Champasack police have issued a statement regarding the case of a man who was arrested for arguing with a police officer at a Covid-19 checkpoint.
Korean Company to Study Expansion of Luang Prabang Airport
The Korean Airports Corporation (KAC) has been selected to lead a feasibility study on the expansion of Luang Prabang International Airport.
LUX Smashes Sexist Labels Through Rousing Pop Anthem
Global beauty brand leverages pop culture to reframe mindsets on female stereotypes
SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OutReach – 18 May 2021 – Helming the rise of a new generation of bold and purpose-driven pop artists, Unilever’s global beauty brand LUX has set itself the task of championing a breakthrough against female labels leveraging China’s music industry. Released in April 2021, in collaboration with Universal Music Group China, WPP’s Mindshare and Wunderman Thompson, its music video “势不可挡 (Unstoppable)” has gone viral with the campaign garnering over 330 million views since its launch. The track features popular artist Dylan Xiong who reinterprets award-winning American singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson’s hit single “Stronger” with new lyrics comprising a crowd-sourced litany of judgements that women in China receive every day such as 拜金 (materialistic), 花瓶 (“flower vase”: pretty but empty) or 心机 (scheming, manipulative).
The music video spotlights strong, unstoppable women by showcasing their unapologetic beauty as they rise against this barrage of everyday judgements. With lyrics such as “Nobody can stop you from blossoming. Your light is unstoppable, you are your own bright shining light”, the rousing anthem celebrates women who are empowered and have the confidence to smash labels, bringing to the fore the need for women to express themselves just how they want to.
The track was released on all music streaming platforms in China on 12 April 2021. It was also performed on China’s largest music reality show 乘风破浪的姐姐 (Sisters Who Make Waves) where it went viral with 54.2 million users tuning in live and 280 million views on-demand thereafter. It was then shared globally among Dylan’s fan club accounts in the Philippines and Vietnam across Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The release of the music video on 30 April 2021 sparked a huge number of positive conversations online, with the #熊梓淇新歌势不可挡 campaign racking up over 61 million impressions to date.
Recognising music as a universal language that allows communication across cultural and linguistic boundaries, LUX crowd-sourced the judgements faced by respondents in China for UMG’s singer-songwriter Tifa Chen to incorporate them into the lyrics. This helped drive huge resonance and, consequently impact. “Your light is unstoppable, you are your own bright shining light”, was the most quoted lyrics of the song online suggesting the lyrics truly strike a chord with women in China.
Delving deeper into the impact of sexist labels on women, a global Nielsen study shows that 1 out of 2 women around the world have been judged for expressing themselves differently, and 70 per cent of these judgements are related to their appearance[1]. This data points to the growing consensus that a lack of confidence and self-editing to silence the critics is a long-term, critically damaging issue.
The music video also focuses greatly on allyship and its role in celebrating beauty as a source of strength, while advocating for greater social inclusivity to break down stereotypes. “A message is only as strong as the way it is delivered. The choice of having a young, inspiring male artist like Dylan to deliver this strong concept of allyship through popular culture truly has the power to make an impact at scale” shared Nicolas Tran Dinh, Global Digital & PR Lead at LUX. Additionally, Dylan also reiterates that “the lyrics in the song perfectly describe the independent attitude of women in the new era. I hope that my singing can bring you strength, and that you will be unafraid of labels and keep on shining, because your beauty is unstoppable!”
While inviting women to express themselves unapologetically is a mission that LUX has taken on for years now, having allies like Dylan rally to the cause strengthens the message and expands its reach. “With women constantly facing judgements around the world, LUX has been committed to inspiring women to embrace authentic beauty and empower true femininity without the need to self-edit,” shared Severine Vauleon, Global VP at LUX.
“In China, LUX has been tackling sexist labels and encouraging women to rise above with our communication campaigns for more than two years now. With the launch of this track and music video, we are igniting an important conversation on smashing female labels and empowering women to embrace their beauty fully and authentically. Through this partnership with Universal Music Group, we want to inform, educate, challenge and advocate for unapologetic self-expression and authenticity. At LUX, we believe that beauty should be a source of strength rather than a source of judgement,” Severine adds.
Echoing her comments, LUX’s Global Business Director at WT, Hinoti Joshi shares: “Through our creative thinking, we want to inspire women and those around her to embrace a more all-inclusive mindset on beauty. While this music video reflects the progressive narrative of unapologetic beauty that we wish to nurture, we recognise that the work is far from over and this is only the beginning.”
