eBay has partnered with SingPost and the United States Postal Service (USPS) to offer a new shipping service for eBay Singapore sellers.

Dubbed ePAC, the service lets sellers track the delivery of lightweight goods sold to American customers within six to eight working days. This service is part of eBay and SingPost’s ongoing efforts to boost trade from Singapore to the United States.

From today, eBay Singapore sellers can start using ePAC on a fully integrated platform, allowing them take orders, print labels and track the status of shipments. U.S.-based customers can also track the status of their purchased goods through their eBay account.

Oliver Hua, chief operating officer at eBay Marketplaces in the Greater China region, Southeast Asia and Japan, said Singapore sellers are highly regarded for combining good quality products at great value, and command the second highest sales in Southeast Asia, behind Thailand.

“We foresee ePAC playing a vital role in driving Singapore’s online exports to the United States as demonstrated by a similar shipping service launched with China Post and the U.S. Postal Service in September 2010, which is already processing more than 90,000 parcels a day,” he added.

The e-commerce giant has also been offering a similar service for sellers in Thailand and Hong Kong through partnerships with local postal services.

eBay’s export business is largely led by exporters in China and Hong Kong, according to the company’s Asian Exporter Index published last August.

Large exporters with annual turnovers of more than US$100,000 have experienced year-on-year growth of 26 percent across the region, with 200 exporters – predominantly based in China and Hong Kong – recording annual turnovers of over US$1 million.

The top-selling products sold by Asian exporters on eBay include clothing, jewellery, watches, computers, cellphones and auto parts.

Google Singapore has unveiled its list of top search terms used by Singaporeans in its annual Zeitgeist that offers a glimpse of the year’s major trends and events.

Topping the list of personalities were Tin Pei Ling, Nicole Seah and George Yeo, underscoring the nation’s interest in the watershed General Election 2011. Searches on the elections also figured prominently in this year’s top news searches.

Singaporeans were also on the hunt for information on the iPad 2, the iPhone 5 that didn’t materialize, as well as Samsung products. The gamers in our midst were googling for Dragon Nest, DotA and Wolfteam. Of course, there’s also the PC Show this year, where we were hungry for deals to feed our insatiable appetite for all things tech.

We also tried to keep up with the major events that took place this year, including the devastating earthquake in Japan and the uprisings in Libya and Egypt. Closer to home, many wondered about the changes to the subway system with the addition of new stations on the Circle Line.

Singaporeans also relied on local bloggers to make sense of what’s going on around them, get fashion tips and check out the latest happenings in the lives of their favourite online personalities. The honours for the top local blogs went to mrbrown, Beatrice Tan and Yankaykay.

This year, we also tuned in to the latest celebrity gossip, with American reality TV star Kim Kardashian — famed for her 72-day marriage to NBA star Kris Humphries — topping the list of celebrity searches. The Justin Bieber fever has infected Singaporeans too – the teen star led the red carpet list, with girlfriend Selena Gomez closing in from behind.

Singaporeans also scoured the Web for places to get their fix of pizzas, grilled seafood, cupcakes, waffles and nasi lemak. We love places that marry great food with great shopping. So, it wasn’t a surprise that Hong Kong emerged as the top travel destination for Singaporeans, though a good number of us are also on the lookout for beach destinations like Maldives, Phi Phi island and Hawaii.

“The year-end Zeitgeist is a cultural barometer showing us what quickened our national heartbeat and drove our curiosity,” said Google spokesperson Sana Rahman. “Singaporean searches for sun-soaked travel, good food, gadgets and games show we’re a nation that knows how to have fun any day of the year,” she added.

Here’s a quick overview of Singapore’s top searches:

A day before opening and as expected, the queue has begun outside Hong Kong’s first Apple Store that is scheduled to open tomorrow. But doesn’t look like a terribly crazy queue though.

So what are they queuing for? I’m guessing it’s for a chance to get one of 3,000 Apple Store HK T-shirts that they are giving out, and there’s a rumour that Apple CEO Tim Cook might be coming to town.

