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DFA Awards 2021 Winners Announcement

One of Asia’s most prestigious design awards honours three trailblazers in the world of design, and the design projects globally that have influenced and meaningful impact on Asia

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 19 October 2021 – The DFA Awards is a flagship programme of the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC). It is comprised of five major awards to acknowledge leaders for their outstanding contributions to the design industry and celebrate projects at the forefront of design excellence with Asian perspectives. Three trailblazers in the world of design have been awarded in 2021: Patrick Whitney, Professor in Residence of Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health – DFA Lifetime Achievement Award (DFA LAA), Min-Liang Tan, CEO & Co-founder of Razer Inc. – DFA Design Leadership Award (DFA DLA), and Freeman Lau, Founder of KL&K Creative Strategics – DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer (DFA WOCD). In addition, 180 awards were conferred under the DFA Design for Asia Awards (DFA DFAA).

Organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government as the lead sponsor, the DFA Awards was launched in 2003 to underpin the role of designers within society, celebrate design excellence with positive influence and impacts in Asia.

 

Upon reflection of this year’s awards, Professor Eric Yim, Chairman of HKDC states:

“Design is a vital part of Hong Kong, a city that brings people, culture and ideas together. This is especially critical at a time when the world has witnessed so much uncertainty brought on by the pandemic. This year, I am delighted to honour three exceptional leaders: Patrick Whitney, Min-Liang Tan, and Freeman Lau, all have shown through their work, dedication and leadership how design can be used to inspire communities, unite people from all walks of life through one singularity, and contribute to the betterment of society in Asia and beyond.”

 

DFA Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 (DFA LAA)

Patrick Whitney
Professor in Residence,

Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health

Patrick Whitney is the Professor in Residence of D-lab in the Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health, a leading laboratory that explores and demonstrates how design methods and frameworks can improve human well-being. He is widely regarded as a thought leader for pioneering the notions of human-centred design and strategic design. He is a highly esteemed speaker at multiple international design events, on topics such as innovation, sustainability and human well-being. Global Entrepreneur Magazine named him as one of 25 people worldwide contributing the most in bringing new ideas to businesses in China.

 

DFA Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 honours Whitney’s vast contribution to the design industry through design strategy development, education programmes, and his advisory work to governing design bodies, actively strengthening the relationship between design theory and practice.

DFA Design Leadership Award 2021 (DFA DLA)

Photo Credit: Razer

Min-Liang Tan

CEO & Co-founder, Razer Inc.

As the pioneer of e-sports hardware, former lawyer Min-Liang Tan is seen as a trailblazer for the younger generation, of someone following their dream and at the same time adding valuable contributions to society. As CEO, Co-founder and Creative Director of the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers – Razer Inc., Tan has demonstrated how forward-thinking and innovative design can disrupt the gaming industry.

 

DFA Design Leadership Award 2021 honours his leadership throughout the years in pushing the boundaries of the gaming industry and driving industry innovation through design. Under Tan’s strategic and creative direction, Razer has gone from a two-man startup to a multinational market leader and Unicorn in the technology world.

DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer 2021 (DFA WOCD)

Freeman Lau
Founder, KL&L Creative Strategics

Freeman Lau is a Hong Kong designer, renowned for his art and design innovations. He is the brains behind some of Hong Kong’s most iconic designs such as the Watson Water bottle, which earned him multiple awards. The design aesthetics and its functionality has lauded a critical breakthrough in the history of bottled water. In addition, Lau has been tirelessly promoting the development of design in Hong Kong, Greater China and Asia.

 

Lau’s creative prowess spans across the entire design spectrum, from graphic design, packaging design, to fine arts. His contributions are widely recognised in society His creative contributions have a significant, cultural impact in Asia, which is best demonstrated by his ‘Chairplay’ series. The series includes a range of furniture and sculptures, which has been shown worldwide at different exhibitions. The notion of Chairplay is a metaphor for the exploration of different human centric issues and is one of Lau’s signature works.

 

DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer 2021 honours his devotion and contribution to promoting the design, creative industry and culture of Hong Kong and Asia.

 

DFA Design for Asia Awards 2021 (DFA DFAA)

Since its launch in 2003, the DFA Design for Asia Awards has served to celebrate design excellence and acknowledge outstanding designs with Asian perspectives. It has been a stage upon which design talents and corporations can showcase their design projects internationally. It consists of the Grand Award and Category Award. Category Award entries are recruited by open submission to one of 24 categories under four key design disciplines, namely Apparel & Accessory Design, Communication Design, Environmental Design, and Product & Industrial Design; Gold, Silver, Bronze and Merit awards are presented to the outstanding projects. Gold award winners from the Category Award and other nominated design projects will be considered for the Grand Award.

