South China Morning Post
November 24, 2004
Hong Kong chosen for network exchange
Sidney Luk

The Chinese Academy of Sciences will set up an Asian open exchange point in Hong Kong to operate a high-speed internet network interconnecting Beijing and other countries in the region.

The exchange point, to operate in the Mega-iAdvantage building in Chai Wan, is part of the Global Ring Network for Advanced Applications Development (Gloriad) launched this year with an initial investment of 30 million yuan.

"The establishment of an exchange point in Hong Kong will connect Gloriad to other countries in the Asia-Pacific region," said Yan Baoping, director -general of the academy's Computer Network Information Centre.

The academy is expected to choose a local university to operate the exchange point next year. A connection from Hong Kong to Taiwan and Japan will be ready next month, and to South Korea next year.

It also plans to link up with India and Australia.

Gloriad has seen its data volume reach 200 trillion bits per second. Yesterday it upgraded its transmission rate to 2.5 gigabits per second from 2.5 megabits per second.

The high-speed network can support data, image and video exchange worldwide for applications such as digital libraries and virtual observatories.

ah...I don't get it..
whats the use of a network exchange point? Whats the use?
go faster to websites in southeast asia? well isn't it depends on what programmes you chose with your ISP? Even the max can go faster, the ISP already contols it...so I don't get whats the use...can any one explain to me? I am crap on Computer networks..haha

Hong Kong's hi-tech haven
By Dan Simmons, BBC
Friday, 26 November, 2004, 17:47 GMT

For decades the latest technology has always found a natural home on Hong Kong's shores. With new competition from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong has reacted by setting up an hi-tech business hub with superfast wireless internet access.

A technology war is being waged between Hong Kong and its big brother China.

China, which has been watching and learning from the former colony's success, has a battle plan involving Beijing and Shanghai as major draw cards for hi-tech businesses wanting to be at the heart of the China boom.

And the Hong Kong Government has responded swiftly.

By spending $2bn, it has created Cyberport - the newest "teleport" on the planet.

Although the name may suggest space-age travel, a teleport is the generic term for business complexes which are temples to technology.

If we talk of an information superhighway, teleports are the spaghetti junctions - the widest crossroads in town.

Located to the south of Hong Kong island, Cyberport is one of several large-scale technology projects aimed at retaining the region's reputation as the number one gateway to Asia.

It has taken four years to build and comes complete with a hi-tech hotel, apartments, shops and services.

But it is not just about good looks, according to David Chung, from Cyberport's computer operations.

"Our network is running at 100 megabits a second, which is 10 times faster than normal broadband connections.

"You basically can get all the wireless coverage everywhere, in any corner of Cyberport.

"We have a utility computing equivalent of 100 computers. So you can run different kinds of applications on top of it."

Blueprint?

Focusing on producers of online video, music and animation, Cyberport also offers those who move their business here access to some very specialised kit.

The award-winning special effects outfit Centro Pictures was one of the first to move in.

John Chu, chairman of Centro, says: "We use the motion capture studio, we use the rendering facilities here when we are short of them ourselves from time to time, as well as the high definition studio, which is the first one in Hong Kong."

So is Cyberport the island's saviour, a blueprint other countries should follow?

Professor Vincent Chen was an adviser to the politicians who introduced Cyberport and has taught at Hong Kong's University of Science and Technology.

He thinks it is a good idea but faces some very traditional problems.

"I have talked to companies who didn't want to move, so that's a location problem. So if in the future the transportation problem is eased, and if there is cheaper housing near Cyberport, then things may change."

He believes China could become a major threat to Hong Kong, but not at this very moment.

"Even though at this time their costs are low, their infrastructure is not as good.

"If Hong Kong can take advantage of this window of opportunity to make major developments in IT industries, they could hang on to their leadership position."

Cyberport has been built to aid that aim.

Inspiration

Despite opening with only half its office space filled, the sales director is not worried.

Cyberport's very nature means he cannot let just anyone set up business here.

Project director Mark O'Clift says: "The main focus currently is on creators, managers and deliverers of digital content, because that's where we see the big niche for Hong Kong going forward.

"I think when you look around you can see that it's meant to be an inspirational environment, to help our companies, to help Hong Kong."

The thing that Cyberport really delivers is the power, support and glamour that small and medium sized technology firms cannot afford.

And if it proves to be self-financing, while investing enough to stay at the cutting edge, then the bold idea of the teleport may well catch on in many other countries.

To speed the spread of the Internet in developing countries, the cost of Internet connectivity and bandwidth must be reduced and the quality of service improved. One of the most effective mechanisms to accomplish both cost and service gains is the Internet Exchange Point (IXP). An IXP interconnects Internet service providers (ISPs) in a region or country,
allowing them to exchange domestic Internet traffic locally without having to send those messages across multiple international hops to reach their destination.

IXPs are among the most critical elements in the infrastructure of the Internet. The Internet is a network of interconnected networks; IXPs are the points at which multiple networks interconnect. Without IXPs, there would be no Internet, as we have come to know it.

HKIX Launches Mirror Site To Handle Future Expansion, Internet Developments
By CMPNetAsia Staff, 29-Nov-2004

The Hong Kong Internet eXchange (HKIX) recently launched a mirror site to help enhance performance of local data exchange on the Internet.

The Hong Kong Internet eXchange 2 (HKIX2) was built with the combined resources of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and CITIC Telecom 1616, a subsidiary of the CITIC Pacific Group.

CITIC Telecom 1616 provided infrastructure and technology support for the project while The Chinese University handles the management of the new exchange.

For over a decade, HKIX has been servicing the needs of enterprises and local Internet Service Providers for access to local Internet content without the need for costly routing of traffic to the U.S. Operated by the Chinese University, HKIX also takes pride in being managed by a non-profit organization.

"With the expertise of CITIC Telecom 1616, Hong Kong Internet eXchange will break new ground while upholding its proud tradition of providing local ISPs, enterprises and Internet users with reliable, fully redundant and carrier-neutral Internet exchange service," said Professor Kenneth Young, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

"CITIC Telecom 1616 is proud to participate in building HKIX2 to spur the development of high bandwidth content such as multimedia or mobile data services. The formation of HKIX2 further enhances Hong Kong's IP network infrastructure, to cope with future expansion in the IP arena and lead Hong Kong to a new era as one of Asia's leading telecom hubs," said Mr. Shi Cui Ming, Chairman of CITIC Telecom 1616 Ltd.

“Local ISPs and content providers now have the impetus to develop new and exciting Internet applications and content, knowing that they have a stable and fully redundant infrastructure to back them up. Meanwhile, local Internet users are assured of continuous access to high quality Internet content,” Shi added.

HKIX2 will apply the same policy and free services as HKIX. HKIX's existing customers will continue to be served by HKIX while new customers or existing customers requiring additional connections may choose between the two exchanges for optimum flexibility and efficiency.

2005 "Household Survey on IT Usage and Penetration" & "Annual Survey on IT Usage and Penetration in the Business Sector" released
Friday, December 9, 2005
Government Press Release

The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) releases today (December 9) findings of the two surveys on the usage and penetration of information technology (IT) in Hong Kong conducted during April to August 2005. The Household Survey focused on IT penetration amongst households and IT usage amongst household members, and the Establishment Survey focused on the patterns of IT usage and penetration amongst business establishments.

According to the results of the Household Survey, personal computers (PC) and Internet connections were very common in households. Some 1 601 300 households, or 70.1% of all domestic households in Hong Kong, had PC at home in 2005. Among those households with PC at home, some 1 476 500 (92.2%) had their PC connected to the Internet, representing 64.6% of all domestic households in Hong Kong. This is similar to the situation in 2004.

The usage of PC and Internet services was also prevalent among persons aged 10 and over in Hong Kong. The 2005 survey revealed that some 3 645 500 persons aged 10 and over, or 58.8% of all persons in that age group, had used PC at least once in the twelve months before the survey. As expected, the rates of using PC were higher amongst younger persons, better-educated persons and students.

In 2005, some 3 526 200 persons aged 10 and over, or 56.9% of all persons in that age group, had used Internet service in the twelve months before the survey via various media including PC, WAP phones and personal digital assistants (PDA).

Utilisation of electronic business services was also high amongst people in Hong Kong. About 97.3% of all persons aged 15 and over had used electronic business services of one form or another for personal matters in the twelve months before the survey, slightly higher than that of 2004 (96.5%). The electronic business services covered in the Household Survey included the use of Octopus card, Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), e-cash, Easy Pay System (EPS), Payment by Phone Service (PPS), online searching for financial information/information on goods and services/information on job vacancies, etc.

Regarding the usage of online purchasing services, the 2005 survey estimated that around 498 200 persons aged 15 and over, or 8.6% of all persons in that age group, had used one or more types of online purchasing services for personal matters in the twelve months before the survey, being higher than the corresponding figures in 2004 (410 600 persons and 7.1%).

Use of online Government services was also more common. In the twelve months before the 2005 survey, 1 697 700 persons aged 15 and over, or 29.4% of all persons in that age group, had used online Government services for personal matters. The corresponding figure in 2004 was 28.5%.

According to the Establishment Survey, the percentages of establishments using personal computers (PCs) and having Internet connection in 2005 have increased over 2004, being 60.5% and 54.7% respectively. The corresponding figures in 2004 were 58.4% and 50.4% respectively.

Analysed by size of the establishments, 97.5% of large establishments, 88.9% of medium establishments and 56.4% of small establishments were using PCs. The corresponding figures for 2004 were 97.4%, 83.7% and 54.5% respectively. Besides, 91.5% of large establishments, 83.6% of medium establishments and 50.5% small establishments had Internet connection in 2005, as against 89.7%, 76.2% and 46.4% respectively in 2004. This represents a noticeable increase in the use of PC and Internet among small and medium establishments.

Among the major sectors, PCs were most popularly used in the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector (87.2%) and the wholesale, retail, import/export trades, restaurants and hotels sector (63.6%). The percentage of establishments with Internet connection was also highest in these two sectors, at 81.8% and 58.1% respectively.

In 2005, about 15.5% of the establishments had a Web page or Web site, as against 14.8% in 2004. The percentage continued to be much higher for large establishments (72.3%) than medium establishments (34.6%) and small establishments (12.0%). All establishments having Web pages/Web sites provided information about the establishments and the products and services offered in their Web pages/Web sites. Only 10.1% of the establishments having Web pages/Web sites used their Web pages/Web sites as channel for online ordering of their products and services.

In the 12 months before enumeration, 15.4% of the establishments had ordered or purchased goods, services or information through electronic means, up by 3.7 percentage points over 2004. Electronic means included Internet, Interactive Response System through telephone lines/mobile telecommunications network and designated private network.

About 52.3% of the establishments had received goods, services or information through electronic means, about the same as in 2004. In the Establishment Survey, goods received through electronic means were only restricted to those products that could be transmitted through electronic media, such as software packages and songs. Browsing information on the Internet was also regarded as receiving information through electronic means.

The percentage of establishments having sold goods, services or information through electronic means increased from 1.3% to 1.8%. In the survey, an establishment was regarded to have sold its goods, services or information through electronic means only if it offered them and accepted orders or purchases that were placed completely through electronic means.

About 15.7% of the establishments had delivered their goods, services or information through electronic means, 0.4 percentage point higher than that in 2004.

The total amount of business receipts received from selling goods, services or information through electronic means in 2004 was estimated at HK$27.6 billion, representing a 30.2% increase over the $21.2 billion receipts received in 2003.

Commentary

The survey results of this year revealed that the penetration and usage of PC and Internet in the households had been maintained at a high level. Hong Kong is now one of the cities with the highest PC and broadband penetration in the world. There is also a noticeable increase in the use of e-government services by the public. It is encouraging to see Hong Kong becoming a digitally inclusive society. The Government will continue to collaborate with IT bodies and non-government organisations to encourage different sectors of the community to adopt IT.

The survey also revealed that PC and Internet usage in the business sector had increased steadily, indicating an upward trend of IT penetration in the business sector, with fairly high PC and internet penetration rates among our large and medium establishments. There is also a noticeable increase in the use of PC and Internet among small establishments. Among the major sectors, the high penetration rates in the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector reflect Hong Kong's competitiveness in its key economic sectors. Moreover, there had been a considerable growth of 30.2% in monetary terms in the business receipts from selling goods, services or information through electronic means from $21.2 billion in 2003 to $27.6 billion in 2004. Other e-commerce activities such as ordering/purchase and receipt of goods, services or information through electronic means in the business sector had also maintained a steady growth over the past year. We are glad to see the wider adoption of IT within the business sector.

The Government will continue with its efforts and strive to help the industry, especially the small and medium enterprises, to exploit the full potential and benefits of IT in advancing their business interests. Since 2004, six different industry sectors, namely travel agents, private medical doctors, drugstores, logistics, accounting and beauty services providers, have benefited under the sector-specific programmes launched by the Government to encourage the wider adoption of IT and e-commerce. The Government will launch similar programmes for other business sectors in future so that the SMEs can derive more benefits through IT adoption. Under the next wave of e-government, we are determined to serve the community by setting up a new One-Stop Access Portal in mid 2006 to facilitate better access to e-government services.

Background information

The Household Survey was based on a scientific sample of households that represent the population of Hong Kong. The survey successfully enumerated some 10 100 households, within which some 28 100 persons aged 10 and over were interviewed.

