UNODC-United Nations Convention against Corruption
Singapore has always been proud of its low level of corruption. Thus, this UN convention is one that Singapore should be more than happy to sign and ratify.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Download details: Office 2003/XP Add-in: Remove Hidden Data
Download details: Office 2003/XP Add-in: Remove Hidden Data
use this tool before you send out your microsoft files. It will remove data previously deleted, but still hidden in the document. For example, the "track changes" capability makes it possible to find previously deleted data that may contain sensitive data.
use this tool before you send out your microsoft files. It will remove data previously deleted, but still hidden in the document. For example, the "track changes" capability makes it possible to find previously deleted data that may contain sensitive data.
World Social Forum
World Social Forum
A forum that rivals the World Economic Forum at Davos, it is a platform to debate alternative means to building a globalized world in solidarity which respects universal human rights.
A forum that rivals the World Economic Forum at Davos, it is a platform to debate alternative means to building a globalized world in solidarity which respects universal human rights.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
U.S. Congress Tries to Undermine International Criminal Court
Human Rights Watch
More signs of US unilateralism. Interestingly, Singapore has not ratified the Rome Statute establishing the court.
More signs of US unilateralism. Interestingly, Singapore has not ratified the Rome Statute establishing the court.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Wired News: Cell-Phone Shushing Gets Creative
This is quite cool. Small cards to remind loud handphone users to "lower their volume". But you will need to be a brave soul to try giving one out. You might never know what you will get in return.
This is quite cool. Small cards to remind loud handphone users to "lower their volume". But you will need to be a brave soul to try giving one out. You might never know what you will get in return.
Monday, January 10, 2005
ARCHOS PMA400
ARCHOS
A new gadget on the horizon, video/audio recorder and player, PDA, Wi-Fi capable, Linux-based OS. With these features, most gadget geeks would be excited. Archos has registered www.pma400.com, and has uploaded user manuals. Off to see what's other new stuff is inside, but it seems the CF slot has disappeared, maybe due to lack of space, a pity if that is so.
A new gadget on the horizon, video/audio recorder and player, PDA, Wi-Fi capable, Linux-based OS. With these features, most gadget geeks would be excited. Archos has registered www.pma400.com, and has uploaded user manuals. Off to see what's other new stuff is inside, but it seems the CF slot has disappeared, maybe due to lack of space, a pity if that is so.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Garmin: Forerunner 301
Garmin: Forerunner 301
Gadget alert: Garmin has a new model that adds USB connection [and optional charging] and a heart rate monitor to its 201 model. This GPS runner's tool allows pacing, interval training, and other data to be presented to the runner. This would be great for IPPT training.
Gadget alert: Garmin has a new model that adds USB connection [and optional charging] and a heart rate monitor to its 201 model. This GPS runner's tool allows pacing, interval training, and other data to be presented to the runner. This would be great for IPPT training.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
BBC America - Design Rules
BBC America - Design Rules
The official website of the show now showing on Arts Central, this is an interesting take on the interior decoration programmes.
The official website of the show now showing on Arts Central, this is an interesting take on the interior decoration programmes.
Friday, December 31, 2004
SPH MediaWorks Limited
SPH MediaWorks Limited
It seems that Mediacorp's strategy for Channel U, is for it to suffer a slow death, by scheduling shows such that there are gaps of no transmission between shows, of which some are reruns. This can be seen in the programme schedule for Saturday, 1st January, and Sunday, 2nd January, immediately after Mediacorp takes over Channel U. Most casual TV viewers will be at home during this period, and find either no transmission or during channel-surfing. After a few attempts of seeing no transmission, these casual viewers will simply give up trying. Soon, Mediacorp can simply cite severely reduced viewership numbers, conveniently plucked from neutral sources like AC Nielsen for impartiality, and use those statistics as ammunition for whatever they want to do with Channel U.
It seems that Mediacorp's strategy for Channel U, is for it to suffer a slow death, by scheduling shows such that there are gaps of no transmission between shows, of which some are reruns. This can be seen in the programme schedule for Saturday, 1st January, and Sunday, 2nd January, immediately after Mediacorp takes over Channel U. Most casual TV viewers will be at home during this period, and find either no transmission or during channel-surfing. After a few attempts of seeing no transmission, these casual viewers will simply give up trying. Soon, Mediacorp can simply cite severely reduced viewership numbers, conveniently plucked from neutral sources like AC Nielsen for impartiality, and use those statistics as ammunition for whatever they want to do with Channel U.
