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WhatsApp went down globally for about 2 hours in yet another major outage! Here is what you need to know…
WhatsApp Down Globally In Another Major Outage!
WhatsApp went down globally for about 2 hours, in yet another major outage!
At around 3 AM Eastern Time / 3 PM Malaysia Time, WhatsApp users started getting disconnected from the messaging service, leaving them with a perpetual “Connecting” message.
Those using WhatsApp Web or Desktop were struck with the dreaded “Make sure your computer has an active Internet connection” error message.
Meta spokesperson Joshua Breckman acknowledged the problem, saying:
We’re aware that some people are currently having trouble sending messages and we’re working to restore WhatsApp for everyone as quickly as possible.
Fortunately, this time, only WhatsApp is affected. Other Meta services, like Facebook, Messenger and Instagram, are still working fine.
Meta also managed to get it back online for most users in 2 hours, during which, people were “forced” to try out alternative messaging services like Telegram, Viber, Line and yes, even WeChat!
We know people had trouble sending messages on WhatsApp today. We have fixed the issue and apologise for any inconvenience.
Almost A Year To Last Major WhatsApp Outage!
This new global outage comes almost on the first anniversary of last year’s major outage which took out not only WhatsApp, but other Meta services like Facebook, Messenger, Oculus and Instagram!
That outage, which lasted about six hours, was caused by configuration changes they made to their backbone routers. Not because 13 year-old hacker Sun Jisu hacked them.
It is now believed that the changes were made to Facebook’s Border Gateway Protocol, a mechanism that exchanges routing information to help figure out the fastest route for any request.
Apparently, the changes “withdrew” Facebook services from the DNS system, making it impossible for anyone to connect to them.
Even worse, Facebook ran their own systems through the same servers, so everything from engineering tool, messaging services and even security systems that controlled the key fob locks were no longer accessible.
So their engineering team had to rush to their data centres to manually reset the servers there.
Needless to say, this will be a big wake-up call for their engineering teams, and in the words of Russell Peters – “Somebody’s gonna get a hurt real bad!”
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Two Chinese spies were caught interfering with US federal prosecution of Chinese telecommunications company, HUAWEI!
Chinese Spies Caught Interfering With HUAWEI Case!
On Monday, October 24, 2022, the US Justice Department announced charges against two Chinese citizens, who were accused of working to undermine federal prosecution of Chinese telecommunications company, HUAWEI.
The charging documents charged two People’s Republic of China (PRC) citizens of two counts of money laundering, and one count of obstructing an official proceeding, specifically interfering with the pending prosecution of HUAWEI by the Eastern District of New York (EDNY).
Gouchun He, who is also known as Dong He or Jacky He, and
Zheng Wang, who is also known as Zen Wang
The US Justice Department called them intelligence officers of the PRC conducting foreign intelligence operations targeting the United States, on behalf of the PRC government and for the benefit of Company-1 (HUAWEI).
How These Chinese Spies Were Caught Interfering With HUAWEI Case!
The US Justice Department’s charging documents tell a really compelling story of how the two Chinese spies were foiled by the very asset they recruited.
When US Department of Justice apparently began their investigation of HUAWEI in 2017, Gouchun He and Zheng Wang recruited a US law enforcement official around February 2017. Unbeknownst to them, the official they recruited as their asset became a “double agent” for FBI supervision.
He and Wang began asking the official for sensitive information about the US government’s criminal case against HUAWEI, and received payment in return:
approximately $14,000 in cash
jewellery worth approximately $600
approximately $61,000 in Bitcoin
The official also received payments unrelated to this case (suggesting He and Wang asked for information on other cases) :
After charges were announced against HUAWEI around January 2019, Gouchun He and Zheng Wang repeatedly asked their agent for secret information regarding the investigation and prosecution of HUAWEI:
September 2021 : The official was asked to provide information on meetings with the prosecution team at the US Attorney’s Office for EDNY on strategising for the jury trial.
October 2021 : In response to a request for documents, the official passed Gouchun He a document marked SECRET that purportedly claimed to discuss a potential plan to charge and arrest two HUAWEI principals residing in China.
The official was paid $41,000 in Bitcoin for that single page, and later paid another $20,000 in Bitcoin the same month.
December 2021 : Gouchun He told the official that HUAWEI “demanded to communicate with him/her directly”, but he allegedly “refused it” because “it’s too dangerous”.
The US official repeatedly indicated that he/she knew and expected the materials he/she passed would be shared with HUAWEI, and Gouchun He and Zheng Wang never denied that they would be sharing the documents or information with HUAWEI.
In fact, when the US official handed them the SECRET document, Gouchun He explained, “HUAWEI didn’t give me specifically feedback now yet [about the document], but they are obviously interested in it, and my boos and they need further information”
Both Gouchun He and Zheng Wang then asked the US official for information on witnesses who were working with the US government to prosecute HUAWEI.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The owner of Kalypso Media – Simon Hellwig – has suddenly died at 46, leaving the company in hands of co-managing director Dr. Anika Thun.
Kalypso Media Owner Simon Hellwig Dies At 46… 🙁
On Tuesday, October 18, 2022, Kalypso Media announced that its owner and joint Managing Director, Simon Hellwig, has suddenly passed away. In his place, co-managing director Dr. Anika Thun will continue to run Kalypso Media.
Simon Hellwig and Stefan Marcinek founded Kalypso Media in 2006, and the company is best known for its strategy game titles, including the Tropico and Railway Empire series.
From its humble beginnings in Worms, Germany, Kalypso Media has since expanded into England, France and North America. It also owns five development studios including Realmforge Studios, Gaming Minds Studios, Bulwark Studios, Claymore Game Studios and Nine World Studios.
Before the antivax ghouls come out to blame his sudden death on the COVID-19 vaccines, let me just say it right now – there is NO EVIDENCE that Simon Hellwig died from vaccine-induced sudden death – SADS / VDS / VIDS or whatever you want to call it.
While Kalypso Media did not state Simon Hellwig’s cause of death, its official statement is framed by black ribbons, which are often used as a symbol of skin cancer / melanoma awareness. So it seems quite likely that Simon Hellwig died from melanoma or skin cancer.
Official Statement By Kalypso Media On Death Of Simon Hellwig
Here is the official statement by Kalypso Media on the death of its co-founder and owner, Simon Hellwig.
Bracknell, UK – (18th October 2022) – Kalypso Media Group are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Simon Hellwig, company owner and joint Managing Director.
As was always planned for Simon’s succession and the future of the business, Dr. Anika Thun will continue to lead as Managing Director with the support of senior management and the entire company group. Simon leaves behind a hugely successful business and legacy that we, as a group, endeavour to maintain. Simon’s vision was clear and we are committed to fulfilling it and continuing the growth of the company in honour of his legacy.
Simon co-founded Kalypso Media in 2006 and oversaw its notable growth. Now proudly standing at over 200 global employees at offices across Germany, England, France, Japan and North America, the group currently includes the digital label Kasedo Games and five development studios: Realmforge Studios, Gaming Minds Studios, Claymore Game Studios, Nine Worlds Studios and Bulwark Studios.
Simon’s business acumen and affection for the video games industry began from an early age. Whilst others were developing homemade games in their bedrooms, Simon instead would buy and sell them to magazines. His love of one of the earliest play-by-mail strategy games, Gladius et Pilum, not only combined his interests in gaming and history but also established a lifelong passion for historical strategy games.
This enthusiasm for the industry culminated in his diploma thesis ‘Development of a Business Plan for the Foundation of a Company in the Entertainment Software Industry’ which would go on to define the expectations and aims of the Kalypso Media Group. These goals were met and exceeded over the last sixteen years, in which Simon and his team grew Kalypso to become a name in the industry that continues to stand for quality strategy and simulation games.
Kalypso Media has lost an enormously well-respected leader and friend. Throughout his sixteen years at the helm, Simon consistently inspired those around him through his dedication to his team, the business and the wider industry. His brilliant vision and his endless enthusiasm knew no bounds and he will be immensely missed by his Kalypso Media family and friends within the industry. As a family business, Anika and Simon were united as partners in every way and this loss is immeasurable. Our thoughts are with all those who were dear to him.
Our deepest condolences to Simon Hellwig’s family, and the Kalypso Media team.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Malaysia Election Commission (SPR) has confirmed that they will work through the weekend, and will register all postal voters until October 23!
Please share this news out, and ask overseas Malaysians to continue register as postal voters!
Claim : SPR Will Not Register Postal Voters During Weekends / Holidays
The Malaysia Election Commission (SPR) earlier announced that early voting would begin on November 15, followed by voting for General Elections on November 19, 2022.
The SPR also announced that the last day for postal voters to register to vote by mail is Sunday, October 23, 2022.
However, overseas Malaysians trying to register to be postal voters were confronted with this notice when trying to register for their MySPR account (with my English translation) :
Sila ambil perhatian perkara berikut
Permohonan yang dihantar pada jam 8.00 pagi hingga 12.00 tengah har waktu bekerja akan diproses pada hari yang sama sebelum jam 5.30 petang.
Permohonan yang dihantar selepas jam 12.00 tengah har waktu bekerja akan diproses pada hari bekerja berikutnya sebelum jam 5.30 petang
Permohonan yang dihantar pada Sabtu, Ahad atau Hari Kelepasan Am akan diproses pada hari bekerja berikutnya sebelum jam 5.30 petang
Please take note
Applications sent between 8.00 am and 12.00 noon during working hours will be processed on the same day before 5.30 pm.
Applications sent after 12.00 noon working hours will be processed on the following working day before 5.30 pm
Applications sent on Saturday, Sunday or Public Holidays will be processed on the next working day before 5.30 pm
In other words – overseas Malaysians have to apply for their MySPR account before 12 PM on Friday, October 21, or be automatically disqualified to register as postal voters.
Confirmed : SPR Will Register Postal Voters Until October 23!
I contacted the Bersih team regarding this issue, and I have great news – SPR will continue to process applications through the weekend, as these are not ordinary times.
Now that the 15th General Elections have been called, the SPR is working through the weekend and holidays to process MySPR applications and register postal voters.
SPR will accept all MySPR account applications and register postal voters until 11:59 PM on Sunday, October 23, 2022!
We’re in touch with @sprgovmy. They’ve assured us that they will be working this weekend. This is not ordinary times.
