HONG KONG, June 25, 2021 — Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited ("HKBN") today announced an unbelievable offer that combines the exceedingly popular iPhone 12 series with cutting-edge 5G service, for unprecedented savings. Starting today, customers who purchase an iPhone 12 series smartphone via designated HKBN retail shops, AT+ stores, HKBN website (jetsozone.hkbn.net/en)^, or e-shopping platform HOME+ (www.home-plus.hk) can get a "12-month fee waiver 5G mobile plan*", and enjoy 20GB/month local 5G data (HK$248/month) plus HK$18/month administration fee waiver (total value up to HK$3,192), and a handset discount of up to HK$650. This offer is only available to mobile service customers porting their numbers. With up to HK$3,842 in total savings, this is the perfect deal to upgrade to the latest iPhone AND experience one of Hong Kong’s fastest 5G networks.
Elinor Shiu, Co-Owner and CEO – Residential Solutions of HKBN said, "We are here to break market norms with tsunamis of incredible offers for our customers. Hands down, this is an awesome deal for anyone looking to purchase an iPhone 12 series and get the most out of their smartphone with our ultra-fast 5G service."
HKBN’s powerful 5G mobile service is designed to give customers, especially users of flagship devices like iPhone 12, the best experience with super low latency and blazing speeds (1GB in 10 seconds, 10 times faster than 4G) for infinitely more entertainment possibilities. For more details about HKBN’s mobile services, please visit: https://www.hkbn.net/personal/mobile/en/select-plan/5G
The ultimate iPhone 12 series offer with 1-year 5G service waiver are also available for HKBN Enterprise Solutions customers. Please call the hotline 128 1111 for details.
^ applicable to existing customers of HKBN only.
* This complimentary plan is powered by 3HK network and is only applicable to customers who are porting their numbers (not applicable to those porting a prepaid SIM card). Registration must be made on or before 31 August 2021. The effective date of the service must be within 90 days from the successful registration of the service. Terms and conditions apply.
About Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited
Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited is part of HKBN Group ("HKBN" or the "Group"). Headquartered in Hong Kong with operations spanning across Asian markets like Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China, Singapore and Malaysia, the Group is a leading integrated telecommunications and technology services provider. Through three core brands, Hong Kong Broadband Network, HKBNES and HKBN JOS, the Group offers comprehensive one-stop Information and Communications Technology ("ICT") solutions that include broadband, data connectivity, cloud and data centre, managed Wi-Fi, business continuity services, system integration, cybersecurity, mobile services, roaming solutions, digital solutions, voice and collaboration, stationery and supplies that are cumulative to our one-stop-shop offering of Transformation as a Service (TaaS) and OTT entertainment. HKBN’s extensive tri-carrier fibre infrastructure covers over 2.4 million residential homes and over 7,400 commercial buildings and facilities across Hong Kong. Committed to creating a lasting positive impact to wherever it operates, HKBN embraces a core purpose to "Make our Home a Better Place to Live". The Group is managed by hundreds of Co-Owners (supervisory and management level Talents in the Group) who invested their savings to buy shares of HKBN Ltd. (SEHK Stock Code: 1310). For more information about Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited, please visit www.hkbn.net/en.
About two months ago, Lenovo dropped their brand-new Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2. The new gaming smartphone replaces their old Lenovo Legion Phone Duel. It also came with a whole slew of updates that makes it one of the most compelling gaming smartphones in the current market.
There was no solid release date for the smartphone in Malaysia though, until today that is. The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 is finally released in Malaysia. It is available now and it will set you back MYR 3,299 for the lesser 12GB + 256GB variant and MYR 3,899 for the 16GB + 512GB variant. It also comes to Malaysia with a Maxis and Hotlink special deal at that. A little more on that later.
Source: Lenovo
The Legion Phone Duel 2 is built to be the ultimate gaming phone in the market with its horizontal first orientation approach. Even its pop-up selfie camera pop’s up from the side if you are holding the device like you normally would. When you game, it is a more natural position too. At the same time, a pop-up camera allows for a fuller display real estate for a more immersive experience.
It also packs the most powerful processor the Android market has seen so far, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G System on a Chip (SoC). With up to 16GB of RAM, the spec sheet looks more like a powerful gaming laptop than a gaming smartphone. To keep the device running as optimally as possible, the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 packs a very innovative cooling solution to keep things running as comfortably as possible.
To keep the powerful internals running for the entire day, there are two batteries inside the device that adds up to 5,500 mAh capacity. Two batteries also means that the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 charges faster and safer at 90W. The approach allows the device to be properly optimised for a comfortable horizontal use of the device too. To ensure that you really conquer your games, there is the touch-sensitive trigger buttons.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
The internals are encased in mix of glass and aluminium, fronted by a 6.92-iunch AMOLED Full HD+ display that refreshes at 144Hz and 720Hz Sampling rate for a near instant touch response time. The pop-up camera is also a very powerful 44-Megapixel sensor with ultra-wide angle lens that ensures that you look good in that mobile gaming stream.
The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 is now available in Malaysia from any Lenovo Exclusive Stores nationwide and online official stores on Lazada and Shopee. You can get the Legion Phone Duel 2 in two colour options – black or white. There are also two variants of the smartphone, a 12GB + 256GB variant and a 16GB + 512GB variant, to choose from. The device will set you back MYR 3,299 onward and if you are a Maxis and Hotlink user, you are entitled to claim a complementary Lenovo 500 Bluetooth headphones worth MYR 189 between 28th June to 31st July, 2021.
