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Acer Christmas Gift Guide 2022

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We are now into the month of December 2022, the final month of year 2022, this is also the festive Christmas season, a time for festive season celebrations, gatherings with family and friends! Time to buy Christmas gifts for your family, loved ones and friends! Planning to get a new laptop as a Christmas gift? Let me share with you: Acer Christmas Gift Guide 2022!

For working professionals adjusting to hybrid work

Acer Swift Edge 

The global pandemic COVID-19 has brought about huge changes to how we work and live. Employees now have to adjust between working from home and in the office, in a new hybrid future of work. Therefore, employees often have to carry their laptops around with them, thus having a portable laptop is the key.

The new Acer Swift Edge is the ideal solution, it weighs just 1.17kg and sports a stunning 16-inch 4K OLED. It is also a secured-core PC which safeguard sensitive user data, all being 12.95mm thin, perfect for professionals on the move in a new hybrid era of work.

The Acer Swift Edge is designed to help maximise the productivity and creativity demands of the present-day hybrid workforce, the 16-inch laptop is powered by AMD Ryzen™ 7 PRO 6850U and AMD Ryzen™ 5 PRO 6650U. The 4K OLED display showcases a 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut support with 500 nits peak brightness and less than 0.2ms response time.

It offers Wi-Fi 6E for high-speed wireless connections and file sharing, with essential ports aplenty such as HDMI 2.1, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports with fast charging capabilities, two USB Type-A ports, an audio jack, taking portable productivity and convenience to a whole new level.

Key features:

  • AMD Ryzen™ 5 PRO 6650U and AMD Ryzen™ 7 PRO 6850U
  • 16 GB / 32 GB of onboard LPDDR5 system memory
  • Wi-Fi 6E Wireless LAN
  • Windows 11 Pro
  • Microsoft Pluton, and biometric authentication
  • 1.17kg, 12.95mm thin

Pricing & Availability

The Acer Swift Edge is  available from S$2,298, you can purchase it from Acer Singapore’s e-store and other online marketplaces such as Shopee and Lazada.

For the eco-conscious user

Acer Aspire Vero

If you’re looking for a general-purpose laptop for your loved ones this Christmas, the Acer Aspire Vero is an affordable option with a sustainable twist.

Image credit: Acer

Available in both 14 and 15 inches, the new Aspire Vero uses a percentage of PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) plastic and OBP (Ocean-bound Plastic) in its build. In particular, the chassis utilises 30% PCR plastic and saves 21% in carbon emissions for its production of the paint-free chassis. It comes with the latest 12th generation Intel® Core™ processors and Intel® Xe Graphics, the new Aspire Vero is optimised for your productivity needs. Supported by two USB 3.2 Type-A Gen1 ports and a Thunderbolt 4/USB Type-C port to provide users with the essential ports for everyday use and fast connectivity. The packaging is also made with up to 90% recycled paper.

Key features:

  • Intel® Core™ i5-1235U processor and Intel® Core™ i7-1255U processor (only for the 14-inch model)
  • Intel® EVO™ platform
  • Windows 11 Home
  • Up to 16.5 hours (14-inch) and 13 hours (15-inch) of battery life on video playback
  • 30% PCR casing, 50% PCR plastic, OceanGlass Touchpad
  • Up to 90% Recycled Paper & 100% Recyclable New Packaging

Pricing & Availability

The Acer Aspire Vero is available from S$1,098, you can purchase it from Acer Singapore’s e-store and other online marketplaces such as Shopee and Lazada.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas 2022 in advance! Have a great and fun festive season and gatherings with your family, loved ones and friends! Happy Christmas shopping with Acer!

* Information and pictures courtesy of Acer and Gloo *

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Writer’s Day and Thoughts

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A writer’s day and thoughts, today I am writing from my own personal writer’s perspectives, thoughts, views and plans. It’s something different from my personal updates and reflections, also away from my technology and business media news coverage.

Official launch of my second photography zine

It’s finally official, I finally announced the launch of my second photography zine, a special theme zine on photography therapy and playbook. A personal project idea that came out from me handling my own personal situations during the ongoing global pandemic situation in 2021. Photography and writing were key factors that got me out from that rabbit hole.

More deep and personal insights can be read here inside this article that I wrote and published on my TGH Photography and Travel portal/blog. If you like to purchase my 2nd photography zine titled “TGH Photography Therapy Zine and Playbook”, it’s available on MagCloud.

TGH Photography Therapy Zine and Playbook

TGH Photography Zine Collection: TGH Photography Therapy Zine and Playbook

The motivation and story behind my second photography zine came about from some personal crisis in a middle of an ongoing global pandemic situation. There were a series of situations that took place in 2021.My second photography zine has a unique and special theme – photography therapy theme,…

Find out more on MagCloud

Reading Not Enough

I am not reading enough books, even though I am reading articles online, from both news outlets and writers from different genres. My books inside my cupboard are waiting for me to read them again or start reading them since I bought those books.

Time to go back reading “No Missing Tools: Creativity In An Age Of Abundance” by Fernando Gros, “The Little Book of Ikigai” by Ken Mogi and Taiwan street travel by Emico.

New books to read are “Klopp Bring The Noise” by Raphael Honigstein, “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck* by Mark Manson and “Goodbye, Things on Minimalist Living” by Fumio Sasaki.   

Writing Not Fast Enough

I am not writing fast enough, on both media news coverage, media events coverage, as well as personal and visual storytelling side. On one hand, it can be really exhausting, it’s also more challenging to bring my writing to the next level.

Would I be able to get back to a faster pace of writing? Let’s see how it goes, I realised that quality writing takes a bit more time than usual, I do produce better quality articles too.

What’s up next for my writing topics/projects?

What’s up next for my writing topics/projects? I would break it down into a few areas that I am working on:

Personal writing

This is where I provide updates and reflections on personal and business side of things aka ranting on a quarterly basis, sometimes along with half yearly and full year review updates as well. My personal writing is where I am able to write freely, sharing what I want to share on a personal basis. This is my personal avenue and platform to release them in my own words, thoughts and feelings.

Special interest

Over my years of writing, media news coverage on both technology, photography and travel sectors, I have also developed interests and concerns in topics that are close to my heart and mind.

Some areas that I am planning to go more in-depth are sustainability and climate change, future and developments of cryptocurrency and blockchain, and future of work.

Visual storytelling – photography and travel

A genre that I started in 2006, my visual storytelling adventures and journeys on my TGH Photography and Travel portal/blog, accompanying my photography portfolio website TGH Photography, in my content creation and social media marketing/digital marketing journeys.

I am thinking of a new book project for year 2023, either a photo book or a visual storytelling travel book. More information and updates would be shared when I am ready to announce.

There could also be a chance for projects or commissioned work here in Singapore or overseas for my visual storytelling skillsets and experiences as well.

15 years young in 2023

Founded in 2008, TGH Technology and Business portal/blogs turning 15 years young in January 2023. Since I haven’t celebrate any major milestone for TGH Technology and Business portal/blog, I might do a milestone celebration, maybe something similar to the 15 years milestone for my TGH Photography and Travel portal/blog in April 2021.

Journaling and Writing – Old School + Modern Technology

As I am making changes to my WFH workstation by adding a used 2017 Apple iMac 21.5, and hybrid remote working setup recently, adding a used Logitech Slim Combo keyboard for my Apple iPad Air 3, looking to add a few more peripherals soon to complete my content creation, photography and writing work, portable and on the move. I am trying out the Day One journaling app on my Apple iPad Air 3, typing down notes, thoughts and ideas while I am on the move.

During this period, I am also thinking about my journaling with notebooks for work/daily usage as well as a travelers notebook. Would I be able to combine old school + modern technology in my journaling and writing?

Next Stop – What would it be?

On board my writing and visual storytelling journey, coming to 15 years for this website. Next stop – What would it be? What are my goals, objectives and plans for my writing?

Let me think, let me plan, let me write it down.

Stay tuned, coming soon.

Business, Dreams, Essential Planning, Information Technology, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Personal Stories, Social Media

Jabra Connect 5t – True wireless earbuds for remote work

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Jabra, a world leader in personal sound and office solutions, recently announced the Jabra Connect 5t – True wireless earbuds for remote work. The Jabra Connect 5t is the 3rd product in Jabra’s Connect series line-up, joining the Connect 4h, a flexible headset, and the Jabra Connect 4s, a portable speakerphone, a range of products created for those who want to choose their flexible, remote working solutions at retail. The Jabra Connect 5t brings the benefits of true wireless earbuds to the series and promises to be a sound remote-working companion.

In this new future of work era, working from home is becoming a standard. Therefore, having the right tools and technology a top priority for most, if not all. According to Jabra’s Hybrid Ways of Working 2022 Global Report, 57% of employees are opting for a flexible work model while 28% are fully remote. With that in mind, the Jabra Connect 5t is engineered for those working from home looking for earbuds for both home working and leisure use.

 

Work from anywhere, anytime

For those who choose to work remotely, they should be just as efficient as working from the office. Jabra’s Connect 5t ensures that with its Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation and wind noise suppression. The earbuds have a combination of inward-facing and outward-facing microphones, cancelling noise from inside and outside of the ear and enabling hybrid working professionals to focus on calls without distraction.

The 6-mic call technology also mean high-quality and crisp audio on calls and 6mm speakers can power up your work playlist with rich sound. The earbuds also have SBC, AAC and Qualcomm® aptX™ codecs to enhance the sound even further.

Does the Jabra Connect 5t looks familiar to you? They are based on the recently announced Elite 5 earbuds, they allow you to stay connected to 2 devices at once, like a laptop and a smartphone, with its Bluetooth Multipoint feature. For Android or Windows users, the Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair will connect the earbuds in seconds, allowing effortless switching and manoeuvring. With the Spotify Tap playback, all the music the user could ever wish for is accessible on tap.

Users can get up to 7 hours in the buds, with up to a total of 28 hours with the included Qi-certified wireless charging case and pad. The fast charge feature gives users an hour of power in ten minutes – perfect for all-day calls.

“We all know the pains of having poor audio quality on calls or from being in a noisy environment. Our vision for the Jabra Connect line is guided by our desire for people to look and sound professional no matter where they are at home. Everyone should have the freedom and ability to work on the go, so the Connect 5t is a perfect addition to empower people,” says Calum MacDougall, SVP at Jabra.

The Jabra Connect line consists of the new Connect 5t, alongside the over-the-head Connect 4h which delivers a different call experience from the PC, as well as the Connect 4s which gives you a professional-grade speakerphone in your home for conference conversations.

Summary of the Jabra Connect 5t Key Features

  • 6-mic technology – Clear calls for virtual meetings
  • Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation – Blocks out surrounding noise for better concentration
  • Smart connectivity options – Connect to two devices at one time with the Bluetooth Multipoint connection and enjoy Google Fast Pair and/or Microsoft Swift Pair to be connected in seconds. Spotify Tap gives easy on tap access to music
  • Up to 7 hours battery, 28 hours with the case – All-day work calls. Wireless charging pad included
  • 6mm speakers – Ensures rich, satisfying sounds in and out of office hours
  • Hands-free voice assistants – Google Assistant (Android Only) and Alexa built-in for hands-free assistance on-the-go
  • Wireless charging pad included

Pricing and Availability

The Jabra Connect 5t will be available from 7th October 2022 in Jabra’s official store in Lazada and Shopee, MSRP S$258.

