TAP Content Pte Ltd

I work as a technology journalist, contributing to trade, technology, and consumer publications. As a seasoned contributing editor, I have written over 2,000 bylines. In the enterprise space, I currently focus my attention on cloud computing, cybersecurity, data science and AI, and data centres.

Editor-at-large

I founded TAP Content as my day job to write and edit enterprise white papers, marketing collateral, and thought leadership content for top global brands. Working alone or with experts in diverse fields, I have produced a diverse array of content, including product brochures, EDMs, video scripts, infographics, e-Books, blog content, thought leadership articles, and white papers.

Contact me (paul@mah.sg) for more details or samples of my commercial work.

Founder

CDOTrends

Data science and AI are two niche topics that recently exploded into the mainstream. Here, I am responsible for the thrice-a-month Data Science and AI newsletter. I also moderate engaging (I might be slightly biased here) panel discussions and roundtable meetings for enterprise brands such as IBM, Informatica, Microsoft, and others.

Senior Editor

DataCenterDynamics

This is where I write about everything related to data centers and the cloud. Love the opportunities to visit fascinating data centers and gallivant around the world attending tech conferences.

South East Asia Correspondent

The Straits Times

Writing tech stories for consumers can be hard, especially for a techie like myself. This is how I stay sharp. Feel free to pitch ideas to me at paulmah@sph.com.sg, but please do look at the stories I cover first.

Contributing Writer

South China Morning Post SCMP

I have a soft spot for gadgets and tech gear, as you can probably tell. Am always on the lookout for the best tech tools.

Republic Polytechnic

Facilitate classes for modules such as operating systems, data communications and networking two or three times a week in a PBL (Problem-based learning) setting. Wrap up at the end of the day with a short lecture of the key learning points.

Associate Lecturer

TAP Solutions, Singapore

Accidental writer who quit a proper 9-to-5 job to pursue a "gig" lifestyle writing full-time. Had the privilege of contributing to some of the leading tech publications around the world and crafting content for multiple growing tech brands.

Notable past publications:
- Editor for CMO Innovation, Questex Asia (HK) - 5 years
- Practically Tech Blogger for ZDNet (SG) - 1 year
- Editor for FierceCIO, FierceMarkets (US) - 8 years
- Contributing Writer for CIO Magazine (US) - 6 years
- Contributing Writer for PC World (US) - 1 year
- SMB Blogger for IT Business Edge (US) - 5 years
- Contributor for Ars Technica (US) - 3 years
- Network Administrator Blogger for TechRepublic (US) - 4 years

Freelance Writer

Overseas Courier Service (Singapore) Pte Ltd

In charge of the IT department and its operations in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. Lead a team to execute multiple concurrent IT projects to maintain and improve server hardware, pager/SMS infrastructure, client-server systems, and back-end software.

Head of IT

Razer

Management of Razer-branded computer peripheral as well as working with worldwide distributors to ensure that logistical and time requirements are met.

Product Manager

PBI Interstate Pte Ltd

Administered a heterogeneous LAN as well as the design and implementation of various information systems utilizing languages like PHP, SQL, Java and MySQL, PostgreSQL MSSQL Server.

System Analyst

As the founder and Head of Content at TAP Content, I have more than 15 years of experience in creating and editing high-quality content for top global brands such as IBM, Lenovo, and Microsoft. I specialise in presenting technical or complex topics clearly and concisely, and in collaborating with experts in diverse fields to produce engaging and informative content across various formats and channels.

I am also a veteran tech journalist and a contributing writer for leading technology and consumer publications, with a focus on data science and AI. I have moderated panel discussions and roundtable meetings for enterprise brands and delivered insights and analysis to both niche and general audiences. My mission is to empower readers with relevant and reliable information, and to showcase the latest trends and innovations in the tech industry.

Malaysia's TNB has received supply applications for 11,000MW of power for new data centres.

According to a report in The New Straits Times (NST), Malaysia's Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) has received 74 supply applications from data centre customers.

These add up to a maximum demand of over 11GW (11,000MW). That's 40.6% of Peninsular Malaysia's installed capacity or slightly less than Singapore's total capacity of 12.9GW.

Just for data centres.

𝟭/ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱

Of course, TNB itself noted that not all projects are expected to be implemented. A more realistic potential maximum demand of 5GW by 2035 was suggested.

But that's incredible growth when you consider that all the operational data centres in Malaysia consume just 0.28GW (280MW) today, based on data from DC Byte.

Last month, I wrote that Johor is the fastest-growing data centre market in Southeast Asia with 1.6GW of total supply. (Read: https://lnkd.in/g_wMxZvW)

And it's hardly the only location in Malaysia with data centres being built. This begs the question: Can Malaysia produce enough green power for its white-hot data centre sector? 

Also, can its grid cope?

𝟮/ 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿

I was alerted to the NST report by TOH Wee Khiang, who wondered how much land Malaysia would need to power 5GW of power for data centres using solar.

He did some back-of-the-envelope number crunching:

- Assuming an average capacity factor of ~15%.
- Ignoring land for energy storage systems (ESS).
- Need for 24/7 power to power the data centres.

It worked out to 33GWp, or about 165 sq km of surface area - solar panels can be installed on land, on reservoirs, and on buildings.

𝘁𝗹𝗱𝗿; Malaysia can afford the land, but it's no chump change considering it's just for data centres.

Read his post here: https://lnkd.in/gFFpt9dh

𝟯/ 𝗔 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀?

Driven by AI and digitalisation, new data centres are being built faster than ever before. Despite their colossal power demand, modern societies need them.

