Blua Health Pass promotes everyday wellness by making outpatient care more accessible across digital and in-person touchpoints, under Bupa’s commitment to Together for Your Health
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 August 2025 – To more effectively meet the evolving needs of healthcare customers in Hong Kong, Bupa Hong Kong is now launching Blua Health Pass, a subscription-based outpatient healthcare solution designed to deliver accessible local care. This programme empowers individuals to take control of their health with ease, flexibility and affordability.
With plans starting at just HK$250, Blua Health Pass connects customers to preventative care that meets the everyday wellness needs of today’s workforce and health-conscious individuals.
Developed to provide greater choice, Blua Health Pass offers seamless access to a wide range of outpatient services across digital and physical touchpoints—making it even more convenient to book appointments with general practitioners, specialists, Traditional Chinese Medical practitioners and physiotherapists. Customers can also track health progress, complete health missions and receive wellness recommendations available through the Blua Health app.
Blua Health, Hong Kong’s leading one-stop AI-powered mobile app, offers a range of digitally-enabled services including video consultations and ePharmacy¹, rewards for health missions, insurance management², and claims and other results review.
Three New Plans to Support Everyday Healthcare Needs
Blua Health Pass³ offers three levels of protection, with exclusive rates of up to 67% on standard service fees at around 380 service points and more than 20 specialties across Hong Kong. Customers can take advantage of priority eBooking on the Blua Health App for less wait time, AI-powered health assessments, digital prescription ordering and healthy living rewards. The three plans include:
Blua Health PassLite, priced at HK$250, is ideal for individuals exploring Bupa’s network healthcare services.
Moving up, the Blua Health PassPlus is available for HK$780 per year, catering to those who seek more frequent healthcare interactions, providing greater access and savings on a variety of services.
The most comprehensive offering is the Blua Health PassFlex, which costs HK$1,800 annually. This premium option is intended for individuals requiring broad and frequent access to outpatient care. Subscribers to the Flex plan can enjoy up to 15 outpatient visits per year, with co-payments ranging from HK$60 to HK$120. The plan covers a wide range of services, including general practice and specialist consultations, physiotherapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well as diagnostic imaging, lab tests, vaccinations, and more.
Yuman Chan, General Manager of Bupa Insurance Business in Hong Kong, said, “Blua Health Pass helps to fill the outpatient medical needs for individuals without comprehensive insurance: whether they are freelancing, working for a startup, retired, or simply seeking an easier and more affordable way to access everyday care. Members can also stay in control of their healthcare management anytime, anywhere, and fully harness technology to integrate health into everyday life whilst making preventative care more affordable.”
Sign up for your preferred Blua Health Pass on Blua Health App today. Click this link to subscribe in just five minutes and begin enjoying accessible local care, priority in outpatient appointment bookings and exclusive rates: https://bluahealth.app.link/home
¹Video consultation and ePharmacy features are provided by our medical service provider.
²Insurance management services are offered through myBupa feature of Blua Health. myBupa is offered, distributed and operated by Bupa (Asia) Limited. Blua Health is not a licensed insurance agent of Bupa (Asia) Limited, nor does it represent Bupa to conduct any insurance activities. The fact that Blua Health provides myBupa feature does not constitute and should not be construed as Blua Health conducting any Regulated Activities as defined by the Insurance Ordinance, Chapter 41 of the Laws of Hong Kong, or any insurance activities.
³Blua Health Pass is a subscription-based membership scheme offered, distributed and operated by Blua (Asia) Services Limited, a company registered in Hong Kong under the Bupa Group. Blua Health Pass is not an insurance product. Terms and conditions apply. Please refer to our product leaflet for more details.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 August 2025 – Macaron AI, the world’s first Personal Agent, has officially launched, a category-defining AI product that reimagines how artificial intelligence fits into daily life, not just work faster.
