Tag - tech

 
Menu
Search
 
July 05, 2025
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

TECH

Ilya Sutskever, then-chief scientist at OpenAI, at the company’s offices in San Francisco in March 2023. Sutskever recently left the firm. He had been on the company’s board and had voted to oust Sam Altman, the chief executive, last year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 5, 2024
OpenAI insiders warn of a ‘reckless’ race for dominance
Sources claim the firm has used hardball tactics to prevent workers from voicing their concerns about certain AI technology.
Line, which has evolved into an all-encompassing app used for messaging, payments, job searches and more, is now at the center of a dispute over its ownership.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 5, 2024
Why Line, a superapp, sparked a diplomatic dispute
Line, which has evolved into an all-encompassing app used for messaging, payments, job searches and more, is now at the center of a dispute over its ownership.
Geely Automobile Holdings' Zeekr electric vehicles bound for shipment to Europe at the Port of Taicang in Taicang, Jiangsu Province, China, on Aug. 24, 2023
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 5, 2024
China risks trade war on two fronts as low-tech exports soar, too
The European Union is poised to slap tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles this week, the latest example of rising barriers to global trade.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit seeking to break up the social networking giant Meta.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 5, 2024
Meta withheld information on Instagram and WhatsApp deals, FTC says
The company formerly known as Facebook bought photo-sharing app Instagram in 2012 and the messaging app WhatsApp in 2014.
Artificial intelligence is being utilized to detect dementia at an early stage, such as through analyzing characteristics seen in the way people with dementia walk.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 5, 2024
AI tools to detect dementia under development in Japan
The health ministry thinks that about 11.97 million people will have dementia or mild cognitive impairment in Japan in 2040.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which polices deceptive advertising practices, saw a jump in complaints over the past year about ads that either used AI or claimed to use it to lure people into scams.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 4, 2024
AI scam complaints are just the tip of the iceberg
The U.S. FTC, which polices deceptive advertising practices, saw a jump in complaints over the past year about ads using AI to lure people into scams.
A new report by international campaign group Global Witness alleges that TikTok approved adverts containing political disinformation ahead of European polls.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 4, 2024
TikTok fails 'disinformation test' before EU vote, study shows
The Chinese ByteDance-owned app said its systems correctly identified the breach, but the ads were approved due to "human error" by a moderator.
"Paris" is projected onto the Arc de Triomphe to celebrate the entry into the Olympic year, during the New Year's celebrations on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris on Jan. 1, 2024.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 4, 2024
Russian bots use fake Tom Cruise for Olympic disinformation
The video also included falsified endorsements from media outlets including The New York Times and the BBC.
Water tanks used to cultivate seaweed on land by Three Lines in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture
JAPAN / Science & Health / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Jun 3, 2024
Poor seaweed harvest prompts Kyushu University team to look toward land
The team has found some success with on-land farming, although increasing production yields for commercialization remains a challenge.
The Taipei 101 building in Taipei in December 2023. Taiwan was the biggest recipient of foreign inflows in May among emerging Asian countries excluding China.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 3, 2024
AI fever lures $2.7 billion foreign funds back to Taiwanese stocks
Taiwan’s dominant position in the AI value chain will get another boost this week as tech giants gather on the island for its annual electronics showcase event.
OpenAI said that a Chinese network known as Spamouflage, which used its models to research social media activities, has been generating articles in various languages that were then posted on social media platforms and forums.
JAPAN / Society
May 31, 2024
Chinese group used OpenAI tech to discredit Fukushima water discharge
OpenAI said that a Chinese network used its models to generate articles in various languages accusing Japan of polluting the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Apple will enable individuals to add their My Number card to their Apple Wallets, the company has said.
JAPAN / Society
May 30, 2024
My Number card feature to be launched on iPhone next spring
Apple will enable individuals to add their My Number card to their Apple Wallets, allowing them to have their identity verified without using their physical card.
Google says it will invest $2 billion in Malaysia to develop its first data center and Google Cloud region in the country.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 30, 2024
Google to invest $2 billion in data center and cloud services in Malaysia
The government says the investment will advance Malaysia's digital ambitions.
University of Tokyo PhD student Kei Misumi in an air shower room before entering a clean room at the university
JAPAN
May 30, 2024
Inside a semiconductor 'clean room' at Japan's top university
Japan's push into the chip industry, where it was once dominant, feels like "spring has returned," said a chip expert.
Meta, the parent of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has seen threat actors rely on artificial intelligence to produce fake images, videos and text to try influencing users on its sites.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 30, 2024
Meta removes AI-generated influence campaigns from China and Israel
Social media companies such as Facebook, ByteDance’s TikTok and Elon Musk’s X have struggled with the influx of fake and misleading AI-generated content on their sites.
The Telegram app has become a key weapon for pro-Kremlin accounts to spread disinformation aimed at undermining support for Ukraine.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 29, 2024
Too small to police, too big to ignore: Telegram is the app dividing Europe
The messaging app has become a key weapon for pro-Kremlin accounts to spread disinformation aimed at undermining support for Ukraine.
Nvidia's shares have surged nearly 13% since it forecast second-quarter revenue above Wall Street expectations last week and announced a stock split.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 29, 2024
AI darling Nvidia's market value surges closer to Apple
Nvidia's shares have surged nearly 13% since it forecast second-quarter revenue above Wall Street expectations last week and announced a stock split.
Elon Musk plans to recruit three patients to evaluate the device made by his brain-chip company, Neuralink.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 29, 2024
Musk's Neuralink seeks to enroll three patients in brain implant study
The brain implant is designed to give paralyzed patients the ability to use digital devices by thinking alone, a prospect that could help people with spinal cord injuries.
A wafer on display at the Semicon China expo in Shanghai on March 20
BUSINESS
May 28, 2024
China creates $47.5 billion chip fund to fuel self-resilience
The largest shareholder is China’s Ministry of Finance.
Transmission towers in Vinh Trach Dong Commune, Bac Lieu Province, Vietnam, on April 26. Southeast Asia’s relatively low production cost and strong position in the global semiconductor value chain is adding to the region’s appeal as the next hub for data centers.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 28, 2024
AI frenzy draws stock traders to Southeast Asia’s likely winners
Power producers are becoming a favorite as more data centers are set up in the region, thanks to lower energy and land costs, according to analysts.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy
Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER