Survey shows eight in ten Singaporeans shop online, u just can’t stop Singaporean’s Shopping – itsReal

SINGAPORE: Shopping is almost a national pastime, but it is not limited to the malls.

Source : CNA – A recent survey of over 26,000 internet users showed that eight in ten Singaporeans shopped online. Among them, about 40 percent had done so in the last month.

The latest Nielsen Global Online Survey also showed that over 85 percent of the world’s online population made a purchase via the internet. This represents a 40 percent increase in the number of users in the online shopping market over the past two years.

South Korea was ranked top in the survey with the highest percentage of online shopping at 99 percent, followed by the UK, Germany, Japan and the US.

Singapore, being one of the most connected countries in the world with over 66 percent internet penetration, has contributed to the growth.

The survey showed that globally, the most popular items bought online included books, videos, airline tickets and clothing.

In Singapore, travel-related products came in tops, followed by clothing, event tickets and books.

The National Association of Travel Agents (NATAS) said it would explore ways to leverage on technology such as setting up an online portal where members can sell their tour packages.

In fact, travel business volume from the internet sales has risen from 5 percent in 2003 to about 20 percent now.

Robert Khoo, CEO of NATAS, said: “The outbound market is probably worth around S$5 billion or so, combining ticket sales and outbound baggage tours. So you’re looking at 20 percent or S$1 billion worth of business. More and more people want to book free-and-easy packages, internet seems to be a very convenient way to do so.”

Supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice also has plans to beef up its online service. The company is expected to spend over S$1 million to improve its internet infrastructure and logistics within a year.

Seah Kian Peng, Managing Director of NTUC FairPrice, said: “We are also looking at increasing the range. Currently, it’s limited to the dry goods, the groceries. What we hope to do, going forward, is to increase and include our fresh food offerings as well.”

NTUC FairPrice raked in about S$1.6 billion in turnover last year. Without revealing the actual figures, the company said online business made up only a small portion of the revenue even though online shopping saw a growth of 80 percent.

– CNA/so

Realestate.com.au launches assault on Asian market – itsReal

source: The Australian 

ONLINE property classified leader Realestate.com.au (REA) has commenced a major assault on the Asian online real estate market, using two newly launched websites in Hong Kong and Dubai as a linchpin to expand in the region.

CEO Simon Baker at realestate.com.au AGM. Picture: Bob Finlayson

Chief executive Simon Baker told the company’s annual general meeting that its objective was “to become No1 or No2” in every market in which it operated.

The company was now the No1 online real estate player in Australia, Italy and Luxembourg, he said, with strong positions in a number of other markets, including the UK, through propertyfinder.com. However, the prospect of growth in the Asian market is attracting most of Mr Baker’s attention.

In September, REA – majority-owned by News Limited, publisher of The Australian – bought Hong Kong’s leading English language property publication, Square Foot magazine, and last month launched a sister online property brand, Squarefoot.com.hk.

Hypocol available in FACEBOOK via a FREE online shopping Mall – itsReal

Hypocol has adopted the FREE Business 3.0 online shopping systems which has developed by a Facebook user with all Facebook users in mind.

To get access to the Hypocol Store in FaceBook follow this Link, to adopt the application. Once in the application search under business name or product for Hypocol.

The good news for all facebook users that represent companies is that the application is FREE you are able to list details about your company, its products or services and also embed your buy buttons from your own payment portal to process the transaction.

The developer is open to any and all suggestions are useful to them in creating an even easier online shopping service ever without ruining the Facebook experience for every Facebook user.

First Meta – Aileen Sim – Singapore’s own Succesful Female Entrepreneur in Virtual World’s – itsReal

“…the rise of social networking. Virtual worlds are the ultimate social networking tools, allowing for rich, interactive and immersive communication and experiences. Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook have grown tremendously popular and I believe that they will spill over into virtual worlds.” comments Aileen Sim of First Meta, Singapore

Read more at SGentrepreneurs

Local StartUp – PRINTEET Opens Online in Singapore – itsReal

APLINK here’s some goodies are coming to celebrate the opening…. also check out how you save if you bulk order with family and friends !!!

Make your photo prints work for you. Print them out, make them into mugs, use them on photo scrap books, make them into gifts all from Singapore’s online photo finishing lab. Our prints start from 24c only.

Join today and receive 250mb photo sharing space and become one of the pioneer users of Printeet!

Free Delivery

Ever got frustrated because of the high shipping and handling fees from shopping online? Here at Printeet, we recognize that it is important to have a delivery service that does not charge an arm or a leg just to get your items to you. Hence that’s why we came up with our free delivery service for you.

Get 400 photo prints at any one go, mix and match with any print sizes or prepaid 4R prints. As long as it’s 400 pictures, we waive the delivery charges for you and only charge $1.50 for handling fees.

Or for an even better deal, if you spend more than $100 in an order, you get shipping and handling free!
Combine your orders with your friends, get all your prints at one go, make a few mugs for your loved ones. Save on shipping for the more important stuff!

Sign in now and grab your free shipping today! For those who haven’t registered yet, you can sign up easily here.

RedLightCenter.com – Virtual Sex Life gets analysed by conancat – itsReal

“And hell, what’s so fun about cybersex when you can’t hear the other person moaning and feel his/her heat for real?” says conancat.

APLINK thinks ConanCat under estimates how humans need to fantasize, it is very REAL and virtual worlds today are virtually on a path to our reality just as the TV already is !!!See the rest of his REAL thoughts at ConanCat

“But this–Redlight Center–an MMORPG about love, dating, and sex, to me, is getting tee a bit weird.” – conancat

Cholesterol Management Product Hypocol Available for Global Online Purchase

Posted to TWINGLY

Hypocol used for Cholesterol Management adds Online Purchase & Delivery Services to www.hypocol.com

HypoCol are pleased to announce that they have added the ability for you to purchase HypoCol online if you visit the website www.hypoCol.com. Delivery will be direct to your door via DHL Global Mail Services.

