Think Global - Go Virtual

汉典 hàn diǎn

2011-07-06T10:55:00.000+08:00

Found this 汉典 an excellent site on Chinese language and culture. You can even learn how to write certain Chinese characters with the proper strokes and pronunciations in Mandarin and Cantonese/Hakka; origins of the characters; check up on idioms and proverbs. There's also a Chinese almanac for you to check on the auspicious hours and days!

Happy learning!

Cloud computing

2011-06-07T10:10:00.013+08:00

News report that Apple Inc will soon be rolling out a new service: iCloud - a service that stores music and other files online and keeps devices synchronised wirelessly. So exactly, what is cloud computing? Here's a good explanation of it in a video on YouTube. Cloud computing is not just limited to personal use, it's also an enterprise solution for big and small businesses.

Not Just Another Newsletter

2008-06-26T14:01:00.004+08:00

CyberSpace Virtual Services has recently launched a newsletter CVS Office News which i would highly recommend to those who work with Microsoft Office programs daily. i personally find the MS Word tips in this issue very useful and could save me plenty of time when i am editing my work.

Got a Virtual Assistant?

2008-06-26T11:44:00.012+08:00

Got a Virtual Assistant (VA)? Maybe it's time to consider one now that the cost of living and doing business is on the climb again. When the pressure of cost-cutting for both businesses and personal living starts to wear you down, a VA comes in handy when you can't possibly do all the tasks by yourself.

The VA industry has been growing steadily and evolving into a sophisticated and matured industry since its birth during the early dotcom days. 'Virtual Assistants' is a generic name for all independent virtual workers who may adopt different names, usually by the type of services they provide. As the use of the Internet has become a norm for all works and living, people and businesses turn to the web seeking for assistance from individuals or companies by the type of services they require. So many virtual workers who operate independently, like myself, market our services on the web as independent/freelance copywriter, translator, graphic or web designer, etc.

i started marketing my services in Sep 1999 as a Virtual Assistant to help clients, particularly startups to write business plans and other management support services. However, the business environment has changed dramatically since the dotcom bust and the economic downturn in 2003/4. Businesses no longer plan for the long term as they have to be nimble and quick to change with changing market conditions. Likewise, i have also moved on and found a new focus in my business.

This is my ninth year in the VA business and my focus now is on copywriting, translation and brand names evaluation for foreign market (China). Occasionally, i do presentation and DTP work for regular clients.

i have written a couple of articles on Virtual Assistants which were published in the year 2000. They are available for reading here.

Today, the Straits Times has picked up the story on this topic 'Virtual Assistants to organise your life' which was published by the Otago Daily (How to outsource your life).

Sporeans want more consultation on Govt policies: survey

2008-05-05T15:02:00.000+08:00

Sporeans want more consultation on Govt policies: survey
Read full article at source: The Straits Times

Which country has the shortest working week?

2008-04-23T13:55:00.002+08:00

Source: Work | Putting in the hours | Economist.com

Apr 16th 2008 From Economist.com

SOUTH KOREAN workers toil for over 45 hours every week on average, nearly seven hours longer than workers in any other OECD country. Americans put in 15% more hours on average than workers in the western (richer) bit of the European Union. Poorer Eastern Europeans work considerably longer. Flexible arrangements for part-time workers, generous welfare systems and a limit on the working week all contribute to western Europe's seeming indolence. But where more people work part-time the average working week is likely to be shorter. The Netherlands, where 45% of workers are part-timers, the highest proportion in any OECD country, has the shortest working week.

Small Business: How to write a business plan

2008-04-15T12:24:00.004+08:00

Vera Hughes, co-author of 'Teach Yourself: Setting Up A Small Business' is here to advise on how best to write your business plan. This is essential if you are looking to obtain a business loan.

Small Business: How To Make A Business Plan

To set up a business in Singapore, visit http://www.business.gov.sg/

Make your online purchases thru TrialPay

2008-03-31T15:42:00.005+08:00

Pay... and Get Paid - This is what appears at TrialPay site. You may ask: Too good to be true? It's true. I've just renewed my Zonelarm Internet Security Suite for free with a purchase of a new software, PC Booster, and at a price lower than the usual renewal fee!

With TrialPay, you can try or buy an offer from your favorite brands and get your original product for free. TrialPay is a new advertising method that pays customers with free products out of advertising revenue. TrialPay connects advertisers with high-quality customers at the point of purchase through thousands of premium merchant sites, creating the most effective CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) advertising available today.

