Monthly Archives: July 2020

PR Newswire

SmartSens Unveils SC500AI Next-Generation Image Sensor for Professional Security Market

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SAN JOSE, Calif., July 23, 2020 — SmartSens Technology today announced the SC500AI widescreen smart image sensor, the latest product in the company’s AI Smart Sensor family.

SC500AI Wide Format 1620P Image Sensor
SC500AI Wide Format 1620P Image Sensor

 

The majority of 5MP security camera sensors offer a 4:3 aspect ratio that is not optimized for the widescreen format of modern LCD displays. The SmartSens SC500AI addresses this shortcoming with 1620P 16:9 5MP video output in the same form factor. This next-generation sensor presents a marked improvement over previous designs — narrowing the gap between image output and natural human vision.

SC500AI format comparison
SC500AI format comparison

 

SmartClarity Technology in the SC500AI increases the number of pixels by 20% compared to many 5MP products on the market—leveraging the full resolution of the sensor rather than cropping a 5MP 4:3 image down to 4MP to fit a 16:9 aspect ratio. This effectively reduces dark edges and distortion on both sides of the image due to uneven scaling while achieving a true 16:9 aspect ratio that includes an additional 10% of horizontal viewing area. The SC500AI achieves this crucial upgrade to match the majority of LCD displays on the market in applications such as security video and surveillance, which benefit from the sensor’s low dark current under high-temperature conditions, enhancing sensitivity and reducing read noise.

SC500AI specifications
SC500AI specifications

 

In a side-by-side comparison with SmartSens’ previous generation sensor, the new SC500AI reduces the dark current from 389 e- at 80˚C to 210 e-. The total RN, or Read Noise, is reduced from 0.75e- to 0.63e-. And the sensitivity level also shows a noticeable improvement, growing from 2800 mV/lux-sec to 3680 mV/lux-sec.

SC500AI specifications comparison
SC500AI specifications comparison

 

These improvements are made possible by SmartSens’ unique SFCPixel™ technology, which takes advantage of the close proximity between the source follower and the photodiodes to increase the sensitivity level, producing high-quality night-vision images. SmartSens’ proprietary PixGain® technology additionally enables the sensor to achieve excellent HDR performance even under glaring sunlight.

Existing customers of SmartSens’ previous-generation products of P2P will see a hassle-free system upgrade to the SC500AI, which is compatible with 1/3-inch 5MP lenses in a wide array for professional security products.

“SmartSens continues to build on its AI series of sensors, offering our customers a range of solutions utilizing the latest photosensor technologies to address the most challenging lighting conditions,” said Chris Yu, Chief Marketing Officer of SmartSens. “We continue to strengthen our portfolio to match new applications and our customers’ quickly-evolving needs.”

The SC500AI Image Sensor is available for testing immediately. For more information on the SC500AI or to request a sample, please contact SmartSens at cs@smartsenstech.com.

About SmartSens Technology Co. Ltd.

Founded in 2011, SmartSens Technology Co. Ltd. is a leading supplier of high-performance CMOS imaging systems worldwide and a forerunner in the video surveillance industry. Its products are widely used in the fields of vehicle-mounted imaging, machine vision and consumer electronics (sports cameras, drones, robot cleaners, smart home cameras, etc.). With research centers based in Shanghai and Beijing among others, the company focuses on providing future-oriented solutions and market-leading products. Coupled with cutting-edge technology and innovation, SmartSens is the industry’s first ever company to introduce the global shutter CIS sensors based on voltage domain architecture and stack BSI process. Since its founding, SmartSens has been committed to providing customers with high-quality smart sensors. Learn more at SmartSensTech.com.

 

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PR Newswire

Kuaishou’s Livestream Daily Active Users Surpass 170 Million

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70% growth in six months

BEIJING, July 23, 2020 — Kuaishou, China’s leading short-video and livestream platform, on Wednesday released its 2020 First Half Year Content Ecosystem Report, with daily active user’s number of its featured livestreaming function reaching 170 million, a 70 million surge since the end of 2019.

From July 2019 to June 2020, 70% of users who published on Kuaishou were under the age of 30. During the first half of 2020, 29.8% of content was published in the short-video format.

In December 2019, Kuaishou announced that the number of daily livestreamers had exceeded 100 million. However, this figure has surged to 170 million over the last six months.

Meanwhile, from July of 2019 to June of 2020, some 300 million content creators have published original content on the platform.

For the e-commerce function, the categories that saw the most substantial increase in vendors were apparel, local services, house and home, automobiles and beauty and cosmetics. Meanwhile, new businesses that took up live-streaming during this time primarily came from cars, smartphones, house and home, beauty and cosmetics, and education, showed the report.

This year, Kuaishou also launched its own shopping festival, Kuaishou “616 Shopping Carnival”, on the platform for its users. It also collaborated with China’s e-commerce giant JD.com to launch a 24-hour special online-shopping campaign “Doubling 10 billion-yuan subsidies shopping extravaganza,” which saw a total payment amount over 200 million dollars (1.42 billion yuan) on June 16th alone. (Unlike GMV, the payment amount reflects the real payment and transaction volume. GMV, however, also count the orders that have been placed but might not have been paid yet.)

First Half of 2020, Kuaishou Live-streaming DAU reached 170 million. Between July 2019- June 2020, Content creators globally reached 300 million whereas 52% of the users are male and 48% are female. DAU of e-commerce exceeded 100 million, the breakdown of the users are: 15% first-tier cities; 30% second- tier cities; 24% third-tier cities; 31% fourth-tier cities. (PRNewsfoto/Kuaishou Technology)
First Half of 2020, Kuaishou Live-streaming DAU reached 170 million. Between July 2019- June 2020, Content creators globally reached 300 million whereas 52% of the users are male and 48% are female. DAU of e-commerce exceeded 100 million, the breakdown of the users are: 15% first-tier cities; 30% second- tier cities; 24% third-tier cities; 31% fourth-tier cities. (PRNewsfoto/Kuaishou Technology)

 

Milestones

  • March 2011 – GIF Kuaishou was created as a product tool for creating animated GIFs
  • October 2013 – GIF Kuaishou was transformed into a short-form video social platform – Kuaishou
  • January 2015 – Kuaishou’s DAU exceeded 10 million
  • September 2017 – Kuaishou’s total users exceeded 600 million and DAU exceeded 80 million
  • December 2017 – Kuaishou’s DAU exceeded 100 million
  • June 2018 – Kuaishou Technology completed the acquisition of Acfun, an ACG video community
  • May 2019 – Kuaishou’s DAU exceeded 200 million
  • March 2020 – Kuaishou’s DAU exceeded 300 million

About Kuaishou Technology

Kuaishou Technology is a technology company that develops content sharing platforms and makes content production, distribution and consumption fast and easy. Our content recommendation system is built on a deep understanding of our users and the content being shared on our platforms every day. 

Our flagship product, Kuaishou, is China’s leading short video sharing and social networking platform that enables users to capture the unique and memorable moments of their everyday lives, and to interact with followers in real-time. Powered by big data, our technology offers users a highly personalized experience and encourages members from all communities to create and discover interesting and dynamic content.

Founded in 2011, Kuaishou Technology is headquartered in Beijing with more than 10,000 employees and offices in China, the United States, India and Brazil. Our notable investors include DCM Ventures, Morningside Venture Capital, Sequoia Capital, Temasek Holdings, Tencent and Baidu. For more information, please visit www.kuaishou.com.

CONTACT: Zhang Chuanshi, zhangchuanshi@kuaishou.com, +86-134-8881-8382

 
PR Newswire

AUTOCRYPT Wins V2X SCMS Contract for Nationwide ITS Project

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SEOUL, South Korea, July 23, 2020 — AUTOCRYPT Co., Ltd., a leading transportation security solutions provider, announced that it would be heading the Korean Expressway Corporation (KEC) V2X Security Credential Management System (SCMS) project. AUTOCRYPT is to deliver production-grade SCMS for KEC, which announced its plans for a national V2X security authentication system earlier this year. 

SCMS implementation is essential in a connected car environment as vehicles share information and data with all elements of the transportation environment including other vehicles, traffic infrastructure, mobile devices, and service providers through Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication. AUTOCRYPT’s SCMS will ensure that only authenticated and enrolled devices can participate in communications to prevent attempts to infiltrate V2X communication messages, while protecting personal information in autonomous driving environments. 

AUTOCRYPT remains the first and only company in the APAC region to have not only developed a standards-compliant V2X SCMS, but to have also successfully tested and verified its interoperability with global device vendors. In addition to certification and verification activities via the Intelligent Transport Society of Korea (ITSK) as well as OmniAir PlugFest, AUTOCRYPT has already deployed its V2X security technology for KEC’s Intelligent Transport System (ITS) projects across the Sejong, Yeoju, and the Hwaseong K-city testbeds, securing communications since 2016. The larger Seoul Metropolitan area as well as Jeju Island are currently undergoing the final stages of construction in support of security system implementation, and Gwangju and Ulsan are set to begin construction in July 2020. 

Daniel ES Kim, CEO, said regarding the project, "Security is the cornerstone of smart mobility because no amount of risk should be permissible when it comes to driver, passenger, and pedestrian safety. Therefore, we are very honored to be heading this project for KEC, and do not take the responsibility lightly when it comes to securing V2X communications. We hope that other smart road projects worldwide will follow suit and implement comprehensive, end-to-end full stack security solutions as well." 