Macaron AI marks a pivotal shift from productivity AI to what experts now call Experience AI—It is a companion that understands your personality, preferences, and habits to support daily life. By modeling your tastes, history, and goals, it can analyze conversations in real time and instantly create personalized mini-apps, streamlining and enhancing everyday routines.
Technology Beyond Prompts Macaron AI introduces a new architecture built on agentic memory. Unlike prompt-based systems, its memory is trained through reinforcement learning (RL) to autonomously retrieve, summarize, and update user context across sessions. Each interaction begins with a specialized memory token, enabling Macaron AI to remember not just what was said, but who the user is.
This innovation allows Macaron AI to generate and maintain large-scale outputs—such as personalized mini-apps exceeding 100,000 lines of code—while preserving coherence and context. It also sets a new benchmark in efficiency, training a 671B-parameter model with just 48 H100 GPUs. By applying RL to both reasoning and memory, Macaron AI achieves scalable, consistent, and deeply personalized performance.
Trained to Evolve, Designed to Care Macaron doesn’t offer “future you only watch” like a tech demo.
It delivers: On-demand generation of real tools that respond instantly to individual needs Ongoing relationship-building based on memory Interactions designed to guide behavioral change
All of this is powered by RL training and Deep Memory, the foundation of a truly usable Personal Agent.
Crucially, these tools require no coding or complex setup. Macaron can instantly generate custom “mini-apps” for each user, building small, high-precision applications or tools in as little as 15 minutes.
This marks a major departure from the one-size-fits-all assistant model — Macaron is a memory bank, a programmer, and a companion that grows into whatever is needed to enrich a user’s life.
Redefining the AI Landscape Macaron AI redefines what AI can be—not just a tool for work, but a companion for life. As the first true Personal Agent of the Experience AI era, it positions Macaron AI at the forefront of a new standard.
Hashtag: #MacaronAI
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 August 2025 – The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has significantly increased GPU power demands, leading to a substantial rise in power consumption across data centers, from individual GPU chips to entire server racks. This surge in power usage has resulted in heightened heat generation. Liquid cooling technology, utilizing direct or indirect liquid contact with heat-generating components, delivers superior thermal dissipation efficiency. This capability effectively addresses the rigorous thermal management needs of server racks and data centers, positioning liquid cooling as the essential solution for next-generation high-performance computing servers.
Advanced liquid cooling systems are increasingly being integrated into the next-generation architectures of major North American clients, with multiple domestic companies actively providing samples. Additionally, liquid cooling solutions are gaining significant adoption in the humanoid robotics sector, with leading clients in both North America and China increasingly implementing these technologies.
In server applications, advanced liquid cooling systems combine piezoelectric fans with heat pipes and 3D vapor chambers (3DVC) to create highly efficient thermal modules. This integration enhances airflow over heat sink surfaces, significantly improving heat exchange efficiency and making it well-suited for high-density server chassis. The synergy between piezoelectric fans and liquid cooling maximizes the strengths of both technologies: liquid cooling effectively manages high-power heat dissipation, while piezoelectric fans address localized hotspots. By strategically placing piezoelectric fans near heat sources such as CPUs and GPUs, liquid cooling pipelines transfer heat to the heat sink, where the high-frequency vibrations of piezoelectric fans accelerate airflow. This enhances convective heat transfer, overcoming the limitations of liquid cooling in managing localized hotspots, thereby improving overall server thermal efficiency and reducing energy consumption.
Lens Technology has successfully mass-produced advanced thermal solutions incorporating piezoelectric fans for Taiwanese clients. These solutions provide superior cooling performance, occupy less space, and deliver significantly higher value compared to conventional thermal modules.
Hashtag: #LensTechnology #藍思科技
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
NZ Police will be hosting the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police annual conference in Waitangi, on 20-22 August.
The conference features Chiefs of Police (or their delegates) from the PCIP’s 22 member countries.
Media are invited to attend an opportunity for photography and/or filming at the pōwhiri and opening ceremony, on Wednesday 20 August, at the Upper Treaty Grounds from 8.30am.
