Apple Announce ‘Red Friday'

Ever since Steve Jobs passed away

Apple

have galvanised in the face of a tough economic downturn and streaked ahead of their competitors as the largest company in the world. New gadgets, sleek designs and amazing features are synonymous with the

Apple

brand which gave us the iPod and iPad.

There is one area in the world that can't get enough of their products and the answer is South East Asia. It is places like Singapore and Thailand which are driving the digital revolution currently, and Apple want to get a strong foothold in these markets and dominate for years to come.

Not one to miss an opportunity, Apple has decided it will hold a special event in Jan 2013 to celebrate the Chinese New Year. This will culminate in one special day of frenzied shopping for consumers in a selection of countries from around Asia. This day will go under the moniker of ‘Red Friday', and red is of course a colour that is synonymous with the Far East.

This is not an unprecedented occurrence however, as

Apple

have done this before under different titles. It is an excellent marketing ploy and usually results in increased sales. But the rest of the world have similar types of privileges like the ‘Black Friday' which has similar offers on the table. One of the best aspects of this day is that shipping costs will be totally free, so you won't have to pay anything extra for the postage and packaging. This offer is going to be available for most of their stock presumably.

The lucky nations that are entitled for this deal include Singapore, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. This will also coincide with the recent release of the iPhone 5 which

Apple

will hope can generate some huge business in the area. Usually, young people queue up for days outside the Apple store, some even camping overnight, just to get their hands on their very own model. Technology is an obsession.

In Singapore, as across the rest of the globe women are becoming a much heavier presence in the sphere of the entrepreneur. Every August the country plays host to the NTU Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week, celebrating the women entrepreneurs of Singapore.

The Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) own Nanyang Technopreneurship Center organises the event and the High Tea with Women Entrepreneurs of Singapore is designed to give guests the opportunity to converse with the selected women speakers and understand how they learned their craft and succeeded in their field.

Some of the 2012 speakers included Violet Oon, the food ambassador for Singapore, Pamela Chng the founder of Bettr Barista Coffee Academy and Ruby Teo, the CEO of Stalford Education Holdings.

Similarly the Athena Network has proved to be a platform for women to network with their fellow entrepreneurs and help further their companies. There are many similar sites, events and companies that are designed to help women who are just starting their careers or are heading a vibrant new startup company. By integrating with other ambitious women and startup companies these events can work to inspire and increase confidence in the individual, creating success at every opportunity.

Many have found that Singapore provides the perfect environment to help women feel equal to their male competition, allowing them to work in a healthily competitive manner. Seemingly, by meeting other women who have succeeded in that field or area, other women feel that they too can succeed. Therefore proving that success breeds success.

As health awareness increases people are becoming more interested in various sports and fitness regimes, from the usual running and cycling to more exhilarating activities such as water sports. Singapore is renowned as a perfect location for water sports due to its luxurious climate and easy access to water and because of this it has a great deal to offer. There are many waterfront parks and centres that offer the equipment to allows visitors to partake in their favourite sport. They are also fully equipped to allow novices to learn more than the mere basics in a variety of different sports and in a safe and comfortable environment.

SKI360 is Singapore's first cable ski park, allowing enthusiasts to partake in cable-skiing and wakeboarding during the day or night. This is a unique experience, perfect for those looking for an adrenaline rush or to work on their skills. There are many other water parks, such as the Marina Reservoir, Changi Beach Park, and the Kallang Riverside Park, where you can try calmer activities such as canoeing, kayaking and skiing.

The parks are equipped to help anyone, from novice to the experienced water sports enthusiast. Many people find them to be a new and exciting way to help lose a few pounds, or even a more invigorating form of recuperation after an illness. The climate and location is perfect for water sports and with the level of expertise at the various parks many people find their competitive side strongly showing after a short amount of time.

Music is a huge part of everyone's life nowadays. It helps us get up in the morning, cheers us when we are down and invigorates us when we are happy. For many music lovers festivals are an essential way to celebrate that passion. Singapore is well known for the wide variety of festivals held throughout the year, offering many different types of music. People come from all over the world to join in the celebrations.

Music festivals are becoming increasingly popular, whether they feature only Asian music, or cover all contemporary styles. Here is an insight into three of the most popular music festivals in Singapore.

The Sundown Festival is a well-known and vibrant festival and it celebrates its fourth year of running in 2012. It is held every December at Marina Promenade and is a wonderful celebration of music acts from China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The Mosaic Music Festival is now in its 10th year being held at Esplanade. It is quite different from the Sundown Festival, featuring a variety of different acts and embracing the concept of peace crossing cultural barriers, allowing everyone to appreciate the soothing and rejuvenating nature of music.

Singfest is now in its third year after starting in 2007. It embraces all contemporary music, featuring artists such as Katy Perry and Kanye West. It is held in August and is the largest contemporary music festival in Southeast Asia.

There are also many other festivals held throughout the year to satisfy even the most unusual of music tastes.