Oh, and if you want to meet the first to meet their Geniuses, better book a session now as the Genius Bar (located on the second floor) is open for bookings.

Hong Kong’s getting the real deal this weekend, and it comes in the form of huge Apple Store right smack in Central. And the curtains have literally come off. MIC Gadget has the scoop on that and has photos of … people taking photos of the store. Plus photos of the store.

At 20,000 sq feet spread across two floors, in one of the most expensive malls in Hong Kong – it sure sounds like a lot of money until you think about the US$7 billion in profits that the company raked in in a quarter.

Anyway, what CAN the average Apple fanboy/girl do at an Apple Store.

He/She could of course buy and learn how to use an Apple product. Get tech support from the beer-less Genius Bar. Sit in their many workshops to learn how to use their apps. And of course chat up fellow Apple fanboys/girls – where else would they rather be?

Oh but wait, can this be? Apple has JOBS in Hong Kong! No, not Steve himself, but salary-paying jobs. I can already hear the Magic Mice clicks and the frantic Magic Trackpad taps. They still have positions open – which leaves me wondering … have they already sucked up all the Geniuses in this Special Administrative Region?

No promises, but Techgoondu’s Hong Kong correspondent might just brave the Applemania this weekend to bring you some snaps of the madness.

Love it or hate it, Apple’s new toy is set to hit stores in Singapore and Hong Kong next month, as part of a wider rollout after being first sold in the United States on March 11.

Australia and New Zealand, along with several other European countries, will be among 25 countries getting the tablet computer as early as this Friday (March 25), as Apple pushes out the followup to its popular iPad.

Prices for these markets are as follows:

Wi-Fi-only iPad 2:
US$499 for the 16GB model
US$599 for the 32GB model
US$699 the 64GB model.

iPad 2 with Wi-Fi and 3G:
US$629 for the 16GB model
US$729 for the 32GB model
US$829 for the 64GB model.

Prices and exact availability dates for Singapore and Hong Kong are yet to be confirmed.

For those who can’t wait for a few weeks, there are, of course, already grey imports going for marked up prices at at least eight Sim Lim Square stores, according to mypaper.  But expect prices to plummet in the coming weeks, as shipment comes through official channels.

What would a bunch of geeks want to see during Christmas? World peace, we’d say. No, add to that, justice for all, happiness in unlimited supply.

But more realistically, we’d just like a great tech gadget or two in a dreamy, money-no-object world where we can have any gizmo in the world. So, all we want for Christmas is…

Another iPhone 4!
It’s such a hot commodity here in Hong Kong (even almost 5 months after its official launch) that getting another one as a Christmas present will make the mere mortals, who simply cannot lay their hands on one without signing up for a 2 year telco contract, infinitely envious.

But since I already have one, using a pair of iPhones might seem a tad excessive so I’d probably end up selling off this stocking stuffer at a slightly obscene almost 30% more than the HK$4,988 retail price that the tinted-haired cellphone dealers are generously taking them in at (that’s roughly HK$6400), and ultimately fund the purchase of my real Christmas present, which is a ….

A Panasonic GF2.
Despite all the hype about cellphone cameras improving, they are still far from acceptable to my untrained eye. Hence that leaves my aching shoulders with the DSLR which even with a small lens, feels like a brick and tends to be left at home.

Yeah, there’s all that talk about if you should get a cam with an APS-C vs the smaller Micro 4/3rd sensor, but from the photos I’ve seen from my bro’s GF1, while the Micro 4/3rd sensor is smaller, it’s good enough for me! So now that the GF2 has gotten physically smaller than the GF1, coupling it with a bright pancake lens (ideally the 20mm f1.7, not the 14mm f2.5 that it’s being bundled with) seems like a perfect combination for more weekend snaps. Shoot me one please! – Roland Lim aka limbeer

Sony Vaio Z
The newly-minted Sony VAIO Z Series takes pole position in my Christmas wish list. Its cutting-edge industrial design, coupled with high-end specs, makes it the perfect prize for tech geeks.