In June 2020 AUTOCRYPT announced headway in the Chinese market, and that it plans on further expanding its ITS efforts worldwide in Q4 2020 and into 2021. 

AUTOCRYPT is the leading player in mobility security technologies. Recognized by TU-Automotive as the Best Auto Cybersecurity Product/Solution of 2019, AUTOCRYPT continues to pave the way in transportation and mobility security through a multi-layered, holistic approach. Through security solutions for V2X/C-V2X, V2G (including Plug & Charge security), in-vehicle security, and Fleet Management, AUTOCRYPT ensures that security is prioritized before vehicles hit the road. 

Visit www.autocrypt.io for more information, and contact marketing@autocrypt.io for partnership inquiries.

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PR Newswire

Color Star Technology Announces the Addition of Renowned Music Producer Xiuzhu Chen and Dancer Bowan Wang to its list of Star Teachers on its Planned Color World Platform

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NEW YORK, July 23, 2020 –Color Star Technology Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq CM: HHT) (the "Company," "we" or "HHT"), a company engaged in the business of providing innovative education services, is pleased announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Color China Entertainment Limited ("Color China") has entered into cooperation agreements with Xiuzhu Chen, a renowned Asian music producer, and Bowan Wang, a renowned Asian dancer to serve as "Star Teachers" on its planned online education platform "Color World".

Xiuzhu Chen is a well-known music producer with over 20 years of experience, beginning her career in pop music in 1988. She has participated in the recording of more than one thousand songs. In addition, she has also been featured in numerous movie soundtracks as well as television commercial songs, some of which were used in Disney films and on the Disney channel. These experiences and qualifications have built a solid foundation for her career in music and have qualified her to be in charge of the training sessions of multiple record companies over the past 20 years. She has also taught countless artists. After 2000, she began to accept invitations from various fields in China, ranging from music productions to television shows, serving as the trainer, music consultant and director. In "Super Boys," a popular singing contest show on Hunan TV in 2013, she trained 66 people, including Chenyu Hua, one the most popular singers in China today.

In 2013, she was invited to act as a judge on the "Super Idol" show of Sanli TV, additionally, she is still active in both Hong Kong and mainland China today, serving as both a music producer and vocalist. In 2018, she served as the vocal director of a music show, "The War of Music" on Tencent and was awarded the "Most Trendy Vocal Guide" award.

Xiuzhu has signed a contract with Color China to serve as a Star Teacher on Color World. With Xiuzhu’s experience in pop music, she differs from traditional vocal teachers in her vocal training and teaching methods. We believe that students will be able to learn and benefit from her courses in music production, vocal guidance and singing.

As a renowned dancer in Taiwan, Bowan Wang’s wonderful presentation of the art of dancing and unique understanding of choreography will now be available to all students. With her rich emotional expression and clever rhythmic control, Bowan’s talents have been fully recognized on and off the stage. Bowan has performed as a dancer at performances by famous singers such as Jay Chou, Ni Zhen, Yuqing Fei, Qin Cai and Yilian Lin. She also played significant roles in Jingru Liang’s concerts, Miss Asia’s final dance choreography, and the dance choreography of multiple high-end commercial activities, and more. With her various accomplishments, Bowan is an experienced dancer with a deep heritage, who brings with her a comprehensive technical interpretation and dimensional expression. During her 25-year dancer career, Bowan has served as judge for dance competitions in various colleges and universities on numerous occasions, helping a large number of excellent dance practitioners. Bowan has also expressed her strong enthusiasm to be an instructor on Color World, and to finally have the opportunity to share her years of experience with the next generation of dancers and to do something for the dance industry that she loves.

Our planned courses will focus on integrating renowned teachers with online entertainment and education and are intended to break free from traditional teaching models. We believe that our planned interactive and comprehensive educational courses will greatly spur multi-direction growth for students. We also plan that Color World will provide outstanding students with more opportunities to participate in various activities at our offline entertainment base, as well as a star-level model which will provide our users and students with a ladder to enter the entertainment industry quickly.

We are honored to cooperate with Xiuzhu Chen and Bowan Wang. In the future, we anticipate to continue to sign contracts with more Chinese and international artists in music, film, sports, animation, television, presentation, dance, art and other entertainment fields as Star Teachers on Color World.

We believe that the famous stars and professional instructors we invite onto Color World can share their valuable experiences with students around the world, so that more students can experience the charm of learning. The launch of Color World will also open a whole new level of the online education of entertainment. Unlike other traditional education platforms, we pay more attention to the professional learning experience of our students by inviting professionals of each field to share their professional career experience. In order to provide the most effective learning environment with precision, we plan for our platform to include level subdivisions, and list numerous Star Teachers in fields ranging from film and television programs to music production. Users will be able to register online and choose their favorite instructors, as well as conduct online learning exchanges.

