Category Archives: Lifestyle

1 Week into the RMO – Staying Active is Important

March 25, 2020 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Malaysia is still under Restricted Movement Order (RMO), or Movement Control Order (MCO), or in other words, partial lockdown. We are just one step away from a national curfew or martial law. If you have been living under a rock and have not known what is happening outside your windows, we are under RMO/MCO/lockdown because of the COVID-19 situation which is worsening as the days go by. To be specific, we are under this condition to combat the worsening COVID-19 situation.

Why this is the best way to go? There are plenty of graphs and what not to be shown, but we are not going to do that here. All you need to know is it is very important that we practice social distancing and stay at home as much as possible to limit infection rate and risks.

Staying at home can be a drag for plenty though. We can understand that, especially for those social butterflies out there. We feel your pain, but at the same time I personally like staying indoors anyway. Still, it does get boring; you run out of games to play, run out of books to read, generally running out of things to do eventually.

It is quite a simple fix though. You can order books online now and buy games digitally. You do not need to step out of the house for all these for a while now. You can even get a movie on your couch with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, what not. Still, these things cost you money. There is something else you can do, for free – exercise.

The Right Tools Are Essential

We are saying that exercising can be fun, yes. Beyond that though, in the days where you can barely step out of your home, it is always important for you to keep yourselves active and healthy. By sitting around and working all the time while watching YouTube recipe videos, you tend to get lazy, and unhealthy.

We are pretty sure you have been eyeing those smartwatches and fitness trackers for some time now. It is the in thing these days anyway. At this time, you must be thinking; “maybe not now, maybe wait until this whole ‘stay at home’ thing blow over”. We are telling you that is the wrong mindset, because at this point the government is talking about extending the RMO/MOC/lockdown for another two weeks. Even the Olympics committee is looking to postpone the Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020 just to combat the pandemic that is the COVID-19.

Now is a good time as any to get a smartwatch or a fitness tracker. If you are planning to get one already, Garmin makes some great stuff (we can testify), and they are having some great promotions for their smart trackers now. For example, the Garmin Forerunner 245 and 245 music (one of my personal favourites, review coming soon) is on sale for MYR 1,299 and MYR 1,499 (originally MYR 1,450, and MYR 1,699) respectively. It will last you up to 7 days in normal smartwatch mode. It has GPS and built in music capabilities too. Be warned though, battery will drain within 6 hours if you turn both on.

The Garmin Forerunner not your cup of tea? Need something more basic? The Garmin Instinct would fit great with its ruggedness too. It is built to the U.S. military standards 810G to ensure that it still works in the most hostile environments. This would be perfect for you Spartan Challenge and Viper Challenge junkies. It has a battery life of up to 14 hours. It has GPS too of course, and that would last you u to 14 hours, 35 hours in UltraTac mode. You can get it in its plain body form, or tactical form (ATACS camo) for MYR 1,299 and MYR 1,450 (originally MYR 1,450 and MYR 1,599) respectively.

Nope? Need something more smartwatch like? Need touch screen? Something more elegant you can wear every day. There is the Garmin Venu, a pretty looking thing that has all the great Garmin features with a pretty AMOLED touch sensitive display. This smartwatch can last up to 5 days too, much better than almost anything with proper smartwatch functionalities in the market. Of course, the Garmin Venu also has GPS built into its svelte body and music storing capabilities. With both on, you get 6 hours of battery life. But you do not need more than that in your exercises. It is available now in plenty of colour combination options for MYR 1,599 (originally MYR 1,799). My personal favourite is the Blue Granite/Silver combination.

The Garmin smart trackers are on this discount until the 31^st of March 2020, that is when the lockdown order ends too. All the promotions are also coupled by Free Shipping by Garmin with FREESHIPPING code from their local distributor. Well, because, you know, you cannot go out; and retails are not open. Visit their online store now.

