TOKYO, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — KLab Inc., a leader in online mobile games, announced that its head-to-head football simulation game Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team would debut new players wearing FC Barcelona uniforms starting Friday, April 15. There will be various in-game campaigns held in celebration. See the original press release (https://www.klab.com/en/press/) for more information.
KLab Inc., a leader in online mobile games, announced that its head-to-head football simulation game Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team would debut new players wearing FC Barcelona uniforms starting Friday, April 15. There will be various in-game campaigns held in celebration.
FC BARCELONA Official Campaign Overview
Login Bonus
Users can get fantastic rewards such as SSR Overus (Catalonia) and Dreamballs by logging into the game during the event period.
Special Event: Carve a History of Intense Battles
During the event period, users can replay these special scenarios over and over again to collect FC BARCELONA II Medals. These Medals can be exchanged for fantastic items.
FC BARCELONA Selection Transfer
Josep Grandios, Luikal, Payol wearing the FC BARCELONA official kit debut as new players in this Transfer.
Daily Scenario
Users can complete these limited scenarios once a day during the event period. Clear the scenario to receive Tsubasa Point Rewards and exchange them for great rewards.
Event Mission
During the event period, complete the Event Missions to earn great rewards such as Dreamballs, Tamotsu Ide, Black Ball (SSR)s, and more.
Dreamball Exchange
The Dreamball Exchange is getting an update with the FC BARCELONA home, away, GK uniforms. Users can exchange Dreamballs to collect them!
GUANGHZOU, China, April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The 131st Canton Fair formally raises its curtain to the public on April 15, 2022. Chinese home appliance manufacturer Changhong has established a presence at the exhibition with its full series of products, including a lineup of environmentally responsible, 5G-enabled home appliances as well as the M8-series TV, the Eva model air conditioner, and the Space Pro refrigerator and washing machine.
Changhong will host several new product launches and live streaming events, in addition to displaying its product lineups in several VR exhibition halls and virtual exhibition venues, enabling interested buyers to get a full and detailed run-down on each product and on the product’s features. Being an online event, all exhibits and exhibitors will be available 24 hours per day. Buyers can view products, engage in negotiations and order products at any time from any time zone, removing time and geographical restrictions.
Changhong has utilized its understanding of the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and 5G to product R&D and production to produce trend-setting products that improve the user experience, such as the M8-series smart TV, the first-of-its-kind air conditioner Eva model that can respond to voice commands in multiple languages without needing to be connected to an online device, and the Space Pro refrigerator and washing machine, both of which are equipped with the world’s leading ultra-thin technologies.
Despite the various uncertainties worldwide, Changhong’s business outside its home market of China remains resilient. In 2021, the manufacturer’s overseas business broke all previous records, with ex-China home appliance sales revenue climbing by more than 10% year-over-year, while sales of CHiQ branded products jumped some 20%.
Changhong has further optimized both its online and offline sales channels and is accelerating the establishment of additional channels in overseas markets as well as creating product portfolios customized to the audience demographic on leading e-commerce platforms worldwide.
As of the end of 2021, Changhong’s CHiQ, with richer and more competitive product lineups, is now featured on over 20 countries/regions and 40 e-commerce platforms. Its e-commerce business recorded a year-on-year increase of more than 40% in sales revenue. CHiQ-branded TVs and refrigerators have been leaders among the best-selling products on Amazon’s European platform, as well as on the platforms of Southeast Asia-based Shopee and Lazada.
WhatsApp is an integral part of our lives today. In most parts of Asia, WhatsApp has become an essential communication tool which has replaced the traditional messaging apps. iMessage in this part of the world has nothing against the likes of WhatsApp and the likes of the messaging app.
We rely on WhatsApp not just for communicating and chatting with our friends. We rely on the platform at work as well. The amount of group chats we have just for work can be quite unreal.
WhatsApp recognises the need for their platform, especially in the world we live in today. They also recognise the need for their platform to become something even more than just a way to text your other half that you are buying dinner. So, they introduced Communities.
What is Communities? It is very much like WhatsApp groups really, except that it is also not. It is a platform for organisations to organise on. It is a platform for managing groups from a single place on WhatsApp.
Source: WhatsApp
You can think of Communities as a sort of Forum for any organisation that you are a part of. There can be different conversations that happen in that forum (chat groups). You can also address the entire forum with a single message when you need to. It is like being a part of a larger conversation and have smaller side discussions without interrupting the larger group.
For the Admin of their communities, they get even more powerful tools to work with. You can make announcements to the entire community and address everyone from every smaller group whenever you want. If you only need the message to be spread across several select groups, you can do that too. Admins can even control the things that are being shared in each group if they find it inappropriate, much like forum moderators.
The example that WhatsApp gave in their announcement is of that of a school and the principal running the show. Communities can be much more than that though. It could be a collective of multiple charity efforts, an enthusiast community organising several events, even a company having separate departments as chat groups and project work groups.
Source: WhatsApp
With Communities, there are also several updates that is brought about the make WhatsApp even more powerful. Audio calls can now include up to 32 people. You can react to messages from your friends in groups too. At the same time, file sharing has been upped to 2 GB at a time, which is a blessing in the creative industry, or when you are trying to share full resolution images. Admin delete will also be introduced in regular group chats.
WhatsApp Communities is not available just yet. It is coming soon, according to WhatsApp. The feature updates that will be attached to Communities will be introduced to WhatsApp before the Communities update though. That also means you might get to try out some of the new features soon to get yourself ready for the Communities update. You can find out more about WhatsApp Communities from their announcement.
