SHENZHEN, China, Nov. 12, 2021 — Meten Holding Group Ltd. ("Meten Holding" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: METX), one of the leading omnichannel English language training ("ELT") service providers in China, today announced it closed its previously announced registered direct offering. The purchase price of the ordinary shares was $0.60 per ordinary share. The gross proceeds of the offering will be approximately $20 million, before deducting placement agent fees and other estimated offering expenses. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this Offering for capital expenditures and general corporate and working capital needs.
Aegis Capital Corp. acted as the exclusive placement agent for the Offering.
The Offering was made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (No. 333-256087) previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and declared effective by the SEC on May 21, 2021. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus describing the terms of the Offering have been filed with the SEC and are available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus may be obtained by contacting Aegis Capital Corp., Attention: Syndicate Department, 810 7th Avenue, 18th floor, New York, NY 10019, by email at syndicate@aegiscap.com, or by telephone at (212) 813-1010.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Meten Holding Group Ltd.
Meten Holding Group Ltd., formerly known as Meten EdtechX Education Group Ltd., is an English Language Training (ELT) service provider in China, delivering English language and skills training for Chinese students and professionals. Through a sophisticated digital platform and a nationwide network of learning centers, the Company provides its services under three industry-leading brands: Meten (adult and junior ELT services), ABC (primarily junior ELT services) and Likeshuo (online ELT). The Company offers superior teaching quality and student satisfaction, served by cutting edge technology deployed across its business, including AI-driven centralized teaching and management systems that record and analyze learning processes in real time. The Company is committed to improving the overall English language competence of the Chinese population to keep abreast of the rapid development of globalization. Its experienced management is focused on further developing its digital platform and expanding its network of learning centers to deliver a continually evolving service offerings to a growing number of students across China.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results.
For more information, please contact Investor Relations:
Vision processing pioneer will be demonstrating newest software for ADAS systems and AVs on-site at Novi event, Nov. 16-17
NOVI, Mich., Nov. 12, 2021 —StradVision, a leader in computer vision technology for Autonomous Vehicles and ADAS systems, is demonstrating its latest technologies on-site Nov. 16-17 at Automotive Tech Week 2021, which will be held at the Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Avenue in Novi.
The weeklong Automotive Tech Week 2021 explores the latest technology trends being embraced by leading players in the automotive world – including electrification and autonomy. New technologies for ADAS systems that StradVision will unveil and demonstrate at the event are:
 
Depth-map Solution: The latest feature implementing innovative Pseudo LiDAR technology, which replaces high-cost and high-performance LiDAR equipment. Offering the high precision of distance measurement to an object with only a mono-channel camera
Semantic Segmentation: A technology that classifies objects by analyzing the images acquired through the vehicle’s camera on a pixel-by-pixel basis through deep learning technology
Multi-camera 360-degree perception: This technology uses up to 9 cameras, which is critical to implement autonomous driving features of L3 or above, such as Automated Valet Parking (AVP), and Enhanced Autopilot
"I look forward to our time at Automotive Tech Week 2021, and showcasing the innovative technologies StradVision is unveiling at the event," Sunny Lee, StradVision’s Chief Operating Officer who is leading StradVision’s team at the event said. "As we continue to ramp up our presence in Michigan, the heart of U.S. auto industry, events like this let us get our product in front of key industry leaders who are on board with our mission of using technology to achieve the safest possible experiences with ADAS systems and autonomous driving."
StradVision’s SVNet is a lightweight software that allows vehicles to detect and identify objects accurately, such as other vehicles, lanes, pedestrians, animals, free space, traffic signs, and lights, even in harsh weather conditions or poor lighting.
SVNet’s software relies on deep learning-based perception algorithms, which compared with its competitors is more compact and requires dramatically less memory and electricity to run. SVNet supports more than 14 hardware platforms and can also be customized and optimized for any other hardware system thanks to StradVision’s patented and cutting-edge Deep Neural Network-enabled technology.
SVNet is currently used in mass production models of ADAS and autonomous driving vehicles that support driving automation levels 2 to 4 and is being deployed in over 50 vehicle models from 13 OEMs worldwide.
The full Automotive Tech Week 2021 event runs online from Nov. 15-19, and in-person hours will be on-site in Novi from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17. StradVision will be located at Booth #743 at the event both days.
