Quote:
Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by definition, not smart enough to debug it.
It takes a badge to say yes
News: Yes, I am single
YOU'RE at the gym doing your usual workout when a friendly woman with a beaming smile struts up to you.
You notice that like yourself, she wears the same 'singles identification badge' on her shirt.
Instantly, both of you hit it off as you realise you're both looking for love.
That, would be the perfect scenario in Mr Evan Diacopolous' world - one which sees his Yes I Am Single (YIS) badge saving the day for lonely, lovelorn singletons.
In April, the 35-year old Australian IT worker started a new dating service called Yes I Am Single.
For A$22.95 ($25), singles can buy a blue-coloured identification badge that has the YIS official website yis.com.au printed on it.
With this little badge, they gain membership to forums, hobby groups and social events to meet people with similar interests.
Non-Australian residents can also buy the badge for A$24.95.
In an e-mail interview with The New Paper, MrDiacopolous said he came up with the idea after several of his friends became disgruntled with online dating channels.
'Many started to turn away from online dating sites as they were disappointed that the person they eventually met in real life, following a series of expensive e-mails, didn't quite live up to expectations,' said the bachelor.
'People tend to lie a little when posting their profiles online.'
Mr Diacopolous explained that the YIS badge works like a 'conversation starter' for singles in everyday situations.
There are no restrictions as to where and when a person should wear their badge - it could be when they are in a group at coffee lounges, at the supermarket, or 10 minutes a day while on the train to work, he added.
'I think that it is everyone's dream to meet their future partner the old-fashioned way, in regular, non-contrived settings,' he said. 'The badge is merely a prompt, a tool to help them achieve this.'
Though the take-up rate for his badge has been slow, Mr Diacopolous readily admitted that he currently has 'just under 100 members in Australia and 20 international members'. He is confident that the numbers will pick up, both in his country, as well as overseas, when he 'starts ramping up publicity and marketing'.
Following some media coverage, Mr Diacopolous said he has had 'subsequent enquiries from people in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Zambia, New Zealand and China'.
'Through the power of the Internet, this could be an internationally-recognised identifier for single people,' he added.
And even in reserved and passive Singapore, it will work, he declared.
'I understand that Singaporeans might be shy about wearing the badge, but it was precisely developed to lend shy people out there a helping hand, to give them the confidence to talk to other singles,' he explained.
'They can wear their badges while they are walking around Chinatown or Little India.'
Not for Singaporeans?
But if Mr Diacopolous plans to promote his singles badge in Singapore, he may have his work cut out for him. Dating agencies and singles we spoke to did not think his concept would take off here.
Ms Ada Wong (left), 31, co-founder of dating agency The Dating Loft, said that would 'take a huge stretch of the imagination'.
'It's simply too bold, like an outright declaration of one's singlehood,' she said.
'From my experience of working with Singaporean singles, many of them are very concerned with issues of privacy and they're definitely not ready to announce to the whole world their status.'
Ms Sue Yeo (below right), 34, founder and managing director of lifestyle dating service Drinks At Eight, shared the sentiment.
'Wearing the badge might attract unnecessary attention,' she said.
'Some singles might become easy targets for jokers, people who wear the badge for fun and are not serious about forming committed relationships.
'Singaporeans would prefer a more formal and professional dating procedure, I'm sure they would want the agency to screen its members first, before they are being introduced to the other party.'
Ms Violet Lim (below left), 28, co-founder of dating agency Lunch Actually, felt that it is important to have enough publicity generated about the concept.
'Take a badge like the one from YIS, which just says yis.com.au on it. Singles might have no idea what it stands for, and it would defeat the whole purpose of one wearing it in the first place,' she said.
Singles The New Paper on Sunday spoke to could not embrace the concept either.
Events executive Karen Kwok, 27, felt that wearing the badge was 'definitely a no-no' for her, as 'it might make people think I am desperate'.