You have the Samsung Galaxy Watch or the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 that is now MYR 1,299 each. The Samsung Galaxy Watch, in my opinion, remains the best smartwatch that you can pair to your Android at this point. Of course they do not offer crazy one-week battery life. You get at most 3 days or so before needing a charge. Still, you get GPS, music storage, heart rate tracking, and activity monitor with them too. Plus, Samsung is participating in Lazada’s birthday promo on the 27^th March 2020

Or if you are an Apple user, you can always go back to the Apple Watch Series 5 currently. While we are not huge Apple fans, we have to admit that the Apple Watch has come a long way as a smartwatch option. The Apple Series 5 is a great smartwatch on its own with plenty of unique features like ECG monitoring, fall detection, and what not. Hey, it looks great too, in my opinion.

There are of course, plenty of options out there for you. There are more stuff in Garmin’s product range that might fit your preference better, or there are even great options from other people. There are also cheaper, more basic stuff out there. You just have to go into the interwebs and look.

Back to Basics

Back to keeping yourselves at home. There are plenty of exercise videos you can actually watch from YouTube to keep yourself active. A search of home exercises come up with a plethora of videos that might fit your needs at home, so we are not going to feature any video here.

If you are not into the exercising videos or instructional though, that is okay too. There are other ways to keep yourself active. Yes, we try to do them too.

For one, you can just make sure you walk around the house. While you might have set up your workstation at home to be as convenient as possible for you work wise, you should separate all the living stuff and work stuff. This ensures that you do not stay in one place for too long. Somehow this forces you to get up and walk around the house to get water, or tea, or even food. Maybe you should even put your smartphone further away from you so that you will walk up to it to answer if there are any calls. I know I am doing that. Only issue is, if you accidentally put it on silent or leave your headphones on. Of course, check in from time to time.

Who says you need weights to keep yourself active at home? Keeping yourself active at home can be just as simple as keeping yourself active in the office. You have water bottles you can use as weight to do your weight-lifts and what not. While it may not be as intensive or taxing on your body than those crazy home workouts you see on YouTube videos, it is still something you can do to keep your body moving.

Of course, since you actually have plenty of time at home now, since you do not have to travel to work on a daily basis (you free up at least an hour of your day, you have not considered the time you take to go out with your friends, for meals). You have at least that one hour to get proper exercises done. You can do your basic push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, and whatever not. Of course, there are some more effective exercises you can find from YouTube and what not.

Still do not want to do it in front of the TV? Garmin has something called a Squad Virtual Challenge. It is a community-based fitness and exercise program that is now online. Obviously you have to be a Garmin owner to take advantage, hence the promotions. But you get new regimes every two weeks from the Squad Virtual Challenge (for now), so you can do something different every two weeks or so to keep your workout sessions more varied.

There are also plenty of other workout regime subscriptions or community workout plans out there. Some are free, some are not. Some of them may work for you, some of them may not. It really depends on what you want out of your workout sessions too. So you should really look into it.

Going to the gym, or even going for an outdoor jog is not really an option at this time. You really have to find the time on your own to keep yourselves active. We also understand that it can get quite difficult since you are just staying at home most of the time. It is important to keep yourselves active though. An active lifestyle is a more productive lifestyle, trust me.

Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle

Samsung Augments Wind-Free Air-conditioners with AI technology

March 18, 2020 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Last year, Samsung introduced a new way of cooling your home with its first ever “wind-free” air-conditioning system. The new approach to air-conditioning was a literal breath of fresh air in a space that has become pretty drab over the years. When anyone thinks of air-conditioning, the picture that comes to mind is always a wall mounted machine which actively blows cool air out to cool the room. However, Samsung took inspiration from stones in caves which were able to cool its surroundings.

With this inspiration, the company looked to revolutionize their offerings by offering something similar. Last year, the company introduced it’s R32 rated AR9500M, its first “Wind-Free” air conditioner. The AR9500M brought a new, optimized design of Samsung’s signature triangle air-conditioners. The new design came with over 10,000 micro air holes in the casing. This design allowed Samsung to optimize airflow to allow gentler cooling of the room. It also introduced a new mode of cooling to Samsung air-conditioners.