About StradVision Inc. Founded in 2014, StradVision is an automotive industry pioneer in AI-based vision processing technology for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The company is accelerating the advent of fully autonomous vehicles by making ADAS features available at a fraction of the market cost compared with competitors. StradVision’s SVNet is being deployed on 50+ vehicle models in partnership with 13 OEMs and powers ADAS & Autonomous Vehicles worldwide and is serviced by over 200 employees in Seoul, Detroit, San Jose, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Munich. The company received the 2020 Autonomous Vehicle Technology ACES Award in Autonomy (Software Category). In addition, StradVision’s software is certified to the ISO 9001:2015 international standard.
NANJING, China, Nov. 12, 2021 — Tuniu Corporation (NASDAQ:TOUR) ("Tuniu" or the "Company"), a leading online leisure travel company in China, today announced that it plans to release its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021, before the market opens on November 19, 2021.
Tuniu’s management will hold an earnings conference call at 8:00 am U.S. Eastern Time on November 19, 2021 (9:00 pmBeijing/Hong Kong Time on November 19, 2021).
Listeners may access the call by dialing the following numbers:
US
800-263-0877
Hong Kong
800-961-105 / +852-3008-1527
Mainland China
4001-209101
International
+1-646-828-8143
Conference ID:
Tuniu 3Q 2021 Earnings Call
A telephone replay will be available from 11:00 am on November 19, 2021 through 11:00 am on November 26, 2021, U.S. Eastern Time. The dial-in details are as follows:
US
1-888-203-1112
Hong Kong
+852-5808-3200
Mainland China
4001-201651
International
+1-719-457-0820
Replay Access Code:
4308160
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of this conference call will be available at http://ir.tuniu.com/.
About Tuniu Corporation
Tuniu (Nasdaq:TOUR) is a leading online leisure travel company in China that offers a large selection of packaged tours, including organized and self-guided tours, as well as travel-related services for leisure travelers through its website tuniu.com and mobile platform. Tuniu covers over 420 departing cities throughout China and all popular destinations worldwide. Tuniu provides one-stop leisure travel solutions and a compelling customer experience through its online platform and offline service network, including a dedicated team of professional customer service representatives, 24/7 call centers, extensive networks of offline retail stores and self-operated local tour operators. For more information, please visit http://ir.tuniu.com.
– Commencing in January 2022, Arabesque Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Arabesque) will be embarking on an AI project that focuses on financial knowledge graphs, understanding data bias with application to transfer learning, and general machine learning approaches for financial analysis and modelling.
– The project will be used to enhance Arabesque’s existing AI business activities such as identifying alpha opportunities.
– An engineering and research unit dedicated to the advancement of AI and automation in asset management will be established as part of the project.
– Arabesque is hiring AI engineers and researchers in Singapore that will help establish Singapore as a leading centre for AI in finance.
SINGAPORE, Nov. 12, 2021 — Arabesque today announced that it will embark on an AI project which focuses on financial knowledge graphs, understanding data bias with application to transfer learning, and general machine learning approaches for financial analysis and modelling. This will enhance Arabesque’s existing AI business activities such as identifying alpha opportunities.
View of downtown district and Marina bay skyline with purple sunrise in Singapore
Commencing in January 2022, the project will run for two years and support Arabesque in developing capabilities in cutting-edge areas of AI. The work undertaken by the AI research unit is expected to enhance Arabesque’s existing business activities such as developing data engineering capabilities, improving the accuracy at which alpha opportunities are identified for its investment strategies, and utilising new unstructured sources of data as inputs into its financial models.
The project is supported under the Financial Sector Technology & Innovation – Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics (FSTI – AIDA) scheme, which aims to strengthen the AIDA ecosystem in the Singapore financial sector. The FSTI – AIDA scheme is funded by the Financial Sector Development Fund, administered by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
The project will involve the establishment of an AI engineering and research unit based in Singapore, which will be dedicated to the advancement of AI and automation in asset management. Arabesque will be hiring a team of AI engineers and researchers in Singapore as part of the new unit.
The team will be led by Arabesque’s Dr Qasim Nasar-Ullah, a co-founder of Arabesque’s AI business, who will take on a new role at the firm’s Singapore office. All work undertaken by the AI unit will be used to enhance Arabesque’s existing AI capabilities, and will be utilised to help establish Singapore as a world-leading centre for AI in asset management.