SEOUL, South Korea, June 25, 2021 — AIZEN, which ranked second in the Global Category of MAS FinTech Awards 2020 (Singapore FinTech Festival, MAS FinTech Awards) alongside Swiss Re (insurance) and BNY Mellon (banking), announced that it would provide banking-as-a-service to the Southeast Asian market. The company has been delivering artificial intelligence (AI) finance models by integrating data based on its AutoML solution "ABACUS" specializing in finance. It has been successfully incorporating AI into various finance business processes, including a bank’s customer behavior predictions, digital strategies, credit card payment fraud detection systems with deep learning, and insurance underwriting claims. Moreover, it can be attributed to automating financial decision-making through data integration based on the AI finance solution ABACUS.
Recognized by Plug and Play Singapore, listed as a Gartner Cool Vendor, selected as one of the Top Ten Fintech Startups by Standard Chartered Bank, and placed first as the best solution provider during HK FinTech Week, AIZEN has constantly been bringing financial innovation into the Asian market.
Based on its powerful AI finance model ABACUS, AIZEN offers banking-as-a-service. In particular, in Southeast Asia, it has paved the way for the development of "CreditConnect," a type of banking service for nonfinancial platforms encompassing E-wallets, education, hospitals, and shopping. CreditConnect enables AIZEN’s clients in the nonfinancial sectors to use finance services easily and quickly. Furthermore, AIZEN’s focus lies in the "loan cycle," quickly calculating interest rates and loan limits for each client and offering the right loan services. Its banking service, which "connects" financial institutions traditionally through data integration, allows data platforms to launch finance services and financial institutions to secure customer loyalty quickly.
AIZEN has entered the Asian market after having raised USD 4.2 million from SEMA Translink Investment, a fintech innovation fund jointly established by K-Growth and other famous financial institutions in Korea for the revitalization of fintech. Using CreditConnect, it has expanded its banking services to Vietnam and Indonesia. With teams consisting of global IT and finance experts from IBM, SAP, Citibank Singapore, Standard Chartered Bank, and AXA, AIZEN continues to attract investment by incorporating AI into the core finance processes.
"We have been adopting data integration and AI to financial institutions, and our exclusive technology has been bringing innovation into banking services. Our AI-based banking services will flare well with platform operators in the ever-changing Southeast Asian market," said Jung Seok Kang, CEO of AIZEN.
Blockchain.com’s 32 million verified users across 200 countries can now send crypto to simple, human-readable usernames
SAN FRANCISCO, June 25, 2021 — Blockchain domain name provider Unstoppable Domains today announced native support for Blockchain.com, the world’s leading crypto wallet and platform for retail customers, institutions, and crypto projects. Blockchain.com’s 32 million verified users across 200 countries can now send funds with a simple, human-readable username instead of full-length wallet addresses. Through this integration, Unstoppable Domains and Blockchain.com are making crypto more accessible for all by removing the risk of human error when sending funds, drastically simplifying transactions between Blockchain.com users and 50+ other wallets and exchanges supported by Unstoppable Domains.
"By teaming up with Blockchain.com, we’re able to seamlessly onboard people from fiat to crypto with usernames that make it easier to transact between family, friends, and exchanges," said Matthew Gould, Founder and CEO of Unstoppable Domains. "Freedom and digital ownership are at the heart of this integration. Services like Venmo and Cash App are closed ecosystems with geographic restrictions, but blockchain domain names give you the freedom to send funds between a large number of wallets and exchanges from anywhere in the world."
Traditionally, sending Bitcoin, Ethereum, Doge, and other cryptocurrencies requires entering the recipient’s 25-42 digit alphanumeric wallet address. If a person mistypes or miscopies a wallet address, those funds can be lost forever. Unstoppable Domains solves this by introducing human-readable usernames compatible with 50+ wallets and exchanges, including Blockchain.com. Now, instead of "156i6HJfMWb1h2BEsKpfvZ2tQugqo4vs2w," users can simply type "[YourName].crypto" to send money to others or transfer it between accounts.
"Over the years at Blockchain.com we’ve worked hard to make crypto easier to use as part of our mission to build a new financial system for the internet. Our Unstoppable Domains integration is an exciting step in this direction," said Amadeo Pellicce, Product Manager at Blockchain.com. "Our customers can now send crypto to friends and family using more familiar-looking usernames. This drastically reduces the potential for errors without compromising on user security. Making crypto payments as easy as sending an email helps pave the way for wider adoption of crypto."
Unstoppable Domains has sold more than 1 million domain names, which are minted as NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. Along with sending and receiving funds, these NFT domains are used to create decentralized websites to publish content and access Web3. Blockchain domains have already become the standard for crypto wallets, and interoperability is at the forefront of Unstoppable Domains’ mission.
Blockchain.com recently raised $300 million at a $5.2 billion, post-money valuation, led by partners of DST Global, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and VY Capital. Since 2012, 76 million wallets have conducted $800 billion in transactions using Blockchain.com.
About Unstoppable Domains Launched in 2018, Unstoppable Domains is a blockchain domain name provider and gateway to the decentralized web. Unstoppable Domains allows anyone to purchase a decentralized domain name that is minted as an NFT on the Ethereum blockchain, giving the owner full ownership and control. Domain names can be used for payments across 50+ wallets and exchanges. The company is backed by Draper Associates and Boost VC, and supported by grants from the Ethereum Foundation and Zilliqa Foundation. To learn more, follow Unstoppable Domains on Twitter, and join the conversation on Telegram.
About Blockchain.com Blockchain.com is connecting the world to the future of finance. The company is the most trusted and fastest growing crypto company, helping millions across the globe — from single individuals to the largest institutions — safely access cryptocurrency. Through the use of block chain technology, Blockchain.com is revolutionizing the $14T financial services industry. Blockchain.com has raised $490 million from leading, global investors including: Baillie Gifford, partners of DST Global, Eldridge, GV, Kyle Bass, Lakestar, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Moore Strategic Ventures, Rovida Kruptos Assets Limited, VY Capital, and others.