Color Star plans to build Color World into a world-class online education platform with top technology and peripheral service. Beginning in China and expanding globally, management believes that we will be able to bring a highly attractive and new mode of education and entertainment. We believe that the abundant practical experience of the Star Teachers combined with the unique teaching mode of our planned live courses on Color World will enable the content of the courses to not only be a vivid exchange, but also act like a rainbow, linking the love of entertainment at both ends and the pursuit of various forms of art.

About Color Star Technology Co., Ltd.

Color Star Technology is a holding company whose primary business is offering both online and offline innovative education services. Its business operations are conducted through its wholly-owned subsidiaries Color China Entertainment Ltd. and CACM Group NY, Inc. The Company also anticipates providing an after-school tutoring program in New York via its joint venture entity Baytao LLC, and providing online music and entertainment education via a platform branded "Color World."

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made herein are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "estimate", "plan", "outlook", and "project" and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Such forward-looking statements include the business plans, objectives, expectations and intentions of the parties following the completion of the acquisition, and HHT’s estimated and future results of operations, business strategies, competitive position, industry environment and potential growth opportunities. These forward-looking statements reflect the current analysis of existing information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. As a result, caution must be exercised in relying on forward-looking statements. Due to known and unknown risks, our actual results may differ materially from our expectations or projections. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements: there is uncertainty about the spread of the COVID-19 virus and the impact it will have on HHT’s operations, the demand for the HHT’s products and services, global supply chains and economic activity in general. These and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in the other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") by HHT. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact our expectations and projections will be found in our periodic filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019. HHT’s SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. HHT disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Color Star Technology Co., Ltd.
Contact: Investor Relations
FinancialBuzzIR™
info@FinancialBuzzIR.com
Tele: +1-877-601-1879

PR Newswire

maaiiconnect Makes Omnichannel Communication Transformation Easy for Businesses

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HONG KONG, July 23, 2020 — maaiiconnect, a leading all-in-one customer engagement and collaboration solution, today announces a brand new integration with one of the world’s most popular messaging platforms, Facebook Messenger. Through the new integration, businesses can use the maaiiconnect omnichannel platform to streamline their communication channels in one dashboard to instantly and directly reply to messages from Facebook users without delay.

maaiiconnect supports Facebook Messenger, connecting businesses with over 1.6 billion active Facebook Messenger users worldwide.
maaiiconnect supports Facebook Messenger, connecting businesses with over 1.6 billion active Facebook Messenger users worldwide.

With over 1.3 billion monthly active users on Facebook Messenger, it’s clearly one of the preferred channels for business interactions. This new integration connects directly to maaiiconnect’s live chat feature, creating new customer chats within the maaiiconnect all-in-one interface. Customers can either message a business directly through its Facebook Business Page, or businesses can create Facebook ads with the “messages” objective to achieve interactive conversions.

According to a recent research, 97% of businesses have sped up their digital transformation plans due to COVID-19[1], and social distancing has also changed the way customers wish to communicate with brands. Businesses worldwide are facing a huge influx of customer messages and calls, causing 92% of businesses to plan on adding more communication channels in the next few months[2]. To cope, businesses are needing to utilise new technology with backend systems for true omnichannel communication management that elevates the customer experience, supports staff time management, and centralises data and workflow.

Facebook Messenger joins the growing list of digital and telecom channels on maaiiconnect, alongside crystal-clear voice call, video and conference call, live chat, virtual number, and SMS messaging etc. With a clear mission to provide a complete customer experience solution to businesses of all scales and sizes, maaiiconnect empowers customer service teams to share videos, photos, and files in real-time to their customers’ preferred channels. The intelligent routing feature further adds an unrivalled level of personalisation with every interaction as each customer is systematically routed to the most relevant customer service agent based on a specific language, time zone, and preference.

Customer data is aggregated to give a 360 degree view of everyone engaging with a brand across each touch point. Businesses can utilise maaiiconnect’s insights and reports to analyse their customers’ behaviour and communication trends to provide better customer experiences with higher conversion rates. When customers initiate a chat or call, agents can view their past chat history and entire customer journey through the real-time dashboard. Creating personalised experiences becomes straight-forward and natural by leveraging data, and maaiiconnect’s smart routing connects customers to agents based on past interactions to ensure the best quality of service.

maaiiconnect is backed by a 24/7 industry-certified security team and suite of monitoring tools, as well as by a proprietary infrastructure and network that is 100% compliant with telecommunications and international security standards. Together maaiiconnect guarantees world-leading standards in data encryption, compliance, backup, and authentication.

