MANILA, Philippines, Dec. 9, 2021 — Tonik, the Philippines’ first digital-only neobank, continues to blaze a trail in the local banking industry by surpassing P5B (US$100M) in consumer deposits. The development comes within only 8 months of the neobank’s launch of commercial operations and comes on the heels of Tonik’s prior achievement of another first in the banking history in the Philippines by securing P1B (US$20M) in consumer deposits within a month of going live last March.
PH neobank Tonik secures USD100M in Consumer Deposits within 8 months of launch
Tonik’s deposit achievement was supported by unique, accessible, flexible, and inclusive products, including industry-leading deposit interest rates of up to 6% per annum for time deposits, and unique saving features such as its Solo Stash and Group Stash products that can earn up to 4% and 4.5% per annum, respectively.
"We built Tonik to accelerate financial inclusion to more Filipinos, who deserve to have the fully-digital ease and convenience in their banking experience," shares Greg Krasnov, Tonik CEO and Founder. "We are very grateful that we’re now a closer to reaching this goal with the overwhelming support that we are receiving from our customers. To make this holiday season sweeter, and further accelerate on customer acquisition, we are launching welcome bonus and referral programs that will enable our customers to earn upon joining or by inviting their friends to start a neobanking romance with us."
Tonik also recently launched its first lending product called "Quick Loan" – a game-changing all-digital loan product designed to serve the vast unbanked and underbanked Filipino middle class with a quick and affordable bank loan proposition in under 15 minutes.
Tonik holds the first private bank digital bank license in the country, is supervised by the BSP, and its deposits are insured by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC). With US$44M raised to-date, Tonik is among the best funded fintechs in Southeast Asia. Its unique cloud-based solution is powered by global financial technology leaders such as Mastercard, Amazon Web Services, and Finastra.
Tonik is the first digital-only neobank in the Philippines, providing loan, deposit, payment, and card products to consumers on a highly secure digital banking platform. The neobank operates on the basis of the first private digital bank license issued by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Tonik is led by a team of retail finance veterans who have previously built and scaled multiple retail banks and fintechs across the global emerging markets. It is backed by top international venture capital funds. Tonik operates out of hubs in Singapore (HQ), Manila, Chennai, and Kyiv.
BEIJING, Dec. 8, 2021 — Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the 2021 South-South Human Rights Forum, which opened in Beijing on Wednesday.
 
In the letter, Xi said human rights are a symbol of progress in human civilization and that safeguarding human lives, value and dignity and ensuring human rights for all are a common pursuit of the human society. Putting people first and making their aspiration for a better life a goal are the responsibilities of countries bestowed by the times, said Xi.
Xi stressed that the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a political party that has always respected and protected human rights.
Sticking to the people-centered approach and putting the people’s interests above everything else, China has been promoting human rights through development, advancing its whole-process people’s democracy, and promoting free and well-rounded development of humanity, Xi said.
By doing all that, China has succeeded in blazing a path for human rights development that meets the trend of the times, making significant achievements in its human right cause and continuously enhancing the sense of gain, happiness and security of the over 1.4 billion Chinese people in guaranteeing human rights, said Xi.
There are diversified ways for practicing human rights, and people of different countries should and are able to independently choose the path for human rights development that fits their national realities, Xi said.
China is willing to work with other developing countries in upholding and promoting the common values of humanity, practicing true multilateralism and contributing wisdom and strength to the healthy development of the international human rights cause, said Xi.
Co-hosted by the State Council Information Office of China and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 2021 South-South Human Rights Forum opened under the theme "Putting People First and Global Human Rights Governance."
SGS and ETL Certifications Added to Impressive List of Certifications, Awards, and Successful Deployments
SHENZHEN, China, Dec. 8, 2021 — HAI ROBOTICS has been awarded SGS and ETL Certifications for its HAIPICK A42 robots and HAIPORT-powered Workstation, respectively. A recent winner of the robotics category for the 2021 NextGen Supply Chain Solution Provider Awards, HAI ROBOTICS has pioneered Autonomous Case-handling Robot (ACR) systems and the associated breakthrough capabilities for warehouses.
HAI ROBOTICS was awarded SGS certification.