This year, Samsung’s new AR9500T takes the design of its predecessor and throws it out the window. The new, revamped air-conditioner adopts a familiar, compact design we’ve seen in many other air-conditioners. According to Samsung, the new design was adopted after consulting their partners and service team. They’ve created a modular air-conditioner which is able to be installed and serviced a lot easier than its previous models. The new AR9500T also comes with an increased 23,000 micro holes to create more still air and more efficient cooling.

Aside from that, the AR9500T comes with a new three step cooling process. The air-conditioner kicks into high gear with Fast Cooling mode. It does this by actively blowing cooled air. Samsung claims that the new air-conditioner can blow air further than any model before it; allowing it to cool faster and more efficiently. This is helped by the improved Digital Inverter Boost. After this, the air is dehumidified to optimal humidity. Once the air is at the desired temperature, it uses the wind-free mode to maintain the comfort.

The AR9500T is the first air-conditioner from Samsung to have A.I. Auto cooling. The new feature is uses data from thermostats which collects temperature data from the outside and inside. The A.I. uses this data in tandem with the user’s usage patterns to optimise cooling and maintenance. This is paired with the ability to control the air-conditioner through Samsung’s Smart Things Platform.

The new Samsung AR9500T Wind-free air-conditioner is currently on the market. Purchases of the new Wind-Free air conditioner is eligible for a new Samsung Air Purifier at 50% off! The promotion starts from 1^st March till 31^st May 2020.

Capacity	Price
1.0 hp	RM 2399
1.5 hp	RM 2699
2.0 hp	RM 3699
2.5 hp	RM 4399

Business, Editorial, Lifestyle, Social Media

Catching Up with Snap Inc.: The Big Comeback & Bitmoji TV

March 16, 2020 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

A little while back, the team at techENT had the privilege of catching up with Nana Murugesan, Managing Director for International Markets at Snap Inc. and Ba Blackstock, CEO of Bitmoji at Snap Inc. The interview was done shortly after the launch of Bitmoji TV. Snap had acquired Bitstrips, the company that owned Bitmoji, back in 2016 for a healthy USD$64.2 million.

During this interview, techENT posed questions to Nana and Ba regarding Snapchat and also Bitmoji TV. In particular, how the new integration will benefit and change the scene for Snapchat. Here’s the full interview text.

techENT: Looking back a little bit, Snapchat had a boom in the social media space with its unique offering of creating “disappearing” content. When Facebook introduced its own with Stories across its apps, the drop in users on Snapchat was heavily reported. What has changed with Snapchat and how have users responded to this?

Nana Murugesan: First of all, Snapchat isn’t social media. From the very beginning we designed Snapchat to enhance your experience outside of the app and reflect the way that people have interacted with their best friends, long before the creation of the smartphone. To a certain extent, this was a reaction to what we were seeing on social media and the issues these platforms face. So just like in real life, your conversations with your friends disappear and your stories unfold in chronological order.

While other platforms may now have these features, their underlying philosophy is very different. On Snapchat, people are free to be themselves, with their real friends. There have never been likes or comments, so it feels like less of a competition. That way, Snapchatters aren’t pressured to be pretty, perfect or popular; and we don’t stockpile data so our community doesn’t have to worry that everything they send will be kept for eternity. Snapchat also opens directly to the camera and over 3.5 billion Snaps are created each day.

We’re focused on creating engaging experiences through which our community can stay close with their real friends and when not chatting or Snapping with those they love. For example, we introduced Snap Games last year and recently launched Bitmoji TV.

techENT: What is the user base for Snapchat now?

Nana Murugesan: We are really happy to see a continuous growth in our Daily Active Users. During our last earnings call (Q4, Feb 2020), we shared that there are 218 million people on average, globally using Snapchat every day. This is a 17% year over year growth (31M).

techENT: What are some of the new features that users are crazy about on Snapchat?

Nana Murugesan: Apart from Bitmoji TV, we’ve been finding all sorts of ways to let Snapchatters have fun with their Bitmoji. So far, Bitmoji Stories have been a hit amongst users, with an average of 18 million viewers per comic strip. Created as a personalised comic that features the Bitmoji of Snapchatters and their friends, it also eventually became the inspiration behind Bitmoji TV.