It’s not cheap but with specs like an Intel Core i7-640M 2.8GHz processor, 8GB of DDR3 memory, a Blu-ray drive plus four 64GB solid state drives, you will be the envy of the geek fraternity. At 1.4kg, it’s lightweight enough for you to not notice its presence in your backpack. It costs a whopping $5,199, so don’t lose sight of it wherever you go!

Samsung Galaxy Tab

Until Honeycomb-based Android tablets see the light of day, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is the best bet for a 7-inch tablet. Samsung’s much acclaimed number is the current king of the hill in the Android tablet world. Its sharp and bright screen, large-screen customisation and access to the Android Market, stand out from the pack. Apple’s iPad may well be its closest rival, but I’m not going to be lugging around a 10-inch screen. Not in a man purse for sure. -Aaron Tan

Android tablet
My top Christmas tech toy wishlist would be an Android tablet. Why an Android tablet rather than the iPad? Well, even though the iPad has a beautiful form factor, a really clean interface and excellent, excellent app support, I still prefer customizability any day. Chalk this down to the control-freak geek in me who wants to customize my interface screens. And who is used to having a back button!

However, since I already have a HTC Desire Android smartphone and LG netbook, what role would the Android tablet serve? Two words: browsing, and casual games. I’ve stopped lugging my Nintendo DS around, and I can absolutely see an Android tablet replacing that.

Of all the choices we have right now, the Samsung Tab is the best on the market so far for the first generation of Android tablets. It’s a little pricey though – I’m not paying close to S$1K for a tablet (non-contract), plus the Android marketplace still needs a few more months to mature. Thus, a second generation, cheaper Android Tablet would be perfect early next year, but I wouldn’t mind a Samsung Tab this Christmas.

Computer games – more, please!
Moving on to things less greedy and things that I will actually buy this Christmas… computer games, and lots of them! There’s lots and lots of tempting offers at Steam and Impulse for this festive period. For example, the RPG-hit Witcher, which I once owned and loaned out to a friend, is on sale for US$5 today, and I wouldn’t mind buying back the digital copy to keep.

More interesting are the indie game packs, where you can find cutting edge games that you will not find on shelves anywhere. It is this ability to pick and choose, instant downloading, auto-patching, achievements and ability to connect to fellow gamers that I really like.

Disclosure: I used to hate Steam with a passion a few years back when games bundled with steam screwed up during peak traffic (e.g. the launch of Half-Life 2), but these problems have been fixed over the years. And anyway, who can argue with generally lower prices? I have to give it to them – Steam has been making quite a bit of money off me since the holiday period! - Chan Chi-loong

And my search ended with the HiMedia (海美迪) HD600B-TV – which is a squarish looking do-it-all box that’s the localised-for-Hong Kong version of the HD500D-TH.

HiMedia HD600B-TV

A Hi what? Well, HiMedia is a Shenzhen-based company and my wife was surprised that I sprung for this made and designed in China product. Well, it certainly wasn’t its looks or its inspiring branding/model name that won me over. I guess it was its insides – the fact that it promised to plug right into my home network and save me time spent on installation and configuration, plus its price,  and the fact that I don’t have to ingest this made in China device, that led me to it. The lack of competition in this space also played a part – for while there are loads of digital media players out there (but practically all made in China too), few integrate the HDTV receiver.

Interestingly, one of the shops in Golden Computer Centre tried to pass off the HD600B-TV as a ‘fake’ and the HD500B-TH as the real thing but don’t be fooled – the HD600B-TV is the real local version – with a local distributor that will warrant it for a year.

No major complaints on the HDTV receiver side of things, except that compared to dedicated set top boxes, the HD600B-TV boots up slower. It takes about half a minute from the moment you hit the power button to the point where the HD signal hits your screen – still tolerable for me. Dedicated set top boxes start up faster but they wouldn’t let you just pull up your Electronic Programming Guide on the screen and choose the programme you want to record simply by highlighting the programme and hitting the “Enter” button.

