Sony’s WH-1000XM4 Gets an Elegant Silent White Edition

Sony’s WH-series headphones are no stranger to the market. In fact, if you’ve been looking for a formidable wireless headphone to add to your arsenal, you’ve probably been recommended the WH-1000XM3 or WH-1000XM4. The headphones have created a paradigm shift in audio experiences since their introduction back in 2019. The headphones continue to be one of the most in demand headphones even with the introduction of the WH-1000XM4.

The WH-1000XM4 is getting a little bit more special with a limited, special edition. The new Silent White edition up-classes the already elegant design of the WH-1000XM4 with a new pearlescent white. Sony’s choice of pearlescent white permeates the whole package from the headphones themselves to the accessories that come with it. The new finish also comes with an additional coating of paint which makes it even more stain resistant. The additional layer also preserves the high quality white finish.

Beauty isn’t just skin deep with the new Silent White WH-1000XM4. The headphones come with the same technology that makes the line up a must have for audiophiles. It comes with Sony’s most advanced noise cancelling technology powered by the QN1 noise cancelling processor. This is, of course, augmented by Sony’s dual noise sensor technology which brings an improved algorithm for better noise cancelling. The audio experience is further enhanced by a Bluetooth audio system on chip which dynamically adapts to noise, music and acoustics. Edge-AI and DSEE Extreme ensures that users get the full fidelity of sound by accurately rebuilding loss audio data lost during digital compression.

Pricing & Availability

If you’re itching to get the Silent White WH-1000XM4, you’ll have to wait a few more weeks until May 2021 in Malaysia. They will be available at the Sony Stores in Suria KLCC and The Curve as well as the Sony Store Online. You’ll need to be quick though, as they will only be available in limited quantities at a recommended retail price of MYR1,799.

They will also be available in Europe starting May, 20201 for €430 (MYR2,126.75)/£400 (MYR2,295.02). Availability in the the U.S. will start in summer with a recommended retail price of $399.99 (MYR1,646.90).

Growatt receives Top Brand PV Inverters awards across global solar markets

BERLIN, April 21, 2021 — Growatt managed to excel in global solar markets last year and consolidate its leading brand positions in spite of the pandemic. German market research company EUPD Research has awarded the company nine Top Brand PV Inverters seals for achievements in Europe, Australia, South Africa, Middle East and North Africa, Poland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Hungary and Scandinavia, recognizing its outstanding performance and leading positions in terms of reliability, market penetration, brand awareness and satisfaction.

Growatt receives Top Brand PV Inverters awards across global solar markets
Growatt receives Top Brand PV Inverters awards across global solar markets

"Growatt has been building local teams in major solar markets over the years as our business expands globally," said Lisa Zhang, marketing director at Growatt. By the end of 2020, the company has shipped over 2.6 million inverters to more than 100 countries. So far, Growatt has established an extensive service network with 14 offices and warehouses worldwide. "By adopting this localization strategy, we significantly improve the efficiency of product delivery, technical support and customer service."

Zhang also attributed the achievements to the growing popularity of Growatt’s X inverter series that feature sleek and compact design, safer and smarter functionalities. "We are very glad to see our product innovations being well received by our clients and users around the world", said Zhang. "Our new generation inverters have a wide capacity range from 750W to 253kW and can be used for residential, commercial and utility-scale solar PV projects."

To meet its surging demand, the company has built a new factory in Huizhou city of China to boost its production capacity. The new facility, covering an area of 200,000 square meters, features advanced production lines, stringent quality control system, automated transfer and storage system. "With 20GW annual output, we are able to meet the growing demand across global solar markets and make sure customers can have access to smart clean energy with our advanced and reliable products," Zhang concluded.

About Growatt

Growatt is a global leader of smart energy solutions and provides residential, commercial and large scale PV inverters, energy storage, microgrid systems and smart energy management solutions. Growatt ranks among global top 10 PV inverter suppliers according to IHS Markit and Wood Mackenzie. Founded in 2010, Growatt has established an extensive network with 14 branches worldwide. By the end of 2020, Growatt had shipped over 2.6 million inverters to more than 100 countries around the world.

