WHAT’S BUZZING
Southeast Asian consumers are most confident that the metaverse will be good for society
Nearly two-thirds (62%) of consumers in Southeast Asia are excited and ready to embrace increased digital experiences in life, according to the VMware Digital Frontiers 4.0 survey.
For instance, 40% of Southeast Asian consumers strongly believe the metaverse will be favourable for society, compared to the global average of 27%. Thirty-six per cent of them are also eager to spend an extra hour every day exploring the metaverse than the physical world.
Additionally, Southeast Asian consumers are excited to embrace technology transformation. More than half (51%) are ready for robot-enabled healthcare and emergency, with 25% preferring a qualified doctor conducting an invasive surgery via remote robotics to a less qualified physician doing it in person.
Consumers in the region also have higher expectations for businesses and their digitalisation. Nearly half (49%) will choose a different service provider if an existing one requires them to visit a physical branch for routine paperwork like forms. Six in 10 also expect providers to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to help protect personal data.
See also: Younger consumers in Singapore more receptive towards AI agents
“Digital transformation is more than a business criterion today; it is also a business philosophy, notes Paul Simos, vice president and managing director for Southeast Asia and Korea at VMware. He adds that organisations must enable digital innovation with enterprise control by ensuring autonomy for developers, productivity for employees, and power for businesses to drive growth.
Simos continues: “As we enter the next decade of witnessing more disruptive innovations across industries and nations, businesses should exercise more caution in offering secure digital offerings to their end-users that are also seamless in operation.”
Dell enhances Great Barrier Reef conservation efforts with deep learning
See also: Nearly four in five Apac retailers will increase their tech investment in 2025
Dell Technologies has launched a new deep learning model that will better inform conservation efforts for the Great Barrier Reef. This is in partnership with Australia-based conservation organisation Citizens of The Great Barrier Reef.
A previously implemented Dell edge solution deployed on watercraft automatically uploads data directly to the deep learning model via a mobile network for real-time image capture. This will enhance the capabilities of the Great Reef Census (GRC) by speeding image analysis that solely relied on human volunteers. It also allows citizen scientists to support prompt recovery efforts in areas that need it the most and during critical times of the year, such as the annual spawning season.
The deep learning analysis now takes less than one minute per photo instead of eight minutes in previous census phases. Volunteers can review 13,000 images in just over a week with the new model, compared to the more than two months it took to analyse the same data set in the first GRC.
This initiative combines the expertise of the Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef team, Dell, researchers from The University of Queensland and James Cook University, Sahaj Software Solutions and scientists. Dell also worked with its data science team in Singapore to continually refine and carry out extensive community testing to meet benchmarking standards.
Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef founder Andy Ridley hopes to expand the Dell-powered GRC to other reef sites globally, with the first trial sites outside Australia to begin in Indonesia. Meanwhile, Amit Midha, Dell Technologies President, Asia Pacific and Japan and Global Digital Cities, says the learning model will scale conservation efforts and lead to a successful collaboration. He adds: “We believe such innovations can help our partners progress on their sustainability ambitions, and conservation efforts like these can be replicated regionally and globally.”
IN PICTURE
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Photo: Xiaomi
CyberOne is a humanoid robot developed by Xiaomi Robotics Lab. It is fitted with advanced arms and legs, supports bipedal-motion posture balancing, and reaches peak torque of up to 300Nm. As such, it can walk stably and hold up to 1.5kg of weight on a single hand.
The humanoid robot also uses a Mi-Sense depth vision module and an AI interaction algorithm to perceive 3D space and recognise individuals, gestures, and expressions. This allows it not only to see but also to process its environment. Moreover, CyberOne can recognise 85 types of environmental sounds and identify 45 human emotions by using a MiAI environment semantics recognition engine and a MiAI vocal emotion identification engine.
DIGITAL LIFE
Despite many returning to the office regularly, video conferencing is here to stay. Here are two tools to help you get the best experience from those virtual meetings.
Photo: Jabra
The Jabra Engage 55 is a wireless professional headset designed with improved noise-cancelling technology and voice enhancing microphone, enabling more employees to have meetings in the same space without interference. It also features ultra-secure wireless connection and up to 150 meters of connectivity range to allow you to make calls anytime and anywhere.
Photo: Screenshot from Poly's website
The Poly Sync 10 is a plug-and-play USB speakerphone designed to upgrade the home office experience. Its two-microphone steerable array reduces surrounding noise and delivers high-quality audio, perfect for calls and music. The Poly Sync 10 is certified by Microsoft and Zoom, and works seamlessly with the cloud-based meeting platform of your choice.