Electronic Programming Guide - just select the programme you want to record and hit enter on the remote

Picture quality was good, audio was fine, and it switched channels fast enough. Recording (either onto a 3.5” SATA HDD that slots into it or a USB storage device – unfortunately, you can’t record onto a NAS) worked well enough, and saves the recording as a .TS file. Recorded picture quality was recorded in the same resolution as your video display mode – and generally just as good as the broadcast signal. However, the audio was a little softer and there doesn’t seem to be a fix for it besides simply turning up the volume a little more during playback.

Connects via UPnP to my Synology NAS

On the digital media player side of it – this thing plays every format you throw at it – at least everything that I have. To hook up to my NAS, it was plug and play via UPnP. I connected it via its 10/100 Ethernet port to my router and soon enough, it found an IP address on my local area network and I could see browse my files on the NAS through the UPnP menu. I was initially worried that playback of 1080p files might choke on the 100 Mbps (and not gigabit) port but they played just fine. You can also attach one of the approved Wireless N dongles to it and do away with the Ethernet cable altogether.

Compared to running a PC with XBMC or a Mac on Plex, this device was definitely not as flexible. For example, your subtitle files have to be in the same directory and have the same filename as your video file, and if you want music for your photo slideshows, you have to either put the music file into the same directory of the photos, or manually start playing the music first before switching to the photo slideshow.

The device had a couple of other nifty features, like a built-in browser to surf the Net but you’d probably need to hook up a keyboard for the experience to work out well. Surfing with a remote control just doesn’t cut it. It can also stream from YouTube and Youku via its built-in apps.

At HK$1460 (S$253), I could have bought a HD receiver and a digital media player separately, but I’d have missed out on the ease of recording that comes with the HD600B-TV and I really could live with one less switch to turn on, not to mention one less remote control.

For those concerned about audio quality, besides the RCA line out jacks, the HD600B-TV also sports a TOSLINK optical out and a Coaxial out, and while it has 2 USB ports, I’m not sure if it will work with a USB DAC.

On the whole, the HD600B-TV has worked better than I expected – then again, I must admit I had pretty low expectations to begin with, thanks to the fact that my previous set top box that went “kaput” was also proudly made in Shenzhen.

One of the questions I often get from friends coming up to Hong Kong is if stuff is cheaper here or in Singapore. In many cases, the answer is “not really” or “just a little” – but in the case of the Synology DS210j that I bought for my bro recently, it was a helluva lot cheaper!

At HK$1530 (which is about S$278 at 1S$:5.5HK$), you’d be paying almost 50% more if you bought one from Synology’s dealer in Singapore (Memory World) which has priced it at S$408. Plus according to the Synology forum (post dates back to 2007 though), Synology does provide international warranty.

So why the DS210j? Only the Qnap TS210J II comes close to the DS210j’s transfer rates, but is more expensive. The rest of the 2-bay NAS competition, like the D-Link DNS-323 are generally slower. Oh, and its DLNA compliant too, so fits in with the plan of adding those ‘media extender’ devices to stream video and audio later.

And so far, the DS210j – paired with 2 x 1TB Seagate ST31000528AS HDD – has proven to be a great buy. No nasty surprises – it runs quietly, was easy to hook up to the network and does what it’s supposed to do.

The installation process could have been a tad better documented though. During the initial install, the installation wizard asked for the latest firmware file to flash the NAS, which left me for a sec wondering where to find it. After digging through the install disc, it turns out that the firmware files were in a directory labelled “patches”. In any case, geeks need to stay on top of firmware revisions so I went on down to their website and found a version that was newer than that on the disc.

Mac users will also be happy to know that the NAS popped right up in the Finder (I’m on OSX10.5.8) – leaving nothing to muck around with.

So unless you want to venture the DIY NAS on FreeNAS route that Alfred had shown previously, the Synology DS210j is the best bang for buck in the RAID 1, 2-bay NAS scene – especially if you get it here in HK!