Category Archives: Tech ARP Events + Contests!

Here are the contests, events, and promotions on Tech ARP – everything from exclusive contests and giveaways, to our coverage of key tech events!

Our coverage of major tech, mobile and automotive events always features exclusive videos of the actual events. So it will be like you were there yourselves!

Don’t forget to check out our regular contests and giveaways, and SHARE THE NEWS!

PLUS Warns Of 7.6 Million Vehicle Jam This Weekend!

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.

  1. 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
  2. Top up your Touch ‘n Go card and/or TNG eWallet (if you are using TNG RFID).
  3. 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
  4. Use Waze or Google Maps to get live traffic updates, and to plan your travel.
  5. 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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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.

 

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EU Orders All Brands To Use USB-C, Including Apple!

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.

 

Please Support My Work!

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Name : Adrian Wong
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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.

 

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Ukraine : 60K Russian Soldiers + 2.4K Tanks Killed!

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!

 

Ukraine : 60K Russian Soldiers + 2.4K Tanks Killed!

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.

 

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.

 

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Latest SOP For Close Contact / COVID-19 Positive!

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 wish to end you home quarantine earlier may opt for supervised RTK-Ag testing:

  • Undergo a supervised RTK-Ag test on Day 4 / 5 / 6 at any health facility / virtually.
  • If test is negative, the results will be uploaded by the healthcare professional, and you can leave home quarantine early.
  • If test is positive, you must continue the home quarantine until Day 7.

Read more : Day 4 Test + Release For COVID-19 Positive In Malaysia!

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
  • Immunocompromised patients (HIV, undergoing chemotherapy)
  • Children who have :
    a) dehydration
    b) prolonged fever and fatigue
    c) chronic disease
    d) no guardian

Read more : Malaysia: Face Mask No Longer Mandatory On Planes!

 

Current SOP For COVID-19 Close Contacts!

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.

Read more : New Test + Isolation Rules To Fight Malaysia’s Omicron Surge!

Effective
1 March 2022
On Day 1 Quarantine
Period
Testing
Fully-Vaccinated
+ Booster Dose
No symptoms None RTK-Ag self-test
on Day 1 + 3
Symptomatic 5 Days RTK-Ag self-test
if symptomatic
Recovered in last 60 days None
Fully Vaccinated Asymptomatic / Symptomatic 5 Days *
Recovered in last 60 days None
Incomplete or
No
Vaccination
Asymptomatic / Symptomatic 7 Days *

* 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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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.

 

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Kim Kardashian Fined $1.26 Mil For Promoting Crypto!

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.

#EMax #DisruptHistory #EthereumMax #WTFEMax #GIOPEmax @EthereumMax #Ad

Swipe up to join the 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?

 

Please Support My Work!

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Name : Adrian Wong
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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.

 

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India Seizes US$678 Million Of Xiaomi Assets!

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…

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

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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.

 

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Why Google Stadia Is Shutting Down For Good!

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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Malaysia: Face Mask No Longer Mandatory On Planes!

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.

 

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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.

 

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Galaxy Flextival : Free Flip4 TPU Case + Other Gifts!

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!

  1. Stand a chance to win a Samsung Freestyle projector worth RM4,999.
  2. Get a FREE Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Bluetooth (40mm) worth RM799.
  3. Get a FREE Gift Pack worth RM250
  4. Get free Samsung Care+ one year extended warranty, with 3 times Protective Film Replacements worth up to RM599.
  5. 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 :

  1. Get a mystery gift when you collect three stickers from any experiential zone!
  2. Galaxy Z Flip4 users : claim and customise a free Galaxy Z Flip4 transparent TPU case!
  3. 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!

Read more : Galaxy Z Flip4 vs. Z Flip3 : How Different Are They?

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 : Price + Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 comes in four colour options, as well as a special Bespoke Edition :

  • Graphite – legacy colour
  • Pink Gold – new colour
  • Blue – new colour
  • Bora Purple – their signature colour this year

These are the available models and launch prices for the Z Flip 4 :

  • 8 GB + 128 GB : RM4,099 (about US$920 / £760 / A$1,319 / S$1,267)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB : RM4,399 (about US$987 / £816 / A$1,415 / S$1,359)
  • 8 GB + 256 GB Bespoke Edition : RM4,599 (about US$1,032 / £853 / A$1,479 / S$1,421)
  • 8 GB + 512 GB : RM4,899 (about US$ 1,099 / £909 / A$1,576 / S$1,514)

The Bespoke Edition is only available on the Samsung website, and requires 3-4 weeks to deliver, as each unit is custom-made.

Here are online purchase options :

Read more : Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 : Colour Comparison!

 

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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.

 

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Xi Jinping Appears For First Time Since Coup Rumours

Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared for the first time since coup rumours surfaced amidst his disappearance. Here is what you need to know…

 

Xi Jinping Appears For First Time Since Coup Rumours

Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first public appearance on Tuesday, 27 September 2022, since returning from his trip to Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

It was his disappearance since then, coupled with a video of military vehicles heading towards Beijing and sudden, unexplained flight cancellations, that sparked rumours of a military coup.

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.

Read more : Xi Calls For Rejuvenation, Squashing Coup Rumours!

 

Xi Jinping Coup Rumours : Much Ado About Nothing

Right now, much has been made about a short video showing military vehicles heading towards Beijing, and over 9,000 flights getting cancelled across China.

However, these “evidence” of a coup in China have not withstood serious analysis.

  • There is no evidence of an 80 km-long military convoy entering Beijing.
  • The viral video shows a minute or so of several military vehicles travelling on a highway, nothing more.
  • There is no evidence of any lockdown of Beijing, which would certainly occur during a military coup.
  • While there was a large number of cancelled flights in Beijing airports, quite a number of commercial flights were still allowed to fly in and out.
  • Airports in the rest of China were generally functioning normally, even though there were some cancelled flights.
  • Flight cancellation is pretty common in China, especially when it comes to COVID-19 mitigation.
  • Commercial air traffic in and out of Beijing was restored by Monday, 26 September 2022.
  • Xi Jinping issued two letters a day after he was supposedly under house arrest after being overthrown.
  • Sun Lijun and his anti-Xi Jinping “political clique” were sentenced to long jail sentences.
  • CCP delegates were “elected” as expected, together with Xi Jinping himself.
  • CCP mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, reaffirmed Xi Jinping as the party’s “core”.

To top it off, the CCP is continuing its business as usual, firming up support for Xi Jinping’s third term at the upcoming CCP Congress.

Now that Xi was publicly seen accompanied by top Chinese military leaders, any fantasy of a military coup in China is finally dead.

Read more : Are Beijing Flights Getting Cancelled By Military Coup?!

 

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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.

 

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Maybank To Fully Migrate SMS OTP To Secure2u!

Maybank just officially announced that it will fully migrate from SMS OTP to Secure2u, as part of efforts to crack down on scams!

Here is what you need to know…

 

Maybank To Fully Migrate SMS OTP To Secure2u!

On 28 September 2022, Maybank officially announced that it will fully migrate from SMS OTP to Secure2u, as part of efforts to crack down on scams!

By June 2023, all online activities or transactions involving account opening, fund transfers and payments, as well as changes to personal information or account settings, will require Secure2u authentication.

This announcement came after Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) ordered banks to migrate from the SMS OTP (One Time Password) to more secure authentication methods.

We remain highly committed in helping our customers to avoid being scammed by fraudsters.  This is done through existing security measures that are already in place and as we progressively rollout more measures that can help deter or minimise the likelihood of customers falling prey to financial scams.

We are also supportive of Bank Negara Malaysia’s announcement on 26 September 2022 in relation to the five measures to be adopted by banks in Malaysia to ensure higher standards of security, especially for Internet and mobile banking services.

The banking industry is committed to working together to combat financial scams which are increasingly prevalent in today’s digitalised environment.

– Dato’ Khairussaleh Ramli, Group President & CEO of Maybank

Read more : BNM Orders Banks To Stop Using SMS OTP To Fight Scams!

 

Details Of How Maybank Secure2u Will Replace SMS OTP

Secure2u isn’t new. It was introduced in April 2017 as a more secure way for Maybank customers to authorise Maybank2u and MAE transactions using Secure Verification (one-tap approval) and Secure Transaction activation codes (a 6-digit TAC number generated in the app), as an alternate to SMS OTP.

Maybank also revealed some details of how Secure2u will be enhanced as it replaces SMS OTP :

  • Only one Secure2u device will be allowed per account holder (customer) to minimise the possibility of compromise by a third party
  • Maybank will alert the customer by SMS, a push notification, and an email when Secure2u is registered on a new device.
  • In Q4 2022, Maybank will introduce a cooling-off period whenever customers enable Secure2u on a different device. This cooling-off period will give customers the opportunity to verify and report to the bank in case of any unauthorised Secure2u registration on a new device.

