Dell is turning up the heat when it comes to displays. The company has just announced the availability of a new hub monitor with touch capabilities. The new Dell 24 Touch USB-C Hub Monitor is built to help users create and be productive in a clutter-free environment.
The new 24-inch monitor comes with an ergonomic stand designed to work as a monitor and an interactive touch surface. The monitor is designed to fit seamlessly in any environment – retail, warehouse, home and office. More importantly, it’s designed to keep your workspace clutter-free and adapt to your workstyle. With its articulating stand, the monitor is able to move downwards at a 60-degree angle with a comfortable height and orientation for touch interaction.
It’s not just about viewing experiences with the new Dell 24 Touch USB-C Hub Monitor (P2424HT), it’s about being able to interact and be productive no matter how you work best. With its 10-point touch capability, the monitor allows you to zoom with an intuitive pinch, drag a file or folder with a press, or swipe to see the next slide. The intuitive gestures will not only allow you to interact with Windows but also design and fine-tune to meet what you see with your fingertips.
Connectivity is a key hallmark of the monitor. The monitor is built to provide quick and easy connectivity with a single-cable USB-C connectivity offering up to 90W power delivery and a single RJ45 allows for stable, wired connectivity via ethernet. There are two readily accessible USB ports on the side of the P2424HT for quick and easy plugging in of accessories. The built-in HDMI and DisplayPort round out the connectivity features of the monitor.
With all these features, it wouldn’t be surprising to think that Dell may have slacked off with the display itself. However, that isn’t the case. The Dell 24 Touch USB-C Hub Monitor comes with an IPS display which has 99% covers of the sRGB gamut.
Pricing & Availability
The Dell 24 Touch USB-C Hub Monitor is currently available in the Dell online store for MYR1,959 in Malaysia and USD$519.99 internationally.
Touch ‘n Go Digital (TNGD) is making the Touch ‘n Go eWallet even more feature-packed with a new partnership with Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad (ASNB). The new partnership will bring ASNB’s fund management platform to Touch ‘n Go Wallet via GOinvest. The new partnership will complement the 9 unit trusts that are currently available on GOinvest.
Source: ASNB
The partnership brings ASNB investment management to users’ fingertips. Existing ASNB unitholders will be able to manage their investments without the need to physically visit a branch or agent. The ASNB dashboard on Touch n’ Go Wallet will enable users to check their portfolio performance and make new investments at any time. It also allows users to view a breakdown of ASNB’s units trusts, review their 5 latest transactions for each invested fund, subscribe to new funds and invest in current funds. Users will also be able to manage their dependent’s account on the dashboard.
New unitholders will be able to access the same dashboard after completing the online registration and onboarding process on the myASNB app. This separation is due to the need to use ASNB’s internal eKYC system for onboarding. However, once the process is completed, all future transactions and account management can be done on the Touch n’ Go eWallet app.
(From left to right) Mr Desmond Teoh, Head of Financial Services and Mr Alan Ni, Chief Executive Officer of TNG Digital Sdn. Bhd. with Encik Muzzaffar bin Othman, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director and Encik Mohd Azlan Masood, Chief Operating Officer of ASNB in an engaging session with members of the media.
ASNB unit trusts are available to Malaysians from birth. Newborn accounts need to be opened in person over the counter or at any ASNB Kiosk while those 18 years or older simply need to do it online via the myASNB app. These unit trusts are categorised into two categories: Fixed Price Funds and Variable Price Funds. Touch ‘n Go eWallet will be offering 17 ASNB funds. These are:
ASNB investments on Touch n’ Go eWallet also makes investing even more accessible with a low initial investment of MYR10. To make things a little sweeter, TNGD and ASNB are running the Labur Online Laju (LOL) cashback campaign. Between 16 August 2023 and 30 September 2023, users who subscribe to ASNB Investments GOinvest on the eWallet will receive a cashback. Users who invest a minimum of MYR10 in any ASNB Unit Trust will receive an MYR1 cashback while those who invest more than MYR500 in any Variable Price fund will receive an additional MYR10 cashback.