Mr Tam Cheong Yan, 31, a freelance writer, felt that many people still feel 'the social stigma of being labelled as single'.
He does not deny being one of them himself.
'There are too many inhibitions in us,' he said.
Loud
Sports administrator Lu Qi Loong, 35, agreed that the act of wearing a badge is 'kind of loud, in the Singapore context'.
He added sarcastically: 'There's no point in having the badge actually because people who sign up with the dating service are naturally singletons, unless there is an alternative badge that says 'Player'.'
But this is not to say that the concept of using badges would never work when it comes to dating, Ms Lim said.
'Badges might work in a more contained environment,' she noted.
'For example, dating agencies sometimes organise 'traffic-light parties' where singles wear a green badge, those that are attached wear an amber badge, and the married ones wear a red badge.'
'In this setting, singles who are looking for love can seek out fellow singles who are wearing a green badge.
'They wouldn't feel embarrassed or singled out, as that is part of the party's overall theme.'
It sounds like a good idea, but on second thought, it is a bit tacky.
Never say it will never flood
News: Why Orchard Road will never flood...
Well, almost never.
For a flood to hit anywhere in Singapore, it takes a combination of high tides and about 100mm of rainfall within an hour.
And Orchard Road is protected by its mighty rain drain - the Stamford Canal.
Thanks to it, shoppers haven't had to slosh through waist-deep waters since 1960s.
But what makes a good drain?
According to a Ministry of Environment (ENV) spokesman, it's the flow capacity of a drain and not its storage capacity.
In other words, it isn't the size of the boat that matters, but the motion of the ocean.
And Orchard Road's supersucker had plenty of that.
It can empty an Olympic-sized pool before your cup of latte has time to cool.
It's very handy around this time, with La Nina is expected to bring about more wet days in the next two months.
La Nina is the weather phenomenon responsible for the heavier rains and cooler temperatures around the region.
Already, it has increased rainfall by 25 to 30 percent this year, noted a Meteorological Service spokesman.
Singapore's worst ever flood happened in 1978 when 512 mm fell in 24 hours.
Seven people died in that flood.
To prevent such disasters from recurring, the Government has spent some $1.1 billion since 1984 on about 800 km of drains all over Singapore.
How can you do your bit to avoid doing your shopping in sampans?
Simple. Just don't chuck your rubbish in the drains. Let the rain drains do their work, and go with the flow.
The "never" happened on 15 June 2010. And it is low-tide and 100mm of rainfall in 3 hours.
Probable explanation:
- PUB opened the Bukit Timah flood gate to prevent flooding in that area — they said that.
- The downstream canals could not take the load, especially with Rochor Canal in the works.
Not a word about Rochor canal, if you noticed, when it is the elephant in the room.
The rain caught me by surprise too. I was stuck at 3 different bus stops for a total of almost 2 hours. It was a good thing the canals didn't malfunction.
How much for a room?
My brother is shifting to his own flat which is very far from my workplace, so I'm scouting opportunistically for a place near my workplace.
I'm somewhat surprised by what room rentals are going for. $700 for a single tenant common room? This is way beyond what I'm willing to pay.
Remember, rent is money you'll never see again, so it is advisable to minimize it.
This is in a somewhat "hot" area, but it makes me wonder who would pay this.
| Gross pay | After CPF | %age of pay |
|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $1,600 | 43.8% |
| $3,000 | $2,400 | 29.2% |
| $4,000 | $3,200 | 21.8% |
| $5,000 | $4,100 | 17.1% |
My guess is that a person who earns $3k to $4k may be willing to pay for a location near his workplace. Near usually means a short bus trip.
As for me, I don't need a place near MRT. In fact, the further, the better! :-D
My budget is a mere $500 for a common room and $700 for a master bedroom. It'll be a long search.
It is sometimes depressing to note that I still cannot afford to rent nor buy a flat in Singapore after working for so long. :cry:
Country & city mouse
Hot afternoons are best spent in air-con places. Where else to go but one of JB's most modern shopping mall? Overheard:
- A: Wow, this item is even more expensive than KL!
