All advertisers on Google will have to show proof of identity and where they operate from as part of the search giant’s move towards greater transparency to users.
Zoom makes NASDAQ-100 Index list
Zoom soars to the index (Source: Pexels)COVID-19 has made a star out of Zoom Video Communications. Its popularity, usage and value has soared — all the way to becoming a component of the NASDAQ-100 Index, the NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index and the NASDAQ-100 Ex-Tech Sector Index.
SyncWords makes Facebook Live real-time translation a reality
The dreams of organisations reaching a global audience via Facebook Live has just become a reality. Whether it’s an online church service or a press conference, SyncWords’ LanguageSync solution for real-time translation of English live programming to more than 40 languages is certainly an answer to prayer.
NEC leverages AI to come up with COVID-19 vaccine blueprint
If ever there’s a time to for technology to come to the forefront, it’s now. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for decades, creating hope but delivering on few promises. The emergence of deep learning in recent years has changed that landscape. It has brought drawn more to invest in and work on AI with results to boot.
Facebook takes 10% stake in India telco Jio Platforms
Facebook is investing US$5.7 billion or a 9.99 percent stake in India’s Jio Platforms. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries, Jio will use the new invesment to pursue new opportunities for businesses of all sizes, especially small merchants, micro-businesses and farmers, and create digital ecosystems that will empower, enrich and uplift the lives of all 1.3 billion Indians.
ForgeRock raises US$93.5m to drive R&D and expansion
Digital identity solution provider ForgeRock has completed a US$93.5 million Series E round of fundraising to fuel research and development, cloud, global sales, and market awareness.
WhatsApp ups group calls to 8 participants
WhatsApp has raised the number of group call participants from four to eight, once its latest version is updated on Android and iOS. This feature will be particularly helpful during this period as many people are using group voice and video call platforms.
Arm joins O-RAN Alliance
Having powered generations of cellular devices, Arm has joined the O-RAN Alliance, a leading industry forum with a vision of openness and innovation fostered by a broad community of experts. And Arm aims to help drive this vision to become a reality.
BCM One buys nexVortex
Managed solutions provider BCM One has acquired nexVortex, a provider of business cloud communication services with operations in Herndon, Virginia, and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Cognizant under ransomware attack!
Cognizant has confirmed that a security incident involving its internal systems, and causing service disruptions for some of its clients, is the result of a Maze ransomware attack.
Alibaba to pump US$28b in cloud infrastructure
Alibaba plans to pump in US$29 billion to boost its cloud infrastructure over the next three years. This comes on the back of increasing demand for cloud and data centre services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Qualcomm introduces IoT modem with extremely low power consumption
Source: QualcommQualcomm Technologies, has announced the Qualcomm 212 LTE IoT Modem that requires under one micro-amp (1uA) of sleep current for extremely low average power consumption.
China Telecom Shenzhen achieves wide coverage with 5G RRUs
Commercial 5G Book RRU deployed on poles. (Source: Huawei)Providing consistent 5G coverage in residential areas, urban villages, upscale communities, and backstreet alleys can be a challenge. China Telecom Shenzhen has overcome this by deploying in hundreds of Huawei 5G C-Band Book remote radio units (RRUs) on macro and pole base stations in China.
NVIDIA gets China’s nod for Mellanox acquisition
Photo by bongkarn thanyakij from PexelsNVIDIA has received approval from all necessary authorities to proceed with its planned acquisition of Mellanox.
GSMA launches Innovation Fund for mobile internet adoption and digital inclusion
GSMA has launched it Innovation Fund for Mobile Internet Adoption and Digital Inclusion. Set up to increase mobile internet adoption and usage among those who have mobile internet coverage but are not using it, the fund is open for applications for countries in Africa and Asia.
Arm forms strategic partnership with Hexing on IoT
Arm has forged a strategic partnership with Hexing to use the Arm Pelion Internet of Things (IoT) platform to create full-stack IoT solutions for Hexing’s customers and expansion into new markets.
Eventbrite slices US$100m off annualised expenses due to COVID-19
The events industry has been among the biggest casualties of the coronavirus pandemic. Events of all sizes around the world have been cancelled or postponed as the world hits the pause button. Global ticketing and experience technology platform Eventbrite has announced an US100 million expense reduction plan as a result of the impact of COVID-19.
Stadia Pro free for 2 months
Source: GoogleMore people staying at or working from home during this COVID-19 period are turning to gaming as a source of entertainment or to get some respite. And now they can enjoy free access to Google’s paid cloud gaming platform Stadia Pro for two months.
Zoom hits security and privacy bumps
Among the few sparkles of hope in this period is Zoom whose video conferencing solution has become famous almost overnight. With movement and gathering restrictions in place in many parts of the world, Zoom has become a tool that many have turned to to stay connected and keep operations running.