SINGAPORE, June 24, 2021 — Diginex Limited (Nasdaq: EQOS), recently rebranded as EQONEX Group (the "Company"), a digital assets financial services company, today announced that total spot and derivative trading volumes on EQONEX, its cryptocurrency exchange, exceeded US$5 billion over the past 30 days.
Volumes in June have continued their recent strong upward trajectory, with average daily volumes in June month-to-date of US$190 million, representing an increase of 206% and 80% from April and May this year, respectively. Compared to the first quarter of 2021 and prior to the launch of its native exchange token EQO, volumes in June month-to-date are up over 12 times.
30 Day Rolling Average Daily Volumes on EQONEX Exchange (US$m) Source: www.eqonex.com/markets/
The EQONEX exchange has transitioned from an early-stage strategy focused on building a highly competitive order book with tight spreads and deep liquidity, to one focused on driving revenue growth. Since early April 2021, the EQONEX exchange has seen a rapid expansion in fee-paying volume, driven in part by the launch of the EQO exchange token, which began trading on April 8, 2021.
This strategy has not only contributed to overall volume growth but has also driven fee-paying volume significantly higher, as highlighted in the attached table titled "30 Day Rolling Average Daily Fee-Paying Volume (US$m)."
30 Day Rolling Average Daily Fee-Paying Volume (US$m) Source: Company and www.eqonex.com/eqotoken/
Richard Byworth, CEO at EQONEX Group, said: "Our exchange has not only demonstrated rapid volume growth over recent months, but has also quickly embarked on a path to revenue after less than twelve months since its public launch into a competitive landscape. We have devoted substantial time and resources towards bootstrapping our volumes to a level where we could begin generating revenue. Reaching US$5 billion in 30-day volumes just 12 days after crossing US$4 billion, is significant given Bitcoin has traded within a narrow range during this period."
"Our commitment to fair and transparent markets combined with our institutional grade custody solution Digivault, our FCA-regulated digital asset custodian, is resonating well with customers."
About EQONEX
EQONEX is a digital assets financial services company focused on fairness, governance, and innovation. The group encompasses cryptocurrency exchange EQONEX as well as an over-the-counter trading platform. It also offers a front-to-back integrated trading platform, Access Trading, a securitization advisory service, EQONEX Capital, market leading hot and cold custodian Digivault and asset manager Bletchley Park.
Follow Diginex on social media on Twitter @eqonex, on Facebook @eqonex, and on LinkedIn.
This press release is provided by Diginex Limited ("Eqonex") for information purposes only, is a summary only of certain key facts and plans of Eqonex and includes forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Without limitation, the press release does not constitute an offer or solicitation in relation to any securities or other regulated products or services or to make use of any services provided by Eqonex, and neither this press release nor anything contained in it will form the basis of any contract or commitment whatsoever. The contents of this press release have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority in any jurisdictions. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Most of these factors are outside of Eqonex’s control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business combination; the ability of Eqonex to grow and manage growth profitably; Eqonex’s limited operating history and history of net losses; Eqonex’s ability to execute its business plan; the inability to maintain the listing of Eqonex’s shares on Nasdaq; Eqonex’s estimates of the size of the markets for its products; the rate and degree of market acceptance of Eqonex’s products; Eqonex’s ability to identify and integrate acquisitions; potential litigation involving Eqonex or the validity or enforceability of Eqonex’s intellectual property; general economic and market conditions impacting demand for Eqonex’s products and services; and such other risks and uncertainties indicated in Eqonex’s Shell Company Report on Form 20-F, including those under "Risk Factors" therein, and in Eqonex’s other filings with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
In addition, any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that Eqonex believes to be reasonable as of this date. Eqonex undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.
Other than those of Eqonex, all names, trademarks and logos in this press release and used in the materials herein belong to their respective owners. Nothing contained on this press release should be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any right or license to use any third-party names, trademarks, or logos displayed on the press release without the written permission of such third-parties.
We were planning to review this item on video. The problem was our studio had to close because of the Pandemic. It is now a written review instead.
There is a reason why we wanted to review the Razer Seiren Mini on video though. We technically can use it as our audio input for the video, completely using the audio recorded from the Razer Seiren Mini as our voice over for the video. Why? Because it made sense.
The Razer Seiren Mini is not necessarily a new product segment for Razer though. They had the Razer Seiren X before this, a big mic thing that Razer made for streamers. That USB mic received plenty of praises for being one really good mic especially for streamers.
It was a little big though. Then again, having a big mic is not really an issue when you have a streaming set up at home. Having a big mic is never really touted as an issue at all for streamers.
So, what is the Razer Seiren Mini? Why would anyone buy this little mic if they could just get the adult sized Razer Seiren? Is it even something you should consider?
Design
It comes in three colour shades; it comes in plain black, solid white, and even pink. There are no green mics though; quite odd considering this is Razer we are talking about. But at least the black is universal enough that it does not look like it is out of place on the video. If you want a little bit of a flavour, the pink should fit your style nicely. Keep in mind that it does not taste like cotton candy though, it tastes metallic.
Literal taste aside though, the whole package of the Razer Seiren Mini is rather unassuming. The capsule looking body with mic does not look like it is made to impress anyone. The whole package comes with its own mini legs too, which is nice, because that means you do not need to get a separate mic stand for it. It is easy to set up too because the mic uses a proper, regular mic stand ¾-inch thread. There are two standard mic holder thread though, so do check properly.
In some ways, it looks cute because it is just so tiny, and light. It looks and feels durable too, and that is the best part because we think that users might use this mic as a portable mic set-up as well. At least, that is also what Razer is selling this product as, a “portable mini microphone”. The only missing thing from the whole package, in that case, is a carrying case for the mic.
Hardware
Inside this tiny capsule is a 14mm super cardioid condenser. Which also means it is not a passive type of dynamic mic that words by just plugging it into an amp or mixer; you need power. At the same time, you cannot plug this into any XLR, or ¼” jack though. It is a USB Type-C mic that also draws its power from the PC it is connected to.
