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The Food Bank Singapore Raises Fund Through NFTs

The Food Bank Singapore today launches its first aution of non-fungile tokens (NFTs) to raise fund to support 10,000 beneficiaries in Singapore with food and essential items for one year.

The NFTs feature FBSG’s mascot KooriMo and include a unique utility to benefit and honour the successful bidder.

The three sets were drawn by an artist from Smobler Studios, which today signed a memorandum of understanding to help FBSG establish a presence on the metaverse.

“We are aware many Singaporeans are apprehensive about cryptocurrency and the metaverse. This initiative is also part of an awareness and education campaign to acquaint our community to the Web3 space through familiar faces like Yung Raja, a meaningful cause and established partners such as FBSG to lend credibility and gravitas. Ignorance isn’t always bliss for a small country like Singapore so it is bestto lean in, learn more especially if we want to stay competitive and remain an innovation hub,” said Loretta Chen, Co-founder of Smobler Studios.

“NFT is a cool and interesting way to use art to spread our messages. From our
metaverse experiment, we hope to share lessons learnt with fellow nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) so that they too can consider this space for their
fundraising efforts,” said Nichol Ng, Co-founder of FBSG.

Loretta Chen, Co-founder of Smobler Studios (left, after signing
MOU with Nichol Ng, Co-founder of FBSG)

To align with the new economy and make it more convenient for a new generation of tech savvy donors, FBSG is among the first charity organisations to accept cryptocurrency as donations. FBSG works with Coinhako to ensure the transaction is secured and legitimate.

New ideas always come with challenges. For instance, charity organisations with IPC status such as FBSG are authorised to issue tax deduction receipts for donation received. However, cryptocurrencies do not qualify for such tax benefits as there is no existing framework covering donation using digital assets.

To engage the younger generation of donors, FBSG has also appointed local rapper Yung Raja as its first phygital ambassador. Chosen for his passion for the charity’s cause and knowledge in the digital space,
Yung Raja is tasked to spread the word on digital adoption, including championing crypto and NFT donations.

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Traveloka Launches EPIC Sale Campaign Up to 80% special deal in Singapore

Traveloka presents EPIC Sale Campaign in Singapore. Taking place from 14th to 20th April 2021, Traveloka unveils special deals of up to 80% for a wide variety of Accommodations and Xperience products. Users are welcome to combine their SingapoRediscovers Vouchers, and numerous promotions available on the Traveloka’s App to get more benefit from this campaign.

EPIC Sale is one of the manifestations of Traveloka’s commitment in supporting the government in reviving the local tourism industry that is heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the economy moves towards recovery, the EPIC Sale campaign is also expected to boost the customer demand hence can positively contribute to the partners’ business continuity.

“The pandemic has impacted many businesses around the world, especially the tourism industry. Therefore, it is crucial for us to support and form a partnership with all stakeholders, including the government and industry players to revive their businesses post-pandemic. This has become our baseline in rolling out the EPIC Sale campaign in the market, not only to provide the best experience to our users but also to support our partners and the local tourism sector. Utilizing human-centered technology, the EPIC Sale combines the creative marketing strategy with cutting edge and breakthrough approach to better understand the customers, bringing forth offers that are aligned with the change in users’ behaviour and needs,” said Pascal Gekko Head of International Accommodation at Traveloka.

Learnings from Traveloka signalled that Singaporeans started their user journey looking at flexibility in brands to provide a better user experience through a combination of coupons stacking and time-bound promotions. As such, Traveloka’s EPIC Sale will feature the following:

  • Epic Referral has begun as a pre-sale activation from 7-13 April, whereby users can earn coupons by sharing a referral link. There will also be daily rewards, new features and grand prizes!
  • EPIC Hour offers 50-80% special deals every day between 6 – 7PM (Singapore Local Time) and additionally between 9-10AM on 14 April and 12-1PM on 20 April
  • EPIC Sale offers incredible special deals ranging from 25 – 80% all day long that is combinable with SRV, Traveloka promotions, and bank coupons. Users can also save more with up to SGD 40 off all day during EPIC Sale period and up to SGD 50 off during EPIC Hour when paying with DBS/POSB Cards and applying the DBS/POSB Cards Coupon with Terms & Conditions apply.