Work from dozens of brands and agencies captures the ever-changing spirit of design and creativity at a global scale.
WOBURN, Mass., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Monotype Studio today released its annual Type Trends report, a comprehensive guide to how modern typography is helping to shape both culture and commerce. The 10 featured trends underscore how the intersection of an increasingly digital world and a period of prolonged “crappiness” and stress have influenced the ways in which typography is both designed and applied to brand experiences. Additionally, the report demonstrates how designers are quickly adopting bleeding-edge font technology to build beautiful text in emerging virtual environments.
“This is not our work, but it’s great work,” said Monotype Creative Type Director Charles Nix. “This year, we explicitly sought to connect these trends to the times in which we are living. That is, the environment, the pandemic, the warpage of time, the rapid adoption of digital everything, social media as a vehicle for social change, nostalgia, questioning truth, diversity and unity, and of course, care for the self. The result is a celebration of the type industry as a whole, the art and the science that both reflects and contributes to driving our culture.”
Monotype’s type trends align with broader paradigm shifts that have appeared over the past 12 months, led by a changing relationship between brands and consumer audiences. Some of the themes include:
Neue Nouveau is a trend with varying degrees of excess. On one end, there is type with organic lines and dramatic curves that speak to nature and biodiversity; at the other end, you’ll find legibility-challenging, psychedelic, flowy forms speaking to the push-pull of pandemic time. LBDO by Universal Favourite and Visionair by Studio Airport are among those featured for delivering a malleable voice through type.
Thin, light serifs are in – again. Svelte Serifs are a slimmed down, sophisticated update on the bold, round, old-style serifs that were included under “soft-serve” in last year’s report. Collins’ work with Swiss type foundry Dinamo Typefaces for the San Francisco Symphony is a beautiful example of this trend come to life.
Individuals, groups, and the culture at large are embracing inclusion in all its diverse, fluid, ambiguous glory. Mix-Up is typographic diversity, pairing multiple typeface styles in one identity to turn diversity into unity. Fast Company: Innovation by Design from Triboro, and Henkel by Interbrand are just two identities that prove our differences are what define us.
While you were sleeping, everything came to life. Books started talking. Pictures in frames began moving and changing. Posters became animated 2-D surfaces. With Flux, type is hyper-kinetic, sometimes animated, sometimes variable, always moving. Studio Dumbar, MIDI by Pentagram, and Andrei Robu Studio help mark this 7-part trend.
“The 2022 Type Trends Report represents our favorite work from the past 12-ish months,” added Monotype Creative Type Director, Phil Garnham. “We are most proud of this report not for what it will say about Monotype, but for what it says about the type industry: That it is exploding with talent from all reaches of the global economy, that it is evolving with the pace required of a modern world, and that brand expression is rightfully taking center stage in 2022 and beyond.”
About Monotype Monotype creates brands that matter with type, technology, and expertise. The company partners with leading foundries to deliver the broadest inventory of high-quality typefaces in the world. Further information is available at www.monotype.com.
Monotype is a trademark of Monotype Imaging Inc. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
PALO ALTO, Calif., April 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Zendure’s SuperBase Pro has raised nearly $2M USD in crowdfunding and recently received several other distinctions.
SuperBase Pro, Zendure’s flagship power station, has received the illustrious iF Design Award in outdoor products from iF Design in Germany. The globally recognized awards celebrate products that excel in design, and the winners are selected by jurors from around the world.
SuperBase Pro, Zendure’s flagship power station, has received the illustrious iF Design Award in outdoor products from iF Design in Germany. The globally recognized awards celebrate products that excel in design, and the winners are selected by jurors from around the world.
Zendure’s power station is called “the world’s fastest recharging IoT portable power station”, capable of an 80% recharge in just one hour. It sports 14 output ports (12 in the EU version) and has built-in wheels and an extending handle for easy portability. It can provide 2,000W of pure sine wave AC power, with a surge capability of 4,000W for high inductive loads like refrigerators, compressors and air conditioners.
Internal IoT hardware gives SuperBase Pro several features that other power stations on the market do not have. Through Zendure’s companion app, users can monitor and control various aspects of the power station, see its location through GPS, and even track carbon offset and green energy usage.
The power station launched on Indiegogo last year and on Makuake in Japan earlier this year, raising nearly $2 million USD from backers all around the world. It has been popular among campers, outdoor enthusiasts and van-lifers, and is also quickly becoming a staple in emergency preparedness kits. Unlike a traditional gas-powered generator, SuperBase Pro is safe to use indoors and does not require fuel to operate.
Zendure’s power station is solar friendly, so even if a disaster weakens crucial infrastructure, users can collect solar energy and power their essential devices. Photovoltaic arrays of up to 1,800W are supported by SuperBase Pro.
SuperBase Pro 2000 can be ordered from Zendure.com, with delivery to the US projected for the end of May.
Zendure is a portable power company with a focus on sustainable energy located in Silicon Valley in the United States and the Guangdong – Hong Kong – Macao Greater Bay Area in China. Since its establishment, Zendure has continuously launched innovative products, made rapid breakthroughs in the core technologies of energy storage and power supplies, and continues to bring pleasant surprises to the user experience. The company recently received a multi-million dollar series-A round of funding through a joint investment from Shanghai GP Capital and YOTRIO group.
INCHEON, South Korea, April 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Cardio (Cardio Healthcare Inc.) is launching Metabike, the world’s first metaverse & gaming integrated home fitness bike for use on tablet & smart TV. This next-gen indoor bike features built-in game controllers to give users full gaming functionality and IoT pedals which track real speed, torque, and workout distance to control the movement of the in-game avatar.
