Labour Court to handle PMEs salary dispute
By Mustafa Shafawi | Posted: 27 August 2010 1254 hrs
SINGAPORE: Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs) earning monthly salaries of up to S$4,500 will soon be able to make use of the Labour Court's adjudication process for their salary disputes.
The Manpower Ministry (MOM) said the court will be able to handle salary disputes involving sums of up to S$20,000.
Based on its data, the ministry said all claims lodged by PMEs fall within this limit.
The provision is part of a proposed tripartite employment dispute resolution mechanism for PMEs and employers, which was first announced in January.
The mechanism which covers PMEs earning monthly salaries of up to S$4,500 monthly is now being put up for a two-week public consultation.
MOM said the proportion of PMEs in the workforce has increased significantly and is likely to increase in the future.
With increased economic volatility and shorter business cycles, it said more PMEs may face employment disputes with their employers.
The mechanism provides PMEs and employers an avenue to settle their employment disputes speedily and at low-cost.
MOM said this will help bring about more harmonious workplace relations.
It said potentially, more than 500,000 or half of all PMEs in the workforce and their employers will have access to the new employment dispute mechanism involving adjudication and tripartite mediation.
-CNA/wk
- wong chee tat :)
Friday, August 27, 2010
System Updates
Upgraded Ubuntu 8.04. Recently download Ubuntu 9.04 and currently testing.
- wong chee tat :)
- wong chee tat :)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Asian exchanges rush to upgrade trading systems
FACTBOX-Asian exchanges rush to upgrade trading systems
Reuters
Reuters - Tuesday, August 17
* Send
* IM Story
(Updates with latest information from HKEx; adds link to main story)
SINGAPORE, Aug 17 - Asia's biggest stock exchanges have invested heavily in new systems to attract high-frequency traders and fend off expected competition from alternative trading platforms such as dark pools.
Dark pools, which have become increasingly popular in the West, allow brokers and fund managers to place and match large "buy" and "sell" orders anonymously so as to not influence the share price.
The operators of these systems are keen to expand in Asia, having gained large market shares in Europe and North America. For a related story, click [ID:nSGE6790M9]
Following are steps taken by the region's largest bourse operators: Tokyo Stock Exchange
- TSE launched its new $140 million Arrowhead stock trading system in January this year, allowing it to execute trades in 5 milliseconds , compared with up to 3 seconds in the case of the previous system.
The new system, built by Fujitsu <6702.T>, will also reduce the time taken to distribute stock price and quote information to 3 milliseconds.
Arrowhead puts the Tokyo bourse in the same league as the New York and London stock exchanges, which attract a large number of high-frequency traders who use complex algorithms to analyse market data and place orders.
In step with the launch of Arrowhead, TSE has cut tick sizes -- the smallest increment by which a stock can move -- and widened daily price limits to allow stocks to rise or fall by a larger amount in one day.
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing
- HKEx <0388.HK>, the world's second-largest listed exchange by market capitalisation after CME
The system is scalable to 150,000 orders per second, HKEx said on Tuesday.
The Hong Kong bourse operator is also looking further ahead to come out with a next generation system that can handle a larger number of orders per second and improve its connectivity to market players in China.
HKEx did not say how much its investments in technology will cost.
Currently, there are about ten dark pools operating in Hong Kong with a combined market share estimated at less than 3 percent of total stock trading.
Hong Kong law prohibits the use of alternative platforms to trade Hong Kong-listed shares, except via automated trading services that are registered with HKEx. These ATSs must report and clear their trades through HKEx, a Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission spokesman said.
Singapore Exchange
- SGX
Called Reach, the new system will allow trades to be executed in 90 microseconds or 0.09 milliseconds, down from 3-5 milliseconds currently. A microsecond is one millionth of a second, while a millisecond is one thousandth of a second.
The new system uses technology developed by NASDAQ OMX
SGX has also teamed up with Chi-X to launch what will be the first exchange-backed dark pool in Asia. The 50-50 joint venture, called Chi-East, will initially allow trades in selected equities listed in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore when it starts operating some time this year.