Contact: Whiskey Lu, whiskey.lu@growatt.com  

Related Links :

http://www.growatt.com

The 2021 Generation Apple TV 4K – Even Better and Even Cleverer, Cleverer Than Your Smart TV

Apple’s Spring Loaded event for 2021 revealed the highly anticipated iMac and iPad Pro that both packs Apple’s M1 chip that you can also find on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. They also revealed a new Apple TV 4K though. While the entirety of the Apple TV box does not look different from the outside, there are improvements made on the Apple TV 4K.

For one, it now comes with Apple’s A12 Bionic chip. To be fair, that is not the latest Apple integrated chip in their line-up. The A12 chip though is still one tough and powerful chip to work with in the Apple TV 4K box. It powers the updated tvOS that seamlessly integrates with all sorts of Apple devices. You can even watch Apple TV with your AirPods if you really want to with the Apple TV 4K.

There is also a new remote that comes with the 2021 Apple TV 4k. The new remote is designed to somewhat resemble an iPhone, we feel. Aside from that though the remote is made to be as intuitive as ever and with a dedicated Siri button on the side to make reaching Siri voice command more seamless and hassle free than ever.

Source: Apple

Of course, the 2021 Apple TV 4K will still come with all the things that made the Apple TV 4K one of the favourite TV boxes around. The tvOS offers the latest shows from Apple TV+ (with subscription, of course), offers best in class music experience via Apple Music, features Apple Fitness+ to pair with your Apple Watch, Apple Arcade for over-the-top games, AirPlay to seamlessly share videos, music, projects, and other content from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac devices directly to your TV. The Apple TV 4K box is also your home control hub for all your HomeKit accessories, including your HomePod speakers.

Beyond that though, Apple TV 4K now support HDR and Dolby Vision contents at 60fps instead of the regular 30fps. While it is not quite 120hz ready, 60fps is quite a lot more than enough for most video contents today. 60fps would really change the way you view sports too.

The cleverest feature of the Apple TV 4K in 2021 though is the clever colour calibration process that works with the Apple iPhone. The 2021 Apple TV 4K works in tandem with the iPhone light sensor to compare the colour balance between your TV to the industry standard. Once the data is received by the Apple TV 4K box, it automatically adjusts its output to deliver more accurate colours and better colour contrasts without users ever touching the TV’s settings.

The Apple TV 4K is now available in select regions at US$ 179 (MYR 849*) onward. There are no colour options available for Apple TV 4K at this point, you get a black TV box and silver remote. You can opt for a larger storage for the Apple TV 4K at 64GB for US$ 199 (MYR 949*). The Apple TV Siri remote is also available separately at US$ 59 (MYR 299*) and is compatible with previous generation Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD. The Apple TV HD with the Siri remote will be available at US$ 149 (MYR 719*). There is no confirmation on local (Malaysia) availability yet at this point. More information on the Apple TV 4K and the new Siri remote can be found on Apple’s website.

*Official Malaysia pricing as per Apple Malaysia

The Apple iPad Pro with Apple M1 chip – The Most Powerful Ever

When Apple introduced the wonder that is the Apple M1 chip to the world, we had a question. We wondered what would Apple’s iPadOS would look like and feels like with the Apple M1 chip behind it. We could only hope for Apple to inevitably launch their new iPad Pro line-up with the Apple M1 processor; it only makes sense.

We wonder no more when Apple got through its Spring Loaded event this morning (Malaysia time). They announced the highly anticipated updated Apple iPad Pro with the Apple M1 processing chip. Traditionally, the Apple iPad Pro has always come with Apple’s mobile platform. The 2020 variant, for example packs Apples A12Z bionic System on a Chip (SoC). In which case, we always thought of the iPad Pro to be a larger version of the iPad made for light workloads in workplaces.

The Apple M1 chip changes everything we know and thought of the Apple iPad Pro though. The Apple iPad Pro, with the power of a powerful Apple M1 chip that is also found in the Mac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and even the new iMac should be a completely new beast altogether. It also makes the most powerful iPad Pro ever leaps and bounds better than the older iPad Pro it replaces. The 2021 iPad Pro now makes more sense than ever.

