LONDON: Gaming accessories company Razer on Wednesday (Nov 1) unveiled its first ever smartphone device – the Android-based Razer Phone – targeting its core customer base of gaming enthusiasts.

During the launch event in London, CEO Tan Min-Liang showed off the company’s latest offering, which comes equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 8GB of RAM and a large 4,000 mAh battery. It also comes with dual rear 12-megapixel cameras.

The Qualcomm chip can also be found in high-end smartphones such as Google’s Pixel 2, while a similar battery capacity can be found in Huawei’s Mate 10 devices.

However, the Razer Phone comes with features aimed at enticing gamers specifically: Its 120Hz UltraMotion display and Dolby Atmos sound technology. These specifications had been leaked in the lead up to the launch event by UK mobile plan reseller 3G.

The 120Hz UltraMotion is paired with a 5.72-inch Quad HD ICZO LCD display, and Razer said the technology’s adaptive refresh synchronises with the graphic processing unit (GPU) to “remove image tearing or lag while driving efficient power usage”. This is similar to that of Apple’s iPad Pro 10.5-inch model, which was unveiled earlier this year.

Additionally, the Razer Phone will have Dolby Atmos technology integrated into its front-facing speakers with dual dedicated amplifiers. The company added that a THX-certified USB-C audio adapter with a 24-bit digital audio converter “guarantees audiophile-quality sound with one’s favourite headphones”.

The gaming device company had last October acquired the majority of the assets of US-based THX, which was founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas in 1983.

“It’s common knowledge that I’m obsessed with my smartphones, I play a ton of games on them and they’re my go-to for streaming content,” said Mr Tan. “We have wanted to make a phone with gaming-level tech for years, and the Razer Phone delivers in every way we imagined.”

Mobile gaming is a lucrative market, with Amsterdam-based market intelligence company Newzoo stating in its Global Games Market Report issued this April that 2.2 billion games around the world are expected to generate US$108.9 billion in game revenues this year. Of this, the mobile segment will account for US$46.1 billion, or 41 per cent, and by 2020, mobile gaming will represent more than half of the total games market, it added.

The device will be available initially in markets such as the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Germany, France, Denmark and Sweden, and will retail for US$699.99. Pre-orders will start from Nov 1 and it will go on sale in these markets from Nov 17, the company said.

When asked why the Razer Phone is not launching in Asia initially, a company spokesperson said: “We will launch the Razer Phone in US and EU first, and will announce our Asia launch plans at a later date.”

TENCENT PARTNERSHIP GIVES RAZER AN EDGE

Beyond just the handset, Razer is also partnering the world’s leading gaming companies, including Chinese giant Tencent and Square Enix, which are optimising their games for the phone’s UltraMotion display technology.

These include the popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), Arena of Valor, which Tencent is launching in North America soon, Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition and Bandai Namco’s Tekken, the press release said.

Global marketing director at Tencent Games Vincent Gao said in the release: “The future of gaming is rapidly expanding to mobile devices, and both Razer and Tencent are at the forefront of fast-tracking development.

“Arena of Valor brings gamers a fast-paced, competitive experience, and the Razer phone was built to handle the visuals, sound and quick-reflex mechanics of the game. This partnership sets the standard for the next generation of mobile screen play.”

A partnership with Tencent was highlighted by IDC market analyst Sam Reynolds as one that would set the Razer Phone as “superior gaming platform” compared with other high-end Android smartphones.

Mr Reynolds, in an email to Channel NewsAsia ahead of the launch, said: “One potential caveat to that is if Razer has a partnership with a China-based gaming giant such as Tencent.

“If they can use this phone as a launch platform for a mobile e-sports hit such as Honor of Kings, then it should get some solid momentum,” he added.

PLANS FOR FUTURE GROWTH

Seen as a whole, the Razer Phone is a culmination of technologies and know-how from the acquisitions of THX and smartphone maker Nextbit, which was bought over this January.

And it is indicative of how the company hopes to grow and expand in the future.

