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Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Toronto-based Elevate raises $5 million to launch global innovation hub
Toronto tech festival Elevate has partnered with Design Exchange (DX) to launch the Elevate Social Innovation Exchange (Elevate SIX).
To help with the launch, the firms have secured more than $5 million in funding from the City of Toronto and other investors.
According to Elevate, the hub was envisioned to help Canada in a post-COVID-19 world hub and will “empower the tech and innovation community to tackle the complex social, economic, and environmental challenges facing our region and the world.” Elevate SIX also comes in the wake of the cancellation of Elevate’s in-person conference this year.
Specifically, the hub will offer year-round programming to Canadian innovators, which will include an accelerator program for ventures related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Further, the hub intends to help small startups collaborate through a digital media lab.
Elevate SIX will operate out of 234 Bay Street at the heart of Toronto’s financial district. That said, the hub will mix digital and live programming and initiatives to better support more than 100,000 social innovators every year.
To that end, Elevate says “all in-person programming and resources will align with the most current government social distancing regulations” amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Documentary on the history of PlayStation to stream in September
A new documentary called From Bedrooms to Billions: The PlayStation Revolution is set to debut on digital platforms and Blu-ray/DVD on September 7th.
The latest in British filmmakers Anthony and Nicola Caulfield’s From Bedrooms to Billions series of documentaries, The PlayStation Revolution chronicles more than 25 years of Sony’s gaming division.
Specifically, the film takes a look at the original PlayStation and covers all the way up to the current-gen PS4. The PlayStation Revolution was funded through a Kickstarter campaign that was even publicly backed by Shuhei Yoshida, current head of PlayStation’s indie division and then-president of the company’s Worldwide Studios branch.
Additionally, the documentary features a variety of interviews with many notable gaming industry veterans, including:
Mark Cerny — lead PlayStation hardware designer
Andy Gavin — co-founder of Naughty Dog (Crash Bandicoot series)
David Jaffe — creator of the God of War series
Yoshinori Kitase — director of Final Fantasy VII
Hideo Kojima — creator of the Metal Gear series
Shinji Mikami — co-creator of the Resident Evil series
That said, it’s worth noting that Ken Kutaragi — the former Sony executive who’s credited as the “Father of the PlayStation” — isn’t seen in the trailer, nor does his name pop up at the end among the list of interviewees. Therefore, it seems as though Kutaragi was not involved with the film, although it’s too early to say for sure.
Based on the trailer, it’s also unclear how much — if at all — the documentary will touch on Nintendo’s role in the creation of PlayStation. The company infamously was set to develop a console with Sony called the ‘Play Station’ , although the partnership ultimately collapsed after Nintendo went to work with Philips instead.
Still, the documentary seems to offer a fascinating look at one of the biggest players in the gaming industry. September will also be an appropriate time to revisit PlayStation’s history, given that its next big console, the PS5, is set to launch this holiday.
PM: Three-Month Loan Moratorium Extension For SMEs And Unemployed Individuals
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has announced a targeted extension of three months for the moratorium on bank loans, applicable to those who have lost their jobs or had pay cuts this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. After three months, the period could be extended further by the respective banks according to each individual’s situation.
He added that this new initiative was a result of discussions between him, the Finance Ministry and Bank Negara governor. “I hope this targeted moratorium and bank assistance extension will be able to ease the burden of those affected by the Covid-19 economic fallout,” said Muhyiddin during a special address held earlier today.
Additionally, the prime minister also said that banks had given their commitment for the initiative in the form of several measures to assist borrowers, including individuals and small/medium enterprises (SME). These measures include only paying the interest for a set time frame, extending the duration of the loan to reduce monthly repayments, and other forms of relief until borrowers are financially stable to commit to their repayments.
Muhyiddin said these measures are expected to benefit up to 3 million individuals and SMEs. Borrowers who are eligible are encouraged to contact their respective banks from 7 August onwards to file an application for this initiative.
Just like every recent Samsung product launch, the constant stream of leaks and rumours surrounding the event is near impossible to follow. That said, we know Samsung will likely reveal two new Note devices, the successor to the first Galaxy Fold, a pair of high-end Bluetooth earbuds, the follow up to the Galaxy Watch and a new tablet. The Unpacked event streams at 10am ET/7AM PT on August 5th.