Shares of Singapore-listed firms are held in the city-state's Central Depositary, a unit of SGX that keeps track of changes in share ownership, making it difficult for dark-pool operators to bypass the incumbent operator.
ASX
- Australia's ASX
The Genium INET platform developed by NASDAQ OMX will also allow ASX to cut the average time taken to execute a trade to 250 microseconds from 3 milliseconds currently.
ASX has also created its own dark pool offering called VolumeMatch that will allow traders to anonymously match buy and sell orders above A$1 million with a fee of just 1.5 basis points.
Chi-X has already obtained a provisional license to operate in Australia when the market is open some time next year.
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
System Updates
Had changed location recently and currently monitoring the routers for any issues.
- wong chee tat :)
- wong chee tat :)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
民俗学家：今年虎年七月超凶
民俗学家：今年虎年七月超凶
老虎生性凶猛，因此一般认为虎年也特别“凶”。（图／档案照）
虎年的七月特别凶，而今年又逢六十年不遇的“天冲地克”格局，因此，预料将天灾人祸不断！
富贵集团新加坡公司执行顾问姜培康表示，根据奇门遁甲派的民俗学，老虎生性凶猛，加上农历七月，天灾和不幸事故发生的比例将会提高。
著名风水师陈军荣也说，今年的七月又比一般的虎年七月来得更凶。从飞星学来看，今年七月由五黄星主导，于是会产生较多灾难。
从天干地支来看，今年是庚寅年，而七月是甲申月。天干方面，庚干和甲干对冲，地支方面，寅支和申支相克，出现了罕见的“天冲地克”格局。
他说，每年会有一个月出现“天冲”，另有一个月出现“地克”，2个碰在一起，可说是60年不遇。
上一次出现这种格局，是1950年的农历七月左右。据资料，当时中国淮河大淹水，2万1600人丧命。
更多报道，请翻阅27.07.2010的《新明日报》。
Any way to avoid it?
- wong chee tat :)
老虎生性凶猛，因此一般认为虎年也特别“凶”。（图／档案照）
虎年的七月特别凶，而今年又逢六十年不遇的“天冲地克”格局，因此，预料将天灾人祸不断！
富贵集团新加坡公司执行顾问姜培康表示，根据奇门遁甲派的民俗学，老虎生性凶猛，加上农历七月，天灾和不幸事故发生的比例将会提高。
著名风水师陈军荣也说，今年的七月又比一般的虎年七月来得更凶。从飞星学来看，今年七月由五黄星主导，于是会产生较多灾难。
从天干地支来看，今年是庚寅年，而七月是甲申月。天干方面，庚干和甲干对冲，地支方面，寅支和申支相克，出现了罕见的“天冲地克”格局。
他说，每年会有一个月出现“天冲”，另有一个月出现“地克”，2个碰在一起，可说是60年不遇。
上一次出现这种格局，是1950年的农历七月左右。据资料，当时中国淮河大淹水，2万1600人丧命。
更多报道，请翻阅27.07.2010的《新明日报》。
Any way to avoid it?
- wong chee tat :)
US jobs data sends dollar lower
US jobs data sends dollar lower
Posted: 07 August 2010 0759 hrs
NEW YORK: The US dollar traded lower against the euro and the yen on Friday as investors fled from the greenback after weak jobs figures.
News that the US economy shed more jobs than expected in July dominated the day's trade.
Some 131,000 jobs were lost and the unemployment rate remained stuck at 9.5 percent last month, officials said, as federal and local governments slashed jobs.
"FX battled between the two competing impulses of risk aversion versus capital flight from dollar denominated assets, the later force won out and the euro... climbed higher," said Boris Schlossberg of Global Forex Trading.
The euro changed hands at 1.3280 dollars in New York at 2330 GMT, higher than the 1.3190 dollars fetched late Thursday.
The dollar also fell against the Japanese currency, at 85.51 yen from 85.82 on Thursday.
Against other key currencies the dollar declined to 1.0388 Swiss francs from 1.0453 Thursday while the British pound rose to 1.5942 dollars from 1.5893.
- AFP/de
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 07 August 2010 0759 hrs
NEW YORK: The US dollar traded lower against the euro and the yen on Friday as investors fled from the greenback after weak jobs figures.