The Establishment Survey was based on a sample of some 4 700 establishments covering all industry sectors except the agriculture and fishing sector and the mining and quarrying sector. Specifically, the following industry sectors were covered: manufacturing; electricity and gas; construction; wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels; transport, storage and communications; financing, insurance, real estate and business services; and community, social and personal services.

The establishments were classified according to their employment size as at end-March 2005 as large, medium and small establishments. Large establishments referred to establishments with 100 or more persons engaged for the manufacturing sector, and 50 or more persons engaged for other industry sectors. Small establishments referred to those with less than 10 persons engaged regardless of sector. The others were regarded as medium establishments.

Since results of the surveys are subject to both sampling and non-sampling errors, care should be taken in comparing the 2004 and the 2005 figures, as a minor difference might not necessarily be statistically significant.

More detailed results of the Household Survey and the Establishment Survey are set out in the "Thematic Household Survey Report No. 23: Information Technology Usage and Penetration" and the "Report on 2005 Annual Survey on Information Technology Usage and Penetration in the Business Sector" respectively. The two reports are both in bilingual form.

The above publications are now available for sale. The print version and download version (in PDF format) of the Household Survey Report is for sale at HK$95.0 and HK$71.3 per copy respectively, while the print version and download version of the Establishment Survey Report is for sale at HK$39.0 and HK$29.3 respectively. It can be purchased online at the "Statistical Bookstore, Hong Kong" (http://www.statisticalbookstore.gov.hk) or by completing and returning an order form which can be downloaded from the website of C&SD (http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/eng/prod_serv/forms_index.html). Purchase in person can be made at the Publications Unit* of the C&SD (Address: 19/F, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai; Tel.: 2582 3025). Besides, a summary of the results of the two surveys is also available on the "Digital 21" website (http://www.info.gov.hk/digital21).

E-ready Hong Kong beats Japan and Singapore in global survey
28 April 2007
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong has jumped to fourth place in a global survey on e-readiness - systems in place for running business electronically - outperforming neighbours like Singapore (6th) and Japan (18th).

Only Denmark, which was ranked first, and the United States and Sweden, which tied for second, were above Hong Kong in the rankings put together by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The rankings are prepared using six categories, with the most weight given to consumer and business adoption of e-technology (25 per cent), followed by connectivity and infrastructure (20 per cent).

The business environment, social and cultural environment, and government policy and vision were all given 15 per cent each, while legal and policy environment accounted for 10 per cent of the total weighting.

The Economist Intelligence Unit said Hong Kong's rise was due to the government's "vision and commitment in pushing digital development" and the continued adoption of broadband and other advanced infrastructure. Last year, Hong Kong was ranked 10th out of 69 places.

The mainland ranked 56th, a slot higher than in last year's rankings, while Taiwan rated 17th in 2007 rankings.

Billy Yeung Tak-wa, managing director of Y5Zone, which has 280 WiFi "hot spots" around the city, said he was surprised Singapore, South Korea and Japan were not ranked higher because of their emphasis on technological development.

"The survey doesn't reflect how important this is and Hong Kong still has a way to go before they can catch up to these countries," he said. "But in terms of infrastructure and business adoption of e-technology, we are definitely on top of the list."

The government recently pledged HK$210 million over the next two years to install WiFi - as wireless internet is more commonly known - in more than 200 venues across the city including all libraries, major cultural and recreation centres and government offices.

"Hong Kong people really are walking robots, carrying at the very least a phone but usually a PDA or laptop as well," Mr Yeung said. "Nowadays, if you had a choice between losing your wallet or mobile phone, most people would keep the phone."

Internet Society chairman Charles Mok Nai-kwong, who has just returned from Britain, which slipped from 5th to 7th place this year, said there was no doubt Hong Kong was one of the most e-prepared places on the planet.

"We are far better than London; but just because we are e-prepared, it does not mean we are there yet," Mr Mok said. "We have to make the next step and make sure businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, know how they can make the most of these advantages."

HK slow to embrace e-commerce
Purchasing goods and services online is not big in this compact city, but industry players are seeing an uptrend
3 August 2007
South China Morning Post

While Hong Kong has one of the highest internet penetration rates in Asia at 68.2 per cent of the population, a 2005 ACNielsen survey has found that it lags other Asian markets such as Taiwan and South Korea when it comes to online purchasing. Less than two-thirds of the survey respondents in Hong Kong claimed to have purchased anything online, compared with at least 90 per cent of respondents in South Korea and Taiwan.

The city's compact geography may be the reason for it being slower to embrace internet buying. "It is not a big hassle to go out and buy things from the stores. We have great accessibility here," said Erik Johnson, regional general manager at Microsoft Online Services.

"I think that may never change in Hong Kong. I live on Hong Kong Island and if I wanted to buy a camera, it would be easy for me to take the MTR to the shops," Mr Johnson said.

David Ketchum, chairman of the Asia Digital Marketing Association (ADMA) and chief executive of Upstream Asia, said while Hong Kong was not the leader in online purchasing, there was an uptrend, whether it was on eBay, Yahoo or the PCCW website. "We are seeing the numbers go higher and higher for e-commerce," he said.

In terms of the volume of retail sales, Hong Kong's online travel market was expected to grow by 97.9 per cent by 2010, the ADMA said in its recently released Digital Marketing Yearbook 2007.

With the growth of the internet, marketers are continually being forced to rethink the way they reach out to consumers. Broadband technology and the World Wide Web have been impressive in flattening the world, but never more so than in the case of purchasing and merchandising.

Internet users can buy almost anything online, from air tickets which they can print for themselves and books, clothes, toys, and even hot soup, all of which are delivered to their homes, to individual songs rather than whole albums which they can download immediately on to their iPods. Mr Johnson said: "Where technology is going is very exciting. As technology evolves, we get a user-in-control concept, with users getting more and more control."

According to Mr Ketchum, one of the most interesting developments was how people's consumption habits were changing. "We are seeing a massive rise in the reading of blogs and publications online. For the first time, advertisers are starting to move their budgets online. In the past four to five years, companies have been spending 2 to 3 per cent of their ad budgets online," he said.

In Hong Kong, most companies see a huge advantage to having an online presence of some sort. "It is now so powerful, it can't be ignored. It must be part of the communications mix," said Mr Ketchum.

But an online presence is not just about online purchasing. John Lambie, regional integration director at BatesAsia, said: "It is about the whole marketing cycle, not just the selling phase."

Most companies already had a promotional tool on the net which would hopefully create a sale at the store level, he added.

The post-purchase phase is also important, and this is where companies have a good opportunity to build customer relationships, and to ensure that they are happy with the product - happy enough to buy from the brand again.

"I think the post-purchase phase is very important. Two years ago, I bought a Samsung phone and registered it online. The whole customer experience was very positive. They said thank you for registering online, here are a couple of free ringtones. I got a lot of customer information from them," Mr Lambie said.

Many people do their research online and end up buying in a shop, as the internet is one of the most efficient tools for getting unbiased information about products.

Mr Johnson said: "You can talk to people who are interested in the same thing. Through forums, for example, you can talk to strangers to get feedback."

When BMW discovered a group of bloggers in China who were fans of its cars, it turned the find into an online marketing opportunity. The carmaker designed an internet forum that would allow the bloggers to reach out to each other and to the world at large. Mr Lambie said: "People who create blogs are a great influence on those who read them." BatesAsia was the agency that helped BMW exploit this online presence.

"We brought the bloggers together and they, in return, got rewards for being brand advocates."

BMW organised preview evenings for the bloggers who got a chance to see the company's new cars before anyone else - and the opportunity to test drive them. "That's one way the organisation can tap into the digital space and find people who are already talking about the brand," said Mr Lambie.

The online market in Hong Kong is expected to get bigger, broader and deeper. Mr Johnson said: "It's not just an online phenomena. It is a change in the way people buy things. Technology empowers people."

LCQ12: Developing HK into a key data centre in the region
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Sin Chung-kai and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, (in the absence of the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development) in the Legislative Council today (November 14):

Question:

In the Report on Economic Summit on "China's 11th Five-Year Plan and the Development of Hong Kong" published in January this year, the Focus Group on Professional Services, Information & Technology and Tourism put forth the proposal of promoting Hong Kong as the key data centre in the region. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the progress made by the authorities in developing data services in Hong Kong since the publication of the above Report, and apart from further facilitating the outsourcing of more data centres in the Government, whether the authorities have formulated concrete measures to help develop Hong Kong into the key data centre in the region; if they have, of the details and timetable of such measures; if not, the reasons for that;

(b) given that it is mentioned in the above proposal that "Hong Kong should actively promote overseas its numerous advantages that are conducive to the development of data services", whether the authorities have established promotion channels for this purpose; if they have, of the relevant details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and

(c) whether the authorities have drawn on the relevant experience of neighbouring regions to devise a set of development strategies taking into account the strengths and weaknesses of Hong Kong, so as to enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness; if they have, of the relevant details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

Madam President,

Regarding the Hon Sin Chung-kai's question, my reply is set out below.

(a) and (b)

The Government has been actively promoting the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) industry in Hong Kong. Firstly, the Government as a major ICT user adopts an aggressive outsourcing policy to facilitate the development of ICT industries, including the data centre sector. We will continue to facilitate Government departments to outsource their data centre services to the market where appropriate. We believe that these measures and the potential synergy they will generate will facilitate Hong Kong to develop into a regional data centre hub.

Meanwhile, under the Digital 21 Strategy, the Government will continue to enhance and maintain a conducive business environment for Hong Kong to foster technological cooperation with the Mainland and international partners. The Government will also continue to engage in regular discussions and exchanges with the ICT industry through the ICT Industry Partnership Forum and other platforms, and strengthen Hong Kong's role as a hub for technological cooperation and trade.

The Report of "The Focus Group on Professional Services, Information & Technology and Tourism" under the Economic Summit on "China's 11th Five-Year Plan and the Development of Hong Kong" recommends that the Government should actively promote overseas Hong Kong's numerous conditions which are conducive to the development of data service, and should review the existing land policy to allow service providers to install concerned equipment or facilities in industrial premises without the need for special application or additional fees, so as to promote Hong Kong to be a key data centre in the region.

In respect of overseas promotion, Invest Hong Kong has identified Hong Kong's major advantages as a regional data centre hub, including proximity to the Mainland market, stable political environment, relative immunity from natural disasters, reliable and excellent telecommunications and electricity infrastructure, quality IT manpower, sound legal system for data protection and intellectual property rights protection. Invest Hong Kong actively promotes Hong Kong's advantages to existing and potential end users and data centre operators globally through its existing channels, including conducting overseas visits to potential clients and facilitating potential clients to develop business plans in Hong Kong.

As for the proposal relating to industrial premises, since it involves the utilisation of land resources, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) has consulted the Development Bureau on the issue and conducted a preliminary analysis on the different requirements for building facilities with respect to different types of data centres. CEDB is planning to commission a consultant to conduct a more detailed study. The consultancy study will look into the market demand for different types of data centres, analyse whether changing the relevant policy governing industrial premises can cater to the actual needs of developing data centres, and examine the relevant measures of other regions. We expect that the study will be completed in the middle of next year.

(c) In the preliminary analysis mentioned above, the Government has initially looked into the industrial land policies of other regions such as the United Kingdom and Singapore. The Government will conduct more in-depth study of this aspect in the planned consultancy study.

LCQ16: IT usage in business sector
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Wong Ting-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Frederick Ma, in the Legislative Council today (January 9):

Question:

The findings of a survey conducted by the Census and Statistics Department revealed that the total amount of business receipts received from selling goods, services or information through electronic means in 2006 was estimated at HK$64.9 billion, representing a substantial increase of 47.7% over the corresponding figure in 2005. Moreover, in 2007, about 18% of the business establishments had web pages or web sites, and about 60% of the establishments had conducted electronic business activities in the 12 months before enumeration. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the main business sectors to which those surveyed establishments with web pages or web sites belong; and

(b) as it has been reported that the Government will sponsor the commercial sector to set up web sites, of the details of the sponsorship scheme concerned?

Reply:

Madam President,

My reply to the question asked by the Hon Wong Ting-kwong is as follows:

(a) According to Census and Statistics Department's Report on 2007 Annual Survey on Information Technology Usage and Penetration in the Business Sector, the total number of business establishments having webpage/website is 54 719. Among them, 60.2% belong to the wholesale, retail, import/export trades, restaurants and hotels sector, followed by the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector at 20.2% and the community, social and personal services sector at 10.2%.

(b) The Government is committed to driving the adoption of e-business in the community. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are amongst the primary targets of our programmes and initiatives. Sponsorships will be considered for meritorious industry-led proposals that aim at promoting the adoption of information and communications technology (ICT) among SMEs of various business sectors. Such sponsorships cover projects that align with our Digital 21 Strategy and include support facilities and services, development of practical ICT solutions, training courses and conferences, as well as promotional events such as exhibitions and campaigns.

In 2004, the Government provided a one-off sponsorship of around $100,000 for the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong to organise a project that offered SMEs with one-stop service package to help them set up websites. 200 SMEs have benefited from the project.

