Gaming Updates : Akihabara Loses Former Sega Arcade Landmark After 32 Years

Source : 

https://geekculture.co/akihabara-loses-former-sega-arcade-landmark-after-32-years/

ChatGPT : 

The landmark Akihabara Gigo 1 arcade—formerly Sega’s flagship site—is set to close at the end of August 2025. Originally opened in 1992 as High Tech Land Sega Shintoku, the iconic red building evolved through multiple rebrandings. Its closure marks another step in Akihabara’s shift from niche gaming and anime culture to mainstream tourism.

Acquired by Genda in 2022, the arcade business continued under the Genda Gigo name. Rising rental costs likely prompted the closure. However, Genda still operates three arcades in the area and plans to convert the site into a new amusement hub. Meanwhile, Sega will open a new flagship store in Shibuya PARCO on July 18.

Gaming Updates : The best mobile games of 2025 so far (July 2025)

Source : 

https://www.pocketgamer.com/best-games/mobile-games-of-2025/

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Pocket Gamer and affiliated sites reviewed hundreds of mobile games released in 2025, selecting the best across various rating tiers. Highlights include:

⭐ 5 Stars (10/10 – Platinum Award):

- Crunchyroll: Shogun Showdown

- EvoCreo 2

- I Am Your Beast

⭐ 4.5 Stars (9/10 – Gold Award):

- Dredge, Jump King, Lara Croft: Guardian of Light, True Fear 3, Resident Evil 2, Songs of Conquest, Vampire’s Fall 2, and more.

⭐ 4 Stars (8/10 – Silver Award):

- Crashlands 2, Duck Detective, Primrows, Thronefall, Wargroove 2, etc.

⭐ 3.5 to 3 Stars (7–6/10):

- Backyard Baseball '97, TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, Persona 5: The Phantom X, and more.

⭐ 2.5 Stars (5/10):

- Ultimate Chicken Horse

Games were filtered and reviewed by Pocket Gamer, 148Apps, and others in the Steel Media group, with decades of experience in mobile gaming. The list is regularly updated.

Gaming Updates : Steam Users Have Until July 17 to Claim 3 Games for Free

Source : 

https://gamerant.com/free-games-on-steam-july-2025/

ChatGPT : 

Steam users can claim three free strategy games — Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock, Field of Glory 2: Medieval, and Fantasy General 2 — until Thursday, July 17, 2025. All three games are published by Slitherine Ltd and have received "Very Positive" reviews. No subscription is required; users simply need to claim the games on their Steam store pages to keep them permanently. Steam regularly offers free games, but these giveaways are often unannounced in advance.

Food Updates : S’pore’s First Prata Vending Machine Dispenses Warm Prata & Curry, But There’s A Catch

Source : 

https://www.8days.sg/eatanddrink/newsandreviews/singapores-first-prata-vending-machine-springleaf-prata-place-845336

ChatGPT :

Summary:

Singapore's first prata vending machine, a collaboration between Springleaf Prata Place and One Halal Nation, has launched at Lion City Sailors Training Centre on Mattar Road. It dispenses warm shredded prata in a cup, served with separately packed fish curry. The catch? The prata isn't whole — you must pour the curry into the cup, which may not appeal to those who prefer dipping. The machine took three years to develop and operates daily from 9am–9pm. More machines are planned for schools and offices across Singapore.

Rewards Updates : FlyAnywhere now supports award flight redemptions

Source : 

https://milelion.com/2025/07/11/flyanywhere-now-supports-award-flight-redemptions/

ChatGPT : 

Summary:

HeyMax’s FlyAnywhere now supports redemptions for award flight taxes and surcharges, not just commercial tickets. You can redeem Max Miles at 1.8 cents each, but full redemptions are required again (no partial redemptions).

Redemptions apply to any flight—budget/full-service, any airline—even award tickets not booked via HeyMax partners. Redemptions can be made for others and for flights taken in the past month.

This gives users more ways to cash out Max Miles, though the value has dropped from the previous 2 cents. FlyAnywhere now effectively sets a floor value for Max Miles at 1.8 cents

Rewards Updates : Which cards track spending by transaction date vs posting date?

Source : 

https://milelion.com/2025/07/10/which-cards-track-spending-by-transaction-date-vs-posting-date/

ChatGPT : 

Summary: Which Credit Cards Track by Transaction Date vs Posting Date?

When chasing credit card rewards, timing matters—especially near the end of a month or spending period. Whether spending is tracked by transaction date (when you buy) or posting date (when it's processed by the bank) affects whether you hit bonus caps or minimum spend requirements.

🔍 Key Difference

- Transaction date: When you make the purchase.

- Posting date: When the bank processes the transaction (usually 1–3 days later).

💳 Which Cards Track by Transaction Date?

Only DBS and Maybank cards track spending by transaction date, but both come with caveats:

DBS Cards (e.g. DBS Woman’s World, DBS yuu)

- Track by transaction date.

- BUT the date is based on merchant/acquirer timezone, not Singapore time—can be unpredictable.

Maybank Cards

- Maybank Horizon Visa Signature: Transactions made in Month X but posted by the 6th of Month X+1 count towards Month X.

- Maybank World Mastercard: Same logic, but cutoff is the 7th.