About LUX
Lux has been celebrating beauty and femininity since 1925. We understand that beauty is a woman’s armour, her source of strength. It is hers to express, unapologetically. We will continue to help women everywhere fight casual sexism at home, in the workplace and in wider society. Lux is committed to reduce instances of, and inspire women to rise above, everyday sexism through content, activations and partnerships.
#LUX
TECNO TAIVOS™ Lab: How can signal processing and AI Imaging build the ultimate selfie
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 18 May 2021 – TECNO, a rising global smartphone brand, is taking huge steps forward with its cutting-edge innovations in AI-enhanced photography through its TECNO TAIVOS™ Lab. Set up to enhance photography and videography through research and deep analysis, the lab’s rational and meticulous approach has been garnering a lot of attention as well as adoption. With a goal of enhancing image beautification through photography and videography technology, TECNO’s TAIVOS™ Lab has been provided users an excellent and unprecedented visual experience, especially at night and low-light environments and its AI imaging boost a lot in the selfie exemplifying the latest TECNO CAMON 17 Pro.
One of the key indicators of success in research development is the number of patents being applied for. TECNO’s TAIVOS™ Lab is taking on proportions in terms of patent applications, applicable technology, and original research. To date, there has been hundreds of patent applications related to the work done in the TECNO TAIVOS™ Imaging Laboratory in 2020. Of these, regard, with an increasing number of patent applications expected to come from this dynamic and fertile idea generation test bed.
It is this understanding of the subjectiveness of beauty, which has led to the establishment of several imaging research centers and localized non-entity joint research institutions worldwide. These centers add to the growing and substantial research already conducted at the three core centers in China. More than 3000 local samples with approximately 6,120 evaluation scenarios spanning 115 countries enable the team possible to focus on the localized ethnic research, overall social aesthetic ideology and subjective aesthetic preference research, the author explored localized image product effect debugging, development and evaluation, so as to make the experience of product image effect direction conform to the localization trend. This covers at least 95% of the scenarios in which users will be utilizing their cameras. Where proof collection is concerned, TECNO is partnering with both individuals and organizations in the private and public sectors, with information and raw data coming from direct local, ethnographical sources.
Equipped with the 3A Algorithm and ISP (Image Signal Processor) module, all the TECNO TAIVOS™ verified cameras can be achieved a staggering 4,500 fine tuning parameters. This provides thoroughly fine-tuned and polished images with TECNO products. It helps to sharpen images for all three major skin types, covering all people groups, especially for those with darker skin tones. The Material Library inclusively extends over nine skin types and 76 categories. The materials were used over 1.3 billion times in 2020, with over 24 million users accessing this library. This assures consumers that no matter where they come from, their beauty can be enhanced effectively. It ensures higher quality selfies taken in day or night conditions. It explains the CAMON 17’s prowess through the Super Night Mode, which adds unrivalled clarity to photos, even when taken in the dark. The 1.6μm camera lets in more light and optimizes details against a low-light background. It also boost the quality dimensions of videography, such as “anti-shake, texture, noise, color, pseudo color”, as well as the application of video HDR, video night scene, video ZOOM and other scenes.
TECNO’s TAIVOS™ Labs have also made huge advances in Image Algorithm Technology. Incorporated within the CAMON devices latter half this year, the Galileo Algorithm Engine includes the “Moon Lock Focus System”, “Lunar Revolution Elimination Algorithm”, “Lunar Details Protection Algorithm”, and “AI Deep Learning Enhancement Algorithm”. All of these come together to produce ultra-clear telescopic images from the camera of a handphone. The Pixel-Level Segmentation Algorithm Engine includes the “3D Depth Calculation Algorithm” and the “Detection and Recognition Calculation”, to achieve pixel-level image segmentation accuracy, which paves the way for large aperture shooting, portrait bokeh shooting, and magical sky effects.
These technologies have elevated TECNO products above being merely smartphones, but rather distinguishing them as state-of-the-art cameras housed within a phone. The growth in the TECNO TAIVOS™ concept can be demystified by a clearer look at the technology employed, which debugged the secret to the report Counterpoint released the other day says TECNO Mobile leads in AI-enhanced photography as well.
