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TECHNOLOGY

How smart homes are changing our lives

By Chris Connell, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky

Smart home technologies have long ceased to be something new or surprising. Today, the idea of smart home appliances or switches isn’t from a cyberpunk scene, but rather an actively emerging reality.

For example, the report from Berg Insight revealed that the number of smart homes in Europe and North America reached 102.6 million in 2020.

What was once a collection of single and separate devices, smart homes are turning into fully-fledged smart systems that can supply coffee on time, adjust the temperature, and monitor the security of your house while you are away. All of this is possible thanks to the digitalization of an increasing number of devices. Kaspersky has developed a list of the most interesting benefits which the modern smart home can provide to become a fully-fledged personal assistant or protector.

Safety

Smart home technology can take the safety of your home to the next level. And we aren’t just talking about alarms. Modern cameras, motion sensors, and even smart door locks will help turn your home into a real fortress, and immediately send a message to your smartphone if something happens.

One of the most obvious examples is the installation of a home video surveillance system connected to the internet. Such cameras will work 24/7 and allow owners to look at what is happening anywhere in the house through an app on a smartphone. Sometimes such cameras have a motion sensor – if a camera sees something moving (be it a cat, a dog, or an intruder) it records the file and sends it to the server. Your device then receives a notification so that you can react as quickly as possible and perhaps prevent your property from being broken into.

The smart home has also made it possible to reinvent door locks. In order to secure your home as much as possible, the easiest option is to stop intruders from being able to get through the door. However, modern locks have moved on from being just a mechanism. Today, they can do much more than just prevent intruders from getting inside. For example, they can send you a notification when someone walks in and out, or create access codes for you or those who work in your home (nanny, housekeeper, gardener, etc.).

All of these solutions can turn your house into a high-tech home, but even smart defenses need protection. To ensure your defender has a shield, solutions have been created that help protects not only individual devices from being hacked but the entire IoT ecosystem.

Peace of mind

There are always numerous small things to worry about around the house – have I turned off the iron or closed the door? Who will water the flowers while I am on vacation? Even a small doubt is enough to ruin an evening out with friends or a short vacation with a loved one.

Smart devices can provide much-needed reassurance in such situations. Smart water leak detectors, for example, which react to contact with water, can help you to stay calm and relaxed. Sensors can be installed next to batteries, pipes in the bathroom and in the kitchen. The devices are not only able to monitor the water level, but also determine the level of humidity in the room: if you are suddenly flooded from above, you will know immediately even if you are not at home.

The same situation is true with smart smoke detectors, which can warn of danger before it is too late. If wiring suddenly lights up in the house or an open fire remains burning, the sensor will immediately react.

Another important assistant – a smart socket – will also warn you if you forgot to turn off the iron whilst in a rush. Seeing the notification on your smartphone, you can remotely disconnect the device from the power no matter where you are.

Comfort

The time has finally come when you can allow yourself to truly relax and leave some of your household duties in the hands of technology. By automating some types of furniture, we can take comfort and health care to a new level.

For example, Eight Sleep has developed a bed equipped with sensors capable of monitoring the user’s sleep quality based on 15 parameters, including the duration of REM and deep sleep phases, and heart rate patterns. This allows you to choose the optimal time for going to bed and waking up.

A smart bed will gently wake up the owner, catching the moment when the body is ready to rise, and create a pleasant morning environment, for example, turn on calm music or a light vibration, turn on the light or start the coffee machine via voice command.

Besides sleep comfort, a smart home can also make cooking much easier, enjoyable and fun. For example, the EYWA Kitchen Smart Screen is a small panel, no larger than a standard wall cabinet door. It easily fits into any kitchen, making it an indispensable helper. It can:

⦁ Find recipes for dishes online;

⦁ Make a list of required ingredients;

⦁ Independently purchase them online;

⦁ Order delivery at a specified time;

⦁ Turn on household appliances and set timers;

⦁ Distract children with a cartoon;

In order to safely use such smart solutions which are integrated into your daily activities (including cooking, shopping, choosing content), you need to ensure the safety of the devices themselves. Otherwise, attackers could get into your home network and gain access to personal data through convenient smart boards or switches.

The first and simplest step may be to change the default device password to a more complex one – but resist the temptation to copy the password from other accounts. If you have lots of devices and are finding it difficult to remember all the passwords, you can use a special solution to protect the ecosystem of the smart home. This will not only keep passwords safe, but also warn you if the password has already been compromised.

Pet help

In addition to caring for the safety and comfort of home owners, the IoT market seeks to make life easier and better for pets. According to research, the size of the PetTech market in the United States has reached $5.5 billion – this includes connected collars, smart doors, feeders, fences, toys etc.

Some of the most popular smart pet devices are for drinks and feeders. They help to not only control nutrition and prevent overeating, but also allow you to leave pets for a while at home alone, without worrying that your cat is hungry or has knocked over a bowl of water. Of course, in some extreme situations cats can also turn on survival mode – for example, a cat was recently discovered eating cardboard and drinking from a leaking tap for 52 days. However, no owner would like to repeat this scenario for their pet.