We’ve also since introduced several games that feature your Bitmoji such as Bitmoji Tennis, a battle-royale style game called Tiny Royale, and recently we released Ready Chef Go, a co-op cooking game played with your friends and Color Galaxy – where you can conquer the galaxy together.

Adding to more shareable moments, Snapchat also launched Cameos in December which lets you put your face on animated memes and short GIFs that also feature you and your friends.

While Lenses aren’t a new feature, both Snapchat’s internal team and Snapchat’s Official Lens Creators are constantly creating new, innovative and fun lenses that are loved by many Snapchatters. In fact, every day over 70% of Snapchatters play with AR Lenses, and over 600,000 Lenses have been created by our community through Lens Studio.

techENT: Snap Inc, Snapchat’s parent company, acquired Bitstrips back in 2017. What was the strategy behind the acquisition?

Ba Blackstock: In late 2014 Bitstrips launched Bitmoji, which surged in popularity in 2015, becoming a cultural phenomenon. It resonated with people because it gave them a way to represent themselves in their online interactions that felt more personal, authentic and fun.

The massive popularity of Bitmoji led to a conversation with Snap, in which we realised that our companies shared the same passion for creativity, self-expression and visual communication, so it seemed like a natural fit to join forces.

Through the acquisition we were able to use Bitmoji to bring a new kind of visual identity and expression into Snapchat, and to grow Bitmoji to become bigger than ever before. Since joining Snap Bitmoji has been the #1 iOS app in over 100 countries.

techENT: Have any of Bitstrip’s Bitmoji features been introduced in Snapchat? How popular/well-received is Bitmoji since their introduction?

Ba Blackstock: Bitmoji has transformed the experience within Snapchat by becoming Snapchatters’ visual identity in the app, as well as giving them lots of new ways to communicate and express themselves – from stickers in chat, to geofilters on Snaps, to 3D Bitmojis in AR lenses, to Bitmoji Stories in Discover.

Bitmoji has proven to be incredibly popular and over 70% of Snapchatters now have a Bitmoji.

techENT: Tell us what is Bitmoji TV.

Ba Blackstock: Bitmoji TV is a fully animated show starring your own Bitmoji, that you can watch now on Snapchat – with new episodes coming out every Saturday morning. Each episode is between 3-5 minutes long and makes your Bitmoji the main character, alongside celebrity guest stars like Andy Richter, Jon Lovitz and Riki Lindhome, to name a few.

The premise of Bitmoji TV is that you are the biggest new star on TV – you’ve been cast in every show, every movie, every commercial, and each episode is a fast-paced combo of very different scenes. One minute you’ll see yourself in an action movie, the next minute you’re in a soap opera, then you’re in a sitcom. We’ve created our own animation style that is an audiovisual feast for the senses, with you at the center.

techENT: What sets Bitmoji TV apart from other platforms such as IGTV and YouTube? / Why introduce another platform in a space that seems so crowded?

Ba Blackstock: Bitmoji TV represents the beginning of an entirely new category of entertainment – a personalized experience that is unique for every single viewer. It’s also one of the first fully animated shows that’s designed to be viewed on your phone, in the vertical format. We had to build our own experimental animation and rendering technology to make it possible for this show to exist. But more than that, it’s a new experience that you can share with your friends that doesn’t exist anywhere else.

Bitmoji TV represents the beginning of an entirely new category of entertainment – a personalized experience that is unique for every single viewer. It’s also one of the first fully animated shows that’s designed to be viewed on your phone, in the vertical format. We had to build our own experimental animation and rendering technology to make it possible for this show to exist. But more than that, it’s a new experience that you can share with your friends that doesn’t exist anywhere else.

techENT: What type of content can we expect from Bitmoji TV?

Ba Blackstock: Bitmoji TV makes you the star of just about every type of TV show imaginable – talent shows, cop shows, sitcoms, soap operas, action movies and more. Every episode is different and is a fast-paced collection of various shows, as seen through the lens of Bitmoji’s unique sense of humour.

Business, Lifestyle, News

Netflix Bringing You More Features To Keep You Binging

February 27, 2020 Jonathan Tay Leave a comment

Netflix has come a long way from just CD rentals to the biggest online streaming platform not only in the United States but across the entire globe. Netflix has been busy improving its services and features. So what does Netflix have up its sleeve this time to keep our butts stuck to our couch.

