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Microsoft launches new initiatives to skill and scale AI transformation in Singapore

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Announces skilling initiatives with SkillsFuture Singapore and NTUC LearningHub to empower businesses and employees with future-ready skills to thrive in an AI-enabled economyUnveils Microsoft AI Pinnacle Program with five pioneering organizations to spearhead business and sectoral transformation to scale benefits of AI for organizations of all sizes through co-innovation of AI use cases and capability buildingNew collaborations with Enterprise Singapore and AI Singapore to help small and medium-sized enterprises accelerate adoption of Microsoft Copilot to boost productivity, and with IMDA on generative AI implementation for small and medium-sized enterprises

SINGAPORE, March 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Microsoft is reinforcing its commitment to advancing AI capabilities for businesses and employees through new skilling initiatives with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and NTUC LearningHub. In addition, Microsoft also launched the Microsoft AI Pinnacle Program, starting with five pioneering organizations – Certis, HTX, Mediacorp, Seatrium, and Synapxe – to create real-world AI solutions that will drive transformative impact for organizations and key industry sectors.

Left to right: Mr. Chan Tsan, Chief Executive, Home Team Science & Technology Agency; Ms. Tham Loke Kheng, Chief Executive Officer, Mediacorp Pte Ltd; Mr. Chris Ong, Chief Executive Officer, Seatrium Limited; Mr. Jeremy Ong, Chief Executive Officer, NTUC LearningHub; Ms. Ngiam Siew Ying, Chief Executive Officer, Synapxe Pte Ltd; Mr. Ahmed Mazhari, President, Microsoft Asia; Mr. Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Education; Ms. Lee Hui Li, Managing Director, Microsoft Singapore; Mr. Desmond Tan, Deputy Secretary General, NTUC; Mr. Allen Lew, Chairman, Certis Group; Mr. Tan Kok Yam, Chief Executive, SkillsFuture Singapore

To help organizations of all sizes scale the benefits of AI innovation, Microsoft will also collaborate with Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), AI Singapore, and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to accelerate AI adoption.  

Microsoft aims to play a key role in supporting Singapore’s AI skilling and scaling initiatives by empowering organizations and uplifting AI skills and capabilities of employees across all levels, as part of the national SkillsFuture movement. Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with the partners today, in the presence of Minister for Education Mr. Chan Chun Sing, and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Mr. Desmond Tan.

Driving AI skills enablement and adoption with SkillsFuture Singapore, Institute for Adult Learning, NTUC LearningHub, and Enterprise Singapore

Microsoft’s collaboration with SkillsFuture Singapore will benefit 2,000 SMEs over three years. It builds upon the strong foundation that Microsoft has done as a SkillsFuture Queen Bee to upskill SMEs in its network. The collaboration will deliver practical programs that will equip SMEs with the expertise needed to harness AI solutions, enabling them to transform, seize new opportunities and be future-ready in today’s dynamic business environment.

“We are very encouraged to see Microsoft stepping up to help equip our companies and workers with deeper skills in AI. This builds on the already solid work Microsoft has done as a SkillsFuture Queen Bee. This is also a timely initiative, coming in the wake of the budget announcement on the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme. It takes a twin commitment by industry and Government to the SkillsFuture movement, to give Singapore workers the competence and confidence to adapt to change and to seize new opportunities. We look forward to more companies stepping up likewise,” said Mr. Tan Kok Yam, Chief Executive of SkillsFuture Singapore.

Microsoft will also partner the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) to innovate and incorporate AI into adult education approaches. They will co-develop and test new AI tools and methodologies to enhance the learning experiences of adult learners.

The MoU with NTUC LearningHub marks a pivotal step toward upskilling NTUC members with fundamental and essential knowledge and skills in AI. Microsoft and NTUC LearningHub will partner to train up to 100,000 NTUC members in such AI skills to enhance their AI literacy understanding and ensure that they are ready for the changing workforce.

“This collaboration with Microsoft marks an important milestone for NTUC LearningHub as we empower our members with essential knowledge and skills to navigate the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. Through this partnership, we have developed a series of digital and in-person training programs to drive AI knowledge and how it can be applied at the workplace. We are committed to ensuring that our members are ready for the future of work and to building a resilient workforce capable of harnessing the power of artificial intelligence for both professional and personal growth,” said Mr. Jeremy Ong, Chief Executive Officer at NTUC LearningHub.

