Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • An Evening in Full Swing with Biggles Big Band at Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Huahin

    An Evening in Full Swing with Biggles Big Band at Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Huahin

    The swing excitement has recently revisited Hua Hin as Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin welcomed Biggles Big Band to delight Thai fans with hits from the golden era of jazz.

    The beautiful city of Hua Hin was in excitement as an Amsterdam-based 25-piece jazz orchestra, Biggles Big Band, recently revisited the iconic Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin as part of their 2019’s Thailand Tour.

    Attended by hundreds of guests and all jazz lovers from across the globe, the event “A Big Night With Biggles Big Band” was a great success with Jan Weisheit (third from right), the hotel’s Resident Manager, personally welcoming and greeting Adrie Braat (third from left), the talented conductor, and the big band with the management team prior to the recreation of the magical sounds from the swinging-and-dancing era.

    Highlights of the glittering evening included tunes from their amazing musical repertoire such as In The Mood, Come By Me, Fly Me To The Moon, and many more famous jazz classics recreated with their well-known contemporary styles, all perfectly complimenting a wonderful atmosphere of the hotel.

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  • DFS Celebrates Eighth Prestigious Masters of Wines and Spirits in Singapore

    DFS Celebrates Eighth Prestigious Masters of Wines and Spirits in Singapore

    DFS Group (DFS), the world’s leading luxury travel retailer in partnership with Changi Airport Group (CAG) hosted its eighth annual edition of the prestigious Masters of Wines and Spirits in Singapore on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24. The highly-anticipated event showcased a curated collection of 140 of the rarest and finest whiskies, wines, Cognacs and Champagne from around the world.

    The 2019 edition of Masters of Wines and Spirits was hosted at Singapore’s state-of-the-art complex, Infinite Studios. The event brought together over 1,000 local and international guests to celebrate DFS’ global travel retail leadership and innovation and their relationships with some of the world’s top wine and spirit houses. Guests were invited on an immersive and interactive journey to discover each of the brands through engaging video art installations and digital projections and an exploration of a wide variety of unique tasting experiences.

    This year’s edition of Masters of Wines and Spirits explored the theme of “Masters at Work” – an homage to those who have acquired complete knowledge or skill in a subject, technique or artform and whose passionate commitment to their task continues to raise the bar for all others in the field. During the weekend, DFS celebrated six masters across a spectrum of backgrounds including Brooke Supernaw of DFS as Master of Curation, Ewan Gunn of Diageo as Master of Whisky, Sarah Burgess of The Macallan as Master of Malt, Fabrice Papin of Château Lafite Rothschild as Master of Wine, Hidetsugu Ueno of Bar High Five as Master of Cocktails, and DJ Arthur Bray as Master of Music.

    The event also featured four exceptional masterclasses to inspire and delight guests. Masters of Malt hosted by Sarah Burgess, Whisky Maker at The Macallan, saw guests taste premium and exclusive products such the Macallan Enigma and Macallan M Decanter. Masters of Wine hosted by Fabrice Papin, International Brand Ambassador of Château Lafite Rothschild took guests through a full-range tasting of eight different Domaines Barons de Rothschild Châteaux wines. Masters of Blending hosted by Ewan Gunn, Global Whisky Master at Diageo, saw guests taste Coal Ila 35 year-old, Port Ellen 39 year-old and Johnnie Walker Blue Ghost and Rare.  Masters of Cocktails presented by Japanese mixologist and Spirited Awards World’s Best Bartender in 2016, Hidetsugu Ueno, took guests on a journey through the Japanese craft of spirits and a cocktail making session featuring whisky, sake and gin.

    “This year’s Masters of Wines and Spirits once again showcases the extensive expertise of DFS’ merchant team in curating a world-class, bespoke collection and bringing together the world’s most sought-after wines and spirits and their brand ambassadors,” said Brooke Supernaw, DFS Group’s Senior Vice President Wines, Spirits, Tobacco, Food and Gifts. “Our ability to present such an unrivalled and illustrious assortment of highly collectable and exclusive products would not be possible without the longstanding partners and relationships we hold dear.”

    “Changi Airport is honored to host the latest annual edition of the Masters of Wines and Spirits here in Singapore. Through our long-term partnership with DFS, we strive to delight our passengers with unique experiences and look forward to showcasing another outstanding and rare collection that can only be found at Changi,” said Teo Chew Hoon, Group Senior Vice President for Airside Concessions, Changi Airport Group.