Hong Kong customers have been shifting spending online rapidly due to offline retail disruptions, with local e-commerce revenue soaring 23% year-on-year and the number of consumers shopping online set to reach 81% by 2024[3]. Omnichannel communications is the only choice for modern businesses to transform customer experience. Utilising omnichannel technology not only improves staff productivity and efficiency, but increases customer loyalty, brand visibility, sales conversion, and provides better analytics for strategic planning.

Sign up now to experience a wave of free web communication features offered by maaiiconnect Essentials Plan.

[1] COVID-19 Digital Engagement Report, 2020

[2] COVID-19 Digital Engagement Report, 2020

[3] Statista, Hong Kong e-Commerce Market Report, 2020

About maaiiconnect

maaiiconnect provides businesses with an all-in-one solution for customer engagement and internal collaboration. Leveraging an innovative multi-dimensional convergence model, maaiiconnect seamlessly unifies telecom and digital communication channels, such as PSTN, VoIP, websites, apps, and social networks. It is device agnostic, empowering employees to be more productive, as well as providing companies a platform to deliver a suite of multimedia experience to their customers anytime, anywhere, on any device. Learn more at www.maaiiconnect.com.

Photo – https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200723/2865859-1?lang=0
Logo – https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200508/2798987-1logo?lang=0

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Android, Business, Mobile, News

Ditching Helio for Dimensity – MediaTek’s Premium 5G Experience for Mid-Range Smartphones

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If you follow the tech space closely, you would, by now, understand that the way forward is 5G. Every other manufacturer has jumped on the 5G bandwagon now. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note20 series will all come with 5G support out-of-the-box. 5G is not here yet, but the devices are leaping ahead; “just in case,” they say.

At this point of time, there is only a few companies in the world that makes chipsets that supports 5G functionality. Well, most major ones anyway. HUAWEI, Samsung, and Qualcomm make 5G chipsets that fits all kinds of budget.

There is another manufacturer of chips that we forgot about though. Well, not forgot about, just that they have not been exactly chatty about their products. That manufacturer is MediaTek. If you have not heard of them before, where have you been living all your life?

For your benefit though, MediaTek is one of the major chipset manufacturers in the big world that is the smartphone industry. Their chips can be found on some very reasonably priced Android devices. Recently they launched their new 5G chipset series starting with the Dimensity 1000. The Dimensity 1000 is MediaTek’s latest flagship class chipset offering with 5G connectivity. To address the mid-range 5G smartphone market they have just introduced the Dimensity 720 System on a Chip (SoC) today.

The Dimensity 720 SoC is still a 7nm process chip with 5G connectivity like Dimensity 1000 from MediaTek. The difference is in price and what it can do. It is still no slouch though.

The construction of the MediaTek Dimensity 720 SoC is still quite traditional in the chipset context. The chip is still running on ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture, nothing new there. There are two big ARM Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2GHz for all the big, heavy operations. Then there are six littler ARM Cortex-A55 cores that clocks at 2GHz as well for all the lighter operations. This is effectively an Octa-Core processor in this case. Graphics are handled by ARM Mail G57 GPU integrated within the SoC

Here are everything else you need to know about the chipset:

  • 90Hz refresh rate support with HDR10+
  • up to 64-Megapixel single sensor, or 20-Megapixel + 16-Megapixel dual camera set up
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) image enhancement with improved AI Processing Unit (APU)
  • Integrated Voice Wakeup technology for less power consumption on voice activations
  • dual-mic support with noise suppression for voice assistants
  • LPDDR4X
  • UFS 2.2
  • Dual 5G and 4G SIM support (sub 6GHz networks)

There is no information on which devices will come with the new MediaTek Dimensity 720 SoC just yet. Then again, there are no devices in Malaysia that is sporting the Dimensity 1000 SoC just yet too. More information on the Dimensity 720 can be found on their website.

Android, Business, Computers, Consumer Electronics, Editorial, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Virtual Showrooms – the New Normal

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Just a few days ago we see BMW launching their BMW X5 xDrive45 M Sport. In that launch they also launched an AR app that allows you to view the car in person via your smartphone. There is something lacking though, you do not get to get into the car.

There is another site that gives you a tour around the car though. They are also giving you a tour inside the car. You can also view other cars, not just a BMW. Welcome to the normal.

The site in reference is WapCar. The function is newly launched though so there are limited resources for now. Still, this is a sign of a new coming of age in the automotive industry.

Sure, you could go to any car manufacturer’s site to customise your car options and see the results of the customisation on a virtual image platform on the website. Technically what you are seeing here is not technically new technology. But you are probably looking at a revolution of an industry in Malaysia.

