Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

Recent insights have revealed that consumers would rather travel cheaper than stay home. With online travel experiencing a 13 percent jump from pre-pandemic figures, Asia is also leading the global shift in preference towards booking trips online.   So how is Agoda leveraging the latest technology to optimise the travel experience to meet these emerging consumer preferences? Enric Casals, Associate Vice President, Supply, SEA and Oceania, Agoda and Director, Agoda shares more. 

From Chinese President Xi Jinping to host a two-day summit with the leaders of five Central Asian nations from May 18 to May 19 and China announcing its first known ChatGPT arrested over alleged fake train crash news.  Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

Generative AI has been the talk of the town in recent months with the launch of ChatGPT.  But have you ever wondered just how much data is processed for these so-called ‘AI models’ to build up their so-called ‘experience’ and provide us with the answers we want? Plus, how do AI companies get around the issue of data protection worldwide amid rising user awareness on privacy?  Well, one answer to this is the use of synthetic data that mimics real-world data without compromising quality and privacy. Our guest for today is a Singapore-based startup Betterdata, which converts limited real data into limitless synthetic data.  The company says this is faster and safer than traditional data-sharing methods that use data anonymisation to destroy information and ensure privacy. How does this work and to what extent does it lower the costs of acquiring data to an AI firm? Meanwhile, Betterdata has raised US$1.7 million in an oversubscribed seed round, where investors included Franklin Templeton Investments and the Singapore University of Technology and Design. But how does it intend to use the money? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with Kevin Yee, Co-Founder and CTO, as well as Dr Uzair Javaid, Co-Founder and CEO at Betterdata for more.

It’s almost summer time.  Most Koreans are probably planning or already on a diet in preparation for the summer.  South Korean celebrities have their own plans they follow when they want to lose a tremendous amount of weight in a short period of time.  And so today on K-food, here are some diet plans top celebrities follow.

Singapore shares opened the week higher today after global markets ended the previous week markedly higher.  The Straits Times Index (STI) rose 0.2 per cent in early trade to 3274.07 points after 81.2 million securities changed hands.  In terms of companies to watch for today, we have Seatrium, after the group announced on Friday that it has secured a contract worth more than S$500 million. That’s to develop platforms for two offshore wind farms located off the coast of Long Island in the US.  Meanwhile, global investors continue to brace themselves for a data heavy week. April’s US inflation data will likely grab the attention of traders, as will the US monthly budget statement for April.  On Market View, the Drive Time team unpacked these developments with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.

Another day, another mistake. David de Gea has now made four errors leading to a goal in all competitions this season, the joint most of any Premier League player - the latest coming in United's 1-0 defeat to West Ham. So despite leading the charts with 15 clean sheets this season, is the Spaniard's time as United's custodian over? Fans of the club weigh in on this conversation, as Elliott and Raushan discuss the future of the under-fire goalkeeper. Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg raushan@sph.com.sg

The inception of passwords in the 1960s has changed the digital world as we know it. Passwords are now an unconscious standard practice in our lives and today they are the primary guardians of our privacy, personal data and finances.  So how can we make sure our password hygiene is up to standards?  Ian Lim, Field Chief Security Officer, JAPAC, Palo Alto Network shares some tips on how one can do just that. 

Will age be a huge factor for US President Joe Biden’s re-election bid? And the possibility of former US President Donald Trump getting a pardon if he is convicted.  Steve Okun, Senior Advisor, Mclarty Associates gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

Meatballs! That’s what we are going to talk about today. When it comes to meatballs, the first thing that comes to mind would be perhaps chicken meat balls, or those made from beef, pork, or even lamb, served in soup or with a scoop of delectable sauce.  But how about a giant meatball made from flesh cultivated using the DNA of the extinct woolly mammoth?  Well, that’s exactly what Australian cultured meat company Vow launched in The Netherlands in late March. It said the meatball was made of sheep cells inserted with a singular mammoth gene called myoglobin.  According to the company, the gene is responsible for the aroma, colour and the taste. The mammoth meatball by the way has the aroma of crocodile meat, and is currently not for consumption.  Now, Vow is not the first company that is eyeing the DNA of extinct animals. Biotechnology startup Colossal earlier wanted to de-extinct the Dodo, while others are setting their sights on mammoth proteins.  Question is - how much money is in it for firms to go the extra mile to look back into the past? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian sat down with George Peppou, Co-Founder, Vow for more. 

Today’s slang word is one for the Korean fried chicken lovers out there.  It’s '당모치'dangmochi.  If you’re craving fried chicken or if chicken is always the way to go - all you gotta do is use this slang word.