Cradle launches MYSTARTUP NXT Micro Conference that will go nationwide

By:
On:
In: Technology

Inaugural MYStartup Annual Report unveiled with three strategies to hit its targets
Conference for founders, developers will head to Penang, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu

Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) through Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd (Cradle) yesterday launched a series of micro-conferences, MYSTARTUP NXT, as part of its efforts to drive the startup ecosystem in Malaysia further. 
The event…Continue Reading

Indonesia-Malaysia Cross-Border QR Payment Further Strengthens Regional Payment Connectivity in ASEAN

By:
On:
In: Technology

Aims to promote faster, cheaper, more transparent, and more inclusive cross-border payments, particularly benefiting micro, small, and medium enterprises.
Expected to strengthen economic ties between Indonesia and Malaysia, support a stronger post-pandemic economic recovery, and provide greater convenience for travelers.

Bank Indonesia (BI) and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) have announced the commercial launch…Continue Reading

Fourth Industrial Revolution slow to start in America

By:
On:
In: Asia, Technology

NEW YORK – While Chinese factories have installed 6,000 private 5G broadband networks to support AI applications in manufacturing, only a handful of large US manufacturers have done or are planning to do so.

General Motors, which sold more cars in China than in the US last year, was an early adopter, and machinery giant John Deere expects to have a 5G network operating sometime late in 2023. But there is no indication of widespread adoption as in China.

A key obstacle to 5G adoption in the United States is a cumbersome regulatory framework that makes it hard for private networks to gain access to wireless spectrum. “Spectrum supply is also a serious problem and part of why we haven’t seen more commitment to onshore, non-consumer 5G,” a US official told Asia Times on background.

C-Band, a mid-spectrum range of cellular broadband frequencies, would support private 5G networks well, but its deployment has been blocked by interagency wrangling. The Federal Aviation Administration claimed that C-Band might interfere with the avionics of commercial aircraft, a position disputed by wireless providers, who point out that C-Band is widely used in other countries and never has been associated with an airplane accident.

The US Defense Department meanwhile objected to commercializing another part of the wireless spectrum in the 3.1 to 3.45 Gigahertz range, claiming that it would cost $120 billion to relocate military equipment using those bands.

Because of these obstacles, one US official said, “It might well be more than five years before any spectrum designated for commercialization is brought to market, and probably another year before there’s significant service available.”

US industry has been slow to leverage the advantages of 5G. Image: Ericsson

There are a few published examples of private broadband networks installed at US manufacturing facilities, but they appear well behind China’s offerings. General Motors was the first to announce a private 5G network in 2022, for its Factory Zero plant in Hamtramck, Michigan.

But “GM, however, isn’t close to going completely wireless, a GM spokesman said in April. GM has been developing the system in partnership with Verizon for three years. The spokesman added that “the technology remains relatively new after decades of wired networks across the company’s operations.”

Ford announced its first industrial 5G network in partnership with AT&T in October 2021. And Mercedes’ Sindelfingen plant uses 5G/AI technology to detect manufacturing failures of bladed disks for jet engine turbines.

Huawei, by contrast, publicized its first fully-automated plant in August 2022.

Dow Chemical worked with Nokia and Microsoft to install a private 4G LTE network – a generation behind 5G – at its Freeport site, providing improved communications among 40 plants. LTE’s slow response time and limited data capacity can’t support Big Data/AI applications, which require the low latency and high capacity of 5G.

MdX, a manufacturing incubator supported by the Department of Defense, built an experimental 5G network at its test facility in Chicago in 2022 with support from the wireless infrastructure company Betacom.

“The goal is to test both approaches to 5G, and to allow manufacturing companies to come in and experiment with them, which is important because different 5G frequencies can perform differently on factory floors depending on local physical factors,” Networkworld reported last year.

A recent Nokia survey of 5G adopters showed modest results from the technology. Half of the companies surveyed showed a cost reduction of 6% or more from their 5G investment.

Manufacturing companies, according to an MdX spokesman, are still using outdated computer hardware that doesn’t support 5G. Cisco and Hewlett Packard have begun selling private 5G equipment, along with established telecom infrastructure providers Nokia and Ericsson.

But the hardware companies are still working the bugs out of their products, according to one industry expert. “They sent in 40 engineers who trip over each other and take forever to get anything done,” the expert said.

