Archive for the ‘Lifestyle’ Category

New Arrival: Nanoleaf Lines Backlit Colour-Changing LED Light Bars

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021

Nanoleaf Lines comprises short, backlit, colour-changing LED light bars connected with hexagonal joints and pasted onto the wall or ceiling to provide mood lighting. Prices below.

Nanoleaf Lines provides mood lighting for the home, entertainment, and hybrid workspaces.

Nanoleaf Lines provides mood lighting for the home, entertainment, and hybrid workspaces.

The new Nanoleaf Lines comprises short, backlit, colour-changing LED light bars connected with hexagonal joints and pasted onto the wall or ceiling to provide mood lighting.

Each set of Nanoleaf Lines is controlled by a controller which connects to a phone app via Wi-Fi.

More details below from the press release.

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Tech Focus: C-V2X Certification – Necessary or Just Nice to Have?

Monday, November 22nd, 2021

Fewer accidents and greater road safety are central to the vision for automated vehicles (AVs). Enabling that vision requires greater situational awareness and the ability to inform the car and its drivers what is happening a mile in front of them, foreseeing what’s likely to happen next, and automatically taking preemptive actions.

In this guest commentary, Cheryl Ajluni from Keysight Technologies shares her insights into C-V2X certification.

C-V2X Applications (Image courtesy of Qualcomm).

C-V2X Applications (Image courtesy of Qualcomm).

Cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology provides see-through, 360-degree, non-line-of-sight (NLOS) sensing in good, as well as adverse weather conditions to enhance the functionality and safety of autonomous driving (see the cover illustration).

C-V2X complements line-of-sight (LOS) sensors such as radar, lidar, camera, with information beyond their reach, and allows the vehicle to make more informed and coordinated decisions.

Whereas LOS sensors cannot indicate vehicle or driver intent, C-V2X conveys intent by sharing sensor data – resulting in a higher level of predictability in traffic situations such as lane changes, variable speeds, or road hazards.

Day one use cases include safety features such as emergency electronic brake light and forward collision warning, ‘do not pass’ warning, blind spot and lane change warning, vulnerable road user, road works warning, and intersection movement assistance.

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tech4xmas Gift Ideas for Christmas 2021

Sunday, November 21st, 2021

Here are some gift ideas that I’ve curated for X’mas 2021. I’ll be adding to this list over the next few weeks, so check back daily for new gift ideas as I collate them.

The tech4xmas gift guide is meant to provide ideas to start you off, so do check out some of them online and in the shops if they are what you think would bring a smile to your loved ones this Christmas. Start by shopping (on Redbubble) for accessories (phone cases, mouse pads, T-shirts, mugs etc) based on this lovely watercolour painting painted by my wife.

The tech4xmas gift guide is meant to provide ideas to start you off, so do check out some of them online and in the shops if they are what you think would bring a smile to your loved ones this Christmas. Start by shopping (on Redbubble) for accessories (phone cases, mouse pads, T-shirts, mugs etc) based on this lovely watercolour painting painted by my wife.

It’s now time to shop for presents for Christmas 2021, and bring some cheer to two years living under the shadow of COVID-19.

Around this time of year, I’m usually inundated with requests from readers and friends on Christmas gift ideas for their loved ones or themselves.

So here are some tech that I would use myself or get for MY loved ones, based mostly on those gadgets that I’ve tried or reviewed.

Not all are the latest and newest, but they are what I think are some of the best-in-class in their category of products.

Happy Christmas Shopping!

tech4xmas 2021 Gift Guide below.

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REACT is Medical Winner of 2021 James Dyson Award

Saturday, November 20th, 2021

REACT, the Medical Winner for the 2021 James Dyson Award, is a device to stem bleeding to help save the lives of stabbing victims. It was invented by Joseph Bentley from Loughborough university.

* This story was first published on Haleness Me.

 The REACT system uses a rapid, inflatable Tamponade device that is inserted into the stab wound. The automated inflation of this Tamponade provides internal pressure direct to the bleeding site, controlling bleeding faster than current methods.

The REACT system uses a rapid, inflatable Tamponade device that is inserted into the stab wound. The automated inflation of this Tamponade provides internal pressure direct to the bleeding site, controlling bleeding faster than current methods.

