iPaq a real 'iPal' in HortPark

Straits Times 27 May 08;

STEPHANIE GWEE visits HortPark and is entertained and educated by an HP iPaq
WHILE kids were dashing about in the playground and couples were strolling along the bougainvillea patches, I was busy memorising the health benefits of lemongrass.

Who knew that the temperate spice is often used as a tea in African and Latin-American countries?

Just by playing a simple (some might say, simplistic) game on the HP iPaq 612 Business Navigator, information about the different plants and trees in HortPark were at my fingertips.

Welcome to HortPark, which opened in December last year and which just got geeky.

Using a global positioning system (GPS), the game screened different content when I stopped at various locations in the park such as the Herb and Spice Garden and the Silver Garden.

For instance, when I walked past the herbs and spices section, the iPaq prompted me to identify specific herbs found there.

Once I had correctly identified each herb, information about it popped up on the screen - great for students who want to learn more about plants or for men who want to impress their plant-loving sweethearts.

Although I wasn't too keen on the animation, I'm sure kids would dig them. A cutesy rabbit on the gadget's screen asked me to identify plants or instructed me to walk 500m to get to the next game location.

When I showed the animation to a seven-year-old girl who was at the park, she giggled in amusement.

The GPS function also helps the geographically challenged (that is, yours truly) to figure out which direction they should be heading in.

The device not only screens a map of the park, but it also tells you exactly where you are, letting you know how much longer you need to walk to reach your next location.

This was particularly useful when I realised that I had to trod another 500m to reach the next game station. Needless to say, I made a sharp U-turn.

One thing that marred the user experience was the intermittent GPS signals.

Although the handset accurately received relevant content the moment I stepped into various hotspots, the GPS signals failed to trigger my handset when I was at the Herb and Spice Garden. I had to walk in and out of the garden to receive the signals.

Not only was this inconvenient, but walking aimlessly in the heat of the 3pm sun was also not my idea of fun.

The signals at the Silver Garden were also rather weak. Though I could log on to play the interactive game, I was repeatedly logged out and I had to restart the game twice.

Call it a tech park too
Straits Times 27 May 08;

Did you know that the roselle plant is used to cure coughs? With HP's tie-up with NParks, such information can be at your fingertips. STEPHANIE GWEE reports
INTERACTIVE digital media rules the greens at HortPark.

As part of a joint initiative between Hewlett-Packard (HP) and the National Parks Board (NParks), students can use HP smartphones to engage in real-time interactive games.

Targeted at upper primary and lower secondary students, the games aim to provide information about plants in a fun way.

The idea is to 'create memorable recreational experiences' for visitors to the park, says Ng Lang, CEO of NParks.

Launched on May 10, the game is based on a fairy tale entitled The Enchanted Kingdom. It was specially scripted by HP for this service.

Designed to appeal to children, the game revolves around a witch who has stolen the Five Elements, causing the garden to become barren. The user's mission is to engage in a series of activities to find these elements and restore the flora and fauna of the park.

Using a global positioning system (GPS), the game screens different content when the user stops at various locations.

For instance, the phone will beep a welcome message and information about HortPark once the user steps into the park's Visitor Entrance.

Walk into the HortPark's Herb and Spice Garden and the handset will stream data about the different herbs in the garden.

The sponsorship is valued at about $190,000 for the entire trail and will cover 26 hotspots, although the service currently covers only four areas.

The four spots are the Visitor Entrance, the Herb and Spice Garden, the Silver Garden and the Bamboo Labyrinth.

HP says the remaining 22 hotspots will be up and running by September this year.

The games are targeted at students but adults are also welcome to use the handsets. Just call HortPark on 6471-5601 to reserve the iPaq handsets and collect them from the receptionist at the Visitor Entrance.

Engineer Lim Beng Yew, 46, who was trying out the service with his nine-year-old daughter, found it 'engaging' and a different way of teaching kids about flora and nature.

According to HP, the service is part of its latest attempts to enhance the user experience in the interactive digital media (IDM) space.

Said Tan Yen Yen, vice-president and managing director of HP Singapore: 'IDM is the next pillar of growth in Singapore. HP is trying to build a whole ecosystem to fuel the growth of this sector.'

The IDM sector is projected to add $10 billion to the local media industry and create 10,000 new jobs by 2015.