Dr Yasin Rosowsky, CEO of Arabesque AI, said:
"Artificial intelligence will play a vital role in financial services over the next decade and will help accelerate the shift towards more sustainable capital markets. We are honoured to have been awarded the FSTI – AIDA grant and look forward to working on developments that will advance the innovative application of AI in asset management.
We are excited at the prospect of building an AI engineering and research team in Singapore to deliver cutting-edge AI solutions for the fintech ecosystem of Singapore and beyond."
Headquartered in London, Arabesque Asset Management is part of the Arabesque Group, which aims to advance sustainable finance through investment solutions, market-leading data assets, AI, and financial technology expertise.
About the Arabesque Group
The Arabesque Group is comprised of three businesses, Arabesque Asset Management, Arabesque S-Ray, and Arabesque AI, that work together to advance sustainable finance through investment solutions, AI and financial technology expertise. Established independently in 2013, Arabesque’s mission is to enable clients and other stakeholders to implement sustainability in their investments and financial decision-making. Arabesque counts many of the world’s leading banks, asset managers, asset owners and custodians as clients. arabesque.com
Today’s generation is the most connected one so far. But it is a generation also where cutting off someone is as easy as a click of a button. There is something called ‘cancel culture’ in the world of social media today.
While there are plenty of reasons why you would want to cut a person off, for whatever reasons, on social media, wanting to block a person on streaming platform like Spotify is a little odd. There is a way to block certain artists from ever appearing on your Spotify home feed. That feature was introduced back in 2019. For whatever reason as well, users have been wanting to block other users instead on the platform.
To be fair, Spotify is more than just a music streaming app today. It is also a social platform where you can add friends, follow their playlists and even see what they are playing in real time. In a sense, if someone is in your friends list, their listening privacy is gone. You can ensure that your listening session does not appear on any of your friends feed by turning on ‘Private Session’, but that only lasts for a limited time before Spotify kicks you back into online mode to update your songs and your recommendations.
You now can decide to block other users from accessing your activities now though. It is as simple as clicking the person’s profile and tap the “Block User” option. Once you have done that, the person will not be able to see you appearing on their ‘friend’s activity’ list on the right side of the app anymore, at least on the desktop interface. That way, you also limit what you show the person you blocked.
While showing your Spotify activity may not seem all that harmful, it could lead to a bigger impact. Some might think that just showing the ‘Now Listening to’ information as an empty information your friends cannot use. For example, other users can use the activity information from Spotify to harass you on other platforms like Facebook or Instagram, for example. They could also use whatever information they can gather against you as well for that matter. Remember, information in the wrong hands can be dangerous.
The function should be available to users very soon, at least according to Spotify as per Engadget.
Study provides an assessment of the security considerations and key imperatives for Singapore organizations
SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 11, 2021 — In collaboration with the ISACA Singapore Chapter, Frost & Sullivan’s Security Practice has conducted an end-user survey, 2021 ISACA-Frost & Sullivan Survey: The Singapore Cybersecurity Landscape, with 78 ISACA thought leaders. The goal was to seek opinions on the technologies that will have a profound transformative impact on existing industry dynamics, value chains, and business models across multiple vertical markets in the next 2-3 years.
Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific Survey Outlines Key IT and Security Trends Impacting Enterprises
In addition to providing quantitative insight, the study provides a top-level assessment of three main cybersecurity threats in Singapore: ransomware, data exfiltration and vulnerability of unpatched systems.
"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has pushed enterprises globally to accelerate their security capabilities, sometimes leading to security gaps. The increasingly sophisticated threat landscape and a complex business environment are also driving businesses to explore solutions to help them strengthen their security posture for better cyber threat/risk," said Kenny Yeo, Associate Director, Head of Asia-Pacific Cybersecurity Practice at Frost & Sullivan. "However, utilizing these solutions in isolation will limit their effectiveness. As our organizations change, IT and risk teams also need to adapt and better manage the expanded threat surface by implementing a holistic cybersecurity approach for maximum benefits."
