Entries from December 2008
One of Mobrick’s central philosophies is about sharing experiences around people’s passions. That reflects the kinds of community platforms, crowdsourcing sites and social networks that we build. Given that, we came across an interesting quote in relation to the photographer, Ansel Adams, today.
It is probably correct to say that we can describe an idea more precisely than we can an experience. Perhaps experience itself cannot really be described, and to distract attention from this fact we retreat to metaphor, and say that the dawn came up like thunder or that the fog crept in on little cat’s feet. The simplest and most common experience – the taste of water, let us say – has not yet been communicated in words or pictures, and most of us probably do not expect this breakthrough soon. Yet we might agree that our arts are at bottom an effort to do this – to give objective form not to our ideas but to our visceral knowledge.
- From “Ansel Adams at 100″ by John Szarkowski
So one way we look at our challenge is how to find meaningful ways for people to share experiences in more than the usual “status update”. That’s what makes this journey interesting for us.
Categories: mobrick
Trendspotting on Shoplette: Fedoras – in or out? We’re inclined to say “in”…
Two fedoras from -, Jakarta, Indonesia
Categories: shoplette
Occasionally I hear someone mention in passing that there just aren’t enough entrepreneurs in Singapore. That there aren’t enough people striking it out on their own and that the majority of people are looking for a highly-paid salaried job.
I’m really not so sure that’s true, especially if we look beyond our usual circles and stereotypes when we think of “entrepreneur”. Every food hawker, market stall owner, pasar malam (night bazaar) vendor and independent boutique owner in Singapore is an entrepreneur. Many hairstylists, fashion designers and retail shop owners are entrepreneurs. And then there are the wholesalers, delivery company owners and pre-school proprietors. It’s quite possible that we may have a more of such independent businesses than other countries where large and established brands (think Walmart, Target and Tesco’s) have dominated the competitive landscape.
So perhaps when we’re thinking about entrepreneurship, there’s a lot we can learn from the entrepreneurs around us, outside of the technology industry.
Talk to us: What do you think about the state of entrepreneurship in Singapore?
Categories: startups
Our friends at Assembly have released a collection of rather Rothko-esque tie-dyed mobile phone wallpapers to bring a little cheer to a recession-hit holiday season. Take your pick and put some love and peace on your phone.
You can download the wallpapers here.
“Everything’s gonna be alright…” – Bob Marley
Categories: stuff we like
Our friends at Deepcalm have just released a test of Priicr, their brand new search engine for video games. It’s the best video game price comparison engine we’ve seen so far and we love the simplicity of its design. To the point: search for cheap games, save money.
It only searches UK game retailers at the moment, so lucky you if you’re in the United Kingdom. If not, please give it a spin anyway and let them know what you think.
Categories: startups · stuff we like
Trendspotting on Shoplette: More on the retro theme – Casio digital watches never get old, do they? Looks like Bras Basah Complex is a great place to find retro watch bargains in Singapore.
casio! we love casio!!! from old watch shop, bras basah complex, Singapore
Categories: shoplette
A quick shopping bulletin for shoppers in Singapore:
THE MANGO SALE HAS STARTED!
(A little early, we thought?)
Up to 50% off at Shaw House and their other outlets. Don’t miss the bargains!
Here are some great buys from the previous seasons by our community of shoppers.
Black Skirt with mauve polkadots from Mango, Takashimaya, Singapore
Long lace dress from Mango, Shaw Centre, Singapore
Black and white wedges. Love the design on the side of these shoes. from Mango, Isetan Scotts, Singapore
A public service announcement brought to you by Shoplette.
Categories: shoplette
Thanks to Techgoondu for a great write-up on Shoplette today!
“The idea: you spot a pair of pink hello kitty slippers in a boutique mall in Japan’s trendy Shinjuku shopping district to die for, and you want to let all your friends know. You whip out your phone, snap it, and upload it where all your friends can goggle over your latest purchase. Except that with Shoplette (beta), the whole world can find out what and where you like to shop.”
From: Shoplette: Singapore’s shopping twitter, Techgoondu.com, 12 Dec 08
The “twitter for shopping” moniker is definitely growing on us! We’re currently working hard on some new improvements on the service and will be releasing new updates in January 09. Look out for it!
Categories: mobrick · shoplette
Wallets are a little tighter this Christmas Season, so Lifehacker’s come out with a great guide to online deal finders. They’re all a little different from Shoplette, which provides “shopping intelligence from the crowd” by helping you find out where people bought great stuff, but for the savvy shopper, the more options the better, eh?
Lifehacker’s Savvy Shopper’s Guide
What do you use to find great deals online?
Categories: shoplette
Trendspotting on Shoplette: You can’t fault vintage bags for bringing some old world charm to a new world wardrobe. This one’s a unique little number from Malaysia.
Vintage BAG from oldblossombox, Shah Alam, Malaysia
Categories: shoplette