- B: Of course. JB is no small town; it has very high cost of living.
- A: I can't find this high-end brand that I'm looking for.
- B: Well, JB is just a small town; it doesn't have every brand.
To all country mice out there, don't embarass yourselves. :-D
Making the lift come faster
Ever encountered the lift opening to find the person doesn't come in?
Congratulations, you have encountered a person who pressed the opposite direction when he really wanted to go the other way.
Sometimes, I wanted to tell them, "please, it won't make the lift come any faster".
Another common sighting is that a person presses the button repeatedly. This is usually seen at pedestrain crossings.
Will it really make the lights change faster? I doubt it.
Rather, I'm afraid it is a toggle. In other words, the second press cancels the first. However, I have almost never seen this implementation, probably because everyone presses multiple times.
I have seen triple presses acting as a cancel. I was surprised the first time I "discovered" it. I find it very useful, but it is not in widespread use.
Two weeks with the Motorola Milestone
The bad
The phone reboots randomly. It is rare, but it happens. So far, it has happened a few times after I pressed a button. A coincidence? It takes 30s to reboot, which is not too bad, but I lose my browsing session. Now, that is annoying.
It is all too easy to press the soft navigation buttons by accident — even when changing the screen orientation. Pressing 'back' is usually disruptive because there is no 'forward'.
The camera is sub-par. It takes a long time to take a shot, is grainy in low-light and flares in backlight.
The good
The phone has a blue LED indicator to show new SMS. That is nice, because the screen is usually off. (It also has a red and green LED to show other status.)
The physical keyboard is backlit, making it usable in the dark. That is a very nice touch.
Notes from a TX-5 road warrior
Due to the 25mm wide angle lens, I almost always zoom in slightly before I take a photo. Otherwise, the perspective distortion can be very distracting. I won't count it as a shortcoming, though.
Two shortcomings, otherwise it is perfect:
- Battery life is short. So far it is able to last a full day, but I have to remember to charge it after that. It won't last a second day!
- Response is very slightly laggy. It is just enough to be irritating. Switching from photo-taking to gallery is slow; scrolling around a zoomed photo is very slow.
On the HDR (High Dynamic Range; 2 shots): works, but requires a separate mode.
On the handheld twilight mode (6 shots): works for static scene only, but has much less noise.
On the Intelligent Sweep Panorama (multiple shots): very unique look!
On the waterproof-ness: no chance to try it, although everyone offers to test it for me!
Foodcourt cleaners worsen the eating experience
I can't stand foodcourt cleaners.
The way they push and leave their trolleys around, they don't care about your eating experience. I lose my appetite just thinking about it.
How do you eat with the cleaning trolley beside you? I can't.
Three things:
- Can the trolley be smaller?
- Can the trolley be covered?
- Can the trolley not be left beside the patrons?
There must be a better way to clear the tables.
Similarly, some hawker centres place the "cleaning stations" all over the place. Will anyone choose to sit beside them?
The unfated meeting
I scheduled a training session last week. My manager wanted to attend, but he had a meeting conflict, so he asked me to delay it by a few hours. However, I had to schedule it on another day because I could not find an empty room.
Then, due to other circumstances, I could not finish the slides, so I had to postpone the session to this week.
I wanted to do it early this week, but I couldn't find a room. No problem, a collegue said, just go ahead to schedule a time and ask the admin to help me get the room. I followed his suggestion.
Unfortunately, the admin was unable to get a room too. I had to postpone the session once again. Luckily I was able to find a room in the same week — usually quite impossible to do so.
The slides were ready. The room was available. What could go wrong?
My sore throat worsened after lunch on that day. I decided to postpone the session to avoid aggravating it. (I could only speak softly.)
