On 3rd January today, 15 years ago in 2008, TGH Technology and Business Portal/Blog was officially launched with not much branding and fanfare, it was titled “Tan Geng Hui Personal Blog” if I recalled correctly. In the blink of an eye, 15 years had passed, this personal/technology website has changed and transformed so much over the years into the TGH Technology and Business Portal/Blog that organisations, media outlets, PR agencies and supporters know about today.
A small and humble beginning
TGH Technology and Business Portal/Blog had a small and humble beginning. In 2008, this website was created to separate technology and business topics away from my other portal/blog TGH Photography and Travel, allowing them to specialise in both areas, and allowing me toexpand on food, hospitality and creative side of things.
I am humbled by my years of technology and business media news coverage, yet I personally don’t feel doing as much as compared to what I did for my 15 years milestone for my TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.
Growth, Change, and Transformation over the past 15 years
For those brands, organisations, PR agency folks and loyal supports who had worked with me or followed my website over the past 15 years. You will know first hand how much this website has grown, changed and transformed over the past 15 years.
From just covering consumer technology news/topics/interests to covering media news coverage in the enterprise/B2B technology and startups sectors.
The stages of growth, change and transformation started around 5-10 years back when I started to visit more technology conferences, that’s where I ventured into the enterprise technology and startups sectors.
As I grew older along with my websites, my special topics of interest expanded into future technology trends and changes, digital transformation digital marketing/social media marketing, Fin-Tech, blockchain and NFT.
A personal writing space for the writer in me
A personal writing space in a heavy content technology and business sectors might not seem to be the best complement or combination.
Everyone talks about technology jargon and applications, yet there were gaps in how to bring them to the ground level and in a language and style that most people can understand. This might not be the easiest thing to do, it’s not just about your language skills, it’s how you understand the technology, gadgets and how it plays a part in our daily life and work.
Being able to write freely, away and beyond technology and business topics, allowed me to hone and refine my writing skills (and I still have a lot of room for improvement), as well giving me another alternative space for writing on very personal deep in my heart matters, also deep thought leadership and opinions.
Through my years of writing on both visual storytelling approach and in-depth personal thoughts approach, I was encouraged and enlightened by “No Missing Tools: Creativity in an Age of Abundance” by Fernando Gros, that we are and can be creative in our own self, that just need to believe and trust in ourselves for our inner most creativity to be unleashed.
What’s next ahead for TGH Technology and Business Portal/Blog?
15 years not out, I am continuing to strive forward, writing, media news coverage and sharing thought leadership in key areas. What’s next ahead for TGH Technology and Business in the next 5,10, 15, 20 years and beyond?
I can’t see what’s going to happen in the future, I can share what I am working on right now and in the very near future, would be in the areas of
Expand on special topics of interest such as sustainability
Future technology trends and changes e.g. Future of Work, Impacts of AI, Digital Transformation, Web 3.0, NFT
Thought leadership in technology and business industries
All of them tied in closely with my Yearly Theme 2023 for my technology, business and personal sectors – “Transform”.
Yearly Theme 2023 (Technology | Business | Personal)
My Yearly Theme 2023 for Technology, Business and Personal is “Transform”.
Why “Transform”?
This word “Transform” was chosen for its connection to my 15 years milestone for my TGH Technology and Business Portal/Blog, how can I can change, transform and improve, from my media news coverage, business and technology analysis, social media marketing/digital marketing and as a writer?
Join me in my “Transform” adventures in 2023
I would like to invite all of you, come join me in my transformation exploration in my technology, business and writer journeys in 2023 and beyond.
Together we can and we might discover something common to work on, advocate together and transform the way we work and live, and on special themes that we can push for more awareness and publicity.
Last but not least, I would like to say a big Thank You for your support, your belief and trust in me, and encouragement over the past 15 years, I would continue to strive and work even harder in my technology and business media news coverage and thought leadership.
Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) 2022 is back with a big bang in Singapore with the MICE industry leading the way to bring back Singapore’s trade, FinTech hub and business tourism into the limelight, with the business meetings and conferences industries leading the way. SFF 2022 is the 7th edition, it took place from 2nd to 4th November 2022 at Singapore Expo. It was great to be back visiting SFF 2022 again, an in-person physical event and not virtual. During my visit to SFF 2022, I checked out the best and brightest of Italian FinTech start-ups at Singapore FinTech Festival 2022, at the SFF EcoSystem stage and at the Italian Pavilion.
Ms Rosella Gentile, Deputy Ambassador of Italy to Singapore, speaking at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2022
Italian FinTech at SFF 2022
Eight Italian FinTech start-ups made their maiden appearance at SFF 2022, showcasing their latest technologies and services at the 54sqm Italian Pavilion in Singapore Expo Hall 5 to over 60,000 participants at the event. The Italian Pavilion is made possible by the Italian Trade Agency, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and in collaboration with the Italian Association of FinTech & InsureTech (AssoFintech).
In addition to that, the Bank of Italy participated in SFF for the third consecutive year, with DeputyGovernor Alessandra Perrazzelli speaking at this year’s event. The Bank of Italy’s continued participation at SFF signifies the commitment of Italian institutions to the the FinTech sector in Singapore and region. This is a recognition for Singapore, as a critical location and a major global player in the FinTech sector. Singapore offers key talent, know-how and experience that start-ups in the industry will find invaluable on their growth journey.
Ms Rosella Gentile, Deputy Ambassador of Italy to Singapore, speaking at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2022
Ms Rossella Gentile, Deputy Ambassador of Italy to Singapore, said: “The Italian FinTech ecosystem has enormous potential. Although small in size, it is a fast-growing sector attracting increasing investments and talents. Our policy makers and institutions support Italian companies engaged in this digital revolution and encourage foreign investors to recognize the potential of these realities. The Italian Recovery and Resilience Plan, for example, allocates 11.44 billion euros for digitalisation and innovation to strengthen research and development centres investing in FinTech, big data, quantum computing and other key technologies.”
Ms Veronica Soriano, Head of International Relations, AssoFintech, talking at Singapore FinTech Festival 2022.
Who are the 8 Italian FinTech start-ups at SFF 2022?
There are eight young Italian start-ups that earned the right to participate in SFF 2022 after a rigorous nationwide search in Italy. The eight Italian FinTech start-ups are Cyberneid SRL, Enginius SRL, Geeks Academy, Keyless, Mymoney, MyAppFree, Opstart and Wavenure.
