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Huawei set to launch its first ever laptop range and flagship tablet in Singapore on 8 June

Huawei announced that its two mainstream laptops: the HUAWEI MateBook 13 and HUAWEI MateBook D15 as well as its flagship tablet, HUAWEI MatePad Pro will launch in Singapore on 8 June 2020. Pre-orders are available from 30 May to 7 June. These devices focus on mobile productivity, innovative smart design and delivery of a seamless and powerful user experience.

As an important point of entry to the smart ecosystem, the HUAWEI MateBook series and HUAWEI MatePad Pro are designed to synergise with Huawei handsets, wearables and other devices. These products enable the company’s unique Multi-screen Collaboration feature that delivers a seamless multi-device experience to consumers with a simple drag-and-drop file transfer between smartphones, laptops and tablets.

Source: YouTube Tech ARP

Phil Xu, Managing Director of Huawei Consumer Business Group Singapore said, “We are excited to introduce a new range of laptops as well as the latest tablet in Singapore that are the perfect companions for consumers looking for high performance and extreme portability. These devices are stylish, powerful and smart, which makes it perfect for both work and relaxation. As we continue to expand our product offerings in the market, we would like our customers to enjoy a seamless interconnected experience within the product ecosystem including our handsets and wearables.”

Local availability and pricing

The HUAWEI MateBook 13, HUAWEI MateBook D15 and HUAWEI MatePad will be retailing at S$1,598, S$998 and S$898 respectively from 8 June 2020 in all Huawei Concept stores, selected consumer electronic stores and official online stores with Lazada and Shopee.

In addition, customers can look forward to receiving an additional 1 year warranty on top of the standard 1 year, with every purchase of the HUAWEI MateBook 13 or the HUAWEI MateBook D 15, while stocks last.

ProductProcessorStorageColourRetail Price
HUAWEI MateBook 13Intel i5512GB + 16GB RAMSpace GreyS$1,598
HUAWEI MateBook D 15AMD R5256GB + 8GB RAMMystic SilverS$998
HUAWEI MatePad ProOS: EMUI 10.0.1 (Based on Android 10.0)256GB + 8GB RAMMidnight GreyS$898

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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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Review of Sudio ETT – Sudio Brings in Active Noise Cancelling in Their Latest Sudio ETT

Ever since Sony wowed the market with their WF-1000XM3 in 2019, the battle in True Wireless System (TWS) has turned the focus on Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) and this is not just happening between the audio product giants but upcoming brands like Sudio is also joining in the fight. Ever since Sudio introduced their first TWS – Sudio Nivå in 2018, Sudio has been constantly improving their range of TWS. In the beginning of 2020, Sudio launches water-resistance Sudio Fem that comes with IP rating of IPX5. Months later, Sudio debuts their first TWS that comes with ANC features – Sudio ETT.

How does the ANC fare?

Unlike Sudio Fem, Sudio is bringing back the physical multi-purposes button. To turn it on. It is a simple long press on the button for 2 seconds and that will follow by a voice notification that ANC is turned on. (ANC is not turned on by default)

Obviously, I could sense that the surrounding noise drops dramatically once the ANC is activated. However, I also noticed several other changes in sound. First, I sense that the music volume increases significantly once the ANC is activated. I am not sure that is the culprit of making the surrounding sound “disappear”, but I think this is worth noting especially for those who are mindful on the music volume of their headset. A little tip: Lower the volume slightly before turning on the ANC.

Second, I notice the sound stage changes as well once the ANC is turned on. Beside being louder, the vocal appears to be brighter and overall experience is rather pleasant especially watching concert video over YouTube. Maybe it is purposely engineered for that purpose – you don’t want to be disturbed by your family TV when you are immersing yourself in Black Pink’s concert on your iPad.

Sound performance – ANC On Vs Off?