⏰ Deadline for postal registration is Sunday, 23 Oct, 11.59 pm (GMT+8)
So please help us spread the word, and encourage overseas Malaysians to sign up as postal voters for GE15!
Please also share with them my step-by-step guide on how to register for their MySPR account, and register as postal voters.
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Indonesia has stopped the sale of all medical and cough syrups, and liquid medication after 99 children died, amidst an unexplained spike in acute kidney injuries.
Indonesia Bans Sale Of Cough Syrups + Liquid Meds!
On Thursday, October 20, 2022, Indonesia banned the sale of all syrup and liquid medication, including cough syrups.
This decision follows the deaths of 99 children, and 206 cases of acute kidney injuries in children, mostly under 6 years of age.
As a precaution, the ministry has asked health workers in health facilities not to prescribe liquid medicine or syrup temporarily.
We also ask that drug stores temporarily stop all sales of non-prescription liquid medicine or syrup until our investigations are completed.
– Indonesia Health Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Syahril
Indonesia Ban Of Cough Syrups + Liquid Meds : What’s Going On?!
Just a week ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) linked four cough syrups made in India to the deaths of more than 60 children who suffered acute kidney failure in The Gambia, West Africa.
WHO suspected that the four cough syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited of India, contained “unacceptable amounts” of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, which can damage the brain, lungs, liver and kidneys.
India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organizatio immediately shut down Maiden Pharmaceuticals’ factory in New Delhi where these cough syrups were made.
In view of the seriousness of the contraventions observed during the investigation and its potential risk to the quality, safety and efficacy of the drugs being produced, all the manufacturing activities of the firm (are) being stopped with immediate effect.
The cough syrups that killed so many children in The Gambia though were not sold in Indonesia, according to the Indonesian food and drugs agency.
However, Indonesian Health Ministry Budi Gunadi Sadikin said today (Thursday, October 20) that the same toxic substances – diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol – were detected in syrups found in the homes of some of the affected children.
He added that the number of acute kidney failure cases could be higher than reported, so his health ministry was taking the conservative approach by banning the sale of all medical syrups and liquid medication.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The lead designer for Fallout 76 and the Dragon Age series – Ferret Baudoin – died suddenly on October 15, 2022…
Fallout 76 Lead Designer, Ferret Baudoin, Has Died… 🙁
Bethesda Softworks senior designer Eric “Ferret” Baudoin, who was the lead designer on Fallout 76 and the Dragon Age series, has died.
According to a Facebook tribute page, he “passed suddenly”, “surrounded by his family” on Saturday, October 15, 2022.
Help keep the Lore Keeper’s lore alive. On October 15, 2022, legendary game designer Ferret Baudoin passed suddenly. He is surrounded by his family. He loved real life as much as games. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, and son.
It also asked that Baudoin’s fans help his children go to college by donating to “buy Ferret Baudoin a coffee“.
In Ferret Baudoin’s long career, he has touched the lives of many gamers through the games he worked on:
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (designer)
Dragon Age: Origins (Leader Designer/Writer)
Dragon Age II (Lead Designer/Writer)
Dragon Age: Inquisition (Designer).
He also worked for Black Isle and Obsidian and had been designer on the cancelled Fallout Van Buren title.
After joining Bethesda he served as Quest Designer & Writer on Fallout 4 and was also a Senior Designer on the yet to be released Starfield.
Eric chose to be credited as Ferret Baudoin as his preferred name. One Redditor claimed that Baudoin was already using that nickname in 1989 when he was a college freshman, but was very secretive about its meaning or origins.
I lived in the dorm room next to him for three years and he was best man at my wedding, and I don’t know where it came from,” they wrote. “I do know he had fun with it when he visited Ireland. At the time there was a fad in the country that involved shoving a ferret down your trousers, and he used it as a pick-up line!
Ferret Baudoin was with Bethesda Softworks for 10 years, before his untimely demise.
Eric Ferret Baudoin Died From Complications Of Cancer Surgery
Before the antivax ghouls come out to blame his sudden death on the COVID-19 vaccines, let me just say it right now – Ferret Baudoin died from complications of cancer surgery.
His cause of death was NOT the COVID-19 vaccine, but complications encountered during a surgery he underwent for his cancer.
Baudoin’s sister revealed that it was “painless for him”, and Ferret was “in very good spirits” before the surgery, and that he was “surrounded by family and friends”.
Credit goes to Redditor ken4656 who spoke directly to Baudoin’s family, and found out more about his untimely passing:
His passing was sudden and stemmed from complications from cancer surgery. Many of us have had cancer visit close to home and can empathize how hard this fight is. In the words of his sister, “fortunately it was painless, and he was in very good spirits. Surrounded by family and friends.”
His family only now through the outpouring of support from colleagues and fans alike in gaming how impactful his work was. His children are still young, and he only had 11 years with them. At the very least we wanted them to know what their Dad did, today and years from now when they look back on his legacy in gaming.
The family is asking that donations be to his children’s college fund, or the American Cancer Society.
Fans Leaving Memorial Messages In Fallout 76 For Ferret Baudoin
Some of Ferret Baudoin’s fans have started to leave memorial messages in Fallout 76 for him.
They are being asked to share those tributes on social media with the hashtag #ThanksFerret, so his sister can collect them to share with his family.
Here is a selection of his fans’ messages in Fallout 76:
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Elon Musk just stumbled on a great way for SpaceX to make more money – add a Starlink donation option!
Starlink Donation : Way Out For Elon Musk + Brilliant Way To Make $$$
Right after being forced to withdraw his demand for more Starlink funding, Elon Musk just found a fortuitous escape hatch for that PR debacle, and a new and brilliant way to make more money!
Chipper CEO Ham Serunjogi tweeted a day earlier that he would be happy to donate money to donate Starlink to schools and hospitals in Uganda.
Just installed Starlink and quite impressed with initial speeds & ease of setup. Most excited about its potential to bring internet access to remote & rural areas that lack infrastructure. @elonmusk I’d be glad to commit $$ to donate Starlink to schools & hospitals in Uganda. pic.twitter.com/zsab7ESBUd
Musk jumped on it and asked if anyone else would be interested to donate Starlink to places in need.
Are there others that want to donate Starlinks to places in need?
Without waiting for a poll or positive response from his legion of fans, the SpaceX CEO announced6 minutes later that SpaceX will add a donate option for Starlink.
Ok, we will add a donate option to Starlink
It took Elon Musk only 6 minutes to realise the genius of the idea. A Starlink donation option would kill two birds with one stone.
Not only would it absolve him of the need to (partially) donate to Ukraine or Iran, or impoverished communities, SpaceX gets to financially benefit from those donations, AND reap the PR benefits on top of that!
That’s a pay nothing, and get all three FREE deal right there! What is there not to like?
Elon Musk + SpaceX Do Not Need A Starlink Donation Option!
Call me a cynic, but this is nothing more than a ploy to enrich SpaceX by squeezing the common people to donate Starlink.
Of course, we don’t yet know how the Starlink donation option will work – it was just a declaration of intent. But neither Elon Musk nor SpaceX actually need to add a Starlink donation option.
SpaceX received and continue to receive tens of millions of dollars in donations to provide Starlink to Ukraine, and we know that because their letter of demand leaked inconvenient details – some 85% of Starlink terminals were donated by third party entities like:
USAID – about $3 million on hardware and services
Poland : almost 9,000 Starlink terminals
US : almost 1,700 terminals
In other words – there are already institutions donating vast amounts of money to fund Starlink for such “places in need”. Elon Musk himself can fund a lot of CSR projects with his wealth of over $200 BILLION, even if he ends up buying Twitter.
Elon Musk didn’t become a multi-billionaire by donating his money; and despite signing the Giving Pledge in 2012, he has done very little of it.
What is clear though is that neither SpaceX nor Elon Musk need us common folks trying to make ends meet, to donate Starlink.
Why Is Ham Serunjogi Even Asking For A Starlink Donation Option?
I don’t even understand why Ham Serunjogi is publicly asking Elon Musk if there’s a way to donate Starlink to schools and hospitals in Uganda.
As far as I can tell – SpaceX hasn’t even applied for regulatory approval for Starlink in Uganda. So donating to Uganda is a non-starter, the question moot. Pointless.
But if Ham Serunjogi or any other rich technopreneur wants to help connect “places in need” under Starlink coverage, they can simply order and pay for Starlink. As the Nike motto says – Just do it!
Unless the purpose is to get some nice PR without actually doing anything, or heavens forbid – to give Elon Musk a way to switch the topic away from SpaceX’s less than heroic donations to Ukraine.
Here I lay to rest my cynicism, in hopes that I’m wrong, and Ham Serunjogi and other rich people will do their bit to bring Internet connectivity to people who don’t yet have access.
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Elon Musk has officially withdrawn SpaceX’s demand for more Starlink funding in Ukraine!
Elon Musk Withdraws Demand For Starlink Funding!
Elon Musk was seen as a saviour to Ukrainians, after his company – SpaceX, shipped thousands of its satellite terminals to Ukraine, and activated its Starlink satellite Internet services.
But he came under fire after a SpaceX letter demanding more funding leaked, exposing how most of Starlink service in Ukraine was being funded by third party entities, including the US, UK and Polish governments.
The backlash resulted in an angry “The hell with it” retort by Musk, which could either mean he was going to continue subsidising a small part of Starlink services in Ukraine, or he was just being sarcastic.
That was finally clarified when he tweeted that SpaceX officially withdrew its request for (additional) funding.
SpaceX has already withdrawn its request for funding
He could barely hide his indignation at being “exposed” for only subsidising a small percentage of Starlink services in Ukraine, with his follow-up tweet to “clarify” that SpaceX was only getting paid for 42% of Starlink users in Ukraine.
To be precise, 25,300 terminals were sent to Ukraine, but, at present, only 10,630 are paying for service
While that sounds “bad”, the truth is – SpaceX was charging an ultra-premium $2,500 for its Starlink service in Ukraine, when most users only needed the much cheaper $500 connectivity, or the $60 consumer connectivity.
That’s like charging them for Gigabit broadband, when they only need 50 Mbps or 100 Mbps connectivity. The cost is the same, but the company gets to claim that they are being fleeced, when the truth is – they are looking to profiteer off a country desperately trying to fight off a Russian invasion.
Elon Musk / SpaceX Is Making Money Off Starlink In Ukraine!
