Apple is helping put minds at ease with its latest update when it comes to who can have access to your stored private information when you die. With the iOS 15.2 update, users can designate contacts who will be allowed access to your iCloud information, including photos, text messages, notes and more. Information not available to your legacy contacts includes:– Purchased movies/books/music– Subscriptions purchased– Data on keychain (payment info, passwords)Legacy contacts will need the access key created by the deceased along with their death certificate to receive access from Apple. “Apple reviews access requests from Legacy Contacts and approves access to a deceased person’s data only after verifying this information,” Apple says. “When your request is approved, you receive a special legacy contact Apple ID to access the account data.

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin has claimed that discussions relating to the controversial fifth-generation (5G) project dealings, involving Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), were done in secrecy. The Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister claimed that he was kept in the dark over the discussions between former communications and multimedia minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah and Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. "Only the ministers discussed a project that involved almost RM20bil, without discussing with their subordinates. Not even the deputy minister knows. "This project is a rakyat's project and involves about RM20bil.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 15): Business process outsourcing solutions provider Advance Information Marketing Bhd (AIM) said employee fraud and control deficiencies have been found at its wholly-owned Indonesian unit, PT CLS System, based in Jakarta. In a bourse filing on Wednesday (Dec 15), AIM said the subsequent findings of an internal audit further confirmed the employee fraud, and that PT CLS has lodged a police report over the issue. Meanwhile, it said PT CLS' management had conducted disciplinary proceedings and terminated those identified to be involved in the fraudulent activities. The financial impact of the issue on the group can only be ascertained upon completion of the forensics audit, AIM added. AIM’s shares settled half a sen or 4.55% higher at 11.5 sen on Wednesday, bringing the group a market capitalisation of RM29.32 million.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 15): Norway's US$1.4 trillion (RM5.93 trillion) Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, is pre-screening companies for sustainability risk before deciding to invest in them. Norges Bank Investment Management chief executive officer Nicolai Tangen said the pre-screening builds on and strengthens its long-standing work with risk-based divestments. "In addition, pre-screening gives us a better overview of the sustainability risk in the companies that we choose to invest in at an earlier stage,” he said. It said this included companies exposed to significant risks related to climate change, water management and corruption. The fund said that since 2012, it had divested from 366 companies that it considered not to have sustainable business models.

Many of Shimao Group’s bonds are held by investors who have much lower tolerance for defaults than those who dabble in names like Evergrande. “Should this weak sentiment cross over to IG-rated private developers, sector sales could collapse, triggering more defaults,” the analysts wrote. Shimao Group’s mainland unit said late Tuesday that its business activities are normal and nothing has happened that would affect its ability to repay yuan bonds. Shimao Group has blamed the selloff in its bonds and shares this week on unspecified “rumours”. Shimao Group has about US$10.1 billion in outstanding local and offshore bonds.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 15): RHB Retail Research said Freight Management Holdings Bhd is ready to propel higher, given that it recently broke past the 87.5 sen immediate resistance while retracing above that level on Tuesday (Dec 14) on lower volumes. In a trading stocks note on Wednesday, the research house said if the stock manages to maintain above this level, bullish momentum may persist in boosting it towards the 95 sen resistance. “This will be followed by the RM1.01 resistance. “Such expectations will be nullified if it falls below the 84 sen support level,” it said.

Reuters in November reported an impasse between mobile operators and Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), the state agency tasked with deploying 5G, over pricing and transparency issues. DNB plans to launch an initial 5G rollout in three central areas on Wednesday. Another carrier, YTL Communications, objected to the plan and expressed support for a single 5G network, while Telekom Malaysia said it would back any decision made by the government, the sources said. DNB has also offered free 5G services to carriers until March 31 as it seeks to finalise long-term wholesale agreements with operators. Telekom Malaysia this month became the first operator to sign up for 5G trials with DNB, but did not say if it had signed a long-term deal.

THE coastal town of Klang has been a port for so long and trade is so ingrained into its history, its name actually means warehouse. Verdict: TRUEYes, according to the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) website, the name Klang was originally “Klong”, a word from the Mon-Khymer language family which means warehouse. Another origin story states that the name “Klang” means canal or waterway, as many rivers and tributaries can be found in the area. Today, Port Klang, which is located in the Klang district, serves as the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Formerly known as Port Swettenham, Port Klang is the 12th busiest container port in the world, has trade connections with over 120 countries, and dealings with more than 500 ports.