- Maybank Visa Infinite: No special treatment—likely based on posting date only.

💳 Cards That Track by Posting Date (Most Others)

- UOB (Lady’s, PPV, Visa Signature)

- Citi (Rewards)

- HSBC (Revolution)

- OCBC (Rewards)

- Standard Chartered (Journey, Smart, Visa Infinite)

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

- Spending on 30th/31st of the month may post in the next month, causing:

- Missed bonus caps

- Failed welcome bonus minimum spend

- Reduced miles earning rate

🛍 Merchants That Often Post Same-Day (Risky but Useful)

Some merchants reportedly post transactions on the same day:

- 7-11

- Cold Storage

- Food Republic

- Genki Sushi

- Starbucks

- Toastbox

  (No guarantees—depends on outlet, bank, and payment network.)

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✅ Bottom Line

- DBS and Maybank give the best shot at “last-minute” spend counting—but timing is still tricky.

- For most other cards, plan to spend at least 2–3 days before month-end to ensure it counts.

- Always verify cutoff policies in card T&Cs to avoid disappointment.

Food Updates : McDonald’s To Launch Chilli Crab Sauce Burgers With JUMBO Seafood—Here’s Our Honest Review

Source : 

https://eatbook.sg/mcdonalds-chilli-crab-sauce-burgers/

ChatGPT :

Summary: McDonald’s SG60 Launch – Chilli Crab Sauce Burgers with JUMBO Seafood (8 July 2025)

To celebrate Singapore’s 60th birthday, McDonald’s is launching a limited-time SG60 menu on 10 July 2025, featuring a collaboration with JUMBO Seafood:

🍔 Main Highlights:

- Chilli Crab Sauce Prawn Burger and Chicken Burger (from $8.95):

- Uses a sweet, mildly spicy chilli crab sauce co-created with JUMBO (50+ R&D tries).

- Prawn burger was preferred—good texture and flavour balance.

- Chicken burger had decent taste, but meat density overpowered the sauce.

- Scrambled egg inside helps absorb sauce and prevent soggy buns.

- Double prawn option available.

🍗 Sides & Drinks:

- Kampung Drumlets (from $3.35): Fried wings with chilli, turmeric, cumin & ginger—tastes like curry chicken.

- Iced Milo Dinosaur: Milo with extra Milo powder on top.

🍰 Desserts:

- Pulut Hitam Pie (from $1.80): Creamy coconut black glutinous rice in a crispy pie shell.

- Chendol Soft Serve (from $1.30): Coconut-gula melaka ice cream (cone, Sundae, or McFlurry).

🎒 Merchandise:

- McDonald’s Thermal Lunch Bag: $7.90 with any Extra Value Meal, available from 28 July, 11am.

🛵 Available via:

All outlets, Drive-Thru, McDelivery, GrabFood, foodpanda, and Deliveroo.

Try it before it’s gone!

Rewards Updates : No Woman No Cry (Part 2): Surviving the upcoming DBS Woman’s Card and UOB Lady’s Cards nerfs

Source : 

https://milelion.com/2025/07/06/no-woman-no-cry-part-2-surviving-the-upcoming-dbs-womans-card-and-uob-ladys-cards-nerfs/

ChatGPT : 

Here’s a concise summary of “No Woman No Cry (Part 2)” by Aaron Wong:

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From 1 August 2025, both the DBS Woman’s World Card and UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card will reduce their 4 mpd bonus caps, impacting miles chasers:

🔻 What’s Changing:

- DBS Woman’s World Card:

- Bonus cap drops from S$1,500 → S$1,000/month for online spend.

- Max 48,000 bonus miles/year (down from 72,000).

- Flexible online bonus still applies (except blacklisted MCCs).

- UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card:

- Bonus cap drops from S$2,000 → S$1,500/month, split into S$750/category.

- No flexibility to reallocate between categories.

- Max 72,000 bonus miles/year (down from 96,000).

- Mid-quarter nerf; next category change only allowed on 1 Oct 2025.

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🧠 Recommended Strategies:

- For DBS Woman’s World Card:

- Use for non-whitelisted online spend like HealthHub, phone bills, furniture.

- Use other cards (e.g. HSBC Revolution, OCBC Rewards, Maybank Horizon) for known bonus categories to preserve DBS cap.

- For UOB Lady’s Solitaire:

- Avoid Travel as S$750 cap is too restrictive.

- Consider Dining and Fashion (buy gift cards via HeyMax).

- May not be worth paying for Solitaire tier; downgrade to regular Lady’s Card if using only one category.

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💳 Alternative Cards (4 mpd unless stated):

- Citi Rewards: S$1K/month cap (excl. travel & wallets)

- HSBC Revolution: S$1.5K/month (till Oct 2025)

- OCBC Rewards: S$1.1K/month

- UOB Preferred Platinum: S$1.1K/month (dining, grocery, shopping, etc.)

- UOB Visa Signature: 4 mpd FCY & petrol, S$1K min, S$2K cap

- KrisFlyer UOB: 3 mpd uncapped for SIA group

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⚠️ Conclusion:

These nerfs mean less flexibility and lower caps on two key miles cards. However, alternative cards still offer strong 4 mpd potential. With careful management, savvy users can still maximize miles — just with more effort and tracking.

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