Specifications
Sample Rate
44.1 KHz – 48 KHz
Microphone
14mm Super Cardioid Condenser Built-in Shock Mounting
Frequency Response
20 Hz – 20 KHz
Power
5V 500mA Via Micro USB
Sensitivity
17.8 mV/Pa (1 KHz)
Max SPL
110 dB
Features
While the mic does not look like much, there is quite a lot of things packed into the small capsule mic though. It is a USB Type-C mic, which also means it is a simple plug and play now. The USB port is designed to sort of hide the cable connection and make the whole capsule look whole. There is some clever surprise inside the capsule body as well.
Flush USB Plug and Play
Micro USB is not necessarily new in electronics. The difference between this one mic with other mics of its type is how they hide the cable. Well, they did not really hide the cable, just the fact that they made it seem like the cable is a part of the mic capsule itself. Of course, they colour match the cables too.
Razer does not just give you a regular looking USB cable for you to connect to your Razer Serine mini and calls it a day. They made an effort to properly design a USB cable head that matches and sits flush with the body of your Razer Seiren Mini.
While it is a plug and play mic solution, it is not Razer Synapse compatible unfortunately. That can be a good thing too though; it just works. To control the volume, you just go to Windows audio settings and sort it out. All you have to do is figure out the best place to put your mic and you can get streaming, podcasting, and even use it in your video conference.
Super Cardioid Condenser
Source: Razer
What you get inside the capsule mic, as mentioned before, is a 14mm super cardioid condenser. A condenser cannot work without a power source, unlike dynamic mics. There are advantages to dynamic mics compared to condensers. For example, on a dynamic mic, you get cleaner audio and it is simple to work with. Dynamic mics are known to be durable as well, just find a studio and ask them for their oldest Shure SM58 mic, ask them how old it is, and you will understand why.
Condensers have their own advantages as well though. Condensers tend to be a lot more sensitive than dynamic mics. Heightened sensitivity allows you to place the mic further away from you or have more control over sensitivity depending on where you place the mic. But that also means that you have more freedom to place your mic in different locations and positions to pick up different sounds like ambient noise and such. On top of that, condensers can be a lot more compact than dynamic mics.
Super cardioid refers to its pickup pattern which centers mostly at its front and a little bit at the back. It is a tighter pattern compared to a general cardioid mic though which also means that it will be a lot less sensitive to noise and sounds from the sides of the mic. Which also means you really want to point the front of the mic toward the source of the sound you want being picked up, you. At least that is straight forward enough to do; the front of the mic is where the power indication LED and RAZER branding is.
Built-in Shock Mount
Because condensers are also more sensitive, every little bump and shake can be picked up by the mic. That is why shock mounting is important when you get a condenser. That was our concern as well when we picked up this little Seiren Mini. Fortunately, Razer thought of that and figured out a way to fit a shock mount into the capsule, and it works. You still hear knocks on the mic, obviously, but when you place it on the table, knocks and bumps on the table is hardly heard through the mic, unless it is a hard knock. If you are using a boom arm and accidentally brushed or knocked your hands against the boom arm, the shock is also hardly heard through the mic. You only head knocks and bumps very clearly if you are bumping or knocking against the mic directly.
Tilting Stand
We will not call this the best quality tilting stand that you can find in the market. We are going to say that this is a good mic stand for your Razer Seiren Mini though. The best part about it is that you can use it with other mics or mic holders with standard mic stand threads. That also means that you can technically use different mic with a standard mic holder, and it works too. Although, you do want to make sure that you either balance the weight properly or that the mic is not too heavy to work with; dynamic mics like the Shure SM58 should be fine.
It is made with plastic mostly, even the base is covered with plastic material. Excluding the mic, there are two parts to the stand that comes standard with your Razer Seiren Mini. You get a base with a tilting thread, and a plastic stem that adapts the base to the mic because the thread on the base is a smaller standard thread. The base also comes with an anti-slip foam at the bottom to grip ensure that it does not get to move too much on your desk. The foam bottom also helps eliminate micro vibrations from your desk, which is a bonus in getting cleaner sound from you.
Performance
When you talk about the performance of a mic though, its sound quality and reproduction is everything. The thing is, specific mics serves different purposes in its design though. Mics like the Seiren Mini is really built for streamers and podcasting. That also means that it should deliver that ‘radio voice’ quality over voice chats and when you are recording a podcast, or in video calls.
Audio Quality and Reproduction
First of all, before you start thinking about downloading software solutions from Razer to control the mic, forget it. Even Razer’s synapse does not recognise the device. That also means that Razer’s own apps will not control the mic’s pickup. There are no physical buttons to the mic either, which also means you have to go into Windows 10’s or MacOS’s sound settings and control the mic sensitivity there.
No complains on that though, because it is simple enough to get to Windows audio settings and set the mic to default to the Razer Seiren Mini, set the volumes correctly in different use cases and just leave it from there. In most cases, we leave our mics to 100% sensitivity in Windows settings, especially when we tuck the mic further away from us (about 0.5m away from the mouth).
When we do our podcast though, we stuck the mic closer to our mouths and lowered the sensitivity on Window itself because the mic is now that much closer to our mouths to the point that we are almost kissing the mic. Here we find a problem with the Razer Seiren Mini. It does not have a pop-filter and Razer does not sell a Seiren Mini specific pop-filter too. That results in pops when we say things like “pick”, or “ping”, or “pack”. It is easily corrected by buying a generic pop-filter though. You only have to worry about mounting the stuff.
The audio you get from the mic is quite remarkable though. You get the same sort of sound signature with the bigger Seiren X from this little capsule. That also means a crisp voice with very clear mid-frequencies and low frequencies for great and clear voice. That also means your teammates or audience can hear you very clearly. Just be sure that nothing else is making noise behind you though, since it is a condenser.
