Yearly Archives: 2020

PR Newswire

Entrust Launches Next Generation Secure Cloud-Based Direct to Card ID Desktop Issuance Solution

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The next generation Entrust Sigma instant ID solution is built for today’s cloud environments, leveraging encryption, trusted HSM technology and secure boot to issue highly secure physical and mobile identities

SINGAPORE, Oct. 21, 2020 — Entrust, a leading provider of trusted identities, payments and data protection, today announced Sigma Instant Desktop Issuance solution, an innovative direct-to-card issuance solution for instant physical and mobile ID issuance. Designed for both cloud and on-premise deployment, the Sigma solution sets the standard for simple, secure and smart instant ID solutions across enterprise, healthcare, government, higher education and financial institutions.

Entrust Launches Next Generation Secure Cloud-Based Direct to Card ID Desktop Issuance Solution
Entrust Launches Next Generation Secure Cloud-Based Direct to Card ID Desktop Issuance Solution

 

Today’s enterprises face a myriad of security challenges: From transitioning to digital operations during the pandemic, to managing the global rise in cyber-attacks, they must maintain a safe and secure flow of data − including the data stored on physical credentials. Within these organizations, Identity and Access Management professionals require a printing solution that is not only easy to integrate into their operations, but one that evolves to meet the growing needs of their company while assuring the highest level of data security. Sigma systems deliver a seamless user experience across the issuance process for desktop and mobile printing needs. It eliminates the frustrations of printer set-up with a modular design and an out-of-the-box implementation that takes less than 30 minutes for users to begin issuing identities.

Equipped with cloud-based APIs, Sigma systems bring issuance to the cloud without additional hardware — enabling instant printing for both physical IDs, badges and payment cards. Sigma systems are trusted IoT devices that help ensure organizations and their data are safe with an intelligent network and building connectivity for ultimate enterprise protection. With capabilities like tactile impressions, holographic and luster panel printing, Sigma printers make it highly difficult for counterfeiters to alter or recreate cards. Additionally, features like an inline magnetic stripe and smart card encoding secure your cards during the card printing process.

"With our Sigma platform, we’re proud to deliver a best-in-class desktop credential issuance solution that’s designed to work completely and securely within a cloud environment, allowing financial, enterprise, government, higher education and healthcare organizations to meet high-volume issuance demands without sacrificing security or ease of use. The Sigma system is ready to meet the issuance needs of today, and equally important, will evolve to meet tomorrow’s security and technology challenges with unlimited printing applications," said Tony Ball, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Instant Issuance at Entrust. "Entrust has been a pioneer in direct to card identity issuance technology for decades, and our Sigma system takes it to a whole new level."

Sigma systems offer the most advanced security architecture that keeps data protected at each step of the issuance process:

  • Encrypted connections: The connection and data sent between software and the printer are secure and encrypted. Sigma printers do not store customer data after successful printing is complete.
  • Secure boot: This feature prevents Sigma systems from booting up malware or other compromises are detected.
  • Trusted platform module (TPM): Organizations can store and manage user certificates and keys in the printer, allowing the printer to become a trusted internet of things (IoT) endpoint.

As large segments of the workforce continue operating remotely, Sigma systems are poised to meet the demands of a hybrid workforce with its physical and digital issuance platform. The Sigma system’s "Printer Dashboard" is available on mobile devices, allowing organizations to manage the printer from anywhere, without being tied to a desktop. Sigma systems also enable companies to pivot and move to a contactless ID Issuance experience, from online photo submission to validating the photo, printing the card, and ultimately delivering the card to the employee. Furthermore, the on-premises instant ID solution features a mobile enrollment functionality for added flexibility to issue IDs at various locations within a facility. Sigma systems use intelligent instant ID technology to streamline printing and eliminate manual workflows — bringing simplicity, security and flexibility to the issuance process.

"Whether your requirements demand an integrated, secure on-premises solution or a system that can grow with a distributed workforce via a secure cloud-hosted Identity Management offering, the Entrust Sigma solutions can meet your needs," said Joe Franco, Director of Sales at Capture Technologies, an Entrust channel partner. "They are browser based and mobile ready and able to be deployed without the need for a heavy client to be installed. The certificate based integrated security features should put to rest any concerns about using the cloud for identity issuance or your printing solution being vulnerable to network attack."

For more information about Sigma visit: https://www.entrust.com/c/meet-sigma.