In this round-up, I’ve broken down everything we know so far about devices we are expected to see at the event, including the Galaxy Note 20, the Note 20 Ultra, the Galaxy Buds live, the Galaxy Fold 2 (Galaxy Z Fold 2), the Galaxy Watch 3 and the Galaxy Tab S7.
Thanks to an overwhelming stream of leaks about Samsung’s next pair of Note devices, we know nearly everything about the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra ahead of their official reveal.
The Note 20 is rumoured to feature a flat 6.42-inch 2345 x 1084 display, though a leak from Ice Universe indicated that the Note 20 might only include a 1080p screen locked to 60Hz. On the other hand, the Note 20 Ultra reportedly features a curved 6.87-inch 2345 x 1084-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Reports also indicate that you’ll be able to still have the 120Hz refresh rate turned on when the smartphone’s display is configured to 1440p, unlike the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
It’s also worth pointing out that more recently, high-resolution, very official-looking renders of the smartphone also appeared, courtesy of Winfuture.
The front-facing hole-punch camera is centred with both the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. Other design features include smaller bezels and a substantial camera bump very similar to the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s. The Note 20’s bump is a little less pronounced, doesn’t feature a ToF sensor and only includes three cameras on its rear, according to rumours.
The Note 20’s S Pen is tipped to get a new ‘pointer’ feature that displays an on-screen indicator when you hold down the S Pen button and point the stylus at the Note 20. It’s unclear how this feature will come in handy, but Samsung has implemented several not-very-useful S Pen features over the past few years, so this rumour tracks.
Regarding cameras, the Note 20 Ultra appears to feature a periscope lens similar to the S20 Ultra’s. Leaks courtesy of Winfuture indicate the smartphone’s main camera will feature a 108-megapixel main sensor, 50x zoom instead of the S20 Ultra’s gimmicky 100x ‘Space Zoom,’ and a 13-megapixel sensor instead of a 48-megapixel sensor. Given the S20 Ultra’s 100x zoom shots are absolutely horrible, this seems like a smart move on Samsung’s part.
Other rumoured specs include Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865+ processor, 5G connectivity and optimization with Microsoft’s Project xCloud video game streaming platform.
Since Samsung already revealed the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, it’s likely the tech giant has plans to show off its second-generation Galaxy Fold device during its upcoming Unpacked event.
Though the smartphone was first rumoured to be called the Galaxy Fold 2, more recent rumours courtesy of SamMobile hint Samsung has plans to shift the device’s name to the Galaxy Z Fold 2.
While a wordy, awkward name, from a branding perspective this makes sense given the technical issues the first Galaxy Fold suffered from prior to its release. This shift also unifies all of Samsung’s foldable devices under the ‘Z’ branding.
The Z Fold 2 is expected to feature a larger display on the outside of the device, which hopefully makes the screen usable. Other changes include a smaller hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera inside the foldable smartphone, 5G and an 8-inch display that features the same ultra-thin (UTG) glass as the Galaxy Z Flip.
Regarding the foldable device’s cameras, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 reportedly features a 108-megapixel camera rear camera, a Snapdragon 865 processor and an S Pen. That said, there are some reports Samsung wasn’t able to get the stylus to work reliably with the foldable screen.
Galaxy Watch 3
Reports indicate Samsung has plans to skip the Galaxy Watch 2 and jump right to the Galaxy Watch 3. Leaked renders of the smartwatch from back in June reveal a bezel that rotates physically and that the wearable will come in 41mm and 45mm sizes. Additionally, reports suggest the watch supports an ECG, blood pressure monitor and heart rate sensors.
Other notable specs include LTE and Wi-Fi-only variants, and a significant revamp to Samsung’s Tizen wearable operating system.
Galaxy Buds Live
Samsung’s bean-like Galaxy Buds Live are one of those rare devices that look so futuristic it seems like there’s no way they could possibly exist.
While the Galaxy Buds+ only released a few months ago and were generally well-received, it looks like Samsung also aims to enter the high-end wireless, Bluetooth earbud market with a pair that features active noise-cancellation.
The somewhat crazy looking Galaxy Buds Live reportedly feature six hours of battery life instead of 11 like the Galaxy Buds+, though it’s worth pointing out this is still longer than Apple’s AirPods Pro.
