BEIJING, June 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from China.org.cn on the role of technologies and laws on the lake ecosystems and biodiversity protection:
“We should integrate our technological resources and build up a sound technological support system, accelerating the building of relevant law & regulation systems for lake protection and management,” Zhang Ganlin, director and researcher of the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS), notes in an article released by the Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (BCAS, in Chinese), a think tank journal supervised and sponsored by the CAS, which focuses on strategic and decision-making research.
Among important land resources and as key geographical units of land surface systems, lakes(including artificial reservoirs) are important surface water resources, and they are also an important part of the earth surface system consisting of “mountains,rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grassland and sand,” as Zhang points out in his article “Ecological and Environmental Changes and Protection Measures of Lakes in China.” The article also notes that lakes play an irreplaceable role in water resource supply, flood control and drought alleviation, water quality purification, and biodiversity protection.
Given the important roles and significance of lakes in socio-economic development, the article, based on long-term lake research and monitoring data, proposes the strategies for the protection, management, and restoration in response to the problems faced by lake ecosystems in China.
In recent years, the overall condition of the ecological environment of lakes in our country has been becoming better, and the protection to lakes has achieved remarkable results. For example, the water quality of Poyang Lake, which is located in the eastern plains of China has shown a trend of improvement in recent years, and the annual average concentration of total phosphorus, the main pollutant, has declined slightly. From 2012 to 2020, the inter-annual variation of wetland vegetation biomass in Poyang Lake was flat, and the variation range was relatively small. Since 2012, the importance value of the dominant species of the typical plant communities in Poyang Lake wetland have remained above 0.6, showing a relatively stable community structure and playing an important supporting role in the stability of the ecosystem structure and the maintenance of ecological functions in the lake.
The paper also reveals that for the past decades, China has strengthened ecological conservation and environment protection at all times and in all dimensions and regions. Since 2021, China has achieved initial success in the critical battle against water pollution. Major action plans on addressing water pollution have been fully implemented. Also, the country has redoubled efforts to preserve and restore lake ecosystems and protect biodiversity, with the integrated protection and restoration of various ecosystems and implementation of a series of fundamental, pioneering, and long-term programs.
First, a significant increase can be seen in the total amount of available freshwater resources in lakes. There are 2,670 natural lakes over 1 km2 of area in China, and 98,600 reservoirs with an increase of 10,100 over 2011. Thanks to the lake protection and water quality improvement, the proportion of centralized drinking water sources from lakes and reservoirs across China has increased from 33% to 40% in the past five years, which serves nearly 50% of the population of the country.
Second, the lakes under priority control have reported steady improvement of water quality. For instance, the “three lakes” (the Taihu Lake, Chaohu Lake and Dianchi Lake), have registered significantly checked eutrophication trend. With the increase in the transparency of about 70% of large and medium-sized lakes in China in the past 10 years, the lakes have become clearer overall.
Third, with the restoration of the aquatic vegetation in lakes and the steady rise in the biodiversity of major lakes, the lakes have reported improvement of ecological service functions. This has been approved by the fact that about 43% and 40% showed a significant improvement of aquatic vegetation between 2010-2014 and between 2015-2019, respectively.
However, China still needs to continue with science and technological innovation in lake ecological environment management and protection. There are significant rooms for development of higher level processing materials, key technologies, and equipment, and relevant basic and applied research.
Therefore, Chinese scientists have put forward several key approaches to exploring the paths to high-quality development for lake watersheds with low resource consumption and environmental costs.
Among all the suggestions, the article attaches great importance to building a technology-driven and law-based system, in an effort to protect lake ecosystems and biodiversity in China.
More efforts should be made to set up sound systems in the following areas: performance evaluation and accountability for ecological conservation, compensation for ecological conservation, designation of river and lake managing chiefs. Meanwhile, corresponding laws and regulations should be further formulated or revised.
The article further explains that it is necessary to strengthen the role of technology in supporting the lake-type ecological environment protection, that is to say, to integrate all possible technological resources and build up a sound technological support system, and vigorously promote the technology-based lake manager system to further enhance the scientific management and protection of lakes.
National legislation for lake protection should also be promoted, accelerating the building of relevant law & regulation systems for lake protection and management and improve the mechanism for the alignment between administrative law enforcement and criminal justice in lake watershed protection.
On the institutional level, it is advised to adopt an “ecological bank” model and improve the compensation system for the ecological benefits of lakes.
We love YouTube, and we love using YouTube for all kinds of things. The amount of content you get from YouTube is so vast that you could technically learn everything you need to learn in the modern world on the video sharing platform. With everything we love about YouTube, there is something we also despise about YouTube – ads. While it started out as a simple played out ad at the beginning of whatever videos you want to watch, ads on YouTube have grown to become an irritation.
There is the argument that the number of ads that are being served to us on YouTube is necessary. The ads pay for the platform and help YouTube not just profit, but also pay its various creators for their contents. The ads also help keep the platform free to use for the billions of the world. As much as we hate ads being served to us, it is a necessary evil and quite inevitable to keep the platform from charging us for contents. Except, they sort of do.
There is such a thing called YouTube Premium, a paid membership to YouTube. What that offers you is things like picture-in-picture mode, and open access to YouTube Music, regarded to be one of the biggest official music libraries you can find anywhere. You also pay for the omission of ads when you consume your contents on the platform.
