Internet of Things

Visitors are pictured in front of an immersive art installation titled "Machine Hallucinations — Space: Metaverse" by media artist Refik Anadol, which will be converted into NFT and auctioned online at Sotheby's, at the Digital Art Fair, in Hong Kong, China, 30 September 2021. (Tyrone Siu/File Photo/Reuters)

Metaverse: A chance to build a better world

Academic Pei Sai Fan says that one should dream big with the metaverse and not only see it as a new avenue of making money. By creating a new virtual universe from scratch, we can make good use of the blockchain-based metaverse to promote an equitable, more transparent and more inclusive rules-based international digital currency and financial system and enhance the global governance system to deal with issues facing all countries. This would require a global approach and China is well placed technologically to actively participate and lead the effort with like-minded nations in creating such a metaverse. It would be a pity if countries squandered such an opportunity to truly build a better world for all mankind.
A man checks his phone while walking in Lujiazui financial district during sunset in Pudong, Shanghai, China, 13 July 2021. (Aly Song/Reuters)

Kai-Fu Lee: Five ways artificial intelligence will put China ahead

Dr Kai-Fu Lee recently spoke at a summit reviewing the development of artificial intelligence. He gave five predictions about the industrial changes that would be brought about by the combination of artificial intelligence and other new technologies. Lee feels these changes would allow China to lead the world in science and technology in the next 20 years or so. This is the edited version of his speech.
The app of Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi is seen on a mobile phone in front of the company logo displayed in this illustration picture taken on 1 July 2021. (Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo/Reuters)

Why platform companies seek monopoly and what happens when governments rein them in

Leaked data from one platform company may not pose a major national security threat, but data from multiple platforms combined might, warns technology specialist Yin Ruizhi. As countries become more wary of internet security risks, it will be increasingly difficult for platform companies to get listed overseas. What is the alternative then?
Some items featured on Mi Crowdfunding. (Screen grabs from Mi Crowdfunding)

China's livestreaming e-commerce: The million dollar business fueling product innovation

Recently, Xinba, one of the biggest influencers on Chinese streaming platform Kuaishou, sold US$300 million worth of goods in a single 12-hour session, in a testament to the enormous pull of livestreaming e-commerce. Research shows that crowdfunded products often rely on livestreaming e-commerce to convey product information and funnel early adopters. Such an ecosystem creates a positive business environment for producing and marketing new products. Technology specialist Yin Ruizhi looks at how live-streaming e-commerce is fast giving China the edge in product innovation.
Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army march during the Victory Day Parade in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, 24 June 2020, marking the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. (Sergey Pyatakov via REUTERS)

Japanese academic: Can the PLA succeed in its smart warfare transformation?

Japanese academic Masaaki Yatsuzuka examines the PLA's latest efforts to move towards smart technology and smart warfare, and what this might mean for China and other countries.
This illustration picture taken on 17 February 2019 shows the 5G wireless technology logo displayed on a smartphone and a wireless signal sign. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP)

Southeast Asia a contested venue for telecommunication superpowers building 5G networks

Many Southeast Asian telecommunication providers have rolled out their 5G masterplans and selected vendors this year, with Covid-19 prompting the need to accelerate the upgrading of digital infrastructure. However, while most Southeast Asian countries welcome collaboration with Chinese telecommunication vendors including Huawei, some telecommunication providers in Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines have recently moved away from partnering with Chinese companies. ISEAS academic Melinda Martinus finds out SEA's preferred vendors for developing 5G networks, and the reasons behind these shifts in preferences. Are Chinese companies still well-positioned to seize the opportunities in this arena?
Once the 5G network eliminates the bottleneck of direct connectivity of devices in a unit space however, dreams about the IoT could become a reality. (iStock)

A whole new world with the Internet of Things

While the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) has been bandied about in the last two decades, it is only now at the dawn of the 5G era that the concept looks set to take off. Sports, education, eldercare...exciting times are ahead for IoT applications that are now within our grasp.
GPS-enabled trackers ensure delivery trucks take optimal routes for their deliveries (iStock)

Industry 4.0: The Chinese "student" has surpassed the Singapore "teacher"

Kwek So Cheer warns that Singapore faces the risk of being irrelevant in a new world going through a fourth industrial revolution. In that respect, it has much to learn from China, who plays a leading role when it comes to advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, 3D printing and the Internet of Things.
5G presents a great opportunity for entrepreneurs (Jason Lee/Reuters)

The myths and realities of 5G

With 5G becoming a reality in China as we speak, Yin Ruizhi weighs up the challenges and immense opportunities this technology brings for the telecommunications industry.