My collegues are now betting that I'll never conduct the session next week either. :lol:
The Asus 1215PN is the one
Rumors on the Asus 1215PN netbook:
- CPU: dual core 1.6 GHz Atom
- Nvidia ION2 (16 core)
- 12.1" LCD (1366x768)
- 1.4 kg
This is just right for me. It is 1201N, except someone pulled the plug because it was using an "unapproved" CPU.
The netbook market has several artifical restrictions. Intel wanted to keep the netbook small (10") and cheap (US$300). Microsoft wanted only low resolution (600 vertical pixels) and Windows XP. Not a chance; the market is bigger than them.
The 1215PN should be available in July. I wonder when it will reach Singapore? And I wonder how much it would cost. S$900?
A really secure toilet
My new office has two toilets. I need to go through 4 doors to go to one, 3 for the other. The toilets are really secure.
The real problem is not the number of doors, but the need to touch the door knobs/handles to open them: I can push the doors open when I go to the toilet, but I need to pull them open after I come out of the toilet. That defeats the purpose of washing my hands.
A few or many birds chirping is the difference
My father wonders why I hate the birds chirping just outside my flat.
Here's why:
- 3 to 5 birds chirping randomly: very annoying and distracting.
- An entire tree of birds chirping constantly: sounds nice.
It becomes white noise in the second case and your brain can filter it out.
Taxi accidents; even insurer cannot take it anymore
News: 60 accidents a day involving taxis
Insurance premiums for taxis have also soared in last few years
TAXI drivers are either the most dangerous or hard-luck drivers on the road. They are behind the wheel of 3 per cent of Singapore's vehicle population but are involved in 14 per cent of the accidents.
Things seem to be getting worse, with taxi companies seeing their premiums soar over the last few years, and one insurer which used to focus on cab insurance dropping out altogether.
Between 2007 and last year, there were about 22,000 accidents each year involving taxis, or an average of 60 a day. It also works out to nearly one accident for every cab on the road.
On average, there were 162,000 motor accidents a year over the same period, or one in every six vehicles.
Taxi insurers were not available to comment, but a senior executive at leading motor insurer Chartis said: 'We do see a rising trend from accidents involving taxis.'
According to the Land Transport Authority, taxis make up less than 3 per cent of the total vehicle population of 933,000.
The accident situation is not unique to Singapore. A 2008 state study in Connecticut found that the taxi accident rate there was more than quadruple that of the passenger vehicle rate.
Some note that taxi drivers have far greater odds of getting into collisions given the long hours they spend on the roads.
And the situation may be worsening.
ComfortDelGro, the largest player with around 15,500 cabs, has seen its insurance expenses rising by millions over the last few years.
Last year, its taxi premiums totalled $71 million - $5 million more than in 2008, and more than double its 2004 bill of $32.4 million. In the meantime, its fleet size has hardly changed.
The smaller players are seeing it too. Smart Taxis managing director Johnny Harjantho said the trend of rising premiums is 'worrying'.
Owner-operators seem to be hit the hardest. One of them, 62-year-old Goh Seow Chai, has been a cabby for 40 years. 'Just three years ago, third-party coverage cost as little as $1,500,' he said. 'Now, it's around $4,000 - if you have been accident-free. If you had accidents, it can be as much as $10,000 to $13,000.
'I know drivers who had to borrow from relatives. They have no choice, they need to drive to make a living.'
Third-party injury liability cover is mandatory for road users in Singapore.
On average, motor premiums for other vehicles have risen by a less drastic 30 per cent since 2004.
Some observers point to an explosion in the number of taxis as having created a situation of supply outstripping demand.
Since the market was liberalised in 2003, the taxi population has soared by 30 per cent to around 25,000 now.
Taxi ridership, on the other hand, has grown by a more modest 9 per cent.
Until a recent fare increase bolstered their take-home pay, cabbies were clocking longer hours and literally racing one another for fares, observers said.
'Some drivers tend to be reckless, and stop or swerve suddenly to pick up fares,' said General Insurance Association (GIA) president Derek Teo. 'I have personally encountered this.'