About Entrust

Entrust keeps the world moving safely by enabling trusted identities, payments and data protection. Today more than ever, people demand seamless, secure experiences, whether they’re crossing borders, making a purchase, accessing e-government services or logging into corporate networks. Entrust offers an unmatched breadth of digital security and credential issuance solutions at the very heart of all these interactions. With more than 2,500 colleagues, a network of global partners, and customers in over 150 countries, it’s no wonder the world’s most entrusted organizations trust us. To learn more, visit www.entrust.com.

Media Contact

Ken Kadet
Vice President, Public Relations
+1-952.988.1154
ken.kadet@entrustdatacard.com

Entrust APAC
entrustdatacardapac@finnpartners.com
+65-9732-5164

Related Links :

https://www.entrust.com

Computers, Lifestyle, News

[Next@Acer] Acer’s New Monitors Are Easy on The Eyes

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At Next@Acer 2020, Acer has also introduced new monitors for business and home users: the eye-friendly Acer B248Y, the HDR-capable Acer CBL272U and the Acer BL270 with virtually no side-bezels.

Acer B248Y – Work All Day, Every Day

  • Source: Acer
  • Source: Acer
  • Source: Acer

Acer claims that this B248Y is an ergonomic monitor that was designed with various pain points that is often faced by users at work in mind. The monitor is equipped with various features that aim to make your eyes more comfortable even in prolonged working environments, such as Acer LightSense and Acer ColorSense.

The two technologies combines in the display to automatically adjust the screen brightness and color temperature. The adjustments are made for a more comfortable experience with the display depending on the environment. The monitor’s Full HD (1980×1080) IPS display sits on something they call Ergostand. The Ergostand, as per Acer, is a flexible stand that allows for ever more flexibility in adjusting the display to your liking.

The B248Y’s built-in docking station turns the monitor into a workspace in its own right. The RJ45 and USB Type-C 100W PD ports allows you to clear up plenty of clutter on your desk. The ports also means that you can choose to work from home or the office at anytime without worrying too much about moving the items, or even clearing a new space for the monitor. You can also daisy chain multiple monitors for a larger screen real estate, if that is what you need. There is also an adjustable Full HD webcam to let the users find the perfect angle for camera feed. That, and you do not need to spend extra on a webcam.

Acer CBL272U – QHD Goodness

  • Source: Acer
  • Source: Acer

The Acer CBL272U is a 27-inch TUV/Eyesafe certified monitor with QHD 2,560 by 1,440 resolution, Delta E<1 color accuracy and 99% sRGB gamut coverage. It is an IPS panel which also means that you can look at it from nearly any angles with its 178o viewing angle. HDR10 means that any compatible video content looks superb on the display. All this means your eyes will just start to water at the sight of the display. Not because it hurts, just because it is so good. C

It is not just an eye-watering, colour attack for your eyes though. It is also built with a number of eye-friendly features. BlueLightShield Pro, for example prevents harmful bluelight especially for extended period of use. With Acer’s proven ComfyView anti-glare technology and low-dimming capability, enables the monitor’s brightness to be turned all the way down to 15% for night-time use. In that case, the monitor will not blind you even when you view it in total darkness.

Acer BL270 – Thin, Thin Bezels

Source: Acer

Dreaming of having a two-monitor set-up that looks like a single large monitor set-up? The Acer BL270 is a certified FHD 1920×1080 monitor with thin size bezels that taper off, this is what making the two monitor be placed virtually seamlessly side-by-side. This clean and powerful monitor is perfectly designed for any business environment. The flexible stand allows you the ability adjust the height, swivel and pivot perfectly according to your preferences. You can also use the display to mirror your smartphone’s content via Acer’s Smart Console App.

Price and Availability

Despite the monitors powerful features, the price is seem to be reasonable. Three of the monitors: B248Y, CBL272U and BL270 will be available in North America starting with price of US$ 329.99 (RM 1,369*), US$ 299.99 (RM 1,245*) and US$ 229.99 (RM954*.11) respectively. As usual, exact specifications, prices, and availability will vary by region. No word on availability or pricing in Malaysia just yet. These are perfect monitors for our work from home set up though, so we are hoping to hear something soon.

*Based on approximate exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.14 as of 21/10/2020

PR Newswire

New Blis report pinpoints geography, mobility and psychology as the key factors impacting behaviour change leading up to the holiday season

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SYDNEY, Oct. 22, 2020 — Blis, the trusted leader in location-powered advertising and analytics has today launched a new global report, ‘Behaviour change is real: how brands can harness it’, in advance of the upcoming holiday season. The report looks at three key indicators for behaviour change that are impacting consumers and being impacted the most: geographical location, modifications to mobility and the psychological need for interaction.

 

 

The analysis highlights how these three factors interact and impact consumer behaviour, as seen both in our foot traffic data and sentiment surveys. This research pairs real-world behaviour with survey data from consumers and media industry professionals across Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, UAE, UK and US.

