Do the Mahameru pagoda flowers in Tibet only bloom once every 400 years?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Mahameru Pagoda Flowers Only Bloom Every 400 Years!
People are sharing photos and a video of what they call the Mahameru pagoda flowers, claiming that they only bloom once every 400 years.
Tibet’s unique “Pagoda Flower” is auspicious. This is the Mahameru flower that blooms once every 400 years in the Himalayas.
It’s not a cabbage 🥬 but Tibet’s unique “Pagoda Flower”. I was sent this by a dear friend. It is the auspicious Mahameru flower that blooms once every 400 years in the Himalayas. Apparently lucky to see it and will give you a lifetime of good luck – now thats worth sharing! Have a wonderful evening all. Lots love cxxx 💖💖💖 . #mahameruflower #goodluck #auspicious #beautyinbloom ✨💖💖💖
It is also known as Mahameru flower or Arya flower. It can be found in the Himalayas. Flowers once every 400 years. If we want to see it again, we have to wait another 400 years. Our generation is lucky. So share as much as possible. Let others see it.
This is the “pagoda flower” or “Mahameru”, a unique auspicious flower in Tibet. The pagoda flowers in the Himalayas bloom every 400 years. Our generation is fortunate to see the pagoda blossom. Please share it for others to see. Good luck for the rest of your life!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS shared on WhatsApp and social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Mahameru Flowers Do Not Exist
First, let me just point out that there are no flowers that are called Mahameru.
Fact #2 : Sharing On Social Media Won’t Bring Good Luck
There is no evidence that sharing anything on social media will bring you good luck.
Fake news creators add that bit to get people to spread their misinformation.
Fact #3 : This Is The Sikkim Rhubarb
These are not flowers, but a massive vegetable known as the Sikkim Rhubarb (Rheum nobile) that is native to the Himalayas.
These are not photos of the Mahameru pagoda flower. Rather, they are photos of flowers from a cactus called Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) – the state wildflower of Arizona.
The saguaro cactus is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state or Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas of California.
The pagoda flower exists, and has the scientific name of Clerodendrum paniculatum. However, it looks nothing like the three or four different flowers that people are claiming is the Mahameru pagoda flower.
The pagoda flower (Clerodendrum paniculatum) is not native to the Himalayas, but can be found all over tropical Asia, including southern China, Taiwan, Borneo, Sumatra, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and even in Central America.
The real pagoda flower do not bloom once every 400 years, but throughout most of every year! And when it blooms, its flowers last for several weeks.
Below is a comparison I made of the real pagoda flower, with three of the most common “fake” pagoda flowers that people keep sharing on WhatsApp and social media platforms. As you can see – they look nothing alike!
There are plants that take years before flowering, but there is no flower that only blooms once every 400 years.
The corpse flower (Amorphophallus Titanium) takes about 5 to 10 years of vegetative growth before it blooms.
The sheep-eating plant (Puya chilensis) can take 15-20 years to flower.
The Madagascar palm (Tahina spectabilis) takes about 30-50 years to flower.
The American aloe (Agave americana) can take 10-30 years to flower, just before dying.
The Queen of the Andes (Puya raimondii) also flowers at the end of its life, after approximately 80 years.
The bamboo Melocanna baciffera flowers every 48 years
The Taliport palm (Corypha umbraculifera) lives up to 60 years, and flowers just before dying.
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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.
A new JobStreet study just revealed that 2023 will remain the jobseekers’ market in Asia! Here is what you need to know.
New JobStreet Study : 2023 Remains Jobseekers’ Market In Asia!
On 1 March 2023, SEEK, the parent company of JobStreet and JobsDB – Asia’s leading online employment marketplaces, released a new study on the jobseekers’ market in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, together with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and The Network, a global alliance of recruitment websites.
The study, which surveyed 97,324 respondents in Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, delivered these key findings:
34% of talents are actively looking for a new job
their top 3 motivations for seeking for a new job are:
– 49% are looking for a more interesting position, or higher seniority
– 30% feel they lack opportunities for upward career progress
– 27% are unsatisfied with their current salary and benefits
54% are not actively looking for a job, but would consider a job opportunity with better financial compensation
74% of talents in the region are approached multiple times per year for new job opportunities
36% of talents are approached about new job opportunities every month
70% of talents believe they have strong negotiation power
IT talents are the most coveted in Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore, being frequently approached with job opportunities
Despite the waves of layoffs by tech companies in the region and around the world, the demand for tech talent still remains based on the reports’ findings. This is consistent with SEEK’s observation of a 29% YoY (2021 vs 2022) increase in job ads for tech roles in the region, based on data from our JobStreet and JobsDB platforms. – Peter Bithos, CEO of SEEK Asia
2023 JobStreet Study Findings : Top Talent Priorities
The 2023 study by JobStreet parent company, SEEK and the Boston Consulting Group, also gave us a look at what are the top priorities for talents in the Southeast Asia and Hong Kong region:
Most respondents (71%) desire, above all, a stable job with a good work-life balance. This preference is dominant across job roles, countries, and age groups.
22% say that unattractive financial compensation is a deal breaker
17% say that poor work-life balance is a deal breaker
amount of time off, and job security tie as deal breakers in third place
People’s expectations towards work have changed radically in the past few years. Most jobseekers don’t want to live to work anymore – they want to work to live. Employers must understand that while a high salary may be a way to raise the attention of in-demand talent, money is not enough to retain them on the long run. A culture that supports work-life balance, allows for flexibility, and emphasises good workplace relationships is equally important. – Sagar Goel, Partner and Associate Director at Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Jobseekers are also interested in a better recruiting process:
67% want a smooth and timely process, as 49% will refuse even an attractive job offer if they face a negative experience
recruitment platforms like JobStreet and JobsDB are the top channel used when applying for a job.