Source: Apple

Do not get us wrong, the iPad Pro still looks like the regular blown-up Apple iPad. You choose between an 11-inch display and a 12.9-inch display. Put the new iPad Pro against the new iPad and the iPad Pro still dwarfs the iPad.

Thanks to Apple’s M1 chip though, the iPad Pro can be more computer than tablet in a lot of areas. For one, you get up to 2TB in high-speed storage instead of a measly 1TB (up to). It is also now a USB Type-C device with Thunderbolt support, finally. That also means you can work off multiple displays with the iPad Pro if you have a Thunderbolt ready display or expansion dock. But most of all, along with 16GB of RAM, the iPad Pro now delivers desktop level performance in a package no larger than a small stack of A4 paper.

The M1 chip has proven itself to be a highly capable chip in the Mac platform and it should prove to be a little bit of an overkill for the likes of iPad OS. But that does not mean that you cannot harness the benefit of the M1 chip on a tablet form factor. The added power also means that you can now process videos quicker and at higher resolutions on top of the iPad Pro itself. The M1 chip also allows the iPad Pro to go through photos and edit them quickly. Very important when you are constantly on-the-go.

Source: Apple

On top of all of that, the Apple iPad Pro with 12.9-inch display features a new Liquid Retina XDR display that features a new age mini-LED design with over 10,000 LEDs backlighting the display to allow brightness at up to 1,600 in peak brightness and 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. That also means you can rely on this single display when you really need to get your work going on the go. Its True Tone and P3 colour gamut coverage also means that you can even use this display to colour correct all your video footages or even photos. The combination of those two technologies with ProMotion also means you can really enjoy HDR and Dolby Vision contents on the large display.

The Apple iPad Pro also comes packing a 12-Megapixel mean rear camera and a 10-Megapixel ultra-wide camera supported by a LiDAR scanner. While that is nothing really new on an iPad Pro, they are still great cameras for quick video productions even. But the iPad Pro also now supports Centre Stage via its 12-Megapixel front-facing ultra-wide angle camera that automatically keeps you centered in the frame and automatically shifts and zooms as other people joins the call or when you move around. Of course, the 12-Megapixel sensor allows you to have a Full HD video call experience via FaceTime along with Face ID features.

The Apple iPad Pro will be available for orders 30th April 2021 onward and ship May 2021 onward in selected markets. You can choose between two colour variants and two screen sizes, Space Grey or Silver, and 11-inch (Liquid Retina) or 12.9-inch (Liquid Retina XDR). Storage options start from 128GB all the way to 2TB. The WiFi only variant of the iPad Pro (11-inch) starts at US$ 749(MYR 3,499*)  while the cellular (5G capable) variant starts at US$ 999 (MYR4,149*). The 12.9-inch starts at US$ 1,099 (MYR 4,799*) for the WiFi only variant and the cellular (5G capable) variant starts at US$ 1,299 (MYR 5,499*).

*Official Malaysia pricing as per Apple Malaysia

Apple’s New 2021 iMac is the Thinnest, Most Colourful, and Most Advanced Ever

Apple’s Spring Loaded event for 2021 has just ended this morning (Malaysia time), and it is packed. We expected a new iMac all-in-one Mac for your desk. We did not expect the iMac to look quite so good though.

To start with, Apple opens the new iMac launch with seven different colours. Technically, there are six new different colours and one good ol’ silver colour. What really stuck us though was how thin the iMac looks.

They say that the iMac is now only 11.5mm thick. This is achievable thanks to the redesigned motherboard and cooling hardware for the Apple iMac. The redesign is also mostly thanks to the integrated chip that is the Apple M1 silicon. That is the same M1 chip you will find on the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac, and now the new iPad Pro too.

Source: Apple

The new powerful integrated chip allows the motherboard to be one-third its previous design. It also allows much smaller cooling fans. Both of those combined, not only allows the iMac to be thinner than ever. It also allows the iMac to be more efficient and even quieter than before in terms of actual noise and space.

Of course, you can opt to make it loud with its colour seven colour options. But it can also be loud by playing music or watching movies and other types of video contents. The iMac now has six speakers instead of four for an even more powerful audio experience. Apple says that the six speakers should really enhance the Dolby Atmos experience from the 24-incher all-in-one desktop.

The six speakers is placed below the 24-inch display that blasts 4.5K Retina resolution with P3 wide colour gamut at up to 500 nits in brightness. That also means that you can really enjoy movies on the display at 4K HDR even, so this can really be your all-in-one entertainment machine too. Of course, 4.5K can also benefit your workflow, especially when you work with a lot of video and photographs. But it also helps you look at your friends or colleagues clearly when you make video calls.

Source: Apple

In terms of video calls, Apple has also included the best-in-class Full HD video camera. To be fair, you hardly get a Full HD webcam on any modern PC still, so having a higher resolution with better image quality does really help especially in the majority of work-from-home situations currently. That is not all though. Apple has tuned its mic to focus on the voices that are directly in front of it instead of picking up sounds from other parts of the room so that your video conference can go on nicely without the interference of the other things happening at your environment.

Of course, minimalist designs have to come with minimalist accessories. That is also why the Apple iMac comes with an innovative single power connector that is attached magnetically to the back of the device. That also means you do not have to feel around of the pins and hope to be lucky when you slot in your cable. To ensure that it lasts and looks as good as the iMac, it is a woven cable that runs down the back of the iMac to a square power adapter you can put on the floor or hide behind your desk. The power adapter also has an ethernet port for you to connect the iMac to the internet via LAN cable instead of via WiFi for a more stable networking.

Other updated accessories include two new Magic Keyboard that comes in colour matching aluminium shells, colour matching Magic Mouse, and colour matching Magic Trackpad. While the Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse has not changed much, the new keyboards are a little different though; at least for one of the variants you can get.

You can now opt for a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. This is the first time we see a fingerprint sensor implemented on a desktop PC, and wirelessly for that matter. You can choose between a Touch ID Magic Keyboard with or without the numeric keypad.

The new 2021 24-inch iMac will be available 30th April onward in selected markets. It comes in two GPU options with multiple storage options starting from a 7-core GPU + 256GB combination at a starting price of US$ 1,299 (MYR 5,599*). The other one is an 8-core GPU + 256GB combination at US$ 1,499 (MYR 6,499*). For Malaysia, the spec tops out at 8-core GPU + 512GB combination at MYR 7,249*. For more information, you can head over to Apple’s website.

*Official Malaysia pricing as per Apple Malaysia

LG Innotek Develops Automotive Lighting Module ‘Nexlide-E’

  • Brightness improved by 63%. Applicable to the front/rear of an automobile.
  • 0.2mm thick optical film is used to produce a customized lighting module.
  • Target the global market with "the automotive light source solution service."

SEOUL, South Korea, April 21, 2021 — LG Innotek (CEO Cheol-dong Jeong) announced on the 20th that it had developed ‘Nexlide-E,’ an automotive lighting module that produces bright and uniform light.

An LG Innotek employee is holding the automotive lighting module Nexlide-E. This product is 63% brighter than the previous product and produces uniform light. It can be applied to the front/rear of an automobile.
An LG Innotek employee is holding the automotive lighting module Nexlide-E. This product is 63% brighter than the previous product and produces uniform light. It can be applied to the front/rear of an automobile.

This automotive lighting module is made of three parts. An LED package, which is a light source, is mounted on a thin substrate. Then, optical resin covers the package and substrate for protection. Lastly, a thin optical film is attached on top of the package to spread the light brightly and evenly. The module can be used as taillights, stop lamps, and headlights.

The Nexlide is LG Innotek’s automotive lighting service brand that has the meaning of a next-generation light source. The name was produced by combining the words ‘Next,’ ‘Lighting,’ and ‘Device.’ LG Innotek provides automotive lighting module products as well as customized solutions such as optical device design, lighting design proposal, and more with the Nexlide brand.