The report outlines how there is no one approach that fits all, given vastly different consumer need states and risk appetites. Consumers are out of their comfort zones. They are cocooning, and thus spending less, but in fact, appear to be splashing out more. As a result, brands also need to keep a close eye on the early embracers in any one vertical, as they are likely to be the harbingers of the next vertical to recover as well. Key findings include:

  • Geography: Patterns of behaviour vary at a localised level and confidence vs. caution varies geographically, so brands need to take a micro approach and develop more granular strategies.
  • Mobility: Public transit users are the early embracers and offer the best cues for brands about potential new targeting opportunities.
  • Psychology: The rate of return to ‘normal’ varies, not just region to region, but also person to person, where our intrinsic need for personal interaction drives more confident consumers out into daily life. Brands need to segment audiences into risk appetite.

Alex Wright, Head of Insights at Blis said, "With regions around the world exiting and entering lockdowns at different stages there is an abundance of uncertainty. This mix of confidence and concern, as well as adoption of new habits is creating bigger challenges for brands who are looking to deepen their understanding of their changing customers. This report sheds light on some of these key behaviour changes and the difference between perception and reality for consumers. Understanding  the impact of geography, mobility and psychology is key for brands to reach and engage consumers in this unusual time."

With the holiday season already beginning for some and many yearning for a level of ‘normal’, it’s imperative for brands to pay close attention to how their audience has, or hasn’t, adapted their behaviour. In such a disrupted environment, understanding the different anchor points of a consumer’s day and how they have changed will provide key insights into their mindset.

The report also highlights the cyclical path that consumer behaviour is taking as markets experience different stages of impact from COVID-19. With full recovery not yet on the horizon, a return to stability is key for bedding in new behaviours and even reverting back to old habits not long forgotten. Learn more and read the full report here.

About Blis

Blis is the trusted leader in location-powered advertising and analytics, helping brands understand, reach and engage consumers globally to deliver measurable results. Because location data is the most accurate indicator of ‘real’ behaviour and intent at scale vs any other type of data, Blis uses this data to map real-world consumer behaviours based on where people are and where they’ve been, uncovering the truth about what people actually do.

Blis’ Smart Platform provides unmatched transparency, accuracy and scale. Its four tried and tested proprietary technologies – Smart Pin, Smart Scale, Smart Places and Smart Households  – allow for more effective planning, activation and measurement for marketers and business decision makers alike.

Established in the UK in 2004, Blis now operates in more than 40 offices across five continents. Working with the world’s largest and most customer-driven companies across all verticals including Unilever, Samsung, McDonald’s, HSBC, Mercedes Benz and Peugeot, as well as every major media agency, Blis reaches over a billion mobile devices a year.

To learn more, visit blis.com.

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Computers, Lifestyle, News

[Next@Acer] Porsche Design Acer Book RS Unveiled

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Remember when Porsche, a German car manufacturer decided that designing cars is not enough anymore? Remember when they started designing things like a smoking pipe, and even smartphones? Remember when they introduced a new notebook PC called the Porsche Design Book One? Oh yes, that was quite special.

That Book One looked like something you could pull out of a spaceship. The detachable display gave it that illusion that you actually pulled it out of the USS Enterprise (Star Trek, does not matter which version and build). The brushed and polished aluminium look gives it that extra zest and drama that it stood out from regular notebooks. Of course, it has the price to match.

In reality, the Porsche Design Book One is already outdated. In the world of modern PCs, the Porsche Design Book One is an antique piece that belongs to the museum. We would not call it a modern art gallery material either. This reminds me of a quote I heard once that “art can have no purpose other than itself”.

Fast forward to 2020, and Porsche Design is back into designing notebook PCs. Of course, they cannot do it by themselves, they are not PC makers. They have to either rely on a third-party manufacturer, which could mean that they make cool looking notebooks that does not work properly, or they could go to a partner that has been making notebook PCs forever and make a really good notebook PC that fits the Stuttgart’s stature. They did the latter; just in case you forgot to read the title.

Welcome to the Porsche Design Acer Book RS, a combination of Porsche’s know-how in beautiful and functional industrial designs using the most exotic of materials, and Acer’s expertise in making reliable and powerful PCs. What you get is a notebook PC that is not just reliable and functional in any situation, but also a sight to behold.

We will save our opinions on the looks and design for our review (if they ever release it for review, that is). The Porsche Design Acer Book RS does not just have a name that is mouthful. It has the design to keep your mouth open too.