They were not just eager to learn from delegates from all around the world at SFF 2022, they were just as willing to share more about their start-ups and what they are doing.
Ms Veronica Soriano, Head of International Relations, AssoFintech, said: “AssoFintech is honoured to support the Italian startups and SMEs at SFF 2022. This is not only a great chance for the world to witness the high quality of Italian companies, but also an important opportunity to help them grow and become more globally competitive.”
Ms Veronica Soriano, Head of International Relations, AssoFintech, talking at Singapore FinTech Festival 2022.
Italian FinTech EcoSystem
Venture capital activities focusing on start-ups and the FinTech industry has experienced a sharp slowdown worldwide in first half of 2022. However, for Europe and in particular Italy, they have shown signs of reversing the trend in recent months.
In Italy, over €1 billion (S$1.4 billion) has been raised by Italian start-ups in the first nine months of 2022, compared to €900 million in the whole of year 2021. Comparing it to the mere €247 million raised in 2020, this growth has been remarkable.
Ms Rossella Gentile, Deputy Ambassador of Italy to Singapore, said: “With the recent launch of the “Milano Hub”, the Bank of Italy’s first innovation centre, the Italian innovation ecosystem made a qualitative leap. However, it is also important for Italy to participate in events, such as SFF 2022, in a FinTech Hub like Singapore. Only then, we will be able to ride this financial digital revolution together.”
The “Milano Hub” allows the Bank of Italy, while respecting its institutional role, to engage innovators with the aim to accelerate the development of projects, promoting quality and safety of specific innovations. These engagements include a series of consulting services, mentorship, and educational components, on physical and virtual spaces, to financial intermediaries, startups, and research centres. As part of this space, the FinTech Hub is specifically dedicated to startups that offer digital solutions to innovate financial, banking, and insurance services by leveraging new technologies and new approaches.
No FinTech start-ups can just stay put in their home market to grow and expand, or learn new technologies and approaches. They would be seeking new exposure and try to gain as much experience as possible in as many markets worldwide. This is imperative for any FinTech companies, from start-ups to SMEs.
As such, Italy encourages home-bred companies to widen its horizons by attending events all around the world. In a post-pandemic era, as world borders open up again in many countries, many companies are now taking this opportunity to expand and grow.
More information on the 8 Italian FinTech start-ups at SFF 2022
The eight Italian FinTech start-ups participating at SFF 2022 are Cyberneid SRL, Enginius SRL, Geeks Academy, Keyless, Mymoney, MyAppFree, Opstart and Wavenure.
If you like to know more about them, you can read more about them, through the short introduction and write up about each Italian FinTech start-up at SFF 2022 below:
Cyberneid SRL
Cyberneid SRL specialises in artificial intelligence and electronic identity. With their own Instasign and Identikyc technologies, they aim to provide customers with business enabling solutions such as on-boarding automation, ‘Know Your Customer’ procedures and electronic contract signing across markets such FinTech, insurtech, utilities and telecommunications.
Enginius SRL
Enginius SRL is an IT consulting and software production company determined to become a global green operator in reforestation activities. With an aim to directly tackle environmental issues, Enginius SRL wants to make their products accessible to green actors in the global arena and to become the go-to source of finance for green projects. Enginius SRL is also part of the Redelfi Group and hopes to reward environmentally consumers in the future with NFTs and cryptocurrency developed with their own proprietary system.
Geeks Academy
Geeks Academy offers a range of post-diploma blended courses and certifications both part time and full-time, in the fields of: blockchain and coding, artificial intelligence and big data, cyber security and cloud, gaming and metaverse. Their mission is to transform the way people access the new professions of the Data Economy by creating diversified opportunities regardless of the type of previous education, occupation, and age. It has trained over 1000 people, consisting of both workers aiming to reskill or upskill, and post-diploma students starting from scratch.
Keyless
As its name suggests, Keyless’ mission is to realise a password-less future for people and organisations where users are the key. By taking a modern approach to password-less security, Keyless empowers organisations around the world to accelerate digital transformation and improve customer experiences, while safely navigating strict compliance requirements. Keyless has also pioneered privacy-first authentication and personal identity management solutions with products that enable password-less logins, payment authentication, authentication for high-risk transactions as well as self-service account recovery and device management.
My-Money
As a FinTech company that delivers the first-of-its-kind completely biometric and device-free payment, My-Money has created a new, revolutionary payment method which will allow you to pay anywhere using only your fingerprint. My-Money believes its new payment method is Easy, Fast, but most of all: Secure. My-Money is determined to replace payments by card and telephone with payments by fingerprint. My-Money envisions a future where everyone will have access to financial services, regardless of age or geography. With My-money, all the financial institutions will be able to fight card frauds attacks.
MyAppFree
MyAppFree is a full stack platform for user acquisition on mobile. Their community of tech savvy and early adopters’ users are scouting their marketplace for new mobile-first investment solutions. They aim at becoming the first non-intrusive ad-tech solution to match FinTech products and users, bringing back the choices in the hands of the users. At Slush, a leading start-up event, they presented MyAppFree’s Native Ads to acquire crypto-enthusiast users based on market trends. Their native ads solution is built into more than 500 apps reaching over 30 million users monthly.
Opstart
Opstart’s core businesses include debt crowdfunding (Crowdbond) and lending crowdfunding (Crowdlender). Beyond that, Opstart also operates within other specific industries such as Real Estate crowdfunding (Crowdre), and Legal Action Crowdfunding (Crowdlegal). It is the first FinTech hub in Italy to offer all investment and funding opportunities based on crowdfunding. Their mission has always been to propose new solutions to provide capital to the real economy (start-ups and SMEs) and to offer alternative and diversified investment opportunities to their community of investors.
Wavenure
Wavenure is an artificial intelligence (AI) FinTech funds performance enhancer, offering AI solutions for investment management and high-performing trading where everything is engineered to analyse deeper, understand broader, and invest better. Wavenure combines state-of-the-art methods and advanced technologies, in a unique value-generating ecosystem of AI predictive models and innovative WealthTech features, to boost investment decision making processes and offerings of institutional investors.