    The 140-piece strong curation – featuring collectable items such as the oldest whisky ever released by The Macallan family, The Macallan 72 Year Old in Lalique – The Genesis Decanter; a set of three extremely rare vintages, The Château Lafite Rothschild Double Magnum Collection; and one of 1,500 bottles produced from the owner’s original stocks – Port Ellen’s 39 Year Old. The collection will also be showcased and celebrated at Changi Airport through a series of activations at Terminals 2 and 3 until the end of April.

    DFS’ Masters of Wines and Spirits 2019 Collection

    More than 80 Cognacs and Whiskies make up this year’s collection and include The Dalmore Constellation Vintage 1973 Drinking Cabinet, a very special bespoke and handcrafted cabinet commissioned by Richard Paterson, containing The Constellation Vintage 1973 (cask no.10). The Bunnahabhain 39 Year Old Spanish Octave Finish, an exclusive limited edition piece that forms part of the new Bunnahabhain Element Series which is crafted around the importance of various elements impacting on the character of each Bunnahabhain whisky, and the DFS Exclusive, Caol Ila 35 Year Old boasting a fine freshness, cleanliness and precision for its age.

    The Glenfiddich 45 Year Old, an exclusive blend for DFS Masters of Wines and Spirits, honors a whisky-making tradition dating back to 1887 and is a true reflection of the passion and innovative spirit passed down through all five generations of the Grant family. Possibly the last ever cask of Karuizawa Single Malt to be bottled in Japan is the Karuizawa Single Cask 1995. Port Ellen 39 Year Old is an elegant complex 39 year old Single Malt Whisky, unlocked from the heart of Port Ellen and is expertly married from a selection of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry refill casks.

    Macallan presents The Macallan 72 Year Old In Lalique – The Genesis Decanter, the oldest whisky ever released by the Macallan family in commemoration of the opening of its new Distillery and Visitor Experience. Presented in a bespoke limited-edition crystal decanter handcrafted by Lalique, this exceptional whisky celebrates the collaboration of masters from across the fields of whisky, crystal, architecture, construction and craftsmanship. Also from the Macallan family comes The Macallan Fine & Rare Decades Collection. Created exclusively for DFS, the collection features five Fine & Rare vintages from 1938, 1947, 1954, 1965, 1976, each drawn from a single unique cask, denoting key historical events for the year.

    From the world of wine, DFS presents more than 60 collections including The Château Lafite Rothschild Double Magnum Collection, a rare opportunity to collect three of the great vintages produced by the estate in big formats and The Château Mouton Rothschild Magnum Collection, a unique six-vintage magnum set of exceptional vintages from 1988 to 2009.

    The Penfolds 2015 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon Imperial is one of the world’s most iconic Cabernet Sauvignons and a true representation of the Penfolds ‘House Style’ and has shown its ability to age with grace and finesse since the first vintage in 1964. All great wines begin with a great site, and the Continuum Tim Mondavi Library Vertical Selection is a unique collection offering an opportunity to enjoy a vertical flight of Continuum vintages from 2010 through 2015.

    Giving reason to celebrate is the Rare Le Secret Magnum Vintage 1997 With Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire. Inspired by the muse of both Maisons, Marie- Antoinette, Queen of France, Rare Le Secret  High Jewellery is royally embellished with a one- carat precious stone, interwoven golden bands set with 510 diamonds. Presented in a majestic box, this spectacular edition has been for more than 20 years in the cellar of Régis  Camus,  Rare  Champagne’s Cellar Master.

    DFS Masters of Wines and Spirits is part of the DFS Masters Series, a signature program of exhibitions around the world. The Masters Series is a showcase of the pinnacle of DFS’ leadership and innovation in curating and creating exceptional experiences across its five pillars of luxury: Wines and Spirits, Beauty and Fragrances, Watches and Jewelry, Fashion and Accessories, and Food and Gifts.

    The full 2019 Masters of Wines and Spirits Collection will be available for purchase at Singapore’s Changi Airport from March 25. A smaller, curated collection will be available later in year at T Galleria by DFS in Hong Kong and Macau.

