Maxis delivers third edition of eKelas STEM Challenge on Sustainable Development Goals

Maxis continues their endeavor to support education and its accessibility with its third edition of Maxis eKelas.

eKelas MJD launch at SJK Chung Hua No.4

Launched in 2021, Maxis eKelas is the Malaysian communication giants flagship community project to enable quality digital education among students through
signature campaigns and activities. The main aim is to provide quality education to students from Year 4 to Form 5 in rural communities. The educational material is presented in a fun and engaging way and in line with the Malaysian School Syllabus. One of these signature campaigns is Misi Jelajah Digital (MJD) annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) challenge, which focuses on enhancing their knowledge and skills in STEM subjects. Since its launch in 2001, MJD has already reached 2000 participating students nationwide, equipping them with digital skills.

A focus on key digital skills and sustainable development

eKelas MJD workshop Pic 3

Now in its third year, MJD 2023 will run from 16th August to 16th November 2023. The competition was launched at SJK Chung Hua No. 4 in Kuching, Sarawak and followed by two days of workshops. Around 580 students from 54 schools across Kuching joined in, learning about storyboarding, how to conceptualise ideas and present proposals. This year’s MJD challenge will help students develop key digital skills in programming, coding and design thinking. With the theme of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), students are challenged to create real-life solutions and produce their own animation works or games based on their categories.

CategoriesTask
Upper Primary:
Year 4-5
Create ONE digital animated VIDEO to educate your peers about one of the SDG goals.
Lower Secondary:
Form 1-3
Build a 2-level (minimum) GAME that educates your
peers about the SDG Goals.
Lower Secondary:
Form 4-5
Build a 3-level(minimum) GAME that educates your
peers about the SDG Goals.
The student categories of MJD 2023 by Maxis eKelas.

MJD 2023 is open to all Malaysian students from Year 4 to Form 5, encouraged to join in groups of 2 to 4 members. On top of attractive prizes, students will also receive co-curriculum marks or Pentaksiran Aktiviti Jasmani Sukan dan Kokurikulum (PAJSK) credits as further incentive to participate.

A wealth of resources on STEM and more

eKelas MJD workshop Pic 1

To help students during the competition period, there will be free online workshops on animation and game design. Moreover, eKelas students can access learning material on coding, storytelling and other related digital skills via the eKelas portal. With content focusing on Science, Mathematics, English, Bahasa Melayu and History, the learning material of eKelas portal is delivered through a combination of live tutorials, group learning, competitions and digital content. Apart from STEM, students can also participate in the HIP Storyfest annual competition.

To register for eKelas or join the MJD competition today, head on to the eKelas portal. To learn more, visit the Misi Jelajah Digital mission page.

Verista Awarded by Frost & Sullivan for Providing Next-Generation Compliance and Quality Management Solutions in the Life Sciences Industry

Verista supports its clients by implementing pioneering services, solutions and technologies, along with its unwavering client commitment and deep domain expertise

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Frost & Sullivan recently researched the life sciences quality management and compliance solutions and services industry and, based on its findings, recognizes Verista with the 2023 Global Customer Value Leadership Award. Verista is a world-leading business and technology consulting firm that delivers groundbreaking end-to-end solutions to life sciences companies. The company supports pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs) by solving their most pressing challenges across the GxP lifecycle since 1997.

Verista
Verista

Verista’s expertise resides in providing compliance, validation, quality, and systems services that empower its clients to ensure patient safety, facilitate compliance and improve their process efficiencies with results-driven solutions. The company also assists its clients in upgrading their operations, qualifying their systems, improving quality, and ensuring data integrity through its in-depth industry know-how that consistently meets the current market needs and its clients’ expectations.

“Verista is transforming the digital landscape of its clients by implementing next-gen processes and technologies that digitize paper-based activities and enable Pharma 4.0,” said Natalia Casanovas, Best Practices Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “Positioned as a leader in its industry, the company is exceptionally innovative and delivers outstanding results in the life sciences sector, and its unique approach speeds up processes and maximizes results, resulting in superior value for clients.”

The company prides itself on its unconditional compromise with its clients and partners, fulfilling their requirements with the highest dedication, quality, and professionalism. Verista ensures a rapid response to client requirements and issues, enabling timely resolution, minimizing disruptions, accelerating time to market, and allowing clients to seize new market opportunities. For this reason, the company has a 95% client retention rate and has delivered over 2,000 successful projects.

