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CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Two Chinese nationals in California accused of illegally shipping Nvidia AI chips to China
LOS ANGELES: Two Chinese nationals were arrested in California and charged with illegally exporting tens of millions of dollars' worth of Nvidia AI chips and other advanced technology to China without the required US government licenses, the Justice Department said on Tuesday (Aug 5). Chuan Geng, 28, of Pasadena, and Shiwei Yang, 28, of El Monte, are accused of operating a company, ALX Solutions Inc, that facilitated more than 20 illegal shipments between October 2022 and July 2025, according to a criminal complaint unsealed this week. EXPORT CONTROLS VIOLATED The complaint alleges that ALX Solutions was established in 2022, shortly after the US imposed sweeping export controls restricting the sale of certain high-performance chips and technologies to China. The rules require exporters to obtain licenses from the US Commerce Department. Instead, Geng and Yang are accused of routing the chips through third-party shipping and freight forwarding firms in Singapore and Malaysia, common transshipment points for goods illegally destined for China. The Department of Justice said one China-based company paid ALX Solutions US$1 million in January 2024. Additional funds reportedly came from businesses in Hong Kong and mainland China, rather than the listed freight forwarding intermediaries. ADVANCED AI CHIPS SHIPPED The illegally exported items included Nvidia's H100 chips, which are among the most advanced semiconductors available and can be used for training large language models, powering autonomous vehicles, and running complex medical diagnostic systems. Records show ALX Solutions purchased over 200 Nvidia H100 chips from Super Micro Computer, a San Jose-based server manufacturer, between August 2023 and July 2024. The end users were falsely declared as being in Singapore and Japan. A spokesperson for Nvidia declined to comment on the case, while Super Micro did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In addition to the H100s, Geng and Yang allegedly exported Nvidia's PNY GE Force RTX 4090 graphics cards, another high-performance component that also requires a license for export to China under current US restrictions. COURT APPEARANCE IN LOS ANGELES Both defendants appeared in US District Court in Los Angeles late Monday. Geng, who holds permanent residency in the United States, was released on a US$250,000 bond. Yang, who allegedly overstayed her visa, remains in custody and is scheduled for a detention hearing on August 12. The charges come amid heightened scrutiny of illegal technology transfers to China, as the US intensifies efforts to restrict Beijing's access to advanced semiconductors and artificial intelligence hardware that could have military or strategic applications.
New Paper
4 hours ago
- New Paper
Without using profile photos, Singapore-made bot matchmakes strangers
SINGAPORE - Undergraduate Mia, 26, has been chatting with potential dates on Telegram, but she has never seen their faces. It is only when they meet for their first date that she knows what they look like. She is among thousands who have been using amble, a Singapore-made bot that operates much like a virtual matchmaker. Introduced as a bot on Telegram - as @ambleprojectbot - in April 2023, amble is now also available as an app. On amble, users start out completely anonymous to each other, and do not have any idea what the other person looks like. This is in stark contrast to popular dating apps like Tinder, Hinge and Bumble, where details like a person's appearance, height and occupation are often made visible. For Mia, this has been a great pull. She told The Straits Times that her previous experience using Bumble made her feel as though she was "a tomato on display" at a Sunday market. With looks out of the equation on amble, Mia said she has been able to better determine her compatibility with her matches. "(A person's appearance) just isn't that high on my list in comparison with values or personality," she said. As the conversation between two users progresses, "milestones" are unlocked and more is revealed about the parties. This can include fun facts about them or a picture of them - the latter only if both users have chosen to share a photo. Mia said she and her matches chose not to reveal what they look like, and instead went on "fun, blind meet-ups". She has gone on two such meet-ups and said they were both enjoyable. As a conversation between two users progresses on amble, "milestones" are unlocked and more is revealed about the parties. PHOTO: AMBLE 'Not rushed, not transactional' amble co-founder Alyssa Chua, 27, told ST she began experimenting with the idea of the bot in 2023 as she felt that conversations, particularly those on dating apps, were beginning to feel more fleeting than before. "We swipe, we judge, we expect instant chemistry. If