Category Archives: Business

Edge Computing Benefits and Use Cases

March 30, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

From telecommunications networks to the manufacturing floor, through financial services to autonomous vehicles and beyond, computers are everywhere these days, generating a growing tsunami of data that needs to be captured, stored, processed and analyzed.

At Red Hat, we see edge computing as an opportunity to extend the open hybrid cloud all the way to data sources and end-users. Where data has traditionally lived in the data centre or cloud, there are benefits and innovations that can be realized by processing the data these devices generate closer to where it is produced.

This is where edge computing comes in.

4 benefits of edge computing

As the number of computing devices has grown, our networks simply haven’t kept pace with the demand, causing applications to be slower and/or more expensive to host centrally.

Pushing computing out to the edge helps reduce many of the issues and costs related to network latency and bandwidth, while also enabling new types of applications that were previously impractical or impossible.

1. Improve performance

When applications and data are hosted on centralized data centres and accessed via the internet, speed and performance can suffer from slow network connections. By moving things out to the edge, network-related performance and availability issues are reduced, although not entirely eliminated.

2. Place applications where they make the most sense

By processing data closer to where it’s generated, insights can be gained more quickly and response times reduced drastically. This is particularly true for locations that may have intermittent connectivity, including geographically remote offices and on vehicles such as ships, trains and aeroplanes.

3. Simplify meeting regulatory and compliance requirements

Different situations and locations often have different privacy, data residency, and localization requirements, which can be extremely complicated to manage through centralized data processing and storage, such as in data centres or the cloud.

With edge computing, however, data can be collected, stored, processed, managed and even scrubbed in place, making it much easier to meet different locales’ regulatory and compliance requirements. For example, edge computing can be used to strip personally identifiable information (PII) or faces from a video before being sent back to the data centre.

4. Enable AI/ML applications

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) are growing in importance and popularity since computers are often able to respond to rapidly changing situations much more quickly and accurately than humans.

But AI/ML applications often require processing, analyzing and responding to enormous quantities of data which can’t reasonably be achieved with centralized processing due to network latency and bandwidth issues. Edge computing allows AI/ML applications to be deployed close to where data is collected so analytical results can be obtained in near real-time.

3 Edge Computing Scenarios

Red Hat focuses on three general edge computing scenarios, although these often overlap in each unique edge implementation.

1. Enterprise edge

Enterprise edge scenarios feature an enterprise data store at the core, in a data centre or as a cloud service. The enterprise edge allows organizations to extend their application services to remote locations.

nasa Q1p7bh3SHj8 unsplash — Photo by NASA on Unsplash

Chain retailers are increasingly using an enterprise edge strategy to offer new services, improve in-store experiences and keep operations running smoothly. Individual stores aren’t equipped with large amounts of computing power, so it makes sense to centralize data storage while extending a uniform app environment out to each store.

2. Operations edge

Operations edge scenarios concern industrial edge devices, with significant involvement from operational technology (OT) teams. The operations edge is a place to gather, process and act on data on-site.

Operations edge computing is helping some manufacturers harness artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to solve operational and business efficiency issues through real-time analysis of data provided by Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sensors on the factory floor.

3. Provider edge

Provider edge scenarios involve both building out networks and offering services delivered with them, as in the case of a telecommunications company. The service provider edge supports reliability, low latency and high performance with computing environments close to customers and devices.

Service providers such as Verizon are updating their networks to be more efficient and reduce latency as 5G networks spread around the world. Many of these changes are invisible to mobile users, but allow providers to add more capacity quickly while reducing costs.

3 edge computing examples

Red Hat has worked with a number of organizations to develop edge computing solutions across a variety of industries, including healthcare, space and city management.

1. Healthcare

Clinical decision-making is being transformed through intelligent healthcare analytics enabled by edge computing. By processing real-time data from medical sensors and wearable devices, AI/ML systems are aiding in the early detection of a variety of conditions, such as sepsis and skin cancers.

cdc p33DqVXhWvs unsplash — Photo by CDC on Unsplash

2. Space

NASA has begun adopting edge computing to process data close to where it’s generated in space rather than sending it back to Earth, which can take minutes to days to arrive.

As an example, mission specialists on the International Space Station (ISS) are studying microbial DNA. Transmitting that data to Earth for analysis would take weeks, so they’re experimenting with doing those analyses onboard the ISS, speeding “time to insight” from months to minutes.

3. Smart cities

City governments are beginning to experiment with edge computing as well, incorporating emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) along with AI/ML to quickly identify and remediate problems impacting public safety, citizen satisfaction and environmental sustainability.

