POSB and DBS blue chip investment !

POSB

Your first taste of 
Singapore blue chips 
from just S$100 a month!

With POSB Invest-Saver, you can now potentially grow your long-term savings through a low-cost investment. From just S$100 a month, you can invest in the Nikko AM Singapore STI ETF^# - an Exchange Traded Fund that tracks the performance of Singapore’s top 30^ blue-chip companies including Singapore Exchange, Singapore Airlines and Singapore Press Holdings.

Benefits

• Affordable
  Minimum investment is just S$100 a month at a low sales charge of S$1 or 1% per transaction. Plus, you don’t have to pay any fee when you sell your units⁺⁺!
• Flexible
  You can change the monthly investment amount without incurring a fee⁺⁺.
• Convenient
  Invest or manage your investment amount at any of our ATMs. No securities trading account or CDP account required.
• Long-term Savings
  Through a disciplined approach of investing a fixed amount monthly, you can potentially achieve your long-term savings goal through dollar-cost averaging.

How to start

ATM

• Select 'Regular Savings Plan Exchange Traded Fund (RSP ETF)' - Read and accept T&Cs⁺

Online

• Apply online here and we will get in touch with you within 3 business days

Eligibility: You must be at least 18 years of age.

The values of the units of the scheme and the income accruing to the units, if any, may fall or rise.

Key Risks

• Be willing to accept that your principal amount may be at risk including the possible loss of the entire principal amount invested as this is not a capital guaranteed product;
• Understand the risks and fees that come with subscribing to the Nikko AM Singapore STI ETF through POSB Invest-Saver.

Please refer to the Prospectus⁺ for the full risk disclosures

++ Subject to change

+ Click here for the prospectus/product highlight sheet and here for the full T&Cs

# The Nikko AM Singapore STI ETF tracks the performance of the FTSE Straits Times Index (‘STI’), which is compiled and calculated by FTSE International Limited and represents the top 30 companies listed on the SGX-ST ranked by market capitalization. The constituents of the STI are reviewed every half-yearly.

^ Based on SGX-ST’s ranking by market capitalization

* Promotion is valid till 31 August 2013 for the first S$500. Sales charge of 1% is applicable to the investment amount in excess of the first S$500 and on the subsequent deductions after the promotion ends. Terms & Conditions apply. We reserve the right to amend the terms and conditions of this offer without notice.

Important Notes:
POSB Invest-Saver is not included under the CPF Investment Scheme and Supplementary Retirement Scheme. Investment in the POSB Invest-Saver is by cash only.

Nikko AM Singapore STI ETF is a collective investment scheme that is managed by Nikko Asset Management Asia Limited.

This publication is for general circulation only and does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and the particular needs of any specific person. The value of the units and the income accruing to the units purchased, if any, may fall or rise. Any past performance, projection, forecast or simulation of results is not necessarily indicative of the future or likely performance of any investment. Investors should seek advice from a financial adviser regarding the suitability of the investment product, taking into account the specific investment objective, financial situation or particular needs of each person before making a commitment to purchase the investment product. If you do not wish to seek financial advice, please consider carefully whether the product is suitable for you. Investors should read the relevant product’s offer documents (including the prospectus and Product Highlights Sheet, if any), available at our branches and website, before deciding to subscribe for or purchase any product.

© 2013 DBS Bank Ltd | Co. Reg. No. 196800306E

....

 Please contact me on setting up a Regular Savings Plan – Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)
Important: The email channel is not secure. To safeguard your interests, the Bank will not act on transactional instructions communicated through this channel. To set up a Regular Savings Plan - ETF, you must be an existing DBS/POSB customer.
This request form does not amount to an application for the Regular Savings Plan - ETF. The Bank will note the information you submit in this form, and contact you to take your transactional instructions (including your application to set up a Regular Savings Plan) by phone.

*All fields are mandatory

Section A: My Personal Details

Salutation

 Please select Dr Mr Mrs Ms Mdm 

Full Name (as per NRIC/Passport)

NRIC/Passport Number

Email Address

Preferred time to call

 Please select 9am - 12pm 12pm - 3pm 3pm - 6pm 

Section B: My Request Details

Tax Status

 Please select Resident Foreign Investor 
Note: "Foreign Investor" refers to an individual who is not a resident in Singapore (i.e. has not resided or exercised employment in Singapore for 183 days or more in any calendar year). This ETF is not available to US Persons for subscription.

