A giant freshwater stingray was captured in the Mekong River last week in Cambodia’s northern province of Stung Treng.
Guild 22, Hong Kong’s first blockchain game guild, begins operation
- Gamified finance is gaining traction and the blockchain game industry is experiencing strong growth, with its value reaching HK$78 billion
- Offers free workshops and seminars to promote and democratise blockchain game on 22 May, the Guild 22 day
- Blockchain and Game-Fi expert Ronald Chiu offers play-to-earn tips onsite
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 May 2022 – Playing video games is an investment nowadays as players can play to earn throughout the process. Hong Kong’s first blockchain game guild “Guild 22” has begun operation and 22 May has been scheduled as “Guild 22 Day”. The guild is launching a three-day event from 20 to 22 May at Metacade located at Russell Street, Causeway Bay.

The event “Guild 22 Blockchian Game-Fi Experience Days” is Guild 22’s first large-scale public function. Ronald Chiu, founder of Guild 22 and Hong Kong’s Game-Fi pioneer, will attend the event to introduce the guild’s roadmap to gaming enthusiasts and offers free consulting services about cryptocurrencies, blockchain, Game-Fi, and NFT to the public.
Game-Fi has become very popular in recent years. Guild 22, officially established in December 2021, consists of a team of experts boasting in-depth knowledge and background in cryptocurrencies and finance, and a group of passionate young video game players. So far, Guild 22 has invested more than HK$10 million in programme development and digital assets. It also strives to attract like-minded players to become members, hoping to expand the game player circle.
Currently, Guild 22 offers a variety of popular games, including Axie Infinity, Pegaxy, Cyball, CEBG, DefiLand, Splinterlands, STEPN, to name a few. It has a deep understanding of the blockchain and Game-Fi economy.
Ronald Chiu, one of the founders of Guild 22 and pioneer of Hong Kong’s Game-Fi, said, “The play-to-earn model stemmed from the Southeast Asian market with many players there earning an income up to three times more than their jobs. Due to differences in living standards, play-to-earn has not yet made a big impact in Hong Kong. However, as down-to-earth game STEPN has gained popularity, in addition to AAA games that are set to be rolled out, many advanced gamers start focusing on the combination of the traditional gaming industry and the blockchain technology, bringing economic changes to the gaming industry.”
It’s unimaginable to earn more than HK$10,000 a month as blockchain games gain popularity across the globe
Ronald unveils that there will be several pillars when it comes to the future development of Guild 22, including game testing, gamified financial promotion, and game player community maintenance. “We believe that the current gamified financial market is only in its infancy. It is expected that it will become more mature and further consolidated in the upcoming two years. As Hong Kong’s first blockchain game guild, Guild 22 can connect traditional gamers to gamified finance. Since blockchain games have gradually integrated into people’s lives, Hong Kong players can learn more about the evolution and development of gamified finance and blockchain games through Guild 22 in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, the market size of blockchain games grew from zero to HK$19.5 billion in 2021. Ronald predicts that it could grow to HK$78 billion by 2023. Taking the blockchain game STEPN as an example, players only need to buy a pair of digital asset sneakers (about US$1,000 to US$1,200) in advance to earn about US$60 a day. All calculations are based on the gamers’ stamina and in-game digital currency every day. They can earn about US$1,860 a month.
Guild 22 has scheduled 22 May as the Guild 22 day. It also launched its first large-scale public event “Guild 22 blockchain game play-to-earn trail” from 20 to 22 May. During the event, Ronald will introduce the guild’s plans and play-to-earn tips to games in collaboration with Kimi Chiu. Professionals will also teach the visitors to establish a crypto wallet on-site, bringing them to the Game-Fi journey.
Kimi also says that the play-to-earn feature greatly benefits gamers. She comments, “As a gamer, we can earn rewards and income from the games. We can even win a fair amount of the right to vote. Thereby, we can affect the development of the game. I also heard that I can earn more money by working after joining the guild. Moreover, the props and equipment in the game are all unique NFT assets. They are not only collectibles but also can be traded in the market to earn extra income. Who said that playing games is a waste of time?”
