The South Korean IT giant’s sales slid 4 percent to 56.1 trillion won ($47.4 billion), but its operating profits plunged 55.6 percent on-year to 6.59 trillion won over lower memory chip prices and slowing sales of mobile phones.

The second-quarter earnings report is slightly higher than market expectations of 6 trillion won, but Samsung is likely to be caught in a fog of uncertainties in the second half due to external and internal risks.

Intensifying volatility in the memory chip market fueled by Japan’s trade restrictions on key materials for semiconductor fabrication and the possibility of Tokyo keeping its hostile stance indefinitely is the biggest threat facing Samsung.

During a conference call, officials said the company is facing the burden of the new approvals process due to Japan’s export curbs, but what concerns Samsung more is Japan’s expected decision to exclude South Korea from the whitelist of trusted export countries Friday. That could lead to Japan toughening export restrictions on more materials and equipment crucial for chip fabrications.

Samsung relies on Japanese companies for about 80-90 percent of its equipment for chip production. If the import of equipment is delayed, Samsung may have to put the brakes on operations of its new production lines planned in Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province as well as Xian, China.

With the world’s largest memory chip producer facing unprecedented crisis, its global competitors, namely TSMC and Intel, are reportedly planning massive investment to break Samsung’s dominance in the market. Samsung provides more than 40 percent of memory chips in the world.

Despite concerns, Samsung said it is not considering reducing wafer input, and that it would “flexibly” manage memory chip production accordingly to demand changes.

On concerns of possible delays in its new production line, the company said it expects to start operating tis EUV chip production line in Hwaseong in first half of 2020.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong is facing a final ruling from the Supreme Court on charges of bribing former President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Choi Sun-sil in exchange for clearing hurdles over his succession. The court is expected to deliver the final verdict on Lee in the third week of August. Lee has already served one year in prison.

Along with the Moon Jae-in government’s continued work on chaebol reform, the prosecution is adding more pressure on Samsung BioLogics on suspicions of accounting fraud in connection to Lee’s succession scenario. The prosecution is likely to resume its investigation on Samsung’s biosimilar production unit after forming a new team on August as well.

Faced with a series of negativities, Samsung is likely to report 226 trillion won of revenue with around 26 trillion won in operating profits this year. The operating profits estimate is less than half of last year, when the tech giant reaped record-high profits, according to local brokerage houses.

The ThinkPad X395 sent to me to test was powered by 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500 Mobile Processors with Radeon Vega Gfx graphics running at 2.10 GHz and even with this super-speedy AMD processor retails for below the Bt30,000 mark.

The ThinkPad X395 is just 16.9mm thin and weighs only 1.28 kilogrammes, making it perfect to carry around. Adding to its mobility is its 48Whr battery that is claimed to last up to 14.5 hours per one charge. And its 65W type-C adapter also supports RapidCharge technology, which enables you to charge your device from 0 to 80 per cent in just 60 minutes, thus avoiding costly downtime.

Like the other computers in the ThinkPad X series, the X395 can be opened 180 degrees so it lies flat on the desk.

The ThinkPad X395 has good performance as it is equipped with 8 gigabytes of working memory or DDR4 RAM and it comes with fast 512 GB SATA SSD storage.

It looks good too thanks to a beautiful IPS display with 1920×1080 pixel resolution and a brightness of 300 nits. I found during the test that the display was terrific for watching Full HD video clips and viewing high-resolution photos. AMD Radeon FreeSync technology allows you to view details with impressive clarity. And the laptop comes with Dolby Audio Premium, allowing the movie’s sounds to be reproduced with clarity.

The ThinkPad X395 runs on Microsoft Windows 10 Pro and ran most business applications fast and smoothly. Video clips played smoothly and browsing web pages was also fast. Some games, which are not graphics-extensive, also played without any glitches.

The keyboard is easy to type on and it comes with LED-backlighting function, which is useful in a dimmed room.

The laptop comes with a 720p HD camera complete with ThinkShutter, which is designed to prevent your laptop being taken over by a hacker who may remotely control the camera to take your video clips for photos. You simply slide the shutter at the top edge of the display to shut off the lens and disable the camera. The ThinkPad X395 also comes with the ThinkShield suite of security solutions, among them the dTPM 2.0 chip, ThinkPad PrivacyGuard and, ThinkPad Privacy Alert.

The Privacy Guard is aimed at shielding your screen content from unwanted side glances from prying onlookers. When activated, PrivacyGuard will dim the display and adjust reflection to make it hard to read the content on the screen from the sides or from the back.