Since then, in collaboration with industry and professional bodies, the Government has launched the Sector-specific Programme (SSP) to raise the capabilities of SMEs in specific industries in leveraging e-business. Under the SSP, we have provided sponsorship of around $3.2 million between 2004 and 2006 for industry bodies to organise eight projects. Amongst these, three projects were targeting at SMEs from the travel industry, beauty service sector and the logistics sector. An integral part of these projects was the development of an industry portal site (Note 1). These were completed by 2007.

In the first half of 2007, we provided sponsorship of $4.9 million for five new projects that aim at driving the development of industry-specific e-business applications or platforms. Out of these new projects, three aim to establish/enhance portal sites at the sector level targeting at SMEs from the watches and clocks sector, the social service sector, and the beauty service sector respectively. The portal site for the watches and clocks sector will facilitate SMEs to develop e-commerce and conduct virtual exhibitions of watches and clocks products. The portal site for the social service sector will facilitate the sharing of frequently-used reference materials in digital format from the Hong Kong Council of Social Service Library whereas the portal for the beauty service sector will provide an online booking function. These portal sites will be available for use by SMEs in the relevant industries within 2008/09.

Note 1: Portal sites are websites that offer information and services, such as news and discussion forum to multiple establishments in the related sectors.

Technology keeps Hong Kong running smoothly
26 January 2008
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong's dependence on information technology (IT) has steadily risen over the past four decades and the systems used now are some of the most sophisticated in the world. The local IT revolution can be traced back to 1967 when HSBC installed the IBM S/360 system. IBM engineers designed, built, delivered, installed and tested the system in less than 18 months.

IBM systems have also changed the way the Hong Kong Immigration Department, the Inland Revenue Department and the Hong Kong Observatory operate.

Horace Ip Ho-shing, deputy chairman of the information discipline advisory panel of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, said IT applications were so widespread that they were taken for granted. "We rarely question why our mobile phones work in the MTR, or appreciate the convenience of common stored value cards such as the Octopus system."

Hong Kong-based international courier companies rely heavily on IT functions to track and trace consignments, and keep clients informed of shipment and delivery processes.

Professor Ip said IT applications were also widely used in the entertainment and film industries. Hardware and software applications have also changed the way the advertising industry operates.

"These applications and the ongoing developments in the industry are expanding the horizons for IT engineers," said Professor Ip, who is the founding president of the Hong Kong Society for Multimedia and Image Computing.

Professor Ip said Hong Kong's education system was also benefitting from IT applications.

"We are seeing plenty of use of IT applications in schools universities and colleges. This is positive for our students and positive for Hong Kong's future," he said.

Five broadband internet service providers publish performance statistics
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Government Press Release

Five major broadband internet service providers (ISPs) have made a significant step in enhancing the transparency of their service performance by publishing their first batch of performance statistics against their services pledges for the first quarter of 2008 (three-month period ending March 31).

This is one of the major joint initiatives of the industry and the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) in further enhancing the quality of customer service of the internet service industry. The five ISPs who have published the service performance statistics are Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited (HKBN), Hutchison Global Communications Limited (HGC), New World Telecommunications Limited (NWT), PCCW IMS Limited (PCCW-IMS) and Hong Kong Cable Television Limited (HKCTV).

"We are pleased to see that the performance statistics of the broadband ISPs are available to the public on schedule. The published information covers network reliability, service restoration time, technical performance, customer hotline performance and customer complaint handling," an OFTA spokesman said. "With the availability of the information, consumers will be able to make better-informed purchasing choices based on their own needs. We believe the initiative will encourage the ISPs to further boost their service quality, help enhance the level of customer satisfaction, and enable consumers to monitor the service performance of the ISPs on a continuous basis. The ISPs will update the performance information quarterly in future."

The performance statistics are now available on the respective websites of the five broadband ISPs as follows for public access:

* HKBN: www.hkbn.net/bb1000/cc_pledge.htm
* HGC: www.hgcbroadband.com/per_pledge_eng.html
* NWT: www.newworldtel.com
* PCCW-IMS: www.netvigator.com
* HKCTV:www.i-cable.com/cs/announcement/e-content-service-pledge.html

Hyperlinks to the above web sites are also provided in OFTA website for easy access: www.ofta.gov.hk/en/consumer_interest/pp-broadband.html

Ma upbeat on .hk domain
Hong Kong Standard
Thursday, June 26, 2008

The government says it remains confident about continuing to hand out ".hk" domain names through its arms-length nonprofit firm Hong Kong Internet Registration Company.

The assurance comes just weeks after the Hong Kong domain was revealed as one of the most attacked by cyber spammers and hackers.

Speaking to lawmakers yesterday, outgoing Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Frederick Ma Si- hang admitted attempts to make registration for .hk domain names in 2006 made the territory's domain name attractive to cyber criminals.

He said 14,000 dubious domains had been closed so far, bringing the number of spamming and phishing reports weekly from 262 in 2007 to only three in the first three months of this year.

Apple iPhone on Sale in Hong Kong
http://hkdigit.blogspot.com/2008/07/apple-iphone-3g-on-sale-in-hong-kong.html

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3143/2658153963_9769ed1729_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3057/2658982244_695bec0fb4_o.jpg

IBM sees HK as cloud computing hub
IT giant says new laboratory at Cyberport will become a global centre for services
28 April 2009
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong, aided by a recent spate of strategic investments by leading information technology services companies, is being transformed into a potentially lucrative cloud computing centre for Greater China.

It is a welcome development brought to the recession-hit city by International Business Machines Corp, the world's biggest technology services provider, and NTT Com Asia, part of Japanese telecommunications giant Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.

Cloud computing puts the availability and management of various software, stored data and services used by organisations and consumers on to the internet - via remote, large-scale data centres run by providers who charge a monthly or annual fee. These Net-based facilities are usually represented as clouds in network diagrams, hence the name.

Though still in its infancy, it is a computing model that is now offering a much cheaper and viable way for businesses to acquire and use information technology, especially in these tough economic times.

"Cloud computing introduces new options and flexibilities for a corporate chief information officer and ought not to be written off simply as marketing hype," said Steve Hodgkinson, a research director at technology consultancy Ovum.

Market research firm International Data Corp has estimated worldwide spending on cloud computing services will grow almost threefold to reach US$42 billion in 2012.

Following its acquisition for an undisclosed amount of the messaging business assets of Outblaze, a privately held local technology company, IBM has set up its first cloud computing laboratory in Cyberport.

"IBM is focused on helping businesses, large and small, work smarter to drive innovation up and costs down and this new cloud lab will reinforce that," said Bob Picciano, general manager at IBM's Lotus Software business unit. "We see this Hong Kong lab as a global hub for IBM's cloud collaboration services."

The company will start with 70 employees, but expects to add more staff and put more substantial investments based on growing demand for cloud services in Greater China.

Stephen Mak Hung-sung, the acting Hong Kong Government Chief Information Officer, said: "The new IBM laboratory marks a milestone in Hong Kong's information technology industry as it has the potential to help businesses jump-start their cloud computing projects and enhance their computing capabilities to compete in the global marketplace."

Businesses of all sizes will be able to use IBM as the provider for their full range of e-mail needs, whether on-premise or hosted, from casual to intense usage.

Business partners, such as telecommunications operators and internet service providers, will be able to package and sell collaborative services to their clients under their own brands.

The business acquired from Outblaze offers hosted e-mail and collaboration services in 22 languages to more than 40 million users worldwide.

NTT Communications Corp, which directly runs NTT Com Asia, acquired for HK$161 million at the end of last year a data centre in Tai Po from Skywork Corp and Singasat, which ran it under APT Satellite Telecommunications.

That facility has since been upgraded into a strategic cloud computing hub for NTT Com Asia. "The new NTT Communications data centre is the embodiment of the company's resolution to explore business in Greater China," said Masaaki Moribayashi, the president and chief executive at NTT Com Asia.

Brandon Lee, the executive vice-president of NTT Com Asia's new business division, said service providers see Hong Kong as a much more stable location to set up these kinds of facilities because of the city's advanced communications infrastructure, the rule of law, protection of intellectual property rights and close proximity to the mainland and other Asian markets.

"We're looking at faster growth than expected in this market," Mr Lee said.

Wi-Fi facilities installed at 350 government premises
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Government Press Release

The GovWiFi programme has been rolled out in some 350 government premises as scheduled, providing around 1,500 Wi-Fi hotspots, and there are more to come, the Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology), Mr Duncan Pescod, said today (June 27).

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the "Ubiquitous City - Hong Kong" (U-City) Fun Fair today, Mr Pescod said, "Building Hong Kong into a wireless city is one of the key initiatives under our Digital 21 Strategy. We launched the GovWiFi programme to provide the public with convenient and free access to wireless Internet facilities at government premises."

"These are not just passive access points. We are introducing services that can make use of the new Wi-Fi infrastructure to serve the public better by providing easy access to site-specific public information and services when connecting to GovWiFi at government premises," Mr Pescod said. The information available includes job vacancies, application procedures, various reports and forms at Job Centres, and the latest weather information in the vicinity of the GovWiFi premises.

Usage statistics show encouraging growth in adoption of the GovWiFi service by the public. With reference to the starting position of July 2008 when 130 premises were rolled out, the monthly usage in number of GovWiFi service connections has increased from around 59,000 to around 210,000 in May 2009, representing an average monthly growth of around 13%. In response to user demand, the Government will provide Wi-Fi facilities in 30 more premises, including venues of the Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games, major district parks, more community halls and centres and a few more government offices.

The U-City project, run from November 2007 to June 2009, is a collaboration effort between the Government and the information and communications technology (ICT) industry to encourage the development of wireless applications using the public Wi-Fi networks in Hong Kong. It has in place an award scheme to encourage, subsidise and recognise the development of innovative Wi-Fi applications.

"As a direct result of the U-City project, there have been innovations that will have a positive impact on many different aspects of our daily lives. I am particularly excited by the fact that some of them have already been successfully commercialised into usable products and more are expected to do so," Mr Pescod said.

"The widespread availability of wireless networks will facilitate application developers to come up with new applications and will no doubt create business opportunities. This should mean additional employment and help foster further development of the ICT industry, truly a win/win outcome," he concluded.

At today's ceremony, 12 of the most innovative Wi-Fi applications received awards. They included a wireless location based system; mobile map; mobile portal; mobile video broadcast; peer-to-peer video streaming service on Wi-Fi networks; location based shopping search service and digital publish platform.

Details of the applications are available at www.hkwdc.org/marketing/captive.html. More information on GovWiFi can be found at www.gov.hk/wifi.

Hong Kong named world's spam capital
9 September 2009
Agence France Presse

Hong Kong is under siege from legions of "zombies" attacking people with spam and leaving in their wake a trail of destruction costing millions of dollars a year, analysts have warned.

It sounds like the plot of a surrealist B-movie but it is the worrying scenario computer users are facing in a city which has been awarded the unenviable title of spam capital of the world.

The problem has taken a sinister new twist with the rise of so-called zombies -- computers infected by a virus that are sending reams of spam, or unsolicited emails, without their users' knowledge.

There are an estimated 4,000 zombies active in Hong Kong and their criminal puppet masters use them to fire off thousands of messages offering products ranging from jewellery to pornography.

According to the 2008 Annual Security Report by Internet security firm MessageLabs 81.3 percent of emails sent to Hong Kong computer users last year were spam, more than in any other territory or country in the world.

And the problem is getting worse, with figures for August this year showing the spam rate in Hong Kong had risen to 93.4 percent.

"Nowhere is quite like Hong Kong. Location, history and inherent character combine to give it a special identity that sets it apart from anywhere else in the world," says Internet data analyst Dan Bleaken.

Bleaken believes the city’s status as a financial and commercial hub makes it a lucrative target for spammers.

"According to some estimates, spam-related activities cost Hong Kong 770 million dollars (5.5 billion HK dollars) in 2001, for example," he said.

Internet security firms say the money is lost primarily through the disruption caused to business by malicious software and viruses -- lost productivity through system downtime, slow system response times, technicians' time, extra hardware and software.

Bleaken analysed data gathered by MessageLabs for a research paper entitled "Hong Kong and the Internet: Key Threats, Current Trends".

"Proximity to the rest of China -- a spammers’ haven" is another root cause of Hong Kong's problems, Bleaken says in the report.

"Although the rest of China is the origin of only seven percent of global spam, it accounts for nearly 24 percent of the spam heading for Hong Kong."

Under the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance, which came into force here in December 2007, companies are required to provide an "unsubscribe" facility that requires no further correspondence within 10 days.

They also have to provide their name, a telephone number and postal address in messages, including a valid email address.

Companies breaching the rules face fines of up to one million dollars (128,000 US), although there have so far been no prosecutions.

Hong Kong's Office of the Telecommunications Authority says it had received 13,055 reports of suspected contraventions up to the end of July and had sent out 89 warning letters.

But spam is an international problem and legislation can only be effective if countries work together on targeting the spammers, says Roy Ko, manager of the government-funded Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre.

"These days we receive spam from around the world... They are being sent out from locations that haven't implemented anti-spam laws. Unless we have a group effort on fighting spam we will keep receiving spam mails."

Part of the problem, say experts, is that the cyber criminals are often one step ahead of the legislators.

"Botnets" are the new weapon of choice in the remorselessly rising tide of spam. Short for "robot network" -- these are networks of zombie computers that, unknown to their owners, have been taken over by a remote controller to undertake all kinds of skullduggery.