"In its third year running, the ISACA-Frost & Sullivan survey of thought leaders within the ISACA Singapore Chapter membership has provided situational awareness to aid organizations in building threat-informed defenses across people, processes and technology," said Steven Sim, President, ISACA Singapore Chapter. "The results are also reflective of the ISACA Global State of Cybersecurity 2021 results, albeit with Singapore-centric nuances. In a strong public-private partnership, keeping regular tabs on the ground’s pulse helps us guide organizations in developing more agile, risk-optimal security improvement programs and contributing to a collective ecosystem defense."
Key findings include:
Cloud adoption continues to accelerate in Singapore, with 63% of respondent organizations adopting cloud more during the pandemic.
Twenty-nine percent of enterprises saw a moderate to major increase in supply chain attacks during the pandemic.
Sixty-five percent of Singapore enterprises are still at risk, with only 35% of respondents indicating that they had no cybersecurity incidents during the year after regular forensics and assessments were conducted.
Top areas of concern in Singapore include data exfiltration (leak of personal data), ransomware attacks and vulnerability of unpatched systems.
Top cybersecurity challenges faced in Singapore include resourcing and skills, balancing regulatory requirements and customers’ needs, and lack of budget.
Senior management is more concerned with cyber risk issues as the general perception of cybersecurity has improved.
People, processes and technology all need to be addressed in today’s modern enterprise with the support of senior management. These include cybersecurity awareness programs, governance, risk and compliance tools, and cyber drills.
About Frost & Sullivan
For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion
ASUS’s Republic of Gamers (ROG) announced a partnership with IKEA to bring more gamer-centric furniture to complete your setup not too long ago. However, the partnership was exclusive to Taiwan and China until today. The ROG x IKEA gaming furniture is now available at IKEA outlets across Malaysia.
The collaboration comes in five new product ranges which IKEA dubs its gaming range: the UPPSPEL, LÅNESPELARE, MATCHSPEL, UTESPELARE and HUVUDSPELARE. The new product families have IKEA’s unique, minimalist approach with insights from ROG’s long relationship with gamers. The UPPSPEL, however, is a true co-developed product with ROG engineers working closely with IKEA product designers.
The new gaming range focuses on bringing ergonomic comfort to gamers while they work to take out their challengers and best their opponents. Gamers can choose from a wide range of furniture which covers a wide range of price ranges. IKEA is offering a choice of three gaming chairs which range from MYR299 to MYR699. While the ROGxIKEA gaming desk, UPPSPEL, will set you back MYR2,499. Each piece of furniture is designed while taking into consideration the unique needs of a gamer. IKEA and ROG have put thought into everything from ergonomics to ventilation for your gaming setup.
The partnership doesn’t simply cover gaming furniture. You’ll also be able to get accessories such as a mouse bungee, headset stand and mug to complete your epic setup. The best part is these items are all priced below MYR80. If you’re not looking to get a completely new set-up, these additions should be more than welcome.
As part of their launch, ROG and IKEA have set up vignettes and showrooms with ROG gaming PCs in IKEA outlets across Malaysia. The gaming rigs in the stores feature some of the best components from ROG paired with Kingston’s performance RAM and storage. The rigs are available for you to experience at IKEA Damansara, Cheras, Terbrau and Batu Kawan.
Foldables – that’s what seems to be driving a new wave that is set to change how our phones look and feel in the near future. Samsung seems to be banking hard on foldable with a shift in their release schedule and strategy. Their once cornerstone Note series has seemingly given way to their new Galaxy Z series while its parts and features make it to other devices.
The Galaxy Z Flip3 is one of the latest devices in the Galaxy Z series and takes a sharp focus on self-expression and style. This is most evident with the announcement of the Galaxy Z Flip3 Bespoke Edition. However, unlike its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip3 comes with flagship specifications and features to complement them.
That said, we still have big questions that need to be answered – Is it worth your time and money? Does it belong in your pocket or should you pass and wait for another? Is the Z Flip 3 a worthy successor to the Galaxy Note series?
Design
The focus of the Galaxy Z Flip3 is its style and design – there’s no hiding that. The changes Samsung made from the Galaxy Z Flip and Z Flip 5G clearly show the direction that the smartphone is taking moving forward. To be very frank, it’s a direction that makes sense for the Z Flip lineup. We’ve all seen and experienced the twin technological flagships, in fact, we see that with most other companies in the mobile industry. The change in focus is a refreshing approach to a smartphone and one that seems to benefit the foldable – benefits we explore later in the review.