Advanced digital tools are not favoured, even among the young generation. Many prefer personal interactions during the recruitment process – only 24% were comfortable participating in an AI-led automated interview.
2023 JobStreet Study Findings : The Malaysian Context
The study also looked at the Malaysian context for jobseekers in 2023:
Malaysia’s labour market remains positive, with 30.9K new jobs
Talents in Malaysia have lower job opportunities than the global average. However, 69% of respondents feel they have a strong negotiation power over employers.
1 in 3 employees are willing to try different careers by reselling to new professions – this is approximately 5% higher than the regional average
top 3 more coveted talents in Malaysia (based on the percentage of respondents who are approached most frequently with job opportunities) are:
– Information Technology
– Digitisation, data science, and artificial intelligence
– Education, such as teachers and trainers
61% of Malaysians expressed their preference for hybrid working models, which is 7% higher than the global average.
Indonesia has stopped the sale of all medical and cough syrups, and liquid medication after 99 children died, amidst an unexplained spike in acute kidney injuries.
Indonesia Bans Sale Of Cough Syrups + Liquid Meds!
On Thursday, October 20, 2022, Indonesia banned the sale of all syrup and liquid medication, including cough syrups.
This decision follows the deaths of 99 children, and 206 cases of acute kidney injuries in children, mostly under 6 years of age.
As a precaution, the ministry has asked health workers in health facilities not to prescribe liquid medicine or syrup temporarily.
We also ask that drug stores temporarily stop all sales of non-prescription liquid medicine or syrup until our investigations are completed.
– Indonesia Health Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Syahril
Indonesia Ban Of Cough Syrups + Liquid Meds : What’s Going On?!
Just a week ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) linked four cough syrups made in India to the deaths of more than 60 children who suffered acute kidney failure in The Gambia, West Africa.
WHO suspected that the four cough syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited of India, contained “unacceptable amounts” of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, which can damage the brain, lungs, liver and kidneys.
India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organizatio immediately shut down Maiden Pharmaceuticals’ factory in New Delhi where these cough syrups were made.
In view of the seriousness of the contraventions observed during the investigation and its potential risk to the quality, safety and efficacy of the drugs being produced, all the manufacturing activities of the firm (are) being stopped with immediate effect.
The cough syrups that killed so many children in The Gambia though were not sold in Indonesia, according to the Indonesian food and drugs agency.
However, Indonesian Health Ministry Budi Gunadi Sadikin said today (Thursday, October 20) that the same toxic substances – diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol – were detected in syrups found in the homes of some of the affected children.
He added that the number of acute kidney failure cases could be higher than reported, so his health ministry was taking the conservative approach by banning the sale of all medical syrups and liquid medication.
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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.
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%)
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 builda 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).
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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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.
Were Western leaders driven in limos, while African and Asian leaders had to take the bus for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Limo For Western Leaders, Bus For Africans @ Queen’s Funeral
Many people are claiming that Western leaders were driven in limos to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, but African and Asian leaders had to take the bus! Here are some examples :
Queen’s Funeral: President Biden Arrives Buckingham Palace in His Presidential Armoured Convoy While slave master’s house keepers African Presidents Were Blocked and Conveyed in a Bus 🙆🏽♂️🙆🏽♂️🙆🏽♂️🤣🤣🤣🤔. Africa wake up. @_AfricanUnion #Africa
Our leaders went to the UK and are being treated the way they treat us🤡
A video by a Malaysian TikToker who calls himself ArtieKohDr has gone viral making the same claims on WhatsApp:
Truth : Limo For A Few Leaders, Bus For Everyone Else @ Queen’s Funeral!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and circulated on social media, and WhatsApp, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Bus Only Used For Short Trip To Westminster Abbey
First, I should point out that buses were only used to transport invited world leaders and VIPs for a short trip.
Those who were invited to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral all arrived in their own vehicles at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, where they disembarked.
The dignitaries then rode a fleet of buses for a short 3 km ride to Westminster Abbey – a trip that lasted less than 10 minutes.
This “park and ride” plan was meant to reduce security and logistical difficulties in transporting so many dignitaries to Westminster Abbey, amidst the huge crowds gathered there.
Fact #2 : Only President Biden Was Allowed To Use His Own Car
US security protocol required President Joe Biden to travel in an armoured Cadillac known as The Beast.
Hence, he was the only leader to receive special permission to travel to Westminster Abbey in The Beast, escorted by other vehicles.
However, that didn’t turn out well when his motorcade got stuck in a traffic jam, and his car came to a standstill near the Marble Arch – a significant security risk.
Fact #3 : All Other Invited Guests Took The Bus
With the singular exception of US President Joe Biden, the claim that Western leaders were driven in limos to the Queen’s funeral is nonsense.
Everyone else had to park at Royal Hospital Chelsea and take the bus to Westminster Abbey. They included both Western, African and Eastern leaders like :
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
King Abdullah II of Jordan
Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan
Kenyan President William Ruto
Malaysian Agong Al-Mustafa Billah Shah
Singaporean President Halimah Yacob
Japanese Emperor Naruhito
Polish President Andrzej Duda, and
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
While some “prima donnas” were (allegedly) annoyed by the need to take the bus, many were happy enough to be amongst the few to be invited at all, and had no issues taking the bus.
Fact #4 : Many Asian + African Leaders Were Seated In Front At Funeral
While President Joe Biden was given the exceptional privilege of driving directly to the Queen’s funeral in his own car, he was seated behind many Asian and African leaders.
However, this was not a snub or payback for allowing him to be driven to the funeral in The Beast.