Source: Merceds-Benz

Customising your vehicle before you buy them is nothing new. You would want to buy a car that you want in specs and equipment list that you want, very normal. Usually, you would go to a showroom to look at the cars, get a feel, get a quotation, decide on what you need in the car, and buy them. Either that, or go to a car show, or exhibition held by showrooms or brands (there is one upcoming one by NAZA, by the way). That is the general norm in Malaysia. Customising cars on websites in Malaysia then, is not very common.

Since the COVID-19 crisis hits globally though, things have changed. We go out less, we are a bit more paranoid with people, we try to not crowd a place, and we also try to avoid contact with other people not in our bubble or even public objects that could be a bridge between you and other people. So, how do we buy things now?

The ‘new normal’ as they call it, sees a big boom in the digital space. Again, they are not technically new technology. Things like Shopee, Lazada, GrabFood, MyGroser, Tesco Online, Lalamove, GrabExpress, FoodPanda, GoGet, and such have existed forever (well; not forever, just for very long time). Thanks to the fact that you do not have to go out to get your food, your shopping, and your groceries done though, these platforms have thrived and we have grown to rely on them more than ever. Online shopping has become a norm.

Source: McLaren

Obviously, some people start thinking; “why does this new normal have to be limited to regular online shopping, delivery, and food services”? They do not. Lazada kicked off the market first with putting Volkswagen and Hyundai on their platform to sell cars, actual cars like the Volkswagen Polo and Hyundai i30. They also innovated a little more with purchasing properties when they partnered with Mah Sing Group. So, why not more of these? Especially with cars.

There is a problem though. Malaysians are not used to looking at cars virtually online. They like to walk around the cars, touch them, feel them, sit in them. We cannot do that now, can we? So online showrooms are the way to go. That way you get to do a ‘walkaround’ and ‘sit in’. The only thing you cannot do is test drive it or hear its engine note. We are pretty sure that the showrooms will not find it to be a problem to arrange for a test drive for you if you do give in a call though. We are certain too that they will follow procedure to properly sanitise the car and wear a mask beside you. You can request that too; no harm in asking.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

So back to virtual showrooms then. WapCar currently has only a few cars in their VR showroom. If you go to their website, you can browse through their catalogue of endless listings that even includes the likes of Bentley, Ferrari, and even McLaren (nope, no VR just yet, we would be excited for that though). As long as you see ‘VR’ pasted on the thumbnail, you can virtually ‘walkaround’ the car at least. There are even fewer cars with VR interior for now. They are slowly rolling out the feature to as many cars they can get their hands on though.

WapCar as a platform does show us what is possible in the new normal. It also shows a sort of alternative for Malaysia’s automotive industry future. Maybe we do not need a physical showroom that takes up huge spaces with not that many things put into it. Maybe all we need is a PC display to show us what we might get in the car. Better yet, maybe all we need is a VR Goggle to see what the car might look like on our driveway, or parking lot.

  • Source: WapCar
  • Source: WapCar

What about the showrooms? Why not just have these businesses set up online entirely? That may not seem to be such a bad idea, no? Maybe that also might make your car purchases a little bit more special since you really have to be patient. Who knows, it could be like unboxing your smartphone for the first time, or unwrapping your Christmas gift.

PR Newswire

OKEx C2C Loan Collateral Now Supports Adopted Token OKB with Industry-Low Interest Rates

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VALLETTA, Malta, July 23, 2020 — OKEx (www.okex.com), a world-leading cryptocurrency spot and derivatives exchange, is adding support for OKB, its adopted global utility token, to be used as collateral in C2C Loans. OKB can now be deposited as collateral along with Bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH). Users can borrow USDT by pledging OKB with zero service fees taking advantage of the minimum interest on borrowing, which is as low as 0.01% per day, currently the lowest in the industry. Typical daily rates elsewhere are around 0.1%.

On the topic, OKEx CEO Jay Hao said: “OKB is continually focused on expanding its application scenarios, and we are pleased to offer holders the chance to take out loans using OKB at the lowest rates. In addition to this, OKB has teamed up with Aeron’s Pilot Shop, allowing holders to buy goods and services with OKEx’s adopted global utility token. We welcome Aeron to the OKB ecosystem, providing OKB holders with a bridge between crypto and physical goods and services.”

OKEx offers flexible loan plans

By pledging OKB, BTC or ETH, OKEx users can borrow USDT on OKEx’s C2C loan market with zero service fees. A single loan can be as low as 200 USDT and up to 1 million USDT with a seven–90-day borrowing period, fulfilling the needs of most users for both the loan amount and duration.

As for lenders, if the borrower repays the loan early, they can still enjoy 50% of unexpired interest income. This makes it an attractive alternative to traditional savings accounts that currently have interest rates of close to zero.

