Ivan Chong

💡 JP Vending Machines 🤖 - AI DX Opportunities for Small Businesses 📈 I have always been a big fan of vending machines in Japan as they have always been better than those in all other countries...especially the US 😁 Suntory has been using AI to optimize their vending machine business, analyzing data in real-time to predict demand, manage stock, and adjust product offerings. This is a great example of how smaller local businesses can benefit from similar AI-driven strategies. Seeing a large corporation utilize DX to potentially help support local businesses is a great way to spearhead benefits on a larger scale. The following article has Suntory's and a couple other use cases for Japan utilizing AI for DX. -> https://lnkd.in/gegaQDKr

6

Bitcoin exceeded US$71,000 in March this year, setting a record high price. Currently, a large amount of cash is pouring into Bitcoin spot ETFs, which continues to drive the price of Bitcoin. Other crypto currencies are also driven higher by Bitcoin, including Ethereum. The price once exceeded US$4,000, and the U.S. SEC recently approved Form 19b-4 for multiple Ethereum spot ETFs. Although the S-1 registration statement needs to be effective before trading can begin, the future market of the currency has also been invested. Everyone is optimistic. I analyzed the market and investment market trends. Compared with the last bull market, the obvious increase in the number of new users is not so obvious this time. In other words, if people who are still in the currency circle can HODL and believe in crypto. If the market continues to have a bullish signal, he will invest money at this time, and he will continue to increase his investment. Therefore, the increase in the amount of this market mainly comes from people who have stayed in the crypto currency circle. No significant new users in 2024, but the critical mass may come in 2025. I mentioned that the current major challenge facing Taiwan's policy is that exchanges under Taiwan supervision there are only two or three revenue streams to make a profit. From a venture capital perspective, although this company is legal and compliant, its profit-making methods are very limited, and it also has to spend a lot of money to open servers, design products, optimize and update services, and deal with banks, etc., which further limits its profitability. VC will have less willingness to invest Taiwan-based exchanges. So how should Web3 and exchanges in Taiwan face these difficult hurdles? I said that investors could only live in HODL. Time will prove, so those who hold Bitcoin and Ethereum are "friends of time", and eventually market facts will prove that these people are right. In addition, I have been giving lectures all over the world for many years. I found that when giving lectures in schools in Taiwan, no matter what school or department they were in, very few people invested in crypto currency, let alone mentioned relevant knowledge in the field; But when I went to Singapore and Malaysia to give lectures, almost more than two-thirds of the students in a class were investing in crypto currency. "This has formed a very bad whirlpool in Taiwan. It may have a lot to do with the concepts instilled in traditional education, social values, and families. If everyone has a conservative and safe attitude towards emerging technologies and financial-related products, the consciousness "The formation will lead to a vicious cycle." I hope that the boom of this wave of cryptocurrency can change the overall environment, allow more people to join the ranks, and have a greater impact on the people around, especially the next generation. #cryptocurrency

59

2 Comments

🇯🇵【保険 x 生成AI】Insurance Days 2024 無料ウェビナーお申込みはこちら ↓↓↓ https://lnkd.in/gXpG47Mp 📣Day 1からピックアップしてセッション概要をご紹介します！ ＜生成AIにおけるオープン化の重要性と保険業界へのインパクト＞ IBMは、新たに発表した生成AI基盤モデル学習の仕組みであるInstructLabに象徴されるように、IBMの生成AIモデル「Granite」をオープンソース化しました。なぜ生成AIにおいて“オープン“が重要なのか、加入者のライフスタイル全体に寄り添う保険会社の生成AI活用にどのような恩恵をもたらすのかを考察します。 日本アイ・ビー・エム株式会社 竹田 千恵 日本アイ・ビー・エム株式会社 コンサルティング事業本部 技術理事 保険業界担当CTO 久波 健二 #生成AI #基盤モデル #LLM #SLM #学習 #InstructLab #Granite #オープンソース #RedHat #保険 #watsonx #governance ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー 🇱🇷 [Insurance x Gen AI] Insurance Days 2024 webinar register at here ↓↓↓ https://lnkd.in/gXpG47Mp The following is a summary of the session picked up from Day 1! ＜The Importance of Openness in Generative AI and Its Impact on Insurance Industry＞ IBM has open-sourced IBM's generative AI model “Granite” as symbolized by the newly announced InstructLab, a generative AI infrastructure model learning mechanism. We will discuss why “openness” is important in generative AI, and how it will benefit insurers who are close to the entire lifestyles of their subscribers. IBM Japan Chie Takeda Kenji Kuba #GenerativeAI #FoundationModel #LLM #SLM #DeepLearning #InstructLab #Granite #OpenSource #RedHat #Insurance #watsonx #governance

