Dubai’s flag-carrier airline is the most impressive brand amongst women in the UAE

Source: YouGov. 2019 Women's Choice Rankings, top 10 for the UAE.

Emirates tops the UAE women’s YouGov BrandIndex Women's Rankings* for the 3rd time in a row, and has received the highest positive Impression score of +70.0 among women in the UAE. WhatsApp also holds on to second position this year, while Carrefour moves up one place in the list to 3rd, replacing Apple which has dropped one place to 4th.

The rankings were compiled using the Impression score from YouGov’s daily brand tracker, BrandIndex, by asking respondents, “Which of the following brands do you generally have a positive/negative feeling about?” over the past 12 months.

Last year Emirates paid a tribute to its female employees for International Women’s Day through a video entitled Superwomen flight. The movie showcased an all-female crew operating the flight from UAE to San Francisco, USA. The video created a lot of noise and was received positively.

Another brand that has managed to boost its Impression among women in the UAE is Samsung, which has moved up from 8th to 5th this year. Likewise, Almarai has improved its perception among women since its debut in 10th last year and is now in 9th place.

Baskin-Robbins has improved steadily year-on-year, and is in 6th this year. Facebook, on the other hand, exits the list in 2019.

The past year has been difficult for technology brands. Scores for those in the top 10 list declined year-on-year. Google and iPhone both move down two places from last year to 7th and 8th respectively, and YouTube has seen a consistent slide, from 6th in 2017 to 7th in 2018 and now at the bottom of the list in 10th for 2019.

YouGov also revealed the 10 brands that made the largest improvement to their Impression scores over the past 12 months. Coca-Cola is the most improved brand of the past year among women with a change in score of +10.1, going from an Impression score of 7.4 in 2018 to 17.5 in 2019.

Netflix’s original content may be one of the factors impressing women in the UAE as it has become the second-most improved brand with a score of 23.4 this year (up +9.9 from 13.5 last year). Fast-food chains like KFC and McDonald’s seem to be resonating well with women and have also registered improvement.

Newly-opened entertainment venue Warner Bros. World, fabric softener Downy and Chinese mobile giant Huawei are some of the other top improvers. Finally, food brands Lacnor and Sadia complete the list as the 9th and 10th most improved brands.

*The 586 brands in the UAE for the YouGov BrandIndex were ranked using the Impression score, which asks respondents, “Overall, of which of the following brands do you have Positive/Negative impression?” Scores are net scores, calculated by subtracting the percentage of negative responses from the percentage of positive responses for each brand.

The Women’s Rankings chart shows the brands with the highest average Impression scores between February 1, 2018 and January 31, 2019. The Impression Improvers chart ranks the brands with the highest increase in Impression scores when comparing the scores for the 12 months ending January 31, 2019 and the 12-month period ending January 31, 2018. To be included the year-over-year variance must be positive. Scores are representative amongst women.

All Impression scores listed have been rounded to a single decimal place. However, YouGov has used additional precision to assign ranks.

All brands must be tracked for at least six months to be included in the rankings, and must have been tracked for at least six months in the prior year’s period (as well as being currently tracked) to appear in the movers tables.

Demand for HR and admin professionals sees upturn in Malaysia

HR and administrative (admin) job roles in Malaysia have entered positive territory for the first time since March 2018, with numbers up 2% year-on-year in December.

In the short- term, this job-role category also saw an improved growth rate, exhibiting 4% growth month-on-month and 2% growth on a three-month basis. The positive sentiment was echoed in the Philippines as online hiring demand for HR and admin professionals in the country continues to soar, to the tune of 22% year-on-year.

Demand for HR and admin interns in Malaysia and Philippines continued to be the highest of all occupations surveyed, at 13% and 5%, respectively. These findings are from the latest Monster Employment Index (MEI), a monthly gauge of online hiring activity across Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines tracked by Monster.com. The MEI comprises data of overall hiring activity in each country, as well as specific data in the HR and admin sector.

The job role however is one of the lowest-growth occupations in Singapore. It registered an overall decline of 2% year-on-year.

“As the year ended, the online demand for HR and admin professionals in Malaysia swung upward to clock in a positive year-on-year growth after nine months of decline. It was also one of the three job roles that exhibited positive growth among the nine monitored by the index,” said Abhijeet Mukherjee, CEO of Monster.com – APAC & Middle East.

“Careers are no longer simply defined by jobs and skills but through learning agility and experiences. The ongoing transformation of work, the need for people and organisations to constantly upgrade capabilities and evolve, and shifts in employee preferences demand new approaches to performance management, job design and career development.

"As rapidly advancing technologies and team-centred business models drive organisations to redesign themselves, leaders must keep up to create new career models and build a culture of learning.”

The MEI is a monthly gauge of online job posting activity based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large representative selection of career websites and online job listings across Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. The index does not reflect the trend of any one advertiser or source, but is an aggregate measure of the change in job listings across the industry.

Source: Monster. Demand for HR and admin jobs.

Amazon shares Christmas bestsellers from Prime Now Singapore orders

Amazon has shared bestsellers ordered by Prime Now customers in Singapore as it enjoys a record-breaking holiday season globally. Customers enjoyed Ultra-Fast Delivery with Prime Now throughout the season, with tens of thousands of items shipped even up until the last minute. The last Prime Now order was delivered at 22:23 on 24 December.

