One of the most sought smartphone this September

Well, it might not be as innovative but the impressive features were good selling points for iPhone users to upgrade. Apple just had a record breaking sales on their latest iPhone 5 and yes, the phone is virtually sold out especially those who pre-order them online. Recently Singapore had a super long queue on 21st September the day of its official launch. As for Brunei, there’s no official release but more relying on local mobile vendors such as Deejay Home Video, QQestore and Incomm to name a few.

Because of the high demand, pricing can be a huge factor here. When supply gets low and demand gets high, prices can go nuts!!!! The highest price I’ve heard right now is $1650 for a 16gig or $1850 for a 64gig. Now that’s like more than $700 more than the actual price if you were to order online through Singapore’s Apple store. Then again, with deeper pockets and the eagerness, such ridiculous high price tag won’t mean much, right? iPhone 5 will definitely be a seller.

For me, I’m just going with the flow and I won’t be investing in one just yet. There’s no need for the rush but it’s still on my wishlist. For those who wants to get their nano sim card done, I believe Deejay and Incomm have those service for now.

The huge long queue at Singapore last Friday

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hjh Saleha with the newly Royal wedding couple, Her Royal Highness Princess Hjh Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and Yang Amat Mulia Pg Anak Hj Muhammad Ruzaini. Image courtesy of REUTERS.

The Royal wedding of HRH Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Hj Muhammad Ruzaini Pg Dr HjMuhammad Yakub reached its glittering climax yesterday as the couple were feted during the Majlis Istiadat Bersanding Pengantin Diraja atIstana Nurul Iman.

The sitting-in-state ceremony, as it is known in English, represents the climax of the 10 days of Royal wedding festivities, where the newlyweds are presented to the nobility and the public for the first time.

The gilded hall of Balai Singahasana Indera Buana the royal throne room welcomed over 3,000 guests from near and far. The impressive guest list included heads of state, royalty, the cheteria (state dignitaries) and senior government officials.

Among those seated near the royal dais as special guests of His Majesty, were Thai Premier Yingl uck Shinawatra, Philippines President Benigno Aquino, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, HRH Prince Faisal bin Saud bin Abdul Mohsen bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, Chief Minister of Sarawak Pehin Sri DrHj Abdul Taib Mahmud, Chief Minister of Sabah Dato Seri Paduka Hj Musa Hj Aman and Datin PadukaSeri Rosmah Mansor, wife of Malaysian Prime Minister Najb Razak.

His Majesty guided both the bride and the groom to their seats. Image courtesy of AFP.

The doa selamat to bless the royal couple. Image courtesy of AFP.

The doa selamat to bless the royal couple. Image courtesy of AFP.

HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen escorted the royal couple. Image courtesy of Infofoto.

The royal couple exiting the Balai Singahasana Indera Buana Hall. Image by Asri Hj Abas.

The lighting of the Dian Empat, or four ceremonial candles, signalled the start of the ceremony, with Yang Berhormat Pehin Jawatan Luar Pekerma Raja Dato Seri Utama Dr Ustaz Hj Mohd Zain Hj Serudininforming the head of Adat Istiadat, YAM Pg Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Pg Anak Hj Abdul Aziz, that he would invite the princess bride to enter the throne room.

His Majesty then gave his consent for the ceremony to proceed and instructed the bride’s aunts, HRH Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Hjh Zariah and HRH Princess Hjh Masna to fetch the princess.

Befitting the wedding of a royal bride, an entourage of 40 spear-and-shield bearing Awang-awang of the royal court ushered the princess into the throne room.

The crowd fell silent as HRH made her way down the red-carpeted aisle, dressed in a shimmering beige and silver gown, complete with diamond tiara and a small bouquet of diamond-encrusted flowers.

The bride took her seat under the gold leaf canopy, guided by her father, His Majesty, and her mother, Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hjh Saleha.

Now came the groom’s turn to make his entrance, but before doing so, court customs dictated that he be sprinkled with bunga rampai, or scented flowers, and water poured over his feet.

Accompanied by 12 spearman, YAM Pg Anak Hj Muhammad Ruzaini walked cautiously down the aisle dressed in the same gold and beige tones as his wife.

His Majesty then took the groom’s hand and placed it gently on the bride’s forehead to bless her and signify the official union of the royal couple. Canons fired the 17-gun salute which reverberated through the Indera Buana Hall.

The State Mufti Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz (Dr) Hj Abdul Aziz Juned then read the salawat to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) followed by a thanksgiving prayer.

The monarch also bestowed the royal title upon the groom who will now be known as Yang Amat MuliaPengiran Anak Hj Muhammad Ruzaini.

The royal couple with the Their Majesties and members of the Royal Family. Image courtesy of REUTERS.

HRH Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah. Image courtesy of REUTERS.

The bride beamed a smile as her brother, HRH Prince ‘Abdul Mateen escorted the royal couple to pay respects to senior members of the royal family, including His Majesty and the Raja Isteri, before exiting the throne room concluding the ceremony.

The newlyweds and the royal family then held court with His Majesty’s special guests in a separate room of the palace.

HRH Princess Hjh Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, 32, is the fifth child of the His Majesty, the Sultan and Her Majesty, the Raja Isteri. She holds a degree in business administration and works at the Ministry of Finance.