Metabike combines Move-to-Earn (M2E) with Play-to-Earn (P2E), rewarding users up to $30 per month in Cardio Points for use in-app on healthcare discounts, products & services with the option to swap Cardio Points for its ERC20-based crypto asset Cardiocoin (CRDC) [listing on MEXC Global on April 19th, UTC 11:00].
Cardio (Cardio Healthcare Inc.) is launching Metabike, the world’s first metaverse & gaming integrated home fitness bike for use on tablet & smart TV.
The Cardio HUB platform (tablet & smart TV) pairs to Metabike via Bluetooth and features over 50 games & content from world-class developers at launch with monthly content library updates (think “Netflix” for exercise).
Founder & CEO Daniel Park says “People can exercise on Metabike while competing with global users in racing games, ride through scenic nature, watch their favorite shows on OTT platforms, and immerse themselves on leading metaverse platforms like Roblox, all while tracking their workout, receiving rewards for fitness, and having actual fun while exercising.”
Metabike combines Move-to-Earn (M2E) with Play-to-Earn (P2E), rewarding users up to $30 per month in Cardio Points for use in-app on healthcare discounts, products & services with the option to swap Cardio Points for its ERC20-based crypto asset Cardiocoin (CRDC) [listing on MEXC Global on April 19th, UTC 11:00].
Cardio’s patented technology (in the form of IoT bike pedal) has accurate power sensing without using prohibitively expensive torque sensors. The IoT pedal attaches to virtually any indoor bike, transforming legacy & ODM equipment into smart bikes that measure actual workout distance, calories burned, and access Cardio HUB.
Cardio’s smart treadmill BETA service (Metarun, at 20 select gyms in Korea) has verified 43,744 Km of exercise distance through 25,712 workouts over 7,449 hours of exercise, and users have received rewards worth around $10,000.
Cardio gets its name from the word cardiovascular, which takes the lion’s share of healthcare costs and is the focus of preventive healthcare. With the advent of metaverse, more people will exercise less, letting their fingers do the moving inside these digital spaces. Cardio’s Metabike & Metarun bridge “real-world” exercise with metaverse activity by combining the benefits of fitness with the fun of digital content (a nod to the equipment from the movie “Ready Player One”).
About Cardio Healthcare (Silicon Valley & Korea)
The only Move(&Play)-to-Earn company that is cheat-proof, verifies & rewards only real fitness data, and provides that foundational data for use in healthcare (i.e. insurance companies). Metabike & Metarun are the bridge between real fitness & metaverse activity.
Let us first clarify what the title means for a second. It is really a reflection of the experience of the pair of earbuds itself, nothing to do with its build or even sound quality. It is a Sony headphone after all, one that retails for MYR 849.
This is an odd pair of kit. Sony is famous with their noise cancelling offerings. There is the very famous WH-1000XM4 and the WF-1000XM4. These are the best pair of noise cancelling headphones money can buy currently.
So, what was Sony thinking when they made the WF-L900 LinkBuds? Their marketing blurb says that it is the only headphones you will never have to take off. They also said that it is permanently on transparent mode.
On paper, you are getting a lot less than the WF-1000XM4 noise cancelling earbuds. The price tag is a little lower too for sure, but MYR 849 is not exactly cheap still. Is the asking price a fair one? Would this be a pair of headphones we never knew we needed? Would you be better off with a WF-1000XM4 instead? Let us find out
Design
The first thing that greets you, when you open your box made from the recycled paper, is not the two pairs of earbuds. It is the clamshell style case. It also looks like one.
The outer shell is made entirely out of what Sony claims to be recycled plastic. It looks the part too; most recycled plastic panels have the same texture and look. It feels grainy and smooth at the same time. It feels expectedly premium too.
Because it is made mostly of plastic, it is much lighter than what we expected. Curiously, the case can still charge the LinkBuds at least twice over. There is no wireless charging for this device though, that could explain its weight.
There are no magnets to keep the cap closed. The hinge is spring-loaded and swings open when you press the button at the front. There is a pairing button sitting beside a USB Type-C port. The case is very minimal, and very tiny.
Then you open it and find the LinkBuds with two large domes staring back at you with the chromed rings. The recess on the case for the ear loops looks oversized at first, until you rummage through the packaging to find extra ear loops. No multiple inserts for the ear tips here, there are no ear tips to begin with
The recess for the main body of the buds is quite shallow making cleaning as easy as dabbing the seats with a piece of cloth or tissue paper. The recess is also where you see the infrared sensors that senses the earbuds and two charging pins.
The earbuds are also designed with minimalism in mind. There are no additional magnets other than the ones in the ring drivers here. The LinkBuds themselves feature two recess that are made to be caught by latches on the case to secure the earbuds in the case, in case the magnets are not enough.
The earbuds, at 4g, is feather light. You can keep it in your hands, walk around, drop it and not feel a thing. You can put it into your ears, and then forget about it the entire day even when the battery runs out. Trust me, it happened to me.
Fit and Finish
Their odd shapes make for an odd fitting. Unlike regular earbuds, fitment of the LinkBuds really depends on the size of the ear loop that presses against the inner part of your ear. The ring part goes into the hole, but you cannot push it all the way in. Instead, it simply rests on your ears.
With a good fit, the LinkBuds should feel natural in your ears. It should stay in place even with heavy headbanging. After some time, you forget that it is in your ears.
Features
Of course, the most important feature of the Sony LinkBuds is its transparency mode. It allows you to keep your music on but be completely aware of your surroundings.