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  • Stationery retailer Smiggle targets Asia

    Stationery retailer Smiggle targets Asia

    Vibrant stationery retailer Smiggle is expanding within Asia following a record global performance reaching 34.8 per cent sales growth in the territory.

    Brand owner Premier Investments will be pushing Smiggle in South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, as well as the UAE, making the brand available in over 100 new locations by July this year.

    Smiggle will also be expanded to Canada in late 2019, giving the brand its first exposure to a “key North American market.”

    The brand’s total sales for the first half of the current fiscal year reached US$126.59 million, contributing to Premier’s increased group net profit of 13 per cent over the period to $62.87 million.

    Due to “major structural changes to the global retail industry,” the brand will partner with Amazon Europe to launch in France, Italy, Germany and Spain between April and July 2019, and is in talks with Alibaba to bring the brand to countries where the brand does not currently operate.

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  • Nike sees steap growth numbers in Asia

    Nike sees steap growth numbers in Asia

    Sportswear retailer Nike has grown net income to US$1.1 billion over its third quarter, with the group’s consumer-direct  approach delivering growth across all four of its geographic regions.

    Revenues increased 7 per cent to $9.6 billion, up 11 per cent. The Nike brand contributed $9.1 billion of this, while footwear brand Converse brought $463 million – down 2 per cent compared to the prior corresponding period.

    “In Q3, our team once again drove strong, healthy growth across Nike’s complete portfolio,” Nike chairman, president and CEO Mark Parker said.

    “Our business momentum is being accelerated by our ability to scale innovation at a faster pace and expand new digital consumer experiences around the world.”

    In Asia-Pacific, the group saw footwear sales increase 3 per cent to $909 million, while apparel sales grew 6 per cent to $340 million.

    However, sales in the equipment category fell 8 per cent over the period, to $58 million.

    Greater China, saw equipment sales stay flat at $29 million, but experienced a strong 21 per cent growth in apparel sales to $444 million, and footwear sales 19 per cent above the prior period at $1.11 billion.

    The group’s gross margin increased over the period to 45.1 per cent, driven by higher selling prices, favourable changes in foreign currency exchange rates and growth in Nike Direct.

    Additionally, the group’s effective tax rate was 14.7 per cent, compared to 179.5 per cent during the same period last year, which included one-time charges related to the enactment of the US Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which drove a $921 million loss.

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  • Tommy Hilfiger in social entrepreneurs shout out

    Tommy Hilfiger in social entrepreneurs shout out

    Fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger is seeking applications from social entrepreneurs for the second year of its Fashion Frontier Challenge.

    Tommy Hilfiger’s global program aims to support entrepreneurial start-up and scale-up stage businesses developing solutions that promote inclusive and positive change in fashion.

    “The first chapter of this global initiative was an inspiring journey that put a spotlight on incredible ideas that could change the lives of people through a more positive and inclusive fashion landscape,” said Tommy Hilfiger.

    “Through the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge, we continue to mentor and support social entrepreneurs who are putting their heart and soul into addressing issues they strongly believe in. This celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit and determined optimism at the heart of our brand DNA.”

    Interested businesses are invited to submit project proposals that focus on inclusive fashion. Over a multi-stage four-month process, applicants will be narrowed down to six finalists, who will be invited to develop their project plans with the support of a team of dedicated Tommy Hilfiger subject-matter experts at the Campus of the Future in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

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  • Tealive parent Loob Holding eyes on IPO

    Tealive parent Loob Holding eyes on IPO

    Tealive parent Loob Holding, is planning an IPO to fund ‘aggressive expansion’. The company is looking to open 1000 Tealive stores in 15 countries by the end of next year.

    Along with another 150 new outlets in India by 2024.

    China is still its focus market, with 500 more outlets to come after first outlet opened last November.

    Tealive has more than 200 outlets in its home market, seven in Vietnam, two in China, and one in Australia. About one third of these are operated by franchisees.

    Loob Holding CEO Bryan Loo said the company is building relationships with potential business partners in Japan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Mongolia, and the UAE, while Singapore is also in its expansion plan.

    Apart from Tealive, Loob also runs F&B franchises in Malaysia, including Gindaco, Croissant Taiyaki, Define:food, Define:burgers and Ko Ko Kai.