Chatting to FinTech start-ups
Whenever I get the opportunity to visit FinTech, consumer technology or enterprise/business technology conferences, I do keep a lookout for the various start-ups, especially those that caught my attention with what they are doing, the technology and services that they are offering. The start-ups are usually
At the Italian Pavilion during SFF 2022, I had a chat with Egninius SRL on their green projects, learning and understanding about what they have done, what they are planning to do around the world and in this region, connecting with institutions, business and people. Sustainability and ESG have been on my topics of coverage in recent years.
I also had a chat with Wavenure on their AI technology solutions for FinTech funds, learning more about their AI technology models and methods, views on cryptocurrencies and expansion plans. Coming from a previous financial advisory services work experience background, coupled with a strong personal and subject interest in trading and cryptocurrencies.
Due to time constraint, I couldn’t manage to speak and chat with all eight Italian FinTech start-ups at SFF 2022, I am planning to follow up with further coverage on the Italian FinTech start-ups at SFF 2022 when possible.
I would like to thank Italian Trade Commission and Black Dot for the invitation to visit and know more about Italian FinTech start-ups at SFF 2022.
* Information and pictures courtesy of Italian Trade Agency and Black Dot *
Temus was established in April 2021 by Temasek in partnership with global digital services UST, to support and accelerate digital transformation of leading enterprises and public sector agencies in Singapore and beyond. Temus today counts some of the country’s most future-forward government agencies and large enterprises as its customers, spanning a range of industries from financial services and insurance, healthcare, education, consumer goods, telecommunications, infrastructure, energy and waste management, among others.
Temus’ workforce has expanded to around 200 professionals in under 18 months, and they are expected to grow by five fold over the next three years, as they continue to serve the digital aspirations of its growing base of customers. Temus has attracted a strong line-up of experienced talents in strategy, design, architecture, technology, data and artificial intelligence (AI).
“Temus’ growth momentum is a testament to our unique proposition of forging long-term partnerships with our customers while keeping ‘value creation’ at the heart of helping to shape their digital futures,” said KC Yeoh, Chief Executive Officer, Temus. “We will build on this promising start to accelerate the growth of Singapore’s digital talent pool and build distinct digital capabilities for our customers – in tandem with the country’s Smart Nation aspirations.”
“Temus was born into a generation-defining crisis, at a time when organisations accelerated their investments in digital to thrive,” said Srijay Ghosh, Founding Member and Chief Revenue Officer, Temus. “Experts predict that by the end of this year, more than half the global economy will be powered by digital. Imagine what these digital transformations can do to uplift lives, raise productivity, and grow the economy. Temus was founded for these reasons and more. We remain committed to unlocking economic and societal value through holistic transformation.”
Growing Digital Talent – Step IT Up x Temus – “Hire, Place and Train” programme: Helping locals with no tech training or experience
Growing digital talent in Singapore, Temus announced “Step IT Up x Temus”, this is an accelerated “Hire, Place and Train” programme, helping to broaden digital opportunities and expand the local digital talent pool for Singapore. Candidates with no prior coding or software programming training and experience will be given priority admission to the programme.
Step IT Up was first introduced in 2014 by Temus’ strategic partner UST, to create computer science career opportunities for minority and disadvantaged groups in the United States. Since then, the Step IT Up programme has run in other countries such as Mexico, Poland, Australia, Costa Rica, and Israel. About 87% of graduates have secured digital and technology jobs at leading global companies, and 90% of them have stayed at least 2 years. A key point to take note is that, none of these trainees had a technology background.
Step IT Up is now available in Singapore, around 400 people are expected to benefit from Step IT Up x Temus by 2025. Candidates will be offered a full training sponsorship, financial stipend, and a full time job upon graduation from their training.
“When Temus was founded, it was as much about building capabilities and value creation, as it was about organically developing digital talent. People and talent are central to any transformation and close to the purpose of Temus and at the heart of what we do, how we do it,” said Srijay. “We are proud of the launch of Step IT Up x Temus. As our candidates digitally transform, so will we – and the customers we serve. I hope more people will join us and be the change.”
Interested to sign up for Step IT Up x Temus?
If you are from a non technology background and you are interested to sign up for Step IT Up x Temus programme, you are welcome to apply to the programme at https://www.stepitup.temus.com. Application for the fist batch of trainees will close on 24th October 2022 and training will commence on 28th November 2022.
Building Digital Capabilities: Temus makes first acquisition – Dreamcloud
Building digital capabilities in Singapore, Temus announced the completion of its first acquisition, Dreamcloud, a home-grown Singapore headquartered, and award-winning integrator. They are founded in 2011, Dreamcloud was one of the pioneers in the low-code space. They became the first partner of OutSystems in Southeast Asia in 2014, and they have one of Singapore’s largest OutSystems delivery teams today.
The integration of Dreamcloud’s capabilities will strengthen Temus’ app development practice and complement its tech modernisation capabilities, helping customers develop, deploy, and scale digital solutions with speed.
“We are excited about this milestone because there is strong alignment between both organisations in terms of culture and purpose. Dreamcloud’s low-code, high speed app development capabilities synergises with Temus’ strategy to build a strong app development practice, and this will allow us to take a broader view of our customers’ digital transformation initiatives and provide more holistic solutions,” said Daniel Lim, Managing Director, Dreamcloud. “Having the full support of Temus gives us the capability to deepen engagements with our global network of over 30 customers, and continue to offer them with cutting edge digital transformation solutions.”
“Organisations of every size and industry are transforming how they do business in the digital age – speed, agility, and simplicity are at the heart of successful transformations,” said KC. “As Temus grows, we will unlock even greater value for our customers by catalysing digital transformation holistically, for economic and societal impact.”
Discovering Digital Transformation Journey
Although I started off writing about and covering consumer technology sectors, I found myself expanding into enterprise and business technology sectors, writing and covering more into those sectors. Discovering digital transformation journey is an area that I am working on whenever the opportunity to discover more about this sector arises. This is also something that I am interested in, continuing on from my previous working experiences in a local small-medium business in Singapore.
This introduction to Temus is opening up another avenue in my discovering digital transformation journey. I would like to find out more and learn more about Temus’ work, and share more when the opportunity arises.
