China's Hainan Winter Fair offers global business opportunities, cooperation

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 -- The China (Hainan) International Tropical Agricultural Products Winter Trade Fair 2019 (Winter Fair) recently held in Hainan, offered business opportunities and new cooperation.

According to a statement, the five-day fair, beginning Dec 12, attracted 5,300 merchants from 32 countries and regions with over 570,000 visitors.

The Winter Fair saw RMB 77.45 billion in value of orders for agricultural products on the site and from cities and counties, RMB 180 million sales volume on the site, and RMB 2.2 billion in transaction volume of orders from countries along the Belt and Road. (RMB 100 = RM59.09)

According to the Organizing Committee of the Winter Fair, the fair boasted three highlights.

First, through market operation, it has built a specialised platform for buying and selling and established the first official website in both Chinese and English (www.hntatf.com).

Second, the fair targeted at international markets helped promote agricultural cooperation with foreign countries and third, a poverty alleviation pavilion for agricultural industry was built.

In the future, Hainan will give full play to the role of the Winter Fair, enhancing market operation, improving participation, thus to build an important platform at Hainan free trade port for winter agricultural products exhibition and sales, as well as for international agricultural exchanges and cooperation.

-- BERNAMA

Mary Kay inspires beauty trends at European Spring/Summer 2020 Fashion Weeks

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 -- Mary Kay continues to make its mark on the beauty industry by inspiring beauty trends at Spring/Summer 2020 Fashion Weeks in Europe.

“As an innovator of beauty trends, Mary Kay along with beauty artists, unveiled 2020 runway looks throughout fashion weeks in Europe,” said Mary Kay (European Region) president, Tara Eustace.

Mary Kay Inc has partnered with Ukrainian and Belarus Fashion Weeks, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia as well as Bratislava Fashion Days in Slovakia and Czech Republic.

Designers, influencers, celebrities, makeup artists, beauty bloggers and editors attended all five events where Mary Kay was the official beauty partner for the spring/summer 2020 fashion week season.

Held in Kyiv, Ukraine between Aug 31 and Sept 4, Ukrainian Fashion Week kicked off the Mary Kay sponsored events in Europe, supporting women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Bratislava Fashion Days by Mercedes-Benz was next in Bratislava, Slovakia on Sept 16 until 19, and Prague, Czech Republic on Oct 5 to 6. For the second year in a row, Mary Kay Slovakia was the Official Makeup Artist for the event.

The largest fashion event in Eastern Europe, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia (MBFW Russia) was held in Moscow on Oct 15 to 19. Mary Kay Russia has been the Official Makeup Artist of the MBFW Russia for seven years in a row.

The Belarus Fashion Week (BFW) held in Minsk on Oct 17 until 20, wrapped up a successful fashion week season for Mary Kay in Eastern Europe. Mary Kay was BFW Official Makeup Artist for the seventh season in a row.

-- BERNAMA

AM BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF MALAYSIAN REINSURANCE BERHAD

SINGAPORE, Dec 20 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” of Malaysian Reinsurance Berhad (Malaysian Re) (Malaysia).The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect Malaysian Re’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

Malaysian Re’s balance sheet strength assessment is underpinned by risk-adjusted capitalization that remains comfortably at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). The company’s capital and surplus has exhibited a strong growth over recent years from retained earnings. In fiscal year 2019, a capital injection of MYR 100 million (USD 24.5 million) from its holding company, MNRB Holdings Berhad (MNRB), has strengthened its capital position to support business growth. In addition, the company has a conservative investment portfolio, with a focus on good quality fixed-income securities. AM Best views the company’s underwriting leverage as low compared with its peers. Offsetting balance sheet considerations include the company’s increased risk retention level based on the revised retrocession excess-of-loss protections. Nonetheless, the company has a higher capital buffer to absorb the current underwriting risks following the capital injection.

AM Best views the company’s operating performance as adequate. The company’s operating results have outperformed many of its regional peers, with a five-year average operating and return-on-equity ratios of 90.3% and 6.1%, respectively (fiscal year 2015-fiscal year 2019). The company has demonstrated its capability to generate positive underwriting performance with a five-year average combined ratio of 99.5% (2015-2019), with volatilities in the underwriting profitability due to large and catastrophe losses. The loss ratios have improved over the past two years as a result of business transformation initiatives implemented to improve underwriting margins.

AM Best assesses Malaysian Re’s business profile as neutral. Malaysian Re is a dominant market leader in Malaysia’s non-life reinsurance market. The company benefits from a regulated cession arrangement (voluntary cession, VC) which contributes significantly to its premium revenue and overall profits. The continuation of the VC arrangement is subject to periodic regulatory review. Additionally, increasing consolidation among local insurers has lowered the demand for reinsurance capacity. In response, Malaysian Re has grown its overseas business over the past years, which has proven to be more volatile and less profitable than its domestic portfolio. Nonetheless, gross premiums from overseas markets have diminished since 2017, as the company implemented a business transformation program to focus on maintaining profitability and sustainable growth in line with its risk appetite statement.

AM Best views the company’s ERM approach as appropriate given the current size and complexity of its operations. Malaysian Re has adopted an enterprise-wide risk management structure. Key risks are identified and measured on a frequent basis, and the company continues to enhance its ERM capability.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=36475

TEPPEN crowns first world champion, announces Akuma as new hero

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 -- The inaugural TEPPEN World Championship 2019 has come to a close and GungHo Online Entertainment’s (GOE) first champion has been crowned Last Guardian.

In the biggest TEPPEN tournament ever, he expertly guided his MORRIGAN AENSLAND/Temptation and DANTE/Devil Trigger decks through the competition, bringing down everyone in his path to the top.

For his victory, Last Guardian took home 30 million yen (approximately US$280,000) of the 50 million yen (almost US$460,000) prize pool along with numerous other prizes including a NISSAN Skyline GT V6 TURBO. (US$1 = RM4.13)

Second place, tarakoman, earned 10 million yen (approximately US$95,000) in addition to various other prizes.

GOE also announced that one of the most popular characters in the Street Fighter series history will be available on Jan 7, 2020, with Akuma – bringing his signature aggressive style to the world of TEPPEN alongside a new set of cards in ‘The Force Seekers’.

During this year-end, GOE will be giving everyone who logs in between Dec 24 and Jan 7 a chance to purchase the New Year Selection Pack, featuring all the best cards from previous card packs, as well as a chance at the four Hero Skins available.