SGS Certification: The product (HAIPICK robots) is certified according to ISO/IEC Guide 17067, Conformity assessment – Fundamentals of product certification, System 3, and in accordance with: ANSI/UL 3100, First Edition, Dated May 26, 2021
Intertek ETL Certification: The product (HAIPORT-powered Workstation) is certified for the following standards:
Outline of Investigation for Machinery [UL Subject 2011: 2020 Ed.5]
Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery [NFPA79: 2017 Ed.2018]
The certified HAIPICK robots include the following models:
HAIPICK A42 – Multi-layer ACR with customizable height ranging from 3.3 – 16.4 feet
HAIPICK A42D – Double-deep picking increases storage density
HAIPICK A42N – Mixed carton/case/tote picking, 3D visual recognition
HAIPICK A42T – Telescopic lift, 82 feet to 21.33 feet storage range
HAIPICK A42 SLAM – Laser SLAM, ultra-precision picking and placing
The HAIPORT-powered Workstation is an automated picking workstation that provides:
Multi-case loading and unloading
Ability to load/unload four to eight cases simultaneously
Efficient and fast loading
Flexibility
Safety
"Our commitment to stringent certifications such as SGS, ETL, CE, and UL, as well as full compliance with local regulations and OSHA standards are just a few of the reasons that we have been able to provide rapid deployment and a 100% project success rate in more than 300 deployments worldwide," said Brian Zheng, the company’s U.S. General Manager.
About HAI ROBOTICS
HAI ROBOTICS, a trailblazer of Autonomous Case-handling Robot (ACR) system, is committed to providing efficient, intelligent, flexible, and customized warehouse automation solutions through robotics technology and AI algorithms. It aims to create value for each factory and logistics warehouse.
The HAIPICK ACR system, independently developed in 2015, is the world’s first of its kind.
Founded in 2016 with headquarters in Shenzhen, China, HAI ROBOTICS has set up five subsidiaries in Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Singapore, the U.S. and the Netherlands, serving customers from more than 30 countries and regions. It now has over 1,200 staff, more than 50% of whom are engineers. The company has acquired more than 600 global patents for core intellectual properties involving positioning, robot control and warehouse management. In the latest C and D rounds of funding in 2021, the company raised over US$200 million in total.
Snagit 2022 includes upgraded functionality to support remote and hybrid work environments
OKEMOS, MI, Dec. 8, 2021 — TechSmith Corporation, the market leader in screen capture and video editing tools today released Snagit 2022, which offers features to meet the expanding need for communicating across distributed teams.
Snagit 2022 offers improved Picture-In-Picture recording to maintain human connections in remote environments, and the ability to store captures in the Snagit library to a variety of cloud options to access across multiple devices.
The new version also makes it easier to use Snagit across different devices and operating systems with improved Mac and Windows feature uniformity, and cross platform project files.
Snagit 2022 features:
Picture-In-Picture recording
Capture screens and webcams at the same time, along with audio. The size and position of the webcam window can be moved around the screen, displayed, or hidden during recording.
Cloud library
Snagit 2022 users can now store capture libraries to several cloud services, making it easy to access from multiple devices. Cloud services supported include Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Box.
Cross-platform file format and feature uniformity
The new .snagx file format replaces .snag (Windows) and .snagproj (Mac) formats and is cross-platform compatible, allowing teams to open, edit, and share files easily. Annotation tools now have uniformity across both platforms.
Pricing:
TechSmith Snagit 2022 is $62.99 USD, which includes one year of Maintenance. Maintenance provides access to a free upgrade to the next version, premium support, and access to product certification. Enterprise pricing available. Learn more: https://www.techsmith.com/screen-capture.html
About TechSmith
TechSmith screen capture software is perfect for anyone who wants to create and share images and videos for better training, tutorials, lessons, and everyday communication.
-53 million additional cases of depression globally due to the pandemic; VR digital therapeutics helps meet this increasing demand with technology that can enhance treatment effectiveness –
TOKYO, Dec. 7, 2021 — Jolly Good Inc. ("Jolly Good"), a leading Japanese VR company which develops and provides medical VR and VR digital therapeutics, is expanding overseas and has developed an English version of its VR digital therapeutic tool that facilitates the treatment of depression ("VRDTx"). Jolly Good has invited Dr. Katharine "Kim" Larsson and Dr. Amaro Laria–behavioral medicine specialists based in Boston, MA, USA–to join Jolly Good as consultants for their VRDTx project. The VRDTx treatment approach is based on principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Dr. Larsson and Dr. Laria support the potential value of this innovative technology to facilitate in the treatment of depression, and have worked closely with Jolly Good to ensure that their product meets the demands of the USA audience. A demo version of this VRDTx technology will be exhibited for the first time at CES, the world’s largest technology event, which will be held in Las Vegas on January 5-8, 2022.
From left: Dr. Larsson and Dr. Laria of Boston Behavioral Medicine, LLC; and Kensuke Joji, CEO of Jolly Good.