This time around, Netflix has added a top 10 list of what’s popular on Netflix in each country. This new label would be displayed on the top right corner of the show’s poster. Other than whats the most popular on the entire Netflix. Netflix has also separated what’s most popular based on whether it is a TV show or Movie.

Its been a while since I have kept up with the latest offerings from Netflix but here are some of the TV shows that I feel are a must-watch.

RIVERDALE

What started off as a murder mystery series quickly became a disturbingly addictive show. The spin-off of the Archie comic book series starts off with the mysterious murder of Jason Blossom, the popular kid in town.

Viewers were strapped onto their seats through a multitude of plot twists throughout the first season. The first season finale ended with a cliffhanger, luring all of us gullible souls into the second season. This was where the writing went off the rails, venturing more so into the realm of teenage fan-fiction. But hey, who can resist the cliffhangers and the hilariously cringy writing?

CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA

As another spin-off of a well-known comic series from the good-old-days, the Netflix exclusive takes a darker turn in this witchy tale. The first season is essentially the coming of age story of Sabrina, where she has to choose between being a mortal and a witch.

As it ruffled some feathers among the satanist community, it remains an interesting watch, especially if you like feeling like a badass when the show’s official soundtrack comes on. Though it seems to be going down the same route as Riverdale in terms of writing, it’s a nice, lighthearted show for lovers of the fantasy genre.

THE GOOD PLACE

If you like Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Office, you’ll love The Good Place. The show is basically a take on the afterlife and morality. Though chock full of actual ethical philosophy, the show maintains its comedic tone throughout the seasons.

The story starts with the main character, Eleanor Shellstrop being assigned to what seems to be the wrong afterlife she deserves. Eleanor alongside Chidi, Tahani, and Jason, the ethically confused quartet go on a journey of self-betterment so they can end up at The Good Place.

Lifestyle, News

Netflix is Free Until March 9, 2020 to Celebrate the Premiere of “To All The Boys P.S. I Still Love You”

February 14, 2020 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Netflix is arguably one of the most popular content streaming platforms out there. So, what happens when the largest content streaming platform when they release a sequel to one of their most popular teen romance dramas? Well, they allow you to stream the original for FREE.

The original romantic comedy, “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before”, which aired last year, will be available to stream for free. The free stream is done in conjunction with the launch of its sequel, “To All The Boys, P.S. I Still Love You”. The stream will be made available until 9 March, 2020. You can access the free movie at netflix.com/toalltheboys.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before | Official Trailer | Netflix

To All the Boys I Loved Before follows Lara Jean (played by Lana Condor) after her sister accidentally sends out love letters she’s written. These find their way to their intended recipients, boys whom she’s loved from afar. The movie chronicles the events that happen as she has to come face to face with them.

TO ALL THE BOYS 2: P.S. I Still Love You | Official Sequel Trailer 2 | Netflix

The sequel which premiered on Netflix on February 12, 2020 follows Lara as the letters continue to reach their recipients. The complication? Things have started to blossom between her and one of the boys from the first movie.

So, don’t miss out on the original misadventures of Lara Jean as she navigates a very awkward situation. However, you will need to subscribe to Netflix to watch the sequel. Netflix subscriptions start at MYR17 for the mobile only plan in Malaysia.

Official Synopsis

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once? Lara Jean Song Covey’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control when the love letters for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all– are mysteriously mailed out. From New York Times Bestselling Author, Jenny Han, the film adaption of the popular YA novel stars actress Lana Condor (Alita: Battle Angel, X-Men: Apocalypse) and Noah Centineo (Sierra Burgess Is A Loser, The Fosters).