As a capitalist and a corporation respectively, Elon Musk and SpaceX are entitled to profit off the Starlink satellite service. But it is also important to note that Ukraine has offered SpaceX a unique opportunity to showcase the advantages of the Starlink system.
The overwhelmingly positive media coverage of Starlink’s importance in the Ukraine War is something money can’t buy. So it is important that Elon Musk and SpaceX do not abuse their unique position, to focus on profit, profit, profit.
Not only do they stand to lose that positive news coverage, it could also open a bag of worms… like when the leaked letter exposed that SpaceX was not as charitable as everyone thought.
According to the leaked SpaceX letter, about 85% of the 20,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine were paid or partially paid for by countries like the US, the UK and Poland. Those countries also paid for about 30% of the Internet connectivity, which costs $4,500 per month per unit.
That service cost was also brought into question since it was their top-tier pricing, when the majority of users in Ukraine only needed the much cheaper $500 per month connectivity, and consumer connectivity only cost $60 per month. It looked like SpaceX was profiteering off Ukraine’s desperation.
The SpaceX letter naturally rankled the Pentagon, with one senior defence official saying that SpaceX has “the gall to look like heroes” and present them with a bill for tens of millions of dollars, when Starlink service in Ukraine was already being sponsored in large part by outside sources.
Let’s hope that Elon Musk and SpaceX has learned their lesson on trying to profit off the Ukraine War…
Earlier : SpaceX Will No Longer Pay For Starlink In Ukraine!
According to an exclusive report by CNN, SpaceX’s director of government sales wrote a letter to the Pentagon, warning that it can no longer continue to fund the Starlink service.
SpaceX delivered about 20,000 Starlink satellite terminals to Ukraine so far, with CEO Elon Musk stating on Friday that the “operation has cost SpaceX $80M & will exceed $100M by end of year“.
We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time.
In the letter that was sent in September, SpaceX asked the Pentagon to fund the Ukraine government’s use of Starlink, which would cost $124 million for the rest of the year, and could cost as much as $380 million for the next 12 months.
Here is a breakdown of Starlink costs in Ukraine, and who paid for what:
USAID – about $3 million on hardware and services
Poland : almost 9,000 Starlink terminals
US : almost 1,700 terminals
SpaceX priced the two Starlink satellite terminal models it sent to Ukraine at $1,500 and $2,500, even though the consumer model is cheaper at just $599.
SpaceX claims to have paid for about 70% of the service provided to those Starlink terminals, but that’s based on their claim to have offered the highest level of service at $4,500 per month, even though the majority only signed on for the cheaper $500 per month service. Starlink consumer service in Ukraine, in comparison, costs just $60 per month!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Apple just froze its original plan to use China’s YMTC NAND flash memory chips in their iPhones!
Apple Freezes Use Of China’s YMTC NAND Chips!
On Monday, October 17, 2022, Nikkei Asia (paywall) reported that Apple just froze its original plan to use NAND flash memory chips from Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC)!
Apple had originally planned to start using NAND flash memory chips manufactured by YMTC in iPhones manufactured for the Chinese market, eventually purchasing up to 40% of its chip requirements from the Chinese state-funded company.
Those plans had to be put on hold after the US government announced stricter technology export controls designed to block China’s access to advanced semiconductor technologies.
The United States added YMTC – China’s top memory chipmaker – and 30 other Chinese companies to its “Unverified List” of companies that its official are unable to inspect to ensure compliance with its export controls.
The United States also initiated a new 60-day deadline for entities under the “Unverified List” to allow for complete end-to-end inspections, or risk even tougher penalties if added to the infamous “Entity List“.
YMTC is also being investigated by the US Commerce Department over allegations it violated earlier United States export controls by selling chips to HUAWEI, which was blacklisted under the Trump Administration.
Apple Decision Stymies Earlier Preparations By YMTC
Apple’s decision to freeze its purchase of YMTC flash memory chips stymies earlier preparations by the Wuhan-based memory chipmaker to mitigate looming US export controls.
According to four employees who spoke to Financial Times, YMTC had been stockpiling foreign equipment for months after US lawmakers started urging the Biden Administration to punish it for helping the Chinese military and violating trade restrictions by supply HUAWEI with chips.
YMTC has also come under scrutiny over concerns that massive Chinese government subsidies allow it to sells its chips below market price, even at a loss, just to gain market share at the expense of other companies.
We’ve been doing everything possible beforehand to support existing production lines, such as stockpiling all kinds of equipment.
– Senior YMTC engineer
All that preparation was for naught, because Apple’s decision to freeze its massive purchase of YMTC flash memory chips is only the tip of the iceberg.
Other companies will similarly be forced to freeze or cancel their purchase of YMTC chips unless YMTC acquiesces to comply with audit requirements by US officials – a step the Chinese chipmaker is (politically) incapable of taking.
YMTC is, after all, China’s largest memory chipmaker, and a national champion in the country’s drive to build a domestic chip industry. It received 220 billion yuan (over $30.5 billion) in funding from both the Hubei province, and a national fund.
After the Biden Administration announced new chip export restrictions, the top three US chip toolmakers – KLA Corporation, Lam Research and Applied Materials immediately stopped sales and services to YMTC.
Despite its earlier stockpiling efforts, one YMTC employee revealed that the company only had enough wafers and parts for equipment repairs to last a year, but that’s assuming it won’t need technical support from foreign companies.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Amidst the recent funding controversy, Elon Musk has begrudgingly agreed to keep (partly) funding Starlink services in Ukraine!
Elon Musk To Keep (Partly) Funding Starlink In Ukraine!
Elon Musk was seen as a saviour to Ukrainians, after his company – SpaceX, shipped thousands of its satellite terminals to Ukraine, and activated its Starlink satellite Internet services.
Starlink has been critical in providing the Ukrainian government and military forces with secure communications, and the ability to control drones to monitor or attack Russian forces.
But that burnish was just soiled by the raging controversy over SpaceX’s reluctance to “keep paying” for Starlink in Ukraine, especially when it’s revealed that most of the “free” terminals and services were funded by other parties!
In what appears to be a rage post, Elon Musk begrudgingly agreed to keep (partly) funding Starlink services in Ukraine on Saturday, October 15, 2022:
The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.
Of course, that could be nothing more than Musk’s sarcastic response to what he probably perceives as a lack of appreciation for SpaceX’s efforts.
Elon Musk / SpaceX Is Making Money Off Starlink In Ukraine!
As a capitalist and a corporation respectively, Elon Musk and SpaceX are entitled to profit off the Starlink satellite service. But it is also important to note that Ukraine has offered SpaceX a unique opportunity to showcase the advantages of the Starlink system.
The overwhelmingly positive media coverage of Starlink’s importance in the Ukraine War is something money can’t buy. So it is important that Elon Musk and SpaceX do not abuse their unique position, to focus on profit, profit, profit.
Not only do they stand to lose that positive news coverage, it could also open a bag of worms… like when the leaked letter exposed that SpaceX was not as charitable as everyone thought.
According to the leaked SpaceX letter, about 85% of the 20,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine were paid or partially paid for by countries like the US, the UK and Poland. Those countries also paid for about 30% of the Internet connectivity, which costs $4,500 per month per unit.
That service cost was also brought into question since it was their top-tier pricing, when the majority of users in Ukraine only needed the much cheaper $500 per month connectivity, and consumer connectivity only cost $60 per month. It looked like SpaceX was profiteering off Ukraine’s desperation.
The SpaceX letter naturally rankled the Pentagon, with one senior defence official saying that SpaceX has “the gall to look like heroes” and present them with a bill for tens of millions of dollars, when Starlink service in Ukraine was already being sponsored in large part by outside sources.
Let’s hope that Elon Musk and SpaceX has learned their lesson on trying to profit off the Ukraine War…
Earlier : SpaceX Will No Longer Pay For Starlink In Ukraine!
According to an exclusive report by CNN, SpaceX’s director of government sales wrote a letter to the Pentagon, warning that it can no longer continue to fund the Starlink service.
SpaceX delivered about 20,000 Starlink satellite terminals to Ukraine so far, with CEO Elon Musk stating on Friday that the “operation has cost SpaceX $80M & will exceed $100M by end of year“.
We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time.
In the letter that was sent in September, SpaceX asked the Pentagon to fund the Ukraine government’s use of Starlink, which would cost $124 million for the rest of the year, and could cost as much as $380 million for the next 12 months.
Here is a breakdown of Starlink costs in Ukraine, and who paid for what:
USAID – about $3 million on hardware and services
Poland : almost 9,000 Starlink terminals
US : almost 1,700 terminals
SpaceX priced the two Starlink satellite terminal models it sent to Ukraine at $1,500 and $2,500, even though the consumer model is cheaper at just $599.
SpaceX claims to have paid for about 70% of the service provided to those Starlink terminals, but that’s based on their claim to have offered the highest level of service at $4,500 per month, even though the majority only signed on for the cheaper $500 per month service. Starlink consumer service in Ukraine, in comparison, costs just $60 per month!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Phase 1 of the SUKE highway is now fully operational, and here are its toll rates!
SUKE Highway Toll Rates, Starting October 15!
The Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) is no longer free for public use.
SUKE is now fully operational, with motorists charged RM2.30 at the Bukit Teratai and Ampang toll plazas for Class 1 vehicles.
That means motorists will pay RM4.60 to travel from the Phase 1 stretch from the Cheras-Kajang Interchange to Bukit Antarabangsa.
Once the third toll plaza at Alam Damai is open, and if it also applies the same RM2.30 toll rate, then it will cost Class 1 motorists a total of RM6.90 to travel the full length of the SUKE highway in either direction.
These toll rates officially take effect at 12:01 AM on Saturday, October 15, 2022:
Type
Vehicle
Class
Details
Toll Rate
Car
1
Vehicle with two axles and
three / four wheels
(not including taxi or bus)
RM 2.30
Lorry
2
Vehicle with two axles and
five / six wheels
(not including bus)
RM 4.60
Trailer
3
Vehicle with three axles or more
(not including bus)
RM 6.90
Car
4
Taxi
RM 1.20
Bus
5
Bus
RM 2.30
SUKE Highway : Launched In September, Free For 1 Month!
SUKE was officially launched on September 16, 2022, with Phase 1 made free to use for one month.
The 16.6 kilometre stretch of Phase 1 of the SUKE highway runs from the Cheras-Kajang Interchange to Bukit Antarabangsa. The subsequent stretch from Sri Petaling and KESAS Highway to Cheras-Kajang will open at a later date.