If you still want the free experience on YouTube but without the ads, the only way around them is through using ad blockers. There are several tools and third-party programs that skips and blocks ads on YouTube unless they are baked into the video itself. That means that you are getting a YouTube Premium-esque experience, but without paying for it, which is frowned upon by YouTube, obviously.
Source: Reddit
In the most recent attempt to battle ad blockers, YouTube is giving users three strikes before completely blocking a user from using YouTube. There are no mentions on whether blocked users will be blocked indefinitely, but the wording leads us to believe that you can be unblocked just by disabling your ad blocker app or algorithm. Obviously if you choose to pay for YouTube Premium, you will immediately be unblocked and given fuss free experience with YouTube amongst other things.
The new measure was spotted by a user on Reddit, interestingly enough. YouTube has not commented on their new measure, but the new measure does make a lot of sense for a company that relies mostly on ads to survive. While it is somewhat aggressive, it could be a necessary step for Google to protect their platform and ensure that it is still profitable.
Samsung just had their 7th annual Samsung Foundry Forum, and it was interesting. As the name suggests, the forum focuses more on Samsung’s in-house chip, semiconductor, and silicon development. They are, after all, the largest and own the world’s most advanced semiconductor manufacturing plant. They introduced the world to the 3nm process early on this year and is speculated to bring the first of the 3nm processed chips to smartphones later this year. The most powerful Android devices today are powered by Qualcomm’s 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen2. Apple is also expected to update their latest iPhone launching this year to a 3nm chip.
This year’s Foundry Forum focuses not just on what is, but also what is to be in the future for Samsung’s semiconductor business. Samsung stresses the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and its requirements, moving forward into the future. They spoke about how their own gate-all-around (GAA) advanced node technology would be the driving force of AI applications in the future. Of course, they also pointed to growth of their semiconductor business in the form of an expansion in production capacity, stretching their lead in the semiconductor production business over their competitors. However, they have not mentioned anything on their own Exynos chips made for smartphones. To be fair, there is still plenty to unpack at the Foundry Forum, especially when it comes to 2nm process.
Samsung detailed their plans to mass produce their 2nm process chips by 2025, first for mobile applications. That also means that you can expect Apple to introduce their iPhone with 3nm silicon in that same year. You can also expect Qualcomm to jump in line to introduce their Snapdragon 8 processor with 2nm process technology in late 2025 or early 2026 in this case. Most of all though, you can be hopeful on the return of the Samsung Exynos chips on Samsung’s flagship devices.
Samsung’s Exynos processing chips for mobile applications are still a thing, just not on the current line of flagship devices that Samsung pushes like the Galaxy S23 line-up and the Galaxy Z Fold. The Exynos chips are now powering the mid-range smartphones instead which, to be fair, is probably the most profitable segment in the industry. Still, that means that the Samsung Galaxy flagships devices gets only the Qualcomm Snapdragon treatment. While that is not a bad thing, it is a sad thing to see, especially when Samsung just renewed and extended its partnership with AMD to bring Radeon graphics power to Samsung’s in-house developed chips.
Still, Samsung’s commitment to pushing their production capacity and technology just means that they are not out of the fight in silicon supremacy just yet. With their renewed partnership with AMD, they did mention that they are looking to bring a new Exynos chip to market and into their own flagship smartphones or handheld devices. We could see an iteration of Samsung’s 3nm Exynos with AMD’s graphical prowess later in the year when they launch their lates Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. In the Forum, they also said that they are increasing their production capacity for foundry products made for mobile devices and other applications, which could be a direct result of them pushing the next-generation Exynos chips on to their latest flagship devices. It could also be because their customers are demanding even more chips too.
The Samsung 2nm processor is not just for mobile applications like smartphones or gaming handheld though. Since the Forum stressed AI applications, Samsung aims to put the 2nm chips into high-performance-computing (HPC) solutions that is meant to push AI technologies as well in 2026. Eventually, the technology will also be available for the automotive industry in 2027. In 2027 as well, Samsung is planning to start the mass production of 1.4nm chips.
The promise of 2nm process seems to be significant too. They claim that with the current development, the 2nm chip has proven to be 12% more powerful than the current 3nm chip. It is 5% smaller than the 3nm chip and is up to 25% more power efficient too, making the jump from 3nm to 2nm a rather large one in terms of performance and efficiency.
Samsung also promises that in 2025, the 2nm process technology will find its way into gallium nitride (GaN) power applications for mobile devices, data centers, and automotive industry. They are also advancing networking technology in 2025 with the 5nm Radio Frequency (RF) technology that supports 6G networks. They say that the 5nm RF process shows a 40% in power efficiency while taking up half the space of a traditional 14nm process.
We said earlier that you can be hopeful to see Samsung’s Exynos chips make a comeback in their flagship devices. That is, at least for now, just speculations and hopeful statements. There is no confirmation on Samsung reintroducing Exynos flagship class processors currently. You can also expect Apple to be the first to introduce a 3nm processor for their iPhones later in the year.
BEIJING, June 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — NaaS Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: NAAS) (“NaaS” or the “Company”), the first U.S. listed EV charging service company in China, today announced that it entered into a convertible note purchase agreement with LMR Partners Limited (the “Investor” or “LMR”), a global multi-strategy investment fund, pursuant to which the Investor will purchase from the Company a convertible note with a principal amount of US$30 million, convertible into American depositary shares (“ADSs”) representing the Company’s ordinary shares. Concurrently, the Company and the Investor entered into a derivative arrangement with respect to the ADSs.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and the closing is expected to take place in the near future. The convertible note has a 363-day term and interest will be payable on a quarterly basis. Subject to certain conditions, the Investor may purchase from the Company an additional convertible note with a principal amount of US$25 million and with substantially similar terms.
