Techgoondu

09/08/2025

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is what a practical foldable phone should be after so many iterations over the years. Yes, it’s taken a while but this one just feels right in the hand because it not only lets you do much more with a larger foldable screen but you no longer suffer tradeoffs in weight and camara quality.

The latest Samsung foldable is as good as any candybar phone in just about any other aspect, plus it comes with the additional feature of a large foldable screen. It is as close to delivering the original promise of these fancy devices as we’ve come.

With a slim design and great cameras to complement its foldable screen, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is one of the best foldable phones yet.

09/08/2025

Today, Singapore celebrates its 60th year of independence. Happy National Day to all our readers in Singapore! Have a great weekend!

04/08/2025

Taking the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 (2025) out of its box, you immediately know this is not a gaming notebook you’d want to lug around too much. Okay, the 2.5kg weight means it’s portable but it’s probably pretty hefty to carry across campus or through an airport.

The reason for this bulk, however, is in the performance it packs in. If you want top-notch gaming in a portable PC, the Gigabyte machine will make you happy by running demanding games smoothly for a good few years to come.

Our review unit packs in an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX chip, 32GB of DDR5 memory and 1TB of storage on a Gen 4 NVMe solid state drive. Notably, the HX is the high-performance version of Intel’s notebook PC chips, which are made for speed rather than battery life.

Perhaps more importantly, the Gigabyte notebook sports an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 laptop graphics processor to deliver gaming eye candy on the 16-inch OLED screen.

If you’re looking for a gaming PC offering some of the best graphics around and prefer a laptop over a desktop, then the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 is worth checking out.

A heavy hitter in size and performance, with a price tag to match, the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 gaming notebook runs demanding games easily.

04/08/2025

You can't code without AI, warns Nvidia chief Jensen Huang. DBS CEO Tan Su Shan, meanwhile, says that even she could be replaced by AI.

Surely, there should be no argument by now that AI is the game changer everyone has been predicting.

Companies must be doing so much better now they have got rid of the unnecessary humans, right? After all, they have taken the advice from AI gurus to jump in fast and get an edge over others in this existential race.

Well, the evidence from companies adopting AI in the past 18 months may paint a vastly different picture.

Earlier in June, research firm Gartner warned that more than 40 per cent of agentic AI projects would be cancelled by the end of 2027. Most damning perhaps is how it described technology companies contributing to the hype by engaging in “agent washing”.

Yes, it’s referring to the rebranding of existing products, such as AI assistants, robotic process automation (RPA) and chatbots, without substantial agentic capabilities as the next big thing – agentic AI. Gartner estimates only about 130 of the thousands of agentic AI vendors are “real”.

Indeed, the same reality check is needed for anything from vibe coding to graphic design to copywriting. The idea that you don’t need experts any more is clearly unsound.

Cutting-edge AI tools actually slowed down experienced software developers when they were working in codebases familiar to them, instead of supercharging the work, a study from non-profit METR revealed last month.

So, why is AI so good yet so dangerously unfit for real work so often? Why are people being laid off in the name of AI when AI clearly isn’t ready to take over?

Actually, the vastly different scenarios can be true at the same time. For starters, some companies that were gungho on AI have reassessed their earlier optimism.

It is also not true that AI is all hype. Businesses that have successfully adopted AI often already have a firm foundation, perhaps in simpler forms of process automation in the past. They also start small and win small before scaling up projects with real lessons learnt.

AI is making a difference in some businesses – the industry leaders – but most are still justifying their efforts in this grand experiment. Many efforts will be stuck in proofs of concept, mere experiments.

More in the Techgoondu commentary:

Despite the hype, AI is not bringing the rewards for businesses because they don't have the foundation or people in place.

22/07/2025

Autonomous robots are now moving through corridors and taking lifts up several high-rise buildings to make deliveries in Singapore, as part of a partnership between logistics firm Federal Express (FedEx) and Singapore-based QuikBot Technologies to make last-mile delivery more efficient.

The robots now carry items to destinations at South Beach Tower and Mapletree Business City, following a successful six-month pilot at both sites. More sites are expected to be operational by the end of 2025, as FedEx expands its first such robot delivery rollout.

Robots are now moving corridors and taking lifts up high-rise buildings in Singapore to make deliveries, in a FedEx and QuikBot tie-up.

22/07/2025

As Southeast Asian nations race to harness the potential of artificial intelligence, Indonesia has launched its AI Center of Excellence, a national initiative designed to boost its AI capabilities and global competitiveness.

It aims to advance AI access and innovation across Indonesia. It also seeks to turn the region’s largest economy from being an AI consumer into a hub of innovation, with the new centre driving AI development across sectors from government and startups to rural communities and large corporations.

