CSOP WTI CRUDE OIL FUTURES DAILY (-1X) INVERSE PRODUCT LISTS HKEX DEC 1

CSOP WTI Crude Oil Futures Daily (-1x) Inverse Product (stock code:7345.HK) (Graphic: Business Wire)

 
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- CSOP WTI Crude Oil Futures Daily (-1x) Inverse Product (stock code:7345.HK) will be listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Dec 1.

Using a combination of a Futures-based replication strategy and a Swap-based synthetic replication strategy, 7345.HK provides investment results closely corresponding to inverse (-1x) the Daily performance of Solactive WTI 1-Day Rolling Futures Index (the Index).

7345.HK mainly invests in the active contracts of West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI crude oil) (also known as Texas light sweet crude oil) futures contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) (WTI Futures Contracts’) and in Swaps when such investments are beneficial to the product to achieve its investment objective.

In the current volatile market circumstances, 7345.HK has attracted US$5.6 million initial investment. The inception price per unit is around HKD 7.8 with trading lot of 100 units, and the entry investment is approximately HKD 780. (US$1 = RM4.236)

The share of renewable energy is estimated to account for 61.8 per cent of total power generation by 2030. Moreover, seasonal changes and increasing extreme weather conditions can also impose more variances to oil prices. All these factors together make oil prices more volatile and turbulent than ever. CSOP WTI Crude Oil Futures Daily (-1x) Inverse Product (stock code:7345.HK) can help investors hedge against crude oil volatility in the ever-changing market environment and capture investment opportunities in times of such uncertainty in an easy and transparent way.

Since the first Leveraged & Inversed (L&I) product listed in 2016, Hong Kong’s L&I market has seen a continuous growth to HKD 14.34 billion in size and HKD 1.14 billion of average daily turnover as end of October, 2021.

Dominating Hong Kong’s L&I market, CSOP has demonstrated a remarkable track record with credibility and success by having introduced 15 L&I products in Hong Kong, contributing more than 90 per cent AUM and daily turnover to Hong Kong’s L&I market.

In a statement, Ding Chen, CEO of CSOP comments: “We are very proud of what we have achieved in the past. The success of our past encourages us to remain dedicated to bringing more excellent L&I products to our investors, further promoting the prosperity and development of Hong Kong’s L&I market.”

-- BERNAMA

COME 2026, AUTOMOTIVE SENSOR MARKET TO GLOBALLY GROW OVER US$92 BILLION - JUNIPER RESEARCH

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 (Bernama) -- A new report from Juniper Research has found the automotive sensor market will grow to over US$92 billion by 2026, a 30 per cent increase over 2021, with a growth driven by sensors that enable automated vehicles and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). (US$1 = RM4.235)

Sensors monitoring various vehicle safety parameters in internal combustion engines will experience substantial decline from increased electrification of vehicles, following the COP26 climate conference’s initiatives to move countries to 100 per cent electric vehicle sales by 2030.

The new report, Automotive Sensors Market: Technology Evolution, Trends & Forecasts 2021-2026, expects LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors to bring in US$3 billion in revenue in 2026; trebling in value as automakers start scaling roll-out of the technology in semi-automated vehicles and ADAS.

However, due to high unit costs, these deployments will remain low. The majority of revenue from vehicle automation and ADAS sensors will come from CMOS image sensors (cameras used for image recognition), which will remain more cost-effective than LiDAR in many situations in the short term.

The research found operational safety sensors, which make up over half of the sensors shipped between 2021-2026, will see revenue decline over the forecast period, thanks to accelerating electrification.

According to a statement, Juniper Research expects over a third of consumer vehicles shipped in 2026 to be electric, meaning different sensors will be needed to monitor engine conditions; resulting in declining demand for traditional O2 and NOX sensors.

However, this change will take longer for commercial vehicles, where internal combustion engines will remain the norm for far longer.

“With less need for air monitoring in electric vehicles, sensor manufacturers need to develop new relationships with battery manufacturers and the elements that need monitoring for those systems, or face severe losses in revenue,” noted research co-author Miles Agbanrin.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector; providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

-- BERNAMA

JAPANESE ART, DESIGN INSPIRATION FUELS DEEPER JAPAN EXPLORATION - JAPAN NATIONAL TOURISM ORGANIZATION (JNTO)

_{Warehouse TERRADA art gallery cafe (Photo: Business Wire)}

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- Throughout its history, Japan has been the source of a diverse range of art and design forms. Classic woodblock prints such as Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa are recognised worldwide.

According to a statement, the colourful and delicate porcelains glazed in brilliant enamel produced and exported in the 17th - 19th century influenced Western cultures and lifestyles.

Art and design are both appreciated and well preserved in Japan. The country has more than 5,700 museums and museum-like facilities, many of them featuring displays of conventional and modern art.

The Tennozu Isle district on Tokyo Bay is an artistic and cultural hotbed, featuring galleries, theatres and street art along with popular dining spots. It offers great nighttime views from the boardwalks across its canals and waterfront area.

The company Warehouse TERRADA is playing a central role nurturing Tennozu as the place to go for the production of artistic culture. It runs a complex featuring a collective gallery space, a facility displaying a collection of privately-owned art pieces, a cafe showcasing up-and-coming artists, and an art materials lab offering rare and superior quality art implements and accessories.

Tennozu Isle’s photogenic Bond Street stretches for 200 metres and features huge displays of mural art punctuated by cafes. The nearby PETALS TOKYO boutique hotel consists of four multicolour boats floating on the canal, allowing guests to enjoy the artistic atmosphere of Tennozu from morning to night.

Meanwhile, Tokugawa Art Museum in Nagoya in central Japan is the perfect place to visit for those interested in Japanese history, showcasing a range of noble art that has been preserved for centuries.

Nagoya Castle, the country’s first to be designated a National Treasure, was the Owari family’s main base. A visit will evoke the reign of the feudal lords of the Edo period.

The Nagoya Me-guru sightseeing bus loops around city’s major attractions, including Tokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya Castle and the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology.

It also takes in the Noritake Garden museum, which is run by a famous Japanese porcelain manufacturer. Visitors can alight along the route at any of these and other Nagoya highlights.

-- BERNAMA

HASHICORP CLOUD PLATFORM AVAILABLE IN ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- HashiCorp®, a leader in multi-cloud infrastructure automation software, has announced that the HashiCorp Cloud Platform (HCP) is now available in Asia-Pacific and Japan.

HashiCorp Consul, Vault, and Packer are now available as managed service offerings for organisations across the APJ region, with hosting sites in Australia and Singapore, according to a statement.

Co-founder and CTO of HashiCorp, Armon Dadgar said: “With the HashiCorp Cloud Platform, we do the heavy lifting for them, making it much simpler for customers to get up and running with our products. We expect HCP to help organisations across the region to more quickly achieve their digital transformation initiatives.”

HashiCorp currently provides three products on its cloud platform. HCP Consul, a cloud service networking and service mesh offering, HCP Vault, a cloud security automation product, and HCP Packer, a multi-cloud build management product.

Each solution is offered as a fully managed service operated and supported by HashiCorp experts, designed to help reduce the operational burden for enterprises and accelerate their transition to the cloud.

For enterprises working to deliver the business value of cloud but struggling with these skills and staffing shortages, HashiCorp products on HCP are designed to minimise operational burden, and allow organisations to focus on feature delivery and subsequently deliver more value to the business faster.

HCP enables faster and more flexible deployments of fully managed Consul and Vault offerings, with a vision to deliver managed offerings for all HashiCorp products across all cloud providers, enabling a consistent workflow to effectively operate multi-cloud environments.

The HashiCorp Cloud Platform is available with initial support on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

HashiCorp enables zero trust security by placing trusted identity at the core of critical pieces of modern security automation: machine authentication and authorisation, machine-to-machine access, human authentication and authorisation, and human-to-machine access.

-- BERNAMA

ADAGENE UNVEILS POSTER PRESENTATIONS OF CLINICAL DATA FOR TWO NOVEL ANTIBODY PROGRAMS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Adagene Inc (Adagene), a platform-driven, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has announced two poster presentations featuring clinical data for its anti-CD137 agonist, ADG106, and anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody, ADG116, at the European Society for Medical Oncology Immuno-Oncology Congress (ESMO-IO) 2021.