SUKE will have three toll plazas – Alam Damai, Bukit Teratai and Ampang, of which only the Bukit Teratai and Ampang toll plazas are open.
Once fully completed, SUKE will have 14 interchanges in total – Sri Petaling, Sungai Besi, Alam Damai, Cheras-Kajang, Cheras-Hartamas, Bukit Teratai, Tasik Tambahan, Permai, Kosas, Pekan Ampang, Ampang Point, Ulu Kelang, Hillview, and Bukit Antarabangsa.
SUKE is notable for featuring Malaysia’s first helicoidal ramp – the Cheras-Kajang Expressway (CKE) connects to SUKE through two spiral loops.
Tragically, it was also involved in an accident that killed three people during its construction.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
SpaceX is no longer willing to pay for Starlink satellite service in Ukraine!
SpaceX Will No Longer Pay For Starlink In Ukraine!
The stars are shining for once on Russian President Vladimir Putin in his invasion of Ukraine!
According to an exclusive report by CNN, SpaceX’s director of government sales wrote a letter to the Pentagon, warning that it can no longer continue to fund the Starlink service.
SpaceX delivered about 20,000 Starlink satellite terminals to Ukraine so far, with CEO Elon Musk stating on Friday that the “operation has cost SpaceX $80M & will exceed $100M by end of year“.
We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time.
In the letter that was sent in September, SpaceX asked the Pentagon to fund the Ukraine government’s use of Starlink, which would cost $124 million for the rest of the year, and could cost as much as $380 million for the next 12 months.
Here is a breakdown of Starlink costs in Ukraine, and who paid for what:
USAID – about $3 million on hardware and services
Poland : almost 9,000 Starlink terminals
US : almost 1,700 terminals
SpaceX priced the two Starlink satellite terminal models it sent to Ukraine at $1,500 and $2,500, even though the consumer model is cheaper at just $599.
SpaceX claims to have paid for about 70% of the service provided to those Starlink terminals, but that’s based on their claim to have offered the highest level of service at $4,500 per month, even though the majority only signed on for the cheaper $500 per month service. Starlink consumer service in Ukraine, in comparison, costs just $60 per month!
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service has been vital to Ukraine’s success on the battlefield, proving its government and military with secure communications and Internet connectivity.
It not only provides Ukrainian forces with secure communications, it allows them to control drones to monitor and even attack Russian forces.
However, that reliance on SpaceX and its Starlink satellite service is a double-edged sword – it appears to be highly reliant on whims and fancies of its erratic CEO – Elon Musk.
Revelations about this letter raises concerns about Musk’s allegiance in the Ukraine War, after his much-derided Ukraine peace plan on October 3, 2022.
Not only did Elon Musk personally block the use of Starlink in Russia-occupied Crimea, the Ukrainian counteroffensives in the South and East were recently stymied by outages on the battlefield.
That has affected every effort of the Ukrainians to push past that front. Starlink is the main way units on the battlefield have to communicate.
According to SpaceX, about 85% of the 20,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine were paid or partially paid for by countries like the US, the UK and Poland. Those countries also paid for about 30% of the Internet connectivity, which costs $4,500 per month per unit.
The SpaceX letter rankled the Pentagon, with one senior defence official saying that SpaceX has “the gall to look like heroes” and present them with a bill for tens of millions of dollars, when Starlink service in Ukraine was already being sponsored in large part by outside sources.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The DASH highway has finally opened, and it is FREE to use until November 30, 2022!
DASH Highway Officially Open On October 14!
After six long years, the Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (DASH) is finally open for public use!
Stretching 20.1 kilometres, DASH connects Puncak Perdana to Penchala, connecting the eastern and western townships in the Klang Valley at a cost of RM4.2 billion.
DASH highway has a 3-lane, dual-carriageway design, with each lane 3.5 metres wide, and a 3 metre-wide emergency lane.
Here are the DASH highway toll plazas and interchanges:
Puncak Perdana
Alam Suria
Denai Alam
Kampung Mealy Subang
Pinggiran Subang
Subang Dua
Subang Airport
RRIM (Kwasa Damansara)
Surian
Seksyen 5 Kota Damansara
Sunway Damansara
Penchala
It will be monitored by 37 closed-circuit cameras, with 30 vehicle incident detection systems (VIDS). There will also be 18 emergency telephone booths, 10 variable message signs (VMS), as well as 2,441 LED street lights.
DASH Highway FREE To Use Until November 30!
DASH has a concession period of 55 years, lasting from December 25, 2014 until December 24, 2069.
Its toll rates have not been announced, but DASH will be FREE for public use from 12:01 AM, October 14 until November 30, 2022!
The DASH highway is expected to eventually serve an average of 50,000 daily users, and cut the 90-minute commute between Puncak Perdana to Penchala to just 30 minutes.
DASH is also expected to relieve traffic along Persiaran Mokhtar Dahari by 39%, Jalan Sungai Buloh by 33% and Persiaran Surian by 43%.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Toll fares for six major Klang Valley highways will be reduced this month, and next year, in what appears to be a GE15 election sweetener!
Toll Fares Reduced For Six Klang Valley Highways!
On Thursday, October 13, 2022, the caretaker Prime Minister of Malaysia, Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced a toll fare reduction for six major Klang Valley highways.
The toll fares for these four highways will be reduced on Thursday, October 20, 2022:
Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH)
Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE)
Kemuning-Shah Alam Highway (LKSA)
Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK)
The toll fares for these two highways will be reduced on Sunday, January 1, 2023:
Kajang-Seremban Highway (LEKAS)
Besraya Highway
According to Ismail Sabri, the decision to reduce the toll fares for the first four highways was made in a Cabinet meeting on May 18, while the decision to reduce the toll fares for the last two highways was made on June 1.
Parliament was dissolved on October 10, paving the way for the GE15 general elections within 60 days. The fact that this decision was only announced after Parliament dissolution can be seen as an election sweetener.
Ismail Sabri also announced that the government agreed on March 4 to:
widen the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway (KLK) and add a new lane from the Gombak toll plaza to the Bentong Toll Plaza, to reduce traffic jams,
construct a new tunnelled road at Genting Sempah to accommodate higher traffic and reduce congestion
initiate flood mitigation works on the East Coast Expressway Phase 1
All these improvement works took the restructuring of toll rates into account, with supplementary concession agreements being finalised.
Through this latest restructuring, the government has saved approximately RM8.8 billion in compensation that should have been paid to the concessionaires involved. Additionally, highway users can enjoy lower toll rates to ease the cost of living.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Artificial intelligence chip developer, Habana Labs, just laid off over 10% of its workforce, just as Intel plans to layoff up to 20% of its employees.
Intel’s Habana Labs Cuts Over 10% Of Workforce!
Intel acquired artificial intelligence chip developer Habana Labs in 2019 for $2 billion. The acquisition allowed Habana Labs to rapidly increase its workforce from 180 people to over 900.
That breakneck expansion has not only come to a shuddering halt, it is being reversed – Habana Labs is laying off 100 of their employees. According to an Intel statement:
Habana Labs assesses and updates its technical and business focus from time to time in order to adapt to the current business reality and to continue and improve its competitiveness.
As part of these processes, it makes adjustments to its workforce and the balance between different disciplines from time to time. This is a normal process which occurs constantly and allows Habana to continue and develop attractive and competitive products and solutions.
Habana Labs was founded by David Dahan and Ran Halutz in San Jose in 2016, for the purpose of developing processors optimised for Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications.
Both Dahan and Halutz were former executives of PrimeSense Limited, which was acquired by Apple for $360 million in 2013. Its first investor and chairman was Israeli tech entrepreneur Avigdor Willenz.
Habana Labs Cuts Employees Before Major Intel Layoffs
Habana Labs functions as an independent unit within Intel, which is why it announced its layoffs before Intel announced its own major layoffs later this month.
According to Bloomberg News, Intel is planning major layoffs of its staff, “as early as this month” – around the same time its third quarter earnings report is announced on October 27.
This reduction in headcount will be substantial, affecting Intel sales and marketing team the hardest – around 20% of their members are expected to receive pink slips.
This decision comes after two years of booming sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, and just as Intel is set to receive billions in funding from the US government under the CHIPS Act.
Gartner recently announced that worldwide PC shipments only totalled 68 million units in the third quarter of 2022 – a 19.5% drop from a year ago. This was the steepest market decline it recorded since it started tracking the market in the mid-1990s.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Elon Musk just revealed that the Chinese government directly told him they do not want Starlink operational in China!
Elon Musk : China Says No To Starlink!
In an interview with Financial Times, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed that he was directly contacted by representatives of the Chinese government over Starlink.
He was told, in no uncertain terms, that Beijing disapproved of his rollout of Starlink in Ukraine, and demanded that he won’t sell Starlink in China.
Beijing has made it clear that it disapproves of his recent rollout of Starlink […] in Ukraine… [and] demanded assurances that he would not sell Starlink in China.
It is odd that Beijing would make a personal demand to Elon Musk, as it has the regulatory authority to determine if SpaceX is allowed to market and sell Starlink in China.
What the Chinese government is probably trying to do is get Musk to “turn off” Starlink in Chinese territory, like how he blocked Starlink in Russia-occupied Crimea.
Musk did not say whether he would obey Beijing’s request to never export Starlink to China. However, it is doubtful he would defy such a personal “request” by the Chinese government.
After all, Tesla has a major factory in China that produces hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles. Even if China does not shut down Gigafactory Shanghai to protect local workers and suppliers, it can cut off supply of critical EV components to Tesla’s other Gigafactories around the world.
The Starlink Services Map does not show any plan by SpaceX to roll out the satellite Internet service in China. In Asia, Starlink just started operations in Japan, and is “pending regulatory approval” in Taiwan, Vietnam and Mongolia.
Why CCP Fears Elon Musk Will Activate Starlink In China
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government has been keenly monitoring Elon Musk and the effect Starlink has on bypassing censorship.
Since February 2022, SpaceX shipped over 25,000 Starlink dishes to Ukraine, providing its military forces with secure satellite communications that has been game-changing. It not only kept Ukraine online, it allowed the Ukrainian military to launch drones to monitor and attack Russian forces.
Then in September 2022, Elon Musk activated Starlink in Iran to help its citizens bypass Internet restrictions and censorship during the government crackdown on protests over the death of Mahsa Amini.