The prospectus issued by Razer in June this year stated its plans for the funds raised by the initial public offering (IPO), including to “finance acquisitions that will continue the expansion of (its) ecosystem” and to develop new verticals in the gaming and digital entertainment industry including mobile devices.

The other stated plans in the prospectus are to expand its research and development capabilities, implement sales and marketing initiatives to “broaden the appeal of the Razer brand and increase user awareness of new products including virtual credits service zGold”, and for general working capital purposes.

The IPO aims to raise around US$400 million (S$545 million), which will give the co-founder a net worth of more than US$1.2 billion, according to Bloomberg. 

WASHINGTON: Two separate collisions between US Navy destroyers and commercial vessels in Singapore and Japan waters earlier this year were the result of a series of basic navigational errors and were “avoidable”, according to a US Navy report made public on Wednesday (Nov 1).

In the case of the John S McCain, the investigation concluded that the collision resulted from “a loss of situational awareness” while responding to mistakes in the operation of the ship’s steering and propulsion system while in waters with high traffic. 

Ten sailors were killed on Aug 21 after USS McCain collided with an oil tanker while approaching Singapore. In June, seven sailors were killed when another destroyer Fitzgerald collided with a container ship near Japan. 

The Navy has already dismissed a number of officers, including the commander of the Seventh Fleet, as a result of the collisions. 

CREW UNCLEAR WHO WAS STEERING McCAIN PRIOR TO COLLISION

A mistake led to confusion on board the USS McCain over who was actually steering the ship, as it entered the Middle Channel of the Singapore Strait at about 5.20am.

The ship’s commanding officer noticed that the helmsman had difficulty maintaining course while also adjusting the throttles for speed control.

He ordered another crew member, known as the Lee Helm Station, to handle speed control – but without clear notification of his orders.

This unplanned change caused confusion, and inadvertently led to steering control being transferred to the Lee Helm Station without the knowledge of the watch team, the report said.

“The commanding officer had only ordered speed control shifted. Because he did not know that steering had been transferred to the Lee Helm, the helmsman perceived a loss of steering.

“Steering was never physically lost. Rather, it had been shifted to a different control station and watchstanders failed to recognise this configuration. “

The mistakes caused the ship to turn to the left into an area with heavily congested traffic, in close proximity to three ships, including the container ship Alnic.

“Although John S McCain was now on a course to collide with Alnic, the commanding officer and others on the ship’s bridge lost situational awareness,” the report stated.

“No one on the bridge clearly understood the forces acting on the ship, nor did they understand the Alnic’s course and speed relative to John S McCain during the confusion.”

Despite their close proximity, neither vessel sounded the five short blasts of whistle required by the International Rules of the Nautical Road for warning one another of danger, and neither attempted to make contact through bridge-to-bridge communications, the investigation found.

The USS McCain regained steering control three minutes later – but by then, the ship crossed in front of Alnic’s bow and collided, creating an 8.5-metre hole in the US Navy ship.

The collision flooded one of the ship’s berthings almost immediately. Only two of the 12 sailors in that space escaped.

McCAIN CREW HAD “SUB-STANDARD LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE” 

A major contributing factor to the collision was the crew’s “sub-standard level of knowledge”. Multiple bridge watchstanders “lacked a basic level of knowledge” on the ship control console, in particular the transfer of steering and thrust control between stations, the report said.

“The senior-most officer responsible for these training standards lacked a general understanding of the procedure for transferring steering control between consoles.”

The report also noted failures by the leadership to assign sufficient experienced officers to duties, as well as the failure of key officers to attend a navigation brief the previous afternoon.

“In the Navy, the responsibility of the commanding officer for his or her ship is absolute,” the report said.

“Many of the decisions made that led to this incident were the result of poor judgment and decision making of the commanding officer. That said, no single person bears full responsibility for this incident. The crew was unprepared for the situation in which they found themselves through a lack of preparation, ineffective command and control and deficiencies in training and preparations for navigation.”

FITZGERALD CREW FAILED TO ADHERE TO PROTOCOLS 

In the case of the Fitzgerald, the report said that the crew and leadership on board failed to adhere to sound navigation practices, to carry out basic watch practices, to properly use available navigation tools and respond effectively in a crisis.