The royal funeral seating protocol strictly prioritises royalty and Commonwealth leaders over all other leaders, even those from much larger / influential countries.
Hence, President Joe Biden was seated 14 rows to the back, behind many African and Asian leaders. A point that many who complained about Western bias against African and Asian leaders seem to have conveniently ignored.
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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.
Now that Apple Pay is available in Malaysia, here is my guide on how to set it up with your debit / credit card!
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!
While this guide is based on credit cards in Malaysia, it will work in other countries too, as long as Apple Pay is supported.
Not All Banks Support Apple Pay
First of all, you must understand that not all banks support Apple Pay. Here in Malaysia, only three banks support Apple Pay at the moment.
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.
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.
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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.
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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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.
Sony just gave everyone a “nice” August surprise, by hiking PlayStation 5 prices globally by up to 24%!
Here is what you need to know…
Sony Hikes PlayStation 5 Prices Globally, Except US!
Sony has had a hard time producing enough PlayStation 5 consoles, with available units getting snapped up within minutes, often by scalpers.
It doesn’t seem to be a situation that will likely be resolved until 2024, but that does not mean Sony is willing to lose out on profits just because there’s still a shortage of chips worldwide.
On 25 August 2022, they sprung a “nice” surprise by announcing an immediate hike to PlayStation 5 prices globally… except in the United States.
Japan gets a short reprieve until September 14, so consumers there can still enjoy the lower price, but with virtually no stock at hand, that probably won’t make much of a difference.
Europe
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – €549.99
PS5 Digital Edition – €449.99
UK
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – £479.99
PS5 Digital Edition – £389.99
Japan (effective Sept. 15, 2022)
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – ¥60,478 yen (including tax)
PS5 Digital Edition – ¥49,478 yen (including tax)
China
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – ¥4,299 yuan
PS5 Digital Edition – ¥3,499 yuan
Australia
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – AUD $799.95
PS5 Digital Edition – AUD $649.95
Mexico
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – MXN $14,999
PS5 Digital Edition – MXN $12,499
Canada
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – CAD $649.99
PS5 Digital Edition – CAD $519.99
Singapore
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – SG$799
PS5 Digital Edition – SG$669
Malaysia
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – RM2,499
PS5 Digital Edition – RM2,069
Indonesia
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – IDR 9,699,000
PS5 Digital Edition – IDR 8,199,000
Thailand
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – THB 18,690
PS5 Digital Edition – THB 15,690
Philippines
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – PHP 30,790
Vietnam
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – VND 15,990,000
In the United Kingdom, prices are going up by £30 for both the Blu-ray and Digital Edition versions – a 6% to 8% hike.
In Europe, the €50 hike raises the console’s price by 10% to 12.5% for the Blu-ray and Digital Edition versions respectively.
In Australia, the A$50 hike raises the console’s price by 6.7% to 8.3% for the Blu-ray and Digital Edition versions respectively.
Here in Malaysia, the RM200 hike raises the console’s price by 8.7% to 10.7% for the Blu-ray and Digital Edition versions respectively.
The highest increase though will be in Japan. The ¥10,498 increase is a massive 21% hike over the original price of ¥49,980 for the Blu-ray edition. The Digital Edition was originally priced at ¥39,980, but it will cost 24% more after its price is raised by ¥9,498.
Why Is Sony Hiking PlayStation 5 Prices Globally, Except US?!
It is certainly odd and rare for companies to raise prices on a product in the middle of its lifespan. I should point out that the PlayStation 5 is almost 2 years old, having been launched on November 12, 2020.
Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan blamed the decision on “challenging economic conditions” which caused “high global inflation rates, as well as adverse currency trends“.
The global economic environment is a challenge that many of you around the world are no doubt experiencing. We’re seeing high global inflation rates, as well as adverse currency trends, impacting consumers and creating pressure on many industries.
Based on these challenging economic conditions, SIE has made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price (RRP) of PlayStation 5 in select markets across Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LATAM), as well as Canada. There will be no price increase in the United States.
Why not the United States? Probably because Sony is not doing quite so well in that market, getting edged out by Xbox Series X/S. So it looks like Sony does not want to upset the apple cart there just yet…
PlayStation 5 is doing great in other countries, so Sony apparently felt confident enough to raise prices without the risk of potential customers jumping to the Xbox bandwagon in protest.
Ultimately, this boils down to profit. If Sony cannot get enough units out the door, the only way to increase profits is to raise prices. And if raising prices will keep the shareholders happy and protect their own bonuses, it’s no surprise that Sony executives would sign off on this.
Even more shockingly – Sony is raising prices most in its own turf. Japanese gamers will have to put up with a massive price hike of 21% to 24%.
It really does not pay to be a fan of Sony products…
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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.
Truth : Taiwan Gov Officials Are NOT Japanese Spies!
None of the Taiwan government officials mentioned in the viral post are Japanese citizens or have Japanese heritage. They are also not Japanese spies or secret agents.
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and shared by pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Lee Teng-hui Was First Taiwan-Born President
Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) was born in 1923, during Japanese colonial rule. Like other Taiwanese under Japanese rule, he was given a Japanese name. However, it was Iwasato Masao (岩里 政男／いわさと まさお), not Noboru Iwasato.
Lee Teng-hui was also not of Japanese descent. He was of Tingzhou Hakka decent, from the Yonding district of the Fujian Province in mainland China, not Mizawa in the Aomori Prefecture of Japan.
Lee Teng-hui eventually became the first Taiwan-born President of the Republic of China.
Ironically, Lee joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) not once, but twice – in 1946 and 1947, and his New Democracy Association that he formed was absorbed by the CCP.