COULD Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin please consider giving Pfizer booster jabs to those who completed their AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccinations three months ago and not after six months? This is because the effectiveness of the AZ vaccine is reduced to approximately 60% towards the end of the six-month period compared to the initial 90% just after the second jab is received. A Pfizer booster dose brings the effectiveness back up to 90%. The United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, United States and Singapore are now giving Pfizer booster doses three months after the second AZ dose is received because of the outbreak of the Omicron variant. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends booster doses for all adults, and two studies mentioned in the article showed that booster doses reduced infection tenfold and Covid-19 deaths by 90%.

“For a country like Malaysia, 5G technology is widely touted to enable the development of new business models and advanced applications. Thus, fostering business innovation and spurring economic growth,” said CommScope’s regional sales director, RUCKUS Networks, Asean, Kho Teck Meng. He noted that communities, businesses and all industries – healthcare and education in particular – can benefit from 5G-enabled transformative impacts. “CommScope’s RUCKUS, on the other hand, adds the wireless fabric, delivering ubiquitous connectivity with access points, switches, and cloud services. To further improve the nation’s connectivity infrastructure, Kho suggested to boost investments to ensure equal access to technology between the rural and urban areas.

KUALA LUMPUR: Serba Dinamik Holdings Bhd plans to have its own satellite in the next three-and-a-half years as part of its business venture into the communication space. Group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Abdul Karim Abdullah said this is also to help the government address Internet connectivity for the people in unserved and underserved areas. “We hope to have our own satellite, as this would put another milestone to our achievement. By providing ICT services through Internet connectivity using satellite technology, he said the group will be able to look into the underserved and unserved areas domestically, thus addressing the solution towards the digital gap. In pursuing the satellite initiative, the group would implement it in two phases, he said, adding that the group is signing up and leasing the bandwidth broadband from an existing international provider.

Abdul Karim was appointed to KPower's board on June 28, 2019 and redesignated as its non-independent non-executive chairman on Nov 28, 2019. We remain committed to reinforcing our footing in the renewable energy segment by establishing ourselves as a one-stop centre for renewable energy solutions, serving the entire renewable energy spectrum, including waste-to-energy and wind energy,” he said. Accroding to KPower filing on Monday, Abdul Karim resigned as its chairman “in order to pursue other matters”. Abdul Karim has hogged the limelight ever since Serba Dinamik, which he founded, was embroiled in an audit issue with KPMG. Abdul Karim, who holds a 21.23% stake in Serba Dinamik, also has a 15.23% stake in KPower Bhd and a 24% stake in Sarawak Consolidated Industries.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 14): Fitch Ratings has downgraded Malaysia-based energy service provider Serba Dinamik Holdings Bhd's long-term issuer default rating to "RD" (restricted default) from "C". It said potential cross-acceleration clauses in its other debt may be triggered by the non-payment of the 2022 notes. “The 'RD' rating indicates an issuer that in Fitch's opinion has experienced an uncured payment default, but has not entered into bankruptcy filings and has not ceased operating,” it said. At the same time, Fitch affirmed the ratings of the May 2022 sukuk issued by SD International Sukuk Ltd and the sukuk due March 2025 issued by SD International Sukuk II Ltd at "C", with the recovery rating remaining at "RR4". Read also:Serba Dinamik says yet to receive default notice on its US$222 mil sukukSerba Dinamik planning to have own satellite in three and a half years — CEO

In a rare discussion of their past marriages, Hong Kong singer-actress Charlene Choi said she did not regret marrying singer-actor Ronald Cheng, while singer-actress Gillian Chung admitted that she misses her former parents-in-law. Choi and Chung form the group, Twins. Choi, 39, said on the show that she did not regret marrying Cheng, now 49, even though their marriage ended in divorce. "There was no regret, as I really was in love," Choi told Chen, who is also known as China's Oprah Winfrey. "When you love a person very much, you enjoy the time spent together," she said of her relationship with her boyfriend.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 13): Pertama Digital Bhd said Monday it has inked a memorandum of understanding with CGS-CIMB Securities Sdn Bhd to develop and bring to market digital financial services that empower investors in post-pandemic Malaysia. “The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the demand for digital financial services, including digital stockbroking. Through more equitable models powered by digital, we aspire to influence how the rakyat builds wealth in the over 10 years,” said Pertama Digital executive director Sabri Rahman in a statement. For example, we are keen to increase access to Islamic capital market products via digital channels to a wider audience both locally and regionally,” said CGS-CIMB’s chief executive officer Ruzi Rani Ajith. At Monday's noon break, Pertama Digital rose one sen or 1.74% to 58.5 sen, valuing the group at RM229.68 million.