If you’re interested to learn more in person, the LOL roadshow is happening at Setia City Mall from 16 until 20 August 2023. There will be booths and agents on the ground to help with opening an ASNB account. There will also be activities and freebies throughout.
There’s no denying that businesses that fail to engage with their customers are doomed to stagnate and eventually die. As a matter of fact, Meta reports that over 1B people are regularly engaging with businesses on Meta platforms. This number isn’t industry specific either, it covers over 55% of every industry.
Source: Meta Malaysia
Meta continues to innovate on its platforms to allow businesses to leverage them to drive business objectives. Platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook continue to be some of the most valuable touchpoints for businesses as it brings a mix of familiarity and proximity to both sides. It also allows businesses to leverage these aspects to build a persona and personality to better relate to its target audience. Recognising these factors, Meta has continually been innovating to allow businesses to leverage its platforms and the latest in technologies that complement them.
Leveraging AI to Ensure Platform Safety and Innovate to Empower Businesses
The latest to join the suite of tools is Artificial Intelligence. That’s not to say that Meta hasn’t used AI before. In fact, Facebook integrated AI into its timeline back in 2006. However, with the surge in interest when it comes to Generative AI, it is quickly becoming more apparent that we are indeed in AI 2.0.
Source: Meta Malaysia
Using the new advances in AI technology, Meta has quickly adapted to address newer trends and incorporate these advances to drive better results with less data. This also comes in the wake of a growing number of regions and countries clamping down on data privacy and security. The incorporation of Machine Learning algorithms and newer AI 2.0 advancements have led to 82% of hate speech being removed through automated means on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Meta is also implementing new algorithms that are created to use less data to deliver comparable or better results for businesses. To date, these algorithms have delivered a 20% increase in conversions for businesses leveraging them. With these algorithm’s working in the background, it falls to businesses to leverage them to drive business outcomes.
Business Messaging & Continuing the Customer Journey on Meta Platforms
As AI continues to become a deeply integrated factor for business continuity, we have to know and use the tools – paid or otherwise – that will not only allow for better outcomes but also help create a better customer experience.
Source: Meta Malaysia
Meta’s Business Suite and Ads Manager are continually being updated with tools that integrate AI technology to drive better business outcomes. One such tool is Meta’s Creative+ option which appears when you post content to your page. This feature allows you to test up to 4 different creatives to determine which delivers the best results.
Using features like this, businesses are able to extend their reach while keeping costs down. It also allows businesses to leverage the familiarity of the platforms to drive customer loyalty through business messaging. This comes in addition to AI-assisted product discovery with more broadly, AI-determined audiences for better conversions. AI-assisted determination also can help leverage behavioural data to optimise touchpoints based on customer behaviour.
This data can also be used to create chatbots that allow businesses to interact with customers more effectively. These chatbots can be built to suit the unique needs of businesses while still allowing for the flexibility for humans to jump in at any time.
Understanding Trends and Leveraging Them
One of the most important things to pay attention to is the trends that are emerging and continually shifting. These trends play a significant role in determining the combination of tools that will fit business needs. More importantly, it will also help determine the best approach for success on Meta’s platforms.
Meta shared a study on McDonald’s Malaysia leveraged the fact that there is an increasing number of users spending more time-consuming video content on Facebook and Instagram to be the driving force behind their recruitment campaign. Using reels available on Facebook and Instagram, the company was able to communicate the experience of being an employee at a McDonald’s outlet. Of course, the reels produced naturally embellished the experience with some fictional elements to generate interest and convey the business’s policies. This cornerstone content allowed McDonald’s to communicate directly to their target audience – Gen Z.
This falls in line with Meta’s own data which shows that more than 50% of time spent on Facebook and Instagram is spent consuming video content. This includes long-form videos, reels and even stories. In fact, reels may be the best touch point with over 200 Billion plays per day.
Meta’s Just Getting Started with AI 2.0 and Businesses Need to Start Leveraging It Now
It’s only the tip of the iceberg of how AI 2.0 will be impacting our world when it comes to creating consumer journeys, continuing Business Messaging and even creating content. Meta has already announced AI efforts like LLaMA which will no doubt factor into new tools that will come to its platforms in the future.