If everything is covered with feeding and drinking, what else can manufacturers of smart devices develop to support pet care? How about chatting with your dog?

Start-up FluentPet, has come up with a device for human-dog communication. The device is a panel with buttons labeled with different symbols. With its help, the company seeks to test the hypothesis that animals can express their emotions and desires by clicking on pictures.

Another example is smart animal houses which are designed to improve comfort for pets. They are equipped with intelligent temperature control and environmental sensors that regulate the temperature inside depending on the number of degrees outside. In addition, the houses can monitor the health of the animal, tracking and recording pet activity and sleep data. All of this information can be read from the app in the smartphone in order to timely monitor the health of your pet.

Eco-friendly living

Besides comfort and safety, smart home technologies help make our lives more environmentally friendly by using resources more smartly – for example, using water and electricity in a more rational way.

For example, sensors can turn lights on and off in a room, depending on whether there are people there or not. Another option is smart heating, which will allow you to maintain certain microclimate parameters in each room. For example, if everyone leaves for school and work in the morning, the system can reduce energy consumption and increase it later in the day when everyone is back.

However, in addition to controlling energy consumption, modern smart homes are also able to produce energy. For this, systems for the production of alternative energy are built in – such as solar panels, wind turbines or geothermal installations.

Depending on the location of the building, in some cases, even the energy of water – currents or tides – can be used. As a result, the smart home control center can not only control energy consumption but also monitor its production, as well as rational distribution.

Modern smart homes built from scratch include energy-saving technologies. Heat leakage and CO2 emissions from such buildings are minimal. Smart walls, roofs, and other building elements can inform the owner about their problems: the appearance of moisture or heat leaks. This allows you to promptly correct the defect that has appeared.

In general, the market for smart devices is actively growing and manufacturers of such systems are striving to digitize more and more elements of the house. This not only improves safety and comfort but also benefits the environment. As a result, smart homes are being transformed from a cluster of single, simple devices into true multi-layered digital ecosystems, which also require an appropriate level of protection.

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TECHNOLOGY

OPPO leads AI innovation with world’s 1st on-device MoE implementation, paves way for AI advancements

5:41 p.m. October 25, 2024

Global leading smart device brand OPPO has achieved a significant breakthrough by becoming the first company to implement the Mixture of Experts (MoE) architecture on-device. This milestone enhances AI processing efficiency, opens new possibilities for more advanced and flexible on-device AI, laying the groundwork for future innovations in AI’s integration with mobile hardware. 

As AI technology continues to evolve, more tasks are being performed on-device. However, large AI models require substantial computational power, which can impact performance, especially on devices with limited hardware resources. In response, OPPO has collaborated with leading chipset providers to implement the MoE architecture on-device to overcome these limitations.

The MoE architecture dynamically activates specialized sub-models (“experts”) to handle specific tasks, thereby significantly improving processing efficiency and cutting down computing and data transfer consumption. Lab tests reveal that on-device MoE architecture accelerates AI task speeds by approximately 40%, reducing resource demands and improving energy efficiency. This means faster AI responses, longer battery life and enhanced privacy as more tasks are handled locally on the device. 

Illustration of MoE Architecture

OPPO’s implementation of the MoE architecture on-device is a breakthrough that highlights its advancement in AI innovation. By lowering AI’s computational costs, MoE allows more devices-ranging from flagship to affordable devices-to perform complex AI tasks, accelerating AI’s adoption across the industry. As a result, The MoE architecture on-device opens new opportunities for the industry to make advanced AI capabilities more accessible to a wider audience.

Looking ahead, OPPO remains committed to advancing AI technology and making it available to more users. With over 5,860 patent applications in the AI field, OPPO continues to invest heavily in AI R&D. The establishment of OPPO’s AI Center in 2024 serves as a key step in consolidating its AI research efforts, furthering the company’s mission to provide high-quality AI experiences to users worldwide.  Through continued research like MoE and the global rollout of AI-powered features across its smartphone lineup, OPPO aims to extend high-quality AI experiences to a broader audience, ensuring that AI technology becomes more accessible to users across its device categories.

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TECHNOLOGY

TCL White Lines: Future of home living

1:48 p.m. September 18, 2024

TCL, a global leader in consumer and one of the world’s top two TV brands, is reinforcing its commitment to innovation and improving daily life through advanced technology.

While maintaining its strong position in the TV market, TCL is now actively pursuing leadership in the complete smart home solutions space, encompassing air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, and audio equipment.

Under the guidance of newly appointed CEO Peter Chen, TCL is setting a new standard in home living. “My vision is to solidify TCL’s presence in these categories, ensuring that we not only continue to innovate but also enrich the lives of consumers worldwide. As we expand globally, my goal is to ensure that TCL remains one of the top innovators in consumer appliances, continuing to meet and exceed the evolving needs of our customers.”

