Asia's tech news, weekly: November 15th
In this edition: Japan's semiconductors moves; Nvidia's alt-GPU for China; Vanuatu cyber-attack; virtual asset trading in Hong Kong; and more
• Japan: Toyota and 7 other Japanese firms partner in move to make next-gen semiconductors
• China: Nvidia offers alternative GPU chip tailored for Chinese market, maintaining compliance with US export regulations with lower-powered processor
• India: Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are adding near 3500 5G-capable sites per week cumulatively, with sights on scaling up to 9-10K per week combined inside 4 months
• Taiwan: Gov't to allocate $1.6BN over 3 years to bring private drone makers into 'national team' to develop unmanned aerial vehicle systems in preparation for possibility of cross-strait war scenario
• Cambodia: Finance Ministry to launch distributed ledger platform, CamDL, aiming to help the Kingdom's fintech sector harness emerging technologies to boost financial industry innovation
• Office of the Vanuatu Gov't CIO confirms Broadband Network compromised in cyber-attack, impacting email, VOIP services and more
• Australia: Following spate of cyber-attacks, Cyber Security Minister flags a range of reforms to protect personal data, including making it illegal to pay ransoms demanded by hackers
• Taiwan's Foxconn to boost southern India workforce to 70K, adding 53K more workers over 2 years in part to address disruptions in China-based production
TikTok ban in the US edges nearer with proposed legislation from Marco Rubio
• Australia: EVX partners UK's Connected Kerb to instal 1000 kerbside chargers out to 2024, designed for 'long-dwell' charging of at least 1-2 hours
• German gov't blocks sale of semiconductor firm to Chinese-owned firm, tightening protection of its domestic technology and easing supply chain dependence on China
• Australia & semiconductors: "...policymakers must treat semiconductors as a vital public good, almost on par with other basic necessities such as food and water supplies and reliable electricity..."
• Philippines: Archipelago Labs startup accelerator launches to invest in and boost promising startups and talents in the Filipino Web3 ecosystem
Amazon's increasing automation moves: "People have predicted robots will destroy the labour market, but Amazon believes investment in robotics could create jobs..."
• An interview with Dzuleira Abu Bakar, CEO of Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation on why Malaysia needs to speed up technological innovation to drive future economic growth
• She Loves Tech global startup competition winners unveiled, drawn from 28 finalists selected from 5000 tech startups
• Startup Island TAIWAN Podcast: XREX CEO talks about blockchain, Web3 and the move towards 'neo fintech'
• Taiwan to invest near $10M towards chip production in Lithuania, seeking "resilience of our democratic supply chain in the face of coercion by autocracies"
• Singapore's DBS and global partners including Google and The World Bank for 2nd edition of Sustaintech Xcelerator, a 6-month climate-focused accelerator program
The Guardian on TikTok: "Harvesting data is the norm for social media apps, but the question that many have is where it goes and who has access to it..."
• Philippines: Humble Sustainability secures $750K focusing on excess inventory - returned items from e-commerce, logistics and retail - preventing landfill growth and moving items on to resellers
• Taiwan: An overview of the recently-concluded X-PITCH 2022 event, with 15 finalists selected from more than 4000 startups across 51 countries
• Hong Kong: Hash Blockchain Ltd, member of digital asset financial services group HashKey, gains approval from Securities and Futures Commission to operate a virtual asset trading platform
• South Korea: AG-Uni enters US market with vertical farming system focusing on high value-added crops and plant materials
Taiwan: "...increasingly likely that some future Apple chips will be made in the US, following a new report about A-series and M-series chipmaker TSMC."
• Cogo wins HSBC pitch contest at Singapore FinTech Festival with carbon footprint tracking, integrating with major banking apps
• Philippines: Murch university student-led e-commerce platform wins Innovation Champion award at ASEAN Young Business Youth Association LEAPS Demo Day
In other news…
Wider-world technology news with broad Asia Pacific relevance, or simply providing larger points of reference and food for thought.
» Cyberattack on ALMA observatory in Chile raises concerns about security of space tech, compromising a constellation of 66 radio telescopes worth near $1.4BN
» US Navy instals 3D printer capable of producing metal components onboard amphibious ship, seeing opportunity to rapidly and effectively maintain vessels whilst at sea
» UK's Nat'l Cyber Security Centre launches program to continually scan every internet-connected device hosted in the United Kingdom for vulnerabilities, aiming to identify serious cyber-threats
» 'Oops. Twitter is already trying to rehire workers Elon Musk fired days ago, sources say.'
» Mastercard adds 7 blockchain-based startups to Start Path Crypto accelerator, featuring Web3-focused social payments, brand-oriented platforms and more
» 'First Came the Crypto Crash. Now Comes the Taxman. Cryptocurrency investors may need to act within the next few weeks to reduce their tax bill - and get ahead of an increasingly aggressive IRS'
• What happens when everything is decided by algorithm? "The quality of our online lives now hinges on how these feeds are ordered and mediated, powers that are largely automated..."
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