Fact #2 : Tsai Ing-wen Is First Female President Of Taiwan
Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was born on 31 August 1956, in Taipei – the capital of Taiwan. She eventually became the first female President of Taiwan, so it is ridiculous to accuse her of being a Japanese spy or secret agent.
Taiwan was already free from Japanese occupation when she was born, so she did not have the Japanese name, Uemhara English as alleged by the fake post.
Tsai Ing-wen is also not of Japanese origin. Her family originated in the Fangshan town of Pingtung County, in southern Taiwan, not Nihe in the Iwate Prefecture of Japan.
Fact #3 : Chen Chi-chung Grew Up On A Taiwanese Farm
Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) has been the Taiwan Minister of Council of Agriculture since January 2019.
He is of Chinese ancestry, and does not have any Japanese name, and certainly not Tozuka Jizuka.
Chen Chi-chung grew up on a farm in Wandan, Pingtung County in southern Taiwan, not Abashiri City in Hokkaido, Japan.
Fact #4 : Lai Ching-te Grew Up In Taipei
Willam Lai Ching-te (賴淸德) was born in a free Taiwan, so he does not have any Japanese name, and certainly not Kiyotoku Teraoka.
Lai was also born in Wanli on October 6, 1959, in what is now New Taipei City. He certainly did not originate from Tamura in the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan.
He is currently the Vice-President of Taiwan, after serving as the running mate of President Tsai Ing-wen. So it is also ridiculous to accuse him of being a Japanese spy or secret agent.
Fact #5 : Chen Chu Grew Up In Taipei
Joyce Chen Chu (陳菊) was born on June 10, 1950. This was after Japanese occupation ended, so she did not have the Japanese name, Kikuto Tsukasa, as alleged by the fake post.
Her family originated from Sanxing in the Yilan County of Taiwan, not Kuroishi in the Aomori Prefecture of Japan.
She currently serves as the President of the Control Yuan, and the Chair of the National Human Rights Commission in Taiwan.
Fact #6 : Chen Shui-bianGrew Up In Tainan
Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was born on October 12, 1950. This was after Japanese occupation ended, so he did not have the Japanese name, Shimabukuro Mizuhira, as alleged by the fake post.
He grew up on a farm in the Guantian Township of Tainan County in Taiwan, not Hachimantai in the Iwate Province of Japan.
His family are Hokkien people from the Zhao’an county of the southern Fujian province of mainland China.
He was the first politician from the Democratic Progressive Party to become President of Taiwan, breaking the 55 years of Kuomintang’s rule.
Needless to say – it is absurd to accuse a former President of Taiwan of being a Japanese spy or secret agent.
Fact #7 : Hsieh Chang-tingWas Born In Taipei
Frank Hsieh Chang-ting (謝長廷) was born in Dadaocheng in Taipei in 1946. Again, this was after Japanese occupation ended, so he did not have a Japanese name.
Even if Hsieh had a Japanese name, it wouldn’t be something as ridiculous as Oka Minister Ting.
He is a 7th generation native Taiwanese of part-Hokkien, part-aboriginal descent, whose ancestor Hsieh Kuang-yu (謝光玉) migrated from Tongshan in the Fujian Province of mainland China.
He certainly did not originate from Ono, in the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan.
Hsieh is currently the head of the Association of Taiwan-Japan Relations.
Fact #8 : Su Tseng-changWas Born In Pingtung
Su Tseng-chang was born on 28 July 1947. As this was after Japanese occupation of Taiwan ended, he did not have a Japanese name, and certainly not Honda Sadamasa.
He was born in Pingtung in southern Taiwan, not Minami Soma City in the Fukushima City of Japan.
He is currently the Premier of Taiwan, serving since 2019, so it would be absurd to label him as a Japanese spy or secret agent.
Fact #9 : Lin Yi-hsiungWas Born In Pingtung
Lin Yi-hsiung (林義雄) was born in 1941, during Japanese colonial rule. However, he does not appear to have any Japanese name. Nor is he associated with the name, Yoshio Kojima.
Lin Yi-hsiung is also not of Japanese descent. He was born in Wujie Township of the Yilan County in Taiwan, not Abashiri City in Hokkaido, Japan.
Lin ceased being active in politics since campaigning for two Democratic Progressive Party candidates in 2006. Since then, he has been focused on halting construction of nuclear plants in Taiwan, even starting a hunger strike in 2014 which ended after the government pledged to halt construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City.
Fact #10 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda
This is just another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).
All of the wumao articles and videos that I looked at so far have proven to be false… at every instance. So please watch out for such false claims.
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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.
Did more people die from the vaccine than the COVID-19 virus in Taiwan?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : More People Died From Vaccine Than Virus In Taiwan!
People are sharing an NTD News video which claims that more people died from the vaccine, than the COVID-19 virus in Taiwan!
Here is a transcript of what the NTD News newscaster said in the segment called China In Focus.
In Taiwan, the number of people dying after their COVID vaccination is exceeding the number of deaths from the virus itself.
Taiwan’s health authorities said that as of Monday, deaths after vaccination reached 865 while deaths from the virus are at 845.
Vaccines currently offered in Taiwan include AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Taiwan’s own vaccine – Medigen. Out of the 865 deaths after vaccination, over 600 were from AstraZeneca, and nearly 200 deaths after a Moderna shot.
Truth : More People Did NOT Die From Vaccine Than Virus In Taiwan!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by anti-vaccination activists to scare people from protecting themselves against COVID-19, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Video Was From October 2021
The viral video is really old, being originally released by US-based NTD News on October 21, 2021.
Fact #2 : Taiwan Had Few COVID-19 Cases In 2021
Taiwan effectively blocked the spread of COVID-19 cases in 2021 through lockdowns, travel bans, and quarantine measures.