To All The Boys I’ve Loved P.S. I Still Love You

It’s a new year and Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Centineo) are no longer pretending to be a couple. They ARE a couple. And, as Lara Jean navigates a trove of official firsts with Peter — her first real kiss, her first real date, her first Valentine’s Day — she finds herself leaning more on Kitty and Margot (Anna Cathcart and Janel Parrish), Chris (Madeleine Arthur), and an unexpected new confidant, Stormy (Holland Taylor), to help her manage the complex emotions that come with this new chapter of balancing a relationship and figuring out her authentic self. But when John Ambrose (Jordan Fisher), another recipient of one of Lara Jean’s old love letters, enters her life again she must rely on herself more than ever as she’s confronted with her first real dilemma: Can she love two boys at the same time?

Business, Computers, Consumer Electronics, Contributed, Editorial, Lifestyle

Combining AI and Humans in the New Decade

February 14, 2020 Ravi Saraogi Leave a comment

*This article is a contributed article by Ravi Saraogi, Co-Founder and President of Uniphore, APAC *

2020 marks the transition into the great unknown. With the emergence of new possibilities and challenges ahead of us, successful organisations must be quick to identify and take advantage of opportunities through the power of emerging technologies. Specific to the customer service industry, brands that utilise Conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies will improve business operations and customer experiences.

It is estimated that about 70% of organizations will integrate AI to assist employee productivity by 2021[1] to meet the high demand of delivering faster, relevant and holistic services to today’s customers. More often than not, customers today are frustrated that broken customer service systems and poorly equipped agents don’t understand their requests. To fix this, businesses must move away from a siloed experience and approach service holistically.

In terms of the adoption of the adoption of AI in Malaysian businesses, it was revealed that only 26% of companies in Malaysia have actually begun integrating AI into their operations, according to a survey that was conducted in 2018. The low adoption rate is attributed to two key barriers that are related to organizational culture on AI and limited employee skill sets². Thus, the time is now to blend the capabilities of people and AI and better understand conversations in real-time for businesses to stay ahead of the race.

New Power to Customer Voice

With technological capabilities, it’s about time we start hearing what customers really want. Customers today are time poor, distracted and empowered by lots of products and services to choose from. Instant gratification is their modus operandi. With other factors like price point and product quality being at par, superior customer service remains challenging and is often a deal breaker. In a competitive landscape, customers demand a seamless experience when interacting with a brand.

That said, poor customer experiences are not difficult to resolve at all, more so today due to machine learning, AI and automation. This is because AI is now helping brands to truly listen to the voice of the customer and understand their needs in order to quickly resolve customer queries, deepen customer engagement, and deliver superior customer experience at scale.

Making Headway with Conversational Service Automation

Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Gobind Singh Deo emphasises Malaysia’s potential in the development of AI in both public and private sectors, and the importance of ensuring the local government and industries capitalise on the opportunities at hand.[2]

The use of AI is becoming more prevalent in the customer service industry as conversations become more complex. There is a small window of opportunity for brands to deliver personalised customer service, particularly when your engagement happens across diverse channels. Being equipped with an understanding of context, sentiment, behaviour and real intent, and being able to act on such insights in real-time becomes even more crucial.

Conversational Service Automation is about enabling front office automation in contact centres. Consider this scenario: A customer starts a conversation with a chatbot for quick self-service. The bot is able to provide some quick and valuable updates based on the customer’s previous interactions. If the conversation gets more complex, the voice bot politely hands the call to a human agent via a live transfer. The agent is assisted through real-time analytics and chat transcripts to be able to make the next best offer which the customer gladly accepts.

This automation backed by real-time analytics is continuously self-learning, enabling real-time listening of conversations across channels and then converting them into actionable insights. As a result, a win-win situation is created where businesses can reduce work pressure on call center agents, improve accuracy of information and greater customer satisfaction.

Getting Ahead of the Race with Voice and AI

We are in the midst of a customer experience transformation and conversational AI technology is leading this change. There is a positive acceptance from both businesses and customers to adopt newer conversational AI technologies. This is driven by the try-before-you-buy and pay-as-you-go models offered, which enterprises find appealing and less risky. Brands can take smaller bets, test-and-learn and then scale up.

Automation has successfully allowed computers to respond to contexts within queries, monitor customer behaviour and improve overall customer service. Moreover, contact centre agents can now receive real-time alerts and recommendations for upsell and cross-sell. The time is now for companies to leverage conversational AI to deliver a quantum leap in customer service, in an industry that is full of potential. It is good to note that brands that embrace conversational service automation will be the ones who stay ahead of the competition and thrive in the new decade.