The Sony WF-1000XM3 is the game changer when comes to ANC and I have absolutely no doubt about it but I don’t really like the sound that it delivered when its ANC is on; maybe I am biased (Everyone who read my blog knows that I am not a fan of ANC). I feel that music lacks “life” when its ANC is turned on. I prefer the ANC to be turned off when I am listening to YouTube concert. (Don’t get me wrong! I love my WF-1000XM3. I am merely comparing its sound stage with ANC and without ANC)

Ironically, the Sudio ETT is entirely opposite. It sounds so much better when its ANC is turned on. A good balance of bass and treble and more importantly, the voice performance is richer. Listening to concert with this is extremely pleasant.   

Other Perks?

Sudio ETT is also water resistance with IP rating of IPX5 just like the Sudio Fem. Essentially, you could clean them with some water after your run.

The Sudio ETT is equipped with wireless charging capability

The Sudio ETT can be charged wirelessly, a common feature that you could only find in some premium ranges of TWS. (For your info, the Sony WF-1000XM3 is not equipped with that function). If you have wireless charger at home (I mean who don’t own one these days), you could have one USD cable less in your power socket.

Verdicts

When comes to ANC, the Sudio ETT is not the ‘A’ student in the class. However, the performance is remarkable given the fact that this is Sudio’s first attempt to include ANC in their range of TWS. Afterall, it works and that is what matter for typical consumers. Anyway, we won’t turn on the ANC when walking on the busy street for obvious reasons. Furthermore, we are all staying at home these days. (how noisy can our home be?)

Get a new Sudio tote bag for free with every purchase from sudio.com.

Retailing at SGD 239, you get a water-resistance TWS that comes with premium wireless charging and ANC feature. I think the price is reasonable but TND is bringing a special offer for the readers (there is always a perk for TND readers).  If you are using TND promocode “theneodimensionEtt”, you get a further 15% discount off.

The perk does not end there. From now till end of July, you can get a new Sudio tote bag for free with every purchase from sudio.com.

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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

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Lenovo’s flagship X1 Carbon Gen 8 Arrives in Singapore

Lenovo (stock quote 992.HK) (ADR: LNVGY) announced the pre-order availability of its flagship business laptop, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen on Lenovo® Official Singapore Site.

Source: Lenovo Singapore

Pricing for the much-anticipated ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 starts at SG$3,449, with further upgrades available in processing, memory, storage, and display. Citibank customers can purchase the flagship device on a SG$288 x 12 months installment plan (Note this is not an interest-free promotion). Pre-ordering the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon on the official store will offer customers access to discounts of up to 75% on selected accessories including the X1 Noise Cancellation Headphones, and the best-selling 3-Year Premier Support

“For many years, our X1 Carbon series has represented the apex of Lenovo’s innovation and design thinking. We’ve designed it with our customers in mind, imbuing it with best-in-class security, durability, and productivity features to meet the high demands of modern professionals. The 8th Gen of the X1 Carbon is no different. It’s another proud milestone for our iconic machine and we’re very excited to offer our Singapore customers early access to purchase the flagship device on our E-commerce platform,” said Reno Chow, eCommerce Head, Lenovo Singapore and Malaysia.

Here are the full specifications of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8:

ProcessorUp to 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 with up to 6 cores
Operating SystemWindows 10 Pro
Display14″ 4K (3840 x 2160) IPS with Dolby Vision™ HDR400, 500 nits, 10 bit14″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS PrivacyGuard, 500 nits14″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, low power, 400 nits14″ WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS, 300 nits14″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Touch, 300 nits
MemoryUp to 16GB LPDDR3
BatteryUp to 18 hours* 51Wh, includes Rapid Charge *Based on MobileMark 2014, an industry standard PC performance benchmark. Actual results will vary depending on your system’s usage and settings, including power management and screen brightness.
StorageUp to 2TB PCIe SSD
GraphicsIntegrated Intel® UHD Graphics 620
SecurityFast Identity Online (FIDO) authentication capabilitiesMatch-on-chip fingerprint readerdTPM 2.0 chipThinkShutter camera coverOptional: ThinkPad PrivacyGuardOptional: ThinkPad PrivacyAlert*Kensington lock slot *PrivacyAlert requires the IR camera.
AudioDolby Atmos® Speaker System4 x 360-degree far-field microphones
CameraHD 720p with ThinkShutter privacy coverOptional: Hybrid Infrared (IR) & HD with ThinkShutter
Dimensions (W x D x H)323mm x 218mm x 14.9mm / 12.71″ x 8.54″ x 0.59″
WeightStarting at 1.09kg / 2.40lb
ColorBlackBlack with Carbon-Fiber Weave on top cover* *Available only on the 4k HDR400 display.
ConnectivityWiFi 802.11 AXBluetooth® 5.0Optional WWAN: Integrated Global Mobile Broadband 4G LTE-AOptional NFC
Ports2 x USB-C Thunderbolt™ 32 x USB 3.1 (Gen 1)HDMI 1.4Network extension for Ethernet/side mechanical dockingHeadphone / mic comboMicroSD card reader
KeyboardSpill resistantBacklit with white LED lightingNew FN row F9-F11
AC AdapterUp to 65W (supports Rapid Charge)
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Singapore-Based TranSwap Launches E-Remittance Services for Foreign Domestic Workers

SINGAPORE 6 May 2020 -TranSwap, a home-grown cross-border payments platform for businesses, today announced that it has launched an e-remittance service, for employers of foreign domestic workers to digitally send money back to their families during Circuit Breaker. The launch comes at a time when it has been challenging for these workers to access remittance services to send money home and support their families. The home-grown FinTech start-up provides services mainly for SMEs and businesses, but they are now stepping up to help those workers who are affected by the circuit breaker measures with their remittance woes.

Employers will be able to transfer money on behalf of their workers in their local currency (mainly Rupiah, Pesos, Kyat, Rupee) seamlessly and conveniently while staying safe at home. It takes less than 5 minutes to send the money, and remittance can be tracked in real-time with end-to-end status updates. This will allow the employers to send the money on behalf of foreign workers upon the worker’s request

The cross-border payments company has also set out to provide Non-Face-To-Face (NFF) Transactions which includes having e-KYC to onboard customers. Unlike traditional remittance agents which rely on face-to-face KYC and compliance, TranSwap boasts an electronic know-your-customer (e-KYC).

By tapping on TranSwap’s remittance service, employers will have the flexibility of choosing between paying to a bank account or to a digital wallet, where the latter option is more commonly used by FDW’s families as some of them may not have bank accounts. The mobile wallet option brings further benefits to FDWs as their families can withdraw cash through ATMs without having a bank account.

Mr Benjamin Wong, CEO and co-founder of TranSwap said, “With the circuit breaker measures in place, we want to contribute to the society by providing our payment solution to affected foreign domestic workers. During these trying times, we are glad to step up to offer a safer, cheaper and more convenient online remittance service. In this way, Foreign Domestic Workers can continue to remit money to their families who may rely on their money.”

Source: Media OutReach

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Review of Soul Emotion 2 TWS – Don’t Associate “Cheap” as “Bad”

We have heard enough bad news about Covid-19. In Singapore, people are encouraged to stay at home during this circuit breaker. If there is one good thing in this pandemic, we are still free to go out for run. A good set of earpieces is a perfect companion especially we are running alone. If you have been following my blog closely, we have reviewed several headsets that are designed for fitness fanatics. The latest one is Soul ST-XS2.

This time, we are reviewing another TWS from Soul – Soul Emotion2. The cheaper Emotion2 is different from the Soul ST-XS2 in several ways. In terms of appearance, the Emotion2 is smaller and sleeker. Apart from that, the Emotion2 does not come with ear wings.