“These clinical data from two of our ongoing NEObody™ clinical programs showcase the importance of our pioneering approach to target a unique epitope and reflect the dynamic interactivity between an antibody and antigen,” said Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Adagene, Peter Luo, Ph.D.

“The pharmacodynamic biomarker findings from our ongoing ADG106 trial with the anti-PD-1 toripalimab reinforce the potential synergistic combination for strong T-cell activation. 

“For our novel anti-CTLA-4 program, data from the ongoing dose escalation of ADG116 monotherapy support the robust safety profile and dose dependent T-cell activation in both hot and cold tumors, suggesting potential clinical benefit following our translational studies.”

The conference abstracts are expected to be published on the ESMO-IO website on Dec 2, and posters available on Dec 6 in advance of the hybrid meeting being held virtually and in Geneva, Switzerland from Dec 8 to 11, according to a statement.

Both the ADG106 and ADG116 programs use Adagene’s innovative NEObody technology, which enables targeting of unique and highly conserved epitopes against a broad range of antigens.

These species cross-reactive antibodies not only have the potential to reveal new biological functions of the targets, but also facilitate preclinical studies using various immune intact animal models, resulting in high fidelity translation from preclinical to clinical studies.

 The company is also developing an anti-CTLA-4 antibody, ADG126, using its SAFEbody® precision masking technology.

More details at https://investor.adagene.com.

-- BERNAMA

INNIO SHAPES ENERGY TRANSITION WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- While efforts to transform the energy system are being ramped up, the demands placed on energy generation are increasing as well. 

On one hand, there are fluctuations in power generation due to the volatility of renewable energy. On the other hand, the demand for energy is continually increasing due to growing levels of electrification.

At the same time, coal and nuclear power plants are more often being replaced by smaller on-site power plants, according to a statement.

As a company that is helping to shape the energy transition, INNIO is offering innovative solutions to meet these complex challenges.

Thanks to their excellent controllability, short start-up times, and high efficiency, INNIO Jenbacher’s flexible combined heat and power (CHP) systems support a secure, affordable and climate-friendly energy supply.

In order to best utilise their potential and optimise systems as a whole, INNIO has developed the innovative energy management solution called myPlant Optimization.

“With our innovative ‘myPlant Optimization’, we offer a comprehensive software-based solution that understands the real challenges of plant operators while also helping to shape the energy transition,” said President & Chief Executive Officer of INNIO, Olaf Berlien.

“We use artificial intelligence to help our customers in key regions, such as Germany, to adjust their power and heat generation according to the current availability of renewables so production can be aligned with demand.”

The energy management solution was developed in close collaboration with customers.

Managing Partner of Blumendorf Bio-Energie, Martin Buchholz, explained: “The Jenbacher energy management schedules are individually tailored to our plant. They show us clearly and simply when and how much output we will be trading on the electricity market.”

With its Jenbacher and Waukesha products, INNIO helps to provide communities, industry, and the public access to sustainable, reliable and economical power ranging from 200 kW to 10 MW.

More details at www.innio.com.

-- BERNAMA

AM BEST MAINTAINS STABLE OUTLOOK ON TAIWAN'S NON-LIFE INSURANCE MARKET

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- Global credit rating agency, AM Best is maintaining a stable market segment outlook on Taiwan’s non-life insurance segment, citing robust underwriting and investment performance in 2020 and carriers’ healthy risk-adjusted capitalisation levels.

The Best’s Market Segment Report titled, ‘Market Segment Outlook: Taiwan Non-Life Insurance’, notes Taiwan has managed for the most part to keep the COVID-19 pandemic under control, relative to its peers, and registered real GDP growth of 3.1 per cent in 2020.

The pandemic had limited impact to Taiwan’s non-life insurance market, which experienced direct premium written (DPW) growth of 6.2 per cent in 2020, driven by growth in the motor and fire insurance business lines.

According to a statement, the report notes that pandemic-related insurance products, including pandemic protection and vaccination protection products, gained significant traction in 2021, with DPW from these products contributing materially to non-life insurance growth in the first half of the year.

Although non-life companies have benefited from relatively benign natural catastrophe experiences in recent years, Taiwan remains geographically prone to typhoons and earthquakes, which could subject insurers’ technical results to volatility.

However, the overall underwriting performance of the market has been stable, with a five-year average net combined ratio of 95.6 per cent.

AM Best also notes that the risk-adjusted capitalisation of most players in Taiwan’s non-life insurance market is sufficient, and is viewed as resilient and able to withstand extreme scenarios.

For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

-- BERNAMA

ALSP ORCHID ACQUISITION CORPORATION I CLOSES US$172.5 MILLION IPO

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- ALSP Orchid Acquisition Corporation I (the Company or ALSP Orchid) announced closing its initial public offering of 17,250,000 units, including 2,250,000 units issued pursuant to the full exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option, at a price of US$10.00 per unit. (US$1 = RM4.199)

The units are listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (Nasdaq) and began trading under the ticker symbol ALORU on Nov 19, according to a statement.

Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of US$11.50 per share.

After the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the Class A ordinary shares and warrants are expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols ALOR and ALORW, respectively.

ALSP Orchid is a newly organised blank check company formed by Accelerator Life Science Partners for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganisation or similar business combination with one or more businesses.

While the Company may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, it intends to pursue investments in North America and Singapore with an emphasis on life science companies developing assets and next-generation platform technologies with broad applicability.

ALSP Orchid is led by CEO Thong Q. Le, CFO Ian A.W. Howes, COO Andras T. Forgacs, CBO Kevin T. Chow, Ph.D., and CDO Kendall M. Mohler, PhD.

The Company's independent board of directors is led by Board Chairman Bruce L.A. Carter, Ph.D. and includes Mark W. Hahn, Sundar R. Kodiyalam, Stephanie Read, and Eugene W. Yeo, Ph.D. The Company’s advisory board includes Philip Yeo Liat Kok, Ph.D. and Randall C. Schatzman, Ph.D.

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated and Nomura Securities International, Inc. acted as joint book-running managers of the offering.

A registration statement relating to these securities was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Nov 18. The offering is made only by means of a prospectus.

-- BERNAMA

FINTECH STARTUP GIMO SECURES US$1.9 MILLION IN SEED+ ROUND LED BY INTEGRA PARTNERS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- GIMO, Vietnam’s fintech startup offering on-demand pay for blue-collar workers, announced that it had successfully raised US$1.9 million in a Seed+ round led by Singapore’s Integra Partners. (US$1 = RM4.186)

The round also saw participation from Resolution Ventures, Blauwpark Partners, and TNB Aura VN Scout.

According to GIMO’s Co-founder and CEO Nguyen Anh Quan, the new investment will help the company improve the financial stability and resilience of blue-collar workers, as well as fast-track financial inclusion in Southeast Asia.

“Blue-collar workers are among the most vulnerable to financial distress. When unexpected bills arise, they don’t have a lot of safe and affordable options. GIMO looks to change that. By helping workers get paid as they earn it, we hope to give them the peace of mind to focus on what matters,” he said in a statement.

About 290 million people in Southeast Asia have no or limited access to formal financial services, according to the World Bank.

Chris Kaptein, Partner at Integra Partners, said: “We are proud to partner with Quan, Ngoc, and the entire team at GIMO. We have been impressed with GIMO's vision to bring Earned Wage Access, and broader financial services and benefits to Vietnam’s blue-collar workers.”

Officially rolled out in early 2021, GIMO allows employees to access their earned salary almost instantly via a mobile app integrated with the company's payroll system. Users could also keep track of their workdays and daily earnings in real-time, as well as receive personal finance tips.

With the fresh funding, the company plans to allocate more resources for hiring senior engineers, strengthening risk management competencies, and integrating advanced technologies such as data analytics and artificial intelligence to enhance customer experiences.

To date, GIMO has provided on-demand pay for more than 25,000 workers, mainly in manufacturing and retail sectors, growing monthly at 130 per cent. In the long run, it is set to build a digital financial platform that empowers blue-collar workers to better organise their money, from paychecks to spending, savings, and investments.