[1] https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2019-01-24-gartner-predicts-70-percent-of-organizations-will-int
² https://www.stuff.tv/my/news/malaysian-companies-needs-build-ai-culture-it-too-late-microsoft

[2] https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/09/12/gobind-malaysia-well-positioned-in-se-asia-for-ai-research-and-development/1789773

Accessories, Health, Lifestyle, News

The HEALBE GoBe3 Tracks Calories, Emotions and Hydration Automatically

February 4, 2020 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Smart Bands and Smartwatches are becoming some of the most essential fitness accessories nowadays. However, they always need manual input of meals, caloric intake and hydration. That’s where the HEALBE GoBe3 sets itself apart from the competition. The new smart band from HEALBE is touting the first ever commercially available smartband which tracks caloric intake automatically.

The HEALBE GoBe3 is a smartband which comes with sensors designed to monitor nine key vitals. This is done non-invasively through the surface of the skin and, according to its manufacturer, with real time accuracy. The vitals tracked include sleep, stress, energy balance, heart rate, and steps taken. It does all this tracking through the hypo allergenic titanium sensor contacts on the back of the device.

Monitoring Calories Through Your Own Electrical Impulses

The new HEALBE GoBe3 uses the company’s proprietary HEALBE Flow technology to monitor caloric intake. It does this by monitoring the bio-electrical impedance of skin cells. This method of monitoring caloric intake is backed by an understanding of the human digestive system and nutrient absorption.

Our body digests different foods at different intervals after we consume it. When the nutrients are absorbed, cells create a differential gradient to assist. Essentially, the cell pump water out to allow nutrients in. HEALBE Flow uses this movement to detect the caloric value and nutrient breakdown of foods. In essence, it monitors the differences in bio-electric charges in skin cells to derive the caloric value of foods. The impedance is then used to calculate the caloric value of foods and their nutrient content.

This method was recently verified by researchers at the University of California Davis. Their research found that the technology that HEALBE uses in the GoBe3 is as accurate as manually tracking caloric input. This research is supported by another piece of independent research by the Red Cross Hospital in Guangzhou, China. Both pieces of research found the HEALBE Flow to have 89% accuracy in its reporting.

Taking On the competition with Cutting Edge Technology

Aside from the groundbreaking HEALBE Flow technology, the GoBe3 is equipped with an always-on MIP display. The display is touted to be glare free. The GoBe 3 is also lighter and sleeker than its predecessor. In addition, the smart band has interchangeable straps which come in many colours and designs. The new design is also touted to increase the accuracy of tracking. This paired with a new optical pulse sensor allows more accurate and more frequent data collection. The GoBe3 also has WiFi capabilities which speeds up data processing.

Pricing & Availability

There’s no official price for the GoBe3 announced just yet. However, we expect that the smart band will continue to hover around the USD$169 of the GoBe2.

Keep an eye on healbe.com for the GoBe3’s availability.

Accessories, Computers, Health, Lifestyle, Mobile

Have A Smarter Start to 2020 With HUAWEI Smart Life from RM8.97 a day

December 18, 2019 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

The new year is around the corner and, we’re pretty confident, you’re looking for something new, we’re pretty sure you’ll want to look into this. With the turn of the decade happening, it would make the most sense to gear yourself for a more connected, unified and Smart Life. HUAWEI is allowing you to do just that without breaking your bank with offers for devices starting from MYR8.97 a day. These offers include their flagship devices such as the Mate30 series and the HUAWEI Matebook.

Perfect Combination of Connectivity and Productivity for MYR32.53 day

If you’re looking for top of the line performance, you can’t go better than HUAWEI’s latest flagship Mate30 Pro which comes with their latest HiSilicon Kirin 990 processor with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal memory. HUAWEI’s Matebook 13 complements the powerful smartphone with it’s Intel Core i7 processor and sleek looks. It doesn’t just end there, the Matebook 13 also has the OneHop feature which allows you to seamlessly transfer files between your Mate30 Pro and the Matebook 13. Stay connected in your home or office with HUAWEI’s Q2 Pro router.