GOE also announces the TEPPEN New Year Cup 2020, an online tournament with incredible prizes. More details at https://teppenthegame.com/en/

-- BERNAMA

INDEX EXCHANGE CONTINUES DEDICATION AND GROWTH IN JAPAN THROUGH HIRING OF HARUYO KAGAWA AS MANAGING DIRECTOR JAPAN

Hiring is Latest Effort in Independent Ad Tech Company’s Expansion Across Asia TOKYO, Dec 18 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Index Exchange today announced plans to expand its operations in Japan, highlighted by the hiring of Haruyo Kagawa as Managing Director, Japan. Kagawa brings to Index a tremendous track record in digital advertising and most recently served as Country Manager, Japan at Unruly. She also held senior posts at Yahoo Japan, Amazon and Facebook. In her new role, Kagawa will focus on the expansion of the Index Exchange suite of solutions for both publishers and buyers across the country. “At Index Exchange, we understand the importance of aligning with our Japanese partners to ensure their programmatic efforts are even more successful in the long term,” said Adele Wieser, APAC Regional Managing Director for Index Exchange. “Under Haruyo’s leadership, our local team will be more prepared than ever to help publishers and buyers leverage new programmatic tactics.” Earlier this year, eMarketer reported programmatic ad spend in Japan was expected to hit 6.80Billions of £ (972 Billions JPY) by the end of 2020 and will continue to increase in 2021 with solutions like header bidding, which helps publishers increase their monetisation efforts. “As the programmatic industry continues to progress in Japan, Index Exchange will continue to work closely with our local partners to educate them on the benefits of header bidding and help them prepare for the post-cookie era,” said Haruyo Kagawa, Managing Director, Japan. “It’s an exciting time for this organisation, and I’m thrilled to step into this new role and put Index’s stamp on the Japanese programmatic ecosystem.” Index Exchange first entered Japan in 2018 and since then, has supported the education of publishers and buyers in the country by working with nearly 80% of the publishers based in Japan. By the end of 2020, Index Exchange plans to dedicate several employees to serve both publishers and buying partners in Japan in its Tokyo-Ginza office. About Index Exchange Index Exchange is a global advertising marketplace where premium digital media companies transact ad impressions with accountability and in real-time. Built on the pillars of neutrality, openness, and the most reliable technology, Index Exchange is the ad exchange that media companies and marketers trust. An engineering-first company, Index Exchange prioritizes investing in hardware as well as bigger and better data centers to safely and independently store and process transactions. Visit Index Exchange at www.indexexchange.com or @indexexchange Need more information, please get in touch with:  Samir Chabab Head of International, Marketing and Communications samir.chabab@indexexchange.com +44 7450 259 110 SOURCE: Index Exchange --BERNAMA

AM Best maintains under review with positive implications status for CIC Guam

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18-- AM Best has maintained the under review with positive implications status for the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘bbb+’ of Century Insurance Company (Guam) Limited (CIC Guam) Guam.

These ratings were placed under review on July 3, following an announcement that DB Insurance Co Ltd (DBI) has entered into an agreement with CIC Guam’s parent company, Tan Holdings Corporation (THC).

The agreement involved the acquisition of 80 per cent stake in each of THC’s three insurance subsidiaries - CIC Guam and two other insurers in Saipan and Papua New Guinea.

DBI is also expected to secure the management rights in all three companies.

At that time, AM Best indicated that the ratings would remain under review until the transaction was completed, and an assessment of the subsequent impact to CIC Guam’s business and credit profile could be determined.

The under review with positive implications status has been extended as regulatory approval is still pending.

The companies now anticipate a transaction closing date in early 2020. CIC Guam’s ratings will remain under review until the close of the transaction, while AM Best continues to conduct further discussions with CIC Guam’s and DBI’s management teams to fully assess the rating impact.

-- BERNAMA

Matthew Silva is Invicro LLC's CEO, Jack Hoppin to be Konica Minolta Precision Medicine's president

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 -- Invicro LLC, a Konica Minolta company, has appointed Dr Matthew Silva as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

A statement said Dr Silva will assume the day-to-day leadership responsibilities of the Company and will join Invicro’s Board of Directors, effective immediately.

It is also mentioned in the same statement that co-founder of Invicro, Dr Jack Hoppin, will move on from his role as Invicro’s CEO to be the President of Konica Minolta Precision Medicine (KMPM). Dr Hoppin will remain on Invicro’s Board of Directors and will continue to serve on the KMPM Board.

In his new role, Dr Hoppin will work to synergise the companies under KMPM to help pharmaceutical sponsors and clinicians accelerate the development of targeted therapies via genetic and molecular profiling.

Meanwhile, Dr Silva will carry on Invicro’s strategic mission to support the drug discovery and development community. Invicro will continue to leverage its industry-leading imaging, chemistry and analysis expertise that span discovery through clinical research across multiple therapeutic areas.

With 20 years of diverse imaging experience, Dr Silva first joined Invicro in 2012 and most recently was EVP of Scientific Applications, where he led strategic efforts to expand the clinical oncology drug development and clinical trials.

Konica Minolta Inc acquired Invicro LLC and Ambry Genetics Corporation in September 2017 to accelerate its strategic vision to transform personalised medicine through the delivery of diagnostic services via genetics, imaging and digital pathology capabilities.

Headquartered in Boston, MA, Invicro was founded in 2008 with the mission of improving the role and function of imaging in translational drug discovery and development across all therapeutic areas.

More information at www.invicro.com.

-- BERNAMA

JAPANESE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY, SCRAP, ENTERS CHINA MARKET WITH REAL-LIFE IMMERSIVE NARUTO GAME COLLABORATION

JAPANESE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY, SCRAP, ENTERS CHINA MARKET WITH REAL-LIFE IMMERSIVE NARUTO GAME COLLABORATION

5th 'Jalan Jalan Japan' Superstore opens in Bandar Baru Bangi, Dec 28

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 -- BOK MARKETING Sdn Bhd, a branch company of BOOKOFF CORPORATION Ltd, will open the fifth preloved superstore, ‘Jalan Jalan Japan’ (‘JJJ Superstore’) on Dec 28 at Bandar Baru Bangi.

All goods are ‘preloved’ and imported from Japan. Parent company, ‘BOOKOFF’ is the most famous preloved store operating over 800 stores throughout Japan. It purchases over 400 million pieces in goods from customers annually.

‘JJJ Superstore’ has three concepts, namely, Preloved in Japan (Good Quality); ‘Hargagiler’ (Crazy Low Price); and Large Stock (Treasure Hunting).

Each ‘JJJ Superstore’ has about 200,000 pieces stock with wide categories, including apparel, bags, shoes, households, baby goods, toys, sporting goods, musical instruments, ornaments, furniture and accessories.

The superstore provides customers ‘Entertainment’ and ‘Rich life’ as they can enjoy shopping surrounded by Big Mountain of preloved goods, experience Japanese culture and hearing J-POP music.

