Planet CNET: Bargains galore in Singapore Video

Planet CNET: Bargains galore in Singapore Video Transcript

[ music ] ^M00:00:07 [ background music ]

>> Hello, and welcome to Planet CNET, the weekly show where we check out the latest in science and technology, courtesy of CNET editors around the world. Oh and don't adjust your flat panels, I'm not Molly Wood with a tan, I'm CNET UK's own Rory Reed, chillaxin' in the London offices. Welcome. First up, I want to take you on a short hop across the channel to our neighbors in France, where Louise Geghan [assumed spelling] has a thing for old people. Let's take a look. [ music ]

>> I'm sure a lot of you worry a lot about their mother or grandfather, knowing that they're all alone at home, and that anything could happen to them. What if they fall, what if they faint, what if they stop feeding themselves. A French company called [inaudible] conceived [inaudible], a concept based on ambient intelligence to secure the elderly's accommodation. Basically [inaudible] equips your house with sensors that react to temperature, movements, and vibrations, which is, let's be honest, a lot better than spying on your grandpa in the bathroom with intrusive cameras. If anything suspect occurs, an alarm is immediately sent to immediately an assistant service, or to a relative. And why not equip your grandpa with an electronic bracelet that he could use to alert to an emergency relief? Not a bad idea. The problem is 90% of the calls made with this type of bracelet are either made by mistake, or because the person needs company. Plus the bracelet requires that the person is conscious to activate the alarm. With [inaudible] you know your loved ones are in security, and that they will be immediately taken in charge in case of emergency, whether they are conscious or not. But don't take it as an excuse not to visit them once in a while, okay? This is Louise Geghan for CNET France, thanks for watching. [ music ]

>> Okay. It looks as if there's not much to look forward to as an old person. You got to exchange your wild oats for bran flakes, and be fitted with an electronic ankle bracelet, like some kind of geriatric criminal. I am really not looking forward to turning twenty nine. The next stop on my world tour is Australia, where the delightful Ella Morton is hanging out with worms, hungry bears, and malware. [ music ] Australia's gold coast is a beautiful stretch of land, filled with gorgeous weather, great beaches, and luxury resorts. The perfect place for an enterprise security conference. Hmm. But while worms, white lists, and malware may not sound fun and sexy, a whole lot happened behind the scenes. Here's a look at how we do tech conferences down under. First up, the goody bag.

>> Have not a copy of Windows Vista ultimate. They can't flog em, they're giving them away.

>> So our journalists are digging the free stuff, but what do our attendees think of the [inaudible] conference?

>> Don't, it's crunchy outside and chewy inside, it's a liquid inside now.

>> It's like being in a group of people and there's a hungry bear chasing you. As long as you run faster than the others, you're not gonna get eaten. Somebody will, but not you.

>> In my case it was a dog.

>> I can't get it into my mind, it's really malicious. Well again I came over to [inaudible], people are gonna yell back at me.

>> Interviews didn't always go so smoothly. Even though we'd registered, location security refused to let us shoot outside.

>> If I get arrested I will never interview again.

>> That's all right. The view inside was almost as good as the view outside. Inside, outside. Inside, outside. Then there was the sheep driving. [ banging ] [ cheering ] Two prizes. One for the person who could drive their ewe the furthest. [ cheers ] And another for someone who could decapitate their sheep. [ cheers ] That's our video editor, Matt Oxley [assumed spelling]. Way to represent the team. Prizes won, it was time to say goodbye.

>> Let's go pack our stuff and get the - [ beep ]

>> - out of here.

>> So it's not quite CES, but we think it stacks up okay. I'm Ella Morton for Planet CNET.

>> Seriously, you've got to love the life of a tech journal. Free copies of Windows Vista, rubber sheep, and did you see the security guards at the end? That's Ella's entourage baby, she's rock and roll. Okay, time to move over to CNET Asia, where Darius Chang is looking for some tech bargains in Singapore. [ music ] ^M00:04:27

>> Hi, I'm Gary Russell for CNET Asia, and today we're in the middle of [inaudible]. As you can see in here, the [inaudible] of tech vendors hawking their wares to over half of Singapore, and it runs over four stories. There are four major fairs that take place each year, this is where vendors showcase their newest products. But the primary aim is to sell their goods, often at discounted prices, or bundled with lots of freebies. Okay. Time to brave the crowds. If you think this crowd is bad, wait till the weekend. It gets so crowded, there's barely enough room to move around. And did we also mention the endless queues. So, is it worth the hassle? We've just spotted some cool deals. Here are some super cheap hard drives for you for a bargain, the tough choice is which one to get. LCD TVs are another hot item. A thirty two inch flat panel is going for a song, and dropping by the minute. The downside to getting such a bargain is that you have to bring the TV home yourself. But hey, at least they give you a trolley to cart it home. But you have to make it through this crowd first. Do you know what you got exactly?

>> I got [inaudible].

>> [inaudible]. ^M00:05:46

>> I see, do you know how much it cost? [inaudible]

>> One thousand five plus.

>> How much you saved by [inaudible] show?

>> About 30%.

>> Any freebies?

>> Yeah. We had [inaudible].

>> Printer free then. I'd want a printer so minus the fifty dollar off.

>> So was it worth it coming to show [inaudible].

>> Yeah, definitely. And cause I think [inaudible].

>> These shows have become part of the Singapore [inaudible] calendar. The cross may be crazy, but there's one indication that there are good deals to be had. Some [inaudible] products, like insurance and credit card companies, also have a presence here just to tap the [inaudible]. In fact, if an old pro at this can wait till the very last day, bargain [inaudible], and go home a happy camper, a lot happier. This is Darius signing off.

>> Well there you have it. I never thought I'd see the day when a tech journal would willingly spend his own money on gadgets. I guess in CNET Asia that's, that's just how they roll. That's all for this week. We'll catch you next time on Planet CNET for more interesting tech tales from around the globe. I'm Rory Reed reporting from London. ^M00:06:54 [ music ]