Newsbytes.PH

With the expert assistance of “Balik Scientist” Dr. Angelo B. Bañares, the University of Mindanao (UM) has launched one of the first laboratories in the Philippines to conduct research on synthetic biology and metabolic engineering.

‘Balik scientist’ helps put up new bio-engineering lab at University of Mindanao With the expert assistance from “Balik Scientist” Dr. Angelo B. Bañares, the University of Mindanao (UM) has launched one of the first laboratories in the Philippines to conduct research on synthetic biology and metabolic engineering.

The share of digital payment transactions to total monthly retail payments in the Philippines grew from 42.1 percent in 2022 to 52.8 percent in 2023, according to the 2023 Report on E-Payments Measurement of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

BSP says 50% of retail payments in PH now in digital format

The IPOPHL made the clarification after a Filipino math teacher named Danny Calcaben went viral on social media after sending a letter to Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asking for IP protection for his discovery of a math formula.

Math formulas can’t be patented, says IPOPHL

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra was the best-selling Android phone in Q1 of 2024. This was not an accident.

REVIEW | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphone The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra was the best-selling Android phone in Q1 of 2024. This is not an accident.

The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has announced that team Inflection Point of the Batangas State University (BatStateU) will be the first-ever Philippine team to join the Kibo Robot Programming Challenge (Kibo-RPC).

Robot program by Pinoy students to be tested on Int’l Space Station

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has imposed a withholding tax on online sellers but postponed the collection of a similar tax from digital financial service providers.

BIR starts imposing withholding tax on online sellers

Ahead of the 2024 State of the Nation Address, 23 organizations called on Pres. Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to certify as urgent the proposed “Konektadong Pinoy Act,” also known as the “Open Access in Data Transmission Act,” recently filed as Senate Bill No. 2699 under Committee Report No. 262.

Marcos Jr. asked to certify ‘Konektadong Pinoy’ bill as urgent

Sky Cable announced on Monday, July 22, that it has entered into a commercial arrangement with fiber broadband provider Converge ICT to enable Sky to upgrade its network and improve services to its subscribers.

Sky Cable taps Converge ICT to upgrade Internet backbone

The DTI's decision is anchored on the provisions of the Vaporized Ni****ne and Non-Ni****ne Products Regulation Act, which mandates measures to prevent minors from accessing v***r products, particularly through online channels.

DTI chief signs order stopping online sale of v**e products Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) secretary Fred Pascual signed on Friday, July 20, an order suspending the online sale of v***r products on marketplaces, effective immediately.

During its “Tech Day” media event held last July 10 to 11 in Los Angeles, California, AMD executives said the PC industry is being reshaped by AI and AMD is leading this transition.

AMD says PC industry at ‘incredible moment in history’ due to AI

A bad update by security provider CrowdStrike caused massive systems outages globally on Friday July 19. In the midst of the chaos, humorous memes flooded the Internet.

Memes abound amid massive global outages caused by CrowdStrike update

Comclark, the Pampanga-based technology firm owned by emerging tycoon Dennis Anthony Uy, signed on Thursday, July 18, an agreement with tech company Data Lake to expand the coverage of Starlink satellite broadband in the country.

Converge ICT parent firm inks deal to expand Starlink satellite coverage in PH

Amid the decline, Globe is calling on mobile users to remain vigilant amid emerging scam schemes that evade cellular networks, including the use of chat apps and fake cell towers that are able to send messages without telco detection.

Globe says bank-related spam, scam SMS steadily declining

“Proptech” company Lhoopa has announced the completion of its $80-million funding round, which is said to be the biggest funding round by a startup in the Philippines to date and one of the biggest raises in Southeast Asia in 2024, according to CB Insights data.

Lhoopa closes ‘biggest’ funding round by startup in PH “Proptech” company Lhoopa has announced the completion of its $80-million funding round, which said to be the biggest funding round by a startup in the Philippines to date and one of the biggest raises in Southeast Asia in 2024, according to CB Insights data.

A-FLOW, a newly formed joint-venture firm between local company Ayala Land Inc. and Singapore-based FLOW Digital Infrastructure, has secured a P2.4-billion loan agreement representing the first tranche of its P10.8 billion 10-year loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines.