If you like to know more about the Jabra Connect 5t at https://www.jabra.com/connect5t. You can find out more about the other Jabra Connect products via Connect 4h and Connect 4s.

* Information and pictures courtesy of Jabra and Gloo *

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Dell Technologies Forum 2022 in Singapore – New SG and APJ findings on Digital Transformation

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Dell Technologies Forum 2022 in Singapore was held recently on 13th September 2022. This would be a technology conference/forum that I would like to attend however I wasn’t able to attend due to a clash of appointment/business commitments for that day. One of the key updates was on Dell research findings on digital transformation and change for Singapore (SG) and Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ).

On the subject of digital transformation / digital change, this has been one of my areas of interest over the past few years. When I read the Dell Technologies Forum Singapore 2022 – New SG and APJ findings on Digital Transformation, it was interesting, an eye opener and concern on the digital transformation journey in Singapore, and how the future of work is evolving right here in SG.

None of us can forget what the global pandemic that started in 2020 inflicted on the entire world, from personal living and how we work, the massive changes and impacts on our work, living, personal and mental well-being. Digital transformation over the past two years could be said to be accelerated beyond any precedent in the business and technology worlds.

Dell research on digital transformation in SG

What does Dell research on new SG and APJ findings on digital transformation speaks about our current state of digital transformation progress in SG?

Before we dive more into this, here are the key findings for Singapore:

  • In Singapore, 96% (APJ: 90%) of business leaders regard their people as their greatest asset
  • However, 75% (APJ: 67%) believe their organisations underestimate the people requirements when planning transformation programmes
  • Nearly 80% (APJ: 77%) of all Singapore employees also say their business needs to provide the necessary tools and infrastructure to work flexibly, in a way that suits everyone

After 2 years of accelerated digital transformation, 65% of IT leaders in Singapore (APJ: 45%) say their organisations do not know what it takes to digitally transform a workforce, with many employees now facing challenges in keeping up the pace according to a new Dell Technologies survey. 75% (APJ: 67%) of those surveyed in Singapore believe their organisations underestimate how to engage with their people properly when planning transformation programmes.

What do those Dell research results highlight?

The results from Dell research highlight how the recent period of accelerated digital transformation is leaving businesses and their workforce in need of time to recharge, reflect, and refine before embarking on new or iterating projects.

Even though there have been accelerated progress and efforts from the past few years, this research highlights how there is a potential for transformation to stall as 75% of respondents in Singapore believe it is their people’s resistance to change that can lead to failure.

Nearly 80% of Singapore respondents (APJ: 62%) fear they will be shut out of the evolving digital world due to a lack of people with the right authority or vision to capitalise on the opportunity – this is when an as-a-Service model becomes a favourable option for many businesses.

“To build a better future that works for all, we need to recognise that business success and employees’ wellbeing are inextricably linked. Our latest research highlights that sustainable digital transformation happens at the intersection of people and technology. To achieve an effective breakthrough, organisations should consider a three-pronged approach. First, provide employees with consistent and secure work experiences, not defined by where they work. Second, help drive productivity by augmenting human capabilities with technology tools to allow employees to focus on what they do best. Lastly, inspire employees through an empathetic culture and authentic leadership,” said Amit Midha, President, Asia Pacific & Japan, and Global Digital Cities, Dell Technologies.

“The future of work has shifted and will continue to evolve as teams and individuals find a process that works for them. The foundation of successful hybrid work models will involve personalised, consistent, disruption-free experiences, and will rely on a human-centric IT strategy. In Singapore, hybrid work options are now a top requirement for employees. People need easy access to the right tools to get the job done, whenever and wherever they are working. Companies should ensure the necessary tools and infrastructure are in place to empower their employees in achieving success,” said Andy Sim, Vice President and Managing Director, Singapore, Dell Technologies.

The time is now for organisations to take stock before embarking upon new digital transformation projects, ensuring their workforce is supported and has clarity on the next stage of implementation.

Readiness for Digital Change Benchmarks

Dell and independent behavioural experts studied survey respondents’ appetite for digital change and found that only 5% of the workforce in Singapore – from senior business leaders to IT decision makers and staff – are pursuing modernisation projects. Further more, around 50% of those surveyed are slow or reluctant to embrace change.

Here is the table of how the Singapore workforce is comprised today:

Breakthrough benchmark

1) Sprint: Will chase innovation and trailblazer technological change

5% (APJ: 7%)

2) Steady: Poised to adopt technological change, selected by others

35.5% (APJ: 41%)

3) Slow: Inclined to hold back and observe / deliberate

53% (APJ: 46%)

4) Still: Tend to anticipate problems and resist proposed technology innovations based on perceived risk

6.5% (APJ: 6%)

Future of Digital Transformation and Digital Change

What is the future of digital transformation and digital change like? This study charts a path forward with signposts opportunities for businesses to focus and keep pace with transformation, with breakthrough happening at the intersection of people and technology along three frontiers:

1. Connectivity

During the pandemic, businesses performed tremendous feats to connect, collaborate, and conduct business online during this period. However, this is not the end, they are not finished.

Nearly 80% of respondents say they need organisations to provide the necessary tools and infrastructure to work anywhere (along with autonomy to choose their preferred working pattern). In fact, the respondents worry that their people might be left behind because they do not have the right technology to shift to a highly distributed model (where work and compute are not tied to a central place but occur everywhere).

