A new year has started and with that comes the anticipation of new tech and a reflection of all those gadgets that made our lives more comfortable and more enjoyable. Here is a quick rundown of those tech gadgets and other technological advances you couldn’t do without last year.
2018 was the year of enhanced mobile phone camera lenses and sophisticated photography capabilities. We are way beyond the selfie stick now as the cameras in mobile phones are making giant leaps forward, offering multiple lenses in combination with purposely built software. Every new smartphone now offers some form of portrait mode, post editing possibilities, including changes in aperture and HDR options. Modern phones can not only take stunning photos, but they also make it easier for the end user as well.
2018 was also the year where advances were made on tech that makes our lives safer. From tech that helps people with diabetes monitor their glucose levels, to make the use of dash cams more commonplace. See the best dash cam 2018 for some standout options. Facial recognition has come a long way, even touted to be used to combat human trafficking.
It wasn’t the year of VR or AR yet. Instead, we saw fin-tech taking a high flight, with financial services going app based. You know you can bank outside the typical brick & mortar financial institutions. Moreover, these companies offer compelling and sophisticated ways to organize and analyze your money and new ways to invest. It was also the year of chatbots, offering consumers almost real-time interaction experiences, any time anywhere. Most companies are responding to the call from an ever younger becoming target audience and their expectations on how companies should interact with them. And you can’t really say chatbot without mentioning AI. It seems that each year, machines are becoming smarter and smarter. Point and case is image recognition capability, which is becoming increasingly better at recognizing what’s in a picture.
2018 was also the year where we all came crashed back to earth from cryptocurrency highs. The blockchain is still a promising advancement, but we have now learned that it still needs to drive true added value, and FOMO is not a good indicator of value.
Previously mentioned face recognition also comes with a darker side. China is reportedly working to supercharge its national CCTV network with facial recognition to create something that is reminiscent of Big Brother practices. Also in the news, drones and the legislative grey area surrounding them. Recently drones near a UK airport grounded all planes, causing severe delays to people traveling.
What’s in store for 2019? It seems that engineers will determine the fate of big tech companies such as Facebook as it struggles with its public responsibility following the data scandals. Despite this, AI will continue to change the way we collect and use data. Wearable tech could make another leap forward seeing as smart watches have made another leap. More than ever, we are confronted with questions about data security. If 2019 is anything like the year just gone, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Hong Kong is one of the most attractive locations for companies to do business in the present day. An increasing number of global firms are renting office space here. This article will reveal the motives for doing so, as well as providing an insight into some of the best districts for setting up your company in Hong Kong.
•World’s Freest Economy – Hong Kong is the world’s freest economy. This is an area that embraces the globalization of services and trade. There are no barriers to trade, such as quotas or tariffs. There are no nationality or investment restrictions, as well as no foreign exchange controls. •Legal System and Government – Hong Kong’s legal system is largely based upon English common law practices. Moreover, the area is one of the most corruption-free economies on a global scale. It is well regulated, yet the government provides a great platform for business growth. •Low Taxes – Hong Kong presents some of the lowest taxes in the world. Foreign and local companies are charged a low profits tax rate of 17.5 per cent, whilst salaries for Hong Kong jobs are taxed at a maximum rate of 16 per cent. Furthermore, there is no withholding tax on dividends and interest, nor is there capital gains tax. •World Class Infrastructure – From communications to electricity, you will benefit from state-of-the-art infrastructure in Hong Kong. •Strategic Position – One of the main reasons why Hong Kong is an ideal base for companies is because of its geographical proximity to Mainland China. This benefit is further enhanced by the 2004 Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), which presents exclusive and additional market access benefits to Hong Kong. •Skilled Workforce – The final reason why an abundance of businesses seek to have a presence in Hong Kong is to take advantage of their skilled workforce. The workforce is flexible, computer-literate and entrepreneurial. When it comes to management experience in international business, Hong Kong ranks among the best in the world.