Global technology leader Xiaomi recently unveiled a range of new AIoT product offers that empowers smart living and smart experiences for every aspects of a modern users’ life lives. Xiaomi’s brand new lineup of products include the Xiaomi TV A2 Series and P1E Series in 65″, there is the Xiaomi Smart Pet Feeder and Fountain, Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Compact, as well as the Mi Smart Air Fryer 3.5L. Xiaomi made the above announcements at its first and biggest Smart Home Solutions showcase in Singapore, located at M.SPACO at The Poiz Centre. For home lovers who wish to try out Xiaomi’s eco-system of Smart Home products, they can have an immersive experience in a realistic home setting. This showcase is a partnership between Xiaomi and M.SPACO, a one-stop home solutions provider and experiential gallery.
Xiaomi’s new AIoT products are innovative in their own rights and offer smarter ways to encourage users to enhance their indoors lifestyles, on their way to work, at the desk or fixing up a quick meal in the kitchen. Through these innovative technologies, Xiaomi delivers a more convenient, efficient, and healthier lifestyle to every individual, making smart living possible for everyone.
Xiaomi TV A2 Series – Smart Life, Limitless Vision
This new Xiaomi smart TV is more than just your entertainment TV device, it also acts as a home hub that boasts fully voice-automated AIoT connectivity, high-end audio and visual specs, and built-in access to all the latest content worldwide.
The Xiaomi TV A2 58″, one of the larger popular size variants for our users, is an essential device for the modern smart living household. It’s fitted into a sleek unibody metal frame supported by double standards. Xiaomi TV A2 58″ offers a bezel-less design for an unforgettable aesthetic design, delivering a premium 4K ultra-high definition display with Dolby Vision®for stunning true-to-life visuals. The display’s ultra-wide 178° field of view allows comfortable viewing from all angles. Xiaomi TV A2 58” also provides high-definition multidimensional surround sound from Dolby Audio™ and DTS-HD® for an immersive experience.
Google Assistant comes built-in on the Xiaomi TV A2 58″, providing users the option of voice control to automate connected AIoT devices. The 360° Bluetooth remote control also makes the device accessible from any angle. With Android TV™, Xiaomi TV A2 58″ offers instant access to movies and shows across users’ favourite apps, including Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube, together with thousands of other apps via Google Play. The device also features Chromecast, a built-in tool in which users can cast content from smartphones, tablets, or laptops directly onto the TV.
Xiaomi TV A2 58″ Pricing and availability
The Xiaomi TV A2 58″ is available in Xiaomi Authorised Stores and partners’ stores nationwide, as well as online on Shopee and Lazada, at a price of SGD$999.
The Xiaomi TV A2 series is also available in 2 other sizes, 32″ for SGD$329 and 43″ for SGD$499, that suits different households and consumers needs in Singapore.
Early bird deals are available from 6th August 2022 onwards, where customers can grab the 32″ and 43″ at SGD$279 and SGD$429 (Shopee, Lazada) respectively, or the 58″ at SGD$799 from Xiaomi Authorised Stores or partners’ stores nationwide, as well as its online stores.
Xiaomi TV P1E 65″ – Exceptional Cinematic Experience
Xiaomi TV P1E 65″, a cost-effective large-screen TV with an exceptional cinematic experience, leading content and connectivity, is a rarity in the global market.
Xiaomi TV P1E 65” offers a 4K display at 3840×2160 resolution with 60Hz MEMC technology, delivering a high-definition viewing experience with smooth visuals. Featuring a notable DCI-P3 color gamut and an impressive 1.07 billion colors, along with a high dynamic range enabled by HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision®support, users can enjoy true-to-life pictures on a big screen. On top of this, the device also boasts Dolby Audio™ and DTS-HD®support, providing users an immersive audio experience.
Xiaomi TV P1E 65” comes with Android TV™., the interface that brings endless movies, shows, and other content with built-in Netflix, Youtube, and Prime Video. The device also features Chromecast built-in, to let users experience a comprehensive visual feast by streaming directly from their phone, tablet, or laptop. With Google Assistant, users can get hands-free help around the house from a personal assistant. Paired with a 360° Bluetooth remote control, the device acts as a smart home control hub, allowing users to effortlessly control smart devices throughout the home.
Mi TV P1E 65″ Pricing and Availability
The Mi TV P1E 65″ will be available for purchase from Xiaomi Authorised stores and partner stores starting from 6th August 2022, as well as online on Shopee and Lazada, at SGD$1,299. You can enjoy an early bird price of SGD$999 for the Mi TV P1E 65″ from 6th August 2022 onwards from Xiaomi Authorised Stores or partners’ stores nationwide and online channels while deals last.
Mi Smart Air Fryer 3.5L – Embrace a Smarter, Healthier Style of Cooking
A smart lifestyle is not just in the living room or bedrooms, it starts in the kitchen. The Mi Smart Air Fryer 3.5L is for the busy modern person living a busy life but won’t compromise on our commitment to a healthier lifestyle by making cooking at home simple and healthy – all without adding oil.
The Mi Smart Air Fryer 3.5L is compatible with the Xiaomi Home/Mi Home app, it can be easily controlled remotely and set to anywhere between remotely and set to anywhere between 40°C and 200°C for a perfectly cooked meal. The app also offers more than 100 different Mi Smart Air Fryer 3.5L recipe ideas for quick meal inspirations every day.
With the Mi Smart Air Fryer 3.5L, users can even schedule a cooked up meal up to 24 hours in advance. This can open up the doors to endless cooking possibilities, from yogurt fermentation or pet food dehydration. If your hands are tied, Google Assistant can be used to start, pause, or check remaining cooking time. The OLED display also lets you check time and temperature at a glance.
Mi Smart Air Fryer 3.5L Pricing and Availability
The Mi Smart Air Fryer 3.5L will be available from 6th August 2022 at an early bird price of SGD$109 (RRP SGD$139) from Xiaomi Authorised Stores and online on Shopee and Lazada, while supplies last.
Xiaomi Smart Pet Feeder and Fountain – Feed Your Pets Conveniently
Pet lovers rejoice, introducing the latest Xiaomi Smart Pet Feeder and Xiaomi Smart Pet Fountain, featuring 24-hour automatic pet feeding and water dispensing. Smart living for our favourite pets too, catering not just to our needs and lifestyles, conveniently keeping our beloved pets fed and hydrated.