Exhibiting at CES, the world’s largest tech event
The VRDTx, developed by Jolly Good in consultation with Dr. Larsson and Dr. Laria, will be exhibited for the first time in the "health & wellness" category at CES, one of the world’s largest technology conferences. There’s a lot of excitement in anticipation of CES’s first in-person conference in two years, and they expect a very high number of attendants.
＜Information of CES＞
Date：Jan 5th (Wed) – Jan 8th (Sat), 2022 Place： North Hall, Las Vegas Convention and World Trade Center(LVCC), Las Vegas, NV, USA （Booth number：8478） https://www.ces.tech/
53 million additional cases of depression raises concern about gaps in healthcare delivery
According to a study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental disorders by Dr. Damian F. Santomauro and his colleagues at the University of Queensland, Australia, (published in online Lancet journal), the number of patients with major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders increased by more than 53 million and 76 million, respectively, with higher rates among women and young people. According to the Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) MAP published by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), the availability of mental health services across the U.S. varies from region to region, with most regions meeting less than 50% of the demand for mental health services, which is inadequate.
Addressing regional disparities by enhancing treatment effectiveness with VR-facilitated treatment
Using VR technology in the treatment of depression can be a significant adjunct to enhance treatment effectiveness by allowing the patient to have a more realistic experience. Patients are able to immerse themselves almost "in vivo" in a VR environment and experience "first- hand" typical situations that are relevant to depressed patients. They identify with the characters in the scenes being able to take multiple subjective positions in the situations that are displayed. Watching the characters in the scenes express their thoughts and perspectives from a distanced position, can help patients reflect on their own thoughts and perspectives in similar situations in their lives. Enhancing the effectiveness of available treatments for depression can help alleviate the burden associated with the increasing demand for adequate mental health services worldwide.
＜Comments from the professional consultants＞
Dr. Kim Larsson and Dr. Amaro Laria joined the Jolly Good VRDTx project as professional consultants in 2021. They are the co-founders and co-directors of Boston Behavioral Medicine, LLC in Boston, MA, USA. Dr. Larsson is a graduate of Boston College School of Nursing, and a former supervisor at Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Laria is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Boston and a current Clinical Instructor in the Psychiatry Department of Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School. They have expertise in behavioral medicine and currently run a training program.
"VRDTx can help improve quality and effectiveness in treating depression, which in turn can alleviate some of the burden associated with regional disparities in the US." Katharine "Kim" Larsson, PhD, RN, CS Co-founder & Clinical Director Boston Behavioral Medicine, LLC
"The COVID-19 pandemic has limited social interactions causing many to become isolated, which has significantly fueled levels of depression and anxiety. In turn, being depressed and anxious causes people to become more isolated, which impacts negatively on their functioning. VR technology can be an important adjunct for psychotherapists in the treatment of depression. "
"I foresee that VR technology will become more routine in the treatment of mental health conditions, and will represent an important clinical tool for psychotherapists to enhance the effectiveness of their treatments. Given the increasing demand for services and serious shortage of mental health clinicians, enhancing the effectiveness of our current treatments for depression will be essential in addressing this global mental health crisis."
＜Dr. Larsson’s Biography＞
Dr. Katherine "Kim" Larsson is a doctoral level licensed clinical specialist, who has practiced as a psychotherapist and psycho-pharmacologist for over 20 years. Dr. Larsson underwent clinical training at McLean Hospital and The Cambridge Hospital, both teaching hospitals of Harvard Medical School. She is former Assistant Director of the Behavioral Medicine Program at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates in Boston, and a former supervisor in the Behavioral Medicine Program at Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School. She has carried out international work in Japan as a lecturer and consultant, helping to promote the development of behavioral medicine approaches among nurses and mental health clinicians.
"VRDTx can allow depressed patients to immerse themselves in real life situations, which can significantly enhance the effectiveness of their treatments" Amaro J. Laria, PhD Co-founder & Training Director, Boston Behavioral Medicine, LLC Faculty / Clinical Supervisor, Psychiatry Department, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School
"VR technology brings an experiential and interactive element into the therapy room. It’s an important complement to the ‘talking’ element in psychotherapy, and it results in a more balanced and comprehensive treatment. For example, if a patient is talking about their lack of motivation, the therapist can invite them to reflect on a scene they watched in a VR session, which provides a more vivid and concrete illustration of what the lack of motivation may look like in real life.
Moreover, watching a realistic scene in a VR environment may trigger a particular memory of a similar situation in their own lives, which will allow them to process this material in their talking therapy. VRDTx can also facilitate the process of learning strategies like self-monitoring and cognitive restructuring, which are core to cognitive-behavioral therapy, by providing a role play opportunity through a realistic illustration in VR. It can also be a good replacement for in-vivo exposure, especially in situations in which it’s difficult to recreate real life exposure situations.