Can we sustainably power the next generation of larger data centres though? And more immediately, can our existing power infrastructure cope?

🔸I wrote last week about a temporary freeze in the provisioning of additional power for data centres in at least two locations in Singapore. (Read: https://lnkd.in/gTWdtxBZ)

🔸I've also heard of some data centre providers in Malaysia having difficulty accessing the power they need due to infrastructure constraints.

With the transition to electric vehicles and the intermittency of most sustainable power, one thing is clear: Every nation must invest far more into its power infrastructure.

 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Unsplash/Izuddin Helmi Adnan
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My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

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#datacentres

Paul Mah

I've posted daily on LinkedIn for 365 days now. Here's what I would tell myself a year ago.

Early last year, I decided to post more regularly on LinkedIn. And on 30th April, I started posting daily.

No one's checking, but I set some rules for myself.

- No inane posts.
- No 'borrowed' content.
- No repurposing old content.
- Give credit where credit is due.

As I reflect on the journey, here's what I have to say.

𝟭/ 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻

Here to get a new job or gain new leads for work? You probably won't last if that's your sole reason.

There are always urgent matters more deserving of your time - it's incredibly easy to skip long-term goals on the altar of immediate gratification.

Having more than one reason worked for me:

- Get better at explaining tech.
- Hone my writing.
- Write faster.

And of course, challenging my viewpoints and learning from other brilliant individuals.

𝟮/ 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲

I've written about how even top LinkedIn influencers are gaming the system. And it's easy to see why when many of them have something to sell you. (Read: https://lnkd.in/gbZCedgf)

The thing is, vanity metrics are only ever useful for... vanity. Worrying about them is a slippery slope of fixation on numbers and ways to get better numbers.

The most gratifying aspect of showing up regularly isn't immediately visible:

- The thank you notes or emails.
- Real opportunities that come by.
- Meeting people who cite your posts.

𝟯/ 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹

How did I manage to post every day? It might be down to my personality. However, I did give myself permission to skip posts if I needed to. I just never needed to. 😅

Ultimately, it's about finding what works for you.

As I wrote a week back: Find your niche. Embrace your unique qualities and leverage them to create your path to success. (Read: https://lnkd.in/gapXYEba)

What's next? I haven't decided yet. But I do plan to keep writing.

𝗣𝗦: If you enjoyed my stories, check out www.techstories.co for an easier way to access them - I'll backfill older stories over time.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Unsplash/Allen Leigh

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co
👀 See my latest posts: https://lnkd.in/gapTkh5A
🙋 Follow me on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gu5EMKQg

#writing 

AWS today announced it will invest SG$12B (US$8.8B) in Singapore. What does it really mean?

You might have read the headlines about Amazon investing $12 billion into cloud and AI in Singapore over the next 4 years.

The announcement was made at the AWS Summit this morning. Here's the low-down from my perspective.

𝟭/ 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆

First off, $12 billion is a lot of money. And this investment will double AWS' investment in Singapore.

To put this into context, AWS launched its cloud here in 2010, building up its cloud over 14 years. In 4 years, AWS now plans to double this infrastructure.

And remember, Singapore served the cloud needs of the entire SEA for a decade with this initial investment. Today, there's AWS Jakarta (2021) and AWS Malaysia (Planned 2024).

Of course, the vast majority of this amount will go toward equipment purchases from overseas, not local businesses. But there's that cool billion dollars in GST at 9% for the government.

𝟮/ 𝗠𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗣𝗨𝘀

So what will AWS be investing in? My bet is that a lot of these funds will go towards purchasing GPUs for its data centres here.

Assuming 50,000 H100 GPUs at US$40K per unit, that's a couple of billion USD already, and we haven't even counted the servers and other IT gear needed to host them.

One way to track this is by monitoring GPU instances available in Singapore; AWS Singapore region currently supports only the P3 instances which tops off at a mere 8GPUs. P4d goes up to "thousands" and P5 to 20,000 H100s.

Did you know: AI Singapore's SEA-LION large-language model was trained with A100 GPUs on AWS? As I understand it, they were struggling to get access due to the shortage of GPUs before AWS made some available (It was paid for).

(Read: "We want to do AI correctly" here: https://lnkd.in/gyChhuHx)

𝟯/ 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁

Sadly, the huge investment doesn't necessarily mean more jobs in Singapore, and AWS sidestepped the question when asked by the Straits Times (ST).

How many does AWS hire here anyway? A statement by Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Tan Kiat How gave the answer.

From today's ST report: "... Amazon hires more than 2,000 workers, many of whom are Singaporeans or permanent residents."

As Mr Tan used "many" not "majority" (Which means > 50%), I'll infer that 1,000 or less are Singaporeans or PR.

👉 Despite talk of hybrid cloud gaining traction, it would appear that AWS is bullish on the use of its cloud in the region.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Paul Mah

𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘞𝘚 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘈𝘱𝘱 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘢𝘴 𝘝𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳.

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My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

👀 See my latest posts: www.techstories.co
🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co
🙋 Follow me on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gu5EMKQg

#ai

Was at Datacloud APAC this morning and met up with many old friends. Here's my quick takeaway.

What are the predominant developments and trends in the data centre industry? And where is the emerging data centre landscape in APAC heading?

Here are my thoughts after hearing from some of the largest data centre players around.

𝟭/ 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀: With the cloud gaining a significant proportion of compute workloads, will hyperscalers simply bypass colocation providers? Not likely, as data centre operators take on various risks and the uncertainty of demand.