Monday, December 27, 2004
Bank raises minimum amount from $500 to $1,000 and announces it through
Bank raises minimum amount from $500 to $1,000 and announces it through: - NOV 30, 2004
A service fee of S$2 per month will be charged if monthly average balance falls below S$1,000, instead of S$500
The Basic Banking Account [available for customers with a monthly income of less than S$2,000.] is not affected by this change
I was alerted to this by one of my colleagues, i don't have a OCBC account personally, but I do think the reason given [...the monthly service fee is required to cover the administrative costs involved in the operation of the deposit account] is not very reasonable, as all banks have reduced their costs [salaries, rent, CISCO coverage, electricity] by replacing manned branches with automated bank lobbies.
Also, OCBC previously encouraged people to use statement instead of passbook accounts, by wavering the $2 charge. The reasoning then, I suppose, was that passbook accounts entailed more administrative costs. That reasoning has now been rejected, as there is now no distinction between statement & passbook accounts.
-----------------------------------------------
Bank raises minimum amount from $500 to $1,000 and announces it through:
Account statements
Branch notice boards
The Internet
But some customers still clueless
By Josephine Chew
IF you have an OCBC savings account with less than $1,000 in it, you may, by now, have been charged $2.
Till last month, the minimum amount required by the three local banks - DBS, UOB and OCBC - was only $500. If your balance fell below that, the $2 charge would apply.
But when OCBC increased the amount, some of their customers are saying they didn't know about it.
Mr Mehnga Singh was 'taken aback' when he checked his daughter's account at the Bishan branch of the bank.
'The woman at the counter told me $2 had been deducted and to make sure I had $1,000 in the account next month or there would be another $2 fee,' he said.
'Why didn't they inform us earlier? If I had known, I would have made sure there was at least $1,000 in it.'
Mr Singh, 42, a furniture salesman, said it wasn't so much the charge he objected to, as not knowing about it.
In 2000, he had heard on the news that DBS would start imposing the $2 monthly charge if his balance fell below $500. And he managed to avoid the charge.
'My family has four accounts there, so I shuffled money around to make sure all of them had at least $500,' he said.
OCBC said it had notified customers of the charge through account statements, branch notice boards and over the Internet.
But some customers claim they didn't get the statements, or visit branches, or the bank's website regularly.
Mr Singh felt the bank should have written to him.
He said he hadn't updated his passbook in three months and he didn't see the notices around the bank until it was pointed out to him.
'I was more attracted by a notice offering a free handphone if I took up an investment plan,' he said with a laugh.
Another customer was not aware of the change till The New Paper told her. Mrs Selena Fong, 46, read the notification in her monthly statement only after that.
But the housewife said: 'It doesn't really matter because I usually have more than $5,000 in it.'
A third OCBC customer felt the bank had done an acceptable job in telling customers of the change.
'It was in the statement of accounts sent to my home. And I also saw it advertised at the Specialist Shopping Centre branch I usually go to,' said Mrs Fiona Chan, 34, a human resource executive.
But she questioned the higher minimum balance: 'I think it's a bit strange - why are they doing this?'
Then she added: 'But it's not a big deal; at least we knew about it.'
When contacted, the Association of Banks in Singapore told The New Paper that OCBC had complied with the Consumer Code of Conduct by giving customers 'reasonable notice before any variation takes effect' which is specified as 30 days' notice.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OCBC BANK REPLIES
THE revision of the monthly service fee is to cover the rising administrative costs involved in the operation of deposit accounts, OCBC Bank said.
Customers who have Basic Banking and Young Savers accounts are not affected by the revision.
'Customers who have proof from authorised community bodies that they are under public assistance schemes are also not affected by the revision as they do not pay monthly service fees for their savings accounts,' said Ms Lee Ee Ling, head of Consumer Portfolio Management of the bank's Consumer Financial Services.
'OCBC Bank takes very seriously the responsibility of keeping our customers informed about any changes in fees and charges or to their accounts.
'We would like to assure our customers and your readers that whenever we make such changes, we consider the use of multiple channels of communication.'
In this instance, based on the portfolio of deposit accounts, the bank had elected to put up notices at the customer contact points: Its branches, website and ATMs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What other banks charge
IN March, OCBC and UOB increased the minimum balance required for corporate accounts to avoid a monthly $15 fee, from $3,000 and $5,000 respectively, to $10,000.
Both said customers were informed through monthly statements and notices at branches and on the Internet. But one customer complained to the Pro-Enterprise Panel.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore said banks should give customers ample notice of any change to the terms and conditions of their accounts, and the reasons for the change.
DBS and UOB said they have no plans now to increase the minimum balance for individual basic savings accounts.
And how do foreign banks compare with local banks in this matter?
For a basic savings account, three of them - Standard Chartered, ABN-Amro and Citibank - charge $2 irrespective of average monthly balance. At HSBC, the $2 charge is imposed only if the account balance falls below $2,000.
However, all the banks, local and foreign, waive this charge for some customers, such as those on the MCYS Public Assistance Scheme and Special Grant schemes.