China is understandably very concerned about how Starlink could allow its citizens to bypass its much vaunted Great Firewall to access the Internet, unfiltered.
Chinese military scientists have even called for their government to develop a “hard kill” weapon to destroy Starlink satellites.
Thus it is very unlikely that CCP government will ever approve the marketing and sale of Starlink in China. In fact, they are likely to demand that Starlink be blocked in Chinese territory.
The CCP government certainly does not want Chinese citizens to be able to bypass its Great Firewall by smuggling in Starlink dishes.
And the only way to do that is to pressure Elon Musk into blocking Starlink in China.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Intel is planning major layoffs of its staff, due to declining demand for its chips, even as it is set to receive billions in funding from the CHIPS Act!
Intel Planning Major Layoffs, Amid Market Downturn!
According to Bloomberg News, Intel is planning major layoffs of its staff, “as early as this month” – around the same time its third quarter earnings report is announced on October 27.
This reduction in headcount will be substantial, affecting Intel sales and marketing team the hardest – around 20% of their members are expected to receive pink slips.
This decision comes after two years of booming sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, and just as Intel is set to receive billions in funding from the US government under the CHIPS Act.
Gartner recently announced that worldwide PC shipments only totalled 68 million units in the third quarter of 2022 – a 19.5% drop from a year ago. This was the steepest market decline it recorded since it started tracking the market in the mid-1990s.
On October 11, 2022, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger announced a new path for growth during this economic downturn – the creation of an internal foundry model for external customers, and Intel product lines.
Intel will also create an IDM 2.0 Acceleration Officer under the leadership of Stuart Pann. IDM is short for Integrated Device Manufacturing.
IDM 2.0 is Intel’s plans to become a major provider of semiconductor foundry capacity in the US and Europe to serve customers globally.
Intel Not Alone In Layoffs During This Market Downturn
Intel wouldn’t be alone in cutting jobs. Meta and Microsoft had already announced layoffs. Meta quietly laid off about 12,000 “underperforming” Facebook employees recently, while Microsoft announced in July 2022 that it laid off almost 1,800 employees.
Even Sundar Pichai – the CEO of mighty Alphabet hinted at the possibility of layoffs, saying he wanted to make Google 20% more efficient and that could include cutting its headcount.
Many other corporations have also been laying off employees amidst the global economic slowdown and high inflation that is fuelling recession fears – Tencent, Alibaba, Tesla, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, etc.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
PayPal just retracted a new $2,500 fine that it was planning to introduce. Here is what you need to know…
PayPal Retracts New $2,500 Fine After Backlash!
On Sunday, October 9, 2022, PayPal quickly retracted a new policy that would have allowed it to fine its users $2,500 for spreading misinformation.
But instead of apologising for planning to introduce such the $2,500 misinformation fine, PayPal claimed that the updated Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) was released “in error”.
An AUP notice recently went out in error that included incorrect information. PayPal is not fining people for misinformation and this language was never intended to be inserted in our policy. Our teams are working to correct our policy pages. We’re sorry for the confusion this has caused.
This awkward, inelegant reversal came after the potential policy changes drew media attention, and much criticism on social media.
Even former PayPal President David Marcus came out to blast the company over its plans to fine its customers if it disagrees with their views.
It’s hard for me to openly criticize a company I used to love and gave so much to. But @PayPal’s new AUP goes against everything I believe in.
A private company now gets to decide to take your money if you say something they disagree with. Insanity.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted his agreement with Marcus, “Agreed“.
Even though PayPal reversed its course, it doesn’t sound like it understood why so many came out so strongly against the new AUP. Its response was tone deaf and obtuse.
The $2,500 Misinformation Fine PayPal Wanted To Introduce
The $2,500 misinformation fine was part of a major update of the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) that was supposed to take effect on November 3, 2022.
PayPal wanted to expand its existing list of prohibited activities to include the “sending, posting, or publication of messages, content, or materials that meet certain criteria.”
PayPal’s prior policy already forbade “hate”, “intolerance”, and discrimination, but the new policy would explicitly be applied to specific “protected groups” and “individuals or groups based on protected characteristics” like race, religion, gender or gender identity, and sexual orientation”.
Those who break the new rule against misinformation and hate speech may be subjected to “damages, including liquidated damages of $2,500.00 U.S. dollars per violation, which may be debited directly from your PayPal account“.
In other words, if PayPal determines that you are spreading misinformation, it has the right to deduct $2,500 from your account, for each violation.
The new AUP would require users to agree to accept that the penalty is “presently a reasonable minimum estimate of PayPal’s actual damages” for the violations, as well as damage to its reputation.
While I hate fake news creators, and have spent countless hours writing fact check articles, this is a step too far. There is simply no check or balance in the new PayPal AUP.
History has shown that tech companies make tons of mistakes in detecting and deciding on what is fake news, and what’s not. Some of my fact check articles have been labelled by Facebook, LinkedIn and even Google as fake news, and it takes considerable effort to get them checked and whitelisted.
Is PayPal going to compensate those who it wrongly decided has contravened its AUP for misinformation? Is there even an avenue for aggrieved parties to easily and quickly dispute such actions?
Nothing PayPal has done shows that any forethought went into this new AUP. It is therefore not surprising that even FCC Brendan Carr came out to describe this as “Orwellian”.
PayPal reserves the right to take your money if you post a message that PayPal decides is “misinformation,.
This is why it is so vital that state and federal legislatures pass laws that prohibit discrimination by tech companies and protect free speech.
The best solution to this problem is to do what venture capitalist David Sacks advised – “Get your money out of PayPal right now”
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The US government just imposed sweeping chip and chipmaking export restrictions that target Chinese military capabilities!
US Targets Chinese Military With New Chip Export Ban!
On Friday, October 7, 2022, the US government announced new regulations on computer chips and chipmaking technologies designed to target Chinese military capabilities.
The stated goal of these new export restrictions is to “block the People’s Liberation Army and China’s domestic surveillance apparatus from gaining access to advanced computing capabilities that require the use of advanced semiconductors.”
According to US officials, these rules target not only the sale and export of chips, but also the tools and software that might help the Chinese military in any way, including aiding the development of weapons of mass destruction.
Unlike earlier rules that target specific Chinese companies (like HUAWEI), the new rules have far greater reach, covering everything from chips made by AMD and NVIDIA, to complex and expensive hardware and software used to design and manufacture semiconductor chips.
These rules, some of which go into effect immediately, build on existing restrictions that were earlier applied to top chip toolmaking companies in the US, like KLA Corporation, Lam Research Corporation, and Applied Material Incorporated.
It’s not just advanced chips used for AI computing and national security or military applications that are being targeted.
The new rules are more generic, and forbid US companies from selling technologies to indigenous Chinese companies that will enable the production of:
DRAM chips at 18 nm or below,
NAND flash chips at 128 layers or above, and
logic chips at 14 nm or below.
Even foreign companies operating China are somewhat affected. US companies will need to obtain a license to export more advanced equipment to them.
But in a concession to South Korea, the US government will spare SK Hynix and Samsung from these measures. US companies will be able to continue supplying their production facilities in China.
Many of the rules aim to block foreign companies from selling advanced chips or chipmaking technologies and tools to China. However, the US government will need to “lean” on those countries to introduce similar measures.
Most advanced chips are manufactured in South Korea and Taiwan. If they continue to export to China, they will allow China to bypass US restrictions.
On Saturday, the Chinese government criticised the new US chip export ban, calling it a violation of International economic and trade rules that will “isolate and backfire” on the US.
Out of the need to maintain its sci-tech hegemony, the U.S. abuses export control measures to maliciously block and suppress Chinese companies.
It will not only damage the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, but also affect American companies’ interest.
– Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Despite Mao’s assertions that US actions will not stop China’s progress, the new wide-ranging chip and chipmaking export ban will undoubtedly be detrimental to the Chinese semiconductor industry, and set back its attempts at indigenous production by many years.
On the other hand, this export ban will spur China to redouble its efforts to develop its own chipmaking capabilities, and possibly “strike back” by restricting exports of rare earths to US companies.
US Chip Export Rules Affecting Chinese Companies Summarised
Here is a summary of the new restrictions that take effect on Friday (October 7, 2022):
Tools that are capable of producing logic chips made using fin field-effect transistors (FinFET) are blocked from sale to China.
Tools capable of fabricating NAND flash storage chips with 128-layer technology or greater, and DRAM based on 18-nanometer half-pitch or less technology are blocked from sale to China.
Servicing and maintenance of restricted tools are also banned, which would prevent keeping advanced equipment in good enough shape to keep producing quality chips at high volume.
US citizens currently servicing or supporting tools on the restricted list must halt their activities by Wednesday, October 12.
Export of items that China can use to make its own chip manufacturing tools, such as a photolithography light source and other specialised components are also blocked from sale to China.
The US Commerce Department also enacted these additional measures on Friday:
31 Chinese entities were added to the Unverified List, which consists of companies that the US government believes could divert technology that they purchase to restricted entities.
The Commerce Department expanded the scope of controls for the 28 Chinese firms already on the US Entity List, including presumptively denying any licenses because of the risk they will divert technology to the Chinese military.
Then two weeks later, these restrictions will take effect on Friday, October 21, 2022:
Using a new foreign direct product rule, the U.S. will block any chips that used in advanced computing and artificial intelligence applications.
The foreign direct product rule can block chips made by non-US companies — including Chinese chip designers — if they use American technology or software.
TSMC may be forced by this new rule to halt production on advanced AI or supercomputer chips designed by Chinese firms that are fabricated in Taiwan, unless it gets an exemption.
A new foreign direct product rule will apply to components and chips destined for supercomputers in China.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Binance just shut down its blockchain, after getting hacked and losing over $100 million in crypto coins!
The shutdown prevented an even bigger loss of $566 million, but it defeated a key purpose of the blockchain – decentralisation.
Binance Smart Chain Halts After $100M Crypto Theft!
On Thursday, 6 October 2022, Binance Smart Chain was hit by a hacker who targeted 2 million Binance coins (BNB) worth $566 million.
The attack appeared to have started at around 2:30 PM EST, with the attacker’s wallet receiving two transactions of 1 million BNB coins.
Soon after that, the hacker tried to liquidate the BNB coins into other assets, by using a variety of liquidity pools.