Knife crime is an issue in many countries around the world.

In England and Wales alone, there were around 46,000 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument, which is the highest number of offences since the year ending March 2011.

The Problem

The average wait time for an ambulance in the UK is currently just over eight minutes, yet it can only take five minutes for someone to bleed to death.

The Solution

The REACT device (which stands for Rapid Emergency Actuating Tamponade) aims to reduce catastrophic blood loss from a knife wound.

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HOPES is Singapore’s 1st International Winner of James Dyson Award

Thursday, November 18th, 2021

HOPES is the first entry from Singapore to win the international top prize in the 17 years’ history of the James Dyson Award.

* This story was first published on Haleness Me.

HOPES, (which stands for Home eye Pressure E-skin Sensor) is a wearable biomedical device for pain-free, low cost, at-home IOP testing.

HOPES, (which stands for Home eye Pressure E-skin Sensor) is a wearable biomedical device for pain-free, low cost, at-home IOP testing.

HOPES is a wearable biomedical device for pain-free, low cost, at-home intra-ocular pressure (IOP) testing.

This year’s International winner of the James Dyson Award was inspired by one of the inventors’, Kelu, father’s diagnosis of glaucoma.

The Problem

After witnessing his discomfort and multiple hospital visits, she realised there is a global need for a less invasive and more accessible method for Intraocular Pressure (IOP) monitoring.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide.

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Winners of James Dyson Award Announced with International Winner from Singapore

Wednesday, November 17th, 2021

The James Dyson Foundation has announced the winners of its James Dyson Award. This is the first time that an entry from Singapore has become the International Winner.

This is the first time in the competition’s 17 years’ history that the International Winner is from Singapore. HOPES from Singapore has bagged the international top prize.

This is the first time in the competition’s 17 years’ history that the International Winner is from Singapore. HOPES from Singapore has bagged the international top prize.

The James Dyson Award, organised by Dyson’s Charity – the James Dyson Foundation, aims to nurture and inspire a new generation of design engineers and inventors.

The brief is simple – design something that solves a problem.

While the award provides its winners with prize monies that help support the further development of their inventions, it importantly provides them a global platform to share their inventions with the world.

The James Dyson Award has now given nearly £1m in prize money to over 250 promising inventions from young engineers and scientists in 28 countries around the world.

In 2021, the Award received a record number of entries worldwide and Sir James Dyson chose three global winners for the first time, each receiving £30,000 in prize money to support the next stages of their inventions.

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New Arrival: Omnidesk Launches New Standing Desk Ascent

Wednesday, November 10th, 2021

The Omnidesk Ascent will be available in Singapore from 6 December at S$1,298 for the standard resin-top version and S$1,647 for the Wildwood version with wood-top.

 

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The Omnidesk Ascent is available in standard (resin-top) or Wildwood (wood-top) versions while the frames (legs) come in black or white. This is the Wildwood version.

Pre-orders for the new Omnidesk Ascent begins today (see sidebar for promotional prices).

The controller for the Ascent has been re-designed to look more pleasing and includes a 5V USB charging port, as well as control buttons to adjust the height of the table.

The controller is located to the left of the Ascent and includes 4 buttons for pre-programmed heights, as well as an OLED screen for adjusting other settings for the table.

Newly introduced for Ascent is a companion iOS/Android app – “Omnidesk Life” – which enables users to adjust the height of the table remotely (via Bluetooth), including 9 pre-programmed heights and other features such as tracking the time spent sitting or standing at the desk.

 

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The standard (resin-top) version of the Omnidesk Ascent standing table.

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Cyberattacks on Retailers and Shoppers to Rise in November

Thursday, November 4th, 2021

Cyberattacks on online retailers and shoppers are projected to rise in November in conjunction with Singles’ Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Here are some protective measures that shoppers and retailers can practise.

According to the Imperva’s “The State of Security Within eCommerce 2021” report, threats are escalating for the retail industry.

According to the Imperva’s “The State of Security Within eCommerce 2021” report, threats are escalating for the retail industry.

Imperva has released a new eCommerce report and issued advice around safe retailing in conjunction with the world’s biggest online shopping event on Nov 11 − Singles’ Day.

