Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was among 1.5 million patients who had their personal data stolen in the nation’s most severe cyber attack to date. Also compromised were the outpatient prescriptions of 160,000 patients.
Samsung and Xiaomi neck-to-neck in India in Q2
Xiaomi and Samsung shipped 9.9 million smartphones each to India in Q2. Together they account for 60 percent of the total shipment that quarter, according to Canalys.
EU fines Google 4.3b euro
However you look at it, the amount is massive! The European Union (EU) has slapped Google with a 4.3 billion euro fine for blocking its rivals from Android.
Google Maps motorcycle mode now available in Singapore
Google Maps has enabled its motorcycle mode feature for Singapore and elsewhere in the region in due time. Originally launched in India in December 2017, the app will give motorcyclists routes that are more suitable for two-wheelers.
Consortium introduces standard to simplify VR headset connectivity
NVIDIA, Oculus, Valve, AMD, and Microsoft have come together to introduce VirtualLink, an open standard that simplifies next-generation virtual reality (VR) headset connectivity to PCs and other devices. Instead of a range of cords and connectors, the new standard adopts the single, high-bandwidth USB Type-C connector.
TechnologyOne secures 5-year deal with 3 NZ government agencies
TechnologyOne has inked a five-year contract with New Zealand’s Central Agency Shared Services, under which it will provide software-as-a-service (SaaS) to the Treasury, the State Services Commission and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Outage and strike do not faze Amazon on Prime Day
Amazon Prime Day is still going strong and racking up tons of sales despite an outage that prevented some customers in North America from accessing the website and the app, and a strike by workers in Spain.
Singapore launches SEA’s first geospatial centre
Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has launched GeoWorks, the first geospatial industry centre in Southeast Asia (SEA). The centre will kick off by housing 22 geospatial technology start-ups from across the region to network and interact with government agencies and the industry with the aim of developing geospatial solutions.
Google faces massive fine over Android
It happened to Microsoft in 2013 and it looks like history is repeating itself, albeit with Google being the one under the spotlight. The European Union (EU) is expected to decide on a record fine for forcing Android smartphone makers to pre-install its search and web browsing tools and use them by default unless they want to lose access to the Play Store.
Oppo A5 debuts in China
Oppo has introduced the Oppo A5, its latest mid-range smartphone in China.
OnePlus 6 red arrives in Singapore
The wait’s finally over! The much-lauded OnePlus 6 smartphone is now available in Singapore. Better yet, there’s the red edition as well.
PC market inches up 2.7% in Q2
Global traditional PC shipment posted the strongest growth in more than six years during the past quarter, according to IDC. Total shipment was 62.3 million units, which translates to a 2.7 percent year-on-year growth.
Broadcom to acquire CA for US$18.9b
Fresh from its failure to acquire Qualcomm in March, Broadcom has made a move for former software giant CA Technologies. The US$18.9b deal brings together two unlikely partners — one a chipmaker and the other a software company that had its glory days in the 1990s.
NVIDIA brings premier AI conference to Sydney
A global line-up of artificial intelligence (AI) experts will be heading to Sydney to speak at the NVIDIA AI Conference. Researchers and developers will also get training from the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute (DLI) during the event.
Bosch and Daimler pick NVIDIA Drive Pegasus for robotaxis
Daimler and Bosch have chosen NVIDIA Drive Pegasus AI supercomputer to power their robotaxis, which are expected to start testing in Silicon Valley next year.
100m smart speakers by end of 2018
Smart speakers are picking up steam with the installed base expected to hit 100 million by the end of this year, according to Canalys. That’s 2.5 times the size of end 2017.
Suning Tesco opens first UAV logistics route in Wuhan
China e-commerce firm Suning Tesco has opened the first pilot route for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) logistics and transportation in Wuhan, China. Its logistics arm Suning Logistics and Ewatt Aerospace jointly developed two UAVs for this purpose.
Xiaomi share price dips on debut
The long awaited Xiaomi listing made an impressive debut — dropping 2.9 percent on its opening day in Hong Kong. Priced at HK$17.00 at launch, the share price dipped to HK$16.50 in early trading.
China tops IDC’s smart cities awards
China has emerged tops with five out of 19 winners in the 2018 IDC Smart City Asia Pacific Awards (SCAPA). Taiwan and Singapore were next with four and three awards respectively across 12 functional categories.