The groom, YAM Pg Anak Hj Muhammad Ruzaini, 29, is the second child of Pg Dr Hj Mohd Yakub Pg HjOthman and Hjh Zainon Dato Paduka Hj Elias. He holds the post of Special Duties Officer at the Prime Minister’s Office. Text by Quratul-Ain Bandial of The Brunei Times.

The awesome souvenir from the royal wedding

Red Herring announced MeSixty as winner of its Top 100 award in recognition of the leading private companies from Asia, celebrating these startups’ innovations and technologies across their respective industries.

Recently mobile app developer MeSixty travelled to Hong Kong to present its app “Chatworthy” at the annual Red Herring Asia Forum. Hundreds of companies from each region are reviewed in a rigorous 3-step process that looks at all aspects of the company (financials, innovation, customers, Intellectual Property, etc.). Companies that make it past step 1 and 2 are invited to be part of the final step, the regional Top 100 Forum, where they compete for a Top 100 spot. MeSixty is the only Bruneian company to make it in to the finals, and the only one to win the Red Herring Top 100 Award.

Alex Vieux, publisher and CEO of Red Herring giving his speech

“Choosing the companies with the strongest potential was by no means a small feat,” said Alex Vieux, publisher and CEO of Red Herring. “After rigorous contemplation and discussion, we narrowed our list down from hundreds of candidates from across Asia to the Top 100 Winners. We believe MeSixty embodies the vision, drive and innovation that define a successful entrepreneurial venture. MeSixty should be proud of its accomplishment, as the competition was the strongest it has ever been.”

Red Herring’s Top 100 Asia list has become a mark of distinction for identifying promising new companies and entrepreneurs. Red Herring editors were among the first to recognize that companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, Skype, Salesforce.com, YouTube, and eBay would change the way we live and work.

Liam Janin, Social Cartographer of MeSixty holding the award with Keeran Janin, CEO of MeSixty

“We are very proud to receive this award.” said Keeran Janin, CEO of MeSixty. “As a small startup, being ranked alongside some of the most well-known and established names in the industry is a wonderful achievement for the team at MeSixty and recognition for the hard work, effort, and innovative ideas that have been poured into our products. Hopefully this is just the start of bigger and better things to come!”

MeSixty presented its app “Chatworthy” which is now available on the iPhone, iPad and an Android version will be released in October. The app lets people search any location on the planet for interesting Instagram posts and chat about them with their friends. The app received tremendous praise from competing companies, investors and Red Herring judges.

Red Herring’s editorial staff evaluated the companies on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as financial performance, technology innovation, management quality, strategy, and market penetration. This assessment of potential is complemented by a review of the track record and standing of startups relative to their peers, allowing Red Herring to see past the “buzz” and make the list a valuable instrument of discovery and advocacy for the most promising new business models in Asia.

So who says we Bruneians aren’t as creative in the tech world? Well done to the Janins on their achievements and I hope more technopreneurs are inspired by their journey.

Ivan Jerkovic scored twice in DPMM FC’s 3-0 victory over Tanjong Pagar United FC last night. Shahrazen was also in the score sheet as he netted his 11th goal of the season. Tampines Rovers FC is still top on the league with one game in hand.

It seems that DPMM FC’s coach was slightly having a challenge with the the release of 12 players for the national team for next month’s ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup qualifiers in Myanmar.

According to The Brunei Times interview with Simunic, “I think it was our hardest game in six months. Tanjong Pagar played a fantastic game, just like the one in Brunei. They were very motivated and very good. They gave 200 per cent but we gave 300! It was a very big fight and I’m very proud of the team.”

DPMM FC face Home on Sunday the last S-League match until the competition takes a break for the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup qualifiers in Myanmar.

DPMM FC’s first 11 last night agains Tanjong Pagar

The standings so far with only 5 games remaining

THE National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) announced that the national team will be playing Indonesia in a friendly match at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas on Sept 26.

“The aim for organising this friendly match is to help the national squad prepare for the AFF Suzuki Cup qualifiers and also to give football fans in the Sultanate, including the Indonesian fans, the opportunity to come and watch their national football teams in action,” said NFABD general secretary Mohd Noor Hj Abdullah.

According to NFABD assistant general secretary Hj Mohd Taha Hj Mohd Tahir, the tickets for the friendly will be available at the NFABD House along Jalan Pusat Persidangan in Berakas, Mumong JBS Sports Complex in Kuala Belait, Batu Apoi JBS Sports Complex in Temburong and Tutong JBS Sports Complex.

Pricing for the tickets will be $5 and $8.

It’s happening this Wednesday evening

“Spectators are advised that cans, bottles, banners, flags, poles, umbrellas, fireworks, air horns, whistles, drums and musical instruments are prohibited from being brought into the stadium,” said Hj Mohd Taha.

“All the personal bags and parcels are subjected to be checked at the gates. We are expecting 25 000 fans to attend the game,” added the assistant general secretary.

Brunei failed to advance past the qualifying rounds in the 2008 edition of the competition and will be eyeing a berth into this year’s group stages when they play Myanmar on Oct 5, Cambodia on Oct 9, Laos on Oct 11 and Timor Leste on Oct 13. Source: The Brunei Times.