HWM Singapore December 2009 issue cover.

MARKETING: HardwareMAG Singapore (HWM) will sport a brand new look when it rolls out its December 2009 edition.

The leading consumer technology magazine will feature a redesigned cover and pages, as well as new editorial content.

It boasts bolder styles, eye-catching images and stronger colours, in addition to the cutting edge and in-depth commentary, news and product evaluation readers have come to enjoy.

From the latest gadgets, trends, reviews, features to interviews, HWM will continue to help readers make informed decisions on their tech-buying sprees.

Here’s a TV Commercial which would be airing on cable soon:

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MARKETING: HWM Malaysia celebrated its 7th Anniversary at Plaza Low Yat, Kuala Lumpur last evening in conjunction with announcing the results of its annual Brand Survey Awards to some 200 attendees, comprising mainly of technology partners, vendors, public relation executives and the press.

Held at the Concourse of the shopping mall, the event was a private affair but shoppers can view the proceedings and Awards ceremony from various levels of the mall. In total, 45 Awards were handed out in categories like Smartphone, Blu-ray Disc Player, Digital SLR and many more. Ten of the Awards given out were Editor’s Choice Awards.

What’s unique about HWM Malaysia’s Award this time was the collaboration among HWM Malaysia, Chrome Media and Plaza Low Yat when they launched the digital shopping directory guide in the mall. The guide enables shoppers to navigate their way around the area and find specific shops within Plaza Low Yat.

Here’s a video of the Anniversary with highlights from the event:

VIEWPOINT: As a follow-up to the announcements Research in Motion (RIM) made, which we reported here, here’s a ViewPoint video of the General Session keynote announcements made yesterday.

The session itself was 3 hours long, so this video is a summary of the new services, features and initiatives announced by various RIM executives to some 1,000 developers, partners and the media. We will be adding a second video soon, where we speak to a Singapore-based BlackBerry developer, show you some highlights of winning BlackBerry apps and reveal some features of the new BlackBerry Bold 9700 and Storm 2 smartphones. Stay tuned.

As promised, here’s the second video from the BlackBerry Developers Conference, where we interviewed two executives in RIM on some of the announcements made during the General Session.

MARKETING (Singapore): The HWM Singapore & HardwareZone.com Tech Awards 2010 is an annual event which aims to honor the best and most innovative tech products launched in 2009. The Awards will cover a wide gamut of tech products, software and services in the computer, consumer electronics, communication and digital entertainment sectors.

There will be two kinds of award given out at this yearly event - Reader’s Choice and Editor’s Choice. So click on the Tech Awards logo image to cast your vote now. Prizes are open only to Singapore-based residents.

David Yach, Chief Technology Officer for RIM, announces support for OpenGL ES so devs can create 3D games and animations for BlackBerry smartphones.

CORP TALK: Finally, Research in Motion also announced several enhancements to its BlackBerry Application Platform that will empower developers to quickly create rich content and apps for the BlackBerry platform.

OpenGL ES enables 3D games and graphics for BlackBerry smartphones

That's Electronic Arts' Need for Speed running on a BlackBerry smartphone, thanks to RIM's OpenGL ES support.

EA Mobile appeared on stage during the General Session and demoed Need for Speed. With OpenGL ES, Java developers can now build 3D games and graphics for BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry OS 5.0 or higher. The support is available via an update on the Java SDK, of which the beta is available here.

Tyler Lessard, VP for Global Alliances & Developer Relations at RIM, announces the BlackBerry Theme Studio 5.0 that allows devs to create themes for BlackBerry smartphones. Also, in-app payment and carrier billing for apps will be up in 2010.

BlackBerry Theme Studio for Theme design, illustration and animation

The BlackBerry Theme Studio was announced and it comes with a free suite of theme design, illustration and animation tools for developers to create custom interfaces for BlackBerry smartphones running OS 4.2.2 and higher, including the new Storm2 and Bold 9700.

The Studio includes the Theme Builder, for customizing the user interface, and Composer, for creating animated SVG graphics such as animted themed buttons and backgrounds. The Theme Studio 5.0 replaces the previous Plazmic Content Developer’s Kit, will feature an integrated import with Adobe Photoshop. Devs can also add ringtones and build screen transitions (zoom, slide, wipe, fade, etc.).

Theme Studio is currently free and can be downloaded here.

HWM Indonesia

Martin (HWM Indonesia): Going the “multimedia” route is the best thing that has ever happened to RIM for 2010 which has never been a strong point for BB handsets.

Encroaching iPhone and Android segments will definitely be difficult if RIM does not have a strong multimedia platform to support.

These so called platform enhancements will catapult RIM from a business-centric to a more lifestyle flavor which will provide them a longer mileage in the non-business oriented segments.

A strong and rigid business platform, combined with a multimedia flavor, will raise the smartphone landscape to a new bar where no smartphone has ever reached before.

Once these enhancements are properly in place, the rest will be just cosmetic makeovers.

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