So have other motorists. In January, lawyer Ye Su Jin, 37, was driving on the Pan-Island Expressway to work one morning when a cab 'cut into my lane, almost hitting me'.
Then he 'jammed (on the) brakes suddenly'; and Ms Ye's car rear-ended the cab.
After the incident, she did some checks and found that the cabby had been involved in five accidents in the past two years.
In April, her insurer received a letter from a law firm acting for the cabby claiming for more than $8,000 in damages, including medical expenses. The case is pending.
Company director Guo Yanhuai, 46, recalled making a turn at a yellow box junction some time in 2006, when a taxi collided with his car at fairly high speed.
Last year, the cabby sued, and Mr Guo's insurer paid out nearly $35,000. It paid another $11,000 for Mr Guo's damages.
Mr Guo's car insurance premium has not soared, a sign that the insurer did not deem him to be more than 20 per cent at fault.
Mr Teo of the GIA said cabbies could actually be competent drivers given their vast experience on the road. 'It all boils down to education to inculcate good driving habits and road safety, plus practising road courtesy and consideration for other road users,' he said.
Hit them where it hurts: insurance.
I'm starting to observe that insurers are raising their premiums (sharply) for accident prone drivers. That is good.
Let people think twice before they claim, and by extension, before they get into an accident. (Too many people think insurance will take care of everything, so they don't care if they get into an accident.)
Glimpsed the Buddha tooth at long last
The Buddha Tooth Relic temple has fasincated me for a long time, but I have never visited it until now.
First of all, it took a long time to build. I used to pass by the boarded-up venue often; I always wondered if it was held up by lack of funds. (It started construction in 2004 and finished in 2007 and costed $50 million.)
I was disappointed when the building was finally completed. It looks good, but it is much smaller and less grand than its concept art. It looks like a prop building than one that houses such a holy relic. It certainly didn't look $50 million.
Despite my reaction, it was a popular place and hence was crowded. Thus, I have avoided it. However, I've always wanted to see the Buddha's tooth for myself.
There are three main attractions for me:
- The Buddha tooth
- The Buddha remains
- The rooftop garden
I only knew about the first before I visited it for the first time. There are other relics, a library and a temple where people chant. However, they pale in contrast to these.
The temple is also bigger than I thought. There are five floors, not including two floors of basement!
The rooftop garden
The rooftop has an orchid garden, but it also has rows after rows of mini Buddha statues where people can "rent" and be part of the temple.
There are two types of statues: gold (plated?) and plastic. The gold ones are indoors — but in the open — and supposedly under observation by CCTV 24/7.
I also saw two Ang Mo tourists whom I mistaken to be nuns on a pilgrimage due to their backpacks and monk-like clothing. However, later I found that girls have to cover up if they are "indecently" exposed.
The Buddha remains
There is a floor that houses the Buddha remains; taken from his various body parts after he was incinerated? They look like very small colorful beads to me. Photos are not allowed.
Color me skeptical.
The Buddha tooth
The Buddha tooth is enclosed in its luxurious gold room. We can only view it from an adjacent room.
The whole room was so full of gold that I was choked with emotions. So much gold to "honour" Buddha? Is that what Buddhism boils down to?
There is a Chinese saying: man needs clothes to dress up, just like Buddha needs gold to do so.
Chinese is very obsessed with gold, perhaps a Chinese buddhist even more.
I suspect it all started in the past because gold could keep its glittering look effortlessly. Giant glittering statues are very awe-inspiring, but sometimes not in the right way — you may end up worshipping the statue!
Anyway, on the Buddha tooth, you got to take a look and make a judgement for yourself. What I have to say is that every religion has their own holy relics and worshippers sometimes end up obsessing over the wrong things.
To sum up
Some religions are too close to commerical operations in Singapore, that turns me off. An exchange of dialogue from a TV show best sums up my thoughts:
- A: The statue in your temple is smaller than the one in our house!
- B: Buddha exists in our heart, not in the statue.