The officer of the deck realised only too late that the Fitzgerald was on a collision course with the container ship Crystal, and the other vessel also did not take any action to avoid the collision until it was too late.

“The officer of the deck, the person responsible for safe navigation of the ship, exhibited poor seamanship by failing to maneuver as required, failing to sound the danger signal and failing to attempt to contact Crystal on bridge-to-bridge radio.”

It added that the remainder of the watch team on the bridge failed to provide situational awareness regarding the situation.

“Fitzgerald’s watch teams disregarded established norms of basic contact management and, more importantly, leadership failed to adhere to well-established protocols put in place to prevent collisions,” the report said.

“Many of the decisions made that led to this incident were the result of poor judgment and decision-making of the commanding officer,” the report said.

Admiral John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, said in the summary of the two reports: “Both of these accidents were preventable and the respective investigations found multiple failures by watch standers that contributed to the incidents.”

Richardson added that the Navy “learns from mistakes” and is “firmly committed to doing everything possible to prevent an accident like this from happening again.”

“We will spend every effort needed to correct these problems and be stronger than before,” he added.

“We must do better.”

WASHINGTON: Two separate collisions between US Navy destroyers and commercial vessels in Singapore and Japan waters earlier this year were the result of a series of basic navigational errors and were “avoidable”, according to a US Navy report made public on Wednesday (Nov 1).

In the case of the John S McCain, the investigation concluded that the collision resulted from “a loss of situational awareness” while responding to mistakes in the operation of the ship’s steering and propulsion system while in waters with high traffic. 

Ten sailors were killed on Aug 21 after USS McCain collided with an oil tanker while approaching Singapore. In June, seven sailors were killed when another destroyer Fitzgerald collided with a container ship near Japan. 

The Navy has already dismissed a number of officers, including the commander of the Seventh Fleet, as a result of the collisions. 

CREW UNCLEAR WHO WAS STEERING McCAIN PRIOR TO COLLISION

A mistake led to confusion on board the USS McCain over who was actually steering the ship, as it entered the Middle Channel of the Singapore Strait at about 5.20am.

The ship’s commanding officer noticed that the helmsman had difficulty maintaining course while also adjusting the throttles for speed control.

He ordered another crew member, known as the Lee Helm Station, to handle speed control – but giving without clear notification of his orders.

This unplanned change caused confusion, and inadvertently led to steering control being transferred to the Lee Helm Station without the knowledge of the watch team, the report said.

“The commanding officer had only ordered speed control shifted. Because he did not know that steering had been transferred to the Lee Helm, the helmsman perceived a loss of steering.

“Steering was never physically lost. Rather, it had been shifted to a different control station and watchstanders failed to recognise this configuration. “

The mistakes caused the ship to turn to the left into an area with heavily congested traffic, in close proximity to three ships, including the container ship Alnic.

“Although John S McCain was now on a course to collide with Alnic, the commanding officer and others on the ship’s bridge lost situational awareness,” the report stated.

“No one on the bridge clearly understood the forces acting on the ship, nor did they understand the Alnic’s course and speed relative to John S McCain during the confusion.”

Despite their close proximity, neither vessel sounded the five short blasts of whistle required by the International Rules of the Nautical Road for warning one another of danger, and neither attempted to make contact through bridge-to-bridge communications, the investigation found.

The USS McCain regained steering control three minutes later – but by then, the ship crossed in front of Alnic’s bow and collided, creating an 8.5-metre hole in the US Navy ship.

McCAIN CREW HAD “SUB-STANDARD LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE” 

A major contributing factor to the collision was the crew’s “sub-standard level of knowledge”. Multiple bridge watchstanders “lacked a basic level of knowledge” on the ship control console, in particular the transfer of steering and thrust control between stations, the report said.

“The senior-most officer responsible for these training standards lacked a general understanding of the procedure for transferring steering control between consoles.”

The report also noted failures by the leadership to assign sufficient experienced officers to duties, as well as the failure of key officers to attend a navigation brief the previous afternoon.

“In the Navy, the responsibility of the commanding officer for his or her ship is absolute,” the report said.