Technology alone is not sufficient. Businesses also need to make work equitable for people with different needs, interests, and responsibilities, including the 79% of Singapore employees that would like their organisation to do any of the following:

  • 39% (APJ: 46%) want organisations to clearly define their ongoing commitment to flexible work arrangements and the practicalities of making it work
  • 36% (APJ: 45%) would like to see organisations better equip leaders to effectively and equitably manage remote teams
  • 36% (APJ: 47%) want organisations to empower employees to choose their preferred working pattern and provide the necessary tools / infrastructure

2. Productivity

Time is limited for everyone, and there are now too few qualified candidates for open roles. In order to address all these strains, businesses can delegate repetitive tasks to automated processes and free-up people to focus on enriching, higher-value work.

At the present moment, only 38% say their work is stimulating and not repetitive. With the opportunity to automate more repetitive tasks, close to 7 in 10 respondents would look forward to learning new, sought-after skills and technologies, like leadership skills, courses in machine learning, or focusing on more strategic opportunities to elevate their role.

However, for businesses with limited budgets, they are concerned that they will not be able to advance their workforce and compete.

3. Empathy

Beyond hardware and technology, it is at the heart where businesses must build a culture, modelled by empathetic leaders, that treats people as their greatest source of creativity and value.

This Dell research shows that there is still work to do and empathy has to inform decision making – from simplifying technology for approximately half of Singapore employees who often feel overwhelmed by complex technologies, to tailoring change programmes to individuals’ skills.

Research Methodology

The fieldwork was conducted by market research company, Vanson Bourne, from August to October 2021, across 40+ locations from all regions around the world.

Base: Dell Technologies conducted a survey with 10,500 senior business decision-makers, IT decision-makers and knowledge workers (employees involved in digital transformation) across 40+ countries.

In Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ), there were 2,900 respondents across 11 locations that were surveyed. The locations in APJ include Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In Singapore, there were 200 respondents that were surveyed.

For more information

If you would like to read more about the Dell research findings, please visit here to read the full results.

You can also read the Perspectives articles series here: https://www.dell.com/en-us/perspectives/series/breakthrough/

* Information courtesy of Dell Technologies and BCW *

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Lenovo Experiential Day 2022

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Lenovo’s flagship event in Singapore – Experiential Day made a comeback in Singapore with its first in-person event in almost two years at JW Marriott Hotel South Beach. This was my first time attending Lenovo Experiential Day, it was an eye-opener for me to know more about Lenovo, the directions that they are heading in a new future of work and living, as well as the return of physical attendance events, it’s been some time.

Lenovo Experiential Day themes are on making digital transformation 2.0 front and centre, as the world is entering into new future of work, demonstrating how organisations can adapt to the changes and demands of work, how they can evolve their workplaces with smarter, more integrated, and personalised experiences. This Experiential Day underlines the Lenovo’s mission to deliver smarter technology to all, at a crucial period as more organisations face multiple headwinds.

Future of work, hybrid working arrangements, the changes are already here, both organisations and workers are finding common ground to make hybrid work a permanent configuration. At Lenovo Experiential Day, we were able to view and understand Lenovo’s vision fro end-to-end, service-led solutions featuring Lenovo’s extensive suite of devices, services and solutions through six immersive experience zones. Lenovo’s experts were on hand to share their expertise, experiences and how they could be applied in a new future of work.

This event provided its audience a peek into the smart workplace fo the future to demonstrate how CIOs can re-examine their IT infrastructure, while keeping in mind aspects of areas such as employee experience and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG).

Panel Discussion – “Reimagining A Smarter Future Together”

A robust panel discussion and conversation – “Reimagining A Smarter Future Together” was featured at Lenovo Experiential Day, it’s informative and insightful on a wide range of topics and discussions.

Moderated by award winning actress and serial entrepreneur Irene Ang, the panel featured Nigel Lee, General Manager, Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo Singapore, Clara Chen, Founding Managing Partner of Singapore Deep-Tech Alliance (SDTA) and Dr. Dennis Khoo, Managing Partner at allDigitalfuture, Bain External Advisor Singapore and author of Driving Digital Transformation.

“Lenovo Experiential Day 2022 is a great opportunity for us to showcase our solutions, from devices to software and services, all tightly integrated and presented in a narrative that highlights the impact that we are making to organizations and industries in Singapore,” said Nigel Lee. “We are putting a spotlight on our efforts as a service-led company in how we are bringing all these incredible technologies – Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality–into the world, and transforming experiences in the workplace and the classrooms of the future. And we are very proud that we are achieving this in a way that’s sustainable.

“In many ways, our goals are also made more impactful through our partnerships with like-minded organizations like Singapore Deep-Tech Alliance, to help Industry 4.0 startups bring advanced technologies to market at scale to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. We are also honored to be joined by Dr Dennis Khoo, a strategic partner, who is working with us to elevate organizations’ digital transformation here in Singapore. ”

How these technologies fit in the workplace of the future

How do all these technologies fit into the workplace of the future that businesses are moving towards into? Through an underlying workplace narrative play developed by Lenovo, featuring local actors from FLY Entertainment – Amy J Cheng, Andrew Marko, and Alan Wan.

Titled “Smarter Work at Play”, the actors brought to life the possibility of a brighter and smarter workplace with breakthrough technologies, aligning purpose with user-centricity to drive more positive experiences in everyday life.

Even though we may be from different industries, we were able to relate some of the work experiences and challenges we faced in the workplace, through the “Smarter Work at Play” experiences.

There are six zones to learn more about those experiences:

Lenovo Building & Workplace Solutions

This is showcased to the Singapore audience for the first time, featuring the launch of Lenovo’s new suite of building and workplace solutions to address a core challenge in the workplace today – the increasingly complex needs of a hybrid workplace.

Lenovo’s Workplace Solutions zone showed how solutions like simplified workspace booking, utilisation analytics, and smart facilities management coupled with professional services can help businesses provide employees with enhanced flexible working options, offering the benefits of both in-office interactions and remote work.