 

Dr Joseph Wong, Executive Director of Hong Kong Design Centre mentions that:

“Amidst the pandemic, creativity and innovation proves to be the remedy for improving our quality of life. We are pleased to award projects that meaningfully address critical issues such as humanitarian needs, environmental, cultural and sustainable development, revitalisation through technological advancements, and marriage of functionality and aesthetics.”


The Awards’ international judging panel comprises experienced design professionals and experts. Entries were judged and 180 winners through rounds of judging and deliberation were conferred. These awards include 12 Grand Awards, six Grand Award with Special Mention and 162 Gold, Silver, Bronze and Merit under the Category Award. This year, companies from Mainland China and Japan are at the top of leaderboard with 52 awards, followed by Hong Kong awardees claiming 41 awards.

 

Please download the DFA Awards 2021 Press Kit, with full list of awardees and high resolutions images at: https://bit.ly/3oQMQbQ


About DFA Awards (www.dfaawards.com)

In 2003, the Hong Kong Design Centre launched the DFA Awards to underpin the role of designers in society, to celebrate design leadership and exemplary designs and projects with impact in Asia, as well as to recognise the rising force of emerging Hong Kong designers since 2005.

The DFA Award, through its five major award programmes, has grown in its international influence in Asia. The five award programmes include DFA Lifetime Achievement Award, DFA Design Leadership Award, DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer, DFA Design for Asia Awards and DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award.

About Hong Kong Design Centre (www.hkdesigncentre.org)

Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) is a non-governmental organisation, and was founded in 2001 as a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government in establishing Hong Kong as an international centre of design excellence in Asia. Our public mission is to promote wider and strategic use of design and design thinking to create business value and improve societal well-being.

HKDC’s flagship programmes include Business of Design Week (BODW; since 2002) – Asia’s leading annual event on design, innovation and brands; DFA Awards (since 2003) – a well-recognised annual awards that celebrate outstanding designs with Asian perspectives; and Knowledge of Design Week (KODW; since 2006) – an annual thematic programme that gathers the global design community to explore how design can solve complex challenges of our society.

We also manage a Design Incubation Programme and Fashion Incubation Programme (since 2012 and 2016) – 2-year programmes to nurture future design and fashion entrepreneurs; and launched FASHION ASIA HONG KONG (since 2016) – an initiative combining conversations, interactions and cultural exchanges to position the city as an Asian hub for fashion trade and business development.

#HongKongDesignCentre #HKDC

About Create Hong Kong (www.createhk.gov.hk)

Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated agency set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in June 2009. It is under the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and dedicated to spearheading the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. Its strategic focuses are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community. CreateHK sponsors the Hong Kong Design Centre to organise the DFA Awards for years and other projects to promote Hong Kong design.


This is a media release of Hong Kong Design Centre dispatched by CatchOn, a Finn Partners Company.


Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organizers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.


New Reports Highlight Impacts of Human and Environmental Incursions in Mekong

Farmer Working in Chilli Field in Laos
Farmer Working in Chilli Field in Laos (Photo: MRC)

Overfishing and habitat degradation caused by rapid population growth, infrastructure development, and climate change are stressing the Lower Mekong Basin’s fisheries while changes in the Basin’s aquatic ecosystems are impacting social conditions.

Myanmar Excluded from ASEAN Summit

Myanmar Senior General Min Aung Hlaing
Myanmar Senior General Min Aung Hlaing

Myanmar’s military chief Min Aung Hlaing has expressed disappointment at being excluded from an upcoming foreign ministers summit.

Commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Napoleon’s Death – Exceptional Napoleonic Items at Auction on 27th October

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 19 October 2021 – A collection of extremely rare items associated with Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor and General, is for sale at Bonhams, the world’s third largest auction house in London on 27th October. The auction marks the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s death.

 

Napoleon is the most internationally recognised historical figure and memorabilia associated with his reign are widely collected internationally and were even collected by admirers in his lifetime.

 

The Bonhams sale includes a newly discovered bicorne hat belonging to Napoleon. Napoleon’s distinctively worn bicorne hats are the most iconic symbols of Napoleon. Research has shown the Bonhams bicorne to contain Napoleon’s DNA.