Crafted based on Traveloka’s best selling experiences during its SingapoRediscovers campaigns, the EPIC Sale was created for users to enjoy experiences with family and friends at an affordable price. It reinforces Traveloka’s commitment to supporting the Singapore Government in boosting domestic tourism and promoting a safe way to enjoy a holiday.

While it has been a rocky road to recovery for Singapore’s hospitality industry, such a partnership between the Singapore Tourism Board and private travel and lifestyle platforms has ensured the survival of many hotels and attractions as international leisure travel has yet to return in the foreseeable future. In addition, such a synergistic partnership caters to the steady increase in hyper-local experiences such as staycations and rediscovering places of interests within the tropical island.

“We are grateful to partner with Traveloka and join the first EPIC Sale campaign this year, as they not only share the same mission and values with us but they also aim to provide a positive contribution to boosting Singapore’s local tourism sector, aligned with the Singapore Tourism Board’s agenda. Through this partnership, we believe it will bring a positive contribution to our business amid the pandemic,” said Jorge Fernandez, Director of Revenue Optimization at Shangri-La Hotel Singapore.

Traveloka’s EPIC Sale campaign will run from 14 April 2021 to 20 April 2021 and can be enjoyed through the latest version of the Traveloka App. Partnering with all of our merchants, users will be spoilt for choice and can discover more deals for their desired hotel stays, leisure attractions to visit or local tours by operators, such as Shangri-La Singapore, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, The Fullerton Hotels, Park Hotel Group, Singapore Cable Car, Jewel Changi Airport Attraction, Go Green Segway Eco Adventure, Wild Wild Wet, Trick Eye Museum, and more.

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Review: Trek iSSD, 4-In-1 Portable Data Storage Solution Made By A Singapore Company

These days, we interact so much online. Posting on Instagram and live streaming anytime and anywhere just mean that we need more gadgets on the move. Let run a quick checklist – a power bank (for your smartphone), laptop (obviously, that’s meant to edit stunning photos and video for posting), portable hard disk (what’s more disheartening when you forgot to back up your work?), camera (to capture professional shots for posting) and the list goes on. Well, does it make sense to carry that many devices?

Source: Instagram user @weewu

Trek 2000 (stock quote: 5AB.SI), a Singapore-based company, wants to reduce your load with their Trek iSSD. The Trek iSSD is a portable data backup solution, power bank, SD card reader and a wireless charger.    

Quickly, let us go through the specs.

– The Trek iSSD is available in either 240GB, 480GB or 960GB capacities that pretty much covers the needs of users from day-to-day mainstream consumers segment to hardcore mobile workers.

– It also comes with a SD card slot that enable users to directly backup their photos/video in the card without going through an external computer.   

– The Trek iSSD also double-up as a 3000mAh power bank that supports bi-directional Qi wireless charging.   

– Through its wireless b/g/n connection, users could access their files via their smartphones which means you could use the device virtually anywhere.

– FTP Functions that allow large file transfer via a network connection.

Well.  Enough of the sales pitch! I will just list down in order what I like about the product.

This is what you get in Trek iSSD. Instagram user @weewu
  1. Light and Compact: The Trek iSSD weighs only 221g and measured 11.8cm by 7.0cm. To put it in prospective, the Trek iSSD weighs like a typical 20,000mAh powerbank but it is about the size of a portable hard disk. Considering that the Trek iSSD could do so much more, its noticeably light weight (as well as its compact size) is a big plus point. Kudos to Trek team!   
  • Simple and Seamless SD Card Backup: The One Touch Backup in Trek iSSD is one of the most make sense features that a lot of portable hard disk makers overlooked. More importantly, it is amazingly easy to use. Power on, plug in the SD card, press twice on the power button to start the back up. Once the LED indicator stop blinking, Bang! You have backed up your SD card!