Always Transparent Mode
The transparency mode is a permanent feature. There is no proper way to seal the headphones. You can sort of stuff things into the middle of the ring, but we do not recommend that.
Because there is no artificial processing, you are getting clean, natural sounding ambient noise. You can have a completely normal conversation with your peers without taking off your headphones or stopping your music.
Oddly enough, there is a Speak-to-Chat function built into this pair of headphones. We never needed it and kept it off. I have tried ordering coffee with the set of headphones without any issues. I can have full conversations with my friends with the headphones on as well.
Oddly Intuitive Wide Tap Area Gesture Control
There are no touch controls on either bud. Accidentally turning down your volume, pause your music, or launch Google Assistant or Alexa by adjusting your earbuds is a thing of the past. There is a still gesture control. You need to tap right next to your ear to get it working. It does not work on a single tap too, which is another great way to prevent accidental inputs. It is either a double tap or triple tap, and it works well for us.
It is rather intuitive once you know what to do. Sure, you can only fit up to four commands in this case for the LinkBuds. Four is enough for most use cases.
The system is not perfect though. Despite the ‘wide’ moniker, you cannot tap too far away from the headphones to register an input. You want your taps to be distinct as well.
IPX4 Construction
Water resistance is important on this pair of headphones. In our minds, this is the type of headphones you wear for extended periods. There are already a few instances where we left the case in the car when we are out and about with the earphones in our ears.
You might take it for a quick run around your neighbourhood too. In that case, it will be exposed to the elements. It can take rain, shine, or even sweat with no issues.
Sony Headphones App
This being a premium Sony product, it gets Sony’s Headphone app. It is different from other headphones we are used to though. Obviously, The WF-L900 LinkBuds does not feature noise cancellation. You will find the ambient noise slider or toggle.
The controls for the Sony LinkBuds are more simplified than what we are used to as well. You still have control over the EQ presets, which we left to Bass Boost. You can change the gesture controls, DSEE settings, speak-to-chat function, and Sony 360 Reality Audio on the app. The ear analysis feature remains too. It works, but the difference is not night and day.
Performance
While part of the MYR 849 that you are paying is for the unique qualities of this truly wireless earphones, its main purpose is a personal listening gear. For that, it should also still perform like a Sony should. We are happy to report that it does, though with some trade off.
The Sony V1 Processor
It is the same one you can find on the more expensive and slightly older WF-1000XM4. It is missing a few key features on this model though.
You do not get to take advantage of the noise cancelling algorithm on the V1 anymore, for obvious reasons. But you also lose DSEE Extreme. In its place, it is still DSEE audio upscaling technology, which is still good, but not DSEE Extreme good.
The Calls
It is a strange experience, using the LinkBuds for calls. The person at the other end of the line sounds clear and crisp, enough at least for you to make up the words they are trying to convey. The person on the other end did not report any issues with the call quality. We did not try to use only one side of the earphone because I always seem to forget that I have the earphones on in the first place.
The strange part is that you are listening to the person on the other end, but you are also hearing the rest of the world at the same time. Sure, you can just concentrate on having a conversation with your friend, because he is in your ear. But when the environment gets noisy, it gets a little difficult to have a conversation since you are also very much receiving the noise from all around you.
In most cases, if you can hear your music, you should be able to hear into your calls very nicely.You hardly need to worry about privacy too.
Adaptive Volume
Adaptive volume is the unique feature of this pair of earphones. In effect the algorithm adjusts the volume of the audio according to your environment. If your environment gets a little louder, your audio becomes louder too.
You might not notice the volume increase and decrease too much in most cases though, since everything is done in accordance with your environment. It is rather seamless too; you hardly notice that the volume has changed at all. Then again, that is the whole point.
Much Enjoyment, Much Awareness
The experience that is offered by the LinkBuds can be more likened to the experience you get from open backed earphones. You get a rather wide, open feel to your music and audio. It feels like audio fills up the space around you. It is a different experience.
We use Tidal for most of our music listening and testing. The songs we used for the test is Freya Riding’s “Lost Without You”, Video Game Orchestra’s “Final Fantasy VII Medley”, “3 Hour Drive” by Alicia Keys Ft. Sampha, and Post Malone’s “Circles”. No, they are not necessarily what audiophiles would pick, but some of them represent some of the most popular music genres and styles today. We kept our volume to about 50% in most of our use case.
You can make out the bass lines on songs like “Circles” and “3 Hour Drive”, but they are not punchy at all. You do hear some of the details with Bass Boost turned on, but once you turn it off, it feels like the lower frequencies disappear. For Freya Riding’s “Lost Without You”, we get quite a natural reproduction of Freya Riding’s unique vocals. Her voice comes out very clear and you still can hear the depth of her voice in the song itself. On an orchestral reprisal that is the “Final Fantasy VII Medley”, you do miss some of its drama because the earphones lack that punchiness in the lower frequencies. It is far from terrible though; the music still sounds clear and crisp.
We use Spotify as our main podcast listening platform and the experience is a good one. You are still completely aware of what is happening around you, but you are also getting entertained. You lose a little bit of that radio voice, but the most important part of a podcast is usually its content.
The thing is, while we do want to give a hard time for it not having a thumping low-frequency punch, we still quite like the audio experience on the LinkBuds. Audio feels more natural thanks to the open back concept. Rather than getting as choke full of sounds pumped into your ear, music is lightly fed to your ears. It is a unique experience.