The conference itself is closed to media.
NZ Police Commissioner Richard Chambers will be available for interviews on request after the opening ceremony.
People are urged to take extra care travelling through the newly activated traffic signals at the intersection of State Highway 30 (SH30) Te Ngae Road and Wharenui Road as part of the SH30 Eastern Corridor project.
While this phase of the project is nearly complete, fine tuning of the signal phasing, skid resistant surfacing and some additional road marking is yet to be completed.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Regional Infrastructure Delivery Manager Darryl Coalter is asking people to take care and be patient as they adjust to the new layout.
“We ask people to be patient while this work is being carried out as it may take a few days to fine tune the signals to improve traffic flow.
“Busy sites with single lanes can create slow-moving queues as some vehicles accelerate slowly compared to others and gaps develop. The local operations centre is observing the flow and adjusting the signals to reduce the gaps and delays.
“We’re also adding some additional line-marking over the next few weeks to improve exiting from the high traffic volume supermarket,” he says.
A temporary speed limit of 40km/h will remain in place until October, when warmer weather will allow for skid resistant surfacing to be applied, ensuring a quality and long-lasting finish.
“Efficient operation of this intersection is important for both through and local traffic, and we appreciate people’s patience and co-operation during this transition” says Mr Coalter.
Significant development, particularly new housing, is underway in eastern Rotorua and NZTA is planning for the effects of growth across the transport network, and SH30 Te Ngae Road in particular.
SH30 carries between 12,500 (11.6% heavy) south of SH30/SH33 roundabout and 20,700 (7.2% heavy) vehicles near Puarenga Park each day. It is one of 2 key routes between Rotorua and Tauranga and is the key heavy vehicle route for freight.
TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 August 2025 – Over 150 music performances in two weeks, 35+ cross-industry music forums—Taipei launches Asia’s newest music platform and showcases its soft power.
The 2025 “TRENDY TAIPEI” will take place from August 25 to September 7, featuring over 150 music performances and 39 professional forums across 14 consecutive days, inviting both residents and visitors to join the celebration.
7/31 Taipei City Government held a press conference at Taipei Music Center to announce the grand launch of 2025 TRENDY TAIPEI, starting on August 25. This year’s theme, “TRENDY TAIPEI: IT’S NOW”, highlights the energy and immediacy of the current music scene. The project is structured around three major acpects—The Concert Economy, Industry Trends, and Urban Actions, spanning six thematic areas such as music, art, audiovisual, technology, gaming and fashion. Starting from August 25 to September 7, the festival features over 150 music performances, 39 professional forums and citywide activities, making it the most chill and trendiest event of the summer. This is a can’t-miss experience for music and art enthusiasts.
14 Signature Events Announced: From Taipei Arena and Taipei Music Center to Live Houses Across the City
Mayor Chiang Wan-an mentioned that Taipei is the core of Taiwan’s pop music and creative industries with mature production infrastructure and venue resources. In 2024, the representing venues of the city hosted more than 530 concerts with nearly 2 million attendees. “2025 TRENDY TAIPEI” is an international metropolitan music festival unique to Taipei, aiming to showcase the city’s creative energy and charm to the world. This year, the goal is simple: bring music out of the concert halls and into the streets, allowing people to feel the rhythm everywhere—from alleyways and cultural venues to shopping districts and even MRT stations.
The programming focuses on three areas:
The Concert Economy – activating consumption through music and connecting performance venues across Taipei.
Industry Trends – featuring expert forums discussing the trend and the future of the music industry.
Urban Actions – engaging cultural landmarks throughout the city.
Director of The Department of Cultural Affairs Tsai Shih-ping noted that unlike last year’s pilot edition, this year focuses more deeply on the Concert Economy driven by music to boost tourism and consumption with big concerts, trying to make music the momentum of industry developing. The newly introduced TRENDY TAIPEI Boom: Taipei Arena Series will feature top artists from Taiwan, Japan, and Korea from September 5–7, with tickets already selling fast online via Kham ticketing. Additionally, Taipei Very Live will take place August 8 to September 7, connecting 22 Live Houses and music restaurants with 50+ diverse performances including rock, jazz, pop. Let the city glow with life from twilight to midnight and create Taipei’s nighttime music map.