Gamers who come to experience can try the P2E shootout game EV.IO on the spot. By using their shooting skills, they have a chance to win the “Guild 22 Jackpot” of 500 USDT. Gamers will also be awarded an NFT after becoming a Guild 22 member. Moreover, they can also participate in the Axie Infinity Challenge hosted by HKGameFi and compete for the prize money worth $1000 USDT offered by Guild 22. Gamers who are interested in learning about Guild 22 and getting to know Game-Fi should not miss this opportunity.
Guild 22 Blockchain Game-Fi Experience Days
Date: 20 to 22 May, 2022
Time: 12noon to 9pm
Location: Metacade, No.38 Russell Street, Causeway Bay
About Game-Fi
- The term Game-Fi(gamified finance)can be traced back to 2019, when Mary Ma, chief strategy officer of MixMarvel, first proposed the concept of “integrating financial elements into games”. After her mention, games are not pure entertainment anymore.
- The development of gamified finance has become more common and globalised in recent years. In October 2021, blockchain game company Axie Infinity completed a Series B funding round, raising US$152 million and has accumulated revenue of US$1.35 billion so far.
- According to the statistics provided by blockchain game platform service provider Blockchaingamer, the total investment in Game-Fi has exceeded US$2.5 billion at the moment.
- According to Dapp data tracking platform DappRadar and Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA), the total investment in 2022 will reach US$10 billion.
- Statistics of the Digital Report 2020 global report show that there are a total of more than 3.5 billion gamers across the globe, while the average daily gaming time is 1 hour and 10 minutes. Hong Kong ranks 18th in the world (55 minutes), compared with Japan (27 minutes), which ranks 42nd.
- Using STEPN as an example, players only need to buy a pair of digital asset sneakers (about US$1,000 to US$1,200) and they can earn about US$60 a day. All calculations are based on the gamers’ stamina and in-game digital currency every day.
Please download the photos here:https://bit.ly/Guild_22
About Guild 22
Game-Fi has become very popular in recent years. Guild 22, officially established in December 2021, consists of a team of experts boasting in-depth knowledge and background in cryptocurrencies and finance, and a group of passionate young video game players. The guild is different from its counterparts in Southeast Asian markets, as Guild 22 focuses more on players’ level and automated fintech instead of blindly pursuing the number of gamers. Moving forward, Guild 22 will also continue to attract the younger generations to co-develop the blockchain and traditional gaming markets, and cooperate with the technical team to develop data analysis systems. It will also operate from the perspective of digital asset management and strive for the most profitable transactions.
Moreover, Guild 22 is planning to collaborate with local universities to launch a wide variety of activities in order to reach out to the younger generations. Apart from recruiting talented gamers, we hope to include people who are interested in the gaming market.
Website: https://www.guild22.io/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/guild_22
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Guild22hk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Guild22hk
Discord: https://bit.ly/Guild22_Discord
#Guild22
About Ronald Chiu
As one of the founders of Guild 22 and chairman of Pong Group, Ronald owns the PONGConnect Technology Innovation Industry. His innovation includes Beer Pong, an electronic scoring table. A pioneer of Hong Kong’s Game-Fi and a dedicated mobile gamer, Ronald had a deep understanding of the traditional gaming model and gamified finance model. He is optimistic about the future of blockchain games and has made a seven-figure investment in Guild 22. In the future, he will multiply his investment, using Guild 22 to bring Hong Kong players to go abroad and learn more about the evolution and development of gamified finance and blockchain games.
Shell, Sino Group and Halo Energy establish fastest EV station in Hong Kong, largest in Tsim Sha Tsui
Compatible with different Electric Vehicle brands, promotes use of electric vehicles to contribute to Net Zero Emission targets
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 May 2022 – Shell Hong Kong Limited (“Shell”), Sino Group (“Sino”) and , Halo Energy Limited (“Halo”), an innovation and technology company in Hong Kong, are expanding the coverage of the electric vehicle (“EV”) charging stations to encourage green transport and promote sustainable development in the region. Together, they have established the fastest universal EV charging station – Shell Recharge station in China Hong Kong City (“CHKC”). Compatible with different EV brands to cater to the increasing demands of users, Shell, Sino and Halo are working together to lead the industry and reduce carbon emissions in a proactive manner.