Red Hat’s approach to edge computing

Of course, the many benefits of edge computing come with some additional complexity in terms of scale, interoperability and manageability.

Edge deployments often extend to a large number of locations that have minimal (or no) IT staff, or that vary in physical and environmental conditions. Edge stacks also often mix and match a combination of hardware and software elements from different vendors, and highly distributed edge architectures can become difficult to manage as infrastructure scales out to hundreds or even thousands of locations. The Red Hat Edge portfolio addresses these challenges by helping organizations standardize on a modern hybrid cloud infrastructure, providing an interoperable, scalable and modern edge computing platform that combines the flexibility and extensibility of open source with the power of a rapidly growing partner ecosystem

Business, Computers, Lifestyle, News

MSI Launches new Productivity Powerhouses – Meet the Summit, Prestige, and Modern Series

March 25, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

MSI’s brand name is mostly associated with gaming and high-performing PCs. It is quite easy to assume that gaming PCs is all they do, because their biggest mindshare and market share is mostly thanks to their gaming PC line-up. They are a full-fledged PC builder though, so they do have more than just gaming PCs. They recently launched their creator focused line-up of laptops and desktops with sleek and muted designs containing high-performing internals. Yesterday, they launched completely new devices to take on the corporate world. Welcome to the Summit, Prestige, and Modern Series.

MSI Summit

Let us back it up a little bit. The Summit series is not new from MSI. It has been their flagship notebook series for the corporate world for a few years now. Existing products include a Summit E13 Flip Evo and Summit E16 Flip. Yesterday they added two more devices into the family; the Summit E14 Flip Evo and the Summit E14 Flip.

As its name suggests, both are 14-inch laptops. As names imply too, they are convertibles. Not that you can detach the keyboard or anything, it is just that you can tilt the display all the way around the keyboard to effectively make them chunky tablets.

Both devices get Intel’s 12^th Generation Core processors, quite obviously, it is 2022 after all. With the new generation processors, they also get Intel’s proven Iris X^e integrated graphics. You also get LPDDR5 RAM on both devices at 16GB (8GB x2), should be plenty enough for you to keep multiple Google Chrome windows and tabs running without slowing down.

Obviously, because this is a productivity focused notebook, you do not get a power-hungry GPU. You also do not get a fancy RGB lighting. You still get white backlighting on your keyboard though in case you need it in low-light conditions. Connectivity and portability also take thefront seat for this laptop.

It weighs 1.6kg, which is not as light as plenty of thing and light notebooks, to be fair. It is thin enough at 17.9mm though. You also get a full-sized USB 3.2 Type-A port, a MicroSD card reader, a full-sized HDMI port, and an audio combo jack alongside two Thunderbolt capable USB Type-C ports, either can be used to charge the 72Wh battery at 65W (USB Type-C charger provided). Both laptops also feature Windows Hello compatible Fingerprint sensor and an IR webcam for facial recognition.

There is one major difference between the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo and Summit E14 Flip. The Evo variant gets a QHD+ display instead of the Full HD+ resolution of the regular Summit E14 Flip. Both are at 16:10 aspect ratio, of course. The Evo’s display offers 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage though, important if you are in the creative industry. The IPS display also supports MSI Pen input, effectively making it a touch sensitive panel.

Alongside the new Summit E14 Flip and Summit E14 Flip Evo, the Summit E13 Flip Evo, Summit E16 Flip, and Summit E16 Flip Evo are getting a refresher in the form of Intel’s 12^th Generation Core CPUs. The Summit E16 Flip is also getting a GPU upgrade in the form of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (up to) GPU.

MSI Prestige

The Prestige series should also be a familiar name to fans of MSI. It is made to be the mid-range productivity powerhouse that prides itself with great design and portability like no other in its class. For 2022, the new line-up is even better than before.

You can get the MSI Prestige in two sizes, 15 and 14 inches. Both sizes get Intel’s 12^th Generation Core processors for a start. You can think of them as entry-level gaming devices too with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti mobile GPU (RTX 3050 for Prestige 14) handling the graphics department. You also get up to 32GB in RAM (16GB for Prestige 14) for any high-performance computing needs on the go. With the 15-inch variant also you get another NVMe PCIe Gen 3 slot in case you need to expand your storage.

For its display, the Prestige 15 offers you a 15.6-inch UHD (up to) IPS panel that boasts 100% sRGB colour gamut coverage. The Prestige 14 only offers you up to a Full HD IPS panel. You still get 100% in sRGB colour gamut coverage. It is also much lighter at 1.29 kg over the 1.69 kg of the 15-incher.