Monthly subscription amount
(Minimum ammount is S$100)

Account type for monthly deduction

  Please select  POSB Current POSB Savings DBS AutoSave / Current DBS Savings / Savings Plus Multi Currency Account Others  Only available for Singapore dollar account

Account number

Section C: Agreement and Declaration

Disclaimer:

1. This service is only available to existing DBS/POSB Bank customer.
2. Any application for the RSP is governed by terms ("terms"). You are advised to read the Prospectus, Product Highlights Sheet (PHS) of Nikko AM Singapore STI ETF ("the ETF") and the terms before submitting this request form. A copy of the Prospectus, PHS and the terms are available atwww.posb.com.sg or any POSB/DBS branch.
3. You consent to DBS disclosing your name, address, IC/Passport and telephone no(s), nationality, date of birth and amount invested to the Fund Manager, the Trustees and the Registrar.
4. At date of this application, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old and you are not a US Person (defined in terms).
5. DBS will send you a letter to confirm that your request to set-up the RSP has been effected.
6. The monthly debiting of your account shall be on the 12th of every month (or the next business day).
7. If there are insufficient funds in your account, DBS is entitled to reject your subscription for that month.
8. You can only subscribe for whole units. Any balance monies will be credited back to your debiting account.
9. Dividends, if any will be credited to your debiting account.
10. A recurring monthly sales charge of 1% will be deducted from your subscription amount.
11. You have read and understood, agree to abide by the Terms and Conditions governing Investments in Funds.
12. You agree that the Bank will contact you for confirmation of this request using the contact numbers in the Bank’s records.
13. Nikko AM Singapore STI ETF is a collective investment scheme that will be managed by Nikko Asset Management Asia Limited.
14. This publication is for general circulation only and does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and the particular needs of any specific person. The value of the units and the income accruing to the units purchased, if any, may fall or rise. Any past performance, projection, forecast or simulation of results is not necessarily indicative of the future or likely performance of any investment. Investors should seek advice from a financial adviser regarding the suitability of the investment product, taking into account the specific investment objective, financial situation or particular needs of each person before making a commitment to purchase the investment product. If you do not wish to seek financial advice, please consider carefully whether the product is suitable for you.

 I agree to the above clauses

---

 

 

Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | 2011 DBS Bank Ltd | Co. Reg. No. 196800306E

Apple App Store marks 5 years of app-ortunity

...

LOS ANGELES — Imagine a time when we didn't kill time on our phones playing Candy Crush Saga or taking instant photos and videos with Instagram or other apps to broadcast to the world.

Apps as we know them — those little programs that live on our smartphones and tablets — launched in a big way just five years ago — on July 10, 2008 — with the debut of Apple's App Store.

The iPhone was just a year old, with about 10 pre-loaded apps, including YouTube, Google Maps and the camera. Apple's visionary CEO Steve Jobs described the iPhone as an expanding universe with new software that could be easily obtained by clicking an icon on the device's vaunted home screen.

The iTunes App Store launched with 500 apps, including Ebay, Facebook and Super Monkey Ball. Some 900,000 apps are now available, and more than 50 billion have been downloaded.

STORY: App Store celebrates with free apps, games

BAIG: 5 years in, there is indeed an app for that

"The anniversary of the App Store is a bigger deal than the (recent sixth) anniversary of the iPhone," says independent analyst Richard Doherty of the Envisioneering Group. "It changed so much."

The App Store led the mobile boom that has ushered in the decline of traditional desktop and laptop computers. PC sales have stagnated, and Microsoft's long dominance of computing has taken a hit as apps became the new buzzword. The birth of the App Store helped turn dorm-room concepts into billion-dollar ideas for app developers and revived the fortunes of a then-struggling music service, Pandora.

Simply put, the app era has made computing more fun, says Doherty. "People show off their apps: 'Look what this can do,'" he says. "People smile more than they did in the PC era."

Have you checked out that cool new app that sends photos that disappear in seconds (Snapchat)? Killing time before the airplane takes off? How about just one more round of Words With Friends? (Just ask actor Alec Baldwin, who got kicked off the plane because he refused to turn off the app.) And speaking of travel, what would a road warrior be without a flight-tracker app that monitors arrival times, gate info and other vital data?

And then there's Instagram. What were we like before we obsessively took instant photos of our food, travels and daily lives?

Just ask Kevin Systrom, who created Instagram while at Stanford with co-founder Mike Krieger. The app launched in October 2010. In 2012, they sold their company to Facebook for $1 billion.

"I figured if we were lucky, we'd have 2,500 sign-ups on our first day," recalls Systrom. "Instead, we got 25,000. From all over the world. It was crazy."