This is extremely useful when you are traveling (not that we can in the COVID-19 situation). I can imagine the time I am running up of capacity in my DSLR. I desperately need one more SD card, but I don’t have an extra one at my disposal. This feature will come in handy to free up the space of the card without going through computer. (I mean as much as we can, we will travel light)

  • Wireless Charging: It is all about decluttering. It is definitely not nice to see many wires lying around. The Trek iSSD also serves as a wireless charging bay. The best part – it supports pass-through meaning you just need one USB cable to charge both Trek iSSD and your mobile phone. In other word, you free up one more power socket.   
  • Mobile (Wireless) Backup: We have so many photos stored in our smartphone these days. However, there is a limit in the smartphone and occasionally, you need to clean up the phone’s memory. The Trek iSSD offers an easy way to back up the photo in your smartphones via a mobile app.  
One Touch Backup. Source: Instagram user @weewu

Well, this is more like an alternative way of backing up your photo on top of what Apple iCloud and Google Drive are offering. I still stick to an old school way of storing digital photo offline at a separately physical drive.  We have heard enough stories of photo leaked online which eventually may be detrimental to some of you especially those who are influencers with large following. Come and think about it. Old school may be better.

  • Wireless Sharing: When I first heard that the Trek iSSD is a file server and could support upto 8 devices simultaneously, I think it is a very cool feature.  I tried to share with another user, it works reasonably well which it is within my expectation; well, I have kept the number of users small. Although speed will be noticeably slower when any new device connected to it, it still delivers. Well, it is not fair to benchmark this to a NAS system. Considering how small the Trek iSSD is, its performance is quite remarkable.
Source: Instagram user @weewu

My Take

It is a very versatile storage companion that serves my day-to-day needs. If you consume a lot of contents, this is a good storage solution. The Trek iSSD comes with 3 choices – 240GB (Black), 480GB(Blue) and 960GB (Red) and are priced at RRP USD $179, USD$349 and USD$499 respectively.

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Grab-Singtel Consortium Now a Digital Full Bank is offering 200 Roles

MAS has announced that Grab-Singtel (Stock Quote: Z74.SGX) Consortium is one of the two Digital Full Banks alongside with video game development company Sea Ltd (Stock Quote: SE.NYSE)

The consortium has appointed Mr Charles Wong, Citigroup’s former retailing head in Singapore as CEO and will fill up around 200 roles by end 2021.

The consortium will focus on serving consumers and small businesses, starting with time-starved young PMETs, gig workers with flexible incomes, and micro-SMEs who face limited access to financing. Grab and Singtel will enable these underserved groups to easily access transparent financial services that are embedded in their everyday activities, helping them achieve a better quality of life. The consortium will do so by drawing on both companies’ extensive experience in meeting the daily essential needs of millions in Singapore.

Mr Wong, CEO of the Grab-Singtel digital banking consortium, said, “An opportunity such as today, where we are entrusted to develop a digital bank from scratch, is truly rare. We will redefine banking by building a sustainable business focused on out-serving Singapore with personalised, accessible and trusted financial products. Customers from multiple segments, including the underserved and underbanked, will be able to have their financial needs met seamlessly, powered by our next-generation cloud technology and data platform.” 

The digital bank is a natural extension of the Grab Financial Group as well as the mobile financial business of Singtel, with the aim of enabling wider access to financial services. It will also draw on the combined experience of both companies in having already built a successful regional fintech ecosystem in highly regulated environments, offering digital financial services across payments, insurance, lending and investing.

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OnePlus 8T Packed with 120Hz Fluid Display and 65W Warp Charge

Today, OnePlus launches its latest flagship smartphone – OnePlus 8T. 2 takeaways from the launch of new OnePlus 8T – One, its 120Hz Fluid AMOLED display and Two, Warp Charge 65.

Warp Charge 65 – A Day’s Power in 15 Minutes

One of the biggest selling points of OnePlus phone is its Warp Charge technology. The new Warp Charge 65 offers a full day’s power in just 15 minutes. It utilizes twin-battery charging technology to rapidly replenish the large total capacity of 4,500 mAh and takes just 39 minutes to complete a full charge under normal usage. Why do we still bother to charge our phone overnight these days?

