This association and dependency with the smartphones led to the increase in smartphone shipments per year. However, consumer insight research firm Strategy Analytics stated that global smartphone shipments fell 3% in the second quarter of 2019. This is in comparison with the same period and statistics last year.

Apple captured about 11% of the global smartphone market share in the second quarter of this year. This is a drop from the 12% of share during the same period last year.

Will this percentage change as they launch a new set of iPhones? Let us wait and see!

Last Sept 10, Apple announced its new set of iPhones during a media event held in Steve Jobs Theatre. The launch introduced us to the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

With prices starting at S$1,149, the beaming iPhone 11 is available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage capacities. While, the iPhone 11 Pro starts from S$1,649. This is available in the storage capacities of 64GB, 256GB and 512GB. Lastly, iPhone 11 Pro Max starts from S$1,799. Sales for this new series will begin on September 20 (Friday).

The iPhone 11 will be available in six colours including the glistening purple and green. While, the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max will come in white, rose gold, space grey, and midnight green. These new colors can excite many Apple enthusiasts.

The main difference between the iPhone 11 and the two Pro models is that the former uses LCD display while the latter uses OLED display. Choose which one suits your preference and needs. One thing is for sure, they all come with an extra camera. This extra camera has been a subject to many memes. Don’t get me started with the Terminator phone case!

Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller highlighted that the new triple-camera system is the first mechanism that the company can claim to be “professional”. These cameras feature an ultra wide-angle and wide-angle camera.

What’s more? The iPhone 11 series’ camera system comes with a Night mode. This is similar to Google Pixel 3’s Night Sight feature, which allows high dynamic range with sharp details in night photography. All models contain the latest A13 Bionic processor, which the company claims to be the fastest chip on a smartphone.

Ultimately, the starting cost of the iPhone 11 series (S$1,149) can buy 105 boxes of Panadol capsules or 410 McDonald’s Cheeseburgers. Isn’t that amazing?

Sources: 1 & 2

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Free Mobile Games To Spice Up Your Life

Entertainment does not have to come with an excessive price tag! You see, there are hundreds or even thousands of mobile games available for Android and iOS. A lot of these games are available for absolutely nothing.

Whether a game is ad-supported or fueled on a “freemium” model (i.e., offering the basic services for free and the advanced features at a premium), the following games will surely make your commute less boring. What are you waiting for? Spice up your life with these free apps:

FOR THE ADRENALINE JUNKIE

Need a dose of speed in your life? Look no further as you download Gameloft’s Asphalt series. People who enjoy racing games will be impressed by the Asphalt 8 and 9. Asphalt 8: Airborne was released in 2013 and Asphalt 9: Legends was released this year. These two installations involve dramatic chases and slow-motion collisions. The former involves cars that can perform outrageous aerial stunts in realistic tracks. While, the latter travels around the world to answer why you are legendary.

Personally speaking, I prefer Asphalt 8 as you can play with it offline. Both Android and iOS users can download these games for free!

FOR THE STRANGER THINGS ADDICT

Whether you are an avid fan of Netflix’s Stranger Things or not, you will enjoy the nostalgic vibe that the Stranger Things mobile game radiate. The game starts inside the Hawkins Lab whereby Chief Hopper sets out to find the missing children. Each character has a specific set of skills, which he or she can use to unlock a certain chapter of the game. Controls are simple as you can just tap to walk or interact (e.g., punch). When you are tired with tapping, you can drag your finger across the screen to move your character. You need to figure out how to defeat each enemy without dying!

It its essence, you are diving into an adventure game involving combat and puzzle solving. Best of all? It is completely free! It exists without ads and in-app purchases.

FOR THE MAKEOVER ENTHUSIAST

I, for one, can spend countless commuting time on home design games. I love building things from the ground up. Finding a game that puts a twist on interior design such as incorporating puzzles will impress me to the core! Fortunately, a friend of mine recommended that I download the “Matchington Mansion”. It is a no-cost puzzle game released by Firecraft Studios for both Android and iOS platforms.

The story starts with receiving a life-changing news. The player will inherit a massive mansion! The catch is, it is outdated and neglected. You are now on a mission to use your creativity and wits to decorate the house. Complete a series of puzzles to accomplish each task (e.g., revamping your bed). You may also visit your neighbors to unlock furniture and wall decoration options that are not readily available to you.

FOR THE ONE WHO LOVES MMORPG

MMORPG is short for Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game. It combines role-playing video games with an option to interact with a vast number of players within a virtual world. Majority of the popular MMORPGs focus on traditional fantasy themes, often comparable to the in-game universe of Dungeons & Dragons. Some examples of globally popular MMORPGs include World of Warcraft, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Ragnarok. For the sake of this list, I am going to put a spotlight on the latter.

Ragnarok is back! It is mobile form, Ragnarok continues the adventure that you left behind 15 years ago. Southeast Asian fans can play the Ragnarok Mobile: Eternal Love game on Android or iOS devices for free.

The game is a faithful recreation of the original online game with most of its contents remaining intact such as the character’s jobs, costumes, and guild PvP. Players can access a wide varity of job classes including the brand new Blacksmith class. Furthermore, you may fight against other players in guild PvP to take advantage of the game’s real-time combat feature.

Please note that its attractive 3D world is relatively new. Launching last month, there is still a long way to improve!

Sources: 1 & 2

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Samsung’s Most Expensive Flop

Considered as one of the biggest product failures of all time, Samsung Galaxy Note7 floats on the same boat as Apple Lisa (1983) and Ford Pinto (1971). It started off as a promising product with special features such as iris scanner, improved S-pen, expanded internal storage, and 5.70-inch touchscreen display. It was supposed to be Samsung’s answer to its rival Apple’s iPhone 7.

It quickly became a fiery disaster when a number of Note7 devices either emitted smoke or caught on fire. These reported cases resulted to injuries and property damage. In October 2016, Singapore Airlines announced that passengers were not allowed to bring their Note7 device on both carry-on and checked-in baggage due to fire hazard. Other international airlines (e.g., Virgin Australia and Air Berlin) followed suit.

Having massive companies ban the device only highlighted its cautionary tale. Samsung needed to clean up their act! They started replacing the first batch with a “less combustible” substitutes. However, that did not work too!

Samsung learned its lesson – the hard way. Recalling the Note7 was so costly that operating profit for the company fell 30 percent to about US$4.57 billion. Needless to say, Note7 wiped out 13.5% of its market share or about US$17 billion off the company’s market value.

THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

Samsung conducted an in-depth study to investigate the downfall of Note7. Seven hundred dedicated staff were accompanied by three laboratories: UL, Exponent, and TUV Rheinland. These people tested 30,000 batteries and 200,000 devices before coming to its conclusions.

Firstly, there was a manufacturing defect in the corner of the batteries. A particular flaw made the electrodes prone to bending. This could lead to a short-circuit in the battery itself. It was responsible for some of the reported fires. This was the problem in the first batch of batteries, which Samsung reported that it would replace.

Secondly, it started switching production from one battery manufacturer to another. There may be some welding problems that occurred.

Lastly, some of the issues were possibly tied to the lack of insulation tape. These insulation tapes should have been shipped standard on the hardware, but were not.

THE ESSENCE OF THE STORY

This setback illustrates how complex it is to create a smartphone. The problem came down to a short-circuit flaw and to an ambitious pursuit to take a share from Samsung’s primary competitor.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

We learned that success takes time. It is important to carefully inspect every aspect of product development before setting a launch date. Otherwise, you will feel pressured to meet the deadlines and to rush through the vital steps. Same goes for other areas of your career.

Sources: 1,2,3,4, & 5

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