There is another Prestige 14 option, the Prestige 14 Evo. It comes with Intel’s Evo certification. That means it does not come with any GPU. That should also allow for extended battery life on the Prestige 14 Evo. While the other Prestige models with discrete GPUs charge at 100W though, this one charges at 65W (USB Type-C charger included).

MSI Modern

This one, MSI says, is for the trendsetters. They have collaborated with French Illustrator, Lorrain Sorlet for this new Modern laptop series. In their Classic Black or Urban Silver colour choices though, the thin-and-light laptops does look like it will blend in anywhere you take it too.

There are also two display sizes here, a 14-inch and a 15-inch. Both offer Full HD resolutions and are IPS displays which also means colours on the display will pop. Just do not expect the colours to be as accurate as DCI-P3 or sRGB rated displays. Still good enough for most entertainment purposes though.

Of course, you can expect Intel’s 12^th Generation Core processors on the new laptops. No discrete GPUs here, just a good ol’ Intel Iris X^e integrated graphics here. The processor is also supported by up to 16GB (8GB x2) DDR RAM. You get a fast, nice SSD storage to comem with the new Modern 15 and Modern 14 too,

It is a little thicker than the other two laptops that MSI introduced alongside this one, but still quite thing at 19.9mm (19.35mm Modern 14). At 1.7 kg and 1.4 kg respectively, they are not what you would call heavy too. The extra thickness allows for a bit more practicality on the side though. Both devices pack two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a full-sized HDMI port, a MicroSD card slot, a combo AUX jack, and one USB Type-C port. The USB Type-C port doubles as a charging port too with the included 65W USB Type-C charger.

Availability

MSI, in their launch, did not actually mention when the new laptops will be available just yet. They also did not include their pricing currently. The only thing we can do is wait and see. For more information on the new products, you can check out MSI’s website.

Business, Consumer Electronics, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Apple TV App is Now Useless on Android TVs and Google TVs – This Could Go Either Way

March 22, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Apple TV+ is, there is no easier way of saying this, good. There are plenty of interesting and captivating shows that are exclusive to the platform. Those exclusives actually won awards, just to prove our point. But unti 2021, Apple TV+ holds their cards very close to their chest. You can only access the Apple TV+ app via Apple devices like Apple TV, Mac, iPhone, and iPad. You could not, and still cannot access it on your Android smartphones.

In 2021, it seems that Android users might be able to get a glimpse of what is on the other side with the introduction of the Apple TV app on their Android or Google TVs. Through the app, you can access whatever that Apple has on their Apple TV box, they can buy movies, rent movies, and even subscribe to Apple TV+. Their app is also available on NVIDIA Shield, and Google’s Chromecast dongles.

There was a recent update for the app on Android and Google powered TVs. After the update, it TVs or boxes with Google’s operating system works, but only just. The app on these devices can only play the movies or stream on Apple TV+ only if you have already bought them, or rent them, or subscribed to Apple TV+ previously. If you have not, you are out of luck because you no longer have an option to buy, rent, or subscribe to anything on the app. The only button left here is “How to Watch”.

Yes, the app will teach you how to watch your movies or shows on Android or Google TVs. But you are also required to have an Apple device at that, which also means it is going to be an extra spend if you do not own an iPhone or an iPad. Like we said earlier, this could go either way.

The decision by Apple to remove their in-app purchase features could be due to a few things. For one, Apple might want to avoid the 30% commission that Google demands for all in-app purchases on their platforms. The other one could also be to probably just sell more devices. Both are likely though.

For now, this might lead to a sharp drop in their subscriber count on Android and Google TVs. In the future though, there might be a bigger demand for affordable Apple devices just for Apple TVs services and features. It also could discourage Apple iPhone or iPad users to switch out of Apple’s ecosystem. We will just stick to Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Videos for now.

Business, Lifestyle, Mobile, Social Media

Telegram Got Banned, and Then Unbanned in Brazil

March 21, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Getting apps banned in certain countries is a lot more common than you think. China is a prime example of plenty of apps and platforms getting banned in favour of their own in-house platforms. Facebook and Google cannot operate in China currently. That also means your WhatsApp will not work in China unless you use a VPN to bypass all the restrictions.

Banning a communication platform or website does a few things for a country. For one, it helps curb the spreading of information from inside and outside the country. There is another aspect of monitoring the communication channels inside the country, but most independent platforms are encrypted enough that governments do not usually have a hold of your chat information – so we are mostly safe.

Countries like the United States wants to have more control over companies like Facebook and Google because of the amount of information that these platforms have. They argued that these companies have breached a few privacy laws and are using our data illegally. Information, after all, is power. But there is also another thing that social media and communication platforms can do. You can spread untrue information and that information can be gospel.