Only in fiction. In reality, the size of the statue matters.
My conscience for 50 cents
I went for a meal yesterday. I was charged four bowls of rice instead of five. For some reason, I kept quiet. It still bugs me now.
My conscience or 50 cents? My choice is clear the next time.
What do you pray for?
The Bugis Guan Yin temple is very crowded on weekends and 1st and 15th (of the Chinese calendar). Many people go there to pray.
Here's how you do it:
- Get a bundle of qian, which are sticks with a number on them.
- Shake them until one falls out.
- Throw a pair of head-tail "stones". If they match, you got to repeat.
- Get a cryptic slip corresponding to the qian's number.
- Look up the explanation in a book.
The question is, what do you pray for?
My father always claims he is an atheist, but whenever he goes to a temple (usually a tourist attraction), he always makes an effort to pray. Unfortunately, he always prays for very mundane things.
I am also an atheist, but I also pray for three things. I can't help it; I'm inspired by the architeture, the atmosphere and all.
I pray for:
- World peace
- A world free from hunger
- Varies, but usually something along the line of inner peace
People usually look at me strangely when I said that. No, I'm not auditioning for Miss Universe, why do you ask? :-D
Well, I'm communicating with a deity, so I should wish for more noble things. Should I have prayed for something more specific or material? :hmm:
Casino changes the local landscape
News: Casino punters mostly locals
Profile of gamblers suggests both IRs must work harder to draw foreigners
WITH Singapore's first casinos in the two integrated resorts (IRs) now open, industry analysts and number crunchers will have plenty of fodder to chew on.
While they say it is too early to predict how well the casinos will do, they seem certain about one thing - that, going by the numbers, both Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and Marina Bay Sands (MBS) need to work harder to court foreign punters.
The surprisingly high number of Singaporean and permanent-resident (PR) punters has been noticed. A recent report by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch noted that they make up 50 per cent to 60 per cent of RWS' casino patrons. Of this lot, nine in 10 pay the $100 levy for a 24-hour turn at the tables, with one in 10 forking out the $2,000 annual fee.
Reports on losing life savings and suicides are already out.
I believe the original intention was to attract Chinese gamblers, but with strict controls by the Chinese government, it is hard to get the "rolling rich" — unless through triad connections. (The Macau way.)
A friend suggested another source of gamblers: from the Middle East. It does make some sense.
Recently, GS even suggested another source: the large pool of foreign workers (1.3mil) in Singapore. They are poorly educated and poorly paid, but they like to gamble. Is that the fate of the world-class IRs?
A humbling experience
A colleague got a very professionally cut non-glare screen protector for his Milestone at SLS for $15. It is very nice, except for the price. There was no Milestone specific protector yet, according to him. SLS was also out of the way for me.
Being a DIY kind of person, I don't mind buying a generic screen protector and cutting it into shape. However, I was unable to find it.
Anyway, one day I had dinner at the town centre, so after that I walked around to find a suitable screen protector. I was surprised to find an entire row of shops selling mobile phone accessories. (I didn't expect so many of them all in one place.)
As expected, none of them had the Milestone screen protector; the phone was too new. Some shops offered to tailor the protector, but unfortunately none had a suitable size (3.7").
Then, I entered this shop manned by two elderly folks; other shops were manned by young people.
Yes, they said they have the Motorola Milestone screen protector.
Sure or not, I thought, it is such a new phone. They don't look like they keep up with the trend.
Then they brought out a package with an unfamiliar handphone image and a "Milestone" label. I was disappointed. I told them it was not for my Milestone.
No, the image is generic, they said.
Still skeptical, I took the protector out and overlayed on my phone. It was a perfect fit. It is the Milestone's screen protector!
It was a normal version, so it was only $6. I had to apply it myself, which turned out to be easier than expected. The protector was thick, so it wouldn't form air bubbles easily.
When I asked about the non-glare version, they said Motorola is not popular in Singapore, so it is hard to say if there will be one. They know their stuff — I later found out Motorola handphones are an also-ran.