All-Metal & Carbon Fibre

It is constructed in metal in all completeness. The metal chassis not only gives it that super polished and high-quality look. It makes it a bit more sturdy than regular notebooks with plastic chassis. It is not just all-metal chassis though; the body is CNC milled to Porsche’s standards of precision. That also means that the single metal frame body is stronger than you think. It has that Unibody Hinge mechanism that lifts the keyboard a little bit too, to make typing a little more comfortable.

Then there is the top cover that is made of carbon fibre. This is not some plastic that is dipped in carbon fibre Plastidip or even a sticker on cheap plastic panel. It is not even Carbon Reinforced Plastic (CRP). It is actual carbon fibre that you see and feel on top of the Book RS.

What that means is that the notebook is not only strong, but light as well. It weighs just 1.25kg at 15.99mm thick. While that is not the lightest, not thinnest you have seen a notebook PC, it is not exactly heavy. You also need to consider that this is fully constructed in metal. For that reason alone, we consider the Porsche Design Acer Book RS is light. The Book RS’ weight department, no doubt, has received some clever know-how from Porsche Design’s lightweight metal construction earned from their car manufacturing sibling, Porsche.

Power Packed – Like a Porsche Sports Car

Did we ever mention that Porsche also makes some of the world’s most desirable sports cars? Must have escaped us. The Porsche Design Acer Book RS is made with internals that matches its looks as well, just like a Porsche should.

The Porsche Design Acer Book RS packs Intel’s 11th generation Core i7-1165G7 (up to) paired to NVIDIA’s discreetly powerful GeForce MX350 GPU (up to). The combination of that not only allows the Porsche Design Acer Book RS to go through multiple documents, emails, and even excel sheets like a champ. It allows the device to edit videos even. It can even be your gaming rig if you really want it to be. Of course, we would refrain from running AAA titles at full chat.

Thanks to the 14-inch Full HD IPS display and DTS Audio, the Porsche Design Acer Book RS is as much an entertainer as it is a work partner. The IPS display is also a touch display with 100% sRGB. That also means that you can see colours accurately and whatever you might put on the display looks good. This is a true all-rounder, just like a Porsche.

Still Mightily Practical

Practicality is also a Porsche special. In that department, the Porsche Design Acer Book RS has a storage capacity of up to 1TB in PCIe Gen3 NVMe SSD format. That comes with up to 16GB of RAM as well, to keep everything chugging along nicely. That and the WiFI 6 connectivity should make the current work from home situation a breeze. It could even last you through the day with a quoted 17-hours in battery life. It is practical, just like a Porsche should be.

Of course, we cannot forget that Porsche is still a premium brand. As true as the “poor man’s Supercar” moniker, Porsche still deals with premium cars attached to a deserving prestige. Their cars are in no way made cheaply. They are made to the most stringent of standards.

The Book RS embodies that with what you get in the box; the Travelpack RS. You get three premium ECCO Palermo Leather sleeve, pouch and attachments, alongside a matching wireless mouse that is the Mouse RS. The magnetic pouch cover doubles as a mousepad to protect your mouse from wear and tear. One pouch is even big enough for the mouse and two types of chargers that comes with the notebook.

Price and Availability

So far this is the only Porsche Design collaboration product that has been announced by Acer. As per Acer, there are no further plans just yet on other collaboration products with the premium Stuttgart based brand. At the same time, Acer could leverage on their partnership with their partnership with Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team as well, like when Acer had a very interesting Ferrari branded string of products. We were told as well that there are no plans yet in that department.

The Porsche Design Acer Book RS will be available in the North American, EMEA, and China very soon. Prices for the Book RS start at US$ 1,399.99 (MYR 5,801*), EU€ 1,799 (MYR 8,851**), and RMB 14,999 (MYR 9,345***) respectively. If you opt for the top specced Book RS, it will set you back US$ 1,999.99 (MYR 8,287*), EU€ 2,399 (MYR 11,803**), and RMB 19,999 (MYR 12,461***) respectively. The Porsche Design Mouse RS can be bought separately of course, it will set you back US$ 109.99 (MYR 456*), and EU€ 99 (487**) respectively. The Travelpack RS can also be purchased separately at US$ 329.99 (MYR 1,367*) and EU€ 299 (MYR 1,471**) respectively. No word on availability and pricing for Malaysia just yet.

