Hong Kong is advancing its digital economy and smart city initiatives, striving to become a global leader in digital transformation. To support this vision, the Hong Kong Institute of Information Technology (HKIIT) and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) have partnered to enhance digital literacy, strengthen cybersecurity, and promote digital transformation in public and government sectors.
The collaboration focuses on specialised training programs covering emerging technologies, cybersecurity, and data analytics to equip public sector employees and industry professionals with critical skills. Practical exercises like real-world cybersecurity simulations aim to improve awareness and resilience against cyber threats. Additionally, data literacy training is prioritised to help public employees utilise data for decision-making and service improvement, aligning with Hong Kong’s goals of innovation and efficiency.
Beyond training, community events like competitions and seminars promote digital awareness, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. The initiative builds on prior efforts, such as the ‘Cyber Security Drill 2024’ and certification programs, while future plans aim to expand its reach across more government departments and organisations.
The Vocational Training Council (VTC), Hong Kong’s largest provider of vocational and professional education, plays a key role in these efforts by supporting the city’s innovation agenda and equipping individuals with the skills needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Through partnerships like the one with OGCIO, VTC institutions such as HKIIT contribute to strengthening the city’s workforce and ensuring its readiness for the challenges of digital transformation.
Halliday, a wearables startup, has launched a pair of smart glasses at CES 2025 that project a tiny digital screen directly into the wearer’s eye. Using a device called the DigiWindow, the glasses display notifications, language translations, and navigation directions in real time without the need for bulky AR lenses.
Priced at $489, the glasses use a small green light to beam an almost 9cm round display into the user’s line of sight. The innovative approach makes US based Halliday’s glasses slimmer, lighter, and more affordable than many augmented reality prototypes. Users can even fit prescription lenses into the frames without affecting the display.
Key features include real-time translation for 40 languages and a proactive AI assistant that offers helpful information during conversations. The device is controlled via a ring worn on the finger, allowing users to navigate its features with thumb gestures. While the AI assistant wasn’t available for testing, the display technology impressed with its functionality.
Halliday’s smart glasses are already available for preorder at a discounted price of $369 via Kickstarter. Shipping is expected to begin in March 2025. The company hopes its sleek design and practical applications will set the glasses apart from other wearables still stuck in prototype stages.
San Francisco-based startup Based Hardware has unveiled Omi, a wearable AI assistant designed to improve productivity. Launched at the Consumer Electronic Show, the device responds to voice commands when worn as a necklace or can attach to the side of the head using medical tape, activating through a unique “brain interface.”
Unlike other AI gadgets that aim to replace smartphones, Omi is meant to complement existing devices. It can answer questions, summarise conversations, and manage tasks like to-do lists and meeting schedules. The startup’s founder, Nik Shevchenko, claims that Omi’s brain interface allows users to interact without saying a wake word by recognising mental focus. However, this feature has yet to be widely tested.
Based Hardware built Omi on an open-source platform to address privacy concerns. Users can store data locally and even develop their own apps for the device. Priced at $89, the consumer version will ship later in 2025, while a developer version is already available.
Omi enters a growing market of AI gadgets that have struggled to meet expectations. Shevchenko hopes Omi’s focus on practical productivity tools will set it apart, but the device’s success will likely depend on whether users embrace its experimental brain interface feature.
Oklahoma State Senator Dusty Deevers has introduced the Bitcoin Freedom Act, paving the way for residents and businesses to opt for Bitcoin as a means of payment. The bill, filed as SB325, allows salaries and transactions in Bitcoin on a voluntary basis, aligning with free-market principles. Senator Deevers emphasised that Bitcoin offers a solution against inflation and safeguards financial independence amidst the declining value of the US dollar.
The act also aims to provide a secure framework for Bitcoin’s use in Oklahoma, positioning the state as a leader in financial technology. Deevers, a vocal critic of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), underscored Bitcoin’s decentralised nature as a tool for promoting financial privacy and sovereignty. “Bitcoin promotes financial sovereignty,” he said, highlighting its resistance to government interference.
The move builds on Oklahoma’s proactive approach to cryptocurrency. Last year, Governor Kevin Stitt enacted legislation supporting blockchain firms and safeguarding Bitcoin mining activities. As the Bitcoin Freedom Act heads for consideration in February, Oklahoma continues to embrace the future of finance while offering its citizens new financial opportunities.
Panasonic has introduced Umi, a digital assistant designed to support family wellness, at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. Developed in partnership with AI startup Anthropic, Umi uses the Claude AI model to help families set and achieve personal goals, such as improving fitness or spending more time together. The interactive platform allows users to engage with the AI through voice chat and a mobile app, where they can create routines, manage tasks, and communicate in group chats.
The assistant is also aimed at caregivers looking after aging parents, offering a way to stay informed about their well-being even when living apart. Panasonic has collaborated with AARP to enhance Umi’s ability to support older adults. Additionally, the platform will connect users with wellness experts and integrate with partners such as Calm, Blue Apron, SleepScore Labs, and Precision Nutrition to help families build healthy habits.