To learn more, visit: https://gimo.vn/

-- BERNAMA

SMARTTRADE-TICKTRADE JOINT EFFORT FOR GLOBAL LEADERSHIP IN SAAS FX TRADING PLATFORMS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- smartTrade Group (smartTrade), a leader in multi-asset electronic trading solutions, has announced the acquisition of TickTrade Systems Inc (TickTrade), a Toronto-based technology firm providing next-generation FX trading and payments SaaS solutions for financial institutions.

Both companies provide liquidity management solutions and FX trading systems that enable financial institutions to develop and run high-performance trading platforms worldwide. Together the business will serve a truly global client base across North America, Europe and Asia.

The combination of smartTrade and TickTrade represents a compelling strategic fit providing customers with highly complementary SaaS, electronic FX trading products.

The combined company will deliver the best of both industry-leading FX trading technologies; smartTrade’s connectivity, aggregation, and risk management technology with TickTrade’s analytics, payments, and rich advanced distribution technology.

According to a statement, the company will operate under the smartTrade name and David Vincent, smartTrade’s CEO, will lead the combined organisation as its CEO.

TickTrade co-founders, Baha Ohcebol and Alexander Culiniac, maintaining senior management roles within the combined business, while also remaining significant investors in the group.

Hg, a leading software and services investor which has backed smartTrade since 2020, will remain majority investor in the combined group, along with longstanding investors Keensight and Pléiade Venture. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

For more information, visit www.smart-trade.net.

-- BERNAMA

NODLE ENTERS INTO POLKADOT INAUGURAL PARACHAIN SLOT AUCTION, CROWDLOAN

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- Nodle, one of the world’s largest ecosystems of connected devices, has announced its entrance into Polkadot’s inaugural parachain slot auction and crowdloan.

Nodle provides infrastructure, software, and data access to the Internet of Things (IoTs) using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) on existing smartphones.

Polkadot is a blockchain ecosystem that recently opened for developers to register their projects on their parachains, enabling access to its strong native userbase and interoperability with other blockchains—like Ethereum.

Nodle expects that achieving a parachain will dramatically empower its next-generation IoT capabilities around connectivity, machine-to-machine payments, air-quality monitoring, asset tracking, a way to authenticate and secure devices, and more.

This also should enable all other chain ecosystems which are interoperable with Polkadot to benefit from Nodle’s vast network—including the millions of nodes connecting to up to 30 million IoT devices and sensors every day.

“Nodle is making its Decentralized Wireless (DeWi) network and apps composable with many services from other chains, and having a parachain will provide us with a way to make this interoperability a reality,” said Nodle CEO and Founder, Micha Benoliel in a statement.

“Nodle conducted interoperability tests with other parachains, like the Acala Network, earlier this year so we understand the power of this opportunity.

“Achieving a Polkadot parachain represents the expansion of our Web 3.0 ambitions and will accelerate how the Nodle network interacts with the entire Polkadot blockchain ecosystem.”

For more information, visit Nodle’s Parachain webpage: https://parachain.nodle.com.

-- BERNAMA

New Elliptic research indicates US$10.5 billion in 2021 DeFi fraud, theft

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 -- Billions of US dollars have been stolen from decentralised finance (DeFi) protocols, a flourishing alternative financial system that replaces traditional intermediaries with software running on blockchains, according to new research by Elliptic, the global leader in cryptoasset risk management.

Elliptic’s report DeFi: Regulation, Compliance and the Growth of DeCrime reveals that as of November this year, just over US$12 billion in losses were incurred by DeFi users and investors, due to the malicious exploitation of flaws in decentralised applications (DApps) such as decentralised exchanges (DEXs), lending protocols and asset management offerings. (US$1 = RM4.179)

These losses include direct loss of funds stolen from DApps, as well as losses suffered by holders of tokens associated with these protocols.

DeFi platforms have become increasingly popular in recent years, fuelling a boom in cryptoasset use. The ‘total value locked’ (TVL), a measure of the liquidity of DeFi services, increased by a factor of nearly 500, from US$500 million in November 2019 to just over US$247 billion today. 

This rise in popularity of DeFi has attracted a significant increase in associated DeCrime, a term coined by Elliptic to denote financial crime that involves decentralised financial tools such as DApps.

Losses due to theft and crime across DeFi platforms have increased by 600 per cent from 2020, with US$10.5 billion being stolen since the beginning of 2021 compared with US$1.5 billion last year. More than US$12 billion in total has been lost due to malicious exploitation of DeFi.

In a statement, Elliptic Chief Scientist Tom Robinson said: “The DeFi ecosystem is an incredibly exciting and fast-moving space, with financial services innovation happening at light speed. This is attracting large amounts of capital to projects that are not always robust or well-tested. Criminal actors have seen the opportunity to exploit this.”

According to the report, the prevalence of DeFi theft and crime is largely due to the untested and immature nature of the technology available. Mistakes in the design and development of decentralised apps are the most common cause, giving rise to bugs which hackers can exploit, accounting for US$10.8 billion of all losses.

Elliptic is headquartered in London with offices in New York, Singapore, and Tokyo.

To learn more, visit www.elliptic.co.

-- BERNAMA

Toshiba launches high-voltage transistor output automotive photocoupler

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation (‘Toshiba’) has launched a high voltage transistor output automotive photocoupler, TLX9188, for isolated signal communication in automotive equipment, including electric mobility vehicles. Volume shipments begin today.

TLX9188’s high voltage photo transistor delivers a collector-emitter voltage rating of 200V, 2.5 times higher than Toshiba’s current TLX9185A, a first for the company.

By specifying maximum values for switching characteristics (turn-on time, turn-off time), the new photocoupler can be used as a unidirectional switch.

It can also be used in feedback circuits of analog signals in 100V to 200V equipment, helping to reduce the cost of application circuits, based on a statement.

Applications of the automotive equipment comprises battery management systems: voltage monitoring, mechanical relay sticking detection, ground fault detection, etc., as well as feedback of analog signals, etc.

Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation, a leading supplier of advanced semiconductor and storage solutions, draws on over half a century of experience and innovation to offer customers and business partners outstanding discrete semiconductors, system LSIs and HDD products.

Find out more at https://toshiba.semicon-storage.com/ap-en/top.html 

-- BERNAMA

USCELLULAR OFFERS SYNCHRONOSS CONTENT TRANSFER ACCELERATES IN-STORE DEVICE ACTIVATION

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- Anticipating a busy holiday season for new mobile phone sales, UScellular, the fourth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, is now offering Synchronoss Content Transfer, a solution that gives UScellular store associates the ability to easily and quickly move content from a customer’s old mobile device to a new one at no cost to the customer.

Content Transfer from Synchronoss Technologies Inc, a global leader and innovator of cloud, messaging and digital solutions, is designed to streamline the onboarding of new devices by providing a means for digital content – including photos, videos, contacts, call logs, music, documents, messages and settings – to be effortlessly transferred between mobile phones and tablets.

Synchronoss Chief Commercial Officer, Chris Hill said that always-on access to digital content was no longer a “nice to have” but a “must have” as consumers increasingly integrate mobile devices into their day-to-day lives.

“Consumers have two expectations when purchasing a new device: One is that they will not lose any of their important digital data when switching hardware. The second is that they will have access to their data as soon as the new mobile device is connected to the network.

“Our cross-platform application satisfies both of those needs by making new device activation practically seamless for subscribers,” he said in a statement.

The Content Transfer solution is an easy-to-use application spanning devices and operating systems and replaces the need for in-store equipment. It can also significantly reduce the amount of time a customer spends in a store when activating a new device.

“As we continually seek new ways to enhance our customer experience, we see the Synchronoss solution as an important addition to our customer service toolbox,” said Eric Jagher, Senior Vice President of Consumer Sales and Operations at UScellular. 

The Synchronoss website provides additional information about Content Transfer and other Synchronoss onboardX tools that allow mobile operators to drive service adoption and deliver the customer experience that subscribers want.

For more information, visit www.synchronoss.com.

-- BERNAMA

34th Tokyo International Film Festival winners named

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 -- The 34th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) concluded with the announcement of winners at the Closing Ceremony recently.

