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TECHNOLOGY

Amazon Web Services launches Interactive Video Service in PH, Indonesia

April 21, 2022 5:05 p.m.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced the launch of their Interactive Video Service in two new countries, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The new service is aimed at helping customers meet the demand for rich and engaging interactive live video content streaming. IVS will provide a lower latency experience for viewers, making video content more seamless and engaging. 

Growing demand for online video

Video consumption has changed radically over the last two years as people found comfort by connecting through online video during the pandemic.

While pandemic restrictions are easing for parts of Asia Pacific, the popularity of video streaming continues to grow with more than 400 million people now using over-the-top (OTT) video streaming services in the region.

At the same time, consumer demand for personalization is driving organizations such as broadcast, pay TV, and OTT providers to look for new ways to deliver even richer interactive video experiences.

Interactive live video encourages a two-way exchange with viewers and is being adopted across a range of industries – from finance, travel and hospitality, to e-commerce – as enterprises look for new ways to engage their customers.

Today’s consumers– sports fans, entertainment buffs, shoppers, and gamers – want more out of their live streaming experiences, demanding outstanding performances on any device, quick start times, and no buffering.

To provide an optimal user experience, live-streamed interactive video requires minimal latency, which is the time video takes to go from the camera to the viewer.

Seamless and on-demand video streaming

Traditional video streaming required latencies of 20 to 30 seconds to accommodate for content preparation needed for high-quality viewing across multiple kinds of devices, getting the content uploaded to multiple content delivery networks, and finally making the “last-mile” connections to end users’ devices on their preferred networks.

“To help our customers in Indonesia and Philippines meet the demand for rich and engaging interactive live video content streaming at a lower latency, we are pleased to announce the launch of Amazon IVS Points of Presence (PoPs) in Manila and Jakarta,” said Shweta Jain, Head of Media and Entertainment Business Development at AWS in Asia Pacific. “Built on the same live streaming technology that powers Twitch, Amazon IVS is a fully managed service that makes it easy to set up live, interactive video streams for a web or mobile application in just a few minutes.”

By receiving and delivering video streams over local edge infrastructure that is optimized for live video ingest, processing, and delivery, the new Amazon IVS PoPs in Jakarta and Manila will enable end users to benefit from low latency – making video content seamless and more engaging for viewers.

With the Amazon IVS Software Development Kit (SDK) and APIs, customers can also build interactive features into their live streams such as virtual chat spaces, votes and polls, moderated question and answer sessions, and synchronized promotional elements without impacting live video download times.

Not just for media and entertainment

It’s not just traditional media and entertainment companies that are set to benefit from the new Amazon IVS PoPs. Traveloka is Southeast Asia’s lifestyle superapp with the mission to fulfill their customers’ lifestyle aspirations in a single platform, spanning across travel, local services, and financial services.

Founded in 2012, Traveloka was initially established to solve a central problem: to simplify travel from Indonesia to the world.

A decade later, Traveloka now offers more than 20 products and services, featuring more than 200 airlines, 1.8 million accommodation partners, and 111,000 inventories in over 100 countries. The Traveloka app has also been downloaded more than 100 million times by customers in the region.

“Traveloka uses Amazon IVS to accommodate our broadcasting needs for live streaming content related to our Flights, Hotels, Xperience, and Eats products. By using Amazon IVS Player SDK, we are able to significantly reduce the latency on our video content to 5 seconds, meanwhile Amazon IVS Broadcaster SDK allows our content creator partners to directly broadcast on our app,” said Adi Alimin, Vice President of Platform Product at Traveloka.

Since its inception, Traveloka has been leveraging AWS to scale its travel platform and recently adopted Amazon IVS to improve engagement with its customers by adding live streamed product promotions on its platform, including the recent Traveloka Salebrat10n birthday campaign.

Continuing infrastructure investments in APAC

Over the past 15 years, AWS has built out a global infrastructure that spans 84 Availability Zones (AZs) within 26 geographic regions across the globe.

In Asia Pacific, this includes AWS Regions in Singapore, Sydney, Mumbai, Osaka, Tokyo, Seoul, and Jakarta and further investments planned in Auckland and Hyderabad, and Melbourne.

The Amazon IVS PoPs in Jakarta and Manila follow its recent announcement to launch 10 new AWS Local Zones – a type of infrastructure deployment that places AWS compute, storage, database, and other services closer to customers – across Asia Pacific over the next two years.

“We are committed to bringing cloud technologies closer to more customers with further infrastructure investments across Asia Pacific and we look forward to supporting more customers in Jakarta and Manila to build engaging live streaming experiences,” said Jain.