Some 16 billion photos have been shared since on Instagram — 45 million images daily.

Today, Lindsey Shay, 19, of San Diego, can't imagine a life without the Instagram photo app, which pretties up smartphone pictures with filters for colors and borders. Shay was 14 when Instagram was first released. Now she uses it every day and says she's addicted.

"It's good and bad," she says. "It makes you see your environment in a different way, because of the filters. I like that aspect of it but at the same time I want to Instagram everything I see, so it's kind of inhibiting."

When the App Store launched, the iPhone was the national rage and the best-received smartphone. Google's answer to the iPhone — phones based on its Android mobile operating system — didn't start appearing until later that year. Google says some 48 billion apps have been downloaded to date on its Google Play store for Android devices, which launched as Android Market in October 2008.

And there are now more Android phones in use than the iPhone — fueled by the popular Samsung Galaxy S line of phones.

A NEW MARKET

For developers to offer their wares in the App Store, Apple takes a 30% cut. It has paid out $10 billion to developers since 2008.

The App Store has "fundamentally changed the world," Apple CEO Tim Cook said recently. Fifty billion downloads is "a lot of zeros and a truly staggering number, for less than five years."

That said, most app downloads are free, with paid apps selling for $1 or $2. Most popular paid apps tend to be games. Developers have discovered the concept of "freemium" — offering apps for free and selling "in-app" purchases once you've tried the app to make money.

Candy Crush, this summer's most popular game, sells additional moves for 99 cents a pop. Smule, which makes virtual instruments like the Magic Piano and Guitar, sells songs to play on them for $2.99 each.

In the PC era, software didn't have instant distribution. The old way was to buy big boxes of programs for $100 or so, and install a CD or DVD at home. With the online App Store, it became cheaper and more convenient to buy, says Doherty.

Even though Android phones are more dominant, developers say Apple's iOS mobile platform is easier to work with.

"There are clearly more Android devices, but that said, we see much more engagement and time spent on iOS," says Steve Yankovich, an Ebay vice president. Android is tougher for developers because it's an open platform that's given free to manufacturers, resulting in many different permutations. "It's the Wild West," he adds. "You need hundreds of phones to know if it works on every new Android device. And that's hard."

Still, there's no discounting the huge Android audience and that its hunger for apps is just as ripe as the Apple crowd's. Instagram waited until April 2012 to launch on Android. Now, "Android is half of our audience," says Systrom. "There was a lot of pent-up demand."

THE FUTURE OF APPS

Instagram is the third most downloaded app ever on Apple, with Facebook at No. 1, followed by personalized music service Pandora at No. 2.

Pandora execs have said often that the iPhone app turned everything around for the company, which offered the first widely distributed free music app for consumers.

At the time it launched on the App Store, Pandora had 13 million registered users. Today, it has more than 200 million.

"Our home on the PC was a marriage of convenience," says Tom Conrad, Pandora's chief technology officer. "Our ambition was to reinvent radio, and to do that, we had to break free from the confines of the PC."

The App Store changed so much for Pandora that today, 79% of its listening comes from mobile devices — just 21% on the Web.

Which begs the question: Could a service like Pandora find a huge audience if it were to launch today in a sea of 900,000 apps?

"We went through this on the Web," Conrad says. "There were billions of websites, too. It could be done."

Just ask recent smash hits like Vine, Snapchat and Candy Crush, which launched softly and quickly found word of mouth to take them to the top.

Apple's iPhone 5.(Photo: Apple)

Meanwhile, what's next for apps? Ebay's Yankovich says that apps will become more advanced as they behave more like websites, with more bells and whistles. "Today you can't build the Web experience into the app, but that's coming."

APPLE APP STORE TURNS 5Some examples from the five years of apps we have come to depend on.

• 1
  2008
• 2
  2009
• 3
  2010
• 4
  2011
• 5
  2012
• 6
  2013

Source: USA TODAY research; Apple.com

Apple Reports Third Quarter Results! by Than Han

Pioneer generation to get special medical coverage

By Ashley chia
Govt to help S’poreans in their late 60s and above, who helped build modern Republic!

SINGAPORE — The Government will roll out a special Pioneer Generation Package, helping to foot the medical bill of older Singaporeans under the revamped national insurance scheme, MediShield Life.

The move will ensure that this group of Singaporeans, described as being in their late 60s and above and who have worked hard to build a modern Singapore, will never have to worry about healthcare in their old age, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his National Day Rally speech.