The ThinkPad X395 also comes with fast Wi-Fi Intel WLAN 2×2 AC wireless connection for fast Internet connection and Bluetooth 5.0 for connecting to various devices. It has all necessary ports including the always-on- USB 3.1 (Gen 2) port on the right side that allows you to recharge your device from the port even when the notebook is turned off as long as it remains plugged in to the wall charge. It also has a smart card reader on the right side. Also available are a USB-C AC power port, a USB-C port, an Ethernet port, a USB 3.1 (Gen 1) port, an HDMI port, a headphone/mic combo port and a microSD card reader on the left side.

The ThinkPad X395 can be further expanded with a ThinkPad USB-C Dock, a Lenovo USB-C Hub or a ThinkPad USB 3.0 Secure HDD 1TB.

The USB-C Dock ensures a high-performance workstation experience while The USB-C Hub is a one-stop travel docking solution that enables you to easily connect to an external monitor, wired network, and USB devices via a single robust USB Type-C port. The USB 3.0 Secure HDD 1TB is optimised for safeguarding essential data while on the go and offers high-level, 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) security within a slim, lightweight, self-powered, and easy-to-use design.

Lenovo ThinkPad X395 has a starting price of Bt26,090, depending on CPU, memory and hard drive configurations.

Key specs:

OS: Windows 10 Pro

CPU: 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3500 Mobile Processors

Memory: 8GB DDR4 RAM

Storage: 512 SATA SSD

Display: 13.3-inch FHD IPS (1920 x 1080, 300 nit)

Graphics: Radeon Vega Gfx graphics

Webcam: HD 720p with ThinkShutter privacy cover

Sound: Dolby Audio Premium, dual far-field noise cancelling microphones

Connectivity: WLAN: Intel 9260 Wireless-AC 2 x 2 AX, LAN: Available via dongle only, Bluetooth 5.0

Ports: USB 3.1 (Gen 1), USB 3.1 (Gen 2), 2 x USB-C (Gen 2), Native Ethernet port, MicroSD card reader, Smart card reader, Headphone / mic combo, HDMI 2.0

AC adapter: 65W (Rapid Charge supported)

Dimensions: 311.9 x 217.2 x 16.9mm

Weight: 1.28 kg

The ActiveScale also leverages its scale-out architecture to provide near-linear performance growth for data-intensive applications such as AI, machine learning and HPC workloads. The ActiveScale X100, coupled with OS 5.5, is projected to deliver data throughput of up to 75GB/second in scale out configurations, making it the ideal solution for large-scale data workflows.

“ActiveScale 5.5 further extends the unique value that only Western Digital can deliver in terms of performance, efficiency, scalability and superior economics for those putting data at the center of their business,” said Phil Bullinger, senior vice president and general manager of Western Digital’s Data Centre Systems business unit. “We’re developing solutions that enable our customers to make data infrastructure synonymous with a successful data business strategy.

“Brother is using ‘Strategy X’ — formally known as ‘Collaboration Strategy’ — as the foundation for this historic cooperation, and for the first time the five major brands in the IT business will join hands in a marketing activity,” said Teerawut Supapunpinyo, managing director of Brother Commercial (Thailand).

If the campaign is successful, Brother will gear up for more collaborations with brands outside the IT business industry to continuously bring surprises to the market, Teerawut added.

Brother has selected over 25 models of quality printers and scanners to participate in this programme. “Simply show a tax invoice from the purchase of a laptop or PC from Acer, Asus, Dell or Lenovo, and a tax invoice from a purchase of a selected Brother printer or scanner, and redeem a voucher worth up to Bt2,000 from August 1 to September 30,” he said.

Brother products participating in the campaign include laser printers starting from Bt1,190, inkjet printers starting from Bt4,190 and scanners starting from Bt3,190.

The affected areas are Choom-Puang district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, Warin Chumrab district, Ubon Ratchathani province, Muang district, Surin province, Pa Sak Cholasit dam and Ubolratana dam.

Farmers in these areas are being encouraged to use the app to ensure they have accurate rainfall and weather forecasts.

“Farm Man Yum” is able to accurately forecast rainfall volume for individual plots from 7 days, 6 weeks to 9 months ahead.

The rainfall volume in Nakhon Ratchasima province will be lower than during the same period last year and farmers are being advised to store water to prevent the rice plants from dying.

Similarly, Farm Man Yum has forecast 6 weeks ahead that the rainfall volume will not increase until mid August so planted rice will require irrigation from stored water to prevent it from dying.

Farmers in Ubon Ratchathani province are encouraged to store water during September-October to prevent the rice going flat.

Farmers from Warin Chumrab district, Ubon Ratchathani, meanwhile, are encouraged to store water during September-October period, which is when the rice plants flower. If the rainfall in this period is as low as the lowest forecast of Farm Man Yum, the rice will become stressed and be below standard.

The rainfall volume in Muang district of Surin province during a 9-month rainfall forecast from Ricult appears to be similar to that of Ubon Ratchathani province but the water level will be lower. Farmers in Surin must be aware of water shortages during October.

