Leading smart TV OS maker Whale TV opens R&D office in Hong Kong
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced today (October 31) that Whale TV, a leading smart TV operating system (OS) maker from Singapore, has officially opened its R&D (research and development) office in Hong Kong.
Whale TV's Hong Kong office will spearhead the research and development in cloud computing and Web3 technologies, delivering more personalised entertainment experiences for users while boosting monetisation and return on investment for TV brands, advertisers and content providers. The Hong Kong team will work on advanced technology projects such as decentralised identity authentication to strengthen user privacy and engagement.
Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK Mr Arnold Lau said, "We are thrilled to welcome Whale TV setting up an R&D office in Hong Kong. It is an encouraging endorsement of our world-class I&T (innovation and technology) and entertainment ecosystem. The focus on cutting-edge technologies like AI and Web3 aligns perfectly with Hong Kong's strategic goals, and we are confident that our city's unique advantages will provide the ideal base for their global innovation."
The Executive Chairman of Whale TV, Dr Jack Gao, said, "Hong Kong's strategic geographical location, robust intellectual property protection, unwavering government support for Web3, and deep talent pool in fintech provide a solid foundation for Whale TV to build its innovative entertainment solutions for our next generation. Furthermore, the city gathers top technical talents and research institutions from around the world, facilitating partnerships with top-tier R&D teams and integrating seamlessly with the international technology ecosystem."
Dr Gao added, "Hong Kong will be one of our company's international hubs, and we will actively explore market opportunities across Asia and the Middle East. To support the growth of our business in Asia, we may consider expanding our Hong Kong team beyond R&D to include more product, marketing, and sales professionals in the future."
Since its establishment in 2011, Whale TV partnered with over 400 global TV brands and has enabled more than 44 million monthly active households worldwide to discover, search and watch their favourite entertainment programmes. As an independent smart TV OS, Whale TV is driving innovation to build a unified smart TV ecosystem that connects consumers, TV brands, content providers and advertisers.
For more information about Whale TV, please visit: www.whaletv.com
To download photos, please visit: www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72177720329959798/
Leading smart TV OS maker Whale TV opens R&D office in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Leading smart TV OS maker Whale TV opens R&D office in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Government continues to support owners having engaged Will Power and Prestige
The Police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption stated earlier today (June 10) that they had laid charges against Will Power Architects Company Limited (Will Power) and Prestige Construction & Engineering Co., Limited (Prestige), as well as seven individuals who played different roles in the major maintenance project of Wang Fuk Court. The Government understands that some buildings and housing estates have hired these two companies as consultant or contractor for their building maintenance works. As the individuals and companies involved will no longer be able to perform their duties for the works, the Government is providing appropriate support to assist these owners in following up the relevant works having regard to their circumstances.
For owners who have engaged Will Power as their consultant with the maintenance works commenced, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) announced yesterday (June 9) that it would provide transitional arrangement free-of-charge for approximately 37 cases that have received URA's building rehabilitation subsidies or support services, so as to assist the owners in engaging an Independent Reviewer to promptly conduct third-party assessment, clarify the fees for the completed but not yet paid works so that the owners' corporations (OCs)/ owners can pay to the contractors, as well as prepare tender documents for the appointment of a new works consultant. As for a few cases that are not URA's original clients, the URA may also provide such transitional arrangement on a fee-paying basis. Please refer to the press release issued by the URA for details (www.ura.org.hk/en/news-centre/press-releases/20260609).
As for cases where Will Power has been engaged as consultant but yet to sign the works contract with the contractor, the owners should first terminate the contract with Will Power, and then consider engaging a new works consultant through the enhanced "Smart Tender" to be launched by the Government and the URA. In this connection, in order to facilitate owners' termination of the consultancy services of Will Power, the Development Bureau (DEVB) has, in consultation with the URA and the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS), compiled a set of reference materials to provide advice to the OCs on the termination of the consultancy services of Will Power and follow-up matters. The District Offices will contact the affected OCs and owners through their district networks to provide relevant reference materials and arrange briefings by the URA and the HKIS to these OCs and owners where necessary.
In addition, regarding cases where Prestige has been engaged as the contractor while their consultant is not Will Power, since qualified consultants have been engaged for these maintenance works, the consultants have the responsibility to assist owners in supervising their contractors' work and addressing any issues that arise during the course of the works. Hence, the owners should discuss possible solutions with their consultants, including terminating the existing works contracts, and consider seeking legal advice where necessary. The District Offices will continue to contact the affected OCs and owners through their district networks to provide appropriate support.
If buildings have received Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme notices and the compliance period has expired or will expire shortly, the Buildings Department (BD) will exercise discretion on a case-by-case basis.
Furthermore, a DEVB spokesman said that the BD had removed Prestige from the register of general building contractors in February this year. However, this will not exempt Prestige or the relevant individuals from criminal liabilities under the Buildings Ordinance. For contractors, registered inspectors and other involved persons who have violated the Ordinance, the BD will separately take prosecution actions and impose penalties having regard to the investigation results.
Source: AI-found images