*Based on approximate exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.14 as of 21/10/2020

**Based on approximate exchange rate of EU€ 1 = MYR 4.92 as of 21/10/2020

***Based on approximate exchange rate of RMB 10 = MYR 6.23 as of 21/10/2020

Computers, News

[next@Acer] Acer ConceptD 7 & 7 Pro Gains 10th Gen Intel Processors & a New Compact D 300

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Acer’s ConceptD laptops have carved out a unique niche for the company in addressing the unique needs of creators. In fact, Acer was one of the pioneers of the “made for creators” moniker when they announced their first ConceptD line up a little over a year ago. In their line up, they introduced the ConceptD 3, 5, 7 and 9 laptop lines, 300, 500 and 700 desktops and professionally calibrated displays. The line up was center stage at next@acer as the company announced updates and a new addition.

ConceptD 7 & 7 Pro Get Cool Updates

First up, the Acer ConceptD 7 and 7 Pro got a small bump in performance with an upgrade to the 10th Generation Intel Core i processors. The laptops were previously sporting the 9th generation Intel processors. Aside from that, the ConceptD 7 and 7 Pro retain the options for the NVIDIA RTX 20 series graphics or RTX QUADRO graphics.

In addition to the updated internals, the ConceptD 7 and 7 Pro are the first laptops to come to market with Acer’s new Vortex Flow cooling technology. The company has created its own fan design which is able to move 26% more air through the laptop allowing it to cool more efficiently. It is also quieter which sound levels reaching less than 40dBA.

ConceptD 300 Brings Big Performance in a Small Form

Acer also introduced their compact, 18L ConceptD 300 desktop. The small desktop packs a punch in a mid-tier form factor for those looking for a more compact solution. It continues to have ConceptD’s now signature design language which marries eye catching wood accents with a sleek white body. It’s small enough to fit on the table.

It comes with a 10th generation Intel Core i processors and is paired with up to 64GB of DDR4 266MHz RAM. This is complemented with up to quick 1TB M.2 SSD memory and up to 4TB of HDD memory. The ConceptD 300 will also be equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX3070 Graphics card.

Pricing & Availability

The ConceptD 7 and 7 Pro will be available starting October 2020 in Europe, the Middle East and Asia with prices starting at EUR2,899 (MYR14,265.44) for the ConceptD 7 and EUR3,699 (MYR18,202.09) for the Pro.

North America will be getting it in December 2020 with retail prices starting at USD$3,299.99 (MYR13,673.92) for the ConceptD 7 and USD$3,499.99 (MYR14,502.65) for the Pro.

The ConceptD 300 will be available in Europe, the Middle East and Asia in November 2020 with prices starting at EUR1,299 (MYR6,392.42). China will be getting the desktop slightly earlier in October with prices starting at RMB12,999 (MYR8,099.68).

Official Specifications

Source: Acer

Health, Lifestyle, News

[next@Acer] Breathe Easier with AcerPure Cool

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The current pandemic has led to an increase of people working from home. With this increase, there has also been an increase in the awareness in the importance of having good air circulation and good quality air. Acer, realising this, has introduced a new subsidiary, AcerPure Inc, which will focus on creating products that will improve the quality of life of their users. Their first product is an air purifier and fan, or as they put it, air mobiliser.

The AcerPure Cool focuses on moving and purifying air within a room. Studies have shown that indoor air isn’t as clean as we think it is. Still or stale air can also be a contributing factor to falling sick. With this in mind, Acerpure has created the Cool to both purify and move air for better air quality. The product marries a air purifier with an air circulator and a fan.

It comes equipped with a 3-in-1 HEPA filter which helps filter fine particles and impurities in the air. The filter is combined with catalytic carbon, a special form of activated carbon, which allows it to filter PM1.0 particulate matter; that is to say particles of about 1.0μm in size. Some of the things that can be effectively removed are dust particles and large molecules like formaldehyde and other harmful hydrocarbons. The air purifier of the AcerPure Cool also comes with a Silver ion (Ag+) filter which has been proven to provide some antimicrobial protection. You also see this technology being used in air-conditioners.

The fan component of the AcerPure Cool helps circulate and project the purified air. It has enough power to project air up to 16m away and circulate the air in a 27m2 room in 3 minutes – something that will undoubtedly be appreciated in warmer climates.

acerpure cool - Set Your Fresh Air in Motion | Acer

Of course, the tech doesn’t just end there. The AcerPure Cool comes with a PM1.0 Air Quality sensor which enables it to detect the real-time indoor air quality. This reading is displayed via 3 LED indicator lights. With this data, the air purifier intelligently adjusts its operation mode to ensure better purification of the room. Apparently, the Cool also has a deodourising component which releases negative ions to help combat foul odours. It goes without saying, the deodourising of the AcerPure Cool will not deodourise if the source of the odour is still in the room.