(Starting from left) Mr. Martin Tsang, Founder and CEO of Halo Energy, Ms. Anne Yu, Managing Director of Shell Hong Kong Limited, Dr. David Chung, JP, Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology and Ms. Bella Chhoa, Director – Asset Management of Sino Group officiated the launch of Shell Recharge station in China Hong Kong City in a joint effort to help reduce carbon emission in a proactive manner in Hong Kong.
As EVs become ubiquitous, expansion and upgrading of charging facilities is of paramount importance in fostering the long-term development of existing properties. Following the opening of the first ever Shell Recharge EV charging station in Fanling, the second Shell Recharge charging station was established in Sino Group’s property CHKC, and put into operation in early May providing 4 rapid direct current (DC) chargers for all EV brands in Hong Kong. Complementing Halo’s patent distribution system, one of the chargers operates at a speed of 300kW meaning that an EV can be fully charged within 15[1] minutes making it the fastest of its kind in Hong Kong. Together with Halo’s 40 semi-quick charging stations, CHKC now holds the most EV charging stations within Tsim Sha Tsui, enabling convenience for EV drivers and enhancing charging experience.

Dr. David Chung, JP (2nd from right), Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology visited the Shell Recharge station in CHKC carpark accompanied by Ms. Anne Yu (1st from left), Managing Director of Shell Hong Kong Limited, Ms. Bella Chhoa (2nd from left), Director – Asset Management of Sino Group and Mr. Martin Tsang (1st from right), Founder and CEO of Halo Energy and learnt how the three parties will promote EV usage and their combined efforts to help the region achieve net zero emissions.
Shell is staying true to its mission actualising sustainability initiatives to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050. Shell’s brand-new facility at its Airport (Cargo Terminal) Station will commence operations in Q2 2022. The latest initiative marks Hong Kong’s first service station with both EV charging and conventional fuel facilities. Shell will become the first gasoline company in Hong Kong to offer a comprehensive EV charging network.

Rapid direct current (DC) chargers have a charging speed up to 300kW providing a speedy charging experience that could take as little as 15 minutes for a full charge, the fastest charging experience of its kind in Hong Kong.
Ms. Anne Yu, Managing Director of Shell Hong Kong Limited, said, “Shell will spare no effort to help the city achieve its aim of reducing carbon emissions to actualise low-carbon transport. We are privileged to work with Sino and Halo to establish the fastest EV charging station in the territory by consolidating every party’s asset thereby leading the industry towards supporting the HKSAR government’s plans for enhanced EV adoption. In the near term, we will collaborate with more car factories and stakeholders to provide more than 300 Shell Recharge charging points across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. More Shell Recharge Stations will be set up in Sino’s properties as well with an end-year target, providing EV drivers with different speeds of charging stations to speed up the transition towards net zero emissions in Hong Kong.
Ms. Bella Chhoa, Director – Asset Management of Sino Group remarked, “Sino Group holds a firm belief that innovation and technology are key to sustainability, and has been actively working with industry peers as well as start-ups with a focus on this aspect. We are pleased to collaborate with Shell and start-up company, Halo, on this project to work around challenges faced in the installation of additional charging facilities in existing buildings, through the adoption of the refined electric vehicle charging and management system. In alignment with the government’s key environmental protection policies, we believe that a comprehensive network of charging stations is crucial to promoting the wide adoption of electric vehicles. To this end, increasing electric vehicle charging stations will be a key focus of Sino Property Services in promoting sustainability in property management. In the future, we will further expand the coverage of electric vehicle charging stations at our properties. It is estimated that the number of chargers will see a substantial increase of 67% to over 1,400 in 2022, in an effort to encourage the use of green transportation in the wider community.”
Mr. Martin Tsang, CEO and Founder of Halo, shared, “Halo has always been proactively enhancing charging services through the integration of local science research and global charging technologies. We are proud to establish the fastest charging station in Hong Kong in the city’s core business area – China Hong Kong City. With as fast as 15 minutes to provide 200km mileage for latest model EVs, an equivalent of 3 back-and-forth journeys from CHKC and the Airport, the Station will address every resident’s concern about using an EV and they will now experience the convenience of fast-charging that is as convenient as filling up a gas tank. Furthermore, through Halo’s patent Load Management electric distribution system, EVs will be parked in a similar manner as at CHKC in order to achieve a large or even full EV charging coverage with a big saving on the power load for the charging station thereby building a real showcase of EV Ready building. ”
Download Photos: https://bit.ly/3wn7of7
Ancient Denisovan Tooth Found in Laos Cave Illuminates Migration History

The discovery of an ancient tooth in a cave in Northern Laos this week is helping scientists understand the migration patterns of early hominins, relatives of modern humans.
Farmers in Laos Make Desperate Plea for Assistance Amid Fuel Crisis
Lao farmers are in desperate need of fuel and are pleading for an urgent solution to the ongoing fuel crisis.
LiveSpo: Spobiotic Research Center opens – A breakthrough solution for an antibiotic-free future
Antibiotic resistance, the challenge of humanhealthcare
HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach – 19 May 2022 – A Lancet publication in early 2022 reported that an estimated 5 million deaths are associated with antibiotic resistance every year [1]. Despite great efforts to call for a global fight against the alarming antibiotic resistance crisis for many years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has not proposed a particularly effective solution to solve the problem yet.