＜Dr. Laria’s Biography＞
Dr. Amaro Laria is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience as a psychotherapist. He uses a patient-centered integrative approach that highlights the centrality of the therapeutic relationship and the role of emotions in treatment. Dr. Laria is director of the Boston Behavioral Medicine Training Program, and holds a faculty appointment as Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School through his affiliation with the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance. He obtained his PhD in clinical psychology at University of Massachusetts Boston in 1997, and was a NIMH post-doctoral research fellow in the Social Medicine Department at Harvard Medical School. He served as advisor on cultural issues to the DSM-5 workgroup on anxiety disorders.
VRDTx was developed by Jolly Good and is based on basic principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy ("CBT"), adapting CBT strategies to a VR environment. This treatment strategy allows patients to experience "realistic role play" situations that are typical of many individuals suffering from depression. The experiential quality of this treatment tool can make treatment more relevant to patients, which in turn can significantly enhance treatment effectiveness.
Jolly Good is a medical technology company that develops high-precision VR solutions and AI-based medical and welfare services that analyze user behavior in the VR space. Using technologies such as VR and AI, the company is accelerating human growth and social rehabilitation in medical education, support for persons with disabilities, and treatment of mental illness. Through their collaboration with various research institutes and companies, Jolly Good is at the forefront in the evolution of health care by developing technological innovations that facilitate the provision of health care services.
A laptop has become one of the pieces of technology that we can’t do without. Most of the time, we’re stuck between choosing something that is chunky and powerful or sleek and light. However, in recent years, we’ve been seeing laptops become slimmer and more portable across the board. What we expect from laptops has also changed over the years; we expect to get more done with them without sacrificing much.
One of the largest shifts in recent years has been the focus on better colour reproduction and laptops that are geared for creative work. That’s precisely what the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED is looking to address. It’s a laptop that is packed with creator centric internals. However, we’re still a little sceptical if it truly can keep the promise of being a power laptop built for the “prosumer” at its price point. In fact, that’s the main question we want to answer in our in-depth review of the ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED.
Design
The Vivobook Pro 15 OLED is, as they put it – “same, same but different”. When it comes to the design, ASUS hasn’t decided to revolutionise the lineup with the design. Instead, they have chosen to focus on keeping the Vivobook’s design utilitarian but still sleek and sophisticated. They did this by prioritising the build quality and strength.
While the laptop is built primarily of plastic, ASUS has found a way to reinforce it to make it feel sturdy and well built. There is hardly any flex when opening the laptop and the display doesn’t sway when typing. The hinge of the Pro 15 OLED is firm and has just enough given that it isn’t a chore to open the laptop.
The overall design of the laptop is simplistic and minimal. Its simplistic design isn’t a bad thing – in fact, it’s one of the better designs out there. The top lid is emblazoned with a raised emblem in the middle left. This is possibly the only issue with the overall design. It is not only prone to getting scuffed and scratched but also tends to scratch and scuff things that it’s packed with.
Aside from that, Asus also made the choice to shave a little bit of the sides near the hinges making them less angled. This also gives the laptop less of a rectangular shape. Instead, it’s a trapezoid – but only very slightly. However, these design accents also lend to the uniqueness of the laptop. Overall, Asus made design choices that lent themselves to making the Vivobook feel more premium, sturdy and well-built.
Hardware
The Vivobook Pro 15 OLED isn’t like other Vivobooks; It’s packed to the brim with hardware that gives even ASUS’s Zenbook series a run for its money. In all honesty, there’s enough power here to give some ROG gaming laptops. ASUS had made the Pro 15 OLED a powerhouse – fit for creators looking for an affordable option for a portable workhorse.
Specifications
ASUS VIVOBOOK PRO 15 OLED | M3500QC
As tested
Processor (clock)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX (3.30 GHz) 8 core with Turbo Boost (up to 4.60 GHz) 16 MB cache
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6 VRAM
Display
15.6 Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:10 aspect ratio 60Hz refresh rate 400 nits brightness 600 nits peak brightness 100% DCI-P3 NanoEdge display 84% Screen to Body ratio
1 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C 1 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A 2 USB 2.0 Type-A 1 HDMI 1.4 1 MicroSD card reader 1 Audio Combo Jack
Battery
63Wh 3-cell lithium-polymer battery “All Day” battery life
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64-bit
Miscellaneous
HD camera Backlit Keyboard Stereo Speakers (Harman/Kardon Certified) Microphone Integrated Fingerprint Scanner
Features
While it may seem like the Vivobook pro skimps on features, it really doesn’t. It takes a similar approach to features as it does design. Every feature including the design of the keyboard is thought out and utilitarian in its implementation. In fact, simplicity and utilitarianism seem to be the theme of the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED. Everything is in its place for a reason.