To circumvent heating issues from charging, the OnePlus 8T is equipped with 12 temperature sensors, along with an extra encryption chip in the adapter and cable, to keep charging temperatures at a comfortable level while operating at a peak output of 65W.

120Hz Fluid AMOLED Display

The OnePlus 8T’s 120Hz Fluid AMOLED display is the first flat 120Hz display ever to earn an A+ rating from DisplayMate. Every swipe or scroll across the panel will deliver astonishingly smooth visuals, so users can enjoy the most intense games with remarkable fluidity and browse effortlessly through social media feeds on the immersive display panel.

With a Just Noticeable Color Difference (JNCD) of around 0.3, the OnePlus 8T display has the highest colour accuracy in the industry. The FHD+ 2.5D flexible display also features a peak brightness of up to 1,100 nits, delivering clearer visuals even under bright sunlight. In addition, the OnePlus 8T has 8,192 levels of brightness, making the transitions between various brightness settings feel natural and comfortable.

Superior Power and Performance

The OnePlus 8T is equipped with the flagship Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 865 5G Mobile Platform with a Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System, which enables staggering multi-gigabit 5G connectivity, professional-quality photography at Gigapixel speeds, desktop-level gaming with ultra-realistic graphics, and intuitive AI experiences. The superior computing power is further complemented by dual-mode NSA + SA 5G and Wi-Fi 6 support for faster, more reliable data speeds.

With up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 flash storage, the OnePlus 8T delivers faster and more stable performance. The exceptional hardware enables smoother 4K video capture and playback with reduced battery drain, allowing users to take advantage of 5G network speeds to stream HD videos or play performance-demanding games while on the move.

Advanced Quad-Camera System

The OnePlus 8T features a robust and versatile camera kit designed to efficiently capture any and every moment in crisp detail. The quad-camera system includes a 48MP main camera with optical, a 16MP lens, and dedicated macro and monochrome lenses, letting users enjoy studio-level photography on the go.

The 123-degree ultra-wide lens on the OnePlus 8T provides a new perspective for framing shots so users can confidently capture vast landscapes, expansive architecture, and other wide-angle subjects in full view. The lens delivers clear images in various lighting conditions – even at night or in the dark due to the improved Nightscape mode.

OxygenOS 11 – Android 11

OnePlus 8T is the world’s first non-Google-manufactured smartphone that comes with the latest Android 11 fresh out of the box. Their new OxygenOS 11 has optimized the Android experience making one-handed operation easier.

Pricing and Colours

The OnePlus 8T is available in two new breathtakingly beautiful colourways: Aquamarine Green and Lunar Silver.

The phone will be available for exclusive pre-order on Lazada from 17 – 23 October 2020. Customers who place their pre-order will receive a OnePlus 8T Bumper case (worth S$39.30).  The phone will be available islandwide from Saturday 24 Oct 2020 at OnePlus Lazada and Shopee online flagship store.

The OnePlus 8T comes in Aquamarine Green with 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM, and is priced at S$899; and Lunar Silver with 12GB RAM and 256GB ROM, and is priced at S$1,099.

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SINGAPORE WILL BE THE FIRST IN THE WORLD TO LAUNCH THE LINKSYS E9450 WIFI 6 EASYMESH ROUTER

Linksys E9450 WIFI 6 EasyMesh Router. Source: Linksys Asia

SINGAPORE, 9 OCTOBER 2020 Linksys today announced the global launch of Linksys’ first WiFi 6 EasyMesh router, the E9450 (AX5400). Singtel is the first operator in the world to offer the new Linksys WiFi 6 router as it continues to bring next-generation WiFi connectivity to more Singtel fibre broadband customers in Singapore. 

The WiFi 6 standard enables customers to enjoy faster data transfers, increased capacity, better connectivity performance in environments with many connected devices, and improved power efficiency. As the latest WiFi 6 solution for consumers’ increasingly demanding wireless connectivity needs, the E9450 router will be exclusively available to Singtel fibre broadband customers for two months starting from 10 October 2020.