“We were delighted to see the number of customers in Singapore shopping via Prime Now in the run up to Christmas and the number of customers that took advantage of starting a Prime free trial or began a paid membership,” said Kourosh Kaghazian, Country Manager, Amazon Singapore.

“We look forward to continuing to work hard on behalf of customers in 2019 by increasing selection, offering low prices and delivering convenience with ultra-fast delivery from Prime Now.”

Some of the items available on Prime Now ahead of the festive season.

Amazon bestsellers in Singapore included:

Toys

- Monopoly Game: Cheater Edition

  

- Monopoly Game: Ultimate Banking Edition and 

- Jenga

Electronics

- Sennheiser HD Special Edition Wireless Headphones with active cancellation, 

- Belkin Economy Series 6-Socket Surge Protector and 

- AmazonBasics High-speed HDMI cable (6 ft).

Video DVDs

- John Wick 4K Ultra HD

- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

- The Equalizer

- Mission: Impossible – Fallout and 

- Hacksaw Ridge Music

- Love (Michael Buble)

- Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)

- Si (Andrea Bocelli) and 

- A Star is Born (original motion soundtrack)

Video games

- Diablo 3 Eternal Collection 

- Just Dance 2019

- Oculus Go Standalone Virtual Reality Headset

- Nintendo Switch Pro Controller – Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Edition

- Overcooked! 2

Groceries

 -Meiji Fresh Milk

- Bananas

- Tomatoes

- Carrots

- Broccoli and 

- Blueberries

Health & Personal Care

- Kleenex Ultra Soft toilet tissue

- Scotch Kitchen Towels and Mama Lemon dishwashing liquid

- Kleenex Ultra Soft bath tissue and 

- Kleenex Ultra Soft face tissue

Kitchen

- Biogreen Disposable 9" Plate, Milky White

- Biogreen Disposable Fork, Milky White,

- Biogreen Disposable Spoon, Milky White and

- Bel 1105H Aluminum Tray Small

Details:

Anyone in Singapore can join Amazon Prime or start a 30-day free trial by downloading the Prime Now app.

IT, BFSI and advertising lead Singapore’s online hiring uptrend

● Online recruitment in Singapore saw a positive uptrend in November 2018, with 5% year-on-year (YoY)  growth since November 2017.

● IT/telecom recorded the most positive growth among industries, with a 22% YoY spike. 

● In terms of occupations, software/hardware/telecom professionals were most in demand, with 8% year-on-year growth 

● Healthcare professionals witnessed the most significant demand drop of 10% between November 2017 and November 2018.

Online hiring in Singapore experienced a rise last month, recording a 5% year-on-year growth between November 2017 and 2018, according to the Monster Employment Index (MEI). This is a significant rise of four points from October's 1% rate, reflecting a positive uptrend. 

Leading with 22% year-on-year growth was the IT, telecom, BPO/ITES industry, which saw the steepest growth since March 2018. Other industries that are in the growth phase were BFSI and advertising, up 16% and 15% year-on-year respectively. 

While BFSI has always been propelling Singapore’s employment landscape, advertising witnessed double-digit growth for the first time in eight months. On the flip side, industries that saw a decline in online hiring from November 2017 were hospitality (4% year-on-year drop), shipping/marine (3% drop), consumer goods (2% drop) and healthcare (1%). 

In terms of job roles monitored by the Monster Employment Index, software/ hardware/ telecom professionals were most in-demand with 8% year-on-year growth for the month of November. Other professions that grew in demand were marketing & communications, customer service and finance & accounts, with 6%, 5% and 5% year-on-year growth, respectively. 

Healthcare professionals witnessed a significant drop of 10% from November 2017 to 2018, better than October’s 14% decline, but still with a long way to go. Demand for hospitality and real estate professionals also recorded a decline of 4% and 2%, respectively. 

“Technology is evolving at an exponential pace, and while some may say that automation is taking away human jobs, it is actually creating a whole range of new roles which didn’t exist before. Companies are investing in artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate processes, and the workforce needs to be trained to work alongside these technologies to achieve maximum productivity,” said Abhijeet Mukherjee, CEO of Monster.com – APAC and Middle East. 

“The IT industry recorded an impressive 22% year-on-year growth, propelling Singapore’s online hiring growth this month. In order to maintain this momentum, employers and educators need to work towards developing 21st-century technological competencies in the current and upcoming workforce.” 

The Monster Employment Index is a monthly gauge of online job posting activity, based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large representative selection of career websites and online job listings across Singapore. The index does not reflect the trend of any one advertiser or source, but is an aggregate measure of the change in job listings across the industry.

Source: Monster. Monster Employment Index figures for job categories with the most (left) and least (right) demand for new hires, Singapore, November 2018.

Source: Monster. Monster Employment Index figures for industries with the most (left) and least (right) demand for new hires, Singapore, November 2018.

2018 will be remembered for GDPR impact

In 2018, all of us got used to giving privacy permissions on our apps, subscriptions and websites, thanks to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Although the GDPR affects residents of the European Union (EU), penalties still apply for companies doing business outside of the EU, so long as EU residents are involved. This has made GDPR a global concern, rather than just a European concern.

Several vendors have highlighted the impact that GDPR has had:

Source: Sage. Wherrett.

