CORP TALK: Research in Motion (RIM) has just released BlackBerry App World, the official app store for BlackBerry smartphone users, in Singapore and Indonesia, after first launching it in April.

Of course, App World works across most BlackBerry smartphones. They have to operate on a GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA/HSPA network and include a trackball, touch-sensitive trackpad, or touchscreen running BlackBerry OS 4.2 or higher.

Users can access App World here or mobile.blackberry.com via their handsets.

Indonesia specific apps at launch include Taxi Indonesia Dialer, Makan and Caripromo while Singapore specific apps include iCab SG (easy taxi-request service).

Foyage (travel guide assistant), Spionard (remote surveillance alarm) and Pintas (Internet search optimizer) are also available for users in both Indonesia and Singapore. Most of these apps are free, while some are free for a limited period of time.

Here’s a promo video on the App World service:

Paolo Manzano, Managing Editor, HWM Philippines

Paolo (HWM Philippines): Indonesia must have quite a community of BlackBerry users for them to launch alongside Singapore.

However, I do hope that they can improve on the selection and number of applications made available to end users, though I am aware that those named are but a sample of what is currently available.

However, I am also aware of the support that both Microsoft and Apple enjoy in terms of development and sheer number of available apps.

Perhaps some sort of developer program or developer incentive on a country or region level would prove to be the boost that developers need to start generating even more useful applications and content for BlackBerry users.

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This is in conjunction with the launch of LG’s LH50, LH70 and LH35 Full HD TVs. Viewers only need log in here to watch the documentaries and cast their vote by 9 August 2009.

South-east Asian viewers can now vote for their fave HD documentaries from National Geographic Channel in a collaboration with LG Electronics.

Nokia N97 launch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Mr. Vlasta Berka, General Manager, Nokia Singapore/Malaysia & Brunei shares the benefits of the new Nokia N97.

SHOWCASE: The country editors of HWM Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have come together to share photos from the launch of the Nokia N97. The Malaysia/Singapore launch was held on 5 June 2009 in a Web-themed launch party at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, while Indonesia had theirs on 8 June 2009 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Philippines launch is expected for June 25.

At the Kuala Lumpur event, guests were treated to an immersive Internet experience that combined all the Nokia N97 has to offer - social networking, localized Web widgets and apps, multimedia capabilities and a personal touch that exemplifies the S60 5th edition touch experience.

The Singapore edition will give consumers the opportunity to purchase an N97 with the Comes With Music service, giving users one year’s worth of unlimited music downloads. The recommended retail price for the Nokia N97 is RM2,480 in Malaysia and S$1,028 (without Comes with Music) or S$1,228 (with Comes with Music) in Singapore. The price of the device in Indonesia is expected to be 9 million rupiah (US$896).

Here’s a video preview of the Nokia N97 when the Singapore team first had the phone on April 24, 2009:

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SHOWCASE: Ultra cool and super-thin notebooks seem to be the rave among the media in Malaysia and Indonesia over the past week as both Dell and Taiwan-based component/consumer electronics manufacturer MSI launch their versions of slim notebooks to the media. Dell introduced the Adamo notebook of course, while MSI launched their X-Slim notebook.

You can check out our review of the Dell Adamo here (and our last post on the Adamo here) and a preview of the MSI X-Slim X340 notebook here including specifications. The other MSI X-Slim notebooks being launched (for Malaysia at least) also include the X320, X400 and X600.

The HWM Malaysia and HWM Indonesia teams were able to send us photos of the two separate event launches in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta respectively. Check it out:

Among SingTel’s eight markets, its Indian associate, Bharti, of which SingTel owns a 30.4% stake, posted the biggest customer jump at 52% year-on-year.

CORP TALK: Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) has released a report announcing the company’s increased and combined regional mobile customer base, which has totalled 249 million as of 31 March 2009.

From a base covering eight countries - Australia (Optus), Bangladesh (PBTL), India (Bharti), Indonesia (Telkomsel), Pakistan (Warid), the Philippines (Globe), Singapore (SingTel) and Thailand (AIS), the company’s regional customer base has grown 7.3%, or 17 million on a sequential quarterly basis. Click here to see a breakdown of the stakes SingTel currently has in the various companies across the six other markets besides Singapore and Australia.

Besides India, SingTel also reported that Telkomsel grew its mobile customer base by 41% or 20.8 million year-on-year. The past quarter alone, ending 31 March 2009, saw the Indonesian operator adding 6.8 million customers to its base, with a market share increase of 3% to 49%. (more…)