With nearly a decade of experience at TCL, Mr. Chen has witnessed the company’s evolution from a rising star to a dominant force in the TV market. His contributions have been instrumental in building market share and establishing TCL as a recognized leader. But Mr. Chen’s goals for the company go far beyond its current successes.

This year, TCL is prioritizing global expansion and continued product innovation. The company’s advanced technology is revolutionizing home appliances, offering superior comfort, convenience, and efficiency, as exemplified by the TCL White Lines category. TCL has already achieved remarkable success in this area

As of May, TCL has achieved the top position in terms of volume sold within the air conditioner market. Furthermore, they have secured the No. 1 spot in the split-type category for both ytd 2023 and 2024 in retail stores, according to market research conducted by TRS Research.

In the refrigerator category, TCL have tailored their offerings to cater to various market niches, with the top-mounted models capturing significant market share. This targeted approach has allowed TCL to meet diverse consumer needs effectively.

While in the washing machine segment, TCL has made a significant impact by offering a diverse and high-quality product lineup. Their focus on high-end top-load models, coupled with competitive pricing, has been a key factor in their success. Likewise, they’ve also provided a broad range of options, including both top-load and twin-tub models, catering to various customer needs and preferences.

TCL’s focus on delivering superior technology that fits seamlessly into everyday life with consumers. As a result, TCL earned the No. 1 share in front-load washing machine sales in retail stores in the Philippines based on cumulative market share data from the beginning of 2023 through June 2024 based on TRS Research data. This accomplishment reflects TCL’s commitment to delivering superior products that meet the needs of their customers while maintaining affordability and quality.

“These targeted strategies have been instrumental in fueling our market share growth, reflecting TCL’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction across all Whitelines categories,” Mr. Chen enthuses.

As part of the strategy, TCL is not only committed to global growth but is also leading the charge in sustainability and environmental stewardship. Just this year, they are integrating advanced energy-saving technologies into their appliances to help consumers reduce their energy consumption and lower their utility bills. The goal is to not only enhance the efficiency of their products but also to support their customers in making eco-conscious choices.

“Our dedication to sustainability drives us to continuously push for eco-friendly designs and practices that minimize our environmental impact. We believe in leveraging innovative technology to improve people’s lives, solve everyday problems, and bring joy to families. By focusing on these principles, we aim to inspire and empower individuals to pursue greatness while creating a safer and healthier world for everyone,” Mr. Chen continues.

Elevate your everyday home with TCL White Lines Appliances to experience comfort, efficiency, and a cooler significant way of living.

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TECHNOLOGY

Seamless multitasking is possible with vivo Y28

6:04 p.m. September 16, 2024

People nowadays constantly juggle different things—work, social life, entertainment, and more. Thankfully, the vivo Y28 is designed to keep up with this fast-paced lifestyle. 

With its 6000mAh battery and IP64 dust and water resistance, it’s built to last through even the busiest days. But the real game-changer? This phone makes multitasking effortless, allowing you to switch between apps seamlessly without breaking a sweat.

Multitasking advantage

Why settle for a phone that does one thing at a time when the vivo Y28 can do so much more? Imagine watching a video and responding to texts at the same time, or managing work documents while keeping an eye on your inbox. 

The vivo Y28 makes it all possible, thanks to its ability to run up to 12 apps simultaneously on your screen. Here’s how to make multitasking on the vivo Y28 a breeze:

https://www.tiktok.com/@vivo_philippines/video/7401342215055871240

Open an app like Netflix or WhatsApp.

Minimize it with a simple tap.

Now you can interact with multiple apps all at once. You don’t have to pause your movie to reply to a message or close your work emails to check your calendar. The vivo Y28 keeps everything running smoothly.

The vivo Y28 is perfect for people who need a phone that can do more:

Professionals can manage work tasks, emails, and documents without closing anything.

Social media users can watch videos, scroll through feeds, and chat all on the same screen.

Students can keep research articles open, join online classes, and respond to group messages, all at once.

Anyone on the go who needs multiple apps running smoothly to handle life’s demands.

Powered by Memory Booster

The magic behind the vivo Y28’s ability to multitask lies in its Memory Booster technology:

8GB RAM + 8GB Extended RAM: This powerhouse combo lets you switch between 25+ background apps without slowing down, making it easier to stay productive.

RAM Saver: It automatically clears out unnecessary data to free up to 600MB of memory, keeping your phone running at peak performance.

App Retainer: You can leave apps open and come back exactly where you left off. No reloading, no delays.

Master multitasking now with vivo Y28

The vivo Y28 is designed for people who want to make the most out of every moment. Its multitasking capabilities, combined with a durable build and long-lasting battery, make it the perfect phone for those who expect more from their devices. Life doesn’t slow down, and with the Y28, neither do you.

Visit vivo concept stores, kiosks nationwide, or shop online through the vivo website, S

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