Binance acknowledged the security incident several hours later, at 6:19 PM, and halted the BNB Smart Chain.
AT 7:51 PM EST, Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao confirmed that an exploit was used in the BSC Token Hub to transfer the BNB coins to the attacker, and that they asked all validators to temporarily suspend the Binance Smart Chain. He also claimed that the funds are safe.
An exploit on a cross-chain bridge, BSC Token Hub, resulted in extra BNB. We have asked all validators to temporarily suspend BSC. The issue is contained now. Your funds are safe. We apologize for the inconvenience and will provide further updates accordingly.
Binance Smart Chain Almost Lost $566 Million!
The majority of the 2 million BNB coins worth $566 million remained on the BNB Smart Chain, and was made inaccessible to the hacker, after BSC was shut down.
This is rather ironic since blockchains like BSC are supposed to be decentralised, and not meant to be so easily turned off – a fact BNB Chain acknowledged.
Decentralized chains are not designed to be stopped, but by contacting community validators one by one, we were able to stop the incident from spreading. It was not that easy as BNB Smart Chain has 26 active validators at present and 44 in total in different time zones. This delayed closure, but we were able to minimize the loss.
Even so, a BNB Chain spokesperson later confirmed that about $100 to $110 million in funds were taken off the Binance Smart Chain, and CZ said that the impact was about a quarter of the last BNB burn.
Of the funds taken off-chain, BNB Chain was able to freeze about $7 million with help from their partners in the cryptocurrency community.
So far, about $2 billion has been lost in crypto hacks in 2022, with cross-chain bridges used to transfer tokens across blockchains a popular target.
BNB Chain said that it would introduce a new on-chain governance mechanism to fight and defend against future possible attacks.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
PLUS is warning the public to expect a massive traffic jam this long weekend, with over 7.6 million vehicles estimated to swarm its highways!
PLUS Warns Of 7.6 Million Vehicle Jam This Weekend!
PLUS is warning the public to expect a massive traffic jam, with over 7.6 million vehicles estimated to swarm its highways over the next four days!
Many Malaysians are expected to take advantage during the Maulidur Rasul (Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday) holiday, offering a 3-day weekend from Saturday to Monday.
In its statement released on Wednesday, 5 October 2022, PLUS said that they are estimating 1.9 million vehicles per day to use its highways from Friday until Monday.
LUS Head of Operations Excellence, Mohd Yusuf Abdul Aziz said PLUS has recorded daily traffic volumes of an average of 1.7 million vehicles since moving to the endemic phase and the trend had shown spikes of 1.9 million vehicles before each weekend.
We expect with more travellers taking advantage of the three-day weekend, traffic will be higher and a longer journey can be expected.
Therefore, we advise highway customers to be prepared and ensure their vehicles are fit for a longer drive this weekend.
How To Prepare For Traffic Jam On PLUS This Weekend!
PLUS is advising its highway users to expect a longer journey, and prepare for the inevitable traffic jam. Here are some tips to help prepare for a smoother journey this long weekend.
Make sure your vehicle is in good condition and fit for a longer travel.
a) Service your vehicle if necessary
b) Ensure the tyres are in good condition, and properly inflated
c) Ensure that the brakes are working properly
d) Top up the fuel tank for a longer journey
Top up your Touch ‘n Go card and/or TNG eWallet (if you are using TNG RFID).
Get traffic updates from PLUS through :
a)Twitter (@PLUSTrafik),
b) PLUSLine hotline : 1800-88-0000
c) PUTRI chatbot on the PLUS app
d) Electronic signboards at various locations along the highways
Use Waze or Google Maps to get live traffic updates, and to plan your travel.
Please make sure you enter and exit the highway using the correct toll booth based on your payment type. If you entered using TNG RFID, you must exit using TNG RFID.
Only Touch ‘n Go card users may alternately use the SmartTag booth (if they have one), or the TnG card booth.
While you are no longer required to wear a face mask indoors or outdoors, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) strongly recommends wearing one at highway rest stops, as they will inevitably be crowded.
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
It’s official – the EU has ordered all brands to standardise on the USB-C connector for all mobile chargers, including Apple!
EU Orders All Brands To Use USB-C, Including Apple!
On Tuesday, October 4, 2022, the European Parliament voted decisively in favour of adopting the USB-C (USB Type C) port as the new standard for all portable devices.
The directive passed with an overwhelming vote of 602 MEPs in favour, and just 13 against (with 8 abstentions), and now heads to the EU Council for the formality of a final approval.
Once the Council signs off on the directive, it will enter into force 20 days after publication in the EU’s Official Journal. Member states will then have 12 months to transpose the new directive, and another 12 months after that transposition period, to apply the new rules.
Once these new rules are enforced, consumers will be able to use and share chargers since all portable devices use the same charging port.
The EU expects the directive to greatly reduce e-waste, and help consumers save up to €250 million a year on purchasing chargers of different standards.
In the EU, chargers alone account for about 11,000 tonnes of e-waste every year. So this directive will help to cut down on the environmental impact of disposing of so many old or unused chargers.
Details Of EU Directive On USB-C Standardisation
Here is my quick round-up of the new EU directive on standardising portable devices and laptops on the USB Type C charging port.
All Devices Must Come With USB-C Charging Port
What this means is that by the end of 2024, all portable devices sold in the EU must come with a USB Type C charging port.
Regardless of their manufacturer, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops that are rechargeable via a wired cable, operating with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts, will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port.
Small devices like smartwatches and health trackers that cannot fit a USB-C port are exempted from this requirement.
This directive is more or less directed at Apple which persists in using its own proprietary Lighting connector for its devices – everything from iPhone, iPad, AirPods and even its wireless keyboard and mouse.
The only way for Apple to get around this is to switch their new devices to wireless charging before the end of 2024.
All Devices Must Support USB-C Fast Charging Standards
Also important is the fact that the EU is going to force all brands to adopt USB-C fast charging standards.
While the legislation won’t stop manufacturers from implementing special fast charging capabilities, it will ensure that their chargers and devices support USB-C fast charging standards as a minimum.
All devices that support fast charging will now have the same charging speed, allowing users to charge their devices at the same speed with any compatible charger.
USB-C Mandate To Extend To Laptops In 2026
On top of that, the directive also requires laptops to standardise on the USB Type C charging port by spring 2026.
This new directive will not please Apple MacBook users who just celebrated the return of the MagSafe connector, but it will be a great advantage for consumers.
Once enforced, everyone will be able to use their laptop’s USB-C charger to also recharge their other devices, because they all have the same USB Type port!
Dedicated Labels
The directive also requires brands to use dedicated labels to help consumers decide if their existing chargers will support their new devices, or if they need to purchase a new charger.
This will hopefully prevent consumers from being hoodwinked into purchasing a new charger with every new device, when their existing chargers will work just as well.
Dedicated labels will inform consumers about the charging characteristics of new devices, making it easier for them to see whether their existing chargers are compatible.
Buyers will also be able to make an informed choice about whether or not to purchase a new charging device with a new product.
Wireless Charging To Be Standardised Too
The directive also commanded the European Commission to tackle wireless charging interoperability by the end of 2024.
It highlighted the risk of brands using proprietary wireless charging technologies to “lock in” users, replicating what Apple did with its Lightning connector for wired charging.
Like with wired charging, the EU wants wireless charging to be interoperable as well.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Ukrainian Army claimed over 60,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, together with over 2,400 tanks, as it liberates even more territory in Kherson!
The retreat of the Russian army in multiple areas of Ukraine has even made it difficult for the Kremlin to decide on the exact borders of the regions it annexed!
On Tuesday, October 4 2022, the Ukrainian Army (UA) announced that its forces destroyed forty four Russian tanks and 27 armoured vehicles, and killed another 370 Russian soldiers in a single day.
This brings the total of Russian dead to almost 61,000, with over 2,400 tanks and over 5,000 armoured combat vehicles destroyed in just 7 months of the war.
More importantly, Ukraine was making slow but noticeable headway on the southern front, taking the villages of Zolota Balka and Myrolyubivka in the Kherson region on the same day.
While these successes may not seem as significant as their lightning advance in Donetsk, the pressure they put in the south are preventing Russia from diverting significant forces to reinforce its retreating forces in eastern Ukraine.
Our warriors from @ng_ukraine reported that the village of Zolota Balka, Kherson region, has been liberated. russians control less territories in Ukraine each day. pic.twitter.com/zPTOsafHmv
The Ukrainian flag has been raised in the village of Myrolyubivka, Kherson region. The Ukrainian offensive in the South is ongoing. 🎥 128th Mountain Assault Brigade 🎶 @Vopli & Taras Kompanichenko pic.twitter.com/baMb9jU4Na
Moscow In Trouble Over Losing Territory It Annexed In Ukraine
Due to the continuous retreat of the Russian army, it has become difficult for the Kremlin to define the borders of the regions it officially annexed on Friday, September 30.
On Monday, October 3, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow will “continue consulting” with the local populations before establishing the borders of its annexed territories.
That’s because the annexed territories be considered part of Russia, and it would be disastrous psychologically to lose any Russian territory to the Ukrainian Army.
This announcement came after Russia was forced to pull back its forces from Lyman – its critical eastern logistics hub.
Ukrainian soldier throwing away the Donetsk Republic flag in Lyman.
Just one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed documents claiming to annex Lyman, thousands of Russian soldiers trapped there fled the city, forcing the Russian Ministry of Defence to admit that its forces had “withdrawn to more advantageous lines“.
The next day, on Sunday, October 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Lyman was fully cleared of Russian forces.
Ukrainian forces pushed into the Luhansk region a day later, heading towards Lysychansk – the last Ukrainian city to holdout in that oblast (province) before the its capture in July.
As long as Ukrainian forces continue to keep Russian forces in retreat, the Kremlin will find itself between the rock and a hard place in annexing the four oblasts it claims.
Any annexed territory that is captured will not only be seen as a liberation of stolen lands by the Ukrainians, it will be seen as a loss of Russian territory and face by supporters of Vladimir Putin and his disastrous invasion of Ukraine.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Here is the latest testing and isolation SOP for people who test positive for COVID-19, or identified as close contacts in Malaysia!
Current SOP For COVID-19 Positive Cases!
The current quarantine rules only considers your vaccination status, irrespective of whether you are symptomatic or not.
People who tested positive for COVID-19, with / without symptoms, will now undergo a 7 day quarantine from the day they receive the positive result, regardless of vaccination status.