Hence, they had relatively few cases, and very few deaths back in October 2021 when the viral video was first broadcast.
Taiwan experienced a massive surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths that started in May 2022 and has not yet ceased in August 2022. So far, over 9400 people have died from COVID-19 in Taiwan.
Fact #3 : Vaccine “Death” Data Was From VAERS
The vaccine death data quoted in the NTD News video was taken from the Taiwanese VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Notification System), which is based on the US VAERS.
Just like US VAERS and the UK Yellow Card system, Taiwan VAERS reports have not yet been verified, and cannot be taken at face value.
Anyone who even bothers to read the highlighted WARNINGS on such pharmacovigilance platforms would have understood that their data and reports cannot be considered evidence of any kind, because:
they may contain duplicated information and/or reports
the reported event may be caused by an illness, like a COVID-19 infection for example,
the reported event may be caused by a different drug taken by the patient at the same time
they have not been assessed by health authorities to ascertain if it’s even “biologically plausible”
All reports of post-vaccination deaths or injuries reported in such pharmacovigilance systems have to be investigated and verified.
Fact #4 : No Evidence Of 865 Deaths Caused By Vaccine
To be clear – there is currently no evidence that the 865 deaths in the Taiwanese VAERS report were caused by COVID-19 vaccines.
Healthcare professionals in Taiwan are obligated to report deaths within 28 days of receiving a vaccine dose, even if they are not related to the vaccine.
Making an adverse reaction report is no different from making a police report. If you make a police report, it is registered in the system. However, that doesn’t mean a crime was actually committed. The police will have to investigate and determine if you were lying / mistaken, or there was indeed a crime.
Similarly, these adverse reaction reports are just reports. They must first be investigated, in order to determine if they are really side effects of the vaccine, or completely unrelated.
Fact #5 : COVID-19 Deaths 6X Higher Than Post-Vaccine Deaths
Even if we accept unverified VAERS data at full face value, the number of reported deaths post-vaccination are far fewer than deaths from COVID-19.
Here are the latest statistics from Taiwan’s VAERS, as of August 11, 2022 :
57,779,983 vaccine doses were administered
1,541 deaths were reported within 28 days of receiving a vaccine dose
9,342 deaths from COVID-19 infections were reported
Even the unverified VAERS data shows that the risk of dying from a COVID-19 infection is 6X more than the risk of dying from ANY particular cause after getting a vaccine dose.
Fact #6 : Vaccine Deaths Are Rare
Taiwan has a separate body – the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), which investigates and determines if any specific post-vaccination death or injury is directly related to a COVID-19 vaccine.
While the VICP does not reveal the exact number of cases, news reports show that there are about only a dozen or so cases of deaths in Taiwan directly attributed to a COVID-19 vaccine.
Even to date, there is simply no evidence that there are over 800 deaths that have been attributed to the COVID-19 vaccines in Taiwan.
Fact #7 : Vaccine Deaths In Taiwan Are Compensated
The VICP not only investigates and certifies that any deaths are caused by the vaccine, it also awards compensation to the families. For example :
In June 2022, it awarded the T$3.5 million (about US$116,673) to the family of a woman who died from a stroke (intracerebral haemorrhage) after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine,
In May 2022, it awarded the maximum T$6 million (about US$200,000) to the family of a woman who died from VITT after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.
This puts paid to the claim that people who receive the COVID-19 vaccine are not compensated for any death or injury that may occur.
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And please protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Apple 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.
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.
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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.
Multiple leaks confirm that Apple Pay is launching soon in Malaysia! Here is what you need to know…
Leaks Confirm Apple Pay Is Launching Soon In Malaysia!
Multiple leaks have more or less let the cat out of the bag – that Apple Pay is launching soon in Malaysia!
This would make Malaysia the second country in Southeast Asia to support Apple Pay, and the 10th territory in Asia, after Australia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand and Singapore.
AmBank Sent Apple Pay SMS
The first to leak was AmBank, when they sent out an SMS to their customers in July 2022, prematurely telling them that they can now use Apple Pay.
It appeared to have been a test run that ran awry, as their Apple Pay website was not yet ready. But it alerted everyone to the fact that Apple Pay is coming to Malaysia.
Shopee Added Apple Pay As Payment Option
The second to leak was Shopee, which released an Apple Pay option in version 2.91.28 of their app on 2 August 2022.
If you tap on it, you will simply be asked to “ensure there’s an active card in your Apple Pay wallet to proceed“.
Of course, you can’t actually add any credit / debit card to your Apple Pay wallet yet, but you can see that it is listed as a payment option.
Maxis Accidentally Promotes Apple Pay As Payment Option
On 5 August 2022, a Maxis Centre accidentally put out a cardboard sign announcing “Apple Pay accepted here“.
The tweet was deleted by its poster, but the cardboard sign was traced to the Sri Muda Maxis Centre in Shah Alam.
sorry guys had to delete the tweets atas permintaan pihak tertentu. but don’t worry cuz apple pay is coming soon to Malaysia!
AmBank Released Their Apple Pay Portal!
On 8 August 2022, AmBank (accidentally?) released their Apple Pay portal, confirming that the contactless payment system is ready to launch in Malaysia!
The AmBank Apple Pay portal has now been removed, but here are some of the details it revealed :
There is no transaction limit for Apple Pay, as opposed to a transaction limit of RM250 per purchase, with a RM750 daily limit, for other contactless payment platforms.
There is also no transaction limit for online purchases using Apple Pay through your iPhone, iPad or Mac computer.
AmBank also offered some promotions, including cash back for the first purchase using Apple Pay.