Pricing & Availability

The AcerPure Cool will be available in Taiwan, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. No pricing has been announced just yet and launch windows will be announced at a later date.

eSports, Gaming, News

[next@Acer] SigridWave Bridges the Language Barrier in eSports

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Acer’s Planet 9 was launched a year ago as the company’s comitment to the growing eSports scene. The platform allows aspiring professional gamers to hone their skills and collaborate. The vision for this next gen platform is to provide a “training arena” where pros, semipros and enthusiasts can improve their game.

“Planet 9 is a community-oriented platform designed to give gamers everywhere a chance to interact and learn from each other. It is intended to be a social platform that caters to multiple audiences: those looking to improve are introduced to similarly skilled teammates and opponents, likewise, those just looking to chat and enjoy themselves can meet other casual players…”

Andrew Chuang, AVP, Esports Services, IT Products Business, Acer Inc.
Source: Acer

Planet9 was designed to bring different eSports communities together in one place, and a major part of the platform is effectively managing and integrating these communities. The platform helps users to find teammates based on a variety of factors such as game type, skill level and time zone. It also gathers and records a wide variety of data such as score, pathing, kill-death ratio and death location. This provides coaches and managers information they can use to help guide their players.

This year, Acer is bringing cutting edge AI to Planet9, its next-generation eSports platform, in the form of the SigridWave In-Game Live AI Translator. SigridWave has been specially designed to handle gaming terminology and jargon. It leverages deep learning technologies to bridge language barriers allowing gamers to communicate no matter where they are from. This is an important step in enhancing the gaming experience.

When SigridWave is deplyed, it will utilise Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology to recognize speech from gamers. It then converts this into strings of text, similar to how smartphones do when you use virtual assistants. This string of text is then recognised using Neural Machine Translation (NMT) technology. The NMT deployed by SigridWave has so far been trained to recognise over 10 million bilingual sentence pairs. This allows it to recognise game specific language and jargon such as “ADS” or “camping”, giving it context awareness. In-game overlays will be supported for League of Legends on launch in late 2020 or early 2021, and support will be made available for additional titles in the future.

The new technology has the potential to take competitive and professional gaming to a whole new level. Together with SigridWave, Acer also unveiled Clubs and Tournaments; two new features that will help players collaborate and compete regularly to up their game. These join a slew of new features designed to enhance competitive play and facilitate communication between brands and players.

PR Newswire

G20 Saudi Secretariat Announces Digital Summit to Discuss Inclusive Growth in Aftermath of Covid-19

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 21, 2020 — The Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Secretariat as part of the international Conference program announces a four-day digital event series to explore how businesses, governments and citizens can drive opportunities for inclusive growth through regulation, new technologies and long-term strategic approaches in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Titled ‘A New Framework For Inclusive Growth’ and hosted by FT Live, the series will feature influential speakers from the worlds of business, politics and policy, interviewed by FT writers.

The series, taking place on 21, 22, 28 and 29 October 2020, will examine:

  • How the financial sector can be used for inclusive growth in both developed and emerging markets;
  • The role of policy, regulation and taxation in promoting national and international growth and stability;
  • The role of the digital economy in promoting inclusive growth – how smart cities and digital health and education can provide opportunities for all;
  • How changing global trade relationships are impacting the business environment for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and what can be done to support them.

Speakers include:

  • Baroness Catherine Ashton, Former EU Commissioner for Trade and Former High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
  • Ann Cairns, Executive Vice Chair, Mastercard
  • Angel Gurria, Secretary General, OECD
  • Sir Chris Hohn, Founder and Managing Director,  TCI
  • Shameel Joosub, CEO, Vodacom Group
  • Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary General, UNCTAD

The series will be live streamed and delegates can participate on an interactive event platform. A full recording of the event will be available afterwards at globalsummitseries.live.ft.com

 

PR Newswire

Intelligence, Innovation, Entrepreneurship: CIVC 2020 Around the Corner

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GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 21, 2020 — From October 22 to 24, Chongqing International Venture Conference (CIVC) 2020, implemented by IDG World Expo China, will be held at Western (Chongqing) Science City. The event aims at gathering capital power, boosting innovative development, and creating favorable conditions for the construction of a Western (Chongqing) Science City on a high basis and with a high standard.

Under the theme of "Intelligence · Innovation · Entrepreneurship: Explore Western (Chongqing) Science City", CIVC 2020 is organized in the form of opening ceremony and main forum + parallel forums + closed-door meeting + project roadshow and promotion + sideline activities, which features international, professional-based, and industry-oriented. This innovation-focused conference will gather capital leaders, technical experts and scholars, and business pioneers from all over the world. At the meetings, demonstrations, and matchmaking sessions of the event, participants will together enjoy a fintech feast, explore for an overall development plan for VC, and form a development blueprint for the Science City.

