NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

Is Southeast Asia the Next Global Tech Hub?

According to Bloomberg, Southeast Asia is buzzing with a new kind of industrial revolution fueled by the ongoing US-China tech tensions. As global tech giants seek alternatives to China, Malaysia, and Vietnam are emerging as major players in the race for AI and chip dominance.

Here’s the breakdown from the article:

• The "China +1" strategy, triggered by the US-China trade war, has turned Southeast Asia into a global supply chain hub.

• Over $100 billion in foreign direct investment poured into Malaysia and Vietnam from 2020–2023, with billions more anticipated.

• Industrial hubs like Penang (Malaysia) and Bac Ninh (Vietnam) are seeing thousands of new tech jobs emerge.

Companies like Foxconn and GoerTek have invested billions in Vietnam’s Bac Ninh province, manufacturing critical components for Apple and Sony.

Meanwhile, Malaysia is expanding its semiconductor capabilities and hosting advanced chip plants from Intel and Infineon. With government incentives, abundant labor, and strategic geographic positioning, the country is positioning itself as a tech-heavyweight.

Still, the region faces hurdles:

• Vietnam targets 50,000 chip engineers by 2030 but struggles with a workforce dominated by high-school-level education.

• Frequent outages are pushing nations to invest in renewable energy, but coal remains a key player for now.

• President-elect Trump’s proposed tariffs on Chinese-linked firms in Southeast Asia could complicate the investment surge.

While they’re laying some solid groundwork, the region’s success will ultimately depend on staying agile amidst geopolitical and economic shifts. Can Southeast Asia overcome the talent and energy challenges to sustain this boom?

Scrolling Reviews Again? Here's the Fix

Ever found yourself endlessly scrolling through reviews, trying to figure out where to eat or what business to trust? We’ve all been there. 😄

Yelp, the platform for crowd-sourced business reviews, is rolling out many AI features to simplify your decision-making process.

The platform attracts approximately 178 million unique monthly visitors across its mobile and desktop platforms.

Here’s what’s new:

• AI-powered review insights now use LLMs to analyze and categorize sentiments related to food quality, service, and ambiance, assigning scores from 1 to 100.

• Analyze review sentiments, even when specific keywords aren't mentioned. As CPO Craig Saldanha explains, "A review that says, 'drinks came out quickly' would be categorized under 'service,' even though the word 'service' isn't used." 

• Gives an idea of the tipping expectations at specific restaurants.

• A revamped home feed featuring autoplay videos, trending searches, and popular local businesses.

• It displays recognition labels for user achievements, for example, a “Tacos“ badge for reviewing 3 taco places.

For business owners, Yelp is introducing a redesigned inbox with AI-generated summaries of job information. The company is also integrating with Apple Maps, allowing users to request quotes directly from service providers.

By leveraging AI, Yelp aims to make its vast repository of reviews (approx. 287 million reviews) more accessible and relevant, enhancing user engagement and satisfaction.

But can these AI-driven upgrades help Yelp stand out against competitors like Google Maps (the go-to choice for many when it comes to local searches and navigation)? With features that streamline information retrieval and enhance user experience, Yelp appears to be moving in the right direction.

WOMAN IN TECH

Dr. Lisa Su - TIME’s 1st Ever Female CEO of the Year

Dr. Lisa Su, a 54-year-old immigrant scientist and trailblazing CEO, has just become the first woman ever to be named TIME’s CEO of the Year. 😎

Born in Taiwan, she moved to the U.S. at age 3, where she developed her passion for engineering.

Her father gave her just 3 career options: concert pianist, doctor, or an engineer—she chose engineering and studied electrical engineering at MIT, earning her bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D.

Here’s why her journey is worth celebrating: 🎉

• First-ever woman to lead a major semiconductor company - AMD (since 2014).

• Under her leadership, AMD’s market value has soared by over 5,000%, earning the company a spot on the Fortune 500.

• Led the development of AMD's Zen CPU and the gaming processors powering consoles we love, such as PlayStation and Xbox.

• In 2020, she set another milestone by becoming the best-compensated CEO at the time.

From a curious child fixing electronics to a transformative leader in tech, Dr. Su’s story exemplifies what women are capable of in leadership positions. It also proves that bold vision and relentless focus can change the game, even in the most challenging industries.

So inspiring! 🌟

ps. Dr. Su and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, two titans of the semiconductor world, are actually first cousins once removed.

Fans Design Manchester City’s New Kit 🥅🏃‍♂️

Football club Manchester City is inviting fans to design its new third (alternate) kit using AI in a groundbreaking competition.

Partnering with Puma and powered by DeepObjects, the competition lets fans create unique designs by entering prompts and selecting styles. The winning design will be worn by players during the 2026-2027 season and sold to fans, showcasing a blend of creativity and technology.

While this initiative sparks excitement among fans, it also raises concerns about drifting away from traditions, especially how kits from companies like Adidas and Nike have become so iconic over the years.

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Happy weekend, everyone. Until next time! ❤️

Ayesha and the Addo team!

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