Mr Lee’s announcement follows Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s speech at a National Day celebration earlier this month that the Government will look at ways to alleviate the healthcare costs in “all aspects”, including hospitalisation, outpatient and nursing home bills.

In his English speech, Mr Lee said that the Government has been recognising this group of Singaporeans and has given them “something extra”, such as home care subsidies and vouchers to offset the Goods and Services Tax. They had earned less and lived with fewer social safety nets, even though they paved the way for the present generation, he added.

Speaking in Mandarin earlier, Mr Lee said that, while there are older Singaporeans who are looked after by their children, he has also during house visits met “empty nesters”, who have no one and no savings to rely on.

He noted that many of these elderly have fully paid up for their homes, which are their “retirement nest egg”, but are worried about medical bills.

“We’ve recognised them and given them something extra every time we’ve had a bonus exercise ... They are treated different and in the new healthcare arrangements, we will likewise make sure they are well taken care of,” he said.

“So we’ll have a special Pioneer Generation Package ... (to) make sure that our pioneer generation will be well covered and will not need to worry about healthcare in their old age. I think we owe it to them,” Mr Lee said.


The Pioneer Generation Package will ensure these elderly Singaporeans will never have to worry about healthcare in their old age, said Prime Minister Lee. Photo: Don Wong

Worried about major illnesses, seniors welcome MediShield revamp

http://m.todayonline.com/authors/ashley-chia

SINGAPORE — Retiree Lin Chit Wor, a 73-year-old who emptied his Central Provident Fund savings and suffers from about eight medical conditions, including heart disease, relies on the Government and his children to foot his monthly medical bills of S$500.

In contrast, retiree T K Chung, who describes his household as middle income and does not suffer from any major illnesses, is worried that the S$30,000 in his Medisave account could be wiped out if he is struck by a catastrophic illness in the near future. Thus, the 71-year-old said he felt “comforted” that the revamped national insurance scheme MediShield Life could help him should such a situation arise.

At the National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said MediShield would be revamped to become MediShield Life, offering lifelong and universal coverage. A Special Pioneer Generation Package will also be rolled out to help older Singaporeans pay their premiums.

With last night’s news, Mr Chung said: “At least now if I go into the hospital, I do not have to think about having to face the large medical bills and can concentrate on getting well, knowing that the system will take care of me.” He called on the Government to implement the scheme quickly as most seniors do not have a steady stream of income to adjust to the changes.


Madam Roilah Baba, who is retired and is not covered under MediShield, was another person who was delighted to hear that more help will be extended to older Singaporeans like her. Although the 68-year-old does not suffer from any medical conditions, she is unable to work because of her weak knees and is worried that a major and sudden illness would clean out the S$5,000 left in her Medisave.

The monthly CPF (Central Provident Fund) LIFE payouts that she relied on to take care of herself and two teenage grandsons after her son passed away will also end in about two years.

“I try my best to take good care of my health. But with the extra help, I have better peace of mind and I don’t have to burden my grandsons,” Mdm Roilah said.

Speaking to TODAY, Dr Ng Wai Chong, Assistant Director of the Hua Mei Centre for Successful Ageing, said the move could benefit seniors from the middle class, even though more should be done to address long-term care. A person disabled after a major illness would require perpetual care that is “beyond medical” such as nursing and personal care, which MediShield does not cover, he added.

Dr Ng said: “MediShield is really for catastrophic conditions that require huge resources but, most of the time, we don’t really need that. It is what happens after the hospitalisation when the elderly can’t work, can’t go to toilet themselves and have to burden their family when they really feel that old age is quite miserable ... so if the goal is to alleviate this anxiety, we need to address long-term care.” Ashley Chia
Ref:todaynews


Mdm Roilah Baba says she will have better peace of mind as she would not have to burden her grandsons with her medical bills. Photo: Ooi Boon Keong

MediShield Life to provide lifelong coverage

SINGAPORE — MediShield will undergo a major revamp to become a cradle-to-grave national basic healthcare insurance scheme, which will cover every Singaporean, even those who have pre-existing illnesses, and bring about lower out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

Once the details of these fundamental changes are worked out over the next year or longer, including a public consultation exercise by the Health Ministry that is expected in the months ahead, the scheme will be renamed MediShield Life to reflect the transformation into a lifelong and universal scheme.

Currently, MediShield, which 92 per cent of Singaporeans are under, does not cover those with pre-existing illnesses and after one turns 90. One can also opt out of the scheme.