A Leading Conference to Explore Global Innovation Trends

Chongqing is accelerating the construction of the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle and boosting the coordinated development of "one metropolitan area and two township clusters". An important driving factor for the high-quality economic and social development of Chongqing is innovation, which can never be realized without capital support.

In the face of new situations, requirements, and goals, the conference has a global vision, gathers the world’s most brilliant minds, and explores global innovation trends. The conference’s opening ceremony and main forum and parallel forums on VC, Enterprise Growth Empowered by PE/M&A, Fintech Innovation Investment & Post-investment Enterprises Growth, and Capital + Chengdu-Chongqing New Economy held on October 23 will gather leading officials of relevant ministries and commissions of the state and agencies of Chongqing, delegates from and investors of hi-tech zones and science and technology parks from different places, directors of guiding funds of local governments, executives of listed companies, founders of unicorn and quasi-unicorn enterprises, and economists. They will identify trends of global scientific and technological development and seek new attractive fields for investment. Moreover, they will offer their insights and recommendations for promoting the construction of the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle and Western (Chongqing) Science City, to support the economic circle in accelerating the building of a VC hub with global influence and to add momentum to the innovative development of Chongqing.

The conference will also gather VC gurus around the globe at the "cloud" forum. In this exploration "on the cloud", they will look for Chongqing’s power for innovation of and accumulate energy for Chongqing’s scientific and technological innovation. The forum will hold a hundred participants offline and ten thousand guests and viewers online, making a grand scene for innovation power.

A Gathering of Gurus with In-depth Interpretation of Capital Power

As an important part of a multi-layered capital market, VC plays an increasingly vital role in promoting scientific and technological innovation, boosting the structural reform of the supply side, and supporting high-quality economic development.

CIVC 2020 invites representatives of the field of capital, including Hugo Shong, founding chairman of IDG Capital; Haitao Jin, chief managing partner of Qianhai FOF; Michael Yi, co-chief investment officer of Hillhouse Capital; Ruigang Li, founding partner of CMC Capital Group; Zhengdong Ni, chairman and founder of Zero2IPO Group; Wei Li, founding partner and chairman of Green Pine Capital Partners; Hao Chen, president of Legend Capital; Wenzhong Zhang, founder of Wumart Stores, chairman of Dmall, founding chairman of Taikang Group, and angel investor of Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd.; Dave Chen, founder, CEO, and managing partner of Oceanpine Capital; and James Shen, vice president of Qualcomm and managing director of Qualcomm Ventures. During the conference, they will have in-depth discussion about the directions of global capital against drastic changes, and make in-depth interpretation and analysis of the VC trends of the next-generation IT, healthcare, high-end equipment manufacturing, and other industries, from the perspectives of policy incentives, economic situations, market demands, and development trends of the industry.

The conference’s thematic forums take the dialogue topics of "VC Boosting the Innovative Development of Enterprises", "Capital Advantages Empowering Enterprise Development", "Fintech Innovation Reshaped by New Technologies", "Investment Institutions as Growth Companions of Enterprises", and "Capital + Chengdu-Chongqing New Economy". At these forums, dozens of capital leaders, business elites, and government officials will have in-depth exchanges and interpret how capital power boost the development of regions, industries, and segments.

The closed-door meeting held on October 22, "Seminar on Financial Support for the Construction of Western (Chongqing) Science City", invites capital experts and advisors for a brainstorm on the financial support for the construction of Western (Chongqing) Science City.

A Platform of Chongqing to Gather Funds and Expertise

In recent years, Chongqing has put efforts to support enterprises to offer cloud services, expand, and go public. Specifically, the city has assisted enterprises in accelerating the process of being listed and steadily promote the securitization of the economy. Chongqing saw five new listed companies last year and five new IPO listed companies and two companies approved for IPO, and is likely to see seven by the end of the year. As of this August, Chongqing achieved RMB 21.7 billion of initial and re-financing, ranking No. 1 in west China in financing scale; RMB 171.9 billion of corporate bonds were issued, an increase of 64.7%. In addition, Chongqing has improved its VC system. Under the three major VC guiding funds of seed money, angel, and venture capital, a total of 85 sub-funds have been approved, with a total value of RMB 23.887 billion.