That is exactly what happened with Telegram in Brazil and the government has no choice but to curb the problem by banning the use of Telegram in the entire nation. Brazil has recently hosted a successful election campaign. Politics are never straightforward though and there will always be people who are unhappy about the results. That leads to misleading information being created and possibly circulated. The easiest way to disseminate disinformation is via social media.

While Facebook and Google have been doing their part in keeping misinformation in check on their own platforms, Telegram is a more open-sourced platform that has not done a lot in filtering out bad actors. They can manually filter disinformation channels and users though, if you email them. Brazil did the exact same thing anyone would then. Nothing happened though, and that led to Brazil banning the platform on Friday.

Telegram has since responded by removing the whatever reported posts that are pointed in the emails the Brazilian government has sent them. But they also claimed that they have missed the email. There is also a reason for them missing these emails. Apparently, Telegram uses a dedicated email for complains and takedown requests. The Brazilian court emailed Telegram on their general use email that they hardly check apparently. In that case, Telegram has also referred the Brazilian government to the correct email and rectified the issue.

As of today, Telegram is no longer banned in Brazil. Telegram also promises that they will be doing better in labelling and taking down accounts, groups, and even misinformed posts in general. They have removed classified information shared by the Brazilian President and removed accounts belonging and connected to an activist that is accused of misinformation.

Source: The Verge

Business, Computers, News

[MWC 2022] The Lenovo ThinkPad X13s – Snapdragon Inside

March 3, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

The idea of Microsoft’s Windows running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform is not a new concept. In fact, it has been something that Qualcomm and Microsoft have been working on for years. Some products even rolled out of the factories that marries the power of Qualcomm’s potent system on a chip (SoC) with Microsoft’s best-selling interface. One of the products is Malaysian made, we reviewed it and quite liked it.

Unfortunately, the idea of running a full-fledged Windows operating system (OS) on a Qualcomm chip is not as simple as shoehorning a Qualcomm chip on any random Windows laptop chassis, nor is it as simple as installing Windows on a Qualcomm device. The problem is with the conflict in architecture in both the software and chip. Qualcomm’s mobile first approach ensures that it adapts to Android’s Linux based architecture and optimises its operations based on a regular smartphone interaction pattern. Windows, on the other hand, is optimises itself on different work processes and priorities that Intel and AMD’s chips are designed for. They are just different kind of processes and priorities, fundamentally.

There is a new workaround though. Welcome to Windows 11, an open door to whole new possibilities. The platform is designed to be more mobile than ever. It is designed with a touch experience in mind, a sort of tablet experience. While it is still based on Windows 10, it is a lot more tablet friendly than before. It just feels like something you can put on a slim tablet with no cooling fans powered by an SoC. With Apple’s move to push their M1 SoCs, it also only makes sense that Microsoft makes that option available.

Enter the ThinkPad X13s, the first of many, we hope. This is not Lenovo’s first Qualcomm based device. It is also not Lenovo’s first Windows 11 device. It is their first though, that marries the two together.

You will not find any intake or exhaust ports on the 13.3-inch ThinkPad X13s. It is a little odd for a PC not to have ventilation ports. That is also the beauty of relying on Qualcomm’s latest generation Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 compute platform. The SoC is even powerful enough and optimised enough to run Windows 11 Pro. Keeping Windows 11 running on the WUXGA 16:10 aspect ratio display is up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage.

Thanks to the integrated modem on the SoC, the ThinkPad X13s is even ready with a 5G capable SIM tray. Together with WiFi 6E, the ThinkPad X13s can be connected to the web anywhere, anytime. It is always connected, always on.

Of course, the other benefit of using SoCs in devices is the way it sips battery juice. Lenovo quotes up to 28 hours in battery life with continuous usage. If you keep it on standby, it is ready to get going for days.

For security, the device comes with a 5-megapixel webcam with Infrared camera (optional) for Windows Hello facial recognition. You can make it work like your smartphone. Yes, you can use the webcam for video calls as well, quite obviously.

Because the requirements of housing an SoC like the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 Compute platform is so minimal, Lenovo could squeeze everything down on the ThinkPad X13s. It is thinner, and lighter than most professional grade laptops thanks to the SoC. But that is not just the contributing factor to the ThinkPad X13s’ thinness and lightness. Before we forget, Lenovo’s ThinkPads must be built like tanks too.