Highly professional gangs are responsible for a vast majority of online crime -- now a burgeoning 100 million-US dollar global industry. Such gangs are a worldwide phenomenon and many operate from China, though not from Hong Kong itself.

"Botnets are fast becoming the air supply of the spammers," Paul Wood, a senior analyst at MessageLabs, told AFP.

"In 2008, botnets were responsible for as much as 90 percent of all spam." Wood estimates that there are around 4,000 zombie computers active in Hong Kong, around 40 times higher than would normally be expected for a region of around seven million people.

"This is due to the high concentration of computers in Hong Kong, which is itself a function of the region's affluence and the substantial commercial presence there," he said.

Patrick Lee, a Hong Kong-based internet entrepreneur and co-founder of the Rotten Tomatoes film reviews website, advises people to filter out spam using the software that comes free with most internet email accounts.

But all of us already have access to the most effective weapon in the fight against spam, he says, and that is plain old common sense.

"If it looks shady don't click on anything," he said.

^^ "Spam Capital of the World" should be the new nickname after "Asia's World City" to promote the city's internationalism and freedom of media.

HK ranks third in Web table, but for how long?
3 October 2009
South China Morning Post

While Hong Kong might lead the world in broadband penetration, the quality of its internet connections is not "ready for tomorrow", a global survey has found.

A local industry veteran said broadband operators in Hong Kong lacked initiatives to roll out the next generation of internet services and urged the government to ensure more effective use of broadband capacity.

The city was ranked third of 66 countries and regions - behind South Korea and Japan - for broadband "leadership". The study, conducted by the University of Oxford and the University of Oviedo, combines the countries' broadband penetration data with a measure of the service quality experienced by users.

Other places on the ladder included Singapore (7th), the United States (15th), Taiwan (23rd) and the mainland (49th).

The study found Hong Kong and Luxembourg led the world with a 99 per cent broadband penetration rate, but Hong Kong's score for connection quality was well behind other leading countries.

Nine countries, including South Korea, Japan and Sweden, are now enjoying the broadband quality required for future Web uses, such as delivering high-definition internet television and high-quality video communication. These new features are expected to become mainstream in the next three to five years.

South Korea overtook Japan this year to claim the top spot for the best broadband quality. Researchers said that achievement was driven by continuous government efforts to strengthen the country as one of the world leaders in information technology.

Hong Kong is one of 39 countries and regions on the second tier, able to deliver consistent performance for the most common Web applications today, such as social networking, streaming low-definition video and Web communications.

Internet Society chairman Charles Mok said the findings reflected the situation in the city, where almost everyone was now connecting to the Web via broadband. He said keen competition in the broadband market had enabled Hongkongers to enjoy speedy internet services at a very low price. But it might have lowered operators' incentives to launch new services.

"Mobile TV and WiMAX [a new broadband wireless technology] have been rolled out in South Korea for several years but local operators are not keen to catch up with the development," he said.

Local mobile operators are expected to roll out LTE (long-term evolution), the next generation standard of existing 3.5G mobile networks, next year.

LTE could replace fixed-line broadband and offer mobile television and mobile online gaming.

Mok said the government should make sure the capacity was properly used and could also consider introducing "spectrum trading" to encourage new services.

LCQ13: Development of data centres in Hong Kong
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Samson Tam and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mrs Rita Lau, in the Legislative Council today (June 23):

Question:

Regarding the development of data centres in Hong Kong, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) given that the "Consultancy Study on the Development of Data Centres in Hong Kong – Final Report" published by the Digital 21 Strategy Advisory Committee of the Government in May last year points out that Hong Kong should target at developing itself into a hub for high-end data centres, of the progress in developing data services in Hong Kong since the publication of the report;

(b) of the number of land applications received by the authorities in the past three years for developing data centres, the average time taken to handle each application, and what concrete measures the authorities have put in place to assist the industry in expediting the setting up of data centres; and

(c) given that the authorities intend to develop innovative technologies in the Hong Kong-Shenzhen river-loop area, whether they will also consider developing data centres and related value-added services in that area; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

Regarding the questions raised by the Hon Samson Tam, my reply is as follows:

(a) The Digital 21 Strategy Advisory Committee discussed the "Consultancy Report on the Development of Data Centres in Hong Kong" in May last year. The Committee generally echoed the conclusion of the report that Hong Kong was a desirable place for high-end data centres and called for a more comprehensive and proactive policy on data centre development.

In this connection, we are commissioning an economic benefit analysis to study into the wider economic benefits that data centre development may bring to Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, the Government has been working with Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC) to support those companies intending to establish data centres in the Industrial Estates (IEs). Invest Hong Kong has been providing free, customised and confidential one-stop shop services to potential data centre investors from overseas. The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer will also be active in promoting Hong Kong to companies considering establishing data centres in the Asia Pacific region.

(b) Under the planning and land regimes, data centres are normally permitted as part of the commercial and/or business uses. The Town Planning Board and Lands Department have not received specific applications for data centre sites in the past three years.

The IEs, managed by the HKSTPC, offer venues for the development of high-end data centres. Data centre projects meeting the admission criteria of IEs (including the requirement that their activities cannot be carried out in an ordinary multi-storey industrial or commercial building) can apply for admission. In the past three years, two new data centres were built in the IEs.

(c) The Hong Kong and Shenzhen governments' initial view is that higher education could be the leading use in the development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop, to be complemented with high-tech research and development facilities as well as cultural and creative industries. On the basis of this, the Planning and Engineering Study on Development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop was commissioned jointly by the two governments in June 2009. According to the current progress, public engagement is scheduled to commence in 2010 with a view to consulting the public, concerned stakeholders, organisations and committees including the Legislative Council on the Preliminary Outline Development Plan (PODP). The views received will serve as input for refining the proposals of the PODP. The proposal of developing data centres and relevant value-added services will be considered together with the views collected in the public engagement in finalising the themed development of higher education, high-tech research as well as cultural and creative industries in the Loop.

Shortage of iPhone 4 in HK

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Cute reporters for this YouTube channel...so I will continue posting their videos.

iPad sales

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So lovely...
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So lovely...
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lol who is that?

lol who is that?

It's probably some student. I have no idea how NeoMediaTV / Wanandmac get their show hostesses. But it definitely makes their clips much better! :cheers:

It's probably some student. I have no idea how NeoMediaTV / Wanandmac get their show hostesses. But it definitely makes their clips much better! :cheers:

haha but maybe that would distract you from the actual content of the show! :lol:

Waaa

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Do you like reading books on digital devices?

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Now you can even read Chrissie's photobook on your iPad

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港手機軟件 劍指珠三角
業界組平台 生意走出香江


2010年09月10日


http://sme.mpfinance.com/ftp/SME/20100910/ba01/_10EYy.jpg
若在內地市場做得好，手機軟件的用戶數目的確可以很驚人。拉闊遊戲的多人在線角色扮演遊戲《帝國Online》的註冊用戶便超過300萬人，其中九成為內地人。
http://sme.mpfinance.com/ftp/SME/20100910/ba01/10Eyx.gif

【明報專訊】香港是流動通訊高度普及的城市，市民擁有手機比例之高，以及換機周期之密，都在世界上名列前茅。可是始終因為香港人口有限，手機的軟件(包括遊戲)的銷量不會太高。最近，業界就推出計劃，協助本地的手機軟件開發商，開拓珠三角的市場。

早陣子，香港無線科技商會在香港無線發展中心的支持下，宣布推出「珠三角移動應用合作平台」(WSVCC)的計劃(www.wsvcc.hk)，目的是希望協助本地的手機軟件開發商，找到開拓珠三角市場的渠道。

提供本地化諮詢與業務配對

在兩年的項目發展期內，香港無線科技商會將會於珠三角開辦一間附設展覽場地的服務中心。而這服務中心及展覽場地，亦將成為珠三角地區展覽有關香港創新流動應用程式的平台，協調電訊商與有關政府機構，促進香港流動應用程式於內地的推廣。

香港無線科技商會名譽主席及WSVCC項目總監趙志洋透露，早在2008年本地流動應用程式市場開始發展，該會已構想如何協助香港的流動應用開發商(手機軟件開發商)發展珠三角市場，將香港企業的創意，推廣至內地廣大的流動用戶。

據悉，「珠三角移動應用合作平台」將會協助香港的中小企業，建立與廣東省官方合作的管道，提供的服務包括：創新意念、技術標準、保護知識產權，資訊管理及發展，幫助它們進一步認識內地市場，並為香港手機軟件開發商提供應用程式本地化的諮詢服務及測試支援，以及與內地公司的業務配對和聯繫(Networking)等等。

演「盲公竹」角色 樂當業務跳板

香港的中小型手機軟件開發商進軍內地市場時，常會面對不同的困難，包括法規和技術標準問題，以及苦無銷售渠道的問題。

香港無線科技商會主席、英國特許市務學會(香港)資訊科技及電子市務小組主席方健僑表示，「珠三角移動應用合作平台」的目的，就是希望協助每間參與計劃的香港手機軟件開發商，成功將至少一件產品帶到內地的渠道銷售。

他形容：「我們希望好像盲公竹那樣，協助香港的手機軟件開發商走過一個完整的周期。」(例如，資助他們參與研討會，或者業務配對的聚會等等。)

有了第一件產品在內地銷售之後，相信有關的手機軟件開發商就有能力和內地的業者繼續商討合作，將第二件、第三件或更多產品帶到內地的渠道銷售，而不需要旁人協助。

限少於50人公司申請

香港無線發展中心總監李志誠表示，根據廣東省通信管理局的數據，截至今年5月，廣東省的流動電話用戶已達到9183.69萬人。換言之，是香港的十餘倍。

方健僑則表示：「進入珠三角，就是進軍內地市場的第一步。單是珠三角流動電話用戶的數目，已是香港好幾倍！」

申請「珠三角移動應用合作平台」的資助服務是免費的。但由於資源有限，所以這計劃只接受在香港僱用少於50人的手機軟件開發商申請，每間公司只限申請一次。評審委員會將根據原創性、創意、市場潛力、應用軟件的商業模式等原則進行甄選。

同時，獲選的手機軟件開發商將需要與香港無線科技商會簽訂「顧問服務合約」，讓相關的應用軟件使用「珠三角移動應用合作平台」提供的資助服務，並繳交5000元保證金。若手機軟件開發商於12個月內完成該應用軟件，並成功在內地「上架」(在內地市場推出)，保證金將會全數發還。

財經透視 28-2-10 電子書中自有黃金屋
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財經透視 28-2-10 電子書中自有黃金屋
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This one or the iPad - I don't know. Maybe I'll go for iPad anyway!

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This one or the iPad - I don't know. Maybe I'll go for iPad anyway!

I think both of them won't be very usuful if you have iphone4




CNN Interview Simon Lui, HK iPhone app developer
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TVB Pearl interview Simon Lui, Tinha War, iPhone app developer
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I think both of them won't be very usuful if you have iphone4


It's true that iPhone has all of the apps that the iPad has. However, if you are buying a devicfe to read books, the iPhone is not good since the screen is too small. I would consider buying another tablet PC which has better hardware than the iPad (with USB, HDMI output, etc.) - Galaxy Tab, Blackbery Tab, and others. Some of these will have phone capabilities as well.

Regular hostess is back. 2:40... :D

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It's true that iPhone has all of the apps that the iPad has. However, if you are buying a devicfe to read books, the iPhone is not good since the screen is too small.

I was just about to say that...

NTT本港建大型數據中心
(明報)2010年10月7日 星期四 18:35

電信運營商NTT通信旗下亞洲公司宣布，斥資30億元，在香港建設具備國際公認最高等級Tier４規格的大型數據中心

該數據中心佔地約3萬平方米，計劃於2013年落成。預計這將成為香港最大型及首個準Tier４數據中心，鞏固香港作為亞洲資訊與通訊科技樞紐的地位。

NTT通信亞洲公司主席兼行政總裁前田隆伸表示，香港作為國際金融及通訊中心，對高等級的數據中心需求渴切。為滿足亞洲市場尤其是大中華區市場不斷增長的需求，公司決定在香港興建具備國際公認最高規格的Tier４新數據中心。

據前田隆伸介紹，這一新數據中心項目位於將軍澳，包括兩座數據中心及一座商業大樓。預計第一座數據中心和商業大樓將於2013年落成，耗資7.5億元。而所有工程將於2020年完成，總共耗資30億元，並為香港市場創造大約3000個就業機會。

他還表示，香港作為亞洲資訊與通訊科技樞紐，業務增長十分強勁。公司去年在香港大埔 建設的Tier3＋等級數據中心不僅使用率超過一半，業務增長更超過雙倍。

NTT通信公司為全球近1000個不同行業的企業提供數據中心服務，其中資訊／通訊、金融機構為主要客戶群體，包括阿里巴巴、三菱東京日聯銀行等公司。

From http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/101007/4/klik.html

Nokia N8

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Oh so cute~

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MTR App is now available

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Sony NEX 5 review

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I have melted...

