PropertyGuru spins off commercial property site: Singapore property listings portal PropertyGuru announced that it has launched a commercial and industrial property listings site called CommercialGuru. Allproperty Media Pte Ltd, which owns both sites, claims over 7,000 listings on the new site and 40,000 business users on PropertyGuru. Singapore Entrepreneurs analyzes information about the new site and concludes that its burn rate is US$24,000 a month.

Amazon Web Services opens global Start-Up Challenge to Asian entries: Amazon Web Services announced that its annual Start-Up Challenge will allow Asia-based contestants to join for the first time. Individuals and companies based in Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea. Contestants are judged on how they use Amazon’s cloud platform. The global winner gets US$50,000 cash and US$50,000 in Amazon Web Services credits. Unconference alumni iTwin was highlighted in the Amazon press release as an example of a startup that already uses their cloud platform. Entries must be received by 31 Oct.

JLJ Holdings chairman resigns because of Apple suit: The chairman of JLJ Holdings, a Singapore-based manufacturer, has resigned voluntarily. The firm is one of six Asian companies named by Apple in a lawsuit. Apple alleged that a former employee was taking kickbacks from Asian suppliers in exchange for leaked information that would help them win contracts from Apple. The Business Times reports that JLJ has worked with Apple for nearly a decade.

India tests access to encrypted BlackBerry data: India’s Intelligence Bureau is testing a method of monitoring encrypted corporate email sent by BlackBerry handsets. If the method works, the Indian government may not ban BlackBerry corporate email and instant messaging.

MyFatPocket.com to launch Singapore location-based beauty price guide: MyFatPocket.com is launching Hot Prices, which it says is Singapore’s first location-based price guide. It will feature up to 100 cosmetics, skincare and fragrance brands. The content portal, which targets women in Singapore, was revamped on 17 Aug a year after launching.

Event – Singapore – 27/8/10 – Chumby Industries at Hackerspace: Chumby Industries, maker of cool Linux devices designed for working off the cloud, has just opened a Singapore office. Andrew ‘bunnie’ Huang is general manager at the new office and he will give a presentation about the chumby ecosystem and dismantle a ‘chumby One’ device as well. They’re also looking to staff up with ‘enthusiastic hackers’.