This is not true. NEA is aware of a message circulating via text messaging and social media platforms which claims that temperatures are expected to soar to 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days, resulting in a possible heatwave leading to dehydration and sun stroke.

These claims are untrue.

The Meteorological Service Singapore issued an advisory on 15 March 2016 stating that the second half of March 2016 is expected to be drier and warmer than that experienced in the first fortnight of the month.

During this period, the daily maximum temperatures are expected to range between 33 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius, and could reach a high of around 36 degrees Celsius on a few days.

The warmer conditions that we are experiencing are due the continuing influence of the El Nino and the presence of a dry and warm air mass over the region.

The occurrence of the equinox1 is another contributing factor to the warm temperatures during this time of the year.

Despite the drier conditions, short-duration thundery showers in the afternoon on four to six days can still be expected over parts of Singapore, due to strong solar heating of land areas and convergence of winds in the surrounding vicinity.

For official and authoritative information on weather conditions, the public should refer to NEA.

For updates of the daily weather forecast, please visit our MSS website, or download the myENV app.

As trade in physical goods continues to slump, one pillar of growth that will support the economy in the future could well be virtual.

Modern information and communications technology (ICT) services are expected to play a more important role in supporting growth this year, according to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, through the delivery of high-value information technology services.

These include emergent technologies like data analysis or cyber security, which follow a natural evolution of having a hyper-connected population, thanks to convenient and easy access to the Internet.

One area primed to become even more relevant is data analytics, the sector which collects, analyses and uses large amounts of data.

“Over the next five years, the ability to deal with data is the single most important thing for trends in e-commerce, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things,” said Mr Vikram Mengi, chief executive of data management firm Latize.

According to the Economic Development Board (EDB), the data analytics sector will likely add $1 billion in value to the economy by 2017. The Infocomm Media 2025 masterplan, a government road map for the ICT sector over the next 10 years, ranks big data as one of the key strategic thrusts for the nation.

“Singapore recognises the seminal role of analytics in unlocking the value of data, and has identified it as an important growth sector for our economy,” said Mr Tung Meng Fai, EDB’s deputy director of infocomms and media.

The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) said demand for data analytic professionals continues to grow.

IDA’s Infocomm Manpower Survey 2014 showed the total demand for data analytics professionals then was about 2,100. From 2014 to 2017, there will be a projected demand for 650 more data specialists, said an IDA spokesman.

The same survey showed that technical ICT specialist roles, such as those in development, network and systems, data analytics, IT security and infocomm research and development are expected to grow by about 14,800 by 2018.

Big names in software and data analytics have set up shop in Singapore, including German software major SAP, global information firm Nielsen Holdings and computer giant IBM, which runs its IBM Analytics Asia-Pacific headquarters here.

Mr Jason Jameson, the HQ’s director for ASEAN, said: “The real value of big data comes from what it actually enables. So while there is growth in jobs that are directly related to the processing of big data – such as data scientists – the real growth and shift in jobs will be in the areas where the insights from big data are turned into tangible actions to drive competitive advantage and innovation.”

The good news is that small and medium-sized enterprises will also be able to grab a slice of the growing pie.

Analytics solutions need domain expertise and data engineers.

There is a shortage of expertise in these areas,which presents opportunities for smaller and niche players to co-exist with the big players, said Mr Stephen Chow, founder of local data analytic firm Sense Infosys.

This article was first published on March 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Pay-TV consumers will soon be given the choice of shorter, 12-month contracts for packages or bundles.

Customers will also be able to cancel their contracts early without paying a penalty if the service provider increases subscription fees or removes important content.

These are some of the changes recommended to the Media Market Conduct Code that the Media Development Authority (MDA) announced yesterday to guard against unfair pay-TV practices.

The changes, which are expected to take effect next month, address three areas of consumer concerns: unilateral contract changes, forced upgrades of non-pay-TV services, and lack of awareness of the contracts’ terms and conditions.

The proposed changes will make it possible for consumers to exit their contracts within 30 days of the operators making changes to pricing or programming.

This applies to increased subscription fees or material content being removed – especially if it is a factor in persuading consumers to sign up for pay-TV, such as English Premier League coverage.

Consumers will also get the option of a shorter, one-year contract period.

Housewife Maria Tan, 48, said the shorter contract period will give her greater flexibility in her choice of channels. “This way, I won’t have to spend money on another year if I decide to stop watching channels in the package,” she added.

These changes follow a public consultation held from September to November 2014 with pay-TV operators, content providers, consumer and industry associations, and members of the public.

The last time that changes were made to the code for pay-TV consumer protection was in 2011, when early-termination charges were pro-rated to the time left on the contract.

Under the new proposals, pay-TV operators will also not be allowed to force subscribers to upgrade non-pay-TV services, such as Internet broadband or phone service contracts, to make changes to pay-TV services.

Consumers will be better informed as operators will be required to provide them with a critical information summary that highlights important terms and conditions clearly and accurately. In addition, the operators will need to send a written copy of the contract and summary within 14 days of contracting to them.

Operators will also have to obtain consumers’ consent to continue with any trial or complimentary service before they can start charging for them, instead of automatically charging them if they fail to opt out.

Pay-TV operators here say they are considering how to implement these changes.

“We are reviewing the proposed amendments and virtually all of our pay-TV plans have been available to our customers on 12-month contracts for some years now,” said a Singtel spokesman.

A StarHub spokesman said: “We are studying the decision and are reviewing the implementation issues it may raise.”

This article was first published on March 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.