Of course, you need to be the judge of the sound quality that the Razer Seiren Mini reproduces for you too. So, we have included a few voice clips for you to listen to. We used Adobe Audition to record all sample sound tracks.
The Razer Seiren Mini – Portable Goodness in Value for Money Package
You can get your hands on the Razer Seiren Mini at MYR 249 from Razer’s official store on Shopee, or their own online store. If you really look through Shopee, you can get a Seiren Mini for even lower prices. There are three colours to choose from as well with the Razer Seiren Mini – Quartz, Mercury, and Black. We do suggest the Black for a more professional and cleaner look.
Still, if you do want to spice up your set up a little bit, the white coloured mercury colour scheme looks great too. While we are not fans of the pink Quarts colour scheme, we do think that there are plenty who would like that colour option too. Whatever it is, the colour options do give a little more freedom for expression, we think.
While we would like to see USB Type-C replacing Micro USB on the Razer Seiren Mini, there is nothing much wrong with Micro USB. A lot of older USB devices still work nicely. Plenty of audio interfaces in the market are still relying on USB Type-B ports too. With the provided cable anyway, the connection is secure and reliable.
At the same price with the Razer Seiren Mini, there are other solutions like HyperX’s Solocast USB microphone. The Solocast does come with a nice built-in stand that looks extremely sturdy. The mic is also taller and a little bigger than the Razer Seiren Mini. Because of that though, it is a little more cumbersome, less portable. When connected to your PC, the USB cable sticks out like a sore thumb too, which could be less appealing in terms of cable management. The HyperX Solocast does have a touch sensitive ‘mute’ button though, while the Razer Seiren Mini does not.
Thing is, recommending the Razer Seiren Mini is really easy for us. At its price, it is hard to find a compelling enough mic that boasts the same quality and features. It is also a relatively economical and simple way to increase the audio quality of your conference calls and even streams. Because it is so small, you can easily throw it in your bag and set up anywhere and anytime.
LUXEMBOURG, June 24, 2021 — The Asteroid Foundation’s annual Asteroid Day LIVE programme premiers Wednesday 30 June 2021 at 18:00 CET. With the help of leading experts, Asteroid Day Co-founder Dr. Brian May and the most engaging voices in science communications from around the world, the five hour programme will bring the solar system’s smallest worlds to vivid life for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
This year, Asteroid Day LIVE celebrates the 25th launch anniversary of NASA’s NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft, and the 2021 launch of three new asteroid missions, NASA’s Lucy, NEA Scout and DART – the world’s first mission to test an asteroid deflection technique – and much more.
There can be no mistake, interest in asteroids has never been greater. In the next three years alone, five new asteroid missions will be launched by NASA and ESA. Asteroid Day LIVE will explore this explosion of interest across five hours of new content that will answer everything from the most fundamental questions a beginner may have about asteroids, to the questions that tantalise the world’s leading researchers.
Asteroid Day LIVE 2021 is split into four distinct segments. The first will explore the titanic task of discovering and tracking the millions of asteroids that circle the Sun; the second will discuss the scientific work that allows us to investigate the true – and often surprising – nature of the asteroids. Segment three is dedicated to the rapid advances that are being made in how to defend our planet from potentially hazardous asteroids; and the final segment looks to the exciting role asteroids may play in the future exploration of space, and the creation of an ‘in space’ economy.
The programme focuses on telling the remarkable stories of asteroids and the people that research them. The show is moderated by leaders of the field, such as Mary Lynne Dittmar of Axiom Space, and expert science communicators such as astronaut Tom Jones and Lucie Green from University College London.
Anchored by RTL presenter Lisa Burke from Luxembourg’s Broadcasting Centre Europe, 2021’s Asteroid Day LIVE features a "Who’s Who?" of people involved in asteroid research. Programme highlights include:
Asteroid Day’s co-founder, and Queen guitarist, Brian May talking about his work making stereoscopic "3D" images to give researchers better views of their asteroid targets;
One of the principal architects of modern asteroid research, Andrew Cheng of Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, discussing the astonishing discoveries made by the NEAR-Shoemaker mission and the groundbreaking work that NASA’s DART mission will undertake;
Naomi Murdoch from ISAE-SUPAERO, Toulouse, France, tells us how landing on an asteroid could be more like a splashdown than a touchdown;
University of Arizona’sDante Lauretta and Makoto Yoshikawa from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency talking about the amazing successes of their space missions to retrieve rock samples from asteroids;
And we look to future missions such as NASA’s Psyche and Lucy and ESA’s Hera, with Lindy Elkin-Tanton of Arizona State University, Cathy Olkin of Southwest Research Institute, and Heli Greus of ESA.
Other high profile speakers and moderators this year include Pedro Duque, former ESA astronaut and Spain’s minister of science and innovation; American astronauts Ed Lu and Leland Melvin and cosmonaut Dorin Prunariu; private space traveler Anousheh Ansari; Patrick Michel, director of research at CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) and NEO-MAPP lead; Ruy Pinto, Chief Technology Officer of SES; Franco Ongaro, ESA’s Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality; Bill Nye, ‘the science guy’ and CEO of The Planetary Society; Elena Adams, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory’s; "Internet Rocket Scientist" Scott Manly; and Asteroid Day’s Editorial Director, Stuart Clark.
The Planetary Society and Asteroid Foundation have co-produced a new video series titled ‘Meet the Asteroids’ that will premiere during Asteroid Day LIVE. Each specially produced video will highlight a famous asteroid’s unique characteristics and back story. Taken together this series demonstrates the remarkable diversity of asteroids and explains the fascination that now surrounds their study.
And at the heart of it all is the original purpose of Asteroid Day: to raise awareness that one day we will need to deflect an asteroid away from our planet. Through hard work and dedication, the global asteroid community is working to make this possible – and that puts the asteroid hazard in a class of its own, because uniquely among the natural disasters, asteroid impacts are preventable.