Source: Instagram @weewu

Unlike the Soul ST-XS2 that comes with 4 colours, the Soul Emotion2 comes only with 3 colours (pink, white & black). Soul Electronics sends me a white Emotion2 for review. Although the Emotion2 is a smaller device than the ST-XS2, the Led indicator light on the Emotion2 is larger and more visible than the one on the ST-XS2.

The Emotion2 is also splash-proof with a rating of IPX4. In another words, you could clean the Emotion2 with little water (just make sure you don’t put it under the running tap).

The Emotion2 is incredibly light. Weighed at approx.5g, it is amazingly comfortable to wear for long hours. However, this advantage may have some side effects to those with big earhole. I brought this out for a run and find that I must frequently make adjustment to make sure the Emotion2 is at the place that it should. Although I have switched to its biggest earplugs, it just does not work for people like me who have big earhole.

Soure: Instagram @weewu

Audio Quality

The Emotion2 delivers crystal clear sound with a balanced sharpness. Bass is warm and it mixes well with the treble. While I am immersing myself to a passionate vocal performance on YouTube, the Emotion2 produces a well-balanced sound with “visible” enough High, Mid and Low tones.

Conference call with this is acceptable as I can clearly hear what the counterparty is saying but it does not work as well for the other party. Apparently, the performance of mic is a little lacking. I need to speak louder to get my voice across.

Although physical design blocks off some surrounding noise, it is still quite disturbing when you are trying to focus on your online seminars. In this case, a good noise cancelling TWS could help to block off noises from the Kids TV programme while you are working. Unfortunately, this feature is not included.

A Good Buy?

This is a good product for loner like me who spent lots of hours online watching movies and concerts alone. Music is an experienced goods that touches people emotionally. As long the TWS could deliver what it is supposed to deliver, it is a good product. That is why I find the name of this product speaks for itself.  

Of course, it is also extremely comfortable to wear (just don’t bring it out for run. It is not designed to anyway).

It is cheap and I do not mean it in a negative way. Their official store at Lazada is selling at SGD54.90! That is crazy! Granted. There are flaws like no active noise cancelling but why does that matter? Who else is watching “Baby-Shark” when I am all by myself at home watching Black Pink’s music video? I am a cheapo if you want to say so.

Recommendation: “Buy” (if you are an introvert like me)

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Press Release – New Microsoft 365 Personal and Family Subscriptions now available in Singapore

Source: Microsoft Singapore

[Asia Pacific, Singapore, 22 April 2020] – Microsoft 365 is now available in Singapore. It is a refresh of Office 365, which provides users with new artificial intelligence (AI), rich content and templates, and cloud-powered experiences. 

These experiences are being rolled out regionally and will reach over 38 million Office 365 subscribers globally in the next few months.

“We want to continue to empower everyone to remain connected with those who matter inside and outside of the workplace. The Microsoft 365 Family and Personal subscriptions will provide users with innovative experiences that enable them to co-author, video chat, organize, and come together with friends and their families anytime and anywhere,” said Rami El Bayadi, Regional Director, Microsoft Office Asia. 

Users can look forward to two new Microsoft 365 experiences. Firstly, a new Microsoft Family Safety app designed to keep families safe across the digital and physical worlds. Microsoft will also launch Microsoft Teams later this year for users to stay connected with their family and friends. There will also be new features in Microsoft Teams that make it easier to connect, organize and collaborate with family and friends.

The new Microsoft Edge browser also takes a step forward with new features to protect users on the web with Password Monitor, and to simplify research with Collections.

Other new features available with Microsoft 365 are listed below.