𝟮/ 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: Don't expect much LLM training in Singapore soon. Cushman's Vivek Dahiya said that he'll be "pleasantly surprised" if AI training comes to this part of the world. He noted that the lion's share of training is currently happening in the US.

𝟯/ 𝗟𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴: Liquid cooling is changing how colocation providers work, says PDG's Varoon Raghavan. Providers have to go into the red zone, aka, server area, to address issues. However, Varoon sees this as an opportunity for colocation providers to more closely partner their customers.

𝟰/ 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆: STT GDC's Lionel Yeo shared about the importance of keeping up with what end-users want, whether immersion cooling, direct-to-chip cooling, or hybrid cooling. By the way, STT GDC has a partnership with GPU cloud provider SMC for its unique immersion cooling platform that uses condensed (not chilled) water.

(Read "I saw the future of AI data centres" here: https://lnkd.in/g9YiJ4ux)

𝟱/ 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀: Keppel's Matthew Benic pointed to his firm's upcoming floating data centre park as a sign of the changing risk appetite and pragmatism that has surfaced (my word!) in a bid to solve capacity challenges. Of course, he also observed that modern apps are far more resilient too.

(Read "Data centre on water" here: https://lnkd.in/g-Nvc8f8)

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁

A couple of data centre developments to contemplate:

🔸Learned from BDx's Mayank Srivastava keynote that his CGK4 data centre in Indonesia is scalable to a staggering 500MW. But is demand anywhere near that? I asked around and it seems the current MW figure is in the low double digits.*

🔸Water and power availability might be a bigger issue than let on in Johor. Indeed, parts of southern Johor experienced water shortages during the Hari Raya period, according to a CNA report today. Would a data centre moratorium be needed in Johor?

👉 As usual, would love to hear your thoughts.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: BroadGroup

*09:22pm - Edited following additional feedback from industry sources.

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My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

👀 See my latest posts: www.techstories.co
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#datacentre #datacloudapac2024

Is Singapore in the grip of a data centre winter? And is it killing the data centre ecosystem here?

We read about the AI and data centre boom in the news a lot these days.

But did you know that Singapore had a 4-year moratorium on new data centres that only ended last year?

𝟭/ 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀

The rest of the world is having a data centre boom, with AI workloads threatening to unbalance national grids with pressure growing from Ireland to Germany and China.

Love it or hate it, I wrote previously about how the moratorium in Singapore was a last resort (Read: https://lnkd.in/gvMeyxgf).

The next generation of data centres requires much more power than before. Just 4 or 5 such 'hyperscale' facilities a year, and the total data centre footprint in Singapore could easily double in just 2 years.

The flip side of that would be today's minuscule 1.65% data centre vacancy, among the lowest in all tracked cities globally (Read: https://lnkd.in/guCrU7WS).

There are just a handful of new data centres, even counting the four DC-CFA winners (Read: https://lnkd.in/g7xXd_dR).

𝟮/ 𝗨𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀

Below are the notable upcoming data centres in Singapore.

𝘜𝘱𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨/𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱

✅ DC Tuas (67MW). 
✅ Keppel at Genting Lane (Unknown). 
✅ Keppel Floating Data Centre Park (Unknown). 
✅ Meta's hyperscale data centre (150MW). 

𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 (𝘋𝘊-𝘊𝘍𝘈)

⛔ AirTrunk-ByteDance (20MW)
⛔ Equinix (20MW)
⛔ GDS (20MW)
⛔ Microsoft (20MW)

𝟯/ 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗲𝘇𝗲

I'm not here to talk about the data centre operators today, but the many vendors and specialists that serve the data centre industry.

They work in the background to build the critical infrastructure and systems powering modern data centres. But with limited facilities coming online, they can't rely on local opportunities for growth.

In fact, almost everyone I meet from the data centre space talks about past or planned trips to regional countries for various data centre projects.

Sure, the DC-CFA2 should be coming in the second half of this year. Yet how much hope can it offer when last year's DC-CFA winners have yet to start work? 

My question: Would the ecosystem still be around in another couple of years? 

👉 One contrarian view I heard is that the DC-CFA winners, with more stringent design requirements to meet, are not in a rush to build. True, not true? What are your thoughts about this?

𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: DALL-E 3

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My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

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#datacentre

What's next for the Singapore data centre market? Here's a list of upcoming data centres here.

I wrote last week about how none of the DC-CFA winners have started work on their data centres: https://lnkd.in/g7xXd_dR

⚖️ 𝟭/ 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀, 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀

Beyond the good news that I didn't receive any angry phone calls, I've heard that at least one of the winners is almost ready to move on to the construction phase.

On the flip side, I'm also hearing of a temporary freeze in the provisioning of additional power for data centres in at least two locations in Singapore. That's not so good news.

The one that surprised me is Tanjong Kling, formerly known as the Singapore Data Centre Park before it was renamed (I broke the news back in 2017). However, I can see how this might come to be.

While Tanjong Kling was designed to host multiple data centres with two dedicated power substations, it was mooted a decade ago, at a time when data centres of more than 10MW were rare.

Who would expect modern data centres to consume quite so much more power? At this point, it's worth noting that Meta's mammoth 150MW data centre at Tanjong Kling isn't fully built up yet...

🆕 𝟮/ 𝗨𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀

Here are two upcoming data centres:

🔸𝗞𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗹'𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸

Located at the Loyang Offshore Supply Base in the east, Keppel's innovative floating data centre park could potentially harness seawater for cooling and hydrogen for power.

- Modules built using shipbuilding know-how.
- Centralised utility hub for cooling and energy.
- Modular design allows it to be quickly scaled up.

