YAHOO POLL: Have you used an automated bot before?
A bot is a software application that is programmed to do certain tasks.
You may remember hearing about bots back in March 2023 when the Singapore government revealed around 200 ActiveSG accounts were suspended for suspected bot usage since 2021. Over 600 bookings were cancelled for on-selling activities. The news highlighted how bots can be used to abuse online booking systems and resell reservation slots.
Other polls:
YAHOO POLL: Do you agree with SDP's push for election system reform?
YAHOO POLL: Do you support harsher punishments for animal abusers?
YAHOO POLL: When in the day is best to take a shower?
But sadly this was not an isolated incident. An army of bots also made its way into Singapore's driving schools.
In September 2024, students were reporting that they were having to wait months to book lessons and increasingly being forced to rely on bots to secure practical slots due to high demand following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the post-pandemic world, the situation has not changed.
Earlier this week, the Straits Times reported that many driving students are still having to resort to automated bots to book slots for lessons.
So we want to know, have you used an automated bot before?
Related
Too many bots, too few instructors: Why the long wait for driving lessons in Singapore
Singapore driving schools battle bots used by students forced to wait months to book for lessons
200 ActiveSG accounts suspended for suspected bot usage since 2021: Josephine Teo
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tech leader unveils groundbreaking laptop concept that runs on sunlight and folds flat like a book: 'Worth keeping an eye on'
Lenovo has been known to push the boundaries of laptop design, and its latest concept devices continue to deliver fresh innovations that include solar power. At Mobile World Congress 2025, the laptop maker revealed both the Lenovo ThinkBook Flip AI PC and Yoga Solar PC concepts, which could inform the next generation of consumer laptops. CNBC said that given the company's track record of bringing these innovative designs to market, "it's worth keeping an eye on what the Chinese technology giant is up to." The ThinkBook "codename Flip" AI PC, as the company called it, showed off an outward folding OLED display that can provide 18 inches of visual workspace or be folded over for a tablet-style interface. Workflows powered by artificial intelligence, split-screen multitasking, and smart workspace adaptation are being tested in this unique design. Sustainable power is also on the mind of Lenovo engineers, who worked up the Yoga Solar PC proof of concept to help capture the power of the sun to extend the device's runtime. This model includes a photovoltaic cell with 24% energy conversion efficiency, which is one of the best ratings available on the market, the company said. It's achieved through its Back Contact Cell technology, which places brackets and gridlines behind the solar cell for maximum absorption. Its Dynamic Solar Tracking system monitors the panel's current and voltage, working alongside the Solar-First Energy system for prioritizing the sun's rays for energy savings and stability. It can even generate power in low-light conditions while the PC is idle. The Yoga Solar PC can convert enough direct sunlight in 20 minutes to power up to one hour of video playback, according to the company. Measuring just 15 millimeters thin and weighing approximately 2.7 pounds, it's being called the world's first ultra-slim solar-powered PC. This improves upon Samsung's NC215S, which was reportedly the first laptop to include an integrated solar panel in 2011 and needed two hours of sunlight to run for one hour. Engineers and designers are realizing the potential of harnessing the sun's rays to power devices big and small across a variety of applications. What kind of solar tech would you be the most willing to use? Rooftop panels Community solar A portable solar generator None of the above Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. By leveraging renewable energy sources at every opportunity, we can more rapidly eliminate the use of dirty fuels and promote a cleaner, safer environment. Aptera's battery-powered electric vehicle includes solar panels on much of its exterior that help extend its runtime, while other companies have designed portable solar cells to help charge electric vehicles while parked. Lenovo has a track record of sustainable endeavors, championing repairs when possible to reduce waste, and offering cash for trade-ins so they can handle old devices more responsibly. Mary Jacques, Lenovo's executive director of Global ESG and Regulatory Compliance, told The Cool Down last year: "Our customers are really hungry for more and more information about not just the products that they're buying, but the impact that we can have on their sustainability journey." Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Gizmodo
3 hours ago
- Gizmodo
Oppo Find X8 Ultra Review: This Might Be the World's Best Phone Camera