The company plans to open over 10 stores in the next few years, according to a statement. More information, visit https://www.jalanjalanjapan.com.my.

-- BERNAMA

​KACIFIC'S FIRST SATELLITE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES TO SPACE!

​KACIFIC'S FIRST SATELLITE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES TO SPACE!

Reservations open for Pokémon Rooms at APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 -- Reservations for Pokémon Rooms at APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU locations in Japan are now open for stays, beginning Dec 24 onward.

This follows the announcement by Cosmos Initia Co Ltd, in collaboration with The Pokémon Company.

Five MIMARU locations in Tokyo and Kyoto will feature Pokémon Rooms with Pokémon-themed décor such as giant sleeping Snorlax and dishes with Poké Ball patterns.

Guests will also receive complementary Pokémon merchandise exclusive to the hotel. The merchandise are an original-design drawstring bag, welcome card and two hand towels.

More details at https://pokemon.mimaruhotels.com/en-us

-- BERNAMA

Outbrain appoints new Head of Sales for APAC operations

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 -- Outbrain, the world’s leading discovery and native advertising feed for the open web has appointed Nathan Jackson as the new Head of Sales for the APAC region.

According to a statement, this latest addition to the region’s leadership marks a further step towards Outbrain’s strategy of strengthening the group’s presence.

An innovative leader in the digital media space, Jackson brings more than 10 years of experience working closely with publishers, technology and data platforms.

In his new role, he will drive the strategic commercial and programmatic leadership and deepen industry knowledge of native advertising to this key growth region.

Jackson will manage the advertising revenues and oversee sales teams, which are based in Australia and Singapore, across the region.

“Advertisers, publishers and technology platforms must work together to create a high quality and innovative online experience. I am confident that the combined experience and talent of our regional leadership team will allow us to further develop key partnerships in the region,” said Outbrain MD International, Alexander Erlmeier.

Outbrain first started operating in the region in 2012 with main offices in Sydney and Singapore. More recently, the business has expanded into new markets, including China and India, as well as established a strong network of premium publisher partners including REA, NZ Herald and Mediacorp.

-- BERNAMA

Hytera new PoC radio offers instant communication across multiple sites

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 -- Hytera has introduced new PNC380 PoC radio using well-established 2G/3G/4G networks or WLAN, providing instant communications for users working across multiple sites, including those in transportation, logistics, property management and industrial parks.

In addition, this new PoC radio has a full numeric keypad for ease of operation and a 5MP rear camera to capture images and video in the field.

Suitable for one-hand operation, the PNC380 can also offer individual calls and group calls. The independent emergency button on the top helps users call for immediate help in case of emergencies so as to enhance their safety.

In addition, the dual-mic noise reduction technology ensures exceptional audio clarity even in noisy environments such as shopping malls, streets and airports. It picks up the users’ voice while lowering the surrounding noise.

The PNC380 also ensures precise positioning indoors and outdoors via the collaboration of GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS and AGPS so the supervisor can intuitively view the location of staff on the map and dispatch them to where they are needed at the right time.

The PNC380 is IP67-certified and meets the MIL-STD-810G standards. It is strong enough to handle rainy environment, dust, extreme temperatures, shock and vibration.

The standard 4,000mAh Li-ion battery enables the radio to support users for over 24 hours. The built-in Micro USB port makes battery charging easier than even before.

-- BERNAMA

AM BEST UPGRADES CREDIT RATINGS OF LIFETIME INCOME LIMITED

AM BEST UPGRADES CREDIT RATINGS OF LIFETIME INCOME LIMITED

Vietnam's Bao Minh Insurance has stable ratings outlook - AM Best

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 -- Credit ratings outlook of Bao Minh Insurance Corporation (BMI) Vietnam is stable, according to AM Best, a global credit rating agency specialising in the insurance industry.

This follows affirmation of the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘bbb’ of the company.

The ratings reflect BMI’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorised as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

According to a statement, BMI’s balance sheet strength assessment is underpinned by risk-adjusted capitalisation that remains at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio.

Despite its moderate dividend payout ratio, which has limited the company’s capital growth, retained earnings have remained sufficient to bolster shareholders’ equity and support business growth.

AM Best expects the organisation to continue focus on underwriting profitability despite rising competitive pressures. However, there are concerns that the long-duration health and personal accident products may exhibit higher loss ratios in later policy years.

The company’s premium is well-diversified by product. The main lines of businesses are personal accident and health, motor, and property and engineering, which collectively accounted for approximately 76 per cent of gross written premiums in 2018.

-- BERNAMA

IELTS REAPPOINTED AS A LANGUAGE TEST TRUSTED BY THE UK GOVERNMENT FOR VISAS

CAMBRIDGE, UK, Dec 17 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This week, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) announced IELTS, the world’s most trusted language test, will continue to be accepted for UK visas that require applicants to demonstrate their English.

Following a tender process, IELTS was reappointed as an official test provider for visas required as part of UK immigration applications.

Christine Nuttall, Managing Director IELTS at Cambridge Assessment English, welcomed the announcement.

“We have a proven track record of delivering IELTS for UKVI with our world-leading security processes,” Ms Nuttall said.

“This announcement is testament to the ongoing value and trust placed in IELTS by the United Kingdom government and test takers around the world."

“We are delighted IELTS continues to provide a gateway for people to fulfil their aspirations in the UK,” she said.

The reappointment highlights the important role IELTS plays in language testing for immigration.

IELTS is the only test trusted for migration purposes by all four governments of the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Life Skills can be taken at more than 110 centres across the IELTS global network.

The UK Government visa checklist provides more information on approved tests and requirements.

IELTS has been a world-leading English language test for more than 30 years and is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English.

About IELTS

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the world’s most popular English language proficiency test. Over 10,000 organisations trust IELTS as a secure and reliable indicator of English language proficiency for education, immigration and professional accreditation. IELTS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English.

British Council is the UK’s international organisation for education and cultural relations, represented in over 100 countries and dedicated to building trust through the exchange of knowledge.

IDP: IELTS Australia is a subsidiary of IDP Education, offering student placement in Australia, Ireland, US, Canada, New Zealand and UK. IDP: IELTS Australia manages IELTS test centres in over 60 countries.

Cambridge Assessment English is the world's leading provider of exams for English learners, taken by more than 5 million people in 140 countries annually.

ielts.org

Media contacts

Stacie Bowers, British Council - stacie.bowers@britishcouncil.org

Gracie Daniel, IDP – gracie.daniel@idp.com

Steve McKenna, Cambridge Assessment English – mckenna.s@cambridgeenglish.org

Source: IELTS

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=36435

CQT hands over SpooQy-1 nanosatellite to SpeQtral

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 -- SpeQtral has taken over operations of the SpooQy-1 nanosatellite, on behalf of the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT) at the National University of Singapore.