In addition, Microsoft is collaborating with EnterpriseSG and AI Singapore to accelerate adoption of Microsoft Copilot by local SMEs, and curate industry collaboration events to uncover and scale impactful sectoral use cases of generative AI. The partnership also features co-development of resources to equip SME leaders to handle change management and redesign business workflows, as well as explore deeper and more customized AI use cases for their businesses in the longer term. These efforts will enable SMEs to scale the benefits of AI and improve their productivity and operations. Microsoft will further partner with IMDA to support digitally mature SMEs in accessing expertise and resources to implement generative AI solutions.

Mr. Soh Leng Wan, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Manufacturing & Engineering, EnterpriseSG said, “EnterpriseSG is always keen to work with leading organizations to support local SMEs. AI has significant potential to enhance employee productivity and business workflows, and solutions like Microsoft Copilot can be an easy way for our SMEs to get started. Copilot will enable SME employees to streamline work processes and augment their tasks to free up time for higher-value work. We look forward to working closely with Microsoft and AI Singapore to curate industry-specific capability building programs and events that will support SMEs to harness AI at scale in their operations.”

Partnering leading organizations to drive transformation with AI and scale its benefits

The Microsoft AI Pinnacle Program aims to enable organizations in Singapore to realize scalable, impactful AI-powered solutions that will have transformative impact on their businesses and sectors. Starting with five pioneering organizations – Certis, HTX, Mediacorp, Seatrium, and Synapxe – the program will facilitate co-creation and co-innovation of AI use cases and foster an AI-first culture and ecosystem. Through this, the program aims to inspire new ways of work and support organizations in building capabilities to tap opportunities in the era of AI.

Leveraging Microsoft’s AI innovation factory and capabilities, industry-leading AI experts, and practitioners, the Microsoft AI Pinnacle Program includes:

Envisioning and prioritizing AI roadmap for strategic AI use cases with clear business ROI and outcomesOperationalizing prioritized AI use cases to deliver business impactEstablishing an AI Center of Capabilities (CoC) that includes AI accelerators and toolsets, responsible AI framework and program governanceIncorporating AI enterprise skilling through comprehensive training programs

Furthermore, the participating organizations will have the opportunity to collaborate with Microsoft Research and partners within the Microsoft ecosystem on cutting-edge AI innovation.

The program also includes the rollout of Microsoft Copilot for business functions such as HR, finance, and marketing to drive AI adoption across organizations, especially for SMEs.

“Microsoft is excited to be collaborating with SSG and NTUC LearningHub to empower enterprises and employees with AI skills to thrive in the era of AI. We are also dedicated to making AI real and scaling its benefits for businesses of all sizes. By partnering with leading organizations under the Microsoft AI Pinnacle Program, we will co-innovate meaningful and impactful AI solutions and establish AI Centre of Capabilities for their respective organizations and sectors. Finally, in partnership with Enterprise Singapore, AI Singapore, and IMDA, we aim to accelerate and scale AI innovation for SMEs, as we enable every person and organization to achieve more,” said Ms. Lee Hui Li, Managing Director, Microsoft Singapore.

Please refer to Appendix for more information on the Microsoft AI Pinnacle Program pioneering organizations.

About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Appendix – List of Microsoft AI Pinnacle Program Pioneering Organizations

Organization

Creating impact across industries with the Microsoft AI Pinnacle Program

 

Certis

Certis is adopting an extra pair of ‘AI’s’ by harnessing this technology to augment the skill-sets and capabilities of its 38,000-strong workforce. This will further drive its goal to digitize its operations, improve efficiency, and deliver enhanced operations-tech solutions to its clients.

 

Mediacorp

Mediacorp is harnessing the power of AI to build capabilities, enhance operational efficiencies, and push the creative boundaries of storytelling and content delivery. These will enable Mediacorp to continue fulfilling its purpose as Singapore’s national media network by strengthening engagement with audiences, while delivering more innovative and cost-effective solutions to its clients.

 

HTX (Home Team Science and Technology Agency)

HTX is using AI to enhance operational efficiency for first responders such as police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services by boosting their effectiveness, coordination, and response capabilities. HTX is taking a proactive approach in leveraging cutting-edge solutions to better prepare for, and respond to, emergencies and critical conditions.