OKB integrated into Aeron’s Pilot Shop

In addition, the OKB ecosystem keeps expanding. Starting on July 16, OKB was integrated into Pilot Shop, powered by Aeron, which gives OKB holders the opportunity to buy flying sessions, aviation merchandise, branded items and even their own helicopter at the Aeron Shop.

Founded by a team of certified pilots, aviation engineers and aviation enthusiasts, Aeron is using blockchain technology to improve safety in the aviation industry. It also provides flight training, air taxis, sightseeing and aviation-related products that customers can now pay for in OKB via its online shop.

About OKEx

A world-leading cryptocurrency spot and derivatives exchange, OKEx offers the most diverse marketplace where global crypto traders, miners and institutional investors come to manage crypto assets, enhance investment opportunities and hedge risks. We provide spot and derivatives trading — including futures, perpetual swap and options — of major cryptocurrencies, offering investors flexibility in formulating their strategies to maximize gains and mitigate risks.

Disclaimer: This material should not be taken as the basis for making investment decisions, nor be construed as a recommendation to engage in investment transactions. Trading digital assets involve significant risk and can result in the loss of your invested capital. You should ensure that you fully understand the risk involved and take into consideration your level of experience, investment objectives and seek independent financial advice if necessary.

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Now You can Have Your Own BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport, Just Use Your Smartphone!

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BMW very recently just launched their brand-new car, the X5 xDrive45e M Sport in Malaysia. While this is not BMW’s most expensive car, it is still regarded as one of BMW’s most premium offerings. They call it the ‘Boss’ car.

If you are not yet familiar with BMW’s offerings, the BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport is BMW’s premium SUV offering. The top-of-the-line BMW X5 SUV packs a powerful inline six-cylinder internal combustion petrol engine. The BMW signature engine features forced induction too in the of BMW’s TwinPower Turbo. The 3.0-litre powerhouse pushes 286 hp to the wheels.

This is still a plug-in hybrid vehicle though with an electric motor to keep emissions low while keeping speeds very high. The electric motors produce a mere 113 hp on top of the petrol engine. The combination of the internal combustion engine and the electric motors pushes a total of 394 hp and 600Nm of torque on all four wheels of the BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport. That means a 0-100km/h time of 5.6 seconds; rapid, in a bulging SUV weighing just over 2.4 tonnes.

Available in four colour offerings, the BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport can be yours on your driveway for MYR 448,800. Or, for free if you have a smartphone, just know that you cannot actually drive it and feel what its like behind the wheel. Just head to the webapp on your smartphone here.

The app is simple really, it is based on Augmented Reality technology, nothing new there. If you remember, not too long ago Google Lens has become quite popular with having strange and exotic animals in your living room. That is the exact thing here, in car format.

Of course, within the app you can customise the car a little bit. You can change the colour, for example. There are some interactive pointers for you to click on too to find out more about the BMW X5. The only thing you do not get to do is drive out in the car.

This is technically a small advancement in car buying experience globally though. You could still go to BMW’s website to customise your car on the website itself. This is just taking it to a new level where you can get to see the car itself in roughly the exact dimensions. What do you think though, should more car manufacturers do this sort of stuff? Comment below.

PR Newswire

HP Study Reveals Optimism Among SMB Business Owners

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SMBs that are focused on digital transformation the most confident. HP offers new services and solutions to help SMBs accelerate growth

News highlights

  • Bouncing back will require SMBs innovation in work processes, flexible work options and customized products and services
  • SMBs unclear on how to innovate, especially when cashflow is a key concern
  • Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Australia, and Thailand SMBs are the most confident of their ability to be innovative
  • SMBs in Japan, South Korea and Singapore are more conservative about their predictions for the future based on the global nature of their economies
  • HP is introducing remote work solutions to enable SMBs to stay productive and effective

SINGAPORE, July 23, 2020 — HP Inc.’s latest study on SMBs in Asia-Pacific, "Survival to Revival", surveying 1,600 SMBs across eight countries in Asia reveals over 50 percent of small-medium business owners expect not just to survive but thrive following the pandemic and feel that digital transformation will be a key part of this revival. In response, HP is introducing integrated services-based print solutions including a HP Roam for Business bundle to make it easy to print on the go and enhanced HP SecurePrint a flexible, cloud-native solution that releases documents only to authorized users.

HP Infographic
HP Infographic

Some 60 percent of respondents see digital transformation as key with innovation in work processes, flexible work options and customized products and services identified as future strategies. However, cost effective solutions are required given cashflow remains top of mind and SMBs are unclear where to look or what such solutions are available. This is especially key where only 4 in 10 SMBs have a department or person responsible for innovation.