Note: The centralised utility hub is located on land.

Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/g-Nvc8f8

🔸𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗲𝗹'𝘀 𝗗𝗖 𝗧𝘂𝗮𝘀

Announced last year, Singtel's upcoming DC Tuas will be its largest data centre in Singapore. According to Singtel, it will also be built with AI workloads in mind.

- 58MW of power capacity.
- Up to 80kW per rack; use liquid cooling.
- Integrated with the Tuas Cable Landing Station.

Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/gGgDf7Zr

🏗️ 𝟯/ 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 

Expansions and retrofits are happening too. Here are some I'm aware of:

- STT GDC's MediaHub.
- Empyrion Digital.
- Racks Central.

I'll probably write more about some of them in the future. So stay tuned!

In the meantime, are you aware of other retrofitting works? Do drop me a note.

𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Unsplash/Duy Nguyen

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My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co
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#datacentre

I've enjoyed flexi-work for the last 15 years. Here's why I sometimes wish I'm back at a 9-to-5 job.

There's been much debate about flexi-work since the unveiling of the flexi-work guidelines in Singapore last week.

We often marvel at how much greener the grass is on the other side. I've had the privilege of structuring my time as a solopreneur since 2008. 

To balance the discussion, I outline some downsides of complete flexibility at work.

❇️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀

But first, the benefits of full work autonomy. 

For a start, you can be at key moments at home, focus on your mental and physical well-being, and be around to support your family.

- Birth of my two children.
- Attend to errands during the day.
- Around during a challenging pregnancy.

And when my daughter was unenthusiastic about going kindergarten due to SM, I could send her to school every day.

🤫 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻

It's worth pointing out that not everything's a bed of roses. Here's some lessons I learned.

𝟭/ 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗽𝘂𝘁, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸

Many have written about the shift to measuring by results instead of by "work hours" in a true flexi-work environment. But do you get what it truly means?

Not counted: 

- Replying emails, messages.
- Sitting through hours of calls.
- Helping out colleagues in another dept.

Counted: 

- Number of sales closed.
- Completion of assigned tasks.
- Successful marketing campaign.

PS: 'Not counted' stuff still needs to be done.

𝟮/ 𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸

It's actually next to impossible to work productively 8 hours a day - see Point 1. Invariable interruptions at home, managers asking for status updates, etc will only add to them.

So sure, you can accompany your spouse for a mid-morning medical check and start work at 3pm. With dinner and kids, you could well be working until midnight to make deadlines. 

𝟯/ 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 '𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆' 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Working with editors and marketing leads remotely definitely saved a lot of time. But loads of nuances and subtleties are lost in digital-only communication.

And when it's time to trim the budget or scale things down, the tendency is to start with those where the connection is not as strong - which might well be those who flexi-work the most.

𝟰/ 𝗜𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲

Flexi-work may be a dream come true, but it demands a higher level of discipline and organisation. It's easy to fall into the trap of procrastination or distractions. 

And when one is measured by output, even the perception of lower output can jeopardise one's career progression, if not the job itself.

👉 What's your experience with flexi-work?

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: DALL-E 3

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co
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#work

Top LinkedIn influencers are gaming the system. But LinkedIn says it's found no irregularities.

I've written previously about cheaters and how LinkedIn metrics are broken: https://lnkd.in/geDZQkh3

But this article by Shari Berg in collaboration with D A N I E L H.  offers the most eye-opening look at the problem I've seen yet.

What got my attention: The naming of a Big Four corporate influencer for using auto-pods to boost engagements.

𝟭/ 𝗣𝗼𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗱?

But first, what is a pod? It is essentially a group of LinkedIn users who've agreed to interact with each other's posts by liking or commenting on each other's content.

The way the LinkedIn algorithm works, posts that garner high engagements quickly get shared with a far broader audience.

It didn't take long for someone to create automated tools using browser extensions to control legitimate accounts to automatically like or comment on posts in return for the favour.

Hence the term auto-pods. The larger auto-pod providers can have over ten thousand subscribers.

𝟮/ 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿

But why would an influencer with over 200,000 followers need to resort to an auto-pod? It's part of the work KPI perhaps?

Anyway, here's what a group of ad-hoc investigators found out about this corporate influencer:

- Part of LinkedIn's Top Voice programme.
- Linear follower growth, 100's of engagements.
- The employer, Deloitte, denied the allegations.

🔸Online magazine t3n wrote an in-depth report, and noted how comments that were identified as evidence of pod engagements were swiftly deleted.

🔸An investigative reporter reached out to LinkedIn and was told that its team didn't find any irregularities with the account.

𝟯/ 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆

I think some influencers or executives might actually be unaware of pod use.

They could have paid a marketing agency to write content on their behalf and left them to it.

And guess what, auto-pods are the fastest way to show "proof" of success...

👉 Would you ever use a pod? Do you think pod use is killing LinkedIn?

Read the article at The Write Reflection's blog here: https://lnkd.in/gPD32eBg

𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: DALL-E 3

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co
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#socialmedia

"We want to do things correctly and uphold a higher standard with our AI model in Singapore."

Dr Leslie Teo, senior director of AI Products at AI Singapore, said this at a media briefing this afternoon.

First, the context.

𝟭/ 𝗔𝗻 𝗟𝗟𝗠 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮

In the briefing, Leslie and team members shared about SEA-LION and pitched it against language models like Meta's Llama, Alibaba's SeaLLM, and OpenAI's GPT-4 Turbo.

And SEA-LION apparently fares well when quizzed in regional languages such as Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, or even Tamil, on local topics.