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  • WhatsApp building a New Feature Allowing Users to detect spam and fake news

    WhatsApp building a New Feature Allowing Users to detect spam and fake news

    Facebook owned WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will allow a user to see how many times a message has been forwarded. The beta update to version 2.19.80 includes a new functionality allowing a user to view how many times a message he or she received has been forwarded. To obtain this information, the user needs to forward a received message, open up the Message info section, and the data will be there. A message that has been forwarded five or more times will receive a bubble that says “Frequently Forwarded.”
    The number of times that a message you sent via WhatsApp has been forwarded is something that can already be found in the Message info section. If you install the beta version of the messaging app on your Android or iOS phone (via TestFlight) you will be able to see the number of times both a sent and received message has been forwarded. WhatsApp is adding this feature to help a user see whether a message is spam. Some messages that have been forwarded a number of times are spam, or might be “fake news.”
    Facebook acquired WhatsApp in a blockbuster deal that closed in October, 2014. Originally valued at what was considered an outrageous amount of money at the time the deal was announced ($16 billion), by the time the transaction closed eight months later the purchase was valued at $21 billion.
  • Samsung Galaxy A90 tipped to sport huge display

    Samsung Galaxy A90 tipped to sport huge display

    The Samsung Galaxy A90 is expected to debut in early April, and with less than three weeks to go some extra information about the smartphone’s most important feature has just leaked. As confirmed earlier this week by Samsung’s own website, the Galaxy A90 will be the company’s first and only smartphone to feature a ‘notchless Infinity screen.’ Naturally, this means that there will be no controversial notch or display cutout, with the smartphone instead expected to sport slim bezels all around.

    This prediction was today backed up by a leaked Galaxy A90 screen protector which clearly shows razor-thin bezels and a slightly larger chin. To further solidify the rumors, tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer weighed in on the matter by reaffirming the lack of a notch and pointing towards bezels that are just 1.2mm thick and a chin that measures in at 3.6mm. On a related note, it’s worth pointing out that Hemmerstoffer also believes the Galaxy A90’s display will boast a huge 6.73-inch diagonal, thus putting it on par with the Galaxy S10 5G and subsequently making it one of Samsung’s biggest smartphones ever.

    Expect a pop-out camera mechanism that also rotates

    Despite the company’s efforts to develop in-screen camera technology, Samsung recently admitted that ‘perfect full-screen’ smartphones are still a few years away. Because of this, the South Korean giant has apparently opted for a more unorthodox solution on the Galaxy A90. To be precise, Samsung’s upcoming smartphone is said to include a pop-out camera mechanism which houses the selfie cameras. These sensors, however, can also be used as the rear sensors thanks to a rotating mechanism that the pop-out module includes. Details about the cameras remain quite scarce, but the general expectation is that the device will feature at least three. According to previous leaks, the primary one will sport a whopping 48-megapixel resolution. The resolution of the other sensors hasn’t yet been revealed, but one will probably sport a wide-angle lens, while the other could act as a dedicated depth sensor.

    As a result of this unique setup and the lack of rear cameras, the Galaxy A90 is also expected to sport a very minimal rear design. In fact, the only noticeable element will probably be the Samsung logo – the Galaxy A90 is expected to adopt an in-display fingerprint scanner.

    An impressive processor that could beat the Snapdragon 845

    The inside of Samsung’s upcoming device remains a bit of a mystery. One rumor claims the company is preparing a budget Snapdragon 855-powered flagship which could easily be the Galaxy A90 – the smartphone is expected to sit directly beneath the Galaxy S10e in Samsung’s lineup. However, tipster Ice Universe believes this isn’t the case. Rather than using Qualcomm’s latest flagship chip, the historically-reliable source believes Samsung’s Galaxy A90 will make use of the yet-to-be-announced Snapdragon 700-series chip currently referred to as the ‘Snapdragon 7150.’

    Little is known about this chip right now, but the expectation is that it’ll take advantage of the 8-nanometer manufacturing process. Moreover, in terms of performance, it should sit somewhere between last year’s Snapdragon 845 (10-nanometer) and the newer Snapdragon 855 (7-nanometer) found inside the Galaxy S10 series. No further details about the Galaxy A90’s internal setup were provided, but the smartphone will most likely debut with a minimum of 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. However, more impressive variants with extra storage and potentially more RAM do seem extremely likely. Completing the smartphone’s setup should be Android 9 Pie straight out of the box and a 3,700mAh battery. But considering the rumored display size, it’ll remain to be seen what kind of battery life results this produces. In any case, improved fast charging of up to 25W is now expected.