#HUAWEISMARTLIFE: Superior power anytime, anywhere.

It’s not all about the connectivity and power with this bundle though, it’s also about looking good on the go. Stay stylish with the HUAWEI x Gentle Monster smart glasses which brings functional fashion to a whole new level. You’ll also be able to get in the best shape of your life with the HUAWEI Watch GT2. It’ll allow you keep track of your active lifestyle with the many sensors. Of course, you’ll need music while working out. That’s where you’ll be able to use the new HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 like a boss. You get all of these for MYR32.53/day!

A Smarter Approach to Studying for MYR19.39 a day

If you’re a student taking that next step, HUAWEI isn’t leaving you behind. They’ve got a bundle that sets you back only MYR19.39 a day. You’ll be able to get a new laptop for your new chapter. The new Matebook 13 with Intel’s i5 processor should be able to handle your workload for university or even high school. The HUAWEI nova 5T will refresh your smartphone with one which is capable of amazing pictures but, most importantly, it’ll take you through the day without issue.

That’s not all, you’ll be able to keep better track of your time with the HUAWEI Watch GT2. The smartwatch will be able to connect seamlessly with the nova 5T and send you reminders of any appointments you have on your schedule! You’ll be able to tune out the world with the intelligent noise cancelling feature of the FreeBuds 3 while you work. Stay focused and increase your productivity.

Get Jet Setting with a winning combo for only MYR22.13 a day

Those of us who are constantly traveling need something lightweight yet powerful. HUAWEI’s travel essentials allows you to stay productive on the go with the MediaPad M6 10.8-inch and it’s keyboard cover. The lightweight tablet allows you work on-the-go with HUAWEI’s powerful HiSilicon Kirin 980 processor and 4GB of RAM. If you need to work with precision, the tablet has support for HUAWEI’s MPen stylus.

Traveling isn’t just about being productive on-the-go. You also have to deal with crowded spaces and long hours in commute. The HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 allows you to tune out the noise with its intelligent noise cancelling. Thanks to its lightweight design, the FreeBuds 3 also allows you to wear them for long hours without discomfort. If you do get tired of the FreeBuds 3, you can look stylish, be productive and even answer calls on the HUAWEI x Gentle Monster smart glasses. Of course, to bring everything together and to capture every moment in amazing quality, you’ll be using the HUAWEI Mate30 Pro. All of these devices will be able to communicate seamlessly with one another to enhance your productivity and also give you a seamless, hassle free experience.

Get Fit the Smart Way for only MYR8.97 a day

Of course, with the new year comes new year’s resolutions to get in better shape and have a healthier life. There’s no better way to do that than to get some technological help from a few gadgets which will give you important data that will help you on the way!

The HUAWEI Watch GT2 will be able to let you know how you are doing when it comes to remaining active on a daily basis. Keep track of your steps and active hours to make sure you’re not slouching around. It can even keep track of your workouts so you’ll be able to optimise and get more out of them. You’ll also be able to keep track of your sleep cause all of us know rest and recovery are as important! Keep track of your body fat percentage with the HUAWEI Body scale. It goes without saying that the body scale will allow you to keep track of your weight as well.

Stay focused while working out with the noise cancelling on the HUAWEI FreeBuds 3. The smart Bluetooth optimisation algorithm will make sure you have the best audio quality during your workout even if you end up there when it’s packed with people. You’ll need a smartphone to keep track of all the data and to play your favourite tunes. That’s where the very capable nova 5T comes in! All of this for only MYR8.97 a day.

With all these bundles, there’s little excuse when it comes to kicking off the year in a Smart way with HUAWEI’s Smart Life. The bundles are catered for any thing you’re looking for. In fact, there were so many that we had to choose the best ones to get you started. To find out more about the bundles and to get your own, visit huaweitogether2020.3ex.com.my.

*DISCLAIMER: This is a paid advertorial by HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES SDN BHD. It does not reflect the opinions or views of the techENT editorial board or writers.*