As it should: The LLM was created in Singapore to outperform other LLMs on Southeast Asian tasks, trained on some 128 billion SEA-centric tokens. (It has 981 billion overall tokens).

There are currently three models:

- SEA-LION 3B
- SEA-LION 7B
- SEA-LION 7B Instruct

And it's put together by a team of just 20 Singaporeans.

𝟮/ 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴

Last week, I wrote about how tech giants such as OpenAI, Meta, and Google have cut corners to harvest enough high-quality data to train their AI models.

In many cases, published books, YouTube videos and online content are used without permission. Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/gP42YFi8

It was clear from the get-go that the AI Singapore team took great pains to source their data ethically.

"We are aware of what others are doing... But because of who we are, we are very conservative. We have to make sure we are doing things correctly."

In fact, Leslie shared how he turned down data brokers who offered to sell high-quality data from dubious or unknown sources.

"We pay a price... our models will not be as good," he conceded.

𝟯/ 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲?

When I wrote about Singapore's National Multimodel LLM Programme (NMLP) and the budget of SG$70 million for it, it garnered substantial interest.

Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/gfWReYS8

There was also some incredulity that a "proper" LLM could be trained so cheaply. 

I didn't know then, but the NMLP is essentially about creating newer, better versions of SEA-LION. And not all the money will go towards GPUs.

Leslie says the money is enough for the next two SEA-LION models planned.

🔸Leslie says he is not working to pit SEA-LION against state-of-the-art AI LLMs like GPT-4 with its estimated trillion parameters.

🔸Moreover, GPU prices are trending down right now; he's also working with a motivated, mission-driven team that is paid "academic rates".

Ultimately, Leslie sees the development of SEA-LION as a sacred mission to both fill a gap and put Singapore on the global map for AI.

"We believe in the mission. We are mission-driven."

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Unsplash/Aarush Kochar

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co
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#AI

We only ever see and talk about the tip of every success or one facet of every truth.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀

The untold stories behind every success are many.

- The long hours.
- The sacrifices.
- The mistakes.
- The failures.

These often only come out during conversations or interviews with those who have experienced them.

- Family support.
- Innate talent.
- Fortune.
- Timing.

But it's more than that. Some advantages or privileges are not easily conveyed.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀

When I wrote "Would you freelance for the rest of your life?" (Read: https://lnkd.in/gfBWPxNz), I talked about my last pay cheque in 2008.

Yet I must also add that I did enjoy several advantages when I started writing full-time. Yes, it is true that I never scored well in English at school or wrote professionally before that.

However, I:

- Enjoyed writing.
- Am a vociferous reader.
- Loved technology and worked in IT.
- Was a (cheaper) remote worker for US firms.

That's why I am never cavalier about recommending career paths or asking people to be a writer; there are simply too many variables at play.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲

So as you read inspiring success stories, remember to probe more to learn the context behind what worked. Then fit it to your circumstances.

Ultimately, if you are a square peg, don't try to fit yourself into a round hole.

Instead, embrace your unique qualities and leverage them to create your path to success.

What are your unseen advantages?

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Unknown

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

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#success

Are there too many data centres in Johor? Can operators convince enterprises to migrate workloads over?

A month ago, I wrote that Johor is the fastest-growing data centre market in Southeast Asia with 1.6GW of total supply (Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/g_wMxZvW).

This dips to ~800MW when we count only confirmed projects. But it's still a huge figure, with Singapore's operational data centres at just 988MW today.

𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲?

I chatted briefly with an account director of a major data centre operator recently, who posed me a question: Is there enough demand for the data centres in Johor? 

It's a very good question when one looks at the sheer capacity that just come online or is slated to come online soon.

Here's a partial back-of-the-envelope list:

- Equinix (500 cabinets).
- PDG (150MW).
- STT-GDC (120MW).
- Yondr (300MW).

𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁

Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t the first time I've heard murmurs of concern over a potential oversupply of data centre capacity in Johor.

However, it's hard to separate the vested optimism of those with a stake in the pie from the natural pessimism of those left out in the cold.

It is worth noting that every data centre operator is different, and each has quite different strategies to entice customers.

- Build on behalf of cloud giants.
- Support int'l customers with global network.
- Establish a strong presence in Southeast Asia.
- Cheaper alternative for enterprises in Singapore.

Finally, it's worth noting that announced capacity is just that - an announcement. 

Modern data centres are always completed over multiple phases - and there is always the option of not completing the latter phases should projected demand fail to materialise.

My take: I don't think anyone is seriously worried. For now.

👉 Have you heard of organisations planning to move into a Johor data centre yet? Send me a DM.

𝗽𝘀: Are you attending Datacloud APAC 2024 in Singapore? I plan to be there for a few hours on day one - drop me a note if you're going.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Unsplash/Afifi Zulkifle

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

👀 See my other posts: www.techstories.co
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#datacentre

Was at Qualtrics X4 this week and was blown away by the colours, the energy, and yes, the experience.

Started as an online tool to gather insights, improve customer service, and conduct surveys, Qualtrics has evolved into an experience management platform.

X4 is their annual conference, and some 10,000 attendees had travelled to Salt Lake City for this year's run.

𝟭/ 𝗔 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲

And what a show it was. I don't ever talk about keynotes itself, but I've never seen such a... riot of creativity.

Like most keynote these days, Qualtrics had a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling LED display. But it was the execution that was out of this world.

I mean, it's a visual spectacle.

- Vivid and beautiful images.
- Incredible design and transitions.
- Perfectly synchronised to every line said.

I've never looked forward so much to each transition before. It's a treat and experience without a doubt.