The chairwoman of Taipei Music Center Sandy Huang emphasized that Taipei Music Center is an administrative organization dedicated to promoting pop music and also serves as one of the key venues representing the development of the pop music scene, This year’s TAIPEI MUSIC EXPO (TMEX) and JAM JAM ASIA present 70 performances from August 28–31, with tickets now on sale. International collaborations aim to give local audiences fresh musical experiences.
The Industry Trends section allows Taipei to connect with the world and talk to the future by immersive exhibitions and global forums. The TRENDY Fusion Forum will take place at Ambi Space One. It will host renowned guests like Sebastian Masuda (pioneer of Japanese Kawaii culture) and Cha Haley (K-pop industry strategist), who will offer global insights on pop culture and music and bring valuable international perspectives and industry insights to the forum . TMEX, Asia’s leading music industry expo, will gather representatives from 10 APAC countries and 60 exhibitors, including major festivals like Busan Rock Festival, Zandari Festa (Seoul), Thailand’s Big Mountain Festival, and venues like Zepp and Duo Live House (JP). International delegates this year expanded from 25 to over 100, including top figures like the chairman of Busan Metropolitan City Festival Committee Nam Deok-hyun(transliteration) , The curator of SXSW Sydney Kartini Ludwig, the program director of 988 FM Malaysia Hu Bi-Ai (transliteration) and Senior Program Director of MY FM Chou Wei-Wen (transliteration). New this year is an Industry Matchmaking Day, facilitating real collaborations between artists and professionals.
Other highlights include:
StartSphere Taipei, featuring startups from six countries including Japan, Korea, the US, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries.
Taipei Film Academy focuses on “AI and the Future of Film”, inviting people in the movie industry in Taiwan and abroad to explore the possibilities of technology and filming.
Urban Actions: Expanding into neighborhoods this year , bringing music closer to everyday life and offer everyone more chances to take part in events and sense the charm of music and culture. Notable activations:
Taipei City Archives: “Taipei Pop Music Landscapes” exhibition explores the memories of city pop music .
MoCA Taipei: “NOW, I Want to Go to the Museum Too!” mixing market, creativity, music, and desserts, showcasing the city’s fresh, vibrant energy.
Taipe Artist Village: “Now Electric Lane Arts Festival” featuring 7 artist teams.
Taipei Performing Arts Center: “Shilin Fairyland Party + Silent Disco.”
Songshan Cultural Park: “Summer SongSong—Taipei Remix,” a weekend marketplace of music, creativity, and experience.
For the first time, the event extends to Taipei MRT:
“MRT Nakashi” program at Xinbeitou branch line featuring traditional moon guitar (yueqin).
“TRENDY TAIPEI Sound Experience” at Nangang Station, creating a sonic journey through commuting spaces.
Star Bands and the Surprise Trio “Wan-Ping-Ling” Kick Off the Festival
The press conference opened with rising bands from the Taipei Music Center’s Open Lab and JAM JAM ASIA’s “Seizer.” They passed the torch to this year’s Golden Melody-winning band TRASH, representing the link from indie showcases to the headline Taipei Arena series. But the biggest surprise was the debut of “Wan-Ping-Ling”, a special one-time band formed by Mayor Chiang Wan-an, Director Tsai Shih-ping, and Chairwoman Sandy Huang. Their band name combines one character from each of their names, symbolizing cross-sector collaboration and co-creation.
TRENDY Bus, Giant Guitar, and MRT Car—Come Take a Selfie!
Special attractions include the TRENDY Double-Decker Bus, running August 30–31 (five trips daily), featuring live performances by the Taipei Jazz Orchestra and Open Up! rising artists, stopping at Taipei 101, Songshan Cultural Park, and Taipei Music Center for JAM JAM ASIA.