Explaining the rationale for this “major change”, Mr Lee said people still worry about big hospital bills should they fall seriously ill — especially those who are over 90 or find it harder and more expensive to get insured because they are elderly or have pre-existing illnesses — although there were “very few” such cases in reality.

He cited how he did not find any from the 140 medical cases from his own Meet-the-People Sessions with “huge hospital bills”. The Ministry of Health found “very few” in its database.

To ensure Singaporeans have no need to worry about paying hospital bills, Mr Lee said: “We’ve thought about it long and hard, we’ve argued it, we decided we need to do it ... because it’s a very important step towards providing people protection and assurance that medical care — you can be taken care of.”

He added: “It will cover every Singaporean — old ones, young ones, those newly born, even those who are now outside the MediShield network, we will bring them back in. You may be elderly, you may have dropped out, you may have pre-existing illnesses, we will bring you back in. It may cost you a bit more, but it can be done.

“There will be no more opting out from MediShield.”

Changes to the MediShield scheme because premiums had become too high was one of the recommendations the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health had made in a paper it submitted last week. The scheme had undergone tweaks just earlier this year, including coverage being extended to up to age 90, instead of 85, as well as for in-patient congenital and neonatal conditions but premiums also increased in tandem. Those aged above 65, for example, had to pay up to S$21 more per month, although the Government also disbursed a one-off S$400 Medisave top-up.

Mr Lee said that “because benefits and coverage are better, MediShield Life premiums will be higher” because the scheme “has to break even” but gave the assurance that those who cannot afford the increases will be subsidised.

On how higher premiums can be managed, the idea of having younger Singaporeans pay more to “subsidise” the elderly again came up.

Said Dr Loke Wai Chiong, who is Director of Global Healthcare Practice at KPMG, an audit and advisory services firm: “One way is that the young should pay more, then pay less when they are older. Take the chance that those who can bear the greatest increases should be the young.”

Professor Phua Kai Hong of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy added that a flat premium structure was unlikely as young people would not be incentivised to take care of their health. He also suggested that the “younger elderly could cross-subsidise the older elderly” through a flat premium structure for those above age 65.

Healthcare financing experts also cautioned that this may lead to over-consumption of healthcare services or doctors to hawk unnecessary, expensive treatments. They also called for clear rules and guidelines for claims to be set.

Prof Phua said: “The hazard is when doctors induce demand, especially in the private sector. There’s going to be a lot of lobbying to have everything covered in private care. It is important to make sure we don’t induce further consumption.”

Dr Loke added that insurers had a role to play in curbing rising healthcare costs by not reimbursing claims in an uncontrolled manner.

People still worry about big hospital bills should they fall seriously ill — especially those who are over 90 or find it harder and more expensive to get insured because they are elderly or have pre-existing illnesses — although there were ‘very few’ such cases in reality, said Mr Lee. TODAY file photo

More help for less well-off to buy bigger flats

authors:sumita-do-sreedharan
SINGAPORE — Low- and middle-income households who wish to purchase a bigger flat will be given more support, in various moves aimed at making Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats even more affordable, especially for the less well-off.

Families who opt for two-room flats and wish to upgrade to a three-room flat later on in life, can qualify for a new Step-Up Housing Grant, which will help them defray some of the upgrading cost.

The Special CPF Housing Grant, which was introduced in 2011, will be extended to those who wish to purchase four-room flats. Currently, it is only open to those who purchase two- or three-room flats. The income ceiling will also be raised so that more middle-income households will be eligible. A middle-income household stands to get subsidies of up to S$20,000 more if they purchase a four-room flat.

Currently, households who earn up to S$5,000 can receive an Additional CPF Housing Grant of up to S$40,000, while households whose income does not exceed S$2,250 can receive a Special CPF Housing Grant of up to S$20,000.

Details of the changes are expected to be made known soon. Announcing these moves during the National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong acknowledged Singaporeans’ worries over rising property prices, even though he said the Government has “moved decisively” in the last two years to help more Singaporeans own their homes.

These included building a record number of new flats and de-linking new flat prices from resale market prices, which has stabilised Build-To-Order (BTO) flat prices.

A recent survey conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies as part of the Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) project showed that public housing is the top concern for Singaporeans earning less than S$5,000 a month. The affordability of public housing was also one of the top issues that emerged from the hundreds of OSC sessions held over the past year.

Instead of bringing down the prices of BTO flats, which will hurt all home owners, the Prime Minister said more help will be given to households to own a home.

