tech

Key tech takes from Huawei APAC Innovation Day 2018

Posted on by Samuel Pavin

I was recently invited by Huawei to attend their APAC Innovation Day 2018, in Bangkok, Thailand. The key theme for the event read in two words seen a lot these days: Digital Transformation. But when, in the words of a fairly large tech corporation, “cows and elephants” communicate, what does it really mean?

Digital transformation goes far beyond words. While the term is being used, over-used and abused, Huawei did actually bring it back to the basics. By getting rid of the digital and tech hype, they did steer a technological conference away from technology (the tools) and towards actual people and purpose (the plan).

This is my first take:

“Collaboration is crucial”

Before implementing any form of transformation, digital or not, collaboration and consultation is necessary. A digital transformation can not be pursued or implemented only for the sake of “doing” digital transformation. It has to serve a purpose.

Go steady, not fast

While companies and governments alike can not miss out on digital transformation and have to keep up with change, it does not mean that they have to be the fastest to adopt new tools. Especially is the use of said tools has not been defined in a broader context.

The winner is not necessarily the fastest.

Everything can be “interneted”

In the story of creating new words and new verbs, Huawei have added to the book here :) There is meaning here though as we are talking connectivity and more. The current technology enables connections, between technologies, the internet, etc. but also allows a deeper level of connection by adding intelligence and functionalities and power to it. Making cows communicate with elephants”… .

Overcome the hurdles

Yes, there are hurdles. Whether we are talking technology or just change, not everybody is willing to accept novelty or just difference.

It is therefore crucial to work collaboratively on defining problems and pain points, identifying the actual needs and suitable technologies that should (could) be adopted and then work on a sensible implementation plan.

Resistance to change often stems from uneducated opinions. Hence, collaborating, including the actual people and explaining the steps, reflection and decisions being necessary steps in a (successful) transformation process.

“AI does not exist in the law”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has appeared as a headline in recent times. It brings new user experiences and interactions but also a form of freedom and dangerous blank space as it “does not exist in the law”. As recent cases of Alexa getting creepy or the demonstration of Google Duplex have demonstrated, AI sits currenty in a grey zone which the public does not know what to do of yet.

Per Huawei, “AI works if you have the ability to control it, switch it off”.

ICT and the future of the younger generation

We need to see 21st century skills grow! The future is both practical and technological, as such, both critical thinking and ICT/STEM skills will be necessary.

The education sector needs to look into it and work on building the curriculum of tomorrow, not only to empower their students but also stay relevant in the future.

As a final note, I would note and point the amazing emphasis by the Thai government on preparing the country for the future. A future built on an updated and current education, digital infrastructures and capabilities AND… entrepreneurship and an entrepreneurial mindset!

I suddenly fell in love as these words not only resonated but also echoed my vision and recommendations for any country to grow and keep growing towards a better future.

 

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OK Google, Happy New Year!

Posted on by Samuel Pavin

 

Are we moving from the year of self driving cars to the year of smart speakers and voice assistants? We did not buy much autonomous cars last year. However, we did buy a fair amount of Amazon Alexa and Google Homes.

Here is to this new year of smarts!

 

THE HUAWEI MATE 10 AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER WITH VODAFONE IN AUSTRALIA

Posted on by Samuel Pavin

 

Customers who pre-order the Huawei Mate 10 will also get a bonus Huawei 360 Panoramic VR Camera. 

Huawei Consumer Business Group Australia announced today that the Huawei Mate 10, the latest large screen flagship from Huawei, is now available for pre-order on Vodafone’s range of no lock-in Red Plans. Customers who pre-order the Huawei Mate 10 before 14 November 2017, and either buy it outright or sign up to a Red Plan, will also get a bonus Huawei 360 Panoramic VR Camera.

Recently unveiled at the global launch event in Munich, the Mate 10 is the latest large screen flagship from Huawei that contains a number of firsts.

Big Screen

5.9”, 2K LCD screen in 16 x 9 format. The brightness has been pushed to 730 nit to increase readability in bright daylight conditions.

Power

The Mate 10 has a class leading 4000 mAh battery and the world’s first safety-certified fast-charge systems (TUV Rheinland). The fast charge is one of the fastest available, capable of delivering 58% battery charge in 30mins – which should get you through a full day (depending on usage). Cable and SuperCharger come included in the box.

Camera

The Mate 10 includes the latest Huawei camera module, recently rated 97 by DxOMark Mobile – ranked number two of all smartphones for camera performance. The module, once again co-engineered by Leica, includes dual cameras (20 + 12 megapixels), a 4 in 1 hybrid focus, dual ISP, Summilux-H lenses, 3D panorama setting and an industry leading 1.6 aperture which should drive exceptional low light performance.

AI

The Huawei Mate 10 is powered by the Kirin 970, the world’s first smartphone chipset with a neural processing unit (with artificial intelligence) built into the system architecture. But what does that mean for the consumer? AI will drive better all round CPU/GPU performance, power efficiency and performance over time (lifespan) but it also enables features such as the camera assistant – which through scene recognition can adjust camera settings or advanced AR applications such as the bespoke Microsoft translator.

And the nice bonus:

HUAWEI PANORAMIC VR CAMERA
Customers who pre-order the Huawei Mate 10 will get a bonus Huawei 360 Panoramic VR Camera (subject to stock availability) valued at $179 (SRP).

Huawei 360 Panoramic VR Camera

The Huawei 360 Panoramic VR camera has dual 13MP lens cameras in a back to back configuration to deliver 360 photos and video as well as VR. Supporting Panorama, GIF, Fisheye, Planet and VR modes, the camera is extremely portable weighing only 30 grams and slots into any smartphone with a USB Type C port. The camera also draws power from the device it is plugged into, removing the need to recharge the device separately.

The Huawei Mate 10 is available for pre-order from Vodafone today here. 

 

The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus are coming to Australia

Posted on by Samuel Pavin

Huawei announced today that they are to launch their P10 and P10 Plus smartphones in Australia on May 25. And as they said, “Huawei puts a photography studio in your pocket”. 

Richard Yu, CEO of the Huawei Consumer Business Group, said: “With Huawei P10 and P10 Plus we have created a smartphone that revolutionises and redefines portrait photography. Thanks to the evolution of our partnership with Leica Camera, users now have an incredible Leica front camera on their Huawei device in addition to the rear. To match this innovation inside, Huawei’s partnership with Pantone Color Institute ensures that the devices are equally as beautiful on the outside. The HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus are smartphones that are as fashionable as they are functional.”

Huawei P10 Saatchi

Huawei P10, the photography studio

The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus take smartphone photography to a new level. The Leica Dual-Camera 2.0 (Dual-Camera 2.0 Pro on the P10 Plus) incorporates an all-new precise 3D facial detection technology that enables quicker, more accurate feature recognition. To ensure each one of your photos captures the right light, the P series include dynamic illumination, an all-new auto-sensing algorithm that tracks lighting and adjusts shutter speed, auto white balance and more. There have also been advancements with the natural bokeh effect with the new depth-of-field algorithm creating sharper, clearer and more vivid colour combined with an elegantly blurred background. For perfectly clear, crisp portraits, the P series 12-megapixel RGB and 20-megapixel monochrome lenses feature Hybrid Zoom with an autofocus system. The RGB lens also includes Optical Image Stabilisation.

Everyone loves a great selfie – do they not? And the “selfie” market is also huge in China – so now, for the first time, the P series includes a front facing Leica camera. The F/1.9 aperture 8-megapixel Leica front camera includes an all new sensor that captures more light, making it great for selfies day and night. A smart sensor – the adaptive selfie – is also able to detect whether there are single or multiple subjects and switch to wide angle mode accordingly.

The Huawei P10 Plus features the Leica Dual-Camera 2.0 Pro Edition. This includes new SUMMILUX-H Leica lenses with a larger F/1.8 aperture and higher optical capability. These versatile lenses capture sharp close-ups, quick action shots and more light in low-light conditions.

Look good, feel good

As well as setting new standards in smartphone photography, the P series is the new Huawei benchmark for style and design, built around ultra-slim, lightweight bodies, with smooth rounded curves and with the cameras flush to the casing. The fingerprint sensor has now moved, subtly hidden beneath the glass of the front screen for additional screen space and new functionality.

The P10 will be available in three colours in Australia. Graphic Black, Dazzling Blue (exclusive to Optus) and Gold (exclusive to Vodafone). The Dazzling Blue was developed in conjunction with the Pantone Colour Institute and features a hyper diamond-cut finish that adds a stunning glow effect. The P10 Plus will be available in Graphite Black.

Like the Huawei Mate 9, the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus were designed with the powerful Kirin 960 chipset and EMUI 5.1 to deliver maximum performance and efficiency for an uncompromised experience over the lifetime of the device. The P series leverages a machine learning algorithm to learn how you use your phone and Huawei Ultra Memory uses this data to anticipate app usage and intelligently manage RAM – so the apps and services used most often load faster.

The P series also use the SuperCharge technology from the Huawei Mate 9, which is not only amongst the world’s fastest rapid charging systems, it also includes 5-gate protection to manage charging, monitor temperatures and reduce risks. Additionally, the new advanced antenna technology delivers the best possible network connectivity for data-intensive tasks on the go – whether it is gaming or streaming your favourite series.

Mark your calendars – and get ready to ditch your current carrier, maybe – the new Huawei P10 will be available from Vodafone, Optus and Virgin Mobile from May 25 (SRP $899). Additionally, the Huawei P10 Plus will be available from selected retailers from the same date (SRP $1099).