𝟮/ 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 + 𝗔𝗜

First, it was the cloud, then it was blockchain. Today, it's AI. I mean, surely you have noticed how almost every single organisation has mysteriously morphed into AI firms?

But look closer, and it's a smorgasbord (or "rojak") of messy, bolted-on AI features. 

Not Qualtrics though. It was clear they had given much thought to integrating AI into their suite of services.

- AI features available by default.
- Priced by actions, not by user count.
- Heavy emphasis on privacy and ethics.

I really liked its focus on privacy and ethical use of data.

𝟯/ 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗔𝗜 𝗖𝗧𝗢

Qualtrics managed to get OpenAI CTO Mira Murati on stage with its own Gurdeep Singh Pall, President of AI Strategy.

Here are some initial takeaways:

🔸OpenAI plans to continue pushing the scaling paradigm to develop more powerful models as "there seems to be no limit to it yet". 

🔸Working actively to minimise the risks of AI but concedes that it "will never be zero".

🔸AI will change the meaning of work, and how we interact with everything.

𝗣𝗦: I've previously written about how tech giants such as OpenAI have cut corners to harvest data to train their AI models. (Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/gP42YFi8)

👉 For now, I'm all looking forward to going home!

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

👀 See my latest posts: www.techstories.co
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#event

Are you throwing away good gadgets? Apple is apparently destroying working iPhones, iPads, Watches.

Last week, a report on Bloomberg called out Apple for paying external recycling partners to destroy fully functional devices.

𝟭/ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

It turns out that one of the partners was sued in 2020 for breach of contract, accused of siphoning devices meant to be scrapped for resale in China.

These devices were taken in by Apple for trade or recycling; many were in working condition.

Nothing has come from the lawsuit, which will lapse in 2025. The report implied that Apple is not keen for people to learn of it destroying functional devices in the 100,000s.

𝟮/ 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗮𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 

Recycling and refurnishing of devices is a complex issue that many organisations are only just starting to look into, so I am not inclined to be too harsh on Apple.

Here are my biggest grouses:

- Hardware that is impossible to repair.
- Gadgets that become unusable over time*.
- New product releases that are barely better.

*Think rubberised coating that 'melts' and becomes sticky over time.

Thankfully, I know of brands that have moved to create repairable devices designed to last, while others only release new products with noteworthy improvements.

𝟯/ 𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄

But getting businesses to make devices that last and are easily repaired won't happen overnight.

Here are some things I wish organisations would stop doing these immediately though:

- Give out souvenirs that won't be used.
- Door gifts such as battery packs.
- Yet another thumb drive.

👉 What about you? What are your top grouses with e-waste, and do you resell gadgets that you have stopped using?

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Unsplash/isaac.

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co
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#gadgets

To save time, don't simply manage time. Manage your mind instead.

So argues David Kadavy, in his book "Mind management, not time management."

That makes perfect sense to me.

𝟭/ 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵?

It was an extremely stressful week some years back. Poor instructions on an already tight project left me with a seemingly impossible deadline.

Though barely started, I now needed to finish writing over 10,000 words for an 80-page white paper by the end of the week. I briefly mentioned this last year: https://lnkd.in/g9VSJSFt 

I calculated the hours and figured it could be done. But I'll have to push hard, working late into the night. Fine. I've committed and I'll finish it - even if the goalposts weren't where I thought they would be.

However, I didn't spend every single waking moment on the task.

𝟮/ 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

I established limits and set boundaries.

- Tucked kids into bed.
- Took breaks when tired.
- Didn't skip cell meeting, church.
- Still had my meals with the family.

Partly, I wanted to ensure that I never lose sight of what truly matters. And making an exception is a slippery path to more exceptions.

The second reason, though, was because I knew simply sitting longer in front of my workstation wouldn't help me produce more.
 
Mind over matter isn't just about determination, willpower, or mental strength. It's about finding balance and achieving the right state of mind.

𝟯/ 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀

Are you caught up in an endless rat race and burning yourself out on both ends of the candle?

- Thinking of work problems over weekends?
- Constantly multitasking to save time?
- Optimising processes to death?
- Replying emails during calls?

Instead of trying to figure out how to do more in less time, perhaps it might be time for a pitstop. 

Allocate some moments for relaxation and self-care and come out stronger than before.

Don't just manage time. Manage your mind.

𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Unsplash/insung yoon

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co
👀 See my latest posts: https://lnkd.in/gapTkh5A
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#inspiration 

Do you write with AI? I do. Here's how I use AI as a professional writer - and how I don't.

I turn to AI regularly as a writer, though it's probably not how you use it. It's not because I'm good - but merely because everyone uses AI quite differently.

Here's how I use it as a journalist and content writer, starting with how I don't.

𝟭/ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜

🔸For writing entire articles.

The reason is simple: I have an idea of how I want the content, and AI can't read my mind. Sure, I could craft explicit instructions and use detailed prompts... but by then, I could have already written it myself, isn't it?

🔸For writing whole paragraphs.

While AI can write coherent sentences or paragraphs, it tends to be too verbose, even for GPT-4 Turbo. Moreover, I've found that arguments don't extend across the article, which means a lot more work getting the flow aligned.

🔸To create outlines.

AI tends to be repetitive or express the same point of view. Sure, you could prompt it to produce contrarian views, but it invariably ends up talking about the same things. This is especially obvious for the technical topics I specialise in.

𝟮/ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜

🔸For inspiration.

I've found AI perfect to get the ball rolling or to plough through "micro blocks" when writing.

- Opening paragraphs.
- Relevant quotes or phrases.
- Suggestions on what to say next.