 

The highlight of the sale is an historically important and unique Imperial sabre made for Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon’s older brother and King of Naples and King of Spain. This is the first time the sabre has been on public sale. The estimate is US$350,000-$480,000.

 

The magnificent sabre was made for King Joseph Napoleon during his reign as King of Naples between 1806 and 1808. The blade is engraved ‘VIVA IL RE GIUSEPPE NAPOLEONE’ (LONG LIVE KING JOSEPH NAPOLEON). The only other sword with similar engraving was made for Napoleon himself and is now in a museum in Spain.

 

The luxurious decoration of the sabre reflects King Joseph Napoleon’s Imperial status.  The scabbard is richly decorated in gilt ormolu with Joseph’s scrolled initials JN in gold surmounted by a crown, an Imperial eagle, and images of Napoleonic military campaign themes.

 

The sabre, and Napoleon’s sabre, was captured by the British under the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Vitoria in 1813.

 

Simon Cottle, Bonhams’ head of sale, said “This beautiful sword is being offered for sale for the first time. This is a very rare opportunity to acquire a piece which is not only historically important but, in its craftmanship and astonishing level of detailed decoration, also a work of art in its own right.”

 

The Bonhams sale includes other relics of Napoleon such as a shirt and scarf worn by him and a fine gold snuff box.

 

Photo download: https://bonhams.box.com/s/oy5una6drk0aufbwl76pklqp4xtjifyl

Interested parties please contact:

simon.cottle@bonhams.com | + 44 20 7468 8383

benedict.tsang@bonhams.com | +852 2918 4321

napoleon@bonhams.com

Laos Records Five Covid-19 Deaths in One Day as Death Toll Reaches 45

Covid-19 Update for Laos
Covid-19 Update for Laos

Laos has confirmed five deaths from Covid-19 today, as outbreaks continue in Vientiane Capital, Khammouane, and Vientiane Province.

Cool Weather Forecast for Parts of Laos this Week

Department of Meteorology and Hydrology
Department of Meteorology and Hydrology

Cooler weather is forecast for some parts of Laos this week, particularly in the northern provinces.

Ensign InfoSecurity Collaborates with Intel 471 to Strengthen Cyber Threat Intelligence Capabilities for Enterprises in South Korea

The partnership provides actionable intelligence and deeper insight on the threat landscape, enabling enterprises to proactively detect and contain targeted and advanced threats

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 October 2021 – Ensign InfoSecurity (Ensign), Asia’s largest pure-play cybersecurity firm, announced today its partnership with Intel 471, a premiere cybercrime intelligence provider.

 

The new partnership marks another milestone in Ensign’s expansion plan in South Korea as it reinforces its footprint in the market, further strengthening its position as a leading provider of end-to-end cybersecurity solutions.

 

The government in South Korea, one of the region’s most digitally connected markets, recently announced a US$2.6 billion investment in hyperconnectivity and emerging technologies like cloud and blockchain. These technologies will also be rolled out in key sectors including manufacturing, healthcare, education and the public sector [1] . As digitalisation efforts accelerate across key industries, the digital attack surface of enterprises will continue to expand, exposing them to new vulnerabilities and cyber threats.  

 

“With enterprises scaling up their digital initiatives, they will require more data, and richer and relevant insights to strengthen their cybersecurity strategy, and customise their cyber defences,” said General Manager Sam Goh at Ensign Korea. “To this end, we can enable South Korean organisations to shift gears and take a proactive, intelligence-led cybersecurity stance, improving their cyber resilience as they expand their digital estate.”

 

“As the number of cyber attacks accelerate and threat actors continue to evolve at an alarming pace, prioritised, relevant, and timely insights into the cyber underground could not be more critical for enterprises around the globe,” said Chief Executive Officer, Mark Arena at Intel 471. “This partnership between Intel 471 and Ensign InfoSecurity will provide enterprises in South Korea with a growing repository of rich threat intelligence to better anticipate and make proactive decisions for threat detection and analysis, incident response and remediation.”



[1] The Korean Herald, S. Korea to invest W2.6t in hyperconnectivity , 15 September 2021.  

