TL:DR: Flying a recreational drone can be a great pastime, not to mention the awe-inspiring photos that can be taken from above. But flying safely and responsibly is just as important as having fun. Here are five things you should take note of before your drone takes off. So you’ve seen beautiful aerial photographs on the internet taken by drones, …
Read More »Classic Layout
Peak Design’s new tripod is full-featured but surprisingly compact
Peak Design just announced its latest product: the new Peak Design Travel Tripod. The five-section Travel Tripod is available in either aluminum or carbon fiber and comes with Peak Design’s custom ball head attached. Peak Design is launching the tripod through a Kickstarter campaign today, with pricing set at $349.95 for the aluminum version and $599.95 for the carbon fiber model. …
Read More »Thai tycoon’s grandson takes on Slack and Facebook in work chat
BANGKOK — Asian IT visionaries have built billion-dollar empires with staggering numbers of users. But one thing they have not done is create a killer app that is truly used worldwide. Even giants like China’s Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings mainly cater to local or overseas Chinese consumers and companies. Korawad Chearavanont — a grandson of Thailand’s richest tycoon, …
Read More »Tech Executives Push Trump on Huawei Sales
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Monday assured executives of several big technology companies that his administration would make “timely” decisions about whether to allow American firms to continue selling products to Huawei, the Chinese telecom equipment giant that has been placed on a government blacklist, the White House said in a statement. Mr. Trump met on Monday afternoon with the …
Read More »Low-hanging fruit and a mountain of debt – how China’s credit binge is playing out
CHANGDE, China — When Mr Ma Heshui set up a vineyard in central Hunan province with a friend four years ago, they were surrounded by farmland. They leased 1.6 hectares (four acres) in a quiet spot on Changde’s northernmost edge, 3km from its main train station. But as their grapevines developed, so did the city of 6 million – and …
Read More »China complains about Pentagon report, says it is ‘pure guesswork’
BEIJING – China’s Defence Ministry has lodged a complaint with the United States about a Pentagon report that said China’s military was likely training for strikes against the United States and its allies, saying it was “pure guesswork”. The assessment, at a time of heightened U.S.-China tensions over trade, was contained in an annual report that highlighted China’s efforts to …
Read More »Exclusive: U.S. government seeks Facebook help to wiretap Messenger – sources
SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. government is trying to force Facebook Inc to break the encryption in its popular Messenger app so law enforcement may listen to a suspect’s voice conversations in a criminal probe, three people briefed on the case said, resurrecting the issue of whether companies can be compelled to alter their products to enable surveillance. The previously …
Read More »Indonesia’s ‘Minions’ aim for badminton glory
JAKARTA – Affectionately dubbed the “Minions” after the little yellow creatures from the 2015 animated movie, diminutive badminton duo Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sukamuljo will hope to stand tall and win gold for hosts Indonesia at the Asian Games this month. Currently the world’s top ranked men’s doubles team, the pair are among some 11,300 athletes from across Asia who …
Read More »Digital payment firms fight for Hong Kong market
HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s shopping districts are well known for their fierce competition. Now, a new battleground is forming as digital payments firms fight for retailers and shoppers. Chinese tech giants like Tencent and Alibaba are bringing their payment platforms to a city that has long thrived on cash and credit cards, putting them into competition with the likes …
Read More »The Rohingya lists- refugees compile their own record of those killed in Myanmar
KUTUPALONG REFUGEE CAMP, Bangladesh – Mohib Bullah is not your typical human rights investigator. He chews betel and he lives in a rickety hut made of plastic and bamboo. Sometimes, he can be found standing in a line for rations at the Rohingya refugee camp where he lives in Bangladesh. Yet Mohib Bullah is among a group of refugees who …
Read More »