Verista’s commitment to delivering enterprise-wide quality and compliance services ensures its clients succeed and significantly boost efficiency to adjust to the latest market trends. As a result, Verista is rapidly growing and expanding its operations in the European Union and Asia-Pacific regions, further strengthening its global presence.

“Verista’s Managed Service offering provides a 360˚ view of the client’s operations, which ensures continuous course adjustment and delivery improvement, and alignment of its services with client goals and objectives. Additionally, it enhances business continuity, reducing system downtime and enabling clients to concentrate on their mission to deliver products that improve lives,” noted Unmesh Lal, Senior Industry Analyst, Healthcare at Frost & Sullivan.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that demonstrates excellence in implementing strategies that proactively create value for its customers, focusing on improving the return on the investment that customers make in its services or products. The award recognizes Verista’s unique focus on augmenting its customers’ value, beyond simply good customer service, leading to improved customer retention and customer base expansion.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in various regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Frost & Sullivan
For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:

Lindsey Whitaker
P: +1 (210) 477-8457
E: lindsey.whitaker@frost.com 

About Verista

Verista is a leading business, technology and compliance company that enables clients to improve health and improve lives. They help clients solve their most critical and complex challenges across the GxP lifecycle, from R&D to manufacturing. Verista’s experts continually deliver consistent, safe, and high-quality results across the product development lifecycle in the areas of enterprise and lab solutions, technology solutions, manufacturing solutions, and regulatory compliance and product management.

Susan Najjar
Susan.najjar@verista.com 

ESL One brings international Dota action to KL this December.

Get excited Malaysian Dota fans as ESL One powered by Intel® is once again coming to our shores this December with ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023.

03 ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 Key Art

A Tournament to Rise Above Southeast Asia

Running from 11th to 17th of December, ESL One heads to Kuala Lumpur’s MITEC Exhibition Centre bearing the theme “Rise Above Fate”. The previous three iterations of ESL One Malaysia were held in Genting’s Arena of Stars, and they were definitely tournaments to remember. Now with a venue in the heart of KL and more than 3 times the seating capacity, we can expect an even greater atmosphere for this spectacle! Caitlin Kang, Managing Director of ESL Malaysia at ESL FACEIT Group hopes to welcome thousands of Dota fans to Kuala Lumpur and continue ESL One’s legacy in Malaysia.

Top tier Dota, top tier prize pool

Adding to the spectacle is an increased prize pool of US$1,000,000 (over RM4.6 million), a huge leap from the US$400,000 of ESL One Malaysia 2022. Fighting for a share of the prize will be 12 top tier Dota teams from around the world. From the 11th to 13th December, these teams play the Group Stage; two groups of six teams, playing a single-round robin format.

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The top six teams from each group then proceed to the Playoff Stage. They will play a double elimination format in front of a live audience on the 15th to 17th of December. The official team lineups have not been announced, but from the previous ESL One Malaysia 2022, we can expect 7 top teams to be invited and the remaining five to make it through regional qualifiers.

Will we see ESL One Malaysia 2022 winners OG, Bali Major champions Gaimin Gladiators or even the future winner of The International 12? Stay tuned for the official announcement of competing teams!

Tickets go on sale 21st September 2023

Tickets will go on sale this Thursday, 21st September 2023 at 1500 MYT (3:00pm GMT+8) and will be available on the official ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 website. There are three categories of tickets available with prices starting at RM149.

ESL One KL 2023 pricing

For those who are unable to join in live, you can catch the ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 action on the ESL Dota 2 Twitch and YouTube channels, and via dedicated broadcast partners.

ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 is a celebration of Tier 1 Dota not just for Malaysian but for all Southeast Asian Dota fans. With a huge prize pool,easily accessible and high capacity venue , this could be the biggest ESL One Malaysia as of yet!

Nutanix & ST Engineering Form Partnership to Transform Singapore’s Cloud Computing Landscape

Nutanix ST Engineering MoU Photo 2a

In efforts to advance hybrid cloud capabilities and empower Singapore’s workforce with essential tech skills, Nutanix and ST Engineering have joined forces through a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Hybrid cloud technology is a way of using both public and private cloud services together. It allows organisations to store some data in a public cloud while keeping other sensitive data in a private cloud.

Nutanix, a multi-cloud computing company, and ST Engineering, a technology and engineering group, have outlined their commitment to several key areas. Among these areas are:

Develop cutting-edge hybrid cloud technologies

Firstly, the partnership aims to develop cutting-edge hybrid cloud technologies tailored to the specific operational needs of organisations.

This collaborative effort combines public and private clouds to store data and manage multiple cloud services. It does this while prioritising strong security measures for data protection.