The Nexlide-E is 63% brighter than the previous product and produces more uniform light. LG Innotek applied a high-performance and high-reliability optical film to improve the lighting performance. The company’s micropatterning technique was used in the film to give a variety of lighting effects.

Due to its brightness, this lighting module can replace multiple automotive lamps with different brightness standards into one module. This can improve space efficiency and allow more design variations of a vehicle’s lamps.

The maximum brightness of the Nexlide-E has been raised from 80 cd (candela, the unit of brightness) to 130 cd, making it 63% brighter than the previous product. This satisfies the brightness standard of taillights, turn signals, and stop lamps.

The stop lamps have the most strict brightness standard. In Europe and North America, they are required to be 110 cd or higher. This is because stop lamps must be recognizable in any circumstances for driving safety.

The Nexlide-E is also power efficient, because the module is bright enough with a small amount of electricity. This is particularly important for electric and hydrogen vehicles in increasing their mileage range (corresponding to fuel economy in conventional vehicles).

Also, car manufacturers can replace different lightings of a vehicle such as a taillight and stop lamp into one lighting module using the Nexlide-E. The product’s high brightness makes this possible by satisfying the different brightness levels of taillights, stop lamps and turn signals.

As the number of lighting modules used decreases, car manufacturers can design slimmer and more compact lamps, and increase space efficiency by widening the trunk and such.

The Nexlide-E also has the advantage in that it produces a uniformly bright light. Even as a wide lamp, it produces smooth and uniform light without blind spots or sudden breaks caused by lighting level drops.

To achieve such a bright and uniform light, LG Innotek developed a new optical film for the Nexlide-E. An only 0.2mm thick film produced with the company’s unique micropatterning technique is attached to the automotive lighting module. Different types of the optical film create various lighting effects.

The micropatterns can be changed according to the type of optical film to increase brightness by collecting the beam, produce a surface light source by diffusing the light or even produce a three-dimensional light shape.

With optical films, LG Innotek can produce customized lighting modules without complex design changes or using additional components such as an inner lens.

LG Innotek will leverage the Nexlide-E to expand its share in the automotive lighting module market.

To do so, the company has been active in promotions targeting global car makers in the U.S., Japan, Europe and South Korea. The first vehicle equipped with the Nexlide-E is expected to be mass-produced in the latter half of this year.

LG Innotek is also focusing on the development of next-generation lighting products. The company is developing another type of optical film that further raises the brightness and uniformity of the light. It is also developing the Nexlide-C+, a 3D lighting module that produces 3D light shapes without any devices such as a half-mirror that assists 3D effects within a lamp.

Insoo Ryu, VP, Head of the Automotive Components & Electronics Business Division, said, "The Nexlide-E is an innovative product that satisfies the customer needs for distinctive automotive lighting designs that give characters to vehicles. With the Nexlide brand, LG Innotek will continue to deliver a safe and enjoyable driving experience with the automotive light source solution service."

Global Market Insights, a market research institute, predicts that the automotive lighting market will grow from USD 32.6 billion in 2021 to USD 38.5 billion in 2026.

About LG Innotek Co.,Ltd.

LG Innotek is a cutting-edge materials and components manufacturer and an affiliate of the LG group. The company’s business units include core components for mobiles, automotive, display, semiconductors, and IoT. Furthermore, the company has cooperated closely with the mobile devices, home appliances, and automotive companies, producing camera modules, automotive electronic components, wireless communication modules, and substrate materials.

LG Innotek is headquartered in Seoul, Korea and its sales subsidiaries are located in Germany, USA, Mainland China, Japan, and Taiwan with production subsidiaries in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico, and Poland. For more information, please refer to the website: www.lginnotek.com

An automotive lamp equipped with the Nexlide-E module.
An automotive lamp equipped with the Nexlide-E module.

Related Links :

http://www.lginnotek.com

Fibocom Launches 5G Smart Module SC161 Based on Qualcomm QCM6350

SHENZHEN, China, April 21, 2021 — Fibocom (Stock Code: 300638), a leading provider of cellular embedded wireless module solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), announced the world-wide launch of 5G smart module SC161. Integrated with high bandwidth, low latency and strong computing power, SC161 is designed to satisfy the wireless communication needs of industries that require powerful computing ability and local computation.