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Review of Samsung Galaxy Tab

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Hot Android Apps

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The real reason why you should lineup

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Google releases a killer app - Cantonese Voice Search

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Viewsonic iPad clone

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Ava Yu Kiu for Fujitsu

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Panasonic GF2

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The best iPhone apps review show on the Internet

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新海底電纜系統將登陸香港
(明報)2011年1月31日 星期一 20:55

電訊局今日歡迎NTT Com Asia Limited宣布計劃在香港登陸新海底電纜系統。

新的海底電纜系統名為Asia Submarine-cable Express（ASE），將由多家營辦商合作興建，並由NTT Com Asia Limited在香港登陸。ASE系統將於二○一二年底連接香港、日本、新加坡、馬來西亞和菲律賓，隨後更可能連接中國內地和其他東南亞國家。

ASE電纜系統的設計容量為每秒15垓比特（Tbps），興建成本估計為33.5億港元，預計於2012年12月在香港登陸。

電訊局發言人表示：「ASE系統將是第十個在香港登陸的海底電纜系統，能進一步鞏固香港作為亞太區電訊和互聯網樞紐的地位。該系統為我們提供額外對外電訊容量，和提高我們整體的網絡冗餘容量，一旦區內出現天災（例如地震、颱風等）而令對外電訊服務中斷時，該系統有利於提升電訊服務的恢復能力。」

（即時新聞）

UN says China, HK export 4 times as many information and communication tech goods as US
3 February 2011

GENEVA (AP) - Asia is now exporting two-thirds of the world's mobile phones, personal computers, digital televisions and other high-tech goods for information and communications, in a significant shift in world trade accentuated by the global financial crisis, the U.N. reported Wednesday.

The new U.N. data shows that China and Hong Kong exported $498 billion in such goods in 2009, more than four times the United States share of $113 billion. Also included in such trade were cameras, iPads, CD and DVD players and other consumer electronics.

Global exports of information and communication technology, known as ICT -- key to developing economies -- represented 12 percent of world merchandise traded last year, up about 1 percent from a year earlier, according to the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development figures.

"The striking thing is that Asia really has emerged as a very dominant player," said Torbjorn Fredriksson, who heads the ICT analysis section at the U.N. trade organization known as UNCTAD. "And you can also see that within just one year, their share increased by 2.5 percent, which is quite a large share globally, and we link (that) to the financial crisis."

Asia's gain has come mostly at the expense of the U.S., Japan and Europe, he said, with the quick rebound of Asian economies also playing a role.

Trade in ICT goods is increasingly dominated by Asia; seven of the top 10 exporters -- led by China and Hong Kong -- are Asian.

The next closest is the U.S., which exports almost 11 percent of ICT goods. The U.S., China and Hong Kong are also the biggest importers of ICT goods -- partly a reflection of the inter-Asian trade in components.

The latest data support "recent findings that the global financial crisis has led to significant shifts in world trade of ICT goods towards Asia," UNCTAD said.

Most major exporters saw a decrease in ICT goods due the financial crisis, but the decline was sharper in Portugal and Finland, where the drop was more than 50 percent, and in Ireland, where it fell 36 percent. In Czech Republic, France, Germany and Sweden it decreased 20 percent.

China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Korea and Thailand also notched modest losses.

By contrast, India's exports soared 244 percent and its imports of ICT goods also rose. Exports of those by Romania, Israel and Malaysia also rose sharply, UNCTAD reported.

But imports of ICT goods declined by more than 35 percent in Finland, Ireland, Portugal, Russia and Spain for a mixture of factors that include the financial crisis, Fredriksson said.

UNCTAD says that mobile telephones and other ICT goods were helping blaze the way for new "micro-enterprises" that are mushrooming in developing countries -- sometimes creating new livelihoods for the poor.

For example, Kenya has more than 20,000 agents for the M-PESA mobile-based transaction service, Fredriksson said.

Some 1 million people are now involved in India's mobile phone sector, he said. UNCTAD, citing Grameenphone figures, said Bangladesh has an estimated 350,000 "village phone ladies" who run mobile phone booths in remote places so others can call relatives or get health care.

Windows 7 Phone apps review

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Ok.... good hostess.

Facebook to open sales office in Hong Kong-media

SHANGHAI, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Facebook, the world's largest social-networking site, will open a sales office in Hong Kong, in a move to tap the region's booming Internet scene, local media reported on Wednesday.

The Hong Kong office will service brands, companies and agencies in Hong Kong and Taiwan that want to advertise or launch marketing campaigns on its website, the company said in a statement posted on Asia Media Journal's website http://www.asiamediajournal.com.

Facebook has been banned in mainland China, the world's largest Internet market at over 450 million users, since 2009 and since then many Facebook-clones have sprung up to fill the void.

"By continuing to build our presence in the region, Facebook will be able to directly provide full support to advertisers here," Blake Chandlee, a Facebook executive, said in the press release.

Facebook opened offices in Singapore and India last year and has been looking for ways to expand into Asia, home to millions of young, savvy Internet users.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported that Jayne Leung, a former Google executive, will head Facebook's North Asia operations.

Facebook's Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg toured China last December, visiting the heads of numerous Chinese Internet firms including Baidu Inc, Sina Corp and Alibaba Group.

Huawei X5 Android Smartphone

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iPad 2兩輪開售港無份 料炒至萬元 下周五美出爐 最快翌日有水貨
(明報)2011年3月4日 星期五 05:05

【明報專訊】蘋果宣布平板電腦iPad 2下周五（11日）在美國 開售，英國 、日本 等 26個國家亦會在本月25日有售，香港與內地則暫時未有行貨發售時間表，勢再掀起炒機潮。功能提升而且更輕更薄的iPad 2，定價與上一代相同，有水貨舖表示會搶先在美入貨，最快下周六到港，預料會炒至7000至1萬元，市民即使取得政府派錢的6000元，都未必買得起。

薄三分一 備前後高清鏡頭

蘋果電腦於本港時間昨日凌晨在美國三藩市 舉行iPad 2發布會，由久未露面的總裁喬布斯（Steve Jobs）介紹新產品。iPad 2分為Wi-Fi版及Wi-Fi加3G版，備有黑白兩色，新機較第一代薄三分之一，增設前後高清鏡頭，亦可以HDMI連接高清電視播放，運算速度亦較快。

蘋果股價升近2%

價錢方面，iPad 2與舊版維持同一售價，最便宜的16GB Wi-Fi版售499美元 （3890港元），最頂級的64GB容量3G版本售價為829美元（6466港元），蘋果同時又推出售價39和69美元（約304至538港元）的磁力保護套。對於今次定價低，喬布斯笑說：「人們質疑那是否『無法相信』的價錢，（你們）問問我們的競爭對手吧。」

坊間對iPad 2的反應普遍正面，《華爾街日報 》的網上民調顯示，受訪約5000名網民中，六成八人表示會購買iPad 2，蘋果股價於iPad 2公布後上升不足1％，昨晚開市前段再升逾1％，相反，由於iPad 2定價較對手摩托羅拉 的Xoom便宜，摩托羅拉股價昨日下跌約4%。

先達接受預訂 料白色版搶手

由於香港與內地都不在首兩輪開售地區名單，行貨正式抵港前，必再掀起炒風。旺角先達水貨店G-World Mobile昨日已開始接受客人預訂iPad 2，負責人劉志剛表示，已安排人手在iPad 2首賣日於美國入貨及網上訂貨，首批計劃購入約60部，先試市場反應。他預料，iPad 2炒價將與第一代一樣，由7000至1萬元不等，較行貨貴六至七成，首推的白色iPad 2相信較搶手，可能再貴數百元，iPad 2配件會以雙倍價錢出售。

同場的數碼動力負責人林先生亦揚言「有幾多入幾多」，他以iPad第一代為例，首日售價由8000至1.2萬元不等，隨即搶購一空，「客人根本不看價錢及容量，最緊要有機在手」。數碼易負責人林先生則說，iPad 2未有大驚喜，最實用都是新機可連接至高清電視，但在蘋果效應下，相信仍有大批捧場客，他會在美購入100部，估計炒價不會超過1萬元。

iPad 2兩輪開售港無份 料炒至萬元 下周五美出爐 最快翌日有水貨
(明報)2011年3月4日 星期五 05:05

【明報專訊】蘋果宣布平板電腦iPad 2下周五（11日）在美國 開售，英國 、日本 等 26個國家亦會在本月25日有售，香港與內地則暫時未有行貨發售時間表，勢再掀起炒機潮。功能提升而且更輕更薄的iPad 2，定價與上一代相同，有水貨舖表示會搶先在美入貨，最快下周六到港，預料會炒至7000至1萬元，市民即使取得政府派錢的6000元，都未必買得起。

薄三分一 備前後高清鏡頭

蘋果電腦於本港時間昨日凌晨在美國三藩市 舉行iPad 2發布會，由久未露面的總裁喬布斯（Steve Jobs）介紹新產品。iPad 2分為Wi-Fi版及Wi-Fi加3G版，備有黑白兩色，新機較第一代薄三分之一，增設前後高清鏡頭，亦可以HDMI連接高清電視播放，運算速度亦較快。

蘋果股價升近2%

價錢方面，iPad 2與舊版維持同一售價，最便宜的16GB Wi-Fi版售499美元 （3890港元），最頂級的64GB容量3G版本售價為829美元（6466港元），蘋果同時又推出售價39和69美元（約304至538港元）的磁力保護套。對於今次定價低，喬布斯笑說：「人們質疑那是否『無法相信』的價錢，（你們）問問我們的競爭對手吧。」

坊間對iPad 2的反應普遍正面，《華爾街日報 》的網上民調顯示，受訪約5000名網民中，六成八人表示會購買iPad 2，蘋果股價於iPad 2公布後上升不足1％，昨晚開市前段再升逾1％，相反，由於iPad 2定價較對手摩托羅拉 的Xoom便宜，摩托羅拉股價昨日下跌約4%。

先達接受預訂 料白色版搶手

由於香港與內地都不在首兩輪開售地區名單，行貨正式抵港前，必再掀起炒風。旺角先達水貨店G-World Mobile昨日已開始接受客人預訂iPad 2，負責人劉志剛表示，已安排人手在iPad 2首賣日於美國入貨及網上訂貨，首批計劃購入約60部，先試市場反應。他預料，iPad 2炒價將與第一代一樣，由7000至1萬元不等，較行貨貴六至七成，首推的白色iPad 2相信較搶手，可能再貴數百元，iPad 2配件會以雙倍價錢出售。

同場的數碼動力負責人林先生亦揚言「有幾多入幾多」，他以iPad第一代為例，首日售價由8000至1.2萬元不等，隨即搶購一空，「客人根本不看價錢及容量，最緊要有機在手」。數碼易負責人林先生則說，iPad 2未有大驚喜，最實用都是新機可連接至高清電視，但在蘋果效應下，相信仍有大批捧場客，他會在美購入100部，估計炒價不會超過1萬元。

sounds like i should buy a bunch in the US, and sell them in HK.

sounds like i should buy a bunch in the US, and sell them in HK.

lol get one for me :nuts:

Thing is, they still don't run flash and they don't have SD card reader/USB port...

ZOHiLMgxueY

Cheap, Ultrafast Broadband? Hong Kong Has It
By RANDALL STROSS
Published: March 5, 2011

HONG KONG residents can enjoy astoundingly fast broadband at an astoundingly low price. It became available last year, when a scrappy company called Hong Kong Broadband Network introduced a new option for its fiber-to-the-home service: a speed of 1,000 megabits a second — known as a “gig” — for less than $26 a month.

Hong Kong's population density helps its broadband companies reach users at low cost. One plan offers 1,000-megabit-a-second speed at $26 a month.

In the United States, we don’t have anything close to that. But we could. And we should.

Verizon, the nation’s leading provider of fiber-to-the-home service, doesn’t offer a gig, or even half that speed. Instead, it markets a “fastest” service that is only 50 megabits a second for downloading and 20 megabits a second for uploading. It costs $144.99 a month. That’s one-twentieth the speed of Hong Kong Broadband’s service for downloading, for more than five times the price.

One thing working in Hong Kong’s favor, of course, is its greater population density, enabling broadband companies to reach multiuser dwellings at a much lower cost. But density is only part of the explanation. The personality of Hong Kong Broadband should be noted, too. A wholly owned subsidiary of City Telecom, it is an aggressive newcomer. It was willing to suffer seven years of losses while building out its fiber network before it turned profitable.

Hong Kong Broadband’s principal competitor is an older company, PCCW, which has several other lines of business, including phone, television and mobile. PCCW also offers gigabit service to the home and benefits from the same population density. But PCCW’s price is more than twice as much as Hong Kong Broadband’s. Despite its low prices, Hong Kong Broadband now operates in the black.

Inexpensive pricing of gigabit broadband is practical in American cities, too. “This is an eminently replicable model,” says Benoit Felten, a co-founder of Diffraction Analysis, a consulting business based in Paris. “But not by someone who already owns a network — unless they’re willing to scrap the network.”

In the United States, costs would come down if several companies shared the financial burden of putting fiber into the ground and then competed on the basis of services built on top of the shared assets. That would bring multiple competitors into the picture, pushing down prices. But it would also require regulatory changes that the Federal Communications Commission has yet to show an appetite for.

Dane Jasper, the chief executive of Sonic.net, an Internet provider based in Santa Rosa, Calif., says that most broadband markets in the United States today are dominated by one phone company and one cable company.

“Why doesn’t Verizon offer gigabit service?” Mr. Jasper asks. “Because it doesn’t have to.”