Certain words, short phrases, or even general ideas can go a long way to inspire me.

I've found it rather useful for my weekly 'inspirational' content: https://lnkd.in/gSTZAVW2

🔸To rework stuff.

Ever wasted time editing a sentence that just looks wrong? And which seems to get worse the more you rework it? Resolve it in a jiffy with AI.

- Rephrase a sentence or paragraph.
- A different way to express something.
- Fill in the blank between two paragraphs.

And yes, toggling between AI models such as GPT-4 or Claude 3 can help.

🔸Minding the language.

Exhausted from work and making mistakes you normally won't? Clean your content up or fill in that crucial blank quickly:

- Craft headlines.
- Check grammar.
- Find alternate words.

𝟯/ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗵

It's too easy to relegate all our writing to AI. But writing is a crucial aspect of thinking, and it'll be a shame to rob ourselves by outsourcing everything to AI.

Indeed, excessive use of AI has been shown to impact memory retention, cognitive function, and critical thinking abilities (https://lnkd.in/gxgn5CNH).

Of course, the next generation of AI could well write better than I ever could. Then I'll just have to eat my words - since the cupboard would surely be bare.

👉 How are you using AI?

𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: DALL-E 3

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co
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#writing

Do you set aside time to think? 

In our fast-paced world, time is often a luxury. However, setting aside unharried time for deep reflection and effective decision-making is essential.

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁

Many years ago, I interviewed an executive at a cafe in a mall along Orchard Road. I didn't mind as the coworking office I worked out of was a short walk away. 

But I was puzzled at the choice of location and said as much.

Turns out he spends one morning every week away from the office - this was way before the term hybrid work was invented, mind you.

The reason? To set aside time to "think and plan".

No wonder he is a top thought leader in his industry.

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 

In their book "The 12 Week Year", authors Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington also recommend taking time away from work.

They argue that one key factor contributing to performance plateaus is the absence of "free time".

To achieve greater results, what's often necessary is not more working hours, but taking some time away from work.

They call it a "breakout" block:

- At least three hours long.
- Scheduled during business hours.
- Use to refresh and reinvigorate one's mind.

"When we don't take time off from work, we can lose our creative edge," they wrote.

👉 Have you taken some time off from work, or spent time to think and reflect recently?

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Unsplash/Eric Rothermel

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

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#inspiration

I've taken the Air Porter carry-on bag on every flight since 2017. It'll probably last another decade or two.

Travelling is stressful, particularly if you travel frequently or fly long-haul. These days, it's also complicated by the need to pack our digital tools for work.

The Air Porter by WaterField is a feature-rich bag that I never knew I needed. But I'm hooked now.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁

A lot of thought went into the design of the Air Porter.

Features I loved:

- Comfortable leather-covered handles.
- Fold-out side pockets for water bottles.
- Passthrough slot slips over suitcase handle.
- Comes with waterproof exterior zippers.
- Made of heavy-duty waxed canvas.

Crucially, the hand-stitched bag was really well-built and isn't any worse for wear after dozens of trips.

𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿

The bag has two main compartments with multiple functional pockets that make it easy to store various gadgets and accessories.

Like most bags from WaterField, the inside is lined with a beautiful golden nylon liner for increased visibility - it grows on you!

I could pack a rather astonishing number of items in the Air Porter. Here's what I brought along for my trip last week.

🔸Read about the X4 conference: https://lnkd.in/gB9yPUbT

• 𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 

- Logitech MX mouse.
- Kobo Sage e-reader.
- Boox Palma e-reader: https://lnkd.in/gZzWebas
- Huawei Mate 40 smartphone.
- Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones*
- USB C Charger + Cable for laptop.
- Huawei SuperCharge power bank.
- Assortment of dry, wet tissue.
- Passport + Travel Wallet.
- 550ml water bottle.

*Inside headphone case.
- AirFly: https://lnkd.in/ggJR_gCW
- SXFI Amp: https://lnkd.in/gz8x-xhZ

• 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:

- Boox Note Air 3 C: https://lnkd.in/gY_7Pj7Y
- Apple iPad 12.9.
- Huawei MateBook X Pro.

👉 What about you? How do you pack your digital gear when you travel for work?

𝗽𝘀: Black scuff marks on the leather flap came from mashing a footrest over it for an entire flight a few years back. Don't do what I did.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Paul Mah

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

👀 See my latest posts: www.techstories.co
🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co
🙋 Follow me on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gu5EMKQg

#gadgets

Gratitude is a choice and a discipline. Are you making it a point to practice thankfulness every day?

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹

The human brain has a startling ability to forget. 

We know how stress, lack of sleep, or some medications can interfere with the making of new memories or the retrieval of existing ones. 

But it goes further than that. Some scientists argue that forgetting is the basal state of the brain. They attribute it to reasons such as:

- Natural memory decay.
- Protection from info overload.
- As a defence mechanism against trauma.

This explains how time softens memories: It takes the edges off painful experiences, but also reduces our triumphs. 

𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱

Years ago, I had a friend on the cusp of making certain decisions which I'm certain she'll come to regret.

When she asked to meet over tea, I felt prompted to grab a sheet of paper and a pen.

Let's do a quick exercise, I suggested in the crowded cafe. Shall we list out all the positive things that happened to you recently?

"Nothing had gone well," she protested.

"Really? How about your new job and that pay increment?" I said as I started writing.

Before long, I had the A4 paper completely filled up.

She left with a very different state of mind that day, unable to dispute that everything I wrote down did indeed happen.