Spore Probiotics – a breakthrough solution for an antibiotic-free future
Theoretically, besides antibiotics, probiotics can be used to inhibit and kill pathogenic bacteria.
The University of California, Berkeley, in 2013 showed strong evidence from intensive studies that probiotics can be helpful for the treatment of acute diarrhoea within three days [2]. Even though three-day is still long compared to using antibiotics as an alternative, this would fuel more cutting-edge researches into probiotic products for the gradual replacement of antibiotics with superior advantages in terms of safety.
In the International Scientific Conference on Probiotics 2019 held in Prague, the Czech Republic, LiveSpo COLON and LiveSpo SOS Spore Probiotics in liquid form, multi-strains, and high concentration from Viet Nam have drawn full attention from scientists worldwide thanks to their super durability and outstanding effects compared with traditional probiotic products.
LiveSpo SOS products mainly show their helpfulness in prompt and effective treatment of acute diarrhoea caused by bacterial infections like antibiotics, especially in many cases of children when antibiotic treatment has failed.
The results made a big splash at the conference and were broadcast by Vietnam Television (VTV). Spore Probiotics marks the breakthrough in gradually reducing human’s dependence on antibiotics.
Launching a pioneering Spobiotic Research Center
Given such a milestone, it’s crucial to conduct further in-depth research on spore probiotics, expand their functions, and find new applications in treating not only gastrointestinal diseases but also respiratory infections, ear infections, dermatitis, and gynaecological inflammation.
This will then help to enable the gradual replacement of antibiotics.
Therefore, with the establishment of the world’s first Spobiotic Research Center on May 18, 2022, LiveSpo Global JSC hopes to be the driving force for more scientists to be interested in and develop Spore Probiotics as a solution toward An Antibiotic-Free Future.
A brief introduction to the Spobiotic Research Center and LiveSpo Global
LiveSpo Global, formerly known as ANABIO R&D, was founded in 2010, by a group of 3 founders, with proprietary technology developed by Dr. Nguyen Hoa Anh. After 15 years of studying and working in molecular biology at Tohoku University, Japan, Dr. Nguyen Hoa Anh returned to Vietnam in 2010.
After months working around the clock, in 2013, the first commercial spore-based probiotics in water form was launched. This technology surpassed all the disadvantages of traditional probiotics: multi-strains, high concentration, resistant to temperature up to 80oC, and resistant to acid, even at pH2, the acid level in the stomach.
In 2012, LiveSpo Global began to export its products to more than 20 countries in Europe, America, and Asia. In 2021, LiveSpo Global successfully attracted investment from Mekong Capital to speed up the realisation of its vision for an antibiotic-free future.
LiveSpo Global‘s Spobiotic Research Center invests in modern machinery and equipment for in-depth research on microbiology, biophysics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and cells on Spore Probiotics.
The establishment of the centre has realised Dr. Nguyen Hoa Anh’s dream to contribute to his homeland and prove Viet Nam’s capability for being recognised as a country with a considerable contribution to the invention of cutting-edge technology.
[1] The Lancet (February 12th, 2022). “Global Burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis” https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02724-0/fulltext
[2] University of California, Berkeley (2013). “Probiotics” https://uhs.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Probiotics.pdf
Press conference upon the opening of the Spobiotic Research Center
Time: 10:00 on May 18th, 2022
Venue: No. 22 Lot 7.8 La Khe, Van Khe, Ha Dong, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
#LiveSpo
PolyU’s Pioneering Technologies in AI, Materials Science and Biotechnology Awarded at TechConnect 2022 Innovation Awards