“We are excited to welcome LMR as our new investor and are grateful for their endorsement of our efforts to propel the electrification of China’s transportation industry,” said Mr. Alex Wu, NaaS’ president and chief financial officer.
The issuance of the securities is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and is made in reliance on, and in compliance with, Regulation S under the Securities Act.
About NaaS Technology Inc.
NaaS Technology Inc. is the first U.S. listed EV charging service company in China. The Company is a subsidiary of Newlinks Technology Limited, a leading energy digitalization group in China. The Company provides one-stop EV charging solutions to charging stations comprising online EV charging, offline EV charging and innovative and other solutions, supporting every stage of the station lifecycle. As of March 31, 2023, NaaS had connected over 575,000 chargers covering 55,000 charging stations, representing 40% and 49% of China’s public charging market share respectively. On June 13, 2022, the American depositary shares of the Company started trading on Nasdaq under the stock code NAAS.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates” and similar statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about the Company and the industry. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any 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 its expectations will turn out to be correct, and investors are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: NaaS’ goals and strategies; its future business development, financial conditions and results of operations; its ability to continuously develop new technology, services and products and keep up with changes in the industries in which it operates; growth of China’s EV charging industry and EV charging service industry and NaaS’ future business development; demand for and market acceptance of NaaS’ products and services; NaaS’ ability to protect and enforce its intellectual property rights; NaaS’ ability to attract and retain qualified executives and personnel; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of government and other measures taken in relation thereto; U.S.-China trade war and its effect on NaaS’ operation, fluctuations of the RMB exchange rate, and NaaS’ ability to obtain adequate financing for its planned capital expenditure requirements; NaaS’ relationships with end-users, customers, suppliers and other business partners; competition in the industry; relevant government policies and regulations related to the industry; and fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and globally. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in NaaS’ filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
Investor Relations NaaS Technology Inc. E-mail: ir@enaas.com
SHANGHAI, June 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company (YOFC) is participating in Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2023 (“MWC Shanghai 2023”) at Booth N2.B10, where they are showcasing their innovative products and solutions under the theme “Lighting up the Digital Future”. The exhibition covers a wide range of categories, including New Optical Fibre & New Materials, Computing Network Infrastructure, Marine Communication, Digital and Smart Manufacturing, Digital Power, Digital Transportation and F5G Digital Life. MWC Shanghai 2023 is recognized as the largest and most influential mobile communications event in Asia. YOFC’s presence at the event highlights their ability to create value for customers and contribute to the growth of the digital economy through technological innovation.
YOFC makes an impressive appearance at MWC Shanghai 2023
ChatGPT has rapidly gained global recognition since its launch earlier this year, highlighting its immense potential to revolutionize the economy and society. The advent of the AI chatbot and other cutting-edge digital technologies is set to accelerate digital transformation across various industries. Speaking at the “Digital Everything – Building Digital Nations” sub-forum during MWC Shanghai 2023, Nie Lei, vice president at YOFC, emphasized the growing digital demands and emerging businesses. He also highlighted the critical need for a robust digital infrastructure that offers higher bandwidth, lower latency and improved reliability to accommodate the data explosion. To leverage this unprecedented opportunity, YOFC has taken proactive steps to participate in digital development, evolving from a specialized optical fibre and cable manufacturer into a holistic solution provider.
YOFC has been committed to developing new innovative optical fibre and cable. By rolling out the BRIGHTS series of high-performance optical fibre and cable products and solutions, the company aims to create an intelligent, efficient, safe and stable optical network ecosystem for all-scenario applications, optimize and upgrade digital infrastructure, and support the growth of the digital economy. In the field of Marine Communication, YOFC creates a digital ecosystem for transoceanic transmission by exploring marine environments and overcoming geographical limitations. In addition, the company prioritizes the advancement of key technologies for digital manufacturing such as digital twins and industrial big data, fostering a new era of intelligent manufacturing. YOFC has also created an innovative smart grid system that propels the digital transformation of the power sector. In the transportation sector, the company incorporates digital technologies into rail systems, ensuring safe and efficient operation of digital cities. Furthermore, the company provides a minimalist, efficient and reliable pre-connected solution for fifth generation fixed network applications, empowering the development of intelligent infrastructure, with the ultimate goal of building a better digital future for all.
Since 2014, YOFC has been expanding its international operations in countries and regions targeted by the Belt and Road Initiative. With five production facilities in Brazil, Indonesia, Poland and South Africa alongside over 50 subsidiaries and branch offices outside of its home market of China, the company has built a global marketing and service network spanning over 90 countries and regions worldwide, facilitating the construction of global digital infrastructure.
As the digital economy remains a driving force for global development and progress, YOFC, based on its mission of “Smart Link Better Life”, is dedicated to extending optical fibre connections worldwide. The company aims to bridge the digital divide by promoting the adoption of optical fibres globally while strengthening the all-optical foundation of the digital economy through the provision of top-notch products and solutions, ultimately contributing to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
SINGAPORE, June 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LITB) (“LightInTheBox” or the “Company“), an apparel e-commerce retailer that ships products to consumers worldwide, today announced that its board of directors (the “Board“) authorized on June 27, 2023 a share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to US$10 million of its ordinary shares in the form of American Depositary Shares no later than December 31, 2023 (the “Share Repurchase Program“), subject to the relevant rules under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act“), and the Company’s insider trading policy.