"Let’s all keep aware of the significance of Asteroid Day. Asteroids are still out there and we still don’t know all of them, so we need to be circumspect. We need to keep doing the research to safeguard the future of this planet, for our children and our grandchildren. Let’s keep Asteroid Day in mind. I’m very proud to be part of it" says Dr. Brian May.
Asteroid Day’s Luxembourg-based partners Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE) and SES, the leader in global content connectivity solutions, will make Asteroid Day TV available for millions to tune in via an SES satellite at 19.2 degrees East.
About Asteroid Day: Asteroid Day is held on 30 June each year to mark the date of Earth’s largest asteroid impact in recorded history, the Tunguska, Siberia event. Asteroid Day was co-founded by astrophysicist and famed musician Dr Brian May of the rock group Queen; Apollo 9 Astronaut Rusty Schweickart; Filmmaker Grig Richters; and B612 Foundation President Danica Remy, to educate the public about the importance of asteroids in our history, and the role they play in the solar system. In 2016, prompted by the leadership of the Association of Space Explorers (ASE), the United Nations declared Asteroid Day to be a global day of education to raise awareness and promote knowledge in the general public about asteroids. Thousands of independently-organised events have taken place around the globe, encompassing 125 of the world’s 195 countries.
A Media Kit including quotes, photos, video and B-Roll video is available in the Asteroid Day Newsroom. Photos from previous Asteroid Day events in Luxembourg are available on Flickr.
Asteroid Day TV – SES Broadcast Connection Details:
Europe/Middle East Service Name: Asteroid Day 2021 HD Service ID: 5711 Transponder: 1.068 Satellite: Astra 1M Orbital Pos: 19.2 East Downlink Frequency: 11778.00 MHz Polarization: Vertical Modulation: DVB-S2 QPSK FEC: 9/10 SR: 29.5 MSym/s
About Asteroid Foundation: Asteroid Foundation was formed in 2017 with a mission to promote worldwide awareness of asteroid opportunities and challenges, and the emerging space economy. The Asteroid Foundation undertakes programmes and activities to support scientists, engineers and students around the world providing free educational tools, newsletters, original articles and resources year round. Annually, the Foundation organizes events surrounding International Asteroid Day, a United Nations recognized day of education and awareness observed on 30 June. Visit their Flickr account to see pictures from previous events. https://asteroidfoundation.org/
About Association of Space Explorers Founded in 1985, the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) is an international nonprofit 510c3 professional and educational organization of more than 400 flown astronauts and cosmonauts from 38 nations. ASE’s Committee on Near Earth Objects (NEO), chaired by astronaut Tom Jones, works to promote global awareness of the asteroid impact threat. ASE delivers subject matter expertise and the astronaut perspective on key topics related to NEOs, including developments in planetary defense, advancements in NEO discovery and characterization, and impactor mitigation campaign design. ASE NEO Committee members also support the bi-annual IAA Planetary Defence Conference and the annual Asteroid Day event in Luxembourg. https://www.space-explorers.org/
About B612 Foundation B612 is dedicated to protecting Earth from asteroid impacts. It does this by driving forward science and technologies needed to protect the Earth from asteroid impacts through the Asteroid Institute. It educates the public, the scientific community, and world governments about asteroids through programs such as Asteroid Day. Since the organization’s inception in 2002, its work has been carried out entirely through the support of private donors. What started in 2002 as a visionary idea to develop the technology to deflect an asteroid has grown into a world-renowned organization and scientific institute with a key role in the emerging field of planetary defense. www.b612foundation.org
About Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE) Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE) is a European leader in media services, system integration and software development in the areas of television, online video, streaming, radio, production and postproduction, telecommunication and IT. With its extensive experience on the media market, our team provides high-quality services and will always find the solution that matches your project and budget. With more than 200 highly qualified and motivated people, BCE serves about 400 clients in various sectors, such as TV channels, radio stations, film distributors, producers, advertising companies, sports federations, fashion, events, institutions and telecommunications operators. www.bce.lu
About the European Space Agency (ESA) The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA has 22 Member States. ESA’s programmes are designed to find out more about Earth, its immediate space environment, our Solar System and the Universe, as well as to develop satellite-based technologies and services, and to promote European industries. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.. http://www.esa.int
About Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce The main role of the Chamber of Commerce is to protect and promote the interests of businesses and the economy of Luxembourg. To enable it to fulfil this mandate, it has been granted the status of a public establishment, which comes with some significant prerogatives. Since membership of professional businesses is mandatory in Luxembourg, the Chamber of Commerce has high rates of affiliation, with 90,000 member companies, corresponding to 75% of the country’s total salaried employment and 80% of Luxembourg’s GDP, making it the biggest employers’ group in the country. It represents all businesses in Luxembourg except those in the artisanal and agricultural sectors. The Chamber of Commerce implements projects and infrastructures for sustainable and prosperous economic development and therefore consists of several entities, such as: House of Entrepreneurship Launched in 2016 by the Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of the Economy as a single point of contact for existing and new entrepreneurs, the House of Entrepreneurship offers a wide range of services. House of Startups Innovation hubs, incubators, business accelerators and startup consulting services are all under one roof at the House of Startups (HoST), launched by the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in 2018. Several major hubs are already in place: the Luxembourg House of Financial Technology (LHoFT), the newly created Luxembourg-City Incubator (LCI), initiated by the Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the City of Luxembourg, Groupe Crédit Agricole’s international incubator, and the International Climate Finance Accelerator (ICFA). House of Training Launched in 2015 by the Chamber of Commerce and the Luxembourg Bankers’ Association (ABBL), the House of Training trains thousands of people in a variety of fields such as banking and finance, entrepreneurship and management, law, industry marketing, human resources and many more. https://www.cc.lu
About Luxembourg Space Agency Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA) develops the space sector in Luxembourg by fostering new and existing companies, developing human resources, facilitating access to funding and supporting academic research. The agency implements the national space economic development strategy, manages national space research and development programs and leads the SpaceResources.lu initiative. Furthermore, the LSA represents Luxembourg within the European Space Agency and space-related programs of the European Union and the United Nations. https://space-agency.public.lu/