Xiaomi Smart Pet Feeder features a unique six-grid dispensing structure, flexible soft silicone food stirrer, and dispensing blades which have been tested to over 10,000 dispensing cycles*, ensuring smooth dispensing via a wide channel that effectively prevents blockages. You can simply tap to dispense additional food remotely via the app, or set a fixed time and quantity for automatic feeding in the Xiaomi Home/Mi Home app, even when you are away.
The dispenser supports regular 24 hour a day dispensing and sends reminders when food reserves are running low. Designed with a large capacity for prolonged use, it can hold approximately 1.8 kg of dry food, easily meeting the needs of those away from home. Additionally, a triple moisture-proof design ensures that the food is fresh and safe.
Xiaomi Smart Pet Fountain simulates water found in nature, using a circular water circuit to offer oxygenated moving water, appealing to the instincts of many household pets. With four-stage efficient deep filtering, fine particles, hair, and residual chlorine including Ca and Mg ions that cause kidney stones are effectively intercepted and filtered, ensuring healthy, tasty water that pets will love to drink. Conveniently, it can also be paired with the Xiaomi Home/Mi Home app, and can push reminders to your phone when you need to add water, clean the fountain, or replace the filter.
Xiaomi Smart Pet Feeder and Xiaomi Smart Pet Fountain Pricing and Availability
The Xiaomi Smart Pet Feeder and Xiaomi Smart Pet Fountain are priced at SGD$169 and SGD$99 respectively, and will be available from 6th August 2022 at Xiaomi Authorised Stores and partner stores.
Enjoy early bird deals for a limited time after launch, with Xiaomi Smart Pet Feeder priced at SGD$139, and Xiaomi Smart Pet Fountain at SGD$89.
Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Compact – Breathe Clean Air Anywhere
Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 is small but powerful, with a compact form-factor suitable for home or office use. It traps 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns through 3-in-1 filtration, offering thorough purification and eliminating common indoor air pollutants effectively. Certified by TÜV Rheinland, Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Compact is proven to effectively aid in allergen removal.
In addition, it offers real-time air quality monitoring for enhanced purification with intuitive indoor air-quality data, portrayed through a four-colour indicator light. Finally, you can adjust your purification settings with a simple touch of the control buttons.
Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Pricing and Availability
Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Compact will be available for SGD$159 from 6th August 2022 at Xiaomi Authorised Stores and partners’ stores.
To experience Xiaomi’s complete Smart Home Solutions and To know more about Xiaomi
If you would like to experience Xiaomi’s complete Smart Home Solutions, please visit Xiaomi Smart Home Solutions Showcase in M.SPACO at The Poiz Centre, a one stop home solutions provider and experiential gallery.
To know more about Xiaomi, updates and the latest new on Xiaomi, follow and stay tuned to Xiaomi’s Facebook Page.
Do you own a vehicle in Singapore, or do you wish to buy or sell a vehicle in Singapore, have you ever thought about how much would your vehicle price value be for you to sell it? Do you manually track the vehicle sale prices and trying to guess when is the best time to sell your vehicle? Fret no more, with this new Vehicle Price Predictor by Motorist app, this new feature inside the app may just be the solution that you (the vehicle owner) are looking for.
Motorist is the first in Singapore to launch this new feature, offering real-time valuations of vehicles. All you need to do is to simply add information about their vehicles, users will be able to view daily generated reports on the estimated valuation and depreciation. This feature is FREE for users! It’s powered by a machine learning algorithm that is backed by more than seven years of proprietary valuation data completed by Motorist.
If you are a car owner in Singapore, one of the sources to check car prices are listings by dealers on car portals that sell the cars to consumers. That means that the prices on those portals are usually higher and not an accurate benchmark to use when one is looking to sell their car. With Motorist’s Vehicle Price Predictor, it would solve this problem by drawing on valuation data to provide an accurate, real-time valuation of the vehicle.
“The Vehicle Price Predictor’s greatest value proposition is the ability to show the estimated value of a car without the owner having to trawl through past data that’s not easy to find. This way, users no longer have to make a blind guess when they are able to just input the data into the Motorist app to get an immediate, real-time valuation,” said Damian Sia, founder and CEO of Motorist.
Motorist’s Vehicle Price Predictor tool is the most accurate in the market, thanks to the company having facilitated over $900 million worth of vehicle transactions. This, along with Motorist’s 270,000 valuations, results in vehicle valuation within just a 5% margin of error, although vehicles that do not have enough data such as newer cars, vintage cars, exotic cars, motorbikes and more might have a slightly higher margin of error.
The app uses 270,000 valuations to calibrate and adjust the valuation based on 21 attributes to feed into the machine learning model to make the estimate more accurate. Thus, users will be able to get the valuation of their car, trackable by the day. Inside the app, the graphs provided are by the month, which allow for a birds eye view of how the valuation as well as depreciation per year has changed over a longer period of time.
This app will also send custom alerts and prompts to users. These include notifications if the depreciation value corresponds to that of what the owner is targeting, as well as, if the estimated returns predicted will translate to positive sales proceeds after the deduction of the loan balance.
The system will be able to accurately predict the value of a vehicle within the aforementioned 5% margin of error, as long as a user has their vehicle added into their Motorist account. In addition to the price data, there is also plenty of useful information about the key dates and rebates of the vehicle at a glance: road tax expiry date, inspection due date, PARF eligibility, COE rebate amount and more to help owners know when to sell their vehicles for the best price.
Motorist has a comprehensive database with over 150,000 app users (that’s 10% of the car population) as well as historical data, they are able to accurately predict the final bidded price that dealers will offer and thus, offer users an immediate estimate of how much their car will sell for.
This new Vehicle Price Predictor was developed by Motorist and Farid Hasanli, who is an experienced and dedicated Data Scientist with more than 3 years of experience in solving complex problems and working with Big Data daily.
“After having worked on the machine learning model for almost a year, we are proud to finally unveil the Vehicle Price Predictor tool with an accuracy of 95 percent to help our users easily figure out the best time to sell their vehicles,” said Mr Hasanli.
Highly Recommended for vehicle owners in Singapore
I downloaded the Motorist app, it’s a very useful and handy app for vehicle owners in Singapore. The Vehicle Price Predictor feature is going to be very useful for current vehicle owners if they would to sell their vehicle. My family has a shared family car and this allows me to access information on my family car, the current valuation via the price predictor graph.