Battery Life
The Sony open back earbuds is quoted to have a battery life of up to 5.5 hours in regular listening mode. With the case, it is supposed to get up to 12 hours extra battery life. Our app says we have logged about 19 hours of listening time on the WF-L900 LinkBuds. We have only charged the device once since we got the device, which also means we have extracted more than the promised battery life.
Then again, we left the WF-L900 at half volume at most times and we hardly ever activate the wide area tap function. Adaptive volume was on, but again, volume is at 50% most of the time. We pick up calls with it too, which is supposed to drain its battery a little more. Our calls are placed with volumes above 75% most of the time just so that we can hear the other person clearly.
We believe that the batteries will last about 5 hours in a single use, especially when you leave the headphone on 70-75% volume. Our use case allows the battery life of the device to extend a little more than the quoted battery life, which is good when you do not want to take your headphones off.
You want to remember that each earbud only weighs 4g. It is one of the lightest pair of truly wireless headphones in the market, and it offers a battery life that matches some of the more premium offerings in the market. In that regard, the battery life is impressive.
The Sony WF-L900 LinkBuds – Unique is The Word, But There is a Little Bit More to It
In short, we enjoyed the Sony WF-L900 LinkBuds. It is a unique product, and it is not made for everyone. Inevitably, there will be “why do I need that?” questions. You don’t.
This is a unique product that fulfils a very specific need and solves a very specific problem. It is for the people who wants an earphone to be constantly in their ears. It is for people who wants a little more seamlessness in their day. It is for the people who are constantly on the go.
There are some compromises with this pair of headphones. It does not offer DSEE Extreme, just regular DSEE. There is Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, but we hardly notice its effects in our use time. It offers less battery life as well than the WF-1000XM4. The biggest drawback is that it lacks low-end punch.
You still get quite decent audio experience though, excellent high-end notes and crisp mid-range tones. At the same time, you are completely aware of what is happening around you while enjoying tunes or even podcasts. It is water resistant, important when you are constantly on the move. It is light and hardly noticeable in your ear once it goes in. You never have to take it off your ears until it needs a charge.
The MYR 849 goes into excellent audio while being able to go through the day completely uninterrupted. It buys a unique convenience, a sort of hybridization of lifestyles. It keeps you in the loop, while you are drifting away in a calm land. It keeps you focused, and entirely separated from everything that is happening around you simultaneously. It is weird, but it is a good kind of weird, and we like that.
Smartphones are great. Since the introduction of the first Apple iPhone and its App Store, the growth of this tiny handheld device has been quite exponential. We now live in a world where having a smartphone is not just a luxury, it is a requirement to getting most things done. We also live in a world where this piece of handheld electronics has become the most important personal equipment of ours.
Apple may be the first to introduce a smartphone ecosystem the world has never seen before. Their early dominance in the space inspired some lookalike products that were quite unsuccessful. But it also brought competition from some of the biggest players in the industry. It brought Android to the world as well and the battle for smartphone supremacy ensued to this day.
Being the two biggest players in the industry currently gives you two choices when you want to upgrade your smartphone. You can choose between an iPhone or pick from the sea of Android smartphones available to you. It sounds simpler than it is though.
If you are an Android user looking to upgrade your device, you are given plenty of choices. Swapping between one brand to another, while not without a small learning curve, is entirely possible and made very simple. It goes without saying, swapping from an Android system into the iOS ecosystem is also not very difficult. In fact, Apple introduced a “Switch to iOS” app into the Google Play Store back in 2015 to make their transition much easier.
The reverse is hardly true though. While swapping between one iOS device to the next can be made seamless with iTunes, there is still a small level of complexity involved. Everything is proprietary as well; you need to have an Apple account to backup and restore everything. In concept, it is very similar to what you already have in Android’s Google account requirements. It locks you into the system, making it difficult for you to port out of iOS and into Android.
There are plenty of apps and service providers that have attempted to make switching out of iOS much simpler than before. You have developers who specifically developed apps to help you transfer WhatsApp data from an iOS device to an Android device. Samsung themselves also developed the Smart Switch that can recover most of the data from your old iPhone when you switch to a Samsung device specifically. Now Google is also in that fight to bring more iOS users out of Apple’s ecosystem and into Google’s Android world.
The app is called ‘Switch to Android’, and it is available in Apple’s App Store in certain regions currently. Of course, the app will be made available globally as time passes, but for now a few regions is what we get. It also seems like the app is not a complete app just yet with limited access, something Google will be rectifying as well in future iterations, we assume.
Source: Apple App StoreSource: Apple App StoreSource: Apple App StoreSource: Apple App Store
It is a relatively straightforward app to work with. It is essentially a porting tool on an iOS device meant to transfer as much data as possible from the iOS device to any Android device of the user’s choice. How the app ports the data off to an Android device is by first establishing a connection between the iOS device and the Android device of choice. After the network is made, the app is supposed to allow you to transfer things like contacts, messages, photos, and even videos from your iOS device. Some early preview also shows that the app will prompt you to turn off iMessage to ensure you get text messages on your Android device since it is one of the most common issues plaguing users switching out of Apple’s platform. Of course, all the data that is to be copied must be stored on the device itself. Anything within Apple Cloud will not be copied over.
While the app is now available for iOS device on the Apple App Store, you want to keep in mind that there are still plenty of missing features. The app is also sitting as an unlisted app in the App Store currently, which might also mean that you might not be able to simply find the app via search. Google will be sure to update the app with more complete features in the coming iterations. For now though, if you are planning to switch from an iOS device to an Android device, the Samsung Galaxy devices with Smart Switch are still your best bet of retaining most of your data.