Alibaba leverages AI for copywriting
Copywriters, beware! A new tool dubbed “The AI copywriter” by Alimama can generate an astounding 20,000 lines of copy in a second. Alimama is the digital marketing arm of China e-commerce giant Alibaba.
IBM snags A$1b Australia government contract
IBM has scored a massive win with a five-year A$1 billion agreement with the Australia government.
Reolink launches wire-free Argus Pro smart security camera
Hong Kong security product maker Reolink has introduced Argus Pro, a smart camera that is powered by rechargeable battery or the solar panel for easy installation and enhanced security.
HTC to slice 1,500 from workforce
Taiwan smartphone maker HTC is making a cut of the most painful kind — by slicing 20 percent of its workforce. The decision to swallow the bitter pill comes in the wake of heavy losses and strong competition.
To Dell and back
Dell Technologies is making a comeback on the New York Stock Exchange. The PC giant went private in 2013 as part of a transition strategy in the midst of changes in the industry brought about by mobile and cloud computing.
Banking spend drives external storage Q1 growth in India
Banking led professional services, manufacturing, telecommunications and government to contribute more than 80 percent to overall external storage market in India in Q1, according to IDC India. The quarter saw a jump of 12.7 percent year-on-year to US$84.1 million.
StumbleUpon stumbles out
After 16 years, discovery engine StumbleUpon, which pushes web contents to users, has shut down.
Myanmar startup Goama launches mobile gaming app in India
Myanmar startup Goama has launched its “Netflix of Games” mobile gaming subscription app in India. Called Go|Games, the Android app has more than 700,000 subscribers in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
SenseTime makes triple signing in Singapore
China artificial intelligence (AI) company SenseTime has inked memoranda of understanding (MOU) with Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National Supercomputing Centre of Singapore (NSCC) and Singtel.
1Coach wearable: More than a tracker, it’s a run advisor!
SensFusion has launched 1Coach, a wearable running sensor that not only tracks but also offers training advice for improving runs.
ELSA Speak helps in English pronunciation
Artificial intelligence (AI) startup ELSA is giving non-native English speakers help with ELSA Speak, an app that teaches how to pronounce English words correctly.
Glitch with Google Home and Chromecast
By Edward Lim
“Sorry, something went wrong. Try again in a few seconds.” and “There was a glitch. Try again in a few seconds.” are not messages most Google Home and Home mini users are familiar with, but these messages kept repeating themselves most of yesterday.
Qualcomm targets kids with Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform
Qualcomm is targeting smartwatches for children with its Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform. Announced at Mobile World Congress Shanghai, the chip is designed to deliver extended battery life, low power location tracking and an optimised version of Android for kids.
Epicentre exits Apple business in Singapore
Epicentre Holdings has sold its Apple business in Singapore — both online and retail stores — to competitor Elush (T3), marking the end of an era.
Microsoft to launch pricey USB-C dongle for Surface
The cost of having thinner and lighter devices can be really high. The compromise is the absence of jacks and ports that users often take for granted. To get that needed port, users have to pay a hefty price. In the case of the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface laptop, a soon-to-be-launched USB-C dongle will cost US$79.99, according to The Verge.
Man vs machine in Dota 2
Machine learning and deep learning are two expressions of artificial intelligence (AI) that have been widely written about. But, another approach to AI called reinforcement learning is coming to the fore. One of the first applications of reinforcement learning is in training AI bots to beat humans in the highly popular game Defense of the Ancients 2 (Dota 2).
APrivacy launches WhatsApp bot for financial services industry
APrivacy has introduced APrivacy Bot on WhatsApp to help banks and insurance companies better engage with their customers. It offers a fully programmable chatbot, or connection with an existing chatbot, providing interaction with customers directly over WhatsApp.
ElinkSmart rolls out smart home camera kit
China manufacturer ElinkSmart has unveiled the Smart Wi-Fi Camera Kit for home security.
Machine vs Machine
Singapore blogger Daryl Aiden Yow created a storm when he manipulated stock images and posted them on his Instagram account. The 27-year-old has since apologised but his action has cast more doubt on the blogging community.
NVIDIA Shield TV comes to ANZ
It’s been a long time coming — more than three years — but NVIDIA Shield TV is finally heading to Australia and New Zealand. The Android TV-based device was dubbed the “world’s first 4K Android TV console” when it was introduced in March 2015.