Mr. Jian He, the Chairman and CEO of LightInTheBox, commented, “The implementation of our share repurchase program reflects the confidence of the Board and management towards the Company’s strategy, operating fundamentals, and business prospects. This repurchase program reflects our commitment to enhance value for our shareholders.”
The Company’s share repurchases may be made from time to time on the open market at prevailing market prices, in open-market transactions, privately negotiated transactions or block trades, and/or through other legally permissible means, depending on market conditions and in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations. The timing and conditions of the share repurchases will be subject to various factors including the requirements under Rule 10b-18 and Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act. The Board will review the Share Repurchase Program periodically and may authorize adjustments to its terms and size or suspend or discontinue the program. The Company expects to utilize its existing funds to fund repurchases made under the Share Repurchase Program.
About LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd.
LightInTheBox is an apparel e-commerce retailer that ships products to consumers worldwide. With a focus on serving its middle-aged and senior customers, LightInTheBox leverages its global supply chain and logistics networks, along with its in-house R&D and design capabilities to offer a wide selection of comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and visually interesting apparels that bring fresh joy to customers. LightInTheBox operates its business through www.lightinthebox.com, www.miniinthebox.com, www.ezbuy.sg and other websites as well as mobile applications, which are available in over 20 major languages and over 140 countries and regions. The Company is headquartered in Singapore, with additional offices in California, Shanghai and Beijing.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” “targets” and similar statements. Among other things, statements that are not historical facts, including statements about LightInTheBox’s beliefs and expectations, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as LightInTheBox’s strategic and operational plans, are or contain forward-looking statements.
LightInTheBox may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward- looking statement, including but not limited to the following: LightInTheBox’s goals and strategies; LightInTheBox’s future business development, results of operations and financial condition; the expected growth of the global online retail market; LightInTheBox’s ability to attract customers and further enhance customer experience and product offerings; LightInTheBox’s ability to strengthen its supply chain efficiency and optimize its logistics network; LightInTheBox’s expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products; competition; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in LightInTheBox’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and LightInTheBox does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
The new chapter for AFC professionals comes as part of ACAMS’ ongoing commitment to support the fight against illicit finance throughout Korea
WASHINGTON, June 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — ACAMS, a leading global membership organization dedicated to ending illicit finance, is strengthening its support for anti-financial crime professionals in Korea with the creation of a new ACAMS chapter and a scholarship program for Korean anti-financial crime (AFC) professionals. The new chapter—the 64th in the ACAMS network—will serve as a platform for ongoing education, knowledge-sharing, and networking for AFC practitioners engaged in financial-crime prevention in Korea’s public and private sectors.
Attended by AFC professionals from Korea, the launch in Seoul featured opening remarks by Korean Member of Parliament Yun ChangHyun and a special keynote address by Joshua Johnson, Senior Sanctions Coordinator for the Office of Economic Sanctions Policy and Implementation at the U.S. Department of State.
As part of the launch, the chapter convened a panel of experts to discuss building public-private partnerships to fight illicit finance, featuring speakers Ryu YoungHo, Team Leader at the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), Kendrick Yeung, Deputy Attaché for U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Jean Chung Managing Director, Regional Head, CFCC Advisory, at Standard Chartered, and Hwang SeokJin, a professor at Dongkuk University.
At the event, ACAMS separately announced 6 winners of the CAMS Scholarship for Korean compliance practitioners in the AFC space. In addition to receiving a one-year membership to ACAMS, the scholarship winners will seek to become Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (CAMS) with a full waiver of associated fees for study materials.
Widely viewed as the global gold standard certification for anti-money laundering (AML) professionals, the CAMS program trains applicants on the international standards for detecting, investigating, and reporting suspicious financial activity and illicit money flows.
“As a platform for cross-sector collaboration in the AFC space, our chapters reflect the core belief of ACAMS that we are more effective in preventing illicit finance when we work together,” said ACAMS COO Mariah Gause. “The new ACAMS Korea Chapter will help drive conversations on how to fight financial crime more effectively and foster a community of dedicated AFC professionals who will share best practices on safeguarding the financial sector and saving lives.”
“We’re also proud to award our CAMS Scholarship to 6 remarkable Korean professionals to support their compliance journeys,” she said. “As our first scholarship designed for a national market, this initiative reflects the commitment shared by ACAMS and the recipients to prevent criminals from exploiting Korea’s private sector. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for these talented scholarship recipients.”
ACAMS is a leading international membership organization dedicated to providing opportunities for anti-financial crime (AFC) education, best practices, and peer-to-peer networking to AFC professionals globally. With over 100,000 members across 180 jurisdictions, ACAMS is committed to the mission of ending financial crime through the provision of anti-money laundering/counterterrorism-financing and sanctions knowledge-sharing, thought leadership, risk-mitigation services, ESG initiatives, and platforms for public-private dialogue. The association’s CAMS certification is the gold- standard qualification for AFC professionals, while its CGSS and CCAS certifications are for sanctions professionals and AFC practitioners working in the crypto space, respectively. ACAMS’ 60+ Chapters globally further amplify the association’s mission through training and networking initiatives. Visit acams.org for more information.