The Lenovo Workplace Solutions portfolio helps businesses and CIOs adapt to the hybrid work era with several workplace solutions, including:

  • Workspace Booking: Scheduling software offering real-time visibility on workspace occupancy enabling employers to manage capacity better, helps employees book facilities quickly to save time, and improves contact tracing with automated post-event reporting.
  • Workplace Analytics: Delivered via a dashboard providing real-time insights on space usage, based on non-invasive data from heat and motion sensors.
  • Digital Signage: Content management system that turns traditionally static displays and signages at high-traffic locales and touch points into visually-rich multimedia screens that is dynamically updated to convey important updates in a timely manner.
  • Smart Locker: Flexible self-service storage service enabling employees to store, pick up and drop off assets securely 24×7 with minimal fuss and reduced waiting time.
  • Smart Collaboration: All-in-one meeting room solution with video conferencing software and integrated devices that are easy to use and scale according to meeting sizes, protected by ThinkShield, a suite of security solutions to safeguard users’ privacy and data.

Lenovo Smarter Learning

In this zone, the highlight is Lenovo Aware, this is a software that provides users with health care solutions to help them better use of their PCs. They also provide an “Attention Function” to help users stay focused and motivated (we all can relate to this when using our PCs), while improving their hybrid working and learning experience.

Whether it’s for working parents managing their children learning remotely or professionals working on the go, Lenovo Aware addresses the challenge of excessive screen time, ensuing body posture and vision issues by using the PC’s built-in camera to detect the user’s body language and eye contact with the device. Activated within Lenovo Vantage, it is a manual opt-in service that reminds users to sit back from the screen, straighten their posture, or simply take a break from their PC to rest their eyes.

Smart Distance Learning

Not only do we have remote working, the world has also adopted remote/distance learning, from young children to adults, there is little doubt, no thanks to COVID-19 that brought about the changes in the way we work, study and live.  Not just applicable for teachers who need to prepare their remote learning materials, professionals as well, may need to prepare for trainings, workshops, and seminars virtually.

In this Smart Distance Learning zone, Lenovo demonstrated how devices, software, and services are being integrated to make it easy for attendees and presenters, and showed that setting up an engaging session virtually need not be a hassle.

“In many ways, Lenovo Experiential Day 2022 highlights that Lenovo is no longer just a device-centric company,” said Nigel Lee, “but an end-to-end solutions provider that is helping customers embark on their journey to digital transformation 2.0 in an era filled with increasing challenges but also tremendous opportunities.”

Lenovo ThinkReality

In 2020, the global pandemic situation COVID-19 became a catalyst for technology sectors such as extended reality (XR) technologies (both AR and VR) to help enterprises maintain business continuity and enable people to collaborate and work remotely more efficiently.

In this Lenovo ThinkReality zone, attendees were able to get a view of Lenovo’s ThinkReality A3 Smart Glasses. These augmented reality (AR) smart glasses are conceived for today’s world, it’s powered by Lenovo’s flexible XR software platform, they have a vital role to play across industries. In the manufacturing industry for example, Lenovo ThinkReality powered by holo|one software is giving Micron’s engineers the ability to keep production facilities running while helping the company meet growing demand for its products.

ThinkReality also lets business teams connect existing XR devices and add advanced new devices as they become available. The platform allows customers to develop and deploy apps and content remotely throughout the enterprise while managing devices and applications from a single interface.

Lenovo TGX Remote Workstation Software / Lenovo Self-Checkout Kiosk

In this zone, Lenovo demonstrated the flexibility and ease by which organisations can deploy high performance computing to their teams no matter where they are, allowing anyone in an organization to access their powerful workstations anytime, anywhere, securely. For example, with Lenovo’s ThinkStation P520 and ThinkPad P1 , organizations can harness the power of NVIDIA Quadro and TGX Remote Workstation software to decode and encode large databases and process graphically intense applications to bring greater responsiveness and performance to users for the best experience.

This zone also featured Lenovo’s Self-Checkout kiosks, retail solutions that seamlessly integrates offline and online channels to connect an organization’s front and back office for optimal efficiency.

Lenovo Future of Work

What does the Future of Work looks like? In this Lenovo Future of Work zone, it featured Lenovo’s Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) to help businesses arrive at more sustainable IT solutions, reflecting Lenovo’s goal of cutting the brand’s emissions in half by 2030. DaaS reduces the total cost of ownership for employee technology by carefully assessing an organization’s transformation initiatives and providing the right devices to the right users. It also offers organizations greater flexibility by giving them the option to incorporate hardware from other technology vendors to meet specific business needs. Ultimately, the lease-like model ensures organizations are keeping abreast with technology updates to provide the best experience to the workforce, while minimizing impact to the environment.

The showcase demonstrated how Lenovo Asset Recovery Services (ARS) and CO2 Offset Services mitigate security and environmental risks associated with new device procurement and end-of-life asset disposal. These services ensure organizations are procuring, managing, and disposing their technology hardware in a responsible and sustainable manner, while making sure that the entire process is legally compliant, secure, and consistently applied globally.

Lenovo Experiential Day 2022 – Digital Transformation 2.0 and beyond

Lenovo Experiential Day 2022 showcased digital transformation 2.0 and beyond, in a new hybrid future of work. Lenovo is more than just gadgets and devices company, they are into IT services, solutions and sustainability for their clients and consumers. Although the Experiential Day might seem more of a B2B / Enterprise technology solutions for business/organisations, they are just as applicable, catering to the end consumers too.

Digital Transformation 2.0 coupled with hybrid future of work and living are going to make technology (in both enterprise and consumer sectors) dynamic and interesting. How fast, how slow, how big and wide would all these digital transformations be, at this current juncture and beyond? Lenovo Experiential Day 2022 gave insights on the digital transformation 2.0, the forefront and directions that they are leading into the new future.