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  • Alleged fastest messaging app adds new privacy features

    Alleged fastest messaging app adds new privacy features

    Messaging app Telegram features end-to-end encryption for messages, and claims to deliver said messages faster than any other app. It has no limits on the size of media sent using the service, and is free. Today, Telegram announced a new privacy feature. Users can now delete, if they so desire, any message sent or received in a private chat. Telegram says that deleted messages will disappear from both sides of the conversation and there will be no trace of them left at all.
    This new functionality is basically an expansion of the “unsend” feature that Telegram first debuted two years ago. This originally limited “unsend” to be used by a Telegram user who sent a message, and only for the first 48 hours. Now, with two taps, users can remove any message they sent or received with no time limit. The messages are erased from both the sender’s and recipient’s device.
    In addition, Telegram is limiting who is allowed to forward messages you’ve sent. When a user toggles on the new anonymous forwarding feature, forwarded messages won’t be linked back to the sender’s Telegram address. Instead, an unclickable name will appear in the “from” field. Messages a Telegram user forwards will no longer be linked backed to his or her account.
    Telegram has also added a search option for settings, allowing members to quickly find the particular setting that they want to change. It will also answer users’ questions based on the app’s FAQ page. Speaking of search, the emojis and GIFs search feature has been upgraded. Any selected GIF can be previewed by tapping and holding on the image. On Android, keywords can be used in multiple languages to help find a specific emoji. When typing a message, a list of emoji related to the context of the message will surface. And on Android, if you send an emoji without any text, it will appear larger in the chat. This will soon be available for the iOS app.
    Lastly, Telegram has added VoiceOver on iOS and TalkBack on Android, which are both controlled by gestures. Both provide spoken feedback so that Telegram can be used without seeing the screen on a mobile device.
    Telegram is available on iOS and Android, where it has over 100 million installs.
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  • Police smash massive China counterfeiting gang

    Police smash massive China counterfeiting gang

    Police have shut down a huge China counterfeiting ring estimated to have raked in some US$15 million.

    Chinese police have arrested 32 people believed to be part of the operation, which focused on counterfeiting luxury-branded goods.

    The Shanghai raid led to the seizure of more than 4000 items of luxury apparel and accessories bearing Louis Vuitton, Kenzo and Loewe labels, among other top brands. Two assembly lines producing the counterfeit items were shut down.

    The raid was in response to a tip-off to the Shanghai Qingpu district public security bureau that fake Louis Vuitton bags were selling on Chinese social media platform, WeChat.

    Estimates held that the ring had sold more than 100,000 fake luxury items at a value of around RMB100 million (US$14.9 million). Each item would have cost around RMB200 ($30) to produce.

    The rise of online markets all over the world has been blamed for a general increase in fake products sold globally. The counterfeit industry is now worth an estimated $590 billion a year, and accounts for around 3.3 per cent of total international trade.

    According to customs officials, the most frequently seized fakes are items of footwear, clothing, leather goods and IT equipment. China is by far the world’s largest source of pirated goods.

  • Worldpay announces Australasian expansion

    Worldpay announces Australasian expansion

    Worldpay, a global leader in payment technology, has announced major investment in Australasia for 2019. The first is the opening of two sales offices in Australia; the second is the expansion of its global footprint to New Zealand after obtaining a local licence for acquiring card payments. These regional investments will enable Worldpay to serve its Australasian clients through an enhanced market presence and in-country payment processing.

    This regional investment builds upon Worldpay’s commitment to the region, having been one of the first non-banking technology providers to launch a domestic acquiring licence in Australia in 2016. Worldpay’s new offices will be located in Melbourne and Sydney, with Sydney acting as the country headquarters. The new sites will not only help to better serve existing clients with rich payments expertise, solutions consulting and on-the-ground account management, but also deliver on Worldpay’s ambitious plans to boost its client roster, which already includes VGW, Skiddoo, Lonely Planet, Webjet, and Supernova, the owner of Sand & Sky, Coco & Eve, BodyBoss and SkinnyMint.

    eCommerce in Australia is expected to grow by more than 37 percent over the next three years to be worth almost US$40bn by 2022, with New Zealand also experiencing high levels of eCommerce growth. The buoyant market conditions have attracted a number of global brands to the region, giving shoppers more choice and have increased retailer competition for consumer spending. With 20 percent of consumers in Australia and New Zealand shopping via mobile every month, smartphone penetration alongside more frictionless payment methods offered by digital wallets could open new opportunities for retailers to differentiate their offering and grow mobile commerce.