I am humbled by this encounter.
World Cup, world class style
News: World Cup football matches to be shown "live" in Singapore
It's official! Football fans in Singapore will be able to catch the 2010 World Cup action 'live' on their television screens.
Both SingTel and StarHub have secured non-exclusive rights to broadcast 'live' all 64 matches of the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
The good news was delivered by both telcos in their media statements on Friday.
The two telcos are offering subscribers early-bird World Cup football package priced at S$66 on or before 31 May, after which it will cost S$88.
As for MediaCorp, it said it is finalising arrangements with the two telcos to air four key World Cup matches on free-to-air Channel 5 and HD5.
The four matches that will be telecast live with same day encores are: opening match, two semi-finals and finals. Such an arrangement would be subject to FIFA's approval.
SingTel and StarHub subscribers will get to view the matches on two dedicated World Cup channels.
The main World Cup channel, FIFA World Cup Channel 1, will air the 'live' telecast of 56 matches, primetime repeats of the matches, delayed telecast of eight simulcast matches, as well as pre- and post-match features and daily match highlights on all platforms.
FIFA World Cup Channel 2 will offer the 'live' telecast of eight simulcast matches.
StarHub's Chief Operating Officer Tan Tong Hai said: "We negotiated hard for the World Cup rights for over a year, with the best interest of the nation at heart. We are thrilled to be able to bring viewers in Singapore to the heart of the sporting action in South Africa."
SingTel's chief of content and media services, Edward Ying, said that despite the challenging negotiations, "the focus at the heart of it was the football fans in Singapore".
FIFA director of TV, Niclas Ericson, said that he is pleased at the successful conclusion to the negotiations and that "viewers throughout Singapore will be able to celebrate the best that football has to offer".
StarHub and SingTel declined to reveal the cost of their separate bids.
Asked if the S$66 early-bird price is too high compared to what was charged in the last World Cup, both parties said the price was arrived after doing a market survey. As there are some 64 matches to be aired, this will also will translate to just a dollar per match.
"When you say $66 is high, let me just be clear that they pay about a dollar a game to watch in the comfort of their homes. I think it is reasonable. I think they can afford it. It is less than a cup of coffee," said SingTel's Edward Ying.
When asked if the delay in negotiations would result in a loss in advertising revenue, resulting in the costs being passed on to consumers, Mr Ying replied: "The answer is obviously 'no'. We have determined the price, we can't change tomorrow and charge $100 because we don't have advertising dollars.
"We map out what what we think the market could bear was the best price - a dollar a match is hard for Singaporeans to complain, they can watch it 'live' in the comfort of their home. We think that it's the best price. That's why we need a lot of subscribers for us to break even."
On MediaCorp's intentions to broadcast four matches on free-to-air channels, both telcos said they have no objections. Both are now looking into the due process to help realise this.
They said the free-to-air channels would reach out to a bigger audience and this is something to be welcomed.
Turning to the fans, are they willing to fork out S$66 to watch the matches?
"Yeah, it's okay, not too bad. Anything more, I'll say 'forget it. Don't watch it'," said a fan.
"I'm quite happy with the price. Honestly, even slightly higher, I'll still pay for it," said another.
"Well, if soccer is our passion and it's in the blood, then why not?" said a third.
"I don't think I'll be subscribing. If there's a need, then I'll just catch the delayed telecast," said a fourth fan.
$71 (after GST) is more than 4 times the previous price for the last World Cup. At that time, people were already complaining having to pay separately for it.
StarHub bidded S$5 million in 2006 and asked subscribers to pony up $25 more ($15 for early ones). It looks like the bid this time is around S$20 million.
Standard business model in Singapore: cost is no object, because it can be passed to the consumers.
Will you be held hostage this time?
An advice: don't rely on the net so much. It will either be congested or even blocked outright.