This is the sixth consecutive year that PolyU research teams have snatched the esteemed awards among top-ranked innovators, and PolyU is the only higher education institution in Hong Kong to be honoured with the awards this year.
The award-winning PolyU innovations include an AI-empowered chest X-ray imaging technique for clinical applications and an automatic temperature-controllable mask. They are dedicated to improving medical diagnosis or bringing greater comfort to people’s daily protection during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The other prized PolyU innovation is a new type of more environment-friendly moisture-absorbing and sweat-releasing fabric. All three inventions are among the 70 awarded technologies from leading institutions around the world like the US National Laboratories and other top universities.
Professor Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, said, “The University is delighted that our research teams continue to bring superior award-winning technologies to the world and have been recognised at this global event for the sixth consecutive year. PolyU has been undertaking various strategic initiatives to build a strong I&T ecosystem, cultivating solid fundamental knowledge and fostering innovative mindsets to stimulate and lead novel research.”
At the TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo to be held in Washington, D.C. from 13 to 15 June, a PolyU delegation will showcase a number of innovative projects. Professor Larry Chow, Director of Research and Innovation of PolyU, said, “TechConnect has connected the world’s top applied research and early-stage innovations from academia to industry for over 20 years. It has become a forward-looking technology platform which supports global science and technology initiatives as well as opens up numerous partnership opportunities. The PolyU delegation will meet with technology companies for potential collaborations.”
Details of the three PolyU winning innovations are as follows:
AI-Empowered Chest X-Ray and CT Quantitative Analysis for COVID-19 Patient Management (Prof. Jing CAI, Department of Health Technology and Informatics)
The AI-enhanced techniques for COVID-19 clinical applications provide accurate and low-cost imaging solutions for the diagnosis, severity stratification and prognosis of COVID-19. These applications include AI-empowered chest X-ray imaging, AI-assisted COVID-19 disease segmentation, and multi-view analysis. Their high accessibility will benefit developing countries that do not have the needed resources to accurately diagnose and monitor COVID-19.
Moisture-Absorbing and Sweat-Releasing Multilayer Polylactic Acid Fabric and Manufacturing Technology (Prof. Hong HU, Institute of Textiles and Clothing)
The new fabric stands out from existing moisture-absorbing fabric technology in that its fabrication technique is simpler, cheaper, and more environment-friendly. By employing double weft knitting technology, it only takes one single manufacturing process to produce the new fabric structure with improved moisture-absorbing and sweat-releasing properties. It is also has inherent biological resistance and is ideal for use in school uniforms and sportswear.
Omni-Cool-Breath: A Smart Air-Conditioned Mask (Dr Dahua SHOU, Professor FAN Jintu and Dr HUANG Guanghan, Institute of Textiles and Clothing)
Omni-Cool-Breath is the first automatic temperature-controllable mask that brings revolutionary access to all-day cool breath and thermal comfort under various activities and thermal conditions. It reduces temperature by 12°C and humidity by 65% under low voltage via an innovative miniature thermoelectric cooling system. The ergonomically designed lightweight mask uses skin-friendly and biodegradable 3D printing materials that enable the user to enjoy nine hours of clean air.
For details of the TechConnect 2022 Innovation Awardees, please visit the official website:
https://www.techconnectworld.com/World2022/participate/innovation/awards.html
OPPO celebrates this year’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day with collaboration with Blind Mountain Biker Xavier Hopkins

Hopkins, who was born with albinism, suffers from highly sensitive eyes as well as a condition called nystagmus, which causes his eyes to move involuntarily from side to side. To him, anything further than two meters appears as a great blur, making it difficult for him to accurately perceive distances.

“I try to memorize what’s where because if there are big rocks, I won’t be able to see them until I’m about to hit them. So, I walk the route before each ride to try and avoid crashes.” Hopkins said.
“I’ve had a few crashes and broken my collarbone and hurt my neck before. But I love what I do, and a few crashes are not going to get in my way”

In the video, futurist AI technology is used to create a 3D model of the mountain routes that Hopkins travels and to predict road conditions in almost real time, enabling him to visualize the road ahead just like anyone else. Although the technologies in the film may appear like something from a distant future, they are inspired by real prototypes developed by OPPO, including its assisted Reality device OPPO Air Glass and the AR application CyberReal 2.0.
OPPO strongly believes that the benefits of technology should be equally accessible to all. Therefore, OPPO has implemented several accessibility related services, including the Color Vision Enhancement technology first release on the Find X3 smartphone, which assists users with color vision deficiencies. In addition to including a suite of accessibility features on its own products, OPPO has also recently launched the OPPO Research Institute Innovation Accelerator — a platform through which it will work with innovators worldwide to develop accessible technology and digital health solutions aimed at empowering people to live life their own way.
To watch the Inspiration Matters concept video or learn more about the OPPO Research Institute Innovation Accelerator, please visit the program official website at oppo.com/en/proposal/.