NEW YORK , April 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — SecurityScorecard, the global leader in cybersecurity ratings, today announced a partnership with TriTech Distribution Limited (“TriTech”) a leading Hong Kong and Macau-based value-added distributor (VAD), to help enterprises in the region gain greater visibility into security vulnerabilities across their organisations. The partnership will also help third-party partners comply with new government regulations, prioritise remediation for the most significant threats, and protect critical assets.
Nations around the world are enhancing their cybersecurity policies as the global threat landscape evolves. In 2019, the Macau Cybersecurity Law (MCSL) began requiring public and private critical infrastructure operators to meet more stringent requirements, such as establishing cyber security governance, reporting on security incidents and breaches, and submitting annual security assessments. Currently, the Hong Kong government is developing a similar law that will require public utilities and other critical infrastructure to enhance security measures and incident reporting.
“The global threat landscape has evolved in a way that commands organisations to do more to protect their businesses and their entire supply chain while meeting more rigorous government regulations,” said Albert Kuo, Vice President of APAC Sales at SecurityScorecard. “Partnering with Tritech allows us to reach businesses that need to improve their security posture while expanding our reach and intelligence in the APAC region.”
SecurityScorecard provides industry-leading security ratings, automated assessments, and comprehensive third-party risk management to help businesses understand vulnerabilities and improve cybersecurity postures. Through a proprietary ratings system, including easy-to-understand A-F graded scorecards, SecurityScorecard and its team of industry experts provide organisations with deep analysis of cyber threat intelligence and comprehensive monitoring and assessment tools to manage third party risk, ensure compliance reporting is accurate, and help foster more informed decisions.
“We have seen a steep incline in demand for more comprehensive cybersecurity solutions to manage third-party risk,” said Dr Charlie Ip, Managing Director of TriTech Distribution. “Our commitment to delivering the best cybersecurity options to our customers means partnering with leaders like SecurityScorecard to provide comprehensive, yet easy to understand solutions that improve threat detection and speed-critical risk communications across the supply chain. We are pleased to offer this solution as a new layer of protection to our customers.”
About TriTech Distribution Limited
TriTech Distribution Limited is a value added distributor (VAD) delivering a 100% channel-only model and a specific focus on delivering market growth for its vendor and reseller partners. We specialise in complex unified communications, network infrastructure, system integration and data center and security solutions and convergence, offering a portfolio that covers security, performance, access, networking, unified communications, high performance wireless, storage, cloud security and hosted solutions. We deliver best-of-breed products backed up by award-winning marketing, sales and customer support, as well as training and technical services. For more information, visit https://www.ttdist.com/en/.
About SecurityScorecard
Funded by world-class investors including Evolution Equity Partners, Silver Lake Waterman, Sequoia Capital, GV, Riverwood Capital, and others, SecurityScorecard is the global leader in cybersecurity ratings with more than 12 million companies continuously rated. Founded in 2013 by security and risk experts Dr. Aleksandr Yampolskiy and Sam Kassoumeh, SecurityScorecard’s patented rating technology is used by over 30,000 organizations for enterprise risk management, third-party risk management, board reporting, due diligence, cyber insurance underwriting, and regulatory oversight. SecurityScorecard continues to make the world a safer place by transforming the way companies understand, improve and communicate cybersecurity risk to their boards, employees and vendors. Every organization has the universal right to their trusted and transparent Instant SecurityScorecard rating. For more information, visit securityscorecard.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.
Strong Revenue growth guidance of 13%-15% and operating margin guidance of 21%-23% for FY23
BENGALURU, India, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Infosys (NSE: INFY), (BSE: INFY), (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, delivered $16.3 billion in revenues with the highest annual growth in the last decade of 19.7% in constant currency with a robust operating margin of 23.0%. Growth was broad-based, supported by continued momentum in large deal wins with TCV of $9.5 billion. EPS grew by 15.2% in rupee terms. FCF crossed $3 billion for the year.
Q4 sequential growth was 1.2% in constant currency with operating margin of 21.5%. TCV of large deal wins was $2.3 billion in Q4.
“Infosys delivered highest annual growth in a decade with broad-based performance driven by deeply differentiated digital and Infosys Cobalt led cloud capabilities, powered by ‘One Infosys’ approach. We continue to gain market share as a result of sustained clients’ confidence in our ability to successfully navigate their digital journeys,” said Salil Parekh CEO and MD. “With the acceleration of digital disruptions across industries, we see immense potential to engage and partner with clients as they transform, adapt and thrive. We will scale talent globally, invest in employees and accelerate innovation and digital capabilities to capitalize on the expanding market opportunities,” he added.