More than just a price predictor that most, if not all vehicle owners would want to know, this Motorist app is packed with many other features and functions that are very useful for vehicle owners in Singapore, this is going to be a super app for motorists in Singapore in my personal humble opinion.
Jabra announces PanaCast 20, an AI programmed enterprise-grade personal web camera. This is designed for the busy executive in a new future of work environment, seeking effective communication in a new era whereby video conferencing is the new norm for business meetings.
The hybrid future of work is here, we might be looking at a mix of working in office, working from home/remote working. This would also mean video conferencing is going to become a staple of today’s work life and future work life too. Video conferencing tools are technological devices that executives use, hold great power over their work efficiency. The Jabra PanaCast 20 is just that tool, as its artificial intelligence-driven (AI) imaging software helps relieve the video fatigue that professionals experience due to attending numerous virtual meetings. The Jabra PanaCast 20 automatically makes necessary adjustments so they can focus on delivering their presentation.
With zero delays, smart lighting optimization, AI automated focus and Picture in Picture mode, the Jabra PanaCast 20 is a powerful device that delivers excellence in one camera.
Unlike any other video conferencing device on the market that clips onto the laptop, the compact PanaCast 20 uses a unique triangulation design for easy attachment to the laptop and monitor screens which avoids the risk of damaging the LCD screen. Another unique feature of PanaCast 20, is its compatibility with Jabra Direct, a free downloadable software that lets the user customise the image settings of your PanaCast 20.
Seamless and uninterrupted high-definition video
The PanaCast 20 uses intelligent technology to provide Ultra- HD video quality without interval disruption so the user can have seamless video conferencing experiences with their business partners, facilitating coherent conversations.
Jabra PanaCast 20 4K Ultra HD Comparison
Lighting Optimization – automatically enhances video quality
The Pana Cast 20 is embedded with Jabra’s smart lighting optimization to ensure the user looks best in every single video conference. It automatically analyses the environment and adjusts the video quality to adapt to poor lighting. Therefore, the on-the-go executive can conduct his or her meeting from anywhere, be in at home, in a café or in the office and still look picture-perfect regardless of the conditions.
Intelligent zoom-in mode – keeps you within of the frame
Along with a 90-degree field of view, Jabra’s AI-driven Intelligent Zoom automatically tracks the user’s movements to adjust the framing so her or she is always at the centre of the frame. This way the user will always stay within the field of vision.
Picture in picture mode – for convenient product demonstrations
The PanaCast 20 also features Picture in Picture mode which breaks the camera stream into two screens. It allows the user to appear in a video via a small window pinned to a corner of the screen while the AI zooms into the product that he or she is holding. This mode can be used within any unified communications platform, ranging from Zoom to Microsoft Teams Meeting. As such, instead of using two cameras for dual-stream, PanaCast 20 uses a singular camera to produce two screens. This function allows the professional to deliver an impactful presentation to his or her audience, allowing them to take an up-close look at the product and have a view of the speaker simultaneously.
Therefore, Jabra Panacast 20 is an ideal video conferencing camera whose smart optimization functions and picture in picture mode ensures the executive excels in his or her next business meetings.
Pricing and Availability
The Jabra PanaCast 50 is available from all authorised Jabra distributors and resellers at a retail price of S$511.
The role and importance of technology in the motorsports industry can never be underestimated in recent years. From the backend technology to the actual motorsports action, how much has technology play a key role in these areas? In the MotoGP world, we can see it in the Ducati Lenovo Team. In 2021, they ended with the victory of the MotoGP Constructors’ World Title for the second year in a row. In 2022, Ducati and Lenovo continue their partnership in the new MotoGP season, Ducati Lenovo Team is ready for a new season, in which technology will play an increasingly crucial role.
Lenovo’s technology partnership with Ducati started in 2018, Lenovo has helped Ducati team innovate and improve on-track performance. Innovation, speed and security is at the heart of this evolution. Enabled by a wide range of smarter solutions, Lenovo’s data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart collaboration continue to drive improvements and help the team to accelerate simulations and real-time data analysis, constantly transferring technology between the racing world and Ducati’s street bikes.
The first goal for the 2022 season is to complete the Remote Garage project, which allows engineers to receive data in real time and to interact with the garage and bikes while working remotely. Moreover, Ducati and Lenovo are committed to improving video conferencing both in the headquarters and in the garage. The aim is to better connect the virtual teams for successful collaboration, even from miles away.
“2021 was an important year for the Ducati Lenovo Team. We have strengthened our technology partnership – paving the way for bolder innovation in the new hybrid working world. We are proud to collaborate with Ducati, who share our core values of speed, dedication, team spirit and a focus on results. In line with our mission to enable intelligent transformation, we will continue to invest and innovate with Ducati to achieve increasingly ambitious goals in the fast-evolving industry of motorsports,” commented Luca Rossi, President of Intelligent Devices Group at Lenovo.
“To be competitive and achieve the best results, on and off the track, it is essential to have a clear idea of the central role of digital innovation and to rely on the support of the best partners. Thanks to the collaboration with Lenovo, we have accomplished important goals, such as accelerating data collection and analysis, thus speeding up the decision-making process. This is how we brought to circuits worldwide the bike that won the MotoGP Constructors’ World Title last season for the second year in a row,” said Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO. “Thanks to a passion for technological innovation that we share with Lenovo, we will continue moving forward in this direction, exploring tech solutions that will achieve even better results on the track, in serial production, and in corporate infrastructures.”
Lenovo Computing Power at Anytime, Anywhere
Lenovo has supported Ducati’s engineers and designers in the innovation of racing and street bikes since 2018, helping the company to reach maximum performance and enhanced levels of security.
Using High Performance Computing technology, based on Lenovo ThinkSystem SD530, SR630 and SR650 servers, Ducati has been able to simplify and accelerate data analysis concerning aerodynamics, fluid dynamics and stress tests. The improved computing power has allowed the company to obtain data and information in a third of the computation time and run almost twice as many simulations at the same time – making it easier for engineers to understand how the bikes will react to various weather conditions and continuously improve on track performance. In addition, Lenovo infrastructure grants high standards of data protection and has allowed Ducati to minimize the risk of dangerous and expensive downtimes.