SpooQy-1 is a shoebox-sized, 3U CubeSat hosting a quantum payload developed at CQT.

According to a statement, the quantum payload is the world’s first entangled photon source compact enough to fit on a CubeSat and qualified for the harsh space environment.

The primary objective of the SpooQy-1 mission is to produce and characterise entangled photon pairs in space such that they violate the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt Bell’s inequality.

This is a core capability for future quantum communication networks. The CQT team is analysing scientific data from the mission and expects to publish results on the source’s performance next year.

In the meantime, CQT and SpeQtral have signed an agreement, allowing SpeQtral to manage ongoing operations.

Formed as a spin-out company to commercialise quantum communications technologies developed at CQT, SpeQtral will monitor the long-term performance of the quantum payload for radiation damage and other degradation effects in the space environment.

This information will help guide the development of long-lived quantum systems in space, necessary for the commercial deployment of space-based QKD systems.

-- BERNAMA

Capital Life Insurance Company Limited credit ratings withdrawn - AM Best

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of C- (weak) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘cc’ of Capital Life Insurance Company Limited (CLI) Papua New Guinea, resulting in stable outlook of these ratings.

Concurrently, these ratings have been withdrawn as the company has requested to no longer participate in AM Best’s interactive rating process.

The ratings reflect CLI’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best described as weak, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and weak enterprise risk management.

The ratings factor in a neutral impact from the company’s 100 per cent ownership by Capital Insurance Group Limited.

Risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio, remained at a very weak level at year-end 2018.

This follows an internal control failure that resulted in notable reserve strengthening of the company’s medical portfolio, which led to a significant decline in shareholders’ equity at 2017-end.

The company’s management team has since implemented a number of remedial actions, including large premium rate adjustments and strengthening of policy conditions.

AM Best continues to view CLI’s business profile as limited given the company’s small scale of operations and niche portfolio of business. It is also viewed to have a moderate level of product concentration and a high level of geographical concentration, with its entire premium base emanating from Papua New Guinea.

-- BERNAMA

Cyber Monday 2019 becomes single biggest shopping day in Amazon´s history

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 -- Cyber Monday was once again the single biggest shopping day in Amazon’s history, based on the number of items ordered worldwide.

Customers shopped at record levels across a wide selection, with hundreds of millions of products ordered worldwide between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, alone.

According to a statement, the top-selling categories worldwide include Toys, Home, Fashion and Health and Personal Care.

Customers purchased millions more Amazon Devices compared to the same period last year in Amazon’s Stores globally and the best-selling items were Echo Dot and Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote.

Among the tens of millions of toys purchased during this time period included LEGO Star Wars Darth Vader's Castle, Monopoly Game: Disney Frozen 2 Edition and Hasbro games such as Jenga, Guess Who and Candy Land Kingdom of Sweet Adventures.

Independent third-party sellers on Amazon's Stores which were mostly small and medium-sized businesses, sold more items during Cyber Monday 2019 than any other 24-hour period in the company’s history.

Amazon also delivered millions of grocery items to Prime members in the United States throughout the five days, for which best sellers from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market delivery included Honeycrisp apples, lemons and avocados.

-- BERNAMA

Toshiba releases new three-phase brushless motor control pre-driver IC

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation (Toshiba) recently announced ‘TC78B009FTG’, a three-phase brushless motor control pre-driver IC that does not require Hall sensors.

The device, whose mass production shipments have already started, can be applied in servers, blowers, cordless vacuum cleaners and robot vacuum cleaners.

The new TC78B009FTG with sensorless control drives an external FET. It controls the gate driving current of a FET and can be used with various FETs.

In addition, a closed loop speed control regulates and maintains the motor rotational speed under dynamic power fluctuations and load variations.

Precise setting of a speed profile is done by the built-in non-volatile memory and TC78B009FTG therefore eliminates the need for an external MCU for closed loop speed control.

More details at https://toshiba.semicon-storage.com/ap-en/top.html

-- BERNAMA

SOLUTIONS FOR TRACEABILITY ARE KEY FOR ASSURING SUSTAINABILITY - MIMOS

MIMOS and P&G collaborate to develop technology for sustainability assurance KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 (Bernama) --  Malaysian industries need to invest more in sustainable solutions if they want to compete in the international market, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Dr Ong Kian Ming said. He mentioned this at a dinner hosted by national applied research and development centre, MIMOS, marking the successful completion of a pilot project on traceability of sustainable palm oil in collaboration with P&G, a global brand leader in fast-moving consumer goods (FCMG). The dinner was also attended by project partners Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Malaysia Institute of Supply Chain Innovation (MISI). “I see a fruitful partnership between P&G and MIMOS involving Industry 4.0 technologies such as Big Data, Blockchain and Internet of Things, in developing the Oil Palm Data Warehouse for sustainability. “This is something which MITI wants to see much more of. Such a project would benefit our smallholders by increasing trust in their sustainability practices,” Dr Ong said. These efforts are in line with the fact that the Government has made it mandatory for oil palm growers in Malaysia to obtain Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification, with the aim of enabling growers to eventually attain RSPO certification for assuring international markets of their sustainability. In 2017, P&G started a collaboration with MIMOS to create an Oil Palm Data Warehouse and analytics system using locally-developed Big Data Analytics and Blockchain technology to optimise the efficiency of data collection process by industry. The system facilitates the tracking of private smallholders’ interactions with dealers as well as the movement of fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) produced from the farms. To date, over a thousand smallholders in Johor have been engaged and enabled to apply this traceability solution through the collaboration. The traceability platform establishes relationships between P&G palm suppliers to palm oil mills and refineries. Through this system, P&G is able to identify areas of social and environmental risks along their supply chain; they subsequently can plan and monitor follow-up actions for improvement and progress. P&G director of global sustainability Jack McAneny said the project would be one of the key enablers for the entire smallholder effort in Malaysia, with the goal to improve yields by 30-50 percent, improve the livelihood of the smallholders, and ensure sustainable practices in the P&G palm oil supply chain. “The project will bring significant benefits, consistent with P&G’s theme of collaborating to drive impact at scale,” McAneny said at the same event. P&G is committed to the responsible sourcing of palm oil and has declared livelihood improvement for the palm oil smallholders as one of its Ambition 2030 environmental sustainability goals. Recognising the value of the project, Dr Ong urged for it to be expanded nationwide and to other supply chains. “I look forward to this project continuing to the next phase and expanding nationwide. I also hope this data warehouse and supply chain analytics system can be adopted by industry players and applied in other supply chains beyond oil palm,” Dr Ong said. MIMOS is Malaysia’s national applied research development centre and is open to collaboration for commercialisation of solutions developed in partnership with the private sector. About MIMOS MIMOS is Malaysia’s national Applied Research and Development Centre.  As a strategic agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), MIMOS contributes to transforming Malaysia’s industry through patentable technology platforms, products and solutions. Over the past 12 years, MIMOS has filed more than 2,000 Intellectual Properties in various technology domains and across key socio-economic areas. Serving a central role in Malaysia’s transformation journey and ICT Vision, MIMOS endeavours to create a culture of innovation by nurturing relationships with internal and external stakeholders, in the spirit of smart partnerships and inclusive growth models and strategies. SOURCE: MIMOS Berhad