2025 I get it—the smartphone market is boring. Galaxy after iPhone after Pixel, year after year after year—at least if you're in the U.S. Even if you're into phone tech, it can be hard to feel enthusiastic about the prospect of annual upgrades. In Asia, however, the battle for smartphone supremacy is as brutal as ever. Chinese companies like Huawei, Vivo, and Xiaomi are still locked into breakneck competition, releasing multiple devices a year that put Western offerings to shame—at least on paper. The Oppo Find X8 Ultra is one of the strongest recent examples. It's an all-around flagship phone that crams the very best of high-end specs into a sleek form factor. All things considered, I think it's the best camera phone available anywhere in the world. Oppo Find X8 Ultra Oppo's latest flagship Find X8 Ultra has everything you could possibly want from a phone—except availability outside of China. Pros Unbeatable specs Unbeatable specs Versatile camera system Versatile camera system Best-in-class image processing Cons Mediocre ultra-wide lens Mediocre ultra-wide lens Only available in China It's not exactly a Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, but Oppo's stated goal with the Find X8 Ultra's design was to pull off 'the thinnest camera phone.' At 8.78mm thick compared to its 9.5mm-thick predecessor, the Find X7 Ultra, Oppo has indeed slimmed the Find X8 Ultra down beyond any of its cutting-edge competitors. But because of its boxy, squared-off design, it doesn't necessarily seem that much thinner in the hand. This year's Xiaomi 15 Ultra, for example, is 9.48mm thick but has tapered edges that don't dig into your palms as much. That's not to say the Find X8 Ultra is unwieldy. Oppo has basically achieved what it set out to here; it essentially feels like a very slightly thicker iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is a strong achievement considering the hardware. But the design is extremely straightforward and austere, which may or may not be to your taste. Oddly, the Find X8 Ultra looks near-identical to the base Find X8, while the mid-tier Find X8 Pro is sleeker and flashier than both. The display is as good as you'll find on any premium phone. It's a 6.82-inch flat-sided OLED panel with a variable refresh rate (1 to 120Hz) and 1440p resolution. The Find X8 Ultra gets up to 1,600 nits bright in regular outdoor usage and peaks at 2,500 nits with HDR content. The bezels are equally slim on all four sides. It has Dolby Vision support and, more unusually, Oppo's Splash Touch technology to limit unwanted inputs when it's wet. I did make a point of testing this in a hot tub, for science, and the phone really does actually stay more or less usable even when it's covered in drops of water. I'll also mention the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, not just for its speed improvements over the X7 Ultra's optical reader, but for how Oppo improved the way you set it up—now you can register your thumb by just rolling it in a circle a few times rather than tapping the sensor repeatedly with every part of the tip. Not the biggest deal in the world, but a welcome improvement if you're a weirdo like me who goes through that process dozens of times a year when testing new phones. Another design quirk is Oppo's shift away from a mute slider switch, a popular differentiating feature on phones from its subsidiary OnePlus. There's now a customizable button on the top left of the phone called the Shortcut Button, and yes, it works more or less identically to the iPhone's Action Button—right down to the full-screen UI that pops up when you choose its function. I'm fine with the hardware change, but the implementation is a little brazen. Elsewhere, the Find X8 Ultra's spec sheet includes what you'd expect from the top shelf of Android flagships in 2025. The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite and the phone can be outfitted with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. (The base model has 12GB and 256GB, respectively.) This is Oppo's first Ultra-class phone to include silicon-carbon battery technology, following its debut in the X8 Pro and a subsequent appearance in the folding Find N3. Basically, this allows Oppo to get a lot more capacity out of a smaller physical space—despite its slimmer frame, the Find X8 Ultra's battery weighs in at 6,100mAh versus 5,000mAh on the X7 Ultra. As for charging, Oppo's own 100W SuperVOOC adapter can get you from zero to 100 percent in under 40 minutes, which is impressive considering the increased capacity of the battery. The Find X8 Ultra also supports wireless charging at up to 50W with a compatible proprietary charger. Between the fast charging and the large battery capacity, I've found the phone unlikely to die on me in regular use. I'm not going to say it'll never happen on a long day of shooting in the sun, but it's been as solid as any comparable phone I could name. That brings me to the camera system, which—as ever with 'Ultra'-class Chinese flagships—is the main point of differentiation here. The Find X8 Ultra doesn't necessarily have the best hardware in every single category, but there's a strong case to be made that it's the most well-rounded and versatile camera system around. The Find X8 Ultra's primary camera uses a 1-inch-type sensor, which is the class-leading standard for Chinese flagship phones; it's the same size as what you'll find on Sony's RX100 range of point-and-shoot cameras or Fujifilm's new X half. What this means in practice is that the lens you use the most gives you far more depth and dynamic range than what you get from an iPhone or Galaxy. The light-gathering ability is simply on another level, and you're able to separate subjects through shallow bokeh (background blur) without resorting to portrait mode, which often still shows imperfections between the foreground and background. The Find X8 Ultra's telephoto lenses—yes, there are two—are also a particular strength. The 3x periscope camera has an unusually large 1/1.56-inch sensor paired to an f/2.1 lens with close-focus ability, allowing for excellent mid-range and macro shots with natural shallow depth of field. There's also a 6x f/3.1 lens with a 1/1.95-inch sensor. The one drawback is the 1/2.75-inch ultra-wide camera, which isn't necessarily weak next to the competition but does feel like a compromise in the name of thinness; previous Oppo flagships performed much better. Oppo has also adopted a thoughtful approach to camera software. The regular photo mode turns out pictures along the lines of what you'd expect from a high-end smartphone, with crunchy sharpness and HDR detail preserved in every shot. I think Oppo has the best color science in that sense, which is why phones like the Find N3 can outperform their hardware. But if you're not into the typical smartphone photo look—which I personally am not—you can swipe on over to the Hasselblad-branded Master mode, which gives you much more natural results right out of the box. While Master mode is fully customizable, its default settings tend to line up with what I'd be aiming for when editing files from a dedicated camera. This year, Oppo's image processing is aided by what the company calls a 'True Chroma Camera,' a low-res sensor dedicated to capturing accurate color information across the frame for better automatic white balance. It's difficult to test exactly how the camera system would work without this additional hardware, but I did see impressive results in challenging situations like low-light portraits. The shooting experience is also helped by the 'Quick Button,' which is pretty much a facsimile for Apple's Camera Control. It gives quick access to the camera app and shutter release, but it's fully capacitive and much easier to press; I found myself using it a lot more often than I do on my own iPhone 16 Pro. The Find X8 Ultra has a vastly more capable camera system than you can get on any smartphone sold in the US, and it trades blows with the best available from domestic competitors like Xiaomi and Vivo. That said, I can't really recommend anyone go out of their way to buy it unless they're based in China. I have personally found it to work well on my NTT Docomo SIM card in Japan, but I can't speak to bands or coverage wherever you might be reading this. Oppo's China-focused version of ColorOS is pretty usable and comes with built-in compatibility for Google Mobile Services through a settings toggle, meaning you can use the Play Store and Google apps along with any third-party software that relies on Google's APIs. Still, an uninitiated Western user might feel blindsided by a bunch of Chinese bloatware and services they won't ever be able to use. The Find X8 Ultra's eSIM support is only accessible through the built-in ORoaming app, for example, and you can only pay for data through WeChat or AliPay. But the bigger picture here is that the Find X8 Ultra demonstrates how Chinese phone makers are simply miles ahead of what's available in the U.S. and Europe. Whether you're shopping for a Galaxy, Pixel, or iPhone this year, you're getting a raw deal when it comes to pure hardware capability and camera performance. This phone launched at 6,499 yuan in China, which works out to around $900. Given the present political climate, it seems less likely than ever that Chinese OEMs will find a way to sell their highest-end devices in the U.S. That's unfortunate for anyone interested in the best hardware available. The Oppo Find X8 Ultra will be my go-to camera phone until something better comes along, and I have a feeling that that something won't be available in the U.S. either. It's not like this particular phone necessarily changes the game—Chinese companies have been leapfrogging Apple and Samsung for years. All in all, the Find X8 Ultra is an awesome phone that's as good an example as any of what's capable today with modern mobile technology. I think it's clearly better than anything Apple, Samsung, or Google are selling in the U.S. today. Does that mean you should import it? Probably not. But it does mean you should raise your standards for the next time those companies try to sell you on new hardware.