Finally, given the weird shape of the Buds Live, it looks like they’ll just sit in the wearer’s ear instead of being in-ear like other high-end wireless earbuds. We’ve seen an official-looking render of the Galaxy Buds Live courtesy of Evan Blass and even a video of the wireless earbuds in action from WalkingCat (seen above).
Last and probably actually least in most people’s minds, Samsung is expected to reveal the Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7 Plus during its upcoming Unpacked event.
While not many people are likely interested in an Android tablet in 2020, it’s somewhat refreshing to see Samsung still release a new Galaxy Tab device ever year. Thanks to SamMobile and Evan Blass, most of the upcoming tablet line’s specs have leaked.
Rumours point to the Tab S7 and Tab S7 Plus featuring 11-inch and 12.4-inch displays respectively, a Snapdragon 865 +processor, either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. There are also rumours hinting at the release of a 5G version of the Tab S6 Plus.
Other specs include an in-display fingerprint sensor, though it remains unclear if it’s optical or ultrasonic.
MobileSyrup will be covering everything from Samsung’s upcoming Unpacked event, so make sure to check out our coverage of the event on August 5th.
Power Plants in Iran Are Authorized to Mine Bitcoin
Power plants in Iran are allowed to mine cryptocurrencies, the deputy head of the country’s Power Generation, Distribution, and Transmission Company (Tavanir) has reportedly confirmed.
Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, deputy head of Tavanir, explained that entities have to apply for the necessary licenses from the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, and comply with the tariffs set for crypto mining. He told IRNA publication on Monday:
The power plants must submit their requests, and follow the approved tariff set for cryptocurrency mining centers.
Miners have been setting up operations in Iran to take advantage of the country’s subsidized electricity rates. Data shows that mining farms in Iran are paying as little as $0.01 to $0.05 for one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity. However, the rates increase four-fold during the peak summer season, prompting Tavanir to announce that it will cut up to 47% of the electricity tariffs for miners during the peak consumption periods.
Rajabi Mashhadi noted that permits have recently been issued to 14 cryptocurrency mining farms, each with a capacity of 300 megawatts, as news.Bitcoin.com reported. In addition, more than 1,000 bitcoin mining licenses had previously been issued, including for Iminer, a major bitcoin mining operation based in Turkey.
Rajabi Mashhadi also emphasized that anyone reporting illegal cryptocurrency mining farms will be rewarded. “The supply of electricity is of great importance to the public” and “we will not allow those who misuse the tariffs provided for the agricultural and industrial sectors to produce bitcoins,” he concluded.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani called for the creation of a Muslim cryptocurrency in December last year in cooperation with Turkey and Malaysia. Recently, he supported the creation of a national cryptocurrency mining strategy in order for the country to prosper economically amid U.S. sanctions.
What do you think about power plants in Iran mining bitcoin? Let us know in the comments section below.
Nubia’s New Accessories Range From A 120W Charger To True Wireless Earbuds
You probably know the name Nubia from its gaming phones to its wide range of accessories. The company has recently announced a wide range of the latter, from chargers to earbuds. There’s even a wireless router and a backpack to go with them all.
There are a total of four different chargers that Nubia announced. Leading the lineup is a 120W three-port charger, followed by a 65W three-port charger. Then there’s a 65W, single port charger and a 45W single port charger as well. These are priced at RMB299 (~RM181), RMB169 (~RM103), RMB119 (~RM72) and RMB99 (~RM60), respectively.
Following that is the Nubia Red Magic WiFi 6 gaming Router, with a look that just screams loot box. But on the inside, it supports OFDMA tech, which goes in line with the WiFi 6 tech. This is priced at RMB299 (~RM181).
Following that, we have three earbuds, headlined by a true wireless variety. It’s called the Nubia Red Magic TWS Gaming Earbuds, and it has the kind of aggressive look that you’d expect from something with the gaming tag in its name. It has breathing LEDs, and has a low-latency mode which boasts a 39ms latency when used with certain Red Magic phones. This is priced at RMB299 (~RM181).