THE GRADUATE MANAGEMENT ADMISSION COUNCIL SELECTS FOUR NEW BUSINESS SCHOOLS FOR MEMBERSHIP

New Schools Represent Diverse Geographies, Bringing Important Perspective in Support of GMAC Mission

RESTON, Va., Dec 10 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Graduate Management Admission Council™ (GMAC™), a global association of leading graduate business schools, today announced four new schools into its membership. The addition of Hult International Business School; Maastricht University, School of Business and Economics; Sabanci University, Sabanci Business School; and Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Business School brings GMAC’s total membership to 229.

GMAC members go through an invitation-only process governed by the organization’s board of directors. Nominees then participate in a comprehensive application process that addresses the sustained commitments to supporting GMAC’s mission: providing the tools and information necessary for schools and talent to discover and evaluate each other.

“The volume of quality business schools around the world means that a candidate’s journey toward an advanced degree knows no boundaries,” said Sangeet Chowfla, president and CEO of GMAC.  “We’re excited to welcome these institutions into membership at GMAC as they reflect the globalization of our industry.  Each school brings unique insight and expertise from their own experience and will contribute significantly to our mission.”

In addition to meeting membership criteria, each school has made a specific pledge to help GMAC meet its mission.

Hult International Business School
Hult International Business School is a non-profit educational pioneer and the first triple-accredited U.S. business school. Ranked by the Financial Times, The Economist, Forbes, and Bloomberg Businessweek, Hult offers programs at undergraduate, graduate, and executive education levels and awards both US and UK degrees across its global campus locations in Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai, Shanghai, and New York. Founded by one of Europe's most successful entrepreneurs—Bertil Hult—the school is built on the belief that business skills can only truly be learned by doing. By immersing students from all over the world in practical, hands-on experiences from day one, Hult's programs develop the skills employers and entrepreneurs need most. In partnership with GMAC, Hult will continue its work focused on creating a global community of confident, capable graduates, ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.

Maastricht University, School of Business and Economics
New and innovative approaches to teaching and research have accelerated the Maastricht University School of Business and Economics’ reputation as a highly ranked business school.  Located in the Netherlands, Maastricht will use their experience to support GMAC’s mission of bringing innovation to the marketplace while helping schools and candidates connect with one another. They share GMAC’s commitment to enhancing and adding services that support and build upon the tremendous effort business schools put forth to bring in talented, diverse classes each year.  Maastricht will use industry knowledge and expertise to help develop management education material that acknowledges current trends like digitalization, sustainability, and responsibility.

Sabanci University, Sabanci Business School
Established in 1999 as a graduate school of management and later expanding to include undergraduate education, Sabanci Business School (Sabanci SBS) in Istanbul, Turkey has quickly become one of the leading business schools in its region; ranked as one of the best business schools by the Financial Times. Always research-driven, Sabanci SBS delivers a range of challenging and innovative programs that respond to the current and potential needs of business students and the environment in which they’ll work. In all their programs Sabanci SOM has been innovative, focusing on developing close links with the business community, striking the right-balance between theory and practice of management, and educating socially responsible managers. Sabanci SBS participated in GMAC’s Key School Roundtable in Turkey and provides valuable insight throughout their region.

Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Business School
Trinity Business School sits at the heart of a world-renowned research-led university located at the centre of Dublin, a European capital city and hub for global business. Trinity Business School’s approach to education encapsulates international research and industry expertise in a project-based approach where impact on both business and society are key. Trinity Business School supports their students to graduate with a ‘moral compass’ and excel at ‘ethical leadership’, developing business strategies that encourage ethical attitudes among consumers and investors.  As part of Trinity Business School’s commitment to contributing to global society, they will support GMAC in continuing to deliver excellence in business education and provide valuable insights from Ireland and Europe to help expand and enhance GMAC’s offering.

To be considered for membership in GMAC, schools complete an application process and must maintain a selective admissions process; offer a master’s program in business administration, management subjects or equivalent; and actively support GMAC’s mission and use the GMAT exam or other GMAC assessments as part of their admissions and enrollment processes. They also participate in GMAC governance, including voting on Board elections and other matters that may come before the Council.

About GMAC
The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) is a mission-driven association of leading graduate business schools worldwide. Founded in 1953, we are committed to creating solutions for business schools and candidates to better discover, evaluate and connect with each other. We work on behalf of the schools and the graduate management education community, and guide candidates on their journey to higher education, to ensure that no talent goes undiscovered.

GMAC provides world-class research, professional development opportunities and assessments for the graduate management education industry, designed to advance the art and science of admissions. Owned and administered by GMAC, the Graduate Management Admission Test™ (GMAT™) exam is the most widely used graduate business school assessment, recognized by more than 7,000 programs worldwide. Other GMAC assessments include the NMAT by GMAC™ (NMAT^®) exam, for entrance into graduate management programs in India, Nigeria, the Philippines, and South Africa, and the Executive Assessment (EA), which supports the admissions needs of more than 160 programs around the world.

Our flagship portal for graduate management education resources and information, www.mba.com, receives 6 million visits a year and features the School Search matching tool and GMASS™ search service, a data-driven technology that helps connect candidates and business schools.  These platforms are part of GMAC Connect, a suite of services that help schools attract students through recruiting solutions that marry our market intelligence, data, reach and candidate touchpoints.

Subsidiaries of GMAC include UK-based online publishing company BusinessBecause, a content-rich destination that helps students identify the right-fit business schools during the critical consideration and selection phases of their journey, and The MBA Tour, which supports business schools’ global recruiting efforts by organizing business education-focused events around the world.

GMAC is a global organization with offices in China, India, Singapore, UK and the US. To learn more about our work, please visit www.gmac.com.