The first change you’ll notice on the Z Flip3 is that Samsung has done away with the rounded form factor of the original. It no longer tries to mimic a lady’s compact but instead looks more akin to a Galaxy flagship folded over. Its frame acts as a design accent which makes it look sleek, thin and stylish. It also highlights the design accents of the smartphone’s body.
The Galaxy Z Flip3 also makes one literal big change – the cover display. It changes the small, rather useless display of the original for a larger, more functional 1.9-inch display. This display is expertly blended into a large, black accent which also hides the dual camera setup on the new foldable. We will explore the functionality later in the review.
On the back, Samsung is using the same, but improved hinge we first saw in the Flip. It no longer occupies a prominent band on the back when the phone is unfolded. Instead, the hinge disappears seamlessly into the body of the phone when unfolded. The two halves meet in the middle leaving only a slimline where the hinge once was. The two halves are beautifully finished glass/glasstic with a glossy finish. When held the weight of the metal frame, glass panels and internals gives the Flip3 good weight while still remaining relatively light.
Where the design takes a departure from the run of the mill smartphone is when it’s neatly folded in half. The small, square form factor makes the phone easily pocketable. Samsung works to keep some functionality in the smartphone even in this form. That said, the smartphone seems like it’s only touching the tip of the iceberg when it’s in this form and, to be honest, those who are used to carrying a compact – will welcome the design and form factor.
Hardware
The hardware of the Galaxy Z Flip3 is a welcomed upgrade from the original. Instead of being a very public beta test, the new Flip3 feels well thought out and worthy of being a flagship. In fact, the hardware in the smartphone emphasizes the form over specifications approach that Samsung is taking with the line-up.
When it comes to the user interface, the Galaxy Z Flip3 is your run of the mill One UI interface. It does, however, have a big difference – its length. The foldable is slenderer and longer than your regular Samsung candy bar phones. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Samsung’s One UI has been adapted to the unique form factor as well as the many different modes that the unique fold form factor brings along with it.
The 9:22 aspect ratio is a unique form for Android. What Samsung has done is just scaled the UI to facilitate the added height. Unlike a regular smartphone, the grids that Android uses to align the widgets and icons are slightly elongated and rectangular on the Flip3. This gives One UI a more consistent feel even on the foldable. In fact, it behaves pretty much like a standard Android smartphone in this respect.
Where the UI shines on the Galaxy Z Flip3 is when you use apps that are compatible with the multiple angles the phone can fold. This includes the camera app, YouTube and a handful of other apps which have been developed together with Samsung. However, we expect that to change soon with Google releasing Android 12L. The optimised apps immediately scale or rearrange to maximise productivity. For instance, in the YouTube app, when you place the Flip3 at an angle, the video plays on the top half of the phone while chat and/or comments run in the lower half. Similarly, the camera app will optimise to have the viewfinder on the top half while the trigger is on the bottom.
Samsung has also made the front display a lot more actionable with the addition of widgets made specifically for the front display. At the time of review, there weren’t many third-party widgets for this. However, with widgets like calendar, voice recorder, stopwatch and more, you could get essential functionality literally at the touch of the small screen.
Aside from this, some hallmark features of One UI make it to the Z Flip3 including the sidebar and gesture navigation. The sidebar feels a little bit unnatural and awkward on the Flip3 due to the raised bezel that protects the screen. However, it doesn’t take away from the functionality that it brings such as quick access to apps and app pairs. Gesture navigation allows you to have even more screen real estate. It gives back the space which would otherwise be used to house the navigation buttons. However, since the active area for navigation is slightly larger than the sidebar, it actually felt pretty natural and ergonomic.
Performance
The Z Flip3 has graduated to one of Samsung’s main flagships this year. It comes as no surprise that they chose to go with the Snapdragon 888 5G processor, unlike the more experimental Z Flip. The SoC puts an octa-core processor with a capable GPU at the disposal of the Flip3. We all know by now, that it’s not about the hardware but how optimised it is to extract every ounce of performance. It’s also paired with 8GB of RAM and, in our review unit, 128GB of storage.
Multitasking & Productivity
It comes as no surprise to us that Samsung has vastly optimised the experience. Overall, the foldable is even more powerful than the original Flip. It’s able to handle multitasking better. The one thing that we loved in the original Flip was the ability to get things done – whether it be by disconnecting from the world or with the multitasking features of the smartphone.