"SMBs are the lifeblood of every economy in Asia but the pandemic has hit SMBs hard. As the engines of growth for Asia economies, it is critical for them to move past survival to revive their businesses," said Ng Tian Chong, Managing Director, Greater Asia at HP. "This study provides us with the insights to provide practical help for SMBs so that they have access to an ecosystem of devices, tools and technology. With these resources, we want to help SMBs unlock innovation for customer and employee-centric experiences, as well as broadly upskill talent to rebound from the pandemic and prepare for the future."

Completed in June 2020, the study surveyed across Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam found:

  • Companies most confident of bouncing back place high importance on digital adoption. Across the region, nearly 60% view digital adoption as very important or essential. Indonesian SMBs are particularly sensitive to this need, with a full 74% believing it is essential or very important, as is Thailand, also at 65%.
  • Growth projections are significantly adjusted post pandemic. Across the region, 46% of SMBs expecting growth prior to the pandemic but that figure has dropped dramatically to just 16%. India and Vietnam are the most confident about post pandemic growth and Singapore, Japan and South Korea are least positive.
  • Disruption to productivity is a common experience during COVID. Only 6% of SMBs recorded higher levels of workplace productivity compared to pre-COVID period while 43% recorded lower productivity.
  • Skills was identified as an issue: The pandemic amplified the lack of digital-first mindsets and skills within existing SMBs that hamper growth, affecting nearly half (44%) of respondents.
  • SMBs are unclear on where to look for assistance: Financial institutions rank high (31%); 60% of SMBs consider government support to be insufficient and/or are unclear on what support is available; only 19% of respondents turn to IT companies for help.

A need for Talent

Underpinning all of this, is a need to identify digital talents who can help SMBs to transform the business. The majority of SMBs do not dedicate resources and/or invest in innovation as a discipline; it is more common to ask customers what they want, or simply mirror what the competition is offering. Only one in five SMBs have customized offerings, looked for new sales & supply-chain channels or introduced new lines of business. In this respect, Indonesia (59%) and Thailand (51%) stand out for having the highest percentage of SMBs dedicating resources to innovation. Unsurprisingly, SMBs in Indonesia and Thailand are also most confident about business performance post COVID.

Services and solutions for SMBs

To support SMBs in adapting to new agile working environments, HP has introduced a suite of integrated services-based print solutions to enable SMBs to stay productive and effective no matter where they work. HP is now offering a one-year license for HP Roam for Business with a compatible HP LaserJet Pro 400-series bought by 31 October 2020, making it easy to print on the go from a mobile device and to retrieve the job touchless at any HP Roam-enabled printer within the company network

In addition, HP has enhanced HP SecurePrint which now supports all network types, including traditional networks behind a firewall as well as serverless print environments, helping customers simplify IT infrastructures. To empower workers the HP Workpath ecosystem, which enables workers to connect to cloud-based platforms directly from the Multifunction Printers (MFP), has expanded rapidly since it launched in November 2019, with 100+ apps available on the platform and thousands of apps deployed.

To meet the demands of the SMB worker’s multi-task, multi-place workday, HP PCs are designed to enable them to work anywhere when inspiration comes, giving them the performance that matches up to their creativity, and allowing them to collaborate seamlessly and effortlessly to bring their ideas to life.

Security is a top priority in agile working environments. To ensure SMBs get ease of mind when working anywhere, HP is offering Sure Click Pro for free to all HP and non-HP Windows customers till September 30, 2020. HP Sure Click technology guards against malware, ransomware, and viruses embedded in email attachments or malicious websites.

HP is making it easy for SMBs to get their hands on the latest technology. Through initiatives like HP For Business in Thailand, HP has tailored a monthly subscription program with powerful devices with trusted security, and 24/7 technical support. The program helps relieve financial pressures on entrepreneurs in the short term and takes care of their IT management needs.

Continuous upskilling is critical for SMBs to revive and grow. The HP LIFE program offers free online self-paced training courses designed to help entrepreneurs and SMBs acquire new skills to grow their business, such as business communications, having a success mindset, social media marketing, and design thinking.

Please find the full study here and research highlights here.

Methodology

In total, 1,600 SMBs completed the survey between 26th May 2020 to 7th June 2020, which comprised of 200 interviews in each of the markets: Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Only an Owner, Partner, Managing Director, CEO, COO, CFO, or a Director of a business with less than 200 employees qualified for the survey. Interviews were split evenly between Micro Business (<10 employees), Small Business (10-49 employees), and Medium Business (50-199 employees). Multiple industries were represented including Retail/Wholesale, Manufacturing, Professional Services, Healthcare, Education and Financial Services.

About HP

HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) creates technology that makes life better for everyone, everywhere. Through our product and service portfolio of personal systems, printers and 3D printing solutions, we engineer experiences that amaze. More information about HP Inc. is available at www.hp.com.

©Copyright 2020 HP Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

 

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