“Asia has the greatest number of internet users in the world, accounting for 50.3% globally[1],” said Jenny Ng, General Manager for Asia. “In 2019, 81% of Singaporeans were using the internet, with a trajectory to continue growing year-on-year2.  As a tech savvy nation, it is no wonder that Singaporeans are discerning when it comes to the routers they use at home.  We are pleased to offer consumers an opportunity to optimize their home internet speeds and capacity with the next generation Mesh WiFi system in order to cater to growing bandwidth demands.”

So What is EasyMesh Wi-Fi?

EasyMesh was introduced by Wi-Fi Alliance and it is intended to serve as a standard to Wi-Fi networks that allows Wi-Fi routers or mesh systems to communicate with one another regardless of product line or brands. To put it simply, consumer can choose router or nodes of different brands to setup their mesh system as long as the products comply to EasyMesh standard. In other words, consumers have more choices.

Complied to this standard, the Linksys E9450 makes future upgrading of mesh system seamlessly for consumers.

Tech Specifications

The E9450 WiFi 6 router feature details below: 

Technical SpecificationDetails
Wi-Fi SpeedDual Band AX5400 (4800 Mbps on 5GHz + 600 Mbps on 2.4GHz)
Product DimensionsLength – 15.6cm Width – 6cm Height – 22cm
AX5400 Dual Band4 internal antennas MU-MIMO OFDMA Technology 2.4 GHz radio 5 GHz radio  USB3.0 port
Processor & Memory1.5GHz Tri-Core Processor 256MB Flash and 512MB RAM  
WAN and LAN Connectivity  ● 5 Gigabit Ethernet Ports: o 1x WAN  
o 4x LAN  
SecurityWPA2 Personal WPA3 Personal WPA2 / WPA3 Mixed Mode Personal

Pricing & Availability

Source: Linksys Asia

The E9450 WiFi 6 router retails at $399. 

At launch, it will be available at the special introductory price of $10.00/mth to the first 100 Singtel customers to sign up for or re-contract Singtel Fibre 1Gbps at $39.90/mth (U.P. $49.90/mth). Subsequently, customers can purchase the E9450 at $14.00/mth (U.P.$16.00/mth) with Singtel fibre plans.

The Linksys E9450 will roll out to the rest of the channel from 10 December 2020.

[1] Miniwatts Marketing Group, “Internet Users Distribution in the World – 2020 Q1” Data

2 Statista Research Department, “Singapore: Internet user penetration 2015-2025” , Jul 28, 2020  

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Meet AI- Powered “HR Manager” That Reviews Your Interview Video

Last week, Singapore-based X0PA AI, an Artificial Intelligence software platform for HR and recruitment, announces their new Video Interview on demand platform, X0PA ROOM.

ROOM uses artificial intelligence and video analytics to provide organizations and education institutions a new pre-screening tool. With ROOM, hiring managers can create hybrid questions in text or video , set and select either a fixed or randomized set of questions, set  timers for  video interview completion and many other features to simulate an in person interview including anti-cheat feature.

ROOM collects video analytics available post interview. Through the use of AI, the platform is able to pick up on subtle cues from the candidate based on their facial expressions and body gestures to derive a sentiment and emotional analysis for each candidate response. There is also an analytics dashboard to provide hiring managers with an overview of the ratings and status of the candidates interviewed. Watch the demo below

ROOM provides a seamless video interview experience for candidates with an easy to use interface. The platform is compatible with mobile and desktop and candidates can easily join via the video interview link received. Candidates will be guided through a pre-interview check to ensure that they are recording in high quality video resolution and sound. They would also have the option to play back and review their interview responses. Upon completion of the interview, candidates will be notified via email.

X0PA Is a strategic partner of Microsoft and the company has developed cloud based tools and products to enhance the hiring process and selection processes for Government, academia and enterprises. For more information, visit X0PA’s website at: 

Watch their promotional video below

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More than Half of Singaporeans Use Mobile Contactless Payments: Visa Study

Singapore, 28 May 2020 – Mobile contactless payments are on the rise in Singapore with 56 per cent of consumers embracing this new way to pay, according to Visa’s (stock quote: V)Consumer Payment Attitudes Study[1]. An increase of 12 per cent compared to a year ago, this is not surprising given that Singapore is one of the market leaders globally in terms of contactless payments penetration. The increase in usage is also likely due to popular mobile payment options, such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay, being made available to Singaporeans in the past few years.