Another must-see: the Giant Electric Guitar installation at City Hall Plaza (until September 7). Take a photo, upload it to the official TRENDY TAIPEI fan page, and enter to win limited-edition TRENDY merch.
From mid-August, a TRENDY-themed MRT train will also hit the tracks—inviting citizens to experience the pulse of Taipei’s music city like never before.
TRENDY TAIPEI is brought to life through the collaboration of Taipei’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of Information and Tourism, Department of Economic Development, Department of Information Technology and Taipei Music Center. It is also proudly supported by major sponsors including NVIDIA, Cathay United Bank, Taiwan Mobile, Uni-President Group, Heineken Silver, Eslite, Open Culture Foundation, Hanlai Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Taipei Downtown, The Place Taipei, MESh+ Co.Ltd., CITYLINK, and YSOLIFE.
With its blend of concerts, performances, forums, exhibitions, and marketplaces, TRENDY TAIPEI welcomes music lovers, creatives, tech enthusiasts, and casual passersby to find inspiration and resonance in the city. Let’s walk into the city, listen to the rhythm of now, and witness how creativity redefines the power of the moment.
For more information, visit the official TRENDY TAIPEI and Taipei Music Center websites and social channels.
Hashtag: #2025TRENDYTAIPEI
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
The Government is announcing the biggest change to the building consent system since the Building Act came into force in 2004, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The building sector has the potential to be an economic powerhouse, yet productivity has stalled since 1985 despite major advances in building methods and technology,” Mr Penk says.
“New Zealand’s sluggish consenting system is delaying projects and driving up costs, making the average standalone house here 50 percent more expensive to build than in Australia. “We must eliminate system blockages to speed up the delivery of new homes and infrastructure. “Today, we are announcing plans to ease the cost burden on ratepayers for defective building work. “Right now, councils are hesitant to sign off on building consents and inspections because they could be held liable for all defects, leaving ratepayers to foot the bill.
“This often happens when one of the parties responsible cannot pay for repairs, for example, if a business goes bust. “Currently, building owners can claim full compensation from any responsible party – and it’s often councils, with the deepest pockets and no option to walk away, that end up paying out. “The risk-aversion this creates leads to frustrating delays and extra cost for builders and homeowners. “A case in Queenstown shows the scale of this issue. In 2015, the Oaks Shores body corporate filed a $160 million claim for weathertight defects. The developer had been placed into voluntary liquidation and was not sued, leaving ratepayers exposed to the entire claim. “If the case hadn’t been settled privately, ratepayers could have faced rates increases of $300 a year for 30 years. “It’s time to put the responsibility where it belongs. “The Government will scrap the current framework, known as joint and several liability, and replace it with proportionate liability. “Under this new model, each party will only be responsible for the share of work they carried out. “Building owners will be protected if things go wrong and we’re exploring options such as requiring professional indemnity insurance and home warranties, similar to arrangements in Australia. “The second major change I am announcing will allow councils to voluntarily consolidate their Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) functions with each other. “It is ridiculous builders, designers and homeowners must navigate 66 different interpretations of the Building Code, because of the number of council BCAs across the country. “Builders can be rejected on paperwork that would be accepted by a neighbouring authority simply because each BCA applies the rules differently. “Many councils have asked for this and I expect they will seize the opportunity to consolidate, share resources like building inspectors and IT systems, and pass the savings on to ratepayers. “Clearing blockages in the building consent system to make it easier and more affordable to build is an important part of this Government’s economic growth plan.
“We know the sector is behind us. New Zealand Certified Builders have said that this is the most significant change for the building industry in a generation, that it has been a long time coming and the change is welcomed by the industry.
“We are determined to get the building and construction sector firing on all cylinders, and that requires bold change.
“This Government is making that change.”
Notes to editor:
Changes to liability settings and measures to enable voluntary BCA consolidation will be made by amending the Building Act 2004. The Government expects to introduce a Bill to Parliament in early 2026.