38.8% YoY 41.2% FY CC Digital growth
20.6% YoY 19.7% FY CC Revenue growth
21.5% Q4 23.0% FY Operating margin
13.4% YoY 15.2% FY Increase in EPS (₹ terms)
$2.3 bn Q4 $9.5 bn FY Large deal TCV
Guidance for FY23:
Revenue growth of 13%-15% in constant currency
Operating margin of 21%-23%
Key financial highlights:
For the quarter ended March 31, 2022
Revenues in CC terms grew by 20.6% YoY and 1.2% QoQ
Reported revenues at $4,280 million, growth of 18.5% YoY
Digital revenues at 59.2% of total revenues, YoY CC growth of 38.8%
Operating margin at 21.5%, decline of 3.0% YoY
Basic EPS at $0.18, growth of 9.2% YoY
FCF at $761 million, decline of 4.8% YoY; FCF conversion at 101.0% of net profit
For the year ended March 31, 2022
Revenues in CC terms grew by 19.7% YoY
Reported revenues at $16,311 million, growth of 20.3% YoY
Digital revenues at 57.0% of total revenues, YoY CC growth of 41.2%
Operating margin at 23.0%, decline of 1.5% YoY
Basic EPS at $0.70, growth of 14.3% YoY
FCF at $3,055 million, growth of 2.8% YoY; FCF conversion at 102.9% of net profit
“In a year marked by intense supply side challenges, Infosys delivered strong financial performance – EPS growth of 15.2%, Free Cash Flows surpassing $3 billion and Return on Equity of 29.1%, reflecting the company’s success, driven by client-centricity and rich capabilities. The Board has proposed a final dividend of ₹16 per share, taking the total dividend for FY22 to ₹31 per share, an increase of 14.8% over prior year,” said Nilanjan Roy, Chief Financial Officer. “With a robust demand environment ahead, we envisage making appropriate long-term investments in capability building across sales, delivery and innovation. However, we plan to neutralize some of the impact through aggressive cost optimization programs and value led pricing driven by service and brand differentiation. This, along with post-pandemic normalization of expenses, is reflected in the margin guidance,” he added.
2. Capital allocation
For FY22, the Board has recommended a final dividend of ₹16 per share ($0.21 per ADS*). Together with the interim dividend of ₹15 per share already paid, the total dividend per share for FY22 will amount to ₹31 (app. $0.41 per ADS*) which is a 14.8% increase over FY21. With this, the company has announced total dividend of approx. ₹13,000 crore (approx. $1.74 billion*) for FY22.
*USD-INR rate of 75.00
3. Client wins & Testimonials
Infosys launched Infosys Metaverse Foundry, an integral part of Infosys Living Labs to accelerate enterprises’ ability to evolve and execute strategies for virtual-physical interconnections. Daniel Schumacher, Head of Global IT Applications and Digital Innovation, Komatsu, said, “Our strategic foresight and transformation roadmap point to the rapid acceleration of digital ecosystems, and we are looking to bring its value to all facets of our business – both as we know them today and to what we can create for the future. We are excited to partner with Infosys metaverse foundry to uncover the most significant investment we must make in the virtual world and plant seeds today that are most likely to bear fruit for our future.”
Infosys collaborated with E.ON for its Digital Workplace Transformation across multiple services. “We were looking for an innovative and future oriented partner for our entire workplace transformation journey. We are delighted to have Infosys as E.ON’s digital workplace partner, supporting 75K+ users across 12 countries for all their workplace needs. This collaboration cuts across services that include IT Service Desk, End User Devices, Unified Communication and Collaboration and IT Service Management. Infosys is also engaging with E.ON for multiple other initiatives as our strategic transformation partner. We are confident that this collaboration will be a great enabler in our ongoing digital transformation journey,” said, David Benkelberg, Head of User Services, E.ON.
Infosys collaborated with Telenor Norway to transform its finance and supply chain operations through standardized, Oracle Cloud ERP solution. Terje Borge, CFO, Telenor Norway, said, “Telenor Norway needs to continuously raise the bar in its operational performance to serve as the trusted digital partner for its consumer and enterprise customers. IT as a business enabler plays a critical role in this objective. The ERP transformation program is one of the steps in making Telenor agile and efficient.”
Infosys Finacle enabled WhatsApp Baking for Union Bank of India. The new service, called Union Virtual Connect (UVConn), will provide customers personalized and daily banking services. Shri Rajkiran Rai G, Managing Director & CEO, Union Bank of India, said, “It has always been our endeavor to build lasting relationships with customers by offering simple, fast, and contextual banking solutions and experiences with improved convenience. In line with this vision, we have introduced this service on WhatsApp, one of the most popular instant messaging applications in the world. Our retail customers can execute a host of their banking requirements on their own, without visiting a branch, instantaneously and securely. With Finacle Conversational Banking and Remote Banker we can now tap into the growing prominence of social media in everyday life. We expect this simple and convenient form of banking to add immense convenience to our customers and hope to see its rapid adoption in the months to come.”
Nu Skin, a leading health, beauty and wellness company with businesses in over 50 countries, collaborated with Infosys to achieve their vision of becoming a next generation social commerce enterprise. Ryan Napierski, President and CEO, Nu Skin said, “At Nu Skin, we are delighted to partner with Infosys for our transformation into a next-gen social commerce enterprise. Key to this is our collaborative work to provide personalized and engaging consumer journeys to build customer loyalty and help fuel our future growth.”
4. Recognitions
Recognized as one of the 2022 World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere
Awarded Global Top Employer 2022 certification in 22 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North America in recognition of its outstanding strategies and people practices
Received Brandon Hall Group’s Organizational Excellence Certification for demonstrating best-in-class talent acquisition strategy and human capital management practices
Certified as a Great Place to Work® for excellence in its employment practices in Canada for 2022
Ranked #1 among top 100 listed companies in India for receiving the highest score on ESG by Stakeholders Empowerment Services (SES)
Received LEED Platinum certification from US Green Building Council for 4 buildings, situated in Indianapolis, Bengaluru, Mysuru and Thiruvananthapuram, with a total area of 2.15 million sq.ft.