Media contact:
Geoffrey Basye, Director of Media Relations, GMAC
+1 (703) 668-9799 or gbasye@gmac.com

SOURCE: Graduate Management Admission Council

--BERNAMA

MOENGAGE INC. ACHIEVES AMAZON WEB SERVICES RETAIL EXPERIENCE COMPETENCY STATUS

BENGALURU, India & SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 10 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- MoEngage Inc, an intelligent customer engagement platform, announced today that it achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Retail Competency.

AWS Retail Competency Partners have demonstrated technical proficiency and proven customer success across numerous innovative solution areas in retail spanning Data Lakes, AI/ML, Voice, Recognition, IoT, Microservices, and Retail Transformation.

AWS Retail Competency Partners undergo rigorous validation by AWS to ensure alignment to AWS best practices for building the most secure, high-performing, resilient, and efficient cloud infrastructure for industry applications – to give customers increased confidence when making decisions.

AWS is enabling scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions from startups to global enterprises. To support the seamless integration and deployment of these solutions, AWS established the AWS Competency Program to help customers identify Consulting and Technology APN Partners with deep industry experience and expertise.

Achieving the AWS Retail Competency differentiates MoEngage as an AWS Partner Network (APN) member that delivers highly specialized technical proficiency.

“MoEngage is proud to achieve AWS Retail Competency status,” said Raviteja Dodda, Co-founder & CEO, MoEngage. “Our team is dedicated to helping companies achieve their technology goals by leveraging the agility, breadth of services, and pace of innovation that AWS provides.”

MoEngage leverages AWS to help it deliver personalized, real-time messaging at scale. MoEngage delivers over 1 billion personalized communications every day, profiling over 500 million users from 35 countries.

Using MoEngage, retailers can drive higher retention, lifetime value and marketing ROI. MoEngage was also named in the 2019 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Mobile Marketing Platforms - and received one of the higher ratings for customer satisfaction.

Mr. Anand Bhaskaran, Head, Digital Marketing at bigbasket, said, “MoEngage has been a very strong and steady partner supporting us in our quest to be the best online grocery store in India. Their robust segmentation, AI-powered personalization, and cross-channel marketing capabilities play a crucial role in helping bigbasket deliver a personalized and seamless online retail experience to customers."

About MoEngage

MoEngage is an intelligent customer engagement platform, built for the mobile-first world. Retail brands like FuturePay, Tokopedia, bigbasket, among several others use MoEngage to deliver hyper-personalization at scale across digital channels.

To know more visit www.moengage.com

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191209005796/en/

Contact

MoEngage | Suraj Dubey | suraj@moengage.com

Source : MoEngage

--BERNAMA

LOOKOUT APP DEFENSE EXPANDS ITS FOOTPRINT IN APAC WITH NEW STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND CUSTOMERS

Lookout App Defense provides comprehensive mobile app security for BBPOS Merchant Services and Blibli.com; signs strategic distribution agreement with Connect APAC

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 3 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Lookout, Inc, the leader in post-perimeter security, today announced two new marquee customers and a strategic distributor for its App Defense business in Asia. Through a new distribution partnership with Connect APAC, a leading cybersecurity consultancy, Lookout will create new inroads for App Defense in markets in Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. App Defense provides enterprises with continuous visibility into the threat landscape of their consumer devices and protection against cyberthreats and malware that can potentially lead to data compromise from their mobile apps.

"Providing gold standard security is imperative for BBPOS, as we deliver mobile payment solutions to merchants globally,” said Mr. Alex Choi, CEO of BBPOS Merchant Services Ltd. “Lookout App Defense SDK embedded in BBPOS Merchant Services App protects our valued merchants and customers from advanced root/jailbreak attempts, network attacks and account takeover by sophisticated trojans and surveillanceware.” BBPOS is a payment and card solution provider that strives to create secure, high quality, flexible and affordable payment solutions that deliver the highest standards of security in any environment.

Similarly, Blibli.com, one of the largest online retailers in Indonesia, with over 5M users, chose Lookout App Defense to protect their customers’ data from compromise. “At Blibli, we fulfill millions of orders across our customers all over Indonesia,” said Mr. Nayan Jadeja, CTO of Blibli.com. “As a trusted brand, it is very important for us to secure our customers’ data and order information from cyberthreats. Lookout App Defense SDK embedded within our mobile app, provides us the much needed visibility and protection against trojans, spyware, surveillanceware and malicious networks.”

To further grow Lookout market leadership in the APAC region, Hong Kong-based cybersecurity consultancy Connect APAC will now resell and distribute the Lookout App Defense solution in multiple South East Asian countries, providing customers with a complete end-to-end mobile app security solution.

“We are very honored to partner exclusively with Lookout to provide mobile app protection solutions in the Asian market,” said Catherine Wong, CEO of Connect APAC. “Lookout brings the most differentiated solution which ensures that mobile apps are protected against any financial losses, for both consumers and enterprises, in an ever expanding digital world. We aim to spearhead with these core values to benefit enterprises in Asia.”

“We’re very excited about our partnership with Connect APAC,” said Satendar Bhatia, SVP of Embedded Software Sales at Lookout. “Together, we will expedite the expansion of Lookout App Defense footprint in Asia and help protect enterprises from data compromise.”

Learn more about Lookout App Defense here.

About Lookout

Lookout is a cybersecurity company for the post-perimeter, cloud-first, mobile-first world. Powered by the largest dataset of mobile code in existence, the Lookout Security Cloud provides visibility into the entire spectrum of mobile risk. Lookout is trusted by hundreds of millions of individual users, enterprises and government agencies and partners such as AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Microsoft, Apple and others. Headquartered in San Francisco, Lookout has offices in Amsterdam, Boston, London, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto and Washington, D.C. To learn more, visit www.lookout.com and follow Lookout on its blog, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191202005852/en/ 

Contact

Lookout PR: Eileen Kemp, press@lookout.com

Source : Lookout

--BERNAMA

Yili Group's New Zealand investment caters to global dairy consumers

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 -- The first dairy enterprise in Asia, Yili Group is integrating premium resources in New Zealand to serve its global consumers, taking significant action to build the ‘World Integrally Sharing Health’.

In recent years, Yili’s frequent investments in the world-famous source of top milk has drawn worldwide attention.

Since 2013, Yili has started to make a forward-looking layout in the country by developing multi-level cooperation in the areas of industrial operation, investment mergers and acquisitions, innovative research and development, as well as sustainable development.

Yili Oceania Production Base is one of the world’s largest integrated dairy production bases. The products such as Satine New Zealand pure milk and PRO-KIDO Ruihu infant formula milk powder, are favoured by consumers and have been a bright spot during the China International Import Expo.

Located in the South Pacific Ocean, New Zealand boasts high-quality milk resources and its dairy production scale leads the world.