About Ensign InfoSecurity

Ensign InfoSecurity is the largest, pure-play end-to-end cybersecurity service provider in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, Ensign offers bespoke solutions and services to address their clients’ cybersecurity needs. Their core competencies are in the provision of cybersecurity advisory and assurance services, architecture design and systems integration services, and managed security services for advanced threat detection, threat hunting, and incident response. Underpinning these competencies is in-house research and development in cybersecurity. Ensign has two decades of proven track record as a trusted and relevant service provider, serving clients from the public and private sectors in the Asia Pacific region.

For more information, visit www.ensigninfosecurity.com or email marketing@ensigninfosecurity.com


About Intel 471

Intel 471 empowers enterprises, government agencies, and other organizations to win the cybersecurity war using near-real-time insights into the latest malicious actors, relationships, threat patterns, and imminent attacks relevant to their businesses.

Our TITAN platform collects, interprets, structures, and validates human-led, automation-enhanced results. Clients across the globe leverage this threat intelligence with our proprietary framework to map the criminal underground, zero in on key activity, and align their resources and reporting to business requirements. Intel 471 serves as a trusted advisor to security teams, offering ongoing trend analysis and supporting your use of the platform. Learn more at https://intel471.com/.

#EnsignInfoSecurity

#Intel471

Small, Bit-and-Piece Cyber Attacks increase 233% in 2021, According to Nexusguard

Attackers rely on small-sized patterns to avoid detection, as predicted by Nexusguard researchers

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 19 October 2021 – Small bit-and-piece DDoS attacks (distributed denial of service) boomed by 233% in the first half of 2021, revealed Nexusguard researchers in the Threat Report FHY 2021. As the pandemic carried on into 2021, hackers experimented with new attack patterns to avoid signature-based detection. In the first half of 2021, more than 99% of all DDoS attacks were smaller than 10Gbps, as Nexusguard had predicted in 2020. These small, nimble attacks can cripple communications service providers (CSPs) and Internet service providers (ISPs) if they leave detection to threshold or signature-based methods alone.

 

Attackers are continuing to diversify their approaches with bit-and-piece attacks to bring down target networks and infrastructures. More than 95% of attacks were smaller than 1Gbps each, of which Nexusguard analysts believe a majority were launched using readily available and inexpensive DDoS-for-hire services. Rather than launching large bandwidth attacks against their targets, researchers noted that perpetrators chose to employ attacks using high packet-rate loads of small-sized traffic from DDoS-for-hire services, with the aim of evading DDoS mitigation detection systems.

 

“The high level of intricacies behind communications service provider networks causes them to generally allow all types of traffic to pass through, which leads to smaller or spoofed types of attacks to strike undetected,” said Juniman Kasman, chief technology officer of Nexusguard. “Behavioral detection and mitigation approaches are strongly recommended for targeted networks since they can compare peacetime with battles and take a wider range of factors into consideration than anomalous thresholds or attack signatures.”

 

Traffic spoofing and UDP-style attacks were popular in the first half of the year, with an 84% increase in UDP attacks compared to the previous six months. Nexusguard observed several types of UDP attacks in use, one of which can cause “Black Storm” attacks theorized in recent research. Nexusguard researchers witnessed several service providers bear the brunt of DDoS attacks, including  China Telecom, China Unicom, Vodafone Türkiye, Türk Telekom, Turkcell İletişim Hizmetleri A.S. receiving the highest concentrations of malicious traffic. Nexusguard advises CSPs to use deep learning-based detection methods, which can help CSPs analyze huge amounts of data quickly and accurately while overcoming the inefficiencies inherent in threshold or signature-based methods.

 

Nexusguard’s TAP100 Program helps CSPs quickly launch anti-DDoS capabilities to protect customers. The TAP100 Program removes the hardware barriers associated with typical anti-DDoS service ramp-up, allowing CSP product teams and C-suites to capture new revenue opportunities and ensure superior customer service.

 

Read Nexusguard’s Threat Report FHY 2021 for more mitigation details based on data gathered from CSPs, honeypots, botnet scanning and research on traffic moving between attackers and their targets.

 

About Nexusguard

Founded in 2008, Nexusguard is a leading cloud-based distributed denial of service (DDoS) security solution provider fighting malicious internet attacks. Nexusguard ensures uninterrupted internet service, visibility, optimization and performance. Nexusguard is focused on developing and providing the best cybersecurity solution for every client across a range of industries with specific business and technical requirements. Nexusguard also enables communications service providers to deliver DDoS protection solution as a service. Nexusguard delivers on its promise to provide you with peace of mind by countering threats and ensuring maximum uptime. Visit www.nexusguard.com for more information.

#Nexusguard