To keep build quality high but super lightweight and thin is a challenge. There is also the demand of making things more sustainable. Lenovo achieved those on the ThinkPad X13s using 90% recycled magnesium for its chassis. Inside, 97% of the plastics on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) cover and battery tray is made from PCC (Precipitate Calcium Carbonate) plastics. PCC plastics, in our research, is a type of plastic made using more sustainable materials. Calcium Carbonate is an artificial powder type filler used in plastic manufacturing to replace crude oil as a material to manufacture plastic parts. It is cheaper, and a lot more sustainable.

To ensure that the device gets to you in one piece are carton boxes and bumpers that are also recyclable. Even the production method is designed to keep energy consumption as low as possible. They used low-temperature solder methods that reduces carbon emissions by up to 35% over regular solders.

16 ThinkPad X13s Eagle Hero Front Facing — Source: Lenovo

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13s will be available in select markets on the 22^nd of May 2022 onward. Like most ThinkPad devices, there are no other colour option safe for black. It will set you back EU€ 1,399 onward (MYR 6,508*), which is still quite premium in our eyes. There are no mentions on the local (Malaysia) availability and official pricing for the laptop for now. For more information on the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s, you can visit their website.

*Approximately based on exchange rate of EU€ 1 = MYR 4.65 as of 03/03/2022 on xe.com

Business, Computers, Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, News

[MWC 2022] Samsung Introduces the 2nd Generation Galaxy Book – Introducing the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro Series

February 28, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Samsung introduced their Galaxy Book line-up last year, to everyone’s delight and confusion. Samsung has pulled itself from the PC business for a long time now, and they announced that they are back in the Windows PC world in 2021, a time where the world is still deciding whether exposure to the sun is a good thing or not. At the same time, it is a very sensible move from Samsung.

Samsung’s position in the smartphone industry makes it a prime candidate to introduce new technologies and innovations in the space. As one of the largest electronics manufacturers in the world as well, they are perfectly positioned to introduce a wide range of electronic packages that can work and communicate with each other seamlessly; an ecosystem of sorts. After all, if Apple can do it without owning factories, why not Samsung? Hence, the Samsung Galaxy Book series in 2021; there is the Galaxy name, so we know they are supposed to work with the smartphones at least.

While most second-generation stuff are minor updates to the older devices, the latest generation of Galaxy Book devices that are showcased from Samsung’s MWC 2022 gambit are more than minor updates though. They maintain largely the same looks as before, so it is not a facelift. Yes, it also packs Intel’s latest 12^th generation Core processors; that is a given update for 2022.

They introduced two new Galaxy Books for MWC 2022 though; three if you count the Galaxy Book2 Business. Let us stick to the stuff that ultimately gets to regular consumer’s hands though. They introduced a sort of convertible 2-in-1 Galaxy Book2 Pro 360, and a regular clamshell Galaxy Book2 Pro. Both are quite tantalizing for both Samsung Galaxy users and other Android device users.

Better Video Calls for Work

The Galaxy Book2 Pro series now has a Full HD 1080p webcam for better quality video calls. Still important for the current working from home practice. It also features a wider angle of capture, which allows you to get a bit closer to your laptop without looking overly creepy. It works with group calls too, of course. If not, the higher resolution might be useful for the “Auto Framing” function where the camera cleverly follows you in a call.

To ensure that you feel included and present in the call is also an excellent display. It is an AMOLED display that is supposedly brighter than before, meaning everything is a bit more vivid than before. The brilliant display is matched with equally impressive audio hardware in two AKG tuned, Dolby Atmos certified Smart Amp speakers. With bi-directional AI noise cancelling, video calls are crisp and clear, free from distractions.

Better for the Galaxy

The new Galaxy Book2 Pro series now comes with more integrated Galaxy Experience on it. What that means is that it gets some of the things that makes your Galaxy smartphones great, now optimised for Windows. One of them is the Galaxy Book Smart Switch.

Galaxy Book Smart Switch

You might be familiar with Smart Switch if you are a Samsung Galaxy smartphone user. It is one of Samsung’s most popular features especially when it comes to helping their customers transition from their older devices – be it another Galaxy device, other Android smartphones, and even Apple device. Now it comes to the Galaxy Book2 Pro series to help you transition from your old laptop. This is also the first time a PC maker allows users to completely duplicate data from one computer to a new one seamlessly. All you need to do is fire up Smart Switch on either the Galaxy Book2 Pro or the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360, connect it to your older laptop, and watch the progress bar go. It is just as simple as that, and we are excited to see it happen with our own eyes.

Work with Windows, or Your Phone, or even Other Galaxy Devices – One UI Book 4

The Samsung Galaxy and Microsoft Windows integration is much deeper in the Galaxy Book2 Pro. Your Galaxy Windows device now does Your Phone app with Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones much better now. Recent Apps now allow you to quickly check your smartphone and even pull up apps that you often use directly from the desktop.

