The new series features pictorial elements of the country’s cultural and natural heritage and it places heavier emphasis on the East Malaysian states, with Sarawakian hornbills adorning the reverse of the RM5 bill, while Sabah’s Mout Kinabalu and Sarawak’s Mulu National Park Pinnacle rock formations can be seen on the RM100 note. The RM1 note will feature the wau bulan, the RM10 will sport the Rafflesia Azlanii, which is indigenous to Peninsular Malaysia, while the RM20 showcases the Hawksbill and Leatherback turtles. It also contains tactile information for the visually impaired and security features include a shadow image, clear window, watermark portrait, colour-shifting security thread, coloured glossy patch for public recognition and the RM1 and RM5 will be made from polymer substrate.

However, all the denominations retain the portrait of the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni Tuanku Muhammad, the bunga raya and songket patterns. This new series of banknotes, except for the RM50 note which was given a makeover in 2007 in conjunction with the 50th Merdeka celebration, will be in circulation by mid-2012 and the old notes will be gradually phased out.

Commemorative editions of the banknotes issued by Bank Negara to mark the introduction of the new series of Malaysian banknotes, which priced at RM15, RM30 and RM300 respectively, are now go on sale at Bank Negara Malaysia’s headquarters and branches in Penang, Johor Bahru, Kuala Terengganu, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu since yesterday.

Please head on to HERE for deeper details.

The protester dissented, demanded, did not despair, even when the answers came back in a cloud of tear gas or a hail of bullets. They literally embodied the idea that individual action can bring collective, colossal change. On almost every continent, 2011 has seen an almost unprecedented rise in both peaceful and sometimes violent unrest and dissent. Protesters in a lengthening list of countries including Israel, India, Chile, China, Britain, Spain and now the United States all increasingly link their actions explicitly to the popular revolutions that have shaken up the Middle East.

Admiral William McRaven, head of US Special Operations Command and overall commander of the secret US mission into Pakistan in MAY 2011 that killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, came in at second place on the Time list. Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, whose 81-day secret detention earlier this year sparked an international outcry, came in at No.3, followed by US House of Representatives budget committee chairman Paul Ryan. Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, who married Prince William in APR 2011, filled the Time short list.

Further details available at HERE.

The launch of this co-brand card is part of Maybank’s strategy to work with leading brands to continuously offer distinct value to customers. The bank is aiming for 300,000 card members in three years. Maybank currently has an 18% share of the local credit card market, with a value of RM1.5million. The bank also aiming to be in the top-5 position in the credit card business in the Asean region (excluding Malaysia) by 2015 from the eight spot currently. The Maybankard Manchester United would be a platform for it to expand its regional reach and it would soon introduce a similar card in Singapore.

The co-branded card offers an array of multiple TreatsPoints. Every new Maybankard Manchester United cardholder stands a chance to win two all-expenses paid hospitality match tickets to watch the Red Devils play against Liverpool at Old Trafford, including seven days and four nights accommodation and flight tickets. The card comes with loyalty points where every RM1 spent is equivalent to one TreatsPoints, of which every ringgit spent on petrol and groceries earns them five TreatsPoints, while 10 TreatsPoints are given for all online purchases of MU merchandise. Card members are also entitled to five times TreatsPoints for all retail purchases on MU match days and upon the club winning the Barclays Premier League game. The TreatsPoints will never expire and cardholders can redeem whenever they wish.

Showdown 2012 is only open to Malaysian residents. Crews can only audition by submitting their videos online at HERE. Any dance crew, regardless of the style and genre, consisting of minimum 4 to maximum 7 members may enter the contest. Each crew need to prepare 2 songs in a CD, about 1:30-2:00 minutes each, in which each crew required to perform a choreographed or freestyle routine in front of the judges. Each member of the crews also may required to bring 2 4R-size recent photographs.

The successful dance crews from the audition stand a chance to go to the “Battles Stage” to compete against each other. Winning crews from the “Battles Stage” will train at the “Meltdown” and “Live Shows” in Kuala Lumpur, where some crews will be eliminated at each episode subsequently, until the finals – “The Final Showdown”. Crews made it to the “Live Shows” stage will have to be prepared to commit to Showdown 2012 throughout the duration of the live shows, at least 4 days a week (Monday-Wednesday and Saturdays) from APR till JUL 2012, in Kuala Lumpur. Accommodation, transportation and meal allowances related to the competition will be provided to all crews throughout the live shows.