The Tokyo Grand Prix was awarded to ‘Vera Dreams of the Sea’, directed by Kaltrina Krasniqi, the first TIFF selection from Kosovo; while ‘World, Northern Hemisphere’ by Hossein Tehrani won the Asian Future Best Film Award.

Other winning films included ‘La Civil’, ‘Poet’, ‘The Other Tom’, ‘The Four Walls’, ‘Crane Lantern’ and ‘Just Remembering’, as well as Amazon Prime Video Take One Awardees ‘Sunday and Calm Sea’ and ‘Under the Bridge’.

The 34th TIFF showcased 126 films selected from 1,533 submissions from 113 countries and regions between Oct 30 and Nov 8, according to a statement.

The Japan Foundation Asia Center (JF) and TIFF have co-presented Conversation Series at Asia Lounge.

With an advisory panel headed by Palme d'Or winner Kore-eda Hirokazu, the series brought together acclaimed filmmakers and actors from Asia and beyond to engage in friendly dialogue for eight days.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, the Asia Lounge featured both in-person and online guests, with audiences able to participate in person and to livestream Q and As for each of the talks, as well as it could also set up the physical lounge where filmmakers would enjoy free-form conversation and exchange.

International guests included TIFF Jury President Isabelle Huppert, Chang Chen, Kamila Andini, Bahman Ghobadi, Brillante Ma Mendoza, Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Bong Joon Ho.

The JF and TIFF also jointly showcased the rich and diverse cultures of Asian cinema in the Competition, Asian Future, Gala Selection, World Focus and newly launched TIFF Series sections.

More details at https://2021.tiff-jp.net/en/

-- BERNAMA

KDDI & SUPERSHIP NEXT-GENERATION DIGITAL ADVERTISING PLATFORM FOR JANUARY LAUNCH

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- KDDI CORPORATION (KDDI), Supership Holdings Inc (Supership Holdings) and Supership Inc (Supership), all based in Tokyo, are jointly developing a next-generation digital advertising platform (the platform) for scheduled launch in January 2022.

The platform will prioritise data privacy while serving highly relevant advertising based on customer lifestyles, according to a statement.

At the core, patented technology provided by Novatiq Ltd (Novatiq), headquartered in Wales, the UK, enables advertisers to activate audiences using only permission-based data.

KDDI, Supership Holdings and Supership will integrate the platform with Supership's advertising platform to provide optimised digital marketing for advertisers.

To date, using third-party data to reach audiences based on customer interests and needs across websites and apps has been a mainstream practice in digital marketing. However, from a data privacy protection viewpoint, this is globally becoming more problematic, as much of this third-party data originates from tracking customer behaviour with cookies or advertising IDs (referred to as ADID) without consent.

The platform protects the customer's data privacy by generating a transient one-time token (referred to as ad delivery ID) for each website or mobile app interaction combined with KDDI's permission-based attribution (e.g. gender, age group, etc.). It enables advertisers to serve highly relevant ads using only permission-based data, ensures that customer privacy is protected, and supports effective marketing.

KDDI, Supership Holdings and Supership will utilise this new technology in their aim to spread the use of digital ad delivery that prioritises privacy.

Supership Holdings entered into a capital and business alliance with Novatiq in June this year. This agreement gives the Supership Group the exclusive rights to use Novatiq's patented technology in Asia.

Novatiq is a leading identity and audience activation platform empowering publishers, brands and telcos to reach their audiences at scale and provide better customer experiences -- all while prioritising privacy.

-- BERNAMA

OAG new Flight Info Alerts soars

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 -- OAG, the world’s leading provider of travel data and insight, has announced the launch of Flight Info Alerts, its new detection and notification product that delivers changes to flight schedules in real-time.

In response to customer demands for a fast and reliable feed which expedites vital changes, it is the only product on the market that enables customers to get instant updates on carrier flight schedules so they can handle data volatility in real-time.

“Alerts is a much-needed solution for our customers who manage bookings or operations and anyone who relies on the accuracy of these vital changes to drive their business.

“Volatility of this data over the last 18 months has become an increasing challenge, so our customers need us to tell them what’s changed in real-time.

“We’re innovating rapidly to meet the changing needs of the travel sector. Our investment in OAG Metis and great tech partnerships with Snowflake and Microsoft Azure enable us to serve the entire ecosystem to scale and serve multiple markets rapidly and efficiently,” said OAG CEO, Phil Callow in a statement.

OAG’s Flight Info Alerts launch is the latest in a wave of new product innovations powered by its new technology platform, OAG Metis, which saw the release of Flight Info Direct, a Snowflake enabled platform to access and integrate ready to query data, earlier this year.

The evolution and ambition of OAG’s Flight Info API continues to gather pace to equip customers with data covering the full flight and booking journey, with the imminent availability of Flight Status Data into the API suite. Access through a singular API enables OAG customers to innovate, react faster and scale quicker.

For more information, visit: www.oag.com.

-- BERNAMA

INNIO TECHNOLOGY CHOSEN APAC'S MAIDEN 100 PER CENT HYDROGEN ENGINE POWER PLANT

Park Jeong-Ha, General Manager at Hyosung (Photo: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- INNIO announced Hyosung Heavy Industries (Hyosung) has selected INNIO Jenbacher ‘Ready for Hydrogen’ engine technology for the first pilot power plant project in APAC that will be fuelled by 100 per cent hydrogen.

The pilot hydrogen power plant will be built at the Hyosung Chemical Yongyeon Plant in Ulsan, South Korea, setting a benchmark by becoming the first 100 per cent hydrogen power plant to be operated in the region.

It will run on hydrogen produced as a byproduct at the chemical plant that is normally sold off to an industrial gas company.

The project is expected to achieve commercial operation in 3Q 2022 and complete the demonstration by end of 2022.

In a statement, INNIO president and CEO, Olaf Berlien said: “INNIO has based its strategy on hydrogen becoming a driver of the energy transition, as it is uniquely positioned to shape a low- through no-carbon energy sector.

“INNIO launched its ‘Ready for Hydrogen’ portfolio to meet customers’ demands for sustainable solutions, such as at Hyosung, to establish hydrogen-based power generation. We are pleased to be their hydrogen engine technology partner of choice and to establish the first 100 per cent hydrogen power plant in APAC.”

Meanwhile, Hyosung General Manager Park Jeong-ha said: “Hyosung is striving to improve its impact on climate change by embracing the global energy transition. We have joined forces with INNIO to support our efforts to reduce carbon emissions while exploring commercial and sustainable opportunities related with our hydrogen byproduct production.”

As a shaper of a low-carbon economy, INNIO is preparing for a secure, affordable, and climate-neutral energy future for everyone. The pilot power plant using INNIO Jenbacher technology, will be the second power plant in the 1-MW range that can be fuelled with 100 per cent hydrogen.

For more information, visit www.innio.com.

--BERNAMA

2021 JEONJU KIMCHI CULTURE FESTIVAL SIZZLES IN CITY OF TASTE

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- A festival where participants can learn to make Kimchi is cooking up a storm in Jeonju, the ‘city of taste’.

Jeonju City announced the 2021 Jeonju Kimchi Culture Festival, an event organised by Jeonju Food Integrated Support Center, is held online and across the city area including Jeonju Stadium from Nov 2 to 30.

Held for the third time this year, Jeonju Kimchi Culture Festival is staged in different locations at different times considering the COVID-19 situation. While last year’s festival provided the Kimchi making (Kimjang) experience programme only as a Drive-Thru event, it is held as both a Drive-Thru and an onsite event this year.

According to a statement, the festival offers 12 programmes including Kimchi making, Kimchi sharing, Kimchi culture tour, and other specialised programmes.

The Kimjang experience, the main programme, is held as a Drive-Thru event on Nov 19 with 450 family-unit participants. On Nov 20 and 21, 150 families, in groups of 25 families per session, will experience Kimchi making at Jeonju Stadium. In addition, Kimjang experience for multicultural families and overseas students is provided at Jeonju Kimchi Cultural Center and each university.