Your Phone app, in nature, allows you to use your smartphone natively on Windows without you even touching your Galaxy device. You can make calls with the smartphone remotely, reply to messages on WhatsApp, or Telegram, or even emails on your smartphone via Windows. It is a one-stop-shop solution for controlling your smartphone from one device.

But the Galaxy One UI Book 4 is more than just a regular Your Phone companion app. If you own the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series tablet, your Galaxy Book2 Pro’s keyboard and trackpad can be used for your tablet too. In that case, you can just leave your keyboard case at home and go with a more protective bumper case for your Galaxy Tablet.

Better Data Sharing

Quick Share on your Galaxy devices are some of the best data sharing features available on the devices. It allows you to quickly share out documents from one device to another without needing to go through the qualms of getting your devices paired first. The data transfer speeds are much faster than Bluetooth data sharing too, making your workflow more seamless.

Then there is Private Share, for when you are sharing more sensitive data with your colleagues or friends. No, do not use this for blackmailing people. It is designed for you to quickly share over files or photos with more security built in. Built on top of blockchain technology, you can even embed your files with functions like ”view-only” access by selected users. You can disable the files you share to be screen captured, have full control over who has access to the files, and even having a “self-destruct” timer for the files.

SmartThings – Samsung’s Integrated IoT

Of course, as per the name of the device, Samsung integrates SmartThings into the Galaxy Book2 Pro series. With Bixby, instead of Cortana, you can now control all sorts of stuff at home. You can turn on your TV, check the room temperature, tell your vacuum cleaner bot to start picking up the slack, check your security cams, and even control your lights via SmartThings Dashboard on your Windows PC and Bixby. If you are one of those that keeps misplacing your stuff at home, SmartThings Find can also help you find your keys, your smartphones, your Galaxy Buds, and whatever else you can attach your Galaxy Smart Tag (not to be confused with Malaysia’s SmartTag).

Better for the Planet

Additionally, Samsung has reiterated its commitment to their Galaxy for the Planet initiative very recently. In their recent Unpacked 2022 announcement, Samsung said that they are starting to make their stuff from eco-conscious materials like discarded fishing nets. The said material is being used in the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro series’ inner brackets and touchpad holders. To ensure that your Galaxy Book2 Pro series’ shelf-life is longer, new algorithm is introduced to regulate the battery charge and health to ensure that it lasts longer. The display is also a GREENGUARD certified AMOLED panel that is produced with more sustainable processes. Of course, you get your Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro device in a recyclable paper boxes and mold trays that are also sourced from sustainable sources.

009 galaxy book2 business lte dark gray r perspective uk — Source: Samsung

8.Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 13 Silver — Source: Samsung

Price and Availability

Samsung’s Galaxy Book2 Pro is available in two flavours; a convertible and a regular clamshell, as mentioned. The Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 convertible will be available in Burgundy, Graphite, and Silver colour options. It will start their pre-order campaign on the 18^th of March 2022 onward and ship on the 1^st of April 2022 onward. The Galaxy Book2 Pro clamshell variant will be available for pre-order and ship on the same dates. You can opt for Graphite or Silver colour options. The convertible will retail at US$ 900 (MYR 3,782*) onward while the clamshell will set you back US$ 1,050 (MYR 4,413*) onward. These are details for its U.S. availability though, there are no mentions on its local (Malaysia and Southeast Asia) availability yet.

*Approximately based on conversion rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.20 as of 28/02/2022 on xe.com

Business, News

Spotify Moving up the Podcast Ladder with Two More Acquisition

February 18, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Yesterday, news broke about Spotify making two more acquisitions. To be fair, it was more like Spotify announcing that they are making two more acquisitions for themselves. No, it is not really because they have excess cash in hand. It is more because the two acquisitions might just seal Spotify’s position as the king platform for podcasts.

The two companies that Spotify is acquiring are Podsights, and Chartable. Both acquisitions would see the technologies they offer integrate with Spotify’s or enhance their current platform. But you as a consumer might not immediately see the effects of the acquisition. At least, you might not immediately see it directly anyway.

Podsights, according to Spotify, is a leading podcast advertising measurement service provider. It is supposed to ensure that advertisers get more accurate advertising data on podcasts. In short, it is a sort of Google AdSense for podcasts.

Then there is Chartable, a podcast analytics tool provider. The tool allows podcasters to see data regarding their podcast audiences. This would help publishers understand their audiences better and produce more accurate information regarding their podcast. They can even make more informed decisions regarding their podcasts in that case. This would be like the Google Analytics for podcasts.