The Government is investigating supporting mechanisms for proportionate liability. These may include:
Requiring home warranties for certain building projects, with an option to opt out
Requiring professional indemnity insurance
Regulatory changes to support BCA consolidation will include removing the requirement for a Territorial Authority (TA) to be a BCA providing they transfer their building control functions to another accredited BCA, removing restrictions on TAs transferring their building consent functions to a non-TA organisation, and updating and standardising regulations to eliminate duplication and incentivize collaboration.
The Postgate pump track in the Porirua suburb of Whitby has officially opened.
After a delay of a week due to foul weather, the ceremonial ribbon cutting was carried out on Friday 15 August. The mastermind of the project, Whitby’s Daniel Heath, says the fences came down earlier that week and dozens of skaters and bikers were riding over it every time he went past.
“It’s been chocka most days,” he said.
Through Mana Cycle Group, Daniel applied for funding for the 1000sqm asphalt facility on Postgate Drive, which was built this winter by specialised pump track builders Velosolutions. No ratepayer funding was involved, but Council was happy to make a section of Postgate Park available for the project.
While there have been plenty of wet days over winter, it’s great to see it finished and being used by the community, Daniel said.
“It’s taken three years to get here – three years of funding applications and re-applying and work, but here we are.
“I grew up just doors away from Postgate Park and to drive past the pump track now and see it there, it’s amazing. It really doesn’t look out of place, like it’s always meant to be in this spot.”
The location makes it accessible from walkways across Whitby, eastern Porirua and Bothamley Park. Porirua Manager Parks, Julian Emeny, says this will be an asset for residents and visitors to Porirua alike.
“Congratulations to Dan, Mana Cycle Group and everyone involved with this project, it’s brilliant to see where it’s come from an under-used patch of grass,” he said.
Property Council New Zealand has welcomed today’s announcement from the Government, describing the reforms as a pragmatic step toward a more consistent and accountable building system.
Chief Executive Leonie Freeman said the move to replace joint and several liability with a proportionate liability model, alongside enabling voluntary consolidation of Building Consent Authorities (BCAs), addresses long-standing issues that have created cost and delay in the sector.
“Joint and several liability has often left councils as the last man standing. Proportionate liability changes this – a shift that the development community supports,” Freeman said.
“Spreading accountability more fairly across the construction pipeline should ease pressure on councils and provide greater certainty for the market. We expect this will also help reduce the risk-averse behaviour that slows down consenting and drives up costs.”
Freeman noted that Property Council members are prepared to play their part.
“Our members are open to sharing liability if it gives councils greater confidence and improves consistency. The detail around mechanisms such as professional indemnity insurance and home warranties will be important for ensuring clarity.”
On BCA consolidation, Freeman said the change could help remove unnecessary complexity.
“Sixty-six different interpretations of the Building Code create inconsistency and duplication. A regionalised model could help streamline processes, but its success will depend on councils’ willingness to work together.”
Freeman said the reforms build on earlier moves to improve access to new building products.
“Addressing both consenting and liability settings is a step in the right direction. These changes have the potential to remove blockages, reduce costs, and provide a more predictable system for everyone involved in the building process.”
About Property Council New Zealand
Property Council is the leading advocate for Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest industry – property.
Property Council New Zealand is the one organisation that collectively champions property. We bring together members from all corners of the property ecosystem to advocate for reduced red tape that enables development, encourages investment, and supports our communities to thrive.
Property is New Zealand’s largest industry, making up 15% of economic activity. As a sector, we employ 10% of New Zealand’s workforce and contribute over $50.2 billion to GDP.
A not-for-profit organisation, the Property Council connects over 10,000 property professionals, championing the interests of over 550 member companies.
Our membership is broad and includes some of the largest commercial and residential property owners and developers in New Zealand. The property industry comes together at our local, national and online events, which offer professional development, exceptional networking and access to industry-leading research.
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