Large-scale logistics centers will be built in strategic logistics and distribution hubs, including Chicago and New Jersey.
CJ Logistics will provide the land for these centers, which collectively cover an area equal to 50 soccer fields, while KOBC will secure the necessary funding for the construction.
The logistics centers are expected to serve as strategic hubs, facilitating import and export transloading as part of global, end-to-end supply chain solutions, and as an export forward base for South Korean companies to North America.
The project is a first-of-its-kind public-private collaboration designed to expand the CJ Logistics North America supply chain.
CJ Logistics is expanding and optimizing its operations model to meet local demand and respond to the needs of consumer goods and industrial materials markets.
DES PLAINES, Ill., June 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — CJ Logistics, a leading innovative supply chain and technology company in South Korea, has announced a strategic partnership with the Korea Ocean Business Corporation (KOBC) to construct large-scale logistics centers in the United States through a public-private collaboration. With a total investment of approximately $457 million (KRW 600 billion), these logistics centers will prioritize handling the import and export cargo of global and South Korean companies, facilitating their overseas expansion and trade activation. Additionally, this initiative aims to strengthen the economic alliance between the U.S. and South Korea by fostering local investment and job creation.
(From front left) CJ Logistics America COO Ken Heller, CJ Logistics America CEO Kevin Coleman, CJ Logistics Global Business Unit CEO Byoung-ku Kang, CJ Logistics CEO Sin-ho Kang, Korea Ocean Business Corporation Chairman & CEO Yang-Soo Kim, Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago Deputy Consul General Hyung-In Gee, Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago Consul Insu Kim, KOTRA Chicago Director Hosung ‘Boston’ Sohn are taking a picture at the event.
The first-of-its-kind public-private partnership between CJ Logistics and KOBC, a South Korean government entity, will increase South Korean investment in the U.S. and create new jobs for Americans.
The venture, known as the “North American Project,” entails the construction of large-scale logistics centers across three sites owned by CJ Logistics America, located in key logistics and distribution hubs such as Chicago and New Jersey, totaling 3,875,000 square feet. These sites collectively span an area equivalent to 50 international standard soccer fields. While CJ Logistics plans to contribute the land, KOBC will secure funding for the construction of the logistics centers.
CJ Logistics will assume responsibility for the operation of these three logistics centers, with a primary focus on handling the import and export cargo of global and South Korean companies and e-commerce sellers, thereby supporting their market entry into the U.S. The investment commitment agreement is expected to be signed within the third quarter of this year, and construction is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of next year, with a phased completion targeted from the first half of 2026 to 2027.
In a ceremony held on June 19, Sin-ho Kang, CEO of CJ Logistics, and Yang-soo Kim, CEO of KOBC, signed an agreement to implement this project at CJ Logistics America’s office in Des Plaines, Illinois. Following the agreement, the two CEOs and executives of CJ Logistics and KOBC visited the planned site for the logistics center.
CJ Logistics and KOBC have also committed to active cooperation not only on this project but also on investments in logistics infrastructure in the U.S. and other countries to enhance the global logistics competitiveness of CJ Logistics and South Korea.
Strategically located in three major U.S. cities or logistics hubs, CJ Logistics’ sites offer significant advantages. Elwood, Illinois, adjacent to the terminals of BNSF and Union Pacific, the largest freight railroad companies in the US, provides efficient transportation and delivery nationwide within one to two days via road and rail networks. Des Plaines, Illinois, is located near Chicago, one of the three largest cities in the U.S. and major consumer markets, as well as O’Hare International Airport, the largest freight airport in the country. Secaucus, New Jersey, situated near New York Harbor, JFK Airport, and New York City, offers access to another major consumer market.
With the development of these strategic hubs, CJ Logistics is optimizing its global logistics model to meet customer needs for integrated, end-to-end supply chain solutions. It will generate synergy by connecting the newly constructed logistics centers with its existing network of 57 operational logistics centers across the US. This connection will act as a catalyst for innovative growth in the business conducted in the US.
Moreover, with the vision of leading the global logistics industry with world-class technology, CJ Logistics will continue to accelerate and introduce advanced technologies such as automation, big data and AI, leveraging its TES (Technology, Engineering, Systems & Solutions) applications which have been successfully developed in South Korea, and are underway in North America. The company plans to enhance efficiency through the implementation of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR), Autonomous Fork Lifts (AFL), and smart packaging systems.
The North America Project holds significant meaning as it represents a joint effort between a government entity and a private enterprise to support South Korean companies’ entry into the US, the world’s leading economic market, and raise their global competitiveness.
While South Korean companies have made recent investments in various sectors such as electric vehicles, batteries, and semiconductors in the U.S., this collaboration between the public and private sectors is notable as the first of its kind. The project is projected to generate an investment of approximately $457 million and create 500 permanent jobs, along with additional employment opportunities, contributing to the strengthening of the U.S.-Korea economic alliance.
Commenting on the project, Mr. Kang, CEO of CJ Logistics, said, “We are committed to supporting our North America customer base, South Korean companies and e-commerce sellers as they enter the U.S. market. By utilizing our cutting-edge logistics infrastructure and operational capabilities, we aim to increase customer value, serve as a strategic partner to our customers who can benefit from global and multimodal solutions, and expand the ‘K-Wave’ into the business sector.”