Built for Working On-the-Go
The Vivobook Pro 15 OLED comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from any laptop. However – somehow – they seem to make more sense. Its focus on being utilitarian seems to create a form of tunnel vision which makes the features more apparent.
The power button comes with an integrated fingerprint scanner. While it’s not anything revolutionary, the inclusion of it allows you to sign in with Windows Hello seamlessly by simply touching the power button. Its response time is pretty fast. In fact, most of the time during our review, it would scan and power on at the same time – booting immediately into Windows 11. The quick response time makes working on the go easy as you don’t have to type in your password at all.
It also comes with an HD webcam. Yes, your run-of-the-mill webcam – but it has a privacy shield integrated. The addition of the privacy shield is a welcomed one. The fact that it’s not a software mediated one is a big plus point. The physical shutter simply blocks the camera making sure that it is unable to record. That said, with the addition of the shutter, the lack of physical muting felt like an oversight. But it didn’t take away from the experience and security that is provided.
The slim and light profile of the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED is another “feature” that makes it perfect for working on the go. ASUS has managed to fit functionality and connectivity into a relatively slim body which is perfect for working on the go. This is, of course, complemented by the AI noise-cancelling technology we saw with the Zenbook 14. The technology allows you to make video calls from cafes without much hassle even in loud environments. It will automatically detect the speaker’s voice and suppress background noise.
Full Keyboard, Numpad and Large Touchpad
Of course, being a creator and productivity-focused laptop, it comes as no surprise that the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED comes with a full keyboard with Numpad. While it may seem like a trivial feature, the full keyboard brings added convenience when it comes to dealing with excel sheets and even when it comes to creating apps and keyboard shortcuts. The keys are also pretty comfortable to type on. The individual keys are tactile and give enough feedback and travel; while they aren’t at the level of a mechanical keyboard, long writing sessions – like writing this review – are not an issue.
In addition to the full keyboard and Numpad, the laptop also comes with a large touchpad. Navigating with the touchpad is a little more intuitive with the larger space. It also helps Windows 11’s gestures feel more natural and less cumbersome to use. It also allows some flexibility with the way you work within your apps as it has more than enough space to move about.
Extended Connectivity
The VivoBook Pro 15 OLED comes with all the connectivity ports you need to work on the go. It comes with 2 USB 2.0 Type-A ports and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port. These ports allow for high-speed transfer of files to hard disks and even for you to plug in accessories like a wired mouse to help you work. If you work with microSD cards a lot, the dedicated slot will allow you access to your files without needing a dongle. It also has a dedicated 3.5mm jack for both mic and headphones. The USB-C slot provides even more extendibility with high-speed data transfers and also support USB-C dongles which can provide RJ45 and additional HDMI outputs. The only output lacking is a physical RJ45 port which is easily remedied with a USB hub.
When it comes to WiFi connectivity the VivoBook Pro 15 OLED comes with support for the WiFi 6 (AX) – the latest standard available commercially. This allows for faster, more stable WiFi connections and even higher data transfer speeds – if the network you’re on supports it. That said, even if the network doesn’t support WiFi 6, the laptop does have backward compatibility with WiFi 5. Bluetooth 5.0 is also an option on the Vivobook. Naturally, this means that you’ll be able to use everything from audio accessories to keyboards and mouses which support the protocol.
Multitasking became easier with Link to MyASUS
One of the things I didn’t expect to fall in love with is the MyASUS app. The app isn’t something new – in fact, many other manufacturers have similar applications – but ASUS has made the app something you will use more often and it makes a meaningful impact on workflow. Link to MyASUS allows you to use your tablet or smartphone as an additional extended screen. I found myself doing this on multiple occasions when I was working on the go. Using the extended display function allows you to multitask a little better. Being a writer and video content creator, I regularly had my script and/or references on my extended display to allow me full use of the 15.6-inch display.
In addition to this, the app also allows you to make calls using the laptop. While we didn’t see ourselves using this very often, it made sense to use it when we needed to make an important call or had to answer an incoming call. The added convenience is definitely a boon.