    Phil Pomford, General Manager, Global Enterprise eCommerce, APAC at Worldpay: “Australasia is an exciting region with lots of growth potential, but also its own unique set of challenges. By building a team of payments experts located in Australia, alongside the addition of a domestic card payment acquiring capability in New Zealand, Worldpay can offer a service that goes beyond the transactional. Our investment and addition of this new licence will enable us to further provide unparalleled access to global markets to help eCommerce businesses deliver on their international growth ambitions.”

    The New Zealand card payment processing licence will allow Worldpay to process transactions domestically for merchants trading in New Zealand. This new licence means the global payments leader is one of a few providers to offer domestic acquiring capabilities in the country. It will also make it easier for New Zealand-based firms to trade with the rest of the world, creating a seamless payment experience for both domestic and international clients.

    Pomford continued, “While there’s a lot of competition from traditional providers, Worldpay can offer something different. We’re already helping thousands of multi-national companies around the globe to drive sales, gain better data insights and enter new markets at scale. With our Australasian expansion, we want to show businesses in Australia and New Zealand that we’re the technology partner of choice to help them grow, and go global.”

     

    Domestic acquiring in New Zealand will be available in Q2 2019.

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  • Ford Cars Will Now Get In-Car Alexa Personal Assistant

    Ford Cars Will Now Get In-Car Alexa Personal Assistant

    After years of positioning its Microsoft Sync systems as the big in-car USP, Ford is now all set to make its cars Amazon Echo enabled. More specifically the In-Car Alexa personal assistant – which now takes the connectivity story ahead after Apple CarPlay or Android Auto have already become commonplace. Ford has partnered with Amazon for the Industry-first In-Car Alexa voice command assist system. This is the first such application in amass car brand’s portfolio and will work on similar lines as the latest voice-guided personal assistants that BMW and Mercedes-Benz have unveiled only recently. The Sync interface will continue to be in play here, and shall work in conjunction with Amazon’s flagship communicator. The Alexa voice assist system will be integrated into the latest Microsoft Sync 3 AppLink and will respond to various languages. According to our sources, Amazon is training the Alexa to understand multiple languages including Indian dialects. This leads us to believe that the product is set for a worldwide release, and not just within the United States.

    The latest AppLink system is built on an open source Smart Device Link Software which enables other processors such as the one used by Amazon for Alexa, to engage with it. The Smart Device Link is a cohesive software which will improve the open source and will allow other app developers and service providers to render service across automaker’s portfolio. So the idea is to grow this ecosystem. Ford has been tight-lipped about the rollout of this impressive new feature. Our emails to Ford India have also gone unanswered, though sources within the company’s Dearborn HQ have confirmed that the feature will be offered in the cars launched in India by 2020. And before you can ask – connectivity will be through either a sim card slot that will be provided on some models, or your smartphone which would hook up through Sync anyway.

    The In-Car Alexa assistant will allow the driver to access Alexa for traffic, or even destination information, besides giving her or him access to news, music and yes that includes Amazon Music’s vast library. Passengers can also enjoy highly personalised features like listening to audiobooks, search and transfer local destinations through navigation before even starting the trip, weather information and searching the Internet. In-Car Alexa can also be linked to its sister Alexa on the Amazon Echo device at the user’s home, through the home-to-car feature. This will assist the owner to command internet-enabled functions such as the house lighting, security system, garage doors etc. – basically anything hooked up to the Echo at home, can then be accessed through the IN-Car Alexa using voice commands. The home-to-car feature will also facilitate electric/hybrid vehicle owners to start-stop their car’s engine, lock and unlock the doors and monitor vehicle readings such as fuel level and the battery range.

  • Oslo Becomes The First City In The World To Get Wireless Charging Systems For EVs

    Oslo Becomes The First City In The World To Get Wireless Charging Systems For EVs

    Norway’s capital Oslo will become the first city in the world to install wireless charging systems for electric taxis, hoping to make recharging quick and efficient enough to speed the takeup of non-polluting cabs. The project will use induction technology, with charging plates installed in the road at taxi ranks linking to receivers installed in the vehicle, Finnish utility Fortum said.