On Nov 19 and 20, the Kimchi sharing event is held. Organisations and groups in Jeonju donate Kimchi to the neglected class. The programme also includes a 'Kimchi Sharing with Story' event where participants can send Kimchi to the people who they want to express gratitude to or the neighbours in need.

A Jeonju Agricultural Technology Center official said: “Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the excellence of Kimchi on human health has been verified across the world.

“As much as so, we prepared this festival to help participants experience and learn about Korea’s traditional culture of Kimchi making, which has been registered as the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”

-- BERNAMA

SFIO, Omnicor Industrial Estate & Realty Center develop Philippine tech village

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 -- Smokefree Innotec Inc (SFIO) has signed last October a memorandum of understanding with Omnicor Industrial Estate & Realty CenterInc to pursue a joint venture that would see a two-hectare, bay-side property in Batangas, the Philippines developed into a US$100 million eco-friendly, tech village.(US$1 = RM4.172)

Strategically located in Montemaria, Batangas City, just south of Metro Manila, the planned development will service residents looking for a new kind of work-life balance at the crossroads of breathtaking marine biodiversity, historical religious sites, and a suite of modern amenities fit for a better normal.

Asset management company SFIO, recently named one of the ‘20 Promising Companies Everyone Should Know in 2021’ by Global Business Leaders Magazine, will develop the 500-unit tech village as part of a 10-year development plan with Omnicor’s parent company, AbaCore Capital Holdings Inc.

This agreement establishes SFIO as the preferred developer of projects across AbaCore Capital Holdings’ over 200-hectares of real estate around Montemaria, according to a statement.

As part of SFIO’s investment roadmap into future-oriented industries, this tech village blends residential luxuries with the hyper-connected amenities necessary for modern work.

Ground floor office and retail spaces give way to resort-like recreational facilities and residential units, making it an ideal space for high-value firms and professionals to embrace remote work.

Intended for longer-term residents, the tech village will be designed as a timeshare concept, catering not only to working professionals and tourists, but expatriates and Filipinos from worldwide looking for a vibrant community to spend a short vacation or their retirement years in.

While SFIO and AbaCore Capital Holdings see this project as the first of many that will thrive in the coming post-pandemic economic boom, both companies see health and wellness as a continuing priority across all their future projects.

SFIO, which has just filed their Q3 financial reports in line with their broader plans to uplist onto the Nasdaq Exchange, aims to complete this development project by 2024. Permits to commence pre-selling of units are already pending approval.

-- BERNAMA

NANOTRONICS REVEALS NEW NSPEC® MACRO STANDALONE SYSTEM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- Nanotronics, developer of nSpec®, the world’s most advanced robotic microscope for industrial inspection, has unveiled nSpec Macro Standalone at SEMICON Europa, the largest European electronics platform connecting industry leaders across the entire design and manufacturing supply chain.

This latest addition within the nSpec® portfolio enables automatic capture and analysis of images to detect and quantify defects and features of interest.

According to a statement, the small footprint of the device allows for operators to have a desktop tool that can immediately produce high resolution images, successfully identifying and defining causality to these features of interest.

“The addition of this system to our product portfolio enables earlier detection of device killing defects to further reduce customer costs and waste,” said Matthew Putman, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Nanotronics.

“Providing manufacturers with the ability to significantly increase production yields, particularly during a time when strict quality standards should be of the utmost importance, seems like the most effective and efficient way to help mitigate the supply chain crisis.”

The nSpec Macro system is designed for inspection of bare or patterned wafers up to 200mm. The system provides full sample illumination and the ability to individually modify the LEDs to adjust intensity, colour, and location of illumination for complete flexibility. The minimum defect resolution ranges from 50 to 100 microns, contingent on field of view or wafer sizes.

Nanotronics will provide onsite demonstrations at SemiCon Europa from Nov 16 – 19.

To learn more visit https://nanotronics.co.

-- BERNAMA

JUNIPER RESEARCH STUDY REVEALS THREAT TO NETWORK OPERATOR REVENUE VIA FLASH CALLING

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- A new study from Juniper Research has revealed a new threat to network operator revenue through flash calling.

Flash calling authentication leverages mobile voice networks to authenticate a user or transaction via an originating phone number, according to a statement.

The last few digits of this phone number are then automatically used for authentication, rather than a user inputting a code manually that was delivered by SMS.

The new study, Flash Calling Authentication: Impact Analysis & Market Forecasts 2021-2026, predicts flash calling has potential to threaten a significant part of operators’ SMS business messaging revenue. 

The report found that the number of calls used for flash authentication will near 130 billion globally by 2026; rising from less than 60 million in 2021. This represents an astonishing growth of over 185,000 per cent  in the next five years.

Juniper Research recommends that operators quickly implement solutions that can identify this traffic. The move to flash calling is being driven by the low cost of termination, a convenient user experience, and a diminished threat of fraud.

In addition, the report predicts that authentication-based SMS revenue will reach US$39 billion globally in 2022; representing five per cent of total operator-billed revenue. (US$1 = RM4.163)

As enterprises migrate their authentication traffic to voice, operators must protect SMS revenue by adopting voice firewalls that can detect unmonetised flash calling and attain flash calling revenue.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

-- BERNAMA

CSOP BLOOMBERG CHINA TREASURY + POLICY BANK BOND INDEX ETF RELAUNCHED

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- CSOP Asset Management Limited (CSOP) has relaunched its first fixed income ETF— CSOP Bloomberg China Treasury + Policy Bank Bond Index ETF (RMB Counter Stock Code: 83199, HKD Counter Stock Code: 3199) by introduction of ICBC Asset Management (Global) Company Limited (ICBC AM (Global)), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited (ICBC (Asia)), as the non-discretionary adviser.

Chief Executive Officer of CSOP, Ding Chen said: “We firmly believe that with the support of ICBC AM (Global), we will bring 83199.HK/3199.HK to a new level, enabling more investors to gain benefits from investing in China onshore government bonds market.”

The relaunch has already attracted sizable additional investments from multiple institutional investors, boosting its asset under management to US$785 million, equivalent to over RMB 5 billion, strengthening its leadership as one of the world’s largest Chinese government bond ETFs. (US$1 = RM4.163)

According to a statement, listed as early as February 2014, 3199.HK has achieved returns of 30.54 per cent. As of Aug 31, its average yield to maturity is 2.90 per cent and effective duration is 5.86.

Strengthened by ICBC AM (Global)’s leading expertise in China’s fixed income market, 3199.HK will continue to offer investment opportunities of China’s fast growing onshore government bond market.

The investment objective, strategy, and trading lot size of 83199.HK/3199.HK will remain unchanged with minimum investment at around RMB 206 or HKD 2,500 over 2 currency counters.

CSOP was founded in 2008 as the first offshore asset manager set up by a regulated asset management company in China. With a dedicated focus on China investing, CSOP manages public and private funds, as well as providing investment advisory services to Asian and global investors.

-- BERNAMA

Mytheria: Clash of Pantheons maiden NFT game brimming with Vietnamese art, culture

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 -- Mytheria: Clash of Pantheons has boomed all over technology, gaming and investing fora by being the world’s first NFT game full of Vietnamese art and cultural features.

According to a statement, it was invested in and operated by Whydah and Decom Holdings – two leading Blockchain companies in Vietnam.

The game graphic is highly appraised by users for the excellent sharpness, visuals and aesthetics amongst NFT games in the market.

GameFi and NFT are becoming global trends, paving the way for the Blockchain industry. However, when artists from worldwide can create and earn money from games together, it is a whole new story.

Its co-founder, artist Le Manh Cuong spent three years developing and completing the character design after thoroughly researching culture.

The GodForge feature would make Mytheria a healthy, sustainable and innovative environment and an open playground for artists who love creating games worldwide.

Furthermore, GodForge will be continuously updated to form a complete creator economy between experienced artists and Mytherians.

Le also ensured that this feature did not impact the game’s content in any way. In fact, it would help investors and gamers unleash their creativity and choose characters that increase their strength and wealth in the game.

-- BERNAMA

IN-VEHICLE PAYMENT TRANSACTION VOLUMES EXCEED 4.7 BILLION BY 2026 - JUNIPER RESEARCH

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 (Bernama) -- A new study from Juniper Research has found the global transaction volume of in-vehicle payments will exceed 4.7 billion by 2026, up from just 87 million in 2021.