The emperor has no clothes
News: Stocks plunge as trading glitch suspected
Stocks plunged 9 percent in the last two hours of trading on Thursday before clawing back some of the losses as a suspected trading glitch and fears of a new credit crunch in Europe threw markets into disarray.
The Dow suffered its biggest ever intraday point drop -- 998.5 points. The market's fall may have been exacerbated by an erroneous trades that showed some shares briefly fell to nearly zero.
The situation remained unclear long after the closing bell as the Nasdaq Stock Market and others said they would cancel multiple erroneous trades. Other exchanges scrambled to examine orders.
"We did not know what a stock was worth today, and that is a serious problem," Joe Saluzzi of Themis Trading in New Jersey told Reuters Insider.
Indexes recovered some of their losses heading into the close to end down about 3 percent, the biggest fall since April 2009. Equities erased much of their gains for the year.
The sell-off comes at a tense time for investors and Wall Street, with fraud charges against Goldman Sachs, fears of a wave of debt defaults in Europe and increasing clamor for financial regulation.
Volume soared to twice its daily average for this year and was at its highest since October 2008 when financial markets seized up after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers.
Some traders around the world were shaken from their beds and told to start trading amid the plunge as investors sought to stem losses in the rapid sell-off.
The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 347.80 points, or 3.20 percent, to 10,520.32. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 37.75 points, or 3.24 percent, to 1,128.15. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 82.65 points, or 3.44 percent, to 2,319.64.
At 2:47 p.m. the selling peaked and indexes plummeted across the board with several falling to nearly zero. They included Boston Beer, Radian Group, Exelon Corp. and Centerpoint.
The CBOE Volatility Index, known as Wall Street's fear gauge, closed up more than 30 percent at its highest level since May 2009.
The sell-off was broad and deep with all 10 of the S&P 500 sectors falling from 2 percent to 4 percent. The financial sector index was the worst hit, tumbling 4.1 percent.
Selling hit major stocks including Bank of America,the biggest percentage loser on the Dow with a 7.1 percent drop to $16.28. All 30 components of the Dow closed lower.
Nasdaq and NYSE's ARCA trading unit said they will cancel trades executed between 2:40 p.m. and 3 p.m. where a stock price rose or fell more than 60 percent from the last trade in that security at 2:40 p.m.
Investors had been on edge throughout the trading day after the European Central Bank did not discuss the outright purchase of European sovereign debt as some had hoped they would to calm markets. The ECB gave verbal support to Greece's savings plan instead, disappointing some investors.
With markets seriously shaken and still fearful of Europe's mounting debt crisis, thoughts turned to Friday's release of U.S. non-farm payrolls for April by the Labor Department.
The report is one the most important on the economic calendar as investors try to judge the strength of the U.S. recovery.
Rick Campagna, portfolio manager at 300 North Capital LLC in Pasadena, said stocks may bounce off their lows but said the lift would likely be short-lived.
"You'll probably see some sort of bounce. I don't think it's going to be long lasting or all that strong, but that's probably what you'll see," he said. "I don't think the correction is over."
S&P 500 index futures were volatile and pointed to a nearly 1 percent drop at the open on Friday, falling 8.3 points three hours after the close.
About 19.13 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. Last year's estimated daily average was 9.65 billion.
Decliners outnumbered advancers on the New York Stock Exchange by a ratio of more than 17 to 1, while on the Nasdaq, more than seven stocks fell for every one that rose.
Is the recovery real? This is your answer.
There is volume, but no liquidity. What does it mean? Two programs passing shares between each other creates an illusion of volume. But that is all it is — an illusion. You really want to sell? The illusion is broken.
Throwing everything away
My office is shifting. Our cubes are downsized by 50%. As a result, everyone is busy throwing stuff away. The scrap area is full every day, even though the vendor clears it daily.
On one hand, it is good because it forces you to throw away some of the older stuff that you may never use again. On the other hand, some equipment is discarded even though they are working. There is no room to be sentimental when space is scarce.