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁

I believe it's because I saw things through a different lens from her. I'll also argue that developing a heart of gratitude is a choice and a discipline.

Do you:
 
- Keep a gratitude journal or share your wins with others.
- Develop mindfulness by praying regularly.
- Make it a habit to focus on the positives.

Don't let your victories slip through the cracks of memory, overshadowed by the more immediate challenges.

Make a point to remember and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they may seem. 

This will only help you build a more resilient and optimistic mindset that will serve as a solid foundation to lean on during tough times.

𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: DALL-E 3

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

👀 See my latest posts: www.techstories.co
🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co
🙋 Follow me on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gu5EMKQg

#inspiration 

Singapore has one of the fastest broadband globally. Here's the story of how it came to be.

Somewhere last year, I wrote a three-part series for HardwareZone about the evolution of the broadband here.

Two were finally published over the last couple of weeks.

𝟭/ 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗹-𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹

As a user of dial-up modems in my teenage years, I remembered each evolution clear as day. Researching the various phases proved nostalgic:

- Dial-up.
- ADSL.
- Cable Internet.
- Fibre Internet.

The step into the future arguably began with the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN) initiative mooted in 2006.

So yes, today's 10Gbps symmetric broadband plans are essentially delivered on infrastructure drawn up almost 20 years ago - building fibre to the home was exceptional foresight.

𝟮/ 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟭,𝟬𝟬𝟬𝗠𝗯𝗽𝘀

Last year, the government unveiled a new Digital Connectivity Blueprint to "upgrade Singapore's nationwide broadband speeds of up to 10Gbps" with completion subsequently pegged at 2026.

This might be puzzling to some who will point out that 10Gbps plans are already available. Yes, I asked too, but got fuzzy responses. I believe it's because Singapore agencies are concerned about confusing citizens who are not technical. 

Here's my understanding: 

🔸While today's network can deliver 10Gbps to individual homes, the network as a whole can't handle many 10Gbps users.

🔸Faster core routers and network switches are needed, and the cross-island fibre network must be substantially upgraded. This costs money that the government will now pay for.

𝟯/ 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟭𝟬𝗚𝗯𝗽𝘀

But getting a full 10Gbps experience at home isn't as straightforward as it seems, too.

🔸Few laptops support wireless speeds of more than 1Gbps, and even then, only under optimal conditions.

🔸Wired ports of up to 2.5Gbps are starting to appear on PCs, but 10Gbps ports are still a rarity.

Ultimately, the only way to more fully use a 10Gbps connection is through a mesh Wi-Fi network linked by cables.

I was hence enthused when Singtel announced its new transparent fibre wiring offering, which offers "faster than 1Gbps" connectivity to individual rooms.

Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/g5vRTuaY

Faster broadband is coming; I'm sure we will find it useful in ways we haven't even imagined yet. 

👉 What would you use 10Gbps for?

📌 See comments for the links to the first two articles.

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Unsplash/shawnanggg

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co
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#internet

The Boox Note Air 3C adds a dash of colour to a versatile 10.3-inch e-reader. And you can write on it.

The Boox Note Air 3C is made by China-based Onyx, which also makes the pocketable Boox Palma that I reviewed here: https://lnkd.in/gZzWebas

I got hold of this device earlier in the week and I can't help but talk about it. Here are my 3 immediate impressions:

𝟭/ 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 

Like the other Android e-readers that it sells, the Note Air 3C comes with Google Play. This means you can install various apps for your reading pleasure.

My personal favourites are:

- Libby
- Kindle
- Pocket
- BookFusion

What surprised me was how fast the 2.4GHz Qualcomm CPU proved to be, allowing me to download and install apps very quickly.

There's also a MicroSD card slot should you need more space than the onboard 64MB of storage. 

𝟮/ 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗱

Can the Note Air 3C replace the Remarkable 2? I was initially sceptical but found the writing experience on its default writing app a surprisingly close match to the Remarkable 2.

Overall, I would rate it slightly worse, but it's imperceptible and only clear when comparing them side-by-side.

I didn't like cluttered writing interface of the default Note app, but there's a minimalistic mode that is also customisable. And that proved very nice to use.

Can other Android writing apps be used? After extensive research, OneNote is surprisingly the best candidate here. 

But while it's amazing to see individual pen strokes on the Note Air 3C mirrored on the OneNote desktop app in almost real-time, it doesn't cut it for me.

𝟯/ 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲-𝗶𝗻𝗸

Now to the burning question: How does the colour screen fare?

The Kaleido 3 panel in the Note Air 3C is one of the most advanced colour e-ink screens available today. 

- 4096 colours; 16 shades of grey.
- 300 dpi in black and white.
- 150 dpi in colour.

It's great to have a dash of colour.

- Magazines are far more readable.
- Highlighting works properly.
- Can actually surf the web.

However, don't expect tablet-like colours of vibrancy. 

- Screen appears 'darker' than a non-colour device.
- Backlight can compensate but is less bright.
- Colour dpi is much lower than black dpi.

𝟰/ 𝗔 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 

Overall, I do like the Note Air 3C very much. I'm exploring if it can replace my Remarkable 2, allowing me to carry one less device in my bag.

For now, I'm planning to explore using it for: 

- Recording audio notes.
- Accessing my Obsidian notes.
- Replying emails with a keyboard (https://lnkd.in/gsavXAyP)

What do you think of colour e-ink readers like the Boox Note Air 3C? Would you consider getting one?

---
My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories

🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co
👀 See my latest posts: https://lnkd.in/gapTkh5A
🙋 Follow me on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gu5EMKQg

#gadgets

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