News that the US economy shed more jobs than expected in July dominated the day's trade.
Some 131,000 jobs were lost and the unemployment rate remained stuck at 9.5 percent last month, officials said, as federal and local governments slashed jobs.
"FX battled between the two competing impulses of risk aversion versus capital flight from dollar denominated assets, the later force won out and the euro... climbed higher," said Boris Schlossberg of Global Forex Trading.
The euro changed hands at 1.3280 dollars in New York at 2330 GMT, higher than the 1.3190 dollars fetched late Thursday.
The dollar also fell against the Japanese currency, at 85.51 yen from 85.82 on Thursday.
Against other key currencies the dollar declined to 1.0388 Swiss francs from 1.0453 Thursday while the British pound rose to 1.5942 dollars from 1.5893.
- AFP/de
- wong chee tat :)
Friday, August 6, 2010
调查：经济好转 大学毕业生起薪要求上升
调查：经济好转 大学毕业生起薪要求上升
调查显示，随着经济情况好转，本地大学毕业生对起薪的要求也更高。
职 业咨询机构JobsFactory今年4月，通过互联网，对来自本地3所大学的将近4千600名毕业生，进行调查后发现，他们今年的平均起薪要求为2千 920多元，比去年高出百分之4.2。其中，获得二等荣誉甲以上的毕业生的基本薪金要求更高，达到3千零89元，比去年增加将近百分之5。
- wong chee tat :)
®Copyright MediaCorp
职 业咨询机构JobsFactory今年4月，通过互联网，对来自本地3所大学的将近4千600名毕业生，进行调查后发现，他们今年的平均起薪要求为2千 920多元，比去年高出百分之4.2。其中，获得二等荣誉甲以上的毕业生的基本薪金要求更高，达到3千零89元，比去年增加将近百分之5。
- wong chee tat :)
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Error
"A moment's error may become the regret of a lifetime.
When one repents, one may be at the end of one's life."
- tbsn.org
- wong chee tat :)
When one repents, one may be at the end of one's life."
- tbsn.org
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Report: cloud computing to double server-hardware revenue over five years
Report: cloud computing to double server-hardware revenue over five years
Server hardware market for public and private clouds will grow to $6.4bn in 2014
(7/30/2010)
As cloud computing settles in, getting more acceptance as one of the ways to deliver IT services, trends begin to emerge that shed light on dynamics within and among the various cloud markets. Among some of the biggest beneficiaries of cloud computing are server vendors, whose revenues are projected to grow substantially along with wider adoption of cloud computing.
According to the latest projections by the IT market research firm IDC, server hardware revenues driven by public cloud computing will grow from $582m in 2009 to $718m in 2014. Within the same timeframe, server revenues driven by the private-cloud market will grow from $2.6bn to $5.7bn.
While IDC’s new projections for public-cloud server sales stayed consistent with growth figures it reported in May, revenues driven by private-cloud deployments have been revised down substantially. In May, IDC said server revenues from private-cloud deployments would grow from $7.3bn in 2009 to $11.8bn in 2014.
“Many IT decision makers are seriously considering cloud computing as a way to dramatically simply their sprawling virtual and physical infrastructure,” IDC’s analyst Katherine Broderick said in a statement. “However, there is still some lingering apprehension over issues like integration, availability, security, and costs. These concerns, and how they are addressed by IT vendors, will continue to guide the adoption of cloud computing over the next several years.”
In line with server-revenue figures, IDC has observed private clouds to be much more broadly deployed than public-cloud services. Public cloud services have also been much less enterprise-focused than private clouds. Almost half of respondents to a recent IDC survey said they were considering private-cloud deployments.
- wong chee tat :)
Server hardware market for public and private clouds will grow to $6.4bn in 2014
(7/30/2010)
As cloud computing settles in, getting more acceptance as one of the ways to deliver IT services, trends begin to emerge that shed light on dynamics within and among the various cloud markets. Among some of the biggest beneficiaries of cloud computing are server vendors, whose revenues are projected to grow substantially along with wider adoption of cloud computing.