There were two unlisted YouTube videos (now removed) showing how to pay for your purchases using Apple Pay. Basically:
a) Look for the Apple Pay and EMV contactless payment logos at the retailer
b) Simply tap your iPhone or Apple Watch on the credit card terminal to pay
c) Use either Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to verify the payment
Apple Pay Is Now Available In Malaysia!
You would have thought that AmBank would have learned from their July 2022 SMS mistake, but no… they didn’t.
Then again, they may have “accidentally” leaked the Apple Pay website to drum up some hype ahead of the official launch.
Most likely, Apple will roll it out in Malaysia with the next iOS update – probably iOS 15.6.1.
Currently iOS 15.6 does not support Apple Pay in Malaysia. When you try to add a debit / credit card to the Wallet app, you get this pop-up :
To add cards, keys, tickets and passes to Wallet, look for the Add to Wallet button in apps, emails and websites.
Until Apple adds this functionality through an iOS update for Malaysia, there is simply no way to add any card to the Wallet app.
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Indonesia just banned a number of major websites including Steam, Epic Games, PayPal and Battle.net!
Here is what you need to know!
Indonesia Banned Steam, PayPal, Epic Games + More!
On 30 July 2022, Indonesians woke up to the shocking discovery that a number of gaming platforms like Steam, Epic Games, Origin, Ubisoft and Battle.net are now banned!
Not only were gaming platforms banned, Indonesia also banned major websites and digital services like PayPal and Waze.
Indonesian netizens have started sharing tips on how to bypass this sudden ban – by using VPN, or changing their DNS servers, to bypass what appears to be an IP block.
Why Indonesia Banned Steam, PayPal, Epic Games, Etc!
There was no official announcement by the Indonesian government, but it is likely that Indonesia banned Steam, PayPal, Epic Games and a bunch of other websites and digital platforms because they failed to register as an Electronics System Provider / Penyelenggara Sistem Elektronik (PSE).
On November 24, 2020, the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo) imposed a new regulation calling for all local and international digital services to register with them for cybersecurity and user protection purposes.
Failure to comply with that regulation would subject the digital service to being banned / blocked in Indonesia.
Here is a partial list of major websites, platforms and digital services registered with the Indonesian government, and those that have not been registered, or are known to be blocked.
Those on the unregistered list are likely to be blocked, if not already blocked. Interestingly, Telegram is listed as registered, but is currently inaccessible (blocked) in Indonesia.
Registered
Unregistered
Blocked
LINE
WhatsApp
TikTok
Google
Google Classroom
Google Drive
Gmail
Google Cloud
YouTube
Amazon AWS
Facebook
Telegram
Twitter
Instagram
Discord
Zoom
Gojek
Spotify
Shopee
Lazada
Traveloka
Netflix
Disney+ Hotstar
Zenius
Mobile Legends
LinkedIn
Roblox
Vidio
FB Messenger
Wikipedia
Deezer
Waze
Brainly
Notion
Pinterest
SoundCloud
PayPal
EA
Nintendo
Ubisoft
Mangaku
MediaFire
GitHub
GitLab
Bitbucket
CloudFlare
MS Azure
Amazon
Reddit
DuckDuckGo
Twitch
IMDb
MS Office
Yahoo
IMDb
Patreon
Epic Games
Steam
Uplay
Battle.net
Origin
On July 15 – just 2 weeks earlier – Kominfo warned that digital service providers will be banned in Indonesia on July 21, 2022 if they refused to register.
The deadline for all PSE registration – both domestic and foreign – was set at July 20, 2022. After that, Kominfo would start banning unregistered apps and services.
At that time, Kominfo reported that many major brands and companies have yet to register with them, like Google (which owns YouTube, Google Drive, Gmail, etc.), Meta (which owns WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook), Twitter, Netflix, PUBG Mobile and Mobile Legends.
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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.
Are the US and Western countries sending infected birds to spread monkeypox to China and other Asian countries?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : US Is Sending Infected Birds To Spread Monkeypox!
The Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP (Chinese Communist Party) netizens are now claiming that the US and Western countries are sending infected birds to spread monkeypox to China and other Asian countries.
Hey, guys. No matter where you are, if you see a bird that can’t fly, can’t walk or struggle on the ground, you should never catch it, for fear of monkeypox infection. The relevant community has informed you, please pay attention to it. Remember!
The United States and Western countries used the birds to carry take the Monkeypox virus to spread to the Asian region!
My sister sent it from Germany and asked me to inform family and friends immediately. Have relatives and friends on the notice, do not because of compassion, get infected unknowingly.
Truth : No One Is Sending Infected Birds To Spread Monkeypox!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and shared by pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : The West Is Not Sending Infected Birds To Spread Monkeypox
Just like their insects attack claim, the wumao are falsely blaming the West for sending birds to spread monkeypox.
This is utter nonsense, and nothing more than Chinese propaganda. It is also not very believable propaganda at that, and I will show you why.
Fact #2 : Monkeypox Not Known To Infect Birds
Birds have, so far, not been found to be infected with the monkeypox virus, or any other orthopoxviruses. So it would be absurd for anyone to suggest birds being used as a vector for spreading monkeypox.
The monkeypox virus mostly infects mammals like apes, monkeys, squirrels, shrews, chinchillas, anteaters, hedgehogs, prairie dogs… and yes, human beings. But not birds.
Fact #3 : Most Monkeypox Cases Are In The West!
It is absurd to claim that the West is intentionally spreading monkeypox to China and other Asian countries.
If they were, well, they are doing a piss-poor job of it, because nine of the top 10 countries with monkeypox cases are Western countries!
Fact #4 : Current Outbreak Spreading Human-to-Human
In the 2022 monkeypox outbreak, the disease is being spread from human-to-human, not from birds to humans.
The global spread occurs through air travel – infected people travelling overseas, and infecting other people at those destinations.