Now you know why Hong Kong is an excellent base for business. Nonetheless, it is a vast place, which is made up of various districts and towns. After forming your LLC, you need to decide where to set up, so let’s take a look at some options…
•Tsim Sha Tsui – This area has long been a popular choice for businesses involved in trading and merchandising. This is because of its strategic location, offering great access to airports and seaports. •Wan Chai – Wan Chai is proving to be an attractive option for many companies because of the lower rental prices in the area. Consequently, a lot of SMEs choose to rent offices here. Financial and professional services firms are largely found in Wan Chai. •Causeway Bay – When it comes to shopping, Causeway Bay is one of the best areas in the world. This district houses several multinational retail firms and has an excellent reputation in relation to this industry. •Central – Last but not least, when choosing office rental in Hong Kong, Central is undoubtedly the most popular option. This area is Hong Kong’s district for the finance industry and professional services sector. There are lots of premium Grade A office towers here, most of which are occupied by service, legal or financial professionals.
There is no denying that outsourcing has become a popular solution for businesses around the world today. There are many benefits associated with this. A lot of companies choose to outsource because it is better financially for them. There are then those that do not have certain skills or knowledge in-house, and so they go down the outsourcing route. Catering to seasonal demand is another reason to consider outsourcing, as is boosting the efficiency of your company by freeing up your time so you can focus on your core activities. In this blog post, we are going to take a look at outsourcing legal transcription specifically. So, let’s take a look.
There are many industries and businesses that require transcription services. One of these is undoubtedly the field of law. There is a wealth of document types and audio files that must be transcribed. Solicitors, lawyers and alike often try to take on this challenge themselves. However, they soon find that it is a hefty one. Keeping that in mind, read on to discover the benefits you will gain if you opt to outsource legal transcription to a professional company…
First and foremost, one of the main benefits is undoubtedly the fact that you will benefit from the services of professionals who have a wealth of experience in transcription. This guarantees that everything is transcribed accurately and quickly too. You will have peace of mind that this area of your practice is going to be handled properly. You will also be able to find transcription companies with experience in the specific area of law you handle, whether you need a document transcribed on sex offender probation rules or you are looking for someone to transcribe documents about a divorce.
In fact, the timeliness associated with professional legal transcription is another advantage to be gained. There is little denying that transcription can take a considerable amount of time. Therefore, if you were to handle this yourself, it would definitely deter you from focusing on the core of your business – helping clients and winning cases, i.e. what makes you money.
Aside from this, legal transcription can be extremely difficult for those that have not been trained in this area and have no experience. This is because there is a wealth of different transcripts in various formats that may need typing. The following is a mere handful of what you may need typing – probate forms, legal-medico reports, PACE tapes, disciplinary hearings, affidavits, court proceedings, instructions to Counsel, tribunals, witness statements, and much, much more. An expert can handle any type of task that is thrown at them – no matter how complex it may be. Not only do they have the knowledge and experience, but they also have all of the necessary equipment too.
Many people deter from outsourcing transcription services, as they believe it will be too expensive. However, if you go down this route you are likely to save money. Just think of how much it would cost to employ someone new for transcription. Moreover, if you decide to transcribe yourself, think of all the money you are going to be missing out on because a lot of your time will be taken. Instead, with a transcription company you simply use them as and when you need them, and thus you benefit from a cost-effective solution. Of course, the cost savings will differ from company to company. The best thing to do to see the true savings is to calculate the expenses over the course of a year and compare this with the expenses if you were to handle this in-house. While outsourcing can often be more expensive, to begin with, it tends to work out cheaper in the end.
To conclude, the benefits of seeking a professional company for legal transcription are there for all to see. Nonetheless, you will only reap these advantages if you choose a transcription company with care. Make sure they have plenty of experience and a first-rate reputation. Moreover, assess their services to ensure they can cater to all of your transcription needs. You will also want to get a good idea regarding the turnaround time for transcripts. After all, you don’t want to have to wait months to receive your work, as this defeats the purpose of outsourcing transcription in the first place.
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