Singapore attracts cyber espionage as host of high-profile global events


The report said event organisers and hotels have confirmed providing security support — ranging from coordinating with telcos to conducting sweeps for surveillance devices | Photo: Bloomberg


Cyberespionage is taking place all over the world and Singapore — being one of the hubs for hosting high-profile trade exhibitions and conferences — “inevitably” attracts intelligence operations, a report said on Friday.


“Cyberespionage is happening all over the world because we are more connected than ever before,” said Dr Alan Chong, senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.


Chong’s comments came after Russian media earlier this month leaked a recording of a German military phone call that Berlin said was due to a participant dialling in through an “unauthorised connection” from a Singapore hotel during the February Singapore Airshow.


“In terms of the geopolitical location of Singapore, to me it’s no surprise. Since the Cold War, long before the digital age, we were already a base of operations for both the Communist and the Western powers,” Channel News Asia quoted Chong as saying.


Intelligence operations around the world will happen more frequently as cyberespionage makes remote spy activity possible even without an agent on site, he said.


The report said event organisers and hotels have confirmed providing security support — ranging from coordinating with telcos to conducting sweeps for surveillance devices.


The German participant was in Singapore to attend the Singapore Airshow.


The February event would have been a “field day” for Russian intelligence and hotels where the attendees stayed would have been targeted by “widespread wiretapping efforts”, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said.


In the leaked call, discussions were held on support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, including the possible delivery of the long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Kyiv.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Mar 29 2024 | 8:39 AM IST



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Facebook News tab will soon be unavailable as Meta scales back content


Launched in 2019, the News tab curated headlines from national and international news organisations, as well as smaller, local publications | Photo: Bloomberg


Meta will be sunsetting Facebook News in early April for users in the US and Australia as the platform further deemphasises news and politics. The feature was shut down in the UK, France and Germany last year.


Launched in 2019, the News tab curated headlines from national and international news organisations, as well as smaller, local publications.


Meta says users will still be able to view links to news articles, and news organisations will still be able to post and promote their stories and websites, as any other individual or organisation can on Facebook.


The change comes as Meta tries to scale back news and political content on its platforms following years of criticism about how it handles misinformation and whether it contributes to political polarisation.

“This change does not impact posts from accounts people choose to follow; it impacts what the system recommends, and people can control if they want more,” said Dani Lever, a Meta spokesperson. “This announcement expands on years of work on how we approach and treat political content based on what people have told us they wanted.”

Meta said the change to the News tab does not affect its fact-checking network and review of misinformation.


But misinformation remains a challenge for the company, especially as the US presidential election and other races get underway.

“Facebook didn’t envision itself as a political platform. It was run by tech people. And then suddenly it started scaling and they found themselves immersed in politics, and they themselves became the headline,” said Sarah Kreps, director of the Tech Policy Institute in the Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy who studies tech policy and how new technologies evolve over time. “I think with many big elections coming up this year, it’s not surprising that Facebook is taking yet another step away from politics so that they can just not, inadvertently, themselves become a political headline.”

Rick Edmonds, media analyst for Poynter, said the dissolution of the News tab is not surprising for news organisations that have been seeing diminishing Facebook traffic to their websites for several years, spurring organisations to focus on other ways to attract an audience, such as search and newsletters.


“I would say if you’ve been watching, you could see this coming, but it’s one more very hurtful thing to the business of news,” Edmonds said.


News makes up less than 3 per cent of what users worldwide see in their Facebook feeds, Meta said, adding that the number of people using Facebook News in Australia and the US dropped by over 80 per cent last year.


However, according to a 2023 Pew Research study, half of US adults get news at least sometimes from social media. And one platform outpaces the rest: Facebook.


Three in 10 US adults say they regularly get news from Facebook, according to Pew, and 16 per cent of US adults say they regularly get news from Instagram, also owned by Meta.


Instagram users recently expressed dissatisfaction with the app’s choice to stop “proactively” recommending political content posted on accounts that users don’t follow. While the option to turn off the filter was always available in user settings, many people were not aware Meta made the change.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Mar 29 2024 | 7:58 AM IST



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No better country than India for tech firms: Amazon's Manish Tiwary


Manish Tiwary, vice-president and India Manager of Amazon, underscores the company’s commitment to job creation, digitisation of stores, and prioritisation of exports from India (Photo: Kamlesh Pednekar)


There is no better country than India for any company operating in the technology sector, said Manish Tiwary, vice-president and India manager at Amazon, on Thursday.