This will also entail businesses needing to deal with scams head-on hand in hand with regulators and companies like Meta. Meta is already working on identity verifications which will be more widely available to users as the year progresses. However, the company has yet to announce the same verification measures for businesses but we have it on good authority that it will be coming soon.
NVIDIA and Snowflake have joined forces to enable businesses of all sizes to build custom generative AI applications by using proprietary data. This collaboration allows companies to maximize NVIDIA’s AI technology and Snowflake’s Data Cloud platform to make better decisions and develop their own generative AI models.
NVIDIA offers the NeMo platform that enables companies to create, customize, and deploy large language models (LLMs) for AI applications like chatbots and intelligent search. With NeMo Guardrails software, developers can ensure that their applications align with business-specific requirements.
On the other hand, Snowflake provides a secure and efficient Data Cloud platform for businesses to store, manage, and analyze large amounts of data both internally and externally. This service also caters to various verticals like advertising, media and entertainment, financial services, retail, and more.
The collaboration between NVIDIA and Snowflake will allow companies to gather their proprietary data and customize the generative AI applications for business-specific applications. It also enables companies to maintain data governance without moving the data from a different platform.
Industries such as healthcare, retail, and financial services can benefit from this collaboration. For example, healthcare insurance models can provide detailed information about covered procedures. Financial services models can offer personalized loan options based on individual situations and needs.
Nothing is making waves with its approach to aesthetic technology. Hot on the heels of the release of the Nothing Phone (2), the company took to YouTube to give its quarterly community update. In this update, the team at Nothing in London gave a quick overview of the goings-on at the company. However, the updates’ other content was overshadowed by a special announcement from its founder, Carl Pei.
That announcement is a new brand focused on bringing Nothing’s design philosophy to a more affordable price point. “CMF by Nothing” will continue to share Nothing’s design-led and user-centric approach to technology however, the new brand will focus on creating accessible products with a clean design and trusted quality. This breaks away from Nothing’s philosophy of pushing design innovation with premium materials and the latest technology. To ensure continuity with the efforts at Nothing itself, Car Pei notes that “CMF by Nothing” will be spearheaded by an independent team.
The announcement doesn’t end there, Carl Pei also announced that the new brand will be releasing CMF-branded smartwatch and headphones. The products are expected to make their debut later this year. There is so far no indication if the smartwatch will be utilising Google’s Wear OS software or going the route of OnePlus and Amazfit with a totally different OS.
It’s worth keeping in mind that Nothing has yet to release any smartwatch under the Nothing brand. So, it’s going to be interesting to see how CMF by Nothing will define clean design without Nothing leading the way in the product category.
Foodpanda is expanding its services again! From getting your food and groceries delivered to now getting your packages delivered 24/7. The company is now introducing pandago for its everyday users.
The service will be available within the foodpanda app starting today. Users simply have to select the “pandago” tab and it will automatically bring you to the delivery service page. The service will be available 24/7 on-demand so it’ll be perfect for sending that birthday surprise at the stroke of midnight or even those pesky last-minute documents in a rush.
The pandago service comes with real-time tracking for easy tracking of your deliveries. The tracking will provide real-time delivery status updates while allowing customers to chat with the delivery partner to update their status.
While it may seem like a totally new service out of the blue, the pandago service has been operating since 2021. However, it was only available to business customers looking for a logistics-as-a-service (LaaS) partner. Pandago provided this service without the need for onboarding fees or commission fees and helped keep business costs at a minimum with a pay-as-you-use model.
Foodpanda is offering a 20% discount to new pandago users on their first delivery. You’ll simply have to use the voucher PANDAGO when you send your delivery to enjoy it.