Huawei P10 Leica x Vogue

ABOUT HUAWEI AUSTRALIA
Huawei’s products and services are available in more than 170 countries, and are used by a third of the world’s population, ranking third in the world in mobile phone shipments in 2015. Sixteen R&D centres have been set up in the United States, Germany, Sweden, Russia, India, and China. Huawei Consumer BG is one of Huawei’s three business units and covers smartphones, PC and tablets, wearables and cloud services. Huawei’s global network is built on 20 years of expertise in the telecom industry and is dedicated to delivering the latest technological advances to consumers around the world.

DISCLAIMER

As a KOL (Key Opinion Leader) for Huawei, I can be invited to take part in various corporate events both produced by Huawei, as well as any other corporation. While Huawei, partners or other corporations may cover my travel expenses to these events, I’m not a paid spokesperson for Huawei or any other company; as such, nothing I say or write about is in any way required, nor forced by Huawei. My opinions whether related to products or companies, both positive and negative, are mine; and mine alone.

 

WOWei! Huawei and the Huawei Mate 9

Posted on by Samuel Pavin

huawei_mate_9_pro___huawei_smartphone

Wow! Huawei. The company has been very busy last year and was literally everywhere, reinforcing its global presence. On a more personal note, after a wonderful Huawei APAC Innovation Day which I had the chance to attend, in Sydney (November 2nd), I could set my sights on the official announcements to come from Germany (November 3rd).

Among the new products, the Huawei Mate 9 made a remarkable appearance. Now, with the CES running at full speed, the Mate 9 was, yet again, part of the announcements made by CEO Richard Yu and is now due to sell in the USA (Jan 6th).

With the Mate 9, Huawei showed that innovation is not simply a word. The Mate 9 comes with a sleek design and packs some serious power too. And how could I not mention the fact that there are two versions of it? A standard one and a second one created in collaboration with Porsche Design (!). Both built on the same frame with an aluminium casing but different types of screens.

Huawei Mate 9 or Huawei Mate 9 by Porsche Design?

The team at Porsche Design has decided to take a page from Samsung by fitting their version of the Mate 9 with a curved screen, partly covering the sides of the phone. For Samsung lovers, it does look similar to the screen available on the Galaxy Note 7.

When it comes to buttons and the handling of the phone, Huawei have opted for a similar positioning as what is seen on the P9, for example, putting all of them on the right hand side. In the same way, the fingerprint sensor is positioned at the back of the phone, under the camera(s), once again built in collaboration with Leica.

Did I write cameras? Indeed. The novelty seen on the recent iPhone 7 is already an old story (see the Huawei P9 for example) – but such a good one – at Huawei as they do boast a double camera module. And an even better photo quality.

huawei-mate-9-leica-camera

The technology is premium

The classic version of the phone offers a 5.9-inch full HD screen, a Kirin 960 processor and 4GB of RAM with 64 GB of storage (which can be increased by using a micro SD card).

The Porsche Design one goes even further with a 5.5-inch AMOLED QHD screen, a Kirin 960 and 6GB of RAM (!!!) with 256 GB of storage (which can not be extended with an SD card though).

They both share the same module for photography, with a 20 megapixels monochrome camera and an RGB one of 12 megapixels.

The front camera offering an “acceptable” 8 megapixels.

Add 4G compatibility, Wifi 802.11, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS and GLONASS to the party, with a 4,000 mAh battery and a USB-C port.

And with the fast charging feature, the battery will be back to 50% within 30 minutes.

What more?

Straight out of CEO Richard Yu’s CES speech, the Huawei Mate 9 comes with a pre-installed voice-interactive app giving access to Amazon Alexa. And the Mate 9 pro, as well as the Porsche Design version, will eventually support Google Daydream.

The phone also comes with a new artificial intelligence feature that learns the daily habit of a user.

Gorgeous, smart, (super) powerful. What else? With Huawei seizing the “Manufacturer of the year” award from Android Authority, the company not only dominated 2016 but looks like they are ready to keep growing in 2017.

Update: A little after publishing this post, news came up and the Huawei Mate 9 was awarded a “Best of CES 2017” title. Huawei and the Mate 9 are definitely owning this CES 2017. 

huawei-mate-9-best-of-ces-2017-wsj

Disclaimer: I am part of the Huawei KOL (Key Opinion Leaders). This review, however, only reflects my honest and unbiased opinion and interest in this device.

Welcome to the 3D room 

Posted on by Samuel Pavin

What if the movie played out in front of you but also all around you? Or you could immerse yourself in data and act on them live?  

Well,  just one small piece here from a visit paid to UTS thanks to Huawei. 

Technology keeps evolving and the applications are amazing.