The Flip3 continues this legacy by adding more features to the cover screen. The new widgets allow us to get more things done without opening the phone. This includes adding appointments to calendars, replying to messages and even taking pictures if the need arises. However, the more capable processor also allowed us to multitask more efficiently with split-screen multitasking. There was little to no slow down when using apps like Microsoft Excel and Samsung Email in split-screen. Even using Google Keep and Chrome in the same multitasking mode was a breeze.
Call Quality & Connectivity
It should come as no surprise that call quality and connectivity on the Flip3 is good. The smartphone comes with pretty much all the connectivity options you could need including the added futureproofing of 5G. Unfortunately, Malaysia hasn’t rolled out 5G, so we couldn’t really put that to the test.
However, aside from 5G, it comes with Bluetooth 5.1, WiFi 6 (AX) and 4G LTE. The connectivity options were robust enough that there were hardly any instances where we were offline. Bluetooth connectivity was stable on the Galaxy Buds Pro and even on the Sony WF-1000MX4. In fact, it seemed to be more stable and reliable than a few of the other review devices we had in-house and even my personal Galaxy Note10+. I could leave the smartphone in my room and walk a good 10 to 20 meters outside to the hall – mind you this also meant that the signal had to pass through a concrete wall. Even walking to the second floor of my house didn’t have the regular signal degradation. That said, once I was outside about 25 meters, connectivity started becoming spotty and weak.
Over WiFi and 4G, the Flip3 performed admirably. It had no issues when it came to connectivity. In fact, similar to the Bluetooth experience, the foldable seemed to have better connectivity than a few other smartphones. It was able to connect to 4G where other devices dropped to 3G. Even speeds over 4G networks was a little faster on the Flip3. When it came to WiFi, the Flip’s WiFi6 support allowed it to have better, faster connectivity.
Gaming
The only area where I would say the Flip3 has a few issues was with gaming – but it’s not for lack of performance capabilities. The elongated, hinged form factor was the main reason we had issues with the smartphone. The atypical aspect ratio meant that games were ill optimised to the screen. This was exacerbated by touch controls which took up more screen real estate than usual. In addition, the fact that you typically play in landscape made me even more aware of the hinge as there was always a lurking fear that being too engrossed in the game would make me accidentally overstrain the hinge – but that’s something that faded away the more I used the smartphone.
Performance-wise, gaming was a breeze on the Flip3. Games like Genshin Impact had little to no issue running on the phone. In fact, even Pokémon UNITE played smoothly on the smartphone. There weren’t many instances where screen tearing occurring and load times in Pokémon UNITE were quicker than the Switch. Touch controls were responsive and the sound experience from the smartphone was surprisingly good. However, with prolonged gaming sessions, the phone does tend to get a little warm.
The only thing we thought could have made the gaming experience more a little better would have been the optimisation of games to make use of the folded form factor. A few emulators were able to do this but mainstream games haven’t yet cooked up the feature. Hopefully, that changes with Android 12L coming soon.
Battery Life
Samsung has steadily been improving on their battery life when it comes to devices in general. That rings true for the Galaxy Flip3. It is one of the smartphones from Samsung with the longest battery life yet. The main contributor to this would be the fact that during my time with it, I hardly found myself opening the smartphone to use the screen. The cover display was where I was interacting most with the smartphone.
However, even with that, the longest active time I got with the smartphone was about 6 hours; This was with a little bit of word processing, social media and some light reading on Google Chrome. When gaming, this was significantly shorter, coming in at only about 3 to 4 hours; at the absolute maximum, it lasted about 5 hours.
Display
The Flip3 comes with a foldable AMOLED 2X display panel with an FHD+ resolution. As mentioned earlier in the review, the display comes with a rather odd 22:9 aspect ratio. That said, the display continues Samsung’s legacy of having pretty decent displays with good colour reproduction. While the Galaxy Z Flip3 does share the tendency of oversaturating reds, using it in natural settings does dial back the saturation. That said if you want more control over the colour reproduction on the phone the advanced mode under the “Vivid” option allows you to get into the nitty-gritty of the colour calibration. The added HDR10+ compatibility gives the screen a better colour range and accuracy with deeper blacks and more vibrant colours with compatible content.