Malaysia’s Apple user experience just got a big upgrade with the opening of the country’s first Apple Premium Partner Store. Switch, a brand by CG Computers Sdn Bhd, is upping the ante with their first premium partner store in Sunway Pyramid in the Klang Valley and Imago Mall in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
While the store may carry the familiar “Switch” brand, it brings even more services that allow Apple users a more rounded experience when purchasing their devices or accessories. The new Switch store in Sunway Pyramid comes complete with eager staff that have been trained by the Cupertino-based company to bring the Genius experience closer to Malaysian consumers. The new store also brings a familiar, minimalist interior and decor that have become signature not only to Switch but Apple.
The Premium Partner Store will also allow users to purchase their Apple products on a carrier plan specifically from Maxis. You will be able to activate their iPhones or iPads with eSIMs registered on the Maxis network under the carrier’s Zerolution plans with the assistance of the staff.
The Switch store will continue to offer the complete range of Apple products including the iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch, iMac and Mac Mini. Together with the devices, you will also be able to get official Apple accessories like the Apple Pencil, AirPods and AirTags as well as Apple-compatible accessories from third parties like Logitech.
Sabah will also be getting the Apple Premium Partner experience with the opening of the Switch outlet in Imago Mall on 5th August 2023.
Fintech startup Qashier is on a mission to help enhance the payment experience for SMEs and their consumers with its flagship QashierX2 smart point-of-sale (POS) terminal.
The QashierX2 is a smart POS terminal that brings together various POS software functions, including order management, inventory tracking, customer loyalty programs, and payment acceptance for credit cards, mobile payments, e-wallets, QR payments, online payments, and loyalty cards – all seamlessly integrated into a single terminal. This will allow merchants to facilitate both online-to-offline and offline-to-online payments effortlessly while providing customers with a wide range of digital payment options for a more convenient checkout experience.
Qashier currently serves over 6,000 merchants across Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, Qashier continues to broaden its reach in key markets. From the portable QashierX1 to the larger QashierXL and the lightest terminal, QashierXS, the company offers a range of customized solutions that cater to diverse industries, including F&B, beauty, retail, and service.
Pricing and Availability
The QashierX2 starter kit is available at RM3098 for 12 months or RM2898 for pre-orders. If you would like to learn more about pricing and packages, visit Qashier’s website here.
After successfully securing RM2.25 million through equity crowdfunding, Vimigo has revealed its new plans to develop an AI-powered HR mobile app and expand across the Asian market. In Malaysia, the company is known for its human resource (HR) performance reward system for startups.
With the funds raised, Vimigo plans to develop an AI-powered HR mobile app. This app will leverage AI to suggest SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound) goals for each employee’s key performance metrics.
The app will also incorporate a gamified performance rewards system, which aims to create tangible progression milestones to motivate employees in a similar way to levelling up in a game. The app is expected to be released on iOS, Android, and web by the end of 2023.
In addition to app development, the company has set its sights on market expansion to several Asian countries, including Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam by 2025.
Alibaba Cloud has introduced its latest AI image generation model, Tongyi Wanxiang (‘Wanxiang’ means ‘tens of thousands of images’). This model is designed to help businesses improve their creativity by generating high-quality images across different art styles.
Text-to-image generation
The company states that Tongyi Wanxiang is able to generate detailed images in response to text prompts in both Chinese and English. This includes watercolours, oil paintings, sketches, animations, and more. Additionally, It can also transform existing images into new ones with similar styles and apply style transfers to create visually appealing compositions..
Tongyi Wanxiang is powered by Alibaba Cloud’s advanced technologies and leverages multilingual materials for enhanced training. This AI image generation model optimizes the high-resolution diffusion process to strike a balance between composition accuracy, detail sharpness, and clean backgrounds.
Alibaba Cloud developed it using Composer, the company’s proprietary large model that offers greater control over the final image output, including spatial layout and colour palette.
ModelScopeGPT Launched for Sophisticated AI Tasks
The company has also launched ModelScopeGPT, a versatile framework that utilizes Large Language Models (LLMs) to accomplish complex AI tasks across language, vision, and speech domains. ModelScopeGPT connects with an extensive array of domain-specific expert models, allowing businesses and developers to access and execute the best-suited models for sophisticated AI tasks. The platform is available for free and offers a rich Model-as-a-Service (MaaS) ecosystem.