Many of the cases have also been traced to men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners.
This does not mean that monkeypox is a sexually-transmitted disease (STD). It is not spread through sexual activities, but through skin-to-skin contact between an infected person and other people.
Fact #5 : It Is Difficult To Train Birds
While pigeons can be trained to carry messages between two points, it is not easy to train them.
For one thing – you need to repeatedly transport the pigeons and feed them at both the origin location, and the destination, until they can fly between the two locations independently.
Only pigeons have been trained reliably this way. Other birds lack the pigeon’s ability to navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field (magnetoreception), or its ease of training.
Even if the US and other Western countries want to use pigeons to infect China and other Asian countries with monkeypox, they would need to repeatedly bring the pigeons over to the target countries and back. Do you think such activity would not catch the attention of the authorities at those countries?
Without such training, the birds will simply fly wherever they want to, and not where the Americans / Westerners want them to.
It would be much easier to just fly someone infected with monkeypox to China, and give everyone there a big hug…. which is why this fake story is so stupid!
The bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) holds the world’s record for flying over 12,000 kilometres for 11 days straight without stopping. However, most birds just don’t fly very far.
Even homing pigeons can only fly for about 1,200 km a day, which is pretty darn far… until you realise that the distance between the US and China is some 11,640 kilometres!
Only the bar-tailed godwit is capable of making that flight. The homing pigeon can only travel 10% of the way across the mighty Pacific Ocean.
Fact #7 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda
This is really nothing more than yet another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).
All of the wumao articles that I looked at so far have proven to be false… at every instance. So please watch out for such false claims.
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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.
Was the US nuclear submarine, USS Connecticut, attacked and damaged by Chinese planes?
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the FACTS really are!
Claim : US Nuclear Submarine Was Damaged By Chinese Planes!
There have been several blogs claiming that the US nuclear submarine, USS Connecticut, was actually attacked and damaged by Chinese planes.
Here is an example that is being eagerly shared on WhatsApp. It’s really long, so just skip to next section for the facts…
Dear Good People, (MP) This is the real story behind USA nuclear submarine incidence near to China’s Paracel Islands. The nuclear sub was tracked and China jammed all its electronic system. The submarine moved aimlessly and hit by China’s submarine trap wall. The nuclear submarine was damaged and know no direction. It has to emerge to China satisfaction. China of course, knew USA has learned a lesson. Next time, in a real war, the nuclear sub would be sunk….
RED ALERT
Only a handful of geopolitical gbstrategic analysts have fully understood the significance of the damage and humiliation suffered by the Pentagon, the US Navy and the British Empire Dreamers, when it was belatedly reported by the Pentagon that the USS NUCLEAR ATTACK SUBMARINE, USS Connecticut limped home, and rendered totally useless, after the disastrous attempt to provoke China into a War.
Every news report by global MSM, including RT, got it wrong for reasons which I will explain later.
1) War Games may not be war games per se. China was deploying intensified war games since the British War mongering bastards sent aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth II to the South China Sea. War Games continued. China did not fell for the diversion, for in the event of an open warfare, that big tinpot junk would have been rendered unfit and useless when her entire battle systems would be destroyed by electronic measures etc.
Beneath the seas, the Yankee bastards were using attack submarines for the real stuff, inter-alia to destroy and or hamper the strategic naval base of China’s nuclear submarines in the Hainan Island.
But, it was not the Pearl Harbour that could be destroyed by Japanese war machine. US got it all wrong.
The US submarine did not, repeat did not hit any objects (ridiculously announced as hitting fallen cargo containers etc). Only ARSEHOLES would believe such a tale).
It was attacked! The submarine tried to avoid detection by remaining submerged. China sent out waves of attack aircraft to hunt for the submarine (but portrayed by the West as a simulated war game for an invasion of Taiwan). Utter rubbish. In all, and over several days, more than a hundred planes dominated the sky over the “specific area/theatre” of the South China Sea.
It would have been a naval suicide if the submarine remained submerged. There was a mutiny and it resulted in injury,to at least 15 naval personnel. Finally, the submarine was forced to surface in total humiliation and “limped Home” when nuclear submarines can remained submerged for months, if not damaged. Read that sentence again. That Yankee bastard submarine had to surface which means the entire battle systems were screwed, rendered unfit for battle.A major disaster. USA war machine Kow Towed.
Digression. BIDEN is not suffering dementia, alzheimers etc and or incoherent. Only idiots believe that crap. Biden is very sane and is merely acting, to adopt the posture of a disorientated leader to confuse and mislead US enemies to surrender because Biden is mad enough to start a nuclear war.
This the “Madman Leader” strategy made famous by former President Nixon.
Two giveaways. 1) Putin after Summit with Biden says Biden is not what has been portrayed by MSM. 2) General Milley, Chairman of Joint Chiefs’ statement about Trump. It’s all propaganda. In this type of theatrics, Biden is worst than Trump, but General Miley was cool as cucumber.
This is all part of the Fog of War propaganda.
China cleverly did not humiliate USA by exposing the truth. The seas surrounding Hainan Island are so heavily protected and secured, that only the Chinese military knows how to navigate the secured sea lanes, as commercial ships sail along in well known international sea routes. They cannot deviate. Same with commercial airlines flying all over the world. Deviate, and the planes get shot down. Period!
The high security areas are heavily mined with assortment of weapons etc. A nuclear attack submarine has the most sophisticated radars and tracking systems yet, you are told that it hit a container of cargo. BULLSHIT!
USS Connecticut got f… kED because all its system was jammed and rendered useless. It was sailing blind. The crew were scared SHIT once they discovered they were stark naked and would be buried alive in a Nuclear submarine coffin. Only way is to surface. The Commander refused. Mutiny started. No choice but to surface in total humiliation.