Ranked #2 in Everest Group PEAK Matrix® IT Service Provider of the Year
Positioned as a leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data and Analytics Service Providers
Infosys Finacle positioned as a leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant for Global Retail Core Banking for Finacle Core Banking Solution
Ranked as a leader in Everest Cloud Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022 – North America
Rated as a leader in HFS Top 10 Digital Associates Services 2022
Positioned as a Leader in ‘Banking Digital Services’ ISG Provider Lens™ Study for U.S., UK and Nordics regions
Ranked as a leader in Everest Cloud Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022 – Europe
Positioned as a leader in NelsonHall Quality Engineering NEAT 2022
Ranked as a leader in HFS Top 10 Energy Transition Services Top 10 Snapshot, 2022
Rated as a leader in Avasant’s Healthcare Payor Digital Services 2022-2023 RadarView™
Positioned as a Leader in ‘Mainframes Services and Solutions’2022 ISG Provider Lens™
Positioned as a leader in PAC RADAR SAP Services in Germany 2021
Rated as a leader in Avasant’s Multisourcing Service Integration 2021-2022 RadarView™
Rated as a leader in Everest Digital Product Engineering Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022
Positioned as a leader in HFS Top 10 Application Modernization Services, 2022
Positioned as a leader in Everest Oracle Cloud Applications (OCA) Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022
Rated as a leader in NelsonHall Digital Banking Services NEAT 2022
Positioned as a leader in HFS Utilities Services Top 10, 2022
Rated as a leader in Everest Advanced Analytics and Insights (AA&I) Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022
Rated as a leader in HFS Top 10 Retail and CPG Services, 2022
Positioned as a Leader in ‘Healthcare Digital Services’ ISG Provider Lens™ Study for U.S. region
Infosys Finacle positioned as a Leader by Everest Group in the Consumer Loan Origination System Products Peak Matrix Assessment 2022 report
Infosys Finacle was a winner at the Finnovex Awards Qatar 2022 under the ‘Excellence in Payments’ category for its Finacle Payments Suite
About Infosys
Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in more than 50 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.
Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE: INFY) (BSE: INFY (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next.
Safe Harbor
“Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, financial expectations and plans for navigating the COVID-19 impact on our employees, clients and stakeholders are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the ‘safe harbor’ under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding COVID-19 and the effects of government and other measures seeking to contain its spread, risks related to an economic downturn or recession in India, the United States and other countries around the world, changes in political, business, and economic conditions, fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law.”
Infosys Limited and subsidiaries
Extracted from the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet under IFRS as at: (Dollars in million)
March 31, 2022
March 31, 2021
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
2,305
3,380
Current investments
880
320
Trade receivables
2,995
2,639
Unbilled revenue
1,526
1,030
Other Current assets
1,159
938
Total current assets
8,865
8,307
Non-current assets
Property, plant and equipment and Right-of-use assets
2,429
2,519
Goodwill and other Intangible assets
1,042
1,115
Non-current investments
1,801
1,623
Unbilled revenue
124
81
Other non-current assets
1,294
1,180
Total non-current assets
6,690
6,518
Total assets
15,555
14,825
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Current liabilities
Trade payables
545
362
Unearned revenue
834
554
Employee benefit obligations
288
276
Other current liabilities and provisions
2,766
2,072
Total current liabilities
4,433
3,264
Non-current liabilities
Lease liabilities
607
627
Other non-current liabilities
521
432
Total non-current liabilities
1,128
1,059
Total liabilities
5,561
4,323
Total equity attributable to equity holders of the company
9,941
10,442
Non-controlling interests
53
60
Total equity
9,994
10,502
Total liabilities and equity
15,555
14,825
Extracted from the Condensed Consolidated statement of Comprehensive Income under IFRS for:
(Dollars in million except per equity share data)
3 months ended March 31, 2022
3 months ended March 31, 2021
Year ended March 31, 2022
Year ended March 31, 2021
Revenues
4,280
3,613
16,311
13,561
Cost of sales
2,955
2,357
10,996
8,828
Gross profit
1,325
1,256
5,315
4,733
Operating expenses:
Selling and marketing expenses
179
165
692
624
Administrative expenses
226
207
868
784
Total operating expenses
405
372
1,560
1,408
Operating profit
920
884
3,755
3,325
Other income, net (3)
78
68
281
271
Profit before income taxes
998
952
4,036
3,596
Income tax expense
245
255
1,068
973
Net profit (before minority interest)
753
697
2,968
2,623
Net profit (after minority interest)
752
697
2,963
2,613
Basic EPS ($)
0.18
0.16
0.70
0.62
Diluted EPS ($)
0.18
0.16
0.70
0.61
NOTES:
The above information is extracted from the audited condensed consolidated Balance sheet and Statement of Comprehensive Income for the quarter and year ended March 31,2022 which have been taken on record at the Board meeting held on April 13, 2022.
A Fact Sheet providing the operating metrics of the Company can be downloaded from www.infosys.com.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/captain-tsubasa-dream-team-debuts-new-players-fc-barcelona-wearing-official-uniforms-301526374.html
View original content to download multimedia:
![Metabike combines Move-to-Earn (M2E) with Play-to-Earn (P2E), rewarding users up to $30 per month in Cardio Points for use in-app on healthcare discounts, products & services with the option to swap Cardio Points for its ERC20-based crypto asset Cardiocoin (CRDC) [listing on MEXC Global on April 19th, UTC 11:00].](https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cardio-combines-move-to-earn-play-to-earn-to-bridge-real-world-fitness-with-metaverse-activity-for-500-million-global-users-of-fitness-1.jpg "Metabike combines Move-to-Earn (M2E) with Play-to-Earn (P2E), rewarding users up to $30 per month in Cardio Points for use in-app on healthcare discounts, products & services with the option to swap Cardio Points for its ERC20-based crypto asset Cardiocoin (CRDC) [listing on MEXC Global on April 19th, UTC 11:00].")