“For any company in the technology space, there is no better resource pool than India. We have more than 100,000 employees in India, making it the second-largest country for Amazon in terms of the number of employees, after the US,” he said at the Business Standard Manthan event.


India is the second-largest market for the e-commerce major in terms of the number of employees, only behind the US. Amazon is doubling down on its job creation efforts in the country.

Tiwary highlighted that the Indian market is a significant focus in the company’s board meetings due to its large size, ‘outstanding’ demographics, macroeconomic green shoots, and the ability to easily adopt technology.


“We had an Amazon Global board meeting in November. There was so much excitement around India…I can’t think of any other country which is better poised, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we hit developed status before 2047,” he said.


According to Tiwary, Amazon is focusing on a three-pronged plan for job creation in India, which includes a focus on digitising 10 million stores and creating around 2 million total jobs — they are currently at the 1.3 million mark.


Tiwary mentioned that Amazon is prioritising exports from India. The company recently announced that it had surpassed $8 billion in cumulative exports from India in 2023 and is on track to achieve its target of $20 billion in exports by 2025, having achieved $5 billion worth of exports in 2022.


Discussing the biggest learning curves for the e-commerce major in India, Tiwary said that solutions developed for India were applicable worldwide. He highlighted the talent to innovate with frugality and the country’s role as a source of ideas on the global platform as key takeaways.


On the regulatory arena, Tiwary said they were “in a weirdly sweet spot” right now.


“I would want the current vectors to continue for the next decade or so…We can see the buoyancy and the consumption in the Indian market. We are still early in the China Plus one journey, and we need that stability for the next ten years, be it in manufacturing, services, or any other sector,” he said.


Tiwary added that the current competitive landscape is not a cause for concern due to the under-penetration of e-commerce.


“If you look at e-commerce, the penetration is around 1-2 per cent. Fashion is 0.5 per cent. You start worrying about competition when the penetration is around 98 per cent. More players will help the ecosystem get better. We have a long way to go before we worry about competition,” he said.


However, Amazon is betting big on continued innovation.


When asked about competition from the quick-commerce sector, led by companies like Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy’s Instamart, Tiwary said: “We always say that any business idea which has legs and works backward from customer interaction to develop new ideas, we would be exploring. We are a company of builders. We keep trying to do new things.”


Answering a question on counterfeit products on the platform, Tiwary emphasised that technology is the answer.


“Our philosophy is we want it easy for the sellers to sell. What we do through technology is identify gap areas through millions of feedback and ratings every day. It will never be perfect,” he said.

First Published: Mar 29 2024 | 12:22 AM IST



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Now doctors use artificial intelligence for early cancer detection: Experts



Development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) models in oncology and radiology is helping in early cancer detection and is gradually gathering steam. Experts, however, feel a permanent solution might still be far away.


Apollo Cancer Centre in Bengaluru has recently inaugurated India’s first AI-Driven Precision Oncology Centre (POC). This centre is working on providing precise and timely oncology care, leveraging AI for accurate diagnosis, insights, cancer risk assessment, treatment protocols etc. Several healthcare companies have initiated research studies on trying to integrate AI models in healthcare.


Joydeep Ghosh, Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist, Apollo Cancer Centres, Kolkata said that the primary roles of AI in cancer detection is its ability to analyse medical images with exceptional precision. “AI algorithms can scrutinise radiological scans, such as mammograms and CT images, detecting subtle abnormalities that may indicate the presence of cancer at its nascent stage”, he added.


Medical devices makers feel that this is a crucial aid in early cancer treatment. Commenting on how AI can help in cancer detection, Hariharan Subramanian, Managing Director, Siemens Healthcare said that by automating and standardising tedious processes, AI can enable healthcare providers to aid accurate diagnosis and treatment, which is crucial in early cancer treatment.


This early identification in turn, can enable doctors to initiate timely interventions, significantly enhancing the chances of successful treatment and recovery.


“Moreover, AI facilitates personalised medicine by analysing vast datasets, including genetic information and patient histories, identifying genetic markers and risk factors associated with specific cancers”, he added.


Aparna Dhar, Director- Hereditary, Precision Oncology and Geriatric Counselling, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi said that while it is still a trial and error based method, AI capabilities will improve the accessibility, accuracy, and speed of cancer diagnosis, which can improve clinical outcomes. “By quickly processing massive amounts of data, AI can also automate procedures and streamline clinical workflows, reducing the risk of error”, she added.