“Many of the decisions made that led to this incident were the result of poor judgment and decision making of the commanding officer. That said, no single person bears full responsibility for this incident. The crew was unprepared for the situation in which they found themselves through a lack of preparation, ineffective command and control and deficiencies in training and preparations for navigation.”

FITZGERALD CREW FAILED TO ADHERE TO PROTOCOLS 

In the case of the Fitzgerald, the report said that the crew and leadership on board failed to adhere to sound navigation practices, to carry out basic watch practices, to properly use available navigation tools and respond effectively in a crisis.

The officer of the deck realised only too late that the Fitzgerald was on a collision course with the container ship Crystal, and the other vessel also did not take any action to avoid the collision until it was too late.

“The officer of the deck, the person responsible for safe navigation of the ship, exhibited poor seamanship by failing to maneuver as required, failing to sound the danger signal and failing to attempt to contact Crystal on bridge-to-bridge radio.”

It added that the remainder of the watch team on the bridge failed to provide situational awareness regarding the situation.

“Fitzgerald’s watch teams disregarded established norms of basic contact management and, more importantly, leadership failed to adhere to well-established protocols put in place to prevent collisions,” the report said.

“Many of the decisions made that led to this incident were the result of poor judgment and decision-making of the commanding officer,” the report said.

Admiral John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, said in the summary of the two reports: “Both of these accidents were preventable and the respective investigations found multiple failures by watch standers that contributed to the incidents.”

Richardson added that the Navy “learns from mistakes” and is “firmly committed to doing everything possible to prevent an accident like this from happening again.”

“We will spend every effort needed to correct these problems and be stronger than before,” he added.

“We must do better.”

SINGAPORE: A brand of rice that purportedly caused a family to fall ill was tested and found to be authentic, despite claims that it was fake, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) said on Wednesday (Nov 1).

In a Facebook post, AVA said it is aware of “various rumours and messages circulating from time to time, regarding fake rice in Singapore”.

“This includes the recent messages about the Happy Family brand of white rice sold at Sheng Siong,” it added.

Last month, pictures of a bag of Happy Family brand white rice were circulated on WhatsApp, with a message saying that a family had fallen ill after eating the rice. 

AVA has tested the rice and found it to be authentic. 

“We have not detected fake rice in Singapore thus far,” AVA said. “Imported rice is regularly inspected and sampled to ensure it complies with our food safety standards and requirements.”

The authority’s sampling tests include checking on the product’s authenticity and testing for mycotoxins, pesticide residues and heavy metals.

AVA also gave tips on how members of the public could test the authenticity of rice at home:

1. Uncooked and unbroken rice grains are usually irregularly shaped and should have an embryo/germ.

2. Uncooked and raw rice grains can be crushed into powder easily. 

3. When rice is soaked in water, it should expand and become soft. 

4. When rice is cooked, it should become soft and have a sticky texture. 

5. Cooked rice, when left at room temperature for a period of time, will start to show signs of spoilage, e.g. mould or odors. 

SINGAPORE: Two suspected drug traffickers were arrested and S$216,000 worth of drugs were seized, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said in a media release on Wednesday (Nov 1).

Several CNB officers were deployed on Tuesday evening to observe the two suspected drug traffickers in the vicinity of Petir Road.

The first suspect, a 23-year-old Singaporean man, was seen parking a car at a multi-storey car park and leaving the building. He was tailed and arrested at his hideout in Jurong East.

The second suspect, a 36-year-old Singaporean man, was arrested at his hideout in a private apartment in Petir Road, where officers seized about 55g of Ice, 36g of cannabis, two Ecstasy tablets and cash of more than S$8,800.

The suspect was also led to his car in the apartment’s car park, where officers seized about 78g of ketamine, 4g of Ice, 175 Ecstasy tablets and 64 Erimin-5 tablets.

The two suspects were later taken to the multi-storey car park, where officers found about 2kg of Ice hidden in the first car.

Investigations are ongoing, CNB said.

The Misuse of Drugs Act provides for the death penalty if the amount of methamphetamine trafficked exceeds 250g.