  • AI-Powered Microsoft Editor: To help people put their best foot forward at home and at work, Microsoft Editor – an AI-powered service available in more than 20 languages – is now accessible across Word and Outlook.com, and as a standalone browser extension for Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers have access to advanced grammar and style refinements such as rewrite suggestions and additional style critiques to allow greater clarity and conciseness.
  • Presenter Coach Features in PowerPoint: An AI-powered Presenter that helps correct monotone pitch and refine speeches. This will be available as a free preview, and then eventually only to Microsoft 365 subscribers. 
  • PowerPoint Designer: This feature effectively boosts creativity, such as transforming text into a beautiful timeline, or even auto-generated slide layouts. Microsoft is also providing Microsoft 365 subscribers with exclusive access to over 8,000 beautiful images and 175 looping videos from Getty Images, plus 300 new fonts, 2,800 new icons to create highimpact and visually appealing documents. 
  • New Data Types and Smart Templates in Excel: This presentsa different and less timeconsuming way to interact with data, providing deeper meaning for over 100 topics. Microsoft 365 subscribers have exclusive access to the over 100 new data types powered by Wolfram Alpha. 
  • Organizing Time Across Work and Life with Outlook: New features in Outlook on the web help users manage all commitments, across work and life, in one place. With these new features, they can link their personal calendar to their work calendar to show their real availability, while still maintaining their privacy.
  • Deepen Connections with Family and Friends with Skype and Microsoft Teams:  Skype has seen an increase in usage with 40 million people using it daily, up 70% month over month and, we are seeing a 220% increase in Skype to Skype calling minutes month over month. To help people get connected even faster, Microsoft recently introduced a new feature in Skype called Meet Now, that allows users to easily connect over video (for free) with up to 50 people in just a few clicks.
  • Protecting Families in the Physical and Digital Worlds with Microsoft Family Safety: Coming soon is the Microsoft Family Safety app, a new mobile experience on iOS and Android for Microsoft 365 subscribers. The application empowers families in a variety of ways with both free and premium offerings, including managing screen time across Windows PCs, Android and Xbox. 

The new Office features have been rolled out to all existing Office 365 customers and Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions are now available worldwide. These include premium desktop Office apps, 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage per person, 60 Skype minutes for calling mobile phones and landlines, advanced security features to protect users from malware and phishing attacks, ongoing technical support, plus all the new features and benefits announced today. Microsoft 365 Personal costs $10.80 SGD a month. For the best value, a family of up to six people can use Microsoft 365 Family for $14.80 SGD a month. 

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Apple Launches their budget iPhone SE (2nd Gen) in the midst of Covid-19 crisis

Apple has been hit hard by the Covid-19 crisis. Apple share (stock quote: AAPL) has slumped more than 30% since Feb this year and given the fact that US is experiencing the highest unemployment rate never seen since The Great Depression, Apple has reacted by launching cheaper iPhone SE (2nd Gen) to the market.

The new iPhone SE comes in three beautiful colors — black, white and (PRODUCT) RED. Source: Apple

The new iPhone SE comes in three beautiful colors — black, white and (PRODUCT) RED— and will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, April 17, 8PM SG time from SGD 649 onwards.

The new iPhone SE is armed with A13 Bionic chip, the one that is used in iPhone 11 series. When comes to camera, there is a slight upgrade from its predecessor, the new iPhone SE features a single 12MP rear camera. The front-facing camera is powered by a 7MP sensor.

Apple has also improved the iPhone SE with features such as wireless charging and water resistance of IP67 rating. You can literately wash your iPhone to disinfect. Unlike the iPhone 11 series, Apple has also brought back the popular physical home button which you could use the Touch ID to unlock and make Apple Pay transactions.

Source: Apple

What is missing here is the Face ID which I believe Apple is trying to use that feature to distinguish the premium iPhone series from the budget SE series. Anyway, you don’t need your face to access to your apps so it is not a must-have.

The display has got larger. The new iPhone SE is now powered by 4.7 inch LCD display. Note that this is not the OLED display used in the iPhone 11 series. Well, Apple has to find way to cut corner to lower the price, but I don’t think that will affect the whole Apple experience greatly. Anyway, how much difference between LCD and OLED, in terms of quality, can you spot?

In view of the current Covid-19 situation, Apple has lowered sales forecast in the near term. It is not surprising that the new iPhone SE could be a nice alternative for the current users who are retiring their old iPhone 7/8.