But, development of successful AI models may still take a long time. Commenting on the current state of AI models in oncology, Nitesh Rohatgi, Senior Director, Medical Oncology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute said that these models are still being developed and collaborative efforts to introduce such models in healthcare are still at very early stages.


Integration of AI models with cancer detection also has issues with regards to data collection globally. “AI requires a diversified dataset for correct risk profiling of potential cancer patients”, Rohatgi said.


Use of AI for cancer detection is not yet a standard practice in India. “Some centres are in the process of incorporating AI into mammography reporting for breast cancer, but it is too early to make it standard practice”, Ghosh added.


Rohatgi added that AI currently may not add any value in oncology as compared to human intelligence. “But, it is very much possible that we may see an increase in AI usage in health in the next 5 to 7 years”, he said.

First Published: Mar 28 2024 | 9:37 PM IST



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Vivo T3 5G goes on sale with introductory offers: Price, specs, and more



The Vivo T3 5G smartphone is now available for purchase in India. Priced at Rs 19,999 onwards, the smartphone is offered in 128GB and 256GB storage configurations with 8GB RAM standard on both the models. Powered by MediaTek Dimensity 7200 processor, the smartphone boasts AMOLED display of 120Hz. The Vivo T3 5G smartphone is available in Crystal Flake and Cosmic Blue colours. Below are the details:


Vivo T3 5G: Variants and price


  • 8GB RAM + 128GB storage: Rs 19,999

  • 8GB RAM + 256GB storage: Rs 21,999


Vivo T3 5G: Availability and introductory offers


The Vivo T3 5G smartphone is now available for purchase on Vivo India e-store and e-commerce platform Flipkart.

As for the introductory offers, customers can avail a discount of Rs 2,000 on HDFC and SBI bank cards. Alternatively, customers also have the option to avail a bonus of Rs 2,000 on top of the trade-in value in exchange for an old smartphone for the Vivo T3 5G. There is also an option for a monthly equated instalment plan of up to three months.

Also read: Lava O2 budget smartphone goes on sale with introductory offers: Details


Vivo T3 5G: Specifications


  • Display: 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, 1800 nits peak brightness

  • Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 7200

  • RAM: 8GB

  • Storage: 128GB and 256GB

  • Rear Camera: 50MP (Sony IMX882) with OIS + 2MP depth sensing camera

  • Front Camera: 16MP

  • Battery: 5000 mAh

  • Charging: 44W wired

  • OS: FunTouch OS 14 based on Android 14

  • Colours: Crystal Flake and Cosmic Blue

First Published: Mar 27 2024 | 1:29 PM IST



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Lava O2 budget smartphone goes on sale with introductory offers: Details



Indian smartphone brand Lava has launched the O2 smartphone. Priced at Rs 8,499, the Lava O2 smartphone is powered by the UNISOC T616 octa-core processor. Offered in Majestic Purple, Imperial Green and Royal Gold colours, the smartphone and is now available for purchase on Lava e-store and e-commerce platform Amazon India.


Lava O2: Variants, price, and introductory offers


Priced at Rs 8,499, the Lava O2 smartphone is offered in 8GB RAM and 128GB on-board storage configuration. As part of the introductory offers, the smartphone is offered at Rs 7,999 on the Lava e-store and e-commerce platform Amazon India.


  • 8GB RAM + 128GB storage: Rs 8,499

  • Introductory price: Rs 7,999

  • Availability: Lava e-store and Amazon India


Lava O2: Specification


The Lava O2 smartphone boasts a 6.5-inch HD+ display of 90Hz refresh rate. The smartphone is powered by the UNISOC T616 octa-core processor, paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB UFS 2.2 storage. The smartphone has a 5,000mAh battery, supported by 18W fast charging via USB Type-C charger. The smartphone boots Android 13 operating system and boasts a clean user interface.


For imaging, the smartphone sports a 50-megapixel main sensor on the back and an 8MP camera sensor in a punch hole design on the front.


Additional features include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and a 3.5mm audio jack.


  • Display: 6.5-inch HD+ display, 90Hz refresh rate

  • Processor: UNISOC T616 Octa-core Processor

  • RAM: 8GB RAM + 8GB virtual RAM

  • Storage: 128GB UFS 2.2

  • Rear Camera: 50MP

  • Front Camera: 8MP

  • Battery: 5000mAh

  • Charging: 18W wired

  • Wieght: 200g

  • Thickness: 8.7mm

  • OS: Android 13


 


 


 

First Published: Mar 27 2024 | 1:21 PM IST





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