On a personal note, it’s been quite some time since I last attended an enterprise technology event, it’s good for the economy, technology, and MICE sectors to be back in action again.

* Information courtesy of Lenovo and WE Communications *

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“Better V-niverse” – Asia’s first big data technology conference in Metaverse

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“Better V-niverse” – Asia’s first big data technology conference in Metaverse. An upcoming event in May 2022, a strategic partnership by Asia’s leading big data company Vpon Big Data Group with metaverse service company BetterArena. This is Hong Kong’s first conference held in the metaverse.

“Better V-niverse” brings together leaders of the 4As agencies across the globe, members of the Interactive Advertising Bureau Hong Kong (IABHK), top creative talents from the advertising sector and digital advertising specialists. There are over 15 global brands gathering in an unprecedented form in the metaverse, all forward thinking experts that will be sharing their professional knowledge, dive deep into challenges of data technology development, big data solutions and prospects of the industry.

The conference also showcases the boundless potentials of the metaverse as the breakthrough technological advancement, coinciding with “Better V-niverse”’s theme to project into the future of technological economy by fostering in-depth discussion, exploring the latest form of business interaction together with industry experts and companies for the first glimpse into the age of the metaverse.

Mr. Arthur Chan, Vpon’s Chief Operating Officer, said, “We are honored to partner with BetterArena to host the first big data conference in the metaverse. The collaboration is not only a huge step for Vpon into the metaverse, but also an important milestone for the big data industry. Big data applications are not unlike metaverse’s virtual reality. Both create interaction by bridging online and offline realities (O2O), such as programmatic DOOH, which provides double exposure through linking outdoor advertising boards (offline) to mobile advertisements (online) by data importing. Vpon will work ceaselessly with leading figures in the technology industry to create a diversified and distinctive world of big data.”

“Better V-niverse” is coming to you in May 2022. There would be 13 sessions that integrate cutting-edge technology and knowledge exchange, covering the following topics in multiple-angles:

1) How tightening data usage policies affect data collection and digital marketing planning

  • Mainstream technology companies updating their mobile operating systems (e.g. iOS, Android), corporates’ policies to eliminate third party cookies, etc.

2) How Vpon provides the solution to businesses through purchase intent data and POI data (point-of-interest data)

3) How Vpon enriches its database through upcoming data solution products

  • Programmatic DOOH
  • Wee Global Data Marketplace

4) Future development and trends of the big data industry

The boom and rise in the metaverse, a new visionary virtual world is attributed to the global pandemic that gave rise to online events as many offline events were suspended or having to migrate online. Vpon and BetterArenea have a mission to connect the offline world with the online world, both organisations are joining hands to revolutionise conference platforms and the foundation of business interaction.

In Hong Kong’s first metaverse conference “Better V-niverse”, guests from various companies can exchange ideas and hold forums without the constraints of physical distance. Through the metaverse, attendees can immerse into a realistic experience with audiovisual experience comparable to face-to-face conferences.

BetterArena is a multi-function metaverse platform for entertainment, sports, brands and multiple intellectual properties. With the latest artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies, BetterArena creates a three-dimensional virtual space which provides immersive entertainment experiences and allows an effectively unlimited number of audiences.

As the extended arm of reality, the metaverse starts becoming the next stage for business and social activities after the Internet, writing a new page for human interaction. The metaverse can be integrated with leading technological products such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology, arming businesses for business expansion and bringing endless opportunities for the industry. The tech giants have seen the apparent potential that the metaverse holds and started betting big on it. Perceived as the next world-changing technology creation, metaverse cultivates a brand new series of business opportunities, such as activities and events held in it, its products and services, pushing the boundaries further beyond imagination.

Mr. Ivan Lau, CEO of BetterArena said, “As one of the world’s fastest-growing metaverse platforms, we are very excited to become a strategic partner of Vpon and to co-host Asia’s first big data forum in the metaverse, showcasing the unlimited potential of BetterArena. The metaverse is slated to be a game changer in the next few years, with the potential of radically changing the way people interact. At BetterArena, we will continue to invest in the latest technology to enhance virtual reality experience and explore more application scenarios.”

* Information courtesy of Vpon Big Data Group, BetterArena and Ascension Communications *

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Schneider Electric Easy UPS for Home and Small Office

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In a fast paced world today powered by laptops, tablets, smartphones, 5G technology and social media, the new age working style is moving towards a hybrid style of office and home/remote, especially if the organisation they are working for allows and encourages such form of hybrid working format. On the other hand, for small business owners and freelancers, some might even adopt working from home or using their home as their home office.

When the global pandemic hit the world in 2020, our daily life and work were heavily disrupted, many people are working from home. Till date, many are still working from home, this also mark the start of hybrid future of work that is already upon us.

Hybrid Future of Work / Work From Home

The hybrid future of work is upon us. This accelerated changes are brought upon by this ongoing global pandemic, our daily life and working life is not likely for it to return back to its former self pre-pandemic time. The hybrid future of work would be a mixture of both office and working from home (WFH). For some small business, they might go into a home office setup, meetings can be conducted remotely or in person with their colleagues/partners outside.

A hybrid future of work requires changes to their technology and IT setup. For most people doing a home office setup, they would usually go for the usual technology gadgets such as Wi-Fi wireless router networks, laptop, desktop, tablet and a home office printer.

However, times have changed, technology has changed and improved. Home office or even a small office setup goes beyond that, we have more gadgets not just in our work, in our leisure too. Some of us would have our own personal cloud storage device at home, gaming consoles etc. For some small business owners, or those into IT services, they might have servers, data centres and additional storage backups as well.

There is one device that doesn’t grab the headlines or even ring a bell to most people, this device would be crucial and essential for small business and home office/business setup, it’s known as UPS.