Fibocom SC161
Fibocom SC161

The newly-launched SC161 module is based on Qualcomm QCM6350, coming with a high-end Octa-core platform 2*A77 2.0GHz + 6*A55 1.7GHz processor and vDSP (visual Digital Signal Processor). Supporting 5G standalone network (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) network architectures, Fibocom’s SC161 module is backward compatible with 4G/3G network standard. Combining with 5G high-speed and high-computing capability processor, the module is capable for multi-channel capturing and image processing with high performance and low power consumption.

It is worth noting that the 5G smart module SC161 integrates a high-performance graphics engine to allow smooth 4K video playing and multi-channel camera input. Fibocom SC161 module supports a variety of long-distance communication modes as well as Wi-Fi/Bluetooth short-distance wireless transmission technology. In addition, the module supports high precision GNSS wireless positioning.

Fibocom’s SC161 module presets open Android operating system with rich extension interfaces such as MIPI/USB/UAR/ SPI/I2C, making it a preferred solution for the core system of wireless intelligent products. Fibocom SC161 can be widely applied in IoT scenarios such as smart wireless payment, C-V2X, smart cities, smart home, robot, VR, AR, etc. It is an outstanding core system solution for global IoT applications.

"The mass production of Fibocom SC161 smart module is planned to start in Q3 2021," said the director of product management, Fibocom. "We are honored to introduce the new SC161 modules for global customers, which is an excellent addition to our 5G wireless module family. I believe Fibocom’s leading 5G smart modules will bring unprecedented benefits into various industries and business, helping to build a higher level of smarter world."

About Fibocom

Fibocom is a leading global provider of wireless communication modules and solutions in the sector of IoT (Internet of Things), as well as the first stock-listed (Stock Code:300638) wireless module provider in China. We provide end-to-end IoT wireless communication solutions for telecom operators, IoT equipment manufacturers, and IoT system integrators. With over two decades’ engagement in M2M and IoT communication technology and extensive expertise, we are capable of independently developing high-performance wireless communication modules including 5G, LTE/LTE-A, NB-IoT/LTE-M, Android Smart, Automotive, WCDMA/HSPA(+), GSM/GPRS, Wi-Fi, GNSS, etc. Besides reliable, convenient, safe and intelligent IoT communication solutions for almost all vertical industries, we are also geared to customize the best and optimal IoT modules and solutions catering to your special requirements.

Media Contact

Ellie Cai
pr@fibocom.com
+86 755-26733555
www.fibocom.com

Related Links :

http://www.fibocom.com

CASETiFY And Epic Games Partner To Launch Fortnite Tech Accessory Collection


HONG KONG and LOS ANGELES, April 20, 2021 — CASETiFY today announced a new partnership with Epic Games to create a range of Fortnite-inspired tech accessories. Gamers and fans alike can now sign up for the virtual waitlist at www.casetify.com/fortnite ahead of its launch, May 6.

CASETiFY And Epic Games Partner To Launch Fortnite Tech Accessory Collection
CASETiFY And Epic Games Partner To Launch Fortnite Tech Accessory Collection

Collection Images

The new Fortnite branded collection includes a variety of products featuring the game’s recognizable characters and icons on CASETiFY’s drop-proof accessories. The line-up gives fans the ability to gear-up with their Outfit of choice – including Cuddle Team Leader, DJ Yonder, Peely, and the Durrr Burger on CASETiFY’s best-selling Impact Cases and Ultra Impact Cases, starting at $45 USD. The celebration continues with the Welcome to the Party Band Case, designed to spotlight Fortnite + CASETiFY wristbands in an intersecting pattern, and the Fortnite Sticker Case, which showcases iconic in-game characters and items such as the Loot Llama, Boogie Bombs, party decor, and more. Complementing products in the collection extend to AirPod cases, watch bands, and water bottles retailing $35 – $52 USD

"Both CASETiFY and Fortnite are known for their loyal followings possessing a unique, creative spirit, so we’re especially excited to introduce them to our vibrant collection that celebrates the game’s beloved characters," said CASETiFY CEO and Co-founder, Wes Ng.