In its earnings report for the quarter ended Dec. 31, Verizon said its fiber-based Internet service, which serves 12 states and the District of Columbia, was available to 12.8 million premises, an increase of 10 percent from the previous year.

When I asked about its lack of gig service, C. Lincoln Hoewing, Verizon’s assistant vice president for Internet and technology issues, said, “We already offer 150 megabits,” referring to a tier of fiber-based service that is marketed for $195 a month to small businesses in many of its markets. It “seems to be satisfying demand,” he said.

In a follow-up e-mail, a Verizon spokeswoman addressed the company’s lack of a gig service by saying that it offers “speeds that exceed what customers can and do use.”

As long as a gig is expensive, a lack of customer interest shouldn’t be surprising. In October, EPB, the municipal electric utility in Chattanooga, Tenn., introduced a gig option in its fiber-to-the-home Internet services. A spokeswoman said the option, which costs $349.99 a month, currently has only about 20 customers.

It is true that residential customers would now be hard-pressed to fully use anything close to a gig. Uncompressed, broadcast-quality HD video, for example, uses 23 megabits a second.

But it is possible to imagine situations — a doctor’s office consultation, say, involving specialists scattered around the country, poring over the patient and her cerebral angiogram simultaneously — where multiple, two-way video feeds could chew up a lot of bandwidth. All parties would need the ultrafast connections. But that level of capacity seems distant because each party needed to make it happen — customers, software developers and Internet providers — is waiting for the others to show up first.

GOOGLE doesn’t want to wait. It and Sonic.net are preparing an experimental deployment of gigabit service to 850 faculty and staff homes in a Stanford University subdivision.

Separately, Google plans to select one or several cities where it will offer gigabit service at what it calls “a competitive price” to at least 50,000, and potentially 500,000, people. In a post on the company blog titled “Think Big With a Gig,” it says, “We want to see what developers and users can do with ultra-high speeds, whether it’s creating new bandwidth-intensive ‘killer apps’ and services, or other uses we can’t yet imagine.”

Mr. Jasper of Sonic.net says the history of computing shows us that “no matter how much storage we have or how fast the computing processing speed or network connection speed, applications arise to utilize them.”

While companies like Verizon don’t seem to be in a rush, that little Hong Kong business is saying: A gig? Sure. Join this grand experiment early. At $26 a month, it’s a low-cost ticket to the future.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/business/06digi.html?_r=1&ref=technology

So does wireless service!!
ATT iphone package costs almost US$115 + tax + additional charge per month for unlimited data and voice. (probably more like US$130 after all taxes and additional charge.)
Smartone Vodafone costs HK$398 (~US$50) only (Unlimited data + 3,900 free minutes.)
It's almost only a third of the price.

Cheap, Ultrafast Broadband? Hong Kong Has It

I know that broadband internet over there is cheap...........but to such levels is such astounding. holy shit

HK$26 is less than 200 pesos a month. HOLY FUCKING SHIT

HKBN must be running a charity service to charge blazing fast internet for such uber low pricing that it is simply mindfuck. It's simply unbelievable :nuts:

That said though: I think the problem in Hong Kong is that pay TV is expensive?

http://www.now-tv.com/eng/

EQUIPMENT & SERVICE FEE
Product/ Service Description Charges Remark
Decoder Deposit $800 Waived *
Decoder Monthly Rental Charges $38 per month Waived *
now TV Paper Bill $20 per bill
Decoder Installation (with field visit) $530 Waived *
Membership Fee $15 1
now TV line rental charge $118 Waived *

Hmm.......HK$38 per month for 33 free channels. Hmm........I'll have to thinka bout it.

I know that broadband internet over there is cheap...........but to such levels is such astounding. holy shit

HK$26 is less than 200 pesos a month. HOLY FUCKING SHIT

HKBN must be running a charity service to charge blazing fast internet for such uber low pricing that it is simply mindfuck. It's simply unbelievable :nuts:

That said though: I think the problem in Hong Kong is that pay TV is expensive?

http://www.now-tv.com/eng/

EQUIPMENT & SERVICE FEE
Product/ Service Description Charges Remark
Decoder Deposit $800 Waived *
Decoder Monthly Rental Charges $38 per month Waived *
now TV Paper Bill $20 per bill
Decoder Installation (with field visit) $530 Waived *
Membership Fee $15 1
now TV line rental charge $118 Waived *

Hmm.......HK$38 per month for 33 free channels. Hmm........I'll have to thinka bout it.

Nah, the article is in US$, not HK$.
(Note it's New York Times.)

I guess HK internet is still very cheap even if those prices are quoted in USD tho ;)

AgKOm45mlPc

Projector for iPhone

in3LEttGc04

iPad 2美開售 港水貨貴逾3000
(明報)2011年3月13日 星期日 05:05

【明報專訊】蘋果iPad2平板電腦昨日在美國 開售，蘋果店外早就有長長人龍排隊等候，前列位置有不少是「職業排隊黨」，收取每小時10美元 （約77.8港元）的排隊費代購iPad2。至於未必會列入第二波應市地區的香港市場，旺角 水貨電腦店早作準備，今日可為本港「蘋果迷」供貨，預料每部最低消費約7000港元。

美職業排隊每部掙逾700元

iPad2昨日率先在美國發售，售價由499美元（約3886港元）至829美元（約6456港元）不等，開售前美國各大城市如曼克頓、三藩市 等地的蘋果專門店外，人龍長達近千人，住在三藩市的華人青年吳先生表示，他一行35人收取每小時10美元排隊掙外快，在加州專門店外的Esteban Kelly以每部100美元（約778港元）的「收費」負責排隊買機，預計是應付炒家及海外需求。

旺角電腦店訂金2000元

蘋果本月25日起在美國以外26個國家發售iPad2，俄羅斯 、中國和本港不包括在內。旺角的電腦店已有準備，收取1000至2000元不等的訂金，為客人預訂iPad2，售價由7000多港元至逾萬港元不等，視乎型號和顏色而定，店舖普遍指白色機身版的售價較黑色貴數百元至2000港元不等。

旺角先達電腦店劉志剛表示，已收到逾百人預訂iPad2，最多人預訂最貴的64GB的Wi-Fi+3G版，售價要1.1萬港元，最平是16GB的Wi-Fi版，售價要近8000港元，他說白色版會貴1000至2000港元。劉志剛預料，今日有50多部iPad2率先抵港。

iPad 2美開售 港水貨貴逾3000
(明報)2011年3月13日 星期日 05:05

【明報專訊】蘋果iPad2平板電腦昨日在美國 開售，蘋果店外早就有長長人龍排隊等候，前列位置有不少是「職業排隊黨」，收取每小時10美元 （約77.8港元）的排隊費代購iPad2。至於未必會列入第二波應市地區的香港市場，旺角 水貨電腦店早作準備，今日可為本港「蘋果迷」供貨，預料每部最低消費約7000港元。

美職業排隊每部掙逾700元

iPad2昨日率先在美國發售，售價由499美元（約3886港元）至829美元（約6456港元）不等，開售前美國各大城市如曼克頓、三藩市 等地的蘋果專門店外，人龍長達近千人，住在三藩市的華人青年吳先生表示，他一行35人收取每小時10美元排隊掙外快，在加州專門店外的Esteban Kelly以每部100美元（約778港元）的「收費」負責排隊買機，預計是應付炒家及海外需求。

旺角電腦店訂金2000元

蘋果本月25日起在美國以外26個國家發售iPad2，俄羅斯 、中國和本港不包括在內。旺角的電腦店已有準備，收取1000至2000元不等的訂金，為客人預訂iPad2，售價由7000多港元至逾萬港元不等，視乎型號和顏色而定，店舖普遍指白色機身版的售價較黑色貴數百元至2000港元不等。

旺角先達電腦店劉志剛表示，已收到逾百人預訂iPad2，最多人預訂最貴的64GB的Wi-Fi+3G版，售價要1.1萬港元，最平是16GB的Wi-Fi版，售價要近8000港元，他說白色版會貴1000至2000港元。劉志剛預料，今日有50多部iPad2率先抵港。

i will accept an HK$2,750 earning (additional $1,000 flat rate for the white version,) including shipping cost from the US directly to your address. any order?

:lol: what a rip-off!! :lol:

:lol: what a rip-off!! :lol:

it's not cheap to ship the box to hk with air mail, it's a few hundred HKD there.
i am actually only making a little over 2k, and you still save HK$250!
think about what you can do with HK$250~

Wg09rVqgbvw

Don't see why it is such a big deal. There are nothing THAT big about this revision of iPad, only slimmer and more powerful...

By Chris Chang, posted Mar 13, 2011 at 8:02 AM

iPad 2 Selling At Crazy Prices in Hong Kong’s Gray Market


http://img.pics.livedoor.com/011/f/0/f089e6ec4e9355992391-LL.jpg

Steve Jobs did not announce an official release date for the iPad 2 in Hong Kong, but residents can buy them at retail – for a premium, just two days after the iPad 2 launches in the U.S. You will be shocked, a 16GB Wi-Fi model costs about $7,900 Hong Kong Dollars (around $1014) in the gray market, that’s about twice the U.S. price!!!

It is perfectly normal to see this in Hong Kong. Last year, the iPhone 4 and iPad were sold to local Apple fanboys at crazy prices in the gray market, since fanboys wanted to get the latest Apple gadget at the soonest. Just like always, vendors in the bustling gadget market in Hong Kong’s Sin Tat Plaza (先達廣場), known colloquially as the ‘Mobile Phone Mall’, are promising to bring the latest Apple product, iPad 2, to early adopters. Since the iPad 2 will be available for sale in the U.S first, the retailers will only have to import the iPads from America.

Amazingly, a retailer, Mr. Lo, who is the ‘master’ of the gray market in Hong Kong, who distributed hundreds to thousands of iPhone 4s and iPads to China’s gray market last year, has already received 200 orders before the launch, and he has prepared eight couriers in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles to hop on planes to Hong Kong after securing about 200 iPads and he will get the device to eager consumers by March 13, that’s today. And he did it.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5258/5522211632_aed30e9664.jpg

Mr. Lo is preparing to distribute the iPad 2s to pre-ordered customers, early in the morning when luggages of iPad 2s arrived his store.

An employee opening up a luggage, which contains up to 40 boxes of iPad 2s.

What’s the selling price? Well, it’s insane. See below for the price tags.

iPad 2 with Wi-Fi (Black)

16GB: HKD$7,980 (about $1025)

32GB: HKD$8,980 (about $1153)

64GB: HKD$9,980 (about $1280)
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G (Black)

16GB: HKD$9,680 (about $1243)

32GB: HKD$10,680 (about $1371)

64GB: HKD$11,880 (about $1525)
If you want a white version, you need to add HKD$1500-2000 (about $192-256) for every models. We are more shocked when we see the prices for the smart cover and HDMI adapter. Prices below.

iPad Smart Cover – Polyurethane – Any colors: HKD$780 (about $100)

iPad Smart Cover – Leather – Any colors: HKD$1,280 (about $164)

HDMI Adapter: HKD$580 (about $74)
It is really difficult to understand why the Hong Kongers want to secure an early iPad 2 for hefty premiums. Mr. Lo, the famous guy who first sold hundreds of iPhone 4 and iPad in the gray market, said customers have put down HKD$1,000 (about $128) deposit for each iPad 2 before the launch, and if there are some customers who could not accept the price they are offering now, the deposit will be refunded and the device will be reserved for late-comers. When he was asked why customers are willing to spend so much money for an iPad 2, he said:

“Apple fanboys are willing to pay our prices to have the iPad 2 earlier. That’s how we earn money.”

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5176/5522211498_05b399c5b3.jpg

Mr. Lo has prepared lots of 64GB models! Why? Local Apple fanboys do not care about the prices or the storage capacity, they just want to get whatever the retailer has in stock, and since selling the Wi-Fi + 3G 64GB models will let the retailers to earn more profits, so that’s why Mr. Lo chose to import the high-end models.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5522211708_ea21d54d5a.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5139/5521621607_102d298081.jpg

Customers are informed to pick up their iPad 2s early in the morning, around 7-8am. Mr. Lo is the only retailer distributing iPad 2 at that time, all other vendors were not yet awake.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5294/5522211572_a429b1edcb.jpg

Mr. Lo and his employees were busy distributing the iPad 2s and counting money…

Of course, the iPad 2 is not only selling at crazy price in Hong Kong, we took a look at Chinese online shopping site, Taobao, and the stores have set six price points, ranging from RMB¥5,200 to RMB¥8,200 (about $790 – $1246). That’s cheaper than Hong Kong’s gray market!

http://img.pics.livedoor.com/012/0/6/06db9cd2470eb69877c1-LL.jpg

However, we are not sure if Taobao sellers are really selling a real iPad 2 to customers…. What’s more, we checked out Zhongguanchun, the most popular electronics shopping market in Beijing, and the vendors are ready to offer the iPad 2 on March 13, starting at RMB¥7,000 (about for the base model. Chinese consumers are required to put down RMB¥500 (about $76) deposit to make a reserve. Lots of Chinese Apple fanboys will get one, however, some may not. A female customer, Fang, said:

“It’s too expensive, I didn’t expect the vendors to offer this price, it’s over my budget! They are earning big profits from this!”

