HOYA Vision Care, the global leader in optical technology innovation, had successfully launched its FULL CONTROL coating for eyewear lenses in the past year, providing the average Singaporeans with an all-in-one solution to protect the eyes against everyday environmental hazards.

With the gradual return to offices after working from home for so long, many Singaporeans are back in the office, which helps in improved connection with their team members, leading to more effective brainstorming, increased productivity, and team synergy. But, this also means the need to work on computers while working in the office, prolonging their exposure to blue light.

For some Singaporeans, protecting their eyes from the sun is less a priority, especially white-collar workers who often head out for lunch when the UV rays are the strongest. Upon heading back to the office, they have to face their computers, which means dealing with more blue light.

With the reopening of businesses and the return of various recreation activities to the island, most Singaporeans risk exposing themselves to bacteria, especially during their commute, while they're eating out, or being outdoors in general.

While these environmental factors are unavoidable, HOYA FULL CONTROL lens provides an all-in-one solution against these hazards.

Through HOYA's advanced research and technological capabilities, the FULL CONTROL coating is characterised by a combination of HOYA's four signature lens coatings, namely, Hi-Vision LongLife (HVLL), BlueControl, UV Control and Hi-Vision Anti-Bacterial. This makes FULL CONTROL the first-of-its-kind lens in HOYA's product offerings.

HOYA's premium Hi-Vision LongLife multi-layer lens coating offers significant lens durability that maintains HOYA's excellent visual performance for years, as it is anti-reflective, scratch resistant, and repellent to oil, water and dust.

As Singaporeans are prone to spending long hours on their digital devices such as laptops, tablets, and mobile phones, this inevitably increases their exposure to blue light and glare. Extensive exposure can also lead to eye strain, fatigue, and even sleeplessness.

With HOYA's trademark BlueControl treatment, it can help to reduce the effect of harmful blue light by reflecting it away and minimising the glare from digital screens while enhancing the contrast for a more comfortable and relaxed vision.

Besides, Singapore is located near the equator, which means Singaporeans are constantly exposed to harmful UV rays with higher levels of UV radiation. With HOYA's UV Control, wearers enjoy the ultimate UV protection on the front and back surfaces of the lens while decreasing their risk of UV-related eye damage and diseases.

Being outdoors means Singaporeans have to protect themselves from what their eyes can't see – bacteria. It is all around; on handlebars, door knobs, and even smartphones. To ensure all-rounded total protection, HOYA's Hi-Vision Anti-Bacterial Coating consists of silver ions (AG+), which are applied on both the front and back surfaces of the lens to control bacterial growth, rendering the bacteria unable to divide. This coating is tested under strict standards* and has been proven to be highly effective and long-lasting in reducing and slowing down bacterial growth by at least 99.9%**.

With HOYA FULL CONTROL lens, it is capable of providing an all-in-one solution for eye protection against various environmental hazards.

In conjunction with the successful launch of HOYA Vision Care's FULL CONTROL coating for eyewear lenses in the past year, the global leader in optical technology innovation is offering customers a piece of complimentary lens cloth with every pair of FULL CONTROL stock lenses purchase (while stocks last).

Wine Pinnacle Awards 2022. Following its 2019 debut, this year's programme is entirely new, and has been meticulously curated to distinguish the awards as Southeast Asia's most prominent and unprecedented wine festival for oenophiles. As Scott Peterson, Vice President, Lifestyle, Resorts World Sentosa says, "The Wine Pinnacle Awards has always been positioned as an avenue to celebrate diversity, excellence and innovation in the world of wines. Throughout these five days, guests at RWS will not only discover and appreciate the art of wine-making, they can even enjoy intimate and exclusive wine pairing dinners, pairing exceptional wines with exquisite menus from world-famous celebrity chefs; a Masterclass Experience for enthusiasts and investors to discover new gems; and a two-day Wine Industry Symposium for wine and hospitality professionals. Second to none, the Wine Pinnacle Awards complements RWS' suite of award-winning attractions, luxurious accommodations, mesmerising entertainment, MICE facilities, as well as myriad of food and beverage offerings, in positioning the lifestyle integrated resort as Asia's top premium lifestyle destination for all audiences."