The other two earbuds are of the wired and the neckband variety, called the Red Magic Wired Gaming Earphones and the Red Magic Neckband Gaming Bluetooth Headphones, respectively. Nothing too spectacular about the former, but the latter shares a lot of its features with its TWS sibling. It also has breathing LEDs and a 39ms latency when paired with select Red Magic phones. These are priced at RMB99 (~RM60) and RMB399 (~RM242), respectively.
And finally, we come to the accessories. Nubia also has a Red Magic Backpack which costs RMB299 (~RM181), and a gamepad that is priced at RMB379 (~RM230). No word on if any of these will be available outside of China, or even our shores.
2020 Acer Predator Helios 700 Gaming Desktop Replacement Now Available In Malaysia
Just in time for Acer Day 2020 that’s taking place this August, Acer has launched several new Predator gaming products in our market including the 2020 iteration of Predator Helios 700. For those who are not familiar with the model, the Helios 700 is essentially a desktop replacement gaming beast and also features an unmissable sliding keyboard.
The 2020 Predator Helios 700 was first introduced during the next@Acer global launch event last month. It carries new hardware options such as the Intel Core i9-10980HK which is paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super graphics card and 1TB NVMe solid state drive in RAID 0 mode.
On another hand, gamers can also obtain the Predator Helio 700 with Intel Core i7-10875H processor, GeForce RTX 2070 Super graphics, 512GB NVMe solid state drive, and 1TB 7200rpm hard drive. Both variants come standard with 16GB DDR4-2933 RAM and 17.3-inch full HD 144Hz G-Sync IPS display.
Since the 2020 Predator Helios 700 comes in two variants unlike its 2019 predecessor, this also means that the desktop replacement machine has a lower starting price. Specifically, the model with Core i7 and GeForce RTX 2070 Super can be obtained for RM 12999 while the higher-end variant with Core i9 and GeForce RTX 2080 Super is similar to last year’s model at RM 17999.
Both variants of the 2020 Predator Helios 700 are now readily available for pre-order in our market through Acer Malaysia’s online store. Given the complexity of the machine, Acer has noted that it will be around six to eight weeks from the date of pre-order for the machine to be manufactured and shipped to your premise.
Meanwhile, Acer is currently offering a free Predator Gaming Chair and Utility Backpack for each purchase of the 2020 Predator Helios 700. Additionally, the new owner of this laptop are also eligible to claim either a Predator RGB Mousepad or a Redmi TV Soundbar through Acer Malaysia’s redemption website.
OkCupid Dating App Flaws Could've Let Hackers Read Your Private Messages
Cybersecurity researchers today disclosed several security issues in popular online dating platform OkCupid that could potentially let attackers remotely spy on users' private information or perform malicious actions on behalf of the targeted accounts. According to a report shared with The Hacker News, researchers from Check Point found that the flaws in OkCupid's Android and web applications
Horizon Zero Dawn system requirements unveiled ahead of next week's PC release
Previously a PS4 exclusive,Horizon Zero Dawnis making its way to PC this August, and now we finally know what will be required to make the most of Aloy’s journey on the platform.
Despite launching for and looking positively gorgeous on the vanilla PS4, the system requirements for Horizon Zero Dawn are surprisingly high, yet seasoned PC gamers shouldn’t have much trouble meeting them.
We’ve compiled the minimum and recommended system requirements below, so you’re ready for when it arrives across Steam and Epic Games Store on August 7th.
Horizon Zero Dawn Minimum System Requirements
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K@3.3GHz or AMD FX 6300@3.5GHz
While the models and environments used in this PC version of Horizon Zero Dawn remain unchanged, players can still look forward to a number of other enhancements. Increased performance, a wider range of resolution options and traditional PC controls are just some of things arriving with this iteration of the open-world adventure.
This is also the complete edition of the game, meaning it will include the Frozen Wilds expansion alongside a variety of other cosmetic and in-game bonuses. If you never had a chance to play it on PS4 or simply fancy a revisit with greater visual fidelity, this is definitely the way to go. For now, here’s what we thought of Frozen Wilds in our 5/5 review:
“Frozen Wilds is more of Horizon Zero Dawn, and that is in no way a bad thing. The expansion offers some closure on certain story threads whilst telling a self-contained tale that’s perfect for this ruined world you find yourself in. There’s little in terms of mechanical upgrades to the game, but Horizon never needed that in the first place.”
