BenQ has introduced its latest home cinema projectors — the W5850, W4100i, and W2720i — designed to elevate home entertainment with AI Cinema technology and Solid-State Illumination (SSI). The new series delivers 4K visuals, lifelike colour accuracy, and flexible performance, making premium cinema more accessible than ever.

Innovation in BenQ home cinema projectors

“With projection technology evolving rapidly, consumers demand immersive, adaptable large-screen experiences that align with modern lifestyles,” said Manish Bakshi, Managing Director of BenQ Middle East. BenQ home cinema projectors combine AI-driven image optimisation with factory-calibrated colour accuracy. This ensures Hollywood-grade visuals exactly as the directors intended.

CinematicColor™ technology guarantees 100% Rec. 709, 100% DCI-P3, and Delta E<3 accuracy. High-end models such as the W5850 achieve Delta E<2 for stunning precision. Proprietary HDR-PRO™ technology enhances contrast through multi-stage processing, supporting HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG formats for crisp detail across bright and dark scenes.

AI Cinema mode transforms streaming

The rise of streaming has shifted viewing habits, and BenQ responded with AI Cinema Mode. This feature analyses images in real time, adjusting HDR, sharpness, and saturation dynamically. As a result, compressed streaming content becomes sharper and more vibrant. Furthermore, built-in noise reduction smooths playback, allowing BenQ home cinema projectors to deliver a true cinematic feel even from online platforms.

W5850: theatre-grade projection

The W5850 is built for dedicated darkroom setups, offering 200-inch screens and professional-grade visuals. It features digital four-way lens shift, 1.6x motorised zoom, and a powerful 2600-lumen blue laser. With colour accuracy calibrated to Delta E<2, it represents the peak of BenQ’s home cinema innovation.

W4100i: versatile home AV performance

Designed for flexibility, the W4100i enhances real-time streaming content with AI Cinema calibration. Its 3200-lumen LED delivers rich HDR visuals, while built-in Android TV simplifies access to content. Additionally, its adaptable installation makes this model one of the most versatile BenQ home cinema projectors.

W2720i: cinema in the living room

The W2720i makes professional projection more accessible, incorporating ambient light adaptation to maintain consistent quality in any environment. It adjusts automatically to lighting changes, ensuring that both film buffs and casual viewers enjoy seamless cinematic experiences.

Connectivity and versatility

All three models offer HDMI 2.1, SPDIF, and eARC support for Dolby Atmos and 7.1 surround sound. Low-latency Fast Mode provides a 17.9ms response time, making it ideal for sports and gaming. Consequently, BenQ home cinema projectors cater to a wide spectrum of users, from movie enthusiasts to gamers.

Available in the UAE

BenQ’s latest home cinema range is available through Vital Technologies, the brand’s trusted UAE partner. With SSI technology, AI-driven features, and global certifications, BenQ once again sets the standard for home cinema projection.

Read our previous post, Cyber economics and the risk to critical infrastructure

By Heidi Crebo-Rediker, Senior Fellow for Geoeconomics, Council on Foreign Relations

In debates on economic security, cyber economics is too often overlooked. Many still frame cyber threats as company-level problems, where firms worry about ransomware, retailers fear stolen data, and banks focus on hacked payment systems. However, the more consequential danger is collective: cyberattacks on critical infrastructure with the power to unleash cascading disruptions across entire economies. This systemic risk remains under-appreciated, even as attacks grow in scope, sophistication, and geopolitical consequence.

From corporate risk to macroeconomic shock

The greatest danger lies not in a single server, but in the complex systems that underpin modern commerce. Electricity grids, water utilities, transportation networks, ports, airports, and undersea cables carry the weight of global connectivity. While automation and software increase efficiency, they also multiply vulnerabilities.

A prolonged disruption to any one of these systems can paralyze thousands of businesses. Multiple disruptions at once could be catastrophic. The 2021 winter storm in Texas, though caused by weather rather than malware, is a sobering example. The blackout cost up to $130 billion and crippled supply chains, health services, and agriculture. Imagine a hostile actor triggering similar failures via cyberattack, deliberately timed for maximum damage. The result would not only devastate individual entities but also generate a macroeconomic shock—akin to a natural disaster colliding with a financial crisis.

The growing threat landscape

State-backed hackers and criminal groups are already probing these vulnerabilities. The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in 2021 exposed how fragile logistics networks can be, while the more recent Volt Typhoon campaign embedded malware inside U.S. critical infrastructure. Unlike espionage, such intrusions appear designed to disrupt the civilian economy at scale, undermining both national resilience and military readiness.

The threat is also global. Attacks on undersea cables—vital arteries of the digital economy—are no longer hypothetical. With artificial intelligence accelerating offensive capabilities, adversaries can now identify weaknesses faster and automate attacks at scale. As a result, the risk curve is steepening, placing both advanced and developing economies in danger.