TECHNOLOGY

LG honored with multiple awards for Innovative Product Design at IDEA 2023

September 4, 2023 3:11 p.m.

LG Electronics (LG) has once again been recognized for outstanding product design, earning 13 awards at the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2023, announced at the International Design Conference in New York, New York.

The LG PuriCare AeroTower, an air purifier that can also be used as a side table and mood lamp, was honored with a Bronze Award at yesterday’s conference. Offering personalized performance and design options, as well as a compact form factor, LG’s air purifier can be tailored to match any home interior and is ideal for smaller spaces. With its latest win, the LG PuriCare AeroTower has now been recognized by all three of the world’s top industrial design award programs: IDEA, the Red Dot Award and iF Design Award.

Another IDEA 2023 honoree, the LG OLED Flex (model LX3) is an innovative TV featuring the world’s first bendable 42-inch OLED screen. The LX3, which made its international debut at IFA last year, offers a new level of screen customizability – its self-lit display able to go from completely flat to spectacularly curved with the push of a button.

“The achievement from this year’s IDEA is the result of the synergy between customer experience-centered technology and aesthetics,” said Hwang Sung-gyul, head of the Design Management Center at LG Electronics. “We will continue to improve the level of perfection by reflecting innovative customer experiences beyond the existing framework in product design by constantly communicating and empathizing with customers.”

Organized annually by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), IDEA is one of the world’s leading design award programs, recognizing exceptional achievements in the area of industrial design while taking into consideration various factors relating to design strategy, digital interaction, the environment, and social impact, when selecting award recipients.

Life’s about more than having the latest technology, rather, it’s about the experiences technology creates that impact our lives. LG Electronics Philippines delivers consumer electronics through top-of-the-line home entertainment appliances that prepare Filipinos for their greatest moments. LG promises to bring “Innovation for a Better Life” nationwide – from Luzon, to Visayas, and Mindanao. LG products are available via lg.com/ph and through its flagship stores in Lazada and Shopee. For more information, visit and follow their social media channels on FacebookInstagramTiktok and Youtube (@lgphilippines).

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TECHNOLOGY

TCL AAT Inverter+ Refrigerators take lead to healthier lifestyle

July 10, 2023 4:33 p.m.

TCL, the leading consumer electronics brand and the world’s top two TV brand, launches their latest Free Build-In refrigerator that is highlighted by three defining features based on TCL’s advanced technology and elevated design. 

Just in time for this month’s celebration of Nutrition month, TCL introduces the newest Refrigerator line up that reflects TCL’s dedication to delivering cutting-edge home technology at reasonable prices while enabling users to live healthier, more environmentally friendly, and more practical lives.

Introducing TCL’s Flagship Smart Fridge with Health and Energy-Saving Benefits

TCL’s AAT Inverter+ is set to be the best accessible high-tech top-mount refrigerator on the market and a great example of the powerful functionality featured across the TCL Refrigerator lineup.

With Filipino families becoming more health conscious than ever before, TCL AAT Inverter+’s Healthy Fresh functions are equipped with smart functions to keep your food chilled at the right temperature and ensure it stays fresher for longer, with the innovative Multi Air flow system, AI radar, and the Automatic Anion-releasing Technology (AAT) .

Speaking of better care of health, TCL’s AAT Inverter + also puts emphasis on its care for the planet. Its Twin Eco Inverter provides the perfect cooling environment for food, which not only enables long-lasting freshness but also saves energy and money. The Twin Eco Inverter also provides a steady temperature inside the refrigerator which inhibits the growth of ice, a process known as Total No Frost. Food remains frost-free so there is no need for manual defrost and no danger of food sticking to the walls of the refrigerator or being frozen when placed towards the back.

Lastly, the Easy-Using features give the user experience a premium feel, with little adaptations to make life more convenient, such as large storage space, Twist Ice Maker to freeze, unmold and store ice cubes with a simple gesture.

The TCL’s Varied Refrigerator Range Suited for Every Filipino Family

Aside from TCL AAT Inverter+, TCL has an extensive range of refrigerators to suit every Filipino family’s needs. The TCL FreshPro Direct Cool+ line is an accessible but highly functionable range, with precise temperature control allowing for accurate cooling to ensure optimum conditions to preserve freshness. TCL FreshPro Direct Cool+ Refrigerators are designed to be running at low noise thanks to innovative compressors, ensuring you are never disturbed by humming or buzzing, and soft LED lighting offers excellent illumination of the fridge contents whilst saving on energy consumption.

