Posts Tagged ‘COVID-19’

Livinguard Re-Affirms Protection Against Delta Variant in Tests

Thursday, September 23rd, 2021

Livinguard’s face masks passed tests by the Indian National Institute (NII) of Immunology, showing an average of more than 99% effectiveness against viruses and bacteria. The test report can be found here.

The positive results are timely as the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant drives new mask wearing requirements worldwide

The positive results are timely as the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant drives new mask wearing requirements worldwide

The tests reinforces the efficacy of Livinguard’s patented technology in protecting wearers of its masks at a time when face masks are again at the frontline of the fight against COVID-19.

In Singapore, Livinguard recently partnered with Grab Singapore to provide 22,000 masks for the company’s private car hire and delivery drivers to protect them from COVID-19 virus microbes.

This will provide them with the comfort that they are protected in the course of their work, where they encounter a variety of commuters, F&B staff and home diners, even as Singapore sees an ongoing tally of infections as it moves into managing COVID-19 as endemic.

In addition to being available for purchase online, Livinguard’s selection of antiviral masks is also now available at selected Guardian outlets island-wide, making it easier for those who prefer to shop in person.

More details below from the press release.

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Tech4WorkFromHome: Tech U Can Use To Work & Study From Home

Tuesday, May 25th, 2021

#tech4wfh is a new series to curate technology and gadgets that you can use to set up your home environment for #WorkFromHome and #HomeBasedLearning – based on what I use for my own home office.

What is your #WorkFromHome or #HomeBasedLearning setup at home? Stay tuned for tech4WorkFromHome series of curated technology and gadgets to set up your work or study environment at home.

What is your #WorkFromHome or #HomeBasedLearning setup at home? Stay tuned for #tech4WorkFromHome series of curated technology and gadgets to set up your work or study environment at home.

It’s been more than a year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By now, workers and students all over the world have become accustomed to lockdowns and social distancing in the fight against the respiratory disease.

#WorkFromHome and #HomeBasedLearning have become the norm for the time being.

As a result, I’ve been inundated with requests for recommendations on technology and gadgets for setting up the home environment for working and for studying.

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Study: 45% of Singapore SMBs Want to go 100% Laptop Post COVID-19

Friday, March 12th, 2021

In an IDC survey commissioned by ASUS, SMBs are more inclined to equip their employees with laptops rather than desktop computers – compared to prior to COVID-19.

Hmm, still somewhat behind Japan I suppose. I recall, when attending a senior management & leadership course in Japan in the late 90’s, the staff at the college were already equipped 100% with laptops, while fellow-attendees of the year-long course were issued with a personal laptop. It was a cultural mindshift - coming from a work environment at home when it was still 100% desktop.

Hmm, still somewhat behind Japan I suppose. I recall, when attending a senior management & leadership course in Japan in the late 90’s, the staff at the college were already equipped 100% with laptops, while fellow-attendees of the year-long course were issued with a personal laptop. It was a cultural mindshift – coming from a work environment at home when it was still 100% desktop.

Presented during the IDC & ASUS Webcast 2021 Singapore – Digital Transformation for the Next Normal in Asia/Pacific, ASUS revealed that 45% of Singapore SMBs are likely to convert to a 100% laptop setup post COVID-19, underscoring the importance of mobility in a hybrid workplace model.

The finding is among other strategic insights to SMB technology use and how COVID-19 has affected related decisions.

Three suggestions from IDC that Singapore SMBs can implement with regard to technology implementation.

Three suggestions from IDC that Singapore SMBs can implement with regard to technology implementation.

Considering the survey findings, IDC advised that equipping employees with the latest devices that can support both a remote and hybrid work environment will have a significant impact not only on employee productivity and experience, but also will provide a competitive edge to organizations to attract and retain talent.

More details below from the press release.

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Trends: COVID-19 Gives Impetus to Hybrid Working

Thursday, July 23rd, 2020

One of the impacts from the global COVID-19 pandemic is the rise of hybrid working, the new normal for businesses and organisations around the world.

* The slides in this article are extracted from Poly’s new report on how hybrid working will be the new collaborative imperative.

What to expect in the new normal of hybrid working.

What to expect in the new normal of hybrid working. Click on image to enlarge.

Working from home had always languished as the catch phrase for businesses aspiring to provide employees with a better work-life balance whilst maintaining a high level of performance.

Even though the requisite technology has been around and available for years now, the main stumbling block to greater adoption of working from home has been predominantly a cultural issue.