One step closer to the World Cup
With World Cup fever in full force right now, many budding players are hoping for the day when they could be under the global spotlight. Well, a little help from artificial technology (AI) may help take them a step closer.
AMAX launches AI-optimised server platform
High-performance server maker AMAX has launched the DL-E48A, a reconfigurable single/dual root high-density GPU platform designed for artificial intelligence (AI) training and inference.
5G networks vital for autonomous vehicle connectivity
While the world waits in anticipation for its arrival, 5G has been identified as vital for autonomous vehicle connectivity.
YouTube Music and YouTube Music Premium now available in ANZ and South Korea
Australia, New Zealand and South Korea are the first in the region to enjoy YouTube’s new music streaming service available from yesterday.
Smartwatch market heading towards steady growth
The worldwide wearables market is adjusting as smartwatches continue to come to the forefront. In the coming years, smartwatches will encompass more features and functionalities.
Intel tweet that launches a new GPU war
On June 13, Intel had the GPU world in a flurry when it tweeted “Intel’s first GPU coming in 2020”. The media were quick to post stories of this incoming new GPU, which would add interesting competition to a market dominated by NVIDIA with AMD a distant second.
JD.com gets US$550m cash injection from Google
China e-commerce giant JD.com has received a US$550 million investment from Google as part of a strategic partnership.
OnePlus 6 crosses 1m mark in 22 days
Twenty-two days. It took relatively unknown smartphone maker OnePlus just that amount of time to sell one million units of OnePlus 6, its latest smartphone.
AWS DeepLens deep learning video camera goes on sale
Amazon has announced that the AWS DeepLens video camera for running deep learning models is now on sale.
Metadata and Conversica team up on AI-based lead generation
Artificial intelligence (AI)-based companies Metadata and Conversica are partnering on automating the marketing and sales development process for B2B companies. Combining their AI expertise, they will help companies in generating qualified leads to following up with on leads at a faster rate and with better quality than can be achieved manually.
App to teach children responsible mobile device usage
Help is at hand for parents who need help in teaching their young children the dos and don’ts of using smartphones and other mobile devices. They can now turn to Tittle for Parents, an app that lets parents protect their children on mobile devices and teach about safe and appropriate use.
Royal Holdings launches 3D image scanner for smartphones
Security checks have become the norm in airports, malls and many public places. While screening devices are often bulky, a more portable alternative is now available following the launch of SWORD, a mobile 3D image scanner that can be used with smartphones.
Dell EMC widens lead on HPE as worldwide server revenue grew 33.4% in Q1
Dell EMC turned in a stellar performance in Q1 by growing 51.4 percent in server revenue, enabling it to widen the gap with second-place Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) which nevertheless grew an impressive 21.5 percent.
The US recaptures world’s fastest supercomputer title with first exaop AI system
The United States has regained its pole position at the fastest supercomputer race with the aptly named Summit.
US$1b fine reprieve for ZTE
US$1 billion is a hefty sum to pay for a fine but for ZTE, it means getting its business back on track.
Kerusso shares daily devotional via Alexa
Amazon Echo users can tune in to daily devotional as part of the Alexa flash briefing, thanks to a service launched by Christian apparel company Kerusso.
Giant notebook and graphics card spotted at Computex
By Edward Lim
Computex seems to have mellowed down over the years. While the show floor used to be filled with booth girls and exhibitors literally pushing bags and tchoichke in the past, this is no longer the case.
NVIDIA announces platform to build intelligent robots
NVIDIA has announced the availability of NVIDIA Isaac, a new platform to power the next generation of autonomous machines, bringing artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to robots for manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, construction, and many other industries.
Taiwan’s MOST and NVIDIA to collaborate on AI efforts
Taiwan is going big on artificial intelligence (AI) and its Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) will be collaborating with NVIDIA on AI initiatives.
Huawei and Xiaomi lead smartphone growth in Q1
China smartphone makers Huawei and Xiaomi grew strongest as the market recovered in Q1, according to Gartner.
Computex dishes out 35 Best Choice Awards
As a prelude to Computex Taipei next week, co-organiser Taipei Computer Association (TCA) has announced 35 winners of the 17th Best Choice Award (BC Award).
Entelechy Asia 