Contactless card payments continue to be the most popular option, with 84 per cent of Singapore respondents using this mode of payment. The trend is even higher amongst Generation Y respondents at 92 per cent. Based on the study, Singaporeans prefer the use of contactless payments over other modes of payment when paying for their rides on public transportation or shopping at supermarkets. Top reasons cited for this preference include convenience and rewards. 

“Singapore is an extremely developed market when it comes to contactless payments usage. Over the years, we’ve seen tremendous uptake in contactless payments by Singaporeans, and we’re one of the top countries globally to achieve more than 90 per cent contactless payments penetration[2]. Supermarkets and quick service restaurants are one of the key contributors of this growth, coupled with contactless acceptance in new categories such as public transportation, which was introduced last year. During this period of circuit breaker in Singapore, we continue to see strong contactless payments growth and we’re confident that the growth will continue once people are out and about and back to their normal lives,” said Mr. Kunal Chatterjee, Visa Country Manager for Singapore & Brunei.

Visa also recently implemented an option for merchants not to capture signature as a cardholder verification method to reduce consumers’ physical contact with the point-of-sale machines and enable a more frictionless payment experience. This is in addition to increasing contactless payment transaction limits, from the previous amount of $100 to $200 so that consumers can tap and wave their cards or payment devices, without signature verification.

In Singapore, state-of-the-art mobile security and stringent data privacy measures have made the adoption of mobile contactless payments possible. Three in four Singaporeans (75%) do not feel that their personal information is at risk when making mobile payments. In addition, two in three consumers believe that merchants, banks and third-party companies provide sufficient security to protect their transactions.

Security concerns are largely unrelated to the payment mechanism itself, but rather the possibility of losing one’s mobile phone (61%) or the potential for getting hacked (49%). The study also found that three in five Singaporean consumers are even willing to share their location data with merchants in return for special discounts, promotions and services.

With contactless payments becoming more frequently used among consumers, the idea of Singapore becoming a completely cashless society is no longer a pipe dream. Nearly half of Singaporean consumers carry less cash in their wallets compared to two years ago, with increased usage of contactless payments being the top reason (68%). They have also shown continued support for the Singapore Government’s Smart Nation initiative to digitise the country, and 62 per cent of them expect their usage of cashless payment methods to increase next year. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to motivate a shift towards digital transactions, changing payment habits could further accelerate the growth of digital payments.

—

[1] The Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Study was conducted in October 2019 by ENGINE Insights with 511 Singaporeans aged 18-65 years of age. This is part of a regional research project conducted in Southeast Asia on 5,000 consumers across seven markets in Southeast Asia.

[2] VisaNet data as of March 2020

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Press Release: Finding the formula for future leaders – Science and technology university launches unique master’s program

SINGAPORE, May 26 – The digital world is facing a crisis that has at the same time opened new windows of opportunity. To tackle the shortage of potential leaders joining the digital sector, the Schaffhausen Institute of Technology (SIT) has crafted a new course: Masters of Science (MSc) in Computer Science and Software Engineering – to better prepare graduates for leadership roles, specifically within the IT and science disciplines. Launching in September 2020, the newly developed program is available for students with bachelor’s in computer science or software engineering who have ambitions to be a part of the next generation of technical leaders.

A new master’s in Computer Science and Software Engineering course from the Schaffhausen Institute of Technology (SIT) will be officially announced on May 26th, 2020 at a virtual conference. This is the first master’s program to be launched by SIT — a newly formed university based in the technology hotspot of Schaffhausen, Switzerland. SIT was founded by entrepreneurs and global thought leaders, and is focused on bridging the gap between education and industry.