Arlene Wherrett, VP and MD, Sage Asia said, “The GDPR perhaps had the biggest impact on businesses this year. With the new GDPR requirements on data privacy, businesses can no longer leave the security and privacy of their customers’ data on the back-burner. GDPR is also timely in providing an opportunity for businesses to audit their own data management and operational processes. This provides them with a chance to weed out system inefficiencies allowing them to put in place a foundation for greater success in the new data-driven business landscape.”

“The value of consumer consent will also continue to be a key focus area in 2019. We will see an increasing emphasis on regulations to protect consumer data, ensuring businesses are extracting and using information transparently and securely. Businesses and industries will need to keep up with data security measures, while still enabling meaningful consumer experiences,” said Experian Asia Pacific's CEO Ben Elliott.

Privacy by design

Source: Micro Focus. McNulty.

“2018 revealed the importance of consumer privacy and data protection, with the implementation of regulations such as the GDPR bringing 'privacy by design' to the fore. As numerous data breach incidents have shown, organisations must have a complete overview of the data collection processes – what is being collected, how it is being utilised, stored and encrypted – or risk bearing the brunt of losing stakeholders’ trust,” noted Stephen McNulty, President, Asia Pacific and Japan, Micro Focus.

“Consistent data security should be centrally managed, so developers will not have to worry about policy and can get on with advancing the business with innovation and insight. 2019 will be the year where businesses will shift towards data-level security solutions such as analytics and machine learning – coupled with a unified, uncompromising approach towards implementing such solutions as part of the core business and consumer engagement strategy,” he said.

Source: Cloudera.

Micallef.

McNulty explained that developers today typically do not have time to think about risks, “hence data-security and privacy controls should be built and embedded into their systems by default, rather than added as an afterthought”.

Figuring out privacy in the cloud

The cloud brings complexity in complying with regulations like GDPR, added Mark Micallef, VP, Asia Pacific and Japan, Cloudera.

“Despite its benefits, cloud presents two major challenges to organisations: it increases the possibility of data leaks, and makes it difficult to determine the applicable privacy law as it is not always clear where data in the cloud is physically stored.

Source: Symantec. Trilling.

"With the EU General Data Protection Regulation being enforced in May this year, it is now important for organisations to ensure that the cloud services they use are compliant and that the systems and applications they design do not expose risk,” Micallef said.

“Although the GDPR isn’t a global regulation, it also affects organisations located outside of Europe as long as they collect and store personal data of European citizens. Already, Cloudera customers and organisations that would not be subject to GDPR are taking it as their starting point for their own personal data privacy and protection guidelines. This is in addition to their efforts to comply with their country-specific privacy regulations such as Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act and Australia’s Privacy Act 1998," Micallef observed.

“Expanding GDPR to become a global regulation is a certainly a potential further evolution. For it to become a truly global regulation though, it will first need to prove its worth in its current form; once that has progressed well and has proven workable, the chances of it influencing international practice will be much higher.”

Source: Symantec.

Thompson.

More privacy-related regulations to come

“The European Union’s mid-2018 implementation of the GDPR will likely prove to be just a precursor to various security and privacy initiatives in countries outside the European Union... Australia and Singapore have enacted a 72-hour breach notice inspired by the GDPR, and India is considering GDPR-inspired legislation. Multiple other countries across the globe have adequacy or are negotiating GDPR adequacy,” said Hugh Thompson, Symantec's CTO and Steve Trilling, Senior VP and GM, Security Analytics and Research at Symantec.

“While we are almost certain to see upticks in legislative and regulatory actions to address security and privacy needs, there is a potential for some requirements to prove more counterproductive than helpful. For example, overly broad regulations might prohibit security companies from sharing even generic information in their efforts to identify and counter attacks. If poorly conceived, security and privacy regulations could create new vulnerabilities even as they close others.”

Source: Experian. Elliott.

“2018 was all about GDPR and the ramifications this change in European data regulations would have on how organisations conducted business globally. In 2019, privacy will continue to be an area of focus for the global market, as new regulations such as e-privacy start to be fleshed out and additional regions such as the US look to implement their own data privacy laws, all of which could have global financial impact," predicted Laurence Pitt, Global Security Strategy Director, Juniper Networks and Mounir Hahad, Head of Juniper Threat Labs, Juniper Networks.
 
"2019 will also be the year that many large non-European players will come to grips with the ramifications of GDPR as it is put into practice.”

Source: Juniper Networks. Pitt.

Wherrett said that other legislative changes have affected businesses in 2018, adding to the responsibilities of CFOs and accounting departments.

“For example, new taxation laws like the Sales and Services Tax (SST) in Malaysia and the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India can pose significant challenges for businesses operating in these markets.

"For CFOs and accounting practice partners, this means reviewing financial projections as well as implementing new practices to incorporate the regulatory changes. Moreover, many finance professionals will also need to manage these regulatory changes while going through a role transformation as their organisations continue to adapt to digitalisation," she said.

Last-minute Christmas gift guide for Singapore, 2018

The end of the year is often filled with parties and presents. Have you got everything you need? Here are some ideas:

Party accessories

Creative home genuine marble stone, S$55.20

 

Source: Amazon. Creative home genuine marble stone.

A marble disc for the base of a cheese platter, keeping your food cooler.

Source: Amazon. Nutcracker napkins.

Michel Design Works paper luncheon napkin, nutcracker, S$11.83

Nutcracker-inspired napkins to highlight the festive mood.The company specialises in bath, body, home fragrances, accessories and home decor.

Available via the Amazon Prime Now app.

Christmas delicacies

Alleosse Roquefort Carles AOP, S$22.80

A unique marriage of homemade bread spices with orange make this high-end specialty cheese salty, savoury and creamy.

Available via the Amazon Prime Now app.

Source: Amazon.

Bonifanti La Nostra Torta apples & raisin Christmas soft cake, S$25.50

This cake comes prepackaged in a convenient box. La Nostra Torta is a specialty pastry fragrant with cinnamon that has raisins and slices of candied apple in it.

Available via the Amazon Prime Now app.

Maison Fossier honey gingerbread, S$14.73

The recipe for this gingerbread was created in 16th century Reims, France. Chefs came up with the idea of adding honey, lemon zest, orange blossom and almonds to bread to lift its flavour.

Available via the Amazon Prime Now app.

Luxury toiletries

Aesop body cleansing slab, S$31

Source: Aesop website. Body cleansing slab.

This large bar (310 g) has a fresh citrus and floral scent and is designed to leave skin feeling cleansed and refreshed. Contains bergamot rind, Tahitian lime, and ylang ylang.

Available online or visit a store  

Aesop rind concentrate body balm, S$49

Swiftly absorbed, this balm has a fresh citrus fragrance. Orange and lemon rind oils cool and refresh the skin, while nut oil extracts to soften and lightly hydrate. This product also contains pink grapefruit. The smaller version is 120 ml. There is a larger version that is 500 ml.

Available online or visit a store  

Source: Aesop website. Ginger Flight

Aesop Ginger Flight Therapy, S$41

This pulse-point aromatherapy roll-on has ginger root, lavender, and geranium to calm and uplift. Aesop says to apply it directly onto the neck, temples, wrists, behind the ears and on the abdomen when stressed, feeling nausea or tired.

Available online or visit a store  

Snappier looks

LG Styler, S$3,099

Dress more sharply with the LG Styler. Its TrueSteam technology uses steam to remove wrinkles and sanitise clothing, eliminating over 99% of allergens and bacteria¹.

Source: LG. The LG Styler.

The Moving Hanger, which operates at 180 revolutions per minute, slides the clothes side to side as they bathe in a mist of steam. A special door compartment enables the LG Styler to add a crease to dress pants. 

Technology toys

Air by crazybaby^(NANO), S$199

Source: Hwee Seng Electronics. Air by crazybaby ^(NANO) is available in 10 colours.

Air by crazybaby ^(NANO) is a compact and colourful family of wireless stereo headphones. They support Bluetooth 5.0 and have 12 hours of battery life. 

They are available in Black, White, Red, Purple, Pink, Matte Gold, Austin Yellow, Morandi Blue, Atlantis Green, and Volt Green. In Singapore, Air by crazybaby ^(NANO) is on sale at Audio House, Best Denki, Elush, Harvey Norman, Polaris, Popular, Singtel, SprintCass, and Takashimaya. 

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about the Air by crazybaby (NANO) earphones

Canon EOS R, from S$3,399 (body only)

Source: Canon. The EOS R is a full-frame mirrorless camera.

Canon’s first full-frame mirrorless camera boasts a 30.3 MP, 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor, a DIGIC 8 image processor, focus speed of 0.05 seconds and 5,655 focusing positions.

The EOS R also records videos in Ultra High Definition 4K at 30p/25p and offers flexible control over shadows and highlights for high-quality videos.

What’s more, with the new series of RF mount adapters, the EOS R is now compatible with existing EF mount lenses.

The EOS R Kit (RF24-105mm f/4L IS USM) costs S$5,098.

Available at all Canon authorised dealers.

Canon Mini Photo Printer, S$189

Source: Canon. The Canon Mini Photo Printer.

Canon’s newest and smallest photo printer weighs 160 g. With Bluetooth pairing, smudge-proof and scratch-resistant glossy photo prints can be printed directly from smartphones. Prints also have a peel-and-stick reverse side.

From now till 31 December 2018, every purchase of the Canon Mini Photo Printer will come with a special Tokidoki premiums bundle worth S$98, including a special edition pouch, lanyard, charm, printer body stickers and denim tote bag.

The Canon Mini Photo Printer has a white lid and a back which is available in Rose Gold, Mint Green or Slate Grey. Available at all Canon authorised dealers.

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about the Canon Mini Photo Printer

Canon PIXMA creative printers, from S$299

The PIXMA TS8270 (S$299) and TS9570 (S$459) printers are all about creativity.

They come with 45 preset scrapbooking pattern templates that can be printed directly and A3 printing capabilities.

With the new Nail Sticker Creator app, creating and printing customised nail art designs becomes quick and easy. The app is free for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and is compatible with Android 5.1 and later, iOS 10.

The PIXMA TS8270 is available in red, white and black while the newer PIXMA TS9570 comes in black.

Available at all Canon authorised dealers.

Source: Canon. The PowerShot SX740 HS.

Canon PowerShot SX740 HS, S$529

Powered by the DIGIC 8 image processor that enables high-power zoom, auto lighting optimisation and 4K movie shoots and a 20.3 MP high ISO speed CMOS sensor, the PowerShot SX740 HS camera achieves superb image quality even in low-light conditions.

A 4K frame Grab function allows for high-resolution still images to be extracted from video footage. With an auto transfer and auto uploading feature, users can easily share their experiences on social media.

Available at all Canon authorised dealers.

Canon RAYO S1, S$599

Source: Canon. The RAYO S1.

Measuring 105 x 105 x 20 mm and weighing 240 g, the RAYO S1 mini projector is highly portable. It allows media stored on smart devices to be streamed directly via either wired or wireless networks.

Additionally, the multifunction device can also act as a Bluetooth speaker, a portable power bank and an external hard drive for data storage.

Available at all Canon authorised dealers.

Source: LG. The LG B8S 4K OLED TV.

The LG B8S OLED TV, 65” - S$6,399 / 55” - S$4,299 and SK10Y sound bar, S$1,999

Get superb image and sound quality with this TV, launched in Singapore in October. By using LG’s proprietary algorithm, Enhanced Dynamic Tone mapping, the TV processes HDR images dynamically frame by frame. It also supports Dolby Atmos, which offers object-based surround sound.

Source: LG. The LG SK10Y sound bar.

Augment the sound quality with the SK10Y. Offering 550W of powerful output and supporting 5.1.2 channels by harnessing the power of Dolby Atmos technology, its sound is immersive. 

Unique “sound objects” can be placed anywhere in a three-dimensional space, including the ceiling, to evoke a sense of heightened realism. The SK10Y also includes a pair of up-firing speakers to envelop the
listener from every angle. 

Find out where to buy

LG XBOOM Go Speakers, from S$169 

Source: LG. The LG XBOOM Go speakers.

Create a party atmosphere with splash-proof² XBOOM Go portable speakers. Turn on Enhanced Bass³ for a stronger bass line and richer audio. The Clear Vocal⁴ mode ensures the vocal range remain crisp at any volume. Buoyed by aptX HD⁵ technology, the speakers also support superb lossless 24 bit/576 kbps hi-resolution streaming audio.

Find out where to buy

LG PC389 Pocket Photo Snap, S$249

Source: LG. The Pocket Photo Snap.

This hybrid of an instant camera and a portable printer allows meaningful moments to be captured in print. The device offers a 5 million-pixel resolution and will print 30 images on a single charge. It also connects to a smartphone and PC tablet via Bluetooth to print photos taken by other Android and iOS devices. 

Find out where to buy

LG G7+^ThinQ , S$1,198

Source: LG. The LG
LG G7+^ThinQ.

This smartphone comes with an 8 MP front camera and a 16 MP rear camera in both standard and super wide angle configurations.

The LG G7+^ThinQ also comes with a Super Bright Camera feature that brightens images up to four times more than typical photos shot in dim light. There are also Super Bright Display, Boombox Speaker and a Super Far Field Voice Recognition features.

For permanent reminders, the LG G7+^ThinQ is also compatible with the LG PC389 Pocket Photo Snap (above), enabling memories to be printed immediately.

Find out where to buy

Sonos Beam (bundled with the wireless subwoofer), S$1,749

Source: Sonos. The Sonos Beam soundbar.

Featuring a minimalist, compact and versatile design, the Sonos Beam soundbar is equipped with smart voice control and cinematic sound.

Available at all Sonos stores and and selected Sonos authorised dealers.

Sonos One speaker, two for S$588

Source: Sonos. The Sonos One.

The Sonos One comes fully equipped with smart voice controls in a compact design that is can fill a room with immersive sound. Connect two or more speakers wirelessly for multiroom listening.

Available at all Sonos stores and and selected Sonos authorised dealers.

Sonos Playbase, S$1,149

Playbase was created for TVs that are not wall mounted, but placed on stands and furniture. It securely supports TVs up to 35 kg and makes watching entertainment an immersive experience.

Available at all Sonos stores and and selected Sonos authorised dealers.

Source: Sonos. The Sonos Playbase.

Pantry necessities

Source: BODUM. The ePEBO coffee maker.

Bodum ePebo electrical vacuum coffee machine, S$369

The vacuum brewing process offers a balance of temperature and time for the best cup of java.

Available online or at Best Denki, Courts, Kris Shop, Metro, Robinsons, Takashimaya and Tangs.

Bodum BISTRO electric water kettle (double-walled), S$179

Due to the double-walled system the insulation is better so the water stays hot for longer. The inner wall is in contact with the water, and is made from borosilicate glass, a neutral material to keep water pure. The outer wall is made from clear plastic; it protects the glass from shocks.

The 1.1 l BISTRO electric water kettle comes in  black or white.

Available online or at Best Denki, Courts, Kris Shop, Metro, Robinsons, Takashimaya and Tangs.

Staycation

Alternatively, you could get away from it all with a quick staycation.

Mandarin Oriental Sip, Shop and Spa package, from S$1,380 

Mandarin Oriental, Singapore's new Sip, Shop and Spa room package includes a stay at an Ocean Grand Room, where guests can enjoy harbour views from a balcony, before visiting the new MO BAR for afternoon tea delights and refreshing drinks.

They can visit Marilyn Tan’s Jewellery atelier in Tiong Bahru for a coveted private consultation with Tan herself. Tan is one of Singapore’s top jewellery designers, with collections shown from London, UK to Chicago, US.

Rejuvenation awaits with a 120-minute Oriental Qi treatment at The Spa that includes a hands-on essential oil body massage that works on meridian energy.

The Sip, Shop and Spa package includes:

- Accommodation for two nights in an Ocean Grand Room

- Exclusive Marilyn Tan gift

- Return limousine transfer to Marilyn Tan Jewellery’s Atelier

- Private consultation with Tan

- Drinks, bar nibbles and afternoon tea at MO BAR

- An Oriental Qi Spa treatment per person <- at="" br="" breakfast="" buffet="" caf="" daily="" international="" melt="">
<- at="" br="" breakfast="" buffet="" caf="" daily="" international="" melt="">Valid until 31 May 2019, room rates are per room per night, based on double occupancy and subject to 10% service charge and prevailing government tax. A minimum two-night stay is required.


<- at="" br="" breakfast="" buffet="" caf="" daily="" international="" melt="">There is also a Wellness Retreat that is valid till 31 December 2018. This package includes:

- Accommodation in Ocean View Room

- Sixty-minute yoga or personal training session

- Ninety-minute Mineral Wellness Massage at The Spa

- Spa Lunch at Dolce Vita for two adults

- Daily breakfast served in Melt Café for two adults
<- at="" br="" breakfast="" buffet="" caf="" daily="" international="" melt="">
Rates begin at S$1,190 per night. 
<- at="" br="" breakfast="" buffet="" caf="" daily="" international="" melt="">
<- at="" br="" breakfast="" buffet="" caf="" daily="" international="" melt="">Reserve an Ocean Grand Room


<- at="" br="" breakfast="" buffet="" caf="" daily="" international="" melt="">Hashtag: #mandarinoriental


<- at="" br="" breakfast="" buffet="" caf="" daily="" international="" melt="">Details:


<- at="" br="" breakfast="" buffet="" caf="" daily="" international="" melt="">The local tab on the Amazon Prime Now app brings tens of thousands of items to the doorstep. Prime members in Singapore can still receive their shopping in a free two-hour delivery by 10 pm on Christmas Eve for orders over S$40.

Amazon has also announced regular Prime Now delivery hours from 10 am to 10 pm on Christmas Day. 

Amazon Prime in Singapore is currently available for S$2.99 per month. Trial Prime for free for 30 days. 

*Prices listed are accurate at time of submission and are subject to change without notice. Products may not be available at the time of purchase. Check that shipping before Christmas is guaranteed.

¹Certified by the British Allergy Foundation.

²IPX5 rating for PK7 & PK5, IPX7 rating for PK3

³Only available for PK5 & PK7

⁴Only available for PK5 & PK7

⁵Only in PK5 and PK7; aptX included in PK3

Travel companies could lose customers through ignoring preferred payment methods

- About 85% of Chinese consumers travel for leisure at least once a year

- Credit and debit cards are still broadly the most popular means to pay for trips globally (36% and 29% respectively), with PayPal taking a strong market share (17% globally) in most countries and across age groups.

- Electronic payment methods feature strongly in China; in China 78% use Alipay as their preferred payment method

- Seven in 10 Chinese travellers state that they had been victims of fraud

More than a third of British, American, Chinese, French and German travellers surveyed globally (36%) are unhappy about not being able to pay the way they want when booking holidays online, according to an online survey* of 7,400 consumers by YouGov and ACI Worldwide, a global provider of real-time electronic payment and banking solutions.

Lack of transparent pricing is another large concern for travellers, with 66% globally saying there are too many hidden fees such as add-ons when booking trips and tickets online, resulting in final prices that are different to the ones advertised.

“The global travel industry is a huge growth market worth US$2.2 trillion a year, with annual growth rates of about 10%. The market has undergone massive changes in the last decade, many of them driven by digitalisation. Digital channels have empowered travel operators to provide new routes to market and travellers are now able to research their options online, and then choose exactly how the book and pay for their vacation or holiday breaks,” said Peter Moedlhammer, Head of Global eCommerce Solutions, ACI Worldwide.

“What is surprising is that many consumers are unhappy with one or more aspects of their online customer journey, whether it is price transparency, the ability to make changes to a booking or to pay with their preferred payment method. If travel operators want to compete effectively in this very competitive market, they need to address these issues urgently.”

Other key findings and trends:

About 85% of Chinese consumers travel for leisure at least once a year, compared to the other countries studied. Next in line were consumers from both France and the UK at 78%.

On average, nearly two in five (37%) of respondents globally travel one to two times a year while more than one in five (22%) do so three to five times a year.

Almost two-thirds (65%) of travellers globally spend between US$320 and US$3,800 on leisure travel annually, with a third (33%) spending more than US$1,300 per year.

Globally, 74% prefer to book their travel via a digital device (computer, laptop or mobile phone) and on average, only 10% prefer to book in person.

Travel comparison websites have significant market share, with 30% of travellers preferring to book via this channel.

Payments preferences

Globally, three in 10 travellers want a range of payment options available and 36% feel frustrated if they cannot pay via their preferred method.

Credit and debit cards are still broadly the most popular means to pay for trips globally (36% and 29% respectively), with PayPal taking a strong market share (17% globally) in most countries and across age groups.

Local payment methods feature strongly. In China 78% use Alipay as their preferred payment method, while in Germany 33% of consumers prefer to pay via direct bank transfers.

Transparency and data security are vital for customer loyalty:

Two-thirds of respondents find a lack of transparent pricing annoying.

Nearly one-third (32%) of respondents are concerned about what travel companies do with their personal data and 34% say operators should be more transparent about what they do with customers’ personal data.

One-third of travellers globally have experienced fraud either while booking a holiday or while travelling. Seven in 10 Chinese travellers stated that they had been victims of fraud, the highest incidence among all countries studied.

“Our findings highlight that globally, there are a number of key service trends travellers value most when it comes to booking trips online. Local and alternative payment preferences as well as fraud and security impact not only the purchase but also the travel experience. These factors influence travellers’ choice of operators, and whether they return to those providers in the future," said Moedlhammer.

“With downward cost pressures and the strain of competitive threats weighing on travel operators, the need to understand customer buying drivers and preferences has never been more important.”

ACI Worldwide, which powers electronic payments for more than 5,100 organisations around the world, recommends that online travel operators:

- Understand the local and regional payment preferences for target traveller markets. There are over 300 different online payment methods worldwide; do not assume a one-size-fits-all approach will work

- Research current and emerging alternative payment methods which can improve conversion options on high priced vacation and travel ticket items. Lost opportunity costs can hamper revenue and future business

- Develop an integrated payments and fraud management approach for managing transactions – travellers want to feel confident and secure in the operators with whom they choose to do business

*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov. Total sample size was 7,433 adults, including 1,004 Chinese adults, of which 5,283 are travellers. Fieldwork was undertaken between 4 and 17 July 2018. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in their respective countries (aged 18+).

East, Hong Kong offers eco-conscious year-end festivities

City-centre hotel EAST, Hong Kong has eco-conscious decorations and lively celebrations all lined up for the festive season this year.

EAST's Christmas Village, a tradition started in 2014, sees the hotel finding creative ways to recycle resources into previously disused objects. This year, the EAST team have scavenged the city’s streets, collecting fallen logs from Typhoon Mangkhut to craft into Christmas decorations. For these creations, the team collaborated with students from Jockey Club Sarah Roe School (JCSRS) – the only school in Hong Kong to deliver an English curriculum to students with additional learning needs.

Source: Swire Hotels. The Christmas Village at East, Hong Kong.

Feast (Food by EAST)

EAST’s café, Feast (Food by EAST), will be offering festive feasts on 24 and 25 December with sittings from 5:45 pm to 8 pm and 8:30 pm to 11 pm. The menu will be served semi-buffet style, with a variety of antipasti, such as freshly shucked oysters and king crab legs.

Main course options include traditional favourites, such as slow-roasted turkey and roasted grass-fed beef tenderloin.

For New Year’s Eve 2019 on 31 December from 6 pm – 10:30 pm, with highlights such as whole poached Boston lobster and roasted grass-fed beef tenderloin.

Sugar (Bar.Deck.Lounge)

The party continues at Sugar (Bar.Deck.Lounge), EAST’s rooftop bar. Themed City of Stars, the New
Year’s Eve celebration will draw inspiration from the box office hit La La Land, combining
drinks, jazzy tunes, and sweeping views across the city.

Details:

The Feast Christmas menu is priced at HK$728* per adult.
The Feast New Year's Eve menu costs HK$668* per adult.
Make reservations at Feast (Food by EAST) at +852 3968 3777

Make reservations at Sugar (Bar.Deck.Lounge) at +852 3968 3738

*Prices are subject to 10% service charge.

How pushing the boundaries of art in the 1950s led to our art scene today

Minimalism: Space. Light. Object. the first exhibition on the art form in Southeast Asia, is an eye-opening encounter with the beginnings and progress of art that moves beyond convention. 

Held in Singapore and organised by National Gallery Singapore in collaboration with ArtScience Museum, Singapore, the exhibition features seminal artworks in the Minimalism movement from the 1950s to the present day. Visitors to the exhibition can view over 100 major works by 70 artists, including Donald Judd, Mark Rothko, Mona Hatoum, Anish Kapoor, Ai Weiwei, Olafur Eliasson and Haegue Yang. 

Instead of viewing a framed artwork on a wall passively, at a distance, Minimalism shifted the focus to the physical encounter with the artwork, and the space it occupies. As Frank Stella famously said, "What you see is what you see". The phrase is now inextricably linked with Minimalism, which as the name implies, is about stripping everything away until only the bare essentials are left.

Industrial materials, natural materials and repetitive shapes are some of the hallmarks of Minimalism. Materials evolved in the post-Minimalist period towards the use of soft and more fluid materials. Gravity and chance could play a part in the work.

A work in black by Rothko.

The theme is black to begin with. Some of the works nearest the entrance at the Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery look to be almost completely black - and by different artists. Mark Rothko's No. 5 is a rectangle of black with a black frame; Ad Reinhardt's black artwork includes other colours; while Barnett Newman has his signature 'zip', down his Queen of the Night 1.

Patterns are next. Stella has two works on black, with equidistant lines spaced the width of a house painter's brush; while Yayoi Kusuma began with a black canvas and painstakingly added scarlet paint to create what looks like tiny black triangles on a scarlet ground (No. H. Red, part of the Infinity Nets series). Intriguing works on display at the National Gallery include:

Untitled, by Morris.

Robert Morris' Untitled. A collection of mirrored cubes constantly interact with the gallery space and visitors.