In addition to Secure2u, Maybank is heeding BNM’s call for tightened fraud detection rules and triggers, and has in place a call-back verification process to alert customers of suspicious transactions.

Read more : Maybank: New Secure2u Activations Only On MAE App

 

Maybank Advice On Fighting Scam

Maybank has a dedicated 24/7 hotline for customers to report financial scams at +603-5891-4744. Customers are advised to call the hotline immediately, as soon as they suspect that their banking details have been compromised, or whenever they notice suspicious transactions, so their bank accounts can be suspended swiftly.

Alternatively, customers can also contact the general Maybank Customer Care Hotline at 1-300-88-6688 to report scams / fraud, or to seek assistance in suspending their bank accounts.

Finally, here are some tips from Maybank on how to protect yourself while using online platforms:

  • Avoid installing/downloading apps/Android Package Kit (APK) files or clicking on suspicious links sent via chat messages such as SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger or other similar services.
  • Do not provide permission for any app to send or view your SMSes.
  • Do not ignore any warnings from your devices, especially when downloading or installing a new file.
  • Do not enter your banking details, especially username or password, in any suspicious apps or websites.
  • Always keep your antivirus software updated for constant protection.
  • Only download apps from the genuine app stores such as Apple App Store, Google Play Store or Huawei AppGallery and not from a link.
  • Be alert if you are being prompted to download a file that is not compatible with your device i.e.: iPhone/iPad device being asked to use an Android device to download a file.
  • Always look out for your online banking security image and phrase (i.e.: Maybank2u security image and phrase), to ensure the website and app are legitimate.
  • Do not root or jailbreak your device.
  • Update your mobile device’s operating system (OS) and apps regularly.

Finally, we must all remember to NEVER share with anyone (not even bank employees) details of our bank accounts.

Please SHARE this article and these tips with your family and friends!

 

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Name : Adrian Wong
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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.

 

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BNM : Banks To Stop Using SMS OTP To Fight Scams!

Bank Negara Malaysia has ordered banks to stop using SMS OTP, as a way to fight financial scams!

Here is what you need to know…

 

BNM : Banks To Stop Using SMS OTP To Fight Scams!

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has ordered banks in Malaysia to stop using SMS OTP (One Time Passwords), and migrate to a more secure form of authentication for online transactions.

This move comes after many Malaysians were hit by scams that bypassed the security offered by SMS OTP, leading to great loss of their hard-earned money.

BNM governor Tan Sri Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus said major banks in Malaysia have already started migrating from SMS OTP to more secure forms of authentication.

 

BNM : More Measures Beyond SMS OTP To Fight Scams!

In addition to “banning” SMS OTP, BNM has ordered the further tightening of detection rules and triggers to block potential scams.

This includes adding a cooling-off period for first-time enrolments of online banking services, as well as devices being registered for authentication purposes.

Banks will also be required to set up dedicated scam hotlines, and provide convenient ways for customers to suspend their bank accounts if they suspect that those accounts have been compromised.

Banks also have to ensure that customers are able to reactivate their accounts after a reasonable period, after ensuring that their accounts have been secured.

Together with the financial industry, BNM will continue to ensure that banking and payment channels remain secure and equipped with the latest security controls. The effort to combat financial crimes also requires the support of all parties. As consumers, each of us are responsible for protecting ourselves from the threat of scams.

The reality, however, is that methods used by criminals will continue to evolve. BNM therefore continuously intensifies efforts and take steps to combat scams by introducing additional controls and safeguards from time to time.

– BNM governor Tan Sri Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus

Read more : Bank Negara Malaysia Email Scam Alert!

Despite these efforts, it is critical that we must all learn to safeguard our personal information and avoid downloading files or installing applications from unverified sources on our computer or smartphones.

We should also check our bank and credit card statements, and notify the banks once we notice anything suspicious.

Those who believe that they are victims of a scam should contact the Commercial Crime Investigation Department Scam Response Centre at 03-2610 1559/1599 or BNMTelelink at 1-300-88-5465; and lodge a police report to facilitate investigations.

 

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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.

 

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Samsung Galaxy A Series Gets New Fun Mode!

Samsung just introduced a new Fun Mode for Galaxy A series smartphones!

Take a look at the new Fun Mode, and give it a try!

 

Samsung Galaxy A Series Gets New Fun Mode!

Samsung is introducing a new Fun Mode in the proprietary camera app of their Galaxy A series smartphones, which adds Snapchat’s AR Lenses!

Samsung Galaxy A series smartphone users will be able to use Fun Mode to add playful, quirky lenses to their photos, turning them into fun and unique content to share with friends, or upload to social media!

Fun Mode is powered by Snap’s Camera Kit, allowing businesses and developers to bring the power of Snap’s augmented reality into their own applications.

Galaxy users are constantly seeking new ways to express their creativity. Samsung is constantly innovating to empower users to do more of what they love.

That is why we continue to grow our partnership with Snap, one of the biggest and most creative augmented reality platforms, so we can explore further improvements and bring one of the best camera experiences to more users.

– Woncheol Chai, EVP and Head of Experience Planning Team at Mobile eXperience Business, Samsung Electronics

Samsung and Snap have been working to offer users around the world more engaging and localized experiences. In 2021, they launched region-specific AR Lenses in India, and since then have expanded to other countries including Germany, Indonesia, Brazil, the Philippines, and Mexico.

Lenses are the way over 250 million Snapchatters engage with augmented reality every day, and we’re thrilled that these experiences delight and resonate with Samsung Galaxy’s community.

Integrating the Camera Kit into Samsung Galaxy’s proprietary camera is an opportunity to collaborate on compelling, local AR experiences and bring them to Galaxy users around the world.

– Ben Schwerin, SVP of Content and Partnerships at Snap.

To make use of Fun Mode, just update the Camera app in your Samsung Galaxy A series smartphone!

 

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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.

 

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Xi Calls For Rejuvenation, Squashing Coup Rumours!

Chinese President Xi Jinping just called for national rejuvenation, squashing fevered rumours of a coup in China!

Here is what you need to know…

 

Xi Calls For Rejuvenation, Squashing Coup Rumours!

Xi Jinping remains out-of-sight, feeding rumours of a possible military coup in China. However, his absence in recent days isn’t so much a house arrest, as house quarantine.

Xi has not appeared in public because he’s undergoing the 7+3 days of hotel and home quarantine mandated by the Chinese government, after his return from Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

In recent days, his office issued two letters in his name, and the CCP continued to chug along as usual, “electing” 2,296 delegates to the upcoming 20th National Congress.

Then on Monday, September 26, 2022, Xi called for the CCP to press forward China’s “national rejuvenation” in a foreword he wrote for a collection of literature.

In the foreword, titled “Forging Ahead on the Journey to National Rejuvenation”, which was made public on Monday, Xi stressed the importance of reflecting on the past and looking to the future in the historical process of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

He wrote that currently, the profound changes the world has not seen in a century are speedily evolving, and national rejuvenation has entered a crucial period. At such a moment, the nation needs to draw more on the lessons of history as a guide to the future.

Coming many days after his alleged house arrest and military coup, the official announcement further squashes the unsubstantiated rumours of a coup in China.

Read more : Was Xi Jinping Arrested In Sudden Military Coup?!

 

CCP Reaffirmed Xi Jinping As Its Core, Further Squashing Coup Rumours

In a Monday editorial by the People’s Daily, the Communist Party of China (CCP) congratulated the 2,295 delegates that were just “elected” to the 20th National Congress.

It also affirmed President Xi Jinping as “its core in uniting and leading the whole party and Chinese people“.

This is in line with Xi’s expected endorsement at the 20th CCP National Congress for an unprecedented third term, and squashes the rumours of a military coup in China.

The 20th CPC National Congress will take stock of the Party’s work over the past five years, as well as major achievements and valuable experience of the Party’s Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in uniting and leading the whole Party and Chinese people of all ethnic groups to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era..

This was repeated at the end of the editorial, stressing that the CCP was under the “strong leadership” of its Central Committee with “Xi Jinping at its core”.

It is firmly believed that under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and through the concerted efforts of all the delegates, the 20th CPC National Congress will be a congress of unity, victory and endeavor, reads the editorial.

Read more : CCP Congress Delegates Elected Amid China Coup Rumours!

 

Xi Jinping Coup Rumours : Much Ado About Nothing

Right now, much has been made about a short video showing military vehicles heading towards Beijing, and over 9,000 flights getting cancelled across China.

However, these “evidence” of a coup in China have not withstood serious analysis.

  • There is no evidence of an 80 km-long military convoy entering Beijing.
  • The viral video shows a minute or so of several military vehicles travelling on a highway, nothing more.
  • There is no evidence of any lockdown of Beijing, which would certainly occur during a military coup.
  • While there was a large number of cancelled flights in Beijing airports, quite a number of commercial flights were still allowed to fly in and out.
  • Airports in the rest of China were generally functioning normally, even though there were some cancelled flights.
  • Flight cancellation is pretty common in China, especially when it comes to COVID-19 mitigation.
  • Xi Jinping issued two letters a day after he was supposedly under house arrest after being overthrown.
  • Sun Lijun and his anti-Xi Jinping “political clique” were sentenced to long jail sentences.
  • CCP delegates were “elected” as expected, together with Xi Jinping himself.
  • CCP mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, reaffirmed Xi Jinping as the party’s “core”.

To top it off, the CCP is continuing its business as usual, firming up support for Xi Jinping’s third term at the upcoming CCP Congress.

The People’s Daily editorial seals the case for Xi Jinping’s toppling in a military coup. That was nothing more than the wishful thinking of netizens who despise him, fuelled by unverified claims.

Read more : Are Beijing Flights Getting Cancelled By Military Coup?!

 

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.

 

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CCP Congress Delegates Elected Amid China Coup Rumours!

People continue to speculate about a possible coup in China, but almost 2,300 CCP delegates were just elected to the upcoming Congress!

Here is what you need to know…

 

CCP Congress Delegates Elected Amid China Coup Rumours!

While rumours swirl about a possible military coup in China, the CCP appears to be oblivious to the rabid speculation and conspiracy theories on the Internet.

On Sunday, September 25, 2022, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced that a total of 2,296 delegates were “elected” to the upcoming 20th National Congress.

While the CCP statement did not specifically address the rumours of a coup in China, it specifically pointed out that the delegates were elected

  • under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,
  • in accordance with the Party’s Constitution, and
  • adopting methods required by the CCP Central Committee

The statement also said that the process upheld the CCP’s nature and purpose, adhere to and enhanced the Party’s overall leadership, and fully embodied intra-party democracy.

President Xi Jinping himself was “elected” as a delegate to the 20th National Congress in April 2022. The statement notably did not change that status, so he remains a delegate, and is still expected to be endorsed for an unprecedented third term.

Read more : Was Xi Jinping Arrested In Sudden Military Coup?!

 

China Coup Rumours : Much Ado About Nothing

Right now, much has been made about a short video showing military vehicles heading towards Beijing, and over 9,000 flights getting cancelled across China.

However, these “evidence” of a coup in China have not withstood serious analysis.

  • There is no evidence of an 80 km-long military convoy entering Beijing.
  • The viral video shows a minute or so of several military vehicles travelling on a highway, nothing more.
  • There is no evidence of any lockdown of Beijing, which would certainly occur during a military coup.
  • While there was a large number of cancelled flights in Beijing airports, quite a number of commercial flights were still allowed to fly in and out.
  • Airports in the rest of China were generally functioning normally, even though there were some cancelled flights.
  • Flight cancellation is pretty common in China, especially when it comes to COVID-19 mitigation.
  • Xi Jinping issued two letters a day after he was supposedly under house arrest after being overthrown.
  • Sun Lijun and his anti-Xi Jinping “political clique” were sentenced to long jail sentences.

To top it off, the CCP just continued about its business like nothing happened. This “election” of all 2,295 delegates to the 20th CCP National Congress only goes to show that it’s business as usual in China.

Read more : Are Beijing Flights Getting Cancelled By Military Coup?!

 

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Dell 40-Nation Survey : Employees Are Greatest Asset!

Dell Technologies just conducted a new 40+ country survey to find out things have changed after two years of accelerated digital transformation!

Take a look at their results, and find out why most businesses consider employees as their greatest asset!

 

Dell 40-Nation Survey : Employees Are Greatest Asset!

After two years of accelerated digital transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, 64% of IT leaders in Malaysia (APJ: 45%; Global: 50%) say their organisations know what it takes to digitally transform a workforce.

But after such rapid change, many employees now face the challenge of maintaining the pace. What’s more, more than two-thirds of the 10,500 respondents believe that their organisations are not able to engage with their employees properly when planning transformation programs.

The results suggest that after 2 years rapid transformation, businesses and their workforce are in need of time to recharge, reflect and refine before embarking on new or iterating projects.

The research also highlights how there is still the danger os digital transformation stalling, as 68% of Malaysian respondents (APJ: 72%; Global: 64%) believe that their employees’ resistance to change can lead to failure.

Over half or 57% of Malaysian respondents (APJ: 62%; Global: 53%)  fear that they will be shut-out of the rapidly-evolving digital world due to a lack of people with the right authority or vision to capitalise on opportunities offered by new technologies, like as-a-Service models.

Most organisations around the world – including Malaysia – realise the need to digitally transform, but they find digital transformation hard, and their people don’t always embrace change.

This human-technology friction is only compounded by the pandemic and what we end up with is businesses that are more digitally resilient, but many of their people are exhausted.

Today, businesses aspiring for sustainable success need to be asking themselves how they can thoughtfully and purposefully help their people navigate further change.

– Mak Chin Wah, country manager, Malaysia and general manager, Telecom Systems Business, South Asia, Dell Technologies.

 

Dell 40-Nation Survey : Readiness For Digital Change

Dell and independent behavioural experts also studied survey respondents’ appetite for digital change, and they found that only 8% of the Malaysian workforce – from senior business leaders to IT decision-makers and staff – are pursuing modernisation projects (APJ: 7%; Global: 10%).

Furthermore, 40% of Malaysian respondents are slow or reluctant to embrace change (APJ: 46%; Global: 42%).

Breakthrough Benchmark Malaysia APJ Global
Sprint: Will chase innovation and
trailblaze technological change.
8% 7% 10%
Steady: Poised to adopt technological
change, selected by others.
50% 41% 43%
Slow: Inclined to hold back and
observe / deliberate.
40% 46% 42%
Still: Tend to anticipate problems and
resist proposed technology innovations
based on perceived risk.
4% 6% 5%

 

Dell 40-Nation Survey : The Way Forward

The Dell study also charts a way forward for businesses to focus on keeping pace with digital transformation:

1. Connectivity

Businesses performed tremendous feats to connect, collaborate, and conduct business online during the pandemic, but the job is not done.

Around 76% of Malaysian respondents say they need their organisations to provide the necessary tools and infrastructure to work anywhere (along with the autonomy to choose their preferred working pattern) (APJ: 78%; Global: 72%).

In fact, they worry their employees might be left behind because they do not have the right technology to shift to a highly distributed model (where work and compute are not tied to a central place, but occur everywhere).

Technology alone is not enough. Businesses also need to make work equitable for employees with different needs, interests, and responsibilities, including the 82% Malaysian employees (APJ: 78; Global: 76%) that would like their organisation to do any of the following:

  • Clearly define their ongoing commitment to flexible work arrangements and the practicalities of making it work – Malaysia: 54% (APJ: 46%; Global: 40%)
  • Equip leaders to effectively and equitably manage remote teams – Malaysia: 41% (APJ: 42%; Global: 42%)
  • Empower employees to choose their preferred working pattern and provide the necessary tools / infrastructure – Malaysia: 49% (APJ: 47%; Global: 44%)

Read more : Dell Commissions Largest Solar Panel Globally In Malaysia!

2. Productivity

Every employee’s time is limited and there are now too few qualified candidates for open roles. To address these limitations, businesses can delegate repetitive tasks to automated processes and free-up employees to focus on higher-value work.

At present, 19% of Malaysian respondents say that their work is stimulating and not repetitive (APJ: 32%; Global: 37%). With the opportunity to automate more repetitive tasks, 81% of Malaysian respondents would look forward to learning new, sought-after skills and technologies, like leadership skills, courses in machine learning, or focusing on more strategic opportunities to elevate their role (APJ: 74%; Global; 69%).

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

3. Empathy

At their heart, businesses must build a culture, modelled by empathetic leaders, that treats people as their greatest source of creativity and value.

The research shows there is still work to do and empathy has to inform decision making – from simplifying technology for approximately half (Malaysia: 51%; APJ: 52%; Global: 49%) who often feel overwhelmed by complex technologies, to tailoring change programs to individuals’ skills (Malaysia: 54%; APJ: 50%; Global: 41%;) of employees believe their leaders do this).

Read more : Dell Survey On Remote Work Readiness In Malaysia!

 

Dell 40-Nation Survey : A Quick Primer

To find out how things have changed after two years of accelerated digital transformation, Dell Technologies conducted a survey across 40+ countries from all regions of the world, from August to October 2021.

Fieldwork was conducted by Vanson Bourne, and involved 10,500 senior business decision-makers, IT decision-makers and knowledge workers (employees involved in digital transformation).

In Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ), 2,900 respondents across 11 locations were surveyed. The APJ locations include Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. In Malaysia, 200 number of respondents were surveyed.

On 22 September 2022, Dell Technologies presented their key findings at the Dell Technologies Forum 2022, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

 

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Maybank: New Secure2u Activations Only On MAE App

Maybank will only allow new Secure2u activations on their MAE app, instead of their Maybank2u app!

 

Maybank : New Secure2u Activations Only On MAE App

From 26 September 2022 onwards, Maybank will only allow new Secure2u activations on their MAE e-wallet app, instead of their Maybank2u banking app.

Secure2u is a mobile app-based authentication method for your banking transactions, which replaces the SMS TAC that is vulnerable to SIM swap attacks.

This change only affects new Secure2u activations. If you have already activated Secure2u on your Maybank2u banking app, then you can continue to use the Maybank2u app to approve your transactions as usual.

Maybank will also move two Amanah Saham National Berhad (ASNB) services from the Maybank2u app to the MAE app permanently, starting 7 October 2022.

  • View own and child’s account balance(s)
  • Make transfers to own account(s) via Favourites

This shifting of features is part of Maybank’s push to “encourage” its customers to switch to their MAE e-wallet app, and it plans to phase out the Maybank2u app eventually.

By moving customers to MAE, Maybank is hoping that they might start using its e-wallet feature, as well as reduce its need to develop and maintain two separate mobile apps.

 

12-Hour Activation Delay For Secure2u In MAE

To further strengthen the appeal of the MAE app, Maybank is going to boost the security of its Secure2u feature.

Starting on 22 October 2022, the Secure2u feature in the MAE app will be enhanced with a 12-hour activation period to prevent unauthorised activations.

Those who activate Secure2u in MAE on a new device will need to wait at least 12 hours, before they can begin using the Secure2u feature to authenticate any transaction.

The idea is to give the account owner at least 12 hours to detect any potential fraudulent attempt to activate Secure2u on unauthorised devices.

 

How To Set Up Secure2u In MAE

Setting up Secure2u in the MAE app is straightforward :

  1. Install the MAE app from the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or HUAWEI AppGallery.
  2. Launch the MAE app, and tap More.
  3. Tap on Settings at the top of the screen.
  4. Tap on Maybank2u and log into your Maybank account.
  5. Tap the toggle button next to Secure2u to enable it.
  6. Tap on Activate Now.
  7. Key in and confirm your mobile number.
  8. Maybank will send a One-Time Password (OTP) to you via SMS.
  9. Key in the OTP number and confirm your device name to authorise the change.

That’s it! Then you just need to use your MAE app (instead of SMS TAC) to authenticate your future banking transactions on Maybank.

 

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EVGA Quits GPU Business Over NVIDIA Disrespect!

EVGA just confirmed that it is quitting the GPU business for good, citing disrespect and unfair behaviour by NVIDIA!

Here is what we know so far…

 

EVGA Won’t Produce Next-Gen NVIDIA Graphics Cards!

EVGA has been a long-time NVIDIA partner for over 20 years, and exclusively produces only graphics cards based on their GPUs.

But on 16 September 2022, the veteran NVIDIA partner confirmed that it was quitting the graphics card business for good in a terse community forum post.

EVGA will continue to sell the current GeForce RTX 30-series graphics cards, and support their existing customers.

However, it will no longer produce the next-generation GeForce RTX 40-series (Lovelace) graphics cards.

Hi all,

You may have heard some news regarding the next generation products from EVGA. Please see below for a message on future products and s

  • EVGA will not carry the next generation graphics cards.
  • EVGA will continue to support the existing current generation products.
  • EVGA will continue to provide the current generation products.

EVGA is committed to our customers and will continue to offer sales and support on the current lineup. Also, EVGA would like to say thank you to our great community for the many years of support and enthusiasm for EVGA graphics cards.

EVGA Management

The majority – about 78% – of EVGA’s revenue comes from sales of its NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics cards, which will run out eventually.

But the company does not plan to layoff its employees even after they finish selling their stock of RTX 30-series graphics cards. Instead, it will focus on other products like motherboards and power supplies, although it does not plan to expand into new product lines.

EVGA is not even entertaining the idea of “working with Intel or AMD” to produce graphics cards. It will quit the graphics card business for good.

The California-based company currently employs about 280 people worldwide, and employees currently working on graphics cards will be reassigned to other departments, although it also expects some “attrition” to take place.

 

EVGA Quits GPU Business Over NVIDIA Disrespect!

While EVGA did not officially mention the reasons for its drastic decision, it was apparently over the way NVIDIA disrespected them and behaved unfairly.

EVGA CEO Andrew Han pointed out that the margin on graphics cards is incredibly thin, and they make 300% more profit on power supplies. Yet NVIDIA was a bad partner to them.

  • NVIDIA would not tell EVGA their cost price for GPUs before announcing the price of cards like the RTX 3080, making it difficult for EVGA to figure out how much to charge for their own cards.
  • NVIDIA sends journalists drivers for the new graphics cards before sending them to EVGA
  • NVIDIA keeps EVGA in the dark about how many GPUs it would receive.
  • NVIDIA competes directly with EVGA with their Founders Edition cards. EVGA complained that it had to sell high-end cards like the RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 at a loss of “hundreds of dollars” to compete with the Founders Edition cards.
  • NVIDIA blocks partners from selling cards below a price floor for some models, and above a price ceiling for other models.

Han reportedly said that “the decision to stop working with NVIDIA was easy, because working with NVIDIA was so hard”.

This discontent had been simmering for a long time, and NVIDIA leadership was well-aware as far back as April 2022.

When asked for a response to those allegations, NVIDIA spokesperson Bryan Del Rizzo said :

We’ve had a great partnership with EVGA over the years and will continue to support them on our current generation of products. We wish Andrew [Han] and our friends at EVGA all the best.

Even though EVGA has been with NVIDIA since the RIVA TNT2 days in 1999, the GPU giant probably couldn’t care less as they can still count on their other “partners” to fill in the hole.

 

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Parent Company Of Shopee Slashes Costs + Salaries!

Sea Limited – the parent company of Shopee – appears to be in dire straits, pulling out of markets, slashing costs and salaries!

 

Parent Company Of Shopee Slashes Costs + Salaries!

Singapore-based Sea Limited – Shopee’s parent company – appears to be in dire straits, pulling out of markets, slashing costs and salaries!

In March 2022, Shopee shut down its France operations less than 6 months after kicking off its “European conquest” in October 2021.

Then in early September 2022, Shopee exited Argentina, and shut down its local operations in Chile, Colombia and Mexico. Sea Limited’s Garena gaming unit also laid off hundreds of employees in Shanghai.

Today (September 15, 2022), Bloomberg reported that Sea Limited’s top management staff will forgo their salaries, and the company will tighten its expenses.

In a 1,000-word internal memo to Sea Limited staff, CEO Forrest Li said that the leadership team will not take any cash compensation “until the company reaches self-sufficiency”, as well as these additional measures :

  • business travel is restricted to economy class flights,
  • travel meal expenses are limited to US$30 a day,
  • hotel stays for business trips are limited to US$150 a night
  • reimbursements for meals and entertainment bills will be removed

 

Sea Limited + Shopee Have Been Struggling In 2022

Li noted that Sea Limited has been struggling against rising interest rates, accelerating inflation, and a volatile market – conditions that he foresees will likely persist into the medium term.

He stressed that the company’s primary objective for the next 12-18 months will be to achieve positive cashflow as soon as possible.

With investors fleeing for ‘safe haven’ investments, we do not anticipate being able to raise funds in the market.

The only way for us to free ourselves from relying on external capital is to become self-sufficient, generating enough cash for all our own needs and projects.

Li’s comments mirrors the “tough times” concerns recently expressed by HUAWEI CEO Ren Zhengfe.

Read more : HUAWEI CEO Ren Zhengfei Warns Of Tough Times!

Sea Limited saw its market value soar to more than US$200 billion in October 2021, but its share prices tumbled 85%, reducing its market value to just US$27 billion.

Last month, Sea announced that its net loss in the second quarter of 2022 widened to US$931.20 million from US$433.7 million last year. Its total adjusted loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation for that quarter also jumped to US$506.3 minion from US$24.1 million.

This was despite a 29% increase in total revenue to US$2.9 billion, from US$2.3 billion in the second quarter of last year.

 

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Miss Taiwan Left Crying At WCIT 2022 Tech Event!

Miss Asia Global Taiwan was left crying after she was barred from the stage at the WCIT 2022 tech event in Penang, Malaysia!

Here is what you need to know…

 

Miss Taiwan Left Crying At WCIT 2022 Tech Event!

The 2022 World Congress on Innovation and Technology (WCIT) kicked off on Tuesday, 13 September 2022, in Penang, Malaysia.

But the opening ceremony was marred by controversy after Miss Asia Global Taiwan, Kao Man-jung, was barred from taking the stage.

Miss Kao Man-jung was supposed to appear on stage with other Miss Asia Global contestants for the WCIT 2022 opening ceremony, when she was stopped at the last moment by a WCIT staff member.

Her crime? Waving the flag of her country – Taiwan. The other contestants were allowed to go on stage, waving the flag of their countries, except Miss Kao Man-jung.

Instead, the WCIT official pulled her aside, and she was seen bursting into tears, with Taiwanese officials around her looking befuddled.

WCIT organisers later apologised to Miss Kao, claiming that due to a “last minute change”, they could not allow her to appear on stage.

 

MOFA Condemns Mistreatment Of Miss Taiwan At WCIT 2022

The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued an official statement on Wednesday, 14 September 2022, condemning the mistreatment of Miss Asia Global Taiwan at WCIT 2022.

MOFA expressed “regret and frustration” over the “flawed decision” by WCIT, and condemned China’s bullying of Taiwanese citizens and its intervention in unofficial exchanges.

Taiwan is a sovereign country, and its people have the right to display their national flag at international events.

MOFA stands with Kao and all Taiwanese in their efforts to speak up for Taiwan in international settings in their respective fields of expertise.

 

Penang Assemblyman Defends Barring Of Miss Taiwan At WCIT 2022

Penang assemblyman Jason Ong Khan Lee (PKR-Kebun Bunga) defended the decision by the World Congress on Innovation and Technology organisers to bar Miss Asia Global Taiwan from going on stage with the other contestants.

He said that many countries, including the United Nations, subscribe to the One China policy, and so, it would be insensitive to allow the Taiwanese contestant to go on stage with the flag.

I think there is no offence intended and I hope the Taiwanese beauty can understand that there is nothing personal against her.

 

WCIT Organisers States One China Policy Behind Decision

The WCIT 2022 organisers reportedly said that they had to abide by the One China policy that Malaysia adhered to, when they asked Miss Kao Man-jung not to wave her flag.

Since this was a national event, the organisers was “obliged” to abide by the One China policy.

However, the organisers did not explain why they did not inform the Taiwanese beauty queen and the Taiwanese delegation earlier, so she would not have to make the effort to dress nicely and appear for the event, only to be pulled aside and left looking like a jilted bride at the altar.

Regardless of the reason, the last minute decision showed a complete lack of foresight and discretion.

 

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Google Pixelbook Is Dead, But Chromebook Lives On!

Google just cancelled their next Pixelbook, and dissolved the team behind it, but don’t worry – the Chromebook lives on!

 

Google Kills Pixelbook + Dissolves Team

Google just cancelled the next-generation Pixelbook laptop that was supposed to debut next year. They also dissolved the team developing it, and transferred its members to other teams.

This sudden decision came after Google said in May 2022 that it planned to continue its Pixelbook laptop business.

Then in July, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that he wanted to slow down hiring and cut some projects :

In some cases, that means consolidating where investments overlap and streamlining processes. In other cases, that means pausing development and re-deploying resources to higher priority areas.

It looks like Google decided that their next Pixelbook would be a waste of resources, and killed it to shift their resources elsewhere.

 

Google Pixelbook Is Dead, But Chromebook Lives On!

While there will no longer be a new Pixelbook laptop in 2023, that does not mean Google has given up on ChromeOS or Chromebook laptops.

In fact, Google likely canned their Pixelbook project because their OEM partners are doing a great job of producing a plethora of good or even great Chromebook laptops.

As Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh pointed out at Google I/O 2022 in May, the Chromebook market had matured and would last a long time.

Google have always developed hardware as a way to push the envelope, and to show its partners what can be achieved. It doesn’t benefit Google to directly compete with its partners.

Now that OEM partners like Acer, Lenovo and HP are offering Chromebook laptops in a wide range of price points and configurations, it just doesn’t make sense for Google to muddle the market with a new Pixelbook.

 

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 + Fold4 Roadshow + Deals!

Samsung Malaysia is kicking off the Galaxy Z Flip4 + Galaxy Z Fold4 roadshow with plenty of deals! Check them out!

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 + Fold4 Roadshow

Samsung Malaysia is kicking off three major roadshows to promote their latest Galaxy Z Flip4 and Galaxy Z Fold4 foldable smartphones!

Make sure you drop by these roadshows and grab the deals offered there!

Roadshow Location Date
Imago Mall KK, Sabah 9 September to 11 September 2022
Gurney Plaza, Penang 9 September to 11 September 2022
Sunway Pyramid, Selangor 29 September to 2 October 2022

 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 + Fold4 Roadshow Deals

Here are the launch deals available at the roadshows, as well as online :

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4

  • Available colours : Bora Purple, Blue, Pink Gold, Graphite
  • Available storage capacities : 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB
  • Free gift #1 : Samsung Core+ 1-year extended warranty + 3 protective film replacements
  • Free gift #2 : Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Bluetooth 40mm (worth RM799)

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 Bespoke Edition

  • Available colours : Customisable
  • Available storage capacities : 256 GB
  • Free gift #1 : Samsung Core+ 1-year extended warranty + 3 protective film replacements
  • Free gift #2 : Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Bluetooth 40mm (worth RM799)
  • Free gift #3 : 2% Samsung Rewards Points
  • Free gift #4 : Free Samsung Clear Slim Cover (worth RM99)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4

  • Available colours : Graygreen, Beige, Phantom Black, Burgundy
  • Available storage capacities : 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
  • Free gift #1 : Samsung Core+ 1-year extended warranty + 3 protective film replacements
  • Free gift #2 : Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Bluetooth 40mm (worth RM799)

 

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Malaysia Abolishes Indoor Face Mask Mandate!

Malaysia just abolished the indoor mask mandate, removing all requirements to wear a face mask, except in specific situations!

Here is what you need to know…

 

Malaysia Abolishes Indoor Face Mask Mandate!

On 1 May 2022, Malaysia abolished the requirement to wear a face mask outdoors. However, the indoor mask mandate was maintained.

On 7 September 2022, the Malaysia Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin announced the abolishment of the indoor mask mandate as well!

This new ruling starts with immediate effect – on Wednesday, 7 September 2022.

Read more : Malaysia : Face Mask No Longer Required Outdoors!

 

Malaysia : Face Mask Not Required Indoors Except…

Wearing Face Mask Indoor Is Mostly Optional

The wearing of face mask indoors will now be optional, but strongly encouraged for:

  • public places that are crowded like night markets, stadiums, shopping malls and places of worship.
  • individuals with symptoms like fever, cough and flu
  • high-risk individuals like senior citizens, people suffering from chronic illness, immunocompromised individuals and pregnant mothers
  • individuals conducting any kind of activity with high-risk individuals like senior citizens and children

However, premise owners will be allowed to decide whether customers will be required to wear a face mask to enter their premises.

When Wearing Face Mask Indoor Is Mandatory

There are a few instances in which wearing a face mask is still mandatory indoors:

  • individuals who test positive for COVID-19
  • individuals using public transportation like bus, train, taxi (including e-hailing rides), airplane, as well as bus and vans transporting school children or workers.
  • when in health facilities like hospitals, clinics, care centre, haemodialysis centre, and so on.

The Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) also reminds the public that while the face mask mandate for outdoors was abolished on 1 May 2022, it still encourages people to wear a face mask when:

  • in public places that are crowded
  • when you have symptoms like fever, cough and flu
  • if you are a high-risk individual
  • if you are planning to undertake activities with high-risk individuals like senior citizens and children

 

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Japan To FINALLY Kill Off Floppy Disks + CD-ROM!

Japan is being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century – its government has FINALLY decided to kill off floppy disks!

 

Japan Is Still Using Floppy Disks + CD-ROM!

Most of the world began transitioning from floppy disks to USB flash drives and rewritable CDs (yes, they exist!) in the late 1990s.

By the 2000s, floppy disk sales tanked globally … except in Japan, where they continued to thrive.

That’s partly because government agencies in Japan continue to require data to be submitted using floppy disks or CD-ROM.

So while the world moved to USB flash drives capable of storing gigabytes of data, Japan remained loyal to floppy disk with its storage capacity of 1.44 MB or 2.88 MB.

Today, Japan is arguably the only country in the world where kids do not stare blankly if you mention “floppy disk”.

 

Japan To FINALLY Kill Off Floppy Disks + CD-ROM!

On 31 August 2022, Taro Kono – the Minister of Digital Transformation of Japan, announced that the government will rewrite rules requiring the use of floppy disks or CD-ROM.

This is part of the Japanese government’s plan to introduce a national identification number for its citizens, called MyNumber.

MyNumber will be the lynchpin for many of the Japanese government’s future digital services, and will require significant amounts of data to be uploaded to its online databases.

That was when Kono’s department found more than 1,900 regulations regulating how data should be shared with the government, and many of them required the use of floppy disks or CD-ROMs. Even worse – uploading data over the Internet was forbidden for security reasons.

So the Ministry of Digital Transformation will have to fix these regulations before both the Japanese government and its citizens can rid themselves of 1970s-era technology once and for all.

Digital Minister declares a war on floppy discs. There are about 1900 government procedures that requires business community to use discs, i. e. floppy disc, CD, MD, etc to submit applications and other forms. Digital Agency is to change those regulations so you can use online.

But updating those old regulations is only part of the solution. Kono still has to deal with poor digital literacy, as well as the bureaucratic and conservative culture in Japan which are obstacles to its digital transformation.

Some Japanese government officials continue to insist that floppy disks offer a degree of security and authenticity that an email just cannot. Yoichi Ono – a Tokyo official – claimed in 2021 that floppy disks “almost never broke or lost data”.

That is not true, as many tech old-timers who had to put up with a corrupt disk or two in a multi-disk installation can attest to. But it speaks to the great reluctance in many Japanese organisations to do away with old tech.

Unbelievably, many Japanese companies and government agencies continue to rely significantly on an even older technology from the past – the fax machine.

I’m looking to get rid of the fax machine, and I still plan to do that,” Kano told a news conference this week.

He will be fighting against hundreds of government officials who claim that “banishing fax machines would be impossible” because of “security of sensitive information” and “anxiety over the communication environment (email)”.

I wish Minister Kono all the best in his attempt to drag Japan into the 21st century.

 

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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.

 

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AMD, NVIDIA Banned From Selling AI Chips To China!

Both AMD and NVIDIA have just been banned from selling high-performance AI chips to both China and Russia!

Here is what you need to know…

 

AMD, NVIDIA Banned From Selling AI Chips To China + Russia!

On Friday, 26 August 2022, NVIDIA and AMD were both ordered by the US government to stop exporting high-performance AI chips to both China and Russia.

In its regulatory filing to the SEC, NVIDIA stated that the US government introduced this ban to prevent them from being used for military purposes, or by the Chinese or Russian military.

The ban uses the A100 Tensor Core GPU as the baseline for NVIDIA, and the 3rd Gen Instinct MI250 accelerator chip for AMD.

Effective immediately, anything equal to, or faster than, the NVIDIA A100 or the AMD Instinct MI250 can no longer be exported to either China or Russia. That includes the upcoming H100 chip.

On August 26, 2022, the U.S. government, or USG, informed NVIDIA Corporation, or the Company, that the USG has imposed a new license requirement, effective immediately, for any future export to China (including Hong Kong) and Russia of the Company’s A100 and forthcoming H100 integrated circuits.

DGX or any other systems which incorporate A100 or H100 integrated circuits and the A100X are also covered by the new license requirement.

The license requirement also includes any future NVIDIA integrated circuit achieving both peak performance and chip-to-chip I/O performance equal to or greater than thresholds that are roughly equivalent to the A100, as well as any system that includes those circuits. A license is required to export technology to support or develop covered products.

The USG indicated that the new license requirement will address the risk that the covered products may be used in, or diverted to, a ‘military end use’ or ‘military end user’ in China and Russia. The Company does not sell products to customers in Russia.

I should point out that the NVIDIA A100 was launched two years ago – on June 22, 2020, while the AMD Instinct MI250 was introduced on November 8, 2021.

So it appears that the US government wants to maintain at least a 1-year advantage in high-performance AI chips.

 

AMD, NVIDIA Set To Lose Billions From AI Chip Sales To China!

Both AMD and NVIDIA stopped selling chips to Russia, after the invasion of Ukraine, so there is no material loss from such a ban on sales to Russia.

However, they both stand to lose billions of dollars worth of sales to China. NVIDIA alone estimates that the ban will affect US$400 million of sales, just in the third fiscal quarter.

Even more worrying was the likelihood that this ban may delay the H100 chip’s launch, and force NVIDIA to move “certain operations” out of China.

The new license requirement may impact the Company’s ability to complete its development of H100 in a timely manner or support existing customers of A100 and may require the Company to transition certain operations out of China.

AMD however claims that the ban will not have a material impact on its business, because shipments of its less powerful MI100 chips are not affected.

At this time, we do not believe that shipments of MI100 integrated circuits are impacted by the new requirements.

We do not currently believe it is a material impact on our business.

Both AMD and NVIDIA will now have to discuss with their customers in China on using alternative (less powerful) chips, or obtaining special licenses from the US government.

 

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Sources : Maxis + U Mobile Decline 5G Network Stake!

Sources have confirmed that both Maxis and U Mobile do not plan to take up a stake in DNB – the government-owned 5G agency!

Here is what you need to know, and what it means for 5G adoption in Malaysia!

 

Sources : Maxis + U Mobile Decline 5G Network Stake!

Sources just confirmed to Reuters that both Maxis and U Mobile do not plan to take up a stake in Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) – the government-owned 5G agency.

According to three people familiar with the matter, Maxis and U Mobile do not see any benefit in becoming a minority shareholder of DNB, but they will remain in talks to gain access to the DNB 5G network.

It is possible that Maxis and U Mobile made this decision to pressure the government into allowing a second 5G service to be setup.

One source said, “[The parties] will have to try and restructure the deal”.

But until one side acquiesces, the rollout of 5G for most consumers in Malaysia will be further delayed.

 

Maxis + U Mobile Is Out, Will Other Networks Buy 5G Stake In DNB?

Maxis, U Mobile, Celcom and DiGi had earlier proposed to take a majority stake in DNB, but that was rejected by the government.

So the four main mobile network operators are now lobbying for a second 5G network – the Dual Wholesale Network (DWN) model, instead of a single whole network controlled by DNB.

With Maxis and U Mobile out, the Malaysian government’s plan to sign agreements with the other mobile networks has been disrupted.

In fact, the deadline ends today (Wednesday, August 31, 2022) for the six mobile network operators in Malaysia to agree on whether to take a combined 70% stake in DNB.

Until now, only Telekom Malaysia and YES – the two smaller telcos – have signed up with DNB to provide 5G access, with TM still running tests, while YES offering very limited 5G coverage in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya.

 

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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.

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Malaysia : Pay Hike + Cash For Civil Servants In 2023!

The Prime Minister of Malaysia just announced a special pay hike and cash aid for civil servants and retirees in 2023!

Here is what you need to know…

 

Malaysia : Pay Hike + Cash For Civil Servants In 2023!

On 30 August 2022, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, announced a special pay hike, as well as cash aid, for civil servants and retirees in 2023.

The package of special pay hikes and cash aid will consist of:

  • extra RM 100 pay hike for Grades 11 to 59, in addition to the basic annual pay raise.
    For example, the annual pay raise for a Grade 11 civil servant is RM 80. That civil servant will now receive RM 100 + RM 80 = RM 180.
  • RM 700 cash aid for Grades 56 and below.
  • RM 350 cash aid for government retirees and veterans without pension.

These special pay hikes and cash aid will be paid out in January 2023, the Prime Minister announced at the 18th Civil Service Premier Gathering (MAPPA XVIII).

The special pay hike alone will cover 1.28 million civil servants, and cost the Malaysian government and taxpayers RM 1.5 billion (about US$334.5 million).

 

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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.

 

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HUAWEI CEO Ren Zhengfei Warns Of Tough Times!

HUAWEI CEO Ren Zhengfei just warned of tough times ahead, and called for his company to go into survival mode!

Here is what you need to know…

 

HUAWEI CEO Ren Zhengfei Warns Of Tough Times!

On 22 August 2022, HUAWEI founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei posted a memo on its internal network, stating that “The entire company’s business policy should shift from the pursuit of expansion to the pursuit of profit and cash flow“.

In Ren’s opinion, the global economy will continue to decline and be in the doldrums for the next ten years, putting HUAWEI under great pressure.

He also said that it is unclear if HUAWEI can survive the 2023-2024 financial year, partially blaming its woes on a “continued blockade” by Western countries.

Therefore, he says HUAWEI must focus on its own survival, and shift from expanding to pursuing profit and improving cash flow over the next 3 years. To that end, the CEO said that HUAWEI will completely abandon its business in certain countries.

The HUAWEI CEO also said that the “chill” in business sentiment to be passed down to HUAWEI employees, linking their bonuses and promotions to business results. In addition, he called for responsibilities to be consolidated, which sounds like euphemism for job cuts.

This alarming memo by its CEO comes after HUAWEI – China’s largest company – saw revenue decline by 14% in the first three months of 2022, with its profit margin narrowing to 4.3% from 11.1% just a year ago.

The HUAWEI CEO appears to believe that China will experience a much longer and persistent economic slowdown spreading far beyond the current collapse of its real estate sector.

It is surprising to note that Chinese censors has not removed the memo, which suggests the HUAWEI CEO has enough clout to speak openly. His memo went viral on Chinese social media, and has been discussed and shared by more than 100 million Chinese netizens.

Recommended : Can HUAWEI Phones Get Free Calls + Internet From BeiDou?

 

HUAWEI CEO Ren Zhengfei Tough Times Memo : Key Points

Here are the key points from HUAWEI CEO Ren Zhengfei’s “tough times” memo, machine-translated from NetEase:

Live with quality in the next three years

We have to see the difficulties faced by the company and the difficulties in the future. The next ten years should be a very painful historical period, and the global economy will continue to decline. Now, due to the impact of the war and the continued blockade and suppression by the United States, the world’s economy is unlikely to improve in the next 3 to 5 years. Coupled with the impact of the epidemic, there should be no bright spot in the world. Then the consumption power will be greatly reduced, which will not only put pressure on the supply, but also the pressure on the market.

Under such circumstances, Huawei’s overly optimistic expectations about the future will be lowered. In 2023 and even 2025, we must take survival as the main program to survive, and survive with quality. This slogan is very good. Every business must be carried out carefully.

If we have a little bit of hope in 2025 as planned, then we must first find a way to get through these three difficult years, and the basis of survival must be adjusted to focus on cash flow and real profits, not just sales revenue. The respite period of our life is 2023 and 2024. We are still not sure whether we can break through in these two years, so every mouth should not tell stories, but must talk about realization, especially when conducting business forecasts, do not No more illusions, telling stories to deceive the company, losses will be deducted from your food package, first of all, you must survive, and if you survive, you will have a future.

Blind investment business to shrink

The 2023 budget should maintain a reasonable pace, blind expansion, and blind investment in businesses should shrink or close.

The entire company must use the budget effectively, and cannot blindly close all projects. The manpower saved will go to the front line, continue to optimize the organization’s business, rationally staff the ICT infrastructure, or our black land granary. Competitive complex hardware platforms and complex software platforms, and the projects that hang on to ride on them must be picked out. The legion is to build a basic information platform and sell ICT better. The infrastructure is not for the ecology. The terminal is the foundation for our rise and breakthrough in the future, but it should not be blind. Now we need to narrow the front lines, concentrate our troops to fight the war of annihilation, and increase profits.

Huawei cloud computing should focus on supporting Huawei’s business development in a down-to-earth manner, and take the road of supporting the industrial Internet. Digital energy has increased investment in the strategic opportunity window, created greater value, contracted institutions, and strengthened combat teams. Smart car solutions cannot be rolled out on a complete front. It is necessary to reduce the research budget, strengthen the business closed loop, and take a modular approach to R&D, focusing on a few key components to be competitive, and the rest can be connected to others.

In addition to the main goal of continuous investment for survival and profitability, businesses that cannot generate value and profits in the next few years should be scaled down or closed, and human and material resources should be concentrated on the main channel. We must face the reality and not be too far away. The great ideal is to cut through the mess quickly, and the surplus personnel will be adjusted to the strategic reserve team, and then they will be combined into reasonable positions to grab food.

The peripheral business must be taken out of the strategic core. After the marginal business is taken out, we first evaluate whether it can be done well and how much resources are needed to do it well. If it is not possible to do a business with huge resource consumption, it is better to open it up and let others do it after closing it. We must do it, and if we do not do well enough, we will reorganize the combat team and change cadres. If there are some windows of opportunity, we expand the strategic resource pool of strategic reserve teams and cadres and experts, and form commandos to attack in the window of opportunity.

Adhere to seeking truth from facts, and shrinking in the market must be firm. We used to embrace the ideal of globalization and aspire to serve all mankind. What is our ideal now? Survive and earn a little wherever you have money. From this perspective, we need to adjust the market structure and study what can be done and what should be abandoned.

Give up part of the market

The first focus is on value market value customers, and the main force is used in the middle section of the normal distribution curve. In some countries, we completely give up in the market. We also have a fat meat market, and the people who used to eat bones are transferred to eat fat meat.

Second, for hard-fought countries and regions, as an assessment and training base for new cadres to be promoted in the future, some countries have low output. Although we still have to do it, should we no longer send soldiers to guard the top of the snow, because he will still be a soldier after he comes down? Xueshan Mountain is a test of people, and potential new cadres will have the opportunity to be promoted to army commander. Because it is easy to integrate a small country, he calculates from the estimated budget, contract, tender delivery, working hour quota, and the solution is all done together. When I came back, I passed 5 and 6 on the cadre’s resume and passed the threshold of 11 generals in one day. Of course, some employees have been on the frontier for a long time, and their incomes have decreased when they return to China. There is also the issue of children going to school.

Third, employees returning from overseas should have priority in obtaining skills training and job opportunities. Employees returning from overseas must have a period of protection to protect them from their posts and ensure that they receive certain training. The skills of personnel in difficult countries may be worse than those in China, because they do not have a realistic combat environment. How can they improve? Just like a soldier on the plateau, although he stood very high, he did not absorb any cosmic energy. They paid the price. They could not take the exam as soon as they returned to China, and then they were eliminated. No one wanted to go to such difficult areas, so we have to It is guaranteed that the returning employees have job arrangements and a relaxed study time. As for his ability to catch up during this period, it is another matter.

Financial planning needs to be done for cash flow. In times of crisis, the main purpose is to make blood. Although we say that it will improve in 2025, what if there are no shells by then? So that’s a wonderful plan, we have safe food measures.

The company has two major expenditures to distribute dividends to employees, including wage stability, which is to enhance internal confidence and cohesion, and repayment of loans to banks, which is to enhance the society’s trust in us. For projects that already have obvious potential risks, don’t have any illusions, and surface them as soon as possible, let the audit come to a conclusion, and quantify the risks. At the same time, it is still possible to continue to manage these assets that have been eliminated. Through management, risks can be turned into appropriate returns. We should not have a bubble in our hearts. When we look at the report, we will be very determined, but we will not actually be able to make money. to the money.

Let the chill pass to everyone

Consolidate responsibilities, and link bonuses, promotions and promotions to business results, so that the cold will be passed on to everyone.

First, in this year’s and next year’s assessment, the weight of cash flow and profit should be increased. It is better for sales revenue to decline a bit, but profit and cash flow to increase. The bonus for operating profit growth should be a little more, so as to encourage everyone to compete for profits.

Second, each responsibility center signs the assessment responsibility letter. The company should aim at the KPI-based reciprocal reward mechanism. The normal promotion and upgrading will remain unchanged next year, but the link with the equivalence of responsibility should be strengthened, which makes people feel cold year after year. , but we need to be patient and enthusiastic in our transition. I once told the executive board that the basic salary framework should not be changed. This is a rigid indicator, but if the employees are excellent, they can be promoted and upgraded, and the bonus can be very flexible. Why is it elastic? Encourage everyone to go to the battlefield to grab food, the front line is different from the agency.

Third, the bonuses of various businesses this year must widen the gap, and it is absolutely not allowed to force everyone to achieve the short-term goal of grabbing food. In the past, the company’s policy was basically to settle things down. Everyone didn’t feel the cold in winter. Everyone covered the quilt, but it was a little thicker and thinner. At the end of this year, businesses with more profit and cash flow will have more bonuses, and businesses that cannot create value will have very low bonuses. They don’t even force the business to commit suicide and pass on the cold.

At present, we have to survive, not to fight for our ideals. The legion competition is the year-end bonus, because the bonus is not given by the company, but the profit earned by the legion itself, and part of it is handed over to the company. If we cannot earn food, we must dare to Bonuses are not given because the basic income of the employees covers the necessities of life. Of course, some strategic businesses cannot create value in the short term, which we can determine through evaluation, but many marginal businesses with poor performance must be cut off. This is adjustment, consolidation, enrichment, and improvement.

Invest at all costs at the point of survival crisis

Quality is the primary productive force. We must adhere to this line. R&D must be responsible for the quality and performance of products, and we promise that service experts must have comprehensive capabilities. Poor quality products are a shame for R&D personnel. This sentence should be posted on On the wall of the R&D office area of ​​the R&D office, the rate of network failures around the world is getting higher and higher, and an accident may destroy the trust system of the entire market.

100-1=0, for our research and development, the research and development of single boards, the research and development of single devices, and the research and development of systems must put quality first. Quality is the best support guarantee for R&D and manufacturing personnel to market service personnel. If the quality of the product is not good, it is equivalent to letting the brothers brave the hail of bullets, ice and snow, hot and sweltering heat, and the new crown virus is charging on the front line. Therefore, we need to establish a reverse assessment mechanism. The first-line reverse assessment should not only assess the service organization of the agency, but also extend to the product line. If the quality is not good in the office, then the front line should be narrowed and the competitiveness should be improved.

