Bitcoin hits record high just shy of $112,000
The world's largest cryptocurrency touched a high of $111,988.90 and was last up 2 per cent at $110,922.48.
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Business Times
an hour ago
- Business Times
Flavour and scent giant IFF's digital immersion hub charts the path to Asian senses
[SINGAPORE] Flavours and fragrances are key to the Asian experience, as industry giant International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) would have you know. The company on Thursday (Jul 10) launched its 'immersive-experience' facility at its innovation centre in Singapore's Biopolis research hub. The 75 sq m facility is kitted out with 360-degree video technology that replicates scents, tastes, sounds and textures, simulating what can be sensed in real-world environments. 'It enables virtual tours, contextual tastings, fragrance immersion and real-time co-creation,' said IFF in a statement. Its clients – consumer-goods giant Procter & Gamble and fine-fragrance brand Yves Saint Laurent, for example – can thus work with the centre to experience or design flavour and fragrance profiles that are 'life-like, emotionally engaging', said the company. Such experiences, said IFF's general manager for scent in Greater Asia Ramon Brentan, are key to tailoring products that are in line with the contexts and preferences of the Asian consumer, given that the group is seeking to tap the region's enormous market potential. The upshot of using the technology is that product design can be done more quickly and be aligned to what the client wants, and reduce time to market, IFF said. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up It added that businesses would also be able to respond more quickly and accurately to evolving consumer demands. Guests at the launch of the 'immersive-experience' facility were given an insight into how the technology is able to recreate the scent and flavour profiles that corporate clients may want. Visitors could, for example, taste and smell complex local flavours, presented as laksa-inspired cupcake frosting and Hainanese chicken rice-flavoured mayonnaise. Brentan said the immersion-experience hub is part of a broader push by the company to integrate digital tools and consumer insights into its regional expansion. He noted that one region would often consume products in a different way from another region. For example, the monsoon rains in Indonesia would change the way fragrances are perceived. 'The immersion-experience hub can thus help the customer make sure that his product smells good in a simulated monsoon environment,' he said. The New York-listed company had announced at the launch of its Singapore innovation centre in 2022 that it would expand its presence in Asia significantly. 'By 2030, Asia is projected to account for 60 per cent of global economic growth,' chief executive Frank Clyburn had noted. 'For IFF, Asia has demonstrated consistent growth, and we see tremendous opportunity in the future.' The innovation centre, along with its Singapore Flexiblend plant in Tuas launched the same year, had set aside S$30 million to invest in Singapore, which the company said would expand its regional footprint. The centre's digital tools are used in conjunction with consumer insights through foresight tools and panels, said the company. 'This space allows us to turn those rich insights into innovation,' said Prakash MG, senior vice-president of IFF Taste for Greater Asia. Speaking at the event, Kelly Lai, vice-president and head of chemicals and materials at the Singapore Economic Development Board, said Singapore supports such strategies that leverage cutting-edge digital technologies to support and accelerate innovation. 'IFF's decision to set up its immersive experience hub in Singapore reflects strong confidence in our innovation ecosystem for the flavours and fragrances industry,' she added.
Independent Singapore
an hour ago
- Independent Singapore
Nvidia becomes first company to hit US$4 trillion valuation amid AI boom
Photo: Depositphotos/MichaelVi NEW YORK: Nvidia just became the first publicly traded company to reach a US$4 trillion market valuation on Wednesday (July 9), after its shares rose 2.8% to US$164.42 (S$210.34). Back in January, Nvidia faced pressure after its shares fell 17% over concerns that China's DeepSeek was using fewer of its chips compared to US competitors. Still, the company said it was confident demand would hold. According to The Edge Singapore , the stock is now up more than 20% in 2025 and has gained over 1,000% since early 2023. It also now makes up 7.5% of the S&P 500 Index, pointing to the increasing presence of the overall technology sector, Reuters reported. Client portfolio manager Brian Mulberry at Zacks Investment Management noted that there's 'obviously tremendous demand' for Nvidia's chips, amid its role in the artificial intelligence (AI) race. He said the recent rally since April shows how quickly the market has shifted its focus back to AI infrastructure. 'It's been a pretty remarkable 90-day period. There's no doubt about that,' he added. The company's chips remain central to the AI boom, with strong demand from tech giants Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Alphabet. These four companies are expected to spend a combined US$350 billion on capital expenses in their next fiscal years, up from US$310 billion this year, as per Bloomberg analysts' estimates. These companies contribute more than 40% of Nvidia's total revenue. Other tech giants approaching Nvidia's US$4 trillion valuation include Microsoft, with a valuation of roughly US$3.7 trillion, and Apple, valued at US$3.1 trillion. Reuters reported that alongside Nvidia's rally, Microsoft has climbed 19% in 2025, Oracle 40%, and Palantir 88%. /TISG Read also: Nvidia CEO says that if he were a student today, he would learn AI to have a successful career Featured image by Depositphotos () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Grok AI to be available in Tesla vehicles next week, Musk says
Grok AI will be available in Tesla vehicles next week "at the latest", the EV maker's CEO Elon Musk said in a post on X on Thursday.