#TECNO
Jewellery training now enjoys generous SkillsFuture Funding
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 18 May 2021 – As part of a concerted effort by SkillsFuture Singapore, Workforce Singapore, Enterprise Singapore and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and thanks to the strong support of the Singapore Jewellers Association, 28 courses from the Jewellery Design & Management International School (JDMIS) are now supported under SkillsFuture initiatives. This development ensures that the jewellery industry in Singapore evolves with the changing economy and technologies; it enables companies and individuals to remain up to date with the latest skills and knowledge in this creative field.
Tanja Sadow, the Dean and Director of JDMIS, said: “We would like to express heartfelt thanks to SkillsFuture Singapore, the Singapore Jewellers Association and the many passionate individuals from all agencies, associations and local jewellery business partners, who worked tirelessly with us to achieve this level of support for our industry. This is an important step in improving Singapore’s competitiveness and relevance in the global jewellery stage.”
JDMIS 30-hour professional certification courses include expert training in gemstone knowledge, classical and digital jewellery design, jewellery hand-fabrication using traditional methods and new technologies, fashion jewellery, trends and jewellery business topics. Each course includes all necessary tools and materials such as gems and precious metals (which participants keep and take home after class.) Course fees range from $1,800 to $2,850.
All are now eligible for SkillsFuture Baseline funding (amounting to $435) for younger Singaporeans and Permanent Residents. Citizens over 40 can additionally avail of the SkillsFuture Mid-career enhanced training subsidies (providing total support of $1,450.) Companies sending staff for training receive similarly generous subsidies as well as the ability to claim absentee payroll for workers they send for training. In-line with Singapore’s support for the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises, these organizations also receive enhanced support for training their employees in the latest jewellery skills.
Finally, the course tuition fees can be further offset using SkillsFuture credits given to all Singaporeans aged 25 and above in an initiative by the government to promote lifelong learning and encourage Singaporeans to take ownership of their skills development.
With these various options, the JDMIS has been leveraging SSG’s data interchange initiative to create a simple SkillsFuture calculator on all of its course pages online. Interested applicants can quickly determine the level of funding and payable amount for each course based on their residential status, age and SkillsFuture credits. They can then enrol and start their training using a streamlined application and administration process.
Given the recent restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID19 in Singapore, JDMIS has implemented synchronous eLearning options so that students enrolled in ongoing courses can continue their jewellery training online from the comfort and safety of their home.
To learn more about JDMIS and the various jewellery specialisations available, visit https://jdmis.edu.sg
Jewellery Design and Management International School
The Jewellery Design and Management International School is the only educational institution in Singapore to focus exclusively on the jewellery arts and the largest specialized jewellery school in South-East Asia. Incorporated in 2007, JDMIS entered a joint-venture partnership in 2018 with MDIS, Singapore’s oldest not-for-profit professional institute for lifelong learning.
JDMIS offers internationally recognized professional certifications, diplomas and advanced diplomas in jewellery design, fabrication and business that lead to employment, entrepreneurship, and academia. JDMIS has trained over 20,000 jewellery professionals with over 4,500 students from 42 countries graduating from its professional certificate and diploma qualifications. JDMIS’ joint-venture with MDIS expands the educational possibilities in jewellery to include pathways to degree programmes with prestigious university partners.
Learn more at: https://jdmis.edu.sg.
LOCATION: 501 Stirling Road – MDIS Campus Franklin Block
F-1075 to F-1082, Singapore 148951
OPERATING HOURS: Monday -Saturday 10am-7pm, Sunday 11am-7pm, Closed on public holidays
CONTACT DETAILS: +65 62215253 info@jdmis.edu.sg https://jdmis.edu.sg
SOCIAL MEDIA:
YouTube (11,100 Subscribers) JewelleryDMISchool
Facebook (13,000 Fans) JewellerySchool
Instagram (800 Followers) @jdmis
#jdmis #jewellerytraining #jewelleryeducation #learnjewellery #jewelleryindustry
Prime Minister of Laos Discusses Lockdown Measures, Calls for More Vaccines
Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh held a meeting via video conference yesterday with the National Taskforce for Covid-19 Prevention and Control as well as provincial taskforces to discuss the pandemic situation.