Mr Lee also gave this assurance: Every Singaporean family who is working will be able to afford a home. This would mean that a family earning S$1,000 per month should be able to afford a two-room HDB flat, while one who earned S$2,000 a month should be able to afford a three-room flat and a family with an income of S$4,000 a month should be able to afford a four-room flat, he added.

“And that is completely possible. When I say afford, I mean use your CPF (Central Provident Fund) mostly and have a 25-year loan, not a 30-year loan, and in your later years, the income can be used to beef up your retirement savings,” he added.

To prove his point that the typical three-and four-room flats at Fernvale Riverwalk are within the reach of home buyers, Mr Lee quipped to his audience that he would be their housing agent, as he broke down the cash outlay needed for each purchase (see graphic). In the case of a three-room flat, a family with a household income of S$2,000 would not have to fork out any cash as his monthly payment would be less than the contributions to the CPF Ordinary Account.

Mr Lee said the Government will monitor housing affordability closely. “This is not the end of the story — we will monitor closely how well people can afford housing in Singapore, and over time, as it becomes necessary, we will do more to help the lower- and middle-income Singaporeans own their homes.

“We will always make sure that an HDB flat is always within reach — affordable and available to Singaporeans. Don’t worry, go ahead, plan on it, get married, get your flat!”
Ref:todaynews

Apple will launch 128GB iPhone 5S

16 August, 2013 

It is all but certain that Apple will be unveiling two new iPhone models, iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, onSeptember 10. Both devices have been leaked numerous times and have provided us some valuable information and now, we have an interesting prediction from a popular analyst, who claims that Apple will be launching a 128 GB model of iPhone 5S.

According to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will also be selling its iPhone 5S with a whopping 128 GB of storage. If the predictions from the analyst, who has been quite accurate in the past, turn out to be true, then iPhone 5S will be the second Apple product after iPad 4 to feature the massive storage capacity.

The 128 GB model of the iPhone 5S would cost $499 (on contract) under the Apple's current pricing scheme.

Ming-Chi Kuo also expects the upcoming iPhone to be powered by a new A7 chip that features 1 GB of LPDDR3 RAM. The latest chip is said to be built on the ARMv8 architecture and will be 20% more energy efficient than previous A6 SoC.

The analyst also confirms that the iPhone 5S will indeed house an upgraded camera with bright F/2.0 aperture and dual-LED flash. This means that the iPhone 5S camera should have better low-light performance than the previous models.

Lastly, Apple is also expected to unveil a gold color option for the iPhone 5S in addition to the classical Black and White paintjobs.

Photos of Apple iPhone 5S chassis components surface

14 August, 2013 

There are plenty of rumors going around about the iPhone 5S, including things like a dual-LED flash and a fingerprint scanner. Now, leaked components of the next-gen iPhone show changes to the top of the back and around the home button, which might be due to the inclusion of just those components.

Another noticeable change in the components is that the mounting points for the motherboard have been moved around slightly. It seems to fit the previously leaked images of the back just right, but of course, none of these changes guarantee that we will see a more powerful flash or a fingerprint reader.

There was some talk of a 4.3" screen too, but neither the front nor the back pieces of the alleged iPhone 5S chassis seem to support that. Here's a better look at the front and the home button assembly.

The Apple iPhone 5S along with its lower-cost sibling, the iPhone 5C, will be unveiled on September 10 and released on October 25 if the rumors are to be believed.

Ref:gsmarema

PC Windows or Mac Which is Better!