Two American football stadiums are installing private 5G networks, however.

Low latency and high capacity allow 5G networks to enhance factory automation. High-speed cameras upload thousands of pictures per minute to the Cloud, where AI algorithms identify defective parts, malfunctioning equipment or other manufacturing snags.

Huawei’s first fully automated factory began operations in August 2022 for the appliance manufacturer Midea. The suite of AI applications made possible by 5G doubled the factory’s shipping rate, Huawei claims.

5G-enabled lifts load containers from cargo ships with remotely controlled quay cranes. Photo: Huawei

The 6,000 networks that Huawei says already are installed haven’t reached that level of productivity by any means. Chinese manufacturers are adopting the technology because the government strongly encourages it, a Huawei representative said. But the adoption of this technology has already produced some impressive results.

In April, the top Chinese auto manufacturer BYD unveiled a compact electric vehicle with an $11,300 sticker price, well within the range of consumers in China and large parts of the Global South.

5G networks also multiply the productivity of ports and mines. Mining operations routinely damage communication cables, a problem solved by broadband.

5G broadband can link thousands of cameras in a coal mine, sending thousands of images per second to the Cloud, where AI algorithms identify potential problems before they cause damage, according to Huawei Technologies, the world’s largest provider of 5G hardware and applications. Operators on the surface control giant tunneling machines and conveyor belts with a minimum of personnel underground.

At China’s Tianjin Port, a 5G/AI system has reduced the unloading time for a large container ship to 45 minutes from the previous eight hours. Automated cranes read bar codes on containers and place them rapidly onto autonomous trucks that bring them to automated warehouses.

Follow David P. Goldman on Twitter at @davidpgoldman

Continue Reading

HP’s Zbook Firefly G10 Delivers For The Demanding Professional

By:
On:
In: Technology

Powered by the latest cutting-edge Intel vPro® with 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processor 
Made for corporate strategists, art directors, and even creative professionals

Maximizing your productivity with large files and complex workflows across multiple professional applications requires more than just having the latest tools. The HP ZBook Firefly 14-inch G10 Mobile Workstation is not only powered by…Continue Reading

When US national investments succeed and fail

By:
On:
In: Asia, Technology

Key new technologies sectors that were born in the US are now located abroad. & nbsp,

After 2000, the US trade balance for technology items changed from a deficit to an increasing shortage due to the production migration. Concerns about the US’s reliance on foreign sources for corporate products have been raised due to both a significant trade deficit and the risk to national security. & nbsp,

In effect, the US government has provided greater financial support for corporate technical industries, such as the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which pledges US$ 52.7 billion to support the domestic semiconductor manufacturing sector. & nbsp,

Although it is too early to evaluate its effectiveness, there have been earlier initiatives to support strategic different sectors that have both succeeded and failed. Their teachings ought to be taken away. & nbsp,

The silicon and light industries’ long-term support, which began in the 1970s, was the biggest success. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency( DARPA ) of the US Defense Department was then in charge of laying the groundwork for the modern electronic world in chips, lasers, and communications technologies in collaboration with industrial organizations. & nbsp,

However, smaller, more prior initiatives to support new industries, including clean energy, have notable failures. Solar panels were created by numerous startups in the early 2000s using & nbsp, Invented in US.

One of these new businesses, Solyndra & nbsp, built its goods on cutting-edge thin film technology, which was ultimately unworkable for business. It was given a$ 525 million federal loan to help with solar panel production, but it fell short and shut down in 2011.

installation of the circular thermal module design used by Solyndra prior to the company’s demise. Featured image: Solyndra

In the US, solar panels supply is currently very low. The majority of them are produced in China using a silicon technology that is completely different from Solyndra. This industry is worth$ 30 billion annually, with much of it being exported to the US. Rates have drastically decreased as a result, and no American organization can thrive with foreign businesses. & nbsp,

An attempt to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles in the US was another loss. With a novel lithium-ion technology, & nbsp, A123 was born out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology( MIT ) in the early 2000s and entered the market for rechargeable consumer electronic batteries, which was dominated by Asian producers like LG.