Mr. Kim, CEO of KOBC, added, “The construction of logistics hubs in the U.S. will enhance the competitiveness of South Korea’s global supply chain and create value-added supply chain services through integration with maritime logistics.” He further emphasized, “We will continue to explore opportunities to enhance global logistics competitiveness by leveraging the resources, capabilities, and expertise of both sides.”
In the first quarter of this year, South Korea’s exports to the U.S. recorded $28.6 billion, a 3.5% increase compared to the same period last year. The U.S. ranked as South Korea’s largest trade surplus country during this period, with a trade surplus of $7.2 billion. E-commerce exports to the U.S. also saw significant growth, reaching $323 million in the previous year, a 23.8% increase compared to the previous year, according to the Korea Trade Statistics Promotion Institute.
CJ Logistics
CJ Logistics provides integrated global supply chain services, maximizing customer value through continuous improvement and innovation. Currently, CJ Logistics operates technology-driven logistics businesses at 280 bases in 40 countries around the world. With a focus on social responsibility and sustainability through growth with customers and communities, CJ Logistics prioritizes the well-being of the end consumer. CJ Logistics offers an integrated, one-stop SCM service platform with air and sea international freight forwarding, warehousing and transportation contract logistics, asset-based trucking, parcel and express delivery, and supply chain consulting. As a lead logistics partner (LLP), third-party logistics provider (3PL) and supply chain consultant, CJ Logistics helps customers leverage supply chain management as a competitive advantage, reducing total system costs, transforming business processes, improving service and facilitating growth and change. CJ Logistics America, a division of CJ Logistics, is responsible for leading warehousing, transportation and freight forwarding operations across the North America region, specializing in solutions for regulated industries such as food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, healthcare and medical supplies, and tire and automotive. cjlogisticsamerica.com
CJ Logistics plans to build three large logistics centers in Illinois and New Jersey. A large distribution center in Elwood, Illinois. (Bird’s eye view)
Virtual Reality (VR) isn’t anything new. In fact, it’s been around for ages! When we were younger we had attractions like SEGA City which brought some of our favorite characters to life with VR, today we’re able to bring these experiences with us anywhere we go.
The PICO 4 is one of the first VR headsets that enable these experiences. It allows you to take a deep dive into games and content. You can escape reality even if it’s for a short gaming session. But these experiences are becoming more ubiquitous with games like Final Fantasy XVI and Resident Evil launching with VR experiences built-in.
That said, we’re looking at the big picture – does the PICO 4 deliver on the promises of VR and its experiences? Is it worth the money?
Let’s find out!
Design
The PICO 4 headset is a pretty sleek device. It’s minimalistic in its approach having a simple black and off-white color and it’s built to last. It’s made of high-quality, durable plastic that doesn’t scratch easily. Of course, it goes without saying that dropping the PICO 4 isn’t recommended. That said, PICO XR seems to have gone out of its way to make the headset feel premium too. It’s slightly heavier than other headsets weighing in at 583g, however, it’s got better weight distribution and ergonomics.
The headset itself isn’t too front-heavy. So, it’s not uncomfortable to wear for long stretches. PICO has managed to minimize the size and weight of the front portion of the headset thanks to the pancake lenses that they’ve used. They’ve also created better weight distribution by placing the battery pack in the back portion of the headband. That’s about 40% of the weight of the headset that’s at the back of the headband instead of on your face!
Overall, the design and build of the headset are more ergonomic than most of the other VR headsets available in the market right now. The small tweaks that they’ve done throughout the headset create an overall better product which allows you to wear it without much issue for longer VR gaming sessions.
Hardware
The PICO 4 is one of the first VR headsets to come with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR platform which is built to enable VR and augmented reality (AR) experiences. It’s built from the ground up to deliver cutting-edge VR graphics and perform independently from a dedicated PC. PICO XR as a company has built its own OS to complement the hardware and focuses on delivering the best VR immersion from the time you power on the headset.
Specifications
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 (7nm) Octacore 64 bit
RAM
8GB (As Tested)
Memory
128GB (As Tested) 256GB
Optics
Pancake Lens 105° Field of View 20.6 PPD 62-72mm adjustable inter-pupillary distance
Display
4320×2160 pixels resolution (2160×2160 each eye) 70Hz/90Hz refresh rate
Operating System
PICO OS 5.0
Battery
5,300mAh Fast Charging (20W)
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Dual band WiFi Bluetooth 5.1 USB 2.0 (Type-C)
Audio
Integrated High Fidelity Speakers Dual Mic
Sensor
6DoF Positioning System
Retail Price (Malaysia)
MYR 1,699 (128GB) MYR 1,899 (256GB)
Retail Price (US)
USD$ 449.99 (128GB) USD$ 559.99 (256GB)
User Experience
The PICO 4’s user experience starts with the feel of the headset on your head. As mentioned in our design section, it’s designed to be more ergonomic than most of the VR headsets available in the market right now. This ergonomic approach is much appreciated especially when you’re going at it hard in a game like Beat Saber.
The PICO 4 also allows you to adjust the interpupillary distance between the two lenses between 62mm and 72mm. Be-spectacled users – like myself – are very thankful for this feature as it allows us to align the interpupillary distances of the PICO 4 and our spectacles. PICO XR has also included an extra spacer in the box which allows you to have your spectacles on while you use it if you want to. I can tell you that this helps many of us with motion sickness – which I go into detail in the following section. You can even go lower to 58mm but the headset will show you a prompt telling you that it may be a little uncomfortable as the headset might start pinching on your nose. However, getting the right pupillary distance does drastically improve visual clarity and allows for a better gameplay experience.