A service fee of S$2 per month will be charged if monthly average balance falls below S$1,000, instead of S$500
The Basic Banking Account [available for customers with a monthly income of less than S$2,000.] is not affected by this change
I was alerted to this by one of my colleagues, i don't have a OCBC account personally, but I do think the reason given [...the monthly service fee is required to cover the administrative costs involved in the operation of the deposit account] is not very reasonable, as all banks have reduced their costs [salaries, rent, CISCO coverage, electricity] by replacing manned branches with automated bank lobbies.
Also, OCBC previously encouraged people to use statement instead of passbook accounts, by wavering the $2 charge. The reasoning then, I suppose, was that passbook accounts entailed more administrative costs. That reasoning has now been rejected, as there is now no distinction between statement & passbook accounts.
-----------------------------------------------
Bank raises minimum amount from $500 to $1,000 and announces it through:
Account statements
Branch notice boards
The Internet
But some customers still clueless
By Josephine Chew
IF you have an OCBC savings account with less than $1,000 in it, you may, by now, have been charged $2.
Till last month, the minimum amount required by the three local banks - DBS, UOB and OCBC - was only $500. If your balance fell below that, the $2 charge would apply.
But when OCBC increased the amount, some of their customers are saying they didn't know about it.
Mr Mehnga Singh was 'taken aback' when he checked his daughter's account at the Bishan branch of the bank.
'The woman at the counter told me $2 had been deducted and to make sure I had $1,000 in the account next month or there would be another $2 fee,' he said.
'Why didn't they inform us earlier? If I had known, I would have made sure there was at least $1,000 in it.'
Mr Singh, 42, a furniture salesman, said it wasn't so much the charge he objected to, as not knowing about it.
In 2000, he had heard on the news that DBS would start imposing the $2 monthly charge if his balance fell below $500. And he managed to avoid the charge.
'My family has four accounts there, so I shuffled money around to make sure all of them had at least $500,' he said.
OCBC said it had notified customers of the charge through account statements, branch notice boards and over the Internet.
But some customers claim they didn't get the statements, or visit branches, or the bank's website regularly.
Mr Singh felt the bank should have written to him.
He said he hadn't updated his passbook in three months and he didn't see the notices around the bank until it was pointed out to him.
'I was more attracted by a notice offering a free handphone if I took up an investment plan,' he said with a laugh.
Another customer was not aware of the change till The New Paper told her. Mrs Selena Fong, 46, read the notification in her monthly statement only after that.
But the housewife said: 'It doesn't really matter because I usually have more than $5,000 in it.'
A third OCBC customer felt the bank had done an acceptable job in telling customers of the change.
'It was in the statement of accounts sent to my home. And I also saw it advertised at the Specialist Shopping Centre branch I usually go to,' said Mrs Fiona Chan, 34, a human resource executive.
But she questioned the higher minimum balance: 'I think it's a bit strange - why are they doing this?'
Then she added: 'But it's not a big deal; at least we knew about it.'
When contacted, the Association of Banks in Singapore told The New Paper that OCBC had complied with the Consumer Code of Conduct by giving customers 'reasonable notice before any variation takes effect' which is specified as 30 days' notice.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OCBC BANK REPLIES
THE revision of the monthly service fee is to cover the rising administrative costs involved in the operation of deposit accounts, OCBC Bank said.
Customers who have Basic Banking and Young Savers accounts are not affected by the revision.
'Customers who have proof from authorised community bodies that they are under public assistance schemes are also not affected by the revision as they do not pay monthly service fees for their savings accounts,' said Ms Lee Ee Ling, head of Consumer Portfolio Management of the bank's Consumer Financial Services.
'OCBC Bank takes very seriously the responsibility of keeping our customers informed about any changes in fees and charges or to their accounts.
'We would like to assure our customers and your readers that whenever we make such changes, we consider the use of multiple channels of communication.'
In this instance, based on the portfolio of deposit accounts, the bank had elected to put up notices at the customer contact points: Its branches, website and ATMs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What other banks charge
IN March, OCBC and UOB increased the minimum balance required for corporate accounts to avoid a monthly $15 fee, from $3,000 and $5,000 respectively, to $10,000.
Both said customers were informed through monthly statements and notices at branches and on the Internet. But one customer complained to the Pro-Enterprise Panel.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore said banks should give customers ample notice of any change to the terms and conditions of their accounts, and the reasons for the change.
DBS and UOB said they have no plans now to increase the minimum balance for individual basic savings accounts.
And how do foreign banks compare with local banks in this matter?
For a basic savings account, three of them - Standard Chartered, ABN-Amro and Citibank - charge $2 irrespective of average monthly balance. At HSBC, the $2 charge is imposed only if the account balance falls below $2,000.
However, all the banks, local and foreign, waive this charge for some customers, such as those on the MCYS Public Assistance Scheme and Special Grant schemes.
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