4

🚀 Ep.29 premie From PoW forks in 2013 to the ICO boom in 2017, and the DeFi liquidity mining craze of 2020, the cryptocurrency space has seen various token distribution mechanisms. Now, in 2024, we're witnessing the rise of points and airdrops, albeit with some challenges. Eigen Layer's points system has sparked controversy, highlighting the need for more transparent and inclusive token distribution methods. Conversely, meme coins have emerged as a community-driven, bottom-up approach, garnering significant interest. Looking ahead, future distribution mechanisms are likely to prioritize community engagement and transparency, reflecting the core values of the cryptocurrency ethos. #Crypto #TokenDistribution #DeFi #NFT #MemeCoin https://lnkd.in/ghi7kuV3

6

### Google One Lite Cloud Storage Plan Launched at Just HK$6/Month! Google has introduced the **Google One Lite plan**, specifically for select countries, priced at only **HK$6 (approximately 5.5 HKD)** per month! 🎉 Currently, Google One users in Hong Kong pay **HK$15/month** for the basic plan, which offers **100GB** of cloud storage. However, the new Lite plan provides an affordable option with reduced storage capacity. 🔍 **Key Details:** - **Current Offer**: All Google accounts come with **15GB** of free cloud storage. - **Lite Plan Details**: - Initially available only in India. - Offers **30GB** of cloud storage. - Limited sharing options: Unlike regular plans, this one cannot be shared with up to 5 people. The Lite plan is part of Google’s strategy to attract more users to its cloud storage services. While it's currently unavailable outside India, there is speculation about potential future rollouts in other regions. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting new offering! For full details, check out the article here: [Google One Lite Plan](https://lnkd.in/gJ3yw-iz). #GoogleOne #CloudStorage #TechNews #GoogleLite #AffordableStorage

2

Finally Metro Taipei is doing it! According to the article linked below, sometime in 2025 we will be able to ride #taipei #mrt via #contacless #payments (still to be seen if #credit #card or #debit or both, and whether #foreign cards will be accepted) and also via APMs (Alternative Payment Methods) #QRcode like LINE #pay and 街口支付 JKOPay. I reckon cards issued under Visa and Mastercard will be both supported at launch, while American Express might be too much of a stretch for #taiwan (unfortunately). It will be interesting however to see how they will support Tpass with this though. Maybe linking the subscription to a specific PAN/account number? Otherwise folks will still need to be forced to use physical or virtual Easycards to use the amazingly convenient metro area pass. It also seems from the article that discussions between EasyCard Corporation and Apple regarding the addition of the #support of #easycard on #apple Pay are still undergoing (almost a decade of talks), but this #upgrade of the turnstiles allowing card payments on the whole MRT network might make futile the effort to add Easycards as transit cards (so far it has been possible to have a virtual Easycard only on Taiwan domestically sold Samsung Electronics #galaxy smartphones and Garmin smartwatches, it used to be possible to add iPASS Corporation Ipass cards on Fitbit (now part of Google) via Fitbit Pay, but it has been discontinued and replaced by Google Wallet, which doesn't support this function). The market for transit payment options via smartphone/smartwatches is ever growing, even reticent #japan is rapidly developing these new functions highly beneficial to tourists, given many don't know smartcards like #suica (which can be added to Apple Pay and domestically sold Android phones compatible with osafu keitai standard) and #hongkong saw a massive adoption of smart Octopus Holdings Limited once the support was added to Apple Pay (#samsung phones could do this earlier, but such is the sheer force of Apple) for fare payments on MTR Corporation Limited 香港鐵路有限公司, The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited, Citybus Limited, New Lantao Bus and Long Win Bus Company Limited (plus all green minibuses). Looking forward to being able to wave my smartphone or smartwatch at the turnstile to pay for my ride on the MRT. Next step: buses (this might be more complicated), Taiwan Railway Corp. and Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation.

18

7 Comments