That aside, the display’s odd aspect ratio does mean that you will have to contend with black bars in most cases. Even with the more cinematic 16:10 aspect ratio, the phone will compensate with two black bars flanking on either side of the content. While it’s not as jarring, it can be disruptive when watching older 4:3 format shows.
The display’s 120Hz refresh rate is noticeable when using the phone for games and scrolling through documents. The high refresh rate also lends itself to a more fluid experience with the phone’s UI overall. By default, the screen is set to an adaptive mode where the screen will dynamically adapt to the content on the screen. Samsung’s implementation of this is one of the better ones in the market. You hardly see the stutter when the refresh rate is increased or decreased as it adapts to content.
Cameras
Unlike its other flagships, Samsung has opted to not equip the Galaxy Z Flip3 with triple or quadruple-camera sensors. Instead, the Flip3 comes with 2 sensors and, in all honesty, you’re not really missing out when it comes to camera performance. The company still manages to make the setup one that’s feature-packed and pretty complete. In fact, it might just disprove the convention that more sensors make a better camera experience.
Up in the front, the Galaxy Z Flip3 is equipped with a 10-megapixel sensor. The sensor makes the most sense for the Flip given that I found myself defaulting to the main sensors. The selfie sensor was only my go-to when it came to video calls. This was mostly because of the convenience the folding allowed me when using it. It allowed the phone itself to become like a tripod and freed up my hands to do other things. That said, the images from the selfie camera were still pretty sharp and detailed.
The main camera setup is an unusual combination of two 12-megapixel sensors – a wide sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and an ultrawide one with an f/2.2 aperture. Samsung didn’t even include its variable aperture technology. However, the combination gave relatively good photos. The colours were bright and popped. It wasn’t too overly saturated either. In fact, it felt a little bit more tuned than the S21 and S21 Ultra.
That aside, the camera combination allowed the Flip to be a little more versatile than other dual-camera smartphones. While the lack of a telephoto meant that there’s no optical zoom, the limited digital zoom allowed for good zoomed-in photos. However, don’t expect the quality to be anything like other smartphones with optical zoom. In fact, pictures beyond 2x or 3x zoom become grainy and unusable. Zoom aside, the phone was still able to adapt with portrait mode and was even able to take close up shots. The versatility proved to be quite useful during our review period, but it still is no replacement for a DSLR.
The main camera paired with the cover screen is also a winning combination. The fact that you’re getting stunning selfies thanks to the main sensors is a win in our books. What’s more, you don’t even need to flip the phone open to use them. However, the size does limit the versatility of the cameras. Although, that’s not really a deal-breaker considering you technically can just flip the phone open to use the cameras fully.
A New way to Think of Flagships – a Trend Setter making way for more possibilities
When it comes down to it, the Galaxy Z Flip3 is an iterative update – a finetuning of a formula that we know Samsung is going to be iterating on. However, the improvements made the phone a lot more useful and utilitarian than its predecessor. In fact, it would be my go-to for a phone if it weren’t for the lack of an S-Pen. Samsung has made the Z Flip3 a contender for phone of the year by focusing on what matters with any smartphone – its user experience.
To date, we haven’t seen any other smartphone which brings the optimisations and thoughtful iteration that the Z Flip3 brings. Each update and upgrade of the design and software was done with purpose and enhances the overall experience of the smartphone. It’s both stunning visually and conveniently utilitarian.
Of course, if Samsung’s focus was simply on style, it’s done quite a bit when it comes down to it. The Z Flip3 is gorgeous. The sleek exterior belies its true capabilities and performance. In fact, it’s impressed us so much we’re giving it an editor’s choice award. The Galaxy Z Flip3 strikes a unique balance between function and form that makes it an undeniable trend setter.
Malaysia’s largest satellite TV provider, Astro, is undergoing a humungous change. It seems like their paradigm on entertainment is changing to be more embracing and forward-thinking. Only recently, the company announced that they will be changing their traditional decoders to the new Ulti Box and the Ultra Box; now Astro is taking a leap forward to turn their set-top box into a living room essential.