In-vehicle payments are those where payments are made via vehicle systems, without requiring use of a smartphone to process the transaction.

According to a statement, this extraordinary growth of over 5,300 per cent in the next five years will be driven by increasing industry collaboration and initiatives from vehicle manufacturers, aimed at reducing the high level of fragmentation between different in-vehicle marketplaces.

Payment vendors will need to quickly develop new capabilities in order to capitalise on this growing opportunity. As a result, it is anticipated the rate of acquisitions and partnerships will intensify to meet these urgent requirements.

The new research, In-vehicle Payments: Opportunities, Challenges & Market Forecasts 2021-2026, found that North America will have the largest in-vehicle payments share of transactions by volume; accounting for 42 per cent of all transactions globally by 2026.

The growth is driven by a large installed base of payment‑enabled vehicles and a high level of partnerships in place.

The recent collaboration between industry participants in North America will be beneficial in overcoming fragmentation and incentivising user adoption through rewards and loyalty schemes over the next five years.

The research found vehicle fuelling will be the most common use case over the next five years; accounting for around 48 per cent of total in-vehicle payment transactions by volume.

 The report recommends that stakeholders look beyond fuelling and EV charging to develop additional use cases such as coffee shop and fast food pick-up payments via the vehicle dashboard; using existing infrastructure in developed regions. 

-- BERNAMA

SHAWKWEI & PARTNERS BUYS CR ASIA GROUP FOR US$101 MILLION KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- Asian private equity firm ShawKwei & Partners (ShawKwei) has announced the US$101 million acquisition of CR Asia Pte Ltd (Singapore) and all its subsidiaries, together known as the CR Asia Group. (US$1 = RM4.160) With a 30-year history, the CR Asia Group is a leading energy engineering solutions business operating across Asia servicing world-class customers such as Shell, Reliance, and Neste. ShawKwei has acquired the CR Asia Group from Joh. Mourik & Co. Holding B.V. of the Netherlands, Arabian Pipeline & Services Co. Ltd. (Anabeeb) of Saudi Arabia, and other minority shareholders. Founded in 1991 in Singapore, the CR Asia Group today serves customers in 18 Asian countries from its permanent bases in Singapore, Thailand, India, and Malaysia. These customers own plants and facilities used in processing energy and chemicals used in manufacturing plastics, textiles, cosmetics, electronics, paints, and packaging products. The CR Asia Group is well known in charging and discharging mission-critical catalysts, which are the core reactors used in energy refining, chemicals & fertilisers, and other heavy industrial processing facilities. In a statement, ShawKwei Founder and Managing Partner, Kyle Shaw said: “The CR Asia Group has a reputation for excellence in energy engineering solutions across Asia and is well positioned for the energy transition to a lower carbon economy. “The CR Asia Group is supported by loyal employees, long term customer relationships, and an extensive network of technical partners. We are excited to partner with the entire CR Asia Group team and invest in organisational, operational, and automation technology initiatives to capitalise on the lower carbon shift.” Meanwhile, Mark Stansfield, Managing Director of the CR Asia Group, said: “Our management team welcomes ShawKwei as we further help our customers in lowering carbon emissions while also maintaining the security of energy, food, and industrial supply chains.” ShawKwei & Partners has offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai and San Francisco. -- BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- Asian private equity firm ShawKwei & Partners (ShawKwei) has announced the US$101 million acquisition of CR Asia Pte Ltd (Singapore) and all its subsidiaries, together known as the CR Asia Group. (US$1 = RM4.160)

With a 30-year history, the CR Asia Group is a leading energy engineering solutions business operating across Asia servicing world-class customers such as Shell, Reliance, and Neste.

ShawKwei has acquired the CR Asia Group from Joh. Mourik & Co. Holding B.V. of the Netherlands, Arabian Pipeline & Services Co. Ltd. (Anabeeb) of Saudi Arabia, and other minority shareholders.

Founded in 1991 in Singapore, the CR Asia Group today serves customers in 18 Asian countries from its permanent bases in Singapore, Thailand, India, and Malaysia.

These customers own plants and facilities used in processing energy and chemicals used in manufacturing plastics, textiles, cosmetics, electronics, paints, and packaging products.

The CR Asia Group is well known in charging and discharging mission-critical catalysts, which are the core reactors used in energy refining, chemicals & fertilisers, and other heavy industrial processing facilities.

In a statement, ShawKwei Founder and Managing Partner, Kyle Shaw said: “The CR Asia Group has a reputation for excellence in energy engineering solutions across Asia and is well positioned for the energy transition to a lower carbon economy.

“The CR Asia Group is supported by loyal employees, long term customer relationships, and an extensive network of technical partners. We are excited to partner with the entire CR Asia Group team and invest in organisational, operational, and automation technology initiatives to capitalise on the lower carbon shift.”

Meanwhile, Mark Stansfield, Managing Director of the CR Asia Group, said: “Our management team welcomes ShawKwei as we further help our customers in lowering carbon emissions while also maintaining the security of energy, food, and industrial supply chains.”

ShawKwei & Partners has offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai and San Francisco.

-- BERNAMA

ZENFOLIO SEES BIGGER PICTURE BUYING FORMAT TO EXPAND PHOTOGRAPHER SERVICES

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- Zenfolio, the leader in creative and business solutions for photographers, has announced acquiring Format, a major website-building platform and marketplace based in Toronto, Canada, used by professional photographers and artists worldwide.

Both companies offer Software as a Service (SaaS) business solutions – Zenfolio since 2006 and Format since 2010. Combined, these two market leaders provide the most comprehensive service offering to photographers and artists, leveraging their respective brands and complementary strengths.

Sharing the rationale for bringing the two companies together, Zenfolio CEO, John Loughlin said in a statement: “We deeply respect the Format brand, their employees and community, and the business they have built. This combination will expand the capabilities and services offered to our respective customers.”

“Bringing together two leading platforms for photographers allows us to accelerate the development of new services by taking best in breed features and capabilities and making them available to customers of both companies.”

Meanwhile, Lukas Dryja, Format CEO and Co-Founder said: “Since creating Format, we have cared deeply about our community and team.

“Partnering with Zenfolio is a tremendous opportunity for both. The Format community will benefit from Zenfolio’s extensive technology services while Zenfolio customers will have access to world class tools and designs to showcase their work online.”

Zenfolio, which recently unveiled a new cloud-based technology platform using artificial intelligence and machine-learning that is redefining the business of photography, leads the industry in workflow automation, helping photographers manage and grow their businesses, while spending more time behind the lens.

The two brands will initially operate in parallel, each retaining its current employee workforce and subscription base, with Format and Zenfolio continuing to be headquartered in Toronto and Menlo Park, California, respectively.

-- BERNAMA

CSOP iEdge S-REIT Leaders Index ETF list on SGX, Nov 18

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 -- CSOP Asset Management will list its second Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) on SGX - CSOP iEdge S-REIT Leaders Index ETF (Stock Code: SGD counter: SRT/ USD counter: SRU) on Nov 18.

The initial offering period has already started on Oct 29, according to a statement.

Chief Executive Officer of CSOP Asset Management, Ding Chen said: “We are pleased to list the ‘CSOP iEdge S-REIT Leaders Index ETF’ on the Singapore Exchange.”

“Following the successful launch of the ‘ICBC CSOP FTSE Chinese Government Bond Index ETF’ in September 2020, this is the second ETF product issued by CSOP in Singapore.”

Advised by JLP Asset Management Asia Pte Ltd, a leading investment manager in global real estate, SRT/SRU will adopt a replication strategy to track the performance of the iEdge S-REIT Leaders Index (the Index) to present the investment opportunities of the S-REITs market.

The SRT/SRU will be available for initial investment in SGD and trading in both SGD and USD at an inception price of SGD 1 with board lot size of 10 units.

A real estate investment trust in Singapore (S-REIT) is a fund on SGX that invests in a portfolio of income generating real estate assets such as shopping malls, offices or hotels, usually with a view to generating income for unit holders of the fund.