Deeper details can be obtained via the official Facebook page or the official Twitter. Are you game?

Winner of the Best Trick Format stands to walk away with US$1,000 in cash and prizes too. Slick skate moves aside, the party is going to be a blast considering the fact that DJ Jee Hoe & Davern will take over your music flavour as well as stock up on freebies from Red Bull, Fitness First, and Rip Curl for the first 150 lucky ones.

Mark your calendar and be there early to secure the best spot to view your favorites skates in actions.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus runs Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich with a very new look and feel. 1280X720 is Ice Cream Sandwich’s native resolution, the highest resolution on a bright, crisp and beautiful Super AMOLED Plus screen that may bring you exceptional true HD experience. The 4.65 inch screen has a gentle curve to it and there are no physical buttons anymore which gives you that big screen without making the phone that much bigger in your hand. It will have LTE support in certain markets or countries and HSPA+ network support as standard, meaning you may get speedy internet connection no matter where you are provided you have coverage. It’s also packing a 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP processor from Texas Instruments, a first for Samsung and 1GB of RAM.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus boasts a 5-megapixel rear camera equipped with auto focus, LED flash, zero shutter lag feature, improved low-light performance and panoramic picture mode. It’s capable of capturing 1080p Full HD 30fps videos and there’s also a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls. Other hardware specs aren’t too shabby either – 16/32GB of internal storage, Bluetooth 3.0, NFC support, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz/5GHz), Wi-Fi hotspot mode and a 1,750mAh battery. It also incorporates a number of sensors including accelerometer, compass, gyro, light, proximity and a barometer. This new Samsung’s flagship smartphone has a slip-resistant hyper-skin backing and a slightly round-shaped housing with a measure of just 8.94mm (0.35 inch) thick and weighs 135g (4.76 oz).

In the 19 years the FIABCI Malaysia Property Award has been held, Quill Group’s managing director Datuk Dr. Jennifer Low made history by being named FIABCI Malaysia’s first “Property Women of the Year”, while Quill 6 in Kuala Lumpur, developed by Quill Design Group, won an award in the “Office Development” category. UEM Land managing director Datuk Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim was named “Property CEO 2011″. UEM Land’s regional city concept for the development of Nusajaya in Johor won in the “Master Plan” category while 10 Mont’Kiara, developed by Sunrise Berhad which has been acquired by the UEM Land group, won in the “Residential (High Rise)” category.

Over 60 developments were submitted this year. There is also a special award for contribution to the nation, and for the first time, a prize in the category of “Sustainable Development”. The winners of this year’s gala are chosen after several levels of selection, including site visits and presentations to a distinguished and independent panel of judges. Each project must have been completed and fully operational between one and five years before entering the competition. Award winners are submitted as competitors in FIABCI 2012 Prix d’Excellence Awards which will be held in MAY 2012 at St. Petersburg, Russia.

Check out the winners of each category in this year’s 19th annual award presentation after the jump:

• Property Women 2011: Datuk Dr. Jennifer Low (Quill Group of Companies)
• Property CEO 2011: Datuk Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim (UEM Land Bhd)
• Master Plan: Nusajaya – A Regional City, Johor (UEM Land Bhd)
• Office: Quill 6, Kuala Lumpur (Quill Group of Companies)
• Purpose-Built/Specialised Project: Eco Greens in Setia Eco Gardens, Johor (S P Setia Bhd)
• Residential (High Rise): 10 Mont’Kiara, Kuala Lumpur (Sunrise Bhd)
• Residential (High Rise): Infinity Beachfront, Penang (Hunza Properties Bhd)
• Residential (Low Rise): Bayou Water Village, Johor (Mulpha International Bhd)
• Resort: The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, Ipoh (Sunway Integrated Properties Sdn Bhd)
• Retail: Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang Jaya (Mammoth Empire Holdings Sdn Bhd)
• Special Award for National Contribution: Malacca River Rehabilitation & Beautification Phase 1, 2 & 3, Malacca (Focus Architects & Urban Planners Sdn Bhd)
• Sustainable Development: Ken Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur (Ken Holdings Bhd)

Running is an outlet for escape from the mundane and rigid routine of our everyday lives. It allows your minds to break free from the thoughts that bog you down, gets your adrenaline pumping and delivers the feel-good sensation you need every once in a while. Nike has been a major catalyst in cultivating running as a passion within the culture of community over the years, especially amongst the youths.