As the world's first wine awards based solely on nominations, this event will recognise the finest wines and wine professionals the world has to offer, representing the opinions of 61 jury members from around the globe – comprising Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers, wine professionals and luminaries and the illustrious five-member Technical Committee headed by Ms Jeannie Cho Lee, the first Asian Master of Wine.

The Wine Pinnacle Awards is a pioneering award that considers wines from every region without restrictions on origin and without the need for entry fees. An esteemed panel of Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine, and premier critics are assembled into an expert jury, responsible for nominating the most deserving of wines.

Wine lovers can look forward to the Masterclass Experience on 29 and 30 October 2022 – where Technical Committee members Ms Jeannie Cho Lee and Mr Doug Frost drive deeper conversations in a series of masterclasses for potential investors, featuring hidden gems of the wine world including Henschke, Maison M. Chapoutier, Château Haut-Brion, and Tempos Vega Sicilia.

Every day from 28 to 31 October 2022, the resort will play host to decadent wine affairs where guests can partake in carefully curated Wine and Dine Sessions. With special champagne brunches and bespoke dinners featuring vintages from prestigious wineries such as Château Angélus, Château Margaux and Château La Mission Haut-Brion, guests can be sure of a memorable gastronomic adventure. Fine wines will be complemented by equally fine food crafted by the world's best Michelin-starred chefs including: Mr Guillaume Galliot (3 Michelin stars), Mr Olivier Bellin (2 Michelin stars), Mr Arnaud Dunand Sauthier (Bangkok), and Mr Cedric Vongerichten (New York).

On 31 October and 1 November 2022, delegates of the Wine Industry Symposium will discuss a more dynamic future for the wine industry by discussing key topics like new areas of economic growth and the impact of climate change with wine professionals from all sectors. There will also be panel discussions with the world's thought leaders – which includes Ms Karen MacNeil, Author & Wine; Ms Prue Henschke, Head of Henschke and Mr Jamie Ritchie, Global Chairman Sotheby's Wine.

Concluding the five-day celebration of prestige and innovation in the world of wines is the Wine Pinnacle Awards Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony on 1 November 2022. Held in the Resorts World Ballroom, the black-tie soirée will gather key industry experts, influencers, sponsors, peers, and wine luminaries from across the globe.

Tickets are limited and open for reservations from 16 September onwards.

Aspire, the #1 all-in-one finance operating system for growing businesses in Southeast Asia, has joined forces with award-winning RegTech provider Know Your Customer to safely facilitate access to its financial products to underserved SMEs and entrepreneurs in the region.

It is estimated that there are 70 million micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Southeast Asia today that employ over 140 million people and account for 99% of all businesses in the region. Moreover, thousands of new start-ups and SMEs are registered every day: recent research* has revealed that an average 9% of all entities present in company registries were incorporated in the course of the last year for which data was available.

These companies are often in urgent need of financial services such as business accounts, loans, credit cards, and a platform to manage their receivables and payables. Despite this, access to viable financial products remains difficult for many of them due to the challenges of financial institutions looking to verify these companies' shareholding structures. In these instances, having real-time access to company registries is essential for any FI looking to serve new companies not yet present in conventional KYC databases.

By working together, Know Your Customer and Aspire will now be able to capture this fast-growing demand in full compliance with local and international regulatory requirements.

The new partnership will enhance Aspire's ability to digitise and streamline the crucial phase of corporate onboarding for SMEs, entrepreneurs and corporate clients across the whole region through Know Your Customer's digital solutions and unmatched coverage of real-time registry connections in APAC and globally.

Founded in 2018 to provide working capital loans for small to medium-sized businesses, Aspire now offers a portfolio of services to over 10,000 businesses across the region, including multi-currency accounts and cards, expense management, payable management, and receivable management solutions - all in one account.

Know Your Customer is an award-winning regulatory technology (RegTech) company specialised in modular compliance solutions which enable businesses to build the corporate onboarding process that best fits their unique needs. The company recently announced the expansion of its real-time coverage to 500+ company registries across 123 countries worldwide, officially becoming the No. 1 KYB provider in the industry.

Tarini Ponniah, Head of Compliance of Aspire, commented:

"At Aspire, we are always looking for ways to support our customers, and make sure they have a seamless onboarding journey with us. We strive to make alliances with companies that share the same vision and can assist us in providing our services in full compliance with the applicable regulations. Know Your Customer's RegTech solution has helped us to achieve this incredible milestone in a very short time span."

Claus Christensen, CEO & Co-Founder of Know Your Customer, added:

"Aspire has quickly become a powerful force in the APAC Fintech space and we are delighted to be playing such a strategic part in their current and future growth. I strongly believe that building solid synergies between disruptive Fintechs and innovative RegTech providers is key to drive the whole industry forward and this partnership is a perfect example of two innovative companies coming together to meet a pressing market need. We look forward to supporting Aspire's business growth through our modular solution and unparalleled coverage of real-time registry connections globally."

The partnership announcement was officially commemorated by a signing ceremony held in Singapore on the occasion of the visit of Micheál Martin, Taoiseach of Ireland (Prime Minister) on 22 July 2022.

Kevin Ryan, Director South-East Asia of Enterprise Ireland added:

"The Government of Ireland, via Enterprise Ireland are proud to support innovative companies like Know Your Customer on their expansion. The signing today signifies their commitment to raising the bar for RegTech in Southeast Asia and we congratulate them wholeheartedly."

The number of gamers in Singapore is expected to be 3 million people by 2026. Players in Singapore spent $327.2 million on games in 2019. Virtual Reality technology is one of the technological innovations that has been introduced in this century. This is a technology that it the top companies investing in it. This includes Facebook, Samsung, Apple, HTC, etc. this has actually improved the level of the Virtual Reality technology. Most of the technological innovations have now incorporated the Virtual Reality technology in the latest innovations that they invent. Here is actually the current feature of the Virtual Reality technology. Apple is looking at multiple ways virtual and augmented reality could be implemented into some future iOS devices or new hardware products. Apple's focus with AR/VR has gone up over the last few years and an augmented reality products could be launched this 2022.

Virtual Reality with Mobile Phones

Various smartphones that are being invented have incorporated a lot of Virtual Reality technology. For instance, the Samsung Company have come up with the Gearbest VR headset. This actually makes it a crucial introduction of the VR industry in the communication industry. The HTC Company have also invested into the virtual reality technology by designing the VR headset also. In the coming generations people will be making calls and sending messages on the VR platform.

Virtual Reality with the Gaming Industry

The gaming industry is the top industries that have tremendously benefitted from the VR technology. Most of the gaming at this century are frequently played on the VR platform. This has resulted in a realistic gaming experience on the VR platform. Most of the hard-core gamers in the world have resorted to the Virtual Reality technology. Most of the game developers have shifted their focus on developing games for the Virtual Reality technology.

Virtual Reality with the Automotive Industry

The automotive industry has also invested in the virtual reality technology. This has given out an autonomous direction in the future of Virtual Reality. Various headsets are being designed primarily for the racing vehicles. This has also shaped the future of the virtual reality technology. The automotive industry has also used the virtual reality technology in the car design.

The Education Sector

The education sector is also making a strong move to the VR technology. The Virtual Reality technology provides virtual aids to the students thus making this technology a very vital tool in the education sector.

Virtual Reality and the entertainment industry

Most of the latest movies are being accessed on the VR platform. All you need to have it only the VR headsets. Currently, the NETFLIX VR app is the one providing the movies on the VR platform. In the future, the gadgets such as TV might be rendered useless with the coming of the VR technology. This is because they will be render obsolete. At the moment, the movies and music can now be viewed on the VR platform. You can also access the internet content via the VR platform using the WebVR app.

The Tourism Sector

This is also one of the industries that will receive a tremendous change on the VR platform. The VR platforms will allow you to have an access to various scenic view at a comfort of your home. That is how the virtual reality technology will change on how we live.