We need to improve the status of the service system, and service experts must have a comprehensive ability to judge the network experience of accidents. In the past, we paid more attention to R&D than service, but now we also need to pay attention to the service system.

Reasonable, scientific and reasonable control of inventory. We must change from panic-stricken self-rescue in the past to high-quality self-rescue. We must pay attention to reducing inventory reasonably, and do not cause insufficient profits and tight cash flow of the company due to excessive inventory, which constitutes our new crisis. We can invest at all costs on strategic key opportunities and existential crises, but we cannot spend money on non-strategic opportunities.

 

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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XPeng Engineer Guilty Of Stealing Apple Car Secrets!

An XPeng engineer just pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets from the Apple Project Titan self-driving car program!

Here is what we know so far…

 

XPeng Engineer Guilty Of Stealing Apple Car Secrets!

A former Apple engineer who joined Xpeng – the Chinese electric vehicle maker, just pleaded guilty to the criminal charge of stealing trade secrets from the Apple self-driving car program!

Zhang Xiaolang initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, but he reached a plea deal with prosecutors and changed his plea to guilty, according to court documents released on Monday, August 22, 2022.

The plea deal is sealed, so the details are unknown. Zhang’s attorney, Daniel Olmos, confirmed the plea agreement but declined to comment on the details. Sentencing however is set for November 2022.

Zhang faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. With this plea deal, he should serve a much shorter sentence.

In addition to Zhang, US federal prosecutors also charged Chen Jizhong with stealing secrets from the Apple self-driving car program. Chen, however, continues to plead not guilty, and will have his day in court on August 29, 2022.

Chen is also represented by the same lawyer as Zhang – Daniel Olmos.

Recommended : Did China Make 7nm Chips In Spite Of US Sanctions?!

 

How XPeng Engineer Stole Apple Car Secrets!

Zhang Xiaolang worked on the Apple Project Titan autonomous vehicle program as a hardware engineer between 2015 and 2018, during which he designed and tested circuit boards.

He travelled to China during his paternity leave in 2018, and on returning in April 2018, he told his boss at Apple that he was leaving to work for XPeng (Guangzhou Xiaopeng Motors Technology) in China.

XPeng, also known as XMotors in the United States, is a Chinese electric car startup backed by Alibaba, Foxconn and IDG Capital. It has developed electric cars like the XPeng G3 and XPeng P5.

His boss felt that Zhang was “being evasive” during the meeting. There was also increased network activity and visits to his office, before he resigned. All that led to an internal Apple investigation of his two company-issued phones and laptop.

That’s when they discovered that Zhang had been downloading confidential files from the Apple lab during his time away. He was also caught on CCTV removing circuit boards and a Linux server from their lab.

Zhang’s network activity was found to consist of “both bulk searches and targeted downloading copious pages of information from the various confidential database applications“.

Recommended : US Mil Contractor Admits Selling Aviation Secrets To China!

Zhang was arrested at the San Jose airport in July 7, 2018, before he could board a last-minute, one-way flight to China aboard Hainan Airlines.

In an interview with Apple’s security team, Zhang admitted that he downloaded the data online, and removed hardware from its labs. He also admitted to the FBI that he stored the files he downloaded on his wife’s laptop.

The FBI described the data he stoled as “largely technical in nature, including engineering schematics, technical reference manuals, and technical reports“.

The files – about 24 GB worth – include a 25-page document containing engineering schematics of a circuit board, as well as technical manuals and PDFs related to the Apple self-driving car prototype.

The other Apple engineer to be charged with stealing secrets of its autonomous car project – Chen Jizhong – was accused of stealing stolen thousands of sensitive documents, as well as 100 photos taken inside its self-driving facility – all discovered in a hard disk drive he owned.

Chen was also arrested when he attempted to board a flight to China, ostensibly to visit his ill father.

Recommended : TikTok Leak : China Repeatedly Accessed Private User Data!

 

XPeng Denies Involvement In Theft Of Apple Car Secrets!

XPeng said in a Weibo post that it was aware of the plea agreement from media reports, but it was “not clear about the details, nor involved in further investigation conducted by US law enforcement“.

It has been more than four years into the case, and we are not aware of the specifics of the case and have not been involved in the follow-up investigation of the case by the US judiciary.

We also have no relevant dispute with Apple and have no connection with the case. We strictly abide by relevant laws and attaches great importance to intellectual property protection.

Zhang joined XMotors in May 2018, but the company quickly distanced itself from its employee, stating on July 11, 2021 :

There is no indication that he has ever communicated any sensitive information from Apple to XMotors.

XMotors always has strictly abided by the laws of China and the United States and takes protection of intellectual property rights seriously.

Company spokesperson Isabel Jiang also stated that once they were notified in late June 2018 that US authorities were investigating Zhang, they secured his computer and office equipment and denied him access to his work. They subsequently fired him.

XPeng also said that Zhang signed an intellectual property compliance document on the day he joined, and that there was “no record that he reported any sensitive and illegal situations” to the company.

 

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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.

 

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Apple Pay Is Now Available In Malaysia!

Apple did not announce anything official, but Apple Pay is now available in Malaysia!

Here is what you need to know, and how you can start using Apple Pay in Malaysia!

 

Apple Pay Is Now Available In Malaysia!

Apple Pay was first launched way back in September 2014, together with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. However, its global availability was slow and some would say, tortuous.

For years, Apple fans in Malaysia have requested for Apple Pay to be introduced in Malaysia, and could only look at Singapore in envy, when Apple Pay was introduced there more than six years ago in April 2016!

But the wait is over! The steady drip of leaks has finally culminated in actual confirmation that yes, Apple Pay is now available in Malaysia!

Apple did not announce anything, but you can now add your debit / credit cards to Apple Pay and start using it in Malaysia!

This makes Malaysia only the second country in Southeast Asia to support Apple Pay. The first was Singapore in April 2016.

Malaysia is also only the 10th territory in Asia to support Apple Pay, after Australia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand and Singapore.

 

What Banks Currently Support Apple Pay In Malaysia?

Right off the bat, I have to warn you that support for Apple Pay is still pretty limited in Malaysia, to just three banks as far as I can tell.

Banks In Malaysia That Support Apple Pay

You will be able to register debit and credit cards issued by these banks :

  • AmBank
  • Maybank
  • Standard Chartered Bank

Banks In Malaysia That Do Not Support Apple Pay

You won’t be able to add debit or credit cards from these banks :

  • CIMB
  • Citibank
  • UOB
  • OCBC

I will update this article as and when I find out what other banks in Malaysia support, or don’t support, Apple Pay.

Read more : How To Add MySJ Vaccine Certificate To Apple Wallet + Health

 

How To Register Apple Pay In Malaysia?

To help you register your debit / credit card with Apple Pay, here is my step-by-step guide :

Step 1 : Open the Wallet app in your iPhone.

Step 2 : Tap on the Add button to “Add a credit or debit card to get started using Apple Pay”.

Step 3 : In the next screen, tap on the Continue button.

Step 4 : You will now be asked to “scan” your debit / credit card using your iPhone camera, positioning it within the frame.

Step 5 : The Wallet app will try to pick up important details of your credit card like :

  • Name
  • Credit card number
  • Expiry date

If nothing happens, that means it cannot read the details off the card. Then you will need to tap on the Enter Card Details Manually option at the bottom.

Step 6 : Whether your card details are detected or not, verify the key card details required by Apple Pay :

  • Name
  • Card Number
  • Expiry Date
  • Security Code

If the detected details are wrong, edit them to make sure they match your debit / credit card.

Step 7 : You will need to key in the Security Code, which is a 3-digit or 4-digit CSC (Card Security Code) / CVV (Card Verification Value) / CVC (Card Verification Code) usually printed on the back of your debit / credit card.

Step 8 : If your credit card is not supported, you will get a pop-up message saying :

Your Issuer Does Not Yet Offer Support for This Card

Ask your issuer if they offer cards that support Apple Pay.

If your card is supported, you will see a list of Terms and Conditions. You will need to tap on Agree to continue.

Step 9 : The screen show details of your credit card while the Wallet app sets it up for Apple Pay. Just wait for a few seconds.

Step 10 : You will now be asked to verify your card for Apple Pay, usually through Text Message. Tap Next to continue with the verification process.

Step 11 : You will receive an SMS with a 6-digit One Time Password (OTP). You need to key that in within 2 minutes :

Card enrolment OTP for your digital wallet is XXXXXX. It will expire after 2 mins. If you have not performed this, please contact the bank.

Step 12 : Tap Next after keying in the OTP, and you should see the Card Activated notice.

That’s it! Your credit card is now ready for Apple Pay. When you open your Wallet, you should see that debit / credit card listed.

 

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.

 

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