The field of cyber economics

Traditional economics treats cyber risk as a minor externality to be covered by insurance. In contrast, cyber economics reframes these risks as systemic. The more integrated and digitized an economy becomes, the more vulnerable it is to disruption. Elevating cyber threats from technical concerns to macroeconomic risks sharpens the case for sustained investment in resilience.

Without realistic, economy-wide accounting of costs, both governments and markets will continue to underinvest in defense and the skilled workforce required. Initiatives such as the Global Cybersecurity Forum–World Economic Forum Center for Cyber Economics, particularly when joined by institutions like the IMF, World Bank, and OECD, represent important first steps.

Who polices, who pays?

The governance dilemma complicates the picture. In the United States, most critical infrastructure is privately owned, meaning investment decisions often follow commercial incentives rather than national resilience. Large utilities may field advanced defenses, while smaller authorities lack the means to keep pace. Even the best-prepared firms cannot realistically deter state-backed attackers without government coordination and international collaboration.

Meanwhile, state-led economies often mandate cybersecurity standards and assume direct responsibility for protecting infrastructure. Liberal democracies, however, struggle to enforce baselines or require immediate reporting. Legal restrictions and fragmented oversight create uneven defenses, leaving the broader economy exposed to “weakest link” failures. The unresolved question of who ultimately pays—federal taxpayers, private firms, or local governments—further delays progress.

The allied dimension

Because cyber threats transcend borders, national strategies alone are insufficient. Attacks on shared assets such as undersea cables, power grids, or data networks ripple across continents. Therefore, allies must elevate cyber resilience as a shared economic security priority. Intelligence sharing, collaborative monitoring, and joint investment in defensive infrastructure can help close gaps that no single nation can address on its own.

A call to action

What is needed now is a paradigm shift. Policymakers, investors, and regulators must recognize that cyber threats to critical infrastructure represent potential macroeconomic shocks, not isolated corporate challenges. The rise of cyber economics highlights that in an interconnected world, cyber defense is economic defense. Ignoring this reality risks overlooking one of the defining macroeconomic threats of our time.

Read our previous post, H-1B visa fee hike rattles tech and global markets

By Mohanad Yakout, Senior Markets Analyst, Scope Markets

The sharp rise in the H-1B visa fee to $100,000 has triggered widespread debate across global markets. For decades, the H-1B visa has been a vital lifeline for U.S. companies seeking to attract top international talent and remain competitive. Now, the higher fee raises questions about the country’s ability to attract skilled professionals in a fiercely competitive global landscape.

H-1B visa fee hike challenges U.S. tech companies

Leading U.S. tech firms such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have relied heavily on foreign engineers and developers to fill critical skill gaps. With fees rising to $100,000 per application, hiring costs are set to double. Therefore, companies will likely reassess their strategies, reducing the number of visa applicants or shifting focus to overseas development centers in Asia and Eastern Europe.

These adjustments could slow innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Moreover, delays in launching new products may erode competitiveness and pressure stock prices, adding new volatility to already fragile markets.

Global ripple effects of the H-1B visa fee hike

The decision has also shaken global markets. Shares of major Indian IT firms, which rely on sending thousands of employees to the U.S., plunged following the announcement. As a result, companies in emerging markets now face uncertainty about future contracts and workforce mobility.

In parallel, alternative destinations such as Canada and Europe may attract skilled workers deterred by the high U.S. visa cost. These regions already offer more affordable and flexible immigration systems, giving them a competitive edge in attracting talent and enhancing their innovation capacity.

Long-term risks to U.S. innovation leadership

If sustained, the H-1B visa fee hike could fundamentally reshape the global innovation map. The U.S. has long been viewed as the world’s hub for advanced technology. Yet rising barriers to entry risk driving talent elsewhere. Consequently, countries with more balanced immigration frameworks may benefit from an influx of high-level professionals.

Unless new policies are introduced to ease the burden while protecting national interests, the U.S. risks undermining its own competitive edge. Balancing economic needs with regulatory control will be critical to safeguarding its leadership role in technology.

Investor concerns and market outlook

Investors are closely monitoring the fallout from the policy change. In the short term, higher costs may weigh on corporate earnings for U.S. tech firms while adding pressure on global IT service providers. In the medium term, global markets may realign as companies expand their operations in regions with friendlier immigration policies.

Importantly, innovation does not exist in isolation. The global distribution of talent will determine where breakthroughs occur and which countries dominate the next wave of technological development. The fee hike may accelerate that redistribution.

A defining moment for global talent policy

The U.S. government’s decision signals a turning point in how nations compete for talent. For the UAE and other regions positioning themselves as innovation hubs, the policy presents opportunities to attract highly skilled professionals seeking alternatives.

Ultimately, the H-1B visa fee hike is more than an immigration issue; it is a test of how nations balance openness, competitiveness, and regulation in a world where talent flows drive economic power. The outcome will shape not only company strategies but also the future geography of global innovation.

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