The centre will use Nvidia’s technology, secured by Cisco’s network infrastructure, and Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison’s extensive reach to realise the country’s ambitions.

Partnering Nvidia, Cisco and Indosat, the Indonesia AI Center of Excellence seeks to turn the country from AI consumer into innovator.

22/07/2025

Despite seeing many examples of deepfakes in the news and on social media, it is difficult for most people to discern real from AI-generated video and audio. Text can be fake, sure, but we have trusted our eyes and ears all our lives. Now, seeing is not believing.

Worryingly, people often think they can spot a deepfake until they are confronted by one. In other words, they are poorly prepared to face the deluge of deepfake scams that are surely coming their way in the months and years ahead.

Earlier this month, Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency (CSA) revealed that only one in four people here can distinguish a deepfake video from a legitimate one. Yet, a majority say they are confident they are can do so.

They should know that deepfake technology is quickly being weaponised, as many security experts have warned in recent years.

Last week came news that an impersonator used AI to generate the voice of United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, while making calls to three foreign ministers in June.

There are entire marketplaces offering deepfake video and audio tools, with services ranging from free to premium subscriptions of up to US$249 per month.

A Palo Alto Networks researcher with no expertise in image manipulation can make a synthetic identity in just 70 minutes using freely available tools and inexpensive consumer hardware.

The public is not ready for a flood of deepfakes, which an untrained person can create in just over an hour and use for a fake identity.

22/07/2025

Despite being well connected, Singapore has been spared the worst impacts from cyberattacks so far. A few weeks out from the country’s 60th birthday, the government's warning of an ongoing cyberattack could be a much-needed reminder of the real threats it constantly faces.

By naming the state-sponsored group attacking Singapore's critical infrastructure, the Republic has taken an unusual but calculated step.

17/07/2025

Grab, Southeast Asia’s largest “super app” company, is partnering Autonomous A2Z (A2Z), a Korean autonomous vehicle technology provider, for a driverless electric shuttle bus pilot in Singapore.

Begun last week week, the pilot will serve Grab employees by connecting the company’s One-north headquarters to the nearby One-north Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station, aiming to enhance first- and last-mile connectivity.

The electric shuttle bus is retrofitted with A2Z’s autonomous software and hardware and Grab’s Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The bus has 11 sensors, including LiDAR, radar and cameras that offer a 360-degree view of its surroundings, allowing it to detect and manoeuvre around objects and obstacles.

When the sensors or systems detect an obstacle, the in-built safety algorithm results in the bus coming to a complete stop. A trained safety driver will be present throughout each journey to ensure smooth operations and passenger safety. Grab plans to train up to 10 safety drivers by year-end.

Grab is partnering Autonomous A2Z (A2Z), a Korean autonomous vehicle technology provider, for a driverless electric shuttle bus pilot in Singapore.

17/07/2025

If you’ve always fancied cooking up a storm at home but don’t have the experience or the time to get everything in place quickly, then you’d be happy to hear that the new Vorwerk Thermomix TM7 do-it-all kitchen appliance is here in Singapore.

Shaped like a large pot perched atop a small stove, it weighs ingredients, chops and blends spices (and ice and other foodstuff), then steams, fries and boils everything up with the precision that is expected of an experienced chef.

More importantly, it also comes with a large 10-inch screen that guides you through recipes each step of the way, from placing the ingredients at the right time to cooking things to timing. The machine is connected to an online database of more than 100,000 recipes.

If you've fancied cooking up a storm at home, the made-in-Germany Vorwerk Thermomix TM7 do-it-all kitchen appliance is here in Singapore.

17/07/2025

If you want to get a better feel for a game, you now can go beyond controllers and joysticks to experience the vibrations with the Razer Freyja haptic cushion and the Kraken V4 Pro headset that supports force feedback.

The two new gadgets, part of Razer’s Sensa HD Haptics range, promise a more immersive experience. Yes, by literally shaking up your body during a game.

Now, the promise of haptics delivered through a surround sound headset or a handheld controller is not new, but adding a chair mat to simulate the sensation of being in the game through vibrations is interesting.

Using haptics technology, the Razer Freyja and Krazen V4 Pro vibrate your body and head for immersive gaming but they are not for everyone.

17/07/2025

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use compact mirrorless camera that also does well with videography on the road, the Canon EOS R50 V is targeted right at you.

The APS-C mirrorless camera is built around Canon’s RF mount for replacing lens and offers a blend of beginner-friendly ease with capable imaging features.

It packs in a 24.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, paired with Canon’s DIGIC X processor. Together, they deliver sharp images with excellent colour science and solid low-light performance for its class.

If you want an easy-to-use compact mirrorless camera that does well with videography, the Canon EOS R50 V is targeted right at you.