 

Seatrium

Seatrium will leverage the transformative potential of AI to redefine our engineering and business processes. By harnessing AI technologies, Seatrium aims to optimize engineering workflows, enhance project planning and execution, and improve data-driven decision-making for more efficient and successful project outcomes.

 

Synapxe

Synapxe, the national HealthTech agency, harnesses AI technologies to improve healthcare outcomes for everyone and ensure a future-ready health system for Singapore. Through the safe and responsible use of AI, Synapxe unlocks its potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery, improve patient outcomes and drive efficiency.  

 

 

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SOURCE Microsoft Singapore

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Laifen Expands U.S. Retail Footprint with Costco Launch of Best-Selling SE Hair Dryer

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Starting July 18, Costco Members Can Shop Laifen’s Award-Winning Hair Dryer in Select Warehouse Locations Across the U.S.

NEW YORK, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Laifen, ranked the world’s No.1 high-speed hair dryer brand, today announced the launch of its best-selling SE High-Speed Hair Dryer at select Costco warehouse locations, marking the brand’s largest U.S. retail expansion to date and bringing its award-winning haircare technology to Costco members across select U.S. markets.

The launch brings Laifen’s award-winning haircare technology to Costco, making it easier for consumers to experience the brand through one of the nation’s leading membership retailers. Laifen joins Costco’s growing portfolio of premium beauty and personal care brands. The initial rollout includes select Costco warehouse locations across the United States, with a strong presence across the Western U.S., including California, the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest.

Costco’s reputation for quality and its highly selective merchandising approach make this partnership especially meaningful. The Costco launch reflects Laifen’s continued expansion beyond direct-to-consumer channels as the brand accelerates its U.S. omnichannel retail strategy. “Costco represents an important milestone in our U.S. retail strategy,” said Romeo, General Manager of International Business of Laifen. “As more consumers seek salon-quality performance at an accessible price, we’re excited to make Laifen available through one of America’s most trusted retailers.”

Engineered to deliver professional-level performance in a sleek, lightweight design, the Laifen SE is powered by the brand’s proprietary high-speed brushless motor, delivering fast drying, reduced heat damage and smoother styling. An intelligent temperature control system continuously monitors airflow to help minimize frizz while protecting hair from excessive heat.

The Costco launch represents the next phase of Laifen’s U.S. retail expansion as the brand continues to grow beyond its direct-to-consumer and online channels. By expanding into one of the nation’s most trusted retailers, Laifen aims to broaden access to its category-disrupting haircare solutions while advancing its mission to bring more thoughtful design and everyday excellence into more homes.

The Laifen SE High-Speed Hair Dryer in White will be available at select Costco locations, while Costco.com shoppers will have access to additional color options including Purple and Pink, alongside the White model.

For more information on Laifen, please visit LaifenTech.com.

About Laifen: 

Founded in 2019, Laifen is a global personal care technology brand combining high-performance engineering with modern design across hair care, oral care, and grooming categories. Ranked the world’s No. 1 high-speed hair dryer brand by Euromonitor International, Laifen first gained recognition for its self-developed 110,000 RPM high-speed brushless motor, the proprietary technology behind its award-winning hair dryers.

Building on this innovation, Laifen has expanded its portfolio to include electric toothbrushes and shavers, delivering premium technology and elevated everyday experiences to consumers worldwide. Today, Laifen products and accessories are used by over 22 million households across more than 60 countries, supported by more than 600 patents and recognized with over 50 international design and innovation awards. Driven by continuous technological breakthroughs, Laifen is committed to making cutting-edge personal care technology more accessible to consumers around the world.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/laifen-expands-us-retail-footprint-with-costco-launch-of-best-selling-se-hair-dryer-302828573.html

SOURCE Laifen

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Pillsbury Notice of Data Breach

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NEW YORK, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (“Pillsbury”) was among many law firms targeted by sophisticated social engineering attempts in an incident last year. While the firm quickly detected and blocked the activity, an unauthorized actor was able to access some of the firm’s documents during a short window of time. Pillsbury notified any impacted clients last year and undertook a detailed process to review the accessed documents for personal information. Pillsbury then began notifying individuals whose personal information was affected. That process is now complete, and today, Pillsbury is publishing substitute notice as a final step.