OCBC Bank strengthens mission-critical security with SSH.COM
Singapore’s OCBC Bank has secured its mission-critical infrastructure with SSH.COM products including Tectia Client/Server and PrivX.
Korea startup harnesses AI to deal with array of healthcare issues
If there’s a phrase to describe artificial intelligence (AI) startup Vuno, it has to be “It thinks BIG”. While most startups aim to use technology to tackle one medical condition, the Korea company decided to cast its net wide by using NVIDIA GPU-powered AI products to address diagnoses of different diseases.
Samsung and Cisco partner on workplace transformation
Videoconference has become the go-to technology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have to work from home or remote locations as companies adapt to a new way of working. Samsung Electronics HK and Cisco are teaming up to transform modern workplaces using Cisco Webex and Samsung’s Flip 2 digital flip chart.
ABC Technology listed among IDC’s 101 fastest growing fintech in APAC
Fintech startup ABC Technology has been rated by IDC as among the 101 fastest growing fintech companies in the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan).
Xerox withdraws hostile takeover bid for HP
Xerox has dropped its hostile takeover bid of HP. After months of hot pursuit, with Xerox bids and HP counter statements, it looks like any deal is off the table — another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hyundai to build smart mobility lab in Singapore
Hyundai Motor is building an open innovation lab to develop future mobility technologies in Singapore’s Jurong Innovation District.
TPG launches S$10 mobile plan in Singapore
Source: TPGConsumers in Singapore can now get 50GB of mobile data for just S$10 per 30 days. That’s what TPG Telecom is offering for its no-contract SIM Only plan starting today. Plus, the plan comes with 300 local call minutes and 30 local SMS. In May, it will also pack a free 1GB roaming to selected countries.
Dell EMC and Comet unveil Kubernetes architecture
Dell EMC and Comet have unveiled a Kubernetes reference architecture for data science teams using the their artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled infrastructure and machine learning platform.
Zendesk extends helping hand to charities and startups
In response to the impact of COVID-19 on charities, Zendesk is offering free software and support to help them manage volunteering, relief efforts and home assistance.
Online education platform Yuanfudao raises US$1b in funding
Lessons are increasingly being conducted online because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The demand has been a boon for online education platforms. China-based Yuanfudao has raised US$1 billion in a new financing from investors such as Tencent Holdings, Hillhouse Capital Group, Boyu Capital, and IDG Capital.
Planet Computers announces 5G slider phone
There’s hope for those longing for a return of the slider phone with a keyboard for touch typing. Planet Computers has announced the Astro Slide 5G Transformer, the first 5G smartphone with a keyboard.
Huawei and Tencent set up innovation lab on mobile cloud gaming
Huawei Cloud and Tencent Games have set up a joint innovation lab on mobile cloud gaming as part of their strategic partnership.
Megvii avails AI framework on open source
China has just made the battle for artificial intelligence (AI) supremacy a little more intense following the announcement by Megvii Technology that it would make its MegEngine deep learning framework open source.
Microsoft cans Inspire event
Another major tech event has fallen victim to the coronavirus pandemic. Even before registration has begun, Microsoft has axed the Inspire 2020 partner conference in Las Vegas from July 19 to 23.
Computex shifts to September
Computex has been moved to September because of the COVID-19 pandemic, its organisers announced today. This shift follows reports of Taiwan companies being concerned with the event being held in June.
GTC Digital gives participants more bang for the buck
What could have been a dampener may just turn out to be a better offering for participants who have registered for this year’s GPU Technology Conference (GTC). Yes, they won’t get to go to San Jose. Yes, they will miss the face-to-face meetings. But, NVIDIA has put great thoughts into making GTC Digital, the online version, just as engaging and informative. Plus, NVIDIA has refunded all participants so they can attend most of the conference for free.
Computex on the brink?
The writing’s on the wall. One by one, major trade shows have fallen victim to the coronavirus. Computex Taipei has until now showed no sign of being scratched.
Singapore combats COVID-19 with new contact tracing app
Singapore’s Government Technology Agency (GovTech) and Ministry of Health (MOH) have colloborated to develop and launch TraceTogether, a mobile app for contact tracing to combat COVID-19 spread.
Avaya Spaces available to schools and charities at no charge till August 31
Source: AvayaAvaya is making its Avaya Spaces cloud meeting and team collaboration app available at no charge to educational institutions and non-profit organisations worldwide until August 31, 2020.
NVIDIA grants free Parabricks access to COVID-19 researchers
Researchers working on sequencing the novel coronavirus and the genomes of people afflicted with COVID-19 now have a helping hand — NVIDIA is offering a free 90-day licence to Parabricks, which uses GPUs to accelerate by as much as 50 times the analysis of sequence data.
Razer: From gaming mouse to surgical masks
In a series of tweets, Razer Chief Executive Officer Min-Liang Tan has announced that his company has turned some of its existing manufacturing lines from producing gaming devices to making much needed surgical masks to be donated to countries around the world.
ZTE to unveil Axon 11 5G on March 23
ZTE will launch the ZTE Axon 11 5G smartphone in China on March 23. The company has given little away from its announcement press release other than the fact that the ZTE Axon 11 will be compatible with both SA (standalone) and NSA (non-standalone) modes.
Adobe offers free Creative Cloud tools to students till end May
Source: AdobeAs schools shut temporarily because of the coronavirus pandemic, students have to turn to online or distance learning. Adobe is lending a helping hand by offering free access to Adobe Creative Cloud desktop apps for students till May 31.
NTT Docomo to launch 5G in Japan on March 25
NTT Docomo will launch its 5G service with a maximum data rate of 3.4Gbps in Japan on March 25. The downlink speed will increase to 4.1Gbps in June.
Technologies that matter at such a time as this
By Edward Lim
COVID-19 is hijacking life. From Facebook News Feed to printed newspapers, it’s everywhere. And it just seems to get worse with countries taking measures to prevent spread. Telecommuting has now become necessary for many.
Micosoft shutters all stores globally
Microsoft has announced the closure of all its stores across the global with immediate effect due to COVID-19 health concern.
Samsung starts mass producing fast mobile storage for flagship smartphones
Samsung eUFS UFS 3.1: 3x faster than previous generationSamsung Electronics has started mass producing the industry’s first 512-gigabyte (GB) eUFS (embedded Universal Flash Storage) 3.1 for flagship smartphones.
NVIDIA holds off GTC announcements
Huang: This is a time to focus on our family, our friends, our community.NVIDIA will not be making any product or news announcements next week, according to a NVIDIA blogpost.
Apple shuts all stores outside Greater China
In a surprising reversal, Apple has announced that the temporary closure of all its stores outside of Greater China to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It’s interesting in that Apple has just re-opened its China stores.
ViewSonic offers free distance learning tool to schools
Education has been affected as some cities and countries have closed schools and universities to contain the spread of the coronavirus. One way to keep students engaged is through online learning. ViewSonic has stepped in by offering its myViewBoard distance learning tool free to K12, colleges and universities during this period.
Hold the predictions
By Edward Lim
Research firms have played a vital role in providing the industry with vital information on market trends and technologies. Reports based on past quarters contain valuable analysis that helps enterprises and consumers make better sense of the numbers.
Apple stores back in business in China
Apple’s Shanghai store is among all that has reopened.After a month of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, Apple has reopened all its 42 stores in China. The closures had hit Apple’s revenue as China is the company third largest market.
Glue introduces VR-first collaboration platform
With the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses are letting staff work remotely as part of the social distancing efforts. Collaboration platforms have become increasingly popular with many turning to the likes of Webex and Zoom. Finland-based Glue Collaboration has taken this a step further with the introduction of the next generation of its VR-first collaboration platform.
Slido launches education version
The cancellation of SXSW EDU in Austin due to the COVID-19 outbreak may have affected its launch but Slido did not want to let the introduction of Slido for Education slide. Instead of a physical launch, it has announced online Slide Education, which aims to help lecturers stay connected with their students by powering two-way interaction during live and virtual classes.
Zendesk Singapore team spearheads chat product development
Zendesk has added to its chat product new features that were developed by its Singapore team. The Singapore office, which is Zendesk’s Asia Pacific Commercial Headquarters, has led the end-to-end development of Zendesk Chat since April 2014.
GTC goes online, Google IO and GDC scratched
It’s been a month of event cancellations due to COVID-19. NVIDIA has pulled the plug on the annual GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in San Jose and taking the show online. Just how much of the event will be held online is yet to be known but the definite go ahead is the keynote address by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang.
Ear-worn devices drive India wearables market to record growth
Apple AirPods are hot in India.In a country that is known for loud road traffic, it is not surprising that ear-worn devices are in hot demand. According to IDC, earwear led the wearables market with 443.6 percent growth to 8.5 million units in 2019.
Cancelled MWC Barcelona dishes out awards
Mobile World Congress Barcelona may have been canned but the organiser has decided that the awards must still be handed out. It has announced the winners of its Global Mobile (Glomo) Awards.
HP strikes back, touts value creation
HP is not taking the Xerox takeover bid lying down. Backed by strong Q1 results, it is striking back, even teasing a reverse takeover of Xerox instead.
80% of businesses: 5G will have significant impact
5G will have a significant impact, according to 79 percent of respondents to an Accenture study. However, security concerns remain as countries explore the implementation of the next generation mobile technology.
2 Singapore IT events shelved, Computex Taipei to go on
COVID-19 is leaving a trail of cancelled events in its footpath. Two IT events scheduled this week in Singapore have been canned.
Entelechy Asia 