The population of 650 million contributes a dairy product consumption growth rate of more than 10 per cent per annum, which makes Southeast Asia an important emerging market for the global dairy industry.

Focus on the future, Yili will promote the cooperation of the whole industrial chain to be comprehensive and indepth, and form synergy in resources, markets, innovation and other aspects for joint building of a ‘Global Health Ecosphere’.

-- BERNAMA

Guotai Junan International honoured with multiple awards from local, overseas media

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 -- Guotai Junan International has been awarded the Gold Award of ‘The Asset ESG Corporate Awards 2019’ for the third consecutive year.

In addition, The Golden Bauhinia Award, organised by the Hong Kong Takungpao, once again granted the company the ‘Best Investment Value award for Listed Companies’.

The awards are an indication the company is highly recognised by both international media and professional institutes in aspects of branding, corporate governance, social responsibility and investment values.

The Asset is renowned as one of the most trustworthy media in the Asia investment community and The Asset ESG Corporate Awards is the longest-running ESG awards in Asia, which is set to praise enterprises for its outstanding practice in environmental, social and governance.

Guotai Junan International is honoured to be praised by the judging panel in terms of corporate governance, social responsibility and investor relations management, and won the award in the third consecutive year.

Meanwhile, the ‘Golden Bauhinia Award’ appraised the outstanding performance of listed companies for its corporate governance and investment values in the past year.

After online polling, judging panel and professionals’ reviews, the company was awarded the ‘Best Investment Value award for Listed Companies’, demonstrating the wide acceptance from capital markets.

-- BERNAMA

GUOTAI JUNAN INTERNATIONAL RECEIVED MULTIPLE AWARDS FROM LOCAL AND OVERSEAS MEDIA

HONG KONG, Dec 12 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Guotai Junan International (the “Company”, Stock code:1788.HK) announced that the Company has been awarded the Gold Award of “The Asset ESG Corporate Awards 2019” for the third consecutive year. Meanwhile, The Golden Bauhinia Award, organized by Hong Kong Takungpao, once again granted the Company the “Best Investment Value award for Listed Companies”. This indicates the company is highly recognized by both international media and professional institutes in aspects of branding, corporate governance, social responsibility and investment values.  The Asset is renowned as one of the most trustworthy media in the Asia investment community, and The Asset ESG Corporate Awards is the longest-running ESG awards in Asia, which is set to praise enterprises for its outstanding practice in environmental, social and governance. The Company is honored to be praised by the judging panel in terms of corporate governance, social responsibility and investor relations management and won the award in the 3rd consecutive year. Meanwhile, the “Golden Bauhinia Award”, co-organized by the Hong Kong Takung Wenwei Media Group, Beijing Listed Company Association, the Hong Kong Chinese Enterprises Association, the Hong Kong Chinese Financial Association, the Hong Kong Chinese Securities Association, the Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries, and Hong Kong Securities Professionals Association, aims at appraising the outstanding performance of listed companies for its corporate governance and investment values etc. in the past year. After online polling, judging panel and professionals’ reviews, the Company was awarded the “Best Investment Value award for Listed Companies”, demonstrating the wide acceptance from capital markets. Strengthen Corporate Governance and Create Value for Shareholders Guotai Junan International adheres to a high standard of corporate governance and implements diversified measures of corporate management efficiently to enhance its investment value. Since its listing, Guotai Junan International has achieved a fast and strong business development. For the past 5 years, the Company has maintained rapid development with revenue at a CAGR of 25%, along with industry-leading payout ratio and return on equity (ROE). With our strategic adjustment and great execution, the Company’s income structure has become more balanced and diversified. Meanwhile, thanks to the comprehensive and prudential risk management system, Moody's and Standard & Poor's, the major global credit rating agencies, have both reaffirmed the Company’s investment-grade credit ratings in July 2019, marking the highest ratings among the Chinese securities companies in Hong Kong currently. In the future, the Company will proactively grasp the opportunities aroused by economic growth and further opened-up market in China, to sustain the leading position in the industry and provide comprehensive and one-stop investment and financing integrated services and products to the clients through strengthening corporate governance and improving operating efficiency. The Company will strive to enhance risk-adjusted return on capital and reward our clients and investors for their long-term support with a steady and desirable growth. Contribute to Society to Achieve Sustainable Development  As a leading comprehensive financial service provider, Guotai Junan International pursues sustainable development with diversified practices in corporate social responsibility, supporting charitable activities and protecting the environment. For the interests of employees, the Company is devoted to providing a healthy and safe working environment, maintaining a respectful and fair office culture, and supporting employees’ physical and psychological development. In terms of social welfare, the Company has proactively participated and organized various community events, including The Community Chest Walk for Millions, as well as the Mooncake Donation Programme organized by Harmony House. The Company also attached great importance to environmental protection, such as engaging in the WWF’s Earth Hour to encourage all staff to cherish natural resources and reduce waste. Empower Investor Relations and Optimize Information Disclosure  As a listed company in Hong Kong, Guotai Junan International insists a high transparency in information disclosure and values the regular communication with investors. Apart from the disclosure of financial reports and roadshows twice a year, the Company also encourages two-way communications with both shareholders and investors through social media platforms such as WeChat, Facebook as well as LinkedIn, etc. Despite market turbulence in recent years, the Company has drawn investors' continuous attention, while its performance has gained appreciation and recognition from the market as well. About Guotai Junan International Holdings Limited  Guotai Junan International is the market leader and first mover for internationalization of Chinese Securities Company. The Company is the first Chinese securities broker to list on the Main Board of The Hong Kong Stock Exchange by way of initial public offering. Based in Hong Kong, the Company provides diversified integrated financial services. The core services include: wealth management, brokerage, corporate finance, loans and financing, asset management and financial products. The Company is one of the constituents of HSCI, Hang Seng Composite LargeCap & MidCap Index, FTSE HK index and FTSE HK ex H share index. Guotai Junan International has been assigned “Baa2 / Prime-2” and “BBB+ / A-2” rating from Moody's and Standard & Poor's respectively. The controlling shareholder, Guotai Junan Securities Company Limited (Stock Code: 601211.SS; 2611.HK), is the comprehensive financial provider with a long-term, sustainable and overall leading position in the Chinese securities industry. Backed by strong operational support, the Company will be able to further explore the HK and Asia-Pacific markets, aiming to become an important financial institution with market influence in the region. For more information about Guotai Junan International: http://www.gtjai.com   View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191211006032/en/  Contact Steven Chen steven.chen@gtjas.com.hk +852 25092604 Source : Guotai Junan International Holdings Limited --BERNAMA