The headset comes with PICO OS 5.0. It’s a simple, easy-to-understand OS that is also easy to navigate. Setting up the PICO 4 is also simple with the guided setup. Once you’re set-up, you’ll be treated to the most aesthetic scene we’ve experienced in VR and this scene is your home screen with a soft overlay of all the icons you can initiate. You’ll be able to download games from the PICO store to play natively on the PICO 4. It can also hook up to a PC with Steam or a console like the PlayStation 4.
You’ll need a space that’s clear of any obstructions to play. Of course, the larger this area is, the better your experience. However, unlike some of its competition, you won’t need to mount cameras everywhere or need a large space to play. The PICO allows you to define spaces – large, medium, or small. That said, the best part is the ability to define a space, even if it’s a small area in your room. Using these custom boundaries makes VR even more accessible as space isn’t an issue anymore. What happens when you hit a boundary? The PICO 4 headset goes into pass-through mode which allows you to see your surroundings. You can trigger this mode by simply touching the right side of the headband.
Motion Sickness Isn’t An Issue
Moving around in the PICO 4 isn’t as disorienting as you’d expect. In fact, somehow, it’s the only VR headset that I’ve used for more than 25 minutes. I usually get motion sickness after 25 minutes even with headsets like the HTC VIVE or Meta’s Oculus Rift. That said, with the PICO 4, I was able to play a first-person zombie shooter without feeling motion sickness or any disorientation. In fact, it felt unnervingly natural to be behind the lenses of the PICO 4.
The only time it became a little disorienting was when I used pass-through mode. This was more because the cameras took time to transmit the images to my eyes. But once I was adjusted, there wasn’t much disorientation. That said, it takes time to adjust every time you launch into pass-through mode. It might be a software issue that PICO XR can address in a software update, however, we doubt you’ll be spending much time in pass-through mode.
The only other time there was a bit of disorientation was when it came to games like Iron Guard VR. During my gaming session, I did find myself feel slowly losing balance while I was “walking” around the game map. But this was more due to the fact that I was moving in-game and not physically which actually speaks to the lack of an accelerometer in the PICO 4. That said, not many other VR headsets have it either.
Performance
We will be approaching the PICO 4’s performance a little differently. It’s the first time we’re fully reviewing a VR headset and we’re trying to encapsulate our whole experience into the article. So, we’ll take it step by step with visuals, audio, battery life, compatibility, and even other aspects which we’ll highlight later on in the article.
Visuals
Let’s dive into the most important thing when it comes to VR – the visuals. The PICO 4 comes with two 2160×2160 pixel screens that make up the high-resolution display of the headset. It delivers a 4320×2160 total resolution which is slightly higher than UHD. The displays in front of your eyes deliver vibrant, rich graphics at 70Hz or 90Hz. This makes the experience of gaming in them a lot more immersive. While the frame rate may not be as high as a smartphone, TV, or gaming monitor, it lends itself to providing a better experience when it comes to VR. It’s less disorienting and feels easier on the eyes.
The high-resolution displays of the PICO 4 allow the experience to be even more immersive. The graphics are sharp, and you hardly realize when there is any pixelation or artefacting. The increased resolution also helps as it makes you feel like you are in-game. The graphics wrap around you and feel like you’re looking out naturally in fantasy games.
Audio
Good visuals need to pair with good audio and the PICO 4 has a good set of speakers; the mic, however, is a different case. The speakers that are built-in to the PICO 4 are high-fidelity speakers that support spatial audio. They’re not groundbreaking but they are good enough to immerse you in whatever content you’re indulging. The bass is punchy with an acceptable overall soundstage.
That said, the PICO doesn’t come with 3.5mm headphone jacks if you want to use better-quality headphones. The silver lining when it comes to audio is the PICO 4’s support for Bluetooth 5.2 which means that you’ll be able to use your favorite Bluetooth gaming headsets or TWS earbuds with the system. You’ll have to keep in mind that the band of the PICO 4 is rigid on the sides with some touch features so you’re probably better off using TWS earbuds.
The PICO 4 comes with dual microphones built in. However, getting them to work, especially when connecting to PC or another system is finicky at best. During our time with the system, we had issues when it came to getting the microphones to work properly – particularly when it came to connecting it to a PC. This might have been an issue with the drivers as the speakers and microphones were getting mixed up. The computer that we used to test it kept recognizing the speakers as the microphone and vice versa.
Recording sound from the PICO 4 itself was also affected by a weird issue which caused a lot of feedback from the microphones. We weren’t able to rectify it during our time with the PICO 4. But there are tutorials online that have figured to address the issue with some remapping. That said, the minor driver issue aside, the PICO 4’s audio is a pretty impressive combination. It delivers an immersive audio experience despite having some teething issues with the PC.
Controls
The PICO 4 comes with two controllers out of the box. The controls interact with the sensors in the headset. The PICO also doesn’t display the controllers as hands in the VR interface instead it shows the controllers with a green indicator with where to which is a welcome visual cue.
When it comes to gameplay, the PICO 4’s controllers are quite responsive. There’s hardly any noticeable delay between clicking and moving the controller and the action in-game. Latency aside, the build of the controllers is also pretty durable. They feel sturdy and have a nice grippy underlayer. The added wristbands provide additional peace of mind that the controllers won’t accidentally go flying.