sparks don't fly in the first few seconds, we move on," she said. "And yet, when we do find something real... it's because of a conversation that made us pause, think and see someone beyond the surface." Ms Chua said she chose to name the bot "amble" to reflect how she felt a conversation should feel. "Not rushed, not transactional, but like taking a walk in the park with someone, one step at a time," she said. That sentiment has resonated with enough users for Ms Chua and fellow co-founder Cayden Gwee, 27, to decide to release an app version of the bot in April. Ms Chua said there are now about 6,000 people using amble, both on Telegram and the app. To help users find common ground, amble intermittently poses questions or prompts. These can range from simple ones like whether they have unusual hobbies or talents to ones that provoke deeper thought such as: "Do you think there's any sort of scenario which makes it fair to reveal a secret?" Mr Mac Healy, 27, who began using amble in 2024, told ST the "brainwork" needed to answer most questions has helped him strike up "pretty good" conversations and led to meaningful matches and dates. This is in comparison to popular dating apps, where conversations are "the same... rinse-and-repeat", said the financial analyst. "It's not like 'What's your favourite colour?' - I get sick hearing that every single time I enter a new talking phase... amble adds a good twist," he added. Users can also filter the people they will be matched with based on their intention - whether they are looking for something romantic or platonic. Users of amble can filter the people they will be matched with based on their intention - whether they are looking for something romantic or platonic. PHOTO: AMBLE Ms Chua said users have found all kinds of connections through amble. "Some have met romantic partners - we've received very cute photos - while others have discovered shared passions with like-minded hobbyists," she said. But with the online dating scene increasingly filled with scammy profiles and bots generated by artificial intelligence (AI), how sure can users be that the person they are chatting with is real? Ms Chua said that on Telegram, bots - like amble - are not allowed to engage with other bots, as part of the messaging app's security measure to prevent potential abuse. On the amble app, every profile is verified through the user's e-mail and phone number. The phone numbers are then cross-checked against databases of fraudulent numbers to prevent abuse, added Ms Chua. AI is also used on the app to assess users' answers to questions set out by amble during onboarding. "Behind the scenes, we use AI to evaluate these responses by looking for indicators of intent, sincerity and alignment with the kind of meaningful conversations amble is built for," said Ms Chua. "This helps us ensure that the people on the platform are real and genuinely here to connect." App not the end for Telegram bot Ms Chua said Telegram was chosen as the platform to first roll out amble as it gave the bot's creators the flexibility to test ideas, and without requiring users to download something that was new. Mr Ryan, who wanted to be known by only one name, said he found it convenient that he did not have to download yet another app onto his phone. "(It) definitely pulled me to using amble," said the 29-year-old commercial pilot, who has been using the bot since early 2025. Ms Chua said Telegram also "felt like a natural place for real conversations to happen". However, the messaging platform also limited what Ms Chua and Mr Gwee could do with amble. For example, the bot is only able to let users speak to one match at a time. "With an app, we are able to introduce concurrent matches, letting people explore multiple connections at once," said Ms Chua. While users can only experience a simple chat interface on Telegram, an app allows for custom interfaces that could stimulate more thoughtful conversations, and even introduce game-like elements to inspire more playful interactions. The app, though, does not spell the end of the amble Telegram bot. Noting that some users preferred the bot's simplicity on Telegram, Ms Chua said she is exploring ways to keep it as an option alongside the app. "But moving forward, the app will be our focus - because it allows us to build amble the way we've always envisioned it, without compromises," said Ms Chua.
CNA
6 hours ago
- CNA
New virtual reality tool screens signs of pre-dementia with up to 90% accuracy
A new virtual reality tool will detect signs of pre-dementia in seniors with up to 90 per cent accuracy. This will cut screening times from hours to around 15 minutes. Amid rising cases of dementia in Singapore, only one in eight people who has pre-dementia is diagnosed with it during primary-care visits. Clinical Associate Professor Tan Ngiap Chuan from SingHealth Polyclinics shares more on the findings and uses of the VR dementia tool CAVIRE-2 in a study detecting signs of pre-dementia in seniors.