End of the summary of my analysis of a major naval defeat of USA in South China Seas.
Truth : US Nuclear Submarine Was Not Damaged By Chinese Planes
This is yet another example of Chinese propaganda / fake news, which attempts to overwhelm the reader by sheer volume of misinformation.
The creator intentionally writes such a long, rambling story to make it appear more convincing to readers who are likely not very knowledgeable about military technology.
For those who want the details, here are the reasons why this is just Chinese propaganda / fake news.
Fact #1 : USS Connecticut Is Super Hard To Detect
The USS Connecticut is a Seawolf-class submarine, which is noted for being extremely quiet and hard to detect.
Thanks to a slew of advanced noise suppression design features and technologies, including pump jet propulsion, it has an operational noise level of only 95 decibels – just 5 decibels above the background ocean noise.
That’s why the United States uses one of the Seawolf submarines – the USS Jimmy Carter – to conduct clandestine missions.
It would be a major feat to detect the USS Connecticut underwater, much less track it. Unless the writer can back up his/her claim, it is hogwash.
Fact #2 : China Did Not Jam Its Electronics System
With only a few exceptions, submarines like the USS Connecticut are made of high-tensile steel.
The strong steel hull not only protects the submarine from the crushing pressure when it dives, it literally works as a Faraday cage – protecting the submarine against electromagnetic fields.
Therefore, it is not possible to jam the electronics system of any submarine. That is complete and utter nonsense.
Fact #3 : China Does Not Have A Submarine Trap Wall
The writer appears to believe that it would be possible to build some kind of underwater Great Wall of China.
There is no such thing as a submarine trap wall. What does that even mean???
Fact #4 : USS Connecticut Was Seaworthy
The crew of the USS Connecticut did not lose their sense of direction. Neither was the submarine crippled.
They surfaced after the collision, because it was their standard operating procedure after any non-combat collision.
According to the US Pacific Fleet, the submarine was in a “safe and stable condition” :
The submarine remains in a safe and stable condition. USS Connecticut’s nuclear propulsion plant and spaces were not affected and remain fully operational. The extent of damage to the remainder of the submarine is being assessed. The U.S. Navy has not requested assistance. The incident will be investigated.
It should be noted that the USS Connecticut sailed to Guam for 6 days, without assistance.
Fact #5 : China Was Not Holding Any War Games At That Time
When the USS Connecticut collision happened on 2 October 2021, China was in between two naval war games :
23-27 August : Seaborne assault war game in Vladivostok, Russia
14-17 October : Russia and China held naval drills in the Sea of Japan.
So the writer’s claim that China was conducting naval war games at that time is completely false.
The only war game being conducted around that time involved the HMS Queen Elizabeth and the USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson carrier groups in the Philippine Sea on 4 October 2021.
The claim that China sent out waves of over a hundred attack aircraft to hunt for the submarine is false.
So many flights would have raised concerns by surrounding countries, and unless they are anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft, they would be useless in the hunt for a submarine.
China certainly would not be so stupid as to attack the USS Connecticut, which would have been considered an act of war against the United States.
Fact #7 : China Did Not Know Until 5 Days Later…
China was not even aware of the collision until the United States Naval Institute (USNI) reported on the accident FIVE days later on 7 October 2021.
By then, the USS Connecticut was just a day away from reaching Guam for inspection and repairs.
The Chinese think tank SCSPI only located the USS Connecticut on 8 October – in a 5 day-old satellite photo that showed it sailing on the surface.
At that time, the USS Connecticut was about 43 nautical miles (79 km) southeast from the Paracel Islands, and about 454 km away from Hainan Island.
The writer claimed that there was a mutiny onboard the USS Connecticut because the Commander refused to surface the submarine.
How does he know that? What evidence has he proffered? None at all. It’s all one big fantasy.
It doesn’t even make sense – why would the sailors mutiny? Why would the submarine commander or his XO (Executive Officer) refuse to surface a submarine in trouble?
The SOP for any submarine in trouble is to surface, and that’s what the USS Connecticut did. That very fact proves that there was no mutiny, and the writer lied.
Fact #9 : Only 11 Sailors Were Injured
The writer even made up the claim that 15 sailors were injured in the mutiny. That’s nonsense.
11 sailors aboard the USS Connecticut suffered mild to moderate injuries, none life-threatening.
If the writer can lie about a simple fact like that, you have to ask yourself – what else is he lying about?
Fact #10 : Nuclear Submarines Do Not Use Radar Underwater
The writer falsely claimed that a nuclear attack submarine like the USS Connecticut would be able to avoid obstacles because it would have the most sophisticated radars.
The truth is – submarines do not use radar systems underwater, they use sonar systems. Even then, military submarines rarely use active sonar, as it exposes their positions.
It is not possible for USS Connecticut to “see” undersea structures using its passive sonar system. Instead, the crew relies on underwater charts and inertial navigation systems to avoid underwater obstacles.
But unless they regularly fix their position using GPS, small errors in their position will compound over time, potentially placing the submarine hundreds of metres out of position. This could be the reason for the collision.
It is shocking that the writer is unaware of such basic military / scientific facts.
Fact #11 : No Fixed Sea / Air Lanes Over International Waters
The writer falsely claimed that commercial ships and airliners have to strictly travel in fixed international lanes.
In reality, commercial ships and planes use routes that are best for fuel economy and/or safety over international waters. Ships and planes are also free to adjust their bearings to avoid bad weather, for example.
Countries can only control movement of ships and planes within their territorial waters and airspace.
It is therefore false for the writer to claim that ships or planes that deviate from fixed international sea / air lanes will be shot down or sunk.
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.