“The 2021 holiday shopping season is shaping up to be a nightmare for both retailers and consumers. With the global supply chain conditions worsening, retailers will not only struggle to get products to sell in Q4, but will face increased attacks from motivated cybercriminals who want to benefit from the chaos. Retailers and consumers alike need to take the necessary steps to protect themselves,” says Peter Klimek, Director of Technology, Office of the CTO, Imperva.

The company helps organisations protect their data and all paths to it – securing their applications, data and websites from cyber attacks.

Last year, Chinese e-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com racked up around US$115 billion in sales across their platforms during the Singles Day shopping event, setting a new record.

Singles’ Day online sales in China usually surpass the US Cyber Monday sales, Black Friday or any other 24-hour shopping campaign by a wide margin making it the biggest shopping holiday in the world.

Scams typically rise in tandem with the number of online shoppers, and Imperva’s 12-month analysis on cybersecurity risks in the retail industry suggests that the 2021 holiday shopping season will be no different.

In fact, in Imperva’s “The State of Security Within eCommerce 2021” report, the number of victims this year is projected to surpass that of last year’s.

More details below from the report

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Tech Focus: The Electric Vehicle Race to Market

Friday, October 29th, 2021

Three rapidly advancing technologies are driving this collective race towards zero-emission e-mobility: wide-bandgap (WBG) devices, more power-dense batteries, and faster charging capabilities.

In this guest commentary, Hwee Yng Yeo from Keysight Technologies shares her insights into the great EV race.

GaN and SiC wide-bandgap power semiconductors facilitate a host of onboard EV power conversion applications. Image credit: Keysight Technologies.

GaN and SiC wide-bandgap power semiconductors facilitate a host of onboard EV power conversion applications. Image credit: Keysight Technologies.

Since its inception on a paper napkin more than a decade ago, Formula E has evolved rapidly as a motorsport with a mission.

Entertainment aside, this electric streetcar racing’s founding mission is to showcase sustainable mobility to the world, and it has done pretty well.

It’s the only motorsport to have ISO 20121 certification for net zero carbon footprint since its first race in Shanghai in 2014.

Getting the Formula E car into pole-position entails a lot of hardware and software technology to extract maximum efficiency from the electric vehicle’s (EV) powertrain and battery.

For the key automotive OEMs, it’s not just about getting their car across the checkered flag first.

With billions of R&D dollars poured into developing better EVs, the goal of participating automakers goes beyond the championship trophy.

Learnings from these high-intensity races are applied to improve electromobility technologies back in the R&D labs.

Three rapidly advancing technologies are driving this collective race towards zero-emission e-mobility:

  1. wide-bandgap (WBG) devices
  2. more power-dense batteries
  3. faster charging capabilities

Efficient power conversion with WBG devices

A lot of power conversion takes place in the EV.

A DC-DC converter for example, steps down the power from the high-voltage EV battery to 12 V, with further conversions to run onboard systems like lighting, radio, and air-conditioning (see the diagram above).

The author of this article is Hwee Yng Yeo, the industry solutions manager for Automotive and Energy at Keysight Technologies.

The author of this article is Hwee Yng Yeo, the industry solutions manager for Automotive and Energy at Keysight Technologies.

WBG devices such as Silicon carbide (SiC) and Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors are used in transistors to facilitate this power conversion throughout the vehicle.

GaN applications are an emerging technology area, and developers find it hard to validate their design for these high-performance power converters.

Increased frequency and higher power affect the reliability of measurements needed to characterise the device’s performance.

It can be hard to distinguish whether the measured signal is the device’s characteristic or caused by the measurement setup.

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New Arrival: AGON 4 Series Expands AOC AGON Pro Gaming Monitor Lineup

Saturday, October 23rd, 2021

The AGON 4 Series comes in three different sizes: 24.5-inch, 27-inch and 31.5-inch and is targeted at professional and enthusiast gamers. Prices below.

The new AGON 4 series gaming monitor has received industry acclaim achieving the Red Dot Design Award.

The new AGON 4 series gaming monitor has received industry acclaim achieving the Red Dot Design Award.

The AGON 4 Series expands AOC’s flagship AGON Pro lineup of gaming monitors.

The AGON 4 Series uses fast IPS panels and offers a 1.0ms response time (GTG), VESA Display HDR certification, logo projection and lighting effects.

More details below from the press release.

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