Do not leave home during the quarantine period.
Do not share a room with family members.
Self-monitor daily for symptoms and report in the MySejahtera app.
Wear a face mask, and maintain a physical distance of >1 meter, if necessary to interact with family members.
The quarantine period is the same for both symptomatic and asymptomatic people.
There is no need for testing. After 7 days, you will be automatically discharged from the home quarantine.
Those who are not symptomatic (Category 1) or mildly symptomatic (Category 2A) do NOT need to go to the CAC, and only need to isolate at home.
Only Category 2B and above (moderate to severe symptoms), and people who are considered high-risk (even if they are Category 1 or Category 2) must report to the CAC for evaluation and if required, hospitalisation.
Have medical co-morbidities – diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension
Diagnosed with other non-contagious disease that are uncontrolled / untreated
Caretaker of paediatric or geriatric patient
Obstetric cases that require monitoring
Admissions through the emergency ward
Live in homes that are not conducive for self-quarantine
From 22 April 2022 onwards, the quarantine requirement for close contacts is no longer based on vaccination status (vaccinated or unvaccinated) or age. It will be based entirely on whether you are symptomatic, or not.
Asymptomatic (No Symptoms)
You will NO LONGER be subject to a Home Surveillance Order (HSO) quarantine.
However, for five (5) days from the last day of exposure to the COVID-19 positive individual, you must :
always wear a face mask when you leave your home
avoid crowded areas
avoid visiting people in high risk groups
ensure that there is good ventilation
make only essential journeys
There is NO LONGER a need to conduct RTK self-test, unless you are symptomatic. See the next section.
Symptomatic
You will NO LONGER be subject to a Home Surveillance Order (HSO) quarantine. However, you are advised to undergo a self-quarantine.
You are also encouraged to conduct a RTK-Ag self-test on the day you become symptomatic (Day 1), and on the third day (Day 3).
Once you obtain a negative test result and have improving symptoms, you can conduct outdoor activities. However, you must :
always wear a face mask when you leave your home
avoid crowded areas
avoid visiting people in high risk groups
ensure that there is good ventilation
make only essential journeys
However, if your symptoms worsen, you should seek treatment at the nearest healthcare facility.
If you test positive for COVID-19, please follow the guidelines above for COVID-19 positive individuals.
Effective
22 April 2022
Quarantine
Testing
Asymptomatic
No HSO Quarantine
5 days of precautions
No Testing Required
Symptomatic
No HSO Quarantine
Advised to self-quarantine
Encouraged to test on
– Day 1 (symptom onset)
– Day 3
Previous SOP For COVID-19 Close Contacts!
Until the new close contact rules kick in, these existing close contact rules will still be enforced until 21 April 2022 :
Adults 18 Years & Above
No quarantine * : Fully vaccinated with booster dose, not symptomatic on Day 1.
No quarantine : Fully vaccinated and just recovered from COVID-19 in the last 60 days.
5 Days : Fully vaccinated with booster dose, but symptomatic on Day 1.
5 Days : Fully vaccinated without booster dose
7 days : Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated
* Must conduct RTK self-test on Day 1 and Day 3, and if positive – report results in MySejahtera, and follow COVID-19 positive protocol. See above.
Children Below 18 Years Old
No quarantine : Fully vaccinated and just recovered from COVID-19 in the last 60 days.
5 Days : Fully vaccinated
7 days : Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated
There is no longer a need to test for COVID-19, if you have no symptoms. However, you must finish the full quarantine period.
Those who become symptomatic during the quarantine, must either perform a RTK-Ag self-test, or go directly to a health facility if the symptoms worsen.
If you test negative for COVID-19, you must finish the full quarantine period.
If you test positive, you must follow the COVID-19 positive protocol. See above.
* No test is required to be released from quarantine, if not symptomatic. However, you must complete the full quarantine period.
SOP For Close Contact / COVID-19 Positive : Change History
On 8 February 2022, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) announced new quarantine rules for people identified as close contacts, or positive for COVID-19 in Malaysia.
On 17 February 2022, KKM changed those new COVID-19 quarantine rules, which came into effect on Thursday, 17 February 2022.
On 24 February 2022, KKM changed the COVID-19 quarantine rules again for close contacts. which will come into effect on Tuesday, 1 March 2022.
On 14 April 2022, KKM changed the COVID-19 quarantine rules again for close contacts. which will come into effect on Friday, 22 April 2022.
On 1 May 2022, KKM changed the COVID-19 quarantine rules, to streamline them.
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Kim Kardashian just agreed to pay a $1.26 million fine for promoting cryptocurrency on Instagram! Here is what you need to know…
Kim Kardashian Fined $1.26 Million For Promoting Crypto!
On Monday, October 3, 2022, Kim Kardashian agreed to pay a $1.26 million fine for promoting the cryptocurrency, EthereumMax (not to be confused with Ethereum) on Instagram.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged that the reality TV star received $250,000 to advertise EthereumMax without disclosing she was paid to promote it.
She also agreed not to promote any crypto assets / securities for three years.
This case is a reminder that, when celebrities or influencers endorse investment opportunities, including crypto asset securities, it doesn’t mean that those investment products are right for all investors.
We encourage investors to consider an investment’s potential risks and opportunities in light of their own financial goals.
– SEC Chair Gary Gensler
The settlement comprised of a $1 million fine, seizure of the $250,000 payment she received, plus interest, coming up to a total of $1.26 million.
Despite the large sum, the fine will not bother Kim Kardashian too much. With a net worth estimated at $1.8 billion, the $1.26 million fine is roughly equivalent to an $85 fine for a typical US family with a net worth of $122,000.
Her lawyers hinted as much in the statement they released :
Ms. Kardashian is pleased to have resolved this matter with the SEC.
Kardashian fully cooperated with the SEC from the very beginning and she remains willing to do whatever she can to assist the SEC in this matter.
She wanted to get this matter behind her to avoid a protracted dispute. The agreement she reached with the SEC allows her to do that so that she can move forward with her many different business pursuits.
As you can tell – the fine was more like dust in her eyes than a lesson to learn from. I doubt it even feels like a slap on the wrist to her.
How Kim Kardashian Got Into Trouble Promoting Crypto…
On June 13, 2021, Kim Kardashian promoted a new cryptocurrency called EthereumMax (not to be confused with the famous and more established Ethereum) on Instagram.
Are you guys into crypto???? This is not financial advice but sharing what my friends told me about the Ethereum Max token!
A few minutes ago Ethereum Max burned 400 trillion tokens – literally 50% of their admin wallet giving back to the entire E-Max community.
She had 225 million followers on Instagram at that time, and EthereumMax paid her $250,000 for that post.
Despite the misleadingly similar name, EthereumMax has no legal, business or technical connection to the Ethereum cryptocurrency. One could be forgiven for thinking that they were trying to mislead people into thinking that they are the same – they are not!
In January 2022, Kim Kardashian, boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr, basketball player Paul Pierce and the creators of EthereumMax were sued by investors who alleged that the celebrities collaborated to “misleadingly promote and sell” the cryptocurrency in a “pump and dump” scheme.
In plain terms, EthereumMax’s entire business model relies on using constant marketing and promotional activities, often from ‘trusted’ celebrities, to dupe potential investors into trusting the financial opportunities.
The class action lawsuit filing pointed out that such promotion caused EthereumMax to increase more than 1,300% in value (the pump) before plummeting to “an all-time low” just over a month after Kim Kardashian promoted it.
It alleged that this enabled the defendants to sell EthereumMax tokens for “substantial profits” (the dump) before the inevitable crash in value.
It is unknown how many investors were hurt, but after the initial celebrity-fuelled surge, EthereumMax quickly tanked and never recovered.
This is another lesson in why you should not take investment advice from celebrities, especially when they are only famous for … being infamous?
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
India just seized US$678 million of Xiaomi assets, over claims it made illegal remittances to foreign entities by masquerading them as royalty payments.
Here is what you need to know…
India Seizes US$678 Million Of Xiaomi Assets!
On Friday, September 30, 2022, an Indian appellate authority confirmed an April order by the Enforcement Directorate of India to seize Rs 55.51 billion (US$678 million).
The Enforcement Directorate found that Xiaomi made illegal remittances under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), to foreign entities by masquerading them as royalty payments.
The Competent Authority appointed under Section 37A of the Foreign Exchange Management Act has confirmed the seizure order of Rs. 5551.27 Crore dated 29.04.2022 passed by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) against Xiaomi Technology India Private Limited under the provisions of FEMA.
The Company started its operations in India in the year 2014 and started remitting the money from the year 2015. The Company has remitted foreign currency equivalent to INR 5551.27
The Authority, while confirming the seizure of Rs 5,551.27 crore, held that ED is right in holding that foreign exchange equivalent to Rs 5,551.27 crore has been transferred out of India by Xiaomi India in an unauthorised manner and is held outside India on behalf of the group entity in contravention of Section 4 of the FEMA.
It was the Enforcement Directorate’s finding that the payment of royalty was a mechanism to (illegally) transfer foreign exchange our of India – a “blatant violation” of FEMA requirements.
This is the highest amount of seizure order in India which has been confirmed by the authority till date.
Xiaomi India is the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Xiaomi Group in China, and sells and distributes mobile phones under the Mi brand name.
Chinese companies are facing headwinds in India, due to political tensions that arose from a border clash between the two countries in 2020.
Since then, India banned more than 300 Chinese mobile apps, and tightened rules for Chinese companies.
Xiaomi Pushes Back Against Seizure Of Assets In India!
On Sunday, October 2, 2022, Xiaomi India issued a statement, pushing back against the seizure of its assets.
It clarified that more than 84% of its remittances were royalty payments made to Qualcomm Group, to pay for intellectual property used in its Indian version of smartphones.
It also asserted that all royalty payments were limited to sales done by Xiaomi India, and confirmed by the Qualcomm Group.
Finally, it stated that since it does not own or hold any assets outside of India, Section 4 of FEMA would not apply to its remittances.