CIVC 2020 will gather globally renowned VC institutions to the on-site roadshow, for the purpose to better attract more financial and technology enterprises and to promote efficient matchmaking between technology and finance and different industries. Enterprises and projects participating the roadshow cover biomedicine, semiconductor, energy, and electronic technology and include Chongqing Zein Pharmaceutical, the world’s largest manufacturer of orlistat API; Chongqing Precision Biotech, the CAR-T R & D enterprise with the largest number of R & D lines in China; Chongqing Pingchuang Institute of Semiconductors, which completed China’s first semiconductor chip/module packaging line that satisfies the power specifications of automobiles and quality requirements of military products; and OPRO Energy, which manages and controls oil and gas mining production risks with geological, engineering, and production dynamics data. It is hoped that the roadshow promotion can build an effective platform for the matchmaking between Chongqing’s leading enterprises and projects and capital.

To better display Chongqing’s strengths in innovation and development policies, besides the release of policies for Western (Chongqing) Science City and the official signing of projects, the conference will set up exhibition and promotion platforms such as the exhibition zone for investment institutions, the demonstration and experience zone for enterprises, and the promotion zone for Chongqing’s policies. Exhibitors include Terminus Group, China’s first company to propose and apply the AIoT technology; Jinvovo Technology, one of China’s top 25 blockchain companies; ARchGL Technology (Chongqing), with China’s first digital city 3D-Web intelligent imaging technology; and Chongqing Konka Optoelectronic Technology Research Institute, under the innovative operation model of "semiconductor + new consumer electronics + industrial park". It is hoped that the exhibition and demonstration will attract the attention from more investment institutions to support the development of the enterprises, and also the attention from more scientific and technological innovation enterprises and research teams for the application and commercialization of technologies in Chongqing. Chongqing is opening up to gather funds and expertise.

CIVC 2020 is hosted by Western (Chongqing) Science City, co-organized by Chongqing Local Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau, Chongqing Science and Technology Bureau, the People’s Government of Shapingba District, Chongqing, and Chongqing Yufu Holding Group, and implemented by IDG World Expo China. For more information, please visit https://www.intl-venture.com, or follow the WeChat official accounts of "Chongqing International Venture Conference" and "Chongqing Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone News".

PR Newswire

App Annie Releases New Gen Z Report with Insights on Winning Over the Mobile Generation

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SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21, 2020 — App Annie, the leading mobile data and analytics company, today released a report on Generation Z, How to Build a Winning Gen Z Strategy on Mobile, that reveals the mobile habits of this generation to help businesses understand and cater to this group.

Gen Z is quickly becoming one of the world’s most powerful consumer segments – as one of the youngest generations, Gen Z amounts to a third of the world’s population and controls an estimated spending power of $143 billion annually. With 98 percent of Gen Z owning a smartphone, on average receiving their first at the age of ten, it’s clear that businesses looking to reach this demographic need to meet them on their mobile devices.

"Gen Z has never known a world without their smartphone. They see the world through this mobile first lens," said Ted Krantz, CEO, App Annie. "As new consumers, businesses have an opportunity to earn their loyalty. App Annie connects brands to the mobile preferences of this generation."

"Leveraging data to understand how to best reach consumers on mobile is more critical than ever, and Gen Z’s importance for marketers will only increase in 2021 and beyond. Businesses need to understand the values and user preferences of this audience to create truly engaging experiences on innovative platforms like Snapchat." Skye Featherstone, Product Marketing Manager, Snap, Inc.

Key insights and statistics about Gen Z from the report include:

  • On average Gen Z users spent 4.1hrs per month on apps (excluding games) in Q3 2020
  • TikTok and Snapchat are the most over-indexed apps among Gen Z in nine out of ten markets analyzed, indicating the importance of a photo and video-first strategy
  • The finance and shopping app categories have experienced the strongest growth YoY with the Gen Z audience, with a 60 percent increase versus Q3 2019
  • Finance apps like Venmo and DANA are more likely to over-index on Gen Z in most markets, indicating an opportunity for mobile-first banks to capture Gen Z audiences
  • Gen Z is less likely than average to use the top 20 shopping apps, indicating opportunity for brands to expand their Gen Z reach within this space
  • Gen Z’s engagement is deeper in apps (excluding games), with 20 percent more sessions per user in top apps than older groups
  • The Core action gaming genre (led by Battle Royale games such as PUBG Mobile and Free Fire) accounted for nearly 25 percent of time spent among Gen Z gamers

The How to Build a Winning Gen Z Strategy on Mobile report offers significant additional insight into the behaviors and preferences of Gen Z and where opportunities for brands lie within this critical audience, including how these attributes vary across different geographies and categories.

To learn more, download the report at: https://www.appannie.com/en/insights/reports/how-to-build-a-winning-gen-z-strategy-on-mobile 

About App Annie

App Annie is the industry’s most trusted mobile data and analytics platform. App Annie’s mission is to help customers create winning mobile experiences and achieve excellence.

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