About OHB Systems OHB Systems is a European multinational technology corporation, headquartered in Bremen, Germany. They are and have been one of the leading companies in Europe’s space sector for the past 35 years, particularly in their core business comprising low-orbiting and geostationary satellites. They have been developing and executing some of the key projects of our times such as the Galileo navigation satellites, the SARah reconnaissance system, the MTG meteorological satellites, the EnMAP environment satellite, the TET-1 technology testing vehicle and the Hispasat H36W-1, ELECTRA and EDRS-C telecommunications satellites. https://www.ohb-system.de/
About The Planetary Society The Planetary Society is a non-profit organization with the mission of empowering the world’s citizens to advance space science and exploration. They introduce people to the wonders of the cosmos, bridging the gap between the scientific community and the general public to inspire and educate people from all walks of life, and they give every citizen of the planet the opportunity to make their voices heard in government and effect real change in support of space exploration. https://www.planetary.org/
About SES SES is a Luxembourgish satellite and terrestrial telecommunications network provider supplying video and data connectivity worldwide to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators, governments and institutions. With over 70 satellites in two different orbits, they combine a vast, intelligent network of satellites and ground infrastructure with industry-leading expertise to manage and deliver high-performance video and data solutions virtually everywhere on the planet. https://www.ses.com/
About Twitch TV Introduced in June 2011, Twitch TV is an American video live streaming service that focuses on video game live streaming, including broadcasts of esports competitions. In addition, it offers music broadcasts, creative content, and more recently, "in real life" streams. https://www.twitch.tv/
Working on-the-go comes with a lot of compromises. When you are on the move, you want a companion that is fuss-free, easy to work with, reliable, and most importantly light and compact. The trade-off to that is always power.
You see this in modern laptops made for the working professionals. When you get super lightweight, super compact laptops, they usually do not come with a discrete GPU. That also means that if you need your PC to do more than just word processing, or browsing the web, or even create presentations, you are going to have to compromise a little bit.
It is 2021 though. In that sense, we should not have to compromise that much when it comes to portability and power, especially if your work relies on that kind of power. Of course, you want something industrial, durable and reliable too in your work notebook PC. The one name you can associate with all the things mentioned above in a professional notebook is Lenovo’s ThinkPad.
Source: Lenovo
Specifically, we are looking at the most powerful ThinkPad in their line-up; we are looking at Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Extreme. In its Gen 4 clad, it is the most powerful Lenovo ThinkPad ever; or at least it can be.
Within the very familiar all-metal body of the ThinkPad lives an Intel Core i9-H series 11th Generation processor (up to). The most powerful mobile processor that Intel has to offer is accompanied by a very powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (up to) for good measure. With up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM at 3200MHz, the new ThinkPad X1 Extreme is an extremely powerful machine that can chew up 3D rendering work, eat video workflow for lunch, and drink photo editing work for tea-time without breaking a sweat, especially with Lenovo’s reworked and patented cooling technology.
You can pair the powerful internals to a 4K+ (up to) 16-inch display to ensure that you get every detail exactly right. You see more too with a unique 16:10 display ratio. With 10-bit colours, HDR 400 and up to 600nit in brightness, you will get every colour for your projects right too. If you are working with a lot of Audio, the Dolby Atmos certified speakers should do that job for you.
Source: Lenovo
While a lot laptops stop at 720p video webcam, the Lenovo ThinkPad goes beyond that to make this your ultimate work laptop anywhere you may be working from. It packs a Full HD 1080p webcam as standard with a physical shutter. For added security with Windows Hello, you can spec it with a Full HD 1080p Infrared Hybrid webcam. Of course, the ThinkPad also comes with the a fingerprint reader as standard.
The familiar all-metal chassis is even more durable than ever too. It is MIL-STD 810H certified, which also means that it can withstand more than just the regular bumps and nicks. You can be sure that it will survive a drop from your desks too, just in case you are that clumsy that day. The build standard is not really to allow you to be clumsy and rough with the laptop though, it is just to ensure that you do not lose your important work data in case the inevitable happens.
Everything above might make the laptop sound like a chunky block of aluminium slab that you would dread to carry in your backpack. That is not the case though. It only weighs 1.82kg; and at 17.7mm, it is not exactly thick either. It might come with a chunky power brick though to ensure that the powerful processors get enough power.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is expected to be available in select markets from August 2021 onward. Prices for the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 starts at EUR€ 2,099 (MYR10,431*). There is no word on availability and official pricing of the device in Malaysia just yet. They did say that the availability and pricing for Malaysia will be announced soon though, so watch this space.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of EUR€ 1 = MYR 4.97
This partnership aims to provide passengers a seamless cross-border travel experience with a reliable digital health certificate
SINGAPORE, June 24, 2021 — BSE and NSE listed (BSE: 540073; NSE: BLS), BLS International, a trusted global tech-enabled services partner for governments and citizens, announced today that it has entered into a partnership agreement with a Singapore-based company, Knowledge Catalyst to provide Digital Health Certificates also known as HealthCerts, for passengers travelling to and from Singapore.
Effective immediately, BLS will start issuing HealthCerts in Singapore. HealthCerts is a set of digital standards and schema for issuing digital COVID-19 Pre-Departure Test (PDT) results certificates that are in line with international standards and the Singapore Government’s requirements. The HealthCerts schema was developed in collaboration with the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) and Ministry of Health (MOH) of Singapore. Further, these HealthCerts are tamper-proof and traceable. Currently, they are issued directly to travellers in the form of a QR code, and can be downloaded onto their mobile devices. These QR codes will enable authorities to easily verify that the PDT results have been issued by accredited healthcare institutions and allow them to confirm the authenticity of the certificates before granting border access.