Additionally, the partnership aims to create a user-friendly cloud management portal. This portal will simplify multi-cloud management for businesses and enhance their control over cloud resources.

Cultivate a future-ready workforce through a curated training curriculum 

Secondly, ST Engineering and Nutanix plan to cultivate a future-ready workforce through a curated training curriculum focused on hybrid cloud technology. This educational initiative will target higher learning institutions, equipping students with the skills necessary to excel in cloud-centric environments.

The training curriculum will include various cloud-related domains, aligning with government-wide efforts to build deep tech skills, particularly in cloud computing.

In conclusion, this collaboration between Nutanix and ST Engineering represents an important step towards enhancing Singapore’s hybrid cloud capabilities. It should also ensure that the workforce is well-prepared to navigate the evolving technology landscape.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Is Gonna Be As Powerful as the PlayStation 4

Nintendo is gearing up for the highly anticipated release of its next-gen console, currently dubbed ‘Nintendo Switch 2’ by the internet. If rumours are to be believed we could be seeing the Switch 2 hit markets in 2024. However, while the official name remains shrouded in secrecy, details about its power and performance have begun to surface, thanks to insider information from Activision.

turned on red and green nintendo switch
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

But before we get into those details, it looks like the upcoming console made its debut behind closed doors at the recent Gamescom. In this sneak peek, Nintendo discreetly unveiled tech demos to specially invited developers, offering a tantalizing glimpse of what the future might hold for the gaming giant. During this closed-door showcase, it’s been reported that Nintendo showcased several games including an enhanced version of “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”; all of which were running with high frame rates. However, what’s more interesting is that the console also ran the “Matrix Awakens” tech demo powered by Unreal Engine 5 which was used to demonstrate the capabilities of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in 2021. It was able to deliver graphics on par with current-gen consoles complete with DLSS and ray tracing.

Keep in mind that Nintendo had filed patents back in March 2020 that hinted at potential AI upscaling technology, similar to the Switch’s core functionality. These patents, made public in 2021, describe a process where a game can run at one resolution while the device operates on battery power but can upscale to 1080p when plugged into a power source or connected to a TV. The patent even suggests that other upscaling processes, including upscaling to 4K, could be possible.

Recent developments, including Activision’s potential acquisition by Microsoft, have led to the revelation of confidential Activision emails that shed light on the Switch 2’s capabilities. Chris Schnakenberg, Head of Activision’s Platform Strategy and Partner Relations, delivered a briefing about the “Switch NG” (Switch Next Generation) to top-tier Activision executives, including CEO Bobby Kotick. In this briefing, Schnakenberg compared the Nintendo Switch 2’s performance to that of “Gen8 platforms,” referring to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

a close up shot of a nintendo switch
Photo by Michael Adeleye on Pexels.com

The information provided in these documents stems from Schnakenberg’s direct interaction with Nintendo in late 2022, giving weight to its credibility. Furthermore, Bobby Kotick leveraged this information as part of his preparation for a meeting with Nintendo’s CEO and President, Shuntaro Furukawa, on December 15, 2022, further reinforcing the reliability of these insights.

The Nintendo Switch 2’s performance, closely aligned with that of the PS4 and Xbox One, may raise questions about its competitiveness with current-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. However, this should not be a cause for concern for Nintendo enthusiasts. The unique appeal of the Nintendo Switch lies in its hybrid nature, allowing players to seamlessly transition between handheld and TV modes. Attempting to match the raw power of the PS5 would be an impractical endeavour for a portable device.

Nintendo has a track record of prioritizing gameplay experiences over cutting-edge graphics. The original Switch itself was technically a generation behind when it debuted over six years ago, yet it continues to thrive in the market. For Nintendo, graphical prowess has never been the primary focus.

a nintendo switch and a bunch of super mario game items
Photo by Mao Batista on Pexels.com

Nintendo’s success lies squarely in Switch 2’s improved performance and its potential to attract third-party developers. Currently, the Nintendo Switch struggles to handle modern games that are optimized for higher-end hardware, often necessitating significant compromises in graphics and performance. The Switch 2 has the potential to resolve this issue, making it a more attractive platform for developers and offering gamers a broader selection of titles.

Moreover, Nintendo has a rich library of exclusive franchises, including Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, Donkey Kong, and Metroid, which have consistently driven sales regardless of the console’s graphical capabilities. However, without third-party developers working on the new Switch 2, it would be a tough battle ahead for Nintendo. That said, the Nintendo Switch has already proven itself as a capable console even with its limited hardware. More and more developers are adopting the hardware as it gains popularity thanks to its hybrid nature.