A123, on the other hand, concentrated on large systems, specifically on batteries for electric vehicles( EVs ), which were expected to eventually grow into a sizable market, presuming the availability of useful and reasonably priced rechargeable batteries. & nbsp,

The business entered into supply agreements with EV-focused businesses like General Motors ( GM ), but it continued to concentrate on the materials side of battery technology and delegated system integration to its partners. Because it affected its customers’ EV capabilities, this was a significant strategic mistake.

Tesla, which collaborated with well-known Eastern cell manufacturers’ battery technology, was noticeably absent from its client list. Its proprietary system technology made it possible for it to produce and market early electric vehicles( EVs ). Fisker, a significant A123 business, filed for bankruptcy in the interim, and the business was unable to produce profitable products. & nbsp,

A123 was undoubtedly a clear achievement at first. The business raised almost a billion dollars through an initial public offering( IPO ), including$ 250 million from the US government as part of the Federal Recovery Act of 2009. & nbsp,

Despite investing in high-quality development services, the company continued to lose money on the goods it sold. A123 declared bankruptcy in 2012 after failing to raise enough money to continue operating due to ongoing costs. & nbsp, It was eventually purchased by a significant manufacturer of Chinese automotive parts. & nbsp,

A123 Systems R & amp, D Laboratory’s NHR 9200 battery test systems. Photo: Facebook

These are all blatant examples of industrial policy intended to support different sectors and all involved public financing supplementing personal funds.

While the other two industries failed, the silicon company’s expansion was a large success. The most gifted individuals in the world were drawn to the semiconductor system. & nbsp,

Its performance was attributable to maintaining lucrative activities in business, education, and research facilities with wise US federal funding, primarily managed through DARPA, to address pressing issues and make the findings widely accessible to spur manufacturing. & nbsp,

Venture capital, public markets, and business funds were drawn to the good opportunities presented by the technology in order to meet capital needs. Good ideas could be turned into fantastic new items with the help of all the necessary components. & nbsp,

The two unsuccessful products had significantly fewer resources. With limited resources, the innumerable companies focused primarily on creating innovative new methods for building solar panels. A complete reworking of the components and techniques to reduce costs through clever vertical integration was ultimately successful in creating China’s low-cost, high-performance solar panels industry.

To design and construct for businesses, billions of dollars were needed. In China, the necessary cash was available. The difference is that this level of industry building was always included in the program here. China’s choice program was extensive and clever after deciding to build the solar panels industry. & nbsp,

The choice in Solyndra, on the other hand, was an innovative strategy that ultimately failed with limited financing. & nbsp,

The solar panels industry in China has expanded by leaps and bounds. Supplied picture

The power course is subject to the same criticism. A123 was essentially the only company attempting to establish a home EV power supplier in the US. There were no viable businesses to offer options, so it was unclear what techniques or tactics it used to achieve. Additionally, there was no concept development relative to DARPA. & nbsp,

My opinion: Two things are necessary to repeat the success of the transistor company’s development with government support.

The ability to capture and asset the highest levels of technologies and business skill by combining business, academia, and government is the first requirement. Also, don’t overlook the part DARPA played in directing technology progress.

Technologist, engineer, poet, and long-time private equity investor Henry Kressel. & nbsp,

Continue Reading

Cold chain startup, Coldspace raises US.8mil seed round to fill gap in Indonesia’s supply chain market

By:
On:
In: Technology

Limiting geographic reach for temperature-sensitive products reduces separation and watts.to increase its support offering and create a software suite with customer analysisThe completion of a US$ 3.8 million( RM17 million ) seed round led by Intudo Ventures, an Indonesian-focused venture capital firm, ASSA, one of Indonesia’s largest logistics groups, and Triputra…Continue Reading

HOMA2U Secures US5k Funding From Eyes Regional Expansion

By:
On:
In: Technology

The investment was led by Quest Ventures Asia Fund II
Funds will be used for regional expansion plans, product development, and more

HOMA Sdn Bhd (HOMA2U), a Malaysian marketplace for renovation and interior design materials, announced today that it secured US$875,000 (RM 3.87 million) in its pre-series A funding.
The investment round was led…Continue Reading

Survey: 64% of regional consumers will opt for environmentally friendly products and services

By:
On:
In: Technology

85 % of people think that personal decisions can have an impact on economic progress.However, just 1 in 10 people invest in clean industries.According to study findings, customers in Southeast Asia are confident in their capacity to significantly impact the environment through their eating habits. Even though they couldn’t see how…Continue Reading