With the ongoing ease in travel restrictions, there has been resumption of global travel. Keeping the wellbeing and safety of travellers as well as citizens in mind, many countries are allowing visitors’ entry with verified health certificates. Such solutions are welcoming as it provides a seamless verification process for both travellers and authorities.
Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Shikhar Aggarwal, Joint Managing Director, BLS International, said, "There is an immense need for such initiatives for the comfort of travellers and authorities to facilitate ease in travelling as countries are opening their borders. We are excited about this partnership with Knowledge Catalyst to provide a seamless cross-border travel experience with reliable digital health certificates. Since both inbound and outbound travellers in Singapore are required to have health certificates, BLS has begun the project focusing on inbound travellers to Singapore and outbound travellers traveling from Singapore to Spain, Italy and India, our existing client governments in Singapore."
Mr Rudy J. Rahardjo, CEO of Knowledge Catalyst, expressed, "Being at the forefront of such technology has allowed Knowledge Catalyst to build global partnerships with key stakeholders around the world. We are excited to be partnering with BLS international to facilitate travellers travelling to and from Singapore in meeting safe travel requirements."
About BLS International
BLS International Services Ltd. a trusted global tech-enabled services partner for governments and citizens, having an impeccable reputation for setting benchmarks in the domain of visa, passport, consular, citizen, e-governance, attestation, biometric, e-visa and retail services since 2005. The company is recognized as ‘Best under a Billion’ company" by Forbes Asia and ranked amongst Fortune India’s Next 500 companies.
The company works with over 46 client governments including Diplomatic Missions, Embassies & Consulates and leverages technology and processes that ensure data security. The Company now has an extensive network of more than 12,000 centres globally with a robust strength of over 15,000 employees and associates that provides consular, biometrics and citizen services. BLS has processed over 52 million applications till date globally.
BLS International adheres to ISO 9001:2015 certified for Quality Management Systems; ISO 27001:2013 certified for Information Security Management Systems; ISO 14001:2015 certified for Environmental Management Systems; ISO/ IEC 45001:2018 certified for Occupational Safety and Health; ISO / IEC 20000-1:2011 certified for IT Service Management; ISO 26000:2010 certified for Social Responsibility; ISO 23026:2015 certified for System Engineering and Management Requirements; ISO/IEC 28000:2017 certified for Supply Chain Management System; ISO/IEC 27002: 2013 certified for Management of Information Security; ISO 31000: 2018 certified for Risk Management; ISO 27001:2013 certified for Risk Management of Information.
BLS International is the only listed company in this domain with operations in 66 countries.
Knowledge Catalyst is a technology company headquartered in Singapore, that specialises in harnessing the blockchain technology to create opportunities and value-add stakeholders within industries. Apart from their solution for the health and travel ecosystem, the company also deploy solutions in the education and talent ecosystem to address the widening gaps of equitable learning and the future of work. Founded in 2018, Knowledge Catalyst has issued over 13,000 credentials to over 300 organizations across Asia.
BEIJING, June 24, 2021 — China Media Group (CMG) and Kuaishou held a joint press conference officially announcing a short video strategic partnership on Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Kuaishou now holds the official broadcasting rights for Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Kuaishou is the first short video and live-streaming platform globally to become an official broadcaster of the Olympics Games.
Su Hua, CEO of Kuaishou Technology, emphasised at the conference that Kuaishou remains true to its beginning aspirations of recording and sharing life stories. He also notes that it’s an honor for Kuaishou to be able to document and enjoy the Olympic Games with all users. As a pioneer since 2011, Kuaishou has provided internet users globally the opportunity to record and share their life stories. The platform witnessed the growth and development of various aspects of society and gradually became a base for modern day social media platforms. Presently Kuaishou has 1 billion monthly active users from all around the globe. People from different countries of varying ages and diverse lifestyles get to interact with and learn from each other. Kuaishou was chosen as its principles and communities are in alignment with the spirit of the Olympic Games.
Su also mentioned that Kuaishou’s multiple successful partnerships with CMG has allowed for Kuaishou to explore new ways to allow users to enjoy a more convenient participation experience for large scale events. For example, the parade was first live-streamed from multiple angles during the 2019 National Day celebration, which garnered over 1 billion views. Furthermore, CCTV’s 2020 New Year’s Gala debuted a new Kuaishou interactive feature of "videos+likes." The new feature gathered over 63.9 billion interactions – defined as user comment and sending red packets – and even setting a new record of number of likes for an event. The feature has influenced users to now watch the New Year’s Gala on dual screens for a boosted experience.
Kuaishou is confident in providing top quality broadcast of the games as the platform is home to thriving sports communities and has much experience in hosting broadcasts about major sporting events. According to Su, there are nearly 50,000 high-quality sports content creators and 150 million users who are sports fans on Kuaishou. Currently, the sports content on Kuaishou covers sports like football, basketball, boxing, snooker, racing, extreme sports, and outdoor sports. In March, Kuaishou even became the official livestream and short video partner of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The total views of the live streams during the 2020-2021 season reached a high of 810 million and achieved over 360 million interactions. Kuaishou users have also repurposed content from the live stream to create meaningful and enriching content of their own, indicating an extremely successful event.
For the Olympic Games partnership, Kuaishou announced plans to make use of its unique product capabilities and technological expertise to create a series of interactive features that can allow users to participate virtually as part of the Olympics. At the same time, Kuaishou is committed to improve its promotional methods of the games, to explore different angles of capturing the games and ensure full coverage of all events. Kuaishou will work with CMG in hopes of producing the most interactive experience with extensive coverage of the Olympic Games in history.