Apple’s iCloud Now Comes with 6TB & 12TB Plans

Apple has just expanded its iCloud+ plans. Starting today, users have the option to pick from two new iCloud+ plans: 6TB for $29.99 per month and 12TB for $59.99 per month.

Screenshot 2023 09 19 at 18 58 01 iCloud

These plans come hot on the heels of Apple’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro launch event, where the focus was on the impressive 48MP Main cameras, designed to deliver exceptional photo and video quality. With iCloud+, users can safely store extensive collections of high-resolution photos and videos in the cloud. This makes them accessible seamlessly across all their Apple devices and on the web. iCloud+ also helps you optimize space usage on your iPhones by automatically preserving beautiful, optimized versions of their media in the cloud while freeing up space.

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Source: Apple

But that’s not all; iCloud+ offers a range of premium features like Private Relay that safeguards your Safari browsing, ensuring privacy from network providers, websites, and even Apple itself, all without compromising your browsing experience. It also comes with Hide My Email which allows users to generate unique, random email addresses whenever needed that can be used to sign up for newsletters and more without revealing your own email allowing you to sign up for newsletters, offers, and more without revealing your personal email address. You’ll also be able to access HomeKit Secure Video which stores home security videos with end-to-end encryption.

iCloud+ plans can be shared with up to five family members.

AirAsia Superapp Will Now Be airasia move

Capital A’s digital arm, airasia Digital, is set to transform into MOVE Digital. This rebranding also marks a restructuring of airasia Digital’s business which will now encompass both the airasia Superapp and BigPay. As part of the change, the airasia Superapp, will also undergo a comprehensive rebranding, morphing into ‘airasia move’ in the near future.

Airasia Move

As part of the restructuring and rebranding of airasia Digital, co-founder of AirAsia and the CEO of Capital A, Tony Fernandes, will assume the mantle of Executive Chairman of MOVE. He will be overseeing the synergy between airasia move and BigPay.

Tony Fernandes, Executive Chairman of MOVE, expressed, “The name MOVE embodies our essence as the digital arm of Capital A, reinforcing our commitment to propel people, ideas, and innovation in the realm of travel. Imagine having seamless access to travel and financial services on a single platform, complete with integrated financial features like balance display, top-ups, and payments from BigPay. This strengthens airasia move’s position as the go-to travel app. My role as Executive Chairman of MOVE will be to enhance synergy between both businesses. With this transition, users can anticipate an enriched experience and deeper integration of BigPay features within airasia Superapp, soon to be airasia move.”

RIF20230918 MOVE pc 104
[From left] – Nadia Omer, the incoming CEO of airasia Superapp (now airasia move), Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A, and Executive Chairman of MOVE together with Zubin Rada Krishnan, CEO of BigPay during the unveiling of MOVE Digital today.

Nadia Omer will be heading MOVE as its Chief Executive Officer starting on the 26 October 2023. Her primary task will be driving airasia move’s vision of being a low cost travel platform with high conversion rates. She will be taking over from Mohamad Hafidz, the acting CEO. She will also be working closely with Zubin Rada Krishnan, head of BigPay as the MOVE ushers in a new era of travel innovation with airasia move and BigPay as their focus.

The airasia Superapp, soon to be airasia move, has rapidly evolved into a one-stop travel hub, offering seamless end-to-end booking experiences over the past two years. On the other front, BigPay has carved a niche as an innovative fintech provider empowering Southeast Asians with superior financial management tools.

Both of Capital A’s digital entities have made remarkable strides, with airasia Superapp (soon to be airasia move) registering a record-breaking Monthly Active Users (MAU) of 15 million by the end of the second quarter. Simultaneously, BigPay has witnessed a remarkable 16% Year-on-Year growth in its carded users during the same period. This rebranding initiative sets the stage for an exciting journey ahead in the digital travel and finance landscape.

Logitech Unveils the Logitech Reach – A Webcam Built For Online Sharing

Logitech has just unveiled a rather unique webcam – the Logitech Reach. The new webcam features a flexible, articulating arm that can redefine how we share non-digital content during presentations, classes, conference calls, and live streams.

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Source: Logitech

The inspiration behind the Logitech Reach stemmed from a simple observation. People were encountering difficulties when sharing non-digital content, often settling for less-than-ideal setups, a combination of various products, or complex production tools. Logitech set out to eliminate these challenges, enabling a seamless and interactive “show and tell” experience.