MOTHER SHARED DRUGS WITH TEENAGE SONS

In a separate case on Tuesday, CNB officers arrested a 37-year-old Singaporean woman for suspected drug abuse and suspected drug trafficking.

Preliminary investigations found that the woman had shared Ice with her two teenage sons, who are aged 15 and 16. Investigations are ongoing.

SINGAPORE: Qistina Saffarizam has had a rough childhood. Her parents divorced three years ago, leaving the then-Primary Five girl shattered by the breakdown of her family.

She struggled to deal with the situation and the mounting pressures of school, even cutting herself with a penknife as a way of coping.

“Sometimes I feel like, what’s the point of living? I tend to overthink things – whether the people around me are pretending that they like me as a friend and all that.

“And why did my parents get divorced? Was it because of me?” she wondered.

Qistina, now 14, has stopped self-harming but is still an insecure teen who blames herself for her parents’ break-up.

Along came retired nurse Yeo Chwee Fong, 73. A spinster with no children, she was clueless about the Internet and out of touch with the social media generation.

Could she make a difference in the life of a troubled teenager, whose impression of the elderly was that they were judgmental, irritating and even “smell like detergent” at times?

Before they met, Qistina said: “Sometimes, old people tend to look down on young people, and they nag a lot. Even if we do the right thing, they’ll still nag.”

It all seemed to point to a daunting 10 weeks during which the two had to pair up for a social experiment in intergenerational relationships, for the documentary Back to School. Five teenagers and five seniors participated in this project.

NOT A GOOD START

Qistina could not be more different from Mdm Yeo. The well-travelled senior, who retired almost 20 years ago, spends most of her time now volunteering at a wellness centre for the elderly and tending to her garden.

The teen, on the other hand, has never been out of the country, and her hours are usually filled with schoolwork at Peirce Secondary, floorball, netball and music.

At their first meeting in Qistina’s school, the two sat on a bench and chatted – although it seemed more like a cross-examination by Mdm Yeo, who peppered the teen with questions such as how much money she spent in school each day (about $5), how much pocket money she received and even who bought her toiletries (her mother).

“I don’t usually interact with children; I’m single. So I’m just curious and will ask more questions – hope you don’t mind, ah?” she asked the teenager, who nodded respectfully but was shocked by the prying senior.

Qistina’s replies were mostly monosyllabic as she was not used to Mdm Yeo’s frank demeanor. “She’s kind of judgmental. The first thing that came out of her mouth was “not bad-looking this girl’,” she later observed.

She had few questions for Mdm Yeo. “I thought that she wouldn’t talk that much, that she’d be the shy type, but she talked quite a lot,” she said.

THEIR MOTHERS

But just when things were not looking good, Mdm Yeo switched tack and asked the girl about her mother. Only then did the teen start to open up. Like Mdm Yeo, Qistina valued the relationship with her mum.

Mdm Yeo shared about how she retired early to take care of her mum, only to lose her to cancer shortly after – one of the lowest points of her life, she recalled.

“I was very, very close to my mum. After she passed away, I felt lost,” she said. “When she was around, I took her everywhere: Shopping centres, Changi beach and to the markets to makan (eat). Now when I want to go, I’m too lazy and also because I’m alone.”

That’s when Qistina also shared her worst fear:

I’m scared my mum will pass away before I turn 20. She’s so supportive. If she’s gone one day, (no one will take care of me).

With the ice broken, Qistina later concluded that Mdm Yeo was “nice” and reminded her of her grandmother, saying: “I’m looking forward to meeting her next week. She gives me good advice and is trustworthy.”

The senior, on her part, felt sorry for Qistina because of her family problems and thought she was “a sweet little girl” who cared greatly for her mother and siblings.

OVERCOMING HER FEAR

Mdm Yeo next accompanied Qistina to her vocal practice ahead of her audition for the school’s singing contest Peirce Idol.

The teen was a bundle of nerves but felt reassured when Mdm Yeo cheered her on and reminded her to relax. “It’s okay, take it as your challenge. You can do it!” she encouraged the girl.

On the day of the audition, Qistina was pleasantly surprised when Mdm Yeo turned up to support her.

