Rilek1Corner

Tag: technology

  • Beware Of Being Taken For A Ride

    Beware Of Being Taken For A Ride

    When Uber and Grab entered the Singapore market in 2013, they stressed that they were not taxi or private-hire car operators, but tech companies.

    They convinced most people, including the regulators. Perhaps that is why Singapore has treated these foreign companies with kid gloves.

    In early responses to queries on whether Uber should be regulated like taxi firms, a Land Transport Authority spokesman reiterated that Uber was not a taxi company but a “technology company providing a matching service leveraging on technology”.

    That was in 2014. Less than a year later, Uber set up Lion City Rentals, which rents out cars to those who want to drive for a living. In doing so, it is doing exactly what taxi companies are doing, but without the livery, rooftop signage, meter, regulations, and service criteria that cab companies have to meet.

    Now, with Grab in talks to take over SMRT’s taxi business, it is once again clear what these newcomers are: taxi companies with new technology and new ideas.

    The authorities will point out that private-hire vehicles still cannot pick up kerbside fares, but that is irrelevant. The smartphone has become the new kerb. And with so many taxi operators adopting Grab’s hailing app, the question of kerb or no kerb is less material. What is material is that we are now witnessing the second phase of these “tech” firms’ foray into the multibillion-dollar door-to-door transport business – all in just four years.

    It would have taken them much longer to get this far if they had taken the traditional route of applying for a taxi-operating licence. Now that they are entrenched, it will be a matter of time before they start doing what they set out to do: Make money.

    For commuters, that means fewer freebies and discounts in the years to come. For incumbent industry players, thinner profits. And for the country, perhaps, lower economic returns as more cash gets repatriated to the home countries of the two newcomers – the United States and Malaysia.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Najib Warns Uneven Growth Could Fuel Extremism, Instability

    Najib Warns Uneven Growth Could Fuel Extremism, Instability

    Prime Minister Najib Razak on Friday warned that Southeast Asian countries needed to ensure their economic growth was inclusive, or risk marginalised populations turning to violent extremism or even overturning political systems.

    Speaking at an event for entrepreneurs during the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Manila, Najib said the region was posting strong growth that could see Asean become the world’s fourth-largest economy, but that growth needed to be equitable.

    “We do not want our citizens to be marginalised in the age of extremism and radicalisation,” he said.

    “We know that those who see no hope in their own societies are more prone to the siren calls of terrorists who can and will exploit their vulnerability and fill them with their lies.”

    Islamist extremism is expected to be high on the agenda during this week’s meetings, with fears for Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines about piracy and the rising threat of Islamic State.

    Of particular concern is the ease in which militants can acquire weapons, seek refuge with existing rebel groups and move between the many islands between the three countries.

    Najib lauded the success of Asean, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, in expanding its collective GDP to about US$2.7 trillion now, from US$87 billion four decades ago.

    Asean has 10 members: Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

    He warned that economic disparity was dangerous at a political level too, fuelling anger and populism that was causing problem in Western Europe.

    “The neglected underclass of those who felt left behind by economic growth, prosperity and globalisation can overturn elections and political systems,” he said.

    Economists frequently point out huge income gaps among the 620 million people of Southeast Asia, a region that has one of the world’s largest concentrations of billionaires, according to Forbes Magazine.

    Najib said awareness of Asean needed to be better promoted among its citizens to “make it feel real, relevant and tangible”. Trade integration was lagging, he said, with too many trade tariffs still in existence.

    Their removal, and harmonised customs standards, needed to be “vigorously pursued”, he said.

    Philippines Vice-President Leni Robredo echoed Najib’s call for leaders to pay more attention to their poor.

    “For many years, many thought income inequality was alright. But the voiceless and the powerless are now raring to be heard, and with technology and social media, their frustrations are being felt on a global scale,” she said in a speech.

    “They are rejecting globalisation, democracy, traditional media.”

     

    Rilek1Corner

    Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com

  • Goh Meng Seng: Government Sector Must Stop “Old Method Using New Technology” Stupidity

    Goh Meng Seng: Government Sector Must Stop “Old Method Using New Technology” Stupidity

    I was driving a friend’s car the other day and found the car braked suddenly while I was cruising, my foot wasn’t pressing on any pedal. It nearly gave me a heart attack and a RED LED indicator popped up CTBA… and I got worried when the “Temperature indicator” jumped from the usual 34 degree to 37.

    I asked my friend why was this so, was the car having some problem. I got a smacking that I am just too OLD generation and didn’t know “NEW (CAR) Technology” at all. I was using “old driving method” to drive a NEW HIGH Tech car!

    Cruising is a method I learned from my late father to save petrol and this works especially well for manual gear car.

    But I learn from Google (yes, please check Google before asking “High Tech” question, else, will get another suaning… 😀 ) that the “High Tech Car” nowadays will put brake on if it detected no contact of either the brake or accelerator pedal! Or that when the car was travelling at low speed and there is potential accident, it will apply brake on its own! This is to prevent drivers who are too tired from getting accident when they fall asleep with their feet off the pedal!

    Wah, I say… but seriously, that’s too “intrusive” for my “Old Method – Petrol saving driving”! And that temperature indicator is not about the car temperature but the surrounding temperature! Well, I told my friend I didn’t know the street temperature can get as high as 37 and why do we need to know the “outside temperature” when we should be more concerned about the overheating of the car itself?

    My friend scolded me, don’t use “Old Method” to deal with “New Technology”!

    Actually, this makes me thinking for the day. My friend has a point. When New Technology is evolving, we should be mindful to use new methods of operation to deal with it.

    One fine example was the bloody redundancy of “Cash Card” and “Ez-link” card. Why would we need TWO cards when we actually could combine them into one-for-all usage Cashless card?

    Cash card can be used for purchases but very few people use it because it was cumbersome. It came up with two types, one with Sim the other “Flash” card.. But some carpark can only use one of them! Such redundancy is caused by the “Old Method Mindset” using “New Technology”!

    On the other hand, we have a handy EZ-Link card which we could just Tap away but it could not be used for purchases at 7 Eleven or supermarket! And it can only be topped up at the MRT/Bus stations or ATM machines.

    Same for Cash Card. When you go to petrol station, they can’t just top up the cash card for you but required you to top up at the ATM machine!

    What the Heck! What’s wrong with these people at LTA and those in charge of “Cashless cards”?

    In Hong Kong, one Octopus Card, can do it all! Carparks, Supermarkets, 7 Eleven, Bakery Shops, Bus, MTR… and you can top it up at any 7 eleven shops or OK shops!

    Apparently, these High End Natural Aristocrat Scholars sitting up there are only concerned about their “turf” instead of consumers’ convenience and services! In fact, both cards evolved because of transportation needs, be it ERP gantries or public transport. LTA should have combined them all in the first place by setting the protocol and standards!

    This is the “Old Methods” using “New Technology” stupidity we are seeing in Singapore… and we still want to pride ourselves as “First World High Tech Cashless City”?

     

    Source: Goh Meng Seng