Intel 6nm Ponte Vecchio Xe GPU Will Reportedly Be Manufactured By TSMC
Intel clearly hasn’t been having a good year; the launch of its 10th generation Comet Lake-S CPUs have been met with somewhat lukewarm reception, and more recently, its technical group hit a snag in the development of its 7nm process node. On an unrelated note, the company has reportedly engaged the services of TSMC to help in the development of its Ponte Vecchio Xe-based GPU.
According to China Times, the Taiwan-based foundry was reportedly approached by Intel and asked if it could work on getting the latter’s 6nm process node for its Xe-based GPU ready for production. To that end, the production of Intel’s uniquely sized die lithography is expected to begin later this year.
To be fair, Intel’s Ponte Vecchio Xe-based GPU is designed and aimed towards the datacentre market segment, and not the consumer market. On that note, and also because it’s not in high demand, Intel’s decision to outsource the production of the GPU’s process node to a third party makes sense.
In terms of capacity, Intel is expected to have 180000 wafers ready for Ponte Vecchio by 2021.
With the launch of its larger capsules for its new type of machine, the Vertuo (Vertuoline in the US), Nespresso slightly changed the way its machines worked with single-button operation.
On the one hand, this makes making a single coffee easy, but it’s slightly trickier to get to the more advanced features. Here, we show you how to use a Nespresso Vertuo or Vertuoline machine.
1. Fill with water
First, you need to make sure that there’s enough water in the machine to make a coffee. All Nespresso machines have lift-in, lift-out water reservoirs, which will have a minimum-level mark on them. The minimum mark on Vertuo machines is slightly higher than with original Nespresso, as it’s possible to make coffee between 40ml and 414ml in volume.
If you refill the water, make sure that the reservoir is pressed down properly; if you don’t, then you may get the status light flashing.
Nespresso Vertuo capsules are much larger than their original counterparts. Each capsule also has a barcode around the outside of it, which tells the machine how much liquid to pour and how to spin the capsule (Vertuo uses centrifugal force for brewing).
To insert the capsule, you need to open the lid, which can be automated or manual. Inside, you’ll see a capsule holder, and the Vertuo capsule drops into this upside down.
3. Brew your coffee
Close the lid on your machine. If it’s a manual lid, make sure that you’ve locked it properly; if you don’t, then the status light will flash when you try and make a coffee. Just put a suitable-sized mug underneath (the volume of coffee is written underneath the capsule), and then tap the button on top. When the machine has warmed up enough, it will brew the coffee: wait until the light on top has stopped flashing before you take the mug away.
Once done, you should open the lid to eject the used capsule automatically into the bin. Just remember to keep an eye on how full the bin is, and empty this regularly, using the Nespresso recycle process.
What if you don’t want to brew the set amount of coffee? Fortunately, there are two options for adjusting water levels. First, while the coffee is brewing, you can tap the button on top to stop the coffee early, reducing how much water is output.
Secondly, you can set your default for each capsule size. To do this, put in a capsule as normal, but press and hold the button on top until you have sufficient water in your cup, then release the button. Next time you brew a coffee with that style capsule, just tap the button once and you’ll get your programmed amount of coffee. Repeat for each capsule volume that you use.
If you want to reset the machine to factory defaults, you need to follow the instructions in the manual, as they slightly differ from machine to machine. For example, with the VertuoPlus, you hold down the lever for three seconds, then press down on the lever and hold the button down at the same time. Then you press down on the lever three times and then press the button on top for three seconds.
Phantasy Star Online 2 Will Be Making Its Way To Steam On 5 August
Anyone here remembers Phantasy Star Online 2? The Sega-made online action RPG was published in Southeast Asia by Asiasoft, but ended the service back in 2017. Now though, it looks like the western release of the game will be coming to Steam.
Sega made the announcement on the game’s website. Alongside the move to Steam, the game will also be having a collaboration event which rewards players with cosmetics based on references to Valve titles. These ranges from Gordon Freeman’s HEV Suit and crowbar to Wheatley from Portal 2.
This announcement came just a couple of days following the announcement of Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis. Which, in itself, is a very confusing product. Not only is it a separate title coming in 2021, your character in the base game can also be used in it, in a limited capacity. In a sense, this Steam announcement may be a move to increase the game’s playerbase, and then move them all to the new expansion, if it can even be considered so.