The water levels in Pa Sak Cholasit dam, Lop Buri province and Ubolratana dam, Khon Kaen province have reached critical level. The situation at Pa Sak Cholasit dam is so critical that farmers in the surrounding area have been told to refrain from planting crops with a long growing season. To make matters worse, the app indicates that rainfall volume in the second half of the year will be so low that it will affect water supply.

Argon Transform, which can be fitted to most helmets, is also touted as the world’s first dual-camera smart helmet attachment. It consists of a rear-view camera, a front dash-cam with a HUD attachment and a handlebar remote control. It also features built-in GPS and provides navigation prompts and live 170-degree rear-view camera feed via the HUD. Riders can also receive audio cues, answer or reject calls and listen to music through its speaker and microphone system.

The five inventors, who formed their company Whyre with investment from Singaporean firm Moveon technologies, are chief executive officer Tan Yishu, 27; chief business development officer Glen Ong, 27; chief technology officer (hardware) Dylan Tan, 26; chief technology officer (software) Muhammad Hafiz, 26; and chief finance officer Lim Qun, 26.

Mr Ong has a Masters degree in business management from Singapore Management University, while the other four graduated from Singapore University of Technology and Design with engineering and information technology degrees.

The biggest advantage of Argon Transform is its detachable nature. Thus, unlike some smart helmets, which have to be replaced with new ones when damaged, Argon Transform can be easily detachedfrom the old helmet to use on a new one.

Mr Ong said: “The product transfers between helmets in seconds, giving full functionality to any regular helmet.”

Since being exhibited at the mega CES 2019 consumer trade showat Las Vegas in January, the device has undergone some improvements.

The front attachment has gone through a redesign and is now 25 per cent smaller. The HUD’s optics has been improved for a clearer and brigter view. The charging port has been upgraded to USB-C for faster charging.

Having tested the product for two years, Whyre launched Argon Transform on the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform at July 23 with the target of raising $34,008 in a month.

Backers will be able to buy the smart helmet attachment at prices ranging from $543 to $815, while the retail price is expected to be around $1,090. The device will be shipped to the backers by Feb next year.

Mr Ong said the reason for the relatively low crowdfunding target, compared to the hundreds of thousands of dollars some start-up wants, is because the company has funds and ready distributors who have ordered Argon Transform.

“Indiegogo is simply a trusted platform for us to gain more orders and attempt to reach out to a wider audience,” he said.

At press time, the campaign has reached 72 per cent of its target. After the crowdfunding campaign ends, interested customers can purchase Argon Transform through its website.

The company’s net profit margin was 8.7 per cent for the first half, chairman Liang Hua said on Tuesday.

He described operations as smooth and the organisation “as sound as ever”.

In Huawei’s carrier business, first-half sales revenue reached 146.5 billion yuan, with steady growth in production and shipment of equipment for wireless networks, optical transmission, data communications, IT, and related product domains.

To date, Huawei has secured 50 commercial 5G contracts and shipped more than 150,000 base stations to markets around the world.

In its enterprise business, H1 sales revenue was 31.6 billion yuan. Huawei continues to enhance its ICT portfolio in multiple domains, including cloud, artificial intelligence, campus networks, data centres, the internet of things, and intelligent computing.

It remains a trusted supplier for government and utility customers, as well as customers in commercial sectors like finance, transportation, energy, and automobile, Liang said.

In the consumer business, H1 sales revenue hit 220.8 billion yuan. Huawei’s smartphone shipments (including Honor phones) reached 118 million units, up 24 per cent year on year.

The company also saw rapid growth in its shipments of tablets, PCs and wearables. Huawei is beginning to scale its device ecosystem to deliver a more seamless “intelligent experience” for all major user scenarios. The Huawei Mobile Services ecosystem has more than 800,000 registered developers and 500 million users worldwide.

“Revenue grew fast up through May,” said Liang. “Given the foundation we laid in the first half of the year, we continue to see growth even after we were added to the entity list. That’s not to say we don’t have difficulties ahead. We do, and they may affect the pace of our growth in the short term.

“But we will stay the course. We are fully confident in what the future holds, and we will continue investing as planned – including a total of 120 billion yuan in R&D this year. We’ll get through these challenges, and we’re confident that Huawei will enter a new stage of growth after the worst of this is behind us.”

Mate 20X is the first 5G smartphone model that has been approved by China’s telecom industry regulator to connect to the network. It was approved in late-June, followed by a 5G model by its rival ZTE Corp that was approved this month. ZTE Corp said on Tuesday that its 5G smartphone was available to order domestically.

Analysts said the Huawei move is part of the tech giant’s broader push to quickly commercialize the superfast technology and it highlights the stiff competition as companies scramble to offer the cutting-edge gadgets.