Ducati has adopted the ThinkSystem SE350 edge server to boost connectivity and advanced real-time analytics, even in the most challenging environments. Lenovo’s server boasts a high computing power in an extremely small, versatile and easily portable device, bringing compute capabilities and AI features wherever you need them. Designed and built with the unique requirements of the Edge in mind, ThinkSystem SE350 can operate effectively in any location, even in extreme environments: from the Malaysian humidity, which could reach 90%, to the dry heat and the sand of Qatar. ThinkSystem SE350 allows engineers to manage in real time, wherever they are, about 15GB of data for each bike, and to produce customized insights for each rider that can be leveraged to take fast, well-informed decisions. Finally, the security tools integrated in the device allow automatic data encryption in case of tampering, helping to protect Ducati’s intellectual property and prevent data leaks.
Collaboration, productivity and mobility at its core
Ducati has deployed a new virtual desktop infrastructure, built in partnership with Lenovo. Over 250 2D and 3D virtual desktops are used across the organization from the R&D department to the garage. Ducati is benefiting from increased productivity as users can connect to their workstation whenever they want, wherever they are and from any device. Virtual desktops also help to simplify IT management and maintenance, to improve data protection and business continuity, as well as to optimize resources and allow professionals to focus on higher value-added tasks. Furthermore, thanks to the possibility of working on the move, Ducati designers can remotely collaborate in real time with the development team and the test rider during test phases, making changes to the design of the bike or of a single component based on the feedback received, reducing production times.
Everyone across the Ducati team – from managers, engineers, and riders – rely on Lenovo tablets, PCs and workstations to achieve the highest levels of collaboration, power and speed. Technicians use the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 mobile workstation, to analyze data coming from the bikes’ sensors in minutes and to study the lap statistics, compare them and optimize the bike setup.
Top management, on the other hand, rely on the innovative ThinkPad X1 Fold foldable PC to enjoy maximum productivity and mobility, whereas designers can count on the power of Lenovo workstations, including the ThinkPad P Series, for design and development using CAD software.
Driving towards an augmented future
Together, Ducati and Lenovo have big plans for the future. The two companies are already looking at how they can harness AI, machine learning and augmented reality to drive even greater levels of innovation in MotoGP. Reproducing the bike and its components virtually, in full size in a real context, will represent a differentiating factor accelerating future R&D, testing and maintenance, as well as of after-sales support for street bikes.
Jabra recently launched its new videoconferencing solution, the PanaCast 50. This new videoconferencing solution is created from the ground up in response to new business and future of work needs that arose from the ongoing global pandemic. The Jabra PanaCast 50 is designed and engineered to provide high-quality videoconferencing experiences for meeting participants while keeping them safe and always in compliance with workplace safety measures at the same time.
Patrick Khor, Country Manager, Enterprise, Jabra Singapore, said: “The new PanaCast 50 combines immersive video, world-leading audio technologies and cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) for a new way of hybrid work in the new normal.”
More natural and productive collaboration
Jabra leveraged technology to deliver intelligent zoom, active speaker detection, and other innovative capabilities – all to streamline and optimize the conferencing experience. This technology powers the Virtual Director feature to automatically adjust the frame, allowing Jabra PanaCast 50 to detect active speakers and the flow of conversation, thereby delivering a remote meeting experience that’s fully immersive and responsive.
Three 13-megapixel cameras create an immersive 180° field of view in Panoramic-4K that covers the whole room. Patented real-time video stitching technology uses advanced algorithms to decide exactly the right way to live-stitch the video streams together in real time with ultra-low latency. From single person calls to full team meetings, this intelligent technology always includes everyone in the most optimum way.
The PanaCast 50 also features eight beamforming microphones with precision voice detection which are backed up with intelligent algorithms that remove disruptive noise. Four powerful Jabra-engineered speakers – two 50mm woofers and two 20mm tweeters – in a zero-vibration stereo setup fill the room with premium, high-definition audio, while the latest 2-way audio technology delivers more natural conversations.
Enhanced workplace safety
Businesses need to ensure the safety of their employees in the workplace. Jabra uses Intel-powered AI to deliver real-time people detection and counting that helps promote compliance with infectious disease protocols. Because of its 180° field-of-view, PanaCast 50 can achieve 100% coverage of the meeting room and provides the best opportunity to count everybody in the room.
Additionally, through the network interface, longer-term analytics data is available for IT administrators, enabling the business to make data-driven decisions about how they’re utilizing their meeting spaces. Organisations will have an overview of how many rooms are being used, even when there is no active meeting, helping inform decisions on office space.
Data security
Security and privacy are top concerns for organizations. The Edge AI processing capabilities within the PanaCast 50 help keep sensitive data secure by eliminating the need to transmit video and audio data to the cloud. By performing the analysis directly on the device, cloud security and data-in-transit risks are removed from the collaboration experience. Additionally, because the experiences are powered on the device, not only are the risks of security breaches significantly minimized, the accuracy, speed, and overall quality of the experience are maximized.
Pricing and Availability
The Jabra PanaCast 50 is available in Black and Grey from all authorised Jabra distributors and resellers at a retail price of S$1,855.
We are currently in an era of minimised physical and face-to-face contact with people, from work to everyday living and activities. A new era requires a new and modern-day solution to innovate and adapt to the current and future needs. For the business owners, the LG transparent OLED signage might be of interest to you and on how you operate your business. LG Electronics (LG) presents a modern-day solution, LG Transparent OLED Signage x Coffee Kiosk, with the innovation of its transparent OLED signage, unveiling a 55-inch transparent OLED signage (model name: 55EW5F-A) installed at Singapore’s fully automated coffee kiosk, Ella, The Robotic Barista by Crown Digital.
Having knowledge of LG signage from my coverage a few years back, and having seen The Robotic Barista in action at various technology and media events some years back, it was fitting and easier for me to pick up and continue from here with the LG Transparent OLED Signage x Coffee Kiosk.
Ella, The Robotic Barista, by Crown Digital, this autonomous kiosk is situated at the first floor of Plaza Singapura, located along Orchard Road, Singapore’s largest retail downtown area. When you are at the coffee kiosk, you will be greeted with the LG transparent OLED signage and Ella, an AI-powered barista that sits behind the screen. If you are not sure on how to use this unmanned kiosk, information is available and it would be flashed on the transparent OLED screen. Thereafter, customers can place an order through an unmanned ordering system or a dedicated app. After they finished ordering, they can relax and watch the robotic barista in action, making coffee through the transparent screen.