In a sense, these tools are not really made for end-users in mind. The two new technologies that Spotify will be acquiring exists to allow Spotify’s podcaster’s easy access to tools that could help them make their podcast better, and to even grow their podcasts in different ways. It could help advertisers understand how their ads work on podcasts as well, allowing them to make better decisions on the way they design their ads, or where to place them.

While the technologies attached with the companies Spotify aims to acquire are tailored for podcast, the audio streaming company sees application beyond podcasts. They aim to bring the technology to their full suite of services. This includes their music streaming and eventually videos as well. What they are saying is that they are going to introduce more targeted ads in their music streaming platform soon.

All this not only points to better podcast experience, but also better monetisation opportunities for podcasters. It also means that advertisers get more accurate data and would eventually be willing to spend more on ads within podcasts, music, and videos on Spotify itself. Of course, all this also means more money for Spotify. But beyond that, it ensures that Spotify’s podcasters stay with Spotify and grow with the platform. It will also attract more podcasters to be on the platform, which is always a win situation for Spotify.

The acquisition announcement currently is still merely that, an announcement. There are no mentions on how much the leading music streaming firm is spending on these two acquisitions. They also mentioned that Podsights will be operating as an entity independent from the team in Spotify. Their technologies will still be integrated in the platform’s podcast tools, we are guessing. The reason for the independence is most likely since Podsights have their own list of clienteles currently. For more information on the new acquisitions, you can head over to their blog.

Business, Computers, Consumer Electronics, Mobile, News

Fresh Off the Unpacked 2022 Boat, and On to Another – Samsung is Back for MWC 2022

February 17, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Our memory is still fresh with Samsung’s Galaxy S22 launch earlier this month. If you have been living under a shell; yes, it is the year 2022 and Samsung has launched their latest sequel to one of the most successful line-ups of Android devices in the world. The Samsung Galaxy S22 is here and will come to your doorways on the 3^rd of March 2022.

It does not seem like Samsung is done launching devices though. They have just announced that they will be making another appearance alongside MWC 2022. On the 27^th of February 2022, Samsung is making another round of announcements and inevitably launch a few products. The public invite on their website says that the event will be streamed LIVE on their YouTube channel at 7.00 p.m. CET (2.00 a.m. 28^th of February 2022 Malaysia Time). They have also released some graphics with the date announcement and said that the graphics will be representative of what they are launching in late February.

We eyed a smartphone, tablet, the S Pen, a wearable, the Z Fold and Z Flip, and a laptop. Considering Samsung just launched their new smartphone and tablet, we doubt they will be releasing anymore of those anytime soon. In that case we probably can expect Samsung to launch a new wearable maybe, or a new notebook PC in that case.

There is also a small chance that Samsung might announce the inclusion of their smartphones and wearables in their Bespoke program. In that case, you might be able to buy a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 in a very special colour of your own for example. Then again, this is all speculations.

We could all be wrong, and Samsung might just launch a whole new line-up of smarthome products. This is MWC though, so we think that is highly improbably too. Samsung is being a little vague on this event.

Whatever it is, we will only find out in their second major announcement of the year in their MWC 2022 event. Again, you can watch their announcement on their YouTube channel on the 27^th of February 2022 at 7.00 p.m CET (28^th of February 2022 at 2.00 a.m. Kuala Lumpur time). If you want to know more about this event, you can head over to their website.

Business, Computers, Mobile, News

[UPDATED] NVIDIA + ARM Deal is Not Happening After All!

February 8, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

[UPDATE on 09/02/2022] NVIDIA and SoftBank has officially announced that the ARM acquisition bid from NVIDIA will not go through! Read SoftBank’s statement here.

NVIDIA, the world’s largest graphics chip maker, expressed their interest in acquiring ARM, the people behind some of the world’s most powerful mobile chips currently, back in 2020. It was not just an expressed interest though; they really started the whole process of acquiring the chip designers from 2020 onward. It became a whole thing too through 2021.

To be fair, the concerns that were raised by multiple parties regarding the acquisition efforts were not baseless. Companies like Qualcomm, Microsoft, even Samsung and Apple rely on ARM’s chip architecture and designs for their processing chips. It makes sense then that Qualcomm and even Microsoft would have objected the acquisition efforts. The purchase could have led to a massive imbalance in the chip business, since ARM is a key player in the chip making industry. If the purchase went through, it would have been the biggest ever in the chip business too with Softbank selling it at US$ 66 billion.