Trend Micro Launches First and Only SecOps Solution to Slay Open Source Code Bugs
Built with Snyk, this Trend Micro Cloud One service saves time per vulnerability and improves visibility and tracking automation
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 17 May 2021 – Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, today launched a new, co-built SaaS solution with Snyk, the leader in cloud native application security. The first of its kind, it’s designed to provide continuous insight into open source vulnerabilities for enhanced risk management to drive data-driven decisions.
Trend Micro Cloud One – Open Source Security by Snyk is the newest Cloud One service and the first partner addition to the platform, which is available through the channel as well as AWS Marketplace.
To find out more visit: https://www.trendmicro.com/en_hk/business/products/hybrid-cloud/cloud-one-open-source-security-by-snyk.html
This is the first service that provides visibility into open source software vulnerabilities for security operation teams. The use of these open source code components is exploding thanks to the speed, flexibility, extensibility and quality they offer application development teams. According to Snyk, 80% of application code today is open source.
In their Market Guide for Software Composition Analysis, Gartner stated that “Open-source software is used in nearly all organizations. This introduces risks from readily exploitable vulnerabilities; an expanded attack surface through which malware and malicious code can gain access, compromising proprietary code and infrastructure; and legal and intellectual property exposures.”[i]
Snyk has observed 2.5x growth in open source vulnerabilities over the past three years making it more necessary than ever to deliver security further into the DevOps pipeline. However, process gaps, mismatched toolsets and communication challenges between SecOps and DevOps are commonplace. Too often, this means security practitioners face an uphill battle and lack visibility into application build-time risks. This cloud service from Trend Micro and Snyk bridges the long-standing cultural challenges between security and development teams with a unified solution that delivers unique visibility sooner in the software development lifecycle to further protect the stack.
“Together Snyk and Trend Micro are investing in the future of the cybersecurity industry, where security and development teams effectively work together to make their organizations safer,” said Geva Solomonovich, Global Alliances CTO for Snyk. “Adding Snyk’s developer-first security technology to Trend Micro’s Cloud One allows more customers to tackle open source risk on a single platform, minimizing the need to manage multiple vendors and tools. We look forward to our continued collaboration with Trend Micro to foster more innovative, effective ways to solve key security concerns for our customers.”
Almost all applications developed across the world in the last 25 years have been built using open source code. As the pressure to build and deliver new cloud-native applications continues to increase, organizations often lose sight of older applications, their component inventories, and maintenance and update cycles—creating further opacity and risk.
“With this one solution, we’re able to solve several problems and use technology to bridge internal gaps,” said Kevin Simzer, chief operating officer for Trend Micro. “This offering can save over 650 hours of development time per application through increased automation, helps to manage risk and liability with license requirements, and gives security teams visibility into a part of our functional code base that has not been accessible before.”
Trend Micro Cloud One – Open Source Security by Snyk also enables SecOps to identify vulnerabilities and issues related to licensing. This empowers security teams to better monitor, prioritize and communicate risk and exposure rates within DevOps projects over time. This happens with:
- Data-driven security decisions
- Continuous monitoring of threat levels
- Effective prioritization of risks and remediation recommendations
Built-in automation also helps security teams quickly identify and gain awareness of indirect open source dependencies that both security and developer teams may not be aware exist in their applications. Approximately eight hours can be saved per vulnerability through automation and early discovery.[ii]
The service is available along with the entire Cloud One platform on
About Trend Micro
Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro’s cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, the platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 65 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world. www.trendmicro.com.hk
#TrendMicro
About Snyk
Snyk, the cloud native application security leader, today enables 2.2 million developers to build securely, with a vision to empower every modern developer in the world to develop fast and stay secure. Only Snyk provides a platform to secure all of the critical components of today’s cloud native application development including the code, open source libraries, container infrastructure and infrastructure as code. Snyk’s developer-first approach enables technology-driven companies to scale security in today’s fast-paced digitally transforming world. Snyk’s security platform is powered by its industry-leading proprietary vulnerability database, maintained by the expert Snyk security research team, that also powers security solutions from strategic partners such as Atlassian, Datadog, Docker, IBM Cloud, Rapid7, Red Hat and Trend Micro. The company works with global customers of all sizes to empower developers to automatically integrate security throughout their existing workflows.
Named to the 2020 Forbes Cloud 100, the definitive ranking of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world, Snyk was also recently recognized by Comparably as the #3 small-to-medium businesses for Happiest Employees in 2020.
For more information and to get started with Snyk for free today, visit https://snyk.io.