And a local Apple fanboy, Yang, said:

“I’m used to this. When Apple releases a new product, the vendors here will surely mark up the price. Since there is no date set for China release, we should patiently wait for Apple’s announcement and not visiting the gray market to get the ‘unlicensed’ product. The sales of the iPhone 4 in China is a good example!”

It is weird to see Apple not offering the iPad 2 to Hong Kong and China on March 25, while other 26 countries are getting it. We are guessing the problem is due to the gray market and scalpers in Hong Kong and China, since many people were reselling iPhone 4 for profits, especially in Hong Kong and Beijing.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5057/5522211596_fea60fdd7c.jpg

Meanwhile, people who got an iPad 2 could sell the device to the gray market, starting from HKD$6,000 (about $770). Anyone doing this? If you are in Hong Kong, feel free to visit Mr. Lo’s store, G-World Mobile, located at:

F56, 1/F, Sin Tat Plaza, 83 Argyle Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

http://micgadget.com/11681/ipad-2-selling-at-crazy-prices-in-hong-kongs-gray-market/

^ You should've visited a little later to earn some plane ticket money. :)

iPad 2水貨抵港 炒至1.4萬元
(經濟日報)2011年3月14日 星期一 06:00

【經濟日報專訊】全城再陷入iPad「瘋」潮，首批iPad 2水貨昨抵港，售價較美國正價炒升7成至1.3倍，首次推出的白色版成追捧對象，其中64GB WiFi+3G版，水貨炒至13,880元，升價逾倍。

但貴價未阻港人追新熱情，有人付13萬元一掃10部用作送禮，內地水貨客亦掃20部，轉手內地隨時炒至2萬元一部。

較正價高7成至1.3倍

旺角先達廣場昨日不少商舖貼出「iPad 2現貨有售」的標貼，皆指不論黑白色、各容量機款，均有現貨出售，價錢由7,980元起至13,800元不等（見表），亦設iPad 2新機回收服務，價錢由6,000元起。

今次iPad 2毋須解鎖，買現貨即可直接上台使用，先達昨不乏買家現身取貨，他們主要是發展Apps及iPad產品的業內人士，因工作需要而第一時間買機，但亦有一名科網公司老闆，掃了10部白色32GB WiFi的iPad2，連配件共13萬元，作送禮之用。

G-World負責人劉志剛稱，昨僅有約60部iPad 2由美國空運抵港，因當地每人每籌限買2部，貨量少，料首批將極速沽清。他指一般WiFi版售價由7,980元起，3G則由9,680元起，其中白色機罕見，售價較黑色貴1,200至2,000元，未來一周售價或再調升。

轉售內地 可賣2萬元

蘋果「i瘋」熱潮去年席捲內地，劉志剛透露，有客戶已訂購20部iPad 2，轉售至內地，料最貴可賣2萬元，相信要待蘋果公布中港發售時間，價錢才能回落。

數碼動力銷售經理勞景悠指，已派員在美國4個城市搶購新機，料每日約有100部回港，但指8成客人皆訂購白色，回貨卻以黑色為主，相信要一段時間才能完全滿足需求。勞預料新機在內地最平價款也炒至1.1萬人民幣，由於獲利甚豐，部分貨品已轉寄回內地，以同時滿足兩地需求。

市民想追捧iPad 2但又不想捱貴價，除買水貨，亦可考慮光顧網上拍賣網的「代購」服務，例如eBay已設「iPad 2」專櫃，售價雖較水貨便宜約千元，惟未能有現貨或查貨服務，購買存在較大風險。

另一方法則可託身在外國的親友代購寄港，又或是外國旅行時順道購機。由下周五（25日）起，全球26個地區及國家將開售iPad 2，包括較多港人留學的澳洲、英國、日本等。

剛從美國三藩市回港的陳先生，昨一行人便購買了6部iPad 2連皮套，於先達廣場以5萬元轉售，即時賺回逾萬元當旅費補貼。

Don't see why it is such a big deal. There are nothing THAT big about this revision of iPad, only slimmer and more powerful...

Webcam too!

It probably does vice-versa... :ohno:

MARCH 14, 2011, 3:37 PM HKT
Earthquake Disrupts Hong Kong’s Internet

By Alice Truong

Internet users in Hong Kong may continue to experience slow Internet speeds for several weeks when visiting U.S.-based websites, after Friday’s 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan affected several submarine cables, a government telecommunications spokeswoman said Monday.

Cynthia Chan, spokeswoman for the Office of the Telecommunications Authority, said a “small portion” of Hong Kong Internet users experienced slow speeds loading web pages this past weekend due to the earthquake. Service is being rerouted to other cable systems and users should not notice any difference loading Hong Kong-based sites, she said.

But Internet traffic to some international destinations, especially the U.S., is still experiencing slower speeds due to several damaged cables that land in Japan. PCCW Ltd., which provides broadband Internet in Hong Kong, didn’t release details on the cables’ damage or how many users have been affected. The affected cables will be repaired in “the coming weeks,” the company said in a statement, and “customers may experience slower response than normal.”

In 2006, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake off the southwest coast of Taiwan, disrupted telecommunication services in Hong Kong for seven weeks, affecting long-distance and roaming phone calls as well as Internet services.

http://blogs.wsj.com/hong-kong/2011/03/14/earthquake-disrupts-hong-kongs-internet/

iPad 2下月抵港 水貨價料微跌
2011-03-23

【明報專訊】蘋果電腦昨突然宣布，新款平板電腦iPad 2將於下月（4月）內在香港、新加坡和南韓開售，但不包括中國大陸，暫未知這突來的決定，是否因為日本因地震而延後iPad 2公開發售，令蘋果有多餘存貨可供港。有網民估計先達商場的iPad 2水貨售價可能因此回落，有先達水貨店亦對消息感意外，但看法不太悲觀，認為未來數日本港水貨售價跌幅或僅500至600元。

昨傍晚iPad 2下月在港開售的消息公布之前，先達商場的iPad 2入門版水貨零售價，分別約為5780元（16GB WiFi）和9680元（16GB 3G），比美國官方零售訂價的3892元和4906元，分別高49%及97%，反映炒風仍熾烈。

據蘋果電腦昨晚的公布，英、澳、加、法、德等25個以歐美為主國家會如期在周五（25日）開售iPad 2，成為繼美國後第二批有iPad 2行貨出售的地區。蘋果又同時宣布，iPad 2將於下月供應香港、韓國、新加坡及另一些國家。

蘋果電腦始終未有公布中國會於何時開售iPad 2，令人關注本港會否再出現炒風。

先達水貨店G-World Mobile老闆劉志剛提醒，若市民等待購入香港行貨再轉售圖利並不容易，若在網上訂貨，可能要再延數星期才能運抵本港。

一般市民加入炒賣行列

劉志剛又透露，iPad 2推出以來他賣出了約400部，成績不算太好，理由是不少市民自行到美國購買iPad 2，再運返港轉售圖利，令水貨供應驟增，但他暫時不會停止收購新機。

March 24, 2011

Nielsen Launches Mobile Ratings In Hong Kong

Hong Kong – As mobile evolves into a composite of voice, text, video, Internet and applications, the mobile industry is experiencing remarkable demand from consumers who now use their Smartphones for more than just talk. The Nielsen Company today announces the addition of Mobile Internet Audience Measurement to its Market Intelligence (MI) service in Hong Kong, the first mobile Internet measurement service.

The launch of Mobile Market Intelligence, in strategic relationship with the leading mobile advertising network provider HotMob Limited (who has generated more than 1 billion impressions in 2010), addresses the demands in providing a third-party, consistent and transparent metric for mobile advertisers and publishers. “With the increasing amount of mobile Internet usage, advertisers, agencies and publishers are looking for reliable data and insights to make sure they are staying ahead of the rapid technological evolution and being connected with their targeted consumers,” said Oliver Rust, Managing Director, The Nielsen Company Hong Kong. “Mobile Market Intelligence will, for the first time, provide independent, third party data on how Hong Kong consumers are using their mobile phones to access the Internet, helping to support mobile advertising decisions.”

The Mobile Market Intelligence service tracks mobile websites, iPhone and Android applications including Openrice, HKMovie, Baby-Kingdom, etc. The service will track made-for-mobile content from content aggregators, publishers and telecom carriers which are accessed via devices such as feature and Smartphones. Metrics available through the service include average daily unique browsers, sessions, page impressions and average session duration.

According to the latest 2010 Nielsen Media Index, mobile phones are taking an ever-expanding role in becoming an indispensable gadget in consumers’ daily lives. Smartphone ownership has more than doubled in 2010 over 2009, indicating that people today are more immersed in mobile technology than ever.

The Nielsen Media Index, a product of The Nielsen Company since 1969, is a unique single-source multi-media survey that provides insights into media habits, lifestyles, attitudes and product consumption of consumers in Hong Kong. Released quarterly, the latest study in Hong Kong polled over 5,900 individuals aged 12-64 via a combination of face-to-face and online interviews.

Who owns a Smartphone?
As of end of 2010, Smartphone users tend to be skewed towards male (60%), aged 20-44 (66%) and are more affluent. 32 percent of them live in households with a combined income of HK$40,000 or above per month and on average, a Smartphone user earns almost 50 percent more than a feature phone user.

http://www.asiamediajournal.com/pressrelease.php?id=2505

Some Hong Kong vendors cash in on iPad 2 before launch

HONG KONG, March 25 (Reuters) - Apple may have envisioned its iPad being sold in futuristic wood-panelled shops in ritzy shopping districts, but in Hong Kong you're more likely to find them stacked up next to posters of bikini-clad models and burnt cigarette butts.

Enterprising Chinese businessmen have already found a way to cash in on Apple's iPad 2 before its official April launch in Hong Kong and Singapore, selling the gadget for a healthy mark-up and pocketing the difference.

Few customers looking at the iPad at the shopping mall located in the territory's local night life district seemed disturbed by the price tag, which goes to as high as HK$15,000 ($2,000) for the top-end 64-gigabyte model, about 250 percent higher than prices in the United States.

"Those who want to buy it now are not going to look at the price," said the owner of a shop who gave his name as Eddie, as he stood in front of rows of iPads and a sticker of a Victoria Secrets lingerie model plastered on his laptop.

"Many of our customers are actually from mainland China who want to impress their girlfriends or give it to business associates, and will buy 10 of them at a go."

The iPad 2, a thinner and faster version of the original tablet PC that features two cameras, was introduced in the United States on March 11 and some analysts forecast that some 1 million of the new gadget may have been sold in the first weekend of its launch.

Eddie said his iPad 2 came from sources in the United States who paid people to stand in line at shops on the day of the launch and had them shipped to Asia immediately, which all added to the cost of the machine.

Cheaper knock-offs running on Microsoft's Windows or other Chinese software were also available, but that had received little interest from consumers so far, he said.

"If I want a fake iPad I can probably get those in China," said Zhou Wen, who said she is a tourist from Beijing on vacation in Hong Kong. "The prices of the iPad here are lower than back on the mainland, so many of my friends have asked me to help them get one too."

Consumers in China unable to make the trip across the border to Hong Kong are likely to turn to Taobao, the eBay equivalent popular in China that is owned by the country's largest e-commerce firm Alibaba Group.

A search on the Taobao for iPad 2 turned up over 5,500 hits, selling everything from the gadget itself to 'Hello Kitty' stickers and covers designed for the tablet PC.

Many of the enterprising online merchants were also happy to offer services such as credit-card payment, a seven-day money-back guarantee and a 30-day warranty, all included into the device's price.

"We've already sold plenty of iPads and have many happy customers," said an online seller with the username Dulala in an email. "This is the real thing." ($1 = 7.795 Hong Kong Dollars)

應科院城大推創意產品

【明報專訊】貿易發展局下周會舉辦春季電子展及資訊科技博覽，當中不乏本港研發的創意實用產品。應科院便會展出一款流動醫療電子產品，只要身上帶智能手機，便隨時可量度心跳；城大亦為iPhone開發一套三維立體聲效軟件，兩產品稍後會在市場有售。


駁智能手機 量心跳血氧


應科院早前研發一款流動醫療電子產品，可利用USB插頭連接至任何智能手機或iPad等，用家只要把拇指放在該個15×15毫米的感應器，便可即時量度心跳、血氧量。應科院表示，已有公司取了特許，將在半年內生產，預計價格會較現有同類儀器便宜一半，估計會在200元美金以下，稍後會加入量度心電圖的功能。


開發iPhone三維廣播軟件


城大亦為iPhone開發了一個三維立體聲效軟件，配備該軟件後，即使是iPhone亦可享受立體聲廣播。不過，城大不會以下載方式讓iPhone用家使用軟件，而是會與音箱底座生產商合作，讓產品可配備此軟件同時發售，藉以扶助本地工業。

eDloawvRv-g?hd=1

AURFgovzJ5o

Hong Kong social media use higher than United States
A new survey indicates that Facebook helps Hong Kong people achieve work-life balance
By CNNGo 24 August, 2011

Social media use is higher in Hong Kong than in the United States, according to the Blogher 2011 Social Media Matters Study.
Out of 387 Hong Kong residents polled in the online survey conducted in March and co-sponsored by Ketchum, 92 percent visit Facebook, 77 percent read blogs on a weekly basis and 52 percent write blogs.

Comparatively, only 87 percent of respondents in the United States indicated that they use Facebook weekly, while Brazil notched up 72 percent and Germany 58 percent.