“I saw her when I was singing, and I was like, ‘Eh, I thought nurse Yeo was busy’, and I was shocked.

“When I looked at her, I remembered her advice to sing a bit louder, which I did,” she said with a smile. And she was touched that Mdm Yeo gave her a rose when she was selected for the finals.

Pleased that her ward had made it through, Mdm Yeo bought her a pair of ear studs and a hairband to wear in the finals. When the big day arrived, the nervous girl excitedly put on the accessories, to the senior’s delight.

Qistina came third, and Mdm Yeo congratulated her warmly on the improvement in her vocals since her training sessions.

The singing competition did wonders for Qistina’s self-confidence. She let on that she did not even get into the semi-finals last year. “I’m proud because I overcame the fear of being alone on stage,” she said.

She was especially moved by Mdm Yeo’s gestures, from buying her gifts to seeking her out just before the final contest to wish her well.

“(Auntie Yeo) said, ‘All the best and all’. But my friends, they WhatsApped me ‘good luck’. I felt that she was more sincere because she came up to me,” she said appreciatively.

SAYING THANKS, WITH GARDENING AND A MEAL

Qistina felt that it was her turn to do something for Mdm Yeo, so she offered to help out in her garden.

“It was very tiring and not fun. But I swept (the garden) for her, so she didn’t have to do it,” she said.

Mdm Yeo appreciated the gesture; it was the first time someone had helped with the gardening. “All along, I’ve been (doing it) alone. It’s good to have somebody do it with me,” she said.

Qistina thought she could do better, however, so she decided to surprise Mdm Yeo with a home-cooked meal, whipping up a three-course meal of salad, macaroni and cheese and freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies with the help of her friends.

“It was my idea,” the teenager said. “She bought me ear studs and the accessories, but I didn’t buy her anything. So maybe, cooking would do.”

Mdm Yeo was touched by Qistina’s efforts, although she had to skip the mac and cheese as she does not take cheese, to the chef’s disappointment. “I’m very happy,” Mdm Yeo reassured her. “Nobody has cooked for me. I cook for people to eat, but nobody cooks for me.”

“She kept smiling,” beamed Qistina.

HAPPIER NOW

The 10-week journey was one of self-discovery and changing perceptions for Qistina, who credited Mdm Yeo with being a great mentor and encouraging her, especially during Peirce Idol, to push on and not give up.

Before the start of the social experiment, she and the other teenage participants had gone through a psychometric assessment, and she rated poorly in her self-esteem test. Her well-being test also indicated that she was deeply unhappy.

At the end, she was tested again, and her self-esteem scores jumped from extremely low to above average.

“I want to thank (Auntie Yeo) for building up my confidence. I’m still a bit insecure but I did improve.

“Auntie Yeo is caring, and I want to bring that out; I want to be as caring as her,” she said, adding that she did not look down on herself any more.

The two have gone from strangers to friends, and Qistina now considers Mdm Yeo someone she can talk to and turn to for advice.

“They (the elderly) do know more than us younger people, and they can give good advice. They might be chatty sometimes, but you can learn something new from these seniors,” she said.

Mdm Yeo and her fellow seniors were also tested before and after the experiment, by a team of medical professionals led by geriatrician Carol Tan, in areas that decline with age, such as mood, memory, mental dexterity and mobility.

After 10 weeks, Mdm Yeo’s normal walking speed had improved, and she felt more energetic. In the sit-and-reach test, her results improved by an inch.

She also declared that the opportunity to mingle with the young ones has made her happier. “We old people tend to mingle with just our age group,” she said.

Young people can get along with old people, but the seniors must open up and put in more effort. We have to join them.

She even joked: “Now thinking about it, I should have got married and had children of my own.”

What amazed her throughout this encounter with Qistina was the young girl’s resilience, considering her circumstances. “She’s still so bubbly and positive. She’s a nice, soft-spoken girl. I take my hat off to her.”

Read: A boy, the 83-year-old loner, and the unlikely friendship that changed them both. Watch more stories of intergenerational friendships like these, on the series Back to School here.