Chaired by Acronis CEO, Dr Serguei Beloussov, SIT and its syllabus have been specifically developed to tackle current challenges in the IT, physics, and business industries, including the shortage of future leaders joining the software sector.

“The SIT program will prepare graduates to manage software engineering projects within their own businesses, research organizations, or corporations. We blend science and practical needs to bring knowledge to anyone. Combining computer science, quantum technologies, and new materials will give graduates a strong foundation to develop innovative solutions. Scientists and business leaders from the SIT’s Board of Directors will help connect students with leading technology experts and build up relations with successful technology companies,” says Dr Serguei Beloussov, Founder of SIT.

With studies suggesting that a vast majority of computer science courses do not adequately prepare graduates for CTO or CSO-type leadership positions, the SIT MSc in Computer Science and Software Engineering course has been strategically developed with leadership in mind and connected to world-class research expertise.

SIT’s master’s program meets the traditional Bologna European system standards for higher education. Based on a two-year curriculum of full-time study (or a fast-track three-semester curriculum), the course follows the traditional academia year and is therefore ideal for students currently graduating with a bachelor’s in science or engineering. The course will also uniquely offer students more freedom to learn directly at the SIT campus, or through an agile flip-blended eLearning teaching style designed to meet the different needs of on-site and remote students.

The thesis required to complete the master’s degree can be written based on the student’s experience in their own start-up business, with access to the SIT techpark and investors, or at one of SIT’s business network partners, as well as in the SIT leading research laboratories. This level of engagement with businesses is extremely rare in highly technical master’s degrees from other prestigious specialist universities.

More details on the new master’s in Computer Science and Software Engineering course will be announced at the SIT Virtual Nano Conference, which will feature world-class speakers sharing their expertise in the fields of IT, science, and business. These include Nobel Prize Winner and Chairman of the Advisory Board in SIT Prof. Sir Kostya Novoselov, Acronis Executive Officer and the founder of SIT Dr Serguei Beloussov, Professor of Software Engineering at the SIT Prof. Mauro Pezzè, Professor of quantum physics at the Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford Prof. Artur Ekert, and Former Chief Polygraph Examiner and Interrogator Dr Barry L. McManus. Keynote sessions as well as panel discussions will be held on topics including quantum computing and cyber security.

About SIT: With its pioneering curriculum, the Schaffhausen Institute of Technology (SIT) offers a new model of education. Focusing on the most important areas of technology, SIT will drive research, development and innovation in a next generation learning and research environment. Using state-of-the-art facilities, SIT’s students, researchers and business allies will address large-scale world problems by developing a technology curriculum based on global issues.

Some of the world’s greatest minds have already bought into SIT. The initiators of SIT are a team of entrepreneurs, education specialists, and scientists brought together by initial investment by Acronis AG, a cyber protection company, located in Schaffhausen and Singapore.

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Fujitsu Joins Amazon & Facebook to make its patents freely available in the fight against COVID-19

Joining the Open Covid Pledge, Fujitsu is the new tech player along sides with Facebook and Amazon in  providing free access to its intellectual property rights for activities aimed at ending the global spread of the disease.

In committing to the Open COVID Pledge, which originated in the US, Fujitsu has declared that it will not assert its patents, utility models, or designs against individuals or entities for a certain period of time and will not seek any consideration or compensation for such activities. Fujitsu has also endorsed and declared its involvement with the “OPEN COVID-19 DECLARATION,” a similar initiative in Japan

Through its commitment to these pledges, Fujitsu will contribute decisively to an early end to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic by providing free access to approximately 40,000 patents, utility models, design patents (including pending applications) related to the development of new drugs and patient care, and actively promote cross-industry utilization by companies and research institutions around the world in the spirit of global cooperation and human centric innovation

The Open COVID Pledge, launched by an international coalition of legal experts, scientists, and technologists, is an effort that encourages companies, universities, and researchers to make their intellectual property available free of charge for use in ending the COVID-19 pandemic and minimizing the impact of the disease. Those who make the Pledge help ensure that uncertainty around intellectual property rights will not slow or impede urgently needed solutions in this critical time.

You can see the details of the Fujitsu’s declaration here