Performance
You can’t lie when it comes to the performance you’ll be getting from the VivoBook Pro 15 OLED. It’s one of the best at the price point. In fact, we’d be comfortable saying that it excels ahead of a lot of its competition thanks to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900-HX processor it runs on. The octa-core processor allows the laptop to breeze through heavier workloads without a hitch. It’s also more power-efficient thanks to the Zen 3 microarchitecture and integrated Radeon graphics. With boost clocks of up to 4.6GHz, the laptop is able to do a lot more work without breaking a sweat.
Paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX3050, the combination is like a 1-2 punch when it comes to productivity. It’s able to handle heavy graphics loads with ease. During our review period, we were able to process 4K video with ease on Adobe Premiere Pro. Even with multiple sources and overlays, the laptop had little difficulty handling the workload.
The VivoBook Pro 15 OLED is also NVIDIA RTX Studio certified. This means that it meets NVIDIA’s requirements when it comes to being optimized for content creation. In fact, the first thing you will realise is that the drivers on the laptop default to the NVIDIA Studio drivers which provide even more reliable performance and stability.
However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t game on the laptop. You can ABSOLUTELY game with the laptop. It’s able to keep up with some of the more graphically demanding games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and also Horizon Zero Dawn. This is not surprising given the combination of its processor and GPU. The RTX3050’s ray tracing capabilities also enhance the visual experience for gaming. We would go so far as to say, the combination blows some of the gaming laptops with the same specs out of the water – especially given the price point.
Display
ASUS is going all-in when it comes to adopting OLED in its laptops and the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED isn’t getting left behind. The laptop comes with a 15.6-inch OLED panel. The display covers 84% of the surface it’s on thanks to the slim bezels that surround it. It’s got a 16:9 aspect ratio and an FHD resolution. While it may not be a 2K or 4K display, it is more than enough when it comes to the laptop. In fact, it is one of those concessions I didn’t mind making with the VivoBook Pro 15 OLED to get better battery life.
However, the OLED panel shines when it comes to colour accuracy and reproduction – two of the most important aspects of any display when it comes to content creation and editing. The display covers 1000% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and is Pantone validated for accuracy. This is one of those features you must experience to enjoy. The deep blacks and vibrant colours are a great boon to have when it comes to dealing with colour accuracy. It also makes gaming on the laptop a more immersive experience. You’re instantly drawn into the action and graphics of the scenery with the display. Even watching movies or series on the laptop is the more enjoyable cause of it. The brightness and contrast also make working on the display easier.
However, if there was just one complaint – it would be that the screen can get a little TOO bright. Throughout our review period, the brightness was set at about 30% to prevent blasting our irises to kingdom come with brightness.
A Laptop that focuses on functionality with a minimalist aesthetic built for Creators that need to work on-the-go
The ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 OLED is one of the most well thought out laptops we’ve had the pleasure of reviewing in a while. Its features are thoughtfully geared for budding content creators looking for a portable workhorse with a colour accurate display. It gives creator’s a complete package with features that allow us to work more efficiently on the go. Everything from colour accuracy to battery life and a large mousepad makes working on the ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 OLED the perfect balance between performance, portability and affordability. It’s a laptop that will cater to the needs of a creator at any level but even more so when it comes to those just starting out.
It’s no surprise, if you’ve read this far, that we’re awarding the VivoBook Pro 15 OLED the techENT Editor’s Choice. ASUS has taken the time imbuing the laptop with a feature set that allows it to shine as a creator’s machine in every respect – from performance to the colour accurate display. This is bolstered by a price point that blows a lot of its competition out of the water.
DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 7, 2021 — GrubTech, a plug & play, all-in-one operating system for restaurants and cloud kitchens, announced it has successfully raised a $13 Million Series A investment led by Addition. Other investors in this round include BY Ventures and Hambro Perks Oryx Fund.
GrubTech Raises $13 Million in Series A Funding Round
Founded in 2019 to address the F&B sector’s gap in technology solutions for modern operations, GrubTech’s all-encompassing software powers various functions including back of house, in kitchen operations, integrations with food aggregators and an omni-channel point of sale.
"Legacy technology in the F&B space hasn’t kept pace with the speed in which the sector is transforming. This results in a fragmented set of solutions that a restauranteur or cloud kitchen operator is forced to sift through and stitch up. Not only does this complicate their operation, but it also slows down their ability to expand. We fixed that with an easy to use, all in one stack that’s future proof," said Mohamed Al Fayed, GrubTech’s Co-Founder & CEO.
GrubTech’s restaurant management system enables its customers to operate more efficiently, provide a better experience for dine-in and online customers, and increase sales by effortlessly operating multiple brands from a single location. The all-in-one platform provides customers with unparalleled operational and sales data, allowing them to make more informed decisions on how they run their business and capitalize on growth opportunities.