The controllers for the PICO 4 are also very lightweight. You won’t be giving your biceps and wrists too much of a workout with the controllers – perfect for an extended gaming session too. It’s also very balanced even with its lopsided design. The ring portions don’t force your wrist into a weird position nor does it add much weight.
That aside, the only way you’ll be interacting with the interface or games for the PICO is through the controller, aside from the limited touch interaction on the sides of the headsets, there are no gesture controls or voice controls built-in to the PICO 4.
Cross Compatibility & Connectivity
While the PICO 4’s interaction methods may be limited, its compatibility isn’t. Setting up the PICO as a standalone device is easy enough. You can also stream the visuals onto a TV or smart monitor if you want to share in on the experience. It’s as easy as installing an app on any Android TV from the Play Store. The PICO VR app will instantly allow you to do this without much setup.
The same goes for Windows PCs with the PICO Link application. Once installed either via the Steam store or as a direct download application, you’ll be able to play games from your Steam Library on the PICO 4. Most of our review time was spent playing VR Games this way. Simplicity is key as the headset opens up a lot more options when it comes to games with cross-compatibility. You can also link up to a PlayStation system, be it PS4 or PS5, using an app as well. You’ll be able to find tutorials for this with a simple Google search, however, keep in mind that Sony also makes the PSVR and leans towards its own hardware when it comes to VR experiences on its consoles.
Of course, wired connectivity works better when it comes to the PICO 4 and signal fidelity with PC and other hardware. The only option available at the moment is the USB-C port that comes on the PICO 4. However, the cable that comes in the box will have you sitting less than 2 meters from your system if you want to use it. If you still want to go the wired route, you’ll need a cable that can do both fast charging and high-capacity data transfers and a long one at that.
Sticking to wireless was the way we went. We’d advise having a WiFi connection that’s at least a WiFi 5 (802.11ac); a WiFi 6 (802.11ax) connection would be better. These WiFi connections allow for larger amounts of data to be transferred which leads to a better gameplay experience.
Battery Life
Playing wirelessly does limit your play time though. In our experience, the PICO 4 lasted around 2 hours without being plugged in. With a power pack or being tethered increases the time slightly to about 3 hours if not slightly more. That said, it’s good to take a break from VR every so often to prevent too much eye strain.
The controllers on the other hand are still running on their first charge! We spent about 10 hours on the PICO 4 and have yet to need to change the AA batteries on the controllers. You can also swap them out for high-capacity rechargeable batteries if you want to be a little bit more environmentally aware.
The PICO 4 is the friendliest, most affordable VR Headset with the widest compatibility that makes VR more accessible than ever.
Having spent quite some time with the PICO 4, the system is one of the most compelling arguments when it comes to taking that step into the VR gaming space. Not only is it one of the most affordable options on the market, it’s also the most feature-rich at its price point. It’s got everything you’ll need to get started – even an independent OS and marketplace.
It’s the perfect VR package for any gamer. Even for more advanced VR users, the PICO 4 could be the best thing since sliced bread. The system strikes a balance between ergonomics, functionality, and even features that allow it to compete with systems that are more advanced. Having an unbound headset with a customizable play area unlocks VR for everyone who’s interested regardless of their space restraints.
WhatsApp, at least in Malaysia, is the most popular messenger app that has ever existed. It is a common bridge between iOS and Android users. Some Nokia devices running proprietary operating systems (OS) can also support WhatsApp messenger these days. When everything becomes more integrated, they introduced WhatsApp web, an official workaround for you to use your WhatsApp messenger on your PC, and without flipping between devices. Then they introduced WhatsApp Desktop app, a sort of workaround if you are too lazy to turn to your browser to type “web.whatsapp.com” into it to use WhatsApp web.
WhatsApp Desktop though was one of the best things to happen to WhatsApp users. It allows users direct access to their WhatsApp messages on their PC or Mac devices without having to go anywhere else. With just a click of a button or icon, your PC or Mac turns into your answering machine powered by you. The app is based on the Electron framework, details of which we will not get into. What you need to know is that the WhatsApp Desktop experience is very close to what you get on WhatsApp web, just without having to type a URL into your browser.
A few months ago, WhatsApp revolutionized again finally with an official native Windows app simply called WhatsApp. It looked nothing like WhatsApp web or WhatsApp Desktop. It looks cleaner and feels smoother, and rather fitting to the designs of Windows. Naturally, we switched to the native app. Not everyone switched to the new app however and remained with WhatsApp Desktop, to the point that WhatsApp is now forcing users to switch their native app.
They do that by shutting down their old WhatsApp Desktop app and encouraging users to switch to the native app instead. The first indication to WhatsApp shutting down their old WhatsApp Desktop app is when WhatsApp notified users of the app about a month ago with a countdown on the app’s main screen. If you try to access the Desktop app now, the main page will only tell you that the app has expired and offers you a link to the new app, at least to its Microsoft Store page.
Since WhatsApp has not introduced a native app for the MacOS currently. That also means that you will still have to rely on your WhatsApp Desktop app if you are on a Mac or work with WhatsApp web for the time being. That does not mean that WhatsApp will not have a native app for Mac though, you can safely expect the native app to also come to Mac devices and the old Desktop app to be retired.
