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Technology

Technology
Latest news features and opinion on technology, covering everything from AI innovation to smartphone makers and apps.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Undersea cables connect continents and form the foundation of modern digital infrastructure. Photo: Shutterstock
India

Will India’s undersea cable overhaul make it a global data powerhouse?

A number of new cable systems set to come online by 2025 are expected to quadruple the country’s data transmission capacity.

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | True Hong Kong service won’t be found in an order-it-yourself app

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Hong Kong society

Call for Hong Kong to subsidise smart trackers for dementia sufferers

United States

Nasa probe makes closest ever pass by the Sun on Christmas Eve

This daring mission aims to unlock the Sun’s mysteries, and improve space-weather forecasts.

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An artist’s rendering of the Parker Solar Probe approaching the Sun. Photo: Steve Gribben/Johns Hopkins APL/Nasa/AP
E-commerce

Amazon asks Chinese sellers not to offer cheaper prices on Temu

As competition heats up, the US retailer has started tracking product pricing on rival platform Temu, according to merchants.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s CATL launches EV chassis that can withstand high-speed crash

Avatr, Changan Auto and Huawei will be the first to use the chassis, which has a battery capable of running for about 1,000km.

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Foxconn

Foxconn invests in EV battery plant in China’s iPhone city

The US$82 million capital injection marks the Taiwanese giant’s latest foray into the electric-vehicle sector.

The Foxconn building in Taipei. Photo: Reuters
US-China tech war

Chinese surveillance tech firm Dahua exits projects in Xinjiang

The company was added to a US trade blacklist in 2019 on claims it aided in human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Indonesia

What Apple’s US$1 billion investment pledge means for Indonesia’s tech sector

Apple’s offer shows Indonesia’s push for local content rules is starting to pay off, but new entrants to its tech sector could be deterred, analysts note.

BYD

Chinese workers found in ‘slavery-like conditions’ at BYD site in Brazil

Officials said staff were working excessively long hours while being kept in ‘degrading conditions’ in their accommodation.

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BYD’s electric vehicle (EV) factory’s construction site in Camacari, Bahia province, Brazil. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

US launches trade investigation into China’s ‘legacy’ chips

Trade agency say ‘evidence indicates’ that China seeks to dominate domestic and global chip markets.

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The US says China seeks to dominate domestic and global chip markets through extensive anticompetitive and non-market means. Photo: Shutterstock
Science

China-born biologist Wang Cunyu returns from decades in US to head institute

Wang was recognised by Science magazine in 1996 for his work on cancer cell death.

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Google

Automotive OS to the fore as drivers seek smartphone-style in-car features

Owners want their cars to be as functional as smartphones, and carmakers are working with software companies to make it happen.

IPO

SPAC backed by Hong Kong investors readies US$150 million NYSE IPO

The SPAC is managed and backed by executives from Pacific Aegis Capital Management, Gobi Partners and Hermitage Capital.

The New York Stock Exchange is decorated and lit up for the holiday season. Photo: AFP
Robotics

South Koreans develop Iron Man-inspired wearable robot to help paraplegics walk

WalkON Suit F1 is designed to enable users to walk, climb stairs, and manoeuvre obstacles.

Kim Seung-hwan, who is himself a paraplegic and part of the KAIST team, demonstrates the prototype. Photo: Reuters
Asean

Opinion | How Southeast Asia can become the next AI powerhouse

Young, dynamic and fast, the region has unique advantages, supported by investment in infrastructure, talent, policy support and collaboration.

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India

More Indians hire private sleuths for ‘proper checks’ on prospective partners

Apart from premarital checks, some clients want to confirm a suspected affair or if their partner is gay.

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Artificial intelligence

A Hong Kong AI model is accurately identifying eye conditions at high rates

The open-source VisionFM model from the Chinese University of Hong Kong is comparable to doctors at diagnosing ophthalmic diseases, paper finds.

A new AI model from the Chinese University of Hong Kong has proven effective in identifying ophthalmic diseases. Photo: Shutterstock
Thailand

Thailand’s high-tech utopia starts to take shape – but will it deliver?

At its launch seven years ago, the Eastern Economic Corridor was marketed as a solution to Thailand’s economic malaise. But concerns persist.

Science

How the launch of China’s GuoWang satellites differs from its US Starlink rival

Details have emerged on the key distinctions between China’s recent internet satellite launch and SpaceX’s constellation.

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Artificial intelligence

Chinese-owned Character.ai rival vanishes from US App Store

Talkie, a popular AI companion app developed by Shanghai start-up MiniMax, has been removed from Apple’s store in the US.

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Talkie, a chatbot app developed by Chinese start-up MiniMax, allows users to converse with AI characters. Photo: Handout
China trade

‘Resilient’ trade gains see Shenzhen poised to overtake Shanghai despite US tech siege

Total trade value in city dubbed China’s Silicon Valley surged past 4 trillion yuan from January to November, with a record year-on-year increase.

Strong growth in Shenzhen’s trade has been buoyed, in part, by rising demand for Chinese electronics and hi-tech products. Photo: EPA-EFE
Tencent

China’s super app WeChat flexes e-commerce muscles with gift feature

The new function could be Tencent’s next big hit after electronic red packets, says one merchant.

Food and Drinks

The restaurants where robot chefs prepare your salad

US salad chain Sweetgreen is rolling out automated kitchens where robots make the salads. Every bowl still has a human touch – for now.

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Artificial intelligence

Shenzhen showers AI companies, workers with cash to boost local industry

Municipal government issues a slew of new policies including tens of millions of dollars in subsidies to promote AI development.

A view of Shenzhen’s Qianhai area, a major part of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, on August 25, 2020. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
US-China relations

Opinion | US-China science pact renewal a ray of hope amid techno-nationalism

The pact sustains targeted collaboration, but it also risks reinforcing emerging scientific blocs, potentially reshaping the global research landscape.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
US-China relations

US restrictions on outbound investments to China scrapped from spending bill

Earlier version had included provisions on overseas transactions involving China in sectors like chips, quantum technology and AI.

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US-China relations

US investigates China’s TP-Link, maker of Wi-fi routers, after cyberattacks

Security concerns over a network equipment manufacturer that controls more than 60 per cent of the US market for home internet routers.

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