Singhealth, a Singaporean public health service, suffered the worst breach in Singaporean history, losing control of 1.5 million peoples' data; included in the breach was prescription data on 160,000 people, including Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong. Read the rest
I went to Singapore a couple of months ago and was enchanted with the beauty and cleanliness of the tiny nation-state. I've never been anywhere that felt more futuristic -- the new architecture is Jetsonian. But many neighborhoods look like they haven't changed much since the late 1800s (they are still sparkling clean). It seemed like there were a half dozen restaurants on every block - Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Indian, Middle Eastern. The blend of old and new, and the blend of many different ethnic groups was very appealing.
I was aware that Singapore is a strict country - they execute drug smugglers, and chewing gum is forbidden. But after watching this video, I also learned that selling gum in Singapore can land you in prison for two years. Singing in public (without a license) is punishable by two months in prison. Connecting to someone else's Wifi could cost you three years in the slammer. Neglecting to flush a public toilet could result in a $150 fine -- and cops can tell because some toilets have urine detectors installed in them that cause the door to be locked so the offender can be nabbed. Being naked in your own house carries a $1000 penalty. CCTV's monitor people in public and will get sent tickets for jaywalking. In this Asian Boss video, Singaporeans are asked if they are aware of the laws, and what they think of them. Read the rest
The recent Trump-Kim man-child summit in Singapore was already awkward and now Bad Lip Reading has made it even more so by redubbing some of their conversations.
Nailed it!
Attendees at a silent candlelight vigil in honor of Prabagaran Srivijayan -- a Mayasian migrant worker who was executed for drug trafficking on July 14 -- have been notified that they are the subjects of a police investigation. Read the rest
The Marina Bay Sands in Singapore has lots of cool features, but this whirlpool fountain outisde their shopping area could keep some visitors transfixed all day. Read the rest
Singapore, fearing cyberattacks -- especially ones related to the ongoing South China Sea cold war -- will, as of next May, disconnect its entire civil service from the internet, airgapping the whole government. Read the rest
Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle and Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle sell lunch dishes for less than USD2.00, but that's not a predictor of the food's quality, as both restaurants have been awarded Michelin stars for their cuisine. Read the rest
In 2007, Singaporean blogfather Mr Brown discovered this video, which is literally the most best thing you will ever see, this week: middle-aged Singaporean government officials rapping(ish) about the nation's public-private partnership strategy, with fresh rhymes like "They call me CEO, hear me out everyone/My aim, a vibrant media-hub for the city/Singapore-made content can be number one/Media choice and jobs for everyone." Read the rest
Singaporeans are the most prolific speculators on UK commercial property, and the United Overseas Bank is the most prolific lender to Singaporeans who want to speculate in that market -- and now they're turning off the faucet. Read the rest
Show Kites Singapore flew this 200-foot custom-built octopus kite that requires six people to launch and control. Read the rest
If you happen to be in Singapore and want to learn how to wield a lightsaber like a Jedi master, check out this fun video by The Saber Authority. Read the rest
Singaporean toymaker Michael Sng made Boudicca, a T1 Training Colossus -- a 3D-printed robot tank with 400 custom parts and servos controlled by an Arduino. Read the rest
A plagiarized sex-ed textbook presented to Singapore junior college students by Focus on the Family volunteers left student Agatha Tan aghast, so she penned an open letter to her principal including photos of some of the more grossly offensive pages. Read the rest
Singapore's National Library Board will pulp three LGBT-friendly children's picture books that it earlier removed from its collections. Read the rest
Bren, a self-confessed "noodle fanatic," has written a guide to the delights of Singapore's Changi airport, which he calls "Disneyland for backpackers." It is certainly a nice airport, the best airport ever built on the site of a notorious death-camp, but Bren misses its best feature: the outdoor rooftop pool. I always try make Singapore my stopover when I fly to Australia, and do an hour's worth of nighttime lengths in the pool before re-boarding. I like his play on William Gibson's classic moniker for S'pore, too: Disneyland With the Death Penalty."
Changi really does rock: butterfly gardens, cheap amazing food, great electronics, cheap massage, free Playstations, and free movie-theaters! Read the rest
Singaporean macrofocus photographer Nicky Bay produces wonderful portraits of insects in their natural setting. Particularly fascinating are the photos of bugs eating each other, particularly the shot above of an assassin bug (Acanthaspis sp.) which "decorate themselves with the corpses of their consumed prey," forming a protective "meat-shield" as well as offering olfactory and visual camouflage to help it infiltrate ant-nests.
Engrossingly Gross Photos of Spiders and Insects Eating Each Other [Wired]
(via WTBW) Read the rest
IZ Reloaded sez, "Spotted at Singapore Mini Maker Faire 2013! Using discarded plastic bottles, bits of old toys, disassembled computers and other recycled unwanted items, David Liew of the Sleeping Iron foundry has created an armada of steampunk inspired spaceships known as the Bottle Fleet. Each model has been sculpted and painted to the level similar to that of movie production models and miniatures." Read the rest