Launching on May 6, the collection will be available for purchase from www.casetify.com/fortnite, with products from Fortnite + CASETiFY shipping worldwide. To learn more about the collection, products, and CASETiFY Co-Lab updates, visit online and stay tuned to @CASETiFY on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter

The partnership was brokered by IMG, Fortnite’s exclusive worldwide agency for consumer products licensing.

About CASETiFY

Founded in 2011, CASETiFY is recognized as the first and largest global platform for custom tech accessories. The leading Gen Z casemaker not only delivers high quality products to millions of customers around the world, but every case is inspected top to bottom for a stylishly slim, drop-proof accessory. Fans of the brand often look to CASETiFY for special edition collaborations with top creatives and talents across industries. Members of the CASETiFY Co-Lab program include Moncler Genius, Vetements, DHL, Coca-Cola, The Pokémon Company, streetwear label BAPE, and global superstars BTS. For more information on CASETiFY, its stores, partners and products, visit www.CASETiFY.com.

About Fortnite

Fortnite is the completely free online game where you and your friends fight to be the last one standing in Battle Royale, join forces to make your own Creative games, or catch a live show at Party Royale. Download now and jump into the action on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Android, PC, and Mac. Learn more at www.fortnite.com.

About IMG

IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. The company manages some of the world’s greatest athletes and fashion icons; owns and operates hundreds of live events annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in licensing, sports training and league development. IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global entertainment, sports and content company.

Media Enquiries

For more information on CASETiFY and this collection, please email press@casetify.com.

© 2021 Epic Games, Inc. Fortnite and its logo are trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the USA (Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.) and elsewhere.

Automating & Optimising for Better Administration of Healthcare Benefits

This article is written based on an email interview with Mr Chris Teo, CEO of Mednefits.

Automation seems to be all the rage nowadays; seeing implementations in a wide spectrum of industries. However, you’d never have thunk that automation could be the answer to one of the most pervasive issues that beleaguer companies – employee medical benefits. The current norm in administering medical benefits is through costly insurance plans which not only cover hospitalisation but also outpatient treatment. These plans can cause some undue financial strain on the company.

That said, automating the process through bridging companies and outpatient providers such as neighbourhood clinics could be the rosetta stone to solving the conundrum. With platforms like Mednefits, neighbourhood clinics and other smaller outpatient health providers can be linked directly to companies for the administration of these benefits. Platforms of the same creed allow companies to link directly with outpatient providers to better administer and optimise their spending for employee health benefits.

woman having a video call
Photo by Edward Jenner on Pexels.com

It may seem like we’ve gone a little too far into administering health benefits, but these platforms aren’t just about automating the administration thereof. They also allow clinics and outpatient providers to automate their own in-house administration processes. They will also empower these providers to adopt more current technologies in their day to day processes. Processes such as patient records and administration can be automated and digitized allowing them to focus on what matters – patient care. The hours spent on patient administration is also minimised with the implementation of automated registration. In addition, even when it comes to patient care, doctors can focus on treating the patient with automated voice notes.

In a system that has been ravaged by the current COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of automation technologies can actually be a boon for the medical arena – even in neighbourhood clinics. Using things like artificial intelligence (A.I.) to help with analysing, recording and even consolidating patient data into actionable insights. According to Chris Teo, CEO of Mednefits, “Prioritising digitalisation for tasks that can be automated gives more time for healthcare workers to put patients first.” It may seem like a wide sweeping statement, but when the majority of menial tasks have been automated, doctors running neighbourhood clinics can spend less time administrating their business and focus on delivering effective care to their patients.

Photo by Direct Media from StockSnap

How then do companies benefit? With platforms like Mednefits, human resource departments need not engage insurance companies. Instead, they deal with a pay per use system which allows them to pay according to employee usage. These platforms provide a more seamless experience when it comes to employee benefits. The need for long lists of panel clinics is eliminated through the use of the Mednefits app which automatically highlights nearby panel clinics when employees need to get an MC or doctor’s note. A simple click of an icon for all the information at their fingertips. Co-pay arrangements can also be eliminated.