Delicately designed by SGX, the Index is the most liquid representation of the S-REITs market in Singapore. It is an adjusted free-float market capitalisation weighted index that measures the performance of the largest and most tradable REITs in Singapore.

As one of the most representative ETF providers in Asia, CSOP has been dedicated to providing ETFs and Exchange-Traded Products (ETPs) to global investors for nearly a decade.

Operating since April 2019, CSOP Asset Management Pte Ltd (CSOP SG) keeps bringing its leading expertise and experience in ETF management to investors in Singapore.

-- BERNAMA

AJC HOSTS BIMP-EAGA VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM SERIES, FIRST SESSION NOV 18

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- The ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) will organise a series of virtual symposium on Brunei Indonesia Malaysia Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area or BIMP-EAGA on Nov 18 and 25, and Dec 2 and 9.

The theme of the virtual symposium series is ‘New Business Opportunities and Creating Sustainable Socio-Economic Landscape in BIMP-EAGA’, according to a statement.

The BIMP-EAGA was launched in 1994 to spur development in remote and less developed areas in the four participating Southeast Asian countries. These areas are geographically far from the national capitals, yet strategically close to each other.

The symposium series would focus on four of the five strategic pillars of BIMP-EAGA VISION 2025 namely, Connectivity, Food Basket, Environment, and Socio-cultural and Education.

A symposium to discuss BIMP-EAGA Tourism is scheduled to be held aside from this symposium series. Details will be announced on AJC website in due course.

Based on the perspectives of Free and Open Indo-Pacific and ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific which share many relevant fundamental principles, the symposium series aims to give both BIMP-EAGA and Japanese stakeholders an occasion to discuss and better understand the challenges as well as the business opportunities in the region.

The symposium series also hopes to be able to present possible areas of collaboration for Japan - BIMP-EAGA and transform the challenges of socio-economic development into new business opportunities.

The first session of the series will be on Nov 18. Details of the rest of the sessions will be announced in due course on the AJC website.

More details at https://www.asean.or.jp/en/

-- BERNAMA

HYTERA SHOWCASES LATEST INNOVATIONS AT CCW 2021

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- As a global leading provider of PMR technologies, Hytera has showcased its latest innovations as well as its insights into the future, including PMR-LTE convergence solutions, at CCW 2021.

Critical Communications World (CCW) brings together top professional users, operators, developers and manufacturers from the critical communications industry, according to a statement.

For mission critical users, two things are equally important: consistent reliability and multi-dimensional data. The development of Hytera MCC solutions is based on these two essential elements.

Hytera showcased a series of new products at CCW 2021, including PDM680 rugged MCS radio, PNC360S PoC radio, and VM750D body-worn camera (BWC).

The rugged PDM680 is Hytera’s first fully 3GPP-compliant Mission Critical Services (MCS) radio. It is purpose-built to deliver reliable MCPTT, MCVideo and MCData services to support first responders working in the most challenging conditions.

In addition to ‘on-network’ operation, the PDM680 also supports device-to-device (D2D) communications, which allow first responders to communicate without relying solely on the LTE network.

Hytera’s latest PoC radio PNC360S and HyTalk APP is the ideal solution for delivering accessible and reliable PTT communications. It is specifically designed to enhance efficiency and productivity for business users.

Meanwhile, the new body-worn camera VM750D has superb performance and a wide range of features. It incorporates multi-functional sensors and has 160° diagonal field of view to better help police officers carry out their daily tasks. 

The range of products on show at CCW 2021 also highlighted the fact that Hytera provides comprehensive end-to-end solutions for various industrial users and operators, such as 5G+ Industrial Internet, and converged multimedia PTT platform.

-- BERNAMA

CLOUDFLARE, ORACLE TO JOINTLY ELIMINATE DATA TRANSFER FEES

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- Cloudflare Inc, the security, performance, and reliability company helping to build a better Internet, has announced Oracle is joining the Bandwidth Alliance as the latest cloud provider committing to eliminate unnecessary data transfer fees.

Now, organisations that use both Cloudflare cybersecurity solutions and Oracle's cloud infrastructure will automatically save money by avoiding the high data transfer fees charged by cloud providers outside of the Bandwidth Alliance.

“Businesses deserve choice and fair pricing, but unfortunately certain vendors choose to lock in customers by making it prohibitively expensive to transfer data out,” said Cloudflare co-founder and CEO, Matthew Prince based on a statement.

“We started the Bandwidth Alliance to counter this threat and work with others to pass bandwidth cost savings along to businesses. We applaud Oracle for joining the mission to bring businesses the benefits of vendor choice and lower egress fees.”

Together with Cloudflare, Oracle will offer mutual customers zero egress for data sourced from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Object Storage starting with regions in North America.

“We’ve always relentlessly focused on providing customers with choice on their cloud journey – whether that means adopting a multicloud or hybrid cloud approach,” said Clay Magouyrk, executive vice president, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

“We also don’t believe that customers should be taxed for moving the data that they own in and out of cloud environments or their own data centre. We want to help customers extract the most value out of their most valuable asset – their data. This is why we’re partnering with Cloudflare to address a pricing strategy that is ripe for change.”

More details at www.cloudflare.com.

-- BERNAMA

Gallium Semi initiates European R&D centre in Nijmegen, Netherlands

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 -- Gallium Semiconductor, an innovative supplier of RF Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor solutions for 5G mobile communications, has launched its European research and development (R&D) centre in Nijmegen, Netherlands.

Gallium Semi’s strategic selection of Nijmegen is based on the recognition of it being a European innovation hub for RF power technology with a very talented pool of engineers.

The new R&D centre targets to perform GaN semiconductor product development, device design, customer application engineering and production support.

"We are excited to establish Nijmegen, Netherlands as our European R&D centre," said Gallium Semi Vice President of Networks, Michael Guyonnet in a statement.

"Nijmegen is the vibrant heart of Europe’s RF power technology and our presence here will allow us to expand our team with world class talent.”

Gallium Semi will use the Nijmegen R&D centre as an opportunity to work closely with global customers to design, test and commercialise RF GaN semiconductor solutions for 5G mobile communications, aerospace and defence, and industrial, scientific and medical applications.

“With so much expertise in RF engineering and manufacturing operations, we are able to leverage the most advanced technology to drive our product development,” said Kin Tan, Gallium Semi’s Chief Executive Officer.

More details at www.galliumsemi.com.

-- BERNAMA

MARY KAY ASH FOUNDATION℠ ENRICHES WOMEN'S LIVES WORLDWIDE WITH GLITTERING SILVER ANNIVERSARY

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- In celebration of its 25th anniversary and guided by Mary Kay Ash’s dream to enrich the lives of women worldwide, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation℠ released its first-ever Foundation Annual Report, as well as a new name, logo website and rebranding.

Since 1996, the Foundation has contributed more than US$80 million to organisations aligned with its two-fold mission: funding research for cancers affecting women and ending domestic violence and gender-based violence against women and girls. (US$1 = RM4.160)

“Twenty-five years ago, my grandmother, Mary Kay Ash, created the Foundation that continues to remain at the heart of Mary Kay Inc, company employees and independent beauty consultants who strive to uphold her vision of making the world a better place for women and their families,” said Chief Investment Officer and Vice President of the Mary Kay Ash Foundation℠ Board of Directors, Ryan Rogers.

“We envision a world where women are empowered, healthy and safe. On this milestone anniversary, we continue our steadfast commitment to women worldwide and are reminded of how truly honoured we are to continue doing my grandmother’s work.”

To commemorate its milestone anniversary, the organisation made a slight name change from The Mary Kay Foundation℠ to Mary Kay Ash Foundation℠ to improve search engine optimisation.

In addition, the Foundation has unveiled a new logo and website, rebranding and the first-ever Mary Kay Ash Foundation℠ Annual Report. The report gives an overview of the 2020 initiatives in the United States and worldwide.

Key findings in the report include in 2020, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation℠ awarded grants totalling US$1,825,000 to causes in the US and those that will make a difference worldwide via the Innovative/Translational Cancer Research Grants and the International Post-Doctoral Fellowship Cancer Research Program.

In addition, The Mary Kay Ash Foundation℠ has awarded emergency grants totalling US$1,000,000 to support domestic violence frontline workers – the first responders for women and children.

According to a statement, the Foundation supports awareness initiatives, community outreach programmes, and advocates for legislation to ensure women are healthy and safe.

-- BERNAMA

INVADE STARTS ‘NILE BEAUTY’ SERVICE ENABLING WORLDWIDE ONLINE BUSINESS MATCHING

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- ‘NILE BEAUTY’ started by INVADE Co Ltd based in Tokyo, is a completely new community service where beauty companies from worldwide can gather and do business matching online.

Through information such as companies, products, and content articles, INVADE is creating places where ‘company and company’ and ‘company and individual’ can meet online, according to a statement.

Among others, the service significantly reduces the cost and time spent on exhibiting and participating in domestic and international exhibitions; and, a multilingual function facilitates business negotiations with companies in other countries.

By displaying at ‘NILE BEAUTY’, the exhibitor can post company information, product information, and various content articles for access by registered companies.

Also, when registering as a business negotiation company (negotiator), he/she can easily browse the information of exhibiting companies at any time, and store the information. After matching, the exhibitor and negotiator can chat with each other.

Currently, a great promotion campaign is in progress to commemorate the grand opening of the service.

‘NILE BEAUTY’ will significantly change the way people think about exhibitions, how they approach potential partners, and the conventional business that has emphasised face-to-face contact over the years.

More details at https://beauty.nile.inc

-- BERNAMA

DIGITALBRIDGE ANNOUNCES IFC INVESTMENT, ENHANCING DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, CONNECTIVITY

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- DigitalBridge Group Inc (DigitalBridge or the Company) announced that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) will invest US$100 million in digital infrastructure assets managed by DigitalBridge in Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia to expand digital access and connectivity. (US$1 = RM 4.149)

According to a statement, IFC’s US$100 million investment includes US$75 million already committed in three of DigitalBridge’s portfolio companies.

This include Scala Data Centers (Scala), a leading scaled hyperscale data centre operator located in Brazil; EdgePoint Infrastructure (EdgePoint), an independent provider of wireless communications infrastructure with operations in Indonesia and Malaysia; and Highline do Brasil (Highline), an independent provider of wireless communications infrastructure with operations in Brazil.

Meanwhile, IFC will invest an additional US$25 million in other digital infrastructure assets in emerging markets managed by DigitalBridge in the future.

“This investment feeds into our priority of closing the digital divide by improving digital infrastructure and services, boosting rural connectivity, and accelerating the rollout of 4G and 5G digital communications technology globally,” said Global Head of Equity for Infrastructure at IFC, Lance Crist.

The IFC capital will enable the expansion of Scala, EdgePoint and Highline’s digital infrastructure businesses and increase access to quality digital connectivity and data centre capacity for both individuals and enterprises in these regions.

IFC’s investment validates and advances DigitalBridge’s growth strategy in emerging markets, where quality, reliable digital infrastructure set the stage for long-term, inclusive economic growth and a more sustainable future.

Headquartered in Boca Raton, DigitalBridge is a leading global digital infrastructure REIT and has key offices in Los Angeles, New York, London and Singapore.

More details at www.digitalbridge.com.

-- BERNAMA

SHOPNEXT PARTNERS BINANCE PAY TO LAUNCH SHOP-TO-EARN CRYPTO ONBOARDING PLATFORM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 (Bernama) -- ShopNEXT has partnered Binance Pay to launch the first shop-to-earn cryptocurrency onboarding platform.

According to a statement, the intuitive platform can help encourage wider crypto adoption by giving users easy access to a crypto wallet and rewarding them for shopping.

“We are looking carefully for the best crypto payment option on the market, which offers safe, free, and instant micro-transactions for our users. The integration of the Binance Pay wallet is a perfect puzzle piece to our ecosystem,” said ShopNEXT Chief Executive Officer, Linh Le.

Meanwhile, Product Marketing Lead of Binance Pay, Benn Moore said: “Binance Pay welcomes this fantastic partnership and looks forward to opening its doors to new cryptocurrency owners.”

ShopNEXT is an affiliate marketer that connects users and merchants. Users simply open the ShopNEXT app to select and shop from their favourite brands.

Merchant partners pay ShopNEXT a sale commission, which is shared with users in the form of a cashback which can be withdrawn and converted into popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin, and Binance USD or USDT stablecoins.

Binance Pay is a contactless, borderless and secure cryptocurrency payment technology designed by Binance, the world’s leading blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider.

The popular crypto wallet is integrated into the ShopNEXT ecosystem, allowing users to easily withdraw and convert their cashback into cryptocurrencies.

With the support of a strategic partner like Binance Pay, ShopNEXT is empowered to open the door of crypto to billions of shoppers worldwide.

-- BERNAMA

LDRA ANNOUNCES EMBEDDED SAFETY & SECURITY SUMMIT (ESSS) 2022; VIRTUAL AGAIN TO ENABLE GREATER GLOBAL AUDIENCE

The 7^th edition of the premier global conference will be held June 15, 2022, with the theme, “Designing Embedded Systems with Agility, Quality, Safety & Security”

BENGALURU, India, Nov 9 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- LDRA, in collaboration with industry partners and associations, today announced that the seventh edition of the Embedded Safety & Security Summit (ESSS) 2022 will be held June 15. With the theme “Designing Embedded Systems with Agility, Quality, Safety & Security,” the conference and expo will be virtual for the second year in a row. This will enable even more to be involved in developing, testing and certifying mission-critical embedded systems to learn about the latest technological advancements.

With the ongoing effort to empower the embedded community and reach out to a global audience, ESSS 2022 comes with exclusive technical sessions, an interactive online platform and the right mix of industry peers for networking. The event focuses on four industry tracks: Aerospace & Defence, Automotive, Industrial and Medical.

“Whether in person or virtual, ESSS enables us to continue our efforts to support the safety- and security-critical embedded industry,” said Ian Hennell, Director – Operation, LDRA. “This comprehensive forum educates and informs the community about technological advancements and the need to build quality into future systems.”

ESSS 2022 will include engaging and informative content, including a panel discussion, “Standards Driven Development in an Agile World.” It will also include industry keynote sessions, and technical sessions addressing all genres in the embedded community, ranging from software engineers, decision-makers, certified professionals to representatives from government and regulatory bodies.

According to Shinto Joseph, Director – South East Asia Operation, LDRA, and Convener of ESSS, “ESSS 2022 will gather leaders from across government, technology innovation, business and standard bodies to present the state of the practice and innovations that assist professionals in leveraging intelligent technologies. The panel discussion on standards-driven development in an agile world will be especially valuable, as it specifically ‘addresses the imminent issues faced by many upcoming industries, including EVs, UAVs, IIoTs, autonomous systems, etc.”

For more information on sponsorship opportunities, paper submission and registration for ESSS 2022, visit www.embedded-safety-security.com. 

About LDRA

For more than 40 years, LDRA has developed and driven the market for software that automates code analysis and software testing for safety-, mission-, security-, and business-critical markets. Working with clients to achieve early error identification and elimination, and full compliance with industry standards, LDRA traces requirements through static and dynamic analysis to unit testing and verification for a wide variety of hardware and software platforms. Boasting a worldwide presence, LDRA has headquarters in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and India coupled with an extensive distributor network. For more information on the LDRA tool suite, please visit http://www.ldra.com/. 

About ESSS^® 

Focusing on the safety and security aspects of critical embedded systems, the Embedded Safety & Security Summit (ESSS) is an exclusive arena for the whole embedded community to learn, interact and nurture. LDRA drives this successful initiative with support from partners, clients, industrial & professional bodies and government agencies. Learn more at www.embedded-safety-security.com. 

Readers may direct questions to: 

Mark James
Email: mark.james@ldra.com

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211108006207/en/ 

Contact 

Media:

Kelly Wanlass, Hughes Communications, Inc., Media Relations
Tel: +1 (801) 602-4723, Email: kelly@hughescom.net 

Mark James, LDRA, Marketing Manager
Tel: +44 (0) 151 649-9300, Email: mark.james@ldra.com 

Source : LDRA 

--BERNAMA