Regarding the energy saving aspect, like the TCL AAT Inverter+, The TCL FreshPro AAT Inverter Max collection also comes with a Twin Eco Inverter, which allows accurate temperature control whilst reducing energy consumption and noise for a quieter and more environmentally friendly option. What’s amazing is that the TCL FreshPro AAT Inverter Max range comes equipped with powerful cooling functions – with just a press of one button, the Power Cool increases the cooling rate to chill your drinks and food rapidly whilst the Power Freeze further enhances the cooling effect to freeze food and ice. The Max Space feature allows families to customize storage within the fridge to suit their requirements, with daily items organized to be easily accessible whilst optimizing the space available allowing the ability to stock up on family favorites.

Discover TCL’s range of refrigerators to suit every consumer’s requirements, rolling out across retailers in the Philippines this month.

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TECHNOLOGY

Huawei’s Sabrina Meng: Embracing 5G transformation

June 28, 20237:30 p.m.

SHANGHAI — At the opening day of MWC Shanghai 2023 today, Sabrina Meng, Huawei’s Rotating Chairwoman and CFO, gave a keynote titled “Embracing 5G transformation”.

“5G has been in commercial use around the world for four years now. It’s driving new value creation, and 5.5G is the next step forward,” said Meng. “Science and technology are moving towards large, complex systems. This requires matching technology to specific scenarios and performing systems engineering, in order to pave the way for 5G’s ongoing success.”

5G is creating value along three different fronts

Science fiction can only sketch the future. But science and technology can turn imagination into reality.

5G has been in commercial use for four years now. Across all industries and countless households around the world, it’s changing the way we work and live, creating tremendous economic, industrial, and social value.

For consumers, 5G, cloud, and AI have set off a chain reaction, creating an environment where all buyers can also be sellers.

For industries, 5G has become a new driver of productivity. There’s greater alignment than ever between technology suppliers, their partners, and customers on where 5G can provide the most value. Strategic patience, in-depth understanding of industrial scenarios, and ongoing improvements to ROI have given 5G a foothold in industrial applications.

Moving ahead, 5G will give rise to new devices and applications that deliver a more immersive experience, like 5G New Calling and naked-eye 3D. 5G is also ushering in a new era of super-connectivity between things, bringing new strength to IoT networks and driving new forms of productivity.

5.5G is the next step forward for 5G. 5.5G will feature 10-gigabit downlink speeds, gigabit uplink speeds, the ability to support 100 billion connections, and native AI. It will not only connect people better – it will also create incredible new business opportunities with more targeted support for industrial needs in domains like IoT, sensing, and advanced manufacturing.

Taking 5G to the next level and paving the way for ongoing success

The ladder to success isn’t built on ongoing progress with a single technology. It’s built on matching technology to specific scenarios and real-world needs. And systems engineering is key to taking the next step up.

The commercial deployment of 5G has created a growing appetite for more groundbreaking, leapfrog innovation. So what will take 5G to the next level, and how will it provide greater value in different vertical markets?

This will require finding the right technology for different scenarios and performing more comprehensive systems engineering. This will also require diving deeper into industrial scenarios, truly understanding customers’ pain points, and adopting a more holistic systems engineering mindset.

The industry needs to work more closely together both up and down the value chain – with peers and partners, customers and developers – on solution modeling and optimization, as well as tools and methodologies. The industry also needs to pave the way for ongoing success throughout the entire product lifecycle, from R&D and procurement, to supply and marketing.

Building up integrated capabilities and exploring the future of communications

The digital infrastructure of the future intelligent world will be deeply integrated into every aspect of people’s lives, industry, and society. It won’t be based on advancements in individual technologies, but rather on incredibly massive, complex systems – the convergence of multiple elements. It’s going to require systems-level thinking and design.

When watching a chess game, you can see the big picture. But when you’re playing chess, you focus on the details. Likewise, systematic capabilities to integrate technology and transform management are critical for the future success of 5G.

Meng spoke about two specific types of integrated capabilities. “The first is integrating different technologies. We can achieve greater synergy across cloud, networks, edge, and devices through systematic design and cross-domain innovation. When coupled with optimization across software, hardware, chips, and algorithms, we can address the challenges associated with developing complex solutions for vastly different industrial scenarios.”

“The second,” she continued, “is the ability to integrate different approaches to management. Digital and intelligent transformation is not just about technology itself. It’s more about transforming your approach to management. Going digital requires redefining the relationships between people, events, things, and theory, and adopting a more open, forward-looking management approach to address future challenges.”

Meng concluded: “Information technologies like 5G, 5.5G, AI, and cloud will help us rise with the tide and take us forward to an intelligent world. The best scenery is always ahead. Let’s create a bright future together.”

In the Philippines, the three major telecommunications service providers have rolled out 5G networks nationwide to offer better network services and optimize the potential of innovative technology.

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