There were also a lot of regulatory issues that were raised prior to 2022 regarding the purchase. Investigations were also launched by United Kingdom, United States, and European Union as well regarding the acquisition. They raised concerns of anti-competition efforts and market monopoly despite NVIDIA promising that ARM’s deal with all its customers will still be honoured and it will be business as usual.

There are no official announcements just yet on the deal not going through. NVIDIA, ARM, and SoftBank have not commented on the reports that first broke on Financial Times. According to early reports too, SoftBank, ARM’s owners will be receiving US$ 1.25 billion from NVIDIA for failing the acquisition bid.

The falling through of the deal should be a relief to many in the tech industry. It means that Apple, Qualcomm, Intel, Samsung, and plenty of other key chip manufacturers can sleep soundly as their deal with ARM continue without NVIDIA’s intervention. Their relief is another person’s headache though, in this case probably two. SoftBank is still selling ARM, but given the significance of ARM in the industry, selling the chip designers will be a tall order. As for NVIDIA, their stock prices might tank once the fall through is official, but it is NVIDIA after all, they should bounce back quickly enough. If you want to know more about the acquisition bid, you can head over to NVIDIA’s blog.

Source: 9 to 5 Mac, ars Technica, The Verge

Business, Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, News

Samsung’s Future Devices Will Contain Recycled Materials, that is a Good Thing

February 7, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Two years ago, we see major phone makers deciding that they are excluding charging adapters. That stunt was said to be in the name of environmental friendliness. More recently, we see major PC builders starting to launch products that are supposed to be more eco-friendly than ever.

To be fair, all these environmental sustainability program from corporation are nothing new. Manufacturers have been looking for ways to make their products more sustainable and more environmentally friendly. One of the most common practices for a long time was to design and manufacture their product’s packaging from recyclable materials with environmentally friendly printing substances. In a lot of cases as well, they even use recycled papers as the tray that is being used within the packaging as well.

Last year, we saw Samsung announcing their own sustainability program. They call it the “Galaxy for the Planet” initiative and they aim to do a few things with it leading up to 2025. With the initiative, Samsung aims to minimise waste from their own products by 2025. With that, they are also planning to reduce plastic usage in the same time frame. At the same time, Samsung is also planning to make their chargers more efficient while providing same charging speeds.

In accordance with their announcement, they made another announcement just ahead of Samsung’s most anticipated event in the beginning of the year, the Unpacked 2022 event; the same event that we expect to see Samsung launching their flagship candy bar, the Galaxy S22. Ahead of the Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung has mentioned that they are going to be starting to use discarded fishing nets as part of their source of materials for their devices. Effectively, Samsung is also saying that they are going to be incorporating plastics that are recycled from the oceans into their material lists.

Why Fishing Nets?

Ocean bound plastics main2 — Source: Samsung

Of course, Samsung is not the first company to start using ocean plastics in their manufacturing, they are the first to deviate from what other manufacturers choose to work with. They are the first company to specifically use abandoned and discarded fishing nets from the ocean. It is a bigger problem than you think.

The fishing industry has been one of the most important industries for humanity. Fishing has kept humanity sustained since the beginning of time. But fishing has also caused a lot of pain, not for humanity directly, but for the ecology that has kept humanity surviving for many lifetimes.

Plastic based fishing nets have been around for centuries. While it is cheap and durable to work with, it does more harm than good when left alone. While environmentalists hardly speak of abandoned fishing nets or ‘ghost nets’ as a common problem, it is a problem. When fishing nets are left alone, it can still trap marine life, damage coral reefs, and eventually destroy the ecology that has kept humanity surviving for many centuries.

It is estimated that there is about 640,000 tons of fishing nets that are abandoned and discarded every year in the ocean. It is also said that fishing nets make up about 10% of the total 12 million tonnes of plastic waste that finds their way to the ocean.

Galaxy With a Twist in the Future

Screenshot 2022 02 07 164644 — Source: Samsung

Samsung ends the announcement with; “Learn more about our vision for a sustainable future at Unpacked”. Currently there are no confirmed products that will feature PCM (Post Consumer Materials) in Samsung’s line-up. While we have a good idea of what the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy Tab S8 will look like, Samsung has not shared the materials that they will be using.

Before this announcement we assumed that Samsung will be using the same materials as before; mostly aluminium, or glass, and some plastics. After the announcement though, we are not entirely sure. The Samsung Galaxy S22 devices and Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 could feature some PCMs within its build. What we are sure of though is that future Samsung devices will contain a percentage of PCM in their build.

What we are sure of as well is that we will find out more in the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. Find out what you can expect from Samsung’s flagship in their upcoming launch in our write up. For more information on Samsung’s latest initiative, you can also visit their newsroom.

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