Four technology trends enabling hybrid working. Click on image to enlarge.

Four technology trends enabling hybrid working. Click on image to enlarge.

Companies are concerned that employees may not work as hard when left to their own devices at home, while employees worry that it is more difficult to get things done if they’re not physically working at the office.

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Thematic Workplan (2H2020) for tech4tea.com: COVID-19

Wednesday, July 1st, 2020

Today is the beginning of the second half of 2020. Here’s the thematic workplan for tech4tea.com for the second half of the year.

Thematic Workplan 2H2020 - centred around the “aftermath” of COVID-19.

Thematic Workplan 2H2020 – centred around the “aftermath” of COVID-19.

The first half of 2020 has been ALL about something that began last year – COVID-19.

Unfortunately, the second half of 2020 looks set to be all about the pandemic as well.

The past six months saw countries all over the world reeling from the impact of a new disease – frantically learning about it and desperately trying to stem its spread.

The next six months will see countries continue their fight against the global epidemic- managing second wave outbreaks, racing to develop vaccines and cures, and emerging out of lockdowns to return to some form of normalcy.

Going forward, the “new normal” will be very different from the normal of pre-COVID days.

So the next half year will be all about living WITH COVID-19 – in all aspects of life.

For tech4tea.com, I’ve laid down a focal theme for each month in the second half of 2020.

Get in touch (johntan@tech4tea.com) if you have topics or products aligned with the above themes.

Here goes…

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COVID-19: Which Sanitizer to Use for Post-Circuit Breaker Protection?

Saturday, June 20th, 2020

Phase 2 of post-Circuit Breaker measures has begun in Singapore. As we venture out of #WorkFromHome & #HomeBasedLearning to meet more people and visit more places, here’s a good hand sanitiser that is not only effective but allows you to enjoy prolonged protection without any skin irritation.

* This story was first published in Haleness Me.

There are so many sanitisers out there in the market, what are the characteristics to look out for when choosing a good sanitiser

There are so many sanitisers out there in the market, what are the characteristics to look out for when choosing a good sanitiser?

There are many sanitisers available out there – how should we select one that will fulfill the task of protecting us from COVID-19, over an extended period of time?

When it comes to skin sanitisers, who better to get advice from than a skin specialist?

This was what I learned from Dr Coni Liu, a consultant dermatologist from DS Skin Clinic in Singapore.

Firstly, the sanitiser must be effective, not only against the SARS-COV-2 but against most pathogens that we encounter on a daily basis.

After all, that’s why we are applying a hand sanitiser right?

Generally, there are two types of hand sanitisers – alcohol-based and non-alcohol based.

The alcohol-based sanitisers are more effective and fast-acting, while the non-alcohol based sanitisers are generally less effective and slow-acting – more suitable for object surfaces rather than the skin.

Secondly, it must be kind to the skin.

Many alcohol-based sanitisers are effective but tend to be dehydrating and harsh to the skin.

Thirdly, you need one that lasts over a longer period of time, to increase the effectiveness against germs, and to reduce the need for frequent application.

This will better protect one’s skin against the damaging effects of the sanitiser and neutralise the adverse effects of the alcohol content which is necessary for killing the germs.

Dr Coni Liu, Consultant Dermatologist at DS Skin & Wellness Clinic.

Dr Coni Liu, Consultant Dermatologist at DS Skin & Wellness Clinic.

Therefore, the perfect sanitizer would be highly-effective, long-lasting, and would have a formulation which protects and moisturises the skin.

Looking at the sanitisers available in the market, they’re either alcohol-based and effective in killing germs but are unkind to our skins – or they’re non-alcohol-based but are less effective and slow acting.

Apparently that was the dilemma that Dr Liu faced when her patients asked her to recommend a good hand sanitizer that satisfied these requirements.

And guess what, she and her fellow dermatologists highlighted this problem to their boss – Dr Henry Loh – and he commissioned DS Skin Clinic’s in-house scientist Dr Richard Seow to develop a hand sanitiser that met all these needs.

To cut a long story short, after an extensive but rapid local research and development effort, DS Skin Clinic has come up with a hand sanitiser that immediately kills 99.99% of most household germs, including the SARS-COV-2 virus; lasts for 24 hours; and which is gentle to the skin through the inclusion of an emollient oil.

The DS Skin Clinic All-Day Hand Sanitizer was just launched two days ago – just in time for Phase 2 of the post-CB measures.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Read the details about the hand sanitiser below from the press release.