We have studied the order from the Competent Authority and are disappointed with the decision as none of the factual and legal contentions raised by us has been addressed. We believe our royalty payments and statements to the bank are all legitimate and truthful. We would like to clarify few points regarding our royalty payments:
a) Xiaomi India is an affiliate and one of the Xiaomi Group companies, which entered into a legal agreement with Qualcomm Group (USA) to license IP for manufacturing smartphones. Both Xiaomi and Qualcomm believe that it is a legitimate commercial arrangement for Xiaomi India to pay Qualcomm royalty.
b) Of the entire IN 5551.27 Crore Xiaomi India paid to foreign entities, more than 84% were royalty payments made to Qualcomm Group (USA), a third party US listed company, towards the in-licensed technologies, including Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) and IPs used in our Indian version of smartphones.
c) These technologies and SEPs are used across the entire global smartphone industry. Without these technologies, our smartphones would not have worked in India.
d) All royalty payments made by Xiaomi India were only related to sales done by Xiaomi India, and not for any other countries or regions. This has also been confirmed by the Qualcomm Group (USA).
e) These royalty payments were made via RBI approved and mandated banking channels and are legitimate commercial arrangements.
Moreover, we would like to clarify that Xiaomi Technology India Private Limited does not own or hold any assets outside India. Hence, as per our understanding, the Section 4 of FEMA does not even apply in this situation.
We will continue to use all means to protect the reputation and interests of the Company and our stakeholders. We remain committed to working with various authorities to resolve the issue.
Although Xiaomi states that it will “use all means” to protect its reputation and interests, it is hard to see what the company itself can do.
Perhaps it was an indirect threat of bringing the Chinese government into this fray. Whether China will step into what’s really a regulatory dispute remains to be seen…
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
It’s official – Google is shutting down Stadia for good, just three years after it launched the “future of gaming” to great fanfare!
Google Stadia Is Shutting Down For Good!
On Thursday, September 29, 2022, Google announced that it was shutting down Stadia for good, just three years after it launched the “future of gaming” to great fanfare!
In his blog post, Phil Harrison, the Vice President and General Manager of Stadia, announced that they will begin winding down their streaming service.
Gamers will be able to continue playing until January 18, 2023, and most will receive their refunds by middle of January 2023.
A few years ago, we also launched a consumer gaming service, Stadia. And while Stadia’s approach to streaming games for consumers was built on a strong technology foundation, it hasn’t gained the traction with users that we expected so we’ve made the difficult decision to begin winding down our Stadia streaming service.
We’re grateful to the dedicated Stadia players that have been with us from the start. We will be refunding all Stadia hardware purchases made through the Google Store, and all game and add-on content purchases made through the Stadia store.
Players will continue to have access to their games library and play through January 18, 2023 so they can complete final play sessions. We expect to have the majority of refunds completed by mid-January, 2023.
Why Google Stadia Is Shutting Down For Good!
Stadia’s problem isn’t streaming, it was a complete lack of original games. Despite branding it as the “future of gaming”, Google failed to release any original titles.
Instead Stadia relied on third-party games, which it reportedly had to pay tens of millions of dollars to port over.
With no headlining game to drive gamers to the platform, it was rumoured as early as July that Stadia was headed for the chopping board, when Killed by Google (now suspended) claimed that it would be dead by the end of summer.
At that time, the streaming service retorted that “Stadia is not shutting down” and that there would be “more great games” to come. But two months later, Stadia truly got axed.
Stadia’s demise goes to show that, yet again, content is king. Whether it applies to movies or games, it is content that matters more than the platform.
Netflix realised that, but apparently Stadia didn’t get the memo, and is now paying the ultimate price.
Google Stadia May Live On… Differently
While Stadia is going to shut down on January 19, 2023, that does not mean it won’t live on… in other ways.
Stadia VP and GM Phil Harrison said that its technologies can be applied to other parts of Google, like YouTube, Google Play and its augmented reality (AR) projects.
He also pointed out that its streaming technologies can be made available to their partners, hinting to past overtures to Peloton and Bungle.
The underlying technology platform that powers Stadia has been proven at scale and transcends gaming. We see clear opportunities to apply this technology across other parts of Google like YouTube, Google Play, and our Augmented Reality (AR) efforts — as well as make it available to our industry partners, which aligns with where we see the future of gaming headed.
We remain deeply committed to gaming, and we will continue to invest in new tools, technologies and platforms that power the success of developers, industry partners, cloud customers and creators.
That effort may help assure current Stadia team members that their jobs may not be axed even when the streaming service shuts down. Harrison said that many Stadia team members will continue their work in other parts of Google:
Many of the Stadia team members will be carrying this work forward in other parts of the company.
We’re so grateful for the groundbreaking work of the team and we look forward to continuing to have an impact across gaming and other industries using the foundational Stadia streaming technology.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Passengers are no longer required to wear a face mask onboard planes flying to and from Malaysia! Here is what you need to know…
Malaysia : Face Mask No Longer Mandatory On Planes!
On 28 September 2022, the Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin announced that passengers are no longer required to wear a face mask on planes flying to and from Malaysia, except when they are compulsory in destination countries.
With immediate effect (28 September 2022), passengers onboard commercial flights are no longer required to wear a face mask.
This move follows the Ministry’s earlier move to relax face mask requirements in public indoor spaces on 7 September 2022.
Based on the current assessment of the Covid-19 situation and taking into account the latest requirements, the ministry has decided that face masks are no longer mandatory when on board aircraft.
– Khairy Jamaluddin, Malaysia Minister of Health
However, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) still strongly encourages the use of face masks for these groups of passengers :
individuals with symptoms like fever, cough and flu
high-risk individuals like senior citizens, those with chronic diseases, immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women
those travelling with high-risk individuals like senior citizens and children
In addition, passengers may still be required by the destination country to wear a face mask. So bring along a face mask just in case, even if you prefer not to wear one during your flight.
The requirement to wear a face mask on an aeroplane is still subject to conditions set by the country being visited.
Face Mask No Longer Mandatory On Malaysia Airlines + AirAsia Planes!
Following the Malaysian government’s announcement, both Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia announced the next day that their passengers will no longer be required to wear a face mask, with immediate effect.
Malaysia Airlines
Effective immediately, passengers of Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, MASwings, and AMAL are no longer required to wear face masks onboard, except where compulsory in destination countries.
The relaxation of the face mask mandate follows the Ministry of Health Malaysia’s guideline on 28 September 2022 to remove the mask requirement onboard commercial aircraft.
The use of face masks is however strongly recommended for the following group of passengers:
Passengers with symptoms such as fever, cough and cold.
High-risk passengers such as the elderly, people with chronic diseases.
Passengers with low immunity and pregnant mothers; and
Passengers who travel with high-risk people such as elderly and children.
All MAG airlines are committed to providing a safe and smooth end-to-end travel experience in accordance with its MHFlySafe commitment, allowing customers to fly confidently.
Airline protective measures include:
The cabin air circulation system, where cabin air is refreshed 20-30 times an hour
The use of High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter that can filter 99.9% of airborne contaminants, including viruses and bacteria.
Frequent aircraft cleaning disinfection following guidelines prescribed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the World Health Organization
Aircrafts are operated by fully vaccinated pilots and cabin crew.
AirAsia
Following the announcement by the Malaysian government that face masks are no longer mandatory on flights, AirAsia Malaysia (AK) has exempted the use of face masks on its flights effective immediately.
The use of face masks on board flights is optional for AirAsia Malaysia (AK) guests, unless they are travelling to or from destinations that require a face mask. Guests who wish to wear a face mask on board may continue to do so.
As safety is our highest priority, AirAsia will continue to operate with the strictest safety standards. All our aircraft are equipped with powerful HEPA filters that remove 99.99% of dust particles and airborne contaminants including viruses and bacteria. The cabin air is completely refreshed every three minutes to ensure the highest possible quality of air throughout your flight.
We will continue to update the guidelines on the use of face masks on board for all other markets that we operate in as we return to the skies.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Samsung just kicked off the Galaxy Flextival at Sunway Pyramid, where you can grab a FREE Flip4 TPU case, and many free gifts!
Samsung Galaxy Flextival : Free Flip4 TPU Case + Many Gifts!
Samsung just kicked off the Galaxy Flextival at Sunway Pyramid, to show off the new Galaxy Z Flip4 foldable smartphone from 29 September until 2 October 2022!
So take this opportunity to check out the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 in person. Bring your friends along, and claim a free Galaxy Z Flip4 transparent TPU case that you can customise together!
You can also take a look at the Galaxy Z Flip4 Bespoke Edition at this roadshow, and find out how it lets you express your own taste by combining different design elements.
The colour palette for the Bespoke Edition is meticulously curated by Samsung and offers five glossy glass shade options and three frame options that provide 75 combinations for the discerning customer to select from.
The palette includes Yellow, White, Navy, Khaki and Red for front and back covers and Silver, Gold and Black for frame colours.
This is also your final chance to enjoy exclusive free gifts worth up to RM1,648 and juicy deals when you purchase the Galaxy Z Flip4 or Galaxy Z Fold4 at this roadshow!
Stand a chance to win a Samsung Freestyle projector worth RM4,999.
Get a FREE Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Bluetooth (40mm) worth RM799.
Get a FREE Gift Pack worth RM250
Get free Samsung Care+ one year extended warranty, with 3 times Protective Film Replacements worth up to RM599.
Trade in and own a Galaxy Z series smartphone for as low as RM1,969.
Even if you are not ready to jump onto the bandwagon, or have already purchased the Galaxy Z series smartphone, you can still get some awesome freebies at this roadshow :
Get a mystery gift when you collect three stickers from any experiential zone!
Galaxy Z Flip4 users : claim and customise a free Galaxy Z Flip4 transparent TPU case!
Galaxy Z Flip3 / Fold3 users : get a free Protective Film replacement done on the spot!
Even though it is in Samsung’s interest to sell you the new Galaxy Z Flip4, I’m personally very happy to see them give older Flip3 and Fold3 users a free protective film replacement!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
However, those coup rumours were squashed when Xi Jinping was shown on TV visiting an exhibition in Beijing showcasing China’s achievements during his decade in power, called Forging Ahead in the New Era.
On that CCTV evening broadcast, Xi Jinping was seen wearing a face mask while taking a tour of the displays at the Beijing Exhibition Hall, where his photos featured heavily.
He was also seen in the company of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and other members of the Politburo Standing Committee – Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Hunting, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng.
Despite unverified claims that he was under house arrest, Xi was likely undergoing the standard 7+3 quarantine required by China’s zero COVID policy.
One may be forgiven in thinking that this TV broadcast of Xi, backed by the top Chinese leaders, seems specifically designed to convey the message – he’s very much still in power.
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
