February 19, 2024
Tech News
Berjaya Group is reportedly preparing a bid to challenge YTL’s consortium for the implementation of a barrier-free Multi Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system on highways. Berjaya’s proposal is said to be at least 30% cheaper than YTL’s and involves allowing highway companies to construct their own MLFF infrastructure while Berjaya or another company provides toll collection services. This approach aims to reduce implementation costs and is preferred by highway concessionaires. The Malaysian government is reviewing the MLFF project, initially planned for 2025, due to concerns over a monopoly and agreement violations.
Rickson Goh, the founder of Tourplus Technology Sdn Bhd, has successfully navigated his travel tech startup through the COVID-19 pandemic by securing a US$1 million seed capital fundraise and forming strategic partnerships. Despite the tourism industry’s standstill, Goh pivoted to focus on domestic tourism and leveraged government aid programs to support local travel sector digitalization. Notably, Tourplus has partnered with Tourism Selangor to develop a mobile app, Go Selangor, under a profit-sharing agreement, aiming to digitalize travel services and prepare for the post-pandemic tourism rebound.
Apple Pay experienced an outage for Chase customers, with transactions being declined when using Chase cards through Apple Pay, while physical cards worked normally. The issue, described humorously by Chase support as an “unexpected upgrade,” affected users beyond the initially stated region of Maryland. Apple clarified that the problem was on Chase’s end and not related to Apple Pay’s systems. The issue was resolved, and Apple emphasized that their systems experienced no problems during the outage.
Tech Explained
Multi Lane Free Flow (MLFF) – MLFF is a tolling system that allows vehicles to pass through toll booths without stopping, using electronic toll collection technology. It aims to reduce traffic congestion and improve toll collection efficiency.
Seed Capital – Seed capital refers to the initial funding used to start a business or project. It is typically used for product development, market research, and other early-stage expenses.
Apple Pay – Apple Pay is a mobile payment and digital wallet service by Apple Inc. that allows users to make payments using their Apple devices. It securely stores credit and debit card information for convenient and secure transactions.