GrubTech’s customers experience a doubling of sales per square meter through multi-tenanting across food platforms, and unlocks the creation and hosting of new brands using existing resources. The easily deployable software enables a 25% reduction in time from when an order is placed until it is delivered, and a 35% increase in margins by maximizing efficiency of fixed costs and wastage.
Omar Rifai, GrubTech’s Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer added: "Consumers are demanding a technology enabled experience when engaging with their favorite F&B brands, whether it’s on premise, take out or online. GrubTech was built from the ground up to empower our clients to better serve their customers across multiple fronts."
Used by clients across 15 countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe, GrubTech recently celebrated a milestone of processing 2 million orders. The company plans to use the funds to continue developing innovative solutions and further extend its reach into new markets.
To learn more about GrubTech’s cloud kitchen management software, visit www.grubtech.com.
Landmark tool for measuring the psycho-social impact of cancer gets an overhaul to reflect the latest research, helping patients receive better care by addressing their physical and emotional wellbeing.
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Dec. 7, 2021 — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN®)—a nonprofit alliance of leading cancer centers—announces updates to its widely-used resource for enabling discussion and treatment of distress as part of routine care for people with cancer. The NCCN Distress Thermometer and Problem List is a free resource to help providers worldwide identify and address the unpleasant experiences that may make it harder to cope with having cancer, its symptoms, or treatment. The updated version includes the well-regarded thermometer tool alongside a revamped list of possible physical, mental, social, spiritual, and other practical concerns, to allow care teams to recommend specific resources that can provide support.
"Caring for cancer patients’ emotional wellbeing is just as important as addressing their physical symptoms," said Michelle Riba, MD, MS,University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Chair of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) Panel for Distress Management. "The NCCN Distress Thermometer makes it more viable to assess people’s distress during routine and unexpected doctors’ visits. With this update, we have made the tool even more streamlined and user-friendly while avoiding words that could be stigmatizing."
The NCCN Distress Thermometer was first launched in 1997 to normalize and encourage discussion of distress as a standard part of oncology patient visits. This free resource has been downloaded more than 25,000 times in 2021 throughout more than 100 countries. It has also been translated into more than 50 languages (with updated translations coming soon).
The updates feature an expanded section on spiritual or religious concerns, as well as revisions to the list of social concerns—including a new option for patients to indicate if they are having difficulties communicating with their healthcare team. The simple checklist also includes revisions to the list of practical concerns, specifically new items related to ability to take care of oneself and others.
"Everyone with cancer experiences some distress at some point; it’s normal to feel sad, fearful, and helpless," said Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "The amount of distress can be very different from person to person, or in an individual at different points throughout diagnosis and treatment. Addressing the impact of cancer-related distress and various underlying causes can help patients achieve their best possible outcome. The NCCN Distress Thermometer opens up a necessary conversation, and the NCCN Guidelines for Distress Management provide evidence-based expert consensus recommendations for managing concerns."
The NCCN Distress Thermometer is included in the NCCN Guidelines® for Distress Management. It can also be found in the NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Distress During Cancer Care book intended for patients and caregivers, funded by the NCCN Foundation® and sponsored by Good Days. Both are available free-of-charge for non-commercial use at NCCN.org or via Virtual Library of NCCN Guidelines®App.
About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care so all patients can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and researchcollaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information and follow NCCN on Facebook @NCCNorg, Instagram @NCCNorg, and Twitter @NCCN.
A few months ago, Lisa Su took the stage to introduce a few new things for AMD. They launched their new line-up of GPUs, the Radeon RX GPUs that is set to rival the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series cards. In that announcement, they have also introduced a new standard for gaming laptops. Where Intel has their Intel EVO platform for their thin-and-light notebooks, AMD has the AMD Advantage.
If you have not known what AMD Advantage is just yet, let us quickly get you acquainted with AMD’s ‘Gold Standard’ in gaming laptops. The AMD Advantage standard is simply AMD’s own standards in gaming laptops. It simply means that the gaming laptop you are going to buy is powered by AMD’s latest Ryzen 5000 series CPU that is also paired with an AMD Radeon RX series GPUs.
‘AMD Advantage’ does have a nice ring to it. There is a problem however, not every manufacturer was ready to jump on board. Plenty of them have stuck to the model of a high-performing AMD processor that is paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series GPU. Until now that is with MSI.
MSI has just launched their new Delta 15, Alpha 15, and Bravo 15 line-up of gaming laptops. You might have guessed it; these are AMD Advantage certified gaming laptops. Yes, they are all AMD.