As motivation, Nike has come up with a little something called the “Run Buddy Run Nike+ Challenge”. All you need to do is to get a friend to register with you for only RM40. For each KM you and your run-buddy synch to Nike+, RM1 will be donated to a non-profit organization called the Asian Youth Ambassadors (AYA) that focuses on youth development and providing aid to underprivileged youths. On top of that, by clocking in the furthest distance, you and your friend will stand a chance to win a VIP race day experience at Nike’s We Run KL 10K, as well as a five star hotel stay. Other prizes to be won include cash and vouchers for the top three winners open, vouchers for the top three winners below the age of 25, as well as unique medals, and ultra cool thumbdrive finishers will be given out to all participants as well.

There are total four categories open for registration, which are men or women below 25 years-old, men or women open 25 years-old and above, secondary school team challenge and colleges or university challenge. Registration fees are RM25 for the below 25 years-old, RM35 for the above 25 years-old and RM40 for two persons regardless of category. Online registrations have closed now, but for those who missed out, you can still run by signing up at selected Nike Stores outlets around KL city before the deadline on tomorrow, 14th OCT 2011. Details and regular updates can be found via the official Facebook page, Twitter or HERE.

There are only one day left from the due date for registration, so hurry up to get yourself registered for join in the fun in conquering the streets of Kuala Lumpur come this November!

The regional contest organized by Gatsby is opened exclusively to high school, college or university students age 16 and above from the above mentioned eight countries. Hence this year on the local front. On ground recruitment drives will begin in City Square Mall, Johor Baharu on this Saturday, 15th OCT 2011; Traders Hotel, Penang on 22th OCT 2011; Promenade Hotel, Kota Kinabalu on 29th OCT 2011 and lastly Boulevard Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on 5th NOV 2011. Alternatively you may also submit your entry via the online recruitment which has begun from 19th SEPT 2011 till 6th NOV 2011 by upload your video to Youtube and email the link to gatsbyfanclub@gatsby.com.my. For an idea of the types of dance that can be performed it is really up to your imagination, either Lock, Pop, Hip-Hop, House, Freestyle or Break, it’s your choice. Participants may check out the official Facebook page for latest updates and registration guidelines.

All recruitment will end on 7th NOV 2011 and the online voting period will start from 14th NOV 2011 till 16th DEC 2011. Selected winners from the online voting will then compete against each other in the Malaysia Finals on 14th JAN 2012. The champion from the Malaysia Finals will go on an all-expenses paid trip for the final showdown against winners from seven other countries in the Gatsby 4th Dance Competition Asia Grand Finals on 10th MAR 2012 at Tokyo, Japan, which will be judged by a panel of professional dancers from each of the eight participating along with Japan-based representatives.

If you got the moves, there got the grove and the stage to make your dreams come true! Be there and be part of this great moment!

KLPF is Malaysia’s biggest and hottest imaging event with a combination of photography and travel elements. It is a gathering of the photography and travel fraternities with action packed programmes. This grand annual festival has won recognition as the event that promotes the art in photography, encourages interaction and extends the exploratory experiences amongst our readers, photography enthusiasts and travellers. It is an interactive, discovery and business-boosting event.

This three-day event will see a big line up of who’s who in the photographic industry presenting their latest innovations in technology and designs that will put them ahead of the game. Visitors will get to experience the latest innovations in digital cameras, printers or imaging solutions showcased by more than 80 major brand exhibitors which will show off wide variety of accessories, gadgets and services. You may also get the chance to gain knowledge from product demonstrations, product services, special guest appearances, stage shows and seminars. Besides, you will feast your eyes on the classic photo exhibitions, network with people from the photography fraternities, savour a myriad of genres at the “Photomania Slideshows”, share the exciting travel experiences by seasoned travellers at “Travelmania Talks”, shoot your way to win exciting prizes in contests or activities and many more!

Admission is totally free for the general public. For more information, don’t hestitate to email to klpf@pcp2u.my or call 603-9281 8039 and 6016-715 1703.