He Gang, president of Huawei’s consumer business group, said Mate 20X is the world’s first model to support both stand-alone and non-stand-alone 5G networks, signifying wider use scenarios than rival products that support only non-stand-alone 5G networks. Non-stand-alone networks still rely on existing 4G infrastructure for some functions.

Ma Xin, an analyst at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, said the peak download speed of Huawei’s 5G model can hit 1,850 megabits per second in lab tests, the fastest speed reported so far. It also performs very well in supporting cloud gaming on smartphones, allowing consumers to play high-definition, sophisticated games requiring big computing capability, traditionally available only on personal computers, Ma said.

Mate 20X comes with a 7.2-inch screen perfect for gamers and entertainment bingers, Huawei said. The model is priced at 6,199 yuan (US$900) in China, far lower than industry experts’ forecasts, which held that the first 5G models would run about 10,000 yuan due to high production costs.

Huawei has strong capabilities in developing in-house chips and integrating industrial resources, allowing the Shenzhen-based company to significantly lower the price, He said.

“Our price will set the tone for 5G smartphones in the China market. I believe, in the second half of this year, flagship smartphones of most smartphone companies will be 5G-enabled, which will drive the price to quickly move closer to that of 4G products,” He said.

ZTE’s 5G smartphone starts at 4,999 yuan, but analysts said its model supports only non-stand-alone networks. Smartphone makers Oppo and Vivo are also scheduled to release their 5G models in China in the third quarter.

Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Information Consumption Alliance, said smartphone vendors are adopting an aggressive pricing strategy to appeal to early adopters of 5G and popularize its use.

Shipments of 5G smartphones are expected to hit 6.7 million units globally in 2019, according to market research company International Data Corp.

The company is also introducing OneWeb’s AppSpace, which will make it easy for SMEs and start-ups to expand their market by building applications quickly and easily.

AppSpace boosts business’s ability to automate the process of software configuration and deployment, and reduces cloud-based software management by six times, which in turn makes it easy to develop “maker” ecosystems to promote new innovations in different sectors, such as banking, insurance, industries, healthcare, retail business, government and state enterprises.

In addition to expanding the existing customer base, AppSpace also targets medium-sized customers, SMEs and start-ups.

“We are confident that OneWeb can address the shortage of technical resources. Developing in-house technical skills takes time and incurs significant cost for organisations. But now, medium-sized enterprises, SMEs and start-ups can leverage OneWeb for their cloud initiative. We expect this new and exciting sector to grow 200 per cent this year,” Akarapol Bunworaset, managing director of Avalant, said.

A survey conducted by Gartner Inc shows that business trends are heading towards the cloud and “low code”, namely software development that requires less coding. This trend is resulting in the growth of cloud-based services in the form of aPaas (application platform as a service) and iPaaS (integration platform as a service) in line with market demand. By 2021, cloud-based software will grow 59 per cent, while data-centric software will drop 2.6 per cent.

It is also predicted that by 2024, 65 per cent of applications will be developed on a low-code or no-code platform.

Today, both the government and business sectors have crossed the digital transformation era and are entering the “make-generation” era, in which every organisation is expected to quickly and efficiently launch innovations.

In order to compete in a disruptive environment, “makers” in each organisation must acquire the ability to innovate using agile, flexible and complete development platforms. These platforms should also be able to cope with rapid changes and help drive sustainable innovation for organisations.

“The Digital Maker Platform will play an important role in this exciting digital economy, by giving the ‘maker generation’ a platform to leverage their experience and creativity to develop innovations that eventually become the core engine of our future. Avalant believes this platform will play a key role in supporting business and public sectors to compete in the global market and boosting the local economy,” Akarapol said.

The Fortune 500 list ranks companies according to their revenue and profit, focusing on the size of the companies. The Fortune 500 rankings have become an important indicator used by companies to measure their own strengths, size and international competitiveness, a parameter of the global economy that transcends beyond borders, nationalities and cultural differences.

Huawei’s elevated ranking is reflects its 22 per cent increase in revenue and a 27.5 change in profits year-over-year. And the company’s rankings progress goes far beyond profitability.

“Our continued elevation in the Fortune 500 list rankings is yet another notable marker of success for the company in 2019,” said Richard Yu, the CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group. “Our dedication to delivering the latest technologies to our customers, with a sharp focus on innovation through our commitment to investing in R&D enabling us to continue to enjoy record success.”

Earlier this year, Huawei ranked 47th on BrandZ’s annual Top 100 “most valuable global brands”, in large part due to groundbreaking product innovations such as the Huawei P30 smartphone’s advanced camera system, the unprecedented technological innovations baked into the Huawei Mate X handset, as well as the anticipated Mate 20 X (5G).