What is a UPS? Why would I need a UPS for my home office?

What is a UPS? A UPS is an Uninterruptible Power Supply that offers you, the home user or home office/business owner, power and surge protection for your selected devices in the event of power failure. In your office working environment, you might see the UPS in action. For most home or home office/business users, it’s not a common concept for them to have a UPS at home for personal usage or for your home office/business usage.

I still remembered my working days in the front office of a hospitality services business many years back. Inside the backend office of the front office, they have UPS devices for some of the computers running in the background. I still vividly remembered handling the UPS for the first, a learning experience for me at that time.

We are now living in a different era of hybrid future of work, we are working from home (WFH) as well as in the office, or running your own small business from your home. Besides that, we are living in a gadgets connected world from desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets, storage devices and many more technology peripherals.

The APC by Schneider Electric Easy UPS

The APC by Schneider Electric Easy UPS offers a wide range of UPS solutions for home and small office/business customers.

One of the Easy UPS models is the BVX700LUI-MS shown in the photo above. Setting up is not difficult at all, I strongly recommend that you read the User Manual Easy UPS before setting up for your home or small office especially on where you should place the Easy UPS.

Choose a location to place the Easy UPS, take note to avoid

  • Direct sunlight
  • Excessive heat
  • Excessive moisture
  • Excessive dust/dirt
  1. Connect the battery by pulling the battery handle up, followed by pushing it into the UPS unit.
  2. The next step is to connect your equipment (your decision on which equipment is crucial for your home or small office/business).
  3. Avoid using extension cords
  4. Plug the Easy UPS power cord directly into a wall outlet.
  5. Press the ON/OFF button to turn on the unit. Once the green “Power On” indicator is showing, this confirms that the Easy UPS is on and ready to provide protection.

How you want to place/setup your Easy UPS is entirely up to you in your home, home office or small office. We all have different working styles and arrangements that would result in various locations/ways to setup your UPS and protecting your key technology devices. It has a compact size form factor (this BVX700LUI measures 138 x 98 x 310mm) that can easily fit into your home, home office/business or small office/business setup.

Operational Features

This Easy UPS has an operational feature known as Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR). In simple term for the less technology savvy user, AVR provides power stabilisation, taking care of your equipment that is plugged into the Easy UPS, allowing them to operate during low/high voltage conditions, conserving the battery power in the event of a power cut.

When you look closely at the Easy UPS BVX700LUI-MS, there is a USB charging port for smartphones and tablets. This charging port provides a maximum of 5V 1 A DC power, it will charge the connected smartphone or tablet when the UPS is on line mode, battery mode and off charging mode.

Should I get an Easy UPS?

If you are a home office/business user or small office/business user, having a UPS is highly recommended for your business. Such devices are not attractive enough to gain your initial attention and business planning, however they can be crucial and important to ensure your smooth business operations without technological or equipment disruptions (such as your Wi-Fi wireless router and cloud storage device) whether you are operating in your office or your home office.

If you are a home user and have a number of technology gadgets in use shared by your family members. Having a UPS in your home to protect your shared family cloud storage solution or Wi-Fi wireless router is ideal for your consideration.

If you are a medium to big sized organisation, UPS would definitely and already be part of your business and IT setup. For those who haven’t do so, the time is now for your organisation to add UPS into your business and IT setup. Planning to upgrade or change your UPS setup, do check out the devices and solutions available.

For home, home office/business and small office/business owners, if you feel that the Easy UPS model BVX700LUI-MS is suitable and fits your needs, do visit their website and check out more information and technical specifications on this Easy UPS model.

Additional Information and details on Easy UPS range

For more information and details on the various UPS models from the APC by Schneider Electric Easy UPS, as well UPS devices and solutions for your medium to big sized organisations, please visit https://www.apc.com, choose your home country and check out the models on offer in your market.

Most home users would not consider having a UPS in their home unless they have family or relatives working in IT or technology related industries that understand on how a UPS can play an important role in a home setup. This might be the time for home users to consider having a UPS from the APC by Schneider Electric Easy UPS for their home.

Small office/business owners, ensuring smooth business operation is crucial. An essential device such as a UPS helps your business with that assurance.

I would like to thank Schneider Electric and GLOO for the opportunity to review the Easy UPS.

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Moledao launched global Web 3.0 Hackathon for blockchain enthusiasts

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Moledao, a social platform for blockchain enthusiasts, recently announced its Web 3.0 Hackathon. This pioneering global hackathon will held in the metaverse, it’s taking place from 15th November 2021 to 9th January 2022. The future of Web 3.0 is that the vision for the next internet generation that is decentralised, verifiable and secure.

Participants are invited to work on real-life solutions related to the main hackathon theme of Web 3.0 with the three recommended tracks:

1. Multi-chain Decentralized Applications (dApps) – create cross-chain interoperability solutions

2. Metaverse – create a purpose-built metaverse or build on top of existing metaverses

3. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) – build and govern truly community-owned DAO initiatives

For those participants in Web 3.0 Hackathon, they will have the opportunity to obtain VC institutional investment, industry mentorship and there is a total of $100K in grants and prizes to be won. Moledao, a global blockchain eco-system builder wants to bring the best developers together to turn innovative blockchain ideas into reality and that is why they are hosting Web 3.0 Hackathon to support this goal.

Web 3.0 Hackathon is supported by Bybit, BitDAO, Web3 Collective and Blockchain Infrastructure Alliance, which includes established organizations like EthSign, Mask, Torus, Biconomy, Polygon, PingCAP, and Alchemy Pay. The hackathon aims to be a platform that empowers developers to create projects that are innovative, user-friendly and applicable in real-life.