Launch event Hosted by Astro
While they are still staying true to linear programming with the hundreds of channels already under their belt, Astro is also embracing partnerships with streaming platforms. We already saw the inklings of this with their partnership with Disney+ Hotstar. With their latest announcement, they are embracing even more platforms and giving one of the largest streaming platforms a home on their set-top box. Netflix will now be natively available on Ultra and Ulti boxes with a new software update. The new update is the first to bring native apps to Astro’s platform. They are teasing the availability of more native apps from their partners like iQIYI and Disney+ in the near future.
New Packs and Bundles with App
However, that is only the tip of the iceberg. Together with their big shift, Astro is also revamping their packages. Users don’t have to deal with the confusing mixing and matching that they once had to with Astro’s Superpacks. Instead, the company has revealed more streamlined packages which also include subscriptions to some of the most popular streaming apps.
At the top of the selections, Astro is introducing a new Platinum Pack which will include most of the linear channels available on Astro and subscriptions to Astro Go, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar and HBO GO. The package is priced at MYR219.99. Additional charges apply for Asian Favourites which include Chinese, Indonesian and Indian channels at MYR14.99 for each sub-pack.
Source: Astro
Below this tier, there is the Entertainment Plus Pack which includes 110 channels covering Korean, Kids, Variety, Horror and Astro Go. It also includes access to Netflix. However, like the Platinum Pack, you will need to top up MYR14.99 for the Asian Favourites sub packs on top of the MYR144.99 cost of the Entertainment Plus Pack. In addition, you can add on other channels including your sports and movie channels for an additional fee starting at MYR14.99 monthly. The Entertainment Pack is a step below with 105 channels covering only the Variety and Kids sub packs without access to Netflix. This is priced at MYR104.99.
Astro’s barebones package is now the Primary Pack which comes with some 90 channels and access to Astro Go for MYR74.99 a month. They also have two combos with the movies and sports sub packs which cost MYR109.99 and MYR104.99 respectively.
Beware the Fineprint
It’s worth noting that aside from Disney+ Hotstar and HBO GO which comes bundled with the Movie Pack, complimentary access to Netflix is limited to the basic HD package of the streaming service. This limits your content to HD resolution with only 2 simultaneous connections. Upgrading to the premium package with Astro will be an addition MYR9.43. Access to the TVB Anywhere+ app is also linked to a subscription to the Chinese sub pack and is limited to HD resolution across 2 simultaneous devices. Access to the iQIYI VIP app is also available for Astro subscribers for an additional fee.
Launch Promos
Astro is having launch promos that bring up to MYR25 in discounts for monthly subscriptions.
Source: Astro
A New Satelite-less Experience
Astro wasn’t done with the announcements just yet. It also announced a new plug and play version of the Ultra and Ulti boxes. The new experience removes the need for Astro subscribers to have the now signature satellite dish on their homes. Instead, it will connect to the internet and allow users to have seamless, uninterrupted access to their content – rain or shine.
A big change is coming to YouTube – one that has seemingly broken the internet. The Google owned streaming platform has announced a change that may just change how we interact with videos on the platform. Starting 10 November 2021, the public dislike count will be going away. Yep- it looks like dislike bombing may not be a thing anymore. However, the dislike button is here to stay.
Source: YouTube (Twitter)
YouTube is looking to make the platform a little less toxic and a little more empowering – particularly for new content creators. They highlight that they have realised over the past year that dislikes were essentially being weaponised by bad actors to bully and put down content creators. Swathes of users and bots would target dislike buttons not because of the content being put out; but rather due to the stances that creators take and, in other cases, simply because they don’t like the creator.
👍👎 In response to creator feedback around well-being and targeted dislike campaigns, we're testing a few new designs that don't show the public dislike count. If you're part of this small experiment, you might spot one of these designs in the coming weeks (example below!). pic.twitter.com/aemrIcnrbx
That said, the dislike button isn’t going anywhere. In fact, the number of dislikes isn’t going away either. It simply will not be shown publicly. Creators will still see the metric in their creator studio dashboard and analytics. However, YouTube believes that this will allow them to not feel publicly shamed when a piece of content doesn’t resonate or garners more dislikes than likes. In addition, the dislike button will also help optimise YouTube’s algorithm to surface more of the content that you like.
That said, the company is saying that they are staying true to their mission of giving everyone a voice with the change. They say the change will help empower more small creators and allow a healthy, continued discourse on their platform.