CNET
3 hours ago
- CNET
Elden Ring Nightreign Director Interview Part Two: Why There's No Poison Swamp and Future DLC
Elden Ring and its DLC Shadow of the Erdtree have been phenomenal successes for FromSoftware, which enabled the studio to grow beyond its devoted but niche following to explode into the mainstream. Its spinoff, Elden Ring Nightreign, takes a different approach with a co-op multiplayer focus and repeatable run-based gameplay. Nightreign is a bold direction for the studio, which had found success with dark fantasy single-player adventures like Bloodborne and the Dark Souls series of games. Most of its hits were directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of the Souls formula of tough third-person combat games. The new multiplayer game, Nightreign, builds on Elden Ring's success by remixing its elements into a new gameplay format of fast-paced action. Fitting this new direction, Nightreign is the directing debut of Junya Ishizaki, who had worked on many earlier FromSoftware titles and been the combat director on Elden Ring. Over video chat, CNET got to talk with Ishizaki about his thoughts on Nightreign and many other topics. In part one of our interview, we discussed how things changed over the course of the game's development, from dropping fall damage to collapsing multiple maps into the final one we see today. And, yes, how he solo'd every boss in the game. In part two below, we chat about Ishizaki's favorite Nightfarer class to play and least favorite boss, as well as DLC info and what FromSoftware learned that it'll carry into future games (like, potentially, the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods coming next year). Of course, we also had to ask the poison swamp question. Woods infested with scarlet rot are the closest you'll get to a poison swamp in Nightreign. Screenshot by David Lumb/CNET David Lumb: I feel like I need to ask about the absence of another element that's been present in many other FromSoftware games: Where's Nightreign's poison swamp? Junya Ishizaki: I think the main reason is that this is not a Miyazaki title so that could be one explanation. Jokes aside, I think it's just a serendipitous factor of game development and what goes into the idea process and what comes out. So who knows what could happen in the future with Nightreign? DL: Considering Elden Ring, Bloodborne and two of the three Dark Souls titles are Miyazaki games, what makes Nightreign an Ishizaki game? JI: I think one of the aspects that not necessarily sets me apart from Miyazaki, but that I like to think of as my specialty, is that I like to prioritize the "game feel" more than a lot of things -- these detailed and fine-tuned things, like what happens when a player falls from a height and hits the ground? How is this supposed to feel? And how does this translate into good-feeling gameplay and into player comfort? So as you know, Nightreign doesn't feature any fall damage but there are ways the characters behave when they hit the floor from various heights and what you can do to counteract that. So these are areas that I like to look at -- the relationship between player and controls and how that translates to game feel. Hidetaka Miyazaki, director of Elden Ring and other FromSoftware games, at CNET's 2024 interview alongside the release of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. David Lumb/CNET DL: This is a question I asked Miyazaki-san last year when the Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, came out: Of all the FromSoftware games you've worked on, which is your favorite child? JI: That's a tough question. I've worked on Dark Souls 1, 3, Bloodborne and Elden Ring, of course. I think I'd say the project I have the most memories with is the original Dark Souls. This is the first project I was involved in at FromSoftware and it was my first foray into serious game development, learning the game systems and architecture and every aspect of what goes into these games at this company and what we wanted to convey to the user through gameplay. Learning all of this was extremely valuable to me. Of course, I was new at the time so I was very earnest in helping to make it succeed. DL: During my runs in Nightreign, I ran into memorable Dark Souls bosses like the Gaping Dragon. How did you choose which of the Dark Souls series' many bosses to include? JI: From a gameplay perspective and our sense of, first of all, would they be a good fit for the world and structure of Nightreign. It's the same for the bosses that appear from Elden Ring's