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Source: Logitech

The Logitech Reach boasts a range of features designed to make sharing content easier and more engaging. The camera offers 1080p video quality at 60fps with glass optics, 4.3x lossless zoom and smart autofocus. Users can effortlessly move the camera along the horizontal plane using a simple gesture, ensuring content is displayed cleanly and smoothly. Built-in guidance indicators maintain the image’s orientation throughout and a pivoting camera head.

Logitech Reach: A 'show & tell' camera experience

The Reach offers a hassle-free plug-and-play experience via USB for extensive compatibility with most computers and conferencing or streaming platforms. It can be used in full desktop mode on a table or in a compact stowed mode, paired with the low-profile edge clamp, making it adaptable to any workspace.

Early Access and Campaign

Logitech recognizes the diverse range of use cases for the Logitech Reach and is offering early access to this revolutionary device through the Indiegogo Enterprise platform. Early adopters can enjoy a discounted price, and their valuable insights will help shape the future of Logitech Reach across various environments. No exact pricing has been announced so far.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 Unveiled for Midrange Devices

Qualcomm has just unveiled the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2. This latest addition to the Snapdragon family brings a performance-centred processor built for midrange and entry-level devices.

Built on the 4nm process technology, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 is geared to be a go-to choice for smartphone manufacturers aiming to strike the perfect balance between power and affordability. It opens up the market bringing more performance to a mid-range segment that is gaining momentum the world over.

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Source: Xiaomi on Weibo

Now, you might be wondering about the peculiar name. To clear the air, there was no first-gen 7s, and it’s not a successor to the Snapdragon 7 either. The “s” remains a mystery, but it’s essentially a sign of streamlined specifications. Under the hood, the octa-core system on a chip comes with four high-performance cores clocked at 2.4 GHz and four power-efficient cores humming at 1.95 GHz.

While the specifics of the Adreno GPU remain under wraps, it’s more than capable, supporting FHD+ resolution at 144 Hz. However, it’s worth noting that the FastConnect 6700 connectivity platform takes a step down compared to the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2, with peak download speeds of 2.9 Gbps and Bluetooth support capped at 5.2. However, that doesn’t rule out low-energy audio needs.

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 isn’t too shabby in the imaging department. Its Spectra ISP can handle cameras with resolutions of up to 200 MP and 4K video capture at 30 fps. Memory-wise, it supports up to LPDDR5 clocked at 3200 MHz. Other features include USB-C 3.1 and Quick Charge 4+.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Snapdragon 7s Gen2 2.jpeg webp
Source: Xiaomi on Weibo

Xiaomi has unveiled that their upcoming Redmi Note 13 Pro will be one of the first smartphones sporting the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 system on a chip. The smartphone is the latest edition to Xiaomi’s renowned Redmi Note line which has always struck an enticing balance between performance and affordability. It will be truly exciting to see the chipset at work in the upcoming smartphone.

Your Commute Can’t Get Any Cuter Than with Touch ‘n Go’s The Furry Series: Rabbit Charm

In a heartwarming tribute to the cherished bond Malaysians share with their four-legged friends, Touch ‘n Go has unveiled a delightful addition to their lineup – The Furry Series: Rabbit Charm. This charming accessory not only celebrates the unique connection between humans and their pets but also seamlessly integrates convenience and style into your daily commute.

This innovative charm, adorned with a lovable rabbit design, is not your ordinary trinket. It comes equipped with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, which essentially makes it your enhanced Touch ‘n Go card. The Rabbit Charm represents Touch ‘n Go’s commitment to offering inventive, unique products that not only simplify daily transactions but also resonate with the younger generation’s tastes and preferences.

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The Rabbit Charm operates much like an enhanced Touch ‘n Go card, making it incredibly versatile for various everyday needs. Whether you’re paying tolls, hopping on a train or bus, or parking your vehicle, this charming accessory has got you covered. And the best part? Reloading your charm is a breeze! Simply use the Touch ‘n Go eWallet via your NFC-enabled smartphone, and you’re all set for your next adventure.

What sets this Rabbit Charm apart is its portability and visual appeal. Attach it effortlessly to your bag or wallet, and you’ll have a fluffy companion with you wherever you go. Animal lovers, in particular, will be smitten by this adorable collectable. Priced at just RM30.00, it’s an affordable way to infuse a touch of cuteness into your daily routine.

The Rabbit Charm is available for purchase at Touch ‘n Go Service and Sales Centres located in NU Sentral and Bangsar South. But that’s not all – starting from 24th August 2023, you can also snag one online at the official Touch ‘n Go Shopee Store.