At any rate, you’ll be able to download Phantasy Star Online 2 on Steam starting 5 August. As for the quests for the tie-in cosmetics, there doesn’t seem to be a time limit for by when you have to complete them.
93% of Bitcoin’s Supply Profitable at $11K, ‘Realized Price’ Recovers from Black Thursday
Onchain data shows that bitcoin’s breakout above $11,000 puts 93% of the circulating supply in a state of profit. Additionally, seven-day metrics show that bitcoin’s “realized price” has recovered from the low that took place on March 12.
The research and analysis firm Glassnode revealed that when the price of bitcoin (BTC) is over the $11,000 range, 93% of bitcoin in circulation becomes profitable. At the time of publication, BTC has been struggling to hold that momentum as the price has shifted below the $11k range a couple of times on Tuesday.
The spike on Tuesday led to a decent jump in onchain profits Glassnode detailed on Twitter.
“BTC’s break above $11,000 has led to a sharp increase in the onchain supply in profit. Currently, almost 93% of the circulating bitcoin supply is in a state of profit – the highest level in over a year,” the analytics firm tweeted.
Moreover, BTC has recovered from the March 12 (Black Thursday) market rout. Data shows that the crypto asset’s “realized price” has turned Black Thursday’s trend upside down. Glassnode’s charts set for seven-day statistics also indicate that “realized price” has doubled.
To add to those stats, bitcoin (BTC) charts show that long term holding has touched a new high. “62% of Bitcoin supply (11,400,000 BTC) has not moved in at least a year,” the bitcoiner Kevin Rooke told his 11,000 Twitter followers on Monday.
Furthermore, BTC “profitible days” stats from the web portal Lookintobitcoin shows that the crypto asset has been profitable over 97% of its lifespan.
The current optimism in the world of cryptocurrencies has been quite different this time around as the world is dealing with the reaction to Covid-19 and the faltering economy.
During the last few days, the USD and U.S. bonds have weakened considerably and many economists think the central bank will suppress benchmark interest rates this week. Vijay Ayyar, head of business development at Luno believes that central banks will keep bolstering crypto assets like BTC.
“My view is that with the major governments declaring unprecedented stimulus packages … we will see continued bullish momentum across markets. So that includes equities and gold as well. And BTC and crypto will follow in this regard. Added to the fact that a vaccine seems within reach as well now, no reason to be bearish near term,” Ayyar said.
With a lifespan of 97% profitability and 93% when the price is over $11,000 is a good sign crypto proponents. However, bitcoin mining operations need another $1,500 more for miners to start prospering, as they did before the May 11 halving.
A report from the blockchain analytics provider Tradeblock shows that $12,525 per BTC would bring miners over the edge and $15,062 per coin would improve profits a great deal.
What do you think about BTC profitability after bitcoin’s recent runup? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
(L to R): The Settings section of iOS 13.5.1 vs iOS 13.6.
However, this does not mean that you can utilize the NFC-based payment system with your Malaysian credit or debit card though. As shown in the screenshot below, you would encounter an error when you try to add cards that are issued by Malaysian banks which is not surprising since Malaysia is not listed as one of the official markets for Apple Pay.
Nevertheless, is this a sign that Apple Pay is finally going to be available in Malaysia? Well, it is hard to say given how our financial industry is shrouded in secrecy and multiple layers of regulations.
Truth to be told, it is not a secret that Apple is working to enable its NFC-based payment system in our market. This is something that the company’s representatives have told us numerous times over the years whenever the question regarding Apple Pay’s availability in Malaysia pops up.
As contactless payment system has been adopted widely throughout Malaysia, there should not be any problem for our market to support Apple Pay when it comes to infrastructure. But I don’t think we should get too excited just about Apple Pay official support in Malaysia until it is announced by Apple itself or any of our local banks.
All-Electric Variants Of The BMW 5 Series, 7 Series And X1 SUV In The Works
BMW announced that it is developing all-electric variants of its 5 and 7 Series sedans, as well as the X1 SUV. The company said that the new models are part of a renewed effort to reduce CO2 emissions and increase resource efficiency.