According to the latest projections by the IT market research firm IDC, server hardware revenues driven by public cloud computing will grow from $582m in 2009 to $718m in 2014. Within the same timeframe, server revenues driven by the private-cloud market will grow from $2.6bn to $5.7bn.
While IDC’s new projections for public-cloud server sales stayed consistent with growth figures it reported in May, revenues driven by private-cloud deployments have been revised down substantially. In May, IDC said server revenues from private-cloud deployments would grow from $7.3bn in 2009 to $11.8bn in 2014.
“Many IT decision makers are seriously considering cloud computing as a way to dramatically simply their sprawling virtual and physical infrastructure,” IDC’s analyst Katherine Broderick said in a statement. “However, there is still some lingering apprehension over issues like integration, availability, security, and costs. These concerns, and how they are addressed by IT vendors, will continue to guide the adoption of cloud computing over the next several years.”
In line with server-revenue figures, IDC has observed private clouds to be much more broadly deployed than public-cloud services. Public cloud services have also been much less enterprise-focused than private clouds. Almost half of respondents to a recent IDC survey said they were considering private-cloud deployments.
- wong chee tat :)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Smooth-talking hackers test hi-tech titans' skills
Smooth-talking hackers test hi-tech titans' skills
July 31, 2010 by Glenn Chapman
Hackers have been gathering at the infamous DefCon gathering in Las Vegas
Hackers at the infamous DefCon gathering held in Las Vegas are proving that old-fashioned telephone smooth talk is an effective rival to slick software skills when it comes to pulling off attacks on computer networks.
Hackers at an infamous DefCon gathering are proving that old-fashioned smooth talk rivals slick software skills when it comes to pulling off attacks on computer networks.
Ads by Google
Block Hacker Attacks - Analyse security logs & identify hackers. Download GFI EventsManager - www.gfi.com/block-hacker
A first-ever "social engineering" contest here challenges hackers to call workers at 10 companies including technology titans Google, Apple, Cisco, and Microsoft and get them to reveal too much information to strangers.
"Out of all the companies called today, not one company shut us down," said Offensive Security operations manager Christopher Hadnagy, part of the social-engineer.org team behind the competition that kicked off on Friday.
The team kept hackers within the boundaries of the law, but had them coax out enough information to show that workers would have unintentionally made it easier to attack networks.
Workers that unknowingly ended up on calls with hackers ranged from a chief technical officer to IT support personnel and sales people.
One employee was conned into opening programs on a company computer to read off specifications regarding types of software being used, details that would let a hacker tailor viruses to launch at the system.
"You often have to crack through firewalls and burn the perimeter in order to get into the internal organization," said Mati Aharoni of Offensive Security, a company that tests company computer defenses.
"It is much easier to use social engineering techniques to get to the same place."
Other companies targeted were Pepsi, Coca Cola, Shell, BP, Ford, and Proctor & Gamble.
The contest, which continues Saturday at DefCon and promises the winner an Apple iPad tablet computer, is intended to show that hardened computer networks remain vulnerable if people using them are soft touches.
"We didn't want anyone fired or feeling bad at the end of the day," Aharoni said. "We wanted to show that social engineering is a legitimate attack vector."
A saying that long ago made it onto T-shirts at the annual DefCon event is "There is no patch for human stupidity."
"Companies don't think their people will fall for something as simple as someone calling and just asking a few questions," Hadnagy said.
"It doesn't require a very technical level of attacker," Aharoni added. "It requires someone with an ability to schmooze well."
One worker nearly foiled a hacker by insisting he send his questions in an email that would be reviewed and answered if appropriate.
The hacker convinced the worker to change his mind by claiming to be under pressure to finish a report for a boss by that evening.
"As humans, we naturally want to help other people," Hadgagy said. "I'm not advocating not helping people. Just think about what you say before you say it."
Companies that got word of the social engineering contest before DefCon called in the FBI, which was assured by the event organizers that nothing illegal was afoot.
Information about "exploiting human vulnerabilities" was available at the social-engineer.org websit.
(c) 2010 AFP
- wong chee tat :)
July 31, 2010 by Glenn Chapman
Hackers have been gathering at the infamous DefCon gathering in Las Vegas
Hackers at the infamous DefCon gathering held in Las Vegas are proving that old-fashioned telephone smooth talk is an effective rival to slick software skills when it comes to pulling off attacks on computer networks.
Hackers at an infamous DefCon gathering are proving that old-fashioned smooth talk rivals slick software skills when it comes to pulling off attacks on computer networks.
Ads by Google
Block Hacker Attacks - Analyse security logs & identify hackers. Download GFI EventsManager - www.gfi.com/block-hacker
A first-ever "social engineering" contest here challenges hackers to call workers at 10 companies including technology titans Google, Apple, Cisco, and Microsoft and get them to reveal too much information to strangers.
"Out of all the companies called today, not one company shut us down," said Offensive Security operations manager Christopher Hadnagy, part of the social-engineer.org team behind the competition that kicked off on Friday.
The team kept hackers within the boundaries of the law, but had them coax out enough information to show that workers would have unintentionally made it easier to attack networks.
Workers that unknowingly ended up on calls with hackers ranged from a chief technical officer to IT support personnel and sales people.
One employee was conned into opening programs on a company computer to read off specifications regarding types of software being used, details that would let a hacker tailor viruses to launch at the system.
"You often have to crack through firewalls and burn the perimeter in order to get into the internal organization," said Mati Aharoni of Offensive Security, a company that tests company computer defenses.
"It is much easier to use social engineering techniques to get to the same place."
Other companies targeted were Pepsi, Coca Cola, Shell, BP, Ford, and Proctor & Gamble.
The contest, which continues Saturday at DefCon and promises the winner an Apple iPad tablet computer, is intended to show that hardened computer networks remain vulnerable if people using them are soft touches.
"We didn't want anyone fired or feeling bad at the end of the day," Aharoni said. "We wanted to show that social engineering is a legitimate attack vector."
A saying that long ago made it onto T-shirts at the annual DefCon event is "There is no patch for human stupidity."
"Companies don't think their people will fall for something as simple as someone calling and just asking a few questions," Hadnagy said.
"It doesn't require a very technical level of attacker," Aharoni added. "It requires someone with an ability to schmooze well."
One worker nearly foiled a hacker by insisting he send his questions in an email that would be reviewed and answered if appropriate.
The hacker convinced the worker to change his mind by claiming to be under pressure to finish a report for a boss by that evening.
"As humans, we naturally want to help other people," Hadgagy said. "I'm not advocating not helping people. Just think about what you say before you say it."
Companies that got word of the social engineering contest before DefCon called in the FBI, which was assured by the event organizers that nothing illegal was afoot.
Information about "exploiting human vulnerabilities" was available at the social-engineer.org websit.
(c) 2010 AFP
- wong chee tat :)
17 trees uprooted early Sunday
 |
||||||
 |
||||||
SINGAPORE : Seventeen trees were uprooted in the early hours of
Sunday morning, while another 26 trees had branches blown off by gusty
winds of about 77 km/h, according to National Parks Board (NParks).
Of these, eight trees were not managed by NParks.
NParks contractors quickly cleared the fallen trees and branches within the hour, or pushed them to the road verges to be cleared later.
One fallen tree at Jalan Mutiara near River Valley Road hit the boundary wall of a condominium. And a parked car nearby also sustained some scratches.
And over at Burlington Square near Bugis Junction, a restaurant owner recounted what he saw when he approached his restaurant on Sunday morning.
Nayan Patel said: "When I was here, the storm threatened to uproot two trees. The two trees were badly damaged and their branches were falling off. Fortunately it did not happen in the day. So no one was injured."
Of these, eight trees were not managed by NParks.
NParks contractors quickly cleared the fallen trees and branches within the hour, or pushed them to the road verges to be cleared later.
One fallen tree at Jalan Mutiara near River Valley Road hit the boundary wall of a condominium. And a parked car nearby also sustained some scratches.
And over at Burlington Square near Bugis Junction, a restaurant owner recounted what he saw when he approached his restaurant on Sunday morning.
Nayan Patel said: "When I was here, the storm threatened to uproot two trees. The two trees were badly damaged and their branches were falling off. Fortunately it did not happen in the day. So no one was injured."
-
CNA/ms
- wong chee tat :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)