The LG transparent OLED offers an elevated platform for information display via s see-through view and brings content to life by overlaying information over objects. Customers not only can admire how the coffee is made through the screen, watching the video being played on the screen simultaneously, allowing them to have an immersive experience while getting a quick caffeine fix.
How can the LG transparent OLED signage plays a role in your business or organisation?
From the example above with Ella, The Robotic Barista, it is meaningful as it signifies a blueprint for diverse opportunities for businesses, not just in retail and services, but also for other organisations and institutions such as schools, transport hubs, museums and banks. The transparent OLED signage provides a safe, seamless and contactless solution in the non-face-to-face era. They can also be used in the interior of autonomous vehicles or aircraft cabins in the future.
LG’s OLED technology features self-lighting pixels, maintaining accurate and vivid colours, delivering awe-inspiring picture quality even when viewing from wide viewing angles. The customizable and expendable design allows for the signage to be used in various ways, even tiled together to create an immersive large screen.
“Leveraging on the company’s expertise in OLED technology, our transparent OLED signage continues to deliver innovative, contactless solutions to accelerate digitalization of businesses in the new normal,” said Chun SungHo, Managing Director of LG Electronics Singapore. “We are excited to work with our partners to drive their business goals and tap on the unlimited potential of the usage of our screens.”
Jabra, the world’s leading provider of communication solutions, recently launched Jabra PanaCast, a smart panoramic-4K video conferencing solution with 180-degree vision. At a recent event held in Singapore, I had a first hands experience of viewing the Jabra PanaCast in action.
A small, lightweight and portable video conferencing device, I was impressed by its 180-degree vision and quality. When I was facing the Jabra PanaCast device, walking from left to right, viewing at myself on the television screen, I wasn’t pixelated or “stretched” when walking across in a panoramic manner. This shows the quality of the software, processing and editing powers behind the panoramic cameras.
During the demonstration of the Jabra PanaCast inside a huddle room setup, we experienced video conferencing in a small, and informal meeting environment. Alright, take a look at the photo below, spot the number of people in the huddle room! Jabra PanaCast can be used together with various business software solutions available in the market or just with your video camera function on your computer.
More than just video conferencing for businesses, can be used for other industries such as education and hospitals whereby the Jabra PanaCast was used for teaching purposes. The Jabra PanaCast can be mounted on the walls, below the TV monitor, it is just as portable, can be mounted on a lightweight table stand or on your laptop, something that you can bring for your meetings outside while on the move.
Whether you are a big or small business organisation, the Jabra PanaCast would definitely be a worthy consideration for your communication and video conferencing setup with partners and colleagues overseas. Other industries such as education and medical, they can also look into it too!
Let me share with you more information and details on the Jabra PanaCast below:
Wayne Lee, APAC Head of Products & Alliances, Jabra said: “We are excited to introduce Jabra PanaCast to help businesses in Asia achieve optimal collaboration and productivity through our expertise in sound and video technology. In this age of remote working and cross-country teamwork where seamless communication is critical, PanaCast takes business meetings to the next level with intelligent video conferencing that brings remote workers and huddle room participants closer for effective collaboration.”
As the world’s first intelligent panoramic video collaboration device, Jabra PanaCast has three 13-megapixel cameras working together as one through the built-in Jabra PanaCast Vision Processor. The multi-camera array solution offers a full 180-degree panoramic field of view to create a naturally immersive conference experience that fosters collaboration and enhances productivity.
Jabra PanaCast joins Jabra’s portfolio of solutions that enhance productivity through improved concentration, conversation and collaboration. With Jabra PanaCast, Jabra will be combining its 150-year expertise in sound with industry-first video technology to deliver the most collaborative huddle room experience to date.
Wall-to-wall coverage
Leading-edge cameras and microphones, fourth-generation stitching technology and Intelligent Vision software work as one to ensure optimal performance by Jabra PanaCast. With wall-to-wall coverage in panoramic 4K video, Jabra PanaCast enables companies to fully utilise their meeting spaces, eliminating the approximately 40 per cent room wastage seen with conventional camera solutions.
Using Artificial Intelligence to better manage resources
Jabra PanaCast’s built-in people detection technology can capture accurate usage and occupancy information. The advanced AI utilizes a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to count the number of people in the field of view, up to 12m away, and provide numeric data which organisations can use to guide decisions on calendar management, room utilisation and resource management, or to automate facility assets’ power management, such as TV monitors, lights, video conferencing equipment and more. The technology will be available through the Jabra PanaCast API built for the Windows operating system and can be used for large areas like classrooms, auditoriums and general gatherings.
Combining the best of video and audio
Jabra’s leading conference speakerphone series “Speak” can be paired with Jabra PanaCast to further optimise the conference experience, enabling users to hold meetings wherever they may be without having to compromise on clear audio quality. Jabra’s Speak boasts an omni-directional microphone and HD Voice – providing 360-degree coverage that picks up sounds from any angle.
Jabra PanaCast easily mounts on a digital display or on a wall with available mounting hardware. The USB-based connection allows connection to any compatible device for instant setup and mobile meeting capability.
Certified for Microsoft Teamsand compatible with other popular cloud-based solutions including Skype, Zoom, Cisco WebEx, Slack, Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting, Unify Circuit, BlueJeans and more, users can plug-and-play with these solutions in seconds by simply plugging the device into the computer USB port.
Key features and specifications:
Simple plug-and-play operation with no software required via a single USB cable
180-degree panoramic view seamlessly integrates video from three cameras with real-time dynamic stitching embedded in the Jabra PanaCast Vision Processor
Certified for Microsoft Teams
Naturally inclusive and immersive experience gives everyone equal participation
Crystal clear sound that picks up every voice in the room with Jabra Speak series
0% wasted space with industry-first multi-camera array system
Intelligent Vision (AI) senses, anticipates and adjusts automatically to meeting size
Industry-first Intelligent Zoom autonomously and continuously optimises the field of view to include everyone in the conversation
Jabra PanaCast Vivid 2.0 automatically adjusts the video properties to optimise the video experience under varying light conditions
Pricing and availability:
Jabra PanaCast is now available in Singapore at SGD $1,389 from all authorised Jabra business partners.