    From 2023 onward all taxis in Oslo will have to be zero emission and Norway wants all new cars to be zero emission by 2025. Among other nations, Britain and France have similar goals for 2040. Fortum, which is working with U.S. firm Momentum Dynamics and the City of Oslo on the scheme, said the greatest hurdle for electrification of taxis had so far been the infrastructure, as it is too time consuming for cabbies to find a charger, plug in, then wait for the car to charge.

    Induction is more energy efficient and enables charging the taxis while they are in the slowly moving queues at taxi ranks. “Time equals money when taxi drivers are working,” said Ole Gudbrann Hempel, head of Fortum’s public charging network in Norway.Norway has the world’s highest rate of electric car ownership, partly thanks to long-term perks such as free or discounted road tolls, parking and charging points. Last year, almost one in three new cars sold was electric.

    The government also exempts electric vehicles from taxes on traditional vehicles that are very high in a country which does not have its own fossil fuel car industry to lobby against them. With just five million people, Norway bought 46,143 new battery electric cars in 2018, making it the biggest market in Europe, ahead of Germany with 36,216 and France on 31,095, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.

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  • AI-controlled on demand bus services planned in Japan

    AI-controlled on demand bus services planned in Japan

    Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation and Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co. have established a new joint venture to provide commercial on-demand-bus (ODB) transit services controlled by artificial intelligence.

    The joint venture, Next Mobility, will commence operations in April 2019 (as planned) in Island City, which is located in Fukuoka City’s Higashi-ward.

    Lacking profitability and drivers, many of Japan’s public passenger road transportation (PPRT) providers are struggling to develop efficient and sustainable services. Island City is undergoing a wave of development, and with more residential, commercial and port facilities going up, traffic is getting heavier. There are concerns in the area about parking shortages, worsening traffic congestion and a lack of public transportation.

    To help address these concerns, the AI-controlled ODB services provided by Next Mobility JV are being rolled out in Island City on a one-year, trial basis. The purpose of the trial will be to verify these services’ effectiveness and commercial feasibility. By improving public transit and making it more readily available to citizens, the trial hopes to encourage people to leave their cars at home and help to build more efficient and sustainable transportation networks

    AI-controlled ODB is a new concept of public bus transit services. The AI generates routes automatically and in real time based on passenger requests submitted through smartphone apps. It uses deep learning to accumulate operational data on rider destinations and traffic conditions, enabling the buses to run more efficiently the more they are used. Passengers can also use their smartphones to book rides and can even pay with their credit cards. The booking and dispatching system has been developed by Spare Labs Inc., a Canadian Company.

    Nissan Motors has agreed to sponsor the project and provide its ten-passenger Nissan Caravans for the trial. They will be driven by taxi drivers dispatched from Fukuoka Nishitetsu Taxi Fukuoka City and companies located in Island City will also be supporting the project by promoting its use throughout the area.

    MC and NNR hope that this ODB service will ultimately help to realize a model for sustainable, efficient and seamless public transit, servicing both Island City and other areas throughout Japan.

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  • BSNL to offer carrier billing for Amazon Prime

    BSNL to offer carrier billing for Amazon Prime

    Mobile technology company Fortumo is providing its Trident Bundling Platform for India’s BSNL to help the state-owned operator distribute Amazon consumer services in the market.

    With the integration, BSNL is offering subscribers one years’ subscription to the Amazon Prime shopping and entertainment platform on certain of its plans.

    The Trident Bundling Platform is designed to allow operators to establish and expand partnerships with OTT service providers by allowing the delivery of digital products packaged with mobile services to support carrier billing.

    OTT companies need only integrate with the platform once, and can then establish multiple bundle partnerships across a variety of potential commercial scenarios.

    Fortumo VP of global business development Andrea Boetti said such operator partnerships are ideal for markets such as India, where smartphone penetration in the country is above 35% but only 3% of the adult population owns a credit card.

    “Interest towards VOD services is today growing the fastest in South-East Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Local telecommunication companies and their marketing capabilities offer the best way for VOD providers to engage this audience,” he said.

    “Fortumo’s Trident supports VOD providers in getting these new users on board as quickly as possible.”

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    Lees ook: