The app allows people to find out what offers are nearby, all at one glance, where it acts as a one-stop shop for our users to find out what are today’s specials that are around them and what their friends have been viewing. As an example, one shares about freshly brewed coffee or newly imported beer on the app, and the app will accordingly decide where the best place to hang out would be.

On top of that, another good value of creating this app is to take advantage of the virility of social networks, which benefits both businesses and consumers on the Chalkboard network, which will increase the sharing and discovery of specials coming from their merchant partners and induce a form of virility that will help them attract more customers. A “follow” function is also created, to allow the consumers to discover new locations and engage with the small and medium businesses. With the “follow” function, the consumers are given the choice, to subscribe and get updates via email and Facebook on the latest Today’s Specials to the location of their choice. In addition, a “recommend” function is added as well, to allow any consumer to refer a location with an interesting Today’s Special to their peers. An activity feed is built as well, for the user to monitor what locations their friends are currently checking out. Even better, the app also allows one to recommend a merchant to his/her entire social network on Facebook as well.

As an example, if one likes a particular cafe, he/she can “follow” it within the app, which will alert he/she to any future updates the merchant posts on Chalkboard. And if he/she have Facebook friends who is also using the app, they will know that he/she have followed that particular café.

To make it better, since the app utilizes the geolocation capability on HTML5 browsers, they also built an additional function called “Change Location” where a user can change the location of where they are to see what might be there in another location of their choice. Particularly for older browsers which are not geo-location compliant, the function will be of help.

The Chalkboard app is an useful utility app to discover what is around you and engage with the businesses directly. The feedback from the consumers will be valuable to the businesses and help them to improve to serve their customers better.

The Echelon 2012 Startup Marketplace, formerly known as Echelon Launchpad and Startup Exhibition, has been re-crafted based on the feedback of the Echelon alumni and it will also present more emphasis on all the participating startups at Echelon 2012 and provide them with a more engaging platform to interact with investors, corporate, government agencies and the general public.

The Startup Marketplace is now open for online submissions until 31 March, 2012. To simplify submissions, e27 has adopted Adeo Ressi of Founders Institute’s One-sentence Pitch format. e27’s handpicked panel of judges will score all the valid submissions and shortlist qualified startups to pitch at e27’s four Satellites in Singapore, Jakarta, Manila and Hong Kong.

The Top 50 pitching startups will be selected to exhibit at Echelon 2012 on 11 – 12 June, 2012. Each two-day exhibition slot will cost SGD 400 and will provide the startups with some of the best opportunities to secure regional funding, partnerships and exposure. The best 10 pitches will also be featured at Echelon
2012 with an on-stage pitching opportunity to the main audience.

If you are an Asian startup looking to bring your company to the next level, then Echelon 2012 Startup Marketplace is the place to be.
Join the ranks of wellbacked Echelon alumni such as Flutterscape, Insync, Fashionspace and Cardinal Blue to showcase the region’s best.
Application for Echelon 2012 Startup Marketplace can be done at http://bit.ly/startups2012/

Besides helping users to save time during deal search, the App has a handy voucher reminder feature that deals buyers can switch on to alert themselves to use the voucher at a specific date and time. “As a frequent shopper for deals, the alert feature helps remind me to redeem the deals before they expire,” said Elliot Chan, a beta user of the AllDealsAsia App.

The App has a location-based capability built in, allowing users to view deals available near their location via the “Nearby Deals” feature. Deal redemption at participating merchants is also seamless and paperless as users just need to present their e-voucher on the App.

“With a wide smart phone adoption rate in Singapore, this new iPhone App will bring in new opportunities for our merchants and deal partners,” added Yiping.

“Though the application is only available on the Apple iTunes store now, we hope to release the App for Google’s Android platform very soon,” mentioned Yiping. In the next version of the App, users can look forward to receiving push notifications of new deals.

About All Deals Asia Pte Ltd
AllDealsAsia is Singapore and South East Asia’s first and largest one stop deal aggregation portal with over 300,000 registered subscribers and 100,000 Facebook group members. AllDealsAsia collaborates with merchants and deal partners to actively source for the best deals in town, ranging from lifestyle, entertainment, travel, food and beverages, beauty and fun activities. The AllDealsAsia portal is available to consumers from Singapore and across South East Asia, namely Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand and Indonesia as well as Australia.

For more information, please visit www.alldealsasia.com.

Reporter/Writer
- keen interest in entrepreneurship and startups
- willing to travel to events and prefer if you have a valid passport.
- can self edit
- familiar with WordPress but if you are not, we can teach if you are willing to learn.

Some weird perks you get by joining us.
- Being able to work with some of the craziest entrepreneurs around.
- Rub shoulders with top entrepreneurs and leaders of industries.
- Access to some money can’t buy events in the startup space around Asia.
- Random roadtrips to random place. (esp Genting).
- a welcoming drink of coffee luwak but if you are a tea drinker like cerventus, a real nice Earl of Grey.

Bonus Question: How many eggs can you put in an empty basket?
Photo of fis.io taken by Matt Mullenweg in Wordcamp Shanghai

If you are an Asian-based app developer aiming for a global market, Asia’s Top 50 Apps is the platform to launch your application into the limelight of a global audience. With our first batch of alumni already setting new heights for the Asian application industry, be part of a network of Asia’s most promising apps in this prestigious award. If you are not an app developer, but know one that fits the award criteria, why not be the support that they need to help them along the path to greater innovation. Submit your nominations now!

Past Winners including, Zopim, eEvent and Buuuk.

Looking at this trend, SingTel is organizing i.Challenge11 – The Tablet Enterprise, a competition to showcase your ideas and applications. The competition is looking for tablet-friendly, enterprise-centric mobile applications that can help businesses in 6 key areas. Be ready to submit your application, prototype or even an idea that falls into the competition categories.

There will be up to 12 finalists will be selected and awarded SGD1,000 and up to 4 winners will walk away with SGD$20,000 for
each winning entry. There is not only SGD100,000 cash prize to be won, but we are also ready to Go-To-Market with
the winning ideas!

Singtel have also lined up 2 training sessions for you to learn from the experts on how you can create the winning app
that will change businesses. Seats are limited and registration is based on first-come-first-served basis. Find out more
from their website at http://six.sg/ichallenge

Accordint to the site,The 6 categories are:

In and Out of Office
In a company, the mobile workforce is always on the move to acquire new accounts and support existing customers. It is difficult to track progresses and manage company resources.

We are looking for innovations that will enhance the experience of going “in and out of office”, more seamless, easy to adopt, and impressive to customers.

Asian Business Traveller
Employees who work in MNCs may have to travel frequently. It has never been easy to manage the cost of staying connected while keeping the productivity level high during these overseas trips.

We are looking for innovations to help the “Asian Business Traveller” increase cost transparency, improve productivity, and make every minute overseas count.

Data Driven Enterprise
Why guess when there’s fact? Companies are increasingly looking to make sense of the deluge of information found online or within the enterprise, so that they can make more informed business decisions.

We are looking for innovations to help the “Data Driven Enterprise”, using data to find new customers, uncover business risks and hone new product features.

The Business Exchange
Engaging your customers, suppliers and partners is limited to the trading hours every day. Can we help businesses stay connected with their counterparts, to build engaging and mutually trusted business relationships?

We are looking for innovations that facilitate “The Business Exchange”, helping companies exchange opportunities, surface and close sales / partnership leads.

Office on the Move
Higher rents in Singapore and globalisation of the work force has created a large number of SOHO companies, where employees can work anywhere that has an Internet connection.

We are looking for innovations to help businesses with “Office on the Move”, that allows employees to collaborate wherever they are.

The Mobile Agent
With the increasing trend in start-ups and entrepreneurs, it is important to stay ahead of competition by looking for interesting ways to engage, sell and support their customers.

We are looking for innovations for the “Mobile Agent”, apps that enable end-to-end capabilities of individuals or teams of independent business owners.

As part of East Ventures’s vision to invest in promising start-ups in the Southeast Asia region, Penn Olson fits the bill. With more than 600,000 monthly pageviews, Penn-Olson.com is one of the fastest growing blogs in Asia covering web, mobile, and start-ups in Asia.

“We’re growing quickly but still, I believe we have a lot to learn from successful blogs from the U.S and experience media influencers in Asia,” said Willis Wee, Founder and CEO of Penn Olson.

“Asian technology is growing and developing at an amazing rate, and so is interest from overseas. Somebody has to tell the story and we’re glad to do our part for Asia. We would also hope to be the bridge between the East and the West,” he added.

Founded in July 2009, Penn Olson started out as a hobby. Like any other start-ups, the blog pivoted several times before finding the right direction. Today, it has writers based in China, Indonesia, India, Japan and Singapore to cover tech stories across key regions in Asia. Penn Olson will also be looking to expand to more countries in the future.

“We believe that Penn-Olson.com is an important piece of the whole Internet technology ecosystem in Asia, especially Southeast Asia. Our mission is to help the growth of Internet start-ups in this region, and we believe in order to achieve that, we need to build the ecosystem first.”

About Penn Olson
Founded in July 2009, Penn Olson provides you with Tech and Business content focusing on Asia. The blog plays a part to help shape Asia’s tech and start-up culture. “No promises but we are doing our best.”

About East Ventures
East Ventures is an investment company, specializing in early-stage investments in Internet start-up companies.

Based in Singapore, East Ventures was founded by 4 partners with diverse and complementary backgrounds: Batara Eto, ex-CTO and co-founder of mixi.jp, the largest social networking site in Japan, Taiga Matsuyama, an experienced investor who developed several Japanese Internet companies, some of which were eventually acquired by Yahoo! Japan, Willson Cuaca, founder of Xsago, whose expertise covers mobile application development, and Chandra Tjan, with experience in Finance, Marketing and Management.

MDA will also allocate office and incubation space at Mediapolis Phase 0 located at Block 71 Ayer Rajah Industrial Estate, where NUS Enterprise and SingTel Innov8 have already signed on as anchor tenants. NUS Enterprise and MDA will work together to manage the facility to foster a vibrant environment for IDM-related start-ups, investors, technology incubators and industry partners.

Mr Michael Yap, Executive Director of the Interactive and Digital Media Programme Office hosted by MDA said: “We are glad to have the support from both SingTel Innov8 and NUS Enterprise to drive this incubation programme. Their support will bring about greater sophistication and effectiveness in helping our start-ups. This augurs well with our aspiration to develop IDM products and services targeted for the “Next Billion Internet Users” emerging from Asia.”

NUS Enterprise will leverage its experience and networks as an incubator to manage the Blk71 incubation space. This space will house a host of support structures that will facilitate the translation of ideas into start-ups and bring start-ups to the next stage. Common space will be provided, as well as business services such as legal and financial advisory resources, and intellectual property management.

Dr Lily Chan, CEO of NUS Enterprise added: “Blk71 will pull together the relevant companies and industry players in the IDM sector that are currently dispersed around Singapore. By bringing these together in one vibrant start-up environment, it will build up a critical mass for increased synergy, entrepreneurial dynamism and economies of scale. Blk71 will form a key complementary component of NUS Enterprise’s eco-system, which includes NUS Enterprise’s office and the NUS Enterprise Incubator, where we support some 80 technology start-up companies.”
Completing this one-stop access at Blk71, successful start-ups can look to SingTel Innov8 for support and a platform to showcase their innovative solutions via regular pitching sessions, as well as mentorship from subject matter experts and access to markets. In short, SingTel Innov8 is a start-up’s partner that not only provides funding, but the access, capabilities and infrastructure that could accelerate and boost their success.

Mrs Yvonne Kwek, CEO of SingTel Innov8 said: “With MDA and NUS Enterprise, we want to create a rich, vibrant eco-system and community involving start-ups, incubators, investors and industry players to help catalyse the development of innovative ideas and solutions in the IDM and internet space. With the backing of the SingTel Group, SingTel Innov8 offers a unique value proposition to start-ups with our industry knowledge and presence in Asia and Africa.”

Well this is the launch of the follow up to the Nexus One(my phone), the Google Nexus S by Samsung.
The Nexus line of the phone which starts with N1 is basically a google designed phone created by a partner manufacturer. This is good because for the first Nexus One, you can only purchase it from www.google.com/phone

We have a test unit under the Maxis10 program and we will give this new Nexus S some stress test for 2 weeks so look out for our updates here.

The question here is will it be blend?