Mona Hatoum's Impenetrable. What looks like a cube made up of fine black threads hanging from the ceiling resolves into lines of dangerous barbed wire and a more chilling message. Hatoum often explores themes of conflict and violence. Here she plays on Jesus Soto's Penetrable cube works, which visitors can walk through, and conveys how violence can be inherent in everyday life.

Minimalist artists also used light in their installations. Neon Light Installations by Peter Kennedy is likened by the artist to being in the middle of a rainbow. The brilliant colours stand out against a dark blue background and reflect on the floor, while some may also hear a faint hum from the neon lamps.

Kapoor, forever known as the artist linked to the pigment colloquially known as 'the blackest black', has a geometric bowl shaped object on display. Void is clearly dark blue on the convex outside, but when viewed full on it is so black it is hard to tell if it is a flat surface, or a concave one. It is all about emptiness and infinity.

Olafur Eliasson's Room for One Colour is completely empty, except for orange-toned lights that challenge our idea of visual perception. His message is not to accept things just the way they are. Everyone is turned one-dimensional and monochrome, like walking newspaper cutouts. The eye turns everything bluish after leaving the room.

John McCracken's Red Plank is ground-breaking for being placed on the floor, instead of on a pedestal or plinth. The glossy red plank has influences from shiny cars and surfboards in California in the mid-sixties. The surface comes from coating plywood with fibreglass, then layering polyester mixed with resin and pigment.

Rasheed Araeen created wall-mounted latticed forms that were influenced by industrial architecture and the geometry found in Islamic art. (3R+2B)SW and Basant are both acrylic on wood, created in the early seventies.

Singapore-born artist Kim Lim's ladder-like Intervals I plus II, has repetition as a key motif. The work can be displayed in different configurations, creating different light, shadow and textural patterns.

Kite Traps made of rubber strips, by Filipino artist Roberto Chabet. The work is a homage to Eva Hesse and made of rubber strips tied to a wooden frame.

A sculpture made of white thread: Kazuko Miyamoto's Male I. This looks solid at the top where the threads are denser, and seems to fade into invisibility at the bottom. The work links wall and floor, and interacts with a shifting play of shadows and patterns as the viewer walks around it.

The Monoha (もの派) movement in Japan was embraced by Minimalists as advocating the same principles as Minimalism. Monoha artists favour raw natural or industrial materials in their work.
There is a box made out of paper with a granite rock placed within, as well as boxes of concrete and wood, filled with concrete and wood chips respectively. The boxes are by Jiro Takamatsu, and titled Oneness of Concrete, as well as Oneness of Wood.

Pushing the boundaries further, Bruce Nauman is shown in a grainy video doing performance art, a revolutionary idea at the time. In Walking in an Exaggerated Manner Around the Perimeter of a Square Nauman hitches up his hips as he walks around a square, showing how the moving human body can be used as art. The video is at the end of the corridor housing Neon Light Installations, providing a monochrome contrast to the colourful neon.


The ultimate in Minimalism must be the digital version of eight minutes of unexposed 16mm film, playing in a loop - all the viewer sees is the occasional dust mote and scratches on the film. The director of Zen for Film, Nam June Paik, is a friend of John Cage, whose well-known 4′33″ is the film where the performer(s) do not play their instrument(s) for four minutes and 33 seconds. The only sound heard is that in the room and from the audience. A major Zen concept is about emptying one's mind to focus better.

Everyday things are transformed on the Minimalist journey. The space under a chair is immortalised in resin. Three rectangles of thin porcelain are hung on a wall, curving slightly at the bottom, looking for all the world like three paintings on a wall, reduced to a tabula rasa made out of paper. The work by Liu Jianhua is indeed called Blank Paper, a canvas where viewers can project their own meaning.

A glossy white slab on the floor is not what it seems, either. Visitors might expect to see porcelain or perhaps polished stone, but it is in fact a slab of white marble, on which a thin layer of milk is poured so that it is just covered with the liquid. Titled Milkstone, this work by Wolfgang Laib treated the surface of the marble so that it would hold the milk better. The work represents tension between elements. The milk is perishable and must be replaced daily, while the marble is solid and permanent.

Ai Weiwei has two works on show: a ton of pu er tea, compressed into a cube, and an area about ankle-deep in one-of-a-kind sunflower seeds, each one created by hand. The porcelain Sunflower Seeds challenge the idea that 'made in China' means cheap mass production when each seed is individually hand-crafted. The number of seeds may refer to the huge Chinese population. The sunflower, which turns to the sun, was also used as an image during the Cultural Revolution to represent the people looking towards to their leadership.

Ton of Tea, on the other hand, builds on Minimalist cubic sculptures by Morris and Richard Serra that Ai would have seen when he lived in the US. The size of the work alludes to the large scale of Chinese tea trade, while the shape is very much about the traditional way of transporting tea in China - by compressing it into large blocks.

Then there is a lamp, in a dark corner, just going on and off continuously. It is just you and the work, and maybe a sense of impending doom.

Details:

View pictures of exhibits on Facebook

Minimalism: Space. Light. Object.
Till 14 April 2019
At dual venues: Concourse Galleries and Singtel Special Exhibition Galleries at the National Gallery and at the ArtScience Museum, which houses the larger installations

There are two audio tours available at the National Gallery: Minimalism Highlights, and The More You Look At It.

Book a ticket

Hashtag: #minimalismsg


*The guided tour was sponsored by Singtel.