world as well. Whether they fit and use the base boss battle format of Elden Ring, we wanted to make sure that they adapt to Nightreign's framework and gameplay as well, and add to that in order to make the experience fresh. Gladius (shown above) and the other eight Nightlords were created for Nightreign. Other bosses, found in the field and appearing at the end of the first two days, are from Elden Ring and Dark Souls games. Bandai Namco DL: Speaking in terms of crossovers, it's great to see Dark Souls bosses in Nightreign, as well as some character costume skins that look straight out of Bloodborne. When are we going to see the Armored Core crossover? JI: We have a very high level of respect for the games that other directors and other creators in the company have created and we never wanted this to feel like a random grab bag kind of approach. We have very fond memories of each of these titles and there was very careful selection that went on in order to choose the right fits and what we felt could be interesting for Nightreign. We didn't want this to feel like too lighthearted of an effort -- we wanted it to feel like there was some love and care and respect put into it. As to the question of an Armored Core or mecha crossover … who knows? It's very difficult to say right now what the future could hold for the company. I think if someone was so inclined, they could approach a crossover of worlds in such a way. But right now, there's really no hint of that. DL: Now I need to know more about how you've played your own game. What's your favorite Nightfarer class? And what's your least favorite boss? JI: I'd have to say my favorite Nightfarer, from a character perspective, is probably the Guardian. I like to feel like I'm protecting the team and that I'm a strong anchor, very unyielding in my approach to any enemy that I've come up against. But he also has some cool aspects to him. He doesn't feel like a full-fledged tank, he feels a little more flexible than that. The Duchess is a powerful and fragile but nimble fighter who pours on damage in fights. Bandai Namco/Screenshot by CNET In terms of pure gameplay, I like the Duchess. She's really quick, fun to dodge with, uses teammates' attacks effectively and, I think, she's very intuitive for me to play. She's the kind of character I would choose in another game. I can really immerse myself in the gameplay without worrying too much about what's going on. As for my least favorite boss fight, obviously I love all boss fights equally [laughs]. The one I have most trouble with is Fulgore, sort of a centaur type character missing one arm. That one really requires me to keep on my toes and keep focused. That's a tricky one for me. DL: Interesting, he definitely wiped the floor with me when I went against him -- and I appreciated how tough he was without seeming unfair. Broadly speaking, have players responded to the game as you expected or surprised you? JI: The overall response to the network test and to the cycle of the game has been incredibly strong. I'm really glad to see all the feedback we've been getting and we have a lot of great points to learn from and to examine in terms of balancing the game's difficulty, bringing up the highs and tweaking the lows up until release. Personally, I love playing multiplayer games and being part of that community discussion, so seeing this take off with Nightreign, seeing what players thought was [overpowered] or what was meta or what's going to be the new meta when a new character is released -- this was really fun to see. This really made me glad to see these kinds of divisive opinions and discussion. I can't wait to see everyone play it at launch. DL: Great segue -- what is the future of Nightreign? Does that include more content beyond the announced DLC? JI: For future content, we have the already-announced DLC, which we're currently underway on developing. The content for that will be focused on mainly new playable characters and new boss encounters, so please look forward to that. And then of course, beyond that, we can't say definitely right now but we will be continuing to support the game with patches and updates according to what we see from player data and player tendencies. So sticking tight to the game and watching for balance changes that need to be made and generally supporting the game as we have done with our previous titles. Elden Ring Nightreign launched on May 30 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles for $40. Owning the original Elden Ring is not required to play this game.
