Tech

Demonstrators in Berlin take part in a "Stop Killer Robots" campaign organised by German NGO "Facing Finance" to ban what they call killer robots, in March 2019. WASHINGTON: Amazon, Microsoft and Intel are among leading tech companies putting the world at risk through killer robot development, according to a report that surveyed major players from the sector about their stance on lethal autonomous weapons.Dutch NGO Pax ranked 50 companies by three criteria: whether they were developing technology that could be relevant to deadly AI, whether they were working on related military projects, and if they had committed to abstaining from contributing in the future. "Why are companies like Microsoft and Amazon not denying that they're currently developing these highly controversial weapons, which could decide to kill people without direct human involvement?" said Frank Slijper, lead author of the report published this week. The use of AI to allow weapon systems to autonomously … [Read more...] about Amazon, Microsoft ‘putting world at risk of killer AI’

Eagle-eyed phone, with a shark fin Oppo's latest big boy, the Reno 10x zoom, is quite a looker that packs a punch At the end of last month, Oppo was in fifth place in the global smartphone market with a share of approximately 8%, proving that their phones are nothing to sneeze at. But does Oppo's latest top phone deserve attention? Let's find out. A trade-in promotion can bring the cost of Oppo's flagship phone down to 16,990 baht. Elegant and sexy can be used to describe this phone's look. The Reno 10x zoom (I wish Oppo would come up with a better catchy name) is a big phone that has no notch, no cut out, no punch hole on the front giving you a full 6.6-inch display. At the back it's a gradient shade, in this case it's green with a light reflective finish. The phone's design does stand out from the crowd and can turn heads especially when you use the shark fin pop up camera to unlock it (for maximum head turning effect: turn on the "whoosh" camera pop-up sound … [Read more...] about Eagle-eyed phone, with a shark fin

Mr Rigby says Thai consumers are open to adopting new technology. People in Asean are positive about completely automated interactions with brands, according to the Adobe Experience Index, which gauges consumer expectations.The global index, which surveyed eight global markets, looks into consumer attitudes towards technology, automation, human interaction and future innovations. These eight markets consist of India, Asean, the US, Britain, France, Germany, Japan and Australia. The index was compiled by global software provider Adobe. Scott Rigby, head of digital transformation of Adobe, said 68% of 1,003 consumers in Asean agreed to completely automated interactions with a company, compared with 63% in the US, 58% in France and Britain, and 57% in Australia. The index shows Asean (45%) and Japan (23%) are the markets with the least preference for interaction with humans versus computers. In the other six markets over half of the respondents favour human interactions when … [Read more...] about Asean consumers favour automation

Cambodia launches Tinh Tinh E-commerce to promote Cambodian products online and help local businesses. (Bangkok Post photo) Cambodia has launched Tinh Tinh E-commerce, the country’s first state-backed online marketplace to help local businesses to sell their products in the global market.The e-commerce platform, hailed by developers as the country’s biggest, is owned by Cambodia Post E-Solutions PLC — a venture of Cambodia Post —  Chinese firm ZVS Investment, and local tech company Paxxa Mobile Solutions, the Khmer Times reported on Monday. According to the developers, Tinh Tinh E-commerce offers a comprehensive and integrated set of online services, acting as a logistics and intermediary agency, among other roles. Tinh Tinh is Khmer for “buy, buy.” The platform is available in Khmer, English, and Chinese, said Ork Bora, director-general of Cambodia Post. Bora said the platform was established with an initial capital of $1.5 … [Read more...] about Cambodia launches state-backed online shopping platform

The entire get-up includes a battery that straps around the waist and a motor on the lower back that connects to pull-cables. WASHINGTON: Once confined to comic books, wearable exosuits that enhance a person's physical abilities took a leap forward Thursday as researchers at Harvard University unveiled a pair of robotic shorts that assist in walking and running.The entire get-up, which includes a battery that straps around the waist and a motor on the lower back that connects to pull-cables, weighs just five kilograms (11 pounds) and detects its wearer's gait to appropriately adjust its output. Walking and running are very different activities from a biomechanical viewpoint, and previous devices had focused on boosting one or the other, but not both, co-author Conor Walsh from Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering told AFP. "So I think it's a step towards these devices not only helping with a single activity, but devices that eventually can help … [Read more...] about Robo-shorts that help runners get ahead