MSI Delta 15
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
The Delta 15 is the newest addition to MSI’s family of high-performance gaming laptops. It will also be MSI’s highest end AMD Advantage gaming laptops available at this point. You can spec it with up to an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU. Graphics is handled by AMD’s own Radeon RX 6700M, as promised by the AMD Advantage moniker. The 15-inch display pushes Full HD resolution to your eyes at 240Hz refresh rate. This also means that the AMD powered Delta 15 will be the most powerful AMD Advantage 15-inch gaming laptop there is currently.
MSI Alpha 15
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Below the high-end Delta series comes the Alpha 15. Instead of AMD’s all-powerful Ryzen 9 or 7 series CPUs though, the Alpha 15 comes with a humble and powerful AMD Ryzen 5 5600H CPU. While it may not sound like much, the AMD Ryzen 5 still packs a lot of punch. That is especially when it is paired to the AMD Radeon RX 6600M GPU handling graphics out of the 15.6-inch Full HD display that refreshes at 144Hz.
MSI Bravo 15
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
For the mode budget conscious, you can get your hands on the MSI Bravo 15 series. It is no slouch though. You still can get the power of AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800H CPU. You are not getting the Radeon RX 6000M series graphics prowess though. Instead, graphics is handled by a humble AMD Radeon 5500M GPU instead. You still get Full HD out of the 15.6-inch display as well.
Price and Availability
The new AMD Advantage gaming laptops are already available in Malaysia. You can get your hands on one from their website. The all-new MSI Delta 15 starts at MYR 7,899, the updated Alpha 15 starts at MYR 5,299, while the Bravo 15 starts at MYR 3,949.
CHENGDU, China, Dec. 6, 2021 — On December 4th, 2021, international trains of the China-Laos Railway (Chengdu/Chongqing–Vientiane) laden with light commercial trucks, nuts, motorcycle parts, chemical products and other goods respectively departed from the Chengdu International Railway Port and the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, and will pass by Yunnan Province, then arrive at the Laotian capital Vientiane in no more than three days.
Inaugural Departure of International Trains of China-Laos Railway (Chengdu/Chongqing-Vientiane)
The train departing from Chengdu carries light commercial trucks manufactured by Sinotruk Chengdu Commercial Vehicle, an enterprise based in Qingbaijiang. In the past, the company had to arrange for drivers to directly drive products from Chengdu to export and deliver to Vientiane over a route of around 2,000 km spanning roughly ten days on the road. This transportation time has been substantially reduced to merely three days thanks to the opening of the China-Laos Railway.
"Compared with the traditional highway transportation, railway transportation not only considerably reduces labor costs and saves time, but the new option is also safer and more reliable, in addition to other benefits such as freight protection that can better preserve product integrity," explained Wu Kunsheng, the responsible person of Sinotruk Chengdu Commercial Vehicle.
The China-Laos Railway starts at Yunnan Province in the north, and passes through the Mohan Port at the Chinese-Laotian border before arriving at the Laotian capital Vientiane. It is one of the many large-scale projects undertaken between China and ASEAN coutries. The opening of the China-Laos Railway will promote mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Laos, and the interconnectivity between involved regions.
"Focusing on the normalized operation of the China-Laos Railway, Chengdu will partner with Laos to jointly build multimodal transport and transshipment center, storage and logistics industrial park, agriculture demonstration park, etc. based on actual logistics demands, so as to promote the integrated development of transportation and trade," remarked Chen Zejun, General Manager of Chengdu International Railway Service Co., Ltd.
The Chengdu International Railway Port is an important gateway hub for China’s opening-up efforts toward the west and the south. At present, an international train network and global land-sea freight delivery system that revolves around Chengdu, extends westward into Europe, reaches northward in Mongolia and Russia, links eastward with Japan and the Republic of Korea, and expands southward into the ASEAN bloc have been established. At present, this network is connected with 67 cities outside of China and 20 cities within. According to railway-maritime intermodal train departure data on the Chengdu-Qinzhou-ASEAN route, nearly 10,000 containers of train cargoes worth more than USD 100 million were exported southward in 2020. The commencement of the China-Laos Railway will further bolster the Chengdu International Railway Port’s effort in expanding its southward international railway conduits.
Next, the Chengdu International Railway Port will make the most out of the opportunities inherent in the construction of the China-Laos Railway, so as to position Chengdu as an international logistics and transshipment hub that connects inland Europe with East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia, as well as a gateway hub linking the pan-Europe and pan-Asia regions with the central and western parts of China. At the same time, efforts will be spared to expand intermediary trade with ASEAN and Europe, and active steps will be taken to create a cross-border international production capacity cooperation demonstration zone.