“I firmly believe the fight against climate change and how we use resources will decide the future of our society — and of the BMW Group. As a premium car company, it is our ambition to lead the way in sustainability. That is why we are taking responsibility here now and making these issues central to our future strategic direction,” Zipse said in a statement.
BMW X1 2020 (Image: BMW)
The three cars will join other models from the German automaker that are also in the works of receiving the all-electric treatment. These include a 3 Series variant, the BMW i4, BMW iX3, and the new iNext SUV. The company hopes that the availability of these new eco-friendly models will help achieve its goal to reduce the average amount of CO2 its vehicles produce by at least a third over the next 10 years.
BMW said that the all-electric drive train for the aforementioned vehicles will be one of the four options offered to buyers. Other choices include a plug-in hybrid, and either a diesel or petrol version with 48-volt mild hybrid technology. The company did not reveal when exactly we’ll be expecting these all-electric variants to debut. However, BMW did add that it is expecting to have 25 electrified models on the roads by 2023, with half of them fully electric.
Konami Now Selling Gaming Desktop PCs; Preorders Start From 184800 Yen
Now this is a truly genuine surprise. Konami has reportedly begun taking preorders for its own pre-built set of gaming desktop PCs.
According to a report by the Japan-based news outlet, PC Watch, the entertainment conglomerate will ship out its “Arespear” gaming PCs by the end of September to Japanese consumers first. Via Konami Amusement, one of the company’s many subsidiary companies.
In total, The Arespear PC comes in three SKUs: C300, C700, and C700+. Naturally, the C300 is the entry-level of the three, shipping out with an Intel Core i5-9400F, 8GB DDR4-2666MHz RAM, a 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650.
The C300.
As for the C700 and C700+, both desktop PCs are identical in their specification; the only distinction between the two is the see-through panel on the C700+. Specs-wise, both systems ship out with a much beefier Intel Core i7-9700 CPU and an AiO water cooler, 16GB DDR4-2666MHz RAM, a 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD, an additional 1TB HDD, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super. There’s also room for expansion on the motherboard, including a PCIe 3.0 x8 slot, one PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, two PCIe 3.0 x1 slots, and one additional M.2 2280 port.
Interesting enough, regardless of the model, all three Arespear PCs ship out with an ASUS Xonar AE sound card. Unfortunately, neither PC ship out with any form of wireless connectivity, meaning that your only form of access to the internet is through the motherboard’s built-in LAN port. That, or you could simply just buy an external Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapter.
The C700.
Preorder prices for the Arespear gaming PCs start at 184800 Yen (~RM7474), while the C700 and C700+ will costs consumers 316800 Yen (~RM12813) and 338800 Yen (~RM13702), respectively. At the time of writing, Konami did not specify if it intends to sell its machines to the wider global audience, although considering those prices, it wouldn’t surprise us if the company decides to just keep their circulation within the country.
CES 2021 To Become Online-Only Affair; Physical Show To Return In 2022
The Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2021 will be an all-digital affair next year. The event organisers, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), made the announcement official at the start of the week, citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as the primary cause behind its decision.
The CTA’s decision to move from a traditional, physical event to an all-digital event next year because of the pandemic isn’t surprising, but it should be noted that, prior to this decision, it was still adamant about hosting CES 2021 in person. Instead of going the digital route. As to when things will resume back to normal, the CTA says that CES will revert back to being a physical event the following year in 2022.
It goes without saying that CES 2021 isn’t the first casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, the virus has forced many event organisers to shift and adapt their events from a physical gathering to being completely digital. This includes this year’s Blizzard’s BlizzcCon, E3, the Tokyo Game Show, Google’s I/O, and the Game Developers Conference.
Only one tech trade show will continue with its physical gathering, IFA 2020, albeit under strict supervision and prevention guidelines.
(Source: CTA // Image: Getty Images via The Verge)
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Marketing is expensive and time consuming if you do not have the right resources and budget. This is where explainer videos come in – relatively inexpensive, self-marketing and require minimal equipment to be completed. Easy and effective.
Starting to look at investing in an explainer video may be confusing at first. This is normal, that is why this article is here. You will find the right video production company for you!
Although animated business videos are widespread, there are many different styles and designers to choose from, and new content and illustrations being created all the time. From character design, to colour palette, transitions or unique way of using light, it takes the right investment in the best animation to create a noteworthy video.