NEW INSIGHTS FOR RESEARCHERS LOOKING TO SYNCHRONIZE EYE TRACKING DATA

Innovative Integration of Eye Tracking and Physiology Data Now Available from BIOPAC GOLETA, Calif., Dec 11 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BIOPAC Systems, Inc. now offers of a new eye tracking solution with stimulus presentation that integrates physiology data with eye tracking data. The Remote, Screen-based Eye Tracking Bar hardware and software allows researchers to present stimuli and collect eye tracking data combined with physiology data in a single interface. Researchers can now correlate standard eye tracking metrics such as gaze position, dwell time, blink rate, and pupil size with physiology data such as Heart Rate, EMG, EDA/GSR, and SCR/SCL. By viewing synchronized data in one interface, researchers can more easily develop meaningful insights in their scientific experiments. The new non-contact Eye Tracking Bar comes in two sizes and multiple frequency options for enhanced resolution—40 Hz, 60 Hz, 120 Hz and 200 Hz. The dark pupil technology enables real-time eye tracking on any computer screen. The flexible system uses an infrared camera and provides its own light source, enabling it to work in different lighting conditions—outside sunny, inside a vehicle, inside a dark room, even in complete darkness. The large head motion box allows subjects to move their heads more freely than if they are tethered to a device. Eye tracking metrics include Gaze Path, Gaze Plot, Heat Map, Attention Map, User-defined Areas of Interest (AOI), Scarf Plot, String Plot, Pie Chart, and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) metrics. Physiology data can include all signals recorded with BIOPAC’s AcqKnowledge software, including ECG, EDA, EMG, SCR, SCL, BP, PULSE, RESP—up to 16 input channels per MP160 Data Acquisition Unit. "Eye tracking is an important metric for certain types of research—including psychophysiology, ergonomics, user experience, design, product development, and market research,” said BIOPAC CEO Frazer Findlay. “The ability to view eye tracking and physiology data in one interface will increase the efficiency of research and allow researchers to expand their scientific study.” More information on BIOPAC’s Eye Tracking System can be found on the BIOPAC website. About BIOPAC Systems BIOPAC was founded in 1985 and is recognized around the world as a premier choice for life science hardware and software. Worldwide, over 99% of the top 100 universities and Global Fortune 500 companies rely on BIOPAC for their life science research and teaching system needs. BIOPAC makes high-quality scientific tools for physiology measurement and interpretation. BIOPAC solutions range from educational solutions to cutting-edge devices for use in lab, real world, and virtual reality research environments. For more information on BIOPAC products, visit www.biopac.com.   A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8f4910df-8827-4c8e-808d-1c97165d515c Contact: Brenda Dentinger Marketing Manager BIOPAC Systems, Inc. brendad@biopac.com SOURCE: BIOPAC Systems, Inc. --BERNAMA

NetAlly rolls out first firmware upgrade

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 -- The industry’s first integrated wired/wireless network analyser, NetAlly EtherScope nXG has been upgraded with enhanced security, comprehensive analysis and improved collaboration features.

The EtherScope nXG™ is a handheld network analyser that enables network engineers and technicians to quickly discover, analyse and troubleshoot wired and wireless enterprise networks, all via a single user interface.

Launched in October, the product has already been named as a finalist for ‘Innovation of the Year’ by the Wi-Fi awards.

“We wanted to establish a release cadence going forward and demonstrate agility and development velocity by adding key new capabilities to the EtherScope nXG,” said NetAlly CTO, James Kahkoska.

“Amongst the dozens of features added, my favourite is discovery search, which allows users to comb through thousands of discovered network elements by MAC, manufacturer, IP or name with just a few characters.”

The new update is now available to all existing users, at no charge via over-the-air download from the complementary Link-Live cloud Service or by downloading it to an SD-card for manual installation.

More details at https://netally.com/products/etherscopenxg

-- BERNAMA

INCHEON CITY ENVISIONS BIOTECH MECCA BY DEVELOPING SONGDO GLOBAL BIOTECH CLUSTER

^{The Incheon Metropolitan City government announced an ambitious plan for developing the Songdo Global Biotech Cluster in the Incheon Free Economic Zone. Aiming to attract global advanced biotechnology companies and research institutions, the City authorities will expand the industrial complex by adding the 11th Songdo industrial block with space of 990,000 square meters to the 4th, 5th and 7th Songdo industrial blocks with space of 910,000 square meters. They will develop Songdo region as the world-level global biotech hub by connecting the industrial complex with projected nearby Songdo Severance Hospital and a science park. (Photo: Business Wire)}


INCHEON, South Korea, Dec 10 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Incheon Metropolitan City government announced an ambitious plan for developing the Songdo Global Biotech Cluster in the Incheon Free Economic Zone.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191209005006/en/ 

Aiming to attract global advanced biotechnology companies and research institutions, the City authorities will expand the industrial complex by adding the 11th Songdo industrial block with space of 990,000 square meters to the 4th, 5th and 7th Songdo industrial blocks with space of 910,000 square meters. They will develop Songdo region as the world-level global biotech hub by connecting the industrial complex with projected nearby Songdo Severance Hospital and a science park.

The City government has been concentrating efforts on expanding investors’ base. In 2018, it conducted investor relations activities in Switzerland to look into technology and business trends of the biotech industry in the country. Representatives of the City visited Novartis, a world-level bio-pharmaceutical company, to discuss the possibility of investing in the biotech cluster. Gudel Lineartec Co. Ltd., a Switzerland-based industrial robot manufacturer, established its facilities in Songdo region in 2005. And several Switzerland-based companies, including Roche, Novartis, and Bioengineering, built partnerships with biotech companies in Songdo. Also, biotech companies in the City took part in the Europe Biotech Forum, the largest event in the industry in Europe.

Targeting to analyze major tasks for expanding the Songdo Biotech Cluster and work out a feasible master plan by the end of the year, the City government is currently conducting contracted research. The research includes ways of exploring demand for new investors, attracting major facilities, and fostering Korean biotech companies in the cluster.

“Songdo complex achieved remarkable growth in the global bio-pharmaceutical market, and inducement of more investment by advanced global pharmaceutical companies and establishment of partnerships with them are essential for building a world-level biotech cluster,” said Park Nam-choon, Mayor of Incheon City. “We are committed to contributing to the growth of bio-pharmaceutical industry in Korea by supplementing vulnerable chains in developing the Songdo Global Biotech Cluster through the creation of a more convenient environment for investing by global pharmaceutical companies and maximization of research and development capabilities of Korean industry.”

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191209005006/en/

Contact

Incheon Metropolitan City
Sang Kon Park
+82 32-440-3052
sangkon7@korea.kr

Source : Incheon Metropolitan City