PC Windows and Mac Comparison chart

PC Windows or Mac Which is Better

	Mac	PC Windows
What is it?:	Short form for “Macintosh” and refers to any computer produced by Apple, Inc.	Refers to any computer running IBM-Based(Windows, Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD) Operating Systems.
Manufacturer:	Apple Inc., is the only manufacturer of Macintosh computers.	Microsoft creates the OS, while companies like HP, Toshiba, Dell, Lenovo, etc. install the Windows OS onto the computer, and assemble the PC.
OS family:	Unix-like (BSD>Darwin>Mac)	Windows, Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, etc.
Cost:	Computers start at $599 for the Mac Mini, and $999 for the Macbook Air. Other models are more expensive. For desktop or home use Macs are more expensive than a PC.	Compared to a Mac, Windows and Windows-associated hardware is almost always cheaper. Computers running Windows can be found usually 40-75% cheaper than a Mac.
Supported architectures:	Intel Microprocessors	x86 & x86-64 Intel and AMD processors
Popular Applications:	iLife, iWork, Xcode, iTunes, Time Machine, Safari, Mac App Store, FaceTime, Game Center, Photo Booth	MS Office, Internet Explorer, Media Player, Media Center, Windows Defender, SkyDrive
Market Reach:	Attracts graphic designers, video and music producers, tech journalists, app developers etc.	Wide reach to all stratas. Business users tend to use Windows hardware due to compatibility.
Gaming:	There is a very limited number of games available natively for Macs, however Macs can run .exe files using WINE or CodeWeavers. Some of the more popular titles are released much later, if at all, for the Mac. There is no native DirectX support in Mac	The library of games available for the PC is exhaustive, and hardware specifically tweaked for gaming performance is much more readily available for Windows. The array of graphics cards and upgradability also favor Windows-based computers.
Website:	www.apple.com	www.microsoft.com
Development and Distribution:	Macs is developed and distributed by Apple, Inc.	PCs are manufactured and distributed by hundreds of manufacturers.
Compatibility:	Can open some PC files and can coexist on local networks with PCs. Can open .doc, .exe (as a compressed bundle), .xls, and others. Software exists for other file types.	Mac-based files (.DMG) cannot be opened on Windows natively, but you can install software that can read, and possibly write Mac-based files on a PC.
System Software:	Macintosh Operating System; also allows Windows.	Various versions of Windows operating system. Using Linux and associated partitioning software, you can install many Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD distributions alongside your current Windows installation.
Latest stable release:	OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion	Windows 8
Supported Versions (Mainstream)	Mac OS X 10.6, OS X 10.7, 10.8 (Apple dropped the ‘Mac’ prefix with the release of Mountain Lion and lion also changed later)	Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, Windows 8
Performance:	Since Apple have controlled the hardware & software bundles and model updates, so every Mac operates smoothly without worry on lagging, incompatibles. And have stable and expected performance	Different OEMs and even custom build PCs might not have the suitable drivers released for every components in each OS version, incompatibles, lagging may occur. Maybe cannot reach expected performance
Virus Attacks:	Since Macs are not as popular as PCs, there are fewer malware written to target Macs, although the threat of malicious software is growing, like from Java.	Being the popular desktop choice, most virus writers target Windows systems. But Linux and others have less.
Repairs:	Any knowledgeable person can perform repairs and upgrades. Local computer-help stores can also be contacted for repairs. AppleCare can extend the warranty	Any knowledgeable person can perform repairs and upgrades. Local computer-help stores can also be contacted for repairs. OEMs and component shops provides limited warranty
User:	Home users and Business (mainly in the creative department)	Home users and Business
Programs and apps:	Same as gaming, limited choice due to user range and less developer powers	Same as gaming, excess choice due to user range and large developer powers
Piracy Prevention:	Since each mac have a unique serial, no activation required and OS X allowed for Mac hardware only, so Apple does not put much force on genuine checking	Windows have a unique activation key for each package distribution, and lots of custom and OEM PC appears, so genuine checking become important. Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD is free and no need for this

Summary :

Mac – Suitable for Home Use, Non-Gamer, Apple Programmer, Soho Business, Video/Audio Production Houses, Printing Houses

PC – Suitable for Home Use, Gamer, Windows Programmer, Enterprise/SME Business

Ref:http://www.vt2me.com/it-support/pc-windows-mac-comparison

What's best Fat32,ExFat and NTFS formatting?

Choose the appropriate format:

HFS+ (Hierarchical File System, a.k.a. Mac OS Extended (Journaled) Don't use case-sensitive)
Read/Write HFS+ from native Mac OS X
Required for Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! backups of Mac OS X system files.
To Read/Write HFS+ from Windows, Install MacDrive
To Read HFS+ (but not Write) from Windows, Install HFSExplorer
Maximum file size: 8EiB
Maximum volume size: 8EiB
Mac OS X: Mac OS Extended format (HFS Plus) volume and file limits
You can use this format if you only use the drive with Mac OS X, or use it for backups of your Mac OS X internal drive, or if you only share it with one Windows PC (with MacDrive installed on the PC)

NTFS (Windows NT File System)
Read/Write NTFS from native Windows.
Read only NTFS from native Mac OS X
To Read/Write/Format NTFS from Mac OS X, here are some alternatives:
For Mac OS X 10.4 or later (32 or 64-bit), install Paragon ($19.95) (Best Choice for Lion and Mountain Lion)
For Mac OS X 10.5 and later, including Lion, FUSE for OS X
For 32-bit Mac OS X, install NTFS-3G for Mac OS X (free) (does not work in 64-bit mode)
Some have reported problems using Tuxera (approx $36), which is an enhanced version of NTFS-3G with faster performance.
Native NTFS support can be enabled in Snow Leopard and later versions, but is not advisable, due to instability.
AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support NTFS
Maximum file size: 16 TB
Maximum volume size: 256TB
You can use this format if you routinely share a drive with multiple Windows systems.

exFAT (FAT64)
Supported in Mac OS X only in 10.6.5 or later.
Not all Windows versions support exFAT. See disadvantages.
exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table)
AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support exFAT
Maximum file size: 16 EiB
Maximum volume size: 64 ZiB
You can use this format if it is supported by all computers with which you intend to share the drive. See "disadvantages" for details.