That said, when it comes to implementing such automation systems, the issue of data privacy naturally comes up. In a world where it seems like we’re facing a data breach on a weekly basis, access to personal data – in this case, patient data – is a valid concern. However, according to Mr Teo, the digitization data of patient data can be isolated from platforms like Mednefits. In fact, he stresses that while the platform does bridge the gap between outpatient healthcare providers, it doesn’t give companies access to sensitive patient data. Companies will only be able to track items such as claims made at these outpatient facilities. That said, this doesn’t discount the need on both company and provider’s ends to properly ascertain that their data is protected.

Essentially, platforms like Mednefits aim to not only give companies better control of their spending when it comes to healthcare benefits for their employees. They aim to help streamline the process for both companies and outpatient healthcare providers to allow them to focus on building their respective businesses. That said, eliminating a costly middleman when it comes to healthcare also makes it more accessible to the masses. As such, automating and optimising is a seemingly win-win-win situation. As Mr Teo puts it, “By streamlining and automating the administration work in the provision, costs can be reduced while improving the patient experience as well as the reducing the employer’s workload.”

More is Better – Canon Launches Printers with 6 Ink Tanks

If you go out to buy a modern printer off the shelf today, you would not be surprised to find printers that comes with four tanks to be filled with four different colours of ink. You get the usual Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black combination (CMYK). That has been the way printers been since the early days of colour printing. Before the age of refillable tanks in modern printers, it was the age of printer ink cartridges that comes in two variants, the Black, and the Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow variant for both black and white and colour printing. You see at most two cartridges for that.

Canon has been one of the leaders in consumer printing solutions. They also have been championing refillable ink tanks solutions in modern consumer printer solutions. Refillable tanks are much cheaper to run compared to specifically built ink cartridges and can be more reliable. Our own office printer runs on refillable tanks too, in fact. We also think that the 4-tank solution is one of the best things that has come to modern consumer printers.

Source: Canon

But what if you can have more tanks in your printer. What if your printer has six tanks? It seems like you can try to figure that out on your own with Canon’s PIXMA G570 and PIXMA G670 printers.

There is an additional Grey ink and Red ink tanks for both the new Canon PIXMA printers. One of the added benefits to that the printer is now able to produce more prints than before, especially coloured prints thanks to the added overall storage volume of the tanks. Of course, you would have to spend a little bit more than before when you refill, because two extra tanks. You get up to 3,800 sheets of 4 x 6 photo prints from one set of included ink.

The other benefit to printing with two extra colours on the printer is better colour reproduction never seen before in this type of printers. If you compare the modern 4-tank ink printers to the likes of laser printers, or even cartridge-based printers, the colour prints from 4-tank ink printers tend to be a little washed out and less vivid, especially where you see red. The additional Red and Grey ink sets are supposed to add some extra colour details where it was not possible before with the CMYK arrangement. The effects will be more apparent if you use photo paper obviously.

Source: Canon

Of course, the Canon PIXMA G570 and PIXMA G670 retains all the smart features of a modern printer. You can use the Canon PRINT Inkjet or SELPHY smartphone app to print directly from your smartphones as usual. You can also connect PIXMA G570 and G670 to your office network and cloud storages for remote printing and even scanning purposes via PIXMA Cloud Link.

If you download the Canon Easy-PhotoPrint Editor app on iOS, Android, Windows and even Mac OS, you can edit your photos and add all sorts of filters first before you send it to the printer for a quick print. You can use the app as well to create calendars, postcards, business cards, and more. The Canon PosterArtist Lite app on Windows can also help you quickly create posters from over 1,300 templates, photos, and clipart.

Source: Canon

The Canon PIXMA G570 and G670 will be available today onward from all Canon’s authorised retailers, official stores, and partnering online stores today onward. The Canon PIXMA G570 will set you back MYR 1,229 while the PIXMA G670 will retail at MYR 1,529. For more information on the new Canon PIXMA printers with six ink tanks, you can visit Canon’s website.