Bybit co-founder and CEO Ben Zhou explained, “Web 3.0 is an exciting space to be in. We now have an opportunity to wrestle back power from the few Web 2.0 giants and return it to the greater internet community. We are delighted to support Moledao’s hackathon, and help encourage and empower developers to build the Web 3.0 future together.”

Co-founder of EthSign (Web3 Collective Initiator, a consortium of Web 3.0 projects) Potter Li commented, “Blockchain innovations that make low-cost decentralized computing and storage possible give rise to Web3 applications that have user experiences as frictionless as Web2 applications. EthSign is built on this vision. We wish to partner with leading Web3 projects to push forward the development and adoption of the decentralized internet.”

“Our goal is to solve the key infrastructure problems to help advance the entire blockchain industry. The vision of Alchemy Pay and BIA are quite aligned with Moledao’s Hackathon. We believe in blockchain and crypto services that provide utility and benefits readily accessible to the rest of the world and look forward to more innovations in these areas,” said John Tan, Founding Partner of Blockchain Infrastructure Alliance (BIA).

A new future of the internet, the new Web 3.0 is here. They are new, they are exciting things that are gradually shaping the future, that would bring about our reality closer to the Web 3.0 dream. For more information on Web 3.0 Hackathon, check out the following links below:

Moledao website

Registration: https://www.moledao.io/#/hackathon

Event communication channel: https://discord.gg/5m4w49uXJg

General community discussion: t.me/moledao 

* Information courtesy of Moledao *

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Relocating your business and all your tech

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Finding that you have to relocate your business either through growth or rental issues can be a real headache and not only from the point of view of the relocation itself. It can be difficult when it comes to finding that other location and then the problem with staff as well as protecting all your business tech and heavy equipment.

Moving business premises is not something that should be decided on in a heartbeat but a decision that should be considered from every angle and not just from the boss’s point of view.

Finding location

Depending on how established your business is and what your business actually does will depend on the type of site that you are looking for. If budgets are tight, then looking at prime locations may not be an option, and this is perfectly ok.

With most businesses operating and relying mainly on the internet for locating their customers as well as their suppliers, location is not as important as perhaps it once was unless, of course, you want to use it as a status symbol of how well your business is doing.

This is all well and good if you have lots of customers traipsing through your doors day in and day out. However, if you do not, you could just be wasting money on an unnecessarily expensive rent.

Moving equipment

Moving equipment may not be an as bigger issue as you think. There are plenty of moving businesses out there that would be happy to oblige you and give you a quote, but when it comes to heavy equipment transport, you may need the help of other professionals.

You can get the cheapest shipping quotes by using the services of a shipping broker, which will also save you valuable time, entering your details once in order to get multiple quotes from various businesses that will be happy to help you in getting your business equipment from A to B with no stress or hassle.

Enticing your employees to stay with you

Of course, when you are thinking of moving your business, you will also have to think about your employees and whether they will be willing to relocate with you if you are moving some distance.

With the modern way of working, hybrid or remotely for office staff, this then becomes a much easier decision. However, when it comes to manufacturing staff, there could be more issues attached.

Hiring a whole new workforce is an expensive idea, especially if you are going to have to train them before they can be let loose on any of your products. New trainees will be slow at first. Learning tricks of any trade does take time, especially if there are no experienced employees to learn from. Then you have the other issue of if you take some experienced employees with you, how happy are they going to be about teaching others to take their colleagues places should their colleagues not have been given the same opportunity as they received in relocating. Think about this carefully before you move.

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Singtel Home Priority – Singapore’s first customised fibre broadband service for larger homes

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Singtel recently launched Home Priority – Singapore’s first customised fibre broadband service for larger homes. A new future of work is upon us, a hybrid working environment in both office and home due to the changes brought upon by this ongoing global pandemic situation. More people are working, learning and playing from home following the change in lifestyle arising from this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, there has been a growing demand for faster and seamless home broadband experience. This new offering by Singtel, Home Priority, comes with free premium equipment, bespoke installation by Singtel’s team of specialists and priority service. Home Priority offers an end-to-end solution for customers living in larger homes who seek high speed and lag-free connectivity throughout their home through simplified setup, fuss-free installation and quick support.

For customers living in multi-storey homes can opt for the Home Priority Plus Plan at S$128 per month. The 24-month subscription offers a combined 2Gbps bandwidth on a single Fibre Broadband and comes with an Optical Network Router (ONR) and four units of Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6 Mesh (U.P. S$1,598). With Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6 Mesh’s tri-band technology, customers no longer need to switch between networks when they move from different floors. It offers a superior WiFi experience, with wide coverage of up to 10,000 sq ft and the ability to connect up to 40 devices simultaneously without compromising speeds.

If you are a Home Priority Plus customer, you will get also get a complimentary home site survey by Singtel’s team of technical specialists ahead of the installation of their service. These specialists will provide customers with consultation services and identify the optimal implementation of Wi-Fi 6 to ensure the best home connectivity.

For those living in single storey homes, they can sign up for Singtel’s Home Priority Plan at S$88 a month. The 24-month subscription offers a combined 2Gbps bandwidth on a single Fibre Broadband and comes with an ONR and four units of Singtel Mesh Extender (U.P. S$720).

Installation is free for both Home Priority and Home Priority Plus sign-ups. During installation, Singtel will provide tailored recommendations such as looking at the property’s floor plans to maximise connectivity and minimise dead spots. A coverage check is also conducted before and after installation.

In addition, subscribers of both plans will enjoy faster access to broadband service support when they call Singtel’s Customer Care Hotline at 1688. For unresolved issues which require an on-site visit, they can expect to be served by a Singtel technician within two hours.

For more information on Singtel Home Priority, please visit https://www.singtel.com/personal/products-services/broadband/homepriority

* Information and picture courtesy of Singtel *