Nearly half of Hong Kong respondents agreed that social media "had a positive impact on their lives."

In a city where people struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance, social media make it easier for Hong Kongers to connect with each other despite grueling work schedules.

"When face time is being squeezed, people switch online to share stories, gossip," said Simeon Mellalieu, general manager of Ketchum Hong Kong.

"Teenagers, businessmen and grandparents are using even two minutes of downtime to stay connected and share experiences with friends and loved-ones."

Facilitating this is the widespread use of smartphones in Hong Kong, which Mellalieu says is double the global average.

According to the report, social networking sites also influence purchasing decisions -- 50 percent of respondents made a purchase based on a blog recommendation.

Questioned about the influence of media formats on purchasing decisions, 52 percent of Hong Kong respondents said blogs, message boards and social networks ranked higher than television.

Mellalieu says marketers in Hong Kong have been slow to pick up on this opportunity because up till now there has not been sufficient quantitative data to provide insight on Hong Kong people's online behavior and social media's impact on target demographics.

via www.zdnetasia.com

Read more: Hong Kong social media use higher than United States | CNNGo.com http://www.cnngo.com/hong-kong/life/hong-kong-social-media-use-higher-united-states-520745#ixzz1WBz7sW8B

Does that mean people are working less hours to have more time beyond Facebook interaction?

Smartphones a must-have accessory in Hong Kong
Anuradha Shukla
01.09.2011 kl 23:53 | MIS Asia

Smartphones have become a must-have accessory in Hong Kong, according to a newly released Google survey of mobile internet and market trends for Hong Kong and Asia Pacific.

Smartphones have become a must-have accessory in Hong Kong, according to a newly released Google survey of mobile internet and market trends for Hong Kong and Asia Pacific.

Findings of the survey indicate that about 35 percent of all mobile phone users in Hong Kong use smartphones and, of these, 63 percent are first-time smartphone owners.

Sixty-three percent of smartphone users in Hong Kong use their devices mostly at home and 56 percent use their devices at work over the period of seven days.

People in Hong Kong also use other multimedia apps and functions while using their smartphones. Fifty-four percent said they listen to music on their smartphones and 41 percent watch television programmes on these devices.

Twenty-seven percent read books, 26 percent watch movies and 19 percent play video games on their smartphones.

Mobile opportunities in Hong Kong

Smartphone is today touching every aspect of our daily lives and this has presented several mobile opportunities for advertisers, businesses, and developers in Hong Kong.

Twenty-six percent of smartphone users in Hong Kong notice mobile ads all the time or most of the time and 78 percent have previously noticed mobile ads on their smartphones.

Forty-seven percent of users notice mobile ads mostly while they are on search engines via their phones and 25 percent of users visited the website of the advertiser after noticing the mobile ads.

The survey also showed that 23 percent of users have used their smartphones to make online purchases and 14 percent use their smartphones to compare or learn about products before buying them.

Also, 33 percent said that they are keen on making an online purchase using their smartphones.

http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=8B404698-1A64-6A71-CEA1D44140B720B7

World's most expensive Apple Store is coming to IFC mall

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Do you know when it is scheduled to open?

Will be in HK mid Oct and wouldn't mind picking up an iPad 2 =) I was never a fan of going to the resellers!

Do you know when it is scheduled to open?

Will be in HK mid Oct and wouldn't mind picking up an iPad 2 =) I was never a fan of going to the resellers!

Get a STG, as Apple is so afraid of it, it has to be better.

Do you know when it is scheduled to open?



the title say open on 24th Sept.

Apple to open first store in Hong Kong
HONG KONG— Reuters
Published Tuesday, Sep. 06, 2011 10:01AM EDT
Last updated Tuesday, Sep. 06, 2011 10:02AM EDT

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/526/applehkjpg1316170cl8.jpg

Hong Kong's first Apple Store appears to be nearing completion after builders this week removed scaffolding from the shop's exterior windows to reveal a giant sign with the company's logo.

Carolyn Wu, a Beijing-based spokeswoman for Apple Inc. (AAPL-Q379.745.691.52%), confirmed that the store would open soon but would not comment further.

Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer said in an earnings call on July 19 that the Hong Kong shop would be one of 30 planned to open in the September-October quarter.

The store will be located in Hong Kong's International Financial Centre Mall, in the city's central business district.

Apple products are popular in mainland China, where it already has four stores.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/tech-news/apple-to-open-first-store-in-hong-kong/article2154558/

Apple Opens Its First Store in Hong Kong as Retail Spending Surges in City

By Mark Lee and Jasmine Wang - Sep 24, 2011 3:18 AM ET


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Apple Inc. (AAPL) opened its first store in Hong Kong today, paring reliance on sales agents to market its iPhones and iPads as Chinese tourists drive a retail boom in the city. Some customers queued two nights for the event.

Charanis Chiu, a 58-year-old photographic-equipment business owner was among hundreds waiting outside the store with its white Apple logo in the International Finance Centre mall in the city’s Central district. The shop, which opened its doors at 9 a.m., has a spiral staircase joining two floors and offers views of Victoria Harbour with a floor-to-ceiling glass facade.

“I started using Apple Mac products in the 1970s,” said Chiu, who secured fourth place in the line by joining the queue at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 22. “As a fan, I must come and witness such a big thing in Hong Kong.”

The Hong Kong store is opening more than three years after Apple started its first self-operated shop in mainland China as the Cupertino, California-based company expands in a region where revenue surged sixfold last quarter. Retail-sales growth in Hong Kong exceeded 20 percent for a fifth straight month in July, bolstered by spending from Chinese visitors.

“You can’t ignore Hong Kong, it’s a great retail market,” said Paul French, founder of Shanghai-based market research company Access Asia. “There is a lot of money in Hong Kong,” he added.

Chinese Visitors

Visitors from China staying one night or more spent an average of HK$7,453 ($955) each per trip last year, the highest amount of any group, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The nation also provided the top spenders in the same-day category at HK$2,356 each.

Apple opened its third store in Shanghai yesterday, the biggest in China. With the Hong Kong outlet, the company’s total in the China region reached six, compared with the 25 stores that Ron Johnson, then Apple’s head of retail, said last year it targeted by February 2012.

Delays in store openings may give makers of smartphones and tablets equipped with Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android software room to gain market share in the world’s biggest mobile-phone market, said Shaun Rein, managing director of China Market Research Group.

Yuan’s Advance

A gain in the past two years of about 7.5 percent in the yuan against Hong Kong’s dollar, which is pegged to the U.S. currency, has boosted the spending power of Chinese shoppers.

“I have never used Apple products before,” said Ms Yu, a 42-year-old executive from Changsha City in Hunan Province, who gave only her surname. “I want to try and see if Apple is really as fantastic as I heard,” said Yu, who had budgeted about HK$9,000 to buy a Macbook.

The local operations of investment banks including UBS AG and BNP Paribas SA are based at the offices of the International Finance Centre. The IFC commercial complex, developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd. and Henderson Land Development Co., includes the 88-story IFC 2 office tower.

“Hong Kong is an international financial center and has many users, Apple should have a store here,” said Sammy Wong, 31, a telecommunications supervisor who turned up at 6:30 a.m. today for the opening. “I’m very excited.”

Apple has more than 100 resellers in Hong Kong, and its iPhone is distributed by mobile carriers including billionaire Li Ka-shing’s Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings Ltd. (215), according to the U.S. company’s website.

Revenue in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong increased six times to $3.8 billion last quarter, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said in July.
In Negotiations

Apple is in negotiations with Hysan Development Co. to open a store in Hysan Place in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay shopping district, a person with knowledge of the matter said in May.

A group of labor activists protested outside the Hong Kong store after its opening today, footage from Cable TV showed. The TV reported that the protesters, mainly university students, urged Apple to protect workers’ rights.

Labor groups including China Labor Watch called Foxconn Technology Group, which makes iPads and Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) computers, a sweatshop that tramples workers’ rights last year, allegations denied by Foxconn.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-24/apple-opens-first-store-in-hong-kong-as-retail-spending-surges.html

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LOL everything about that store opening is ridiculous. Gary Allen flies in to photograph store openings but he doesn't buy anything!

Ok, I'm not an Apple fan, but when I see Sonie at 1:00, I like it a bit more.
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HongKongers are the most cutting-edge people, the apple store might as well deserve some hype for its first day in HK.

Turns out the Apple Store looks pretty damn nice from outside:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6174/6175243383_d075142546_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/d3sign/6175243383/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/d3sign/6175243383/) by d3sign (http://www.flickr.com/people/d3sign/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6175307746_f43a80a211_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/d3sign/6175307746/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/d3sign/6175307746/) by d3sign (http://www.flickr.com/people/d3sign/), on Flickr

Turns out the Apple Store looks pretty damn nice from outside:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6174/6175243383_d075142546_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/d3sign/6175243383/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/d3sign/6175243383/) by d3sign (http://www.flickr.com/people/d3sign/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6175307746_f43a80a211_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/d3sign/6175307746/)
Untitled (http://www.flickr.com/photos/d3sign/6175307746/) by d3sign (http://www.flickr.com/people/d3sign/), on Flickr

I am not surprise, Apple is currently one of the richest company in the world. Everytimes they launch a store, they want to make headline. Wait till ip5 is launch, and we should see its impact.

I don't like Apple, but like the Sydney store, I do like its glass looking stairs.

Shrinking space for data centers keeping firms out
The Standard
Monday, October 24, 2011

A lack of space to build data centers may hamper international companies from expanding operations to Hong Kong, a real estate consultancy said.

"Earlier this year, an international telecommunications company turned to Singapore for data center space because it failed to find any in Hong Kong," said Cushman & Wakefield executive director John Siu. "If the situation continues, it is possible that more companies would expand elsewhere."

Demand for data centers has been rising, the consultancy said.

"There is only one site left in Tseung Kwan O available for building data centers, and there is no way it can satisfy all the demand. That is why some industrial buildings and warehouses were transformed into data centers," said Siu.

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (0388) is building its own data center in the area, expected to be operational by end-2012.

In Taikoo Place, Quarry Bay, Siu Sai Wan, Sha Tin, Kwai Chung, and Tsuen Wan, some developers have converted car parks or telephone exchange buildings into data centers.

But not all buildings are convertible.

"The cost of converting industrial buildings and warehouses is high," Siu said. Hong Kong has the lowest risk for corporations to set up data centers in the region, Cushman & Wakefield said.

The SAR also ranks fourth worldwide in data centers. Singapore ranks second in the region and 11th worldwide.

Last month, Google said it spent more than HK$780 million to buy a 290,626-square-foot site in Kowloon to build its data center.

Phone-atics
The Standard
Friday, November 11, 2011

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Phone "lines" were running hot and busy as at least 2,000 people shrugged off bad weather to queue to be the first in Hong Kong to get their hands on Apple's newly launched iPhone 4S.

Along with Apple brand fanatics in a line snaking along the Central harborfront from an entrance near the company's IFC store were opportunists - people who want a phone to resell or who are paid to queue on behalf of a multiple buyer.

A small crowd that began forming on Monday suddenly swelled to thousands yesterday, prompting police to put up metal barricades and create separate pens for 25 people ahead of sales due to start at 7am today.

Hong Kong is part of the second phase of the worldwide rollout, with South Korea and 13 other countries seeing similar action.

The 4S - reportedly a form of tech- speak taken from "for Steve" Jobs, the Apple co-founder who died a day after the phone was unveiled on October 4 - sold more than four million in just three days of its launch on October 14 in the United States, Japan, Britain, Australia, Canada, France and Germany.

Elsewhere in Hong Kong, 4S parties staged by three leading telecom operators ran overnight to 3am as their outlets prepared to deliver the much- coveted smartphone to those who pre- ordered online.

But the big action was in Central, where people in the queue included the elderly, parents with kids in tow, foreign domestic helpers and refugees. They had converged on a footbridge adjacent to IFC, setting up tents with ma
ts, chairs and blankets.

Apple sought help from police to cap the size of the queue, but it was in vain - about 500 people were pushing to join the line that extended to the Star Ferry Pier by late afternoon.

City University student Bentany Tang Chun-bun, who headed the queue with five classmates, plans to resell an iPhone 4S 16G immediately in Mong Kok, expecting a profit of HK$1,000.

A team of around 20 Apple security guards maintained order and photographed those who wanted to go to washrooms or to seek refreshments so they could return to their places without being accused of jumping the queue.

A mainlander named Ching delivered his namecard to those in the queue with the message: "I'll take 300 iPhone 4S for HK$1,000 each over the standard price of HK$5,088 from whoever resells tomorrow."

But Shanghai visitor Miss Wang, who arrived a little late, complained: "I paid HK$5,000 for airfare and accommodation. The arrangement is disappointing and forced us to leave as they won't allow anyone outside the fences to buy tomorrow."

In the middle of the line was an Indonesian, Amy Lea, who said a Chinese man hired her and 40 others - mainly Indonesians, Pakistanis and Filipinos - to queue and buy for him.

They had been there since 7pm on Wednesday and were being paid HK$650 apiece for three days.

"It was freezing at night but I'm short of money," she said. "Otherwise it would be stupid to queue."

A male African refugee said he was part of a 15-member team employed by a Chinese man and was being paid HK$2,000 for three days of queueing.

LOL at the woman from Shanghai who flew to HK just to buy a crappy iPhone!

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