Education technology (edtech) is fast growing in Southeast Asia thanks to its learner-centric platform which breaks down geographical barriers such as access to infrastructure like schools and even transport.Digital tools such as apps, eBooks, websites, quizzes, streaming media, online tutorials, videos and other materials are helping to pave new roads in education in Southeast Asia by providing quality content and lessons in places that were once inaccessible. While companies such a

Test tubes holding plants line shelves in a Malaysian laboratory, the heart of a breeding programme for dwarf palm oil trees which scientists hope will cut costs and limit the environmental damage caused by the controversial industry.Palm oil has become a key ingredient in everyday goods from biofuels to chocolate, leading to a production boom in the world's top two growers, Indonesia and Malaysia. But green groups blame rapid expansion of plantations for laying waste to jungle

Although widespread in industries from aerospace to waste management, Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning and big data are cutting-edge technologies not usually associated with the legal profession.Long considered a conservative profession, the legal trade is undergoing a shift thanks to Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies with AI an increasingly important tool in a law firm’s kit.With the Chief Justices of Malaysia and Singapore talking about increased AI use in their respec

With social media already playing a role in human trafficking, arms trading and drug smuggling, it is perhaps no surprise that the illegal wildlife trade is the latest cross-border crime to go online.Long known as a hub for wildlife trafficking, Southeast Asia’s unsavoury reputation has been enhanced by social media – with numerous cases of buyers and sellers conducting deals while hiding behind a cloak of anonymity.The region’s high mobile penetration rate offers buyers easy access to black

As an economic bloc, ASEAN is the fifth largest economy in the world. However, this is not reflected in its adoption of digital transformation.

It’s watching, and knows a crime is about to take place before it happens.Vaak, a Japanese start-up, has developed artificial intelligence (AI) software that hunts for potential shoplifters, using footage from security cameras for fidgeting, restlessness and other potentially suspicious body language.While AI is usually envisioned as a smart personal assistant or self-driving car, it turns out the technology is pretty good at spotting nefarious behaviour.

Southeast Asia’s appetite for pirated content via TV boxes or illicit streaming devices (ISDs) is an increasing concern for governments, content creators and the broadcasting industry.Faced with hefty monthly fees, repetitive content and poor services, more and more consumers have made the switch from traditional broadcasters to ISDs – where they can get access to thousands of channels providing copyrighted content for a fraction of the price.Easily found in shopping malls or on e-commerce si

The era of traditional microprocessor powered computing that has shaped our lives in many different ways is coming to an end. The future lies in quantum computing technology.Researchers at New York based multinational technology firm IBM, believe that quantum computers will be a mainstream presence in our lives in five years. According to American financial services provider, Morgan Stanley, the quantum computing market is slated to be worth US$10 billion in the next decade.