Data center operator gets first chunk of P10.8-B loan from Landbank The loan facility is intended for the development of the initial phase of the first A-FLOW data center campus located in Biñan, Laguna.

According to Coins.ph, PHPC is a stablecoin pegged to the country’s local currency, the Philippine Peso, and is fully backed by cash and cash equivalents in Philippine bank accounts.

Crypto firm Coins.ph debuts PHPC Stablecoin on Ronin PHPC is a stablecoin pegged to the country’s local currency, the Philippine Peso, and is fully backed by cash and cash equivalents in Philippine bank accounts.

Center for AI Research (CAIR) managing director Erika Legara noted, however, that SMEs face obstacles to AI adoption, including data scarcity, culture, no clear business case, cost, capability, and understanding.

Newly created tech center cites benefits of AI to local SMEs However, a top official of the Center for AI Research (CAIR) said SMEs face obstacles to AI adoption, including data scarcity, culture, no clear business case, cost, capability, and understanding.

The government is envisioning that in the future, more satellite data will be used and there will be less reliance on survey data.

PhilSA, PSA agree on use of space tech to boost agri-fisheries data collection The government is envisioning that in future, more satellite data will be used and there will be less reliance on survey data.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas clarified that governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. does not endorse the alleged cryptocurrency project “Tesler Code” or any other cryptocurrency investment.

BSP denies endorsing crypto project, warns against scams in social media The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) asked the public on Friday, July 12, to be more vigilant against scams because the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create or manipulate fake videos and audios make them appear more believable.

The traditional PC market delivered its second quarter of growth following seven consecutive quarters of decline.

Global PC recovery continues as market grows 3% in Q2, says IDC

ONGOING | At the ongoing AMD Tech Day in Los Angeles, California, top company executives said “AI is the most transformational technology of our time”, adding that its “exponential growth and specialization workloads is requiring a new compute architecture.” AI, they said, is coming at a perfect time for AMD because AI requires high performance computing which the company specializes on.

Supreme Court (SC) chief justice Alexander G. Gesmundo said in an overseas speaking engagement that “there is much more work left to be done” in the country even if cybercrime laws have gone a long way in the Philippines.

SC chief: More work needed to improve cybercrime laws in PH

Jose Maria “Joey” Alarilla, one of the country’s pioneer technology journalists, has died after a bout with an extremely rare form of cancer. He was 52.

Pioneer tech journo Joey Alarilla dies at age 52

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has committed to working with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in implementing the National AI Strategy Roadmap 2.0 to strengthen the government's capacity for sustainable digital transformation.

NEDA, DTI vow to implement National AI Strategy Roadmap 2.0

Globe CEO Ernest Cu said the country needs more substantial investments in digital infrastructure, noting that the Department of Information and Communications Technology invested only P7.6 billion for Internet infrastructure from 2018 to 2024.

PH improves ICT index standing but still lags globally Globe CEO Ernest Cu said the country needs more substantial investments in digital infrastructure, noting the Department of Information and Communications Technology invested only P7.6 billion for Internet infrastructure from 2018 to 2024.

BREAKING | DICT confirms that a website of its attached unit Disaster Risk Reduction Management Division was breached and defaced by a hacker named “ph1ns_ph”.

Understanding how heat propagates from one material to another is important in designing efficient cooling devices, such as air conditioners, or constructing infrastructures that minimize heat from the sun.

UP mathematician develops model for heat propagation through rough surfaces

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has required Smart Communications to submit an official report on the status of its compliance to the SIM Card Registration Law after noting the proliferation of unregistered SIM cards that are being used in text scams and in various forms of cybercrimes.

As CICC flexes power over telcos, Smart bans over 600,000 fraud-related mobile numbers The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has required Smart Communications to submit an official report on the status of its compliance to the SIM Card Registration Law after noting the proliferation of unregistered SIM cards that are being used in text scams and in various forms....

The updated AI roadmap incorporates recent technological advancements, including Generative AI. The launch also marks the establishment of the first AI hub in the Philippines.

Gov’t to unveil National AI Strategy Roadmap 2.0, Center for AI Research