For more information, please visit the substitute notice on our website at https://www.pillsburylaw.com/en/breach-notice.html

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SOURCE Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

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From Remote Racing to Embodied AI: Fibocom and Intedigo Bring 5G Bidirectional Data Transmission into Real-World Applications

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SHANGHAI, July 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — From July 17 to 20, Fibocom and Intedigo will jointly present a cross-regional, beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) teleoperation demonstration at Booth H3-C408 during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026. Visitors will be able to enter a remote driving cockpit and control a real race car located at HURA PARK in Jiading, Shanghai, steering, accelerating, and braking in real time while experiencing how 5G connectivity enables remote operation.

More than an immersive driving experience, the demonstration provides a live validation of 5G bidirectional data transmission for embodied AI teleoperation. The vehicle continuously sends live track video, vehicle status, and operating data to the remote cockpit, while control commands are transmitted back to the vehicle, creating a closed-loop teleoperation system. Stable, low-latency, and highly reliable connectivity is essential for high-dynamic maneuvers such as high-speed cornering, precision braking, and continuous lane changes.

Developed by Intedigo, the remote driving system connects a real race car with an immersive remote driving cockpit. It supports 1080p@60Hz video transmission, glass-to-glass (G2G) video latency of less than 80 ms, and control latency of less than 10 ms. The demanding racing environment magnifies differences in video continuity and control responsiveness, making communications performance directly perceptible, measurable, and verifiable.

At the joint demonstration, Fibocom’s FM160 5G module provides cellular connectivity for the system. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon™ X62 5G Modem-RF System, the FM160 supports SA and NSA network architectures as well as 3GPP Release 16. On the downlink, it supports NR Carrier Aggregation (NR CA) with bandwidth of up to 120 MHz, delivering peak speeds of up to 3.5 Gbps in NSA mode and 2.5 Gbps in SA mode. On the uplink, it supports UL MIMO and delivers peak speeds of up to 900 Mbps in SA mode. These capabilities support the continuous transmission of HD video and vehicle status data, along with reliable delivery of control commands.

As embodied AI moves into factories, data centers, logistics operations, and industrial parks, robots are becoming increasingly capable of performing tasks autonomously. Yet complex environments, unexpected events, and edge cases still require Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) remote intervention to help ensure safe and reliable operation.

Daniel Liu, CEO of Intedigo, said:

“5G represents the pinnacle of human communications and the starting point of machine communications. In the past, communications connected people to people; in the future, they will connect people to robots and robots to robots. Remote racing is simply the easiest entry point for people to understand this concept. What we are truly validating is a communications system capable of supporting remote collaboration for embodied AI. HURA makes low-latency remote driving a tangible experience, while RoBOX extends this capability to robots and a broader range of intelligent terminals. Together with Fibocom, we hope to enable more machines to receive remote assistance whenever needed while remaining continuously connected and operating reliably.”

Simon Tao, VP of Wireless Solutions Business Group and General Manager of MBB BU at Fibocom, said:

“As embodied AI enters real-world industrial environments, reliable connectivity will become the foundation for telemetry feedback, remote control and operational management. Fibocom’s 5G solutions, represented by FM160, provide the cellular connectivity required for continuous on-site data transmission and reliable control command delivery. Fibocom will continue collaborating with ecosystem partners such as Intedigo to bring cellular connectivity to more robots, autonomous machines and mobile intelligent terminals, enabling embodied AI systems to stay continuously connected and respond reliably in real-world applications.”

From remote race cars to robots, unmanned equipment, and mobile intelligent terminals, 5G is evolving from connecting people to connecting machines. This joint demonstration makes the capabilities of 5G bidirectional data transmission directly perceptible, experiential, and verifiable, helping pave the way for embodied AI to scale across real-world applications.
 

About Fibocom

Fibocom, founded in 1999, is China’s first wireless communication module company listed on both the A-share and H-share markets (300638.SZ, 0638.HK). As a global leading provider of wireless communication modules and AI solutions, Fibocom leverages wireless communication and artificial intelligence as its core technologies to provide integrated hardware and software solutions that empower industry applications. These solutions accelerate the transformation from “Connect Everything” to “Intelligent Connectivity” across diverse industries.

Fibocom’s one-stop solutions encompass cellular communication, AI, automotive, and GNSS modules, as well as AI toolchains, supporting industry-side and mainstream large model integration, and providing AI Agent, global connectivity, and cloud services, driving the digital intelligence upgrades in industries such as robotics, consumer electronics, low-altitude economy, intelligent transportation, smart retail, and smart energy.

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SOURCE Fibocom Wireless Inc.

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