The agency’s messaging structure is another thing to look at. A successful animation requires a compelling story for a base – so when researching and looking over a portfolio make sure you are reading into the story that the animation is telling. Are the product or service’s details made obvious by the corporate video production story line? Does it remain high level, or stay basic?
Ideally you want video content that excites you. A creative partnership that gels from the start is highly sought after and will ensure that your business’ personality is portrayed through that company’s content. On the other hand, a talented production crew should also be able to modify their style to meet your needs. It is however much easier to work with a crew that is already proficient in the style of content you require for your brand.
What follows next is to schedule a kick-off meeting and planning meetings with the corporate video production services company to determine how they will help you create your content. This is where you will share your ideas, and in turn decide how the content will compliment your organisation’s overall marketing strategy.
These meetings are where you will gain insight into the type of video your company needs, as well as establish which visual elements and messages will be used to pique the interest of your target group and their concerns.
If you have a particular style of animating in your head, you will want to discuss this with your partner company as most already have their own signature style. Together you can work with different character designs, in order to try realising your vision.
Lastly the production company’s team should never sit idle. If they are not offering you their best and coming up with ways to meet your unique needs, then they may not be a viable partner. They should be challenging your vision and coming up with creative alternatives.
Ethereum Price Creates GPU Shortage, Some Manufacturers Blame Nvidia
During the last four weeks, cryptocurrency markets have gathered significant value, and the crypto asset ethereum gained over 40% during the last 30-days. The price of ether moving northbound has caused a strain on the graphics processing unit (GPU) market, as ETH miners have become scarce.
Regional reports stemming from China explain that GPU miners are becoming much harder to obtain since the price of ether started rising exponentially. Ethereum (ETH) touched an 11-month high on Monday, touching $327 per coin.
Statistics from Etherscan shows that Ethereum’s network hashrate has increased by 25.7% since the first week in January 2020. Currently on July 28, the ETH hashrate is roughly 194,650 gigahash per second (GH/s).
Financial columnist Vincent He recently explained that he spoke with a Chinese GPU mining manufacturer who blamed the problems on semiconductor suppliers like Nvidia.
The GPU rig manufacturer says that Nvidia has also started to stop the production of its RTX 20 series GPU chips which has temporarily hurt the industry. Nvidia has plans to release a next-generation version of the RTX 30 series graphics cards in the near future.
“The price increase of GPU was mainly caused by two chip suppliers,” the GPU mining manufacturer told the columnist. “Due to Covid-19, the order plan was reduced and the production capacity was limited. Moreover, they also consciously limit the mining industry’s excessive procurement to avoid the impact on the subsequent consumer market. I think that a new product is coming after September.”
This is not the first time GPUs have become scarce thanks to ethereum miners and many people hope that Ethereum 2.0 will lessen the demand for GPUs. The oft-postponed Ethereum 2.0 will add proof-of-stake (PoS) capabilities to the Ethereum network’s security.
In March 2018, Jensen Huang the CEO of Nvidia complained about Ethereum miners causing a shortage of GPUs worldwide. Huang believes that crypto asset networks take advantage of distributed high-performance computing.
“At the highest level the way to think about that is because of the philosophy of cryptocurrency — which is really about taking advantage of distributed high-performance computing — there are supercomputers in the hands of almost everybody in the world so that no singular force or entity that can control the currency,” Huang said at the time.
The Nvidia cofounder further stated:
[Cryptocurrency] is not our business. Gaming is growing and workstation is growing because of ray tracing.
8btc columnist, Vincent He, details that Chinese miners have switched from mining BTC to mining ETH to gather faster rewards. Allegedly, it can take 600 days to reap profits from BTC but with ETH, it can be cut down to 200 days.
Moreover, Chinese ASIC manufacturers who build SHA256 mining rigs but also ETH GPUs, have seen a massive surge toward rigs with graphics processing units. The sales director of Innosilicon, Wang Shenglin, has seen this trending demand toward GPUs.
“Ethereum continues to lead the crypto market, and the current price adjustment of the machines is relatively small. If the subsequent source of machine supply continues to shrink, we may further adjust the price,” Wang Shenglin stressed.
What do you think about the shortage of ether and GPU miners? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.