Umi is expected to launch in the United States in 2025, with Panasonic positioning it as part of a broader wellness initiative. The partnership with Anthropic extends beyond consumer products, as Panasonic plans to integrate the Claude AI model into its own operations to enhance customer service, marketing, and coding efficiency.
A new app designed to help children aged seven to twelve manage anxiety through gaming is being launched in Lincolnshire, UK. The app, called Lumi Nova, combines cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques with personalised quests to gently expose children to their fears in a safe and interactive way.
The digital game has been created by BFB Labs, a social enterprise focused on digital therapy, in collaboration with children, parents, and mental health experts. The app aims to make mental health support more accessible, particularly in rural areas, where traditional services may be harder to reach.
Families in Lincolnshire can download the app for free without needing a prescription or referral. Councillor Patricia Bradwell from Lincolnshire County Council highlighted the importance of flexible mental health services, saying: ‘We want to ensure children and young people have easy access to support that suits their needs.’
By using immersive videos and creative tasks, Lumi Nova allows children to confront their worries at their own pace from the comfort of home, making mental health care more engaging and approachable. The year-long pilot aims to assess the app’s impact on childhood anxiety in the region.
Israeli startup Fermata, founded in 2020 by bioinformatics expert Valeria Kogan, is using AI and computer vision to monitor greenhouse crops for diseases and pests. The company’s software works with standard cameras, capturing images of plants twice a day and alerting farmers to potential infestations via an app. Initially considering robotic solutions, Kogan shifted focus after consulting with farmers, realising that simpler camera-based monitoring was more effective.
Based in Israel, Fermata has gained traction by prioritising farmer needs and keeping its AI training in-house, improving model accuracy. Partnering with major agricultural firms like Bayer and Syngenta, the company has deployed over 100 cameras and continues to expand. The startup recently secured a $10 million Series A investment from Raw Ventures, its existing investor, to scale operations and work towards profitability by 2026.
Plans for growth include strengthening the sales team and expanding beyond greenhouse tomatoes into new crops. Despite AI’s previous struggles in agriculture, Fermata’s practical approach and farmer-centric model have helped it carve a niche in the industry.
The growing use of AI in drug development is dividing opinions among researchers and industry experts. Some believe AI can significantly reduce the time and cost of bringing new medicines to market, while others argue that it has yet to solve the high failure rates seen in clinical trials.
AI-driven tools have already helped identify potential drug candidates more quickly, with some companies reducing the preclinical testing period from several years to just 30 months. However, experts point out that these early successes don’t always translate to breakthroughs in human trials, where most drug failures occur.
Unlike fields such as image recognition, AI in pharmaceuticals faces unique challenges due to limited high-quality data. Experts say AI’s impact could improve if it focuses on understanding why drugs fail in trials, such as problems with dosage, safety, and efficacy. They also recommend new trial designs that incorporate AI to better predict which drugs will succeed in later stages.
While AI won’t revolutionise drug development overnight, researchers agree it can help tackle persistent problems and streamline the process. But achieving lasting results will require better collaboration between AI specialists and drug developers to avoid repeating past mistakes.
A notorious stretch of the A361 in Devon will receive £1 million in AI and speed camera technology to improve road safety. The investment, part of a £5 million grant from the Department for Transport (DfT), comes after the road was identified as ‘high risk,’ with three fatalities and 30 serious injuries recorded between 2018 and 2022. AI-powered cameras will detect offences such as drivers using mobile phones and failing to wear seatbelts, while speed cameras will be installed at key locations.
A pilot scheme last August recorded nearly 1,800 potential offences along the route, highlighting the need for stricter enforcement. The latest plans include three fixed speed cameras at Ilfracombe, Knowle, and Ashford, as well as two average speed camera systems covering longer stretches of the road. AI cameras will be rotated between different locations to monitor driver behaviour more effectively.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council’s cabinet member for highways, expressed pride in the region’s adoption of AI for road safety improvements. The remaining £4 million from the DfT grant will be allocated to upgrading junctions and improving access for pedestrians and cyclists along the A361.
The Spanish government stressed social media platforms must remain neutral and avoid interfering in political matters. The statement came after X’s owner, Elon Musk, commented on crime data involving foreigners in Catalonia.
Government spokesperson Pilar Alegria emphasised the need for absolute impartiality from such platforms when responding to questions about Musk’s remarks and his ongoing disagreements with European leaders like Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron.
Musk had reposted crime statistics from a Spanish newspaper, leading to criticism from Catalan officials. Catalonia’s Socialist leader Salvador Illa warned against using the region’s name to promote hate speech, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez rejected any link between immigration and crime rates.
The Spanish Interior Ministry previously reported stable or declining crime rates, affirming that immigration has no significant impact on criminal activity.