FAT32 (File Allocation Table)
Read/Write FAT32 from both native Windows and native Mac OS X.
Maximum file size: 4GB.
Maximum volume size: 2TB
You can use this format if you share the drive between Mac OS X and Windows computers and have no files larger than 4GB.


If you have an external hard drive or USB flash drive that you’d like to use on both Macs and Windows PCs, choosing the right file system to format the drive can be confusing. Learn a few ways to make your drive Mac and PC friendly.

Need to access or transfer files between Mac and PC? As simple as this task sounds, it’s not very straightforward for inexperienced users. Since Mac OS X and Windows use totally different file systems, the way a drive is formatted can determine what type of computer it will work with. In fact, there are four ways you can format an external or USB flash drive to achieve varying degrees of compatibility between Macs and PCs. Let’s take a look at them:

HFS+
Mac OS X’s native file system is HFS+ (also known as Mac OS Extended), and it’s the only one that works with Time Machine. But while HFS+ is the best way to format drives for use on Macs, Windows does not support it. If you’re only going to be using your external or USB flash drive with certain PCs – such as at home or the office – you might be interested in a program called MacDrive. When you install MacDrive on a Windows PC, it will be able to seamlessly read & write to HFS+ drives. This isn’t a good solution if you need your drive to work on any PC without installing software, though.

NTFS
The native Windows file system is NTFS, which is only partially compatible with Mac OS X. Macs can read files on NTFS drives, but it cannot write to them. So if you need to get files from a PC to your Mac, NTFS is a decent option. However, you won’t be able to move files in the other direction, from Mac to PC.

FAT32
The most universally supported way to format your drive is with the FAT32 file system. It works with all versions of Mac OS X and Windows. Case closed, right? Well, not so fast. Unfortunately, FAT32 is a very old file system and has some technical limitations. For example, you cannot save files that are larger than 4GB on a FAT32-formatted drive. This is a deal-breaker if you work with huge files. The other limitation is the total size of the partition. If you format your FAT32 drive in Windows, the drive partition cannot be larger than 32GB. If you format it from a Mac running 10.7 Lion, the drive partition can be up to 2TB. Much better, except for that pesky 4GB limit.

exFAT
The exFAT file system eliminates the two major deficiencies of FAT32: the largest partition and file sizes it supports are virtually unlimited by today’s standards. Awesome, it’s perfect! Almost… since exFAT is fairly new, it isn’t compatible with older Macs and PCs. Any Mac running 10.6.5 (Snow Leopard) or 10.7 (Lion) supports exFAT, while PCs running Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP1, and Windows 7 are compatible. If you know you’ll be using computers running updated versions of these operating systems, exFAT is the clear best choice.

Format a drive using Disk Utility on a Mac
Launch Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities).
Select your external hard drive or USB flash drive from the list on the left.
Click on the Erase tab. Select the format – Mac OS Extended (HFS+), MS-DOS (FAT32), or exFAT – then name the drive.

Click the Erase button and the drive will start formatting. Be aware that formatting a drive deletes all of the files on it, so back up anything important before completing this step.
Format a drive using Windows
Go to Computer (or My Computer in Windows XP).
Select your drive from the list and right-click on it. Choose Format from the contextual menu.
A window will pop up where you can choose the format – NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT. Make sure the allocation unit size is set to default and type in a volume label.
Click Start to format the drive.



http://www.tech-analyser.com/2011/10/understanding-file-systemsntfs-fat.html?m=1#!

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1386199

http://lifehacker.com/5702815/the-complete-guide-to-sharing-your-data-across-multiple-operating-systems

http://www.cheadledatarecovery.co.uk/degraded-media-bad-sectors/

http://deinoscloud.wordpress.com/2010/12/14/whats-best-ext3-or-ext4-for-my-nfs-datastores/

http://www.macyourself.com/2012/03/11/how-to-format-a-drive-for-mac-and-pc-compatibility/