Read an ECommerce Report at NY Times.com on this referral service.

Dollar Bears - WSJ.com

2008-03-18T13:25:00.000+08:00

An article on Dollar Bears - WSJ.com

Selling in China? Which one is it? - IHT

2008-03-13T13:10:00.000+08:00

Found this old article a good read for those planning to sell in China, a huge market with regional differences. Selling in China? Which one is it? - International Herald Tribune

Office compatibility pack

2008-03-11T14:59:00.001+08:00

If you have to work with files created in the newer version of Office (2007) on previous versions (XP or 2003), you will need to install a compatibility pack from Microsoft site.
Download details: Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats

Google Chinese Input Method

2008-03-09T16:36:00.006+08:00

I have bought a new notebook (a hp pavilion dv 2714). The notebook runs on Windows Vista and a new version of Office 2007, both new to me. i discovered this Google tool while i was trying to figure out how to type Chinese text without having to buy the language pack and done all the necessary steps to enable Chinese text but to no avail. i went to Microsoft site to look for the IME download but discovered that Vista no longer supports Global IME and apparently, if i have not mistaken, i need to purchase the language pack in order to enable Chinese text input. Fortunately, I found this nifty Google tool, Chinese PinYin Input Method (a free download )for Windows users. Thanks to Google, i can now input both Chinese and even Japanese texts on my notebook.

IT SHOW 2008

2008-03-05T12:49:00.005+08:00

Need to upgrade your IT equipment? Check it out at the IT Show from Mar 6-9, 2008.
My Toshiba notebook died on me recently, after less than 3 years of use. It started giving me problems shortly less than 3 months of purchase - the motherboard was replaced (under warranty) and several other repairs subsequently. This time, i decided not to replace the motherboard, which will set me back $800+ according to the service staff. So i will be checking out the HP counter for a switch back. My first notebook was a HP product which was still in good working condition when i passed it on to my niece last year (more than 6 years old).

Singapore Budget08

2008-02-16T12:18:00.003+08:00

The Singapore Budget for 2008 was released yesterday. A special report is available at ChannelNewsAsia
Fast Facts: Budget '08 for Corporates

Lunar New Year Greetings!

2008-02-01T13:00:00.000+08:00

祝贺:

一帆风顺，
二龙腾飞，
三阳开泰，
四季平安，
五福临门，
六六大顺，
七星高照，
八方来财，
九九同心，
十全十美！

Lost in translation no more

2008-01-16T11:48:00.000+08:00

Beijing to come up with standardised English translations for outlandish-sounding dishes, in run-up to the Olympics. The Straits Times reports: Lost in translation no more

Excerpts from the article: What's in a name?

THE names of Chinese dishes contain cultural and artistic elements. Some have historical, geographical and political backgrounds, others originate from Chinese fairy tales and folk tales.

Translators have divided the names of dishes into four categories: ingredients used, cooking method, taste, and name of a person or place.

Under the ingredients category, a dish's main ingredients make up its name, such as the Mushroom-Duck's Foot.

Dishes listed under cooking method would be described by the way they are cooked. For example: Fish Fillet Boiled In Hot Chilli Oil.

The third category goes with the taste or texture of the food. A good example is Crispy Chicken.

Dishes could also be named after either their creator or the place they originate from. One example is Mapo Tofu, which is a tofu dish invented by Mapo, the name of a Chinese woman.

Source: The Straits Times

New terminal - T3 @ Changi Airport

2008-01-02T09:16:00.000+08:00

Starting 9 January 2008, Singapore Airlines will expand and operate flights out of the new Terminal 3 as well as Terminal 2. Each terminal has its assigned flight destinations. Check Airport Guide for detailed information.

Greening Your Business

2007-06-06T13:33:00.000+08:00

Greening Your Business, an article from The New York Enterprise Report

To survive, print and TV must engage consumers

2007-06-05T09:29:00.000+08:00

ST Online interviews Saatchi ad veteran: To survive, print and TV must engage consumers

World Book Fair 2007

2007-05-24T11:38:00.000+08:00

Main Page The annual world book fair will be held from 25 May to 3 June this year. Check it out!

Labour Day, May Day

2007-05-01T13:07:00.000+08:00

Today is Labour Day, also known as May Day, celebrated in most of the world, including Singapore, China and the UK. In countries like the US and Canada, Labour Day falls on the first Monday of September whereas the Australians and New Zealanders celebrate Labour Day on 1st October.