HypoCol is a natural way to regulate your cholesterol with cost effectiveness and safety.

• HypoCol is an all-natural preparation derived from a well-documented traditional remedy that has been used in China for over 1000 years for circulatory health and as a food preservative.
• HypoCol contains 100% proprietary Red Yeast Rice (known as “Hong Qu” in China) produced HypoCol is an all-natural preparation derived from a well-documented traditional remedy that has been used in China for over 1000 years for circulatory health and as a food preservative on premium rice.
  
• HypoCol reduces your ‘bad ‘ cholesterol and increase your ‘good‘ cholesterol. The proprietary ingredient of HypoCol™ capsules has been clinically proven for safety and efficacy in well-designed clinical studies involving thousands of subjects in the USA, Norway, Singapore, Taiwan and China.
• HypoCol is recommended as part of your cholesterol management program that should include a healthy diet, regular exercise and stress reduction regime.
• HypoCol is specially recommended for use by healthy adult men and post-menopausal women concerned about maintaining desirable healthy cholesterol levels naturally. It is suitable for individuals whose total serum cholesterol levels fall within the borderline risk bracket.
  

Online Purchase of HypoCol Now Available

Hypocol adds Online Purchase & Delivery Services to www.hypocol.com

HypoCol are pleased to announce that they have added the ability for you to purchase HypoCol online if you visit the website www.hypoCol.com. Delivery will be direct to your door via DHL Global Mail Services.

HypoCol is a natural way to regulate your cholesterol with cost effectiveness and safety.

• HypoCol is an all-natural preparation derived from a well-documented traditional remedy that has been used in China for over 1000 years for circulatory health and as a food preservative.
• HypoCol contains 100% proprietary Red Yeast Rice (known as “Hong Qu” in China) produced HypoCol is an all-natural preparation derived from a well-documented traditional remedy that has been used in China for over 1000 years for circulatory health and as a food preservative on premium rice.
  
• HypoCol reduces your ‘bad ‘ cholesterol and increase your ‘good‘ cholesterol. The proprietary ingredient of HypoCol™ capsules has been clinically proven for safety and efficacy in well-designed clinical studies involving thousands of subjects in the USA, Norway, Singapore, Taiwan and China.
• HypoCol is recommended as part of your cholesterol management program that should include a healthy diet, regular exercise and stress reduction regime.
• HypoCol is specially recommended for use by healthy adult men and post-menopausal women concerned about maintaining desirable healthy cholesterol levels naturally. It is suitable for individuals whose total serum cholesterol levels fall within the borderline risk bracket.
  

This online payment portal is the first phase of their online strategy to be deployed over the coming months. HypoCol have also created a blog which you can find interesting lifestyle news which concerns health, cholesterol management, fitness & nutrition. This blog can be found at www.yourheartyourlife.com.

HypoCol will continue to create its online presence to service clients better as this happens HypoCol will send out periodic news to advise you of these initiatives. A completely new website will be launched in December 2007. Please feel free to contact me if your have any needs we can assist you with.

Andrew Peters

Hypocol.com Webmaster – andrew@thepacificwest.com

Rescuing search in ‘Second Life’ – A need for certain – itsReal

On every occassion that APLINK has heard Cory Onedrejka of Linden Labs speak he allows appealed for someone who could create an effective search engine…maybe his wish has come true withou the need for Lind Labs investment.

I was in a Second Life Store the other day and whilst it was cool having my avatar stroll the mega mall and see what was on offer, I was really there to get a new look for myself. Besides Second life’s need to achieve a universal search engine, site owners also need a search function (or should there be Avatar SalesPeople) within their own spaces to help avatars find what they need, as like the real world, time is money inworld. Maybe my client Recruit.net could come up with a search solution- itsReal

With at least a couple hundred thousand users, hundreds of stores, endless commerce and millions of objects, virtual world Second Life is begging for a top-notch search tool.

Yet search is one of the systems most in need of help in Second Life. The latest evidence is the recent selection of a team working on such a system as a finalist in the Second Life business plan contest.

High Impact

What’s new:

More than three years after its launch, Second Life is still suffering from a subpar search engine–and other virtual worlds have the same limited tools.

Bottom line:

Now significant attempts are being made by third parties to come up with better search systems for virtual worlds.

Rescuing search in ‘Second Life’

“There’s a lot to be desired in the current (Second Life) search, quite a lot,” said Tony Walsh, the editor of Clickable Culture, a blog about virtual worlds and other online cultures. “We need a Google for Second Life, something that works quickly and produces intelligent results.”

Some might wonder how important search needs to be in a virtual world. But as the number of Second Life stores, places and objects explodes, it is becoming crucial that users be able to find what they need without trying keyword after keyword. And while that dynamic is more true today than ever, many people believe the search system has been insufficient for years.

Read More: C|Net News.com

Stopping Piracy – buy a CD – what rubbish! – itsReal

How PR and Advertising companies can spread the wrong message…

“A recent advertisement I heard on radio was informing people to buy CDs and stop “downloading” over the Internet in an effort to stop piracy.It seemed innocuous enough. A well intentioned community announcement followed by the eloquent words of an international artiste who offered that downloading over the Internet was killing creativity and instead we should buy a CD, ostensibly so we could “read the cover and really feel it”.What a load of rubbish! Well the sentiment was there. But just a little lacking in educational benefit for a community announcement. The PR guys writing the script for the artists need to step up to the plate before they get whacked out the park themselves.”

Read More at TheCellCity