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Canon Singapore Launches Safe Entry Solution for Retail & Offices

Thursday, June 18th, 2020

The system consists of a device with a camera, temperature screening and a scanner that reads the identification card of a visitor for an integrated safe entry experience. As the solution is also a self-service system, workplaces can reduce manpower managing entry stations.

Canon's new all-in-one entry-control system: FACTS.

Canon’s new all-in-one entry-control system: FACTS.

Canon Singapore announced today the launch of a digital check-in solution which enables businesses to facilitate contactless, fast and easy temperature screening and entry/exit recording for staff and customers.

The solution, which is known as Facial Access Control Temperature System (FACTS), uses an 8-inch tablet which combines the functions of a camera, infrared thermography, near-field communication (NFC) device, barcode scanner and data storage.

The tablet is a third-party device distributed by Canon Singapore.

To check in, visitors should stand within 0.5 to 0.7metre from the device to have their temperature screened via the infrared thermography.

If the visitor’s temperature is within a predetermined range, a green text box will be shown to indicate that the visitor has passed the temperature screening.

This will be accompanied by an automated voice message which says, “temperature normal”.

The device will then request for the visitor’s identity, which can be quickly obtained by scanning the visitor’s identification cards such as NRIC (the latest digital version is also accepted) and driver’s license at the barcode scanner.

The device also can be set to automatically take a photo of the visitor, if required.

It takes just a few seconds to complete the entire process.

FACTS can also be used to facilitate the use of Singapore’s national digital check-in system, SafeEntry, to help retail stores, offices and other businesses comply with safe management measures at the workplace.

More details below from the press release.

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Event Forecast: IFA 2020 To Go Ahead In Berlin In September

Tuesday, May 19th, 2020

IFA 2020 gets the go-ahead for a three-day event – from 3 to 5 September – with a tight limit on the number of attendees.

Dr Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin (left) with Jens Heithecker, the Executive Director of IFA Berlin at the IFA press conference that was live-streamed online.

Dr Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin (left) with Jens Heithecker, the Executive Director of IFA Berlin at the IFA press conference that was live-streamed online.

Health and Safety will be top priorities as the Consumer Electronics and Home Appliances trade show proceeds with the annual physical exhibition in Berlin.

“Our IFA team really has pulled out the stops for this one. I’m incredibly proud of how they have tackled this challenge and come up with a solution for IFA 2020,” commented Dr Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin.

Focused on IFA’s core functions, the IFA 2020 Special Edition aims to support brands, manufacturers, media and retailers to connect and celebrate innovation across consumer electronics and home appliances.

IFA will host four stand-alone events, with not more than 1,000 attendees for each event per day.

  1. IFA Global Press Conference for brands’ keynotes and press conferences
  2. IFA Global Markets sourcing show
  3. IFA NEXT meets IFA SHIFT Mobility innovation platform
  4. IFA Business, Retail and Meeting Lounges.

IFA 2020 will not be open to the public, but run as an invitation-only event.

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Revolut, StashAway & PolicyPal Launch “Medical Energizer”

Thursday, April 16th, 2020

The “Medical Energizer” programme aims to support medical heroes in Singapore fighting the COVID-19 pandemic on the frontlines.

“Being in the frontline is a challenging task, therefore we would like to extend our support to protect their health and families. We believe that together we would be able to support each other through this crisis,” said Val Yap, Founder and CEO of PolicyPal.

“Being in the frontline is a challenging task, therefore we would like to extend our support to protect their health and families. We believe that together we would be able to support each other through this crisis,” said Val Yap, Founder and CEO of PolicyPal.

The program offers local heroes financial, insurance and rides benefits, to support their wellbeing during this crisis.

Revolut, a Visa partner, offers medical personnel 3% cashback for every transaction made on their Revolut Visa cards without any caps and up to S$50 rides rebates per week for any ride sharing services and taxi rides.

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COVID-19: Kaspersky Supports Healthcare Institutions With Free Licenses

Monday, March 2nd, 2020

The free full featured Kaspersky product licenses will be valid for six months.

The free availability of Kaspersky’s core endpoint security products for medical organisations will help them stay protected from cyberthreats during the pandemic.

The free availability of Kaspersky’s core endpoint security products for medical organisations will help them stay protected from cyberthreats during the pandemic.

The full list of B2B products available for free for six months includes Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud Plus, Kaspersky Security for Microsoft Office 365, Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business Advanced and Kaspersky Hybrid Cloud Security.

More details below from the press release.

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